Chapter 40 Don't Mess It Up
Caroline flopped dramatically against Elysia's back. "Moms are the only people in the world who truly care about their daughters."
Elysia's eyes crinkled with amusement. "Leopold must be off today too. Let's invite him over to try my cooking."
Caroline's brain kicked into overdrive. "He's busy. Business trip."
Elysia fixed her with that mom-stare. "You asked him? You just know he's on a business trip?"
Caroline had never been a skilled liar, especially to the woman who'd raised her. "I asked yesterday. He mentioned it then."
After raising Caroline for over twenty years, Elysia could spot her daughter's lies from a mile away.
"Call him. Right now."
Seriously? What was this about?
Caroline was definitely not on board with this plan.
"Go on," Elysia urged her to dial Leopold's number.
Listening to each ring, Caroline silently prayed Leopold would be too busy to answer. "See? Told you he's swamped. No time to pick up."
Just when she thought the call would go to voicemail, Leopold's voice came through the line.
"What's up?"
Caroline's heart practically somersaulted with frustration. "Are you busy? You're busy, right? I remember you mentioned yesterday how crazy busy you'd be. Right?"
Even a five-year-old could decode that desperate hint.
Elysia snatched the phone from Caroline's hand. "What are you doing?"
Leopold immediately heard Elysia's voice and understood Caroline's coded message.
"Leopold, it's me."
Leopold was just about to start a meeting with his managers. "Mrs. Tudor, one moment please."
He addressed the people in the conference room, "Lily, go ahead and start without me."
He stepped out into the hallway, finding a quiet corner before speaking again. "Mrs. Tudor, how can I help you?"
"Nothing important," Elysia said. "I was just wondering if you have the day off?"
Leopold could easily fabricate some excuse to align with Caroline's story, but he had his own agenda.
"I do, actually."
Elysia smiled. "Perfect! Come over to Caroline's for lunch. I bought way too many groceries, and Caroline can't possibly eat everything herself. If you're free, stop by and try my cooking."
A golden opportunity he couldn't pass up.
Leopold checked his watch. "Sounds great. I'm just wrapping up a meeting, but I'll head over afterward. Does that work?"
"Working on weekends? Such dedication," Elysia remarked. "Caroline and I will be waiting."
"I'll be there before noon."
"No rush. Drive safely."
After hanging up, Caroline reached for her phone, but Elysia placed it out of reach. "Go wash your face and help me prep the ingredients."
Caroline had planned to secretly text Leopold, but Elysia gave her no opportunity. She had no choice but to help with the cooking.
Throughout the morning, Elysia kept Caroline busy—prepping ingredients, tidying rooms, taking out trash, doing laundry—making her work harder than she did at her actual job.
By the time she got her phone back, Leopold was already knocking at the door.
Elysia sent her away again. "You serve the dishes. I'll get the door."
Caroline hurried to the kitchen, carrying out a dish as Leopold entered. She tried to catch his eye, sending him silent signals. Leopold pretended not to notice as he headed toward the kitchen with a bag of fruit. Caroline finally found her moment alone with him and was about to whisper something when Elysia walked in.
"Caroline, let Leopold put down his things. Everyone's hungry—let's eat."
Caroline took the bag from him. "I'll take this. Go wash your hands."
Leopold hadn't managed to exchange a single word with her yet, and he was getting anxious, unsure what this lunch was really about.
Caroline glanced toward the bathroom, quickly grabbing a pack of hand wipes. "We're out of hand towels. Here."
As she passed them to Leopold, she whispered, "I think my mom suspects something. Don't blow our cover."
Leopold's eyebrow quirked slightly. "Got it."
Now that he knew what was happening, he could handle it.
The three sat around the dining table. Leopold complimented Elysia's cooking skills, and she smiled. "If you like it, eat up. We can talk while we eat."
Following Caroline's warning, Leopold noticed something different about Elysia. The warmth he'd seen in their video calls was replaced with scrutiny and calculation in her gaze.
Leopold picked up a shrimp and began peeling it. "Caroline loves shrimp. Whenever we go out to eat, we always order some. I peel, she eats."
He placed the peeled shrimp on Caroline's plate.
Elysia smiled. "Yes, she's loved shrimp since she was little."
Though she appeared casual, Elysia was closely watching the peeled shrimp. Caroline never ate shellfish peeled by someone she wasn't close to.
Caroline naturally picked it up and popped it into her mouth while chewing. "Peel me a couple more."
Elysia paused. Even eating shrimp he'd peeled didn't necessarily mean anything.
"If you want more, peel them yourself. Leopold just arrived and hasn't even eaten yet, and he's already peeling shrimp for you." Elysia turned to Leopold, "Don't indulge her. Eat your food."
Leopold continued peeling. "It's no trouble. I'm used to it."
When Caroline's glass emptied, Leopold wiped his hands with a napkin and stood to refill both Elysia's and Caroline's drinks. He had barely sat back down when Elysia spoke, "Yesterday I visited Caroline's grandmother—she practically raised Caroline, and they've always been close. When she heard Caroline had a boyfriend, she was excited as a schoolgirl, asking all sorts of questions."
"I told her what I knew about you, but then she asked how you two met, which stumped me completely."
The implication hung in the air as Elysia's gaze bounced between them, clearly waiting for an answer.
Caroline answered truthfully. "We met through work."
Leopold nodded in agreement. "That's right. Solstice Mountain's hotel needed capacity expansion equipment, and Caroline happened to be in charge of the approvals."
Elysia studied their faces, determining they weren't lying.
"Fate works in mysterious ways. Meeting through work isn't easy."
Caroline took a sip of her drink. So Elysia hadn't come over early to cook—she'd come to investigate their relationship.
She set down her glass with a smile. "You weren't mad that I rejected your applications multiple times?"
"Not at all," Leopold said.
"Never cursed me behind my back?"
"Absolutely not," Leopold placed a hand over his heart. "It was our design team's fault for not being familiar with local regulations. If not for their incompetence, I wouldn't have had to bother you repeatedly. But I should thank them—without them, I'd never have met you."
Caroline shot him an approving glance. "That's more like it."
"Did you start dating before or after the approval went through?"
Elysia's seemingly casual question was a test of Leopold's character and intentions.
If they'd started dating before approval, it would suggest Leopold might have used Caroline. If after, considering the timeline, Caroline would have mentioned having a boyfriend when Elijah suggested introducing Griffin, but she hadn't.
Caroline and Leopold exchanged glances. How should they answer this one?