Chapter 41 Together
Leopold jumped in before Caroline could open her mouth.
"When Caroline and I first met, things weren't exactly smooth sailing," he admitted with a sheepish smile. "The hotel expansion permits kept getting rejected even after multiple revisions. I thought she was deliberately making things difficult to squeeze some benefits out of it, while she pegged me as just another greedy businessman."
Elysia turned to Caroline with a questioning look.
"That's pretty much it," Caroline confirmed. "He even tried to bribe me, so my first impression wasn't exactly stellar."
"Not stellar?" Elysia's eyebrows shot up. "If your impression was so terrible, how on earth did you end up together?"
Leopold quickly jumped back in. "I knew you'd bring that up. Way to throw me under the bus." He flashed a charming smile at Elysia. "Mrs. Tudor, I was desperate. The hotel needed to open, the permits weren't coming through, and I tried taking a shortcut. My thinking was completely flawed—I misjudged Caroline entirely."
Elysia came to her daughter's defense without hesitation. "Caroline would never abuse her position. If she rejected your project, there must have been legitimate issues. I trust her judgment completely on that."
"Absolutely," Leopold agreed, nodding. "That's exactly what I discovered the more we interacted. She's incredibly dedicated to her work and genuinely authentic with people. The more time we spent together, the more I found myself drawn to her."
As he finished, Leopold turned slowly to look at Caroline, his eyes filled with unmistakable warmth that made something flutter in her chest.
So cheesy.
Caroline nearly got goosebumps.
Even with their performance, Elysia's expression suggested she wasn't entirely convinced.
"Mom," Caroline groaned, "did you invite us over for breakfast or an interrogation? I was looking forward to sleeping in on my day off, and he even left work early for this. We've barely touched our food with all your questions."
Leopold clearly had more patience than Caroline. He smiled warmly and said, "Mrs. Tudor is just looking out for you, which is completely understandable. It's fine—please ask anything you'd like. I enjoy talking with you."
Caroline gave him a cold smirk that practically screamed: [You're really something, aren't you?]
Leopold's expression remained steady, silently communicating: [Stay cool, I've got this.]
"Leopold," Elysia said, "don't mind my prying. As you said, there's no parent who doesn't worry about their child."
None?
Something darkened briefly in Leopold's eyes, but when he met Elysia's gaze, it vanished instantly. He explained, "Caroline and I haven't been together long, but our decision wasn't made lightly.
"Please know that we're both taking this relationship seriously and value each other greatly.
"As for why I haven't formally met you before—I actually brought it up recently, but Caroline said she wanted to 'test me' a bit longer before officially introducing me to you. If it weren't for your video call the other day, I'd still be in my probation period."
Leopold's lips quirked up in amusement while Caroline deliberately acted annoyed at his smugness. "You're still on probation," she teased. "One wrong move and you're fired."
Leopold placed a hand over his heart with exaggerated submission. "Rest assured, boss, I'll do my absolute best to pass all your tests with flying colors."
Caroline gave him a playful glance. "Just eat your food and stop talking so much."
Watching them banter, Elysia could see they genuinely looked like a couple in the throes of new love. She decided not to push further.
"Leopold, please eat before everything gets cold."
"Of course." Leopold ladled some soup into a bowl and placed it near Elysia. "Please enjoy, Mrs. Tudor."
They'd managed to get through Elysia's questioning. Caroline thought their performance had been Oscar-worthy, but only Leopold knew that everything he'd said came straight from his heart.
Having worked in the hotel business for years, kitchen duties were no challenge for Leopold. He not only helped clear the table but volunteered to wash the dishes.
Watching the tall Leopold wearing a light pink floral apron while busy at the sink, Elysia whispered to Caroline with concern, "It doesn't seem right to let him wash dishes on his first visit."
Caroline lounged on the sofa, glancing back toward the kitchen. "It's hardly his first time. You saw him washing fruit during your last video call."
Elysia tapped Caroline's hand in frustration. "That's completely different! I'm actually here today."
Caroline plucked a grape. "It's fine, Mom. Try these grapes—they're crazy sweet."
"All you think about is food." Elysia couldn't sit still and started to get up, but Caroline pulled her back. "Don't worry, he insisted. Just relax."
After finishing in the kitchen, Leopold joined them in the living room for a while before saying, "Mrs. Tudor, I need to handle something at the hotel. I can't stay longer, but next time when I'm off, I'd love to take you and Mr. Tudor out for dinner."
Elysia felt apologetic. "I'm sorry to have kept you, Leopold."
"Not at all, please don't worry. It's just something that came up. I'm usually quite free on weekends." Leopold maintained his polite, respectful demeanor throughout. "Caroline, I should get going."
Mother and daughter walked Leopold to the door, with Caroline quickly putting on her coat. "Mom, I'll walk him out."
Caroline followed Leopold to the elevator, whispering as she pressed the button, "My mom's probably watching us through the peephole."
Leopold kept facing forward. "Mrs. Tudor has impressive surveillance skills."
Caroline twisted his arm, making him wince. "You didn't have to pinch so hard!"
The elevator doors opened.
Caroline pushed him inside, and as the doors began to close, she sincerely thanked him, "I really appreciate your help today. May you live a long, blessed life as reward for your good deed."
Leopold's mouth twitched, his feelings impossible to describe. She couldn't possibly think this was all just acting, can she?
When Caroline didn't get a response, she looked up to find his clear, seemingly untroubled gaze fixed on her, which made Leopold hide his impulse to reveal his true feelings.
So heartless.
Leopold smiled faintly. "How do you plan to thank me?"
"Take your pick of any restaurant in Seaside City," Caroline offered.
Leopold looked down at her, shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. "Caroline, you're really something."
When they reached the ground floor, Leopold strode out, with Caroline hurrying after him. "What do you mean? What do you want?"
Leopold noticed it was snowing outside and stopped. "It's snowing. You should stay inside."
"So what if it's snowing? I'm not cold."
Leopold couldn't stop her as Caroline had already pushed through the door, talking as she walked. "When did it start snowing? The forecast didn't mention afternoon snow—it was supposed to snow tonight. Weather apps are so unreliable."
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have asked you to come. The road back to Solstice Mountain is under construction—you might need to take the detour."
She realized he wasn't following and turned to find Leopold standing a short distance away, watching her through the falling snow.