Chapter 130 With Me Here, You Can Rest Assured
Caroline glanced at Leopold. The look in his eyes confirmed what she already suspected: the woman at the office door was Allegra.
"Let's go," Leopold said, his hand hovering gently at the small of her back.
As they approached, Leopold made the introductions. "Ms. Watson, this is my wife. Is there something you need?"
"Yes. There's a data error in the report we just reviewed. It's going to impact all the subsequent stages," Allegra explained, then turned to Caroline with a polite nod. "Hello."
Caroline returned the greeting with equal grace. "Hi."
Leopold held the door open for Caroline. "Go ahead and wait for me on the sofa." He then turned back to Allegra. "Which page? I'll mark it."
Allegra followed him to his desk, pulling out the chair opposite him and sitting down. She flipped through the thick binder. "Page three seventy-five, fourth paragraph."
The office fell silent, the only sound the soft rustle of paper as his long, elegant fingers turned the pages.
Allegra explained the issue in fluent, rapid-fire English. Leopold listened intently, his pen scratching across the page as he jotted down notes. He interjected with questions, and Allegra answered each one without hesitation.
In a professional setting, they were a perfect match—two equals, their interaction stripped of any personal history. Privately, Caroline mused that if Leopold had never returned home all those years ago, their story would have undoubtedly had a happy ending.
Caroline could follow their conversation, but the technical jargon was a different language entirely.
An hour later, Allegra closed the binder and rubbed the back of her neck, a flicker of exhaustion crossing her face. "Thanks for your time."
As she stood to leave, the world in front of her suddenly went dark. She stumbled forward, and Leopold shot up from his chair instinctively. Caroline, alarmed, rushed over and steadied her. "Are you okay?"
Allegra gripped the edge of the desk, slowly blinking her eyes open. She offered Caroline a weak but grateful smile. "Thank you. I'm fine."
Leopold walked over, his brow furrowed with concern as he took in her pale complexion. "Another all-nighter?"
"The company is taking this project very seriously," Allegra said, her voice strained. "We have to send a full report on our daily meetings and progress back to headquarters before the morning briefing. I don't have a choice but to pull late nights."
"I'll have Lily help you back to your room to rest," Leopold offered.
"No, don't trouble her. I can manage," Allegra insisted, gathering her documents and heading out of the office.
The door clicked shut, and Caroline's gaze lingered on it for a moment before she turned back to Leopold. "She's a real workhorse."
Leopold nodded. "She's always been like that, even back in school."
Realizing his slip, a flicker of awkwardness crossed his face. "I didn't mean anything by that," he said quickly.
"I didn't take it any other way," Caroline replied, her tone breezy. "Don't be so tense. I genuinely admire her work ethic."
Leopold, relieved, quickly changed the subject, opening the insulated bag and pulling out the food containers. "She even packed a fork and knife for me. Your mom is the best. When you go back, please tell her for me this is the best beef bourguignon I've ever had."
"Don't just eat the beef," Caroline chided gently. "Have some vegetables."
Later that afternoon, Leopold had a video conference with Preston. There was no father-son warmth between them; it was strictly a superior-subordinate dynamic, the conversation focused entirely on the overseas hotels and the finance division. Caroline, curled up on the sofa, listened until the drone of their voices lulled her to sleep.
When she woke, the sky outside was dark. A jacket was draped over her, but Leopold was gone.
She hung the jacket on the coat rack and walked over to his desk. It was buried under stacks of files. Among them was the thick binder he and Allegra had been reviewing, its pages covered in dense annotations. Leopold's handwriting was beautiful, a fluid, elegant script that perfectly matched the man himself.
The door opened behind her. Caroline turned to see Lily step inside. She had eyes that seemed to smile on their own, and when she did, two charming dimples appeared, giving her a warm, approachable air. There was something about her that felt instantly familiar and comfortable. Caroline had met her once before, during a video call with Leopold, and they had exchanged pleasantries through the screen.
"You're awake," Lily said, her voice bright.
"Yeah, just now," Caroline replied. "Where is he?"
"Mr. Wipere stepped out to meet a client. He'll be back shortly," Lily explained. "He asked me to check on you and see what you'd like for dinner if you were up. I can have the kitchen prepare something."
"I'm not that hungry yet. Let's wait until he gets back to decide."
Lily poured a cup of coffee and placed it on the desk. "Here you go."
"Thanks." Caroline gestured toward the mountain of paperwork. "Is he always this busy?"
"He is," Lily confirmed. "The Solstice Mountain Hotel is the biggest project we've had in the last three years, so Mr. Wipere is personally overseeing a lot of it. And now that the parent company has handed him the overseas hotel portfolio, his workload has exploded. This past week, he's been buried in that—bouncing between his office and the conference room, pulling all-nighters with the team. Sometimes he gets so busy he forgets to eat."
Caroline heard the unspoken message in Lily's words. She was reassuring her, subtly letting her know that Leopold hadn't been spending his time alone with Allegra.
"You've all been working so hard," Caroline said, meeting Lily's gaze. "I know he's busy, which is why I didn't want to interrupt. But my mom made him some beef bourguignon. She was worried about him and wanted me to bring it over."
Her eyes conveyed a silent understanding that Lily picked up on immediately. With two smart women in the room, there was no need for pretense.
"I heard Mr. Wipere mention it. He was saying how wonderful your family has been to him," Lily said, a playful smile touching her lips. "You should have seen the look on his face. It was the first time I've ever seen a man with literal pink, heart-shaped bubbles in his eyes." She pressed her lips together. "You won't tell him I said that, will you?"
Caroline laughed softly. "Of course not. And with you by his side, I have nothing to worry about."
"You've got that right," Lily replied, her expression knowing. "As long as I'm here, you can rest easy."
Some things were best left unsaid.
Footsteps approached from the hallway. "Sounds like he's done," Lily remarked, turning toward the door.
Just as she spoke, Leopold walked in. He saw the two of them smiling. "What are you two talking about?"
"Secrets," Caroline teased. "We can't tell you."
Lily's eyes crinkled in a silent, conspiratorial grin.
"Something's up. You were definitely talking about me." Leopold's gaze shifted to his assistant. "Lily, what did you say? Were you tattling on me?"
"Absolutely not!" Lily said, already backing out of the room. "I'll leave you two to talk. I'm just going to go check on the kitchen."
Leopold closed the distance between them, his hands finding her waist. With a gentle pull, he brought her flush against him.
He looked down, his long lashes casting tender shadows on his cheeks. "What were you talking about? Can I know?"
Caroline leaned back, her hands braced against his chest. "We were talking about how you're always busy with work. And how you've been a very good boy."
"See? That's what my secretary is supposed to say." A wicked smirk played on his lips. "She's getting a raise."
Caroline swatted his chest lightly. "Are you asking for trouble?"
Leopold stole a quick kiss. "If you want to give me trouble, you can wait until tonight."
She hooked a finger under his chin, her eyes smoldering. "Then you'd better be on your best behavior. Don't disappoint me."
Love had no direction. Wherever you were, that's where my love would be.