Chapter 168 TOUGH DECISION

Chapter 168 TOUGH DECISION

SIENNA

Two months have passed since Dad made me cut ties completely with Leo.

He was furious when he found out that I still kept in touch with Leo.
The situation was really tense. Dad even blamed Alex for giving me a phone, but when Alex explained how I had deceived him as well, Dad became even more furious.
That was where I became stuck—whether to choose Leo or my glorious inheritance.
To be honest, Dad was doing everything in his power to restore my life and erase the shadows of my past by giving me a new beginning.
Seeing me go back to my old ways broke him completely, and he had to give me another chance to choose between love and my career.
But this time, I decided to choose my career over Leo. So, I surrendered my phone to him, although it cost me a lot to win his trust back.
If I had chosen Leo, Dad wouldn't have wasted a second booking a flight to Washington for me. This time, he was absolutely determined.
These two months have been painfully boring without Leo in my life. Each morning I wake up, I keep praying, asking God to strengthen him.
I know how painful my absence must be for him.
I know how deeply hurt and restless he would be after trying to reach out to me and nothing seems to work out.
I feel the same too.
Lonely. Disturbed. Hurt.
I wish this phase of my life could just come to an end. I wish my family would accept Leo and not see him as some ruthless villain.
I'm powerless. I can't change the situation at hand.
So, I accepted my fate and waited for the day I could look Dad in the eye and make my own decisions.
A time would definitely come for that. It's certainly not now, because I have to focus on growing Dad's company with him and regaining my reputation.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Peters has been incredibly helpful. After just two weeks of training under her guidance, I had gained a thorough understanding of the company and how everything worked.
She was amazed at how fast I learned.
That Monday morning, I had to go to the office alone because Dad was out for a business meeting.
The office was cool as usual, and I got the chance to handle a few tasks. For now, I'm working hand in hand with Mrs. Peters, who is Dad’s general manager in the company.
Well, Dad has placed me on a salary and some allowances for now.
The plans of going back to Washington to continue my education have changed.
Right now, I'll have to continue my education in New York. I know Dad is just doing this so I don't get to see Leo ever again.
It's cool.
I have my plans too.
Different thoughts kept occupying my mind as we sat in the office. I didn't know Mrs. Peters had been observing my mood lately.
“What’s the matter, Sienna? The expression on your face looks terrifying,” she said softly, her words filled with kindness.
I lifted my gaze from the laptop I was handling and managed to force a smile.
“Oh, it's nothing, ma’am,” I gave an uneasy laugh.
Silence filled the room for a moment before her voice came softly again.
“It must be hard living without him,” she said with a chuckle.
I shifted my eyes back to her sharply.
“You mean Dad, right? I miss him badly,” I said.
The air stiffened.
“I’m not talking about your dad,” she replied.
Who is she talking about then?
My mind travelled far for a while and settled on Alex.
Certainly, Mrs. Peters must be referring to Alex. Since he returned to school, he has barely kept in touch with me, especially after Dad took away my phone two months ago.
“Then you must be referring to my brother, Alex. We haven't been keeping in touch with each other for a while now. It's so sad.”
Mrs. Peters smiled. “Yeah, I know how hard that can be too. But I wasn't referring to your brother either.”
My eyes furrowed. “Who are you referring to, Mrs. Peters?” I said, waiting to hear what she had to say.
“I’m talking about the man in your life,” she said, shifting a curious gaze at me.
My jaw dropped.
“You know about him?” Surprise slipped into my voice.
Mrs. Peters typed something on her laptop before walking to the couch where I sat.
“I’m very much involved with your family, Sienna. Just as your dad knows nearly everything about my own family,” she said, fixing my hair as her voice softened. “So, I know very much about him—Leo.”
Mrs. Peters shocked me. I wasn't expecting this conversation. She must have watched the video too. Poor me. She even knows Leo's name.
“You don't have to be shy about that, princess,” she said again. “I see you love this man so much.”
Silence fell for a while. I wasn't sure what I should reply.
“It’s a crime to love Leo in my family,” I said, pained.
“Yeah, I'm aware of that too,” she said again. “Mr. Cruz trusted his best friend so much. He was never expecting such a level of betrayal from his friend.”
“Do you believe Leo is a bad person?” I raised my face to her, seeking the truth from a stranger for the first time.
“No, Sienna. I don't believe that,” she said plainly, and for the first time, I felt I could trust her completely and even confide in her.
“Situations happen, my dear. What happened between you and Leo, which caught fire on the internet, is the same thing that happens between lovers, especially those working in the same organization. Yours was framed by an enemy of Leo. It's so unfortunate.”
“An enemy of Leo?” My eyes widened as Mrs. Peters revealed hidden things to me.
“You wouldn't know about it. We all didn't know either. We thought Leo intentionally recorded that video just to blackmail you. That's why your dad vowed to ruin his life until he certainly found out it wasn't Leo's fault at all.”
I listened carefully to all that Mrs. Peters was saying. In no time, memories of all that happened began to fill my mind.
I could still hear the creaking of Leo's office doors—how they slowly opened and shut.
How the person who recorded us sneaked away before we could realize it.
So this was done by Leo's enemy? To pull him down?
“Can I ask you a question, princess?” her voice cut in again.
I nodded, suddenly shifting my mind from all that had happened.
“Go ahead, ma’am,” I said softly.
“Would you still want to be with Leo if given a chance?”
“Definitely,” I rushed my words, like I had waited a long time for that question.
“Are you sure he loves you as deeply as you love him? And are you certain he'd be willing to spend the rest of his life with you without ever feeling ashamed to be seen with you in public?” she asked again.
I thought deeply about the question Mrs. Peters was asking.
Even though I didn't know Leo's mind, I knew he definitely loved me genuinely, just as I loved him.