Chapter 24

Once again, I felt empty. 

Was this how he felt when he caught me kissing Leonard? 

Was this some kind of revenge? 

But I wasn’t even there to witness it. Revenge was supposed to be seen, felt. 

Just… why? 

I couldn’t believe he would try to move on so quickly. The thought broke my heart again and again. 

A knock on my door startled me, and before I could respond, Leonard stepped inside. My eyes widened, but I didn’t say a word. 

I wanted to yell at him, demand to know what he was doing in my room, but my lips refused to move. 

“I know I’m not supposed to be here,” Leonard began quietly, “but Clara called me. She was worried about you.” 

Even though I should have been mad at Clara for contacting him without asking me, I didn’t have the energy. I just stared down at my fingers, tangled tightly in my lap. 

“Eva, don’t do this to yourself,” Leonard said, stepping further into the room. He sat at the edge of my bed, watching me. I still said nothing. 

“You’re pregnant, and even if you weren’t...” he stopped, hesitating, before finally meeting my eyes. 

“I shouldn’t what?” I asked, my voice sounding foreign even to me. 

He remained silent, staring at me as tears began to stream down my face. 

“Please stop,” he said softly. “I can’t bear seeing you cry.” 

“Then leave,” I replied, my voice barely a whisper. 

“I can’t do that either.” His eyes locked with mine, and there was something in them, something I couldn’t quite understand. 

My heart raced, even though I wasn’t sure why. He climbed onto the bed, sitting beside me against the headboard. I watched him carefully, waiting for the urge to object, but it never came. Instead, I leaned in and rested my head on his shoulder. His arm wrapped around me instinctively, and I closed my eyes, surrendering to the comfort. 

This was wrong, but somehow, it felt right. 

Soft whispers stirred me awake. Slowly, I opened my eyes and realized I had fallen asleep on Leonard’s chest. His arm was still wrapped around me. 

“Oops,” Clara’s voice broke through the quiet. 

My cheeks flushed, and I quickly sat up, avoiding Leonard’s gaze. Embarrassment flooded me. Two days ago, I had slapped him, and now I was sleeping on his chest with Clara watching, no less. 

“You must be hungry. Your food is ready,” Clara said brightly, pulling my attention to her. I blinked, taking in the sight before me. 

There, beside the bed, was a table filled with food, hamburgers, a fully iced cake topped with strawberries, chips, tomato sauce, pie, chicken, shawarma, lasagna, and orange juice. My jaw practically dropped. 

“Oh, that must be the pizza,” Clara said, rushing out of the room. 

I turned back to Leonard, who was grinning at my reaction. 

“What is all this?” I asked, still in shock. 

“It’s for you,” he replied simply. 

“For me?” I stared at the spread of food, utterly dumbfounded. 

“You love eating, so I thought, why not get you a variety of things you like to choose from?” 

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, or seeing. But as much as I tried to fight it, a smile tugged at my lips. Despite everything, I couldn’t help feeling touched. 

“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted. 

“You don’t need to say anything. Just go ahead,” Leonard gestured toward the food. 

I scooted down the bed, bringing my legs to the floor so I could reach the table properly. My stomach growled, and I couldn’t help but smile wider. 

As I scanned the array of food, I felt a little overwhelmed. I had no idea where to start. 

“Having a hard time picking?” Leonard teased, mimicking my posture. 

“Yes,” I laughed softly, then finally grabbed a strawberry from the cake, popping it into my mouth. 

“Are you going to join me, or just sit there and watch me?” I asked. 

“I’m not hungry.” 

“You’re never hungry. Why? Is it just around me?” 

He was quiet for a moment, then opened the pizza box and took a slice. I smiled, grateful he decided to eat with me. 

As I took a bite of my own pizza, I glanced at him. “It’s starting to feel like every time we eat together, you want to know something about me.” 

“Well, how about I learn something about you?” he countered, his tone playful but curious. 

“What do you want to know?” I asked. 

“Why did you take this job?” 

“The money, of course,” I replied, grabbing the shawarma and taking a bite. The flavors burst on my tongue, and I couldn’t help but hum in appreciation. 

“I know, but why? You’re so young, probably still supposed to be in college.” 

“Coming from a young man who’s a billionaire,” I shot back, giving him a pointed look. 

“Okay, fair enough,” he said with a chuckle, focusing back on his pizza. 

I sighed, deciding to open up a little. “My father is gone, and my mom is sick. I had to find a way to take care of her and my two siblings.” The weight of my words hit me hard. I hadn’t spoken to my mom in a while, and the guilt gnawed at me. 

“And she agreed to this?” he asked, surprised. 

“She doesn’t know,” I admitted, watching his expression shift from curiosity to shock. 

“Eva, I would never judge you,” he interrupted before I could finish my sentence. His sincerity caught me off guard. 

The memory of slapping him two days ago resurfaced, and I felt a pang of guilt. 

“I’m sorry about what happened in the kitchen,” I began, but before I could say more, he reached across the table and squeezed my hand. 

“It’s nothing. I don’t even remember it,” he said, smiling gently. 

I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. Leonard had been smiling so much recently, and it softened something inside me. 

“I want to show you something,” he said suddenly, getting up from the bed. 

“What?” 

“You’ll see. I’ll give you time to get ready,” he said, leaving the room. 

Despite everything, I couldn’t stop smiling. 

After I finished eating, Clara packed up the leftover food and stored it in the fridge while I got dressed. Leonard drove us to his house, and curiosity buzzed inside me as I wondered what he wanted to show me. 

Inside, the house looked the same as the first time I had been there. He led me upstairs and stopped at a door, looking at me for permission before opening it. 

When I stepped inside, I froze. 

It was a baby room, beautifully decorated with mixed cartoon wallpapers. A pristine white crib sat in the center of the room, and a built-in play area was nestled in the corner, overflowing with toys. There was a large white cabinet on one side and a cozy couch on the other. 

My eyes welled up as I turned in a slow circle, taking in every detail. 

“This is beautiful,” I whispered, overwhelmed by the emotions rushing through me. 

“I did it myself,” Leonard said, almost shyly. “I thought maybe it needs a better decoration than this.” 

“No,” I shook my head, blinking away tears. “It’s perfect.” 

“We can make changes once the baby is born, depending on whether it’s a boy or girl,” he added with a soft smile. 

I placed a hand on my belly, imagining the little life growing inside me, with a room already waiting. But then my smile faded as reality set in. 

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked. 

“Because I wanted you to see it,” he said simply. 

“No,” I shook my head again. “I’m not supposed to get attached. I can’t.” 

“What if I want you to?” he said, stepping closer. 

My heart stuttered as he reached for my hand, his touch sending a shiver through me. 

“I…” he trailed off, and I waited for him to finish, but he didn’t. 

Our eyes remained locked, the air between us thick with unspoken words. 

Then, he glanced at my lips, and I knew what was coming next if I didn’t stop it. 

“Leonard,” I stepped back slightly, breaking the contact between our hands. 

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I got carried away.” 

He paused, then added softly, “I promise I won’t try to kiss you again. Not until you let me.” 

His words sent my heart into a frenzy. What did he mean by that?