Chapter 31: Bonus chapter

Two Years Ago

“How sure are you this will work?” I asked Dr. Chain, the lead physician overseeing my treatment since the day I arrived at this place. My voice was laced with a mixture of hope and resignation. I had been clinging to that hope for so long now, it felt like it was slipping through my fingers.

“As we’ve said before, Leonard,” he replied in a calm, measured tone, “there’s no guarantee. We’re in uncharted territory here.”

I sighed, rubbing my face, feeling the smooth, unfamiliar surface of my head, shaved clean after the chemo began. I wasn’t used to it yet, even after all this time. Two years had passed, and I still flinched every time I caught my reflection.

“How long do you need to keep monitoring me?” I asked, my voice heavy with the weight of uncertainty.

“Probably for the next few months,” Dr. Chain replied, his words hanging in the sterile air of the hospital room. I closed my eyes, thinking of Eva, the woman I’d promised to return to after two years. But that promise, like so many others in my life, now felt like a cruel joke.

Dr. Chain left me to my thoughts, and I sat in the stillness, staring blankly at the wall. I didn’t want to think about breaking my promise, but deep down, I knew I had no choice. I wasn’t the same man anymore. Not the strong, confident, intense person Eva had fallen in love with. I was weak, sick, and terrified that I wouldn’t survive this.

I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my gallery until I found her picture. There she was, beautiful, stubborn, and so full of life. She had changed everything. Before Eva, my life had been meticulously planned. I wasn’t afraid of dying; I was afraid of dying without leaving a legacy without building something that would last. That was why I worked so hard to build Leonard Enterprises, to carry forward my father’s empire.

But then I met Eva, and everything shifted. I fell in love, and that wasn’t part of the plan. Hell, it broke my number one rule. And now, I was afraid, not just of death, but of dying without having a life with her. I wanted to be there for her, for our daughter Gabriella. I wanted to hold them, protect them, and give them the world.

“You should call her, you know,” my personal doctor interrupted my thoughts, sitting beside me. She had been with me since my teenage years, the one constant in the chaos of my life.

“She’s probably so angry at you… or worse, she might think you’re dead. It’s been two years, Leonard. You owe her an explanation.”

“I can’t,” I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

“You can’t, or you won’t?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I just… can’t,” I repeated, shaking my head. The thought of hearing her voice, of telling her the truth, felt unbearable.

My doctor sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Leonard, I’ve known you for a long time. I’ve seen you go through a lot, but never like this. You love her, don’t you? She deserves to know you’re alive.”

“For now,” I added, my voice barely a whisper.

“Listen,” she continued, her voice gentle but firm, “these doctors know what they’re doing. They’re hopeful, and you should be too. Don’t rob her of that hope. You need to fight for this, for her.”

Her words settled over me like a heavy blanket, and I knew she was right. But I couldn’t shake the fear gnawing at me. If the treatment failed, I didn’t want to drag Eva down with me. I wanted her to be happy, even if it meant without me.

“She’s better off without me,” I muttered, staring at the floor.

“No, she’s not,” my doctor replied softly. “She needs you. And you’re going to fight like hell to get back to her.”

Her words echoed in my mind long after she left. I had spent my whole life avoiding love, avoiding any attachment that could make me vulnerable. But now, I realized that loving Eva had made me stronger, not weaker. It gave me something to fight for. And that was exactly what I did, fight. Even though it took two more years, I fought for her.

When I finally arrived at the airport, my heart raced with anticipation. I had spent four years away from her, but now it was time to make things right. I dialed Clara’s number, the only person I could trust. She had been close to Eva over the years, even though she was originally just one of my employees.

“Hello?” her voice echoed through the phone, tentative.

“It’s Leonard,” I said simply.

There was a stunned silence, followed by a high-pitched squeal. I pulled the phone away from my ear, wincing at the noise.

“Oh my God! You’re alive, Mr. Leonard!”

“Clara,” I said sternly, “lower your voice. Is Eva with you?”

“No, she’s on her way to visit her mom,” Clara replied.

“Good,” I breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sending you an address. Meet me there. And Clara… don’t tell anyone. Especially not Eva.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, her voice still buzzing with excitement.

When she arrived at the meeting spot, I bombarded her with questions. I needed to know everything, how Eva had been, how she felt about me, how Gabriella was. Clara, true to form, didn’t shut up until I told her to. When she described Eva’s anger toward me, it hit me harder than I expected. I had hurt her, left her without an explanation, and now I had to make amends.

With Clara’s help, we set up the bar, decorating it in a way that Eva would love. I wanted everything to be perfect for when she walked in. The ring I held in my hand sparkled under the dim lights, and I found myself hoping she would say yes.

As the moment approached, my heart pounded in my chest. The sound of her footsteps sent a thrill through me. I stepped out from where I had been hiding, revealing myself to a very confused Eva.

The moment her eyes landed on me, I froze. She was even more beautiful than I remembered. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her. When she ran to me, when she threw her arms around me, all the fear and uncertainty melted away.

“Eva,” I whispered into her hair as she sobbed into my chest, clutching me like she’d never let go.

I held her tight, breathing her in, and at that moment, I knew. I was home.