After lunch, Bianca rushed back to the company, leaving Reese with Leonel.
“Take the rest of the day to rest. You’ll face things like this often, so you need to be ready for gossip and hate. But remember the company and I will always have your back,” Bianca said, gently patting Reese’s shoulder.
She turned to Leonel and asked, “Leonel, are you busy this afternoon?”
“What’s going on?” Leonel replied.
“If you’re free, can you take Reese out to relax a bit?” Bianca said with a wink.
Reese quickly waved her hand. “No need for that. Leonel, aren’t you really busy? You don’t have to do this for me…”
“I finished my work this morning. My afternoon’s free,” Leonel said, sneaking a quick glance at Bianca and giving her a playful wink.
Hearing his reply, Bianca squinted her eyes and smiled. “Then I’ll leave Reese in your care. Make sure she feels better, or I’ll come after you.”
“I won’t let you down,” Leonel said, smiling.
Bianca smiled again. “Alright, I’m off then.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
After she left, a quiet tension filled the air. Reese clutched her fingers and finally said. “Leonel, really… you don’t have to stay with me. I’ll be fine.”
Leonel looked down at the girl in front of him. From the first time he saw her, he had been drawn to her.
Right now, he found her even more charming. Her graceful figure, especially her long legs, caught his eye. But it was her innocent face that truly held his attention-something rare in his world.
He wanted to get closer to her.
After hearing what happened to Reese at the promotional event, he felt sorry for her. More than that, he wanted to protect her.
Leonel paused and sighed. “Did you hear what Bianca said? She might seem kind, but at home, she’s scary. If I don’t listen, I’ll be in trouble tonight.”
“Could you help me, please?”
Reese couldn’t say no. She was too kind-hearted to turn him down after hearing that.
Then, breaking the silence, Leonel stood up and said softly. “Where would you like to go?”
Reese hesitated. She pressed her lips together. “Even though I’ve been in Edenfield for a while, I don’t really know any fun or interesting places here.”
Leonel felt his heart soften even more. His sympathy for her grew deeper.
After thinking for a moment, Leonel grabbed her hand. “Come on. I’ll take you somewhere.”
Reese was surprised by how sudden it was. Still, she followed him to the car without saying a word.
Leonel drove her to the top of Edenfield’s tallest television tower, where the whole city could be seen.
The tower wasn’t just the tallest building in the city. It was also a place of status. Only the wealthy or well-known people could go up. Regular people couldn’t enter without spending a lot.
When they arrived, Reese looked up at the tower, amazed. It felt like it touched the sky.
“Let’s go inside,” Leonel said, holding Reese’s hand as he guided her toward the entrance.
Before they could go any farther, a staff member stepped in and asked about their visit.
Leonel answered, “We’re going to the top.”
“Sir, the top floor isn’t open to the public. You’ll need to pay the required fee,” the staff member replied.
Reese quickly grabbed Leonel’s arm. “I heard it costs tens of thousands to go up there. Let’s not do this.”
She put on her sunglasses, hiding her identity. None of the staff recognized her.
The workers, used to serving wealthy guests, assumed Reese and Leonel couldn’t afford it after hearing her words. One of them sneered, “Miss, tens of thousands is nothing. For the best view, you’d need at least a hundred thousand.”
Leonel’s face turned cold.
He held Reese’s hand tighter and pulled out a card with his other hand. He held it up and said, “Take us to the top.”
The staff member’s eyes widened when she saw the sleek black card in Leonel’s hand. Her cold attitude disappeared. She suddenly became polite and eager to help.
“This way, please!” she said quickly, leading them to a private elevator.
Reese stared at Leonel. Spending a hundred grand just to see the view felt over the top.
But Leonel didn’t seem bothered. When he noticed her pause, he gave her a soft smile and gently took her hand, guiding her forward.
As the clear elevator rose, Reese looked down. The busy streets and tall buildings below started to look small, like a tiny world.
A rush of emotions filled Reese’s heart.
The elevator doors opened to a quiet, private room. A giant window filled the wall, offering a wide view of the open sky. The clouds looked so close that she could almost touch them.
Excitement lit up her face. She hurried to the window, pressing her hands to the cool glass. Her eyes sparkled as she looked out. Below them, the city buzzed with life. Beyond that, the sea stretched far into the horizon. The whole city looked like a palace floating on a blue canvas. It was magical.
Leonel stood quietly beside her. He wasn’t looking at the view. He was watching her.
While she admired the world outside, he only saw her.
Suddenly, Reese felt someone’s eyes. She turned and saw Leonel’s eyes on her. Her cheeks turned pink, and she quickly looked away.
What she saw made her heart stop. The floor beneath them was clear glass. It felt like they were floating in the sky, with nothing under their feet. The illusion was terrifying.
“Oh my god!” Reese gasped, her voice shaking. Her legs gave out.
Leonel acted fast, catching her before she could fall. “Are you okay?” he asked, worry in his voice.
Reese couldn’t open her eyes. The dizziness was too much. “I’m scared of heights,” she whispered.
Leonel looked down at the glass floor, then at Reese. Her eyes were shut tight. Her face was pale. Without saying a word, he picked her up in his arms. For a moment, his eyes lingered on the soft glimpse of her legs showing beneath her dress.
Startled, Reese opened her eyes and looked into Leonel’s. He loosened his grip, and she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck without thinking.
Leonel let out a quiet laugh as he carried her off the glass floor and gently set her down in the private room.
He walked over, poured some water, and placed the glass on the table in front of her. “Here. Drink this. It’ll help you feel better.”