CHAPTER 93
Leo sat in his office, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of him. He had a mounting pile of work, but he couldn’t seem to focus on anything except his anger towards his father. He had just finished a conference call with his mother and Rebecca, and he was still fuming over the fact that his father had shown up uninvited.
He picked up the phone and dialed his head of security. “I need you to add more personnel to my mother’s bodyguards. I want her to have maximum protection at all times,” he said, his voice clipped and cold.
“Understood, Mr. Rossi. We will take care of it right away,” the security chief replied before ending the call.
Leo leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. He knew his anger was affecting everyone around him, especially Rachel, and he hated himself for it. He made a mental note to make it up to her somehow.
Suddenly, his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. It was his security team calling from downstairs. “Sir, your father is causing a scene in the lobby. He wants to speak with you,” the security officer said.
Leo’s anger flared up again at the mention of his father’s name. “I’ll be right down,” he said, hanging up the phone.
As he stepped off the elevator, he could hear his father’s voice getting louder and more agitated. When he walked into the lobby, he saw his father pacing back and forth, gesticulating wildly.
“Leo, thank God you’re here. I need to talk to you. It’s important,” his father pleaded, his eyes bloodshot and his voice slurred.
Leo felt a flash of disgust at the sight of his father, who was clearly drunk. “You have no right to be here, Father. You’re trespassing on private property,” Leo said, his voice low and menacing.
“I know, I know, but I had to see you. Please, just hear me out,” his father begged, reaching out to touch Leo’s arm.
Leo recoiled from his father’s touch, and his security team moved in to restrain him. “Take him away,” Leo said, his jaw clenched with anger. “I want him arrested for trespassing and disturbing the peace.”
As his father was led away in handcuffs, Leo could see the hurt and confusion in his eyes. But he refused to let it affect him. He was done with his father and his toxic presence in his life. It was time to move on and focus on the people who truly mattered to him.
*****
Rachel was focused on her work, trying to keep her mind off of Leo and the tension surrounding his family. She was grateful for the opportunity to go out and meet with clients, a refreshing change of pace from the office environment.
As she was about to leave work, Leo surprised her by showing up at her office. She was taken aback, but happy to see him. He apologized for his behavior earlier and invited her out to dinner. She could tell that he was still agitated about his Father, but she didn’t want to bring up the subject and ruin the nice evening they were having.
Over dinner, they talked about their plans for the future and enjoyed each other’s company. Rachel felt at ease with Leo and was grateful for the distraction from her ongoing investigation into her Father’s accident. Leo was also happy to be spending time with Rachel and to see her smiling again.
On their way home, Rachel received an anonymous tip that could help eliminate some of the suspects from her list. She shared the information with Leo, and they discussed their progress in the investigation.
Leo was impressed with Rachel’s determination and her attention to detail. He offered to help in any way he could, and they spent the rest of the night working together to eliminate some names from the list of suspects. It was a productive evening, and they felt a sense of accomplishment as they made progress in the investigation.
Leo walks Rachel to his car, a sleek black Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and opens the door for her, allowing her to slide into the leather seat. He walks around to the driver’s side and gets in, turning the key in the ignition and revving the engine to life. As they drive, he keeps his eyes on the road, occasionally stealing glances at Rachel, who is staring out the window lost in thought.
The car is a smooth ride, the engine purring quietly as they make their way through the city streets. Leo takes his time, enjoying the drive, occasionally humming along to the soft rock music that plays on the car’s stereo.
Rachel sits quietly, lost in her own thoughts. She looks over at Leo, who seems lost in his own thoughts as well. She wonders what he’s thinking about, but decides not to pry. Instead, she focuses on the investigation and the tip she received. She pulls out her phone and starts typing a message, relaying the information to her contacts.
Leo notices her typing and glances over, his eyes flickering down to the phone. “Everything okay?” he asks, his voice laced with concern.
Rachel looks up and nods. “Yeah, just following up on a lead,” she says, slipping her phone back into her purse.
Leo nods, his attention back on the road.
They arrived home after a 10 minute drive. Leo quickly made his way inside and collapsed on the couch, very tired from the events of the day. After a while they went up and had a bath and a quickie together.
As they were cuddled up in their room, Rachel’s phone rang. It was Rebecca calling. She answered, wondering why Rebecca would be calling her at this time of night.
“Rachel, I need to speak with Leo,” Rebecca said in an angry voice.
Rachel’s eyes widened in concern. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t talk about it over the phone,” Rebecca replied. “Just tell Leo to come downstairs. Now.”
Rachel sighed and turned to Leo. “Your mother is calling for you,” she said, handing him the phone.
Leo’s face twisted in concern as he took the phone from her. “What’s going on, Mom?” he asked.
Rachel listened in as Rebecca’s voice grew louder and more agitated. Finally, Leo hung up the phone and turned to Rachel with a look of anger and frustration on his face.
“She’s mad at me,” he said.
“Why?” Rachel asked.
“Because I had father arrested,” Leo replied. “He was causing a scene at the front gate and I had him taken away.”
Rachel was stunned. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Leo, you can’t just have your father arrested like that,” she said.
“I can and I did,” Leo replied, his voice growing louder. “He needs to stay away from me and my family.”
Rebecca came storming into the room, her face red with anger. “How could you do this, Leo?” she shouted.
Leo stood up and faced his mother, his jaw clenched. “I did what I had to do, Mom. He needs to stay away from us.”
Rebecca shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you would do this to your own father,” she said.
“He’s not my father,” Leo spat. “He’s a monster who abused you for years.”