his lips.
That smile however, flattered the moment he realized that this side of Leonica was only reserved for her son...their son.
Towards him, she was much colder and merely smiled. Her guard was always up and the one time he'd think he was finally going somewhere, she'd kick him back and draw another line, rambling on about words that he didn't even understand. Like today for instance. During their conversation, she had hinted on something that
disturbed him as much as it confused him.
Angelina's pregnancy, as she put it.
But the thing was... Angelina wasn't pregnant.
To his knowledge, at least.
Suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu, Gabriel's brows creased. What if this was a repeat for five years ago?
He needed to know.
Standing up, his movement was caught by Ashley. "Gabriel, are you leaving?" He asked in a voice tinged with sadness. Hai Dy perate Play
The question was enough to soften the Noirette's heart and he shook his head, walking over to plant a kiss on his head.
"Of course not. I just need to make an important call."
Ashley's shoulders dropped in relief and he gave him a small nod, turning back to his mother who had resumed the conversation, only this time, she was trying her best to convince Ashley that it was indeed the right story, a Disney version. Gabriel took one last glance at them, not missing the way Leonica stole a gaze at him, before
he walked at of the room.
With the door behind him shut and the hallway empty, Gabriel reached into his pocket for his phone, quickly dialing a number and placing it at his ear.
He tapped his foot, waiting for the line to be picked up. It wasn't long before the line did.
"Yes, Sir?" Bills voice sounded from the other end of the line.
"Bill, I need you to do something, immediately."
"Of course sir, what might that be."
Gabriel hesitated, knowing fully well that if he does what he was about to, he had officially broken the truth between he and Angelina because of a simple misunderstanding. But fuck it! He needed to know.
"Run a check on Angelina's medical records."
His Compensation.
Gabriel shook his head. "For now, no."
"Understood." Bill said, bidding His employer goodbye seconds before ending the call.
Now standing alone in the hospital's hallway, Gabriel briefly replayed the entire day's event in his head and sighed. Twenty four hours and a whole Hella lot had happened.
If his life were to be animated into one of those weird My story animated videos that Angelina forced him to watch almost weekly, Gabriel was a hundred percent sure that their viewers would call it a bluff, make believe even.
The thought made him chuckle quietly to himself. However, the sound died amidst the sound of approaching footsteps. Turning his head gently to the side, Gabriel's expression quickly became dark the moment he spotted Arvan walking down the hallway, Daisy tagging along at
his side.
"What are you doing here?" He questioned the male as soon as the duo of father and daughter had gotten within hearing range.
"Where's Leonica?" Arvan was quick to fire his own question, evading Gabriel's own.
Seeing him play smart, Gabriel's hands clenched at the side and his aura flared. However, Arpan stared at him with a nonchalant expression, unfazed by whatever trope he was trying to put up. He wouldn't be standing in the spot of Senate if be tucked his tail between his legs and fled each time some glared at him.
But that aside, he genuinely had nothing to be running from. Gabriel's imagination was a wild place a d whatever he was thinking, was in fact not the reason why Arvan was here. Like every normal adult involved in the unfortunate incident, Arvan truly felt guilty about what had happened during the short time he bad taken his gaze off The children. He wanted to apologize, in person, but wasn't sure if he was actually welcomed at the hospital. That's when his princess in shining armor swooped in.
Daisy, like the angel she is, had been extremely worried about Ashely and pleaded times. without number that the pay him a visit. And who was Arvan to say no.
So, here they were, but Gabriel obviously didn't know that and thought the worst the moment he asked after Leonica.
"Leonica's whereabouts is none of your business." He spat in a nasty manner, unaware of the way Daisy flinched at the tone of his voice. "Here's a warning, from one father to another, keep yourself away from Leonica and Ashely."
The moment those words left his mouth, a loud wail escaped Daisy's lips. She seemed to have been holding herself back for quite sometime but now, hearing Gabriel tell her father to stay away from her friend and his mother in such a scary manner, caused a way of emotion to
overtake her small mind.
"Wah! I'm sorry! I promise never to put Ashley in danger so please don't let him hate me. Please!"
Hearing the sound of her cries seemed to simmer Gabriel's anger down.
"Does...does Ashely not want to see me anymore? I'm sorry, please don't let Ashely hate me!"
"Whoa, what's going on here." Legnica who had been alerted by the smaller child's cries from inside Ashley's room, stepped out and rushed to her. Bending at her level, she gently wiped. her wet cheeks. "Daisy, shh, why are you crying?" "Because...because Ashely hates me." She sobbed.
"What? Who said that?"
At her question, Arvan so wanted to point at Gabriel, however, he contaled the urge and instead tried to calm his daughter down with Leonica's help.
A minute a d a half later, Daisy cries had reduced and Leonica had succeeded in wiping her cheeks.
"Don't cry anymore, Daisy. Ashely doesn't hate you?" The white-Ette reassured.
"Really?" Daisy looked up at her with the shiniest pair of golden eyes that made her heart instantly warm up.
"Of course." She offered a genuine smile and rose to her feet, patting the child on her head." As a matter of fact, Ashely's even looking for you, right now." "Really?!" Her announcement caused a smile to light up the girl's features.
Legnica nodded her head. "Yeah, so how about you go in." Walking back to the door, she pulled it open slightly and with her head, nudged for Daisy to step in. The younger girl hesitated, fiddling with her fingers and doubting Leonica's words.
What if Ashely indeed hated her?
What if he screams at her when she steps in? Or worse, blames her for the accident?
All those thoughts put fear and doubt in her small heart, however, they faded away the instance her eyes landed on Ashely and realized how happy he was to see her.
"Daisy!" The young boy exclaimed with utter joy, happy that his friend was safe. If not for the IV wires and all connected to him, he would have leaped out of the bed and encased the younger girl in a hug.
However, all those wires didn't stop Daisy from charging at him, hopping onto the bed and capturing him in a hug.
Legnica watched the heart felt moment with a s,ilemon her lips, only turning away at the
sound of Arvan's voice.
"Thanks for calming her down." The male said with a smile as he tames a few steps towards where she was, totally ignoring Gabriel who had resumed glaring at him.
"It's no big deal." Legnica waved him off, returning hid smile with one of her own that soothed his heavy chest. But damn did it make Gabriel wanna blow a fuse.
Seeing them all smiley and friendly was never something he enjoyed, and today was no different.
"Shouldn't you both know when to limit your conversations? Especially when the father of your child is standing right here?" He called out making sure to put great emphasis on bis words as he spoke about Ashely's paternity.
His words, no doubt gained the attention of the two interacting figures who took a break from their conversation and glanced at him. Out of the two, Arvan was somewhat, no, genuinely caught off guard by his words and Leonica, well she was pissed as usual.
"Limit our conversations?" She scoffed, a sarcastic smile hanging from her lips. "Why would we? After all, this has nothing to do with you. Right?" She folded her arms and despite her tired expression, managed to look just as stubborn as she normally does. "Just because you're Ashley's father doesn't give you the right to interfere with my personal affair and dictate who I should and shouldn't speak to."
Her words and attitude was like a match stick thrown into a sea of gasoline, triggering Gabriel's anger and causing the vein on his temple to throb.
Taking a step forward, he was about to he was about to lecture her about her attitude, when the door to Ashley's room lid open and Daisy meekly poked her head out. All three, or rather, the two speaking adults quickly fell silent, turning to face the child. "What is it, Princess?" Arvan asked, head tilted at his daughter.
"Uh," She hesitated before pointing her tiny index finger at Gabriel after having gathered enough courage. "Ashely...Ashely wants to see you." She informed.
Hearing this, Gabriel does not waste another second out of the room. However, before stepping in, he threw Leonica an annoyed look that she had become familiar with during the past few weeks.
"I'm so sorry about that." She took the courtesy to apologize to Arvan once they were alone.
The male offered her a smile, still surprised after learning that Gabriel was Ashley's biological
father.
Sure, just like every other person who could see Arvan could see the tension between them, but never would he have guessed that they produced a coco-felon together.
"It's fine." He shrugged, suppressing the questions that roamed his mind concerning Leonkca and Gabriel. "I kinda deserve it." He added.
Leonica was a bit, no, she was greatly confused by his words, but before she ask what he
meant, Arvan reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a brown envelope, handing it to her. "So I hope this can compensate for it."
Are You Two Dating?
"What is this?" Plucking the extended envelope out of his hand, Leonica gently peeled the edges open, fishing out the white paper with printed black letters on it and reading it over.
The very next second, her eyes shot open in disbelief and surprise as well. The content on the paper was a cooperation between her company Romero Empire and His family widely known own, Richardson Industries.
It was the one cooperation she had been striving to get, not wanting to work with Gabriel's company after the entire commotion that had happened and after a whole month and a half, nearly two months, here it was... she holding it within her grasp.
If etiquette allowed it, Leonica would have thrown her arms around Arvan's neck and pulled him into the tightest, happiest hug. However, etiquette didn't and speaking from a standpoint, her stand point of view, she and Arvan weren't that close, yet..
But the smile on her lips, which grew wider as she spotted that Arvan had changed several of the original contract's condition, providing her company with 60 percent of their cooperation's revenue rather than the fifty percent she had bargained for, was more than enough to express her joy.
"This..." She stuttered, words broken by the immense joy she was feeling.
Shoving his hand into his pocket and tipping forward on his toes, Arvan shrugged, acting as if the situation at hand was nothing, whereas his heart had did n unexpected summersault the moment Leonica beamed at him.
'Pride down,' He internally tried calming his mind and heart alike.
"Aravn, this is-"
"The contract you wanted?" He completed her statement and Leonica nodded. "Chloe told me all about your efforts, commendable might I say. There was a pause and he brought his hands. out of his coat pocket, rubbing them together as if he was trying to get rid of the cold, a habit he did very often each time they spoke. Leonica, of course, took note of this and
unsurprisingly, her mind went back to the pair of hand gloves she had seen when shopping at few days ago.
Making a mental to later purchase the gloves, a little thank you for everything so far, Leonical settled her full attention back on what he was saying.
"I looked through everything and saying i was pleased, would be an understatement. I trust you, Leonica, not just your work skills, but you in general, so giving this contract to you, is nothing. And," He made a dramatic pause that earned a chuckled from Leonica. "Let's all not forget that Ashley has helped my Daisy. Twice."
Leonica nodded at his words. But she was unsure of what to say. Many had tried getting a
connection with his family company and failed, yet she succeeded, talk about Luck.
"Thank you, Arvan. Really." The male nodded at her words, hands going back into his pocket. "You don't know how much this is going to help me. If you ever need anything in the future i promise to help, so don't ever hesitate to ask."
"I'll take your words for it." Arvan smiled, However, Leonica was too elated to notice the tint of mischief behind it.
But did that really matter right now? She had just gotten the contract, Fuck whatever repercussions may happen in the future. And besides, how bad can one promise be?
Carefully shoving the contract into her own pocket and thanking Arvan a few more times, Leonica proceeded to ask the question that had snuck it's way into the back of her mind.
"Arvan, by chance," She began, taking the first step towards Ashley's room. "Do you in the slightest happen to have learnt anything about the accident that happened. To Ashley, I mean?
She looked above her shoulder just in time to see him shake his head.
Π
11
"Sorry, I haven't. But i will continue to look into it," He paused. "With your consent of course. When she nodded, he added. "Don't worry Leonica, I'll make sure to replace out who ordered that hit, no matter how long it takes me." Leonica couldn't guarantee she wasn't disappointed, but knowing the power she and Arvan possessed, she realized that the mastermind of the entire operation wouldn't be able to hide for long, and that alone gave her relief.
Pulling the door open, their conversation came to an end and Ashley looked in their direction.
"Mommy?" He called out tiredly, making his usual grabby hand motion for her.
Leonica made her way towards him after taking one last look at Arvan. "Yes baby, what is it?"
"Ice cream... can i get my ice cream?"
Leonica chuckled breathily, taking note of how even after an accident, Ashley still wanted his ice cream. "Of course baby, i'll get you your ice cream." Arriving at his side, she peppered his forehead with kisses before gently rubbing it. "But first, you have to rest. "But-"
"Listen to your mother, Ash," Arvan spoke up, beckoning Daisy over. "You took quite the hit back there and need serious rest. Your mother would get you all the ice cream you want at soon as you've rested enough."
Hearing this, Ashley looked like he was truly contemplating the option. Although he was tired after talking with Dalsy and Gabriel for a while, he didn't want to go to sleep just yet, but if that meant he would get his ice cream, then why not.
"Okay." He adhered, snuggling under the blanket seconds later.
Leonica smiled at the sight before turning her face towards Arvan and flashing him a grateful smile.
"Thank you." She mouthed.
up."
Arvan smiled before picking Daisy up. "Let's go princess, Ashley has to rest."
"Can i come again?" She glanced between her sleeping friend, his mother and lastly her father.
"No, there won't be any need for that. Ashley would come visit you soon." Leonica responded with a smile.
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