During Leo's stay in Spain, something strange started to happen. He couldn't stop thinking about Alicia not just because she was his wife, but because being apart made him feel her presence even more.
He missed the chaos she brought into his life.
The random nagging. Her foolish little antics.
That breathtaking smile that could flip his whole day.
Most days, they'd text nonstop, and at night, they'd talk on the phone until sunrise.
"Aren't you sleepy?"
"No," she would whisper. "I could talk to you all night."
One night, during one of their video calls, Alicia stepped out to the balcony, hugging herself from the chill of the evening breeze. Leo noticed something odd in her eyes through the screen.
"Alicia… you okay?"
"Yeah."
"You're lying. Why are you standing on the balcony?"
"Fresh air. Just needed some."
Leo raised a brow, half-smirking. "Are you having a hard time?" She hesitated, lips parting slowly. "Not really. Your mom barely talks to me anymore. But your dad? He's actually kinda fun… though some of his jokes? So weird." "And Alice?"
"Alice is literally the little sister I never had. We do everything together. It's like Daisy and I switched roles she treats me like a baby." Alicia pouted.
"Don't worry about me," she said brightly. "I go on endless shopping sprees, eat at fancy restaurants, get my nails and hair done being the wife of a billionaire? It's not too shabby."
"I'm happy you're enjoying yourself," Leo replied, his voice warm and full of longing.
They talked for nearly two hours. Alicia, now worn out from the day, trudged back to the bedroom and flopped on the bed… completely forgetting one small detail.
Leo was still on the video call.
"ALICIA! What the heck did you do to my bedroom?!" he shouted, catching a glimpse of the chaos on the screen. "Oooh crap," she slapped her forehead and instantly ended the call, turning off her phone in a panic.
"So stupid of me," she mumbled. "He's definitely going to kill me when he gets back."
The council building buzzed with chatter, squeaky shoes, and the occasional echo of laughter down the halls. Alice, please head to the boardroom," Kate said politely. "Sure thing," Alice nodded. "Why though?" Kira chimed in, arms folded and already grumpy.
"Emergency meeting. She's an executive, remember?" Kate responded without skipping a beat. "Yh, whatever," Kira rolled her eyes. Alice raised a brow. "What's your problem this morning?"
"I thought you had a meeting to attend," Kira sneered. And I thought you had common sense," Alice muttered under her breath, brushing past her.
Inside the boardroom, Alice greeted everyone."Good morning," she said coolly, sitting beside Ronald, her classmate and the current Student Council President.
"So, Ronald. What's this emergency about?"
Homecoming," he said bluntly. "It's days away, and we've done nothing."
Alice gave a sly smile.
Says who?" Michael, the tech guru of the council, stood and projected an entire presentation. With visuals, timelines, and even theme options, he delivered like a pro. When he finished, the entire room erupted in applause.
"How'd you pull this off?" Ronald asked, impressed. "Does it matter?" Alice replied with a smirk."Okay, next agenda," Ronald continued. "We need a campaign against bullying. Miss Tracy informed me yesterday. It's urgent."
Ideas flooded the room. Eventually, they agreed on flyers. And that means funds," Luciana, the sharp-tongued finance secretary, cut in.
"What's our current financial status?" Alice asked. "Six hundred and fifty thousand dollars," Luciana replied.
"Can we spare some—?"
"Don't ask," Luciana snapped. "We barely have enough for prom and homecoming."
But it's homecoming!" Lois cried. "We can't throw a basic party!" The room grew tense.
Alice stood up, flipping her long hair over her shoulder with attitude. "Fine. I'll handle homecoming and the Anti-Bullying Campaign myself. The council can focus on prom. Deal?" The members murmured their agreement.
"Good to have a multi-rich executive," Marcus muttered. Seriously, Marcus?" Alice deadpanned. Then Ronald turned serious.
"Alice, there's been a change. Josh is no longer running for Homecoming King."
"What?" she gasped. "He has a game the night before. Said he'll be too tired. He already picked someone to replace him."
Who?" she asked curiously.
"Logan, get the door."
Logan did and standing behind it was someone Alice could recognize in her dreams.
"Good Afternoon, guys," came the deep voice. Alice's head snapped up. It was Japheth.Her heart skipped a beat.
Now this was about to get interesting.