"Leo… your friend said something about Jeffrey. Did you hear what he said, or am I just imagining things?" Alicia asked, her voice soft yet alert.
They had spent the afternoon at the Wilson Mansion, the grand estate belonging to Mark Ryan Wilson. The day had been unexpectedly warm filled with laughter, vintage wine, and the kind of calm that made time feel slow. Now they were driving home, seated in the back of the luxurious black SUV, Code behind the wheel.
Leo didn't look at her right away.
"I heard him clearly," he finally said, staring out the window. "He said… 'spoilt like Jeffrey.'"
Alicia's brow furrowed. "Spoilt like Jeffrey? What does that mean? "We'll talk about it when we get home."
A brief silence followed.
"I really liked his wife though," Alicia added, changing the subject. "She reminded me of Daisy. So calm and reserved." Leo smirked. "Yeah. She's not savage like you."
Before she could protest, Alicia stomped her heel lightly on his foot. He didn't flinch.
"You should try harder," he teased with a chuckle.
"She asked me out, you know," Alicia added suddenly. "Aurora. She said she wanted to know me better… as a friend. It wouldn't hurt, right? "Of course not," leo replied. "Mark is family. And I don't know what it is but deep down, I feel something big is ahead for the four of us."
Alicia nodded. "Trust me… I felt it too."
"Then why are you hesitating to befriend Aurora?"She paused, then glanced at him.
"I just wanted to ask you." Leo scoffed, surprised. "And since when do you need my permission to do something?"
"I… I…" she stammered.
No need to bite your tongue," he said dryly, turning away with a smirk.You know," she added, "you were annoyingly sweet at the table."
"I did it on purpose," he admitted. "I knew it would get under your skin. And besides, we're stuck together for life we might as well start learning to tolerate each other." His smile made her roll her eyes, but she couldn't hide the ghost of a grin tugging at her lips.
When they got home, Leo stepped out first and helped Alicia out of the car like a gentleman. She greeted politely. "Welcome back," Peter said warmly. "Son," Lisa added, "freshen up and come to the table. I'll ask Martha to heat your food."
"That won't be necessary, Mother," Leo replied, brushing past her. "Alicia and I already had dinner." Lisa's smile faltered. "You took her on a date?" Leo sighed and rubbed his temple. "Mother, please. We were invited to Mark's house. Aurora insisted we join them for dinner. Not a date."
"And now can I go and freshen up?"
"Leonard!" Lisa called, her voice cracking with emotion. "There we go again…" Leo muttered, completely ignoring her as he walked upstairs with Alicia behind him.
Lisa's eyes burned with resentment.
Peter folded his laptop calmly. "Lisa, I think you should let them be. You're not the one marrying your son, are you?"
"Peter!!" she cried.
My dear wife…" he said with a tired shake of his head. "I'm losing my son to that 'nobody,' and your daughter seems tangled in her too. Enough, Lisa. Get your act together."
He stood abruptly and walked out, leaving her frozen. Lisa dropped onto the couch, burying her face in her palms, sobbing bitterly. Upstairs, Alicia sat before the vanity, gently applying her night cream. Leo walked in, freshly showered, wearing his navy pajamas.
"I'm sorry about Mom," he said quietly.
"It's fine, Leo," she replied, not looking at him. "I understand her. I mean… I'm not from high society. I'm just a nobody. Marrying you gave me an identity. Honestly, I don't even know who named me 'Alicia.' Sometimes I wonder if that's even my real name."
Leo knelt behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Enough of the sentiments."She looked up at him through the mirror.
"How's Mark related to Jeffrey?" Leo hesitated. His jaw tensed. "They're cousins."
Alicia blinked. "What? "It's a long story, Alicia… and I'd rather not get into it tonight."
"Okay," she said softly. "If you say so."