Chapter 269
Chapter 269
Jason and Alicia were sharing a cozy dinner at home, bantering and joking around as they
ate.
Meanwhile, at the Hammond residence, Nicole and her mother, Mavis, were starting to get anxious.
By this time, Leo was usually home, having dinner with them.
But tonight, he was nowhere to be seen.
His phone was off, and they couldn’t reach him at all.
Mavis couldn’t help but send a message to Leo’s secretary to ask about Leo’s whereabouts.
The secretary had two phones, and she texted his personal one.
The secretary called her right away. “He knows you were behind that car accident with Mr.
Hammond back then.
“He’s in a terrible mood at the office and says he’s not coming home tonight.
“Don’t contact me for a while. If he finds out we’ve been talking behind his back, you’ll be in even more trouble.”
Before Mavis could say a word, he hung up.
He called instead of texting, just in case their messages got screenshotted.
He never texted her back-he’d just call as soon as he saw her message.
He didn’t really care if she tried to record their calls.
He was calling from a burner phone that wasn’t registered to him, and he even used a voice changer.
Mavis clutched her phone, her heart pounding with anxiety.
‘If Leo doesn’t come home, how am I supposed to take the initiative and confess everything to him?
‘What if I miss the best moment and he never forgives me?’ she worried.
Nicole nudged her, “Mom, why don’t you take that soup you made and go see Dad at the office?”
‘If Dad’s not coming home, Mom can totally go find him herself, Nicole thought.
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Chapter 269
It was the first time Nicole had ever seen her usually calm and collected mom this rattled.
‘Wow, she must really love Leo, Nicole thought.
Mavis hesitated for a moment, then finally said, “Alright, I’ll go to the office.”
Nicole grabbed the car keys and drove her mom over.
When they got to the parking lot, Mavis carried the thermos and headed into the office by herself.
When the secretary saw Mavis walk in, he couldn’t help but frown.
He approached her with a distant tone. “Mrs. Hammond, what brings you here?”
Mavis forced a smile. “I brought some soup for Mr. Hammond.”
The secretary said, “Please wait here. I’ll check with Mr. Hammond first.”
Back in the day, Mavis used to just knock and go straight in.
But now things had changed. Leo was purposely avoiding her and staying away from home, so the secretary had to ask for permission first.
The secretary knocked and said to Leo, “Mr. Hammond, Mrs. Hammond is here—she’s brought you some soup.”
Leo looked up with a piercing gaze. “Who told her I was here?”
If his son hadn’t dug up that info, he wouldn’t be so suspicious.
But now, Leo thought it was way too much of a coincidence for Mavis to turn up like this.
His phone was off-there’s no way she could’ve known he was here unless someone told her.
The only two people who knew he was staying at the office tonight were his son and the secretary.
It was obvious who had tipped her off.
His mind started racing, piecing things together.
Mavis always seemed to know just when he needed her, always saying the right thing to comfort him and showing up with thoughtful gestures.
Back then, he never gave it a second thought, but now, the idea made his skin crawl.
All that perfect timing and care-turns out, she’d been keeping tabs on him and plotting every move behind his back.
11:00 Tue, May 19
Chapter 269
The secretary felt Leo’s sharp gaze boring into him and cursed Mavis in his head-she was being a total liability right now.
‘Showing up out of nowhere at a time like this? Now Mr. Hammond’s definitely going to suspect me,’ he thought.
He braced himself and said, “She didn’t say.
“Should I let her in?”
Leo really hadn’t wanted to see her, but now he was having second thoughts.
He put on a helpless act and sighed. “Alright, let her in.”
The secretary thought, ‘Guess Mr. Hammond really does have a soft spot for Mrs. Hammond,’ and replied, “Yes, sir.”
Soon, Mavis walked in with the soup in hand.
She flashed him a warm smile. “Honey, I made you some soup.
“Would you like some now?”
Leo looked at her and suddenly asked, “Did the secretary tell you I was here?”
Mavis froze for a moment, her expression faltering for a split second before she pulled herself together.
She replied, “I just guessed. When you’re upset, you either hide out in your greenhouse or hole up at the office.”
Back in the day, Leo would’ve bought it without a second thought. But now, he was watching her closely, and he caught that flicker of unease in her expression.
Now he knew exactly what was going on.
He felt his chest tighten. All these years, and he’d been so blind about her.
After a long silence, he cut straight to the chase. “Let’s get a divorce.”
Mavis’s expression changed, her voice trembling. “Honey, I was wrong. I didn’t tell you what happened before because I was afraid you’d get angry.”
She rushed over to Leo, her eyes filling with tears. “I love you so much. Please, don’t give up on me.”
She reached out and tugged at his sleeve, pleading, “Without you, I don’t know how I’d go
on.”
11:00 Tue, May 19
