Chapter 221: What Do You Want Leo?
Third person
When the trio got to the club, the original plan was for Princess, with the help of her friends, to decorate the club room so they could throw a baby shower for Faye before she returned from school. They had boxes of small blue and pink balloons stacked by the entrance, and rolls of soft ribbon sitting on the counter. It was meant to be a surprise, that’s why they got out of school early. The car ride over had been full of loud planning, with Beam arguing about where to hang the banners while Kiara scoffed at the corny decorations.
Princess was going to monitor the event, but she got a text message from Leo. He asked to meet her. The screen of her phone buzzed in her palm, showing his name with a blunt demand to come to the lab right away. So Princess put Kiara and Beam in charge while she went to meet Leo. She tossed the roll of ribbon to Kiara, who caught it with a sigh, before turning around and heading up the stairs, her heels heavy against the steps.
"There’s my favorite sister in the world..." Leo said the moment Princess entered his office. He was in casual wear, a jersey and shorts, holding a golf stick. He was playing golf in his little field around the corner. The small patch of synthetic green turf stretched across the side of the room, a contrast to the sleek desks and screens. He didn’t even look up as she walked in, his focus entirely on alignment.
"What do you want?" Princess said, not buying his jovial vibes... She stood near the doorway, her arms crossed firmly over her chest, her expression completely flat as she watched him tilt his head.
"Can’t I call my little sister my favorite sister in the world?" he said, successfully watching the small ball enter the hole. The ball rolled across the artificial grass with a quiet click before dropping into the plastic cup. He finally straightened his back, a wide, practiced smile spreading across his face.
"I’m your only sister..." Princess muttered, her voice dropping into a dry rasp. She didn’t move an inch from her spot by the door, her eyes tracking his movements.
"Yes I know... okay, my favorite sibling... Mama’s little princess..." he praised. He chuckled softly, leaning the golf club against the leather sofa while he walked over to the center of the room.
Princess folded her hand, giving him a death stare. "I will ask again, what do you want Leo?" Her jaw clenched tight, her gaze locking onto his eyes with an icy glare that usually made his workers back away instantly.
Leo kept the golf stick back in the golf bag, sliding it into the leather slot with a slow, deliberate motion. Then he walked to his showcase where his collection of gamepads was kept. He picked a pair and handed one to Princess. The controller caught the light, pristine and brand new.
"What I want is to play a game with my sister that I love the most..." he said, poking the controller, but Princess did not collect it from him. She just kept staring at him. Her hands remained tucked under her arms, refusing to reach out and take the bait.
"Again, what do you want..?" Her tone was low, cutting through his playful act like a knife.
"Are you for real, so I can’t play with my little sister anymore? You love playing games so let’s play.." he said. He sighed, shaking his head with a look of mock disappointment as he tossed the extra controller onto the office desk behind him.
"Just cut to the chase Leo..." Princess said. She knew what he was doing.
Whenever Princess quit or disagree with him, he either bought her the latest model of a gamepad or gaming PC... or wanted to play with her because that was a way to sway her, because he knew Princess wanted a buddy to play with even if she just wanted to play with her brother. It was a pattern she had grown up with, the expensive gifts acting as a shield against any real conversations about their family.
That was why Princess still stuck with him the most because he knew the way to her heart... He knew exactly which buttons to press to make her feel like they were just normal siblings, away from the blood and the money of the underground system.
But now that was different, she wasn’t going to fall for his love-bombing tactics... her mind was already made up... she doesn’t need any of her brothers’ affections anymore.
"Look, I know you think I do not love you... but I do love you Princess, you are my sister... and not asking about your heart, I’m really sorry for that... I was just occupied, those workers lost their hearts too and never got to regenerate them... but you did and that’s why I did not ask... I may not be the brother you wish for but you are the only family that I have.." he said with a pity face. He took a step closer, his shoulders dropping as he tried to look vulnerable, his voice softening into something that sounded almost genuine.
"We have a brother..." she reminded him. A bitter smile touched her lips, her eyes narrowing as she brought up the shadow that hung over both of their lives.
"Does he count as a brother, because that dude is so self-centered... he only thinks about himself.." Leo said. He scoffed, waving his hand dismissively as if the very thought of Adam was enough to ruin his mood.
"Look who is talking.." Princess shot back, her tone sharp.
"Hey, I do think about you... when you said the words I quit, I couldn’t sleep... it gave me wrinkles... I just kept wondering how you were going to survive without a job..." He walked back over to the window, his fingers running along the smooth frame as he looked out over the city streets.
"I can survive without working for you Leo.."
"Well how are you going to survive, when you buy dozens of diapers and baby formulas, how much is going to be left in your bank account... you should think about your pups, your new family... you need to provide for them as an Alpha and you have already lost all your strikes, no one is going to help you except for me because we are now in the same boat... Princess I am not pressuring you to come back to the game... it’s just the reality, we have no one to support except ourselves... The so-called Alpha who happens to be our grandfather hates disappointment... and our elder brother happens to be his mirror... What I have learned from being a Kings is stand-alone... no one is going to support you.." Leo said. He placed his hand on her shoulder. His grip was firm, a heavy weight that felt more like a warning than comfort as he stared directly into her face.
Princess felt a cold shiver go down her back at the mention of her grandfather, her breathing turning a bit shallow as she forced herself not to pull away from his touch.
"You know the main reason why I need money... since Adam has Grandfather’s support, he has the power to control the system... but with money I can buy the system... and I need you on my side... Adam has already shown you his rotten side but I will never be like him, he is not going to be the next Alpha of Oakland.." Leo’s eyes flashed with a sudden, dark intensity, his fingers tightening against her shoulder jacket.
"I do not care about power..." Princess muttered, her voice tight.
"I know, you care about family... you are finally having your own family... how are you going to protect them without power... you need to care about power, Princess, for your family..." he said, leaning to her ears as he whispered his next words. "What do you think will happen when our grandfather finds out that you are in a relationship with the moon wolf... the same wolf he has been hunting for years..."
Hearing those words, Princess flinched... She took a sharp step back, breaking his grip on her shoulder as her heart began to thump wildly against her ribs. The large room suddenly felt incredibly small, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at her brother’s calm face. She had no idea that Leo knew about Faye. The secret she had been guarding so fiercely was completely out in the open.
"You shouldn’t be wondering how I know... if I know already that also means Adam knows, and for being a loyal dog he is going to run to his master, spilling the beans in exchange for a bone..... so Princess think about it, you do not have the power to control so you need the money... I will give you time to think about it..." Leo said, kissing her forehead. He turned away back toward his desk, picking up his drink and taking a slow sip, leaving her standing by the door with her mind racing in absolute panic.
