Chapter 108: VISITOR.
ELLA.
Leonard stepped into the room the moment the door opened.
The instant my eyes landed on him, I noticed the tiredness written all over his face. He flashed us a weak smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. There was something off about him. Something heavy.
His shoulders seemed more tense than usual, and there was a certain exhaustion in the way he carried himself as he walked into the room.
Immediately, I knew something was bothering him.
Not that Leonard would ever openly admit it.
He was the type to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders while pretending everything was perfectly fine.
If something was troubling him, he would bury it deep and smile through it. And because I knew him so well, I didn’t bother asking.
There was no point.
If Leonard wanted to talk about it, he would. If he didn’t, forcing him wouldn’t make any difference.
"You all are here!" he said calmly.
His voice sounded steady enough, but there was still an underlying weariness that I couldn’t ignore.
He strode further into the room before settling down on the bed beside us.
The mattress dipped slightly under his weight.
For a brief moment, silence settled over the room and then Lawrence spoke.
"How did it go?" Lawrence asked immediately.
The question came out so quickly that it was obvious he had been waiting for Leonard’s return ever since he left the room.
In fact, judging by the way Lawrence leaned forward slightly, it seemed he had been holding that question in for a while and simply couldn’t wait any longer.
His eyes remained fixed on Leonard’s face, carefully searching for any clue before he even received an answer.
Leonard released a long, slow breath. The kind of breath that suggested the matter had been far more exhausting than he cared to admit.
For a brief moment, he closed his eyes before opening them again.
"Everything is okay, Lawrence," he replied calmly.
His words were reassuring and they should have eased the tension in the room but strangely enough, they didn’t.
Because despite what he was saying, his expression remained troubled.
There was still a visible strain around his eyes and a heaviness in his features that suggested the situation wasn’t entirely resolved.
"The videos have been taken down," he continued.
At least that was one less problem to worry about, not that the information surprised me, as I was already aware of that part.
Still, hearing it confirmed brought a small sense of relief.
The damage from those videos had already caused enough chaos. Knowing they were no longer circulating freely was certainly a good thing.
"But I can’t really stop that stupid invitation from flying around."
The moment those words left his mouth, the frustration in his voice became impossible to miss.
His jaw tightened slightly.
His shoulders seemed to tense.
Then he lifted a hand and rubbed his forehead briefly, as though merely thinking about those invitations was enough to give him a headache.
The gesture spoke volumes.
It was clear the matter was still bothering him greatly.
"Huh?" Lurgard exclaimed suddenly.
His brows shot upward immediately, surprise spreading across his face as he stared at Leonard in disbelief.
The moment he noticed the look on Leonard’s face, his expression became more serious.
"Does that mean the ceremony would still take place?"
The room grew quiet, as the question lingered heavily in the air.
Lawrence suddenly pushed himself to his feet and the abrupt movement drew everyone’s attention.
"Doesn’t that mean Alex..." he began.
His voice was tense and concerned but before he could finish whatever conclusion he was trying to reach—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound echoed through the room.
Instantly, every head turned toward the door.
The interruption was so sudden that it cut through the conversation completely.
For a moment, nobody spoke and nobody moved.
"Come inside!" Leonard ordered immediately, his voice carrying enough authority that whoever stood outside didn’t hesitate.
The door opened almost at once and a servant stepped into the room. The man kept his gaze lowered respectfully as he entered before bowing his head slightly.
"Alpha," he said respectfully, his voice careful and polite. "There is a man downstairs, and he is insisting on seeing Ma’am Theresa."
The announcement immediately caught my attention.
I raised my brows in surprise.
A man?
Here to see me?
Curiosity instantly stirred inside me.
"Has he been here before?" I asked.
My voice remained calm, but my interest had already been piqued.
The servant immediately shook his head.
"No, ma’am."
His answer came without hesitation.
That only made me more curious.
If I had never met him before, then why was he insisting on seeing me?
Before I could ask another question, Leonard casually waved his hand.
The gesture was simple, but it was enough.
The servant understood immediately.
Bowing once more, he quietly excused himself and left the room, leaving all of us staring at one another with growing curiosity about the mysterious visitor waiting downstairs.
But the moment the servant had left the room, I was already on my feet, as curiosity had gotten the better of me.
Without waiting for anyone else’s reaction, I immediately moved toward the door and followed after him, determined to find out who was downstairs asking for me.
My heart had already begun beating faster, not because I was afraid but because there was only one person I could think of who would be bold enough to come looking for me here.
However, the servant had said he hadn’t been here before.
"Theresa, wait!" Lawrence called after me, his voice echoing from behind, but I didn’t slow down. "Let’s all go together," he added as he hurried after me.
I could hear the sound of footsteps behind me and it was not just Lawrence’s,was the others were following too.
Still, my focus remained fixed on getting downstairs.
I really didn’t know who it was.
At least that was what I kept telling myself.
But deep down, I already had a suspicion.
After all, only one person would dare show up here demanding to see me.
The thought alone made my emotions become restless. My mind became so occupied with possibilities that I barely paid attention to where I was stepping.
One step...another...and then—My foot slipped.
A gasp nearly escaped my lips as my body tilted forward.
For a terrifying second, I felt myself losing balance. The staircase suddenly seemed much steeper than before.
But before I could fall, strong arms wrapped around me from behind. It was firm, steady and secure.
It was Lurgard, he caught me instantly.
"What is wrong with you, Theresa?" he asked angrily.
The irritation in his voice was impossible to miss. His grip on me tightened slightly as though he was still making sure I wouldn’t fall.
"He isn’t running away," he continued, clearly frustrated. "You would still meet with him!"
His words came out sharp, but beneath the anger was obvious concern.
"Exactly," Lawrence added immediately, and his expression wasn’t any better.
In fact, he looked just as upset.
"But if you get injured, you would be in pain!"
The frustration in his voice matched Lurgard’s perfectly.
As though both of them had suddenly decided that nearly falling down the stairs was a personal attack against them.
I opened my mouth to respond, but another gaze landed on me.
It was Leonard, he was staring at me and somehow, his silence felt even more terrifying than their words. His expression was dark, unhappy and displeased.
"Are you hurt?" he finally asked, his voice calm. The kind of calm that usually came right before a lecture.
I quickly shook my head.
"No."
Thankfully, I wasn’t injured, because Lurgard had caught me in time.
If he hadn’t...I didn’t even want to think about it.
The tension around me eased slightly after my answer.
Or at least I thought it did.
The next thing I knew, Leonard suddenly bent down and scooped me into his arms.
My eyes widened instantly.
Before I could even react properly, I was already being carried in a bridal style.
"Leonard!" I exclaimed.
But he ignored me completely, as though carrying me was the most natural thing in the world.
I wanted to tell him to put me down.
I really did.
But one look at his face made me think better of it.
He was still angry.
I mean very angry and arguing with him right now didn’t seem like a wise decision.
So instead, I remained quiet.
The rest of the journey downstairs happened in complete silence.
At least from me.
By the time we finally reached the parlour, my curiosity had returned in full force.
Who exactly had come looking for me?
The question repeated itself over and over inside my mind, until I turned and then I saw the visitor and instantly—My face paled.
The colour drained completely from my features as shock crashed into me.
I froze.
My entire body went still.
For a moment, I simply stared.
Unable to believe what I was seeing.
Unable to process how the person standing before me could possibly be here.
How come?
