Chapter 109: Going on in his mind.
ELLA.
What in the hell was he doing here?
The question exploded inside my head the very moment my eyes landed on him.
How did he even get this address?
More importantly, how did he know that this was where I lived with the triplets?
My heart instantly skipped a beat as dozens of questions flooded my mind all at once. I had never told him where I lived. Not once. I was certain of it. I had always kept my personal life separate from work, especially when it came to the triplets.
So how was he standing right here in front of the house?
"Micheal, what are you doing here?" I asked immediately the moment Leonard finally put me down.
My voice came out sharper than I intended.
A wave of embarrassment washed over me almost instantly. Without wasting another second, I hurriedly adjusted my dress and smoothed down the wrinkles that had formed. My cheeks burned with humiliation as I became painfully aware that Micheal had witnessed the entire scene.
I avoided looking directly at him for a moment as I tried desperately to regain my composure.
"You weren’t at work, Ella, so I was worried," Micheal blurted out quickly. "I had to ask for your address because you weren’t returning any of my messages."
The explanation came out in a rush, as though he had rehearsed it beforehand.
The moment he finished speaking, my eyes immediately shifted toward the triplets.
Their expressions had changed completely, as the warmth that had been there moments ago had vanished—their faces had darkened visibly and their jaws were clenched.
Their eyes were fixed on Micheal with an intensity that made my stomach tighten.
The atmosphere around us suddenly felt heavy—dangerously heavy.
"And who did you ask?" Leonard questioned calmly, raising one brow as he stared directly at Micheal.
His tone wasn’t loud, it wasn’t aggressive but somehow that made the question even more intimidating.
A strange feeling of uneasiness immediately settled inside me.
I didn’t know why.
Perhaps it was the way Leonard had asked the question.
Or perhaps it was because I suddenly realized that Micheal hadn’t actually answered how he had gotten the address.
"I know this is also your house, sir," Micheal replied instead. "I was surprised actually, but I really needed to see my friend."
His voice sounded slightly strained, as though he was carefully choosing his words and as though he was trying very hard not to say the wrong thing.
"That wasn’t what he asked you," Lurgard spoke up this time, his voice slightly louder than before.
A clear warning lingered beneath every word and the smile on his face had disappeared completely.
His gaze remained locked on Micheal.
"Exactly, Micheal," Lawrence added smoothly.
He calmly slipped both hands into his pockets before taking a slow step forward. His movements were relaxed. The kind of calmness that made a person even more nervous.
"Because I don’t actually recall us adding an address to Theresa’s file."
A sudden laugh escaped him, the sound was soft and almost amused. Yet somehow it made the tension in the air feel even thicker.
He shook his head lightly before looking directly at Micheal once again.
"So how did you get it, Micheal?" he asked.
The question hung heavily in the silence that followed, and no one spoke, nor did anyone move.
Everyone was waiting, including me. My curiosity had completely taken over now.
Slowly, I raised my brows and stared at Micheal, while waiting and watching, expecting an answer.
Because now, I wanted to know too.
Micheal cleared his throat softly, obviously preparing to say something.
His lips parted slightly, and for a brief moment, it looked as though he had finally gathered enough courage to answer the question that everyone was waiting for.
But before a single word could leave his mouth, Leonard suddenly cut him off.
A smirk slowly spread across his handsome face as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Relax, Micheal. It isn’t time yet..." Leonard said casually.
A small smirk played on his lips as he spoke, his tone light and almost amused.
To anyone listening, the words might have sounded harmless, ordinary, even but there was something about them that immediately caught my attention.
Something that didn’t sit right with me.
My brows slowly furrowed as confusion settled over me.
What exactly was that supposed to mean?
It isn’t time yet?
Time for what?
The statement sounded strangely specific, as though Leonard was referring to something only he understood.
I found myself staring at him, trying to read his expression and trying to figure out if there was some hidden meaning behind his words.
But Leonard simply stood there looking completely at ease. The faint smile remained on his face, making it impossible to tell what was going through his mind.
I wasn’t the only one confused, turning my head slightly, I glanced toward Lurgard and Lawrence.
Both men wore almost identical expressions, as their brows were knitted together and their eyes narrowed slightly as they looked at Leonard.
For a brief moment, they exchanged glances. The kind of glance that silently asked a hundred questions without a single word being spoken.
Then their attention shifted back to Leonard once again.
Clearly, they were just as puzzled as I was, yet one person stood out.
Micheal.
Unlike the rest of us, he didn’t appear confused and he didn’t ask any questions, he didn’t look surprised and he didn’t even look uncomfortable.
Instead, he remained remarkably calm.
His expression barely changed.
It was almost as though Leonard’s words made perfect sense to him and almost as though he understood exactly what Leonard meant.
That alone made my confusion deepen.
If the rest of us were lost, why wasn’t Micheal?
Why did he seem so calm?
The more I thought about it, the stranger the situation felt.
"As you can see, Theresa is fine," Leonard continued, his smile brightening slightly as he spoke.
The words were delivered politely and almost warmly, yet there was an unmistakable finality in his tone.
A clear dismissal.
"You can leave now."
The smile never left his lips, If anything, it widened, yet somehow, the atmosphere felt even more awkward than before.
The tension in the air was impossible to ignore.
Taking a slow breath, I tried my best to pretend everything was normal.
I tried to ignore the strange silence.
I tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling twisting inside my stomach.
Most importantly, I tried to ignore the fact that everyone seemed to be staring at one another as though there was some secret conversation happening that I wasn’t a part of.
"Sir..." Micheal began, his voice hesitant and uncertain, as though he desperately wanted to say something important.
But before he could continue, I quickly interrupted him.
"Micheal... let me see you off," I said immediately.
The words came out faster than I intended.
Honestly, I didn’t want him standing there any longer.
The triplets clearly didn’t want him around.
That much was obvious from the looks on their faces and if I was being honest with myself, I didn’t want him around either.
Especially not right now when everything already felt so complicated.
Without giving anyone the opportunity to object, I reached for his arm.
My fingers wrapped around his sleeve, and I gently pulled him toward the door.
"Come on," I muttered.
Thankfully, he didn’t resist.
A few moments later, we stepped outside and the cool air immediately hit my face. I released a long breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
Then I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.
The moment the door closed behind us, I turned to face him fully.
"What’s going on, Micheal?" I asked immediately, my voice firm and direct.
I needed answers.
Micheal looked at me for a few seconds before lowering his gaze.
"I... actually..." he began, his voice trailing off uncertainly. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly before he forced himself to continue. "I was just concerned. I didn’t see you at work, and then the video that went viral... I figured you might need company."
His explanation sounded sincere.
Genuine, even.
The concern in his voice didn’t seem forced, and his eyes held a level of honesty that should have reassured me.
Yet, despite that, something still felt off.
Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
Taking a slow, steady breath, I folded my arms across my chest and continued staring at him, waiting patiently for more.
"I... actually... I..." Micheal started again.
But once more, the words refused to come. His mouth opened and then closed. He looked away, and then back at me.
His fingers twitched nervously by his side.
It was obvious that he was struggling.
And that only made me more curious.
Slowly, I raised my brows.
What exactly was he trying so hard to say?
Why was it so difficult?
What words were trapped inside his head that he couldn’t bring himself to speak?
And more importantly...what exactly was going on inside Micheal’s mind?
