The next day dawned with a restless energy that seemed to vibrate through the very walls of the mansion. Leo, his face set in a mask of focused intensity, moved through the corridors with a hurried pace. He searched every wing, every study, and every balcony, his eyes scanning for the shimmering presence that had become his constant, if mysterious, companion.
"Where is this Elsa?" Leo asked himself, his voice echoing in the vast, empty hallway.
He checked his watch, the seconds ticking away with agonizing precision. The time for the party was drawing near, and the weight of the evening ahead pressed heavily upon him.
"I have to take her to the party," he muttered, his brow furrowing in frustration. "Is she trying to escape? Does she want to back out from the deal we made?"
He paused, shaking his head as if to clear the doubt from his mind.
"No, no..." he whispered. "It can't be. Elsa is not that kind of girl. She is not the type who breaks her promises so easily. I can feel that much about her."
He looked toward the grand staircase, a thought occurring to him.
"Maybe she is in my room," he mused. "But I checked there already."
He hesitated for a moment before turning back toward his private quarters.
"I will go and check again. I will look for her in my room like I do every time. It seems I always find her near me nowadays."
Leo pushed open the heavy oak doors to his suite. As he stepped inside, his gaze immediately fell upon the sofa. There she was—Elsa, sitting perfectly still, her translucent form glowing faintly against the dark fabric. She was lost in thought, her expression distant and troubled.
A small, involuntary smile touched Leo's lips as he watched her. He walked across the room, coming to a halt directly in front of her. Elsa didn't notice him at first; she was busy biting her nails, her eyes clouded with an internal struggle.
Deep within her soul, Elsa was battling a silent vow.
I will search for a beautiful, good life partner for Leo, she thought, the idea bringing a sharp pang to her heart. He is the love of my life, but he deserves someone who can truly stand by his side in the world of the living.
"Biting nails is a bad habit," Leo commented, breaking the silence.
Elsa started, her eyes snapping to his. She lowered her hand, a flicker of her usual spirit returning to her gaze.
"Forcing people to perform investigations for you is also a bad habit," Elsa countered, her voice soft but sharp.
Leo chuckled, the sound rich and low. "Everything is fair in love and war, Elsa."
"What?" she asked, her eyes widening in confusion.
Leo quickly cleared his throat, shifting his gaze toward the window. "Nothing," he said dismissively. "We have to go."
"Where?" Elsa asked, though she already knew the answer.
Leo took a deep breath, his voice dropping to a calm, steady tone as if reminding himself to remain composed.
"Patience," he whispered to himself.
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes searching her forehead, checking the area where she had been injured before.
"What are you looking at?" Elsa asked, tilting her head.
"I'm just checking to see if you are okay or not," Leo replied, his tone surprisingly gentle.
"I'm obviously okay," Elsa said, her voice softening in response to his concern.
Leo straightened up, his expression turning serious. "Seriously, Elsa... just tell me. Do you have amnesia? Or a memory problem? Is there some health issue which I don't know about?"
He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her.
"If you have a problem, just tell me. I will get you treated. I don't want to have to remind you every single time about our mission and the deal we made."
Elsa felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she listened to him. His words triggered a mental image she tried daily to suppress: her own body lying motionless in an ICU bed, surrounded by the rhythmic beeping of machines and the sterile scent of antiseptic. She was here, a soul wandering in Leo's world, while her physical self fought a desperate battle for survival.
She remembered the doctor's grim face, the cold finality of the deadline he had given her.
Six months.
The weight of those words felt like a physical burden. She blinked back the phantom tears, pulling herself out of the dark recesses of her mind to look at Leo.
"Sorry, Leo," she whispered. "I was just thinking about something else."
Leo studied her for a long moment, his eyes filled with a perceptive heat. "I feel that you have some kind of problem, Elsa. I will solve it for you after our deal is completed."
He paused, a flicker of frustration crossing his face.
"I could solve it right now, but I am in deep trouble called Lucy. After my problem is solved, I promise I will help you with yours."
Elsa looked away, the lie tasting bitter in her mouth. "There is no problem in my life, Leo. I'm okay."
Leo smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "There is no man on this earth who doesn't have problems in their life, Elsa. I can feel it. I can sense your emotions."
He reached out as if to touch her, but his hand stopped just short of her shimmering form.
"I think you are not ready to share yet. But remember... Leonardo is with you. Leo is your friend, and I will help you with all your problems."
Elsa gazed up at him, her heart swelling with an intense, quiet adoration.
How can you be so good, Leo? she wondered silently. How can you be so kind to me every single time?
"We have to go to the party now," Leo said, breaking the moment. "Remember, I can't be with you or stand next to you once we are there. If any problem arises, just tell people that you are my friend. I will take care of everything."
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a warning whisper.
"Lucy's father is dangerous. BE CAREFUL. If you truly find yourself in trouble, just shout or make a whistle. I will come there immediately. I will be close enough to watch over you, Miss Elsa."
Elsa nodded, her resolve hardening. "I understand."
The drive to the venue was silent, but the air inside the car was thick with unspoken tension. Elsa sat in the passenger seat, feeling Leo's physical presence so close to her. The warmth radiating from him, the steady movement of his hands on the steering wheel—it made her feel a strange sense of safety and happiness. She couldn't help but smile.
When they reached the venue, the sheer scale of the event was overwhelming. As they entered the party, the atmosphere was electric with music and the chatter of the elite. Immediately, a swarm of women noticed Leo. They converged on him with flirtatious smiles, attempting to throw their arms around him, but Leo's bodyguards moved with practiced efficiency, blocking them and maintaining a perimeter.
Elsa moved through the crowd, an invisible observer in a room full of gilded masks.
"Welcome, my boy!" a booming voice called out.
Thomas, Lucy's father, approached Leo with a wide, predatory grin and pulled him into a brief, firm hug. "I am so happy that you have come to the party."
Leo remained polite but distant. He signaled to an assistant, who handed over a gift. "A small token of appreciation, Thomas," Leo said, presenting an expensive, handcrafted watch.
Thomas opened the box, his eyes gleaming with greed. "Thank you, Leo. This is magnificent."
He leaned in, his voice dropping so only Leo could hear, though Elsa was close enough to catch every word.
"You gave me an expensive watch as a gift, Leo, and I am so happy. But I want to give you a much more expensive gift right now. Do you know what it is?"
"No," Leo replied flatly.
The crowd around them began to cheer, sensing a spectacle. "ANNOUNCE! REVEAL!" they shouted.
Whispers rippled through the room. "Is it a car? A rare painting?"
Thomas laughed, raising his hands for silence. "No, no... I am giving a far more expensive gift to Leonardo. And that is my daughter, Lucy."
The crowd gasped as Lucy stepped forward, looking every bit the polished socialite.
"She is my eldest daughter," Thomas continued, his voice dripping with pride. "Well-educated, the COO of my company, stylish—a perfect fit for a man who is a sensational, popular Rockstar and a billionaire in his own right. A man who is the heir to the great Richard."
Thomas gripped Leo's shoulder, his voice rising to a triumphant shout.
"SO FRIENDS! LEO IS MY BILLIONAIRE SON-IN-LAW! HE IS GETTING MARRIED TO MY DAUGHTER, LUCY! I AM GIVING LUCY AS A GIFT TO LEONARDO, THE SENSATIONAL POPULAR ROCKSTAR!"
The room erupted in applause, but Leo only managed a weak, tight-lipped smile.
I don't like her, Leo thought, his jaw tightening. I don't want her in my life. I would rather be single forever than marry a gold digger like her and become a son-in-law to this family.
His eyes scanned the room frantically. Where are you, Elsa? I hope you are okay. I hope you are safe. I need you to find the truth. I can't keep my life or my family at risk by letting this marriage happen.
He felt a strange, nagging sensation in his chest. I don't know what happened to me from the moment I met Elsa. She is so innocent, so beautiful... such a good girl. I feel so close to her, as if I've met her in my past. But I can't remember where... where did I meet this innocent, crazy girl?
While the announcement echoed through the ballroom, Elsa had slipped away into the corridors of the mansion. As she turned a corner, she nearly collided with a young woman she recognized instantly—Amy, Lucy's younger sister.
Memories flooded back to Elsa of the time she was Leah. She remembered Amy's sneering face at the office, the way the girl had scolded her when she tried to meet Leo, and the cold, stinging sensation of coffee being deliberately dropped onto her clothes.
Fear spiked in Elsa's chest. She ducked into the nearest room to avoid being seen, her heart hammering.
She realized she was in a private suite—an OYO-style room tucked away from the main party. But she wasn't alone.
In the center of the room, Thomas was draped over a young woman, kissing her with a fervor that was sickening to behold. The woman was Linda, his own secretary, who looked significantly younger than him.
"Hey, baby," Thomas murmured, pulling back slightly. "You look beautiful tonight."
"Thanks, baby," Linda replied, her voice sugary and manipulative. She leaned against his chest, her eyes glinting. "Baby... I wanted that diamond necklace. The one that costs more than two million. I think you'll get it for me, won't you?"
Thomas sighed, his expression darkening. "Sorry, baby. You'll need to wait for a month."
"Why?" Linda pouted, crossing her arms.
"I'm not in a position to get you a necklace right now," Thomas admitted, his voice low and strained. "But I promise I will get it for you once Leo and Lucy are married."
Linda's eyes narrowed. "Why are you even getting your daughter married to Leo? Don't you know she's already married to that cheap boyfriend of hers, Theo?"
Elsa gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
"You didn't accept that relationship because Theo is good for nothing," Linda continued, her voice rising in anger. "And on top of that, Theo and Lucy were never even divorced! Theo doesn't want the divorce; he's demanding half of your wealth!"
"I know all of that, Linda!" Thomas snapped. "What do you want me to do? My children are good for nothing. My daughters don't know the first thing about business. My stupid, lazy wife and my daughters... they are all just gold diggers."
He paced the room, his face a mask of bitter resentment.
"I wish I would never have to say this to anyone, but I need the money. I need the funding for my businesses. The world still doesn't know that my company is running on massive losses."
He stopped, his eyes filled with a burning jealousy.
"Me and Richard... we were the greatest businessmen in this country. I thought that stupid Richard would never earn more than me. He had such a sad past; I thought he would stay depressed forever. But today? He is the number one businessman in the country!"
He slammed a fist into his palm.
"And his son, Leo... he became another top businessman and a Rockstar. He came to compete with his father. Richard might act like he doesn't care for his son in front of Leo, but in reality, he is so proud of him. Seeing their success and the respect they get... it gives me a burning sensation inside. I am so jealous of them."
"I want revenge," Thomas hissed. "Because of Richard, I faced humiliation and disrespect in the past. He stole projects from me—projects that made him billions. I will exact my revenge. I will get what I deserve."
Linda smiled, a slow, vicious curve of her lips. "You are being evil, Thomas. I don't know why, but I like it."
Thomas grinned back at her. "What is your plan, darling?" Linda asked.
"You don't know what I've planned for the destruction of Leonardo and the Richard family," Thomas revealed. "Firstly, I will get Leonardo married to Lucy by hook or by crook. Then, Lucy will follow the plan. She will steal expensive information—project quotations, Leo's private audio recordings, all of Richard's business plans."
He leaned in closer to Linda, his voice a conspiratorial whisper.
"There is an even bigger truth, Linda. A truth only known to Richard, his family, and me. But Richard doesn't know that I know."
"What truth?" Linda asked, breathless with greed.
"Leonardo is actually a born prince," Thomas revealed. "All of his grandfather's wealth and properties are in Leo's name. His grandfather wrote a will in favor of Leo and his family. It states that the girl who marries Leo will get a forty-five percent share in the business. She will become a Board Director and have access to all of Leo's properties."
Thomas's eyes lit up with madness. "If my Lucy marries Leo, I can rule the entire empire. I will have my revenge on Richard."
Linda's eyes filled with excitement. "If your plan works out, will you give me a portion of that wealth? A piece of Leo's property?"
"Yes, my baby," Thomas promised, pulling her back into a hug. "I will give the majority to you."
Elsa stood in the corner of the room, her soul reeling from the weight of the secrets she had just overheard. She had to get to Leo. She had to tell him everything.
But then, she noticed something else.
Underneath the large, ornate bed in the corner, a figure was hiding. Elsa moved closer, her eyes widening in shock. It was Amy. She was huddled in the dust, her mobile phone held out, recording every single word of her father's confession.
Amy is Thomas's younger daughter, Elsa thought. But why is she recording this? She isn't a good girl... I remember what she did to me. Why is she doing this?
She shook her head. It doesn't matter. I have to tell Leo about Thomas's plan.
Suddenly, a small scraping sound came from under the bed. Linda froze in Thomas's arms.
"I'm scared," Linda whispered, her eyes darting around. "I think someone else is in this room."
Thomas's expression turned cold and lethal. "Don't worry, darling," he said, reaching into the waistband of his trousers and pulling out a heavy black pistol. "If anyone else is in this room, I will kill them."
He began to walk toward the bed, the gun leveled.
Elsa panicked. I have to save Amy!
She looked around the room, her eyes landing on a heavy porcelain flower vase on a nearby side table. Summoning every ounce of her supernatural strength, she concentrated on the object. With a sharp flick of her will, the vase flew off the table, crashing onto the floor on the opposite side of the room.
Thomas and Linda whirled toward the sound. At that exact moment, a stray cat darted out from behind a curtain, startled by the noise, and ran toward the door.
Linda exhaled a breath of pure relief. "It was just a cat, Thomas."
Thomas lowered the gun, though he still looked suspicious. Elsa took the opportunity to slip out of the room, her mind racing.
"I thought Lucy was a good girl," she whispered to herself as she hurried back toward the ballroom. "I thought the whole family was decent. But it seems only Amy might have some good in her. Leo was right all along."
She tapped her head in frustration.
"Leo is so intelligent... he guessed they were criminals. But how? How did he know they were dangerous?"
She rounded a corner, the music of the party growing louder.
"Whatever the reason," she vowed, "I have to find Leo. I have to tell him the truth about Lucy's family before it's too late."