Sitting in the business-class seat on the plane heading back to LA, he opened up information about the woman.
Serena Addam-now Serena Lewis 33 years old. She worked as a paediatrician at her husband's Private Hospital, of which she also owned 50% of the shares. They divorced because Serena couldn't have children.
'How ironic,' Leopold remarked, considering Serena's profession.
'Is that why she looks so down?' that thought came as the second photo showed her beaming while visiting child patients at the ward.
'Is this what they call "the wider the smile, the deeper the pain" looks like?' Leopold observed the photo closely.
'Hey, what are you doing, dummy? Stop overthinking. Just do as usual,' Leopold commanded himself mentally.
He then delved into her hobbies and daily routines. If the socialites he usually encountered had schedules of about ten pages per week, Serena was different. Leopold even had to refresh his screen as he couldn't believe the file had stopped on the first page.
'Waking up at 5 for a jog. Back by 5:30 for a shower. Then, at 6, walking to the nearby traditional market from her apartment…'
'Wait, apartment? She doesn't live in a mansion?' Leopold confirmed his sight, even searching for the address of Serena's apartment.
It wasn't luxurious, with large windows and bright lights guarded at the entrance. Instead, it was a simple, gloomy-looking apartment on the outskirts, far from the city's glitz.
'I'm sure someone's fabricating this resume. They must think I'm joking. I need to confirm this with Aster.' Just as he thought about it, his phone buzzed—a message from Aster.
"No, that information is genuine."
Leopold shuddered, reading Aster's message, glancing around the plane, wondering if Aster was spying on him.
"No, I'm in LA baking cookies for my grandson. Why would I bother stalking you?" another message from Aster popped up.
Leopold shook his head. He didn't make a mistake in choosing his assistant.
"Give me a big raise at the end of the year," Aster protested.
Leopold turned off his phone to avoid further teasing from Aster. He then resumed investigating Serena. After the market, she returned around 7:30. Then, precisely at 9, she took the bus to work.
The woman didn't go out for lunch; she ate at her office, bringing her packed meals. Even her coffee was from the hospital's vending machine. She'd be back by 9 pm if there were no surgeries. This routine repeated daily, even on Sundays, as she still went to the office.
'No way... There couldn't be a woman like this,' Leopold refused, shaking his head.
Frankly, this was the first time he encountered such a simple woman. How could he approach her? And make her want to marry him? Leopold suddenly had a headache.
If the woman he was approaching liked parties, alcohol, or luxury shopping, it would be an easy mission for him. But this woman who seemed to need nothing?
'It's like approaching a workaholic man,' Leopold commented, rubbing his chin in frustration.
'How do I get close to her?!' Leopold screamed in his mind, gazing out at the blue sky beside his window.
'Hmm... Unlike my previous missions, this time I need to ensure that this report is true,' Leopold concluded, then turned off his tablet screen.
Something bothered Leopold—why did Zake Addam want to cancel his alimony to his wife? Wasn't this woman spending it having fun with other men or splurging on luxury items?
He powered up his tablet again, digging deeper into their marriage, tracing the flow of funds from Zake Lewis to Serena every month—significant amounts. Enough to leave Leopold's mouth agape.
But then, what did Serena do with that money? Finally, he got his answer when he stumbled upon several articles mentioning mysterious donations to the pediatric department every month—precisely the same amount as Zake Addam's alimony.
It meant that sick children treated there didn't have to dig deep into their pockets; any surplus funds were redirected to the ovarian cancer ward… *Gulp* Leopold's heart suddenly raced as he connected the dots.
'Could this woman…' he muttered. 'Such a pity…'
The latest article surfaced in his search about Zake Addam—his plan to marry a woman who had already given him a child even before their official divorce.
'So, Zake Addam divorced Serena to marry this woman… who looks cheap and ordinary,' Leopold assessed.
He was confident that if Zake Addam asked him to seduce his current wife, he'd do it effortlessly.
'I bet that's not even his biological child,' Leopold commented, surprising himself with his sudden defence of Serena.
' must have lost my mind,' muttered Leopold, removing his glasses.
Off duty, Leopold shed his identity as a wealthy businessman, opting for a casual appearance in checkered shorts once criticised by Aster as the typical dad-fishing outfit. He messed up his hair to avoid a slick look and replaced his changing contact lenses with thick-lensed glasses due to his nearsightedness.
He appeared like an anthropology professor, prompting an idea momentarily before brushing it aside. He knew nothing about ancient times, layers of soil, or skeletons. His opponent was an academic; he had to play it safe if he didn't want to get caught.
'But what?!' he questioned again, shifting his gaze to the plane's ceiling.
After 12 long hours, his plane landed at LAX. Carrying only cabin baggage, he swiftly exited without queuing, hailed a taxi, and returned to his office home.
Aster was already waiting in his office with a hot cup of coffee. Leopold wondered if the old woman before him moonlighted as a psychic.
"I saw you on the CCTV monitor as you exited the taxi. The time I took to heat the water was enough because before reaching the elevator, you usually greet the doorman, flirt with Linda, the receptionist, and ask about her weekend with feigned enthusiasm while trying to find out what women did nowadays, a happening trend, right?" explained Aster.
Leopold just raised one eyebrow; what would he do without Aster? He was truly fortunate to have an assistant as capable as her.
He sipped the unpleasantly bitter hot coffee, unable to complain, not wanting Aster to resign over just a cup of coffee.
He swallowed the coffee reluctantly before discussing it with Aster.
"I was thinking about pretending to be an anthropology professor, then I remembered I never even attended college," Leopold confessed, sitting across from Aster, who was busy typing.
The slightly plump elderly woman peered over her glasses. "Were you seriously considering that earlier? Tsk, I know this business won't last much longer. Pay me severance now before they seize your assets!" threatened Aster as she tidied her belongings.
"W-wait! Aster! Please, give me a way out. I don't know anything about a woman whose life is like a robot," pleaded Leopold with a pleading look.
Aster squinted, sighed heavily, and then gave Leopold a lengthy explanation. "Things you need when dealing with women who aren't dazzled by wealth" was the title of Aster's lecture to Leopold that morning as he sat there attentively with small notes in hand.