Chereads / My Otome Boyfriend Became in Real Life to be My Husband / Chapter 24 - CHAPTER 24 – A DANCE OF DOUBT

Chapter 24 - CHAPTER 24 – A DANCE OF DOUBT

They were really serious before," another voice added, followed by soft murmurs of agreement.

I could feel the tension in the air as everyone continued to stare at them,

curiosity and speculation hanging thick.

My heart tightened as I took in the scene—Leo's familiar posture,

the woman's confident stance,

and the way everyone was watching them with undisguised interest.

It was like the whole office was frozen, waiting to see what would happen next.

I wanted to go near Leo, to make my presence known, but I hesitated.

All eyes were on him and his ex-girlfriend, and if I walked over now, I'd draw even more attention.

My mind raced with conflicting emotions—jealousy, uncertainty, and the need to protect the delicate balance we'd been trying to maintain.

As I stood there, frozen, the woman suddenly reached out and grabbed

Leo's hand, her movements confident and familiar.

Without a second thought, she led him toward

his office.

My breath hitched as I watched them walk past the crowd, Leo following her without hesitation, his attention completely on her.

He didn't notice me.

A tight knot formed in my stomach as I stood there,

feeling the weight of a thousand stares not on me,

but on them.

The whispers grew louder,

employees exchanging glances as they watched Leo being pulled away.

My heart sank as I saw them disappear behind the glass doors of his office,

the door closing softly behind them.

 

 

Inside the office, the atmosphere shifted as Leo crossed his arms,

a frown etching into his features.

"What do you want to talk about, Genna?" he asked,

his tone steady but laced with irritation.

"I just miss you, Le. I just wanted to see you," she replied,

her voice softening as she stepped closer, attempting to wrap her arms around him.

But Leo brushed her hands away firmly, creating distance between her.

"What do you want? You just come here to say that to me?

Ha, silly. After all these years of pushing me away, now you've come back to say that?"

His disbelief was palpable.

Genna paused, her expression shifting from longing to defensiveness.

"I know I made mistakes, but I've changed!

I thought we could at least talk about it—see if there's still something between us."

Leo shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping him.

"You think that just because you suddenly miss me, everything will go back to how it was?

That's not how it works, Genna.

You can't just walk back into my life after everything."

His frustration simmered just below the surface.

"Come on, Leo. We had something special. We could—"

"Special?" he interrupted sharply, his voice rising slightly.

"You left when things got tough! You didn't want to deal with any of it.

I thought we were done for good.

So, forgive me if I'm not ready to jump back into whatever you think we had."

Her eyes softened, and vulnerability peeking through her bravado.

"I just thought… maybe we could try again.

I've missed you all this time. Can't we start fresh?"

Leo's expression hardened, his jaw tightening.

"A fresh start? Is that what you call it?

You think just because you've decided to show up now,

I should forget how you treated me?"

He took a deep breath, clearly trying to rein in his emotions.

 "I've moved on, Genna. I'm not the same person I was when we were together."

"But Leo—" she began, desperation creeping into her voice.

"No. We're already done few years ago" he cut her off, his voice firm and unyielding.

"I have my life, my career, and I'm happy.

If you came here to disrupt that, you need to leave."

There was a heavy silence in the room, the air thick with unresolved tension.

Genna looked taken aback, clearly unprepared for his rejection.

The vulnerability in her eyes gave way to frustration as she crossed her arms,

biting back whatever response she had prepared.

Leo turned away, the conversation clearly over for him.

The weight of the moment hung in the air.

As I stood outside, waiting and trying to process everything, my mind raced with thoughts.

What could they possibly be talking about in there?

The tension I felt only grew stronger as I waited, my heart pounding in my chest.

Then, to my surprise, Genna emerged from the office,

her expression unreadable but clearly not pleased.

She walked briskly, a frown etched across her face, and just as she passed me,

Leo caught sight of me.

His eyes widened momentarily,

a flicker of concern crossing his features as he registered my worried expression.

But before I could decipher what he was feeling,

the door to his office closed behind him, cutting off any chance of hearing their conversation.

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach.

What had just happened? Had Genna tried to rekindle something with Leo?

And what did he say to her that made her look so discontented?

The questions swirled in my mind, leaving me feeling uneasy.

I watched as Genna walked away,

her demeanor starkly different from the confident woman I had seen with Leo earlier.

It was clear she hadn't gotten the response she wanted,

and that left me feeling a strange mix of relief and apprehension.

Leo remained in his office, and I stood there,

torn between wanting to confront him about what I had just

witnessed and the urge to give him space to process whatever had just unfolded.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart,

but the uncertainty lingered like a shadow, waiting for me to confront it.

A few hours had passed since the tense encounter,

and I found myself standing in front of Leo's office door with

a steaming cup of coffee in my hands.

I could see him deeply engrossed in checking files and documents spread

out across his desk, the usual focus and determination evident in his posture.

I hesitated, knowing I wanted to bring up Genna,

but the words stuck in my throat. I was unsure how to approach the

topic without sounding jealous or insecure.

I didn't want to pry or make him feel cornered,

especially after such an awkward encounter.

What if he still had feelings for her? What if he was still processing

what had happened between them? I didn't want to risk opening old wounds,

and I certainly didn't want to appear weak or overly anxious.

The last thing I wanted was for Leo to feel like he had to

defend himself or reassure me about something that had been in the past.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to push my worries aside.

"Hey, Leo," I finally said, stepping into the room and placing the coffee on his desk.

"I thought you might need a coffee?."

He looked up, his face breaking into a warm smile that eased some of my tension.

"Thanks, Melody. Just what I needed," he replied, taking the cup and taking a sip.

"Busy day?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation light,

even though my mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of Genna.

"Yeah, just trying to get through these reports before the meeting later,"

he said, glancing back at the papers on his desk.

I nodded, but the question about Genna still lingered in my mind, weighing heavily on my heart.

I wanted to ask him what had happened, to understand the nature of their conversation,

but I hesitated, uncertain of how to bring it up without making things awkward.

Instead, I simply watched him work,

feeling the urge to speak up growing stronger,

yet knowing I couldn't quite find the right moment.

"Do you want to talk about something?" Leo asked, glancing up from the documents as he noticed my hesitance.

"I know you're curious. Don't mind about her; she's already gone from my heart. I know for sure you're the only one I love, Melody."

Before I could respond, he pulled me closer, and I found myself sitting on his lap,

my cheeks flushing at his words.

The warmth of his body enveloped me, and I couldn't help but smile back at him,

feeling a mix of shyness and happiness.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly,

holding me against him as if to shield me from any lingering doubts.

"You don't have to worry about her," he murmured softly, resting his chin on the top of my head. "I'm done with the past.

You're my future."

His words sent a flutter through my chest,

and I closed my eyes for a moment, savoring the closeness and the comfort of his embrace.

The tension that had built up earlier began to dissolve,

replaced by a sense of security and love.

I leaned into him, feeling his heartbeat beneath me,

a steady reminder that I was right where I belonged.

"I just didn't want to intrude," I said softly, still feeling the warmth of his presence.

"I know it must have been… complicated."

Leo chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

"No complications here, just you and me. I promise," he replied,

tightening his grip for a moment before releasing me slightly to look into my eyes.

"You mean so much to me, Melody. I want to build something real with you.

That's all that matters now."

His sincerity wrapped around me like a warm blanket, and I nodded,

feeling my worries melt away.

"I want that too, Leo," I confessed, my heart racing with excitement and hope.

In that moment, everything else faded into the background,

and it felt like it was just the two of us against the world.

 

Just as the warmth of the moment enveloped us, a soft "knock, knock" echoed through the office.

"Sir, here are the reports that you've asked for," Team Leader Mie announced as she began to open the door.

As soon as I heard the knock, I jumped to my feet, stepping away from Leo to create some distance between us.

"Oh, yes! Can you get the report for me, Miss Violet?" Leo responded,

glancing at me with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Thank you, Team Leader Mie," I said, forcing a smile while trying to appear casual.

"Thank you as well, Melody," she replied, her gaze flickering briefly between us before she closed the door.

Once the door clicked shut, I let out a sigh of relief. "That was a close one!" I exclaimed, my heart racing from the near miss.

Leo chuckled, shaking his head. "You really jumped up fast! I thought you were going to trip over your own feet."

"I know! I didn't want her to catch us looking too… cozy," I said, a smile breaking across my face as I recalled how quickly I'd moved.

He laughed again, the sound light and infectious. "Well, you did a great job of playing it cool. I doubt she noticed anything."

"Thank goodness for that," I said, feeling the tension ease as we shared a laugh.

"I mean, we should probably be more careful," I added, glancing back toward the door.

"But where's the fun in that?" Leo teased, leaning back in his chair with a mischievous grin. "Honestly, it would've made for a great office story."

"Just promise me, if we get caught, you'll take the blame," I joked, crossing my arms with mock seriousness.

"Deal," Leo said with a wink, his eyes sparkling.

"But only if you promise to be right by my side."

Our laughter echoed in the quiet office, weaving a new layer of intimacy between us, reminding me just how much I cherished these moments together.