Chapter24
Leo sat on the couch in his luxurious penthouse, his mind on anything but work. He had finally gotten some time to relax when Emma and Rebecca barged in, their expressions a mix of determination and unease. They both carried stacks of papers that seemed unnecessarily thick to Leo.
"Alright, business faces on, let's get this over with," Rebecca said, straightening her blazer. Emma followed suit, her usual nervousness melting away as she adopted a similar professional demeanor.
Leo groaned inwardly. Here we go again.
Rebecca took the lead, flipping through a file. "Leo, the current state of the business is promising. We've streamlined operations, and the foundations are solid. However, minor miscalculations have cropped up here and there…"
Emma chimed in, her voice steady. "These are small issues that can easily be resolved with proper funding and—"
Leo held up a hand, cutting her off. "Let me guess. The company needs more money?"
The room fell silent. Emma and Rebecca exchanged glances, their professional masks slipping slightly.
"Look," Leo said, leaning back and rubbing his temples, "you two need to stop dancing around the point. Just say it. Don't sugarcoat things, don't give me a preamble, and definitely don't bring me a novel's worth of paperwork. What do you need?"
Both women stared at him for a moment, then broke into wide smiles. Rebecca's was triumphant, while Emma's was softer, her cheeks tinged with pink.
"You're the best, Leo," Rebecca said, plopping the stack of papers on the coffee table. "We do need more funds, but it's not as bad as it sounds."
Emma, no longer in business mode, looked at Leo with a mix of admiration and embarrassment. His bluntness, combined with his casual authority, made her heart race a little. She quickly averted her eyes, trying to focus on the topic at hand.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "So, why do you need more money this time?"
Rebecca scratched the back of her head. "We kind of… forgot to account for the contract fee for the security company."
"Forgot?"
"It's run by my cousin," Rebecca admitted sheepishly. "I thought we'd get some sort of family discount, but, uh, turns out he runs a tight ship. So yeah, that's on us."
Leo shook his head but smirked. "You two are something else."
Just as he was about to sign off on the funds, Rebecca's expression changed. "Oh, by the way," she said, as if remembering something important, "my brother wants to meet you."
"Your brother?" Leo asked, tilting his head.
"Yeah, he's a big deal in the army. Super prestigious and all that."
"Why does he want to meet me?"
Rebecca hesitated, her usual confidence faltering. "Well… okay, it's not actually him. It's my grandpa."
"Your grandpa?" Leo repeated, now thoroughly confused.
Rebecca nodded, her cheeks pink. "He's kind of shy, so he's using my brother as an excuse to set up the meeting. But I think he just wants to see you and Emma."
Leo leaned back, trying to process the information. "So, your war-hero grandpa, who's too shy to ask for a meeting himself, wants to meet us?"
Rebecca nodded.
Leo's mind wandered, trying to picture this so-called shy war hero. The image that came to mind was a grizzled veteran with a chiseled jawline, an eyepatch, and a perpetual scowl, walking in slow motion with explosions behind him as phonk music blared in the background.
"Leo, why are you smirking like that?" Rebecca asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Nothing," he said, shaking off the thought. "Just trying to picture your grandpa."
Emma giggled softly. "I'm imagining someone completely different—a big, muscular guy with a lot of scars, sitting in a sunny park, feeding kittens. He's got this whole… wholesome vibe."
Rebecca stared at them both, her eye twitching slightly. "Okay, stop. You're both thinking something weird about him. Just wait until you meet him, alright?"
Leo chuckled. "Fine, fine. I'll hold off judgment until then."
Emma nodded, still giggling. "I can't wait to meet him. He sounds amazing."
Rebecca sighed but couldn't help smiling. "You two are impossible. Let's just hope this meeting doesn't turn into a disaster."
As the conversation trailed off, Leo stood up, stretching. "Alright, let's deal with this security company mess first. Then we can figure out how to handle your shy war-hero grandpa."
Rebecca rolled her eyes but smiled. "Deal."
The next morning, Rebecca drove Emma and Leo to the airport. The air was buzzing with excitement, though Leo, as usual, was slightly confused.
"Are we going to help Ethan?" Leo asked, recalling the ongoing preparations to deal with Ethan's father.
Rebecca shook her head. "Nope. Remember, I told you my brother wants to meet you both?"
"Yeah, but isn't he supposed to be in the city?" Leo asked, narrowing his eyes.
"He's not," Rebecca replied cryptically, her lips curling into a mischievous smile.
Leo furrowed his brows but let it go. As they entered the airport, he noticed Rebecca bypassing the usual waiting area and heading toward a secured section of the terminal. They didn't stop until they stepped out onto the runway itself.
Leo blinked, trying to process. "Wait… are we even allowed to be here? Is this even legal?"
Rebecca turned and smirked, clearly reading his thoughts. "Relax, Leo. It's fine. We have clearance."
Before Leo could respond, the sound of roaring engines drew his attention. A massive military helicopter with two propellers descended in front of them, its blades whipping the air into a frenzy.
Leo's jaw dropped, his eyes sparkling like a child seeing their favorite toy up close for the first time. "No way. Is that a Chinook?"
Rebecca grinned. "Impressive, right?"
The helicopter's door opened, and a tall, commanding figure stepped out. Rebecca's brother looked every bit the part of a prestigious military officer, his uniform sharp and his demeanor radiating authority. He strode over with a confident, easy gait.
"Rebecca," he said with a warm smile, pulling her into a brief hug.
"Leo, Emma, this is my brother,Samuel," Rebecca introduced proudly.
Leo extended his hand, still half-distracted by the helicopter. "Nice to meet you, sir. Can I just say, this is amazing."
Samuel chuckled, shaking Leo's hand. "Glad you like it. Want to go for a ride?"
Leo's face lit up. "Can I? Seriously?"
"Sure," Samuel said, then added with a mischievous glint, "You can even drive it if you want."
Before Leo could explode with excitement, the pilot stepped out, shaking his head vehemently. "Absolutely not, sir. We are not letting civilians pilot a Chinook."
Samuel turned to the pilot, frowning. "And who exactly do you think you are to say no?"
The pilot sighed, clearly used to dealing with Samuel. "Sir, may I remind you of the last time you were in the cockpit unsupervised? You crashed a plane. You're banned from going near any aircraft without strict oversight."
Rebecca burst into laughter, Emma covering her mouth to stifle her giggles.
Leo blinked, torn between awe and amusement. "Wait… you crashed a plane?"
Samuel shrugged nonchalantly. "It was a minor incident."
The pilot snorted. "Minor? You nose-dived a military jet into a training field because you thought you could 'pull off a cool stunt.'"
Rebecca chimed in, still laughing. "See what I have to deal with? He's been like this since we were kids."
Samuel shot her a mock glare but grinned. "Well, if I can't let you drive, Leo, you can at least sit up front and see how it works."
Leo's excitement returned full force. "Deal!"
The group climbed aboard the helicopter, Rebecca rolling her eyes fondly at her brother's antics. Emma, sitting next to Leo, smiled as she watched his childlike enthusiasm.
As the Chinook took off, Leo was glued to the front, marveling at the view and the complex controls. For a moment, all thoughts of business, problems, and Rebecca's cryptic plans faded.
In the back, Rebecca whispered to Emma, "Told you he'd enjoy this."
Emma nodded, her gaze softening as she looked at Leo. "Yeah, he really is something else."
Rebecca smirked. "Just wait until you meet my grandpa. If you think Samuel's entertaining, you're in for a treat."
Emma tilted her head, curious. "What's he like?"
Rebecca leaned back, a sly grin on her face. "You'll see soon enough."