After Divorce, Billionaire Ex Found Me Pregnant
Chapter 73 Life Jacket.

Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Life Jacket.

A day had gone and despite Gabriel’s audacious accusation, Leonica couldn’t stop her Mary-Sue like mind from still pondering about Angelina wellbeing. Seated in her office, she flipped through yet another file with an absent mind, heaving a sigh at the end. Kennedy who was seated in a chair in the far corner of her office, nearly swallowed by the heap of files, generated from half of the work Leonica had unintentionally neglected over the days, glanced her way, instantly noticing the zoned-out look on her face.

It was obvious that something was on her mind, and Kennedy, more than anyone, knew that the moment something plagued his employer’s mind, she was either slow at work, got the work done, but however with several errors which he had to later on correct, or doesn’t get any work done at all.

A painful flaw in her almost perfect personality that she definitely had to work on fixing.

After a moment of internal debate, whether to remain silent and bury his nose back into his work, or to speak and... well save himself less work, Kennedy sighed, wisely opting for the latter option.

"Is everything alright, Ms. Romero?"

The sound of his voice snapped Leonica out of her daydreaming and she instantly realized the tiny flaws she had made more than once on the work shit.

"Shit," She mumbled underneath her breath, discarding the files into the trash bin beside her desk. Kennedy winced at the action, knowing fully well that he would be requested to fetch a new set soon. "Yes. Yes, I’m fine." She responded with an undertone sigh. "I just... I’m just thinking of something."

"That much is obvious," Kennedy rose up from his seat, walking toward the coffee machine and putting a fresh brew to set. Resting against the counter, he eyed her. "Would you... like to talk it out?"

Leonica was quick to shut his offer down. She shook her head with yet another sigh. "No, that won’t be necessary."

"It seems like so," Kennedy muttered just as the coffee machine completed its brew.

"Pardon?"

Grabbing the coffee jug and pouring the black beverage into two fresh coffee mugs, He added two cubes of sugar into Leonica’s own, just like she took it, and several more into his. Holding the cup in his hand, he walked toward Leonica’s table and dropped it down. "With all due respect Ma’am, whatever is on your mind seems to be affecting work, immensely." He nudged his head in the direction of the trash bin. "Wouldn’t it be best to sort it out before you handle things back here?"

"Wouldn’t it..." Leonica thought over his words for a few seconds before she nodded.

Kennedy was right, the only way she’d be able to function properly with a clear mind is when she sees with her own eyes that Angelina was somewhat fine and kicking, no matter the condition she was in, as far as she was alive, it was good enough to close the case for Leonica.

"You’re right," She rose to her feet and gathered a few things from her table, shoving them into the handbag she had carried. "I’ll step out for a bit, please make sure to-"

"Reprint the files and have them on your table before you return." The assistant completed her sentence. "Of course."

"Thanks." Leonica offered him a smile and turned around, exiting her office.

*~*

"Ms. Romero, Hello." The receptionist at the hospital smiled at the familiar face the moment Leonica arrived at the front counter.

She vaguely smiled, not too surprised that the female knew her name, after all, her face was constantly being pasted on newspapers and billboard adds. "Hi. Could i book a visit for Ms. Fernandez?" She questioned.

"Of course!" The receptionist answered and shortly after, she turned away to type on her keyboard. "Ms. Fernandez just finished her daily dosage so she’s free for visitations." She read out the information shown on the monitor screen and then slid a paper onto the counter with a smile. "Here’s the room number just in case."

Leonica retrieved the paper, showing her gratitude before she began her journey down the hall, glancing back and forth between the paper in her hand and the numbers written on the door. After what felt like a little over five minutes, she located the number of the room written on the paper.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door before sliding it open and stepping inside. Instantly, her eyes found Angelina, who seemed to have just completed a call and sheepishly hid the phone behind her back upon hearing the door opening.

The brunette glanced back, eyes turning dark the moment she spotted Leonica. "What are you doing here?" Her tone dripped with unhidden venom as she questioned.

Leonica however, quickly and quietly dusted it aside, taking a few steps forward to place the fruit basket she had picked up on her way here, on the closest table. "I can see you’re doing well," She mused, her voice carrying more relief than she had wanted.

However, Angelina, who had become bitter after seeing Leonica’s face, didn’t even notice that. "What, did you expect me to be dead?" She glanced at the fruit basket and scoffed. "And what is that? Is that your way of coming to show off."

"Not at all," Leonica answered with a shake of her head, expression neutral.

Seeing her demeanor was unfazed by every jab she took at her, Angelina’s bitterness flared up. "You’re such a hypocrite, do you know that? You act like a saint, but I know your kind of person, Leonica." She stepped forward, closing some distance between them. "You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing. A saint pretending to be a devil. I’m sure that’s how you convinced that old woman to allow you marry Gabriel."

Hearing this, it was just about what it took to snap Leonica out of her Three-to-Five-word streak. “What?”

“Oh, you heard me. That old witch must obviously have been blinded by your little act and-”

“Oh, please Angelina, when are you going to stop playing the victim role?” Unfolding her arms, Leonica advanced from where she stood, stopping in front of Angelina with a serious gaze. “Grandmother had given you a chance. Eight years ago, she presented you with one, but you blew it. You chose your selfish greed over Gabriel and abandoned him,” Cocking her head to the side, she questioned in a taunting tone. “Am I right? Or am I... right?”

Speechless in the face of obvious defeat, Angelina flexed her jaw and clenched her fist. Leonica’s retort had obviously deflated whatever balloon she was about to inflate, but she wasn’t about to admit defeat.

Not now, or in the nearest future.

“You say that now, but it doesn’t change the fact that you,” She jabbed her finger into Leonica’s chest. “Are a fiancé stealing bitch and a murderer. Let this knowledge hunt you Leonica; You killed my baby.”

“I didn’t do shit,” Leonica slapped her finger away after rolling her eyes in a manner that made Angelina want to rip the skin off her face. “That, was all your doing, Angelina. You pulled that stunt, so you’re the one who should live with that guilt.”

Adjusting her shirt, she stepped back and forced a wistful smile to her lips. “But I must say, I admire your determination to keep Gabriel. However, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t stupid useless and many other things down that lane.”

“W-what?” Angelina stuttered, face turning red with rising anger.

“Exactly what I said. Your love for Gabriel is admirable. But here’s a piece of advice. Don’t let yourself get Destroyed over love, especially one as blind as Gabriel’s.” Taking one last look at Angelina, Leonica turned around and walked out, closing the room door behind her.

With a sigh, she walked down the hospital halls, line of sight trained on the glistering tiles below.

‘Don’t destroy yourself over love... like I did.’ She swallowed thickly at the bitter thought, once again regretting the choice she had made all those years ago.

If only she had stayed away from that Lake... that Damned Lake where it all began, would things have been different?

Would she never have met Gabriel Bryce? And if not, what would her life been like?

“Blissful?”

The moment those words left her mouth, she looked up and her eyes landed on Gabriel’s approaching figure. For a moment there, she could have sworn her heart did a really weird palpitation routine when his eyes met hers, causing her to avert her gaze and unintentionally increase her departing pace.

However, she had not gotten more than a footstep away from Gabriel when he took her arm, pulling her steps to a halt. “Leonica? What are you doing here?” She remained quiet, flexing her jaw to keep the words in. But only when he began his next sentence did, she snap. “Are you here to-”

“Don’t worry.” With a swift movement, she pulled her arm out of his grasp, surprised for a second when it came free with one yank. Quickly, she recovered from the shock and faced the situation at hand with her usual forced smile. “I’m not here to hurt your precious lily flower. So-”

“I wasn’t questioning you, Leonica.” Gabriel cut her off, hiding the fact that her words had somewhat hurt his self-esteem. She thought so low of him to the point that she thought he was going to accuse her over nothing.

Was he that bad in her eyes?

Swallowing thickly in a bid to clear his mind, Gabriel continued. “I know you weren’t here to do that.”

Now, downright call Leonica a lair if she says Gabriel’s sudden change in attitude towards her wasn’t a big Surprise. But as quick as the surprise came, it disappeared, buried deeply beneath the folds of detachments.

“Oh, I see.” She mused with disinterest and turned around to leave.

Seeing her walk away without the tiniest bit of the flame she usually had towards him, Gabriel quickly became somewhat panicked.

It was the instinct a father got when he was at an ATM and his three-year-old child, growing a mind of his own, decided to take fate by the horns and walk into the center of a busy Monday Road.

That instinct to reach out and pull them back. That instinct of wanting to have them in your grasp, feel them.

That was the instinct and Gabriel acted on it without thinking twice. In seconds, his hand was once again wrapped around Leonica’s arm, pulling her to a halt.

Only after he felt her skin, cold as ice underneath his palm and she turned around, displaying an expression that showed nothing other than enragement, that he realized he had pulled the wrong move and needed to act fast.

Act fast in a way that could defuse the situation or at least throw Leonica off guard for a few seconds.

And that’s when it came to his mind and without second thoughts, he blurted it out. “It didn’t belong to me.”

“What?”

“The child Angelina had been carrying, it didn’t belong to me.”

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