Chapter 10 Louis Meeting Leo

Alicia was dining with colleagues when she received the message. She called Jaheer for more details. She had never seen Louis lose control after drinking before, so she was concerned.

Alicia put on her coat and left without informing her colleagues. Leo noticed her strange demeanor, so he picked up the car keys and followed her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"A friend of mine needs help. I have to take care of it. Have fun with the others," Alicia replied, forcing a smile.

Leo shook the keys in his hand. "I'll drive you there."

Feeling anxious, Alicia accepted his offer and followed him to the parking lot.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Fever Tonight. Alicia quickly made her way to the private room on the third floor, where she saw Madelyn feeding Louis with a spoon. The two of them were shoulder to shoulder, and Madelyn's face was flushed with excitement.

Alicia was paralyzed with shock, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the door handle. She gazed at Louis, who was holding a glass of wine but appeared completely sober and poised, with no sign of drunkenness.

Madelyn noticed Alicia's arrival and provocatively leaned against Louis, her expression smug.

Alicia tried to compose herself. "Excuse me," she muttered before turning around and leaving.

Jaheer swiftly got up from his seat and caught up with her, pulling her towards Louis and telling her to calm down. He patted her shoulder, but Louis, seeing the spot where Jaheer had touched her, quickly grabbed a disinfectant towel and wiped it.

Alicia laughed bitterly, thinking, "So, Louis thinks my shoulder is dirty after Jaheer patted on it once. What about himself? He's cuddling and kissing Madelyn, and they're even feeding each other. Isn't that much worse? Why doesn't he wipe himself?"

Alicia clenched her lips, afraid that she might say something hurtful. Despite two years of enduring Louis's drinking and depression, she had never argued with him or shown any anger. With their divorce imminent, she felt that there was no point in breaking their peace.

She only blamed herself for panicking and rushing over when she heard Louis was in trouble. All she could do was endure the repercussions herself.

After a moment of tense silence, Louis turned to Madelyn and said, "Maddie, you head back first."

Madelyn put on a sour face and reluctantly spoke up to Alicia, "Don't get mad, Alicia. Louis and I were just having a meal. Is that right, Jaheer?"

Jaheer was rolling his eyes so hard they almost disappeared into his skull. "The way they ate was a bit too intimate, feeding each other soup and all. If I hadn't been giving them the stink eye, they would have started a whole different type of meal."

Madelyn was about to leave when she accidentally knocked over a teacup, causing it to shatter into pieces. She tried to clean up the mess, but one of the sharp porcelain bits sliced her finger, and blood started gushing out. She cried out in pain, begging Louis to take her to the hospital to get it bandaged up.

Jaheer sneered, "Let me take you to the hospital, Madelyn. Alicia's here, and things are already awkward enough."

Madelyn tightly held onto Louis's sleeve, her eyes pleading and cute like a deer. "Please, Louis. Just help me," she begged.

Louis paused for a moment before saying to Alicia, "Jaheer will take you back, and I'll take Madelyn to the hospital. Then I'll go find you." He then picked up Madelyn's purse, helped her shoulder, and left with her.

Alicia kept her cool. She calmly paid the bill and left with Jaheer. She didn't want to see Louis and Madelyn getting cozy and making out with each other. It was just too painful to witness.

As they stood in the elevator, Jaheer observed Alicia, who seemed unusually composed. He sighed and said, "Alicia, you're a good woman."

"Thank you," Alicia replied, standing tall and elegant with a constant smile on her face.

Jaheer took a deep breath and spoke his mind, "You're great in every way, but being too perfect can be dull. Men want a woman who's sophisticated and graceful in public, but behind closed doors, you gotta be adventurous, unpredictable, seductive when needed, vulnerable when necessary, thick-skinned when it's called for, and manipulative when it's required. Alicia, you need to step up your game, or you won't stand a chance against Madelyn."

"Madelyn's quite the chameleon, isn't she?" Alicia murmured.

Jaheer rolled his eyes, exasperated. "She's a pro at adapting, let me tell you. If I wasn't sitting next to them just now, they would've been all over each other. You need to find a way to keep Louis, Alicia."

Alicia gripped her bag tightly, feeling conflicted. "I thought loving someone and treating them well would be enough, but apparently not." Alicia was never one for bold moves like Madelyn. Her stern and serious grandparents and impulsive mother instilled a more reserved demeanor in her.

Louis stood by his car smoking a cigarette, waiting for Alicia. He put it out when he saw her, grabbing her shoulder and bending down to speak to her in his usual charming way. "I'll be back soon, don't worry too much," he said.

Alicia couldn't help but smile through the pain, thinking, "Why can't Louis just hurt me so I have a reason to hate him? Why he's gotta be all sweet and polite, making it impossible to even dislike him?"

She stubbornly insisted, "It's fine. You should go take her to the hospital now."

"OK." Louis got into the car and drove off.

Alicia turned to Jaheer. "My colleague drove me here, and he's waiting for me. You don't have to drive me. Go do your own thing."

Jaheer nodded. "Don't forget what I said. You and Louis are meant to be together."

"Thanks." Alicia walked over to Leo's car and got in.

Leo started the car and asked, "That Louis guy, he's a Martinez, right? The owner of the Martinez Group? How do you know him?"

Alicia didn't know how to answer. If she said he was her ex-husband, that would be awkward since their divorce wasn't finalized yet; however, she also felt ashamed to admit that Louis was her husband, as his heart was already with Madelyn. Therefore, she hesitated before saying, "He's family."

Leo gave a skeptical look, asking, "You're a Valdez, and he's a Martinez. So… he's your cousin?"

Alicia murmured in agreement, not wanting to pressing the topic further. Only a selected few friends knew about Alicia and Louis's small wedding ceremony three years ago. Now that they were getting a divorce, it wasn't worth mentioning.

Leo noticed something was off. "You OK?"

Alicia shook her head and replied, "I'm fine."

"You're lying. You clearly got a lot on your mind." Leo chuckled.

"What kind of women do you men like?" Alicia asked, feeling uneasy.

Leo grinned and replied, "Everyone has their own preferences. Some like it thick, and some like it thin. As for me..."

Leo's eyes darted toward Alicia's profile, admiring her striking features. Her face was delicate, and her large eyes sparkled like pools of water. Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, adding to her charm. The street lamps illuminated her face, casting a surreal and distorted effect, like a painting come to life.

Leo's heart skipped a beat as he continued, "I'm drawn to women like you, who are gentle and serene, unaware of their beauty, and possess an abundance of hidden talents."

Alicia managed a faint smile and responded, "So, men still appreciate women like me. I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not to impress them."

"Don't be so modest, Alicia," Leo said, his tone sincere. "Your talent for restoring is second to none. Experts in the field will have to spend their whole lives trying to match your level."

Alicia blushed and replied, "You're too kind, Mr. Grainger. I learned from my grandfather when I was young, and he taught me everything. If I couldn't do it well, I would disappoint him."

Leo nodded in agreement, saying, "Talent, diligence, and personality are equally important. Restoring ancient books and paintings takes a lot of patience, something most young people don't have the patience for nowadays. It's almost becoming a lost art."

As they turned the corner, Alicia asked, "Can you drop me off at my place instead of the hotel?"

Leo happily obliged, quickly bringing the car to a stop in front of her building.

As Alicia got out of the car with the food she bought for her mother, Leo followed suit and continued chatting with her about work. The moon shone brightly in the sky, and even just talking to Alicia made Leo inexplicably happy.

Suddenly, Alicia's expression changed. A tall figure approached them from a distance. He had a charming and straight figure, exuding a strong presence. Even from afar, Alicia recognized him as Louis.

She wondered, "Didn't he just take Madelyn to the hospital? Why did he come back so soon?"

Noticing her discomfort, Leo turned to look and said with a smile, "Looks like your cousin is here."

Alicia gave a slight nod, but her mind was elsewhere.

As Louis approached, Leo extended his right hand in greeting and said, "You must be Alicia's cousin. Hello, I'm her colleague, Leo."

Louis looked down at Alicia, his eyes ice-cold as he asked, "Her cousin?"