Chapter 20 Alicia Staying With Leo

As Louis' car vanished from view, Alicia stood there gazing off in the direction it went, feeling a bit hollow and adrift. The wind kicked up leaves, whirling them around her ankles. After a few moments, she turned and trudged back to her grandfather's house.

Grabbing the keys, Alicia entered the east wing, which was her grandfather's workshop for restoring ancient paintings, the very place where she had spent most of her childhood. The room remained the same, with two large red solid wood tables in the center, brushes, pliers, and chemical bottles strewn atop them. A thin layer of dust had gathered over the tools.

Leo's voice rang out from behind her, "This is where you learned your craft as a child?"

Alicia nodded, "Yup."

Leo walked up to her and placed his hand on the table, "I respect you for that. When I was a kid, my grandpa also wanted to teach me his skills, but I quit in less than a month. I couldn't sit still, and it was too dull. Fixing artifacts is too meticulous, and not everyone can do it."

Leo's grandfather was also an eminent specialist in restoring ancient books and paintings.

Alicia smiled, "My grandfather wanted to teach my mom, but she didn't have the patience for it."

Leo agreed, "Yeah, it's a demanding job, needing a clear mind, spiritual sensitivity, acute perception, patience, resilience, and hard work."

Alicia nodded, "Especially patience is key. Removing canvas needs to be done slowly, sometimes for a couple of weeks, and if you're antsy, the painting will be ruined."

Leo looked at Alicia with tenderness, "Your childhood must have been tough."

Alicia gave a slight smile, " Other kids played outside, and I was copying ancient paintings in the studio."

Leo chuckled, "That's pretty hard."

Alicia smirked, "Yeah, just a bit."

As they spoke, Doris snuck in, cleaning up and glaring at Leo with animosity.

Leo leaned closer to Alicia, moving his hand closer to hers, trying to hold it. But before he could, Doris grabbed a broom behind the door and charged up behind him, slamming it down on the ground near his feet, screaming, "Doctor Grainger, back up! A mouse just ran past here!"

Later that evening, Alicia was lying in bed reading when Doris rushed in, phone in hand. "Mrs. Martinez, Mr. Martinez is on the phone. He says it's an emergency."

Alicia grabbed the phone, and Louis' voice boomed through the line. "Grandma is sick and keeps asking for you. I've already told the guards, so come back as soon as you can."

Alicia quickly got dressed and packed her things, heading out to the hospital. Leo was smoking outside, and she told him the news. "Okay, I'll go with you," he said, crushing out his cigarette.

Three hours later, they arrived at the hospital. As they turned a corner, Alicia saw Louis by the window, smoking. He looked tall, handsome, and dripping with class. Madelyn ran out of the hallway and hugged him around the waist, saying, "I heard your grandma was sick, so I came to see her." Alicia's heart sank like a stone. She couldn't take another step, her feet rooted to the floor.

Doris quickly called out, "Mr. Martinez, Mrs. Martinez is here."

Louis turned away from Madelyn and walked over to Alicia, asking in a smooth voice, "Why didn't you call me when you got here? I would've come to meet you."

Alicia was silent, shooting him a cold look, and made her way to Bonnie's room with her heart feeling heavy.

Bonnie was eating pudding when she saw Alicia, and her eyes lit up. "Alicia, it's been a while since I saw you. Louis said you were on a business trip?"

Alicia replied, keeping her emotions in check and hiding her injured hand behind her back. "Grandma, how are you feeling?"

Bonnie sighed, "As I age, my body gets more fragile. That's an inevitable process. Come sit down. Let me take a good look at you in case this is the last time."

Alicia sat beside the bed, but Bonnie saw that her hand was behind her back the whole time and asked, "Why is your hand always hidden behind your back?"

"Nothing," Alicia instinctively moved back, but Bonnie pulled her hand out.

Bonnie saw that two fingers were in splints, and all four nails were black and blue. "What happened? How did you hurt your hand?"

Alicia explained, "Someone kidnapped me a few days ago, but he was arrested. His sister came to seek revenge."

Bonnie was livid. "Who are these people? They sick of living? "

Alicia spilled the whole story to Bonnie, giving her the full rundown. After listening intently, Bonnie's eyes moved a tad and she fell into a deep state of contemplation.

After a hot minute, Bonnie broke her silence. "Hold your horses, girl. Louis was present on the day of the debacle. Although they didn't know you, they might've caught wind of Louis. What I can't seem to wrap my head around is why the little sister of some no-name villain would have the guts to come after you."

All of a sudden, Bonnie's eyes shot up, giving the door a meaningful glance, "I reckon someone must've put her up to this, forced her hand and all."

Alicia's heart skipped a beat, her eyes following Bonnie's gaze towards the door, where Madelyn was lurking.