The Ex Who Became His Obsession novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The harsh ringing of the phone echoed by the bedside. Leonard reached up, swiping aimlessly across the nightstand, but didn’t find the glass of water that he expected.

Still groggy, he mumbled, “Aly.” As soon as the name left his lips, he was jolted fully awake.

Leonard opened his eyes, the clarity returning to his gaze as he recalled the name he’d unintentionally called out just moments ago. His expression darkened immediately.

The phone kept ringing persistently. Leonard’s gaze, however, stayed fixed on the empty nightstand.

For years, he had been accustomed to always finding a glass of water by his bedside when he woke up, no matter the time. The water wouldn’t be too cold, nor too hot–just at the perfect temperature, often infused with a hint of lemon.

Because Leonard was used to being woken up by calls, he would always need to take a sip of water to clear his throat before answering. That glass of water had always been there for him. But today, it wasn’t.

This occasionally happened when he was away on business trips, but that was only because Alyssia wasn’t by his side. And last night, Leonard distinctly remembered her sitting on the couch in the living room when he fell asleep.

Coming to his senses, he answered the phone, his voice rougher than usual. “What is it?” he asked.

It was Joseph. “Mr. Rivera, the entertainment section of Vanguard Media just released new evidence–a recording of Ms. Johnson’s phone call. She admits your relationship in it.”

Leonard had previously instructed that anything involving Vanguard Media should be brought to him immediately, no matter the hour.

Joseph thought the people at Vanguard Media had truly lost their minds.

Leonard had already sent a legal letter. Whether the relationship was real or not, his clear stance had been to avoid becoming a part of gossip. A normal media outlet would have been cautious, at least trying to avoid crossing paths with him.

But Vanguard Media stubbornly went ahead and released the follow–up proof of the entire incident, including a phone recording. It wasn’t just disrespectful–it was downright humiliating to Leonard.

Leonard seemed to take a while to process the situation. He then furrowed his brows and said, “Ask Milena what’s going on.”

“Okay,” Joseph replied.

“By the way, the legal team can move forward,” Leonard remarked. He thought, ‘Vanguard Media’s intentions are clear–they want to see me in court. Fine. I’ll make sure they, along with the journalist who wrote the article, are left with nothing.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Leonard poured himself a glass of icy water and stood by the window. The golden sunlight cast a thin amber hue over his pupils as the cold water slid down his throat.

He couldn’t help but sneer, recalling the last words Alyssia had said last night.

Leonard thought, ‘It’s fine by me that Alyssia doesn’t want to pretend anymore. After all these years, no one, except me, has seen the selfish, cold–blooded side of her. My family has all been fooled by her, thinking she’s gentle and sweet.

‘Every time something went wrong between us, they always blamed me. Little do they know, Alyssia is incredibly calculating

and knows how to hide her true intentions.

‘Alyssia’s a master at adapting to situations, always knowing how to turn things in her favor while keeping out of harm’s way.

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Chapter 10

‘She wanted to reveal her true nature? Fine. Let everyone see it’s not that I’m ungrateful, but Alyssia is greedy, malicious, and doesn’t deserve my gratitude.‘

Downstairs in the hotel lobby, Leonard’s gaze was drawn to a flash of white. Turning his head, he saw a display in one of the Halston Hotel’s luxury stores, a mannequin dressed in a stunning white gown.

“Mr. Rivera,” Joseph spoke.

When Leonard noticed Joseph was here, he looked down, casually adjusting his sleeve. “What is it?” Leonard asked.

“I just went to Ms. Clairmont’s room,” Joseph said, holding up a bank card and a deep blue jewelry box in fear. “There was a bank card and this jewelry box on the table.”

Joseph feared Leonard’s reaction to the bank card, praying Leonard wouldn’t fly off the handle at its mere presence.

But Leonard only gave it a cold glance. “Where is Alyssia?”

“Ms. Clairmont is no longer there,” Joseph replied. “Should I go find her-”

“No need. Let her be,” Leonard scoffed. He thought, ‘Playing the same tricks again doesn’t have the same effect anymore. Does Alyssia think she can still use her disappearance to easily provoke me?‘

“She wants to act like this? So be it,” Leonard said. He thought, ‘No one’s going to cater to her!

As they stepped out of the hotel and into the car, Leonard noticed the reporters hiding in the shadows. A cold smile spread across his face.

He mused, ‘Alyssia really can’t let go of the idea of becoming my wife. Is she trying to challenge me? If she dares to test me any further, I’ll show her what it truly means to be kicked to the curb.’

Joseph, holding a bag from a luxury store, huffed as he climbed into the car. Inside the bag was the white dress that had caught Leonard’s attention earlier.

Seeing Leonard’s sharp gaze, Joseph quickly explained, “Next month is your grandfather’s 80th birthday. If Ms. Clairmont attends in this gown, it’ll prevent any misunderstandings from your family about how you’ve treated her.”

Leonard nodded slightly, thinking, ‘That works. Alyssia is great at playing the victim. A dress to silence her won’t be a loss. This brand, this price, and especially the color–it’s her favorite. A woman like her, full of vanity, won’t be able to resist.’

Back in Elmbrook, Leonard had just stepped off the plane when Milena rushed to greet him, tears streaming down her face.

She wore a flowing blue gown with a bellflower pattern, fluttering toward him like a butterfly. “Leon, I’ve been set up,” she said.

The phone recording released by Vanguard Media had caused quite a stir online. In the recording, Milena admitted to her relationship with Leonard. Paired with Leonard’s lawyer’s letter to sue Vanguard Media for defamation, it felt nothing but ironic.

Vanguard Media controlled the narrative, throwing passive–aggressive hints all day across various outlets.

“Did you say those things?” Leonard stopped Milena in her tracks.

Milena sobbed, “Yeah, but I was speaking sarcastically. Alyssia must not have understood and took my words out of context, then sent them to the reporters-”

Leonard interrupted her, “What does this have to do with Alyssia?”

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Chapter 10

Milena feigned surprise. “Leon, don’t you know? I made that call to Alyssia. I wanted to explain the rumors to her and apologize.”

She wiped away her tears. “But Alyssia was really upset. She kept calling me names, accusing me of being a thief–stealing

her brooch and her fiancé.

“It’s my fault. I couldn’t resist when she provoked me. I never expected her to send the recording to Vanguard Media.”

Milena carefully looked up. “I heard the current editor–in–chief at Vanguard Media was in the same major as Alyssia back in college–but he was a few years ahead of her.”

Leonard’s expression darkened.

“Leon, my social media account is run by my agency.” Milena looked at him with pitiful eyes. “Otherwise, I would have posted an explanation on Instagram already. Leon, Alyssia totally has the wrong idea about me. What should I do?”

Leonard lowered his gaze at Milena, who looked so helpless, his eyes softening slightly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You don’t need to do anything. I’ll handle it.”

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