The Ex Who Became His Obsession novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15

But shaking off the discomfort she felt, Alyssia still spoke in a light tone, “Mr. Rivera, you’re always so generous. These things are quite valuable. If you give them to Ms. Johnson, she would certainly be very happy.”

Alyssia thought Leonard really shouldn’t have thrown the jewelry box like that.

“You think Milena would want this junk?” Leonard sneered mockingly. “You think she’s like you, so easily impressed by shiny, pricey things?”

He thought to himself, ‘Does she think Milena is as shallow and fake as her? Alyssia is greedy, opportunistic, two–faced, always trying to climb the social ladder, pretending to be humble and kind.

‘Alyssia says I have no right to mention her parents. Fine, I won’t. I’ll just focus on who she really is.

Leonard smirked, “I can understand how much you crave security, but you’ve been with my family for years, living a very comfortable life. Alyssia, how did you end up with such a small–minded, pathetic attitude?”

He glanced at the scattered gifts on the floor, his mocking expression growing even more pronounced. “You treat the junk I gave you like treasure, and now you’re pretending to return these gifts. Don’t you feel reluctant to part with them?”

Leonard stood up, tugging at his collar as he walked toward the bathroom. “If you don’t want them, throw them away yourself. Don’t bring them here to bother me.”

Alyssia looked at the scattered gifts on the floor, but there was no extra emotion in her eyes.

n truth, not all the gifts Leonard had given her were particularly pricey. He’d given her a bracelet set with gemstones, but he’d also given her the all–around medal he won at his first summer camp and a limited–edition platinum game card he had collected.

Alyssia thought, ‘Leonard’s not wrong in calling them junk. But he shouldn’t mock me and imply that I’m greedy. If wanting

is affection is called greed, then yes, I was greedy. Very greedy.

Perhaps Alyssia had come to terms with it, or maybe she had grown numb. Leonard’s hurtful words could no longer affect

her anymore.

Alyssia had intended to leave immediately, but Leonard called someone in to clean the room.

When the familiar–looking middle–aged maid, Eloise Jones, saw the glittering objects scattered across the floor, her eyes couldn’t help but light up. She pretended to casually toss the items into the trash, all the while smiling at Alyssia with a sly, disgusting grin.

Eloise said, “Ms. Clairmont, don’t be too upset. The whole ‘fiancée‘ thing is just a lie to fool a naive girl like you. Everyone in the Rivera family knows you’re just a plaything to Mr. Rivera, and you’re the only one who thinks you matter.

‘If you ask me, you really should just accept your fate. Face it, trash belongs in the gutter. Just go back to where you came from. You don’t belong here.”

Alyssia thought, ‘Like master, like servant. The disdain in this maid’s eyes and words is just like Leonard’s.’

The bathroom door was pushed open. Leonard, wrapped in a bathrobe with water dripping from his hair, stood at the door, his face grim as he took in the scene. Eloise quickly hunched over, assuming a respectful and proper posture.

Alyssia felt no need to stay any longer. She had stayed before only because she feared that if she left too soon, Eloise would falsely accuse her of something.

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Chapter 15

Among the gifts Alyssia returned were also some valuable items. She wanted nothing to do with Leonard, so it was better to make things clear in person.

Just as Alyssia stood up, Leonard coldly spoke, “Stop.”

Alyssia froze for a moment, but then she noticed Eloise facing the door, her back stiff with tension.

“Take it out,” Leonard said again. His voice was chilling, but Alyssia was sure he wasn’t speaking to her.

Eloise slowly turned around, her face plastered with a flattering smile. Hunched over, she held up the trash can in her hand. “Mr. Rivera, these are the things Ms. Clairmont asked me to throw away.”

Leonard’s eyes turned even colder, sharp enough to cut. “Are you going to take what’s in your pocket out yourself, or do I need to have someone do it for you?”

Eloise dropped to her knees with a thud. She trembled, muttering incoherently, “Mr. Rivera, I–I…” After a long pause, she finally reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a necklace, and stammered, “Th–this is something Ms. Clairmont doesn’t want anymore. Sh–she gave it to me.”

She turned toward Alyssia, speaking much more smoothly now, “Ms. Clairmont, you are such a kind, generous person. I didn’t know any better. I shouldn’t have accepted your gift.”

Eloise threw the necklace toward Alyssia, as if tossing a hot potato. “Please, have mercy on me. I’m just a nobody. Don’t let Mr. Rivera misunderstand that I’ve been stealing.”

Eloise knew that lying in front of Leonard could end terribly. But if she were caught stealing, he’d call the police, and she’d end up blacklisted in the industry. Her reputation would be ruined forever, and she’d never again be able to make a living.

Eloise was betting that Leonard hadn’t actually seen her steal anything. She assumed he’d probably just noticed the pendant shaped like a hot air balloon through the thin fabric of the Rosewood Manor maid uniform and caught the outline with those sharp eyes of his.

A cold smile played at the corner of Leonard’s lips as he turned to Alyssia. “Did you give this to her?”

Alyssia maintained a calm, composed expression, her detachment clear. “Eloise is quite resourceful. With her silver tongue and shamelessness, being a maid really is a waste of her talents.”

It was clear that Eloise had secretly slipped the necklace into her pocket while tidying up, and now, caught red–handed, she had the audacity to shift the blame onto Alyssia in a matter of minutes.

The true colors of the household staff at Rosewood Manor were truly eye–opening for Alyssia.

Eloise, seething with anger, snapped, “Ms. Clairmont, why are you framing me? You just said these were unwanted things, and told me to pick whatever I wanted. You said it was a gift from you.”

She started gesturing at Leonard. “Mr. Rivera, Ms. Clairmont only needs to tell the truth, and my suspicion would be cleared. Yet, she insists on accusing me of stealing.

“She’s clearly humiliating me on purpose just because I’m your employee. She’s only framing me because she looks down

on you, Mr. Rivera.”

In the past, Eloise wouldn’t have dared to badmouth Alyssia in front of Leonard. But the staff at Rosewood Manor had already heard that Alyssia had offended Milena and had been dumped by Leonard.

Eloise thought, ‘Men are always onto the next thing. Alyssia got tossed aside once Mr. Rivera got bored of her. Honestly, I don’t even give a crap about her. So what if I insulted her and pinned everything on her?

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Right now, in his eyes, that washed–up socialite probably means less than a trusted maid like me who’s served the Rivera family for nearly a decade!

On the surface, Eloise appeared humble and submissive, but inwardly, she was swelled with triumph. The thought that a mere servant like herself could one day trample over her former mistress filled her with giddy satisfaction.

But Alyssia merely furrowed her brows slightly, not even sparing Eloise a glance. She just gave Leonard a casual nod and said, “Mr. Rivera, the things are all here.

“Whether you want to give them to someone else or throw them away is up to you. I’ll be leaving now.”

Alyssia was already annoyed and didn’t want to waste time arguing over the ownership of a necklace. These insignificant people and worthless objects weren’t worth her time anymore.

Chapter 16