The Ex Who Became His Obsession novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“Alright.” Beatrice was the one who stirred things up, and now she was the one trying to smooth them over. “It’s rare for you to drop by. I’ve got something good for you. Come upstairs and take a look.”

Once they reached her private office, Beatrice pulled out two bound booklets and handed one to Leonard.

Leonard flipped through it casually, his brows furrowing right away. He snapped it shut with a loud clap. “What is this?”

Beatrice plopped down in her executive chair and spun in a circle. “I’ve been keeping quiet about you and Alyssia. I didn’t tell your grandfather.”

“What about us?” Leonard’s tone turned irritable. “When she throws a tantrum, I’ll just give her the cold shoulder for a while. The more you indulge her, the more she thinks she’s got a leg to stand on.”

Beatrice acted like she hadn’t heard a word Leonard said and kept going with her own topic. “If your grandfather finds out you two broke up, who knows if his eightieth birthday party will turn into a total mess and send him into a rage.

“You’d better find a new girlfriend to bring along and calm him down first.”

Leonard thought, ‘So I’m supposed to break up with Alyssia and bring someone new? Not sure if that’s supposed to comfort Grandpa or kill him faster.

Leonard was getting fed up. “Mom, can you not?”

Beatrice ignored him completely, flipped open the album, held it upright, and started showing Leonard pictures of each girl inside.

She urged, “Look at these pretty young ladies. Every single one of them comes from a top family, handpicked by me. Pick ɔne now so I can start handling Aly’s situation.”

Leonard frowned, unsure what other tricks Beatrice still had up her sleeve. “What situation?”

Oh, this.” Beatrice set down the album and picked up the other booklet beside her, flipping it open with a smile. “The Clairmont family did the Rivera family a huge favor. Aly’s marriage has always weighed on me.

I used to be too stubborn, always pushing for you two to work out, and you two ended up hating each other. Now that I’ve stepped back, everything feels so much clearer.”

Beatrice flipped to a page and pointed it out to Leonard. “The second son of Carrington Group’s CEO–handsome, well- mannered. Wouldn’t he be a good match for Aly?”

‘No.” Leonard slammed his hand down on the album, his face stormy. “The Clairmont family’s been done for. She’s not good enough for a guy like that.”

“That’s none of your concern.” Beatrice’s expression turned cold as she flung the debutante album at him. “Worry about yourself. Pick a girl now. Your father and I can go a day without a son, but not a day without a daughter–in–law.”

Leonard was finally forced to take her “nonsense” seriously. “Fine. I’ll get Alyssia back before dinner. Does that work for you?”

Beatrice gave a smug little smile, like she’d just won a battle. “Do you even know where she is?”

Leonard paused. “You do?” As he thought about where Alyssia might have gone, something grim and unreadable stirred in his eyes even he didn’t notice.

Beatrice lifted her chin, triumphant. “Nope.”

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Chapter 20

Leonard was speechless. He straightened up, no longer willing to play along. “I’ll bring her back. Before Grandpa’s birthday party, nothing like this will happen again.”

Beatrice looked into his eyes quietly, and there was something in her beautiful face that Leonard couldn’t quite read.

Then Joseph rushed in, clearly flustered. “Mr. Rivera, the legal team just confirmed the reporter’s identity. Do you still want to go ahead with the lawsuit?”

The shift in topic was abrupt. Leonard took a second to process it before frowning. “Of course. What’s wrong with the identity?”

Joseph swore all the recent chaos would have him booking extra therapy sessions. He managed to answer, “There is something.”

He glanced at Beatrice, who clearly wasn’t in the loop. “Mr. Rivera, do you want to talk outside or wait a bit?”

“Talk.” Leonard didn’t have the patience for it. Right now, he didn’t care about some reporter.

Knowing there was no avoiding it, Joseph braced himself and went all in, raising his voice with conviction. “At our legal team’s request, Vanguard Media has provided the real name of the journalist Nova Deriver for prosecution.”

“So what?” Leonard didn’t see what was so shocking about a reporter’s identity. He thought, ‘Joseph’s been working for me all these years, and he’s getting worse with age?‘

Joseph’s breathing grew heavier, and his voice boomed louder. “Nova Deriver is… She’s Ms. Clairmont.”

The room went silent for a second.

“What?” Beatrice, fearless as ever, actually let out a laugh.

She also knew Nova Deriver, the entertainment reporter from Vanguard Media. That recent article about the details of Leonard and Milena’s relationship that had been circulating everywhere was written by this very reporter.

Beatrice had found it both irritating and overwhelming, but even she had to admit the reporter had skills–making speculation sound like hard fact.

She had felt confident reassuring Alyssia that all the rumors out there were just slander, mostly because she knew Leonard had already sent a legal notice and planned to sue.

But what Beatrice never imagined, not even in her wildest dreams, was that the one who wrote the article was Alyssia herself. It was Alyssia who compiled all the evidence on Leonard and Milena’s relationship and made it public.

Beatrice thought, ‘Is there any proof stronger than a scorned fiancée exposing the cheating couple herself? Probably not.”

Beatrice glanced sideways at Leonard, and judging by how still his expression was, she quietly concluded that he didn’t know either.

Nova Deriver, Nova stood for a new beginning. Deriver-“de” implied rejection, and “river” echoed Leonard’s last name, Rivera. It meant walking away from Leonard, letting go of their relationship, and cutting ties with the past.

Thinking about it now, Beatrice realized it really did match the mindset Alyssia must’ve had after learning the truth.

Beatrice rolled her eyes and scoffed, “And here I was being the fool trying to convince Aly to stay. Turns out she’s already gathered all the hard proof of your affair. No wonder she wants to leave you.

“Honestly, she’s too well–mannered and classy. If it were me? Forget writing some articles. I’d be on the front page sobbing about how the jerk screwed me over and tossed me aside.”

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Chapter 20

Leonard’s expression was stony. Without saying a word, he turned and slammed the door on his way out, the sound of it hitting the mahogany frame echoing down the hall.

Beatrice wasn’t in a rush. She took a slow sip of her coffee, then strolled over to the window.

Lifting her voice like she was reciting poetry, she declared under the blazing sun, “Once a person breaks free from a dead end, the world suddenly opens up.”

Outside the garden lounge, the only response was the fading roar of an engine speeding away.

Leonard waited outside the Vanguard Media building until the moon was high in the sky.

Joseph didn’t dare disturb him. He sat miserably in the bodyguards‘ car not far away, praying every second for Alyssia to come out of that building. No one understood Leonard’s obsession better than he did.

When Leonard couldn’t get what he wanted, he would go without food or sleep, and keep pushing until he got it–or broke himself trying.

Joseph thought, ‘Ms. Clairmont blocked Mr. Rivera’s number and set up call filters so no unknown numbers could get through.

‘She went to work at Vanguard Media–the one place everyone around Mr. Rivera treats like forbidden ground. She comes and goes with Charlie, casually chatting with the guy who nearly got Mr. Rivera killed.

‘She’s hell–bent on cutting Mr. Rivera off for good, even if it means making up rumors about him and Ms. Johnson. Pulling something that ruthless once was already brutal. How the hell does she have it in her to do it again?‘

Past midnight, a group of people finally appeared in the first–floor lobby of Vanguard Media.

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