I Believe The Word You're Looking For Is 'Pursuing' Arvan had just seen to it that Daisy was put to bed by her nanny, for an early evening nap when he was informed that Leonica was at the gate waiting for his approval to be let in.
He made his way down after doing so and went towards the main Hall. Along the way, he adjusted his dress and stopped a couple of times to fix his hair, momentarily contemplating if he should get a hair cut. By the the had reached the hall, Leonica was already sitting on the sofa, her side profile facing him as she took in the beauty of his home.
The moment he began approaching her with slow and calculated steps, Leonica took notice of him and glanced in his direction, a small smile adorning her lips.
"You're finally here." He greeted, stopping a couple of feet from where she sat.
Leonica took one last look at his house before commenting. "A beautiful hyou have here, Arvan." "Thanks." He said, flashing her a smile which she didn't hesitate to mirror. "So, about the files..." "Yes." Leonica nodded and rose to her feet. "Is it available now?" Arvan nodded his head, letting her know that a messenger had dropped said file off thirty minutes before her arrival. "They're in my office," He told her, pointing towards the direction of his office. "Shall we?" Leonica nodded and followed him when he began walking.
"Here it is," He announced once they had reached his office, gesturing to the table which contained a pile of files. "The whole folder." Leonica neared the table and picked one of the file's up, flicking through its content and taking in the information written on the first page.
"Lana Winslow," She read the nof the female culprit, eyes racking over her ordinary feature, but most of all, she didn't look like someone Leonica had bumped shoulders with.
So why vandalize her property? The answer to said question cin the next paragraph.
"Leonica Romero is a woman of lose morals. She pretends to be a saint, acting all high, mighty and innocent, but behind close doors, she had indecent and sinful relationship with a men of higher status, all to satisfy her greed for power. So it was no surprise towhen I learnt that my Owen Boo had fallen in love with her. As much as I hate to admit it, that woman has the looks and charms to make even the senator crawl at her feet." Read the culprit's testimony.
"Owen Boo?" Leonica whispered, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"It appears that Miss Lana was a fan of Mr. Owen Lee." Arvan explained, stepping closer and awkwardly clearing his throat like he had not read about what Lana said about him in her testimony.
Leonica snorted and shook her head, closing the file and placing it back on the table.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"How old is she?" She asked.
"Eighteen." Leonica nodded, taking in the information. "So she's a college student who has nothing better to do with her life rather than being a crazy fan who runs around like a mad dog, barking at whoever lays eyes on Owen?" Arvan nodded his head, once again choosing to ignore another ball in the court. The way Leonica was addressing Owen with little to no formality.
"That's what the police have concluded." He informed her, taking a seat in the chair in front of the table and motioning for her to do the same.
Leonica nodded her head and sunk into the comfortable cushions.
"So that's the only reason why?" Leonica asked again as if to confirm once more. When Arvan nodded, a string of curses left her mouth followed by a loud sigh.
So she had been riled up, thinking that Ashley's attacker was back for round two, over steenager's silly prank? Believe The Wid You're Looking For Is Pursuing 2/4 But despite that, looking on the bright side, she felt relieved, now knowing that Ashley was safe and no one was indeed targeting them.
Ah, if Leonardo knew it was this simple, he'd laugh. She snorted at the thought.
"Is something funny?" Arvan's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Huh?" Leonica blinked. "Oh no, I was just... Thinking, about something." She dismissed his concerning, waving a hand in the air and flashing him a reassuring smile. "It's nothing." "Really?" He asked.
"Yeah," She confirmed, surprised when she saw his facial features lit up with relief.
"That's good." He said. "Well, the police are going to handle Lana. I've given them strict orders to make sure she is punished according to the laws." He added in, wanting to lighten her mood more than it already was. Leonica cocked her head to the side, eyeing him where he sat. "Isn't that an abuse of your power?" She asked.
Arvan stood up from the chair, adjusting his shirt as he walked towards the landline. "Not for you, it isn't." He said, flashing her a smile and dialing a number on the phone. "Would you care for something to drink?" He asked as the phone was answered all the way in the kitchen.
"Oh, I don't think I should stay any longer than I already have." Leonica tried to object.
"Nonsense. You're no stranger in this house, so don't be afraid to stay as long as you want." Arvan dismissed, when he saw the look on her face, clearly still hesitant to leave, he added in. "And besides, I still have something to discuss with you." "Is that so?" "Yeah, but you can leave if you want. As much as I want you around, I can never force you to stay, that won't be a very gentlemanly move towards the woman I admire. So, would you like something to drink?" "Is that so," Leonica repeated, her brain trying to process his blatant advance, before the question he had asked. "Sure." She finally responded, accepting his offer. "Swine, if you have." "We do." Arvan informed her.
"Then yes, please." "Alright, two glasses of wine coming right up." He said, a smile gracing his lips as he turned and spoke into the landline, informing his cook about the drinks.
As soon as the conversation ended, Arvan sat on the sofa opposite to Leonica, crossing his leg.
Leonica took the brief moment to scan the outfit he was wearing. It was vastly different from his usual work wear. A black hoodie, shorts, and a pair of slippers and his hair, which was usually held in a half ponytail, was down.
He looked... Relaxed, not like the man who had a serious and intimidating aura around him each the had the image of senator to keep up.
"What?" He asked, noticing the way she was staring.
"Nothing." She replied. "You just look," She paused, chuckling as she scanned his outfit once again. "Different." "Different good, or different bad?" Arvan inquired, his voice not wavering from its usual confident state.
Leonica shrugged her shoulders, smiling slightly. "I'm not sure, yet." "Yet?" Arvan's brows rose, a smirk making its way on his face. "I'll take that as a win." "You shouldn't." "I will. Because it's the highest compliment I can get from an outstanding woman such as yourself." Arvan said with the calmest expression but the emotions in his voice had Leonica cheeks turning pink. There he goes again, having his smooth ways with words, she thought, instantly thinking back to how Anastasia had hit on his and Owen's speech during their small fight earlier in the day.
Perhaps it was tshe stopped trying to avoid each of their confessions and faced them head on.
"You know, if you keep saying things like that, people might misunderstand." At her words, a grin broke out across Arvan's face. "Misunderstand what? My feeling for you?" He questioned. "That you're trying to make a move on me." Leonica clarified.
"Am I not?" The bluntness of his words, his tone and expression, caught her off guard.
"No," She stammered. "You're not." "So what am I doing then, Ms. Romeo?" He asked, rising from his seat and approaching her, each step he took sending a jolt of alertness up her spine.
Leonica opened her mouth, but no words cout. What was he doing? He was...
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Admiring the view?" She guessed, trying her best not to look intimidated, though she failed to hide the quiver in her voice.
Arvan chuckles at her words, the sound being louder as he was now standing beside her chair. "That too, but I believe the word you're looking for is 'pursuing'." He said.
"Pursuing?" She repeated, swallowing a lump that had formed in her throat.
"Mmhmm, pursuing. Pursuing your attention, your affections and ultimately, your heart." He leaned closer, docked be his eyes docked on hers." You don't see anything wrong with that, now, do you?" He's voice was a Leonica locked eyes with him, refusing to look away as he grinned at her. "No, I don't." She answered honestly, watching as his grin bloomed into a smile. "But, I don't... feel the sway towards you, Arvan." The smile didn't fall from his face, if anything, it becwider.
mere whisper.
He'd be lying if he said he didn't know that. In fact, it was painfully clear that out of the three men vying for her m affection, he had the lowest chance O of winning, after all, Leonica had made it clear, intentionally and unintentionally, that she saw him as a friend, a dare one at that. But the truth was, that didn't bother him. Not even a single bit.
"I know." He finally answered, his eyes dropping to her lips for a second, but he regained his om composure and stood straight once more, the smile still intact on his face. "However, that doesn't mean I'll stop." He said, turning around and heading for the door when there was a knock on it. His cook stepped In with a glass of wine each for them, when he opened the door, placing it gently on the table between them and retreating to the kitchen after a respectful bow in Leonica's way.
"You're still up for a drink, right?" He asked once he had sat back down.
Leonica nodded and scooped one of the glasses up, carefully sipping from it.
She savored the taste for a mere second before asking. "What was it... You wanted to discuss?" Arvan took a sip from his drink and a painful second passed before he gently smiled. "Ah, that. We've already discussed it." He said.
Leonica didn't need to ask what he meant because she already knew what he was referring to.
"Are you really sure you won't give up?" She asked, raising a brow.
"Positive." "Even if it means losing our friendship?"