Page 132 of From Rivals to I Do

responds to my greetings after I join him in the car.

We arrive at the airport and walk straight to the private plane waiting for us. Leonard just walks towards the hangar and says hello to the pilot. The pilot nods

at me, and we enter the cabin. It’s just myself, Leonard, and the cabin crew. The plane finally sets in motion, and the Pilot mentions our destination – LA. “LA?” I didn’t know where we were headed until that piece of information slipped out. Leonard looks up from the papers in his hand.

“Is that a problem?” His eyebrows are raised in a questioning manner.

“Nothing,” I manage to say.

Obviously, there is something. Why are we going to LA, of all places?! I hope I don’t run into Reece. I already have too much to worry about. I have a schedule to look through and a boss to look after.

I close my eyes to catch a break from the week I’m about to have.

***

Arriving in LA brings back many memories, from being an ambitious girl who wanted to be a star in Hollywood to meeting Reece, getting pregnant, having

Charlee, and taking up a personal assistant job because I couldn’t do Hollywood anymore. All these memories send a chill down my spine.

But this is work, and I really have to be as professional as possible. We are welcomed by a chauffeur who takes us to our hotel. It’s about 3 miles away from the

airport. The hotel we are lodging in has five stars, which is probably the norm for him. He even knows almost all the staff at the hotel. I know my boss is

wealthy, but how rich can he afford a private plane and a 5-star hotel in LA?

According to the brochure, the hotel has stylish rooms with unique decor, a rooftop pool and a restaurant with stunning views of the city, a 24-hour fitness

center, and an on-site indoor restaurant serving California cuisine. The reserved penthouse suite is in Leonard’s name, and we will share the space for five days

with separate bedrooms. I wasn’t expecting to share a suite with Leonard considering he is my boss. I have not slept in the same house with a man since Reece.

As I settle in and plan the meetings, today and Friday are free for arrival and departure. Tuesday to Thursday is filled with meetings. It’s evening already by the

time I’m finished.

Finally, room service arrived with grilled Salmon dinners that looked delicious. My stomach was growling, and I was starving. It had been a long day. I called

Leonard, but he did not respond. I noticed his door was half cracked open and gently knocked, but he still did not respond. I felt a little weird, but I opened his

door slightly, walked into his room, and found him sitting on the side of the bed with his head buried in his hands.

“Are you okay?” I asked, baffled as to what was happening. I moved closer, and I saw a picture in his hands. I knew immediately that the person in the photo

must be special. “Who is that? I asked. “This was my mother, Carol. I miss her so much.” I walked towards him, sat on the bed next to him, and wrapped my

arms around him to comfort him. He wept like a little boy in my arms, missing his mom. All I could do was embrace him and allow him the space he needed to

grieve the woman who birthed him, and I felt honored to do so, but my heart was sad for him. I didn’t ask him anything after the tears had subsided. Instead, I

handed him some Kleenex and began to set the dinner table. I grabbed the lighter, lit the candles, unfolded our napkins, and escorted him to the table. I

grabbed the chair across from him, slowly sat down, and we ate dinner with few words spoken. Although dinner was quiet, the silence was not awkward. He

reached for my hand across the table, our eyes made contact, and the connection between us was unavoidable. I responded by embracing his hand and giving

him a sincere smile.

“Thank you, Rayne, so much for being here for me,” he spoke softly. I looked Leonard directly into his eyes. “I would not rather be in any other place than to be

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