The Ex Who Became His Obsession Novel Ch 56

The Ex Who Became His Obsession Novel Ch 56

Leonard sensed a trap.

He knew Beatrice all too well. If he’d shown even a shred of normalcy these past two days, she wouldn’t be this gleeful.

“Send it to me,” Leonard finally conceded.

“They’re too big to send. Sometimes when you throw a fit, it goes on for hours and completely fills up my phone’s storage,” Beatrice grumbled. “You’l just have to watch them here, okay?”

Ten minutes later, Leonard looked visibly shaken, his face drained of all color.

“Done already? Were you just skipping through?” Beatrice teased with a smirk. “What are you doing? Don’t you dare delete those. Give them back, no deleting. I spent two whole days painstakingly filming you, Leonard.”

With one decisive swipe, Leonard deleted every single video and even emptied the recycle bin, leaving nothing behind.

‘Is Mom out of her mind?’ Leonard thought angrily. ‘Any normal mother would be nursing her son after a car accident. But her? She spent two whole days shoving a phone in my face, filming me.’

“Who else knows?” Leonard threw the phone at Beatrice, his face dark with terrifying fury. “Who else has seen them?”

Beatrice casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Plenty-doctors, nurses, family members, assistants. Oh, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Leonard suddenly slumped over the edge of the bed, gasping for breath as the room spun around him, violently vomiting large mouthfuls of blood.

Soon after, Beatrice’s terrified shriek echoed from the ward. “Doctor, quick, get a doctor-”

For two days after the car accident, Leonard hadn’t needed surgery, yet the moment he regained consciousness, he was rushed into emergency care.

The head doctor, who was a family acquaintance, advised Beatrice, “Mr. Rivera is extremely strong-willed, so you should try to avoid provoking him. I also heard from his assistant that his eating habits have been irregular lately, and his gastric mucosa hasn’t fully healed.

“The car accident and his unstable mental state have only worsened his condition. If complications arise at his young age-”

Beatrice was finally shaken to the core.

Once Leonard was wheeled out, Beatrice sat by his bedside, dabbing her eyes as she called Alyssia.

“Aly,” she pleaded, her voice trembling, “please come and see him. I only have one son. Even though I usually can’t stand him, what can I do? I wasn’t lucky enough to have another. He’s all I’ve got.”

Joseph had been acting dramatic for days, but none of his antics had rattled Alyssia. However, Beatrice’s tears completely threw Alyssia off balance,

“I’ll be right over, Mrs. Rivera. Please don’t panic.” Alyssia reassured her.

Alyssia went to let Lauren know she needed to step out, but I

duren said, “Diana was just looking for you, and you’re leaving now?”

Alyssia had already grabbed her bag. “I should be back before the end of the workday.”

“Alyssia?” Diana stepped out of her office. “Get in here.”

Alyssia stopped in her tracks, looking at Diana from a distance. “Ms. Reed, I—”

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Chapter 56

“Are you off chasing some big scoop?” Diana frowned Impatiently. “If not, come here now. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you

*****

With Alyssia’s promise to come, Beatrice felt her anxiety settle considerably. But then, a wave of guilt washed over her again.

Years ago, she had sworn before the Clairmont couple’s graves that she would never force Aly to do anything against her will.

So when Aly chose to love Leonard and willingly endured the heartache, Beatrice never tried to talk her out of it.

Just as she hadn’t stopped her before, Beatrice had no right to stop her now as Aly decided to leave.

But Beatrice was just a selfish mother after all. Watching her son in such unbearable agony, she couldn’t help but manipulate Aly’s affection for her, forcing the girl to return.

“Mom, were you just calling her?” Leonard woke up just then, his voice hoarse and weak, yet carrying a chilling undertone.

Beatrice wiped her teary eyes. “Aly’s coming over. Please be nice to her this time. Don’t be so cold, okay?”

“You shouldn’t have called her. We’re already over. Besides, I don’t have any feelings for her,” Leonard said, turning his head away.

Beatrice was stunned for a moment.

‘You insist on having no feelings for her but can’t live without her?’ Beatrice mused, seeing right through him but keeping it to herself for now.

‘With both me and Theodore being so straightforward, I honestly can’t figure out how we ended up with such a reserved son like Leonard, Beatrice thought.

With Alyssia coming, Beatrice felt it might be awkward for her to stay and watch. So she tactfully stepped out to keep Rosalie company.

But before leaving, she couldn’t help but nag him one more time. “I’ll step out for a while. When Aly comes, make sure you’re nice to her, got it?”

Once Beatrice left, Leonard called Joseph in. He hesitated, then, despite himself, asked, “Has Alyssia come by these past two days?”

Joseph, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, said, “Ms. Clairmont came right after your accident, Mr. Rivera.”

The implication was clear. She hadn’t been back since.

Leonard closed his eyes. “Did she come in to see me?”

Joseph looked puzzled but shook his head. “Ms. Clairmont was really busy. She just stopped by briefly-had to rush off to finish Mr. Harlow’s interview. Didn’t stay long.”

“What about you?” Leonard opened his eyes, his gaze dark with unspoken menace

Joseph instinctively recoiled, trembling. “M-me? What do you,” he stammered.

“Have you been in here?” The menace in Leonard’s gaze deepened.

Joseph’s throat went dry. “Mostly, it was Mrs. Rivera here. I hardly ever came in.”

Leonard gave a curt nod. “Don’t breathe a word about what’s happened in this hospital room these past two days to anyone. Am I clear?” he said.

Joseph didn’t dare to refuse. At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel secretly relieved that Theodore had stopped him that day.

‘If I’d insisted on letting Ms. Clairmont in and she’d seen Mr. Rivera in that state, I might not have even made it out alive, Joseph wondered.

After dismissing Joseph, Leonard sat on the hospital bed, turning his head to stare blankly out the window.

10:54 Tue, 29 Jul G

Chapter 56

An hour crawled by, yet Alyssia never came.

Leonard’s fingers tightened around his phone, gradually.

282%

‘From Vanguard Media to here, it should take at most half an hour by subway, Leonard thought. He tilted his head back, taking a deep, shaky breath

He didn’t want to, but his mind kept drifting back to that summer.

When Leonard broke his leg, Alyssia never left his side, tending to him day and night.

Leonard woke up at midnight, roused by pain, and saw Alyssia sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed. Her head had rested on his wrist, her hands holding his tightly and tenderly as if she had fallen into a deep sleep.

From his vantage point, Alyssia’s long, thick lashes, her dainty nose slightly upturned, and her cupid’s bow tinged with a rosy hue.

As Leonard tried to move slightly, Alyssia instantly awoke. She sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and murmured drowsily, “Lenny, it doesn’t hurt anymore. It doesn’t hurt-”

Leonard gazed at her silently for a few seconds, suppressing waves of stabbing pain. “Yes, I’m fine,” he said calmly, keeping his voice steady so she wouldn’t worry.

Then, he saw her eyes sparkle as she gazed up at him with adoration, her voice soft and sweet. “Lenny, you’re so amazing. If I aver fall and get hurt, I won’t cry either just like you.”

Joseph knocked hesitantly on the door, looking conflicted. “Mr. Rivera, Ms. Clairmont is here. Do you want to see her?”