By admin Addicted Ex 3
Chapter 3 Letting Go
“Alyssia, long time no see,” Charlie greeted Alyssia with that familiar smile.
Alyssia was stunned for a moment. “Long time no see, Charlie.”
She had thought Charlie was still abroad. After all, he had said back then that he wouldn’t let Leonard misunderstand their relationship anymore and wouldn’t meet her again.
Alyssia hadn’t expected Charlie to return quietly to the country and appear at Vanguard Media. She thought that getting the interview notice so soon and securing the job so smoothly might have something to do with him.
As Charlie walked with her from HR, he asked, “Do you think Leonard will approve of you working here?”
Alyssia hesitated for a second but quickly let go of any worry. She answered with confidence, “We broke up.”
Charlie froze for a moment, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “Did the Rivera family also approve?”
Alyssia shook her head. “They don’t even know yet. It was Leonard who proposed the breakup. I wouldn’t go begging the Rivera family.”
She thought, ‘Why put everyone in a difficult position? Mrs. Rivera might even threaten to take her own life. But if I stay in this way, what’s the point?’
Charlie fell silent for a second before changing the subject. “It’s a bit of a step down for you to be an entertainment reporter. If you don’t want to—”
“It’s fine. Being an entertainment reporter is great,” Alyssia smiled. Charlie had helped her so much, and she didn’t want to owe him any more.
The Entertainment Department was divided into several teams. The editor-in-chief of the team Alyssia was assigned to was a middle-aged woman named Lauren Bell. She wore glasses, and she was slender and sharp.
At that moment, Lauren was sucking on a lollipop, grumbling, “Milena going public with her relationship now—does she not want us to get off work or what?”
Alyssia’s heart skipped a beat. She thought, ‘So soon? I just left Rosewood Manor this morning, and this afternoon Leonard is officially announcing it with Milena. Is he really that eager?’
“Damn. The guy is probably Leonard Rivera, the heir of Clairivera Group. Even the finance reporters are trying to steal our entertainment headlines. Hey, you, the new girl, write this copy,” Lauren said.
Lauren was perfectly aware that news was all about speed. Milena, being the top celebrity everyone’s eyes were on, announced her relationship one second, and the next second, all the entertainment media had to follow suit.
“Alyssia, we just got these photos. Could you write a caption for them?” a young colleague named Cian Porter asked, flashing Alyssia a polite smile. “In two minutes, please.”
Alyssia was brought in by Charlie. After Charlie returned to the country last year, he suddenly became the editor-in-chief of Vanguard Media. There were many people who were not happy about it.
But after some investigation, people not only learned about his impressive track record in the international media industry, but also that he was the heir to Vanguard Media. Anyone with any sense would give a little respect to the person Charlie brought in.
Moreover, Alyssia was so stunningly beautiful. Even the people in the Entertainment Department, who were used to seeing the most glamorous female celebrities, were stunned by her beauty.
Alyssia glanced at the photos. Within a minute, she had already sent the caption back. She thought to herself, ‘Good.’
Alyssia’s skills were still sharp, and her professionalism was also intact. Even when faced with the photos of Leonard and Milena together, she remained calm and steady.
If this had been in the past, just hearing about them being together would have made Alyssia feel suffocated. The thought of leaving Leonard would have made her feel like she couldn’t go on.
Alyssia didn’t expect that after their sudden breakup, she’d adjust so well. She thought, ‘It turns out that time and indifference really can wear away a woman’s deepest obsessions and passions.’
She had once thought her love was like the ocean, never running dry. But in just thirteen years, it had slowly evaporated, leaving not a drop behind. Letting go wasn’t that hard; Alyssia just hadn’t tried before.
*****
These photos were taken in the early hours of the morning. Leonard and Milena were standing side by side in front of the club. Under the streetlights, he was gently draping his coat over Milena’s shoulders in the night breeze.
At that time, Alyssia had just gone to the club, crying and begging to see him. Because Leonard refused to meet her, she had no choice but to go to the airport alone to stop the surgeon.
What Alyssia didn’t expect was that right after she left, Leonard and Milena left together.
Alyssia thought, ‘Leonard thinks any second spent on me is a waste, but he can give unlimited time to the woman he loves.’
Milena was the heiress of the Johnson family and she graduated from Ravendale University with a degree in performing arts. With the backing of the Johnson family and Leonard, she’d done very well for herself in the entertainment industry.
Alyssia thought, ‘Leonard and Milena really are a perfect match.’
*****
Alyssia got so busy that she lost track of time. By the time Leonard called, her mind was still foggy. She instinctively answered the phone.
“You’re not home. Where are you?” Leonard’s voice was stormy and cold on the other end.
“I—” Alyssia hadn’t fully come to her senses yet, and she was at a loss for words.
“I’ll give you half an hour to get back,” Leonard said. Without waiting for Alyssia to respond, he hung up the phone.
Alyssia sat there in stunned silence for a while. Then, she couldn’t help but laugh in frustration. In front of her was the information she was sorting through, detailing the progress of Leonard and Milena’s affectionate relationship.
If she hadn’t returned to this line of work, Alyssia probably wouldn’t have had access to these firsthand details. She never would have known their relationship started so early.
Alyssia glanced at the time—it was 1:30 AM. Leonard often stayed out all night, coming home in the wee hours, but he expected her to follow his outdated rules at all times.
Alyssia thought, ‘From now on, anyone who wants to follow those ridiculous rules can go ahead. I’m not playing his game anymore.’ She then went on sorting through the draft.
Milena’s so-called relationship announcement was really just a vague Instagram caption: [Starting today, we officially belong to each other.] Along with it was a selfie—and a shot of her hand wearing a diamond ring.
If Milena wasn’t being deliberately vague, she was announcing that she was engaged to her soulmate. And that soulmate, according to all the evidence, was Leonard.
To beat all the competitors to the punch, the whole team would probably have to stay up all night.
“I got it.” Cian suddenly jumped up excitedly. “I got the video of Leonard and Milena picking out the engagement ring.”
Everyone on the team immediately gathered around.
“This afternoon, Leonard and Milena went to Brightmoor Jewelry and spent the whole afternoon picking out jewelry,” Cian boasted. “This is the footage from the store’s security cameras. I have a contact in the company who got it for me.”
Amid the praises, Alyssia tilted her head and studied the video closely.
It really was Leonard and Milena. The two of them had their heads nearly touching as they leaned in, picking through a large tray of jewelry in front of them. Beside them, several store clerks were still bringing over more pieces, one tray after another.
Alyssia thought, ‘What a picture-perfect scene. So enviable.’
Leonard’s warning from earlier still echoed in her ears. “I’ve got business to take care of. Don’t waste my time,” he had said.
Alyssia thought, ‘So, the business he’s talking about is accompanying Milena to pick out an engagement ring.’