Chapter 9. Goodbye Leo
1284 Words
GOODBYE LEO
My Heart skipped a beat. Leo shouldn't have called me at that moment. Roman just warned me about him. I tried hiding the screen but it was too late as he made sure the name glowing on my screen was ‘Darling Leo’.
His jaw tightened.
“Leo?”, he growled.
“Yes”
“I hope you are not carried away by my kindness”, he said, looking very terrifying. “No one breaks my order even on my happiest days__”
“I’m sorry”, I interrupted. “Just that I have not communicated your order to him__”
“Be warned”, he interrupted.
Leo’s call was so persistent that I had to turn my phone off. I was really worried about Leo. I had called him earlier without reaching him. And now he's calling in Roman’s presence. The desire to hug Leo again was increasing.
“One last grace, please “, I begged, almost kneeling as tears suddenly stung my eyes
“What”
“The grace to say goodbye to Leo and communicate your rules to stay clear”, I cried.
“Only in my presence”
“Leo is more terrified of you after being thrown out of the event center the other time,” I murmured, with tears flooding my eyes. The very first time I allowed Roman to see my vulnerability. His gaze became steadier.
He stared at me for a long, agonizing minute before nodding curtly.
"Six hours. And my men will be watching you closely. If you try to run, Leo pays the price with his life. Do you understand?"
I nodded nervously. Six hours is too much for a man who doesn't show empathy. Only possessiveness.
The drive to Leo’s apartment was like a trip to the gallows. Three of Roman’s elite guards sat like granite statues around me, their presence a constant reminder of the leash around my neck.
When the car finally pulled up to Leo’s modest apartment. This was the world I belonged in—a world of chipped paint, warm light, and honesty.
The guards took their positions at the door, their eyes like cold cameras. I didn't care. I pushed past them and into Leo’s arms before the door could even swing fully open.
"Eva," he breathed into my hair, his grip so tight it bruised. "Tell me this is a dream. Tell me you’re staying."
"I'm here now," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Just... love me now, Leo. Don't ask about tomorrow."
‘You have six hours,’ Roman’s voice echoed in my head again. It wasn’t a gift. It was a countdown.
The next few hours were a fever dream.
We didn't talk about hidden clauses or lifetime contracts. We didn't talk about Roman Claudius. Because we had talked enough on the phone. Instead, we let the desperation take over. In the small, messy sanctuary of his bedroom, the air turned thick and honeyed. Every touch was an anchor, every kiss a frantic attempt to memorize the taste of a man I was about to lose. It was intense, raw, and fueled by the terrifying knowledge that the clock was ticking. Our affection turned wild, a storm of "wet and honey" that made me forget, for just a moment, the monster waiting for me in the penthouse.
Then, the world intruded.
My phone, abandoned on the floor, began to vibrate. Then again. And again. The screen lit up the dark room with a name that felt like a death sentence: ROMAN.
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I just buried my face in Leo’s chest, wishing the world would end before the sun went down.
A few minutes later. The loud knocking on the door wasn't Leo’s neighbor; it was the sound of my cage closing.
"Miss June," a muffled, mechanical voice called from the hallway. "Mr. Claudius says the time is up. Open!."
Leo sprang up, eyes wild with frustration.
"No! They can't just take you! Eva, we can run. We can leave the city tonight."
I looked at him, my heart breaking into a thousand jagged pieces.
"Leo, look around. Look at the street. His men are everywhere. He’s the city. If we run, he won't just find us—he’ll destroy you."
The tears were hot and relentless as I hurried to get dressed. My hands trembled so much I could barely fasten my buttons. Leo tried to reach for my arm, to stop me, but the door swung open before he could. The lead guard stood there, expression unreadable.
"The car is waiting, Miss June."
Walking to the elevator felt like a march to the gallows. I didn't look back; I couldn't bear to see Leo's face in the doorway of the only home I’d ever wanted.
When we arrived, Roman was waiting in the grand foyer of the penthouse, holding a glass of amber liquid. He looked untouched by the night—sharp, regal, and oddly calm. He didn't look at me; his eyes were on his watch.
"You're twenty minutes late, Eva," he said softly, his voice low and commanding. "I trust you have warned him?"
I stood there, my eyes swollen, my body still aching from Leo’s touch.
"I did what you asked. I’m here."
Roman stepped closer, his shadow engulfing me. His thumb gently brushed a stray tear from my cheek, his touch gentle but with an undercurrent of threat.
"Good. Because let this be the first and last time I’m so indulgent. You won’t call him. You won’t speak his name. If you so much as breathe in his direction again, I will make sure he loses more than just his girlfriend."
"I understand," I whispered, tasting the words like ash. "I'm yours now. Isn't that what the agreement says?"
Roman smiled—a slow, predatory smile—and finished his drink.
"Exactly. Now, go upstairs and wash the scent of that lowlife off you. We have a gala tomorrow. You are one of Claudius now, Eva. Let’s act like it."
A few days later, the marriage plan was all set.
The High Court of Justice was like a grand cathedral of wood and stone, filled with the smell of old paper and hidden secrets. We were taken into a private room, away from the flashing cameras and curious eyes.
The judge, a man who seemed to have seen every shade of greed, quickly reviewed the document I had drafted with the help of a court lawyer.
"Mr. Claudius, do you understand what Section 8 entails?" the judge asked, peering over his glasses. "The loss of fifty percent of your assets is quite unusual for a pre-nuptial agreement."
Roman didn't hesitate. He picked up the fountain pen, moving quickly and confidently.
"I understand perfectly."
He signed his name boldly. I followed, my signature delicate but final.
"It’s sealed," the judge said, stamping the document with the official seal.
As we stepped out of the courtroom, the heavy oak doors shutting behind us with a groan, Roman grabbed my arm tightly. His grip was almost painful. I don't know why he is always aggressive.
"You are mine forever. No more Leo in this new chapter, no more drama in public. Our guests are already waiting at the venue—the Claudius Executive Conference Center," he said gently, planting a kiss on my forehead.
As we entered the Lamborghini, I felt the weight of the ink still drying on our marriage contract pressing down on us. My phone vibrated violently in my clutch, lighting up the dark cabin. Roman’s jaw tightened instantly.
- Writer
