Love's Rebirth

Chapter 12

Delia's POV

I woke to early morning sunlight filtering through my curtains, entering my room and casting a warm glow onto every surface it touched. I stretched as I got up and made my way to the bathroom. Once I'd finished showering, I checked my phone and saw that Leon had finally remembered he had a fiancee. His single text seemed more like an attempt to placate rather than communicate. I looked at the notification and rolled my eyes. Anger and curiosity warred within me, but curiosity won, so I opened the text. It was short and clipped, the words vague and dismissive. It read, "Sorry for my silence, babe. Got swamped with work. I'm heading back today. Miss you." I read it over and over, trying to figure out if Leon really was as stupid as this text made him seem. He hadn't been hiding his affairs, but he somehow believed I would never find out. I wasn't sure if I should cry or laugh. I chose neither and locked my phone screen, putting the text in the back of my mind. I would reply later when I had the mental fortitude to pretend I still loved him. I left for work after a quick breakfast, knowing I'd need the calories for the day ahead.

I reached Cooper Holdings headquarters in an irritable mood, mentally preparing myself for any stupidity I may encounter there. I got to my floor with a visible scowl on my face, having dealt with 3 idiots in the elevator. They weren't that bad, but my tolerance for crap was in the negative numbers. I tried to greet Greta and Abi with some enthusiasm, but my voice still came out strained and faintly annoyed. I winced when I noticed the looks of confusion and hurt on their faces. "I'm sorry. I'm in a crappy mood today. Call me out anytime I snap at you or treat you unfairly." I said to them before entering my office. Abi followed close behind me, shutting us in. She gave me a pointed look that said "spit it out," but I ignored it and motioned for her to go through today's schedule. When she realized I wasn't going to say anything, she sighed deeply and then walked me through the schedule. Today was a lot less saturated, which was disappointing since I needed the distraction of work. I forced a smile and quietly thanked Abi. She left, coming back ten minutes later with a chai latte.

The three of us worked in an awkward silence, filled mostly by the noise of office machinery and breathing. At lunchtime, my phone pinged as a text message came through. I saw Leon's name on the screen, rolled my eyes, and debated whether I should read the text or not. Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened it. The text was short, asking me why I hadn't responded to his last text. I ignored this text, too, knowing he'd see that it had been read. Abi brought me a chicken caesar salad for lunch paired with iced tea. Once I had finished eating, Abi came into my office and closed the door behind her. She looked at me, annoyance flashing on her face, and she finally asked, "What's going on with you? Is it Leon?" I sighed and motioned for her to sit.

I gave her a condensed version of what I'd heard. Her face changed throughout the conversation, ranging from annoyed to angry to murderous. Once I'd finished, she opened her mouth to respond, but the words eluded her. She sighed heavily, came around my desk, and hugged me tight. "D, you and I are more than just boss and assistant, we're friends. You don't have to carry this alone." she said with a sad look on her face. I gave her a small smile and hugged her back. She left the office, and I resumed my work day, putting Leon's messages in the deepest recesses of my brain.

As the day came to an end, I received a call from my family's head of security. He informed me that the investigation into Leon's indiscretion had already yielded results. I told him to set up a meeting at the estate with my family present so that he would only have to explain everything once. I hung up and felt an unexpected thrill move through me. I didn't know what excited me more, finding out the truth or exacting my revenge.

The drive to the estate felt longer than it actually was. Traffic remained steady, and the weather was unusually cooperative. I left Leon on read, telling myself I'd respond to him before bed. I entered the estate, immediately making my way to the study, where everyone was already assembled and waiting for me. Jonas, our head of security, was holding a thin dossier, which I assumed was what he'd compiled so far. I sat next to my mother, gently squeezing her hand, and gave Jonas a nod. He cleared his throat and started his discourse.

"I'd like to start by informing you that the Knight family's head of security is also digging into this. Someone in that family either suspects something or knows something. I'll now be moving on to what I've found so far. Leon is definitely being unfaithful. However, it isn't just one woman, as you were told. So far, we've discovered at least three other women. Our information also suggests he may have been unfaithful for a long time. However, I can not confirm a duration or the number of women as yet. We are still looking into it, but there is more than enough here for you to proceed with whatever plans you had regarding your relationship, Miss Delia. Whatever else I find, I will bring it to you right away."

My father and brothers were all white knuckled, clenching their fists hard. I sighed, not from hurt but more from annoyance. My mother sighed angrily. Everyone seemed angry on my behalf, while I only felt a deep disappointment at the time I wasted on him. My mother looked at me, waiting for me to speak. "Thank you, Jonas. That was very thorough for an investigation you'd only started forty-eight hours ago. Keep an eye on the Knight family. They know something. It will help me decide who to deal with and what this means for our business interests going forward. As for Leon, I'll handle him myself. If I need help, I'll shout." I said, though that last part was meant for my family and not Jonas. Kyle looked like he wanted to argue, but the look on my face silenced him immediately. Once Jonas had left the room, I addressed my family directly. "I can handle Leon. I know I'm not alone, and I won't act like I am. I do, however, need to be sneaky about this, and nothing about you guys is sneaky. I'll let you know once I need your help, I promise." My brothers nodded, begrudgingly agreeing to my terms. My parents also nodded. We all left the room, going to our separate bedrooms to get ready for dinner. I decided to meet with Xavier tomorrow, silently praying that he would take my call and agree to the meet-up.