Chapter 40 – Jeslyn…

"Mr. Leonel..."

The voice made Leonel look up, and his eyes immediately landed on Jeslyn, standing not far from him.

Without thinking, he rushed over and scanned her from head to toe.

“Are you okay?” he asked—not in his usual sharp tone, but with genuine concern. Deep concern.

Jeslyn, still startled, simply nodded. “I... I’m fine. Just shocked, that’s all. Thankfully, I managed to dodge it.”

Leonel reached for her wrist, checking as if searching for any sign of injury.

The touch made Jeslyn’s heart pound wildly. She tried to gently pull her hand away, but he held it a moment longer. Their eyes met—just for a second—but it felt like much longer.

Meanwhile, Mike and Edric were already helping the workers clean up the fallen boxes. The forklift operator stood with his head bowed low, clearly terrified of getting reprimanded.

“Who’s in charge of this area?” Leonel asked sharply.

“I am, sir!” one of the supervisors responded nervously.

“Apply sanctions according to protocol. Make sure this driver is retrained. And ensure nothing like this ever happens again,” Leonel said, still standing close to Jeslyn.

The supervisor nodded quickly and began issuing orders.

Leonel let out a quiet sigh, then looked at Jeslyn again. His tone was gentler now. “Next time, don’t stand so close to the operational lanes—especially not alone.”

Jeslyn swallowed, trying to stay calm. “Understood. Thank you.”

They stood in silence for a few moments. The sounds of the factory returned, but none louder than the thudding of Jeslyn’s heart.

Once he was sure everything was under control, Leonel turned to leave. But before he walked away, he leaned in and whispered, just for Jeslyn,

“I won’t let anything harm you. Not even a scratch.”

Jeslyn froze.

Those words… too ambiguous to ignore, yet too sincere not to shake her.

Still standing in the same spot, her heart raced. She tried to rationalize Leonel’s words. Maybe it was just a superior showing responsibility. Maybe. But why did his tone carry such… intensity?

She turned her gaze to where Leonel now stood next to the department head. Yet something had changed. His stance was still firm, his authority still evident—but his eyes… they betrayed lingering worry.

Edric glanced at Jeslyn briefly, wearing an unreadable expression. They resumed the inspection in the final packing zone. The department head explained the daily team efficiency, and as usual, Leonel followed with a question.

“What’s the daily work efficiency of this team?”

“Eighty-five percent on average,” the head replied quickly.

Leonel nodded slightly, then turned again to Jeslyn. “Is that good enough, Jeslyn?”

Jeslyn took a slow breath. She had grown used to these tests throughout the day, yet every question still felt like being thrust under a spotlight.

“It’s acceptable by general standards,” Jeslyn answered calmly. “But it still falls short of the company’s target. If I had the authority, I’d implement biweekly evaluations and motivation sessions, along with incentives for the top-performing teams.”

Leonel glanced at Edric. “Note that.”

Edric typed swiftly into his tablet.

Mike stood silently behind, eyes alert as always. Yet Jeslyn caught a brief glimpse of a subtle smirk on his face—as if he’d noticed something developing between his boss and the woman beside him.

Time continued ticking. Every issue brought up by the department head, every report reviewed—Leonel would throw one question to Jeslyn. A relentless cycle of subtle interrogation.

Oddly enough, under all that pressure, Jeslyn felt… alive. She felt challenged. And strangely, she felt seen. Valued. Even when Leonel said nothing, his gaze alone made her feel important.

After all the reports were reviewed and the field inspection completed, Leonel declared the day’s visit concluded. The department head, supervisors, and workers gave respectful bows as the management team exited the factory area.

The air outside felt far fresher than the dust-filled interior, buzzing with machines. Jeslyn took a deep breath, trying to relax after hours of unyielding pressure. But just as she was about to walk to her car parked near the entrance, Leonel’s deep voice stopped her.

“Jessy, come with me,” Leonel said without preamble.

Jeslyn turned, slightly confused. “I brought my own car,” she replied.

“You’re coming with me. Hand your car keys to Edric—he’ll drive it back to the office,” Leonel instructed firmly.

Jeslyn knew this was not a request—it was an order.

Edric was already ready and nodded as he took the keys from her hesitant hand.

Jeslyn walked toward Leonel, where Mike had already opened the rear car door for them.

Reluctantly, Jeslyn entered and took a seat inside. A few seconds later, the other door opened, and Leonel slid in beside her, adjusting his suit with his usual calm, confident demeanor.

The car began to move, leaving the factory behind and cruising down the paved roads flanked by tall trees and iron fences typical of an industrial zone.

For several minutes, neither of them spoke. Only the sound of the engine and the hum of the AC filled the air. Jeslyn glanced sideways. Leonel was staring intently at his tablet screen—reading something. Maybe today's reports. Or maybe just avoiding her gaze.

“I don’t like what happened back there,” Leonel said suddenly, his voice calm but heavy with meaning.

Jeslyn turned to look at him, waiting for him to say more.

“But I’m okay,” Jeslyn replied. “I recognized the warning signs, so I moved in time.”

Leonel lowered his tablet and turned to her—his eyes sharp, intense, and impossible to ignore.

“Then don’t ever get hurt.”

Thud.

Jeslyn felt her heart slam against her chest. Especially now—when Leonel’s face was so very close to hers.

***