Chapter 41 – Lunch Together

The car came to a smooth stop in front of a luxurious restaurant, its architecture a classic blend of European grandeur standing tall in the heart of the city. A valet promptly approached and opened the door. Leonel stepped out first, then turned around, waiting for Jeslyn to exit from the other side.

Jeslyn glanced outside, her brows slightly furrowed. This clearly wasn’t the way to the office. Still, she said nothing. Her eyes caught the nameplate of the famous restaurant—an elite place usually frequented by high-profile businesspeople.

“Let’s go,” Leonel said curtly, eyes forward as though his decision was not up for discussion.

Jeslyn followed silently, the click of her heels echoing softly on the restaurant's marble floor. A restaurant manager greeted them with a wide smile and immediately led them inside. Instead of being seated in the main area, Leonel spoke firmly, “Private room.”

The manager nodded and led them through a side corridor to an exclusive space enclosed by frosted glass walls and a carved wooden door. Once inside, the noise from the outside world seemed to vanish. The room housed a single long table with two chairs placed across from each other, surrounded by warm, elegant decor. The soft glow of a chandelier created a serene atmosphere, a stark contrast to the bustling midday outside.

Jeslyn took in the room, then exhaled silently. There was no point in asking questions—Leonel had clearly planned everything.

A waiter came to offer the menu, but Leonel immediately handed it back. “Chef’s special. Two portions.”

Jeslyn glanced at him. “You ordered even before I knew we were having lunch?”

Leonel leaned back in his chair, casual and confident. “If I waited for your approval, we wouldn’t eat until dinner.”

Jeslyn raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She picked up her glass of water and sipped quietly. The silence lingered for a few moments before Leonel finally spoke again.

“I know you’re wondering why we didn’t go straight to the office.”

Jeslyn met his gaze carefully. “I know you always have a reason.”

“Correct.” Leonel leaned forward slightly. “I wanted to make sure you ate. Today’s been intense, and I don’t want my manager fainting in the middle of an evaluation meeting.”

Concern? Or sarcasm? Jeslyn couldn’t tell. But something in his gaze kept her from commenting.

“Besides…” he added, swirling his coffee cup, “I need a space where we can talk without interruptions.”

Jeslyn tensed.

But before she could ask anything, their food arrived. The delicious aroma filled the room, a perfect distraction from the slowly simmering tension.

Jeslyn lowered her gaze to the neatly plated dish in front of her. The portion wasn’t large, but it was elegant and appetizing. The creamy scent of cheese sauce and perfectly cooked meat made her stomach realize how hungry she actually was.

Leonel didn’t touch his food right away. He simply sat there, watching Jeslyn from behind his untouched drink. His gaze was sharp—not out of anger, but out of something else. Something unreadable that made Jeslyn uncomfortable... yet reluctant to look away.

“Are you upset because I told you not to help Jefran?” Leonel asked, his tone calm.

Jeslyn looked up. “I’m not angry,” she said softly. “Though I don’t really know what I’m feeling. But I respect your decision.”

Leonel gave a slow nod. “I’m glad you understand.”

“What about the incident at the factory earlier? Are you alright? Did anything fall on you?” Jeslyn asked, recalling how concerned Leonel had been—how he had pushed aside heavy debris to reach her.

“When that thing almost fell, I saw it just in time and ran. Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve survived if it hit me,” she answered, cutting a piece of meat.

“Then from now on, don’t ever stray too far from me,” he said with firm emphasis.

Jeslyn choked on her food. She immediately reached for her drink, startled. Leonel was becoming more possessive by the day—acting like she was already his.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Jeslyn asked when she noticed Leonel hadn’t touched his plate.

Leonel didn’t respond right away. He just stared at her intently, as if weighing something. Then slowly, he picked up his fork and began to cut into the meat—calm and deliberate.

“I prefer watching you first,” he said at last.

Jeslyn swallowed hard. The sentence sounded far too intimate—too personal. This was supposed to be a work lunch between a boss and his subordinate, not a secret romantic meeting. But there was a secret between them. A big one.

“I’m fine,” she said shortly, trying to suppress the strange pounding in her chest. “We shouldn’t stay here too long. We still have meetings, don’t we?”

Leonel shrugged slightly. “Everything’s been arranged. The meeting will start after we get back. I made sure you get some proper rest first.”

“But I’m not tired,” Jeslyn replied quickly.

“Not yet,” he said casually, meeting her eyes again.

Jeslyn sighed softly. She didn’t know whether to feel touched, annoyed, or confused. This man was impossible to read. So controlled, yet… caring? Or was it subtle manipulation?

“Leonel…” she said hesitantly. “Why are you doing all this? I mean, bringing me to a place like this, ordering a private room, making sure I eat, even rescheduling meetings?”

Leonel leaned back, his expression unreadable. “Because I want to spend more time with you. Oh, and by the way, did you change your apartment’s password? Was that because you were afraid I’d show up again?”

“I just don’t want more problems. Especially if Jefran suddenly comes by,” Jeslyn replied.

“Sounds like you care a lot about Jefran’s feelings, huh?” Leonel said, watching her closely.

Jeslyn bit her lower lip, unable to reply. In that moment, she felt like she was the one cheating—on Leonel. Which was absurd, because her actual fiancé was Jefran.

And just then, her phone rang. Jefran.

Jeslyn stared at the screen. His name lit up, as if the universe were mocking her—testing how long she could stand being pulled between two opposites: a planned future and a turbulent present.

She hesitated. Her eyes met Leonel’s, who was now watching her with a blank expression.

With a quiet sigh, Jeslyn stood and walked a few steps away, snatching her phone and pressing the green button.

“Hello?” Her voice sounded normal, but her heart was racing.

“Jes, where are you? Are you still at the factory?” Jefran sounded worried.

Jeslyn glanced at Leonel, still calmly sipping his coffee like nothing was happening. But she knew he was listening.

“I… I’m having lunch. I’ll be at the office soon,” she replied shortly.

“With who?” Jefran asked quickly.

Jeslyn paused. Her eyes met Leonel’s again.

“Alone,” she answered finally.

“I see. Will you be long? I really need your help. I’m already in the system room, but I still don’t get it—I don’t know what to do or how to update this contract,” Jefran said, clearly stressed. “I don’t want to mess up again.”

Jeslyn bit her lip, guilt creeping in like cold water. She closed her eyes briefly, forcing her thoughts into order.

“I’ll be right there,” she said, trying to sound calm despite the tremble in her voice. “Wait for me in the system room. Don’t touch anything until I get there.”

“Okay,” Jefran said quickly, sounding slightly relieved. “I’ll wait.”

Before Jeslyn could respond, the call ended.

She stared at the screen for a moment, then took a long breath and returned to the table.

Leonel was still watching her—but now his gaze was sharper, as if measuring something unspoken.

“Alone?” he asked softly, his tone calm but unmistakably laced with sarcasm.

Jeslyn slowly pulled out her chair and sat back down. “I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary drama.”

“So you told a small lie?” Leonel raised an eyebrow.

“To avoid an argument we didn’t need,” Jeslyn said, her voice soft but firm. She adjusted her napkin in her lap—more to give her hands something to do than anything else.

Leonel sighed and leaned back. “He needs your help now?”

Jeslyn nodded.

“You don’t need to go.”

“What?” Jeslyn blinked, startled.

“I’ll send Edric to help him,” Leonel said firmly. “Like I told you yesterday, you don’t have to handle everything yourself.”

“Why? Are you willing to let him make another mistake?” she asked.

“Jefran needs to learn to make decisions. To take responsibility. If you keep spoon-feeding him, how will he ever grow?” Leonel said sharply, and this time, Jeslyn was silent.

“Just do as I say. Don’t help him. This is a test—for someone who’s about to take over as CEO.”

Jeslyn stared at him, confused and slightly upset. His words were firm, final—leaving no room for argument. Yet beyond that, they struck a chord deep inside, resonating with a truth she had ignored for too long.

“I know you care about him,” Leonel continued, more gently. “But your care is misdirected, Jessy. You can’t keep being his crutch. If he wants to rise, he has to stand on his own.”

Jeslyn gripped her phone tightly. “But… what if he messes up again?”

“Then he’ll learn,” Leonel said flatly. “Better he fails now while it can still be quietly fixed, than later—when a single mistake can bring everything down.”

Jeslyn lowered her gaze. What he said made sense—complete sense. But her heart still felt uneasy.

Leonel glanced at his watch, then pulled out his phone. “Edric will be there soon. And you—stay here. Eat. We still have time before heading back.”

“You really don’t want me to help him?” Jeslyn asked quietly, one last time.

Leonel looked straight at her. “No. Because now is not the time for you to be his shield.”

That silenced Jeslyn once again. She looked down at her plate, then slowly exhaled. For the first time, she felt... freed from the weight she had carried alone for so long.

“I don’t care if you’re upset,” Leonel added casually. “What I do care about is you being alone with Jefran.”

Once again, Leonel claimed her as his—whether she liked it or not.

***