Then Jessie spotted him and came over.
âHey, Mr.
Douglas, small world!â
He managed a faint smile.
âJust Leonel.
Youâre Melissaâs friend, after all.
â
Jessie smiled back, saying nothing.
Suddenly, it dawned on him â he and Alexis were on the verge of divorce.
Heâd no longer be Marcusâ brother-in-law, so Melissa would likely keep her distance, and so would Elvaâ¦
And heâd no longer be Waylenâs son-in-law either.
The realization hit him hard but he plastered on a smile.
âMr.
Douglas works too.
â
Feeling the tension, Jessie made an excuse and left with Jeslyn.
Resting her head on Jessieâs shoulder, Jeslyn kept gazing at Leonel.
Leonel watched them fade into the distance, lost in thought.
After a while, he returned to the car, deep in contemplation.
Then, he dialed the Fowler residence, greeted by a servantâs voice.
He requested to speak with Alexis.
The servant hesitated, recognizing his voice.
In a soft tone, Leonel explained, âI need to talk to her about Evelyn and Daniel.
â
Moved, the servant promised to find Alexis.
Soon, Alexis picked up, greeting indifferently, âWhatâs up?â
Leonel fell silent for a moment, and then, in a hoarse voice, pleaded, âCan we give it another shot, Alexis?â
There was only the sound of her breath, no reply, no hang-up.
Eventually, she just ended the call.
Leonel sat in the car, feeling utterly hopeless.
The next evening, Leonel arrived at the party right on time, dressed sharp in black and white.
At Moore familyâs villa, Albert hosted an extravagant buffet for his birthday.
To Leonelâs surprise, Alexis made a brief appearance before Leaving hastily.
He searched the villa but couldnât find her.
Desperate for answers, he asked around.
Spotting Alexis driving off, he rushed to his carâ¦
Just then, James arrived, puzzled.
âWhyâd you leave so soon, Leonel?â