Leo's words struck Elsa with the force of a physical blow, leaving her shattered and hollow inside. She could not bring herself to believe that the man she had sacrificed everything for—the man for whom she had crossed the boundary of life and death—was now choosing to marry Amy. She knew the truth that Leo did not: Amy was a calculated liar and a master of manipulation.
Tears welled in Elsa's eyes, shimmering with the grief of a thousand unspoken words, but she forced them back. She struggled to cage her emotions, swallowing the bitter dissatisfaction that threatened to overwhelm her spectral form.
"Hey, Elsa," she whispered to herself, her inner voice a cold comfort. "You are a soul without a body. You are just a ghost who returned for Leo, to protect him. You wanted him to have a happy life, didn't you? He is finding that now. Accept it."
She took a trembling breath, her heart aching with a phantom pain.
"Accept it, Elsa. You are not Leah anymore—the girl who loved Leo more than her own life. Her chapter ended a long time ago. ACCEPT IT."
Steeling herself, Elsa forced a fragile, hollow smile onto her face. She turned to Leo, her expression a mask of manufactured joy.
"I'm so happy, Leonardo," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil within. "You've finally made a good decision to settle your life. You want to marry Amy."
As soon as the words left her lips, Elsa turned away, unable to let him see the mask slip. She stared at the wall, hot tears finally escaping and tracing silent paths down her cheeks.
"ELSA!" Leo called out.
She kept her back to him, her voice strained. "I am so happy, Leo."
She started to say more, but the words died in her throat.
"What?" Leo asked, sensing her hesitation.
Elsa turned back slightly, her eyes searching his. "Why do you want to marry Amy? Is it because she is Lucy's younger sister? Or because she is a friend to you? Why Amy instead of Lucy?"
Leo began to walk toward her. Elsa instinctively retreated, her back hitting the wall, her chest tightening with tension. Leo stopped just before her. He did not reach out; instead, he leaned in and spoke softly into her ear, his voice a low vibration that only she could hear.
"Don't worry. I am not going to touch you or come close to you," he murmured. "I haven't forgotten your conditions."
Elsa exhaled, the sound of her own frantic heartbeat echoing in her ears. Leo stepped back, his expression unreadable.
"I like Amy," he stated simply.
The words felt like shards of glass piercing Elsa's heart. "Why?" she whispered. "Why do you like her?"
Leo looked toward the door. "Follow me. I will tell you—and I will tell the entire family."
Leo descended the grand staircase, his presence commanding the attention of the entire household.
"MOM! DAD! TINA! AUNT!" he called out, his voice echoing through the marble halls. "Please, everyone, come out. I have something to say to all of you."
One by one, the family emerged from their rooms, their faces etched with concern.
"Please, Leo, you need to rest," his mother, Isabella, pleaded as she reached the landing. "Why did you come down here?"
Leo looked at her, then turned his gaze to his father. "I have an announcement to make."
Richard Kingston adjusted his silk robe, his brow furrowing. "What is it, Leo?"
Leo's gaze turned sharp and serious. "Dad, you are the most successful businessman I have ever known. Since I was a child, I've watched you build this empire. But I also know you are always busy. You never had time for Mom, or for your children, or even for Aunt."
He looked at Isabella, whose face was a map of quiet dissatisfaction. From her hiding spot on the upstairs landing, Elsa watched the scene unfold. She saw the pain in Isabella's eyes and felt the weight of the secrets this family carried. She tried to maintain her smile for Leo, even as she hid her own tears.
The heavy front doors opened, and Thomas entered with Lucy and Amy. Their faces were bright, radiating a confidence that made Elsa's skin crawl.
"Hey, young man!" Thomas exclaimed, his voice booming with false warmth. "How are you? I felt terrible when I heard about the accident. You are my future son-in-law—you are like a son to me."
Lucy offered a brilliant, practiced smile, while Amy stood by her side, her expression an unsettling blend of happiness and cunning.
Elsa's rage flared as she looked down at them. "You witch!" she hissed under her breath. "How dare you lie to everyone and claim you saved Leo? I knew you were trouble back in college, but you are worse than I thought. You are a fox, and Leo has no idea. If I had my body, I would punch you for every lie you've told and for making my life hell."
Leo smiled at the newcomers, though the expression didn't reach his eyes. His voice took on a biting, sarcastic edge.
"What a timing, Sir! I am truly impressed by your timing, your ideas, and your thoughts."
Thomas smiled back, though a flicker of suspicion crossed his eyes.
"Sir, I have a big announcement," Leo continued, his voice dropping to a serious register. "I want you and your family, and my family, to listen carefully."
"Go ahead, young man," Thomas replied.
Lucy and Amy exchanged a smug glance, while Richard and his family waited in breathless silence.
Leo took a deep breath and looked Thomas directly in the eye. "I am not going to marry Lucy. I will never marry her. I am sorry, but this is the truth."
The silence that followed was deafening. Thomas and Lucy froze in shock, while a glint of triumph appeared in Amy's eyes. Richard stepped forward, his face reddening with confusion.
"Why, Leo?" Richard demanded. "If you didn't want this, you should have told me before the alliance was made. Why make this announcement now, in front of everyone?"
Isabella remained silent, her eyes fixed on her son.
"ANSWER ME, LEO!" Richard shouted.
Thomas stepped toward Leo, his face contorting with anger. "We need an answer. Why won't you marry my eldest daughter?"
Lucy moved to her father's side, her face crumbling into a mask of grief. "I thought you loved me, Leo! Just as I love you!" She grabbed Thomas's arm, sobbing hysterically. "Dad, I want Leo! I love him! I'll die without him in my life!"
"Don't worry, darling," Thomas consoled her, his eyes darkening as he glared at Leo. "I am not going to let this go."
Richard turned to Thomas, his voice tight. "I will talk to my son."
"No, Dad," Leo interrupted firmly. "I will never marry Lucy."
Thomas turned his fury on Richard. "Richard, we are as wealthy and influential as you are! if your son makes my daughter cry, I will not spare any of you. I will teach you a lesson. Your son needs to mend his ways and accept Lucy!"
Richard looked between the two men, his anger rising. But Leo stepped forward, his expression cold.
"I am not going to marry Lucy, Uncle."
"Why?" Richard asked again.
Leo turned to his father, his voice raw with a truth that had been buried for years. "Because I don't want a marriage like yours, Dad."
Richard and Isabella recoiled as if struck.
"I know, Dad," Leo continued. "I know your marital life isn't perfect. I know you've been pretending for us and for society that everything is fine. I even know that you both wanted to divorce each other a long time ago."
Richard stood stunned, realization dawning on him that his son had carried this burden for years. Isabella looked away, her eyes filling with tears.
"I don't want a life where love never reaches its partner," Leo said.
He pulled out his phone and navigated to a series of files. He turned the screen around, showing Thomas pictures of himself with his secret girlfriend, followed by photos of Lucy with her own boyfriend.
Thomas turned pale, and Lucy's fake sobs stopped instantly as terror took hold.
"I know all your tears are fake, Lucy," Leo said, his voice dripping with disdain. "I'm not falling for them. Real tears come from sincere love or a massive heartbreak—not from a woman who only wants a man for his status."
He stepped closer to Lucy, his gaze piercing.
Leo declared the sentence, "I HATE love," the words echoing through the room. "It has brought me nothing but wounds in my past. But despite that, I still respect what real love is supposed to be."
Lucy stood paralyzed, her deception laid bare. Upstairs, Elsa watched with a racing heart. The confusion in her mind grew as she saw this new, vulnerable side of Leo. She remembered how she had tried to confess her love to him as Leah, how she had longed for him to truly see her.
She realized then that Leo wasn't just arrogant; he was guarded by a deep, past heartbreak. As the room erupted into chaos, Elsa found herself drowning in questions she didn't know how to answer herself and was keep on watching Leo from far.