Chapter 114 - (Hundred) Thirteen: Bargain

Behind the expensive mahogany table, Leo sat typing on his computer, laser-focused. Well, he was focused but as soon as a knock on the door sounded in the office, his concentration languished.

" Enter." Leo voiced out without hoisting his eyes off his computer screen as he tried to rejuvenate his focus but even he knew it was a lost cause. With the way his brain functioned, focusing on something was a hard enough task, talk more of rebuilding the concentration when lost. It was his normal life, he was used to it.

The door opened and James, Leo's assistant, strutted in. Dressed in a tailored black suit, James walked towards Leo's desk and stopped right in front of it. Not too close to it but at the same time not too far, as per Leo's preference.

" What now, James?" Leo didn't bother sparing him a glance as he asked, his eyes still fixed on his computer screen. Of all the time someone had to come, why does it have to be now?

" Someone wants to see you," James reported, disregarding Leo's blatant attempt to ignore him.

" Who?" Leo asked, not showing a sign of concern whatsoever. Mostly because he wasn't concerned. Just didn't care. 

" Kristina Ramus." 

Leo's fingers froze on the keyboard, eyes flickering for just a second before he let out a breath. 

What does she want?

" Tell her to come up here," Leo ordered. Kristina came to his office, her reason must be urgent. Leo has had a lot of experience with urgent instances to know that they were never good but he couldn't just deny her access to his office. It was one of the last things he would dream of doing.

James exited and a while later, the door opened again, letting Kristina in.

Leo's gaze scanned her from head to toe before settling on her stomach — her baby bump had become more visible now— and smiled, wondering when he would be able to see Becca that way. Pregnant. He couldn't wait for that time to come even though he was aware it would be a while before it did, especially with those birth control pills Becca started taking. 

" What brings you here, Kris?" Leo asked, Rolling his chair back a bit. " Have a seat."

Leo gestured to one of the chairs in his office, the smile on his face unblemished but Kristina— being the person she was— didn't move an inch, glowering at him.

" You already got what you wanted, now it's time to settle your end of the bargain."

" Bargain?" Leo asked, feigning cluelessness. 

He knew what she was talking about. Their so-called bargain. The hard part of all this was sticking to it.

" Don't play dumb, Leonardo. We made a deal." Kristina's eyes tightened as she glared. She didn't need anyone to broadcast to her that Leo had succeeded in luring Becca into his web, she already knew. No doubt about it, the situation with Becca had always been in his favor. So much that he didn't even have to stress about it. She only came to his office— though it wasn't really her first time visiting— to remind him of their deal, that it was his turn to fulfill his promise.

Leo adjusted on his seat. " Leo. Please call me Leo. Leonardo makes it feel like we are strangers."

There was just a feeling of sadness lingering in that name. Leonardo. Emptiness was the only thing that name reminded him of. How lonely he used to be, the feeling was worse when she called him with it. Kristina was someone he used to be close to, her calling him that, sounded weird. Then again, half his family calls him Leonardo so he should be used to the abyssal undertone but he wasn't. Probably because he had gotten so used to the way Becca called his name with so much love and life that hearing it being called any way else just seemed strange.

" Do I look like I give a shit about that?" Kristina's eyes glared even harder with every word that left her lips.

Leo stared at her, unfazed by her attitude towards him, and let out a chuckle.

" Apparently, you don't." 

Kristina moved closer to his desk, looking straight into his cold dead eyes. " Our deal, Leonardo." 

Asshole was more like it. He was slickly trying to dodge the topic but she wasn't ready to let him off so easily. What does Becca even see in this man? This untrustworthy piece of shit?

" What about it?" Leo retorted. He had a hint of what brought her over as soon as she glowered at him. With the way Kristina loathed him, coming here was most likely the worst thing she had forced herself to do and was exactly why he struck that deal with her in the first place. Not so she would help him with his plans but to make sure she kept her burning rancor aside so it doesn't brainwash Becca into hating him as well. He evaluated all the possibilities of his plan failing and Kristina turning Becca against him was the most probable. 

He couldn't imagine something like that happening. Couldn't stomach it either.

" I want Johnny out of your mafia." Kristina gritted, her voice not even holding a speck of humor. Dead serious.

" That was our agreement, wasn't it?" He smiled but Kristina didn't do the same, she glared. " I also remember clearly saying I would only let him leave the mafia at his discretion or did you miss that part? So tell me, Kris. Does he want to leave?"

" You asshole!"

Kristina fisted her hands at her side to impede the urge to lunge at Leo. It hadn't been long since she returned from her honeymoon with Liam and how she got into a fight with a psychotic person while she was pregnant is a story she didn't want to tell him. It would freak him out for sure.

" Anything is better than you calling me Leonardo," Leo responded, the smile on his lips taunting Kristina. Breaking her resolve to restraint herself from punching that smug look off his face.

" Cut Johnny loose, or else?" 

" Or else what? Would you try forcing other men on my Becca just like your mother did at your wedding?" Leo countered, getting a little irritated by the way the conversation they were having was going. As much as he loved and cared for Kristina, her anger always got on his nerves. Regina's actions did the same thing. It infuriated him beyond words. 

Setting Becca up with other men. His Becca. He ached to behead the bastards that dared talk to her when the news first reached his ears but he managed to curb the desire to murder, more like he forgot the desire after watching the masturbating show Becca put up for him. His distraction. But thinking about it now did nothing but resuscitate the anger.

Kristina let out a chuckle, a forced one. " Oh, I see how things are. But I can't help but wonder if Becca knows what you really do. What you truly are." She stopped to access his facial expression and just as expected, just as she hoped, it was distorted. " Judging from the look on your face, I would say you told her nothing. Don't you ever wonder how she would take that little piece of information you are so desperate to hide?" 

Here comes the blackmail. Leo saw it coming a mile away, detested it too much to reckon of giving in. He wouldn't give in.

It was as though Kristina was trying to gaslight Leo, to provoke him, because that was exactly what her actions were doing right now.

He enraged her so she wanted to retaliate but what she didn't know, what she failed to understand till now, was that nothing good ever happens when Leo gets pissed.. Never anything good.