Chapter 232 - A kiss as a greeting

The change in Walter's expression at the mention of Leena did not go unnoticed by Devin. He has a hunch that Walter has feelings for Leena and he got a confirmation and it's the sole reason Devin visited him today. But is he the stalker I am searching for?

"If I am not wrong, she is doing well with her health. What do you want to know about her?" asked Walter.

"Your relationship with her?" Quizzed Devin.

"Sad to hear that you are doubting your wife." Walter propped his hands in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"My love for my wife is unconditional, the same way that my respect and trust," specified Devin. Be it, Regina or Eleanor's efforts to crumble their relationship they stayed strong because of the trust they had for each other.

"Then why do you want to know about my relationship with her if you trust her so much?" Walter questioned back.

"Because I don't trust you," Devin added.

"I beg your pardon, Mr.Wang?"

"I don't go beating around the bush. Coming straight to the point, you have been secretly attending every fashion show, every Ad shoot of Leena for the past three years. The question is what's your purpose of it?" Devin's voice remained calm as he spoke.

"Did you do a background check on me?" Walter fumed.

"If you hadn't followed behind my wife like a stalker, I wouldn't have gone this far." With scorn, he looked at Walter.

"Just because I have followed her, it doesn't make me the_"

Walter's words pared in his mouth when Devin threw a stack of pictures on his table. His eyes widened in shock. It was recently taken pictures where he was standing at a little distance from Leena's office to catch a glimpse of her.

"I don't think you can come up with any excuses now." mused Devin. "Whatever your purpose is, I suggest you stop right now. Don't let you see the monster in me." Devin's voice was uncanny as he warned Walter. He got up and before he grabbed the doorknob to walk out, he heard a voice.

"I loved her, no, I still do." Walter's voice throbbed in pain as he spoke. He doesn't know when it started but Leena has become one of the most important person in his life. The two years he has spent with her were the most valuable days of his life. Despite her hatred towards men, he confessed his feelings but as usual, received a blatant rejection but he did not lose hope. He was confident that one day, she would reciprocate his feelings but everything got shattered when he saw her in the arms of another man. If it was any other man, he would have warned to stay away but he didn't dare to trifle with Devin. Scared to confront her again, Walter been silently watching her in the shadows.

"She is the star I could never reach in my life." Walter's grip on one of the pictures tightened. "Treasure her, otherwise, there are many like me waiting for the opportunity to take her away."

"I locked her in safe of my heart and threw the key away." was the reply, from Devin before he strolled out of the room.

"Can I search for the key then?" Walter chuckled shaking his head. Wang Devin would come for my head if it happens."Why is the road to love hard." He sighed before opening the laptop to deviate his concentration.

Right when he walked out of the hospital, Devin called Nick. "What is Leena doing?"

"She is working with a client. How did the meeting go?" asked Nick.

"I am still in dilemma about him." Devin added. "Ask our men to monitor Dr. Walter on a 24/7 basis from now."

"We are on it."

Speaking for a while, Nick quickly ended the call when the door of the room was pushed open and entered the witch. That's what everyone calls her in the office. Why not? She is definitely one.

"Hi, Nickelodeon." Waving her hand cutely, Leena walked inside the room. She doesn't want to treat Nick as a mere bodyguard, so she arranged a room for him.

"My name is Nick!" With gritted teeth, he corrected her again.

"But I like Nickelodeon." With a pout, she peeped into his laptop where he was writing series of lines. "What are you doing?"

"Ah! You don't know much about computers, right? I am trying to create a phishing email to hack into an account." Nick said in a mocking tone.

Did this cartoon mock me? Writing cheap lines of code and using old technology tools, he is calling himself a hacker? "Black hat or white hat?" Leena asked.

"Woah! You also know about terms in hacking?" Nick teased again taking the piss out of Leena.

Leena tightly clutched her dress to control her hands in order not to strangle Nick. Did this halfwit asshat think that I am a foolish? One day, I will teach him a lesson which he would never forget in his life. For now, Leena put the thought aside. "I only heard some terms in hacking. Leaving that aside, tell me about you. Do you have a girlfriend?"

"I had one but I broke up."

"Why?" Curiosity piqued Leena.

"It's a long story." Nick sighed.

"You can cut short and explain. I don't have work now."

"Alright." Nick was also bored of sitting in front of the laptop for a long time. "Her name is Jessy_"

"Musician Jessy J?" asked Leena interrupting him.

"No. Swimmer Jessy James." Nick pressed.

"Okay. Continue."

"Her name is Jessy James. We studied in the same university_"

"So you started dating from University right?" Leena interrupted him again.

"If you interrupt me again, I am not telling my story." Nick flared up in anger. "I am trying to explain the story in a flow and I have to start again."

"Cool Nicky boy. I will not disturb you anymore." Leena gave a thumbs up.

With a deep sigh, Nick started again. "Her name is Jessy James. During our final year, she proposed and she did not had any flaws to reject. So, I started dating her and one fine day, she took me to her home, and the moment I entered, the whole family greeted me by kissing on my lips. It's their way of greeting the guests it seems. I was at least okay if it was a forehead kiss or cheek kiss. That stupid woman didn't tell about this weird habit in their family. Her mom even wore a lipstick which I have to wash it for the whole day and I broke up with her on that day itself."

"So you even kissed the men in the family?" Exclaimed Leena clasping her mouth.

"I did not have a choice." Nick's voice died down at the embarrassing scene he faced on that day.

Letting out a gasp, Leena clutched her stomach as she laughed. "What a bizarre family. Didn't she protest when you called for a breakup?"

"She did." Remembering the time Jessy almost pulled his hair for initiating the breakup, he shuddered.

"Then how did you handle it?" asked Leena.

"I ran away."

"You are such a coward," Leena frowned at him with disinterest.

"But it worked." He cheekily said. "Don't tell it to anyone. Even Devin doesn't know it."

"If you take me shopping, I will zip up."

"Then let's go. You even wanted to visit your mom right?"

"Done!!" Both stepped out of the office in happiness. The awkwardness Nick had earlier had gone and he was starting to enjoy Leena's company.

...

In a bright office, a man stormed into the room despite the security try to hold him. "Where is my daughter, Ethan!" The man yelled looking at the calm figure.

"You are holding the wrong end of the stick again," Ethan said. "Please file a complaint at the police department."

"Casey is missing right after you threatened her. I will see your end if I don't see my daughter by tonight."

"I am telling you again, I don't know about her whereabouts," Ethan answered without looking at him. He knew Casey would be tortured to death by Devin but he did not have an ounce of guilt towards her. The pain Leena suffered, she has to get it a thousand folds. Ethan pressed a buzzer and immediately the security guards entered the office.

"Throw him out of the office." Disgust was only left for this pathetic family.

"Yes sir." Despite the protests, Casey's dad was dragged out of the room.

Ethan tried to focus on his work but a certain happy face appears in his mind now and then. If he trusted her back then, Leena would have been in his arms by now. He put aside his thoughts when he heard a knock on the door followed by a man. "I am surprised you did not drink and came here, dad." Ethan smiled waving at him.

"Is it?" Ethan's dad, Stephan chuckled. "Perhaps I am changing for the better."

"When did you come back from Ireland?" Ethan asked. "Did you find her whereabouts?"

"No. She is not living in Ireland anymore." Stephan's voice laced in pain as he spoke. "Can you try from your end, Ethan?"

"What's your relationship with her, can you at least tell me that?" With the way, his dad's eyes soften at the mention of her, Ethan knew she is someone important in his life. Perhaps his first love. As far as he knew, Stephan has been searching for that woman for two decades. "You told she is aunt Evelyn's friend. Why don't you try asking her? She might have known her whereabouts."

"She doesn't even want to see my face, son," said Stephan. Why would she? Being a brother, he has never guarded her against his evil mom. He contended that she is living a happy life now.