After Divorce Billionaire Ex Found Me Pregnant (Leonica and Gabriel)

"If you knew I couldn't be compared to her, why approach me in the first place, Jamil." Irene stated angrily as she finished adding the accessory to go allow with her new outfit. "You easily could have found-" Clang!

The sound of something falling from outside cut her off and in seconds, her head snapped in the door's direction.

"What was that?"

"Are you asking me? Am I the one there?" Jamil answered sarcastically.

Irene ignored him and stood up, making her way to the door.

"Don't tell me, you allowed a rat spy on you? Or better yet, maybe a snake."

Snake. The moment he said the word, a certain person came to her mind, and Irene didn't waste any time opening the door, only to come face to face with the last person she had expected to see. "M-meredith? What are you doing here?" She questioned the maid who had just finished picking a fallen mop up.

"The first Lady sent me to fetch you, Mr. Romero is about to give his introduction speech."

"Oh," Irene scanned the maid from head to toe before smiling. "Tell my father I'd be right there."

"I'll do just that." Meredith bowed, not moving once until Irene had stepped back into the dressing room and closed the door.

Only after she was gone did Meredith dare to look down the Hall where Leonica walked out from where the maid had hidden her.

Raising her index finger, she pressed it against her lips, a silent command for the other female to remain silent, before gesturing for her to follow.

Without hesitation, Meredith did as her mistress requested, following the younger female away from Where Irene could potentially hear them. Back in the dressing room, Irene walked back to get her phone, picking it from its stand on her vanity mirror.

"It was just Meredith."

"Meredith?" Jamil questioned.

"My personal maid. Now if you'd excuse me, I have a debut to make." She said arrogantly, but just as she was about to hang up, Jamil stopped her.

"Irene, don't forget, you're doing this to get back at Benjamin Romero for what he did to your mother. No amount of love or riches he gives you now can make up for how your mother died loving him." And with that said, Jamil hung up, leaving Irene to think of the past.

"Yes, yes, I know," She spoke in a soft tone, putting her phone down before a smirk found its way to her lips as she admired her luxurious looking appearance in the mirror. "But the dead's the dead and the living's got to find a way to survive. You'll understand, right mother?"

She smiled sweetly, but it was anything but sweet as all she thought of was destroying Leonica, and without a second thought, she picked up the handbag that matched her dress and headed out, closing the door behind her.

"Did you follow me?" Was the first question Leonica asked Meredith when they arrived at a deserted part of the Mansion.

The maid avoided eye contact, but couldn't bring herself to lie. "Yes, but it was only because I was worried about you, madam. Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive," Leonica responded, not a hint of anger or anything else in her voice, much to Meredith's surprise. "As a matter of fact, I should thank you, if it weren't for you showing up in time, Irene would have seen me. Thank you Meredith." Meredith was more than happy to see Leonica smile at her and even more happier to receive praises from her, but all that happiness seemed to be diluted by a sour taste when she remembered the glimpse of Irene's conversation she had overheard. "Madam, the second mistress, she seems to dislike you." She said with a gloom expression.

Leonica tilted her head to the side, studying Meredith's reaction before she asked. "You heard?"

The maid nodded. "But only a small portion." She clarified, earning a nod from Leonica.

"Don't worry yourself Meredith, things like this happen all the time in families; sibling conflict as many would call it." Leonica gently patted her on the shoulder, smiling from ear to ear. "Give her some time, I'm sure she'd come around."

"Oh madam," Meredith couldn't help the smile of adoration that bloomed on her face. "You truly have a big heart." She suddenly bowed. "I swear, from today onwards you have my loyalty!"

Ah, I see I've gotten myself an allegiant, Leonica couldn't help but truly smile at that thought, how pleasant.

"Meredith, you don't have to be so extreme, and please raise your head. This is no place for a bow." Leonica gently instructed.

"Oh," Embarrassment colored Meredith's cheeks.

"You should head back now, and please inform my parents that I'd join them shortly."

"Of course." Meredith said and after a final bow, she was gone retracing her steps to the main Hall.

Once alone, Leonica allowed the mask of pleasantries to fall from her face, revealing how truly worried she was by her recent discovery.

Jamil and Irene, why didn't she see that coming?

No, there was no way she could have seen it coming, after all, the two had nothing doing with each other, which begged the question, why were they suddenly cooperating? Who approached who first?

She said, running her fingers through her hair in the process.

Well, at least she could rule one thing out now; Irene's accomplice. It was pretty clear to her that it was Jamil.

Suddenly, she groaned. Of course it

was him, perfectly explains why all those articles were released from several branches of his company

and why Florence had showed up at the Conference and he afterward.

But what did he hope to gain by doing all these?

She paused, pondering.

If he was smart, he was during their high school days, or even smarter, then he'd have to have some sort of a plan. And knowing him, she knew he'd never do anything unless he had a goal in mind.

So what was his goal? As she thought, her eyes suddenly caught her reflection against the full body mirror and she remembered all Jamil had said so far.

He wanted her, but he wasn't going to ask again and the next time they met, she'd be the one begging him.

So...was she his goal?

She scoffed at the thought, that was too much credit given to herself. No matter how much Jamil wanted her, his desire wasn't strong enough reason to ruin an entire family. There had to be something else. But just what was it?

"Well, we'd just have to see." She mused as she walked out of the room she had dragged Meredith into.

At least now she knew who and who she was up against, all she needed to do now was just flush out their agendas.

She smirked. For someone as predictable as Irene, it was going to be pretty easy.

"...so with all that being said, I'd like to introduce to you, the newest addition to the Romero family, a child of my flesh, Irene Romero."

Whispers filled the crowd, some clapping, after Benjamin had introduced Irene who proudly walked beside her father and gave an over dramatic wave.

"A drama queen, ain't she?" Melvin whispered to Leonica who was beside him, eyes trained on their newest sibling.

"Oh, she far more than that." Her answer confused Melvin, but before he could ask, she had walked towards her father and whispered something in his ear while the crowd was taken with Irene.

"You want me to do that?" He asked

and Leonica gave him a nod,Têxt belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

showing that she knew what she was doing. He turned back to the crowd raising his microphone And as a welcoming present, I'd be putting Irene's name on the list of my successors."

And that was enough to have the crowd going wild with whispers, while Irene stared at her father with wide eyes.

It was happening. Although she and Jamil had planned for something like this, Irene hadn't expected Benjamin to put her name in his list of successors so early.

She hasn't even done anything, so why was he favoring her so much? She pondered when suddenly, an idea came to her mind.

The way her father had treated her so far; he'd been harsh to her and withheld any form of affection towards her, simply because he couldn't stand being reminded of her mother.

He still loved her mother so much that it ached to look at her and see the resemblance and somewhere deep down, he was also afraid that she'd leave him just like her mother.

Irene chuckled quietly. 'Don't worry

father, I'm not going anywhere. I'm

going to stay right here and be your

precious daughter.' She thought,

quivering slightly from the happy yet

delusional thoughts.

Yeah, that's right, Leonica thought as she returned to her previous position beside her brother, keeping her eyes on Irene as her body trembled with happiness, let your delusion get the better of you, 'That way, it'd be easier to pull you down when the time comes. And in that moment, you'll confess everything about you and Jamil's plans.'