Tangled in His Obsession

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Eight years ago, when the Reynolds Group was teetering on the brink of collapse, it was Leandro who single-handedly rallied the troops and, over the course of a few years, turned the company into the crown jewel of Sunburst City. His influence on the Reynolds Group was indisputable.

Despite his monumental contribution to the company's growth, Leandro's forceful methods and long-standing monopoly on power had sown seeds of discontent within the ranks.

Now, with Gloria's scandal as a pretext, combined with Leandro's recent injury, the management had finally slipped from his grasp. Nobody was keen to see him make a comeback.

Yet, everyone knew that if Leandro truly decided to return, there would likely be no stopping him. The reason was straightforward: to this day, the biggest shareholder, Conway, favored Leandro as his successor.

In fact, with just a word from Conway, Leandro could be reinstated to the boardroom, resuming his former role without question. Facing such a looming threat, it was only natural for the rest to be on edge. But Leandro seemed unbothered by the turmoil, leaving his peers puzzled about his stance.

Without paying heed to the others, Leandro made his way upstairs.

Upstairs, Seraphina was watching over Conway as he took his medication. At the sight of Leandro entering the room, she couldn't help but arch an eyebrow in surprise, "Back so soon?"

Leandro responded with a muted acknowledgment before turning to Conway, "Luke and Norman bothering you again, grandpa?"

"It'd be easy to get rid of them," Conway replied with a glance, "the moment you step back into the Reynolds Group, they'll scatter." Leandro considered this but instead looked over at Seraphina.

"Why are you looking at me?" she shot back defensively, "I'm not stopping you from going back."

"Really?" Leandro mused, "Who was it that said, if she doesn't want me to go back, then I can't go?"

Seraphina scoffed, "As if you'd listen to me when you're fighting fit. Have you ever?"

Leandro met her gaze silently, then posed the question back to her, "Have I not?"

Caught off guard, Seraphina found herself at a loss for words.

Leandro then turned his attention back to Conway, "Besides, Ferne is doing a decent job. Let her handle it for a while. Maybe Grandpa will find someone better suited to run the Reynolds Group than me?"

With that, he stood up, "I'm off to change. Grandpa should take his nap after the medicine."

As Leandro exited Conway's room, the old man tapped Seraphina with his cane, "Happy now?"

"What do you mean?" Seraphina protested, guarding her leg, "It was his idea, not mine!"

"You're saying it wasn't because of you?" Conway challenged, "Do you want him to return to the Reynolds Group?"

Seraphina paused for a moment before breaking into laughter, "Of course, I don't. When you handed him the reins, it was like placing a mountain on his shoulders. You saw how he lived these past years. He's finally set down that burden, and I surely don't want him picking it back up. He's not had it easy even away from the Reynolds Group. If he went back, who knows what might happen? After years of toil, doesn't he deserve to enjoy life a bit?"

As Conway listened, he couldn't help but chuckle. Then, putting on a stern face, he retorted, "So, give him a chance to enjoy it! All you do is backtalk and argue. Is that your idea of letting him enjoy life?"

"You don't understand," Seraphina replied, "He actually likes it when I challenge and tease him. The man's a glutton for punishment!"

Conway didn't grasp her quirky expressions but simply gave her a cold look.

After Conway settled into his nap, Seraphina slipped away back to the bedroom.

Leandro had showered and changed into comfortable home wear, sitting at the edge of the bed drying his hair.

Seraphina, noticing that these days he wore casual clothes more often than suits, couldn't help but remark, "Mr. Reynolds looks quite dashing in casual clothes, if I may say so."

"I've already said I won't be going back," Leandro replied, "no need for insincere flattery."

With that, Seraphina hopped onto his lap, "Where's the insincerity? I mean it, wholeheartedly!" Leandro gazed deeply into her eyes.

After a moment of silent connection, Seraphina finally asked, "How's Garrison doing?"

"Troubling," Leandro succinctly replied.

Seraphina had suspected as much, but still, a chill ran down her spine.

During the past few days at the hospital, she learned that Leandro had investigated the details of Carney's illness and hospitalization. The findings were chilling.

Decades ago, Carney had been admitted to Summitville Hospital's gastroenterology ward, languishing for months before passing away within its walls. But now, when they attempted to retrieve Carney's medical records, there was nothing to be found.

The hospital's excuse was that in the days before computers, records were handwritten, and unfortunately, a fire in the records room the following March destroyed a portion of them, including Carney's.

The blaze was well-documented in the newspapers and magazines of the time it was no fiction. But the coincidences around it were oddly peculiar. And with Leandro's encounter with the strangely acting Garrison, some answers seemed on the verge of revelation.

"Is Garrison in a hurry to get back to Summitville?" Seraphina asked again.

Leandro shook his head, "He's leaving the day after tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Seraphina clenched her teeth and said, "That gives me a chance to meet him myself. But, you know, us asking him out to dinner all the time might seem a bit off. How about we get Herman to invite him? Wasn't he an old buddy of Herman's granddad? As the younger generation, Herman ought to show some hospitality. We can just tag along as guests-"

As Seraphina was slowly laying out her plan, a sudden thought crossed her mind, and her expression shifted dramatically, "Simon ran into Garrison at the hospital today! Knowing his ways, he might try to get ahead of the game! I need to call Herman!"

She was about to jump up and make the call when Leandro gently grabbed her hand, soothing her, "Don't worry. I've got someone keeping tabs on Garrison. He's a living piece of evidence, and I won't let anything happen to him easily."

Seraphina, who had been tense all over, relaxed at Leandro's words, her whole body suddenly going limp.

"My mind's been all over the place lately, I can't believe I overlooked such a crucial point-" she leaned on Leandro and murmured.

Leandro tilted his head slightly and kissed the shell of her ear, whispering, "I'm here for you."