Chapter 3
For their first "date," Maggie was chauffeured to a five-star restaurant, hidden behind a wide-brimmed hat and dark sunglasses, flanked by bodyguards.
Leonard was already waiting in the private dining room, impeccably dressed. His hair looked perfect as he wore a warm smile.
I sat in the restaurant's security office, watching the scene unfold on a monitor. Seeing Leonard so solicitous and charmingly nervous only made me feel pathetic.
It was the same act he had put on for Ava right after I had worked all night on one of his projects or played nice with a client he couldn't stand.
I couldn't hear their words, but I could see Leonard laying on the charm while Maggie, following her script, nodded demurely, giggled behind her hand, and recited a few prerehearsed lines about art and philanthropy.
Two hours later, the "date" concluded.
Leonard personally walked her to the car, bending to open her door like a knight.
The second the car was out of sight, a notification popped up on my phone.
It was live audio from the bug I had planted in Maggie's purse.
First, I heard Maggie's shrill, giddy voice on the phone with her mother. "Mom! You should have seen him! He was so sweet to me! And the restaurant was incredible! He said he's going to take me to a private art exhibition next!"
After the call ended, there was a brief pause before another voice came through. It was Leonard, his tone carrying a faint trace of fatigue and coldness.
"Michael? Yeah, I just met the heiress. Honestly, she's a disappointment. Plain. No class. Nothing like Ava."
It felt like a cold needle sliding into my heart. It was a pain so fine that it was almost invisible, yet sharply real.
I couldn't catch Michael's reply, but Leonard snorted.
"I'll butter her up. What else? I'd marry a troll to get my hands on the Quinn family's resources. Once I have their backing, my company will be unstoppable. I'll be able to have any woman I want."
He paused, a smug confidence coloring his tone.
"Ava? Once I've locked this down with Ms. Quinn, I'll find her. Women are simple. A little sweet talk and she'll come running back. She's been with me three years, so she can't live without me. I'll set her up in an apartment somewhere."
I turned off the recording. My fingers were ice cold.
Leonard never failed to live down to my expectations.
He was as vile, arrogant, and scheming as ever.
Lusting after my family fortune while simultaneously sneering at the heiress, he had already plotted how to cage me, his discarded toy, again.
So be it.
The higher he puffed himself up, the harder the fall.
The next few "dates" were textbook.
He took Maggie to galleries and concerts, showering her with increasingly extravagant gifts.
And after each date, paparazzi would "coincidentally" catch them, publishing photos of the doting boyfriend and the mysterious heiress, who was always just a blurry profile or a figure seen from behind.
[Leonard Shaw's mystery girlfriend is rumored to be from a billionaire family!]
[Power couple alert! Leonard Shaw and the Quinn heiress are spotted in secret. Wedding bells soon?]
The headlines fueled a media frenzy.
ShawTech Solutions' stock popped day after day, hitting fresh highs in a frenzy.
Leonard began calling Richard frequently, behaving earnestly as he fished for an invitation to meet the parents or for permission to go public.
Richard remained masterfully vague, hinting that his "daughter" was impressed but required a greater show of "sincerity."
Leonard read it fast.
On a sunny afternoon, he rented out the most exclusive rooftop garden in the city and called his pet reporters to stage a proposal that the whole city couldn't ignore.
The scene was perfectly staged. A giant heart-shaped wreath of flowers framed the moment, while a sea of pink balloons drifted overhead. A team of photographers captured every angle, and, of course, a convenient gathering of the city's elite were on hand as "witnesses."
I watched from the security room. On screen, Leonard knelt on one knee, holding up a diamond ring that had to be at least ten carats. Maggie was flushed and giddy in an expensive couture gown.
He looked up at her with just the right mix of tenderness, nerves, and devotion. Thanks to a hidden mic, every word reached me crystal clear.
"Ms. Quinn, from the moment I met you, I knew you were the one. Perhaps our families brought us together, but my heart is what keeps me here. Your kindness, your spirit, and everything about you captivate me.
"Please, give me the honor of spending my life with you. Marry me."
Maggie, following the script, covered her mouth, tears of joy slipping out. She nodded vigorously, extending her stubby fingers.
Leonard's face instantly lit up with feigned bliss. He slid the ring onto her finger, sprang to his feet, and swept her into a spinning hug, dipping her for a perfect kiss.
Thunderous applause and cheers broke out all around.
Camera flashes created a sea of light.
Major media outlets instantly featured the "romantic" proposal photos and videos.
[Leonard Shaw's proposal succeeds!]
[The fairy tale in reality!]
The hashtags trended instantly.
ShawTech Solutions' stock price soared to a new high.
I watched Leonard kissing the woman he thought was his ticket to the top. His face radiated a smug triumph as if he had just conquered the world. I wore an icy smile.
I allowed them to kiss and celebrate right now, enjoying their moment.
Leonard, did you think you were kissing the stairway to a financial empire?
No. That was just the springboard to hell I built for you.