Goodbye My Arrogant Ex (Marguerite and Leonard) novel Chapter 156

Marguerite had already thought things through. She knew perfectly well that if she and Leonard got engaged now, it would have serious consequences—everyone already knew what was going on between them.

Leonard, too, would be publicly shamed, and the company would suffer for it. After all, the company was his grandmother’s life’s work; they couldn’t be so reckless.

Honestly, she’d come to terms with it. Even if they couldn’t get engaged, it didn’t seem to bother her as much as she’d imagined. Still, hearing yesterday that Leonard had been seen with another woman—her heart had ached in spite of herself.

“Marguerite, thank you for understanding. I promise the engagement won’t be delayed. I’ll make it official as soon as possible. Being with you is what I want—no one is forcing me. And as for that other woman, I’ve already done more than enough. I don’t feel any guilt about it,” Leonard said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His tone was firm, almost unyielding.

Marguerite knew he was a man who took his responsibilities seriously. Even if he said such things, when it came down to it, Leonard would always do what needed to be done. He would never abandon someone who depended on him.

“All right, I’ll go back with you today. My studio’s got a mountain of things waiting for me,” she said, a note of impatience creeping into her voice. There was so much at the company that needed her attention, but she trusted Leonard to manage whatever came up.

“Marguerite, if something’s bothering you, you can tell me. You don’t have to keep it bottled up inside,” Leonard said quietly. He could sense her sadness, even if she insisted she understood. He hated seeing the woman he loved so guarded and withdrawn, holding back whatever she was feeling.

He looked at her with complete sincerity, making sure she understood that everything he did came from his own heart.

“Then why are you with me?” Marguerite blurted out, caught off guard by his sudden candor. She stared at him, still a little thrown by this side of him she wasn’t used to seeing.

“Because I love you. That’s all,” Leonard replied without a moment’s hesitation, his voice steady and utterly honest.