Goodbye My Arrogant Ex (Marguerite and Leonard) novel Chapter 157

In that moment, Marguerite’s eyes lit up with surprise, and she froze, unable to believe what she’d just heard. She’d never expected this man to say he was with her because he loved her.

For a split second, she wondered if she’d misheard. Was he really saying these things?

“Marguerite,” Leonard said, his voice steady and eyes filled with warmth, “I never do anything that goes against my heart. I’m with you because I love you. Maybe you don’t believe how I feel, but I’m willing to let time prove everything to you.”

What he didn’t say out loud was that he had loved her for so many years already.

“I…” Marguerite faltered, unsure what to say or even how to face him.

Leonard hadn’t told her everything about their past, still holding onto the hope that one day she’d remember on her own and recognize him.

“You don’t have to say anything now,” he continued gently. “Just believe in how I feel about you. I chose you—not because of your family, not because of anyone’s pressure. If I were the type to give in to family pressure, I wouldn’t be here with you right now. So you don’t need to feel any kind of guilt or burden.”

He hesitated, then added, “I know I’ve been busy lately, and I haven’t spent much time with you. Please don’t overthink it. Once I get through this stretch, I’ll make it up to you. We’ll move forward with our engagement soon. Honestly, we should have started planning it already, but after everything that’s happened, I didn’t want you to get caught up in all of this. My hands were tied.”

If they could just clear the air, Marguerite knew she would understand him—and she knew deep down that there was nothing between Leonard and that other woman.

She knew, better than anyone, that things weren’t as simple as they seemed. Even though the gossip online had died down for now, the slightest stir could bring all those old rumors flooding back.

“Thank you for understanding,” Leonard said softly. “I’m already looking into it. I need to know who’s been pulling the strings behind all of this.”

If he ever found out who leaked the story, he wouldn’t let them off easily.

“It does seem strange,” Marguerite mused. “There shouldn’t have been many people around at that time. If you’d gone during the day, I could understand how word got out. But why was it exposed right then, of all times?”