Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Quiet Between Wars
She watched him carefully. “You think it’s serious?”
He entered the grand hall and glanced toward the dining area, expecting it to be quiet.
There was silence on the other end.
She turned, nearly jumping at the sight of Leonard standing in the doorway.
“I didn’t mean to ignore—”
Her smile faded.
He must’ve heard everything.
Her hands were shaking.
Melanie flinched. “I’ve been busy with school.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Want me to stay?”
Leonard handed her back the phone. “Melanie, listen to me. I don’t care who this is or what they think they can do. No one—and I mean no one—gets to threaten you.”
“I have no say in company affairs,” Melanie replied tightly.
It was on her.
The night air was quiet as Leonard stepped out of the car, the manor bathed in the soft orange hues of sunset. He loosened his tie while walking up the marble steps, exhausted from yet another tense meeting. The board had been on edge lately, but his mind wasn’t on numbers or corporate takeovers.
She shook her head. “No… I should handle it.”
She stood and stepped out into the hallway, accepting the call with a breath.
There was no softness in his tone—just quiet certainty. She believed him.
Her father added coldly, “You can at least be useful for once. Since you married Leonard Westwood, make him sign our proposal.”
He nodded.
“I didn’t marry him to be your middleman, I didn’t marry him to be your pawn.” she said quietly.
Melanie.
“It’s my mother,” she muttered. “I’ve been ignoring their calls.”
Leonard stepped forward and took the phone from her hand, setting it aside. “You didn’t bring it. They did.”
“You’re married to Leonard Westwood,” her mother snapped. “Do you think that means you can forget where you came from? You still have a family. And a responsibility. You think you’re someone now? Living in that big house, wearing designer clothes? Let me remind you—you owe us.”
Melanie sat on the far end of the long dining table, her fingers tracing the rim of her water glass. She looked up the moment he stepped in, and for a fleeting second, something in her softened.
Before either of them could speak again, Melanie’s phone lit up with another call.
He could see it in her eyes, hear it in the careful tone of her voice. She was trying to be strong, but something was gnawing at her peace.
But there she was.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
No one had ever stood between her and the world like that. No one had ever looked her pain in the face and said, I’ll carry this with you.
She sat across from him, picking at her food, her chest still tight from the call—but lighter than before.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to bring any of that into your world.”
Melanie bit her lip. “What do you want?”
“This Evening.”
“You’re home,” she said quietly.
Leonard glanced down. “You okay?”
Unknown Number: Enjoy your spotlight while it lasts, Mrs. Westwood.
“You’re his wife. Use your position for something useful!”
Melanie hesitated, then reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She handed it to him without a word.
“Hello?”
Melanie allowed herself to be led back to the dining room, a strange comfort blooming in her chest.
No matter what storm was gathering outside—inside these walls, Leonard had become her calm.
“Finally!” Her mother’s voice cut sharply through the speaker. “We’ve been calling you all day. Or have you gotten too important to answer now that you’re Mrs. Westwood?”
“You’re still awake,” he replied.
Mum Calling.
“I think it’s a warning,” he said. “And I’m going to treat it like one.”
“Now,” he said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face, “let’s sit down and eat. You need your strength.”
It made his blood boil. He’d spent years negotiating with world leaders and ruthless CEOs, but never had he felt such a violent urge to burn something down.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said gently.
Her breath caught.
He took her hand in his. “And I’m going to make sure they never do it again.”
His jaw clenched.
Melanie stared at the phone, tears threatening but not falling. She felt hollow.
She stared at him, speechless.
She wanted to scream that she wasn’t the helpless girl they used to order around. That she had a life now. A choice. But the words stuck in her throat.
His gaze didn’t waver. “Because I’m your husband. Contract or not, that means something. It means I’m responsible for you. And I’ll protect what’s mine.”
Her father’s voice joined in. “Busy? You think you’re some queen now? You couldn’t even return a call?”
Leonard’s POV
Her fingers tightened around the phone, her nails digging into her palm. She knew these voices too well—her mother’s cutting superiority, her father’s cold expectation. No matter how old she got, their disappointment still curled in her gut like a fist.
“When did this come in?”
She looked up at him, voice shaking. “Why do you keep protecting me?”
Maybe she didn’t believe in fairy tales. But right now, she believed in Leonard.
He looked up at her. “Why didn’t you tell me immediately?”
Leonard glanced down.
Leonard’s jaw tightened with every word. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop—he was only coming to tell her he need the number that sent the message for tracking. But hearing the way they spoke to her, the entitlement in their voices…
She swallowed, emotion catching in her throat. She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed to hear that until he said it.
“We sent a proposal to Westwood Corp. Your husband hasn’t signed it yet,” her father said. “You should make sure he does. Expansion permit for our logistics company. We need his signature to secure the funds.”
Then her mother scoffed. “You owe us that much.”
He walked over and took the seat beside her instead of at the head of the table. Their eyes met.
“Because I didn’t want to overreact. Or maybe… because I didn’t want to believe someone could hate me this much.”
Melanie let out a bitter laugh. “You heard all that?”
“Leo, I don’t want a scene. Just… keep it quiet. Please.”
She ended the call.
“I don’t owe you anything,” Melanie said. “Not anymore.”
He nodded, his voice firm. “I’ll double security. Quietly. No one will even notice. But I promise you this, Melanie… whoever they are, they’re going to regret ever thinking they could touch you.”
