After Divorce Billionaire Ex Found Me Pregnant (Leonica and Gabriel)

Dream or no dream, Cold water soaked Leonica from head to toe. She gasped and tries to raise her young soaked body out of the small pond she had been shoved into, but her hand slipped on a few pebbles and she fell back in.

In front of her, standing tall and proud, was her high school bully and his friends. They cackled amongst themselves, expressions of delight shimmering in their eyes.

Just looking at their faces, Leonica felt her anger boiling "Jamil, I swear to God, I'm going to get you back for this." She threatened, the shrill in her voice exposing her youthful nature.

The ring leader, Jamil, steppes forward and bent down, at least enough to meet her eye level. "You? Get me back?" His taunting words were followed by a loud laugh which reached his bright blue eyes. "Yeah right, Leonica. Even in a thousand years, a freak like you can't do nothing."

Immediately after his words, Jamil received a harsh slap on the back of his head. He yelped in pain and turned around, ready to challenge whoever had hit him, but froze momentarily when he saw the person behind him.

Unlike him, Leonica's face brightened up upon seeing the familiar brunette male. "Mel,"

"What did I warn you about picking on Leonica?" Melvin asked, raising the book, the weapon he had used before, to once again hit the bully on his head.

Jamil quickly cowered, covering his precious face. "We weren't picking on her!"

"We?" Melvin's voice had a questioning to tone to it and it caused Jamil to look around, only to realize that his friends had bailed. "No, it's only you, Jamil. Now," He paused and smiled, but the look in his eyes was far from friendly. "Listen clearly, because the next time 1 catch you, picking her, it would be your last."

And with that, he made a hand movement, gesturing for the bully to run along. After one last glare in Leonica's direction, Jamil did as he was told and Melvin helped Leonica out of the school's pond.

"Can you not go one day without needing my help?" He teased.

Leonica answered with an eye smile, squeezing the water out of her dress. At least what she could squeeze. "No, not at all."

Melvin smiled, but his eyes looked dead, far from his usual jovial personality. "Well that's bad, because one day, I'm not going to be around."

Before she could process his words, the sound of her alarm clock ringing in the distance pulled her out of her dream into the past and she slowly peeled her eyes open to the familiar white of her ceiling.

She blinked once, then an extra time, before questioning why for the third time in a row, she had dreamt that exact ream. From beyond her room door, she could hear Grace and Ashley bustling about as she got up and got ready for another day in her life. Grace and Ashley's conversation became clearer when she stepped out of her room, fully refreshed. "Young master, you need to eat your meal now or else you'd be late for school." Grace tried to reason and seconds later, Ashley zoomed right past Leonica, nearly bumping into her.

She caught him by the collar and pulled him back before he could get too far. "Ash, what have I said about messing around on a school morning?" She questioned, the warning tone clear in her voice.

"He

Ashley's answer however, came in the form of his usual eye smile. "Good morning mommy." He greeted innocently.

"Good morning to you too, Ashley." Leonica responded, sighing at his innocent façade. She released his collar, squatting to his height as she arranged his uniform. "Now, tell me, why are you making Grace chase you when you're meant to be getting ready for school?" Ashley looked between the nanny folding her hand nearby and his mother. "She tried to make me eat salad."

"And that's bad, how? Leonica gave him a look he knew all too well as she waited for his answer while he scrammed his head to find one that would be befitting to his mother. Thankfully, the sound of her phone ringing helped him evade the task and the moment she let go of his shoulder to answer the phone, he was half way down the Hall. "Ash Ashley stop running!" She called out to him as she answered the phone while signaling to Grace to chase after her rebellious

What a little devil he was. And at such a young apel

"Yes, Hello?"

"Hey Leonica," The moment she heard Owen's voice, her entire demeanor brightened up. "Is everything okay? You sounded stressed So early in the morning" Leonica smiled at his question.

Of course he could tell from her voice. "I'm fine, it's just Ashley,"

"Ah," Came Owen's response from the other end. Leonica could almost picture him nodding his head, "What's the little rascal up to this time?"

"He refuses to eat." Checking her reflection in a mirror she had come across, her face crinkled at the sign of eye bags.

Those dreams must really have disturbed her.

"Ashley aside," She said, changing the topic at hand and pushing thoughts of the dream to the back of her mind. "How are you? And how are you adjusting to the new working environment? Oh, and Your injuries-?"

Owen chuckled faintly at her words, cutting her off before she could bombard him with any more question. "Leonica, slow down. Firstly, I'm fine and work over here's sailing smoothly and it's been a while month and a half since I was discharged from the hospital, I'm fine and so is my wound." She knew that, but still, she couldn't help but ask, just like she had done every other time.

Sighing through her nose, she bit down on her lower lip. "I know." The words passed her lips in a breathy whisper but Owen heard them. "I'm sorry for being a persistent prick"

"Don't say that." Owen was quick to object. "I like your care. It makes me feel more special than I already am."

Leonica chuckled at his words, even though they were true.

Owen was special, not just as that one childhood neighbor she tutored, or the only man that seemed to understand her, he was lover kind of special. Someone that she didn't mind spending her Friday nights with, cuddled together on her sofa and watching cringe Rom- coms while Ashley stayed over at Anastasia's.

Someone who she could freely get wasted on wine around and spill half of her life's tragedy to only to later end up crying herself to sleep on his shoulder.

He was that kind of special and truthfully, Leonica was enjoying it. Perhaps being his girlfriend was the consolation she got after all these years of hardship.

"Don't get too cocky there, Owen Lee," She playfully warned, watching as Grace returned with Ashley.

"I'm not g getting cocky, that's just me being truthful, and I'm sure you know it."

"Madam, the young master's ready." Grace's voice drowned the blush coated laugh that left her lips at that moment.

"Alright," She answered before turning her attention elsewhere, somewhat used to seeing Owen physically each time they spoke. "I have to go now, let's talk later, Alright?"

"Sure." Owen answered but called out in the last moment. "Leonica!

"Yeah?" Leonica questioned.

From the other end, Owen hesitated with his next words, knowing fully well how it will play out but still deciding to try. Perhaps today might be his lucky day. "...I love you."

The other end became silent at his words, and he nodded in understanding, knowing fully well that it would take more than a month and a half of dating and several 'I love you' from him to actually have Leonica say those words back.

He understood, and for that reason, he wasn't bugged that he showed more feelings and emotion in their relationship.

He was ready to wait, for however long it took, until she had actually healed and was able to say those words back to him.

"I'll catch you later then?" He didn't bother prolonging the silence. "Give some kisses to Ashley for me.

#y-yeah." Leonica sputtered and lowered her head, cursing at the damn restrictions that made saying those three words so damnu hard

"Alright, bye then."

"Bye "the said and hung up. She nearly yelped when she turned around and saw Grace staring at her. "What?"

TWO IMEA IN THE WED

"You need to move on." Grace said as she ushered Ashley to his mother, handing her his lunch box and backpack. "Else it's only going to hurt you and that precious boy." With that, she bent down and pressed a kiss to Ashley forehead, while Leonica stared speechless. Hurt Owen? And herself? Like hell she'd ever do that.

"I hear you Grace," Her answer came half heartedly as she grabbed her car keys and bag. "But I'm sure I know what I'm doing.

Grace didn't say anything to that and only watched as they left, but the look in her eyes said more than her words could.

Do you really know what you're doing, Madame?

The answer... when she thought about it, Leonica was unsure of it. But one thing she was sure of was that she liked and enjoyed Owen's presence.

Now all she needed to do was find a way to say those darn three words.

It can't be that hard, right?

Rodrigo Is Not Alone.