But that trick wasn't working anymore.
The distance from the door to the desk was only a few short steps.
Yet Leo had managed to make those steps feel like an impenetrable fortress.
Willow lowered her head, offering a soft smile. "Alright, then I won't bother you. I'll leave the cake right here by the door. You can eat it whenever you like."
She placed the box on the floor and turned to walk back downstairs.
When Eleanor spotted her descending empty-handed at the landing, her face instantly soured.
"He didn't let you in again?"
Willow kept her voice light. "He's just in a bad mood today."
"Bad mood, my foot," Eleanor snapped, her temper flaring. "Wren is making him act weirder by the day."
Willow didn't engage with the comment.
She simply sat gracefully on the sofa and helped Eleanor flip the dress catalog to the next page.
The page featured an elegant, silver-gray gown.
Eleanor studied it for a moment before suddenly asking, "Are you sure you want to wear this one to the gala?"
"Is it too plain?"
"Plain is better," Eleanor declared, locking eyes with her. "Don't bother competing with Wren on flashiness. The harder she tries to flaunt her status as the current Mrs. Langford, the less you should rush things."
Willow's fingers stalled on the page.
"She is still technically his wife."
Eleanor let out a cold laugh. "She won't be for much longer."
Willow ducked her head, maintaining her silence.
She knew Eleanor was just feeding her comforting lies.
But eventually, even the sweetest lies lost their flavor.
Upstairs, Leo waited until 7:40 PM.
His phone screen finally lit up.
Lawrence had sent another text.
[Running late.]
Leo stared unblinking at those two words for a long time.
He desperately wanted to ask how late "late" meant.
His thumb hovered over the keyboard, but he eventually closed the app without typing a single letter.
He set the phone down and continued to sit in total silence.
At 8:17, he accidentally knocked the bottle of glue over.
A puddle of white sludge spilled onto the wood. In a panic, Leo frantically tried to wipe it up, accidentally smearing a glob onto his sleeve. He stared down at the sticky white stain, a heavy lump abruptly forming in his throat.
Wren used to make him wear a battered old apron whenever they crafted.
It was hideously ugly, featuring a faded blue bear on the front.
He used to complain about how uncool it looked.
Now, thinking about it made him want it back more than anything.
At 8:30, Eleanor sent a maid upstairs to coax him down for some fruit.
Leo refused.

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