Leo had attended the wedding not just because Johnny invited him but also because he still saw Kristina as his friend. She was like his little sister that he actually got to watch get married.
But instead of paying attention to the event itself or even glancing at the the wedded couple, Leo's eyes stayed fixed on Becca.
Despite being the one who chose to give her space and time alone, he couldn't help himself. He missed her so much that sending people to report her every move was just not enough anymore. He needed to see her for himself, to touch her. To hold her.
Leo had chosen to sit at a corner behind her where he would get a perfect view of her and he had to admit she looked ravishing that night but Leo being the man he was, still found a problem with the dress she wore.
It was too revealing, the chest area. It showed cleavage and though he liked looking at her chest, hell he fucking enjoyed it but he also didn't want hungry rogues to get the same pleasure. Especially not that fucker who had the courage to hug her.
If Leo hadn't kept reminding himself that he was at a friend's wedding, he would have stood up and ripped off Kyle's head from his body. Not caring if he was Becca's long lost friend or not, Leo hated when other people touched what was his and Becca was his. But for the sake of having a bloodless wedding, he had himself back.
His eyes still fixed in their direction like burning lasers, particularly on the Kyle to see if he would be useless enough to do something that would end his life at an instant.
After the repulsive fly left Becca alone, Leo noticed how her eyes were everywhere, looking at everything and everyone. He knew what she was looking for, who she was looking for.
Him.
She was trying to spot him in the crowd but got disappointed when she couldn't and the way she slumped her shoulder feeling so let down made his heart ache. Seeing her sitting all on her own, looking so disappointed, it pained him. He wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him.
Leo's intention for coming there was to watch her from afar and not to be noticed but seeing how disappointed she looked, he wanted to grant her this one favor. He wanted to give her what she had be craving for the past two months.
Again, him.
But that couldn't happen there, he needed to take her to a place more quiet, more private.
And just as expected of his little kitten, she turned around to see who had been staring intently at her. To see the person who only had eyes for her.
That was how their little game of chase started. Leo intentionally led her out of the hall, out of the sight of other people so he would have her all to himself. Once he finally got her where he wanted her, in a hallway so dark she wouldn't even be able to see his face, he came closer to her.
He heard Becca's soft sobs and felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She was crying.
' Was she scared? Did she hurt herself while running?' Leo asked himself different questions as he used his hand to wipe her tears away.
She was asking where he had been, why he hadn't come to her all the time but he chose not to answer her questions. How could he possibly tell her all the things he had done when he was away? How it had affected him? He couldn't tell, no. At least not yet, it wasn't the right time. It wasn't even the right place, but their time together was fast approaching. The time he would hold her in his arms again.
The time he would pick up her broken pieces with his hands, not to put them back together but to smash them even more. Break and destroy them to smaller pieces until she doesn't even recognize they were hers, until she couldn't remember her pain anymore.
A woman as wonderful as Becca didn't deserve the pain she is causing herself, she didn't deserve the guilt and regret she was feeling. A woman like Becca deserved to be adored, to be worshipped from the crown of her head to the tip of her toes. She was a princess born to rule as a queen. To rule by Leo's side as his queen.
He moved closer to her and just as he pressed side of his face on her shoulder, he inhaled a scent. It wasn't the same as her usually jasmine coconut and honey fragrance, no, it was different. It smelled like a strong masculine cologne and as the foreign scent whiffed into Leo's nostrils again, his eyes instantly burnt with rage.
The bastard fucking left his scent on her, how dare he? Didn't he know she was his?
'How many men am I going to hurt for you, Becca? Because I would gladly kill them all just for looking at you, my love.'
Leo's blood boiled as he remembered how that rogue hugged Becca, his woman. Doesn't this world have any respect for ownership?
His possessive animalistic instinctives then kicked in, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer to him, trying to mask Kyle's scent with his. In Leo's head, this was unacceptable. The only scents that were allowed to be on Becca were hers and his, anyone else's would just be crossing the line.
Leo had planned to ghost her for another month or two but with the way things were, with the way hungry rogues were trying to snatch what was his, he would have to return soon. So if those bastards couldn't keep there hands to themselves then they might as well not keep their heads.
After giving his warning and saying what he had to say to her, he said goodbye and walked away, leaving her alone in utter darkness. It wasn't the nicest thing to do to a woman he loved but he still did it. And despite it taking every form of willpower in him to leave her, he still did.
Becca dragged her feet back to the reception hall, her head bowed low in defeat as she desperately fought back the second round of tears threatening to fall.
Though she had heard Leo's voice, he touched her but at the same time, she didn't even get to see his face. The place was just too dark to see anything.
Still hugging herself with her arms, Becca stepped back into the hall and the first person to approach her was Regina. Seeing as her stepmother was walking towards her, Becca instantly wiped the tears forming in her eyes and forced a smile on her face
" Sweetie, there you are. Where were you? I have been looking all over for you." Regina said once she approached where her stepdaughter stood and placed her hand on Becca's shoulder.
" I just went out to take some air. It was getting a little stuffy here." Becca lied, hoping Regina wouldn't doubt it and stop asking questions.
Then Becca heard Regina hummed, as if contemplating her words and bit the inside of her cheek, anticipating what her stepmother would say next. Only releasing the breath she held in when she saw Regina nod in acceptance.
" Okay then, come with me." Regina grabbed Becca's wrist and began pulling her towards the rest of the guests.
" Where are we going, mother?" Becca asked with her brows creased in confusion, not having the slightest clue where Regina was taking her.
" You are accompanying me to meet some guests. Aside from Kyle, it had been awhile since I saw you engaging in a conversation with someone here." Regina kept pulling, not bothering to stop even once while Becca fought the urge to roll her eyes.
" And that is bad because?" Becca asked, making sure the sass in her voice was heard loud and clear.
Regina stopped pulling and turned to look at Becca before rolling her eyes at her.
" Well for starters, you are not getting any younger, sweetie." Regina gave out her first reason and Becca's jaw fell to the floor.
" what do you mean I'm not getting any younger? I'm only twenty three years old for Christ's sake." Becca pulled her wrist out of Regina's grip and folded her arms over her chest. Her eyes holding a defiant look in them like the feisty little kitten she was. "One of your daughters just got married and you are looking for a way to send the other one off, right?" Becca couldn't believe this. Of all the people she had expected this from, her stepmother was never one of them.
Regina exhaled loudly, trying to pick out her words before using them. She knew men had always been a difficult topic to discuss about when it came to Becca and didn't want to freak her out.
" I'm not saying you should get married this instant, I just want you to get acquainted with possible suitors and where better to find worthy rich businessmen than at your own sister's wedding." Regina smiled brightly at her, deliberately ignoring the eye roll Becca was giving her.
To be honest, the reason why Regina was doing all this wasn't just because she wanted Becca to socialize but solely because of the unwanted attention Becca was attracting to herself.
Leo Kane's attention.
Regina had seen how Leo's shameless eyes were fixed on her daughter and hated it. She even watched how Becca went after him when he left and though she was shock by what she saw, she still chose to act like nothing happened. Regina never even thought Becca would be capable of opening her heart to a man, talk more of chasing after one.
'Something had to be wrong, Leo definitely did something to Becca.' Regina thought as she watched the scene a while ago and one thing was for sure, whatever he did, she didn't like it.
But don't get it twisted, it wasn't like Regina hated Leo or anything, not all. It was just the idea of him being with Becca she despised.
Even if she didn't, Leo's lifestyle and Becca's weren't alike in anyway. While Becca wanted to live a quiet and peaceful life, Leo was out there killing people and getting assassination attempts every other month. Their relationship would never work.
Besides Leo was too rough for Becca and he wasn't the type of man she needed in her life. What Becca truly needed was a gentleman who was caring and loving. Not to forget one who had a completely legal source of income, not a psychotic mafiaso who killed people just for the fun of it. That was why Regina was trying to find someone else for Becca, literally anyone that wasn't Leonardo Kane would do.
" I don't want any suitors. I'm fine just the way I am." Becca said and Regina let out a tired sigh. She knew Becca would refuse, someone who was capable of chasing after a man like that would definitely refuse to be matchmade with another.
Another sigh left Regina's lips as she casted her eyes to the floor for a few seconds and by the time she looked at Becca again, she bursted out the cutest puppy dog eyes Becca had ever seen. Surpassing Navaya's by far when it came to cuteness.
Fortunately, Becca saw it coming and quickly avert her gaze so she wouldn't fall victim of Regina's cuteness. She disliked that everyone she cared about knew cute puppy dog eyes were her weakness and hated how they always used it to get what they wanted from her.
It was so unfair but at least Leo didn't know know how to be cute. If he did, then it would have been disastrous for Becca.
When Regina saw Becca wasn't going to budge so easily, she decided to pull out her weapons of mass destruction.
Regina reached out to Becca's arm and started tugging at her sleeves like an attention deprived child while still channeling all her inner cuteness through the look she was giving her.
Regina didn't always use this method, she usually got whatever she wanted but only chose to this extremely powerful weapon because Becca was proving to be stubborn this time.
After doing this for awhile, Regina smirked when she saw Becca was about to crack.
" Okay fine, I will meet the stupid guests but I'm not getting married to anyone." Becca said to make herself clear. She was only agreeing to meet a few guests and definitely wouldn't think of having a relationship with either one of them. She also didn't want to give Regina false hopes.
Regina beamed, literally bouncing on her heels and clapping her hands like a child.
" Oh Becca, you don't know how happy you have made me. Who knows, you might even find your true prince charming tonight." Regina's smile was now shining brighter than the sun and Becca once again rolled her eyes hard at her stepmother despite having a smile on her face as well.
" I highly doubt it." Becca retorted, knowing fully well her prince charming wasn't here anymore but now gone with the wind.
The thought of Leo made Becca's smile waver a little bit but she quickly fixed it up so Regina wouldn't suspect anything. If there was one thing Becca learnt from being a Ramus was that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Johnny didn't become vicious overnight, he got it from someone. His mother. And if people thought Johnny was vicious then Regina was a vile beast out for blood.
Ignoring Becca's last statement, Regina resumed pulling her towards the table of one of her business partners so she could get acquainted with them and their good looking sons.
Regina knew she was intentionally poking death in the eye. If Leo was to find out about it, he would set all the men that flirted with Becca here on fire in front of their parents but nethertheless, Regina didn't care. After Leo made savage threats to her concerning Becca, she wanted to make him eat his words.
Leo thought because he was the mafia king he could do whatever he please and sure, maybe he could but not when it came to her Becca. Regina didn't see Leo worthy enough to have Becca as his woman and would make sure it never happened.
If Leo really wanted Becca then he would have to claw her out of Regina's hands, the same way he clawed out his mafia from his uncle's hands.