Page 30 of The Mogul: Leonard

“What do you think? Is it comfortable enough?” I ask her.

“Yes, I like how it hugs you when you lean on the back cushions.” She confirms what I already noticed about this sofa.

“You’re not really considering buying this thing, right?” Raphael asks me with a disgusted face.

“Why not?” I look at the couch to see if I missed something I should consider before buying it, but I see nothing peculiar about it.

“It’s bubble-gum pink,” he points out.

“You have stuccos and mosaics in your bathroom. Don’t judge me!”

Sven can’t help but chuckle, earning him a side-eye from Raphael.

“Fair enough,” my sister’s husband concedes.

Sven’s smile fades a bit when he listens to something in his earpiece. He moves toward Raphael and whispers something in his ear, too low for us to hear, but I already know what it is, and my sister does too. She stands up at the exact moment Raphael’s eyes land on mine with an apologetic look.

Before he even speaks, I already know what he’s going to say: Party’s over. Everyone needs to go home.

“Word got out that we’re here and people are gathering to take pictures. Silver and I should go home before the crowd grows. We don’t have full security with us,” he explains.

I don’t blame him for wanting to avoid the craziness of the crowd. Only in the United States are politicians treated like celebrities, and the frenzies surrounding them are disconcerting, but Raphael can’t change reality—not this one, at least.

So, I have to accept not seeing my sister as often as I’d like, but this time I’m grateful to have spent almost all day with her.

“Not a problem. You helped me a lot today. I can take it from here.” I smile at him, but I can see the disappointment in my sister’s face.

“It’s okay, really!” I try to reassure her, but her frown doesn’t disappear.

“Are you sure?” she asks sweetly.

“That I want to avoid being judged by your husband about my taste in interior design? Absolutely positive.” I grin and give her the thumbs up.

I manage to get a laugh out of her and Raphael, and when she hugs me, she promises to make up for this interruption. I know she will. She always keeps her promises.

I watch them disappear out the back door, with Sven urging them inside a car already waiting in the parking lot. It hits me just now how alone I am. Tonight, I won’t go back to my crowded apartment, and while I’m excited for this new adventure on one hand, this is the first time in twenty-five years I won’t have someone to come home to.

I’ve been adulting for less than five minutes, and I already feel alone. Maybe I’m not fit for this grownup thing.

“May I help you?” The smiling eighteen-year-old salesgirl diverts my attention from the back door. I’m still staring.

“I’d like this couch delivered. Is that possible?” I smile back at her.

She beams. “Of course, we can arrange a delivery. You just need to fill in some paperwork. By the way, I love this couch. I was looking forward to buying it when I get my own space.” She winks at me while I follow her to the register counter.

“Sorry to steal your furniture!” I chuckle.

She giggles. “Don’t worry. It’ll take me awhile to save enough money to leave my parents’ house. And with the commission from this sale, I’ll be closer to reaching my goal!”

“I’m glad I could help.”

It doesn’t take long to buy the couch, fill out the papers, and walk out in the Los Angeles sun. It’s time to go home. My stomach flutters at the idea. A mixture of excitement and anxiety makes my insides quiver. But first, I need some takeout food because I can’t cook to save my life. I guess some things are hard to change.

I procrastinated all day to the point that I started unpacking my boxes instead of diving into my job, but now I need to face the reason why I can afford this place. I have to try to crack Leonard’s system to figure out how they get in to steal that money. I’m reluctant to do this because the moment I’m in, things will start to become real. I’m working for the devil, and I need to face this reality.

I grab my laptop and sit on the only piece of furniture I have in my new home: the mattress lying on the floor, which I brought from the old apartment. I lean my back against the wall and start digging into his systems, starting from the most obvious: the website.

I crack my knuckles, stretch my neck, and take a good sip of my energy drink. I’ll need it to stay up all night—or at least for a few hours. I hope I’m done way before the sun comes up.

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