"I hope everyone will learn from this incident and will think twice before instigating a plan against the Thawyne family.

" Aurora's eyes shrunk and her face turned ghastly pale in an instant.

Her perfect plans had already been ruined and now she was sentenced to imprisonment.. No! How could this be!

"Do not forget that I am also a noble and you did not have any concrete proof against me!

" she demanded to be free but her words fell on the deaf ears.

Leo had already signed the papers and she had been dragged by the knights out of the meeting hall.

Leo turned to look at the dazed girl with a smirk on his face. He was sure that the girl would be impressed enough to look at him with eyes full of admiration.

But she did not even pass him a glance. She was gleaming but lost in her own thoughts. Even when he cleared his throat, she did not seem to notice him.

She felt as if both her feet were stepping on cotton and her entire person was floating in the air…

When she regained her composure, she saw that his deep eyes were staring icily at her.

"Evangeline, you will be the one who will be in charge of my every work for next week as your punishment!

" his icy gaze and cold voice shook her so she nodded instinctively to save her neck.

She did not want to end up like Aurora. He was a merciless man. Only god knows for what reason would he blame her and punish her for her whole life.

Only when she nodded did Leo turn his gaze away and raise his hands. But no parchment landed on his hands this time.

He tilted his head and looked at the stunned Arden who was staring at him with enlarged eyes.

"What is it?

" he asked the stunned man who trembled when he heard his master's low growl.

"Master.. What crime had she done to get the punishment?

" he asked in a scared voice as he saw the face of Leo turned gloomier. It only made him shrink at his place.

He was asking only so that he could create the papers, alright! It had nothing to do with his personal work. His hands worked faster than his thought process as he wrote the letter of punishment and passed it to Leo who was shooting daggers at him.

Only when Leo read that she was going to spend all the time of next week with him did his icy gaze dissipate a bit and the glacier in his eyes melted.

Arden took a breath of relief as he survived one more day and bowed his head and took a few steps back when he saw Leo's sister walking closer to him.

The eyes of Eve were sparking with gossip written all over her face. She rubbed her hands with anticipation as she looked at Leo with a raised brow as if asking to spill the beans or she would not let him go!

But Leo ignored as if he could not feel her enthusiasm and turned to look at her pensive sister.

"Leo, I want to discuss a few things with you privately!

" her cold and somber voice turned Leo serious too and he nodded.

"I was thinking of having tea with you after breakfast! But right now I have matters to attend to.

" Eli looked at Evan instinctively who was sitting there with a dazed look and nodded her head.

Passing one more glance to the dragging Aurora, she was about to walk towards her aunt when she saw two knights walking towards her.

"My lady, there is an urgent matter that requires your assistance.

" she frowned when she saw the pale face of the knight and nodded.

"I will see you later in my office then.

" Once done, she left with the knights with hurried footsteps. Eve looked at her sister with worry, and her desire to gossip dissipated.

"I shall go and look at what happened!

" she added as she stood up and followed her sister out! Leo looked at both of them leaving and his brows furrowed. Could the palace be peaceful even for a day!!

He stood up and took two steps towards the door when he felt that the warmth that was filling his heart and body at the same time was missing. He frowned and looked back at Evan who was still standing there lost in her thought that only made his face darker.

The maids and staff who had stayed there to see the drama noticed the change in his temperament and left the room stealthily. The aide came forward and escorted the physician and maids that were taken and the witness out of the room too. Only the two of them and a lost Gabriella were left in the room now.

It had been quite some time since she was lost in her thoughts but he was sure that it was not about him or the Thawne family. Then what could it be?

Giving one last look to the door when his sisters had already disappeared he started at Evan with a cold glare as he asked finally,

"Are you going to sit here all day and enjoy the attention you are getting?

" she blinked, finally noticing that the room had been cleared and everyone else had left while she was sitting there alone.

A tinge of red covered her cheeks as she stood up and adjusted her dress. Her actions were so conscious that raised a brow of Leo who knew something was cooking in her small brain.

"Then.. I shall get going too..!!

" she replied in a hesitating tone and bowed her head but before she could take a step further, he called her again.

"Wait right there.

" Evangeline stiffened but turned to look at him with keeping her face neutral as if she did not know what the matter was

"Come on, ask me what do you need?

"

"..............

"