Soren nced at him, realizing the man probably didn''t know who he was or anything about their rtionships.


    Leo was naturally chatty. "Hey, man, I haven''t asked yet. What do you do? And what''s your connection to Miss Theresa?"


    "You all seem to know each other pretty well, right?"


    Soren wasn''t one to share much with strangers.


    But something about Leo''s simple, down-to-earth manner made him unexpectedly answer, and even more unexpectedly, lie.


    "I run a small business."


    "Yeah, we all know each other well."


    Leo''s eyes lit up. "Then can you tell me a little about Miss Theresa''s past?"


    Soren paused at the question, studying him with a subtle look. "You..."


    “I don''t mean anything by it! I''m just curious."


    Leo let out a couple of sheepishughs.


    Just curious? He was a man, too. Soren would have to be a fool to believe a lie like that.


    Scoffing inwardly, Soren threw a bucket of cold water on him. "She has a fiancé."


    Worried that Leo might still have ideas about Theresa, Soren added a helpful warning. "Her fiancé''s name is Victor. He''s been looking for her for years. Theresa might go back to him at any time, so you''d better not get your hopes up."


    Leo had never heard the name, but at Soren''s words, the light in his eyes instantly dimmed.


    But he recovered quickly.


    He smiled again. “That makes sense. Miss Theresa is so beautiful and capable. You


    can tell she''s not someone a guy like me could ever hope to be with. Having a fiancé is perfectly normal."


    Though his words imed it was normal, Soren could clearly see the disappointment on his face.


    her


    Soren couldn''t help but offer a word offort. “You''re not so bad yourself. When her family finds her you can probably get some money out of it, marry a pretty girl, and start a family."


    Leo waved his hand dismissively. "That sounds so boring. I''d rather stay by her side.


    As long as she doesn''t hate me, I''ll stay with her. Seeing her happy makes me happy too."


    With that, Leo chuckled again.


    Soren couldn''t understand his broad-mindedness, how he could remain so calm after hearing she had a fiancé.


    His stomach let out a loud growl. Soren picked up the food Leo had brought but just as he was about to start eating a thought urred him. He looked up and asked, "Did Theresa ever mention Evangeline to you?"


    Leo nodded. “Not much, but she said a few things."


    Soren put down his utensils. "What did she say?"


    Leo replied, “She said Evangeline married a scumbag, a lowlife, a man worse than a dog After all, you could get attached to a dog after five years, but after five years with him..."


    WI


    Soren couldn''t listen anymore and held up a hand. "You can skip the insults."


    Leo fell silent, thinking for a moment. "Then there''s not much else."


    “Oh, wait,” Leo added. “She said Evangeline was constantly bullied, and it was led by her ex-husband."


    Soren''s expression turned agitated. “That''s impossible!"


    His voice rose several octaves. Noticing Leo''s startled look, he realized he had overreacted.


    He calmed himself and lowered his voice. “No matter what, he''s a grown man. Why would he lead a campaign to bully a woman?"


    Leo sighed. “Not all men are good men. There are plenty of scumbags out there.” Soren couldn''t hold it in any longer. "I am his ex-husband."