Watching the infamously cold 'TheBoss' act so lovingly towards a woman, PinkLotus stood frozen, her eyes widening in disbelief.
The same Leo who had just fought her with such intensity, now softened like butter in the presence of this woman.
His hands rested lightly on her waist, his lips pressing small kisses on her cheek, all while completely ignoring PinkLotus as if she had never existed.
This was a side of Leo she had never seen, a side she had never even imagined, as in her head, 'TheBoss' was a cold and heartless man which was the only reason he never showed an ounce of kindness to her.
A big part of her feeling intrigued and drawn towards him was because he never treated her with the kindness that most men would and this made her naturally gravitate towards him, however, she believed that he did so because he was kind to no-one and not because he treated her differently compared to other women.
It was unsettling, but also... humbling.
For as long as she could remember, men had always fallen over themselves to gain her attention.
One glance, one smile, and they would offer her the world. But Leo? Leo was different. His gaze didn't even flicker toward her. All his focus, all his affection, was poured into this one woman. A woman who didn't appear the least bit fazed by her presence.
Amanda was beautiful, yes, but in a quiet, understated way. Yet, it was clear from Leo's body language that to him, Amanda was the most important person in the world.
The scene unfolding before her felt... foreign. PinkLotus found herself envious, not of Amanda's beauty, but of the affection she received from Leo. The way he looked at her was as if nothing else mattered, as if there was no one else in the world but her.
'Why? Why does he look at her like this when he won't even spare me a glance? Just what does this woman have that I don't?' Alia wondered, as for the first time in her life, she felt small—not in the sense of being lesser, but in the sense of realizing just how much she had misunderstood.
Not every man was like those who fawned over her for her looks, as Leo, despite all his flaws, was clearly madly in love with Amanda. And that love had nothing to do with her beauty.
As Pink Lotus continued to stare, Amanda glanced over and noticed her. With a gentle smile, Amanda broke away from Leo, and walked over towards her with an outstretched hand.
"Hello," she greeted warmly, "I'm Amanda, also known as VainKitty in the game. I'm a blacksmith by profession."
Pink Lotus blinked, momentarily stunned. Amanda's voice was friendly, open, and with no trace of jealousy or hostility.
It was a tone she rarely heard from other women, as for a moment she hesitated, before deciding to shake Amanda's hand, as she felt the warmth and sincerity in her grip.
"I'm… Pink Lotus," she replied, still processing the surreal scene.
Amanda smiled wider, taking in PinkLotus's appearance. "You're really beautiful, you know?" she said, her compliment sounding so genuine that PinkLotus almost didn't know how to respond.
Before she could speak, Amanda added, "And I'm sorry if Leo's been rude to you. He can be a bit... difficult, especially with women. He has a way of making them feel disrespected—unless they're family or... well, important to him."
Pink Lotus's breath caught in her throat. The ease with which Amanda said it, without any defensiveness or suspicion, made Pink Lotus feel even more off-balance. Amanda wasn't apologizing out of insecurity or because she felt threatened. She was just... being kind.
This kindness was unfamiliar, and Pink Lotus wasn't sure how to respond. She wasn't used to being treated like this—like a person, rather than a beauty to be admired or envied.
All her life, women who she befriended had treated her like an enemy and tried to sabotage her life at every chance they got, which was why she decided to play solo, not trusting either gender.
However, both Amanda and Leo defied this norm. Both of them did not seem the least bit concerned about her beauty and treated her normally.
"Thankyou…. You're quite pretty yourself" Alia replied, as she watched Leo return to Amanda's side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
At this point she began to feel a shift deep within her. She had always despised men, believing they were all the same—shallow creatures, driven by their lust for beauty.
But here was Leo, so utterly devoted to Amanda, treating her like she was his entire world, which made her feel that this was not true.
And Amanda, for her part, didn't seem to need Leo's attention to feel secure either.
She wasn't possessive or territorial. She was simply happy, content in her relationship, trusting in Leo's love without needing to fight for it.
Watching them, Pinklotus could not help but find herself wondering... was this what she had been missing all along?
For so long, she had viewed her beauty as both a blessing and a curse.
It was what drew men to her, but also what kept them at a distance.
She had never believed it was possible to be loved for anything deeper. But watching Leo and Amanda, she realized that love could exist beyond appearances. It could be something built on trust, respect, and an unspoken understanding.
And maybe... just maybe, that was the kind of love she wanted too.
As Leo tickled Amanda before her making her laugh, Amanda slapped him playfully asking him to behave in front of guests.
Watching this scene unfold PinkLotus couldn't help but feel a strange longing.
She had never thought of herself as someone who needed love—at least, not the kind of love that wasn't wrapped up in admiration for her beauty.
But now, she realized that if she could find someone who loved her the way Leo loved Amanda, she wouldn't have to fear anything. Not time, not fading looks, not loneliness.
Perhaps there was hope for something deeper. Something lasting. Something worth chasing.
As although she had come here today to seek a spar against Leo, what she found instead was the answer to a deep rooted psychological problem that had been plaguing her for decades now.
There were no words of counsel offered to her, however, just witnessing the dynamic between Leo and Amanda was enough for her to realize that this was the kind of love she wanted for herself in life.
It was like all the answers she ever wanted were before her very eyes and having found them she felt extremely happy.
'Maybe one day, this will be me and my boyfriend….' she thought, as for the first time since coming over to Leo's manor, she smiled genuinely, feeling happy to see the other side of the infamous 'Boss'.
A side that the common man would perhaps never get to see.
A side that was buried under his black and white mask within the game.
—-----
/// A/N – chapter 4/4 for the day. Day 1 complete! ///