Her Tears Are His Weakness novel Chapter 168

"3:00 pm it is," Leonardo said, not budging.

Samantha pressed, "Just half an hour later? Please?"

He settled back into the couch, his posture relaxed yet exuding an effortless dominance. His gaze remained steady on her. Though she stood while he sat, there was no mistaking the implicit hierarchy between them.

"Speak," he said. "What's the matter?"

Samantha thought of Layla's words. Opportunities are earned!

She had feared he'd laugh at her and dismissed her dreams as naive fantasies. To her surprise, Leonardo nodded after hearing her out.

"Okay. You can try if you want."

"I… I don't know how long it'll take, but I'll hurry back. What's the latest I can show up?"

Her fingers twisted together nervously, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. She wondered if she was pushing her luck. If she was overstepping.

"Whenever."

"Whenever?"

Samantha didn't understand what Leonardo meant.

"Come whenever you're done," he explained. "Just call me, and I'll pick you up."

"But your family—"

"Don't worry about that. I'll handle it."

However, Samantha was still worried. Leonardo took her hand, leading her toward the dressing room. "But you should still try on the outfits I picked. If you're meeting a director tomorrow, you'll want to make the right impression."

"Okay!"

Samantha hadn't expected it to be this easy. She selected a look, then immediately called Layla, radiating the giddy energy of an excited young woman.

Leonardo watched her, his eyes softening with unmistakable fondness.

...

Samantha arrived at the real estate agency at 1:30 pm the next day.

Layla, sleek in a tailored pantsuit, moved with the precision of someone who commanded every room she entered.

To Samantha's surprise, everything unfolded seamlessly.

When Layla casually brought up Samantha's viral stage clip, Keith acknowledged he had seen it too. "Do you know her?" he asked.

He had taken the bait. Layla immediately fired off a text, summoning Samantha.

Keith studied Samantha, who had appeared before him in mere minutes. He felt like a naive fish that had taken the bait without hesitation.

Yet as he observed Samantha's delicate features and graceful bearing, he recognized she perfectly embodied the role. Deciding to overlook the obvious setup, he had her perform an impromptu audition on the spot.

Afterward, he told her to await further contact, promising to notify her of any developments.

Though uncertain of the outcome, Samantha walked away satisfied. She now understood that giving her all to pursue this dream made the result secondary– at least she had tried.

By the time she said goodbye to Layla and Keith, it was 5:00 pm. She immediately called Leonardo. "I'm done."

"I'll come get you."

Before the call disconnected, Samantha faintly overheard a woman's contemptuous remark in the background.

"What sort of woman are you with? No family standing, no exceptional talents, and now she presumes to make her elders wait? How bold of her."