Leon was in tatters at his latest financial figures that kept going deeper in the red. It did not help that Jake Miliano's popularity continued to overshadow his. Sheldon Avon was pouring all his attention on the young star than to bother about their veteran's well-being. Desperate to sort out his dire finances, Leon called his brother, Angel.
"You should engage a financial advisor. Why me?" asked Angel.
"You're good with numbers. I can count on you to help me with this," said Leon.
"Alright, if you insist. I'll fly over to you this weekend."
———-
"Ai yai yai yai yai...not good," Angel flipped through his accounting sheets and typed out the figures on the calculator app in his phone. "After deducting taxes, you're left with..." He flashed the figure to him, causing Leon's eyes to pop.
It did not help that abysmal financial performance from his skincare company was exposed in the press. Even scathing reviews by former employees on GlassDoor revealed what a ruthless and diffcult boss he was.
"What do you propose I should do?" Leon rubbed his forehead, stressed and worried.
"Live a simpler life," Angel remarked.
"Is that all? I thought as a corporate lawyer, you can dispense better advice than that!"
"I'm a corporate lawyer, not a financial advisor," Angel corrected him. "Besides, what I say is true. Give up your diva lifestyle if you wanna stay afloat. Me and my wifey don't live extravagantly like you, and we're doing just fine."
"Good for you," Leon rolled his eyes. "Any better solutions?"
Angel looked through the papers again, "Your skincare business ain't going that great - for months now. Consider closing it down."
Leon retaliated, "Not an option for me."
"Selling it away would be harder since your company is in debt."
Angel flashed three fingers before Leon's face and pulled down each one as he continued, "Remember in business these three key tips: cut your losses, cut your losses, cut your losses."
His brother was right. Leon needed to cut his losses. Repaying that hefty $15 million business loan was slower than earning back. That did not include his mortgages on his other properties and daily expenses. Despite pumping in his own money into his own business and trying to sell off his products at a discount, it did not pick up like it used to. His only distributor threatened to cancel the deal earlier than the 6-months fulfillment, as sales were still not improving.
"Also," said Angel, "in order to pay back that loan, you will need to sell off more of your stuff and that includes some of your properties."
Leon cringed. It was hard to part ways with what he worked hard for.
Angel placed his hand on his shoulder, "Don't let stuff own you. Time to cut the strings."
"You're not the only one who told me that," Leon remembered Ron and his happy little life in a tiny house. Even his time at Yellowstone reminded him of the joy of simple living. For too long, he had been using debt to his advantage to earn money, but now debt was outpacing him.
"Guess I gotta do what I gotta do. It'll be nice to be ultimately debt-free."
"Great!" Angel patted his back. "Now, let's list down what you should offload."
——————-
The media went into a frenzy with the news of Leon mass-selling his items on Ebay, Amazon and through auction. They included his entire fleet of cars except his Lamborghini and Aston Martin, his yacht, his private jet, three of his properties, his entire wine collection which his parents secretly stowed away in their house, clothes, books and other personal items that he no longer needed. Vinny worked non-stop taking pictures and uploading each and every item online, while Anna was busy clearing and packing away stuff that he planned to sell off.
Less than two weeks after posting his items online, he managed to sell off two-thirds of his items. At least selling off his own possessions performed better than his skincare line and his music downloads! Leon's entire wine and beer collection, including his half-drank bottles, earned the biggest sum from the auction from fans who were desperate to drink from the same bottles that their idol's mouth had touched.
In less than a month, Leon sold all that he had except for his properties which he was still waiting for interested buyers. He managed to earn more than the $15 million needed, but he needed to sell more in order to tide him over and maintain his living expenses while his voice had not returned, and pay off his monthly mortgages on his other properties which included his parents' mansion. No way would he allow their house to be touched by the bank.
"How's things going?" Angel video-called to follow up on Leon, along with their parents who were all in a family group chat.
Leon panned his camera across the house, "Less cluttered. Surprisingly, I actually feel more at ease than upset. It feels spacious here now, too spacious."
"Welcome to the Marie Kondo wagon!" Angel teased.
"Well son, me and your mum are proud of you, especially since this has gotta be your toughest year in your life. We've discussed this between ourselves and we decided to sell off our mansion and move to a smaller home," said Mr Waltz.
"What? No, don't!" Leon exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Don't worry about us. Your old man has been through hardships like these before. Downgrading to a smaller house is nothing," Mr Waltz assured.
"Besides, we know it's no small mortgage amount that you've to fork out every month plus the maintenance fees," added Mrs Waltz. "I'll miss this place. But I agree that it's too big for two people. We'll do just fine downsizing."
"No! I won't let you guys take my burden," Leon insisted.
"Then, how will you go about maintaining this mansion?" his mother asked.
Leon thought for a while. He looked around his penthouse. Of all the properties he bought, his penthouse was the most expensive. He took a deep breath and decided, "I'll sell off my penthouse."
——————-
News of Leon's sale of his penthouse dominated headlines across the globe. For the first time, he allowed a news reporter to take pictures inside his house and hoped that the publicity would catch the eye of a potential buyer.
Pictures of the penthouse's interiors and extravagance, including its panoramic view of the sea, wowed the globe. No one knew the rooms Ariel and Andy used to live in, until someone leaked it to the press on which were the specific rooms.
What?
It shocked Leon, for he did not tell the reporter which rooms they lived in except to allow him to take picture of every room. The news even stated how Andy was spoilt for choice with his own X-box, large bed and spacious play area, while Ariel's room was the smallest in the house, but still plush and comfortable with her own marble en-suite bathroom, and that she loved Lavender flowers. The news recalled the time Leon bought lavender flowers at night last year and speculated that it was for Ariel.
Who was leaking crumbs of their private lives to the press? Now, he was getting paranoid!
The media must be paying a handsome sum to this informant. To drag Ariel and Andy into this angered him even more! Suspicion grew and he still could not figure out who it was. It definitely had to do something with @CherryBerryKiss.
Leon immediately called for an urgent meeting with his team.
Arnold, Vinny, Anna, Rico, Ryan, Evan and all his bodyguards were all summoned for the meeting.
"There's a mole in the midst," Leon narrowed his eyes at each and everyone of them. "I know someone's been leaking information on me, details that I never told the outside world, not even to Elia Dera."
He took out his phone and showed the profile of @CherryBerryKiss, "This is the mole! Whoever this person is, she or he's been pinpoint accurate on who the fake and real me is. No way would anyone know this! And she said things I'm sure I've heard before by someone in this circle."
"Not me," Anna shook her head with raised palms. "I don't do social media."
"I worked together with you long enough to know that's a stupid move," said Arnold.
"Me neither," said Ryan. The rest echoed after him.
"My job is to protect you, not malign you, so there's no way I'll betray you like this," Evan said.
"How do we know?" Vinny questioned him. "How do we know you're not the one? You're after all the last hire in this household."
"No way I'll do that. I even took the bullet for Leon, remember?" Evan defended himself.
Vinny continued her speculation, "Or maybe it's Ariel and her friends. Besides, Leon, you addressed this @CherryBerryKiss as a "she" as well. So, I don't think those ladies are a trustworthy bunch, considering your friendship with them has only been over a year.."
"You'll not say anything unsubstantiated about them," Leon was adamant.
"It's not unsubstantiated, it's a possibility," Vinny defended her opinion.
"I don't buy into it," Evan countered.
"Oh really? Now that you're dating one of them. Rita, is that her name? How do we know you did not leak anything to her friends?"
"How dare you!" Evan gritted his teeth at Vinny. Anna and Ryan tried to calm him down, but Vinny flashed a smirk at him.
"And Ryan," she turned her head towards him. "You're dating Camila, maybe you're the one leaking details?"
"Oh, puh-lease! Me and Camila aren't that sort," Ryan shook his head. "I've worked with Leon for many years to wanna jeopardise our working relationship in such a despicable manner."
"Maybe it's you," Evan pointed at Vinny. "How do we know you're not the one behind it."
Vinny snickered, "Nice try, except such accusation stems from your own bitterness rather than facts."
"As if your words have any merit, ice lady," Evan sneered.
"Enough!" Leon slammed his palms down on the table. "Bickering among yourselves won't solve the problem. Besides, I also don't believe those ladies are capable of such things."
Vinny tightened her jaw and looked away, shaking her head in disappointment.
Leon panned his eyes across each person in the room and warned in a grave tone, "If I catch the culprit, whoever you are among us, I'll not only not hesitate to fire you on the spot, I'll make sure you pay for damages arising from the breach of NDA. Am I clear?"
"Yes," said everyone.
"One more thing. As y'all know, I'm not doing well financially, and I have debts to clear," Leon swallowed hard.
"Oh, com'on. You've rejected all the recent projects I've put on the table after the Elia Dera show," Arnold reminded.
"I'm not interested in using my meltdown to entertain the public through more interviews and sitcoms anymore."
"That's why Avon's shifted attention to Jake Miliano."
Leon glared at him.
"Well, it's true," Arnold replied matter of factly.
"Anyway," Leon manoeuvred the focus back on himself, "I'll not be requiring your services as much, except for Arnold and Vinny. I'll be revealing who I'll keep and who I'll let go."
Everyone glanced at each other in shock. The atmosphere was getting heavier.
Leon took a deep breath, "Anna, Rico and Ryan, you've worked hard for me for many years and I appreciate all that you've contributed. Unfortunately, I won't be requiring your services as much as before. I may request your help from time to time but I make no guarantee that it will come back to what it was. If this is not feasible, please find another employer."
Rico was blindsided by the news, and so was Anna, whose lips quivered with worry. As Ryan was self-employed as a freelance make-up artist, he did not have it as bad as Anna and Rico as he still had other celebrity clients under him. However, it was still a blow nevertheless as Leon made up a large part of his income.
"As for my bodyguards, I've decided to let some of you go..."
All the bodyguards tensed in their seats. Evan was anxious, worried about how he was going to support his daughter.
Leon continued, "I've already notified your security company that I'll cut down the current number of five to three. Please understand that this is not easy for me, you guys have been great." He turned to Evan, "Evan, you're one of those who'll stay."
Evan breathed out a sigh of relief. When Leon named out the other two bodyguards who would be let off, Evan found it hard to see those familiar tough faces turned aggrieved at the immediate news.
"For those who've been affected, I promise each of you a generous severance package. I'll also recommend your services to my other celebrity friends who may be interested in hiring you."
Leon pinched his nose bridge between his eyes, stressed and upset himself, "The meeting's ended, all of you are dismissed."
Everyone left the room except for Anna, who was still shaking in her seat.
"Anna, I'm so sorry. You've always been like family to me," Leon hung his head low.
"Oh Leon, you're almost like my own child. This is hard," she wiped off a tear.
"I'll still need your help 'til I sell off my house. Even if I move to a new place, I can't promise that it'll be full-time like it used to."
"Oh Leon, I understand. But I worry for my family back home in Puerto Rico. My sister needs a heart surgery soon, and I don't know how I'm going to help her if I don't have full-time pay anymore."
"How much do you need, Anna?" Leon asked with concern. "Let me help you."
"It's ok, my dear. I'm not the type who accepts free money, you know that," she forced a smile.
"But I insist!"
"No no no!" she shook her head and dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. "I have my own pride. Besides, you need it more than I do right now. I'm also sad to see how you're struggling like this."
"Oh Anna," he hugged her, "I promise, I'll find someone to hire you."
"Thank you," she nodded and squeezed her eyes shut to prevent her tears from streaming down.
—-
"Mum, Leon's selling away his penthouse!" Andy declared after reading it from the news on his laptop. "I'm gonna miss that place."
"That's his decision," Ariel shrugged as she continued browsing her phone. She was already disturbed that the media figured out which rooms she and Andy slept in at Leon's penthouse. There were crude suggestions that she and Leon must have "done it" when pictures of his bedroom were shown. In fact, she never once stepped into his bedroom, except to see it in its full glory in the news.
The news was hot on reporting Leon's massive sell-off since it was clear he was in debt. Talking about how he used to rebuke her for her "poor" decision to sell her recipe cheaply to Fujita back then...
Good thing to sell off that place with all its furniture and fittings! It'd been too tainted by many nefarious women, including that nasty model!
"Be glad you're not living in a bad place," Ariel continued. "This townhouse is so cool, isn't it?"
"I prefer Leon's house, because it has a large swimming pool, a nice sea view, and Leon was fun! Over here, it's all women! I'm the only boy around," he sighed.
Ariel giggled, "But Hiroshi comes every week, so you have a male companion."
"It's not the same! Leon's more fun."
"You think so?"
"Uh-huh," Andy nodded. "By the way, mum, why does he want to sell off such a nice house anyway?"
"Financial issues," explained Ariel. "That's why it's important to save more than you spend. That's what my parents taught me."
"But he's rich."
"Well, being rich doesn't mean you don't have money problems. There are things that can go beyond your control."
"Can you help him, mum?" Andy's eyes gleamed with concern.
"How could I? His debts are way more than what I earn."
"Not his debts, but offer him a place to stay after he sells his house."
Ariel lifted up her head, surprised by Andy's suggestion, "Look darling, Leon won't go homeless. He'll find another place. Besides, I'm sure he may move to his parents' mansion for a while."
"Oh..." Andy lowered his eyes. "Would be nice if we can live together again like we used to."
Ariel shook her head and resumed looking through her phone.
—————
Saturday night was so busy at Hinata that Ariel had to work overtime as usual.
"Ariel, someone has requested to see you," said a waitress.
"Who?" asked Ariel as she inspected the row dishes that were to be served.
"A diner. She's an old woman."
"If it's another diner requesting my autograph, tell her I'm busy. I mean, how many times must I remind you that I do not entertain such request!" she was annoyed.
"She's been insisting and even said you and her used to work for Cody."
Ariel perked her head up at the mention of the name. Who could it be? She immediately stopped what she was doing and hurried out to meet the person.
"Anna!" Ariel was elated to see that familiar motherly face.
"Oh Ariel, I thought you won't ever see me," she gave her a deep hug. "I really miss you."
"Me too! Don't be silly, I'll never turn you away!"
"If only you're easy to approach. It's not easy convincing your waitress that I wanted to meet you until I told her you and I worked for 'Cody' so that you won't refuse me."
"I'm so sorry! I get random requests like that from people who just want to meet me in person until I decided not to meet anyone anymore."
"Oh, I perfectly understand," Anna nodded. "I just finished your barbecued kebabs - they're so good! I miss your cooking, dear."
"Really? You do?" Ariel smiled.
"Oh yes! If only Leon gets to try it. Not once has he bought anything from Hinata."
"Well, pretty understandable," Ariel pursed her lips
"Anyway, my dear, is there somewhere I can privately discuss with you?" Anna looked around as she noticed some of the diners staring at them.
"Absolutely, follow me to my office."
Once they were in the office, Ariel closed the door behind them.
"Phew!" Anna sighed a breath of relief and took a seat opposite Ariel. Ariel poured her a hot cup of her homemade flower tea, the same one she used to make for Leon.
"Oh, how can I forget this delicious tea," Anna took a sip.
"We're safe now, so how have you been?"
"Oh Ariel," Anna put her cup down. "As you know, Leon's trying to sell his penthouse. I've been working as his housekeeper for so many years and it's enabled me to support my family in Puerto Rico. I also helped clean his yacht, his cars, his skincare business office and two of his houses in the city when they're not rented out. But now, Leon is in financial trouble. He sold off his cars and yacht and now, the penthouse. He said he may only engage me part-time but I worry about my income. Even when he was at rehab, he still tasked me with many things to do. Now, he can no longer hire me full-time."
"I'm sorry to hear that," said Ariel. "Are there any other houses that you can clean?"
"Well, I've asked around but not many are keen to hire an old woman. I may be old but I'm still robust and strong." Anna flexed her arms. "I can't depend on him anymore. My sister in Puerto Rico is in desperate need of her heart surgery and my son's doing his masters."
"Then let me help you out," Ariel did not hesitate. "How much money do you need? I can give you some."
"Oh no, I won't take money for free from you, not even a loan. I also refused Leon's offer, because I feel he needs it more than I do, but nevertheless, he gave me a severance package plus a generous six-month bonus, which I know is his way of helping my family because I would've refused if he just gave me on a platter for nothing," said Anna. "Even though the money helps, for now, it won't last long and I don't like being idle. I also need to keep my son in university. I was hoping if you can provide me a job?"
"A job?" Ariel blinked. "Has Leon helped to get you a job with other people?"
"He did recommend my services to his celebrity friends, but they are currently content with their own housekeepers," Anna moaned. "Does your house need cleaning? Or you know of anyone who does?"
"Actually Anna," Ariel brightened, "I do need a housekeeper. Fujita just ended the contract with the cleaning firm that comes to clean my house every week, so I'll discuss with them if they can take you on board."
"Splendid!" Anna was relieved.
"What about the others? Are they alright?" asked Ariel.
"The others..." Anna's expression once again went crestfallen. "Leon recommended Rico to his celebrity friend, that rapper whom I forgot his name, he's now working for him. Two more bodyguards have been dismissed, and Ryan's services are not needed as much. Even though he has other clients, Leon was his biggest client, so he'll need to seek more work elsewhere."
"Oh," Ariel placed her hand on her heart, sad to hear what was going on with her former workmates. "How about Evan? Is he one of those let off?"
"Evan's job is safe. Leon needs him."
Ariel was happy to hear that.
"Vinny is another lucky one, but lots of us don't like her now," murmured Anna.
Ariel tilted her head, "How come? I know she can be aloof and icy, but what do you mean that lots of you don't like her now?"
"We had an urgent meeting recently with the boss," Anna explained. "He looked distressed. Apparently, he suspected someone among us was leaking private information to the press about him."
"Go on," Ariel listened intently.
Anna explained, "Vinny suspected Evan and Ryan, since they're both dating your friends. She insinuated that you and your gang must've leaked to the press about Leon."
"That's ridiculous! Me and my friends would NEVER do that. Besides, we are too busy to have any interest in Leon's personal life and we can't risk breaking our NDAs with him," Ariel was infuriated.
"I believe you and your friends," Anna assured, "You guys are not that sort and I can see that. I don't think Leon agrees with Vinny."
"So," Ariel recalled, "the news that revealed which rooms me and Andy slept in, was that the one?"
"Yes. Leon would never reveal that sort of thing. He allowed the reporter to take pictures of the house so that he could attract a potential buyer. He did not reveal anything else to the reporter, but somehow when the article came out, details of which rooms you both stayed in and how you lived were shared, and it claims they got it from "a close source to Leon". It really angered the boss but no one knows who did that."
"Oh!"
"Please believe me, dear," Anna held onto Ariel's hand, "Leon would never do anything to hurt you and Andy like that. He has 100% faith that you and your friends are not the ones behind this, but his trust in those close around him is waning too. I'm glad to hear that you two have become friends again, so Leon needs your support more than ever. I'm afraid something worse might happen if the culprit is not caught."
"I'm sure he'll be fine, Anna," Ariel comforted, although she began to worry as well.