Ch. 106..110: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 106-110
Chapter 106 Amelie and Toby Are Together
Elyse purposely looked as if she couldn’t read Leo’s mind. With a smile, she continued, “That sounds like good news, though. Remember the huge scandal between Miss Dillon and the boss of Starlight Media? But there was no news about their marriage all this while, so I was quite worried for them. Turns out she is dating Toby Walsh! Heh, Toby used to be such a huge flirt, but now that he’s with Miss Dillon, he doesn’t go around seeing other girls anymore. He must be really into her, huh? Honestly, I’d still feel a little guilty for her if she isn’t able to find another man since you divorced her because of me. It’s good to see them together. Leo, you too don’t have to worry about her anymore. From now on, just focus on living your life with me.”
Leo didn’t respond to her, and his body turned rigid.
Elyse caught his subtle movements but didn’t let it show on her face. Deep down in her heart, however, she felt smug.
Leo would soon find out about the truth between Amelie and the boss of Starlight Media, and since his interest in Amelie was also growing, Elyse took the chance to pair Amelie and Toby up to prevent Leo from having other ideas.
…
After the meal, Toby and Amelie chatted about the ancient shoemaking method that Amelie’s father used.
“We plan to still use the traditional technology for production, and in the sales process, we also hope that you can endorse us,” said Toby.
Since the shoemaking craftsmanship was passed down from her father, Amelie naturally hoped that Toby could carry it forward. Hence, she agreed readily, “You can rest assured. Not only will Foxy fully support it, but I will also send more people to push it to the market.”
“Thanks in advance.” Toby looked at Amelie with a warm gaze.
The two then chatted a little more and left around 4.00PM.
It was time to pick Bria up.
Toby insisted on sending Amelie over. As Amelie’s car was parked elsewhere, and she was still chatting with him, so she nodded and agreed to his offer.
When they arrived at Starlight Media, Bria skipped out of the building.
When she saw Toby, her bright eyes suddenly stopped blinking, and the cheerful expression she had morphed into hostility.
Bria knew Toby was Leo’s friend, and since she was afraid of Leo, she was naturally hostile to any of his friends.
“Hello, Bria,” Toby greeted while walking up to her. His smile was warm and bright.
“Mr. Walsh,” Bria gently greeted him back before running to her mother and hugging her thigh.
“Would you like to go to the amusement park?” asked Toby.
Bria blinked her eyes at him.
When Amelie and Julia brought her to the playground last time, she had so much fun riding the flying planes and trains that those memories still stuck with her.
“Mmhm.” She nodded.
Crouching in front of her, Toby asked, “Shall I bring you there?”
Bria glanced at him and then at Amelie.
A child could not resist the temptation of the amusement park, after all. “Okay,” she replied with a nod.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Amelie objected. “Your time is precious, Mr. Walsh.”
“I’m not as busy as you think.” Stretching his hand out, he hugged Bria in his arms and tapped on her nose gently. “Let’s go.”
Bria hummed and beamed prettily.
Seeing how anticipated Bria was, Amelie decided to stay quiet and followed the two to the playground.
Toby hugged Bria in his arms and went on the merry-go-round, the pirate ship, and many other rides that she had dared not take previously.
Surprisingly, Toby’s embrace was so warm that she realized that she was no longer afraid of riding those attractions.
Somehow, she seemed to become more courageous because of him.
Leaning into Toby’s chest, Bria giggled non-stop.
Amelie, on the other hand, smiled in contentment when she saw how happy her daughter was.
When Toby raised his head to see her, he caught the faint smile on her lips and was slightly taken aback by it.
Even though her smile was faint, it was very gentle, just like a whole hill of cherry blossoms blooming in Spring.
It was tender, yet very charming.
The three hung out together until the night ushered in.
After a few hours of fun and games, Bria had completely fallen for Toby. When they left the amusement park, she took the initiative to hold his hand. Exhausted, she let out a big yawn.
Amelie noticed her weariness, so she crouched down to carry her, but Toby beat her to it and carried her in his arms.
Bria then yawned again, leaned against his shoulder comfortably, and dozed off.
Without a choice, Amelie could only watch over her from the side.
“What a happy family.”
“Oh my god, yes. Both parents are beautiful and handsome, so that must be why their daughter is so pretty!”
“I’m so jealous.”
People from the surroundings started whispering among themselves when they noticed the trio.
Amelie’s face quickly flushed and she was about to explain that they weren’t a family, but she noticed two people walking in their direction.
She couldn’t believe they were Leo and Elyse!
Desperation clouded Amelie’s heart.
She tried so hard to avoid them during the day, so how could they even bump into each other again at night?
These two were the last people she wanted to bump into on earth.
This time, Toby also noticed their presence. Without shying away from them, he walked up and greeted them warmly, “Hey Leo, hey Elyse. What brings you two here?”
Leo didn’t respond but instead focused his gaze on Toby’s chest, where Bria was sleeping soundly. Instantly, his dark orbs turned gloomy.
Leo recalled very clearly how the child was extremely cautious toward himself. Every time she sees me, she reacts as if she sees a ghost!
However, from the looks of it, she wasn’t hostile toward Toby!
And this Amelie seems so delighted over the remarks the passersby made about them being a family!
Subconsciously, Leo’s body went rigid.
Noticing his reaction, Elyse stepped slightly forward to block Leo’s gaze. With a tender smile on her beautiful face, she replied, “I was bored, so I asked Leo to accompany me here.”
Her eyes sparkled, showing off how blissful she felt.
Toby nodded at her. “The amusement park is a great place to date.”
Without denying it, Elyse giggled and smiled even more sweetly.
“Now that we’ve bumped into each other, let’s just hang together. I have some questions for you anyway,” Elyse suggested enthusiastically.
“How about next time?” Toby looked at the child in his arms and declined her offer.
Then, he glanced at Amelie and said, “Let’s go.”
“Okay.” Amelie wiped Bria’s face and nodded before leaving with him.
Throughout the conversation, she never even looked at Elyse and Leo. She regarded them as nothing.
Noticing how Amelie ignored her, Elyse squinted her eyes unhappily.
She was an outstanding girl. Even though she couldn’t defeat Amelie in racing, her acting career was in full swing, and she was pretty well-known in the industry.
That itself was enough to prove that she was way stronger than Amelie.
In addition to that, she came from one of the millionaire families in the city, unlike Amelie who had a father who worked as a shoemaker.
The audacity to pay no attention to me! Elyse was fuming.
At the same time, Leo’s expression didn’t look so good either and the reason behind that was also how Amelie disregarded him.
It wasn’t that he deemed himself as high-class, but he started feeling distressed because of her indifference!
“They look really happy together,” Elyse deliberately remarked and covered her lips as she giggled. “They’ve been stuck together like gum the whole day now. Good news must be coming.”
As soon as she said that, Leo’s phone rang.
He swiped to unlock his phone, and when he read the message, his face immediately fell.
Chapter 107 Truly Outstanding
“What’s wrong?”
When Elyse saw his face like this, she turned to look at his phone.
However, he had put away his phone. “I have something urgent to do. You go in alone.”
Without waiting for Elyse’s response, he strode away.
In the private room at Prix Bar.
When Toby walked in, he saw Leo already sitting inside. Leo was wearing a black shirt that contrasted against his fair skin, and his expression was very serious and unhappy.
“Didn’t you accompany Elyse to the funfair? It’s over so soon?” Toby asked, looking slightly surprised.
However, Leo didn’t respond and just drank on his own. After Toby came in, Leo’s brows furrowed even tighter. Seeing that he didn’t speak, Toby didn’t ask any more questions. Toby sat across from him and poured alcohol. He often wore white clothes, and he looked gentle and stylish in his clothes.
Leo’s eyes darkened as they fell on him. “You like Amelie?” he asked.
Toby paused when he poured the alcohol, but it was only for two seconds.
“Yeah.” He gave an affirmative answer.
Leo’s fingers holding the glass suddenly tightened as his knuckles turned white. The thin glass nearly broke under his forceful grip.
“She’s such a nasty woman; what do you like about her?” he asked with a snort.
He gritted his teeth as he continued, “When did your tastes become so bad?”
Toby’s fingers also clenched hard at that, and a slight displeasure appeared on his face. His displeasure came from Leo’s evaluation of Amelie. However, he didn’t point it out but instead smiled. “I think my tastes have improved. In your opinion, Amelie is a nasty woman, but in my opinion, she is truly outstanding.”
Leo stiffened, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes. Even though Amelie had changed a lot after the divorce, he definitely didn’t think that this woman was outstanding.
“Since when did you start falling in love with her?” He lowered his head and sipped his wine, pretending to be indifferent.
Toby narrowed his eyes slightly. His long eyelashes overshadowed his gaze while he thought carefully. “When did I fall in love with her? It was probably when she knelt on the ground covered in blood and begged the doctor to draw her own blood to save her daughter. The doctor refused, and she cut herself to give the blood to her daughter.”
Leo’s lips paused on the rim of the glass when he heard that. It was as if someone had hit his back hard with a stick, and his whole body was numb from the pain. After a while, he slowly raised his head and looked at Toby with shocked eyes. Toby had mentioned this before, but he had never spoken so clearly before.
Amelie even cut herself?
Toby was deep in his thoughts and wasn’t paying attention to Leo’s reaction. He continued, “In other people’s eyes, she is crazy, but to me, she is a mother who is strong for her child and can do anything for her child. She may have made mistakes, but how bad can a woman who can devote herself to her child to this extent be? Saving her daughter without consideration of her own life is enough to show that she loves this child a lot, and she probably loves the person who gave her this child a lot too.”
Cough! Cough cough cough!
Leo suddenly choked, and he coughed violently. The discomfort in his throat spread to his heart and lungs, and his heart and lungs were affected with sharp and painful spasms!
It wasn’t until this moment that he suddenly realized that perhaps it wasn’t because of benefits that Amelie forcibly tied herself to him back then, but because of… Love!
Therefore, the thoughtfulness that she had shown was not to solely please him, but because she loved him from the bottom of her heart! The more he thought about it, the worse he coughed. The pain in his chest was getting worse! With fingers clenched tightly on his chest, he felt there was something silently flowing through him there. It took him a long time to stabilize himself a little.
“Since you know that her life has not been easy, don’t trouble her anymore! With her situation and status, your family will not accept her!” he said in a deep voice.
Toby rubbed his eyebrows with a wry smile. “It’s not a question of whether my family accepts her, but whether she accepts me. If she accepts me, I’m happy to leave my family for her.”
Leo was speechless. He stared fixedly at Toby without many expressions on his face, but his heart was already filled with turmoil. Toby is willing to give up everything for her?
His chest tightened more and more as if an air pump had been installed in his chest cavity, making him unable to breathe!
Toby put down his wine glass and stood up. He put his hands down and looked at Leo. “Leo, I don’t care what you did to her before. But she has divorced you now. If you dare to hurt her again, I swear I will go against you!”
These last words sounded powerful!
Snap! The glass in Leo’s hand was broken into two pieces by him! Blood-red liquid mixed with blood dripped down, but he didn’t seem to feel the pain. He also stood up, the coldness on his face apparent.
“You actually would turn against me because of a woman?”
Toby didn’t say anything more, and he walked away. Leo stood on the spot like a wood carving, with fury visible in his eyes. But he couldn’t figure out whether this anger was because Toby wanted to turn against him, or whether Toby fell in love with his ex-wife.
“Leo!” Elyse ran in from the outside.
Holding his bleeding hand in distress, she asked, “How did you injure yourself like this?”
“I’ve heard that Amelie wrote a message to part with you for good and gave it to Jodie. She wanted Toby to marry her with ease. I think she might really like Toby. You don’t have to worry about Toby at all.”
Her words caused Leo’s fingers to clench tightly again, and he didn’t even notice that he was clenching her fingers too. Elyse felt a sharp pain coming and exclaimed, but he didn’t respond. All he could think about was the message that Jodie sent him before, which consisted of the note where Amelie said that she would no longer pester him!
After a while, he let go suddenly upon realizing that he had hurt Elyse. Elyse rubbed her fingers in pain. They had turned purple. With unhappiness on her face, she said, “The wound on your hand is very deep. Let’s go to the hospital to get it checked.”
Leo didn’t respond but stepped past her and strode away.
Elyse was speechless at that.
After settling down Bria, Amelie checked the things to bring again. She then found that there was no water in the car. Hence, she came down with the key and walked to the 24-hour supermarket. But after only a few steps, she saw Leo standing on the side of the road dressed in black with cold eyes. Noticing her coming out, he suddenly raised his head and looked over. His expression was gloomy and hostile.
Although startled by his look, Amelie didn’t show it. A mocking smile crept across her face. “Oh, are you afraid that I won’t leave, Mr. Alston? So, you came here to make sure that I leave? Don’t worry. I’ve promised to leave the city. From now on, we will never cross paths again. If you’re worried, Mr. Alston, you can just send a few people to watch me instead of coming here in person.”
Her tone was light as if she was joking, but her expression said otherwise. Leo clenched his fists tightly at that. Then, he walked over, grabbed Amelie’s shoulders abruptly, and pressed her into his arms all at once!
Chapter 108 Take Responsibility
Leo’s sudden action startled Amelie. Instinctively, she struggled to get away.
His hand tightened hard around her neck.
“What is the meaning of this, Mr. Alston?” she asked as she struggled. Her voice was cold from rage.
Her eyes shone with a furious blaze.
Her reaction merely upset Leo even further. Just then, he recalled the sweet smile on her face when she was talking to Toby.
His heart clenched in pain.
“What tricks did you pull to seduce him? You won’t spare even my friend, huh?” he barked out harshly.
She looked up, confused.
Friend?
The only friend of his whom she was close to was Toby.
Did he think she was seducing Toby?
Was she that trashy in his mind?
Her heart jolted in agony as if something just pierced it.
On the surface, though, she laughed. She was laughing out of anger. “What tricks can I pull? If your friend was seduced, it would only be because of how pitiful I look when I’m with you!”
“Pitiful?” Leo sneered. “It’s all your fault though, isn’t it?”
It was only then that he realized he had lost control of himself. He was blabbering by now.
Growing up, he had never said anything like that, not even during the time he had loathed her the most.
However, the words spoken could not be taken back.
Amelie had always known he hated her, but it was the first time he ever spelled it out so bluntly.
Although she had decided to draw the line and stay away from him, his words still hurt her.
Before she could speak, someone dashed over.
The newcomer shoved Leo hard, pushing him away.
“You’re a sc*mbag, Leo!” cried the newcomer. Her eyes were burning with fury, a fire strong enough to consume those in its path.
“Julia?”
Amelie could not help but let out a cry when she saw who it was that came.
Julia had specifically come all the way here because she knew Amelie was going to leave tomorrow. When she finally arrived, she found Amelie being threatened and even heard what Leo just said.
Like an agitated rooster ready to fight, Julia turned to shoot him a sharp glare. “All her fault? How could you say that? If you don’t want to be a responsible man, then keep your lower half in check. Don’t touch Amy at all.”
“Putting aside the fact that her testimonial all those years ago had been a great help to the Alstons, even if she had not helped you at all, you still have no right to detest her! You slept with her, so you
have to take responsibility. It is her right to request you marry her!”
Julia was beyond herself with anger. Her chest rose and fell as she roared at him. She did not care if she were so loud that other people heard her, nor if she would be recognized by other people.
“Enough, Julia,” Amelie said, walking over to pull her away.
She did not want to use the past to gather sympathy in the present.
Julia refused to stop, however. Her eyes were red as she pulled away from Amelie. “Also, what has Bria done? Why does she not have the right to be born? Why must she be unduly punished just because you’re angry?”
“An immature and irresponsible man like you will only ever be liked by Amelie,” she continued. “Other women would have gone far, far away from you.”
“Speaking of which, a sc*mbag like you certainly isn’t worth Amy—”
“Julia!” When Amelie realized Julia was about to mention the corneal donation, she immediately shouted.
After the interruption, Julia bit her lip and kept quiet. Nevertheless, tears kept streaming down her cheeks.
She was just so upset on Amelie’s behalf.
“Anyway, Mr. Alston and I have split ways. We won’t even have the chance to bump into each other again. Let’s not create unnecessary trouble,” Amelie hinted, knowing that Julia’s tears were for her.
“Let’s go.”
She then dragged Julia up the stairs and into the apartment.
Julia was still crying, upset at the injustice.
Amelie sighed and gently wiped her tears away with a handkerchief. “You’re usually a carefree woman. Why are you crying for me?”
Julia grabbed Amelie’s hand. “It was not worth it, Amelie. We should have told him just how untrustworthy that scum was. We should have told him about the corneal donation!”
“There is no need.” Amelie shook her head. “I have left that love behind. I don’t want him to continue hovering around me because of what happened. It’ll be so annoying!”
“It upsets me, though!” Julia could not be calm about this matter. “That Clayton woman did nothing for him. She betrayed him, yet he treats her like some precious treasure. Even though he knows she is the reason the blood was contaminated, endangering you and Bria, he never once scolded her for it. The two of them went on being as loving as ever.”
“You have done so much for him, but he can’t even keep his initial promise,” she continued. “He just forgot all about you. I don’t want him to live an easy life. I want to carve into his heart so that he may never know peace for the rest of his life!”
“To forgive him is to forgive me, correct? Anyway, he loves Elyse. Even if I tell him about the past, what then? He would only compensate me with cash. I do not need more money anyway.”
“Ah.” Julia’s shoulders drooped as she let out a heavy sigh.
Amelie laid a hand on her shoulder. “Julia, I just want to live a happy, peaceful life with Bria. As for the past, none of it is important now.”
As Julia looked up into Amelie’s eyes, she found them to be shining bright and clear.
Amelie had genuinely thought things through.
“Okay,” Julia said with a nod, finally no longer splitting hairs over the issue. “Let’s go far away from this darned place and forget all about that trash.”
After comforting Julia, Amelie headed to Bria’s room.
The little girl had kicked her blanket away because of tossing and turning.
Amelie shook her head before walking in to pick up the blanket and carefully tucking Bria in once more.
Once that was done, she ducked her head down to stroke Bria’s tiny face. Her lips were tilted up in a motherly smile.
Thank goodness, she was strong enough to pull through all those years ago.
Still asleep, Bria rolled over and clutched at Amelie’s hand with both of her arms, just like a little koala bear.
Amelie was about to chuckle at the sight when she heard Bria mumble, “Daddy…”
She immediately froze. Her smile went stiff.
It was a long while before she finally looked down at Bria.
Bria was still fast asleep and showing no other signs of waking up. However, that mumble left a deep impression on Amelie’s mind that could not be erased.
No matter how carefree and independent Bria was, deep down, she still yearned for a father’s love.
Amelie’s heart trembled in agonizing pain as if someone had just carved it out.
Meanwhile, in the car…
Leo was driving when he seemed to hear a young child’s voice calling him Daddy.
It made his heart skip and tremble as if something sharp had just scraped it. The pain made his face go pale.
In fact, he nearly drove off the road due to the pain.
He swiftly spun the steering wheel and stomped on the brake pedal, causing the car to screech to a stop at the side of the road.
The screeching of the tires echoed through the silent night sky.
Finally, he leaned against the steering wheel as he panted hard. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
He was already frustrated by losing control that night. Julia’s words were as sharp as knives as they stabbed into him, especially when Bria’s name was mentioned. He was so ashamed when he heard about her.
Just then, he recalled Bria’s beautiful, adorable face.
That delicate child should be cherished and treasured, but…
He did not know how long he pulled up for, but eventually, he was snapped back to reality by his ringing phone.
Chapter 109 Punish Me, Leo
Leo sped to the hospital.
He strode into the ward to find Elyse lying in bed as Laura took care of her. Ashton was in the room as well.
“What happened?” Leo appeared calm.
“Elyse said she could not fall asleep due to a tightness in her chest. I was worried, so I drove her here. The doctor said it is just stress, but she should stay a few days for observation,” answered Laura.
“Didn’t I tell you to spend more time by Elyse’s side because she’s not feeling well?” Ashton questioned. “Where did you vanish off to, Leo?”
Anything concerning Elyse was a major priority for him.
“Don’t blame Leo for this. It’s me. I… Ashton, please leave,” Elyse said feebly.
When Ashton turned to look at her, he saw the dissatisfaction lurking in her eyes. Hence, he nodded and left as he did not dare stay any longer.
Laura soon came up with an excuse to leave as well.
Finally, the only people in the room were only Elyse and Leo.
He walked over to sit by the bed. “If the doctors here are not good enough, I can send you overseas to a better hospital.”
“There’s no need.” Elyse shook her head and leaned over to grab his hand. “This is just stress. There are so many things on my mind that I feel rather depressed.”
As she said that, she ducked her head down to hide her red eyes.
“I know you are angry with me,” she continued. “You think I’m too vicious. I think so too, and there’s just no way I can forgive myself for it. Ignore my illness, Leo. Don’t be afraid of aggravating me. Punish me however you like.”
She then looked up at him. Her eyes were bloodshot as tiny drops of tears shimmered in them. She looked just like a pitiful rabbit.
In the past, if she pulled such a look, Leo would definitely dote on her and reassure her.
However, just then, his heart was cold, as if it had been frozen. He felt no compassion for her.
Julia’s words from before kept echoing in his mind.
“If you don’t want to be a responsible man, then keep your lower half in check. Don’t touch Amy at all.”
“Putting aside the fact that her testimonial all those years ago had been a great help to the Alstons, even if she had not helped you at all, you still have no right to detest her! You slept with her, so you have to take responsibility. It is her right to request you marry her!”
“Also, what has Bria done? Why does she not have the right to be born? Why must she be unduly punished just because you’re angry?”
When Elyse saw the distracted look on his face, her heart sank.
Ever since Leo knew she had been the culprit behind Bria’s contaminated blood bag, he did not pay as much attention to her as before.
If she had not said she claimed she was mentally ill, that she had depression, who knew what he would have done to punish her?
Even though he had gone to meet Mr. Hampton with her, he had only done so because Genesis was involved in the project.
Even going to a theme park afterward wasn’t something she wanted; he suggested it.
She thought he was taking her out to destress because he was finally willing to forgive her. It was only when they bumped into Amelie that she realized what was going on.
He had someone keep a close eye on Amelie at all times so that he could bump into her.
Hatred simmered in Elyse’s heart. How she wished she could tear Amelie into pieces!
She did not let any of her thoughts show though.
She heard that Amelie would be leaving tomorrow.
Once Amelie was gone, Elyse would have the chance to repair her relationship with him.
All she needed to do now was to make him stay so that he could not meet Amelie before Amelie left.
At that thought, she shuffled to kneel on the bed. “Leo, even if I had done that because I was mentally ill, it was still wrong of me. Give me a harsh punishment. I will only rest easy if you do.”
She then slumped into his embrace and started crying.
He never once moved an inch.
He did not push her away, nor did he comfort her.
For a few long minutes, Elyse cried and cried until she got bored of crying. As she slowly let her cries fade away, she let her eyes droop half-closed as if she was going to fall asleep.
Suddenly, she heard him speak beside her ear, “Why did Amelie go to my room all the way back then?”
The question came out of the blue, catching her unaware.
There was a loud ringing in her mind. The bubble of secrecy around the knowledge she had been hiding all this time had popped.
Her eyes snapped open.
She saw Leo looking down at her with an extremely solemn face.
He had a cold and unapproachable face even when he was not smiling, so now, his face looked like an oppressive gray cloud that made it hard for her to breathe.
“W-Why do you ask that, Leo?” It took her a few moments before she tried speaking.
There was no reply from him as he continued to stare down at her with his eyes as dark as ink, making her go numb with fear.
Over and over again, she reminded herself; she could not falter.
She sat up and cried, “I understand. It is normal to suspect me because I invited you out to the hotel in the first place. I truly do not know why things happened the way they did. I told you everything, didn’t I? I was running late that day, and when I arrived at the hotel, I felt woozy for some strange reason. I was later dragged into another room.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can investigate the incident,” she continued.
“As for why she was in your room, isn’t that question answered by what she did later on?”
Her last sentence was intended to hint at Amelie having ulterior motives.
While Elyse was not the culprit of that incident, she was not completely innocent either.
Certain secrets would involve too many other incidents if those secrets were revealed.
Four years ago, she might have actually dared to come clean as she was still arrogant and spoiled. She no longer dared to do so.
“It’s all in the past, Leo. Let’s not argue about who was right or wrong, please?” She gently tugged at his arm as she pitifully pleaded. “I just want us to be happy, just like before.”
Honestly speaking, she was not saying that to help Amelie out. She merely did not want anything else to happen before Amelie was gone from the city.
Leo did not say anything, but he recalled Amelie mentioning she was leaving the city.
Thus, he made Elyse lie back down on the bed before tucking her in. “Get some rest. I have to make a phone call first.”
“Okay.” Elyse pretended to obediently close her eyes.
Leo then walked out of the room with his phone in hand.
He first called his lawyer. “Transfer ten percent of Genesis shares that I own to Bria Alston.”
After hanging up, he called Amelie.
She did not answer.
He scowled and stood there for a while before slowly composing a message to her. ‘I won’t steal Bria from you. You don’t need to leave.’
Once the message was sent, he stared down at the phone for several long minutes.
She did not reply.
Disappointment flashed in his eyes as he pursed his lips.
“Do you know when Amelie will be leaving?” he asked Toby in another phone call.
“Tomorrow,” Toby replied.
“Tomorrow?”
Leo’s fingers twitched as he silently hung up.
He then took a step away from the hospital ward’s door, intending on having a proper talk with Amelie.
Just then, he heard something loudly crash behind him before a scream soon followed.
Chapter 110 Keeping Her Around
Leo ran back and flung the door open. The first thing he saw was Elyse clutching her hand in pain, and shards of glass were scattered all over the ground.
Elyse sniffled, tears glistening in her eyes. “I was going to get a glass of water, and then the glass exploded in my face.”
The ground was covered in steaming water. The glass must have exploded in her hand.
She put her hand down, revealing her scalding arm.
He quickly approached her and placed her hand under the faucet. Then he turned it on and cleaned her wound with cold water. At the same time, he called the doctor.
It didn’t take long for the doctor to arrive. He cleaned her wound and dabbed some salve on it. Elyse put on a look of agony throughout the whole ordeal. She leaned closer to Leo, biting her lip tightly. And tears welled in her eyes.
“It’s not a serious burn. And I got here in time. Should heal in three days.” The doctor bandaged the wound and adjusted his mask. Then, he left.
Leo created some distance between him and Elyse. “You heard him. It’s not serious.” He picked the blanket up and covered it over her.
Elyse stared at him intently, a frown creasing her forehead like she was in great pain. “But my hand hurts a lot. Feels like a ton of ants are biting away at it. Can you stay for the night? Please?”
He pursed his lips and stared at her bandaged hand. Well, she did stay by my side when I was blind. And he nodded. “Very well.”
A weak smile curled Elyse’s lips, and she heaved a sigh of relief in silence.
“I’ll wash my hands.” Leo headed to the bathroom.
She saw him off. Once he was inside the bathroom, she looked at his phone. He was close enough to inadvertently unlock his phone’s face recognition. There was something she needed to confirm. Even though she was in the room, she kept an eye on Leo all the time, and she clearly heard him asking Toby about the exact time Amelie left.
Ignoring her pain, she quickly scrolled through his phone and found the text he had sent Amelie. He… He wants her to stay?
Something in her mind snapped, and a look of anxiety welled in her eyes. She scrolled his phone at random until it pulled on her wound. The pain snapped her out of her stupor, and she plopped back down, her hands pressing down on her blanket. She rested her back against the back of her bed, then she closed her eyes.
He must have gone to her. Tried to make her stay. Good thing I convinced him to stay with me. The burn was torturing her, but its pain was nothing compared to the danger Amelie was posing to her relationship with Leo.
At 10.00AM, Elyse came out with the help of Leo, still looking pale and frail. It was a fake look, of course. All so people would take pity on her. “Sorry I’m holding you back. I have a bit of hemophobia, and I don’t really like wounds. I would’ve gotten the dressing changed myself, but…” She put on a look of apology.
“It’s alright.” Leo shook his head.
He looked at the time, and he frowned.
She noticed that, and she cocked her eyebrow in silence. Heck, she wasn’t afraid of wounds or blood. That was all a lie so he would stay with her. Amelie’s gone by now. They’ll never meet again. Delighted by that thought, she smiled at Leo. “I’m getting a bit hungry, Leo. Why don’t we get something to eat?”
Leo was about to say something, but then a gurney darted out from the corner, and a few medical staff members rushed down the corridor. They almost crashed into Leo and Elyse on their way.
Leo pulled Elyse back, and then someone bumped into his shoulder. That person turned around in panic. It was none other than Amelie, but she didn’t recognize Leo. She only turned by reflex. And then she was already chasing after the gurney. “Bria,” she muttered.
“Bria?” Leo heard her mutter, and he looked at the gurney. It was getting further away, but he could see a petite silhouette lying on it. It’s a child. Bria. His heart sank, and he said, “Go back to your room.” And he went after Amelie. It didn’t take long for him to catch up, but when he did, the gurney was nowhere to be found.
Amelie was as pale as the walls of the hospital, rivulets of sweat pouring down her cheeks. Her back was already drenched with sweat.
“What happened?” Leo approached her.
Amelie bit down on her lip hard, shivering in fear.
He held her shoulder, trying his best to steady her. “Is it Bria? Is she down with something?”
Oh. Oh, it’s him. She nodded. “Yeah. Stomach ache. The doctor’s checking up on her.”
They had breakfast earlier and were about to return to Quinn Town. It was then, Bria cried out in pain and keeled over. Amelie pushed her unkempt hair away, trying to calm her nerves. But she could still remember how much in pain Bria was. How Bria curled up in her arms, crying out in pain. She could
still remember how pale she looked. And her hands trembled. She’ll be fine, right? Amelie closed her eyes, trying to shove her fear away, but then she was reminded of the time Bria was born.
And the memory struck fear into her heart. What if history repeated itself?
All her strength left her. Even with Leo holding her still, her legs buckled, and she slowly slid to the ground. Leo had to hold her by her lower back and pull her into his embrace, holding her up with his whole body.
“She cried out in pain all of a sudden. What if… What if it’s something terminal? If something happens to her, what should I do?” Amelie didn’t have the strength to even hold her head high. She rested her head on his shoulder and started talking gibberish. And then tears streamed down her cheeks.
Leo looked at her, and he felt for her predicament. It pained him to see her crying like a helpless little girl. And he patted her back. “She’ll be fine. She’ll be fine.”
Comforted, Amelie nodded and buried her head deep in Leo’s shoulder. She needed a shoulder to cry on. To calm her fear of losing her daughter. No more and no less. Alas, someone didn’t think so.
Elyse stood in the distance and saw the whole thing. Her face started to contort in rage and envy, and she gnashed her teeth in fury. “Damn you, Amelie. Damn you!” You were supposed to be gone! All her good mood was gone, replaced by fury, fear, hatred, and sorrow. She had conflicting emotions, but one thing was for sure—she wanted to tear Amelie apart. “She’s doing that on purpose!” growled Elyse. Her nails were already digging into her wounded hand, and yet the pain didn’t even register in her head.
Then, the doctor came out of the emergency room. Leo and Amelie quickly approached him.
“Doctor.”
“Doctor.”
“How is she looking?”