Ch. 166..170: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 166-170

Chapter 166

Leo’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed. Without asking anything, he just looked at Melissa.

Melissa knew her son had a cool personality, so she didn’t expect him to start talking about it himself. In that case, she would bring it up herself. “I just found out that you suddenly transferred 50 million to a private account. Who did you give the 50 million to, and why?”

“These 50 million are my personal savings,” he answered without elaborating. With this one sentence, he had made it clear to her that this was his private matter.

Of course, she could hear what he actually meant. Instantly, rage overtook her, making her press her nails into her palms, and she struggled to maintain her expression. If it weren’t for her being aware of his current influence, she would have blown up long ago.

After taking several deep breaths, she spoke again, “I know it’s your own money, Leo. But even if it’s your own money, you can’t spend it recklessly. Besides, you are still a member of the Alston Family, and there is still an elder like me in the family who has the right to ask you about it, right?”

However, he remained silent, his gaze indifferent. This silence was an indication that she had no

right to ask.

Just when Melissa became even more frustrated, she heard his voice. “It doesn’t matter who I gave the money to. It is to make up for a mistake I made before. If you want money, you can go find Laura. She will give you the money. I have to go now. If you don’t have any other questions, I’ll leave first.” Leo then nodded at her and turned around to leave.

She was almost driven to madness, but she knew she couldn’t get anything from him at this point, so she could only get into her car with a darkened face.

Only after that did Leo stride into the hospital. He was still worried about Bria, so he needed to see her in person.

On the other hand, after getting into the car, Melissa seethed with anger for a while. Her hideous expression was reflected in the rearview mirror. At the same time, she pounded on the seat again and again, feeling extremely frustrated.

After being frustrated for a while, she called Laura and asked about the whereabouts of the

money

Laura was just an assistant, after all, so when Melissa threatened her with her job, she didn’t dare hide anymore and spilled everything.

When Melissa heard Laura’s answer, she scolded Laura over the phone, blaming her for not being able to manage Leo and letting him spend money recklessly on anyone.

Although Laura felt that she was wronged, she didn’t dare rebuke her.

After hanging up, the furious Melissa called Elyse and told her in a sharp and cold tone, “Miss Clayton, you’re so valuable. You managed to get 50 million from Leo without even blinking an eye. It’s not that easy to get that kind of money, though. You should do something in return.”

On the other end, Elyse was always a proud person. She wanted to argue with Melissa right away, but Laura, who was standing beside her, tugged at her arm while shaking her head. She understood what Laura meant. Without Leo, Melissa could do anything to her with just an order. At this thought, she had to suppress her anger and swallow her pride. “What do you want me to do. Mrs. Alston?”

“It’s simple. Leo refuses to continue the lawsuit with Amelie now. You just need to convince him to agree to this, and the 50 million will be yours.” In Melissa’s eyes, even if this mission was

accomplished, it was not worth that 50 million. Yet, since she couldn’t get the money back, a bad bargain was better than doing nothing.

Suddenly, Elyse guffawed into the phone. After a while, she said. “To be honest, I can’t convince Leo, but I can help you.” She purposely walked to a secluded place, away from Laura, before speaking again, “Mrs. Alston, I can make Amelie hate your son. Once she can’t trust him, she will want to continue with the lawsuit, even if you drop it.”

“Is that so?” If Amelie requests to continue with the lawsuit herself, I don’t have to argue with Leo and can also fight for Bria’s custody. This is not a bad solution. With this in mind, she nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll wait for your good news.”

“You’ll have it soon.” Elyse’s words held a hidden meaning. After saying that, she hung up the phone. Then, she walked out and saw Laura looking at her with worry.

“Elyse, since Mr. Alston gave you the money, you should focus on living your own life and not get involved in his family affairs anymore,” Laura advised her as a good friend. Although she didn’t know what Elyse and Melissa had talked about, she was smart enough to guess the context.

Without any expression, Elyse stared blankly ahead as a cold smirk displayed on her lips. She just couldn’t give up. Why must I be the only one suffering in this matter? If I’m suffering, someone should suffer with me, too! Only when Amelie and Leo keep arguing,

misunderstanding, tearing each other apart, and ruining their relationship can my trampled heart feel slightly better!

When she lowered her head, she saw a message from an unknown number. “The child is hospitalized because of mild poisoning. The next step will be taken soon!”

The moment she read the message, her crimson lips curled into a triumphant smile. Without a word, she deleted the message calmly.

arrived at the floor where she was hospitalized. Just as he was about to ask a nurse for her specific room number, a figure suddenly rushed in his direction and bumped directly into hist chest. He was caught off guard, so he couldn’t avoid the collision.

Instinctively, he reached out his arms to push the person away, but when he lowered his head, he saw a familiar and anxious face.

“Amelie?” he exclaimed in surprise, his expression changing with the sudden shock. “Did something happen to Bria?” As he asked this question, his voice was so stiff that it sounded as though his throat was being choked.

With a lost expression, she looked up, her eyes shimmering with tears. She then took a step back and awkwardly apologized, “I’m sorry!” After speaking, she tried to run away again.

Realizing that she hadn’t recognized him, he quickly grabbed her and lowered his head to remind her, “I’m Leo. Tell me, what happened?”

“L-Leo?” Her scattered gaze finally focused, and she slowly recognized the man in front of her, but before she could speak, she felt a tug on her body and a great force coming in her direction.

The force didn’t hit her but landed on Leo instead, causing both of them to stagger back.

“All of you Alstons are inhumane!” Following that was a thunderous roar.

Hearing that, Leo and Amelie both focused on the source of the voice and saw a furious elderly man with bloodshot eyes.

“Dad,” she muttered. In her eyes, the usually kind and easygoing Steven was nowhere to be found at this moment. With rage and despair, he clenched his fist, and he looked like a ravenous beast! He glared at Leo as though he wanted to hunt him down.

Although Leo had met Steven briefly when he was going to marry Amelie, he remembered the man as silent and unassuming. It was completely different from the person he saw in front of him now.

Just then, Amelie tried to restrain Steven, but he pushed her away and marched toward Leo again. “Where have you taken my granddaughter, Alston?! Hand her over now!”

Leo realized something was amiss from what Steven had said and was stunned for a second. Then, be turned around to look at Amelie. “What happened to Bria?”

“You and your family planned everything! Don’t play dumb in front of me!” Steven was smoldering with resentment at this moment. With all his hatred toward Leo in mind, he grabbed Leo’s collar and bellowed, “I’ve already gotten past the fact that my daughter was bullied by your family, but how dare you take my granddaughter away behind our backs?! This is outrageous!” After saying that, he landed a punch on Leo’s face right away.

Leo’s cheek, making his face tilt to the side and blood trickling down the corner of his mouth.

Just when Steven wanted to give Leo another punch, Amelie quickly wrapped her arms around Steven. “Dad, calm down! Dad!” Her voice was trembling out of anxiety.

Hearing that, Steven tried his best to hold off his second punch. Then, he returned her hug, comforting her in silence.

Although Leo was punched mercilessly, and his cheek became swollen, it didn’t cause too much harm to his appearance since he was born with outstanding features. He just looked a little like a mess at that moment.

”

However, he didn’t bother to care about his face as he looked at Amelie again. “Tell me. Where is Bria?”

“Where is Bria? Don’t you know it yourself?” she answered with a bloodcurdling voice while a piercing chill emitted from her eyes. Then, she looked at him with a gaze she had never had before. “How despicable are you going to be?”

Chapter 167

“I haven’t done anything to Bria. Did you guys misunderstand something?” Leo knew that Amelie and Steven wouldn’t tell him anything unless he first cleared his name.

“You dare to say that you haven’t done anything to Bria?!” Steven’s voice sounded again before Amelie could respond. It was really terrifying when a person who never got angry became furious. When he exploded, every word sounded like thunder. “Bria suddenly got food poisoning. and right after that, your mother came to the office and questioned us, demanding custody of the child. We scared her away, and she left with dissatisfaction, so she finds people to take Bria away!”

The more he talked about it, the more poignant he felt. How can these people bully my daughter like that in front of my eyes? How did she survive those four years without me?

Seeing how furious he was, Amelie was heartbroken and blamed herself for it. Steven was already at a very old age. As his daughter, she should be letting him enjoy the rest of his life, but now, she still made him worry about her.

After she took a deep breath, she lowered her head in front of Leo. “It doesn’t matter whether you guys want to hide Bria or plan to use this incident to gain her custody, but please be magnanimous and let her go. She is still a child. She’ll be scared…” Toward the end of her sentence, her voice trembled very badly.

Meanwhile, Leo lowered his head to look at her. Not only is there no more affection in her eyes, but endless doubt has also replaced it. She won’t believe me anymore. At this thought, he felt an extreme sourness in his chest as though he had been poured a bucket of lemon juice. Why does her attitude cause such a big reaction in me? Yet, almost immediately, he remembered something more important.

“I’m reaffirming this-Bria is my daughter. I would never do anything to harm her. I didn’t poison her or take her away. What we should be doing now is finding out where she is and saving her as soon as possible.” After saying that, he quickly made a call to ask someone to investigate this.

Only when Amelie heard everything he had said did she drop her suspicion on him momentarily. Then, she called Julia and Samuel to inform them about what had happened there.

After the call, she held Steven to check the surveillance. Since they thought that Leo was the one who took Bria away, they had yet to go to the surveillance room.

Meanwhile, Leo followed both of them to the surveillance room as well.

He had the urge to walk over to give her some support and hug her when he saw her holding her father and staring at the surveillance monitor from a distance. Although she tried hard to suppress her emotion, she still couldn’t hide her trembling body.

In the surveillance, there was only footage of a doctor pushing Bria into the inspection room, but the situation in the inspection room couldn’t be seen at all. Yet, that was exactly where Bria had disappeared.

The doctor was also in shock over such a serious incident, so he took the initiative to call the

police.

By the time the three of them had finished watching the surveillance footage, the police had already arrived.

Since they didn’t see how Bria left the hospital, both Amelie and Steven nearly collapsed. It was especially so for Steven. He was old, so he couldn’t afford to handle a shock like this. Even his body was wobbling.

While suppressing the huge anxiety in her, Amelie held him with all her strength.

When Leo saw Amelie and Steven depending on each other as they came out of the room, he couldn’t endure it anymore. He went forward and held her. For once, she accepted his support and didn’t reject him.

The moment Steven saw the police, he ran over to hold the chief’s hand. With tears flowing down his cheeks, he begged, “Please, officer. You must help us find our child. Please.”

At the same time, the president of the hospital came down with a pale face as well since it was a very serious matter for a patient to suddenly disappear from the hospital. Furthermore, when he saw Leo, his expression turned even more terrified. “I’m sorry, Mr. Alston. We didn’t know something like this would happen either.”

Leo’s face was pitch-black at this point. “What’s the use of your apology when my daughter suddenly disappeared from your hospital?”

Terrified, the president of the hospital didn’t know how to reply, so he quickly lowered his head. Large droplets of sweat started to appear on his forehead, but since Leo was emitting such an oppressive aura, he didn’t dare wipe it off. He just let the sweat roll down his face, leaving complicated traces on it.

Meanwhile, the police were divided into two teams. One team was responsible for questioning the doctor, while the other stayed here to understand the situation from Amelie.

So, Amélie briefly told the police about what happened.

“Did you make any enemies recently, Miss Dillon?” the sharp-eyed police asked.

When she heard the question, she froze for a moment and looked at Leo

Leo had just ended a call, and when he heard the question, he awkwardly faked a cough. “My

“You’re certain? On what grounds?!” Steven bellowed as he walked over to Leo slowly after hearing his words.

Immediately, Amelie tried to restrain him. “I don’t think it’s them, Dad.” Melissa has got a big ego, so of course, she won’t stoop to kidnapping. As for Jodie, she has failed so many times that I don’t think she dares to do this anymore. Who else can it be other than them?

She tried so hard to think but being worried about Bria only made her mind expand, leaving her mind completely blank. She just couldn’t figure anything out. In an attempt to calm herself down, she took deep breaths again and again, but this method, which usually worked for her, became useless when she was dealing with Bria’s disappearance.

Bria is still so young, and she’s sick. She can’t even escape danger. What are the people who took her away doing to her now? Will they hurt her?

Suddenly, images of children being hurt that she had seen on the news popped into her mind. She felt suffocated as those bloody images surfaced in her mind as if there was a tight cloth covering her nose and mouth. She was so afraid that her mind went blank, and she became short of breath. At the same time, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Afraid that she would cause further distress to Steven, she secretly pressed on her chest and didn’t dare show the pain she was feeling on her face.

However, Leo noticed the change in her expression, and he looked at her hand, which was pressing on her chest. “I’ll find her. You should go rest with your father.”

“It’s okay.” She tried her best to put herself together. This pain is nothing compared to the pain of losing Bria. After a deep breath, she said, “I’m fine.”

When the police saw that the situation was so complicated, he didn’t ask anything more and said, “Think about it carefully. It’s not a big problem if it’s just a case of both parties fighting for the child. At

least the child is not in danger. It will be slightly trickier if this is a kidnapping, but we’re most worried if this is your enemies seeking revenge.”

Amelie knew very well that she didn’t make any enemies other than the Alstons.

Meanwhile, Leo thought about it carefully as well and couldn’t think of anyone suspicious, so he shook his head.

Only Steven touched his head and sat on a chair without saying a word.

Seeing that, Amelie felt her heart sink. She approached him and asked, “Did you think of something, Dad?”

As he looked at her, he said, “There’s something, but I don’t think it has any connection with Bria being sick and missing. So, I don’t know whether I should say it.”

Just when he parted his lips and was about to say something, footsteps could be heard from their opposite.

Chapter 167

“I haven’t done anything to Bria. Did you guys misunderstand something?” Leo knew that Amelie and Steven wouldn’t tell him anything unless he first cleared his name.

“You dare to say that you haven’t done anything to Bria?!” Steven’s voice sounded again before Amelie could respond. It was really terrifying when a person who never got angry became furious. When he exploded, every word sounded like thunder. “Bria suddenly got food poisoning. and right after that, your mother came to the office and questioned us, demanding custody of the child. We scared her away, and she left with dissatisfaction, so she finds people to take Bria away!”

The more he talked about it, the more poignant he felt. How can these people bully my daughter like that in front of my eyes? How did she survive those four years without me?

Seeing how furious he was, Amelie was heartbroken and blamed herself for it. Steven was already at a very old age. As his daughter, she should be letting him enjoy the rest of his life, but now, she still made him worry about her.

After she took a deep breath, she lowered her head in front of Leo. “It doesn’t matter whether you guys want to hide Bria or plan to use this incident to gain her custody, but please be magnanimous and let her go. She is still a child. She’ll be scared…” Toward the end of her sentence, her voice trembled very badly.

Meanwhile, Leo lowered his head to look at her. Not only is there no more affection in her eyes, but endless doubt has also replaced it. She won’t believe me anymore. At this thought, he felt an extreme sourness in his chest as though he had been poured a bucket of lemon juice. Why does her attitude cause such a big reaction in me? Yet, almost immediately, he remembered something more important.

“I’m reaffirming this-Bria is my daughter. I would never do anything to harm her. I didn’t poison her or take her away. What we should be doing now is finding out where she is and saving her as soon as possible.” After saying that, he quickly made a call to ask someone to investigate this.

Only when Amelie heard everything he had said did she drop her suspicion on him momentarily. Then, she called Julia and Samuel to inform them about what had happened there.

After the call, she held Steven to check the surveillance. Since they thought that Leo was the one who took Bria away, they had yet to go to the surveillance room.

Meanwhile, Leo followed both of them to the surveillance room as well.

He had the urge to walk over to give her some support and hug her when he saw her holding her father and staring at the surveillance monitor from a distance. Although she tried hard to suppress her emotion, she still couldn’t hide her trembling body.

In the surveillance, there was only footage of a doctor pushing Bria into the inspection room, but the situation in the inspection room couldn’t be seen at all. Yet, that was exactly where Bria had disappeared.

The doctor was also in shock over such a serious incident, so he took the initiative to call the

police.

By the time the three of them had finished watching the surveillance footage, the police had already arrived.

Since they didn’t see how Bria left the hospital, both Amelie and Steven nearly collapsed. It was especially so for Steven. He was old, so he couldn’t afford to handle a shock like this. Even his body was wobbling.

While suppressing the huge anxiety in her, Amelie held him with all her strength.

When Leo saw Amelie and Steven depending on each other as they came out of the room, he couldn’t endure it anymore. He went forward and held her. For once, she accepted his support and didn’t reject him.

The moment Steven saw the police, he ran over to hold the chief’s hand. With tears flowing down his cheeks, he begged, “Please, officer. You must help us find our child. Please.”

At the same time, the president of the hospital came down with a pale face as well since it was a very serious matter for a patient to suddenly disappear from the hospital. Furthermore, when he saw Leo, his expression turned even more terrified. “I’m sorry, Mr. Alston. We didn’t know something like this would happen either.”

Leo’s face was pitch-black at this point. “What’s the use of your apology when my daughter suddenly disappeared from your hospital?”

Terrified, the president of the hospital didn’t know how to reply, so he quickly lowered his head. Large droplets of sweat started to appear on his forehead, but since Leo was emitting such an oppressive aura, he didn’t dare wipe it off. He just let the sweat roll down his face, leaving complicated traces on it.

Meanwhile, the police were divided into two teams. One team was responsible for questioning the doctor, while the other stayed here to understand the situation from Amelie.

So, Amélie briefly told the police about what happened.

“Did you make any enemies recently, Miss Dillon?” the sharp-eyed police asked.

When she heard the question, she froze for a moment and looked at Leo

Leo had just ended a call, and when he heard the question, he awkwardly faked a cough. “My

“You’re certain? On what grounds?!” Steven bellowed as he walked over to Leo slowly after hearing his words.

Immediately, Amelie tried to restrain him. “I don’t think it’s them, Dad.” Melissa has got a big ego, so of course, she won’t stoop to kidnapping. As for Jodie, she has failed so many times that I don’t think she dares to do this anymore. Who else can it be other than them?

She tried so hard to think but being worried about Bria only made her mind expand, leaving her mind completely blank. She just couldn’t figure anything out. In an attempt to calm herself down, she took deep breaths again and again, but this method, which usually worked for her, became useless when she was dealing with Bria’s disappearance.

Bria is still so young, and she’s sick. She can’t even escape danger. What are the people who took her away doing to her now? Will they hurt her?

Suddenly, images of children being hurt that she had seen on the news popped into her mind. She felt suffocated as those bloody images surfaced in her mind as if there was a tight cloth covering her nose and mouth. She was so afraid that her mind went blank, and she became short of breath. At the same time, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Afraid that she would cause further distress to Steven, she secretly pressed on her chest and didn’t dare show the pain she was feeling on her face.

However, Leo noticed the change in her expression, and he looked at her hand, which was pressing on her chest. “I’ll find her. You should go rest with your father.”

“It’s okay.” She tried her best to put herself together. This pain is nothing compared to the pain of losing Bria. After a deep breath, she said, “I’m fine.”

When the police saw that the situation was so complicated, he didn’t ask anything more and said, “Think about it carefully. It’s not a big problem if it’s just a case of both parties fighting for the child. At

least the child is not in danger. It will be slightly trickier if this is a kidnapping, but we’re most worried if this is your enemies seeking revenge.”

Amelie knew very well that she didn’t make any enemies other than the Alstons.

Meanwhile, Leo thought about it carefully as well and couldn’t think of anyone suspicious, so he shook his head.

Only Steven touched his head and sat on a chair without saying a word.

Seeing that, Amelie felt her heart sink. She approached him and asked, “Did you think of something, Dad?”

As he looked at her, he said, “There’s something, but I don’t think it has any connection with Bria being sick and missing. So, I don’t know whether I should say it.”

Just when he parted his lips and was about to say something, footsteps could be heard from their opposite.

Chapter 168

“Are there any updates?” Amelie asked anxiously after getting into the car.

“I’m not sure yet.” Samuel frowned.

The car was moving forward, but Amelie didn’t know where it was heading. With a heavy heart, she fastened her seatbelt quietly and didn’t ask where they were headed.

When Samuel turned around, he noticed that her lips were pursed and she seemed to look very worried. “They managed to track Bria, so she should still be in the city. We will be able to find her easily as long as she hasn’t left,” he comforted her.

Hearing that, Amelie nodded quietly. She knew that he was trying to make her feel better. However, she felt helpless from not knowing the person’s motive, and she didn’t know whether they would hurt Bria or not. Praying to God seemed to be the only thing to do right now as there was nothing else she could do. The helplessness that she currently experienced wasn’t even comparable to the desperate moments she had experienced in the Alston Family.

After a while, she managed to pull herself together and asked, “Where exactly did they find traces of her?”

Before Samuel could answer her, the car came to a halt. “Here,” he answered while pointing his

finger.

“Here?” Amelie looked toward the direction where he pointed. She thought it would be a slum and was surprised to see luxury buildings right in front of her.

“Urban Garden?” The name seemed rather common, but it was a place where the richest gathered. Moreover, it was situated in the city center. Clouson City was a first-tier city and highly populated, but the land was scarce to a point where prices became sky-high.

Meanwhile, Urban Garden was situated right in the middle of the city, and it consisted of stunning multi- story mansions. Each mansion was separated by roads and large patches of gardens. It was as luxurious as it could get.

“Are you sure this is the place?” she asked doubtfully. Although they weren’t sure why Bria had been taken away, anyone in their right mind wouldn’t have chosen to hide somewhere like that. Amelie couldn’t help but look over at Samuel. He frowned, seemingly having the same thoughts as her..

“Let’s go over there and take a look,” he finally said after meeting her gaze. With that, both of them followed behind Samuel’s men and were brought to the main entrance of the Urban Garden.

Just then, someone came out hurriedly and brought them some good news, “We have

“Are you sure?” Amelie repeated after him when she heard the good news, and her eyes welled up

in tears.

“Quick, lead us there!” Amelie suddenly felt more energetic and rushed over delightedly. She wished that she could see Bria the next second.

On the other hand, Samuel and his man seemed cautious. “Be careful and make sure that you don’t alarm the person inside to ensure Bria’s safety.” Both of them reminded her simultaneously as they followed behind her.

“Okay!” Soon, the three of them stood below Unit 22. A few men dressed in black suits stood there with solemn expressions as well. All of them bowed at Samuel respectfully upon seeing him. The leader of

the pack pointed upward, held up five fingers, and pointed to the left. Amelie was able to understand their sign language.

Although she was anxious, she knew that Bria’s safety was the top priority. With that in mind, she walked to the back of the group and stayed there. Samuel followed along as they entered the lift. It only took the lift a few seconds to arrive at the unit, but to Amelie, it felt like a century had passed. Her heart was pounding as fear and anticipation surged within her. She tried to keep herself together by biting her lips.

Finally, they got to the front of the unit where Bria was confined. She dared not make a noise and was so nervous that it almost felt like her heart had stopped pumping when she stood in front of the door. One of Samuel’s men looked through the peephole several times and turned back, looking at Samuel as he waited for the man’s instructions.

Seeing that, Samuel pursed his lips and nodded. The next moment, the man kicked the door

open.

“Do not move! Get down!” Samuel’s men yelled after getting in. Amelie started getting nervous as

she entered the room.

There were only two people in the room; one of them was sitting on a chair while the other sat on the floor. A middle-aged woman was startled by the commotion, and she started screaming while covering her head. Meanwhile, a child was sitting on a chair.

Fear flashed across the child’s eyes for a brief moment as she looked on sluggishly. The next moment, her eyes lit up.

“Brial” Amelie instantly recognized the child and rushed over without hesitation to hug her.

“Who are you, and how dare you break into private property?” The middle-aged woman finally calmed herself down and yelled at Amelie cautiously. The woman even stretched both her hands out, trying to snatch Bria back. However, she didn’t dare do so when she noticed that she was being surrounded by so many men.

The woman was startled by his actions and started trembling with fear. She shook her head profusely and said, “There isn’t anyone else. It’s just me and the child. What are you trying to do?”

Samuel merely stared at her quietly. The woman was terrified when she saw how hostile Samuel looked, not to mention the men in black suits surrounding her while holding weapons in their

hands.

“I’m just doing my job. The one you should look for is my employer.” Tears started rolling down her cheeks.

“Who is your employer? Samuel asked.

Although Amelie wanted to find out who brought Bria there, she was more afraid that something else might come up. Thus, she carried Bria in her arms and said, “Bria, let’s go home now!”

With that, she turned around and left. When she got to the door, she suddenly heard footsteps coming from the corridor. The footsteps were quick and heavy. Amelie sensed that something was wrong and immediately tightened her embrace around Bria while her expression turned pale.

The

group of people entered quickly, and within seconds, everyone in the room was surrounded. Amelie looked up, and her eyes met with another man’s murderous gaze. The man standing in front of her was tall and had an elegant yet sublime disposition. She could tell that he was a man of few words.

“L-Leo?” Amelie whispered, feeling glad. Luckily, they weren’t the people who abducted Bria.

But before Amelie let her guard down, the woman suddenly called out, “Sir! These people broke into the house, and I’m not sure why!” The woman sitting on the floor rushed over as if her savior had appeared.

“S-Sir?” Amelie was startled to hear the woman’s words, whereas Samuel cast a puzzled gaze upon hearing that.

“That’s right, he is my employer. Sir, you should call the police since they broke into private property,” the woman exclaimed.

Hearing that, Leo furrowed his brows while his expression turned grave. While ignoring the woman, he landed his gaze on Amelie and the child in her arms.

Soon after, Amelie seemed to have understood the situation and scoffed. “Mr. Alston, what a show you have put on. You swore that you didn’t take Bria, yet you did it behind my back. What exactly are you trying to do?” Amelie’s blood boiled as she questioned him. At the same time, her heart sank.

When she saw Leo hitting the courier, she thought that he cared for Bria and was worried about

than she thought!

He stood opposite her. He wanted to explain, but she refused to listen. As she carried Bria in her arms, she sneered while saying, “Mr. Alston, I will not let you off that easily!” She left the room right after that.

ΓΙ

wes

…

Chapter 169

“Mr. Dillon, Elie.” Julia and Samuel rushed over.

Unable to catch her breath, Julia quickly grabbed the two. “What happened to Bria? How did she suddenly disappear?”

Before they could even respond, she turned around and noticed Leo. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she sounded hostile as she snarled, “What are you doing here, Leo? Is Bria’s disappearance connected to you in any way? Elie has already divorced you. What more do you want? Give Bria back to her!”

*

With that, Amelie was on the verge of physically attacking Leo, but Samuel quickly stepped in, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back.

At this point, Julia was fuming so hard that she kicked her feet in frustration. “Why can’t I teach him a lesson? What’s your relationship with him? This sc’mbag keeps hurting Elie, so I must fight him to death. You must be in cahoots with him since you’re stopping me!”

Julia was so angry that she spoke recklessly. Samuel also knew that she was emotional and could only try to persuade her by saying. “The most important thing right now is finding Bria. We can talk about everything else later, okay?”

After hearing those words, Julia finally calmed down and looked at Amelie. Her eyes were filled with deep worry as tears welled up. “What exactly happened to Bria?”

Amelie explained the situation again.

While furrowing his brows, Samuel asked, “You’re saying that she was sent to the hospital because of a mild case of food poisoning?”

Amelie nodded her head silently. His lips were pressed into a thin line as a wave of self-blame

filled her heart.

“It’s my fault for not taking good care of her,” Steven said regretfully as well. “If I had been more careful, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“This is not the time for self-blame,” Samuel chimed in. “Why don’t we think carefully about what happened before she felt unwell? Don’t overlook any small details, no matter how insignificant they may seem.”

He was a detective by trade and had a vast network of highly skilled detectives at his disposal. In the city, he was well-known for being the best in this industry.

At Samuel’s words, Leo, who was standing nearby, perked up his ears. At the same time, he began to recall every detail of his encounter with Bria.

Amelie looked at Steven again. “Dad, what were you about to say earlier?”

Steven finally spoke. “Well, there was a courier who came by the house last night. Bria thought it was you and went to answer the door. However, she quickly came back saying that the courier had the wrong address and already left.”

“I’ve thought about it, and I think it’s just a coincidence.” He hunched his back and rubbed the back of his head as he continued.

Samuel’s eyes flickered. “Even if it’s a coincidence, we should look into this courier.”

Coincidentally, there were surveillance cameras just outside their home. As such, Amelie pushed Steven toward Julia and instructed, “Please watch over my dad. I’m going with Samuel to get the surveillance footage now.”

“Sure thing,” Julia had nothing else to say as she walked over to support Steven. “Mr. Dillon, let’s go inside and sit down. With Samuel’s abilities, I’m sure we’ll find Bria soon, so don’t worry.

Steven yearned to join them but was hesitant as he feared his slow movements might impede their progress. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he set off with Julia into the distance.

Meanwhile, Amelie and Samuel exchanged glances and quickly departed from the hospital.

Leo looked at their retreating figures with his darkened eyes and trailed behind them.

Samuel raced all the way home, and in no time, he and Amelie arrived at the doorstep.

Immediately, Amelie pulled up the surveillance footage on her computer. She looked up and noticed Leo following behind Samuel, causing a warm flicker in her heart.

Without a word, the two bent their heads together, studying the footage with utmost concentration. The suspect was an expert, having taken great care to cover themselves entirely and even using a large box to obscure the camera’s view.

However, the more they tried to hide, the more suspicious it appeared.

Samuel suddenly clicked on the mouse and froze the image on a specific frame. Then, he pointed

at the screen,

Amelie realized something amiss and leaned in to take a closer look. In the dim and unclear image, the courier’s hand was clutching a small bottle, which was precisely aimed at Bria.

Samuel magnified the image. After a moment of recognition, he slammed his hand down and declared, “Whatever was in that bottle caused Bria’s mild poisoning!”

Amelie took a sharp breath. She couldn’t believe the audacity of the courier to carry out such an

As Leo issued his command, Samuel also activated his information platform and sent out the

courier’s picture.

Next, it was time to wait.

The combined power of the two men was not to be underestimated. In less than half an hour, the courier was caught. The three of them rushed down the stairs and saw Samuel’s subordinate dragging the courier out while Leo’s men followed close behind.

Without waiting for anybody to speak, Leo charged forward at an almost imperceptible speed and booted the courier to the ground with just one foot.

Following that, he stepped on the man’s back with his polished leather shoes. The veins on his neck bulged while his eyes were pitch-black and sharp, making him a fearsome sight.

“Speak. Where is the child?!”

The courier was kicked until he gasped for air. “I swear, I don’t know! I don’t know!” He coughed

out.

Leo kicked him again with a force that sent the man flying backward like a weightless object. He finally crashed into a pole and curled up on the ground like a shrimp, unable to regain his composure for some time.

Leo stepped on his chest forcefully again. “If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll break your ribs one by

one!”

The courier was frightened. His hands were stuck on his chest, and he trembled while shouting, “I don’t know. The other party only told me to spray some medicine on the child, but I have no idea what it does or what it’s for.”

“Ah!” Just as he finished speaking, a scream escaped his lips.

Amelie turned to look at Leo. She had known him for a long time, but this was her first time seeing him acting so mercilessly.

The sound of bones breaking echoed in her ears, making her shiver uncontrollably.

Fearing Leo’s wrath, the courier dropped to his knees and begged for mercy.

Samuel stood by, watching the scene unfold. “He might be telling the truth,” Samuel finally said, his voice calm and collected.

Only then did Leo stop.

Samuel approached the courier and began to ask more questions, trying to uncover the truth.

200,000. Someone called me and asked me to do this in exchange for clearing my debt. I was desperate to get rid of the debt and didn’t dare question the person’s motives. The drugs were left in a dumpster outside the city for me to pick up, and the address was on the bottle. I don’t know who they are.”

Samuel looked at Leo and told him to send him to the police station, which was silently agreed upon by Leo.

Before the police arrived, the two of them made arrangements on the phone. Meanwhile, Amelie stood there calmly, unable to resist glancing at Leo.

She watched his serious expression and the deep furrows in his brow. Then, she looked at the half- dead courier and felt an inexplicable warmth in her heart. This was the first time she had seen him lose control and also the first time she felt his presence as Bria’s father.

Just as she was pondering, she noticed Leo’s eyebrows tightening all of a sudden. Moreover, his temples were tensed to the point of breaking! Then, he abruptly hung up the phone and strode outside.

Amelie realized he must have learned something new and instinctively stepped forward to pull him, but she heard Samuel saying, “There’s new information!”

She turned to look at Samuel as he ran toward the car. She followed suit and ran after him, getting into the vehicle as well.

Chapter 170

Amelie returned to the hospital with Bria.

Julia and Steven had heard the news and soon hurried over.

“My Bria, my dear granddaughter.” Steven wrapped his arms around Bria as he cried like a little boy.

Amelie’s heart clenched as she looked at her father.

He had never once thought of wanting anything for himself. He gave all his love to Amelie and

Bria.

They were more important than life to him.

Steven’s tears made Bria reach out to wrap her arms around his neck. “Don’t cry, Grandpa. There, there.”

As she comforted him, she wiped away his tears.

They made quite the heartwarming sight.

Julia turned to look at them as well. When she saw Bria and Steven hugging, she could not help but let out an aww.

“How did you find Bria?” It was hard not to be curious.

The entire incident started with so much terror, but the ending was so strange that anyone would be surprised.

Amelie tiredly rubbed her eyes. She did not want to speak of Leo in front of Bria and Steven, so she pressed a hand on Julia’s hand as a gesture to say they would speak about it later

In spite of her raging curiosity, Julia suppressed it and nodded.

Amelie stayed by Bria and Steven’s side.

They then called a doctor to thoroughly check Bria over.

They only stopped worrying after the doctor said Bria was completely fine and cured of her mild poisoning.

It was inevitable that Steven would ask about Bria’s disappearance, but Amelie merely told him that a human trafficker had snuck into the hospital and stolen her away.

She was not afraid of the Alstons, but afraid of his old age. She was afraid something bad might happen.

The group eventually left the hospital.

Amelie waited until both Bria and Steven were asleep before heading downstairs.

Julia and Samuel were waiting for her.

1

When Amelie appeared, Julia swiftly strode over to her with fire in her eyes.

“Elie, Leo and the Alstons have gone over the line! No matter what, we cannot forgive them for this! I’ve already contacted the lawyers. A public complaint will be sent soon. We will sue them!”

In the time Amelie spent with her daughter and father, Julia found out about what happened through Samuel.

Samuel worriedly glanced at his short-tempered fiancée. “There are too many suspicious details in this incident. Don’t you think you’re being a little hasty?”

He then turned to Amelie. “I know you’re all angry, but don’t you find it strange? Why does Leo need to go through all the effort to drug Bria before taking her away from the hospital? Why was she specifically brought to Leo’s home instead of anywhere else?”

Julia’s hatred for Leo was currently so strong that the mere mention of his name set her heart

aflame.

She scoffed upon hearing Samuel’s questions. “It’s all an act. They have to make it realistic to sell the act. While he was playing us for fools, he secretly stole Bria. Then, he will accuse us of being too careless with Bria. With evidence, it will be so easy for him to gain custody of her. As for why he had the child brought to his home, it must be because he thought the most dangerous place is the safest hiding spot. He thought we wouldn’t search his properties. That’s why he had the guts to be so brazen.”

“Even so, he is Bria’s father. How could he drug his own child?”

“Leo Alston is a cold-blooded man. Naturally, the end justifies the means. You both know how he is when it comes to business over the years. What’s there to wonder about?”

Samuel opened his mouth as if to rebuke, but eventually kept quiet and just glanced at Amelie.

Julia was beside herself with anger right now, so she would not listen to logic at all.

Amelie met Samuel’s eyes. The question she saw in his gaze startled him.

“Elie, you don’t believe Samuel’s hypotheses, right?” Julia asked, dashing over to tug at Amelie’s

“Julia, let Elie think for herself,” Samuel softly said.

Although Julia was extremely upset, she still went quiet.

Amelie silently contemplated for a full minute before eventually opening her mouth…

Night had fallen.

Melissa was not fast asleep in bed as she usually would be.

Currently, she was rushing down a long corridor with hurried footsteps.

Her fingers clutched tight at her bag.

It was twisted out of shape by now from her fingers.

As she stopped in front of a door, she pressed hard on the doorbell.

“Who is it?” The person calling out from within was audibly upset at being disturbed in the middle of the night.

The door opened.

A beautiful face soon appeared.

Without saying a single word, Melissä immediately slapped the other person.

It was a loud slap.

The crisp sound echoed through the night.

With how silent the night was, it was a shocking sound to hear.

“Elyse Clayton!” she spat out through gritted teeth. Her rather youthful face was twisted in an ugly expression.

Melissa’s eyes were burning with anger and hatred for Elyse.

Despite the hard slap, Elyse did not look shocked at all. Instead, she casually covered her cheek with a hand.

There was a lazy, scornful-look in her eyes.

“What are you doing, Mrs. Alston? I am a celebrity who might be photographed at any moment. If someone just so happens to take a picture of this moment, tomorrow’s headlines would be all

She spoke in such a demeanor that it did not sound like she was talking to someone of a higher seniority than her.

Those words infuriated Melissa even more.

Nevertheless, she walked into the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her.

She scanned the apartment and checked to make sure all the windows were covered. “Elyse, you keep saying you’ll help me, but is this it? How dare you! How could you poison Bria and steal her away? Don’t you know it’s against the law?”

“I will sue you!”

Elyse nonchalantly lowered her head and fidgeted with her fresh clear nails. “Was it me? Do you have proof? Mrs. Alston, if you don’t have proof, that’s slander.”

“You!”

Melissa was trembling with fury upon being rebuked.

“I regret working with you.”

Elyse did not retort this time and continued smirking.

Melissa was still huffing with anger. When she saw the smirk, she shot Else a glare. “Amelie is now going to sue Leo and the Alstons. If any one of us is hurt at all, you will suffer as well!”

After the threat was delivered, she angrily stomped out of the apartment.

Elyse knew Melissa was not a big-hearted woman, and she particularly despised Melissa’s haughty attitude. Still, she plastered on a gleeful smile and pulled Melissa back into the

apartment.

“Are you looking down on your son, Mrs. Alston? He is so powerful that Amelie is nothing before him. Don’t worry. She will not win.”

She then spun Melissa around forcefully. “You want them to become enemies, right? This is our

best chance.”

Melissa’s frigid face slowly warmed up when she heard that.

The rage in her eyes simmered down.

It was undeniable that Elyse had succeeded in persuading her.

Implicitly, Melissa was saying Elyse was forgiven this time.

The proud and snobbish look in Melissa’s gaze made Elyse scoff internally.

She thinks she’s high-class yet would throw away her granddaughter’s life just for her own benefit. Just another rich selfish person. Worse than a beast. High-class my ‘ss. Still, it was all thanks to her that today’s incident happened. No matter how smart Leo is, he will never find out about my involvement.

When Melissa finally left the apartment satisfied, Elyse let out a cold smirk. “Oh, Leo, this is the price for abandoning me. What would you feel if you one day realize you have hurt the heart of your beloved Big Eyes?”

Just as she was smugly thinking about that, her phone began to ring.

www

When she looked down at it, she was surprised to see it was a call from Toby.

“Is there something you need, Mr. Walsh?” she coldly asked. He did not like her anyway.

“It’s not me,” Toby replied. “It’s Leo.”

Elyse was stunned to hear that Leo wanted to talk to her.

“I’m sorry, but I am already in bed,” she said.

“Do you really not want to come here and see what’s happening?” After asking that, he gave her an address.

Then, he hung up.