Ch. 171..175: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 171-175
Chapter 171
In the end, Elyse could not suppress her curiosity and headed to the place Toby gave her the
address to.
It was not a place they usually gathered at. Instead, it was a club she had never been to before.
Even with his instructions, it still took her some effort to find the correct room.
When Elyse walked in, Leo was nowhere to be found.
In fact, the only person she knew in the room was Ashton.
There were also a few other men.
”
The most eye-catching of the group was a middle-aged man who looked very similar to Ashton.
She had only just entered the room when she saw the man kick Ashton in the abdomen.
The blow had Ashton bending over before collapsing.
With a bang, he crashed to the ground.
The sight frightened Elyse, causing her face to go pale as she swiftly slapped her hands over her mouth.
Her feet were locked in place.
For long moments, Ashton was just lying there on the floor.
The middle-aged man’s voice boomed through the room. “Starlight Media has sent a lawyer’s letter, declaring their intent to sue you! Tell me who told you to do it, or you will be imprisoned!”
Beside the man stood a woman, her face a mask of shock.
When she saw Ashton on the ground, she let out a screech. Her hands snapped out as if to help him up, but she did not dare to do so.
Instead, she looked down at him with a sad look on her face. “Ash, please. As your mother, I’m begging you. Tell the truth. If this goes on, your father will kill you.”
It was now that Elyse recognized them.
The man was Ashton’s father.
Now that she knew who they were, she allowed shock and terror to show on her face.
She had not expected the couple to get wind of this.
More specifically, she did not expect Thomas Lowe, Ashton’s father, to be here. He had always been a man who was busy with major business. He was always coming and going without anyone
knowing.
Ashton crawled up from the ground as pain simmered in his eyes.
When he spotted Elyse, he froze and awkwardly looked away from her.
It was then that Thomas spotted Elyse. He glared at her. “Who is this woman? Why is she here?”
His booming voice terrified her so much that she went pale as she instinctively took a step backward.
Ashton hurriedly got to his feet and blocked her from view. “She has the wrong room.”
That snapped Elyse back to her senses, making her turn to leave the room.
“Stop her!” Thomas ordered.
Immediately, two arms shot out before her.
Thomas’ burning eyes soon focused on her.
His gaze was so overwhelming that it made her head spin because he was not like Ashton.
Ashton was a carefree slacker while Thomas was a truly capable man with a great reputation.
Everything Thomas did was brutal. He was both knowledgeable and hard to fool.
Elyse even found breathing hard. Her hands were covered in sweat due to how nervous she was.
Finally, he looked away from her.
He waved his hands, gesturing for his men to back off.
It was only then that Elyse could go back to her usual breathing pattern. After nodding to him, she left.
Behind her, she then heard Thomas say, “Investigate that woman’s connection to this brat! Be thorough. I want a clear report on every meeting, every phone call, and every message sent.”
From then on, her feet felt like they were nailed to the ground. She could not take another step at
all.
She spun around to stare at him in shock.
Thomas was not looking at her, but his eyes still burned with certainty.
“If you confess, I will let you live. If you dare hide a single detail, you will be sent to jail right away!”
Although he said that to Ashton, Elyse was the person who was terrified.
The calm she was faking immediately fled out of her.
Her entire body swayed.
Guilt overwhelmed her.
When Elyse next looked up, she saw someone standing right outside the window under the light.
He was so calm and silent.
There was a serious look on his face. It was as if he belonged in a painting.
That was the face of the man she loved, but no warmth could be seen on it.
An icy gleam flashed in his black eyes. While his gaze was not particularly sharp, it still pierced right through her.
It was Leo.
He did not say a single word. He did not even move a single muscle.
He merely stood there in silence.
That was enough to make her feel cornered and dejected.
She finally realized that Toby did not summon her over to watch a nice show.
She was actually witnessing her own humiliation.
Meanwhile, Ashton was still keeping his mouth shut. It was clear he would not betray her even if it meant he would be thrown into prison.
She should be happy about it.
Although they were blank and emotionless, Elyse still felt a strong sense of mockery in them.
He was mocking her for her cowardice and hypocrisy. He was accusing her of being someone too cowardly to own up to her own actions.
His gaze filled her with guilt.
It intensified the shame she felt.
It was clear that he knew she had pushed Ashton to do the deed.
Like an outsider, he was merely watching to see how long she could keep quiet.
“It’s me. I told him to do it!”
All sense of rationality fled her mind as she shouted that.
Ashton stared at her in disbelief. “Elyse, you…”
Thomas’ gaze slid past her. While there was no emotion to be seen in his eyes, that burning gaze still made her feel unbelievably humiliated.
Ashton’s mother charged over to her and slapped her in the face. “You shameless woman! Stay away from my son!”
Her hands were clenched into fists. She was looking at Elyse as if she were staring at a great enemy who had crossed her.
Elyse hung her head low. She had never felt so humiliated before.
“Let’s go!” Thomas commanded with a wave of his hand before striding out of the room.
His men ran over, lifted Ashton in a carry, and followed him.
Ashton’s mother left the room as well after shooting Elyse another glare.
Elyse just stood there like a statue. She felt so very cold.
She even felt as if there were numerous pairs of eyes staring at her, laughing at her, mocking
her.
She did not know how much time had passed before she saw a pair of leather shoes step into her
view.
Those shares were so bright that her eyes hurt from looking at them.
He looked down at her in silence.
Leo had stepped into the room.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as his tuse was just merciless.
“Leo, how can you do this to Ashton? He’s your friend. Don’t you think you’ve gone too far by letting his father push him into this situation?” she asked.
1
Elyse had no right to defend herself, so she could only use Ashton as an excuse to express her dissatisfaction with Leo.
“I am not the one being cruel to him; you are,” he replied. His face was as cold as ever.
If the two men were not friends, what Ashton did to Bria would not end up with a mere punishment from Thomas.
“You have to pay the price for your actions, Elyse.”
He then turned and walked out of the room.
He could not stay a moment longer as he was a man who would not hit women.
However, if he stayed in the room any longer, he might break that rule.
After hearing him say that, the first thing Elyse thought of was her reputation. I’ll be doomed the moment my reputation is damaged.
The thought threw her into a frenzy. How she regretted what happened that evening.
Elyse soon found a way to save herself though.
She turned and shouted at Leo’s back, “I was only speaking off the top of my head just now. It does not hold any weight. Even in court, I cannot be held accountable for that!”
He did not respond.
Instead, it was Laura who walked into the room.
She pulled out a box and slowly opened it.
Then, she pulled out a tiny object from within.
Elyse stared at her in confusion before realizing that she was holding a voice recorder.
Chapter 172
A conversation between Elyse and Ashton immediately came from the voice recorder. It was the part where Elyse encouraged Ashton to help her that day!
“How… How did you become like this?” Laura’s eyes were full of pain and regret.
Elyse’s eyes were wide open. She couldn’t believe it at all! She never imagined that someone recorded what she said! It is over; I’m completely finished!
Extreme panic caused her to cover her mouth tightly. She could barely stand as her legs were shaking. In fact, she could fall at any time!
Besides, she was now aware of one thing-just now, Leo didn’t intend to obtain any results at all but simply wanted to force her to admit her mistake!
He had been treating her like she was a fool.
“Leo, you b’stard!” she yelled hysterically, covering her face in embarrassment.
Leo did not stop walking away because of her yelling. At this moment, Elyse fell into deep despair and pain. Furious, she was unwilling to give up. After pushing Laura away, she chased after Leo without caring about her image and stopped in front of him. “So what if there is evidence? Ashton is your friend, and I have a relationship with you. To Amelie, we are all partners in crime. What we do are all authorized by you. Leo, you can’t whitewash yourself. You will never get off scot-free!”
She had suffered twice in one night and her reputation was long gone. She was acting like a shrew most viciously and frantically. Leo didn’t even bother to look at her and walked straight past her. She was left alone in the cold, like a pile of discarded garbage that no one cared about…
Elyse covered her face in pain and simply squatted down. She burst into tears. Her image was in tatters, but fortunately, this was a high-end club, so no one would come to take pictures of her. After crying for a long time, Elyse felt someone grabbing her shoulders. Then, she was forced to stand up. She looked up and saw the silhouette of a face against the light.
The man said, “This matter has a hugely negative impact on you, but I can help you. I can find a way to eliminate all these mistakes perfectly.”
Elyse’s body trembled. It was undeniable that she was tempted by the proposal. Nobody wanted a lawsuit, especially a public figure like her. But immediately after, a dark determination flashed across her eyes. “No, I will face it!”
Eliminating all these mistakes meant that nobody would be in the wrong. This was not what she
wanted.
“It’s not worth using self-destruction to gain satisfaction.”
Elyse had long been used to his sarcasm, so she only turned her face away in discomfiture and clenched her fingers again and again. She had fallen into a kind of ludicrous obstinacy. Even if she was required to self-destruct, she would still do it if it meant getting to see Leo and Amelie confront each other and cut ties for good!
In a blink of an eye, it was the day of the trial. As the case involved minors, it was not heard in public. Even if it was so, Elyse who was sitting in the dock was still in extreme humiliation. She felt that everyone who passed by her was looking at her with mockery. Judges… Lawyers… They were all laughing at her. She had no choice but to keep cheering herself up and telling herself that it didn’t matter. It’s worth it to trade my humiliation for the clean break between Leo and Amelie.
As she was just thinking about it, the door opened, and Amelie and Julia walked in side by side. Amelie was holding Bria by the hand. When Elyse saw Amelie, her eyes lit up with a victorious look. While they walked by her, Elyse sneered and taunted, “Amelie, if you think you’ve already won, you’d better stop dreaming!”
After that, her sharp gaze fell on Bria. However, Amelie just glanced at her quietly. Without saying anything, she led Bria and Julia away toward the plaintiff’s seats.
After a while, Leo also arrived. Seeing Leo, Elyse deliberately raised her voice and called him, “Leo, over here!”
Leo didn’t even look at her, but Toby behind him let out a chuckle. Elyse’s heart ached from being ignored by him, but then she thought that even if he didn’t want to, he still had to fight side by side with her. When she thought of how he would stand on the dock, it made her feel much better. Then, she purposely gave way to let Leo in.
Toby pulled Leo and glanced toward the dock, but Leo didn’t go in and sit down. Instead, he turned around and went in another direction. In the end, he ended up in the plaintiff’s box.
“Leo, you’re sitting in the wrong place!” Elyse hastily reminded him. “This is the dock.”
Leo lowered his eyes as if he didn’t hear her, but Toby smiled at her. “Leo is the plaintiff.”
“P-Plaintiff?” Elyse was stunned. Her eyes could not help but move toward Amelie sitting next to Leo. She thought that Amelie would definitely do something, and Amelie really did. Amelie gave way and made room for Leo. Bria, who had been sitting next to Amelie, then moved to sit between the two of them. Elyse looked at Leo and then at Amelie with a confused look. Her pink lips parted, revealing a row of neat teeth.
“What’s going on here?” Elyse was shocked and hurriedly asked her lawyer. “Why did Leo become the plaintiff?”
“Are you kidding me? It’s Amelie who is suing Leo!” Elyse was going crazy.
The lawyer didn’t speak anymore and pushed the documents to her. At the top of the document, it read that the plaintiff was Leo in black and white!
“When did it change? Why didn’t you tell me?” Elyse spoke angrily in a low voice. If it weren’t for the fact that this was a court and no noise was allowed, she would have yelled a long time ago.
you refused The lawyer looked helpless as he replied, “I’ve asked you to meet several times, but to see me, and you didn’t answer your phone calls. I couldn’t tell you anything. In fact, two days ago, Miss Dillon withdrew the Jawsuit against Mr. Alston.”
Two days ago?
Elyse lost her mind. If she had known that this would be the result, she would have listened to that man’s advice. Now… Is it too late?
The truth was that it was too late. The evidence in the case was conclusive and the trial was quick. It was a fact that Elyse encouraged Ashton to harm and take Bria away. Although no irreparable harm was caused, she was sentenced to three months in prison and ordered to apologize to the victim. At the end of the trial, Amelie didn’t come to her to ask for an apology but left with Julia and Bria. Before leaving, she nodded politely at Leo, who looked back at her with deep eyes.
Then, Amelie simply left. Once outside, Julia wanted to reward Bria, so she ran off with her to buy some treats, leaving Amelie to wait alone on the spot.
Samuel was standing outside the whole time, and when he saw Amelie approaching, he gave her a relieved smile. “I thought you would really argue with Leo, so I was worried for a while.”
Amelie gave him a smile.
“You analyzed it so well, and I still have my basic thinking abilities. I can comprehend many things well after calming down. In fact, the reason why I agreed to sue Leo at that time was just to give him a chance to prove his innocence. Later, he sent evidence on his own initiative, so there was no need to prosecute him further.”
When Leo came out and saw the two of them, he instinctively wanted to greet them. Unexpectedly, he heard this before he opened his mouth. It turned out that she had always believed in him! Warmth suddenly flowed into his heart.
Taby stood quietly behind him and looked at Leo’s relaxed eyebrows with a complicated
expression.
When did he start to care about what Amelie thinks of him?
After the car had driven away for a long time, she finally realized that her fist was hurting a little. So, she lowered her head and opened her palm, only to see a piece of paper clutched in her trembling palm.
She couldn’t help but freeze for a moment before spreading out the paper. The words written on it made her expression change drastically!
Chapter 173
In the next moment, she slapped herself hard on the face. From the beginning to the end, she was the one being played. What was written on the paper was what Amelie said to Samuel just now. Amelie had never thought about going up against Leo at all, and she just wanted to give him a chance to prove his innocence! The ridiculous thing was that when Amelie calmly made the plan, Elyse was walking around like a clown, thinking that she had caused a rift between the two of them. She was too set on getting benefits when war broke out between them!
How ridiculous! It’s really ridiculous!
Elyse laughed so hard that she burst into tears and nearly couldn’t breathe properly. After a long time, her eyes rolled backward and she fell unconscious on the chair…
In the hospital, Elyse opened her eyes. In front of her, there were no flowers or smiling faces. There were only cold shackles before her. She asked the nurse for a phone, and then dialed the number with trembling hands. “Please, help me! I don’t want to go to jail, and I don’t want to be ruined!”
On the other side, there was no response.
Overwhelmed by despair, she weakly let the phone drop.
At the Alston Residence, when Melissa heard about what happened, she flew into a rage. “That useless Elyse was defeated so easily! I really wasted my time believing in her!”
Melissa was so angry that her facial features twisted in fury. It was one thing for Elyse to be undependable, and it was another thing entirely that her son was now helping Amelie! How could Melissa allow the child staying with Amelie to be the topic for outsiders to mock her?
Melissa cared about her image, so even if she got angry, she only did so in her room. She didn’t even dare to throw something to vent her anger, for fear that the servants would hear it and spread it to the outside world, which would affect her reputation. The more she cared about her reputation, the less she could accept the facts in front of her.
After a while Melissa stopped being upset and gasped for breath, thinking about how to save everything.
Just as she was thinking, the door was pushed open. “Mom, why are you hiding in the room so early in the morning?”
The one who came in was Jodie, who was dressed up beautifully. Not only was she all dressed up stylishly, but she was also wearing all kinds of branded clothing from top to toe. Melissa didn’t think much about Jodie acting like this during usual times. But she was in a bad mood at this
going again? All you do is party! Look at you. What practical skills do you have?”
Jodie felt aggrieved by her mother’s scolding and replied, “Who says I have no practical skills? I graduated from a proper university, Mom. Also, it’s not that all I do is party. It’s all Leo’s fault. He disagreed with me setting up a live broadcast platform under Genesis, otherwise, I would have already gathered tens of thousands of fans!”
Melissa listened to Jodie talking about live broadcasts and media, and she was so disgusted she nearly threw up. “Your brother doesn’t want you to be humiliated! Don’t you understand that? As an actress, you should act in movies. Not be a live broadcaster! How shameful is that? What’s the difference between doing that and selling things on the street? I paid for your university degree and let you attend so many different classes. How could you end up as a salesperson?”
Melissa had always had a sense of superiority, and she looked down on influencers and live broadcast platforms because she felt that those were not reputable jobs. Hearing that Jodie was obsessed with
these things only made her angrier. Jodie pursed her lips when she heard her mother speak so harshly and didn’t bother to argue further.
After criticizing Jodie, Melissa sighed again. “The two of you make me worry so much. What crime did I do in my previous life to deserve this?”
“What’s wrong with Leo?” Jodie asked alertly after hearing what Melissa said even though she was about to leave with the script in her hands. When Leo was mentioned, Melissa sighed even louder. She briefly revealed that Leo refused to fight for custody, and even sent her ally Elyse to jail. Jodie never cared much about Bria’s custody rights, so naturally, she wasn’t as angry as Melissa. But when she thought of Amelie, she was also infuriated.
“That Amelie has caused me trouble so many times and humiliated me. I hate her to death!”
Melissa was not in the mood to blabber with her, so she said coolly, “If you have nothing else to say, go back to your room and rest early.”
Jodie didn’t move. Instead, she thought of an idea and hurriedly grabbed Melissa’s arm. “Mom, if you want to fight for Bria’s custody, I have a plan.”
Melissa didn’t believe Jodie at all. After all, Jodie was not as smart as her. Even she could not win against Amelie, let alone Jodie, who had suffered many times under Amelie’s hands. So, Melissa pushed her daughter’s hand away indifferently and said, “This is not the time for jokes.”
“Oh, I’m not joking!” Jodie yelled as she stared at Melissa dissatisfiedly. “Mom, why don’t you listen to me?”
She spoke of her plan very quickly. While listening to her words, Melissa went from initially disgusted to contemplative. Seeing Melissa’s changes, Jodie became smug all of a sudden. “My idea is not bad,
right? You go to Amelie according to my plan, and I guarantee you that she won’t be able to get out of this! As long as Amelie has no money nor support, you won’t need to be
of hon
In the private compartment, Leo was drinking alcohol endlessly. There was no expression on his handsome face, but there were clear thoughts hidden in his black eyes. His long eyelashes drooped and shielded his emotions.
Toby kept watching Leo drink, and seeing Leo finish a large bottle of beer, he finally couldn’t help it and asked, “Isn’t everything going smoothly according to your plan? Why aren’t you happy?”
Leo remained silent as he pursed his lips tighter. After a long time, he said, “I plan to go to Quinn Town.”
“Again? Why?” Toby was obviously taken aback.
Leo held the glass and was silent again. Toby had a strange look on his face as he thought of some things Leo had mentioned before. “Are you going to find… Big Eyes?”
Toby only recently found out about Big Eyes.
Leo assented in silence, which made Toby frown. A figure flashed in Toby’s mind inexplicably. If I remember correctly, Amelie is also from Quinn Town! The only reason Leo cares about Elyse is because of Big Eyes. But what about Amelie? Why did she marry Leo? At first, everyone thought she was doing it for the money. But now it turns out that she is the least short of money.
An idea suddenly came to Toby’s mind, which caused a chill to run down his spine. He felt extremely cold all of a sudden and shivered. He couldn’t hold the glass in his hand properly anymore and the glass fell down with a crash.
Distracted by the sound, Leo looked at him in confusion.
Toby barely steadied himself as he picked up the glass and pretended to be nonchalant. He poured the alcohol, then pressed the rim of the glass to his lips, but he didn’t drink it and just looked at the bottom of the glass. Then, he asked, “Leo, what will you do if you find Big Eyes?”
“Of course, I’ll treat her well,” Leo said without thinking.
Toby gripped the glass tightly and then immediately let go. “Have you ever thought about it properly though? You’ve been separated for nine years, and she may have started a family long ago.”
Leo froze at that. He really hadn’t thought about this at all.
“You might ruin her marriage and family by going here. You won’t be treating her well but ruining her instead.” Toby’s voice came over again coldly.
If I had been more careful back then, would I have recognized the right person?
Amelie waited until Bria fell asleep before coming out. The lawsuit was over, and it was time to go back. Bria had to go to school, and their lives should go back on track. Originally, she was going back to Halport today, but Julia dragged her off to celebrate. It was already late after dinner, so she decided to depart early tomorrow morning.
She came out at this time to buy something to eat on the way back tomorrow so that Bria would not be hungry.
Amelie went downstairs and walked along the dim boulevard under the streetlights. There was a 24- hour tuck shop not far away.
“Big Eyes!”
Suddenly, a low voice came from next to her. Trembling as if she had been electrocuted, she froze in place. After a long time, she slowly raised her eyes. Then, she saw that slender and tall figure hidden under the streetlamp less than three meters from her. The man’s body moved, slowly peeling away from the shadows and revealing a familiar face…
Chapter 174
The moment Leo called her Big Eyes, Amelie’s mind went blank.
After their divorce, she kept that identity hidden. She never imagined that she would hear him call her by that name again.
“Did you remember me?
Before she could finish her sentence, Amelie felt her body being squeezed.
He hugged her.
Following that, a heavy scent of alcohol wafted into her nostrils.
“Did you drink?” She was still in shock after falling into his embrace.
Without speaking, Leo pressed his head into her nape.
His breath was a little urgent as he felt an inexplicable surge of depression.
Amelie dared not move an inch as she silently felt the rhythm of his breath.
Somehow, she started feeling uncomfortable.
Gradually, her anger toward him for forgetting her was beginning to fade.
Leo hugged her tight.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve come and looked for you sooner. It’s all my fault.” His voice was subdued but also sounded heartbroken.
Amelie shuddered and froze at the spot.
What is he saying?
“Why didn’t you come and look for me?” She almost blurted the question as she was eager to know the answer.
Her lashes shuddered uncontrollably after she asked the question. It was a sign of grievance.
“It’s my fault,” Leo muttered.
“Your fault? What did you do wrong?” Amelie asked softly.
They were knitted so tightly they could turn into a knot that couldn’t be untied.
“I always thought it was you.” He blurted out of nowhere after falling silent for some time.
She almost gave up seeking an answer from him, but that sentence once again aroused her
curiosity.
“You thought it was me?”
Leo snuggled deeper into her nape and muttered, “El…”
“Mr. Alston.”
Amelie pricked up her ears in an attempt to hear him clearly, but the weight on her body suddenly turned light. Leo had been pried away from her.
Laura’s worried face entered Amelie’s line of sight, which caused the latter to sober up. she recalled that she was no longer in a relationship with Leo, she quickly backed away.
When
Noticing Amelie, Laura looked surprised but didn’t badger her. “Mr. Alston is drunk. Sorry that he bothered you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Amelie replied indifferently.
Laura quickly called the guards over to help Leo stand.
Standing still in the middle of the road, Amelie allowed the wind to blow the hem of her dress.
What was Leo doing?He has forgotten about Big Eyes but suddenly said things like it’s my fault.”
Shaking her head fervently, she forced herself to forget about him.
Since they were divorced now, she intended to leave everything behind and stop dwelling on the past.
Despite her trying to comfort herself, Leo’s words still left a strong impression, like a ripple that formed in her usually calm heart.
After the incident, she returned to her normal life.
Amelie started going up and down between the two cities.
It was tiring sometimes, but she was happy.
On this day, she entered the office as usual.
She sat on the chair with her legs crossed, revealing her slim legs as she flipped through a magazine with her slender fingers.
“Did something happen?” Noticing something off, Amelie asked.
Julia looked at her with a complicated gaze. Then, she tossed the magazine on the table with a thud. “Look at this.”
Amelie was puzzled as she turned to look at the magazine.
The opened page revealed a familiar face of a man.
The photo had a dark filter that accentuated his textured skin.
He sat in an upright posture with an ever-handsome face, but his expression was stern. He didn’t look approachable at all.
The man was none other than Leo Alston.
Seeing his face in the magazine, Amelie felt her heart race without reason. She couldn’t help recalling that night when he hugged her and admitted his mistake.
“Leo Alston must be out of his mind. I can’t believe he used his power to bail Elyse Clayton out. He even invested in a series she’s going to star in. Rumors are saying that she’s going to rise to fame again.”
Julia sounded furious as she spoke urgently and at lightning speed.
On the other hand, Amelie felt as if being hit in the head.
She quickly skimmed through the content of the magazine.
Aside from the fact that Elyse persuaded Ashton to take Bria away, the content was exactly the same as what Julia had mentioned.
Amelie found it absurd. “Is this an actual magazine? Did you get it from the streets?”
Some immorál æsthetic clinics would often pick up outdated entertainment news for the sake of promotions, so Amelie immediately thought of that.
In response, Julia closed the magazine to show her the cover.
Hitting Amelie’s head with her knuckles, she exclaimed, “Look! This is a weekly entertainment magazine. I bought it! This article isn’t just published here but is also spread across the Internet. Everyone is talking about Leo investing in Elyse’s projects, and they’re even claiming that he’s
getting hack tooether with herlTM
Without much effort, she managed to find another article.
Amelie went silent as her beautiful face was suddenly deprived of color.
Julia’s irritated voice rang in her ears again. “I knew that Leo Alston have been acting in front of us. He was afraid that we would make things worse, so he pretended to side with us. His ultimate goal was to convict Elyse Clayton of her crimes. Look how successful his strategy was. We fell for his trick and left Elyse up to the police, and we didn’t even tell the public about her arrest! Anyway, I reckon this was his plan all along!”
Julia talked non-stop beside her.
However, Amelie’s mind was currently in a mess that she didn’t register what her friend was blabbering on and on about.
Her mind was filled with the scene from that night when Leo hugged her, called her Big Eyes, and admitted his mistake.
Was that part of his act too?
If he wasn’t acting, how could he explain the news today?
The more she thought about it, the more disappointed she felt.
After a long time, she brought her hands to her head and uttered, “Can you leave me alone for a
while?”
It was only then that Julia noticed the sadness on Amelie’s face. She was first taken aback by her reaction but quickly led her to the couch without another word.
“Don’t keep your worries to yourself. Remember, you can always tell me and Samuel,” she reminded Amelie.
Amelie nodded in response.
After Julia left, Amelie plopped onto the couch as if suffering from a cramp.
She sat on the couch for a while until the sound of her ringtone brought her back to reality.
Grabbing her phone, she realized there were a few incoming calls from the same number, but she was so distracted that she didn’t hear them.
The number on the screen aroused complex emotions in Amelie.
She was about to toss the phone aside when the same number appeared on the screen again.
M
Amelie forced herself to suppress the overwhelming emotions in her heart and swiped the answer key before blurting in a cold voice, “What is it?”
“Let’s meet up.” That was all the other party said before giving her the address and hanging up the phone.
Chapter 175
“Miss Dillon?”
When Amelie arrived at the riverside opposite Starlight Media, she was stopped by a young lady. Then, she nodded without saying anything and glanced at the familiar figure not far away. Even though the other person was only a few feet away, she could sense an air of superiority emanating from that other person, which made her uneasy.
“Come here.” The woman nodded at her and led her to the familiar figure.
“Mrs. Alston, Miss Dillon is here,” the young lady informed.
The woman did not turn around but instead authoritatively waved her hand. So, when the young lady saw that, she lowered her head and retreated.
Meanwhile, Amelie silently watched the woman’s annoying behavior and felt speechless. “Is something the matter, Mrs. Alston?” she inquired directly.
Melissa eventually turned around but did not meet her gaze, and there was a hint of displeasure on her face. It was an expression of dismay at Amelie’s lack of respect for her. As was her custom, she conveyed her emotions solely through her facial expression without further explanation. Simply lowering her gaze, she could make anyone feel small and vulnerable.
Nevertheless, Amelie still felt oppressed despite being used to her behavior.
“Do you know why I must fight for Bria’s custody, Amelie?” Melissa finally spoke.
Suddenly, Amelie could finally heave a breath. Don’t you get tired of laying the groundwork and putting up a front? My heart goes out to her. “Let’s cut to the chase.” She had never fancied beating around the
bush, so she reminded Melissa directly.
Melissa frowned in displeasure when she heard that. She could no longer control her expression as she felt offended. However, she knew Amelie would not surrender to her like that, so she stifled her anger and finished her sentence. “Our family owns a huge company, so we can’t tolerate malicious comments from the public. You are financially supported by Starlight Media’s boss to raise Brja, and it has become an act of humiliation to our family. We cannot allow you to continue humiliating us, so we will fight for Bria’s custody at all costs!”
“Is that what Leo wants?” Amelie questioned calmly while looking into her eyes.
Melissa froze for a moment before responding, “This is what our family wants.”
In other words, he was bound by whatever the Alstons decided.
The words caused Amelie to frown and she felt a sharn nain in her chest hit cho mickly
must have spent so much time writing a great script that he almost cost Elyse her future.
Initially, she planned on telling Melissa that she was Starlight Media’s owner and paying for Bria’s upbringing from her savings. On the other hand, after hearing Melissa’s remarks, she was no longer in the mood to make such a declaration. While that statement would be a slap in the face to Melissa and the Alstons, it would also give the impression that she had not moved on. Furthermore, it would imply that she could not detach herself from that deceitful family, which would be like rubbing salt in her own wounds.
“Does that mean as long as I don’t use the money offered by Starlight Media’s boss and give up on the job offer, you will not interfere with me and Bria’s lives?” Raising her chin slightly, Amelie enunciated every word as she looked into Melissa’s eyes.
Seeing how serious Amelie was, Melissa snickered in her heart. Pfft, acting so high and almighty. Whom are you trying to show off to?How is a useless woman going to survive without a man? Her intention on that particular day was part of a deliberate plan to ensnare Amelie, and she needed to execute it successfully. Then, mirroring her expression, Melissa intentionally nodded with grace. “Yes.”
“Deal!” Amelie quickly agreed.
Despite agreeing to the terms without hesitation, Melissa felt nothing was amiss.
She tried to keep her cool but could not help but remind Amelie, “Think about it carefully. That means you can’t spend any money he gives you, no matter what method you use. All the money you put towards Bria’s upbringing must come from your hard work. It should have nothing to do with Starlight Media’s boss!”
As if afraid that Amelie might go back on her words, Melissa took out a small notepad. “If you can do it, sign this agreement. The agreement will take effect after you sign it. Once signed, you must willingly give up Bria’s custody when you spend a penny of his money, We will come and take Bria away!”
Amelie was well aware of what Melissa’s plan was. She thinks that I won’t make enough to support myself and Bria. Moreover, she is waiting for me to violate the contract or my inability to raise Bria so that the Alstons can take custody of my daughter.
Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Amelie grabbed the agreement and signed her name on it. Then, she handed it back to Melissa. “There you go. The agreement goes into effect today.”
Suddenly, Melissa’s jaw dropped as she stared at Amelie. I do not believe she will sign the agreement so quickly. My initial assumption is that it will be difficult to convince her to relinquish custody of her daughter to me. “Let me remind you one more time. You can only support Bria with your own income without the involvement of Starlight Media or monetary support from others,” she reminded her.
=
cancel the 20 million education fund for Bria!”
After saying that, she kept her phone gracefully. “Is that enough? If not, you may deploy a financial team to monitor my financial situation at any time.”
Melissa was dumbfounded by Amelie’s attitude. Soon, after hearing what she said, Melissa kept quiet and snatched the agreement before shoving it into her bag. After that, she stomped away.
“I had no idea Melissa Alston would pull such a stupid act. The Alstons will be too embarrassed to ask for Bria’s custody later under this agreement.” In the office, Julia snatched the agreement from Amelie, flipped through it, and remarked sarcastically. Soon, anger no longer painted across her face but was replaced with her usual energetic expression.
After taking a seat, Amelie rubbed her temples and chimed in, “Yeah. That’s for the better.”
“I’m looking forward to the day those b’stards from the Alston Family see you living a prosperous life even though you didn’t get money from Starlight Media.” Immersing herself in her imagination, Julia laughed out loud.
On the contrary, Amelie pulled an indifferent expression. “They have no right to see how prosperous my life is.”
“That’s right, but those b’stards are crossing the line. They make me want to slap them in the face!” Julia huffed and was secretly plotting in her mind. I need to find a chance to show those arrogant b’stards that the woman they look down on is not an easy enemy!
“It’s a great day for shopping today! Come with me!” After making that statement, Julia was eager to leave.
Given that Amelie already planned to go shopping for new seasonal clothing for her father and daughter, she quickly agreed.
After a round of shopping, both managed to haul a few bags. Nonetheless, they were relieved to learn that the luxurious mall provided services that would deliver their purchases directly to their homes.
The two only left the mall when they were satisfied with their purchases. However, when they left the building, they ran into two familiar faces. As soon as Julia caught sight of the couple, her smile/turned to disgust.