Ch. 211..215: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 211-215

Chapter 211

Thanks to Toby, Amelie tossed and turned in bed all night long.In the morning, after dropping Brianna off at school, Amelie was planning on heading home for a nap when she got a call from Julia.Julia said she had a remarkable talent to introduce to Amelie.Amelie’s audiobook service platform was beginning to produce results, so she planned on starting a new project that offered offline training courses. Thus, she was looking to hire people for the project.It was hard to find great talents, so after hearing what Julia said, Amelie booked a ride to Clouson City without wasting any time.When she arrived, the candidate wasn’t there yet. Julia was drinking coffee by herself.Julia spotted Amelie and immediately waved at her, but when she saw Amelie’s face, she exclaimed, “Oh, my. Your undereye circles are pretty dark. What happened? Did you lose sleep over Leo’s announcement?”“Why would I?” Amelie immediately retorted in embarrassment.It did have something to do with Leo, but it was mostly because he got into a fight with Toby and she had to go over to talk them down, which culminated in Toby’s confession.Still, she wasn’t going to agree to start a relationship with Toby, so she saw no point in mentioning this to Julia.“Oh,” Julia replied, but her expression became rather strange.Amelie didn’t understand why, so she turned around to see what Julia was looking at. What she saw was a cold and stern-looking face.The man’s features were flawless, but his brow was hard.A stifled feeling rose in Amelie’s chest. Her limbs felt numb.Julia shuddered and backed away ever so slightly as she thought, That b*stard Leo has such an imposing presence. How scary!Amelie had been married to Leo for four years and knew him well enough to pick up on his displeasure. I didn’t say anything to rile him up, so why is he displeased?“Did he come in because of you? Don’t tell me he suddenly developed feelings for you,” Julia murmured into Amelie’s ear when she saw that Leo showed no signs of leaving.Before Amelie could say anything, the clear, bright voice of a woman rang out. “Leo.”Immediately after, a young, fashionably dressed woman walked over. She was carrying her purse with both hands as she stood elegantly in front of Leo.Her smile made her pretty dimples even more prominent. “Have you been waiting long? I’m so sorry. I got stuck in traffic.”“Let’s go over there,” Leo said as he led the way. Soon, their silhouettes disappeared behind the partition.“What the hell?” Julia cried out as she

slammed her hand on the table. “It was obvious that he was standing up for you when he made the announcement last night, but here he is on a date with another woman today! What does he mean by this?”Julia had already heard about Elyse interrupting Amelie and Brianna at the event.Although Elyse didn’t mention the event when she uploaded the picture, Brianna’s classmates and their parents who took part in the event as well knew about it.Elyse’s actions had turned Amelie and Brianna into the subjects of mockery.Julia had been focused on finding a way to get even with Elyse, but before she could do anything, Leo beat her to it.Amelie was amused by Julia’s fury. “You’re the one who misunderstood him, so you can’t blame him for that.”Amelie no longer had any expectations, so she didn’t misinterpret Leo’s intentions. “If he even cared the slightest bit about me, it would’ve been clear during our marriage. Why would he wait until now to show me that he liked me?”Julia understood that too, but she still had a feeling that there were still instances of Leo protecting Amelie. Even though Julia loathed Leo, she knew that Brianna cared about her father, and sometimes, she couldn’t help but entertain the thought that it would be good for Brianna if Leo did fall in love with Amelie. It turned out that she was mistaken after all.Amelie didn’t dwell on this subject, and the candidate arrived soon after, so the three quickly became engrossed in a discussion about work. Eventually, the meeting came to an end. The candidate had other matters to discuss with Julia while Amelie had work to attend to, so she took leave of them.As soon as she stepped out, she saw a tall figure standing right in her path.The man turned around, and Amelie got a clear view of his dashing face.“Blakey?” Amelie called out to him in surprise.Blake’s eyes were as clear as ever. He smiled when he saw her, and it looked as if spring had bloomed across his face.Before Amelie could swoon over the way he looked, the young women beside him were shrieking with infatuation.“It’s Blakey! He’s so handsome. I’m in love!”“He looks even more like a prince in real life.”“Oh, my goodness! I can barely breathe.”Amelie was a little embarrassed when she saw Blake’s adoring fans.However, Blake wasn’t affected by their presence at all as he continued to stare at her.“Hey, is that his girlfriend? She’s very pretty.” The crowd finally noticed where Blake was staring and spotted Amelie.“She makes a good match with him. It feels as if I’m watching a romantic comedy.”“Me too.”“Are you telling me that my celebrity crush has a girlfriend? I don’t want to live anymore.”Amelie was even more embarrassed when the fans mistook her relationship with Blake, so

she quickly said, “Please don’t misunderstand, everyone. Blakey and I are just friends.”She said this because she didn’t want to damage Blake’s image. He was pure and flawless in every way, and she would feel guilty if he was stained in any way.Everyone brightened up when they heard Amelie stating that she wasn’t Blake’s girlfriend.The fans understood Blake’s personality, so they didn’t go overboard with their reactions and left after greeting him.Amelie exhaled in relief to have avoided a messy scene. When she turned around, she noticed the hurt look in Blake’s eyes.She was startled, but she didn’t pay much attention to it as she said, “What a coincidence. I didn’t think I’d bump into you here.”Blake hid the hurt in his eyes and asked, “Why didn’t you let me take part in Bria’s event?”“Huh?” Amelie stared blankly at him as she didn’t expect him to ask this question.“Am I not qualified?”“Not qualified? Of course not! There’s no such thing!” Amelie instantly refuted him.All along, she thought that Blake was merely joking and wouldn’t care about it. However, since he asked, she had to be honest and tell him that Leo took part in the event.Blake pursed his lips, and his expression grew a little stormy. It was completely at odds with his usual warm and pure-hearted image.Amelie had always treated him like a younger brother and liked the guileless side of him, so when she saw his reaction now, she couldn’t resist taking his hand. “I know you like Bria, but you’re a celebrity so it won’t be wise for you to come to Bria’s events. I don’t want people to gossip and create unwarranted rumors about you.”“I don’t care about that.” His voice was just as soft and warm as ever, but there was a trace of stubbornness in it as well.Amelie didn’t know what to say.Blake kept quiet, but he continued to stare at her with clear, gentle eyes.That look in his eyes…“You said you’re not a couple, you liars!”Before Amelie could look any closer, a shrill voice pierced through the air.One of the fans who left moments ago jumped back out and shrieked at the top of her lungs.Amelie was speechless.She turned around to look at the fan and saw the young woman with a hurt expression on her face. Her eyes were reddened, and her fists were clenched.It looked as if she had caught her boyfriend cheating on her.“See! You’re holding hands, and so tightly too!” she fumed agitatedly as she pointed at Amelie and Blake’s clasped hand.Amelie was still speechless.She quickly withdrew her hand and said, “This is just a misunderstanding.”However, the young woman wasn’t convinced. She stared at Blake with teary eyes and asked, “Tell me, Blakey. Do you like her?”

 

Chapter 212

Amelie kept sending signals to Blake to get him to clear the air.However, Blake pursed his lips as if he didn’t receive her signals.He kept quiet.The female fan’s eyes grew even redder. “See? See? I knew it! Blakey likes you! Why did you lie, you wretched woman?”She raised her hand and shoved Amelie.Amelie stumbled back and reached out to grab the young woman. She wanted to talk to her.However, the fan was hysterical as she began punching Amelie. “You horrible woman! You stole my Blakey away from me! I hate you! I hate you!”Amelie was stunned.The young woman didn’t hold back at all with her punches. It was pretty painful.Amelie was beginning to suspect that the woman ate some kind of pill that gifted her with supernatural strength. Why else would she be this strong?She couldn’t stop the young woman, so she had to back away.Just then, she felt a grip on her shoulder as someone pulled her away.At the very next moment, a hand grabbed the female fan’s fist.Amelie was startled. She turned around and saw Blake with a hardened expression on his face.He was holding her protectively with one arm while he blocked the fan’s attack with his other.His warm, clear expression had been replaced by a never-before-seen look of iciness!The young woman seemed to have gotten a fright as she froze for a while.However, she started wailing even harder. “How can you lie to me, Blakey? How can you fall in love with someone else? I like you so much! I buy the most expensive ticket to every one of your competitions! I give you the most money when you stream, and I buy everything you promote! I spent all my money on you! You can’t treat me this way! You can’t be this cold to me! Hurry up and tell me that you don’t like her! Tell me you have nothing to do with her!”Never in Amelie’s decades of existence had she ever seen a fan as crazy as this. Sweat began forming on her brow.When she heard the fan demanding for Blake to clarify his relationship with her, she exhaled in relief and swiftly said, “Blakey doesn’t like me. He has nothing to do with me.”She quickly moved away from Blake.“Shut up, you b*tch! I want to hear Blakey say so himself!” the young woman lashed out in anger before staring tearfully at Blake. “I’ll believe whatever you tell me, Blakey!”At last, Blake responded. He eyed the young woman coolly and said, “From now on, you don’t have to buy the tickets to my matches. You don’t need to buy the things I promote. Also, you’re not allowed to rebuke

her.”Amelie was dumbstruck. What’s going on? What’s wrong with Blake? Did he get his wires crossed? Why is the guy who’s usually so gentle with his fans suddenly being so harsh?“You’re telling me not to rebuke her? You’re defending her?” The young woman’s actions were comically exaggerated as she pounded her chest and shook her head as if she couldn’t accept this. “You raised your voice at me!”Amelie was stupefied. Hey, girl. Do you think you’re the leading lady in a melodrama right now? The young woman seemed to be too caught up in her emotions. She kept whimpering and couldn’t calm down.Why is Blake being so stubborn today? He’s not doing anything even though I keep sending him signals. Amelie rubbed her temples in exasperation.All she did was lend him a hand when he was having a hard time. He didn’t have to go this far.The young woman didn’t believe her, and Blake refused to clarify… She’s about to have a heart attack. “Look, everyone! Blake and that woman lied! They’re a couple but they’re trying to hide it!” Amelie was beginning to get a headache when another female fan jumped out and screamed.The fans who had left earlier suddenly popped up again. They were all staring at Blake with hurt expressions.“How could you lie, Blakey?” one of them asked in a trembling voice. “We’d be upset if you were in a relationship, but you’re our idol, so we can accept it. The only thing we can’t accept is your lies!”“Fans are humans too! How could you toy with our feelings?”“Here I was thinking that you’re not like the others, but you’re exactly like every other celebrity! You’re just as cold and fake!”“We won’t let you get away with this! We’ll expose you!”Amelie’s headache grew worse with every sentence she heard. She had half a mind to hit her head against the wall.At a time like this, even if Blake spoke up, there was no way he could smooth things over.The fans would simply think that he was trying to hide the truth for the sake of his career.Amelie glanced at Blake.He was as still as a statue and a lot calmer than she was.In this situation, it was better for him to keep quiet.Amelie composed herself and tried to think of a way to resolve this issue.While she could calm down, the fans couldn’t, and one of them even started calling up other members of Blake’s fan club.Amelie panicked and grabbed the fan’s phone.“What’s the problem? Afraid of being exposed even though you lied to us?” Amelie’s instinctive reaction incited the fans even more.Amelie was about to explain when her body jerked sideways.The person who yanked on her was so strong that she twirled, and her nose hit the other person’s chest.She rubbed her nose first. Then, thinking it was Blake, she

was about to speak when she took in an entirely different scent.She froze and quickly raised her head.A hard jaw greeted her.“What are you doing? She’s my woman and the mother of my child.”The familiar crisp, commanding voice rang out.All of a sudden, it was as if someone had hit on a mute button that silenced the crowd of manic fans. They clammed up and looked at the new arrival.Amelie finally recognized who it was too, and she frowned in confusion. Isn’t he on a date with a pretty woman? Why did he show up?Nevertheless, his appearance immediately quelled the situation. It was uncertain whether the group of fans was scared of his imposing presence or believed what he said, but either way, none of them had the guts to say a word.A few moments later, they mumbled their apologies and fled. This time, they left for good.Even the first female fan who started the frenzy left, and with a gleeful smile on her face too. All of them believed Leo’s claims.Amelie looked at Leo. His expression was stern, and though he was young, his innately commanding air seemed to inspire confidence in others fairly easily.When did the young teenager become this indomitable man? Amelie sighed to herself.At last, Blake’s manager came after everything was over. He greeted Leo before hurrying off with Blake.Amelie was finally relieved, and it was then that she realized she was still in Leo’s arms.He was holding her waist so tightly that strangers would think they were a loving couple.When did he become such a good actor? Amelie immediately escaped from his grasp and tidied up her hair. “Thanks, Mr. Alston.”Leo fixed his dark, intimidating eyes on her.There was an inexplicable murderous look in his eyes! She felt a chill running down her spine as the murderous look frightened her.He pursed his lips, but he didn’t say anything. At the very next second, he took a step toward her…

 

Chapter 213

Amelie thought he would do something, but instead, he went past her and left. Huh. For some reason, he’s been acting weird since last night?“Can we leave now?”Amelie looked at the girl in a white dress, and she realized why he was in a hurry to leave. Oh, he’s trying not to make that girl suspect anything. The girl met Amelie’s gaze, and then she smiled. Then she left with Leo by her side.Vaguely, Amelie heard her say, “Your mother is quite the welcoming host. I do hope we get to see each other more.”So that’s the new girl Melissa got for him? I can see she’s from a good family, what with her wearing expensive clothes. Guess Melissa got what she wanted. But what about Leo? Why did he dump Elyse all of a sudden? I thought he listened to her. Thought he was nice to her. Nice enough to be the Leo I didn’t know.Amelie entered the garage and met Leo again. He was leaning on his black Cayenne, looking like someone from a beautiful poster of a movie. In case he got angry again, Amelie nodded at him politely and moved to her car.But just before she could enter the car, Leo asked coolly, “You just told everyone we’re a couple. If we go our own ways now, someone might notice it and take a picture. You’d have a lot to explain about then.”Oh, right. Blake’s fans are crazy. They might be hiding somewhere. Gotta be careful. She heaved a sigh and turned to Leo’s car instead. “Guess I’ll need your help then, Mr. Alston.”Alston entered his car and slammed the door shut, saying nothing.Amelie would rather not talk to someone who would only give her the cold shoulder, but she had no choice. In the end, she got into the backseat, but the girl from earlier was nowhere to be found. Off to buy something, perhaps? Amelie thought. Since Leo wasn’t driving, she thought she had a correct guess.But then Leo coolly said, “I don’t like the feeling of being a driver.”Amelie looked around. Wait. He wants me in the passenger seat? But what about his new girl? Will she be mad? “That’s… not the best idea,” said Amelie.“You can get out of the car otherwise,” said Leo.Never knew he could be this tart. She couldn’t leave alone, lest Blake’s fans came after her. Left with no choice, she took the passenger seat. Not like the girl can get angry at me. The moment she sat down, Leo drove away like a stampeding stallion. “Um…”Leo didn’t ask where she was going. He was driving in Halport’s direction.Amelie looked around in silence for a while, then she said, “You don’t have to take me all the way home. Just let me alight

somewhere quiet.”“I want to see Bria,” said Alston coolly. Amelie thought the air around him felt colder than usual.She kept her mouth shut, or he might lash out at her again. Oh, there’s a bag here. Hm, that’s the bag that girl was holding. Curious, she sneaked a peek at the content and saw a few beautiful bottles in it. On a closer look, she realized those bottles were salves for wounds and scars. Oh, so she was trying to appease him? How nice. I guess they’ve been dating for a while, then. She looked at Leo and was reminded of the scars she saw on his face. She didn’t look at him earlier just in case anyone saw them and tried to make a scandal out of it. But now she noticed that his face was still hurt, though the wounds were not as scary as the night before. Even with scars on his face, Leo still looked handsome. Not only did the scars fail to mar his looks, but they also made him look rugged and handsome. This is so unfair.She moved her gaze away, sleepiness grasping her. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and the fans scaring her earlier took a toll on her mind. Even though Amelie tried her best to resist it, eventually she succumbed to sleep.Finally, Leo looked at her in silence, his eyes glinting.When she woke up, the car had already come to a stop, and standing outside was Brianna’s kindergarten. Amelie sat up and noticed a piece of clothing sliding away. She stared down and, to her surprise, found that it was a men’s suit. This has been covering me? There are only the two of us here, so…She looked at Leo. As expected, his suit was gone, revealing the shirt underneath. It clung to his skin tightly, showing off his beautiful lines. Quickly, Amelie snapped out of it and handed the suit back. “Thanks.”But Leo didn’t take it. He looked at her with an even darker gaze than before.Um…Just when she thought he would stay silent, he blurted, “Who is Blake to you?”Amelie froze. She wondered why he asked that. “He’s like a brother to me. Is anything the matter?” she answered honestly, looking at him.Leo met her gaze as well.“Brother?” he repeated.He said nothing more, but Amelie knew he didn’t agree with her statement. He’s mocking me? Annoyed by his attitude, Amelie sneered. “The relationship I share with him has nothing to do with you, Mr. Alston.”Leo kept quiet.Refusing to talk to him anymore, Amelie left the car.Leo was alone. No matter how many deep breaths he took, he couldn’t hold back the sense of frustration welling within him. She risked herself to protect Toby and Blake, but she wouldn’t even give me a moment of her time?Amelie and Brianna eventually came out, chatting happily. Noticing Leo’s car, Brianna pointed at it. “Is that Daddy’s car, Mommy?”Amelie looked

in the direction she was pointing, but all she saw was Leo’s car driving into the distance. I thought he was here to see Bria. Why did he leave? Amelie was confused, but she quickly shook her head. “No, that’s not his car.” She’d be devastated if she knew he was here but still refused to see her.“Really?” Brianna was doubtful. It looked like Daddy’s car, but I couldn’t see its plate. It’s going too fast.…An hour later, Leo entered Prix Bar and made his way to one of their rooms. Silently, he poured himself a glass of wine and took a big swig.Toby was also hurt. He looked at Leo and smirked, then he stood up. “So, here to drink away your frustration?” He placed a set of keys on the table.Leo’s attention turned to the keys. The car key belonged to Amelie. It had her name carved on it. Even though he tried to stay calm, Leo tightened his grip on his glass.At his change, Toby’s smirk broadened, but then he dragged Leo up by the collar. “You don’t deserve Amelie, Alston!”

Chapter 214

Leo was unfazed, his expression as stern as usual. It felt like he didn’t even care Toby was holding him.Feeling defeated, Toby let him go. He was about to back off, but Leo gripped his shoulder and pushed him down. “What do you know?”Toby froze. Even when he’s angry, he’s still smart. He knows something. But Toby wasn’t going to tell him what he knew. All he did was smile. “Just joshing.” He pulled Leo’s fingers away and left.Leo frowned. He knew Toby. He was not one quick to anger, and yet he had flown into a rage twice in a span of a single day. He’s bothered. That was why Leo came. He needed to know what Toby was bothered about. Shadows were cast upon Leo, and he narrowed his eyes. A moment later, he stared at the ground and called Victor. “Look into Toby.”Twenty minutes later, Victor showed up, hidden in the shadows and standing before Leo.When Leo raised his head, Victor said, “He’s been sending his men to look into Ms. Dillon.”Victor knew what Leo wanted to know before he even said it, and that was why Leo liked him. There was a reason he was willing to pay for Victor’s sky-high price. He’s looking into Amelie? Leo paused for a moment, his brows furrowed into a frown once more. He didn’t like anyone looking into Amelie, especially not Toby. Yet he remained stern, refusing to fly into a rage. “What precisely did he want to know?”“I am not sure.”Leo’s eyes narrowed.Victor fell into silence, his breathing almost quiet. And for a moment, it felt as if he was not there.A long while later, Leo said, “Look into Amelie’s case.”Victor drifted away like a phantom, saying nothing.…Melissa was chatting with Carol.Carol pouted. “Leo doesn’t like me, does he? He doesn’t talk to me that much, and he almost refused my salves. I had to tell him that you sent me before he begrudgingly took me with him.”Melissa loved Carol. She was a good woman, and she came from a good family. Now that she had concerns, Melissa needed to douse them right away. “Leo’s an aloof man, but I assure you he’s quite passionate inside. He’s just not good at communicating, that’s all.”“Didn’t seem like that with the other girl. He wouldn’t take me anywhere, but he would wait for her. And the moment she got into trouble, he went and helped her.”“Is that so?” Melissa cocked her eyebrow. “That’s odd.” Weird. He was only nice to Elyse. Wouldn’t care about anyone else.“Lots of people saw that. That girl’s really close to Blake. Even came to his defense.” Carol told Melissa

everything she saw. “And Leo said that girl is his girlfriend. They even had a child together. Melissa, are you hiding something from me? Is he taken?”“No, of course not,” Melissa denied. Sh*t. A friend of Blake and the mother of Leo’s child? That’s Amelie. What’s going on? Why did they get together again? Melissa was furious, yet she didn’t show it. She kept putting in a good word for Leo and promised she would make Leo apologize to her.Eventually, Carol felt better, and she left happily. Once she was gone, Melissa’s face fell, her smile replaced by fury. “What are you doing, Leo? Why did you poke your nose in Amelie’s case? Damn it, I bet Amelie seduced him again. That wench!”…It was an arduous day at the training class. Eventually, Amelie came out feeling woozy, and she massaged her temples. Gods, I want to go home, but Julia wants to talk to me. Julia came to Halport that day, and she wanted to see Brianna. Amelie stood outside the coffee shop in her neighborhood, waiting for her ride. As she waited, she scrolled through the novel website, going through her stats.She then heard the clops of heels. Oh, Julia’s here. Amelie tucked away her phone and was about to say hi, but that woman stormed up to her and slammed something into her chest. Then she said shrilly, “If you need money, you come to me. Leave Leo alone!”Amelie looked at the woman before her. Melissa. Melissa’s short, curly hair tumbled down to her shoulder. She was in branded-name clothes, and her bag was as expensive as ever. Hanging from her neck was a designer necklace. She looked like a regal woman, and yet her attitude spoke of nothing but a spiteful wench.Amelie noticed the disgust hanging in her eyes. She was looking at Amelie with hatred like Amelie was a mouse. The thing she slammed into Amelie’s chest were two pieces of paper. Checks. They were fluttering down to the ground, escaping Amelie’s grasp. Amelie wasn’t angry at Melissa. She was used to Melissa’s hypocritical act. Slowly, she picked the checks up. “Now, Mrs. Alston, calm down. You don’t want anyone seeing you in this state.”“Why you little…” Melissa’s lips were trembling, but she didn’t push matters any further. Like magic, she quickly calmed down and looked around.Amelie smirked. What a hypocrite. Doesn’t she get tired of putting on this act? When she noticed the coast was clear, Melissa hissed, “Six hundred grand. That enough for you?” A frown furrowed her almost-perfect brows.Amelie was counting the zeroes on the checks. Three hundred thousand each. “Generous.” She throws money at everyone she meets. Of course, she’s generous. “Thank you then, Mrs. Alston.”She took the checks. Hah. “I always help the poor. But this

proves you can’t take care of Bria well, so give her back to us. Take the money and leave. Do not come back.”Oh my gosh. Look at her. So arrogant. Amelie laughed. Six hundred grand is nothing to me. Not even enough to hire a live streamer.“You should know that Leo is going to marry Carol of the Joyner Family. He won’t go back to you just because you’re hounding him.”Oh, so that girl is the daughter of Seafare’s local boss, huh? Amelie was surprised. For some reason, she got upset, even though she knew Leo’s relationship was none of her business. I’m just sad for Bria. She has acknowledged him as her father, but if he marries someone else, their relationship will change.She’s staying quiet. She must know I have a point. Melissa shot her a look of disdain and stuffed an agreement into her hands. “This is the agreement for relinquishing Bria’s custody. Sign it, take the money, and leave.”Gods, look at her. Money is all she knows. And she keeps pointing at the checks with her eyes. Does she think I’m that poor? Amelie took the papers and glanced at them. But she didn’t sign them. Instead, she whipped two more checks out of her bag.

Chapter 215

Amelie placed the checks on the agreement and handed them back to Melissa. Then, mimicking her, she said, “Name your price. Sign the papers, take the money, and leave, lady.” She pointed at the line of signature.“Why you little…” Melissa didn’t expect that. I gave her six hundred grand, and now she’s asking me to name my price? Is she insulting me, the lady of the Alston Family? I will not stand for this insult! Driven by fury, Melissa’s face contorted like something straight out of a horror movie. In the end, she flew into a rage. “Insolence!”Amelie shot her an icy look filled with mockery and disdain. What? Don’t come into the kitchen if you can’t take the heat, lady.Amelie’s nonchalant attitude angered Melissa even further. She pressed down on her chest and was going to reach for her Heparin. Then she held the empty checks, waving them. “You don’t get to talk like that to me. You’re nothing without Starlight. Without the help of men!”“Really? Then write down any amount you want then. Let’s see if I’m nothing,” Amelie answered coolly.Melissa wouldn’t do that. If she did, then that would be akin to asking money from Amelie. Even if Amelie didn’t have enough money to pay, Melissa’s image would still be ruined.“Or I can give you cash.” Amelie crossed her arms. Do whatever you like. You don’t respect me, then I don’t respect you.“Even if you do have money, they belong to the men behind you. It’s either Starlight’s boss or Leo!” said Melissa adamantly. She desperately needed to save what remained of her dignity. “I know you’ve been hounding Leo lately. You still like him. You still want to come back to us. Well, let me tell you something. Dream on.”Amelie chuckled. She thinks her family means anything to me. “Mrs. Alston, I have never spent a single cent your son made, nor have I ever tried to hound him. And I do not like him either. He’s my ex. No matter how bad my life might get, I will never take back the trash I’ve thrown away. You’re a public figure. You should know better than to get into pointless arguments.”“You think I’d believe that?” Adamant on exiling Amelie, Melissa went straight for threats. “You’re giving us Bria, and you’re going to be exiled. Forever. If you don’t listen to me, you’re going to have to face the Alstons next! And you are nothing in front of us!”Melissa was going to leave, but then she crashed into someone. Ow! She held her nose, and in her frustration, she wanted to yell at the person in front of her.But the woman grabbed her by the collar. “You again, Richards? Elie might be

kind enough to let you go, but me? I am not.”The woman was none other than Julia. She was in a tight- fitting dress and a pair of stilettos. Despite her outfit, she wasn’t afraid of getting into a tussle with Melissa. Melissa was wearing a pair of heels as well, but she couldn’t move as well as Julia could. Her clothes were a mess, her hair was unkempt. Julia raised her fist, waving it in front of Melissa. Melissa was scared and angry, but she couldn’t break free of Julia’s grasp. And the buttons on her clothes were torn, and her heels slipped off. She looked worse for wear. Julia would have punched Melissa in the face had Amelie not stopped her.With Amelie’s help, Melissa finally broke free of Julia’s grasp and staggered off into the distance.Julia was about to hit Melissa, but Amelie held her back. “Calm down, Jules.”“Calm down? As if that’s gonna work against people like Richards!” Julia raised her fists, her eyes wide with rage. If looks could kill, Melissa would be dead. “You go easy on her, and she’s gonna think you’re easy prey. I say we kick her flat, sorry *ss!”Melissa was hastily straightening her clothes out as she backed off. Her lips were trembling, but she said, “I take that as a declaration of war then, Amelie. Fine. Challenge accepted.”You f*cking h*g! Julia couldn’t hold it in anymore. Not even Amelie could stop her. She rushed ahead and raised her fist at Melissa’s face. “Show me what you got, then.”Melissa froze in fear, and she kept quiet.Julia turned around and tossed the checks at Melissa’s face. “Listen here, h*g. Elie doesn’t need any man. She makes enough money to support a whole army, let alone a kid. If you have questions, tell your son to check the accounts first.” She shoved Melissa, checks and all, into the roadside.Melissa fell on all fours, looking like a tortoise. The crowd who was passing by stared in their direction. Under such humiliation she had never felt before, Melissa’s face once again contorted with rage.Julia didn’t bother with her. And she held her friend’s hand. “Let’s go.”But Amelie pulled Julia’s hand away and approached Melissa.Thinking that Amelie was going to help her up, Melissa sat back down and barked, “You’re friends with that rude woman, Amelie? I expected nothing more from you.”“You do not get to criticize my friends, given your own rotten personality. I’m just here to say that I don’t even like your son. I don’t even want him back. If you are still worried, I can sign an agreement to never see him again. Or I can call a press conference. You decide how to announce the matter.” Amelie left when she was done speaking.Once they were out of earshot, Julia gave her friends a thumbs up. “Nice.” She used to think her friend had a chance to get

back together with Leo, but after seeing that h*g of Amelie’s ex-mother-in-law, she was glad she never matched Amelie up with Leo.Amelie smacked her hand away. “The Alstons are powerful. If she asks her son to come after you, not even I can help.”“She can do whatever she wants. If I had to quit the biz, I could always get married and raise a family.” Julia waved the warning off nonchalantly.Amelie looked at her. She still is bothered by that thing. Even though she and Samuel had dated for many years, they still hadn’t taken a step further because of the affair that was bothering her. It was something that had been haunting her for a long time, and it was hard to cure.…When Leo came back to his office from a meeting, he saw his mother inside, stuffing Heparins into her mouth. “What happened?”The moment she saw her son, Melissa felt like acting like a child who was bullied, but she wanted to look dignified, so she sat up. “Do you know what Amelie said to me?”