Ch. 316..320: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 316-320

Chapter 316 Depend on Leo

"Oh, right, Mrs. Alston, please stop your son from pursuing Foxy. She's one of my best friends, and she told me early on that she isn't interested in your family at all."

Knowing that Melissa was still hung up about Foxy, Amelie reminded her.

Melissa was so pissed that she snorted. "Who do you think you are to know someone like Foxy? In the end, you're just trying to depend on Leo!"

In Melissa's eyes, Amelie was already lucky enough to get to know Julia. A famous icon like Foxy was someone Amelie could only see in live streams.

"You can depend on Leo if you want, but you have to make it clear to the media right away that everything Foxy said in the live stream was false, and it was something you made up!"

"Hah! So, you think I was the one who said all those, Mrs. Alston?" Something I made up?!

She used to think that Melissa was just a little too proud and cruel, but she realized that this super- wealthy lady also had the ability to spin lies without batting an eye.

Melissa raised her chin and sneered, clearly signifying that she was insistent on this thought. She had never once allowed Amelie to depend on her son. However, at that moment, it wasn't a bad idea to make use of Amelie.

As long as Amelie put in a good word in front of the media, the reputation of Melissa and the Alstons would be saved.

She would think of a way to deal with Amelie later! Amelie watched Melissa's proud behavior, and she had to lift her hand to cover the mocking smile appearing on her lips.

How can I not know what Melissa is thinking?

"Sorry, I won't depend on Leo, but I don't tell lies either. Mrs. Alston, if you feel like you were wrongly accused, you can go ahead and look for evidence to clear your name. As long as the evidence is solid, I won't say another word."

Melissa fell silent because Amelie had forced her into a corner. Without faking anything, it was impossible to find any evidence in their favor.

"Amelie, you're just being shameless and reluctant to let go of Leo! Have more decency!" Melissa was so mad that she no longer cared about her reputation, yelling, "You're so young, but you refuse to do anything, Amelie! You just want to be a parasite!"

The more Melissa talked, the worse her insults were. Amelie originally wanted to ignore her, but when she heard Melissa's words, she couldn't help but frown.

A moment later, she took out her phone and pulled up her income records. "Mrs. Alston, please have a good look at this. I do have income. Aside from other sources, this is a reading platform I started recently. Just the income from this source is enough to provide for me, my father, and Bria."

Melissa lowered her head to look at it.

Even though Melissa wasn't an avid reader, she still heard about this newly established reading platform.

Many wealthy ladies in her social circle even joined the platform's offline training camp to heighten their tastes.

She heard that the training camps had amazingly high standards, and the public was always fighting to get a place in the camps. Even scalpers were invested in the training camps and resold registration

spots for the bases, so they were highly sought after.

Wealthy ladies only took up a small percentage of the camp participants; most of the participants were bosses of various huge companies. Some were even important bosses of listed companies. So, Amelie's the one who organizes those camps? How could a useless woman like Amelie actually establish such a high-class platform?

Melissa checked the income records again with her eyes wide like saucers. Amelie's income was more than enough to provide comfortably for her family of three; it wouldn't even be a problem to provide for 1000 families of three!

"H-How can this be?"

Melissa looked at Amelie with bloodshot eyes, as if she had seen a ghost.

"If you doubt the authenticity of the records, Mrs. Alston, you can check with the Industry and Commerce Bureau to see if I'm the legal representative." Amelie put her phone away and asked in a calm voice, "So, can you leave me alone for a while now, Mrs. Alston?"

Melissa was lost for words. Usually, if Amelie dared to chase her away, she would blow up in a fury. But now, her soul seemed to be drained from her body as she made no reaction.

Sometime later, she walked out in a daze. Looking at Melissa's receding figure, Amelie sighed lightly.

"It must be tiring to have the Alstons on your heels all the time."

At the side, Toby walked in with a smile on his never-changing face.

With his signature white casual suit and refreshing smile, his presence seemed to soften the entire world. Amelie looked at him in surprise.

Toby curved his lips into a smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation."

"It's okay." It was only then that Amelie shrugged.

Toby knew more than anyone about her unfortunate situation with the Alstons. He was still smiling, and the smile in his eyes deepened when he looked at her. "I have a way of silencing everyone who wants to bother you."

"What is it?" She was intrigued. It would be the best help she could get.

Toby pointed at himself, but Amelie was silent. Seeing her obviously confused expression, Toby chuckled.

"It's easy. Link your identity as Amelie to the boss of Starlight Media, then announce to the public that you are already engaged or even married. As for your identity as Foxy, she can go out with me."

Amelie was speechless.

She did approve of the former part of the plan, for she was the boss of Starlight Media anyway. But going out with Toby…

"Never mind."

"What's wrong? Am I not worthy?" Toby asked with raised eyebrows.

Amelie looked at him. The man was born with a refreshing aura like the spring breeze, and everything he did gave people the feeling of walking into a field of flowers, where only relaxation remained.

It was no wonder that many women kept pursuing him despite knowing they wouldn't get anywhere.

"That's not it." She shook her head. "You're a young man, Mr. Walsh, and you can choose anyone you like, so you don't have to be involved with me."

"Being involved with you is beneficial to me too," explained Toby. "My family has been pressuring me to get married these days, but I never liked those rich young girls. If I can find someone who can silence my parents, my life will be much easier. If you're willing, just think of it as helping me. My parents even said that if I don't settle down soon, I'll be kicked out of company matters."

If he were to speak of something else, Amelie definitely wouldn't agree.

But if he was asking her for help…

Amelie knew more or less about the situation in Toby's family. The person in power in the company was the Old Mr. Walsh.

Toby's father and uncles were fighting each other for the right to inherit the company. The younger generations were dragged into this battle early on, and as soon as they reached their twenties, they would immediately find their partners.

The partners in question were simply strong allies they could marry so that they would seem more qualified.

Toby's sister was a little luckier because she coincidentally married the man she loved. The other cousins were less fortunate, however.

Toby had saved her twice, and she owed him a lot.

"Okay." She nodded. "But just to make things clear, we're simply pretending to be lovers. When you've found someone you like, who is also a suitable partner, we'll announce our breakup right away.

Throughout the entire process, I won't get involved in your private life, but you can't fool around like you used to. You should seek someone you like as soon as possible."

"Okay," Toby replied, his curved lips unknowingly tinted with a hint of bitterness.

"Actually, it's been a long while since I last got to know any women," he said sheepishly.

Amelie glanced at him without thinking too much about his words. Toby could only extend a hand toward her. "I look forward to working with you."

Chapter 317 A Deep Impression of That Night

Work ended a little late, and it was already 8.00PM by the time Amelie returned to Halport. Steven said that he had something urgent to attend to, so he was going back to Quinn Town. The old lady next door was taking care of Bria for the time being, so Amelie had to go home in time to fetch Bria.

After that, Steven reminded her about getting groceries because he didn't want Amelie and Bria to starve.

As Amelie listened to her father's loving voice, she allowed a faint smile on her lips. She was both exasperated and touched. Most parents loved and cared for their children even though they were grown-ups.

Amelie obediently said yes to all of Steven's nagging. Steven talked for a while, then finally hung up.

Amelie touched her ear, which was heated by the phone. As she ended the call, she felt around for her keys. She had just touched the keys when she froze in front of the entrance.

A man was standing under the warm yellow glow of the streetlights in front of the entrance of her apartment. He had a tall build and long legs, and his body proportions followed the perfect standard for models.

Even in the dim light, the stern aura emanating from his body was unmistakable.

Leo kept facing the door, but it seemed like he had eyes on the back of his head, for he turned around as soon as Amelie stopped walking.

He pursed his lips as he simply stared at her with his deep gaze. His eyes were alluringly deep, like an endless ocean.

Amelie was stunned for a moment before asking, "Mr. Alston? Why are you here?"

Leo didn't reply as he shifted his position. He then began striding toward her.

He constantly kept his eyes on her, and with every approaching step, the alluring sensation thickened.

Amelie subconsciously took a step back. A wary and nervous look appeared in her pretty eyes.

He took note of her minuscule shifts in expression, his gaze gradually darkening as he stopped a few inches before her. "Miss Foxy doubted my capabilities in public. I feel that it is necessary for me to come in person so that you can verify it yourself."

Amelie was speechless.

So, he watches the live stream too?

This was something she had never expected before. In her memories, Leo was a workaholic, and his mind was filled with nothing but work.

Even if he took an occasional break, he would read up on economic news or reports from tech-based news outlets.

"It's a misunderstanding." She wanted to signify that the two only had a brief meeting in the guest room of the hotel, so they couldn't have done anything.

Despite saying that, however, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

She didn't think anything of it in the live stream, but when she was in front of the person himself, she felt uneasy regardless.

Leo was a tall man, and he was standing close to her while looking down at her. She felt like a little mouse with people watching her every move, and she had nowhere to run.

She uneasily licked her lips, and her eyes darted subconsciously.

Suddenly, Leo reached out, but Amelie didn't know what he was trying to do, so she instinctively dodged him.

There was a chill on her back as it pressed against the wall. The man's hand extended forward and pressed on the wall while his other hand did so as well, trapping her between his chest and the wall.

Amelie was feeling even more trapped. Confused, Amelie felt her heart beating wildly as she stared at him with a wary look in her eyes.

She saw his lips curving into a half-smile. "So, was that sarcasm instead, and you actually think of me as a powerful person?"

Amelie said nothing.

"Looks like you have a deep impression of the night we shared."

His words were like a torch that caught fire, burning Amelie so strongly. The man was supposed to be stern with his words, but he was surprisingly skilled at making suggestive talk.

Amelie wanted to appear indifferent and talk seriously to him like before, but after he said that, her brain seemed to be glued together, and she couldn't quite come up with a reaction.

She had always been perfectly capable of handling other men, but Leo was a little hard to deal with.

Is it because this man shared an intimate moment with me before?

Amelie was quite regretful about this matter.

Leo noticed Amelie's troubled expression, and when he saw her pursing her lips, his gaze darkened even more. Her behavior was a stark contrast to her carefree attitude online. A sliver of charm was

injected into her innocent expression, and it was simply too appealing.

He subconsciously gulped, his Adam's apple moving sensually as he did so. He gazed at her lips, then lowered his head.

Almost uncontrollably, his lips searched for hers, but Amelie was silent. Just as Leo's lips were about to find Amelie's, he felt a piercing pain on his foot.

He subconsciously let out a groan, after which Amelie swiftly ducked under his armpit and escaped.

"If you want to fulfill your desires, Mr. Alston, there's a decent club two streets down. Perhaps you'll find a type you fancy there." She turned around and gave him a challenging look, then tapped the sole of her shoes against the floor.

Along with that tap, Leo felt his foot hurting even more from her merciless stomp. Amelie couldn't be bothered to waste more time on him as she waved leisurely and chimed, "Have fun!"

With that, she hastily opened the door and dashed inside to create a barrier between them.

"Dada."

Just then, a cute voice rang out. Amelie froze halfway through her action of closing the door. She turned to see Bria walking out with Mrs. Mason, the old lady next door, holding her hand.

Bria blinked with her gigantic eyes, then looked at Leo in surprise.

Leo pretended to be fine as Bria hastily ran up to him. "Dada, did you come to us because you knew that Grandpa wasn't home?"

Amelie was speechless.

Great.

She had planned to threaten Leo with her dad if he did anything he shouldn't, but her darling daughter had exposed everything.

"Oh, so this is Bria's father? He's so handsome."

Mrs. Mason only moved in some time ago, so she hadn't met Leo yet. She looked like she found some treasure when she saw Leo, her surprise unbridled as she commented, "No wonder Bria looks so pretty. She got it from her parents!"

"Mrs. Mason."

Amelie had no choice but to walk out and greet Mrs. Mason.

The older lady nodded in response, then looked between Amelie and Leo. "What a perfect match!"

Amelie was speechless. She opened her mouth to say that there was nothing between them, but Mrs. Mason spoke up smilingly before she could say anything. "I won't interfere in your family reunion now. Goodbye."

Right in front of Amelie, Leo took Bria into his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Bria immediately clung to his neck. "Mama, I'm so hungry."

Amelie looked at the two in exasperation. In the end, she had no choice but to open the door and allow Leo to enter as well.

Bria was extremely excited about Leo's arrival as she blabbered on and on, saying, "Dada, the amusement park was so fun! I love it so much."

Leo always felt like he owed Bria something. When he heard her say that, he nodded and replied, "Since you like it so much, we can go there again."

"It's okay." Bria shook her head, her gaze secretly turning in Amelie's direction. "But Mama will be taking me to a light show tonight. Dada, if you want to go, I can invite you."

Steven was the one who arranged for the event, and Amelie knew of it beforehand.

When she saw Bria about to invite Leo along, her pretty face changed color as she gave Bria a warning look.

Bria immediately bit her lip pitifully and slid out of Leo's arms. She ran to Amelie and tugged at the latter's clothes incessantly. "Mama, you always say that we should repay the kindness. Dada took me to the amusement park, so I should invite him to the light show in return."

Bria had just learned some new vocabulary, and she wasn't quite sure about the meaning, but she was already acting like a master.

Amelie couldn't find the words to retort Bria while Leo curved his lips in satisfaction. As expected of my daughter!

Bria also curved her lips at him. "Dada, hurry and make dinner. We'll be setting out after we eat."

She had been testing her father in her mother's stead for a long time. Even though her father did a lot of bad things before, he sincerely cared about her mother.

Bria felt that in comparison to other people, her father was more suited to be with her mother.

"Okay." Without another word, Leo turned around and went into the kitchen. As for the person being left out, she could only stand in silence

Chapter 318 Willingly Become Her Puppet

"Can you cook?" Amelie quickly followed Leo into the kitchen.

When she was in the Alston Residence, she had never seen him enter the kitchen, so she was very doubtful about his cooking skills.

Leo had already taken off his coat, and he was lowering his head as he undid the buttons on his sleeves. His slender fingers leisurely rolled his sleeves upward, exposing his muscular arms.

"I can learn," he declared indifferently as he looked up at her. "You can teach me."

He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, so Amelie almost laughed out loud.

Leo's gaze was insistent, and there was a sense of bewitchment in it as well. Amelie didn't dare meet his gaze as she sighed in exasperation. "Just let me do it."

Instead of teaching him, it would be far quicker for her to do the cooking.

With that, she took the apron to put it on. Before she could wear it, however, the man snatched the apron and put it on himself.

"Bria wants to eat the food I made," he said matter-of-factly.

Amelie was speechless.

"I heard you're very nice to Bria, and you won't decline anything she asked with good reason. Therefore, it should be a reasonable request if she wants to eat what her father made."

Amelie was about to say something when Bria's voice sounded, saying, "Dada, I want to eat the beef stew! Don't forget the potatoes! Oh, and I want a poke bowl too, the sort with chopped carrots,

tomatoes, shrimp, beans, and sausages!"

Bria's words perfectly supported Leo's, and Amelie could only compromise.

Leo nodded in response, then opened the fridge after tying the apron around him. He skillfully retrieved all the ingredients Bria listed, then placed them on the counter.

"You have to wash the beef and cut it into chunks." Bria continued her remote commands.

She knew that Leo didn't know how to cook, so after searching her memories, she provided him with Steven's easiest recipes.

Leo swiftly unwrapped the beef, then placed it under running water to wash it.

He fetched the chopping board and a kitchen knife, then washed them as well. Then, he placed the beef on the chopping board and began slicing it.

Seeing how smooth his actions were, Amelie decided she had no reason to stay in the same room as him, so she turned around to walk outside.

Clack!

With a sudden noise, the knife flew out of control and clattered onto the chopping board.

Startled, Amelie turned to look at Leo.

Leo put on an innocent expression. "The beef was being stubborn. It's too slippery."

With that, he pointed at the beef he had sliced off a little. The portion was irregularly sliced, and it was far from the small chunks Bria wanted.

If this went on, either beef chunks or human fingers would end up in the pot. Therefore, Amelie had no choice but to walk back in. Leo had already picked up the knife. "Teach me. At least Bria will feel like I made this."

He didn't seem to mind the embarrassment. With that, he pointed at the back of his hand, as if asking Amelie to take his hand and guide him.

Amelie was out of options, so she could only extend her hand, circling around his back and gripping his knife-wielding hand with great effort. Her other hand pressed his large palm on the beef. "Keep close to the meat, angle the knife a little, and cut down little by little."

Even though Leo was slim, he still had a man's figure, so Amelie's arms couldn't quite wrap around him.

She painstakingly poked her head out to make sure that she could see the beef and her own hands. It was terribly awkward.

If she knew this would happen, she would've bought an automatic cooking machine.

Amelie had wanted to do this a long time ago, but Steven said that cooking machines lacked that human touch, so he disagreed insistently.

Moreover, he wasn't working anymore, so the only joy in his life right now was to prepare good food for them.

Amelie didn't want to rob him of his joy, so that was how things turned out like this.

Leo allowed her control of his hands as they sliced the meat bit by bit.

The woman's soft body was leaning against his back, and her gentle and clear voice was ringing right in his ears. It was simply too alluring.

Because they were sticking so closely together, he could feel on his back her heart pulsating through her chest. Every heartbeat from her struck his own heart.

His heart began beating along with this rhythm, and he was so captivated by her that he could barely regain his sense of self.

Still, he pretended to be serious as he allowed her full control, just like a puppet in her hands. However, his body was getting warmer as time ticked by.

Of course, Amelie couldn't help but feel his rising temperature and hear his steady heartbeats ringing in her ears.

Even though she was just sticking to his back, she could hear it clearly. Every beat of his heart was strong and domineering as if threatening to traverse across their bodies into her insides.

She suddenly realized that the man wasn't even looking at the meat. Throughout the entire process, he had his head tilted so that he could see her face.

Amelie was speechless. She immediately let go and said, "Try it yourself!"

Leo noticed her panicked behavior and curved his lips, then lowered his head and began cutting.

His actions weren't too slow, and he cut the meat into more even chunks than when she had held his hands. As Amelie watched the pieces of beef falling down, she suddenly felt like she had fallen into a trap.

He probably knew his way around kitchen knives.

"Having a smart teacher makes all the difference. Look, the student is mastering the skill with just a few words from the teacher. Of course, the student takes some credit as well." Leo feigned nonchalance as he spoke, easily covering up the fact that he knew how to cut and slice ingredients.

After that, Amelie never got close to him again. Leo didn't find any excuses for her to help him, either.

She was so resentful of him that he dared not force her too much in case she ran away.

Even though Leo's cooking wasn't as good as Steven's, Bria still finished the food on obligation.

After dinner, the three walked out to watch the light show.

The light show was held at a park within a mile of the community they lived in.

The three strolled to the park, and by the time they arrived, the sky had turned dark. Lights were glimmering in the park, and they could see the brilliant glow even from a distance away.

Bria held both Leo's and Amelie's hands as she excitedly ran through the colorful light tunnel. Then, she went to look at the shimmering mascots, thoroughly enjoying herself.

There was quite a crowd at the park, and most of them were families.

Many people were taking photos with the lit sculptures as well.

"Dada, take a photo of us too," Bria said.

With that, she pulled Amelie along as she ran to a lawn.

Lights had formed all sorts of flowers there, including chrysanthemums, roses, peonies, and the like. It had every flower they could think of, and the flowers were also life-like and pretty.

There were even bunnies, lambs, and other animals made of lights hiding among the flowers. Bria asked Amelie to pout like she did and struck a cute pose with the flowers. Then, she asked Amelie to carry her so that she could touch the giraffe's mouth.

Leo took out his phone and watched the two bathed in light through the lens.

The little kid was lively and adorable, and she was a cute bundle of joy, whereas the woman was sweet and pretty, and her smile was alluring.

He couldn't help but zoom in. The closer he zoomed in, the more he was entranced by her smile, and he was in a daze for some time.

Her curved lips remained pink in the poor lighting of the night, and they looked like delicious jelly. The taste must be lovely and fragrant as well.

Leo wasn't a lustful man, and he had a mild personality. Save for the night he shared with Amelie before the marriage, he had never gotten intimate with other women before. Even when he was dating Elyse in the past, they only held hands at most.

Elyse had dropped hints, but apparently, he wasn't born interested in that area. But when he was taking pictures, he suddenly had the urge to pull the woman reflected in the lens into his embrace.

"Wow, what a happy family!" A married couple passed by, and the woman spoke up in admiration. She even nudged her husband as she commented, "Look how professional and patient the husband is! Unlike you, every time I ask you to take photos, you react like I'm asking for your life!"

"Why don't you see how pretty his wife and daughter are? They're so photogenic that it's a pleasure to take photos of them." The man retorted without care.

The wife was so mad that she began fuming and retaliating. "His wife and children are pretty because he's worthy of them! A terror like you can only settle for me!"

Leo could care less about the conversation, but the word 'family' was deeply ingrained in his mind. He gazed lovingly at the people reflected in the lens, then strode toward them.

Chapter 319 Innocent Taste of Youth

Amelie was posing and highlighting her figure under Bria's guidance, but all of a sudden, something tightened around her waist as her body collided with someone's broad chest.

Her nose caught a whiff of the unique scent of a man, but before she could react, the man's voice sounded. "Please help us take a photo."

She turned to see Leo handing his phone to a man who was equipped with a digital camera. The man looked at the three in surprise, then immediately nodded. "Of course, of course."

Amelie was speechless.

"Can the mom please carry the girl? Then the dad can hold both the mom and the girl in his arms." The man was obviously a professional as he quickly gave them instructions.

Bria proactively settled into Amelie's embrace as Leo reached out and draped his arms around the two.

Warmth invaded Amelie's back as Leo leaned against her.

The man had long enough arms that he could easily embrace the two.

"Good. The dad has an especially pleasant expression. The mom should smile wider."

Leo was presenting his most honest self as he gazed gently at the people in his arms, his usually stern face colored with rare tenderness.

When the man saw Leo's expression, he couldn't praise the latter enough. Amelie forcefully raised the corners of her mouth.

"Can the mom smile a bit brighter?"

Even though Amelie was quite beautiful and her smile was already nice enough, the photographer still wanted a more astounding expression.

Bria hastily reached out her little fingers and pushed up the corners of Amelie's mouth. The photographer took a few shots. Leo's phone had exceptional specs, so its camera was on par with professional cameras. The photographer was amazed.

Amelie finally let out a sigh of relief. She was about to push Leo away when she heard the photographer say, "Let's take a few more shots. The mom and the dad will hold the girl in turn—"

Despite Amelie's strong reluctance, Bria was extremely excited about it, and Leo didn't look like he wanted to stop.

Amelie had no choice but to take shot after shot under the photographer's direction.

The smile on her face almost went stiff.

She thought that with Leo's personality, he wouldn't allow someone else to direct him ceaselessly, but he remained silent as he obediently followed the photographer's instructions.

Amelie was lost for words. The impromptu photo shoot continued until the photographer's client arrived. He was a little reluctant, but he had no choice but to return the phone and leave.

Amelie was finally revived while Leo reluctantly moved his hand away from Amelie, then retrieved his phone to look at the photos.

The family was close and intimate in the photos, especially Amelie, who was held tightly in his arms. As Leo scanned the photos, his body began burning again.

"Ooh." Bria's little head tilted into view as she asked Amelie to carry her so she could see the photos.

She then swiped across the screen with her little fingers as if she couldn't wait any longer.

Leo looked at the photos, then turned his gaze onto Amelie's face.

Compared to the photos, she looked even livelier and prettier in person. The dim lights had taken on a suggestive vibe, and he gulped as he leaned in her direction. His lips were almost touching hers. In the end, he didn't do anything.

He wanted to touch her under her consent. Even though it might take a longer time, he was willing to wait. Just like how she had waited for him.

Bang!

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard. Several people were shocked as they turned simultaneously to look.

In the sky above the shimmering river, a blue flame burst in all directions and formed a flowery shape.

"Fireworks, fireworks!" Bria had only seen fireworks on TV before, so she couldn't help but jump up and down as she shouted.

She had just finished shouting when another few bangs sounded.

Amelie didn't expect any fireworks tonight, and she was so startled that she curled up and almost instinctively covered her ears.

She found her hands resting upon a pair of larger hands. She was stunned as she saw Leo standing right in front of her. His hands had covered her ears before hers could.

She was immediately reminded of a similar scene in the past. She suddenly remembered when she was in Quinn Town 10 years ago.

It was New Year's Eve, and she had sneaked out to accompany Leo.

When she arrived, Leo looked like an abandoned child as he sat alone on the windowsill, looking into the distance in a daze.

Quinn Town was a place that prioritized celebrations, so most of the hospital staff had gone home for the countdown. Even patients themselves wouldn't stay in the hospital. Hence, the entire hospital was eerily silent.

When she spoke to him, he pursed his lips and stayed silent. He was completely void of reaction like a statue.

Amelie could understand how he felt. It was New Year's, but his family didn't even visit him, much less take him home. He must be feeling terrible inside.

However, she didn't know how to make him happy, so she could only drag him downstairs to listen to the fireworks.

Quinn Town wasn't like the cities, and fireworks there were released at will. She brought him to a crowded place where people were setting up fireworks and playing with firecrackers.

She was actually deathly afraid of loud noises. Every New Year's, Steven would buy relatively quieter firecrackers, and he only got her sparklers instead of loud fireworks.

But she mustered up her courage for Leo's sake. She thought she could withstand it, but it wasn't until she arrived at the scene that she realized she had overestimated herself.

As soon as the firecrackers and fireworks went off, she was shocked and stiff as she leaned against Leo, shivering.

In the end, Leo sensed her trembling and covered her ears.

Leo laughed at her and said she was biting off more than she could chew. She was so scared, but she still pretended to be a hero.

He mocked her and told her that she was silly and that she should just tell him if she was scared. After that, however, he hugged her.

In her teenage years, she didn't wonder why he would hug her. She only felt her heart thumping wildly, even louder than the fireworks and the firecrackers.

It wasn't scary at all; it was extremely sweet. She wasn't sure if he did it on purpose, but his lips brushed against hers.

She had remembered the soft and innocent taste of youth for an entire 10 years. Amelie suddenly came to her senses.

The sickly youth in front of her had turned into a mature and handsome adult.

He was no longer lonely and helpless; he had already become independent and had risen above everyone else.

His thin lips were right in front of her, and there was a dark gleam in his eyes as he stared at her lips.

She felt like his lips would touch hers at any moment, so she took a step backward. Caught off guard, he found his hands covering air instead of her ears.

"It's getting late. Let's go back."

Amelie turned around and left. Even though Bria hadn't had enough, Leo picked her up, so she could only follow them back.

On their way home, they were especially quiet. Amelie lowered her head and remained silent, and Leo didn't say anything either.

Bored, Bria yawned and leaned against Leo's shoulder as she tossed and turned. Soon, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

"Let me hold her." Once at the entrance of the community, Amelie spoke up.

Leo held the child and stayed still, focusing his gaze directly on Amelie.

Even though he hadn't said anything, his straightforward gaze was like a hook that threatened to reel her heart out. Amelie avoided his gaze and cleared her throat. "There's something I didn't tell you. I started seeing someone."

 

Chapter 320 Huge News About Amelie

Even though Amelie had agreed to pose as Toby's lover and acknowledged his ideas, she didn't have the slightest intention of lying to Leo.

She found it a little too deliberate. However, from tonight's events, she felt that maintaining a distance was the best option.

"With my future in the equation, I think you should put an appropriate distance between us, Mr. Alston. Also, please delete the photos too."

With that, before Leo could respond, she took Bria from his arms, then turned around and went upstairs.

…

It was already 1.00AM by the time Leo returned home, but Melissa was still up.

She had had trouble sleeping lately, and her insomnia that evening was especially serious. Her mind was filled with thoughts, and even at this hour, she didn't feel sleepy at all.

Melissa rubbed her temples in annoyance. She felt that if she kept losing sleep like this, her painstakingly maintained skin would wither and age.

While she was troubled over that, the door opened.

Leo walked in, looking all cold and chilly. The jacket hanging from his coat was obviously untouched throughout his whole journey.

The temperature was only about 50 degrees at night, and the sole shirt he was wearing looked especially thin.

His gaze was stony as if he was numb to everything.

As he passed by Melissa, he nodded at her out of courtesy and called, "Mom."

Melissa was already used to receiving Leo's cold treatment, but she hastily stopped him anyway. "Leo, how much do you know about Amelie?"

Leo frowned, a little upset that Melissa was asking about Amelie.

Melissa was so bothered about her own questions that she didn't notice her son's expression. She said, "I only knew today that she established an outstanding reading platform. You've heard of Knowlit, right? How can she be the owner of Knowlit? She can't be that capable."

Knowlit wasn't news anymore in their social circle. Many business schools were even analyzing her business model, and they had nothing but praise for her.

Leo sounded a grunt indifferently. Ever since he discovered that she was Big Eyes, he paid special attention to her, so he naturally knew about that.

"You know that too? Is that why you maintained a connection with her?" Melissa guessed, then couldn't help but advise her son, saying, "Leo, Amelie is bad news. She deceived you back then, so she might be doing the same thing now. She's probably hoping that we can see her in a better light so that she can remarry you. It's not much of an issue if she's really capable, but I think she must have used some dirty tricks to put her name on the reading platform."

From what Melissa knew of Amelie, the latter was uncultured and incapable of anything. Save for her using her body to exchange for some goodies, she wasn't capable enough to pursue any career.

"She might have sold herself to some random man already!"

The more Melissa said, the less careful she was, and the more indecent her words became. Her elegant image was completely shattered.

"Mom, don't spout nonsense if you don't know anything!" Leo reminded her in annoyance. Melissa was already challenging his patience by slandering Amelie. "She established the reading platform on her own, and she never depend on anyone. Even if she did rely on someone, it was a win-win partnership. She's far more capable than you can imagine, so she never had a reason to sell her body!"

Leo rarely had anything to say to Melissa, but now, he delivered a speech for Amelie's sake.

Melissa was stunned.

She wasn't shocked just because Leo spoke so much to her; she was also surprised that Leo would know so much about Amelie.

"Leo?" She called his name uneasily. "Why do you care so much about Amelie? What about Foxy—"

"Don't say anything about her without evidence in the future!" Leo rubbed between his eyebrows as he skipped the explanations, choosing to remind Melissa instead.

He had never told anyone that Amelie was Foxy. Even though he didn't understand why Amelie would do that, he still kept it a secret for her sake, even from his own mother. As Melissa listened to her son's words, she started picking at her nails as all sorts of thoughts appeared in her head.

Even though her son was cold and unapproachable, he wouldn't speak nonsense. This could only mean that Amelie truly did establish the reading platform on her own. Hence, by the looks of that, Amelie was a capable person herself.

If she were so outstanding, why would she hide in the Alston Family and humble herself? Even though Melissa couldn't understand why Amelie did that, when she recalled the few times Amelie fought with a different attitude against her after the divorce, she found herself believing Leo.

Suddenly, she regarded Amelie with less disdain than before. Even though Amelie wasn't as good as Foxy, who had 100 million fans, she had quite a remarkable platform.

Even though their backgrounds differed a little, Amelie could be quite reputable with the platform she established.

Also, she would be easier to handle compared to Foxy.

Melissa couldn't help but compare Amelie's two identities. Her conclusion was that Foxy was too haughty, so if Foxy married into the Alston Family, she might have to serve Foxy instead.

After Melissa thought it through, her mood lifted and sleepiness invaded her. She stood up and decided to get her beauty sleep. Just then, Leo's phone suddenly vibrated.

It wasn't a phone call; it was a message notification. Leo had programmed it so that his phone would automatically notify him if news of Amelie cropped up on the internet.

It was exactly because she was involved that he behaved more anxious than usual as he quickly took out his phone to check.

The news was displayed on the lock screen, so he could read it without unlocking his phone.

As he read the text on the blue screen, Leo's handsome eyebrows suddenly creased as the joints in his fingers tensed up.

The room was instantly filled with a dark atmosphere as if a storm was brewing. Even Melissa was affected by it as she subconsciously looked at her son. "What's wrong?"

However, Leo stayed silent as he gritted his teeth. Then, he turned around and walked toward the door.

Slam! He slammed the door on his way out.

Melissa fell silent.

What's going on now?

Melissa didn't have the faintest idea as she stared at the door.

Don't tell me something happened at the company…

At that thought, Melissa felt beads of sweat appearing on her forehead as her legs grew weak. She hastily called up Eugene.

Eugene was still in dreamland, and he yawned as he listened to what Melissa had to say. "The company is doing very well right now, and there are no problems. Did Mr. Alston go out in the middle of the night for private matters?"

"Private matters?"

Melissa suddenly came to her senses at that reminder. What else could Leo's private matters include? It would be either Foxy and Amelie or Bria at the most.

If something had happened to Bria, Amelie would definitely call him straight away. So, Bria clearly wasn't involved.

As Melissa pondered, she recalled what little she saw of Leo's phone screen when she glanced at it just now.

He seemed to have read a news notification. At that thought, Melissa immediately turned on her phone and scoured through the news on major news sites.

There weren't many news articles uploaded at 1.00AM, so she found one with great ease. It had something to do with Amelie.

When she saw Amelie's name, Melissa hastily continued reading, but before she could finish reading the article, she gasped.

My goodness!