Ch. 366..370: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 366-370

Chapter 366 Everything Is Fake

"I don't even know why he's angry because everything was alright just a second ago, she murmured, looking rather lost.

Although Amelie understood what she was saying, she had no answers to her questions because, just like her, she couldn't figure out what was on the current Leo's mind as well.

Nevertheless, one thing she was sure of—this girl in front of her had been dumped.

"Smarten up and look for another man if you want to get married.

It's meaningless to attach yourself to a man who doesn't give you his heart because you won't get a happy ending."

This was the best and kindest advice she could offer her right now.

"This is not true!"

Despite that, the girl refused to believe her and glared at her, arguing aggressively, "Leo is not that type of person.

He's a responsible man, and as long as I marry him, he'll definitely treat me well and give me the world! You're only criticizing him because you're unhappy and jealous that we're dating.

That's definitely it!"

A speechless Amelie thought that she was probably bored out of her mind with plenty of time to spare, which led her to be a free therapist here; not only was she unable to help out with anything, she was even painted as the villain person in this situation.

So, when she realized that there was nothing she could do for this woman, she decided not to continue the conversation and left after giving her a shrug.

On another note, Samuel and Julia arranged a very packed schedule for themselves, hopping on their honeymoon right after the wedding ended.

So, after Amelie gave them the wedding present, she did Julia a favor by dropping off Julia's parents at their hotel room so that the newlyweds could have more time for themselves.

It had been a tiring day for her parents as they had been traveling between places the entire day and were beyond exhausted.

Furthermore, they had to start the next day early to return home.

Amelie was well aware of that.

That's why she left them soon after dropping them off so as not to disturb their rest.

She had booked a flight for tomorrow morning, planning to return after sending off Julia's parents.

The thought of not knowing when she would return again made her feel a little reluctant to leave.

So, she slipped into a daze as she leaned against the corridor railing and stared into nothing.

"Hey, there.While she was in a daze, she heard someone calling out of the blue.Initially, she thought that he was calling someone else, so she didn't respond.But soon, someone approached her and stopped in front of her.

"Since you are already back, why didn't you visit the Alstons, Amclic?"

Finally, it dawned on Amclic that he was speaking to her, and she turned to him in surprise.

A young face entered her vision, and her brows furrowed as she racked her brains because she didn't remember speaking to him before despite finding the face a little familiar.

"Don't you know who I am, Amelie?"

A smile appeared on his face, and he looked like a kind little lamb.

"We've met before, actually, but that was two years ago."

As Amelie had a good memory, some vague images popped into her mind after his reminder.She had indeed seen him before, but it was only once.

Back then, he gave her a similar smile.

Still, although he seemed friendly enough, he made her feel uneasy.

"I actually have another identity.That is, Leo's adopted brother" the man said.

He had a pair of glasses across the bridge of his nose and seemed like a nerdy guy at first glance.

"Since you're my sister-in-law, just call me Chandler, then."

When he mentioned that, it occurred to Amelie that the Alstons did have an adopted son.

He was actually an orphan that Leo's father, Warren, had been sponsoring until he enrolled in a school close nearby.

Due to his circumstances, Warren eventually decided to just let him move into their house.

After that, Warren was involved in a car accident with Leo, which caused Warren's passing as Leo lost his eyesight.

Melissa was terrified that the family's assets would be taken away and cut up by other relatives, so she urgently changed his family name to Alston, acknowledged him as her son, and named him the next heir.

That was why Amelie hadn't seen Chandler before.

He wasn't in attendance during her wedding, and she was told that he was living abroad.

Everything she knew about Chandler was pieces of broken information she gathered from Leo when she met him at Quinn Town.

Later, when Leo regained his sight, Chandler was immediately chucked out of the picture by Melissa, who sent him abroad, implying that he should stay far away from them.

"I'm sorry, Amelie, I've always been abroad all these years and rarely had the chance to return, so I've never met you officially," Chandler explained.

Amclic figured out his status in the family in a matter of seconds and didn't comment on it.

Instead, she simply clarified, "I have nothing to do with the Alstons because we're divorced.

So, you shouldn't regard me as your sister-in-law anymore"

A gentle and warm smile spread across his face.

"I’m here to ask you for a favor, actually.Leo has been fooling around a lot for the past two years and caused quite some trouble, putting Mother in a pickle at home.Even though you're divorced from him, I can tell that you have a special place in his heart.Will you please help us to turn him around so he'll keep his behavior in check?"

He sighed before continuing, "I truly want Mother to be happy, but I'm just an adopted son.Even if I stay by her side every day, I can't relieve or share her burden.But I truly am worried about her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

If they didn't consider her immense dislike for anything Melissa-related, even if she had a good relationship with that impossible woman, she wasn't in the position to intervene in Leo's private life.

Thus, she immediately turned Chandler down, nodded at him, and turned to leave because she didn't want to waste more time.

"Leo really cares about you!"

Unfortunately, the man didn't seem to catch her meaning as he caught up to her and kept up with her pace as he continued, "Mother wanted to convert your room into a storeroom, but he refused to let her do it.Now, he even turned it into his own bedroom without moving anything that you've used before!"

His words made her stop in her tracks abruptly, and she looked at him in disbelief.

Then, Chandler clasped his palms together and pleaded, "Please believe me.

Everything I said is true, and I can even bring you there to have a look for yourself if you want! My dear sister-in-law, there was probably some misunderstanding, and Leo divorced you unwillingly back then.

All I ask of you is to give him another chance."

"Why are you telling me these?"

Amelie asked, looking at him emotionlessly.

"I just want to repay their kindness,"

he answered honestly.

"If it weren't because of them, I wouldn't even have the chance to attend school.

There's a high possibility that I'd still be trying to make ends meet at the lowest level of society.

The only reason Leo is fooling around and dating different girls is because of frustration and boredom.

I know he doesn't have any feelings for them.

I even know another secret.

That is, he had never slept with any of these girls that he dated."

His last statement sounded ridiculous to her, and she asked, "How did the children come about if he didn't sleep with them?"

"They are not his biological children!"

Chandler blurted.

"I did think that they were his children as well, and I became worried when he kept bringing the children home one after another.

After that, I had each child undergo a paternity test, and the results showed that these children are unrelated to Leo by blood.

Even later, I found the women he dated, and they confessed that they were merely his female companions in social events, and they barely even held hands.

Those women who got pregnant simply took advantage of him when he was drunk and tried to create a scene without any hope that it would succeed.

Yet, Leo didn’t expose their lics and even kept the children.

I've asked him about this before, and he said those women tried to blackmail him with the children so they could be his wife.

Once they lose this opportunity, they would abandon these children instead of raising them properly.

But he doesn't want these children to be homeless because they reminded him of his daughter, and because he couldn't raise his own daughter, he could only remember her in this manner"

Chandler said, tears building up in his eyes.

"Amelie, do you know that he turned alcoholic in the past couple of years? If this continues, he could die.

I know that he's heartbroken and doesn't want to break up with you, but at the same time, he feels that...

he’s not good enough for you.

Will you please, even if it’s for Bria’s sake, speak with him for even just a moment?"

Chapter 367 Car Accident

Amelie never once interrupted Chandler until he got everything out of his chest. Nevertheless, a look of shock flashed past her eyes, and she even forgot to breathe by the time he was done with his tirade.

"I have to admit that all that information from you is very shocking to me, but he's an adult who knows what he's doing. All I can say is, I'm sorry," she said, gave him a nod, and walked past him. After the divorce, Leo had nothing to do with her. All he was to her was a familiar stranger. Therefore, she had no right to intervene in his affairs. Besides, even if they weren't strangers, her awkward status as his ex-wife made it weird for her to even talk to him normally, forget advising him away from his path. Faced with such logic, Chandler could do nothing but stare at her silently.

Even though she appeared nonchalant and composed in front of him, she still couldn't sleep a wink that night.

Too many things had happened between her and Leo that she couldn't help but be affected by his current situation even if she knew that she really shouldn't be.

But still, what can I do about it? she asked herself in exasperation, unable to fall asleep.

The next day, she started her journey back with two large dark circles under her eyes.

In the cab on the way to the airport, she gave Julia a call to inform her that she had taken care of her parents and also to bid her farewell.

"Are you leaving again?" Julia asked over the phone, sounding sad that Amelie had to leave. "I really want you to stay. Do you have any idea how bored I am without you?"

"Hurry up and have a child with Samuel. Then, I'm sure you wouldn't even have time to complain about being bored," To Julia's dismay, Amelie started teasing her instead. As a result, Amelie was faced with

endless complaints from her best friend.

Finally, after they ended the call, Amelie massaged her temples in exhaustion. Since she didn't sleep well last night, she was starting to feel somewhat drowsy now that she was in the car.

"Sir, please wake me up when we reach the airport," she said to the driver in front, slumped into the seat, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

She didn't know how long she was asleep, but she did know that she was violently awakened from her restful slumber by a deafening bang. Before her brain even realized what was going on, her body was thrown forward due to the momentum.

Fortunately, she was wearing the seatbelt, which held her back firmly and prevented her face from slamming into the back of the seat in front of her. Nevertheless, this impact jerked her wide awake.

She was utterly confused and still rather groggy as she tried to keep her eyes open while her ears were filled with the cab driver's curses, "F*ck! Watch where you're going!"

Judging from the driver's angered tone, she figured she was probably involved in an accident as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Just as expected, when she looked out of the car window, she saw that a white Hyundai MPV had stopped diagonally in front of them. The front of the car was pointing in the reverse direction from the traffic oddly, as though it had deliberately crashed toward them after making an abrupt U-turn.

Regardless, that MPV didn't crash into their car, and there was only a tiny gap of a few inches between the two vehicles. She wasn't awake when the accident occurred, so she had no idea whether it was due to the cab driver's quick reflexes or if the other party managed to slam the brakes before the vehicles crashed into each other.

On the right of the MPV was another small, red car that was also facing the opposite direction, but the front of the red car had crashed and embedded itself into the chassis of the MPV.

"These two drivers have lost their minds. The traffic was smooth until the red car suddenly went in the wrong direction and made the MPV turn in the wrong direction as well. If I hadn't slammed the brakes, our car would have been part of that pancake," the cab driver muttered with a pale face and looked shaken after witnessing such a big accident. "Don't drive if you can't! The roads are not a playground! Are they trying to die?"

Obviously, the cab driver was a person susceptible to road rage. Furthermore, he was almost caught in the accident, so he couldn't stop himself from cursing loudly despite his fear.

Obviously, the cab driver was a person susceptible to road rage. Furthermore, he was almost caught in the accident, so he couldn't stop himself from cursing loudly despite his fear.

But from his description, Amelie could roughly piece together the picture of what had happened earlier.

Now that an accident had occurred on the straight road to the airport, the scene started to turn chaotic because the cars behind couldn't pass by. Several people who were in a rush honked obnoxiously, resulting in a cacophony of honks. Frankly, if it weren't for her involvement in such an accident, she would even have time to joke that a flock of geese would have felt right at home here.

Nonetheless, the cab driver definitely wasn't planning to stay around and be involved in that mess, so he slowly started the car and intended to steer away. Alas, when he drove past the white MPV, Amelie caught sight of the driver's face through the shattered glass of the window.

His eyes were shut in the driver's seat as he bled profusely from the wound on his head, smearing his entire face with blood. That face?

"Leo Alston?!" She instantly recognized him and leaned forward, shouting, "Stop the car!"

The cab driver hit the brakes almost without hesitation, utterly startled by her sudden outburst. Amelie didn't even realize what had happened until she was already out of the car door and dashing toward the driver's seat of the white car. Finally, she pressed her face against the window and yelled, "Leo! Leo Alston!"

Despite her screaming his name at the top of her lungs, he didn't open his eyes, and it seemed to her that the open wound on his head was bleeding profusely. After she had gotten a closer look at his condition, she reckoned that he was most definitely hurt elsewhere and needed treatment immediately.

Once that thought registered in her mind, she instantly became sick with worry as she frantically looked around for someone who could help her.

Coincidentally, a trembling girl got out of the red car. Her hair was in disarray, and her face was as white as a sheet, but Amelie still recognized her at one glance—the girl who was with Leo and was dumped last night.

Her name is Jessie Webber, she recalled. What was she up to? she wondered and turned her attention to Jessie's car.

Meanwhile, Jessie's shaky gaze slowly turned to Leo, and when she saw him covered in blood, she let out a shrill shriek and held her head in her palms.

There was no time to waste, so Amelie didn't ask Jessie the reason behind her appearance at such a coincidental time or how such a bizarre accident took place. Instead, she quickly yanked the car door open and said to the cab driver. "He's seriously injured. We have to send him to the hospital right now!"

When the news of someone being seriously injured was spread to the other drivers in the back, they immediately stopped honking to rush them. There was even a good Samaritan who rushed to make a phone call to the police and the ambulance.

The cab driver, who couldn't watch a man die right in front of her, stepped out of the cab and lifted Leo out of his car with Amelie's help. When they carefully placed Leo in the backseat of the cab, she gingerly sat next to Leo's unconscious form and held him steady, preventing him from worsening his injuries or gaining new ones on the way to the hospital. Meanwhile, the cab driver wasted no time hopping into the car and speeding off for the hospital.

In the meantime, the police arrived at the scene very quickly, and by the time the cab had made a U-turn, Jessie was already apprehended by them.

Perhaps it was her imagination playing tricks on her, but when their car drove past the scene, Amelie thought that she saw Jessie looking at her with hatred in her eyes.

After the cab driver dropped them off at the nearest hospital, Leo was immediately transferred to the ER. Amelie even gave the cab driver a fat tip as thanks, and he politely left.

Amelie had no idea how Leo was doing since the hospital staff was all busy, and the doctor wasn't done with Leo. So, she knew that all that was left for her to do was wait outside.

Once she shakily sat on the bench at the ER's waiting lounge, she saw the bloodstains on her hands when she lowered her head, which caused her heart to shudder as she recalled the horrible scene earlier.

Perhaps she was bored out of her mind as her brain started trying to puzzle out the reason behind his appearance there. Alas, she still couldn't figure out why Leo drove a regular MPV alone on that road.

Given his finances, buying a plane was not an issue, and an MPV from this brand didn't seem fitting with his financial status.

In addition, he didn't bring his assistant or driver along, she recalled. It looks like he's changed a lot these past two years.

While she waited for the doctor's good news, all sorts of guesses and thoughts ran wild in her mind until it finally occurred to her to inform Leo's family about the accident. Hence, she fished out her cell phone and wanted to call Eugene, but when she turned on her phone, she saw the latest news update.

'Top Millionaire, Leo Alston, in an Accident on Airport Road. Current Condition Unclear.'

The headlines were accompanied by text and pictures, and in the blurry images, Leo's head which was covered in blood could be clearly seen. Amelie couldn't help but gasp in shock when she saw the news published so quickly. These media journalists are really something. The accident just happened less than an hour ago, but they have already made a report on it, she thought with a hint of admiration.

As the pictures were blurred enough and she was facing the camera with her back, her face was not captured or published, and it was only mentioned in the report that Leo was sent to the hospital by a cab that happened to pass by the scene. In addition, it also claimed that the one who caused the accident was Jessie, who had already confessed to her crime.

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous were inevitably topics of gossip and attention for the general public, which was why this accident made the headlines. Besides, she saw from the comments section that the public was in an absolute tizzy over such a thing.

'Jessie Webber is the culprit? Hasn't she been showing off her blissful life on her social media recently? She said that she met the man of her dreams and even posted a bouquet of flowers, hinting that she was hearing wedding bells soon. So, why did she suddenly try to kill him?'

'Obviously, the man of her dreams that she meant was this millionaire. I met her at a party once, and she was right next to Alston, but I heard that Alston only took her out twice, and it's pretty clear that she was dumped.'

'Hate born out of love?'

Amelie didn't waste any time as she through the screen, skim-reading the texts. Did Jessie hit Leo because she was dumped? she wondered and felt goosebumps appearing on her skin when the terrifying image of the car crash as well as the resentful glare Jessie shot her, popped into her mind.

Chapter 368 Can’t Stop Caring About Him

Her mind was shrouded in confusion again. If the white car's angle resulted from Leo turning the vehicle around out of reflex when he realized that Jessie was crashing into him, then why did Jessie give her a look with such hate?

Does she hate me because she thinks that I'm the one who snatched Leo from her? Amelie thought. Suddenly, the surgery room doors burst open, and a doctor wearing a white robe and surgical mask strode out.

She dismissed those thoughts as she set aside her phone hastily, trotted over, and asked worriedly, "How's he doing, doctor?"

"His head and chest suffered trauma, but luckily, he was sent here in time, and we managed to stop the bleeding. He just has to stay for observation for a few days, and he'll be up and about again in no time."

A breath of relief escaped Amelie's lips at the doctor's words because she thought that he was severely injured when she saw him utterly drenched in blood earlier.

"Thank you," she said, and the bed rolled out, but nobody was on it.

She frantically swept her gaze across the room and quickly noticed Leo slowly ambling out after the bed.

His head was wrapped in bandages, but his wounds were definitely still bleeding; she saw some blood seep through the bandages and leave a red stain. His freshly washed face appeared so pale that even his lips had turned slightly gray due to blood loss. He had a change of clothes as well—the light-colored patient robes provided by the hospital—and she could see the bandages around his chest from the collar of his shirt.

Although he took each step slowly, he was still staggering slightly. Coupled with the light-colored patient robe, he appeared like a beautifully fragile and sick man.

Amelie strode over and immediately supported him. "Why did you come out by yourself?"

He merely grunted curtly in a low and soft voice. There was a brief second where his gaze fell on her hands that were supporting him. However, he didn't say a word of protest as they slowly made their way to his ward.

Although Leo's life wasn't in danger, his injuries were far from light, and he had to be hospitalized for a few days.

Amelie carefully helped him to the bed and pulled the sheets over him as he watched her every move with pursed lips.

When she had tucked him under the sheets, she brushed her palms together and started, "Well…"

She wanted to ask him what exactly happened, but she swallowed back the words that were about to tumble off her lips. Unfortunately, to her dismay, no matter how she tried to word the question, it sounded like she was trying to find out something about his private life.

Finally, all she said was, "Take a good rest."

"Okay," he muttered almost inaudibly. "Thank you for sending me to the hospital regardless of your busy schedule, Miss Dillon. You probably have other things to attend to."

Amelie could already tell that he was trying to drive her away even before he finished speaking. Regardless, she didn't plan to hang around where she was not welcomed, so when she saw Eugene running over from the end of the corridor, she said, "Get well soon, Mr. Alston." After that, she gave him a nod, twirled around, and walked away.

"Hi, Miss Dillon—"

At the door, she bumped into Eugene, who had just run over, and she smiled at him politely before stepping past him and leaving.

Eugene turned his head to watch her retreating figure as it disappeared from his line of sight, then he turned to the quiet man on the bed. The man's eyes were also glued on Amelie's back, but there was a hint of life and light in them, which were different from its usual lifelessness.

"Mr. Alston, why didn't you let Miss Dillon know that you're injured because you tried to stop Jessie from hitting her cab?" Eugene asked, pacing into the room.

He only discovered the truth behind the accident after visiting the police station earlier.

Leo raised his eyes and looked at him for a brief second before looking away. "At the end of the day, I'm the reason this happened. She's just an innocent victim," he explained calmly.

Eugene watched the thoughtful but stoic expression on his face and sighed. Despite the anxiety he was feeling in his heart, there was nothing he could do for Leo.

In his mind, the scene where Jessie was wailing in the police station appeared.

"That woman named Dillon has no feelings for him, but he insists on sending her off and even changes his car because he worries that she would notice it was him. How am I any less as compared to Dillon? Why won't he notice me? Why did he break up with me? No, I can't take this. I want to kill that woman and make him give up!"

It's genuinely terrifying when a woman loses her mind. If Mr. Alston hadn't discovered her plan, the one lying on the hospital bed now would be Miss Dillon. But did he save her just because he blamed himself for implicating Miss Dillon when he was the one who befriended Jessie?

Eugene was finding it even harder to understand what was on Leo's mind, and he didn't dare to draw any conclusions lest he arrives at the wrong one.

"Where's the document on that project? Did you bring it?"

When Leo asked him about the file, he quickly opened his briefcase and passed it to him. The instant Leo's hands touched the folder, he began reading through it.

As Eugene watched him go through the document, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly once more. Mr. Alston has turned into a robot now, only working and reading documents whenever his eyes are open. He barely speaks, and the look in his eyes is also turning colder as time passes. At this point, he won't even talk to anyone unless it's absolutely necessary. If this continues, I'm really worried that…

Meanwhile, Amelie dazedly stood on the side of the road for a while after departing the hospital. Her flight had already taken off without her by now, and there was only one flight a day. So, she could only leave tomorrow.

How am I going to spend the rest of the day, then?

Although she had quite a few friends in this city, everyone was living their own lives now, and she didn't want to impose. In the end, she decided to visit Quinn Town.

Two years had passed since she last returned to this place, and the small town had undergone significant changes. The streets were wider, there were fewer potholes, and so were the roads connecting to the other neighboring cities. They were absolutely bustling, with cars passing by almost every other second.

On the side of the road, two roadside vendors were chatting while running their business.

"This town looks amazing, but you know we might not be far off from those big cities in a few years' time."

"Yeah, you're right. We don't have to visit the city anymore because we can buy everything we need here. Oh, I heard that the reconstruction isn't finished yet. The town hospital will be torn down and reconstructed again."

"Really?"

When Amelie overheard their conversation, she looked lost. The town hospital was the place where she met Leo when they were young. If they tore that place down as well, that would mean wiping out her memories with Leo altogether.

Regardless of their many misunderstandings, the time they spent together in their youth was one of her cherished memories. So, while she reminisced about the past, she strolled to the town hospital and stopped at the central atrium to admire the magnolia trees that had grown.

As she stared at the trees, she could see them in her mind's eye all those years ago. From the entrance of the atrium to the spot under the trees, and from under the trees to the artificial hill, they took lovely strolls as they held each other's hands, seated side-by-side as one read out loud for the other to listen to… She even remembered the time when they threw pebbles by the artificial hill.

Those were beautiful times, she recounted with a sigh and was so engrossed in reminiscing that it was already dusk by the time she came to her senses. When she lowered her head to check the time, she saw that it was already past 6.00PM. How time flies!

She initially wanted to visit the old house as well, but it was too late for that now. So, she slowly strolled out and was ready to return when her phone started ringing.

She didn't check the caller ID as she swiped to answer and placed the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she said.

"Miss Dillon, you haven't left the country yet, right?" From the other end of the call, Eugene said in a hushed voice after stealing a look at the man in the VIP room.

"No, not yet." She was a little surprised when she recognized the voice of the caller. "What's the matter?"

"Okay," he began and continued worriedly, "Will you please make a trip to Prix Bar? Despite his injuries, Mr. Alston is drinking with business partners and won't do otherwise, no matter what I say. If he continues like this…"

He trailed off, not knowing whether he should continue.

"A business meeting?" Amelie's brows shot up, taken aback by this piece of information. "What on Earth is he doing? Does he have a death wish?!"

"Exactly!" Eugene clutched the phone tightly with agitation and felt as though he had found someone who could relate to him. "He already had quite a few drinks."

He's drinking even though he's still injured? That's no different from committing suicide, she thought with a huff.

"Please come over quickly. If Mr. Alston continues drinking like this, his condition will only worsen."

Regardless, she lifted her head as she stared at the scarlet sun that was slowly dipping into the horizon little by little and pursed her lips. "You should call Mrs. Alston for an issue like this or his sister. I'm sorry, but it wouldn't be appropriate for me to be there," she said and hung up.

Eugene stared blankly at the phone, utterly speechless, and sighed in resignation. One is tough while the other is heartless, he thought.

By the time Amelie returned to Clouson, it was already past 8.00PM, and she instructed the cab driver to drop her home via GPS.

While she was in the backseat, she looked out the window and blankly watched the neon lights from the bars and clubs that were pouring through the car windows brightly.

Out of the blue, she was reminded of Leo. Is he still at Prix Bar at this time? I don't think so. However, his injuries seem rather serious, and I reckon he should be in the ER now if he really drank for two hours.

In her opinion, even if Leo went for a work-related social meeting, he was only there for show and wouldn't really disregard his health.

Although she sounded so confident with her deduction, she still stopped the car and hopped off when it passed by Prix Bar.

Chapter 369 Won’t Let Her Go

"Welcome!"

The beautiful and tall ladies at the reception of Prix Bar simultaneously gave Amelie a warm welcome and bowed respectfully when they saw her.

Amelie smiled lightly as she asked casually, "Is Mr. Alston still here with his friends?"

"Are you looking for Mr. Alston?" One of the receptionists went to her, judging her warily. "May I ask how you are related to him? Do you have an appointment? I'm afraid that I can't show you to him if you don't have an appointment."

"That means he's still around?" Amelie gasped in surprise.

However, the receptionist took her surprise wrongly, thinking that she was here to hook up with Leo, and she sneered, "Of course, he's still here, but he won't meet just anyone randomly. You should call and ask him to send someone out here to take you in."

On the other hand, Amelie was so anxious that she didn't even notice the sarcasm in her voice and asked instead, "Did they order any alcohol?"

"Yeah."

This time, even the other receptionists assumed that Amelie came with an ulterior motive. "Mr. Alston can drink very well and doesn't get drunk even after finishing a few bottles. Today, he only ordered four bottles, which is less than half of what he usually orders. So, you shouldn't have any weird designs on him."

"Exactly. I think you should hone your skills and cultivate some proper talents before trying to approach him."

These receptionists had seen too many tricks from the women who wanted to approach Leo, and they readily assumed that Amelie was one of them.

In fact, Amelie didn't really want to meet Leo because she had planned to leave if he didn't indulge. Yet, when the receptionist told her that he already had four bottles, the alert alarm inside her head blared loudly, and she started storming inside.

The receptionists were about to call for security when they saw that she was going to force her way in when Eugene happened to come out of the room.

"Miss Dillon!" At the sight of Amelie, the light in his eyes shone with pure, unabashed gratitude as though he had met his savior. "You're finally here! If you're just a minute late… Mr. Alston might really knock the life out of himself with the drinks."

"Why is he acting this way?" Her eyes flickered as she tried to ignore his fervent gaze and asked, "Why isn't Melissa here?"

"Well, you know Madam's personality… All she cares about is herself. She won't be bothered with what Mr. Alston is up to, but even if she does intervene, he won't listen to her, anyway," Eugene answered straightforwardly.

No one knew the situation between Melissa and Leo better than Eugene, who was also the most helpless about it.

"Furthermore, the guests today are special, so I can't advise against his course of action directly, but he refused to listen to me even after I hinted at him. So, all I can do is… Worry."

While he was explaining the situation, they had walked off quite a distance away, leaving the receptionists in bewilderment.

Did Leo's assistant regard that woman as an important guest? What did it mean? Earlier, did they just try to stop someone they shouldn't offend? But there was nothing particular about that woman besides having a pretty face.

By the time Eugene showed Amelie to the VIP room, the people inside were already done drinking. A few well-dressed men came out in groups of twos and threes, chatting, smiling, and chuckling happily, and Eugene hastily went to see them off one by one.

None of the men noticed Amelie, thinking that she was just another waitress, and one of them patted Eugene's shoulder and said, "Eugene, Mr. Alston can't hold his drink today. He's already drunk after a few drinks. We're going now, leaving him in your care."

As Amelie didn't want to attract any attention, she lowered her head just enough not to seem like she was utterly ignoring everyone because they were all senior shareholders of Genesis. Back then, when Leo just took the reins of the company, they were very supportive of him, and as a person who values loyalty, Leo couldn't find it in himself to turn them down when they asked him out for drinks.

"Sure, just leave him to me," Eugene answered, sending them off respectfully.

When they had cleared out of the room, Amelie looked through the window into the room. The curtains were not drawn, and she easily saw a man's figure under the dim lighting.

At that moment, he slumped sideways on the couch, and even though there were warm yellow lights in the room, they couldn't hide his ashen complexion.

His palm rested on his forehead feebly as though he was uncomfortable, and even his brows were tightly knitted together into a look of agony.

Suddenly, he sat up and started coughing, and his body swayed and trembled violently as he hacked his lungs out. It seemed as though he would topple over anytime!

Amelie instantly dashed to him and held him without hesitation. "Are you alright?"

She wanted to lecture him, but when she remembered that they weren't related anymore, she shut her mouth and only stroked his back to ease his discomfort. Then, she poured a glass of water from the jug and handed it to him. "Here, have some water."

Leo slowly raised his head and swept his cold gaze over her face, and she raised the glass of water in front of him awkwardly, signaling him to take a sip.

All of a sudden, she felt a force behind her back, and he pulled her into his arms the next second.

Everything happened so abruptly that it caught her entirely unaware, but she was quick enough to move the glass aside to avoid spilling the water on him.

As a result, their bodies were tightly pressed against each other.

So, she stiffly held the glass and squirmed uncomfortably, calling him, "Hey, Leo."

She merely moved a little, and he immediately tightened his arms around her like a piece of metal, suffocating her with his hug.

She could hear his rugged breath right next to her ears and feel the abnormally high temperature of his breath against the skin of her neck.

She raised her head to take a look at him and immediately noticed that his face was also exceptionally red.

"Mr. Alston has a fever!" Eugene pointed out.

As Amelie's body was pressed tightly against Leo's, she could clearly feel how feverish he had become. "Let's take him to the hospital," she said urgently, and Eugene came over to help her carry Leo.

They each had Leo's arms as they positioned him in the middle and dragged him into the car. Once they placed him in the backseat, they immediately drove to the hospital.

"What happened? How can you allow a patient with such injuries to drink?"

At the hospital, Eugene and Amelie were reprimanded harshly by the doctor. Eugene could only apologize repeatedly with a look of dismay while Amelie remained expressionless throughout the doctor's dressing down as they sneaked glances at Leo from time to time.

"We'll lower his temperature with medication," the doctor said after a round of reproach and quickly wrote a prescription for the nurse to retrieve from the pharmacist.

Finally, the doctor left with a few parting warnings, and the nurse returned soon afterward with the medication, blushing as she tried to feed the medicine to Leo.

However, she had barely touched him when Leo shoved her aside angrily, and the medication in her hands splattered around.

"Get lost!"

"Miss Dillon, will you please feed him the medication?" Eugene requested with a pained look. "The drunker he is, the harder it is to get close to him."

At first, Amelie wanted to turn him down, but when she saw his puppy eyes, she nodded in resignation. "I'll give it a try."

"Thank you."

Frankly, she assumed that Leo would push her away. She thought that she would have an excellent excuse to leave if he really did so.

But the truth was, Leo was very cooperative; every time she gently urged him to take the medication, he would open his mouth without protest.

Eventually, she couldn't leave as she sat on the bed and placed an arm around him while feeding him his medication, rightfully worried that the liquid would spill everywhere if she didn't. Therefore, she coaxed him to finish the medication sip by careful sip.

The nurse standing beside them watched the scene with burning jealousy in her eyes. She couldn't stop herself from scrutinizing Amelie because she was curious about what was so charming about that woman that attracted Leo even when he was semi-conscious and drunk.

On the other hand, Amelie's entire focus was on feeding the medication, and she was unaware of the nurse's spiteful glare. When she was done, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she could wash her hands off him now.

So, she cautiously placed Leo on the bed and slowly sneaked off the bed, looking around for Eugene at the same time so she could bid farewell to him later.

Then, she saw Eugene in a call outside the room and placed her foot out to take the first step. Alas, before she could even set her foot firmly, she felt her hand being gripped tightly.

She twisted her head and saw that Leo had gotten ahold of her wrist with his hand without her knowing, and she stole a look at his face. He was definitely out cold as his eyes remained closed, and he didn't seem like he was going to wake up any time soon, but his hand that held her wrist tightly refused to release her.

"I'm sorry, Miss Dillon. Can you please help me to take care of Mr. Alston? I just received a call saying that the children at home… Well, we have a situation." Eugene paced over anxiously and waved the cell phone in his hand, anxiety written all over his face. After he spoke, he even took off without even waiting for Amelie's response.

She stared at him, utterly mute with shock as he thought, this one refuse to release me while the other just left me. What else can I do?

Chapter 370 Worried About Her

Meanwhile, the nurse also left after keeping away the utensils, and silence fell over the room; she could hear only Leo's shallow breathing.

It made Amelie uncomfortable that Leo was holding her hand, and she tried to pry his fingers apart, but when she just tried to remove one finger, the man on the bed exerted more force and practically dragged her toward him.

As a result, she lost her balance and almost toppled on top of him. If she hadn't used her other hand to support herself at the very last moment, she would have fallen directly on him, aggravating his injuries.

She inhaled sharply, didn't dare to move a muscle, and maintained that awkward position for a while before she slowly but surely retreated into the chair by the hospital bed.

It had been an eventful day for her, and drowsiness crashed into her the moment she sat down. Eventually, she supported her chin with her palm and wriggled about on the chair to shift into a comfortable position before closing her eyes slowly. The next time she opened her eyes, she was greeted by sunlight shining through the hospital windows.

She immediately startled awake and noticed that she was sleeping on the bed, with a blanket cocooning her. For a moment, she didn't know what was going on as she stared at the blanket blankly until the light smell of cigarettes wafted up her nostrils, reminding her that she was far from alone and that this was Leo's ward.

He was the one sleeping on the bed earlier. So, where is he? she wondered, sitting up and scanning the room for him. A few seconds later, she found him on the balcony with his back facing her.

Although his silhouette looked straight-backed as per usual, he seemed to have lost more weight within these two years. He propped himself against the railing with his arm, and she noticed a cigarette

sandwiched between his slender fingers. The wispy smoke traveled up the air with the morning breeze, and the whole scene somehow exuded a sense of abject loneliness.

Maybe he was worried that he would awaken her, he even specially closed the balcony door, but the stubborn cigarette smoke still seeped in through the gaps.

Amelie fanned her nose as she wasn't used to the nicotine smell. Leo turned around right then as though he could see what was happening behind his back, and their eyes met.

His eyes were as cold and dark as usual, they also held no trace of any emotions, but they seemed to show a little concern when he saw her actions. So, he put out the cigarette in the ashtray he was holding. Then, he set it aside and brushed any remaining soot on himself before opening the door and stepping in.

"Did you just wake up?" he asked in a firm but cold voice.

"Yeah," she answered, unwittingly turning to the ashtray that was reflecting the light outside the window. "You're still injured. It's better to avoid smoking and drinking."

When she received no answer from him, she realized that she had crossed the line and was about to apologize when he said hoarsely, "When are you returning? It's too inconvenient to buy another ticket, and Bria is definitely anxiously waiting for your return. You should take my plane back."

"No, thanks," she rejected his offer after wearing her shoes. "Even if it's for Bria's sake, please take care of your own health." Then, she tucked her hair behind her ears, gave him a polite nod, and said, "I'll be taking my leave, then."

However, Amelie was really down on her luck. That was because the instant she arrived at the airport, she was informed that there was a sandstorm in Lumaria, the country where she was currently residing,

and the only flight there had been canceled. She was also gently advised to find a hotel to wait it out as there wouldn't be a flight back until they were sure that it would be safe for them to operate.

Amelie stood frozen on the spot as she stared at the noticeboard that flashed the word 'Cancelled' in bright red lights. She immediately felt her head throbbing as she thought, I just want to go home. Why is life making things so difficult?

As nobody knew when the sandstorm would be over, the airport staff couldn't tell her the exact time when the flight would take off, either.

When her brain started reminding her that she had been away from home for longer than planned, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Unfortunately, it didn't matter how frustrated she felt, as it wouldn't help her situation. Hence, she could only wait at the airport for the latest news regarding her departure, and this waiting game lasted for a few more hours.

The waiting game was utterly torturous and mind-numbingly dull. As a result, she kept yawning, but she persisted in her efforts as she grabbed a magazine and flipped through it, trying to stay awake.

Meanwhile, at the airport entrance far away, Eugene was following a gorgeous man into the airport.

"Mr. Alston, didn't the plane already pass the test? So, why are you catching a flight at the airport?"

The Alstons had bought a private plane a long time ago. Regardless, it came with a strict requirement as it had to take two tests to ensure that it was up to par. Fortunately, the final test for this year had just been concluded.

Eugene couldn't understand why Leo wanted to go to this airport instead of taking their own private plane.

Leo's handsome face was tinged with its usual seriousness and aloofness, and his lips were pursed together tightly as he remained stonily silent. Nonetheless, Eugene had been serving as his personal

assistant for years, so he quickly noticed that Leo seemed to be looking for something the moment they entered the airport.

What on Earth is he looking for?

Eugene followed his searching gaze as he darted his eyes around before they finally landed on a lean figure nearby that was sleeping soundly without anyone by her side.

"Oh, I see." The moment Eugene recognized the woman, the situation became clear to him. Now everything makes sense.

Early in the morning, Leo had been paying attention to weather reports—only the ones about foreign countries—and after listening to them, he announced that he wanted to make a business trip abroad. Still, he came here straight away without even mentioning his destination.

So, the business trip is bogus, but the concern for Miss Dillon is genuine, Eugene thought. Why didn't he ask her to stay if he was so worried about her? Eugene frankly couldn't figure out what Leo was trying to do, and he sighed when he saw Amelie fast asleep, completely unaware of her surroundings. The magazine that she was perusing had even fallen to the floor. How could she be so careless? Isn't she worried about her own safety when she's sleeping in a public area like this?

Just when Eugene thought that Leo would head over to her and wake her up, he spun around and went to the reception instead. "I would like to have a blanket."

…

Amelie had a weird dream. In her dream, a pair of eyes were fixed on her, and she had nowhere to run or learn whose eyes they were. Her dream was a confusing desert, and she couldn't find her escape no matter where she went.

The cold wind ruffled past her, and she shivered from the cold. She desperately ran around as she wanted to find a place to hide from the wind, but there was nothing to shelter her as the winds ravaged the desert, blowing coarse sand against her face.

Just when she couldn't bear the cold any longer, a ball of fire appeared nearby, and she ran toward it to find that the flaming ball was burning brightly, and there was even a furry toy next to it.

Nonetheless, she hastily warmed her hands at the fire, but the flames were just as cold as the winds. So, she picked up the furry toy instead, which was delightfully warm. Thus, she immediately hugged the toy tighter, bringing it closer to her.

Amelie stretched her body comfortably, and her eyes fluttered open slowly. That was when she saw that she was curled up under a blanket. Even though the blanket was warm, her left arm and the left side of her head were warmer, like she was leaning against someone.

She started to look around to find out who was the one who placed it over her as she clutched the blanket in her hands in bewilderment. Just then, her mind kept replaying the dream she had earlier because she seemed to have smelled a familiar scent in her dreams.

It smelled like Leo. Was he here? she thought.

"It's been a while." While she was trying to recall the details of her dream, a gentle voice interrupted her thoughts, snapping her back to reality.

She quickly turned to the source and saw a man with an elegant, clean-cut face dressed in a white shirt and a pair of matching white trousers.

"Toby?"

His appearance took her by surprise, and he looked a little different from two years ago; the hair he used to tie at the back of his head had been cut short, and he sported a short haircut now.

On the contrary, his elegant and clean-cut face seemed untouched by time. It gave off the feeling that regardless of where or when, he would always appear relaxed, which made others feel comfortable and at ease in his presence.

"You're really amazing. How can you sleep so well in a busy airport like this?" he teased, revealing his pearly whites when he smiled.

For a moment, Amelie was embarrassed, and she kept the blanket away before returning his smile. "There's a sandstorm, and nobody knows when the next flight will be available. I thought I'd just hang around and wait here, but I fell asleep without realizing it. Thanks for this," she said, holding up the blanket.

A look of confusion flashed past his eyes, but he didn't clarify anything about the blanket when she showed it to him. "A sandstorm usually lasts for days. Why don't you return to a hotel and wait for the news rather than stay here? My car has just arrived to pick me up. Would you like to come with me?"

Amelie combed her hair with her fingers and knew that he was right. So, she accepted his offer with a nod. "Sure," she said, and they left together.

In the airport bathroom, Eugene could hear the sounds of water flowing, and he secretly checked the time on his watch while standing behind the man who was washing his hands. It's been five minutes. Mr. Alston has been washing his hands for five minutes, and there are no signs of him stopping. All he did was… Why is he washing his hands when it's not something filthy? And he's even washing them for such a long time!