Ch. 371..375: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 371-375

Chapter 371 Beauty Lies in the Eyes of the Beholder

Downstairs, outside Amelie's apartment building, Toby leaned against his car door and stared at the woman who had just fished her house keys and hopped out of the car. Then, he tilted his chin and asked, "Aren't you going to invite me upstairs since we haven't met for two years?"

Amelie paused in her tracks at his question and turned to look at him. A second later, a smile spread across her face. "If you would like to catch up, you can ask me out to a cafe nearby, Mr. Walsh."

She's still not giving me a chance, eh? he thought, and a bitter smile flashed past his clean-cut face. Nevertheless, he checked the time on his watch and said, "It's already late. Rest well when you get home. I don't think you can return to Lumaria immediately, so we can catch up tomorrow."

"Sure," she answered, agreeing to his suggestion. "Thank you for the ride today. See you."

Toby stared until her tall and lean figure disappeared into a corner after the lobby before he looked away, but he wasn't in a hurry to get back into the car. Instead, he called a number. "I'm back. Let's meet up, shall we?"

Ashton, Josiah, and Louie were already seated inside the VIP room when Toby arrived at the Prix Bar.

For the past few years, the country had been doing well economically, and both Josiah and Louie had stayed in the country to build their careers. Usually, they were busy with their work, but they decided to meet up when they heard that Toby had returned today.

As usual, Josiah seemed reliable and resilient. Meanwhile, the good-looking Louie was a typical stylish man because he had previously dabbled in the entertainment industry. Since his family was in the car- manufacturing business, he was the CEO as well as the brand ambassador.

Ashton remained the same as usual. He hadn't improved at all—a good-for-nothing that still had the gall to look down on everyone despite his incompetence.

After Toby said hi to everyone, he furrowed his brows because he noticed that Leo wasn't there. "Is Leo not coming?"

"He'll be here soon," Ashton said confidently.

Over the past couple of years, Leo had turned into a man of little words, but he was comparable to Ashton when it came to being flighty in terms of romance. Naturally, this made Ashton feel that he could relate more to Leo. But, of course, that was only what Ashton thought.

After Toby received confirmation that Leo would be coming, he asked the waiter to bring them a few bottles of drinks. The four men chatted casually while they drank, asking each other about their recent developments.

"Who would have thought that the most playful one is so successful in his career now?" Josiah said with a sigh, holding the wine glass in one hand and patting Toby's shoulder with the other.

Louie nodded in agreement. "He's right. You're the one who has the most potential to live an easy life based on your pretty face. It would have been so easy, but you chose to build your own career instead."

Although Toby was working in the past, he merely did some odd jobs here and there. In contrast, he was doing so well abroad that no one else in his family could even come close. They figured that he would eventually inherit his family's fortune sooner or later.

"What made you change? Why are you so motivated all of a sudden?" Louie couldn't help but ask.

"The story I heard was it all started because of a woman. Aren't you going to introduce us to that woman?" Josiah teased, shaking Toby's shoulder a couple of times.

Toby lowered his head as he took a sip of his wine. Yet, when they asked him about the woman, all he did was grace them with a bitter smile.

On the other hand, Ashton snorted and sneered derisively, "You guys mean Amelie Dillon, right? Besides having a face that you can maybe consider pretty, there are honestly no other qualities about her that are worth complimenting. It really makes me wonder what's going on in those people's heads that they'd be so attracted to her that they would revolve around her as though she was the Sun to their Earth."

Although his feelings for Elyse had dissipated over the past two years, he still loathed Amelie.

"There should be something about her if they couldn't bear to leave her." Toby's usual calm expression had turned a few notches colder, and his usual smile had disappeared. He even shot Ashton a provocative glare. "She's not any less capable than Leo."

"Ha! That's not true!" Ashton snapped arrogantly. "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, so everything she does is amazing to you. But she's nothing but a piece of sh*t!"

"If she's a piece of sh*it, what are you, then?"

However, before Toby could argue with him, another solemn, cold, and terse voice beat him to it.

As Ashton had never been questioned this way before, his face turned stiff from shock, and he scowled before turning to the source of the voice.

The others followed suit and saw Leo approaching them with his usually stoic face.

He tightly knitted his brows together, and his dull eyes seemed as though they wanted to pierce through Ashton's soul.

"Leo?" At the sight of Leo, the fury on Ashton's face morphed into surprise. He probably never expected Leo to reprimand him so harshly.

Leo utterly disregarded him as he strode toward the table, took a seat, and picked up a glass of wine between his fingers. Yet, he didn't drink it and merely swirled it gently. "From now on, I don't want you to appear near me. Get lost!"

Ashton was rendered speechless as he gaped at Leo with utter disbelief and pointed at his own nose. "Are you driving me away because of a woman?"

Earlier, he merely compared Amelie to a piece of sh*t; in his opinion, this shouldn't have caused any dispute! Nevertheless, he felt humiliated that Leo had actually used this opportunity to have a quarrel with him. So, his face distorted into a nasty scowl as he impatiently waited for Leo to answer his question.

Ashton became even more infuriated when he noticed Leo's indifference. Unfortunately, it also didn't seem like Leo was about to change his mind about chasing him away, so he growled, "Leo Alston, why are you picking a fight with me? Even if Amelie is a flower, it has nothing to do with you because you've already divorced her for years! She doesn't even care for your concern or protection at all!"

"That's enough!" As Toby didn't want the situation to worsen, he dragged Ashton out to the hallway outside, but Ashton was still burning with fury.

"What makes him think that he can tell me to get lost when he doesn't even own this place? Furthermore, he and Amelie had cut off all ties with each other after that mess. Why is he still so protective of her?"

"It's undeniable that you've said the wrong thing." Toby, who usually wore a smile on his face, also turned austere. "Besides, you shouldn't hurl abuse at her in the first place. Even if you didn't, you still don't have the right to criticize her. She's Foxy and the boss of Starlight Media. If you call her a piece of sh*t despite her achievements, wouldn't that make you less than a piece of sh*t?"

"What?" Ashton gawked at him with astonished eyes and completely ignored Toby's rebuke. "That's impossible!"

He had always known that Amelie was Foxy, but he always thought that she was successful as an influencer because of her looks and that she just got lucky. Regardless, it never occurred to him that she was the boss of Starlight Media, and this news hit him like a sledgehammer, knocking him so hard that he felt dizzy.

Toby released him and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "Not only was she an influencer and boss, she even created a platform called Knowlit that attracted tons of followers. The highly- educated academics around us find it very reliable and have booked a few courses on her platform."

"Knowlit?"

Even if Ashton was uninterested in Amelie's recent updates, he had heard of this platform before.

Knowlit had become a highly favorite platform in less than three years since its establishment. The ones who had the capability to contribute to the platform were proud to publish their books and lessons on that platform, while the ones who couldn't do so would buy the classes and join the training offline.

Everything aside, Ashton's family members would also often bring up this platform.

"This… It's started by Amelie?"

Not only was she an influencer and started a company, she even made training and reading into such a popular thing.

"She can't be so capable! Did she find herself a successful man?"

When such an idiotic question stumbled out of Ashton's mouth, Toby laughed and jeered, "Do you think she needs to cling herself to a man? She was already a top influencer and had set up Starlight Media

before getting to know Leo. After she divorced him, she created Knowlit. Speaking of which, she was at her worst during those four years when she was married to Leo. Not only was she belittled, she even gave up on her career."

"This is…" Ashton's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets from shock; he had met way too many women who were willing to do anything for money and had never heard of someone like Amelie who was willing to give up money because of love.

Toby curled his lips into a mirthless smirk as he squeezed Ashton's shoulders and said, "That's why you should spend more time on learning and less on fooling around, Ashton. Stop coming to the Prix Bar in the future."

Even though he was more tactful and considerate than Leo, the meaning behind his words was the same —Ashton should just get lost and never come by ever again.

He owned Prix Bar, and his words were akin to a lifelong ban for Ashton. Hence, he didn't bother waiting for Ashton's reply after saying his piece and returned to the private room.

 

Chapter 372 It’s Not Because of the Inheritance

In the VIP room, the three of them continued drinking, and no one asked about Ashton. It was as though nothing had happened earlier.

Toby had already donned his signature smile as he strode to Leo and sat beside him. Then, he picked up a glass of wine in front of him and started drinking.

As Toby knew about the situation in Leo's family, something popped into his mind, and he asked after finishing half of the wine in his glass, "I heard that Chandler is back. Is that true?"

Leo merely grunted in reply, "Yeah." But there was no emotion in his voice.

Louie shot him a look from the other side of the room, signaling him not to speak more on the topic.

Everyone present knew that it was almost impossible for Leo to have a cornea change back when he lost his sight because of his body's unique condition.

At that time, Chandler was placed as the next heir of Genesis with the help of Melissa, who seemed to have abandoned Leo.

Although the mastermind behind the heir change incident was Melissa, Chandler's name was still Leo's biggest shame and pain as it reminded him of his dark past.

Since Josiah and Louie had important things to do the next day and had to start the day early, they didn't hang around for long and left after a few drinks.

The only ones left were Leo and Toby, who was lightly holding the glass in his hand as he kept his eyes glued on Leo the entire time while silently observing him.

Leo had been drinking quietly since arriving, looking serious and depressed the entire night.

Although he had always been a man of few words, he spoke even less now.

"Leo, I met Amelie today," Toby started.

Leo's hand that was holding the wine glass froze briefly before he mumbled a curt reply and continued drinking.

The indifference he displayed made Toby raise his brows, and he continued, "I would like to court her. Unfortunately, I wasn't good enough for her two years ago, so I could only give up. But I realize that I still have feelings for her after seeing her again."

"Okay."

This time, Leo didn't even pause for a second, and the iciness on his face and in his eyes was the coldest Toby had ever seen.

It seems like he doesn't care about Amelie at all, he thought in surprise.

After a few seconds, he smiled and didn't continue this topic anymore.

They continued drinking in silence until Toby placed his glass down, rose to his feet, and started to head out.

"Toby." The moment his hand touched the door, Leo's voice stopped him from behind.

Toby twisted his head and saw that Leo was filling up his glass. Then, his emotionless voice echoed into his ears, "If you like her, then ask for her heart with sincerity and don't flirt around or try to court other women at the same time. Just give your full attention and heart to her."

If Toby hadn't witnessed with his own eyes that Leo was indeed the one who had said this, he would never believe that Leo really said this.

After that, Leo raised his head to stare at him suddenly. Although his gaze was steady, Toby could still sense the deep murderous intent in them—if he didn't do as he said, he would be dead!

"You're still in love with her," he blurted, but Leo didn't respond to him and continued drinking with his head as he lowered his head.

For a full ten minutes, Toby stood there waiting to see how he would respond, but to Leo, it was as though he was just an invisible presence.

…

"Oh, you're home, Leo."

Leo returned home at midnight, and right after getting out of the car, Chandler came out the door to greet him.

"What kept you so busy until this time of the day? Did you have dinner yet?" His voice was filled with concern and care, which made him seem like a genuinely nice person.

Yet, Leo remained quiet the whole time and went straight into the house, wholly dismissing Chandler's presence.

That didn't bother Chandler the slightest as he followed Leo in while sniffing the air around him. "Did you drink? If Mother sees you like this, she'll be worried again. I'll prepare some ginger tea for you." After they passed by the living room, he scurried toward the kitchen.

Leo went upstairs instead as though he hadn't heard Chandler at all, leaving him alone at the kitchen entrance with an awkward expression as he gingerly rubbed his hands together.

"Is Leo home?" Melissa inquired lazily when she saw Chandler after she came out of her room, dressed in pajamas.

"Yes, he is," Chandler answered, cleaning his hands hastily before going to her. "But he's tired and heading straight to bed. What do you need, Mother? Let me get it for you."

Melissa stared at the empty staircase apathetically as she rubbed her temples and sighed. A few seconds later, she intoned lazily, "Get me a glass of water, then."

"Sure," he answered and immediately went to pour her a glass of water. "It's better to have warm water at night."

Melissa nodded in approval and started drinking. When she finished, she gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Thank God you're here."

Although Chandler was merely her adopted son, he treated her far better than her own son, Leo, attending to her every need and showering her with unabashed concern.

Hence, her approval for him was over the roof, and she couldn't help but complain that Leo was too aloof toward her.

I merely made a small, tiny mistake back then. Does he need to carry the grudge to this day? she complained silently and sighed a couple of times.

Regardless, Chandler knew better than to ask what was troubling her and merely said, "You should be wide awake after waking up at this time, Mother. Would you like me to give you a massage? I've learned quite a lot over the years when I was abroad, and my massage skills are pretty good."

"That will be great!" Melissa accepted his offer with delight and took a seat on the couch.

Then, Chandler trotted over and slightly bent his back as he started to massage her shoulders.

As she enjoyed the comfortable massage, she nodded and patted him. "You're so considerate, Chandler."

Back then, if it weren't because Leo had regained his eyesight and she was worried that Chandler would snatch up the company shares, she wouldn't have insisted on sending him abroad.

And now, when she compared his attitude toward her with Leo's, a shard of regret crept over her.

If she had known that Leo was such a tough nut to crack, it might have been even better if the company had landed in Chandler's hands back then.

If I had passed Genesis to Chandler, I wouldn't have to put up with Leo's attitude because Chandler has a lot of respect for me, she thought and sighed once more.

"Are you worried about Leo, Mother? He may be a little indifferent, but he's always been career-focused and has made impressive achievements over the past two years, which makes me pale in comparison."

He came up with all sorts of things to comfort her when he heard her sigh. Just as expected, when he brought up Leo's achievements, Melissa felt the disgruntlement growing inside her instantly be doused by cold water.

"Yes, he is a workaholic."

In the last two years, Leo had made massive profits for the company, and she could lift her head higher than before whenever she was in public.

"Chandler, you should stay," she said.

That would be amazing, she thought. Since Leo wasn't close to her, she decided to keep Chandler, who was willing to please her, by her side. On the one hand, she would have her own son to make money and make her proud. On the other hand, she would have Chandler, who would treat her like a Queen— the best of both worlds.

"This… I don't think that's a good idea," Chandler answered. in a dilemma.

"Why not?" she asked instead. "It would have been so tiring for me if you weren't around to take care of things around here. So, don't worry. I'll ask Leo to give you a part of the company's shares."

"No, definitely not!" Chandler shook his head profusely in shock. "I'll have to leave if you really do that!"

This was exactly what Melissa wanted to hear! She offered him the shares earlier as a test, not because she really wanted to give him any!

Her eyes crinkled from smiling when she saw that he was not ambitious. "If you insist, I won't force it on you, then. However, you're my son, just like Leo!"

"Thank you, Mother," Chandler said earnestly.

After a few minutes of massage, Melissa was finally tired again and ambled off with a yawn. In the living room, Chandler's clear eyes, which seemed as though they held zero desires, narrowed all of a sudden, and a sharp light gleamed from within.

"I'm your son? Do you really take me for a fool? But rest assured. I didn't return because of the family inheritance," he murmured as the gleam in his eyes turned glacial and malicious.

 

Chapter 373 Melissa Putting up a Show

It was nighttime when the hot water in the shower created a mist that filled up the room.

Running water fell on Leo's head and formed streams down his face as it flowed down his chest, torso, and legs before finally splashing against the tiles.

Leo's skin was as red as a beet after standing under such a hot shower for an hour. Yet, he repeatedly applied soap as he harshly scrubbed his body and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

…

The next day, the government had not retracted the vog alert. So, Steven called Amelie early in the morning and advised her from flying back due to worry.

Lumaria was a country with a great natural environment. Yet, a volcano suddenly erupted, creating severe volcanic smog that affected a huge part of the area.

Even though Amelie desperately wanted to return, she had no choice but to patiently wait for it to subside.

After she freshened herself up, she donned appropriate makeup and conducted a few online meetings.

It was already noon in a blink of an eye. Just as she was thinking about grabbing some food to eat outside, Toby gave her a call, saying, "Didn't you say you wanted to go for coffee? I'm already downstairs."

She immediately pulled apart the curtain to see a race car parked outside and a man in white leaning against it.

Even though she couldn't see his face clearly, the signature white clothes and how he carried himself all pointed toward Toby.

Amelie couldn't very well tell him that she was just being polite yesterday. So, she answered, "Sure."

She didn't let him wait long and appeared downstairs a few minutes later. "Where are we going for coffee?"

Toby tilted his sculpted face and said mysteriously, "You'll know. Get in."

So, Amelie didn't push for an answer and got in the car.

Toby brought her to a private kitchen that was known for its quality for lunch before pointing in a direction and telling her, "There's a good coffee shop down this street."

He didn't start the car but motioned with his head asking silently for Amelie to walk with him. And so she did.

The area they were in was rather far from the city. So, there weren't many skyscrapers but lower residential houses. It seemed like the houses were self-built as they all looked different from one another.

As they passed by a house, a child suddenly dashed out and bumped into Amelie before she noticed him.

"Woah," she exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to hold the child.

"You alright, Buddy?" she asked as she knelt down to check for any injuries.

The child looked to be around one year old and looked at her dazedly with his big round eyes.

Then, Amelie immediately looked around for his family.

"Urgh! Why do I have to come here every week?!" Then, when she was searching for his parents, she heard the shrill of an impatient female from the courtyard.

Amelie was a little stunned when she heard that familiar voice.

"This. This. And this."

Leilo would send pictures of the children to Leo every doy, ond Melisso would be there picking o few photos with her in them.

Amelie was a little stunned when she heard that familiar voice.

Just as she expected, she saw a familiar figure standing by the wall when she turned her head around to look at the courtyard.

Jodie was wearing a mini dress showing off her long slender legs and carrying a mini bag, looking like the fashionista that she was. Unfortunately, she also had heavy makeup on, and it was almost impossible to decipher her natural face.

At the moment, her professionally shaped eyebrows were furrowed as she looked highly displeased.

Beside her were two children crawling and one child holding onto her leg like he wanted to stand up. Nonetheless, Jodie pushed the child away with her leg without hiding the disdain on her face.

"If you want to suck up to Leo, you can do it yourself! Don't pull me into this!"

"What do you mean pull you into this? These are all Leo's children. How could you not care?" Then, another voice sounded, and Amelie immediately knew that it was Melissa.

Amelie was a little surprised that Melissa and Jodie didn't know that those children weren't Leo's.

"He can take care of them himself since they're his children. He has the money and influence. He can hire the best nanny in the world. So, there's no need for us to butt in," Jodie complained unpleasantly.

She couldn't find it in herself to like the children that filled the courtyard. In fact, she detested them. If there weren't legal repercussions for murder, she would have strangled the little brats.

"You know that I don't like children!"

It was well known that Jodie didn't like children. She especially didn't like that Leo had so many children as she thought about the inheritance these children would take from him. Then, what would happen to her?

In her opinion, everything Leo owned would be hers if he didn't have a family. When these children grow up, they would sweetly address her as auntie. Nonetheless, she bet that none of them would willingly share their inheritance with her when she brought it up.

"You think I like children, then?" Melissa sighed in a low tone. "Have you ever thought about this? If we don't help Leo now, he'll not care about us later."

She looked at the running children and suppressed the growing dislike within her heart.

Still, she had to plan ahead for herself. Leo wasn't her ideal son. So, she had to have a backup plan.

As she thought about that, she turned around and waved Leila over. "Are the pictures ready?"

"Yes." Leila nodded and passed over the phone.

Leila had worked for Leo for many years and earned his trust. So, she was in charge of caring for the children.

Melissa took the phone with her dainty fingers, her pinky finger pointing upward while she pressed the screen with her forefinger.

"This. This. And this."

Leila would send pictures of the children to Leo every day, and Melissa would be there picking a few photos with her in them.

She did this to garner Leo's good impression of her to change his view of her. That was one of the reasons she even bothered coming here.

The other reason was that one of these children would eventually inherit his business. Therefore, her days would be easier if she treated them well once they grew up.

She knew how to take care of herself and was aware that she could live until she was 80. However, she didn't want to grovel under her grandson when she was that age.

So, she needed to instill her authority among the children now. That way, they would all obey her orders like she was the queen later.

Leila knew Melissa's scheme but didn't say anything and obediently sent the pictures as she was instructed.

Jodie made sounds of disapproval when she saw that Melissa still had the mood to go through the pictures but stopped her complaints since Leila was there.

After Leila sent the pictures, Melissa had enough of the situation and waved her hands in dismissal. "I'm tired. Let's go in for tea."

Then, she strode inside with Jodie trailing behind her as if the children were the devil on her heels.

Leila, who stood outside, let out a silent sigh and shook her head in disappointment, thinking of the show Melissa and Jodie were putting up. This mother-and-daughter duo didn't think to advise Leo's sudden habit of meeting women and only thought about their interests.

She was but a maid and didn't have a say in this. So, she could only swallow any displeasure she felt about this situation.

Meanwhile, Amelie heard everything they said clearly, although she was outside and couldn't see them. As a result, she couldn't help but curl the corner of her lips in disdain.

These two women are such bad actors. They don't even realize that a child is missing.

Toby pressed on the corner of his lips and hid them as he looked at the smile on Amelie's face.

The young baby being carried by Amelie suddenly caught a whiff of her scent and moved closer to her with his big round eyes as he snuggled against her.

His tiny hands held onto her neck and blabbered, "Smells. Smells good." Then, he tried to bite on her face with the few little teeth that had just started to grow in his mouth.

He had mistaken Amelie for food and left a trail of saliva on her face.

Toby rushed to carry him away when he noticed the child biting Amelie. Alas, the child struggled and kicked his legs as he wanted to be with Amelie.

The dirt on his shoes all landed on Toby and painted his white suit with numerous black footprints.

Just as he was about to pull the child away, someone came running out and exclaimed, "Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Then, he swiftly took the child from Toby's hands.

Toby and Amelie turned their heads around to see a rather feminine male face.

 

Chapter 374 Being Cold to Him

"Mr. Walsh. Miss Dillon. Where are you both here?" Chandler was surprised when he saw them.

Toby dusted the footprints off his white shirt while Chandler carried the child in his arms like he had done it a million times. It was hard to believe he wasn't married.

"Oh, my. Did the child do that to your shirt?" Chandler looked uneasy at the sight.

"It's okay." Toby waved his hands nonchalantly and smiled brightly. "Why are you here, though?"

Even though Chandler was adopted by the Alston Family, he was barely acquainted with Toby. So, they only knew of each other at the most and had never talked to one another besides the basic pleasantries required.

"I'm here to help take care of the children." Chandler smiled softly. "I'm free anyways, and the kids are cute."

Toby didn't respond and gave a silent nod instead. It was unclear what he truly thought about Chandler's reason.

Chandler carried the child with one arm and lightly patted his head with another before sighing lightly, "These children are lucky to have Leo adopt them. If not, they'll be an orphan for life. I'm an orphan. I know how tough it is. So, I wanted to do something to lessen the trauma of their parents abandoning them."

He was so emotional that Toby felt rather uncomfortable and awkwardly coughed into his fist in response.

On the other hand, Amelie wasn't one to butt in other people's problems. So, she stayed quiet.

Then, Chandler's gaze landed on her. "Leo will celebrate their birthdays all on one day. It's in two days. Would you like to come, Miss Dillon?"

Amelie guessed his intention and just smiled with a shake of her head. "I'm sorry. I'll be busy."

After her rejection, she noticed the child in Chandler's arms staring at her and felt terrible. So, she offered, "I'll get them birthday gifts, though."

"Oh, sure." He gave a quick smile as if he was very disappointed but tried not to show it.

Finally, he nodded gratefully. "I thank you on their behalf."

"Don't worry about it." Then, Amelie and Toby left.

Chandler looked at them, walking away while standing at the door before carrying the child inside.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Amelie questioned after they were some distance away.

Toby was slightly taken aback. "Huh?"

He immediately caught on and shook his head. "I didn't expect Leo's children to be here. However, it was Chandler who introduced the coffee place to me."

"I've no idea how he knew that I often go to the private kitchen we went to earlier and strongly recommended the coffee from this place." Toby pointed at the coffee shop sign that was right up ahead.

Amelie looked up and saw the sign as her eyes narrowed slightly.

"You think there's something off with Chandler?" he asked.

She didn't reply and only curved the corner of her lips in reply.

Indeed, she didn't like Chandler. But it wasn't right to accuse him without any evidence. Besides, she and Chandler's interests didn't clash.

After she had enjoyed a cup of coffee with Toby, she went to the mall alone. She was going to buy the children birthday gifts as she promised.

Since they were all still quite young and she didn't know what they liked. In the end, she got them all a big plush toy that they could play with.

Amelie picked the classic teddy bear for the boys while the girls all got the famous Eevee.

After she had made up her mind, she realized that she didn't know how many of the children were there. So, after some thought, she called Chandler, and he promptly told her the answer.

"Thank you, Miss Dillon. It's so kind of you to buy them gifts," he said sincerely. "I can see that you really like children."

Amelie didn't reply as she felt that Chandler had more to say.

As expected, he continued, "I still hope that you will reconsider. Leo's not a playboy. He has been abstinent these few years."

"Those rumors about him sleeping around aren't true. You know that he holds a high position. Those people spread the rumors because they wanted to use this as a chance to get closer to him. He didn't care enough to clarify. So…"

"I'll courier the gifts to you, Mr. Chandler," Amelie interrupted him as she wasn't interested in this conversation.

Chandler let out a sigh before acknowledging her statement.

"Oh, right. Please don't tell Mr. Alston about me sending the gifts," she requested, as she didn't want to cause a stir.

"Don't worry. I won't," he promised.

…

A few days passed, and it was the day of the children's birthday celebration.

Leo's car was quietly parked outside the house at night, and Eugene came jumping out of the car a moment later.

Eugene opened the trunk and took out the cake and birthday gifts specially prepared for the children that his wife helped pick out.

After he gathered everything, he strode to the side of the car and pulled open the door before announcing in a low voice, "We're here, Mr. Alston."

The serious man who had been working with his head lowered in the car hummed through his sealed lips as an acknowledgment.

Then, he closed the laptop on his knee and placed it aside before stretching his leg to exit the car.

Leo glanced at the mountain of gifts outside the car before entering the house.

"Leo." Chandler came running out, rubbing his hands together while wearing an apron.

"Everything's ready," he informed.

However, Leo frowned when he saw Chandler. It was apparent that he was displeased.

"Um. I came to help because I saw how busy Miss Potts was." Chandler scratched his head and explained nervously, seemingly afraid of Leo.

On the other hand, Leo turned his head and silently shot daggers at Eugene.

The livid expression on his forbidding face frightened Eugene, and he almost dropped his things.

"Tell Miss Potts to hire more people the next time she needs help!" Leo ordered Eugene and didn't reply to Chandler.

"Yes, Mr. Alston," Eugene answered.

Then, Leo continued to walk into the house.

Chandler watched as Leo left with woeful eyes before going up to Eugene. "Here. Let me."

"It's alright." Eugene avoided his hands. He had to stay away from people his boss didn't like.

Chandler's eyes dimmed as he saw how Eugene rejected his help like he was the plague.

By the time the two men entered the living room, Leo was already seated on the sofa leaning lazily into it with his legs crossed and a hand placed on his knee.

Around him, a few babies were crawling while a couple of them were staggering as they tried to walk.

The house was filled with cushions. So, they weren't afraid of the babies falling over and hurting themselves.

The babies seemed to be very curious about Leo as they gathered around him. One of them even placed their hand on his knee and stared at him. Some were nibbling on their little hands and dribbling, while others were nudging at his ankles.

Leila and the nannies were standing to the side while Leila kept her gaze going back and forth between the children and Leo.

When she noticed how Leo's stern face was slightly relaxed, she felt a touch of relief as she knew that he genuinely liked the children.

This seemed to be the only positive thing she had seen in Leo these past few years.

On the other hand, Chandler, who had just entered, also looked in Leo's direction.

Even though Leo didn't say anything, his actions intentionally became more delicate when he caressed the children's faces.

He didn't even care when the babies grabbed onto the legs of his pants and nibbled on them, leaving a trail of saliva.

"Mr. Alston is so patient with the children," Leila softly murmured to herself with a sigh.

It was rare to see Leo care about anything in the past few years.

It was only now that Leo looked connected to the world. Although he was as cold as usual, his eyes didn't seem as apathetic and even held a trace of warmth.

Chandler acted like he didn't hear what Leila said and walked to Leo's side. "Leo, I don't understand why you hate me. I have no ill intentions. I just want to help."

Chapter 375 It’s Not Good To Hold It In, Leo

Leo didn't respond and merely flicked off the inexistent lint on his pants.

Chandler, who was ignored, looked at him pitifully with teary eyes. "I know you think I'm back to get a share of the inheritance. But I know my position. I was never an Alston. So, I never dared to imagine such a thing."

He raised his hand. "I swear on my life that if I coveted even a penny of the Alston Family, I'd suffer in hell."

Only then did Leo turn his head to look at Chandler. However, he still stayed silent, but the fierce glint in his eyes was unmistakable.

Chandler's heartbeat furiously as he saw the knowing look in Leo's eyes. It was as if Leo knew everything.

How could that be? Chandler had been cautious to hide his true thoughts. And it was true that none of them were about inheritance.

"L-Leo, why are you looking at me like that?" he stuttered as though the cat got his tongue.

Finally, after what seemed like a decade, Leo averted his gaze away, but he still didn't deign to give him a response.

He leaned forward and carried the baby, who was sitting by his leg, before standing up and walking away from Chandler. "Let's cut the cake."

The cake-cutting ceremony went by without problems with Leila's help.

"This is for you, Mr. Alston." Leila passed him a slice of cake.

Leo accepted the plate and took a spoonful but didn't eat it. Instead, he put the spoon into the baby's mouth.

The little guy had his mouth wide open, and the spoon went in. But, he impatiently chomped down, so the spoon was stuck in his mouth. Leo wasn't afraid of the mess and gently nudged the spoon out before continuing to feed him.

Leila watched as Leo fed the child with his long slender fingers holding the spoon. Although he was doing something so down to earth, he still looked as noble as ever.

"Miss Potts, a new baby will be delivered in a couple of months. Please prepare the necessary items for the newborn," Leo ordered as he fed the child.

Leila replied with a heavy heart, "Why don't we bring the baby's mother over as well? They need to live too." She couldn't bear to see Leo continue to take only the child and not their mother.

"The children need a mother too. It's not enough to have just us nannies. We can never compare to their mothers," Leila spoke up.

Usually, she was afraid of speaking up to Leo. However, she pitied the children and didn't want Leo to continue his philanderer ways.

"Children need both their father and mother," she dropped the last bomb, and her whole body tensed up, afraid of what was to come.

She knew she had crossed the line. However, it was human nature to think of the positive sides of things, especially since she watched Leo growing up.

Nonetheless, Leo didn't reply and took a tissue to wipe the baby's mouth. "Don't give them so many sweets."

She knew her advice fell on deaf ears seeing his response and could only shake her head in disappointment and sigh inwardly.

Then, she acknowledged his order and told the other nannies to stop feeding the other children cake.

Unfortunately, the greedy babies clearly wanted more, and all cried ceaselessly, wanting to get their hands on the cake.

Immediately, a teddy bear was stuffed into the baby's arms. It was so huge that he almost couldn't hug it.

The baby felt the softness of the teddy bear as he snuggled his face into it and smiled with satisfaction.

Chandler smiled heartily when he caught a glimpse of the joy on the child's face. So, he rushed to pass out the plush toys to the rest of the children.

Leo, who was wiping the cake that the baby had smothered on his shirt and fingers, was stunned when he looked up to see the plush toys in the children's arms.

Suddenly, his eyes darkened.

Chandler didn't miss the look in his eyes but acted nonchalantly as he patted the children's heads. "This is a gift from an Auntie. A very, very nice Auntie."

Just as he finished his sentence, Leo stood up. "That's it for tonight. Bring the kids to rest." Then, he strode out of the room.

Leila was caught off guard at his sudden departure and looked at him with a confused look. Still, she didn't dare disobey him and urged the nannies to carry the children back to their rooms.

"Leo!"

Leo exited the courtyard and was about to step onto the stairs leading to the outside of the house when Chandler came running after him. "I know you don't like me, and I respect that. But it's obvious you care about Miss Dillon. So, why don't you do something about it?"

Leo didn't stop in his tracks, and Chandler also had no intention of stopping.

"Those presents were gifted by Miss Dillon. She knows that these children aren't yours. She also knows that you're not sleeping around like in the rumors!"

Leo suddenly froze when he heard that. The air around him became frigid as his body tensed.

Chandler shuddered when he felt the change of aura.

She knew she had crossed the line. However, it was human nature to think of the positive sides of things, especially since she watched Leo growing up.

Yet, he still plucked up the courage to get closer to Leo. "Miss Dillon came by today. I merely mentioned that the children are celebrating their birthdays. Then, she said that she wanted to send them gifts. Leo, she still has feelings for you. Since you both have feelings for each other, why not try a little harder? There's nothing in your way."

Yet, he still plucked up the courage to get closer to Leo. "Miss Dillon came by today. I merely mentioned that the children are celebrating their birthdays. Then, she said that she wanted to send them gifts. Leo, she still has feelings for you. Since you both have feelings for each other, why not try a little harder? There's nothing in your way."

Chandler put on his best show like he truly was the older brother who was worried for his little brother.

However, Leo merely stayed rooted on the spot for a few seconds and left without saying a word.

An evil smile gradually crept up on Chandler's good-natured face as he watched the car drive away and disappear before his eyes. "It's not good to hold it in, Leo."

"What happened to Leo? He's gone to his room for a long time. Did he fall asleep?" Melissa asked as she held a cup of floral tea, sitting on the sofa with her fair legs crossed.

Jodie, who was sitting on a single sofa, was busy scrolling on her phone and answered lazily, "Who knows?"

"Mr. Leo seems to be showering," the butler answered and walked over with a concerned look on his face. "I heard the water running in his room. It hasn't stopped at all since just now."

Leo's room door wasn't shut properly, and the sounds of the running water were loud. That was why he overheard it.

"Does it take so long for a shower?" Melissa frowned impatiently.

The butler glanced at her. Usually, she never asked about Leo and only asked for him when she needed something.

Even though the butler wasn't family, even he was worried that Leo had fainted inside the shower after so long.

Then, he moved his gaze toward Jodie and saw that she was also indifferent about this.

This family…

In the end, he was but a butler and was in no place to comment on his masters. So, he could only keep those words to himself.

"Should I go take a look?" Chandler just so happened to return and placed a soft pillow behind Melissa's back before adjusting the light beside Jodie to make it brighter.

Melissa was very pleased with his considerate action and smiled. "Yea. Go take a look and ask him to come down."

She didn't dare go up. However, Chandler, the errand boy, came back just in time.

"Sure." Then, he went upstairs.

At the moment, Leo was scrubbing his body furiously in the bathroom with a rough loofah. Every time the loofah passed by, it would leave horrid red marks all over his skin.