Ch. 376..380: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 376-380

Chapter 376 A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

However, Leo still felt that he was utterly disgusting and continued to scrub his body endlessly.

In recent years, he had gotten a weird condition. Whenever he thought about Amelie, he felt like he had done something sacrilegious.

This feeling was even stronger, especially after seeing her. He felt filthier than if he had just crawled through a mud puddle, but Amelie was uncorrupted like an angel.

He needed to clean himself thoroughly so that he could be cleaner.

Only when he had scrubbed every inch of his body did he walk out of the bathroom in pajamas, his hair still wet.

"Leo," Chandler greeted him brightly. "You took a long time in the shower. Mrs. Alston thought something happened to you."

Leo was still wet from the shower and merely glanced coldly at him with his lips in a tight line.

Chandler was clearly used to his cold attitude and didn't take it to heart as he continued lightly, "You didn't eat today at the children's party. I asked the kitchen to make something for you. So, let's head down."

Then, he turned around to leave. "I'll get it served. Don't forget to come down."

"My mom doesn't know what happened to me. But you don't?" Just when Chandler reached the door, Leo's icy voice sounded across the hall.

He paused in his tracks, and his facial expression froze momentarily.

However, when he turned around, it was filled with innocence. "What are you talking about, Leo? I don't understand."

Leo didn't reply and brushed past him as he went downstairs.

…

Finally, the vog had dissipated. Amelie couldn't wait any longer and bought the tickets as soon as it was available.

Toby knew that she wanted to return and came to send her off.

"That country is so far away, and you don't have family there. Do you really not plan on coming back?" He couldn't help but ask as they walked toward the airport lounge.

Amelie, with her huge luggage bag in tow, just smiled lightly. "That's actually a good thing. We can have some peace and quiet without all the trivial matters messing things up."

"That's true." Toby scratched his nose. "You're self-sufficient and don't need someone else to take care of you."

She smiled in return.

He was in a daze for a moment as he looked at her smile.

Although he knew that he would never be able to be with her, he still regarded her as his muse. Even so, he dared not tell her about his feelings, fearing she would distance herself from him.

When they first met, he did have some thoughts about her. Nevertheless, after he spent time with her these few days, he dropped those thoughts since he was smart enough to deduce what her actual thoughts were.

It was also genuinely fortunate that he could do so.

Toby sighed inwardly while he handed over the local specialty product to her. "This is for Master. Please pass it to him."

He had always addressed Steven as Master. So, Amelie couldn't very well reject his request since this was for Steven and accepted the gift.

They still had some time before the plane departed, so they sat outside the lounge and chatted.

"Miss Dillon." Chandler came running from afar with a wheeze.

Then, he whipped out a box that was wrapped tightly. "Leo bought this for you. I think he was too shy to give it to you. So, it's been on the study table all this while."

Amelie lowered her head and looked at the box that someone had wrapped nicely. She couldn't see what was inside.

"It's just some food." Chandler saw her hesitation and rushed to explain.

"Children always miss their father. Bria would be disappointed if you returned empty-handed."

She smiled. "It's okay. There's no need for this. Thanks, though."

"Miss Dillon… " he muttered. "Even if you and Leo are divorced, you can still be friends, right? Besides, the child is also his…"

She still didn't speak and only looked at the box with a meaningful smile.

Chandler was left with no choice as he reluctantly took the box away. "It's okay if you don't want this. I won't force the matter, but Leo really does have you in his heart. I truly hope that you will reconsider getting back with him."

Then, he turned around and walked away, leaving Amelie there with her pursed lips.

On the other hand, Toby's eyes had an unknown glint to them. "Did Leo actually send him to deliver things to you?"

Amelie chuckled when she heard that. Some things were better left unsaid. Frankly, if it were indeed from Leo, he would have come personally and given it to her.

He knew where she and Bria were all these years but had never disturbed them. Why would he suddenly think of giving them something?

"This Chandler guy seems to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. You should look out for him." Toby cautioned slightly.

They were all intelligent people. So, things didn't need to be explicitly discussed.

Amelie lowered her head in response. Although she didn't give Toby a verbal response, she vehemently agreed with his words.

It was just that she couldn't figure out why Chandler was trying so hard to get her and Leo back together. What would he gain from this?

…

The second day Amelie returned home, Blake came to Lumaria.

Even though two years had passed and he was now 26, he didn't look old at all. On the contrary, he still looked like a bashful young heir straight out of a fairytale.

The look in his eyes when he gazed at Amelie remained unchanged.

Toby sighed inwardly while he handed over the local specialty product to her. "This is for Master. Please pass it to him."

Bria noticed the tenderness in his eyes despite him never exposing his feelings for Amelie to the light. She even roasted Blake behind his back to Amelie, "I bet Blakey really wants to become my dad."

Bria noticed the tenderness in his eyes despite him never exposing his feelings for Amelie to the light. She even roasted Blake behind his back to Amelie, "I bet Blakey really wants to become my dad."

Amelie flicked her small nose to stop her from spouting nonsense.

However, the little girl just mischievously blinked her eyes. "I'm just telling the truth."

Since Blake was a guest, Amelie and Bria brought him around as a good host should.

He stood by a river as he enjoyed the distant view of the volcano that had just erupted. There was a local myth that one's dreams would come true as long as one prayed sincerely at the volcano.

"Mr. Gareth, I know you like my mama. But she's not interested in dating or marriage. So, why don't I make you an offer? You can wait for me to grow up, and I can marry you, then."

Blake turned around and saw her blinking her big eyes with a face filled with seriousness before bursting out in jovial laughter as he patted her little head.

Bria was far from happy by his reaction. "I'm serious, Blakey. I'm five this year. I'll be an adult in 15 years."

"I'll be old by the time you're all grown up," Blake commented gently.

"It's okay. I'll still like you," Bria promised as she thumped her chest confidently.

However, Blake just nodded carefreely. "Okay. Sure."

He didn't know that this simple answer planted a seed in the little girl's heart as she swore to herself that she would treat him well when she grew up.

After the mother-daughter duo sent Blake off, Amelie received a new project that was located in Mospal.

The vast ocean separated Lumaria and Mospal, and the flight there took five hours.

This project had many forward-looking ideas, and she hit things off well with the person in charge through their phone call. So, they decided to discuss this further in detail face to face.

After she arrived at Mospal, she didn't rush to meet the person in charge and got checked into a hotel.

Even though their discussion was delightful, she still decided to investigate them thoroughly.

Hence, she didn't tell them the exact time of the meeting despite having shown an interest in discussing things face-to-face.

When she arrived at the hotel, she got settled in, applied makeup, and wore high heels before walking out.

Samuel had helped her contact the best private investigation company in Mospal as she needed their expertise.

After she left the hotel, she immediately got in a cab.

As the cab drove off, another car slowly arrived and stopped where it was parked.

A young driver jumped out of the car and politely opened the back door. "We're here, Mr. Alston."

Chapter 377 Double-Booked

Inside the car, a man dressed in a black suit ducked out of the car before standing up straight to reveal his tall figure.

His fair skin was exposed in the brief moment he ducked his head down.

He glanced at the luxury watch on his wrist with a blank yet stern face. Then, he strode into the hotel.

…

By the time Amelie got back from her meeting with the detective agency, it was already 10.00PM.

The hazy lights of this foreign land might twinkle warmly down at her, but it was not home.

She was surrounded by plenty of exquisite and luxurious shops, yet she did not stop by any of them. Instead, she headed straight into the hotel.

She got into the hotel and did not stop walking until she got to her room.

After taking out her keycard, she tapped it against the lock.

Beep! The door swung open.

As she massaged her forehead, she decided to take a shower before messaging Bria and Steven.

Just as she thought about that, she heard a clack.

She snapped her head up in shock to see a man walking out of the bathroom.

He had clearly just taken a shower as he was dressed in only a towel wrapped around his waist while his muscular body was exposed.

Drops of water slid off his black hair and down his chest before sinking into his towel.

Framed by his wet hair was his brooding, handsome, and stern face.

They both stared at each other in shock.

"Leo?" she called out in disbelief. It took her a few seconds to recognize him.

Amelie rubbed her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating. Why else would she be seeing Leo when she was in a foreign nation?

He was even in her hotel room.

She soon noticed the gray luggage bag standing near his feet.

She recognized that bag; it was the bag Leo had taken with him on business trips for years.

"Why are you in my room?" she asked with a hostile look in her eyes.

It was only then that he looked away and jerked his head at the nearby table. "I booked this room."

"You did?" She spotted the card on the table. Immediately, several impossible guesses flashed through her mind.

She swiftly walked over to the phone to call the front desk.

Soon, the hotel manager was at the door with another employee standing beside him.

"My sincerest apologies. The new staff was careless and forgot the room had been booked out. That's why…" The manager repeatedly apologized and bowed, along with the other employee standing beside him.

It was evident either Amelie or Leo needed to move out of this room.

As Leo booked the room before she did, she naturally was the one to move out.

Not wanting to waste more time on this matter, she grabbed her bag from the closet. "Give me a new room then."

The bitter look on the manager's face deepened. "My apologies, but we are fully booked. We have no vacant rooms."

"What about other hotels?"

When the manager saw how calm and forgiving she was, he quickly contacted the other hotels.

However, after a whole round of calls, he slunk back to her with a cowering look on their face. "I'm sorry, but the nearby hotels are all booked as well."

There was a huge event happening the next day, so all the hotels had been booked.

The manager secretly shot a glare at the employee who had made the mistake. Oh, how he hated the employee now.

What an absolutely useless fool!

Every hotel was fully booked out. How were they going to resolve this?

Anyone who could afford to stay in these rooms was people of high ranking. The hotel could not afford to make an enemy of them.

The manager's face was pale with worry.

When Amelie heard that the hotels were all booked out, she tightly pursed her lips as her eyes went dark.

Just as the trio was staring at each other in silence, Leo cleared his throat and interrupted, "There are two rooms in this suite. We can take one each."

The manager's eyes lit up when he said that.

Similarly, hope was shimmering in the eyes of the employee that had turned red in terror.

The two of them turned to Amelie, waiting on her decision.

Since she was so forgiving, surely she would agree to that suggestion.

"It's fine," she said, rejecting the offer. "Since there are no hotels with vacant rooms, I'll go to a hostel."

"That…" While the manager found that rather distasteful, he did not dare say anything.

After all, he could not resolve the situation.

Not wanting to waste more time, she grabbed her bag to walk out of the room.

"Hostels aren't safe, and you're in a foreign nation. What if something dangerous happens?" Leo stepped forward to block the way out.

He was still only dressed in a towel, and his muscular body was still dripping wet when he stepped right in front of her face.

As she was rarely so close to other men, her face immediately blushed red as she stepped backward.

She did not change her mind though. "This is my personal business. You need not worry, Mr. Alston."

The manager immediately realized that the two knew each other after hearing her call Leo's name.

No wonder Leo was so generous as to give her a room.

The manager also realized the relationship between the couple was not an average friendship, so he decided to play dead and avoid interrupting their conversation.

The employee who had made the mistake still did not know if he could keep his job. Worried about his future, he naturally could not be bothered to interrupt the conversation.

Amelie's cold response made Leo frown.

He soon turned around and picked up his jacket from beside him. "You can have the suite. I'll stay with Eugene."

Hearing that Eugene had space for him, she stopped resisting. "Thank you," she said.

He silently headed into the bathroom to get dressed.

Seeing that everything had been resolved, the manager apologized to Amelie once more and promised to waive her fee as an apology.

With that said, he left the room with the employee in tow.

However, after a whole round of calls, he slunk back to her with a cowering look on their face. "I'm sorry, but the nearby hotels are all booked as well."

She placed her luggage back into the closet.

She placed her luggage back into the closet.

When she turned back around, Leo was fully dressed and walking out of the bathroom.

His tall figure and handsome face still made him a beautiful sight to behold, even if he was extremely brooding and stern.

She politely inclined her head.

"Hello, the meal you've ordered is here," an employee politely called out from the other side of the door after knocking.

She turned around and found the employee pushing an extravagant cart of food.

There was more than two individuals' worth of food on it.

"I didn't order any of this," Amelie said as she stared at the plates of exquisite food.

She had only ordered an average-looking bowl of pasta to satisfy her hunger.

"The manager has upgraded your meal," the employee said smoothly before placing the bowl of pasta Amelie ordered on the table. The rest of the food was soon loaded onto the table as well.

Soon, there was a feast laid out on the table.

Once every dish was served, the employee politely nodded to them before leaving.

As Amelie looked at the table full of food, she knew this was the manager's way of apologizing for the mistake made just now.

She could not finish all the food by herself. Obviously, it would be a waste.

"Why don't you stay and share this meal with me?" she offered.

No matter how much she did not want to associate with Leo, she was not so spoiled as to avoid even sharing a meal with him.

Moreover, he had offered the room without prompting, saving her from having to roam the streets.

He calmly turned to look at the table. It took him a while to think before he finally agreed.

Seeing that, she immediately sat down at the table without a second word.

He sat down in the chair across from her.

The table was quite large. Since they were sitting across from each other, the gap between them was clearly felt.

She was happy about that, though.

She picked up her cutlery and said, "Help yourself, Mr. Alston."

Then, she focused her attention on the food as he began to eat as well.

The two of them did not interact at all after that, and there was an intense silence in the air.

Leo was someone who moved very carefully, so he never made a sound when he ate. Amelie, too, was the same as well.

Thus, no one might have realized the room was occupied.

Clink! Due to the excessive silence, the sound of the spoon falling to the ground rang loudly.

Amelie glanced down at her spoon clattering on the floor and ducked down to grab it.

Instead of the spoon, she grabbed another hand.

Evidently, Leo had ducked down as well to pick up her spoon.

The moment she touched him, he froze as emotions warred in his eyes.

"It's dirty. You should get a new one." He placed the spoon on the table and gestured at the spare cutlery.

He then turned and walked into the bathroom.

Chapter 378 Blackmailed Into Becoming ATMs

Amelie stared at Leo's back in confusion.

She then saw him stop by the sink and fervently pump some soap into his hands.

Soon, his hands were covered in bubbles.

He began to scrub hard.

He scrubbed and washed, then washed and scrubbed.

She could not resist walking over to stand behind him.

She clearly remembered the hand he was washing to be the hand she held just now.

"Do you think I'm dirty?" she immediately asked when the thought popped into her head.

"It has nothing to do with you."

He did not look up as he coldly uttered those words.

His response rendered her speechless.

He spent a few more minutes washing his hands before forcing himself to go back to the dining table.

Their appetites were clearly affected by the incident as they barely took a few bites before declaring they were done with dinner.

He silently sat there for a few minutes before getting to his feet. "Rest early."

He then strode out of the room.

She watched him walk away with narrowed eyes.

Something about him felt off.

Still, she could not say exactly what was off.

After dinner, she spent a few minutes chatting with Bria and Steven over a video call.

It was midnight by the time they were done.

Too lazy to call for a staff member to clear the table, she scraped the food into the trash bin.

Then, she brought the bag out to the big bin outside.

She was turning back to her room when she spotted Eugene standing near a lamp talking on the phone.

The dim light of the corridor was so dark that she would not have recognized him if she was not paying attention.

He had evidently not seen her though as he softly said into the phone, "I don't know what's going on with Mr. Alston, but he suddenly took an hour-long shower. Did he ever do this at home?"

"Yes, but not often." Melissa was not as worried as Eugene as she held her red nails up to the light with an admiring look in her eyes.

"Perhaps, he touched something dirty. He's quite the clean freak."

She then placed her hand down and indicated for the servant to continue with the nail polish.

In her eyes, worrying about her nails was much more beneficial than worrying about Leo's boring shower problem.

As Eugene heard her nonchalant tone, he internally sighed.

Leo might appear to be a cold man, but he at least cared about his mother.

He was on this business trip for her.

As for Melissa? Her son seemed to only exist so that she could grow her reputation.

Even as Leo's assistant, he could tell something had happened, yet Melissa did not know, nor did she care to know.

Unable to resist feeling bad for Leo, he reminded her, "Mrs. Alston, please show some care for Mr. Alston if you have the time."

However, all he heard was Melissa barking at a maid. "Make it perfect or I will be laughed at tomorrow by that group of housewives!"

Ah…

He sighed once more and silently hung up.

When he looked up, he just so happened to meet Amelie's eyes.

When Amelie heard Leo had been showering non-stop after heading over, she could not help but recall how he washed his hands previously.

She had been so lost in her thoughts that she forgot to be subtle. That was how she locked eyes with Eugene.

It would seem too awkward for her to avoid him now, so she walked over to him.

"Miss Dillon." Surprise flashed in his eyes. "You're here."

Leo had only told Eugene he had given his room away to someone else. Eugene was astonished; since when had Leo been so generous?

His dazed eyes could not resist glancing at Amelie's room when he spotted her.

She did not tell him much. "I'm here for some work-related business."

She was not that close to him, so there was soon nothing for them to talk about. He had planned on walking away, but she did not leave. Instead, she hesitantly asked, "Does Mr. Alston often take hour- long showers?"

He shook his head. "No. The last time he sent you off at the airport, he spent a while washing his hands. Then, there's today…"

"Sent me off?" She was confused.

He smiled. "It was very hazy then. Mr. Alston worried about you and followed you all the way to the airport. When he saw you sleeping in the airport, he even asked an employee for a blanket to keep you warm."

His true goal of telling her all that was to let her know just how much Leo loved her. He wanted them to get back together.

She frowned harder upon hearing that.

She thought the blanket was from Toby, yet it was actually from Leo.

That meant he was washing his hands because he touched her.

Did he hate her that much?

When Eugene did not hear a response from her, he assumed she was touched by Leo's gesture and could not resist telling her more. "Mr. Alston might look like he doesn't care about Bria, but he has always loved her. He would buy a present for her every birthday and holiday, but he never gave her any of them."

As for Melissa? Her son seemed to only exist so that she could grow her reputation.

He looked expectantly at her.

He looked expectantly at her.

It was only then that she snapped out of her thoughts and distractedly hummed in response.

She had never once stopped Leo from visiting Bria.

He decided to cut them off on his own.

…

The agency Samuel contacted worked fast. They were calling her the next day at ten in the morning.

"Miss Dillon, we have looked into your target and found that they're not entrepreneurs or businessmen. They're merely thugs. All these years, they would lure investors in with negotiation meetings to get evidence of their dirty sides to blackmail their victims into becoming their ATMs."

"Thanks."

Amelie gasped when she heard what the detective agency found. She was so thankful she did not immediately meet up with them.

Now that she did not need to meet them, she quickly packed up and signed out of the hotel before walking over to the cab zone. She planned on heading to the airport.

At the cab zone outside the hotel.

Just as a cab pulled out, another cab suddenly cut in and pulled to a stop before the car that had been in the line.

The cab driver waiting in line instantly blared his horns in dissatisfaction.

The newcomer did not move though. It was clear he would not leave unless he had a customer.

When Amelie walked out of the hotel, the driver of that cab jumped out and said to her in Perouvian, "Hello."

He then grabbed her bag and put it in the trunk.

While the cab that had been waiting was furious, he did not want to cause a fuss and reduce business. Hence, he had no choice but to swallow his anger.

She knew nothing about the cab's rude behavior, and she did not think much about it since she was in a rush. Hence, she swiftly got into the cab.

As the door slammed shut, she saw a man slowly crawl up from under the seat to sit next to her.

"You're so rude, Miss Dillon. You didn't even tell me you were coming. I was going to treat you to a meal." The man's face was covered in stubble as his lips spread in a menacing grin.

She recognized his voice; it was the so-called project manager who called her.

Sirens instantly rang in her mind.

She reached out to push the door open.

Clack! The door was immediately locked.

The next thing she knew, the cab had sped out of the area and onto a busy road.

Chapter 379 Danger

Amelie's hands clenched around the seat cushion.

"What do you want?" The man sitting across from her pulled out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth.

"I thought you wanted to discuss business? Since you're here, let's negotiate before you go back" That rendered Amelie speechless.

"I am the host here. I can't just let you leave empty-handed. We'll sign the contract, have a great meal, then give you a few local specialties to bring home as souvenirs."

"Perfect!" The man held his hands out in an arrogant manner before cackling with the driver in front.

Their cackling made her go numb.

These men naturally were not good men.

The business they were talking about was definitely the deeds the detective no.vel.e.book agency told her about.

Acting terrified, Amelie silently bit her lips while linking her fingers on top of her knees.

At that moment, her entire body was trembling.

"You're not going to do anything illegal, are you?" she asked.

He guffawed.

When he saw how hard her shoulder was shaking, he nodded in satisfaction He had been worried he had selected a tough target.

Who knew she would be so easy? Today's gig would be an easy job. He exchanged an ecstatic look with the driver.

They were not as wary now.

Thereafter, the driver rolled down the window. If it were a man, they would be worried it might be a trap.

However, this was just some demure woman whose legs were not as thick as their arm. She was definitely no match for them. The driver's eyes menacingly scanned her curvy and slim body up and down before letting out a lustful whistle. He jutted his chin out at his partner in an obvious signal of intention.

The man sitting in the back also noticed her beauty. He was so overwhelmed by lust that he had to gulp. His coarse throat rolled up and down nonstop. He was rubbing his hands together from where they lay between his knees. He did not even bother to hide his leer as he said, "Don't worry. We're all law-abiding young men."

Then, he cackled once more.

"T-That's good."

Amelie did her best to act weak, lowering her head and shrinking back. Her eyes kept examining her surroundings though, trying to find a way out.

While the windows had been rolled down, it was only a tiny bit. Hence, she could not escape from it.

The car was in the middle of a highway.

Calling out for help would have no effect...

As she thought, she kept listening to the two men converse.

The men were speaking in the local dialect which she did not understand a word of.

However, the occasional laughter they broke out into was not hard to understand. They were talking about what to do with her. They were likely after both her money and her body today.

Disgust flashed in her eyes as a murderous rage rose in her.

Just as the driver was about to drive into a smaller road, she quietly and silently pulled out an object from her bag and sprayed it at the man in the back.

"Aah!"

The agonizing sensation of a stinging chemical in his eyes had the man immediately screaming while covering his eyes with his hands.

Seeing that, the driver let out a curse and turned around to stop Amelie. She reached out and wrapped a tight hand around the man’s throat as a cold glint flashed in her eyes.

Then, she held a sharp but tiny knife at the man’s veins.

"Think carefully. Make one wrong move and I'll kill him."

The cowering victim had suddenly turned into a vicious, cold-blooded woman.

"The knife might be small, but it will have no problem slicing a vein." The driver was shocked.

The man had clearly sensed the blade against his skin as he stopped rubbing his eyes and went stiff.

After a few long moments, the driver said something in the local dialect. She smiled.

"Are you worried I won't actually do it?"

Then, without a single moment of hesitation, she sliced the blade across the man’s neck.

In an instant, the man screamed as blood poured out of him.

The driver went pale as well.

The fist that he had planned on swinging at her when she looked away hung in the air.

"Focus on the road," she reminded kindly.

He swiftly turned around and realized the car had been drifting to the side. They were about to crash into a car from the opposite direction. He frantically spun the steering wheel but was still honked at in warning for his carelessness.

"If you don't want him to die, you'll stop in front of the supermarket up ahead." She maintained a tight grip around her hostage's neck while gesturing at the building with her chin.

Up ahead was a bright supermarket sign standing among the green trees. It was an obvious landmark.

There would be a lot of people there, so it would be safer.

"You will leave once I get out. You won't attract anyone's attention, and I won't report you to the police."

She knew full well that if she did not reassure them, they might think they were better off dragging her to hell with them.

Amelie was still young; she did not want to die yet.

With his companion held hostage, the driver did not dare fool around. He slowly changed lanes and signaled to move into the supermarket.

The car just so happened to stop at the strip of grass across from the supermarket entrance.

With her hand still clamped around the man’s back, she ordered the driver to open the door for her.She then ordered him to get back into the driver's seat.

Once the driver was seated, she leaped out of the car as quickly as she could.She did not stop either.

Instead, she charged straight into the crowd.It was then that she saw a few men walking out from within the crowd.

They were all large, burly men with dark looks in their eyes.

Amelie paused.

In the blink of an eye, she noticed just whom they were focusing on.

It was her! Were they accomplices? She did not have time to think.

Four men were already charging at her.

They did not care that it was a crowded area.

With a gesture from the man in the front, the three other men fanned out to attack her from all sides.

They were fully intent on kidnapping her.

She swiftly smacked away the fist the man on her left had been aiming at her before dodging the attack from the man on her right, then shefought the man right ahead of her.

All three of them were stunned, likely not expecting her to know how to fight.

However, they soon swarmed at her.She might be a good fighter, but the three men were no slouches themselves.

Their height and weight granted them a huge advantage, and they were great fighters.

After several rounds of fighting, she began to slow down.

It was clear her stamina could not keep up.

Once she let her guard, someone threw her over their shoulder, slamming her hard against the ground.

There were a lot of people walking around, and many of them saw the scene.

Though some people wanted to help as they couldn't just watch three men gang up on a tiny woman, the men all looked so fierce that everyone knew they would not be easy to fight against.

Hence, no one was brave enough to interfere with this messy scene.

Someone even tried to call the police.

They had just unlocked their phone when they saw the man who had been watching the entire time reach out with their tattoo-covered arm to show a black item as a threat.

Those people all went pale and quickly stuffed their phones into their pockets before disappearing into the crowd.

After the throw, Amelie felt as if her entire body had shattered.

She could barely even catch her breath.

It took her a long while before she snapped back to reality, and she immediately saw one of the men raise his big, heavy, spiked shoe high to stomp on her chest.

It looked like he had put a lot of strength into the move.

If he hit her, not only would her bones break, but her organs would be crushed.

The pain made her slow to react.

While she wanted to dodge, it was too late for her to do anything.

It was then that something charged over as fast as lightning.

Amelie then heard a loud bang.

"Aah!" a man shrieked in agony.

The man who had planned to stomp on her chest was suddenly sent flying like a kite that had been cut loose before crashing hard into the ground.

Everything happened so fast that it felt like she had only just blinked. By the time she knew what was going on, she saw the man lying on the ground like a dead pig.

"Who dares to interfere?!" his companions shouted.

Then, she heard a series of bangs and crashes.

Amelie hurriedly caught her breath and climbed to her feet to find the remaining two men fighting with a tall, lanky figure.

That person was so quick and nimble that they were like a panther.

 

Chapter 380 We Should Indulge Ourselves

The guy-in-charge noticed that someone was coming to their aid, so he casually spat out his cigarette with a "pfft" and jogged over to join the fray.

But right before he could get there, he was cut off by another person, and the two of them started duking it out. Amelie could see that it was Eugene who came to help them; he was Leo's assistant, so...

Amelie didn't have time to overthink things; she quickly leaped into action and ran over to help Leo. It was two against two, and with help now, Amelie felt that things were much easier.

Those dudes were no match for Leo's skills, and Amelie was a great backup.

After a few minutes of intense fighting, they heard two thuds as both men hit the ground hard. Leo was brutal; his every punch hit the men right where it hurt most.

One of the men was rolling around clutching his chest in agony while the other was straight-up knocked out cold.

Amelie glanced at the writhing man on the ground before turning to Leo. He wasn't his usual stoic self anymore; his handsome face was twisted in a rare, murderous rage.

She didn't know whose blood was on his cheek, but it only added to his cold, fierce demeanor, making him look like a resurrected god of war! After knowing him for so many years, Amelie was surprised to discover that Leo was such a skilled fighter. no.vel.e.book It was also the first time she had ever seen him act so cold and ruthless, and it made her heart skip a beat.

Suddenly, she heard a muffled noise. She turned her head only to find that Eugene was getting his butt kicked and was now knocked down by the opponent.

Amelie rushed over to help, but somebody grabbed her wrist and said, "Stay back. I got this!"

Before she could even react, the person let go.

At the next moment, Leo had already started fighting with the man.

Three-on-one was a tough fight, and it was hard to break past.

Besides, Amelie wasn't as good of a fighter as Leo and Eugene, so jumping into the fray might give the opponents an opening, which was not worth the risk.

So, she stood back and called Samuel for some advice.

Samuel was very worried when he found out that Amelie was in trouble abroad, but all he could do was remind her, "Don't call the cops. The legal system there isn't as solid as it is back in Corynthea, and you might end up in deep trouble."

Amelie didn't really want to call the police in the first place because she was worried about the laws being different in other countries. So, after Samuel's warning, she dropped the idea altogether. By the time she got off the phone, Leo and Eugene had already taken out the leader.

And in the distance, the sound of police sirens could be heard...

Amelie rushed over to Leo and relayed Samuel's message.

"Let's get out of here, now!"

Leo understood the gravity of the situation and pulled her toward the car.

Eugene quickly opened the door for them. His clothes were torn apart and his sleeves were covered in dirt and blood. Besides that, his messy hair also made him look rather disheveled.

Amelie didn't say much and simply waited for Leo to join her in the car. Suddenly, a force pushed her forward into the car from behind.

As she settled into her seat, she glanced over at Leo, who had lowered his head.

Meanwhile, Eugene had already taken the driver's seat, and the car sped off quickly.

Near the bustling entrance of the supermarket, a vehicle was parked in the open-air parking lot, camouflaged among the other cars. Its windows were tightly shut and covered with brown tint film, making it impossible for anyone to see what was happening inside.

No one paid any attention to the car. However, unlike other cars, there were people inside this one.

A rough, gravelly voice spoke up from the backseat, asking, "What do you intend to do? You went through so much trouble and even injured four of our men."

The speaker, who had a dark complexion, turned to the person sitting next to him.

The man next to him with a fair complexion was none other than Chandler.

He lounged in the plush leather seat, his features accentuated by the black leather.He appeared sinister and his face was cold and pale.

Unlike his previous subservient demeanor while in the Alston Residence, he now sat with his left leg crossed over his right while emitting a leisurely light from his eyes.

His fingers absently flicked at the cuffs of his shirt as his lips curved into a sly smile.

"I've achieved the outcome I desired," he stated calmly.

"What have you achieved?" The dark-skinned man repeated, still trying to comprehend.

"Someone rescued the woman," he reminded Chandler.

He had inquired if they needed to send more men, but Chandler declined. He knew Chandler would never engage in meaningless combat, so he had to have a more significant objective in mind.

"I'm finding it increasingly difficult to understand you," no.vel.e.book the dark-skinned man admitted, feeling bewildered.

Chandler smiled nonchalantly and lifted his chin to face the dark-skinned man.

"You just described what I had hoped for," he replied.

Suddenly, the dark-skinned man saw the light.

"You wanted the woman to be saved?" he exclaimed, realizing Chandler's cunning strategy.

"You're half-right"

Chandler said, sitting up and effortlessly deciphering the dark-skinned man's thoughts. However, he refused to elaborate further.

Instead, he extended his hand and meticulously straightened the man's shirt collar, smoothing out the creases on the floral- patterned fabric.

"Nightwing, we've made enough money to last a lifetime. We're financially free now, so we should indulge ourselves, don't you think?"Once the car had driven away, Leo's deep voice rang out, asking, "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Amelie heard him and was momentarily taken aback as she turned her head to face him.

Having seen him wash his hands after touching her before, she had assumed that he loathed her. But now, Leo appeared genuinely concerned; his usual seriousness was replaced by a look of worry.

"I'm okay" she eventually replied.

"Alright," Leo responded.

Seemingly realizing that he had lost his composure, he coughed lightly and moved away from her, putting some distance between them.

Amelie could tell that he was avoiding her, so she didn't press the issue.

Instead, she considerately leaned toward the opposite side, widening the gap between them.

As the car sped down the road, Amelie couldn't help but notice the bloodstain on Eugene's sleeve.

"Mr.Cornelius, are you hurt?" she asked with concern, pointing at the red stain.

Eugene, who was driving ahead, glanced at the wound on his arm and smiled.

"It's just a superficial wound. It's nothing serious," he assured her before lifting the divider between them.

Eugene's intention was clear—he wanted to allow Amelie and Leo to spend some time alone.

However, Amelie could see right through his plan and merely pursed her lips.

As the divider was raised, the atmosphere inside the car grew even more stifling.

Amelie and Leo sat close together, their breaths mingling in a subtle ambiguity that neither of them seemed to want to acknowledge.

Amelie tried to shake off the uncomfortable tension that had settled between her and Leo.

She turned to him and said softly, "If you have a gift for Bria, don't hesitate to give it to her directly.There's no need to hide it."

Leo seemed taken aback by her sudden change in tone, but after a moment of contemplation, he nodded in agreement.

After half an hour of driving, the car came toa stop, and Amelie looked up to see the airport looming in the distance.

Eugene got out of the car and opened the door on Amelie’s side.

"Miss Dillon, Mr.Alston and I flew in on a plane. Would you like to ride with us?" he asked.

Nevertheless, Amelie declined his offer with a smile.

"No, thank you.It's not on my way," she said politely.

Even if they were going the same way, Amelie had no desire to share a plane ride with Leo.

"However, I would like to thank you both for your help today.How about I treat you to a meal?" she suggested, looking at Eugene and then at Leo.

Amelie felt grateful to both men for saving her life and didn't want to leave without showing her appreciation.

When she suggested treating them to a meal, Eugene eagerly nodded in agreement.

"Sure—" However, Leo spoke up before Eugene could finish.

"No need"

Eugene looked at Leo in confusion. It seemed that Leo had been interested in Amelie all this time. He finally had a chance to get closer to her during today's heroic situation, but unexpectedly...

Eugene wondered if Leo was really fond of Amelie or not.

Leo's rejection didn't surprise Amelie, as she could tell from his deliberate efforts to keep his distance from her during the ride that he didn't want to be around her.

Amelie didn't want to force the issue and politely nodded.

"Alright then, I guess I owe you both a favor each. Goodbye" she said, gracefully tipping her chin.

Before she left, Leo signaled to Eugene to drive away.

"Drive!"

Eugene looked at Leo, then at Amelie's departing figure, wondering if he had been overthinking things.