Ch. 386..390: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 386-390
Chapter 386 A Familiar Face but an Unknown Heart
"We won't do anything!"
Julia stayed silent.
How could she just stand by and do nothing when her best friend was being insulted?
"I'm certain it's the Alston Family's doing! I will find them and make them clarify everything right away!"
Over the years, the Alston Family had been the only ones who truly crossed Amelie. After all, they were the ones who knew the truth about what had happened in the past.
"Stay put," Amelie warned sternly. "Even if it was them, confronting them now will only make the accusations seem true to outsiders."
"But…" Amelie's words were like a bucket of cold water, waking Julia up from her heated state of mind.
Julia's anger cooled as Amelie's words sank in. "Those ungrateful jerks," she muttered, still seething over the Alston Family's betrayal.
"Jules, if you care about me, you need to calm down now," Amelie urged. "Our relationship will be public soon, and reporters will be coming. If you can't keep your cool, it will only make things worse."
"Okay." Julia felt sorry for Amelie but had to agree with the latter.
"Don't worry. I won't say anything until you tell me to."
"Thank you."
"You also have to take care of yourself. I-If things get out of hand, don't panic. We'll handle it together," Julia said reassuringly.
Amelie knew Julia was afraid she would be upset and do something stupid, so she reassured the latter, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"What about tonight's live stream?" Julia asked.
"I'll do it," Amelie replied faintly. "If I stop now, they'll think I'm guilty."
"That's true." Julia agreed and didn't try to persuade her further. After giving some more bits of advice, she ended the call.
Meanwhile, Jodie laughed hysterically in a private room at the Prix Bar.
"See? This is the fate of those who dare challenge the Alston Family!"
News spread quickly, and the few topics she had her people prepare already reached the top five of trending news.
Jodie tapped her finger on the screen to open each one and checked the number of likes and comments.
The comments section was already a mess.
'I can't believe Miss Foxy is such a b*tch.'
'I never dreamt of that.'
'It's impossible. Someone must be framing her!'
'Do you know her?'
'Although she doesn't know me, I can tell from her appearance that she wouldn't do such a thing.'
'What has she given you in return for you to defend her like this?'
Although many comments supported Miss Foxy, more people doubted her innocence.
"We won't do anything!"
Julia stayed silent.
Additionally, Jodie deliberately purchased a group of bots to pose as relatives and servants of the Alston Family. Then, she provided them with intricate details about the situation inside the Alston Residence. This resulted in a significant decline in the number of people who supported Amelie.
Additionally, Jodie deliberately purchased a group of bots to pose as relatives and servants of the Alston Family. Then, she provided them with intricate details about the situation inside the Alston Residence. This resulted in a significant decline in the number of people who supported Amelie.
Jodie's joy grew as she continued to read, causing her to burst into a fit of non-stop giggles. "Amelie, you believe you defeated me in the past due to your abilities, but that is not the case. I purposely chose not to compete with you and gave you an easy way out. However, since you seem unaware of what's best for you, I see no reason to continue being courteous."
The payback for the humiliation she had previously suffered was finally here, and Jodie couldn't describe how good she felt.
She urgently needed someone to share her joy with at this moment, but she didn't know whom to turn to.
After thinking for a while, she thought of Chandler.
In reality, she looked down on him.
Within the Alston Family, Chandler was considered to be nothing more than a faithful dog. He would eagerly respond to his owner's commands and do whatever the latter requested. However, Jodie saw him as the most reliable and secure choice.
Thinking of this, she dialed Chandler's phone number. "Come over and have a drink with me."
Chandler came over in less than twenty minutes with a soft, pleasing smile.
"Jojo, what has made you so happy that you're drinking during the day?"
Jodie was lying on the couch with one leg casually resting on the other. One hand supported the back of her head, and she held a glass of wine in the other. She waved at Chandler and said, "I'm so happy!"
He ran over and kneeled in front of her to massage her legs. "What's making you so happy?"
"Amelie has lost, and Miss Foxy's news is spreading online. Haven't you seen it?" Jodie grinned.
"Oh, I saw it." Chandler nodded. "I don't know which powerful person effortlessly crushed her like that."
Chandler acted like he had no idea Jodie did this, and her good mood disappeared.
Jodie called him over so that he could praise her, so when she thought of him saying how powerful she was, she relaxed.
I'd better not let this b*stard know that I'm the culprit. Otherwise, he'll blabber about it.
With this thought, she proudly lifted her chin and sneered.
She looked like a victorious rooster who didn't notice the pathetic man before her.
"But with Miss Dillon's abilities, she should be able to get herself out of trouble soon," Chandler said in a seemingly casual manner.
Jodie let out another arrogant snort.
"Do you think this is all the culprit has? The real show is yet to come! They will make sure she won't be able to raise her head again!"
Chandler heard it all.
Although Jodie was obvious, he pretended not to understand as he smiled foolishly.
A woman's jealousy is scary. It makes her do anything.
However, he was curious about what Jodie's real show was.
When Amelie returned home, she found that Steven had not returned yet.
Steven couldn't access the internet outside and wouldn't know about her situation for a while.
Amelie quietly cut off all the networks at home except for the live streaming room.
After doing so, she looked at the live-streaming directory and made some final adjustments.
While she was looking at it, Gladys' phone call came in.
Gladys knew she would do a live stream in the afternoon and would only call if it was urgent.
She answered the call. "Gladys?"
"Amelie, something has happened." Gladys panicked as she spoke.
"Did my incident cause a commotion at the company and the platform?" Amelie asked.
Although she rarely revealed her information on Knowlit, many people still knew about her relationship with it.
"No, it's regarding the couple from before." Gladys continued, "I don't know who did it, but someone took photos of them attending the training camp and leaked their results. As a result, numerous students have
become skeptical of their examination scores, believing that our platform's exams are nothing more than a marketing ploy to lure in potential students!"
"Didn't we give them visitor passes?"
"We did. However, they didn't wear them during class, so…"
Amelie stayed silent.
"Even if they wear them now, it's too late. Everyone will think that we're covering the truth," Gladys said with a trembling voice.
This incident would have a huge impact on Knowlit.
Moreover, it happened when Amelie's identity was exposed, and she was embroiled in an ugly scandal.
"This incident has spread online, and you've taken up the top six headlines."
Within a day, six pieces of news related to Amelie were released.
The top six headlines were all about her, and even Amelie was impressed with the culprit's cruelty.
"What should we do now?" asked Gladys on the other side of the phone.
Chapter 387 Chaos Upon Chaos
Gladys was aware that Amelie must be feeling extremely anxious at that moment. However, without Amelie, she had no idea how to solve the problem at hand.
"I'm so sorry. It's all because I wasn't careful enough. If only I reminded them to wear their visitor pass at all times."
Amelie told me about it. Why did I mess up?
"Now is not the time to investigate. Besides, this is not something you could have predicted. Don't blame yourself."
Gladys stayed silent.
It was surprising for Gladys that the boss ended up comforting her at that moment, which made her feel even more guilty.
How can I give up when the boss, who is stuck in a quagmire, hasn't?
"Don't worry, Amelie. I will hold on," Gladys promised while clenching her fists.
Amelie nodded in satisfaction. "Dealing with the couple is not a big deal. I'll send you something, and you can make it public."
After saying that, she quickly sent a message as she ended the call.
Gladys was curious about what Amelie would send her.
Just as she was thinking about it, her phone beeped with a message from Amelie.
Gladys hurriedly checked her inbox. When she saw its content, she exclaimed in surprise.
Indeed, Amelie is different when it comes to handling issues. Even if I learn the ropes for another ten years, I wouldn't be as skilled as her. I'm now a fan of Amelie!
After sending the message, Amelie rubbed her temples.
The company's matter was considered child's play compared to the difficulties with the Alston Family.
Although she had no intention of forcing a marriage, recent events seemed to point to this possibility, which gave her a headache.
Just as she was thinking about this, Julia called her urgently. "Elie, look! Leo…"
…
Gladys hurried back to the second-floor lecture hall of the training camp with the message Amelie had given her.
Upon her arrival, she was greeted with chaos, as more than two hundred people were crammed into a space meant for half that number.
Among the throng were reporters with microphones and bloggers from various platforms, eager to ride the wave of attention surrounding Amelie's scandal.
The students, reporters, and bloggers swarmed around a couple who stood at the center of the crowd, holding cameras and cell phones to film them.
Someone in the crowd bombarded the couple with questions, asking, "Which school did you graduate from? What did you major in? What position do you currently hold in which company?"
"W-We…" The woman could not speak coherently and could only play with her fingers.
Meanwhile, the man angrily shouted at the crowd, "We just want to improve ourselves! Yes, you graduated from prestigious schools and have decent jobs, unlike us, who are just factory workers on the assembly line. But we are all human beings. You guys are here to learn, so why can't we?"
The words 'factory worker' and 'assembly line' were enough to betray their social standing.
The elites in the audience became furious. "What kind of place is this? Executives and assembly line workers being trained together?"
"We didn't pay good money to attend classes with assembly line workers. We might as well go to the factory if we want to do that!"
"Who do you think we are?"
"I seriously doubt the quality of this course!"
"If ordinary assembly line workers like you can understand this course, there is no quality to it!"
The reporters and internet celebrities present recorded everything, paying particular attention to the man's words, which they deemed evidence against Knowlit.
Several internet celebrities were doing live broadcasts, and live chats were flooded with comments criticizing Knowlit.
Although Jodie was far away, she did not miss the live broadcasts or the barrage of comments as she smiled in satisfaction.
"Oh, how did this happen?" Chandler also saw the live broadcast and deliberately showed a shocked expression.
It has to be said that Jodie isn't good at anything except framing people.
Chandler was quite satisfied.
He was happy, thinking that the students would not be satisfied as they began to make a fuss.
Everyone took out their cell phones to record everything.
"Wait a minute." There was a clear voice.
Immediately after, someone pushed through the crowd with great force.
Everyone turned around and saw a girl in her twenties wearing a Knowlit work pass on her chest. She had no fear and was wearing a confident look.
Perhaps her confidence had stunned the crowd as no one spoke.
Gladys nodded at the crowd and didn't introduce herself immediately, instead looking at the couple. "I will tell everyone how they got in here."
Without saying a word, she tapped her phone and raised it high, and a figure appeared on the screen.
The scene depicted the couple conversing with Amelie inside the office while Gladys provided them with visitor passes and instructed the couple to put them on.
"Are they only visitors?" Everyone was surprised and turned their attention to the two individuals.
Upon seeing Gladys' video, the couple slowly took out their visitor passes. "We didn't want you to look down on us, so we kept them hidden after entering," they explained.
Despite their explanation, the students, all of whom held managerial positions within the company, remained skeptical. "If that's the case, why didn't you explain earlier?"
The woman responded in a self-deprecating tone, "We thought that if we explained the situation, people might assume that Knowlit bribed us to forge these badges."
Gladys scoffed. "Given that you were surrounded by everyone and had no opportunity to interact with anyone from our company, why would anyone suspect such a thing?"
The woman's expression wavered at the counter-question, and she immediately glanced at the man for support.
Without hesitation, the man responded, "Although they said we could only stay for two days, they still allowed us in. Doesn't that indicate that they accepted us?"
His statement seemed plausible.
This was how marketing worked, after all.
So, there was a shift in the audience's demeanor once again.
The comments in the live chat became more scathing and critical.
"They are only after money and reputation. Shameful!
"Their words were well-crafted. I almost fell for it."
"This company is a scam. It should be shut down!"
Jodie felt cold sweat trickling down her back as she observed the situation unfold after Gladys' previous move.
However, the man turned the table. Instead of saving Knowlit, Gladys' action backfired and intensified the public's desire to shut it down. This delighted Jodie.
Money truly talks.
Initially, she thought the man and woman's asking price was exorbitant, but now, she considered it a worthy investment.
Amelie, prepare to shut down Knowlit. Your reputation will suffer too. Soon, Starlight Media will face the same fate as Knowlit!
Jodie had already plotted to ruin Amelie, reducing her to a desperate state where she would beg for mercy on her knees like a helpless mouse in the streets.
Jodie was elated at the prospect of Amelie's downfall.
Meanwhile, Gladys was unfazed by the crowd's excitement and remained determined to follow in Amelie's footsteps.
"I have another piece of evidence. Please look at this." She lifted her phone again.
As soon as the man and woman heard that Gladys had another piece of evidence, they exchanged glances. The man lunged forward and snatched her phone.
Although Gladys attempted to retrieve her phone, the woman blocked her with her body. "You're not sincere in your words or actions. You're trying to deceive us, the ignorant students. That's unacceptable!"
While the woman spoke, the man stepped on the phone to crush it. "This so-called evidence must be a fabricated video. Don't be fooled!" he taunted, then sneered at Gladys from behind the public's back.
"The court announces—"
Just then, a loud voice boomed throughout the lecture hall.
The sudden outburst caught everyone's attention, and they looked around in alarm.
Chapter 388 Leave the Alston Residence
Everyone's eyes were focused on the projector in the classroom. At that moment, the projector was playing a video of a trial scene. The judge said two names and listed out their crimes and prison term.
"Hey… Are they the same person in the video?" Soon, someone noticed that the man and woman were the same people who wore orange clothes that imprinted the name of the prison and were standing on trial.
"Are they scammers?"
"There are still videos of them. Do you guys want to see?" asked Gladys. She subconsciously imitated Amelie as she smiled.
Fortunately, Amelie had predicted that they would be difficult to deal with and asked me to check their records. I was very shocked when I saw their past. Moreover, Amelie had even foreseen that they would smash my phone and told me to use the school's projector to show it. I'm glad I listened to her. Otherwise, my phone will be destroyed, and no one will see the video.
Everything was clear, whether it was their names, ID number, or the trial. As long as the crowd searched it up, they would see it. At that moment, no one was suspicious about it anymore.
When the man and woman saw their identities had been exposed, they knew they had failed to accomplish the mission. Thus, they shoved the people around them and tried to run off. However, they were soon stopped by the police, who just came in. "How dare you guys try to hurt others? Hurry up and get back with us!" demanded the police.
As Gladys watched them being taken away, she clapped her hands and smiled brightly. "The police will soon give us a report about their wrongdoings. If anyone still doesn't believe our exam, you can check
the papers. You can even quit the training camp if you want to. We will do our best to cooperate with you."
However, no one wanted to give up. After all, they had put so much effort into being accepted by Knowlit. Since Knowlit was innocent, they decided to continue with the lesson.
Looking at their reactions, Gladys was satisfied. "Okay. Can we continue the lesson now?"
When the reporters and streamers saw that it was a fraud, they had nothing to say and took the initiative to leave. Soon, the room was back to silence.
On the other hand, Jodie was dumbfounded when she saw the live stream. "H-How did this happen?" I did it all perfectly. How did Amelie…
Chandler sighed helplessly. As expected. Amelie is smarter than I thought.
At this moment, the live stream that Jodie watched had a stir.
"Guys! There is another big news! Just a minute ago, the wealthy ex-husband of Foxy, who was rumored to be framed, had responded to this matter himself! Go and check it out!" The streamer's charming voice sounded. Then, the screen changed, and a video was shown.
In the video, Leo was standing in front of the camera with a stern look. "I am the ex-husband of Amelie, who is also Foxy. I am here to clarify that all the scandals about us are fake. If anyone dares to frame her and rake her reputation into the mud, I will not go easy on them!"
The video was shorter than ten seconds, but it went viral as soon as it was posted.
'What is this? Is the ex-husband defending his ex-wife?'
'Foxy is being framed?'
'I bet Leo didn't want anyone to know he was forced to marry her. After all, he is a successful businessman. He cares about his reputation.'
'Are you deaf or something? Did you hear what his last words were? If he cares about his reputation, why did he say not to frame Foxy deliberately?'
'Yeah.'
'Honestly, I wouldn't say anything more if I cared about my reputation.'
'I might even slander Foxy!'
'I am an acquaintance of Foxy and Mr. Alston. I can tell you that there is something between them. They had taken part in a show, and Mr. Alston was obviously trying to get her back.'
'Are you talking about 'Show Your Love'? I watched it too. It was pretty obvious. If Foxy were to maltreat Mr. Alston, why would he try to get her back?'
After some discussion, everyone chose to believe Leo and Foxy.
"Leo!" Jodie couldn't believe that Leo, who had a cold personality, would speak up for Amelie. Anger filled her heart, and she almost fainted from it. Initially, she had expected that things would turn over after this. However…
Chandler was silently watching how things had turned out on Jodie's phone. When he saw Jodie crying hysterically, he let out a satisfied smile.
This is great! The more Leo wants to stay away from Amelie, the more I want to get them together. It's a pleasant sight to see him being extremely uncomfortable after coming in contact with her! Accept your fate, Leo. After all, you won't be able to experience this feeling that easily in the future!
In the meantime, Amelie was busy. After she had told Gladys to solve the conflict at the training camp, she asked Samuel to investigate who spread the rumors. It was quite easy to find the whistleblower. Soon, Samuel found out it was Jodie and sent the information along with the evidence to Amelie.
"Jodie is the one behind this and what happened at the training camp," reported Samuel.
Hearing his words, Amelie nodded. She was not surprised that it was Jodie's doings. After all, no one would do such a thing except for Jodie. However, she was also surprised since she thought that Jodie would have left her alone after being defeated by her multiple times. However, she wondered why Jodie would cause trouble for her when they were far away from each other.
Lately, she felt that something was off.
"Hey, Samuel. Can you check if Jodie had anything to do with what happened at Mospal? See if you can find something new," she said.
"Okay." Samuel was amazed at how sharp-witted Amelie was, as he was also planning to do so. Before he hung up the phone, he said, "I think you might not be able to use the evidence I just gave you."
"Why's that?"
"Go and look at what Leo did."
After hanging up the phone, Amelie remembered that Julia had reminded her that Leo had done something. However, she was so busy dealing with other matters that she didn't have the time to see what it was.
After being dazed momentarily, she typed Leo's name on her laptop. Within seconds, many news articles popped up on her computer. The most relevant news was the video he had posted not long ago.
Looking at the video, Amelie clicked open and watched it. She was stunned when she saw the content. Is… Is he helping me?
Three hours later, Amelie finished her stream and rubbed her temples.
Usually, she would do a two-hour live stream. However, since many things had occurred on that day, the fans were worried about her, so she decided to explain more about it. After talking for three straight hours, her throat was burning. She took a few gulps of water before she felt better.
When she calmed down, her eyes landed on her phone again. After some time, she decided to call Leo.
"Hello?" Leo's cold voice sounded from the other end of the phone.
Amelie didn't mind his tone, but she still gripped her phone tightly. "Thank you for today."
Immediately, he knew what she was saying. However, he said, "I'm not helping you."
He didn't explain any further.
Hearing his words, she didn't say anything and hummed in response.
Before she hung up on him, she heard him apologizing to her. Amelie was smart, and she knew exactly what he was apologizing for. Then, she smiled and ended the call.
…
Melissa demanded Jodie’s presence at home. She was frustrated and complained as soon as she entered the house. "What are you doing, Mom? Why do you keep calling me? Why do you want me to come back? I'm already on the verge of going crazy. Can you stop causing trouble for me?"
However, it was a bitter voice that responded to her. "It was me who told Mom to call you."
When Jodie heard the voice, she looked over and saw Melissa sitting on the couch with a complicated expression while Leo stood beside her.
"Leo?" Jodie raised her eyebrow in surprise. After all, Leo was never one to care what she was doing. So…
"Here's your stuff." As Leo spoke, he nodded toward the servant to bring over the suitcase. "From today onward, you won't be staying at the Alston Residence anymore."
"W-What do you mean?" Jodie was shell-shocked by the irrational-sounding demand.
Chapter 389 Clear Your Mind
Melissa was also shocked that Leo would ask Jodie to move out. At that moment, Melissa panicked and asked, "What exactly did Jojo do? Why are you treating her like this?"
When Jodie saw that Melissa was helping her, she quickly knelt in front of Melissa. "Leo hates me, Mom!" Her eyes were teary as she cried.
Hearing her words, Melissa hugged her in distress. Although Jodie was usually stubborn and careless, she was still Melissa's daughter. Moreover, Jodie would listen to her, so she felt more comfortable being around Jodie than with Leo.
"You can't do this, Leo. Are you trying to kill your own sister? Do you hate her that much?" Melissa looked at Leo disapprovingly.
When Leo heard her words, he wasn't angry about it. Putting on a stoic expression, he waved at the door. At that moment, Eugene, who was standing by the door, immediately walked over and handed him a file. After Leo had taken the file, he placed it on the table and said, "Take a look at it."
At that moment, both Melissa and Jodie were confused.
While Jodie was looking at Leo, Melissa picked up the file and took out what was inside. After looking at it, her expression changed drastically.
Seeing that Melissa's expression had changed, Jodie turned around and asked, "What is it, Mom?"
However, Melissa didn't respond to her. Instead, she raised her hand and slapped Jodie across the face. Her eyes were filled with anger. "You are such a useless person! Look at what you did!"
Jodie's face turned to the side, and her ears were buzzing. She saw stars from being slapped by Melissa. Immediately, Jodie covered her cheek and looked at Melissa in disbelief. "Mom…" As she spoke, tears fell from her eyes. "Do you hate me too?"
"You are indeed not clear-headed. I think it's time for you to go abroad and cool off!" announced Melissa as she threw the file toward her.
Jodie lowered her head and looked at it. Her face went pale when she saw what was written on it, and her eyes were filled with disbelief. "This… How can this…" she mumbled.
What was being put in the file was none other than the evidence that she had framed Amelie.
Jodie couldn't figure out where it went wrong. She couldn't understand how Leo knew that it was her! After all, it was the perfect plan that she meticulously planned.
Her hands trembled vigorously as she looked at the evidence with a horrified expression.
"I told you many times to stay put and stop messing around. You never listen!" Melissa glared at her angrily.
Melissa never really cared about the news on the Internet. Plus, no one dared to gossip in front of her because of Leo. Hence, only now did she know that Jodie had framed Amelie multiple times.
"The plane is ready. Send her to the airport!" Leo nodded toward Eugene and walked up the stairs after finishing his words.
"Yes, sir." Eugene nodded.
Hearing that Leo was going to send her away, Jodie was terrified. "No. I don't want to leave. Mom… I don't want to leave!" She shook her head vigorously.
"Miss Alston." Eugene walked toward Jodie. "You know how Mr. Alston is. You can't change his mind." As he spoke, he sighed inwardly and thought, Jodie is a beautiful woman, but she is a no-brainer. Even if there is nothing between Amelie and Leo, it is a challenge to frame Amelie, not to mention that she is now something Leo cherishes. If she can't understand this, she might as well take it as a lesson to be learned.
Jodie knew that Leo was ruthless. At that moment, she swatted Eugene's hand away and flung herself toward Melissa. As she knelt in front of Melissa, tears rolled down her cheeks. "Mom, I'm your only daughter. Are you willing to watch me leave? There are many bad guys out there. What if something happens to me?"
Melissa was furious as she looked at her. "I care for you, but you are a disappointment. I can't do anything about it." As she spoke, she pushed Jodie away.
"I'm not a disappointment. I was just angry. I have my reason for doing so, Mom," replied Jodie.
"What is your reason?!" Although Melissa was angry with Jodie, she was still her daughter. Hence, Melissa still decided to hear her out.
Jodie could tell what Melissa was thinking. Then, she looked at Eugene.
Melissa looked at Eugene. "I need to talk to Jodie, Mr. Cornelius. Could you mind waiting outside?" she said politely. Since Eugene was Leo's assistant, she dared not order him around.
Eugene hummed in response and left the room. Then, Melissa ordered the servants to leave before saying, "Now, tell me about it."
Hearing her words, Jodie wiped away her tears hastily and said, "I didn't mean to offend Amelie, Mom. However, she is a shameless woman. When she went abroad, she was still pestering Leo. Did you know she pretended to meet Leo at Mospal and said it was a coincidence? Also, she seemed to have conflicts
with an organization at Mospal. When she was beaten up, it was Leo who rescued her. Since she had decided to cut ties with him, why did she do all these things? I'm worried that she will hurt Leo, Mom. That is why I was going against her."
When Melissa heard her words, she took a sharp breath.
She didn't care if Amelie and Leo still had feelings for each other. However, she was worried that Leo had conflicts with overseas organizations because of her.
"What is wrong with Leo? Is he a fool to save Amelie? Those men had blood on their hands, and they would do anything. Isn't he afraid that they will take vengeance on him?" As Melissa spoke, she stood up angrily. "If anything happens to him, what will the future of the Alston Family be? Who will be in charge of Genesis Tower?" In the end, Melissa was just worried that no one would be able to maintain her lifestyle once Leo died.
"That's right." Jodie nodded. "I was thinking about it too. That is why I tried to warn Amelie to stay away from him. However, Leo isn't grateful and even tries to send me abroad. Mom…" She grabbed Melissa's hand and whined. "You have got to help me."
At this moment, Melissa was not angry anymore. She reached out and rubbed Jodie's cheek, where she had slapped. "Wait here while I talk to your brother."
"Thanks, Mom! You are the best!" Jodie smiled and kissed Melissa on the cheek.
Melissa glanced at her coldly but didn't snap at her. Then, she quickly went up the stairs. When she arrived in the living room, she saw Leo talking on the phone. Although he looked casual, he had a stern expression, and his words were sharp and straightforward.
This was the Leo that Melissa had expected him to be. During the past years, she had always been dissatisfied with Warren's soft personality. It went to a point where she dreamt of him becoming a wolf.
Although Warren didn't become ruthless in the end, Leo had done it. Aside from his unfriendly attitude toward her, Melissa admired his ability, tactics, and ambition.
As she thought about it, she felt a sense of pride. Only she snapped out of her trance when she felt a gaze land on her.
At this moment, Leo was done with the call and was looking at her in silence.
Quickly, Melissa approached him and crouched. "Jodie had told me everything, Leo. She wasn't messing around and was just worried about you. Why don't—" Before she could finish her words, Leo cut her off and said coldly, "You can follow her if you are worried about her."
At that moment, Melissa was stunned, and her expression stiffened.
Leo had already walked down the stairs.
…
Simultaneously, something was brewing at Chandler's place.
Chapter 390 There Is Something Wrong With Chandler
As Chandler listened to his phone, he smiled wickedly. How ruthless of Leo to kick his own sister out of the house!
Although Chandler had thought about it, his voice was still filled with worry as he spoke to Melissa. "Did Leo actually do that, Mrs. Alston? Isn't he being unreasonable about it? After all, Jojo is his sister."
"I know. Moreover, Jojo plotted against that woman for his sake. She tries to help him. Oh, Chandler, what should I do? I would rather die than watch them drift apart!" Melissa felt bitter, but she couldn't tell her inner thoughts to anyone except Chandler.
"Calm down, Mrs. Alston. Don't overthink it." Chandler pretended to be worried and comforted her.
"Jojo was crying her eyes out when she left. I was heartbroken when I saw her in such a state. Can you talk to Leo for me, Chandler?" Melissa cried out.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Alston. Even if Leo hates me, I will still try to talk to him about it." Chandler promised the lady, and only then did Melissa hang up the phone while still crying.
As soon as the call ended, Chandler stopped keeping up the act of the nice guy and had an intimidating presence. He fiddled with his phone as he smirked wickedly.
"This is getting interesting." As he spoke, he looked at the group photo in the room. Then, he grazed across the picture and flicked his fingers at Melissa's figure in the photo. "When Leo returned to the family, you had kicked me away and left me to die alone. How dare you try to rely on me now? I wonder if you are daring or stupid to do this!" After some time, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Get me some men for tonight. Miss Jodie is going abroad, and I would like to give her a surprise."
Just as he hung up, the doorbell rang. He drank the wine in one shot and propped one of his hands on the couch while taking the remote control. While using it to open the door lock, he said, "Come on in." Then, he wiped the wine stain on his lips and looked over with an amused smile.
When he saw who had entered the room, his smile stiffened.
Chandler was stunned momentarily before dismissing the act of a playboy. Then, he quickly ran toward the person like a dog who saw its master. "Leo? Why are you here?" His face was filled with excitement as he spoke, seemingly as if he was happy that Leo had come to see him.
"You came just in time. Hey…" Before he could finish his words, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He was being manhandled. Veins were bulging on Chandler's head as he was forced to bend. "Let go of me, Leo. What are you doing? It hurts." Chandler looked at Leo with a pained expression, and his tone was pitiful.
At that moment, Leo entered the room with a stoic expression. As he watched the bodyguard holding Chandler down, his eyes were cold. He stood before Chandler and leaned forward, lips against his ear. "I know every single thing you have done. I didn't hurt you because I know my family wronged you." Then, he put his hand on Chandler's shoulder and gripped it tightly. "However, my patience is limited, Chandler. I'll let you off this time, but there won't be a next time!" Then, he pushed him away.
Chandler's body went toward the couch, and his face crashed against it. Pain surged toward his body.
After Leo had finished his words, he turned around and left.
When Chandler regained his senses, he was the only one left in the room with an open door. "F*ck!" Viciousness flashed across his eyes, and he kicked the table. At that moment, bottles and glasses fell onto the ground, shattering into pieces.
Hatred and disheartenment filled Chandler's heart.
"Where did it go wrong?" Although Leo had said nothing about him using Jodie to hurt Amelie, Chandler knew that Leo had already found out that it was him! He is smarter than I imagined, thought Chandler.
"Ah!"
At this moment, as the glasses crashed, a woman's shriek sounded by the door.
Hearing the voice, Chandler looked up and saw a woman, who only wore little clothes, covering her mouth as she stood by the door. "Get over here!" He ordered her while pulling away his tie in annoyance.
Although the woman was frightened, she still slowly approached him.
Bang!
The door shut itself.
"Ah!" The woman screamed again as her shoulder was being grabbed.
After two hours, Chandler was a mess. As he wore his tie, he cursed while kicking the woman, who was lying on the ground lifelessly. "F*ck sake!" Then, he took out his phone and dialed a number. "Come over here and take away the body!"
When Leo walked down the stairs, Eugene had already sent Jodie abroad and was waiting by the car. When Eugene saw him, he immediately opened the car door while the driver quickly returned to his seat.
After Leo had entered the vehicle, Eugene followed suit, and the driver raised the partition.
Eugene briefly talked about Jodie's matter and looked back at Chandler's place with a worried expression. "There is something off about Chandler. Will your warning work on him?"
Leo pursed his lips and said nothing.
Hearing no response, Eugene looked at Leo in silence. He also knew what Chandler had gone through in the past.
Chandler didn't choose to live at the Alston Residence, but the Alston Family gave him the inheritance. For an orphan to gain so many things, Chandler was grateful for the Alston Family. However, as soon as Leo returned, he was sent away without any notice. Melissa's decision was ruthless. Although it was told to the public that Chandler was sent away, it was just a cover-up. To Melissa, Chandler's existence was a humiliation, and she wished he never returned. Thus, after Chandler was sent abroad, Melissa left him, not caring about his life and death. Hence, one could only imagine how hard Chandler's life was. However, Eugene felt it was absurd that Melissa's karma had fallen upon her children to take the consequences.
While Eugene was in thought, Leo tapped on the seat lightly and rubbed his temples. "How's Elie doing?"
"She's fine." With how smart Amelie was, no one would be able to harm her that easily.
"Her job isn't affected. Instead, she gained many followers, and the platform's reputation rose. One could say that this was a free advertisement for her," Eugene added.
Hearing his words, Leo smiled.
Eugene had a thoughtful expression when he saw the smile on Leo's face. For all these years, Leo only looked humane when the topic of Amelie and Bria was brought up. Just as he was in thought, Leo's deep voice sounded. "Get someone reliable to protect Jojo." At that moment, Eugene was momentarily stunned before understanding what he meant. "Yes."
Although Leo might look cold on the outside, he actually cared about others on the inside.
…
Although what happened on the Internet was solved, Amelie still took another two days off to spend time with Bria and Steven. Steven was upset when he knew what his precious daughter had gone through. He had been looking grumpy all day.
When Amelie realized that she couldn't do anything, she quickly gave a look to Bria. Immediately, Bria understood and quickly approached Steven, asking him to carry her.
No matter how stern Steven was, he couldn't ignore Bria. Thus, he bent down and carried her up.
At that moment, Bria reached out and hung on the older man, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Smile, Grandpa. Mama will be sad if you don't smile." As she spoke, she released her arms by his neck and stretched his lips, forcing him to smile.
Steven couldn't help but laugh at her actions. "Okay. I'll smile." He nodded.
"That's right." Amelie took the initiative to scoot closer and put her head on Steven's shoulder.
Steven wasn't really mad at Amelie. He was just upset that he couldn't do anything to help her when she was in trouble. Seeing that she was snuggling against him, he didn't feel bitter anymore as he patted her shoulder adoringly. At that moment, Bria and Amelie exchanged glances and smiled silently.
"Wait here with Bria, Dad. I'll boil water for you to make tea," said Amelie as she raised the bucket in her hand and pointed not far away.
Steven was fond of drinking tea and always got the water from here. Since this place was near the mountains, there was a mountain spring. Many people would go there and get water.
When Amelie went over the mountain spring, people were lining up to fetch the water. Just as she was about to get in line, she heard a scream. "A dead person! Someone died here!"
At that moment, Amelie looked over and saw a woman covering her mouth with a horrified expression. She was so shocked that she took a few steps back and fell to the ground. Among the grass that the woman had fallen upon, there was a face.
When Amelie saw who it was, she took a sharp breath.