Ch. 86..90: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 86-90
Chapter 86 Get Someone Else to Screw with Elyse
“What you should be concerned about isn’t my relationship with the CEO of Starlight Media but when your new sister-in-law will be marrying into your family.”
“My new sister-in-law?” Jodie was rendered baffled. “What the hell are you smoking? Leo hasn’t even been on blind dates lately. What new sister-in-law are you talking about?!”
“Sounds like someone needs to update their news portal.” Amelie ridiculed. “Your brother and Elyse have been appearing everywhere together lately, and everyone around him already knows she’ll become your new sister-in-law soon.”
“Elyse Clayton?!” Jodie turned beyond grim at once. “What in the world is Leo thinking?!”
It was only yesterday Elyse cheated on Leo, and now he’s going to marry her?! Who knows how many people will gossip if the marriage happens, and how many times people will bring up the scandal from four years ago?! Need I no shame?!
“I swear I will beat you up if I find out you’re lying to me, Dillon!” She still had a sliver of rationality in her.
“Word is that Elyse donated her cornea to Leo many years ago, and now one of her eyes has zero vision. If your brother refuses to marry her now, the world will most certainly fault him.”
“She donated a cornea many years ago? Zero vision in one of her eyes? You’ve got to be joking!” Jodie thought Amelie was just bullsh*tting.
On the other hand, Amelie said nothing but hailed a cab and left.
Outside, Jodie stomped her feet in anger while Amelie only gazed impassively at the retreating scene.
The person she wanted to screw with Elyse was none other than Jodie, and the young woman probably wouldn’t disappoint her.
…
As soon as Elyse landed in Capland, she went to Ashton. “Did you learn anything?”
Ashton, who had initially been slouching in the chair, sat up upon seeing her. Even the laziness on his face disappeared.
“Too little useful information had been left behind. There’s not much I could find out.” Ashton scratched his head in shame.
Alas, he couldn’t accomplish the task Elyse, for once, assigned him.
“I even went to Dillon’s hometown, Quinn Town, for this. However, no one has ever seen the CEO of Starlight Media, and the CEO has never been there either.”
In other words, he found nothing.
No words were enough to describe Elyse’s exasperation toward Ashton.
“I might not have found anything, but I did learn of your history with Leo. Who’d have thought you two have known each other for a long time?!” Ashton added with embarrassment. “Back then, I always wondered why he was so nice to you. I assumed it was love at first sight, but you two fell in love over time!”
“Fell in love… over time?” Elyse was just about to leave when Ashton’s words stumped her, leaving her utterly bewildered.
She had only come into the picture after Leo knew Ashton. Was it not love at first sight?
Ashton, on the other hand, was deep in his own world, so he didn’t even notice Elyse’s expression. “So, you and Leo already knew each other back when his eyes were still injured.” He sighed. “He’s pretty aloof. Most people can’t get close to him, especially women. Clearly, he fell head over heels for you because you stuck by his side back then.”
Ashton’s words were getting further away from the truth.
He was talking about her, but it wasn’t her story!
“I deliberately took a trip to the hospital and heard everything from the doctor. Back then, Leo refused to cooperate with the treatment. It’s all thanks to you that he finally did. His family abandoned him because he became blind, but you kept him company every day. Later, it was all because of your encouragement that he decided to heal his eyes.” Ashton grew increasingly dejected as she spoke.
Why couldn’t I be the blind one?! If it happened to me, I’d have met Elyse, too, wouldn’t I? That way, she would never have become Leo’s, right?
All Elyse could hear was the buzzing in her head when Ashton spoke.
The man might be oblivious to the truth, but she had already figured out what was up.
Turns out Leo had already fallen in love with another girl before we knew each other, right? Did that girl have some sort of connection with him? Ashton mistakenly thought I was that girl, didn’t he?!
“No wonder Leo said you two had already known each other for a long time, even though you two had only seen each other for the first time when I asked him why he’d like you and wanted to court you at first glance.” Ill-conceived misery enveloped Ashton’s voice as he spoke.
“Back then, I thought he was being inexplicable and confusing. It’s only now I know what’s up. Speaking of which, Leo sure is something. To think he could make out it was you just by hearing your
voice.”
Elyse was rendered at a loss for words. So, not only had Leo mistaken me for that girl but even Ashton… No wonder!
Elyse was struck with an epiphany after hearing Ashton’s words, and the question that had been baffling her forever was finally answered.
No wonder Leo keeps everyone at a distance but me.
No wonder he would still spoil me no matter how much of a brat I behaved in the past when he doesn’t have a lot of patience. No matter how upset he got, he never once yelled at me.
No wonder he still answered my every demand even though I humiliated him with my infidelity.
It wasn’t for any other reason but that he got the wrong person! He had mistaken me as the savior who stuck by him!
Elyse’s face instantly blanched when the fact struck her.
It turned out that she wasn’t the person Leo loved, and his love for her was nothing but a mistake!
How ironic!
Because of Leo’s pampering, Elyse had long become arrogant and opinionated, and for someone like her to suddenly realize all her allowance to act like a brat was all but a mistake was undoubtedly a slap in her face.
It was painful, humiliating, and beyond defeating.
Suddenly, she felt like a thief who had covertly stolen everything that was supposedly someone else’s.
Unable to accept the fact, Elyse grabbed her head. “H-How can this be?!”
How could she accept someone’s gratitude for nothing?!
She was God’s favored child! She could win Leo’s heart over with her abilities!
Damn it! Why must there be so many misunderstandings?!
She decided to tell Leo the truth at once.
No way am I going to be a double! I will not accept this inexplicable charity!
However, just as Elyse took a step, Ashton’s voice sounded again. “Strange, though. The doctor said your family’s in the shoe-making business, but I swear your uncle has never been in that business before. He must’ve mistaken it for someone else.”
A careless word might be important information to an attentive listener.
Elyse instantly froze upon hearing the man’s words, and her face turned ghastly pale.
Her uncle’s family had indeed never been in the shoe-making business, but she remembered her grandmother once said Amelie’s father was a shoemaker.
Could it be…
Elyse grabbed her head, not daring to think further.
“Elyse, are you okay?” Ashton finally noticed Elyse was behaving weirdly, and he hurriedly supported her.
He felt extreme coldness as soon as he touched Elyse’s hand, and it was only then he realized her face was ghastly pale.
Terrified, he held her even tighter. “Are you sick, Elyse? I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”
However, just as he was about to carry her in his arms, the young woman grabbed his collar and brought his face inches away from hers, stumping him. “Elyse, you…”
“Listen!” Elyse growled through gnashed teeth.
Chapter 87 Somewhat Ashamed, No Need to Say Anything
“Both Leony and I, especially Leony, hate that part of our past! Never bring this up again if you don’t want him to end up hating you.”
Elyse’s tone was a demanding one.
Not only did Ashton not suspect that anything was amiss, but he nodded and reassured her, “Don’t worry. I won’t mention it.”
He didn’t care much about how much Leo was reluctant to talk about it, but if Elyse didn’t like it, he would never do it!
Elyse finally let him go and turned to walk outside after seeing that trustworthy look on his face.
As she was reluctant to let Ashton see how pathetic she was, she only squeezed her eyes shut in pain after she got in her car.
Still, even that couldn’t conceal the overwhelming shock and disappointment in her eyes. If that person really is Amelie Dillon… Then, have I ever mattered? Does this mean that all of Leony’s pampering toward me was supposed to be for Amelie Dillon? And I’ve been stealing everything from her? The thing that I’ve been proud of for years was given to me by her out of charity…
Elyse wouldn’t have minded or given such a big reaction if it was some other woman, but this was Amelie they were talking about.
It was worse than a slap on her face for the woman with whom she had never seen eye-to-eye to suddenly become the person who gave her happiness.
Elyse felt like she had been stepped on and dragged by her hair along the ground!
No… It’s a hundred times more humiliating than that!
How could someone as dignified and brilliant as herself accept Amelie’s charity?!
I need to tell Leony the truth as soon as possible!
Elyse needed to make sure Amelie knew that it was her who was still Leo’s darling, even without all these.
Quickly, she took out her phone and looked for Leo’s number.
However, she abruptly cut the call right after she clicked on his contact.
She ended up covering her face in dejection.
She might have had the confidence to win if this was in the past.
However, Amelie was now so accomplished that no one could believe it.
Not only was she good at driving race cars, but she also had a close relationship with an important man like Owen.
After the divorce, Elyse failed a couple of times because Amelie would constantly walk all over her.
She couldn’t possibly still have the confidence to win against Amelie under such circumstances! Losing the match to Amelie would be the same as giving up her life.
Elyse’s thoughts were still jumbled as she drowned in the shame of knowing the truth and the dilemma of whether she should tell Leo the truth.
Her phone chose to ring at that moment.
A woman’s voice echoed down the line. “Miss Clayton, Mr. Alston is looking for you. Will you be able to make a trip to Genesis?”
“I’m on my way.” With her mind still in a mess, she was in no mood to wonder why Leo wanted her at Genesis Company.
Even so, she started the car engine and drove to her destination.
When she reached the building, she stayed in her car and touched up her makeup by applying blush on her pale cheeks and layering on her lipstick.
Only when she returned to looking as immaculate as usual did she open the door and head up to the top floor.
In the corridor, she bumped into Laura. “Elyse? What are you doing here?” Laura called out in surprise.
Hearing that, Elyse raised her eyebrows. “Didn’t Leony want me here?” she asked in return.
“Mr. Alston?” Laura thought hard. “He didn’t.”
The woman was Leo’s most capable assistant. She would have known if Leo was looking for Elyse for business purposes.
If it was a private matter, Leo could always call Elyse himself.
“Were you… tricked?”
Elyse had too much to think about that she didn’t have time to think it through. She only considered the possibility of this after Laura’s reminder.
Laura reached out and pulled Elyse along with her because she was a sensitive person. “Come with me for now. I’ll come back to you after I find out the situation.”
As she spoke, she dragged Elyse into a guestroom.
They had just gotten to the door when someone bolted from the room. “Why are you in such a hurry? Don’t just hide there!”
Elyse and Laura abruptly raised their heads when they heard that, only to see a beautiful figure in front of them.
Said person was covered in branded items from head to toe. Her clothes on her slender body were of excellent quality, but the fickleness on her face made others uncomfortable no matter what.
“Miss Jodie?” Laura called out first.
The visitor was none other than Jodie Alston.
Knowing that Jodie wasn’t one to be trifled with, Elyse tentatively asked, “What brings you here, Miss Jodie?”
Jodie’s eyes were fixated on Elyse. “I’m here because I worry about you, Miss Clayton.”
“Were you the one who called me over?” Elyse suddenly understood what was happening.
Chuckling, Jodie nodded. “Sure am. I hear that there’s something wrong with your eyes, which is why I paid a good sum for a competent doctor to have a look.”
She then pointed at the doctor beside her.
Elyse felt something snap in her when she saw the doctor. She also couldn’t stop her face from losing its color again.
Laura’s expression didn’t look all that good either. She might have had a breakdown if she hadn’t experienced a handful of emergencies during her years of working alongside Leo. She quickly calmed
down and said to Jodie, “We appreciate your effort, Miss Jodie, but I’m afraid Elyse has her designated ophthalmologist. You didn’t have to worry.”
“But I brought the doctor here. I can’t possibly return empty-handed,” Jodie replied with a half-smile.
Contrary to her emotionless face, she was filled with hatred for Elyse deep down.
She went to look for Carla as Amelie told her to and as expected, the woman ended up confessing plenty.
Jodie had thought that she had cleverly used Elyse all this while, but it turned out that she was the one who was used instead!
Not only was she countered, but Elyse also told Carla about the possible quarrel between Amelie and the boss of Starlight Media.
She was trying to get Jodie to do the dirty work of messing with Amelie!
Jodie might not be the smartest person out there, but she had strong self-esteem. She would not take it lying down when she had been used.
The reason why she hired an ophthalmologist was to thoroughly expose Elyse!
Elyse soon recollected herself and she coldly rejected Jodie’s offer. “My eyes are all right now. There’s no need for the doctor to look at them.”
The ‘problem’ with her eyes hadn’t been made public anyway. Jodie wouldn’t dare kick up a fuss as long as Elyse insisted her eyes were fine.
Hearing this, Jodie hummed in reply, seemingly believing Elyse’s words.
She started to leave but just as Elyse and Laura were about to sigh in relief, Jodie suddenly raised her voice. “You hear that, Leony? Miss Clayton said there is nothing wrong with her eyes. They’re perfectly fine!”
Elyse and Laura immediately froze in place. When they turned their heads, they saw Leo walking out of the door at the side.
Neither of the women spoke as they watched Leo impassively stride over, his faint gaze on Elyse.
Even though he didn’t say anything, his gaze alone felt so overwhelming that she couldn’t breathe or stand properly.
She might have already fallen to the floor if Laura hadn’t supported her.
Laura discreetly pinched Elyse to get her attention before she lightly shook her head. She then greeted Leo, “Mr. Alston, someone spread rumors about a problem with Elyse’s eyes. Her fans will start doubting her if word gets out.”
She was clearly implying that Leo shouldn’t let the issue with Elyse’s eyes go public.
Before he could speak, Jodie clicked her tongue and sneered, “You like looking vulnerable to your fans, don’t you, Elyse? You even went live to seek attention because of a tiny wound on your finger. Why are you trying to hide how you lost an eye because of the man you love? Your fans will undoubtedly pity you more if you announce it to the public. They might even help you force Leony into marrying you!”
“I…” Worried that they could see her nervousness, Elyse swiftly lowered her gaze.
However, her fists were clenched tightly as she tried to swallow her hatred for Jodie.
“Elyse treasures her relationship with Mr. Alston too much to let her fans intervene. What if the hot- headed fans really went ahead and did something like pressuring them to get married? Their
relationship would only turn sour then.” The quick-witted Laura trod carefully and made her story seamless.
Elyse quickly nodded and echoed, “Jodie, all I want is to properly date Leony. Can you leave it to us and let us solve our problem ourselves?”
“No can do.” Jodie forcefully shook her head.
Filled with hatred, Elyse dug her nails into her palm over and over. Her face was calm as she turned to Leo, her eyes letting out an aggrieved glint.
She wanted Leo to make Jodie take a step back.
Chapter 88 Leo Is Disappointed Because Of Elyse’s Behavior
Jodie turned her head and walked over to Leo. “Leony, Elyse donating her corneas to you is not just about you; it involves our entire family! We can’t possibly mistreat someone who has contributed so much, right? I heard that there is a world-class ophthalmology medical team that has successfully cured many patients initially deemed unsavable by doctors. Let’s give Miss Clayton a proper examination. If there is something wrong with her eyes, we have to help her even if it costs half of our family’s fortune.”
As soon as these words fell, Elyse and Laura froze again, their ears abuzz.
There was no way Jodie would do something so kind.
She must have heard something somewhere, which was why she was trying to start something here.
“Jodie, this is between your brother and me. Can we solve this ourselves?” Elyse kept up with her flawless image and whispered as she held in her worries.
Her elegant and noble appearance highlighted how ignorant, rowdy, and vexatious Jodie was.
Jodie was so angry that she was about to blow a gasket. She raised her head to refute, only to see that Leo was massaging his nose bridge.
“Go home now, Jodie,” he muttered.
“But Leony!” Jodie stomped her feet angrily.
However, she knew Leo’s temper, which was why she stormed off without saying anything else.
Elyse felt the tightness in her chest relax slightly after she managed to get rid of Jodie. She finally felt more alive.
Laura, too, let out a breath of relief.
Leo turned to look at Laura. “Please get us two cups of coffee, Miss Harris.”
“Yes, Mr. Alston.” Laura then hurried off.
“Leony!” Elyse hopped over and linked her arm through his with a smile on her face. “Jodie is still young. Don’t get mad at her.”
Instead of replying to her, he opened the door and brought her into his office before closing it with a click.
A bashful smile quickly hung on Elyse’s lips when she saw him close the door.
I bet he wants to spend some hot and steamy time alone with me.
Even though Leo had suggested they reconcile after returning to the country, they hadn’t done anything more intimate than holding hands.
Elyse had long wanted to get closer to him.
Hence, she took the initiative to lean in and press her lips against his, only for him to evade her. With his long fingers pressed against the surface of the table, he suddenly announced, “Elyse, I’ll take you to get your eyes checked.”
“What?” Elyse, who was immersed in the joy of being alone with Leo, immediately froze in place when she heard that.
She began to tense up again.
Leo proceeded to make a call right there and then. “I’ll get you the best ophthalmologist there is!”
“No!” She was so frightened that she panicked and jumped over to snatch his phone. She then blurted out loudly, “Sorry, but we don’t need an ophthalmologist. Wrong number! Sorry!”
She only realized that something was wrong after she said that.
She forced herself to lift her chin and look at Leo, who glanced at her with eyes as deep and gloomy as the sea.
His eyes were clearly on the phone she was holding.
Seeing this, she lowered her hand very slowly before she looked at the phone screen.
It was empty.
Leo hadn’t called anyone at all!
Wham!
It felt like something had hit the back of her head hard as she stood there in a daze.
She couldn’t think of anything.
Her eyes were empty before fear, unease, guilt, and embarrassment swiftly flooded them.
She quietly bit her lip and the next moment, she was rushing at him and holding his sleeve tight. “Leony, I’ll explain!”
He didn’t make a sound.
He didn’t scold her or yell. He didn’t even ask what was going on.
But it was exactly this lack of response that scared Elyse.
She felt as though there were thousands of stones pressing against her sanity, and she was on the verge of breaking down.
Now that she had completely been defeated, she abruptly covered her palms over her face. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” she cried.
Leo continued to gaze at her with calm eyes. He wasn’t surprised at all.
He already got the answer when he was sounding her out earlier.
However, it was evident that he was disappointed.
“What the hell happened to you?” he asked in a soft yet cold voice.
Elyse started to tremble all over. She was too embarrassed to face him!
However, she suddenly realized that he must be trying to protect her dignity by getting Jodie and Laura out of there even though he had his suspicions.
He still has feelings for me.
She immediately collected herself and pitifully tugged on his sleeves, her tears falling like waterfalls. “I… I only did this because I care too much about you. Leo, it’s all because I love you!”
He looked down at the hand holding his sleeve with a dark gaze before slowly peeling her fingers off him one at a time.
Now that she was grabbing at air, she staggered and cried even harder. “Am I wrong for wanting to cherish you now, Leony? I know it’s wrong to do this, but my love for you is true. Don’t you want me to treat you wholeheartedly? I’m trying my best, Leony!”
“Elyse Clayton, whatever you claim you’re ‘trying your best’ at, it’s disgusting!” Leo finally spoke again. However, his words were as cold and hard as ice.
She peered at him in disbelief upon hearing that. It wasn’t anger that covered his face; instead, his tense face was cold. However, that coldness felt hotter than a fire that burned her, making her a trembling mess.
Elyse couldn’t think of anything and it was as if there was an incessant buzzing in her ears.
Anxious, she threw herself in his arms to hug him.
However, he held her back with his hand.
They continued to stay at arm’s length as he refused to let her get any closer than this.
“Do you think what you did is fair for the woman who donated her cornea to me?” he uttered.
She couldn’t be more ashamed than this.
No matter what, she was a proud and loved woman. There was no way she would want to do something like this.
She didn’t say anything for fear that her words would drown her.
Leo was a loyal man. Elyse knew that she wouldn’t have a place in his heart if he managed to find the woman who donated her corneas.
She tightly held onto his wrist. The more desperate she was, the more she wanted to get herself out of this pickle. And so, she started screaming again. “Weren’t you the one who said that the woman who donated her corneas without wanting anything in return did so voluntarily? If she doesn’t want to take the credit for it, what’s wrong with me borrowing it for a bit to deepen our relationship?!”
She was only hit by realization after she said all that.
What did I just…
Even though this was what she thought, she knew better than to say it out loud.
It was too late to take her words back now.
As expected, the disgust on Leo’s face grew. He didn’t even want to look at her a second longer as he pulled his hand back. “I’ll have Laura send you home.”
Even though he didn’t say anything more, Elyse had a feeling they might be over!
Not wanting to give up, she looked at him. “What about us? When are we getting engaged?”
Despite hearing that, Leo only looked back at her without giving any response with his arms hanging limply by his sides.
Elyse suddenly felt embarrassed.
How could she dare to hope he would accept something even she couldn’t come to terms with?
The engagement was the least of her concern now.
Leo turned away and made a call. “Laura, send Miss Clayton home.”
After that, he strode out of the office without saying anything else.
Elyse felt her world crumbling as she looked at his retreating figure that radiated coldness.
I’m doomed!
There’s no going back this time!
But this is not the ending I want!
Just as Laura pushed the door open and Leo was about to leave, Elyse rushed over and shut the door.
With her back pressed against the door, she forced herself to meet his eyes. “Leony, you have no right to push me away!”
Chapter 89 The Person Was Looked Down On, But It Was Her Lifesaver
“Have you forgotten? I was the one who was by your side, accompanying you through your toughest times in Quinn Town! It was I who advised you to cooperate with the doctor, encouraged you to treat your eyes, and dragged you out of the bog! You would still be the blind man the Alstons abandoned there if it weren’t for me! Is a mere pair of corneas going to cancel out all our years of being together? You left me no choice but to pretend to be the woman who donated her corneas to win over your heart. I even became someone that I look down on. Is this still not enough?! Are you only going to be satisfied the day I die?!”
Elyse pitifully covered her face after yelling, but her tears still seeped through between her fingers.
She wasn’t sad, per se. Truth was, she was embarrassed.
She, Elyse Clayton, had finally fallen to the point where she didn’t hesitate to take the credit of her biggest enemy to keep a man.
Leo looked at her quietly with his head lowered.
Even though he stayed silent, the coldness in his eyes disappeared a little.
Elyse’s words had stabbed him right in the chest.
Indeed, she had done a lot of things he thought were unacceptable.
That didn’t change the fact that she was also the person who was by his side when he struggled the most in life.
The two promised each other right from the start that they would be together for the rest of their lives, and they also agreed that they would keep it in and never mention this. But I pushed her so hard she
disregarded our promise…
As his guilt rose, he slowly reached out to touch the top of her head before pulling her into his arms. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.
…
Amelie, who missed Bria and Steven, quickly departed to Quinn Town.
Her phone’s notification went off when she was driving her car.
She took the chance when she went to refuel the vehicle to take a glance at her phone, only to see that it was a notification that she had received a fund transfer.
A long string of zeros had been deposited into her account out of nowhere.
The corners of her lips twitched slightly, and she called Toby. “Didn’t we agree that the incident with Mr. Steward is my paying back your kindness, Mr. Walsh? Why did you send such a big amount of money?”
“Leony was the one who insisted I do this.” Toby’s voice that rang out from the phone sounded helpless. “You know how he is. He will surely get angry at me if I don’t do it well. He might even end the project.”
Leo? The smile on Amelie’s lips froze.
It was obvious that he wanted to draw a clear line with her, whereby he owed her nothing.
“Oh, what should I do? I only did this for you because of you. It’s got nothing to do with him. Are you trying to insult me by giving me the money?” Amelie half-joked.
Hearing that, Toby couldn’t help but quietly wipe the cold sweat off his forehead.
He was now trapped between someone who insisted on giving the money and another who insisted on not taking it.
What exactly was he supposed to do?
“Just take it. What I did before was easy peasy lemon squeezy. It’s nothing worth mentioning.”
These words were from the bottom of his heart.
“But to me, you saved my life,” she replied seriously, the brightness in her eyes dimming. “If it wasn’t for you, Bria and I wouldn’t be here today.”
For some reason, Toby felt his chest tighten painfully when he heard her words.
He couldn’t help but recall how she was trapped in the snow and was dying from the cold. It was still fresh in his memory how much of a mess she was with her face whiter than snow and the corners of her lips cracked.
And that scene in the hospital where a bloodied Amelie knelt on the floor and begged the doctor to take her blood.
His heart ached the more he thought about it.
“How about you marry me to show your gratitude?” he blurted out.
“Enough with the jokes, Mr. Walsh.” She didn’t take him seriously at all as she calmly said, “I can’t possibly dishonor someone whom I owe my life to. How about this? I will take half of the money and consider it Leo’s. You keep the other half and think of it as my repaying your kindness.”
Toby wanted to tell her that he wasn’t joking.
Also, he wanted to tell her that instead of dishonoring him, she would be completing him if she was with him.
Alas, he said nothing.
In this short time that they had known each other, he came to realize how stubborn Amelie was about the decisions she made.
She might never want to see him again if he ever confessed.
“Alright.” In the end, he could only smile bitterly and nod.
She quickly transferred half of the money to Toby and set off on her way home again.
Steven brought Bria out to have fun after dinner that evening.
The child said that she wanted to catch butterflies, so he really did take her to catch butterflies among the wildflowers.
Amelie knew better than to stop her father from pampering his granddaughter so much, so she let them go.
She, on the other hand, rested on a hidden chair under the melon vines in the yard, finally getting to enjoy the tranquility of the evening.
At that point, a series of knocks rang out from the door.
Thinking that it was a customer who was here to take their shoes, Amelie quickly got up and opened the door.
She was greeted by the sight of Matthew standing there.
His BMW SUV parked in front of the door looked impressive as well.
“Matthew? What are you doing here?” she asked.
He bobbed his head and took out a basket of fruits. “This is a new variety that just grew in the orchard. Try it.”
She looked down at the fruits, noting how smooth and big all of them were. It seemed like he had carefully selected his gift for her.
Matthew’s family was involved in the production of many agricultural and sideline products. As he had a good eye for the products, he directly exported many fruits.
These fruits he was giving her were obviously for exporting.
She could tell that they were expensive.
Noticing this, Amelie smiled but didn’t take it from him. “How about I pay you for this?”
“Are you trying to insult me with money?” He looked at her, prompting her to fall silent.
She knew that he still had feelings for her.
However, marriage was a grave that she had to go to lengths to crawl out from. Love was the last thing on her mind right now.
Matthew was a clever man. He chose to give her fruits because he knew that she would reject him if it was another present.
Fruits were something neighbors would often give each other. Not only was it not obtrusive, but he could also convey his sincerity.
There was no way Amelie didn’t know what he was thinking.
In the end, she accepted the fruits instead of rejecting him.
She then took a few big bags of local products she brought back from Skaynia and put them in his basket. “It’ll be rude for me to not give you something in return. You should try this too.”
Matthew’s flushed face suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Even though she didn’t utter one word of rejection, she was already letting him know through her actions that he didn’t stand a chance.
He quietly took the bags of local products with a wry smile on his face. “The reason you won’t consider me is that someone else has your heart, right? It’s that man, isn’t it?”
As he pointed in a certain direction and Amelie’s gaze followed, she only noticed then that there was a figure standing by the side of the door.
The person stood there silently, adding a touch of color to the muddy alley.
That dark blue was as gloomy as it was eye-catching.
On top of that, the person had an outstanding face. The surrounding scenery was pale in comparison to his fair skin.
“He does look better than me and he drives a better car,” Matthew muttered in frustration. He felt a strong sense of inferiority even though he was the richest man.
Amelie had already recognized who it was at this point—Leo.
Should he be home? What is he doing here?
Seeing that she didn’t respond, Matthew turned to look at Leo. As he thought that he had guessed it right, he let his head hang in resignation before he got into the SUV and left.
Meanwhile, Leo was standing at a distance that was neither far nor near. Not wanting to make a fool of herself since she wasn’t sure if he was here for her, Amelie pretended to not see him and turned around to close the door behind her.
However, a hand swiftly stretched out and grabbed her by the arm.
Chapter 90 She’s the One I Want to Protect
Amelie turned around and looked at Leo, puzzled.
“Can I help you with something, Mr. Alston?” She had to ask after a long silence.
Hearing that, he let go of her, his gaze blurry.
“What were you trying to do by asking Jodie to expose Elyse?”
Ah, so Jodie went ahead with it? Amelie mused.
She wasn’t surprised that Jodie would go pick a fight with Elyse, but what she was surprised about was that Leo would come to her.
“I was the one who ignored you from the start. I’ve said it again and again. Come at me if you’re displeased about something. Don’t involve anyone unrelated. Why won’t you listen to me?”
His tone as he continued speaking was filled with rage, impatience, as well as his disgust toward her.
Amelie felt like she had suddenly understood a lot of things when she heard this.
Even if Jodie had exposed the truth about Elyse’s faking an eye problem, Leo would still choose Elyse.
Will he still think she’s the best when she kills someone one day?
“Aren’t you shameless to think that I would waste time to be displeased with you? And even if I’m upset about something, we’re already divorced! There’s nothing between us anymore. I’m not that petty to still let it affect me!” she sneered.
Her eyes were chilling as if she had no regard for him.
His dark eyes were fixed on her.
He had heard her say such words one too many times after the divorce, but there was no way he would believe her when she always did the opposite as she promised.
Amelie knew Leo too well to easily know what he was thinking from the slight change of expression.
Sadness immediately washed over her when she saw the look on his face.
People who didn’t mean what he said would always think that others were as untrustworthy as them; that was the kind of person Leo was.
“Yes, I am trying to pick a bone with her, but it’s all because of my grudge between me and her. Mr. Alston, please don’t think too highly of yourself or look too deeply into it. It’s between me and her. It has nothing to do with you!”
Amelie exposing Elyse couldn’t even count as revenge.
She only did what she did because she refused to have Elyse take credit for her effort.
Amelie’s expression was cold, and her eyes were even colder.
Her eyes which used to be filled with stars when she looked at him now had no place for him.
Leo didn’t know why, but his chest tightened painfully when he saw her indifferent and alienated gaze.
He was suddenly curious. “What grudge do you and Elyse have?”
She scoffed, “What grudge, you ask?”
There are too many to mention…
She began to recall certain things that happened in the past.
The corners of her mouth curled upward, and she opened her mouth to finally reveal the truth. “She and I—”
Leo’s phone went off right then.
He took the call, and after he listened for a bit, his frown deepened. “I’m on my way!”
He then hung up his phone.
Amelie only peered at him.
Even though she wasn’t sure what the caller said or who the caller was, she knew for sure that Elyse was the one person Leo would get so worried about.
He would even come all the way here to interrogate Amelie because of Elyse.
It was also because of Elyse that he was now rushing back.
She must have been born under a lucky star.
“I don’t care about what’s the issue between you and Elyse. She is my woman now, and I will protect her!” Obviously not in the mood to listen to her, he threw that out indifferently before he jumped in his car and drove off.
Amelie sneered under her breath as she watched the car drive into the distance.
Somehow, her laughter soon turned into big beads of tears that rolled down her cheeks.
She said before that she wouldn’t shed another tear for Leo.
Still, it hurt to hear him wanting to protect Elyse without a bottom line.
His words had thoroughly trampled all over her. It was as though everything she did for him was nothing but a joke!
She had no qualms about going blind to help him, but she ended up becoming his enemy.
What else could this be, if this weren’t a joke?
…
Elyse was no happier when Amelie was heartbroken.
She was currently lying on the bed with her eyes closed, sadness written all over her beautiful face.
Seeing this, Laura sat beside her helplessly and caressed her forehead again and again. “Didn’t it all work out well? Why are you still sad? Look, Mr. Alston is rushing over here as soon as I called him. He is acting just like he was before by prioritizing you. It’s good news!”
“You don’t understand,” Elyse whispered.
No one truly understood her.
The more Leo worried about her, the more she felt like she was a thief who stole and enjoyed the fruit of someone else’s labor.
A woman as dignified as herself had ended up becoming a thief.
There was no way someone of her pride and ego could accept this!
“It’s all your fault! Why did you tell me to pretend to be the cornea donor? None of this would have happened if you didn’t come up with this crazy idea!” she growled, her voice full of resentment.
Laura immediately had a shameful look on her face as she apologized, “It’s indeed my fault. I didn’t think that Amelie would find out and let Jodie expose you. But Elyse, hasn’t that incident come to an end?”
She didn’t know what happened to Amelie and Leo before, and she didn’t know that Leo had mistaken Elyse for Big Eyes all these years. It was because Elyse took Amelie’s place as ‘Big Eyes’ that she could live such a good life.
What was more, Laura wasn’t aware that Elyse already knew everything.
Elyse forcefully covered her face.
She wanted to throw a fit.
If Laura hadn’t come up with such a stupid plan, Elyse wouldn’t have gotten exposed by Jodie, and she wouldn’t have had to pretend to be Big Eyes.
She could have still lived her life as a proud and noble woman.
However, she knew better than to let her anger show.
She would be the one who ended up embarrassing herself further if she raised Laura’s suspicions and prompted Laura to reveal the truth to the public.
Not even Laura, Elyse’s closest friend, knew that Amelie was Big Eyes and that Elyse was pretending to be Big Eyes. Laura also didn’t know that Elyse took credit for someone else’s donation of corneas.
Elyse took a deep breath and looked at Laura. “I’m sorry, Laurie. I didn’t mean to lose my temper with you. About the corneas… I know that you only wanted to help me. I was talking nonsense on the spur of the moment. Please don’t get mad at me, Laurie…”
Her gentle voice sounded pitiful as she lightly tugged on Laura’s arm.
Of course, there was no way Laura would get angry as the woman she deemed as perfect.
She shook her head. “It’s true that it was my fault for deciding it without telling you. I could have spared you from all this. Don’t worry. I’ll let Mr. Alston know so that there is no misunderstanding between you and him.”
“No, there’s no need for you to do that, Laura. You did nothing wrong,” Elyse dissuaded Laura. “Just let it be. Listen to me. We can’t let anything else happen.”
Laura only felt her guilt grow. Seeing Elyse’s reaction, she was now more determined to clear Elyse’s name.
However, she didn’t say anything about it. She left after staying with Elyse for a little while longer.
As Elyse watched the door close, a scheming smile appeared on her beautiful and flawless face.
She knew that Laura would go to Leo and handle the rest for her.
Leo might have forgiven her because he thought she was Big Eyes, but this incident undoubtedly drove a wedge between them.
Their relationship would only return to what it was after Laura confessed to being the culprit.
“This is a terrible, terrible idea you came up with on your own, Laura. It’s not my fault,” Elyse hummed to herself. She thought she had drawn a clear line between love and hate.
She felt no guilt.