Chapter 144


    Brianna’s bright face instantly turned gloomy, and her small body moved aside, drawing a distance


    between her and Leo as caution appeared on her face again.


    “I’m not going back with you!” She shook her head vigorously, and all traces of familiarity from earlier


    had evaporated.


    Leo already found out from Amelie about Brianna’s dislike for the Alstons, so he wasn’t surprised by


    her reaction, but he couldn’t help asking, “What if Mommyes back together with us?”


    “We’re going back together?” Brianna repeated, tilting her head as though she was weighing this


    question seriously.


    On the other hand, Leo had no idea why such a question would stumble out of his mouth, but instead


    of regretting it, the image of the three of them being together as a family appeared in his mind.


    “I’m still not going back!” Half a minuteter, she shook her head again.


    This time, he was struck by surprise.


    Gulping, Brianna then answered seriously, “I don’t want to return, and I don’t want Mommy to return,


    either, because Grandma and Aunt Jodie don’t like us. I don’t want Mommy to be worried every day


    because I’m unhappy, and I don’t want her to be unhappy, but it’s great outside. Grandpa treats me


    very well and we’re all very happy together. Whatever it is, I’m not going back to that home anymore.


    That ce is terrifying!”


    From the bottom of her heart, she disliked the environment at the Alstons. That oppressive


    environment was akin to hell for a child.


    After she said her piece, she ran back to school without waiting for Leo to say anymore and shut the


    door of the kindergarten with a bang.


    For a few minutes, Leo stood in the same spot until he suddenly heard a car honking.


    Turning back, he saw Amelie jumping out of the car in a hurry and marching toward him in a huff.


    Fury was written all over her face. “Leo Alston, what are you doing here? Be a man of your word. You


    shouldn’t fight over Bria with me anymore since you’ve already lost!”


    Leo was stunned, and it hit him that she thought that he was here to take Brianna away when he was


    simply here to ask Brianna’s opinion.


    Although he had no intention of fighting with her, her words managed to ignite his anger, and he


    snorted coldly. “A man of my word? Aren’t you ashamed to say something like that when you couldn’t


    even keep your word back then? The cheek of you to ask me to stick to my words!”


    His words hit her so hard that her chest hurt, and her face fell. She held her chest, where a huge


    amount of blood had rushed there and clotted. Her body throbbed from the congestion, and even her


    breathing was in


    gasps.


    “I regretted it. Leo Alston!” Coldly. Amelie red at him and spoke in a tone she never used before.


    “Back


    With all her might, she held her eyes open so that tears wouldn’t fall. Even if it was divorce, she had


    never regretted her decision back then, but until this moment, she realized how childish and ridiculous


    she was at that time!


    Meanwhile, Leo held her gazeposedly, seeing that her ring eyes were brimming with tears, but


    she stubbornly fought them back.


    Back then, she was the one who set him up and did him wrong, but the way she was now somehow


    made him feel that she was the one who had suffered a grievance.


    Why is this happening? He tried his best to shake off this odd idea, but when he saw her tear-filled


    eyes, he turned soft-hearted.


    “I can apologize to you in any way. If you wish for me to be on my knees or anything else, I’ll do it as


    long as you say the word.” Amelie lowered her tone because it was the only way she could mask her


    overwhelming emotions just a little. “I only have one request. Once we’re done and over, let me leave


    with Brianna. Although I have no other talents, I’m sure I can give her a good life with my own efforts.


    I’ll never abandon her, and never again will I let her be despised by others!” she swore, raising her


    hand with a determined face.


    Leo watched her quietly. On her tensed face, an unwavering light glimmered in her dark eyes, and he


    felt a hard knock on his chest.


    What made him even more uneasy was, she actually wanted to settle every single score and make a


    clean


    break with him!


    Was it because of Elliot? he wondered, but his chest felt so stuffy that he couldn’t say a single word. In


    the end,


    he turned around and walked away without a word.


    “Leo Alston!” From behind, Amelie shouted, “I’ll never let Bria go!”


    Not giving her any response, Leo got into the car and simply left while she stared at his back. As she


    rubbed the center of her forehead, numerous worries started to creep through her mind.


    In her heart, she knew that if Leo refused to let go, no amount of assertion from her would make a


    difference.


    Later, Leo went to Genesis. Ignoring Toby who was drinking, he plopped himself into the couch.


    An employee came in and brought the wine he usually drank. Quietly, he lowered his head and took a


    drink. When Toby finished drinking, he turned his attention to Leo.


    His troubled state was reflected in Toby’s eyes, and he couldn’t stop himself from smirking. “Look at the


    way you are now. People who don’t know what’s going on will think that you fell out of love, but Elyse


    cares about you so much that you can’t even drive her away. Why are you creating this false image for


    others?”


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Instead of answering him, Leo continued drinking with his head lowered.


    As Leo’s childhood friend, Toby had a certain level of understanding about Leo. It came to him naturally


    that Leo’s current state had nothing to do with Elyse.


    Only then did Leo m the ss on the table and turn to him with his deep, terrifying eyes.


    Since Toby had witnessed what happened in the day, he knew the reason why Leo was mad at Amelie,


    but he was unafraid as he met his eyes. “Leo, there’s something I have to tell you whether you believe


    it or not. Elliot is a character I made up. As for the interview about him, you better check it out.”


    He didn’t want to tell the truth.


    Elliot could help him to conceal Amelie better so that no one would dare to have any thoughts on her,


    but today when he saw her crouching into a school of yellow eels which she feared the most without


    any regard for her dignity, he felt his heart painfully wrenching.


    How could a man allow the woman he loved to go through such humiliation?


    Taking onest drink in frustration, he couldn’t care whether Leo believed him or not and simply strode


    out.


    “What brought you here, Leo?”


    Late at night, thest person Elyse would expect as a guest on her doorstep was Leo. She beamed at


    the sight


    of him.


    When the thick smell of alcohol from his lips reached her nostrils, she raised her brows and leaned in


    closer to his lips. “Did you have a drink?” she asked, breathing gently into his lips.


    Instead of saying anything, Leo suddenly grabbed her hands and pulled her in.


    Realizing that he wanted to hold her, she fell like a sack of potatoes into him..


    However, Leo didn’t intend to let her fall into his chest, so he took a step to the side and shoved her to


    the doorstep. “You know him… Don’t you?”


    Unguarded, Elyse was still immersed in the fantasy of being in Leo’s arms, and this shove from him


    almost sent her shing with the person at the door.


    The moment she saw the person, her face fell and lost all color!