《A Matter of Wife and Love》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    ¡°Please, Leo, I¡¯m begging you.


    Please head home with me,¡± Amelie Dillion pleaded pathetically, ignoring the scornful gazes


    surrounding her booth. When her husband, Leo Alston, heard her words, he stood up stiffly and walked


    out with a grim expression.


    However, he did not oblige to her request and took her to another booth.


    Then, he took a bank card out of his wallet, threw it on the table in front of her, and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not


    interested in going home with you to celebrate that so-called wedding anniversary.


    Here, take this and go shopping on your own!¡± After finishing his words, he didn¡¯t stay any longer and


    left the booth.


    ¡°Leo!¡± She grabbed the hem of his shirt in panic.


    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I didn¡¯t break the promise because of myself?¡± Hearing her


    words, he retorted with a sneer, ¡°Would you believe your own words? Are you sure you broke the


    promise because of me?¡± It is because of you! If only you remembered what really happened, you


    would then understand everything.


    Sadly, you have forgotten about the past.


    Hence, no matter how much I exin it to you, you would only find it ridiculous, thought Amelie as her


    shoulders dropped in defeat. Ring! At that moment, her phone¡¯s rm rang, signaling that it was


    12.00AM, concluding the day of their wedding anniversary.


    It also meant that the time she had set for herself to let everything go was up.


    Even so, she still wanted to make thest run for it.


    ¡°Leo¡ª¡± Before she could get her words out, Amelie¡¯s phone cut her off again with a notification.


    Then, she looked at her phone and saw a photo of a man and a woman sleeping together.


    The man in the photo was Leo, her husband. Huh, Leo cheated on me.


    Well, I don¡¯t want a man who cheated! Amelie thought.


    In that split second, she finally made up her mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a divorce.¡± As she spoke, she silently let go of the hem of his shirt.


    Hearing her words, Leo turned around and looked at her in surprise.


    After all, he didn¡¯t believe that she would say such words to him when she had just been begging him


    to spend their anniversary together. However, he then realized that she was a smart and calctive


    person.


    There was no way she would give up on being Mrs. Alston.


    ¡°The password is eight zeros!¡± After telling her the card¡¯s password, Leo left her alone.


    After he left, Amelie looked at the card and smiled bitterly. To think that I have spent four years of my


    life trying to prove that I love him for who he is, not for his money or the title of Mrs. Alston.


    Moreover, I even gave him fifteen days to choose between his family and the one he loves.


    In the end, I lost everything! Since I¡¯ve done everything in my power while loving him, I won¡¯t hesitate to


    move on when the timees! Thinking about this, she rushed out of the booth and stopped Leo by


    the elevator.


    Then, she gave him the divorce papers and said, ¡°I¡¯m serious about getting a divorce.


    I won¡¯t take a single penny from your family and leave without taking anything!¡± Just as her words fell,


    she heard a loud bang and saw that the papers had been thrown into the garbage can.


    ¡°Know your ce before acting like a madwoman!¡± Leo said in annoyance.


    Amelie knew that he was like the Alstons, who thought that she would not be able to survive without


    him since she was not educated, had no background, and had no job.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my ce very well.¡± She picked up the papers and dusted the dirt off of them


    before handing them to him again.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s toote to do the procedures today, let¡¯s do it at 9.00AM tomorrow.


    Be there or be square.¡± After finishing her words, she walked past him and left.


    When Amelie arrived downstairs, she suddenly deted and leaned against the wall, gasping for air.


    What she had done just now took a toll on her since she was used to being submissive around him. As


    she thought about it, tears rolled down her cheeks while she wiped them away.


    Although she was prompt to cut ties with him, she was still in agony; this was someone whom she had


    loved for almost ten years, after all. After some time, she sighed and stood up, looking at her reflection


    mockingly in the mirror. This must be my biggest failure in life by using four years and fifteen days to


    prove to myself that a man will never be in love with me, she thought.


    The next day, Amelie went to the Civil Affairs Bureau early in the morning.


    When the clock struck at 11.00AM, Leo was still nowhere to be seen.


    In the meantime, she had called him multiple times, but he did not answer his phone.


    Knowing that he was a busy man, she ended up going to hispany since she wanted to get this


    done today.


    Just as she arrived at hispany, she saw him standing in front of a car.


    He was holding the car door with one hand while he had ced the other hand on the roof as a woman


    slowly entered the vehicle.


    When the woman turned her head, Amelie saw who it was; it was the woman Leo couldn¡¯t forget.


    When Amelie saw the scene, she huffed as an ironic smile formed on her lips.


    Initially, she thought Leo couldn¡¯t make it to their divorce because he was busy.


    Never did she expect that he would be absent because he was keeping his sweetheartpany.


    Amelie wondered how clingy he was when he had spent most of his time with his sweetheart when the


    woman returned half a month ago.


    As soon as Leo¡¯s sweetheart left, Amelie walked up to him and said, ¡°I have been waiting for you.


    No matter how busy you are, getting a divorce won¡¯t take up much of your time.¡± Leo frowned when he


    saw her, and annoyance filled his eyes.


    ¡°I still have to evaluate some important projects.


    I can¡¯t have any negative news at this moment!¡± Hearing his excuse, she thought it was ridiculous and


    felt that it would be worse if people found out that he was spending time with his sweetheart while still


    being married rather than divorced.


    Before she could say anything, Leo¡¯s assistant rushed forward and told him that an important matter


    was waiting for him.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The two then left, and Amelie lost touch with him once again. However, she didn¡¯t want to wait any


    longer.


    Thus, she texted him, asking him to show up on behalf of their four years marriage while sending him


    the time to meet up.


    When she arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau on time in the afternoon, she saw Leo as expected.


    He stood in front of his car and looked like a masterpiece with his handsome features.


    Even when they were getting a divorce, Amelie was still attracted to him and felt bitterness in her heart.


    Would I have still made that reckless decision had I known our ending from the start? she thought.


    While thinking about it, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but reach out as she touched her left eye.


    In fact, no one knew that she couldn¡¯t see things with her left eye anymore.


    Then, she suppressed her emotions, strode forward, and handed the divorce papers to him again.


    ¡°I have already signed the papers.


    All you have to do is sign it.


    Then, we will be able to go through the procedures,¡± she said.


    This time, Leo didn¡¯t say anything and just stiffened before signing his name on the divorce papers.


    The procedures were quick to go by.


    After they filled in some forms, the staff stamped the documents and said, ¡°There will be a cooling-off


    period for you two.


    If either one of you decides to call off the divorce within thirty days, you can cancel it anytime.¡± The staff


    didn¡¯t give them the divorce certificate since they would need to wait for the cooling-off period to be


    over.


    However, Amelie wanted to end things quickly, so she asked, ¡°Can we skip the cooling-off period and


    just get our divorce certificate?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± replied the staff member while shaking her head.


    Hearing the staff¡¯s words, Amelie looked at Leo, but Leo didn¡¯t say anything and left.


    Hence, she could only sign her name on the consent form.


    After all, he would not regret this divorce, and it would only take her some time before she could get the


    certificate.


    After everything was done, she rushed after Leo and said, ¡°Well then, Mr.


    Alston, I¡¯ll see you soon¡ª¡± Before she could finish her words, Leo had already gotten into the car and


    mmed the door shut.


    Then, he drove off as the cold wind blew.


    Seeing his actions, Amelie sighed and shook her head, thinking to herself, Even after divorcing me,


    he¡¯s still so mean.


    He¡¯s no fun at all. After standing for a while, she dialed a number and said, ¡°Come and pick me up.


    I¡¯m divorced.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Within ten minutes, a red mini-sports car stopped in front of Amelie.


    Then, a woman came out of the car hastily.


    The woman¡¯s name was Julia White, and she was Amelie¡¯s best friend.


    When she saw Amelie, she asked, ¡°Did you really get a divorce, Amelie?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Amelie nodded and


    sat in the passenger seat.


    Hearing her words, Julia jumped into the driver¡¯s seat and said exaggeratedly, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! You


    used to be a woman with pride, but you lost it and became a ve for the Alston Family because of


    him.


    However, they were never grateful and even felt that you were taking advantage of them.


    I¡¯ve long despised them for picking on you!¡± When Amelie heard her words, she pursed her lips and


    didn¡¯t say anything.


    Julia could tell that she was feeling terrible at the moment, so she hugged Amelie tightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s


    okay.


    Let it all out.¡± With that being said, Amelie stayed in Julia¡¯s embrace for a while before she rubbed her


    tears away and smiled, saying, ¡°Today¡¯s a great day.


    Let¡¯s go to the amusement park and celebrate.¡± Thirty minutester, at an amusement park in Clouson


    City, Amelie was screaming as she sat on a ride called the Drop Tower, feeling herself falling from the


    sky.


    Then, she yed several exciting rides like the Condor, Flying Cars, Freefall, Racing Car, and so on.


    As she screamed her lungs out on the rides, she was crying freely too.


    Bits of memories about her and Leo shed across her mind.


    Thrilling rides were the best for healing.


    After she yed for some time, she felt rxed and wiped away thest drop of her tears.


    At the same time, she had also removed Leo from her heart.


    Then, she went to the clothing store and changed her clothes while Julia apanied her.


    Afterward, she dyed her hair blonde and permed her long, straight hair curly. When Julia saw Amelie¡¯s


    new look, she snapped her fingers in satisfaction and said, ¡°Now, this is the real you.¡± Looking into the


    mirror, Amelie saw that she looked beautiful, elegant, and confident.


    No one would be able to recognize her as the quiet and miserable Mrs. Alston she used to be.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Amelie,¡± she mumbled.


    By the time Amelie was done, it was 7.00PM.


    The duo were starving and headed toward a restaurant.


    ¡°Sit still and wait for me while I ask the owner to prepare some delicious food!¡± said Julia as she patted


    Amelie¡¯s shoulder.


    Then, she turned around and left.


    While Amelie was walking to the booth they had reserved, she encountered a man and a woman.


    They were none other than Leo and his sweetheart, Elyse yton. In the past, I couldn¡¯t even get a


    glimpse of him for weeks, but we¡¯re already bumping into each other shortly after our divorce, Amelie


    thought and sighed.


    Just as she was about to avoid them, Elyse saw her and took the initiative to greet the woman. She


    smiled and said, ¡°Miss Dillion, are you here to see Leo?¡± Before Amelie could deny it, she continued,


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for what happened.


    Leo was just helping me to retrieve something at the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    I didn¡¯t know that you guys would get a divorce because of this.¡± No wonder Leo arrived earlier today.


    If not for Elyse¡¯s words, I would have thought that Leo had some feelings for me within thest four


    years of our marriage.


    Fortunately, I¡¯ve already made up my mind to forget about him.


    Otherwise, I would be heartbroken, Amelie thought sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m d that there is a cooling-off


    period.


    Leo, talk it out with her, okay?¡± Elyse said softly.


    Then, she pushed Leo forward and walked away.


    Once they were left alone, Amelie tried exining immediately since she didn¡¯t want him to


    misunderstand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for you.


    This is all a coincidence.¡± However, Leo didn¡¯t believe her and said, ¡°Stop ying hard to get.


    It¡¯s useless!¡± Then, he lowered his head and stared at Amelie, noticing her new hairstyle and clothes.


    He assumed that she looked like this in order to catch his eyes.


    To be honest, Leo didn¡¯t believe that Amelie wanted a divorce and thought that she was just trying to


    y some tricks on him during the cooling-off period.


    The more she acted like this, the more he hated her.


    ¡°ying¡­ ying hard to get?¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t believe her ears when she heard his words.


    She was shocked that Leo would think of her like this when they had already divorced, so she was


    upset by his words.


    Knowing that he never believed in her, she didn¡¯t care to exin anymore and simply said, ¡°Whatever


    goes your way.¡± Then, she walked past him and entered the booth.


    Initially, Leo had expected her to exin the situation and was about to leave.


    Thus, when he heard her response, he came to a halt and turned around to look at her.


    However, all he could see was her figure. Is¡­ Is she leaving just like that? he thought.


    After dinner, Julia looked at Amelie mysteriously and said, ¡°Although your appearance is back, it¡¯s not


    enough.


    We must also bring back your attitude.


    I¡¯m going to turn you back into your normal self¡ªa queen.¡± Amelie was confused by her theory of


    appearance and attitude.


    Only realization hit her when Julia brought her to the biggest bar in Clouson City.


    Looking at the people who were dancing sexily on stage, Amelie was speechless.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t tried it before.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Come on!¡± Then, Julia threw a red dress in her direction and continued, ¡°With your skills, you will


    outshine those professional dancers once you get on stage!¡± Hearing her words, Amelieughed and


    grabbed over a set of clothes that were more conserved.


    ¡°I think I¡¯d prefer some type of ssical dance.¡± After changing into the outfit, Amelie danced on the


    stage.


    As the pop music red, she danced with elegance.


    The outfit showed off her agility as she twirled and pranced about, looking like a goddess who had


    descended to the world.


    Soon, someone noticed her unique dance under the stage and shouted, ¡°What the heck? Someone is


    performing a ssical number in the bar.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe her dancing is in sync with the beat.¡± ¡°Wow,


    she looks stunning! She looks like a professional!¡± When those who had criticized her saw her dancing,


    they widened their eyes and changed their perspectives of her.


    After all, they had never seen anyone dance to pop music using ssical dance moves without looking


    weird. At that moment, those who were on the stage stepped aside since they were being enchanted


    by her.


    Under the spotlight, Amelie was alone on the stage, twirling and jumping while her clothes swayed


    along.


    She looked as gorgeous as a divine goddess.


    Slowly, the four sexy dancers wearing exposed clothes blended into the background of Amelie¡¯s


    performance. Initially, Julia was worried that people would criticize Amelie when thetter wanted to


    perform a ssical dance.


    However, as she looked at the scene, she propped her chin against her hand and looked at Amelie with


    admiration.


    ¡°That¡¯s Amelie, alright.


    She will be in the spotlight wherever she goes.¡± On the other hand, Amelie was immersed in her dance


    and didn¡¯t acknowledge anyone else.


    It had been four years since shest danced.


    At this moment, all her emotions were being released, and she just wanted to vent.


    Her dances were stunning and alluring.


    As she got more and more hyped, she jumped on a pole and danced against it.


    Although her pole dance was not as erotic as a pole dancer, it was fascinating to watch.


    The crowd screamed in excitement as they watched her perform all kinds ofplex dance moves


    perfectly.


    ¡°Woah, is she a new dancer? She is rather talented.¡± Under the stage, Leo and his friends walked over


    when one of them was intrigued by the dance.


    As the person stared at the figure, he felt that something was wrong.


    ¡°That woman¡­ She looks like your wife,¡± he said.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    ¡°How could it possibly be here?¡± Yet another person expressed his disagreement.


    His tone was filled with contempt as he spoke.


    ¡°If she had such talent, she would have seduced Leo with it.


    Don¡¯t insult those dancers byparing them to her.¡± While Leo¡¯s friends were talking, he raised his


    head and looked at the woman¡¯s figure faintly, thinking to himself, She does look like Amelie, but that¡¯s


    impossible.


    Amelie is a scheming woman with a mouth full of lies.


    There was no way she would be here and dancing to such erotic dance when she had to be cautious in


    order to be titled Mrs. Alston. As Leo thought about it, he couldn¡¯t help but recall her reaction when they


    met at the restaurant.


    Then, he got up from his seat and walked to the side, calling home.


    ¡°Is Mrs. Alston at home?¡± On the other end of the phone, the maid replied, ¡°She¡­ She hasn¡¯t been back


    since morning.¡± When Leo heard the maid¡¯s answer, his face darkened immediately.


    Then, he smirked coldly and thought, Is she ying tricks for me to feel sorry for her? I won¡¯t fall for it the


    second time! Thinking about it, Leo walked back into the booth and sat down calmly.


    At that moment, one of his friends leaned toward him, whispering, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have dated Amelie,


    Leo.


    You should have ended things with her by giving her money.


    Now, look at what she did.


    Although she had told you that it was an ident and she would not hold on to it, the next thing she did


    was announce to the reporters that you two were engaged.


    Not even the movies will make a scene of such shameless actions.¡± When Leo heard his friend¡¯s words,


    he recalled some unpleasant memories and frowned, looking grim.


    ¡°Stop talking about what happened.¡± The other person interjected.


    ¡°As a man, Leo couldn¡¯t do anything when it happened.


    Since they had s*x by ident, won¡¯t he be humiliating her by giving her money?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask


    Leo if it was really an ident? I would say that she set this whole thing up on purpose!¡± ¡°Even if she


    were the one who did it, without what had happened next, there wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± Before the spokesperson


    finished his words, he cut himself off and nced at Leo uneasily.


    Although Leo did not say anything and was only drinking, his face was grim.


    At that moment, the atmosphere was awkward.


    Then, one of his friends patted him on the shoulder to providefort.


    ¡°You have been married to her for four years, Leo.


    I¡¯m sure you have forgotten what she looks like.


    If that¡¯s the case, why not dump her? It¡¯s not worth wasting your time on garbage like her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that


    only those hideous and poor men would want her after she had divorced you.


    After all, she is a perfect match for them!¡± Soon, the room was filled withughter and snickers.


    Outside the room, Julia was furious.


    Initially, they were just passing by when they heard Leo¡¯s friends¡¯ conversation.


    When Julia heard it, she clenched her fists and was going to burst into the room when Amelie dragged


    her out.


    When they were outside, Julia roared angrily, ¡°Why did you stop me?! I can¡¯t overlook this when those


    arrogant b*stards treated you like this!¡± As the person in the eye of the storm, Amelie was calm.


    She patted Julia on the shoulder and exined, ¡°Let them say whatever they want.


    I¡¯m already divorced.¡± Before she was divorced, she had always tried to exin herself.


    She wanted to change Leo and his friends¡¯ perspectives about her but to no avail.


    At that moment, she did it because she wished to have a harmonious family.


    Since she didn¡¯t need such a thing anymore, she didn¡¯t care what others had to say about her.


    However, Julia was still mad.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.


    You have been with him for so many years, and not only was he doubtful of you, he didn¡¯t even want to


    remember your face! Moreover, he even feels that you would be a great match to some hideous poor


    man.


    Trust me.


    I will show them how outstanding you are and who will be your perfect match!¡± When Amelie heard her


    words, she thought Julia was just venting and didn¡¯t keep it in mind.


    Afterforting her, Amelie left.


    The next day, she remembered that she had left something important at the Alston Residence and went


    to retrieve it.


    When she arrived at the Alston Residence, she didn¡¯t enter the house and called the maid, telling her to


    retrieve it.


    When she hung up the call, a car drove in and stopped in front of her, after which Leo appeared, still


    wearing his signature disinterested expression.


    When he saw her, he looked at her in annoyance. As expected.


    After seeing that I ignored her when she had thrown a tantrum for the whole night, she returned. Thinking


    about it, Leo ordered her rudely.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done messing around, get back inside!¡± Hearing his words, Amelie was startled, but then she


    realized that he must have assumed she was still in love with him.


    With that, she smiled faintly and reminded him, saying, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you must have lost your memory, Mr.


    Alston.


    We got a divorce yesterday.¡± When Leo heard her words, he frowned, snapping, ¡°Enough is enough.


    I was just being nice, and if you keep insisting, you will humiliate yourself!¡± Being nice? Does he think


    that by talking rudely, he is nice to me? Amelie thought.


    Just as she was about to speak up, she heard popping sounds and looked over where the sound was.


    Then, she saw a giant banner with the words ¡® Congrattions on escaping your misery, Amelie! You


    have gotten divorce sessfully¡¯ on it.


    Other than the huge banner, there were also some small signs with ¡®Happy divorce, Amelie!¡¯ written on


    them.


    When Amelie saw it, she was speechless.


    Her mouth was agape since she was dumbfounded by the sudden oue.


    Before she could react, a bouquet of roses appeared in front of her, and a voice sounded, saying, ¡°Will


    you be my girlfriend now, Amelie?¡± Hearing the person¡¯s voice, Amelie looked at the spokesperson and


    saw a handsome face.


    Other than that, he was 5¡¯9 feet tall and was built.


    The man definitely had the perfect body! Before Amelie could say anything, the man went down on one


    knee.


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise much, but I¡¯ll assure you that from the moment we are together, I will cherish you.


    I will listen to your words and watch as you smile beautifully.


    I will trust you and be by your side whenever you need me.


    Most importantly, I will never ever give you the cold shoulder.¡± When Leo heard the man¡¯s words, his face


    turned cold immediately.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    ¡°How could it possibly be here?¡± Yet another person expressed his disagreement.


    His tone was filled with contempt as he spoke.


    ¡°If she had such talent, she would have seduced Leo with it.


    Don¡¯t insult those dancers byparing them to her.¡± While Leo¡¯s friends were talking, he raised his


    head and looked at the woman¡¯s figure faintly, thinking to himself, She does look like Amelie, but that¡¯s


    impossible.


    Amelie is a scheming woman with a mouth full of lies.


    There was no way she would be here and dancing to such erotic dance when she had to be cautious in


    order to be titled Mrs. Alston. As Leo thought about it, he couldn¡¯t help but recall her reaction when they


    met at the restaurant.


    Then, he got up from his seat and walked to the side, calling home.


    ¡°Is Mrs. Alston at home?¡± On the other end of the phone, the maid replied, ¡°She¡­ She hasn¡¯t been back


    since morning.¡± When Leo heard the maid¡¯s answer, his face darkened immediately.


    Then, he smirked coldly and thought, Is she ying tricks for me to feel sorry for her? I won¡¯t fall for it the


    second time! Thinking about it, Leo walked back into the booth and sat down calmly.


    At that moment, one of his friends leaned toward him, whispering, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have dated Amelie,


    Leo.


    You should have ended things with her by giving her money.


    Now, look at what she did.


    Although she had told you that it was an ident and she would not hold on to it, the next thing she did


    was announce to the reporters that you two were engaged.


    Not even the movies will make a scene of such shameless actions.¡± When Leo heard his friend¡¯s words,


    he recalled some unpleasant memories and frowned, looking grim.


    ¡°Stop talking about what happened.¡± The other person interjected.


    ¡°As a man, Leo couldn¡¯t do anything when it happened.


    Since they had s*x by ident, won¡¯t he be humiliating her by giving her money?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask


    Leo if it was really an ident? I would say that she set this whole thing up on purpose!¡± ¡°Even if she


    were the one who did it, without what had happened next, there wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± Before the spokesperson


    finished his words, he cut himself off and nced at Leo uneasily.


    Although Leo did not say anything and was only drinking, his face was grim.


    At that moment, the atmosphere was awkward.


    Then, one of his friends patted him on the shoulder to providefort.


    ¡°You have been married to her for four years, Leo.


    I¡¯m sure you have forgotten what she looks like.


    If that¡¯s the case, why not dump her? It¡¯s not worth wasting your time on garbage like her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that


    only those hideous and poor men would want her after she had divorced you.


    After all, she is a perfect match for them!¡± Soon, the room was filled withughter and snickers.


    Outside the room, Julia was furious.


    Initially, they were just passing by when they heard Leo¡¯s friends¡¯ conversation.


    When Julia heard it, she clenched her fists and was going to burst into the room when Amelie dragged


    her out.


    When they were outside, Julia roared angrily, ¡°Why did you stop me?! I can¡¯t overlook this when those


    arrogant b*stards treated you like this!¡± As the person in the eye of the storm, Amelie was calm.


    She patted Julia on the shoulder and exined, ¡°Let them say whatever they want.


    I¡¯m already divorced.¡± Before she was divorced, she had always tried to exin herself.


    She wanted to change Leo and his friends¡¯ perspectives about her but to no avail.


    At that moment, she did it because she wished to have a harmonious family.


    Since she didn¡¯t need such a thing anymore, she didn¡¯t care what others had to say about her.


    However, Julia was still mad.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.


    You have been with him for so many years, and not only was he doubtful of you, he didn¡¯t even want to


    remember your face! Moreover, he even feels that you would be a great match to some hideous poor


    man.


    Trust me.


    I will show them how outstanding you are and who will be your perfect match!¡± When Amelie heard her


    words, she thought Julia was just venting and didn¡¯t keep it in mind.


    Afterforting her, Amelie left.


    The next day, she remembered that she had left something important at the Alston Residence and went


    to retrieve it.


    When she arrived at the Alston Residence, she didn¡¯t enter the house and called the maid, telling her to


    retrieve it.


    When she hung up the call, a car drove in and stopped in front of her, after which Leo appeared, still


    wearing his signature disinterested expression.


    When he saw her, he looked at her in annoyance. As expected.


    After seeing that I ignored her when she had thrown a tantrum for the whole night, she returned. Thinking


    about it, Leo ordered her rudely.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done messing around, get back inside!¡± Hearing his words, Amelie was startled, but then she


    realized that he must have assumed she was still in love with him.


    With that, she smiled faintly and reminded him, saying, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you must have lost your memory, Mr.


    Alston.


    We got a divorce yesterday.¡± When Leo heard her words, he frowned, snapping, ¡°Enough is enough.


    I was just being nice, and if you keep insisting, you will humiliate yourself!¡± Being nice? Does he think


    that by talking rudely, he is nice to me? Amelie thought.


    Just as she was about to speak up, she heard popping sounds and looked over where the sound was.


    Then, she saw a giant banner with the words ¡® Congrattions on escaping your misery, Amelie! You


    have gotten divorce sessfully¡¯ on it.


    Other than the huge banner, there were also some small signs with ¡®Happy divorce, Amelie!¡¯ written on


    them.


    When Amelie saw it, she was speechless.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Her mouth was agape since she was dumbfounded by the sudden oue.


    Before she could react, a bouquet of roses appeared in front of her, and a voice sounded, saying, ¡°Will


    you be my girlfriend now, Amelie?¡± Hearing the person¡¯s voice, Amelie looked at the spokesperson and


    saw a handsome face.


    Other than that, he was 5¡¯9 feet tall and was built.


    The man definitely had the perfect body! Before Amelie could say anything, the man went down on one


    knee.


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise much, but I¡¯ll assure you that from the moment we are together, I will cherish you.


    I will listen to your words and watch as you smile beautifully.


    I will trust you and be by your side whenever you need me.


    Most importantly, I will never ever give you the cold shoulder.¡± When Leo heard the man¡¯s words, his face


    turned cold immediately.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    ¡°Bria!¡± It wasn¡¯t until Amelie called out that the girl regained her spirits and rushed toward her.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Amelie crouched down and hugged Bria.


    Julia came over as well and said, ¡°Hello, Bria.


    My name is Julia.


    Can we be friends?¡± Bria was Amelie and Leo¡¯s child, as well as the ¡®darling¡¯ Julia mentioned earlier.


    On the night of her wedding ceremony, Amelie slept with Leo and fell pregnant.


    Since she was already married to Leo, it was understood that she would deliver the child.


    In their four years of marriage, he had never once slept with her as the rtionship between husband


    and wife disintegrated, which gave rise to Bria¡¯s timid personality.


    When Amelie thought about how the family environment would not benefit Bria¡¯s upbringing, she had no


    choice but to select an on-campus kindergarten.


    That was the reason why Bria would only return home during weekends.


    Bria looked at Julia with unease.


    It wasn¡¯t until Amelie gave her an approving look did she nod.


    ¡°You can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.


    Let me treat you to a meal.¡± Julia took the initiative to take Bria into her arms to allow Amelie to drive.


    Amelie did not hold herself back either.


    She floored the gas and savored the long-lost pleasure of racing.


    Not long after they left, the car from the Alstons arrived at Star Kindergarten.


    Leo, who had always been swamped with work, lowered his head to deal with the paperwork in hand


    with indifference.


    The butler alighted from the car alone.


    He returned momentster to report, ¡°The teacher mentioned that Mrs. Alston has taken Bria home.¡±


    Leo¡¯s fingers slightly sank as a cold light shed on his indifferent face.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Mrs. Alston doesn¡¯t want to divorce you.


    Bringing the child home should be a sign that she wants to reconcile,¡± the butler said with a sigh of relief


    and looked at Leo.


    He was waiting for Leo to give an order to bring both Amelie and Bria home.


    ¡°Head back!¡± an indifferent Leo ordered with tightly furrowed brows.


    He wanted Amelie to return home on her own ord.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    He wanted her to know that she should live an honest life instead of resorting to dirty tactics! Time flew


    by.


    Thirty days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Tomorrow would be the day that she would have the divorce certificate, certifying that she was legally


    divorced from Leo.


    Amelie seemed calm, but it was probably because she had long epted the fact that she was divorced.


    After coaxing Bria to sleep, she and Julia sat in the living room to have a chat and some wine.


    During this period of time, she had spent most of her time apanying Bria in an attempt to make up


    for what was owed to Bria over the years.


    When she noticed the smile on Bria¡¯s face growing wider day by day, she felt relieved and that it was a


    wise move to leave Leo.


    ¡°Everyone is wondering why I¡¯m back.


    The reason is actually simple.


    This is my home, the ce where I belong.¡± The two of them were chatting when a beautiful voice


    suddenly interrupted them.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help but raise her head to look at the TV opposite them.


    On the screen was Elyse smiling with affection.


    Many reporters stood in front of her as the cameras shed.


    ¡°In other words, Miss yton has found her soulmate, in this city no less?¡± The reporters were so sharp


    with their hearing that they caught the undertone in her voice and asked.


    Elyse smiled in silence, but the upward arc of the corners of her lips revealed everything.


    ¡°It was such a scandal back then.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for you, she would have lost everything.


    Yet, she¡¯s back to ruin your family, as if nothing had ever happened.


    Such a shameless b*tch!¡± Julia also saw Elyse¡¯s conduct on TV andmented angrily, ¡°She¡¯s a


    disgusting woman, and yet Leo treats her like gold.


    He¡¯s really not scared of ying with fire by returning to his ex.¡± She mmed her cup on the table with a


    bang.


    ¡°If I were him, I would have chosen you over her!¡± As Amelie listened to Julia¡¯s words, she smiled


    helplessly.


    ¡°Maybe this is the difference between loving and not loving someone.¡± Leo loved Elyse, so he could


    forgive her betrayal four years ago.


    On the contrary, he didn¡¯t love Amelie, so he couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to her exnation for getting


    into his bed, which wasn¡¯t to get married to him.


    ¡°Even though you guys are divorced, we can¡¯t let that b*stard couple lead a happy life!¡± Julia had a


    straightforward personality and was someone who would air her grievances clearly.


    Right now, she had her hands on her hips, looking intimidating.


    Amelie, on the other hand, was indifferent.


    ¡°Whether they live happy lives has nothing to do with me.


    All that matters is whether I have a good life with Bria.¡± Yet, when she remembered that she hadn¡¯t


    informed Bria of the divorce, she felt burdened.


    The next morning.


    Like his normal routine, Leo headed downstairs in his neat attire and tidy cuffs with a stoic face.


    ¡°Sir, Mrs. Alston¡¯s on the line.¡± The butler, Mr. Cooper, came over in excitement.


    Leo took over the phone, but remained silent.


    On the other end of the line was Amelie, whose voice was calm and polite.


    ¡°When are you free? I¡¯m waiting at the cafe below your office.¡± He looked up at the calendar hanging on


    the wall. You finally can¡¯t endure it after more than 20 days? When she said that she was at the cafe, he


    took it for granted that she wanted to meet up to apologize for her mistake and make up with him.


    He didn¡¯t answer and couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to her words, so he dropped the call.


    When Amelie heard no response from him, she had no idea what he meant.


    Although she knew that he would definitely obtain a divorce, she wanted to resolve the matter as soon as


    possible, thus decided to wait at hispany.


    When Leo¡¯s car arrived, Leo spotted the slender figure waiting at thepany with a nce.


    He snorted imperceptibly, his brows already raised in disgust.


    The look on her face now that she couldn¡¯t wait to admit to her mistake was just as revolting as her


    arrogant look in the beginning! Joy spread on Amelie¡¯s face when she spotted him.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± An indifferent Leo replied, ¡°Why did you do it when you are aware of such consequences?¡±


    She was stunned as she couldn¡¯t decipher his meaning, but she couldn¡¯t care less and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take


    this to the cafe.¡± Leo was not in the mood to waste an extra second on her, so he barked, ¡°If there¡¯s


    anything, let¡¯s discuss it here!¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great too.¡± Since he didn¡¯t mind that everyone would find out


    about their divorce, Amelie naturally shared his sentiment.


    She quickly turned on her tablet and connected to a video interface.


    ¡°The Civil Affairs Bureau understands that everyone has theirmitments, so they have introduced a


    video system whereby their staff can confirm our identities.


    We only need to press the button to confirm that we are who we say we are and the divorce certificate


    will be delivered to our houses.


    There¡¯s no need to go through the trouble of collecting it.¡± If she had to be honest, such a service was


    extremely convenient.


    Leo was speechless.


    He thought that Amelie wanted to make amends, but it turned out that¡­ it was to obtain a divorce


    certificate! A middle-aged woman¡¯s face immediately appeared on the screen.


    She asked with a loud voice, ¡°Leo Alston, Amelie Dillon, are you sure you guys want to divorce?¡±


    Because thedy was using a microphone on the other end, and the build quality of Amelie¡¯s tablet was


    top-notch, thedy¡¯s voice was projected loud and clear.


    The surrounding employees rushing to work suddenly heard the question and turned to look at them in


    surprise.


    ¡°Yes.¡± There was no hesitance in Amelie¡¯s voice as she pressed the ¡®confirm¡¯ button.


    Leo was still stunned.


    When he looked at the button and the woman in front of him who did not hesitate whatsoever, his gaze


    darkened to the maximum.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn,¡± Amelie urged.


    Her eyes were sparkling.


    The smile on her face couldn¡¯t be any wider as she signaled him with her chin to press the button to


    confirm.


    Opposite them were the employees watching them.


    The employees who walked past them also slowed down in anticipation of his response.


    Leo stared at her.


    Did she press the button to confirm the divorce because she felt that he would keep his promise to Bria


    to remain married to her? He slowly lifted his finger, which made Amelie nervous with wide eyes. I knew


    it.


    She¡¯s been backed into a corner and is desperate now! She¡¯s trying to force me to make her stay! Amelie


    never thought about that whatsoever.


    Her nervousness was a result of her wanting Leo to speed up because she didn¡¯t want to be proimed


    that she was divorced under the public¡¯s eagle eyes.


    It took Leo more than ten seconds to press the confirmation button! He thought that she would reveal her


    true colors and ask for the process to be stopped, but she never said a word until the end! His fingers


    curled in silence at this realization.


    At this moment, a crisp voice sounded in the air.


    ¡°Leony.¡± Elyse, her face as bright as the sun, came over with her assistant.


    She just happened to watch the staff stamping the seal, after which thedy showed the divorce


    certificate to both Leo and Amelie.


    Then, Elyse gaped.


    ¡°A-Are you really divorced?¡± Amelie pursed her curved lips in a mocking manner.


    Leo originally looked greatly annoyed, his movements as slow as a snail.


    But when Elyse came, he immediately agreed to confirm the divorce, which exemplified his great care for


    her.


    Elyse didn¡¯t delve too deep on the matter, after which she held Leo¡¯s arm.


    ¡°I was in a rush and haven¡¯t had my breakfast yet.


    I heard there¡¯s this decent coffee shop nearby.


    Leony, do you mind apanying me for breakfast?¡± Amelie was uninterested to see them disying


    their affection, so she turned to leave.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, would you like to join us?¡± Behind her came Elyse¡¯s question.


    Looping her arm around Leo¡¯s, she rested her head on his shoulder like a dainty lover.


    ¡°Even if you guys are divorced, we can still be friends.¡± Amelie was well aware that Elyse was unting


    her victory, but she was not in the mood to humor her.


    She replied lightly, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not in the habit of being divorced and remaining friends with my ex.¡± ¡°Or you


    could leave your number?¡± the assistant behind Elyse suggested.


    ¡°Elyse has an establishedwork, so she knows a lot of people.


    If there¡¯s a suitable opportunity in the future, we will definitely rmend it to you.


    We won¡¯t let your life be affected by the divorce.¡± ¡°Hey, watch what you¡¯re saying!¡± Elyse whispered


    softly, revealing zero pretentiousness. What a well-acted y¡­ Amelie looked at Elyse and couldn¡¯t help


    grinning. Know your ce, Elyse yton.


    I alone can support hundreds by myself.


    Who are you to show concern for my quality of life? ¡°Miss yton, you don¡¯t have to worry about Amy¡¯s


    life.¡± Before Amelie could say anything, a male voice interrupted.


    Immediately after, she felt something of decent heftnding on her shoulder.


    Someone grabbed her shoulder.


    ¡°My monthly sales profit is more than enough to buy Bespoke Media ten times over and splurge on Amy.


    Even after that, there would be some bnce.¡± Bespoke Media was Elyse¡¯s current employer.


    Those words had done its part to sarcastically humiliate Elyse for overestimating her abilities.


    ¡°M-Mr. White?¡± When she saw the man in front of her, her expression changed rapidly as her eyes


    widened in disbelief.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± On the side was Leo, whose expression darkened as his gaze fell on the hand on Amelie¡¯s


    shoulder.


    He finally understood that Amelie really wanted the divorce.


    And her reason was because of this man! There was no way she could get a man in such a short period


    of time, so she must have cheated during the marriage! Leo felt Amelie¡¯s betrayal deeply and was even


    angrier than when he was forced to marry her! Elyse obviously felt his anger and her heart couldn¡¯t help


    but race.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jamie refused to look at the others as he spoke to Amelie.


    She nodded.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The two of them ignored everyone else as they left the building.


    Behind them were shocked employees who had witnessed the entire event.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the online live-selling streamer, Jamie White?¡± ¡°He hit the jackpotst year, so Starlight Media


    had made a lot of money and turned him into a star.¡± ¡°Now, everybody knows who he is.


    Everybody must have at least purchased one of his items, so his monthly sales are in the trillions!¡± ¡°Not


    only that, but his father is the number two entrepreneur in our city.


    He¡¯s a through and through nouveau riche!¡± Such a man was on par with Leo, if notparable.


    Amelie had married into a rich family in the beginning, but she was now joining another rich family? Elyse


    balled her fists in silence. This woman ruined my marriage four years ago, but hasn¡¯t even learned her


    lesson four yearster.


    Instead, she¡¯s caught the eye of such a perfect man like Jamie White? ¡­ ¡°Julia asked you toe,


    right?¡± Once they had arrived at a quiet spot with no people, Amelie pushed Jamie aside and asked.


    Jamie¡¯s face resembled a smiling puppy, which made him look adorable.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with her.


    I came on my own.


    What I said earlier was not a joke, though.


    We can get married now if you want!¡± ¡°Oh, man.


    I don¡¯t want your dad toe after me.


    There¡¯s a beautiful life ahead of us, so I want to have a few more decades of peace.¡± Amelie looked very


    reluctant.


    They had been acquainted for years, so there was nothing they couldn¡¯t talk about.


    Jamie chuckled and the two cracked innocuous jokes for a while before heading off on their separate


    ways.


    Amelie headed off to Starlight Media to search for Julia.


    ¡°Jamie made a scene today, so keep your eyes and ears open.


    Something¡¯s bound to happen.¡± Julia ced the tablet on the table.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote.


    Something has indeed happened.¡± When Amelie took the device and lowered her head to look, she


    sighed in annoyance at the content. Which busybody posted photos of my divorce from Leo as well as


    my friendship with Jamie on the inte so quickly? At least the other party had a conscience because


    her face was blurred out.


    Despite that, the photos were causing the incident to spread like wildfire on the inte.


    In less than 20 minutes, there were more than 300,000 people who had seen the post.


    Amelie only felt an impending headache.


    ¡°Jamie White! Are you happy now that I¡¯m in trouble?¡± Julia¡¯s carefree action of cing her hand on


    Amelie¡¯s shoulder came before she exined, ¡°You should be well aware of Starlight Media¡¯s PR


    capabilities.


    Don¡¯t worry, I guarantee that everything will be alright.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that you are divorced, so you can¡¯t be in


    hiding forever.¡± Julia quickly shifted the topic to Amelie and continued, ¡°How about we revive our old


    business? Everyone¡¯s been missing you loads.¡± Amelie¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard Julia¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Sure, but I want to bring Bria along.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Twenty minutester, Amelie showed up at Starlight Media with Bria.


    ¡°I kept all your costumes.


    Here!¡± Julia eximed as she handed Amelie a snowy white fox mask.


    Her eyes were shining with excitement.


    ¡°Everyone would be ecstatic if they knew Foxy has returned.¡± Amelie silently took the mask and wore it.


    ¡°The mask looks so interesting.


    Mommy, I want to wear a mask too,¡± shouted Bria excitedly after she saw Amelie wear the mask.


    Like performing a magic trick, Julia swiftly handed Bria a little pink fox mask.


    ¡°Here you go, Bria.


    I¡¯ve prepared one for you too.¡± At once, Bria¡¯s big eyes beamed with fascination as she held the mask


    cautiously.


    Then, she quickly wore the mask with Julia¡¯s help.


    After that, she happily ran to Amelie¡¯s side, tugged at her sleeve, and asked, ¡°Mommy, are we


    cosying?¡± She flicked Bria¡¯s little head and answered, ¡°We¡¯ll be doing a live stream.¡± While they were


    talking, Julia had turned on the live stream for her.


    Only a few people were watching.


    Even so, Amelie was incredibly excited.


    Even after four years of not doing live streaming, it was like there was a magical drive guiding her as she


    greeted the audience naturally, ¡°Hello everyone, it¡¯s your good friend, Foxy.


    You guys must be wondering why I¡¯ve disappeared for four years, right? Well, I¡¯ll tell you guys all about


    it.¡± She briefly talked about her marriage and childbirth before introducing Bria to everyone in the live


    stream room.


    The initially empty live stream room instantly became lively a few minutes after the introduction.


    ¡®Damn! I¡¯m not seeing it wrongly, am I? Foxy is back?¡¯ ¡®Could it be someone disguising as her and


    deceiving us?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s possible.


    After all, Foxy is a certified and famous live streamer with millions of fans.


    How would the industry be willing to give up such a profitable asset?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s no fun if it¡¯s not Foxy.


    So, let¡¯s leave, guys.¡¯ As Amelie silently read through the dazzling array ofments everyone posted,


    she smiled slightly before singing a song.


    Then, she performed a little magic trick.


    She even cracked a joke while she performed the trick.


    At once, thement section was in an uproar.


    ¡®It¡¯s Foxy! It¡¯s her! I¡¯ve watched each and every of her past live streams! I would recognize her live-


    streaming style, regardless of what she¡¯d be!¡¯ ¡®Yes! I recognized it too.


    Foxy really has returned!¡¯ ¡®Foxy! Foxy! I love you!¡¯ The atmosphere in the live stream room immediately


    became boisterous.


    Thement section constantly buzzed with various words of enthusiasm.


    Not only that, some even frantically sent gifts to Amelie.


    Truthfully, Amelie started doing live streams as early as her college days.


    She was undoubtedly an Inte celebrity, and her poprity was no less than that of an online star with


    a huge fan base.


    Unfortunately, because the Alstons refused to ept an Inte celebrity as their daughter-inw,


    Amelie stopped doing live streams after she married into the family.


    Back then, as she loved Leo wholeheartedly, she felt that such a sacrifice was worth it for the sake of


    love.


    Nevertheless, now that she looked back at her actions, she realized how foolish she was.


    Therefore, she reached out, turned off the gift-giving function, and said, ¡°It¡¯s our first gathering after four


    years.


    Thank you all for still remembering me.


    I¡¯m here today to reconnect with you guys, so I won¡¯t be epting gifts.¡± Amelie, who resumed her live-


    streaming activity, suddenly regained her spirit.


    There would be times when she would alternate between the persona of being mischievous, innocent,


    cute, and aloof.


    Regardless of the requests, she could pull off all kinds of styles, repeatedly showing her unique talent.


    Bria, who was beside her, was a little shy at first.


    Yet, after she saw how rxed and happy Amelie was, she, too, joined in.


    She sang, danced, and performed magic tricks with Amelie.


    The two of them had a great time.


    Leo, on the other hand, was in a terrible mood. I guess I¡¯m a celebrity now, thanks to the drama that


    unfolded this morning.


    Right now, the whole city knows that I¡¯m divorced! One whole morning, he¡¯d received several calls from


    friends around him, but their first reaction wasn¡¯t to congratte him.


    Instead, they asked, ¡°Did you two really divorce? It¡¯s a little pity, don¡¯t you think?¡± Is it really, though?


    What¡¯s so unfortunate about divorcing a woman as scheming as Amelie? Regardless, that wasn¡¯t what


    annoyed Leo the most.


    Instead, what frustrated him even more, was the fact that Jamie¡¯s act of protecting Amelie had made the


    headlines.


    Someone even asked Jamie about his rtionship with Amelie on the same day he did his live stream.


    In his live stream, Jamie exined that Amelie was the girl he¡¯d admired for a long time.


    Regrettably, he didn¡¯t have the courage to confess to her due to the big gap between their poprity


    back then.


    Now that she was divorced, he hoped he could apany her well.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    And as for the future, he told his fans that he would do his best to win her over. Tch! The woman I


    despised is the woman Jamie loves most and has been very proud of for many years.


    Isn¡¯t that just an obvious criticism mocking me for being blind to Amelie¡¯s good traits?! The more Leo


    thought about it, and the more angered he became.


    In fact, he was so enraged that he attended the grand ceremony without having lunch and gulped down


    ss after ss of wine.


    Next to Leo sat Toby.


    He happened to be reading articles rted to Jamie as he swiped through the tablet screen in front of


    him.


    ¡°I never knew your wife was so popr!¡± There was a gloating smile on his face when he said those


    words.


    Leo saw Toby¡¯s gloating smile and felt that it was a piercing sight.


    His mood increasingly worsened, and he corrected Toby with a cold demeanor.


    ¡°Ex-wife!¡± ¡°Fine.


    Fine.


    Ex-wife.


    But it¡¯s quite unfortunate,e to think of it.


    Although she did plot some scheme against you back then, she still behaved discreetly and didn¡¯t throw


    any tantrums all these years.


    Besides, what she did back then was beneficial to you, too¡­ Forget it.


    Just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Chatting endlessly at first, Toby hurriedly kept his mouth, for he knew


    he¡¯d touched Leo¡¯s raw nerve after seeing Leo looking like he was about to skin him alive.


    Leo massaged his temples and allowed his thoughts to linger on the affairs of their divorce. Amelie


    Dillion, that good-for-nothing woman, where did she have the confidence to divorce me? What right does


    she have to file for divorce? ¡°What¡¯s so unfortunate about divorcing a woman like her?!¡± Ashton, who was


    on the other side, pouted unhappily.


    He added disdainfully, ¡°But I must say: since she left without taking any property after the divorce and


    didn¡¯t even bother toe up with any exnations regarding the child¡¯s custody, she clearly wanted to


    be passive-aggressive.


    She definitely has something up her sleeves.


    I can assure you that she¡¯ll definitely return with the child within three days, looking all pitiful and begging


    you to remarry her.


    You¡¯ll fall into her trap if you get all soft-hearted and agree.¡± For some reason, Leo actually felt his mood


    inexplicably improve when he heard Ashton say that Amelie wasn¡¯t genuine in wanting to divorce him


    and even had ns to remarry him.


    Nheless, another burst of frustration surged within him momentster. What am I thinking? I should


    have divorced a woman as sinister and despicable as Amelie long ago! ¡°No way! Foxy has returned?!¡±


    Toby suddenly yelled.


    Then, he shoved his tablet in front of Leo with great excitement.


    ¡°Leo, it looks like there¡¯s hope for our n to enter Skaynia¡¯s market after all.¡± Although Leo was


    annoyed to death, he would never be sloppy about work.


    So he nced at the person inside the screen and ordered, ¡°You shall follow up on this matter first.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Toby responded with a nod.


    Then, he shoved Leo again the following day and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Foxy looks like your ex-


    wife?¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Meanwhile, Ashton, who never joined in the conversation between the two as he was ying cards on


    his mobile phone, nced over.


    ¡°Toby, please.


    Why do you see every woman as Amelie?¡± Ashton had made the same remark thest time Toby saw


    the dancer within the sea of dancers.


    In fact, Ashton would show apparent signs of distaste every time someone mentioned Amelie¡¯s name.


    Since Leo was already in a bad mood in the first ce, Toby and Ashton weren¡¯t much of a help in


    making him feel better with them constantly talking about his ex-wife.


    Eventually.


    he could no longer bear sitting and listening to the two as he rose to his feet and walked out of the


    private dining room.


    Finally, the one-hour-long live stream ended.


    However, Amelie and Bria were still riding the high of their sessful stream.


    After Bria removed the little fox mask, she blinked her bright eyes and looked at Amelie as she said,


    ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s my first time seeing you smile so happily.


    You look so pretty when you smile!¡± When she heard that, she was momentarily stunned. Yeah.


    After four years of marriage, I almost forgot how to put on a genuine smile. Still, she pinched Briar¡¯s


    adorable chubby cheeks as she praised, ¡°You¡¯re amazing too.


    I never knew you could dance so well.¡± Just as Bria was fascinated by her, Amelie, too, was astonished


    by Bria¡¯s performance today.


    Bria looked down at her words and sheepishly said, ¡°Actually, I have always liked dancing, but I also


    know Grandma and Aunt Jodie dislike it.


    I am afraid that it will annoy them, and they will, in turn, scold you, so¡­¡± Tears instantly welled up in her


    eyes when she heard Bria¡¯s answer. So that¡¯s the reason! After getting married, I have been living with


    my mother-inw and sister-inw.


    Never once did we move out of the house.


    I¡¯ve always remembered that Bria would move her body to the music within a few months of her birth,


    and when she reached 1 or 2 years old, she would dance away and even choreograph her own dance


    moves.


    But for some reason, she became less fond of dancing as time went on. Initially, Amelie thought that Bria


    just didn¡¯t like dancing anymore.


    Hence, never once did it cross her mind that Bria did it out of fear that Jodie and Melissa would scold


    her.


    A sense of guilt surged within her.


    Once again, she hugged Bria tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bria.


    You can dance as much as you want in the future.


    You no longer have to worry about anything else.


    Also, there¡¯s one more thing that I have to tell you.


    We will no longer live at Grandma¡¯s house.


    Your father and I have separated too.


    A-Are you willing to leave them and stay with me?¡± Since she didn¡¯t discuss with Bria about the divorce,


    she was highly uneasy at this moment.


    ¡°Can I really stop staying at Grandma¡¯s house?¡± Bria was merely stunned for a moment, and a hint of joy


    immediately surfaced on her face as she cheered, ¡°Hurray!¡± ¡°Bria, you don¡¯t want to¡­ stay there either?¡±


    Amelie asked, and she was somewhat surprised by her response.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like staying there.¡± Bria shook her head without thinking twice.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Grandma and Aunt Jodie isn¡¯t fond of you and me, so I dislike them too!¡± s, her statement only


    aroused Amelie¡¯s deeper sense of guilt.


    Due to the fact that Amelie¡¯s father only worked as a shoemaker, the Alstons always felt that her family


    background wasn¡¯t as prestigious as theirs.


    So they constantly gave her an attitude, and as a result, they were prejudiced against Bria too.


    Now, three years had passed since Bria was born, yet her existence waspletely kept hidden from


    the outside world.


    Perhaps in the eyes of the Alstons, Amelie giving birth to the family¡¯s descendants was a disgrace and a


    stain on their prestigious lineage.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help but think, Will everything turn out differently if I hadn¡¯t made such an impulsive


    decision back then and secretly given birth to Bria and raised her by myselfter after I found out I was


    pregnant? After they ended the live stream, Julia told her that the studio apartment she would stay in


    was already vacant and ready for her to move in.


    Hence, Amelie took Bria to the apartment she bought before marriage.


    Although she didn¡¯te from a wealthy family, she made a lot of money through live streams.


    She bought this studio apartment with the money she earned from live streams.


    ¡°Hi, Master, my name is Leony, and I¡¯m your most loyal, intelligent steward.


    Just give me the order if you have anything that you wish me to do for you.


    I will definitely work extremely hard to serve you.¡± A respectful and enthusiastic voice sounded from


    inside as soon as she opened the door.


    She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Julia, are you an idiot? I left that house just so I couldpletely forget


    about him.


    Why did you program the smart home system to have the same name and even share the same voice as


    Leo?¡± ¡°You were wronged so much while living in his house.


    Since you can¡¯t get them topensate you in hard cash, the least you can do is topensate you in


    terms of mental state.


    So let me tell you: not only did I program the system to talk in that b*stard¡¯s voice, but I also inserted his


    mother and sister¡¯s voices in the system too.


    So you can switch between their voices and order them around as much as you like whenever you feel


    upset.¡± No one knew about Amelie¡¯s pain and grievances for the past four years better than Julia.


    Likewise, she was also the most outraged by the injustice that Amelie had suffered.


    Still, Amelie epted her goodwill and gave her an ¡®I don¡¯t know what to do with you¡¯ eye roll as she led


    Bria into the house.


    Everything in the new house sparked Bria¡¯s curiosity, especially when she saw she even had her own


    little room that was painted pink and filled with beautifulce dolls.


    Bria joyfully ran to her own little heaven to y, whereas Amelie and Julia were at the coffee table.


    They were browsing through their phones while sipping on the newly bought tea.


    ¡°Say: you own so many vis, yet why did you choose this apartment? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too small?¡±


    Nheless, Amelie didn¡¯t care about the size of her home.


    As she swept her gaze at the house, she said, ¡°I think it¡¯s better to live in a less spacious house.


    Then, at least, it won¡¯t look so empty.¡± After she had lived in the Alston Residence for four years, it had


    made her sick and tired of living in a house with an empty and uninviting vibe.


    ¡°Besides, I bought this ce before I got married.


    I just want to go back to being me.¡± Initially, tears almost welled up in Julia¡¯s eyes because of her words.


    But that sadness was bulldozed over by overwhelming joy when she heard Amelie say that she wanted


    to return to her former self.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡± As the two talked, they started scrolling their phones out of upational habit.


    The poprity of the news about Jamie and Amelie had yet to subside, making Julia beam with


    happiness from time to time as she browsed through her mobile phone.


    ¡°Everyone seems to be quite in favor of you two being together.


    In my opinion, Jamie is much better than that sc*mbag Leo.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that Jamie is a good guy, but


    you can¡¯t randomly matchmake us.


    I just want to live a happy life with Bria.


    I don¡¯t wish to talk about love right now.¡± Falling in love with Leo alone was torture enough tost her for


    a lifetime.


    So, the current Amelie no longer held hope for love.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Two were chatting when Julia suddenly mmed her hand on the coffee table, causing the


    teacup to move away from its saucer.


    ¡°Leo is absolutely the trashiest guy I¡¯d ever seen! You two have just divorced, yet he¡¯s already nning


    to have an engagement with Elyse?! Did he not learn any lesson after getting cheated on by her back


    then?! He¡¯s nning to let himself constantly get cheated on for the rest of his life?!¡± Amelie looked over


    upon hearing Julie¡¯s outraged cries and saw the post on Elyse¡¯s Facebook page.


    There was a photo attached, and in the image, Elyse¡¯s face was lit up with joy as her fingers intertwined


    with another person.


    Even though the other person¡¯s face wasn¡¯t revealed in the photo, Amelie still recognized the red mole


    on the person¡¯s middle finger. It¡¯s Leo! The words in the caption clearly stood out as they stated.


    ¡®The season of love has arrived.


    A season that¡¯s suitable for engagement.¡¯ Amelie merely nced at the picture and smiled faintly as she


    said, ¡°They are now just passers-by to me.


    It¡¯s none of my business whether they want to get engaged or get married.¡± After that, she looked away


    and didn¡¯t bother taking a second look.


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m very upset! If you hadn¡¯t stood up for him back then, Leo would have been humiliated long ago,


    and the Alston Corporation would have suffered from downfall too!¡± In a fit of anger, Julia kept hitting the


    table hard, creating a loud noise.


    ¡°Not only is he ungrateful to you, but he also ignored you! I know you won¡¯t make a fuss about these


    things, but what¡¯s the meaning of him making such an official announcement about him being together


    with Elyse? Isn¡¯t that the same as telling you that everything you did was superfluous and you had no


    one but yourself to me for all the grievances you suffered?¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely the thing that¡¯s running in


    his mind,¡± Amelie sighed, already epting reality as it is.


    ¡°F*ck! What a b*stard!¡± Julia grabbed her teaspoon and scratched it against the coffee table,pletely


    imagining it as Leo.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you lose in terms of love, but we can¡¯t just sit here and let him look down at you.


    Since he sees you as a vile woman he can trample on at will; we should alsoe up with something to


    suffocate him! How about we call in our mutuals, key, this time? He definitely can crush Leo with his


    invincible noble demeanor!¡± Julia quickly decided and picked up her mobile phone to make a call.


    ¡°Please stoping up with crazy ideas.¡± Amelie feared that Julia would think of some weird ns.


    ¡°You have already involved me in scandals with two men this month.


    Those who don¡¯t know me will really think I¡¯m a flirtatious woman.


    Besides, key is different from Jamie.


    He¡¯s pure and innocent.


    I can¡¯t bear to get his innocence tainted if you shove him into my arms.¡± ¡°You.¡± An exasperated look was


    written all over Julia¡¯s face, for this wasn¡¯t the oue she¡¯d hoped for.


    Anyhow, Julia eventually had to toss the idea into the bin as she couldn¡¯t change Amelie¡¯s decision.


    Although she had no ns to take advantage of key, Amelie still took Bria to visit him after she


    learned that he had returned.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    key¡¯s full name was ke Gareth.


    He was a rising star within the figure skating world within these two years.


    When Amelie and Bria arrived, he was leaning against the railing with his skates on and was still in his


    training uniform.


    His figure was slim, his legs were long, and as the sleeves of his uniform fluttered, ke looked just like


    an exiled celestial being.


    Hepletely portrayed the image of a handsome nobleman, especially when he had a few bangs


    delicately framing his stunning face.


    Awestruck by ke¡¯s unparalleled charm, Amelie sighed, ¡°What a fine man! His gentle bearing truly


    overshadows all men.¡± A sheepish smile painted across ke¡¯s face when he saw her.


    ¡°Hey, Amelie.¡± With that, she pulled Bria closer, motioning her to greet ke.


    ¡°Quick.


    Call him Mr. ke.¡± ¡°Mr. ke, you are so handsome and ethereal, like a celestial being.


    I shall call you Mr. Celeste.¡± Bria, who had left the Alston Residence,pletely let herself run wild and


    tossed all her etiquette lessons to the wind.


    Hence, she no longer spoke cautiously.


    ke smiled shyly at her earnest praise.


    He even gave Bria a small white bracelet as a gift.


    Bria liked it so much that she started examining and ying with it alone.


    ¡°Amelie, I¡¯ve heard¡­ about your news.


    Are you alright?¡± ke only cast a concerned look at her after he saw Bria leaving their vicinity.


    Amelie shrugged indifferently as she said, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.


    I¡¯m doing pretty well.¡± The gaze in ke¡¯s eyes flickered as he scrutinized her.


    Since he was an extremely detail-oriented person, he naturally knew that Amelie hadn¡¯tpletely


    recovered from her previous marriage.


    Even so, he still sensibly stopped asking any more questions.


    Thus, he suggested thoughtfully, ¡°Amelie, let¡¯s perform a figure skating routine, shall we?¡± As they said,


    one should learn healthy coping mechanisms.


    Hence, her heart pumped with excitement the moment she heard his suggestion.


    Although her figure skating skill wasn¡¯t as good as his, she, too, had undergone some serious training


    before.


    Initially, she practiced figure skating just so she could convince ke.


    She didn¡¯t expect that she would fall in love with the sport herself.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Since she had nothing better to do anyway, she thought it was an excellent time to have some


    fun.


    ¡°But I want Bria to skate with me.¡± He naturally had no objection to her request.


    When Bria heard that ke and Amelie were going to take her skating with them, she was so happy that


    she pped her hands and jumped for joy.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Shortly after, he brought skates and training uniforms for the two before leading them into the skating


    rink.


    While Amelie started doing her warm-ups, ke first took Bria to familiarize herself with the rink and


    taught her some simple exercises.


    For a 3-year-old, Bria was a surprisingly fast learner, for she was able to perform some spins around the


    rink under ke¡¯s lead in no time.


    Soon, Amelie chased after them with graceful glides and took Bria¡¯s other hand.


    Just like that, the three skated together in the rink.


    A trio containing two adults and a little girl made their appearance on the skating rink.


    The adults looked like a match made in heaven, and the little girl was adorable, so they immediately


    garnered a lot of attention and praise from the audience.


    At some point, melodious music sounded over the rink.


    Amelie spun as she instinctively pushed Bria, whereas ke firmly caught her.


    She found the routine fun and giggled happily as she demanded more.


    Then, Amelie lifted her up.


    ke, on the other hand, skated behind her.


    He firmly grabbed her waist, bncing her as he led her to do another spin.


    Since ke¡¯s figure skating skills were superb, Amelie was not at all worried that she and Bria would fall.


    They danced and skated to their heart¡¯s content,pletely immersing themselves in the passionate


    beat of the music.


    As she possessed a pair of long legs, a thin waist, and exceptional dancing skills, every movement she


    made perfectly matched the rhythm of the music.


    In addition, her graceful and beautiful movements made her look just like a mysterious elf dancing across


    the ice as she spun between ke¡¯s arms.


    Each glide she made was elegant yet exuded a mesmerizing aura.


    ke¡¯s gaze softened at some point.


    He slightly sped his arms which allowed room for Amelie to embrace Bria as she spun between his


    arms.


    The corners of his lips curled into a tender smile.


    Meanwhile, on the other end, Elyse and Leo walked in.


    When Elyse saw this scene, she eximed, ¡°Wow! What a harmonious family!¡± Leo looked over at the


    comment and saw three figures skating gracefully.


    Because Bria and Amelie were wearing helmets, Leo didn¡¯t recognize them at all.


    Like Elyse, he, too, thought the scene was beautiful.


    Just then, the music ended.


    Amelie took off her helmet and flicked her long hair coolly.


    ¡°That was awesome! Leo¡¯s face showed obvious signs of surprise the moment he recognized Amelie. I


    never knew that Amelie could skate¡ªnot to mention being able to skate so gracefully.


    But, in my impression, apart from having a dishonest nature, she¡¯s a dull and boring person. In the


    meantime, Bria took off her helmet too.


    ¡°Mommy! It¡¯s so fun!¡± As she was totally captivated by ke¡¯s charm and oblivious to Leo¡¯s arrival.


    She took ke¡¯s hand and refused to let go.


    ¡°Mr. Celeste, can I not address you as Mr. ke? How about you be my father instead?¡± Bria heard from


    Julia that after Amelie and Leo divorced, Amelie would find a better man to be her father.


    Since she really liked ke so much, she thought it would certainly be great if ke could be her father.


    s, her innocent remark made Leo¡¯s face abruptly be sullen.


    Although he didn¡¯t say a word, Elyse still felt the sudden chill surrounding her.


    Her heart involuntarily skipped a beat due to fear.


    ¡°key, help me look after Bria for a while.


    I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Amelie didn¡¯t catch what Bria had said to ke.


    Instead, she entrusted ke to look after Bria before she entered the bathroom.


    As soon as she walked in, the door behind her closer with a bang.


    She was taken aback by the noise, and when she turned around, she saw a gloomy and sullen face.


    Leo stood behind her¡ªmalice and ruthlessness filled his gaze as he stared her down.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Truthfully, Amelie was quite surprised to stumble upon Leo here.


    Still, out of courtesy, she smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Alston, you¡¯re in the wrong ce.


    This is the women¡¯s bathroom.


    The men¡¯s bathroom is next door.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re hooking up with another man, but you will


    not take Bria with you! She¡¯s my daughter! Return her to the Alston Residence at once!¡± Leo habitually


    commanded her to do his bidding.


    After she heard his rude demands, the polite smile she initially had quickly melted away as she sneered,


    ¡°Your daughter? Mr. Alston, do you know the time I gave birth to Bria? Was Bria born in the morning or


    the afternoon? And the weather on the day she was born.


    Was it cloudy or sunny that day? Also, do you even know what we went through after her birth?¡± In an


    instant, her pointed questions shut him up.


    He was utterly stumped and unable to answer any of her questions. After I married Amelie, I spent more


    time in thepany.


    In fact, I spent two-thirds of my time in the entire year on business trips.


    The only thing I remembered was that Amelie had already given birth to Bria by the time I returned home


    from my trip. Amelie looked down, disappointed by Leo¡¯s reaction. I once read the introduction of a novel


    about a woman who had gone through her pregnancy alone, went for check-ups alone, and even gave


    birth alone.


    At that time, I felt that the female lead character in the novel was very pitiful.


    It wasn¡¯t until I bled profusely during childbirth to the point that I had to sign a notice of critical illness for


    Bria that I realized the scenario described in the book was only one-tenth of what I had endured.


    For that reason, ever since he didn¡¯t pick up my distressed calls, I deliberately kept this matter hidden


    from him.


    So what if I told him the truth? He would probably just ridicule and mock me anyway, saying everything


    that happened to me was due to my scheming against him and my karma for ruining his rtionship with


    Elyse. She hid away the grief in her heart as she raised her head and gave him a fierce smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Alston.


    Bria is the apple of my eye.


    So naturally, I won¡¯t make her suffer the same fate as me.


    I won¡¯t let anyone think she¡¯s of lowly birth.


    Instead, I will provide her a life that¡¯s filled with utter dignity!¡± Immediately after she finished saying her


    piece, she bypassed him and stormed out of the bathroom.


    The following days were much calmer.


    After ke¡¯s return, he began his emerce live-streaming activity every day.


    He earned himself a considerable fanbase thanks to his exceptional temperament and reputation as a


    figure skating champion.


    His live stream was so sessful that one wouldn¡¯t think the staff members at the Starlight Media were


    boastful if they told them that thepany was profiting greatly every single day.


    Bria even transformed into ke¡¯s biggest fan.


    She would follow him around like a duckling.


    This made Jamie so jealous that he, too, tried his best to win Bria¡¯s favor.


    Bria was totally overjoyed to be able to hang around with these two handsome guys daily.


    On the other hand, Amelie had a lot of free time since she didn¡¯t have to look after Bria all the time.


    Hence, Julia came knocking early in the morning and took her out on a shopping spree.


    Since Julia was an influentialdy boss in the emerce live-streaming industry, everyone in the store


    instantly recognized her the moment she entered.


    The staff wasted no time gathering around her, wishing they could persuade her to try on all the clothes


    in the store.


    Unlike Julia, Amelie was used to keeping a low profile.


    She watched as everyone gathered around Julia and simply exited the store quietly.


    Then, she randomly walked into another store.


    Soon, she had her eyes on a pink dress.


    Although the dress had a simple and minimalistic design, it was both chic and beautiful.


    She immediately took the dress, approached a staff member, and said politely, ¡°Please wrap it up for


    me.¡± ¡°Right away, Miss.¡± The staff wasted no time as she bagged the dress.


    ¡°Lookie here! Isn¡¯t this the especially tough Amelie?¡± Suddenly, a piercing and sarcastic voice sounded


    from outside the boutique.


    Amelie swiveled her head toward the voice in slight annoyance and saw a woman walking into the store


    with several people in tow.


    The instant sheid her eyes on the woman, she could feel the woman¡¯s res stabbing her like


    daggers.


    The woman had her lips curled into a smirk as she sized Amelie up with her eyes filled with contempt


    and disdain.


    This person was none other than Amelie¡¯s former sister-inw, Jodie.


    Jodie had always looked down on her.


    Hence, when she saw the dress in the staff¡¯s hand, she snorted derisively, ¡°With that little capability of


    yours, you still dare to shop for clothes at a store such as this? Do you even know how expensive the


    clothes here are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that expensive,¡± Amelie retorted indifferently. Most of the clothes here only


    cost thousands of dors.


    This amount of money is nothing to me. ¡°Ha! How boastful! From what I see: you knew precisely that I


    woulde here to shop and specifically waited for me here.


    Instead, you want me to pay for you and, simultaneously,in about how broke you are in the


    hopes that I will bring you back to the Alston Residence,¡± Jodie said with absolute certainty.


    From Jodie¡¯s point of view, this was the sole possibility that Amelie would show up here in this store.


    That was because she knew that Amelie had left the Alston Residence without taking a single cent and


    was currently unemployed.


    ¡°How about you get down on your knees and beg me? Who knows? I might think about it.¡± With that, she


    crossed her arms in front of her chest and sat before Amelie imperiously.


    Her eyes gleamed with malicious intent as she tilted her head arrogantly at Amelie.


    In truth, Jodie never thought of allowing Amelie to return to the Alston Residence at all.


    Unfortunately, she was used to taking her frustrations out on Amelie.


    Therefore, she would feel as though ants were crawling under her skin if she didn¡¯t get to bully Amelie


    upon encountering her.


    At this moment, Jodie¡¯s heart was filled with immense pride, and she was so confident that Amelie would


    definitely allow herself to be humiliated just for a chance to return to the Alston Residence.


    Although her marriage with Leo brought Amelie nothing but misfortune, it also gave her a chance to see


    the true colors of the Alston Family.


    As they had lived under the same roof for the past four years, she certainly knew what Jodie had in mind,


    and she couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly. Back then, I would roll over when Jolly started her daily ¡®Amelie


    Hunting¡¯ solely because I didn¡¯t want to distract and trouble Leo with such trivial matters.


    But now that we have divorced, why should I continue ying meek littlemb? She dismissed Jodie


    entirely as she went straight to the counter and said calmly, ¡°Check this out for me, please.¡± How dare


    Amelie ignore me?! The situation angered Jodie so much that it made her blood boil.


    She rudely grabbed the dress from the staff and mmed it on the counter.


    ¡°I¡¯m buying this dress!¡± ¡°I got my hands on it first,¡± Amelie reminded her coldly.


    Regardless, Jodie was very much used to having her needs catered to.


    ¡°So what? I¡¯m the heiress of the Alstons.


    Not only am I able to buy this piece of dress, but it also won¡¯t be a problem even if I buy this entire store!¡±


    Then, she ordered in an insufferably arrogant manner, ¡°Can a staff member of this store immediately


    come over here and chase this penurious woman out?!¡± ¡°Oh, how arrogant.


    Why don¡¯t you buy this store before issuing such an order?¡± Julia¡¯s voice cut in before Amelie could say


    another word.


    She held her small bag in her arms and sashayed over confidently.


    Her eyes were filled with distaste toward Jodie.


    At first, Jodie merely made that statement because she just wanted to boast of her wealth before Amelie.


    Nheless, now that Julia had made a bet with her, her face momentarily crimsoned with


    embarrassment.


    ¡°This is a family matter.


    Miss White, you¡¯d be better off not meddling.¡± Julia was such a popr figure that Jodie naturally knew


    who she was.


    Hence, she couldn¡¯t help reminding Julia.


    Julia sneered, ¡°Amy is the only member of her family.


    Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you call yourself her family! Besides, she¡¯s my best friend.


    So, Miss Alston, her business is my business!¡± Jodie immediately looked at Julia in disbelief. What¡¯s


    happening? I wholeheartedly thought that Julia was simply standing up for the weak.


    But, in the end, she turns out to be Amelie¡¯s best friend¡­ How is this possible? Amelie is merely the


    daughter of a poverty-stricken shoemaker.


    How could she know Julia? Julia couldn¡¯t care less about what Jodie was thinking.


    She made her way toward the counter, threw a ck card, and announced generously, ¡°I¡¯m willing to


    offer twice the price to buy this store.¡± Everyone instantly became speechless at her words.


    Twice the price?! That¡¯s like tens of millions! At that point, everyone was so shocked by Julia¡¯s generosity


    that they didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly for fear of attracting her attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I may not be able to sell this store to you, but Miss White, we are able to carry out any orders


    you have in mind.¡± The store manager was a shrewd person.


    She had already picked up on the fact that Julia was trying to get even with Jodie.


    Julia curled her lips in a satisfied smile at the manager¡¯s words.


    Then, she cast a nce at Jodie and spoke slowly¡­Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    ¡°I will take all the medium-sized clothes in this store!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Jodie blurted in disbelief.


    Even if Julia didn¡¯t manage to buy the store, Jodie was pissed off. I am a size medium! Julia is clearly


    doing this to prohibit me from buying clothes in this store!


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    The staff ignored her as one of them hurriedly replied, ¡°Right away, Miss White!¡± From the staff¡¯s point of


    view, there was nothing wrong with the guests purchasing the clothes they wanted.


    Furthermore, they wouldn¡¯t be offending Jodie by doing so and could reach their sales target this month


    after Julia¡¯s shopping spree.


    Hence, they were more than willing to wrap all the medium-sized clothes for her.


    Although there was only one medium-sized item for each piece of clothing in the store, it still cost her


    about two hundred thousand, which was the price of a house in a small city.


    When Jodie saw that Julia had sessfully avenged Amelie without batting an eye, she stomped her


    feet in resentment.


    Even so, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Thus, she had no choice but to leave the store angrily.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth wasting your money for an irrelevant woman like Jodie.¡± Amelie only voiced her opinion


    when they departed the boutique.


    She truly didn¡¯t take someone as trivial as Jodie seriously.


    Juliezily conveyed her disagreement with Amelie¡¯s statement, ¡°She dares to be so arrogant simply


    because the Alstons are wealthy.


    I just want to let her know that wealth means nothing to you.


    Hey, if you didn¡¯t hide the fact that you were a wealthydy and crushed them with your wealth back


    then, they probably would have been the ones pandering to your every need so as to curry favor from


    you in the past four years!¡± In conclusion, Julia could never forget Amelie¡¯s sufferings all these years.


    Amelie could be as forgiving as she wanted, but even she couldn¡¯t begrudge Julia in holding a grudge.


    Little did people know, Amelie wasn¡¯t just a certified live streamer with millions of fans.


    She also owned Starlight Media.


    On the other hand, Julia was just managing thepany on her behalf.


    Amelie merely shed her a bitter smile.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t think about telling Leo the truth.


    It was just that every time she wanted to speak to him, he turned and left, giving Amelie no chance to tell


    him anything at all.


    Then, as time went by, she felt that there was indeed no point in telling him anything at all.


    ¡­ Leo came to Toby¡¯s housete at night.


    Toby¡¯s elder sister just gave birth to a daughter, and today was the day they threw a baby shower for the


    newborn.


    Leo leaned against the sofa as he saw Toby¡¯s brother-inw, Jimmy Goldstein, bustling around the living


    room while holding the baby girl in his arms.


    He didn¡¯t mind the baby getting his expensive suit stained as he clumsily changed the baby¡¯s diaper.


    This scene made Leo suddenly think of his daughter, Bria. As far as I recall, it seems that I have never


    changed her diaper.


    My heart was only full of anger and hatred back then, considering how Amelie forced me to marry her.


    Later, the news of her pregnancy aggravated my humiliation and anger, making me more willing to spend


    time at work, which caused me to neglect Bria. Thinking of that, he asked Toby in a muffled voice, ¡°Did I


    fail miserably as a father?¡± Toby immediately stopped drinking and looked at him straight in the eye.


    ¡°You failed miserably as a husband too.¡± Leo was taken aback for a while.


    The next moment, he retorted hotly, ¡°I never asked to be her husband!¡± Leo hated the despicable means


    Amelie used against him in order to force him to marry her.


    Although Toby agreed with Leo, he merely nodded and continued, ¡°Indeed, you never asked to be her


    husband.


    But you will help a stranger when they are in trouble, won¡¯t you? Back then, she bled profusely while


    giving birth to Bria.


    Not to mention, Bria facedplications right after her birth.


    Because of this, Amelie barely escaped death¡¯s clutches.


    When I saw her, she held Bria desperately, even though she was still pallid and sickly.


    Despite that, she kept begging the doctor to take her blood and save Bria.


    The doctor refused, so she continued begging to the point that she injured herself.¡± ¡°What? Such a thing


    happened¡­ before?¡± Leo looked at Toby in disbelief.


    ¡°Yeah.


    Since Bria suffered from a blood infection, she required an immediate blood transfusion.


    Yet, the situation was made even more challenging because her blood type was Rh-negative.


    Unfortunately, the hospital had no such blood in its blood bank then, so they had to find someone for a


    temporary blood transfusion.


    Amelie was only so agitated because Bria was in terrible condition and very likely couldn¡¯t survive if no


    donor showed up in the next few minutes.¡± Toby knew about this matter simply because he was


    coincidentally in the hospital when the incident urred.


    Ever since the day he saw this scene unravel before his eyes, Toby, who initially had a terrible


    impression of Amelie, gradually changed his attitude toward her.


    Meanwhile, Leo froze on the spot for a moment after he learned of the incident.


    Suddenly, he recalled that she once called him several times, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to care at that


    time.


    He just thought that she was causing trouble for him. After doing the math, those must be the distressed


    calls she made while giving birth! So when she called me back then, she was actually¡­ calling for help?


    She wants me to save Bria?! That was why she would ask me if I knew what they had gone through


    when Bria was born.


    Did she want to tell me this? As he thought of that, his heart abruptly throbbed in pain.


    He immediately rose to his feet and ran outside.


    At the same time, Elyse and Ashton happened to be making their way over.


    When Elyse saw Leo was in such a hurry, she couldn¡¯t help shouting, ¡°Leo!¡± Unfortunately, Leo left


    without even sparing her a nce.


    Therefore, Ashton walked up to Toby angrily and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What did you tell him?¡±


    Toby shrugged indifferently as he replied in a s¨¦ tone, ¡°What else? I¡¯m just telling him what Amelie


    had experienced in the past.¡± ¡°You!¡± Ashton was tremendously infuriated.


    ¡°You clearly knew that Elyse returned for Leo, so why did you tell him all those things?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want


    Leo to not be able to learn about his true feelings and make a mistake again!¡± Toby gave Elyse a


    meaningful look before he strolled out without saying anything else.


    On the other hand, Elyse stared at the now empty chair that Leo had sat in earlier¡ªsigns of emotional


    turmoil could be seen in her eyes.


    Because Amelie was worried that the divorce would affect Bria¡¯s mood, she helped Bria apply for a long


    holiday and only sent her to kindergarten today.


    ¡°Goodbye, Mommy.¡± Bria waved goodbye to her obediently before making her way into the kindergarten


    with her petite legs.


    As she tenderly watched her daughter¡¯s lovely back silhouette and smiled gently.


    It wasn¡¯t until Bria¡¯s figurepletely disappeared from her sight that she turned around and left.


    However, she unexpectedly saw Leo on the side of the road after she took a few steps away from the


    entrance¡¯s kindergarten.


    She thought in confusion, Leo neveres to Bria¡¯s kindergarten, so what¡¯s he doing here¡­ As she


    tried to guess the possibility of Leo showing up in front of Bria¡¯s kindergarten to no avail, she involuntarily


    approached him.


    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Alston?¡± Leo slowly shifted his gaze to her face at the sound of


    her voice. I can¡¯t believe that I actually only thought of taking a proper look at her today.


    She has a heart-shaped face, and her facial features are neat and delicate.


    No doubt, she¡¯s a beautiful woman.


    The only problem is that she¡¯s just too skinny. He straightened his posture as he asked, ¡°Why have you


    never mentioned that you were bleeding profusely and the baby had a blood infection and needed an


    exchange transfusion when she was born?¡± Amelie raised her eyebrows with surprise at the inquiry.


    She didn¡¯t expect Leo would actually ask her about this matter.


    ¡°You didn¡¯te when I needed you, so what¡¯s the point of me mentioning it to youter?¡± Then, she


    lowered her head and smiled, concealing the sadness in her eyes.


    He was silent for a while.


    Then, he took out a check from his pocket, handed it to her, and said, ¡°Here.


    Consider this money as yourpensation.¡± As she stared at therge amount written on the check, she


    thought, How generous of him to write me a check with thisrge sum of money.


    I did imagine what his attitude would be after he learned about this matter.


    At that time, I thought he would at least apologize to me for Bria¡¯s sake.


    Yet, I never thought that in the end¡­ he would use money as a way to sweep it under the rug.


    Well, that just shows me that I can¡¯t harbor high expectations regarding him.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡± She avoided Leo¡¯s check coldly.


    ¡°I only have myself to me for everything in the past.


    Since I dyed some of your good years as well, you can just think of it as if I have taken the money and


    given it back to you as your emotional damagepensation.


    From now on, we don¡¯t owe each other anything.¡± After she said that, she tilted her head and looked at


    Leo with a carefree smile.


    Her cool reaction surprised Leo.


    In his opinion, she married into the Alston Family because of money.


    But now, she refused the money that he gave to her freely? However, when he thought of the various


    things that happened, his surprise was immediately reced by irony.


    Leo¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Think carefully before you speak.


    This is myst offer to you! Keep pretending, and you won¡¯t get a penny in the future!¡± Ha! He thinks I¡¯m


    pretentious. The moment Amelie heard Leo¡¯s words, her heart turned stone cold.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Alston.


    I will live a happy life without you, and my time is worth more than getting into petty fights with you,¡± she


    mocked contemptuously.


    After she finished speaking, she hailed a taxi and got into it without a single hesitation.


    As the car moved away, the frigid expression on her face slowly dissipated, leaving only a resigned


    smile.


    She had lived with the Alston Family for four years and had never overstepped her boundaries.


    So when had she ever tried anything when it came to Leo? Julia soon learned about Leo forcing money


    on Amelie instead of apologizing for his wrongdoings.


    She was so pissed that she held nothing back as she insulted him mercilessly.


    ¡°What a b*stard! He thinks that he is the only one with money in the world.


    Amelie, you must attend the Starlight Media charity auction and make him jealous!¡± Julia had always


    been efficient; within a minute, she told her staff that Amelie would appear on stage.


    At the same time, she also had Amelie¡¯s outfit and her malepanion ready.


    ¡°The malepanion will pose as your boyfriend.


    Don¡¯t worry, thepanion I found will definitely make Leo so jealous that he will cry and faint in the


    toilet!¡± When Amelie finally saw the ¡®boyfriend¡¯ Julia talked about at the entrance of the auction venue,


    her head filled with white noise.


    The first thought she had was she would definitely get photographed fainting in the toilet instead of Leo


    because the ¡®boyfriend¡¯ was none other than ke.


    If ke¡¯s fans knew that the gorgeous man was tainted by a ¡®harlot¡¯ like her, they might actually attempt


    to shoot her.


    He was wearing a white shirt and a dark blue suit.


    He looked more handsome than ever, like a noble prince right out of fairy tales.


    Regardless, he had a bashful smile when he came over and handed a bunch of flowers to Amelie.


    ¡°Hey, Amelie.¡± ¡°H-Hi, key.¡± Amelie had difficulty speaking as she felt a migraine building.


    Could she just change the ¡®boyfriend¡¯ before it was toote? The truth was that it was indeed toote.


    On the opposite side, Leo and Elyse could be seen entering the venue and were surrounded by


    reporters.


    Elyse intentionally stopped in front of Amelie and ke when she saw them standing together.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Gareth, will you not introduce me to thisdy here? Last time, I remember seeing you both skating


    together on the ice rink.


    There was good chemistry.¡± F*ck! If no one had previously known about the skating incident, it was no


    longer the case! Elyse had just announced it to the world.


    ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend,¡± ke answered promptly.


    He had probably received Julia¡¯s instructions as he smiled shyly.


    ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Elyse looked surprised.


    ¡°Howe? That day, I also saw¡­¡± She did not finish her sentence, although her eyes went between


    Amelie and ke, and it was self-evident what was left unspoken; Amelie had a child, so how could she


    be in a rtionship with ke? Nheless, he remained calm.


    ¡°Yes, everything is just as what you had seen.¡± After he spoke, he nodded to Elyse and then looked at


    Amelie with a gentle gaze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Although he was only a figure skater, he was very famous.


    Coupled with his outstanding appearance and legendary performance in the past two years, he had fans


    worldwide.


    The reporters initially interviewing Elyse swarmed around ke and Amelie when he revealed such big


    news.


    ¡°Mr. Gareth, can you tell us how you both met?¡± ¡°You two seem to be a good match.


    Do you n to get married in the near future?¡± ¡°Mr. Gareth, you¡¯re only 23 years old.


    Aren¡¯t you worried that your fans won¡¯t be able to bear it if you open up about your rtionship so early?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Gareth¡­¡± ¡°She is not from the industry.


    Please don¡¯t scare her off.¡± ke was not annoyed even though he was surrounded by all sides.


    He just reminded them to be gentle and ensured that Amelie was safe by his side.


    Amelie immediately lowered her head cooperatively upon hearing his reply.


    She yed along by revealing a nervous look on her and tried to hide her face in the crook of his arms


    so that no one could see her.


    Nevertheless, she caught sight of Leo out of her peripheral vision, who was standing not far away.


    He was also looking at her, and his expression was no longer indifferent¡ªthere were signs of obvious


    derision when he curled his lips.


    He was sneering at her because she was wheeling the same old trick.


    The so-called living a better life without him was actually her seducing another man.


    Even though she had decided to ignore himpletely, she was still very ufortable at the thought


    of him looking down on her, and her heart twisted in difort.


    Perhaps ke gave everyone such a good impression that the reporters stopped bothering them.


    But it was not until entering the venue that Amelie dared to heave a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, key.


    I did not expect Julia to arrange you as my boyfriend.


    Don¡¯t worry.


    I will have Julia rify everything as soon as possible after we return.¡± Amelie felt extremely guilty for


    involving such a beautiful and innocent ke in her mess.


    She only dared to say these words out loud because the reporters were not allowed in the venue.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he answered and smiled warmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored to be your boyfriend.


    Though, I know I¡¯m not good enough for you.¡± ¡°No, no, no.


    You¡¯re worthy.


    Of course, you¡¯re worthy of me.¡± He was being so kind.


    Obviously, she was robbing the cradle, but he still insisted that he was not worthy of her.


    He cared so much that he did not want to hurt her feelings.


    Amelie was busy thinking about how kind he was in her heart that she did not notice the sincerity and


    disappointment that shed across his face when he said that.


    Well, she didn¡¯t see it, but someone else definitely did.


    Leo was only a few steps behind them.


    Even though their intended destinations differed, he still could not help but follow the pair.


    He was hiding in a corner where she could not see.


    So naturally, he also overheard the conversation between the two.


    It turned out it was not Amelie who seduced the man half her age.


    Instead, it was ke, and he liked her? Leo felt that the turn of events was incredible.


    At the same time, he thought ke had an incredibly terrible taste that he would develop feelings for a


    woman like her.


    After this thought appeared in his mind, he felt his heart constrict in difort and felt somewhat


    suffocated, though.


    The only thing he could think of was how gentle ke was when he gazed at her.


    In addition to being a figure skating champion, ke was also the most popr male anchor of Starlight


    Media.


    Nobody had a second thought when he appeared at the auction site because everyone only regarded


    him as representing Starlight Media.


    No one dug deep into Amelie¡¯s identity.


    Although her name trended on Twitter once, her face was blurred out.


    Also, since she seldom went out after her marriage with Leo, almost no one recognized her.


    Only ke¡¯s name was written on the seat, but not hers.


    She was not sure whether it was another one of Julia¡¯s machinations.


    Not long after he sat down, he was temporarily called away.


    Hence, she lowered her head to check what the auction items were.


    ¡°Just how much do you want to nab a rich man? This is the auction house, for God¡¯s sake!¡± She


    suddenly heard an unpleasant voice ringing right next to her.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Amelie looked up and saw Jodie walking in with her ex-mother-inw, Melissa.


    As soon as Jodie saw Amelie, she instantly red at her contemptuously.


    There were not many people at the venue, and all of them were scattered around chatting with each


    other.


    Only Amelie was sitting in the seat.


    Jodie still remembered clearly how she lost face at the clothing storest time.


    So, Amelie was no less than a fictitious enemy who killed her father, and she had wanted to punish


    Amelie for a long time.


    ¡°Jojo!¡± Melissa whispered, trying to remind Jodie to remainposed in front of everyone.


    Melissa paid the most attention to her image and always wanted toe off as looking elegant and


    dignified.


    Jodie blinked a few times maliciously before pulling Melissa away.


    ¡°The auction hasn¡¯t started yet.


    Mommy, why don¡¯t you go over there to see what¡¯s happening at the art exhibition?¡± The art exhibition


    and auction would be carried out at the same time.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Melissa knew exactly what her daughter was plotting, so she walked away since she could


    always im usible deniabilityter.


    Amelie was far from surprised by Melissa¡¯s actions, given that she had always behaved like this when


    they were at the Alston Residence.


    Amelie was also indifferent when she saw Jodie walking toward her with an evil smile.


    As soon as Jodie approached Amelie, she rudely pulled out the auction list that Amelie was holding in


    her hand and threw it on the ground.


    ¡°What a shameless slut! Do you really think you are from Starlight Media because Julia once protected


    you? Do you think you have the qualifications to sit here? F*ck off immediately! This is my seat!¡±


    However, Amelie merely nonchntly looked at Jodie.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll let everyone know that you sneaked in without an invitation letter!


    Let¡¯s see if any man is willing to have you when you get thrown out by the security!¡± When Jodie spoke,


    her eyes fell on the set of cleaner¡¯s clothes that someone put next to Amelie, and her eyes were filled


    with ill intent.


    Somehow, Jodie determined that Amelie infiltrated the venue disguised as a cleaner.


    While Amelie also noticed the suit earlier, she was not troubled by it.


    So, she did not ask anyone to take it away.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Amelie questioned dispassionately.


    She had never been afraid of Jodie and was only courteous to Jodie because she was Leo¡¯s younger


    sister.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    But, of course, now that they were divorced, there was no need to worry about being polite at all.


    Well, Amelie was bored and decided to y a prank on Jodie.


    Immediately, Amelie wore a worried look.


    ¡°Then¡­ where should I sit?¡± Amelie¡¯s ¡®worried¡¯ expression yed right into Jodie¡¯s hands.


    Jodie turned and pointed at a spot at thest row in the corner.


    ¡°See that? That¡¯s where Zach, the 68 years old pervert, sits.


    If you sit there, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll notice and take care of you.


    If he¡¯s in a good mood, perhaps he¡¯ll even take you in as his seventh lover!¡± Zach was famous for being


    lustful.


    He already had six lovers at home, but he still screwed around and was recently diagnosed with AIDS.


    It seemed that Jodie not only wanted to humiliate her but also wanted to kill her.


    ¡°You mean¡­ that seat?¡± Amelie was very calm as she slowly stood up.


    Jodie let out a sarcastic huff and was just about to continue humiliating Amelie when Amelie suddenly


    said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit there yourself?¡± ¡°You! How dare you order me to sit there?! I will kill you!¡± Jodie


    was an arrogant person.


    She always thought of herself as a noble princess.


    So, when Amelie didn¡¯t obey her wishes, she could no longer bear it.


    She immediately raised her hand and attempted to p Amelie.


    But Amelie was not afraid.


    Instead, she replied calmly, ¡°Miss Alston, there are surveince cameras everywhere.


    I¡¯m sure it would be embarrassing for you if you get caught on camera.¡± Jodie had been maintaining the


    pure and noble rich girl image in front of everyone; thest thing she would do was allow her reputation


    to fall.


    So, no matter how furious she was at Amelie, she had to withdraw her hand.


    ¡°Just you wait!¡± Since Jodie could not hit Amelie, she could only make threats.


    ¡°Today, I will definitely make sure you sit next to Zach!¡± After she threatened Amelie, she gave her a hard


    look and flounced off.


    Not long after, Jodie came back with a man beside her.


    It was Xavier, ke¡¯s manager.


    ¡°Mr. Conner, this woman doesn¡¯t have an invitation letter, but she is sitting next to ke!¡± Jodie used


    loudly while pointing at ke¡¯s name on the seat with anger.


    Xavier did not know who Amelie was.


    So, when he heard what Jodie said, he came over to Amelie and asked politely, ¡°Miss, do you have an


    invitation letter? If not, please leave.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t,¡± Amelie answered calmly.


    There was a smug look shing across Jodie¡¯s face when Jodie heard that, but Amelie continued,


    ¡°However, I¡¯m ke¡¯s friend.


    He was the one who asked me to sit here.¡± ¡°What a sick joke!¡± Jodieughed sharply upon hearing


    Amelie¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? ke already has a girlfriend, and this seat is reserved for his girlfriend.


    So who do you think you are to take the seat he left for his girlfriend!?¡± Jodie knew that ke had a


    girlfriend, but she had no idea it was Amelie.


    Nevertheless, Amelie could not be bothered to exin.


    Instead, she merely said, ¡°This position is indeed mine.¡± Xavier looked at Amelie, who remained


    composed, and was a little uncertain.


    So, he proceeded to call ke.


    Meanwhile, Jodie gloated, ¡°Let¡¯s see what ke will do after knowing that you have taken up his


    girlfriend¡¯s seat!¡± ke returned to where Amelie was sitting not long after the call.


    ¡°ke, this woman is so shameless.


    She has upied your girlfriend¡¯s ce.


    Toss her out.¡± Jodie intentionally raised her voice so more people could hear what was happening.


    As soon as she did that, many people started gathering around them.


    When she saw that, she also yelled for security to humiliate Amelie, ¡°Security, why don¡¯t you throw her


    out?¡± ¡°Who are you? Who do you think you are to throw my girlfriend out?¡± ke questioned.


    He had always been gentle and shy, but now, he looked serious and aloof.


    ¡°Your girlfriend?¡± Jodie¡¯s face froze instantly, and she looked at ke in disbelief.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± ke reserved this position for his girlfriend.


    Could it be that¡­ Amelie was his girlfriend? She was ke¡¯s most loyal fan.


    So when she came in and heard that he was in love, she was utterly despondent.


    Now that ke¡¯s girlfriend turned out to be her ex-sister-inw, whom she had always looked down


    upon, it was very humiliating for her.


    She shivered and almost fainted on the spot.


    But ke merely ignored her and sat next to Amelie.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Amelie red at Jodie coldly.


    Such a trivial character could not scare her.


    Due to themotion, the organizer also came over and gave Jodie a dissatisfied look.


    Then, he hurriedly rushed to ke and Amelie¡¯s side to appease them.


    ¡°Mr. Lambert.¡± Amelie looked at the person in charge and ordered, ¡°Julia mentioned that Jodie would be


    coming, and here she is.


    Please move this chair over to Zach¡¯s side since Julia will be sitting with uster.¡± Although the person in


    charge was unsure about Amelie¡¯s identity, Julia had already called and told him to follow Amelie¡¯s


    orders.


    He did not dare to hesitate and quickly moved the seat that Amelie pointed to the back.


    That seat belonged to Jodie! When Jodie saw that the staff ced her seat next to Zach¡¯s, she trembled


    like a leaf.


    ¡°Y-You! How dare you!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Melissa walked toward them and asked when she saw her


    daughter¡¯s enraged expression.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Jodie hated to be humiliated in public, but she could not retaliate because she was on Starlight Media¡¯s


    turf.


    They obviously could arrange things however they wanted, and if she continued making trouble, she


    would not be able to get an out.


    ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go.¡± She no longer had the mood to exin, so she asked Melissa to leave with her.


    On the other hand, Amelie pursed her lips nonchntly and acted as if nothing had happened.


    Not long after, Leo and Elyse came and took the seats right next to Amelie.


    ¡°That woman¡­ Isn¡¯t she Amelie?¡± Someone finally recognized Amelie and asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she married to Young Master Leo? But why¡­¡± Even though Amelie had been living in seclusion for


    the past four years, the incident where she cleared up Elyse¡¯s cheating.


    She rified the matter by telling everyone that she and Leo had separated peacefully and that Leo and


    Elyse were an item and were preparing to get married still more or less left a profound memory.


    The bystanders¡¯ eyes were wandering between Amelie, Leo, Elyse, and ke, and they smelled the


    scent of gossip like sharks would scent blood.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but Leo and I have already divorced,¡± Amelie stood up to rify in a poised


    manner.


    She did not want ke to feel as if he was currently in a rtionship with a married woman.


    Leo had always been expressionless, but he frowned, and his face darkened the moment he heard


    Amelie¡¯s rification.


    He felt Amelie was showing off that she got another man just after a divorce.


    Amelie noticed Leo¡¯s facial expression, but she could not care less.


    Instead, she lowered her head and continued discussing the auction with ke.


    The auction started soon after the interlude.


    As the auctioneer lifted the red cloth to reveal the final item, Elyse whispered to Leo, ¡°Leo, I want that


    diamond tiara really bad.¡± The diamond tiara was the most expensive item in the auction tonight, and


    Amelie had wanted it for a long time! She had always been obsessed with the dream of wearing a


    diamond tiara and holding a grand European wedding with the person she loved the most.


    Although this dream was shattered, her desire for a diamond tiara remained.


    When Elyse said she wanted the tiara, her eyes were actually fixated on Amelie, and she was wearing a


    provocative expression.


    Elyse must have noticed Amelie¡¯s expression when the diamond tiara was shown and wanted to snatch


    it away from Amelie. This Elyse¡­ She had an affair with my husband.


    Now, she¡¯s having thoughts about the diamond tiara that I have always wanted. But, of course, Amelie


    would not give up so easily.


    So, when Elyse held the card up, she followed suit.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°8.1 million! 8.2 million!¡± The auctioneer continued announcing thetest bid price on the stage.


    The starting price of the tiara was already rtively high.


    So, it was expected that only Elyse and Amelie were doing their bidding.


    Well, the fact that the two were trying to bid on the same diamond tiara, coupled with how their


    rtionships were entangled, the people around them started to feel as if a drama was brewing, and


    they all exchanged meaningful looks.


    All eyes were fixated on the two women as the price quickly soared to 20 million. Ding.


    There was a message notification on Amelie¡¯s phone.


    She looked down and was startled when she saw the number.


    It was Leo! How did he even know her new phone number? That was the strangest thing that could have


    happened.


    The message only had three words¡ª¡¯Don¡¯t overestimate yourself!¡¯ As always, his tone was indifferent


    and blunt.


    Obviously, he thought shecked the capability to bid on the tiara, and therefore, he assumed her


    continuous bidding was purely out of spite. Let him be.


    He can think whatever he wants of me. Amelie raised her card again.


    ¡°40 million!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Everyone gasped for air when they heard the bid rose from 20 million to 40 million.


    Elyse, who had been bidding all the time, also slowly put down the card knowing that the bid price


    was way too high.


    She had a pitiful expression on her face.


    Leo suddenly took Elyse¡¯s card, raised it, and announced in a low maic voice, ¡°45 million.¡± As


    soon as he spoke, there was another gasp from the audience.


    40 million was already a high amount, and someone still dared to raise the bid! Amelie also directed her


    attention to Leo. Oh, I see.


    So, now you want to help your most beloved lover because you feel that I am fighting her? I suppose this


    is true love¡ªensuring that the other person is being taken care of and not letting them suffer even a


    minor grievance. Did he want to protect Elyse? Well, it¡¯s okay.


    But she had no obligation to do so.


    Amelie raised the bid again, thinking of that.


    ¡°50 million!¡± In the blink of an eye, the price reached 90 million because it increased by 5 million each


    time someone raised the bid! This price had far exceeded the value of the diamond tiara itself.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, can I have a word?¡± Elyse stood up suddenly and continued, ¡°I really like this tiara, and I


    want to wear it when I get married.


    I beg you, Miss Dillon.


    Give it to me¡­ Stop bidding.¡± Elyse looked sincere when she said that, and she did not forget to nce


    at Leo as if she was wronged and had to make concessions.


    Amelie pursed her lips.


    If she continued the bid, the others would definitely think that she could not move on from Leo and did


    not want Leo and Elyse to get married.


    Well, it was just a diamond tiara.


    As she arrived at that conclusion, Amelie suddenly felt there was no point in continuing the bid, so she


    ced the card down readily.


    Besides, this wasn¡¯t the only tiara in existence.


    ¡°90 million once. 90 million twice. 90 million thri¡ª¡± ¡°100 million!¡± Just when everyone thought that the


    tiara would belong to Elyse and Leo, someone from the crowd announced thetest bid price loud and


    clear.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    It was ke! The crowd drew a collective breath as everyone¡¯s eyes turned to ke.


    Amelie also looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°Mr. Gareth, you¡ª¡± Elyse looked over in confusion as he stood up.


    ¡°Miss yton, you want to wear it on your wedding day, but it just happens that I want to get married too.


    My lover likes it so much, so I must get it for her!¡± This time, Leo did not bid anymore.


    He nced at Amelie, then led Elyse away without saying a word.


    ke obtained the diamond tiara, and after paying the final payment, he gave it to Amelie.


    ¡°Amelie, here you go.¡± ¡°You ced the bid on this for me?¡± She looked at him in surprise and thought he


    had obtained it just for the girl he loved! ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded seriously.


    ¡°Are you crazy? You paid 100 million for it?¡± 100 million! Amelie knew that this was almost all of ke¡¯s


    savings.


    ¡°This diamond tiara is not worth the price at all.


    There is absolutely no need for you to be such a fool!¡± She almost died of heartache from his wasted


    savings.


    ¡°The diamond tiara is not worth it, but you are worth it.¡± His tone was still serious, and his gaze on her


    was shining brightly.


    She seemed to see a sort of admiration in his eyes. I must be imagining it. At the auction house


    entrance, Elyse caught up with Leo with some effort while holding her dress.


    ¡°Leo, it¡¯s just a diamond tiara; I don¡¯t mind.¡± She put on a considerate look.


    ¡°I did not bid on the diamond tiara for you,¡± he said indifferently.


    Seeing Amelie bid for the diamond tiara, Leo suddenly thought of the night they got married.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    She said with a bit of regret, ¡°I sincerely desired to have a European wedding.


    I¡¯m talking about the kind where I¡¯m wearing a diamond tiara.¡± Although she had already divorced him,


    their rtionship had not reached the point where he could watch her make a fool of herself even though


    he knew she could not afford it.


    He first gave a warning and then decided to help her buy it.


    Even if she got angry and bid against him, he considered itpensation for their divorce.


    However, the end result was not as expected.


    Amelie already had a man willing to spend a lot of money on her.


    The more that man was willing to spend money for her, the more that man made him look like a


    scumbag.


    It was apparent that Amelie married him through unscrupulous means.


    What was the point of being nice to a woman who schemed against him? Frustration welled up in Leo


    and made him ufortable.


    Elyse looked around awkwardly.


    Initially, she wanted to act like she was generous, gentle, and considerate, but he was so indifferent to


    her.


    Fortunately, no one was around; otherwise, she would have been humiliated.


    ¡­ In the end, Amelie still epted the diamond tiara.


    Still, she asked Jamie to transfer 100 million to ke from her ount, which he returned that night.


    ¡°Amelie, if it weren¡¯t for you, I would be dying of starvation now.


    If you insist on returning the money to me, I won¡¯t stay in Starlight Media!¡± This kid¡­ I just want to pay


    back the money; why is it so difficult? Although there were no reporters at the auction house, the story of


    ke spending 100 million to buy a diamond tiara for Amelie still spread throughout the upper-ss


    circle.


    Jodie received a lot of calls in just one morning, and everyone was asking about this.


    ¡°Damn, Amelie is just trash that the Alston Family doesn¡¯t want anymore, but ke spent so much


    money for her!¡± When Jodie thought about how her favorite idol, whom she dreamed of calling ¡®hubby,¡¯


    had spent so much money for someone like Amelie, it was as if her innards were being boiled in boiling


    water.


    She was seriously upset! ¡°Is ke blind? Not only is she useless, she is also divorced and has


    previously given birth to a child! If it were me, even if Amelie cleaned my shoes, I would feel that they¡¯re


    super dirty!¡± Melissa¡¯s face was also not very good.


    She had already heard about Jodie¡¯s grievances yesterday and felt that because of ke, Amelie dared


    to challenge them.


    ¡°Could it be that ke doesn¡¯t know that Amelie had given birth before? This woman has always been


    deceptive, so she might have deceived him.¡± Melissa made a guess.


    ¡°ke knows!¡± Melissa¡¯s words only made Jodie¡¯s mood worse.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about it.


    Not only does ke know, but he also even took Amelie and her bastard skating!¡± It was precisely


    because she knew ke did not even care about Amelie having a child that she was even more


    desperate.


    Jodie herself was a virgin and the precious daughter of the Alston Family.


    Yet, he even rejected her after she confessed her feelings to him! From Jodie¡¯s point of view, she was


    many times better than Amelie! The more Jodie thought about it, the worse she felt.


    ¡°Mom, Amelie has been giving us a hard time after the divorce, so we have to return her the favor!¡± she


    suggested viciously to Melissa.


    ¡°Since Amelie has left the Alston Family, we should treat her as a dead person.


    Don¡¯t bother about her; otherwise, we would lose our worth.¡± Melissa was more concerned about her


    own status.


    She told Jodie, ¡°However, there is one more important thing right now that we need to find her for.¡±


    Initially, when Jodie heard that Melissa did not want to help her, she was so angry that she was about to


    jump up.


    Still, when she listened to Melissa¡¯s n, she became happy again.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re amazing.


    Now that we manage to get to her weak spot, she will suffer this time!¡± Julia was on vacation today, and


    after she apanied Amelie to send Bria to school, the two went to check out other kindergartens


    nearby.


    Bria said that she did not like the current kindergarten, so Amelie took this opportunity to find her another


    ce, lest the Alston Family find some fault with them.


    The two walked and chatted, and they inevitably brought up the auctionst night.


    When they brought up how Leo was willing to fight Amelie for the diamond tiara at all costs so that he


    could give it to Elyse, Julia was so angry that she gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Leo¡¯s greatest ability in his life is bullying you.


    Fortunately, key is a thoughtfuld and helped you.


    It will let Leo know how popr you are with others now!¡± Amelie could not help but suck in a breath


    when ke was mentioned.


    The diamond tiara he bought with 100 million was now like a fire that was burning her badly.


    He would not ept her money, but she did not want to be indebted to him.


    Before she could figure out a solution, the phone rang.


    She lowered her head to answer, and a cold voice sounded from the other end.


    ¡°11.30AM at Northpoint Caf¨¦.


    Be there on time!¡± It was not until the other party hung up the phone that Amelie remembered that the


    voice was from her ex-mother-inw, Melissa.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    ¡°You¡¯re divorced! Why do you still talk to her?¡± Julia said angrily when she knew that Melissa was looking


    for Amelie.


    Amelie stared at the phone screen for a while.


    ¡°Melissa has never been willing to talk to me much.


    This time, she called in person, so there must be something important.


    We should meet up with her.¡± Although Julia was upset, she still sent Amelie to the meeting ce.


    When Amelie walked in, Melissa had already arrived and was sitting on a chair.


    Seeing Amelie, she lowered her head and took a sip of coffee before saying coldly, ¡°Sit down.¡± She had


    this ability of letting Amelie know that thetter was just a lowly animal in front of her by just using her


    expression without saying even one hostile word.


    Amelie did not listen to her as she did in the past.


    Standing some distance away, she said lightly, ¡°Mrs. Alston, just tell me what you want.¡± Melissa¡¯s brows


    visibly furrowed, clearly implying that Amelie was rude, but she did not reprimand Amelie and just


    nodded her chin at the person next to her.


    ¡°This is mywyer, Mr. Henry Jute.¡± Henry stepped out and said, ¡°Miss Dillon, since you and Mr. Alston


    have divorced, you should also make a decision on the issue of child support.¡± ¡°The child? She belongs


    to me; of course, I¡¯m raising her,¡± Amelie replied without thinking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the child is my granddaughter!¡± Melissa reminded coldly, her drooping eyelids full of


    disdain for Amelie and her ignorance.


    This made Amelieugh.


    ¡°Mrs. Alston, it¡¯s rare for you to remember that you have a granddaughter.¡± Since Bria¡¯s birth, Melissa


    had never carried her, and every time she saw her, she would put on the same expression she had on


    now.


    It was as if Bria was just a pet at home.


    Amelie¡¯s words obviously offended Melissa¡¯s stature, so Melissa¡¯s face suddenly tightened in anger.


    However, her expression immediately rxed again, reced by a high-minded look.


    ¡°Bria is the descendant of our Alston Family, and she must stay in the Alston Residence!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m the


    closest person to her!¡± Amelie reminded.


    ¡°You can ask Bria herself to see if she wants to be with me or with you!¡± ¡°The child is only three years


    old, so her opinion is irrelevant.¡± ¡°Considering the effort of your pregnancy and childbirth, Miss Dillon,


    Mrs. Alston can give you a fee aspensation.


    I advise you to ept it as soon as possible.


    Otherwise, this matter will be brought to court.


    With your current financial resources, there is no chance of winning the case, Miss Dillon,¡± thewyer


    threatened Amelie.


    After speaking, he put a check on the table. Ha! Seeing the number on it, Amelie could not help but


    laugh. One million! Do they really think I was a surrogate for their wealthy family? Obviously, not only did


    Melissae to discuss custody with her, but she also wanted to use this money to humiliate her.


    ¡°Who said Amy has no financial resources?¡± Julia was afraid that Amelie would suffer at their hands, so


    she had been watching from the sidelines.


    She could not bear it any longer after hearing this and walked in.


    Then, she raised her chin high and waved her phone at them.


    ¡°Starlight Media invested 200 million to set up a growth fund for Bria, and all her future expenses will


    come from here.


    The 200 million will support her until she is 18, and that¡¯s more than enough.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± There was shock in


    thewyer¡¯s eyes.


    As for Melissa, her look of indifference changed and she suddenly widened her eyes.


    ¡°Now, Amy has enough financial resources to support Bria, and she spends the most time and effort on


    Bria, while Bria relies on her the most.


    Mr. Jute, do you still think there is no chance of winning the court case?¡± In this case, Amelie had a


    100% chance of winning, so Henry looked at Melissa with a bitter face and shook his head.


    Amelie and Julia were not in the mood to stay and admire Melissa¡¯s face, so they left hand in hand.


    ¡­ ¡°I did not expect that Starlight Media would be willing to give 200 million to support Amelie!¡± When


    Melissa got home, she still did not believe it, so she asked Henry to check it out, and found out it was


    true.


    At this moment, that dignified look of hers could no longer be sustained, and there were a few cracks on


    it that revealed what she really felt.


    ¡°I heard that Julia is only an employee, and the boss of Starlight Media is someone else! Did Amelie


    hook up with the boss of Starlight Media?¡± Jodie responded angrily on the side.


    200 million was such arge number that only the boss of thepany could make such a decision.


    Thinking of this, she stomped her feet irritably again.


    ¡°What kind of shit luck does Amelie have? How can she be targeted by so many good men as soon as


    she gets divorced?¡± The matter of ke spending 100 million to buy a diamond tiara for Amelie had not


    subsided yet, and now Starlight Media¡¯s boss was spending 200 million on Amelie¡¯s daughter! These


    men had so much wealth.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Jodie¡¯s gaze was green with jealousy.


    If this continued, Amelie¡¯s limelight would overshadow herpletely.


    She was the well-known daughter of the Alston Family, so how could she live if she was stepped on by


    Amelie whom she did not even care to look at? Jodie was irritable.


    She hurriedly called her own think tank, Ca Housten.


    ¡°Hurry up and help me! Find a way to get rid of that shameless Amelie!¡± She told Ca everything.


    ¡°Did you say that she has an affair with the boss of Starlight Media?¡± On the other side, Ca¡¯s voice


    revealed joy.


    ¡°This is really interesting.


    As far as I know, the owner of Starlight Media got married four years ago, so Amelie is now the


    homewrecker.¡± ¡°He¡¯s married?¡± When Jodie heard this news, the irritability in her heart was swept away,


    and a new n popped up in her mind.


    ¡°Ca, do me a favor¡­¡±

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Today was the day to sign the contract.


    Although Jimmy Goldstein was the representative of the coborationpany, he arrivedte at


    10.00AM.


    Not only was hete, but he was also wearing a suspender that held his newborn daughter.


    ¡°Sorry, I was feeding my daughter, so I came a few minuteste.¡± Jimmy apologized to those present.


    Even though he had an apologetic look, there was also pride on his face.


    After he finished speaking, he put an arm around the baby and picked up the contract with the other


    hand.


    Feeling ufortable, the child twisted her little body and whimpered.


    Jimmy immediately put down the contract and patted the little baby¡¯s back to coax her.


    Leo, who was sitting across from him, looked at him with obvious disgust on his face.


    ¡°The Goldstein Family is huge.


    Can¡¯t you afford a nanny?¡± When Jimmy heard Leo¡¯s words, he was not only not ashamed, but he also


    looked reproachful.


    ¡°You have a child too.


    Can¡¯t you understand my feelings of bing a father?¡± His words startled Leo, who did not respond for


    a long time.


    Although he became a father, he did not pay much attention to Bria.


    At the beginning, he was too busy with work and had no time.


    Later, when the child was older, she would hide every time she saw him.


    Leo never owed anyone in his life, but he did owe the child.


    ¡°Well, you and Amelie should not have divorced for the sake of the child.¡± After signing the contract, Toby


    could not help but persuade Leo.


    ¡°The child is yours.


    She no longer has a family, so who else will be kind to her? Aren¡¯t you afraid that she will be pitiful


    in the future?¡± ¡°We¡¯re already divorced; what¡¯s the use of talking about it now?¡± Leo said sullenly.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you get back together?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because she knows they can remarry that Amelie dared to divorce.¡±


    Ashton spoke up on the other side.


    He mmed his phone against the edge of the chair.


    ¡°Did you not see what that Dillon woman posted on social media? She took the initiative to rify the


    rtionship with ke, saying that they are just ordinary friends and that she has been treating him like


    a younger brother!¡± Hearing what he said, Toby immediately checked social media.


    Sure enough, he saw the rification posted by Amelie through ke¡¯s social media.


    ¡°I can assure you that that Dillon woman will find a way to attend the Entrepreneur Dinner tomorrow


    night.


    There, she will apologize to Leo and take advantage of the opportunity to propose remarriage.¡± From


    Ashton¡¯s point of view, even the scandals with Jamie and ke were nned by Amelie in order to


    agitate Leo and finally remarry Leo.


    ¡°If she really does this, it¡¯s a good chance.¡± Toby looked at Leo meaningfully and squeezed his shoulder


    tightly.


    ¡°Although she is a bit scheming, she has always been a good woman during the marriage.¡± ¡­ Perhaps


    because of Ashton¡¯s words, Leo¡¯s best friends came to the Entrepreneur Dinner the next day.


    In addition to Toby, Jimmy and Ashton, there were two others who deliberately came back from abroad.


    Sure enough, Amelie really appeared at the venue.


    Today, she looked pure and lovely.


    Her white dress came down just enough to cover her knees, and her high heels of the same color


    complemented her slender and straight legs.


    As she was slender, she looked willowy and weak like she would be blown away by the wind.


    The fine makeup on her gorgeous little face was very light, which made her look delicate and fragile as if


    she needed someone to protect her.


    Ashton raised his chin disdainfully and said, ¡°I guessed it right! Within 30 seconds, she will definitely look


    for Leo.¡± When he said this, the corners of his lips were raised in mockery.


    As for Leo, he kept drinking with his head down.


    Although he did not say anything, when he saw Amelie walking toward him, he still gripped the wine


    ss.


    Observant people would notice that Elyse was not with him as usual.


    When those around him saw Amelie approaching him, realization dawned on their faces and they waited


    to watch the show.


    Leo raised his chin habitually.


    He wanted to see what method Amelie would use to repent of her past mistakes! ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for


    you for a long time.¡± Perhaps because of the attire she wore today, Amelie sounded a bit grievous and


    pitiful when she spoke.


    Leo snorted coldly.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t sincerely admit your mistake, you should¡­¡± Before he could say the words ¡°go away¡±, he


    saw Amelie walk straight past him and went toward another man! She did note here for me? ¡°Sorry,


    I was stuck in traffic.¡± The man facing Amelie looked mature and responsible, but he had an easy-going


    smile on his face.


    Everyone was speechless.


    The man who met Amelie was Samuel Gage.


    It was none other than Julia¡¯s fianc¨¦.


    Of course, he was also a good friend of Amelie.


    The long friendship between the three of them had long surpassed what was ordinary, and they were as


    close as family.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Hence, when the two talked, there was some intimacy between them.


    Amelie was all looking forward to seeing Samuel, so she did not notice Leo when she came over.


    The neglected Leo was dumbfounded.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little noisy here; let¡¯s go elsewhere for a chat,¡± Samuel said, and the two left together.


    Although they did not hold hands, the intimacy between the two was enough to make people wonder


    about their rtionship.


    Emotion overcame Leo as he clenched his fists tightly, not even knowing that he had broken the wine


    ss.


    Only when the ss piece pierced his skin and the pain came did he look down.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re injured!¡± A pair of hands reached out and held Leo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Why are you so careless?¡±

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    It was Elyse.


    Even after Leo saw Elyse, his mood did not improve.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna deal with the wound.¡± He had no patience at all tonight.


    Before Elyse finished speaking, he pulled his hand away and strode inside.


    ¡°Fortunately, you are back.


    If you don¡¯te back, I will be driven crazy by Julia.¡± In a secluded area, Amelie was speechless as


    she looked at her attire today, which was what Julia forced her to wear.


    Julia had said she could use this image to evoke the desire to protect of all young men on the scene, and


    then Amelie could find a man who wanted to protect only her in this life.


    Samuel naturally knew how rambunctious his woman was behaving behind his back, so there was a


    helpless smile on the corner of his lips.


    ¡°Where is she and Bria?¡± ¡°They¡¯re almost here.¡± As soon as Amelie¡¯s voice fell, Julia and Bria appeared


    at the end of the corridor.


    The sight of Samuel surprised Bria.


    ¡°Say hello to Mr. Gage,¡± Amelie said quickly.


    Bria walked over and grabbed Samuel¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± Amelie was speechless.


    Samuel probably did not expect to be called ¡®Dad¡¯ suddenly, so he was stunned on the spot.


    Only Julia covered her mouth with a yful smile.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay to call him ¡®Dad¡¯.¡± She was now Bria¡¯s godmother, and Samuel was naturally her


    godfather.


    ¡°Dad, take me there to y!¡± Since Julia said that there was nothing wrong with it, Bria believed that she


    was right as she pointed to the bright light in front of her.


    Samuel was happy to dote on Bria, so he bent down to pick her up.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go over there to y.¡± Amelie did not say anything.


    Looking at Bria who was sessfully led away by Julia, she felt a headache.


    She was about to chase after Bria when she turned her face and saw Leo beside her.


    At this moment, Leo¡¯s face was dark, and his eyes were piercing when he stared at Amelie.


    ¡°Is this how you educate your child? You have her call every man who she sees as her father?¡± He


    clearly remembered that Bria also addressed ke as her fatherst time.


    He did not deliberately follow her to watch her and some other man be happy; he was just going to deal


    with the wound on his hand when he came across this scene by ident.


    ¡°You misunderstood.¡± Despite his angry tone, Amelie exined instinctively.


    ¡°Bria is just¡ª¡± ¡°If you want to cheapen yourself, you can do so.


    However, don¡¯t drag your child with you!¡± Leo rudely interrupted.


    Amelie came to her senses at this moment.


    He never believed her, so what was the use of exining so much? I¡¯ve really gotten used to the very


    in the Alston Family. A sneer appeared on her face.


    ¡°Do you know why Bria wants to call every man her father when she sees them? It¡¯s because you never


    allowed her to call you her father; she longs to have her own father like other children, so she would


    regard every man who shows kindness to her as her father.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I


    never disallowed her to call me her father!¡± Leo looked down on Amelie even more, thinking that she


    made up such nonsense.


    Amelie¡¯s smile became deste.


    ¡°Have you forgotten? When Bria ran to call you her father, what did you say to her?¡± Due to a blood


    infection at birth, Bria¡¯s development was slower than children of the same age in all aspects, and she


    did not speak until she was almost two years old.


    When she called out ¡°Daddy¡± clearly, Amelie was delighted, so she hugged Bria and went to find Leo.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    However, Bria did not get Leo¡¯s praise when she called out to him.


    On the contrary, he showed an expression of extreme disgust toward Bria, and told her to ¡°get lost¡±!


    Perhaps this memory was too deep because Bria would start trembling whenever she saw Leo, and she


    would never dare to call him again.


    The matter had long since passed, but now that Amelie thought about it, she still could not help but feel


    bad for Bria, making her sad.


    After Amelie gave this reminder, Leo vaguely remembered that there seemed to be such a scene.


    He was only disgusted by Amelie at the time, and he did not pay attention to what Bria said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for her to call someone else as her father, but Mr. Alston, please reflect on yourself


    before admonishing others.


    Since she is not allowed to call you her father, don¡¯t stop her from calling someone else her father!¡±


    Restraining her sadness, Amelie spoke sternly.


    After saying what she wanted to say, she chased in the direction Julia and the others left without a


    second¡¯s dy.


    Behind her, Leo¡¯s palm was full of blood, but he could no longer feel the pain.


    His heart was filled with stones so hard he could not breathe.


    Julia yed with Bria in the bright spotlight area for a while, then she was taken away by Samuel and


    went back to take the ¡°family punishment¡±.


    Although Julia was full of style during her live broadcast and could attract many fans to buy whatever she


    advertised, as soon as she was in front of Samuel, she became cowardly and obedient like a kitten.


    Finally, Amelie no longer had to be tricked by Julia.


    Amelie rubbed her brows and finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    She was not interested in these so-called Entrepreneur Dinner, and she had no intention of staying after


    the two left, so she bent over, picked up Bria and went out.


    Bria had been spending a lot of crazy time with Julia for a day beforeing here.


    Now, she was rubbing her eyes in a sleepy way, and she finally fell asleep leaning on Amelie¡¯s shoulder


    after Amelie walked a few steps.


    Amelie patted Bria¡¯s little head affectionately, then walked toward the parking lot at a faster pace.


    Before she got there, she saw Leo standing by the side of the road and obviously leaving too.


    Pretending she did not see him, she turned her face away.


    However, Leo stopped her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you back.¡±


    It was Elyse. Even after Leo saw Elyse, his mood did not improve.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna deal with the wound.¡± He had no patience at all tonight.


    Before Elyse finished speaking, he pulled his hand away and strode inside.


    ¡°Fortunately, you are back.


    If you don¡¯te back, I will be driven crazy by Julia.¡± In a secluded area, Amelie was speechless as


    she looked at her attire today, which was what Julia forced her to wear.


    Julia had said she could use this image to evoke the desire to protect of all young men on the scene, and


    then Amelie could find a man who wanted to protect only her in this life.


    Samuel naturally knew how rambunctious his woman was behaving behind his back, so there was a


    helpless smile on the corner of his lips.


    ¡°Where is she and Bria?¡± ¡°They¡¯re almost here.¡± As soon as Amelie¡¯s voice fell, Julia and Bria appeared


    at the end of the corridor.


    The sight of Samuel surprised Bria.


    ¡°Say hello to Mr. Gage,¡± Amelie said quickly.


    Bria walked over and grabbed Samuel¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± Amelie was speechless.


    Samuel probably did not expect to be called ¡®Dad¡¯ suddenly, so he was stunned on the spot.


    Only Julia covered her mouth with a yful smile.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay to call him ¡®Dad¡¯.¡± She was now Bria¡¯s godmother, and Samuel was naturally her


    godfather.


    ¡°Dad, take me there to y!¡± Since Julia said that there was nothing wrong with it, Bria believed that she


    was right as she pointed to the bright light in front of her.


    Samuel was happy to dote on Bria, so he bent down to pick her up.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go over there to y.¡± Amelie did not say anything.


    Looking at Bria who was sessfully led away by Julia, she felt a headache.


    She was about to chase after Bria when she turned her face and saw Leo beside her.


    At this moment, Leo¡¯s face was dark, and his eyes were piercing when he stared at Amelie.


    ¡°Is this how you educate your child? You have her call every man who she sees as her father?¡± He


    clearly remembered that Bria also addressed ke as her fatherst time.


    He did not deliberately follow her to watch her and some other man be happy; he was just going to deal


    with the wound on his hand when he came across this scene by ident.


    ¡°You misunderstood.¡± Despite his angry tone, Amelie exined instinctively.


    ¡°Bria is just¡ª¡± ¡°If you want to cheapen yourself, you can do so.


    However, don¡¯t drag your child with you!¡± Leo rudely interrupted.


    Amelie came to her senses at this moment.


    He never believed her, so what was the use of exining so much? I¡¯ve really gotten used to the very


    in the Alston Family. A sneer appeared on her face.


    ¡°Do you know why Bria wants to call every man her father when she sees them? It¡¯s because you never


    allowed her to call you her father; she longs to have her own father like other children, so she would


    regard every man who shows kindness to her as her father.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I


    never disallowed her to call me her father!¡± Leo looked down on Amelie even more, thinking that she


    made up such nonsense.


    Amelie¡¯s smile became deste.


    ¡°Have you forgotten? When Bria ran to call you her father, what did you say to her?¡± Due to a blood


    infection at birth, Bria¡¯s development was slower than children of the same age in all aspects, and she


    did not speak until she was almost two years old.


    When she called out ¡°Daddy¡± clearly, Amelie was delighted, so she hugged Bria and went to find Leo.


    However, Bria did not get Leo¡¯s praise when she called out to him.


    On the contrary, he showed an expression of extreme disgust toward Bria, and told her to ¡°get lost¡±!


    Perhaps this memory was too deep because Bria would start trembling whenever she saw Leo, and she


    would never dare to call him again.


    The matter had long since passed, but now that Amelie thought about it, she still could not help but feel


    bad for Bria, making her sad.


    After Amelie gave this reminder, Leo vaguely remembered that there seemed to be such a scene.


    He was only disgusted by Amelie at the time, and he did not pay attention to what Bria said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for her to call someone else as her father, but Mr. Alston, please reflect on yourself


    before admonishing others.


    Since she is not allowed to call you her father, don¡¯t stop her from calling someone else her father!¡±


    Restraining her sadness, Amelie spoke sternly.


    After saying what she wanted to say, she chased in the direction Julia and the others left without a


    second¡¯s dy.


    Behind her, Leo¡¯s palm was full of blood, but he could no longer feel the pain.


    His heart was filled with stones so hard he could not breathe.


    Julia yed with Bria in the bright spotlight area for a while, then she was taken away by Samuel and


    went back to take the ¡°family punishment¡±.


    Although Julia was full of style during her live broadcast and could attract many fans to buy whatever she


    advertised, as soon as she was in front of Samuel, she became cowardly and obedient like a kitten.


    Finally, Amelie no longer had to be tricked by Julia.


    Amelie rubbed her brows and finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    She was not interested in these so-called Entrepreneur Dinner, and she had no intention of staying after


    the two left, so she bent over, picked up Bria and went out.


    Bria had been spending a lot of crazy time with Julia for a day beforeing here.


    Now, she was rubbing her eyes in a sleepy way, and she finally fell asleep leaning on Amelie¡¯s shoulder


    after Amelie walked a few steps.


    Amelie patted Bria¡¯s little head affectionately, then walked toward the parking lot at a faster pace.


    Before she got there, she saw Leo standing by the side of the road and obviously leaving too.


    Pretending she did not see him, she turned her face away.


    However, Leo stopped her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you back.¡±

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Amelie looked at the sky, feeling ludicrous.


    ¡°No need.¡± She refused immediately.


    Leo¡¯s face turned ghastlier for a while.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get a cab here.


    How can the child suffer the cold wind with you?¡± Since Amelie drove her car here, they did not have to


    suffer any cold wind.


    However, it would be unsafe to put the asleep Bria on the car seat.


    Thinking of this, she finally stopped and followed Leo to his car.


    She noticed the injury on Leo¡¯s hand and stopped him when he was about to open the door of the car.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I drive? You can hold Bria for me at the back.¡± ¡°You can drive?¡± There was an obvious


    surprise on Leo¡¯s face.


    She did not just ¡°know¡± how to drive.


    After Amelie lived for four years in the Alston Family, Leo did not know that she could drive.


    That was enough to prove how much he ignored her.


    Amelie did not say much.


    She just hummed and took the key from him.


    Leo said nothing and got into the car.


    When Amelie handed the child to him, he waspletely at a loss.


    ¡°Just hold her head.¡± Amelie raised his arms a little higher and leaned the child¡¯s small head on his


    chest.


    Leo dared not move.


    Looking down, he saw the child¡¯s pink cheek leaning against his chest.


    Her fine hair was fluffy, and at that moment there was a hint of softness in his heart.


    Amelie did not say anything.


    She got in the car and started the car at once.


    Not wanting Leo to know where she lived, she drove the car to a convenient ce to call a cab and


    stopped.


    ¡°We¡¯re here; thank you, Mr. Alston.¡± After she finished speaking, she took Bria from his arms and walked


    forward.


    ¡°Amelie!¡± Leo stopped her.


    ¡°I will make up for what I owe Bria, but my children will never need someone else as a father.


    This is my bottom line!¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious.


    How will you make up for Bria, Mr. Alston?¡± Amelie stopped and looked at him with a half-smile.


    ¡°I will have someone revoke our divorce tomorrow.


    You will move back to the Alston Residence, and I will try my best to spend time with Bria.¡± ¡°Revocation


    of the divorce?¡± Amelie was quite surprised to hear Leo say this.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, does Miss yton agree with this decision?¡± ¡°Why do you want her to agree?¡± Whenever


    Leo faced Amelie, his tone would be quite impatient.


    ¡°You two are already engaged.


    This is the minimum level of respect for your new fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°Engaged?¡± Leo was obviously taken aback


    for a moment, but he did not bother to exin much.


    ¡°Just do as I say, and don¡¯t worry about anything else!¡± Amelie had long been used to Leo¡¯s attitude.


    She was not angry but just tilted her head and asked, ¡°Let me ask you a question that I am more


    concerned about.


    Mr. Alston, are you revoking our divorce because you love me?¡± ¡°All I want is to give my child aplete


    family!¡± Leo threw out a warning without even thinking about it. I knew it! Amelieughed at him.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, do you actually think that having both parents is the best way to make up to a child? You


    haven¡¯t tasted what it¡¯s like growing up in a single-parent family, so how do you know that kind of family


    is not good? I haven¡¯t had a mother since I was a child.


    My father raised me alone, but I have never felt unhappy.


    He gave me all his love, and he only asked me for one thing¡ªto be happy.


    However, our marriagested for four years.


    Bria is three years old this year.


    Ask her, was she happy during the three years? She had been afraid that you, your mother and your


    sister might be unhappy, and that if you guys were unhappy, you would give me trouble and I would be


    unhappy.


    In order not to make you guys unhappy, she tried her best to be well-behaved and sensible.


    She did not even care to dance anymore! Are you trying to drive her crazy by wanting her to live in such


    a depressing environment?¡± Speaking of this, Amelie could not help choking.


    ¡°These can all be changed.¡± Leo did not think it was a big deal.


    ¡°So what if they could be changed? It¡¯s an indisputable fact that you don¡¯t love me.


    What will Bria think when she grows up? She will feel that it is because of her existence that we have to


    be bound together.


    She will feel like a sinner!¡± Leo was speechless.


    Before Amelie said this, he thought this was the best way to make up for Bria.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Alston, I will take good care of Bria.¡± Nodding at him, she left with her sore arms that


    were holding Bria.


    ¡­ Leo did not go home but went to Elyse¡¯s residence.


    When Elyse saw him, her eyes sparkled, and she was excited.


    ¡°Leo, you¡¯re here! Come in.¡± Leo did not move and just handed the phone to her.


    ¡°Delete these social media photos as soon as possible.¡± Elyse lowered her head and saw the social


    media post she had posted, suggesting she was about to get engaged.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leo! I just really miss the old days, and after finding the photos, I posted them as soon as


    possible because I got excited.¡± She quickly exined, not forgetting to nce at Leo¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Speaking of that, it¡¯s all Amelie¡¯s fault.


    If it weren¡¯t for her being so wily that I was humiliated, we would not have separated¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t involve


    Amelie in the matter between you and me,¡± Leo reminded coldly.


    He did not want to hear that name again tonight.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Also, we ended our rtionship four years ago and are just friends now.¡± After speaking, he turned and


    walked out.


    Behind him, Elyse gripped her fingers tightly, her pretty face twisted.


    All this time after she came back, she did not say a word about the rtionship between the two of them


    but only quietly suggested things, purposefully waiting until everything came to fruition.


    Originally, she thought he had the same n as her, but now, he clearly wanted to draw a clear line


    between the two of them. Is it because of Amelie? While she was in her thoughts, the phone rang


    suddenly.


    Elyse was upset but picked it up anyway.


    A slow voice came from the other end.


    ¡°Do you know what interesting thing I heard just now? The high-ranking Young Master Leo has proposed


    to revoke the divorce with his ex-wife.


    Considering our past rtionship, let me remind you not to lose your man again this time, yeah?¡±

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Chapter 20 Framed


    The news shocked Elyse to her core.


    She came all the way here for Leo, and she wasn¡¯t despair even when faced with that kind of attitude


    from Leo.


    However, he was now explicitly suggesting to revoke his divorce with Amelie.


    As expected, it was all because of Amelie.


    She silently clenched her hands into fists.


    Her fingernails dug into her palm, causing blood to seep out.


    Intense hatred filled her beautiful face.


    ¡°Four years ago, Leo and I broke up because of you, Amelie.


    Now, you are back again with this.¡±


    She had spoken so softly that one might have thought it was nothing important, yet the cold tilt of her lips


    would have made anyone who saw her shiver in fear.


    She then walked to herputer and looked up an email that had been sitting in her inbox for several


    days.


    After swiftly skimming through it, she clicked on one of the links attached.


    ¡­


    While Amelie had yet to set office hours at Starlight Media, she still had to pop in since she was the boss.


    Dressed in an all-white and sexy outfit, Julia nced at her, snapped her fingers, and smiled brightly.


    ¡°Major headline rted to your ex-husband.


    Interested?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Amelienguidly looked up from her document.


    Julia let out a tsk and sat down in front of her.


    Then, ignoring Amelie¡¯s reply, she began to tell Amelie all she knew.


    ¡°Last night, a certain assh*le¡¯sputer was hit by a virus, leading to a lot of stuff being leaked.¡±


    ¡°Apparently,¡± she continued, ¡°dual contracts were involved.


    There is an uproar about it.


    If the dual contracts truly exist, it might all be over for Elyse.¡±


    Dual contracts existed mainly for tax evasion.


    There had been many incidents of famous celebrities caught with tax evasion, and all of them were faced


    with the same punishment.


    All of their careers died.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    That was certainly major news.


    Even though Amelie could not care less about it, she was still stunned upon hearing it that she forgot to


    keep her eyes trained on her document.


    ¡°Does it not feel amazing?¡± Julia pumped her fist as though revenge had been served.


    ¡°The wicked will not go unpunished.


    If not for you, her career would have been destroyed back then.¡±


    ¡°She was ungrateful enough to ruin your marriage in return,¡± continued Julia.


    ¡°Serves her right!¡±


    ¡°Justice may bete but never absent!¡± she then eximed.


    All her indignant exmations only got her a soft hum from Amelie.


    Amelie¡¯s divorce did not hinge on Elyse¡¯s return.


    Instead, it was because Leo did not love her.


    Elyse¡¯s return had merely elerated the death of their marriage.


    ¡°The only person I wanted to save back then was Leo.


    Elyse was not even in the equation,¡± Amelie honestly said.


    ¡°Even so, she could not have easily gotten away if you had not told the reporter they had broken up a


    long time ago, and that you and Leo were considering marriage.


    Could she have spent thest four years in bliss?¡±


    Four years ago, she somehow had a one-night stand with Leo.


    They were just leaving their room after the issue was resolved when they bumped into Elyse.


    She had been caught having sex by some reporters.


    It was so awkward back then.


    She was half-dressed and the other party was hiding under the nket.


    ¡°Everyone had known back then that Elyse and that b*stard were engaged! You are in the industry too.


    Have you ever seen a celebrity¡¯s career survive after they were caught cheating?¡± asked Julia.


    ¡°While you were being bullied and mocked by the Alstons, she was living a grand life abroad,¡± she


    continued.


    ¡°Her reputation was impable, allowing her to work and mingle.


    Not only has she never thanked you for what you had done, but she also kept ying the victim.


    Have you ever seen anyone so shameless?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my friend,¡± Amelie said, leaning over to hug Julia.


    She knew Julia said all that for Amelie¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Is that all the thanks I get? I want a celebration.


    I want a grand barbecue feast with the best seasoning!¡± Julia shot back, seizing her chance to take


    advantage of Amelie¡¯s guilt.


    ¡°Okay.


    We will have a barbecue feast with the best seasoning.¡± Amelie immediately pulled out her phone and


    searched for nearby barbecue restaurants.


    Just then, the phone rang.


    It was a call from the kindergarten.


    She quickly answered the call.


    ¡°Ms.


    Lowe, why are you calling at this hour? Is Bria sick?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ms.


    Lowe hesitantly replied.


    ¡°It is just that¡­ Bria¡¯s father is here and asking to take her home.


    Can youe over?¡±


    Amelie was shocked to hear Leo wanted to take Bria home from kindergarten.


    Should he not be busy handling Elyse¡¯s mess with the dual contracts?


    What did he want with Bria?


    She did not want to ponder any further.


    After briefly telling Julia what was going on, she rushed over to the kindergarten.


    When she arrived, she did not see Bria.


    Ms.


    Lowe helplessly hung her head.


    ¡°Bria¡¯s father insisted on taking her.


    He¡­ He is not someone the kindergarten can afford to make an enemy of, so¡­¡±


    Amelie had told the kindergarten only she and Julia were allowed to pick up Bria because she had been


    worried the Alstons would do this.


    In the end¡­


    She did not get it.


    After all that she had said, what gave him the audacity to take her child away once more?


    ¡°I will handle this myself.¡± She knew Ms.


    Lowe had tried her best, so she did not linger any longer at the kindergarten.


    She hopped into her car and sped toward the Alston Residence.


    The Alston Residence was a grand and traditional abode that represented the generations of prosperity


    in the family.


    It was the paradise that many craved.


    Amelie did not find the ce beautiful at all.


    Instead, it was rather oppressive.


    If not for Bria, she would never have taken another step into this ce.


    When the butler saw her, he shot her a questioning look.


    ¡°M-Miss Dillon, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Cooper, I wish to talk to Leo,¡± she politely answered.


    While the owners of the house did not wee her, the servants had always been kind to her.


    ¡°The young sir has ordered us not to let you in,¡± he said, helplessly shaking his head.


    ¡°Please pass a message to him then,¡± she said, deciding against forcing her way in.


    ¡°If I call the police or reporters and blow up this incident, the entire family will look bad.


    He does not want the Alston Family business to appear in the news, right?¡±


    Perhaps her deration had the effect she wanted.


    Either way, a few minutester, Leo appeared.


    He was dressed entirely in ck.


    It emphasized the dark and unfriendly look on his face.


    Not wanting to waste any more time on him, she quickly walked over.


    ¡°Where is Bria? Why¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not ever talk to Bria again,¡± he coldly interrupted before she could finish speaking.


    ¡°She does not need an immodest mother.¡±


    His voice rang with disgust and hatred.


    ¡°Immodest?¡± She was confused.


    ¡°We cleared up everything that needed clearing up, right?¡±


    ¡°Throw her out!¡± he ordered.


    ¡°If she forces her way in again, call the police.¡±


    He did not wish to say another word to her, so he turned and barked out several orders to Mr. Cooper.


    Then, he turned and walked back into the house.


    His heart was twisted in a painful knot.


    For the past few days, she had been berating him for his actions and inactions.


    She made herself seem so high and mighty.


    However, behind his back, she had already sullied herself.


    In the end, one could not teach an old dog new tricks.


    Now that he thought about it, the guilt he felt over the past few days had been over nothing.


    Mr. Cooper did not want to throw Amelie out, but he had to call for the guards to chase her away.


    Amelie was not happy.


    She had been inexplicably robbed of her daughter andbeled ¡°immodest¡±.


    Despite her feelings, she was unable to fight against the guards.


    She was left outside the gates.


    Bang!


    The gates mmed shut right before her eyes.


    That set of gates cut her off from a world with Bria.


    She was feeling excruciatingly anxious.


    When she thought about how Bria would be afraid upon realizing she was in the Alston Residence, her


    eyes went red.


    ¡°Mr. Cooper, do you know what happened?¡± She pushed aside her worries and focused on her only


    avenue of help.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Shattered What Little Love There Was Too afraid to tell Amelie, Mr. Cooper merely pointed at his


    phone.


    ¡°The news.¡± He then swiftly walked away. ¡°The news?¡± Amelie hurriedly pulled out her phone and


    looked at the headlines for the day. Today¡¯s headlines were basically all about Elyse¡¯sputer having


    been infected by a virus. The contents leaked listed quite a number of dual contracts. However, there


    was soon a new headline that popped up and swiftly went viral. When Amelie nced at it, she


    immediately saw Starlight Media mentioned in the article. She finished reading the article in a few short


    moments, and what she saw made her gasp. The new headline was rted to the leaked emails of


    Elyse. However, the content was about the mysterious boss of Starlight Media who had secretly been


    married for four years.


    Recently, the boss had been found to have been cheating on his wife with a certain divorcee that went


    by the surname Dillon. There were no pictures of Starlight Media¡¯s owner, just an outline of a human


    with a question mark edited over the face. However, the picture of her attached to the article was


    crystal clear. Thus, was this article the reason Leo disqualified her as a mother and stole Bria from her?


    The owner of Starlight Media was a mysterious figure.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    The moment the article was posted, lots of people clicked in to read it. In fact, the article was so


    popr that the dual contracts found in Elyse¡¯s email had been forgotten about. Now that Amelie knew


    what was going on, she found herself speechless. Was there anything more hrious than being


    used of cheating on herself with herself? ¡°Hey, why is there trash standing in front of my home?¡±


    shrieked a sharp voice. Jodie had arrived home some time ago.


    Dressed in an extremely short dress, she gasped in fake surprise with her mini handbag on her arm.


    Amelie put away her phone and ignored Jodie.


    She thereafter walked away from the Alston Residence. To her surprise, Jodie did not get angry.


    Instead, she cackled.


    ¡°Your dirtyundry is being aired for the world to see.


    Stop pretending to be some virtuous woman!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think I do not know why you are here.


    My brother brought that b*stard home and you want her back, right?¡± ¡°B*stard?¡± Amelie repeated as


    her sharp gaze bore into Jodie. Jodie was Bria¡¯s aunt.


    How could she call Bria a b*stard? ¡°That¡¯s right! She is a b*stard! Anything that crawls out of your


    womb will always be a b*stard child!¡± Jodie had flinched for a moment when faced with Amelie¡¯s sharp


    eyes, but soon gathered the courage to shriek. ¡°Don¡¯t think I do not know your n to get back together


    with my brother using that brat,¡± she continued.


    ¡°Also, I know my brother talked to youst night about remarrying you.


    It is your fault something this scandalous made the news! Do you know why he believes it to be true? It


    is because I told him how Starlight Media¡¯s owner set up a charity organization in that brat¡¯s name!


    That 200 million is proof of your involvement with him!¡± No wonder. Amelie now thoroughly understood


    what had happened. No matter how much of a fool Leo was, he would never have easily believed one


    email. It was all because of Jodie¡¯s interference. ¡°Oh, right.


    I was the one who had someone email Elyse about your scandalous affair,¡± Jodie stated. ¡°Initially, I only


    wanted her to show the email to Leo.


    I did not expect a hacker to leak it to the world.¡± ¡°Oh, what fun!¡± Ca was actually the mastermind


    behind this entire scheme. Nevertheless, Jodie was iming the credit for it all just so she could


    infuriate Amelie. ¡°What a pity,¡± she said.


    ¡°Even if you pay us 200 million, you will never get that brat back again!¡± Jodie¡¯s face shone with visible


    glee at Amelie¡¯s distress. ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± she continued, ¡°Starlight Media¡¯s boss is married too.


    Say, Amelie, would his wifee looking for you? You have hung her marriage¡¯s dirtyundry out for


    the world to see.


    How should she ¡®thank¡¯ you for the favor?¡± Unbeknownst to her, Amelie was the owner of Starlight


    Media.


    All she knew was she was overwhelmed with joy as she could finally hit back at Amelie for all the


    suffering she had to endure. Everything she had done was for that purpose. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the drama,¡±


    eximed Jodie. In Amelie¡¯s eyes, Jodie was like an insignificant flea. As she could not be bothered to


    pop Jodie¡¯s bubble, she calmly replied, ¡°Wait patiently then.¡± Having no intention of staying any longer,


    she immediately walked away. Jodie stared at her back in astonishment. How could Amelie issue a


    dare to her at such a time? Could it be that she had a way out of this situation? No way! Everyone was


    talking about it.


    The wife had been utterly humiliated.


    There was no way she would forgive Amelie for this. That dare was merely Amelie pretending to be


    confident. At that thought, Jodie was back in a good mood, humming as she walked back to her home.


    ¡­ ¡°Regarding the dual contracts,¡± Elyse dered.


    ¡°We would like to state that they were offered bypanies seeking to help me save on taxes, but we


    had never used any of their suggestions.


    We had always done things with normal contracts.


    Everyone can look it up through the Ministry of Justice.¡± That evening, Elyse finally made an official


    statement after a whole day of being bothered about her leaked emails. As bright lights shone on her,


    her demure smile shone brightly.


    She was the perfect picture of innocence. ¡°As for the virus attack, I have already made a police report.


    I trust the police will have a satisfactory answer for us in time.¡± As soon as Elyse finished speaking, a


    reporter immediately asked, ¡°What about the email about the owner of Starlight Media cheating on his


    wife? How do you exin that, Miss yton?¡± Elyse did not answer this time. Instead, her manager


    stepped forward and spoke into the mic, ¡°As everyone saw, the email was sent to Elyse by some


    random person.


    She is a very busy woman.


    Hence, she did not even know that email existed.¡± The manager continued, ¡°She did not ask for her


    emails to be leaked.


    She is also a victim in this case.¡± ¡°Even if I did not ask for it to happen, the leak still happened because


    my email was hacked.


    I would like to formally apologize to those involved.¡± On the television, Elyse respectfully bowed to the


    camera. ¡°Aargh! What a perfect picture of innocence she is!¡± Julia was so angry that she nearly threw


    something at the television.


    ¡°Could a coincidence like that even happen? As soon as someone sent her an email about your


    scandal, her email was hacked! She swept away all of her dirtyundry under the rug while confirming


    your scandal,¡± Julia huffed.


    ¡°She is such a schemer!¡± She had been in the industry for years.


    Thus, she could see through Elyse¡¯s ruse at once. Beside her, Amelie was silently staring at the


    television as though she was deep in thought. ¡°I cannot bear this anymore! Let us p her in the face


    with your identity as the owner of Starlight Media! Let us crush their reputation beneath our feet!¡± Julia


    continued to roar. She had been itching to do so for a long time. ¡°No.¡± Finally, Amelie spoke up. ¡°What


    do you mean? Do you not want Bria back?¡± Julia was confused. ¡°Of course, I do,¡± Amelie replied. She


    did not care if she ruined someone¡¯s reputation, but she did not want to destroy Leo¡¯s reputation. He


    was not wrong to take Bria away. Moreover, she had once loved him. She was unable to turn her love


    into hate and betray him after breaking up with him. She wanted a kinder solution to the problem. The


    two of them continued to chat when the camera suddenly panned to a few men striding into the


    conference hall. Cameras shed as everyone turned to take photos of the man leading the group. It


    was Leo. Leo and Elyse used to date each other. While they eventually broke up and found new lovers,


    he was the only man Elyse was close to ever since her return from abroad. Naturally, that made


    everyone curious about their rtionship. One of the reporters was unable to control himself and stood


    up to ask, ¡°Mr. Alston, do you think Miss yton is innocent? Are you here to support her?¡± Leo was


    honestly not there for Elyse. It just so happened that the press conference was happening at the venue


    of his meeting. For a few moments, he ignored the reporter¡¯s question and looked at Elyse. She looked


    calm on the surface, but her eyes glimmered in a plea for help. Even though she had wronged him in


    the past, she was still the person who stood by his side in his darkest hours.


    She was still the woman who dragged him out of the pit of despair. ¡°Yes,¡± he eventually replied, pursing


    his lips.


    ¡°Elyse yton is under my protection.


    No one is allowed to harm her!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± When Julia heard that deration, her only response was a


    derisive huff. ¡°What does this maniptive, two-faced woman have that she should be worth worth


    protecting?¡± Meanwhile¡­ A tear rolled down Amelie¡¯s cheek andnded on the back of her hand. Leo


    had given Elyse everything he should have given her. Despite their divorce, the love she held for him


    as a young woman was still the sweetest memory in her mind. In the end, he had mercilessly torn it all


    apart. Still, this was not enough.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Chapter 22 Do You Still Love Him?


    ¡°What about Miss yton¡¯s apology to Starlight Media¡¯s owner regarding the leaked email?¡± asked the


    reporter who spoke up.


    ¡°Do you think she should have done that? Will there be a formal apology in person?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Leo swiftly answered.


    ¡°It is not Elyse¡¯s fault.¡±


    He then slowly turned to look into the camera.


    ¡°I have a word of advice for that woman; you are young and healthy.


    There are plenty of ways to earn a living.


    Being a homewrecker is the most foolish and risky path.


    It is best to avoid it.¡±


    As if he knew Amelie was watching, his eyes were cold and ruthless the entire time he spoke.


    He was lecturing her!


    While Amelie had appeared before reporters many times, she had always subconsciously blocked her


    face.


    No one, not even four years ago, had yet to take a photo of her entire face.


    Thus, none of the reporters realized Leo¡¯s ex-wife was the woman the Starlight Media president was


    allegedly having an affair with.


    All they felt was confusion upon hearing his speech.


    Why would Leo Alston give this random woman a word of advice?


    Meanwhile, Julia had exploded with fury.


    She flung a slipper at the television, whichnded on Leo¡¯s face.


    Still, it was not enough to calm her anger.


    She hopped up, itching to argue with Leo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.


    There is no need.¡± Amelie suppressed her pain and grabbed Julia.


    ¡°What else can I do? Should I just let him nder you? Am I to let him bully you around?¡± Julia was


    beyond herself with anger.


    She was so furious that she might explode.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Amelie.


    ¡°I will not let him push me around.¡±


    Since Leo decided to trample all over her, why should she protect him?


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Some semnce of calm finally appeared on Julia¡¯s face when she heard that.


    ¡°We will now put out an announcement.


    We will let them know that you are the president of Starlight Media!¡±


    ¡°We have to make an announcement, but it will not be about that,¡± Amelia replied.


    ¡­


    The press conference came to an end.


    Suzie thereafter followed Elyse into the van.


    ¡°You sure are something, Elyse,¡± eximed Suzie.


    ¡°You actually made Mr. Alston help you out.


    With his support, all of the ridiculous rumors will stop!¡±


    Suzie was Elyse¡¯s manager, but she did not know Elyse was behind the whole debacle about the leaked


    emails.


    She let out a huge sigh of relief, for she had been worried sick over what happened the entire day.


    ¡°Alright.¡± She patted Elyse on the back of her hand.


    ¡°With Mr. Alston¡¯s protection, your career will be smooth sailing from now on.¡± Elyse hummed in


    response.


    When she recalled how Leo had dered she was under his protection, her eyes shone brightly as she


    looked down at herp. What happened had been a pleasant surprise she had not thought possible. ¡­


    The sun would not rise from the west just because of a human¡¯s joy or sorrow. When Amelie stepped out


    of the car, her eyes were red-rimmed. There wererge dark circles under her eyes. Without Bria by her


    side, sleep was hard toe by. Le Potts still worked at the Alston Residence, and she had always


    been kind to Bria.


    Hence, she was not worried Bria would suffer any injustice in that house. Her only concern was that Bria


    might miss her. It did not matter though.


    Soon, Bria would be back by her side. Today, Starlight Media was hosting the final round of interviews for


    its new hires. Julia wanted Amelie there to personally oversee everything. Since lounging around at


    home would only lead to her brooding, Amelie agreed to the request. However, she did not drive.


    Due to how lethargic she felt, she came in a taxi. Her taxi had yet to leave when a bright red BMW came


    screeching over. Then, a finely dressed Jodie stepped out of the car. Jodie was in a good mood today


    and her makeup was perfect with not a hair out of ce. Her high heels cked against the pavement as


    she strutted away from the car. Then, she swiftly entered Starlight Media¡¯s office building. Amelie


    frowned and followed after her. When she saw Jodie walk toward the location set aside for the


    interviews, she smirked in realization before heading for Julia¡¯s office. ¡°Jodie Alston is here for the final


    interviews, isn¡¯t she?¡± Amelie asked before Julia could say a single word.


    Julia was dressed in an outfit from some small-time brand that was not considered high-end but was


    well-designed.


    The outfit emphasized her sensuality by highlighting her thin waist and long legs. When Julia heard that,


    she flipped through the list of final candidates.


    Jodie was truly on the list. ¡°The gall of this shameless woman toe interview with us! Do not worry.


    I will send her packing right away,¡± Julia dered. ¡°It is fine.¡± Amelie stopped Julia from charging out of


    the office.


    ¡°No matter how badly she performs, hire her.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Julia was confused.


    ¡°Do you still love that b*stard? Are you so in love that you wish to give his sister a chance?¡± Starlight


    Media was currently involved in a variety of niches within the industry.


    Their talents consisted of influencers who specialized in shopping live streams, shorts, podcasts, and


    more. In the industry, it was well-known that the influencers of Starlight Media had higher worth than


    celebrities.


    They were even more popr than actual celebrities. In the past, everyone would do anything and


    everything to be a celebrity.


    Now, even celebrities were trying to be inte influencers. Jodie was likely here because of that


    reputation. ¡°Of course not,¡± Amelie quickly answered. While she had no wish to settle the score


    regarding Jodie¡¯s past schemes, Jodie had insulted Bria just the other day.


    That was unforgivable. Since Melissa did not know how to properly educate her children, Amelie would


    teach Jodie some manners in her ce. Amelie grabbed the contract Julia had prepared and tweaked a


    few of the sentences in it.


    ¡°This is for her to signter.¡± ¡­ Although Jodie was selected for the final interviews, her answers were


    rather boring and unimaginative. The interviewers all shook their heads and gave her low scores. Even


    so, when the list of epted candidates was announced, Jodie heard her name being called out. Not


    knowing that her performance had been extremelyckluster, she jumped for joy when she heard her


    name.


    She even thought she had done well.


    Soon, she was given a contract to sign.


    After signing the documents, she strode out of the room with her head held high as if she was a famous


    celebrity.


    Just then, Amelie walked out of the interview room.


    Jodie was not shocked to see Amelie exit the interview room, but she did not think Amelie was there as


    an interviewer either.


    After all, in her eyes, Amelie was a good-for-nothing woman.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    In her mind, there was nothing special about Amelie other than her attractive face.


    She was certain Amelie was here to seek help from the president because the president¡¯s wife was


    targeting her.


    Jodie did hear that the president of Starlight Media would be in the building today.


    All of those factorsbined with the dark circles under Amelie¡¯s eyes made her more and more certain


    of her assumption.


    When she saw Amelie walking over to the elevator, she knew Amelie had failed in her plea for help.


    She could not help but rejoice at that thought.


    As no one was hanging around, she swiftly dashed into the elevator after Amelie.


    Then, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned against the wall in a high and mighty pose.


    ¡°Why not look around for a while longer before you leave?¡± she haughtily asked.


    ¡°The security here is very tight.


    If you don¡¯t look while you can, you might not have another chance.¡±


    Her voice was shrill and sharp.


    Besides that, her face was twisted in a contemptuous look.


    Seeing that, Amelie decided to veer away from her usual tactic of ignoring Jodie.


    ¡°I am heading toward the Janitorial Department right now,¡± she replied with a nod.


    When Jodie heard that, she let out a loud bark ofughter.


    ¡°As expected of someone so lowly.¡±


    Jodie then continued, ¡°Still, you are quite self-aware to know that you are only fit to tour the Janitorial


    Department of thispany!¡±


    Amelie ignored her and walked out when the elevator arrived at the floor where the Janitorial Department


    was located.


    Jodie was not done insulting her though, so she followed suit.


    She loudly rattled off insult after insult in a proud voice.


    ¡°I am different,¡± she stated.


    ¡°I just signed the contract to be an official member of Starlight Media just now.


    Thepany will take care of every aspect of my career.


    Soon, I will be a top-tier influencer like Jamie and Julia White! Oh, yes.


    I will also be ke Gareth¡¯s colleague.


    We will be working together.¡±


    Amelie found Jodie¡¯s ims to be¡­ extremely fantastical and delusional.


    In fact, she even wanted tough.


    Did Jodie think she could seed as an influencer just because she said so?


    There was nothing special about Jodie, and she was not even a good person.


    Even if thepany was willing to splurge on her, she could never be a top-tier influencer.


    However, Jodie was ignorant of Amelie¡¯s thoughts.


    She assumed Amelie was merely silent because her words had hurt Amelie.


    Still, the more pain Amelie suffered, the happier she was.


    The happier she was, the more she wanted to hurt Amelie.


    Just then, Jodie strode forward and blocked Amelie¡¯s path forward.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Chapter 23 Want Amelie Torn to Pieces


    Jodie lifted her chin up high and held it up with a hand.


    She tilted her eyelids at just the right angle to shoot Amelie a look as full of disdain as her smirk.


    ¡°The difference between the two of us is like the difference between a beast and an elite human, Amelie,¡±


    she stated.


    ¡°Be it among the Alstons or in Starlight Media, I am always at the top of the pyramid.


    I always have the best.


    You can squeeze that tiny brain of yours all you want, but you can only be at the bottom of the pyramid.


    Like a puny ant, you do not even deserve to be trampled on by someone like me! Even so, all you can do


    is stay for a brief period in those ces,¡± she continued.


    ¡°You have stayed in my home for four years.


    In thispany, I don¡¯t think you canst more than a few hours, even if you work as a janitor.


    So, cherish it well.¡±


    Frankly speaking, Amelie had done nothing to make Jodie hate her.


    In fact, Amelie even let Jodie walk all over her.


    However, it was human nature to develop superiorityplexes.


    If someone who one viewed as a nobody continued being a nobody, it would be seen as just how the


    world worked.


    The moment the nobody disyed any sort of talent that overshadowed them, it was considered an


    offense.


    It would be considered the worst offense ever.


    Ever since the divorce, Amelie had been hanging out with so many amazing people that Jodie felt


    humiliated.


    The humiliation happened every single day, and it hit her where it hurts most.


    Not only did she feel embarrassed, her guts were all twisted together in agonizing fury.


    She wanted to put Amelie in her ce.


    Amelie should continue being a nobody!


    Moreover, she had to live an even more tragic life than before.


    ¡°What is all that noise? Come here already!¡±


    Just then, the head of the Janitorial Department called out to them.


    They had been standing in the hallway for quite a while now.


    ¡°See?¡± Jodie haughtily said.


    ¡°Look at you.


    They don¡¯t even need to ask who you are before assuming you are a janitor.¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    She then waved at Amelie.


    She so wanted to humiliate Amelie further, but the manager she spoke to said every new hire had to


    report to their departments for training right away.


    Hence, she had to leave.


    Just when she turned to leave, Amelie suddenly reached out and grabbed her by the wrist.


    ¡°This is where you are working.¡±


    There was a heavy emphasis on the word ¡°you¡±.


    Jodie scowled and nearly flew into a fit of rage.


    How dare Amelie try to humiliate me this way!


    She was so furious that she forgot about her new job and raised her hand to p Amelie.


    ¡°New janitor, Jodie Alston, please step forward.


    Staff from other departments should leave now so that we may work.¡± The head janitor walked over


    looking them up and down.


    ¡°Who is Jodie?¡±


    Jodie was at a loss for words.


    She stared at the head janitor in disbelief as her arm hung in the air.


    ¡°You must be mistaken,¡± she eximed.


    ¡°I am here to be a streamer!¡±


    The head janitor held up a list of names and pointed out the words ¡°Jodie Alston, Janitorial Department¡±.


    ¡°There must¡¯ve been a mixup!¡± Jodie had put Amelie out of her mind by now.


    She quickly dashed back up to the interview room to speak to the manager to whom she had spoken.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± she shrieked.


    ¡°You assigned me to the Janitorial Department? I will sue you!¡± She was so angry that she was panting


    hard.


    ¡°What are you going to sue us for?¡± Julia asked before the manager could say a word.


    She leisurely walked into the room.


    The sight of Julia seemed to have made Jodie realize something.


    ¡°You worked together with Amelie to humiliate me!¡±


    Julia raised her lips in a disdainful smirk.


    How could someone so stupid have the gall to dream big?


    If Amelie had not been holding back the entire time, Jodie would have died several times over by now.


    ¡°This is merely work.


    How can it be considered humiliation?¡± While Julia would never verbally admit to it, the taunting look on


    her face was clear for all to see; what could Jodie do anyway?


    Jodie seethed upon seeing that look.


    ¡°Just you wait!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°My brother will hear about this.


    You are dead!¡±


    ¡°Our society abides by the rule ofw,¡± Julia shot back.


    ¡°Your brother is not thew.


    No matter how powerful he is, he cannot kill whomever he pleases.¡±


    She then flung the contract at Jodie.


    ¡°Furthermore, you signed this contract out of your own free will.


    You agreed to work in the Janitorial Department, yet you are now screaming about your innocence.


    Who do you think the judge will favor?¡±


    Jodie looked down at the contract.


    It was only then that she realized the position listed was ¡°janitor¡±.


    ¡°H-How can it be?¡± she stammered.


    ¡°We also have audio recordings,¡± said Julia.


    ¡°The Legal Department has clearly reminded you to carefully read through every term listed in the


    contract.¡±


    ¡°We did not hide anything.


    It is so simple that even a kid can understand it.


    Is it too hard for you, Miss Alston?¡±


    That was not the case though.


    Jodie had merely skimmed through the contract without reading it.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    She thought since she applied to be a streamer, she would naturally have been given the appropriate


    contract.


    In the end¡­


    She was just mocking Amelie, saying she was only fit to be a janitor.


    Now, she was the janitor and not Amelie!


    The humiliation¡­


    It was too much.


    The whirlwind of emotions within her was so strong that her face twisted into an unpleasant look.


    ¡°I quit!¡± She threw the contract away and strode toward the exit.


    ¡°Do think it through, Miss Alston.


    Terminating a contract with Starlight Media means otherpanies might not take you on,¡± remarked


    Julia.


    She then slowly sipped her cup of coffee.


    ¡°Of course, you have someone to pay for your expenses.


    There is no fear of starvation.


    If worsees to worst, marry a man and spend the rest of your life mooching off of him.¡±


    ¡°Well, such a woman would likely be looked down upon,¡± Julia continued.


    ¡°After all, that means she is good for nothing!¡±


    The phrase ¡°good for nothing¡± was extremely triggering for Jodie.


    That was the phrase she frequently used when insulting Amelie.


    Was she now going to be viewed in the same light as Amelie?


    Amelie was a nobody!


    Meanwhile, Jodie was a refined woman.


    How could an elite like her bepared to a nobody?


    Anger and frustration warred within her.


    In the end, she flung the doors open and stomped out.


    ¡°Miss White, I¡­ I do not think this is a good idea.


    She is Leo Alston¡¯s sister.


    That means we have now offended him,¡± the manager uneasily said.


    Julia pursed her red lips and scoffed.


    ¡°As if he had not offended us before,¡± she replied.


    Moreover, she was more afraid of not offending the man.


    Of course, that b*stard would soon be taught a lesson too.


    At that thought, Julia was in a better mood again.


    Jodie ran out of the Starlight Media office and hopped into her car.


    Memories of the humiliation she suffered made her scream and shout while hitting everything she could


    reach within the car.


    However, no matter how much she screamed, she received no relief from the hatred burning in her.


    She clenched her hands tightly around the steering wheel.


    ¡°Just you wait, Amelie Dillon.


    How dare you embarrass me!¡±


    She pulled out her phone and dialed Ca¡¯s number.


    ¡°Ca, get me Starlight Media¡¯s president¡¯s wife¡¯s phone number.


    Now!¡±


    ¡°Why do you want her number?¡± asked Ca.


    ¡°Why else? Of course, it is because I want Amelie dead! I want her torn to pieces!¡± Unable to hold back


    her temper, she roared into the phone.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the reason, then there is no use,¡± Ca replied.


    Jodie had been waiting for the wife to deal with Amelie.


    Just what did Ca mean by that?


    She was about to shout when Ca sent her a new article.


    It was about a statement released by the president of Starlight Media.


    What she read made her gasp.


    ¡°H-How can this be?¡±


    She had just been humiliated, but before she even had a chance to strike back, another wave of


    humiliation struck her once more.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Chapter 24 Divorced on the Same Day


    At the Alston Residence, the atmosphere in the room was quite tense.


    Melissa shoved her phone toward Leo.


    ¡°Just what is going on with this? Did Amelie not break up a family? Was it a proper rtionship this


    whole time?¡±


    A deep frown marred his pale face.


    Bria had been kicking up a fuss the entire time.


    Due to spending his whole night calming her down, he was exhausted.


    However, before he could even catch his breath, Melissa came rushing over with the news.


    The president of Starlight Media had waited for a whole day and night before posting a notice early in the


    morning to announce his status as a divorcee.


    He had posted a photo of the divorce certificate, and the date was the same as his and Amelie¡¯s divorce.


    There was only one obvious reason he did that.


    It was to prove that he was allowed to date anyone he liked.


    And that he was free to do as he pleased!


    Meanwhile, everything Leo had said the other day was considered as poking his nose in their business.


    It was seen as meddling!


    Then, the TV program seemed to be trying to anger him as the recording of his lecture to Amelie was


    yed over and over again.


    ¡°No.¡± Leo had swiftly answered.


    ¡°It is not Elyse¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°I have a word of advice for that woman; you are young and healthy.


    There are plenty of ways to earn a living.


    Being a homewrecker is the most foolish and risky path.


    It is best to avoid it.¡±


    Every one of those words was like a p to his face.


    Over and over again¡­


    At a loss for words, he pursed his lips and remained silent.


    However, his silence worried Melissa more.


    ¡°If Starlight Media¡¯s president really wanted to clear the air, he should have spoken up the moment the


    news broke yesterday,¡± she said.


    ¡°But he waited the whole night.


    He only posted the announcement after you said that!¡±


    ¡°What else could he mean by that? Isn¡¯t it clear he is embarrassing us for Amelie¡¯s sake?¡±


    ¡°How very maniptive of that woman! She asked for a divorce, and now she has done all this just to


    humiliate us.


    Just what does she want?¡±


    ¡°Leo, do not have mercy on her.


    Talk to Starlight Media¡¯s owner right now and expose her!¡±


    Melissa might seem like a refined and elegantdy on the outside, but she was actually an extremely


    petty woman who could not ept being slighted at all.


    He massaged his aching head and stood up.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong about them dating each other,¡± he stated angrily.


    ¡°What am I exposing her for?¡±


    Leo then turned and left.


    He moved hurriedly at a swift pace; his irritation evident.


    ¡°Leo!¡± she called out unhappily, walking a few steps forward as if to chase him.


    However, she did not dare drag him back to her.


    After what happened a decade ago, Leo felt no love for her.


    They might still live under the same roof, but any familial love there was once was now gone.


    Leo angrily stomped out of the house until the steel gates mmed shut behind him.


    It was only then that he stopped walking.


    Breathing felt hard with anger clouding his lungs.


    He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff.


    After a few more puffs, he noticed the woman standing across the road from him.


    It was Amelie.


    She was wearing a in blouse and a long white skirt today.


    Standing by the road, she looked so beautiful.


    It had only been a few days since their divorce, yet she lookedpletely different now.


    She was no longer the cowering woman who lived with him.


    Was she like this because she had the love of Starlight Media¡¯s president?


    His heart sank further.


    Amelie stared back at him for a while.


    She could tell at a nce that he was in a horrible mood.


    Leo was not a man who wore his heart on his sleeves, but she knew him too well.


    Before, she would be upset to see him in a bad mood.


    She would worry and feel the restless urge tofort him even though he did not like her.


    However, she no longer felt that way.


    She calmly walked over to him.


    ¡°Now that you have proof that I had not been immodest, can you return Bria to me?¡±


    Her gaze was so calm that it was as though she was talking to a stranger.


    Her lips were even tilted upward in a faint, polite smile.


    That smile spoke of the vast distance between them.


    His chest ached once more.


    It took him a while for him to respond, ¡°Bria is my daughter too.¡±


    She did not speak.


    Her smile did not waver, but there was a hint of mockery in it now.


    It was not obvious, yet it was enough to make him recall her questioning him.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    It reminded him of how he used to ignore Bria.


    Amelie¡¯s silence hurt more than if she had just pped him.


    He took a deep breath.


    ¡°There are still a few more things I need to investigate.


    We will talk about the custody of Bria after everything has been settled.¡±


    He thereafter quickly got into his car.


    Before he could m the door shut, she hurriedly stopped him.


    ¡°Investigate what?¡±


    Leo looked back at her in silence.


    Frankly speaking, she knew he was going to investigate something rted to her.


    Amelie wanted to tell him to just ask her instead but silently chuckled and stopped herself.


    He would never believe her, even if she told him everything she knew.


    She pursed her lips and helplessly let go of his arm.


    ¡°You have two hours.


    I will take Bria back once those two hours are up!¡±


    She was not begging him.


    She was not negotiating with him either.


    It was a demand! She had changed too much over a few short days.


    Amelie was like apletely different person.


    Leo had never seen her carry herself that way before.


    Rather than responding to her, he floored the gas pedal and drove off.


    ¡­


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    Laura stood up to greet Leo when she saw him arrive at the office.


    ¡°Elyse is facing quite harsh criticisms over the leaked emails.


    Do you want to meet her over lunch?¡± she asked.


    Leo ignored her question and demanded, ¡°Find out who the owner of Starlight Media is.¡±


    ¡°The president of Starlight Media?¡± Laura was stunned.


    She soon realized the reason for the order.


    It was evident he was upset over how his ex-wife had gotten together with Starlight Media¡¯s boss right


    after the divorce.


    Leo doesn¡¯t care about Amelie at all, right? Why is he suddenly so concerned about her affairs?


    ¡°Mr. Alston, I feel that you should focus on Elyse and spend more time on her instead.¡± Due to Laura¡¯s


    friendship with Elyse, she was unable to hold back from speaking up.


    ¡°Miss Harris!¡± he barked out in warning.


    ¡°If you feel that this work is not for you, you can resign straight away.¡±


    She was rendered speechless by his response.


    Her face shed between red and white for a moment.


    It was her first time being so scathingly lectured by him.


    In the end, she nodded.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to look into anything else.


    Just look up the record of divorces that happened on the 22nd of April,¡± he said in a softer voice.


    After she left his office, he loosened his tie in anger.


    Why did he want to know who Starlight Media¡¯s president was?


    Did he just want to know what kind of man would like Amelie so much that he would abandon his own


    family?


    The person had gotten a divorce on the same day, so it was clear he had been waiting on her.


    Why did Leo himself care so much about Amelie?


    Back then, that shameless woman had schemed and forced him to marry her, yet constantly said it was


    for his own good.


    He should have abandoned that woman and never talked to her again!


    All of a sudden, he felt exhausted.


    He decided to pick up the phone and call home.


    ¡°Miss Potts, pack Bria¡¯s things in two hours and have Amelie take her away.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Stop crying! You are always crying!¡±


    The first thing Jodie did when she arrived home was shout at Bria.


    She was in a terrible mood after being absolutely humiliated by Amelie, yet there was no way for her to


    get back at Amelie.


    Sitting in the living room, Melissa leisurely focused on her tea.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Chapter 25 The Child Must Stay


    Jodie was cursing loudly but Melissa did not seem to hear it.


    From her point of view, Bria had been affected by Amelie in a negative way, and the girl should begin to


    ept the teachings of the Alston Family.


    Anyway, the balcony was equipped with soundproof ss, and it was far away from other buildings, so


    no matter how much Jodie cursed, she would not be heard by outsiders.


    Jodie had found a punching bag and naturally spared no effort.


    She even stretched out her hand to poke Bria¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Sure enough.


    What Amelie produced is useless!¡±


    Bria red at her with red eyes.


    ¡°Look, look! She¡¯s be rotten due to Amelie¡¯s bad teachings!¡± Jodie pointed again.


    In the past, Bria was timid and afraid.


    She never dared to stare at Jodie like this.


    Then, Jodie twisted Bria¡¯s ear and pushed her against the wall.


    ¡°You¡¯d better stand here for a time-out, or I will starve you to death!¡±


    Le stood outside the door.


    Watching Bria being bullied like this, she could only shake her head and sigh.


    Nevertheless, she was just a servant, so what could she do? It was not until she saw that the clock


    struck eleven that she breathed a sigh of relief and walked over.


    ¡°Bria, it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    ¡°Go? Where are you going?¡± Jodie just finished teaching Bria a lesson, and she finally felt a little better.


    Now that Le was taking Bria away, Jodie was naturally unhappy.


    ¡°Mr. Leo called earlier and told me to send Bria to the door at this hour.


    Miss Dillon is waiting,¡± Le hurriedly mentioned Leo.


    Jodie actually did not like children at all and wished Bria could just disappear from her sight.


    But suddenly, a toxic n came to her mind.


    Since Amelie treated her like that, she wanted to take revenge.


    The highest means of revenge was to inflict pain on the people Amelie cared about the most.


    In this case, Bria was the perfect subject.


    Thinking of this, Jodie quickly ran to Melissa and tugged on the corner of her mother¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Mom, what is going on with Leo? Bria is the flesh and blood of our Alston Family! How can Amelie take


    her away?¡±


    At that moment, Melissa¡¯s expression was not pretty.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with his brain.


    Isn¡¯t he afraid of gossip when an Alston descendant is sent out into the world like that?¡±


    Although she did not like Bria, reputation was the most important thing.


    ¡°Miss Potts, Bria isn¡¯t going anywhere! She will just stay at home!¡± she ordered.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t appropriate.¡± Le stopped helplessly and looked at Bria uneasily.


    ¡°Miss Dillon is waiting outside.


    So, what if she causes trouble?¡±


    ¡°Tell her toe in and I¡¯ll inform her myself.¡± Melissa spread her body and responded coldly.


    Le had no choice but to walk out empty-handed to find Amelie.


    When Amelie followed Le in, Melissa was leisurely leaning on the couch like a queen, looking elegant.


    As for Jodie and Bria, both had disappeared.


    ¡°Mrs.


    Alston, Miss Dillon is here.¡± Le saw that Melissa did not n to get up, so she could only inform her.


    Then, Melissa pointed and gestured for Le to leave.


    Le nced at Amelie worriedly, but Amelie nodded her chin gently toward her, mouthing ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±.


    Thus, Le turned and left.


    Melissa finally sat upright, but she did not give Amelie any attention.


    She simply held a cup and drank tea by herself.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Bria?¡± Amelie asked, not in the mood to y with Melissa.


    Melissa frowned out of dissatisfaction with Amelie¡¯s rudeness.


    ¡°Greeting the host is the most basic form of courtesy.¡±


    Ha.


    A woman with no courtesy is teaching me courtesy?


    Amelie found Melissa¡¯s words extremely ridiculous.


    However, she did not intend to argue with Melissa as there was no need.


    Amelie simply agreed with her.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs.


    Alston, may I know where Bria is?¡±


    Melissa held the teacup lid and gently moved it against the teacup.


    After blowing the hot tea, she opened her mouth again.


    ¡°I think Bria should stay here.


    You are dealing with the boss of Starlight Media, and it is inconvenient to bring Bria with you.


    Besides, Bria is a child of the Alston Family, and the Alston Family can afford to raise her, so there is no


    need for outsiders like you to intervene in her upbringing.¡±


    Is Melissa nning to take away my own child from me?


    The indifference on Amelie¡¯s face suddenly disappeared, and her brows twitched abruptly.


    ¡°Mrs.


    Alston, I¡¯m not an outsider, but Bria¡¯s biological mother.


    Bria was born from my pregnancy of ten months.


    It¡¯s natural for me to raise her.


    Besides, isn¡¯t Mr. Leo going to marry Miss yton? How can I let Bria stay and affect their rtionship?¡±


    Amelie responded quickly after Melissa spoke, refuting Melissa¡¯s every word.


    The corners of Melissa¡¯s falsely indifferent brows quickly tightened, showing her displeasure with


    Amelie¡¯s refute.


    Amelie had been staying with the Alston Family for a long time in the past and had learned to observe


    Melissa, so she could see that Melissa was unhappy.


    However, Melissa was no longer rted to her, so it did not matter whether Melissa was happy or not.


    ¡°In addition, you don¡¯t really care about Bria when she lived here before, and I think that¡¯s because my


    status isn¡¯t reputable enough.


    It¡¯s fine now though as Elyse has returned and her identity is definitely reputable.


    Mrs.


    Alston, you might as well have her give birth to a few more descendants of the Alston Family.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s words were true.


    However, Melissa strongly felt that her stature was threatened, so she mmed the table so hard it


    shook a little.


    ¡°Amelie, do you really think I don¡¯t know anything if I don¡¯t expose you?¡± she started shouting.


    ¡°Your divorce with Leo is the same day as the day the boss of Starlight Media obtained a divorce! Even a


    fool can see that you two had plotted together! You cheated as early as while you were in marriage, and


    Bria will only learn bad things by being with you! It is absolutely impossible for the Alston Family to hand


    over our granddaughter to a woman whose private life is not in good order! You¡¯d better give up your


    child¡¯s custody, or you will go to court and be humiliated there!¡±


    Ha!


    Jamie posted the divorce certificate just to prove that Amelie was divorced, but Amelie did not expect


    that it would be misinterpreted by Melissa like this!


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve made a firm decision?¡± Amelie stopped refuting and asked with a smile.


    Melissa picked up the teacup again and returned to her originally graceful appearance.


    ¡°Send her off!¡±


    Mr. Cooper came over and looked at Amelie uneasily with sympathy in his eyes, but he could only say,


    ¡°Miss Dillon, please leave.¡±


    Amelie gently nodded at him, and then said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯d better not regret it.¡±


    She spoke lightly without the slightest anxiety and anger.


    Melissa could not help but look at her back with slight astonishment.


    ¡°Mom, why did she suddenly leave without her child?¡± Jodie, who was hiding in the dark, came out with a


    puzzled face.


    She originally wanted to take advantage of this fight to make Amelie suffer.


    Melissa could not figure out what Amelie meant either.


    Could it be that Amelie did not even want Bria back?


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Just when the two of them were wondering to themselves, there was a loud crash from inside the house


    and Le ran out with a pale face.


    ¡°Oh no, Bria heard that you refused to let Miss Dillon take her away, so she got angry, and she¡­ s,


    Mrs.


    Alston, Miss Alston, you¡¯d better go and see for yourselves.¡±


    At once, Melissa dropped her act and rushed into the room with Jodie.


    In the room, Bria had broken a vase and was still holding another in her hand.


    Those vases were blue and white porcins from an ancient dynasty which were auctioned at a high


    price! Each was worth tens of millions, and one of them was now gone just like that!


    Melissa could hardly breathe properly as her body shook violently.


    Pointing at Bria, she kept trembling while saying, ¡°Y-You¡­ You b*stard!¡±

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Chapter 26 All the Assets of the Alston Family


    There was no trace of fear on Bria¡¯s face.


    Her mother told her not to be afraid when encountering difficulties, but to be good at finding solutions.


    Last night she was crying and making noise on purpose, and although Leo was annoyed, he still coaxed


    her patiently, so she did not cause much trouble.


    However, today, not only did Jodie do something bad to her, but Melissa also wanted to prevent her


    mother from taking her away.


    Bria did not want to bear it anymore!


    ¡°If you don¡¯t let me go, I¡¯ll smash everything in this room!¡± Without blinking, she smashed the vase in her


    hands! With a crash, Melissa¡¯s heart also shattered into pieces along with the vase.


    It was worth 20 million!


    ¡°How presumptuous of you!¡± she yelled and covered her chest.


    ¡°Get her, get her!¡±


    Le ran to hold Bria back, who struggled hard and broke free.


    Jodie was also annoyed by Bria¡¯s behavior, and she rushed over with gritted teeth.


    ¡°Little brat! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    Immediately after saying that, she pressed Bria down and shoved her against the wall like a frog.


    Bria was pressed so hard that she could not catch her breath, and she coughed for a while.


    Then, Jodie raised her hand and pped Bria.


    ¡°Look! Look! I¡¯m being abused!¡± Bria yelled abruptly.


    Stunned by her words, Jodie looked up and saw the phone in Bria¡¯s hand.


    On the phone, Jodie¡¯s face suddenly appeared.


    At this time, her eyes were round, her teeth were gritted, and her look was fierce!


    Is this me?


    Jodie did not believe that the vicious person on screen was herself.


    ¡°Oh my God, that¡¯s child abuse.¡±


    ¡°Call the police.


    Everyone, call the police immediately!¡±


    ¡°F*cking woman, let go of her.¡±


    ¡°Bria, tell us the address, and we¡¯lle to save you right away!¡±


    Jodie was dazed for a while, and she suddenly came to her senses when she saw the words floating on


    the screen.


    ¡°You¡­ You started a live broadcast?¡±


    At first, she thought that Bria only opened the camera function and nned to snatch the phone away


    from her.


    At this moment, Jodie¡¯s whole body suddenly lost strength, and there was a rumbling in her head.


    So, her ugly face just now was not only seen by the Alston Family, but also by people outside?


    Taking advantage of her distraction, Bria scooted far away.


    She burst into tears while facing the camera and cried, ¡°Mommy, I want Mommy.


    Everyone,e and save me! I was locked at home by my grandma and aunt¡­ I¡¯m at¡­¡±


    Although Melissa was not very familiar with the live broadcast function, she still sensed that something


    big had happened, so she ran over and grabbed Bria¡¯s phone, turning it off at once! Then, she pressed


    her chest, panting hard.


    Amelie is so evil! She taught Bria such a wicked move after Bria left for only a few days!


    In fact, this matter really had nothing to do with Amelie.


    The live broadcast ount was started by Jamie for Bria, who sang and danced on it when she had


    nothing to do.


    She was smart and cute with an adorable appearance.


    Soon after, she managed to gain arge number of fans.


    ¡°Fortunately, we did not let this bast*rd tell them the address of our house.¡± Jodie came back to her


    senses, feeling thankful for a while.


    She looked so hideous just now that she could not even recognize herself, nor could anyone else


    recognize her.


    After rejoicing, she had on wicked look again and rushed toward Bria, screaming, ¡°You little bast*rd! How


    dare you y this trick! See if I don¡¯t beat you to death!¡±


    As soon as she raised her hand, Mr. Cooper rushed in.


    ¡°Something has happened¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, several police officers rushed over quickly, grabbed Jodie¡¯s hand, and held


    her down!


    Both Jodie and Melissa were stunned.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    Melissa took a deep breath before she said, ¡°This is my daughter, and that child is my granddaughter.


    We are just educating the child.¡±


    ¡°Educate the child? 3000 people just saw Bria being abused!¡±


    Amelie walked out from behind and held up her phone.


    Her eyes were red and filled with tears; she was both angry and heartbroken.


    She was also in the live broadcast just now and witnessed Jodie hurt Bria with her own eyes!


    Amelie approached step by step, her eyes terribly dark.


    Jodie felt guilty and wanted to step back.


    However, her hands were held behind her and she could not move at all.


    Amelie could not control her emotions as she grabbed Jodie¡¯s cor.


    ¡°If I p you, can I say that I¡¯m just educating my former sister-inw? Abuse is abuse, and it¡¯s against


    thew no matter what the purpose is!¡±


    If it were not for Le restraining Amelie from behind, her hand would have fallen on Jodie.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, go see the child first.¡±


    Le knew that Amelie attached great importance to Bria.


    At that moment, the former was afraid that Amelie¡¯s impulsiveness would cause trouble and give Melissa


    an opportunity to take Bria away, so she tried to persuade Amelie.


    Only then did Amelie let go of Jodie.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± Bria ran over and plunged into Amelie¡¯s arms.


    The way her mother looked at her aunt was terrifying but she knew that her mother wanted to protect


    her.


    Amelie hugged Bria tightly, and when she saw the blue and purple marks on Bria¡¯s little face, she felt so


    distressed that her heart nearly shattered.


    She could no longer let Bria have any connection with the Alston Family.


    Seeing that Amelie was about to take Bria away, Melissa quickly stopped her.


    ¡°Officers, this is actually a family affair.


    Although the child¡¯s aunt acted a little impulsively, it was all because the child was ignorant and broke an


    expensive vase.


    Let us solve this in private.¡±


    The police looked at Melissa and then at Amelie.


    After all, it indeed was a family affair.


    But if Amelie was not willing to let it go, it would be hard for them to withdraw.


    Melissa was aware of that.


    Hence, she walked over to Amelie.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Amelie was reluctant to let go of Bria, so Le came over.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold Bria for you while you have a good chat with Mrs. Alston.¡±


    Although she heard that Amelie had been getting close to Starlight Media recently, who could tell what


    would happen in the future? Right now, it was best not to offend the Alston Family.


    Amelie knew what Le was thinking.


    She then followed Melissa to the side hall.


    ¡°How much is the loss today? I willpensate ording to the market value.¡±


    When they arrived at the side hall, Amelie was the first to speak.


    Melissa snorted at her, looking at Amelie with eyes filled with reproach.


    ¡°Is that how you educate your child? Is it okay for her to just smash things worth tens of thousands


    without any care in the world? Is it okay for her to expose her own grandmother and aunt like that? Such


    a child will develop badly and plunge society into chaos! Amelie, the facts show that you don¡¯t know how


    to raise children at all! Bria will only be worse if she stays with you! Instead of regretting it in the


    future, it¡¯s better to n for her now.¡±


    ¡°The n you¡¯re talking about is to keep her at the Alston Residence, right?¡± Amelie answered bluntly.


    Melissa did not answer, showing her silent agreement.


    Then, a sneer floated upon Amelie¡¯s face.


    ¡°Bria¡¯s behavior just now was indeed uneptable, but why did she do it? She was brought in yesterday,


    but why did she break the vases today and not yesterday? I just saw that she has a lot of blue and purple


    marks on her body.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    She must have been beaten.


    What do you expect her to do? Does she really have to obey and do nothing when she is beaten?¡±


    With just a few words, Amelie silenced Melissa.


    Melissa frowned and was finally willing to look at Amelie.


    This ex-daughter-inw hadpletely changed since the divorce.


    How could this be?


    ¡°What do you mean by being beaten? Jodie is her aunt.


    If Bria has done something wrong, she should be educated!¡±


    Melissa quickly continued, ¡°If you had not made a big deal out of it, it would not have been like this! Don¡¯t


    think that I will give up the custody of Bria just because you instigated Bria to use the live broadcast to


    force my hand.


    That is impossible! Amelie, if you insist on taking Bria away, I will not help you cover up the fact that


    you¡¯re a bad mother! The boss of Starlight Media is not an ordinary person.


    He should care more about children¡¯s education than ordinary people.


    Do you think he will want a woman who teaches children to be extremely dangerous individuals as


    his wife?¡±


    Amelie had to admit that Melissa¡¯s ability to bullsh*t and force people to submit was really brilliant.


    If Amelie had really hooked up with a wealthy man, she would definitely be frightened.


    ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t me Mommy! What happened just now was my own idea; it has nothing to do with


    her!¡± Bria ran in suddenly, stood in front of Amelie, and blocked Amelie with her small body.


    ¡°My teacher taught me that if someone does something unreasonable, even if they¡¯re adults, we have to


    resist! Grandma, you and Aunt Jodie locked me up and would not let me see my mother; that was


    unreasonable!¡±


    Seeing Bria¡¯s heart-warming little gesture, Amelie felt relieved for a while.


    She lowered herself and patted Bria¡¯s little shoulder.


    ¡°Bria, don¡¯t be afraid.


    I¡¯ll take you home after talking with your grandmother.


    Go and be with Miss Potts for a while.¡±


    Bria was a little worried, but she went out obediently.


    ¡°How much do you want to give up Bria¡¯s custody?¡± Melissa repeated the old trick.


    Amelie curved her lips.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so willing to give, Mrs. Alston, I want all of the Alston Family¡¯s assets.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Chapter 27 A Supporting Role


    Melissa was so angry that she almost vomited blood.


    ¡°You¡¯re so¡­¡±


    Before the word ¡°shameless¡± was uttered, Amelie spoke again, ¡°However, even so, I will not give Bria to


    you!¡±


    Melissa¡¯s fingers clenched tightly under her sleeves.


    She did not manage to record anything useful, so she could only stop the recording on her phone.


    Amelie noticed her small movement but did not expose Melissa.


    She simply pursed her lips and smiled.


    Then, she raised her phone.


    ¡°Mrs. Alston, even if what happened just now was just Jodie beating Bria to educate her, what about


    this?¡±


    Immediately, a voice came from the phone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re here for.


    My brother brought back that bast*rd and you want her back, right?¡±


    ¡°Bast*rd?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a bast*rd! As long as you gave birth to her, she¡¯s a bast*rd!¡±


    Hearing this conversation, Melissa¡¯s confident expression suddenly copsed, and her face was


    unbelievably stiff!


    Amelie smiled lightly.


    ¡°How about that? If I link both situations together, it can be evidence of Jodie¡¯s abuse of Bria


    whether it is handed over to the reporters or the police.¡±


    She had a smile on her face, but her heart was sour.


    What did Bria do wrong? How could she be humiliated by her own aunt like that?


    ¡­


    When Amelie came out, she had a faint smile on her face.


    She put a piece of paper into her bag and bent down to pick up Bria.


    ¡°Bria, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Seeing Amelie take Bria away, Jodie was anxious and rushed to Melissa.


    ¡°Mom, why did you let her take the girl away? We can¡¯t let that bast*rd go! If she does, I¡ª¡±


    Before Jodie could finish her words, Melissa pped her.


    ¡°Mom, what do you mean by this?¡±


    Jodie cried out after being unexpectedly hit by Melissa.


    Melissa¡¯s face was tense, and she red at Jodie with hatred.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of you that I was forced by Amelie to write an agreement to give up Bria¡¯s custody! Jodie,


    it¡¯s your fault!¡±


    Melissa was upset because it was more than just losing a granddaughter.


    Her high status was being challenged! Due to Jodie¡¯s ignorance, Melissa had to bow down to Amelie!


    For Melissa, bowing to her ex-daughter-inw whom she initially did not even want to look at was the


    ultimate humiliation!


    Jodie was in pain and grief.


    Covering her face, she ran into the room angrily.


    After entering the room, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.


    She stomped her feet for a while, lifted the pillow, and mmed it non-stop.


    But after mming it for a long time, the anger in her heart was still unresolved.


    ¡°D*mn bast*rd! D*mn Amelie!¡±


    Thinking of Bria and Amelie¡¯s scheme against her, she felt like her chest was on fire!


    Having suffered such a big loss, how could she let it go?


    After being angry for a while, she called Ca.


    ¡°Ca, help me.¡±


    She told Ca all the grievances she had suffered.


    ¡°As long as you can help me punish these two severely, I¡¯ll buy you your favorite limited-edition bag!¡±


    Ca was a materialistic woman.


    Hearing what Jodie said, Ca raised the corners of her lips in satisfaction.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, the best way to punish the two of them is to separate them.


    For a child, what is more terrifying than being forced to leave her mother? Moreover, Amelie will be in so


    much pain if she¡¯s separated from her child!¡±


    ¡°I agree that this is the best way, but the point is, she forced my mother to let go of the child¡¯s custody.


    Now, even my mother does not dare to do anything to her!¡±


    Jodie was agitated for a while as she twisted her pillow and smashed it again.


    ¡°You can send me the agreement; maybe I can help you think of a good solution.¡±


    When Jodie heard Ca¡¯s words, she ran out immediately.


    It just so happened that Melissa went out.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Jodie then ran into Melissa¡¯s room and saw the agreement on the table, so she quickly took a few photos


    and sent them to Ca.


    Although the limited-edition bags were painfully expensive, Jodie was happy again when she thought


    that Ca would help her punish Amelie and Bria severely.


    On the other side, Ca handed the phone to the person next to her after she answered the phone.


    The room was dark and only the hard and cold outline of the man could be seen.


    ¡°Honey, your tricks are really vicious.¡± Ca¡¯s tone was delicate.


    She did not think of the idea just now.


    It was all written by the man in front of her after listening to Jodie¡¯s words, and then she only read it


    ordingly.


    Even the matter of telling Elyse about the married but cheating boss of Starlight Media was his idea.


    There was a little light near the corner of the man¡¯s lips, and it could be seen that the corners of his lips


    were raised coldly in an evil manner!


    ¡°Likest time,¡± he said.


    His voice was low and deep, with a bit of malice and disdain.


    Ca understood that he wanted to send the agreement to Elyse¡¯s mailbox.


    She did as he said, but then she pouted.


    ¡°Honey, why do you care so much about Jodie? Do you like her?¡±


    ¡°Do I like her?¡± The man¡¯s expression was indistinguishable as his eyes emitted a cold light in the


    darkness.


    Then he said something irrelevant, ¡°She¡¯s just a supporting role.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Leo, are you really giving up Bria?¡±


    In the grand privatepartment, Toby and Leo sat opposite each other.


    Toby had recently gone to the Alston Residence, and through Mr. Cooper, he knew that Leo had taken


    Bria away, but also returned Bria to Amelie.


    Holding the wine ss, Leo lowered his eyes and drank, his expression indifferent.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up.


    I¡¯m just letting her take care of the child.


    Bria is the descendant of the Alston Family!¡±


    Thisst sentence was enough to show his stance.


    It was impossible for him to give up Bria.


    Ashton, who was sitting on the left of Toby, was unhappy.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just leave the child at Alston Residence? If you do this, you will only get even more


    involved with that Dillon woman.¡±


    He poured himself more wine with his hand that was wearing a luxury watch, the unwillingness on his


    face was clear.


    ¡°This is exactly what she wants.


    That woman just wants to be ceaselessly involved with you! You are going to remarry in the future.


    It¡¯s unfair to your future wife for you to be so involved with her.¡±


    After speaking, his eyes focused on Elyse who was next to Leo.


    Elyse was holding her phone as if thinking about something.


    When she met his gaze, she shook her head suddenly as if she just realized what he was saying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that about Miss Dillon.


    Isn¡¯t she dating the boss of Starlight Media now? He¡¯s so sincere¡­¡±


    She did not finish her sentence.


    However, everyone understood.


    The so-called sincerity of the boss of Starlight Media meant that he would give up his own wife for


    Amelie!


    These words caused Leo to frown suddenly, and his face abruptly darkened.


    Ashton snorted disdainfully.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that kind of woman just like men to hang around her? She just wishes every man would throw


    away his family and career for her and get involved with her!¡±


    ¡°I think you still have a misunderstanding of Miss Dillon.¡± Elyse¡¯s bright face still showed her disapproval


    of Ashton.


    ¡°She actually broke up with Leo quite decidedly.


    I heard from Jodie that when Miss Dillon took the child away, she asked Mrs. Alston to sign an


    agreement to permanently renounce the custody of the child.¡±


    Clearly, Elyse had read the email someone sent her just now and did not actually hear it straight from


    Jodie.


    She only said this to let Leo feel that she was getting along well with the members of the Alston Family.


    After she finished speaking, she did not forget to show the screenshot of the agreement.


    ¡°Look, Jodie just sent it to me.¡±


    Suddenly, a hand intercepted the phone.


    It was Leo.


    His long fingers quickly swiped twice on the screen, and his originally unhappy face became even darker.


    In the next moment, he got up and left.


    ¡°Leo!¡± Ashton called out to him, about to stand up and stop him.


    However, Leo had gone far.


    Ashton could only stare at Elyse hatefully.


    ¡°Elyse, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you speaking up for that Dillon woman?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Elyse showed a wronged and innocent expression.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Ashton was deeply distressed and anger rose in his heart, but on seeing Elyse¡¯s aggrieved face,


    he could not say another word.


    As for Toby, he had been watching from the sidelines.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Chapter 28 His Bottom Line


    Only then did Toby sneer, ¡°Come to your senses.


    Don¡¯t think you are very shrewd! It¡¯s easy for things to backfire on you.¡±


    After speaking, he pressed the corners of his lips, looking like he did not really mean anything.


    In this room, only a fool like Ashton would think that Elyse was just helping Amelie.


    Elyse wanted Leo to take away the childpletely and separate the family!


    Shameless, but also sinister!


    Amelie took Bria all the way to the car and didn¡¯t say a word to Bria until they got in the car.


    Bria usually cared about Amelie¡¯s attitude toward her the most, so at this moment, seeing Amelie pursing


    her lips, Bria could not help but tug at the corner of Amelie¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Mommy, I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.


    What did you do wrong?¡± Amelie¡¯s tone was not serious, but her expression was.


    Bria bowed her head.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have dropped their antiques.¡±


    Saying this, she bit her lip and blinked her eyes guiltily.


    There was already a slight dampness on her eyshes.


    Seeing her like this, Amelie¡¯s heart ached slightly and she took Bria into her arms.


    ¡°Your true fault is not protecting yourself.¡±


    Bria raised her head in confusion and looked at her with big, innocent eyes.


    Amelie further prompted, ¡°When you dropped an antique vase, did you think about your own safety?


    What can you do if you are injured by a broken vase? If the vase is broken, we can buy it again, but if


    you are hurt, there will be a scar forever.


    Remember to protect yourself as much as possible; no matter what the situation is.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Knowing that her mother was angry because her mother was worried about her, Bria felt warm all of a


    sudden.


    Seeing that Bria had a good attitude toward admitting her mistake, Amelie patted her little head lovingly.


    ¡°This time, I me myself because I didn¡¯t protect you well.¡±


    ¡°Mommy, you don¡¯t need to me yourself.


    You¡¯re already good to me.¡±


    Bria was satisfied with Amelie.


    ¡°However, I really don¡¯t like living with Grandma.


    Aunt Jodie is so fierce and Grandma is so cold.¡±


    As soon as the Alston Family was mentioned, Bria couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    Seeing Bria¡¯s fearful look, Amelie thought of what she saw in the live broadcast room.


    Jodie did not look like she was Bria¡¯s aunt at all.


    Her behavior was like she was dealing with an enemy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bria, I won¡¯t let you go through this kind of thing again in the future,¡± Amelie promised Bria


    while patting her head.


    Bria hadn¡¯t slept well at Alston Residence, but now that she returned to Amelie¡¯s side, she suddenly


    rxed.


    It didn¡¯t take long for her eyelids to droop.


    In an instant, she fell asleep.


    Looking at the exhausted girl in her arms, Amelie hugged her tight in distress.


    Halfway through, Julia and Jamie called and asked about Bria¡¯s situation.


    Even ke sent a message.


    They all saw Bria shouting for help in the live broadcast room.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Bria hase out of the house.


    She¡¯s in the car with me right now,¡± Amelie said.


    ¡°The Alston Family is so inhuman!¡± Julia was the most hot-headed one of them all, and among the three,


    she had the angriest reaction.


    ¡°How could they treat Bria like this? I felt distressed watching the live broadcast, let alone¡­ Amy, these


    scumbags must not be let go! Since they dare to hurt Bria, let¡¯s let them taste the pain too!¡±


    Amelie rubbed her aching brows.


    ¡°Right now, I just want to fight for Bria¡¯s custody.


    Although Bria has been hurt by this incident, it also makes Melissa willing to give up custody of the child.


    For the time being, forget it.¡±


    It was not that Amelie didn¡¯t feel sorry for Bria.


    However, most of the time, one had to sacrifice something for the benefit of another.


    Even if this was hard for her to swallow, she could only choose the solution that was most beneficial to


    Bria¡¯s future.


    Hearing that Melissa had signed an agreement to give up custody, Jamie was not as angry as before.


    ¡°Amy, you did the right thing.


    We can¡¯t have Bria suffer more just because we¡¯re upset.


    Come back soon.


    I¡¯ll make you some delicious food.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, Amelie felt warm in her heart.


    Although she lost her marriage, she still had so many good friends who cared about her and Bria.


    When Amelie¡¯s car arrived at the residence, Julia was already waiting downstairs with a scarf around her.


    At the same time, Bria had just woken up and her eyes were hazy.


    Then, Julia hugged her and kept kissing her.


    ¡°Bria, you¡¯ve suffered.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Bria shook her head in a sensible way, kissed Julia back, and nced at Amelie.


    ¡°Mommy rescued me.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.


    Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± Julia carried Bria and walked toward the gate.


    However, Amelie¡¯s eyes were fixed at a certain point.


    There stood a figure, and the man was tall and thin with a cold face and dark eyes that were also looking


    at her.


    Julia walked for a while and realized that Amelie didn¡¯t keep up, so she turned around and called her.


    Turning around, she also saw that person.


    When she saw him, her bright face quickly darkened with a disgusted expression as if she had seen


    something awful.


    In the next moment, she rushed out toward the man, screaming, ¡°Alston, this is Amy¡¯s residence! You are


    not wee!¡±


    Leo faced Julia¡¯s anger with cold eyes as if the object of her anger was not himself.


    Subsequently, his eyes fell on Bria, who shrank back ufortably, unwilling to be in contact with him.


    Julia couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him anymore, so she nudged Amelie with the elbow that was holding


    Bria.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to see Leo for even a second!


    ¡°I need to talk to you,¡± Leo finally said, his eyes locked on Amelie.


    ¡°You both are already divorced! There is nothing to talk about!¡± Julia was very protective of her friend.


    Leo just pursed his lips and looked at Amelie with no intention of leaving.


    The surrounding passerby seemed to feel the tension here, and many people looked over.


    Amelie didn¡¯t want Bria to be the focus of everyone¡¯s attention, so she pushed Julia and said, ¡°Take Bria


    home first.¡±


    ¡°But you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs after talking to him.¡± Amelie knew that Julia was worried, so she gave Julia a soothing


    look.


    Julia had also felt Bria¡¯s rejection of Leo and didn¡¯t insist any longer.


    When leaving, she did not forget to say, ¡°If he dares to bully you, call me!¡±


    She appeared ferocious.


    After speaking, she did not forget to cast a warning look at Leo.


    Seeing Julia and Bria leave, Amelie calmly recovered and looked at Leo.


    ¡°What do you need?¡±


    Leo¡¯s expression had been ugly, and it was even worse when he saw Bria escape from him.


    ¡°You forced my mother to sign an agreement to give up Bria¡¯s custody?¡± he asked directly.


    Amelie nodded.


    After all, Leo would know sooner orter.


    ¡°It¡¯s better for you and Elyse.¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s good for me or not is up to me to decide, not you!¡± Leo replied rudely.


    His reply was bad-mannered and his tone was unpleasant, so Amelie simply stopped being civil and


    curled the corners of her lips.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s talk about whether it is good for Bria.


    I am her mother, and it is up to me to decide whether it¡¯s good for her or not!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already allowed you to keep Bria with you, but you still went overboard and even deprived her of her


    family.


    Is it really good for her?¡± Leo was in a bad mood, and his tone was extremely aggressive at this moment.


    During their marriage, he had never said so much to her at one time.


    Now that they were divorced, he spoke so much to her, but every word was like a knife trying to stab her


    to death! To Leo, Amelie was simply trying to make trouble out of nothing!


    Hearing this, Amelie sneered, ¡°Deprived? Mr. Leo, you¡¯re really scary.


    You easily turned your family into victims! Before you utter these words, you should go home and ask


    your own mother and sister why I wanted to deprive them! They are not fools, so how could I deprive


    them anyhow I like!¡±


    ¡°No matter what the reason is, it is impossible for the child to leave the Alston Family!¡± Leo¡¯s attitude was


    very resolute, and he had no intention of figuring out the reason at all.


    Originally, he only allowed Amelie to take care of the child temporarily.


    It was she who vited his bottom line, so it was only right for him to be cold-blooded and ruthless!

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Chapter 29 It Hits Differently When You Have a Man to Take Care of You


    ¡°I¡¯m only giving you one night.¡± Leo lowered his head to look at his watch.


    ¡°At 9.00AM tomorrow, I expect you to personally send Bria right to the entrance of the Alston Residence.¡±


    He didn¡¯t mention what would happen if Amelie werete.


    After all, she had been married to him for four years and had always observed him before that, so she


    was familiar with his tactics.


    This man had always been cruel and ruthless toward his enemies.


    With that, Leo turned around and left.


    His silhouette was resolute and cold.


    As Amelie gazed at his receding figure, a forlorn smile shed across her face.


    This man was stubborn, cold-blooded, and self-centered.


    How did she fall for him in the first ce?


    ¡­


    ¡°Alston came to you to talk about Bria¡¯s custody?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until they had their meal and Bria returned to her room that Julia asked about this.


    Amelie nodded, her heart heavyden.


    She ryed everything Leo said before he left.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± When Julia heard that Leo had threatened Amelie, she cursed again.


    ¡°Even if the entire world is full of saints in Alston¡¯s eyes, you are the only sinner he could never forgive!¡±


    Julia was so furious that she kept scratching the table, pretending that the furniture was Leo.


    ¡°You only have to ask around to know who¡¯s in the wrong in this matter.


    Leo is blind beyond belief.


    If you had known it would be like this, you should¡¯ve ignored him and let him be blind for life! It¡¯s no big


    deal to be physically blind, but having your heart blinded is irredeemable!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Julia looked at Amelie, her heart aching for her.


    Not many people knew that Amelie indeed had extremely poor vision in one eye.


    For the sake of a wretched man like Leo, she had offered an unthinkable sacrifice!


    Still, knowing that the past would only cause Amelie more sorrow, Julia eventually restrained herself.


    She came over to hold Amelie¡¯s hands.


    ¡°What are you nning to do now? Do you have any ns?¡±


    If they took it to court, the agreement in Amelie¡¯s possession wouldn¡¯t be much help.


    Amelie had asked Melissa to sign the agreement because she knew Melissa prioritized her pride.


    Furthermore, Melissa would be too proud to take back her words after signing them.


    Amelie had devised many ns, but she forgot to guard against Leo.


    He had already agreed to let Amelie have the child, but now he had changed her mind.


    She stayed silent, a frown on her face.


    Julia couldn¡¯t fathom what she was thinking.


    ¡°I think if he wants to take it to court, we¡¯ll ept the challenge! We have evidence on our hands, so why


    would we be afraid that we wouldn¡¯t win?¡± Julia decisively announced, grabbing her phone to contact a


    lawyer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Amelie hastily grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to court.¡±


    ¡°Amy, this isn¡¯t about whether we¡¯re willing to take it to court.


    Instead, we know for sure that Leo will definitely sue us!¡± Julia reminded her.


    Then, Julia¡¯s heart ached again.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to face him in court, and you don¡¯t want your rtionship to end like this.¡±


    Amelie had sacrificed so much in the beginning, but things had turned out like this.


    No average person would have endured this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how my rtionship ends, but Bria is different,¡± she said, her voice exceedingly calm.


    ¡°There was no need for her to be stuck between us and snatched back and forth.¡±


    ¡°So, I will never take it to court for Bria¡¯s sake.¡± Amelie had made up her mind.


    ¡°But if this continues, our only option is to let Bria go.¡± Julia was anxious again.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Amelie brushed back her hair and pulled Julia closer, then began whispering¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Leo, do you mean it? Is Amelie really going to send Bria back today?¡±


    At the Alston Residence, Jodie had just received this news, so she hastily went to him for confirmation.


    Melissa, who had a dark expression on her face throughout the night, finally recovered and looked at


    Jodie.


    ¡°Your brother still hasn¡¯t gone to work at this hour, and that¡¯s because he¡¯s waiting for Bria.


    It couldn¡¯t have been fake.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Getting her confirmation, Jodie was so ted that she was about to leap in joy.


    Her ns finally worked!


    Ca really was capable, just like she was made out to be.


    Jodie had already decided that she would use Bria to punish Amelie even more.


    She wouldn¡¯t stop until Amelie wished she were dead and kneeled down to beg for mercy!


    Melissa nced down at her watch.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She didn¡¯t think much about punishing Amelie.


    However, she still held a grudge against Amelie for forcing her to sign the agreement yesterday.


    Also, Bria¡¯s family name was Alston.


    If Bria lived outside the family, it would be a huge hit to the Alstons¡¯ reputation.


    The three were still talking when the butler, Mr. Cooper, walked in.


    ¡°Mrs. Alston, Mr. Leo, Miss Jodie.


    Miss Dillon is here.¡±


    After they were informed that Amelie had arrived, the three stood up and exited the house.


    At that moment, Amelie was standing outside.


    Today, she was wearing a white dress.


    Her skin was paler than snow, and her features were bright and charming.


    She was so radiant right now, a stark contrast to the Amelie who had been quiet and underdressed while


    in the Alston Residence.


    She even looked like another person now.


    When Leo saw Amelie like this, he was slightly stunned for a brief moment.


    He had to admit that her aura, spirit, and appearance had undergone a drastic change after the divorce.


    At the back, Jodie clicked her tongue.


    ¡°It hits differently when you have a man to take care of you, doesn¡¯t it? Look how much your


    circumstances have improved now.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s face was expressionless, but Leo frowned deeply in an instant, his expression extremely sour.


    Melissa ran over to pinch Jodie.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    If Jodie described in that way, the Alston Family would be the losing party here, and they sounded like a


    disgrace.


    It was an insult to both the Alston Family and Leo himself, hinting that he was so terrible that he wouldn¡¯t


    even provide for a woman!


    She finally realized that she had chosen the wrong words to say, so she hastily covered her mouth.


    Amelie lifted the corners of her lips, expressing a look of ridicule.


    Even the Alstons themselves knew that they had mistreated her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Bria?¡± Leo asked, his patience running thin.


    He scanned the ce, but he couldn¡¯t catch sight of Bria.


    ¡°Bria is noting here,¡± she replied calmly.


    His face instantly fell.


    When he looked at Amelie, there was a look of disdain on his face, just like before.


    ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do anything if you hide Bria from me? Childish!¡±


    Amelie simply smiled.


    Leo actually wanted to call her stupid, didn¡¯t he?


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Amelie originally meant to bid farewell, but she was suddenly interested when


    she heard what he said.


    ¡°Of course, he¡¯ll get awyer to sue you, then you won¡¯t be able to see Bria ever again!¡± Jodie shouted


    impatiently.


    She wanted Amelie to suffer right now.


    Amelie¡¯s smile only widened.


    She should be smiling, but there was a feeling of deep sorrow in her eyes.


    In the end, she looked at Leo.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Her gaze was firm as if she absolutely had to get her answer.


    Leo looked at her and saw clearly the tears shivering and welling in her eyes.


    There was an ache in his heart.


    However, it onlysted a few seconds.


    In the next moment, he nodded.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Faced with a woman who only knew maniption, this was the best punishment!


    ¡°You¡¯re so cruel,¡± Amelie mumbled, her voice filled with deste helplessness.


    Leo sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m already nice enoughpared to the maniption you did 4 years ago!¡±


    ¡°The maniption 4 years ago?¡± she asked, not expecting him to mention this.


    Her gaze gradually turned cold.


    ¡°Leo, why are you still ying the victim at times like this?¡±

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Chapter 30 Are You Really Sure You Won¡¯t Regret Going Against Him?


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t said those words back then, what would the Alston Family be like?¡± Amelie stared straight at


    Leo¡¯s face and cocked her head, a half-smile on her face.


    At that time, Genesis Company was preparing to be listed, and the preparation work had been going on


    for 2 years.


    Also, 80% of Genesis Company¡¯s products were endorsed by Elyse.


    As Elyse¡¯s two-timing became a reality, the Alstons would suffer direct losses! Thepany would have


    no hopes of getting listed, and Leo¡¯s efforts for those 2 years would be in vain! Product sales would


    decrease at a shocking rate, and Genesis would face an unprecedented financial crisis! Leo would be


    the one being cheated on, and he would be the joke of the city!


    The rasher Amelie¡¯s decisions were back then, the deeper her love for Leo.


    He held her gaze for a few seconds.


    Those few seconds warmed her heart slightly.


    So, he still thought he had the upper hand, didn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Stop changing the topic.


    Where¡¯s Bria?¡± Jodie feared that Leo would be convinced by Amelie and proceed to give up on Bria¡¯s


    custody, so she hastily interrupted.


    With that, Jodie walked over to Leo and tugged at him.


    ¡°Leo, this woman is very calcting.


    Don¡¯t fall into her trap.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Leo.¡± Melissa walked over as well.


    ¡°No matter what happened before, you two are already divorced.


    You have to make a decision about the child!¡±


    He averted his gaze from Melissa¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Amelie, that¡¯s another topic altogether.


    If you want a part of the profit, the Alstons earned back then, get awyer to discuss it with me.


    Now, I want Bria!¡± he said.


    To him, even if the Alstons profited, it was only an unintentional side effect while Amelie carried out her


    n.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    Her heart grew cold once again.


    What was wrong with Amelie? Why was she still hoping for a trace of humanity in this cold-blooded and


    cruel family? Moreover, she was willing to try her best to keep things peaceful for Bria¡¯s sake.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Until now, Leo still thought she was a materialistic woman and was always after his money! Since he


    thought she loved money, no amount of hard work from her would matter to him.


    Why would she waste time on this?


    Amelie suppressed the destion and fury in her heart.


    When she raised her head again, there was no longer any emotion on her face.


    ¡°Do you really want Bria?¡± Amelie asked.


    Leo¡¯s patience was quickly wearing thin from the constant back-and-forth, and he frowned deeply.


    Melissa snorted coldly, wordless ridicule.


    Jodie pouted.


    ¡°What a load of nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Take your time to answer.


    Have a look at this first.¡±


    With that, she lowered her head and dialed a number.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    In under 2 minutes, a car drove in.


    Julia stepped out of the car.


    ¡°Amelie, what are you bringing Julia here for?¡± Seeing Julia, Jodie put on a guarded expression.


    ¡°Are you ying the old trick? Are you going to spread this incident all over the inte?¡±


    She stayed silent, ignoring Jodie and her words right out.


    This made Jodie feel like she was a nobody in front of Amelie and wasn¡¯t even a threat to thetter.


    Her expression darkened considerably.


    In addition, her words became even crueler.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s no use even if you broadcast this to the whole world! Bria is a child of the Alston


    Family, and no one can change that! You¡¯d better stop ying tricks and hand over the child nicely.


    Perhaps my brother will give you some money for birthing the child!¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    Juliaughed aloud, without a care in the world.


    Jodie, who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world, thought the Alstons were the only wealthy family.


    Amelie¡¯s wealth was so great that she couldn¡¯t even spend it all, so why would she go after the Alstons¡¯


    meager coins?


    However, Jodie refused to back off as she said with increasing viciousness, ¡°Is 2 million enough for you?


    The boss of Starlight Media is rich, but the money is all his.


    You can¡¯t keep asking him for money like a beggar, can you? With this 2 million, you¡¯ll be able to feel


    some pride and parade around! Then, we can be sure we didn¡¯t mistreat you!¡±


    Julia waited until she was almost done before speaking up.


    ¡°Rx, Amy isn¡¯t the only one.


    Even Bria doesn¡¯t intend to cause you to worry.¡±


    She took out a piece of paper and waved it at the crowd.


    ¡°This is a carte nche.


    My boss asked me to get a test done for her.


    See for yourselves!¡±


    ¡°What test?¡±


    The three were stunned.


    Leo looked at Amelie, perplexed.


    Jodie was the first to grab the test reports and read them.


    ¡°99.99% DNA match? Biologically rted? Brianna Dillon? Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Brianna Dillon is Bria,¡± Amelie replied calmly.


    Bria¡¯sst name was originally Alston, and it changed to Dillon only recently.


    ¡°So¡­ this DNA report is between Bria and the boss of Starlight Media?¡± Melissa immediately understood


    the situation and couldn¡¯t control her loud shouts, which exploded like a bomb.


    Leo¡¯s gaze constricted, and it turned into a raging fury that pierced through Amelie¡¯s body!


    ¡°Yes.¡± Amelie nodded calmly, ignoring his gaze.


    ¡°The DNA test was carried out on Bria and the boss of Starlight Media.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t lying.


    She did take her own hair and Bria¡¯s hair to get their DNAs tested.


    ¡°So you made us raise another person¡¯s child for 4 years?¡± Melissa had never been insulted like this


    before, and she was so mad that her lips were trembling.


    ¡°Mrs. Alston, you should check the facts.


    Save for sleeping at your house, Bria never used a cent of your family¡¯s money,¡± Julia reminded her.


    Amelie paid for all of Bria¡¯s expenses out of her own pocket.


    Julia knew that too well.


    Even so, she had angered the Alstons.


    ¡°Amelie, you wretch! How dare you push someone else¡¯s mutt on my brother! And you kept insisting you


    married for the sake of the Alston Family!¡± Jodie was so furious that she leaped over to Amelie, trying to


    tear out thetter¡¯s hair.


    Julia blocked her off with a single arm.


    ¡°Miss Alston, you are a daughter of a prestigious family, if nothing else.


    Who would dare marry you if you act like a crazy woman?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Jodie was so pissed that her insides were boiling, but she had no choice but to relent.


    Julia waspetent, and she was bold, too.


    She might really broadcast Jodie¡¯s antics to the entire country secretly, and it would be over for Jodie


    then.


    Melissa walked over to them, her breaths uneven as her heart thumped.


    It hurt.


    She tried her best to maintain her image as she looked at Julia.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the boss of Starlight Media, your boss, being too much of a bully?¡±


    ¡°Oh, how so? Why would others bully you if you hadn¡¯t bullied someone else?¡± Julia¡¯s words wereced


    with meaning.


    ¡°All in all, Bria has nothing to do with you, Alstons, so stop bothering her!¡±


    With that, Julia tugged at Amelie.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She followed her into the car.


    When she opened the car door, Julia looked back at Leo with intention.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, don¡¯t worry.


    Starlight Media will wholly belong to Bria and Amy in the future, so your 2 or 3 million doesn¡¯t mean much


    to Amy.


    Why don¡¯t you use that money to buy some proper clothes for Miss Jodie?¡±


    ¡°Damn you!¡±


    Hearing the mockery in Julia¡¯s words, Jodie was so furious that her face distorted, shouting and


    screaming.


    How dare you call me underdressed!


    After that, Melissa nudged Leo.


    ¡°Leo, are we going to let Amelie off for deceiving us like this? There¡¯s also the boss of Starlight Media.


    There aren¡¯t any grudges between us, so why would he insult us like this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Julia¡¯s voice sounded again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad about it.


    When Amy married into your family, she solved a crisis in your family, didn¡¯t she? She¡¯ll forgo the


    compensation Mr. Alston spoke of.


    You¡¯re all even now.¡±


    After speaking her piece, she finally lowered her head and got into the car.


    The car drove away.


    In the rearview mirror, Jodie was still seen in her fury.


    Melissa¡¯s good image hadpletely disappeared, and Leo clenched his fists, his expressions


    unreadable.


    Julia nced worriedly at Amelie.


    ¡°Making this decision means you¡¯ll make the Alston Family your enemy.


    Are you really sure you won¡¯t regret that?¡±

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Chapter 31 Turning Into Enemies


    ¡°What is there to regret?¡± Amelie¡¯s expression was calm.


    She never felt regret, but she did feel a certain bitterness in her heart. Although they were divorced,


    she didn¡¯t want them to turn into enemies. Even if she had stayed with the Alston Family for four years


    and endured so much injustice, she did not wish to insult the Alstons in such a manner.


    Amelie wouldn¡¯t have done it if the Alstons and Leo hadn¡¯t forced her into a corner. She would¡¯ve


    resolved Bria¡¯s custody in a more subtle and gentle manner.


    ¡°All right, if you won¡¯t regret it, then we¡¯ll bear the consequences no matter what it is!¡± Julia patted her


    shoulder reassuringly, promising her.


    From Amelie¡¯s thoughtful gaze, Julia could already see what she was thinking. Amelie¡¯s heart was


    aching, and she didn¡¯t want things to turn out like this. Still, Julia knew that no amount offort could


    soothe this sort of pain.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Amelie forced the gloominess in her eyes away as she said to Julia earnestly.


    ¡°No need for thanks. We¡¯re way more than that.¡± Julia couldn¡¯t understand her gratitude.


    It was too formal.


    Still, Amelie turned to Julia and gave her a hug. If it weren¡¯t for Julia, the friend who had stayed with her


    since they were children, she might have had difficulty enduring everything.


    ¡°Come on, if you keep hugging me like this, I won¡¯t be able to drive,¡± Julia shouted. She sounded


    disdainful, but her hand patted Amelie on the shoulder.


    It was a silent constion. Feeling Julia¡¯s constion, Amelie decided to expose her weaknesses,


    allowing the sorrow to flow through her entire body and soak every inch of her skin.


    However, this emotion onlysted a short while. A few minutester, Amelie lifted her face again. The


    original radiance had returned to her little face.


    Seeing Amelie gather herself, Julia spoke again, ¡°Amy, with a fight like that, we¡¯vepletely angered


    the Alston Family. Judging by Leo¡¯s temper, he most probably will target Starlight Media next.¡±


    Sorrow began to fill her gaze. ¡°We¡¯re probably no match for Leo.¡±


    Even though she had thousands ofints about Leo, Julia had to admit that Leo was quite


    capable. This wretched man had brilliant tactics and heartless strategies, and he was second to no one


    in that aspect.


    ¡°Even though Starlight Media is strong, if someone jeopardizes it with intention, it won¡¯t hold up.¡±


    Amelie was working in mediamunication, so she knew a lot of things very well.


    ¡°With the current situation in our line of business, we will be threatened if amon person causes a


    commotion so that b*stard Alston¡¯s tactics will only be much worse.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Amelie nodded calmly, her pretty little face devoid of any fear.


    She had anticipated everything way before she did any of this.


    ¡°Even if we lose Starlight Media, Bria and I can still live without a worry.¡±


    Amelie had saved quite a lot of money. Furthermore, she had also invested some money into strategic


    lands in the city. It was a rare resource. Every inch of thend was precious, and it wasn¡¯t renewable.


    Even if house prices dropped, the houses in those pieces ofnd would be unaffected.


    She turned to look at Julia. ¡°As for you all, every one of you is capable. If you leave Starlight Media,


    many otherpanies will be fighting for you.¡±


    At that, she paused briefly. ¡°Still, I would suggest you, Jamie, and key start your own businesses.


    With your poprity right now, working for other people is a waste.¡±


    ¡°Damn, Amelie, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve even prepared our start-up capital?¡± Julia eximed.


    Amelie paused halfway through her actions of reaching into her bag. She was holding a card in her


    hand. It was just as Julia had said.


    In order to break Bria entirely away from the Alston Family, she had prepared for the worst. Still, she


    couldn¡¯t mistreat those who had been following her all this while.


    Julia was upset now. ¡°Am I still a friend to you? How inhumane are you to leave at this moment?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask key to stay, but Jamie is definitely going to fight by my side till the end!¡±


    Julia was quite a hot-tempered and straightforward person. She was the sort who would stand her


    ground until the day she died. Amelie didn¡¯t ask ke to stay simply because he wasn¡¯t just a live


    streamer but also a figure skater. Reputation was too important to him, and he mustn¡¯t have the


    slightest bit of a stain on his reputation.


    ¡°Amy, just rest up in the days toe. I¡¯ll keep handling Starlight Media!¡±


    Julia had already made ns. If Leo wanted to fight, even if they lost, they still wanted him to lose at


    least something!


    Of course, there was another intention behind her asking Amelie to leave. She didn¡¯t want Amelie to


    face the brutal scene. Seeing the career, she had prioritized getting destroyed by the man who was


    once the love of her life¡­ No one would be able to handle that. Amelie knew what she was thinking.


    She didn¡¯t decline and nodded instead.


    It was a good chance to visit her father. In her 4 years of marriage, her father knew that the Alstons


    didn¡¯t like him, so he never visited her. Bria was already 3 years old but hadn¡¯t met him yet. Of course,


    Amelie should also tell him about the divorce. At the thought of that, she immediately booked tickets for


    a flight that would bring her and Bria home.


    The booking was just confirmed when her phone rang. It was the phone she rarely used. Also, only the


    people closest to her knew the number. Her expression froze as she took out her phone and looked at


    the jumping numbers on the screen. She didn¡¯t recognize the number. She couldn¡¯t help but guess who


    the call was from.


    After hesitating for a bit, Amelie answered the call.


    From the other end of the line came a familiar male voice. ¡°Is this Miss Foxy? I¡¯m Toby Walsh, the


    person in charge of Walsh Corporation.¡±


    Toby Walsh? No wonder she found it familiar.


    Amelie was slightly stunned. She never thought he would know her number. Moreover, she had linked


    this number to the Foxy live-streaming ount so that she could use it for important matters. However,


    since she kept a low profile, she almost never tried to contact advertisingpanies, so few people


    knew of the number. Where did Toby get the number from?


    Meanwhile, when the call went through, Toby¡¯s heart leaped into joy. The person who gave him the


    number told him that Foxy hadn¡¯t used this number in 4 years, and he even worried for a moment that


    she had abandoned that number.


    ¡°Hello, what¡¯s the matter?¡± She suppressed the doubts in her mind as she asked.


    ¡°Well, hear me out.¡± Toby hastily exined his intentions.


    As she listened, her expression gradually froze.


    Toby had heard from somewhere that she was close acquaintance with a prominent figure in the


    Skaynia business scene, Owen Steward. He wanted her to help convince Owen so that they could


    strike a partnership deal. Interestingly, this partnership happened to be a product of both Toby¡¯s and


    Leo¡¯s efforts.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll have to refuse.¡± She didn¡¯t even think twice before giving her reply.


    On the other end of the line, Toby was stunned.


    ¡°Miss Foxy, we¡¯ll be eternally grateful if you can help us just this once. As for the wages, just name the


    price.¡±


    He thought that Amelie had refused because of the wages.


    She simply smiled. ¡°It has nothing to do with the wages. If you have other matters you need my help


    with, Mr. Walsh, I might give it a try. But as for this one, just forget it.¡±


    With that, she hung up politely.


    On the other end of the line, he stared at his phone in bewilderment,pletely unable to understand


    the situation. Foxy declined this job, but she was willing to help him with other things? Did she mean it,


    or was she just being polite? She probably didn¡¯t mean it. They had never met before, so she had no


    reason to be so nice to him.


    Julia, who was driving the car, also overheard the conversation. She didn¡¯t seem to approve.


    She couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°Are you all right, Amy? You¡¯ve divorced that wretched Alston, so why


    are you friendly to his stupid friends?¡±


    Amelie pursed her lips lightly. ¡°I can ignore everyone else, but not Toby. He¡­ helped me before.¡±


    Amelie showed her fingers. ¡°Twice, actually.¡±


    The first time was when she lost too much blood while giving birth in the hospital, and Bria¡¯s life was in


    danger. The other time¡­

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Chapter 32 Has to Do With Someone


    Amelie didn¡¯t continue her train of thought, but she felt immense pain in her heart as if someone had


    ripped it open! The pain was moderate but intense!


    Julia took Amelie straightaway to Starlight Media. Bria was there as well. Due to the fight with the


    Alstons, Amelie feared something might happen, so she didn¡¯t send her to school.


    Bria walked over to them with ke holding her hand.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± She quickly leaped into Amelie¡¯s embrace. Even though they were just separated for a few


    hours, she was missing her mother already.


    Amelie bent over and caught her petite body. When she felt the soft sensation in her embrace, the


    coldness in her heart instantly softened.


    ¡°Have you been good, Bria? You didn¡¯t disturb Mr. Gareth¡¯s live stream, did you?¡± She asked lightly.


    ¡°Nope,¡± ke answered for Bria, his voice clear and warm.


    Somehow it reminded Amelie of a clear spring in the mountains. His pale clean face was tinted with


    concern for her, and his eyes were curved when he looked at her. It was just the perfect amount,


    though, and it didn¡¯t look offensive.


    ¡°Mommy, Bria has been very, very good,¡± Bria said.


    After spending so much time with Jamie and Julia, Bria¡¯s personality changed significantly, and she


    turned into quite the mischievous girl. However, she wanted ke to be her dad. She felt she had to be


    good and obedient, so ke would like her even more.


    ¡°Mr. Gareth is handsome and gentle and can even do difficult dances on ice.¡± She piled the praises on


    ke, herrge eyes ncing at Amelie.


    Her intentions were obvious: she was trying to sell ke to her mommy.


    Of course, Amelie knew what she was thinking, but she pretended not to notice. She poked Bria on the


    nose. ¡°Mommy has something to tell you.¡±


    Bria reluctantly waved at ke. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Gareth.¡±


    Julia was a little jealous. ¡°You¡¯re so young, but you already know to prioritize men over your friends!


    Hmph!¡±


    Bria grinned, then ran over to Julia and nted a kiss on her nose. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget you, Julia. Look, I


    kiss only you like this, and I¡¯ve never kissed Mr. Gareth before.¡±


    Yes, Mr. Gareth is reserved for kisses from Mommy only.


    Thanks to Bria¡¯s antics, Julia was finally appeased and satisfied.


    She also nted a few kisses on Bria¡¯s cheeks before nudging her petite body. ¡°Go on, get inside with


    Mommy.¡±


    Amelie brought Bria into Julia¡¯s personal office. Then, they closed the door. She carried Bria onto a


    chair and settled her in.


    Afterward, she spoke, pressing onto Bria¡¯s small shoulders, ¡°Mommy talked to the Alston Family just


    now. From now on, they won¡¯t take Bria away anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Bria¡¯s small face was tinted with evident joy.


    Last time, the Alstons didn¡¯t leave a particrly good impression on her, and she hated them even


    more than she used to.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t bully you, right, Mommy?¡± She immediately began to worry again.


    With her soft little hands, she cupped Amelie¡¯s face and observed it from every angle. In her memories,


    Jodie would p Amelie every time she got upset. When she saw that there were no marks on


    Amelie¡¯s face, she finally sighed in relief.


    Amelie quietly watched her daughter¡¯s movements, her heart softening. When she was in the Alston


    Residence, only Bria cared about her. Every time she was beaten by Jodie or treated coldly by Melissa,


    Bria would run over to her andfort her.


    While holding Bria¡¯s soft small hands, Amelie smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let them bully me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Also¡­ I have to apologize to you.¡± At that, she lowered her head in remorse, then told Bria how she


    managed to convince the Alstons to give up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bria. I was a bad example. Please don¡¯t do the things I did.¡±


    Even if she didn¡¯t tell Bria about this, Bria would still know of it from the Alstons. Moreover, they only


    had each other. Amelie hoped that she and Bria could maintain a transparent andmunicative


    rtionship instead of a mere connection between an elder and the younger generation.


    ¡°Mommy, you said that I¡¯m the daughter of the boss of Starlight Media, and you are the boss of


    Starlight Media, so you¡¯re not wrong,¡± Bria said wisely, ¡°So you didn¡¯t lie, Mommy. You just chose


    another way to say it.¡±


    Her words surprised Amelie, and thetter couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Since when did this little girl


    be so wise? She even knew about putting things in another way?


    Bria could sense Amelie¡¯s confusion. She blinked herrge eyes gleefully. ¡°Mr. White and Mr. Gareth


    taught me a lot about live streaming these days. They said it¡¯s important to choose your words so that


    you attract other people¡¯s attention. I¡¯ve been learning a lot.¡±


    Bria put on a proud and delightful expression and looked very cute. Amelie couldn¡¯t help but burst out


    laughing. She didn¡¯t say anything as she kept rubbing the little girl¡¯s soft hair. Bria¡¯s improvement was


    quite noticeable. It was a wise decision to cut off ties with the Alston Family.


    As Amelie pondered, her phone rang. She looked down and saw a string of numbers. In addition, she


    couldn¡¯t be more familiar with this number. In the past, she wanted to dial this number countless times


    but never dared to touch it. She feared that the person would be upset. However, all of a sudden, she


    had absolutely no feelings at all.


    She realized that as soon as a person decided to change, their hearts would be as still as a


    puddle of water, and they would be very cold and cruel. For example, she didn¡¯t want to hear their


    voices right now. Without another thought, Amelie rejected the call.


    On the other end of the line, Leo¡¯s expression became more gloomy as he watched the phone screen


    while his call was being declined. How dare this woman ignore me aftermitting such shameful


    crimes?


    Leo had just left his house. A fire was raging in his heart. All these years, no matter how huge a


    problem he faced, he could always force himself to calm down. However, the bomb dropped by Amelie


    this morningpletely defeated him! Even a few hours after the incident, he was still suppressing the


    fire in his heart. The fire had not been extinguished; instead, it grew even more intense!


    4 years ago, Amelie had pursued him shamelessly and announced that they were engaged, leading to


    their marriage. However, she did that not because she loved him but because¡­ she wanted to give the


    child of the boss of Starlight Media a proper identity?


    It hurt even more than the ims she made about doing things out of love for him. 100 times, 1000


    times, 10000 times more!


    Unable to appease his anger, he redialed the number. This time, the call didn¡¯t even go through! Amelie


    had blocked him! He gripped his phone, his fingers turning white from the force! His joints were so


    tense that they were almost dislocated!


    Just then, the door opened. Toby walked in.


    When Toby saw Leo, he hastily said, ¡°I contacted Foxy, but she¡¯s not willing to help us. What do we do


    now?¡±


    It was as if Leo hadn¡¯t heard his voice, and he didn¡¯t even spare Toby a nce as he passed by right in


    front of Toby. Leo had left.


    Toby felt a depressing and freezing breeze, and he couldn¡¯t help but shiver. This man¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He looked toward Ashton and Elyse, who were seated.


    In the past, no matter how bad a mood Leo was in, he was never careless about work. Nevertheless,


    Leo had absolutely no response to the words Toby had just uttered.


    ¡°What else? He had been manipted for 4 years and found out the child wasn¡¯t his. How can he


    possibly be in a good mood?¡± Ashton spoke up mockingly.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t mocking Leo. His target was Amelie. He briefly exined the events that


    happened.


    ¡°You keep saying Amelie is a good person, but I¡¯m seriously doubting your standards now.¡± Ashton had


    always been dissatisfied with how Toby always sided with Amelie.


    However, Leo wasn¡¯t in a bad mood. The more outrageous Amelie¡¯s actions were, the less likely he


    was to be involved with her.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Elyse, who was seated across from him, was satisfied as well. She never thought such good news


    woulde from nowhere. Now, even the child wasn¡¯t Leo¡¯s, so what else would she be worried


    about? As long as that incident wasn¡¯t exposed, Leo would have to pamper and love her for his entire


    life. At the thought of that, Elyse stood up gracefully.


    She walked to a deste spot, took out the phone she had been gripping, and made a call. ¡°You said


    before that Leoplied with all my requests because of one thing. It¡¯s also because of this incident


    that he would never abandon me and listen to everything I say. What exactly is this thing?¡±


    ¡°That incident actually has something to do with someone¡­¡± The person on the other end of the line


    spoke slowly.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Chapter 33 Amelie¡¯s Boyfriend¡¯s Reputation Will Be Ruined


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Elyse asked urgently. Due to the urgency, she clenched the phone in her palms harder.


    The other party seemed to sense her urgency, so they let out a sinister, unpleasantugh. ¡°Want to


    know? Come here if you do!¡± The sinister tone was mixed with unconcealed lust.


    Of course, she could hear it. Her already scarlet face was painted with anotheryer of anger as she


    roared, ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to know, then forget it, but¡­¡± The other party suddenly slowed down and stopped,


    not in a hurry to continue his sentence. He was clearly trying to torture her.


    Elyse was infuriated, but the other party spoke again just as she was about to hang up. ¡°Take care of


    your throat. You can¡¯t afford to lose your voice!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she prodded, but the guy on the other end hung up first.


    Standing in the corridor, Elyse lowered her face and started guessing the possibilities.


    Even after making multiple guesses, she couldn¡¯t get a hint from his nonchnt voice. That person had


    always been one to speak nonsense anyway. However, it felt as if he was reminding her of something.


    Despite that, she didn¡¯t contact him again. The lessons she¡¯d learned over the past four years would


    allow her to finally show Leo her undying devotion without taking any chances.


    ¡­


    Amelie was going home tomorrow, so she couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. She didn¡¯t even dare to call


    her father and tell him about it. After four years of marriage, she dared not contact her father for fear of


    infuriating the Alston Family. Sadly, her father raised an ungrateful brat for decades.


    She deliberately went to the mall to buy some lovely gifts while Julia told Amelie to bring some


    supplements back. After tidying up, the two of themy on the couch and watched TV. A variety show


    was being broadcasted, and after the host uttered a long list of words, he exaggeratedly raised his


    arms while eximing, ¡°Now, let¡¯s wee tonight¡¯s mystery guest.¡±


    A mysterious background music sounded that was followed by the opening of a door behind the stage.


    The lights focused on one spot, and out came a person. She was wearing a long chiffon dress that


    fluttered at the bottom while her hair fell to her shoulders, revealing her beautiful facial features.


    At the same time her face was revealed, Julia choked. ¡°I can¡¯t watch this trash participate in my favorite


    reality show!¡±


    Amelie also saw the woman clearly and her eyes suddenly turned gloomy. It was none other than


    Elyse, who came to the stage.


    Her pretentious outfit won a round of apuse from the audience, while the host eximed, ¡°What a


    queen!¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. Don¡¯t make fun of me like that.¡± Elyse smiled prettily in response.


    At this time, the cameraman zoomed in and gave her a close-up.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re calling her a queen. Their standards must be awfully low.¡± Julia hated Elyse, so


    every word that came out of her mouth sounded extremely rude.


    Afraid of affecting Amelie¡¯s mood, she turned off the TV immediately.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve been immune to her for a long time.¡± She read Julia¡¯s mind and uttered


    softly.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like watching her. Anyway, I won¡¯t watch any shows she¡¯s on in the future!¡± Julia patted the


    chair¡¯s armrest beside her, then nced at Amelie. ¡°In terms of looks, you are way more beautiful than


    her, more gentle in temperament, and more capable than her. You¡¯ll beat her right away if you get on


    the show. What exactly does Leo see in Elyse? Was it necessary for him to have her?¡±


    Honestly, Amelie also couldn¡¯t understand that.


    Back then, Leo had lost his sight, and his family had him sent to a small city where she lived. She met


    him then, and after he returned to have his eye treated, they were separated. The next time she met


    him, Elyse was already by his side.


    Elyse wasn¡¯t a star yet at that time. She wasn¡¯t as pretty as she was now, but Leo treated her sincerely


    like she was the apple of his eye. Amelie recalled that one time, Elyse wanted to have baked potatoes.


    The baked potatoes that came out fresh from the oven were so hot, but as if he couldn¡¯t feel the heat,


    Leo held it in his hand and pinched a tiny bit before shoving it into her mouth.


    She felt sympathy for him as a bystander when she saw how red his palms were from the heat. Her


    memories of the past were unbearable to her. When she looked back on her life, all she saw was


    nothing but sorrow.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something unique about her.¡± They had divorced anyway, so Amelie didn¡¯t bother to


    guess.


    Julia chuckled dryly in response. ¡°What could be unique about her? She acts with a poker face. If it


    wasn¡¯t Leo who supported her at the beginning, not to mention the best actress, I¡¯m afraid no one


    would even cast her in a supporting role.¡±


    ¡°If I have to say one thing good about her, then it¡¯s her voice. But¡­¡± Julianded her gaze on Amelie


    again. ¡°Have you noticed that Elyse¡¯s voice is simr to yours?¡±


    ¡°Does it?¡± Amelie cleared her throat and smiled lightly. ¡°I never noticed.¡±


    Julia knew she didn¡¯t like Elyse, so she quickly changed the subject instead of continuing the


    conversation.


    While the two were talking, there was a knock on the door. They were both taken aback by the sound.


    ¡°Who woulde at this hour?¡±


    Jamie and ke were the only ones who knew about this ce, so only the two of them mighte.


    Thinking of that, Amelie called out, ¡°Leony, open the door.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± the housekeeping robot replied and opened the door with a click.


    When the door opened, a slender figure appeared. The man tilted his figure slightly, only showing his


    straight back to the two while hiding his face in the dark.


    Without thinking too much, Amelie uttered, ¡°Thanks, Leony.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to serve you, master,¡± replied the housekeeping robot.


    She initially wanted to change the voice of the housekeeping robot because the voice of Leo recorded


    by Julia was annoying. However, since it was troublesome for her to change it, Amelie forgot about it.


    Later, she got used to it after listening to the same voice many times. When the man at the door heard


    the voice, he sneered in an unfriendly way.


    Amelie only realized that he hadn¡¯t entered the house yet, so she called out, ¡°Is it, Jamie or key?


    Don¡¯t just stand there. Come in already.¡±


    Finally, the man turned around and showed himself. The first thing they saw was the pair of frosty eyes


    he had! His gaze was sharp and filled with obvious irony as he red at them. His tight lips were also


    raised into a mocking smirk!


    Amelie was shocked to see him before blurting out, ¡°Ashton?¡±


    The fact that Ashton showed up surprised her.


    Ashton had always despised Amelie, and now, he remarked wryly, ¡°Is there a woman more shameless


    than you, Amelie? Don¡¯t you feel disgusted with yourself after doing all the bad things and acting like a


    victim?¡±


    The sentence was so harsh, and Amelie couldn¡¯t help but pull a long face.


    He continued, ¡°You¡¯re even using Leo¡¯s voice as your housekeeping robot to follow you around. How


    shameless can you be?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression of contempt was painted perfectly to apany the harshness of his words. His


    short hair stood on his head as if every strand of it was screaming his disdain for Amelie.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? What does Amy have to do with you?¡± Hearing the harsh words he just spat,


    Julia couldn¡¯t help but roll her sleeves up, ready to get into a fight. She wasn¡¯t going to treat someone


    like Ashton seriously at all!


    ¡°To tell you the truth, that b*stard has such a nasty character. I don¡¯t think Amy is crossing the line even


    if she names a dog after him and orders it around!¡± Julia also had a sharp tongue, so every word she


    spat could easily irritate anyone.


    ¡°What about you? Why are you trying to cause trouble at someone else¡¯s house in the middle of the


    night? What are you up to?¡± After saying that, Julia grabbed her phone and tried to call the police. ¡°I¡¯m


    calling the police to arrest you! I will make them charge you for trespassing and attempted rape!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression twitched. It was clear that no one had ever treated him in such a manner before,


    so he clenched his fists in anger. Soon, however, he let out another snort.


    ¡°Go on and call the police to arrest me, but if you do that, Amelie¡¯s boyfriend¡¯s reputation will be


    ruined!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Julia was taken aback and immediately questioned him.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Chapter 34 Leo Was Being Scolded Again


    ¡°Do you think I want to be here?¡± asked Ashton as he took out his phone impatiently. There was


    judgment in his eyes, seemingly as if this ce was a dump.


    ¡°Listen for yourself!¡± he said to Amelie.


    Amelie knew what he meant and walked toward him.


    He wanted them to listen to a voice message, in which the speaker¡¯s voice was in haste. ¡°Do you know


    where Leo went, Ashton? I¡¯m worried about him since I can¡¯t find him anywhere. Can you help me look


    for him?¡±


    When Amelie heard the speaker¡¯s melodic voice, she knew immediately who it was¡ªit was Elyse!


    Don¡¯t tell me that Ashton came here in the middle of the night to help Elyse look for Leo, Amelie


    thought while clicking her tongue. At that moment, realization struck her as to why he hade to her.


    After all, Ashton had always looked down upon her and would avoid her when she was at the Alston


    Residence. Plus, he was the type who would never force himself to do something he disliked.


    However, he was willing toe to her doorstep because of Elyse. Speaking of which, she felt that


    Elyse had a great life. The reason for it was that she had Leo, a man who was madly in love with her


    and didn¡¯t mind that she had betrayed him once, and Ashton, a man who would do anything for her.


    Just as Amelie was about to tell Ashton that Leo wasn¡¯t at her ce, another voice message from


    Elyse popped up. ¡°It¡¯s fine now, Ashton. I already know where he is. He is at the Grandsive Hotel¡­


    Jamie is there too.¡±


    When the voice message came to an end, Julia¡¯s phone rang right away. When she answered her


    phone and heard what the person on the other line had said, her expression changed drastically. ¡°Leo,


    that d*mn b*stard!¡± she cursed.


    ¡­


    After some time, Amelie and Julia rushed to Grandsive Hotel as fast as they could.


    When they arrived at Room 1032, the door was ajar, and Jamie was sitting on the bed with his chest


    showing since his shirt was unbuttoned. Both of his hands were propped against his sides, and his


    usual smiley face was filled with anger.


    In front of him was a man who sat on the chair like a god looking down upon his creation. His long and


    slender legs were casually stretched out while his hands were propped against the armrest. One of his


    hands was holding a lighter and flicking it mindlessly, filling the room with clicking sounds. The man had


    an expressionless face and was quiet the whole time, and he was none other than Leo.


    When Amelie entered the room and saw Jamie¡¯s situation, she inhaled sharply and gasped. As for


    Julia, she grabbed her hair in frustration as soon as she saw the scene.


    ¡°D*mn it!¡± Seeing the duo, Jamie bellowed and red at Leo with fury in his eyes. ¡°You are a d*ckhead


    for framing me, Alston.¡±


    Hearing his words, Leo stopped ying with the lighter and leaned forward. However, his cold eyes


    didn¡¯tnd on Jamie but next to him. ¡°Was I the one who forced you to have sex with her?¡±


    At this moment, a disheveled woman was sitting beside Jamie. She could barely cover herself with the


    nket, and the scene was enough for anyone to guess what had just happened.


    ¡°Jamie!¡± Julia shouted in frustration while gripping her hair.


    When Jamie heard Julia shouting at him, hurt filled his handsome face, and he defended himself,


    saying, ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who brought her here. Besides, nothing happened between us!¡±


    As his words fell, the woman said in a low voice, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m his fan and have admired him for a long time.¡±


    Amelie knew what type of person Jamie was. Although he was cheeky and sometimes flirtatious, he


    had his boundaries and would never have an intimate rtionship with a fan. Everything would be


    easily solved if only Jamie and his fan were in the room. However, Leo was here too, and he was not


    an idle person. There was definitely a reason why he was here, and with his tactics, he could ruin


    Jamie¡¯s future with this matter!


    Thinking about it, Amelie walked toward Leo and asked, ¡°What are you trying to do, Leo?¡±


    However, Leo was his usual cold self and didn¡¯t say anything to her. After looking at his watch, he stood


    up and left.


    Seeing his actions, Amelie took a few deep breaths and trailed behind him. Then, she stood in front of


    him, blocking his path. ¡°I was the one who angered you, and if you have any grudges,e right at


    me. Jamie has nothing to do with this, so leave him alone.¡± As she spoke, her tone softened.


    This was all her fault since she had underestimated Leo. Initially, she thought the most he could do was


    to make Starlight Media go bankrupt. Never did she expect that he would hurt the people around her.


    When Leo heard her words, he finally spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for you. Instead, I want to find the man


    you had an affair with!¡± As he said that, he gritted his teeth, and Amelie could tell he was furious.


    He wanted to deal with the man whom Amelie had an affair with. Although he didn¡¯t love Amelie, he


    forbade her to be pregnant with someone¡¯s child while still being Mrs. Alston!


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Tell him to show himself!¡± Leo ordered.


    Hearing his words, Amelie could only tell him the truth. ¡°I¡¯m the boss of Starlight Media,¡± she said.


    Yet, Leo only sneered at her words and said, ¡°So this is the man you¡¯ve chosen to spend your life with,


    Amelie? An irresponsible man who doesn¡¯t care for his child and makes you take the me when


    things happen again?¡±


    When Amelie heard his usation, she was speechless. Knowing that he would not believe her, she


    didn¡¯t dwell on the topic for long. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie or use you. At that time, it¡­ it was my first time with you.


    You saw it with your own eyes too¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish her words, he cut her off and said, ¡°Are you saying that you cheated on me


    after our marriage because you felt lonely?¡± He looked at her coldly and continued, ¡°It was you who


    wanted to be Mrs. Alston. So, you must bear with the loneliness no matter what! Who gives you the


    right toin about this? Also, don¡¯t you feel ashamed for having an affair with another man and


    having his child?¡±


    At that moment, Amelie was hurt by his harsh words. No matter how unwilling or upset she felt, she


    never wanted to be Mrs. Alston. At that time, she unintentionally became the third wheel between


    Leo and Elyse by having sex with him. It was such an embarrassing moment for her that she decided


    to run away from it. Moreover, she had even nned to leave this city for good. However, he was the


    reason that she stayed and became Mrs. Alston.


    As she thought about it, she felt overwhelmed by her emotions, and she had to suppress the urge to


    cry. Then, she looked at Leo while her lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m just so


    shameful that I¡¯m willing to bear the child of another man. However, did you cherish me when I had


    yours? Did you forget about the time when we found out I was pregnant after the next day of our


    marriage? At that time, it was your family doctor who examined me, and he even did a prenatal test just


    to prove that the baby was an Alston!


    ¡°Yet, what did you do to your own child? While we were on the way to visit your father¡¯s grave, you


    kicked me out of the car just because you got a call from Elyse. Without any arrangements, you left me


    alone on the side of the road on a snowy day!¡±


    Her past had been too cruel. If Leo hadn¡¯t said those hurtful words and made her mad, she wouldn¡¯t


    have mustered up the courage and said it out loud! Until this very day, she could still remember that it


    was snowing heavily, and the road was covered with more than a foot of snow. There was no way


    anyone would pass by that road because of the weather and how remote it was! Moreover, her phone


    and bag were in his car! For a split second, she thought she would freeze to death on the spot. If it


    weren¡¯t for Toby, she might have died there.


    As Amelie recalled such horrible memories, she shut her eyes tightly.


    Even when Toby saved her, she was rushed to the hospital from hypothermia shock. The shock had


    affected her unborn baby, and she almost lost her since her progesterone was shockingly low. It was


    her will that saved her unborn baby, and for that, she had suffered miserably. This was also why Bria¡¯s


    immune system was extremely low, and she even had a bloodstream infection when she was born.


    When Amelie spoke again, she had regained herposure, and her tone was icy cold. ¡°Since you


    don¡¯t want your own child, I can only have someone else¡¯s child!¡± She didn¡¯t feel that it was overboard


    to humiliate Leo like this since he was the cause of Bria¡¯s suffering!


    ¡°Although you hate me for setting up a marriage between us, you still have had your fair share of it,


    haven¡¯t you, Leo? In what position do you think you are in to act as the victim after getting benefits from


    it? You are such an impudent and childish person!¡± Ever since their divorce, Amelie had said many


    straightforward words to Leo, but never in such a mean and harsh way!


    On the other hand, Leo was startled by her scolding and didn¡¯t react for quite some time.


    However, Amelie didn¡¯t want to see him any longer and entered the room. When she turned around,


    she smirked disdainfully when she saw a figure passing by the corridor. Then, she shut the door loudly.


    Just as she entered the room, she heard a scream and looked in the direction where the sound had


    come from. When she saw the swaying figure by the window, her face turned pale instantly!

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    The woman, who had been hiding herself in the bed, suddenly climbed up to the windows. At that


    moment, she was sitting by the edge of the window with one of her legs dangling outside. She was


    going to fall anytime soon! When that happened, Julia was petrified by the scene and didn¡¯t react, while


    Jamie was quick to respond.


    As soon as he noticed it, he darted toward the window. However, the woman was weeping while


    avoiding Jamie¡¯s touch. Whenever he stepped forward and wanted to pull her in, she dodged his


    attempts and leaned even further out the window. She was in danger!


    Seeing the scene, Amelie tried to calm herself and said to Jamie, ¡°Come back, Jamie.¡±


    When Jamie heard her words, he looked at the woman unsettlingly, but Amelie shook her head. After


    all, the woman would only be hyperventting if he was around. Thus, Jamie could only back away and


    surrender.


    Then, Amelie walked toward the woman, standing a few feet away from her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What


    happened to you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I know everything, and it¡¯s all my fault. Because of me, Jamie might not be able to live stream again,


    and I¡¯m guilty of it. Thus, there¡¯s no reason for me to live anymore.¡± The woman sobbed.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you. Hurry up ande down,¡± said Amelie.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    However, the woman just shook her head vigorously and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t try tofort me anymore. I¡¯m


    the one who caused all of this.¡±


    When Julia saw how stubborn the woman was in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Do you think


    that death will solve everything? If you die, you will create more trouble for Jamie. When that happens,


    what is he going to do?¡±


    When the woman heard her scolding, she didn¡¯t know what to do and cried even harder. Her whole


    body was trembling, and she looked like she would be blown away if a strong wind urred.


    Seeing that things had worsened, Amelie felt a headacheing on. She then said, ¡°You need to think


    this through. This is the tenth floor, and if you fall from this height, your bone will shatter into pieces,


    and the police will not be able to find every part of it. As for your face¡­ You won¡¯t have it anymore.


    After all, your face will be covered in blood and bits of the brain as you are being sent to the mortuary.


    When that happens, not even your mom will recognize you.¡±


    Hearing her words, the woman stiffened, and she reached toward her face.


    I¡¯m a young woman. How can I ept this fatal and horrifying death? she thought.


    Just as she was lost in thought, Amelie sprinted toward her and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her


    away from the window. With the help of Jamie and Julia, the woman was dragged toward a safe ce.


    Afterforting her for some time, the woman was ushered away by Julia¡¯s men while rubbing her


    puffy eyes.


    At that moment, the trio was left in the room.


    Jamie grabbed his hair in frustration since he was feeling upset. After all, he had just been taking a


    bath when the woman suddenly appeared in his room. The worst part was that Leo had caught him.


    While he was immersed in his own thoughts, Amelie walked toward him and patted him on the


    shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll think of something. I promise that it won¡¯t affect you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Amelie. I hate being set up by people. Leo won¡¯t have his way if he wants to force you by


    setting me up. I was just getting bored of bing a live streamer, and going home to inherit billions


    doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea!¡± responded Jamie.


    Jamie came from a good background. However, he had some issues with his family and refused to run


    the family business because of hisid-back personality. Even so, he was doing well as a live streamer.


    When Amelie heard his words, she knew that he was lying. So, she said, ¡°Stop with this nonsense!


    Have you forgotten that mypany has to rely on you? What will I do if you¡¯re gone?¡±


    With Jamie¡¯s skill of doing livemerce, the money he earned was almost equivalent to the money


    he would inherit back home. After all, a live streamer who was good at livemerce could surpass a


    certain industry¡¯s annual sales ie within minutes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, for I have already settled this with Leo. All you have to do is to continue what you are


    doing and stop overthinking,¡± said Amelie.


    When Jamie heard her words, he looked at her with concern and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t agree to any unfair


    treaty, right?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she replied.


    Before Jamie could ask any more questions, Amelie had already gotten someone to change his room.


    ¡°Rest well and bring in more profit for me!¡± Amelie joked.


    Jamie would usually tease her, but he was not in the mood today. Hence, he only nodded and left the


    ce.


    As soon as Amelie and Julia were left in the room, Julia asked hurriedly, ¡°Did you really solve this


    matter?¡±


    However, unlike before, Amelie shook her head since she didn¡¯t have to hide anything from Julia.


    ¡°What are we going to do, then? What else can¡¯t Leo do when he has already thought of this tactic?¡±


    asked Julia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Amelie gave her a reassuring look. ¡°Although I can¡¯t solve this matter, I know someone


    who can.¡± After all, if she guessed it correctly, the figure that she had seen by the corridor was Elyse,


    and thetter. would know what was best for her if she was smart enough.


    The duo talked for a while and were concerned that someone would have seen the woman and spread


    rumors about the situation. Thus, Julia decided to stay at the hotel for a night.


    With that, Amelie walked out of the room alone. While she was by the elevator, she saw a figure


    appear. Although the person was covered in ck, Amelie still could tell that it was Elyse as soon as


    she set her eyes on her.


    Elyse entered the elevator with Amelie and only spoke when the door was shut. ¡°Can we talk, Miss


    Dillion?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    They then headed down, and Elyse brought Amelie to a dark and empty corner. After arriving at the


    ce, she turned around and took off her sses, showing her beautiful face. ¡°I have already settled


    tonight¡¯s matter for you, Miss Dillon. When Leo saw that I was begging forgiveness for you, he decided


    to call it off as usual,¡± said Elyse


    Just as expected, Amelie had anticipated Elyse to say those exact words.


    After Elyse was done speaking, she kept quiet and stared at Amelie. Her lips showed a hint of


    superiority, and she looked at Amelie with an unmindful attitude. However, she didn¡¯t see Amelie¡¯s


    surprised or grateful expression as she expected. On the contrary, Amelie merely hummed in


    response.


    Seeing her reaction, Elyse sneered. Just as expected from a person from a rural ce-she doesn¡¯t


    even know how to thank me after I helped her with this mess, thought Elyse.


    There was no way that she would have asked Amelie for gratitude since she thought highly of herself.


    As such, she just turned around and left. After taking a few steps forward, she halted and said, ¡°By the


    way, I hope that you will not show yourself in front of Leo again since he has a bad temper.¡±


    Hearing her words, Amelie snorted in disdain and thought, From the moment I divorced him, I already


    cut him out of my life. Hence, why would I want to show myself to him again? When she heard Elyse¡¯s


    words, she knew thetter was waiting for her gratitude.


    However, she didn¡¯t feel the need to say so. The reason was that if she hadn¡¯t said those words, Elyse


    would have been kicked out of thepany miserably even though her intention was to help Leo at


    that time. Thus, Elyse owed her thanks as well.


    Plus, Elyse was helping herself and not Amelie by being willing to say good things for her in front of


    Leo. After all, she could only livefortably and happily once Leo cut ties with her and Bria.


    Not long after Elyse left, Amelie¡¯s phone rang. It was Bria, and she was worried about Amelie since the


    latter wasn¡¯t home yet at such ate hour.


    ¡°I¡¯ming back home right now,¡± responded Amelie as sheforted her. Just as she finished her


    words, someone grabbed her by the arm all of a sudden, and she was dragged into the dark.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    At that moment, Amelie pped the person instinctively.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Elyse!¡± said the person. Then, he opened up the shlight on his phone. From the faint light,


    Amelie could see a man with a buzz cut He had an arrogant and unruly face.


    At the same time, the person also saw her. Then, his concerned eyes turned cold, and he pushed her


    away in disgust while saying, ¡°How is it you?¡±


    Only did Amelie know who he was when she heard his voice. ¡°Ashton?¡±


    It was obvious that he had mistaken her for Elyse.


    At that moment, Ashton took a big step backward, frowned in irritation, and huffed. Then, he took out a


    tissue before her and wiped his hands. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, his actions were enough to


    prove that he did


    not wee Amelie.


    Knowing that Ashton disliked her, Amelie turned and left since she did not intend to stay and watch


    Ashton¡¯s reaction. However, as soon as she was about to leave, Ashton called out and said, ¡°Do you


    have to be this disgusting, Amelie?¡±


    Then, he threw the tissue on the ground harshly and stepped on it with his leather shoe. While


    crumpling the tissue with his foot, he said, ¡°Do you think that Leo would acknowledge you if you sound


    like Elyse and dress like her?¡± As he spoke, he kicked the crumpled tissue and red at her in


    contempt.


    Hearing his words, Amelie looked at her Chanel dress. It was an exclusive brand, and it was only


    normal for her to own it given her status. As for her voice, she recalled that Julia had said something


    simr as well.


    ¡°You are a clown! No matter how much effort you put in, you are still different from her, looking hideous


    as ever! I¡¯d advise you to stop with such sickening actions!¡± Ashton¡¯s words were harsh. After he


    finished his words, he stuffed his hands in his pocket and walked past her arrogantly.


    Just as he was about to walk away, Amelie called out for him and stood in front of him. To his surprise,


    she was not mad but smiling. ¡°Where do you live, Ashton?¡± she asked.


    When Ashton heard her words, he looked at her in confusion and wondered why she was smiling and


    caring. about where he lived when he had said such terrible words toward her. However, her following


    words were like a p to him. ¡°Let me guess; you probably live in a swamp since you¡¯re so vile!¡±


    Hearing her words, Ashton¡¯s ears were red from embarrassment. At that moment, his arrogant face


    darkened.


    Usually, Amelie would endure his hatred toward her because of Leo since they were at the Alston


    Residence. However, since she and Leo had divorced, there was no way she would still need to bear


    the mocking of Leo¡¯s friends


    After Amelie finished her words, she pursed her lips and smiled casually. Although she didn¡¯t say


    anything more, Ashton could still sense the mockery she had for him!


    ¡°How dare you?¡± He gripped his knuckles in anger.


    However, Amelie didn¡¯t give him a chance to speak and continued, ¡°There are many people who wear


    Chanel in this world If what you said is true, is everyone trying to imitate Miss yton?¡±


    Hearing her words, Ashton widened his eyes in shock while looking at her. In his memory, Amelie was


    always a cautious and uptight woman, seemingly as if she had never experienced life. Even when he


    mistreated her in front of Leo, she never dared to retaliate, but things had changed now, and she was


    speaking to him sarcastically


    As a person who was born into a noble family, Ashton was arrogant and had never been talked back to


    by anyone. Thus, when he heard Amelie¡¯s words, his face darkened, and there was fury in his eyes.


    Despite that, Arnelie didn¡¯t indulge him and continued, I¡¯m afraid you might have hearing issues since


    you


    can¡¯t even tell that this is my actual voice when you have been at the Alston Residence for so many


    times. Thus, I¡¯d advise you to see a doctor and perhaps check if there is anything wrong with your


    brain. After all, you are the young master of the Lowe Family. If you are acting like a fool, you¡¯ll only


    humiliate yourself!¡± Then, she ignored him and flipped her hair, striding away.


    Did she¡­ just scold me? ring at Amelie¡¯s figure with wide eyes, Ashton thought to himself and


    twitched his fingers. Then, he punched the guardrail hard and cursed, ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Once Amelie was done with everything, she went home, hugged Bria, and slept in satisfaction. She


    had to get up early tomorrow morning since she had to return to her father¡¯s ce.


    To be honest, Amelie had bad sleep quality. When she lived at the Alston Residence, Leo woulde


    homete every day, and Melissa would order her to open the door for him. Although this was


    supposed to be a servant¡¯s job, Amelie was happy to do it since she was deeply in love with Leo.


    Besides, this was the only time she could see and talk to him.


    Since Leo was impatient and would kick the door in a tantrum when no one opened the door for him on


    the first knock, Amelie didn¡¯t dare sleep soundly when he was not around, afraid that Bria would be


    disturbed in her sleep. So, to avoid getting Leo mad, Amelie would open the door as soon as she heard


    the car engine. Even though she was met with Leo¡¯s cold face every time she opened the door for him,


    she was happy to oblige. Sometimes, when Leo didn¡¯te home all night, she didn¡¯t even dare call


    him and would pull an all- nighter instead.


    Thinking about what she had done for him in the past, Amelie felt that she was a fool blinded by love.


    Now that she didn¡¯t have to worry about Leo¡¯s return, she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.


    While Amelie was sleeping soundly, Leo was drinking at Prix Bar. At this moment, Amelie¡¯s words


    engulfed


    him.


    During those years, he was furious that Amelie had set him up. Hence, he never treated her like she


    was his wife despite being married. Not only that, he didn¡¯t even treat her like a human being.


    Visiting his father¡¯s grave was a mere formality, so he had subconsciously left her by the road when


    Elyse called him. At that moment, it didn¡¯t ur to him if Amelie was pregnant or if she could return


    home! After that day, she disappeared for a couple of days, but he didn¡¯t care since he wished she


    would disappear


    forever in his heart!


    Then, she returned and looked skinnier than before, staggering wherever she went. When he saw her,


    he thought she was acting and still ignored her. Moreover, he even allowed Jodie to cause her trouble.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Did she have a miscarriage back then? Leo thought to himself.


    Although he did things the hard way and had a heart made of stone, he never wanted to cause a


    woman to starve and freeze to the point where she would have a miscarriage. As Leo thought about it,


    he felt a sharp pain in his heart as he felt guilty.


    At that moment, Laura, who was wearing casual attire, walked toward him and said, ¡°Mr. Alston.¡± Then,


    she eyed him secretly and was startled momentarily when she saw the depression in his eyes.


    However, she didn¡¯t ask about it and said in a low voice, ¡°I have investigated what you told me to.


    During the day you and Miss Dillon divorced, there were 158 couples who divorced as well. I checked


    their work units, but no one seems to be Starlight Media¡¯s boss. Then, she added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I


    couldn¡¯t find the divorce registration for Starlight Media¡¯s boss.¡±


    Hearing her words, Leo gripped his ss tightly. After a while, he snapped out of his thoughts and


    looked at her while frowning However, he smoothened his eyebrows quickly. His expression was calm


    as he said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to investigate this matter further.¡±


    ¡°Alright. It just so happens that Elyse doesn¡¯t want you to investigate it too. When I was on my way


    here, she even told me to do her a favor and wished that you would no longer cause trouble for Amelie.


    You indeed treated Elyse differently. Laura¡¯s tone had a hint of cheerfulness as she spoke.


    When Leo stood up and heard her words, he stiffened. Although he did intend to leave Amelie alone,


    he didn¡¯t do it because of Elyse¡¯s favor but because of Amelie herself.


    Amelie is right. No matter how miserable I felt during the set-up, the Alstons did benefit from the


    situation. Hence, I am willing to let her off the hook and¡­ cut ties with her, Leo thought.


    Thinking about it, he ordered Laura coldly, ¡°From now onward, no one is allowed to talk about Amelie


    or the boss of Starlight Media.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Laura.


    Then, Leo looked at her with a dark gaze and said, ¡°Also, please help me look into something else.¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Hearing that, Laura subconsciously straightened up.


    ¡°Please, continue.¡±


    Leo fell into thoughtful silence, his long fingers tapping against the door frame.


    ¡°Find out who it was that donated their cornea to me back then.¡±


    ¡°Their cornea?¡± Laura looked at his eyes.


    She knew Leo had problems with his sight and had received a cornea transnt before. However¡­


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Since it has been so long, we might not be able to find anything.¡±


    Leo pondered for a bit.


    When he lost his sight back then, not just any regr cornea could be used on him due to his special


    physique, but he couldn¡¯t find a suitable match either.


    He had once prepared himself to be blind for life.


    Later on, someone donated their cornea to him. The donor refused to receive any payments and even


    chose to remain anonymous.


    ¡°Just give it a try first,¡± he replied.


    He had always been particr about these things, and he didn¡¯t want to be indebted to someone just


    like that.


    Laura didn¡¯t say anything else as she responded, ¡°Very well, sir.¡±


    Leo turned around and left. Meanwhile, Laura stared at his silhouette, stunned. There was a tangle of


    emotions in the depths of her eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t until someone patted her shoulder did she finally came to.


    When she turned around to look at the person who had patted her, Laura suddenly blushed fiercely as


    if someone had caught her red-handed.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± asked the person.


    She hastily averted her gaze, not daring to meet the other¡¯s eyes. ¡°What can I possibly be looking at?


    I¡¯m thinking of something.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I thought you had feelings for Leo.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. President Alston belongs to you, so how can I possibly covet him?¡± Laura waved


    her hands continuously, looking all righteous and innocent.


    The person was none other than Elyse.


    She covered her mouth and giggled. ¡°I was just kidding. Look at how terrified you are!¡±


    Laura stole a nce at her expression.


    Elyse¡¯s expression was quite calm, and Laura couldn¡¯t detect anything out of the ordinary.


    It was only then that she secretly sighed in relief, believing that Elyse really was just joking.


    ¡°What brings you here, Elyse?¡± Laura asked.


    Elyse was wearing a ck outfit paired with sunsses. Only her porcin skin on the lower half of


    her face was exposed.


    The outfit choice was too obvious with intention-it was nighttime, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little worried about Leo, so I came to have a look,¡± she answered, her voice melodious.


    Laura grinned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Alston has decided to leave Amelie and the boss of


    Starlight


    Media alone.¡±


    She patted Elyse on the shoulder, a suggestive look on her face. ¡°At the end of the day, your words


    carry the most weight. With someone as stubborn as Mr. Alston, if he were at a disadvantage like this,


    he might have gotten into more trouble with the boss of Starlight Media if you hadn¡¯t interjected. Mr.


    Alston may be amazing, but the boss of Starlight Media isn¡¯t highly aplished for no reason. If they


    kept at it, it would definitely turn into a no-win situation. I was even worried for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± answered Elyse softly.


    She lowered her head slightly and let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Even though Amelie had provided evidence that Bria wasn¡¯t Leo¡¯s, Elyse still couldn¡¯t rest assured.


    She remembered Ashton mentioning an incident before; Toby had once rescued Amelie in a


    snowstorm and even sent her to a hospital.


    Back then, Amelie had been pregnant for two months.


    If she miscarried back then, Toby would¡¯ve definitely known, and he wouldn¡¯t have concealed it from


    Leo.


    When Ashton spoke of the incident, there was only dissatisfaction toward Toby that he shouldn¡¯t have


    rescued Amelie, and the woman should¡¯ve been left frozen to death.


    Elyse, however, was concerned about something else.


    She had a feeling that Bria might actually be Leo¡¯s child!


    It was because of this intuition that she felt apprehensive all this while, and she came all the way here


    in the middle of the night just to get more information.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Alston told me to never mention those two again, so the incident is officially over.¡±


    Laura squeezed Elyse¡¯s hand. ¡°So, Elyse, Mr. Alston is all yours from now on.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll treat me well in the future, Mrs. Alston,¡± she joked on purpose.


    Elyse burst out giggling, her heart filled with sweetness, but on the surface, she just kept pping


    Laura on the back. ¡°What are you talking about? Nothing is confirmed yet!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Be it in the past or the present, Mr. Alston always fulfills your requests. It¡¯s


    only a matter of time before you two get married!¡± Laura had confidence in their rtionship.


    A slight frown came upon Elyse¡¯s brows.


    ¡°Laura, why do you think Leo treats me so well?¡±


    She had never thought too much about it before, and she took Leo¡¯s love for granted.


    However, as she grew up and experienced more of life, she gradually began questioning it.


    ¡°What is there to worry about? You¡¯re pretty, and your voice is beautiful like a nightingale¡¯s. If I were a


    man, I¡¯d


    fall for you as well,¡± Laura said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Elyse thought for a moment, but she still couldn¡¯t think it through.


    Since she couldn¡¯t get any answers from thinking, she decided not to ponder on it anymore.


    No matter the reason, as long as Leo listened to her and was willing to stay with her, it would be


    sufficient, would it not?


    Amelie took Bria to the airport early in the morning.


    On the way there, Bria was still in a daze. She hadn¡¯tpletely woken up yet.


    After boarding the ne, however, Bria widened her eyes as she looked all around her and kept asking


    questions.


    In all the years of her life, it was the child¡¯s first time on a ne.


    Amelie answered all the questions, and as she gazed at Bria¡¯s huge, watery eyes filled with curiosity,


    she found it adorable yet heart-breaking at the same time.


    At her age, children from luxurious families would¡¯ve been on the ne countless times already.


    But Bria, save for her living with the Alstons, she was no different from any normal child; she even had


    it harder than any other kid.


    In other families, at least the children had kind grandmothers and warm rtives.


    The children would be pampered and loved like treasure.


    What about Bria, though?


    Every day, along with Amelie, Bria had to endure Melissa¡¯s coldness and Jodie¡¯s fault-finding.


    When the ne took off, Bria anxiously threw herself into Amelie¡¯s embrace, wrapping her arms tightly


    around her mother¡¯s waist.


    Herrge, lively eyes were now clouded over with hints of red.


    Amelie could see that the child was scared.


    She bent over and hugged Bria, coaxing in a gentle voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the ne ispletely safe.


    It¡¯s even


    safer than a car.¡±


    With that, she guided Bria to look at the clouds outside the window.


    Bria lifted her little face. When she saw the huge clouds outside moving backward, her fear slowly


    dissipated as fresh curiosity took its ce.


    ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re flying among the clouds. Mommy, did Julia fly so high up. with you too?¡±


    She was referring to what Julia said about bringing Amelie to greater heights before the divorce


    happened.


    A three-year-old wouldn¡¯t know about idioms and sayings, so she thought Amelie had also gone up on


    a ne that night.


    Amelie didn¡¯t correct Bria as she nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so fun to fly so high! Mommy, why don¡¯t we bring Grandpa along? I¡¯m sure he hasn¡¯t experienced


    this before.¡±


    Even though Bria had never met Steven before, she was especially attached to this grandfather of


    hers.


    Amelie nodded. At the thought of meeting her father soon, her eyes suddenly reddened.


    She was getting scared now.


    She was married to Leo for four years, and within that time period, her father had tried visiting a few


    times, but they never got to meet each other.


    He didn¡¯t say anything about it, but he must have felt bitterness somehow.


    Because of that, in the days that followed, he even ceased his phone calls to her.


    After getting off the ne, Amelie hailed a cab. They traveled for more than an hour in the vehicle,


    finally arriving at the small street her father lived on.


    While standing at the beginning of an alley that stretched on for a considerable length, she allowed the


    sunlight to extend their shadows into the distance.


    Her feet seemed to have taken root in the ground as she couldn¡¯t work up the courage to take a step


    forward.


    After so many years apart, she wondered what her father was like now.


    Is he in good health?


    Will he be able to ept me and Bria?


    Amelie wasn¡¯t sure.


    The less confident she was, the less courage she had to move.


    ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Bria tugged at her clothes to urge her that Amelie finally walked into


    the familiar little house.


    ¡°Dad?¡± She had just taken a step in the yard and called out to her father when a washbasin came flying


    out, hitting the ground next to her.


    If she hadn¡¯t reacted quickly and pulled Bria away in time, the washbasin would¡¯ve hit the little girl.


    Immediately after that, a woman with a darkplexion came running out, a ferocious look on her


    face.


    A startled Bria rushed into Amelie¡¯s arms, cowering

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Amelie hastily picked her up and looked toward the woman.


    Meanwhile, the woman was looking at them as well. ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡±


    Her expression softened a little.


    She roughly pushed her messy hair over her head, revealing her entire face.


    ¡°Mrs. Gordon?¡± Amelie recognized the woman as she called out.


    When Abby Gordon heard the beautiful girl calling her that, she couldn¡¯t help but examine thetter.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Amy,¡± Amelie introduced herself.


    It was only then that Abby recognized her. With a stomp of her foot, she pped both her hands on her


    thighs ¡®Amy! It¡¯s been years since Ist saw you. You¡¯ve grown even prettier now. I almost couldn¡¯t


    recognize you, and I thought you were a celebrity from somewhere.¡±


    Amelie smiled shyly.


    Abby continued, ¡°Sorry for just now. I thought my stupid son came back, so that¡¯s why I threw the


    washbasin. You weren¡¯t hurt, were you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Amelie wasn¡¯t concerned about that. She looked up and gazed at the yard behind Abby. ¡°Where¡¯s


    my dad? Is he no longer living here? Or-¡±


    A sudden extreme fear invaded her heart, and even her voice trembled.


    ¡°Your dad is fine.¡± Noticing Amelie¡¯s pale face, Abby guessed that Amelie was overthinking things, so


    she hastily said, ¡°Heined about how this house was too big for one person, so he moved into


    the smaller house at the end of the street. Our family is huge, so I discussed it with him, and he agreed


    to rent the ce


    to us.¡±


    Abby grinned, a guilty look shing across her face.


    Even though they called it renting, she never paid him a single cent all this while.


    Steven never urged her, so she pretended it never happened.


    On the other hand, Amelie wasn¡¯t in the mood to think about these things as she said, ¡°Can you take


    me to my


    dad?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Abby thought that since she was living in their house, she should at least help them with


    this little request


    As she strode with her thick legs, Abby took Amelie to the end of the street.


    Soon, they found a small shop facing the street.


    It was rundown and shabby, and it didn¡¯t even have a sign.


    ¡°Your dad is in there¡± Abby pointed at the shop as she spoke.


    Amelie looked at the shop


    It wasn¡¯t just worn-out, it was pitifully tiny.


    A few items were piled outside the shop, and most of them were the toys she used to y with during


    her


    childhood


    There was a little bicycle, a skateboard, and skating shoes¡­.


    Looking at the items bearing so much history, Amelie couldn¡¯t stop her tears as they streamed right


    down her


    face.


    Abby was about to holler for Steven toe out when Amelie stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll go in on my own.¡±


    Taking Bria¡¯s hand, she took step after careful step inside.


    She made it past the darkened old alley and finally reached the interior.


    The interior wasn¡¯t much more spacious than the shopfront, and it was filled with shoe patterns.


    The shoe patterns were various and exquisite.


    When Bria saw the colorful shoes in their novel styles, she couldn¡¯t help but pause in her tracks and


    reached out to touch them.


    Amelie didn¡¯t see her father anywhere, so she could only proceed further to look for him.


    A small yardy at the back of the house.


    In the yard, someone had his back to her as he sat at an antique shoe machine. His back was bent


    over as his limbs moved to operate the machine.


    His movements were slow, whereas his hair was a mixture of gray and white.


    Amelie stared at him, perfectly still.


    She could recognize at a nce that this man in front of her was none other than her father, Steven


    Dillon.


    However, she doubted herself a little.


    In her memories, her father¡¯s hair wasn¡¯t this white. When she got married, his hair was still dark with


    an asional silver strand here and there.


    His back wasn¡¯t bent so much either. He was a bonafide middle-aged man with broad shoulders and a


    proud


    stature


    His movements weren¡¯t this slow either¡­.


    ¡°Dad¡­ Unable to contain the sorrow in her heart, she called in a low voice.


    The working man paused visibly.


    Then, he slowly turned around.


    As he did that, he revealed his wizened and wrinkled face.


    His features were calm and gentle from all the years spent on intricate work.


    Large ck-rimmed reading sses covered his face, adding to him a hint of a bookish aura.


    He slowly took off his sses as he finally recognized her. ¡°A¡­.. Amy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Dad. It¡¯s me Amelie took a few steps toward Steven, sobbing. In her raging emotions, she


    wanted to hug him, but she couldn¡¯t bring her feet forward.


    She simply stood there as tears fell from her eyes.


    Steven hurriedly went to her and took her hands. ¡°It¡¯s really you, Amy-you¡¯re back. No wonder the


    magpie


    was singing so happily this morning.¡±


    He examined Amelie from head to toe, wiping away the tears on her face. ¡°Child, why have you gotten


    so


    thin?¡±


    In his memories, Amelie always had some baby fat on her face, which was a stark contrast to her


    appearance now. Now, her chin was extremely sharp, and her body was terrifyingly thin.


    Her father didn¡¯t hold any grudges against her for ignoring him after she married into the Alston Family.


    Instead, he worried greatly for her health, and this only made Amelie even more remorseful.


    She felt like she had been too cruel, and she wanted more than anything to give herself a heavy p or


    two.


    ¡°Wee home. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re back.¡± Steven was obviously happy about her return.


    He didn¡¯t ask too much as he led Amelie outside. ¡°I¡¯ll whip something up for you. What would you like to


    eat?¡±


    Steven had always loved Amelie to bits, and he would always pamper her ever since she was a baby.


    Even if it were the middle of the night, or if he had to go through a lot of trouble, he would still do


    everything he could to provide her with all the food she craved.


    She had a father who loved her to the moon and back, but she chose to go to the Alston Family to


    suffer.


    le should¡¯ve been repaying her father¡¯s grace and love for her with her whole heart, but she wasted her


    time


    Tears of regret rolled down Amelie¡¯s cheeks once again as she hugged Steven


    Steven patted her firmly on the back,forting her like he used to do in her childhood.


    A long whileter, the two finally went back inside.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    When they arrived at the room, they caught sight of Bria.


    ¡°This child¡­¡± Steven gazed at the adorable little girl in between the shoe racks, his eyes lighting up in


    an instant.


    Amelie briskly walked over to Bria and led her to Steven. ¡°Dad, this is my daughter. Her name is Bria.¡±


    She nudged Bria again. ¡°This is your grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Grandpa,¡± Bria said crisply.


    ¡°Yes, hello there,¡± Steven responded with enthusiasm as he crouched down to carry Bria. ¡°What a


    handsome young girl you are. You look exactly like your mother when she was little.¡±


    There were tears in his eyes.


    Amelie knew then that he was recalling those days he spent raising her all on his own.


    ording to her father, her mother had passed away not long after giving birth to her.


    There was never a mother¡¯s existence in Amelie¡¯s memories, but she wasn¡¯t poorly dressed like other


    kids who lived with their fathers.


    instead, ever since she was young, her father had dressed her up in neat and pretty clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯re very handsome too, Grandpa.¡± Having spent a lot of time with Jamie, Bria learned to sweet talk


    as if her words were coated with honey.


    Hearing his granddaughter praising him like that, Steven was so joyful that he kept smiling.


    His old face instantly seemed to turn years younger.


    In the afternoon, Steven went to the market and bought some groceries, then proceeded to cook up


    several delectable delicacies.


    Enticed by the food, Bria ate so much that her stomach bulged out.


    She licked her lips in satisfaction. ¡°Grandpa, your cooking is so good. It¡¯s as delicious as Mommy¡¯s


    cooking.¡±


    Bria was absolutely sincere about it, but Steven suddenly froze and looked at Amelie.


    Amelie felt a guilty panic spreading across her heart as she lowered her head.


    At home, Steven pampered her.


    Amelie never had to do housework on her own, and she didn¡¯t know how to cook ramen even when


    she turned 20.


    After getting married into the Alston Family, she learned how to cook and even shared Miss Potts¡¯


    burdens as she cleaned up around the house.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m all grown up now. I have to know how to do these things, sheforted Steven in a low


    voice.


    Steven nodded. ¡°Yes,¡±


    Even though he responded like that, his eyes were obviously moistened.


    Steven had turned his face away, but Amelie still noticed it. Her heart instantly ached like a needle had


    been driven through it!


    Amelie offered to wash the dishes, and Bria also pulled up a small stool to help her.


    When they were living with the Alstons, Bria helped her just like this.


    However, the atmosphere back then was suppressive because they could be reprimanded at any


    moment. The two didn¡¯t even dare make a sound.


    Now, free of their worries, they chatted andughed as much as they liked.


    After the dishes were done, Amelie came out but couldn¡¯t find Steven anywhere.


    She told Bria to stay at home, then ran out to look for Steven.


    She couldn¡¯t find him even after a round of searching, but she did run into Abby, who was panting as


    she walked out of the alley toward Amelie.


    As soon as Abby saw her, she grabbed Amelie¡¯s arm. ¡°Quick, Amy! Follow your dad. He doesn¡¯t look


    too good, and I fear something might happen to him!¡±

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Amelie hastily asked.


    Hearing that something might happen to her father, she felt her heart racing quickly.


    Abby scratched her messy hair. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. I was at the store buying groceries when I saw


    your dad walking out with a knife. I asked him why he bought a knife, but he didn¡¯t even look at me. He


    just walked away angrily.¡±


    ¡°He bought a knife and left?¡± She hadn¡¯t seen her fathering home, much less a knife.


    What is he nning to do with the knife?


    ¡°Your dad has always been a quiet person, but he¡¯d always greet his old neighbors. He never ignored


    us like he did today,¡± Abby continued.


    ¡°Do you know if my dad got in a fight with someone recently?¡± Amelie hastily asked.


    This was no small matter, for a person¡¯s life might be on the line.


    Abby shook her head. ¡°Your dad is an amiable person, and everyone on this street likes him. How


    could he get into a fight with anyone? Moreover, your dad doesn¡¯t like to bear grudges.¡±


    Amelie also agreed with Abby¡¯s words.


    Her father wouldn¡¯t get mad at anything, save for matters rted to her. He was especially loving and


    serious when it came to her.


    ¡°Did you see where my dad went? Which direction did he head in?¡±


    The less she knew of her father¡¯s reasons for buying the knife, the more anxious Amelie became.


    ¡°That way!¡± Abby pointed ahead. ¡°Probably in the direction of the small train station!¡±


    ¡°The small train station?¡±


    It was a small town, and the residents couldn¡¯t take the high-speed train or a ne from there. They


    generally took the train if they were going somewhere faraway.


    Is Dad going somewhere far from home?


    Amelie asked Abby to look after Bria, then hastily ran off to pursue her father.


    As she ran, she dialed Steven¡¯s number.


    The call went through.


    ¡°Dad, why aren¡¯t you back yet?¡± Amelie tried her best to ask calmly, not letting her father catch on.


    ¡°I have something urgent to attend to, so I won¡¯t be able toe home tonight. You and Bria can sleep


    in the small room in the back. I¡¯ve already changed the sheets, and the nkets are new too,¡± Steven


    commented on the other end of the line.


    ¡°What emergency is it that you have to be in such a hurry?¡± she asked as she walked.


    He didn¡¯t mention anything. ¡°Be good and rest up. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±


    Amelie knew she couldn¡¯t get anything out of him, but she also feared that he might leave on the train,


    so she could only hang up.


    Just then, a trishaw passed by her.


    She leaped onto the trishaw and made her way to the small train station on the wobbly vehicle.


    On the deste stone steps outside the train station, she caught sight of Steven¡¯s figure.


    He sat there with his bent back, a cigarette in his hand as he puffed sullenly.


    A number of cigarette butts were already discarded in the small garbage bag next to him.


    Even though her father was a shoemaker, he was always particr about these things. He had never


    smoked before, nor had he ever been so dispirited.


    Amelie saw a small ck bag sitting next to him. It must be the knife Abby was talking about.


    She hastily ran over to him. ¡°Dad, why are you here?¡±


    When Steven saw her, he froze a little. He hastily hid the small ck bag and tossed the cigarette


    away, rubbing his hands as he said, ¡°What brings you here? Didn¡¯t I ask you and Bria to go to bed?¡±


    ¡°How can we just go to bed if you don¡¯te home?¡± Amelie queried while looking at him. Then, she


    peered into the small train station.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Steven lowered his head in silence.


    Amelie ran up to him. Then, with great familiarity, she took out the old wallet in his pocket and produced


    a ticket from within.


    The destination of the ticket was Sterlington.


    Sterlington was the city where Leo¡¯s house was situated!


    ¡°Dad, are you¡­ going to the Alston Residence? Amelie suddenly recalled Steven¡¯s expression when


    Bria said Amelie could cook. She immediately understood something.


    Having his thoughts seen through, Steven pursed his lips tightly.


    ¡°Dad, what are you thinking of doing there? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to kill Leo!¡±


    As she spoke, Amelie was shocked at her own words.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to ask them how exactly they treated you!¡± he said sullenly, his eyes obviously


    reddening.


    He looked at her, heartbroken. ¡°My darling daughter was plump and healthy when she married into


    their family, but now, she¡¯s be emaciated!¡±


    At first, he only thought that Amelie had lost a lot of weight, but when Bria mentioned how good


    Amelie¡¯s cooking was, he realized that the Alstons might not have been treating his daughter with due


    respect.


    All these years, he had refrained from visiting the Alstons and contacting Amelie because he wanted


    Amelie to live freely in that home, not to be bullied like this.


    Her father¡¯s concern was like a silent sword that pierced Amelie¡¯s heart.


    It was dull but painful!


    Tears streamed down her face like rain.


    She held Steven back. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Dad. There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you. Leo and I¡­ filed for


    divorce.¡±


    This news took him by huge surprise.


    Amelie nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad. I should have listened to you instead of going to Leo and getting


    married to him.¡±


    Steven disapproved of their marriage at first, and he had stopped her before.


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t win against her persistence, so he handed his precious daughter over to the


    Alstons.


    This marriage not only exhausted her inside and out; even her child and father had to bear the


    injustice.


    Steven felt an unspeakable regret in his heart.


    Amelie hugged Steven as she sobbed and apologized profusely.


    Steven held his daughter lovingly, his heavily calloused hands caressing her hair like he had always


    done when she was younger. ¡°Child, don¡¯t cry. Divorce isn¡¯t a bad thing. I just want you to be safe and


    sound.¡±


    He even let out an obvious sigh in relief.


    Truth be told, right from the moment Amelie married into the Alston Family, Steven could see from the


    Alstons¡¯ behavior that dark days awaited his daughter.


    Steven couldn¡¯t convince his daughter, but he also thought that no matter how dark the days ahead


    might be, the Alstons wouldn¡¯t treat Amelie unfairly.


    He was furious not only because of the Alstons¡¯ cruelty, but also because of his own negligence toward


    his daughter.


    In the end, the two went home together.


    Amelie was silent about the knife and pretended she didn¡¯t know he had purchased any knives.


    Despite that, she secretly told Bria not to mention their lives in the Alston Residence ever again.


    During her days in the Alston Family, she was treated even worse than amon servant.


    Her father loved her to bits, so if he knew that, he might really grab the knife and kill them.


    After Bria went to sleep, Amelie apanied her father at the entrance of the house, sitting down just


    like they used to in the past.


    As the two enjoyed the cool mountain breeze, they talked about things in the past.


    Laughter could be heard time and again from their mouths.


    Amelie gazed at the foggy mountain in the distance, then turned to look at the smile on her father¡¯s


    face. She was suddenly ovee with emotion.


    Her hometown was so nice andfortable. Why would she want to go somewhere cold like the


    Alston Residence just to suffer?


    ¡°What are your ns from now on?¡± After chatting for a while, they finally moved to the main topic.


    Steven already knew that Amelie had cut off all ties with the Alston Family.


    He wasn¡¯t particrly worried about cutting off ties, he was more concerned about her future.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rest for a bit ¡± Amelie leaned her head against him, acting as if she were made of jelly. ¡°I¡¯ll freeload


    on you for a while!¡±


    Steven patted his daughter as she clung onto his arm. He smiled jovially as he said, ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    He even wanted his daughter to depend on him for the rest of her life.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Just stay here. You can live here for as long as you want!¡±


    Amelie chattedte into the night with Steven.


    Also, now that she was back on familiar soil, her entire body felt rxed. Amelie slept exceptionally


    well that night.


    Then, at an unknown hour, knocks sounded on the door.


    The knocks were loud, dull, and rapid. Moreover, they were so forceful that the door trembled.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Amelie woke up with a start, startled. For a moment, she thought she was still at the Alston Residence


    and Leo hade back in the middle of the night, kicking the door again.


    She hastily got out of bed, almost tripping and falling.


    When she ran to the door and saw Steven there, she finally remembered that she had left the Alston


    Residence, and she no longer had to open the door for Leo.


    As Amelie was rubbing her eyes, Steven had already opened the door.


    From outside the door, a messy head poked in.


    Amelie was surprised at first, but when she took a closer look, she realized that it was Abby.


    Abby strode in jovially, and when she saw Steven, she eximed in exaggeration, ¡°Hey there, Dillon.


    You didn¡¯t run into any trouble yesterday, did you?¡±


    Steven looked at her in confusion.


    Abby didn¡¯t mince her words at all. ¡°Yesterday, when Amy knew that you bought a knife and went out,


    she thought you were about to cause trouble. She was so terrified! But Dillon, why exactly did you buy


    a knife yesterday?¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t even have time to stop Abby before thetter spilled everything.


    An obviously awkward look appeared on Steven¡¯s face, his expressions unnatural.


    ¡°What brings you here, Mrs. Gordon?¡± Amelie interrupted her.


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± Abby was tongue-tied since she was just here to spectate.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Noticing that Amelie kept staring at her, she scratched her head awkwardly, then


    peered inside the house. ¡°How many days are you nning on staying here, Amy?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be here for a while, Steven answered in Amelie¡¯s stead.


    ¡°A while, huh. Abby turned a little bashful.


    Then, she continued, ¡°For someone as fortunate as you, you probably can¡¯t get used to living in small


    houses like this after marrying a rich husband.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t make a sound as she simply looked at Abby.


    Abby hastily pointed in the distance. ¡°A grand hotel recently opened in town, and it was built to


    amodate wealthy people whoe here on vacation. The environment and service are excellent


    there, and even all the three meals of the day are included. Amy, you should stay there for a bit with


    your dad to show him more of the world.¡±


    I¡¯ve lived long enough; what more is there in the world to see?¡± Steven didn¡¯t seem too interested.


    Amelie looked at Abby. She had already guessed what Abby was trying to say.


    Abby was worried that the family wouldn¡¯t have enough space to live in and might insist on moving


    back to their old house.


    Amelie¡¯s father was a kindly and reasonable person; since he never asked Abby for their rent, she was


    thinking of hogging the ce all her life.


    Amelie didn¡¯t n on breaching the subject so soon, but now that Abby herself came knocking, she


    naturally wouldn¡¯t let thetter continue taking advantage and feigning ignorance.


    Hence, she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Gordon. We won¡¯t move back to the old house no matter where


    we live, so feel free to keep living there.¡±


    When Abby heard Amelie saying that they wouldn¡¯t be moving back, her wizened face immediately


    blossomed into a smile.


    ¡°Well, just as expected. Rich people are really built differently.¡±


    Amelie was still smiling as she said, ¡°Dad, about the house Mrs. Gordon and her family are living in, do


    they pay the rent monthly or yearly?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Abby¡¯s blooming face instantly froze.


    ¡°If it¡¯s yearly, you can give them a discount. Why don¡¯t we give them 20 percent off?¡±


    Abby¡¯s expression stiffened so much that it looked weird.


    She was beginning to regret making this trip.


    She thought she would just be here to join in on the fun and get some juicy gossip, thenpletely


    take over that house. In the end, however, they were asking her for the rent now¡­.


    She didn¡¯t dare stay there any longer, so she found a random excuse to escape.


    After breakfast, Steven took Bria to the backyard.


    Under a shelter in the backyard sat his tool of trade.


    Steven sat in front of the old machine and began working it.


    The machine was from times long gone, and it kept creaking as it ran.


    Bria was curious about everything, and she would touch and peer at everything that caught her fancy.


    Her eyes widened as she watched Steven thicken the soles of the shoes, and she would ask a few


    questions here and there.


    Steven answered every question she asked.


    The grandfather and his granddaughter spent a peaceful time bonding.


    Amelie walked over to them. Just like what she used to do back then, she leaned against Steven as


    she sat down, cing her head on his arm while feeling the bobbing movements of his arm.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve been toiling all your life. Why don¡¯t you quit?¡± she suggested.


    For as long as she could remember, her father had always been sitting in front of this machine, toiling


    away with abandon.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Grandpa. Mommy opened up a bigpany, so she can provide for us,¡± Bria hastily


    supplied.


    Even though shoe-making looked fun to Bria, her grandfather had to pierce the soles with a very thick


    needle over and over again. It looked like hard work.


    Bria didn¡¯t want her grandfather to work too hard.


    Steven lovingly caressed Bria¡¯s face, the wrinkles on his face spreading as he smiled. ¡°What a good girl


    you are, Bria. You even know how to worry for your grandfather.¡±


    Bria rubbed her cheek against Steven¡¯s palm.


    She liked the feeling of hisrge hand covering her small face.


    ¡°However, I¡¯m too used to this. If I stop working on the shoes, I would feel very ufortable.¡±


    The shoes Steven made were durable and resistant to wear. The price wasn¡¯t too high either, so many


    people would order shoes from him.


    Looking at her daughter behaving like a kitten, Amelie felt something in her heart soften.


    She should¡¯ve brought her daughter home earlier.


    Her father was ted to see her daughter, and the two were very close to each other as well.


    Knowing that Steven didn¡¯t want to give up on his job yet, Amelie didn¡¯t force him. Instead, she said,


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you want to keep working, but you can¡¯t take too many orders at once. If you get tired, you


    have to rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. I got it.¡± Like an overaged child, Steven nodded obediently.


    Seeing that, both Amelie and Bria burst out intoughter.


    ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t I buy a shoplot for you on the street? I can also buy a house while we¡¯re at it, so you


    don¡¯t have to work in such a small space,¡± Amelie suggested.


    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s fine.¡± Steven shook his head furiously. ¡°I moved here precisely because the previous house


    was too big. If the ce is too huge and empty, I¡¯d feel restless.¡±


    Even though Amelie married into the Alston Family, she didn¡¯t ignore him at all. She would regrly


    send him some money via Julia.


    Steven could stay alive with his own skills, so he hadn¡¯t asked for even a cent. He would return the


    money every time.


    Throughout all the years, Steven hadn¡¯t gained anything from Amelie, but she had caused him quite a


    lot of worry. At the thought of that, Amelie felt regretful again, and her eyes reddened.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Still, I suppose I¡¯m growing old. My eyes and legs are failing, so I don¡¯t think I can work much longer.¡±


    Steven sighed, a forlorn look on his face. ¡°Young people these days don¡¯t likeplicated work like


    this. I¡¯m afraid my craft is going to die with me.¡±


    Steven used an ancient method of shoe-making. The procedure wasplicated, and the standards


    were very high.


    ¡°Mommy, why don¡¯t we find an heir for Grandpa?¡± Bria blinked with her huge eyes as she took the


    phone and waved it.


    Amelie understood what she meant, and she felt that it could work.


    She hastily produced her streaming equipment and began setting it up in the yard.


    Meanwhile, Bria took out the fox mask she brought back. She put one on, then gave another to Amelie.


    ¡°Grandpa, this is for you.¡± She passed the biggest one to Steven.


    When they returned, she had asked Amelie to make a fox mask for Steven too.


    She climbed onto a chair and helped Steven put the fox mask on.


    Steven chuckled as he allowed his granddaughter to fix the mask for him. He thought that the design


    was a little weird, but he didn¡¯t reject it.


    After the three had put on their masks, Bria took a look and was extremely satisfied.


    Her little face popped out between Amelie and Steven, then she smiled her wide toothy smile. ¡°Now,


    we¡¯re the fox family.¡±


    Amelie and Steven couldn¡¯t help butugh at her antics.


    Amelie briefed Steven on the rules of live streaming, but there wasn¡¯t much to look out for. Steven


    would be making shoes with his mask on, while Amelie and Bria danced and sang with their masked


    faces. They would also be showcasing Steven¡¯s ancient shoe-making technique to the viewers.


    Amelie positioned the camera at Steven, capturing his skills and craft from every angle as Bria


    exined and narrated.


    She didn¡¯t know much, and when she was at a loss for words at the end, she could only say, ¡°All in all,


    my grandpa makes the best shoes in the world. If you want to be as amazing as him, you have to learn


    from him, okay?¡±


    The viewers¡¯ reactions in the live stream were very supportive.


    Everyone was amazed at the craft, and they insisted on ordering from Steven. In a mere few minutes,


    almost 100 orders were made.


    Amelie¡¯s face fell.


    Bria waved her hands furiously. ¡°Grandpa is already very busy! No, we¡¯re not epting orders, no


    orders! We¡¯re here to recruit disciples, disciples!¡±


    Her exaggerated movements gained them a wave of fans, but none of them were willing to be


    disciples.


    The one-hour live stream ended. Fearing that Steven would be discouraged, Amelie hastilyforted


    him again and again.


    Steven smiled and waved his hands, saying that it was fine. Still, there was a disappointed look in his


    covered eyes.


    Amelie could see that, and for a moment, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Look, Mommy! What is this?!¡± Bria¡¯s voice suddenly sounded.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    She kept tugging at Amelie¡¯s sleeve as she led thetter to the phone screen, pointing at the screen


    with her tiny finger. ¡°I only know the words ¡®think¡¯ and ¡®can¡¯. What does it mean? Is this person saying


    that they want to learn from Grandpa?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s gazended on the direct message on the screen. Indeed, the sender was inquiring about


    learning Steven¡¯s ancient skills via text message. Even though it was just an inquiry, at least they had


    good intentions.


    Amelie hastily talked more with them, then agreed on a time and ce to meet-up.


    The person could onlye the day after tomorrow.


    When Steven heard from Amelie that someone was willing to learn more about his craft, he was ted


    as well. He took the effort to polish his tools until they shone, then even lubricated everything.


    Not only that, even the racks in front were rearranged. From his behavior, Amelie could see his passion


    for passing on this craft. She swore to herself that she would definitely do everything she could to


    convince the person to stay as a disciple.


    The next day, Steven took Amelie and Bria on a tour around the area.


    Bria was curious about everything in this town, especially when they arrived at the clear creek at the


    edge of the town. No child would be able to resist the temptation of a running river. With a ssh, the


    girl immediately leaped in, ying with the clear river water to her heart¡¯s content.


    She would ssh water around, then run around in the water, then plop her face under the water and


    hold her breath. Her clothes werepletely drenched, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind it one bit.


    Bria rarely had the chance to y in the water, and this was natural mountain water, so it was cooler


    than usual water.


    Bria isn¡¯t the strongest child. I wonder if it¡¯s alright to let her go on. Fearing that Bria might catch a cold,


    Amelie could only ask Steven to look after Bria as she walked home to grab a change of clothes for


    Bria.


    She had just arrived at the entrance when she saw a slender figure at the door.


    The man wore a perfectly-tailored white suit. His figure wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was still quite a sight to


    behold. His hair was tied into a bun, and his medium-length forelocks split to the sides, somehow


    resembling a lumberjack.


    As if sensing the movements behind him, the man turned around. When their eyes met, there was a


    shock on both their faces.


    ¡°Amelie¡­ Dillon?¡± The person shouted out first.


    Amelie also eximed, ¡°Mr. Walsh?¡±


    The man standing in front of her was none other than one of Leo¡¯s friends, Toby Walsh.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡± It was definitely unexpected for her to meet him there. This is just a small


    town, and the Walsh Family¡¯s business couldn¡¯t possibly have expanded this far, aye?


    Toby raised his eyebrows, his gaze falling on the bunch of keys in her hand. ¡°You live here?¡±


    He pointed at the door in front of him, but Amelie didn¡¯t know the reason he visited, so she stayed


    silent.


    Toby¡¯s gaze took on a certain intention, his eyes suddenly clearing up as if he had thought something


    through. ¡°So you¡¯re¡­ Foxy?¡±


    Amelie looked at Toby in surprise. Even if she lived here, it wouldn¡¯t be evidence enough to prove that


    she was Foxy


    How on earth did hee to that conclusion?


    Toby seemed to have read her thoughts as he exined, ¡°Your voice is the exact same as Foxy¡¯s, and


    both of you also have a child.¡±


    Amelie gave a soft ¡®oh¡¯.


    Even though Toby was Leo¡¯s friend, he wasn¡¯t full of enmity toward her like Ashton was. She always


    had a decent impression of him.


    ¡°Yes, I am Foxy herself.¡± She had never concealed it on purpose before, as she admitted to it right


    away.


    *Just as expected.¡± Toby smiled with an unknown meaning.


    Early on, he had already felt that Foxy looked like Amelie, but no one believed him.


    ¡°If that¡¯s so, Leo just lost a precious piece of treasure, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t want to mention Leo too much. ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Walsh?¡± she asked, intending


    to avoid the topic of Leo.


    Toby waved his phone. ¡°I¡¯m the person who sent you a private message yesterday¡±


    ¡°It was you?¡± Amelie was surprised once again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯lle tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°If I came tomorrow, I probably wouldn¡¯t learn the secret that you¡¯re Foxy herself, he jokingly


    commented.


    Amelie slightly lowered her head, pushing her hair behind her ear as she stayed silent, for she truly had


    no ns of appearing as Foxy.


    Most live streamers didn¡¯t want to expose too much of their real lives; it would be too risky and prone to


    trouble


    ¡°So, you¡¯re thinking of learning my father¡¯s shoe-making craft? Is that right, Mr. Walsh?¡± She didn¡¯t


    quite believe it was his true intention.


    Toby smiled as he stayed silent. To be honest, even if he once had familiar guesses, he was still


    shaken after confirming that Amelie was Foxy.


    ¡°You¡¯re so talented. Even if you didn¡¯t marry Leo, you could definitely live a decent life. Why did you


    choose him?¡± His gaze was straightforward.


    Amelie smiled slightly. Actually, she knew that even Toby thought that she got together with Leo just for


    the money


    ¡°Why?¡± Her tone was nonchnt.


    When she was 15, she identally learned that her mother had passed away while giving birth to her.


    Like any human being would, she was heartbroken after learning about the fact.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    She didn¡¯t want to go home and cry out her feelings to her father, so she secretly went to the hospital in


    town because that was where herte mother passed away.


    Despite all the years under her belt, she didn¡¯t even know where her mother¡¯s grave was, so she would


    go to the hospital every time she missed her mother.


    She was sullenly sobbing as she sat in the hospital gardens, feeling like she was a sinner and had no


    right to go home and see her father.


    Just then, she suddenly heard a boy roaring.


    Despair, helplessness, fury, and even self-abandonment were apparent in his voice.


    Startled, she thought she had met a madman. As she was about to escape, she realized it was a boy


    about her age. The boy was lean and pale, but it didn¡¯t affect his good looks.


    It wasn¡¯t a scene that could be put into words easily. A clean and prince-like boy was roaring in despair,


    perhaps? His pain spilled forth from his throat, so suppressive that even Amelie was affected.


    In all her years living in the small town, it was her first time seeing such a charming human. It was also


    her first time feeling the boy¡¯s despair and helplessness.


    Like a madman, he ran into everything and tore out anything that would give way, as if he was bent on


    destroying the world!


    In the end, he ran toward her, frightening her greatly.


    She thought he was going to harm her, but he ran into a sharp-cornered door-in front of her, his arm


    bleeding from the impact.


    He fell to the ground and grabbed a rock on the ground. He gripped it so tightly, as if he were trying to


    grasp his own fate!


    She was so startled that she dared not move for a long while. After some time, she realized that he


    couldn¡¯t


    see.


    Seeing him like that, she forgot her own sorrow as she tentatively touched him, then helped him up.


    The boy refused her touch and told her to get lost!


    She had never been treated like that before, so she actually ran away.


    However, when she ran to the door, she doubled back, realizing she didn¡¯t have the heart to leave him


    all alone. After going back to him, she held her breath, not daring to exhale too loudly.


    She stayed like that until the nurse who took care of him led him away. From that day onward, the boy¡¯s


    sorrowful and despairing form was etched into her brain, and she began to visit the hospital every day.


    After that, she found a chance to strike up a conversation with him, and they chatted. She knew of his


    tragic fate, and she also told him about her sinner-like life.


    Two half-grown adults had silently developed deep feelings for each other in the midst of theirmon


    tragedies.


    And then¡­


    Amelie stopped recalling at that point, nor did she answer Toby¡¯s question. ¡°Now that I think about it, I


    should thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, Bria and I would be in great danger,¡± she announced out of


    nowhere.


    He had saved their lives twice, so they were greatly indebted to him.


    Toby lowered his head, a half-smile on his face.


    His long finger pressed lightly on the tip of his nose. ¡°What if I ask you to do something in return for


    saving your life?

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Me? Something in return? Amelie was startled. ¡°You want me to help you convince Owen Steward, the


    big shot of Skaynia, to coborate with you?¡±


    Toby had actually asked her for help on this before, but he just didn¡¯t know that Amelie was Foxy before


    this.


    He pondered for a moment, and just when Amelie was going to say something, he spoke ahead of her.


    ¡°You know what? Never mind. Forget it¡± He didn¡¯t know exactly why, but he was suddenly afraid that


    her impression of him would turn bad.


    Just as she wanted to talk more about it, Steven and Bria came back.


    ¡°This is¡­ Steven asked when he saw Toby. He didn¡¯t know much about the rtionships among the


    Alstons, so of course, he didn¡¯t know Toby.


    ¡°This is Mr. Walsh. He came to learn about shoemaking,¡± Amelie answered quickly.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Dillon. I¡¯m Toby Walsh.¡± Toby introduced himself after walking in front of Steven.


    He looks neat and has a great smile, but it¡¯s quite obvious that he¡¯s not a handyman. ¡°Nice to meet you


    too.¡± Steven studied him a little and didn¡¯t say much, merely reaching out his hand to shake hands with


    him.


    On the other hand, Bria recognized Toby, but she didn¡¯t have much interaction with him. So when she


    saw him and recalled that he was her father¡¯s good friend, she hid behind Steven timidly with her big


    and innocent eyes showing obvious dislike.


    She didn¡¯t like Leo and knew that his friends always bullied her mother, so her impression of Toby


    wasn¡¯t good. However, Steven just thought that she wasn¡¯t used to meeting strangers and didn¡¯t mull


    over it.


    ¡°Dad, I thought you all would stay by the stream a little longer.¡±


    Hearing that, Steven looked at Bria in his arms, who was soaking wet. ¡°The wind outside is very strong.


    I¡¯m worried that Bria will catch a cold.¡± As he stroked Bria¡¯s wet head, he didn¡¯t mind whether her wet


    clothes


    would make his shirt wet at all.


    Meanwhile, Bria huddled in his arms like a little kitten with her hands around his neck, enjoying the


    attention he was giving her.


    *Pleasee in, Mr. Walsh.¡± Steven invited Toby politely into the house and even brought out a


    watermelon that he had harvested himself. After cutting it into slices, he served them to Toby on a


    te.


    When Toby saw that, he was a little shocked. He held a slice in his hand and didn¡¯t know where to start


    since those from rich families always had their watermelons cut into small chunks and used a small fork


    to eat.


    them.


    At this moment, Bria, who was done changing with Amelie, came out and seemingly saw that he was in


    an awkward situation. She rolled her eyes at him on purpose before taking a slice herself and sitting at


    the entrance, munching away.


    As she was eating, she would take the handheld fan at the side of the door and wave it in the air. This


    was what she observed when Steven ate watermelon. She found it interesting, so she imitated him.


    Bria was gobbling up the slice of watermelon. With her little mouth biting on the watermelon non-stop,


    she was soon stained with the juice from the fruit. At the same time, she was shaking her head from


    side to side, just like an adorable bunny.


    When Toby saw that, he was slightly startled, as he could clearly feel that Bria was much more cheerful


    than


    Lefore


    When she was at the Alston Residence, she was almost invisible. Every time she appeared, she would


    try her best to curl herself up, hold on to Amelie¡¯s legs, and follow wherever Amelie went. Her eyes


    would be dull, without any stream of brightness, and she would be so timid that she couldn¡¯t be brought


    out to meet


    anyone.


    However, she had a pair of big, sparkling eyes now. She could even do things quickly and responsively


    and had her own opinions.


    With both her little legs curled at the doorway, she looked smart and adorable, no matter how Toby


    looked at her Whenpared to the old times, she appeared to be apletely different person.


    Then, his gaze turned to Amelie, who was sitting on the chair. Her actions were so much more elegant


    than Bria¡¯s. Her eyes were like a crescent, and she was smiling with her lips pressing together.


    Although she was quiet, her elegant aura couldn¡¯t be hidden.


    She wasn¡¯t that old-fashioned woman who only wore dresses all the time. Now, she had a white t-shirt


    on top with light-colored shorts at the bottom, disying her slim waist and long legs. With her long hair


    casually tied and showing her clean forehead, she looked so youthful, as though she was a high school


    student.


    The quiet and stingy woman at the Alston Residence, who never looked up to meet anyone¡¯s eyes and


    always lowered herself in front of the Alstons as if she was a living zombie, had nothing to do with her


    any longer.


    Can a divorce really cause such big changes in a person? Toby couldn¡¯t help but curl his lips. They say


    marriage is the tomb of love. It seems like it¡¯s real.


    After that, Steven showed him his way of making shoes traditionally in detail. The process of making


    shoes traditionally was quiteplicated, with many steps involved. It would take half a day just to do


    the preparations.


    Meanwhile, Bria and Amelie were looking at the two of them from a safe distance.


    ¡°Is Mr. Walsh really going to learn how to make shoes from grandpa?¡± Bria asked worriedly.


    Hearing that, Amelie didn¡¯t answer her, as she knew Toby¡¯s actual purpose. It was just an excuse for


    him to learn to make shoes, but his real purpose was to talk about Owen.


    When the sky turned dark, Steven stopped the lesson because he wanted to cook for them.


    In fact, Amelie wanted to do the cooking, but Steven was too stubborn. He didn¡¯t want his daughter to


    get tired from cooking. Resigned, she could only stand at the door and watch on.


    ¡°He¡¯s pampering you so much. You really have a good father.¡± Toby walked over to her with both his


    hands in his pockets and stood straight beside her.


    At this moment, he looked at her once again. Her expression was rxed, and it was nothing like those


    anxious expressions those gold diggers had our there.


    Although her father was just a shoemaker, she still treated him politely without despising him.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Why would someone like her plot against Leo back then and do something so irrational? She¡¯s also


    Foxy, with millions of followers. Her ie shouldn¡¯t be low as well.


    The more Toby couldn¡¯t read her, the more he wanted to make assumptions. He even thought that such


    a beautiful and smart woman like her could certainly find someone who would love her with all his heart


    and treat her extremely well if she didn¡¯t do such a silly thing.


    ¡°Do you think making shoes is fun, Mr. Walsh?¡± Amelie turned around to ask him. When she looked at


    her, the gentleness in her eyes was gone, but there was still politeness in them.


    He knew very well that this politeness was because he had saved her twice, and she obviously knew


    what he hade here for by asking that question


    In fact, he really useding to see the process of making shoes as an excuse to meet Foxy and


    convince her in person. However, after he saw Steven¡¯s shoe-making skills, he suddenly developed an


    interest.


    ¡°It¡¯s really interesting,¡± he answered honestly. ¡°Although it¡¯s not quite possible for me to learn to make


    shoes, I already have a good n.¡±


    ¡°What n?¡± As soon as Amelie said that, Steven came out of the kitchen with a bowl in his hands and


    asked them to gather at the dining table.


    In the end, their conversation ended abruptly, and they walked to the dining table.


    At the table, Bria had already arranged the chairs, but there were only three of them. ¡°This is Grandpa¡¯s


    seat. This is Mommy¡¯s, and this is mine,¡± she announced. It was obvious that she purposely didn¡¯t


    arrange a chair for Toby.


    Humph! Good-for-nothing Daddy¡¯s friends are all bad guys! I don¡¯t want to treat him politely!


    Toby was embarrassed by her actions, while Amelie didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh. She went over


    to add another chair to the table and didn¡¯t forget to teach Bria. ¡°He¡¯s our guest. You must always treat


    a guest politely.¡±


    ¡°Humph! He¡¯s not. He¡¯s a bad guy!¡± Bria answered with her puffy cheeks. Without knowing that Toby


    had saved her, she treated him badly.


    ¡°Also, he¡¯s definitely not going to learn how to make shoes from grandpa!¡±


    I¡¯m so angry that he¡¯s not really here to learn. If he¡¯s not going to learn, why is he asking so much? Is


    he trying to disappoint Grandpa on purpose? People who upset grandpa are all bad guys!


    Just as Amelie wanted to educate Bria again, Toby stopped her. ¡°You¡¯re really smart, little one, but


    don¡¯t worry, although I won¡¯t learn, someone else is going to.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    After dinner, Bria went to the alley to y with the children she had just met.


    Since Bria was from the city and she was so adorable with her big, sparkling eyes, looking just like the


    stars in the sky, the children there liked her very much. With her amiable personality, the locals were


    happy to let her join them to y together.


    As they yed andughed happily in the alley, they put everything behind their backs. Theirughter


    lifted everyone¡¯s mood, just like the sound ofrks.


    Amelie didn¡¯t stop Bria from ying with the other children and simply let her be. So, the house was left


    with three adults.


    The lights were lit up. Although it was not bright, it made the atmosphere in the house peaceful.


    Since the beginning, there had been no look of disdain on Toby¡¯s face. In fact, he was actually enjoying


    this simple but warm ce.


    ¡°Mr. Walsh, can we talk about the n you mentioned earlier?¡± Amelie went straight to the point.


    Toby nodded with his usual smile and gentle expression. ¡°Mr. Dillon¡¯s shoemaking skill is really


    extraordinary. It will be such a shame if this skill is not passed down. What I mean is that¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello! All of you are here.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he was cut off by a loud voice from the


    entrance.


    The three of them looked over to the door and saw Abby standing there. Her attire was not as casual


    as previously. She even styled her hair, making her look a lot more put together.


    With a basket of fruits in her arms, she walked in casually. ¡°My son harvested these from the farm just


    now. I chose the best ones for you guys to have a taste.¡± She grinned from ear to ear, making it look


    like she was overdoing it.


    Then, she grabbed an orange from the basket and showed it to them. ¡°This is a grade A navel orange.


    It¡¯s specially used to serve VIPs out there in the city.¡±


    From her buttering-up look, it was apparent that she was afraid that Amelie would ask her for the rent.


    payment. She had been renting the house for many years. If Amelie really calcted it, the house rent


    would go up to tens of thousands.


    At this moment, Amelie looked at Abby and thought, Although she¡¯s nosy and has a big mouth, she still


    has a helpful side. She was the one who told Amelie that Steven was bringing a knife to find the


    Alstons, and she even helped her look after Bria for some time.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Amelie was not a cruel person, so of course, she wouldn¡¯t really ask her for the house rent.


    After she thanked Abby, she epted the fruits and wanted to pay her back.


    However, Abby insisted on not taking her money. As her eyes darted around, her gazended on Toby


    very quickly. ¡°Oh, is this Amy¡¯s husband? So good-looking.¡±


    Toby was well-dressed and charming, so her gaze was nearly stuck on him. ¡°I was just wondering why


    Amy brought the child back alone. So, her husband was actually following her behind. You¡¯re really


    good to Amy, young man,ing after her so quickly.¡± Although that was what she said, the nosy gaze


    from her eyes had never stopped.


    From her words, she was actually probing whether something had happened between the two of them


    since they came back one after another. Women in the suburbs really liked to look into other people¡¯s


    lives, even though they had many things of their own to care about. Most of them had an unhealthy


    amount of curiosity.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. You misunderstood. He¡¯s just a customer who came to see the process of shoemaking.¡±


    Steven stated coldly, knowing that his daughter disliked people probing into her personal life.


    Hearing that, Abby hummed in acknowledgment as her gaze at Amelie changed again. In the end, she


    didn¡¯t say anything else and just left.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Walsh. Women in the suburbs really have big mouths.¡± Steven apologized to Toby after


    Abby


    left


    Toby shook his head, indicating that he didn¡¯t mind at all, but his eyes couldn¡¯t help but look in the


    direction of Amelie


    Just now, when Abby took them as a couple, he didn¡¯t dislike it and didn¡¯t feel offended either.


    *Please continue what you were saying just now, Mr. Walsh.¡± Amelie¡¯s reminder pulled him back from


    his thoughts.


    Only then did he snap out of his daze and say, ¡°What I mean is that I can buy Mr. Dillon¡¯s skill and


    gather a group of apprentices to learn from him. Of course, we will make some suitable modifications


    while we ensure the quality.¡±


    ¡°Buy¡­ What do you mean? I can¡¯t make shoes anymore in the future?¡± Steven¡¯s face was a little


    disgruntled since his only hobby in life was making shoes. If he couldn¡¯t do that, his life would be


    meaningless.


    Hearing that, Toby chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the expert in traditional shoemaking. If I forbid you from making


    shoes, our shoes will be worthless.¡±


    He gently bit his lower lip and left his middle-parting, semi-long hair hanging in front of his forehead. At


    this moment, his exotic aura seemed to be a little stronger.


    ¡°But if there are more apprentices, you might need to spend more time teaching them as an advisor.


    So, your time for making shoes will be much less.¡±


    ¡°Advisor?¡± Steven didn¡¯t have much of an idea about this position.


    ¡°Advisor is about the same as a teacher,¡± Amelie exined.


    Hearing that, Steven hummed in acknowledgment. Since he seldom talked, he felt that doing hands-on


    things was much morefortable than talking.


    ¡°With that, many people can learn about your technique, and more people can wear shoes that are


    made traditionally. Your skills can at least be passed down, and the customers don¡¯t need to wait half a


    month for their shoes. This is the best of both worlds,¡± Toby concluded.


    At this moment, Steven had a serious face, and the wrinkles on his face could be seen to be squeezed


    together under the soft


    light. After thinking for quite some time, only then did he answer, ¡°Let me think about.


    it.¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t force him as well. ¡°Okay. When you make up your mind, you can give me a call anytime.¡±


    With his respectful attitude since the beginning, he put a name card beside Steven¡¯s hand.


    After that, Steven didn¡¯t say anything else. He went to the backyard and continued making shoes.


    Meanwhile, Amelie looked at her father¡¯s back, which was slightly hunched, and sighed softly.


    Shoemaking was her father¡¯s way of earning money and was also his only hobby. Other than her, it


    was the love of his life. That was why even when a slight change was brought up, it would have a huge


    impact on him.


    ¡°Mr Walsh, are you sure that you want to start a shoe business?¡± Amelie pocketed her gaze to look at


    Toby.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°But the Walsh Farnily hasn¡¯t stepped into the shoe business before. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little risky to


    suddenly start a shoe business?¡±


    ¡°It might be risky, but this business is still profitable, isn¡¯t it?¡± He looked at her seriously and could


    roughly tell what she was thinking, so he exined, ¡°The reason I suggested buying your father¡¯s


    shoemaking skills is that there were many people who ordered your shoes during your live stream.¡±


    Then, he showed her a list with the data for her stream.


    ¡°There were five million people in your live stream at that time, and the number of orders was 368


    within three minutes. This is a really high number.¡± He flicked the piece of paper and put it in front of


    her ¡°After that, you indicated that you¡¯re not selling shoes anymore, but there are still five percent of the


    people who still want to buy them. This is a huge business opportunity. As a businessman, it¡¯s


    impossible for me not toy my hands.


    on this ¡±


    With the proof of the data, Toby¡¯s words were unimpeachable, leaving Amelie speechless.


    The next day. Steven went to look for Toby alone and spent a long time talking with him.


    Amelie had no idea what they talked about, but when Steven came out, there was a contract in his


    hand. It was obvious that he agreed to Toby¡¯s request.


    ¡°D-Dad, are you sure?¡± she asked him worriedly, since she was very cautious on this matter.


    However, he nodded happily. ¡°Mr. Walsh really has a business mind, and he does things meticulously.


    Even when I know nothing about business, I will be satisfied as long as he can pass down my shoe-


    making skills.¡±


    When she heard that, she took over the contract to study it closely.


    Toby¡¯s contract was very professional, and there were not many restrictions on Steven.


    As she read the contract, she gasped sharply when she saw a section¡­

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    At the Royal Hotel was a man in white with a small suitcase. The hair behind his head was tied up, and


    his fringe was parted


    As the wind blew, his hair danced beautifully along with it.


    At this moment, his head was lowered, seemingly pondering on something.


    ¡°Mr. Walsh!¡± A clear female voice resounded from afar, forcing him to snap out of his thoughts. He


    raised his head and saw a girl on the opposite side.


    She had a fitted light-colored t-shirt on with white cropped pants. Her hair was tied into a ponytail,


    which was swaying in the air, making her look dazzling.


    Toby seemed to be enthralled by her. Only after a while did he reply, ¡°Miss Dillon? Why are you here?*


    Amelie walked over to him and showed him the paper in her hand.


    After he squinted his eyes to look and saw the paper in her hand, he seemed to understand what she


    came for.


    Since she ran all the way here, she was panting a little. I¡¯ll help you convince Skaynia¡¯s Owen,¡± she


    proimed.


    At this moment, Toby¡¯s calm brows suddenly rose, and he looked at her in surprise. He didn¡¯t know that


    she would suddenly agree to this. ¡°Really?¡±


    She smiled and exined, ¡°You think so highly of my father¡¯s traditional shoe-making technique. How


    can I not provide you with a little help? She pointed at the contract in her hand


    The quoted price in the contract was 30 million! A shoemaking technique worth 30 million was an


    extremely high price.


    Even if Steven¡¯s traditional technique was really precious, with Toby¡¯s method, it would not be a


    surprise if he reduced it to a million or even hundreds of thousands.


    ¡°But please amend the contract,¡± she continued. ¡°300 thousand will be enough.¡±


    Hearing that, Toby looked at her in confusion. ¡°Is 30 million not a good price?¡±


    ¡°30 million is good, but it will scare my father.¡± Steven was just thinking about passing down his skills,


    so he didn¡¯t look at the price; otherwise, he would definitely be so shocked that he would cause some


    trouble.


    In fact, Amelie knew very well the real reason Toby quoted this 30 million; he was paying her in


    advance for her to convince Owen.


    ¡°Although Owen has some connections with me, I¡¯m not sure whether I can convince him.¡± She


    analyzed everything clearly. ¡°Also, since you helped me twice, I¡¯ll take this fully as returning your favor.¡±


    At this moment, Toby was still looking at her, and there was an obvious upset in his eyes. He could tell


    that she didn¡¯t want to owe him anything.


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m Leo¡¯s friend?¡± he asked out of nowhere.


    Hearing that, Amelie looked at him, puzzled.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he replied almost instantly before taking over the contract to change the quotation.


    When she saw that he agreed so quickly, she heaved a sigh of relief. With a smile, she took back the


    contract. ¡°Please send me the necessary documents when you go back, Mr. Walsh, but I still have


    another condition.¡±


    When Toby heard that, he raised his brows. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°While I¡¯m trying to convince Owen, I can follow you to other ces to discuss business, but Leo can¡¯t


    tag along. Also, I hope you won¡¯t let him know I¡¯m Foxy.¡±


    Surprised, he blinked quickly. ¡°Why? He treated you quite badly in those days. Don¡¯t you want to take


    this opportunity to leave an egg on his face?¡±


    However, there was not much of an expression on her face.


    Toby wore a mischievous smile. ¡°If Leo cared a little about you, he would know that you¡¯re Foxy four


    years ago, and this project could have been started at that time. If you tell him now that you¡¯re Foxy,


    the egg on his face is definitely a rotten one.¡±


    ¡°Are you really Leo¡¯s friend? You¡¯re actually asking me to embarrass him?¡± Ameliemented half-


    jokingly.


    When he looked at her smiling face, it made him recall the two times he saved her when she looked


    like a mess, and it wrenched his heart.


    Yet, she didn¡¯t know what was on his mind. As she lowered her head a little, she put a strand of her


    hair behind her ear. ¡°The best thing to do after a divorce is not see each other for the rest of our lives.


    Embarrassing him doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    From the way she talked about this so openly, it was obvious that she had already let this go.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    At this moment, Toby suddenly fluttered. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already let it go, isn¡¯t it time to start the next


    rtionship? What kind of man are you looking for?¡±


    When he asked the question, he stood straighter than he usually did to make himself look more


    charming.


    However, Amelie didn¡¯t look at him and just shook her head. ¡°I just want to have a peaceful life now.¡±


    What she meant was that she already had no expectations for rtionships.


    Leo made her lose herself and even hurt her family, so she didn¡¯t want this tragedy to happen again.


    She also didn¡¯t have the energy to start a new rtionship.


    When Toby heard that, the anticipation in his eyes dissipated along with her words, and he froze there


    for a moment. He felt as though something inside him had been taken away, leaving a big empty space


    in him.


    ¡°Too bad,¡± he mumbled under his breath.


    Amelie didn¡¯t know what he meant, but she just waved her hands at him to say goodbye. ¡°Have a safe


    trip then.¡±


    As Amelie walked home from the hotel and was about a turn away from home, she suddenly heard a


    vulgar curse. ¡°Such a rude br*t! How can youy your hands on people?!¡±


    After that followed a clear voice of a girl, seemingly rebuking thement, and that voice sounded like


    Bria¡¯s.


    Hearing that, Amelie walked faster and just happened to see that a woman was pushing a little girl in


    front of her. The little girl backed a few steps from the push, and that little girl was Bria.


    The woman who pushed her had messy hair and was wearing a floral-printed shirt and pants with her


    shirttail rolled up, making her look extremely cheap.


    With her raucous voice, she bellowed, ¡°My grandson is not someone you cany your hands on! We


    spent 200 thousand to save him when he was born. Can your familypensate us if you hurt him?¡±


    She emphasized the word ¡®200 thousand¡¯ as though that was a huge amount of money.


    At this moment, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but go nearer. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She strode to Bria¡¯s back and


    held her shoulders. Only then did she see the woman¡¯s face.


    Behind her messy hair was an unrefined face. Isn¡¯t she Mrs. Gordon? When Amelie recognized the


    woman, she was shocked.


    She just came to our housest night to give us the fruit that only VIPs¡¯ can eat, but now she¡¯s already


    treating Bria so rudely


    When Abby saw Amelie, her politeness was nowhere to be seen. She scoffed, ¡°Good that you¡¯re here.


    Your daughterid her hands on my grandson. What are you going to do about this?¡±


    Amelie looked at the big, chubby boy in Abby¡¯s arms. His arm was as thick as Bria¡¯s thigh. Yet, at that


    time, he was wiping off his tears and looked extremely sulky.


    On the other hand, Bria was furious. She was ring at them with her big eyes, obstinately thinking


    she had, done the right thing.


    ¡°re again, and I¡¯ll scoop your eyes out!¡± Abby went near Bria and wanted to poke Bria¡¯s eyes in front


    of Amelie


    Amelie blocked her swiftly and pulled Bria back a step. Then, she asked, ¡°Did you hit him, Bria?¡±


    ¡°He called me an illegitimate child!¡± Bria shouted furiously.


    ¡°Kids with no father are all illegitimate!¡± the boy in tears refuted rudely.


    When Amelie heard that, she was startled and turned to look at Abby.


    Seeing that, Abby parted her mouth awkwardly. ¡°Your child said that you¡¯re divorced. I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    When Amelie brought Bria back alone, Abby started to grow curious.


    These days, she would hang around Bria to probe her about it. Since children wouldn¡¯t have


    complicated thoughts, Bria told her honestly when she was annoyed by her questions.


    ¡°Your child even said that you didn¡¯t take anything with you. So, you¡¯re divorced without any money?¡±


    she asked enigmatically.


    At this moment, Amelie finally understood that the change in Abby¡¯s attitude was because Abby found


    out that she was divorced without anything. She¡¯s really hrious.


    ¡°Even if I¡¯m divorced, my child still has a father. Your kid said that Bria is an illegitimate child. Shouldn¡¯t


    he be apologizing for it first?¡±


    ¡°What? My grandson was beaten by your child, but you still want him to apologize? What kind of facy


    is this?¡± Abby was acting so tough that she nearly poked Amelie¡¯s face as she talked.


    At that moment, Amelie held Abby¡¯s finger and twisted it, hurting Abby so much that she started


    screaming in pain Only then did she release her hold.


    Then, Abby sat on the ground. ¡°Crap. She¡¯s attacking me!¡± Abby shouted and started to roll on the


    ground, like a child throwing a tantrum.


    Meanwhile, Amelie looked at her with a poker face as disgust could be seen from the corner of her


    mouth. She¡¯s staying in my house for free, but she wants to pick on me?


    After Abby whined on the ground for some time, she started to call her son. ¡°Tom, you need to rush


    back home! Your precious son was beaten, and I was beaten too! Quicklye and save us!


    Otherwise, we¡¯ll be beaten to death¡± She dragged her words and cried as though she had really been


    bullied.


    Before long, a man holding a carrying pole rushed over from afar, and that man was Tom Wilson


    himself.


    He ran toward them angrily, and when he saw Abby, who was on the ground, he shouted furiously,


    ¡°Who hit


    my mom? Step forward!¡±

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    With so much noise, many people gathered around to see what was going on.


    Suddenly, someone tugged on Amelie¡¯s sleeves and told her, ¡°Their family heard that you were


    divorced without anything and found out that your father sold his shoe-making technique. So, they think


    that you guys definitely won¡¯t have the money to move back into the house. They¡¯re trying to chase


    your family out and take the house.¡±


    The person talking was a woman named Celine Barr. She was giving Amelie a heads-up for the sake of


    her connections with Amelie during the old days.


    However, when she saw that ferocious look from Tom, she was afraid that she would bring trouble


    herself, so she stepped out of it after she warned Amelie.


    At this moment, a smirk tugged on Amelie¡¯s lips, and her face showed ruthlessness. Appeasement


    really brings disaster. Dad let them stay in our house for so many years, but these b*stards actually


    want to im it as


    their own?


    ¡°Tom, it¡¯s Amelie. She pushed me,¡± Abby shouted as she pointed at Amelie while sitting on the ground.


    At the same time, she was hinting at her son with her eyes.


    Hearing that, Tom swung the carrying pole at Amelie immediately. ¡°Amelie Dillion! You dare to hurt my


    mom?! I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    However, Amelie acted as though she didn¡¯t see his carrying pole. She just parted her lips and said,


    ¡°Are you sure you want to beat me up? The police station is not far from here You¡¯ll need to pay with


    your life if you beat me to death!¡±


    In fact, he just wanted to scare her, just like what he had discussed with Abby. Since Amelie was


    divorced without anything, no one would have her back. On top of that, Steven was just a nice guy. He


    sold his business and didn¡¯t have any power either. As a result, if he scared her a little, he could


    definitely make her and Steven flee in terror, never to return.


    In their eyes, Steven¡¯s shoemaking technique was only worth a few thousand. A few thousand won¡¯t


    make significant difference. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of!


    The two of them were just thinking about iming the house and didn¡¯t care whether Amelie¡¯s family


    would survive when they left the ce.


    Yet, at this moment, Amelie had a calm expression as though she was not terrified at all.


    When Tom saw that, his hand trembled a little.


    ¡°If you dare to beat my mommy, she¡¯ll definitely send you to jail!¡± Bria shouted loudly. Mommy said that


    we couldn¡¯t cause trouble, but if the trouble is here, we can¡¯t be afraid!


    She stood in front of Amelie and used her big eyes to re fiercely at Tom.


    Seeing that, Amelie was scared that Bria would get hurt, so she pulled her to the back.


    ¡°Tom, what are you afraid of? We have people on our side in the police station!¡± Abby shouted from the


    ground. ¡°They hit us, so we hit them back. It¡¯s just self-defense.¡±


    When she noticed that Amelie wasn¡¯t terrified, she wanted to let Tom hit her a few times so that she


    would finally be afraid.


    Hearing that, Tom plucked up some courage right away and smashed the carrying pole at Amelie.


    Luckily, Amelia actually learned martial arts before. Steven only had one daughter, who appeared frail.


    Afraid that she would be at a disadvantage in the future, he walked the extra mile to sign her up for


    MMA sses in the city area.


    Although it had been a long time since shest trained, the foundation was still there. She raised her


    leg and was ready to fight back.


    tter! When the carrying pole was swung just five centimeters away from Amelie¡¯s leg, it suddenly


    stopped.


    Under his pole was a knife!


    Seeing that, the shocked Tom bellowed, ¡°Who¡¯s interfering?! Get lost!¡±


    As he raised his head, he saw clearly that the person with the knife was Steven!


    Meanwhile, Amelie recognized Steven too, and she was shocked. ¡°Dad?¡±


    However, Steven didn¡¯t reply to her as his eyes were fixed on Tom. ¡°You dare toy a finger on my


    daughter?¡± He raised the knife in his hand and shed it at Tom.


    Steven was never angry and was always polite to everyone. Even if people took advantage of him, he


    wouldn¡¯t mind. So this was the first time Tom had seen Steven so enraged.


    His face was contorted with rage, and his re was hostile. From the sound of his knife shing


    through the air, one could tell that he was really going to kill!


    At this moment, Tom was scared out of his wits. He could only use the pole in his hand to defend


    himself.


    However, the pole was shed in half by Steven! He had such great strength that he nearly chopped


    Tom¡¯s


    head off.


    That feeling of a knife sliding across the head was extremely terrifying, making the terrified Tom turn


    around and run away.


    Amelie and Bria were Steven¡¯s weak spots. Now that they had been bullied, how could he let this go?


    So, with the knife in his hand, he pursued Tom from behind. As he did that, he threw a nce at Abby


    on the ground.


    Seeing that, Abby thought that he would sh his knife at her. So, she covered her head, petrified, and


    wet her pants instantly!


    Meanwhile, her chubby grandson was so terrified that his knees buckled, and he fell to the ground,


    crying his


    heart out.


    After seeing that, only then did Steven go on chasing behind Tom. Even though he was old, he could


    still run fast, so he was able to follow behind Tom.


    On the other hand, Abby was really hysterical. She went over to tug on a corner of Amelie¡¯s shirt while


    on her knees and started sobbing. ¡°Amy, your father is going crazy! Quickly stop him! How am I going


    to live if he really kills Tom?!¡±


    Of course, Amelie wouldn¡¯t care about a sc*mbag like Tom, but since her father was already at an


    advanced age, it would be a problem if he hurt himself. So, she asked Celine to take care of Bria and


    chased after the


    two men


    In the end, someone called the police, and a few policemen held Steven down together.


    Seeing that, Amelie ran over and pushed the policemen who were holding her father before hugging


    him in distress. ¡°Dad, why did you do that?¡±


    After running


    for some time, Steven was gasping for breath, but the hostility in his eyes did not dissipate as he red


    at Tom. ¡°My daughter and granddaughter can never be bullied!¡±


    At this moment, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but feel lucky. It was lucky that he didn¡¯t go to the Alston


    Residence at


    that time, or else he would have killed all the Alstons for sure if he knew how they treated her.


    Steven and Tom were brought to the police station together, and a civil police officer was in charge of


    interrogating both of them.


    When he heard that Steven had taken out a knife because his daughter and granddaughter were being


    hurt by Tom and because Tom had a bad name in this area, he didn¡¯t hold on to this matter for long.


    After he scolded both of them, they were released after signing the papers.


    As Steven signed the paper, he red at Tom. ¡°Free up the house when you get back. My house is not


    for any b*stard to stay!¡±


    Outside the room, Abby was there as well. When she heard that, she was so upset that she nearly


    fainted. Not only did they not get the house, but they also needed to move out right away, and her own


    son was nearly killed. It¡¯s not worth it at all!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dad.¡± Amelie went over to hold Steven and leave the station with him. She didn¡¯t even want


    toy her eyes on that mother and son.


    Just as the two of them arrived at the entrance, two people suddenly walked toward them from the


    outside.


    ¡°Why are they leaving already? Have you looked into everything?¡± The man walking in front looked at


    them coldly and arrogantly as he talked in a bossy tone.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Tom Wilson started the fight first. He wanted to hurt Mr. Dillon¡¯s daughter and granddaughter,


    so Mr. Dillon was provoked and fought back,¡± the local police officer stood up and reported it to the man


    respectfully.


    They could tell that the two people outside had a certain status at the station.


    ¡°Both of them are not hurt, so I released them, Inspector Murphy. I ended the case ¡±


    When Abby saw the two men, her dull face suddenly brightened up, and she quickly said, ¡°Tom didn¡¯t


    start the fight. This man¡¯s daughter attacked me at first, so my son couldn¡¯t take it and came over to


    scold her. Who knew that the older man would suddenly take out a knife and start attacking people?


    Officer, you need to help us get our justice.¡±


    She¡¯s actually turning things upside down. So heinous. Amelie replied coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t push you, and


    there was a weapon in Tom¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°What weapon? He¡¯s holding the carrying pole because your father wanted to kill him. He was just


    trying to defend himself!¡± Abby continued to twist the truth.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Amelie wanted to refute her, but someone spoke before her. ¡°Whose knife is this? Doesn¡¯t holding a


    knife. imply that he intended to kill? Killing is a crime. Don¡¯t you understand this simple thing?¡± The one


    speaking was the man they addressed as ¡®Inspector Murphy¡¯


    Inspector Murphy took the knife and pointed it at the police officer. ¡°This is a serious crime, but you¡¯re


    letting them go after signing the papers?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± The civil police officer narrowed his shoulders and spoke in a sulky tone. ¡°But Tom always¡­


    ¡°No matter what, with the weapon here, you can¡¯t release them!¡± Inspector Murphy pointed at Steven


    arrogantly. ¡°Take him into custody now! And this one too! Take them in!¡± He was talking about Amelie.


    Amelle had seen inspectors working on cases but had never seen someone do it like this. Instantly, her


    face turned cold, and she looked at Inspector Murphy with a hostile gaze. ¡°What¡¯s the reason for taking


    me into custody?¡±


    ¡°This olddy said that you pushed her, which means youmitted a crime. So how can we not put


    you into custody?¡± the man behind Inspector Murphy said. He had two strands of hair on top of his


    mouth, looking just like someone who liked to butter people up.


    Hearing that, Abby winked at the two men happily. When she turned to look at Amelie, she scoffed with


    an obvious look of pride on her face.


    At this moment, Amelie could already tell that these two men were the ¡®people on our side¡¯ that Abby


    had mentioned just now.


    ¡°Are you not taking them in?!¡± Inspector Murphy waved his hand impatiently.


    The civil police officer had no choice but to hold Steven and Amelie down.


    ¡°Wait!¡± A clear voice suddenly resounded.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    As soon as Jerome Murphy made the announcement, he turned around and was about to leave, only


    to hear a voice that made him look over his shoulder the next second. Then, he saw the cops


    manhandling Amelie, who was surprisingly not seen with hostility written on her face. In the meantime,


    thedy shot a cold gaze at the inspector and asked, ¡°Seriously? Are you really going to do this?¡±


    ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± A plump figure that turned out to be Abby emerged from behind Jerome


    and answered on the man¡¯s behalf. ¡°You two hurt my son and my grandchild! For that, you¡¯re going to


    be sentenced to jail and fined heavily!¡± She stuck out three of her fingers. ¡°Three hundred grand! Not a


    penny less!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Amelie sneered.


    Three hundred grand! That¡¯s some nerve she has to ask for that kind of money! Steven¡¯s rage took


    over him despite his usual forgiving and kind nature. As his face was covered in veins, he began to


    charge at Abby angrily, scaring thedy so much that she stepped back in intimidation.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the police station now! So, how dare you disrespect thew and resort to violence in the


    officers¡¯ presence!¡± Abby continued to grumble even after backing away from the angry man. ¡°You


    definitely need to be punished more severely!¡±


    Deep down, she was confident about the calctions she had made with every step she had taken


    thus far. After all, Amelie was broke since she left her family without taking a single penny with her


    while Steven was merely a skillful craftsman who would be content if he was given ten or twenty grand.


    Therefore, she was counting on their desperate financial situation to force them into pledging their


    house, which she believed would be hers, considering how powerless the Dillon Family had be.


    Nheless, Amelie knew what Abby was nning to do as she called out to Steven and shook her


    head at him, signaling him to take it easy. On the other hand, the man was quickly overwhelmed by


    guilt when he understood his daughter¡¯s hint, responding in silence without saying a word more.


    Soon, Amelie turned her attention to Jerome and ignored Abby¡¯s provocation. ¡°I¡¯m asking you,


    Inspector Murphy.¡± Her eyes were filled with belligerence, as if she was trying to provoke him.


    Needless to say, Amelie¡¯s aggression didn¡¯t sit well with Jerome because no one had ever defied him in


    that area. Thus, he was immediately offended as he mmed the desk with his hand and replied


    rudely, ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sure I want to do this!¡±


    He stared at Amelie in an annoyed manner, allowing no one to challenge his authority. At the same


    time, he had one hand in his pocket and paced back and forth in a haughty manner.


    Meanwhile, the man standing beside the inspector suggested, ¡°Come on, guys! Don¡¯t you know who


    Inspector Murphy is? If I were you, I would apologize for my mistake and ask for his forgiveness before


    things get ugly.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Amelie reacted with a sarcastic sneer upon hearing the man¡¯s words, but of course, her


    reaction was perceived by Jerome as a disrespectful gesture. Thus, his face darkened as he red at


    thedy.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been away from this ce for so long that you¡¯ve already forgotten how things work around


    here, young fellow.¡± The inspector walked closer to the chair and patted its back. ¡°This ce is not like


    the city you lived in. Thew doesn¡¯t really work here. Instead, it¡¯s the connections and authority that


    matter! Therefore, you can forget about using thew against us. You¡¯re only going to be disappointed!¡±


    ¡°Jerome is thew, and his words are final!¡± The man gave Amelie a disdainful glimpse and


    approached Steven to pat his shoulder. ¡°I can understand your daughter¡¯s foolishness, but you? How


    can you be like your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re indeed foolish,¡± Amelie responded before Steven could say anything.


    When Steven heard about his daughter, his face was coated with a surprised expression. Fixing his


    gaze upon his daughter, he couldn¡¯t believe she was about to yield to those people. However, little did


    he know that everyone else who heard her felt the same way as he did.


    Abby was happy to hear what Amelie said and dly invited Jerome to have dinner at her ce.


    ¡°When this is over, pleasee to my house for dinner. Tom prepared some delicious pork for you.


    You know how precious it is.¡±


    ¡°A game boar?¡±


    In fact, Tom had frequently been hunting wild animals in the woods for their meat, although the practice


    was banned and made illegal. However, Jerome had a liking for eating wild animals; so he responded


    with a wide grin on his face upon hearing Abby¡¯s invitation.


    Nevertheless, Amelie had no intention of wasting her time quarreling with those people. ¡°I didn¡¯t know


    that everyone in this town had to listen to you, Inspector Murphy. If that¡¯s the case, what¡¯s the purpose


    of having the town mayor or the police chief?¡±


    ¡°Oh, seriously?! No one from your family is rted to Inspector Murphy, so who do you think you are to


    even approach the police chief and the town mayor?¡± Abby responded insolently andughed


    sarcastically. ¡°What a pipe dream!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. None of us from my family is rted to Inspector Murphy, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t


    approach them.¡± Amelie ambiguously sniggered and red at the officers who were manhandling her.


    ¡°Let go of me now!¡±


    For some reason, the officers were frightened by her intimidating gaze, and they instinctively let go of


    her. Then, she reached for her phone in front of the rest and dialed a number. ¡°Julia, Inspector Murphy


    from our town is abusing his powers without any respect for thew. In fact, he even broke thew and


    hunted wild animals for their meat. Please ask your uncle and see whether he can do anything about


    it.¡±


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    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is someone trying to mess with you?¡± Julia could instantly tell from Amelie¡¯s response


    that she was in trouble. Therefore, she decided she should waste no more time and added, ¡°Alright,


    give me a second. I¡¯ll get it done right away!¡±


    Jerome, along with Abby and the others, was terrified to see Amelie snitching on him over the phone,


    but when she finished the tele-conversation in a matter of seconds, they were all relieved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! What could she really do, after all?¡± Tom tilted his head and shook his leg in a sinister


    manner, unable to take his eyes off Amelie¡¯s beautiful looks. Deep down, his lechery and lust were


    filling his mind as he was figuring out a way to bed the prettydy.


    At her son¡¯s words, Abby echoed Tom¡¯s words and nodded. ¡°Exactly! Although she might have married


    a rich man at first, she was cast away shortly after that without a single penny with her. So, what can


    she really do?¡±


    Believing the reason why Amelie was driven away was that she was not likable, Abby was convinced


    she could never get the help she wanted.


    Jerome replied with an indifferent grunt, dusting himself in an unconcerned manner. ¡°Alright, get this


    over with! You made me lose a fortune, son!¡±


    In the meantime, the officer actually felt sympathetic for Steven and Amelie¡¯s fate, but for the sake of


    his livelihood, he was forced to go against his conscience and do Jerome¡¯s bidding. Thus, he walked


    up to Amelie once again and was about to take her away.


    Soon, Jerome¡¯s phone rang, whereupon he picked it up and answered impolitely. ¡°Hello!¡± However, as


    he listened closely to what the caller was saying, the color started to drain from his cheeks. At the


    same time, he straightened his body and began to act more politely, his forehead covered in a cold


    sweat that trickled down


    his skin like rainfall.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? The bystanders fixed their gazes upon the man in a confused manner.


    As soon as he hung up the call, his arm dropped as if it had been maimed. In that instant, he even lost


    the strength to grip his phone properly before it fell onto the ground. At the same time, his face turned


    pale without any signs of arrogance and insolence that he was showing to Amelie and Steven a few


    moments


    ago.


    Instead, those expressions were reced with despair and terror.


    At that moment, the telephone in the office also rang, whereupon the officer, who was handling the


    case, answered it. After hearing what the caller said, he replied with an affirmative hum and hung up


    the call before walking up to Jerome to handcuff him.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    The officer¡¯s reaction stunned Abby and the other men who had ingratiated themselves with Jerome.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    The policeman rolled his eyes at them and announced, ¡°We have received a phone call from the police


    chief himself asking us to arrest Inspector Murphy for investigation!¡±


    ¡°On top of that, both of you have to stay back tonight.¡± He pointed at Abby and Tom. Both of their


    expressions turned grave after the announcement.


    ¡°Why do we have to stay back? We have not done anything wrong!¡± Abby shouted like an uncultured


    swine.


    ¡°You¡¯ve caused trouble and tried to upy other people¡¯s property illegally. Don¡¯t you think these


    offenses are enough to get you arrested?¡± The policeman pointed out their crimes one by one. ¡°You¡¯ll


    easily be jailed for two years because of this!¡±


    Tom¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet, and he stared at Amelie with disbelief. He couldn¡¯t believe that she


    could, get the police chief involved with just a phone call and, at the same time, get rid of Inspector


    Murphy that easily. How could that be¡­ Didn¡¯t she get divorced without taking a cent from the Alston


    Family? I thought she didn¡¯t have anyone from her family who could back her? Since Tom was born


    and raised there, he was aware that Steven only moved and stayed thereter on. Although Tom had


    been living there for a decade or so, he didn¡¯t have any rtives there.


    Without wasting any more time, the policeman waved, signaling his men to handcuff Tom. Seeing that,


    Abby tried to escape but was dragged back. Soon, three of them were taken away by the men that


    were sent over by the police chief.


    After that, the officer went over to Amelie and Steven before apologizing to them. ¡°Although I know that


    both of you were innocent earlier on, Inspector Murphy¡­ Sigh, I¡¯m sure both of you know what it¡¯s like


    to work in the countryside.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°We understand.¡± Amelie didn¡¯t fuss about it, as she knew the situation the policeman was in. With that,


    the police officers politely sent both of them out. He then personally went to the unit and made


    everyone from the Wilson Family vacate the property on the same night.


    Since Abby and Tom had been brought away, only Tom¡¯s wife and son were left there. As they moved


    out, she couldn¡¯t stop sobbing and cursed at Abby and Tom. By then, Amelie and Steven had walked


    out together.


    ¡°Luckily, Julia helped us out this time. If not for her, we would have been bullied. Sigh, I¡¯m sorry for


    being at useless father and making you go through all these.¡± Steven was looking down the whole time


    as he was in a lousy mood for not being able to protect his daughter. Steven had always been a


    reserved man, and Amelie could tell how much he was ming himself for what he said.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m already an adult, and I¡¯m capable of protecting myself. Rather, you shouldn¡¯t start waving a


    knife at people under any circumstances. It¡¯s terrifying.¡± She held her father¡¯s hand. Amelie never


    imagined him doing something like that since he had always been a docile man.


    Hearing that, Steven looked down without saying a word. He had been feeling guilty recently and was


    thinking about whether it was his spinelessness that had caused Amelie to suffer within the Alston


    Family.


    The next day, Abby and Tom were released. Both of them looked dispirited as not only did they not get


    to take the house, they had gotten Inspector Murphy into trouble as well. Inspector Murphy wasn¡¯t just


    a stranger to them, but he was the husband of Abby¡¯s niece. Her niece had gone over to look for her


    since early morning. screaming and crying as she insisted that Abby find a way to get her husband out.


    However, Abby didn¡¯t have the capability to do so. In the end, she had to snarl at her niece to chase


    her away.


    Now that they had to move out of the house, the Wilson Family had to move back to their dpidated


    hut. Abby and Tom werezy people, and while their neighbors had upgraded to bigger houses, they


    were still poor. The family of four had to stay in a shabby one-bedroom hut. Since early morning,


    Abby¡¯s grandson, Timmy, had been crying as he refused to stay there because he was used to staying


    in the Dillon Family¡¯s big and spacious house.


    Not only Timmy Tom¡¯s wife, but Lucy also wasn¡¯t in a good mood too. Soon, it started pouring outside


    before rainwater seeped through the roof and formed puddles in the house. Lucy couldn¡¯t stand it


    anymore and left with her son as she scolded Tom. The frustrated Tom hit and kicked at the only few


    pieces of furniture they


    had until they fell apart and left after that.


    In the end, Abby was left alone and sighed when she saw the situation they were in. She regretted that


    if they had treated Amelie and her dad politely, they wouldn¡¯t have gotten themselves into a pickle. But,


    at the same time, she was ming it on Amelie for snatching the house away from them when Amelie


    didn¡¯t really need the house. The wealthy are truly cold-blooded! The more she thought about it, the


    more devastated she became, and tears started rolling down her cheeks.


    It took her a while to recall that she had a daughter who was pretty well off. However, both of them


    were on bad terms, and her daughter hadn¡¯t visited in thest twenty years. Abby¡¯s granddaughter, on


    the other hand, used to stay with her for some time.


    Ah! That¡¯s right! I can contact her.


    She got her address book out of her luggage. The phone numbers were scribbled using symbols that


    only she could read. After a while, she managed to get the number and immediately made a call.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Soon, the call was answered, and a delightful voice was heard.


    ¡°Elyse, it¡¯s me, Grandma.¡± Abby greeted.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Her answer was cold, as she was never close to Abby.


    ¡°Elyse, I have been bullied!¡± Abby started ranting, ignoring her granddaughter¡¯s lukewarm reply.


    What happened?¡± Elyse was rather surprised that someone like Abby would be bullied. With that, Abby


    then told her what had happened.


    ¡°Grandma, you were trying to chase the house owners away when you had upied their property.


    Why would you feel wronged when they were just defending their legal rights?¡± Elyse finally made


    sense of the situation after hearing that.


    She knew what kind of person her grandmother was-azy and petty woman. She wasn¡¯t surprised that


    Abby would do something that shameless.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help you with this.¡± Elyse stretched her fingers out and looked at her recently manicured nails.


    She was already getting annoyed. If Abby weren¡¯t her grandma, she would have hung up the call.


    Abby was devastated when her own granddaughter lectured her and started sobbing. ¡°Elyse, I¡¯m old


    now, and I don¡¯t have a ce to stay. Moreover, your mother doesn¡¯t care about me anymore. I only did


    that because had no other choice. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t pity me, but how could you say this to me?¡±


    As she spoke, she had to pause to take a few breaths because she couldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°These are all


    because of Amelie, who got divorced without getting any alimony and even brought a liability with her.


    Steven, who was staying alone, used to stay in a two-bedroom property, so we had been able to stay in


    their housefortably for the past few years. If she hadn¡¯te back, we could still continue staying


    in it. Now that she¡¯s back and broke, she has nowhere to stay, so she wants the house back. All I


    wanted was for your uncle and cousin to have a better life.¡±


    Although Elyse didn¡¯t hang up the call, she wasn¡¯t paying attention to Abby until she heard Amelie¡¯s


    name being mentioned. ¡°Who¡¯s name did you just say?¡± she asked surprisedly and thought that she


    had heard wrongly.


    ¡°Steven Dillon and his daughter, Amelie Dillon,¡± Abby repeated.


    I didn¡¯t mishear it. ¡°Which Amelie Dillon?¡± Elyse asked again.


    ¡°Who else could it be? She¡¯s the one who used to sit in the courtyard and sing. She normally had two


    big braids and a lovely voice. Didn¡¯t you ask me for her name before?¡±


    Many years ago, Elyse used to stay at Abby¡¯s for some reason, but she couldn¡¯t recall the things that


    Abby


    described to her She wasn¡¯t sure whether it was the Amelie she knew of, but her heart started racing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider whether to help you if you describe how she looks to me,¡± Elyse said.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Abby didn¡¯t understand what Amelie¡¯s appearance had to do with Elyse¡¯s decision to help her or not.


    Even so, she tried her best to describe thedy¡¯s appearance. s, she was good at causing trouble


    but sucked at describing how people looked and had trouble doing so. She was so anxious that she


    kept pinching her legs. Suddenly she recalled that Amelie had a daughter and eximed, ¡°She has a


    daughter who was around the age of three or four. Her name is Bria.¡±


    ¡°Bria?¡± Elyse¡¯s heart sank when she realized that it turned out to be the Amelie that she knew of. She


    was surprised that Amelie actually stayed there.


    ¡°Did she bring the child back by herself, or was she with another man?¡± Elyse asked again.


    ¡°Why would she be with another man when she was a broke divorcee?¡± Abby pursed her lips. ¡°If she


    did have a man, she wouldn¡¯t be taking the house away from us.¡±


    Elyse was even more confused after hearing that. After Amelie got a divorce, the scandal between her


    and the owner of Starlight Media became the talk of the town. She even said that Bria had done a


    paternity test, and it showed that the owner of Starlight Media was the father of the child. How could the


    owner of Starlight Media not apany her to her family home?


    Even if it didn¡¯t seem appropriate for Amelie to bring another man back home since she had just gotten


    divorced, Elyse thought the man should at least give her a ride home. ¡°Who was the one who asked


    the police chief for help to handle the police inspector?¡±


    ¡°I only remembered that she gave someone called Julia a call. That person had a powerful uncle, and I


    think he is the police chief!¡± Abby tried her best to recall so that Elyse would help her out.


    So, Julia was the one who helped out? ¡°Are you sure that it wasn¡¯t someone else?¡± Elyse questioned,


    not wanting to miss out on any details.


    ¡°Definitely not!¡± Abby answered confidently. ¡°She only made a phone call, and it was to that person. I


    can memorize each and every word she has said.¡± With that, Abby started reiterating what Amelie had


    said on the phone


    So, the owner of Starlight Media didn¡¯t get involved. Elyse smirked at the thought of it. ¡°This is getting


    interesting. She started specting that Amelie was so helpless that she could only seek Julia¡¯s help.


    Or maybe she had broken up with the owner of Starlight Media? Or both of them aren¡¯t even rted to


    each other? The paternity test and the 200 million family trust were all made up by Amelie in order to


    get Bria¡¯s custody. Julia was the pioneer of Starlight Media and the owner of thepany recently got


    divorced. It is possible that Amelie had asked him to help her out through Julia to get Bria¡¯s custody.


    What is Amelie¡¯s motive for keeping the child with her after the divorce? Elyse¡¯s expression turned grim


    as she had a bad feeling about


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    it


    At the same time, Abby started getting anxious when Elyse was silent as she was waiting for her to


    come up with a solution. She immediately pped her leg and started whining, ¡°Oh Elyse, Elyse. You


    have to help me out because I have no one to lean on but you.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Elyse ended the call without giving her a clear answer.


    She pursed her lips while deep in thought as she sat in front of the vanity table. It was only after a while


    that she remembered the favor that Abby had asked of her. Since she was a celebrity, she wouldn¡¯t


    want to downgrade herself to deal with Amelie on Abby¡¯s behalf.


    However, she knew that someone would be more than happy to do so.


    She pursed her lips as she dialed a phone number on her phone, ¡°Find a way to let Ca know that


    Amelie and the owner of Starlight Media are no longer in contact¡­¡±


    After the call ended, she received a text message and frowned upon reading it. The next moment, she


    stood up and entered the changing room. When she got out, she was all dressed up to the nines.


    Meanwhile, at the ceremony, Leo was seen drinking quietly as he swirled the wine ss while looking


    distracted. He was dressed in a navy suit which entuated his fairplexion but his gaze was cold.


    There was a frown on his face as he seemed to be deep in thought. Although he was normally a


    reserved person, he seemed to be more withdrawn recently.


    Ashton, on the other hand, was slumped on the chair, which made him look limp. His hair stood unruly


    on top of his head, making him appear arrogant and unapproachable. There was a natural sense of


    superiority in his eyes, and he looked like the kind of person who was hard to get along with. He was


    wearing a jacket over a T- shirt.


    As he took a sip of his drink, he looked at Leo and said, ¡°By the way, you are divorced, so it¡¯s time you


    give Elyse a chance.¡±


    Hearing that, Leo turned his head and looked at him, surprised that those words actually came out of


    Ashton¡¯s mouth.


    Ashton then downed his alcohol before cing the ss on the table. ¡°Elyse was indeed silly for doing


    something like that back then. However, it¡¯s quite pitiful for her to be abroad all alone for the past few


    years. Moreover, haven¡¯t you gotten married once? Both of you can call it even.¡±


    Hearing that, Leo didn¡¯t give him a reply but continued drinking his wine. Ashton was so annoyed by


    Leo¡¯s silent treatment that he pulled his cor until it stretched out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Toby asked with a smile when he noticed that Ashton seemed unhappy. The tense


    situation within the room had slightly eased when Toby, who had a warm disposition, entered.


    As soon as he heard that, Ashton snorted and pursed his lips before ncing over at Leo, but he didn¡¯t


    reply to Toby¡¯s question.


    Instead, Leo¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Toby. ¡°Where have you beentely? I haven¡¯t seen you around.¡±


    ¡°Where else could he go? He must have been pursuing some influencer, Ashton answered on Toby¡¯s


    behalf.


    Hearing that, Toby smiled as he nodded. ¡°I went to Quinn Town.¡±


    ¡°Quinn Town?¡± Leo was just curious about where Toby had been, but his expression changed at the


    mention of the ce. He tightened the grip on the ss and immediately straightened his posture.


    ¡°Foxy is staying at Lumina Vige at Quinn Town. I purposely went there to discuss having a


    coboration. She had agreed to be our lobbyist and had asked me to send her the information.¡±


    Normally, Leo would be interested when Toby talked about work. However, this time round, he seemed


    distracted. His brows were furrowed, and his gaze was darkened. Lost in deep thoughts, he was so


    focused that he didn¡¯t notice someone standing by the door, but Ashton did. He recognized her as soon


    as she appeared.


    He then stood up and looked at Leo with a straight face. ¡°I heard that your mom had been urging you to


    get married and had been looking for a suitable bride for you. Instead of hooking up and ending up


    having a failed marriage like how you and Amelie did, why not be with someone whom you already


    know? We could tell how much you loved Elyse and treated her with so much love back then. Leo, we


    know that you¡¯re a loyal man. If not, you wouldn¡¯t have only loved her all these years. Even though you


    were married to Amelie, you had never seen her as your wife. In fact, in your heart, Elyse is your one


    and only true love, right? If that¡¯s the case, then you should put the past behind you and treat her well.¡±


    Toby, sitting opposite them, was quiet and continued drinking his wine, not wanting to be involved. He


    never liked it when Ashton tried to match Leo and Elyse. However, he changed his mind after returning


    from Lumina Vige, especially when he found out from Amelie that she had given up on Leo


    completely.


    Toby remained quiet and didn¡¯t seem to be interested in whether Leo would ept Elyse. On the other


    hand, when Leo heard that Ashton brought the matter up again, he frowned but didn¡¯t say a word. He


    ced the winess on the table and walked away. As he walked, he noticed that person standing by


    the door.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    The person had a lovely figure and a refined makeover, making her look stunning.


    ¡°Leo,¡± Elyse called him softly, and her eyes were filled with adoration.


    Looking at her, Leo hummed in response.


    ¡°Are you leaving?¡¯ As Elyse spoke, she stretched her neck and looked inside. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay a


    little longer? It¡¯s a rare moment that everyone is here.¡±


    ¡°No thanks. You guys have fun,¡± replied Leo with ack of interest.


    Leo¡¯s words prompted a wave of disappointment within her. The poordy could only curl her fingers up


    silently while her sadness consumed her.


    Behind her, Ashton told Leo off in dissatisfaction. ¡°Hey! Quit ying around, Leo. Princess Elyse rarely


    had some time to spare for us. Don¡¯t ruin her mood.¡± In Ashton¡¯s heart, Elyse was like a princess.


    Hence, he gave her such a nickname.


    Hearing his words, Elyse caught up to it andmented pitifully, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m exhausted from


    running on several notices.¡± As she spoke, she massaged her shoulder, looking as if she was worn out.


    If it were before, Leo would have cared for her and put her as his first priority, no matter how important


    the matter he was dealing with was. However, at this moment, he was just looking at her with a faint


    expression and didn¡¯t react to her words.


    Seeing his reaction, Elyse was confused. After all, Leo had announced to everyone before that he


    would protect her for a lifetime. For the past few days, she thought he would contact her like he used to


    and care for her like he was her protector. However, there was no sight of him, and he didn¡¯t even take


    the initiative to call her! Just as Elyse was relieved that he and Amelie had divorced and felt that her


    good days were here, Leo¡¯s reaction made her panic.


    While she was in thought, Leo didn¡¯t respond to her words nor walk back. Instead, he swiftly walked


    past her from the side.


    When Elyse saw that he was leaving, her heart sank, and she almost burst into tears. She quickly


    chased after him in the corridor and hugged him tightly from behind while pressing her head against his


    back. ¡°I miss you, Leo!¡± she cried out.


    Hearing her words, Leo stopped walking, and his back was stiff. However, he still didn¡¯t turn around.


    Noticing this, Elyse hugged him even tighter. ¡°For the past four years that I had left you, there isn¡¯t a


    moment that I have not missed you dearly, Leo. C-Can we start over again?¡±


    It was Ashton who sent her a text and told her that Leo was at Prix Bar.


    Some things won¡¯t have an ending if it isn¡¯t said aloud.


    Elyse was a person who thought highly of herself, especially when she was spoiled by Leo when she


    was in her teen years and had Ashton, who would do anything for her. This made her feel superior to


    the point that she would look down on anyone. Hence, she didn¡¯t want to be the one to reveal it, even if


    Ashton had reminded her However, she was frightened by Leo¡¯s cold attitude toward her. Although Leo


    had divorced, she realized she would still lose him if she didn¡¯t take the initiative.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Thinking about it, Elyse started weeping out of nowhere. ¡°Even if you¡¯re mad, I have already had my


    punishment of losing you for four years.¡±


    When Elyse was faced with strangers, she was beautiful and looked divine. However, now that she was


    facing Leo, she looked miserable and was crying. Her cries were soft, and one would protect her at all


    costs if they heard them.


    However, Leo struggled out of her grip and looked at her. Just as Elyse¡¯s eyes lit up, and she thought


    he would


    embrace her, he gently put his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°If you have some spare time, why don¡¯t you apany me to a ce tomorrow?¡± He looked toward


    the sobbingdy.


    Looking at him, Elyse felt her heart shattered into pieces. He didn¡¯t ept my proposal immediately!


    She had ignored her dignity and suppressed her arrogance just to ask for his forgiveness, yet he didn¡¯t


    ept it.


    Since Elyse remembered that Leo used to cherish her, she thought that he would be excited and


    ept her proposal if she did it.


    The huge difference between her imagination and reality had dumbstruck her to the point that tears had


    stopped falling as she looked at him in shock.


    On the other hand, Leo didn¡¯t push her for an answer and was about to leave.


    At that moment, Elyse panicked and grabbed him by the arm hastily, dering, ¡°I have the time! I¡¯ll go


    wherever you go!¡±


    At least he didn¡¯t reject me, right? That means that I still have hope.


    Many things happened to Elyse when she was abroad. Then, she realized that no one in the world


    would be as outstanding as Leo and loved her to the bone.


    On a lovely day, Amelie brought Bria to theke to do a live stream.


    Theke was by the northeast side of Lumin Vige. Since theke owner had been out working, it was


    being left unused. Thus, the owner was afraid that theke would go to waste and asked Steven to


    take care of him. With that, Steven had grown lotus and started a small fish farm in theke.


    At this moment, it was lotus season. Although the lotus flowers Steven grew could not bepared


    with the variety of lotuses from the specialized garden since he had only grown white lotus, the lotuses


    were gigantic and supported by their thick stem. If one were to look at theke, one would only see a


    massive pile of whiteness and feel the purity of the lotuses. Before Amelie started her online stream,


    the three generations of the Dillons wore a fox mask as usual.


    Steven was in charge of rowing, Bria was in charge of livening the mood, and Amelie wore a long dress


    and stood by the head of the boat. When the boat surfed over the water, the wind blew and caused the


    hem of her dress to dance along with it. Then, she casually flickered the lotus flower beside her, and


    her hair was floating mid-air. She looked just like a goddess.


    When the audience in her live stream saw her outfit, they were in awe and sent multiple praise words in


    the chat. Some praised her for looking so divine, some were in awe of Bria¡¯s cuteness, and some even


    liked Steven¡¯s calm vibe.


    As they were on theke, Amelie remembered a local folk rhyme that Steven had used to sing for her.


    With that, she sang it aloud. Since her voice was melodious like a nightingale and she had used some


    local ent, the chat was exciting and in a frenzy!


    ¡®Oh my God, not even the movie will be able to show us this beautiful scenery and a divine goddess


    with such a melodious voice.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to faint from this astonishing scene.¡±


    ¡®Just bury me in her sweet voice.¡±


    ¡®Can I die in Foxy¡¯s embrace?¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t say such a thing! Baby Fox is still here!¡¯


    Steven was shy on the live stream, but when he heard Amelie singing the folk rhyme he used to sing,


    he couldn¡¯t help but join her. When Bria heard that they were singing, she danced on the boat, making


    cute gestures since she didn¡¯t know how to sing the song.


    ¡®Oh dear, I¡¯m going to melt from their cuteness.¡±


    ¡®I never knew Daddy Fox would be so good at singing.¡±


    ¡®Be careful, Baby Fox. Don¡¯t fall into the water!¡¯


    The chat was heartwarming, with everyone¡¯s appraisal and reminder. Soon, there were almost eight


    hundred million people in the live stream, and the numbers were still rising!


    At this moment, on the other end of theputer, a face with soft features was pursing his lips as he


    looked at the screen.


    Toby had his eyes on the screen. When he saw the divine goddess on his screen, he couldn¡¯t help but


    reach out his hand and caress her cheek.


    Amelie is finally reborn.


    After they had stopped singing and dancing, the trio logged out of their broadcast. Then, Steven


    stopped the boat by the shore and carried Bria off the boat. In Bria¡¯s arms was a huge fishing, and


    it was filled with the fish that Steven had caught. Although the fish was slithering around in the and


    ruined Bria¡¯s clothes, she didn¡¯t mind and hugged it tightly as she smiled brightly. ¡°Stop moving around.


    If you behave, Grandpa won¡¯t make you guys into food,¡± she said to the fish.


    Amelie told Bria and Steven to go home without her while she went to the town¡¯s post office to send


    some fresh lotus roots and some additional products that Steven had grown to Julia. Only then did she


    slowly walk


    back home.


    Just as she was on the vige path, a motorcycle came out of nowhere and went straight for her! The


    rider¡¯s face was twisted with anger as he looked Amelie dead in the eyes!

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    At that moment, Amelie¡¯s expression changed drastically as she sensed the murderous intent and saw


    the motorcycle charging toward her!


    Then, she noticed that it was Tom riding the bike. He didn¡¯t even wear a helmet and his face was


    twisted in viciousness. His eyes were cold as he sped up his motorcycle, causing the vehicle to rumble


    loudly. He gritted his teeth and charged toward Amelle, seemingly as if he was going to run over her!


    In that split second, her gaze went from his face to his hand before she noticed that his hands were


    twitching slightly. However, she didn¡¯t overlook it and knew what was happening. Thus, she smiled at


    the sight of him.


    Soon, Tom¡¯s motorcycle was approaching without slowing down. Initially, Tom thought that Amelie


    would scream horrifyingly and embarrass herself. However, she was just crossing her arms casually as


    she looked


    at him.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Her reactions scared the man out of his wits. After all, he was there to cause trouble for Amelie since


    he had waited for nothing for a whole night with eagerness when Abby told him that Elyse would go


    against Amelie. While thinking Elyse was unreliable, Tom felt he couldn¡¯t let this matter off the hook.


    Hence, he was out looking for Amelie.


    Although he was unreasonable, he didn¡¯t dare to crash into her for real. All he did just now was to scare


    her, but Amelie didn¡¯t fall for it. Noticing this, Tom was shocked and felt defeated.


    When he was just in front of Amelie, he didn¡¯t dare to crash into her and was about to change direction


    when he heard a huge crash and was hit by something hard! Then, he snapped back to his senses and


    realized that a car had somehow got in between him and Amelie. Since Tom had crashed directly into


    the car door, his old motorcycle had broken some parts while the car had a huge dent.


    When Tom was hit and fell to the ground, he cried out in pain and was about to curse the owner of the


    car. However, when he saw the brand of the car, his mouth was agape, and he couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    At that moment, a man in a suit got out of the car. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked.


    Hearing his voice, Amelie looked at the man. The man was almost in his thirties and had a square-


    shaped face. His hairstyle was up to date, with a nice taper on the side and a nicely groomed top.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said politely.


    On the other hand, Tom was rubbing his waist and crying out, looking as if he was in severe pain. ¡°Hey!


    I¡¯m the one you hit! How are you going to pay me when you hit me and my car?¡±


    At the question, the man walked toward him. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, you would have killed someone, Tom.


    So, don¡¯t try to tell me topensate you. Here¡¯s fifty, so get out of here and buy yourself some


    cigarettes. As for that old motorcycle, it should have been discarded a long time ago.¡±


    When Tom heard his words, he immediately cowered and left without saying anything after taking the


    money from the man. At that moment, Amelie was looking at the man¡¯s actions in silence. Then, she


    watched Tom leave


    After a moment, the man returned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although Tom has the idea of hurting you, he


    wouldn¡¯t dare to do so. From now on, he won¡¯t cause trouble for you anymore.¡± As he spoke, he was


    smiling at


    her


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Amelie replied faintly. Although she didn¡¯t need his help, he had already lent a helping


    hand to her. Thus, she would need to thank him for it


    However, the man ruffled his hair and said her name. ¡°You¡¯re being too polite, Amy.¡±


    Hearing his words, Amelie looked at him in shock


    Then, the man introduced himself, saying, ¡°I¡¯m Matthew Larkson. We used to go to the same school


    together.¡±


    Only when she heard his words did Amelie recall that he was indeed her ssmate when she was


    studying elementary school.


    Then, she saw that Matthew was driving an imported BMW worth about two hundred million. Obviously,


    he had earned a lot in the past few years.


    When he noticed that she was looking at his car, he went over and patted his vehicle while saying, ¡°I¡¯m


    doing well since I have been working with my father.¡± He was a humble gentleman.


    When Amelie was still young, Matthew¡¯s father became the wealthiest person in the vige. Looking at


    Matthew¡¯s appearance, Amelie guessed that his father was still the richest in the vige.


    Then, she averted her gaze and said faintly, ¡°How much is it for your ruined car door? I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for it.¡± Matthew shook his head. ¡°I can im insurance with such a small defect.¡±


    Then, he walked toward Amelie and stood in front of her. His eyes were filled with admiration as he


    spoke. ¡°Yesterday, I heard that you came back, Amy. I also know that Tom and his family had bullied


    you. Initially, I wanted to go to the police station to help you with this. However, you and your father had


    already left when I arrived. Thus, I didn¡¯t bother you guys since I know you all must be exhausted.¡±


    He had something more to say, but she ignored those unspoken words. ¡°If you can¡¯t im your


    insurance, you can hit me up.¡± Then, she nodded toward him politely and tried to leave.


    However, Matthew grabbed her out of the blue. ¡°I heard you are divorced, Amy. I also know that you


    have brought your daughter to live at your father¡¯s ce. Since elementary school, I have liked you and


    have been single for all these years, Amy. Will you go out with me?¡±


    Hearing his confession, Amelie turned around and looked at him in shock. Although she was


    ssmates with Matthew, she never knew that he had taken a liking to her.


    Seeing that Amelie was silent, Matthew thought she was having second thoughts and quickly added,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I won¡¯t mind that you have a daughter. For now onward, I will treat her like my own!¡±


    His sudden confession had caused Amelie to be dumbstruck to the point where she didn¡¯t know what to


    say.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± At that moment, she snapped back to her senses when she heard a snort.


    At the same time, Matthew also heard it and thought it was someone from the vige. However, he was


    startled when he turned around and saw who it was. He saw three unfamiliar faces looking at him. The


    one who snorted was smirking in disdain while looking at him and Amelie in mockery. Although he was


    ufortable with the person¡¯s gaze, he didn¡¯t say anything since he was unfamiliar with him.


    Then, the person huffed and walked toward them. ¡°Why are you doing this, Amelie? You have divorced


    him, and yet you ask about his whereabouts ande all the way here.¡±


    To be honest, Amelie had noticed the trio, but she had ignored the person because her eyes were


    locked on the other man and woman.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± the woman called out, seemingly disapproving that he had said such hurtful words.


    The woman was none other than Elyse. She was wearing a white dress, stunning as usual. The man


    beside her would naturally be Leo. Although they weren¡¯t holding hands, Elyse and Leo stood close


    together, giving off the sense that they were close.


    Leo pursed his lips and lowered his darkened gaze. His eyebrows were furrowed as if he was in


    thought.


    At that moment, Ashton frowned and tilted his head toward Leo and Elyse¡¯s direction, signaling Amelie


    that she was being caught red-handed ¡°Did you think that Leo would change his mind and love you


    back if you find some random man to confess to you? You are daydreaming! Ashton was never one to


    beat around the


    bush.


    When Matthew heard his words, he was ufortable and blurted, ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m


    not acting¡±


    After all, why would he need to act when he is the wealthiest man in the vige?


    However, Ashton snorted and didn¡¯t believe his words. ¡°Stop joking around. How would she be in such


    a remote ce if she hadn¡¯t stalked us?¡±

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Chapter 51 Not Everyone Has the Right to Be Hindered by Her


    With that and a casual flick on the sleeve, Ashton continued, ¡°Amelie, if you¡¯re doing this just to get Leo


    back, you¡¯re overestimating yourself. However, if you simply want to hinder us, I guess I really was


    hindered.¡±


    Even though Ashton had his head lowered, there was a piercing look in his eyes. His disdain for Amelie


    wasidpletely bare, as if she were an impurity that shouldn¡¯t be brought to light.


    Just now, Amelie saw Leo and Elyse wholly by ident, not having any other intentions. However,


    when she heard Ashton¡¯s unweing words, she frowned ever so slightly.


    ¡°Amy was originally¡ª¡± Matthew wanted to exin.


    Amelie pulled him forcefully, stopping him from talking.


    She didn¡¯t look at Ashton either as she said calmly, ¡°The world is so huge, so why are you guys allowed


    toe, but I¡¯m not? Who made the rules?¡± She paused for a bit, then continued, ¡°Also, I won¡¯t just


    trouble anyone. Before jumping to conclusions, why don¡¯t you reflect on yourself and see if you actually


    have the right to be hindered by me?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Ashton¡¯s words were stopped dead in their tracks, and his face turned green and then white, the


    veins on his face pulsing visibly!


    Amelie¡¯s words were most definitely a cruel insult to him.


    He was the young master of the Lowe Family, so how could he not have the right to endure her


    hindrances? With his status as the young master of the Lowe Family, Ashton was always prioritized


    and respected outside. Hence, no one had talked to him like that before.


    Ashton was so pissed that even his fists were clenched.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t care less about his feelings. When she had finished talking, she looked at Matthew.


    ¡°Are you going back? Why don¡¯t you give me a ride?¡±


    Hearing that Amelie requested a ride in his car of her own ord, Matthew was obviously ted.


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    With that, he ran to open the door for the passenger seat, allowing her to ride shotgun. That spot was


    rumored to be reserved for only the closest of people. Amelie didn¡¯t say anything as she lowered her


    head and went inside.


    The car started up, then drove away. Throughout the entire process, Amelie never turned back, nor did


    she take another nce at the three people she left behind.


    ¡°That Amelie should be sentenced to death!¡± Ashton flew into a rage all on his own, then fiercely kicked


    a pebble by the road.


    Elyse looked carefully at Leo. Seeing his sullen expression, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart sink.


    Her expression hadn¡¯t changed, though, as she smiled gently. ¡°I can see that Miss Dillon has already


    decided to start a new life. This manes from a decent family, and he¡¯s also the richest man in the


    vige. Miss Dillon will be fortunate to be with him.¡±


    It was futile to ask her how she knew Matthew was the richest person, for there was a lot about her she


    would never tell a single soul.


    ¡°Shameless!¡± In Ashton¡¯s eyes, Amelie was a woman who would flirt with anyone who had enough


    wealth, so he cursed sullenly under his breath.


    ¡°What¡¯s so fun about this stupid ce? Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Elyse couldn¡¯t have asked for more. She nced at Leo, but thetter didn¡¯t voice any opinions.


    Therefore, she could only relent and say, ¡°Leo, let¡¯s go into town and settle down.¡±


    Leo finally moved. He dipped his head to get into the car, and Elyse followed suit.


    When the car started up, the thoughts weighing on her chest were still there. She couldn¡¯t help but turn


    to look at Leo. ¡°Leo, why did youe here out of the blue?¡±


    Leo asked her to go somewhere with him, and Elyse thought it would be somewhere near Sterlington.


    She never expected she¡¯d visit a remote vige; hence, when the car drove into the small town, her


    face turned pale because a remote location was thest ce she¡¯d visit on her own ord.


    Leo turned to look at her. His gaze was dark, but a hint of confusion tinted his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    Elyse opened her mouth to admit it, but then she remembered she was trying to fight for his change of


    heart. She couldn¡¯t just do whatever she wanted like before, so she hastily changed her mind. ¡°WhyProperty ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    Leo keenly noticed her forced attitude, and more confusion surfaced in his eyes.


    In his memories, whenever that girl mentioned thisnd, her expressions would bloom.


    ¡­


    Amelie sat in Matthew¡¯s car for a while, and before they made it to her home, she told him to pull up.


    Matthew was enthusiastic, listening to all her words. ¡°Amy, why don¡¯t youe over to my house


    tomorrow? My mom likes you quite a lot too. If you don¡¯t feelfortable with that, you can visit my


    breeding nt for a tour. Oh, right, I heard you singing just now. It sounds very nice.¡±


    His gaze was filled with longing, and everything he said was an expression of his love for her. He was


    also hinting that his family wouldn¡¯t mind her marrying again and that he was wealthy enough to


    support her life.


    Amelie knew that Matthew was sincere, but she smiled and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, thanks.¡±


    She turned around and looked earnestly at Matthew. ¡°Matthew, you¡¯re a good man. You deserve love


    from a good girl.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good girl too, really!¡± Matthew thought she was looking down on herself, so he hastily spoke.


    Amelie pursed her lips because she had never once looked down on herself. The closest thing she did


    was to humble herself in the Alston Family for the sake of love.


    ¡°What I mean is, I just want to live my life in peace with my daughter. I don¡¯t have any ns to marry for


    now. Don¡¯t waste your time on me. You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    The smile instantly disappeared from Matthew¡¯s face, leaving behind endless despair in the end.


    Amelie lowered her head in apology, after which she agilely opened the car door and got out.


    Fortunately, Matthew wasn¡¯t the persistent type, so he didn¡¯t run after her.


    Amelie was happy and content with her freedom alone. When she walked home, there was a lock on


    the door.


    She took out her phone and saw a voice message from Bria, informing her that Bria and Steven had


    gone into the mountains for birdwatching.


    The little girl was full of curiosity toward everything in the vige, and Steven was also willing to bring


    her everywhere, so Bria actually chose her grandfather over her own mother.


    Unable to get into the house, Amelie walked out aimlessly. When she stopped walking, she suddenly


    found herself standing at the entrance of the town hospital.


    The hospital had undergone drastic changes all these years. The building was obviously taller, and


    elevators were installed as well. The only unchanging feature was the huge yard at the back.


    When she saw that spot, the look in her eyes darkened as her feet subconsciously carried her in.


    The yard looked the same as before, with some simple potted nts and a few pine trees.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if the trees stopped growing taller, or they wilted and were reced, or they were just


    like before, not much taller than a person.


    In that tiny haven, under the potted nts and the small pines,y her countless beautiful memories.


    Perhaps it was because of her encounter with Leo, for her heart grew weary again.


    She walked under the tree, feeling as if she saw a young boy and a young girl leaning against each


    other.


    Two youngsters burdened with sin, sharing their warmth in that manner.


    When she met Leo, she was also in a dark ce. She was in her teens, and she was so sensitive then,


    but that was when she suddenly learned that her mother had died because of her.


    With that feeling, she might as well have killed her mother with her own hands.


    Even though her father never med her, the hateful res from people around her were even sharper


    than a knife.


    It was especially so for her grandmother, who had lost her mind. Every time Amelie saw her, she would


    strangle Amelie¡¯s neck and call her a murderer. In the end, her grandmother died because she fell


    down while looking for her daughter.


    The multipleyers of sin were piled onto her body, and she really felt like she was a sinner. As for


    Leo¡­


    ¡°Big Eyes?¡±


    Behind her, someone called out. This voice was like a spell, jerking Amelie awake from her stupor. She


    turned around in disbelief to see Leo standing behind her, looking at her with a deep gaze. He called


    her ¡®Big Eyes¡¯!


    Did he¡­ recognize me?


    Her heart suddenly raced, thumping as if it were a drum!


    Tears were already filling her eyes.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Chapter 52 A Nice Woman You Shouldn¡¯t Miss Out On


    As Amelie opened her mouth, she almost uttered the word, ¡®Snowy¡¯.


    ¡°Huh! And you say that you¡¯re not stalking Leo! What is all this about?¡± The blunt remarks brought her


    back to reality. Seeing that it was Amelie, Leo felt like he was drenched in cold water, and his


    expression turned grim. His cold re and grim expression showed how much he detested her. It was


    obvious that he believed what Ashton said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Amelie whispered under her breath and tried to calm her emotions down, which were


    triggered by the memories. The reason she apologized wasn¡¯t that she was stalking him, but it was


    because she went back there to reminisce about the past when she had already vowed to forget


    everything about him after they got divorced. With that, she walked away.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Leo questioned her as he stared at her back. Earlier, he saw her as a


    fifteen-year-old child as her voice was somewhat simr. However, it was the first time he noticed her


    voice after being married to her for four years.


    Hearing that, Amelie chose to lie as she had given up hopes of getting back with him. ¡°I¡¯m here to


    collect my medicine.¡± She walked out right after answering his question and saw Ashton standing next


    to Elyse. He scoffed when Amelie walked past him, and he looked at her with disdain since he was


    certain that she was lying.


    ¡°Leo, why would you ask her what she¡¯s doing here when she had already admitted to stalking you?


    Are you trying to give her a way out? Why bother?¡± Ashton went up to Leo and asked. Leo merely


    looked down quietly upon hearing that.


    The next moment, Elyse pushed Ashton away displeasedly and stood before Leo. ¡°Leo, wasn¡¯t this the


    ce that you stayed at when you injured your eye? Why did you suddenly want toe here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be here?¡± Leo suddenly held her hand and asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know what he meant but nodded as she answered him. ¡°Of course, I¡¯d want to. I¡¯m


    interested in all the ces that you¡¯ve been to.¡±


    Just¡­ Like that? Leo¡¯s gaze was filled with disappointment after he heard her reply.


    This wasn¡¯t only a ce that they¡¯d stayed before, but it was where both of them started their lives


    anew. Back then, Leo was involved in a car ident, and his father sacrificed himself to protect Leo.


    As a result of the ident, Leo suffered from a loss of sight. At the age of seventeen, which was one of


    the best years of his life, the young man became blind, and it broke him. Moreover, his mother med


    him for her husband¡¯s death and cursed Leo while pushing him away. ¡°Why are you still alive? You are


    the one who should have died!¡± In the end, his heartless mother abandoned him there, making him


    think that he would spend the rest of his life living in guilt until he met¡­ her.


    Two equally sinful souls warmed each other¡¯s hearts during the most painful period of their lives. She


    was more resilient than him, as she would gently persuade him to eat, to make progress, to give up on


    himself, and to cheer up.


    He would always hear her encourage him with her sweet voice. Snowy, although we had sinned, we


    should still stay alive. I have decided that I¡¯ll treat my father well and take good care of him. Snowy,


    don¡¯t give up! We have to be stronger so that we can make up for what we have done.


    If you¡¯re not gonna eat, you¡¯ll starve to death. Even so, your father will note back to life.


    Don¡¯t think that you won¡¯t be able to do anything even though you are blind because there¡¯s a lot that


    you can still do. If not, I can be your eyes. Whatever you want to see, I¡¯ll see it on your behalf. I shall be


    your big eyes, your forever big eyes!


    Snowy, don¡¯t bezy, and pay attention to what I¡¯m reading!


    Snowy, this question is so hard for me to understand. Can you teach me?


    Leo closed his eyes as he reminiscence the past. It was through it all that Big Eyes persistently


    dragged him out of the predicament he was in. Slowly, he was recovering and willingly fell for her white


    lies and answered the questions for her. He knew about all her little tricks, but he never once pointed


    them out. He would feel warm and fuzzy inside every time when she chuckled after getting away with it.


    Almost all the warmth that he experienced in his life after the age of seventeen came from that girl.


    That silly girl even called him ¡®Snowy¡¯ because of his fairplexion.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you call me Snowy anymore?¡± Leo opened his eyes and asked before looking at Elyse.


    ¡°S-Snowy?¡± Elyse stuttered as she was caught off guard by his question.


    Why would she address him using such an odd name? However, when she saw how serious Leo


    looked, she dared not answer carelessly as she had a feeling that there was a meaning behind it. She


    could only stare at Ashton, hoping he could help her.


    ¡°Leo, you¡¯re a grown man. Why would you want her to call you by that childish name? Do you see her


    as a child?¡± With that, he pulled Elyse away and said, ¡°Go do whatever you want. Elyse and I will be


    waiting for you outside.¡±


    ¡°What is with ¡®Snowy¡¯?¡± Elyse only had the guts to ask Ashton about it after they stepped out.


    ¡°No idea. Isn¡¯t that the nickname that you gave him?¡± He scratched his head out of confusion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that the way Leo looked at Amelie was different?¡± Elyse seemed annoyed as she


    tucked her hair behind her ear.


    ¡°How different?¡± Ashton didn¡¯t seem to think so. ¡°Throughout the four years she was married to Leo, he


    never took a proper look at her. So even if she intended to rekindle their rtionship, she wouldn¡¯t be


    able to make waves.¡±


    Elyse didn¡¯t feel at ease no matter how Ashton consoled her, although she herself wasn¡¯t sure why she


    was feeling that way. It was probably because Leo suddenly wanted to visit this ce.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go somewhere!¡± Before Ashton could answer her, she had already left.


    After standing in the hospital¡¯s foyer for some time, Leo made a trip to the hospital director¡¯s office and


    made a generous donation. The director was so d to receive the donation that he couldn¡¯t stop


    smiling. Since it was a small hospital situated in the town, it was hard for them to get funding, especially


    for medical equipment. Thus, Leo¡¯s generous donation of 20 million was a great blessing to them.


    The hospital director then offered Leo a tour around the hospital, but Leo didn¡¯t really feel like it and


    politely declined. In the end, he asked Leo to sign the hospital guest book.


    ¡°Leo¡­ Alston?¡± Just then, the director of the ophthalmology division, who happened to walk past, saw


    the name written on the guest book. She couldn¡¯t help but take another look at Leo and asked, ¡°Are


    you¡­ Leo, who used to be admitted to the hospital to have your eyes treated?¡±


    Hearing that, Leo looked up and immediately recognized the person in front of him. ¡°Dr. Lily Philips.¡±


    Lily used to be his attending physician, but her appearance hadn¡¯t changed much over the decade.


    ¡°I almost couldn¡¯t recognize you. You¡¯re so tall now.¡± Lily nodded.


    Since the handsome Leo was admitted to the hospital for around a year, Lily naturally wouldn¡¯t forget


    about him. Leo merely smiled politely, but it was apparent that he was more mature than before.


    The talkative Lily looked at him from head to toe and asked, ¡°You must be married to the pretty girl that


    used to apany you all the time. Both of you look good together.¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he answered awkwardly.


    ¡°Why not? She is such a gooddy. Aren¡¯t you worried that she¡¯d date someone else?¡± Leo answered


    with a smile, as it wouldn¡¯t be nice to let Lily know about the history between him and Elyse.


    The kind-hearted Lily couldn¡¯t help but remind him. ¡°I know Elie¡¯s family well, and she is truly a nice


    woman whom you shouldn¡¯t miss out on.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Chapter 53 Chatting in Bed, Naked? Could You Believe That?


    Since Lily referred to Amelie as ¡®Elie¡¯, it sounded simr to ¡®Ely¡¯, so Leo didn¡¯t notice anything wrong


    about what she said.


    ¡°Speaking of that girl, she really coddled you by coaxing and pampering you. One time when the nurse


    identally knocked on your head, she was so upset about it that she cried. That silly girl hade


    looking for me multiple times, asking me whether I can treat your eye. She even told me that she would


    give you her cornea if we couldn¡¯t get a suitable one for you.¡±


    ¡°I told her that it¡¯s a risky procedure to extract the cornea from a living human as it might lead to


    blindness or even death. She wasn¡¯t bothered by it, and when she knew that she couldn¡¯t do a test in


    our hospital, she asked me where she could do it. How silly is that child? After that, I found out that she


    did those just so you could get your eyesight back and go home, as she was worried that your family


    had abandoned you because you were blind.¡±


    After speaking of the past, Lily stopped talking and walked away when she noticed that there wasn¡¯t a


    reaction from Leo. She could tell that something might be off. Leo, however, was quiet as he remained


    on his spot.


    After Amelie left the hospital, she decided to go to her house to do some cleaning since she didn¡¯t have


    any other ns. Regardless of whether she was going to stay in the house or not in the future, she


    thought that she should cherish it as her parents were the ones who built it. Apparently, Abby didn¡¯t


    take good care of the house because some of the spots were covered in mold, and the walls were


    chipped.


    Seeing that made Amelie¡¯s heart break, and she thought of engaging a team of renovators after two


    days to refurbish it. It took her an hour to clean up the interior of the house. As she got out of the house


    with the garbage bag, a slim figure caught her attention. It was a woman¡¯s figure which looked slender


    and graceful. Amelie could tell that she was a beautiful woman just by looking at it. She couldn¡¯t help


    but look up and see a stunning yet familiar face. She frowned upon seeing her. What a horrible fate!


    Why would I bump into someone whom I least wanted to three times in the same day? Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Elyse was looking at Amelie from not too far away. Amelie, who had done a round of cleaning, naturally


    looked sloppy, with her messy hair and sweat-covered forehead. However, her eyes shone bright like


    stars. Elyse looked away displeasedly, and the natural sense of superiority that she possessed made


    her lift her head high like a swan, and it made her look taller than Amelie. Amelie didn¡¯t want to see her


    at all, so she left without greeting her.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, why not hand over Bria¡¯s custody rights?¡± Elyse turned her body slightly and demanded


    without even greeting her.


    ¡°Miss yton, are you confused or something? Why would I hand over Bria¡¯s custody rights?¡± Amelie


    paused her footsteps and looked at Elyse.


    Not only did Elyse not get mad after hearing what Amelie said, but she also covered her mouth with her


    hand as she smiled. ¡°Leo and I will be getting married soon, so her daughter will naturally be my


    daughter. Moreover, it might be challenging for you to raise a child since you seem to have broken up


    with the owner of Starlight Media. As a mother, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d want the best for your child. Leaving her


    in the care of the Alston Family is the best for her, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°If you send Bria to the Alston Family, you¡¯ll have a chance at finding your happiness too. I see that the


    man before this was pretty decent. He must be quite financially stable too. Instead of keeping your child


    with you and keeping constant contact with your ex-husband, you should be married off to a good man


    and get a taste of what happiness is like.¡±


    As Amelie listened to her sarcastic remarks, she finally understood something. ¡°Are you suspecting that


    the reason I took Bria with me was just so that I could keep in touch with Leo?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it so?¡± Elyse smiled. She was grinning, but her eyes were filled with anger.


    ¡°Miss yton, a few years back, you had intervened in our rtionship and ruined it. It had caused Leo


    and I to be separated from each other for thest four years. I didn¡¯t care about these, but I am willing


    to give you a chance to be happy. I believe that I¡¯m already being very generous.¡±


    Elyse¡¯s shamelessness had triggered Amelie, and Amelie had decided to speak her mind since there


    was no reason to hide them anymore!


    ¡°Miss yton, the way you speak might give other people who aren¡¯t aware of it the impression that


    you are the victim. Are you sure that I was the one who came between both of you?!¡±


    ¡°Was I wrong?¡± Elyse seemed unfazed by Amelie and refuted, ¡°To be honest, there was nothing


    between me and that man, and our rtionship could be easily exined. It was because of your


    involvement that things started getting awkward, and I could only let you have Leo while I endured the


    pain of losing him.¡±


    ¡°I took your feelings into consideration and only exined to Leo after a year.¡± Elyse¡¯s gaze was


    somber, but she smirked as she spoke.


    ¡°One yearter?¡± Amelie didn¡¯t seem well after hearing that.


    Throughout those four years, Leo was initially cold toward her, and that was it. A year after their


    marriage, which was not long after she gave birth to Bria, he would asionally visit Bria. One day, he


    sent her a text telling her that he was going on a business trip and that he would reconsider their


    rtionship when he was back. When Amelie thought of how he was starting to warm up to her, she


    thought that he had finally decided to ept her. She was so d about it and waited patiently for his


    answer.


    However, when he got back, Amelie noticed that not only was he colder toward her, he had gotten


    hostile as well. Since then, he had allowed his family and friends to bully her. It turned out that he had


    met up with Elyse during his business trip, and she uttered the same words to him. Amelie couldn¡¯t


    suppress her rage anymore as she was fuming with anger. The reason Elyse did so was so that Amelie


    would suffer! All those years, Amelie chose not to argue about it, but since Elyse had stepped on her,


    she decided not to hold back anymore.


    ¡°Miss yton, it seems like you have a poor memory. Back then, when the reporters asked whether


    you cheated, you were silent for five whole minutes. Isn¡¯t that five minutes sufficient for you to rify


    the situation? Even if the reporters didn¡¯t believe your words, Leo was standing next to you. I¡¯m sure


    that he¡¯d be willing to hear you out.¡±


    Elyse narrowed her gaze and was lost for words after hearing what she said. She had always thought


    that Amelie wasn¡¯t a presentable woman. However, at that moment, what Amelie said was spot on, and


    she could even predict what Elyse¡¯s answer would be. Elyse was left with no grounds to refute her


    remarks.


    With that, Amelie nonchntly walked around Elyse and said, ¡°Miss yton, if it wasn¡¯t for my


    appearance, your cheating scandal would have been confirmed, and your reputation would have been


    ruined four years ago. If that had happened, you wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to stand in front of


    me and im that you¡¯re the victim. You are, in fact, indebted to me. I never expected you to pay me


    back for it, but please don¡¯t appear in front of me and sputter such ungrateful nonsense!¡±


    Elyse was once again lost for words as she froze on the spot with a grave expression on her face. The


    proud look on her face had disappeared! She was so mortified that she couldn¡¯t even feel her


    fingernails snapping within her tightly clenched fists. She had gone from being the victim to the


    beneficiary while Amelie, who had made her lose Leo had be her savior. How could the proud


    Elyse ept such an ount?


    ¡°Right, you said that there was nothing between you and that man, so could it be that something was


    wrong with my eyes? Both of you were naked, so don¡¯t tell me that you guys were just chatting in bed,


    naked? Could you even believe your own words?¡± As Amelie looked at Elyse, a figure standing not far


    from them caught her attention.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    Chapter 54 Elyse¡¯s True Colors


    She pursed her lips, thinking that some things shouldn¡¯t be concealed.


    ¡°Leo believed you because he firmly believed in your rtionship. However, you can¡¯t fool the


    bystanders. Besides, when you said that you had noments about it, was it because you were so


    spoiled by Leo that you believed he wouldn¡¯t abandon you even if you were caught in action? You were


    waiting for him to go to you and trample his own dignity just to satisfy your willfulness, weren¡¯t you?


    Elyse, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re being selfish?¡±


    She managed to get it right! The anger that Elyse felt instantly turned into bewilderment as she stared


    at Amelie with disbelief. How did this woman manage to guess my thoughts so urately?


    It took her a while to think of something to refute Amelie. Elyse being Elyse, she would never give


    Amelie the chance to trample over her.


    ¡°Yeah, what about that? No matter how willful I¡¯ve been, it will never stop Leo from loving me. Back


    then, my intention was to let everyone know how much he treasured me. No matter how unreasonable


    I was, he would still love me and never abandon me!¡±


    ¡°You shameless woman!¡± Amelie chided. Although she had known that much, she was provoked when


    she heard Elyse say it with her own mouth. She was so mad at Elyse and even felt bad for Leo.


    If she was still married to Leo, she would have pped Elyse in the face.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you thought about the consequences of your actions? It would adversely affect Leo¡¯s


    reputation, the Alston Family, and even Genesis. They shouldn¡¯t foot the bill for your recklessness.¡±


    ¡°Who cares?¡± Elyse raised her head. ¡°It is Leo¡¯s fault for loving me so much that he¡¯s willing to do


    anything for me.¡±


    She felt smug as she showed off how much Leo loved her. While doing so, the normally poised Elyse


    instantly turned into an appalling, ssless woman.


    Would Leo still like her after seeing this side of her? Amelie couldn¡¯t help but think. She smirked when


    she nced over at a figure standing in the corner.


    Elyse, who didn¡¯t notice the change in Amelie¡¯s expression, walked closer to her and eximed, ¡°This


    is the difference between me and you!¡±


    Elyse hated Amelie to the core for snatching Leo from her for the past four years. All this while, she


    never insulted Amelie in her face in order to maintain her image. However, since they were in a small


    vige, no one would know even if she trampled Amelie to death.


    She then lifted her head andughed arrogantly. ¡°Leo is my man, and he loves me. Even though you


    snatched him away from me, he still loves me nheless. He would willingly be my dog and follow me


    around as long as I ask. However, even if you wag your tail in front of him, he wouldn¡¯t even be


    bothered to take a look at you!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Amelie replied and pointed in the direction behind Elyse. ¡°Would you dare to speak of this in front


    of Leo?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?!¡±


    Elyse was so exhrated that she spoke without thinking. Only when the words came out of her mouth


    did she notice she had said something wrong. She looked behind her and noticed the figure. When she


    finally took a closer look at his face, her mind went nk as her body trembled.


    The man standing there gave off a dark and cold aura. It felt as though his whole body was shrouded in


    chilly air. The atmosphere suddenly got tense.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡± Elyse called out, feeling suffocated. Her body was trembling as well. What¡­ What have I just


    said? She then turned over and looked at Amelie before finally making sense of the situation¡ªAmelie


    made her say those words after noticing that Leo was standing there.


    Amelie smirked. If it wasn¡¯t for Elyse¡¯s provocation, she wouldn¡¯t have done it. In fact, the timing was


    right since Leo could get a good look at the woman whom he would be marrying. This was possibly the


    last favor that Amelie could do for Leo.


    With that, she walked away without looking at him.


    ¡°Leo, l-listen to me¡­¡± Elyse had never felt that nervous in her life. She grabbed onto Leo¡¯s arm with her


    trembling fingers and uttered, ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    However, Elyse didn¡¯t know what to say, and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to exin the situation since he


    had already witnessed this nasty side of her. If she tried to exin, it might make her seem like a


    cunning woman.


    Leo¡¯s gaze darkened as he stared at the nervous Elyse. He never expected that she would have this


    side to her¡ªshe was mean, sarcastic and arrogant.


    After hearing from Ashton that Elyse had left on her own, Leo became worried and went after her. In


    the end, it was just ridiculous. Throughout the entire time, she had only shown her good side to Leo


    and maintained the facade of being a graceful and elegant woman. However, it all crumbled once she


    acted like a hooligan.


    She could clearly see the disgust in his eyes. I¡¯m done for! she thought to herself.


    Her body trembled, and she copsed to the ground at the thought of all her hard work going down the


    drain.


    Suddenly, Leo grabbed her arm as his voice rang. ¡°Let¡¯s be together,¡± he said.


    Elyse thought that she was hearing things as she stared at Leo with her eyes wide. She then grabbed


    onto his sleeve. ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    She looked at his face and saw how calm he looked. His gaze was dark, and she couldn¡¯t guess what


    he was thinking. She thought that she must have heard it wrongly since she had tried so many ways


    before to make him say those words, but to no avail. There¡¯s no way he would say it after seeing the


    ugly side of me, right? She thought disappointedly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be together,¡± Leo said again. This time round, she clearly saw him say it with his mouth while


    listening to his deep voice. He seemed determined about it. Was it all a blessing in disguise?


    Elyse seemed puzzled, but joy soon overcame her as she threw herself into his arms. Leo shut his


    eyes and gently patted her back. He realized that Elyse had changed so much that he couldn¡¯t


    recognize her anymore. Even so, she was the silly girl who would do anything for him.


    ¡­


    Underneath the sunset, Amelie was washing Bria¡¯s face while they sat by the door as the evening sun


    shone on them. Faraway, the birds were chirping as they flew back to their nests before the sunset.


    After they were done, Amelie carried the washbasin and sshed the water at the melon vine that


    Steven had nted. As she was doing so, Bria tugged her shirt and said, ¡°Mommy, look¡­¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Amelie looked at the direction where she was pointing in and noticed someone standing below the


    trellis. His arms were long and he had slender fingers, making him a tall figure. As the warm evening


    sun cast upon him, it seemed to exude a sense of loneliness.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Chapter 55 Nobody Messes With Elyse


    As the man looked up and showed his face, Amelie was stunned in that instant. ¡°L-Leo?¡± What brings


    him here? He never set foot anywhere near my house in the past four years, but here he is after we


    divorced. This is strange.


    Meanwhile, Leo pursed his lips and waited until Amelie met his gaze before he started approaching


    her. At the same time, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but size the man up silently, noticing the cial expression


    on his face as she asked, ¡°To what do I owe you the pleasure?¡±


    Then, Leo looked over Amelie¡¯s shoulder and saw a lodge, which was in fact Steven¡¯s ce of


    residence, behind her. Since Amelie happened to be standing in front of the entrance at that moment,


    she could be easily mistaken for a random guest who was staying there. Following Leo¡¯s line of sight


    and turning around, she turned around and set her eyes on the que above the entrance. The next


    second, she tried to exin herself and said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m now staying¡ª¡±


    Before Amelie could finish her words, she was interrupted by Leo abruptly. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re


    here for, but be warned that I¡¯ll take action against whoever tries to step on Elyse!¡±


    Amelie was stunned upon hearing those words, her face darkening cially. She then stared at the


    man in disbelief, finding it hard to convince herself that this was the extent Leo would go to protect


    Elyse.


    I was the one who discovered their affair, yet now I¡¯ve be Elyse¡¯s so-called bully?! How is this


    fair?! Come on, Leo. Where are your standards?! Despite knowing how much Leo cared about Elyse,


    Amelie still couldn¡¯t help but feel mad and speechlessly disappointed about the man¡¯s heartless


    response.


    This is how far he¡¯d go to protect Elyse, yet he can¡¯t be bothered to talk to me nicely. I was his


    soulmate who went through countless ups and downs with him. In fact, I even¡­ She ced her hand


    over her impaired left eye, feeling both heartbroken and disappointed.


    Soon, Leo¡¯s voice was heard again. ¡°I hope you can avoid us wherever Elyse and I go, or I¡¯ll be forced


    to do my worst against you!¡± Those words felt like a sharp de plunging into Amelie¡¯s chest. Despite


    the fact that they were already divorced, she still couldn¡¯t help feeling a stab of overwhelming pain.


    As soon as Leo finished his words, he turned around and walked away. When he brushed shoulders


    with Bria, he paused in his tracks, extending his fingertip toward the little girl who stared at him.


    However, the child quickly dodged the man¡¯s reach, gawking at him with a more hateful gaze this time.


    Although she didn¡¯t know much about the adult world, she could sense Leo¡¯s indifferent tone and the


    disgust in his eyes when he was talking to her mother. I should not talk to anyone who doesn¡¯t treat


    Mommy nicely.


    The next moment, he put down his hand, questioning himself what he was doing. What¡¯s wrong with


    me? Am I feeling sympathetic for this b*stard? After dismissing that thought, he stepped forward and


    left the ce.


    ¡°Leo!¡± Amelie called out to Leo from behind him, but to no avail as the man didn¡¯t bother to stop and


    respond. Staring at her ex-husband¡¯s silhouette, she felt a strong urge to catch up with him and ask


    what his heart was made of.


    Why does he insist on protecting Elyse?! Thatdy hurt him and left him heartbroken, but I¡­ I


    sacrificed so much, only to be deserted by him. Why?! What gives him the right to tell me where I can


    and can¡¯t go? Who does he think he is to keep giving me a hard time?


    In the end, Amelie responded with a cial chuckle, pressing her tongue against the top of her mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not regret this, Mr. Alston!¡±


    Like Amelie expected, Leo couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond to her as he disappeared from her sight


    shortly after. In the meantime, Amelie stood in ce, allowing the overwhelming inside of her to take


    over her mind and break her heart.


    Feeling as though she had been stabbed by a de through the chest, she couldn¡¯t help but beat


    herself up for how foolish she used to be back then. I¡¯m suffering from the foolish decision I made a


    long time ago. What have I done?


    Suddenly, Amelie felt a pair of arms wrapped around her legs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Mommy.¡± Bria sympathetically rested her face on her mother¡¯s leg, trying to console her.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if Leo doesn¡¯t like you since you still have me. I¡¯m going to grow up soon and protect


    you. By then, no one can take advantage of you!¡±


    Despite Bria¡¯s little arms, she hugged Amelie¡¯s legs tightly like a snake that was guarding its eggs. In


    that instant, Amelie¡¯s heart was melted by Bria¡¯s innocent and childish voice as she crouched down and


    cupped the child¡¯s face, nting a kiss on her nose. After that, she proceeded to ce her forehead


    against her daughter¡¯s, trying to cherish a mother-daughter intimate moment between the two of them.


    Despite her unsessful four-year marriage, Amelie found some constion in the fact that she still


    had Bria with her. That¡¯s right. I should move on and pretend as if nothing happened. From now on, I


    will not dwell on my past, nor will I miss that man ever again. I¡¯m going to treat all those foolish


    sacrifices that I made for Leo as payment for having Bria.


    Later that night, Amelie went on to review herpany¡¯s data after putting Bria to sleep when she


    suddenly heard her phone ringing. Realizing it was a call from Julia, she immediately answered it.


    ¡°Have you received the agricultural product? I hope it¡¯s still intact. If you like it, I¡¯ll send more of those


    again.¡±


    ¡°What product? Come out right now!¡± Julia¡¯s voice was filled with anger on the other side of the phone.


    ¡°W-What? Where?¡± Amelie asked with a pair of furrowed brows on her face.


    ¡°I saide out of your house!¡± Julia raised her voice so loud that Amelie almost went deaf. ¡°I¡¯m going


    to give you five minutes, or I¡¯m going to barge in myself!¡±


    ¡°What? Which house?¡± Amelie instantly sat bolt upright and unveiled the curtains, only to see nothing


    except darkness. That¡¯s what I thought. There is no way that Julia woulde so far just to visit me so


    late at night.


    ¡°I¡¯m now in your yard! Hurry up!¡± Julia¡¯s aggression was clearly evident in her agitated tone.


    ¡°Amy, we¡¯re just by the gate of your old house. Are you guys asleep? The lights are out.¡± Not long after


    that, a man¡¯s gentle voice, which turned out to be Samuel¡¯s, was heard from the other side.


    It was then that Amelie realized they still thought she was living at the old house. However, that didn¡¯t


    stop her from wondering why Julia and Samuel would visit her at an ungodly hour. ¡°If you¡¯re asleep, I¡¯ll


    take Julia to the hotel. We can talk tomorrow¡­¡±


    Before the man could finish her words, Julia cut her fianc¨¦ short and demanded, ¡°What are you talking


    about?! Amelie, I want to see you now! Get out of your house and talk!¡±


    Since Julia had rarely thrown a tantrum at her, Amelie was surprised to find out how agitated she was.


    Thus, she quickly exined herself and put on her casual wear before making her way to her old


    house.


    At her arrival, she was greeted by the sight of Samuel¡¯s magnificent Bentley. While the headlights were


    shining brightly, their surroundings could be clearly seen, including Julia¡¯s unhappy expression.


    In the meantime, Samuel patted Julia¡¯s shoulder when he saw Amelie approaching them. ¡°Promise me


    you¡¯re going to talk to her nicely, okay?¡± After that, he nodded at Amelie and backed away, leaving the


    ladies to it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Amelie came running, almost out of her breath as she looked at Julia.


    Julia pinned a piece of paper on Amelie¡¯s chest and demanded an answer from her. ¡°Amelie, you¡¯d


    better start exining what this is all about!¡±


    The next second, Amelie took the paper from her friend and took a quick skim at it with her car¡¯s


    headlights. After reading it, her face changed as her fingers stiffened. Then, she began to clench her


    fists with the paper in her palms, crumpling it up. Seemingly guilty, she didn¡¯t dare to look Julia in the


    eye. ¡°W-Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me that question. All you have to do is tell me what I want to know. Is this true?!¡± Julia


    repeatedly poked the paper with her fingertip so hard that she nearly left a hole on it. Thanks to her


    edgy nature, she couldn¡¯t wait to hear what Amelie had to say.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    Chapter 56 How Crazy Could She Get for Him


    Julia¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw Amelie falling silent, for it meant the answer was evidently


    close.


    ¡°So, you¡­ you really donated your cornea?¡± Her voice became shaky, and her eyes were filled with


    incredulity and pooling tears.


    The next second, she shoved Amelie and barked, ¡°Are you mad?! How can you go this far?!¡±


    ¡°Julia¡­¡± Amelie grabbed her best friend¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It was around that time, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Julia flung Amelie¡¯s hand away while ring at the young woman.


    ¡°You made me cover for you all of a sudden, wanting me to tell your dad you were staying over at mine


    while you disappeared to God-knew-where for two months. You actually¡­ actually went to remove


    your cornea, right?¡±


    Julia couldn¡¯t utter another word anymore.


    She had only ever heard of doctors removing the cornea of the dead. For a living, breathing human to


    have their cornea removed just like that¡­ She dared not even imagine what it was like.


    ¡°You gave your cornea to Alston, didn¡¯t you?¡± Julia¡¯s voice sounded evidently shaky by the time she


    spoke, but the next second, she roared again, ¡°How can you do something so absurd for that jack*ss?!


    You¡¯re a madwoman, Amelie Dillon!¡±


    Julia kept shoving Amelie with red-rimmed eyes,shing out ceaselessly. However, what she wanted


    more was to turn back time and stop her best friend from doing something so horrifying.


    ¡°Julia!¡± Samuel ran up to Julia and held her back after seeing how worked up she had gotten. However,


    Julia shook him off and looked teary-eyed at Amelie. ¡°Amelie Dillon, you *sshole! How can you make


    me an aplice for what you did yourself?!¡±


    Amelie knew what she did was wrong, so she silently lowered her head, letting Julia yell at her as she


    pleased. But it wasn¡¯t why Julia was mad at her; she was mad at the fact that her best friend had


    behaved so insanely. Her heart ached for Amelie.


    ¡°I knew I should¡¯ve been nosy! I knew I should¡¯ve asked!¡± Julia bawled. ¡°How could I have believed youN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    just like that when you said you were going to look after Alston?! I¡¯m such an idiot!¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough tears. There are neighbors around. If they hear this and tell Mr. Dillon about it¡­¡±


    Samuel cooed as he held Julia, who finally stopped at that.


    Meanwhile, Amelie opened the door with a spare key and let the couple in.


    Julia still hadn¡¯t calmed down when she sat down, and Amelie wanted to pour her some water, but


    because she didn¡¯t stay here, there wasn¡¯t any drinking water.


    Fortunately, Samuel was attentive and brought two bottles of water over, one for Julia and the other for


    Amelie.


    Finally, Julia calmed down a little after having a sip.


    She nced at Amelie, who stood silently in front of her with a lowered head like a misbehaved child,


    and held Amelie¡¯s hand with an aching heart, caressing the back of it with her thumb. ¡°Amy, I would¡¯ve


    stopped you no matter what if I knew what you were going to do!¡±


    Though she no longer cried, her eyes were still red-rimmed.


    Amelie knew Julia had her best interests at heart, and so she gave Julia¡¯s fingers a squeeze,


    comforting, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now.¡±


    However, Julia grew increasingly indignant the more she thought about it. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s all in


    the past?! Can it even be left in the past?!¡±


    She shot right up and grabbed Amelie¡¯s chin at that. ¡°You gave your cornea to that jack*ss, but look at


    what he used it for?! To live happily on this and be all lovey-dovey with Elyse! You didn¡¯t donate


    your cornea back then for him to look at that woman or for him to trash you for four years! This will


    never be over! I¡¯m going to look for that jack*ss right now!¡±


    Julia meant what she said and really wanted to head out to look for Leo.


    At that, Samuel stopped her, telling her to calm down.


    As a result, poor Samuel became a victim of his fianc¨¦e¡¯s wrath, being shoved while she yelled, ¡°All


    you men are nothing but b*stards!¡±


    s, there was nothing the man could do but rub his nose, defenseless and aggrieved.


    Amelie knew Samuel could normally bring Julia well under control, but right now, the young woman


    was enraged, so it was rather difficult to get her to calm down for a moment.


    With that, she dragged Julia back. ¡°Leo and I have already divorced. If you go to him now, he¡¯ll only


    think I¡¯m not happy about the divorce, wanting to use this to tie myself back to him. Perhaps he might


    think better of me because of this, but so what? He has no feelings for me, and that¡¯s a fact.¡±


    At that, she sighed and massaged Julia¡¯s arm. ¡°I donated my cornea out of free will back then. I don¡¯t


    want to use it to guilt-trip him. The kind of love I want is to give voluntarily and not exchange through


    gratitude. It¡¯ll only make me look cheap. Julia, I¡¯ve already made myself lowly once. I don¡¯t want to live


    through it again.¡± She patted Julia¡¯s shoulder.


    Julia, on the other hand, was rendered speechless, standing still with her head drooped while tears


    rolled down her cheeks like beads of a broken string, dripping onto the floor.


    Knowing her friend still felt aggrieved for her, Amelie cooed while saying, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    In response, Julia wrapped her arms around Amelie and whimpered, ¡°But you only made the sacrifice


    because you love him. You donated your cornea but gained nothing at all. That¡¯s not fair!¡± She kept


    pounding Amelie¡¯s back, but where it pained was her heart instead.


    Amelie¡¯s eyes turned red-rimmed in turn as a lump built up in her throat, and her nose became runny


    due to Julia¡¯s concern and her own stupidity.


    She wrapped her arms around Julia and gave her a squeeze. ¡°I did it out of love. Though I didn¡¯t get


    anything in return, I don¡¯t regret it. Julia, I did all that I had to in this rtionship and left no regrets.


    That¡¯s what counts, no?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± As brokenhearted as Julia felt, she thought Amelie was right, so she just continued to hug


    Amelie as though only by doing so could her pain alleviate.


    As Julia and Samuel came over spontaneously, they didn¡¯t have a ce to stay, and the bed here


    wasn¡¯t ready either. Thus, Amelie could only take them to the hotel in town, but Julia insisted on


    sending her home first.


    Albeit just a short distance, Amelie didn¡¯t turn her down, and just like that, the two sat in the car


    together like any other day. However, their mindset was different this time.


    ¡°You really are a fool, Amy.¡± Julia sighed as her heart continued to ache.


    Simrly, she found herself a fool for not noticing that something was off with her best friend¡¯s eye


    throughout the past decade when she looked at Amelie¡¯s obviously duller left eye.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a fool.¡± Amelie smiled and sighed in response, leading Julia to hold her hand, asking, ¡°Would


    you still do the same if you knew you and that b*stard would end up like this?¡±


    The question stumped Amelie, but she said nothing in the end.


    After arriving, she got out and bid the couple goodbye, only fixing her clothes and heading up the steps


    to open the door after the Bentley vanished from her line of sight.


    At night, shey in bed with an impassive gaze while she couldn¡¯t help recalling Julia¡¯s question.


    Would I have done the same if I could foresee the future? Perhaps I would.


    ¡­


    It was already close to 11.00PM when Leo rushed home, and tiredness showed on his face after a long


    drive.


    Meanwhile, the lights in the living room were still lit, and Melissa, in her silk nightwear, was sitting on


    the couch with her legs elegantly crossed, flipping through something.


    ¡°Leo, you¡¯re back, perfect.¡± She stood up with a smile upon seeing him. ¡°Mrs. Hale has rmended


    a few socialites. Come and take a look at their profiles.¡±


    However, Leo looked toward her impassively as his brows locked into a tight furrow. ¡°No thanks,¡± he


    blurted inly before continuing to head upstairs.


    Despite having endured his impassiveness all these years, Melissa was still absolutely displeased


    about his response when she stayed up until now instead of getting her beauty sleep, worried about his


    marriage. Thus, a hint of angerced her voice. ¡°This is your marriage here. Can¡¯t you take it


    seriously?!¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s my marriage, don¡¯t bother yourself with it!¡± Leo retorted bluntly as he tugged on his necktie.


    At that, Melissa¡¯s well-maintained face twisted and grimaced in all sorts of ways, looking grimmer by


    the second while she clenched her fists. ¡°I am your mother!¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± All she got in response was Leo¡¯s nonchnt questioning.


    His face was clearly expressionless. In fact, his gaze never changed at all, yet she felt utterly ashamed


    all of a sudden.


    ¡°Is it just¡­ because of that?¡± she asked shakily momentster.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    ¡°Yes, I sent you away back then,¡± Melissa blustered without waiting for Leo¡¯s answer. However, she had


    to take a breath as she spoke too quickly. ¡°I know what I did was wrong, but you were blind back then. I


    just wanted you to recuperate in a quiet area.¡±


    However, Leo didn¡¯t even give her a response this time, only smirking disdainfully with his head slightly


    raised.


    He said nothing at all, yet it Hurt Melissa even more than when he said anything; she felt absolutely


    shameful standing in front of him.


    ¡°Yes, I sent you away and¡­ I get that you¡¯re upset, but can¡¯t you understand where I wasing


    from? I had no other choice back then. If there was even the slightest possibility, I wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± she


    defended herself in a mutter and a hint of pity.


    Though Leo behaved apathetically toward her over the years, he had never mistreated her either.


    However, she could never experience the superiority of a mother over him.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Melissa didn¡¯t like this, and she always took the opportunity to defend herself, but she was never brave


    enough to bring it up.


    Now that she did, she wanted to justify her actions for good so that Leo would finally understand her.


    Thus, the next second, she raised her voice and spoke justifiably, ¡°You can¡¯t possibly me me for


    what I did back then, either. Your father just passed away, and you became blind with zero chances of


    recovery ording to the doctors. Plus, you had a terrible temper and wouldsh out and throw things


    around for no reason¡­ I couldn¡¯tmunicate with you at all. Your grandfather¡¯s business couldn¡¯t


    possiblynd in the hands of others, so I could only¡­ Adopting was ast-ditch move. At the end of the


    day, I did it all for you. If you were really blind for the rest of your life, at least he¡¯d be there to take care


    of the family business, and you wouldn¡¯t be down and out for the rest of your life, no?¡±


    Leo had never been a man of many words, and as displeased as he got with Melissa, he never


    comined anything to her. However, her words were so shameless this time that he couldn¡¯t help but


    smirk. ¡°How do you expect me to feel when you yourself feel guilty about what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Whoosh!


    Melissa¡¯s hand jolted reflexively, and the booklet dropped to the floor.


    Leo burst her bubble so tantly that her face flushed from embarrassment, her eyes darted


    everywhere, and her lips trembled uncontrobly.


    She stretched her fingers, wanting to hold onto something, but because her hands shook terribly, she


    couldn¡¯t grab onto anything. Instead, she knocked over a cup, causing it to roll and break as it hit the


    floor.


    Finally, Leo looked over his shoulder at the woman he had to call mother.


    All these years, he didn¡¯t me her for adopting a son to inherit the family business or cing him in a


    remote mountain area-it was the fact that she never once visited him in Quinn Town!


    Even a strange girl could take pity on him, willing to spend time persuading him to put his temper away


    and encourage him to get back on his feet. Yet, his birth mother did nothing! In fact, he should¡¯ve called


    it being abandoned rather than being sent somece else.


    Clearly, Melissa couldn¡¯t get it.


    Disappointment shed across his eyes at that, and he continued his path upstairs.


    Meanwhile, Melissa shoved a chair, knocking it to the floor with a bang.


    How could she allow her dignity as a mother to be trodden down like this?! At that, sheshed out at


    Leo¡¯s back with rage, bellowing, ¡°Why should I feel guilty?! I¡¯m not guilty at all!¡±


    To make herself look more imposing, she thundered, ¡°On the other hand, if you hadn¡¯t bugged your


    father to drive you, would he have met with an ident?! Would all these problems arise in our family?!


    Have you forgotten it?! Your father wouldn¡¯t have died if he hadn¡¯t injured his head from protecting you


    and couldn¡¯t be


    treated!¡±


    With that, she mmed her hand on the table. ¡°So what if you¡¯ve suffered a little grievance when you¡¯re


    guilty of such a dire fault?! Moreover, didn¡¯t I fix your eyes and let you reim your position as the head


    of the family?! You¡¯ve lost nothing!¡±


    s, Leo never stopped no matter what she said this time, disappearing into the edge of the stairs.


    It was Melissa instead who slumped onto the couch aftershing out and could no longer move.


    She bent her upper body forward as she covered her face.


    Even if Leo said nothing to retort, she knew well that it was human instinct for a father to shield his son


    from danger. As such, Leo could never be med even if his father ended up sacrificing his life for it.


    She had only thrown the resentment and the me on Leo because she couldn¡¯t exonerate her


    absurdity.


    After returning to his bedroom, Leo rubbed his temples and flopped onto the couch, letting all his


    energy leave him before lifting his phone up a long whileter to text Elyse goodnight.


    By the time he came out from the shower, he had found two missed calls on his phone, one from Elyse


    and another from Laura.


    As his assistant, Laura wouldn¡¯t call him at this time unless it was absolutely necessary.


    With that, he redialed her number.


    ¡°Sir.¡± Laura¡¯s crisp voice came from the other end. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a lead on the investigation.¡±


    ¡°Shoot.¡± Leo rubbed his nasal bridge but came alive upon hearing her words.


    ¡°I went to the hospital that did your corneal grafting,¡± Laura divulged, ¡°and found the donor¡¯s profile


    through some channels.¡±


    At that, she took a breath. ¡°But the donor didn¡¯t leave her name or her age, birthce, and whatnot.


    Thus, I asked the people in charge of the surgery and actually got something. They said it was a young


    girl who was around the age of fifteen or sixteen. They assumed she wanted to donate her cornea after


    her death, so they did some tests and found that her blood type and other figures matched yours


    perfectly, thus making her cornea a good fit for you. But because she expressed her willingness to


    remove her cornea while she was alive, no doctors were willing to go ahead with the procedure as it


    was obviously against thew and the hospital¡¯s policy.¡±


    Leo¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing her words, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°They still remember


    when that happened a decade ago?¡±


    ¡°It was way too bizarre of an incident for them, so they remembered it until this day. Something like this


    could even end up in the headlines. Also, the girl was pretty persistent, begging the attending physician


    for weeks. It was no wonder they never forgot. What shocked them even more was that the girl found a


    private hospital that was willing to do it and actually donated her cornea.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Leo¡¯s heart twinged at the revtion, and excruciating pain slowly crept up on him.


    ¡°I, um¡­. I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure. But the private hospital delivered the cornea to them and


    stated explicitly to transnt it to you. What was more, the blood type and other figures matched yours


    perfectly. There probably wasn¡¯t anyone else other than that girl.¡±


    Cornea donation was already rare, and only less than one percent were willing to donate their organs


    after


    death.


    Plus, because of Leo¡¯s blood and gics, the requirement for the cornea became even stricter. Thus,


    the possibility of finding a match in someone alive was less than one in ten million, let alone the cornea


    of a dead


    person.


    It was also why the Alstons believed he would remain blind forever.


    Leo remained in the same position like a statue for a long time after ending his call with Laura before


    finally making his second call for the night.


    ¡°Leo.¡± Elyse¡¯s crisp, joyous voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you texted me. It¡¯s


    been a long time since I got a goodnight message from you. I¡¯m so happy.¡±


    To that, Leo took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Was it¡­ you?¡±

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    ¡°What? Who?¡± Bafflementced Elyse¡¯s voice, causing Leo to ponder. However, he didn¡¯t answer her in


    the end. ¡°Nothing. Rest early.¡±


    He decided to keep it from her and personally verify it first.


    ¡°But Leo-Elyse wanted to use the chance to ask Leo to keep herpany, but the man had hung up


    on her before she could say a thing!


    Elyse bit her lips in exasperation as she listened to the busy toneing from her phone.


    Though Leo had agreed to date her, she couldn¡¯t find the sensation she used to feel when they dated in


    the past anymore.


    Back then, he always waited for her to hang up before he did, and he could even give her his life just


    by calling him ¡®Leo¡¯.


    More importantly, the question he asked just now wasn¡¯t just a random thought. What was he trying to


    ask?


    She mulled over it but couldn¡¯te to a conclusion even if she racked her brains.


    She found it harder and harder to understand the man now, and Elyse couldn¡¯t help rubbing her


    temples.


    Suddenly, she felt a weight on her back, and she was shackled.


    The next second, the grip on her waist tightened, and she fell into a burning embrace.


    ¡°How boring it is to drink alone. I¡¯ll join you,¡± said an amorously ambiguous voice by her ear.


    The dim lighting highlighted the man¡¯s profile, but because his back was to the light, his face was


    indistinguishable. That said, his voice was exceptionally alluring on this cloudy night.


    He pinched super tactfully on the side of her waist, causing her to jolt involuntarily while he swooped in


    for a kiss. However, Elyse shoved him away at once and put a great distance between them.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Her voice and countenance frosted over. However, the man remained in


    the shadows with his arms crossed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel lonely withoutpany on such a romantic night?¡± he drawled, and his tone was even


    laced with insouciance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± said Elyse as she kept herposure in check. ¡°You¡¯d better leave. It¡¯ll be bad if anyone sees


    you with me.¡±


    The man snorted under his breath with amusement. ¡°You were clearly turned on just now.¡±


    ¡°It was just an instinctive reaction. It doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± Elyse took a sip of her liquor to conceal


    her awkwardness. However, the man bluntly unmasked her lie. ¡°You¡¯re worried Leo will know.¡±


    At that, Elyse¡¯s hand that was holding the ss froze.


    In the past, she loathed when people used Leo against her, but this time, she nodded a momentter.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    The man tilted his head and chuckled in response. ¡°Is this still the unbridled Elyse I know? I barely


    recognize you now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t aggravate me, and don¡¯t expect to still provoke me with these words.¡± She looked gravely at the


    man. ¡°I¡¯m no longer the same person I was four years ago. I¡¯m well aware of what I should and


    shouldn¡¯t do.¡±


    Four years ago, she behaved obstinate, wayward, imperious, and unconscionable because she had


    Leo¡¯s love, believing he would defend and ept her forever and unconditionally no matter how


    outrageously she


    behaved.


    That was until Leo got married without warning. It was only then she realized she would even lose him,


    She had suffered a lot in the four years she lost Leo, and only now did it ur to her to cherish what


    she had.


    ¡°You should leave.¡± She turned her back to the man, who responded with just another snort and left,


    seemingly bored.


    Behind him, Elyse tightened her grip on the ss she pressed against her chest.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    She finally retrieved the man she once lost four years ago, and this time, she wouldn¡¯t make the same


    mistake again.


    She would marry Leo and be the true Mrs. Alston!


    ¡°This way, Mr. Alston.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t go to his office when he should¡¯ve and instead came to a private hospital under Laura¡¯s


    guide.


    That said, they didn¡¯t go into the hospital but to the cafe next to it.


    ¡°The hospital kept this incident tightly wrapped, so no one has dared to disclose it. I spent some money


    and asked people to locate the attending physician involved in the incident,¡± Laura whispered as she


    walked.


    The young woman was dressed neatly in office wear that made her look visibly tall and slender as her


    heels clicked-cked against the floor crisply.


    As they arrived at the cafe, Laura jogged to the entrance to open the door for her boss. ¡°The attending


    physician is inside, and the groundwork has already beenid. He¡¯ll tell you whatever you need to


    know.¡±


    As an assistant, Laura was diligent andpetent, but Leo made no indication the entire time, only


    ever pulling a stern face. However, Laura was long used to his graveness and just led him to one of the


    private dining rooms. ¡°He¡¯s inside.¡±


    All of a sudden, Leo took a hasty step and grabbed the handle, causing Laura to frown slightly, for she


    rarely ever saw the man this worked up.


    In her memory, no matter how major of an incident or how dire the situation was, he always remained


    calm and never once dropped the ball.


    But lo and behold, Leo didn¡¯t open the door immediately but instead hesitated for a moment.


    No one but himself knew what he was thinking, and all Laura saw on his handsome, mature face was


    tightly furrowed brows, profound gaze, and tightly pursed lips.


    Secondster, he finally pushed the door open and entered to find a middle-aged man waiting for him.


    Though he looked a little chubby, he was fresh and clean, and a faint smell of sterilized waterced the


    air. It was obvious he had been practicing medicine for many years.


    Meanwhile, the doctor immediately sat upright upon seeing Leo and quickly stood up without barely


    needing an introduction as he looked at Leo somewhat apprehensively.


    The doctor thought the young man before his eyes was obviously no average Joe when he had a


    commanding appearance despite his silence.


    ¡°Please, sit,¡± Leo said inly before the doctor sat back down.


    ¡°This is Mr. Alston,¡± Laura introduced. ¡°Please tell him everything you know.¡±


    To that, the doctor nodded reservedly at Laura.


    Leo waved his hand at that, and Laura headed out, taking the hint, leaving only the doctor and Leo


    inside, each taking half of the space.


    As Leo sat quietly, the doctor couldn¡¯t help sizing him up and thought though this man was really


    young, he had a domineering aura to him, and he couldn¡¯t help sitting even more upright.


    ¡°Was it a young girl who removed her cornea alive in your hospital? How much do you remember about


    it?¡± Leo spoke up, his voice steady, carrying some sort of superiority.


    At that, the doctor cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever experienced something like this once; naturally, I


    remember everything.¡±


    Leo said nothing but used his gaze to tell the doctor to continue.


    ¡°You guys really won¡¯t get me in trouble after I tell you about it?¡± The doctor leaned over as his around


    gaze darted


    Even if the donor did it of free will, something like removing a cornea while the person was alive was


    against thew. Thus, his medical license would be barred if the authorities got involved, and it wasn¡¯t


    easy to earn a medical license.


    lifted his arms, startling the doctor. He tucked his neck reflexively while thinking the young man would


    strike him.


    Could anyone me him when Leo didn¡¯t look easy to get along with?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just want to know the truth,¡± Leo answered crisply. ¡°Nothing will happen to you or the


    hospital.¡±


    At that, he pulled a check out and brought it to the doctor, who was shocked when he counted the


    zeros written on it covertly.


    Shoot!


    Surely this straightforward, noble-looking man wouldn¡¯t lie to him.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Only then did he rte, ¡°It was indeed a girl who was about sixteen or seventeen years old. I freaked


    out when she came to me, saying she wanted to remove her cornea. I dissuaded her from doing


    something this crazy for a long time, but she looked anxious and kept saying she wanted to save a life.


    I¡¯m sure you understand that we doctors can¡¯t make a living, breathing person blind no matter how


    desperately we want to save anyone, what more when the patient was merely blind. With no lives at


    stake, we wouldn¡¯t do something like this even more so. The director was there as well, and he


    reprimanded the girl for good before asking security to take her away.¡±


    He continued, ¡°I thought that was the end of it, but who¡¯d have thought the director called me to his


    office a few dayster, wanting me to do a cornea removal operation?! I thought I was doing it on a


    dead man, but when I got to the operating room, I found the same girl lying on the table. I don¡¯t know


    what she did, but she ended up making the director agree to it. Meanwhile, the director kept telling me


    it wouldn¡¯t implicate me if I kept my mouth shut and never divulged it to anyone ever.¡±


    At that, the doctor took a big gulp of water.


    Even after a decade had passed, he still felt gun-shy talking about it, still having deep guilt over what


    happened.


    ¡°I had no other options. As you might know, the director of the private hospital was also the CEO, so


    how could I say otherwise? So¡­¡±


    The doctor didn¡¯t dare miss Leo¡¯s every expression when he spoke, and his heart skipped a beat, not


    daring to continue when he saw Leo lowering his head with furrowed brows and his hands bunched up


    into fists at some point. His face, too, was beyond somber.


    ¡°And after that?¡± He heard Leo ask momentster. Though his voice was still monotonous, it was


    obvious to the doctor that his mood was already off.


    Despite being unable to grasp Leo¡¯s thoughts, the doctor dared not defy him even more so, and he


    could only bite the bullet. ¡°After that¡­ After that, the girl¡­ You may be unaware of this, but the risk of a


    cornea removal operation is high, and no doctor would do it on a living human. The girl insisted that we


    save the cornea at all costs, so I¡­


    ¡°What happened to her?!¡± Leo bellowed impatiently, startling the doctor, who sat upright and hurriedly


    said, ¡°Because of an intraoperative infection, the girl fell unconscious, and for some time, we all thought


    she¡­.


    she¡­


    Sweat gathered on his forehead as he spoke, still disturbed even after so long.


    ¡°The cornea had been removed at that point, so it¡¯d be a waste if we didn¡¯t deliver it for the transnt


    immediately. As such, the director had no choice but to send the cornea as a consignor to the hospital


    the girl had specified beforehand. Fortunately, the girl left all the relevant information to the director


    beforehand, or it would have been really troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Did she¡­ wake up?¡± Leo tensed up when he heard the girl had fallen unconscious.


    To that, the doctor nodded. ¡°Three dayster. The operation was too risky, so the director didn¡¯t let


    anyone else know, leaving me, him, and another nurse to care for her the whole time. You have no idea


    how worried we were about her life then. Fortunately, she regained consciousness in the end and didn¡¯t


    hold us liable for anything. She left not long after waking up,¡± said the doctor as he patted his chest. It


    was probably the scariest thing he had ever experienced in his whole life.


    Leo¡¯s countenance finally turned a little brighter when he heard that the girl had woken up in the end.


    ¡°Who did she ask the director to give the cornea to? What¡¯s her name?¡± He was super discreet about


    the Inatter.


    ¡°To someone named Leo Alston,¡± the doctor answered at once. ¡°As for the girl, she didn¡¯t leave her full


    name but only wrote ¡®Amy¡¯.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Amy?¡± Utterly stupefied, Leo looked at the doctor and grabbed his arms. ¡°Where¡¯s her information?


    Show


    me!¡±


    Meanwhile, Julia helped Amelie into Estr Eye Specialist, but Amelie yanked her arm away as she


    nced awkwardly at the surrounding indistinct gazes on her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t hold on to me like this.¡±


    She just had one bad eye, and she was not entirely blind. Thus, she felt absolutely awkward when Julia


    held her like this.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk!¡± Julia was still mad about the entire situation.


    She had dragged Amelie over for a check-up, and of course, Steven had no idea about it.


    Imagine how sad he¡¯d be if he learned that his baby girl was blind in one eye!


    ¡°You really have a lot of nerve to do something as crazy as removing your cornea just like that! You can


    even give up your life for Alston, can¡¯t you?!¡± Julia caterwauled, utterly disappointed in her best friend.


    To that, Amelie smiled helplessly and tugged the hem of Julia¡¯s shirt gingerly. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be mad


    anymore. I promise it¡¯ll never happen again.¡±


    ¡°Again?!¡± Livid, Julia raised her fist, wanting to bash the young woman up.


    But the next second, her heart ached, and her eyes turned red-rimmed. ¡°Alston, that son of a b*tch.


    You sacrificed one eye for him, yet he isn¡¯t even willing to give you his love. B*stards like him should go


    and rot in hell!¡±


    ¡°Alright, cut it out.¡± Amelie held Julia¡¯s hand gently. ¡°I made the decision myself without letting him know


    at all. Besides, we were married for four years, and I made him angry and annoyed the entire time,


    didn¡¯t I? That offsets it, no?¡±


    ¡°Offset, my *ss. He earned and lost nothing during those four years while you suffered every possible


    misery! Tell me that offsets it!¡± Julia eventually didn¡¯t stop her tears from falling.


    She wasn¡¯t one to cry, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling bad for Amelie every time she thought about how


    great of a sacrifice Amelie made for Leo but never even got a smile in return.


    In the end, Amelie had tofort Julia instead, who finally remembered a long whileter that she had


    brought Amelie over to check on her eye. With that, she dragged Amelie to a specialist.


    An extended luxury sedan parked where they passed, and because the bushes obstructed the vehicle,


    it wasn¡¯t obvious.


    Meanwhile, behind the half-rolled-down window, a man had his eyes closed, brows so tightly furrowed


    that his nose bridge wrinkled, and a deep shadow was overcast where hisshes were.


    ¡°Mr. Alston¡­¡± Laura called out worriedly.


    Leo hade all the way here after leaving the private hospital but ended up doing nothing except


    sitting in the car with his tightly knitted brows.


    An emotion she had never seen before enveloped his face-depression.


    Leo rarely ever wore his emotions on his face, only furrowing his brows slightly even if he was beyond


    livid. But now, for him to express it so clearly¡­


    That said, Laura hadn¡¯t a clue why he woulde here. They couldn¡¯t possibly sit here until sundown,


    could they?


    It wasn¡¯t until five minutester that Leo opened his eyes and said without looking at her, ¡°Make an


    appointment with the specialist.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Despite still not knowing what Leo was thinking, Laura still obliged.


    As soon as she got out of the car, Leo started it and drove away¡­


    It wasn¡¯t easy to book a slot with the specialist, and she only managed to get one after pulling some


    connections In other words, she had wasted quite some time.


    With that, she immediately told Leo she had sessfully booked a slot with the specialist over the


    phone, to which the man hummed in response.


    But just as Laura was about to ask when he wanted toe over, two figures appeared in front of her


    out of the blue. One of them was slender and elegant. Her long dress fitted her shape nicely, the hem


    of her shirt fluttered, and her long, luscious hair hung loosely until her waist.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    ¡°Amelie Dillon?¡±


    Laura was taken aback by what she saw for a moment, thinking she was seeing things, for she had


    never seen Amelie this beautiful before.


    Not only had Amelie¡¯s appearance changed, even her temperament was different too.


    The Amelie she knew always kept her head low, acted warily, deadpanned, was pasty-skinned, and


    lifeless like a living spirit trapped in a mansion. But now, she looked brilliant and gorgeous. Her every


    smile and gaze was alluring, and her supple skin glowed radiantly, shining from head to toe.


    The new Amelie would be an eye-catching presence even if she stood amongst a group of beauties.


    While Laura was sizing Amelie up, Amelie and Julia caught sight of her as well.


    Knowing she was Leo¡¯s assistant and Elyse¡¯s best friend, Julia reacted unpleasantly toward her.


    Though she said nothing, frost exuded from her as she passed Laura with aversion written all over her


    face.


    Laura, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t care less about Julia and locked her gaze on Amelie as she


    questioned arrogantly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are, and why should we tell you?¡± Julia retorted exasperatedly.


    She loathed Leo right then, so she definitely wouldn¡¯t smile at anyone who had to do with him.


    Meanwhile, Laura had been working for Leo for a long time, and others would tter her as well, so she


    naturally became lofty over time.


    Right then, she turned somewhat grim after hearing Julia¡¯s words, but she didn¡¯t get upset and instead


    smirked. ¡°Amelie, you and Mr. Alston have already divorced, so can you stop doing such disgusting


    acts? What do you think you can achieve by stalking him today when he has never even looked you in


    the eye during the four years you were married to him?¡±


    ¡°Me? Stalking him?¡± Amelie reiterated with a smirk while looking at Laura.


    So, that means Leo¡¯s here too?


    Laura never liked Amelie in the past to begin with, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t give a damn about the


    woman now. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d find a good school to improve my temperament and skills after getting


    divorced. Appearance is only something to win a man¡¯s heart, but charm will make a man yours


    forever. If you don¡¯t fix whatever¡¯s inside, it¡¯ll still be a pile of junk no matter how closely you imitate


    others!¡±


    With that, she even sized up Amelie¡¯s outfit, condemning Amelie to forget about ever trying to use


    beauty to regain Leo¡¯s heart, even insinuating that she was imitating Elyse.


    Amelie, however, wasn¡¯t the least bit angry but thought this woman was amusing instead, for she was a


    social media influencer with over tens of millions of fans. She would not only sing and dance on her live


    stream but also give tips on outfit styling.


    If anyone was imitating, it would probably be Elyse with her outfits and image.


    That said, Amelie wouldn¡¯t burst Laura¡¯s little bubble, for she had no need to exin to a measly


    character like


    her.


    However, Julia thought otherwise. Amelie could disregard Laura because of contempt, but she wouldn¡¯t


    allow just anyone to bully her friend.


    Would she still be Julia White if she didn¡¯t retort at Laura for speaking so harshly? At that, she sneered.


    ¡°What wise words, Miss Harris I feel like I¡¯ve been enlightened!¡±


    Laura was rendered stupefied, for she didn¡¯t think Julia would praise her in front of her best friend.


    But lo and behold, Julia¡¯s next words made her change her expression like the flick of a switch. ¡°Since


    you¡¯re so wise, why don¡¯t you use it on yourself? People like you who can¡¯t read social cues or tell


    gems from stones should take a lesson or two. No, wait-learning wouldn¡¯t get you far anymore. You


    need a factory reset!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Laura was livid with rage, having never been ridiculed like this before. Many would tter her


    nowadays. because of her connection to Leo.


    Julia was normally sharp-tongued in the first ce, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t show Laura any due


    respect and continued gibbing. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but Leo¡¯s dog, yet you act like the king. Do you really


    think people can¡¯t smell your stink?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Laura bellowed with trembling lips.


    However, Julia was like a machine gun that fired bullets non-stop once the mechanism was actuated.


    ¡°It¡¯s your problem if you want to suck up to him, but don¡¯t drag my Amelie into this. A measly character


    like you can¡¯t even qualify to hold Amy¡¯s candle! By the way, we don¡¯t know that Leo is around the area,


    but even if we do, this is a public space. Does thew dictate that we can¡¯t be here just because he is?


    That¡¯s right, you¡¯ve been walking behind us the whole time. Looks like you guys are the ones stalking


    us. Can you exin, great Miss Harris, why you guys are stalking us?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ You¡¯re bullsh*tting¡­¡± Laura was so angry that she couldn¡¯t even form sentences.


    To that, Julia looked disdainfully at her. ¡°Amy has already divorced Leo, so don¡¯t do something as


    disgusting as stalking anymore, deal? He never appreciated Amy when she gave him her entire heart


    during thest four years of her marriage, so does he really expect Amy to still do the same after


    divorcing her?!¡±


    She not only pelted diatribes at Laura but also used the woman¡¯s words against herself, giving her a


    solid p in the face.


    Laura might have been good at negotiating a business, but she was clearly no match for Julia when it


    came to fighting and cussing, and just like that, she was rendered speechless, her face flushed.


    ¡°Alright, cut it out.¡± Amelie tugged on Julia. ¡°It¡¯s in a dog¡¯s instinct to bite humans, but for humans to bite


    a dog, that¡¯s just stooping to their level.¡±


    Laura had thought Amelie wouldn¡¯t dare stir up trouble for fear of her and Leo when she came up to


    stop Julia, but lo and behold, she also¡­ degraded her!


    Despite not being as harsh as what Julia had said, it sounded even worse to Laura.


    One should know that apart from the time Amelie retorted to her during the divorce, the woman was


    harmless the rest of the time as she dared not make a sound every time Laura ordered her to do


    anything in Alston Residence.


    Being Leo¡¯s assistant, Laura was only second to the former, so even the Alstons had to show her some


    respect. Thus, she regarded herself as a big shot over time; to her, Amelie was even more lowly than a


    peasant.


    What did it mean when someone as mighty as her was repressed by a peasant? A massive p on the


    face! In fact, the p was much worse and more painful than the one Julia gave.


    ¡°Amelie, you-¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Laura¡¯s mind was filled with the nastiest swears without profanities for Amelie. But who¡¯d have thought


    they had walked away before she could even cuss, rendering her at a loss for words?


    An intense fire burned within her with nowhere for her to let off steam, and she couldn¡¯t possibly chase


    after


    the two to snap back at them. Something like that wasn¡¯t what someone her status should do.


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    In the end, she could only clench her fists while heaving in anger.


    Her breath was short, and her heart rate was erratic; she was on the verge of having a heart attack.


    It took her a long while to finally be able to think straight, and it was then that a notion hit her. What is


    Amelie doing here?! This is an eye specialist. There¡¯s nothing else anyone can do here but get their


    eyes checked. Amelie must¡¯vee to check her eyes!


    At that, her heart raced, and she felt inexplicably uneasy.


    She strode to the nurse and whispered, ¡°Excuse me, I saw Julia White just now, was she the one who


    got her eyes checked?¡±


    Since Julia had many connections, information about her could be obtained easily.


    ¡°Sorry, we can¡¯t disclose a patient¡¯s information,¡± the nurse answered politely.


    This was the best and most expensive eye specialist in town. How were they to continue operating if


    they couldn¡¯t even keep information like this a secret?


    Seeing that she wouldn¡¯t be getting anything here, Laura could only head downstairs, only to catch


    sight of Leo as soon as she turned a corner. However, she gasped when she saw the person next to


    Leo, and she was so shocked that blood drained from her face.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    He went to look for Amelie? S-So he heard everything I said to her?


    Laura felt her mind go nk. Her legs buckled and she almost fell, but she managed to hold onto the


    wall just in time.


    ¡°Leo!¡± A silvery voice sounded.


    Amelie! Laura stared at her boss and Amelie, but they didn¡¯t run into each other. Instead, Amelie was


    getting further away.


    The next moment, Elyse showed up. A smile curled her lips, and her gaze was filled with love-love for


    Leo. She approached him and held his arm tightly. Oh, so it was just Elyse. The boss almost ran into


    Amelie, but he


    missed her.


    A sigh of relief escaped her lips. Look at me, getting scared out of my wits.


    ¡°Why did you bring me here, Leo?¡± asked Elyse quietly. She remained smiling, though there was


    confusion in her eyes.


    Leo patted the back of her hand. ¡°Just a checkup, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I just did a full-body checkup, though.¡± She put on her best elegant smile.


    ¡°One more time for good measure.¡± Leo stared into Elyse¡¯s eyes.


    He had made an appointment for a checkup of her eyes. The doctor told him the donor was a girl


    named Amelie, but the doctor in Quinn Town told him the one who consulted him about living donation


    was someone called Elyse. He only knew one Elyse, and that was Elyse yton. She was the one


    who donated her cornea to him. Leo chalked the inconsistency between the doctors¡¯ testimonials as a


    slip of the tongue. Measure twice and cut once, though.


    Elyse touched her eyes, which were her most beautiful trait. They glistened and gleamed all the time.


    When she met Leo¡¯s eyes-ones that were also filled with love-she would put on a timid, sheepish smile.


    Leo took that smile in another way. He thought she wouldn¡¯t want him to find out she donated her


    cornea to him. That was why he didn¡¯t tell her he wanted to verify that the donor was her. ¡°You should


    go in now,¡± he muttered.


    Laura watched as her boss took Elyse away. She was still confused about the whole situation. She


    didn¡¯t hear the conversation Leo had with the doctor, so she had no idea that they talked about the


    donor, and now, Leo was taking Elyse to the ophthalmologist¡¯s room.


    However, she did know that Elyse¡¯s sight was almost perfect. Is he trying to find out who the donor is?


    Dammit. Laura stood around and waited until Elyse had gone into the room alone, then she called her.


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    ¡°Yes, Laura? If it¡¯s alright with you, can this wait?¡± asked Elyse softly.


    Standing before her were tons of machines that were built to check one¡¯s eyesight. The


    ophthalmologist was already waiting for her. The old Elyse would have flown into a rage just from this


    call, but now she had to make herself out to be a polite and mature woman, so she spoke softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hang up!¡± said Laura quickly. ¡°This is important!¡±


    Oh, is it? Elyse covered the microphone on her phone and apologized to the ophthalmologist, ¡°Sorry,


    doctor, but can I take this call?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The ophthalmologist nodded. He was surprised that Elyse was so polite. She was a top


    celebrity who had starred in popr dramas and appeared in many ads. Most celebrities like her would


    be arrogant and insufferable, but not her. Thanks to that, the ophthalmologist was willing to give her


    some leeway despite his packed schedule.


    Elyse approached the window and whispered, ¡°Okay, speak.¡±


    Laura took a deep breath. ¡°Elyse, Mr. Alston is looking for the donor of the cornea.¡±


    Elyse was unfazed by the news. Instead, she said calmly, ¡°Is that so? Well, that¡¯s good, then. I shall


    thank them personally if he manages to find them.¡±


    Wait. Why isn¡¯t she panicking? Laura¡¯s heart was racing. ¡°The donor is a high school girl, and it was a


    living: donation.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elyse finally looked surprised. Living donations weren¡¯t something most people dared to do.


    Hmm, but then the Alstons did put up a huge bounty for it. Some people would even sell their kidneys


    for that kind of money. A cornea¡¯s nothing. Going blind in one eye is a lot better than losing a kidney.


    The donor is a teenager, isn¡¯t she? Teenagers will do anything for money, huh.


    There was no time to analyze the whole affair, so all Laura said was, ¡°This whole thing feels off. Be


    careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Why is Leo searching for her?¡± A frown furrowed Elyse¡¯s forehead. Even if it was a living


    donation, the Alstons must have spent enough money to keep the donor away from them permanently.


    They have no reason toe back. Unless¡­ something¡¯s wrong with Leo¡¯s eyes.


    She denied that thought immediately. Leo goes for an eye checkup every year, and Laura has shown


    me the results. They¡¯re all normal.


    ¡°Listen to me, Elyse. Whatever you do, just make Mr. Alston think your eyesight¡¯s gone bad. Really


    bad,¡± suggested Laura. She might be Leo¡¯s assistant, but she was also Elyse¡¯s confidant. She was the


    one who helped Elyse in her rtionship with Leo.


    ¡°Why?¡± Elyse wondered why she had to do that. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to him.¡± She came back this time


    determined to marry Leo and get her happily ever after. Furthermore, she promised herself that she¡¯d


    treat him well.


    ¡°Elyse, a white lie won¡¯t kill anyone. Certainly not a rtionship. In fact, it¡¯d help you guys,¡± Laura


    persuaded patiently.


    Laura liked Leo as well, but Elyse was leagues better in the looks department alone, let alone


    everything else. She envied the fact that Elyse was a celebrity. Dating a celebrity would be better than


    dating an assistant, or that was what she thought. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be worthy of Leo, so Laura


    expressed her love in another way-by helping Elyse get Leo.¡± Just¡­¡± Laura took a deep breath. ¡°Just


    do as I say. Make him think you¡¯re the donor.¡±


    ¡°But this is insane!¡±


    Not even the old Elyse would do that, and she was properly crazy back then.


    Laura gripped her phone tightly. ¡°Elyse, listen to me. That girl donated her cornea without asking for


    anything in return. If Mr. Alston finds her, he will return the favor. And think about it. Why did the girl


    donate her cornea willingly?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Elyse gripped her phone tightly as a sense of crisis overwhelmed her. She was clear about the


    implications. There was only one reason for that girl to donate a part of her willingly. Love. I used to be


    young once I know how far crazy people can go. She opened her mouth, but her chest suddenly felt


    heavy. It stopped her from saying anything.


    Laura continued, ¡°You finally got back with Mr. Alston after going through so much. There¡¯s no need to


    cause more problems. Just make him think you¡¯re the donor, and he¡¯ll stop the search for that girl.


    Then, you can move on to the next stage of your rtionship. You said you¡¯re taking this seriously, so


    make him forget the past. Take his attentionpletely Bring back the good old days.¡±


    Oh, that was Elyse¡¯s dream.


    Laura struck a nerve, which left Elyse feeling that Leo wasn¡¯t treating her as he used to, and she had


    been


    trying to make him look at her once more. Should I do it? She clenched her fists so hard that her nails


    dug into her flesh and her knuckles turned white, and finally, she steeled her resolve.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Half an hourter, Elyse emerged from the room. She stared at the ground, her hair tumbling down her


    shoulders. She twirled her hair as she called out, ¡°Leo.¡±


    Leo approached her. ¡°So? How was it?¡± he quickly asked.


    ¡°You should ask the doctor.¡± Elyse turned around and looked at the doctor.


    ¡°Oh, everything¡¯s normal. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± answered the doctor.


    Leo felt a weight lifted off his shoulder only to be reced by a question. ¡°Everything¡¯s normal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, now let¡¯s go.¡± Elyse tugged on Leo¡¯s hand and tried to drag him away. She did not want to stay


    any longer.


    Leo let her drag him away. His arm was pointing to the ground, and he tried to hold something, but all


    he grasped was air. So, she wasn¡¯t the donor? Who was it, then? Elyse¡­. Amelie¡­ Leo muttered the


    names under his breath.


    He¡¯s not moving? Elyse pushed him. ¡°I¡¯ll have to use the restroom, Leo. Wait for me here.¡±


    Deep in his thoughts, Leo instinctively grunted. After she was gone, he mused over the question of the


    identity of his donor. Then he made a call to Quinn Town¡¯s hospital.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Dr. Philips from ophthalmology,¡± he quickly said.


    ¡°Who are you? And what business do you have with Dr. Philips?¡± asked the staff.


    ¡°Just do it!¡± he snapped.


    Shocked by his tone, the staff member quickly went to look for Lily.


    Lily had just finished examining a patient when the staff member came in and told her she had a call.


    She approached the staff member, impatiently taking her surgical gloves off. ¡°I¡¯m busy. What is this?¡±


    The staff member apologetically said, ¡°He sounds urgent. Probably important.¡±


    Lily took the phone. ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Leo,¡± answered Leo. ¡°Dr. Philips, I would like to know more of this Amelie you spoke of.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Lily froze for a moment, wondering what he meant by that.


    ¡°You gave her full marks for her eyesight, but she can barely even see. What if shees after us? It¡¯s


    going to be a scandal.¡±


    ¡°She wanted this. Insisted on it, even. It¡¯s not like I had a choice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one crazy patient. If she doesn¡¯t want anyone to find out she has bad eyesight, she shouldn¡¯t


    have


    corne to us.¡±


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    ¡°Ely. I mean, celebrities can be crazy. She probably didn¡¯t want her fans to find out. It might cause a hit


    to her reputation. Just let this slide.¡±


    The medical staff¡¯s conversation did not escape Leo. He swiveled around and saw a doctor and a


    nurse quickly trotting into the distance. He didn¡¯t get much from the conversation, but he overheard


    them talking about Elyse The content of that conversation shook him to the core. He darted toward the


    doctor and grabbed his shoulder. Then, he swiveled the doctor around.


    ¡°M-Mr. Alston?¡± The doctor was surprised to see Leo here. Leo was a regr, but it wasn¡¯t time for his


    yearly checkup just yet.


    Leo yanked the doctor toward him and hissed, ¡°Tell me about her eyesight. Elyse¡¯s eyesight.¡± If looks


    could kill, the doctor would have been dead.


    Shaken to the core, the doctor froze up, unable to utter a single word.


    ¡°Now, calm down,¡± the nurse softly said.


    Finally, Leo let go of the doctor. ¡°Give me the results.¡±


    The doctor rubbed his shoulder. Ow. I can¡¯t even lift my arm. How on earth is he so strong? He looks so


    slim and frail.


    Oh. He wants the result? The doctor pulled his hand back. ¡°Sorry, but that is strictly confidential


    information. I am not at liberty to give it away unless the patient gives their consent.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with me. Refuse, and I¡¯ll have to make her go through another checkup. And this time, I¡¯m going


    in with her,¡± Leo snapped.


    The doctor¡¯s legs buckled. ¡°Fine.¡± He sighed and handed the result to Leo.


    Leo quickly skimmed through the results, but every line he read made him suffocate even more.


    Immersed in his thoughts, he missed the eventual reply from Lily. She said, ¡°I do not know her full


    name, but her father¡¯s a famous cobbler.¡±


    Alright, that should be enough time. Finally, Elyse emerged from the restroom, pretending she yed


    no part in this act of revealing her bad eyesight to Leo¡¯. She yed her part perfectly all thanks to her


    professional vocation as an actress. ¡°Leo.¡± She quickly approached Leo. ¡°Sorry for the long wait.¡±


    Leo stared at her dumbly.


    Despite knowing what he was thinking about, she feigned ignorance. ¡°What is it?¡±


    And Leo held her shoulder tightly. ¡°Why did you lie?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Elyse froze. W-What¡¯s with that question? This shouldn¡¯t happen.


    Her legs were trembling. Did he see through my life? Impossible! No. Just when I finally got his


    forgiveness. Just when he finally agreed to date me. A-And now we¡¯re back to square one.


    No. Square zero.


    I broke his heart four years ago, and now I¡¯m impersonating the one who saved him. He¡¯s going to hate


    my guts. He¡¯ll find that girl and do everything he can to return the favor. He¡¯s that kind of man. And that


    girl likes her, so she might ask him to marry her.


    Laura might have assured her that the girl left no useful trail behind, but Leo could find out anything if


    he just dug for it. A sense of despair rose within her, culminating in rivulets of tears. She burst into tears


    and held Leo with trembling hands. ¡°B-Because I love you so, so much. I love you too much.¡±


    Elyse knew that Leo was someone who cared a lot for those he loved, but he cared none for those he


    spared no sympathy for. Even if Elyse were to give her everything she had, he would never ept it.


    She could imagine how mercilessly he would shove her away, and despair almost crushed her heart.


    But then, Leo hugged her. He hugged her so hard, she almost couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Elyse heard his heartbeat and his shallow, pained breath. ¡°I know, but you shouldn¡¯t have risked


    yourself. How do you expect me to live with this?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Elyse covered her mouth. Wait, is he¡­


    Leo kept her tight in his embrace, his mind reying the doctor¡¯sment. ¡°She¡¯s almost blind in her


    left eye.


    And there are marks of surgery. There¡¯s no cornea in there.¡±


    He felt a pang of guilt rising in his heart again, and it coursed through his body like an undting wave


    of pain. Elyse felt his tears drip onto her neck. ¡°Even if I¡¯d go blind forever, I wouldn¡¯t want you to do


    that for me. I wouldn¡¯t want it, Elyse.¡±


    She felt his hot tears. Almost scalding, even. It was her first time seeing him so emotional. Even when


    she was embroiled in a scandal four years ago, even when Amelie forced him to marry her, all he did


    was clench his fists, but now he was crying. For her.


    Elyse was only acting at first but now she truly felt the emotions, so she cried harder. Whew. Good


    thing he didn¡¯t find out.


    Good thing I didn¡¯t tell the doctor to tell him I have bad eyesight. An inadvertent¡¯ revtion works better.


    And good thing he didn¡¯t see through my lie. Right, with this trump card in my hand, I can finally be the


    one he cares about the most now.


    Someone broke the silence when they were locked in a loving embrace.

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    ¡°Oh, ew. I don¡¯t particrly like watching animals make out.¡± Julia leaned on the wall, her arms


    crossed. She was looking at the couple in disgust. Julia had that kind of look that could strike anxiety


    into those who met her eyes. It felt like she could see through the deepest, darkest secrets of anyone


    she looked at.


    Elyse stiffly removed herself from Leo¡¯s embrace. She elegantly pushed her hair back and shot Julia a


    look of disapproval. ¡°Miss White, that was inappropriate, especially for someone of your stature.¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Oh, here we go again. This b*tch never leams her lesson. Julia sneered. ¡°The adage goes ¡®honesty is


    the best policy¡¯, not ¡®honesty is inappropriate.¡±


    ¡°You called us animals. We¡¯re not animals, Miss White,¡± Elyse argued.


    ¡°But all I see are animals.¡± Julia looked around and sneered. ¡°It takes a lot more than mere clothes to


    make a human. Oh wait, I shouldn¡¯t have called you animals. That¡¯s an insult to them. At least they¡¯re


    loyal to their humans. Some men won¡¯t stay loyal to their own woman. They¡¯d rather date a skank


    instead.¡±


    Nobody but Julia would say something insulting, yet she managed to make it sound pleasant rather


    than vulgar.


    Leo had kept quiet this whole time, but now he finally spoke. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± He raised


    his head, but his gaze was not on Julia. He was looking at someone behind Julia.


    It was none other than the returning Amelie. I leave Julia for two seconds and she¡¯s gone. Darn. She¡¯s


    already unhappy about my divorce. Now she knows Leo is here, I bet she¡¯s going to trash-talk him. She


    quickly went to look for her friend, and just like she expected, Julia was insulting Leo.


    Amelie heard her insulting Leo and Elyse, and it made her feel helpless. She was about to drag her


    friend away when Leo opened his mouth, so she locked eyes with him.


    His eyes were devoid of any emotion. Icily, he asked, ¡°You wanted the divorce. You gave up all


    reimbursement. I offered rpense, but you refused, and proudly. Why did youin to your


    friend, then? I thought you were happy with the divorce.¡±


    Before Amelie could say anything. Julia retorted, ¡°Oh please, like she needs your money. Your whole


    family is a sack of dicks. ve drivers who should¡¯ve gone extinct centuries ago, and yet you survived.


    You worked my friend to the bone and never even thanked her, and you expect her to stay in the


    hellhole you call home? Please, no amount of rpense can heal the scars you left on her. No.


    Amount. So, save your money. You need it to fill your broken, empty soul.¡±


    Even Leo felt affronted by thatment, and he had heard a lot of insults in his life. He was incensed.


    Not only did Julia fire off at him, but she also dragged his whole family through the mud.


    Nobody had insulted his family ever since he took over. His face was ck as thunder, and a storm


    brewed in


    his eyes


    ¡°If you remain friends with someone who has no sense of decorum or courtesy, you will have no


    future.¡± Instead of arguing with Julia, Leo opted to speak to Amelie instead. No, he was giving her a


    cold reminder, more like. I am a businessman. A powerful man. I do not have to stoop to her level. He


    then held Elyse¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Hold it right there, Leo, Amelie stopped him.


    Initially, she just wanted to take her friend away. Arguing with Leo was not in her n, but now, she


    wasn¡¯t about to let that insultingment go. She blocked the path of the leaving couple.


    Elyse instinctively stood on her tiptoes and straightened her back, trying to look taller than Amelie, but


    Amelie didn¡¯t even spare her a look. Her eyes were on Leo ¡°My friend shoots straight, but you have no


    right to criticize her. At least she cares about her friend. At least she¡¯d help a friend. But you?¡± A smirk


    of contempt curled Amelies lips. ¡°You dumped your pregnant wife all alone in the freezing cold, leaving


    her for dead.


    You¡¯re no more courteous than scum.¡±


    Leo felt something squeezing his heart, and he came to a halt. He tried to argue, but not a single word


    came out of his mouth, and he looked awkward.


    But then Elyse spoke quietly. ¡°Why bring up the past? Do you still wish to get back with Leo, Miss


    Dillon?¡±


    That changed things around. Elyse managed to make Amelie sound like a jealous woman trying to get


    back with her ex-husband instead of a woman standing up for her friend. With an excuse in ce, Leo


    assumed the position of indifference at once. ¡°If that is what you had in mind, then I suggest you give


    up.¡± He then turned around. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡±


    His bodyguards stayed silent.


    Amelieughed mirthlessly. ¡°You have an active imagination, good sir. Maybe you should be a writer.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. You don¡¯t own this ce. We cane and go as we please. No reports needed,¡± Julia


    snapped.


    Thedies shared a smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They held hands and turned to the exit.


    As Elyse saw them off, a frown started creasing her forehead. This should¡¯ve been my best moment in


    life, but they came and ruined it. She wanted revenge. After all, she had never been a generous


    woman. All her kindness and generosity were just a front. Now that her best moment was ruined, she


    would make Amelie suffer as well. Gently, she said, ¡°Miss Dillon, I shall be dating Leo from now on.


    You¡¯re alright with that, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Thedies stopped in their tracks. Julia was about toe up with a retort, but Amelie held her back.


    Confused, Julia mouthed, ¡®Why aren¡¯t you doing anything? I can mess with her easily¡¯.


    Amelie gave her a look that said, Calm down. She turned around slowly and set her sights on Elyse.


    ¡°Congrattions. Send a marriage invitation my way. We might have had our difficulties making


    progress in the more¡­ important areas, but I¡¯d still like to congratte you.¡±


    The couple¡¯s faces fell.


    First, Elyse thought, She¡¯s not fazed at all? And then she thought, Wait a minute. She just


    professionally called me a b*tch. ¡°Why you little¡­¡± She pointed angrily at Amelie, her face contorted


    with rage.


    But thedies were long gone. Elyse turned to Leo andined, ¡°That was a bit too much, don¡¯t


    you


    think?¡±


    But Leo wasn¡¯t listening. He stood petrified; it was as if he just saw Medusa¡¯s eyes. When Amelie


    spoke to them, there was not a hint of emotion in her eyes. She looked at him like he was a stranger,


    and it hurt him.


    Elyse had to call out to him a few more times before he snapped out of it. He looked at her coolly,


    ignoring what she had to say. His mind was still on Amelie, and everything Elyse said was filtered out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Elyse bit her lip, disgruntled. This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but now it¡¯s ruined.


    She wanted to throw a tantrum, but Elyse had promised she¡¯d be a good girl around Leo. In the end,


    she suppressed her frustration and nodded. ¡°Fine.¡±


    When Elyse and Leo reached the hospital¡¯s entrance, they ran into the twodies once more. This


    time, someone was standing in front of thedies.


    When Elyse saw who it was, she gasped. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s Chris, isn¡¯t it? Why are they with him?¡±

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Chris was one of the more famous guys in upper society. Leo was known for his business genius, while


    Chris was known for his racing skills. Yes, he was a racer, and a good one at that too. He won a few


    professional racingpetitions and was a model for a lot of car dealerships¡¯ advertisements.


    Chris and Leo were second cousins as their grandparents were brothers. A guy like Chris talking to a


    no-name useless woman like Amelie? Elyse was shocked. She tried to see Amelie¡¯s face, but her back


    was turned toward her. She couldn¡¯t see Chris¡¯ face either. Only Julia was facing her, and she looked


    delighted.


    Elyse clenched her fists. She couldn¡¯t believe Chris was talking to those women. He might be famous,


    but he was also haughty. Even she got nothing but a cold shoulder every time she tried to say hi. If it


    were someone else, he wouldn¡¯t even give them a second of his time. Yet he stopped to talk to them.


    They must be special. Who is Amelie to him?


    Elyse¡¯s mind was assailed by a thousand thoughts, and she turned her attention to Leo, trying to find


    sce. But to her chagrin, his eyes were fixated on the trio before them as well, though he was


    inscrutable. I wonder what he¡¯s thinking. Ever since that wench congratted us, he has been acting


    weird.


    Elyse¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she remainedposed. Then, she pretended to have just thought of


    something and giggled with a hand over her mouth. ¡°Oh my, look at me. Overreacting for nothing. Julia


    is famous for her tendency to make friends. She gets a lot of high-profile guests during her live stream.


    I bet she¡¯s asking him to co-star in her next stream.¡±


    Yeah, Chris is here for Julia, not Amelie. He didn¡¯t stop for Amelie. He did it for Julia, she thought.


    Amelie underwent a dramatic change after the divorce. She became gorgeous, confident, and


    stunning. It was like she was a whole different person, and yet that couldn¡¯t change the fact that she


    was the daughter of a mere cobbler. She¡¯s nothing but a peasant. A peasant who will never be on par


    with us. Her life will amount to nothing. No need to fear someone like her. At this thought, she held


    Leo¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s not every day we run into Chris. We should say hi.¡±


    Leo grunted almost inaudibly, and they approached Chris.


    Through the corner of her eye, Amelie noticed her ex-husband and his new girlfriend approaching. Her


    lips curled downward, and she wished to leave. ¡°See youter, Mr. Alston.¡±


    She dragged her friend away and walked in the opposite direction to where Leo and Elyse were going.


    They were like two parallel lines, but when they passed each other, Amelie didn¡¯t even turn around.


    She kept whispering to her friend, and then they went by Leo.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Leo saw her smile. It was beautiful, and her eyes twinkled like stars-beautiful and unadulterated-in the


    sky. Her forehead gleamed and her cheeks were rosy. He had never seen her like that. She glimmered


    like an elf walking in a city. Once again, he painfully realized how much she was ignoring him, and she


    didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It felt natural like she didn¡¯t care about him.


    Leo clenched his fists. Before Amelie, he never thought someone could change so much. It felt like


    magic. She was a different person entirely. Even now, he could remember how she acted two days


    before the divorce. She had stood in his path with her head hung low, and when she raised her eyes,


    he remembered seeing love, hope for reciprocation of her feelings, and caution in them.


    But it hadn¡¯t been a month since then, and already she treated him like he was air. He was already


    annoyed by the mockery she dished out earlier, and now her dismissive attitude hit his ego hard. A


    wave of pain originated from his heart and spread to his entire body, and his face fell.


    Elyse had to call out to him a few more items to snap him out of his stupor. ¡°Chris is calling out to you,


    Leo.¡± He looked up coolly, and Elyse looked at him awkwardly There was a smile on her lips, but the


    look in her eyes spoke of embarrassment He was staring at her right in front of me. This is humiliating It


    was supposed to be the best day of her life, and yet all she tasted was the bitterness of defeat.


    ¡°Chris,¡± said Leo.


    Chris had his hands in his pockets, and there was a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. ¡°You feel more


    dangerous


    after the divorce, Leo. Feels like you¡¯re about to kill someone. What¡¯s the matter?¡± He wiggled his


    eyebrows.


    Chris made it sound nonchnt, but Elyse got the underlying message, and it annoyed her. What did


    he mean by that? Is he trying to say Leo¡¯s upset about the divorce?


    She held her anger back and exined, ¡°He¡¯s handling a bigpany. Every decision he makes will


    affect hundreds of families. It¡¯s only natural that he¡¯s solemn.¡± Then, Elyse huddled closer to Leo to


    indicate to Chris that they were dating.


    Chris got the message, and he nodded with a smile.


    ¡°So why did Julia meet up with you? Is she trying to ask for a coboration?¡± She pretended to be


    curious about Julia when in reality, she just wanted to find out more about her enemy.


    ¡°No.¡± Chris shook his head. Just when Elyse was about to change the subject, he added, ¡°I met up with


    them.¡±


    ¡°Y-You met up with them?¡± Elyse felt her heart leap into her throat, and she stared at Chris in disbelief.


    He¡¯s an even more arrogant guy than Leo, and yet he came to see those two? That is unbelievable.


    Chris didn¡¯t entertain Elyse¡¯s curiosity further. Instead, he turned his attention to Leo. ¡°We¡¯re holding a


    small racing event. Wannae?¡±


    ¡°Not interested,¡± answered Leo calmly. His eyes were still recovering High-impact activities were not


    rmended for him.


    ¡°Aw, but I wanna go, Leo,¡± said Elyse. She heaved a sigh of relief in silence Good He was only talking


    to Julia, not Amelie. She swung Leo¡¯s arm. ¡°Come with me, please ¡±


    Elyse used to be a racer as well, and a veteran at that. She had some skills, and thispetition was


    the perfect one to show them off. She also wanted to vent her frustration and use this chance to tell the


    whole. upper society that she had gotten back with Leo.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯ll be worth your time.¡± Chris smirked at Leo. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, what kind of surprise?¡± asked Elyse curiously.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Chris dug his ear nonchntly and tilted his head. ¡°Dash might show up. I¡¯ve asked Julia to call her. It¡¯d


    be awesome if she could make it.¡±


    Boreas and Dash were famous names known only to the fans of racing. They were the top racers


    around. Chris was Boreas, while Dash¡¯s real identity was still a mystery.


    Elyse didn¡¯t care about Dash that much. With or without her, Elyse knew she could still take second


    ce at least. She did practice her skills all these years. Of course, Chris would take first ce since


    he had the advantage Guys were generally better than girls in this area. I bet Leo will think better of me


    if he sees me getting second ce. She wanted to show herself off to him. ¡°Leo, can we go? Pretty


    please.¡± She swung his arm again.


    Leo pursed his lips and looked at her. ¡°Are you sure your eyes can take it?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shoot. I just got my eyes checked, and the doctor practically told him I was blind in one eye.


    She felt rivulets of sweat drenching her back, and her legs almost buckled for a moment. However,


    fortunately, her mental fortitude held firm, and she rposed herself. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then.¡± He nodded. He was reluctant to join, but Elyse had done so much for him, so he


    figured it was only right of him to spoil her for a bit.


    Elyse was filled with delight when he relented to her nearly unreasonable request. He showered her


    with love right in front of Chris, and that stroked her ego. She stood on tiptoe and tried to kiss his


    cheek. ¡°Thank you, Leo.¡±


    Almost instinctively, Leo stepped aside, though it wasn¡¯t an obvious dodge. There was barely an inch


    between them. Most people would have missed that gap and thought they had kissed.


    However, Elyse was well aware of whether her kiss hadnded on his cheek or not. She froze up


    awkwardly, though she quickly hid her disappointment and put on a coy smile.


    Standing by the side, Chris had also seen what had truly transpired. He pursed his lips as he pressed


    his thumb against the corner of his lips thoughtfully before saying, ¡°Miss yton, if one has to request


    to get the one whom they love to participate in an event, doesn¡¯t that speak something about their


    significance to the other person? And if the other person were to refuse, then all the more


    embarrassing it would be for them, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    He was trying to say something-Leo would have agreed to her request from the get-go if he did like


    Elyse from the bottom of his heart. She wouldn¡¯t even need to implore it, and he would have proposed


    that they go together, especially when the event was a dangerous one. When she tried to kiss him, he


    dodged her attempt. On the surface, it looked like Leo was embarrassed about the public disy of


    affection, but Chris knew that wasn¡¯t the case. In truth, Leo hadn¡¯t truly epted Elyse. Chris was a


    guy, too. He knew what Leo was thinking.


    Elyse was smart enough to catch on to the implied message. Her face turned red with embarrassment,


    and tears glistened in her eyes. She then looked to Leo for help.


    Leo furrowed his brows slightly as he pulled her into his embrace apologetically. Then, he shot Chris a


    look. ¡°Quit spouting nonsense.¡±


    Hising to her defense offered her smallfort, though she¡¯d take anyfort Leo offered.


    Chris refrained from making furtherments. He told Elyse the time and venue of the event before


    leaving in his car


    At the same time, Julia and Amelie had gotten into their car. Julia pleaded, ¡°Please, just go. It¡¯s not like


    every day we get to race, and there¡¯s nothing to do at thepany. We have all the free time in the


    world.¡±


    Calmly, Amelie said, ¡°Bria is still waiting for me. And my dad, too. He must be worried sick about me.¡±


    ¡°Nope. I have called your dad, and he told me to take you around town. I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t even mind


    if you


    hadn¡¯t gone home for a week.¡± Julia controlled the steering wheel with one hand while wagging her


    phone smugly with the other. ¡°As for Bria, she told me to film a video of your racing.¡±


    Amelie remained silent after hearing that. Well, I guess I don¡¯t have a choice since Dad and Bria have


    given her the green light.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re gunning for the champion spot. Just going to have some fun. Besides, I¡¯m the


    top co- driver in the industry. It¡¯s been four years since I saw some action. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to entertain


    me just this once, right?¡± Julia and Amelie used to be partners, and both of them had conquered a lot of


    competitions.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t say no when her friend was putting on the puppy pout, so she nodded.


    Julia pounced on her friend and showered her with kisses once she saw her finally agreeing to it.


    Amelie went pale with shock. ¡°Keep your eyes on the road!¡±


    up for Night came, and Elyse arrived at thepetition venue, wearing an all-white racer suit. She put


    her hair the asion, and her skin gleamed like pearls under the light. With a stunning man like Leo by


    her side, shemanded everyone¡¯s attention immediately.


    ¡°So, they are together.¡±


    ¡°What a perfect match.¡±


    ¡°I thought Leo never came to such events since it¡¯d hurt his eyes.¡±


    ¡°Probably his girlfriend wanted toe, so he indulged her.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Elyse is one heck of a woman. She¡¯s a big star and a racer.¡±


    Elyse heard all the praise, and it stroked her ego once more. She put on a polite smile and nodded at


    everyone. Then, she huddled closer to Leo.


    It was a show to everyone in the arena. Only rich kids could afford to race, and they would tell their


    friends and family that Elyse had gotten back with Leo. Soon, the whole upper society would know of


    the news.


    Chris stayed far, far away from her. He leaned on his carnguidly. Everyone thought Elyse was being


    all elegant and noble, but he thought she was just putting on an act. Unlike his cousin, Chris was a


    yboy who had seen many kinds of women. One look at ady, and he¡¯d know what kind of woman


    they were. Elyse might act generous and kind, but she¡¯s actually a fake and petty gold digger. And


    that¡¯s the most disgusting kind of woman. However, he wouldn¡¯tment on his cousin¡¯s rtionship.


    It¡¯s not my problem, anyway.


    After a round of praise from the crowd, Elyse held Leo¡¯s arm and approached Chris. She knew Chris


    didn¡¯t like her, but she could use Leo to shut his mouth. Leo was the leader of the Alstons and the boss


    of Genesis. This will undoubtedly put Chris in his ce and make him stop mocking me.


    When she was only a few yards away from him and about to knock him down a peg or two, he held his


    phone. and ran into the distance. She could feel the wind brushing against her skin when he darted


    past her. And he didn¡¯t even throw as much as a nce at me! She was fuming in silence.


    Everyone noticed Chris running into the distance, and they followed him.


    Okay, what¡¯s going on? Elyse brushed his dismissive attitude aside and stopped one of the guests.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Dash!¡± the guest answered.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    ¡°Dash?¡± A hint of anger filled Elyse¡¯s eyes.


    Chris ran past me without even acknowledging me just for Dash? She was upset that Dash took her


    limelight. She was supposed to be the best female racer. I¡¯m a big star and the best female racer


    around, and yet Dash still gets all the attention! She was incensed, but she knew better than to insult


    the idol of all racers. Holding down her anger, she tugged on Leo¡¯s sleeve. ¡°We should take a look.¡±


    She, too, had never seen Dash before. However, she didn¡¯te here for Dash and couldn¡¯t care less


    who that woman was. The only reason she wanted to take a look was so the other racers wouldn¡¯t think


    she was disrespectful.


    Chris was the first to step onto the track. He could see a yellow race car slowly appear in the distance,


    and within that car was Julia. She was in a striped racer suit, her face gleaming like ivory.


    Unlike Elyse, Julia had a more dominant air about her. She was handsome and sitting beside her was


    someone with the same outfit. She was wearing a helmet, so all everyone saw was a slender figure.


    Chris came darting out to the driveway out of the blue, and Julia had to m on the brakes to avoid


    running over him. It was a dangerous act on his part, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered and quickly opened


    the passenger door.


    Finally, the figure beside Julia slowly took off her helmet. When everyone noticed who she was,


    someone let out a sneer, and Chris¡¯ smile froze. ¡°What stunt are you pulling, Julia?¡±


    Elyse and Leo were approaching the car. They, too, froze when they saw who the woman was.


    ¡°Amelie?¡±


    Another racer by the name of Joseph pouted. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Julia? We want Dash, not¡­


    whoever this is.¡± He recognized Amelie. During the few times he visited the Alston Residence, he saw


    her, though her presence was barely noticeable.


    ¡°I thought you said you¡¯d bring Dash.¡± Chris was positively upset.


    Four years. For four years, Chris had been waiting to see Dash. She took first ce in apetition


    years ago. and was one wholep faster than the one who got second ce. Since then, all racers fell


    in love with her, and Dash became the idol of every racer in the industry.


    She made a miracle drift during thatpetition, and even after four years, nobody could replicate or


    counter it. Even after her disappearance, her short stint was still the talk of the town. The one who lost


    to her in thatpetition and took second ce was none other than Chris himself.


    Even now, there were still racers and fans of racing iming that Chris only took the championship


    because Dash wasn¡¯t around. If she were toe back, he would be nothing but a runner-up. He


    wanted to challenge that im, so he took part in this small-time event even though he wouldn¡¯t give it


    a second of his time on most days. He wanted topete with Dash.


    However, now all he saw was Amelie. He knew who she was. Despite his aloof and arrogant attitude,


    he knew about Amelie since he was close with his cousin, though he wouldn¡¯t spend any time to find


    out more about her. He couldn¡¯t even bother to spare his time looking down on her. Naturally, he


    wouldn¡¯t think she was Dash.


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    Julia scanned the crowd. She was about to announce to everyone that Amelie was indeed Dash, but


    then she spotted the couple among the crowd. A smirk formed on her face as she thought in contempt,


    Heh. These idiots even came here to show off their rtionship, huh?


    Right at that moment, she changed her mind and decided not to tell anyone that her friend was Dash.


    Instead, she came up with a little prank and smiled at Chris. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter What matters is that this


    Chris chortled. Who cares if she¡¯s a professional racer? She¡¯s nothingpared to Dash.


    Everyone else was disappointed that Dash didn¡¯t show up, but at least they had Boreas¡¯ performance


    to look forward to. Most of them weren¡¯t even his match, but now they could challenge him.


    ¡°So? We can¡¯t just let any random racer in.¡± Most people didn¡¯t hold high opinions of female racers, to


    begin with, and they didn¡¯t think the delicate-looking Amelie could even race.


    Some people even thought that driving alone was impossible for her. The professional racers present


    refused to let an amateur like her drive around.


    Regardless, they couldn¡¯t simply bar Amelie from participating in the race, as Julia was somewhat well-


    known in the racing industry. Considering her fame, they figured any argument with her would lead to


    unfavorable results. In the end, everyone decided on a selection match. They hoped they could kick out


    Amelie through the selection match. Even Julia couldn¡¯t argue with the results of a fair race.


    Julia looked at her friend, and everyone turned their attention to Amelie as well. They hoped she would


    give up and skip the selection match altogether. If she refused to, someone would have to race her,


    and these rich kids were too proud to stoop to that level. Racing an inexperienced driver was


    embarrassing, no matter what the results were.


    Amelie, however, kept quiet. Julia got the message and tapped on her steering wheel. ¡°Sure.¡±


    As Amelie refused to give up, they had no choice but to hold the selection race. It was upsetting, but


    they couldn¡¯t do much about it. All they could do was throw scornful looks at Amelie as they cursed in


    their heads, Man, what a waste of time racing this amateur.


    Julia and Amelie ignored their frustration. Julia hopped off the car and drew her lot along with the other


    racers.


    Chris and Elyse were exempted from the selection match. They were pros among pros, after all.


    Amelie sat in her car quietly. She saw her ex-husband and his new girlfriend, but she didn¡¯t give them a


    moment of her time.


    She couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at how her mind worked sometimes. Before the divorce, she loved


    Leo with all her heart. Even one single smile from him would delight her for hours. Back when she


    knew Elyse wasing back, she spent a fortnight agonizing over that. Her heart was torn asunder,


    her soul split into pieces, and anxiety took over her. She lost sleep and had nightmares over that


    matter. Every time she imagined Leo making out with Elyse, it would destroy her.


    However, now that they were divorced, she didn¡¯t even mind the couple being lovey-dovey right in front


    of her. In fact, she didn¡¯t even want to look at them.


    On the other hand, Leo was staring at Amelie intently. Even though Elyse tried to snap him out of it a


    few times, he still ignored her. It was surprising to see his ex-wife here. Is she here to race? I¡¯ve seen


    her drive, but I know she can¡¯t race. Racing is a sport that requires talent and money, and she has


    neither.


    ¡°I think¡­ I think Miss Dillon came just to spite us. Me, in particr.¡± Elyse felt humiliated. He¡¯d rather


    stare at her than me! That thought irked her, but she couldn¡¯t throw a tantrum. Instead, she whispered,


    ¡°Let me see if I can talk her out of it.¡± With that, she approached Amelie.


    Amelie was scrolling through her phone, making preparations for her uing match. Racing was not


    just a matter of driving. She needed to know the wind direction, temperature, humidity, and the track


    condition down to the smallest pebble. One miscalction could end up causing a fatal ident. This


    was supposed to be Julia¡¯s job, but since she wasn¡¯t here, Amelie did it for her. As she was upied


    with her task, she didn¡¯t even notice that Elyse was nearing her.


    it wasn¡¯t the first time Amelie ignored her, but it still got on Elyse¡¯s nerves, and she clenched her fists.


    Nobody¡¯s looking at me. I don¡¯t have to keep the act up. With that thought in mind, she wore a


    contemptuous look as she sneered, ¡°You showed up at the hospital, and now you¡¯re here at the


    racetrack. You just don¡¯t know when to quit, huh? You still think you can get back with Leo, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Can¡¯t she see I¡¯m busy here? Annoyed by thement, Amelie frowned and waved her hand like she


    was swatting a fly away. Is that her way of saying that I¡¯m nothing but a fly that¡¯s disturbing her?! How


    dare she!

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Her frown deepened, and she clenched her fists harder. Nobody looks down on me, especially not


    trash like you. Fine. I¡¯m not going to talk you out of the race anymore. ¡°If you want to race, then do your


    best, Miss Dillon.¡±


    I¡¯ll show her what I¡¯m truly capable of and embarrass her. Julia might be the top co-driver, but she¡¯s not


    the one behind the wheel. Without a good racer, she¡¯s nothing. The mere thought of showing off her


    skills and humiliating an amateur like Amelie on the racetrack made Elyse smile. Interesting. She


    swayed off into the distance and returned to Leo! Shrugging, she grumbled, ¡°She¡¯s too stubborn. I can¡¯t


    even dissuade her.¡±


    He said nothing to that. Then, he turned and went elsewhere.


    The lot drawing was done a momentter, and Julia came back. She gave the results to Amelie, while


    Amelie gave her the details of the track. ¡°Those rich kids areining. They said they don¡¯t want to


    race you, thinking you¡¯re weak. Let¡¯s show them who the actual ace racer is,¡± said Julia.


    Amelie smiled. ¡°If I let you take the wheel, can you get us to the finals?¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re asking me?¡± Julia pointed at herself. ¡°Wow, what are you trying-¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no fun showing our hand right from the get-go, right?¡± Amelie interjectednguidly as she


    narrowed her eyes. Now, she looked like anguid cat waiting to pounce at her prey. ¡°Let¡¯s switch


    ces. I¡¯ll be the co-driver while you take my ce as the racer.¡±


    ¡°Holy f*ck!¡± Julia cursed before giving her friend a thumbs up. ¡°Man, I don¡¯t envy your enemies.¡±


    Unlike her, Amelie kept her feelings close to herself. However, she was no pushover. If anyone tried to


    cross her line, she¡¯d teach them a painful lesson. She could be more cunning than Julia if she wanted.


    Julia happily epted the arrangement and honked a few times. ¡°I might not be a racer, but I did


    partner up with Dash. My driving skill is more than enough to beat those rich kids in a race.¡±


    Not too long after that, it was their turn to race. Elyse pretended she didn¡¯t care but kept an eye out for


    Amelie¡¯s car nheless. When she saw Amelie in the passenger seat, she sneered. I knew it. A


    useless woman like her couldn¡¯t be a racer.


    Chris, on the other hand, was looking forward to the race despite his earlier grumblings. However,


    when he saw Amelie in the passenger seat, his anticipation for the race plummeted. Frustrated, he


    kicked a tire. Four years. Dash has been gone for four years. Did she retire? Or did she pass away?


    What if it¡¯s thetter? Everyone¡¯s going to think she¡¯s better than me forever, dammit! The thought of


    that happening soured his mood. He didn¡¯t want to take part anymore, so he got into his car and tried to


    leave.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    However, his friends quickly stopped him. ¡°At least watch the whole thing through.¡±


    ¡®I mean, it¡¯d be a waste if you go back without watching anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and besides, you came up with this event. You shouldn¡¯t leave so soon.¡±


    It was frustrating, but Chris¡¯ friends refused to let him go, so he sat in his car, seething and fuming in


    silence.


    The racers looked slightly appeased when they realized Julia would be the one driving.


    Some came and tapped on her shoulder. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Thanks for not letting that amateur drive. For not insulting us. Then, he left without even looking at


    Amelie.


    Julia snickered. ¡°They think you¡¯re trash. Just wait till they find out who you are.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut it and drive,¡± said Amelie calmly. Even though she was a co-driver, she took the event


    seriously and reported all the track conditions to Julia


    ¡°Got it.¡± Julia buckled up and held the steering wheel with both hands.


    The moment the gun was shot, she stepped on the gas pedal.


    There was no need to tell her about the surroundings. Years of co-driver experience gave her enough


    spatial awareness. All Amelie had to do was teach her some tricks. ¡°Speed up! Closer to the line! Now,


    hold still!¡±


    Julia drove smoothly under her friend¡¯s guidance, and the race ended a few minutester. She didn¡¯t


    come out first, but she at least made it through the race. ¡°I did good, didn¡¯t I?¡± She waved her phone,


    and the screen showed the results. She barely made it to the finals.


    Amelie chortled. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    Elyse saw the results from afar, and she chuckled silently. On the borderline of getting disqualified for


    the finals, huh? So what if she made it through the match? She¡¯ll still be inst ce in the real race.


    Coming all this way to embarrass herself. Oh, Amelie, you¡¯re a dunce. And you dragged your friend into


    this.


    Then, a loud voice broke her train of thought. ¡°Miss yton, I challenge you!¡± The challenger was none


    other than Julia. She held her head high and had a bright smile on her lips, yet it looked sardonic.


    Elyse scoffed at her silently, though she put on a smile.


    Bob sneered upon hearing Julia¡¯s words. ¡°What a joke. You almost couldn¡¯t make it to the finals, and


    you think you can challenge her?¡± He took the words right out of Elyse¡¯s mouth.


    However, Julia was unfazed. She smiled and ignored both Bob and Elyse. Instead, she approached


    Leo. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Alston? Can I challenge her?¡±


    She was being rude at this point, but they didn¡¯t say much about it. Everyone knew she was trying to


    get back at Leo for her friend.


    He looked ahead coldly. ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Julia came back and finally looked at Elyse. ¡°Do you dare to take the challenge, Miss yton?¡±


    ¡°Are you calling me a chicken?¡± She¡¯s a joke. I¡¯m the best female racer around. Does she think I¡¯m


    scared of her? Despite her internal scoffing, Elyse remained polite. She had an image to uphold, so


    she advised without a hint of ridicule in her voice, ¡°Miss White, you might be a good co-driver, but it


    requires a different skill set to be the racer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know I can¡¯t win. But she can.¡± Julia pushed her friend out. ¡°So, once again, do you dare take the


    challenge?¡±


    Some friend you are. Pushing me to face a challenge you can¡¯tplete. Oh, well. Should I go all out


    or make it look exciting? Amelie could feel her friend squeeze her shoulder slightly, telling her to


    humiliate Elyse and


    Leo.


    Elyse¡¯s facade finally faltered right there and then. Her face darkened, fury filling her eyes. Julia only


    barely made it, and now she expects an amateur like Amelie to win against me. Is she trying to insult


    me?


    ¡°Do your best, or you¡¯ll lose, Miss yton,¡± Julia added.


    What?! Does she think I¡¯m going to lose? How much is she going to look down on me? Elyse held her


    scream back and nodded. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit insulting, Julia.¡± Bob and his friends came to protest.


    However, Julia only smirked in return. ¡°The race isn¡¯t even on. Don¡¯t be so sure about the results.¡±


    70Yeah, right. The results are clear. Your friend¡¯s going to lose big time. You¡¯re just doing this to insult


    Elyse.


    Julia knew what was going through their minds, but she didn¡¯t bother exining. Instead, she pushed


    her friend by the shoulder. ¡°You should start preparing for the race.¡±


    Amelie would¡¯ve argued with her friend in another ce and time, but not now. Not when her friend was


    trying


    to get back at those who mistreated her. She nodded and approached the driver¡¯s seat. However, the


    moment she opened the door, someone held it down and mmed it shut. Surprised, she looked up


    and was met with a furious face.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Even though anger was written all over his face, Leo still looked so handsome that it incurred the wrath


    of all mortals and immortals alike.


    He still exuded an untouchable sense of regal aura.


    ¡°Amelie, are you done wreaking havoc? Go home if you¡¯re done!¡± He suppressed his emotions as he


    ordered.


    Looking at his deep, raging look, Amelie smiled slightly and said, ¡°Mr. Alston, we are no longer married.


    Does it bother you if I¡¯m wreaking havoc or not? And why do you care if I¡¯m done or not? This is none


    of your


    business.¡±


    The reason for Leo to be this furious is simply that I have provoked Elyse and am at risk of humiliating


    her.


    I may not be the one who started up this matter, but I will never let Elyse go just because he¡¯s unhappy!


    Her words made Leo frown hard. ¡°Think carefully. Racing is no joking matter. You can get yourself killed


    in minutes! Aren¡¯t you a bit too foolish to disregard your life just to prove yourself?!¡±


    Foolish? Well, he thinks everything I do is foolish.


    Thinking of this, Amelie looked down. Her gaze was sorrowful as she said, ¡°I have done so many


    foolish things, so why should you be bothered about this one?¡±


    The blue veins on Leo¡¯s hands abruptly bulged as soon as she stopped.


    Not only that, blue veins even throbbed all over his forehead.


    Is she saying that her four-year marriage with me was a foolish decision?


    Is she ssifying all the kindness she showed me back then under the list of her foolish acts?


    Despite always disliking Amelie, he felt a sudden difort all over after he heard herpletely


    dismiss all the memories that she had in the Alston Residence in such a way.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, you sure are persistent. Could it be that you have developed feelings for me?¡± Amelie


    purposely said as she lowered her head and looked at his veiny hand that was sping the door


    handle.


    E


    Like getting electrocuted, Leo suddenly retracted his hand. A hint of antipathy was visible in the corner


    of his eyes as he retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t be delusional!¡±


    Taking advantage of the situation, she got into the car and reversed the car, drawing a distance


    between her and Leo.


    Then, she turned her car around and arrived at the starting point.


    A deep sense of gloom gathered under her eyebrow as she thought, Of course, I won¡¯t dare to be


    delusional and think that Leo would have developed feelings for me. I just wanted to end this


    meaningless conversation quickly


    The finals would be held in the form of a challenge match. However, the losing party would be


    eliminated directly


    As for those who won, they could continue challenging the racers they wanted to challenge.


    As soon as Amelie¡¯s car stopped, Julia jumped in.


    ¡°Are you seriously letting mepete with her?¡± Amelie asked with somewhat unease in her voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we are bullying her?¡±


    ¡°She did bully you often, didn¡¯t she? Julia corresponded with another question.


    Amelie went silent. That being said, Elyse did pick on me quite often.


    She might appear not to be around Leo and me in these years, but in truth, she influenced every


    second of our


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    life


    From how he dumped me in the snow in the first ce to his ignoring me when I gave birth in the


    hospital and his divorcing meter.


    Even my four-year-long harsh marriage was filled with Elyse¡¯s dirty means.


    I, too, only recently learned about lots of things.


    Elyse¡¯s viciousness didn¡¯t lie in snatching Leo away from me. Instead, she would unleash a fatal strike


    every time I saw hope, pushing me back into an inferno.


    And I was like a marite controlled by Elyse.


    With a pull and release of the strings, she controlled my life. She made me experience life and death


    and overwhelmed me with sorrow.


    Suddenly, Julia¡¯s voice sounded, snapping Amelie out of her thoughts. ¡°So, let¡¯s do this!¡± Julia said as


    she pumped her fist at Amelie.


    Amelie hummed and put on her safety helmet upon hearing that.


    Across from them, Elyse and her co-driver walked over.


    Elyse¡¯s facial expression wasn¡¯t looking very good at this moment.


    Initially, she wanted to humiliate Amelie. Yet, in the end, she was the one being humiliated instead.


    For that reason, she was feeling extremely upset.


    After all, her original intention had always been about letting everyone see that Amelie was never on


    par with her.


    She wanted everyone to know that she was top-tier while Amelie was nothing but amoner.


    I can achieve my goal if I win against the top-ranking racers, as long as Amelie doesn¡¯t challenge me to


    a race.


    But now¡­ If I win against Amelie, others will think that I¡¯m picking on the weak.


    If I lose¡­


    Lose? How can I possibly lose?


    ¡°Miss yton, don¡¯t think too much. Just crush her with your real strengthter and teach her how to


    properly behave,¡± Elyse¡¯s co-driver said sinisterly while banging the helmet on the car door.


    At the same time, she got into the car.


    Pursing her lips a little, she said, ¡°No. I won¡¯t do that. As a matter of fact, not only will I not do that, but I


    won¡¯t embarrass her, too. I will only race at a speed that¡¯s slightly faster than hers.¡±


    ¡°Miss yton. Her co-driver was slightly stunned. However, as soon as the co-driver understood what


    she meant, she gave Elyse a thumbs up. ¡°Genius!¡±


    What a brilliant move! In this way, Miss yton¡¯s image will instantly be aspirational, as outsiders


    will think she¡¯s noble for not getting angry and still unconditionally looking after the weak even after


    getting provoked in


    such a manner


    On the contrary, Amelie will be deemed a no-brainer and will only be looked down upon even more.


    There¡¯s nothing better than crushing someone by tormenting their mind.


    ¡°On your


    marks¡­¡± The starter¡¯s order rang in their ears as soon as their conversation came to an end.


    Meanwhile, on Amelie¡¯s side, Julia was fastening her seat belt.


    Amelie squinted her eyes slightly.


    Seeing this, Julia asked, ¡°Are your eyes okay?¡±


    In truth, Julia knew that Amelie could proceed with the race even without asking her.


    After all, not once did Amelie show signs of difort when the two of them participated in many races


    after she underwent a corneal donation.


    Amelie hid the fact that one of her eyes was visually impaired so well that Julia only found out about it


    recently.


    Nevertheless, perhaps Amelie would continue hiding the matter from Julia if she hadn¡¯t identally


    discovered it while searching through information when she went to Amelie¡¯s home.


    Amelie nodded.


    Well then¡­ shall we y with her first? We¡¯ll stay ahead of her by four to five meters?¡± Julia intended


    to y with Elyse.


    ¡°No.¡± Amelie curved the corner of her lips slightly.


    The starting gun sounded as soon as she said that.


    ¡°We will go at a great speed!¡± she said while stepping on the elerator.


    In the meantime, on Elyse¡¯s side, she only started her car at a slow pace after the starting gun


    sounded.


    Just when she was about to use her superb skills to keep a distance of about five meters between her


    car and Amelie¡¯s, the sight in front of her eyes suddenly went dark.


    A shadow flew by without warning!


    ¡°It¡¯s Julia¡¯s car!¡± the co-driver shouted.


    She didn¡¯t know Amelie and only recognized Julia.


    After the co-driver shouted, her eyes widened in utter surprise, and her lips parted into the shape of an


    O.


    She was so shocked that shepletely forgot to report the road conditions to Elyse.


    Man! That car was damn fast! It flew out in the blink of an eye just like a phantom!


    And I¡¯m not joking when I say that car flew!


    At the same time, Elyse also didn¡¯t expect that Amelie would go at such a great speed. She was


    stunned abruptly for a moment before she swiftly stepped on the elerator and kept up.


    However, no matter how hard she stepped on the elerator, the distance between her car and


    Amelie¡¯s just kept getting further apart.


    Why is she getting further away in front? Why can¡¯t I catch up with her car?!


    Panic instantly crept in as Elyse couldn¡¯t figure out the situation at all.


    She was so panic-stricken that she couldn¡¯t even steer her wheels well and was driving in a zig-zag


    manner.


    Seeing this, her co-driver could only keep giving her reminders.


    However, her mind went nk, and she couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    Nheless, she gradually calmed down in the end.


    The way Amelie drives make it feel like she is courting death!


    It¡¯s easy for her car to flip over if she drives like that, especially when passing through a corner. She will


    undoubtedly get into a car crash!


    Inexperienced racers who tend to bepetitive will drive in such a manner!


    Fine then. I¡¯ll let her be since she has a death wish!


    Thinking of this, Elyse adjusted herposure and steered her wheels straight.


    Then, instead of slowing down, she trailed after Amelie at full speed.


    Even if she gets into a car crash, I still have to overtake her and stay in front of her.


    ¡°There¡¯s a corner in 400 meters. Amelie¡¯s car will surely overturn there. We will overtake her there!¡± she


    said while twisting the corner of her lips into acent smirk.


    That¡¯s fine with me, too.


    Amelie¡¯s car will overturn while I will make a perfect full-speed turn.


    When that happens, everyone can easily tell who wins and who loses.


    Both cars arrived at the corner in the blink of an eye.


    Elyse didn¡¯t step on the brake and slow down. Instead, she steered the car through the corner at full


    speed.


    Yet, to her surprise, Amelie¡¯s car didn¡¯t flip over.


    As a matter of fact, not only did she not crash, but she also elerated even more at the corner.


    Amelie was already driving at a terrifying speed in the first ce. Still, she revved up the engine and


    sprinted like greased lightning when she took a turn at the corner. It was as though she was suddenly


    being possessed by a speed demon.


    If one would describe what it was like, it felt as though she had instantly transformed into the most


    powerful ghostly being in a horror movie, which could shift in seconds.


    The kind that could shift from one end of the sports ground to the other end in split seconds.


    No one saw clearly how Amelie raced her car. All they knew was that the car had already passed the


    corner by the time they looked closely.


    Out of the blue, someone perceived the knack and shouted, ¡°Ghost drift!¡±

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    He roughly shook Chris, who was sleeping with a shirt covering his eyes. ¡°Look! It¡¯s the ghost drift. It¡¯s


    back!¡±


    Chriszily opened his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re pulling my leg.¡±


    However, the other person stammered in response, ¡°L-look! Look!¡±


    The ghost drift was so fast that it was natural he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch a glimpse of it.


    However, Chris still saw it and saw how Elyse was overtaken by the other car and was left behind by a


    mile.


    He jumped off the car wanting to check the on-site monitor. Zoom! The other car had already returned


    to the starting point.


    Thepetition ended as Julia and Amelie got down from the car.


    Chris rubbed his eyes as he initially thought that it was Julia who was driving.


    However, after a second look, he confirmed that it was Amelie who got down from the driver¡¯s seat.


    It was surprising to him as Elyse was known to have good technique and even the majority of the men


    there weren¡¯t herpetition.


    However, Amelie won instead.


    The person who was talking to Chris was too excited that he ran over and knelt before Amelie before


    chanting, ¡°Idol! My idol!¡±


    His surname was Perez and people addressed him as Mr. Perez.


    He loved racing and was also a good person.


    Mr. Perez couldn¡¯t help but be in awe when he saw Amelie pull off the ghost drift.


    He was so impressed that he was willing to die right in front of her if someone told him to. That was


    how outstanding Amelie was to him.


    ¡°Ghost drift? Isn¡¯t that Dash¡¯s move?¡±


    The people nearby heard Mr. Perez¡¯s chant and they started talking about it.


    ¡°Could she be Dash?¡±


    ¡°Dash is a woman?¡±


    Back then, when Amelie was joining racingpetitions, she always had her heavy helmet on and


    never showed her face.


    Her racing suit was also gender neutral. So, everyone just felt that she was skinny and never assumed


    that she was a woman.


    Leo, who was standing not far away, didn¡¯t miss the race as well.


    Even though he felt that Amelie was overestimating herself, he was still worried.


    Racing was dangerous, and she could have lost her life. Despite her being a pain in the neck, he didn¡¯t


    want her to actually die


    In the end, not only did she not get into an ident, she even won against Elyse.


    That made Leo¡¯s somber gaze turn darker, but his dark eyes were glinting more than ever before.


    After their divorce, Amelie had indeed given him many surprises. However, none of them were as


    shocking as


    this.


    He had a cornea transnt, but his vision was notparable to those with normal eyesight. So, he


    couldn¡¯t see so far away and missed the ghost drift that happened.


    However, he knew very well that not many women could beat Elyse.


    Now that Amelie won with a much higher score, it could only mean that she was a professional!


    His useless ex-wife was a professional car-racer? What even?!


    ¡°Yo, can you believe that¡¯s the woman you missed out on?¡± Even though Chris didn¡¯t see Amelie¡¯s


    ghost drift, it was a fact that she won against Elyse.


    He walked over and taunted.


    Leo¡¯s face was rigid. He didn¡¯t respond, but his face hurt


    Indeed, Amelie¡¯s move this time was a p to his face.


    He treated her coldly for four years to vent his anger. In the eyes of the outsiders, it seemed like he was


    treating a gem like it was gravel.


    This was a huge blow to Leo¡¯s pride.


    If she had this capability, why did she hound him in the first ce?


    The more Amelie revealed herself, the more he couldn¡¯t understand her.


    On the other hand, Elyse walked over with her dark face. She didn¡¯tplete the racecourse.


    When Amelie used the ghost drift, she had already sealed the game.


    Soon after, the distance between her and Amelie only got farther. It was pointless to finish the whole


    course as it would only add to her humiliation.


    She stopped before Amelie. ¡°Miss Dillon, let¡¯s have another round.¡±


    Elyse was focused on driving just now and didn¡¯t notice how Amelie surpassed her.


    ¡°Why should we listen to you? We¡¯re not a doll,¡± Julia bluntly answered as she walked over.


    ¡°You guys were intentionally hiding your capability. Elyse was being nice and slowed down because


    she didn¡¯t want you to lose too badly. That wasn¡¯t her usual performance. We must have a rematch,¡±


    Elyse¡¯s co-driver, Tina, refuted vehemently.


    Julia let out augh. ¡°Honor the bet. Don¡¯t make excuses.¡±


    Her answer only made her look guilty in Tina¡¯s eyes and confirmed Tina¡¯s belief that they won because


    they were just lucky.


    So, she snickered, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re guilty of something.¡±


    Julia couldn¡¯t be bothered to reply. They were the real deal and didn¡¯t need to be afraid or feel guilty


    about anything


    However, Julia¡¯s disregard only angered Elyse as her face turned pink and her nails dug into her palms.


    Tina wanted toment more, but Elyse pulled on her arm to stop her. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯re right.


    We


    should honor the bet.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°But¡­¡± Tina looked at her with tear-filled eyes as she felt they were wronged.


    Elyse walked up to Amelie. ¡°Miss Dillon, you guys won.¡±


    With that, she walked toward Leo.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Amelie, who kept her head down all this while, suddenly called her.


    Batting her pretty eyshes, she agreed, ¡°Miss yton, I agree to another round.¡±


    ¡°What? Amy, why are you wasting your time with her?¡± Julia couldn¡¯tprehend her decision.


    Amelie smiled in response and whispered in a low voice that only both of them could hear. ¡°I have my


    reasons.¡±


    ¡°What reasons?¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t exin but traced a few words in the middle of Julia¡¯s palm.


    The confusion on her face suddenly turned into one of understanding. ¡°You¡¯re right. We should have


    another


    match!¡±


    Elyse conceded defeat on purpose to mislead the others. After all, she did wait for them at the start of


    the


    race.


    So, even if they had won, everyone would have thought that Elyse missed the perfect timing because


    she underestimated them. It wouldn¡¯t be considered a true defeat.


    Even if Elyse underestimated Amelie it was because she didn¡¯t know thetter¡¯s capabilities, so Elyse


    wanted to make it easier for Amelie. In the end, everyone would point their fingers at Amelie.


    Since she was skilled but hid them intentionally, it was as if she was waiting for Elyse to make a fool of


    herself.


    Ha. You want to make us the bad guys so that you¡¯ll look good? In your dreams!


    They both got in the car once more as the starter raised the pistol and another person held the timer.


    Even though Amelie had won just now, Elyse had indeed taken it easy on her at the start.


    Coupled with the fact that the ghost drift was too fast, not many people recognized it.


    So, everyone was unconvinced and wondered who would win and who would lose.


    But one thing was for sure, this was going to be an intense race.


    Everyone else left their cars and gathered naturally as they turned their focus to this side.


    Their faces were all tense; even more so than when joining the race themselves.


    ¡°Who do you guys think will win?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Who else could it be? It¡¯ll be Julia¡¯s team,¡± the first person to answer was Mr. Perez.


    The ghost drift that Amelie showed off just now was so spectacr that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off it.


    The answer to the question was a no-brainer for him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure of yourself. Elyse isn¡¯t an easy match. She¡¯s been in numerous big and small


    competitions these few years. She¡¯s got the experience. Besides, she lost only because she


    underestimated her opponent.¡±


    Brandon, who was standing beside him, pursed his lips in Amelie¡¯s direction. It was apparent he didn¡¯t


    think


    highly of her.


    Mr. Perez sniggered, ¡°You don¡¯t even know the ropes. Do you even race?¡±


    He was pretty rude and that made Brandon¡¯s face turn red in an instant as he stomped away.


    At the starting line, Amelie pat on her helmet as the corner of Julia¡¯s lips curved up. ¡°That¡¯s it? Don¡¯t


    you want to make this interesting?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s gaze was collected. ¡°Someone else probably wants to make it more interesting than you do.¡±


    She gestured in the opposite direction with her chin.


    Julia turned her head around to see the door to the car parked parallel to theirs pushed open and Tina


    got down from it.


    She raised her helmet and waved it at Chris. ¡°Let¡¯s make this more exciting.¡±

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    Ditching his devil-may-care attitude from earlier, Chris asked, ¡°Something thrilling? What is it?¡±


    As he asked, he had already put on the racing suit that had just been thrown aside.


    The orange racing suit, the well-groomed hair, and a pair of cool, big sunsses kind of gave Chris the


    vibe of a dashing idol racer.


    Tina pursed her lips in the direction of Julia and Amelie. A meaningful smile appeared on her face as


    she suggested, ¡°How about we race there?¡±


    As she spoke, she pointed over with her hand that was holding the helmet.


    Everyone gasped in unison when they saw the direction Tina was pointing at. That¡¯s a newly opened


    racetrack! What¡¯s more, it¡¯s a field track for rally racing. It connects extremelyplex mountain routes


    and waterways. Every corner is sharp and powerful. And since it¡¯s a newly built track, racers have yet


    to race on it. Hence, no one knows the track¡¯s condition. Racing on that track is equivalent to a mini


    outdoor survival race Outdoor survival races are very dangerous even during the day, let alone at night.


    The risk factor is undoubtedly multiplied during the night.


    Instead of answering right away, Chris simply tapped his fingers on his car.


    Tina strode up to Julia and Amelie. ¡°What do youdies think?¡± she asked while tilting her head to one


    side. However, the corner of her lips curled up into a provocative smirk.


    ough Julia showed no signs of expressions on her face, deep down, she was already scoffing at Tina.


    Jam the megastar in the livestreammerce industry. I have always been the only one who dares


    others. This is actually my first time being dared upon. Then again, I have used this same trick


    countless times. Of course, I won¡¯t be provoked so easily.


    Instead of answering, Julia made her way toward Elyse. ¡°Miss yton, is this your suggestion?¡± Julia


    asked in an extremely loud voice while fixing her gaze on Elyse.


    She wanted Elyse to answer the question herself.


    Seeing Julia didn¡¯t dare to answer her directly, Tina thought they were guilty.


    At this moment, her slightly low mood earlier was reced by upscaled confidence.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s¡­¡±


    However, Julia had already opened her car door and walked up to Elyse before Tina finished speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather hear from Miss yton herself.¡±


    Meanwhile, Elyse sat in her car.


    Despite wearing a racing suit, she still exuded an exquisitely beautiful and dazzling aura.


    Putting on a perfectly gentle and delicate smile, she replied, ¡°Tina said she wanted to race, so I don¡¯t


    want to be a spoilsport and ruin it for her.¡±


    At that, Julia nodded and said with a faint smile, ¡°I see.¡±


    Although Julia had said nothing more, Elyse could feel that Julia was ridiculing her.


    She silently nipped her fingers, which were hidden in the dark. And a trace of annoyance arising from


    being provoked speedily surfaced across her face.


    However, due to poor lighting and fast speed, no one managed to notice this.


    Truthfully, I meant to challenge Amelie and Julia to this race. However, considering I am a celebrity with


    a


    goddess-like character, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise for me to leave an impression of beingpetitive in the


    eyes of the public. It was just a suggestion that I ingeniously mentioned briefly, yet Tina fell for it.


    Whatever. Tina doesn¡¯t even know that she¡¯s being taken advantage of anyway. So, I have nothing to


    be worried about. Still putting on a beautiful and delicate smile, Elyse nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    After Julia was done asking Elyse, she got around behind the crowd.


    Since everyone didn¡¯t know what Julia was up to, their gaze followed her silhouette.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, do you agree to have this race too?¡± she asked with her lips raised as she stood in front of


    a tall silhouette.


    Leo had been standing there the whole time.


    Usually, he would be the most prominent figure, no matter where he stood.


    In fact, it had always been that way.


    Many would notice him even if he stood in the most secluded and darkest spot.


    However, the race between Amelie and Elyse earlier subverted too many circumstances that it


    sessfully diverted everyone¡¯s attention away from Leo, causing him to be ignored.


    The crowd, on the other hand, all showed meaningful expressions when they saw Juliaing to look


    for Leo.


    As Amelie¡¯s superb performance in the race earlier drew plenty of attention, many who didn¡¯t know her


    before couldn¡¯t help but be curious about her identity.


    After asking each other, everyone now knew that Amelie was Leo¡¯s ex-wife.


    Considering that a triangr rtionship involving an ex-wife and a first love had always been the most


    intriguing topic, their interactions undoubtedly became a hot topic. Not to mention, Amelie and Elyse


    even showed up on the same asion at the same time.


    They secretly praised Julia for even daring to provoke someone like Leo while anticipating Leo¡¯s reply


    in a gossipy manner.


    As for Leo, he merely looked at Julia with those pair of obsidian-like eyes; not an ounce of expression


    was seen on his handsome face.


    He pursed his lips and didn¡¯t make a sound.


    Julia smiled. ¡°After all, Miss yton is your darling lover. You seriously won¡¯t mind if she races on such


    a dangerous trackte at night?¡±


    Forget about the crowd present; anyone would overthink the current situation after they saw her looking


    for Elyse and Leo.


    At this moment, not only Tina, but the others, too, felt that Ameliecked confidence. So, was Amelie¡¯s


    victory earlier a mere coincidence?


    ¡°Miss White, you can just pretend I never came up with this suggestion if you aren¡¯t up for this race.¡±


    Tina smiled and said with an expression as though she really understood Julia.


    Even so, the meaning hidden behind Tina¡¯s expression was as clear as day.


    After that, she turned around and walked to her car.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was out, did I?¡± Julia¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that Miss yton is being


    overly impulsive so I¡¯m rifying with her in advance.¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Julia sounded so confident that even Elyse, who sat in the car, couldn¡¯t hold back her facial expression


    and was on the brink of cracking.


    Julia is clearly implying that I can¡¯t win against them! As she thought of this, Elyse tweaked her fingers


    so hard that she broke several of her nails.


    ¡°Us? Impulsive?! You two are the ones who are impulsive!¡± As Tina was no match for Julia in terms of


    knack, she instantly was on the brink of blowing a fuse.


    Just when she was about tosh out her anger, Elyse jumped out of the car and held her back. ¡°That¡¯s


    enough. Miss White was just being nice.¡±


    After hearing that, Tina spoke nothing more and walked toward the car sullenly.


    Elyse, on the other hand, gracefully walked up to Leo and said with a cutesy smile on her face, ¡°Leo, I¡¯ll


    go race now.¡± The smile was so sweet and tender that even people around could feel its sweetness.


    Initially, they expected that Leo would respond with the same amount of tenderness, disying their


    affection in public.


    However, he showed no reaction for a long time.


    Out of curiosity, everyone couldn¡¯t help but look over and follow his gaze.


    They saw Leo looking past Elyse and casting his gaze on the car stopped in front of the track-the car


    which Amelie was in.


    The reason for me to look for Leo after suffering so much aggravation is nothing more than wanting to


    provoke Julia and Amelie. Yet, in the end, not only did I not get Leo¡¯s attention, but he is checking on


    Amelie instead! Elyse could barely hold the smile on her face. Annoyed, her face twisted so much to


    the point itpletely lost the sweet smile she had earlier.


    In reality, Leo wasn¡¯t thinking about anything else other than Amelie¡¯sck of response at this moment.


    Julia, Elyse, and Tina have all expressed their voices. Only Amelie didn¡¯te to me. Even though she


    has disyed her extremely strong racing skill just now, rally racing ispletely different from circuit


    racing. There are many uncontroble factors in a rally. Racers who are good at circuit racing may not


    be able to do well in rally racing. I¡¯m just worried that Amelie might not have enough capability to


    compete in rally racing. Then again, no matter how worried I am, why should I shamelessly remind


    Amelie when even she stays silent?


    As he thought of that, Leo gradually withdrew his gaze. Then, he nodded at Elyse. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Only then did Elyse smile sweetly again. ¡°I will.¡±


    Then, she walked back to her car gracefully. When she passed by Amelie, she raised her helmet and


    said, ¡°Good luck.¡±


    However, Amelie pretended not to see it.


    The crowd, on the other hand, watched this interaction in silence.


    Chris smiled andplimented, ¡°She¡¯s got quite a personality, hasn¡¯t she?¡±


    With that, Mr. Perez nodded. ¡°Just my type.¡±


    As soon as he said that, he suddenly felt a gloomy chill running down her spine. He turned around,


    touched his back with a puzzled expression, and happened to meet Leo¡¯s gaze.


    Oh! What a scary gaze! ¡°I-I was talking about Miss Dillon,¡± he exined while rubbing the back of his


    head.


    Mr. Perez wholeheartedly thought that Leo was angry with him because he misunderstood that he


    fancied Elyse


    Little did he know, it was better for him to keep his mouth shut in the first ce, for the coldness in


    Leo¡¯s gaze became sharper and colder as soon as he said that.


    Sensing this, Mr. Perez finally shut up.


    As for Chris, he smiled meaningfully when he saw Leo¡¯s gaze. All men share onemon problem.


    They can¡¯t bear to watch other men eyeing even their ex-wives.


    Thinking of this, Chris deliberately touched his hair and spoke loudly. ¡°Say, what kind of man will my ex-


    cousin-inw be married to in the future for her second marriage?¡±


    When Leo heard those words, he merely turned around to face Chris with his back.


    Allpeting racers took their position once the rules of the race were set.


    Chris sent someone to retrieve the surveince footage along the track, asking them to disy it on the


    big


    screen.


    With that, the staff retrieved the surveince footage. Soon, they adjusted the screen to show the


    starting position.


    In an instant, the image of both cars magnified in front of their eyes.


    When they saw what Julia and Amelie were doing in their car, Chris shouted, ¡°Damn!¡±


    Besides Chris, Mr. Perez was also in the surveince room. He, too, shouted, ¡°My God! What are they


    trying to do?!¡±

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    *Julia is so fussy. She must be feeling guilty with all the big talk and fumbling around.¡± Tina put on her


    helmet swiftly as her face brightened up with confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll surely win this round.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate your opponents!¡± Elyse didn¡¯t reply to her but reminded her.


    This time, she wouldn¡¯t give Amelie any chance to overtake her.


    The corners of her lips curved lip ever so slightly in mockery.


    From what she saw, she felt that everything Amelie did just now was to get Leo¡¯s attention.


    In the end, Amelie was still hung over him! Elyse would show her straight to the face that she would


    always be better!


    Tina didn¡¯t say anything else and nodded. The failure we experienced just now was embarrassing


    enough, so I would perform my best this round, she thought as she turned around to grab the machine


    used by co-drivers.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    As she turned around, she just so happened to see Julia and Amelie who were standing opposite them


    as the machine in her hand fell onto the ground with a thud.


    ¡°Elyse! Elyse! Look!¡± She pulled on Elyse as she shouted.


    Elyse looked in the direction of her gaze to see Julia holding up a blindfold to cover Amelie¡¯s eyes


    e they doing?¡± Tina was a pretty mature co-driver, but at the moment she looked like she had seen


    Racing was a bet between life and death. Racers all wished to have a better vision of the road, but now


    that someone was blindfolding themselves. It was unheard of.


    Disbelief rose in Elyse¡¯s eyes as with everyone else.


    However, the two people that were at the center of attention were indifferent as they continued to


    banter andugh.


    ¡°We¡¯re here for the match. Why did you have to taunt Leo?¡± Amelie asked as she tucked on the


    blindfold covering her eyes.


    Julia humphed, ¡°Nobody likes that b*stard and b*tch couple. He¡¯s usually very busy. Now that we have


    the chance, I need to make it worthwhile!¡±


    She wanted to seize every opportunity she could to make life tough for Leo.


    Amelie shuddered. Whomever you cross, you must not cross Julia. She is too scary.


    ¡°Besides, we didn¡¯t y any dirty tricks. It was merely a tactic to numb the enemies.¡±


    Amelie couldn¡¯t hold back augh at her words. ¡°If that was a tactic to numb the enemies, then what is


    this now?¡± She pointed at the cloth on her face.


    Julia snapped her fingers. ¡°This shatters their pride. I¡¯ll see if they still have the mood to race!¡±


    In the end, Julia wanted to use these tactics of hers to torture Elyse.


    Amelie knew what she meant.


    it was a coincidence that the aperture for both of her eyes was different and that she was easily


    dazzled. So, it was better to blindfold herself anyways.


    They had done the blindfold training many times. So, it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    However, everyone else didn¡¯t think so, especially Tina as she angrily punched the car. ¡°What is the


    meaning. of this? Is she looking down at us?¡±


    If Amelie raced while blindfolded, it was as if she was telling the world that even if she couldn¡¯t see,


    Tina and Elyse still wouldn¡¯t be able to beat them.


    This wasn¡¯t just merely looking down at them. It was aplete humiliation!


    Elyse¡¯s fingers dug into her palms as her legs which were positioned under the steering wheel stepped


    hard as if it was pushing a hole through the bottom of the car.


    She should have been more ruthless back then and left Amelie to freeze to death in the snow. If Amelie


    was dead, Amelie wouldn¡¯t be alive now to be a nuisance to her!


    Trying hard to suppress her anger, Elyse took a few deep breaths before turning around to look at Tina.


    ¡°They¡¯re just ying mind tricks so that we¡¯ll panic. Look at you. It¡¯s working.¡±


    Once Tina heard those words, she also took a deep breath and opened the dedicated navigation


    system to check the road conditions.


    While they had calmed down and were in the zone, everyone else was still worked up and chatted non-


    stop.


    ¡°It¡¯s sote at night. Does she have a death wish to race blindfolded?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth it to put your life on the line just to be vindictive, right?¡±


    After knowing the rtionship between Amelie, Elyse, and Leo, everyone just thought that Amelie was


    going crazy trying to vent her anger.


    ¡°She must have had the skills if she dared to blindfold herself. She¡¯s not stupid and she can drive well.


    Amelie knows what she¡¯s doing.¡± Mr. Perez was already a die-hard fan as he stood on Amelie¡¯s side.


    ¡°How should I put it? Isn¡¯t Amelie being a bit too much? They are divorced. Marriage is a personal


    choice. Why not let go of him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Look at Elyse. She¡¯s being so kind by giving in every time Amelie provokes her.¡±


    Many people started to lean toward Elyse now.


    Based on the current situation, it did seem like Amelie kept looking for trouble with Elyse.


    ¡°She had kept a low profile in the Alston Family for five years without any hups. There must be a


    reason for her to suddenly act up. We are outsiders. We shouldn¡¯t be talking about their private life


    when we know nothing,¡± Chris steadilymented.


    After that, he casually blew on the dust on his fingertips and jumped into the car.


    Everyone who heard him felt that he was right and nodded in agreement.


    Now, they all stopped pointing their fingers at Amelie and started to guess how she had been wronged


    instead.


    She had been married to Leo for five years, yet only a handful of people knew. Leo also didn¡¯t bring her


    with him to any events. It was enough of a reason to see how unpopr she was in the Alstons.


    It didn¡¯t feel right as Leo had at least married Amelie through the standard marriage procedures.


    However, he just neglected her like that.


    ¡°Ready!¡± the starter yelled themand as both cars got in line.


    Chris also stepped on the gas.


    Mr. Perez¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Mr. Alston, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s boring looking at the monitor. I want to see the live version.¡±


    ¡°Count me in!¡± Mr. Perez grabbed and pulled Chris¡¯ co-driver out of the car and jumped in right in time


    as the pistol was shot.


    Vroom!


    Vroom!


    After the two revving sounds, both cars shot out at lightning speed.


    Chris also put his foot on the gas and followed suit.


    The car had to first drive out the bends before entering the field track.


    The bends were so narrow and tight that even during the day, racers would have a hard time.


    The two cars were spinning in the track like two birdlings fighting in their nest in danger of being thrown


    out at any time!


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    The crowd gasped in awe, especially at Amelie and Julia¡¯s car as they would repeatedly edge to the


    sides of


    the track.


    One mistake, and they would be thrown out of the track.


    There was once when half the wheel was suspended in air, and they narrowly slid past using only the


    other two wheels.


    As the engines revved, the wheels kicked up a sandstorm!


    If this had been a performance, everyone would have been pping and cheering.


    However, this was apetition and a rather risky one at that.


    Everyone in the audience could feel cold sweat trickling down their body.


    ¡°Driving blindfolded is a death wish. I bet that Amelie wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of the bend.¡± Someone


    had already predicted their death as if they knew their future.


    On the track, Elyse stepped hard on the gas as she spun the steering wheel to make numerous turns.


    Even though she also had a few close calls, her driving was more stable than Amelie¡¯s.


    When half of Amelie¡¯s car flew out the track, Elyse took the opportunity to elerate and overtook


    them.


    ¡°Sh*t! Sh*t!¡±


    Behind them, Chris and Mr. Perez both cursed as they broke out in cold sweats for Amelie.


    Mr. Perez clenched his fist and hit the car frame. ¡°My Idol. Hang in there. You got this.¡±


    Even though Chris was also agitated, he hadn¡¯t seen Amelie¡¯s ghost drift. So, he wasn¡¯t as excited as


    Mr.


    Perez


    He just didn¡¯t want Elyse to win.


    On the other hand, at the surveince monitors, Leo had returned after smoking two cigarettes.


    The person in charge of the monitors was quickly switching between the scenes.


    When Leo saw the car sh by in the scene with Amelie¡¯s face covered by a white cloth, his hands


    mped onto the chair.


    Amelie ispeting blindfolded! Does she want to die?! His hands tightened as the veins all popped


    up.


    His eyes were wider than ever before, and his lips pursed so tightly that they went pale as his face


    turned rigid and cold.


    ¡°Check that out. Mr. Alston is worried about Miss yton.¡± Someone didn¡¯t know what happened and


    only assumed that Leo feared for Elyse¡¯s safety.


    Besides the few years that Leo had lost his eyesight, it had been ages since he had been this


    distressed.


    Out of nowhere, he split the chair into two with a heavy punch.


    Then, he grabbed his phone and called Chris. ¡°End the race now! Right this instance!¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    Chris¡¯ heart was pounding like crazy. He couldn¡¯t take his hands off the steering wheel and wasn¡¯t in


    the position to answer Leo¡¯s call.


    It was Perez who answered the phone in his stead. He had to ry the message a few times before


    Chris finally understood what was happening.


    ¡°Tell him that thepetition has already begun! It won¡¯t stop even if I force them to!¡± Chris roared,


    though most of it was muffled due to the deafening wind.


    Still, it was still loud enough for Leo to catch what he said.


    He gripped the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white.


    He never knew that Amelie would be this insane!


    After what felt like ages, he finally turned his eyes back on the screen.


    What he witnessed made him freeze!


    He couldn¡¯t tear his eyes off the sight.


    The car that had been swerving left and right in a precarious manner flew up at the veryst turn!


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡±


    The audience had their eyes peeled on the screen and began eximing in shock when they saw the


    car lifting off the ground.


    They could already imagine just how severe the crash would be when the carnded.


    Judging from the velocity alone, it would surely be a fatal impact!


    Amelie and Julia were doomed!


    Someone even started calling the police as this scene appeared before their eyes.


    ¡°What the hell?! What the f*ck?!¡±


    The footage soon captured Chris and Perez, who had been desperately trying to catch up to them.


    Both of them cursed at the same time when they saw that they¡¯d failed to stop the impending ident.


    T-They¡¯ve been overtaken!¡± Perez abruptly yelled in agitation as he pointed toward the front.


    The video stream didn¡¯t cut to where his hands were wildly gesturing toward, so everyone could only


    stare at the two men¡¯s expressions in utter confusion.


    ¡°Quick! Cut back to the other camera!¡± One of the onlookers was so frazzled that he shoved his


    colleague as though he was a bus and was trying to run the dawdling obstacle over!


    Atst, the footage on the screen changed.


    To their immense surprise, they only saw Elyse¡¯s car. Plus, it was the only one racing down the track.


    ¡°What about Amelie and Julia?¡±


    ¡°Did they crash?¡±


    ¡°Is there any sign of the wreckage?¡±


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Leo¡¯s eyes remained fixated on the screen.


    All he could see was Elyse¡¯s car.


    His hand clenched even tighter as his muscles tensed!


    Even though he loathed Amelie with every fiber of his being, he never wanted her dead¡­


    He never thought that he would one day lose control because of Amelie. His heart was about to jump


    out of his chest. He had never reacted this way before!


    ¡°Look! They¡¯re fine! They¡¯re up ahead!¡±


    The engineer¡¯s voice rang out with sheer relief and excitement.


    He had been switching through the cameras, hoping this wouldn¡¯t end in a tragedy.


    After he had switched through all three different viewpoints of the track and still couldn¡¯t see a single


    sign of Amelie and Julia¡¯s car, he had slowly begun to lose all hope.


    He never would¡¯ve thought their car would finally show up on the fourth camera he chose!


    ¡°Oh, my goodness! Amelie and Julia are alive!¡±


    ¡°They overtook the other car!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re so far ahead too!¡±


    Everyone began pping so hard that their palms were red, though it was uncertain what they were


    truly feeling.


    Some were even so overjoyed that they teared up.


    There was no way of describing what the crowd was feeling at this moment.


    Some of them were in awe of Amelie and Julia¡¯s excellent skills.


    A few in the crowd closed their eyes as they exhaled in relief, wholly d that they weren¡¯t about to


    witness a double death.


    The tension slowly seeped out of Leo¡¯s body as he slowly rxed.


    He didn¡¯t know what had gotten into him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. No one has ever raced blindfolded before.¡±


    ¡°And to have achieved such an excellent result too!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet that she¡¯s Dash!¡±


    Leo caught all the praises and cheers from the surrounding crowd. Then, he clenched his fists again.


    Amelie is Dash?


    He wouldn¡¯t even bother to entertain this possibility in the past.


    However, after he had a front-row seat in witnessing her ability, he couldn¡¯t dismiss that thought any


    longer.


    His confusion began to cloud his eyes.


    ¡°Great job, Amelie!¡± Julia cheered loudly in the car.


    It was better to drive blindfolded when racing down an off-road circuit.


    Off-road tracks were a lot moreplex and relied heavily on the co-driver¡¯s navigational skills.


    One didn¡¯t really need the driver¡¯s sight.


    At times, it might even affect the racer¡¯s judgment.


    Naturally, the two knew full well that even though the twists and turns were rming, they were never


    in any real danger.


    Amelie didn¡¯t respond as she was entirely focused on driving.


    Nevertheless, her lips curved into the smile that only Dash would have.


    A brilliant, confident smile that wasbined with a racer¡¯s fearlessness and a woman¡¯s grace.


    She shone brightly like a dazzling diamond! Even though she blindfolded her eyes, even in the


    darkness of the night.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! She¡¯s cool!¡±


    Behind them, Chris screamed his head off in excitement when he saw that Amelie¡¯s car had overtaken


    Elyse¡¯s.


    With Perez¡¯s help, the two men overtook Elyse and hurled down the track.


    They were so ecstatic that they didn¡¯t see the drain in front of them.


    Chris¡¯ car flew straight¡­ into the drain.


    Amelie and Julia waited at the finish line for quite some time before Elyse¡¯s car finally approached.


    Julia had lost all patience and had already fallen asleep inside the car.


    Amelie was the only one standing outside the car. She had her head lowered as her foot leisurely drew


    circles in the ground.


    Elyse stopped the car and mmed the door behind her before stomping over.


    Tina, who was still sitting inside the car, secretly checked the time.


    They were ten whole minutes slower than Amelie!


    To a racer, ten minutes was longer than a lifetime! It was utter humiliation!


    Elyse marched over to Amelie and snapped icily, ¡°You wiped the floor with me. Are you finally happy


    now?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s expression remained aloof, and she merely nced at Elyse without responding.


    In contrast to Elyse¡¯s fury, Amelie was as calm as a cucumber.


    Elyse no longer attempted to hide what she truly felt.


    Amelie¡¯sck of response made Elyse feel as if she was being disregarded and secretly mocked.


    She balled her fists as if she wanted to choke Amelie to death.


    Nheless, at the very next moment, she forced herself to smile.


    ¡°So what if you won? Leo¡¯s mine. He¡¯s the one who asked me to go out with him. We¡¯ll be getting


    married, too. He won¡¯t be getting back with you for the rest of your life, no matter how aplished


    you are!¡±


    Amelie slowly straightened her posture in the face of Elyse¡¯s words.


    Her gaze became cial as she stared straight into Elyse¡¯s eyes. ¡°Leo Alston isn¡¯t the reason why I


    competed against you today. I don¡¯t care whether you will be engaged or married to that man. As for


    getting back with him¡­ I¡¯m sorry to say you¡¯re so delusional I don¡¯t even know where to start, Miss


    yton.¡±


    ¡°Am I the one overthinking things, or are you the one who¡¯s just putting on an act, huh?¡± Elyse didn¡¯t


    believe a word of what Amelie said. ¡°You say you didn¡¯tpete against me because of Leo, but what


    else is there between us, apart from him?¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°What else is there, you ask.¡± Amelie tapped the edge of the car and looked into the distance. ¡°Have


    you forgotten already, Miss yton? Four years ago, you nearly killed both my child and me!¡±


    ¡°W-What are you talking about?¡± Elyse¡¯s heart jolted as she stared tersely at Amelie.


    She wasn¡¯t as confident as she acted.


    Amelie turned around and stared right into Elyse¡¯s eyes. ¡°Four years ago, you heard from Ashton that


    Leo and I were going to visit the cemetery, so you purposely timed it just right and called Leo for help


    while we were on the way there. You imed you were being kidnapped. Because of this, Leo ditched


    my unborn child and me to rescue you. Did you forget about this?¡±


    Twas in trouble!¡± Elyse¡¯s expression turned stiff briefly as she tried to defend herself. ¡°You¡¯re the one


    who wasn¡¯t important enough to him! How can you me me for that? If I were you, I would¡¯ve


    epted reality back then and left Leo!¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Amelie snorted coldly, but she wasn¡¯t in a rush to respond.


    Elyse froze as she finally saw Amelie for who she was.


    She couldn¡¯t deny that she had always thought of Amelie as someone who was beneath her, but


    Amelie¡¯s snort felt like a p in the face.


    The color began draining out of her face as she realized she had bitten more than she could chew.


    Amelie¡¯s gaze was piercing enough to rip her pretense to shreds!


    ¡°You faked your kidnapping, and Leo had to run around in exhaustion for several days just for you. You


    didn¡¯t feel bad about making him go through all that.¡±


    ¡°F-Faked?¡± Elyse¡¯s mind went nk.


    She stared at Amelie in disbelief.


    I made sure no one would ever find out about it! Even Leo didn¡¯t notice anything amiss. How does she


    know?


    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you babbling about?!¡± Elyse tried to defend herself against Amelie.


    Amelie held up her phone and showed her the screen. ¡°I¡¯ve already located the person who was the


    mastermind behind that incident. That person is currently in the city of Chatty in ronia, and the


    address


    is¡­


    She easily listed the person¡¯s details, including address and phone number.


    ¡°I have proof if you want it.¡±


    Elyse was rendered mute as she felt her house of cards crumbling beneath her.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible


    Did Amelie not only one up her when it came to racing but even unearthed the truth about the incident


    years ago?


    Elyse¡¯s expression morphed into one of fear and panic. Even her hands began to tremble as she


    thought of the potential consequences.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste any more time on Elyse, so she got back into the car without a


    backward nce.


    Then, she started the engine and drove off, leaving Elyse staring helplessly as she departed.


    Elyse¡¯s hands and feet had gone mmy, and she cautiously nced behind her.


    Tina was in the car, but it was quite a distance away, so she wouldn¡¯t have heard anything. Julia was


    also asleep. Thus, no one saw her losing herposure.


    It¡¯s fine. I just have to get this sorted outter. Everything will be fine. With this thought in mind, Elyse


    gathered her emotions and returned to the car.


    Yet, she stopped dead in her tracks after only a few steps.


    A figure was standing quietly, not too far away from her.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    The person was standing in the shadow, so she couldn¡¯t see his face clearly.


    Still, she heard the name Alston as someone called out to him.


    Elyse was so terrified that her soul nearly left her body. She rushed forward and grabbed the man¡¯s


    arm as she cried out, ¡°That¡¯s all a lie, Leo! Don¡¯t believe Amelie! It¡¯s all fake! I didn¡¯t¡­ do that. Don¡¯t


    believe her, no matter what evidence she shows you.¡±


    ¡°So, I should believe you instead?¡±


    The voice sounded amused.


    It also sounded dismissive.


    There was even a hint of derision.


    This isn¡¯t Leo¡¯s voice!


    As soon as Elyse realized that, she quickly lifted her head.


    A young and handsome face greeted her.


    ¡°C-Chris?¡±


    Elyse turned even paler when she saw Chris.


    She wanted to clench her hands, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Chris looked at her with a slight smile on his face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. The amazing goddess, Miss Elyse


    yton, would actually do such a thing. What would my cousin think if he found out about this?¡±


    Elyse began to quiver like a leaf.


    She also turned as white as a sheet.


    ¡°Amelie¡­ lied! It¡¯s a lie!¡± she refuted weakly.


    Chris scratched his ear. ¡°Since it¡¯s just a lie, why don¡¯t I check the address that she mentioned? Maybe


    I¡¯ll end up finding the person she was referring to.¡±


    He repeated the address Amelie had given. He could even recall the phone number as well.


    Elyse¡¯s lips trembled, and she could not bring herself to speak.


    She was mortified that her dirty deeds had been exposed.


    Her eyes welled up with tears.


    Chris snorted at the sight. The instant she began crying, it thoroughly took all the fun out of things, so


    he grabbed his helmet and strode away.


    ¡°Chris!¡± Elyse desperately grabbed onto his clothes. ¡°You won¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell Leo.¡± Chris could read Elyse like a book.


    Even his expression turned into one of scorn when he regarded her.


    He shook his clothes out of her grip with a look of unconcealed disdain.


    Although Elyse was humiliated, Chris¡¯ promise made her heart settle.


    It didn¡¯t matter who else knew about it as long as Leo didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give the evidence to Leo?¡± Julia couldn¡¯t help but pipe up during the ride back.


    She was awake when Amelie and Elyse had their little chat, so she overheard everything.


    Amelie smiled faintly. ¡°Why should I tell him?¡±


    She discovered the truth by ident not long after the divorce.


    ¡°So, he realizes just how evil and conniving Elyse is, of course.¡±


    ¡°Even if he does, he won¡¯t leave her. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter to me whether or not he¡¯s with her.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s expression remained indifferent.


    Her eyes no longer lit up at the mention of Leo. It was as if he was just a stranger in her life.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to make that b*stard ufortable, at least.¡± Julia couldn¡¯t get over the difficult ordeal


    Amelie had been through.


    Amelie nudged Julia lightly with her elbow. ¡°Instead of wasting my time to make my ex ufortable, I


    could spend that time on finding ways to earn more money and live a better life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point!¡± Julia agreed wholeheartedly.


    When the two drove back to the starting point, everyone mbered over to congratte them.


    Amelie responded politely, but she didn¡¯t seem to be in a rather celebratory mood despite her victory.


    To her, it was an entirely meaninglesspetition.


    She had onlye to apany Julia. So, from her perspective, it was an unexpected boon when


    she got the chance to torture the despicable people handed to her on a silver tter.


    Meanwhile, the crowd had been so caught up in the fight between Amelie and Elyse that they forgot


    about theirpetitions.


    Now that the dust had settled, they began preparing for their respective races as well.


    Naturally, after the two races earlier, everyone was certain that they couldn¡¯t hold a torch against


    Amelie. Thus, no one dared to challenge her.


    Amelie packed her things and got ready to leave while someone struck up ast-minute discussion


    about a telemarketing contract with Julia.


    Once Amelie had gotten everything in order, she felt someone approaching her from behind and


    assumed that it was Julia, so she said, ¡°Get in the car.¡±


    The person didn¡¯t move.


    Amelie found it strange, so she looked up.


    When she spotted the suit, she realized that it definitely wasn¡¯t Julia.


    A tall man with broad shoulders was standing in front of her.


    He had a stately pose thatplemented his prominent features. Regardless, his gaze seemed a little


    dark.


    It was Leo.


    His hands were by his side as he stared at her. His expression was unreadable, and there was no


    telling what


    was on his mind.


    ¡°Miss yton is not in any danger. She¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t figure out why he was looking


    for her, so she simply said the first thing she could think of.


    ¡°Why did you marry me back then?¡± Leo asked instead of responding to what Amelie said.


    Amelie was startled by that abrupt question.


    She couldn¡¯t help staring at him dumbly as she tried to understand his train of thought.


    He never asked this question throughout their four years of marriage.


    Was he suddenly curious about it now?


    ¡°What were you after?¡± Leo pressed further.


    He looked down at the woman who was only half a head shorter than him.


    She was an incredible racer. She would¡¯ve earned a fortune just from racing alone.


    She was reasonably attractive too.


    She wasn¡¯t someone who had to rely onnding a rich man to have a good life.


    ¡°What was I after?¡± Leo¡¯s question felt like a knife that stabbed Amelie where it hurt the most.


    A sense of humiliation poured out of the wound and overwhelmed her.


    It was so excruciatingly painful!


    Even now, he still thinks I married him because I wanted something from him.


    What followed the pain was an overwhelming sense of degradation.


    Her emotions red up in a righteous fury!


    She was furious, but she smiled through her anger as she quipped. ¡°I was blind and foolish, so I made


    a mistake. So sorry about that.¡±


    He was the one who forgot about his promise and betrayed me, but he¡¯s now asking me what I was


    after.


    What a joke!


    Amelie might have told him the truth if he had asked her about this during their marriage.


    Nevertheless, they were divorced now, so what was the point of bringing this up again?


    ¡°Blind and foolish?!¡±


    Leo had genuinely wanted to know, but all he got were those three words..


    Amelie had used those three words to negate their entire marriage, including him!


    The anger that burned inside him seemed to set him on fire!


    The angrier he was, the colder his expression became, and the icier the look in his eyes.


    His lips curved into a mirthless smile.


    It was a smile that could freeze a person¡¯s soul!


    ¡°Anyone can im I did wrong by them, except for you?¡± Leo dered heartlessly. ¡°Have you


    forgotten? You¡¯re the one who insisted on marrying me I never forced you!¡±


    Amelie silently looked at the cold, heartless man in front of her. She didn¡¯t know whether she should


    laugh or cry at his brazen and hurtful remarks.


    His words turned all her effort and sacrifice into the act of someone who willingly demeaned herself!


    Leo¡¯s heart would always be as hard as a rock whenever the situation involved her.


    Since he was always like this, why should she go forward and hurt herself over and over again, trying


    to warm that cold, dead heart?


    She drew up ramrod straight as her tiny face turned dark ang. ¡°Leo Alston, anyone else has the right to


    say what you just said to me except for you!¡±


    She threw his words back in his face!


    Leo stared at her in disbelief.


    Her gaze was stone cold!


    Her imposing manner made her seem like someone who was far beyond his reach!


    She was the one at fault, so how could she sound as if she was in the right?


    Leo felt ufortable, and he regretteding over.


    ¡°You¡¯repletely unreasonable! Leo snapped as his gaze turned derisive once more.


    Amelie approached him, and her figure was partially hidden in his shadow, but her eyes remained as


    bright as


    ever.


    She pursed her lips tightly before saying, ¡°You asked me what I was after, right? After everything that


    I¡¯ve done for you, Leo, you have no right to object to anything I ask for. Even if I ask for half of your


    assets, it still won¡¯t be a loss to you!¡±


    As soon as she said those words, Leo¡¯s brows knitted tightly.


    His expression rapidly turned nasty!


    It was easy enough to read. What he was thinking was, I knew it!She was after the Alstons¡¯ family


    fortune!


    ¡°However¡­¡± Amelie smiled as she trailed away mid-sentence.


    Her smile was as pure as the morning dew, yet¡­ It gave others an uneasy feeling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything! As I said before, I¡¯ll just think of it as an act of charity, especially since it¡¯s you!¡±


    She walked off as soon as she finished speaking.


    Leo¡¯s expression turned even more unpleasant at these words.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    How dare she?! It¡¯s one thing to twist things around unreasonably, but how can she portray me as a


    beggar living off her money?!


    He stormed forward and grabbed her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me right here, right now, just what kind of


    incredible sacrifice you¡¯ve made for the Alstons and me?! You said it was charity, right? So, even if


    you¡¯re just trying to im credit, you should at least have something to im credit for, right?¡±


    Just trying to im the credit?


    Is he trying to say that I didn¡¯t do anything? That I¡¯m just making this up?


    It felt as if someone had stuffed a boulder inside Amelie¡¯s chest.


    It felt like the shackles she had tried her best to shake off had gotten ahold of her again. She scrunched


    her eyebrows in pain as she swallowed the bitterness coating her tongue. She had to bite down on her


    lip to stop herself from pping him.


    Since he wants to settle the score, then I might as welly it all out on the table for him.


    Her smile was mncholic at the thought that this would be the way they settled the score between


    them. Her heart was squeezing in pain as she began, ¡°s, great men tend to be so forgetful since


    they¡¯re always. so busy, aren¡¯t they, Mr. Alston? Don¡¯t tell me you forgot about.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    A voice cut Amelie off before she could finish her sentence.


    Elyse ran down from the car and took Leo by the hand in front of Amelie. ¡°I don¡¯t feel well. I want to go


    home.¡±


    She pressed her lips into a peut and spoke softly.


    There was a trace of dejection in her eyes as she stared at Leo with the look of someone trying her


    best to hide her emotions.


    Her goddess persona was eye-catching enough, but the look of a goddess who was trying to maintain


    herposure was even more striking to the soul.


    Furthermore, she had just lost to Amelie, and it didn¡¯t help that it had been such a mortifying loss too.


    With how she looked now, even someone with a heart of steel would feel bad for her.


    Amelie could see Leo¡¯s cold, icy expression softening almost immediately.


    His eyes which were piercing and usatory earlier also turned warm at the sight of her.


    Not a single trace of his piercing gaze remained.


    It had all been reced by undisguised gentleness.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said.


    Amelie could hear how sweet and loving his voice was.


    Once again, she realized the stark difference love made.


    Thankfully, she had long sincee to terms with reality and removed every trace of her love for him.


    Otherwise, what she witnessed today would only break her heart again.


    By now, she felt there was no point in saying the things she wanted to say earlier.


    She smiled faintly and walked away.


    Julia wasn¡¯t back yet. So, Amelie decided to wait in the car.


    As Leo went to get his car, Elyse ran over to Amelie.


    She pressed her hands on the door. Her delicate face was visibly anxious as she blurted, ¡°You¡¯d better


    not spew any nonsense in front of Leo!¡±


    ¡°Or¡­ What?¡± Amelie turned to her with an indifferent smile.


    Her provocative tone and expression came across as silent mockery in Elyse¡¯s eyes!


    Amelie was clearly mocking her for having the gall to do what she did but not the courage to admit to


    her


    schemes!


    Elyse¡¯s nails bit into her palms. It felt as if someone had stabbed a needle into her heart.


    She felt utterly difited, but there was not a hint of guilt in her eyes!


    Amelie watched as Elyse¡¯s face flitted through multiple expressions.


    She could finally see Elyse as she was, a jester dancing at her every whim.


    ¡°You already have the heart of the head of Starlight Media, so why do you insist on picking on me? As


    they say, it¡¯s better for foes to reconcile than to contend with each other. If you make life difficult for me,


    I can approach the head of Starlight Media and make things difficult for you too!¡±


    Elyse bit her lip as she spat whatever came up in her mind. But at least this time, she didn¡¯t bother


    keeping up her goddess act anymore.


    Amelie¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change the slightest. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she replied indifferently.


    That was all she said in response to Elyse¡¯s threat.


    Approach the head of Starlight Media, huh?


    Do you even have the ability to do that in the first ce?


    Elyse waited and waited, but Amelie didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Finally, Elyse became infuriated upon realizing that Amelie was toying with her. She nearly raised her


    hand to p Amelie!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not in the habit of screening b*tches on my ex-husband¡¯s behalf. I may have been a


    blind fool, but I can admit to never being a saint,¡± Amelie finally responded after some time.


    Then, she floored the elerator, and the car shot off.


    The cloud of dust that was kicked up blew straight into Elyse¡¯s face!


    Amelie¡¯s response stupefied Elyse.


    She should be happy that Amelie wasn¡¯t going to use the information against her.


    Unfortunately, her expression soured as her face contorted unpleasantly as she thought of what really


    went down.


    Everything that Amelie had said and done earliermunicated nothing more than scorn and derision!


    Not only did Amelie expose her, but she had even seeded in humiliating her!


    Elyse clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails cracked.


    It was already ratherte by the time Amelie and Julia returned to the ce they were temporarily


    staying.


    The two nned on heading back the next day.


    As soon as they got to the door, they saw a car parked out front. They didn¡¯t know who was there since


    they weren¡¯t expecting any guests sote at night.


    It was too dark to tell the car¡¯s color, but the person sitting on the hood was particrly eye-catching.


    The man was tall and slender. Yet, he had an air of elegance about him.


    Several strands of hair scattered across his forehead while he tied the rest behind his head.


    It looked as if he had stepped out of a historical movie.


    Julia¡¯s eyes were sharper than Amelie¡¯s. So, naturally, she spotted him first andmented with pure


    icething. ¡°My, my. Isn¡¯t that the one and only Mr. Walsh? Are you shooting a rom here in the


    middle of the night?


    Tony looked up and smiled at the two women.


    His features made him look warm and friendly, and the dimples that appeared when he smiled made


    him even more mesmerizing.


    He looked exactly like the heartthrob that would appear in a romanticedy.


    He would undoubtedly y the role of a friendly and supportive boyfriend.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Miss Dillon,¡± he said. His voice was just as gentle and warm as he was.


    Julia was aware of Toby¡¯s rtionship with Leo and had no goodwill to spare for anyone close to Leo.


    When she heard that he was looking for Amelie, she sneered, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did Amelie here kill


    your father or your mother? What brings you to her door at this hour of the night?¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t know how to react in the face of her clear aggression toward him.


    Amelie nudged Julia aside before looking at Toby apologetically. ¡°My friend can be quite blunt, but she


    means no harm. Please don¡¯t take it to heart, Mr. Walsh.


    Toby knew Julia, so he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    He knew Julia¡¯s displeasure toward him stemmed from his rtionship with Leo. Yet, he could only sigh


    in resignation as he decided to treat her harsh remarks like water off a duck¡¯s back.


    ¡°But she does have a point. What brings you here thiste at night, Mr. Walsh? Is it for something


    urgent?¡± Amelie asked in concern.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Toby said. ¡°It¡¯s mainly to finalize the details for the trip to Skaynia. Mr. Steward has returned to


    Skaynia.¡±


    Amelie had promised Toby that she would persuade Owen on Toby¡¯s behalf.


    Unfortunately, Owen had been traveling worldwide thus far, so they couldn¡¯t locate him. Thus, they


    made no progress on that front.


    *Since Mr. Steward has returned, let¡¯s pay him a visit tomorrow,¡± Amelie readily suggested.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Toby was more than happy with that. ¡°I¡¯ll book our ne tickets right away.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t bother offering to pay for herself. Instead, she nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so I


    won¡¯t be inviting you in, Mr. Walsh.¡±


    Toby nced at Julia, who was eyeing him like he was her mortal enemy, and thought, Even if you


    offered, I wouldn¡¯t have the guts to stay either.


    ¡°Elie, why did you agree to help Toby Walsh convince Mr. Steward?¡± Julia began venting her


    dissatisfaction the moment Toby left. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember his rtionship with that b*stard?¡±


    Amelie patted Julia¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°Yes, Toby is friends with Leo, but he saved me before.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    She gave Julia a quick recap of what happened.


    ¡°What?! Why have you never told me about this when it¡¯s such a huge thing?!¡±


    Julia exploded as soon as Amelie finished speaking.


    She knew that Amelie nearly froze to death in the snow, but she didn¡¯t know about the childbirth


    complications.


    She was hopping mad now that she had learned about it.


    ¡°Amelie Dillon¡¯ Do you still consider me your friend? You¡­ I¡¯m so mad at you!¡± Julia was so enraged


    that she almost wanted to cut off all ties with Amelie


    Amelie hugged her tightly as she mumbled against her neck. ¡°You had matters of your own to handle at


    the time, and you were so far away too You couldn¡¯t help me even if you wanted to, so I didn¡¯t see any


    point in telling you I know I¡¯ll only add to your burden, and I didn¡¯t want that.¡±


    Julia quietened down the moment Amelie brought that up.


    The matters that Amelie referred to were an unspeakable, painful memory for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Amelie immediately apologized when she realized she had misspoken.


    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Julia soon turned back to normal, but Her eyes were bloodshot. ¡°All those


    sacrifices and for what?! He isn¡¯t worth it! You deserve better than this!¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be hung up on whether or not something was worth it, remember? I¡¯ve said it time and


    time again. All I want is to do my best and be able to face my conscience when all is said and done.


    That¡¯s enough


    for me.¡±


    Julia was willing to ept this perspective in the past, but after everything that happened¡­ This was


    utter nonsense to her now.


    ¡°Thank goodness that you and Bria survived,¡± Julia sighed.


    She didn¡¯t say anything else, but she still felt remorseful.


    She hated herself for not being by Amelie¡¯s side, then.


    Amelie wouldn¡¯t have suffered that much if she had been there.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you. Go ahead and help Toby,¡± Julia said. ¡°But, once you¡¯ve helped him this time, you


    would¡¯ve cleared the debt between you two. So, you should avoid staying in touch with him in the


    future.¡±


    She genuinely didn¡¯t want Amelie to be in contact with people rted to Leo. To her, birds alike flock


    together, so she didn¡¯t want to risk her best friend¡¯s well-being any longer. She couldn¡¯t do anything


    back then, but she¡¯d be damned if she wouldn¡¯t protect her best friend now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The next day, Amelie exited the residential area with her suitcase bright and early in the morning.


    Julia was still fast asleep when she tip-toed across the apartment as she freshened up.


    Amelie didn¡¯t want to disturb Julia, so she left a note behind.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Walsh.¡± The security guard greeted Amelie warmly when he saw her. ¡°Are you


    going on a trip?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Amelie replied with a smile.


    She was always courteous to the guards.


    The guards were also equally fond of her and would take the initiative to greet her whenever they saw


    her.


    ¡°The car that care for you is over there. It just arrived,¡± the guard said as he pointed at the car by the


    main gate.


    ¡°The car that came for me?¡± Amelie was taken aback as she scrutinized the car before her.


    Last night, once Toby told her that he had booked the ne tickets, she informed him she would be


    heading to the airport by herself tomorrow. Did he stille over to pick me up anyway?


    Amelie slowly dragged her luggage along as she took a closer look at the car.


    It was then that she realized that it wasn¡¯t the Maserati that Toby usually rode.


    Instead, it was a Bentley that she was highly familiar with.


    Amelie¡¯s expression changed drastically the moment she saw the Bentley.

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    The instant the Bentley car door opened, a pair of long legs appeared from the vehicle as the designer


    leather shoes reflected the lights. Following that, a face with features that were as perfect as a piece of


    art was revealed. His thin lips and aquiline nose made him look one of a kind. His gaze was as calm as


    a stillke.


    ¡°Leo?¡± Amelie muttered under her breath as her chest tightened. Did Toby tell him toe over and


    pick me up? Has he found out that I¡¯m Foxy?


    While she was in her thoughts, Leo reached her and looked down at her. Then, with his hands in his


    pockets, he uttered impassively, ¡°I was the one who dumped you in the snow. Just tell me how I can


    make it up to you. Certainly, money is the only thing I can give you.¡± Then, he fished out a check. ¡°Just


    fill in any amount you


    want.¡±


    Amelie looked at the check that was pping in the air. The piece of white paper was ring into her


    eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she questioned.


    Leo pressed his lips into a line without responding to her.


    On the other hand, Amelie had figured it out. ¡°Has Elyse told you something?¡±


    However, Leo remained silent.


    ¡°I¡¯vee clean with Leo about lying to him in the past.¡± Elyse got out from the other side of the


    Bentley. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done it on a whim, and I¡¯ve apologized to him. Leo just wants to make it up to


    you. Please ept the money, Miss Dillon.¡±


    Although she appeared sincere, her gaze was provocative. When the incident was exposed by Amelie


    the day before, she pondered for a long time and eventually made up her mind. Rather than letting


    Amelie lead her by the nose, she decided toe clean to Leo.


    Fortunately, the risk was worth it. Even though Leo was displeased, he decided to forgive her. He even


    offered to help her settle this issue.


    A victorious smile yed on Elyse¡¯s lips while Amelie clenched her fists. There¡¯s no limit to the extent


    of him conniving at Elyse¡¯s actions, huh? Did she save the world in her previous life or something?


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Without a word, Amelie took the check and fished out a pen.


    The moment Elyse saw the check, her eyes curved with tion. She could hardly conceal her mockery


    and contempt.


    To her surprise, Amelie didn¡¯t write anything on the check. Instead, she passed the check back to the


    man. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me all of the Alston Family¡¯s fortune aspensation?¡±


    Hearing that, Elyse was rendered speechless. Her eyes widened in disbelief as her pupils dted.


    On the other hand, Leo stiffened. Despite not saying anything, he was displeased at her outrageous


    greed.


    Ignoring their expressions, Amelie put on a faint smile, which was as sweet as a pear in spring. Then,


    she cocked her head and nced at Leo. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Alston? Didn¡¯t you just say I could fill in


    any amount I wanted? Now that I¡¯ve stated it clearly, are you breaking your promise? In that case,


    what¡¯s the point of all this?¡± With that, she lifted her chin and walked past them.


    Behind her, an aggrieved Elyse balled up her fists. ¡°Amelie has crossed the line, hasn¡¯t she?¡±


    Leo never moved a muscle while watching Amelie leave. He didn¡¯t respond to Elyse, rendering her


    resentful. However, it wasn¡¯t like she could say anything about it, so she uttered meekly, ¡°Well, I


    suppose she doesn¡¯t need any money as she has Starlight Media¡¯s boss protecting her. I¡¯m sorry for


    putting you in a tight spot, Leo. I shouldn¡¯t have been so willful


    Only then did Leoe to his senses. ¡°Just don¡¯t do it again.¡± Despite his dark expression, he spoke in


    a mild


    voice.


    Elyse nodded obediently. ¡°Got it.¡±


    The instant they got into the car, Leo leaned against the seat and closed his eyes. All of a sudden, he


    thought. of Big Eyes


    In the past, she always took care of him. Regardless of what she did, she would consider his feelings


    first. As he was visually impaired, he would always throw a tantrum and wouldn¡¯t undergo treatment as


    he was told.


    him. No one in the hospital could deal wit


    However, she would always take his hands and persuade him in a soft voice. Despite her gentleness,


    she could be cheeky sometimes. As long as he refused to undergo treatment, she woulde up with


    all sorts of ways to deal with him.


    Gradually, everyone in the ophthalmology department knew that she was the only one who could get


    him to behave. Hence, whenever he caused trouble, they would get her to do something.


    At that time, Big Eyes was the only warmth he had in the darkness. Despite her young age at that time,


    she was clever and tactful. Now, she seems very different from the past¡­ Is it because I¡¯ve spoiled


    her? ¡°Big Eyes.. he muttered.


    Beside him, Elyse nced at him without a clue whom he was calling out to. It wasn¡¯t until Leo opened


    his eyes


    that she leaned in close to him and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say, Leo?¡±


    Before he could say anything, she had started apologizing to him again. ¡°I know I¡¯m in the wrong. You


    can do whatever you want to punish me. Just don¡¯t¡­ leave me.¡±


    When Leo saw that she was on the brink of breaking into tears, he suppressed his dejectedness and


    replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t leave you. However, I don¡¯t want it to happen again.¡± As he spoke, his


    expression turned grim.


    Elyse felt her chest tightening while gazing at him. Although Leo still appeared to be in love with her,


    she could feel that he was always absent-minded whenever they were together. Even though she had


    taken the risk the day before and eventually earned his forgiveness, she realized he had be even


    more dispassionate. Now, he wasn¡¯t even willing to touch her hands.


    Meanwhile, Amelie pressed her lips together while looking out the window of a cab and spacing out.


    After her encounter with Leo earlier, she suddenly walked down memoryne.


    At that time, he had to go somewhere else to get his eyes treated. Worried that he couldn¡¯t get out of


    the trauma of his father¡¯s death that had something to do with him, she suggested that if they were ever


    to meet again in the future, they would not bring up what happened in Quinn Town and pretend that


    nothing had happened.


    She had said so to help him get back on his feet. To her surprise, when they finally met again, he had


    indeed forgotten everything, including her. They had been married for four years, and during this


    period, she had the urge to reveal her identity to him on countless asions. In the end, she decided


    to keep her mouth shut so as not to hurt his feelings.


    Elyse and Leo arrived at Genesis. ¡°Please go ahead and do your work. I can kill time on my own,¡± she


    said considerately.


    Leo was about to attend an important meeting, so he nodded and left the ce.


    After the man was gone, Elyse lowered her gaze. A momentter, she stepped out of the office and


    headed to Laura¡¯s desk before pulling her to somewhere quiet.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you making it look mysterious? Laura asked. ¡°Have you prepared a surprise


    for Mr. Alston or something?¡±


    ¡°No. There¡¯s something I need to ask you about,¡± Elyse replied.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    After giving it some thought, Elyse tucked her hair behind her ear and asked, ¡°Do you know who Big


    Eyes is?¡± When she heard Leo muttering the name all of a sudden in the morning, she sensitively


    realized there was something wrong with it.


    ¡°Big Eyes?¡± After pondering for a moment, Laura shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard Mr. Alston mention


    it before. Could it be a nickname for you?¡± There was no denying Elyse had big, alluring eyes.


    Elyse touched her eyelids and grunted without speaking further. However, she still felt a sense of


    unease, for it wasn¡¯t one of her nicknames. I know he¡¯s not referring to me, so who else could it be?


    While it remained a mystery, she suddenly thought of something else. She had to do something at once


    to project a better image in front of Leo. She had to make him forget what had happened and ensure


    that he would only remember her to be a thoughtful and kind girl. As such, she decided to seek Laura¡¯s


    help.


    Upon finding out her intention, Laura chuckled and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve found the right person. There¡¯s a


    matter that has been troubling Mr. Alston for quite a while. If you can help him with it, he¡¯ll love you


    even more.¡±


    Elyse¡¯s eyes brightened as she hurriedly asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    Chapter 76 Landmines


    When Amelie arrived at the airport, it was 8.00AM, which was 30 minutes before boarding time. She


    looked down to get her flight ticket and other important documents.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with it.¡± Just then, someone came over and picked up the small suitcase beside her.


    Amelie looked up and saw Toby, who had a face that seemed to be straight out of a historical drama. At


    this moment, he was smiling at her with a joyful expression.


    ¡°Why are you here, Mr. Walsh?¡± There was a hint of surprise on Amelie¡¯s beautiful face. A while back,


    they had agreed that she would be looking for Owen on her own.


    Toby gently swung the suitcase in his hand. ¡°As the person in charge of this project, I can¡¯t possibly be


    absent.¡± In other words, he wasing along.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Amelie was a straightforward person. ¡°At least for now. I¡¯m just going to test


    the waters, and I¡¯m not even confident that I can persuade Mr. Steward. You¡¯ll only waste your time by


    coming with me.¡±


    Toby wanted to say that he didn¡¯t mind wasting time for her, but when he saw her serious expression,


    he gulped down his words. ¡°I¡¯m not particrly busy now anyway, so I can go there and look around.¡±


    Hearing that, Amelie stopped dissuading him. They then boarded the ne headed toward Skaynia.


    Because Skaynia was still on the same continent, the nended at Skaynia¡¯s busiest airport two


    hourster.


    As they walked out of the airport along with the crowd, skyscrapers in the distance came into their


    sight. They could see how developed the country was from where it stood. There was no denying it


    was a world-ss country.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Amelie visited Skaynia, but she still couldn¡¯t help but be awed by how clean and


    prosperous the country was.


    She didn¡¯t go looking for Owen immediately. Instead, she went to a famous church and prayed


    sincerely. After that, she got herself an amulet, which she carefully kept inside her bag before walking


    out of the church.


    Toby had been following her all this while. Seeing how devoted she was, he couldn¡¯t help smiling softly.


    ¡°I never took her for the religious kind.¡± He looked at her bag where the amulet was kept.


    Amelie replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s for Mr. Steward.¡±


    Hearing that, Toby was surprised, for it never crossed his mind that she would get an amulet for Owen.


    Without exining anything, Amelie told him to check into a hotel. Meanwhile, she headed to the


    Steward Residence on her own.


    Toby knew that Owen wasn¡¯t fond of businesspeople from Cand, so he didn¡¯t tag along.


    The Steward Residence was located in the center of Skaynia, which was a small and expensive


    country. As such, it must¡¯ve been costly to build some vis in the city center. Naturally, only the


    wealthiest people could afford to buy properties in the location.


    When Amelie arrived at the gate, she expressed her intention of seeing Owen. The security guard


    asked for her name and passed on her message. Then, he said, ¡°Please wait a minute, Miss Dillon.¡±


    Amelie dipped her head. When she saw there was a gazebo nearby, she decided to get some rest


    there. However, the instant she turned around, she saw a luxury car stopping several feet from her.


    After the car doors opened, a man and a woman got out from different sides. The woman had a curvy


    figure and an elegant bearing. There was a demure smile on her face. On the other hand, the man was


    tall and well-built. With facial features that stood out, there was no denying he was handsome.


    Elyse and Leo? Amelie felt that she must be extremely unlucky toe across them in such a ce.


    Elyse had wanted to walk over and wrap her arms around Leo¡¯s neck, but Amelie¡¯s presence caught


    her off guard. Leo followed her gaze and saw Amelie as well. Instantly, his eyes darkened.


    ¡°Why are you here, Miss Dillon?¡± Elyse was the first to speak as she stepped forward.


    With her back to Leo, she put on a faint smile. There was a hint of mockery behind her gaze. Although


    she hadn¡¯t gotten any reply from Amelie, she was certain that the woman had looked into their


    schedule and followed them to this ce. Her conceitedness was ratherughable.


    Amelie didn¡¯t intend to exin anything. Instead, she cocked her face and shed an inscrutable smile


    at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me being here? Is this ce yours or something, Miss yton?¡±


    There was no doubt Elyse felt humiliated by the other woman¡¯s arrogance. She almost couldn¡¯t hold up


    her pretense. Leo, who hadn¡¯t uttered a word all this while, suddenly asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve


    crossed the line, Amelie?¡±


    During the car racing event previously, he saw how Amelie picked on Elyse. He figured she did so


    because she was mad at him, so she vented her fury on Elyse. As such, his face fell in an instant.


    Amelie¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡°Have I?¡±


    Initially, Leo thought that she would defend herself, but after he waited for a while, the woman still didn¡¯t


    utter a word. In fact, the instant Amelie was done speaking, she looked to the other side, pretending


    that she didn¡¯t know them.


    Leo was rendered speechless. Something seemed to have gotten stuck in his chest. He couldn¡¯t tell


    what it was, but he just couldn¡¯t get it off his chest.


    When Elyse saw Amelie¡¯s expression, she just thought that the woman was silenced by Leo¡¯s stern


    behavior. As such, she was gleeful. Despite that, she would never let her emotions show on her face,


    for she had to behave elegantly.


    She then moved past Amelie and arrived at the gatehouse. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m here for Mr. Steward. Can you


    inform him about my arrival?¡±


    When Amelie heard that they were there to see Owen, she frowned. What¡¯s Leo trying to do? Didn¡¯t he


    already ask me to help him with this matter? Why has hee all the way here with Elyse now?


    When Elyse was done speaking to the security guard, she returned and said to Leo, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Leo.


    Mr. Steward has been investing heavily in the entertainment industry over the years, so he¡¯s friendly to


    the people in this field. I¡¯m also on good terms with his wife. When we meet both of them, I¡¯ll bring up


    this matter. I¡¯m sure Mr. Steward will give us a chance for his wife¡¯s sake.¡±


    She sped her hands together and spoke in a sweet voice with a hint of coquettishness. Also, she


    could barely conceal her confidence.


    Only then did Amelie realize Elyse must¡¯ve offered to help. However, Leo only grunted in response as


    he was only in this ce for work.


    Elyse had tagged along using the reason that she was just visiting this country. Nevertheless, when


    they arrived, she told him that she was on good terms with Owen¡¯s wife.


    Although Toby had found Foxy, Leo didn¡¯t mind giving Elyse a chance when he saw her enthusiasm.


    When Amelie saw him agreeing to it, she couldn¡¯t help gasping in secret. She¡¯s on good terms with


    Mrs. Steward? Is Owen friendly to the people in the entertainment industry? The advantages she thinks


    she has are allndmines. If she manages to get in, she¡¯ll probably be taken to task.


    Elyse had no idea what was on Amelie¡¯s mind, but when she saw the woman staring at her, she


    assumed the others were jealous of her connections. At the thought of this, she couldn¡¯t help lifting her


    chin.


    So what if she¡¯s good at car racing? It can¡¯t help Leo¡¯s business in any way! I have to let her know that


    I¡¯m the person that Leo needs the most!


    Elyse had been traumatized by the car racing incident back then. After that, she could no longer ignore


    Amelie. Therefore, she startedpeting with Amelie so that she could prove herself to Leo. On the


    other hand, Amelie pursed her lips as if she wasn¡¯t bothered by Elyse¡¯s provocation. Although she


    wasn¡¯t willing to butt in on their affairs, this matter had something to do with Toby. As such, she didn¡¯t


    want him to be affected,


    Therefore, Amelie decided to give them a heads-up, saying, ¡°In actuality, Mr. Steward isn¡¯t fond of


    those in the entertainment industry, especially the actors. Also, if you manage to see him, don¡¯t bring


    up his wife.¡±


    She didn¡¯t tell them the reasons. The affairs between Owen and his wife were their private matters, so


    she couldn¡¯t tell anyone else about them. In fact, she wasn¡¯t even confident that she would persuade


    Owen. She had only decided to give them a heads-up so that they wouldn¡¯t make mistakes.


    However, Elyse thought that the woman was ill-intentioned. What did she mean when she said if I


    managed to see Owen? Is she confident that I won¡¯t get to see him? What does she think I am?


    She was both resentful and furious in her heart. If not for Leo¡¯s presence, she would¡¯ve talked back. At


    this moment, she could only suppress her fury, as she had to show the man her elegant self.


    In the end, she put on a graceful smile. ¡°Miss Dillon, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not familiar with worldly affairs


    because you haven¡¯t been traveling a lot, but it¡¯s fine. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯ll tell you more


    about Mr. Steward. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Despite her gentle tone, she


    indicated that Amelie knew nothing at all.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Amelie smiled faintly without a hint of anger on her face. When Elyse saw that the woman was unfazed


    while she had lost her cool, she felt irritated.


    Just then, the butler of the Steward Residence walked out and headed to the gatehouse. ¡°Open the


    door and let her in.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The security guard did as he was told.


    Elyse was the first to go in, and Amelie followed closely behind her.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Why are there the two of you?¡± The butler adjusted his sses and nced at them.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    Chapter 77 A p in the Face


    Elyse stepped forward and introduced herself nobly. ¡°Hello, Mr. Hansen. My name is Elyse yton.¡±


    There was a graceful and impable smile on her face. ¡°As for Miss Dillon, perhaps she just happens


    to pass by this ce.¡± She directly spoke on Amelie¡¯s behalf.


    On the other hand, Amelie pressed her lips together, not in a hurry to speak. Beside them, Leo looked


    at Amelie, who remained motionless as though she was just a passer-by. Her expression was calm,


    and her bearing was dignified. He squinted his eyes, wondering what she was up to.


    Following that, Elyse stepped forward, awaiting Mr. Hansen to lead the way for her. To her surprise, Mr.


    Hansen didn¡¯t go in as he waved his hand and said, ¡°No, the person Mr. Steward would like to see isn¡¯t


    yton.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Mr. Hansen.¡± Only then did Amelie call out to him as she brushed past Elyse and stood in front


    of the butler. ¡°I¡¯m Amelie Dillon.¡±


    ¡°Amelie Dillon?¡± Hearing the name, Mr. Hansen dipped his head. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re the one that Mr.


    Steward would like to see. Pleasee with me, Miss Dillon.¡± His attitude turned hospitable in an


    instant as he led Amelie into the ce.


    On the other hand, the ignored Elyse was rooted to the spot as her mind turned nk. What¡¯s going


    on? Isn¡¯t Amelie here to look for Leo? I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s here to see Owen!


    Meanwhile, Leo furrowed his brows. Despite being a seasoned man, he was still shocked by what he


    had just witnessed. His gaze then trailed Amelie.


    ¡°Leo.¡± Elyse came over with an embarrassed expression. She had promised that not only could they


    have a word with Owen, but she could also persuade him to work with Genesis.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    What had just happened was no different from a p in the face for her. On the other hand, Amelie had


    been invited into the house by the Steward Family¡¯s butler. At that moment, Elyse felt extremely


    humiliated.


    Soon, Mr. Hansen brought Amelie to the reception room. Guests to the Steward Residence were led to


    different ces based on their statuses. The average guests would be brought to the side hall, while


    the more important ones would be led to the living room.


    Meanwhile, the most important guests would be invited to the VIP room, which was where Amelie was


    heading.


    While on her way, she was greeted by many servants, who couldn¡¯t help gaping at her as she was led


    to the VIP room. They started specting about her identity.


    One had to know that fewer than five guests would be invited to the VIP room in any given year. All the


    same, Amelie wasn¡¯t perturbed by the servants¡¯ stares, nor was she astounded by thevish


    decorations in the VIP room. She remained calm and collected as she was seated on a chair, looking


    like a nobledy from a medieval painting.


    Mr. Hansen couldn¡¯t help but be awed by her elegance as he treated her even more politely. ¡°Please


    wait a second. Mr. Steward will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mr. Hansen,¡± Amelie replied gently.


    Soon, she was served a cup of coffee. Although she had no idea what kind of coffee it was, the aroma


    exuding from it suggested that it was the best-in-ss coffee that was extremely rare.


    She nodded and watched the servant leave. Only then did she fish out her phone and send a message


    to Toby, telling him to bring Elyse away.


    Elyse had no idea what was going on with Owen. If she caused some trouble, all their efforts would go


    down the drain.


    The instant Amelie was done sending the message, she heard the doorknob turning. She promptly got


    to her feet and saw a dapper-looking man stepping into the room.


    The man sported a solemn expression. With a tall and burly figure, he looked domineering. Although


    there were only some wrinkles on his face, his hair was all gray, which made him look like he was in his


    late fifties.


    He was none other than Owen Steward, who was a business tycoon in Skaynia. In fact, he was only in


    his early forties.


    ¡°Good day, Mr. Steward.¡± Seeing the man, Amelie ambled forward and greeted him politely.


    On the other hand, Owen asked her to drop the formalities. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were


    coming? I would¡¯ve picked you up at the airport.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a busy man, so I can¡¯t possibly waste your time.¡± Amelie put on a gentle smile. Despite her


    polite tone, she appeared amiable.


    The instant Owen saw her, he stopped looking solemn and put on a faint smile.


    Meanwhile, Elyse still wasn¡¯t willing to give up. ¡°They must be mistaken!¡± She could never believe that,


    given her connections, Owen would refuse to see her. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mr. Steward that I¡¯m friends with Mrs.


    Steward. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll let me in.¡± Then, she shuffled toward the security guard.


    Just then, someone got in her way and said, ¡°Stop right there. You¡¯re only going to ruin our n.¡±


    Elyse had turned around in a hurry and almost crashed into that person. She looked up and realized it


    was Toby, whose handsome face appeared impassive as he nced at her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elyse was eager to regain her dignity, so she had forgotten that she had an


    image to keep up. Her expression appeared somewhat hideous.


    On the other hand, Toby wasn¡¯t willing to speak to her, nor did he bother to exin anything. He gazed


    at Leo and said, ¡°This matter is very important, Leo. Why don¡¯t you bring Miss yton somewhere else


    first?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help!¡± Elyse was enraged that she was ignored, but she still suppressed her fury and


    exined, ¡°I¡¯m on good terms with Mrs. Steward. I¡¯m the best person to persuade Mr. Steward.¡±


    Hearing that, Toby could barely conceal his contempt. ¡°You said you¡¯re on good terms with Mrs.


    Steward, but don¡¯t you know she has nothing to do with Mr. Steward anymore? Besides that, they¡¯re


    enemies now.¡± He had wanted to save thest bit of dignity for her. However, since she just couldn¡¯t


    see sense, he had no choice but to break the truth to her.


    ¡°No way¡­¡± Elyse¡¯s face paled in an instant. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    In fact, Toby wasn¡¯t aware of it initially, but Amelie had brought it up while they were on their way to this


    country.


    Elyse had offered to help, but she waspletely clueless about what had happened in the Steward


    Family, which was ridiculous. Fortunately, Toby had decided toe over as he was worried about


    Amelie. Otherwise, their n would¡¯ve been ruined.


    He then gazed at Leo. ¡°Leo, you¡¯re usually more sedate than I am, so what has gotten into you this


    time?¡± He was questioning why Leo had asked Elyse toe over and talk to Owen. Since they had


    sought Amelie¡¯s help, it was preposterous that Leo had let Elyse tag along.


    Hearing that, Elyse flushed with anger, for she realized Toby was reprimanding her, not Leo. She


    snapped without any resignation, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Mrs. Steward has never told me


    that she has fallen out with her husband!¡±


    ¡°Do you think she would inform everyone that she has fallen out with her husband?¡± Toby was


    speechless at her silliness. Only a dumb man like Leo would fall in love with this kind of woman.


    An aggrieved Elyse bit her lip as she remained silent.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Leo asked in a grim voice. Owen kept a low profile, so they could hardly gather any


    information about his private affairs.


    Toby tucked his hands into the pockets and gaped at them. ¡°Do you know why Mr. Steward is so eager


    about venturing into the entertainment industry as he has bought several film productionpanies in


    just a few years? That¡¯s because he¡¯s trying to retaliate against his ex-wife, who hooked up with a


    director and took away all his wealth. The reason he has been buying up thesepanies is to make


    sure his ex-wife will lose her footing in the industry. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re on good terms with his ex-


    wife? Don¡¯t you find it odd that, considering Mr. Steward¡¯s status, his ex-wife hasn¡¯t taken part in any


    proper film in the past few years?¡± Toby knocked some sense into thedy.


    Hearing that, Elyse hung her head low. Mrs. Steward indeed hasn¡¯t been invited to participate in any


    major films. She didn¡¯t ponder on it in the past, but she now realized something was indeed amiss.


    ¡°Is your source of information reliable?¡± Elyse still hoped that this piece of information was inurate.


    ¡°That was what Foxy told me. She knows Owen fully well,¡± Toby replied dispassionately.


    At the mention of Foxy, Elyse suddenly thought of something as her face turned ashen. ¡°Could Amelie


    be¡­¡± Foxy?

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    Chapter 78 Who on Earth Is Foxy?


    As if struck by lightning, Elyse couldn¡¯t even stand stably as her legs had turned to jelly. At the same


    time, her mind started buzzing. If Amelie is indeed Foxy, then I¡¯m in no wayparable to her¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave,¡± Leo suggested, interrupting Elyse¡¯s thoughts. Despite the shocking news, he remained


    calm and collected. On the other hand, Elyse was unable to move as her legs were leaden, taking a lot


    of effort to get back into the car.


    Leo then drove the car to the hotel. Upon their arrival, he told Elyse to get some rest before heading


    somewhere private with Toby. When they arrived at a quiet ce, Leo fished out a cigarette and ced


    it between his lips before asking, ¡°Who on earth is Foxy?¡±


    Toby felt his chest tightening even though Leo didn¡¯t look at him. Leo¡¯s sensitive, so he must have a


    reason. Suppressing the guilt that he felt, Toby pretended to be calm and questioned, ¡°Why are you


    asking about it?¡±


    Leo lit up the cigarette and took a deep breath. Surrounded by smoke, he squinted his eyes and


    pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet her.¡±


    He wants to meet her? That¡¯s no different from killing me. ¡°Since when did you be interested in


    any women other than Elyse?¡± Toby breathed shakily and tried to dissuade him. ¡°Forget it. She¡¯s a low-


    profile person, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯d want to meet you.¡±


    Leo turned his head and stared fixedly at him in silence. His gaze was so dark and deep that it was as


    though he could see through Toby¡¯s heart. Faced with the man¡¯s stare, Toby almost forgot to breathe.


    ¡°Also, why is Amelie here?¡± Leo stunned him with another question.


    Toby felt his legs shaking, but he responded quickly, replying, ¡°Is she here? I had no idea. By the way,


    Foxy said she¡¯s going to a church, so I¡¯ll have to pick her up now.¡± With that, he left the ce in a hurry


    and pretended to give Foxy a call.


    Leo watched him leave and thought about Amelie again. Is she here for the boss of Starlight Media?


    There¡¯s something off about her rtionship with that man. He divorced his wife for Amelie and set


    aside a lot of money for Bria¡¯s future. I suppose he loves her deeply. However, I¡¯ve never heard that


    they¡¯re going to get married, nor have they interacted with each other in any public event. I have a


    feeling that the so-called boss of Starlight Media does not exist. Why would I be worried about


    someone insignificant?


    He rubbed the center of his brows and shook off his thoughts before leaving.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Amelie and Owen finally got to the main topic. She talked about the project those from


    Genesis hade up with.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re averse to doing business with anyone from Cand, but this project is worth a shot.¡±


    Amelie appeared sincere. She wasn¡¯t blindly praising the project. On the contrary, she had pored over it


    and thought that it was indeed marvelous. ¡°If we can make this happen, it¡¯ll be beneficial to you and


    Genesis. It will be a feat that will amaze the world.¡±


    If the person before his eyes were someone else, Owen wouldn¡¯t have bothered to take a look at the


    proposal. However, Amelie was different. Therefore, he picked up the proposal and went through it. In


    the room, only the sound of him flipping through the pages was left.


    Amelie kept sipping her coffee until Owen was done reading thest page. She looked up at him in


    silence.


    ¡°Youngdy, I have to say you have great business acumen.¡± When Owen spoke to her, his eyes were


    brimming with tenderness. ¡°However, this project is too novel and risky.¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°Indeed, a novel project carries a certain degree of risk. Nevertheless, it is for this


    reason that there¡¯s room for growth and endless opportunities.¡±


    Owen dipped his head in agreement. ¡°You have a point, and I trust your judgments. However, I still


    can¡¯t invest in this project.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t ask him for his reasons as she nodded in response. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave the proposal here


    so that you can take another look at it whenever you¡¯re free.¡±


    They then chatted for a while longer. Owen couldn¡¯t help asking about her marriage. ¡°I heard you¡¯re


    married. Why isn¡¯t he here with you? I¡¯d like to meet the gentleman who¡¯d won your heart. He¡¯s one


    lucky man I must say.¡±


    At the mention of marriage, the smile on Amelie¡¯s face faded as she pressed her lips into a line. ¡°I¡¯m


    divorced.¡±


    Divorce? Owen was startled for a moment before mming his palm on the table. ¡°How could he dump


    a wonderful girl like you? Is he blind or something?¡± He was truly enraged.


    When Amelie saw the older man blowing his top for her, she found it heart-warming and funny at the


    same time. ¡°What¡¯s so good about me? Only you¡¯ll think I¡¯m a wonderful girl.¡±


    ¡°Stop belittling yourself!¡± Owen stared at her. He didn¡¯t look as sedate as he usually was. ¡°Nheless,


    he must be mad to divorce you. I¡¯ll find you a better man.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Amelie yed along by dipping her head as she didn¡¯t take his words seriously. She didn¡¯t stay


    for long, excusing herself after a while. Owen personally saw her off. At the entrance, Amelie fished out


    the amulet she had obtained earlier and presented it to him with both hands. ¡°I just got it today. I hope


    you¡¯ll stay healthy and find a woman you love.¡±


    Owen took the amulet in silence. After rubbing his thumb over the amulet for a while, he asked, ¡°Do


    you want me to let her off?¡±


    Amelie looked at his narrowed eyes beneath the gray hair and pressed her lips together. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll


    let yourself off.¡±


    She was fully aware of what happened between Owen and his ex-wife. His cruelty to his ex-wife was


    proportional to his resentment toward her. His love for her had turned into hatred. Taking everything


    into ount, Amelie hoped that he would forget about the past and move on.


    ¡°You silly child.¡± Owen looked at her as a hint of warmth shed across his usually icy cold gaze. With


    his lips curving into a smile, he replied, ¡°Alright, anything you say.¡±


    In the past, his ex-wife took all his wealth away. He had no choice but to borrow money, and his


    business came crashing down. His hair practically turned gray overnight, and he was on the brink of


    ending it all. On the night he attempted suicide, he came across Amelie¡¯s live stream and became


    infected by her positivity.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Despite being bombarded withments, she saw what he had written and figured that he was trying


    to kill himself. As such, she took the initiative to contact him and cate him. She even came all the


    way to Skaynia to look for him.


    At that time, she left behind 10,000 for him. She was still a rising star, so the amount of money was


    considerable. In fact, it was everything she had.


    Despite the small amount of money, it served as the strength for Owen to get back on his feet. Since


    then, they never stopped contacting each other. Even though he managed to return to the pinnacle of


    his power at ater time, he still never forgot about the young woman who brought him back from


    death¡¯s door.


    Amelie bid him farewell and turned around to leave.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Owen called out to her. With a calm gaze, he looked up at the sky. ¡°I suppose the weather will be


    lovely tomorrow. Do you fancy a game of golf?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be splendid,¡± Amelie replied amiably.


    After she was gone, Mr. Hansen, the butler, went up to Owen. When he saw the amulet in Owen¡¯s


    hand, he clicked his tongue and remarked, ¡°Miss Dillon is such a thoughtfuldy.¡±


    Owen looked down at the amulet and bowed his head. ¡°She¡¯s indeed thoughtful.¡±


    She decided to pass him the amulet right before leaving so that she wouldn¡¯t put him under any


    pressure.


    ¡­


    After leaving the Steward Residence, Amelie called Toby. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t manage to convince Mr.


    Steward.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Toby replied hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯m grateful enough that you¡¯re willing to help.¡±


    Amelie knew he just didn¡¯t want to make her feel bad. As such, she didn¡¯t dwell on this topic as she


    talked to him for a bit longer and hung up. It was a regret that she didn¡¯t manage to help Toby with this


    matter.


    She decided that she would just make it up to him if there was a chance in the future.


    When she arrived at the hotel, Leo was about to enter his room.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    Chapter 79 Everyone Says You¡¯re Beautiful and Elegant


    When Leo pushed the door open, he realized that someone had approached him. ¡°Leo¡­¡± A pitiful


    Elyse stood guiltily behind him, looking as though she was strengthless.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting some rest at this hour?¡± Leo asked with a frown when he saw her.


    Elyse staggered a little. ¡°Are you disappointed in me? I¡¯m sorry. I meant to help you, but I¡¯ve almost


    done you a disservice instead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Leo shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m already d that you¡¯re willing to help.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Elyse looked at him with anxiety, for she was worried the man would start despising her. She


    wanted to help him with this matter, which was why she offered to speak to Owen. Given her situation,


    she was convinced that she needed to prove her worth to him.


    Previously, she had lost to Amelie in a car racingpetition, which remained a thorn in her heart that


    she desperately wanted to pull out. Initially, she thought that she could sessfully persuade Owen.


    As such, despite knowing that Toby had secured Foxy¡¯s help, she still volunteered to give it a try.


    Be it Toby¡¯s revtion of her ignorance of Owen¡¯s marriage or the fact that Amelie had been invited into


    the Steward Residence instead of her, she felt humiliated. She was so ashamed that she hung her


    head low.


    ¡°Really.¡± Leo rubbed his temple, exhausted from being busy for the entire day.


    Seeing his state, Elyse decided to take her leave. She took a step backward and said, ¡°You should


    probably get some rest, then. Ashton will arrive in the evening. We¡¯re going to hang out with him.¡±


    Leo grunted and closed the door.


    While Elyse stared at the door, the softness on her face faded. When she turned around, she was


    surprised to find someone gazing at her. The person was none other than Amelie. The instant she saw


    Amelie, her perfect facial features contorted into a hideous expression. At that moment, she recalled


    the incident of Owen refusing to see her.


    In fact, Amelie was surprised to see Elyse as well. Since she was tired, she decided to return to the


    hotel and get some rest, only to realize that Elyse and Leo were staying in the same hotel.


    Furthermore, they were on the same floor.


    Finding it amusing, she put on a faint smile. Back in their own country, they would frequentlye


    across each other. It never crossed her mind that they would also run into one another so often in a


    foreign country. At that moment, she found their coincidental encounters ridiculous.


    However, when Elyse saw her smile, she was enraged. She¡¯s tantly mocking me! As though losing


    control of her legs, she walked toward Amelie as her stilettos clicked on the floor.


    The moment Amelie opened the door, Elyse got in her way and pressed her hand against the door.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Will you stop being cheap, Amelie? You had been pestering us back home, and now you still won¡¯t


    leave us alone in a foreign country. Have you forgotten that you¡¯re now the woman of Starlight Media¡¯s


    boss?¡±


    Back in their homnd, she had many friends and rtives. As such, she had to keep up her image.


    Nevertheless, she practically knew no one in this ce, so she didn¡¯t even bother to pretend to be


    demure. She glowered at Amelie with such enmity that it was as though her eyes were burning with


    fire.


    When Amelie saw the woman shifting all the me to her, she was amused. With her arms crossed,


    she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to speak. She looked at the woman with a tilted head as though she was waiting


    for her to put on her act.


    Her calmness was in stark contrast to Elyse¡¯s boorishness.


    A resentful Elyse had the urge to p Amelie in the face. She lifted her chin and tried to agitate Amelie


    with rude words. ¡°I know you still can¡¯t get over the fact that Leo dumped you. You went looking for Mr.


    Steward to derail his n, right?¡±


    She has some wild imagination there, doesn¡¯t she? Does she think I have so much free time to do such


    a thing? Amelie did not have any regard for the woman at all, remainingnguid without a word.


    However, her silence made Elyse misunderstand further. She thought that she was right.


    With a haughty expression, she said, ¡°Let me give you some advice. Since you¡¯ve hooked up with


    Starlight Media¡¯s boss, I suggest you stop making a scene. He¡¯s interested in you, so he has decided to


    help you by using his connections to let you meet up with Mr. Steward. However, if you still keep


    pestering Leo, the boss of Starlight Media will get sick of you. If he decides to dump you, there won¡¯t be


    another wealthy man who is willing to ept you.¡±


    There were some insinuations in Elyse¡¯s words that showed her contempt for Amelie. Regardless, her


    conceitedness came across as ignorant to Amelie. In the end, she still couldn¡¯t help but burst out


    laughing.


    ¡°Miss yton, everyone says that you¡¯re beautiful and elegant, but why are you behaving like a


    brusque woman in front of me now? Could the Miss yton everyone¡¯s talking about being different


    from the one I know?¡± Since she has decided to humiliate me, then don¡¯t me me for retaliating


    against her!


    ¡°You!¡± Elyse felt so embarrassed that her impable facial features started contorting.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get some rest now.¡± Amelie cocked her head without a hint of politeness,


    motioning for the woman to get lost.


    Elyse was rendered speechless. She hade to realize that regardless of how she tried topete


    with Amelie, she would always be at a disadvantage. What¡¯s going on? She was used to getting


    compliments from others, so she couldn¡¯t possibly put up with Amelie¡¯s mockery. As such, instead of


    leaving, she curved her lips into a sneer.


    ¡°You imed that you¡¯ve gotten over the fact that Leo divorced you, but your action says otherwise. If


    you¡¯ve epted the matter, then stop making things difficult for Leo. Certainly, even if you do that, Leo


    won¡¯t think that you¡¯re a capable person, nor will he even spare you a nce. I suggest that you give it


    up at once, Miss Dillon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to give you some advice as well, Miss yton.¡± Amelie rubbed the back of her neck. Initially,


    she didn¡¯t intend to be tangled up with this kind of woman. However, since the other party was


    determined to be destroyed, she could only grant her wish.


    She put on a faint smile and said, ¡°Rather than overthinking things, you should probably spend more


    time practicing your acting skills. After all, that¡¯s how you make a living.¡± She was implying that Elyse


    wasn¡¯t a capable person at all.


    Elyse was so enraged that she felt her blood rushing to her brain. She red at Amelie with such


    hatred that it was as though she wanted to gobble her up. When Amelie realized that the other woman


    was powerless to fight back, she shrugged and pushed her away before entering the room.


    Following that, the door mmed shut in front of Elyse, who was rooted to the spot. It wasn¡¯t until a


    long timeter that she came to her senses.


    What have I done? Why did I evene over here and vent my anger on Amelie? Everyone says that


    I¡¯m beautiful and elegant. I¡¯m supposed to be a well-mannered, mild-tempered, and good-looking


    woman¡­ But just now, I had none of those qualities. I was nothing more than a boorish woman!


    She couldn¡¯t even ept what she had just done. Overwhelmed with irritation, she had the urge to


    mess up her hair. It took her a lot of willpower to stop herself from doing that.


    Ashton arrived at Skaynia in the evening. The four of them came together in the hotel¡¯s restaurant, and


    Toby sported a solemn expression. When they were all seated, he informed everyone about Foxy¡¯s


    message.


    When Leo learned that Foxy had failed in her attempt, he furrowed his brows. Despite his silence,


    everyone could tell that the failure had a huge impact on him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Foxy is on very good


    terms with Mr. Steward? Everyone says that whatever request Foxyes up with, Mr. Steward will


    agree to it. We had supposedly secured the deal, so how did it turn out this way?¡± Elyse pretended to


    be graceful again as she took a sip of her water and gave a remark nonchntly.


    Then, she covered her lips with her hand and continued, ¡°Could it have something to do with Miss


    Dillon?¡± The next moment, she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have spected.¡±


    ¡°Miss Dillon? Are you talking about Amelie? Is she in this country as well?¡± Ashton eximed as a hint


    of contempt appeared on his handsome face. ¡°I think it must have everything to do with her! She¡¯s such


    a shameless woman. She was the one who divorced Leo, and now she¡¯s doing such a despicable


    thing. That¡¯s outrageous!¡±


    Ashton hated Amelie to begin with, so he was easily agitated by Elyse¡¯s words. As such, he quickly


    criticized Amelie.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Ashton. We don¡¯t have any evidence.¡± Elyse pretended to calm him down, but her lips


    curved into a satisfied smile behind her hand. She wanted to make everyone believe that Amelie was


    the one who derailed their n.


    ¡°Do we need any evidence at all? It isn¡¯t the first time she has targeted you!¡± Ashton roared. He then


    turned to Leo. ¡°She has offended you so many times. How much longer do you want to put up with


    her?¡±


    In fact, he wasn¡¯t concerned about Amelie foiling Leo¡¯s n. Instead, he hated Amelie for targeting the


    woman he loved¡ªElyse.


    Leo remained silent as he didn¡¯t intend to respond to him. On the other hand, Toby couldn¡¯t help


    sneering.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    Chapter 80 I¡¯m Not Good Enough for Her


    To be honest, Toby hated being in the same space as these two people. One of them was pretentious,


    while the other was stupid, so he didn¡¯t like to be with them at all. If it was not because Amelie didn¡¯t let


    him tell the truth, he really wanted to spill the fact that Foxy was Amelie to them.


    ¡°Amelie is clear about her friends and foes, and she has a bottom line for everything. She wouldn¡¯t hate


    someone because she couldn¡¯t get the love she wanted, and she wouldn¡¯t go against a person without


    a solid reason. If she does that, the person needs to think about whether he has done anything


    outrageous.¡± When he said that, his eyesnded on Elyse for a second.


    His expression was calm, and he spoke casually without looking serious, but that nce was like a


    spotlight, boring into the darkest side of Elyse.


    His look made her heart pound, and she tried very hard to keep her poker face on.


    ¡°Do you have feelings for Amelie, Toby? Why do you keep sticking up for her?!¡± an enraged Ashton


    bellowed.


    Feelings for Amelie? Toby didn¡¯t deny it right away but put on a wry smile. ¡°Even if I have feelings for


    her, I¡¯m not good enough for her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Ashton had no idea about Amelie¡¯s identity, so he rolled his eyes at Toby when he


    heard that.


    ¡°Leo, Mr. Steward¡¯s matter can¡¯t be rushed. Why don¡¯t we enjoy ourselves for two days and figure out a


    way after we have enough rest?¡± Elyse spoke softly while grabbing Leo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Only after some time did Leo nod and agree.


    ¡­


    On the next day, the sky was clear. Amelie had gone to the golf course with Owen in the early morning.


    Owen was in a gray golf attire. Although he was in his forties, he was still energetic. Even his gray hair


    was shining in the sunlight.


    On the other hand, Amelie was wearing off-white golf attire. The design of her shirt was slightly


    conservative, and it fitted perfectly on her body. The half-sleeve showed a section of her smooth and


    thin arm, while her legs seemed long with her pants wrapping around her legs. Not only that, her hair


    was tied up in a ponytail, disying her energy and youthfulness.


    Owen looked at her with an appreciative look. ¡°Young people are really something else. Full of


    youthfulness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re youthful too! And handsome.¡± She gave him the thumbs up. Their rtionship was like friends


    and also like that of father and daughter, having good chemistry when they interacted with each other.


    He chuckled when he heard that. Although he was over forty, his face had no wrinkles, and his features


    when he was young could roughly be seen. It seemed like he was extremely good-looking in his youth.


    The two of them chatted as they yed golf, having an enjoyable time together. After a few turns, they


    saw two people walking in their direction.


    As soon as Amelie saw them, her brows knitted together, and the smile on her face faded because it


    was not anyone else but Leo and Elyse.


    Leo was in navy blue sportswear, disying his perfect figurepletely. His face was so calm without


    any expression, which made his exquisite figures stand out. He was so good-looking for nothing.


    Meanwhile, Elyse wore a crop top and short pants, which showed her slender legs and a section of her


    waist. Her hair was tied into a bun, disying her beautiful neck and corbone. This added a sense of


    erotism to her goddess aura.


    After ncing at them, Amelie turned around immediately.


    Yet, he stood still without moving an inch while his gaze fixed on her.


    ¡°Mr. Steward?¡± Elyse eximed in surprise when she recognized Owen. After she looked at him, her


    gazended on Amelie once again. Owen gave her special permission to meet him yesterday, and


    she¡¯s already ying golf with him today. Who is he, really? Even when the president of Starlight Media


    has high prestige and he¡¯s willing to meet her, does he have to ask her to y golf with him?


    All sorts of thoughts came across Elyse¡¯s mind within seconds, but she couldn¡¯t figure out anything at


    all. Just as she wanted to ask Leo, he had already taken a step forward and walked over. ¡°Nice to meet


    you, Mr. Steward. I¡¯m Leo Alston.¡±


    No matter from an entrepreneur¡¯s perspective or out of courtesy, greeting Owen was a necessity since


    he had met Owen here.


    Seeing that, Elyse followed behind him hastily as well. ¡°Hello, Mr. Steward. I¡¯m Elyse yton.¡± She


    wanted to introduce more about her status and the roles she had yed, but she swallowed her words


    when she recalled what Toby said.


    At this moment, Owennded a calm gaze on them. ¡°Leo Alston, the president of Genesis?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Leo nodded. He kept his manners in front of Owen but didn¡¯t seem servile or overbearing.


    Without a deep meaning, Owen turned around and looked at Amelie. ¡°So, you two know each other?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met,¡± she replied with a poker face. She simply used the word ¡®met¡¯ to summarize her


    rtionship with Leo.


    When Leo heard her answer, his forehead furrowed, and he suddenly felt strange. We¡¯ve at least been


    husband and wife for four years, but our rtionship bes ¡®we¡¯ve met¡¯ in her eyes, huh?


    No one knew if Owen could tell anything from Leo¡¯s expression, but he didn¡¯t expose Amelie¡¯s identity


    as he said, ¡°Well, fate brought us together today. Mr. Alston is our guest for traveling here. You need to


    help me be a goodpany for him, Amelie.¡±


    Amelie became speechless as she looked at him in confusion. Is he trying to be Leo¡¯s host, and even


    asking me to be hispany?


    ¡°I suppose Mr. Alston can y too. Why not y a few rounds with Amelie?¡± he continued.


    When Elyse heard that, she was stunned. Is he suddenly asking Amelie to y with Leo?


    Then, she looked at Amelie again. Why is Owen so nice to her? They look like they have a special


    rtionship. Could it be that the president of Starlight Media has an extremely close rtionship with


    Owen?


    Of course, Elyse wouldn¡¯t think that Amelie was Foxy, so she kept putting her guess on the president of


    Starlight Media. That man is so mysterious. It won¡¯t be a surprise, no matter what his identity is.


    Meanwhile, Leo answered, ¡°Sure.¡± There was not much fluctuation in his voice, and it was neither fast


    nor slow. It was just calm and steady.


    Amelie didn¡¯t know what was on Owen¡¯s mind, so she couldn¡¯t say much either. In the end, she


    gestured at Leo. ¡°After you, Mr. Alston.¡± Her tone was so calm, as though he was just an acquaintance.


    Hearing that, Leo knitted his brows again and left the ce with her without saying anything.


    On the other hand, Elyse looked at the two figures leaving. Although she was a little annoyed, she


    knew that she finally had a chance to talk to Owen, so she blurted, ¡°Mr. Steward, why don¡¯t we have a


    cup of tea in a shady ce while watching them y?¡±


    There was a building located in a ce with a pleasant view, from which one could see a long distance


    from the top.


    Owen didn¡¯t reject her request. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then, they turned around to head toward the building.


    When Amelie and Leo arrived at the starting point, a caddie was already waiting for them.


    After taking the ball and putting it on the ground, she perfected her posture and swung the club, hitting


    the ball urately.


    As soon as he saw the ball flying high across the sky, surprise shed in his eyes, as he had no idea


    that she knew how to y golf and was so good at it.


    She knew how to y golf, and she could also race cars. After their divorce, she was like a treasure


    box that had been opened. Every treasure in it was a surprise.


    ¡°Your turn, Mr. Alston.¡± Amelie¡¯s voice resonated. It was clear, and her tone was very formal as she


    spoke with a smile on her face. Even though that smile was perfect, it looked empty without any


    sincerity in it.


    When he saw that, he felt his heart wrenched a little, as he wasn¡¯t used to seeing that.


    Leo took a club but didn¡¯t hit the ball in a hurry. Instead, he looked at her and asked, ¡°When did you


    learn to y golf?¡±


    ¡°A long time ago.¡± Her tone was calm.


    ¡°Why have I never seen you y before?¡± After being divorced for so long, this was the first time he


    wanted to know more about her. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you race a car too.¡±


    His words drew a smile to her lips. ¡°It was the Alston Family¡¯s rule not to let me leave the house. Even


    if I wanted to y, I didn¡¯t have the chance to do so.¡±


    At that, Leo had noeback. That was what Melissa wanted, but he had never disagreed either. He


    didn¡¯t take her as part of his family at all at that time, so he didn¡¯t bother to care.


    ¡°Also, even if I yed all these, you wouldn¡¯t make time to care about me either, right?¡± she added.


    This understatement was like a heavy hammer pounding his back.


    Leo lifted his head sharply and looked at her in pain. This was supposed to be a heartbreaking topic,


    but Amelie was all smiles when she said that, as though she didn¡¯t think of it as a big deal.


    After saying that, she turned around and left, light-footed.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    On the contrary, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders, making it difficult for him to take a step.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Chapter 81 Marry Her if It Upsets You So Much!


    After that, the pair said nothing until the golf ball entered thest cup, where Owen and Elyse were


    waiting.


    ¡°Not bad!¡± Owen gave the two a thumbs-up.


    Though Leo won the game, Amelie¡¯s score wasn¡¯t far off from his.


    Meanwhile, Elyse jogged toward Leo after taking a subtle nce at Amelie. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re


    drenched in sweat.¡±


    She pulled a towel out to wipe his sweat, but he took it from her and wiped the sweat himself before


    she could even do anything.


    ¡°What are you standing there for? Hand Amelie a bottle of chilled water,¡± ordered Owen to his assistant


    behind him.


    Leo¡¯s heart inexplicably skipped a beat when he found Owen smiling amiably at Amelie. It surprised


    him that his ex-wife was popr with the gents.


    First was ke and Jamie, and now, it was Owen. All of them were extremely warm and enthusiastic


    toward her.


    Meanwhile, Owen and Amelie had already walked out side by side. Since they had only bumped into


    each other, it naturally wasn¡¯t necessary to chat at length.


    On the other hand, Leo was still deep in his thoughts when someone held his arm.


    ¡°Leo, I had a pretty long chat with Mr. Steward just now. He¡¯s rather amiable and not as aloof as we


    imagined him to be,¡± Elyse chirped. ¡°I even told him about your performance over thest few years as


    well as your n in detail. He seems to be very interested in it.¡±


    She might not have explicitly said it, but it seemed like she was waiting for him to shower her with


    praises.


    However, Leo only uttered a ¡®thanks¡¯ before striding away. He was never one to praise anyone, after all.


    Meanwhile, Owen and Amelie, who were drinking the chilled water inattentively, walked side by side.


    Though she had worn a sun hat, the sun was still shining pretty brightly, so sweat still gathered on her


    fair face. Even droplets of sweat were hanging on hershes, and her eyes were glistening because of


    the sweat.


    ¡°It¡¯s him, isn¡¯t it?¡± Owen asked out of nowhere, leading Amelie to look at him with slightly furrowed


    brows.


    ¡°He¡¯s the man you used to love butter left, isn¡¯t he?¡± He rephrased his question.


    ¡°How did you know?!¡± Amelie¡¯s bewilderment instantly turned into shock, and she couldn¡¯t help


    recollecting closely. But after much thought, she still couldn¡¯t figure out how she had given it away.


    Owen said nothing. How could someone like him not be able to tell when he had experienced most


    things in life and had also been deeply hurt by someone he loved?!


    Amelie figured it out very quickly as well, and she nodded with drooped eyelids. ¡°It¡¯s him.¡±


    ¡°Why still help him when you two have already divorced?¡± He gazed at her gravely while standing in


    front of his car.


    At that, she smiled with pursed lips. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not helping him. I owe someone a debt, and he


    happens to be that person¡¯s coborator.¡±


    Owen nodded and said nothing more after that. Then, he entered the vehicle while Amelie bid him


    farewell right outside.


    Lo and behold, Owen¡¯s car had just left when another car pulled up, and out came Ashton and Toby.


    As usual, Ashton¡¯s gaze at Amelie was one of nothing but abhorrence, looking like he had spotted the


    most disgusting thing in the world.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten to pinch his nose as he walked in her direction. ¡°What is the meaning of


    this? How can your golf course wee just about any low-ss people?!¡±


    While he directed his words to the staff who weed him, it was a no-brainer that he was attacking


    Amelie.


    As awkwardness filled the air, there was nothing the staff could do but wear an obsequious smile.


    On the other hand, Amelie yed dumb and even pretended not to have seen him as she didn¡¯t even


    spare him a nce, continuing with whatever she was doing.


    Toby got out of the car a littleter than Ashton, and he couldn¡¯t help chastising his friend when he


    heard such awful words. ¡°If you have nothing nice to say, don¡¯t say anything at all, Ashton!¡±


    ¡°What? Does it upset you? If it upsets you so much, just marry her!¡± Ashton was used to having things


    his way, so he never behaved civilized outside, speaking whatever came to his mind.


    Toby, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t be bothered by him anymore. He red at him before approaching


    Amelie. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you here, Miss Dillon.¡±


    ¡°Is it so surprising?!¡± Ashton interjected rudely and condescendingly. ¡°She¡¯s anywhere Leo is


    nowadays. I bet she either wants to disgust Elyse and Leo or break up the two.¡±


    Amelie hadn¡¯t wanted to stoop to the mad dog¡¯s level, but seeing that he wouldn¡¯t give it a rest, she


    couldn¡¯t put up with it anymore. ¡°You¡¯re also everywhere Leo Alston and Elyse yton are. I bet you


    want to disgust or break them up as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Livid with rage, the veins on Ashton¡¯s forehead throbbed.


    Nheless, Amelie wasn¡¯t the least bit intimidated. She gazed inly at him with a half-smile, making


    Ashton guiltier by the second, for he had an embarrassing sense of being read.


    ¡°Bullsh*t! I¡¯m not you!¡± roared the man, suddenly hitting the roof. ¡°Don¡¯t use your sinister thinking to


    guess my thoughts, you f*cking psycho!¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Amelie suddenly felt sorry for Ashton, who was ruffled up and could only use anger to cover up his


    embarrassment.


    The man was head over heels for Elyse, yet he had to feign nobleness and righteousness.


    She looked up and happened to find Leo and Elyse approaching them side by side.


    Wanting nothing to do with them, she ignored Ashton and walked in a different direction.


    The caddie had gone to grab her car, which was parked elsewhere, and it would only arrive in another


    few minutes.


    If she had known that she would bump into people she didn¡¯t want to meet, she¡¯d rather walk to her car.


    Now, she just wanted to stay as far away as possible.


    ¡°Ashton, Mr. Walsh,¡± Elyse chirped, seemingly ted. ¡°Guess who we bumped into¡ªMr. Steward!¡± At


    that, she jogged toward them and couldn¡¯t help bragging, ¡°Mr. Steward was really nice, and he¡¯s not as


    aloof as people put it. I analyzed your proposal in detail with him, as well as the pros and cons of the


    coboration. He seems to be interested in it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really something, Elyse!¡± Being Elyse¡¯s brainless fanboy, Ashton praised her the next second,


    putting the young woman in an even better mood.


    ¡°The way I see it, Mr. Steward¡¯s policy of never coborating with a Cand merchant isn¡¯t forever. He


    just hadn¡¯t found the person who could convince him.¡±


    She was forever mindful of her fairdy image, so when she was rting, she did her best to suppress


    her excitement and spoke in apletely rational and analytic tone.


    Meanwhile, Toby said nothing but only snorted icily after hearing her bull and went up to Amelie again,


    wanting nothing to do with Elyse. ¡°Where are you heading? Do you need a lift?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m good.¡± Amelie appreciated his gesture very much. However, he and Ashton arrived in


    one car, and she genuinely wanted nothing to do with a dumb*ss like Ashton.


    Leo, on the other hand, stood far away the entire time. There were so many people around, yet he


    looked isted, and it wasn¡¯t until Toby approached Amelie that he finally looked up.


    He locked his gaze on the two with furrowed brows.


    Back when Toby said he was unworthy of Amelie, he merely took it as a joke, but now, Toby seemed to


    be exceptionally close with her.


    Elyse¡¯s eyes were constantly on Leo, and when she found his gaze fixed on the pair, her heart skipped


    a beat as her nails dug into her palms. What is up with Leo? Why is he paying more and more attention


    to Amelie?!


    Since returning, the young woman had be extremely susceptible, not to mention Leo only had


    eyes for Amelie when there were so many people around. How humiliating was it for her?! This won¡¯t


    do. I have to bring Leo¡¯s attention back to me. He can only look at me and only me!

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    Chapter 82 Mortifying Moment


    While Elyse was musing, Toby¡¯s phone rang.


    ¡°Mr. Steward,¡± Toby greeted softly after answering it, causing everyone to hold their breaths.


    It was a short call thatsted ten seconds, and by the end of it, Toby¡¯s countenance became evidently


    different. ¡°Mr. Steward said he¡¯s willing to partner with us.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Elyse was the very first to jump for joy, pping her hands as she believed the heavens were on


    her side.


    At that, she returned to Leo¡¯s side with sheer excitement. ¡°What did I tell you, Leo?! Mr. Steward is


    already tempted. I convinced him!¡±


    ¡°You really are something, Elyse!¡± Ashton instantly gave the young woman a thumbs-up, then looked


    profoundly at Leo. ¡°Now that Elyse is Genesis¡¯ number one hero, you have to treasure her, lest


    someonees in and swoops her away because of how outstanding she is.¡±


    ¡°You think too highly of me.¡± Elyse blushed in response. ¡°I merely mentioned it to him. I¡¯m not that


    impressive.¡±


    Despite being humble on the surface, the sparkle beneath her eyes had already sold her out, for she


    imed herself to be the hero.


    At that, Elyse threw her hair behind and fixed her gaze on Amelie for a moment.


    Ashton, too, diverted his attention on Amelie once more and couldn¡¯t help sneering, ¡°Some people went


    all out and used some shifty man¡¯s connections to hinder our project, wanting to show off how capable


    she is, but in the end, she still lost to our Elyse. Those lowly will forever be lowly, and a baboon will


    remain a baboon even if it wears a crown.¡±


    His words were beyond unpleasant to hear.


    Though he didn¡¯t name any names, it was evident he was talking about Amelie, and a spokesperson


    like Ashton was whom Elyse needed precisely.


    The man ranted every single thing she wanted to say to Amelie. Ah, how exhrating!


    As joyous as Elyse was now after having to suffer from Amelie¡¯s outstanding performances for thest


    few days, she didn¡¯t forget to reproach Ashton, saying, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t say that. You don¡¯t know the


    truth.¡±


    ¡°Was I wrong about anything?! You guys dare tell me she hasn¡¯t deliberatelye all the way here


    from Cand to screw things up?!¡±


    His missiles were openly targeted at Amelie this time.


    That said, Amelie smiled and said nothing.


    Just then, her car arrived, and Toby spoke up before Amelie could get in while looking at Ashton like he


    was a dumb*ss. ¡°Mr. Steward said the only reason he decided to invest in Genesis¡¯ project was all for


    Miss Dillon¡¯s sake.¡±


    His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it managed to leave everyone except for Amelie frozen in ce.


    Ashton¡¯s mouth was agape with incredulity. Even Elyse dropped her image and blurted, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, as if!¡± Ashton echoed at once. ¡°Toby, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re favoring Dillion too much? To think


    you can evene up with such bullsh*t. Whose side are you even on?!¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Not wanting to waste his breath, Toby pressed a button on his phone, and Owen¡¯s voice came from the


    speaker instantly. ¡°Mr. Walsh, thank Amelie that I¡¯m willing to give Cand merchants a chance. She¡¯s


    the one who showed me the good side of Capps, and it¡¯s because of her character that I believe the


    Cand merchants she rmended to me are trustworthy. One more thing, a word of advice to your


    partner¡ªhe can do better than settling with someone like her.¡±


    It was a recording of the call earlier.


    Toby had developed the habit over the years, and who¡¯d have thought it woulde in handy like this


    one day?!


    Owen¡¯s words didn¡¯t surprise Amelie, for she had foreseen the result.


    With that, she got into her car and drove away.


    Meanwhile, Leo¡¯s grim gaze slowlynded on the leaving vehicle as his lips pursed tightly.


    The result was beyond his expectations.


    Even though he didn¡¯t think Amelie hade to screw him up as Elyse and Ashton assumed, he never


    thought that the ex-wife he never gave a damn about would one day leave such a profound mark in a


    significant moment in his life.


    She helped me¡­ and even seeded at it!


    Elyse, on the other hand, was rendered utterly speechless.


    No, what did I just do?! I self-righteously imed I was the reason Owen agreed to coborate and


    allowed Ashton to degrade Amelie as he pleased!


    Thinking back to all of it, she thought she was nothing more than a clown!


    She had been performing the lousiest act obliviously while thinking she was outstanding!


    Worst yet, herughable act was fully disyed right before Leo!


    No, this is mortifying! Just kill me now!


    Shameful, Elyse ran away with her head buried in her hands.


    ¡°What are you getting at?! Couldn¡¯t you have brought it up sooner?! You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    Ashton barked at Toby in haste before chasing after the young woman.


    Toby, on the other hand, shrugged helplessly. What chance did I have to interject when you two kept


    rambling on and on?


    Besides, he hadn¡¯t wanted to bring it up in front of Amelie, thinking he should at least save them the


    embarrassment. However, their words were beyond unpleasant.


    Did Amelie deserve to be degraded like that?!


    He ultimately let out the truth in front of Amelie to remind the two. However, they continued to behave


    unreasonably and even imed that he was bullsh*tting.


    In that case, he could only release the recording and unveil their fig leaf.


    Meanwhile, Amelie took a long, rxing shower after returning to the hotel.


    Mission aplished. I can finally go back.


    Owen might not have invited her to join him for a meal, but he had his men deliver a great deal of the


    best authentic local specialties.


    Finding the most authentic specialties was even more troublesome than just spending money in a


    shop.


    Moreover, Owen had personally picked each and everything out.


    He wasn¡¯t a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, but through this, it was apparent how much Amelie


    meant to him.


    No doubt only Amelie¡ªhis savior, friend, and junior¡ªcould make him go all out.


    While feeling touched, Amelie also felt helpless when she looked at the pile of local specialties, and


    she inevitably recalled histter words to Toby in the recording.


    Though he didn¡¯t care about her love life on the surface, he was defensive of her deep down, and it


    warmed her heart.


    Momentster, she decided to get her father, daughter, and Julia some gifts.


    With that, she headed out only to find a tall, slender, handsome figure standing right behind the door.

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    Chapter 83 She¡¯s ying Hard to Get


    Who else could be this handsome other than Leo?


    Surprised by his visit, she asked curtly with quirked brows, ¡°Is there something I can help you with, Mr.


    Alston?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯vee to thank you,¡± said Leo with a slight frown before pulling out a document. ¡°Genesis will give


    you twenty percent of the profits as gratitude for helping thepany secure the coboration with Mr.


    Steward. This is the contract. It wille into effect as soon as you sign it.¡±


    At that, Amelie lowered her head and gazed at the contract while pursing her lips slightly.


    How typical of Leo to handle anything and everything with money.


    ¡°This is unnecessary, Mr. Alston,¡± responded the young woman as she gently pushed the document


    back to Leo. ¡°I didn¡¯t approach Mr. Steward because of you or Genesis; I did it because of Mr. Walsh.


    As such, I¡¯ll have to turn you down.¡±


    With that, she bypassed Leo and strode away while the mantched his gradually dimming gaze on her


    back as he clenched his fist, crumpling the papers as a result.


    In the past, he felt ufortable when she looked at him with a love-filled gaze, but now, he still felt


    ufortable when she looked at him with nothing but aloofness.


    ¡°What is Leo doing at Amelie¡¯s door? What is the meaning of this?¡±


    A distance away, Ashton was helping Elyse back to her hotel room.


    While he gazed tenderly at Elyse, the woman¡¯s gaze wastched onto Leo.


    Her eyes trembled once again.


    ¡°That Amelie sure is a b*tch!¡± Ashton scowled, having nothing but repugnance for the young woman.


    ¡°Everything she did was to get Leo¡¯s attention, and to think he actually fell for it!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop with your bullsh*t guesses?!¡± Toby was exasperated when he heard his friend¡¯s


    baseless usations. ¡°Miss Dillon helped us out of goodness, and Leo went to her only to give her his


    thanks. That¡¯s all there is.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, my *ss!¡± No way would Ashton believe it to be the truth. ¡°The way I see it, she still can¡¯t let


    go of Leo and is just ying hard to get! That woman has nothing but mind games in her! Leo will fall


    for that b*tch¡¯s tricks one day if he keeps at this! He¡¯ll be rueing for the rest of his life when that day


    comes!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t look down on Amelie like that. Commoners like us are way out of her league,¡± Toby


    hinted and went into his room, no longer wanting to be around the two.


    ¡°What is he talking about? Me, out of Dillon¡¯s league? As if! Is Walsh even sane?! I¡¯d puke if I had


    someone like Dillon polishing my shoes!¡± roared Ashton, for he hated how Toby defended Amelie.


    ¡°Alright, cut it out.¡± Elyse stopped him limply. ¡°Actually, Amelie Dillon is Dash.¡±


    ¡°Dash? The car racer, Dash?!¡± Ashton was taken aback for a second.


    He was also into car racing since Elyse was interested in it.


    To him, the young woman was an unobtainable goddess, and he loved to develop anything she liked


    into his hobby so that they had something inmon.


    Being a decent racer, he naturally knew who Dash was. However, thetter barely ever showed


    themself. What was more, he didn¡¯t join them the other time, so he didn¡¯t know about Amelie¡¯s alias


    until this very moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re messing with me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I have all the patience to do that,¡± taunted Elyse with deeply furrowed brows. She gave the man


    little patience when the two were alone.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Shut up!¡± Ashton¡¯s jaw dropped once more.


    Elyse galled, seeing that Ashton was all over Amelie. As such, she rted the race to him.


    ¡°What? She concealed her identity to humiliate you?! Does Dillion think she¡¯s something just because


    she¡¯s Dash?! That shameless wench!¡± Ashton flew into a rage once more.


    How could he sit back and do nothing when someone had bullied his fair maiden?!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elyse. I¡¯ll reveal this to the association and see that she can never enter another


    competition ever again!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. There¡¯s no point making a fuss over something so minor.¡± Elyes acted as though she wanted to


    leave the matter behind. ¡°Actually, what baffles me now is her rtionship with Starlight Media¡¯s CEO.


    Though it is maddening that she used such a method to ruin my rtionship with Leo, I don¡¯t want to


    fuss over all that anymore. It¡¯ll be a win-win situation for everyone if she ends up with Starlight Media¡¯s


    CEO. I¡¯m just worried that her rtionship with him and what she¡¯s done in the past was only to trick


    everyone. By then¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there anything that b*tch won¡¯t do?!¡± Ashton ndered Amelie again. ¡°Let¡¯s be real for a second,


    though. Do you think the CEO of Starlight Media would be into a bimbo like her? I bet she orchestrated


    everything!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Rx, leave this to me. I¡¯ll do the digging. I, for one, would like to see if she has anything to do with


    the CEO of Starlight!¡± Ashton patted his chest firmly.


    Elyse¡¯s business was also his. He had to get to the bottom of it!


    At that, Elyse nodded in satisfaction.


    She was currently seething with hatred for Amelie, and the only reason she hadn¡¯t done anything


    outrageous to this day was that she was worried about what the CEO of Starlight Media would do.


    If their rtionship had been made up, Ashton would teach the woman a good lesson without her


    asking.


    ¡°You should get to it,¡± Elyse urged, in a bit of a rush.


    However, Ashton was still worried about her. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I still have Leo with me, don¡¯t I?¡±


    At that, Elyse sauntered toward Leo.


    Meanwhile, Ashton suppressed the feeling that shed across his eyes and left, feeling resigned.


    ¡°Leo,¡± Elyse called out tenderly as she approached the man, who looked up expressionlessly.


    Seeing the way that he reacted, she instantly put on a grieving face but barely revealed much. ¡°Sorry, I


    thought I managed to convince Mr. Steward, but who¡¯d have thought¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should apologize to but Amelie,¡± Leo corrected.


    ¡°What do you mean, Leo?¡± Taken aback, Elyse whined at once. ¡°I was never the one who insulted her.


    Why should I apologize? Just because she secured the project for you? How can you do this to me,


    Leo?!¡±


    Her eyes were red-rimmed with oing tears.


    However, for some reason, Leo couldn¡¯t feel bad for her even though she looked pitiful.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Just because you don¡¯t tell me some things doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m oblivious to it. Think back to whatever


    you said to Owen.¡±


    ¡°W-What have I said to him?¡± Despite refuting, Elyse¡¯s face had be ghastly pale, and her body


    trembled uncontrobly.


    ¡°It¡¯s Dillon, isn¡¯t it?! She snitched on me! You can¡¯t trust a word she says.¡±


    She thought it through and believed it could only be Amelie¡¯s doing. After all, it was impossible for a big


    shot like Owen to gossip.


    Just as Elyse wanted to say more, Leo extended an arm to reveal an object in his palm.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    Chapter 84 Exposed


    ¡°My earring?!¡± Elyse felt her ear at once, and sure enough, she was an earring less.


    ¡°You dropped it at the golf course¡¯s cafe. When the manager called me to pick it up, I overheard


    someone talking about you and the derogatory words you said to Owen about Amelie,¡± Leo revealed.


    His every word revealed the filthy heart hidden beneath Elyse¡¯s flesh bit by bit.


    Elyse instantly clutched her earring while biting down the corner of her lips in utter shame. The blood


    drained speedily from her face, leaving it ghastly pale.


    She hadn¡¯t deliberately watched out for people when she was talking to Owen, for she knew the staff


    would never have anything to do with Leo. However, she forgot there was one thing in this world called


    a coincidence.


    Her earring had coincidentally dropped; Leo coincidentally went back to the ce; the staff members


    were coincidentally talking about her¡­


    How did it lead up to this?!


    At the time, when she realized Owen wasn¡¯t as aloof as she imagined, she then pretentiously brought


    up Amelie after talking about the coboration.


    Though her words were euphemistic, they implied multitudes.


    For the longest time, Elyse portrayed her fair maiden image wlessly, but it was now entirely ruined


    because of this insignificant mistake.


    ¡°I only said all that because I thought¡­ I thought Amelie wanted to foil your dealing. I feared Mr.


    Steward would believe her, so I hinted at him. I¡­ I did it all for you and thepany¡¯s sake!¡± she


    hurriedly exined as she looked at Leo with teary eyes. ¡°You have to trust me.¡±


    Despite Leo¡¯s silence, his eyes were sub-zero.


    Honestly, some things didn¡¯t need to be said, but those decent would never speak ill of others to


    someone else, especially when that person was a big shot like Owen.


    Until not long ago, he was still baffled by Owen¡¯s advice, telling him he could do better than settle for


    someone like Elyse. But after overhearing the gossip, it all suddenly became clear to him.


    His silence was like a boulder weighing down on Elyse. She felt suffocated and grabbed her hair in


    frustration.


    Just what the heck has gotten into me?!


    She would be all over the ce once it had anything to do with Amelie.


    She knew the potential harm of gossiping to other people, but she just couldn¡¯t help herself.


    ¡°You should get some rest. I still have other business to see to,¡± announced Leo impassively before


    heading out.


    Uneasiness instantly surged within Elyse, and she hurriedly grabbed Leo¡¯s arm to forbid him from


    leaving. ¡°Leo, you have to trust me. I have your and the project¡¯s best interests at heart. I was just too


    anxious and eager to help you that I behaved so indecently. However, Amelie¡¯s also to me. She


    showed up here so coincidentally and coupled with how she repeatedly attacked usst time, I thought


    she wanted to screw things up! Wouldn¡¯t it make sense that I warned Mr. Steward to look out for her?!


    Also, I believe she has a reason for helping us. She wants to break us up!¡±


    Even at this point, she continued to defend herself without forgetting to defame Amelie.


    ¡°Elyse!¡± Leo never expressed any emotions, not even when he was utterly disappointed in her.


    However, he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore when she still disregarded her mistakes and disparaged others


    even when it hade to this.


    ¡°Straighten yourself out before you randomly assume others!¡± he fumed with unprecedented sternness.


    He wasn¡¯t even this stern back when she humiliated him by cheating on him.


    Startled, Elyse shuddered in fear, no longer daring to say another word.


    She cautiously checked Leo¡¯s expression, only for her heart to skip a beat and race when she took in


    his disappointment.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Shoot! Leo has seen through me and is starting to despise me! Where is he heading off to so


    hurriedly? To chase after Amelie? She¡¯s doing outstanding now. If he starts falling for her¡­


    An unprecedented insecurity surged within Elyse, and she grew more unwilling to let him leave.


    However, forcing him to stay would only make him despise her even more¡­


    An idea suddenly hit her amidst the chaos, and she hurriedly winced in pain. ¡°My eye hurts, Leony. I¡¯m


    cking out. Ouch¡­¡±


    Even though he had already stridden off, Leo turned around and supported her at once.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got you. I¡¯ll take you back to your room now.¡± Anxiety instantly enveloped his voice as


    he picked her up and strode toward her room.


    Meanwhile, Elyse wrapped her arms around his waist while burying her face in his chest.


    Thank the heavens that she had a shrewd brain.


    Her ¡®impaired¡¯ eye would be her holy grail forever. In the future, no matter what fault she was in,


    he would eventually yield if she pulled this card.


    Very well.


    Amelie returned to Cand first thing in the morning, and she found Julia¡¯s hot, enthusiastic figure as


    soon as she exited the arrival hall.


    Julia made nothing of other strangers either and gave her best friend a massive hug while shrieking, ¡°I


    miss you so much, Darling!¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. People are looking at us.¡± Amelie hurriedly avoided her and nced around.


    No one could capture the moment, for those who were oblivious would certainly assume she and Julia


    had some unspeakable rtionship.


    Alright, strangers didn¡¯t matter¡ªSamuel did. The man was a pretty scary character.


    As she had shipped Owen¡¯s local specialties, it would take some time for them to arrive. Thus, Amelie


    only had to drag a simple suitcase as she walked alongside Julia.


    Julia had a hot body and a bold fashion sense, while Amelie had a slender figure and dressed


    elegantly.


    Though one was fiery while the other was poised, both were beauties that attracted a lot of attention.


    That said, both were used to the attention and merely chatted while walking when Julia suddenly


    snapped her fingers. ¡°Amelie, guess what massive secret I¡¯ve found out recently!¡±


    She deliberately kept the suspense up to attract Amelie¡¯s attention, and thetter very cooperatively


    looked at her. ¡°Do tell.¡±


    At that, Julia moved her head closer and whispered, ¡°Remember the time we ran into the b*stard and


    the b*tch when I forced you to get your eye checked?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± replied the young woman curtly.


    Amelie felt nauseous when she ran into the pair several times a day.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to believe this.¡± Julia¡¯s expression grew increasingly mysterious. ¡°One of Elyse¡¯s eyes


    has zero vision!¡±


    ¡°Zero vision?!¡± Amelie was honestly shocked by the news, for she had never heard about it.


    ¡°Do you seriously believe that one of her eyes has zero vision when she appears on TV every day?


    Well, I don¡¯t!¡± Julia tapped the side of her piercing eyes. ¡°Forget about using a machine. My eyes alone


    can tell she isn¡¯t visually impaired at all!¡±


    ¡°So? What are you going to do? Blow the whistle on her? But she has never mentioned any issues


    about her eyes in public either,¡± monotoned Amelie.


    ¡°My point exactly!¡± Julia pped her hands. ¡°Think about it. Elyse is always on about her fair maiden


    image and will ramble about her insignificant injuries every now and then to gain pity from her fans. In


    fact, she would constantlye up with fake inspiring stories to cheat her gullible fans. Now that she


    has a truly inspiring story with her one blind eye, she keeps quiet about it instead! You can¡¯t tell me


    that¡¯s normal, can you?¡±


    Amelie had never been one to actively talk about Elyse, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t dig into the woman.


    However, she also knew Julia would never assume anything without a good reason, so she turned to


    thetter. ¡°What you¡¯re saying is¡­¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve made a bold assumption. Elyse¡¯s eyes are working perfectly fine. She merely said she¡¯s


    visually impaired for Leo alone to hear. I assure you, no one else but Leo knows about it!¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°This is a red g!¡± Julia suddenly turned grave and held Amelie¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Chapter 85 Elyse Stole Her Credit


    ¡°Amelie, has it ever urred to you that Elyse¡¯s real purpose is to steal your credit?!¡±


    ¡°Steal my credit?¡± Amelie froze for a second.


    She got what Julia meant, but¡­


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This is ultimately just an assumption. Don¡¯t go around rambling,¡± she advised.


    To that, Julia quirked her lips and huffed indignantly. ¡°We¡¯ll know as soon as we dig into it, won¡¯t we?


    We can overlook all the losses we¡¯ve suffered and the sacrifices we¡¯ve made now that we¡¯re staying


    away from those b*stards and b*tches, but that doesn¡¯t mean we should let her im the credit that


    isn¡¯t hers! It is what it is. Elyse trampled over you four years ago in exchange for momentary peace and


    a few years of prosperity. Now, four yearster, she wants to trample over you again in exchange for a


    happy ever after with Leo?! Fat chance!¡±


    Julia was right. She could overlook everything in the past, but it didn¡¯t mean people could walk all over


    her as they pleased.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into this matter myself.¡± She didn¡¯t want to drag Julia into this nonsensical mess.


    ¡°I¡¯m already on it, and we¡¯ll be hearing some news soon!¡± Julia quirked her brows profoundly.


    The next second, her phone rang, and it was a call from Samuel.


    ¡°You have the report?!¡± Julia raised her brows after hearing Samuel¡¯s words.


    With that, Julia took Amelie to her ce, where Samuel had already been waiting.


    He was dressed in a dark gray dress shirt, and the tie on his neck showed that he had just arrived not


    long ago.


    Upon seeing Amelie, he quirked his chin as a greeting, but before Amelie could even speak, she was


    already handed her favoritette.


    ¡°Come on, give it to us,¡± pressed Julia, a short-tempered one, before even sitting down.


    Samuel shook his head helplessly at her as affection poured from his eyes.


    He was long used to her short temper and knew that there was nothing anyone could do about it.


    ¡°I did some digging at the hospital, and the reading states that Elyse¡¯s eyes are perfectly normal,¡± he


    revealed while pushing Julia to a seat. ¡°But here¡¯s the interesting part. Someone overheard Elyse¡¯s


    examining doctor and nurse say her left eye has zero vision and that she deliberately kept quiet about it


    because she didn¡¯t want Leo to know. The best part is that Leo overheard it. At the same time, he also


    sent his men to find his cornea donor. However, there hasn¡¯t been a follow-up since Elyse got her eyes


    checked.¡±


    Samuel had many jobs under his name, but his very first one was as a detective. Having operated the


    business for years, he had long developed a finework. As such, obtaining information like this was


    a piece of cake to him.


    ¡°We can be almost certain that Elyse has stolen your credit. She¡¯s pretending to be blind and deceiving


    Leo as his cornea donor! Can this woman be any more shameless?!¡± Julia mmed the table in anger


    repeatedly, wanting nothing more than to mangle the woman. ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m going to capture her and


    show the world just who she is!¡±


    Julia allowed her anger to take over her and decided to capture the woman immediately.


    ¡°So what if you capture her? What about her can you show to the world?¡± Samuel pulled her back


    helplessly. ¡°Her report shows that her eyes are working just fine. Capture her, and you¡¯ll be the one


    affected.¡±


    ¡°What now, then? Are we going to just let her bully Amelie as she pleases?!¡± Julia¡¯s eyes turned


    bloodshot as she roared.


    Then, she looked toward Amelie, and her heart wrenched at the thought that her friend could never see


    with both eyes ever again.


    ¡°Julia, Samuel¡¯s right.¡± Amelie joined Samuel in dissuading the young woman. She soothed, saying,


    ¡°Elyse ispletely innocent on the surface. We have nothing on her.¡±


    ¡°That b*tch is too smart.¡± Julia seethed with rage.


    In actuality, Amelie didn¡¯t want to make a fuss about the matter.


    She had willingly donated her cornea and deliberately kept it from Leo, so there was nothing to argue


    about.


    Now that Leo wanted to be an idiot and ept Elyse¡¯s deception, she couldn¡¯t care less about it either.


    But seeing how worked up Julia was, she was honestly worried the young woman would go all out and


    avenge her.


    ¡°Rx. I¡¯ll see to it myself.¡± She patted Julia¡¯s shoulder, only for thetter to grab her hand with an


    aching heart. ¡°Amelie, I know you want nothing to do with Alston anymore, but why should your credit


    be given to someone else?! We can¡¯t let Elyse act so shamelessly! So be it that she was ungrateful


    when she used you to flee four years ago, yet she still wants to use you now?! Not on my watch! Swear


    to me that you¡¯ll show her who¡¯s boss, Amelie!¡±


    ¡°I swear.¡± Amelie nodded solemnly.


    She was well aware that her issue hurt Julia even more. Besides, Elyse was indeed shameless for


    doing something like this.


    Later, Samuel sent her home on behalf of Julia.


    ¡°Julia¡¯s a little hot-headed. I¡¯ll talk some sense into her. Now that you and Leo have divorced, it won¡¯t


    be good for you to fight head-on. There¡¯s no need to force yourself to do what you don¡¯t want to. Of


    course, if there¡¯s anything I can help you with, feel free toe to me.¡±


    Samuel was a little older than her and Julia, so he was like an older brother to the two.


    He also genuinely wanted what was best for her.


    Amelie nodded with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t fight him head-on, and you don¡¯t need to get involved


    in this either.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Samuel couldn¡¯t help asking.


    ¡°Someone will naturally see to it,¡± said the young woman euphemistically as she looked at the figure


    not far away.


    Likewise, Samuel noticed the person at the main entrance and nodded. ¡°You always know what to do,


    but keep an eye open. Call me immediately if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°I got it. Thanks, Samuel.¡± Amelie bid the man goodbye before exiting the car.


    ¡°My, if it isn¡¯t my ex-sister-inw, Amelie Dillon.¡± A sarcastic voice rang out right as she arrived at her


    doorstep.


    Jodie sauntered over with her arms crossed in front of her chest, looking condescendingly at Amelie


    while her ¡®little minions¡¯ followed behind.


    Amelie, on the other hand, reacted impassively toward Jodie and had no intention of greeting her


    either.


    Naturally, Jodie became irritated, and the defeat she suffered at this very ce immediately came to


    her.


    At that, she went up to Amelie and shoved thetter while gazing provocatively like Amelie was a


    tattered rag. ¡°Still think you¡¯re the firstdy of Starlight Media, eh? Quit pretending! I already heard the


    CEO has dumped you! All that two hundred million growth fund and divorcing his wife for you were


    nothing but stunts! He was merely using you and had long abandoned you after you weren¡¯t of use to


    him.¡±


    However, Amelie stood firmly rooted to her spot without moving an inch.


    ¡°Ca told you about it, didn¡¯t she? Do you trust her that much?¡± She looked at Jodie with a half-smile,


    stupefying thetter so much that she didn¡¯t even hit the roof.


    She couldn¡¯t believe Amelie knew she had a ¡®brain¡¯!


    Meanwhile, Amelie smiled inly as she said, ¡°I have two pieces of advice for you. One, people will


    catch you easily if you¡¯re going to bully me here. I¡¯m sure many people will be interested to learn about


    the sister of Leo Alston, the CEO of Genesis. Two, your ¡®brain¡¯ isn¡¯t as smart as you think she is.


    Someone¡¯s ordering her in the shadows. You¡¯ll be dead before you know it if you really put all your trust


    in her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right!¡± As if Jodie would believe it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you scare her with the ¡®little minions¡¯ you¡¯re using to scare me? See if she¡¯ll speak the truth.¡±


    Amelie smiled. ¡°Also, another important thing to remind you of.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Not even Jodie was aware that Amelie already had the young woman wrapped around her


    little finger.


    At that, Amelie smirked and gradually opened her mouth to speak.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    Chapter 86 Get Someone Else to Screw with Elyse


    ¡°What you should be concerned about isn¡¯t my rtionship with the CEO of Starlight Media but when


    your new sister-inw will be marrying into your family.¡±


    ¡°My new sister-inw?¡± Jodie was rendered baffled. ¡°What the hell are you smoking? Leo hasn¡¯t even


    been on blind datestely. What new sister-inw are you talking about?!¡±


    ¡°Sounds like someone needs to update their news portal.¡± Amelie ridiculed. ¡°Your brother and Elyse


    have been appearing everywhere togethertely, and everyone around him already knows she¡¯ll


    be your new sister-inw soon.¡±


    ¡°Elyse yton?!¡± 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 Elysended in Cand, she went to Ashton. ¡°Did you learn anything?¡±


    Ashton, who had initially been slouching in the chair, sat up upon seeing her. Even theziness 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.


    s, he couldn¡¯t aplish 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 onlye 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 himpany 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 be 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 nce.¡± 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 nched 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 be 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 p


    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 ept the fact, Elyse grabbed her head. ¡°H-How can this be?!¡±


    How could she ept 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.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    No way am I going to be a double! I will not ept 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 cor and


    brought his face inches away from hers, stumping him. ¡°Elyse, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen!¡± Elyse growled through gnashed teeth.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87


    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 p on her face for the woman with whom she had never seen eye-to-eye to


    suddenly be 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 ept 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 aplished that no one could believe it.


    Not only was she good at driving race cars, but she also had a close rtionship 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 yton, 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 andyering on her lipstick.


    Only when she returned to looking as immacte 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¡¯lle 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 ufortable 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 yton.¡±


    ¡°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 apetent 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 Ca 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 Ca 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.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    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 yton said there is nothing wrong with her eyes. They¡¯re perfectly


    fine!¡±


    Elyse and Laura immediately froze in ce. 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 rtionship 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


    rtionship 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

    Chapter 88


    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-ss ophthalmology medical team that has sessfully


    cured many patients initially deemed unsavable by doctors. Let¡¯s give Miss yton 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


    wless 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 rx 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 ce 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 nced 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 exin!¡±


    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 thisck 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 hadpletely 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 yton, whatever you im 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 ce 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 rtionship?!¡±


    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 toote 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.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    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 ept something even she couldn¡¯te to terms with?


    The engagement was the least of her concern now.


    Leo turned away and made a call. ¡°Laura, send Miss yton 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

    Chapter 89


    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, apanying 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 yton, 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 uneptable.


    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 nce 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 ount 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.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    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 bepleting him if she was with


    him.


    s, 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 thest 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 epted 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 ufortable.


    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 inparison


    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¡ªLeo.


    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

    Chapter 90


    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 woulde 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 unrted. 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 ce 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.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    The corners of her mouth curled upward, and she opened her mouth to finally reveal the truth. ¡°She


    and I¡ª¡±


    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 evene 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, herughter 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 bing 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¡¯sbor.


    A woman as dignified as herself had ended up bing a thief.


    There was no way someone of her pride and ego could ept 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¡¯te 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 incidente 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 ce 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¡¯te up with such a stupid n, 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 wless 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 rtionship 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.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    Chapter 91 How Shameless Can Elyse Be?


    Amelie received a call from Julia at night.


    ¡°Do you want to know what I heard?¡± Julia started. ¡°This world is a joke. I heard that Laura was


    demoted by Leo. And you know what was the reason for the demotion? Supposedly, she bribed a


    doctor to say that there was something wrong with Elyse¡¯s eyes. And Elyse went along with it ¡®against


    her will¡¯ because she didn¡¯t want to embarrass her best friend. Apparently, that was why she took the


    credit for all that farce about pretending to be the donor.¡±


    ¡°Not even a three-year-old would believe this! What¡¯s even more bizarre is that that b*stard believed


    her and punished Laura! Seriously! It¡¯s the joke of the century!¡±


    Hearing Julia¡¯s loud and clear voice dripping with mockery put a small smile on Amelie¡¯s face.


    This was not the first time she had witnessed Leo¡¯s unreasonable trust and love for Elyse. It no longer


    surprised her. In fact, she was already immune to it.


    ¡°Did you call me just to tell me something that doesn¡¯t help me in any way?¡± She didn¡¯t want to hear


    about how Leo doted on Elyse.


    Julia immediately boomed, ¡°No, no, no! That¡¯s not the only thing I¡¯m calling you for. Something even


    stranger and more shameless than that is about to happen¡ªLeo is holding a birthday party for Elyse!


    ¡°Heh, is he worried that others don¡¯t know about Elyse cheating on him four years ago? This is like him


    trying to use this opportunity to remind everyone that. Is he dying to show people how eager he is to go


    back to his past love?¡±


    ¡°It might look that way to you, but to him, this is how he expresses his love for Elyse,¡± Amelie replied


    calmly.


    One could only feel so much pain before they turned numb.


    They were speaking of this like they were talking about some strangers.


    Julia was in the middle of roaring and admonishing the couple when she suddenly pped a palm on


    the tabletop. ¡°F*ck! She¡¯s never going to stop with her disgusting ways, huh? Do you know what I just


    got?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°An invitation letter. Elyse actually sent me and you an invitation to her birthday party. F*ck, how


    shameless can she be? What the hell does she want?¡±


    Intrigued, the originally calm Amelie raised her eyebrows.


    Even she thought that this was an interesting move Elyse was pulling.


    ¡°She probably wants to take the chance to show off her life while letting the whole city know that she


    already has Leo as her backer.¡±


    Even though Elyse came from a fairly good family, her family was still far from Leo¡¯s level.


    Leo might have questionable taste in women, but he was born with a business mind.


    In just a few years, he had brought Genesis Company to a whole new height. People like Toby, Ashton,


    and many famous families rushed to coborate with him because of his unique vision in business.


    Although the Alston Family¡¯s ranking wasn¡¯t disclosed, they were undoubtedly one of the best in this


    city.


    ¡°Tsk! What makes her think we would help her fulfill her wish to show off? Ain¡¯t no way that¡¯s


    happening!¡± Julia insisted, ¡°I¡¯ll send her the invitation letters back to her intact. That¡¯ll give her a taste of


    what it feels like to be ignored.¡±


    ¡°No need for that,¡± Amelie hummed. ¡°She sent the invitation because she thought we would cower and


    choose to not go. We¡¯ll be ying by her rules if we don¡¯t go.¡±


    Julia immediately understood what Amelie meant.


    ¡°So, she sent the invites to us just to make us feel ufortable! Hmm. We can¡¯t possibly disappoint


    someone who went out of her way to tease us. The birthday party will be our chance to ¡®tease¡¯ her as


    much as she did to us! Ha! The ex-lover appearing at the new lover¡¯s birthday party? Just the thought


    of it gets me all tingly!


    ¡°Your arrival will be a reenactment of Elyse¡¯s cheating back then. Hehehe¡­ How nostalgic. Let¡¯s go,


    Elie. We have to go!¡±


    ¡°We definitely have to,¡± Amelie echoed with a small smile.


    Even though there wasn¡¯t a need to bite the b*tch that bit her, she had no choice but to teach the dog to


    behave if the dog wouldn¡¯t let go.


    Amelie flipped through her calendar.


    It had been some time since she came back to Quinn Town. It was time she went back.


    It was Elyse¡¯s birthday in the blink of an eye.


    Elyse was now standing in front of the mirror in a couture dress with a small crown on her head.


    Seeing her beautiful reflection, she nodded in satisfaction.


    Ashton was behind her and his eyes shone when he saw her.


    However, Ashton quickly tucked his admiration for her away before he got in front of her.


    Elyse knew that he had something to tell her when she noticed him approaching her. Turning to her


    makeup artist and assistant, she instructed, ¡°Leave us, please.¡±


    Ashton only spoke after everyone else left. ¡°ording to my investigation, the boss of Starlight Media


    has never shown himself.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elyse touched her graceful, long neck, the corners of her eyebrows slightly


    raised.


    Ashton slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants as he tried his best to appear dashing in front of


    her. ¡°Since the establishment of Starlight Media, he has only ever had contact with Julia White. She


    has always been the one who passes on all his ns on his behalf.


    ¡°The man is so mysterious that he has never left any traces anywhere. My people haven¡¯t found


    anything even after searching for so long. I suspect that he may be a well-known foreign big shot and


    he can¡¯t show himself to the public because of his identity. That meant he wouldn¡¯t actuallye to


    Cand. There is a possibility that the so-called divorce and the 20 million funds are fake. It was all


    made up by Julia White.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s analysis made sense.


    It wasn¡¯t like anyone would know that Julia was using the name of this mysterious foreign identity to do


    this and that.


    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s impossible for him and Amelie to know each other?¡± Elyse suddenly asked in


    surprise, to which Ashton nodded.


    ¡°No doubt about it.¡±


    If that¡¯s so¡­ Elyse bit her lip.


    She had already suspected the rtionship between Amelie and the boss of Starlight Media and was


    thinking of finding out the truth through Jodie.


    However, Jodie was so daft that she was used by Amelie instead, on top of not getting any useful


    information.


    The Lowes¡¯ informationwork was the second-most well-founded in the whole of Cand. The news


    Ashton was giving her couldn¡¯t go wrong.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why would Amelie fabricate so many things?¡± Elyse asked softly.


    Ashton scoffed, ¡°To fool Leony into thinking she¡¯s valuable! She must be hoping for him to marry her


    again!¡±


    Elyse lowered her head and pondered.


    She didn¡¯t believe Ashton¡¯s analysis too much.


    However, she couldn¡¯t think of any other reason herself.


    She eventually reminded him in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t let Leony find out about how there¡¯s nothing


    between the boss of Starlight Media and Amelie.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked in confusion. ¡°We need to expose that thick-skinned woman!¡±


    ¡°No means no!¡± Elyse demanded in an impatient voice.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t tell Ashton that Amelie was Big Eyes. Amelie was too dangerous an existence


    for her.


    She had to stop any news regarding Amelie from reaching Leo¡¯s ears before their rtionship was


    confirmed, lest he started having second thoughts.


    Ashton could only nod along when he saw how Elyse had lost her temper.


    Still, he had to ask out of worry. ¡°What if Amelie went crazy and exposed this herself?¡±


    Elyse¡¯s fingers lightly tapped. ¡°At least she wouldn¡¯t do it today.¡±


    She had prepared well by sending out the invitation letters.


    She was sure that Amelie wouldn¡¯t be here just to watch her and Leo be all over each other.


    The whole world would know that she and Leo had got back together by the time her birthday party


    ended.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Amelie telling the truth only after Elyse was publicly known as Leo¡¯s girlfriend would be a futile effort.


    After thinking for a moment with her head hanging, she looked at Ashton. ¡°I need you to look into


    something for me.¡±


    This was something that she was worried most about.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    Chapter 92 Leo Gave Her a Sense of Superiority


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ashton asked.


    He had always fulfilled every one of Elyse¡¯s requests.


    Elyse¡¯s sleek eyebrows twitched slightly. ¡°I want to know whether Amelie¡¯s child is Leony¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Are you suspecting¡­¡± A trace of hesitation appeared on his rugged features.


    She pressed her lips together. ¡°Just investigate this for me. Don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡±


    ¡°Is there really a need for that? She said herself that the child isn¡¯t rted to Leony. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the


    case. She is a cunning woman. She would have used the child if she really was Leony¡¯s.¡±


    Ashton mighte from a wealthy family, but he wasn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the shed.


    This was the reason Elyse didn¡¯t have high hopes for him.


    He could tell that she was unhappy by the way she fell quiet.


    Seeing her reaction, Ashton didn¡¯t dare say anything other than agree to help her. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do it for


    you.¡±


    After twenty minutes, Elyse went downstairs with Laura beside her.


    The off-white couture gown with a long train made Elyse look like a princess.


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


    Each of the hundreds of diamond splints iid on the garment was priceless.


    Laura seemed to fade into the background by contrast as her simple dress was immediately


    overshadowed by Elyse.


    Even so, Laura gazed at Elyse with a look of admiration. Only a woman as beautiful and elegant as


    Elyse is worthy of Leo!


    ¡°Elyse, why didn¡¯t you tell everyone that Mr. Alston is the one who held this birthday party for you?


    More people would havee if you did.¡± Laura was puzzled.


    Many of the guests were here after Ashton invited them using his connections.


    Even though he was an important figure himself, he was nowhere on Leo¡¯s level.


    Elyse only smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    What she wanted was to leave a big impact! The guests wouldn¡¯t be able to remember this day for the


    rest of their lives if she had revealed the secret too early.


    Anyway, everyone will know that we¡¯re a couple again after he¡¯s here.


    Those who didn¡¯te would eventually find out from those who did attend the party.


    It wouldn¡¯t make a difference.


    The guests appeared slightly perfunctory even after Elyse walked down the stairs. A few of them asked


    about her rtionship with Ashton.


    She sipped her wine and responded formally, ¡°I have known him for many years. We are good friends.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes instantly went dim when they heard that.


    They quietlyined abouting all the way here for Ashton¡¯s sake only to find out that Ashton


    and Elyse were mere friends.


    Those in the business industry were all about profit.


    Since Elyse and Ashton were no closer than friends, and Ashton wasn¡¯t even here, many of them were


    already thinking of leaving.


    They didn¡¯t want to waste their time on someone who didn¡¯t matter.


    However, Elyse didn¡¯t mind at all even as she watched them turn their back on her.


    But at this moment, the door was opened from outside, and a tall and straight figure appeared.


    The person with clear eyebrows and cold eyes looked more noble and remarkable than anyone here.


    ¡°Leony.¡± Seeing that person, Elyse raised her eyebrows and smilingly went up to wee him.


    Her hands naturally rested on his. ¡°Why are you only here now? Was the traffic bad?¡±


    Everyone abruptly stopped in their tracks when they saw Leo.


    A myriad of emotions swam in their eyes.


    Laura was the first person to speak out. ¡°Surprise! Mr. Alston organized this birthday party for Elyse!¡±


    The crowd¡¯s gazes immediately changed when they heard her words.


    They looked resentful and dismissive just a moment ago, but their wide eyes were now shining with


    surprise, envy, and jealousy.


    Elyse enjoyed all the attention.


    This was what she wanted to see!


    Leo¡¯s eyebrows knitted into a small frown as he looked into the hall.


    He didn¡¯t like noisy ces like this, but he agreed to hold the party because Elyse wanted it.


    ¡°I love the decorations. Thank you,¡± she whispered after she leaned in next to his ear.


    Their proximity looked especially intimate to outsiders.


    However, she was still loud enough for the people around her to hear her.


    ¡°Mr. Alston organized the birthday party for Elyse yton? What is going on?¡± someone in the crowd


    couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°What do you think? No one would hold a birthday party for someone else for no reason. The


    boyfriend¡¯s celebrating his girlfriend¡¯s birthday!


    ¡°Are they together again?¡±


    ¡°I think so!¡±


    ¡°Elyse yton¡¯s such a lucky woman.¡±


    Elyse¡¯s fair and smooth chin seemed to lift higher when she heard the chattering.


    One could see the elegance and sense of superiority on her face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± she urged Leo smilingly.


    The man nodded and walked in with her.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Miss yton.¡±


    The crowd seemed as though they had suddenlye back from the dead. They werenguid earlier,


    but they were now swarming to her to congratte her.


    Elyse and Leo were surrounded by many people in no time.


    Still, some chose to observe from the sidelines.


    Just because Leo held a birthday party for Elyse didn¡¯t mean that they had a special rtionship.


    What if Elyse and Leo had joined hands to help raise Elyse¡¯s poprity?


    She endorsed several major brands after she returned to the country. It made sense that Leo would


    cooperate with her for the sake of profit.


    Naturally, Elyse noticed these people.


    She pursed her lips slightly before pulling Leo to a secluded area. ¡°Leony, can youe to the stage


    with me to cut the caketer, and then we¡¯ll announce our rtionship?¡±


    Leo¡¯s frown deepened at that.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, Elyse has been doing poorly mentally these days. Her doctor said that keeping her happy


    helps with her health.¡± Laura shuffled over and reminded him.


    It was only then that Leo hummed in agreement.


    The main reason he overlooked the fact Elyse pretended to be the donor of the corneas was because


    of the doctor¡¯s diagnosis.


    The doctor said that Elyse had a mental problem.


    No matter how disappointed in Elyse he was, he couldn¡¯t just disregard herpany and support


    throughout the years.


    His agreement to make their rtionship public immediately put a happy glow on her face.


    She would win the moment they announced their rtionship!


    Being the loyal man that Leo was, he would never abandon her even if they were only dating and were


    not tied by marriage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Leony.¡± She hurriedly pulled him onto the stage with her.


    They were once again the center of attention as they stood there.


    Elyse smiled when she saw the skepticism on the faces in the crowd reced by an assured look.


    After she nodded in Laura¡¯s direction, Laura picked up the microphone and announced, ¡°Today is Miss


    Elyse yton¡¯s birthday. Let¡¯s start with her and Mr. Leo Alston cutting the cake together. We also have


    some good news to announce. That is¡ª¡±


    The door across the room was opened from the outside again before she could finish her words.


    Swiftly after, Laura froze when a pop of bright red color bedazzled her.


    ¡°How festive!¡±


    A figure in dark green appeared behind the red one and mused with a smile.


    It was Julia who had appeared, dressed in a dark green mandarin gown.


    Her face was as smooth as jade, her lips picturesque, and her imposing manner was that of a born


    queen.


    However, she wasn¡¯t the focal point of this beautiful scenery.


    The red figure beside her was what caught the eyes of many.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    Chapter 93 Never Forgotten a Word He Said


    The woman wore a rtively simple outfit with no decorativeponents or any valuable jewelry. Her


    neck and arms were bare, and she merely donned a pair of casual high-heeled sandals. However, such


    simplicity perfectly highlighted her fair skin and exceptional facial features.


    Along with her long hair draped behind her back, she looked like a beautiful goddess from the heavens.


    Her beauty easily defeated every woman at the scene and made the exquisitely dressed-up Elyse look


    tacky.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± The crowd focused on the woman and began their guesses.


    When Elyse saw the duo, she froze on stage while her smile stiffened into a rictus.


    Laura, on the other hand, looked like she had seen a ghost and turned to look at Elyse, whose body


    shook before she instinctively nced at Leo.


    He stared fixedly at the red figure with tightly knitted eyebrows. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Amelie?¡±


    Finally, someone from the crowd recognized her.


    ¡°Oh my gosh! What a drastic change.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a different person.¡±


    Everyone could not help but be shocked as they began associating thatdy with the quiet, invisible


    woman from the Alston Family.


    After recognizing her, the crowd stared at the trio with meaningful gazes.


    A person piped up, ¡°This scene¡­ feels like a d¨¦j¨¤ vu from four years ago.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    No further exnation was needed as everyone in the crowd knew about the incident from four years


    ago. It was where Elyse was used of cheating, and the three publicly confronted each other.


    When everyone recalled that scene, their expressions became even more intriguing.


    On the other hand, Elyse suddenly felt dizzy after hearing those words. I thought Amelie wouldn¡¯t have


    the guts to appear in public, but she came¡­ Plus, her appearance has reminded everyone of my


    cheating incident from four years ago! Damn it!


    Her face appeared ashen, and her legs felt like jelly. However, she could not find the courage to speak.


    Noticing the public¡¯s gaze, she felt her heart dip as if she was falling into her doom. The more arrogant


    and prouder she had been, the more humiliated she felt now!


    When Ashton returned and saw Amelie standing at the entrance, he yelled, ¡°What are you doing here?


    You¡¯re not wee here, so scram!¡±


    No matter how much he screamed, Amelie acted like she did not hear him andpletely ignored him.


    Instead, she looked at Elyse with a faint smile, causing the panickingdy to shiver.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rude to crash someone¡¯s party?¡± Laura spoke up for Elyse.


    Not having any other tricks up her sleeves, Elyse swayed and fell into Leo¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Leony.¡± She tugged on his sleeve pitifully, acting weak and vulnerable.


    He helped her to her feet and finally spoke, ¡°Ashton, please see Miss Dillon and Miss White out the


    door!¡±


    Ashton had wanted to kick them out long ago, and Leo¡¯s words permitted him to do so. With a wave of


    his hand, he called for security. ¡°Throw them out!¡±


    Momentster, the security guards arrived and reached for Amelie¡¯s arm.


    However, she merely raised her palm slightly, and the security guards were so stunned that they froze


    because of her strong demeanor.


    The beautiful yet domineering woman rendered them at a loss for what to do.


    ¡°Miss yton, don¡¯t you have something to say?¡± Julia questioned while looking at Elyse on the stage.


    Meanwhile, Elyse pitifully clutched onto Leo¡¯s shirt with her eyes closed as if she was overwhelmed by


    the situation. ring at the two women, Leo asked, ¡°Amelie, have you forgotten what I¡¯ve said?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± she replied in a clear voice while looking at him calmly.


    Back then, it would be heartbreaking for her to witness his protectiveness over Elyse, yet now, she


    found it hrious.


    ¡°You mentioned Miss yton is the person you¡¯ll protect with your life.¡± The words that came out of her


    lips were crisp and clear without the slightest hint of jealousy.


    ¡°But what does that have to do with us?¡± Julia added.


    ¡°Of course, it does. It¡¯s Elyse¡¯s birthday today, but you two ruined the party! Mr. Alston will never forgive


    you for that!¡± Laura bellowed.


    On the other hand, Ashton wanted to make a move himself upon noticing that the guards had been


    motionless, so he reached over to grab Amelie.


    Suddenly, a hand enveloped his wrist, prompting him to turn around and see a tall, muscr man.


    The man seemed familiar, but Ashton could not figure out who he was.


    It was Samuel.


    He did not speak a word and merely held Ashton¡¯s hand, rendering him unable to touch the two


    women.


    Smiling happily, Julia winked at Samuel.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. You guys have gone overboard!¡± someone from the crowd piped up after witnessing


    Amelie and Julia¡¯s refusal to leave as well as Ashton¡¯s treatment.


    ¡°Your marriage is over! Stop dragging it out and causing trouble!¡±


    ¡°Amelie, don¡¯t you feel any shame?¡±


    Those affiliated with Elyse screamed out those retorts.


    As if she did not hear any of that, Amelie remained silent. She wanted Elyse to admit that she had


    invited them here.


    Yet, Elyse knew exactly what Amelie wanted. She was filled with so much hatred for Amelie that she


    stubbornly clenched her fists. Why should I act ording to that woman¡¯s n?


    While gritting her teeth, she felt her feet go soft and closed her eyes before slipping onto the ground.


    Time to y dead!


    ¡°Elyse!¡± Leo was so easily fooled that he anxiously picked her up and ran down the stage.


    When he arrived before Amelie, he gave her a death stare.


    Subsequently, Julia nced at Elyse. ¡°If Miss yton insists on leaving¡­ About the cornea¡­¡±


    As soon as the ¡®unconscious¡¯ Elyse heard that, she could not pretend any longer and immediately


    ¡®woke up¡¯. Tugging on Leo¡¯s sleeve, she stammered, ¡°Leony, I¡¯m okay. Don¡¯t be mad. Actually¡­ I


    invited¡­ Miss Dillion and Miss White.¡±


    The crowd sneered upon hearing that. What the heck? The expected confrontation to win back an old


    lover was an act of provocation from the current lover. Interesting!


    ¡°Elyse!¡± Ashton was not expecting her to blurt out the truth and yelled in shock.


    Speechless, Leo looked at Elyse as if she was a stranger, and she could see the deep disappointment


    in his eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat and made a spontaneous excuse. ¡°Actually¡­ I wanted to


    befriend Miss Dillion. Although you guys have separated, there¡¯s no need to hate each other, right? So,


    I¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was just a kind gesture, right?¡± Julia sarcastically finished Elyse¡¯s words for her. ¡°If that¡¯s true, why


    didn¡¯t you say anything when everyone was trying to kick us out earlier?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Elyse¡¯s face turned pale again.


    ¡°Are you sincerely trying to be nice to us, or are you trying to humiliate us?¡± Julia was born with a sharp


    tongue, so her words were deadly.


    Hearing that, Elyse flushed red as she felt too embarrassed to face everyone. She shivered while


    standing there, wanting the ground to swallow her up!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Amelie merely wanted to show up. Now that she had, she raised her chin and signaled Julia.


    pping her hands, Julia averted her gaze at Leo. ¡°Mr. Alston, you¡¯ve got great taste in women.¡± Her


    eyes were fixed on Elyse while she spoke with a thumbs up, clearly mocking him!


    Once she was done, she left with Amelie.


    Elyse rolled her eyes, wanting to rip those two into pieces! Soon, her eyes shed with a dark light as


    she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Why not join the fun?¡±

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    Chapter 94 You Can¡¯t Win Against Me


    Elyse forcefully suppressed her emotions and avoided looking into Leo¡¯s disappointed and questioning


    eyes before announcing with a smile, ¡°Leony and I are about to head on stage to slice the cake. How


    about having some before leaving?¡±


    So what if things hade to this? Leo promised to announce our rtionship after we cut the cake!


    Since Amelie dared to fool me, I won¡¯t let her off so easily!


    She reached out to grab his hand. ¡°Leony, let¡¯s go.¡±


    As if the humiliating episode did not transpire, she smiled sweetly while looking at him with glistening


    eyes. She was sure he would not disregard his friendship with Big Eyes and put her in an awkward


    position.


    As Elyse had expected, Leo followed her on stage.


    ¡°He¡¯s hopeless!¡± Julia reprimanded. ¡°I wanna crack open his head and see how empty it is!¡±


    She was furious; had Samuel not stopped her, she might have gone over to hit Leo in the head.


    Hanging her eyelids low, Amelie smiled. What went on in his head had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she urged.


    Behind them, Elyse smiled victoriously when she saw Amelie leaving. Oh, Amelie, you can¡¯t win


    against me!


    Her lips had not fully hooked into a smile when a figure suddenly appeared and blocked the exit.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    The ones blocked were Amelie and Julia, while Jodie halted them.


    When Julia saw it was her, she frowned and was about to yell when Jodie announced with a raised


    eyebrow. ¡°Elyse, why are you so hurry to cut your cake? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re rushing to announce your


    reconciliation with Leo. I¡¯m sorry to tell you, but the Alston Family can¡¯t afford to have a daughter-inw


    like you, so I suggest you give up that thought.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow¡­¡± Julia initially thought Jodie was there to find trouble with them, but she did not expect her


    to oppose Elyse.


    Having said that, Jodie turned to look at Amelie. ¡°I heard you and the head of Starlight Media have no


    connections, so the news of you guys being lovers is non-existent and false. In that case, you should


    get back with Leo.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Today¡¯s gossip came one after another; the sister-inw was now helping her brother get back with his


    ex-wife!


    The bystanders were dumbfounded at the turn of events and were reluctant to miss every second of it.


    Elyse fisted her hands while biting heavily down on her lip, desperately wanting to seal Jodie¡¯s mouth


    tight!


    ¡°Shut up, Jodie!¡± Leo reprimanded her, clearly displeased with what he heard.


    She snorted. ¡°Leo, don¡¯t treat me like an ignorant child. I might not know anything about business, but I


    know people! No matter what, Amelie is your first wife and has never gone out of the line since


    marrying you, unlike someone who cheated on you right after dating you. Amelie seems more


    dependable! I don¡¯t care if you enjoy getting cheated on, but I¡¯ll be the first to object to Elyse marrying


    into our family! The Alston Family cannot afford such humiliation!¡±


    Though she did not adore Amelie, she despised Elyse even more.


    After she publicly exposed Elyse¡¯s cheating scandals, Elyse turned ashen and was trembling so much


    that she could not stand still.


    ¡°She¡¯s even better than me!¡± Julia generously gave Jodie a thumbs up. ¡°I¡¯ll take you in as my


    apprenticeter!¡±


    How thrilling!


    Jodie continued, ¡°Amelie, head home with me now. You have my full support!¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± While taking a step back, Amelie shook her head calmly. ¡°I no longer have feelings for


    Mr. Alston and have never considered remarrying.¡±


    Once she finished, Leo scrunched his eyebrows tightly. Did Amelie just say that? How could she have


    rejected Jodie¡¯s suggestion so decisively?


    He did not support Jodie¡¯s suggestion, but Amelie¡¯s direct refusal felt like a sharp knife stabbed into his


    chest, making him utterly ufortable.


    ¡°Your brother has been contaminated for so long that Amelie feels disgusted!¡± Julia had the sharpest


    tongue of them all and described Elyse as trash.


    At that, Elyse was furious and growled, ¡°Julia, you¡¯d better watch it!¡± She threatened her with her eyes,


    clearly indicating that she would use Leo¡¯s authority to deal with her.


    However, Julia smiled and walked toward Elyse. ¡°Miss yton, although I don¡¯t know why you invited


    me and Amelie, I would still like to wish you and Mr. Alston luck in bearing a child. I hope you¡¯re luckier


    than Amelie, and I hope idents like having your blood contaminated and having to draw them all out


    to save your child don¡¯t happen to you!¡±


    When Elyse heard that, she immediately turned as pale as a ghost, and her mind went nk.


    ¡°Julia!¡± Amelie called out, hinting at her to stop talking. Following that, she pulled Julia out of the venue.


    This time, no one stopped them, but the atmosphere inside the venue became peculiar as the crowd


    realized that Julia¡¯s words were implying something.


    ¡°What is she on about? Whose blood was contaminated?¡± Jodie¡¯s voice was the first to break the air.


    She looked at Elyse, who avoided her gaze and argued, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Why would she deliberately target you if you don¡¯t know?¡±


    Having been forced into a corner by her, Elyse could only look at Leo. ¡°Leony¡­¡±


    Instead of answering her, he quickly ran after Amelie!


    Outside the venue, Amelie and Julia hopped into the car, whereby Samuel was in the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Julia, you shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± Amelie reprimanded softly.


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


    While giving birth to Bria, she realized that the blood transfused into her body had been tampered with,


    but she did not have any evidence. Moreover, Bria¡¯s health was not optimal, and Amelie was focused


    on caring for her, so she never looked into that matter.


    Recently, Julia asked for Samuel¡¯s help to investigate it and discovered it was Elyse¡¯s doing.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I? Elyse almost killed you and Bria. I¡¯m already being generous by not sending her to jail!¡±


    Julia paid the most attention to this matter but also felt the guiltiest. Had she been by Amelie¡¯s side


    back then, Amelie would not have suffered so much pain.


    While patting Julia¡¯s shoulder, Amelieforted, ¡°I know you said that to help me, but I don¡¯t want to


    disclose that in public.¡±


    Feeling like something was weighing down on her chest, Julia replied, ¡°I understand, but I can¡¯t help it!


    Amelie, the pain you suffered back then¡­ is so heartbreaking.¡± While saying that, she burst into tears.


    Samuel watched his lover from the rearview mirror and silently sighed, feeling remorseful.


    When Amelie returned home, she saw an angry Bria propping up her chin on her hands. She had been


    enjoying her time with Steven in the countryside and was reluctant toe home.


    ¡°She¡¯s been acting like this since she returned from school and hasn¡¯t spoken to anyone.¡± Chayanne


    Brown shook her head.


    She was the new nanny Amelie hired to take care of Bria.


    ¡°Okay, Miss Brown. You can head home,¡± Amelie replied politely.


    Chayanne nodded and left while Amelie approached Bria.


    When Bria saw her, she pouted. ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to be here. I want to be with Grandpa and learn


    to make shoes! Why don¡¯t we head back there and be with him?¡±


    Amelie resignedly picked Bria up. ¡°I have my job here, and you must go to school, so we can¡¯t live with


    Grandpa.¡±


    Hearing that, Bria did not say anything but maintained a pout.


    Amelie did not know how tofort her, so she brought her daughter to the park to catch butterflies.


    There were quite a few people and other children in the small park. It was then that Bria regained her


    smile and soon began ying with the other children.


    While watching her frolicking around with her butterfly, Amelie smiled faintly. Although I almost died


    back then, I still made it. Also, I can rest assured seeing Bria grow up healthily.


    While lost in thought, she suddenly found someone staring at Bria from afar. Locking in on the person,


    she recognized who it was and immediately turned sour.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    Chapter 95 Leo Shows Concern for Amelie


    That person was none other than Leo.


    After noticing Leo, Amelie was rmed and strode over. ¡°Mr. Alston, what are you doing here?¡±


    She stood before Leo and blocked his way. ¡°I¡¯m the one Miss yton hates, so juste at me!¡±


    Leo moved his gaze away from Bria and onto Amelie.


    Though his gaze lightly grazed Amelie, his expression looked serious.


    ¡°The words you said just now. What do they mean?¡± he asked.


    Confused by his sudden question, Amelie stared at him.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why did you say the blood was deliberately contaminated? What actually happened when you gave


    birth to Bria?¡±


    Amelie was speechless and couldn¡¯t help but look at the sky.


    Did the sun rise from the west? Or did a pig just fly? Why is Leo suddenly concerned about this?


    The mention of this matter was like stuffing chilies down Amelie¡¯s throat. She felt suffocated, in pain,


    and aggrieved.


    Three years had passed, but it still pained her whenever she remembered it.


    ¡°Julia was speaking nonsense. It¡¯s nothing,¡± she replied calmly.


    He didn¡¯t care when she wanted him to, so now she was reluctant to evoke his sympathy through this


    matter.


    On the other hand, Leo was shocked because he thought she would blurt everything out and start


    comining when he asked her about it.


    Not expecting to receive such an answer, he turned around and observed her.


    She looked calm and spoke faintly as if it was just a joke, but he could see that she was obviously


    hiding something deep inside.


    He might have doubted her if she had made a longint, but her reluctance to talk about it made


    him even more curious.


    Moreover, he felt an inexplicable tug on his heart when he saw the dark circles under her eyes.


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡± Amelie looked straight at Leo. Those eyes that were previously filled with affection were


    now clear and without emotion. ¡°The grudge between Elyse and me ends here. Tell her that as long as


    she stops bothering me, the past will remain in the past.¡±


    She still hated Elyse, but she agreed to divorce mainly to ensure the happiness and freedom of herself


    and those around her.


    Too many grudges might implicate the people beside her, and she didn¡¯t want that.


    After saying that, she didn¡¯t feel like talking with Leo anymore and left to find Bria.


    Right after she took a step, she heard Leo¡¯s voice from behind her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to exin your


    rtionship with the owner of Starlight Media?¡±


    Amelie stopped walking and stood in ce.


    It took her quite a while to turn her head around. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s there to exin? I don¡¯t see a


    need to report to you about our private life.¡±


    ¡°Jodie said you have never interacted with him,¡± he reminded her.


    Tilting her head to the side, she said, ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Bria is my child, am I right?¡±


    When he said that, Amelie froze.


    Shock shed across her eyes as she wasn¡¯t expecting him to mention Bria or make such a guess.


    ¡°Have you forgotten about the DNA test you did before?¡± She quickly calmed down and replied


    casually.


    Leo¡¯s gaze suddenly turned gloomy.


    This time, he spoke with the sharpest tone he had ever used.


    ¡°Amelie, I dare you to let me do another DNA test with Bria.¡±


    Amelie found it hard to meet his eyes because his gaze was so shrewd that it could pierce through any


    protection.


    Then, she saw him slightly tilting his head, indicating his confidence.


    Her mind instantly went nk for a moment.


    It took her quite some time to regain herposure. ¡°Why humiliate yourself by probing into a proven


    matter?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t answer and seemed to be figuring out how truthful she was.


    ¡°Even if it means humiliating myself, I still need a definite answer.¡± After he said that, he walked toward


    Bria.


    Amelie¡¯s instinct kicked in as she pulled him back. ¡°Leo, Bria is not your child! Jodie¡¯s words are only


    spections without any evidence!¡±


    While looking at her, Leo argued, ¡°Let¡¯s say Jodie is specting, what about you and that man? During


    these past few years, that man did so much for you two and showed how much he cared for you, but


    he has never shown his face in public. Don¡¯t you think people will find that strange? Also, we¡¯re already


    divorced, so why hasn¡¯t he married you? Why doesn¡¯t he apany you whenever you bring Bria out?


    You can treat everyone as fools, but you should know that you can¡¯t hide the truth forever!¡±


    Amelie was rendered speechless. She never thought of Leo as a fool, but she was hoping that he


    would focus all his attention on Elyse and not pay any attention to her and Bria.


    In the end, she was wrong.


    After Leo finished, he walked past her and went over to Bria, wanting to pick her up.


    Pushing his hand away, Amelie hid Bria behind her and taunted, ¡°You want to know who the owner of


    Starlight Media is? Here, I¡¯ll show you!¡±


    Amelie then found a photo and showed it to Leo.


    Inside the photo was a gentle-looking man with thin-rimmed sses, looking elegant and clean.


    More importantly, that man looked very simr to Bria.


    ¡°Also, here¡¯s a photo of us together.¡± Amelie showed him another photo. ¡°We keep a low profile


    because we don¡¯t want any attention. It doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m faking our rtionship.¡±


    Leo¡¯s dark eyes were fixed on those photos.


    That man had taken several pictures with Amelie and Bria.


    In every photo, he was gently and affectionately gazing at either Amelie or Bria.


    His gaze was exceptionally gentle when he was looking at Amelie.


    Leo suddenly felt those photos were an eyesore and coldly pushed the phone away before striding off.


    When Amelie saw him leave, she took a few quick breaths, finally able to breathe normally.


    ¡°That was close!¡±


    Luckily, Julia had foreseen this and asked Samuel to prepare these photoshopped pictures.


    The face of the so-called ¡°owner of Starlight Media¡± was actually derived from Amelie¡¯s portrait.


    That was the reason Bria looked very simr to the ¡°owner of Starlight Media.¡±


    To ensure Bria¡¯s safety, Amelie thought she had to remind Julia not to challenge anyone close to Leo


    because it would not be worth it if Leo found out the truth and took Bria away.


    That night, at Merriment Lounge.


    Melodious and moving music softly yed inside the clubhouse.


    There wasn¡¯t a trace of emotion on Leo¡¯s defined face as he held a wine ss in his hand.


    His face was lowered and cast a shadow on the wine ss.


    He would usually only drink during business meetings, but today he suddenly felt like drinking for some


    reason.


    When the mellow-tasting wine entered his throat, he felt the alcohol reach his brain, making him feel


    dizzy.


    But for some unknown reason, the pictures of Amelie and that man became clearer inside his head.


    He could see the gentle smile on the man¡¯s face and the happiness in his eyes.


    The woman he didn¡¯t care about had be someone else¡¯s treasure¡­


    He felt a pain in his heart and couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    Amelie was a troublemaker he used to despise, but now that he realized she had captured another


    man¡¯s heart, he felt distressed.


    There was a constant feeling that something rted to her was buried deep inside his heart.


    The answer was at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn¡¯t figure it out, which was frustrating.


    Just as he was drinking, the door was roughly pushed open with a bang, and someone came in.


    The ss in Leo¡¯s hand was snatched from him.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    Chapter 96 Stop Her from Pestering You


    ¡°How can you still drink when Elyse is in the hospital? Don¡¯t you know she¡¯s in critical condition?¡±


    The person who grabbed Leo¡¯s wine ss was Ashton.


    His face was filled with rage as he roared at Leo.


    It was then that Leo looked up at Ashton and found his eyes were red. ¡°She has suffered such a huge


    trauma today, and not only did you abandon her, but you also went chasing after Amelie. That was a


    humiliation to Elyse! She locked herself in her room for hours and was already unconscious when I


    found her!¡±


    Ashton choked on a sob while saying thatst sentence.


    Hearing that Elyse had fainted, Leo finally stood up. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    At the hospital, Elyse wore a hospital gown and was sitting on the bed, looking very frail.


    She was staring nkly straight ahead.


    It was until she heard the door open and saw Leo walking in that her eyes brightened up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leony.¡± She spoke weakly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to embarrass you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not even your fault! It was Amelie who started it!¡± Ashton spoke up for Elyse without caring who


    was right and who was wrong.


    While sobbing into her palms, Elyse continued, ¡°No, it is my fault. I didn¡¯t expect she woulde over.


    When I sent the invitation, I was only looking to tell her that we¡¯re finally together and that she shouldn¡¯t


    pester you anymore. Leony, I know what I did was wrong, but I love you, and I don¡¯t want her toe


    between us.¡±


    ¡°Look how Elyse is haunted by guilt. Can you stand seeing her so sad?¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes were filled with


    rage as he gave Leo a death stare.


    He believed every word she said.


    ¡°You can leave,¡± Leo calmly ordered.


    Ashton wanted to stay but was pulled away by Laura.


    Elyse leaned over and shakingly pulled on Leo¡¯s shirt. ¡°Leony, I didn¡¯t know my good intentions would


    embarrass you in public. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Tears streamed down as she kept apologizing, making her look so pitiful that no one could bear to say


    harsh words to her.


    Leo slowly sat in front of her and wiped her tears.


    Seeing that he was still willing to interact with her, Elyse was secretly ted and grabbed his hands


    before burying her face into his palms.


    It seems like Leo has forgiven me, she thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s the story about the contaminated blood when Amelie was delivering her baby?¡± Leo asked


    suddenly.


    Elyse was shocked and froze at that question. Her face stayed paused in Leo¡¯s palm.


    Leo withdrew his hand and looked at her.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± She hurriedly exined, ¡°She said those things because she misunderstood my


    invitation as a provocation and wanted to lead everyone to think badly of me.¡±


    If she had said this before Leo met Amelie, Leo might have believed her, but after seeing how hurtful


    Amelie was just now, Leo found it impossible to believe that Amelie was making things up.


    He ced his fingers on Elyse¡¯s shoulders and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Elyse, you should know that I


    can find out anything I want.¡±


    Taken back, Elyse frantically shook her head, saying, ¡°Leony, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so sure I have


    something to do with this, but I was still abroad back then and had no way of knowing she was


    pregnant. Even if I did, do you think I have the means to do something to her?¡±


    She lunged into his arms and cried. ¡°I know I¡¯ve done a lot of disappointing thingstely, but you can¡¯t


    think so badly of me. Thest thing I would do is hurt a child.¡±


    Leo gently patted her back.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of if you did not do anything bad.¡±


    Hearing those words, Elyse thought Leo had bought her words and quickly wiggled out of his embrace


    before pitifully wiping her tears. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid but disappointed. How can you not trust me?¡±


    Leo massaged his temples.


    ¡°Leony, I will try to change my ways,¡± she dered pitifully.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Leo nodded and took a while to coax her to sleep.


    He tucked her in with a nket before exiting the ward.


    While standing outside the door, he was lost in thought for a moment before making a call. ¡°Let¡¯s meet


    up.¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t stay with the Walshes and he usually stayed in his own apartment.


    He was enjoying his wine with music when he saw Leo enter his apartment. ¡°Why the sudden need to


    meet me?¡± he asked with a smile.


    Leo sat down opposite Toby.


    Toby offered Leo a ss, but Leo declined. ¡°I want you to help me investigate the blood poisoning


    incident that happened during the day of Amelie¡¯sbor.¡±


    ¡°Why did you suddenly think to investigate this matter?¡± The out-of-the-blue request intrigued Toby, and


    a smile appeared on his elegant face.


    As he wasn¡¯t interested in attending Elyse¡¯s birthday party, he didn¡¯t show up and had no idea about


    what had happened.


    Leo hummed in response. ¡°There are some things I would like to make sure of.¡±


    ¡°ording to what I know, Ashton¡¯s family is the best at these things. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t answer but stared gloomily at Toby.


    Knowing that Leo didn¡¯t want to answer that, Toby didn¡¯t probe further and sat upright before setting his


    ss down. ¡°Leo, why are you suddenly so interested in Amelie¡¯s matters? Have you developed


    feelings for her?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even go there,¡± Leo denied.


    Smiling, Toby nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you find out what happened.¡±


    ¡­


    After sending Bria to kindergarten, Amelie called Julia over to discuss the live-streaming project.


    The target they had their eyes on was a batch of cross-industry live streamers.


    ¡°This guy, Kevin. Although he¡¯s a rebar worker, he dances very well and is quite charming. We don¡¯t


    have to change any of his presentation styles. He can attract many viewers just by dancing in his work


    clothes.¡± Amelie ced a picture before Julia.


    Inside the photo was a young man with messy hair and in clothes. There was nothing attractive


    about him, but Julia didn¡¯t doubt Amelie¡¯s judgment and epted the photo.


    Although Amelie didn¡¯t partake in managing thepany, she made many important decisions.


    She would find promising people from different tforms that weren¡¯t popr due to various limitations


    and persuade them to join thepany.


    Everyone Amelie picked wouldter be famous.


    Julia then asked Amelie about the mization channel.


    Since they were doing livemerce, the live streamers had to do other things than sing and dance.


    Moreover, people nowadays tended not to tip live streamers.


    ¡°His identity resonates well with his peers, so let¡¯s not get him to do livemerce. Find some ongoing


    construction projects and coborate with them to incorporate recessive advertisement into his live


    stream,¡± Amelie instructed decisively while tossing Julia the document with full details.


    Julia scanned through the document and clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that only establishing just one entertainmentpany is a waste of your talent?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Amelie nced at Julia. ¡°What¡¯s good about earning money? It¡¯s just an


    endless pursuit and isn¡¯t challenging enough for me. I¡¯m fine as long as I earn enough to get by.¡±


    Julia was speechless. I wonder how many people will want to beat you up after hearing that.


    After their discussion ended, Julia closed her book and remembered something. ¡°Chris found me the


    other day and said he would like anotherpetition with you. What are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Chris Alston?¡± When Amelie heard that name, she remembered the upright young man with a cutting-


    edge appearance.


    He might be an Alston and might be prideful, but he didn¡¯t look down on her like the others, so Amelie


    had a good impression of him.


    ¡°Give him my number and ask him to arrange a time with me.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Julia snapped her fingers.


    Then, the two went downstairs together.


    Julia got in her car and left while Amelie was about to head elsewhere.


    Just as she pulled her car door open, another car approached her, and a man descended the car.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    Chapter 97 Making Up to Him


    The man¡¯s hair was tied behind his back, and his bangs made him look elegant and gentle like a


    schrly gentleman.


    When Amelie saw it was him, she called out in surprise. ¡°Mr. Walsh?¡±


    Toby approached her with a gentle smile on his face.


    ¡°What brings you here?¡± she asked.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    His hands in the pockets of his cropped pants gave off a rxed vibe.


    Lowering his head to tidy his bangs, he replied, ¡°I want to ask for your opinion about something.¡±


    ¡°My opinion?¡± Amelie raised an eyebrow, feeling confused.


    Nodding, Toby answered, ¡°I discovered that the person who caused your blood contamination was


    indeed Elyse.¡±


    Back then, Bria was born with blood issues. The hospital had a small number of rare blood types in


    stock, but they were knocked to the ground during the trip to the operating theater, causing all of them


    to be contaminated. That resulted in the hospital having no blood supply to save Bria¡¯s life.


    ¡°Elyse was smart and didn¡¯t leave any evidence that could put her in court. But, if Leo finds out about


    this, he will never forgive her, so do you think I should tell him?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s eyshes trembled.


    Even though she had previously found out the truth through Samuel, she still couldn¡¯t let this matter go


    after three years. She formed her hands into fists and gave an unexpected answer, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve suffered such a huge grievance, yet you want to keep it from Leo?¡±


    Smiling, Amelie replied, ¡°Bria is my daughter, not his. Whether we¡¯ve suffered any grievances does not


    concern him.¡±


    Her eyes were so calm when she spoke, and it was as though she was talking about a stranger.


    Noticing her resolution, Toby inexplicably felt a sense of relief and happiness. ¡°Since that¡¯s your


    answer, I¡¯ll respect your decision.¡±


    After saying that, he didn¡¯t stay any longer and left Amelie standing in her spot.


    She closed her eyes and tried to suppress the difort in her heart.


    This would be thest act of kindness she performed on Leo. It was herpensation for the four


    years of their disastrous marriage.


    She went over to her car and got in, but she hadn¡¯t driven far when two cars appeared and surrounded


    her at once.


    Everything happened so quickly that Amelie had to stomp on the brakes to avoid a collision.


    As she frowned, she had a bad feeling about this.


    A few men immediately descended the car, and one opened her door before grabbing her arm. ¡°You¡¯re


    coming with us!¡±


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Right after she yelled, someone covered her mouth with his hand, and the


    four men worked together to pull her out of her car and into theirs.


    The cars then sped away.


    Along the way, those men didn¡¯t speak a word but taped her mouth shut and confined her.


    Confusion filled Amelie¡¯s eyes, and her unknown fate made her heart race wildly.


    She desperately tried to distinguish where she was and where they were taking her.


    The car passed several streets, and they didn¡¯t look to be heading to the suburbs.


    Such a realization confused her even more.


    The car drove for more than twenty minutes before arriving at an underground parking lot.


    Afterward, Amelie was pulled out of the car and dragged into the elevator to head upstairs, where she


    was then pushed into a room.


    Looking up, she saw the hospital¡¯s logo and figured she was in the VIP section.


    Since this was the VIP area, there weren¡¯t many people on this level. Also, those men brought her in


    through the special passageway, so she didn¡¯t see anyone else around.


    ¡°Mr. Lowe, here¡¯s the person you asked for,¡± the man holding Amelie reported.


    Amelie realized someone else was in the room.


    It was a man with a gloomy, unruly face that made her feel ufortable.


    Ashton? Amelie recognized him next.


    When Ashton raised his hand and saw Amelie, his eyes darkened even more, and his hatred toward


    her was disyed on his face!


    Without saying anything, he grabbed Amelie before pushing her inside the room.


    Amelie stumbled from the push, and since she couldn¡¯t speak, she questioned Ashton with her furious


    eyes.


    Ashton withdrew his arrogant and condescending gaze from her figure, and his expression implied that


    she was just a disgusting pest to him.


    When he looked at the person before him, however, his gaze suddenly turned gentle.


    ¡°Ashton, what¡¯s¡­ going on?¡± A clear and melodious voice came from inside the room.


    Amelie finally made out that someone was sitting on the hospital bed.


    That someone was none other than Elyse.


    Despite wearing a hospital gown, she looked as attractive as usual and was looking in their direction in


    shock.


    Pursing his lips in displeasure, Ashton tore off the tape on Amelie¡¯s lips and ordered, ¡°Hurry up and


    apologize to Elyse!¡±


    His tone was overbearing.


    When the tape was ruthlessly torn away, Amelie felt a burning sensation on her lips as she stared


    coldly at Elyse.


    Elyse was shocked but then seemed to have realized something, and her eyes twinkled meaningfully.


    She twitched her lips as though she was about to speak, but nothing came out of her mouth.


    ¡°Why should I apologize to her?¡± Amelie rebuked.


    Ashton was feeling impatient and he roared, ¡°Stop acting dumb! I don¡¯t care how you mistreated Elyse


    in the past, but we should settle the scores on what you did recently! Elyse is a kind woman, and she


    has never made a fuss when you stole her marriage. You, on the other hand, took her kindness for


    granted and not only bullied her while racing but also ruined her birthday party! Amelie Dillon, do you


    think that I can¡¯t do anything about you because you have the owner or Starlight Media backing you?


    You¡¯d better apologize to Elyse today, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡±


    His tone was cold and harsh, and his words were filled with murderous intent.


    When Amelie heard his long-winded rant, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle while staring at Elyse.


    She was eager to see if Elyse would be shameless enough to ept her apology.


    On the other hand, Elyse avoided Amelie¡¯s gaze and pretended not to notice it.


    The next second, Elyse¡¯s beautiful face fell, and tears filled her eyes, giving the feeling that she would


    start crying at any moment.


    She looked like she had suffered a huge grievance.


    Meanwhile, Amelie found Elyse¡¯s actical and stopped looking at Elyse. She turned to look at


    Ashton and taunted, ¡°I¡¯m eager to see how you¡¯re going to make me regret my decision.¡±


    Her words were a provocation to Ashton¡¯s authority!


    Ashton¡¯s despise toward Amelie burst through the roof. He red wickedly after hearing what she said.


    He then raised his leg and aimed to kick the back of Amelie¡¯s knees.


    Bam! A loud sound echoed inside the room.


    ¡°Ahh¡ª¡±


    It was a groan from a man.


    Seeing Ashton about to kick Amelie, Elyse expected to see Amelie forced to kneel from the kick.


    With all the built-up resentment in her heart, Elyse had long wanted to punish Amelie and was eager to


    see Ashton do that on her behalf.


    When she heard that groan, she looked up and saw that Amelie had escaped from Ashton¡¯s clutches


    and was now rubbing her sore wrists. Amelie¡¯s pretty face looked unfazed and deadly serious.


    Behind her, Ashton was bent over while covering his crotch in pain!


    He got kicked in the crotch by Amelie!


    Meanwhile, she was gently massaging her wrist, seemingly unaffected by Ashton¡¯s cries, nor did she


    check up on him. It was like he was invisible.


    Back in the day, her dad had hired someone to teach her self-defense skills out of worry for her safety.


    The four men just now took her by surprise, which was why they seeded.


    However, it wouldn¡¯t be that easy for Ashton to kick her!


    On the opposite end of the room, Elyse¡¯s expression changed drastically while she stared wide-eyed at


    Amelie in disbelief. This woman is always doing something unexpected without any warning!


    Hatred once again red up as Elyse clenched her fists under the covers.


    Seeming to have felt Elyse¡¯s gaze, Amelie looked at her. ¡°Miss yton, are you sure you want my


    apology?¡±


    Her expression was extremely calm while she stared meaningfully at Elyse with her head slightly tilted


    upwards.


    Gnashing her teeth in anger, Elyse didn¡¯t even feel her nails digging into her palms!


    She stole a nce at Ashton and silently reprimanded, How useless!


    He finally recovered a little and realized Amelie had kicked him. That was a never-before blow to his


    dignity.


    Rage filled his mind as his face contorted in either pain or rage. ¡°Damn it! Amelie Dillon, how dare you


    kick me!¡±


    Still gently massaging her wrist, Amelie looked down and disregarded him. ¡°I was just returning the


    favor.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Ashton was furious.


    He threw away his manners and was about to hit Amelie.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Elyse was much more sensible than he was.


    They were at the hospital, and it wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good to cause amotion.


    Moreover, she despised Ashton¡¯s uselessness.


    However, she barely managed to keep her elegant temperament. ¡°Ashton, I would like to have a talk


    with Amelie in private.¡±

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98


    Chapter 98 Because He Hates You


    Ashton was worried. ¡°Elyse, this wicked woman might harm you!¡±


    Elyse was secretly sneering. Even if Amelie wants to harm me, someone as foolish as you can¡¯t do


    anything about it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t.¡±


    Although Ashton was worried about Elyse, he still obeyed her orders.


    He nced at Elyse and then gave Amelie a death stare before leaving.


    Once the door was closed, the elegant temperament Elyse forcefully put on disappeared, and her


    expression turned cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be one of many talents. You can race cars and even


    fight, but you hid it so well.¡±


    Having no interest in continuing this boring conversation, Amelie rebuked, ¡°Miss yton, I¡¯m sure you


    know that I don¡¯t need to apologize to you, so goodbye.¡±


    She turned around and headed for the door.


    Amelie¡¯s cold attitude added to Elyse¡¯s hatred, making Elyse even more desperate to crush Amelie.


    Elyse frowned hard and came up with a n.


    ¡°Miss Dillon!¡± She called out to Amelie. ¡°I know you despise me. I faked my kidnapping and tricked Leo


    toe to find me, leaving you freezing in the cold. Later, someone tried to avenge me and


    contaminated the hospital¡¯s blood supply, rendering you and your child in critical condition.¡±


    Being the intelligent woman she was, even when they were alone, Elyse tactfully mentioned the


    contaminated blood incident and ensured she wasn¡¯t rted to it in any way.


    When Amelie heard that incident being mentioned, she gradually stopped walking, wanting to see what


    Elyse would say next.


    Amelie turned around and saw that Elyse had her lips pursed tightly and her eyes clear and cold. ¡°But


    why don¡¯t you think about what you did wrong?¡±


    After saying that, Elyse picked up her cup and took a sip before continuing, ¡°Leony and I were


    separated because of you. During those four years, my life was like hell, and Leony wasn¡¯t happy


    either. If you hadn¡¯t disrupted our loving rtionship, we would have already formed a happy family


    together, but look at what¡¯s happening now. We¡¯ve gotten back together, yet we¡¯ve also be the


    topic of public criticism, and because of the substantial change in our lives during those four years,


    Leony thinks that he is no longer worthy of me after getting divorced. You¡¯ve caused so much harm to


    us, yet you can¡¯t even tolerate someone seeking justice for me.¡±


    Elyse¡¯s words sounded righteous, but Amelie felt likeughing when she heard them.


    I shouldn¡¯t have expected Elyse to say something humane. She¡¯s clearly the one behind the blood


    contamination incident, yet she paints it as someone seeking justice for her. Also, she cheated on Leo


    and embarrassed him and the Alston Family. I was dragged into this mess to save the day, but she said


    I had separated them. Could there be any one more hypocritical than her?


    Amelie wasn¡¯t angry and cupped her fist. ¡°Miss yton, your ability to make things up and act innocent


    is unbeatable. I¡¯ll give you that!¡±


    Elyse didn¡¯t know how to react. She thought Amelie would throw a fit and act on impulse. However, she


    didn¡¯t get the result she wanted.


    While disappointingly fidgeting with her fingers, Elyse withdrew her finger that was ced on the


    recording button on her phone.


    Meanwhile, Amelie noticed her actions but didn¡¯t do anything and feigned ignorance. ¡°Inparison to


    the things you did to me, my targeting you seem insignificant and unnecessary. Can you not take it any


    longer? I have yet to use your tricks on you!¡±


    Those words were like a blow to Elyse¡¯s chest. She felt her blood surge as she trembled.


    If Amelie did use those means on her¡­ Just the thought of it sounded terrifying to her!


    It seemed it was getting more difficult to deal with the divorc¨¦e Amelie.


    Elyse couldn¡¯t help but re at Amelie, only to find that Amelie had a calm expression and was


    seemingly unaffected by her fierce gaze.


    In addition, Amelie smirked faintly and shot back a mocking gaze.


    Is she taking me for a joke?!


    Elyse¡¯s hands clenched into fists yet again.


    A whileter, she thought about something and regained her calm.


    Following that, she smiled meaningfully and provoked, ¡°Miss Dillon, do you know why Leony still chose


    me after knowing what I did to you? Also, not only didn¡¯t he punish me for what I did, but he also


    became more affectionate to me.¡±


    A sly glimmer appeared in her eyes while she exhaled. ¡°That¡¯s because he hates you! And¡­¡±


    Elyse stopped again, and the sarcasm in her tone deepened as she continued, ¡°He never wanted you


    to give birth to your child. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t arrange for someone to fetch you when he could? Why


    didn¡¯t he show up while you were inbor when he could have shown some concern for you? That¡¯s


    because your child is the biggest stain in his life! Only you would have the guts to give birth to an


    unwee child. Pfft.¡±


    Her body shook along with her cackle.


    The more sheughed, the more pain Amelie felt.


    Although she knew what Leo thought of her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel distressed when thinking about


    the innocent Bria having to suffer such treatment.


    Elyse slid off the bed and came toward Amelie before tiptoeing to whisper in Amelie¡¯s ears. ¡°You keep


    criticizing me for harming your child, but I¡¯m actually helping you. No, to be more precise, I¡¯m helping


    your child. Think about it. If you lost your child in the freezing snow or during blood poisoning, she


    wouldn¡¯t have to face such a situation, right? Due to your insolence, your child will have to face


    criticism her entire life, and whenever others see her, they will be reminded of your actions. Look at


    what you¡¯ve done. First, you forced Leony to marry you and then you cheated and even gave birth to


    an unwanted child, making her theughingstock everywhere she goes. How do you expect her to


    keep her confidence in the future?¡±


    One had to admit that Elyse was very good at hitting other people¡¯s sore spots.


    With just a few sharp sentences, she managed to bring up what Amelie was most worried about


    recently.


    ¡°I¡¯ve helped you twice, but you saw me as the enemy and stubbornly gave birth to the child. Look who¡¯s


    suffering now?¡±


    Amelie was pale, and her shoulders drooped down listlessly while she tightly bit on her lip.


    Then, she felt a tight grip on her arm as Elyse grabbed her.


    ¡°Amelie, leave this ce. Bring your child and start over in a different ce where no one knows you!¡±


    Hearing that, Amelie suddenly turned back to give a stare, her lips slightly parted.


    Elyse met her gaze. ¡°I know you have nothing to do with the owner of Starlight Media, which is even


    better. I can give you enough money to ensure you and your child live a carefree life!¡±


    After saying that, she took out a check. ¡°How about 10 million? I can add more if you want!¡±


    The sight of the check brought Amelie back to reality, and she grabbed it.


    When Elyse saw Amelie ept the check, a victorious smile appeared on her face.


    Tap! Tap!


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


    Swaying the check in her hand, Amelie tapped it twice. ¡°Miss yton, you¡¯re indeed as generous as


    they say. Since you¡¯re such a generous person, how about¡­¡±

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    Chapter 99 Leo Wants to Kick You Out


    ¡°Please leave,¡± Amelie said after a pause.


    The smile on Elyse¡¯s face froze suddenly because of those words as she red at Amelie like a mad


    woman.


    Immediately, she used angrily, ¡°Are you in your right mind? Do you still not get it?¡±


    Soon, however, she nodded her head as ifing to a realization. ¡°Is 20 million not enough? You can


    increase the price as you wish!¡±


    ¡°Why should I be leaving instead of you guys?¡± Amelie didn¡¯t bother ncing at the check.


    I¡¯m filthy rich, alright!


    Elyse was speechless.


    Amelie threw the check back into Elyse¡¯s arms and stated, ¡°You want a peaceful life, do you, Miss


    yton? Are you afraid that the existence of me and Bria will disrupt your happy life? If that is the


    case, you should leave voluntarily. Shouldn¡¯t that be for the best? As for what people say about me and


    Bria, that is our issue to solve. Just mind your own business!¡±


    Elyse was still dumbfounded. The graceful aura she had set up copsed instantly after Amelie said


    those words. Her wless princess-like face slowly distorted due to anger and she was so enraged that


    her teeth clenched!


    After Amelie said that, she snickered and pulled her arm away from Elyse¡¯s hand.


    However, just as she pulled it away, Elyse grabbed her arm again.


    This time, she clenched it tightly.


    ¡°Amelie Dillon, look at the check properly. Where did the checke from?¡±


    Amelie lowered her head and saw the name clearly written on the payable of the check: Genesis


    Company!


    ¡°Understand now? This is what Leo wants. He is tired of you always picking on me and wants you to


    leave! Of course, you can choose to stay, but I can¡¯t guarantee what he might do to you. You should be


    aware of how merciless he is.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Amelie responded lightly and backhanded Elyse.


    Elyse winced in pain and let go of Amelie.


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


    Amelie¡¯s expression was cold, but a smile appeared on the corner of her lips. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    With that, she ignored Elyse¡¯s flushed face and strode toward the door to leave.


    On the other side of the door, a figure showed up.


    The man was dressed in leather, and his hands were hanging beside his body with fists clenched.


    Simultaneously, anger was painted across his face.


    That person was none other than Chris.


    After receiving Julia¡¯s call about Amelie dering war on him and wanting him to contact her, Chris


    decided to meet Amelie after much contemtion.


    When he arrived at Amelie¡¯s residence, he overheard the conversation between her and Toby, so he


    found out how badly Amelie had been hurt before.


    Chris was still in a daze after discovering the unfortunate incidents Amelie had experienced and failed


    to notice that she had gotten into the car.


    He also happened to see someone holding her hostage.


    Chris chased after them and intended to save her, but he soon found that Amelie was not taken to any


    dangerous ce but instead to a hospital. Out of curiosity, he quietly followed them without rming


    anyone.


    When Ashton left, the door was not closed tightly, so he could see everything in the room at a nce.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t miss Elyse¡¯s arrogant remarks.


    Amelie was his queen!


    Chris had always been haughty and rarely submitted to others. Thus, when he admired someone, he


    would give all his respect to them.


    Through Toby, he found out all the shameful things Elyse had done to Amelie.


    Elyse didn¡¯t just refuse to admit her mistake, she even tried to drive Amelie away!


    If he were to put himself in Amelie¡¯s shoes, he wouldn¡¯t have left either!


    How can she bully Amelie?! Muttering to himself, he fished out his phone. Since Amelie didn¡¯t want to


    get involved in this matter, he should take care of it on her behalf.


    Thinking of that, he dialed a number. ¡°There¡¯s something I need you to help me with¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Not long after Amelie left, Ashton returned to Elyse¡¯s ward.


    ¡°Did Amelie pick on you?¡± Ashton hurriedly asked with concern.


    When she saw Ashton, Elyse was enraged. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why did you bring her here?¡±


    Seeing her furious appearance, he exined anxiously, ¡°I couldn¡¯t just do nothing! She should have


    apologized to you. She bullied you, didn¡¯t she? I¡¯ll talk to her now!¡±


    With that said, he intended to leave.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Elyse yelled at him. Her loweredshes showed disdain for him.


    She was enraged not because Ashton caused trouble to Amelie, but because he failed to win Amelie


    and instead increased her own burden!


    ¡°What if she spills nonsense to Leo after you brought her here? You know how hostile Leo is to me


    these days! He¡¯ll definitely be furious.¡± She pouted.


    Hearing what she said, Ashton quickly reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was the one who nned out


    everything today, so it has nothing to do with you.¡±


    This was exactly what Elyse wanted.


    Though she was satisfied, she didn¡¯t let it show. Clutching the nket with her fingers, she sighed.


    ¡°Even though I wasn¡¯t the one who made here, I couldn¡¯t help saying some harsh words to her¡­


    and I even gave her the check and told her to leave! I was too hot-headed earlier.¡±


    While saying that, she hugged her head and made a regretful look.


    Seeing her like that, Ashton felt heartbroken andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. If Amelie really


    tells on you to Leo, I¡¯ll say I did it.¡±


    ¡°Am I that type of person who¡¯d let you bear the responsibility?¡± She pretended to disagree.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, but he had made up his mind that he was going to take full responsibility.


    Elyse and Ashton had known each other for a long time, so she knew his character very well.


    When he stopped talking, she was certain that he would take the me for her.


    That was exactly what she needed.


    Ashton¡¯s tactfulness made her heave a sigh of relief, but when she thought of Amelie¡¯s refusal to leave,


    she felt angry and annoyed all over.


    ¡°Amelie is such an annoying brat!¡± She twisted the corner of the nket and shouted irritably.


    Imagining the nket in her hand as Amelie, she felt the urge to strangle her to death!


    Amelie had be sessful now, but that wasn¡¯t frightening. What worried Elyse was that Amelie


    was Big Eyes!


    If Leo found out the truth, Elyse would be doomed!


    It was for this reason that Elyse desperately wanted Amelie to leave.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will help you deal with Amelie slowly. I promise to make her life worse!¡± Ashton promised


    her.


    Even Elyse¡¯s slightest temper tantrum would make him give her full attention.


    ¡°Pfft. You¡¯re better off staying still and doing nothing!¡± Elyse couldn¡¯t help but gave him an eye roll.


    Her eye roll made him shrug a little, a sense of frustration surging in his heart.


    Elyse was a woman whom he admired very much, and he had always wanted to do something to make


    a big ssh and impress her, but he just couldn¡¯t do anything well.


    Just as he was deep in thought, his phone rang.


    Ashton took the call in front of Elyse.


    However, upon hearing what the other party said on the phone, he couldn¡¯t help pulling a long face.


    Once the call was disconnected, his dark orbs turned gloomy.


    He looked at Elyse worriedly but hesitated to speak.


    Sensing something off with him, Elyse asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Only then did he sigh and say, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s out.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s out?¡± She couldn¡¯t connect the dots.


    Ashton whispered a few words to her.


    After hearing that, Elyse turned pallid as she froze on the spot.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Chapter 100 She Had Be A Monster


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Elyse asked with clenched fists after a moment of silence.


    Ashton nodded. ¡°I took that child¡¯s hair with my own hands, and it was someone I¡¯m familiar with who


    carried out the test. It can¡¯t be forged. That child is Leo¡¯s.¡±


    He then looked at Elyse worriedly. ¡°What should we do about this matter?¡±


    Elyse remained quiet.


    Even though she guessed it right, the truth was still hard to ept.


    Ashton failed to notice that her fingers were trembling, and her face had turned as pale as paper.


    The fact that the child belonged to Leo wasn¡¯t what she was afraid of, but that Amelie turned out to be


    Big Eyes!


    If word got out, Elyse couldn¡¯t imagine the consequences. Confusion clouded her mind.


    ¡°What exactly is this woman up to?¡± Ashton growled irritably.


    He naively thought Amelie had hidden the child¡¯s identity not because she wanted to draw a line with


    Leo, but because she was nning tounch a big move when the time came.


    ¡°Elyse!¡± He suddenly made up his mind and held Elyse¡¯s arm tightly before turning her around to face


    him. ¡°Listen to me. Never tell Leo about this! I¡¯ll figure out a way so that Amelie can¡¯t take advantage of


    this situation and cause a fuss!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the door was pushed open.


    A tall figure entered the ward.


    Elyse and Ashton turned their heads in unison, and when they saw who it was that came in, their


    expressions changed at the same time.


    Elyse pushed Ashton away in embarrassment, suppressed the uneasiness in her heart, and walked


    over to Leo quickly. ¡°Leo, are you here to see me?¡±


    Her voice was as gentle as that of a well-behaved and docile cat.


    Ashton felt extremely ufortable when he noticed how smitten Elyse was over Leo. He gripped his


    fists silently and announced his leave. ¡°Go on and do your thing, lovebirds. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    With that, he made a beeline for the door.


    After seeing Ashton leave, Elyse took a step closer to Leo. ¡°I waited for you the whole day, Leo. Why


    did you onlye now?¡±


    She then tried to lean her head on his shoulder.


    Although Leo treated her differently now, he never expressed his disdain for out-of-bounds intimacy


    and always let her have her way.


    This time, however, he immediately flinched the moment she leaned over.


    ¡°Why did you have to do that?!¡± he growled in a deep voice.


    Elyse was stunned for a moment as she stared at him and realized how gloomy his expression was.


    An ominous feeling instantly washed over her heart, making her chest feel heavy.


    ¡°Leo, is something the matter?¡± she quickly inquired.


    Leo turned around to look at her with icy-cold eyes.


    Elyse had never seen such a cold gaze from him and was so frightened that she took a step back, at a


    loss for what to do.


    She then pouted. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? You know I¡¯m in poor health and can¡¯t stand


    stimtion. My condition might worsen if you look at me like that.¡±


    She adopted a pitiful tone, and tears were rolling in her eyes, threatening to fall any second now.


    In the past, Leo might have subdued it even though he was extremely angry whenever she showed him


    that face, and he would at least say some nice words tofort her.


    This time, however, he wasn¡¯t as nice.


    He merely stared at her as the disappointment in his eyes grew evident.


    ¡°What have you be? How could you do such an evil thing?! You messed with Amelie and her


    child¡¯s blood!¡± Leo let out a low growl.


    The moment he finished his sentence, Elyse froze as if struck by lightning, unable to respond.


    Her mind could barely make sense of what he just said.


    ¡°You are no longer the person I once knew! You have be a monster!¡± Leo used her.


    In the past, he thought Elyse was just a little too willful for her own good. Even when she lied to him by


    falsely iming to be kidnapped, which resulted in him abandoning Amelie and causing her to have a


    miscarriage, he only med himself for everything.


    However, he couldn¡¯t ept her being the mastermind of the blood poisoning case.


    Elyse struggled to stand up straight, but her legs shook so badly that she had no strength at all and


    eventually plopped onto the bed.


    She clutched the nkets with her fingers in an attempt to give herself some support, but she couldn¡¯t!


    Since Leo was so certain that she who did it, he must have had done a thorough investigation.


    Denying it would exacerbate his disappointment.


    But she couldn¡¯t admit it! If she did, Leo¡¯s impression of her would plummet.


    She had let Leo down several times, so she dared not imagine how he would punish her if she


    admitted her crimes!


    An overwhelming sense of fear enveloped her until she felt suffocated.


    Elyse took a deep breath and tried to force herself to calm down. ¡°It must be Toby who investigated this


    matter, right? Leo, I¡¯m not going to defend myself, but I just want to remind you that Toby has always


    had feelings for Amelie. If he is the one to investigate, he will only side with her!¡±


    What she wanted to say was that Toby wouldn¡¯t actually investigate anything at all but rather ry


    whatever Amelie imed to Leo.


    ¡°You¡¯ve also seen how Toby always defended Amelie, haven¡¯t you? His words aren¡¯t credible at all!¡±


    After she said that, a pop of color finally returned to her pale face.


    She wasn¡¯t just making things up about this, so she was certain that Leo would believe her.


    Who would¡¯ve expected that instead of easing his mood, she seemed to have worsened Leo¡¯s


    emotions?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear this from Toby. It was you!¡±


    ¡°M-Me?¡± Elyse pointed at her nose, feeling extremely absurd. ¡°Quit ying, Leo.¡±


    Without answering her, Leo took out his phone and swiped on something.


    In the room, a voice suddenly sounded, ¡°You are always ming me for hurting your child, but I am


    actually helping you. No, to be more precise, I am helping your child. Think about it. If your child dies


    due to blood poisoning, you wouldn¡¯t have to face a situation like this, would you?¡±


    Listening to the familiar voice, Elyse recalled what she said before. As if being struck with a stone, she


    was dumbfounded!


    Someone recorded her conversation!


    ¡°Are you going to tell me that the voice doesn¡¯t belong to you? That someone imitated your voice?¡± Leo


    red at her coldly.


    Elyse parted her lips and almost nodded.


    However, Leo interrupted her. ¡°You should know that I know your voice the most!¡±


    Elyse was rendered speechless.


    ¡°T-There is a problem with this recording. It has been intentionally tampered with. My original sentence


    wasn¡¯t like that!¡± Her breath staggered as she could hardly convince herself.


    Leo didn¡¯t respond.


    He did find something off with the recording as if someone intended to hide something, but the part


    where Elyse threatened Amelie didn¡¯t sound off at all!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leo!¡± Now that Elyse realized she could no longer deny her actions, she decided to


    surrender and apologize to him.


    Thereafter, she cracked into a sob.


    ¡°I was out of my mind back then. Incident after incident overwhelmed me. I was at a loss for what to do,


    so I went abroad and avoided everything, but someer told me that Amelie was going to give birth


    to a child. I couldn¡¯t ept it, Leo. I couldn¡¯t imagine you having a child with her. I honestly didn¡¯t know


    how I returned to the country, but when I sobered up, it was all toote! I regretted it and thought about


    killing myself, but I can¡¯t bear to leave you.¡±


    Elyse burst into tears and slid by the bed.


    She was out of breath and her body was so weak it seemed as if she was going to faint anytime soon.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Nheless, Leo stood quietly on the spot and clenched his fists.


    He didn¡¯t even bother tofort her.


    Elyse hadmitted an evil crime. He couldn¡¯t pretend she didn¡¯t.


    Elyse cried and crawled in front of him, hugging his legs with both hands as she pleaded, ¡°Leo, please,


    don¡¯t be upset with me, please. I wasn¡¯t in the right mind. My mental health deteriorated after I left you.


    Could you give me another chance for the sake of our rtionship? I swear never to do such a thing


    anymore!¡±


    Leo merely looked down at her.


    Their initial rtionship was the most precious memory he had of her. They shared the warmest mutual


    feelings, but she repeatedly regarded it as a privilege token.


    Leo suddenly felt disinterested in her.


    Slowly, he reached out to hook her fingers.


    Seeing that he was finally responding, Elyse beamed and intended to fall into his embrace.


    But when she realized what he was doing next, her expression morphed into shock!

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    Chapter 101 Separate Amelie From Her Child


    Leo pried open Elyse¡¯s fingers one by one and pushed her hand away.


    ¡°You are not Big Eyes!¡± he growled.


    Elyse stared at him with disbelief. ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    Did he find out that I reced Amelie? Is this the end of me?


    Elyse plopped to the ground and shuddered, unable to support herself anymore.


    The warmth in Leo¡¯s eyes hadpletely dissipated, leaving only a gloomy shade covering his eyes.


    Looking at her pitiful face, he suppressed the distaste he had for her and spat, ¡°Big Eyes wasn¡¯t as evil


    as you are. You are no longer worthy of this name! You are no longer whom you used to be!¡±


    With that, he strode away.


    ¡°Elyse!¡±


    Before long, Ashton came running into the ward.


    Seeing Elyse throwing herself on the ground, he was extremely shocked as he hurried over to help her


    up.


    ¡°Did Leo push you? Since when he became so ruthless?!¡± Ashton was currently fuming with anger, and


    his chest was burning as he dered, ¡°I¡¯ll go find him!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Elyse tugged at the hem of his shirt and muttered while shaking her head weakly.


    However, she managed to heave a sigh of relief, and a hint of color quickly returned to her cheeks.


    Leo still wasn¡¯t aware of the secret, so she was safe.


    She still had a ce in his heart.


    The more she knew why Leo pampered and indulged her before, the more confident she was in the


    importance of the identity ¡®Big Eyes.¡¯


    It was definitely a privilege token!


    She didn¡¯t bother hating the identity that she impersonated. Instead, she was d that she discovered


    it a long time ago and had been using it to avoid getting into trouble again and again.


    ¡°Help me get up,¡± she ordered.


    Ashton quickly helped her up and put her on the bed.


    Elyse leaned against the back of the bed and closed her eyes.


    When Ashton¡¯s gaze fell on her delicate little face, he felt distressed. ¡°Why did Leo treat you like that?¡±


    Elyse didn¡¯t want to talk about what happened as it would be better if fewer people knew about the


    secret about ¡®Big Eyes.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just a misunderstanding between us.¡± She deliberately yed it off.


    Ashton didn¡¯t give up on badgering her, ¡°What kind of misunderstanding made him treat you this way?


    He wasn¡¯t like this before!¡±


    Previously, Leo had always treated Elyse like a precious baby.


    ¡°Amelie must have done something! She wants to get Leo back! In that case, we must ensure that that


    child¡¯s identity will not be exposed. It is best to keep Leo in the dark for the rest of his life! Yes, I shall


    do that right away.¡±


    After saying that, he strode out of the ward.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Elyse called out to him.


    Her eyes sparkled, and a sharp light flickered in her eyes.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t hide it,¡± she uttered.


    Under her eyshes, her dark orbs turned cold as she spoke. ¡°We don¡¯t have to hide it. In fact, we will


    tell Leo that the child is his!¡±


    Ashton looked at Elyse in disbelief and worry quickly spread across his face. ¡°Elyse, I know you must


    be overwhelmed, but even so, you have to think for yourself. Once Leo knows about it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Once he knows, he will want that child back!¡± Elyse answered him very quickly without any trace of


    concern on her face.


    Ashton was the only one who was restless.


    ¡°That child cannot return to the Alston Family!¡±


    ¡°She has to!¡± Elyse insisted stubbornly.


    There was no longer a hint of sadness in her eyes. All that was present was resentment. She clutched


    the hem of her shirt and grunted, ¡°I want Amelie Dillon to pay the price!¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Since the recording in Leo¡¯s phone was a private conversation between her and Amelie, she assumed


    that it was Amelie who recorded it and sent it to him.


    The reason Amelie deliberately hid Bria¡¯s identity as Leo¡¯s child was that she was afraid he would


    snatch the child since there was no hope for her to get back together with him.


    Amelie being separated from her child was what Elyse wanted!


    ¡°Just do as I say. There¡¯s a reason I made my decision,¡± she ordered coldly.


    Ashton was still concerned. ¡°If Leo takes that child back, Amelie will be involved with him for the rest of


    his life. Have you ever thought about it? It won¡¯t be fair or good for you!¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    As long as she could torment Amelie, she cared about nothing else!


    Seeing how determined she was, Ashton was at a loss for words. With a sigh, he left.


    Elyse sat on the bed for a while.


    She knew Ashton might not do as she said.


    He was slow and was unable to read her mind.


    Anyway, she could do it herself.


    After resting for a while, she dialed a number. ¡°Do me a favor.¡±


    ¡­


    When Leo returned to Alston Residence, Jodie was stomping her feet in front of Melissa.


    Melissa¡¯s elegant, dignified, and noble face was also stained with obvious emotions.


    Leo rubbed his brows, unable to resist the weariness in his eyes.


    Since he had nothing to say to Melissa, he walked up the stairs silently.


    ¡°Leony, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Jodie skipped over and stopped in front of him with her arms outstretched.


    She then eximed anxiously, ¡°Oh my gosh! Did you know how embarrassed I was today?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t start making a fuss.¡± Leo deadpanned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not making a fuss!¡± Jodie was highly dissatisfied. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! Bria obviously is our


    family¡¯s descendant, but why did you let her follow Amelie? Do you know what everyone is saying


    about us? They are calling us stingy for letting someone else raise the kid, and they call you a kept


    man!¡±


    As a daughter of a wealthy family, Jodie was unable to ept the criticism and humiliation.


    Melissa also walked over slowly and added, ¡°I told you that we should¡¯ve raised Bria by ourselves. If


    you had listened to me, you wouldn¡¯t have be aughingstock! What doesn¡¯t our family have?


    Don¡¯t talk about raising one, even if you have ten children, we can afford to raise them all.¡±


    Her tone was filled with dissatisfaction toward her son.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Jodie agreed with her mother. ¡°What happens now? Everyone thinks Amelie is seeing


    Starlight Media¡¯s boss now, and she is now in the limelight.¡±


    At the mention of Starlight Media¡¯s boss, Leo couldn¡¯t help knitting his brows.


    He didn¡¯t forget those photos.


    In the photos, the man and Bria looked exactly alike!


    As for the DNA test, it was no doubt Bria was his daughter.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t mention this to Jodie and Melissa, so they naturally didn¡¯t know about it.


    He didn¡¯t want to mention the matter of cheating in marriage, so he just said indifferently, ¡°Let them say


    whatever they want to say.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Melissa objected. ¡°We are a dignified family. How could we allow people to see us in that


    way?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. How am I supposed to meet people from now on?¡± Jodie and Melissa were adamant about


    their stance.


    ¡°Back when you were divorced, you didn¡¯t make arrangements for Bria¡¯s guardianship. It¡¯s reasonable


    for you to want her back now. Here¡¯s a document. Bring this to Amelie and demand for her daughter.


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to reject you!¡± Melissa took out a piece of paper and handed it to Leo.


    Leo lowered his head, saw the word ¡®DNA test¡¯ written on the piece of paper, and looked at Melissa in


    puzzlement.


    Melissa understood his reaction and exined, ¡°This is a DNA test Jodie purposely ran for you. It¡¯s a


    fact that Bria belongs to our family, and Amelie won¡¯t be able to change it! If she wants to file awsuit,


    we will fight her! Let¡¯s see who the final winner will be!¡±


    After her son divorced Amelie, Melissa had always felt difort.


    She then raised her elegant and thin brows, looking dominant.


    Leo¡¯s expression suddenly changed as he quickly snatched the document.


    He read the whole paper as quickly as he could, and he found that in thest line, it was proven that


    Bria was his child!


    ¡°A-Are you sure about this?¡± He recalled Amelie doing the DNA test right in front of him!


    ¡°Of course.¡± Jodie confidently said, ¡°I especially sent someone to collect the specimens in Bria¡¯s school


    and also from your toothbrush!¡±


    It turned out that Amelie had deceived him!


    Leo clenched his fists tightly, crumpling the paper in his hand.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    Chapter 102 Did You Fall for Me?


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Amelie. She¡¯s an ungrateful woman, so she isn¡¯t qualified to get married into our


    family, but regardless of that, we must take the child back!¡± Melissa announced firmly.


    Jodie nodded in agreement. ¡°You must bring me back my pride, Leo!¡±


    Without responding, Leo turned around and left the room.


    Watching his anxious back, Melissa and Jodie sighed in relief.


    Honestly, the two of them didn¡¯t fancy Bria at all. They merely treated her as the daughter of a b*tch like


    Amelie. However, she was a part of their family, after all. Hence, she should stay with them.


    ¡°By the way, Mom, I heard some strange rumors recently saying that Amelie is very powerful. Someone


    has seen her in some racetrack.¡± Since Jodie was always out all day, she learned about rumors this


    way. She shared with Melissa what she heard today.


    ¡°I even heard some saying that Leo¡¯s recent contract with a big boss from Skaynia has something to do


    with her. Do you think it¡¯s credible?¡±


    At the mention of that, Melissa snickered in disdain. ¡°Amelie stayed with us for four years previously.


    Don¡¯t you know what kind of person she is?¡±


    Jodie brushed her hair as she recalled her memories. She was initially agitated and ufortable after


    hearing those rumors, but she felt relieved when she remembered how transient Amelie was back


    when she stayed in Alston Residence.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If Amelie was really powerful, she would have unted it in front of us long ago. Perhaps


    the rumors are just a trick she set up to deceive us and force us to look up to her!¡±


    ¡°With her ability, I reckon she can only rely on that beauty called Julia White for a short time. Once she


    leaves Julia, she will be nothing!¡± Melissa scrunched her brows in distaste, obviously despising the idea


    of engaging in a topic about Amelie. Turning around, she went back to the couch and drank her


    cogen drink.


    When Jodie heard the mention of Julia, she instantly recalled the offer Julia made to her about taking


    her in as an anchor in Starlight Media.


    What a great opportunity!


    She wondered if Julia was being sincere or if she was just trying to piss Elyse off!


    Since Jodie was a major in massmunication, she was well aware of the status of an anchor.


    Many entrepreneurs looked up to a capable anchor, let alone their status.


    These days, many celebrities would change their careers to be anchors.


    If she could be someone like Julia White and be recognized and even looked up to wherever she


    went, wasn¡¯t it better than being a star?


    Most importantly, ke Gareth belonged to Starlight Media!


    This was also one of the most important reasons why she wanted to join thepany.


    ¡­


    At 6.00PM, Amelie arrived home to have dinner with Bria.


    While chatting with Amelie, Bria was learning eating utensil etiquette. Her movements were a little


    clumsy.


    Dinner time was usually their bonding time when Bria would tell her what happened in school.


    Since returning from Quinn Town, she had been telling her ssmates about Steven¡¯s shoemaking


    skills every day. The students admired Steven so much that they wanted to y with her.


    Bria became a little star in their ss, and even the teachers praised her as a lively and cheerful child.


    Before her mother¡¯s divorce, Bria never dared to speak loudly in front of others due to long-term


    oppression, and she always acted timidly.


    Watching the changes her daughter was experiencing now made Amelie happy.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± After telling Amelie about some interesting incidents in school, Bria called out to her mother


    as if recalling something. ¡°It¡¯s so strange that people have beening to school and asking the


    teacher to pluck my hair. Just today, they plucked my hair twice!¡±


    Hearing that, Amelie stopped eating and looked at Bria¡¯s hair. ¡°Did your teacher tell you why they


    wanted your hair?¡±


    Bria shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t know the reason Amelie¡¯s eyebrows suddenly sank, she somehow had a bad


    feeling.


    ¡°Are the people who wanted your hair people you know?¡±


    Bria shook her head once again. ¡°They were in a room. My teacher went to give them my hair after


    plucking them. I couldn¡¯t see their faces, but I thought one of them sounded like¡­ Aunt Jodie.¡±


    Jodie Alston?


    Amelie realized things weren¡¯t as simple.


    However, she didn¡¯t want to scare Bria, so she finished dinner without showing any hint of


    exaggeration.


    Bria took the initiative to clear the tes. She fished out her phone and intended to run an


    investigation.


    On the other hand, Leo was leaning against the backseat of the car with his eyes lowered. His dark


    orbs were as calm as the dead sea, and there was no hint of warmth in them.


    He was still clutching that piece of paper, but it was now heavily crumpled.


    The scrunched paper itself resembled his heart and his ego.


    Leo found the whole situation funny.


    He couldn¡¯t believe he was tricked by Amelie!


    Afterughing at himself, he felt depressed all of a sudden as if being suddenly thrown into an abyss


    with no end.


    The fact that Amelie was willing to bear the infamy of cheating in marriage to draw the line with him


    showed how determined she was to stay away from him!


    It should¡¯ve been good news, but he felt as if the air in his lungs was sucked out of his chest. He felt


    suffocated!


    Was she that eager to be with the boss of Starlight Media?


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Mr. Alston,¡± the driver reminded him in a low voice.


    Leo retrieved his senses and pushed the door open to get out.


    The moment his feetnded on the ground, he noticed a figure of a woman and a child running outside.


    Leo strode to them and stopped them before they could board the car.


    Amelie¡¯s body went rigid as she turned her head abruptly.


    Her heart skipped a beat when she made out that it was Leo.


    She found out that Bria¡¯s hair was collected for a DNA test.


    That would mean Bria¡¯s identity had been exposed.


    Amelie knew that someone woulde looking for them soon, so she nned to bring Bria away for


    two days.


    Sure enough, Leo came in time to stop them from escaping.


    Leo stared at her with gloomy eyes, taking in the anxiety evident in her eyes and her tightly pursed lips.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s gaze flickered as she also took in his sinister look as well as the piece of paper he was


    holding in his hand.


    She gasped and shoved Bria behind her instinctively.


    Leo nced at Bria, who was hunching and peeking her little head out to look at him timidly.


    The emotions in her eyes only consisted of wariness and alienation toward him.


    Those emotions broke Leo¡¯s heart. At the same time, he felt his temples throbbing with anger.


    He then spoke, ¡°Bria is my child. Who gave you the right to hide her identity at will?¡±


    Amelie now realized that there was no point in escaping anymore now that he had discovered the truth.


    Taking a deep breath, she suppressed the anxiety in her heart.


    When she faced him once again, there was only coldness in her orbs.


    Her emotionless gaze mercilessly pierced through Leo. He could no longer find the tenderness there


    once was in her eyes.


    He felt as if being sliced by a sharp knife everywhere her eyesnded on him.


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


    The pain was unbearable!


    ¡°So what if she¡¯s your child?¡± Amelie¡¯s crisp voice sounded in his ears.


    She put on a half-smile, but it was obvious that she was distancing herself from him.


    ¡°My child should grow up in my Alston Family! Amelie Dillon, Bria muste home with me!¡± Leo


    made a decisive decision.


    This decision was not made on how the Alston Family had been the target of mockery.


    What hurt him most was that she disyed affection with another man in public by using her child.


    ¡°My child isn¡¯t a tool for you to show off your current rtionship!¡± he reminded her coldly.


    ¡°Since when did you see me using Bria as a tool, Mr. Alston? Are you upset to watch me and Bria


    being happy with another man? Are you jealous? Did you fall for me?¡± Amelie tilted her head and


    questioned him deliberately.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    Chapter 103 Your Family¡¯s Pride is Worthless


    ¡°Hah!¡± Leo unceremoniously sneered, ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    ¡°You better not!¡± she countered right away.


    Her eyes were finally clear again as if what he said had relieved her of a heavy burden.


    Leo was speechless.


    With an indifferent gaze, Amelie looked at him and changed the subject. ¡°Did you say you wanted to


    take her back home? Are you trying to ruin her life?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be dramatic!¡± he rebutted coldly. ¡°The Alston family is where she belongs. We will provide her


    with the best living conditions and education. Letting here back with me is only for the best!¡±


    ¡°Yes, your family can provide these for her, but when you can¡¯t even meet her basic needs, what¡¯s the


    point?¡±


    Amelie pulled Bria out a little, but Bria hugged her thigh tightly, not daring to take another step forward.


    ¡°Do you see that?¡± Amelie uttered softly. Looking at the intimidated look on her daughter¡¯s face, she


    couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken. ¡°She¡¯s afraid of you!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Leo didn¡¯t put her words to heart. ¡°The reason she¡¯s afraid of me is that we don¡¯t


    spend enough time together.¡±


    ¡°She stayed with you for three years,¡± Amelie reminded him. Though she couldn¡¯t see how frightened


    Bria was, she held her in her arms.


    Bria hugged Amelie¡¯s neck tightly and snuggled her head into her mother¡¯s embrace, not even daring to


    breathe too loudly!


    Leo watched how Bria reacted and frowned.


    He parted his lips, wanting to criticize Amelie for spoiling and overprotecting the child.


    But before he could say that, Amelie beat him to it. ¡°She has just been in her new school for three days,


    and all the children in ss like her. Even the teacherplimented her for being the most lively and


    optimistic child in ss. Have you never thought about why she¡¯s afraid of you and scared of returning


    to Alston Residence?¡±


    While gently caressing Bria¡¯s back, Amelie looked into Leo¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Your family¡¯s indifference toward her has deeply affected her. If she goes back, she will instinctively


    feel a sense of fear in her heart. Moreover, your mother and your sister hate her so much. Don¡¯t you


    think you are forcing her to a dead end by putting her in such an environment? You never fulfilled your


    responsibilities as a father, so why inflict more pain on her now? Just because she is an Alston and


    people will humiliate you guys for not letting her grow up in Alston Residence? Leo, your family¡¯s


    dignity isn¡¯t worth a cent to me! If you want to take her away and destroy her life, I will fight you even if


    it means losing everything!¡±


    Her voice was strong and determined, and there was ardent killing intent in her orbs.


    After the divorce, Leo met her quite often, but he never saw her present hostility.


    This was the first time he witnessed how strong a mother could be for their child.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going back with you, Daddy. If you bully Mommy and take me away from her, I will go live and


    tell everyone that you bully her!¡± Bria spoke all of a sudden.


    Though she was afraid of the man before her, she was determined to protect her mother.


    She straightened her back and red at Leo with bulging eyes.


    In his daughter¡¯s eyes, Leo discovered that she was ring at a powerful enemy instead of her father.


    He felt a knife stabbing his chest and almost lost hisposure.


    Bria wrapped her arms around Amelie¡¯s shoulders while Amelie carried her in his arm. The two had


    formed a powerful alliance.


    Leo, on the other hand, as a father, was an outsider.


    Once again, he felt his chest empty as if all the air had been sucked out.


    Amelie then patted Bria on the back and said, ¡°Wait for me in the car, sweetie.¡±


    Bria looked at her with concern, then at Leo, as she was still worried that her father would bully her


    mother.


    Amelie nodded to her in reassurance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m only going to talk to Daddy for a while. I¡¯ll be


    fine.¡±


    Only then did Bria slip out of her mother¡¯s embrace and enter the car by herself.


    Amelie took a few steps away from the car, and Leo instinctively followed after her.


    The two stood under the tree. Leo¡¯s gaze never moved away from her.


    Amelie¡¯s thin body stood amidst the night like a blooming tough rose.


    Even though it was dark, her face seemed to be glowing, and her aura was remarkable.


    She was no longer the lowly and humble woman she was back when she stayed in Alston Residence.


    She felt like apletely different person.


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    Leo had to doubt if Alston Residence was a ce capable of destroying a person.


    Otherwise, how could one person undergo such a huge change?


    Amelie was one case, and even Bria experienced the same change.


    ¡°Leo,¡± she called out to him in a subdued but crisp voice.


    Leo was taken aback by how eerily simr her voice was to Elyse¡¯s!


    His eyes widened inexplicably, and a strange thought emerged in his mind.


    However, that idea quickly moved on after Amelie said something.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hate you when you abandoned me in the snow back then, but you knew I was pregnant and


    still did it, so you were abandoning the child too. Later when I suffered from blood poisoning during


    labor, you didn¡¯t answer my call for help, so I regarded that as the second time you abandoned the


    child. Ever since the beginning, I was the only one who wanted her. Since you didn¡¯t want her to be


    born, why don¡¯t you act as if she wasn¡¯t even born, to begin with? I will take her far away and never


    show up in front of you and your family. In that case, it won¡¯t affect your marriage with Elyse, and as


    time passes, people will forget about Bria and me.¡±


    When Elyse made her leave, she was reluctant to, but now that she thought about it, nothing else


    mattered as long as her child could grow up peacefully. Leaving would be a fair choice.


    With that, she turned around and entered the car before driving away.


    Behind her, Leo stood like a statue on the spot.


    His hands had lost their strength, allowing the paper to slip from his palms and fall to the ground.


    Amelie¡¯s tone was extremely calm. It didn¡¯t carry any hint ofints, but he felt like she was


    throwing punches hitting his chest one after another.


    He was so beaten up that he didn¡¯t even dare to face her!


    ¡­


    In the quiet night, Leo pushed open the door to Prix Bar and entered the lounge before taking a seat.


    When Toby saw him, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were tired and


    wanted to go back to rest? Why did youe out again?¡±


    The two were discussing a project today. After that, he asked if Leo wanted to have a drink together,


    which Leo rejected.


    Without uttering a word, Leo leaned against the chair and ced his hands on his knee as he exuded a


    depressing aura.


    Toby didn¡¯t badger him and instead poured him a ss of wine.


    Using his slender fingers, he pushed the ss of red wine to his friend.


    Leo held the ss stem and brought the wine close to his lips but didn¡¯t take a sip.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me the truth about the blood poisoning incident?¡± he questioned suddenly.


    Toby was startled.


    The next moment, he raised the ss and chuckled lowly. ¡°Amelie told me not to.¡±


    ¡°She¡ª¡±


    Leo¡¯s hand paused mid-air with the ss of wine.


    ¡°How could she? Shouldn¡¯t she have let me know after suffering such a huge grievance?¡± Though he


    was directing the question at Toby, he sounded as if he was muttering to himself.


    His thoughts paused at the scene when Amelie imed that he had abandoned Bria. She didn¡¯t


    question him on impulse but made a calm description instead. She sounded as if she were telling a


    story about someone else¡¯s tragic past.


    The more he thought about it, the more appalled he felt.


    Toby¡¯s eyes darkened but he didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he drank the wine quietly by himself.


    On the other hand, Leo came to a realization.


    Amelie didn¡¯t care anymore.


    It didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t resent Elyse, but it was that she no longer needed him to fight for her.


    To her, he meant nothing!


    All of a sudden, Leo felt as if his strength vanished. Even holding a ss of wine was a struggle for


    him.


    cing the ss on the table, he looked at the wine and felt something being sucked out of his body.


    Amelie¡¯s feelings, trust, anticipation¡­ and all her other emotions for him were all sucked away with


    nothing left!


    Leo was drunk for the first time.


    Toby shook his head helplessly when he saw his friend drunk as a skunk frowning tightly and looking to


    be in pain.


    Just as he was about to help Leo up, he heard a low crying from the corner of Leo¡¯s lips.


    After figuring out his words clearly, Toby blinked with interest. He then picked up the phone and dialed


    a number. ¡°Hey, Leo is drunk.¡±

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104


    Chapter 104 Don¡¯t Expect to Escape Easily


    ¡°Leo, Leo! Wake up, wake up!¡±


    When Leo opened his eyes in a daze, he felt a hand pat his face.


    He reached out to hold that hand instinctively.


    A severe headache had been kicking in as a result of intoxication, and he couldn¡¯t see clearly whose


    hand it was.


    As he was squeezing that hand, his thoughts stayed elsewhere.


    His effort in getting up failed as he plopped to the ground due to ack of strength.


    The owner of the hand fell into Leo¡¯s embrace after being pulled down by his weight.


    Elyse bumped her head. It hurt. She tried to get up.


    Halfway through her struggle, she noticed Leo looking at her with a meaningful gaze. Subconsciously,


    her cheeks colored.


    ¡°Leo.¡± Her voice turned softer with a touch of charm. It was so delicate that it could easily integrate with


    water.


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    Elyse originally came to pick Leo up after answering Toby¡¯s call, but now that she saw Leo looking at


    her like this and didn¡¯t respond when she called him, she suddenly came up with a bold idea.


    In fact, they had never crossed the boundary. They had never had sex. She wondered if their


    rtionship would improve if she moved past this stage.


    He might even treat her like he used to before, like a precious treasure in his palm.


    At that thought, Elyse grinned from ear to ear and started leaning into his lips and blowing some air.


    She waited for him to take initiative.


    As expected, Leo embraced her with both arms and raised the corners of his lips slightly. ¡°Amelie.¡±


    What?!


    As if being sshed with a bucket of cold water, Elyse felt her emotions plunge to an all-time low from


    her high. Widening her eyes in shock, she shuddered.


    What did Leo just call her?


    Amelie?


    She propped herself up and looked at him with aplex expression.


    Sparkles of tears started rolling in her eyes.


    On the contrary, Leo¡¯s loweredshes couldn¡¯t hide the affection that coated his eyes as well as the


    desire he presented on his face.


    His eyes were on her, but he called out another woman¡¯s name.


    ¡°Leo, look at me. Who am I?¡± Her voice trembled as she thought she must have heard it wrongly.


    ¡°Amelie Dillon.¡±


    Leo uttered that name again, but this time with his eyes closed.


    His arms that were previously holding her flopped to the ground.


    Elyse felt as if being dragged to the coldest part of the earth when he called her Amelie. Her fingers felt


    so cold they turned numb, and her heart even colder long ago. Any slight movement could cause a


    sharp tearing pain!


    Humiliation crept up her mind as she clenched her teeth.


    When she turned around, Toby was standing at the corner of the room, looking at her with a meaningful


    gaze.


    Despite his calm gaze, she could tell he was looking at her with contempt.


    Elyse suddenly understood the situation and stared at him fiercely. ¡°You did it on purpose!¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t sent someone to inform Jodie and Mrs. Alston that Amelie¡¯s child belonged to the Alston


    Family and allowed them to force Leo to snatch the child, Leo wouldn¡¯t have met Amelie, probably


    wouldn¡¯t have gotten drunk, and wouldn¡¯t be calling her name now,¡± Toby mumbled. His seemingly


    casual gaze held a full bucket of wisdom.


    Elyse¡¯s body shook violently, and her face turned green!


    She nced at Leo, but she didn¡¯t have the guts to admit it after all.


    Leo was drunk, not dead. If he heard what Toby just said, she would be done for.


    Curling his lips upward, Toby didn¡¯t say another word and left the room.


    Although he didn¡¯t show much emotion, Elyse read it as she was looked down upon.


    Feeling uneasy, she chased after him. ¡°Who told you that I was the one who told Jodie and Mrs. Alston


    about that? Was it Amelie? Is everything she says credible now? Do you trust her so much? What on


    earth did she promise you? Don¡¯t forget I was the one who knew you first! How could you stand on her


    side?!¡±


    She quickly reached out to yank the hem of Toby¡¯s clothes before squeezing it!


    Toby¡¯s presented a nk expression as he exined, ¡°I trust her not because she did me favors, but


    because her character had always been trustworthy. Don¡¯t expect to escape easily, Elyse. Everything


    comes to light¡­ sooner orter. There is only one way not to let people know about your crimes, and


    that is to nevermit them!¡±


    The word ¡®character¡¯ was like a pair of hands that came out of the sky and snatched the roof covering


    her, catching her off guard and revealing her devastated inner self!


    Elyse clenched her lips and managed to stay still, but she was so ashamed that she couldn¡¯t bear it.


    Toby was implying that she had no morals.


    ¡°How could you use me like that?¡± With clenched teeth, she seethed, ¡°How good is your character?


    Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re a flirt!¡±


    ¡°But I never hurt anyone intentionally.¡±


    With those words, he ruined the pride she barely managed to snatch.


    Toby snickered.


    Though his words were harsh, they were the kindest advice to her.


    Whether or not she would listen depended on herself entirely.


    After saying that, Toby left for good.


    Behind him, Elyse curled her fingers in anger, and her eyes swell so badly that she couldn¡¯t control the


    tears from falling.


    She used to be the most open and aboveboard existence in her family. Even when she behaved


    willfully in front of Leo, she could do it openly.


    Ever since Amelie showed up, everything changed!


    As if being pushed down into a pit multiple times, she had been suffering messy falls.


    It¡¯s all Amelie Dillon¡¯s fault! It¡¯s all her fault!


    Elyse silently clenched her fists until her knuckles turn pale. Her nails dug deep into her palms.


    After a long time, she took out her phone to make a call. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to be more secretive? How


    did Toby find out that I was the one who told Jodie and her mother about it? Did you do it on purpose?¡±


    ¡°I have been keeping my mouth shut,¡± the person on the other end uttered in anguid tone. ¡°But


    judging from Toby¡¯s broad connections, it should be easy for him to find out everything he wants, so I


    reckon that it is the same case for you if he just searched along the clues.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Elyse tightened her fists. Even in front of Ashton, she never allowed herself to curse out


    loud.


    Her originally beautiful face was distorted into a demonic appearance.


    Elyse couldn¡¯t figure out how a worthless person like Amelie could attract the attention of so many


    people. Even Toby often helped her out!


    ¡­


    Amelie brought Bria to Julia¡¯s house and told her about her n to leave the city.


    ¡°Why should you be the one leaving? You aren¡¯t at fault! That b*stard and that b*tch should be the ones


    leaving!¡± Julia immediately exploded after hearing her friend¡¯s ns. She talked so quickly as if she


    was a machine gun.


    Amelie shook her head indifferently. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Come to think of it, leaving this ce is


    quite a good idea.¡±


    She nced at Bria, who was working on her puzzle with her head lowered. ¡°I don¡¯t want Bria toe


    in between me and the Alstons. I don¡¯t want to see her being pushed and pulled around. I am willing to


    do anything in exchange for her peaceful life.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Hearing that, Julia couldn¡¯t help feeling teary-eyed. ¡°It¡¯s unfair for you to be tolerating them


    every time.¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± She turned around abruptly with a smile on her face. ¡°Do you know why I gave her the


    name Bria? Because I want her to grow up strong and happy as she had suffered too much to even be


    born.¡±


    Julia couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything, so she could only sigh.


    Usually, pregnant mothers would receive blessings for delivering their newborn, but Bria was a special


    case. Her birth was a bumpy journey, and she had nearly experienced death twice in her childhood.


    ¡°Alright. Where do you n to go? I¡¯ll move with you,¡± Julia proposed.


    Amelie didn¡¯t decline Julia¡¯s offer. She leaned over to hug Julia as a gesture of gratitude.


    Though Julia didn¡¯t utter a word, she felt heartbroken for her friend. She felt bad for Amelie¡¯s adamant


    sacrifice and selfless love as well as for Bria¡¯s life.


    After making the decision, Amelie quickly drafted her ns.


    She would first bring Bria to her father¡¯s house, and once hepletely handed over the technology to


    Toby, she would bring her father along to another city.


    Steven was ted to hear that his daughter would being home.


    The next day, Amelie asked Julia to bring Bria to Starlight Media, while she came out alone to shop for


    groceries in preparation to go home.


    The moment she arrived at the mart, however, someone rushed up to her and pushed her harshly!

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105


    Chapter 105 Chase Her Away


    Amelie staggered and fell to the ground by a push. When she raised her head, she saw an angry


    expression on a youthful face.


    It was Jodie!


    ¡°What are you doing, Miss Alston?!¡± Amelie questioned her while rubbing her arm that had been


    gripped.


    Jodie¡¯s delicate face was now distorted. ¡°Amelie Dillon, did you really think I¡¯ve agreed to your


    remarriage after I told you that you could remarry my brother? To tell you the truth, I did it just to


    provoke Elyse. Quit dreaming!¡±


    Amelie was already aware of that, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t dream about it. She parted her lips and


    smiled coldly, ¡°Did you forget I rejected your offer, Miss Alston?¡±


    ¡°Then, exin why are you holding on to the child who belongs to our family?¡± Jodie cast her a look


    that seemed to say, I don¡¯t believe you. ¡°There is simply nothing going on between you and the boss of


    Starlight Media. We know you do not want to let go of the child because you¡¯re trying to get my brother


    to remarry you for the sake of the child!¡±


    ¡°If you had told me honestly that you liked my brother, I would¡¯ve thought highly of you, but now, you¡¯re


    trying to act noble but secretly plotting something. How disgusting!¡±


    Watching her huffing in anger, Amelie couldn¡¯t help pinching her brows.


    Leo had let it go already, so why was Jodie still holding on to this matter?


    ¡°There¡¯s one million here. A woman like you will never be able to earn this amount in your entire life!


    Take the money and give me the child!¡± Jodie threw a check on her chest.


    Amelie lowered her head and nced at the check. It was really one million written on it. Did she just


    boast about a mere one million? How ridiculous.


    She pursed her lips and waved the ticket between two fingers without showing any hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a stubborn one, huh?!¡±


    Jodie waved her hand and ordered, ¡°Lock her up!¡±


    Immediately, four tall and burly men stepped forward.


    The men inched closer and closer toward Amelie.


    They were obviously trying to force her to hand Bria to them!


    Amelie¡¯s expression twisted a little. She stretched her wrists and was about to fight back.


    Before she could move, however, a loud bang was heard.


    One of the four men was instantly knocked down.


    The man moved so fast that Jodie didn¡¯t even notice how heunched the attack.


    She stared at the intruder angrily and was about to scold him when she noticed who the man was. At


    the same time, Amelie also realized who it was.


    It was that signature bright and handsome face.


    ¡°Toby?¡± Jodie called out to him.


    The rest of the three men were about to attack Toby but halted when she called his name.


    Toby rubbed his wrists and nced at Amelie to make sure she wasn¡¯t hurt before turning back to


    Jodie. ¡°Have you never considered the possibility of being captured by paparazzi bullying someone in


    broad daylight? Aren¡¯t you afraid of humiliating the Alston Family?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Jodie suddenly flushed.


    She looked around anxiously as she had been too infuriated earlier that she forgot about her pride.


    ¡°Who told that b*tch to be so stubborn and insist on going against me?!¡± she growled in displeasure.


    Toby grabbed the check from Amelie¡¯s hands and pulled Jodie¡¯s hand over so that he could ce the


    check into her palm. ¡°No matter for what reason, attacking someone physically is wrong. I¡¯m sure your


    brother wouldn¡¯t want to see you behaving like this.¡±


    At the mention of Leo, Jodie looked intimidated.


    To be frank, she was quite afraid of her brother, but the fact that Amelie provoked her made her feel


    extremely uneasy. ¡°Anyway, I will never give her the chance to entangle with my brother!¡±


    ¡°Miss Alston, if my statement wasn¡¯t clear before, let me express my stance solemnly once again to


    you. I am not interested in your brother.¡± Amelie¡¯s gaze was intimidating as she added, ¡°Should I sign


    an IOU?¡±


    Without waiting for Jodie¡¯s response, she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen to scribble on it.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    After a while, she stuffed the paper into Jodie¡¯s hands. ¡°Open your eyes wide and look at this! It¡¯s got


    my signature on it. If I vite the conditions on it, you may make it public in the upper-ss society.¡±


    Jodie felt a little surprised, but she still took the paper and smirked in contentment.


    Nevertheless, she was not ready to let Amelie go just yet. ¡°Bria belongs to our family. No matter what,


    she must return to our house!¡±


    ¡°Jodie, Bria¡¯s custody should be decided between Elie and your brother. What if your brother gets upset


    because you took the liberty to decide for him? Do you want to make him send you abroad?¡± Toby


    couldn¡¯t help but interrupted.


    ¡°No!¡± In response, she shook her head at Toby. My life is great. Leaving the country means I¡¯ll have to


    suffer! Who would want that?


    Without debating further, she left with the IOU.


    Only then did Amelie turn to look at Toby and say, ¡°Thanks, Mr. Walsh.¡±


    Toby looked at her affectionately and smiled. ¡°I know you could¡¯ve easily chased her away if you


    wanted to. I was just being nosy.¡±


    ¡°No. You helped me out big time,¡± she replied sincerely.


    ¡°If you say so, why don¡¯t you treat me to a meal?¡±


    Amelie was startled for a moment before looking at him. She didn¡¯t expect him toe up with such a


    request.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Anyhow, she still agreed to it.


    With that, the two left for the restaurant.


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re nning to leave,¡± Toby asked gently as they walked.


    In fact, he purposely came to see her because Steven mentioned that she was going to leave.


    Amelie was taken aback by his question, but she knew how close he was with her father, so she


    nodded without any hint of surprise.


    ¡°Are you¡­ not nning toe back anymore?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll live in another city.¡±


    ¡°Live¡­ in another city?¡± Toby repeated in a somewhat mncholic way. She¡¯s not gonna tell me where


    exactly if she moves to another city. Does that mean I wouldn¡¯t be able to see her anymore?


    Before they knew it, the two arrived at the restaurant.


    Perhaps due to that, Toby seemed a little quiet. He didn¡¯t speak much when they sat at the table.


    Since Amelie was also a quiet person, the two simply ordered some dishes.


    After their orders were taken, lo and behold, two figures came in from the entrance.


    One man and one woman. One short and one tall.


    The man¡¯s height was towering, his expression was cold, and his features resembled a painting.


    As for the woman, she was a head-turner with an alluring face and a sylphlike figure.


    They were Leo and Elyse.


    Amelie sighed quietly. She couldn¡¯t believe she would bump into these two!


    Turning her head away, she pretended to not notice them.


    On the other hand, Toby had his eyes lowered all this while, so he failed to notice them.


    Conversely, Leo¡¯s gaze was like a torch that shone on them.


    His gaze patrolled back and forth between them. It was as if he wanted to see if something fishy was


    going on between them.


    His feet also propelled him toward Amelie and Toby.


    ¡°Leo.¡± Elyse clutched his arm in a hurry and urged him, ¡°Mr. Hampton is waiting for us.¡±


    Leo halted in his footsteps upon hearing that as she hurriedly led him in the opposite direction.


    Only after they were a distance away from Amelie did Elyse sigh in relief.


    At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help ncing at Leo. His dark orbs were currently dark, and his


    expression looked as if the calm before the storm. Elyse felt her heart race nervously!


    In fact, Leo knew Amelie had noticed him. He also caught how she avoided looking at him.


    She avoided him as if he was a tsunami or a monster!


    Was he that intimidating?


    The more she thought about that, the more ufortable he felt. Suddenly, he recalled how she told


    him she was going to leave the city.


    Initially, he thought she left because of Bria, but now, he came to a sudden realization that the main


    purpose of her departure was topletely sever ties with him.


    Due to that, he felt depressed.


    Under the sleeves of his shirt, he clenched his fists.


    Walking beside him, Elyse took in all his subtle expressions and she too clenched her fists.


    However, she quickly showed him a smile and turned to lean her head on him. ¡°Toby and Miss Dillon


    seemed rather close earlier. They must be in an unusual rtionship.¡±


    Her words were like a match that dropped into a bucket of gasoline. Following the crackling sound, the


    difort lying at the bottom of Leo¡¯s heart exploded!


    Leo halted in his steps abruptly.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    Chapter 106 Amelie and Toby Are Together


    Elyse purposely looked as if she couldn¡¯t read Leo¡¯s mind. With a smile, she continued, ¡°That sounds


    like good news, though. Remember the huge scandal between Miss Dillon and the boss of Starlight


    Media? But there was no news about their marriage all this while, so I was quite worried for them.


    Turns out she is dating Toby Walsh! Heh, Toby used to be such a huge flirt, but now that he¡¯s with Miss


    Dillon, he doesn¡¯t go around seeing other girls anymore. He must be really into her, huh? Honestly, I¡¯d


    still feel a little guilty for her if she isn¡¯t able to find another man since you divorced her because of me.


    It¡¯s good to see them together. Leo, you too don¡¯t have to worry about her anymore. From now on, just


    focus on living your life with me.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t respond to her, and his body turned rigid.


    Elyse caught his subtle movements but didn¡¯t let it show on her face. Deep down in her heart, however,


    she felt smug.


    Leo would soon find out about the truth between Amelie and the boss of Starlight Media, and since his


    interest in Amelie was also growing, Elyse took the chance to pair Amelie and Toby up to prevent Leo


    from having other ideas.


    ¡­


    After the meal, Toby and Amelie chatted about the ancient shoemaking method that Amelie¡¯s father


    used.


    ¡°We n to still use the traditional technology for production, and in the sales process, we also hope


    that you can endorse us,¡± said Toby.


    Since the shoemaking craftsmanship was passed down from her father, Amelie naturally hoped that


    Toby could carry it forward. Hence, she agreed readily, ¡°You can rest assured. Not only will Foxy fully


    support it, but I will also send more people to push it to the market.¡±


    ¡°Thanks in advance.¡± Toby looked at Amelie with a warm gaze.


    The two then chatted a little more and left around 4.00PM.


    It was time to pick Bria up.


    Toby insisted on sending Amelie over. As Amelie¡¯s car was parked elsewhere, and she was still


    chatting with him, so she nodded and agreed to his offer.


    When they arrived at Starlight Media, Bria skipped out of the building.


    When she saw Toby, her bright eyes suddenly stopped blinking, and the cheerful expression she had


    morphed into hostility.


    Bria knew Toby was Leo¡¯s friend, and since she was afraid of Leo, she was naturally hostile to any of


    his friends.


    ¡°Hello, Bria,¡± Toby greeted while walking up to her. His smile was warm and bright.


    ¡°Mr. Walsh,¡± Bria gently greeted him back before running to her mother and hugging her thigh.


    ¡°Would you like to go to the amusement park?¡± asked Toby.


    Bria blinked her eyes at him.


    When Amelie and Julia brought her to the ygroundst time, she had so much fun riding the flying


    nes and trains that those memories still stuck with her.


    ¡°Mmhm.¡± She nodded.


    Crouching in front of her, Toby asked, ¡°Shall I bring you there?¡±


    Bria nced at him and then at Amelie.


    A child could not resist the temptation of the amusement park, after all. ¡°Okay,¡± she replied with a nod.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Amelie objected. ¡°Your time is precious, Mr. Walsh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not as busy as you think.¡± Stretching his hand out, he hugged Bria in his arms and tapped on her


    nose gently. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Bria hummed and beamed prettily.


    Seeing how anticipated Bria was, Amelie decided to stay quiet and followed the two to the yground.


    Toby hugged Bria in his arms and went on the merry-go-round, the pirate ship, and many other rides


    that she had dared not take previously.


    Surprisingly, Toby¡¯s embrace was so warm that she realized that she was no longer afraid of riding


    those attractions.


    Somehow, she seemed to be more courageous because of him.


    Leaning into Toby¡¯s chest, Bria giggled non-stop.


    Amelie, on the other hand, smiled in contentment when she saw how happy her daughter was.


    When Toby raised his head to see her, he caught the faint smile on her lips and was slightly taken


    aback by it.


    Even though her smile was faint, it was very gentle, just like a whole hill of cherry blossoms blooming in


    Spring.


    It was tender, yet very charming.


    The three hung out together until the night ushered in.


    After a few hours of fun and games, Bria hadpletely fallen for Toby. When they left the amusement


    park, she took the initiative to hold his hand. Exhausted, she let out a big yawn.


    Amelie noticed her weariness, so she crouched down to carry her, but Toby beat her to it and carried


    her in his arms.


    Bria then yawned again, leaned against his shoulderfortably, and dozed off.


    Without a choice, Amelie could only watch over her from the side.


    ¡°What a happy family.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, yes. Both parents are beautiful and handsome, so that must be why their daughter is so


    pretty!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous.¡±


    People from the surroundings started whispering among themselves when they noticed the trio.


    Amelie¡¯s face quickly flushed and she was about to exin that they weren¡¯t a family, but she noticed


    two people walking in their direction.


    She couldn¡¯t believe they were Leo and Elyse!


    Desperation clouded Amelie¡¯s heart.


    She tried so hard to avoid them during the day, so how could they even bump into each other again at


    night?


    These two were thest people she wanted to bump into on earth.


    This time, Toby also noticed their presence. Without shying away from them, he walked up and greeted


    them warmly, ¡°Hey Leo, hey Elyse. What brings you two here?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t respond but instead focused his gaze on Toby¡¯s chest, where Bria was sleeping soundly.


    Instantly, his dark orbs turned gloomy.


    Leo recalled very clearly how the child was extremely cautious toward himself. Every time she sees


    me, she reacts as if she sees a ghost!


    However, from the looks of it, she wasn¡¯t hostile toward Toby!


    And this Amelie seems so delighted over the remarks the passersby made about them being a family!


    Subconsciously, Leo¡¯s body went rigid.


    Noticing his reaction, Elyse stepped slightly forward to block Leo¡¯s gaze. With a tender smile on her


    beautiful face, she replied, ¡°I was bored, so I asked Leo to apany me here.¡±


    Her eyes sparkled, showing off how blissful she felt.


    Toby nodded at her. ¡°The amusement park is a great ce to date.¡±


    Without denying it, Elyse giggled and smiled even more sweetly.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve bumped into each other, let¡¯s just hang together. I have some questions for you


    anyway,¡± Elyse suggested enthusiastically.


    ¡°How about next time?¡± Toby looked at the child in his arms and declined her offer.


    Then, he nced at Amelie and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Amelie wiped Bria¡¯s face and nodded before leaving with him.


    Throughout the conversation, she never even looked at Elyse and Leo. She regarded them as nothing.


    Noticing how Amelie ignored her, Elyse squinted her eyes unhappily.


    She was an outstanding girl. Even though she couldn¡¯t defeat Amelie in racing, her acting career was in


    full swing, and she was pretty well-known in the industry.


    That itself was enough to prove that she was way stronger than Amelie.


    In addition to that, she came from one of the millionaire families in the city, unlike Amelie who had a


    father who worked as a shoemaker.


    The audacity to pay no attention to me! Elyse was fuming.


    At the same time, Leo¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look so good either and the reason behind that was also how


    Amelie disregarded him.


    It wasn¡¯t that he deemed himself as high-ss, but he started feeling distressed because of her


    indifference!


    ¡°They look really happy together,¡± Elyse deliberately remarked and covered her lips as she giggled.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been stuck together like gum the whole day now. Good news must being.¡±


    As soon as she said that, Leo¡¯s phone rang.


    He swiped to unlock his phone, and when he read the message, his face immediately fell.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    Chapter 107 Truly Outstanding


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    When Elyse saw his face like this, she turned to look at his phone.


    However, he had put away his phone. ¡°I have something urgent to do. You go in alone.¡±


    Without waiting for Elyse¡¯s response, he strode away.


    In the private room at Prix Bar.


    When Toby walked in, he saw Leo already sitting inside. Leo was wearing a ck shirt that contrasted


    against his fair skin, and his expression was very serious and unhappy.


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


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you apany Elyse to the funfair? It¡¯s over so soon?¡± Toby asked, looking slightly surprised.


    However, Leo didn¡¯t respond and just drank on his own. After Toby came in, Leo¡¯s brows furrowed even


    tighter. Seeing that he didn¡¯t speak, Toby didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Toby sat across from him and


    poured alcohol. He often wore white clothes, and he looked gentle and stylish in his clothes.


    Leo¡¯s eyes darkened as they fell on him. ¡°You like Amelie?¡± he asked.


    Toby paused when he poured the alcohol, but it was only for two seconds.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He gave an affirmative answer.


    Leo¡¯s fingers holding the ss suddenly tightened as his knuckles turned white. The thin ss nearly


    broke under his forceful grip.


    ¡°She¡¯s such a nasty woman; what do you like about her?¡± he asked with a snort.


    He gritted his teeth as he continued, ¡°When did your tastes be so bad?¡±


    Toby¡¯s fingers also clenched hard at that, and a slight displeasure appeared on his face. His


    displeasure came from Leo¡¯s evaluation of Amelie. However, he didn¡¯t point it out but instead smiled. ¡°I


    think my tastes have improved. In your opinion, Amelie is a nasty woman, but in my opinion, she is truly


    outstanding.¡±


    Leo stiffened, and a hint of doubt shed in his eyes. Even though Amelie had changed a lot after the


    divorce, he definitely didn¡¯t think that this woman was outstanding.


    ¡°Since when did you start falling in love with her?¡± He lowered his head and sipped his wine, pretending


    to be indifferent.


    Toby narrowed his eyes slightly. His long eyshes overshadowed his gaze while he thought carefully.


    ¡°When did I fall in love with her? It was probably when she knelt on the ground covered in blood and


    begged the doctor to draw her own blood to save her daughter. The doctor refused, and she cut herself


    to give the blood to her daughter.¡±


    Leo¡¯s lips paused on the rim of the ss when he heard that. It was as if someone had hit his back


    hard with a stick, and his whole body was numb from the pain. After a while, he slowly raised his head


    and looked at Toby with shocked eyes. Toby had mentioned this before, but he had never spoken so


    clearly before.


    Amelie even cut herself?


    Toby was deep in his thoughts and wasn¡¯t paying attention to Leo¡¯s reaction. He continued, ¡°In other


    people¡¯s eyes, she is crazy, but to me, she is a mother who is strong for her child and can do anything


    for her child. She may have made mistakes, but how bad can a woman who can devote herself to her


    child to this extent be? Saving her daughter without consideration of her own life is enough to show that


    she loves this child a lot, and she probably loves the person who gave her this child a lot too.¡±


    Cough! Cough cough cough!


    Leo suddenly choked, and he coughed violently. The difort in his throat spread to his heart and


    lungs, and his heart and lungs were affected with sharp and painful spasms!


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that he suddenly realized that perhaps it wasn¡¯t because of benefits that


    Amelie forcibly tied herself to him back then, but because of¡­ Love!


    Therefore, the thoughtfulness that she had shown was not to solely please him, but because she loved


    him from the bottom of her heart! The more he thought about it, the worse he coughed. The pain in his


    chest was getting worse! With fingers clenched tightly on his chest, he felt there was something silently


    flowing through him there. It took him a long time to stabilize himself a little.


    ¡°Since you know that her life has not been easy, don¡¯t trouble her anymore! With her situation and


    status, your family will not ept her!¡± he said in a deep voice.


    Toby rubbed his eyebrows with a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s not a question of whether my family epts her, but


    whether she epts me. If she epts me, I¡¯m happy to leave my family for her.¡±


    Leo was speechless. He stared fixedly at Toby without many expressions on his face, but his heart was


    already filled with turmoil. Toby is willing to give up everything for her?


    His chest tightened more and more as if an air pump had been installed in his chest cavity, making him


    unable to breathe!


    Toby put down his wine ss and stood up. He put his hands down and looked at Leo. ¡°Leo, I don¡¯t


    care what you did to her before. But she has divorced you now. If you dare to hurt her again, I swear I


    will go against you!¡±


    Thesest words sounded powerful!


    Snap! The ss in Leo¡¯s hand was broken into two pieces by him! Blood-red liquid mixed with blood


    dripped down, but he didn¡¯t seem to feel the pain. He also stood up, the coldness on his face apparent.


    ¡°You actually would turn against me because of a woman?¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t say anything more, and he walked away. Leo stood on the spot like a wood carving, with


    fury visible in his eyes. But he couldn¡¯t figure out whether this anger was because Toby wanted to turn


    against him, or whether Toby fell in love with his ex-wife.


    ¡°Leo!¡± Elyse ran in from the outside.


    Holding his bleeding hand in distress, she asked, ¡°How did you injure yourself like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Amelie wrote a message to part with you for good and gave it to Jodie. She wanted


    Toby to marry her with ease. I think she might really like Toby. You don¡¯t have to worry about Toby at


    all.¡±


    Her words caused Leo¡¯s fingers to clench tightly again, and he didn¡¯t even notice that he was clenching


    her fingers too. Elyse felt a sharp paining and eximed, but he didn¡¯t respond. All he could think


    about was the message that Jodie sent him before, which consisted of the note where Amelie said that


    she would no longer pester him!


    After a while, he let go suddenly upon realizing that he had hurt Elyse. Elyse rubbed her fingers in pain.


    They had turned purple. With unhappiness on her face, she said, ¡°The wound on your hand is very


    deep. Let¡¯s go to the hospital to get it checked.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t respond but stepped past her and strode away.


    Elyse was speechless at that.


    After settling down Bria, Amelie checked the things to bring again. She then found that there was no


    water in the car. Hence, she came down with the key and walked to the 24-hour supermarket. But after


    only a few steps, she saw Leo standing on the side of the road dressed in ck with cold eyes.


    Noticing hering out, he suddenly raised his head and looked over. His expression was gloomy and


    hostile.


    Although startled by his look, Amelie didn¡¯t show it. A mocking smile crept across her face. ¡°Oh, are


    you afraid that I won¡¯t leave, Mr. Alston? So, you came here to make sure that I leave? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve


    promised to leave the city. From now on, we will never cross paths again. If you¡¯re worried, Mr. Alston,


    you can just send a few people to watch me instead ofing here in person.¡±


    Her tone was light as if she was joking, but her expression said otherwise. Leo clenched his fists tightly


    at that. Then, he walked over, grabbed Amelie¡¯s shoulders abruptly, and pressed her into his arms all at


    once!

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    Chapter 108 Take Responsibility


    Leo¡¯s sudden action startled Amelie. Instinctively, she struggled to get away.


    His hand tightened hard around her neck.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Mr. Alston?¡± she asked as she struggled. Her voice was cold from rage.


    Her eyes shone with a furious ze.


    Her reaction merely upset Leo even further. Just then, he recalled the sweet smile on her face when


    she was talking to Toby.


    His heart clenched in pain.


    ¡°What tricks did you pull to seduce him? You won¡¯t spare even my friend, huh?¡± he barked out harshly.


    She looked up, confused.


    Friend?


    The only friend of his whom she was close to was Toby.


    Did he think she was seducing Toby?


    Was she that trashy in his mind?


    Her heart jolted in agony as if something just pierced it.


    On the surface, though, sheughed. She wasughing out of anger. ¡°What tricks can I pull? If your


    friend was seduced, it would only be because of how pitiful I look when I¡¯m with you!¡±


    ¡°Pitiful?¡± Leo sneered. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault though, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It was only then that he realized he had lost control of himself. He was bbering by now.


    Growing up, he had never said anything like that, not even during the time he had loathed her the most.


    However, the words spoken could not be taken back.


    Amelie had always known he hated her, but it was the first time he ever spelled it out so bluntly.


    Although she had decided to draw the line and stay away from him, his words still hurt her.


    Before she could speak, someone dashed over.


    The neer shoved Leo hard, pushing him away.


    ¡°You¡¯re a sc*mbag, Leo!¡± cried the neer. Her eyes were burning with fury, a fire strong enough to


    consume those in its path.


    ¡°Julia?¡±


    Amelie could not help but let out a cry when she saw who it was that came.


    Julia had specificallye all the way here because she knew Amelie was going to leave tomorrow.


    When she finally arrived, she found Amelie being threatened and even heard what Leo just said.


    Like an agitated rooster ready to fight, Julia turned to shoot him a sharp re. ¡°All her fault? How could


    you say that? If you don¡¯t want to be a responsible man, then keep your lower half in check. Don¡¯t


    touch Amy at all.¡±


    ¡°Putting aside the fact that her testimonial all those years ago had been a great help to the Alstons,


    even if she had not helped you at all, you still have no right to detest her! You slept with her, so you


    have to take responsibility. It is her right to request you marry her!¡±


    Julia was beyond herself with anger. Her chest rose and fell as she roared at him. She did not care if


    she were so loud that other people heard her, nor if she would be recognized by other people.


    ¡°Enough, Julia,¡± Amelie said, walking over to pull her away.


    She did not want to use the past to gather sympathy in the present.


    Julia refused to stop, however. Her eyes were red as she pulled away from Amelie. ¡°Also, what has


    Bria done? Why does she not have the right to be born? Why must she be unduly punished just


    because you¡¯re angry?¡±


    ¡°An immature and irresponsible man like you will only ever be liked by Amelie,¡± she continued. ¡°Other


    women would have gone far, far away from you.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, a sc*mbag like you certainly isn¡¯t worth Amy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Julia!¡± When Amelie realized Julia was about to mention the corneal donation, she immediately


    shouted.


    After the interruption, Julia bit her lip and kept quiet. Nevertheless, tears kept streaming down her


    cheeks.


    She was just so upset on Amelie¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°Anyway, Mr. Alston and I have split ways. We won¡¯t even have the chance to bump into each other


    again. Let¡¯s not create unnecessary trouble,¡± Amelie hinted, knowing that Julia¡¯s tears were for her.


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


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She then dragged Julia up the stairs and into the apartment.


    Julia was still crying, upset at the injustice.


    Amelie sighed and gently wiped her tears away with a handkerchief. ¡°You¡¯re usually a carefree woman.


    Why are you crying for me?¡±


    Julia grabbed Amelie¡¯s hand. ¡°It was not worth it, Amelie. We should have told him just how


    untrustworthy that scum was. We should have told him about the corneal donation!¡±


    ¡°There is no need.¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°I have left that love behind. I don¡¯t want him to continue


    hovering around me because of what happened. It¡¯ll be so annoying!¡±


    ¡°It upsets me, though!¡± Julia could not be calm about this matter. ¡°That yton woman did nothing for


    him. She betrayed him, yet he treats her like some precious treasure. Even though he knows she is the


    reason the blood was contaminated, endangering you and Bria, he never once scolded her for it. The


    two of them went on being as loving as ever.¡±


    ¡°You have done so much for him, but he can¡¯t even keep his initial promise,¡± she continued. ¡°He just


    forgot all about you. I don¡¯t want him to live an easy life. I want to carve into his heart so that he may


    never know peace for the rest of his life!¡±


    ¡°To forgive him is to forgive me, correct? Anyway, he loves Elyse. Even if I tell him about the past, what


    then? He would onlypensate me with cash. I do not need more money anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Julia¡¯s shoulders drooped as she let out a heavy sigh.


    Amelieid a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Julia, I just want to live a happy, peaceful life with Bria. As for the


    past, none of it is important now.¡±


    As Julia looked up into Amelie¡¯s eyes, she found them to be shining bright and clear.


    Amelie had genuinely thought things through.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Julia said with a nod, finally no longer splitting hairs over the issue. ¡°Let¡¯s go far away from this


    darned ce and forget all about that trash.¡±


    Afterforting Julia, Amelie headed to Bria¡¯s room.


    The little girl had kicked her nket away because of tossing and turning.


    Amelie shook her head before walking in to pick up the nket and carefully tucking Bria in once more.


    Once that was done, she ducked her head down to stroke Bria¡¯s tiny face. Her lips were tilted up in a


    motherly smile.


    Thank goodness, she was strong enough to pull through all those years ago.


    Still asleep, Bria rolled over and clutched at Amelie¡¯s hand with both of her arms, just like a little ko


    bear.


    Amelie was about to chuckle at the sight when she heard Bria mumble, ¡°Daddy¡­¡±


    She immediately froze. Her smile went stiff.


    It was a long while before she finally looked down at Bria.


    Bria was still fast asleep and showing no other signs of waking up. However, that mumble left a deep


    impression on Amelie¡¯s mind that could not be erased.


    No matter how carefree and independent Bria was, deep down, she still yearned for a father¡¯s love.


    Amelie¡¯s heart trembled in agonizing pain as if someone had just carved it out.


    Meanwhile, in the car¡­


    Leo was driving when he seemed to hear a young child¡¯s voice calling him Daddy.


    It made his heart skip and tremble as if something sharp had just scraped it. The pain made his face go


    pale.


    In fact, he nearly drove off the road due to the pain.


    He swiftly spun the steering wheel and stomped on the brake pedal, causing the car to screech to a


    stop at the side of the road.


    The screeching of the tires echoed through the silent night sky.


    Finally, he leaned against the steering wheel as he panted hard. Large beads of sweat rolled down his


    forehead.


    He was already frustrated by losing control that night. Julia¡¯s words were as sharp as knives as they


    stabbed into him, especially when Bria¡¯s name was mentioned. He was so ashamed when he heard


    about her.


    Just then, he recalled Bria¡¯s beautiful, adorable face.


    That delicate child should be cherished and treasured, but¡­


    He did not know how long he pulled up for, but eventually, he was snapped back to reality by his ringing


    phone.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    Chapter 109 Punish Me, Leo


    Leo sped to the hospital.


    He strode into the ward to find Elyse lying in bed as Laura took care of her. Ashton was in the room as


    well.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Leo appeared calm.


    ¡°Elyse said she could not fall asleep due to a tightness in her chest. I was worried, so I drove her here.


    The doctor said it is just stress, but she should stay a few days for observation,¡± answered Laura.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to spend more time by Elyse¡¯s side because she¡¯s not feeling well?¡± Ashton


    questioned. ¡°Where did you vanish off to, Leo?¡±


    Anything concerning Elyse was a major priority for him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me Leo for this. It¡¯s me. I¡­ Ashton, please leave,¡± Elyse said feebly.


    When Ashton turned to look at her, he saw the dissatisfaction lurking in her eyes. Hence, he nodded


    and left as he did not dare stay any longer.


    Laura soon came up with an excuse to leave as well.


    Finally, the only people in the room were only Elyse and Leo.


    He walked over to sit by the bed. ¡°If the doctors here are not good enough, I can send you overseas to


    a better hospital.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Elyse shook her head and leaned over to grab his hand. ¡°This is just stress. There


    are so many things on my mind that I feel rather depressed.¡±


    As she said that, she ducked her head down to hide her red eyes.


    ¡°I know you are angry with me,¡± she continued. ¡°You think I¡¯m too vicious. I think so too, and there¡¯s just


    no way I can forgive myself for it. Ignore my illness, Leo. Don¡¯t be afraid of aggravating me. Punish me


    however you like.¡±


    She then looked up at him. Her eyes were bloodshot as tiny drops of tears shimmered in them. She


    looked just like a pitiful rabbit.


    In the past, if she pulled such a look, Leo would definitely dote on her and reassure her.


    However, just then, his heart was cold, as if it had been frozen. He felt nopassion for her.


    Julia¡¯s words from before kept echoing in his mind.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be a responsible man, then keep your lower half in check. Don¡¯t touch Amy at all.¡±


    ¡°Putting aside the fact that her testimonial all those years ago had been a great help to the Alstons,


    even if she had not helped you at all, you still have no right to detest her! You slept with her, so you


    have to take responsibility. It is her right to request you marry her!¡±


    ¡°Also, what has Bria done? Why does she not have the right to be born? Why must she be unduly


    punished just because you¡¯re angry?¡±


    When Elyse saw the distracted look on his face, her heart sank.


    Ever since Leo knew she had been the culprit behind Bria¡¯s contaminated blood bag, he did not pay as


    much attention to her as before.


    If she had not said she imed she was mentally ill, that she had depression, who knew what he would


    have done to punish her?


    Even though he had gone to meet Mr. Hampton with her, he had only done so because Genesis was


    involved in the project.


    Even going to a theme park afterward wasn¡¯t something she wanted; he suggested it.


    She thought he was taking her out to destress because he was finally willing to forgive her. It was only


    when they bumped into Amelie that she realized what was going on.


    He had someone keep a close eye on Amelie at all times so that he could bump into her.


    Hatred simmered in Elyse¡¯s heart. How she wished she could tear Amelie into pieces!


    She did not let any of her thoughts show though.


    She heard that Amelie would be leaving tomorrow.


    Once Amelie was gone, Elyse would have the chance to repair her rtionship with him.


    All she needed to do now was to make him stay so that he could not meet Amelie before Amelie left.


    At that thought, she shuffled to kneel on the bed. ¡°Leo, even if I had done that because I was mentally


    ill, it was still wrong of me. Give me a harsh punishment. I will only rest easy if you do.¡±


    She then slumped into his embrace and started crying.


    He never once moved an inch.


    He did not push her away, nor did hefort her.


    For a few long minutes, Elyse cried and cried until she got bored of crying. As she slowly let her cries


    fade away, she let her eyes droop half-closed as if she was going to fall asleep.


    Suddenly, she heard him speak beside her ear, ¡°Why did Amelie go to my room all the way back then?¡±


    The question came out of the blue, catching her unaware.


    There was a loud ringing in her mind. The bubble of secrecy around the knowledge she had been


    hiding all this time had popped.


    Her eyes snapped open.


    She saw Leo looking down at her with an extremely solemn face.


    He had a cold and unapproachable face even when he was not smiling, so now, his face looked like an


    oppressive gray cloud that made it hard for her to breathe.


    ¡°W-Why do you ask that, Leo?¡± It took her a few moments before she tried speaking.


    There was no reply from him as he continued to stare down at her with his eyes as dark as ink, making


    her go numb with fear.


    Over and over again, she reminded herself; she could not falter.


    She sat up and cried, ¡°I understand. It is normal to suspect me because I invited you out to the hotel in


    the first ce. I truly do not know why things happened the way they did. I told you everything, didn¡¯t I?


    I was runningte that day, and when I arrived at the hotel, I felt woozy for some strange reason. I was


    later dragged into another room.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can investigate the incident,¡± she continued.


    ¡°As for why she was in your room, isn¡¯t that question answered by what she didter on?¡±


    Herst sentence was intended to hint at Amelie having ulterior motives.


    While Elyse was not the culprit of that incident, she was notpletely innocent either.


    Certain secrets would involve too many other incidents if those secrets were revealed.


    Four years ago, she might have actually dared toe clean as she was still arrogant and spoiled.


    She no longer dared to do so.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, Leo. Let¡¯s not argue about who was right or wrong, please?¡± She gently tugged at


    his arm as she pitifully pleaded. ¡°I just want us to be happy, just like before.¡±


    Honestly speaking, she was not saying that to help Amelie out. She merely did not want anything else


    to happen before Amelie was gone from the city.


    Leo did not say anything, but he recalled Amelie mentioning she was leaving the city.


    Thus, he made Elyse lie back down on the bed before tucking her in. ¡°Get some rest. I have to make a


    phone call first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Elyse pretended to obediently close her eyes.


    Leo then walked out of the room with his phone in hand.


    He first called hiswyer. ¡°Transfer ten percent of Genesis shares that I own to Bria Alston.¡±


    After hanging up, he called Amelie.


    She did not answer.


    He scowled and stood there for a while before slowlyposing a message to her. ¡®I won¡¯t steal Bria


    from you. You don¡¯t need to leave.¡¯


    Once the message was sent, he stared down at the phone for several long minutes.


    She did not reply.


    Disappointment shed in his eyes as he pursed his lips.


    ¡°Do you know when Amelie will be leaving?¡± he asked Toby in another phone call.


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Toby replied.


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    Leo¡¯s fingers twitched as he silently hung up.


    He then took a step away from the hospital ward¡¯s door, intending on having a proper talk with Amelie.


    Just then, he heard something loudly crash behind him before a scream soon followed.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110


    Chapter 110 Keeping Her Around


    Leo ran back and flung the door open. The first thing he saw was Elyse clutching her hand in pain, and


    shards of ss were scattered all over the ground.


    Elyse sniffled, tears glistening in her eyes. ¡°I was going to get a ss of water, and then the ss


    exploded in my face.¡±


    The ground was covered in steaming water. The ss must have exploded in her hand.


    She put her hand down, revealing her scalding arm.


    He quickly approached her and ced her hand under the faucet. Then he turned it on and cleaned


    her wound with cold water. At the same time, he called the doctor.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the doctor to arrive. He cleaned her wound and dabbed some salve on it. Elyse


    put on a look of agony throughout the whole ordeal. She leaned closer to Leo, biting her lip tightly. And


    tears welled in her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a serious burn. And I got here in time. Should heal in three days.¡± The doctor bandaged the


    wound and adjusted his mask. Then, he left.


    Leo created some distance between him and Elyse. ¡°You heard him. It¡¯s not serious.¡± He picked the


    nket up and covered it over her.


    Elyse stared at him intently, a frown creasing her forehead like she was in great pain. ¡°But my hand


    hurts a lot. Feels like a ton of ants are biting away at it. Can you stay for the night? Please?¡±


    He pursed his lips and stared at her bandaged hand. Well, she did stay by my side when I was blind.


    And he nodded. ¡°Very well.¡±


    A weak smile curled Elyse¡¯s lips, and she heaved a sigh of relief in silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wash my hands.¡± Leo headed to the bathroom.


    She saw him off. Once he was inside the bathroom, she looked at his phone. He was close enough to


    inadvertently unlock his phone¡¯s face recognition. There was something she needed to confirm. Even


    though she was in the room, she kept an eye on Leo all the time, and she clearly heard him asking


    Toby about the exact time Amelie left.


    Ignoring her pain, she quickly scrolled through his phone and found the text he had sent Amelie. He¡­


    He wants her to stay?


    Something in her mind snapped, and a look of anxiety welled in her eyes. She scrolled his phone at


    random until it pulled on her wound. The pain snapped her out of her stupor, and she plopped back


    down, her hands pressing down on her nket. She rested her back against the back of her bed, then


    she closed her eyes.


    He must have gone to her. Tried to make her stay. Good thing I convinced him to stay with me. The


    burn was torturing her, but its pain was nothingpared to the danger Amelie was posing to her


    rtionship with Leo.


    At 10.00AM, Elyse came out with the help of Leo, still looking pale and frail. It was a fake look, of


    course. All so people would take pity on her. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m holding you back. I have a bit of hemophobia,


    and I don¡¯t really like wounds. I would¡¯ve gotten the dressing changed myself, but¡­¡± She put on a look


    of apology.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Leo shook his head.


    He looked at the time, and he frowned.


    She noticed that, and she cocked her eyebrow in silence. Heck, she wasn¡¯t afraid of wounds or blood.


    That was all a lie so he would stay with her. Amelie¡¯s gone by now. They¡¯ll never meet again. Delighted


    by that thought, she smiled at Leo. ¡°I¡¯m getting a bit hungry, Leo. Why don¡¯t we get something to eat?¡±


    Leo was about to say something, but then a gurney darted out from the corner, and a few medical staff


    members rushed down the corridor. They almost crashed into Leo and Elyse on their way.


    Leo pulled Elyse back, and then someone bumped into his shoulder. That person turned around in


    panic. It was none other than Amelie, but she didn¡¯t recognize Leo. She only turned by reflex. And then


    she was already chasing after the gurney. ¡°Bria,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Bria?¡± Leo heard her mutter, and he looked at the gurney. It was getting further away, but he could see


    a petite silhouette lying on it. It¡¯s a child. Bria. His heart sank, and he said, ¡°Go back to your room.¡± And


    he went after Amelie. It didn¡¯t take long for him to catch up, but when he did, the gurney was nowhere


    to be found.


    Amelie was as pale as the walls of the hospital, rivulets of sweat pouring down her cheeks. Her back


    was already drenched with sweat.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Leo approached her.


    Amelie bit down on her lip hard, shivering in fear.


    He held her shoulder, trying his best to steady her. ¡°Is it Bria? Is she down with something?¡±


    Oh. Oh, it¡¯s him. She nodded. ¡°Yeah. Stomach ache. The doctor¡¯s checking up on her.¡±


    They had breakfast earlier and were about to return to Quinn Town. It was then, Bria cried out in pain


    and keeled over. Amelie pushed her unkempt hair away, trying to calm her nerves. But she could still


    remember how much in pain Bria was. How Bria curled up in her arms, crying out in pain. She could


    still remember how pale she looked. And her hands trembled. She¡¯ll be fine, right? Amelie closed her


    eyes, trying to shove her fear away, but then she was reminded of the time Bria was born.


    And the memory struck fear into her heart. What if history repeated itself?


    All her strength left her. Even with Leo holding her still, her legs buckled, and she slowly slid to the


    ground. Leo had to hold her by her lower back and pull her into his embrace, holding her up with his


    whole body.


    ¡°She cried out in pain all of a sudden. What if¡­ What if it¡¯s something terminal? If something happens


    to her, what should I do?¡± Amelie didn¡¯t have the strength to even hold her head high. She rested her


    head on his shoulder and started talking gibberish. And then tears streamed down her cheeks.


    Leo looked at her, and he felt for her predicament. It pained him to see her crying like a helpless little


    girl. And he patted her back. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Comforted, Amelie nodded and buried her head deep in Leo¡¯s shoulder. She needed a shoulder to cry


    on. To calm her fear of losing her daughter. No more and no less. s, someone didn¡¯t think so.


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    Elyse stood in the distance and saw the whole thing. Her face started to contort in rage and envy, and


    she gnashed her teeth in fury. ¡°Damn you, Amelie. Damn you!¡± You were supposed to be gone! All her


    good mood was gone, reced by fury, fear, hatred, and sorrow. She had conflicting emotions, but one


    thing was for sure¡ªshe wanted to tear Amelie apart. ¡°She¡¯s doing that on purpose!¡± growled Elyse. Her


    nails were already digging into her wounded hand, and yet the pain didn¡¯t even register in her head.


    Then, the doctor came out of the emergency room. Leo and Amelie quickly approached him.


    ¡°Doctor.¡±


    ¡°Doctor.¡±


    ¡°How is she looking?¡±

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111


    ¡°Acute appendicitis. She needs to undergo surgery immediately. The doctor pulled his mask down.


    Whew. Amelie felt a weight lifted off her shoulders, and she slowly rxed. Just appendicitis. Not


    something terminal. She felt her strengthing back to her.


    ¡°Arrange the surgery right away, doctor,¡± said Leo.


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    A nurse came to them with a consent form, and Amelie signed it. Then the nurse took it back. ¡°Make


    your payment at the counter. The surgery will begin soon after.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Leo.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll do it,¡± Amelie declined politely and tried to pay for the fees herself.


    A frown furrowed Leo¡¯s brow. ¡°I am her father as well.¡±


    Amelie stared at him in surprise for a moment. That¡¯s the first time he¡¯s calling himself her father out of


    kindness.


    Leo whipped his phone out. ¡°Online transaction works faster. We won¡¯t have to line up, and Bria can go


    through the surgery faster.¡±


    Well, if he insists. She let him pay for the surgery. Amelie stood by his side, biting her lip. She didn¡¯t


    stop him because she recalled Bria talking in her sleepst night and thought Bria would love it if she


    found out her father was showing concern for her.


    The appendectomy didn¡¯t take too long. About half an hourter, Bria was alreadying out of the


    emergency room. But she was still unconscious thanks to the anesthetic. And she still looked pale from


    the agony she felt earlier. The girl might be unconscious, but she still looked cute. Her nose was petite,


    and her lips were pursed.


    Her parents pushed her into the ward. As Leo watched his daughter, he felt something melting his


    heart. He could see that the child was his. She resembled him. It¡¯s so magical.


    The doctor was about to ce Bria on the bed, but Leo stopped him. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± He bent over and


    carefully took the girl in his arms, worried he might pull on her wound. He was trying his best to hold


    her as steadily as he could. One hand was holding her back, and the other held her feet. He was as


    gentle as he could be, cing her on the bed like she was a treasure that must be handled with care.


    Amelie watched the whole thing, and she felt a little touched. She¡¯s gonna be thrilled when she knows


    that her father showed her this much care. She looked at Bria.


    The doctor told them about the dos and don¡¯ts after the appendectomy, and Amelie listened intently so


    she wouldn¡¯t miss anything.


    Leo was watching the nurse as she hooked Bria up to the IV infusion. His heart skipped a beat, and he


    frowned as the nurse injected the needle into his daughter¡¯s skin.


    Intimidated by his presence, the nurse missed the spot, forcing her to pull the needle out and restart


    the process.


    Leo¡¯s face turned ck as thunder, and it didn¡¯t help the nurse. Once again, the nurse missed the spot,


    but this time, she had not the courage to pull the needle out. She kept turning the needle around in the


    girl¡¯s flesh, trying to find the right position. But this was even worse than pulling out and restarting the


    process. If Bria were awake, she would¡¯ve howled in pain.


    Even though she couldn¡¯t feel pain, Leo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Seeing the nurse¡¯s clumsy operation


    of the needle angered him. ¡°Enough!¡± he growled and gripped the nurse¡¯s hand.


    Thinking that Leo might hit her, the nurse paled, and she teared up in fear.


    ¡°Out,¡± he hissed.


    The nurse ran away, burying her face in her hands.


    Amelie had just seen the doctor off. When she came back to the room, she saw the nurse running


    away in tears, while Leo stood around looking incensed. What happened?


    Leo looked at his daughter¡¯s hand and whipped his phone out. ¡°Mr. Lang, I need you here right now.


    My daughter has fallen ill.¡±


    A momentter, someone opened the door, and in came the hospital¡¯s director. He tucked his pen into


    his coat¡¯s pocket and approached Leo. ¡°What seems to be the matter?¡± he asked kindly. Of course, he


    was kind. Leo was one of the biggest stakeholders of this private hospital.


    ¡°She requires an IV infusion. Help me with it.¡± Leo pointed at Bria¡¯s hand.


    I¡¯m a cardiologist, and you expect me to do this?


    Even Amelie thought it was a bit too much.


    But the director said nothing. He approached Bria and quickly hooked her up to the IV infusion. Oh, the


    previous nurse must have messed up. He then appointed the most professional nurse they had to take


    care of the girl.


    Only then did Leo feel slightly appeased.


    The director stayed back for a moment, and then he left.


    Amelie wrung a towel dry and started wiping her daughter¡¯s face and hands of the sweat. Leo was still


    hanging around when she was done, much to her surprise. She stood up and met his gaze. ¡°She just


    got through surgery. I can¡¯t move her too much, so we¡¯ll be staying around for a bit.¡±


    A hint of love shed in Leo¡¯s eyes. ¡°I texted youst night.¡±


    Really? Amelie took her phone and finally saw his text. Wait. He¡¯s telling us to stay? And he¡¯s not going


    to take her from me? Well, this is a surprise. She cocked her eyebrow.


    But he¡¯s going to marry Elyse soon, and they¡¯ll have their own children. I shouldn¡¯t take his advice. He


    doesn¡¯t really love Bria. The child he¡¯s going to have with Elyse¡­ That¡¯s the one he¡¯s going to love.


    And that cemented her decision to leave. She would never have her daughter go through the torture of


    seeing her own father loving another child and sparing no affection for her.


    Amelie kept her decision a secret, and silence swooped down on them. A momentter, she said,


    ¡°She¡¯s fine now. I can take care of her. Do what you have to do.¡±


    She¡¯s telling me off, huh? Leo turned around and met her smile. It was a perfectly cordial and polite


    smile.


    But he felt alienated by that smile. And something squeezed his heart, suffocating him What¡¯s


    happening to me? He shook all the weird thoughts away and left the room.


    Amelie returned to her daughter and brushed her fingertip across Bria¡¯s cheek. Gently, she said, ¡°Get


    well soon, Bria.¡±


    Wait. I¡¯ve heard that voice before. He stopped in his tracks and swiveled back to Amelie. ¡°Who are


    you?¡± He clutched her shoulders.

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112


    Um, why is he asking me that? She raised her head and saw his eyes shining bright like obsidian


    gleaming under the sun, and she frowned in confusion. His grip on her shoulders tightened, his force


    almost breaking her bones. ¡°Ow.¡± She gasped.


    As if he was electrocuted, Leo pulled his hand back, but his eyes remained on her. What she said


    earlier. Her tone, her voice, even her inflection¡­ they¡¯re all just like her. The only different thing is their


    names.


    Big Eyes used to say the same thing to me.


    Amelie rubbed her shoulder. ¡°Is something the matter, Mr. Alston?¡±


    Mr. Alston? He snapped back to reality and stared at Amelie again. Probably just a coincidence. She


    doesn¡¯t sound like Big Eyes now. ¡°Sorry,¡± he whispered and left the room, shaking his head.


    Amelie saw him off in silence, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. And I thought he recognized me. A


    sense of disappointment welled within her, but she shook it off. He¡¯s going to marry Elyse soon, and


    we¡¯re going to leave. It¡¯d be problematic if he recognized me. She spaced out for a moment and


    returned to her daughter. ¡°Rest, child.¡± She touched her cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll see your grandfather when you


    feel all better.¡± And she spoke in that gentle voice Leo was familiar with. She would only speak like that


    to those closest to her. Most of the time she wouldn¡¯t even speak like that.


    Bria woke up two hourster. The anesthetic had worn off, and the pain kicked in. She wanted water,


    but the nurse said she couldn¡¯t have it for twenty-four hours after the appendectomy. Though she could


    wet her lips with some Q-tips dipped in water. Understandably, the child was miffed. Most of the time,


    she was a good kid, but now she was throwing a tantrum and crying to no end.


    L


    Amelie felt for her, but she couldn¡¯t help with the pain Bria was feeling. And it made her feel powerless.


    She tried her best to calm the girl down, but Bria flew into a rage when it was time to take her medicine.


    She shoved the ss of water away and tossed her medicine into the distance. ¡°I don¡¯t want any pills!


    I¡¯m in pain!¡± And she burst into tears again.


    ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t let her cry right after the surgery. Don¡¯t want to reopen the wound, or it¡¯s going to be


    dangerous.¡± The nurse came in.


    Amelie was going to let her daughter vent for a while, but if the consequences were that serious, she


    couldn¡¯t afford to let Bria cry anymore. But try as she might, the girl would not stop crying. Even the


    nurse, in all her experience, couldn¡¯t do anything either. Amelie eventually teared up.


    It was then someone asked calmly, ¡°Why is she crying?¡±


    Amelie raised her head and saw a familiar figureing into the ward. ¡°Leo?¡± I thought he wouldn¡¯t


    come


    back


    Leo looked at her and approached the girl. Then he ced the lunch box on the table and sat beside


    the bed. ¡°Bria, tell Daddy why you¡¯re crying.¡± He held her hands.


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    Bria¡¯s face was covered in tears, her eyes glistening. Her eyes were closed, but the moment Leo


    spoke, she opened her eyes, and her crying stopped. She stared at her father, surprise welling within


    her.


    And she looked at his hand. Leo had never held her hands this gently before, nor did he ever talk so


    nicely to her. All her pain was forgotten, and she only had eyes for him.


    Leo pulled a tissue and carefully wiped the tears off her cheeks. He was a little clumsy, but he had


    heart.


    Bria stayed silent, staring at him at all times.


    Amelie was looking at him as well. She couldn¡¯t believe he hade back. Nor could she believe he


    was being so gentle to the girl. It felt like a dream to her.


    And then Leo spoke to her, breaking her train of thought. ¡°You must be hungry. Here, for you.¡±


    Amelie looked at him. Bria was already in his arms, sleeping soundly.


    Leo was looking at her, pointing at the lunch box with his chin. She was surprised he would bring food


    for her, but she hid her feelings away. ¡°Thank you.¡± And she took the lunch box. Taking care of Bria was


    an exhausting job, and she needed all the energy she could get, so she started eating.


    When he was done, Amelie helped Leo ce the girl back onto the bed. Leo took a document out of


    his briefcase and went through it. ¡°You¡¯ve been up all night. Get some sleep.¡±


    Once again, Amelie looked at him. He¡¯s staying? Leo was already starting to work, so Amelie took the


    lunch box and washed it out. Through the bathroom door, she looked at Leo. He was going through his


    documents intently, his fingers dancing across the pages like they were ying piano. Rays of


    sunshine shone upon him, draping him with a sheet of a golden nket. Sometimes he would look at


    the little girl with love welling in his eyes.


    Bria¡¯s wound closed up a few dayster. No longer tortured by pain, she resumed her lively, gentle


    nature. Leo woulde over every day. Even though Bria didn¡¯t show a lot of response, she would


    always have a smile on her lips. Sometimes, Leo would help feed her, and when he did, she would


    close her eyes and take a big bite out of her food.


    Amelie was pleased to see her daughter looking so happy. Four days had gone by since Bria¡¯s surgery.


    And Amelie was taking Bria to do a checkup. If things were fine, she could be discharged the next day


    Bria couldn¡¯t stop smiling on the way. A nurse softly asked, ¡°You¡¯re going to get a blood testter, Bria.


    How do you feel? Scared?¡±


    Bria shook her head. ¡°No. Daddy said I¡¯m a brave girl. And I¡¯m scared of nothing Leo¡¯spanionship


    managed to close the gap between him and the girl, and she was thinking better of him now.


    Amelie looked at her daughter and pursed her lips.


    The test was done soon enough. The nurse stayed back for the result, while Amelie took Bria back to


    her room. Bria¡¯s eyes were shining like stars, and she kept staring out the window. She wasn¡¯t saying it,


    but Amelie knew she was waiting for her father to show up. Family is a magical thing. She used to be


    so distant, but now that her father managed to break the ice, she¡¯s getting closer to him.


    But then, a sweet, gentle voice said, ¡°Oh, hello, Bria.¡±


    Amelie and Bria raised their heads. They were met with a beautiful woman standing in their way.


    Elyse. She was standing in the middle of the corridor, wearing an oversized shirt. And she was staring


    at Bria, smirking.


    Bria had no idea who this woman was, but she noticed her patient attire, and she asked, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re


    wearing the same clothes I am. Are you sick as well,dy?¡±


    An elegant smile had curled Elyse¡¯s lips. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s my belly, really.¡± She caressed her belly gently as if


    she was pregnant.


    Amelie looked at her belly intently.


    Noticing Amelie¡¯s look, Elyse rubbed her belly even slower, and she beamed, though her eyes were still


    on Bria. ¡°You must be happy, Bria. Your father¡¯s beening to see you a lot, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    Bria¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise. ¡°How did you know that,dy?¡±


    Elyse¡¯s smile got even bigger. ¡°Because I told him to do it. He loves my baby and me, but you¡¯re


    important to him too. I won¡¯t let him ignore you just because he has another child now.¡±


    And Amelie¡¯s heart sank.

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113


    Elyse is pregnant? Then, a st of fury coursed through her body. ¡°Elyse!¡± she growled, her eyes set


    on Elyse


    Elyse pretended she had just realized she had said something wrong ¡°Oh, sorry I thought he told you I


    was in the hospital. We saw Bria when she was taken to the ER. I knew he must be worried, so I told


    him to see her He is Bria¡¯s father. Of course, he needs to take responsibility. Our fight remains between


    us. The child is innocent. Even if Leo marries me, Bria is still his daughter. That will never change. Of


    course, he needs to care


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    about her.¡±


    So, he¡¯s only showing concern to Bria because Elyse told him to? I see. He never liked her, but all of a


    sudden, he changed. And he said he wouldn¡¯t try to take her away from me Told us to stay I bet it was


    Elyse¡¯s idea too. How much do you love her, Leo? Amelie felt a chill course through her veins, and she


    clenched the wheelchair¡¯s handle with force enough to turn her knuckles white.


    ¡°Mommy, why did she say that?¡± Bria asked quietly, and Amelie snapped out of it.


    Elyse was no longer there, and Bria was staring at Amelie dumbly. Tears were glistening in her eyes.


    ¡°Bria¡­¡± Amelie felt something tearing her heart apart.


    She crouched down, trying to cheer Bria up, but the girl was already staring down in despondence I


    see. Daddy doesn¡¯t like me. He only came because thatdy asked him to. Thatdy she has Daddy¡¯s


    baby. Daddy doesn¡¯t want me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Bria¡­¡± Amelie wanted to lie, to tell her that Leo liked her, but she didn¡¯t think her daughter could read


    between the lines so well. And she gulped, though it failed to make her swallow the lump in her throat


    All the light in her daughter¡¯s eyes dimmed, and Amelie couldn¡¯t even say anything tofort her.


    Oh, right. I did see him and Elyse back when Bria was sent to the hospital, and he was holding her


    protectively. Of course, he was. She¡¯s pregnant with their baby. And now Bria¡¯s hurt. Hurt because she


    saw through his pretend love. All Amelie could do was hug her daughter. Smallfort, but still some


    comfort


    ¡°You still have me, Bria.¡±


    Bria leaned on her mother¡¯s chest, rubbing her head against Amelie¡¯s shoulder like a cat. She didn¡¯t


    cry, nor did she shout. But her silence only broke Amelie¡¯s heart more. She hugged her child for a long,


    long time. And then, Bria pulled her arm out to pat Amelie¡¯s back. ¡°I have you, Julia, Samuel, ke,


    Jamie, and Grandpa. They love me. I¡¯m not sad at all, Mommy.¡±


    Oh, Bria¡­ So young, but so brave. Amelie teared up. Worried that Leo might show up and ruin Bria¡¯s


    mood, Amelie went through the paperwork and got her child discharged that very day. Bria¡¯s wound


    was healed, fortunately. The surgery was but a minor one.


    Amelie didn¡¯t return to her house, however. Instead, she went to another property of hers. She then


    called Julia and turned her phone off. Not too longter, Julia came to her house, apanied by a


    doctor. ¡°What happened? Why did she get appendicitis out of nowhere? I thought you had gone back to


    Quinn Town.¡±


    Julia had been vacationing with Samuel these past few days. She had no idea Bria was hospitalized


    until Amelie called her.


    Amelie briefed her on the matter, but she omitted the fact about Leo¡¯s visits and the ¡®truth.¡± She didn¡¯t


    want Julia to yell at him again and talking about Leo might sadden Bria.


    Amelie took care of Bria for a few days, and then Julia suddenly told her that the new guy they wanted


    wasn¡¯t signing the contract yet. He seemed to have some misgivings.


    ¡°Arrange a meeting. Tell him Foxy will be seeing him.¡±


    Well, guess that¡¯s the best idea we have right now. Julia nodded and made the arrangements.


    The next day, Amelie handed childcare duty to her friend, while she went to a coffee shop to see the


    boy. He was about twenty years old and had just gotten out of the construction site. He was in old, dirty


    attire. A


    safety helmet hung on his head, and his skin was deeply tanned. He looked weird in this coffee shop,


    and the boy pulled his hands back nervously when he saw her.


    Amelie said hi. She then told him she too came from a vige.


    The boy felt a bit more at ease after that, and they had something inmon to talk about He might be


    timid, but the boy was opinionated on a lot of topics. And their conversation went on for a while. Before


    the conversation came to an end, she told the boy she was working at Starlight, and the boy finally


    agreed to sign


    the contract.


    She sent him off and told him about the details of work, then they bade goodbye. But the moment she


    turned around, she saw a familiar figure behind her. Leo. He was standing a few yards away. How long


    has he been watching? Even at this distance, she could still see his frown. He doesn¡¯t look happy. But


    Amelie was going to pretend she didn¡¯t see him. Just when she was about to leave, he approached her.


    ¡°Why did you leave the hospital all of a sudden? You could have called me. And why did you turn your


    phone off?¡± he demanded.


    A little smile pulled on Amelie¡¯s lips. A smile filled with mockery. ¡°Bria is all better now. There was no


    need to waste your time, so we left, she answered politely.


    She¡¯s feeling even more distant now. Leo massaged his temples. I don¡¯t like that attitude. ¡°She¡¯s also


    my child.¡±


    ¡°If you want a child, you should keep an eye on Miss yton. She can give you as many babies as you


    like. Bria only needs me.¡± And she left.


    Leo saw her off, and he frowned. Something¡¯s off. She was nice to me a few days ago.


    And she¡¯s not the kind of mother who would do anything without going it through with her daughter.


    Wait. Did something happen to Bria?


    Amelie looked at the time. She promised Bria she would be home in two hours, and there was only half


    an hour left before time was up. Bria had been frail ever since the surgery. And after those things Elyse


    told her, she started feeling insecure and wouldn¡¯t leave her alone for two seconds..


    She didn¡¯t me her, though, as Elyse¡¯sment must have cut deep. Gotta get home soon. But a


    fewter, someone darted out from an alleyway and raised a hand against her.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114


    Amelie tilted her head just in time to get away from the p, but she couldn¡¯t evade the nails. It wed


    across her cheeks, leaving a burning wound. Amelie stood still and finally saw who was standing


    before her. Jodie. ¡°Are you mad, Jodie?¡± she roared.


    Jodie¡¯s eyes were ring with fury. ¡°I¡¯m mad? Do you know what you just did, you whore? I thought you


    promised you would never see my brother again! But you just talked to him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Wait, what? Oh, oh, this is a misunderstanding. She calmed down and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a chance


    meeting.¡±


    Jodie sneered. ¡°As if.¡±


    Welp, she doesn¡¯t believe me. No point talking to her then. Amelie stared at the ground. ¡°Fine. Ask your


    brother then. See what he has to say.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve stalked him for all he knew. And this chance encounter is probably something you¡¯ve


    tried to pull off for some time now. He doesn¡¯t know that, but I do. There¡¯s no proof that you¡¯re telling


    the truth.¡±


    How on earth did she evene up with that? Oh, wait. Projection? No need to keep talking, then.


    She¡¯s just going to twist everything I say to fit her narrative.


    Oh, she¡¯s not saying anything. I knew it. Jodie¡¯s face contorted with rage. ¡°So, you¡¯ve chosen the hard


    way. Fine, one painful lessoning your way.¡± She shot Amelie a nasty re and stormed off into the


    distance.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Amelie shook her head. She didn¡¯t care about this little episode, but that threat concerned her a little. I


    have a feeling she¡¯s up to something. But nothing happened for a while, and Amelie put the whole thing


    behind her.


    Finally, Bria healed up, and she said she wanted to go to school.


    ¡°You should stay Leo promised he wouldn¡¯t try to take Bria away from you,¡± Julia said. ¡°Your whole


    career is built on thisnd. And living near all the ces you need is convenient. Besides, it¡¯s a big city.


    You can¡¯t run into him unless you want to.¡±


    Amelie looked at Bria and shook her head. Leo¡¯s existence alone was a painful reminder of what Bria


    could never get. Even if they wouldn¡¯t meet, she didn¡¯t want to take the chance. In the end, Amelie got


    a big house in. Halport, a city near Clouson City. And then she and Bria moved to Halport.


    Steven had finished his work. He too moved together, even though he didn¡¯t like city life that much. But


    his granddaughter wanted to live with him, so he agreed to move.


    Halport was an hour away from Clouson City by car.


    It wasn¡¯t far, but it barely had any connection to Clouson City. Thanks to that, Bria would have a lower


    chance of running into Leo and Elyse¡¯s child in the future.


    Amelie wanted nothing but the best for her daughter, and she had made a lot of ns for Bria. Now


    that she had Steven helping her with Bria, she didn¡¯t have to keep an eye on her at all times. She still


    had time to run Starlight and her live stream business.


    One day after they moved to Halport, Amelie enrolled her daughter in a kindergarten. Bria loved the


    ce, and she ran around looking delighted. Good, she¡¯s smiling. Amelie heaved a sigh of relief.


    After Bria went to school the next day, Amelie got to work as well. Hours went by, and then it was noon.


    Feeling a little tired, Amelie stretched her arms. Most of her work was done online. Even if she had to


    call a conference, there was software for that.


    But to make things easier for her both in life and work, she got herself a duplex. The first floor was for


    her personal life, while the second floor was made into her office. With her work done, she came


    downstairs and was greeted by the aroma of good food. Her father emerged from the kitchen, wearing


    an apron. And he was serving the dishes he cooked. ¡°Smells nice.¡± Amelie trotted to the table and took


    a piece of meat with her hand.


    ¡°Wash your ha-¡± Before Steven could finish his sentence, Amelie had already gulped the meat down.


    So, he shook his head. ¡°Amelie_*


    Amelie smiled cheekily


    Steven had spoiled her. He would never even raise her voice at Amelie. She was the most precious


    thing he had in his life, and the only remembrance he had of his wife.


    For once in her life, Amelie was acting like a child around her father.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mother of one now. Can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so clingy.¡± A smile hung on Steven¡¯s lips, and he


    patted his daughter¡¯s back lovingly.


    Not once did they talk about her marriage. They pretended like it never happened before. The marriage


    was a sad memory for both Amelie and Steven. Especially Amelie. She thought she was stupid for


    choosing marriage when she had her father, her fans, and a bigpany. She could¡¯ve been


    worshipped, respected, and doted on. So why did I ever marry him? It was insulting.


    They dug in, but then someone called Amelie, and she picked it up.


    ¡°Hi, is this Amelie? I¡¯m a teacher from Ariel Kindergarten. Can youe over for a second? Bria got


    into a fight.¡±


    Bria got into a fight? Amelie froze. She¡¯s a lot livelier now, but she would never fight. Amelie didn¡¯t ask


    for details in case she worried her father. ¡°Right away¡± And she dashed to the kindergarten.


    Before she even entered the ssroom, a shrill voice squawked, ¡°I can¡¯t believe this! This brat just hit


    my son! Unbelievable! Look how she hit my boy! I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re not hearing the end of this until I


    say so!¡±


    Amelie hastened. Through the entrance of the ssroom, she saw a woman holding a pudgy boy,


    howling and screaming bloody murder.


    Bria stood before all of them. She was berated by her teacher, but the girl stood tall, and her eyes were


    wide with indignance. Yet she remained silent.


    Angry and irritated, the woman pushed Bria. ¡°You little b*stard! You have no manners at all!¡±


    Amelie¡¯s face fell. And she approached her daughter. Before thedy could push Bria the third time,


    she pulled her daughter back. ¡°What happened?¡±


    The teacher hesitated for a while, then she said, ¡°It¡¯s your child. She got into a fight on her first day of


    school. We couldn¡¯t keep her under control.¡± She was putting the me all on Bria. ¡°I think you should


    take her home. She¡¯s a bit too much for the school.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s face fell. She wanted to know the whole truth, but now she had lost interest in that. ¡°Lady, my


    child might be wrong in this case, but she shoved my daughter. Called her a b*stard, even. I think she


    should apologize.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter hit my son, and you expect me to apologize? This is impossible!¡± Thedy leaped into


    the air and cawed like a noisy crow.


    The teacher quicklyforted her, ¡°Now calm down, Mrs. Piggly. Calm down. We¡¯ll settle this for you,


    we promise.¡±


    Amelie looked at the teacher silently. Oh, so she¡¯s taking their side.


    The teacher turned to Amelie. ¡°Miss Dillon, Bria injured her son. I think it¡¯s reasonable for her to get


    angry.¡±


    Amelie looked at the pudgy boy. Aside from a little scratch on his arm, he sustained no further injuries.


    On the other hand, Bria¡¯s arm swelled up, and a few of her fingers were injured. And she noticed a few


    scratches on the girl¡¯s knees as well. The mes of fury mounted within Amelie, and she could explode


    with rage at any


    moment. Yet she stayed calm and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Hah. She thinks so too! Thedy screeched, ¡°Your daughter left a scar on my son! She ruined his


    perfect looks! What will you do about that?¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°An eye for an eye. Your son can leave a scratch on my daughter as well.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The teacher and thedy were surprised by this suggestion. That¡¯s¡­ hardcore. But she¡¯s the one who


    suggested it, so..


    Thedy nodded. ¡°Good. Now scratch her arm, son. Leave a mark.¡±


    The pudgy boy-Chestnut-grinned. His eyes glimmered with delight, and he picked up a sharp pen.


    Then he approached Bria, trying to leave a mark on her arm.


    But Amelie held his hand. ¡°But¡­¡±

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115


    ¡°To make things fair, he must suffer the same injuries my daughter did.¡± Amelie pulled Bria¡¯s sleeves


    and pants up, revealing the injuries underneath.


    Thedy paled. She could see how badly Bria was injured, and the thought of having her son suffer so


    much pained her.


    ¡°No! No!¡± The boy quivered and tossed the pen away in fear before he covered his face and burst into


    tears.


    Thedy held her son, worried about him. Then, she barked, ¡°Why did you say that to him? You scared


    him!¡±


    A sneer curled Amelie¡¯s lips. ¡°Why should he be scared? This is just me being fair. He looked happy


    when I permitted him to scratch my daughter just a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°But your daughter¡¯s seriously injured. You can¡¯t expect my son to suffer the same! I won¡¯t allow it!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re also aware my daughter¡¯s injuries seemed much more serious, huh?¡± Just the response


    I was waiting for. ¡°So, why did you onlye after my daughter? Why didn¡¯t you scold your son? Why


    should my daughter be the only one to drop out? You¡¯re being ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Even the teacher paled. She felt embarrassment welling within her.


    The teacher only cared about thedy¡¯s temper since thedy was a powerful woman. She didn¡¯t want


    to get into any trouble, and thus she neglected Bria. This is bad. Miss Dillon is every bit as stubborn as


    Mrs. Piggly. ¡°Um, why don¡¯t we give this a rest?¡±


    ¡°Hard disagree.¡± Amelie beckoned the boy. ¡°You,e here.¡±


    Thedy held her boy tightly, rmed. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Amelie sneered. ¡°You tried to make my girl drop out just because your son got one teensy little scratch.


    So, why can¡¯t I smack him for the insults he threw at my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re going to hit my child? That¡¯s a crime!¡±


    The teacher and thedy both looked upset. They didn¡¯t expect Amelie to go that far.


    However, Amelie simply shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that after I beat your boy up.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have bullied her. Shouldn¡¯t have yelled at her,¡± the boy apologized profusely,


    terrified that he might get beat up.


    Amelie smirked and took a step back. ¡°Hear that? My child is the only victim here.¡±


    Indignant, thedy retorted, ¡°She hit my son just because he called her some names. Why shouldn¡¯t he


    fight back?¡±


    Amelie looked at her daughter. ¡°What did he call you?¡±


    Bria bit her lip and stared down in silence.


    ¡°I only called her a b*stard and a kid without a father. Then, she came after me!¡± the boy shouted.


    Amelie was just starting to calm down, but her face darkened upon hearing his words. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m


    beating you up after all.¡±


    The boy puffed his cheeks angrily, but he said nothing.


    Finally, Amelie turned her attention to the teacher. ¡°Now, do you see?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Dillon.¡± The teacher wiped the sweat off her forehead, staring down in silence. ¡°Bria only


    went after Chestnut because he called her names.¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°So, are you going to expel my daughter?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course not.¡± Chestnut¡¯s in the wrong here. And if the public were to find out about this whole


    mess, I¡¯d get fired.


    ¡°Good. Now, listen up. My daughter will still be attending this kindergarten. From tomorrow onward, if I


    find out she¡¯s upset because some brat called her names, 1 will make sure this kindergarten closes


    down.¡±


    ¡°Please, no!¡± The teacher was horrified.


    Thedy protested, ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°If you have any grievance, say it. I¡¯ll tell the Ministry of Education all about it. Maybe I¡¯ll tell the news


    outlets as well.¡± Amelie waved her phone around, telling everyone she had the whole conversation on


    record. The teacher wasn¡¯t sure how much of the conversation had been recorded, but she wasn¡¯t


    about to risk it. If anyone caught wind of it, it would be disastrous


    Amelie looked at them coldly. She wasn¡¯t as powerful as those top-tier businesspeople, but she could


    still destroy these people¡¯s reputations easily.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t have any grievances. This is just fair y,¡± the teacher jumped in immediately


    Scared out of her wits, thedy nodded. ¡°Me neither. I can just transfer my son to another school.¡± I


    ain¡¯t going to have my son stay in a kindergarten with a kid whose mother is a mad woman.


    With the matter settled, Amelie took Bria and left the kindergarten.


    Bria never looked up. She was still feeling down.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like this kindergarten, we can always find another one.¡± Amelie hugged her.


    Bria shook her head but remained silent.


    Amelie looked at her for a moment and frowned slightly. The bullying wasn¡¯t the real reason that got


    Bria down-it was because she had been called a b*stard. Amelie was angry about it but was also


    puzzled. We just moved here. Nobody should have known her family¡¯s background. I have never told


    anyone about my story, and I don¡¯t think Bria would do that either. So, how did that Piggly kid know?


    They came home and kept quiet about that ordeal back in kindergarten. Steven noticed Bria¡¯s wounds,


    and he inquired what had happened. However, Amelie only told him Bria fell at school. She helped her


    daughter apply some salve over the wounds.


    When it was time for bed, Briay down and finally spoke up, ¡°Mommy, I saw Aunt Jodie this morning.¡±


    ¡°You saw Jodie?¡± Amelie froze.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s good friends with Chestnut¡¯s mom. They talked a lot. She even took Chestnut along for


    lunch. After that, Chestnut came to me, calling me¡­ names. Bria started biting her lip.


    Amelie looked at her daughter and finally realized what was going on. Oh, so it was Jodie who told that


    woman about us. She¡¯s mad because she thought I lied, and now, she¡¯s taking it out on Bria. Amelie


    was furious. If Jodie only came after her, she would probably just shrug it off. But she went after my


    daughter! Her face turned dark within a second.


    The next day, Amelie took a trip to Clouson City and found Jodie in an haute couture store.


    Jodie was surprised to see her, but she assumed a haughty look and ignored Amelie.


    She nned to walk away, but Amelie grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. ¡°Why did you go after


    my daughter?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Jodie tried to y dumb.


    ¡°Bria was insulted yesterday, and the mother of that boy told us you made them do it. Do I have to call


    her here?¡±


    Jodie looked embarrassed, but she quickly turned around, looking arrogant. ¡°So what if I did? I have a


    right to speak, and you can¡¯t prosecute me for that.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your niece! Are you a monster?¡± Amelie¡¯s rage burst forth, and her chest heaved.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to call me a monster, you witch. You set my brother up and made him sleep with you!


    That girl¡¯s a b*stard! If she¡¯s unpopr at school, that¡¯s your fault! It¡¯s all your fault your daughter gets


    bullied! Do you know why I did that to her? I wanted to get back to you! I know hurting her will hurt you


    the most. You should feel lucky it¡¯s just regr bullying. Get on my bad side again, and I¡¯ll make her


    disappear. Permane-¡±


    She never got the chance to finish her sentence. Amelie pulled her arm back and swung her hand


    toward Jodie¡¯s cheek at full force. Smack!


    Jodie didn¡¯t register the impact for a moment. She froze up for a while before she finally snapped out of


    it and touched her cheek. ¡°Y-You just pped me.¡± Then, she shrieked like a harpy, ¡°How dare you! I


    will kill you!¡±


    She tried to leap at Amelie, but Amelie shot her a withering look. ¡°Touch my daughter again, and I will


    cut your head off. Or worse.¡± If looks could kill, Jodie would have died three times through at least.


    Jodie was petrified by fear. Her hand was raised, but she didn¡¯t dare to bring it down to Amelie¡¯s cheek.


    All the color was drained from her face, but just then, she saw someoneing over. Yes! Herees


    my savior. She swiftly threw herself into his embrace. ¡°She hit me!¡±

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116


    Amelie turned around to see an icy look on the gorgeous man¡¯s face. ¡°You have to help me, Leo!¡± Jodie


    clung to Leo with tears in her eyes. However, when she turned around to look at Amelie, there was a


    provocative and smug look in Jodie¡¯s eyes. She had intended to pick a fight with Amelie, but she no


    longer saw a need to do that since Leo was here.


    ¡°Amelie is too much. I¡¯m your sister, yet she still dares toy her hands on me! She has no regard for


    us at all!¡± Jodie cried. Leo turned around to re at Amelie, but she simply wore a nk and calm look


    on her face. He couldn¡¯t seem to read her expression at all. ¡°Are you sure you want to help Jodie this


    time?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Leo¡¯s my brother. Of course, he¡¯ll help me! Do you think he¡¯d be on an outsider¡¯s side instead?¡± Jodie


    was worried that Amelie would reveal why she had been pped in the first ce, so she interrupted


    the conversation before Amelie could say anything. Amelie simply sneered and red at Jodie before


    walking up to Leo. ¡°Hit me, then.¡± She shut her eyes while standing before him with a calm expression.


    Did she just tell Leo to hit her? Jodie had prepared all sorts of usations to target Amelie, but she


    hadn¡¯t expected Amelie to give in just like that. She was too stunned to speak for a moment. Leo


    pushed Jodie aside as he continued to re at Amelie. ¡°I don¡¯t hit women. But¡­ what exactly


    happened?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?! Amelie just came up and hit me for no reason!¡± Amelie showed no intention of


    exining the situation, while Jodie was eager to speak up for herself. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t hit women,


    you can¡¯t let her get away with this, Leo. Who knows what she might do in the future?!¡± Jodie cried.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the CCTV, he suggested. Jodie was speechless after that. Is he suggesting we check the


    CCTV even though Amelie¡¯s not speaking up for herself? I can¡¯t believe this. ¡°What do you mean, Leo?


    Do you not trust me? I¡¯m your sister!¡± she cried. However, he merely ignored his sister¡¯s protests and


    asked for the workers.


    enough, the workers came and presented him with the CCTV footage.


    The CCTV showed Amelie approaching Jodie. Both women didn¡¯t say much to one another before


    Amelie hit Jodie. ¡°Did you see that, Leo?! Amelie was the one who bullied me!¡± Jodie had been terrified


    at first, but she was pleased to find out that the CCTVs hadn¡¯t recorded their conversation. This was


    advantageous to her.


    ¡°Were you guys talking about Bria?¡± Leo asked all of a sudden. Jodie had been doing the victory dance


    inside her head, but it all abruptly halted when she heard his words. She was lost for words as her mind


    instantly went nk, and all she could hear at that moment was the loud ringing sound formed in her


    mind due to shock. She stared at Leo with a fearful look on her face. His gaze was still fixed on the two


    women on the screen, and he seemed to be reading their lips!


    The footage clearly showed both the women¡¯s faces, and it was clear that Jodie had a haughty and


    rude expression on her face. He could already guess the contents of the conversation from the words


    he read through their lips. ¡°Did you do something to Bria, Jodie?¡±


    ¡°W-Well¡­ I¡­¡± She didn¡¯t have the guts to say much else. Leo turned around to re at his sister at


    that point, wearing a fierce look on his face. Jodie had always been terrified of her brother, and now


    that he was giving her the hard stare, she panicked and tried to defend herself, ¡°Well, Amelie made me


    feel ufortable, and she bullied me. I¡¯m only trying to-¡±


    Leo had been making a wild guess at first, but her words had confirmed his suspicions! ¡°She was the


    one who bullied you, so you should get back at her, not the kid! Why did you have to hurt the child?


    You¡¯re the child¡¯s aunt!¡± he hissed. Jodie was too terrified to utter a single word after that. She didn¡¯t


    even dare to look into his eyes.


    ¡°Are things settled now? I can leave, right?¡± Amelie ignored the tension between the siblings as she


    interrupted their conversation in a calm tone. She turned and left after finishing her words. She had just


    opened her car door when Leo came after her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier?¡±


    She stared at him nkly. There wasn¡¯t a hint of emotion in her eyes. ¡°Have you ever trusted a word


    that I


    said?¡±


    He remained silent at that. An awkward look formed on his face as he found himself guilty as charged.


    ¡°Why should I say anything if you¡¯re not going to believe me anyway?¡± Amelie continued in the same


    calm tone. Then, she lowered herself and got into the car. Leo hastily grabbed her arm. ¡°What exactly


    happened to Bria?


    How is she now?¡±


    When she saw the look of concern on his face, she frowned a little. She was both puzzled and amused.


    Elyse isn¡¯t here, so why is he pretending to care? ¡°She¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about her, Mr.


    Alston.¡± She pulled her hand away and mmed the car door in his face before driving off.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Leo stumbled backward as the car zoomed past his figure. He knitted his brows as he watched the car


    speeding off. A series of shbacks of the times when he was with Amelie and Bria surfaced in his


    mind. Back then, Amelie would never treat him as such. I don¡¯t understand. Why is she being so cold to


    me all of a sudden?


    Meanwhile, Jodie was glum after she received a huge scolding from Leo. She dragged her feet home


    as she thought about what had happened earlier. How dare Amelie hit me and use Leo to get back at


    me! I¡¯m going to make her suffer! Leo might be on her side, but Mom is never going to support her! At


    that thought, Jodie hastened her footsteps.


    When she got home, she found Melissa in the hall. Melissa was dressed in a ssy outfit, sipping on


    some tea. Her sophisticated gestures made her look especially elegant. When Jodie saw Melissa, she


    hurried over while wailing and showed her injured face to Melissa. ¡°Look at this, Mom! That b*tch,


    Amelie, hit me! She¡¯s still trying to go for Leo, and she hit me after I lectured her about it! You need to


    stand up for me. Leo scolded me because of her today. If this goes on, she will snatch him away again


    someday!¡±


    Jodie knew Melissa would be furious to hear that Amelie hadn¡¯t given up on Leo. So, she lied about the


    real reason that drove Amelie to hit her and told Melissa a different story instead. She was certain that


    her lie would bring Melissa to side with her. As expected, rage formed in Melissa¡¯s eyes as she


    mmed her teacup on the table. ¡°Absurd!¡±


    Jodie cheered to herself. She was about to exaggerate the situation further when Melissa held her


    hand up and pped Jodie instead. Smack! The p made a crisp and loud sound, and Jodie could


    feel her ears ringing. She stared at her mother with a look of disbelief. ¡°Did you lose your mind, Mom?


    Why did you hit me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m losing my mind because you¡¯re making me furious!¡± Melissa got to her feet and shot her daughter


    a fierce re. Then, she pulled her phone out and tapped on the screen a few times. Soon enough, an


    audio clip yed from the phone. Jodie was speechless when she heard the audio. ¡°T-This is¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the recording that Amelie sent to me! She told me she would release this audio clip to the


    media if I didn¡¯t discipline my daughter. How could one¡¯s aunt tell others to hurt her niece? If this is


    spread to the public, the Alston Family¡¯s reputation will be ruined! Are you trying to test my limits,


    Jodie?¡± Melissa had always pampered her daughter, and she had never spoken to Jodie so fiercely in


    the past.


    Jodie pressed a palm against her cheek as she sobbed to herself. She felt both embarrassed and sorry


    for herself at that moment. However, Melissa only got more frustrated seeing the helpless look on her


    daughter¡¯s face. ¡°You know how smart Amelie is, Jodie. Why did you fool around with her? What are


    you going to do now that you¡¯ve gotten yourself into this mess?! I must have spoiled you too much-


    that¡¯s why you would make such a stupid mistake! You¡¯re grounded from today onward! I want you to


    stay home. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere!¡± Melissa hissed.


    Jodie sobbed as she ran off to her room. When she thought about all the ways she had been wronged


    that day, her fury drove her to shove all her makeup products off the table. ¡°Amelie, you b*tch!¡± She¡¯s


    the one who¡¯s at fault here I simply tried getting back at her, yet she pped me in the face. She even


    got my brother and mother to discipline me. I hate her so much!


    The more Jodie thought about it, the more resentful she felt. She was the daughter of a wealthy family-


    the precious princess of the Alston Family. How could a worthless pile of trash like Amelie bully her?


    ¡°Just you wait, Amelie! After crying for a while more, Jodie finally dried her tears and pulled her phone


    out to call a number¡­

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    *J-Jodie.¡± Ca fumbled with the strap of her handbag as she stood before Jodie in the cafe. She was


    too nervous to even look Jodie in the eye. Ever since Jodiest exposed her for what she did, she no


    longer had the nerve to show up before Jodie. She was terrified when she first received Jodie¡¯s call


    earlier that day-she was worried that Jodie wanted to get even with her. Jodie was a calctive and


    unforgiving woman. She was known for being heartless and cruel in her attempts at revenge.


    ¡°Come here. Have some coffee.¡± To Ca¡¯s surprise, Jodie was not her usual petty self. Instead, she


    seemed much more generous and weing. This only made Ca more fearful than ever. ¡°I-I¡¯m not


    thirsty. I-I¡¯m sorry. I made a mistake, Jodie. Please¡­. I hope you don¡¯t hold a grudge against me.¡±


    Ca was paralyzed with fear.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯vepletely forgotten about that.¡± Jodie walked over and pushed Ca down into her seat


    before cing a cup of coffee in front of her. Thud! The soft noise of the cupnding on the table made


    Ca jump. She helplessly reached out and held onto the cup of coffee, looking like she was about to


    cry.


    Jodie, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t in the mood to fool around with her. ¡°Previously, you helped Elyse to


    make a fool out of me, and I was really angry. But now, I¡¯m giving you a chance to set things right,¡±


    Jodie uttered while ying with her freshly styled hair. Ca immediately looked up at Jodie when she


    heard that Jodie was offering her an opportunity.


    Jodie tapped her slender and fair fingers on the coffee cup before her. ¡°I previously told you to hunt


    down the wife of Starlight Media¡¯s boss, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯ll forget about what you did to me if you manage to


    find her,¡± she said.


    ¡°Huh? Why are you still looking for her?¡± Ca was stunned. ¡°She already got a divorce with the boss


    of Starlight Media, so there¡¯s no point in locating her anymore, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know the reason. Just locate her!¡± Jodie growled. Ca knitted her brows upon


    hearing the other woman¡¯s words. ¡°But Jodie, you know I don¡¯t have many connections. How am I


    supposed to find her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you¡¯re going to do it. Just know I won¡¯t allow you to stay in Clouson City if you don¡¯t


    get the job done! I¡¯ll kick your whole family out of the city!¡± Jodie got to her feet after she finished her


    sentence. ¡°You should consider what I just said.¡±


    Amelie was in no rush to head home. Instead, she paid a visit to Starlight Media. No one suspected


    that she was the boss of the ce, and they merely assumed that she was there to meet Julia, as they


    all knew of the rtionship between the two women. Julia wasn¡¯t around, but Amelie had the password


    to her office. After letting herself into the office, she observed the live streams of all the broadcasting


    studios while waiting for Julia. Soon enough, Julia strutted into the room in formal attire with a short


    skirt.


    When Julia saw Amelie, she flicked her shoulder-length curly hair while shing a smirk at her friend.


    ¡°Elie, do you know what I just heard? Your ex-sister-inw is still searching for the wife of Starlight


    Media¡¯s boss. She even made Ca cry in a caf¨¦ in public.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Amelie froze when she heard whom Jodie was searching for. Julia poured herself a ss


    of water before taking a seat in front of Amelie. ¡°What do you think she¡¯s trying to do?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What else could it be? She¡¯s obviously trying toe after me,¡± Amelie replied with a nk look in her


    eyes. She curled her lips into a thoughtful smirk before she gave Julia a summary of what happened


    with Bria at school and how things went down with Jodie.


    When Julia heard about what Jodie did to Bria, she smacked her palm against the table before leaping


    to her feet. ¡°Is Jodie a monster?! Bria is her niece! How could she do that to Bria?!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Jodie never liked Bria, even when we were in the Alston Family. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Amelie didn¡¯t


    have any faith in Jodie¡¯s terrible attitude. ¡°Well, she¡¯s definitely going to seek revenge after what you


    did. But it¡¯s a shame she¡¯ll never find thedy in question¡± Julia chuckled to herself when she imagined


    the dumb, hopeful look on Jodie¡¯s face.


    Amelie licked her lips as a clouded look formed in her eyes. ¡°Since she¡¯s so eager to locate the wife of


    Starlight Media¡¯s boss, why don¡¯t we let her seed in doing so?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Julia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Get Ca to pass this to her.¡± Amelie tossed a piece of paper


    with a phone number to Julia. Julia picked it up and looked at it beforeughing. ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Elie! I


    can¡¯t believe you thought of such a thing!¡±


    Three dayster, the sun hung high up in the sky, and Jodie limped up a hill under the heat. She was


    dressed. in a shy mini-skirt and a pair of high heels-a rare sight to see in that area. The passersby


    couldn¡¯t help but send puzzled stares her way. Jodie was hot and exhausted, and her legs hurt so


    much that she could no longer feel them. She desperately wanted to sit down and stay in one spot


    forever, but she gritted her teeth. and forced herself to move forward when she thought about the


    reason she was there.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    She fanned herself as she continued moving. ¡°Why would she ask to meet here? Is she crazy?¡± she


    mumbled to herself. Earlier that day, Ca had contacted her and passed her the phone number of the


    lady she had. been looking for. After that, Jodie immediately called the number and asked for a


    meetup. The person gave her an address, and she had expected to meet in some high-end ce.


    However, after she rushed over to the location, she found herself at the bottom of a hill and realized


    their meeting spot was on the top of the mountain!


    There were no roads that allowed cars to drive up the mountain, so Jodie had no choice but to hobble


    up the long flight of stairs. She was raised as a wealthy and spoiled child, so she had never gone


    through such a torturous experience. She med all of this on Amelie, and she figured she would


    punish Amelie twice as much after she met Starlight Media¡¯s boss¡¯ wife!


    Jodie felt like she was half dead by the time she got to the peak of the mountain. She slumped onto the


    ground and tried to catch her breath for a while. When she looked up, she saw a woman standing


    beneath arge tree in front of her. The woman¡¯s face was covered, and she had put a pair of


    sunsses on. Event though her dress seemed somewhat exaggerated, Jodie wasn¡¯t too surprised as


    it made sense for one to cover herself up when under the zing sun.


    Even though the woman was covered up, Jodie could tell she was a fashionable woman. The woman


    had a gorgeous figure, and she gave off an elegant aura. She seems like a charismatic and ssy


    woman¡­ She has to be the wife of Starlight Media¡¯s boss! Jodie immediately phoned the number she


    had gotten earlier, and indeed, the woman was the one who picked up the phone call. Jodie hurried


    over to the woman. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Jodie Alston. I¡¯m the sister of Genesis Company¡¯s boss, Leo.¡±


    She was certain that her introduction would impress the other woman. She¡¯ll probably be nice to me


    after this. However, to her surprise, the other woman simply nodded calmly. ¡°Why were you looking for


    me, Miss Alston?¡± she asked tly. Jodie nearly choked on her words. Her impression of thedy in


    front of her went down the drain after that. How dare this b*tch look down on me!


    However, when she thought about her intentions, she hastily swallowed all the disdain she felt for the


    woman. ¡°There¡¯s something important I¡¯d like to talk to you about. Your husband cheated on you before


    you got a divorce, and he even had a child with another woman. I believe you know the woman as well-


    it¡¯s Amelie.¡± Jodie felt pleased with herself as she revealed the truth to the other woman. Did Amelie


    think I couldn¡¯t defeat her? If I tell the wife of Starlight Media¡¯s boss that Bria was the product of her


    husband¡¯s infidelity, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be mad!


    The woman¡¯s eyes glinted under her sunsses. Jodie is so predictable. She¡¯s still using the same old


    tactics.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    Right at that moment, the woman standing before Jodie¡¯s eyes was none other than Amelie herself.


    Amelie stood still and stared at Jodie while Jodie felt her heart pounding with uneasiness. Previously,


    Jodie¡¯s research told her that Amelie had no connection to Starlight Media¡¯s boss. She figured Amelie


    and Julia were the ones who started those rumors on their own.


    Jodie was practically blinded by rage after herst encounter with Amelie, so she decided to pressure


    Ca to hunt down the wife of Starlight Media¡¯s boss. Jodie was genuinely shocked when Ca


    managed toplete her task. ¡°I¡¯ll always be with Starlight Media¡¯s boss, Amelie uttered cryptically.


    Technically speaking, Amelie was Starlight Media¡¯s owner, so she wasn¡¯t exactly lying. However, since


    Jodie didn¡¯t know she was speaking to Amelie and that Amelie was actually Starlight Media¡¯s boss,


    Jodie had apletely different interpretation of Amelie¡¯s words. She was shocked as she immediately


    assumed that the woman before her eyes had yet to divorce her husband.


    Jodie panicked for a moment, but she quickly realized how this could work much better in her favor.


    She had to stop herself from pping and cheering in excitement. ¡°Well, that gives you more reason


    not to tolerate such nonsense! Did you know that Amelie and her friend, Julia, keep making ims in


    your husband¡¯s name? They think they can do such things just because the public hasn¡¯t met your


    husband. They imed that Amelie is your husband¡¯s girlfriend and even said you and your husband


    got a divorce because of her.¡± Jodie continued yapping as a malicious look surfaced in her eyes. ¡°She


    was also the one who imed that the child belongs to your husband. She really has no limits!¡±


    In actual fact, Jodie was probably the one who had no limits. Amelie was utterly disgusted by the smug


    look on her face. Leo was a rtively sessful man, and the Alston Family was one of the most


    influential families in Clouson City. Aren¡¯t they ashamed to have a sister like Jodie? Amelie wondered.


    Jodie was worried that thedy in front of her would hold back from attacking Amelie, so she continued


    to reveal more about Amelie¡¯s background. ¡°Amelie is the daughter of a cobbler, and she wants to cling


    to a rich man because she doesn¡¯t like how poor her family is. Did you know that she even tried to trick


    my brother into sleeping with her? She contacted the reporters and forced my brother to marry her in


    front of those reporters! That was why my brother ended up ditching his girlfriend of many years to


    marry her.¡±


    Jodie was extremely skilled in constructing fibs. Amelie simply stared at Jodie and allowed her to


    continue talking. ¡°However, my brotherter divorced her because she was too promiscuous. I can¡¯t


    believe she¡¯s going. for your husband now. She¡¯s trying to tear you two apart! I¡¯m speaking from


    experience when I say that she¡¯s going to step all over you and ruin your family!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty mean of her,¡± Amelie uttered in azy tone to y along with Jodie. It seems like I was


    being too nice when I just got Melissa to lecture her previously. ¡°Exactly! So, you can¡¯t let her go so


    easily!¡± Jodie was excited to hear that the other woman agreed with her words.


    ¡°So, what do you think I should do?¡± Amelie asked.


    Jodie¡¯s mind began to spin at top speed. I have to think of a way to crush Amelie under my feet. I want


    to make her regret her actions! ¡°You should separate her from her kid. She¡¯s using the kid to urge your


    husband to marry her, so she won¡¯t be able to do anything if her kid disappears!¡± Amelie chuckled to


    herself right after hearing Jodie¡¯s words. She sure is an evil woman, she thought. She¡¯s trying to break


    my heart by taking my child away


    ¡°There¡¯s one other thing I forgot to mention-Amelie ran a DNA test for her daughter and your husband.


    The results indicated that the child belongs to your husband! It¡¯s clear that Amelie¡¯s already nning all


    of this out! Jodie looked utterly pleased with herself. She had just delivered the final blow, and she was


    sure that it would work.


    As per her expectations, the woman nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Even though Amelie was fuming on


    the inside, she managed to maintain a calm front and even praised Jodie¡¯s idea. Jodie was overjoyed


    as she assumed that the woman had epted her suggestion. You¡¯re about to go down, Amelie! she


    thought How dare a cobbler¡¯s daughter like youe up against someone as rich as me! You¡¯re asking


    for it!


    ¡°By the way, you should attack Julia as well. She¡¯s Amelie¡¯s partner in crime, and she¡¯s the one who


    has been spreading all those ims under your husband¡¯s name. She even secretly allocated 200


    million as the child¡¯s


    funds They¡¯re using Starlight Media¡¯s money as if they own it. It¡¯s just too shameless of them!¡± Jodie


    didn¡¯t just want to tear Amelie and Bria apart; she even wanted to harm Julia!


    Amelie could no longer conceal her emotions after that. She took her mask off and curled her lips into a


    cold smirk. Jodie was still pumped about her sess, and she simply took the woman¡¯s smirk as a


    response to what the woman had just heard about Amelie and Julia. Jodie didn¡¯t think too much about


    it.


    Since Jodie had managed to ruin both Amelie¡¯s and Julia¡¯s lives, she figured her next step was to gain


    some benefits for herself. Julia¡¯s sales performance may seem good, but it¡¯s all because she has the


    support of Starlight Media¡¯s funds. She couldn¡¯t do anything if she were on her own. Previously, I


    applied for a job at Starlight Media. I¡¯m really good in all sorts of professional skills, and I was expecting


    to take over Julia¡¯s role in Starlight Media,¡± Jodie praised herself without batting an eyelid.


    ¡°However, Amelie got angry after my brother divorced her, so she and Julia pulled a few strings and


    sent me to take up a cleaner¡¯s job instead! You probably see how arrogant and rude those two are by


    now, don¡¯t you?¡± she continued.


    ¡°So, are you saying you can take over Julia¡¯s role if I fire her? Amelie was smart, and she instantly


    picked up on what Jodie was implying Jodie was ted to see how understanding the wife of Starlight


    Media¡¯s boss¡¯ was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With my skills and my role as the daughter of the Alston Family, I¡¯ll do


    a better job than Julia!¡±


    ¡°How shameless!¡± Amelie no longer felt like faking her role, so she simply took her mask off. Jodie had


    been excited at first, but she froze after hearing Amelie¡¯s words She looked up just in time to see


    Amelie taking her sunsses off. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jodie cried out in rm when she saw


    Amelie.


    ¡°I heard you were searching for the wife of Starlight Media¡¯s boss, and I was curious to know what you


    would do. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so evil! Amelie shot Jodie a cold re Jodie had expected herself to be


    able to ruin both Amelie and Julia¡¯s lives, and she had been excited to take full credit for things.


    However, the moment Amelie revealed her face, Jodie felt as if she had fallen from heaven down to


    hell!


    Jodie¡¯s body trembled with a mixture of rage and disappointment. Amelie took a step forward to grab


    her by the cor. ¡°You try to separate my daughter and me and even try to chase Julia out of Starlight


    Media. Do your think I¡¯m afraid to shove you off this hill, Jodie? I can make sure that you don¡¯t leave


    this ce in one piece!¡± Amelie hissed.


    Then, she used all her strength to press Jodie against the railing Behind the railing was a cliff that led


    down. to a deep valley. A river with a fierce current awaited at the bottom! Half of Jodie¡¯s body was


    dangling in the air-the moment Amelie let go of her, she would fall all the way down!


    Jodie had never been in such a dangerous position, and she was so terrified that she let out a piercing


    scream. Her face was the color of paper as she desperately tried to cling to the railing. ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t


    push me down!¡± She had lost all of her pride at that moment as she begged Amelie to show mercy.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    An icy smirk formed on Amelie¡¯s lips. ¡°Why should I keep someone like you alive?¡± With that said, she


    reached her hand out¡­

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    ¡°Aah! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Jodie cried.


    She clung on tight to Amelie¡¯s arm. Her entire body was trembling in fear while apologies kept


    streaming out of her mouth.


    It was only then that Amelie withdrew her arm and flung her on the area protected by the railing. ¡°Bria is


    where I draw the line. If you ever dare use her to cause trouble again, you will end up at the bottom of a


    cliff or a car wheel next time.¡±


    She then walked away, not once looking at Jodie.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    As for Jodie, she had been terrified to the core. Her body was shaking non-stop as she hugged herself.


    When Amelie finally walked out of her sight, she let out a loud wail.


    One hourter, Jodie ran into Ca¡¯s home and dragged her out of her bedroom by the hair.


    ¡°Damn you! How dare you scheme with Amelie against me! Do you want to die?¡± Jodie screeched.


    She gnashed her teeth. Her face was thoroughly twisted like a crazy woman¡¯s


    Unable to move away, Ca¡¯s only option was to cover her head with her hands as she pleaded as


    hard as she could. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it. I really didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t have her contact details. How could I have


    schemed with her? Anyway, even if she asks me to do it, I¡¯m not brave enough to go against you.¡±


    Hearing that, Jodie loosened her grip. Still, her face was twisted in anger. ¡°How did she know I was


    looking for the wife of Starlight Media¡¯s boss? Where did you get the phone number you gave me?¡±


    Ca had long since grown terrified of Jodie¡¯s cruelty. Her heart still quivered in fear as she massaged


    her aching scalp. ¡°I really don¡¯t know why she knows about that. I paid Julia for that number.¡±


    Jodie was beyond herself in anger when she heard that and reacted by harshly pping Ca on the


    head. ¡°Did you evolve from a pig? Amelie and Julia are on the same side. Why would you bribe her


    assistant? Did you want to die?¡±


    She then raised her hand to p Ca once more.


    At that sight, Ca shrank back as tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°You were in such a hurry, and I


    had no idea what to do at all,¡± she begged. ¡°I could only take the risk. I didn¡¯t know she wouldy a trap


    for me after being paid. I really didn¡¯t know.¡±


    At that moment, she was too scared to tell Jodie she could not afford to pay off Julia and had given her


    a nk check instead.


    Jodie stamped her foot in anger. She thought about the humiliation she suffered on the mountain, the


    terror she experienced. Her entire being felt as if it had been set on fire; not one part of her felt okay


    with that experience.


    ¡°Damn that Amelie! She didn¡¯t just swindle me out of my money. She even did that to me!¡± She gritted


    her teeth as hatred surged in her.


    However, when she recalled what Amelie did and said back then, she could not help but shiver in fear.


    That woman was absolutely scary when she went mad.


    By now, Jodie had been silent for a long time. Suddenly, she snorted and coldly chuckled. ¡°She doesn¡¯t


    want me toy a finger on that little b*stard, so that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do.¡±


    She then turned to Ca. ¡°Do something for me,¡± she barked out


    After descending the mountain, Amelie returned to the city.


    School hours were ending soon, so she went to pick up Bria.


    When Amelie arrived, the teacher from the day before took the initiative to greet her. ¡°Bria had a great


    day. today,¡± she said, trembling. ¡°No one badmouthed her, and she wasn¡¯t hit at all.¡±


    Since the teacher was being polite, the cold look on Amelie¡¯s face faded slightly. ¡°My daughter doesn¡¯t


    need special treatment. You just have to be fair.¡±


    ¡°Yes, all right.¡± The teacher hurriedly nodded, a little too embarrassed to look her in the eye.


    She was the teacher, yet she handled the entire incident so carelessly just because of a parent¡¯s lies. It


    was so wrong of her to react this way.


    Even so, Amelie did not penalize her for her mistake, making her feel even more guilty about what


    happened.


    After dinner, Julia called Amelie.


    ¡°Well? Did you punish Jodie so hard that she will be an honest woman after today?¡± Julia asked first


    thing.


    Sitting on the couch and ying with the tassels on the couch, Amelie replied, ¡°If she would learn her


    lesson so easily, she would never have started so much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s still going up to something?¡± Julia¡¯s voice rose in pitch. ¡°Darn her and her


    schemes! Why don¡¯t we attack her before she has the chance to hurt Bria again?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t target Bria again,¡± Amelie said confidently. ¡°She is undoubtedly publicly


    criticizing me right now.¡±


    As soon as she said that, Julia loudly cursed, ¡°Damn, you¡¯re right!¡±


    Julia held up her phone. ¡°Someone just published an article using you of impersonating the wife of


    Starlight Media¡¯s boss. It must be Jodie¡¯s doing. Is there something wrong with her brain? You are


    constantly in the office and able to make thepany do anything with a wave of your hand. Can she


    still not guess who you are?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. She just isn¡¯t willing to believe it,¡± Amelie replied.


    Jodie thought Amelie was a shoemaker¡¯s daughter. Combined with how thoroughly she believed in


    stereotypes, she thought Amelie would never amount to anything.


    ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t want to believe that, let¡¯s give her something she will want to believe,¡± Julia


    dered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Leave it all to me. I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯ll be beside herself with anger.¡±


    As Amelie knew just what Julia was capable of, she did not inquire any


    further.


    Julia acted fast. Just a few minutes after their call ended, there was a reply to Jodie¡¯s usation.


    ¡®As long as Amelie Dillon says yes, she will forever be thedy boss of Starlight Media, the reply stated.


    As usual, it was signed off by Starlight Media¡¯s boss.


    Jodie was hoping her article could start a big reaction to make Starlight Media¡¯s CEO¡¯s actual wife


    agitated and punish Amelie


    in the end, orice more, the woman she was hoping would make a move remained absent while


    Starlight Media¡¯s CEO released a statement.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Jodie angrily and repeatedly kicked the wall, imagining it was Amelie instead ¡°Amelie and


    Julia


    must have done this!¡±


    However, even though she knew that, there was nothing she could do about it at all. So much had


    happened yet neither Starlight Media¡¯s CEO nor his wife ever appeared in public view. It was as if they


    did not exist.


    How could this be?


    She was starting to wonder if they were currently out of the country where they could not personally


    keep


    track of the news articles here.


    Starlight Media was a hugepany even if they could not read any of the news. They would surely


    have to check in once in a while, right? How could they think nothing of Julia splurging millions on


    helping Amelie whenever she pleased?


    ¡°Could it be that Amelie and Julia are the ones in charge of thepany?¡± she pondered.


    As soon as she thought that, she swiftly shook it out of her head.


    ¡°Impossible. That is absolutely impossible!¡±


    If Amelie were that capable, she would not need to depend on the Alstons for four whole years while


    Jodie pushed her around, bullying her.


    What other reasons could there be?


    Jodie racked her brain hard but could not think of anything.


    The wife of Starlight Media¡¯s CEO was nowhere to be found, and now she had nothing she could do


    toward Amelie. The only thing Jodie could do was puff up in anger. In fact, she was so full of anger that


    she could pop!


    Meanwhile, Elyse was sitting beside Leo as she read the news article. ¡°Who knew Miss Dillon would be


    in that rtionship with Starlight Media¡¯s boss?¡±


    A faint smile was on her lips, as though whatever she just read meant nothing to her. Her eyes,


    however, were trained on Leo and exposed the frustration zing in her.


    He had spent the past ten minutes just reading the article.


    Was he in love with Amelie? Elyse clenched her hand as she recalled what recently happened and how


    doting Leo acted when it came to Bria. The more she thought about the situation, the worse she felt.


    She had gone through so much just so she could return to his side. There was no way she would let


    Amelie have him.


    What should she do?

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    While Elyse knew Amelie had moved to Halport, she still felt uneasy about the situation.


    Leo was only doting and tolerating her because he thought she was Big Eyes.


    The moment he knew Big Eyes was actually Amelie, he would surely fall deeply in love with Amelie.


    Amelie¡¯s identity as Big Eyes was a ticking time bomb, and Elyse did not know when it would go off.


    She would be utterly destroyed and torn to pieces the day it happened.


    Her fists clenched tightly.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Just the mere thought of that happening was enough to fill her with dread, making her break out in a fit


    of cold


    sweat.


    If that happened¡­


    No, I have to find a way out of this!


    She could not change the fact that Amelie was Big Eyes, so all she could do right now was worsen


    Leo¡¯s rtionship with Amelic.


    As long as the hurt Leo dealt to Amelie was so deep and great that there was no way to repair their


    rtionship. Amelie would definitely cut off ties with him.


    After all, how could a ragged heart be healed?


    Thinking that, Elyse softly said. ¡°It seems like Miss Dillon is truly together with Starlight Media¡¯s CEO. If


    that¡¯s the case, we will have to reconsider Bria¡¯s situation. Bria is a child of the Alstons. It would be


    inappropriate for her to follow Amelie to her new husband¡¯s family. While Miss Dillon loves the child,


    she will


    inevitably be stuck in a tough spot between Bria and her new family.¡±


    ¡°She might be great at racing, but she is so much weaker when ites to handling her rtionship


    with her inws. If something does happen, it will not just be the child affected; her happiness will be


    affected as well.¡±


    She spoke in an extremely considerate tone, trying her best to make herself seem kind and virtuous.


    While she did not say everything on her mind, her message was clear.


    With how bad Amelie was at personal rtionships and how her inws would definitely make life hard


    for Bria, there was no way Amelie could protect Bria. In the end, the child would be hurt.


    As expected, as soon as she said that, Leo scowled with his face locked in a severe expression.


    Just then, Toby walked into the room. When he saw Elyse leaning so close to Leo that almost every


    inch of her was pressed against his skin, his lips tilted upward in an imperceptible smirk.


    While it was a tiny smirk that soon disappeared, Elyse still noticed Toby¡¯s disdain for her.


    He was silently making fun of her. When Leo thought the world of her back then, she did not cherish his


    love.


    Even now with the name ¡°Big Eyes¡± making Leo stay, her admiration was still one-sided.


    Her heart clenched in pain.


    It seemed like she would always be nothing in Toby¡¯s eyes.


    To him. Amelie would forever be better than her.


    Elyse was just that egotistical. She wanted every man in the world to fall for her, to think the world of


    her.


    ¡°Starlight Media will be hosting their 7th-anniversary dinner party soon. Will you go?¡± Toby asked Leo,


    ignoring Elyse.


    He sat down opposite Leo and continued, ¡°Perhaps there will be a pleasant surprise.¡±


    He then threw an invitation card on the table which had Amelie¡¯s name written on it.


    Leo immediately snatched up the card, holding it so tightly that the tip of his fingernail stabbed into the


    name.


    Elyse spotted Amelie¡¯s name as well. ¡°What does this mean? Why would they invite everyone in her


    name?¡±


    ¡°Starlight Media¡¯s CEO is doing this to tell everyone that doting on her is not just something he speaks


    of.¡±


    Jealousy shed in Toby¡¯s eyes.


    He thought he was apetitor in the game, but he still-lost to Starlight Media¡¯s boss.


    ¡°Evidently, he wants to push Amelie forward so that she would be in charge of the entirepany,¡±


    Elyse eximed. Her heart was filled with envy and frustration.


    She had always thought Leo was the most extreme case of a doting man.


    However, nothing Leo did was worthparing to what Amelie had.


    After all, not many men would dare to fool around with their businesses and career.


    Starlight Media¡¯s boss was offering his business up as a toy for Amelie¡¯s entertainment!


    Amelie destroyed Elyse¡¯s happy life all those years ago, but she did not get any bacsh from that at


    all. Instead, she was living a better life than Elyse.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel so well. Please excuse me,¡± she said.


    If she stayed any longer, she might lose control and expose her ugly side to them.


    She hurried out of the office, even rejecting Leo¡¯s offer to walk her out.


    As for Toby, there was a contemting look in his eyes as he watched her go. The smirk on his face


    widened.


    Was she scared just by that?


    What would she think if she knew Amelie was the infamous Foxy who could swiftly garner over 100


    million


    followers even after four years of silence?


    Leo did notment on the issue. Except for the oppressive aura lingering around him in the initial few


    minutes, he did not visibly react at all.


    Pressing his hand firmly down on the invitation card on the table, he asked Toby. ¡°Is it possible to find


    the girl who donated her corneal tissue all those years ago?¡±


    Toby was taken aback. He had not expected Leo to ask about that.


    ¡°What will you do if we do find her?¡± Suddenly, he was eager to know the answer to that.


    Leo looked down and did not answer.


    He had not thought about what he would do either.


    All he knew was that he could not ept the donation without doing something.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see when we find her¡± was his final answer.


    Tobyughed. ¡°Have you ever wondered why she would choose to donate anonymously? Her goal


    might be to avoid troubling you. The only person who could do that is either a family member or


    someone who deeply loves


    you.¡±


    His remark made Leo go stiff.


    ¡°You¡¯ve given yourself to Elyse, so what can you give your donor?¡± Toby continued.


    After Toby left the office, Leo silently stayed seated by his desk, unmoving.


    All this time, he had been wondering about that too. Still, he could never settle on one guess.


    Toby¡¯sment flicked a switch in him, allowing him to view everything clearly.


    Amelie Dillon.


    Could she be the one?


    His eyes snapped wide open as his heart clenched in agony.


    He suddenly remembered Amelie was there on the day he took Elyse to the clinic.


    Could she really be the one?


    He charged out of the room.


    Amelie had just stepped out of the shower when she learned Julia had done something shocking once


    more in her name.


    ¡°You know I dislikeworking. Why would you put my name on the invite?¡± she calmly asked as she


    dried her


    hair.


    Julia leaned against the end of the desk with theputer while she solemnly replied, ¡°Have you ever


    thought about how the Alstons would only be so brazen as to look for trouble because you have no


    power, Amy? I know you don¡¯t like to stick out, but you have to listen to me this time.¡±


    She knocked her knuckles against the table and continued to exin, ¡°Your position is the wife of


    Starlight Media¡¯s CEO. Those people would not dare to touch you because they don¡¯t know exactly


    how powerful the CEO is. Moreover, you have always been in charge of thepany¡¯s major


    decisions. You cannot keep giving me the credit. It¡¯s time to stand up and let everyone know how


    talented you are. Of course, this would also make the judgmental people in the Alston Family know that


    you are definitely not a useless housewife. They are just projecting.¡±


    Julia would not let a chance to get at others slip by.


    Amelie did not think there was anything wrong with giving Julia all the credit. However, the invitations


    were all sent, and Julia was honestly doing it for Amelie¡¯s own good. Hence, she did not protest any


    further.


    ¡°There are two more days before the anniversary dinner. Tomorrow, the two of us will go shopping. We


    must shock everyone and be the stars of the show,¡± Julia dered steadfastly.


    Amelie silently stared at her in shock.


    Julia was a streamer and was in charge of the entirepany¡¯s operations. Her schedule was even


    more tightly packed than Amelie¡¯s.


    Naturally, Amelie could not let Julia travel so far just for her. ¡°How about I go to your ce instead?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ncing down at her watch, she saw that it was nearly midnight.


    Who would be knocking on her door thiste at night?

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    Amelie walked over to her security inte. The sight of the man disyed on the screen shocked


    her.


    Leo? Why is he here? What is he doing here sote at night?


    On the screen, he was standing straight and looking into the camera with his dark eyes.


    Even with a camera and screen between them, she could still feel the sharp look in his eyes against


    her skin.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    The more confused she was about his intentions, the less she wanted to open her door.


    However, if she did not answer the door, her sleeping father would be wakened up.


    Steven had strong objections about Leo, and she did not want any fights to break out.


    After hesitating for a while, she swiftly pulled the door open and stepped out, closing the door behind


    her.


    ¡°Do you need something, Mr. Alston? It is quitete.¡± Her wariness was visible on her pretty face.


    To him, her wariness was exceptionally striking.


    However, his mind was preupied with something else, so he did not have the heart to think about


    that.


    His focus was primarily focused on her eyes. ¡°Why were you at the eye specialist center that time?¡±


    Amelie was startled by his question.


    She thought he was here because of Bria or something else. In the end, that was all he wanted to


    know.


    ¡°I was at the eye specialist center naturally because I wanted to have my eyes checked.¡± A moment


    later, she calmly asked, ¡°What? Can I not go to that center?¡±


    ¡°What happened to your eyes?¡± he shot back. His eyes were still trained on her.


    Before their divorce, Amelie would fantasize that he wanted to thank her because she donated corneal


    tissue to fix his blinded left eye.


    Now, she had witnessed too many cold and callous moments from him, too much proof of how little he


    cared for her. Thus, she would not fantasize about his love anymore.


    She tilted her head. ¡°That¡¯s my business. I don¡¯t need to report to you about that, do I? Did youe


    all the way here just to ask about my eyes? Come on, what else is there?¡±


    ¡°If Jodie tattled to you, then you have better know exactly what she did in the first ce.¡± That was the


    only


    With that said, she did not want to continue talking to him any longer, so she turned to head back to her


    home.


    Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist.


    Then, she was pulled backward.


    Before she knew what was happening, she was pinned against the door.


    ¡°What are you doing, Leo?¡± she roared, turning to re at him.


    Acting as if he did not hear her, he reached out for her face.


    Thinking he was going to beat her up, she instinctively turned to look away.


    He soon grabbed her face and turned her around.


    With his long fingers holding her head still, he leaned his face closer until there were barely a few


    inches. between them.


    She could feel his warm breath brushing against her cheeks.


    In the four years they had been married, he had never once stood so close to her. Her mind went


    nk, making her forget to react to his actions.


    His gaze scanned her right eye.


    There was nothing special about it. Her eye was actively darting around. Evidently, it was normal.


    With that confirmed, he turned his focus to her left eye.


    Her left eye¡­


    He had just started scanning her eye when his phone started ringing.


    The ringtone pierced through the quiet night sky, snapping her back to her senses. She immediately


    pushed him away.


    Shoved away, he took a few more steps back. When he saw it was a call from Elyse, he frowned.


    He nned on ignoring the call, but he recalled Elyse¡¯s mental state and decided to answer.


    ¡°Where are you, Leo?¡± Elyse sounded very worried. ¡°I have something important to tell you.¡±


    ¡°We can talk tomorrow,¡± Leo replied impatiently.


    responded, ¡°I¡¯m on my way back.¡±


    After hanging up, he turned and disappeared down the corridor without sparing Amelie even a word of


    farewell.


    She stared at his back as she held a hand up to her face.


    His sudden appearance and disappearance confused her.


    What was he going to do just now?


    Still, she did not think too hard about it.


    After all, he was called away by a mere phone call from Elyse. How important could his desire be?


    Early in the morning, the cold breeze blew through the hills.


    A ck Maybach pulled to a stop at the bottom of the hill, and a silent man dressed in ck stepped


    out of it.


    Following behind him was a slender young woman and a rather informally dressed man.


    ¡°Right up there,¡± Elyse said, pointing up at the grassy hill.


    Leo quietly looked up. His expressionless face was full of gravity and seriousness.


    There was a sad air hanging around him.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked after a long second of silence.


    She nodded. ¡°Ashton¡¯s information is definitely true.¡±


    She then turned to look at Ashton who was standing beside them with his head held low. ¡°Isn¡¯t that


    right,


    Ashton?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered, nodding. ¡°The Lowe Family¡¯s informationwork would never make a


    mistake.¡±


    It was only then that Leo strode up the hill. A few minutester, they were standing in front of a


    headstone with overgrown grass.


    The tiny que on the tombstone read ¡®Here lies ine Perez¡¯.


    Leo¡¯s gaze was icy as he stood there.


    about her feelings. Still, whenever you left for school or returned to the house, she would sneak out to


    watch you. Sometimes, she would pretend to bump into you by coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Later on, she fell ill. That was why her mother resigned. They returned to their hometown as her


    mother focused on taking care of her. She fell ill just as you were involved in the car crash. Even


    though she was terminally ill, she kept an ear out for news of you. She knew of your ident. She


    even had her mother ask around about your condition.¡±


    ¡°When you were sent away to Quinn Town, she begged her mother to bring her over to visit you. When


    she


    found out about your blind eye, she decided to donate her corneal tissue before she finally died.¡±


    ¡°ording to her mother, she chose to donate while she was still alive because she was afraid her


    cancer


    might affect the quality of the donation.¡± Elyse paused. ¡°Who knew she was such a¡­ loving girl?¡±


    She let out a soft sigh.


    Leo pursed his lips and silently recalled any memories he had of ine.


    At was true that there used to be a servant who lived there with her child, and that child¡¯s name was


    ine


    Perez.


    He had also encountered her multiple times before. She used to shoot timid nces of admiration at


    him.


    Everything seemed usible.


    ¡°She was going to die anyway, so donating her corneal tissue was considered making the most out of


    her situation. At most, you can just give her family some marypensation. Everything is in the


    past. It is best to focus on those who are still living.¡± Ashtonnguidly said as he shot the grave a


    scornful look.


    Elyse smacked him. ¡°Don¡¯t say that! Let¡¯s wait down by the car and give Leo a few minutes.¡±


    As soon as she said that, Ashton¡¯s mouth clicked shut. The two then walked back to the car.


    Elyse only put away her saintly facade when they were near the car. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said to Ashton.


    ¡°You did me a huge favor.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    To Ashton, it was a blessing that she sought him out for help.


    He would do anything to make her happy, even if it meant jumping into a fire.


    ¡°So, why did you ask me to look for the donor? Did something happen?¡± he asked, bemused.


    His question made her perfect face stiffen before twisting into an ugly look.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    She held her fury down and coldly hissed, ¡°Just find her, and don¡¯t ask questions.¡±


    Oh, she¡¯s mad. Ashton quickly exined, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to pry. I¡¯m just worried if Leo finds out that this


    isn¡¯t the one who¡ª¡±


    ¡°She is the donor as long as you say she is!¡± Elyse growled like a tigress.


    And Ashton was shocked.


    A momentter, Elyse realized she had just lost herposure. Well, this is awkward. I know I see him


    as less than a bug, but at least he helped me. I shouldn¡¯t have yelled at him. That was a bit


    unreasonable. And I have to calm him down, so he¡¯ll keep supporting me. Softly, she apologized,


    ¡°Sorry. Tension has been running high, so I lost control of my temper. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± She once again


    put on a sad look and gave him a puppy pout,


    And Ashton fell for her act again. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Leo wouldn¡¯t pay more attention to you. It¡¯s like he


    doesn¡¯t even care about your feelings. Unbelievable. He chose you. He should be treasuring you like


    you¡¯re the most precious thing in life.¡± Elyse was the most perfect woman in the world, at least for


    Ashton. He thought she deserved nothing but the best.


    Elyse sneered in silence. Yeah, right. Like you care about love. You¡¯re a cheating jerk. I¡¯ve seen you


    change girlfriends at least four times a month. As if you know how to treasure a woman. But she kept


    that to herself.


    She still needed him, after all. So instead of mocking him, she held his hand. ¡°I can¡¯t count on my family


    for anything. Leo is all I have left. I have to go through a lot just to get back with him, and I don¡¯t want


    anything to get between us. I don¡¯t mind him searching for the donor, but I¡¯m worried she might have


    ideas about him. If she wanted me to leave him, it¡¯d be a disaster for me. And Leo might find her


    request hard to fulfill. You have to keep it a secret, for both him and me. Insist that ine was the


    donor.¡±


    She went back not long after she left the night before, worried that Toby might put in a bad word with


    Leo. But by chance, she found out Leo was still searching for the donor. He didn¡¯t think much about


    Toby¡¯s boration, but she, on the other hand, felt a chill tun down her spine. And the only thought that


    went through her mind was, I can¡¯t let Leo keep searching for that woman no matter what. She needed


    someone to impersonate the donor. Someone dead. And so, she asked Ashton to help her.


    That sounds serious. Ashton quickly said, ¡°I won¡¯t say a word. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. For everything you¡¯ve done for Leo and me.¡± Mostly me. The only one who gained


    something out of this was her, and yet she acted like it was good for her and Leo.


    Ashton sighed. ¡°Leo¡¯s so lucky he has you.¡±


    And then someone behind them coughed.


    Elyse turned around only to be met with Leo¡¯s dark gaze. She quickly let go of Ashton¡¯s hand and


    approached Leo. ¡°Oh, back so soon? I thought you would be up there for a while.¡± She only had eyes


    for Leo, her concern


    Leo shook his head. ¡°I want to see ine¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go right away.¡± Elyse nodded and pointed at a shack not too far from them. ¡°That¡¯s their house.¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t follow them. He stayed back to get some sleep. Only Elyse and Leo went to the shack.


    Halfway through, Leo asked, ¡°Why¡¯d you suddenly help with the search?¡±


    She froze up and looked at Leo. He seemed calm as if he was just asking that question out of curiosity.


    But she knew better. Someone like Leo would never ask any question simply out of curiosity, rm


    bells rang in her head, but Elyse remained calm. She pursed her lips and covered her mouth, then she


    looked at the ground. ¡°I


    hated myself for lying to youst time, and I wanted to do something to make it up to you. I¡¯ve been


    asking


    Ashton and others to search for ine no matter what. Fortunately, Ashton knows a lot about your


    case, and


    he eventually found ine.¡± She went ahead and held his hand before she swung it. ¡°I owe you and


    ine an


    apology. If I hadn¡¯t been so selfish, you would¡¯ve known about her a long time ago. She¡¯s no longer


    with us, but I wish to fund her sister¡¯s education until she graduates college. It¡¯s what I can do for her.¡±


    Leo seemed to believe her, and he held her hand. ¡°Taking care of her family is my job, not yours.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be a family soon. You don¡¯t have to be formal,¡± she said cheekily.


    But Leo froze. For some reason, when he thought of the woman whom he would raise a family with, he


    could


    only see Amelie in his mind. He quickly shook his head and forgot about her. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ine¡¯s mother happily weed them. Leo asked for ine¡¯s medical records, and thedy quickly


    laid out


    the files before him, including the one that recorded the donation of her cornea.


    ¡°This is the consultation result she came back with when she decided to donate her cornea. And this is


    her


    train ticket to Quinn Town. And this is the form she filled out. The medical staff refused her application


    for a living donation. And this is her diary.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Leo skimmed through everything.


    A smile curled Elyse¡¯s lips, and she nodded at ine¡¯s mother.


    Before they left, Leo gave ine¡¯s mother a check worth seven hundred and fifty grand, much to the


    lady¡¯s


    delight. And then she saw the couple off.


    Good. He believes the story now. Elyse heaved a sigh of relief. Now I don¡¯t have to worry about that


    woman


    anymore. She¡¯s not going to be a threat to my rtionship now.


    Leo took her back to her home. She got out of the car beautifully and winked at him. ¡°You¡¯ve been


    driving for hours. Wanna crash at my ce for the night?¡±


    ¡°No. I have something else to settle.¡± And Leo turned around.


    And she smiled. But so what? ine¡¯s dead, and now he¡¯s forever caught in the curse of his old me-


    Big Eyes. He¡¯ll be mine eventually.


    Excellent Homes. The ce where Toby lived. He came downstairsnguidly, wearing his pajamas.


    There were no servants around. He was used to living by himself, and he could do whatever he


    wanted. And he was about to get himself a ss of water. But the moment he touched his ss, he


    saw someone on his couch, and he gasped.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123


    The guest¡¯s ck shirt was tucked into his ck pants, revealing his slim body lines. He leaned ahead,


    holding a ss of red wine in his hand. And the ss reflected his beautiful, handsome face.


    ¡°Leo?¡± Toby took a while to recognize the man. He put his ss down and approached him. ¡°When did


    youe here? Last night? This morning? What are you doing here anyway?¡±


    Leo stared straight into Toby¡¯s eyes.


    And Toby shivered. ¡°Just tell me what you want. Don¡¯t give me that look. You¡¯re scaring me.¡±


    Toby had a slightly feminine look and spoke softer than most men. And he was in white pajamas, a


    stark contrast to Leo, who was in ck. He looked like a beautiful man, while Leo had the air of a


    medieval vampire, and the look in his eyes was as sharp as a falcon¡¯s. In novels of a certain genre, a


    man like Leo barging into the house of a guy like Toby would develop into some¡­ extreme scenes.


    Toby was straight, of course, but he wondered if Leo would do anything unbelievable, especially when


    he was staring at him.


    Leo put his ss down and stood up, his hands in his pockets. He approached Toby, but his eyes were


    staring into the great distance. ¡°I need you to look into ine Perez¡¯s case. And her mother.¡±


    ¡°ine Perez?¡± Toby wondered who that was.


    And Leo told him the gist of things.


    Oh, so that¡¯s how it is. ¡°So, she was the donor?¡±


    Leo nodded. ¡°So far, yes.¡±


    ¡°So far? Are you suspecting something? Did they do a sloppy job?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No? So, you¡¯re¡­.¡± Suspecting Elyse? He didn¡¯t finish that sentence. He knew Elyse was a lying


    wench, but saying it out loud would hurt their friendship, and he didn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t do a sloppy job, and the files wereprehensive. Tooprehensive. And that was their


    w.¡± Everything looked retro and backed all other files up perfectly, but that was the exact reason why


    he suspected that someone had doctored everything. And he wanted to find the truth. ¡°Just look into it


    for me.¡± He patted Toby¡¯s shoulder.


    This time, Toby nodded. ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    gleaming in her eyes.


    Amelie stopped checking her clothes out, and she smiled at Julia. ¡°Yeah, I know. We still have two


    hours.¡±


    Julia almost screamed. ¡°Which is not enough for a total makeover! I specifically told you that you have


    to look like a goddess during dinner!¡±


    Amelie held a dress before her. ¡°I¡¯m hot. I look like a goddess no matter what I wear.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    I can¡¯t believe her. Right, no talking, or she¡¯s going to say something stupid again.


    A momentter, Amelie picked a light-colored dress.


    Julia checked it out. ¡°Nope. Too basic.¡± She wanted Amelie to wear dresses of the most striking colors


    so that she could attract everyone¡¯s attention the moment she showed up.


    Amelie saw through her, and she patted Julia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Looks don¡¯t determine my worth. What¡¯s


    inside my soul does. And a shimmering soul always attracts everyone¡¯s attention no matter where they


    go.¡±


    Before Julia could say anything, someone blurted, ¡°Good quote, Miss Dillon.¡±


    Thedies turned around and saw Elyse standing behind them, smiling. But Julia felt like puking just


    from seeing Elyse. Her face fell, but Amelie remained calm.


    Elyse approached Amelie and looked at her dress. And her smile got bigger. ¡°I apud your courage.


    Miss Dillon. Trying to attract everyone¡¯s attention with nothing but your personality is hundreds of times


    harder


    than just using the best clothes money can buy.¡±


    An indignant Julia hissed, ¡°What is that supposed to mean? You think Amelie isn¡¯t good enough?¡±


    Elyse pursed her lips and looked at Julia. ¡°You have an attractive personality, Ms. White.¡±


    So, she¡¯s saying I don¡¯t? Man, she¡¯s so childish. And even if I can¡¯t attract anyone with my personality,


    it¡¯s none of her business. She took the dress to the counter. ¡°Pack this up for me.¡±


    She¡¯s ignoring me? Elyse clenched her fists, but she remained smiling. And she followed Amelie.


    ¡°Congrattions on your marriage, Miss Dillon. Or should I say the wife of Starlight¡¯s boss?¡±


    Amelie marrying Starlight¡¯s boss was Elyse¡¯s best oue, and she knew that. But she was jealous


    that Starlight¡¯s boss had epted Amelie, while Leo still refused her. And she wanted to take Amelie


    down a peg or


    two.


    ¡°You¡¯re not someone with an attractive personality, but at least you¡¯ve won in life. You married the


    richest man around in your first marriage, and now you¡¯re married to yet another wealthy man. Yes,


    your first marriage wasn¡¯t happy, but your second proves otherwise.¡±


    about any rich man. Amelie got the implication, but she only smiled and brushed thement aside.


    She¡¯s still not affected? Elyse gnashed her teeth in fury.


    Unlike her friend, Julia wouldn¡¯t take thement quietly. Someone¡¯s getting it from yours truly. She


    snickered. ¡°You¡¯re not bad yourself, Miss yton. Four years ago, you were the love of Mr. Alston¡¯s life.


    And now he divorced his wife for you. There¡¯s noparison at all. He had someone who loved him


    with all her heart, and yet he still went for a cheating wench who would sleep with just about anyone.¡±


    Julia covered her mouth. ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t talking about you, but if the shoe fits¡­¡±


    Elyse went pale with anger, and then her cheeks turned red with fury. She gnashed her teeth, cursing


    Julia


    silently.


    The staff members weren¡¯t the kind to gossip, but they were curious. And they were undoubtedly


    coming up with theories about the story between these women.


    Elyse spent all these years working overseas so everyone would forget about her cheating past, but


    now Julia dragged it back up, and she felt embarrassed. She turned her attention to Amelie, but she


    was still not looking at them. Obviously, she was ignoring Elyse, and that fact hurt Elyse¡¯s ego more


    than what Julia said to her. She clenched her fists in fury. Damn you, Amelie! But then she smiled.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss White, I won¡¯t think too much about it. After all, Leo and I are childhood sweethearts,


    and the rtionship between us is unmatched. So, even if I¡¯m a bit willful, he¡¯s willing to let it go. Sigh,


    sometimes I also feel helpless about his kindness. I hope he can stop focusing on me and care more


    about himself.¡±


    Elyse said these words with a straight face. Although she was speaking to Julia, it was obvious that she


    was unting in front of Amelie and clearly showing off.


    Julia nodded obligingly. ¡°Yeah, Miss yton, you¡¯re living a happy life. I¡¯m so envious. Look, Leo is so


    handsome and driven. He was able to turn Genesis into a leading enterprise in Clouson City. Ordinary


    people can¡¯t reach this level.¡±


    Is this apliment to me and Leo?


    When Elyse heard Julia¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help being taken aback. In all honesty, Elyse could not


    believe Julia would say something like that. Julia was the most venomous person she knew. Besides,


    Elyse was Amelie¡¯s love rival, so how could Julia praise Elyse? The more Elyse thought about it, the


    warier she became, and she became extremely tense.


    On the other hand, Julia sighed and said, ¡°Our Elie is different. What a tough life she has.¡±


    After she sighed, the ears of the surrounding staff pricked up to hear the impending gossip. At that


    moment. most of the staff gathered quietly around Julia, Elyse, and Amelie.


    ¡°Mr. Alston loves you to the core, Miss yton. Since you don¡¯t want to get engaged, he hasn¡¯t


    mentioned the matter of engagement until now. Our boss has made official announcements several


    times to name Elie as the female proprietor of Starlight Media. This is something that she can¡¯t even


    reject. What¡¯s more, he¡¯s desperate to leave Starlight Media to Elie even before she marries him. Sigh,


    don¡¯t you think it¡¯s annoying to have such a useless boss?¡±


    Julia spread her hands, tilted her head, and raised the corners of her eyebrows. The people around


    were eagerly waiting to hear Amelie¡¯s tragic story, so they didn¡¯t expect Julia to say that and burst out


    laughing.


    Julia was not saying that Amelie was pitiful. She was clearly showing off the trust and support the boss


    of Starlight Media gave Amelie. On the other hand, Elyse had been in love with Leo for many years, yet


    he didn¡¯t even arrange an engagement officially. Didn¡¯t it mean that she was not favored by Leo?


    The public quickly turned their sympathetic gazes to Elyse.


    Amelie, who was next to them, had already guessed that Julia would not easily let Elyse go. Hearing


    what Julia said, she shook her head helplessly.


    Julia, do you want Elyse to die in a fit of anger?


    Elvse¡¯s face was pale, especially when she saw the probing and pitying gazes from around her. She


    clenched


    fit.


    T


    It took a while for Elyse to suppress the mes in her heart that wanted to burn Julia to death. Then,


    she smiled gently. ¡°This proves that Miss Dillon is capable.¡±


    Her voice was intentionally soft as if she was sincerely praising Amelie. When she opened her mouth,


    she appeared to be full of grace and generosity, which contrasted with Julia¡¯s vicious words. Julia didn¡¯t


    expect that Elyse would secretly reverse the situation; her expression twisted wildly, and she wanted to


    retort. Just then, Amelie came over and pulled Julia to stop her.


    Julia looked at Amelie puzzledly as Amelie said with a smile on her face, ¡°My ability is naturally inferior


    to yours, Miss yton, and Starlight Media is also inferior to Rainbow Media where you work. Although


    Starlight Media is in the media industry, it¡¯s just a peddler¡¯s business selling small things, while you¡¯re


    one of those big names, Miss yton. Julia, you need to be humble.¡±


    Julia finally understood and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes, I have to apologize to you, Miss yton.


    Please forgive me for my transgressions.¡±


    Elyse was speechless. Though Amelie¡¯s words sounded ttering on the surface, Amelie was actually


    throwing shade at Elyse. After all, Elyse herself was getting worse day by day. Not to mention, Rainbow


    Media was going downhill now. When she returned to the country this time, she wanted to find some


    opportunities here.


    Julia and Amelie kept saying that they were peddlers and wanted to lift her higher than themselves, but


    anyone with a discerning eye knew that the amount of money that live sale broadcasts brought was


    insanely high. The money earned from Julia¡¯s one live broadcast was equivalent to Elyse¡¯s several


    months of filming. The revenue of Starlight Media was countless times more than that of Rainbow


    Media! Just imagine, how shameful it is for someone who earned less than 5,000 a month to be


    ttered as a top-tier celebrity by a big shot who earned I


    million a month.


    To Elyse, this was not the most fatal issue yet. The fatal issue was that she also wanted to take the


    path of live broadcasting. Once Amelie said this, how could she have the face to work in this direction?


    Amelie was trying to kill her spirit and not let her survive!


    Elyse was trembling with anger, and the expression on her face faltered. Immediately, her facial


    features began to twist in an ugly way. Amelie finished what she had to say and settled the bill. She


    didn¡¯t want to waste time with Elyse, so she walked away. When she reached the door, she saw a tall


    man standing at the door. The man had dark eyebrows and he didn¡¯t look at anyone, but he was so


    oppressive that others couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Seeing Leo, Amelie was taken aback. Her gaze turned to Elyse, and then she understood that Leo was


    here to go shopping with his beloved. In her memory, Leo was often so busy that he always had one


    meeting after another. He was so upied yet he paused his job to apany Elyse. This surely


    required a lot of love on his


    pant.


    ¡°Leo, you¡¯re here.¡± Elyse also saw Leo and immediately became pitiful with tears in her eyes. Although


    she didn¡¯t say anything, she made it clear that she was bullied by Amelie.


    Let¡¯s go.¡± She took Julia¡¯s arm and walked out. As she passed Leo, she didn¡¯t even spare him a


    nce.


    Leo¡¯s eyes shifted to her and then her face. Amelie was wearing a very simple dress, which was not as


    fancy as before. Unlike in the past, she had light in her eyes; she was full of energy and had incredible


    vitality. When she walked, she held her head up and her chest out in a naturally rxed manner. With


    that, she immediately emanated a great aura.


    Even if Amelie was walking on the street, he probably wouldn¡¯t recognize her. Was it the boss of


    Starlight Media who caused such a big change in her? His chest felt like it was suddenly blocked by


    something and he felt extremely ufortable!


    Elyse noticed his gaze, and her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Leo had developed a good


    impression of Amelie? Before he figured out her identity, he had developed a good impression of her. If


    he knew that she was Big Eyes, Elyse would not have her way!


    Originally, she wanted Leo to help her release her anger as well as affect Amelie¡¯s mood negatively, but


    the result was unexpected. Afraid and anxious, Elyse couldn¡¯t help touching her forehead. ¡°Leo, I


    suddenly feel dizzy and ufortable.¡±


    After saying that, Elyse fell into Leo¡¯s arms. Only then did Leoe back to his senses; seeing her


    painful look, he quickly picked her up. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡±


    Amelie and Julia had just walked to the parking lot, and when they turned around, they saw Leo


    walking out with Elyse in his arms. Julia sneered, ¡°What is he doing? Is he afraid that no one knows


    that they are in love to the extent that they have to express such a public disy of affection?¡±


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    Hearing this, Amelie nced in Leo¡¯s direction. When she saw this, she raised her lips and let out a


    chuckle. Her gaze flickered a little before looking somewhere else. Knowing how nice Leo was to


    Elyse, she had already withdrawn her emotions from him, and she would no longer have any feelings


    for this man.


    ¡°Get in the car.¡± She opened the car door with the remote.


    The two walked toward the car. At this moment, a strong strobe of light suddenly lit up in front of them,


    causing them to be unable to open their eyes. Amelie had to squint her eyes, just in time to see that it


    was a motorcycle that was out of control and was speeding toward her¡­..

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Julia yelled while her eyes widened in shock. Amelie reacted quickly and retreated


    instantly when the motorcycle was about to hit her by dodging behind the pir. The bike came to a


    screeching stop. Then, the man pulled off his helmet and looked at Amelie with an apologetic


    expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the garage is too dark, so I didn¡¯t notice you.¡±


    ¡°The area is too dark and yet you still drive so fast?¡± Julia jumped out and scolded him immediately. ¡°If


    you hit her, how will you take responsibility?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± The other party kept apologizing.


    Amelie calmed down, then walked out and pulled Julia. ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Julia red at the man again, then pulled Amelie toward the car. When Amelie looked up, she saw Leo


    who had rushed out at some point, and he was standing less than three meters away from her. At this


    time, he was looking over at her. She froze for a moment, wondering what Leo was doing here and if


    he was going to rescue


    her.


    Amelie immediately shook her head again. Considering his hatred for her, he probably wished she died


    sooner.


    He ran over just now because he probably wanted to see how she was killed.


    Thinking of this, Amelie quickly looked away. Julia lowered her head and got into the car. Soon, they


    drove


    away.


    From behind, Elyse looked at Leo with a pale face. Leo had just left her behind to save Amelie! She


    was originally carried by him, but the moment Leo realized that something happened to Amelie, he


    almost instinctively shoved her to the side of the car and rushed off. Fortunately, the other party didn¡¯t


    hit Amelie. Otherwise, Elyse would lose face today.


    Elyse suppressed the uneasiness and annoyance in her heart before walking to Leo in a sickly manner.


    ¡°Leo, I¡¯m really ufortable. Take me to the hospital.¡±


    As if Leo didn¡¯t hear her, he walked up to the motorcycle, stretched out his long arm, and grabbed the


    motorcycle rider¡¯s cor. With a forceful tug, the person had been pulled off the motorcycle. Thereafter,


    Leo punched him in the face. The man was hit in the nose, so his nose bled immediately.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the man yelled, covering his nose.


    Leo didn¡¯t answer and punched him a few more times before throwing him on the ground. Then, he


    turned around and walked back to the car.


    Elyse watched as Leo beat the man up, feeling both shocked and terrified. That person merely scared


    Amelie and even Amelie didn¡¯t really care about it, but he¡­.


    The uneasiness in her heart was like a whirlpool, drowning herpletely!


    ¡°Leo.¡±


    After getting in the car, Elyse held Leo¡¯s hand and said in a yful tone, ¡°What happened to you just


    now? Amelie is a race car driver and has a swift reaction. Nothing can hit her at all.¡±


    There were two underlying meanings in her words. One was hinting that Leo was attracted to Amelie


    because he saw how outstanding she was. Another was reminding Leo that this was most likely a


    scene set up by Amelie herself to test him.


    Leo rubbed his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Even if it was a stranger, I can¡¯t just stand there and do


    nothing. What¡¯s more, she¡¯s Bria¡¯s mother.¡±


    Elyse didn¡¯t say anything more, but her eyes revealed her deep unhappiness. She looked at his


    angr and handsome face. Then, a sneer appeared on her lips. Leo, were you nervous just because


    Amelie is Bria¡¯s mother?


    Perhaps even he didn¡¯t know why he rushed out to rescue Amelie and even attacked the rider


    afterward. Fortunately, Amelie had be the female proprietor of Starlight Media, and she was no


    longer a threat.


    Amelie changed her clothes in the car. She then put on some light dinner makeup and tied her hair


    loosely behind her head, fixing it with a hairpin with a tassel. Julia parked the car downstairs at the


    Silver Cloud Hotel where the annual dinner was held, then turned to look at Amelie.


    Although the color of Amelie¡¯s dress was very in, her skin was fair and supple. It was smooth and


    clean without any blemishes. Her eyes were big and bright; her lips were strawberry pink. Moreover,


    the bridge of her nose was high, and her eyshes were long as they fluttered lightly like the wings of


    butterflies. Her loose updo and the hairpin with a tassel added a bit of softness around her face. In fact,


    she looked elegant and gorgeous in a charming yet pure manner, as if she was right out of a painting.


    ¡°How stunning!¡±


    Sure enough, a beautiful woman could fascinate others even if she was wearing a sack.


    When the two arrived at the venue, many other people had already arrived. Among these people, there


    were employees of Starlight Media as well as those from other coborativepanies. Some people


    came here because of the event¡¯s reputation; they wanted to get acquainted with Starlight Media.


    There were even some who simply wanted to see what kind of character the female proprietor of


    Starlight Media was like.


    Starlight Media was at the height of its power now. With all kinds of famous Inte celebrities doing


    live broadcasts, videos, and online selling based in thispany, the ability of thepany to rake in


    money was unimaginable. Therefore, Starlight Media¡¯s every move attracted a lot of attention. Some


    people even spent a lot of money to get an admission ticket for this event, and it was said that


    admission tickets were sold for millions


    When the usher saw the two of them, he immediately opened the tall andrge entrance door. No one


    said anything, but the people inside felt a sh of light from outside all of a sudden, and they all looked


    over at the


    same time.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s the female proprietor of Starlight Media.¡±


    Soon, all eyes fell on Amelie. Most of the people present had read notices issued by Starlight Media¡¯s


    boss and knew that Amelie was ¡°his¡± favorite, but Amelie used to work in seclusion and didn¡¯t know


    many people.


    Amelie naturally had an impressive aura that lingered around her. Every time she took a step, her


    brilliance scattered around her. The light in everyone¡¯s eyes changed from initial spection and


    suspicion to surprise.


    ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful and sassy! Why was she not popr when she was in the Alston Family?¡±


    Although the matter between Amelie, Leo, and the Alston Family was not deliberately exposed, so


    many things had happened recently, so everyone couldn¡¯t help but dig about it. Soon, many hidden


    secrets were revealed.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°I know right? With this temperament and appearance, she can even marry into the royal family if she


    inclines to. Why does the Alston Family not like her?¡±


    ¡°The Alston Family probably has bad taste.¡±


    Everyone talked and gossiped, and no one noticed someone suddenly looking angry on one side.


    She stared at Amelie who was not far away with deep disgust and fury. Her fingernails dug into her


    fancy clutch, and the expensive tinum clutch was soon damaged by several deep marks!


    ¡°Damn it, Amelie! You must be doing this on purpose!¡± she cursed in a low voice with endless hatred in


    her


    eyes.


    ¡°She just wants to use this opportunity to ruin the Alston Family¡¯s reputation!¡±


    This person was none other than Jodie Alston. She was furious at being tricked by Amelie before, and


    she heard that Amelie woulde today, so she purposely spent a lot of money to get the admission


    ticket and came here specifically to make trouble for Amelie.


    However, before she could do anything, Amelie¡¯s presence and all thements about thetter


    infuriated Jodie to no end. She wanted to rip Amelie apart! Her raging gaze pierced Amelie, who was


    surrounded by the crowd and was glowing with radiance. Jodie felt wrathful and jealous. The more


    sessful Amelie was, the more she didn¡¯t want Amelie to have a good life.


    Today, I must put Amelie to shame somehow! In the future, when everyone mentions the female


    proprietor of Starlight Media, they will onlyugh mockingly!


    Thinking of this, Jodie strode out.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126


    Amelie and Julia were discussing their project with the person in charge at theirpany when


    someone came closer and whispered something to Julia.


    ¡°Please excuse me.¡± She patted Amelie¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Amelie smiled.


    After Julia was gone, Amelie politely nodded at the client and said, ¡°Perhaps I should take over and


    exin more about thepany¡¯s project to you.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been a housewife the entire time. Miss Dillon? I didn¡¯t expect you to start crossing the line


    and interfering with Starlight Media¡¯s affairs so soon. Before the client could say anything, they were


    interrupted by someone else.


    When Amelie turned around, she saw ady¡¯s face with heavy makeup, and her long, blue dress with


    sparkling embroidery on it tapered down to the floor.


    However, Amelie didn¡¯t know who that person was. She did not recognize her face, but even so, she


    could tell from her words that the woman hadn¡¯te with friendly intentions. Furthermore, the fact that


    the woman mentioned Amelie¡¯s past as a housewife while using her of overstepping her authority


    instantly cast doubts on her capability. As expected, the client fixed his gaze on Amelie skeptically,


    making it seem as though he didn¡¯t quite believe in her.


    Nevertheless, Amelie wasn¡¯t fazed at all. Instead, she reacted with a bright smile on her face. ¡°Well,


    people who do live broadcasts all the time typically ¡®cross the line, you know. Many of them used to be


    construction workers, farmers, or even homeless people before they got into the business, but guess


    what? They¡¯re still who they are, which doesn¡¯t change the fact that they¡¯re still well-liked, don¡¯t you


    think so? Moreover, with all the rising demands and expectations in modern society, you can¡¯t me


    those people for doing so, can you? After all, that¡¯s how surprises are made.¡±


    ¡°Precisely! I agree with you, Miss Dillon. The reason why I love working with Starlight Media is that


    you¡¯re bold enough to cross the lines with your broadcasts. By doing so, it can prove to everyone else


    in our country that nothing is impossible, as well as why people in this business are so popr.¡± The


    client dered his admiration for Amelie despite his initial doubts.


    At that moment, he was even more impressed by Amelie, not to mention his endorsement of Starlight


    Media¡¯s reputation for excellence. ¡°You may have been a housewife back then, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re


    smart. For that, no one should discriminate against housewives in this modern era.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± The woman had a pale face, seemingly caught off guard by Amelie¡¯s witty reply. Despite her


    embarrassment, she wasn¡¯t about to give up. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to discriminate against housewives, but


    Miss Dillon has never learned any basicmercial principles before. As far as I¡¯m concerned, her


    father is only a shoe maker with humble origins, which was why he couldn¡¯t afford the best education


    for her. Because of that, I¡¯m afraid you have a long way to go to be the decent person you think


    you are, and I doubt you¡¯re


    T


    While you may be able to talk your way out or close the deal with your client, you also need to be


    observant and keen with your judgment¡­¡±


    The woman went on and on about her point, ring at Amelie. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve heard any


    of this, have you, Miss Dillon?¡± She intentionally raised her voice, knowing the audio engineer was right


    beside her with the microphone turned on. Therefore, her words could be heard by everyone else


    around the ce.


    In that instant, Amelie quickly found herself surrounded by several people as though she were in the


    spotlight. Not long after that, even the passers-by got curious and walked closer to have a look at what


    was going on when they saw the scene. While everyone else was waiting for what would unfold next,


    the person, who stated his admiration for Amelie, started to doubt her once again.


    Meanwhile, Jodie was sipping some wine from a ss as she watched the scene from afar, her eyes


    smiling. Since she was concerned about her status and the Alston Family¡¯s image, she hired a woman


    to insult Amelie in her ce as she was determined to catch Amelie off guard. I know what you¡¯re up


    to, Amelie. You want to earn everyone¡¯s approval with this chance, don¡¯t you? Well, I¡¯m going to make


    sure everyone remembers your ineptitude instead. In the end, you will be responsible for Starlight


    Media¡¯s downfall.


    On the other hand, the woman, who was finding fault with Amelie, continued to relentlessly put Amelie


    down with her mean words. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your marriage with Mr. Alston. For that, I must say you


    don¡¯t have what it takes to be the best of the best even though you might have a trick or two up your


    sleeve, which was why you struggled to make peace with everyone else in the family. Aren¡¯t I right?


    While you might be able to take care of a mess in a smallpany, things in Starlight Media are on a


    different scale. As such, it makes me wonder what move you¡¯re going to make next, Miss Dillon.¡±


    The woman finished her words and stuck out her head by stretching her neck like a rooster that just


    won a fight. Deep down, she was already imagining the awkward look on Amelie¡¯s face and the


    contemptuous expression from the bystanders who gloated over her misery. I just picked at her ability


    harshly, criticized her character, and exposed her background to everyone here. I¡¯m so brilliant!


    Goodness! Let¡¯s see how she talks her way out of that!


    While keeping her eyes fixed on the woman, Amelie pursed her lips and smirked. Instead of rushing to


    reply, she tilted her head calmly with a bright smile on her face. At the same time, everyone else was


    surprised when they saw her reaction, not expecting her to smile in an intense and awkward situation.


    Nevertheless, Amelie¡¯s smile was so beautiful that it made everyone else forget about their disdain for


    her, leaving them stunned and spellbound by her beauty. Oh, wow! Her smile is so beautiful! It¡¯s no


    wonder people say women are trouble.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,dy. I might not have talent, but who does everything by herself in this modern era? Great


    leaders delegate jobs to other people and make them worry about it for them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The ce was filled with voices of approval as soon as Amelie finished her sentence.


    ¡°Anything can be done with the right price.¡± Although the bystanders were initially attracted to Amelie¡¯s


    beauty, they became impressed with her witty words and started to respect her for her brilliance.


    On the other hand the woman


    who had  tried to verbally attack Amelie stared at h?r eneerhlly cho


    ¡°You¡¯re indeed a pretty and cleverdy, Miss Dillon!¡± The clientplimented Amelie¡¯s quick wit,


    acknowledging her cleverness. He then turned his attention to the woman and said, ¡°You must be Mr.


    Marston¡¯s wife, right? You and your husband may be the leaders of Skyrise Decor, but it seems to me


    that youck the creativity and the courage to try new things. Therefore, I guess I must reconsider the


    matter of working with yourpany.¡±


    The moment Amelie heard the name, it dawned on her what happened. Since Skyrise Decor was the


    supplier for Genesis, it naturally urred to her that the Alston Family was involved. Someone from the


    Alston Family is trying to use Skyrise Decor to drag me down.


    In that instant, Amelie started scanning her surroundings shortly before she met a pair of hostile eyes.


    Jodie Alston! When she noticed Jodie¡¯s cial and hateful look, she couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips to


    form a smile.


    It looks like Jodie still hasn¡¯t gotten over it since I fooled her thest time. It¡¯s pretty obvious to me that


    she is here for retaliation. Even so, Amelie didn¡¯t go ahead and expose Jodie but instead looked away


    after fixing her eyes on her for a while. Then, she continued to discuss her project with the client.


    Soon, Kelly Patterson, whose husband was the president of Skyrise Decor, came back to Jodie as her


    tears were about to roll down her eyes. ¡°La Casa Decoriums is Skyrise Decor¡¯s biggest client. My


    husband is going to kill me if he finds out we just lost him. Please do something to help me, Miss


    Alston.¡±


    It turned out that the client was the boss of La Casa Decoriums. Although its headquarters was situated


    in the next town, its influence was still formidable here.


    Jodie clenched her fists, her grudge against Amelie growing stronger. After hearing Kelly¡¯s words, she


    became even more frustrated and irritated. ¡°Leave first. We¡¯ll talk about the restter,¡± she coldly said.


    Compared to Kelly¡¯s failed attempt at humiliating Amelie, Jodie was even angrier at being ignored by


    Amelie, for it felt as though she was just an insignificant leaf that fell from the tree. For that, she felt like


    pping Amelie in the face; being ignored was thest thing she could ever tolerate, after all.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Not long after that, Amelie was invited onto the stage to deliver a speech. Despite her brief speech, her


    words were both insightful and impactful. Coupled with her ster impromptu speaking skills, she was


    able to impress all her listeners and earn their respect. ¡°Amelie Dillon is such an exceptionaldy!¡±


    They praised her, but unbeknownst to them, theirpliments didn¡¯t sit well with Jodie. As Amelie


    descended from the stage. she took a step forward and scurried to her hurriedly.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127


    Meanwhile, Amelie, who was holding her skirt with her hands, let go of the fabric as she caught a


    glimpse of Jodieing her way. She curled her lips upward. Oh, look who¡¯sing. Are you so mad


    that you¡¯re going to do it yourself now? Amelie wasn¡¯t even concerned about Jodie¡¯s presence at all,


    thinking her foolishness wasn¡¯t worth her time and energy-


    After Amelie¡¯s speech, the music started ying just as it was time for everyone to dance. ¡°Fancy a


    dance challenge, Amelie?¡± Jodie asked in a low voice, staring at Amelie as if she was trying to provoke


    her.


    Bring it on, Amelie. Even if you can dance, one would need a solid foundation to be a good


    dancer. Eager to humiliate Amelie, Jodie was hoping to defeat her in a dance battle and spread the


    word about it when the dinner was over.


    At the same time, she would also make sure everyone else knew that Amelie was responsible for


    setting her up during the press conference at Starlight Media, unable to forget that she had been forced


    to clean up after that.


    When word about this gets out, Amelie and Starlight Media will be the subjects of criticism. Not


    only will her capabilities be doubted, but she will also be used of putting down new talents. Haha,


    this news is going to keep everyone gossiping long enough. By then, I¡¯ll rise to fame while Amelie¡¯s


    reputation takes a hit.


    As Amelie¡¯s smile stiffened on her face, Jodie caught sight of it and felt satisfied, thinking the former


    was no match for her when it came to dancing. Confident, she walked toward the dance floor while


    shimmying her curvy body.


    In the meantime, Julia returned and saw what had happened. She shook her head helplessly.


    ¡°Goodness gracious, Jodie. You¡¯re asking for trouble.¡± After all, she knew how good Amelie was at


    dancing; her skills were unmatched even when she was up against a professional dancer. Thus, Julia


    was sure Jodie would suffer defeat


    at Amelie¡¯s hands.


    Nheless, Jodie, who had no idea what Amelie was capable of, got ready in her stance as she was


    prepared to show off her Paso Doble. Although Amelie refused to waste her time epting Jodie¡¯s


    challenge, Julia didn¡¯t want to miss the show and nudged her closer to the dance floor. ¡°Come on.


    Show everyone what you can do!¡±


    When Amelie was pushed to the dance floor, she looked at her friend speechlessly. At the same time,


    the musician started ying fast-paced music when he saw Jodie in her stance. As everyone began to


    hear the pace of the lively music, Jodie started waving her skirt as she danced to the rhythm.


    With herrge movements, she was able to demonstrate a high standard of Paso Doble while everyone


    else watched and admired her act in silence. Wanting to force Amelie into epting her challenge,


    Jodie danced in circles around the former to provoke her. While everyone shifted their gazes to Amelie,


    thedy only stood there in silence without responding.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Jodie? What is she doing there?¡± At the same time, Elyse and Leo arrived with Toby. Seizing


    Leo¡¯s arm, Elyse instantly knew what was going on with just one look at the dance floor, her eyes


    darkening. ¡°Leo, is Jodie trying to challenge Miss Dillon? If that is the case, please tell Jodie to stop. I


    understand she is a good


    Meanwhile, Leo quietly set his eyes on the dance floor, but instead of looking at his sister, he kept them


    on Amelie, who appeared to be standing still helplessly. In the meantime, Elyse secretly observed


    Leo¡¯s expression after finishing her sentence, noticing his darkened eyes and pursed lips.


    Truth be told, she felt gleeful to see how Amelie would get embarrassed by Jodie during the dance


    battle. The more helpless Amelie looks, the more disgusted Leo is going to feel for her. Soon, Elyse


    degraded Amelie and added, ¡°Dancing is not like car racing. They are twopletely different stories.¡±


    What can she do besides car racing?


    Toby, who had been quiet the entire time, became annoyed upon hearing Elyse¡¯s words. He then


    chuckled with an ironic expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯re right. Leo should tell Jodie to stop, but not


    because Amelie is the highlight of this event. Rather, he wouldn¡¯t want to see his sister getting


    embarrassed by Amelie.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Mr. Walsh. What are you talking about? Jodie is as good as a professional when ites to


    dancing. What makes you think she is going to be the one getting embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°Amelie Dillon is capable of more than what you think she is, and you¡¯re a fool for underestimating her,¡±


    Toby replied with a cold grunt, believing Amelie was shrewd and versatile ever since he learned that


    she was Foxy.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. tsk! It looks like Mr. Walsh has a weird preference for helping outsiders rather than those


    among us,¡± answered Elyse with a smiling face as she chuckled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see,¡± Toby replied, to which Elyse smiled in satisfaction; that was the answer she


    had been waiting for. Toby could tell what was on Elyse¡¯s mind, but he decided not to expose her.


    Instead, he kept his eyes on Amelie sentimentally, deeming her the best woman there was in the world


    regardless of her decision to ept Jodie¡¯s challenge.


    When Elyse saw the two men watching Amelie without blinking an eye, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her


    anger surging through her body. However, when the thought of Amelie¡¯s humiliation after the dance


    battle shed across her mind, she lightened up once again and decided to enjoy the show quietly.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    On the other hand, Amelie continued to stand still without moving as everyone else around her began


    to gossip. ¡°Oh, dear. It seems that Amelie Dillon can¡¯t dance at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, mind you, Paso Doble is not a dance that anybody can handle. Amelie may be good, but she is


    not gifted in dancing.¡±


    ¡°s! What do you expect from a daughter whose father was a shoemaker? She should consider


    herself lucky for not having to worry about going hungry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably why she is not well-liked by the Alston Family. Think about it; why would Alstons want


    a tough businesswoman as their daughter-inw? Don¡¯t you think a multi-talented housewife, who is


    thoughtful and tender, would be more suitable?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Maybe it¡¯s true that a decent woman never raise a child to be a decent woman.¡±


    insult her father.


    After all, her father was the man whom she loved the most in the world, as well as the one who had


    raised her with everything he had. Because of that, Amelie decided to prove those people wrong by


    showing how proud she was of her upbringing despite her humble origin. The next second, Amelie


    swung her skirt and moved toward the dance floor in an agile manner.


    ¡°Wow!¡± A few seconds after Amelie entered the dance floor, the crowd was amazed by her movements.


    Jodie, who had been dancing for quite some time, thought the gasps she heard were because she


    managed to impress the people around her. Thus, she started dancing more enthusiastically. While


    Julia intended to split Amelie and Jodie apart on the dance floor, she didn¡¯t even have to say anything


    before she realized everyone had subconsciously moved closer to Amelie as their eyes shifted from


    Jodie to her.


    Although Jodie¡¯s dancing skills were indeed impressive, Amelie¡¯s dance seemed soulful. As she


    appeared to be so immersed in her graceful dance, the audience around her felt like they had also


    entered her world. After all, while it was enjoyable to watch Jodie dance as an outsider, the audience


    had a feeling that they were also dancing with Amelie, shimmering their body with their eyes on the


    lady. This is beautiful and immersive!


    When the music ended, Jodie assumed the thunderous ps were for her, having no idea what Amelie


    had been doing all the time. While she wiped her sweatcently, Amelie only thanked the


    audience without saying a single word.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128


    When Jodie was about to insult Amelie again, she saw her surrounded by the audience and realized


    there were only a handful of people around her. As her face turned pale, she couldn¡¯t help but ask


    herself what was wrong.


    How is that possible? Although she didn¡¯t see how Amelie danced, she was confident in herself, having


    learned from the best dancer there was and had acquired professional certificates in dancing. Fine, I


    guess that¡¯s because they were attracted to Amelie. After all, it was her first time dancing. At the


    thought of that, she waved her hand at the person working backstage as a sign for the music to y.


    This time, Jodie decided to do the tango. While tango music was much more slow-paced than music for


    the Paso Doble, she was finally able to get a few glimpses of Amelie¡¯s dance. What? Her dance is¡­


    impressive! Jodie looked at Amelie like thetter was an alien, thinking she must have been seeing


    things.


    Hang on! Amelie has no talent, so there is no way she knows how to dance! Despite Jodie¡¯s doubts,


    Amelie¡¯s dancing talent was acknowledged when the audience only kept their eyes on her.


    Refusing to admit defeat, Jodie decided to reveal her hidden card to turn the tables against Amelie. I


    bet that woman only knows the tango and Paso Doble, so I¡¯m going to change my dancing style now


    and catch her off guard.


    At the thought of that, she quickly changed her dancing style, only to realize Amelie was able to match


    her every move. Amelie was even able to get a step ahead of her during each switch, performing her


    every movement more smoothly and professionally.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    By the time the music finished, Jodie realized there was no one else left around her. Humiliated and


    defeated, she clenched her fists bitterly while her lips trembled uncontrobly. Deep down, she wished


    she could just bury herself in a hole to get away from the embarrassing situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Alston. Amy wins this round.¡± Julia came over with a smile.


    Jodie pointed her finger at thedy, her eyes turning red as she stubbornly refused to concede. ¡°She


    only won because this is Starlight Media¡¯s turf. Everybody is only apuding her out of respect!¡±


    In that case, why did youe here and stir up trouble in the first ce? But thanks to you, Amelie


    was once again able to impress everyone with something different and earn their respect. Julia only


    laughed it off sarcastically, silently calling Jodie a fool for messing with Amelie despite knowing she


    was on her turf.


    Soon, she sighed and patted Jodie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look, word has it that everyone is unhappy with the


    Alston Family for treating Amy less than she deserved, especially your brother, yet the fact that you


    came here today only proves the rumors were right. Thus, I¡¯d say you only have yourself to me for


    that.¡±


    At that instant, Jodie¡¯s face nched in shame as she clenched her jaw tightly. She then walked up to


    the audio engineer and snatched his phone, knowing he had recorded them when they were dancing.


    Impossible!¡± It seemed as if she was dancing with her soul.


    While there were only a handful of people who could dance so impressively, Amelie was one of the few


    who could infect all those around her, making them so intoxicated that they lost themselves in her


    dance.


    Anyone with skills like hers is a professional in dancing! Upon the realization, Jodie was overwhelmed


    by a strong urge to leave the ce badly due to such an embarrassing defeat.


    On the other hand, Elyse, who had been watching the entire time, silently knitted her eyebrows


    unhappily as she didn¡¯t expect Amelie to beat Jodie in dancing. Who is Amelie? Why is she so good at


    car racing and dancing?


    It was then Elyse realized she might not have seen through Amelie. The next second, she shifted her


    gaze to Leo, seeing him stand like a statue without any emotion on his face as if he had nothing to do


    with none of what was going on.


    Nevertheless, Elyse saw Leo¡¯s eyes that fell upon Amelie, and she noticed the upward curve of the


    corner of his eyes like he was proud of Amelie. However, he appeared to be pursing his lips tightly in a


    preupied manner, making Elyse wonder what he was thinking in his mind.


    Soon, she began feeling overwhelmed by her wild imagination as she staggered and copsed onto


    Leo. ¡°Leo, I¡¯m starting to feel dizzy again. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± At the same time. Toby curled his lips


    upward and smiled upon witnessing Elyse¡¯s fake pretense.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Leo forced himself to take his eyes off Amelie and walked out of the door with Elyse.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see who can sing better!¡±


    A voice suddenly echoed through the venue, catching Leo and Elyse¡¯s attention. When they turned


    around. they saw Jodie on the stage with a microphone in her hand. Staring at Amelie in a hostile


    manner. Jodie was not happy with her defeat. Therefore, she sumbed to the temptation of


    provoking Amelie again, believing she would beat her in singing.


    Nheless, Amelie only looked at her coldly, reacting with a faint smile. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t sing for free,


    and


    neither do I sing without any prior notice.¡± She had better things to do other than settling her scores


    with


    Jodie.


    ¡°You!¡± Jodie was piqued for being ignored and dismissed once more, her face turning red when she


    heard Amelie¡¯s response. At the same time, she held the microphone so tightly that her fingernails


    started to turn white, but soon, she lightened up again. ¡°Well, it seems that Miss Dillon has no idea how


    to sing at all. Starlight Media is a ce for talented people to shine, yet Miss Dillon can¡¯t sing at all. It


    makes me wonder how you¡¯re able to run thepany.¡±


    When Amelie heard her words, she only responded with a smirk andughed at her for her ignorance.


    ¡°I bet you haven¡¯t set foot in a recordpany before, have you? Have you ever seen anyone singing


    while managing apany?¡± Julia refuted Jodie¡¯s words with an ironic question, making everyone


    around themugh in


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sing for us, Miss Dillon? Let us hear your beautiful voice.¡± The people around Amelie


    tried to convince her to perform, curious to find out what she was capable of. More importantly, they


    wanted the drama


    to go on.


    Nheless, Amelie only pursed her lips in silence, showing no intention of going along with the


    crowd. I¡¯m not a monkey, so I will not do what people tell me to do unless I want to.


    Meanwhile, Leo was still there, somehow finding it hard to take his eyes off Amelie. Despite her


    reticence, the calm and confident look on her face made her seem tough and strong. Other than that,


    her shining eyes and


    dominant aura easily made her the center of the spotlight in the ce.


    Therefore, she was deemed to be better than Jodie even though she didn¡¯t have to say a single word.


    She is a


    different person from the timiddy she used to be when she was still living with the Alston Family.


    Also, she is not the same person as the confident car racer back then. I guess there are all kinds of


    people in this world,


    each with a different heart that lies beneath a different face.


    Suddenly, the thought of that somehow reminded Leo of Foxy. He then recalled Toby telling him that


    Amelie looked like Foxy, which was something he had never really paid extra attention to. Thus, his


    curiosity prompted him to make a quickparison as he reached for his phone and searched for the


    app that Toby


    always used.


    In the meantime, Elyse heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Leo taking his eyes off Amelie, only to be


    stunned to see him downloading an app with his phone. Just when she was about to ask him about it,


    she suddenly heard a voice. ¡°I¡¯ll sing!¡±

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    Leo paused and looked up just as everyone else was attracted by the adorable voice they heard. Then,


    they began looking around and searching for the source of the voice, only to realize it came from a


    child Julia was carrying a few momentster.


    With a fair face and a pair of big and beautiful eyes, the child appeared to be holding a microphone. At


    that moment, the first impression that came to everyone¡¯s mind was how adorable the child was, but


    soon, they were immediately stunned by a thought that simultaneously shed through their heads.


    Did this little girl just say that? Is she going to challenge Jodie Alston? Where did a little girl like her get


    all the courage to challenge an adult? Have we been mistaken?


    ¡°I¡¯ll sing!¡± The child in Julia¡¯s arms repeated her words one more time just when everyone was


    guessing where the voice came from. While the girl opened her mouth and uttered her sentence word


    by word, the adults finally made sense of what was going on.


    ¡°Goodness, it was her who said that.¡±


    me w


    ¡°Whose kid is this? That¡¯s some courage she has right there.¡±


    ¡°My kid is older than her, but he doesn¡¯t dare to perform in front of a crowd.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t my kids as talented as others¡­¡±


    At the same time, Amelie finally noticed the child¡¯s presence. Surprise was written all over her face as


    she asked, ¡°Hello, Bria. What brings you here?¡± It turned out that the little girl Julia was carrying was


    none other than Amelie¡¯s daughter, Bria.


    With two ponytails hanging around her shoulders, Bria rested her head in Amelie¡¯s arms when she


    heard her mother¡¯s words. Despite her slight guilt, she went ahead and answered loudly. ¡°Today is your


    big day, so I¡¯vee to show you my support, Mommy!¡± She raised her fists in the air adorably, melting


    Amelie¡¯s heart.


    In the end, she forgot about lecturing her daughter. At the same time, the mother and the daughter¡¯s


    lovely interaction also gave the bystanders a hint about Bria¡¯s identity. Thus, they were curious to learn


    more about


    them.


    Meanwhile, Jodie was caught off guard by Bria¡¯s sudden presence, for she didn¡¯t expect the little girl to


    challenge her in her mother¡¯s ce. What¡¯s the meaning of this? Are they implying that I¡¯m only fit to


    challenge a child?


    The thought of that made her blood boil through every single vein in her body. She then red at


    Amelie as a gesture to signal thetter to take Bria away. However, Amelie didn¡¯t notice Jodie¡¯s signal,


    but Julia noticed it instead. Thus, she curled her lips upward and carried Bria onto the stage. ¡°You can


    do it, Bria!¡± Julia wanted to give the girl a high five.


    In that instant, the cute girl¡¯s response melted the hearts of everyone in the hall. ¡°That girl. Doesn¡¯t she


    belong to the Alston Family?¡±


    ¡°Thatdy on the stage is from the Alston Family. Her name is Jodie Alston.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, is this a family battle or something?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Alston divorced Amelie Dillon, so are they still a family?¡±


    Soon, the ce was filled with gossip and murmurs discussing the rtionship between the Alston


    Family and Amelie. As they began to talk more and more about it, they grew more interested in


    Amelie¡¯s story. After all, Amelie was challenged by her former sister-inw just when her daughter


    showed up and epted the challenge in her ce. The show is getting better and better! Although all


    of the guests were from the upper ss of society, they were no different from regr busybodies.


    In the meantime, Jodie¡¯s identity was revealed just as she found herself in a tight spot; much to her


    dismay. she had been challenged by a child. Standing on the stage in embarrassment, she didn¡¯t even


    know what to do other than react with a pale face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I will not ept the child¡¯s challenge,¡± she


    replied, gritting her teeth.


    How dare you challenge me, you idiotic brat?! While cursing Bria on the inside. Jodie desperately


    swapped eye contact with the girl in hopes that she would get her message and leave.


    Nevertheless, Bria was not the same little girl she was, fearing Jodie no more. Soon, she took big


    strides toward the stage and stood next to Jodie, grinning at everyone else adorably. ¡°Goodness! She


    is so cute!¡±


    Bria¡¯s beautiful smile instantly ignited the atmosphere as everyone cheered in excitement. After all, she


    inherited Amelie and Leo¡¯s good genes, which were evident in her fair skin and beautiful face. At the


    same


    time, the huge difference between Jodie and Bria¡¯s height presented an amusing sight to behold due to


    the


    child¡¯s short stature.


    Me


    Despite Jodie¡¯s good looks and fashionable outfit, the guests couldn¡¯t help but fix their gazes on Bria.


    Noticing that, Jodie became irritable and frustrated with Bria¡¯s refusal to leave. Ugh! Why won¡¯t this brat


    mind her own


    business?! She is standing by my side as if we¡¯re both contestants in apetition. I wish I could just


    stomp


    her to death!


    However, Bria acted as if she didn¡¯t notice Jodie¡¯s anger. Instead, she gazed at the adult with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam. I could sing first if you¡¯re a little shy. You can sing after me and help me hype up


    the crowd.¡±


    Is it so difficult to call me Aunt Jodie? Why did you call me Madam?! Jodie was annoyed by the way


    Bria addressed her, but soon, she quickly got over it, thinking her niece probably only knew how to sing


    some nursery rhymes that she learned from school as she hadn¡¯t heard Bria sing before.


    Fine, since you insist, I figure I should teach you a lesson by knocking you down to size. When


    everyone hears your terrible voiceter, they¡¯ll all me your mother for failing to teach you well. As for


    me, I¡¯m going to need a stage like this to show my talent. Then, I¡¯ll visit Starlight Media for an interview


    again, and if Amelie


    Jodie was still angry about the humiliation she suffered at Starlight Media earlier, which was why she


    was determined to have her revenge. ¡°Tine.¡± Jodie nodded, feeling better at the thought of that. She


    then continued to hold the microphone in front of her mouth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t expect much from a child


    who is still in preschool. If she sings poorlyter, please go easy on her.¡°


    When Julia heard that, she ambiguously curled her lips upward and spoke to Bria. ¡°Just be yourself,


    Bria.¡± At the same time, Amelie only kept her head down as if she failed to notice Jodie¡¯s sarcastic


    words directed at her daughter.


    Upon hearing Julia¡¯s words of encouragement, Jodie felt relieved and stepped back, leaving the stage


    to Bria. While she smirked arrogantly and watched from the side, Bria seemed busy searching for the


    center on the stage, which Jodie found amusing andughable. Without telling anyone to y the


    music, she then brought the microphone closer to her mouth and tested the audio.


    The child¡¯s actions were a sight of amusement for Jodie. ¡°This is funny. This little girl knows exactly


    what to do on stage like a professional even though she hasn¡¯t learned how to sing yet. It makes me


    wonder who taught her all these tricks, but without proper training, I doubt this is going to turn out well


    for her.¡±


    As soon as Jodie finished her words, a clear and crisp voice was heard like the chirping birds in the


    forest. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Jodie looked as if she just saw a ghost, finding it ironic that she had just mocked


    Bria for her impractical tricks. Am I hearing things now? This voice is simply just¡­ spellbinding.


    Refusing to believe the voice was Bria¡¯s, Jodie looked around her for signs that might suggest the girl


    was lip- syncing to a pre-recorded track.


    On the other hand, Bria lost herself in the music, closing her eyes while swaying her body to the


    rhythm. ¡°Goodness! I can¡¯t believe that little girl can sing so well despite her age.¡±


    ¡°Her voice is magical!¡±


    ¡°Look at the emotions on her face! Everything is perfect!¡±


    Murmurs and gossip once again filled the silent atmosphere; no one thought Bria could sing so well.


    After all, they thought she could only sing some nursery rhymes that she learned from school just like


    Jodie initially did.


    Amelie was just as surprised as the guests while listening to her daughter sing. ¡°Since when did my girl


    be so good at singing?¡± After all, she had always known Bria for being restless and yful.


    Although she was also aware that Bria would pester Jamie to teach her how to sing, she didn¡¯t think


    her daughter would improve so much.


    ¡°My girl is gifted!¡± Julia said as if Bria was her biological daughter.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Meanwhile, Bria had more surprises to show, singing at the highest pitch she could go at the end of the


    song. In that instant, everyone else was left with their eyes wide open upon hearing her voice, unable


    to believe a child like her could sing in such a high-pitched tone. While the guests were still intoxicated


    by the girl¡¯s sweet voice, it suddenly came to a stop.

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130


    Then, everyone heard Bria¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now, Aunt Jodie.¡±


    On the stage, Bria smiled and looked at Jodie.


    However, Jodie was looking at her nkly, still in shock. When she heard Bria call her, she could only


    stare nkly at her.


    She looks confident, optimistic, and lively. She is nothing like she was in the Alston Residence.


    Moreover, what pitch was she singing in just now?


    As Jodie counted inwardly, her face went pale when she realized the song¡¯s pitch.


    ¡°Which song are you going to sing, Miss Alston?¡± One of the musicians asked as they were backstage.


    Although they were asking Jodie, they were looking at Bria since they were amazed by her


    performance.


    These musicians are men, so they should be looking at me. After all, men have always kept their eyes


    on me no matter where I went. However, a three-year-old has outshined me.


    At that moment, Jodie was unhappy and shouted without thinking it through. ¡°I¡¯m going to sing the song


    with the highest note!¡±


    When the musician heard her words, they were stunned. However, they soon found a song whose pitch


    was almost as high as Bria¡¯s ending note. Then, they began ying their instruments while Jodie sang


    along. However, as she sang, she saw the expression of the crowd. Next, she heard a crooked voice


    surrounding the room. Whose voice is that? she thought. Only when she felt her throat hurt did she


    realize it was her voice! Her voice had cracked!


    As soon as she realized this, she looked at the microphone in horror. Her mind was filled with the


    snarkyments and ignorance she had given Bria just moments before. I¡¯m the humiliating one when


    I¡¯ve been disgracing the other!


    At that moment, her mind went nk as she stood like a statue on the stage. She knew she should run


    off the stage and disappear from the public eye, but she didn¡¯t even have the strength to do so.


    At this moment, Bria said to Julia on the stage. ¡°Let¡¯s sing together, Ma.¡±


    Even Bria could tell that Jodie had sung off-key. Since she was here to support Amelie and not trying to


    humiliate Jodie, she pulled Julia¡¯s hand and said.


    When Julia heard her words, she stepped on the stage with confidence, and the duo started singing


    together.


    Not far away, Leo had his eyes on Bria, who was standing on the stage.


    autistic since she would hide far away whenever she saw him or a stranger nearby. However, looking at


    her bold, confident, smiling daughter who loved to sing and dance, he wondered if this was the Bria he


    knew.


    At that moment, he suddenly recalled that Amelie had told him that Bria was suffering and in agony


    when she was at Alston Residence. It was at this moment when he saw the other side of Bria did he


    understand how Amelie felt when she told him that.


    I almost ruined my own daughter¡¯s lifet


    Thinking about it, Leo felt like he was being pped. He didn¡¯t even dare look at Bria.


    On the other hand, when Elyse saw Leo¡¯s mixed expression, she was nervous and pinched herself


    underneath her sleeves.


    Bria¡¯s performance is outstanding. As her father, Leo will pay attention to Bria. This means that he will


    come in contact with Amelie! Once they know each other, he will know that she is Big Eyes!


    As Elyse thought about it, she felt like she was being hit from behind as her mind went dizzy. She


    couldn¡¯t think straight, nor could she stand calm andposed at this moment. However, she knew


    one thing for sure -she had to stop them from seeing each other!


    Then, she said in a low voice, ¡°Bria is indeed talented. However, for a three-year-old child to sing such


    a difficult song is abusing her voice. Amelie is pushing her too hard. After all, not even adults can


    endure such extreme training. If this goes on, Bria¡¯s voice will be destroyed.¡± As she spoke, she looked


    concerned.


    Elyse knew what a person Leo was. Since Leo was responsible and would not neglect Bria, he would


    take his child away from Amelie if she indicated that Amelie was only using Bria for money. With the


    power that Leo held, Amelie was no match for him. Although Elyse would then be Bria¡¯s


    stepmother, it would still be a better choice than letting Leo know that Amelie was Big Eyes!


    However, she waited for some time, yet nothing happened. Leo was still staring at Bria, who was


    dancing and singing on stage like he was being captivated. Toby, on the other hand, smirked coldly and


    said, ¡°I wonder how you can tell that Amelie is pushing Bria too hard when Bria enjoys the spotlight.¡±


    Hearing his words, Elyse was frustrated. Damn it! He always messes up my n!


    Since she couldn¡¯t say anything to rebuke him, she held back her anger.


    Suddenly, she heard a voice from behind. ¡°How can you figure it out if she is enjoying the stage when


    she is on


    Elyse turned her head and saw that it was Ashton. He tilted his head and huffed as he spoke,


    seemingly to loathe Amelie.


    When Elyse saw that Ashton had said the words she wished she could, she was satisfied. Then, she


    pursed her lips and suppressed her excitement as she frowned and looked concerned. ¡°I heard that


    Miss Dillion made Bria


    ¡°For someone who would do anything to have money, Amelie doesn¡¯t deserve to be a parent since


    she¡¯s profiting off her child,¡± Ashton added.


    In his mind, whatever Elyse said was true. As long as Elyse wanted it, he would find an exnation for


    her.


    Since they kept talking, it was hard for Leo to ignore their words.


    When he heard that Amelie was using Bria to earn money, he frowned and darkened his eyes. Then,


    he strode toward the stage.


    On the other hand, Amelie was hugging Bria beside the stage.


    ¡°Miss Dillion, it¡¯s bad for you to let your child learn such a high note while she is still so young. It will


    ruin her vocal cords,¡± someone said in dissatisfaction.


    When Amelie heard the spokesperson¡¯s words, she smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. However, I


    only learned that she can sing such a high note today. I¡¯ll keep an eye out on her from now on and let


    her practice what¡¯s best for her.¡±


    Although the crowd was amazed by Bria¡¯s high notes, they still had doubts since Bria was still young.


    However, when they saw that Amelie had epted their criticism and told them that Bria had taught


    herself how to do it, they were in awe as their suspicions died down.


    ¡°It is never our children who can achieve such goals. I¡¯m amazed that she taught herself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my child isn¡¯t as good as Bria, and I even hired many teachers to teach her.¡±


    Leo stopped in his tracks when he heard Amelie¡¯s words. Then, he took a turn and walked toward


    Jodie, who was cowering in the corner. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± he said.


    When Jodie heard his words, she looked at him with red and puffy eyes. Then, she silently walked


    behind Leo as they left.


    Looking at the two, Elyse clenched her fists and thought, Everything that happened today seemed like


    it was nned! Something always happens whenever I want to frame Amelie, and it always ends up


    benefitting her!


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Thinking about it, Elyse turned around and looked at Amelie with hatred, feeling frustrated from her


    loss. Then, she seemed to have thought of something and quickly chased after Leo.

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131


    Outside the building, Jodie was crying by the car. ¡°I swear to God, Leo, Amelie set this up just to make


    me look bad. It was obvious that she wanted to humiliate me when she asked Bria to sing on stage.


    Not only did she humiliate me, but she even humiliated the Alston Family and you!¡±


    When Elyse saw them talking, she stopped walking and gave them space to talk. At the same time, she


    was looking at Leo¡¯s expression, not wanting to miss his emotions.


    She caught sight of Leo pursing his lips as he stood there. ¡°How could she have humiliated you if you


    did not show up?¡± he said while looking at her profoundly.


    ¡°Why are you helping her, Leo?¡± Jodie stomped her feet and looked unhappy.


    When Leo heard her words, his face turned cold and serious. ¡°Did youe here to pick a bone with


    her?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Seeing that Leo had realized her n, Jodie was pale in the face as she clutched her dress. Then,


    she found an excuse and said, ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t like her. Ever since you guys divorced, she and


    Starlight Media have been going against us. Now, everyone in Clouson City is saying that we


    mistreated her; some even im that you made the wrong choice. I¡¯m doing all of this for you, Leo.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help with anything!¡± Leo cut her off sternly. ¡°From today onward, you are not allowed


    to


    leave the house and go elsewhere!¡± Then, he ordered the driver. ¡°Take Miss Jodie home and ask Mrs.


    Alston to keep an eye on her!¡±


    ¡°Leo!¡± Seeing that Leo was persistent, Jodie was anxious. However, he was more of a father figure to


    her than a brother. Hence, she didn¡¯t dare fight back and could only get into the car.


    Then, the driver started the car and drove off. On the other hand, Leo stood in ce without moving.


    Seeing that he looked alone, Elyse lowered her hands which were perfectly manicured. She didn¡¯t say


    much as she slowly walked up to him. ¡°Jodie is young and full of pride, so she might not think things


    through before she acts. You shouldn¡¯t be so stern with her when she¡¯s already embarrassed.¡±


    Then, she sighed and wrapped her arms around Leo. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t be saying this, but I still want


    you to know about my opinion, Leony. Bria is still a child, yet she was being arranged to perform in front


    of adults. This is bad. I know that Miss Dillion might have wanted to advertise Starlight Media through


    this opportunity. but a child should act as one; she shouldn¡¯t be a tool used by adults. Moreover, Bria


    live streams. Wouldn¡¯t her life be affected if she were introduced to this tform at such an early age?


    Children are the future of a family. As a parent, we should think thoroughly before deciding what path


    they should take. If Miss Dillion doesn¡¯t treat her well, I can quit my job and take care of Bria!¡±


    As Elyse spoke, she raised her head and looked at Leo. Her eyes were filled with devotion, and she


    was willing to make sacrifices for Leo and Bria. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Leony. I will treat her as my own. To be


    honest, Ashton¡¯s words made me think that a child needs happiness the most. Thus, I will do whatever


    it takes to make Bria happy!¡±


    Although Elyse seemed to be thinking about helping Leo solve his problems through her determination,


    she was also secretly depreciating Amelie.


    After hearing what she had said, Leo lowered his eyes and said nothing.


    When Elyse saw his reaction, a glint shed across her eyes, and she knew not to bring it up now.


    Hence, she changed the subject and said, ¡°I¡¯m feeling hungry, Leony. Why don¡¯t we grab a bite?¡±


    Since Leo didn¡¯t refuse, they decided to go to the restaurant right across the road. At that moment, they


    encountered two janitors sitting by the roadside.


    They were talking loudly.


    ¡°Oh my, how cruel of them! I¡¯ve witnessed Starlight Media¡¯s mentor forcing the little girl to sing and


    dance countless times. If she did not meet their expectations, they¡¯d whip her! It was tough.¡±


    ¡°Did such a thing happen? Why didn¡¯t you call the police on them for childbor?¡±


    ¡°I wished I could! To be honest, I hoped that the police would arrest them when I saw how miserable


    the girl was. However, the mentor told me she was the boss¡¯ child, so it would be useless even if we


    called the police.¡±


    ¡°Goodness. These rich people act like madmen just to earn more money.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think there is more to it. They might want their child to be sessful as soon as possible. After


    all, the


    more sessful the child is, the prouder the parent would be. Every rich person has this mindset, don¡¯t


    you think? However, I feel like it¡¯s still too much since that girl looks like she is only three years old. I


    heard that


    she needs to be live streaming after she is done crying.¡±


    ¡°How cruel!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I quit my job. It broke my heart to see such a sight.¡±


    As they kept on talking, they walked further.


    At that moment, Elyse stopped walking and looked at Leo. ¡°Leony.¡±


    Leo had also stopped walking as he watched the two janitors thoughtfully. However, he soon began


    walking


    again.


    Seeing his reaction, Elyse looked at him darkly and thought, Although he didn¡¯t say anything, that


    doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t care. Everything will go as nned as long as he takes their words to heart.


    As Elyse thought about it, she quickly walked up to him and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t n this out, Leony. I was


    with you the whole time, so I wasn¡¯t the one who arranged for those janitors.¡±


    Hearing her words. I po turned and looked at her ¡°Why did you think that I would be suspicious of vou?¡±


    Looking at him. Elyseughed dryly and said, ¡°I know that you don¡¯t trust me after everything that has


    happened. Moreover, they appeared as soon as I expressed my doubts about Miss Dillion. I would also


    be having second thoughts too.¡±


    Then, she took hold of his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve done all these because I love you. I don¡¯t want to see you having


    time between Bria and me. You have protected me for four years, and it¡¯s time I do the same to you


    too.¡±


    As Elyse spoke, Leo lowered his eyes and looked at her.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    hard


    If Elyse had been willing to sacrifice everything for him four years ago, he would be grateful for her.


    However, at this moment, he felt like something in him had changed, and he didn¡¯t feel anything as he


    heard her words.


    To be honest, Leo felt that Elyse was the same as four years ago. Four years ago, she was selfish and


    arrogant, and she had always done unreasonable things while ignoring how he felt.


    Nheless, he endured all of it since he was touched by her actions and loved her with all his heart


    back then. Thus, he was able to look past her mistakes no matter how severe it was. However,


    something seemed to have stayed inside his heart other than her. He didn¡¯t have the same feelings as


    he had before.


    After some time, he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to put up with me, and neither do I need you to.¡±


    Before Elyse could say anything more, he pointed forward and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    At that moment, disappointment filled Elyse¡¯s eyes. I thought he would have said something since I¡¯ve


    almost


    devoted all of myself to him, but he didn¡¯t¡­


    Then, they had a meal at the restaurant. When they were almost done with the meal, Elyse fiddled with


    her fingers and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s get married, Leony. We can get engaged if you think it¡¯s too fast.¡±


    Elyse knew that they couldn¡¯t postpone this matter any longer. In the past, she kept waiting for Leo to


    bring the subject up, but he seemed to have forgotten about it. However, Elyse would take the initiative


    to do so if Leo


    wouldn¡¯t.


    Just as Elyse was waiting for an answer, she realized that Leo was not responding to her. At that


    moment, she was surprised and looked at him. Then, she saw that he was looking through the window


    behind her.


    This was the first time she had ever seen him so immersed in something. His eyes seemed to bave


    darkened, and there was a strange look in his eyes. At that moment, Elyse couldn¡¯t help but follow his


    gaze.

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132


    Outside the window stood two figures under the dim light. One was an adult, while the other was a


    small child, and they were dancing like it was only the two of them in the world. Their bodies were as


    light as feathers as they danced, and their faces glowed as the light shone on them, brightening their


    smiles.


    Although they were far away from the crowd, one could still sense the happiness between them. At that


    moment, Elyse squinted her eyes to get a closer look at them. When she recognized who they were,


    she tensed up. It was none other than Amelie and Bria, who had outshined everyone on the stage!


    ¡°W-Why are they here?¡±


    Elyse¡¯s voice was filled with surprise and disgust!


    Leo didn¡¯t respond to her words and kept his eyes on the duo. When Elyse turned around and looked


    at him, she saw that his eyes softened as he looked at them. She had seen those eyes countless


    times, so she knew what they meant.


    Once again, she panicked, and her words slipped out of her tongue. ¡°They must have done it on


    purpose! They are trying to grab your attention since they knew we would dine here, so they chose to


    dance there! Amelie is trying too hard, Leony!¡±


    At that moment, Leo finally averted his gaze and looked at her. As Elyse¡¯s pitiful eyes were met with


    his, she was unfamiliar with the emotions in his eyes.


    He is looking at me like I¡¯m a stranger.


    As she thought about it, her heart sank. Then, she heard him saying. ¡°Even if they did it on purpose,


    how did they know where we would be seated? Moreover, how did they know that we were sitting by


    this window?¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± In a split second, Elyse¡¯s face turned palek


    Leo got up and walked toward them, and Elyse¡¯s heart tightened as she watched him. After he walked


    out of the door, she saw him go straight toward Amelie and Bria¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Leony, are you in love with Amelie?¡± Elyse quickly pulled his arm as she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Hearing her words, Leo lowered his eyes and looked at her hand that was grabbing onto him. ¡°I was


    going to see if Amelie is anything like you said. Why? Don¡¯t you want to figure it out?¡±


    ¡°I¡­.¡± Elyse didn¡¯t know what to say. After all, she had made it all out, including those janitors; although


    she wasn¡¯t the one who called them herself, it still had something to do with her.


    However, Leo didn¡¯t approach them closely and just stood behind a tree. The tree was huge, so it


    covered him well, and he could also see them.


    singing.¡±


    All the time, Amelie was dancing along with Bria. Bria knew she didn¡¯t like to be in the spotlight, so she


    pulled Amelie to a quiet ce. Initially, she told Amelie that she was going to dance for her. However,


    as the music started, she began to ask Amelie to tag along. Since Amelie treated Bria as her precious,


    she would do anything Bria asked as long as it didn¡¯t go overboard.


    They didn¡¯t have expensive speakers, and the music came from Amelie¡¯s phone, which she ced by


    the roadside. Seeing that Amelie didn¡¯t refuse, Bria ran over to her phone and picked an indie pop


    song. Then, she


    grabbed onto Amelie and told her to sing. Not being able to refuse her, Amelie opened her mouth and


    sang.


    At that moment, her voice was amazing.


    Elyse, who was behind the tree, was in disbelief when she heard the woman¡¯s voice. Amelie¡¯s voice¡­


    It¡¯s so clear. Not only did she execute all those high notes and pitches perfectly, but she even


    expressed the feeling urately! This is so professional of her! How did she do it, though? How can


    she sing so well?


    Elyse was an actor, and she used to publish records. If she were topare her voice with Amelie¡¯s,


    she would have lost! Initially, when Elyse found out that she was Dash, she felt terrible but didn¡¯t think


    much about it. After all, singing and acting were her main focuses. No matter how talented Amelie was,


    she could only win against Elyse by racing cars. However, Amelie overpowered her since she knew


    how to sing and dance as well!


    As Elyse thought about it, she felt her blood run cold. On the other hand, Leo stiffened too, and his


    eyes were


    filled with surprise and¡­ something else.


    ¡°Her voice¡­¡± She¡¯s Big Eyes!


    Although Elyse was not in the right mood, she didn¡¯t miss Leo¡¯s reaction. At that moment, she was


    shocked since the Leo she knew wouldn¡¯t have such a reaction, no matter how talented Amelie was!


    Then, she realized that since Leo had met Amelie when he was blind, he must have recognized


    something from her voice!


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    When Elyse thought it through, cold sweat trickled down her face. Before Leo could take a step


    forward, she quickly pulled him back and said, ¡°Her voice is quite simr to mine, Leony. You know, I


    used to cover this song. It seems like she is good at imitating people.¡±


    Hearing her words, Leo turned to look at her as he slowly snapped out of his trance. Then, he nodded


    silently. After all, how could Amelie be Big Eyes when she didn¡¯t even sound like this daily?


    As Leo thought about it, his eyes slowly turned cold. Then, he kept his eyes on Bria instead of Amelie.


    At this moment, Bria was singing and dancing lively. When Leo saw her on the stage, he could only see


    that she was confident. Now that he looked at her, she was happy and lively, which was what a child


    would be. Listening to her giggles, he could tell she wasn¡¯t pretending to be happy when one could


    hear her voice miles


    away.


    After Amelie had sung two songs, she said to Bria, ¡°Alright now. It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Hearing her words, Amelie sighed and poked her nose. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired from singing all day long while


    live


    streaming?¡±


    ¡°No. I love to sing and dance, so it is never enough!¡± replied Bria as she shook her head.


    At that moment, Amelieughed heartily. Then, she bent down and picked Bria up as she spoke.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s toote now, cutie-pie. Moreover, your Aunt Julia must be looking for us. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Then, Bria naturally wrapped her arms around Amelie¡¯s neck and kissed her on the cheek.


    Although Amelie was used to their sweet moments, she was still in awe when Bria did so. Then, she


    kissed


    Bria back.


    As the duo walked away, their voices became distant.


    Meanwhile, although Elyse had stopped Leo from approaching Amelie, she was still shaken up.


    Tonight was a terrible night for her. After all, everything seemed to have panned out nicely for Amelie to


    show


    off her talents! All those things that Elyse pretended to be were ruined. Not only did she fail to make


    Leo hate her even more, but she also even embarrassed herself. Even though Leo didn¡¯t say anything,


    Elyse still felt


    humiliated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Leo in a low voice. Just as he turned around, he saw another figure by a tree.


    The person was wearing all-white and stood there with his lips pursed. Leo noticed that he was also


    looking in


    the direction where Amelie had left.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133


    The signature put-together short hair and ssic-looking face came into sight-it was none other than


    Toby


    Walsh.


    Leo stiffened, and his eyes turned profound while the surrounding temperature dropped when he saw


    Toby, who also saw the pair before approaching them with a in smile. ¡°What? Have you guys been


    enchanted by the mother and daughter¡¯s performance too?¡±


    ¡°No, we were just passing by.¡± Elyse fixed her image with breakneck speed and returned to her typical


    fair maiden look, smiling ambiguously at Toby while hinting, ¡°I guess you weren¡¯t lying about what you


    said, Mr. Walsh. You do have feelings for Miss Dillon.¡±


    Toby smiled in response, and the smile pierced Leo¡¯s heart, suffocating him as he reminded icily, ¡°Have


    you forgotten that she¡¯s now the firstdy of Starlight Media?¡±


    Nevertheless, Toby remained silent and only shifted his gaze to Leo as his smile deepened.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go,¡± Elyse interjected and hooked her arm around Leo¡¯s.


    To that, Leo said nothing but only turned to his vehicle.


    ¡°Do you not regret it, Leo?¡± Toby¡¯s voice came from behind, causing him to stop in his tracks.


    He stood with his head drooped and hands balled into fists on his sides. It was only a loose grip, but it


    made


    him look inexplicably lonely.


    Elyse¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she bit the corner of her lip when she saw him like this. Just as she


    was about to say something, he began walking ahead.


    After dropping Elyse off, Leo returned to the Alston Residence.


    However, he stopped at the gates, leaving the vehicle stalling for a long time.


    The dim, cold lighting cast on his obscure countenance made him look aloof and lonely.


    It wasn¡¯t after a long while that he finally pulled his phone out and made a call. ¡°How much do you


    know about


    Amelie?¡±


    ¡°Not much, just that she only began living like a normal, vivid human being after leaving your house,¡±


    Toby said inly.


    His words were practically a p on Leo¡¯s face.


    If it were any other time, Leo would¡¯ve just snorted disdainfully and sniffed about how the life Amelie


    lived in


    Toby remained quiet about the fact that Amelie was Foxy and only said, ¡°Leo, has it ever urred to


    you that the Amelie we¡¯re seeing now is her original self?¡±


    ¡°Are you using me of breaking her wings and turning her from a morous woman into the Alston


    Family¡¯s anonymous and invisible Mrs. Alston?¡± Leo caught the underlying message right away.


    ¡°I¡¯m just letting you know that she used to love you deeply. Since you never reciprocated her feelings


    back then, there¡¯s no reason for you to appear in her world now,¡± Toby reasoned.


    Leo had wanted to retort that he didn¡¯t care about entering her world at all. However, his chest


    suddenly felt inexplicably stuffy, and he had trouble uttering even a single word.


    In the end, be just hung up in low spirits.


    After Amelie and Julia exited the car, thetter took Bria from Amelie without a word and quirked her


    chin. ¡°This one¡¯s mine. Go and park the car.¡±


    Amelie was rendered speechless. Did you just steal my daughter?


    At that, she shook her head resignedly and watched the two leave before getting into the car to park it


    in the


    garage.


    However, she had just pulled the door open when another hand pushed it, mming the door shut.


    Startled, Amelie looked up to find a countenance seething with rage.


    ¡°Miss yton?¡± She quirked her brows, somewhat surprised by the young woman¡¯s appearance. Of


    course, Elyse¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by her either, and she kindly reminded, ¡°Though it¡¯s


    in the middle of the night, your image will be affected if someone captures your intimidating look.¡±


    However, Elyse¡¯s expression only twisted further. ¡°You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    Amelie quirked a brow in response, made baffled by the woman¡¯s inexplicable question.


    Elyse, on the other hand, was currently seething with rage, so she clenched the hem of her skitt tightly


    and snapped when she saw Amelie reacting impassively to all of this. ¡°Do you honestly think pulling


    Bria out to perform in front of Leo, singing and dancing where we would certainly pass by will get Leo to


    look at you?! Huh, stop dreaming! He will never like you! Anything you do will only repulse him and


    make him hate you


    even more!¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Amelie was taken aback. Did Leo see Bria and me dancing and singing? ¡°In that case, why have you


    come all the way here?¡± she asked inly aftering to herself.


    Elyse was rendered at a loss for words, and a silent chuckle escaped Amelie as she thought the young


    woman


    She didn¡¯t know Leo would pass by at all! Besides, if she wanted to get back together with him, why


    would she im herself to be the firstdy of Starlight Media?! It wouldn¡¯t be a bright idea, would it?


    Slowly, Elyse came to her senses and also realized it wasn¡¯t wise of her toe here at all. If anything,


    it would only send Amelie the message that Leo cared about her.


    At that, she straightened her clothes and regained her fair maiden look. ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea. Leo


    only showed up tonight because I begged him to. I¡¯m happy for you that you¡¯re able to meet the CEO of


    Starlight Media and even gain his trust. Having Leo appear will convince others that you two are on


    friendly terms, and the road ahead will be easier.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you very much, Miss yton.¡±


    Pigs could fly if Elyse was that nice. However, Amelie didn¡¯t burst the former¡¯s bubble and thanked her


    instead, causing a pang of inexplicable guilt to rise within Elyse.


    Very quickly, she realized her words were tantamount to exposing herself, and humility enveloped her


    face.


    Thus, she simply threw her facade away and spoke her heart out. ¡°Since you¡¯ve gone to Halport, Dillon,


    then I hope you and your child stay there for good. Think about it. You, wandering around with your


    daughter in front of Leo all the time¡­ If he wants to take custody of Bria, you¡¯re no match for him. I¡¯m


    doing this for my future and also serving you a gentle reminder. I suggest you think it through!¡±


    With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Amelie standing rooted to her spot for a long while


    before she finally wiped the sweat rolling down her forehead.


    She had to admit that Elyse was right to remind her of that.


    It was her mistake for bringing Bria there and even letting Leo see her.


    Indeed, she had to do something to cover up Bria¡¯s brilliance a little.


    The following morning, Amelie was making breakfast while pondering how to tell Bria not to live stream


    anymore when rushed footsteps traveled to her ears, followed by Julia¡¯s dramatic screeching, ¡°I swear


    to God, these people sure are amusing. Can you believe they¡¯reparing you to her?!¡±


    Amelie looked up dazedly to find Julia approaching her with her eyes glued to her phone while swiping


    the screen non-stop.


    ¡°Look at this. Your dance fromst night had been uploaded onto the inte, and now, it¡¯s blown up.


    Most of them are saying the way you dance is very simr to Foxy.¡±


    Amelie lowered her head to check thements section, and sure enough, there were over ten


    thousandments mostly revolving around her and Foxy.


    Some said her style was identical to Foxy¡¯s, while others said they were two different individuals.


    ¡°What did I say? There are still a lot of people who aren¡¯t blind.¡± Julia smiled affectionately while


    scrolling down thements. ¡°They can already tell you¡¯re Foxy just from this clip alone while those


    Alston b¡¯stards werepletely oblivious to it throughout the four years you lived with them!¡±


    To that, Amelie only smiled inly. She had long gotten over the issue. That said, she was rather


    surprised that everyone was butting heads over something so minor.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take this chance to let the world know who you are?¡± Julia suddenly suggested, causing


    Amelie to shake her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bring my private and online life too close together.¡±


    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± Julia nodded in agreement. ¡°Now, the only thing to do is let them fight amongst each o¡ªwhat


    the


    heck is this?!¡±


    Julia shouted so suddenly that she startled Amelie, who reflexively looked at her while she brought a


    comment


    to Amelie. ¡°Look at how shameless this woman is!¡±

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134


    Seeing how livid Julia was, Amelie couldn¡¯t help looking at her phone.


    It was ament from Elyse, saying, ¡®All-round development remains undefeated.¡±


    ¡°What is she trying to say? That you¡¯re beneath her? That you¡¯re only good at singing and dancing and


    nothing else?! What is she, blind?! Has she forgotten how you destroyed her on the racetrack?!¡± Julia


    scowled in anger. ¡°bbering like a true b*tch who blows her own trumpet!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to use me to make herself popr again.¡± Amelie smiled as she saw through the woman¡¯s


    schemes.


    Sure enough,ments flooded in beneath Elyse¡¯sment within a few minutes.


    Some agreed with her, while otherspared her to Amelie. A few also dug out her past works one by


    one.


    Meanwhile, Julia scrolled speedily while skimming through them. She snorted before saying, ¡°Surprise,


    surprise! yton sure knows how to promote herself.¡±


    ¡°She was considerably sought after four years ago, but sadly, she barely made a name for herself


    abroad since then, so the public gradually forgot about her very quickly. Plus, new celebrities are


    popping up one after another. She is long a self-proimed A-lister.¡± Amelie analyzed Elyse crisply and


    urately.


    She hadn¡¯t said all that to devalue Elyse but was merely stating facts through data analysis.


    ¡°Are you saying that she ns to regain poprity by trampling over you? Huh, shameless woman!¡±


    Julia couldn¡¯t help grumbling. At the same time, she spit on her screen. ¡°She wants to get popr by


    trampling over you, eh? Fine, I¡¯ll help her out!¡±


    With that, she got down to work, her fingers darting across the screen.


    Amelie, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t bothered by Elyse¡¯s ridiculous move and didn¡¯t care what Julia was


    doing either. She just went back to what she had been doing earlier.


    After finishing breakfast and cleaning up. Amelie checked the news and found a pinned clip. More


    urately, two clips were put into one.


    One was a snippet of the TV show Elyse had starred in, and the other was a clip of Amelie¡¯s acting.


    She had reenacted Elyse¡¯s scene on the spur of the moment when she was bored.


    The only difference was that she wasn¡¯t wearing a costume, so anyone could tell it was casual filming.


    The user who uploaded the clips merely left a caption that read, ¡®Noparison, no harm.¡±


    scoring. In the end, apart from props and costume, Amelie¡¯s score in the other three categories was


    way above Elyse¡¯s.


    Just like that, thements all shifted to Amelie, and those whomented about Elyse all began


    criticizing her for being just eye candy.


    In fact, some even dug up quite some dirt about Elyse, all of which wereints from directors or


    fellow actors who had worked with her, saying she either tried too hard or was just expressionless.


    The number onement she got was, ¡®She could act a thousand characters, but all of them share


    one soul.¡±


    Following that, a wave ofizens scoffed at Elyse for being shameless, making snide remarks about


    other people, and pretending to be a mentor when she was just average.


    Amelie skimmed through thements and shook her head. She didn¡¯t need to ask to know that the


    clips were Julia¡¯s handiwork.


    Meanwhile,pared to Amelie¡¯s calmness, Elyse was already on the verge of breaking down.


    She posted thement for two reasons; one, to nder Amelie, and the other, to boost her exposure,


    but who¡¯d have thought she would be berated in less than an hour?


    She clenched her phone in anger as she read the chain of blunt and harshments. She was so livid


    that her lips trembled violently while her usually stunning face was in a grimace.


    Meanwhile, thements were still flooding in, and the usations and criticisms were making her


    mad.


    Finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She dropped her phone and covered her ears tightly.


    Suddenly, her ringtone red, but she remained motionless, refusing to answer it.


    Hence, herndline rang in no time.


    At that, Elyse rushed to answer it, for only Leo and her manager knew herndline number. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°What the heck are you trying to do, Elyse?!¡± Her manager flipped out.


    Elyse¡¯s heart sank in response. She thought Leo had called to ask about her.


    In the past, he would always be the first to call her whenever she was in trouble.


    But now, she could only swallow her disappointment and whimper, ¡°It was just a casualment. How


    would I know someone would use it against me?!¡±


    ¡°Just a casualment? How would you feel if someone did this to you?!¡± her manager scolded


    angrily.


    Indignation overcame Elyse as she listened to her manager caterwauling.


    Back when she was still the apple of Leo¡¯s eyes, her manager would have never dared to speak to her


    like this.


    These people treat others by how powerful and influential they are!


    ¡°How do you n on sorting this out, then? You can¡¯t let them yell at you forever. Why don¡¯t you ask


    Mr. Alston to back you up, then announce something to divert everyone¡¯s attention?¡± her manager


    suggested, and this naturally implied Elyse¡¯s engagement or marriage to Leo.


    However, Elyse felt downhearted after hearing it.


    She had already groveled to Leo, but he never said anything about it.


    Could she reveal that to her manager? Of course not! In the end, she just said, ¡°He has such a packed


    schedule. How can I bear to have him step in for something so minor? Later, I¡¯ll have the assistant


    tweet and rify that she used my ount to post thatment, and this will be over.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Being a tricky one, her manager could naturally sense a shift in Elyse and Leo¡¯s rtionship. However,


    she didn¡¯t point it out but only said, ¡°We¡¯ll do that, but you and Mr. Alston haven¡¯t been showing much


    PDA online since your return. Elyse, you have to seize the moment and capture more of your loving


    moments.¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± Elyse mumbled before hanging up.


    Following that, she called her assistant and gave some instructions before flopping onto her bed and


    burying her face in a pillow.


    Nothing had been going smoothly for her since returning home, and it was mostly thanks to Amelie.


    At that, she flipped around, sat up, and twisted her bedsheets in anger like it was actually Amelie for a


    moment before feeling a little better.


    ¡°Never mind. Everything will be fine after Dillon returns to Halport,¡± Elyse mumbled.


    She could tell Amelie genuinely felt nothing for Leo anymore, and once thetter took Bria away and


    disappeared from Leo¡¯s sight, she would have all the time in the world to amend her rtionship with


    Leo


    Two dayster¡­


    Though it was already past midnight, the lights in Alston Residence remained brightly lit as Melissa sat


    on the couch grimly.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Leo?!¡± She shot up from her seat and questioned Leo the second he


    returned.

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135


    Melissa had always behaved cautiously around Leo over the years, and it had been what felt like


    forever since


    shestshed out at the young man.


    At that, Leo lowered his head and checked Melissa¡¯s phone to find it was none other than the clip of


    Jodie losing to Bria in a singing match.


    ¡°Have you asked Jodie what exactly happened?¡± Leo asked with slightly furrowed brows.


    ¡°Do I even need to?!¡± Melissa still felt resentful about the way Amelie treated her after divorcing Leo.


    ¡°This must be Amelie¡¯s handiwork! She put this online to humiliate our family!¡±


    ¡°Starlight Media was celebrating their anniversary that day, and Jodie showed up with an invitation she


    bought from someone at a high price. She was the one who caused a disturbance at a party she wasn¡¯t


    invited to.¡± Leo had only found out about itter as well.


    However, Leo¡¯s answer only upset Melissa further. ¡°Even so, Jodie must¡¯ve only gone to congratte


    her! She, on the other hand, put Jodie in a humiliating position because of her hatred for our family!¡±


    Her words were so biased and ridiculous that Leo didn¡¯t even want to say anything, and Melissa


    realized how deeply wed her caterwaul was after calming down too.


    At that, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°Leo, no matter whether Jodie provoked Amelie intentionally


    or not, Amelie shouldn¡¯t have posted the clip online when she had already humiliated Jodie using Bria.


    Now, everyone knows how chaotic our family is; a niece provoked and humiliated her aunt. How do you


    expect Jodie to face the world from now on? Also, what about my dignity?! Back then, you promised I


    would live a glorious life as long as I stayed out of your business. Shouldn¡¯t you be doing something


    now that I¡¯m being humiliated?!¡±


    Melissa had beenpetitive and prideful her whole life, and the issue made her feel so humiliated


    that she didn¡¯t even work out or do a facial during the day.


    ¡°Everyone has their eyes on our family. Who knows how they¡¯reughing at us now that they not only


    know that Amelie and we are on bad terms, and the CEO of Starlight Media will also be raising a child


    of our family! I can overlook everything else, but Bria has to return to us!¡± Melissa demanded and


    flipped out with bloodshot eyes, seeing how Leo only rubbed his temples silently the whole time. ¡°I


    mean it, Leo. I won¡¯t live anymore if you can¡¯t get custody over Bria! It¡¯s on you to decide whether to


    protect Dillon or fulfill your mother¡¯s wish!¡±


    With that, she turned to the coffee table and mmed a knife against it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Amelie.¡± The man finally spoke up.


    ÿ


    It wasn¡¯t because Melissa¡¯s threat worked, though. Rather, he didn¡¯t need anyone to raise his child.


    young man obliged happily.


    ¡°Sorry, my dad¡¯s a little too much sometimes. He doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re busy,¡± Amelie apologized.


    Toby now regarded Steven as his master, so he couldn¡¯t turn the elder down now that they had


    established this level of rtionship.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got time. Besides, I¡¯m more than happy to stay and taste Mr. Steven¡¯s cooking,¡± said Toby with a


    smile as his eyes sparkled when looking at Amelie, who looked away, pretending not to have seen it.


    ¡°Amelie, it¡¯ll be a while before lunch is ready. Why don¡¯t you show Toby around and also pick some of


    the vegetables I recently nted while you¡¯re at it?¡± Steven suggested, to which Amelie nodded


    resignedly and headed outside after taking the basket from her father.


    Steven¡¯s vegetable patch was originally a hanging garden, which Amelie deliberately bought when she


    first purchased the house, thinking that Bria would have another space to y in.


    Later on, Steven bought some soil after moving in, and just like that, ridge after ridge was piled up.


    Right then, some vegetables had just sprouted while others had already grown, and vegetables like


    tomato, squash, and pumpkin were ready for picking. All in all, it was a thriving vegetable patch.


    ¡°Mr. Steven sure is diligent,¡± Toby couldn¡¯t help marveling as he looked at the vegetable patch.


    Amelie smiled in response before going in to pick some tomatoes.


    Toby, on the other hand, just watched her from outside.


    Amelie had put her hair up into a simple ponytail. Coupled with her green and white striped shirt and


    capris, she looked petite and lively, unlike a woman who had a child but rather a graduating high


    schooler.


    She moved nimbly as her fingers traversed the tomato vines.


    The fruits dropped gently onto her tiny hands one after another before being put gently into the basket.


    Her fingers brushed against the tomatoes, and Toby suddenly thought it would be amazing if he


    became one of the tomatoes in her hands as he would be treated tenderly.


    That said, he noticed a subtle issue-Amelie¡¯s vision seemed somewhat offset.


    A normal person would first notice what was in front of them, but she would always go for the tomatoes


    on her right every time she picked one.


    Is her left eye¡­ damaged? Toby¡¯s heart skipped a beat as an outrageous idea came to him. Could it be


    that Amelle was the one who donated the cornea?!


    Back then, Leo recuperated in Quinn Town, and she was a local. Then, four years ago, she married


    Leo without hesitation. If the two had no connections, given her achievements and abilities back then,


    she wouldn¡¯t even need to cling to the Alstons. But if the two had connections, why would Leo have no


    memories of her and even feel nothing for her after marriage?


    Toby deduced and wondered, only to feel more and more baffled. As such, he stopped and went


    between the


    ridges.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see from your left eye, can you?¡± he asked as he held a vibrant red tomato on her left.


    As Amelie had been focused on picking the tomatoes, Toby¡¯s sudden question caught her off guard


    and startled her. She dropped the tomato in her hand onto the ground.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why would you ask like that?¡± She quietly put the fruit into the basket and looked at Toby. Years of


    experience helped her recollect herposure in two shakes.


    Toby, on the other hand, gazed into her eyes as he told her his deduction.


    Chills ran down Amelie¡¯s spine as she reeled in surprise that the man would observe so closely and


    deduce so


    urately.


    At the same time, she felt somewhat bitter.


    Leo waspletely oblivious to her blindness during the four years of their marriage, while Toby, an


    outsider, had already noticed it during their short interaction.


    She was certain she would be deeply miserable for a while if she hadn¡¯t already put all of it behind.


    1


    At that, she gently shook her messy thoughts away and nodded with a smile. ¡°I do have a bit of a


    problem. I injured it during a fall but said nothing about it because I was worried my dad would worry.


    Just like that, missed the best treatment period. Please don¡¯t tell my dad about this. He will be


    devastated.¡±


    ¡°You injured it during a fall?¡± Toby repeated mechanically. That was all he heard Amelie say.


    ¡°Yeah, a fall.¡± The young woman nodded firmly.


    Was her rtionship with Leo not a fall? It was a pretty serious fall, after all.


    At that, she changed the subject, not wanting to talk about the issue at length. ¡°I¡¯ve looked through the


    partnership projects yourpany sent over. They¡¯re pretty good. Why don¡¯t you swing by Starlight,


    and we¡¯ll get the contracts signed when you have the time?¡±


    Toby nodded silently in response, and Amelie headed out of the garden patch after seeing that they


    had just about enough vegetables.


    ¡°You¡¯re changing the subject, aren¡¯t you?¡± Toby blurted dazedly as he looked at her back.

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136


    ¡°What?¡± Amelie turned around and looked at Toby.


    ¡°You have a problem with your eye because you went through a cornea transnt to donate your


    cornea to Leo. Am I right?¡± Toby suddenly increased his volume, and there was a tone of certainty in


    his voice.


    Although Amelie¡¯s cornea transnt was just his suspicion and he didn¡¯t have any proof, he just


    believed that she had donated her cornea. The moment he realized that, his heart wrenched sharply,


    and he felt a part of him missing: even breathing was difficult for him.


    Meanwhile, his eyes were fixed on her face¡ªher left eye, in particr.


    Toby was usually gentle and had never shown his assertive side, so it startled Amelie. At this moment,


    her mind was in chaos, but she chuckled after a few seconds. ¡°You do know how to make a joke, Mr.


    Walsh. If I had donated my cornea to Leo, I would¡¯ve told him ages ago. That way, he wouldn¡¯t have


    snubbed me for the whole four years.¡± With her head tilted, there was a mere smile on her face, and


    her eyes looked like they were


    staring into space.


    Judging from her expression, he was suddenly doubting what he was so sure about a few minutes ago.


    ¡°You should stop imagining things. Mr. Walsh.¡± Amelie tried her best to hide her feelings as she acted


    indifferently.


    Although she didn¡¯t regret her foolish decision at that time, she wasn¡¯t willing to open up about this


    topic anymore. Everything rted to Leo had already been set aside.


    When Toby noticed that she was talking about it so casually, the pain in his heart was relieved, and his


    breathing went back to normal.


    He¡¯d rather she hurt her eye from a fall than believe she¡¯d done something so foolish for Leo. It would


    be too


    tragic for her if that were truly the case.


    ¡°Okay.¡± As he smiled, his exotic and gentle image was restored.


    While they were chatting, Amelie¡¯s phone sounded.


    She lowered her head and saw a bank message notifying her that she had received arge amount of


    money. Instantly, shock paralyzed her since she rarely used that ount.


    Who on earth would send money to this bank ount? Her first thought was whether someone had


    stolen her card to conduct some illegal business.


    The moment she wanted to call the bank to inquire about it, her phone sounded again with another


    messageing in. The message was from Leo. ¡°This is Bria¡¯s living expenses. I will transfer it to you


    monthly from


    now on Mir child doesn¡¯t need to he fed hu athers¡¯


    When she read the message, she was initially startled before she found it hrious. Does he think that


    Starlight Media¡¯s owner is a man?


    Without thinking twice, she transferred the money back to him.


    In the meantime, Toby looked at her series of actions in silence. Only when she was done with


    everything did they walk home together.


    When they arrived at the door, Amelie shouted instinctively, ¡°Dad, is lunch ready? I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    However, Steven didn¡¯t stick out his head to answer her as usual. The house was inplete silence


    as though no one was home.


    Surprised by that, she thought he had gone out to buy some ingredients. When she stepped inside, she


    saw that he hadn¡¯t left the house; instead, he was standing in the middle of the living room. His apron


    was still around his waist, and he was holding a silicondle in his hand with his eyes staring right


    ahead.


    In front of him was a well-dressed person with an exquisite hairstyle; every strand of hair on the


    woman¡¯ head exuded ss and grace. d in stiletto heels, a strong aura of condescension could be


    felt even when she didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Mrs. Alston?¡± The moment Amelie recognized the person there, surprise surged through her.


    Meanwhile, Melissa turned around after hearing someone calling her name. When she saw Amelie, her


    brows angled unnoticeably with disdain.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Amelie asked.


    While staying aloof, Melissa didn¡¯t answer the question but looked at Toby.


    ¡°Mrs. Alston.¡± Toby nodded.


    ¡°Please go for a stroll outside with my dad, Mr. Walsh,¡± Amelie said, turning her head to look at him.


    Melissa couldn¡¯t havee all the way here just for a visit. She must have something important to say.


    She knew that her father held grudges against the Alstons, so she didn¡¯t want to cause a scene here.


    Toby understood the assignment as well. He walked toward Steven and said, ¡°Let¡¯s give them some


    space, Mr.


    Steven.¡±


    Worried, Steven turned around gradually and looked at Amelie.


    Seeing that, Amelie walked over and linked arms with him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dad. Your daughter won¡¯t be


    bullied. You should have a stroll outside and eat something with Mr. Walsh. How about that?¡± Her voice


    was so soft and gentle, and it wasced with a tone of persuasion.


    Steven knew that his daughter had her thoughts on everything since she was young, so he didn¡¯t say


    much and


    Only after Toby and Steven left did Amelie look at Melissa again. ¡°Please get straight to the point, Mrs.


    Alston.¡± She didn¡¯t bother to serve Melissa tea at all.


    As soon as Toby left, Melissa didn¡¯t bother keeping her elegant image either. With a judgmental gaze,


    she studied the house and snorted contemptuously. ¡°Miss Dillon, you live in this house that belongs to


    the owner of Starlight Media and use everything that belongs to him, so why are you still pestering


    Toby? Don¡¯t you find that outrageous?¡±


    What? Has she misunderstood my rtionship with Toby? Just as Amelie was thinking. Melissa¡¯s voice


    resonated again. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you pester other people, but Toby has an extraordinary status. His


    name can¡¯t be tarnished by a woman like you. You should know when to stop, Amelie.¡±


    Although Amelie wasn¡¯t fond of Melissa, she didn¡¯t want to tarnish Toby¡¯s name, so she said with a


    smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Alston. Mr. Walsh and I are just business partners, but I don¡¯t think you came


    all the way here to be nosy about his personal life, right?¡±


    The word ¡®nosy blew Melissa¡¯s fuse, making her facial muscles tighten while she appeared disgruntled.


    She scoffed to maintain her condescension and elegance before saying calmly. ¡°I¡¯m just giving you a


    gentle reminder about Toby. Anyway, I¡¯m here to ask you to stay away from my children. Since you¡¯re


    divorced, don¡¯t drag them into your life anymore.¡±


    ¡°Your children?¡± Amelie found Melissa¡¯s attitude of not knowing what was right and wrong pretty


    hrious,


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    and sheughed out loud. ¡°Do you have too much confidence in your children, or are you just too


    egoistic, Mrs. Alston? Do you think everyone in this world wants to have something to do with your


    family? What you said just now is exactly what I want to tell you-can you please manage your children


    and not let them appear in my life all the time?¡±


    ¡°You b*tch!¡± Whenever Melissa said something. Amelie would refute it, and her words were getting


    more and more outrageous. In the end, Melissa couldn¡¯t take it anymore while she scowled, saying.


    ¡°Do you think that I can¡¯t do anything to you with Starlight Media¡¯s owner backing you up?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do to me, Mrs. Alston?¡± Amelie threw the question back at her. If it was in the


    past, she


    would have given in, but it was not necessary now.


    Hearing that, Melissa had noeback. She was so furious that her eyes popped out just like a


    goldfish. Condescension was always her image in front of people, for she acted aloof and elegant. She


    had no idea a day woulde when she would be smoldered with anger like this. If there was a mirror


    in front of her at this


    moment, she wouldn¡¯t recognize herself.


    ¡°If you¡¯re here about your children, I can tell you now that since my divorce, I have never approached


    anyone in your family voluntarily. It was your daughter who kept provoking me and even caused a


    scene at Starlight Media¡¯s anniversary ceremony. You¡¯d better have your eyes on her, Mrs. Alston, or


    else it won¡¯t be just embarrassment that she¡¯ll receive.¡±


    ¡°So, did you upload those videos?¡± Melissa tried to suppress her emotions to appear less agitated.


    She didn¡¯t know that the video of Bria and Jodie had been uploaded and thought that Melissa was


    talking about the clip of them dancing, so she chuckled.


    However, this chuckle meant admission in Melissa¡¯s eyes. Almost immediately, fury vibrated through


    her being. ¡°You¡¯re getting out of line, Amelie! Do you believe that I can strip you of your ce in


    Starlight


    Media?!¡±


    ¡°Strip me of my ce?¡± Amelie found her threat extremely hrious. The whole of Starlight Media is


    mine. Who can strip me of my ce?


    Just when she wanted to refute, she heard a bang as the door swung open.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137


    As soon as the duo turned around, they saw Steven taking big strides toward them with a bigdle in


    his hand. At the same time, he was followed by Toby, who was staggering with his steps along the way.


    Steven was seen with his eyes wide open at that moment, ring at Melissa like an angry beast as if


    he wanted to eat her.


    It turned out that he had overheard the duo¡¯s conversation when he was on his way to return thedle


    to where it was. Having a strong grudge toward the Alston Family, Steven was even more pissed off


    upon hearing Melissa¡¯s words. The next second, he angrily walked up to the olddy and questioned


    her, ¡°What did you just say? Did you just threaten toy my daughter off? How dare you!¡± The man


    raised thedle as he finished his


    words.


    Taken aback by the man¡¯s violent reaction, Melissa was prompted by her instincts to step back in


    intimidation as her face turned pale. ¡°Y-You! You¡¯re unreasonable!¡± The woman¡¯s anger quickly took


    over her feeling of humiliation just when she pointed at Steven madly with a trembling finger.


    ¡°Me? Unreasonable?! Guess what? No one else on this is more unreasonable than any one of


    you from the Alston Family!¡± Steven bellowed like a tiger roaring at its prey. Steven had always


    preferred to avoid rather than engage in conflict even though it rarely ended in his favor, but this time,


    he was so angry that he could¡¯


    barely control his emotions.


    Meanwhile, it was Amelie¡¯s second time seeing her father so worked up as she recalled thest time


    that he got


    mad on her behalf.


    In the meantime, Steven didn¡¯t strike Melissa with thedle but instead brandished it in front of the


    woman to


    threaten her. ¡°My daughter gave everything she had to your family, but none of you treated her the way


    she


    deserved. I¡¯ve always put up with that, yet here you are now, trying to stir up trouble. Do I look like


    some


    pushover to you?¡± The man¡¯s menacing loud voice sent cold chills down Melissa¡¯s spine, making her


    shiver


    from head to toe.


    On the other hand, Melissa couldn¡¯t help but recall the time she met Steven during the wedding,


    remembering


    him as a timid man whom she reckoned she could just take advantage of. Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t until


    that


    moment she realized she had been wrong about the man the entire time.


    When Steven finished his words, he mmed the table with thedle, creating a loud bang that echoed


    through


    every corner of the ce. At the same time, Melissa lost her footing and copsed with her arm hitting


    the


    table, terrified and frozen as if her soul left her body.


    At the same time, Toby was also frightened by Steven¡¯s response, thinking thetter was about to hit


    Melissa. However, when he saw him mming the table instead, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile, Amelie believed Steven knew what he was doing when he chose not to get physical with


    Melissa. Judging from that, she wasn¡¯t worried that her father had lost his rational mind.


    At the same time, Steven kept questioning Melissa harshly with his deafening voice, showing no signs


    of going easy on thedy who tried to take advantage of his daughter. On the other hand, Melissa was


    so frightened that


    Seeing Melissa¡¯s helpless look for the first time, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but find the sight of that satisfying.


    After all, Melissa had always treated her less than she deserved, having arranged a small room beside


    the garage for her when even the maids were given rooms on the same floor as their masters.


    Even the maids received better treatment than me. Soon, she recalled the fact that she was always


    stopped from seeing Leo every time he returned home, thinking Melissa was responsible for that in


    hindsight.


    It¡¯s all thanks to you, Melissa. You¡¯re a big reason why Leo and I still felt like strangers to each other


    despite the four years we spent together. Amelie was disgusted by the thought of Melissa¡¯s hypocrisy,


    feeling sick about her unkind nature beneath her kind pretense in front of others. However, although


    she found Melissa¡¯s situation ironic, she felt a stab of pain in her heart for making her father worry even


    as an adult.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do something to stop your father, Amelie? If you get on the wrong side of the


    Alston Family, it won¡¯t end well for you.¡± Amelie heard Melissa¡¯s voice just when her eyes began to


    swell with tears.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dad.¡± Amelie snapped out of her trance and restrained Steven.


    Steven looked back at his daughter, his reddened eyes filled with tears. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve divorced Leo,


    there is no reason for you to fear them anymore. I¡¯ll always have your back!¡± Deep down, Steven


    med himself for Amelie¡¯s misery, thinking he could have avoided that if he had interfered with his


    daughter¡¯s marriage soon enough. Because of that, he wanted to make it up to her.


    Upon hearing her father¡¯s words, Amelie could barely fight back her tears as she wrapped her arms


    around him. ¡°Enough, Dad. You¡¯ve done plenty for me. I¡¯m so touched and happy that you¡¯re always by


    my side, but you need to stop doing this; you¡¯ll only make me feel useless.¡±


    Steven then paused and wiped the sweat and tears off his face. While he could give up the whole world


    if he had to, his daughter¡¯s feelings were the only thing he cared about the most.


    When Melissa saw Steven stop, she heaved a sigh of relief. Even though Steven hadn¡¯tid a finger on


    her, she was still too frightened to respond. She would have copsed onto the ground if she hadn¡¯t


    gotten a hold of the


    table.


    At the thought of that, she red at Amelie, who stared back at her as she uttered, ¡°Mrs. Alston, the


    only reason I stopped my father from pressing on is not that we¡¯re scared of the Alstons, but we don¡¯t


    want to have anything to do with you all. As you said, Leo and I are divorced, so we should have


    nothing to do with each other anymore. For that, consider this your lesson learned and remember that


    we, the Dillons, are no pushovers you think you can just take advantage of. If you insist on asking for


    more trouble, hitting the table with adle is going to be the least of your worries.¡± Amelie kept her eyes


    fixed on Melissa.


    At that moment, it finally dawned on Melissa what Amelie was capable of as she shivered


    uncontrobly from head to toe. At the same time, it was her first time noticing the intimidating aura that


    filled Amelie¡¯s eyes. Unlike Amelie¡¯s submissive nature from before, her current tough attitude even


    made Melissa doubt herself for having barked up the wrong tree.


    ¡°Mr. Walsh, please see Mrs. Alston out the door,¡± Amelie said to Toby, having grown tired of talking to


    the


    Toby nodded and walked up to Melissa. ¡°Mrs. Alston, this way, please.¡±


    Melissa responded with a cold grunt and walked out the door, but since she was still haunted by


    Steven¡¯s outburst, she staggered and struggled to get her footing right. Because of that, Toby was


    forced to give her a hand and helped her walk.


    As soon as the duo disappeared out of the door, Amelie let go of Steven and took thedle that went


    out of shape from his hand, gently patting his back. ¡°Take it easy, Dad. There is no need to get so


    worked up over a woman like her. Your health is more important.¡±


    Steven sniggered, feeling sympathetic for his daughter even though he didn¡¯t show that through his


    facial expressions. He then tilted his head and uttered, ¡°I will not go easy on anyone who bullies my


    daughter!¡±


    ¡°Alright, no one can bully your daughter now,¡± Amelieforted Steven.


    However, Steven still seemed worried, knitting his eyebrows like he had something he wanted to get off


    his chest. In the end, he decided to speak his mind. ¡°Elie, what¡¯s going on between you and Starlight


    Media¡¯s boss? If he cares about you, he should stop acting mysteriously and show himself! I won¡¯t


    agree with your rtionship if he keeps acting like this!¡±


    Steven only just learned about the affairs between Amelie and Starlight Media¡¯s boss, feeling worried


    instead as he was afraid that the mysterious man was worse than Leo. After all, while he knew whomR¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Amelie married back then by recognizing Leo¡¯s face, he had no idea whom his daughter was dating


    now.


    Upon hearing Steven¡¯s question, Amelie realized that she hadn¡¯t told her father about the matter,


    sniggering as she went on to exin it.


    Meanwhile, Leo was sitting in the center amidst a meeting at Genesis Company, keeping his face


    slightly down while listening to the monthly report from the representatives of every department.


    At the same time, his face seemed emotionless and stern. His eyes were filled with a cold aura, and it


    was enough to fill the meeting room with an intense vibe, making everyone restless as they sat in their


    seats. While the person presenting carefully delivered his speech, the door suddenly swung open as


    someone interrupted the meeting.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138


    Due to the distraction, the meeting room was instantly filled with an eerie silence as everyone


    instinctively shifted their gazes to the source of the loud bang. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Alston. Your mother, Mrs.


    Alston, would like to see you, and I couldn¡¯t stop her.¡± The secretary¡¯s voice shivered as she spoke,


    standing right behind Melissa.


    At the same time, Melissa had already fixed her messy hair and outfit, presenting herself in a more


    decent appearance, but despite her gorgeous front, the darkened look on her face made her seem


    unapproachable. While everyone else began to gossip upon noticing the change in her expression, Leo


    soon started to knit his eyebrows silently with an unhappy look on his face.


    In the meantime, the secretary was seen with her back covered in sweat, looking as if she was about to


    cry. ¡°I- I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She kept repeating that, not knowing what else to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s me who insisted on seeing you. No one else should be med for that,¡± Melissa said, but the


    moment she


    met Leo¡¯s eyes, she felt her heart racing like a jackhammer. After all, she knew Leo was a workaholic


    who


    didn¡¯t like being disturbed at work.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please give us a little space here,¡± Leo responded and waved his hand,


    whereupon the rest of the people stood up and grabbed their belongings before disappearing from the


    meeting room. As soon as the secretary thoughtfully closed the door, Melissa instantly felt relieved and


    grateful that Leo was kind enough to dismiss everyone else to talk to her in private, but not long after


    that, her relief was reced by a twinge of bitterness. ¡°Leo, I thought I told you to discuss Bria¡¯s


    custody with Amelie. Haven¡¯t you talked to her about it?¡± She walked up to her son and asked.


    The only reason Melissa met Leo the night before was that she wanted to hear his stance about Bria¡¯s


    custody. Upon hearing his affirmative reply, she became audacious and decided to interfere with the


    matter in her son¡¯s ce, thinking she should keep him away from Amelie whom she reckoned would


    be up to some dirty tricks should both of them meet.


    However, before she could even bring the issue up with Amelie, she was met with Steven¡¯s outburst


    that frightened and sent her back empty-handed. Because of that, she got so mad that she decided to


    see Leo and talk to him about it instead of going home after that.


    Leo replied with a cold grunt, furrowing his eyebrows unhappily while rubbing his forehead in silence.


    ¡°Where is Bria? Is she back?¡± Melissa seemed to lighten up a little when she heard Leo¡¯s response.


    ¡°Bria will continue staying with Amelie as I pay them their alimony,¡± Leo answered.


    ¡°What?!¡± Melissa raised her voice when she heard Leo¡¯s reply, looking at him in disbelief. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong with you, Leo?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe things had just taken a turn for the worse and gone against


    her favor.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just give up your chances of fighting for Bria¡¯s custody and pay Amelie the alimony. If you do


    that, the Alston Family¡¯s sacrifice will go unrecognized. By then, people are going to point their fingers


    at us while calling us irresponsible.¡± She quickly analyzed the situation for Leo.


    was not happy with her words. On the other hand, Melissa couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed in front


    of her son despite her decent reputation known to the outside world.


    However, she was still smart enough to observe Leo¡¯s facial expressions, speaking in a soothing voice


    when she noticed his darkened look. ¡°Well, you should know why I¡¯m insisting that you bring Bria back.


    After all, you made a promise to me about that, so don¡¯t you think you should honor it?¡±


    ¡°Do other people¡¯s opinions matter that much to you?¡± Leo made his point bluntly with an indifferent


    grunt despite not wanting to answer Melissa in the first ce.


    While Leo didn¡¯t say a single word more, Melissa felt so embarrassed that her face began to turn red,


    knowing her son was lecturing her. Back then, she had abandoned Leo because she was blinded by


    the ego that prompted her to help her adopted son rise through the ranks; now that she wanted Bria


    back, it was also for the same reason.


    ¡°W-Well¡­ It¡¯s not entirely about that. B-Bria is part of the Alston Family, so she shoulde back and


    live with us,¡± Melissa stammered while making her point, feeling somewhat guilty and unconfident


    about what she said.


    The next second, she kept her head down in humiliation even though Leo didn¡¯t say anything. After all,


    she found it ironic to demand Bria¡¯s return using the reason that she was a part of the Alstons when


    she was the one who had abandoned her own son, Leo. Defeated and embarrassed, Melissa wanted


    to walk away, yet she continued to stand there since she didn¡¯t want to give up so easily.


    Fortunately for Melissa, Leo didn¡¯t bring up the past and me her for it. Instead, he only said, ¡°Amelie


    put her life on the line for Bria, so I will not take the child away from her.¡± Deep down, Leo might deem


    himself an indifferent man without a heart, but he refused to take advantage of someone vulnerable like


    Amelie. That¡¯s my


    code of honor.


    Upon hearing her son¡¯s words, Melissa grunted nonchntly and said, ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re making a


    mistake by believing Amelie. We, the Alstons, didn¡¯t just sit by and do nothing when she was inbor.


    We helped her, didn¡¯t we? Wake up. Leo. She was just trying to fool you with her words by taking


    advantage of your kindness. Have you forgotten how she set you up and made you sleep with her?


    Have you forgotten about the things she did just to be the Alston Family¡¯s daughter-inw? This


    lady is cunning and shrewd, and you mustn¡¯t fall for her trap!¡±


    Leo thought to himself that he would have believed his mother if he had heard those words earlier, but


    now, he was not so sure anymore. After all, he could tell that Amelie was a capable and smartdy,


    although he didn¡¯t know her well.


    When Melissa didn¡¯t get a response from Leo, her heart sank. Deep down, she even thought of


    threatening her son with her own life until the thought of her son¡¯s tough character shed across her


    mind.


    Leo is not the kind of man who will submit to anyone just because he is forced to. Furthermore, Melissa


    lacked the courage to hold herself at knifepoint, fearing she would leave a scar on the beautiful face


    she treasured and valued so dearly.


    However, after she left, she didn¡¯t return home but instead sat in the car and sulked over Bria¡¯s custody,


    which Leo had decided to give up on. I will not be embarrassed by the loss of Bria¡¯s custody. I¡¯m going


    to think of a way to make Leo take Bria back from thatdy!


    As soon as Melissa was gone, Leo lost the mood to continue with his work and sat in his chair dazedly.


    At that moment, he was suddenly distracted by a notification alert from his phone. When he checked it


    out, he realized it was a message from the bank. ¡°Amelie Dillon has rejected your fund transfer. As a


    result, the money has been returned to your ount.¡±


    Wait, what? Did Amelie just reject my money? Leo tightened his fingers around his phone, gripping it


    tightly. Soon, Leo realized another iing message from Amelie, having neglected it earlier due to


    his habit of not checking his messages often. When he viewed it, he only saw a line of text that read,


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Alston. I¡¯ll raise Bria with Amelie Dillion¡¯s money.¡±


    Does that mean thisdy is going to raise Bria without depending on Starlight Media¡¯s boss? At the


    thought of that, Leo clenched his fingers even harder, believing that Amelie was implying something


    else more than she was letting on.


    She could have said she wouldn¡¯t use a single cent from Starlight Media¡¯s boss or something, but why


    did she emphasize using her own money? Leo knitted his eyebrows in confusion, trying to figure out


    the hidden meaning behind Amelie¡¯s message.


    Moreover, Amelie¡¯s multiple identities only added to the mystery revolving around her, making her


    seem even more elusive. She was a dancer for a moment, but she became a skilled driver the next, not


    to mention her unusual rtionship with the mob boss from Canthopia. Who is thisdy? Did she


    manage to gain control over Starlight Media just because she stole the boss¡¯ heart?


    As a businessman himself, Leo knew a big boss like the one from Starlight Media would never treat his


    business empire like a toy and give it to someone else, even if it was the woman he loved. What¡¯s


    going on? Something must be wrong somewhere.


    However, despite his effort, Leo couldn¡¯t find a single answer to all of his questions. Thus, he walked


    out of the meeting room in frustration before he saw Toby right after he made a turn at the corner.


    At that moment, Toby was seen leaning against the wall while talking to someone over the phone with a


    smiling face. ¡°Well, if I were to venture a guess, you¡¯re the boss behind Starlight Media, aren¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139


    The one calling Toby was none other than Amelie.


    She wanted to invite Toby to stay for a meal, but her ns were interrupted by Melissa¡¯s sudden visit,


    so she had to call him and apologize no matter what.


    However, Toby suddenly said those words when Amelie was about to hang up.


    She felt her fingers freeze while she tightly pursed her lips.


    Though she was surprised that Toby had guessed her identity, her identity wasn¡¯t a secret, so there


    was no


    need to hide it.


    A whileter, she calmed down and smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Walsh, you have a keen eye.¡±


    On the other hand, a faint smile appeared on Toby¡¯s exquisite face, but his smile seemed to contain


    slight


    disappointment.


    ¡°I should have discovered it earlier.¡±


    These suspicions had appeared long ago, but he hoped they weren¡¯t true.


    After finding out she was Foxy, he was already under a lot of pressure, so her identity as Starlight


    Media¡¯s boss would only make him feel even more inferior and that Amelie was beyond his league.


    Actually, the Walshes¡¯ Dustan Corporation wasn¡¯t worse than Amelie¡¯s Starlight Media. On the contrary,


    Dustan Corporation had a deeper foundation and was a family-runpany simr to Genesis.


    Whether it was in terms of wealth or position, Dustan Corporation was one of the toppanies in


    Clouson


    City.


    Toby¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t bad either, as he was the most outstanding younger generation in his family, but


    his impressive performance was different from Amelie¡¯s.


    His starting point was on the efforts umted by his elders, while Amelie started from scratch.


    Establishing a mediapany of such scale from scratch was obviously challenging. Even a man


    might not be able to do it, but she, a woman, had seeded based on her capabilities and all on her


    own.


    That realization made Toby feel even more bitter.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote for you to realize this because we still have many opportunities to cooperate with each


    other. But I¡¯m used to keeping a low profile, so please don¡¯t tell others about this.¡±


    Toby smiled and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for them to find out? That way, you can prove them


    wrong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time,¡± she quickly responded calmly. ¡°There are plenty more important things to do in


    life.¡±


    From the way she spoke, Toby could hear that she had fet the past go, and his originally miserable


    mood immediately brightened up.


    Since Amelie was the owner of Starlight Media, it meant she was still single. Therefore, if he worked


    harder, he would be someone worthy of her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He nodded in agreement. ¡°So, I will be seeing you in person when I head over to sign the


    contract tomorrow, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Amelie didn¡¯t think too much before answering.


    With how much Toby had previously helped her and his rtionship with Steven, she, as the boss of


    Starlight Media, should personally entertain him.


    After getting a definite answer, Toby smiled genuinely. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    He hung up and suppressed his smile, but there was still a slight trace of it on his face.


    ¡°Have you found the owner of Starlight Media? Who is he?¡± A voice suddenly sounded, followed by a


    figure appearing before Toby¡¯s eyes.


    When Toby took a closer look, he saw that it was Leo.


    Meanwhile, Leo looked Toby dead in the eye with his slightly oppressive jet-ck eyes.


    He pulled his lips taunt and had an extremely serious expression on his face.


    ¡°Is she-


    ¡°Who do you wish the owner of Starlight Media to be?¡± Toby interrupted him as a sarcastic smile


    appeared on his face. ¡°Amelie? Wouldn¡¯t it be humiliating for you if she did establish Starlight Media?¡±


    Though Leo didn¡¯t answer him, his eyes were looking down, and his fingers were clenched into fists.


    However, he had no strength to tighten his fists as he racked his brains on this matter. It doesn¡¯t matter


    whether Amelie is the owner of Starlight Media, but¡­ if she was the owner of Starlight Media, why did


    she sleep with me, force me to marry her, and endure the four years of our marriage? Was it out of


    love? Was it true love? But we¡¯ve never really known each other before, so how could she be in love


    with me? Or perhaps¡­. we¡¯ve met each other way before? What kind of rtionship would make her


    love me so much that she would endure my cold shoulder and stay with me?


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°Elliot Poole! The owner of Starlight Media is Elliot Poole.¡± Without waiting for Leo to finish his words,


    Toby hurriedly interrupted him by making up a fake name.


    Leo¡¯s thoughts were cut off and instantly stopped.


    He gazed sharply and probingly at Toby with a serious expression, but beads of sweat ran down his


    forehead.


    Seeing Leo¡¯s sweaty forehead, Toby was shocked because he didn¡¯t expect Amelie¡¯s identity would


    cause Leo to


    react like that.


    Therger the reaction, the more a person cared about something, so had Leo also started developing


    feelings


    for Amelie?


    Toby walked over to Leo and patted his shoulder. ¡°Leo, even if Amelie is the owner of Starlight Media,


    you guys have divorced each other, and Elyse is now your responsibility. So, you should take care of


    her and not let her


    down.¡±


    After saying that, he left but then turned back after taking a few steps. ¡°I wanted to tell you that your


    mother went to Amelie¡¯s house and threw a fit there. You shouldfort your mother after you return


    home.¡±


    Leo watched with narrow eyes without giving any response as Toby¡¯s figure gradually disappeared in


    the


    distance.


    Toby used to always object to my rtionship with Elyse, so why did he suddenly support our


    rtionship? Has he fallen in love with Amelie? He clearly knows about Amelie and the owner of


    Starlight Media¡¯s rtionship, so¡­ why is he still acting this way?


    A long whileter, he took out his phone and dialed a number. ¡°Ashton, help me look into Elliot Poole.¡±


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    On the other hand, Ashton was having tea with Elyse and was shocked to hear Leo¡¯s instruction.


    However, he still agreed, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Why did Leony suddenly ask you to investigate someone?¡± Elyse overheard their conversation, and a


    surprised expression appeared on her face as she blinked her eyes.


    Leo was extremely close with Ashton and Toby, but he was closer to Toby than Ashton and would


    usually ask Toby to help him when investigating someone.


    With pursed lips, Ashton replied, ¡°Beats me.¡±


    He was used to being spoiled, so he never thought about things at a deeper level.


    However, Elyse was far more mindful than him, and she tightened her fingers around her cup.


    Ashion hated it when Elyse showed her concern for Leo, but he couldn¡¯t bear to reject her, so he tilted


    his head and arrogantly crossed his legs before making a call. ¡°Help me look into someone called Eliot


    Poole.¡±


    Within half an hour, he had received Elliot¡¯s information, but there were only details and no picture.


    After giving the information a few half-hearted nces, Ashton threw his phone on the table with a


    disdainful expression. ¡°I thought it was some kind of high-profile personnel, but it turns out to be such


    an ordinary person. What a waste of time.¡±


    When Elyse heard that, she quickly grabbed the phone and took a look.


    She broke out in a cold sweat and took a sharp breath after seeing the words Founder of Starlight


    Media.¡¯


    Also, she felt like someone had poured cold water on her heart, causing her heart to wrench.


    She naturally knew that Leo wasn¡¯t concerned about who the owner of Starlight Media was but Amelie!


    He still hadn¡¯t let go of that woman until this moment!


    Clenching her fingers tightly, Elyse broke her nail on the phone¡¯s screen while her eyes reddened.


    When Ashton saw her broken nail, he clearly felt worried and instinctively grabbed her hand. ¡°What¡¯s


    the matter? Your nail is broken.¡±


    Violently taking away her hand, Elyse sprang to her feet and growled at Ashton, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    After that, she stormed away.

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140


    Meanwhile, Ashton was dumbfounded by Elyse¡¯s reaction and could only take it out on the bodyguards.


    ¡°Why are you still standing there? Go and do your job!¡±


    Outside, Elyse stumbled and ran until she couldn¡¯t run anymore and leaned against a pir.


    Her fingers were grabbing tightly onto the white decorative pir while she bit her lower lip so hard that


    it looked contorted.


    ¡°Damn it! Damn it!


    She cursed softly. All she could think about was finding Amelie and ripping her into pieces!


    Ever since Amelie¡¯s appearance, she had constantly brought trouble into Elyse¡¯s life. She¡¯s truly my


    nemesis!


    After her anger subsided, Elyse began to feel terrified and trembled as she remembered that Amelie


    was the


    real Big Eyes!


    She felt like she was thrown and burned inside the furnace, terrifying and painful!


    No, I can¡¯t let Amelie ruin my happiness again! she thought.


    Barely able to support herself to her feet, she walked around the corridor a few times. It was seen that


    something shed in her eyes before she left.


    The Alston Residence.


    Melissa was still angry at Leo for not being sensible and cooperating with her.


    ¡°Mrs. Alston, your cogen drink is ready.¡± A servant came over with a cup of tea and gave it to


    Melissa.


    However, Melissa pushed it away in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m not drinking today. Bring it away!¡±


    The servant looked at Melissa in confusion because Melissa cared a lot about her appearance and


    would never miss her daily cogen drink. What Melissa just said came as a surprise.


    But the servant also knew not to pry, so she obediently took the drink away.


    Meanwhile, Melissa supported her forehead with her hand propped up on the coffee table.


    She was so pissed at Leo for not cooperating with her that she had a migraine.


    ¡°If I had known he wouldn¡¯t listen to me, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let him take over the family


    business!¡±


    Her only regret was letting that ident that injured Leo¡¯s eye happen because Leopletely


    changed how he treated her after staying at Quinn Town for some time.


    Before, he would listen to her every word and be very filial, but after that incident, he began giving her


    the cold


    shoulder.


    Whenever Melissa thought of that car ident, she would feel guilty and didn¡¯t dare to think more


    about it.


    At that moment, someone gave a cup to her.


    She looked at it and saw it was the same cogen drink.


    There was still some steaming from the hot drink, which made her eyes feel ufortable.


    Frowning, Melissa angrily asked, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Didn¡¯t I say I¡¯m not drinking this today?¡±


    Her face was filled with anger as she looked over angrily but saw a face much younger than the


    servant.


    However, her expression turned even darker after seeing that face. She screamed at the door, ¡°What¡¯s


    the matter? Miss Potts, don¡¯t you want your job anymore? How could you let just anyonee in?¡±


    Meanwhile, Le stood outside the door with both hands limply by her side, seeming embarrassed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me Miss Potts, she opened the door for me because I told her it was Leo who invited me


    here.¡± Still holding the cup, the visitor smiled at Melissa.


    Her face was beautiful and delicate, and she was well-dressed, with the scent of fancy French perfume


    permeating her body.


    The visitor was none other than Elyse.


    When Melissa finally looked at her, she reprimanded, ¡°Elyse, I will never agree to you and Leony¡¯s


    rtionship, so you¡¯d better give up. Miss Potts, send our visitor out!¡±


    Hearing Melissa¡¯s order, Le hurriedly came over. ¡°Miss yton¡­¡±


    Elyse smiled and gave Le a reassuring look before turning back to Melissa. ¡°Mrs. Alston, I came here


    today specifically to help you solve your frustrations.¡±


    ¡°Hah! I¡¯m feeling good today and don¡¯t need your help with anything.¡± Without looking at Elyse, Melissa


    sat upright, putting on a rxed behavior.


    She had never liked actresses and adding on to what Elyse did four years ago, Melissa hated Elyse to


    the


    bones.


    ¡°You-¡±


    Melissa¡¯s expression changed after Elyse had guessed her thoughts. Now, she was feeling


    embarrassed and angry.


    Melissa didn¡¯t lose her temper due to the usual elegant facade she put on before others. She kept


    silent despite boiling with anger inside.


    Elyse calmly said to Le, ¡°Miss Potts, you may leave now. I have something I would like to discuss


    with Mrs. Alston in private.¡±


    Le nced at Melissa worriedly. When she saw Melissa didn¡¯t refuse, she nodded and left.


    The room quieted down. Elyse sat beside Melissa with her knees closed and hands on her knees,


    making her look elegant.


    Her face was glowing as she said, ¡°Mrs. Alston, you shouldn¡¯t feel bad about what others say because


    they don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening inside the Alston Residence. I know for a fact that you and Leony


    aren¡¯t merciless people and that you do like Bria. You know giving birth to a child was a difficult


    process, so you made the painful decision of letting Amelie take Bria away.¡±


    Once Elyse said that, Melissa felt better, and her expression eased a little.


    Even if what Elyse said wasn¡¯t what Melissa had in mind, Elyse¡¯s words perfectly hid Melissa¡¯s real


    feelings and gave Melissa a good reason for neglecting Bria all this while. Also, that exnation saved


    Melissa¡¯s image.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Melissa replied stiffly.


    When Elyse got a reply from Melissa, she knew she was another step closer to her goal and smiled


    delicately. ¡°Mrs. Alston, I also know that you want to bring Bria back here. I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t know


    how to persuade Leony toe forward and take Bria back, am I right?¡±


    Melissa turned over and looked at Elyse with cold eyes. However, she didn¡¯t respond, which was a


    silent agreement.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I can help you with that,¡± Elyse offered.


    Melissa¡¯s eyes widened as they lit up. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yes, me.¡± Elyse elegantly cranked her long and slender neck while speaking confidently.


    Meanwhile, Melissa wasn¡¯t too convinced. ¡°Elyse, you can¡¯t fool me with your words.¡±


    ¡°How about we make a deal if you don¡¯t believe me?¡± While gently knocking her knuckles against the


    table, Elyse continued, ¡°If I seed and Leony is willing to get Bria¡¯s custody from Amelie, you will call


    for me and Leony¡¯s engagement.¡±


    looked at Elyse with disdain. ¡°Elyse, you¡¯re such a shameless woman! Besides your identity, what


    happened four years ago is enough for the Alston Family to reject you as our daughter-inw. If you


    still have some dignity left in you, you should leave Leony as far as possible. I don¡¯t know where you


    found the courage to not only pester Leony but also ask me to agree to let you two get engaged!¡±


    When thinking about Elyse¡¯s past, Melissa became even more displeased with her.


    However, Elyse wasn¡¯t the slightest bit humiliated or saddened by Melissa¡¯s words. She still kept a


    smile on her face as if Melissa wasn¡¯t talking about her.


    She pulled her lips taunt and leaned down to look at Melissa. ¡°Mrs. Alston, you¡¯re judging me for what I


    did back then, but have you forgotten that you¡¯re the one responsible for what happened four years


    ago?¡±


    Once Elyse said that, Melissa suddenly turned pale, and she shivered violently.

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± It took Melissa quite some time to regain herposure, and she roared, ¡°You¡¯re a


    shameless woman who sleeps with all kinds of men. How can you me what happened to me?¡±


    Sneering, Elyse retorted, ¡°How could you say that? Wasn¡¯t it you who sent that man to me? Your real


    intention was to let him tempt me into cheating on Leo so that Leo and I would break up.¡±


    ¡°So what if that¡¯s true? Would you have fallen into my trap if you weren¡¯t such a woman? Don¡¯t forget


    that you¡¯ve been eyeing other men before that man ever appeared. Leony is benevolent enough not to


    argue with you! You couldn¡¯t resist the temptation, so you can¡¯t me me for anything!¡±


    ¡°I admit that I couldn¡¯t resist temptations, but what¡¯s gonna happen when Leony finds out that all of this


    was his mommy¡¯s n? Also, what will he think if he knows you were the one who found the man that


    he hates the most?¡±


    Those words caused Melissa to be even paler. Her sweaty hands that were by her side clenched


    together tightly.


    Then, Elyse grabbed Melissa¡¯s hand and acted nice by helping her rx her fingers./Mrs. Alston, I¡¯m


    not here to question you about that matter, nor did Ie here to settle old scores. I came here to


    make a genuine deal with you. If you¡¯re willing to ept my deal, we can establish cooperation and get


    what we both want. But if you¡¯re not willing to ept my deal, I¡¯ll leave immediately.¡±


    After saying that, Elyse got up and walked toward the door.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Just as Elyse arrived at the door and was about to change her shoes, Melissa called for her. ¡°Do you


    really have the n to make Leony willingly fight for the child¡¯s custody?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Elyse smiled, but her eyes suddenly shed with a dark light.


    Today was the day Amelie would be signing a contract with Toby.


    Therefore, Amelie made a rare appearance in the conference room at Starlight Media, where she


    decisively signed her name when the secretary handed her the pen and contract.


    Following that, she gave the contract to Toby. ¡°Mr. Walsh.¡±


    Toby received the contract and pen but didn¡¯t sign them immediately. Instead, he looked at Amelie.


    She was wearing a formal ck suit today, entuating her slim figure.


    Also, her hair was tied up, revealing her snowy-white earlobes. She looked clean and had a slightly


    aloof demeanor. If one were to use trending words to describe her, it would be ¡°unspoken rizz!¡±


    Although Toby had seen her many times before, the moment he saw her dressed up as the owner of


    Starlight Media he couldn¡¯t help but be filled with admiration


    He quickly signed his name and reached out to shake her hand. ¡°To be able to be so talented and


    achieve such exceptional results in every field, you, Miss Dillon, are the first one I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°Yourpliment is quite exaggerated.¡± Amelie smiled and deliberately avoided the gentleness and


    obvious fondness in his eyes.


    Then, she formally handed the contract to the legal officers. ¡°Well, let¡¯s wish for a happy cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Wish us a happy cooperation.¡±


    Toby had a faint smile on his exquisite face.


    Despite knowing he still wasn¡¯t worthy of her, he was still happy to have a chance to talk to her.


    He looked down at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Could I have the pleasure of inviting you to lunch?¡±


    Amelie looked down at her watch too. It showed 11.30AM, which was indeed lunchtime.


    ¡°Sure.¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s on me today. Take it aspensation for yesterday.¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t refuse her offer, and the two left one after another.


    ¡°Amelie!¡± Julia came from the corridor. Her high heels nked against the floor at a fast pace, showing


    that she was walking quickly.


    Herplexion looked quite bad. She held an iPad in her hand and looked at Toby before nodding at


    him apologetically. Then, she pulled Amelie to the side. ¡°Look at this.¡±


    Amelie looked at the iPad, disying an interview titled, ¡®Owner of Starlight Media Makes His First


    Appearance-Walking About His Life.¡¯


    Below the title was a picture of a middle-aged man in sses. He was sitting upright on the couch,


    seeming quite intelligent. However, the picture was taken from the side, so the man¡¯s features weren¡¯t


    quite clear.


    ¡°I wonder which scoundrel came up with this Elliot Poole person and said he was the owner of Starlight


    Media,¡± Julia spoke very quickly. ¡°That¡¯s not it. They even spoke about some sensitive topics.¡±


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


    Then, she skipped past the contents in the beginning, scrolled straight to the middle, and pointed at


    one specific sentence. ¡°Look!¡±


    Amelie quickly scanned through it and saw that the article was in an interview format.


    ¡®Host: Mr. Poole, ording to what we know, you¡¯ve given Miss Amelie Dillon the authority to manage


    Starlight Media¡¯s business matters, which shows how much she means to you. What we¡¯re curious


    about is¡ª Are you going to marry Miss Dillon? What kind of family are you looking to form?¡¯


    ¡®Elliot Poole ughing): Of course, we¡¯re going to get married. The best marriage in my mind is to only


    have two people supporting each other.¡¯


    ¡®Host: Are you saying that you don¡¯t want any children?¡¯


    no one will disturb our life together. Of course, a child would not matter because there are many ways


    where we can arrange for the child to be settled down.¡¯


    Host: So, you would consider sending your child to another ce to be brought up?¡¯


    1


    ¡®Elliot Poole: We won¡¯t be having a child, and the child we have now will naturally have to stay away


    from our lives. In fact, a child without parents can be more independent, which is better for us and


    the child. It¡¯s a win-win for all of us.¡¯


    ¡®Host: It seems like you¡¯re a wise man.¡¯


    ¡°He¡¯s an imposter and should be put behind bars. I¡¯m calling the cops!¡± Julia yelled and was about to


    walk


    away.


    Amelie pulled her back and exined while pointing at the date in the picture, ¡°With his capabilities, he


    won¡¯t be able to do such a thing, even if he has the guts to do it, there must be someone helping him!


    This interview was obviously donest night. Even if you call the cops, he must be in the wind by now.¡±


    When Julia saw it, she roared again, ¡°Damn it! Who the heck hates you so much that they found an


    imposter to say such nonsense? What are they trying to do?¡±


    Amelie scrunched her eyebrows because she wasn¡¯t sure why someone would do such a thing either.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Elliot Poole is a name I made up.¡± Just as they were both thinking about this matter,


    someone interrupted them.


    Both Amelie and Julia turned around and saw Toby standing behind them.


    Toby coughed to hide his embarrassment. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want the Alstons to know about your real


    identity, so I made up the name Elliot Poole and created some fake information about him. I didn¡¯t


    expect someone would take advantage of this and¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He did it for Amelie¡¯s sake, but his kind gesture had turned into something bad.


    ¡°But both of you can rest assured. I¡¯ll look into this matter immediately.¡± After Toby said that, he nodded


    and left without having lunch.


    While watching him leave, Julia shrugged. ¡°He seems to care a lot about you. Do you think he likes


    you?¡±


    Without giving any response, Amelie smiled and said, ¡°I think my current lifestyle is great. Work during


    the day and family time at night.¡±


    Knowing what she meant, Julia nodded.


    If it were someone else, she would have persuaded Amelie to give it a try, but Toby was someone close


    to Leo, which made him an unsuitable candidate.


    Later, Amelie left after a short conversation with Julia.


    handsome figure.

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142


    Amelie stopped in her tracks and stood in her ce while looking over.


    She saw that person leaning against the car with his head slightly lowered. There was a cigarette


    between his fingers, and smoke was gradually rising from the cigarette.


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


    The scene before Amelie surprised her because, in her memories, he rarely smoked.


    Leo took a drag of his cigarette and saw Amelie, so he walked over.


    Since he was quiet, his pursed lips and dark patches under his eyes gave others a depressing feeling.


    Meanwhile, Amelie stared at him without moving.


    He threw the cigarette bud to the floor before stepping in to put it out. ¡°Since you guys don¡¯t want Bria,


    you can give her to me.¡±


    When Leo spoke, Amelie instantly understood what was happening. It seemed like he had read the


    interview article on the so-called ¡°owner of Starlight Media.¡±


    ¡°What if I say the interview was a fake? That person is not the real owner of Starlight Media.¡± When


    Amelie spoke, she looked into his eyes with her clear and bright eyes.


    She saw him frown, followed by a slight scoff.


    ¡°How does it feel to lie through your teeth?¡±


    If Toby was the only one who said Elliot Poole was the owner of Starlight Media, perhaps he would still


    maintain some doubt. However, even Ashton found information proving that point, so how would Leo


    believe that Amelie wasn¡¯t lying to him?


    Leo¡¯s face darkened even more, and his nicer attitude toward Amelie returned to how it originally was.


    While looking at his raised eyebrow and sarcastic smile, Amelie felt helpless.


    However, she didn¡¯t want to fall out with Leo regarding Bria.


    Therefore, she took a deep breath and suppressed the frustration in her mind before asking again,


    ¡°Would you. believe me if I said I¡¯m the real owner of Starlight Media? Elliot Poole does not even exist!


    If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Julia or Samuel. Both of them are very familiar with me.¡±


    This time, Leo did not scoff. Instead, he just stared at her with his jet-ck eyes.


    He pursed his lips and said nothing, but every cell in his body was silently telling Amelie that he was


    regarding her as a liar.


    Having realized that, Amelieughed bitterly. ¡°Right, Julia and Samuel are both my friends, and from


    your standpoint, you think they will help support my lie.¡±


    ¡°Bria is my daughter, and I will not give her to anyone. I can also promise that I will give her the best


    care.¡± Amelie could only dere her stand.


    ¡°Your so-called best care is to payrge amounts of money for her to live somewhere else so that you


    and your lover can live a peaceful life together?¡± Leo spoke in a cold and merciless voice.


    For some unknown reason, he felt ufortable thinking about Amelie being lovey-dovey with another


    man.


    ¡°My daughter has a home, so she won¡¯t need to live elsewhere!¡± While saying that, his tone was


    exceptionally firm.


    Suddenly having a headache, Amelie argued, ¡°Leo, what do you want me to do to make you believe


    that I won¡¯t treat Bria like what is written in that interview? I can promise you I will never get married. Is


    that okay?¡±


    However, Leo still had a stern expression.


    It was no longer the era where two people had to get married before staying together.


    Amelie felt like the person who staged all of this had trapped her in an invisible, and no matter how


    hard she struggled, she couldn¡¯t get out of it.


    It was such a well-thought-out n.


    ¡°You¡¯re no longer suitable to take care of Bria,¡± Leo stated.


    As he didn¡¯t know Toby had meddled with the information, he believed that Elliot Poole was the real


    owner of Starlight Media after getting confirmation from two different people.


    Toby had no reason to trick him, and Ashton also had no reason to fool him.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re suitable to take care of Bria?¡± Amelie knew distrust could stop two people from


    talking with each other, so she didn¡¯t want toe clean about other things. She stared him dead in


    the eye and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that you and Elyse will get married and will have your own children.


    By then, what would happen to Bria? She will be the odd one out within your family of three. Do you


    know how devastating that would be to her? What¡¯s the difference between that and living somewhere


    else?¡±


    ¡°Even if we have a child, she will still be my daughter, and Elyse will treat her as her own!¡± Leo replied


    directly, but it only made Amelie sneer.


    She believed that Leo would treat Bria nicely, but Elyse? She naturally would treat Bria ¡°nicely.¡±


    Amelie had never trusted Elyse¡¯s character.


    ¡°Leo, how about we do it this way? I¡¯ll promise you that I will never date or marry anyone in my life.¡±


    She lowered her tone and sounded like she was pleading with him.


    Leo smiled sarcastically. ¡°Do you think your promises are believable?¡±


    That caused Amelie to be at a loss for words. Her face froze as her eyes reddened in grievance.


    Leo¡¯s words were implying how she had never stuck to her words and how she made things up about


    their


    ¡°That was all¡­¡± with reason.


    She didn¡¯t finish her words.


    Since Leo denied every word she said, what was the point of saying those words besides giving him a


    reason to make snarkyments about her?


    Their conversation hade to a dead end.


    Amelie looked around, and her eyesnded on the busy road.


    ¡°Leo.¡± She called out to him softly while smiling faintly. ¡°How about we make a bet? If I lose, you can


    bring Bria away, but if I win, Bria stays with me.¡±


    Leo¡¯s eyebrows were scrunched together as he looked at her with questioning eyes.


    She pointed at the car park beside the road. ¡°I¡¯m terrified of cold-blooded animals. If I can stay inside a


    car with eels for one hour, I win!¡±


    After she said that, she didn¡¯t wait for Leo to respond before walking toward the driver and buying a


    bucket of eels. Then, she jumped inside the bucket.


    Those eels were slippery like snakes, and their skin was slimy and cold. Also, they looked absolutely


    revolting.


    One after another, the eels inside the bucket began to squirm around after being disturbed when a


    human stepped inside the bucket.


    Then, they began sliding against Amelie¡¯s skin.


    The icy-cold eels had their mouths running across her legs and constantly rubbing against her.


    When Leo saw her buy those eels, he didn¡¯t stop her because he knew she was terrified of them. Even


    the sight of them could make her tremble in fear.


    He thought she was only threatening him, but she really stepped inside the bucket.


    Meanwhile, the driver also didn¡¯t know why she went inside the bucket, but he gracefully added some


    water inside.


    The eels squirmed even faster and more violently when water was added to the bucket. The shocked


    eels were madly bumping into each other between her legs!


    Leo¡¯s eyes widened in shock because he remembered that she had previously fainted when Jodie


    ced two eels in her room, but now¡­ she was even daring enough to be in contact with them?


    Of course, Amelie was afraid.


    The ufortable feeling one had of a living thing would usually develop into intense fear. The person


    would scream madly and feel suffocated when in contact with that thing even if it wasn¡¯t something


    dangerous.


    Moreover, eels had the characteristics of a snake and would also bite humans when forced to.


    Meanwhile, Leo clearly noticed her stiff body. Every time an eel passed through her leg, she would


    tremble slightly.


    Also, her face was turning extremely pale at a visible speed!


    But she was smiling at him.


    Her smile seemed so pale, and he felt like an invisible hand was grabbing his heart.


    A sharp pain came from his heart, and a tingling feeling surged inside him until it reached the top of his


    head!


    Opposite him, Amelie couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and fell backward¡­

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143


    Ssh!


    Water sshed as she sat down inside the bucket instead of falling outside.


    The moment she fell, it increased the contact surface she had with the eels!


    Leo instinctively ran over and was about to pick her up, but Amelie smiled and avoided him. ¡°Leo, I can


    do this. How can I have the right to maintain Bria¡¯s custody if I can¡¯t even stand such a small test?¡±


    She sounded like she was panting, and her voice was obviously shaking.


    At first, she talked to him, but then it became a mutter.


    She wasparing her absolute fear with her care for Bria.


    After shepared both, it was obvious that Bria was much more important.


    At that moment, Amelie suddenly felt that eels weren¡¯t as terrifying as she thought and closed her eyes.


    When one hour was us, she opened her eyes to find that Leo had disappeared.


    Amelie acted like nothing had happened and smiled.


    She could understand why Leo refused to apany her in such a crazy act, but after that one hour,


    she realized that her fear of cold-blooded animals could be cured.


    When losing something was more serious than her phobia, her phobia of cold-blooded animals seemed


    like nothing.


    Leo was aimlessly driving on the road.


    Though he left because he didn¡¯t want to apany Amelie in acting berserk on the side of the road,


    he had an ufortable feeling in his heart while driving. It felt like someone had stacked stones in his


    heart.


    He felt especially ufortable when he thought about how Amelie disregarded her fear of ¡­


    eels and the feeling of being watched by others in public to sit inside a bucket like a fool!


    While thinking of that, he gripped so tightly around the steering wheel that his knuckles turned pale!


    He then stopped the car by the road and sat inside quietly for a long time.


    It was until he noticed that the time Amelie said was almost up that he returned. Then, he saw the wet


    Amelieing out of the bucket with a victorious smile on her pale face.


    She was obviously stumbling when she came out and almost fell a few times.


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and got out of the car.


    However, before he could take a step forward, a figure shed across and went over to support Amelie.


    When Leo caught sight of that person, his face immediately turned as ck as ashes!


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why were you inside that tub?¡± Meanwhile, Toby didn¡¯t notice Leo as all his attention


    was on Amelie. His eyes were also filled with concern for her.


    Smiling, Amelie blinked her eyes at him. ¡°Because I wanted to do it.¡±


    She had a victorious smile on her face and was happy like a child.


    Though her face was ashen, she still smiled very beautifully.


    Toby was stunned when he saw her bright smile and was smitten.


    It took him quite a while to remember that she was soaked, and he quickly took off his coat to wrap


    around her body before leaving together.


    Leo was silently clenching his fists. As he was using so much strength, two veins had protruded from


    his forehead at some point.


    On the other hand, Amelie changed her clothes straight after returning to her office. When she came


    out, she saw Toby sitting on the couch, lost in thought. ¡°Mr. Walsh, why did you return? Is there


    something wrong?¡±


    Raising his head, Toby looked at her with something indefinable in his eyes.


    ¡°Was that because of¡­ Leo?¡±


    Amelie smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not for him. It¡¯s for Bria¡¯s custody.¡±


    Though she spoke nonchntly, it was like a kick in the gut for Toby. The pain was almost unbearable.


    She was the owner of Starlight Media, yet she had to ce herself in such an awkward position


    because she wanted to maintain her daughter¡¯s custody¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He apologized again. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t done what I did and made Elliot Poole up, this wouldn¡¯t


    have¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really not your fault.¡± Amelie shook her head. ¡°Even if this hadn¡¯t happened, the Alstons would


    think of another way if they wanted Bria back.¡±


    Toby quietly pursed his lips as his expression became more serious.


    A whileter, he spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ve already deleted that information, and I¡¯m currently hunting down that


    man who pretended to be Elliot. I believe we will be receiving news about this soon.¡±


    Amelie hummed lightly in response and sat on her chair.


    Perhaps she had been in the water for too long, and it made her look frail.


    embrace and keep her safe from all this mess.


    In the end, he could only force himself to look away.


    ¡°I will exin to Leo the truth,¡± he said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Amelie drank a sip of water and sighed.


    The problem between her and Leo was never misunderstandings but trust.


    If Toby went and spoke up for her, it would make Leo doubt her even more, which wouldn¡¯t help with


    anything.


    When Leo parked his car, he realized he had arrived at the kindergarten.


    The kindergarten was located at Halport, a one-hour drive from Amelie¡¯spany.


    When he approached the kindergarten, he looked through the steel fence covered with /cartoon


    characters and saw a bunch of children ying inside, including Bria.


    She was wearing the white shirt and pleated dress distributed by the kindergarten. Her hair was tied up


    into pigtails, and she was currently exercising ording to the teacher¡¯s instruction.


    Her tiny legs were parted while her small hands drew circles in the air.


    Since she was a tiny kid with tiny arms, she looked adorable when drawing circles with her hands.


    Leo watched the scene in a daze.


    ¡°Excuse me, which child¡¯s parent are you?¡± Seeing that he kept standing there, the teacher thought he


    was here to send over something and came to ask.


    When the teacher saw the extremely handsome man before her, she couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    Leo nodded politely before pointing at Bria. ¡°I¡¯m her father.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡± The teacher was shocked because she had never seen Bria¡¯s father. Also, she heard that


    Bria lived with her mom.


    Without asking any further questions, the teacher nodded and called for Bria.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Lowe,¡± Bria called out with red cheeks and a face full of smiles.


    However, her smile disappeared when she saw Leo, and her eyes were instantly filled with alertness.


    The smile from before disappeared without a trace.


    The teacher was shocked to see Bria¡¯s sudden change. ¡°Bria, is he your dad?¡±


    ¡°Vor


    Drin onlind coftly coomingly not too avrited shout this


    The teacher instantly felt awkward.


    ¡°Ms. Lowe, I would like to have a private chat with her. Is that okay?¡± Leo asked.


    The teacher didn¡¯t say anything and opened the gate to let Leo in.


    When Leo came inside, he grabbed Bria¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Bria, would you like something to eat?¡±


    Bria blinked her big, watery eyes, and her gazended on the huge freezer at the shop opposite the


    kindergarten.


    As Amelie strictly controlled the number of confections Bria was allowed to eat, Bria wasn¡¯t allowed to


    have ice cream that often.


    The young child couldn¡¯t stand the temptation of having ice cream. She subconsciously licked her lips


    but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Leo saw her reaction and asked, ¡°Would you like some ice cream? I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±


    After saying that, he squatted down to pick her up before heading outside.


    This was the first time Bria was held by her father.


    When he picked her up, she was dumbfounded and looked at his broad chest. Daddy is bigger than


    Mommy.It feels like his arms are stronger than Mommy¡¯s too. Mom always looks out of breath carrying


    me, but Dad does it effortlessly.


    She looked around curiously as she discovered that her reign of sight was higher and broader when in


    her father¡¯s arms.


    After paying for the most expensive ice cream in the shop, Leo carefully took off the wrapping and


    handed it to her.


    She hesitated for a while before lowering her head to lick the ice cream.


    The ice cream tasted divinely sweet and cold.


    Bria narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.


    Meanwhile, Leo suddenly felt his heart melt when he saw her cute actions.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    This was the first time he discovered that children were such cute beings.


    When Bria finished her ice cream, she no longer resisted or was wary of him. Also, she was willing to


    talk to him.


    Leo then asked her a few questions about her life with Amelie and how she was doing at school.


    Lastly, he asked, ¡°Bria, would you be willing toe home with me?¡±

 Chapter 144

    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!

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145


    ¡°L-Leo?¡±


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Hesitantly, she turned to Leo with trembling lips. Wearing a pair of ck-rimmed sses, the man


    standing in front of her fashioned a short buzz cut and had a rather stumpy physique.


    His face was rounded, coupled with a pair of crafty eyes. On both sides of his lips was some facial hair,


    and he looked a little like a sessful person.


    While others didn¡¯t know who he was, Elyse knew him very well.


    But the more she knew, the more terrified she was. Her ears rumbled, and she was so weak that she


    lost the strength to stand upright.


    Her legs turned wobbly. She wasn¡¯t sure how much Leo had found out. Hence, she could only try to


    deduce from his facial expression.


    Leo had awakened from his drunken stupor from earlier, and his handsome face was void of all


    emotions. His eyes were deep like an ocean, and his lips were pursed into a line. He did not urge her


    for rification.


    However, a thick cloud of cold air shrouded him, and it engulfed her silently, taking her breath away.


    Her fingers tightened and loosened repeatedly, and she gritted her teeth as she decided to bluff her


    way through. No matter how much he found out, it will be okay as long as I don¡¯t admit to anything!


    So, she put up a confused and pathetic stance. ¡°Who¡¯s this gentleman? Why did you bring him to my


    ce sote at night?¡±


    As an actor, she could easily put her acting skills to use even at a time like this effortlessly masking the


    nervousness she was feeling a second ago with a sweet smile.


    On the other hand, Leo didn¡¯t immediately expose anything and merely studied her face


    The beautiful face before his eyes was the same as it had always been, but the owner of this face was


    so strange to him that he could no longer recognize her anymore.


    Even though Elyse used to act irresponsibly in the past, she would at least speak honestly, unlike now


    where she was still trying to y dumb when the person was already at her door.


    Overwhelmed with exhaustion, he stopped beating about the bush with her. ¡°This is Elliot, the one who


    was interviewed. Are you sure you don¡¯t know him?¡±


    Solemn and icy, his eyes were so dark that she couldn¡¯t read anything in them, but the sh of sharp


    light he emitted seemed to indicate him having read her mind a long time ago. He had seen her clearly


    for who she


    was!


    That put an end to Elyse¡¯s pretense. She shuddered and almost couldn¡¯t hold her own weight.


    Leo¡¯s gaze was indifferent. Despite knowing that Elyse would bepletely exposed if ¡°Elliot¡± opened


    his mouth he didn¡¯t ask him to do so because he wanted her to admit it herself that she was the one


    who nned


    Without a doubt, Elyse could also tell what was on his mind.


    She was the one who found both ¡°Elliot¡± and the person who wrote the interview. When she was doing


    a bad deed, she didn¡¯t feel too much about it, but when her deeds were exposed, the embarrassment


    was more than she could put into words, not to mention that she had to admit it personally, which was


    not far off from public humiliation!


    Biting her lip tightly out of embarrassment, she didn¡¯t want to say anything, and neither could she bring


    herself to do it.


    Despite that, Leo merely stood there silently as he let her confront ¡°Elliot¡±, as though he wouldn¡¯t call it


    off unless she started talking.


    If this confrontation continued, it would attract the attention of more people.


    Elyse was well aware that, although her poprity had waned, many people were still watching her


    because of her rtionship with Leo.


    If someone snaps pictures of this situation, it will only spell trouble when people start to question my


    rtionship with Leo.


    At the thought of this, she grabbed his sleeve and looked up at him with puppy eyes. ¡°Leo, I was


    wrong. I made a mistake, okay? I asked him to pretend to be Elliot for the interview because I feel so


    insecure. Recently, Amelie has been constantly popping up in our lives, and you keep your rtionship


    with her ambiguous. I¡¯m scared, Leo. I¡¯m scared that she¡¯ll snatch you from me.¡± Right in front of


    ¡°Elliot¡±, she even went on tiptoes and ced her arms around Leo¡¯s neck. ¡°Leo, I¡¯d lost you for four


    years. Do you have any idea how I spent those four years? Every night, I had nightmares filled with


    scenes of you leaving me. My depression came from the anxiety my heart is carrying!¡±


    Leo kept his silence as he pulled her arms away and took a step back to keep a distance from her.


    Massaging his forehead, he then waved to the bodyguards standing outside. They understood his


    order and dragged ¡°Elliot¡± toward the exit.


    Distress and panic were written all over ¡°Elliot¡¯s¡± face as the bodyguards dragged him away, but he


    kept looking back, saying, ¡°Mr. Alston, I¡¯m begging you. Please let me go! Miss yton promised me a


    million if I can sessfully upset you. I was overtaken by greed for a second, that¡¯s why I¡­ But I didn¡¯t


    harm anyone!¡±


    His confession was thest thing Elyse was expecting, and her face turned scarlet from the sudden


    rush of blood. She wanted to throw her temper at ¡°Elliot,¡± but Leo¡¯s presence stopped her. So, she


    exined, ¡°Hear me out, Leo-¡±


    ¡°What are you going to exin? Are you trying to tell me that you plotted all this to make me upset so


    that I¡¯ll go and look for Amelie to fight for the child¡¯s custody? Since when you started colluding with my


    mother?¡±


    Dumbstruck, Elyse stood there like a statue with her mouth hanging, her eyes filled with shock and


    emptiness.


    Never did she imagine that Leo could find ¡°Elliot,¡± who was hidden away so well, and even found out


    that she was in cahoots with Melissa.


    Leo rubbed his temples silently.


    Previously, he didn¡¯t think that Toby would lie to him, so it didn¡¯t ur to him that Ashton would give


    him false news. Once this lie was uncovered, many things could be easily exined, and finding this


    ¡°Elliot¡± would be a piece of cake.


    ¡°I-I did this for your own good! Mrs. Alston wants to have Bria, and Bria should be by your side since


    she¡¯s an Alston. I don¡¯t want you and the Alstons to be criticized when we¡¯re married in the future. Also,


    I wish to be a qualified mother and take good care of Bria,¡± Elyse tried to redeem herself. Sniffling


    aggrievedly, she almost burst into tears. ¡°Leo, honestly speaking, doing this doesn¡¯t benefit me at all. If


    Briaes back, I¡¯ll be her stepmother. What will the public think of me? They¡¯ll assume that I


    could even be a stepmother just to marry a rich man. With that, our feelings for each other will be


    denied by them. In the end, they¡¯ll just see me as a superficial, money-grubbing woman. But why did I


    still choose to do this despite knowing that I¡¯ll be misunderstood? That¡¯s because I love you! Leo, I was


    wrong in the past and didn¡¯t treasure your love. It¡¯s my turn now to care for and love you. As long as it¡¯s


    beneficial for you, I¡¯m willing to do it, even if it means risking you misunderstanding me.¡±


    By the time Elyse finished speaking, her face was already flooded with tears, looking aggrieved, pitiful,


    and humiliated. She thought that after she had said so much, Leo would be moved, at least, ande


    over to hug andfort her. After all, not everything she just said was a lie; they also showed sincerity.


    There was a time when he wooed her love, and now that she had given all of herself to him, there


    shouldn¡¯t be a reason for him to be unhappy.


    Despite that, Leo merely stood there quietly. His eyes were icy, void of all traces of emotions in them.


    Panic raced through her chest, and she threw herself at him. ¡°Leo, I know you¡¯re unhappy that I did


    this, but I can¡¯t rid this feeling of insecurity of me. Let¡¯s get married! We¡¯re going to be together, anyway.


    As long as we¡¯re married, I¡¯ll have nothing to worry about anymore.¡± Hugging Leo¡¯s waist tightly, Elyse


    buried her face into his chest and closed her eyes. ¡°When that happens, no matter what you decide to


    do and whether to bring Bria back or not, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    But Leo didn¡¯t answer and stretched his arms to the back. One by one, he pried her fingers open, took


    a step back, and kept a distance from her once more.


    Refusing to give up, she wanted to hold him again, but a deep voice that tore her apart like thunder


    rammed into her ears.

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146


    ¡°Let¡¯s break up.¡±


    An explosion erupted in Elyse¡¯s head, and she looked at him with unblinking, confused eyes as though


    she didn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°W-What did you say?


    ¡°We¡¯re not suited for each other. Let¡¯s break up,¡± Leo repeated.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡± Her mouth opened and closed several times until she finally uttered his name. As she stood


    there, paralyzed on the spot, her brain slowly regained its functions, but the more she thought about it,


    the more her body trembled. ¡°W-Why do you have this thought all of a sudden? Aren¡¯t we doing well


    the whole time? Are you breaking up with me because of this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of this matter that I¡¯m breaking up with you,¡± he answered in a clear voice. ¡°It¡¯s the


    decision I made after careful consideration.¡±


    ¡°Careful¡­ consideration?¡± The words hit her like a sledgehammer, and tears rolled down her face


    freely again.


    So, the whole time when I thought he was mine again, he was thinking about¡­ breaking up?


    Proud and arrogant, Elyse thought that if she humbled herself and pleased Leo, he would present his


    heart to her on a silver tter. In the end, he ignored all of her efforts!


    She bit her lip hard and couldn¡¯t say a word. All she could feel was Leo silently trampling on her face,


    ravaging it over and over again!


    Meanwhile, after Leo finished all he had to say, he gave her a slight nod before walking outward.


    It was then that Elyse finally snapped back to her senses and lunged at him to stop him. ¡°Leo, you can¡¯t


    do this! I don¡¯t want to break up with you!¡± Tears flowed down her cheeks as she held him from behind.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re still mad over what happened four years ago. I was the one who was too stubborn back


    then and put you in such an awkward position because I didn¡¯t make things clear immediately. Back


    then, I was¡­ too young. Furthermore, your mother disliked me so much, so I only wanted you to lower


    yourself and spoil me in public


    to teach her a lesson. It was really.. just a moment of folly.¡±


    While she was speaking, her face was filled with unease.


    When it was exposed that she cheated, she chose not to exin herself because she wanted Leo to


    set his dignity aside and protect her in public. If word of this got out, many would call her shameless


    and ignorant, but at that time, she thought all of this was right.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You spoiled me so much back then that I became arrogant and didn¡¯t know when to stop,¡±


    she quickly apologized.


    I en lowered his head and nced at the hands that were ssed together tightly around him Then the


    odoos


    ¡°Elyse,¡± he called her name softly, but his tone had never been so gentle before. ¡°I know exactly what


    happened four years ago.¡±


    His gentle voice failed to instill a sense of security in Elyse. Instead, she turned even more nervous,


    and right after, she felt more embarrassed than ever!


    ¡°You indeed wanted to teach my mother a lesson, but it¡¯s also true that you slept with that man,¡± he


    said


    indifferently.


    Suddenly, she turned into stone, and even her blood flow stopped. ¡°Leo¡­. Then, why didn¡¯t you¡ª¡¯


    ¡°Do you want to ask me why I didn¡¯t expose you back then when you told me that you didn¡¯t sleep with


    that man? At that time, I had already married Amelie, and it was pointless to expose your lie. Moreover,


    I¡¯ve already slept with her when you cheated on me, so I was in no position to expose you.¡±


    Speechless, Elyse finally knew that the glee she felt when she thought that she had fooled him was all


    but an


    illusion.


    Humiliation and embarrassment washed over her like a big bucket of water.


    After a long while, she asked weakly, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why are you still so aloof to Amelie?¡±


    At the mention of Amelie, Leo¡¯s calm face turned a little solemn, and the emotions which he didn¡¯t


    understand himself shed in his eyes. ¡°I was aloof to her because I resented her for going back on her


    word and setting


    me up.¡±


    The son of a magnate who was doing very well in the business world was set up by an unknown girl;


    this was no different from being cut in the chest by a knife.


    ¡°Speaking of which, we should actually thank her. If it isn¡¯t because of her, Genesis, the Alstons, you,


    and I won¡¯t be having it so good now.¡±


    This time, Elyse released her grip before Leo had to shove her aside, and she stood there weakly like


    all the energy had been sucked out of her.


    For the past four years, he had never said anything like that, but now, he wanted to thank Amelie.


    What did this mean?


    This meant that his attitude toward Amelie had already changed, bit by bit, so it was only a matter of


    time before he fell for her!


    Before he even finds out that Amelie is Big Eyes, he¡¯s already¡­


    On Elyse¡¯s face, there was only destion, and her chest felt so cold that it was as though the Siberian


    desert was there: icy cold and barren.


    At the thought that she was defeated by Amelie, who was brought up in a vige, she felt her chest


    being pricked by needles.


    She was unwilling to admit defeat.


    Hence, she shut her eyes and said, ¡°Leo, even if I was wrong in that matter, I received my punishment


    and lost you for four years. In those four years, I missed you so much that I became depressed, and


    even when I had thoughts ofmitting suicide, I still didn¡¯t dare to look for you. Isn¡¯t this enough? Can


    we let bygones be bygones and just remember the days we spent at Quinn Town? How amazing it was


    when we lived with and depended on each other back then.¡±


    As Elyse had never experienced anything from those years, she couldn¡¯t say anything in detail and


    could only mention it vaguely.


    Leo and Big Eyes promised each other that they would never mention that period in their lives again,


    and this was the reason Elyse was able to stay by his side under the guise of ¡®Big Eyes¡¯ for such a long


    time.


    In the past, she felt awkward when she stood in as Amelie, but such was the nature of humans; the


    more she repeated the lie, the more she took it for real.


    At this moment, she had lost all traces of shame and spoke about the past as if it was a matter of fact.


    She was well aware that this period of time carried great importance to Leo, or more urately


    speaking, the existence of Big Eyes held a great significance to him.


    Sure enough, the knot between Leo¡¯s brows rxed, and he turned around to hold Elyse¡¯s shoulders.


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


    Happiness flooded into her heart. Suppressing the delight within, she pursed her lips and gazed at him


    with a pathetic face. ¡°Leo, let¡¯s spend some time at Quinn Town, shall we? I really miss the times from


    back then.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he agreed readily.


    Seeing that he had agreed, Elyse thought that her scheme had worked, and she wanted to throw


    herself into his arms, but he held her shoulders stiffly to stop her.


    ¡°I can return to Quinn Town with you, but not as your boyfriend. Only purely as your friend.¡±


    She was dumbstruck, and shock appeared on her face once more. Did I lose again this time? Even Big


    Eyes is not working anymore?


    Her heart raced against her chest loudly, and she called out his name tentatively, ¡°Leo¡­ You¡¯re kidding


    with me, right?¡±


    In the past, Leo could tolerate all of her nonsense because he mistook her for Big Eyes, and she


    couldn¡¯t believe that he would turn so heartless all of a sudden.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147


    Instead of answering her questions, Leo whisked out a card from his pocket. ¡°There¡¯s 10 million in this


    card, and you can spend it as you like. In addition, if you need help in the future, I¡¯ll do my best to help


    you.¡±


    After speaking, he didn¡¯t hang around longer and walked away.


    Without a word, Elyse watched as his back became smaller and smaller. Then, she stared at the bank


    card in her hand, trembling all over like a leaf in the wind.


    Is Leo¡­ cutting off all ties with Big Eyes with money?


    Tears streamed down from her eyes again, but in the next second, she startedughing hysterically.


    ¡°Amelie Dillon, so what if you¡¯re Big Eyes? As long as Leo wants to leave, he can abandon you all the


    same!¡±


    When Leo reached home, Melissa was still there, and she immediately went to him..


    ¡°I saw the news, Leo. And it¡¯s proven it¡¯s not suitable for Bria to stay there. When are you taking her


    home?¡±


    Frowning, he massaged the spot between his brows with his slender fingers. ¡°Bria¡¯s noting back.


    In the future, don¡¯t do anything to her and Amelie!¡±


    The impatience on Melissa¡¯s face froze at his words, and she couldn¡¯t help but study him quietly, trying


    to guess if he had already found out that she was in cahoots with Elyse.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    When he didn¡¯t say anything, her heartbeat gradually returned to normal, and her face turned solemn.


    ¡°Elliot has already made his statement. Why are you still letting Bria stay with Amelie? What exactly do


    you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean it literally.¡± Not in the mood to be bothered with her, he added, ¡°I¡¯m tired. If there¡¯s nothing else,


    I¡¯m going upstairs to rest.¡±


    Melissa wholeheartedly thought that Elyse¡¯s smart n would work and waited patiently for him to bring


    Bria home so that she could salvage a little of her lost dignity. However, now, not only did he not bring


    her back, he even seemed like he wasn¡¯t going to fight for her, and this was thest straw for Melissa.


    Ignoring the fact that he was tired, she raised her voice at him, saying, ¡°Previously, you thought that I


    wanted to take Bria back for the sake of my face, but it has now been proven that Elliot and Amelie


    don¡¯t want her. As her grandmother, how can I turn a blind eye to this?¡±


    Taking a few steps toward Leo, she gulped and softened her tone. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for Bria¡¯s good, and


    she can only lead a normal life if she returns to the Alstons! Right now, Amelie is having aplicated


    rtionship with the boss of Starlight Media while hanging out with other men. Even Toby is hanging


    out with her now.


    Hearing this, Leo couldn¡¯t help but think of Toby¡¯s unconcealed feelings for Amelie, and his chest


    tightened ufortably.


    When he was silent, Melissa thought she had convinced him, and some joy lit up on her face. ¡°That¡¯s


    why you should bring Bria home as soon as possible. Then, she doesn¡¯t have to suffer so much from


    Amelie¡¯s poison. Don¡¯t worry. Once she¡¯s back, I¡¯ll treat her well and nurture her to be a top socialite.¡±


    Snapping back to his senses, Leo was too tired to exin that Elliot was a fake character and merely


    said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked Bria, and she said that she doesn¡¯t want toe back.¡±


    ¡°What does a child know?¡± Melissa snapped immediately. ¡°Bring her back, and she¡¯ll have feelings for


    home if given time. Leo, she¡¯s still a child who doesn¡¯t know how to differentiate right from wrong, and


    neither does she know which life is good for her. As adults, we have to be her gatekeepers.¡±


    Melissa ended earnestly, and Leo couldn¡¯t help but smirk sarcastically when he heard her saying that


    the adults had to be the gatekeepers.


    His expression was reflected in her eyes, and her heart thumped loudly as she knew what was on his


    mind.


    He¡¯s silently ming me, isn¡¯t he? she thought. Did being the so-called gatekeeper as an adult include


    throwing him to Quinn Town when he lost sight?


    This was the toughest thing she had to admit to him, and she lost the confidence to speak more as she


    intertwined her fingers restlessly.


    In the end, he didn¡¯t bring up the old score with her and said, ¡°I believe that Amelie will raise Bria well.¡±


    For some unknown reason, when he thought of Amelie jumping into the box filled with the eels that


    terrified


    her the most without hesitation and the things she said, he was ready to believe her.


    After he finished speaking, he didn¡¯t give Melissa a chance to argue further and went upstairs straight


    away, leaving her alone downstairs to stomp her feet repeatedly.


    Early in the morning, Amelie dropped Bria off at school and drove herself to Starlight Media.


    Recently, there were several projects at hand, and they were major innovative projects, so she didn¡¯t


    dare to ck off and immediately got to work. By the time she could catch a break, it was already noon.


    Fortunately, Julia¡¯s assistant, Lena, was an attentive person and had prepared lunch. As Amelie rarely


    came into the office before this and didn¡¯t manage the actual operations, she didn¡¯t recruit an assistant


    for herself.


    However, now that thepany was going to make big moves, and she would be in the office more


    frequently. she figured she shouldn¡¯t share an assistant with Julia much longer.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    Someone rapped on her door, and she raised her head. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Lena walked in and informed her, ¡°Miss Dillon, a woman, who goes by the surname of Richards, is


    outside and


    wants to meet you.¡±


    Richards? Amelie paused for a second and racked her brain, but she couldn¡¯t recall having an


    appointment with anyone named Richards.


    Reading her mind, Lena quickly added, ¡°She didn¡¯t have an appointment, but she said that she¡¯s Bria¡¯s


    grandmother and has something important to speak with you.¡±


    Since Bria often showed up at thepany, it was only natural that Lena knew her.


    When Amelie heard it was Melissa outside, her face cringed a little. What is she doing here?


    Knowing that she would only bring trouble, Amelie was worried that she would affect her appetite and


    said,


    Please attend to her for a while.¡±


    Then, she continued eating. After she finished her food, she put away the lunch box before going to the


    visitor lounge.


    In the lounge, Melissa leaned sideways into a single couch with her legs crossed proudly and her


    palms stacked on the armrest. Frowning, she appeared annoyed as she said, ¡°What¡¯s going on? This


    company doesn¡¯t have any hospitality at all. I¡¯ve been waiting for so long. Why isn¡¯t Amelie Dillon out


    yet?¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t mention anything else, it could be seen from her face that she was filled with


    indifference and contempt for thispany and Lena.


    She carried a lofty stance, looking high and mighty like a queen, waiting for someone to bow down to


    her. Behind her, a middle-aged man dressed in dark clothes stood with his back straight, and this man


    was none other than thewyer Lena had seen thest time in the cafe.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Miss Dillon is busy. Furthermore, you didn¡¯t make an appointment before this, so you¡¯ll


    have to wait a little longer,¡± Lena said politely.


    ¡°How big is thispany? Are appointments even needed?¡± Melissa surveyed the surroundings. As


    she didn¡¯t know the operation mode of Starlight Media, she reckoned that Lena was bluffing when she


    saw the small space around her.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how precious our time is? Twenty-three minutes of our time has been wasted!¡±


    Henry checked the watch on his wrist and tapped at it loudly.


    Pursing her lips into a smile, Amelie then walked into the room. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to waste your time,


    you should have made an appointment beforehand. The management staff¡¯s time is precious and can¡¯t


    be wasted on


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Thewyer whose name was mentioned turned scarlet from his cheeks to his ears.


    Pacing next to Lena, Amelie patted her shoulder. ¡°Leave this to me.


    Lena nodded but couldn¡¯t stop herself from casting Amelie a worried look. After spending a few minutes


    in the same room with these people, she was already at the end of her patience. Could Amelie deal


    with them?


    However, as an employee, she was in no position to say much, so she turned to leave.


    After she left the room, Amelie turned to Melissa. ¡°How may I help you, Mrs. Alston?¡±

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148


    Melissa¡¯s elegant face flinched, and it was apparent that she was unhappy, but she didn¡¯t say anything


    and pointed to Henty, who took a step forward and said, ¡°This time, we¡¯re here for the custody of Miss


    Brianna again. Miss Dillon, the Alston Family would like her to return to the Alstons to live.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we already make it clear before this?¡± Hearing that, Amelie frowned deeply and looked very


    much annoyed. When will the Alstons give it up?


    ¡°That was in the past when you acted like a mother, at least. Considering that it wasn¡¯t easy for you to


    give birth to Bria, we allowed her to be under your care for a while.¡± Melissa lowered her eyes and


    patted the hem of her skitt. Her disregard for Amelie was clear for all to see. ¡°It¡¯s proven now that


    you¡¯re unqualified. As a descendant of the Alstons, Bria shouldn¡¯t be wasting her time with you.¡±


    ¡°Unqualified? When did you see that I¡¯ve been an unqualified mother?¡±


    Any excuse would serve a tyrant. However, Melissa¡¯s excuse was simply too far-fetched, and Amelie¡¯s


    face turned stone cold as she shot Melissa an icy re. Her tone wasn¡¯t aggressive, but it was


    indifferent and carried some power.


    Melissa snorted nonchntly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know anything about your own embarrassing deeds?¡±


    Tilting her head, Amelie smirked and answered, ¡°I have no idea. Why don¡¯t you point it out for me, Mrs.


    Alston?¡±


    Melissa¡¯s brows jumped with fury, but she sniggered as her self-righteous superiority appeared on her


    well- maintained face. Instead of answering directly, she lifted her finger and pointed. ¡°Mr. Jute.¡±


    Raising his square and angr face, Henry hurriedly acknowledged her with great politeness.


    However, in Amelie¡¯s eyes, he was every bit like a toady, no matter how she looked at him.


    After that, Henry balled his hand, ced it in front of his mouth, and cleared his throat. When he faced


    Amelie, he no longer seemed like ackey as he put on a smug look. ¡°Miss Dillon, ording to our


    investigations, you live a promiscuous private life and haveplicated rtionships with different


    men. This is not beneficial to Miss Brianna. Based on this point, the jury in the court will be in favor of


    the Alstons, who will do better for her upbringing. You should send her home first to save yourself the


    embarrassment when the timees.¡±


    However, everything he said sounded like a joke to Amelie. ¡°A promiscuous private life? May I ask,


    whom did you hire to carry out the Investigations, Mr. Jute? How did they find out that my private life is


    promiscuous and that my rtionships with men areplicated?¡±


    As Amelie had grown up as a confident child, she was unaffected by his threats.


    Henry started bbering the same old story, iming that she must have had something going on


    before the


    mentioned that she had a dodgy rtionship with Jamie and was involved with ke. He even dragged


    Toby


    into the picture.


    While listening to Henry¡¯s nonsense, Amelie¡¯s pretty face turned from solemn to icy before finally


    turning rigid, and she red at him emotionlessly. ¡°Looks like all you do as awyer is talk without


    basing on any facts! Both Jamie and ke have rified my rtionships with them, yet you¡¯re still


    spouting nonsense here. If you continue this, I¡¯ll have to sue you for false usations! As for Toby, why


    don¡¯t we ask him over here right now and have a face-to-face confrontation to determine whether we


    have any rtionship or not?¡±


    Her re was so intense that it gave Henry, who was more than a decade older than her, a scare, and


    he


    shuddered silently as a shiver ran down his spine.


    Although they had crossed paths before, Julia was always around previously to help Amelie take the


    bullet, so Henry didn¡¯t think that Amelie was capable at all. Everything he said earlier was meant to


    intimidate her, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so clear-minded and could react so quickly that she


    managed to catch the faults in his ims right after he finished speaking.


    He didn¡¯t have the guts to let her invite Toby for real, so he pretended to clear his throat again a couple


    of times with his fist in front of his mouth as an awkward look washed over his face.


    ¡°Even if all these could be written off, it¡¯s a fact that you have a thing with the boss of Starlight Media.


    Since you¡¯re going to date the boss of Starlight Media, why do you want to bring a child with you?


    You¡¯re a smart woman, Miss Dillon. You should know that it¡¯d be troublesome to have a child around.


    ¡°At the moment, you share a deep rtionship with the boss of Starlight Media, so maybe he won¡¯t say


    anything, but the days ahead are long, and it will be a bumpy ride. As a divorcee, why would you add


    problems to your next rtionship? Furthermore, it¡¯s not like you won¡¯t be able to meet Miss Brianna


    again after her return to the Alstons. You can always visit her whenever you want. Without going


    through the hassle of bringing up a child, you can even protect the bonds between the both of you. So,


    why not?¡±


    Henry¡¯s mouth was full of packs of lies. When one saying didn¡¯t work, he immediately switched to


    another. This time, he appeared to be speaking from Amelie¡¯s perspective.


    This reasoning sounded wless, and if she weren¡¯t the boss of Starlight Media, she would be bought


    in by his words.


    ¡°Thanks for your advice, Mr. Jute, but I don¡¯t n to let anyone else have Bria. In addition, I can


    promise that my life won¡¯t be bumpy because of her. On the contrary, it will be even happier,¡± she said


    confidently and waved at him. ¡°So, please return, both of you.¡±


    Seeing that Amelie was not open to either threat or persuasion, Melissa mmed the table loudly, and


    her face contorted into an angry scowl.


    ¡°Mr. Jute!¡± she shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t hire you to talk gibberish here! Get straight to the point!¡±


    Her yelling sent Henty into a fluster, and after a moment of hesitation, he said, ¡°Miss Dillon, we have


    reasons


    Amelie giggled out loud. ¡°What now, Mr. Jute? I can overlook that you made up stories to snatch Bria,


    but I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re using me wrongly now.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Oh, he didn¡¯t,¡± Melissa interjected.


    Used to seeing Amelie as her timid daughter-inw, Melissa couldn¡¯t stop herself from interrupting


    because Amelie¡¯s current attitude was just like a dull knife cutting into her flesh-painful and agonizing.


    As soon as the words left her lips, Henry turned on his phone and passed it to Amelie. ¡°Take a look at it


    yourself, Miss Dillon.¡±


    Amelie lowered her head and saw that it was ying a video, and when she saw its content, her face


    fell and


    turned livid.


    That video was none other than a recording of her jumping into a box of eels when she made a bet with


    Leo!


    ¡°In broad daylight, when people were going around, you jumped into a spot like that without any reason


    and even stayed inside for an hour. We can reasonably deduce that there¡¯s something wrong with your


    psychological health,¡± Henry remarked. ¡°You can deny it, Miss Dillon, or even go to a psychiatric


    evaluation center to prove your innocence. Nheless, this can prove that you¡¯re emotionally


    unstable and capable of doing something extreme. It¡¯s unsuitable for Miss Brianna to live with you


    under such circumstances.¡±


    A sudden rush of adrenaline pumped through Henry¡¯s veins, making him talk for minutes on end.


    However, Amelie didn¡¯t answer right away and clutched her fists quietly.


    The only one present at that time was Leo, she recalled. So, he¡¯s the one who recorded this? Did he


    actually go this far just to have custody of Bria?


    A dull pain reverberated in her chest as though someone had punched her.


    ¡°If you¡¯re unfamiliar with thew, you may consult somebody. Just this video alone is enough to make


    you lose custody of Miss Brianna, and the Alston Family can even apply to the court to deprive you of


    your visitation rights!¡± Henry¡¯s voice echoed into her ears once again like the voice of the devil. ¡°Rather


    than let things get to that point, why don¡¯t we settle this out of court and talk things over? Maybe Mrs.


    Alston will give you visitation rights for the sake of Miss Brianna.¡±

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149


    ¡°You should know that, as a child of the Alston Family, Bria absolutely shouldn¡¯t grow up in a chaotic


    environment because she¡¯ll be the face of the Alstons in the future. So, she deserves the best of


    the best and should be nurtured in the best environment possible,


    Right after the words left Henry¡¯s lips, Melissa sprang to her feet and lectured, ¡°Bria is also your child,


    and you do hope that she could be given all the opportunities avable to her, yes? The Alstons are her


    real family, and we¡¯re the only ones who will truly treat her well. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Amelie was still in a daze that Leo was capable of such despicable means to obtain the custody rights


    of Brianna. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to say a word until she heard Melissa¡¯s shameless remarks


    and immediately snapped back to her senses.


    Then, she met Melissa¡¯s arrogant stare with her piercing, cold gaze. ¡°Mrs. Alston, oh, how you sing.


    Bria has lived with the Alstons for four years, but can you actually say with a clear conscience that she


    has been treated with care by the Alstons?¡± She pursed her lips as she curled her lips into a derisive


    smile. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to beat about the bush at this point as she exposed the truth, ¡°You¡¯re


    going all out now simply because you¡¯ll lose face if Bria isn¡¯t raised in the Alston Family. Unfortunately


    for you, your reputation is less than the dirt beneath my feet. So, there is no way I will destroy my


    daughter and her future because of your hoity-toity needs!¡±


    Her frank manner and blunt delivery hit Melissa¡¯s face like a harsh p as all the blood drained from


    her face.


    Amelie had hit the bullseye with her assumptions. As a result, Melissa couldn¡¯t help clenching her fists


    from embarrassment and shame.


    s, she was Melissa Richards, after all. She was used to being pandered to by Amelie, so she


    wouldn¡¯t allow herself to be beaten so easily. Thus, she dismissed Amelie¡¯s words with a wave of her


    hand as she hotly


    but i retorted, ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! Indeed, I didn¡¯t interfere when Bria was at the Alstons¡¯, but that¡¯s


    because she¡¯s your child, and I didn¡¯t think it was right of me to stick my nose into your business.


    You¡¯re the one who failed to use this opportunity well and turned her into a person as timid as a mouse.


    But now, you¡¯re ming us for being heartless?! If I had known that you would be this way, I would


    have never ced Bria in your care for even a minute! Maybe Bria wouldn¡¯t be so meek!¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, she¡¯s already brilliant as is! I would say I¡¯m sorry that she doesn¡¯t meet your


    expectations of brilliance, but I¡¯m not,¡± Amelie snapped right after Melissa finished speaking. Her


    beautiful, small face was exceptionally calm as she smiled proudly. ¡°It¡¯s exactly because she left the


    Alstons that she finally had a chance to shine. That house is too oppressive for her, and she doesn¡¯t fit


    there at all.¡±


    She stared at Melissa with her eyes that seemed as though they could see through all of Melissa¡¯s


    schemes. The so-called chance to take Brianna in hand that Melissa mentioned was merely an excuse.


    A terrible one, at that. If she sincerely adored Brianna, she wouldn¡¯t have given her attitude every


    single time.


    Back then, Amelie didn¡¯t bring up the custody of the child during the divorce because she knew that the


    Alstons never genuinely cared for Bria. Nevertheless, there was also a part of her that still decided to


    give


    not throwing things out in the open and allowing Leo to use Bria¡¯s custody as a way to threaten her.


    As long as she didn¡¯t bring it up, everyone could save their reputation and make the appropriate


    arrangements.


    On the other hand, if someone brought this topic up, it would send the Alstons into thinking that they


    could use fighting for Bria¡¯s custody to sweeten their image.


    She really shouldn¡¯t have ced any hope that they would be decent people, especially since the


    reality was currently proving that everything was moving right along her worst-case scenario.


    Since Amelie was now fully aware that the Alstons were nning to use Brianna like a tool and discard


    her once she was useless to them, as a mother, she couldn¡¯t allow nor could she stomach such a thing


    from happening to her precious daughter.


    Melissa snorted indifferently the second Amelie made her stance clear. ¡°You taught her to perform for


    the public and made her your money-making tool at such a young age. Is that what you mean by


    brilliant? At the end of the day, you¡¯re just from a humble and poor family. You¡¯re so shortsighted!¡±


    Melissa had always looked down on Amelie¡¯s family background right from the beginning, but now that


    Amelie was her for, she was downright boorish to Amelie.


    Nheless, Amelie wasn¡¯t mad at her as she chuckled lightly. ¡°So, you mean that she has to be


    excellent in music, arts, and performance so that she could perform on a bigger stage in the future?¡±


    Melissa nodded without hesitation. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you asking her to perform for the public as well? Amelie pointed out immediately. ¡°What¡¯s the


    difference between performing on a big stage and a small one?¡±


    ¡°This¡ª¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you acting just like a brothel pimp by forcing her to pick up something she¡¯s not interested in so


    that she could perform in public?¡±


    Her forthrightparison was so candid that itpletely ruined the beautiful castle Melissa had


    conjured in her mind.


    Moreover, Melissa had never beenpared to a brothel pimp before. Hence, she became livid as her


    face turned sullen, and she mmed the desk strongly with her fist. ¡°How dare you!¡±


    At this rate, she could no longer maintain her superiority and self-importance. Instead, her scowl was


    so ferocious and twisted that even her meticulously maintained face turned ugly beyond words.


    Not only that, even her voice thundered in the room. Her current demeanor was such a 180 from her


    elegant, poised ways.


    could no longer cause Amelie to experience any mental breakdowns and remained calm as she


    confronted


    Melissa.


    She was soposed that she was akin to a beautiful sculpture-graceful and peaceful. To an outsider,


    it even seemed that she would remain standing even if a hurricane hit her.


    Compared to her, Melissa suddenly realized she was like a fool jumping around in anger!


    ¡°Mrs. Alston, if you really want the best for Bria, you should let her live with me. If you insist on taking


    her away by force, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to go through the legal procedures,¡± Amelie said


    dispassionately, her tone


    unwavering.


    Regardless, that only emphasized her resolute attitude, and herst statement made it crystal clear!


    ¡°Hah! Since you don¡¯t know what¡¯s better for you, I¡¯ll do as you wish!¡± Melissa was wholly infuriated and


    couldn¡¯t bear to stay a minute longer. Thus, she stomped out in her heels after spitting out her piece,


    leaving the guest lounge in a huff.


    Meanwhile, Henry red at Amelie with his beady eyes and dashed after Melissa without a word.


    Amelie only slumped into the chair when they vanished from her sight, as though all the energy had


    been


    sucked out of her during that conversation.


    Thest thing she wanted to see had happened in the end, and this wouldn¡¯t be the only time. She


    knew the Alstons would only keeping after her like mad dogs frothing at the mouth. It was highly


    likely they would


    continue to harass her about this.


    How can I stop all these meaningless fights? she wondered wearily.


    As she was deep in thought, she didn¡¯t even notice the sounds of heels clicking from outside the door.


    So, she didn¡¯t even raise her head in wee when Julia appeared at the door a few secondster.


    ¡°I saw that b*tch in the hallway earlier. What happened? Did shee here to cause you trouble


    again?¡± Julia demanded impatiently the second she pushed the door open.


    Amelie gave her a nod and gave her a brief rundown of the situation earlier.


    ¡°That b*stard is totally shameless!¡± Julia eximed in fury after listening to Amelie¡¯s side of the tale.


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting for the child¡¯s custody because of their reputation? What are they taking Bria for? A


    toy or a robot? Elie, we can¡¯t let them have their way regarding this matter. Even if we have to stake


    everything we have, we have to get Bria to stay with us!¡±


    Amelie simply sighed in reply.


    If the price to pay was merely putting everything she had at stake, there was nothing she couldn¡¯t let go


    of. Yet, she was worried that the Alstons were determined to fight for Brianna. When she considered all


    the


    She lowered her head and thought this over for a while before abruptly jumping to her feet. ¡°I need to


    go somewhere. Don¡¯t wait up!¡±


    Then, she hastily brushed past Julia like a gust of wind, going all the way to Genesis.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    When Amelie arrived at the building, she raised her head silently and stared at the skyscraper that


    seemed to reach the clouds. Then, all of a sudden, she was dragged back to the past, where she was


    bedridden for a long time when her eyes were infected after donating her cornea.


    That time, even though she was still not out of danger, she was unafraid and even excited.


    Her head was filled with thoughts that after Leo recovered his sight, he would receive recognition from


    the Alston Family and be the master of this building.


    So, this was the first ce she visited after she recovered.


    Back then, the building wasn¡¯t as tall as it is now, and neither was thepany as rich, but she still


    couldn¡¯t suppress her giddy joy.


    So, she decided to pay Leo a surprise visit with bouncy steps and a happier heart. Well, they did meet,


    but the situation wasn¡¯t what she had imagined.


    While she was deep in her thoughts, someone approached her. The instant theyid their gaze on her,


    their eyes were filled with coldness and enmity. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150


    Amelie was lost in her thoughts when she was abruptly startled out of it, making her raise her head in


    confusion.


    She saw a fashionably dressed figure. The endorsed, branded haute couture wrapped every inch of


    her curves nicely. The top-notch cosmetics glowed up her facial features, making her look beyond


    morous.


    Elyse. Then again, Elyse and Leo are a couple. So, it¡¯s not surprising that she¡¯s here, Amelie thought.


    She didn¡¯t really pay any mind about the reasons behind Elyse¡¯s appearance here and, honestly, didn¡¯t


    want to waste her time thinking about it. So, she dismissed Elyse entirely and walked toward Genesis¡¯


    building.


    Actually, Elyse was here because Leo had decided to call off the engagement and even broke up with


    her. She still couldn¡¯t believe that Leo had decided to dump her yesterday, be it out of personal feelings


    or due to his


    career.


    After she wallowed in her thoughts for more than half a day, she eventually still decided toe


    looking for Leo, hoping she could save their rtionship.


    However, as she didn¡¯t want outsiders to know that she came here to beg Leo to take her back, she


    deliberately wore exquisite makeup and dressed herself to the nines. Then, she even told her manager


    and assistant that she was only going to keep Leopany.


    When Elyse saw Amelie ignoring her, she silently clenched her fists tightly; her eyes shed with a hint


    of coldness that even the most eye-catching makeup couldn¡¯t conceal.


    ¡°Elyse, why are you still here?¡± Elyse¡¯s assistant came over and asked after noticing that Elyse hadn¡¯t


    moved


    an inch for quite some time.


    After all, it was easy for Elyse to be recognized by the public as she was a famous celebrity. People


    might start making random spections if they saw her standing there for a long time without budging.


    ¡°Maybeter.¡± Elyse managed to restrain her emotions. Her tone was calm and sophisticated when she


    spoke to her assistant, creating aplete image of a goddess.


    Amelie will obviously know that Leo has dumped me if I go there now. Hah! There is no way I will


    willingly


    embarrass myself in front of her!


    With that in mind, she returned to her luxury multi-purpose vehicle, preparing to wait in the car for the


    right time for her to make her appearance. That way, she could maintain her image and receive Leo¡¯s


    undivided


    altention.


    s, her phone rang as soon as she got in the car.


    She impatiently whisked it out from her nurse only to con A chton¡¯s number nonning un an the screen


    She quirked her eyebrows with a slight trace of disgust as she stared at the ID. Even so, she still forced


    herself to answer, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s voice immediately sounded from the other end of the phone, ¡°It¡¯s really weird, Elysel I have


    utilized all of our family¡¯s information channels, yet I can¡¯t locate a single trace of the boss of Starlight


    Media at all.¡±


    Elyse went to Ashton and asked him to find the real boss of Starlight Media after she was exposed for


    deceiving Leo about Amelie being in a rtionship with a fake named, ¡®Elliot Poole¡¯.


    ¡°How could this be?¡± she asked, the corner of her lips tightening as she was highly displeased with the


    oue. Nheless, she still didn¡¯t forget that her assistant was in front of her. Thus, she raised her


    chin in


    her assistant¡¯s direction.


    Her assistant received the hint and immediately got out of the car. Then, she quietly closed the door


    behind her for fear of disturbing Elyse.


    Once her assistant shut the door, Elyse pulled out a nket and covered her legs with an agitated


    demeanor. Her tone also changed the instant her assistant departed from her vicinity. ¡°Aren¡¯t the Lowes


    the ones who have always imed that their information channels are top-notch? So, how is it that you


    can¡¯t even get your hands on the information about the boss of such a bigpany? Or could it be that


    you haven¡¯t been getting the work done properly?¡±


    Ashton, who was on the other end of the phone, swore upon hearing her usations, ¡°I swear to God


    from the bottom of my heart that I have always prioritized your affairs. I have been watching my


    subordinates and looking up information regarding the boss of Starlight Media sincest night. I even


    pulled an all-nighter!¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll have someone else look it up for me, then,¡± Elyse said testily, not in the mood to listen to his


    excuses. Then, just when she was about to hang up, Ashton¡¯s voice hastily interjected, ¡°Elyse, have


    you ever thought that, perhaps, the boss of Starlight Media doesn¡¯t exist at all?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elyse¡¯s heart abruptly skipped a beat. She didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her,


    but she had a terrible premonition as those words fell from his lips. In fact, she even started


    experiencing difficulty breathing.


    Meanwhile, Ashton was unaware of her growing anxiety as he continued to analyze, ¡°You know that


    even though the Lowes¡¯ informationwork may not be the best in Clouson City, it¡¯s still undoubtedly


    above average. Many have entrusted us to trace the person of their interest. We can even sessfully


    track those who are experts at hiding themselves without a trace. The boss of Starlight Media has


    released information through the media repeatedly, so there¡¯s no reason he wouldn¡¯t leave even the


    slightest trace on the Inte. Yet, no matter how deep I search, I can¡¯t find this person. This is simply


    illogical. Therefore, I bet Starlight Media¡¯s boss is probably a made-up character.¡±


    ¡°Even if they can create such a character, we can¡¯t deny that a bigpany like Starlight Media


    actually does exist. So, tell me-who would believe that such a bigpany has no boss?!¡± Elyse found


    Ashton¡¯s analysis to be extremely absurd. This guy really doesn¡¯t think twice when he talks, does he?!


    JLI. Late


    In fact, he had been running his fingers through his hair, identally tugging it from time to time due to


    stress. He had a feeling that if he kept doing this, he would eventually turn bald.


    A wry look was visible on his scruffy face as he said, ¡°Of course, I know my analysis sounds illogical.


    But I have already investigated the legal representative they kept on record. That so-called legal


    representative was just a random person they obtained through an intermediary to make up the


    numbers!¡±


    Finally, Ashton even kicked a chair in front of him to vent his frustrations.


    Elyse rarely entrusts me with her affairs. I can¡¯t believe I failed her the one time she asked for my help.


    ¡°However, I did look into Starlight Media¡¯s information. The actual manager of thepany has always


    been Julia, and her fianc¨¦ is Samuel. He and the Lowes are in the same line of profession, and he has


    made a lot of investments. So, he may be the boss of Starlight Media.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s analysis made Elyse startle from her seat.


    Well, I¡¯m not familiar with this Samuel guy. But if he and the Lowes are in the same line of profession, it


    will be as easy as pie for him to erase his information from thework. Many things would make sense


    if he truly is the boss of Starlight Media!But is it really Samuel?


    A sliver of doubt instantly wormed into Elyse¡¯s mind when she realized that. If this is the case, then why


    did Amelie fake her rtionship with the boss of Starlight Media?


    The longer she thought about it, the more she realized how bad the situation was for her.


    I¡¯m afraid that everything Amelie currently does is purely to let the Alstons know that her worth is


    high! Her real objective is to get Leo¡¯s attention and return to the Alston Residence!Why haven¡¯t I


    thought of that?


    ¡°Elyse? Elyse?¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t help calling out to Elyse after she left him hanging for a long while.


    Unfortunately, Elyse was no longer in the mood to talk to him as she swiftly ended the call without a


    word and sprung to her feet.


    Then, she pushed the car door open and chased after Amelie with tremendous speed she didn¡¯t think


    she even


    possessed.


    At this moment, Amelie had already arrived at the front desk.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m looking for Leo Alston, Mr. Alston,¡± Amelie said politely.


    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± the front deskdy asked professionally.


    Amelie shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. But it¡¯s something urgent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡°Mr Alston will never see you if you don¡¯t have an annointment. The front deskdy was


    methodical


    After the front deskdy reminded her, Amelie only realized that she had always saved Leo¡¯s number in


    her phone. I guess I was too hasty and upset earlier that I actually forgot about such a simple solution.


    She nodded and thanked the receptionist. Afterward, she took out her phone and dialed Leo¡¯s number.


    Yet, before the call went through, someone abruptly snatched her phone away, leaving her hand empty.


    This startled Amelie, so she looked up only to see Elyse standing in front of her, holding her phone.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Elyse seemed to have been in a hurry as her forehead was beaded with sweat.


    ¡°M-Miss yton!¡± Sure enough, the front deskdy recognized Elyse. She called out in surprise when


    she saw


    Elyse.


    Only then did Elyse realize that she had lost her usual poised elegance. Hence, she lowered her head


    slightly and wiped off her sweat before she turned her beautiful face and looked at the staff. ¡°It¡¯s alright.


    You can get on with what you¡¯re doing. Miss Dillon is here to see me.¡±


    As expected of an actress, Elyse restored her goddess image in just a few seconds.


    ¡°I see. I see,¡± thedy immediately replied. She also knew that Elyse and Leo were a couple, so she


    directed the two women to a secluded area in the opposite direction. ¡°There¡¯s a reception room on the


    side. It¡¯s safe to have any discussion there.¡±


    Elyse was ddened by this piece of information. Regardless, she discreetly red at Amelie, but her


    tone remained as warm as the spring breeze when she spoke, ¡°Miss Dillon, follow me.¡±


    Amelie squinted her eyes and stared at Elyse as the woman sashayed away. She was curious to find


    out what Elyse wanted to tell her.


    Thus, she didn¡¯t hesitate to follow Elyse.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151


    After Elyse pushed the door to the receptionist area open, she didn¡¯t hesitate to make herself


    comfortable. She leaned over and ced Amelie¡¯s phone on the table before she gave Amelie a


    provocative look.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, you can ignore me. But Leo will never see you without my consent,¡± Elyse said as she sat


    cross- legged, totally portraying the attitude of being the Alstons¡¯ head of the house. She didn¡¯t even


    gesture for Amelie to take a seat either.


    Amelie lowered her head slightly before she said, ¡°Miss yton, I never knew you were so capable to


    the point that you could control Leo¡¯s life even before marriage.¡±


    These words that escaped Amelie¡¯s lips sounded like apliment. Yet, to Elyse¡¯s ears, they sounded


    extraordinarily harsh and even carried a hint of ridicule.


    Elyse had to force herself to uncurl her fingers, which she hid on the other side several times in a row


    to maintain her graceful demeanor. ¡°Miss Dillon, why don¡¯t you talk about why you¡¯re here looking for


    Leo?¡±


    ¡°This matter is between Leo and me. It would be better for us to solve it ourselves.¡± Amelie looked at


    Elyse and slightly leaned forward. Although she didn¡¯t bother excessively expressing herself, she


    seeded in exuding a condescending aura.


    Elyse instantly felt inferior.


    As soon as she said those words to Elyse, she grabbed her phone and intended to leave.


    ¡°Amelie!¡± Once again, Elyse stopped her. Bang! She even rushed ahead of Amelie and shut the door


    tightly in front of Amelie.


    Elyse became highly anxious and crisis-stricken after she learned that Amelie couldn¡¯t be emotionally


    involved with the boss of Starlight Media.


    Then, as though she wanted tofort herself somehow, she pressed her back against the door for


    stability. Still, she felt that doing so wasn¡¯t enough, for sheter pressed both hands on the door


    Atst, an angry look was visible on Amelie¡¯s face. She frowned and sharply questioned, ¡°Elyse, what


    are you trying to do?!¡±


    Elyse hastily wracked her mind of the possible reasons for Amelie looking for Leo instead of answering


    her straightaway. ¡°You¡¯re here today because of Bria¡¯s custody, aren¡¯t you? Leo has told me he will


    undoubtedly file awsuit seeking court intervention. However, he¡¯s very busy, so he has long entrusted


    this matter to Mrs. Alston and me, asking us to handle it ourselves. Therefore, it¡¯s pointless for you to


    go to him, for he is too busy to see you,¡± Elyse said, thinking it would anger Amelie.


    Amelie stood still and stared Elyse down, making thetter feel unsure and couldn¡¯t help sizing her up


    in


    secret.


    She¡¯s not saying anything, and her poker face is so good that I can¡¯t tell what she¡¯s thinking. So, it¡¯s


    impossible for me to know whether she believes my


    words.


    Nheless, Elyse tried her best to remain confident. ¡°Leo has already given me the video of you


    losing


    The word ¡®video¡¯ punched Amelie hard in the chest. Her blood instantly froze in her veins.


    That¡¯s right! Leo secretly captured evidence against me when I made a bet with him. How can I still


    expect any form of kindness from him?


    ¡°So?¡± she intoned coldly. ¡°Miss yton, do you n on bing a stepmother?¡±


    Elyse pursed her lips, smiled, and revealed her bow-shaped lips tinged with dark red lipstick, which


    made her look enchanting and dazzling. ¡°I love Leo. What does it matter if I sacrifice a little when he is


    willing to shower me with all his love?¡±


    Even though she tried her best to show off, a trace of mncholy silently rippled in her heart when she


    talked about how Leo was ¡®pampering¡¯ her. In fact, she felt so guilty that she didn¡¯t even dare to look


    into Amelie¡¯s


    eyes.


    Fortunately for Elyse, Amelie wasn¡¯t looking at her face when she said those words. Otherwise, Amelie


    would be able to notice something odd about her expression.


    ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t want to get pregnant this early in my career. Bria¡¯s presence can relieve Mrs. Alston¡¯s


    worries about wanting a grandchild, and it won¡¯t put pressure on me, either, Leo has also considered


    this factor. That¡¯s why he is adamant about taking Bria back.¡± Perhaps, too many lies had even


    managed to convince Elyse herself to think that it was the truth, for superiority and happiness were


    written all over her face when she tried to bar Amelie from meeting Leo.


    She looked at Amelie with a triumphant smirk, which grew even more profound after she noticed


    Amelie silently balling her fists in anger.


    Amelie has trampled me under her feet so many times! This time! This time, I can finally take it out on


    her!


    Then, she tried her best to maintain a neutral look on her face as she brushed off some imaginary lint


    on her clothes. ¡°This is beneficial to you too, Miss Dillon, for you don¡¯t have to worry about my child


    stealing Bria¡¯s


    favor.¡±


    Amelie smiled, but her smile was as cold as ice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My daughter is not something or someone


    that you two can use as a buffer. Miss yton, your pregnancy is none of my business. But my


    daughter will only be mine and no one else¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, then we really have to solve this through the legal route. It will be pretty bad for you


    if that happens, then,¡± Elyse said in a deliberately provocative tone.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t concern you. So, there¡¯s no need for you to say anything else.¡± Since Amelie no longer


    had the intention to continue this conversation, she gestured her chin in the direction of the door and


    asked, ¡°Can you open the door now?¡±


    Elyse frankly stepped aside when she saw that she had achieved her goal. ¡°Miss Dillon, I still want to


    give you one piece of advice-a wise person submits to fate. Don¡¯t let Bria be a victim for the sake


    of your


    resentment.¡±


    Amelie stopped slightly in her tracks. Nevertheless, she said nothing and walked away with her head


    held high.


    Behind her, Elyse, who had tried her best to remain elegant, abruptly bit down hard on the bottom of


    her lips.


    Go ahead and fight! It will be best if you two can fight to the bitter end.I will have a chance to win over


    Leo again as long as you two keep fighting.


    Two minutester, Elyse gracefully walked out of the room. Her entire demeanor screamed grace, her


    face was as immacte as ever, and her eyes were as calm as ake.


    When Elyse saw the receptionist, she even greeted her warmly. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°N-No, not at all.¡± Thedy was so ttered that she started stammering when she saw Elyse being so


    friendly.


    Naturally, Elyse noticed this. So, she pursed her lips before she said, ¡°I suddenly have some business


    to attend to, so I won¡¯t be going upstairs. Please don¡¯t inform Leo or anyone that I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Sure. I understand, Miss yton. If Mr. Alston knows that you came and left, he will definitely


    feel sorry for you. Miss yton, Mr. Alston really cares about you.¡± The employee looked at Elyse


    enviously. At this moment, she wished so badly that she was born slightly prettier and her status was


    slightly higher so she could take Elyse¡¯s ce.


    Elyse nodded in satisfaction, for this was precisely the oue she wanted.


    By the time she had left, her assistant immediately came up to her. However, she couldn¡¯t help but cast


    a nce in the direction where Amelie had gone. ¡°That woman¡­ Isn¡¯t she the woman in the video that


    you asked me to film yesterday? She-¡±


    Before the assistant could finish her sentence, Elyse turned and red at her sharply-her gaze was full


    of warning.


    Her assistant quickly covered her mouth and silenced herself.


    Meanwhile, Leo wasn¡¯t looking too hot in his office.


    Laura was standing right before him.


    She was suspended for some time due to her presumptuous actions. s, she was rehired during this


    time for professional activity.


    After all, Laura was still fairly remarkable in terms ofpetency, which was why Leo decided to hire


    her again.


    Still, Laura didn¡¯t dare to freely make her own decisions after that incident. At this moment, she looked


    at Leo rather reverently as she stood in front of him.


    She immediately informed Leo after she learned that Melissa had gone to Amelie with awyer earlier.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Laura inquired.


    Leo furrowed his well-defined brows so tightly to the point that wrinkles started to form. Finally, he


    dismissed her with a wave of his hand and said, ¡°I will handle this matter myself. You may go ahead


    and attend to your


    work.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    When Laura heard Leo¡¯s reply, she simply nodded and left without asking any further questions.


    At this moment, Leo, who was initially reviewing the document, rested his fingers on the keyboard and


    remained motionless for a long while. His eyes, however, turned to look at his phone ced at the


    corner of


    the table.


    In his mind, he thought, Should I call her and exin that it wasn¡¯t my idea?I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going


    on with me. But after seeing how she showed a responsible approach toward Bria, I can no longer fight


    with her for


    Bria¡¯s custody.


    As he thought of that, he stretched out his slender fingers and grabbed his phone. Yet, it rang when he


    was about to dial Amelie¡¯s number.


    This was a call from Toby.


    ¡°There is a possibility that ine really isn¡¯t the girl you¡¯re looking for. I¡¯ve learned some updates


    regarding that matter.¡±


    Leo¡¯s already frowning face deepened upon hearing Toby¡¯s report. His heart pounded wildly, and his


    facial expression turned solemn.


    He stayed silent for five seconds before finally gritting his teeth and answering, ¡°I¡¯ll be right over!¡±

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152


    Amelie sat wearily on a chair in the office with her eyes closed.


    Even so, her mind wasn¡¯t nk as her rapid-fire thoughts screamed beneath her lids. Instead, her mind


    was busy thinking about all the things that had happened recently.


    Suddenly, her phone rang, causing her to jerk out of her thoughts.


    She snapped her eyes open and saw it was an unknown number.


    Amelie frowned slightly and simply took it as a scam call. So, she didn¡¯t answer it right away.


    However, the caller rang Amelie up again. It was obvious that the caller had set their mind to looking for


    her.


    She was left with no choice, so she tapped on the answer button and took the call.


    ¡°Hello, may I speak to Miss Dillon?¡± A polite voice belonging to a middle-aged man sounded on the


    other end.


    ¡°This is she. May I know whom I have the pleasure of speaking with?¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t help asking as


    she listened to the highly unfamiliar voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Zachary-Zachary Satterlund,¡± replied the person on the other end of the phone.


    The name Zachary Satterlund left Amelie in a trance for a long while. So many incidents that took ce


    in the past shed through her mind like it was projecting a movie.


    ¡°Mr. Zachary,¡± she quickly addressed in a respectful tone. Her body also straightened as she greeted,


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Amelie had a special bond with Zachary. In fact, he even saved her life before.


    He let out a gentle chuckle before he said, ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that you still remember me. Actually, I¡¯m


    calling you today because I have something that I need your help with.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Feel free to tell me.¡± Amelie didn¡¯t hesitate to agree with Zachary¡¯s request.


    Zachary pondered briefly. ¡°The situation is like this. I recently returned to Cand to give a talk and I


    need some special surgical cases to stand in during my speech. You are the only case I have


    encountered for corneal exfoliation surgery in¡®living donors and also the first patient who suffered from


    a severe infection that I had saved. Hence, I hope to name you as an example of analysis for my


    students who are passionate about the medical field. Is it alright for you to work with me for an eye and


    psychological examination? Of course, you can decline if that makes you ufortable.¡±


    ¡°When is it?¡± Amelie didn¡¯t turn him down.


    Initially, I wanted to ask for Mr. Zachary¡¯s help to excise my cornea, but he disagreed. What was more,


    he was the one who incessantly dissuaded me among those who opposed me from proceeding with


    the surgery. Still, although he opposed me back then, he was also the one who never forsaken me. He


    even brought me back when I suffered from an infection at ater stage. Since I did sign a medical


    liability waiver, Mr. Zachary could totally disregard me under such circumstances. Considering his


    kindness toward me in the past, there¡¯s no way I won¡¯t heln him with even such a small favor In truth I


    have naid attention to undates rted to Me


    brilliant medical skills are quite popr abroad. Today, he is an important director at a leading medical


    institution. He still works as a medical professor at the university and has contributed to countless


    achievements.


    Zachary was delighted when he heard her silent agreement when she asked for the meet-up time


    instead of turning him down. Therefore, he quickly replied, ¡°Meet me at Jittan Hospital at 9.00AM two


    dayster. We can change the time if you¡¯re not avable.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Amelie smiled. ¡°I will be there on time.¡±


    ¡°You have my sincere thanks.¡± Unfortunately, due to his practical nature, he wasn¡¯t really good at


    pleasantries. Therefore, he just expressed his gratitude with an earnest demeanor.


    Amelie pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to thank me. Speaking of which, I should be the


    one thanking you for saving my life all those years ago.¡±


    Then, the two chatted for a while before they hung up.


    Zachary¡¯s phone call once again brought Amelie back to memoryne.


    I suffered from a severe infection, forcing me to stay in the hospital bed in aatose state for three


    days. Although I had woken up, my body was still in frail health. So, there¡¯s a high chance that my life


    would still be in danger regardless of my conscious state. Since the hospital was afraid of taking


    responsibility for my adverse reaction, they rushed me out of the hospital. It was Mr. Zachary who took


    me to a clinic and looked after me day and night for three months. Even though Mr. Zachary looked


    after me partly due to medical research purposes, I probably wouldn¡¯t make it past three months if it


    weren¡¯t for him. I only gradually recovered and barely got out of bed after three months. Leo¡¯s image


    crossed my mind as soon as I could get out of bed. And since Leo once told me the location and name


    of hispany, I ran all the way there, wishing so badly that I could see him immediately after he


    regained his eyesight. To this day, I can still clearly recall how fast my heart was beating when I stood


    downstairs at the building of Genesis. Even though my body was shaky, quivering, and extremely weak


    due to health reasons, I was overjoyed when I thought of how I finally survived through life and death


    moments and was able to see him again. Yet, look at what happened afterward. I saw himing out


    of the building while holding hands with a girl. He held the girl¡¯s hand and passed me by. At that time, I


    could even hear the gentle and sweet words he said to the girl. Yet, never once did he look at me. Even


    though everything was predestined, I still naively chose to stay in the city where he was, attending the


    same high school as him and seeing how he treated Elyse lovingly every minute and every second.Leo


    was undoubtedly an exceptional student and a prominent figure in the school. On the other hand, I tried


    my best to hide my ability. I purposely performed poorly on every exam. I often wore unfashionable


    outfits, making myself look unattractive on purpose. Despite knowing he couldn¡¯t possibly recognize me


    as he never saw how I looked, I still didn¡¯t dare to meet him head-on. Later, I sessfully got into


    university,Still, following closely on Leo¡¯s updates seemed to have be my habit. At that time, as


    long as I was free, I would be unable to control myself and run straight to the city where he wasst


    seen. Therefore, to get him out of my mind. I studied hard, did live streaming at a full split, and risked


    my life to start apany, establishing Starlight Media afterward.I thought I hadpletely forgotten


    about him. Yet, the wall that I had built up to get him out of my mind abruptly copsed after we slept


    together for no reason, and I encountered him getting cheated on by Elyse. A final and fatal mistake


    was made just because I hadn¡¯t had the heart to reject him.Now that I think about it, I was ridiculously


    stupid at that time. I can¡¯t believe I would risk my life and donate my cornea just because he mentioned


    something about mutual help. When I saw him getting criticized by others, I would risk my reputation


    and rather be misunderstood by everyone to defend him. And what did I get for protecting him? I got


    nothing but a tragic and miserable four years of marriage.Sadly, that tragic oue of my mistake still


    lasted until today.


    Amelie sighed softly as her thoughts took a sad downturn. She shook her head, forcing herself to


    dismiss all this nonsense from her mind.


    Two dayster, as per her agreement with Zachary, Amelie departed early for their meeting at Jittan


    Hospital.


    At the same time, Toby and Leo also showed up at the front entrance of Jittan Hospital.


    Toby checked the time on his watch as he said, ¡°It was Zachary¡¯s assistant who leaked the news. To


    organize this talk, Zachary purposely went to seek the only living donor for the corneal donation,


    requesting her to work with him for a physical examination. I specifically looked into Zachary¡¯s


    background. I found that he had worked at that private hospital nine years ago and was the greatest


    ophthalmologist there.¡±


    The private hospital Toby mentioned was the previously identified ce where the one who donated


    the cornea to Leo had her cornea excised.


    ¡°I had gone to that hospital and made the relevant queries. ording to their record, there was only


    one surgical case involving living donors performed in that hospital. Hence, the person that Mr. Zachary


    went to seek could only be that girl,¡± Toby briefly exined the situation in detail. Finally, he concluded,


    ¡°So we can be sure that we will be able to meet the donor today.¡±


    Leo remained silent. He tightly pursed his lips, and his defined facial features were grave.


    His grave expression hid a tinge of bitter coldness.


    The donor is about to make her appearance. Sure enough, it must be a living person. So, it cannot be


    the dead ine. Do¡¯s this mean Ashton, Elyse, and ine teamed up to deceive me?


    Toby naturally knew he was unhappy when he saw Leo behaving this way. Therefore, he didn¡¯t try to


    start a conversation and merely pressed Leo¡¯s shoulder, giving him somefort.


    After that, he looked at his watch again. ¡°ording to the assistant, both Zachary and the donor had


    agreed to meet at 9:00AM. It¡¯s soon.¡±


    Only then did Leo raise his head and look outside.


    A ck limousine drove up in the distance.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Like a behemoth gliding across the night sky, the retro-looking body of the limousine glowed with subtle


    luxury.


    ¡°Mr. Zachary and his assistant are here!¡± Toby eximed.


    Leo also caught a glimpse of Zachary and his assistanting out of the car. The two stood by the car.


    Their limousine was just under the high stairway, separating them from Leo, about 30 to 40 steps away.


    Nheless, the two didn¡¯te up straight away. Instead, they looked around as though they were


    searching for someone.


    Zachary took out his phone and started calling.


    After a while, he hung up.


    Even so, Leo could hear him say, ¡°She¡¯s going to be here soon.¡±


    With that, he swiftly narrowed his vision, and his eyes scanned every corner like radar.


    A familiar-looking car came into sight within five seconds, 1-Isn¡¯t that Amelie¡¯s car?

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153


    Leo¡¯s expression turned solemn as he silently clenched his fist. At the same time, he thought, Could it


    be that the donor Zachary is about to meet is really Amelie? He narrowed his eyes and locked his eyes


    on the car.


    In the meantime, the car stopped across the road, and someone opened the door. It was indeed


    Amelie. Her long hair shone in the morning light, and she moved with light and graceful steps.


    Leo watched her walking toward him as if she was in slow motion. His chest tightened even more as


    she moved closer and closer to him. Somehow, he could even feel that his breath was getting heavier.


    Toby could sense something was wrong with Leo, and he expressed his worries because he had never


    seen Leo acting in such a way before. ¡°Leony¡­¡±


    However, Leo could not hear Toby calling him as he quickened his pace and walked downstairs in fast


    and hasty steps. Toby followed him even though he did not know what got into Leo¡¯s head, and it was


    not until he saw Amelie walking toward the sidewalk from the opposite side that he realized what was


    actually going on.


    ¡°Why is Miss Dillon here?¡±


    Leo did not answer. Instead, he stopped five meters away from Zachary, His eyes were still locked on


    Amelic, and at that point, he was almost sure that she hade for Zachary!


    Toby looked at her and took a deep breath. ¡°So, she lied to mest time.¡± Leo finally reacted to his


    words and nced at him. However, he did not say anything further before turning and staring at


    Amelie again.


    Just when she was about to reach where Zachary was standing, she abruptly stopped in her tracks.


    Someone probably called her because she could be seen lowering her head, taking out her phone, and


    answering it. Secondster, she turned and ran back to the car. In the blink of an eye, the car had


    already driven away.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Zachary had his back facing Amelie, so naturally, he did not see hering and leaving. He continued


    to wait for her even after she left. Toby looked at the car, and only then did he realize that he felt


    somewhat constricted; he could not breathe normally until she had left the ce. At some point, his


    face was beaded with sweat. Then, he turned to look at Leo and found that he was still standing there


    like a statue, fixing his sight in the direction where Amelie had departed.


    Amelie only remembered that she had yet to call Zachary when she returned to thepany. She got


    out of the car and quickly dialed his number as she walked toward the office. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t make it


    today, Dr. Zachary. Something came up. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Do you need my help?¡± Zachary was not the slightest bit angry. Instead, he was


    concerned that something big had happened to Amelie. Otherwise, she would not have missed the


    appointment. He knew her temperament well even though they had only met briefly.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed a bit tricky, but I can solve it myself. Thank you for your concern,¡± she rejected him politely.


    ¡°Is it okay that we postpone the appointment to, perhaps, tomorrow orter in the afternoon?¡± After all,


    she had agreed to meet him. She felt terrible that she had to postpone itst minute.


    However, Zacharyforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Take care of your own affairs first and contact


    me whenever you have time.¡± After Amelie received his reassurance, she finally thanked him for his


    understanding. She reached her office the moment she hung up the phone.


    She nced up and saw Julia standing in front of the door with a solemn expression. It was clear for


    everyone to see that she was fuming in anger as her eyes were practically on fire. Julia immediately


    dragged Amelie into the office upon seeing her and mmed the door behind them.


    Julia was finally able to let out her anger when they were alone. ¡°The Alstons are a¡¯sholes! How could


    they do something like that?! Stealing someone else¡¯s daughter! They didn¡¯t treat Bria well back then,


    but now they are acting all pretentious as if they cared about her. It¡¯s disgusting!¡±


    Amelie remained stoic as she took the paper that Julia was holding on tightly in her hand. It was a


    subp?na; the Alstons had formally sued her. As she read through the summons, she pursed her lips


    and started holding it so tight that her knuckles became stark white.


    Julia sensed the tension around Amelie as she turned around and saw her expression. She


    immediately stopped venting her rage and slowly moved toward Amelie as she cautiously voiced,


    ¡°Elie.¡±


    Julia knew that Amelie seldom got angry. She was the type who would endure every bump in life in


    silence. She was already like that back when she was still living with the Alstons. Then, she became


    even colder after divorcing Leo. So, Julia felt highly distressed and worried when she saw Amelie


    suffering in silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± It took a few seconds before Amelie could respond calmly, as she slowly loosened her


    clenched fist and ced the subpoena on the table.


    ¡°How should we deal with it?¡± Julia looked at Amelie and asked softly. Amelie did not respond. Perhaps


    she was thinking about the same thing. Julia looked at her friend, who was frowning slightly and felt so


    wronged on behalf of her at that moment that her eyes turned red-rimmed.


    ¡°That Leo is a f¡¯cking devil who repays kindness with ill intentions! You ced him on a pedestal back


    then. Yet, not only does he not know how to repay your kindness, but he is also plotting how to snatch


    your child from you. He clearly knows what Bria means to you!¡± The more Julia eximed, the angrier


    she became.


    s, she could no longer hold her anger and mmed her palm on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll find him now and tell


    him. what happened!¡± She was just about to leave when Amelie hastily stopped her. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Elie!¡± Julia stomped her feet. ¡°Are you still being soft-hearted for that b¡¯stard? Your daughter will be


    snatched away under your very nose if you continue this way!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not soft-hearted,¡± Amelie responded lightly with a chilly tone. ¡°Just that he no longer deserves to


    know anything!¡±


    Julia stared at her friend for a second and noticed that Amelie¡¯s attitude was stern and tinged with a


    hint of the frigid cold of winter.


    It was at that moment that Julia finally understood Amelie¡¯s feelings. There was no longer any


    possibility of reconciliation between her and Leo, as she genuinely hated him from the bottom of her


    heart. Obviously, this was what Julia had been praying for all along, but when it finally came true, she


    didn¡¯t feel happy. She only felt that Amelie¡¯s life was riddled with tragedies she didn¡¯t deserve.


    She wiped away her tears and stepped forward to hold Amelie¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°You¡¯re right. The Alstons


    don¡¯t deserve you. But, Elie, don¡¯t worry. Samuel and I will always be by your side no matter what.¡±


    Amelie patted Julia¡¯s arm lightly upon hearing that. ¡°Thank you. Go ahead and continue your work. I


    need


    ??


    ¡°Okay.¡± Julia knew that Amelie needed some alone time even though she was apprehensive about


    Amelie¡¯s mental health. So, before she left, she reminded Amelie again. ¡°Don¡¯t ever hesitate to tell me


    you need my


    help. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Amelie squeezed out a smile and nodded to Julia. It was not until Julia had left that she


    gasped for air and slid back in the chair, closing her eyes in pain. Nevertheless, she did not wallow in


    her misery for too long. Momentster, she straightened in her seat and began preparing for the reply.


    Meanwhile, Zachary was just about to leave Jittan Hospital with his assistant after getting off the call


    with Amelie when someone addressed him, ¡°Dr. Zachary.¡±


    Zachary turned and saw a tall young man walking toward him. It was hard to ignore the sense of


    nobility in him, even though he looked young.


    ¡°You are¡­¡± Zachary looked at the man with a bit of wariness.


    ¡°I am Leo Alston.¡± Leo did not bother hiding his identity.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, what can I do for you?¡± Zachary nodded politely at Leo. Zachary was not so ignorant that


    he did not know who Leo was. Even though Zachary was a doctor, Leo was famous, and one would


    have heard of his name being brought up somewhere.


    Leo nodded in response, but his eyes were as piercing as an eagle when he asked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to


    trouble you, Dr. Zachary. But who are you supposed to meet today?¡±

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154


    Leo¡¯s question was really presumptuous, making Zachary ufortable as his question forced


    Zachary to reveal confidential information. He was momentarily stunned before he responded


    defensively, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t reveal anything.¡±


    However, Leo seemed to have expected that Zachary would keep it a secret and was not in a hurry to


    answer. He merely cast his gaze onto Zachary. Even though he was young, he had a deep stare,


    making Zachary feel difited enough that he experienced difficulty breathing.


    The thought of him panicking at a young man¡¯s gaze shocked him, and this time, he took a good look at


    Leo. He was a fantastic surgeon who had done many surgeries and withstood an insurmountable


    amount of stress over the years. But his ability to resist pressure and remain calm in the face of life and


    death became useless when facing this young man. How bizarre!


    It definitely didn¡¯t help matters that Leo wasn¡¯t deliberately showing off his majestic aura. There wasn¡¯t


    even a frown on his face, yet he was already taking control of the situation. For a split second, Zachary


    thought of surrendering and revealing everything. But before he could roll over, he managed to take a


    deep breath and lowered his head to avoid Leo¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re a capable man. You can force me to spill the tea however and whenever you want.


    However, I made a promise that I will not disclose the donor¡¯s identity to anyone, and I will hold on to


    that promise.¡±


    Leo looked at Zachary, but this time, with a hint of admiration. Leo thought Zachary was simply a


    doctor, who would sumb to pressure, but it seemed that he was very wrong. Though, this would not


    stop him from getting the information he wanted.


    ¡°I was the recipient of the cornea you took from my donor,¡± he said patiently. ¡°I merely hope to thank


    her.¡±


    ¡°It was you?¡± Zachary was surprised at the turn of events. He had made some, in hindsight, very


    urate assumptions when he witnessed Amelie¡¯s behavior back then. Regardless, as his motive was


    to save his patients, he could not be bothered with the whereabouts of the cornea. Later on, as Amelie


    recovered and he left the private hospital to go abroad, he totally forgot about the incident.


    He was stunned and at a loss for words. It was after a few seconds that he regained his senses. ¡°To be


    honest, Mr. Alston, I don¡¯t know who she is. The only thing I know is that herst name is Dillon.¡±


    ¡°Dillon?¡± Leo could barely restrain his emotions. He thought of Amelie, who appeared not long ago.


    Was it really¡­ her?


    He was not sure what to make out of thisplicated situation. If she indeed was the donor, who had


    donated the cornea to him, why had she not mentioned a single thing for four years? She even stayed


    with the Alstons for four years, and no one noticed her eye problems. How could it be such a


    coincidence that she appeared in front of the Hospital if she weren¡¯t the donor?


    He wanted to leave in that instant and demand answers from Amelie himself.


    However, Zachary¡¯s words pulled him back to reality. ¡°The girl has already been married and lives a


    peaceful life. I think she doesn¡¯t want her family to know about this past.¡±


    ¡°Married?¡± Leo was startled by his answer. The Dillon he knew was not married but divorced. So, was


    Amelie¡¯s appearance truly just a coincidence?


    Leo once again fixed his gaze on Zachary, perhaps even sharper than before. Zachary felt that his


    stare saw through his flimsy fa?ade, making him feel more insecure as his heart was pounding in his


    chest irregrly. He could even feel his palms sweating.


    ¡°Thank you, Dr. Zachary.¡±


    Just when he thought Leo would use a different tactic to interrogate him, he was surprised to hear Leo


    thank him.


    Leo withdrew his gaze, turned, and got into his car. Zachary only heaved a sigh of relief once he saw


    the vehicle leaving his sight. Then, he wiped off the sweat from his palms onto the hem of his clothes.


    He was aware of Amelie¡¯s current situation, although he had hardly contacted her these years. The


    reason he did not reveal who the donor was to Leo was that he had made a promise to Amelie to be


    tight-lipped on her involvement.


    Zachary was just about to get into the car when his assistant opened the door for him. He nced at


    the assistant and didn¡¯t bother getting in for several seconds. He looked as if he was deep in thought,


    trying to figure out something. Then, just when the assistant was thinking of a way to respond to the


    baffling situation, he heard Zachary say, ¡°You¡¯re fired. You aren¡¯t my assistant from tomorrow onward.¡±


    Then and only then did he lower his head and enter his car. The assistant was startled by his sudden.


    announcement, but he knew well what got him into the situation and flushed for being caught. He


    should have known that Zachary was brilliant enough to deduce just who leaked the information about


    him meeting. the donor to Leo.


    ¡±


    It was nearly 9.00PM when Leo finally returned home. He parked the car at the front door and walked


    in with his head down.


    ¡°Leo.¡±


    Leo froze for a moment as he heard someone calling him. But he could not tell whom the voice


    belonged to, so he raised his head to rify his guess. He saw a graceful figure standing under the big


    pir beside the door. Her arms were resting naturally by her body. It was pretty dark, and he could


    barely see the face.


    ¡°Amelie?¡± He instinctively called out Amelie¡¯s name, and surprise shed across his eyes.


    The woman walked down the steps into the ce illuminated by the streemp. It was Elyse. Her


    eyebrows twitched when she heard Leo calling for Amelie, and she unconsciously clenched her fist. Do


    you think there is any simrity between Amelie¡¯s and my voice, Leo? The thought made her feel like


    she had been hit on the back by a boulder falling from the sky, and it was a bitter pill to swallow.


    So, she clenched her fists tighter and coughed until her voice became a little hoarse before she raised


    her head and responded, ¡°Leo, it¡¯s me.¡±


    When Leo finally saw Elyse¡¯s face clearly, his expression turned nonchnt. The feeling he


    experienced when the thought of Amelie shed across his mind had disappeared. He couldn¡¯t help but


    wonder whether exhaustion was taking a toll on him that he actually mistook Amelie for Elyse.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Leo smoothened out the furrows between his brows and asked coldly. Elyse bit


    her lips when she heard his dispassionate tone. She came to find Leo two days ago but unexpectedly


    ran into Amelie. Although she showed off her happiness in front of Amelie, she knew deep down in her


    heart that the so- called joy was all fake. Her heart had been in utter torment for the past two days,


    although she did not meet Leo. She had not had a peaceful moment since then.


    The thought of Amelie revealing to Leo that she was the real Big Eyes tormented her even in her


    dreams. She woke up in cold sweat every time. She had been unable to work or rest for the past two


    days, and expensive cosmetics could no longer cover up her extremely anxious and haggard face. She


    could endure this torture any longer. So, she came over to find Leo.


    But she heard him calling Amelie¡¯s name the moment she arrived, which undoubtedly exacerbated her


    anxiety and uneasiness.


    Regardless, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him, ¡°Leo, I feel very ufortable. I have


    been having insomnia and nightmares. I feel like I¡¯m going to die. Please, don¡¯t break up with me. I


    can¡¯t stand it. I will definitely die.¡± The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Toward the end of


    her sentence, she even started sobbing incessantly in his arms.


    She knew well that Leo was an affectionate person. He would not turn a blind eye to her sufferings and


    would remain dedicated to helping her so long as she remained his Big Eyes. Unfortunately, Leo did


    not show his previous affection toward her. Instead, he looked extremely calm.


    He pursed his lips and fixed his eyes on Elyse. He did not push her away, nor did he respond or talk.


    She could not feel his usual warmth even though she was embracing him. The awkward silence


    continued for another few minutes before she felt that she was starring in a one-man show, and all she


    felt was humiliation.


    She had no choice but took a step back, looking all teared up. ¡°Leo, please don¡¯t ignore me. I have


    depression, and I will reallymit suicide if you do so.¡±


    She tried to emotionally guilt him, but he was not buying it. He finally parted his lips to speak as he


    stared straight into her eyes. ¡°Your doctor told me that you are in good spirits and have no symptoms of


    depression.¡±


    There was no doubt that he investigated her, and it was at that point that Elyse could not pretend any


    longer. She even forgot to sob, and her eyes gleamed with a guilty conscience. Immediately afterward,


    she figured something was not right.


    She had bribed the doctor. So, the secret should not be out! But she also knew Leo¡¯s temperament; he


    would never lie to people close to him, and the fact that he said that to her face showed that he had


    thoroughly investigated her.


    It was at that moment that she felt as if her heart dropped to her stomach, and the only thing she


    thought of was to run away from the ce before she embarrassed herself even further.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Go home and rest.¡± However, Leo was not the slightest bit vexed. He did not question why she had


    lied to him nor expressed his anger at her. Instead, he merely patted her on the shoulder calmly and


    left without hesitation. That¡¯s all.


    She would have felt better had he gotten infuriated or questioned her for her lies. At least it would have


    proved that he cared about her. But the silence pierced her heart and nailed her down with countless


    pirs of shame.


    Elyse begrudgingly clenched her fists, shouted something at his retreating back, and sessfully


    stopped him in his tracks. His face darkened in that instant.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155


    What she said was, ¡°Leo, have you forgotten? I¡¯m your Big Eyes.¡±


    Now that Leo had stopped, Elyse¡¯s dark eyes shone again.


    She knew that the name ¡°Big Eyes¡± would catch his attention-and she was right!


    She approached him and pitifully blinked at him as she grabbed his sleeves with both hands. ¡°Leony, I


    knew you wouldn¡¯t abandon me after we¡¯ve been together for years.¡±


    Elyse leaned her head on him and squeezed her face into his palm. ¡°Let¡¯s get married. You mentioned


    to me five years ago that you wanted to settle down. I was too reckless back then, which was why I


    never cared about your feelings. Now that I have thought things through, I want to have a family with


    you and be your wife daily.¡±


    She closed her eyes in excitement. ¡°Leony, how many kids do you want? How about three? Let¡¯s adopt


    a few pets too. When I think about it, I feel warm and happy. If that¡¯s the case, we have to rush. Let¡¯s


    register our marriage tomorrow and go on our honeymoon the next day.¡±


    At that, she raised her head and held his hand, as if she was the happiest bride-to-be looking into the


    future.


    Such behavior from Elyse left Miss Potts, who was standing far away, on the verge of throwing up


    blood.


    Inparison, Miss Potts felt that Amelie was much better.


    Such a pity¡­ Miss Potts shook her head as she knew that she could interrupt Leo¡¯s affairs and turned


    in the other direction.


    Elyse tried her best to cheer herself, but her hand was suddenly empty.


    When she fixed her gaze, she noticed that Leo had already withdrawn his hand.


    He even took a step back. He wants to keep a distance.


    Compared to her joy, he was calm and indifferent with little expression.


    The two of them looked like they were from different worlds.


    He lowered his eyes and straightened the cuffs on his sleeves that were wrinkled by Elyse. Leo didn¡¯t


    look at her until he had smoothened his cuffs, after which he spoke, ¡°You are not Big Eyes.¡±


    Boom!


    She felt like someone had knocked her head with a hammer and she froze with wide eyes. He.. He


    knows?


    Hey


    Elyse was suddenly at a loss because she didn¡¯t know how to respond. She looked like someone had


    grabbed onto her legs and yanked her to the floor. My legs are as soft as jelly!


    Her body felt like it had been invaded by cold, dark ice with every cell being soaked in freezing pain!


    It felt like she was losing her reputation again. Not a single bit left!


    She heard a voice saying next to her, ¡°Big Eyes never lies. She¡¯s sincere and doesn¡¯t even know me in


    the first ce. She can only see things that I can¡¯t see and remain by my side forever. She¡¯ll never let


    me pity her too, which makes her so silly and adorable. Your mouth is full of lies with tricks here and


    there. It¡¯s obvious you two are different people! Elyse yton, how did you turn like that?


    Elyse slowly raised her head as she bit her lips again and again. Her lips, which were initially trembling,


    finally


    recovered.


    Her tense chest visibly loosened as she mentioned, ¡°So¡­¡± He didn¡¯t investigate the past?He still


    doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m not Big Eyes!


    Leo was lecturing her, but she couldn¡¯t help pinching her leg to ensure it was a reality.


    She jumped for joy when she felt the pain.


    So what if he was disappointed? As long as she was who he thought she was, she still had hope!


    The more optimistic Leo was about ¡°Big Eyes¡±, the closer they would be!


    At this thought, Elyse hurriedly shed a few tears of regret. ¡°Leony, I¡¯m sorry. What I did in the past was


    because of my fear of losing you. I¡¯ve lost my conscience then, but I assure you. I¡¯ll definitely be your


    Big Eyes. after marriage and won¡¯t disappoint you¡±


    She hooked Leo¡¯s thumb and continued, ¡°Leony, even though Big Eyes is silly, she¡¯s still scared. Do


    you have the heart to let Big Eyes live in anxiety?¡±


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


    Elyse looked at him with tears swimming in her eyes as she tried to show misery and pity.


    Anyone who saw it would be heartbroken.


    Leo¡¯s brows rxed a little and his hand fell on her shoulder.


    She closed her eyes in obedience as she felt a sense of relief wash over her. Luckily


    Because her eyes were closed, she couldn¡¯t see Leo¡¯s expression.


    Leo did not have a warm gaze as he withdrew his hand. ¡°Elyse, I¡¯ve no more love to give you. I don¡¯t


    want to hold you back from your happiness.¡±


    So, is he breaking up with me? Elyse couldn¡¯t believe her ears.


    The name ¡°Big Eyes¡± had always been a powerful name that she held over Leo, so she thought her


    dreams woulde true.


    After he expressed his words, he lowered his head to give Elyse¡¯s assistant a ring. ¡°Pleasee and


    bring Miss yton back.¡±


    The minute she heard his words, her heart froze.


    Even the hairs on her hair stood up in ice!


    ¡°Leony, I don¡¯t want. I must marry you!¡± She lost her rationale and growled, ¡°I don¡¯t care whether there


    is love. or not because I want you!¡±


    He gently turned to look at her. ¡°Not marrying you is me being responsible. I don¡¯t want to hurt my


    savior.¡±


    ¡°Hurt¡± reminded Elyse of what she did to Amelie. Yup, he hates me to the core.


    Amelie had stayed by his side for four years without any reciprocation. It was akin to being imprisoned


    because there was no warmth or love.


    Elyse seerned to have been smashed awake and trembled with hatred!


    Her Juxury MPV pulled up in the distance and alighting from the car wasn¡¯t her assistant, but Ashton.


    He wore a bright shirt that was nted as usual which made him look unruly.


    When he saw Elyse¡¯s pitiful expression, his expression was extremely twisted.


    He rushed over and pushed Leo aside. ¡°Leo, what is wrong with you? Why did you make Elyse cry?¡±


    Leo remained motionless and red coldly. He chose not to look at Ashton or respond to the man¡¯s


    words.


    Ashton was beyond livid, but he couldn¡¯t do anything to Leo. Instead, he could only turn to Elyse.


    ¡°Elyse, you¡¯re alright, right?¡±


    Elyse bit her lip and nodded, but more tears fell from her eyes.


    Expressing all of her grievances, she said, ¡°Leony¡­ He wants to break up with me.¡±


    The minute she said that, Ashton exploded. ¡°Leo Alston, Elyse returned from abroad because of you!


    And this is how you treat her! Exin to me, what has she done wrong?! Don¡¯t think that you can


    absolve your responsibility just because her family doesn¡¯t care about her. If you don¡¯t give me a


    satisfactory exnation today, I have a bone to pick with you!¡±


    He raised his voice and behaved like someone unruly as he rolled up his sleeves to instigate a fight.


    Leo merely looked at him. ¡°Let¡¯s have a talk.¡±


    At that, he turned to leave the scene.


    Ashton had raised his fist for a long time, but as it turned, Leo wanted to have a discussion.


    Huh? He froze for a second.


    Then, he turned to pat Elyse¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll persuade him.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Elyse was alright that Ashton went to Leo. ¡°Leo, I want to say it first. We can talk about


    anything, but if it¡¯s about your breakup with Elyse, I would not be kind toward you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up with ine?¡± an expressionless Leo asked in a cold tone.


    He stood with a straight posture that gave off an outstanding and eye-catching aura.


    Compared to Leo¡¯s aura, Ashton¡¯s aura was much weaker. He slouched as he shoved his hands in his


    pockets while his head was lowered and his cor was disheveled.


    Elyse was standing at a distance, so she couldn¡¯t help butpare the two. My love for Leo will only


    increase whereas the same can¡¯t be said for Ashton. I¡¯ll only have more disgust for him.


    Ashton never expected Leo to ask such a question, so he was caught off guard. His eyes were blurry


    as he habitually touched the back of his head. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking this?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t respond but instead gazed at Ashton. His eyes were like the dark sky with no indication of


    his thoughts.


    Ashton looked at him with kindness as he felt nervous from Leo¡¯s aura.


    He suddenly lost hisposure due to his nerves and yelled, ¡°You are breaking up with Elyse because


    of ine? I nned the incident alone. It has nothing to do with her!¡±


    Leo stared at Ashton and gave a cold grin. He said nothing more and turned to leave for Alston


    Residence.


    Elyse waited wholeheartedly for Leo and Ashton to finish their conversation because she didn¡¯t want


    Leo to leave after standing there for only a few seconds. Watching them speak left her with a strange


    feeling.


    She couldn¡¯t help but shove her hands in the pockets of her skirt and ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did


    Leony leave?¡±

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156


    Ashton was also confused. ¡°He asked me about ine just now, and I admitted to it, as we had


    discussed


    before. After that, he just left.¡±


    Elyse immediately frowned, her eyebrows tightly knitted,


    Her heart also began to thump wildly.


    ¡°What questions did he ask?¡± she asked anxiously.


    Ashton ryed the questions as they were.


    He had just finished speaking when Elyse trembled in anger, saying, ¡°How can you be so stupid? If Leo


    asked you, that means he was just guessing. He wasn¡¯tpletely sure whether ine was someone


    we made up or not. By admitting it so easily, you¡¯re confessing everything on your own!¡±


    Elyse looked at the idiot of a man in front of her. If he didn¡¯t have the Lowe Family backing him, she


    would have pped him long ago.


    Ashton had always thought he stood out and was better than everyone else.


    When he heard Elyse¡¯s words, his expression went stiff. He couldn¡¯t explode in anger, so he could only


    say, ¡°Even if I confessed to it, I would be the only one at fault. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°How can I not be worried?¡± Elyse felt annoyed when Ashton was still being ignorant. ¡°Back then, we


    talked to Leo together. Do you think that Leo, with his intelligence, wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out that I


    was involved as well?¡±


    She had discreetly told Ashton to take the me before, but that was just in case of emergencies. She


    didn¡¯t think he would admit to it so quickly and reveal everything on his own ord!


    It was only then that Ashton realized his mistake. He scratched his head in regret, then felt a little mad


    as he said, ¡°How dare Leo y tricks on me! Geez!¡±


    Elyse red at him in disgust.


    Nothing was going right tonight, and now that Ashton had exposed the matter with ine on his own,


    Leo would hate Elyse even more.


    Was their breakup truly set in stone?


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Extremely annoyed, she was no longer in the mood to entertain Ashton. She turned around and got


    into the


    car.


    Elyse was still too irked to check the screen, so she tossed her phone aside.


    She rested her hand on her forehead as she leaned against the window, closing her eyes and staying


    silent.


    Behind the wheel, Ashton had been quiet all this while. When he noticed she wasn¡¯t answering the


    phone, he turned around and took the phone to take a nce. ¡°It¡¯s a call from Mrs. Alston. Are you sure


    you¡¯re not going


    to pick it up?¡±


    It was only then that Elyse opened her eyes. There was a look of surprise in her eyes as she nced


    at the


    screen.


    She proceeded to take the phone and ce it beside her ear. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Elyse, I spotted you just now. Did youe to the Alston Residence?¡± On the other end of the line,


    Melissa¡¯s voice was filled with a natural sense of superiority. She spoke in a high-and-mighty tone even


    when she was


    talking to Elyse.


    Elyse hated it when Melissa spoke in that tone, especially now that Leo was breaking up with her and


    cruelly exposing her.


    She was about to say something rude when she remembered that Ashton was still around. She said in


    a roundabout way, ¡°I did have a quick chat with Leo outside the house.¡±


    Melissa skipped the nonsense and said, ¡°Wait for me at a spot 2 miles away from the Alston


    Residence. Let¡¯s


    meet up.


    Elyse didn¡¯t know why Melissa wanted to see her.


    Remembering that Melissa was never friendly to her, she was about to decline coldly when Melissa


    continued, ¡°I want to make a deal with you.¡±


    With that, she hung up without waiting for Elyse¡¯s response.


    Elyse¡¯s dull eyes shimmered a little. In the end, she told Ashton to pull up at the spot Melissa spoke of.


    ¡°Park the car a mile away, and don¡¯te here unless I call for you,¡± she ordered coldly after getting


    out of the


    car.


    Ashton looked at her in worry. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you to be here alone. Let me apany you.


    ¡°No need!¡±


    Her expression was cold and stubborn.


    Since Melissa wanted to talk to her, the topic must be something outsiders were not allowed to hear.


    Ashton looked at her for a while. When he thought about the mistake hemitted that night, he


    scratched


    his head.


    In the end, he still left like he was told to.


    Elyse waited by the road for a few minutes before the Alston Family¡¯s car slowly drove up to her.


    The driver got out of the car first.


    Then, he jogged to the back seat and respectfully opened the door.


    Melissa was dressed meticulously, just like a queen.


    She held her bag with both hands and got out of the car in the most elegant way possible.


    The only thingcking was that she had no worshippers.


    ¡±


    A few years ago, Elyse was treated coldly by Melissa, so she didn¡¯t have much of a good impression of


    the


    Seeing her grand entrance, Elyse simply looked on coldly.


    There wasn¡¯t even a hint of warmth in her eyes.


    When Melissa saw Elyse, she was expressionless as well.


    In the night, her high heels clicked crisply against the ground as she walked up to Elyse, then she


    straightened


    up even further.


    Not wishing to be intimidated, Elyse straightened her neck a little.


    The two seemed to beparing heights,peting in secret.


    Melissa hated Elyse¡¯s attitude ofpeting with her. She let out a snort of disdain and withheld her


    comment as she said, ¡°I¡¯ve already filed awsuit with the court to fight Amelie for the custody of Bria.


    Leo doesn¡¯t know about this yet; I fear that if he did, he would definitely stop me. So, I hope you can


    think of a way to get him to leave for a few days, and then he cane back after everything settles.¡±


    Elyse was even more annoyed when she heard that Melissa would be fighting Amelie for custody of the


    child.


    Of course, she kept an eye on this matter in the dark.


    So, she knew about this a long time ago.


    She felgned ignorance as she put on a slightly surprised expression.


    Melissa smiled.


    The meaning behind her smile extended far beyond the surface.


    With just a smile, she signaled to Elyse that she knew all sorts of things that Elyse wouldn¡¯t want


    anyone to


    know.


    Elyse felt uneasy all of a sudden, and the expression on her beautiful face darkened and turned cold.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart person, Miss yton. You should know how this will benefit you. You¡¯re not helping me;


    you¡¯re helping yourself,¡± Melissa said meaningfully.


    Elyse¡¯s long eyshes stopped fluttering as a dull light shed across her eyes.


    Melissa was right.


    She truly could benefit from this.


    As soon as the two faced each other in court, it would mean that they were total enemies.


    They simply must fight each other!


    Even if she couldn¡¯t get Leo, she didn¡¯t want him to be with the woman who destroyed her happiness!


    Elyse didn¡¯t think that she was to me at all. She still attributed the failure of her rtionship 4 years


    ago to


    Amelie¡¯s interjection.


    ¡°All right, deal!¡± She nodded readily.


    Melissa nodded in satisfaction.


    She got back into the car with her regal steps, then left.


    Elyse stood under the tree for some time, then dialed Leo¡¯s number. ¡°Leo, I agree to the breakup, but


    can you apany me to Quinn Town? I want to spend a few days there, and I¡¯m setting out tonight.¡±


    On the other end of the line, Leo was holding his phone with one hand while sticking the other hand in


    his


    pocket.


    His gaze was dark as he looked into the distance.


    He was standing in the study, and documents were piled on the desk along with a number of tasks to


    bepleted on theputer.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Still, he opened his mouth to speak the word.


    However, because of their history, even if he didn¡¯t like her anymore, he was still willing to go with her.


    A few minutester, Leo had his work sorted out as he drove and arrived in front of Elyse.


    Elyse pursed her lips and opened the door to the passenger seat, sitting in it.


    Leo nced at her silently, then started the car.


    The car drove along the intersection.


    Someone¡¯s phone started ringing. It was Leo¡¯s.


    He slowed down and took out his phone, then looked down at the screen.


    A hand suddenly covered the screen, blocking it from view so that he couldn¡¯t see the number


    disyed.


    ¡°Leo, I don¡¯t want you to answer random calls!¡± Elyse looked Leo in the eye as she spoke in a spoiled


    manner.


    Leo looked up at her.


    With their current rtionship, she had no right to make such requests.


    Elyse couldn¡¯t care less as she plucked the phone from his hand. ¡°You said you¡¯ll apany me, so I


    want you to focus on apanying me for the next few days. Ignore everyone else!¡±


    At the end of her sentence, she added pleadingly, ¡°Okay?¡±


    Leo stared at his phone as he thought for a while.


    In the end, he nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    If she hadn¡¯t apanied him all those years, he wouldn¡¯t have be who he was today. This little


    bit of sacrifice was nothing inparison.


    Seeing that he had agreed, Elyse swiftly turned off his phone and tossed it into her bag.


    On the other end, the expression of the person holding the phone gradually sank¡­

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157


    After thinking about it, Amelie felt that even if it were for Bria¡¯s sake, she shouldn¡¯t have taken it to court


    and eventually turned Leo into her enemy.


    She was calling up Leo with that in mind.


    She kept thinking she should talk to him and resolve this matter peacefully.


    In the end, she overheard this conversation instead.


    At that moment, Amelie felt her heart turn cold.


    Then, a cold smile crept onto her lips.


    He kept iming that he cared about Bria, but clearly, he didn¡¯t care much about her.


    He even turned off his phone just to apany Elyse.


    Hah.


    After hanging up, Amelie began to look for awyer.


    Starlight Media had its own legal team, but it was more specialized in business matters.


    Even though it was the same upation, their field and focus were different, so there would be an


    obvious difference.


    The person in charge of the legal team rmended Amelie a professional divorcewyer in Clouson


    City. After talking for some time over the phone, Amelie briefly told thewyer about her situation.


    ¡°From the current situation, I can see that your video is the strongest evidence the other party has.


    However, that video isn¡¯tpletely invincible,¡± thewyer said after a simple analysis of the case.


    A discussion over the phone would be inconvenient, so thewyer invited her for a detailed discussion


    at his office the next day.


    Amelie noted the address, then hung up.


    The next day at the appointed time, she went to Oriental Law Firm where thewyer worked.


    She waited there for 2 hours before thewyer finally showed up.


    Amelie didn¡¯t mind it. She retrieved some documents from her bag and said, ¡°I¡¯ve brought everything


    you asked


    me to.


    He wiped some sweat off his forehead as he spoke with an apologetic look.


    His sudden change in attitude startled Amelie, and she wasn¡¯t sure what she should do. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say


    that it¡¯s


    an easy case?¡±


    ¡°It is, but after some discussion, we decided not to ept your case. Why don¡¯t you ask at another


    ce?¡±


    Amelie looked at thewyer in suspicion, feeling like there was something else he wasn¡¯t saying.


    ¡°Can you be honest with me? Did someone pressure you?¡±


    Hearing Amelie¡¯s question, thewyer smiled uneasily as he pushed his thick-rimmed sses. ¡°You are


    indeed


    a smart person, Miss Dillon.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t know what to feel about her guesses being spot on.


    How could the Alstons do something so despicable just to prevent her from getting custody of Bria?


    If even Oriental Law Firm didn¡¯t dare to ept her case, asking the otherw firms would be a waste of


    time


    as well.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, I know that you¡¯re the representative of Starlight Media and are in nock of money, but


    the Alstons have both money and power, and they even have numerous connections. You won¡¯t win if


    you fight them, so why don¡¯t you sit down and negotiate with them? Perhaps they¡¯ll spare you,¡± the


    lawyer suggested.


    He felt quite sorry because he broke his promise and was unable to help Amelie.


    Even though he dared not offend the Alstons, he still wanted to do his best and give Amelie some


    friendly


    advice.


    Amelie knew thewyer was saying this for her own good, so she nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After walking out, she took a deep breath.


    She realized there was still arge difference between uprising and long-established nobilities.


    Throughout her entire life, she had experienced countless problems, but she had never felt as


    powerless as she was right now.


    Amelie dared not tell Steven about the Alstons fighting with her for custody, fearing that he might get


    too enraged for his own good.


    She took a deep breath. She refused to admit defeat so easily.


    After a brief respite, she hastily returned to herpany and looked for the legal team, then discussed


    ways to


    calum the necm with tham


    She had always been keeping a close eye on this matter, and when she heard that the Alstons were


    stopping anywyers in Clouson City from helping Amelle, she was so pissed that she was fuming.


    When the legal team left, she finally lost control and mmed the table. ¡°How can Leo do that?! He¡¯s


    doing whatever he wants just because he has that little powerl Has he forgotten that if it weren¡¯t for you


    back then, he wouldn¡¯t have anything right now?! He would be struggling for his life in some dark


    alleyway! Since he has chosen cruelty, two can y the game. Elie, let¡¯s expose him and show


    everyone the heartless deeds he has


    done!¡±


    ¡°So what if we do? He has power, capability, and connections. He can easily seal everyone¡¯s mouth


    and talk to the news outlets to suppress the news, and everything would be back to normal. What


    about us? We¡¯ll just be waiting for his revenge, and we¡¯ll end up losing even more!¡± Amelie said,


    sighing.


    When Julia heard that, she was so angry that her eyes turned red. ¡°What¡¯s going on with this world?


    Those cruel b¡¯stards are living their best lives, but good people like us have to endure the suffering! I


    can¡¯t just take and ept it. Elie. We can¡¯t let this slide! They have to take responsibility for this!¡± She


    rapped the table, saying, ¡°If thewyers in this city don¡¯t dare to do it, we¡¯ll just askwyers from


    another city. If they can¡¯t do it. either, we¡¯ll get someone from overseas. I don¡¯t think the Alstons can do


    anything about overseaswyers!¡±


    With that, she took out her phone and got ready to make some calls.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did something happen?¡± Behind them, someone suddenly asked.


    The two turned around to see Toby walking in.


    The two were stunned to see Toby here.


    Julia swiftly ced her phone down as an obvious enmity colored her face. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Toby was Leo¡¯s close friend, and under these circumstances, Julia just couldn¡¯t treat him well.


    ¡°I was thinking of visiting Master, but I heard Miss Dillon is here, so I decided to stop by,¡± said Toby.


    The master he spoke of was none other than Steven.


    Julia also knew about Toby¡¯s apprenticeship under Steven, so when she heard him saying that, she


    snorted and said, ¡°You¡¯re just making excuses to spy on the enemy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Toby was stunned at her words. He couldn¡¯t help but shrug, his handsome face filled with confusion.


    Amelie knew that Toby wasn¡¯t that sort of person, so she secretly nudged Julia, hinting at thetter to


    stop talking.


    Julia was still pissed, so she ignored Amelie¡¯s advice. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? That Alston guy is trying to snatch


    the child from her, and he¡¯s scared that he won¡¯t be able to suppress us, so now he¡¯s sending someone


    here to spy


    on us!¡±


    revtion.


    Julia nced at him. ¡°Go back and tell that Alston guy that even if he can seal thewyers¡¯ mouths, he


    cannot seal mine. If he wants to fight us for the child, I¡¯ll fight with him to the bitter end!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Walsh. Julia is quite emotional right now. Amelie knew more or less that Toby had a


    different character from Leo. She didn¡¯t want him to be falsely med, so she sincerely apologized.


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


    Toby shook his head in understanding. ¡°I never expected Leo to fight you for the child. He has never


    told me about this before. Is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    Amelie shook her head silently.


    The Alstons and the Walshes were business partners. It wouldn¡¯t be practical to ask Toby for help.


    Still, to her, Bria was like life itself.


    When she thought about the possibility of Bria getting snatched away by Leo, she felt increasingly


    empty and fearful in her heart.


    Toby didn¡¯t stay for long as he soon bade goodbye and left,


    He got into his car, but instead of starting the car, he made a call to ask about thewsuit.


    After ending the call, he fell into deep thought.


    He knew Leo¡¯s temperament. Even if Leo truly were fighting with Amelie for the child, he wouldn¡¯t have


    done something like prevent her from hiring awyer.


    Only Melissa would do something like that.


    At that thought, he dialed Leo¡¯s number.


    Leo¡¯s phone was turned off.


    ¡°Hah!¡± He chuckled, then dialed another number¡­

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158


    At Quinn Town.


    Leo stood on the balcony of a room in the onlyrge hotel in the area. His hands were in his pockets as


    he narrowed his eyes to gaze at an unknown point in the distance.


    A day had passed since he and Elyse arrived here.


    Today, she didn¡¯t choose to return to the hospital they had stayed in before. Instead, she took him to


    various tourist spots to sightsee.


    Even though this couldn¡¯t prove anything, Leo had a feeling that something was wrong.


    Elyse had taken his phone away, and she had also removed the telephone line in the room.


    Even Elyse turned off her phone and locked it in the hotel safe along with his.


    She then set a passcode only she knew.


    So, making a call had turned into quite a hurdle.


    He was still thinking about it when Elyse walked gracefully in.


    She had just taken a shower, so her entire body was fragrant.


    She purposefully wore the bathrobe provided by the hotel, thus exposing arge area of dazzling skin.


    She was holding two sses of wine.


    She looked down at one of the sses, a dark gleam rippling in her eyes.


    She had gotten Leo here not just for vacation.


    She didn¡¯t express much of her thoughts as she walked up to him and raised a ss. ¡°Have a drink.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t take the ss right away as he looked at her, then at the ss she was raising.


    His gaze was naturally deep, and he could observe the tiniest details with just bne look.


    Elyse retracted her hand a little. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared that I might do something bad? Forget


    it,


    then.¡±


    With that, she turned around to leave.


    Elyse¡¯s face froze before shifting into an awkward expression.


    Still, she obediently stepped back. ¡°Sorry, I was inconsiderate. I just wanted to give you a ss of wine.


    I¡¯ll leave right after you finish the wine.¡±


    Leo decisively downed the wine in one go.


    As promised, Elyse took the wine sses back to her room.


    Once she entered the room, she hastily positioned the ss under the tap and rinsed it.


    As if that weren¡¯t enough, she then brushed it a few times with some cleaning tools.


    When she had confirmed no traces were left, she ced the ss back in its original spot.


    She stood in her room, her eyes glimmering in an alluring manner. She looked up at the clock on the


    wall and counted the seconds silently.


    After 2 minutes, she went back to the entrance of Leo¡¯s room.


    The door to his room opened with just a turn of the knob.


    Delighted, Elyse swiftly went in.


    She hastily searched the room and saw that the nket on the bed was already out of ce, and there


    was a


    mound on the bed.


    Clearly, Leo must have felt ufortable and gone to sleep.


    Elyse ignored everything else as she quickly pounced onto the bed, pulling the nket back and


    hugging the person beneath the nket right away.


    The person stiffened.


    Elyse¡¯s head was covered by the nket, so she couldn¡¯t see properly.


    But that didn¡¯t affect her actions.


    She lowered her head and ced it against the person¡¯s face. ¡°Leo, I know you need me. I¡¯ll help you


    right


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


    now.¡±


    With that, she hastily went in for a kiss.


    She had just kissed the person when she felt that something was wrong.


    Elyse felt like her mind was exploding as she attempted to remove the nket to take a good look.


    The person turned around and pinned her down before kissing her aggressively¡­


    After making a great effort, Elyse finally pushed the person away and rolled off the bed at lightning


    speed.


    Her clothes were unkempt, and even her sash was removed.


    She looked up at the man.


    She was instantly shocked and terrified.


    The man on the bed had small eyes and a tanned face. Even drool wasing out of his mouth!


    ¡°Who are you!¡± She screamed in a high-pitched voice as she tugged her clothes tightly.


    The man chuckled and was about to say something when she turned and ran out, unable to spend


    even a


    second more with him.


    She swiftly returned to her room and mmed the door shut.


    Elyse spent a long while throwing up in her room before realizing that Leo had gone missing.


    After asking around, she heard from the manager that Leo had gone to the hospital.


    Elyse rushed as fast as she could to the hospital, and even from a distance away, she could see him


    lying in bed with an IV drip attached to him.


    Obviously, he knew what he had drunk.


    Feeling guilty, she didn¡¯t have the courage to walk closer to him.


    When a doctor passed by, she finally dared to walk over to him. ¡°Leo, why are you suddenly at the


    hospital?¡±


    Naturally, Elyse knew better than anyone why he would be at the hospital, but she had decided not to


    admit it no matter what.


    As long as she didn¡¯t admit it, Leo couldn¡¯t do anything to her!


    Leo calmly looked up, but he didn¡¯t ask her about the wine.


    However, he looked at her with such a deep gaze that Elyse felt like she was sitting on pins and


    needles.


    After a while, Leo finally sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    When the drip had finished, the two slowly walked out.


    Two doctors were walking toward them at the same time.


    One of them kept looking at Elyse and Leo.


    Elyse wanted everyone to know they were together, so she supported him boldly and leaned close to


    him, creating an illusion that they were a couple.


    She was initially worried that Leo would refuse to cooperate and push her away.


    Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t.


    Elyse¡¯s heart leaped in joy as she nned to find a ce with more traffic so that more people would


    know they were on vacation together.


    While she was deep in thought, Leo¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her ear.


    Elyse was so upied with her thoughts that she didn¡¯t hear him clearly. She raised her head and


    looked at him, asking. ¡°Leo, what were you saying?¡±


    When she had finished asking, she noticed that Leo was pointing at a person. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize


    her?¡±


    Elyse didn¡¯t even think twice as she said, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the doctor who walked past us just now.¡±


    As soon as she stopped speaking, Leo¡¯s expression instantly turned dark!


    Elyse looked at his foul expression, her heart sinking.


    She knew something went wrong, but she had no idea where, or how.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know each other!¡± Leo eximed.


    His words puzzled her even more.


    ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t!¡± She said matter-of-factly.


    As soon as she said that, she felt a tight grip on her shoulder.


    Leo¡¯s voice was cold like a rock as he said, ¡°So you¡¯re not Big Eyes!¡±


    Elyse fell silent.


    She was about to exin when she remembered that this hospital was the exact one Leo had stayed in


    when he lost his sight!


    Her back was immediately drenched in a cold sweat!


    And her face turned pale as well.


    ¡°No, I-I¡¯m Big Eyes.¡± Her mind went nk, but she refused to admit it.


    She held his strong fingers with both hands, trying to pry his hand away.


    However, his hand was as firm as iron pliers, and his eyes were void of warmth!


    Elyse had never seen Leo in such a cold and fearsome state, and she was so terrified that she kept


    trembling.


    The man in front of her was no longer the man who once pampered and treasured her.


    He was a demon who just came from hell!


    He was too scary!


    Elyse was so scared that even her teeth were chattering. Every part of her body was shivering and


    twitching in fear.


    A look of despair appeared in her eyes.


    Until¡­

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159


    Leo pushed her away.


    Staggering several steps back, she braced herself against the icy wall. ¡°Yes, I am not your Big Eyes.¡±


    Elyse tightly shut her eyes.


    Silence.


    Leo gazed upon Elyse in stony silence, not a hint of emotion appeared on his chiseled features as his


    lips formed a tight line. However, beneath the calm exterior raged a tempest of turmoil, a tumultuous


    sea that threatened to surge forth at any moment. His fingers clenched together silently. It was


    impossible to tell if he was feeling pain, shock, or something else entirely.


    Under his gaze, Elyse¡¯sshes quivered and her face was etched with pain and sadness. He broke the


    silence after a long time, asking, ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t know that I had mistaken you for someone four


    years ago, why didn¡¯t you exin after that?¡±


    Tears streamed down Elyse¡¯s face as she gazed back at him with a look of heartbreak and vulnerability.


    ¡°Your love was like abyrinth, and I got lost in it, step by step. I forgot why I yed along as your Big


    Eyes back then. I was spineless. It¡¯s not your fault; it¡¯s mine.¡±


    After listening to Elyse¡¯s words, Leo realized that the Big Eyes she was referring to wasn¡¯t what he was


    thinking. He stood rooted to the spot, watching her as she tightly clenched her fingers, hiding the


    wounds inflicted by her nails on her palms.


    She was frightened by the thought that once she lost the title of ¡°Big Eyes,¡± she would be doomed. In


    any way. she knew she couldn¡¯t let Leo suspect her.


    Elyse took a step forward, shakily grabbing Leo¡¯s hand. About the woman you just asked, I recalled


    something about it. She¡¯s the doctor who treated your eyes for you back then. It¡¯s been so long since


    I¡¯ve seen her, so I didn¡¯t think of it right away, Leony, please don¡¯t be mad.¡±


    Seeing that Leo was still unmoved, she hung her head low and wiped her tears. ¡°Leony, we¡¯ve already


    broken. up. Do I still need to lie to you? Besides, that doctor didn¡¯t even recognize me. It has been so


    long, and everyone has changed. It¡¯s normal to not recognize someone.¡±


    Elyse¡¯s words made sense.


    Without indicating whether he believed her or not, Leo rxed his tense body.


    After Elyse sensed his change, her nerves, which were close to breaking, finally rxed a little as well.


    That was close.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting fate and your hady hasn¡¯t fully rerrwered vel Ier¡¯s get hack muickly Flyep caid nulling him


    However, Leo didn¡¯t move; instead, he rubbed his forehead. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s go say hello.¡±


    Thump!


    Elyse¡¯s heart thumped as her face drained of color. Her eyes trembled, wondering if he hadn¡¯t truly


    trusted her.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how much the doctor knew about ¡°Big Eyes¡±. But one thing she knew was if they met


    face to face, her facade would crumble.


    On the other hand, Leo, who proposed the idea, remained still. He stood there, observing Elyse with


    piercing. hawk-like eyes. Every tiny expression on her face was captured and analyzed by him as his


    gaze grew more


    intense.


    Elyse felt her chest tighten and ache with each passing moment. If it turned out that she wasn¡¯t the real


    ¡°Big Eyes¡±, it would mean that he had made a huge mistake nine years ago. How could he face the real


    ¡°Big Eyes¡± with any shred of dignity?


    Despite the tumultuous waves of uncertainty storming within him, Leo chose to search for the truth. He


    was no coward, cowering from the possibility of error and seeking refuge in avoidance. With a firm grip,


    he took Elyse¡¯s hand and strode toward the doctor.


    ¡°Mr. Albert.¡± In the blink of an eye, the two arrived before the doctor, and Leo greeted him.


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


    Mr. Albert was in the middle of a phone call, but upon seeing Leo and Elyse approach, he promptly


    hung up.


    ¡°I just saw you walking over from the ward. Are you feeling unwell? Whye all the way to a hospital


    like ours when you¡¯re sick?¡± he inquired with concern.


    Faced with the doctor¡¯s worries, Leo merely curled his lip slightly before pushing Elyse forward slightly.


    ¡°Just apanying a friend,¡± he replied.


    The doctor¡¯s gaze settled on Elyse¡¯s figure, who now appeared pale as death. Despite the massive


    changes in her life, she still had the same face she had as a child, and she hadn¡¯t had any stic


    surgery. Her features were also vastly different from Amelie¡¯s!


    ¡°Well, well, if it isn¡¯t the famous Elyse, Miss yton?¡± The doctor¡¯s voice rang with surprise in her ear.


    ¡°My son is one of your biggest fans, and to this day, there are posters of you all over our home.¡±


    Snap! Like a fragile string that had finally snapped under onest strain, Elysepletely broke down.


    Desperation, fear, shame, and embarrassment swelled up within her, a tidal wave that erased thest


    shreds of her dignity as she avoided eye contact with Leo.


    Her legs gave out, and she crumpled to the ground. In an instant, a hand steadied her.


    ¡°Miss yton, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± It was the doctor who was supporting her


    child, always up and about in the germ-infested hospitals. I¡¯ve never seen you get a cold or fever


    before.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elyse¡¯s eyes popped open in disbelief as she heard the doctor¡¯s final words.


    She was caught off guard herself.


    Her gaze was steadfast as she fixed her eyes on Mr. Albert, which onlysted two seconds.


    She didn¡¯t bother to inquire about why Mr. Albert had made that statement, but, like grasping at a


    lifeline, she quickly nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been living abroad for these years, so my habits have gotten out


    of hand, and my health has declined.¡±


    ¡°When you think about it, our country¡¯s customs and traditions are actually the best. Don¡¯t go abroad


    again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    After the small talk, Mr. Albert excused himself and left.


    Watching his retreating figure, Elyse snuggled up into Leo¡¯s arm. ¡°Leony, I never thought that he would


    still remember me. You can be at ease now.¡±


    Leo simply agreed, giving her a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Upon returning to the hotel, Elyse felt as if her heart was a hollow shell, swaying unsteadily.


    Exhausted and devoid of the energy to engage in further conversation with Leo, she copsed onto the


    bed, covering her face with her hands. The overwhelming feelings of sadness and shame washed over


    her like a tidal wave. This humiliation wasn¡¯t born from Leo¡¯s previous attitude, but from the fact that


    she, the proud Elyse, had fallen so low. She never imagined she would have to live a life shrouded in


    secrecy, relying on the sess of others to get by.


    When had she ever lived such a messy life?


    As shey there, lost in her thoughts, a shadow slowly approached, gradually enveloping her in its


    darkness. When Elyse finally realized it, the figure was already standing at the foot of her bed.


    Believing it to be Leo, her heart leaped with joy. ¡°Leony, I knew you¡­!¡±


    Unfortunately, her face fell upon the sight of a stranger as she looked up. The joy on her face was


    reced by


    coldness and caution.


    ¡°How did you get here?¡± she asked warily.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help you, but this tone you¡¯re using when you speak to me doesn¡¯t quite sit well,¡± the figure


    spoke to Elyse.


    His towering figure blocked the light, making it impossible to see his face clearly. All that was left was


    the menacing sound of his voice, sending chills down Elyse¡¯s spine.


    She furrowed her brow, ¡°So, Mr. Albert from earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Smart.¡± The figure snapped his fingers, even this simple gesture exuding a malicious aura. ¡°I made the


    call to Mr. Albert, using his family to threaten him to make him cooperate with you. So, how do you n


    on showing gratitude for this favor?¡±


    ¡°Gratitude?¡± Elyse was far from grateful. Instead, she was fired up. ¡°Who gave you the right to take


    matters into your own hands? I am who I am, Elyse yton.¡±


    Whenever she remembered that she was merely Amelie¡¯s stand-in, Elyse felt like her pride was


    trampled in the


    mud.


    It was nothing but humiliation!


    Instead of bing enraged as he listened to her words, the figure let out a low chuckle that was


    sarcastic and ironic, just like before.


    Elyse was so frustrated that she was ready to start fuming. ¡°It¡¯s easy enough to say that you don¡¯t want


    to be Big Eyes. All you have to do is tell Leo now that you are Elyse, not the Big Eyes that had been


    stuck in this run-down ce with him for a year.¡±


    Elyse sprang up from her bed when she heard those provocative words. ¡°You think I won¡¯t dare? Don¡¯t


    underestimate me. Even without Leo, I, Elyse, can still live well.¡±


    With that, she headed towards the door.


    At this moment, she was finally being true to herself. The title of Amelie¡¯s stand-in was a knife to her


    heart. The man didn¡¯t stop her, and his voice was unwavering as he said, ¡°Think carefully. Once you¡¯re


    no longer Amelie¡¯s stand-in, all the wrongs you¡¯ve done wille to light, including what you did to Leo


    tonight with the spiked drink.¡±


    Her steps forward felt like they were suddenly cursed, unable to move another inch. Elyse stiffened,


    letting the embarrassment wash over her. The courage that had just red up was now gone, shrinking


    back to what it previously was.


    The man approached her slowly, gently gripping her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a smart person and should


    understand the importance of this title. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to use this title to tighten the leash on Leo.


    Never let him escape this cage.¡±


    ¡°What What¡¯s your purpose?¡± Elyse wasn¡¯t foolish, knowing the man wouldn¡¯t help her for no reason.


    He chuckled, his voice dark, making Elyse¡¯s chest feel tight. ¡°My purpose is not important. What¡¯s


    important is that you¡¯re dependent on Leo in every way right now, aren¡¯t you? Without the title of the


    Big Eyes, why would Leo help you? Who do you think you are? To be blunt, with your current situation,


    even if you were to be a walk-on, it¡¯s unlikely anyone would want you. Isn¡¯t it because Leo is supporting


    you from behind that you¡¯re still the morous Elyse yton?¡±


    Those straightforward words hit Elyse like a barrage of arrows, piercing her with pain, embarrassment,


    and anger. Each word hit its mark, leaving her fuming. Then, in a fit of rage, she grabbed whatever she


    could find and hurled them at the person. But it was all nimbly dodged.


    Elyse threw with every ounce of energy she had until she was gasping for air like a fish about to


    suffocate. Toward the end, she even had to use her hands to support herself.


    Yet, the man had disappeared without a trace, slipping away unnoticed. She clenched her jaw, her


    eyes filled with a fiery hatred, which all finally coalesced into a determined resolve. She tightened her


    fists, ready to face whatever was toe.


    The next day, Amelie woke up utterly exhausted. The previous evening had been spent in a grueling


    meeting with her legal team, followed by hours of online research that had bled into the wee hours of


    the morning. Given the looming court case, she had decided to stay put in the same house instead of


    returning to the city.


    As she rubbed her tired eyes, thoughts of the pending trial filled her mind and a knot of anxiety formed


    in her gut. She had heard that Melissa had hired none other than the top divorcewyer in town, the


    legendary Lori Walker, who was renowned for never losing a case of this nature. The thought only


    added to her already frayed


    nerves.


    As she peered into the mirror, she was not surprised to see dark circles under her eyes, a testament to


    her exhaustion. Nevertheless, it was not the weariness that scared her but the thought of losing


    custody of her child. The thought alone was like a hot iron branding her heart with pain.


    Just as she was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang.


    She assumed it was herpany, so she immediately picked it up and put it to her ear.


    The voice on the other end was polite, ¡°Is this Miss Dillon? I am from Mr. Oconnell Law Firm. Our boss


    is very interested in your divorce case. Can we talk about it in detail?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Oconnell?¡± Amelie was momentarily stunned.


    The name of the boss of Oconnell Law Firm, Mr. Oconnell, was on par with that of Lori Walker.


    Mr. Oconnell isn¡¯t intimidated by the Alstons¡¯ influence and is willing to help me?


    She nodded and answered okay without hesitation, then swiftly scheduled a meeting with Mr. Oconnell


    and


    She stood in the room, deep in thought.


    Although the Alstons had no reach beyond the country¡¯s borders, Julia had already reached out to


    foreignwyers. However, they knew that bringing in foreignwyers would take time, and their legal


    practices were vastly different from those in the country, making it difficult for even the most skilled


    lawyers to make an


    impact.


    At this moment, Mr. Oconnell¡¯s help was like a lifesaver in a blizzard.


    Amelie wasted no time, and after greeting Julia, she headed straight to Oconnell Law Firm to meet the


    man


    himself.


    For an entire morning, the two of them talked about the case. Mr. Oconnell¡¯s grasp of thew and his


    insightful analysis of the case left asting impression on Amelie, who promptly signed a partnership


    agreement on the spot.


    As the meeting came to a close, Mr. Oconnell personally saw Amelie out. ¡°Mr. Oconnell.¡± Amelie asked,


    ¡°Can you tell me who brought you on board to help me with this case? And, with mywsuit against the


    Alstons, aren¡¯t you worried that yourw firm will get caught up in the crossfire?¡±


    These questions had been weighing on her mind throughout the meeting, but there simply wasn¡¯t


    enough time


    to address them.


    Mr. Oconnell smiled. ¡°Mrs. Alston, you¡¯re a sharp one. I knew you would be curious about this; even


    Toby predicted it and asked me to keep it under wraps. But, as the person involved, I believe you have


    the right to


    know.¡±


    ¡°Toby?¡± Amelie was trying to figure out who may be behind this when she heard the name. ¡°Could it


    possibly be Toby Walsh?¡±


    She could only think of one person who fit the bill and was close enough to make it happen. But he


    was¡­ A


    friend of Leo.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him,¡± Mr. Oconnell confirmed, ¡°Toby may seem friendly and approachable, but he¡¯s not the


    kind of person to lend a hand to just anyone. The fact that he¡¯s helping you shows how important you


    are to him.¡±


    Mr. Oconnell seemed to be hinting at something, but he didn¡¯t make it clear. So, when he said those


    words, he left her to her thoughts and immediately took his leave.


    Amelie stood stiffly in front of her car, her hand frozen on the doorknob as she struggled to process the


    complex emotions of gratitude, uncertainty, and worry churning within her.


    Toby had stepped in to help her, and she couldn¡¯t pretend she didn¡¯t know, After she gave it some


    consideration. she gave him a call.


    When he heard that she specifically called to thank him, his grin was as warm as a ray of sunshine. ¡°It¡¯s


    With Toby going out of his way like that, a simple meal was the least she could do in return.


    She eagerly nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Why wait for another day when we can do it today? How about lunch? Let me know where you are,


    and I¡¯lle to pick you up.¡± he suggested.


    Amelie had no objections, but she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°You and Leo are friends, won¡¯t helping me like


    this affect your rtionship?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m helping you find awyer to ensure a fair trial. It saves us all the time and frustration of an appeal


    and is ultimately better for both parties, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Her worries were alleviated after hearing his exnation and stance.


    It was exactly noon, and she picked a quaint restaurant to have lunch with Toby.


    As the meal wasing to an end, Toby was handed a contract by Amelie to sign. The agreement


    stated that his future coboration with Starlight Media would receive a 20% discount off their current


    rate. Of course, this was a generous offer, but Toby couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly annoyed as he knew


    that Amelie did not want to owe him a favor.


    Toby graciously signed his name and didn¡¯t try to wriggle his way out of her offer by awkwardly


    declining. He understood that women like Amelie could easily be driven away if he stuck onto her like


    gum.


    After they finished their meal, the two stepped outside and continued to discuss their coboration.


    Suddenly a mischievous child rushed by and almost knocked Amelie down the stairs. Toby quickly


    reached out to steady her, which caused Amelie to stumble into his embrace.


    Just then, a snide remark echoed nearby, ¡°Oh, look at the lovebirds getting cozy in public.¡±

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161


    When Amelie had steadied herself, she got out of Toby¡¯s embrace. Then, she turned around and saw


    Jodie standing not far away. She wore a mini dress while looking at Amelie in disdain.


    To be honest, Amelie didn¡¯t mind Jodie¡¯s words. To her, Jodie was talking nonsense since she was a


    brainless woman. However, she couldn¡¯t ignore Leo, who was standing beside Jodie. His gaze was


    cold and filled with emotions, seemingly as if using her of her actions.


    I was going to fall. As Amelie thought about it, she felt upset and discouraged. After all, she realized


    that she wasn¡¯t able to ignore Leo¡¯s emotions, even after they had gotten a divorce.


    In the meantime, Toby saw them and greeted them. ¡°Hello, Jodie and Leo.¡± He looked calm and


    righteous, seemingly as if Jodie¡¯s words did not affect him.


    Leo lowered his eyes the whole time, making him look cold and stern. He had an intimidating presence


    around him as he stared at Amelie.


    In the morning, he had a bad feeling in his stomach, so he rushed from Quinn Town to Clouson City.


    Only then did he discover that Melissa had sued Amelie and tried to take Bria¡¯s custody. When he saw


    Amelie, he was going to exin, but he couldn¡¯t make himself do so when he saw her and Toby


    hugging together. Hence, he smiled and said harshly, ¡°It looks like Bria isn¡¯t that important to you


    either!¡±


    When Amelie heard his words, she was stunned.


    Although he did not say whom he was implying, it was clear that he was talking about her! Obviously,


    he had misunderstood her being lovey-dovey with Toby and didn¡¯t care about thewsuit. How ironic of


    him to think. that she would not care if the Alston Family took Bria¡¯s custody!


    At that moment, her face turned cold, and she had an icy smirk spread against her lips.


    It was he who caused this mess. Thus, how can he stand on the righteous side and criticize her?


    ¡°Bria is important to me. Moreover, I don¡¯t think you will know how important she is to me if we talk


    about this in such a short time. If you are curious, you¡¯ll see it when we are at the court!¡± Amelie said


    coldly with a stubborn look on her face. Then, she lost interest in looking at Leo¡¯s stern expression and


    turned to Toby. ¡°I¡¯ll be going, then. I have some things to deal with.¡± Finally, she turned around and left.


    As Leo looked at her figure, his face darkened.


    She is nice to Toby, yet she treats me like I am her rivall


    ¡°Why are you with Amelie, Toby? It¡¯s bad for you to hang out with such an ill-mannered woman.¡± Jodie


    walked toward Toby and criticized Amelie.


    Toby had a smileread against hic line when he heard her words. However his face looked far from


    hannu


    When Jodie saw that Toby was ignoring her, she felt upset and med it on Amelie. ¡°She is such a sl¡¯t!


    She¡¯s always hooking up with so many men!¡± Then, she stormed off.


    During the entire debacle, Leo kept silent. Only when Jodie left did he approach Toby. ¡°You can¡¯t be


    with Amelie, Toby!¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Toby retorted as he crossed his arms in amusement. He had a thoughtful expression


    while he graced Leo with a mirthless smile. ¡°Why do you mind if I want to be with her? Could it be that


    you have fallen


    in love with her?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? How could I have fallen in love with her?¡± Leo spat coldly.


    Toby narrowed his eyes at his not-so-immediate refusal, and his smile deepened.


    You hesitated for a moment there, Leony. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t even know that you harbor feelings for her,


    either.


    At that moment, he was suddenly interested in this topic and asked, ¡°How are you going to deal with


    this.wsuit, Leony? Are you going to stop your mother?¡±


    When Leo heard his words, he pursed his lips and stared at Toby with a gloomy gaze. He was never


    one to talk


    about his feelings to others.


    After Toby stared at him for a moment, he stuffed his hands in his pocket and lowered his head. ¡°I


    advise you to keep fighting for it.¡±


    As soon as Leo heard his words, he frowned and was quite surprised that Toby would say such things.


    After all, considering how Toby cared for Amelie, he would have thought that Toby would tell him to


    stop.


    Toby looked at Leo¡¯s questioning gaze with a calm expression. Although Leo¡¯s gaze was so oppressive


    that it made a person feel rather suffocated, Toby wasn¡¯t affected at all. ¡°Since you don¡¯t like her, I


    would advise you to keep going. Only that way will she be disappointed with you. Isn¡¯t that what you


    wanted? Still, I¡¯m sure that you will regret it one day.¡±


    At that moment, Leo frowned and stared at Toby intently. After all, Toby¡¯s words were full of


    contradictions.


    Unfortunately, Toby wasn¡¯t interested in pursuing this matter further as he bid Leo farewell. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.


    I still have something to do.¡±


    When Leo returned home, Melissa walked thewyer to the door. When the trio encountered each


    other, Melissa¡¯s face went stark white. On the other hand, Leo was staring at them while an intimidating


    presence radiated off him.


    Thewyer felt that something was off and quickly left the scene.


    Leo¡¯s presence was so intimidating that even Melissa, his own mother, was afraid. She was even


    scared that he would ask about thewyer. Regardless, she knew that worrying about things that might


    never happen would increase their chances of happening.


    ¡°Mom, are you hiring awyer to take over Bria¡¯s custody from Amelie?¡± Leo asked straightforwardly.


    When Melissa heard his words, she felt her heart sink. Although she felt guilty, she quickly regained her


    composure. After all, since Leo had known about it, she didn¡¯t feel the need to hide it anymore. Thus,


    she nodded and said, ¡°Yes. I know you are unwilling to take Bria¡¯s custody, but I think it¡¯s better if we


    took her under our wings.¡±


    Leo had always known what was on Melissa¡¯s mind, so he didn¡¯t have to repeat those hurtful words.


    Hence, he pursed his lips and said, ¡°As Bria¡¯s father, I have the right to interfere in this matter. Please


    fire thewyer, Mom.¡± Then, he walked up the stairs.


    Behind him, Melissa was enraged. After Leo disappeared from sight, she quickly dialed Jodie¡¯s


    number. ¡°What is going on, Jodie? Didn¡¯t you bring Leo to meet up with Toby and Amelie? Why is he


    still the same as before?¡±


    After Leo had left for a moment, Elyse knew he had returned. Hence, she called Melissa early in the


    morning,


    which awakened her from her beauty sleep. Melissa was worried that Leo would know about this.


    Fortunately,


    she had hired someone to stalk Amelie, so she knew that Amelie had met up with Toby. Hence, she


    told Jodie to find Leo and took him to their meetup by faking like she was trying to have a meal with


    him.


    ¡°I did take him to meet up with them. Moreover, I even hired someone to push Amelie into Toby¡¯s


    embrace. Leo saw it with his own two eyes. I remembered that he was in a bad mood after watching


    the scene,¡± Jodie replied


    pitifully.


    Melissa¡¯s frown became deeper after hearing Jodie¡¯s words.


    Leo had seen it with his own eyes, yet he still insisted on Amelie caring for Bria. Does he not care for


    Bria, or does he have feelings for Amelie? I know him. Although he has a cold personality, he won¡¯t


    neglect Bria. That


    leaves thetter.


    When Melissa thought about it, she felt like she was being pped across the face and felt she was


    about to


    lose consciousness.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°No! This isn¡¯t happening!¡± She wouldn¡¯t ept if Amelie returned, especially when she had put in such


    efforts into ridding her of the Alston Residence. After all, she was of the mind that only a woman of high


    status was


    fit to be Leo¡¯s wife!


    As Melissa thought of Amelie, who had nothing good going for her, returning to the Alston Family once


    more, she felt thest string of her sanity about to snap. Eventually, she began pacing back and forth in


    the living room, trying to devise a way to stop this from ever happening.


    On the other hand, Jodie didn¡¯t hear her words and hung up the phone since she was not in the mood


    to chat.


    person might help me solve this mess!

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162


    When Leo walked up the stairs, he didn¡¯t immediately rest but only stared at the wall. He put his hands


    in his pocket and slightly bent down. He furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly to be in thought.


    Toby¡¯s words shed in his mind, asking him if he had fallen in love with Amelie.


    As he thought about what happened after he and Amelie had gotten a divorce, he realized that there


    was no reason for him to be in love with her other than being surprised. However, he realized that she


    had a special ce in his heart for god knew how long. Sometimes, he would even instinctively pay


    close attention to her and even want to get to know her.


    Is this love? But it is impossible to love someone without reason! I would have trusted this if it had


    happened to someone else. I also know that I am a person with a goal to achieve. After Elyse dumped


    me, I would never get close to someone else or get to know them without a valid reason. Yet, Amelie is


    the exception to this rule! Still, I can¡¯t believe I will fall in love with her. I think it is because she is Bria¡¯s


    mother, and I feel sorry for Bria.


    As Leo thought about it, he shook his head and stopped thinking about it. Then, he dialed a number


    and said, ¡°Keep an eye close on Mrs. Alston these days.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Alston?¡± The person was startled since he had never expected Leo to have such an order.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Leo didn¡¯t exin anything and hung up the phone.


    He felt something was going on since Jodie had asked to meet up for lunch. After all, she was afraid of


    him and had always avoided him. There was definitely something going on behind the scenes since


    they had encountered Toby and Amelie on their way to lunch.


    The next day, Leo went to Star Kindergarten. When he arrived, the teacher recognized him and


    approached him. ¡°Are you Bria¡¯s father? You¡¯re just in time. Bria has been unhappy these two days due


    to unknown reasons. She wouldn¡¯t tell me even if I asked her. Why don¡¯t you talk to her about it?¡±


    The teacher had been in a conflict with Amelie prior to this. So, she was afraid that Amelie would want


    an exnation now that Bria was unhappy. Initially, she was going to tell this matter to Amelie.


    Unfortunately. she had not seen her for the past two days. Hence, when she saw Leo, she felt he was a


    lifesaver.


    When Leo heard that Bria was unhappy, he was startled. Then, he immediately stepped into the school


    and entered the ssroom under the teacher¡¯s lead.


    In the ssroom, the kids were ying a game. Everyone was excited except for Bria. She seemed to


    be uninterested in even joining.


    ¡°Bria has always been the top student in our ss. No matter what she does, she always strives for


    perfection. But I¡¯ve never seen her act like this before,¡± the teacher said hastily.


    When Leo looked at Bria, he realized she was indeed in a bad mood. Leo felt like his heart had been


    stabbed


    At that moment, Bria stiffened when she felt she had fallen into someone¡¯s embrace. When she saw it


    was Leo, she blinked and opened her mouth. She wanted to call him ¡®Daddy¡± but held it back and


    quickly lowered her


    head.


    When Leo saw her sad expression and hunched shoulders, he rubbed her shoulder and said, ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong? The teacher says you are unhappy.¡±


    When the kids saw Bria being hugged by a handsome man, they all looked at her curiously.


    Since Leo didn¡¯t want to interrupt the ss, he nodded toward the teacher and carried Bria out of the


    ssroom. Finally, they left the school with the teacher¡¯s permission, and Leo bought ice cream for


    Bria, just


    likest time.


    Bria looked at the ice cream with clear want. Nheless, she only licked her lips but didn¡¯t take it from


    Leo. Instead, she turned to look at him and said, ¡°Are you taking me back to the Alston Residence?¡±


    As Leo heard her bell-like voice, his heart softened.


    At that moment, Leo realized that a child¡¯s voice could soothe a person¡¯s heart. Nevertheless, he was


    pretty surprised by her question. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m here to bring you back?¡±


    ¡°When I was talking with Ma, I heard you found a professionalwyer to take me back home. Mommy


    hasn¡¯t returned home for two days and has been thinking of a solution to prevent you guys from taking


    me away.¡± Bria looked at him with her big doe eyes.


    Amelie was more considerate than Julia. She would avoid others when talking on the phone and would


    make sure that Bria wouldn¡¯t hear her before answering the call. Although Julia had also taken simr


    precautions, she couldn¡¯t prevent the possibility of someone barging into her room and talking about


    this. Hence, even if Julia had covered the speaker, which muffled the voices on the other end of the


    line, Bria could still hear it.


    Then, she reached out and fumbled with Leo¡¯s cor as she spoke, ¡°Can you not bring me back? I want


    to be with Mommy. Don¡¯t worry. When you are old, I will take care of you as I do with Mommy,¡± she said


    seriously.


    Leo felt his heart pang as he looked at her serious expression.


    ¡°I heard that Mommy was going to beg for you to stop, but you didn¡¯t pick up her calls. So, is it alright if


    I beg for your leniency instead, Daddy?¡±


    ¡°Beg?¡± At that moment, Leo was startled.


    Then, he remembered that night when Elyse had taken away his phone. He saw that thest digit


    number was nine. Now that he thought about it, Amelie¡¯sst digit of the phone number was nine! If


    that¡¯s the case, Elyse wasn¡¯t going to spend the night with me by snatching away my phone, but to


    avoid Amelie from contacting me?


    As he thought about it, he felt chills run down his spine.


    As he thought about it, his phone rang, and it was Laura. ¡°Mr. Alston, Elyse had called and said to


    return your phone. Should I keep it for you?¡±


    He only took his private phone when he left, while Laura had his work phone. Then, Elyse ced his


    phone in the security safe at the hotel. When he returned, he didn¡¯t ask Elyse about his phone and only


    went to retrieve his work phone from thepany.


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll find her myself,¡± he replied coldly. Then, he hung up the phone and handed the ice cream


    to Bria. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t take you away from Mommy, Bria.¡± He stared straight into Bria¡¯s eyes as he


    spoke.


    At that moment, Bria¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°You promise?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded sincerely.


    Bria was overjoyed by his promise and hugged him tightly. ¡°You are the best, Daddy!¡± She snuggled


    her face in the crook of his neck. The warmth of her soft cheeks made Leo¡¯s heart soften.


    At that moment, Leo realized that he had been neglecting Bria for too long.


    After he briefly chatted with Bria, he sent her back to school and drove to Elyse¡¯s home.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Elyse, who was wearing a beautiful dress, saw him, she pouted and ran toward him. ¡°Why are


    you back all of a sudden without telling me? You made me worried. I only knew that you had returned


    to Clouson City after giving Laura a call.¡±


    ¡°I still have to go back.¡± Leo wore a dispassionate expression as he spoke. He took the phone that she


    had put on the charger stand.


    ¡°Return? Did you forget something?¡± Elyse was surprised.


    ¡°I have forgotten something important,¡± he replied.


    Elyse merely hummed weakly in response and said, ¡°If you are going alone, please be careful.¡±


    ¡°Not me, but us.¡±


    When Elyse heard his words, she was confused. ¡°Are you telling me you are going on vacation with me


    again, Leony?¡±


    ¡°Your so-called vacation is only trying to keep me from knowing that you and my mom had been trying


    to take Bria¡¯s custody from Ameliel¡± Leo exposed her without hesitation.


    When she was caught red-handed, she immediately froze in ce and couldn¡¯t do anything but stand


    there dumbly. At that moment, she knew that she was doomed.


    Inst as she was terrified she heard his words ¡°Don¡¯t worry though I won¡¯t do anything about this ¡±


    sigh of relief, Leo¡¯s next words dumbfounded her.

 Chapter 163

    Chapter 163


    ¡°However, I have to confirm whether you are Big Eyes.¡±


    At that moment, Elyse felt something snap in her. She was so horrified that she felt that the world was


    spinning! She tried to think hard about when she had exposed herself, but no thoughts came to mind.


    Then, she sneaked a nce at Leo.


    s, Leo was just standing there calmly with an expressionless face. It was as if he was asking her


    about the


    weather!


    What does he know? The calmer Leo was, the more horrified Elyse became!


    ¡°Leony¡­¡± She tried hard to suppress the terror within her and acted baffled while looking at him with


    wide eyes. ¡°Why are you bringing this up again? Didn¡¯t we meet Ms. Albertst time?¡±


    Leo merely stayed silent and stared at her.


    Initially, he had trusted Ms. Albert¡¯s exnation. However, as he recalled her words after the fact, he


    felt that there were many loopholes.


    At this moment, Elyse was so overwhelmed with guilt that she felt her head throbbing. It felt like she


    was being pushed to the edge and was going to fall to her death! As she thought about it, chills ran


    down her spine! She wanted to maintain the peace as it was now.


    Suddenly, Elyse went mad and said, ¡°This is just an excuse, isn¡¯t it? If you don¡¯t want to take


    responsibility for me and your words, you could have just said so! You are the worst, Leony!¡± she


    eximed miserably while tears rolled down her cheeks, making her look pitiful.


    Leo would have gone soft-hearted at this point if it was the past. But this time, he only kept quiet with a


    calm expression and didn¡¯t move an inch. It was clear that he was persistent in finding out her identity.


    Elyse felt terrified in the face of his stubbornness. On the other hand, Leo didn¡¯t pressure her and just


    opened the door as he stood there, waiting for her in silence. It was as if he would keep waiting until


    she was willing to


    go with him.


    Nheless, Elyse couldn¡¯t follow him. She dug her nails into her skin as her eyes were filled with


    sadness and anger. ¡°I¡¯m not going! It¡¯s up to you who you think Big Eyes is! As long as I¡¯m not guilty, I


    won¡¯t care what you do! Leave! Get out of my house!¡± Then, she wiped her tears and ran inside.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    When Leo heard her words, he turned around and left.


    Although Elyse was walking into the house, she was secretly eyeing Leo. When she saw that he was


    leaving without a backward nce, she became terrified and even dropped the act. At that moment,


    she rushed toward him and hugged him from behind. ¡°I admit that I¡¯m not Big Eyes, Leo!¡±


    off him! Leo furrowed his eyebrows deeply as he tried to suppress the violent reaction he had after


    hearing her


    words.


    Although Leo had guessed the truth, his heart still felt like it had been torn to pieces when he heard her


    admitting that she was not Big Eyes!


    He could feel her tears dampening his shirt, but he didn¡¯t feel guilty. Instead, he thought that it was


    disgusting! After a long time, he lowered his head and silently pulled her hands away.


    This time, Elyse was genuinely sobbing. After all, she had felt the strength of Leo¡¯s hands and his icy


    attitude toward her. She knew deep down that it would be over for them as soon as she released him.


    Thus, she shook her head vigorously while the tears kept flowing.


    ¡°I know you are angry, Leony. I also know that it is shameful of me to pretend to he Big Eyes! But this is


    all your fault!TM


    Her words had made Leo pause in his actions. Then, he turned around and looked at her suspiciously.


    Although his gaze was normal, Elyse could tell he was not looking at her!


    At that moment, her tears rolled down, and she said, ¡°You never mentioned Big Eyes to me. When we


    first met, you treated me nicely, and I have always thought my personality attracted you. Everything


    changed when we went to Quinn Town. It was at that moment I realized that I was just a recement!¡±


    As she spoke, she was indeed hurt by what had happened. ¡°Do you know how terrible the truth was to


    me? It was as if my dignity had been smeared into the mud! At that moment, I couldn¡¯t face the truth


    and even wanted to expose everything! However, you said that we could start over. I know I hurt you


    four years ago and have been trying to make it up to you by loving you. That is why I epted this


    identity.¡±


    She pressed her head against Leo¡¯s back tighter. ¡°You should have known that I was always an


    unreasonable and free-spirited woman who had never cared about others¡¯ feelings. Regardless, I threw


    my dignity away for you! Do you know how stressful it is for me? If you were to tell me sooner that you


    had mistaken me for someone else, I would have left right there and then. None of these would have


    happened, and I will never have had high hopes for you! But you didn¡¯t say anything and exposed the


    truth when I fell in love with you! So, tell me, what should I do?¡± Elyse¡¯s words were mixed with truth


    and lies. While she was ming herself, she was also ming Leo.


    At this moment, Leo had softened the grip on her hands.


    He had never talked about it because he wanted to keep his promise and let both of them forget the


    pain. s, he never thought that he would find the wrong person. It is the same voice, though


    Although Elyse had med him, it was the truth. Her words were like needles piercing into his heart.


    After some time, he said softly. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. I¡¯m sorry that I have made you go through this.¡±


    Yet, Leo still pulled her hands away from him. ¡°If one hundred million isn¡¯t enough, I can give you more.


    From now onwards, let¡¯s stop seeing each other.¡± His voice was cold, and he had no emotions on his


    face. As soon as he was done talking, he left.


    As Elyse watched him leave, her knees weakened, and she fell to the ground.


    At this moment, a figure suddenly rushed inside and helped her up. ¡°Why are you sitting on the ground,


    Elyse?¡±


    When Elyse looked at the person, she saw it was Ashton wearing a ck suit.


    Ashton had bought an apartment just above her. At this moment, he was just walking past and visiting


    her. Never would he expect to see her sitting on the ground.


    ¡°I just saw Leo leave. What did he do to you? I¡¯ll find him for you!¡± As Ashton spoke, he intended to


    leave.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go! It¡¯s useless.¡± Elyse¡¯s voice was cold as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s over between us. He won¡¯t want to


    see me.¡±


    ¡°Over?¡± Ashton was in disbelief. ¡°Why? How can he dump you?¡±


    At that moment, Elyse gave him a brief talk about the truth,


    When Ashton heard that Elyse had pretended to be Big Eyes, he felt like he had listened to a joke. If


    Elyse weren¡¯t the one who told him about this, he would think that the person was making this up and


    would get into a fight with them.


    ¡°Elyse, how could you¡­¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was filled with disbelief.


    In his heart, Elyse was always the definition of perfection. At that moment, Ashton could hear the trust


    he had for her copsing.


    On the other hand, Elyse looked at him while tears streamed down her face, making her look pitiful.


    ¡°Now you know how a person I am. You¡¯re definitely disgusted by me. Just go away. I have enough of


    those looks.¡±


    When Ashton heard her words and saw her tears, he couldn¡¯t force himself to walk away. Although he


    was dumbfounded by her lies, he was even more heartbroken by the miserable state she was in.


    Moreover, he felt that Elyse had trusted him enough to tell him such a truth.


    So, Ashton thought that she had ced a lot of trust in him and proimed, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Elyse. I


    am not like Leo. I will never abandon you!¡±


    Elyse was still crying after hearing his words, but she was inwardly happy. After all, this was what she


    wanted. She could go along with her n now that she had Ashton¡¯s support.

 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164


    Ashton had no idea what was in Elyse¡¯s mind at that moment as he hugged her tenderly in his arms.


    After leaning onto him softly, she started sobbing while hugging him. At the same time, he gently patted


    her back tofort her.


    With something on her mind, she didn¡¯t dare to cry for too long. So, she stopped crying after about 10


    minutes.


    ¡°Have some water.¡± Although he had never served anyone before, he still clumsily poured some water


    for her.


    Without stopping her snivel, she lowered her head and took the ss. From time to time, she would rub


    her eyes, making them red and swollen.


    When he saw her red and swollen eyes, he felt sorry for her. ¡°Why did you tell Leo about this? He¡¯ll just


    be suspicious at best. So, as long as you firmly deny it, he can¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Elyse had told him


    this herself, so he couldn¡¯t understand how she could make this mistake.


    As she took a deep breath, a contemptuous feeling for Ashton arose. He¡¯s really stupid, indeed! How


    can he not understand such simple logic? Yet, she still spoke politely. ¡°Although I pretended to be Big


    Eyes because I cared too much about Leo, it¡¯s still hical. I simply couldn¡¯t get over my conscience.


    So, I feel better after telling him. Moreover, even if I didn¡¯t tell him, he could investigate it himself, too.


    Do you want me to wait until he finds out everything and then expose me? I don¡¯t want that!¡±


    When he heard that, Ashton gritted his teeth. Although he wasn¡¯t smart, he understood what she


    meant. Being exposed after Leo found out himself would be 100 times more embarrassing than


    admitting it herself. Yet, he still felt bad, so he kicked the leg of a chair. ¡°It¡¯s all Leo¡¯s fault. He¡¯s the one


    who made you feel wronged and humiliated. He should take responsibility! How dare he even mention


    breaking up?! He should be marrying


    you!¡±


    At this moment, Elyse secretly scoffed in her mind. This man only knows what etiquette, integrity,


    justice, and fairness mean when talking about others. He has also done so many things and yed so


    many women. He¡¯s


    far worse than Leo.


    Not only was he incapable, but he was also frivolous and liked to stand on moral high ground to


    criticize others, thinking that he was always right. This was also the main reason why she wasn¡¯t willing


    to bother him when he clearly cared more about her than Leo.


    Suddenly, she feigned a sigh and said, ¡°Clearly, I¡¯m not worthy of him, so I don¡¯t me him for not


    marrying me. What I¡¯m worried about now is that, with his personality, he¡¯ll definitely try to find out who


    Big Eyes is. Given our rtionship, we¡¯ll have to meet every day. If he brings Big Eyes back, isn¡¯t that


    going to humiliate me to death?¡± As she spoke, tears rolled down her face again.


    Ashton became even angrier upon hearing these words. ¡°Damn it! He¡¯s the one who got the wrong


    person, but be made you suffer humiliation? What is this?l¡±


    person is already married and has a family, but if not, who can resist his charm?¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t think that Leo had such great charm. He was always serious and boring, going about his


    days in a routine and talking about business. Just looking at him was tiring.


    However, which woman in this world could reject money? That Big Eyes woman is probably going to


    divorce her husband once Leo finds her, even if she¡¯s already married.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do!¡± He mmed his fist on the table. ¡°There¡¯s only one solution to this-we need to make


    sure they don¡¯t meet!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s toote. I see how urgently Leo left. He¡¯s probably going to find that woman throughout


    the night.¡± Elyse frowned and looked outside worriedly.


    After Ashton kept his fist to himself, he straightened his clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a way to stop him now!


    Wait for my good news!¡± He then left in a hurry.


    With squinted eyes, she looked in the direction where he had gone. Only after he disappeared in the


    elevator did she quickly close the door.


    Then, she picked up her phone off the table and dialed a number. ¡°Give Ashton some guidance. Let


    him know what he should do and try to buy time.¡± This fool will only make things worse if not guided.


    The moment she hung up the phone, a sharp and vicious gleam appeared in her calm eyes.


    It was not that the Big Eyes matter couldn¡¯t be hidden from Leo, but the reason she admitted to it was


    that she wanted to leave a goodst impression on him so that they wouldn¡¯t be awkward when they


    met in the future. However, there was also another more important reason. It was to prevent him from


    actually bringing her to verify the truth. If he were to do so, he might find out who the real Big Eyes was


    from Ms. Albert.


    Amelie ruined my life. Who does she think she is to win Leo¡¯s heart?


    With this dy, she could do a lot of things.


    On the other hand, Leo did n to go to Quinn Town overnight, but he didn¡¯t take action right away.


    Instead, he sat in the car, smoking,


    He had made a mistake for ten years, so he couldn¡¯t face himself, let alone faced Big Eyes.


    Did she look for me as promised back then? Was she disappointed because I ignored her? Did she


    leave me because of Elyse? Does she still hate me now? Whenever these questions arose, he felt a


    sharp pain in his


    chest.


    Several years in the business world had made him think he had built up a heart of stone, but at this


    moment,


    As he held his chest, he tried to smoke. The smoke entering his lungs intensified the pain, but he didn¡¯t


    stop as he took this as a punishment for his carelessness back then.


    It wasn¡¯t until he had thrown numerous cigarette butts onto the ground that he rubbed his brow and


    contacted a driver toe and drive him. Although his eye had recovered, he had reced his cornea


    after all, so it couldn¡¯t bepared to apletely normal eye. The dim light at night wasn¡¯t enough


    for him to drive.


    Within minutes, the driver arrived, and he started the car right away. After 10 minutes had passed, they


    were already on the highway.


    The whole time, Leo looked out the window and remained silent, making the atmosphere in the car dull.


    When the driver sensed that Leo wasn¡¯t in a good mood, he didn¡¯t even dare breathe too fast as he


    tried to minimize


    his presence.


    Suddenly, a phone rang, loud and clear, breaking the silence in the car.


    Shocked, the driver nced at Leo before frantically searching for his phone. In the end, he realized it


    was not his phone ringing but Leo¡¯s.


    Seeing that Leo still hadn¡¯t answered his phone after a long time, the driver cautiously reminded him,


    ¡°Mr. Alston, someone¡¯s calling you.¡±


    Only then did Leoe back to his senses and pick up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Alston, you asked me topensate Elyse earlier. How much money do you think will be


    appropriate?¡± Laura¡¯s voice came from the other side of the phone.


    When Leo asked her to find him a driver, he casually mentioned thepensation when he gave her


    the order. However, she couldn¡¯t decide on the amount, so she had to ask.


    With his brows furrowed, he said, ¡°Ask her how much she wants.¡±


    ¡°Elyse says that she doesn¡¯t want anypensation,¡± she responded in a low voice.


    In fact, Laura was quite surprised that Elyse and Leo would end up being like that.


    In her eyes, Leo had always been very indulgent toward Elyse. Even when she was caught cheating by


    the media, he never went against her. After that, when she went abroad, he even visited her several


    times. Now that he suddenly wanted to break up, she couldn¡¯t figure out what had gone wrong.


    However, she knew very well where she stood now, so she wouldn¡¯t ask too many questions.


    While rubbing his forehead, Leo said, ¡°Give her 50 million, then.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Even though Laura had seen so much in her life, she still gasped in surprise


    as


    she rarely saw such arge sum of money. By right, Leo and Elyse were just dating, so it would already


    be very generous of him to give her more than a million inpensation.


    While they were still talking, his phone rang with a new iing call notification. He couldn¡¯t help but


    take the phone down from his ear to take a look.


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    The moment he saw that the shing number on the screen was Amelie¡¯s, he instinctively ended the


    call with Laura and answered Amelie¡¯s call.


    As soon as the call was connected, Amelie¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Seriously, Leo. What do you want?¡±

 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165


    Confused by Amelie¡¯s words, Leo was stunned. ¡°What do you mean what do I want?¡±


    ¡°Bria is sick!¡± she eximed from the other side of the phone. ¡°Did you do something? I just contacted


    the teacher, and I was told you were the only one who visited her during the day!¡±


    When he heard that Bria was sick, his expression changed at once. ¡°Turn around!¡± he yelled,


    instructing the


    driver.


    Since they were on a highway, the driver couldn¡¯t turn around, so he had to drive all the way to the


    nearest


    exit.


    Although Leo was anxious, he couldn¡¯t say much. In the end, he told Amelie, ¡°I¡¯ming back now.


    We¡¯ll talk


    After the driver turned around, he headed straight to the hospital.


    While sitting in the car, Leo could see Amelie standing at the hospital entrance, even from a distance.


    She had. a slender and delicate body. Since the lighting wasn¡¯t bright enough, she seemed to have


    blended into the darkness. However, for some reason, he could recognize her at a nce. Her hands


    were sped tightly together, and he could feel her tension even through the car window.


    Then, he ordered the driver to sh the high beams to alert her.


    Her eyes, which were staring into space, finally focused, and her gazended on his car under the


    guidance of the headlights. She strode toward him after seeing him in the car.


    ¡°How¡¯s Bria?¡± He quickly got out of the car as well to meet her.


    Originally, her face was filled with anxiety, but when she saw him, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Leo Alston! Can¡¯t we just fight in court openly and fairly? Why do you have to resort to these dirty


    tricks? What good does it do if you gain Bria¡¯s custody by defaming me? She¡¯ll hate you forever when


    she finds out the truth!¡± Her words came out in one breath. She had said it in a fierce tone with a


    serious expression.


    With a frown, he spoke in a low voice, ¡°Can you first tell me what happened to Bria?¡± She came at him


    with usations right off the bat, confusing him, but at that moment, he was genuinely worried about


    Bria.


    When she heard his question about Bria, Amelie realized she had been too agitated. So, she controlled


    her temper before exining. ¡°Bria suddenly felt difort in her stomach, and the doctor said it was


    caused by mild food poisoning. She had lunch at school today, but if the school¡¯s food was the issue,


    she shouldn¡¯t be the only one with this condition. I asked the teacher, and she said you went to see her


    during the day and stayed with her for a long time. What did you do to her?¡±


    Amelie had been busy all day today, and with thewsuit, she reached home veryte. Only when she


    reached home did she find out that Bria had waited for her without having anything for dinner. So, she


    went upstairs to


    Immediately, she and Steven rushed Bria to the hospital, and they found out she had food poisoning


    after the


    doctor¡¯s examination.


    How could she not have any suspicions? When she started suspecting, her suspicions naturally fell on


    Leo.


    He understood what she meant and couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyebrows in frustration, but the main thing


    he was concerned about at this moment was still Bria¡¯s condition. ¡°How is she now? Did the doctor say


    that she¡¯s in


    danger?¡±


    ¡°The doctor gave her an IV drip. She¡¯s feeling better now,¡± Amelie replied in an awkward tone.


    Relieved to hear that Bria felt better, Leo lowered his head to look at her and answered her previous


    question seriously, ¡°I did visit her today, but I only bought her an ice cream. There¡¯s surveince at the


    ice cream shop. You could check to see if I added anything to it.¡±


    When she heard that there was surveince, she immediately made a call to have someone check it.


    Seeing her make the call, Leo knitted his brows tightly. When did I be such a viin in her eyes?


    Annoyance arose at this thought. Then, he reminded her, ¡°Bria is also my daughter. I have no reason to


    harm


    her. Besides, she had the ice cream in the afternoon, which was five hours ago.¡±


    Although Amelie knew about that, she still didn¡¯t believe him. The Alstons want to gain Bria¡¯s custody


    so badly that they even used that eels¡¯ incident against me. What is there that they can¡¯t do? Besides, if


    he really wants to harm her, it¡¯s not impossible to get medication that needs five hours to take effect.


    ¡°Trading a small poisoning incident for the judge¡¯s doubt about my ability to protect my child, coupled


    with the usation of mental instability, gives you guys an upper hand in the fight for Bria¡¯s custody.


    This isn¡¯t a bad deal for you and your family!¡± Her eyes were cold the whole time, and her voice was


    stiff. Meanwhile, the words she said were filled with sarcasm.


    ¡°I am Bria¡¯s father. I could never do such a thing. Even if it¡¯s just mild poisoning, it isn¡¯t something a


    father should do.¡± When Leo felt that he had such a bad image in her mind, his chest felt stuffy and


    ufortable.


    At the same time, Amelie just looked at him while still doubting him.


    ¡°Also, I don¡¯t n topete with you for Bria¡¯s custody. I have already had my mother withdraw the


    lawsuit.¡±


    However, she had not received any notification of thewsuit being withdrawn, and with what happened


    to Bria, she couldn¡¯t believe him at all. His words only provoked more obvious sarcasm from her. ¡°I


    actually miss the old you, Leo. You used to show your likes and dislikes on your face clearly and never


    yed dirty tricks.¡± This implied that he had be hypocritical now. After that, she ignored him and


    turned around to walk


    away.


    Just as Leo took a step forward and was about to chase after her, a voice came from the side. ¡°Leo?


    What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡± He raised his eyebrows, and his voice filled with a hint of surprise.


    At this moment, Melissa walked over with a yellow and white bag in her hand, stopping in front of him.


    ¡°Are you also here for Amelie? This woman doesn¡¯t even care about Bria at all. She didn¡¯t even know


    that her child was poisoned! This is a serious matter, Leo. We can¡¯t just let it go. No matter what, we


    have to keep Bria by our


    side!¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t withdraw thewsuit?¡± His voice turned cold at once.


    She was momentarily stunned and looked embarrassed by his exposure, but she quickly spoke up


    again, ¡°With such a big incident happening to Bria, how could I withdraw thewsuit? She¡¯s your


    biological daughter, Leo! You can¡¯t just put her aside and only care for Amelie¡¯s feelings!¡± She adopted


    a superior manner as though she was educating him.


    As he rubbed his forehead, he suddenly understood why Amelie would doubt him and even think he


    was hypocritical. Did Mome to criticize her already? ¡°Mom, are you in it for what happened to


    Bria?¡± he asked.


    When she heard that, her youthful face froze instantly before she showed a hutt expression. ¡°Is that


    really what you think of me, Leo? I¡¯m Bria¡¯s grandmother. There¡¯s no way I could have done something


    like that.¡±


    In fact, he knew what kind of person Melissa was. Although she was selfish, she had a big ego, so she


    wouldn¡¯t stoop to such things.


    my decision At this thought, his expression softened a little, but he made it clear again. ¡°I¡¯ve already


    made about Bria¡¯s custody. I hope you won¡¯t meddle in this matter anymore to avoid causing yourself


    any further embarrassment in the future.¡±


    Melissa trembled with rage when she saw her son still refusing to take custody of Bria, even at this


    point. However, realizing that he was determined and knowing that he wouldn¡¯t change his decision,


    she could only give up for the time being. So, she suddenly changed the topic. ¡°I can let this matter go,


    but what about the other matter? How do you exin it?¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166


    Leo¡¯s eyebrows were slightly furrowed. Without asking anything, he just looked at Melissa.


    Melissa knew her son had a cool personality, so she didn¡¯t expect him to start talking about it himself.


    In that case, she would bring it up herself. ¡°I just found out that you suddenly transferred 50 million to a


    private ount. Who did you give the 50 million to, and why?¡±


    ¡°These 50 million are my personal savings,¡± he answered without borating. With this one sentence,


    he had made it clear to her that this was his private matter.


    Of course, she could hear what he actually meant. Instantly, rage overtook her, making her press her


    nails into her palms, and she struggled to maintain her expression. If it weren¡¯t for her being aware of


    his current influence, she would have blown up long ago.


    After taking several deep breaths, she spoke again, ¡°I know it¡¯s your own money, Leo. But even if it¡¯s


    your own money, you can¡¯t spend it recklessly. Besides, you are still a member of the Alston Family,


    and there is still an elder like me in the family who has the right to ask you about it, right?¡±


    However, he remained silent, his gaze indifferent. This silence was an indication that she had no


    right to ask.


    Just when Melissa became even more frustrated, she heard his voice. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I gave the


    money to. It is to make up for a mistake I made before. If you want money, you can go find Laura. She


    will give you the money. I have to go now. If you don¡¯t have any other questions, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Leo


    then nodded at her and turned around to leave.


    She was almost driven to madness, but she knew she couldn¡¯t get anything from him at this point, so


    she could only get into her car with a darkened face.


    Only after that did Leo stride into the hospital. He was still worried about Bria, so he needed to see her


    in person.


    On the other hand, after getting into the car, Melissa seethed with anger for a while. Her hideous


    expression was reflected in the rearview mirror. At the same time, she pounded on the seat again and


    again, feeling extremely frustrated.


    After being frustrated for a while, she called Laura and asked about the whereabouts of the


    money


    Laura was just an assistant, after all, so when Melissa threatened her with her job, she didn¡¯t dare hide


    anymore and spilled everything.


    When Melissa heard Laura¡¯s answer, she scolded Laura over the phone, ming her for not being able


    to manage Leo and letting him spend money recklessly on anyone.


    Although Laura felt that she was wronged, she didn¡¯t dare rebuke her.


    After hanging up, the furious Melissa called Elyse and told her in a sharp and cold tone, ¡°Miss yton,


    you¡¯re so valuable. You managed to get 50 million from Leo without even blinking an eye. It¡¯s not that


    easy to get that kind of money, though. You should do something in return.¡±


    On the other end, Elyse was always a proud person. She wanted to argue with Melissa right away, but


    Laura, who was standing beside her, tugged at her arm while shaking her head. She understood what


    Laura meant. Without Leo, Melissa could do anything to her with just an order. At this thought, she had


    to suppress her anger and swallow her pride. ¡°What do you want me to do. Mrs. Alston?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Leo refuses to continue thewsuit with Amelie now. You just need to convince him to


    agree to this, and the 50 million will be yours.¡± In Melissa¡¯s eyes, even if this mission was


    aplished, it was not worth that 50 million. Yet, since she couldn¡¯t get the money back, a bad


    bargain was better than doing nothing.


    Suddenly, Elyse guffawed into the phone. After a while, she said. ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t convince Leo,


    but I can help you.¡± She purposely walked to a secluded ce, away from Laura, before speaking


    again, ¡°Mrs. Alston, I can make Amelie hate your son. Once she can¡¯t trust him, she will want to


    continue with thewsuit, even if you drop it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± If Amelie requests to continue with thewsuit herself, I don¡¯t have to argue with Leo and


    can also fight for Bria¡¯s custody. This is not a bad solution. With this in mind, she nodded and said,


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for your good news.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have it soon.¡± Elyse¡¯s words held a hidden meaning. After saying that, she hung up the phone.


    Then, she walked out and saw Laura looking at her with worry.


    ¡°Elyse, since Mr. Alston gave you the money, you should focus on living your own life and not get


    involved in his family affairs anymore,¡± Laura advised her as a good friend. Although she didn¡¯t know


    what Elyse and Melissa had talked about, she was smart enough to guess the context.


    Without any expression, Elyse stared nkly ahead as a cold smirk disyed on her lips. She just


    couldn¡¯t give up. Why must I be the only one suffering in this matter? If I¡¯m suffering, someone should


    suffer with me, too! Only when Amelie and Leo keep arguing,


    misunderstanding, tearing each other apart, and ruining their rtionship can my trampled heart feel


    slightly better!


    When she lowered her head, she saw a message from an unknown number. ¡°The child is hospitalized


    because of mild poisoning. The next step will be taken soon!¡±


    The moment she read the message, her crimson lips curled into a triumphant smile. Without a word,


    she deleted the message calmly.


    arrived at the floor where she was hospitalized. Just as he was about to ask a nurse for her specific


    room number, a figure suddenly rushed in his direction and bumped directly into hist chest. He was


    caught off guard, so he couldn¡¯t avoid the collision.


    Instinctively, he reached out his arms to push the person away, but when he lowered his head, he saw


    a familiar and anxious face.


    ¡°Amelie?¡± he eximed in surprise, his expression changing with the sudden shock. ¡°Did something


    happen to Bria?¡± As he asked this question, his voice was so stiff that it sounded as though his throat


    was being choked.


    With a lost expression, she looked up, her eyes shimmering with tears. She then took a step back and


    awkwardly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± After speaking, she tried to run away again.


    Realizing that she hadn¡¯t recognized him, he quickly grabbed her and lowered his head to remind her,


    ¡°I¡¯m Leo. Tell me, what happened?¡±


    ¡°L-Leo?¡± Her scattered gaze finally focused, and she slowly recognized the man in front of her, but


    before she could speak, she felt a tug on her body and a great forceing in her direction.


    The force didn¡¯t hit her butnded on Leo instead, causing both of them to stagger back.


    ¡°All of you Alstons are inhumane!¡± Following that was a thunderous roar.


    Hearing that, Leo and Amelie both focused on the source of the voice and saw a furious elderly man


    with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Dad,¡± she muttered. In her eyes, the usually kind and easygoing Steven was nowhere to be found at


    this moment. With rage and despair, he clenched his fist, and he looked like a ravenous beast! He


    red at Leo as though he wanted to hunt him down.


    Although Leo had met Steven briefly when he was going to marry Amelie, he remembered the man as


    silent and unassuming. It waspletely different from the person he saw in front of him now.


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    Just then, Amelie tried to restrain Steven, but he pushed her away and marched toward Leo again.


    ¡°Where have you taken my granddaughter, Alston?! Hand her over now!¡±


    Leo realized something was amiss from what Steven had said and was stunned for a second. Then, be


    turned around to look at Amelie. ¡°What happened to Bria?¡±


    ¡°You and your family nned everything! Don¡¯t y dumb in front of me!¡± Steven was smoldering with


    resentment at this moment. With all his hatred toward Leo in mind, he grabbed Leo¡¯s cor and


    bellowed, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten past the fact that my daughter was bullied by your family, but how dare


    you take my granddaughter away behind our backs?! This is outrageous!¡± After saying that, hended


    a punch on Leo¡¯s face right away.


    Leo¡¯s cheek, making his face tilt to the side and blood trickling down the corner of his mouth.


    Just when Steven wanted to give Leo another punch, Amelie quickly wrapped her arms around Steven.


    ¡°Dad, calm down! Dad!¡± Her voice was trembling out of anxiety.


    Hearing that, Steven tried his best to hold off his second punch. Then, he returned her hug,forting


    her in silence.


    Although Leo was punched mercilessly, and his cheek became swollen, it didn¡¯t cause too much harm


    to his appearance since he was born with outstanding features. He just looked a little like a mess at


    that moment.


    ¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t bother to care about his face as he looked at Amelie again. ¡°Tell me. Where is


    Bria?¡±


    ¡°Where is Bria? Don¡¯t you know it yourself?¡± she answered with a bloodcurdling voice while a piercing


    chill emitted from her eyes. Then, she looked at him with a gaze she had never had before. ¡°How


    despicable are you going to be?¡±

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything to Bria. Did you guys misunderstand something?¡± Leo knew that Amelie and


    Steven wouldn¡¯t tell him anything unless he first cleared his name.


    ¡°You dare to say that you haven¡¯t done anything to Bria?!¡± Steven¡¯s voice sounded again before Amelie


    could respond. It was really terrifying when a person who never got angry became furious. When he


    exploded, every word sounded like thunder. ¡°Bria suddenly got food poisoning. and right after that, your


    mother came to the office and questioned us, demanding custody of the child. We scared her away,


    and she left with dissatisfaction, so she finds people to take Bria away!¡±


    The more he talked about it, the more poignant he felt. How can these people bully my daughter like


    that in front of my eyes? How did she survive those four years without me?


    Seeing how furious he was, Amelie was heartbroken and med herself for it. Steven was already at a


    very old age. As his daughter, she should be letting him enjoy the rest of his life, but now, she still made


    him worry about her.


    After she took a deep breath, she lowered her head in front of Leo. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you guys


    want to hide Bria or n to use this incident to gain her custody, but please be magnanimous and let


    her go. She is still a child. She¡¯ll be scared¡­¡± Toward the end of her sentence, her voice trembled very


    badly.


    Meanwhile, Leo lowered his head to look at her. Not only is there no more affection in her eyes, but


    endless doubt has also reced it. She won¡¯t believe me anymore. At this thought, he felt an extreme


    sourness in his chest as though he had been poured a bucket of lemon juice. Why does her attitude


    cause such a big reaction in me? Yet, almost immediately, he remembered something more important.


    ¡°I¡¯m reaffirming this-Bria is my daughter. I would never do anything to harm her. I didn¡¯t poison her or


    take her away. What we should be doing now is finding out where she is and saving her as soon as


    possible.¡± After saying that, he quickly made a call to ask someone to investigate this.


    Only when Amelie heard everything he had said did she drop her suspicion on him momentarily. Then,


    she called Julia and Samuel to inform them about what had happened there.


    After the call, she held Steven to check the surveince. Since they thought that Leo was the one who


    took Bria away, they had yet to go to the surveince room.


    Meanwhile, Leo followed both of them to the surveince room as well.


    He had the urge to walk over to give her some support and hug her when he saw her holding her father


    and staring at the surveince monitor from a distance. Although she tried hard to suppress her


    emotion, she still couldn¡¯t hide her trembling body.


    In the surveince, there was only footage of a doctor pushing Bria into the inspection room, but the


    situation in the inspection room couldn¡¯t be seen at all. Yet, that was exactly where Bria had


    disappeared.


    The doctor was also in shock over such a serious incident, so he took the initiative to call the


    police.


    By the time the three of them had finished watching the surveince footage, the police had already


    arrived.


    Since they didn¡¯t see how Bria left the hospital, both Amelie and Steven nearly copsed. It was


    especially so for Steven. He was old, so he couldn¡¯t afford to handle a shock like this. Even his body


    was wobbling.


    While suppressing the huge anxiety in her, Amelie held him with all her strength.


    When Leo saw Amelie and Steven depending on each other as they came out of the room, he couldn¡¯t


    endure it anymore. He went forward and held her. For once, she epted his support and didn¡¯t reject


    him.


    The moment Steven saw the police, he ran over to hold the chief¡¯s hand. With tears flowing down his


    cheeks, he begged, ¡°Please, officer. You must help us find our child. Please.¡±


    At the same time, the president of the hospital came down with a pale face as well since it was a very


    serious matter for a patient to suddenly disappear from the hospital. Furthermore, when he saw Leo,


    his expression turned even more terrified. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Alston. We didn¡¯t know something like this


    would happen either.¡±


    Leo¡¯s face was pitch-ck at this point. ¡°What¡¯s the use of your apology when my daughter suddenly


    disappeared from your hospital?¡±


    Terrified, the president of the hospital didn¡¯t know how to reply, so he quickly lowered his head. Large


    droplets of sweat started to appear on his forehead, but since Leo was emitting such an oppressive


    aura, he didn¡¯t dare wipe it off. He just let the sweat roll down his face, leavingplicated traces on it.


    Meanwhile, the police were divided into two teams. One team was responsible for questioning the


    doctor, while the other stayed here to understand the situation from Amelie.


    So, Am¨¦lie briefly told the police about what happened.


    ¡°Did you make any enemies recently, Miss Dillon?¡± the sharp-eyed police asked.


    When she heard the question, she froze for a moment and looked at Leo


    Leo had just ended a call, and when he heard the question, he awkwardly faked a cough. ¡°My


    ¡°You¡¯re certain? On what grounds?!¡± Steven bellowed as he walked over to Leo slowly after hearing his


    words.


    Immediately, Amelie tried to restrain him. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s them, Dad.¡± Melissa has got a big ego, so of


    course, she won¡¯t stoop to kidnapping. As for Jodie, she has failed so many times that I don¡¯t think she


    dares to do this anymore. Who else can it be other than them?


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    She tried so hard to think but being worried about Bria only made her mind expand, leaving her mind


    completely nk. She just couldn¡¯t figure anything out. In an attempt to calm herself down, she took


    deep breaths again and again, but this method, which usually worked for her, became useless when


    she was dealing with Bria¡¯s disappearance.


    Bria is still so young, and she¡¯s sick. She can¡¯t even escape danger. What are the people who took her


    away doing to her now? Will they hurt her?


    Suddenly, images of children being hurt that she had seen on the news popped into her mind. She felt


    suffocated as those bloody images surfaced in her mind as if there was a tight cloth covering her nose


    and mouth. She was so afraid that her mind went nk, and she became short of breath. At the same


    time, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Afraid that she would cause further distress to Steven, she


    secretly pressed on her chest and didn¡¯t dare show the pain she was feeling on her face.


    However, Leo noticed the change in her expression, and he looked at her hand, which was pressing on


    her chest. ¡°I¡¯ll find her. You should go rest with your father.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She tried her best to put herself together. This pain is nothingpared to the pain of losing


    Bria. After a deep breath, she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    When the police saw that the situation was soplicated, he didn¡¯t ask anything more and said,


    ¡°Think about it carefully. It¡¯s not a big problem if it¡¯s just a case of both parties fighting for the child. At


    least the child is not in danger. It will be slightly trickier if this is a kidnapping, but we¡¯re most worried if


    this is your enemies seeking revenge.¡±


    Amelie knew very well that she didn¡¯t make any enemies other than the Alstons.


    Meanwhile, Leo thought about it carefully as well and couldn¡¯t think of anyone suspicious, so he shook


    his head.


    Only Steven touched his head and sat on a chair without saying a word.


    Seeing that, Amelie felt her heart sink. She approached him and asked, ¡°Did you think of something,


    Dad?¡±


    As he looked at her, he said, ¡°There¡¯s something, but I don¡¯t think it has any connection with Bria being


    sick and missing. So, I don¡¯t know whether I should say it.¡±


    Just when he parted his lips and was about to say something, footsteps could be heard from their


    opposite.

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168


    ¡°Are there any updates?¡± Amelie asked anxiously after getting into the car.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Samuel frowned.


    The car was moving forward, but Amelie didn¡¯t know where it was heading. With a heavy heart, she


    fastened her seatbelt quietly and didn¡¯t ask where they were headed.


    When Samuel turned around, he noticed that her lips were pursed and she seemed to look very


    worried. ¡°They managed to track Bria, so she should still be in the city. We will be able to find her easily


    as long as she hasn¡¯t left,¡± heforted her.


    Hearing that, Amelie nodded quietly. She knew that he was trying to make her feel better. However, she


    felt helpless from not knowing the person¡¯s motive, and she didn¡¯t know whether they would hurt Bria or


    not. Praying to God seemed to be the only thing to do right now as there was nothing else she could


    do. The helplessness that she currently experienced wasn¡¯t evenparable to the desperate


    moments she had experienced in the Alston Family.


    After a while, she managed to pull herself together and asked, ¡°Where exactly did they find traces of


    her?¡±


    Before Samuel could answer her, the car came to a halt. ¡°Here,¡± he answered while pointing his


    finger.


    ¡°Here?¡± Amelie looked toward the direction where he pointed. She thought it would be a slum and was


    surprised to see luxury buildings right in front of her.


    ¡°Urban Garden?¡± The name seemed rathermon, but it was a ce where the richest gathered.


    Moreover, it was situated in the city center. Clouson City was a first-tier city and highly popted, but


    thend was scarce to a point where prices became sky-high.


    Meanwhile, Urban Garden was situated right in the middle of the city, and it consisted of stunning multi-


    story mansions. Each mansion was separated by roads andrge patches of gardens. It was as


    luxurious as it could get.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the ce?¡± she asked doubtfully. Although they weren¡¯t sure why Bria had been


    taken away, anyone in their right mind wouldn¡¯t have chosen to hide somewhere like that. Amelie


    couldn¡¯t help but look over at Samuel. He frowned, seemingly having the same thoughts as her..


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and take a look,¡± he finally said after meeting her gaze. With that, both of them


    followed behind Samuel¡¯s men and were brought to the main entrance of the Urban Garden.


    Just then, someone came out hurriedly and brought them some good news, ¡°We have


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Amelie repeated after him when she heard the good news, and her eyes welled up


    in tears.


    ¡°Quick, lead us there!¡± Amelie suddenly felt more energetic and rushed over delightedly. She wished


    that she could see Bria the next second.


    On the other hand, Samuel and his man seemed cautious. ¡°Be careful and make sure that you don¡¯t


    rm the person inside to ensure Bria¡¯s safety.¡± Both of them reminded her simultaneously as they


    followed behind her.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Soon, the three of them stood below Unit 22. A few men dressed in ck suits stood there with


    solemn expressions as well. All of them bowed at Samuel respectfully upon seeing him. The leader of


    the pack pointed upward, held up five fingers, and pointed to the left. Amelie was able to understand


    their signnguage.


    Although she was anxious, she knew that Bria¡¯s safety was the top priority. With that in mind, she


    walked to the back of the group and stayed there. Samuel followed along as they entered the lift. It only


    took the lift a few seconds to arrive at the unit, but to Amelie, it felt like a century had passed. Her heart


    was pounding as fear and anticipation surged within her. She tried to keep herself together by biting her


    lips.


    Finally, they got to the front of the unit where Bria was confined. She dared not make a noise and was


    so nervous that it almost felt like her heart had stopped pumping when she stood in front of the door.


    One of Samuel¡¯s men looked through the peephole several times and turned back, looking at Samuel


    as he waited for the man¡¯s instructions.


    Seeing that, Samuel pursed his lips and nodded. The next moment, the man kicked the door


    open.


    ¡°Do not move! Get down!¡± Samuel¡¯s men yelled after getting in. Amelie started getting nervous as


    she entered the room.


    There were only two people in the room; one of them was sitting on a chair while the other sat on the


    floor. A middle-aged woman was startled by themotion, and she started screaming while covering


    her head. Meanwhile, a child was sitting on a chair.


    Fear shed across the child¡¯s eyes for a brief moment as she looked on sluggishly. The next moment,


    her eyes lit up.


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    ¡°Brial¡± Amelie instantly recognized the child and rushed over without hesitation to hug her.


    ¡°Who are you, and how dare you break into private property?¡± The middle-aged woman finally calmed


    herself down and yelled at Amelie cautiously. The woman even stretched both her hands out, trying to


    snatch Bria back. However, she didn¡¯t dare do so when she noticed that she was being surrounded by


    so many men.


    The woman was startled by his actions and started trembling with fear. She shook her head profusely


    and said, ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone else. It¡¯s just me and the child. What are you trying to do?¡±


    Samuel merely stared at her quietly. The woman was terrified when she saw how hostile Samuel


    looked, not to mention the men in ck suits surrounding her while holding weapons in their


    hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job. The one you should look for is my employer.¡± Tears started rolling down her


    cheeks.


    ¡°Who is your employer? Samuel asked.


    Although Amelie wanted to find out who brought Bria there, she was more afraid that something else


    mighte up. Thus, she carried Bria in her arms and said, ¡°Bria, let¡¯s go home now!¡±


    With that, she turned around and left. When she got to the door, she suddenly heard footstepsing


    from the corridor. The footsteps were quick and heavy. Amelie sensed that something was wrong and


    immediately tightened her embrace around Bria while her expression turned pale.


    The


    group of people entered quickly, and within seconds, everyone in the room was surrounded. Amelie


    looked up, and her eyes met with another man¡¯s murderous gaze. The man standing in front of her was


    tall and had an elegant yet sublime disposition. She could tell that he was a man of few words.


    ¡°L-Leo?¡± Amelie whispered, feeling d. Luckily, they weren¡¯t the people who abducted Bria.


    But before Amelie let her guard down, the woman suddenly called out, ¡°Sir! These people broke into


    the house, and I¡¯m not sure why!¡± The woman sitting on the floor rushed over as if her savior had


    appeared.


    ¡°S-Sir?¡± Amelie was startled to hear the woman¡¯s words, whereas Samuel cast a puzzled gaze upon


    hearing that.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, he is my employer. Sir, you should call the police since they broke into private property,¡±


    the woman eximed.


    Hearing that, Leo furrowed his brows while his expression turned grave. While ignoring the woman, he


    landed his gaze on Amelie and the child in her arms.


    Soon after, Amelie seemed to have understood the situation and scoffed. ¡°Mr. Alston, what a show you


    have put on. You swore that you didn¡¯t take Bria, yet you did it behind my back. What exactly are you


    trying to do?¡± Amelie¡¯s blood boiled as she questioned him. At the same time, her heart sank.


    When she saw Leo hitting the courier, she thought that he cared for Bria and was worried about


    than she thought!


    He stood opposite her. He wanted to exin, but she refused to listen. As she carried Bria in her arms,


    she sneered while saying, ¡°Mr. Alston, I will not let you off that easily!¡± She left the room right after that.

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169


    ¡°Mr. Dillon, Elie.¡± Julia and Samuel rushed over.


    Unable to catch her breath, Julia quickly grabbed the two. ¡°What happened to Bria? How did she


    suddenly disappear?¡±


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    Before they could even respond, she turned around and noticed Leo. Her eyes widened in surprise,


    and she sounded hostile as she snarled, ¡°What are you doing here, Leo? Is Bria¡¯s disappearance


    connected to you in any way? Elie has already divorced you. What more do you want? Give Bria back


    to her!¡±


    *


    With that, Amelie was on the verge of physically attacking Leo, but Samuel quickly stepped in, grabbing


    her by the waist and pulling her back.


    At this point, Julia was fuming so hard that she kicked her feet in frustration. ¡°Why can¡¯t I teach him a


    lesson? What¡¯s your rtionship with him? This sc¡¯mbag keeps hurting Elie, so I must fight him to


    death. You must be in cahoots with him since you¡¯re stopping me!¡±


    Julia was so angry that she spoke recklessly. Samuel also knew that she was emotional and could only


    try to persuade her by saying. ¡°The most important thing right now is finding Bria. We can talk about


    everything elseter, okay?¡±


    After hearing those words, Julia finally calmed down and looked at Amelie. Her eyes were filled with


    deep worry as tears welled up. ¡°What exactly happened to Bria?¡±


    Amelie exined the situation again.


    While furrowing his brows, Samuel asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying that she was sent to the hospital because of


    a mild case of food poisoning?¡±


    Amelie nodded her head silently. His lips were pressed into a thin line as a wave of self-me


    filled her heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not taking good care of her,¡± Steven said regretfully as well. ¡°If I had been more careful,


    this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    ¡°This is not the time for self-me,¡± Samuel chimed in. ¡°Why don¡¯t we think carefully about what


    happened before she felt unwell? Don¡¯t overlook any small details, no matter how insignificant they


    may seem.¡±


    He was a detective by trade and had a vastwork of highly skilled detectives at his disposal. In the


    city, he was well-known for being the best in this industry.


    At Samuel¡¯s words, Leo, who was standing nearby, perked up his ears. At the same time, he began to


    recall every detail of his encounter with Bria.


    Amelie looked at Steven again. ¡°Dad, what were you about to say earlier?¡±


    Steven finally spoke. ¡°Well, there was a courier who came by the housest night. Bria thought it was


    you and went to answer the door. However, she quickly came back saying that the courier had the


    wrong address and already left.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, and I think it¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± He hunched his back and rubbed the back of


    his head as he continued.


    Samuel¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a coincidence, we should look into this courier.¡±


    Coincidentally, there were surveince cameras just outside their home. As such, Amelie pushed


    Steven toward Julia and instructed, ¡°Please watch over my dad. I¡¯m going with Samuel to get the


    surveince footage now.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Julia had nothing else to say as she walked over to support Steven. ¡°Mr. Dillon, let¡¯s go


    inside and sit down. With Samuel¡¯s abilities, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find Bria soon, so don¡¯t worry.


    Steven yearned to join them but was hesitant as he feared his slow movements might impede their


    progress. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he set off with Julia into the distance.


    Meanwhile, Amelie and Samuel exchanged nces and quickly departed from the hospital.


    Leo looked at their retreating figures with his darkened eyes and trailed behind them.


    Samuel raced all the way home, and in no time, he and Amelie arrived at the doorstep.


    Immediately, Amelie pulled up the surveince footage on herputer. She looked up and noticed


    Leo following behind Samuel, causing a warm flicker in her heart.


    Without a word, the two bent their heads together, studying the footage with utmost concentration. The


    suspect was an expert, having taken great care to cover themselves entirely and even using arge


    box to obscure the camera¡¯s view.


    However, the more they tried to hide, the more suspicious it appeared.


    Samuel suddenly clicked on the mouse and froze the image on a specific frame. Then, he pointed


    at the screen,


    Amelie realized something amiss and leaned in to take a closer look. In the dim and unclear image, the


    courier¡¯s hand was clutching a small bottle, which was precisely aimed at Bria.


    Samuel magnified the image. After a moment of recognition, he mmed his hand down and dered,


    ¡°Whatever was in that bottle caused Bria¡¯s mild poisoning!¡±


    Amelie took a sharp breath. She couldn¡¯t believe the audacity of the courier to carry out such an


    As Leo issued hismand, Samuel also activated his information tform and sent out the


    courier¡¯s picture.


    Next, it was time to wait.


    Thebined power of the two men was not to be underestimated. In less than half an hour, the


    courier was caught. The three of them rushed down the stairs and saw Samuel¡¯s subordinate dragging


    the courier out while Leo¡¯s men followed close behind.


    Without waiting for anybody to speak, Leo charged forward at an almost imperceptible speed and


    booted the courier to the ground with just one foot.


    Following that, he stepped on the man¡¯s back with his polished leather shoes. The veins on his neck


    bulged while his eyes were pitch-ck and sharp, making him a fearsome sight.


    ¡°Speak. Where is the child?!¡±


    The courier was kicked until he gasped for air. ¡°I swear, I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know!¡± He coughed


    out.


    Leo kicked him again with a force that sent the man flying backward like a weightless object. He finally


    crashed into a pole and curled up on the ground like a shrimp, unable to regain hisposure for


    some time.


    Leo stepped on his chest forcefully again. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell the truth, I¡¯ll break your ribs one by


    one!¡±


    The courier was frightened. His hands were stuck on his chest, and he trembled while shouting, ¡°I don¡¯t


    know. The other party only told me to spray some medicine on the child, but I have no idea what it does


    or what it¡¯s for.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Just as he finished speaking, a scream escaped his lips.


    Amelie turned to look at Leo. She had known him for a long time, but this was her first time seeing him


    acting so mercilessly.


    The sound of bones breaking echoed in her ears, making her shiver uncontrobly.


    Fearing Leo¡¯s wrath, the courier dropped to his knees and begged for mercy.


    Samuel stood by, watching the scene unfold. ¡°He might be telling the truth,¡± Samuel finally said, his


    voice calm and collected.


    Only then did Leo stop.


    Samuel approached the courier and began to ask more questions, trying to uncover the truth.


    200,000. Someone called me and asked me to do this in exchange for clearing my debt. I was


    desperate to get rid of the debt and didn¡¯t dare question the person¡¯s motives. The drugs were left in a


    dumpster outside the city for me to pick up, and the address was on the bottle. I don¡¯t know who they


    are.¡±


    Samuel looked at Leo and told him to send him to the police station, which was silently agreed upon by


    Leo.


    Before the police arrived, the two of them made arrangements on the phone. Meanwhile, Amelie stood


    there calmly, unable to resist ncing at Leo.


    She watched his serious expression and the deep furrows in his brow. Then, she looked at the half-


    dead courier and felt an inexplicable warmth in her heart. This was the first time she had seen him lose


    control and also the first time she felt his presence as Bria¡¯s father.


    Just as she was pondering, she noticed Leo¡¯s eyebrows tightening all of a sudden. Moreover, his


    temples were tensed to the point of breaking! Then, he abruptly hung up the phone and strode outside.


    Amelie realized he must have learned something new and instinctively stepped forward to pull him, but


    she heard Samuel saying, ¡°There¡¯s new information!¡±


    She turned to look at Samuel as he ran toward the car. She followed suit and ran after him, getting into


    the vehicle as well.

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170


    Amelie returned to the hospital with Bria.


    Julia and Steven had heard the news and soon hurried over.


    ¡°My Bria, my dear granddaughter.¡± Steven wrapped his arms around Bria as he cried like a little boy.


    Amelie¡¯s heart clenched as she looked at her father.


    He had never once thought of wanting anything for himself. He gave all his love to Amelie and


    Bria.


    They were more important than life to him.


    Steven¡¯s tears made Bria reach out to wrap her arms around his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Grandpa. There,


    there.¡±


    As sheforted him, she wiped away his tears.


    They made quite the heartwarming sight.


    Julia turned to look at them as well. When she saw Bria and Steven hugging, she could not help but let


    out an aww.


    ¡°How did you find Bria?¡± It was hard not to be curious.


    The entire incident started with so much terror, but the ending was so strange that anyone would be


    surprised.


    Amelie tiredly rubbed her eyes. She did not want to speak of Leo in front of Bria and Steven, so she


    pressed a hand on Julia¡¯s hand as a gesture to say they would speak about itter


    In spite of her raging curiosity, Julia suppressed it and nodded.


    Amelie stayed by Bria and Steven¡¯s side.


    They then called a doctor to thoroughly check Bria over.


    They only stopped worrying after the doctor said Bria waspletely fine and cured of her mild


    poisoning.


    It was inevitable that Steven would ask about Bria¡¯s disappearance, but Amelie merely told him that a


    human trafficker had snuck into the hospital and stolen her away.


    She was not afraid of the Alstons, but afraid of his old age. She was afraid something bad might


    happen.


    The group eventually left the hospital.


    Amelie waited until both Bria and Steven were asleep before heading downstairs.


    Julia and Samuel were waiting for her.


    1


    When Amelie appeared, Julia swiftly strode over to her with fire in her eyes.


    ¡°Elie, Leo and the Alstons have gone over the line! No matter what, we cannot forgive them for this! I¡¯ve


    already contacted thewyers. A publicint will be sent soon. We will sue them!¡±


    In the time Amelie spent with her daughter and father, Julia found out about what happened through


    Samuel.


    Samuel worriedly nced at his short-tempered fianc¨¦e. ¡°There are too many suspicious details in this


    incident. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little hasty?¡±


    He then turned to Amelie. ¡°I know you¡¯re all angry, but don¡¯t you find it strange? Why does Leo need to


    go through all the effort to drug Bria before taking her away from the hospital? Why was she specifically


    brought to Leo¡¯s home instead of anywhere else?¡±


    Julia¡¯s hatred for Leo was currently so strong that the mere mention of his name set her heart


    ame.


    She scoffed upon hearing Samuel¡¯s questions. ¡°It¡¯s all an act. They have to make it realistic to sell the


    act. While he was ying us for fools, he secretly stole Bria. Then, he will use us of being too


    careless with Bria. With evidence, it will be so easy for him to gain custody of her. As for why he had


    the child brought to his home, it must be because he thought the most dangerous ce is the safest


    hiding spot. He thought we wouldn¡¯t search his properties. That¡¯s why he had the guts to be so brazen.¡±


    ¡°Even so, he is Bria¡¯s father. How could he drug his own child?¡±


    ¡°Leo Alston is a cold-blooded man. Naturally, the end justifies the means. You both know how he is


    when ites to business over the years. What¡¯s there to wonder about?¡±


    Samuel opened his mouth as if to rebuke, but eventually kept quiet and just nced at Amelie.


    Julia was beside herself with anger right now, so she would not listen to logic at all.


    Amelie met Samuel¡¯s eyes. The question she saw in his gaze startled him.


    ¡°Elie, you don¡¯t believe Samuel¡¯s hypotheses, right?¡± Julia asked, dashing over to tug at Amelie¡¯s


    ¡°Julia, let Elie think for herself,¡± Samuel softly said.


    Although Julia was extremely upset, she still went quiet.


    Amelie silently contemted for a full minute before eventually opening her mouth¡­


    Night had fallen.


    Melissa was not fast asleep in bed as she usually would be.


    Currently, she was rushing down a long corridor with hurried footsteps.


    Her fingers clutched tight at her bag.


    It was twisted out of shape by now from her fingers.


    As she stopped in front of a door, she pressed hard on the doorbell.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± The person calling out from within was audibly upset at being disturbed in the middle of the


    night.


    The door opened.


    A beautiful face soon appeared.


    Without saying a single word, Meliss? immediately pped the other person.


    It was a loud p.


    The crisp sound echoed through the night.


    With how silent the night was, it was a shocking sound to hear.


    ¡°Elyse yton!¡± she spat out through gritted teeth. Her rather youthful face was twisted in an ugly


    expression.


    Melissa¡¯s eyes were burning with anger and hatred for Elyse.


    Despite the hard p, Elyse did not look shocked at all. Instead, she casually covered her cheek with a


    hand.


    There was azy, scornful-look in her eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing, Mrs. Alston? I am a celebrity who might be photographed at any moment. If


    someone just so happens to take a picture of this moment, tomorrow¡¯s headlines would be all


    She spoke in such a demeanor that it did not sound like she was talking to someone of a higher


    seniority than her.


    Those words infuriated Melissa even more.


    Nevertheless, she walked into the apartment, mming the door shut behind her.


    She scanned the apartment and checked to make sure all the windows were covered. ¡°Elyse, you keep


    saying you¡¯ll help me, but is this it? How dare you! How could you poison Bria and steal her away?


    Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s against thew?¡±


    ¡°I will sue you!¡±


    Elyse nonchntly lowered her head and fidgeted with her fresh clear nails. ¡°Was it me? Do you have


    proof? Mrs. Alston, if you don¡¯t have proof, that¡¯s nder.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Melissa was trembling with fury upon being rebuked.


    ¡°I regret working with you.¡±


    Elyse did not retort this time and continued smirking.


    Melissa was still huffing with anger. When she saw the smirk, she shot Else a re. ¡°Amelie is now


    going to sue Leo and the Alstons. If any one of us is hurt at all, you will suffer as well!¡±


    After the threat was delivered, she angrily stomped out of the apartment.


    Elyse knew Melissa was not a big-hearted woman, and she particrly despised Melissa¡¯s haughty


    attitude. Still, she stered on a gleeful smile and pulled Melissa back into the


    apartment.


    ¡°Are you looking down on your son, Mrs. Alston? He is so powerful that Amelie is nothing before him.


    Don¡¯t worry. She will not win.¡±


    She then spun Melissa around forcefully. ¡°You want them to be enemies, right? This is our


    best chance.¡±


    Melissa¡¯s frigid face slowly warmed up when she heard that.


    The rage in her eyes simmered down.


    It was undeniable that Elyse had seeded in persuading her.


    Implicitly, Melissa was saying Elyse was forgiven this time.


    The proud and snobbish look in Melissa¡¯s gaze made Elyse scoff internally.


    She thinks she¡¯s high-ss yet would throw away her granddaughter¡¯s life just for her own benefit. Just


    another rich selfish person. Worse than a beast. High-ss my ¡®ss. Still, it was all thanks to her that


    today¡¯s incident happened. No matter how smart Leo is, he will never find out about my involvement.


    When Melissa finally left the apartment satisfied, Elyse let out a cold smirk. ¡°Oh, Leo, this is the price


    for abandoning me. What would you feel if you one day realize you have hurt the heart of your beloved


    Big Eyes?¡±


    Just as she was smugly thinking about that, her phone began to ring.


    When she looked down at it, she was surprised to see it was a call from Toby.


    ¡°Is there something you need, Mr. Walsh?¡± she coldly asked. He did not like her anyway.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me,¡± Toby replied. ¡°It¡¯s Leo.¡±


    Elyse was stunned to hear that Leo wanted to talk to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I am already in bed,¡± she said.


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    ¡°Do you really not want toe here and see what¡¯s happening?¡± After asking that, he gave her an


    address.


    Then, he hung up.

 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171


    In the end, Elyse could not suppress her curiosity and headed to the ce Toby gave her the


    address to.


    It was not a ce they usually gathered at. Instead, it was a club she had never been to before.


    Even with his instructions, it still took her some effort to find the correct room.


    When Elyse walked in, Leo was nowhere to be found.


    In fact, the only person she knew in the room was Ashton.


    There were also a few other men.


    ¡±


    The most eye-catching of the group was a middle-aged man who looked very simr to Ashton.


    She had only just entered the room when she saw the man kick Ashton in the abdomen.


    The blow had Ashton bending over before copsing.


    With a bang, he crashed to the ground.


    The sight frightened Elyse, causing her face to go pale as she swiftly pped her hands over her


    mouth.


    Her feet were locked in ce.


    For long moments, Ashton was just lying there on the floor.


    The middle-aged man¡¯s voice boomed through the room. ¡°Starlight Media has sent awyer¡¯s letter,


    dering their intent to sue you! Tell me who told you to do it, or you will be imprisoned!¡±


    Beside the man stood a woman, her face a mask of shock.


    When she saw Ashton on the ground, she let out a screech. Her hands snapped out as if to help him


    up, but she did not dare to do so.


    Instead, she looked down at him with a sad look on her face. ¡°Ash, please. As your mother, I¡¯m begging


    you. Tell the truth. If this goes on, your father will kill you.¡±


    It was now that Elyse recognized them.


    The man was Ashton¡¯s father.


    Now that she knew who they were, she allowed shock and terror to show on her face.


    She had not expected the couple to get wind of this.


    More specifically, she did not expect Thomas Lowe, Ashton¡¯s father, to be here. He had always been a


    man who was busy with major business. He was alwaysing and going without anyone


    knowing.


    Ashton crawled up from the ground as pain simmered in his eyes.


    When he spotted Elyse, he froze and awkwardly looked away from her.


    It was then that Thomas spotted Elyse. He red at her. ¡°Who is this woman? Why is she here?¡±


    His booming voice terrified her so much that she went pale as she instinctively took a step backward.


    Ashton hurriedly got to his feet and blocked her from view. ¡°She has the wrong room.¡±


    That snapped Elyse back to her senses, making her turn to leave the room.


    ¡°Stop her!¡± Thomas ordered.


    Immediately, two arms shot out before her.


    Thomas¡¯ burning eyes soon focused on her.


    His gaze was so overwhelming that it made her head spin because he was not like Ashton.


    Ashton was a carefree cker while Thomas was a truly capable man with a great reputation.


    Everything Thomas did was brutal. He was both knowledgeable and hard to fool.


    Elyse even found breathing hard. Her hands were covered in sweat due to how nervous she was.


    Finally, he looked away from her.


    He waved his hands, gesturing for his men to back off.


    It was only then that Elyse could go back to her usual breathing pattern. After nodding to him, she left.


    Behind her, she then heard Thomas say, ¡°Investigate that woman¡¯s connection to this brat! Be


    thorough. I want a clear report on every meeting, every phone call, and every message sent.¡±


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    From then on, her feet felt like they were nailed to the ground. She could not take another step at


    all.


    She spun around to stare at him in shock.


    Thomas was not looking at her, but his eyes still burned with certainty.


    ¡°If you confess, I will let you live. If you dare hide a single detail, you will be sent to jail right away!¡±


    Although he said that to Ashton, Elyse was the person who was terrified.


    The calm she was faking immediately fled out of her.


    Her entire body swayed.


    Guilt overwhelmed her.


    When Elyse next looked up, she saw someone standing right outside the window under the light.


    He was so calm and silent.


    There was a serious look on his face. It was as if he belonged in a painting.


    That was the face of the man she loved, but no warmth could be seen on it.


    An icy gleam shed in his ck eyes. While his gaze was not particrly sharp, it still pierced right


    through her.


    It was Leo.


    He did not say a single word. He did not even move a single muscle.


    He merely stood there in silence.


    That was enough to make her feel cornered and dejected.


    She finally realized that Toby did not summon her over to watch a nice show.


    She was actually witnessing her own humiliation.


    Meanwhile, Ashton was still keeping his mouth shut. It was clear he would not betray her even if it


    meant he would be thrown into prison.


    She should be happy about it.


    Although they were nk and emotionless, Elyse still felt a strong sense of mockery in them.


    He was mocking her for her cowardice and hypocrisy. He was using her of being someone too


    cowardly to own up to her own actions.


    His gaze filled her with guilt.


    It intensified the shame she felt.


    It was clear that he knew she had pushed Ashton to do the deed.


    Like an outsider, he was merely watching to see how long she could keep quiet.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. I told him to do it!¡±


    All sense of rationality fled her mind as she shouted that.


    Ashton stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Elyse, you¡­¡±


    Thomas¡¯ gaze slid past her. While there was no emotion to be seen in his eyes, that burning gaze still


    made her feel unbelievably humiliated.


    Ashton¡¯s mother charged over to her and pped her in the face. ¡°You shameless woman! Stay away


    from my son!¡±


    Her hands were clenched into fists. She was looking at Elyse as if she were staring at a great enemy


    who had crossed her.


    Elyse hung her head low. She had never felt so humiliated before.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Thomasmanded with a wave of his hand before striding out of the room.


    His men ran over, lifted Ashton in a carry, and followed him.


    Ashton¡¯s mother left the room as well after shooting Elyse another re.


    Elyse just stood there like a statue. She felt so very cold.


    She even felt as if there were numerous pairs of eyes staring at her,ughing at her, mocking


    her.


    She did not know how much time had passed before she saw a pair of leather shoes step into her


    view.


    Those shares were so bright that her eyes hurt from looking at them.


    He looked down at her in silence.


    Leo had stepped into the room.


    Tears rolled down her cheeks as his tuse was just merciless.


    ¡°Leo, how can you do this to Ashton? He¡¯s your friend. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far by letting his


    father push him into this situation?¡± she asked.


    1


    Elyse had no right to defend herself, so she could only use Ashton as an excuse to express her


    dissatisfaction with Leo.


    ¡°I am not the one being cruel to him; you are,¡± he replied. His face was as cold as ever.


    If the two men were not friends, what Ashton did to Bria would not end up with a mere punishment from


    Thomas.


    ¡°You have to pay the price for your actions, Elyse.¡±


    He then turned and walked out of the room.


    He could not stay a moment longer as he was a man who would not hit women.


    However, if he stayed in the room any longer, he might break that rule.


    After hearing him say that, the first thing Elyse thought of was her reputation. I¡¯ll be doomed the


    moment my reputation is damaged.


    The thought threw her into a frenzy. How she regretted what happened that evening.


    Elyse soon found a way to save herself though.


    She turned and shouted at Leo¡¯s back, ¡°I was only speaking off the top of my head just now. It does not


    hold any weight. Even in court, I cannot be held ountable for that!¡±


    He did not respond.


    Instead, it was Laura who walked into the room.


    She pulled out a box and slowly opened it.


    Then, she pulled out a tiny object from within.


    Elyse stared at her in confusion before realizing that she was holding a voice recorder.

 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172


    A conversation between Elyse and Ashton immediately came from the voice recorder. It was the part


    where Elyse encouraged Ashton to help her that day!


    ¡°How¡­ How did you be like this?¡± Laura¡¯s eyes were full of pain and regret.


    Elyse¡¯s eyes were wide open. She couldn¡¯t believe it at all! She never imagined that someone recorded


    what she said! It is over; I¡¯mpletely finished!


    Extreme panic caused her to cover her mouth tightly. She could barely stand as her legs were shaking.


    In fact, she could fall at any time!


    Besides, she was now aware of one thing-just now, Leo didn¡¯t intend to obtain any results at all but


    simply wanted to force her to admit her mistake!


    He had been treating her like she was a fool.


    ¡°Leo, you b¡¯stard!¡± she yelled hysterically, covering her face in embarrassment.


    Leo did not stop walking away because of her yelling. At this moment, Elyse fell into deep despair and


    pain. Furious, she was unwilling to give up. After pushing Laura away, she chased after Leo without


    caring about her image and stopped in front of him. ¡°So what if there is evidence? Ashton is your friend,


    and I have a rtionship with you. To Amelie, we are all partners in crime. What we do are all


    authorized by you. Leo, you can¡¯t whitewash yourself. You will never get off scot-free!¡±


    She had suffered twice in one night and her reputation was long gone. She was acting like a shrew


    most viciously and frantically. Leo didn¡¯t even bother to look at her and walked straight past her. She


    was left alone in the cold, like a pile of discarded garbage that no one cared about¡­


    Elyse covered her face in pain and simply squatted down. She burst into tears. Her image was in


    tatters, but fortunately, this was a high-end club, so no one woulde to take pictures of her. After


    crying for a long time, Elyse felt someone grabbing her shoulders. Then, she was forced to stand up.


    She looked up and saw the silhouette of a face against the light.


    The man said, ¡°This matter has a hugely negative impact on you, but I can help you. I can find a way to


    eliminate all these mistakes perfectly.¡±


    Elyse¡¯s body trembled. It was undeniable that she was tempted by the proposal. Nobody wanted a


    lawsuit, especially a public figure like her. But immediately after, a dark determination shed across


    her eyes. ¡°No, I will face it!¡±


    Eliminating all these mistakes meant that nobody would be in the wrong. This was not what she


    wanted.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth using self-destruction to gain satisfaction.¡±


    Elyse had long been used to his sarcasm, so she only turned her face away in difiture and


    clenched her fingers again and again. She had fallen into a kind of ludicrous obstinacy. Even if she was


    required to self-destruct, she would still do it if it meant getting to see Leo and Amelie confront each


    other and cut ties for good!


    In a blink of an eye, it was the day of the trial. As the case involved minors, it was not heard in public.


    Even if it was so, Elyse who was sitting in the dock was still in extreme humiliation. She felt that


    everyone who passed by her was looking at her with mockery. Judges¡­ Lawyers¡­ They were all


    laughing at her. She had no choice but to keep cheering herself up and telling herself that it didn¡¯t


    matter. It¡¯s worth it to trade my humiliation for the clean break between Leo and Amelie.


    As she was just thinking about it, the door opened, and Amelie and Julia walked in side by side. Amelie


    was holding Bria by the hand. When Elyse saw Amelie, her eyes lit up with a victorious look. While they


    walked by her, Elyse sneered and taunted, ¡°Amelie, if you think you¡¯ve already won, you¡¯d better stop


    dreaming!¡±


    After that, her sharp gaze fell on Bria. However, Amelie just nced at her quietly. Without saying


    anything, she led Bria and Julia away toward the intiff¡¯s seats.


    After a while, Leo also arrived. Seeing Leo, Elyse deliberately raised her voice and called him, ¡°Leo,


    over here!¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t even look at her, but Toby behind him let out a chuckle. Elyse¡¯s heart ached from being


    ignored by him, but then she thought that even if he didn¡¯t want to, he still had to fight side by side with


    her. When she thought of how he would stand on the dock, it made her feel much better. Then, she


    purposely gave way to let Leo in.


    Toby pulled Leo and nced toward the dock, but Leo didn¡¯t go in and sit down. Instead, he turned


    around and went in another direction. In the end, he ended up in the intiff¡¯s box.


    ¡°Leo, you¡¯re sitting in the wrong ce!¡± Elyse hastily reminded him. ¡°This is the dock.¡±


    Leo lowered his eyes as if he didn¡¯t hear her, but Toby smiled at her. ¡°Leo is the intiff.¡±


    ¡°P-intiff?¡± Elyse was stunned. Her eyes could not help but move toward Amelie sitting next to Leo.


    She thought that Amelie would definitely do something, and Amelie really did. Amelie gave way and


    made room for Leo. Bria, who had been sitting next to Amelie, then moved to sit between the two of


    them. Elyse looked at Leo and then at Amelie with a confused look. Her pink lips parted, revealing a


    row of neat teeth.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Elyse was shocked and hurriedly asked herwyer. ¡°Why did Leo be the


    intiff?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? It¡¯s Amelie who is suing Leo!¡± Elyse was going crazy.


    Thewyer didn¡¯t speak anymore and pushed the documents to her. At the top of the document, it read


    that the intiff was Leo in ck and white!


    ¡°When did it change? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Elyse spoke angrily in a low voice. If it weren¡¯t for the


    fact that this was a court and no noise was allowed, she would have yelled a long time ago.


    you refused Thewyer looked helpless as he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve asked you to meet several times, but to see


    me, and you didn¡¯t answer your phone calls. I couldn¡¯t tell you anything. In fact, two days ago, Miss


    Dillon withdrew the Jawsuit against Mr. Alston.¡±


    Two days ago?


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Elyse lost her mind. If she had known that this would be the result, she would have listened to that


    man¡¯s advice. Now¡­ Is it toote?


    The truth was that it was toote. The evidence in the case was conclusive and the trial was quick. It


    was a fact that Elyse encouraged Ashton to harm and take Bria away. Although no irreparable harm


    was caused, she was sentenced to three months in prison and ordered to apologize to the victim. At


    the end of the trial, Amelie didn¡¯te to her to ask for an apology but left with Julia and Bria. Before


    leaving, she nodded politely at Leo, who looked back at her with deep eyes.


    Then, Amelie simply left. Once outside, Julia wanted to reward Bria, so she ran off with her to buy


    some treats, leaving Amelie to wait alone on the spot.


    Samuel was standing outside the whole time, and when he saw Amelie approaching, he gave her a


    relieved smile. ¡°I thought you would really argue with Leo, so I was worried for a while.¡±


    Amelie gave him a smile.


    ¡°You analyzed it so well, and I still have my basic thinking abilities. I canprehend many things well


    after calming down. In fact, the reason why I agreed to sue Leo at that time was just to give him a


    chance to prove his innocence. Later, he sent evidence on his own initiative, so there was no need to


    prosecute him further.¡±


    When Leo came out and saw the two of them, he instinctively wanted to greet them. Unexpectedly, he


    heard this before he opened his mouth. It turned out that she had always believed in him! Warmth


    suddenly flowed into his heart.


    Taby stood quietly behind him and looked at Leo¡¯s rxed eyebrows with aplicated


    expression.


    When did he start to care about what Amelie thinks of him?


    After the car had driven away for a long time, she finally realized that her fist was hurting a little. So,


    she lowered her head and opened her palm, only to see a piece of paper clutched in her trembling


    palm.


    She couldn¡¯t help but freeze for a moment before spreading out the paper. The words written on it


    made her expression change drastically!

 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173


    In the next moment, she pped herself hard on the face. From the beginning to the end, she was the


    one being yed. What was written on the paper was what Amelie said to Samuel just now. Amelie


    had never thought about going up against Leo at all, and she just wanted to give him a chance to prove


    his innocence! The ridiculous thing was that when Amelie calmly made the n, Elyse was walking


    around like a clown, thinking that she had caused a rift between the two of them. She was too set on


    getting benefits when war broke out between them!


    How ridiculous! It¡¯s really ridiculous!


    Elyseughed so hard that she burst into tears and nearly couldn¡¯t breathe properly. After a long time,


    her eyes rolled backward and she fell unconscious on the chair¡­


    In the hospital, Elyse opened her eyes. In front of her, there were no flowers or smiling faces. There


    were only cold shackles before her. She asked the nurse for a phone, and then dialed the number with


    trembling hands. ¡°Please, help me! I don¡¯t want to go to jail, and I don¡¯t want to be ruined!¡±


    On the other side, there was no response.


    Overwhelmed by despair, she weakly let the phone drop.


    At the Alston Residence, when Melissa heard about what happened, she flew into a rage. ¡°That


    useless Elyse was defeated so easily! I really wasted my time believing in her!¡±


    Melissa was so angry that her facial features twisted in fury. It was one thing for Elyse to be


    undependable, and it was another thing entirely that her son was now helping Amelie! How could


    Melissa allow the child staying with Amelie to be the topic for outsiders to mock her?


    Melissa cared about her image, so even if she got angry, she only did so in her room. She didn¡¯t even


    dare to throw something to vent her anger, for fear that the servants would hear it and spread it to the


    outside world, which would affect her reputation. The more she cared about her reputation, the less she


    could ept the facts in front of her.


    After a while Melissa stopped being upset and gasped for breath, thinking about how to save


    everything.


    Just as she was thinking, the door was pushed open. ¡°Mom, why are you hiding in the room so early in


    the morning?¡±


    The one who came in was Jodie, who was dressed up beautifully. Not only was she all dressed up


    stylishly, but she was also wearing all kinds of branded clothing from top to toe. Melissa didn¡¯t think


    much about Jodie acting like this during usual times. But she was in a bad mood at this


    going again? All you do is party! Look at you. What practical skills do you have?¡±


    Jodie felt aggrieved by her mother¡¯s scolding and replied, ¡°Who says I have no practical skills? I


    graduated from a proper university, Mom. Also, it¡¯s not that all I do is party. It¡¯s all Leo¡¯s fault. He


    disagreed with me setting up a live broadcast tform under Genesis, otherwise, I would have already


    gathered tens of thousands of fans!¡±


    Melissa listened to Jodie talking about live broadcasts and media, and she was so disgusted she nearly


    threw up. ¡°Your brother doesn¡¯t want you to be humiliated! Don¡¯t you understand that? As an actress,


    you should act in movies. Not be a live broadcaster! How shameful is that? What¡¯s the difference


    between doing that and selling things on the street? I paid for your university degree and let you attend


    so many different sses. How could you end up as a salesperson?¡±


    Melissa had always had a sense of superiority, and she looked down on influencers and live broadcast


    tforms because she felt that those were not reputable jobs. Hearing that Jodie was obsessed with


    these things only made her angrier. Jodie pursed her lips when she heard her mother speak so harshly


    and didn¡¯t bother to argue further.


    After criticizing Jodie, Melissa sighed again. ¡°The two of you make me worry so much. What crime did I


    do in my previous life to deserve this?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Leo?¡± Jodie asked alertly after hearing what Melissa said even though she was


    about to leave with the script in her hands. When Leo was mentioned, Melissa sighed even louder. She


    briefly revealed that Leo refused to fight for custody, and even sent her ally Elyse to jail. Jodie never


    cared much about Bria¡¯s custody rights, so naturally, she wasn¡¯t as angry as Melissa. But when she


    thought of Amelie, she was also infuriated.


    ¡°That Amelie has caused me trouble so many times and humiliated me. I hate her to death!¡±


    Melissa was not in the mood to bber with her, so she said coolly, ¡°If you have nothing else to say, go


    back to your room and rest early.¡±


    Jodie didn¡¯t move. Instead, she thought of an idea and hurriedly grabbed Melissa¡¯s arm. ¡°Mom, if you


    want to fight for Bria¡¯s custody, I have a n.¡±


    Melissa didn¡¯t believe Jodie at all. After all, Jodie was not as smart as her. Even she could not win


    against Amelie, let alone Jodie, who had suffered many times under Amelie¡¯s hands. So, Melissa


    pushed her daughter¡¯s hand away indifferently and said, ¡°This is not the time for jokes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not joking!¡± Jodie yelled as she stared at Melissa dissatisfiedly. ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you listen to


    me?¡±


    She spoke of her n very quickly. While listening to her words, Melissa went from initially disgusted to


    contemtive. Seeing Melissa¡¯s changes, Jodie became smug all of a sudden. ¡°My idea is not bad,


    right? You go to Amelie ording to my n, and I guarantee you that she won¡¯t be able to get out of


    this! As long as Amelie has no money nor support, you won¡¯t need to be


    of hon


    In the privatepartment, Leo was drinking alcohol endlessly. There was no expression on his


    handsome face, but there were clear thoughts hidden in his ck eyes. His long eyshes drooped


    and shielded his emotions.


    Toby kept watching Leo drink, and seeing Leo finish arge bottle of beer, he finally couldn¡¯t help it and


    asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t everything going smoothly ording to your n? Why aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    Leo remained silent as he pursed his lips tighter. After a long time, he said, ¡°I n to go to Quinn


    Town.¡±


    ¡°Again? Why?¡± Toby was obviously taken aback.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Leo held the ss and was silent again. Toby had a strange look on his face as he thought of some


    things Leo had mentioned before. ¡°Are you going to find¡­ Big Eyes?¡±


    Toby only recently found out about Big Eyes.


    Leo assented in silence, which made Toby frown. A figure shed in Toby¡¯s mind inexplicably. If I


    remember correctly, Amelie is also from Quinn Town! The only reason Leo cares about Elyse is


    because of Big Eyes. But what about Amelie? Why did she marry Leo? At first, everyone thought she


    was doing it for the money. But now it turns out that she is the least short of money.


    An idea suddenly came to Toby¡¯s mind, which caused a chill to run down his spine. He felt extremely


    cold all of a sudden and shivered. He couldn¡¯t hold the ss in his hand properly anymore and the


    ss fell down with a crash.


    Distracted by the sound, Leo looked at him in confusion.


    Toby barely steadied himself as he picked up the ss and pretended to be nonchnt. He poured the


    alcohol, then pressed the rim of the ss to his lips, but he didn¡¯t drink it and just looked at the bottom


    of the ss. Then, he asked, ¡°Leo, what will you do if you find Big Eyes?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll treat her well,¡± Leo said without thinking.


    Toby gripped the ss tightly and then immediately let go. ¡°Have you ever thought about it properly


    though? You¡¯ve been separated for nine years, and she may have started a family long ago.¡±


    Leo froze at that. He really hadn¡¯t thought about this at all.


    ¡°You might ruin her marriage and family by going here. You won¡¯t be treating her well but ruining her


    instead.¡± Toby¡¯s voice came over again coldly.


    If I had been more careful back then, would I have recognized the right person?


    Amelie waited until Bria fell asleep beforeing out. Thewsuit was over, and it was time to go back.


    Bria had to go to school, and their lives should go back on track. Originally, she was going back to


    Halport today, but Julia dragged her off to celebrate. It was alreadyte after dinner, so she decided to


    depart early tomorrow morning.


    She came out at this time to buy something to eat on the way back tomorrow so that Bria would not be


    hungry.


    Amelie went downstairs and walked along the dim boulevard under the streetlights. There was a 24-


    hour tuck shop not far away.


    ¡°Big Eyes!¡±


    Suddenly, a low voice came from next to her. Trembling as if she had been electrocuted, she froze in


    ce. After a long time, she slowly raised her eyes. Then, she saw that slender and tall figure hidden


    under the streemp less than three meters from her. The man¡¯s body moved, slowly peeling away


    from the shadows and revealing a familiar face¡­

 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174


    The moment Leo called her Big Eyes, Amelie¡¯s mind went nk.


    After their divorce, she kept that identity hidden. She never imagined that she would hear him call her


    by that name again.


    ¡°Did you remember me?


    Before she could finish her sentence, Amelie felt her body being squeezed.


    He hugged her.


    Following that, a heavy scent of alcohol wafted into her nostrils.


    ¡°Did you drink?¡± She was still in shock after falling into his embrace.


    Without speaking, Leo pressed his head into her nape.


    His breath was a little urgent as he felt an inexplicable surge of depression.


    Amelie dared not move an inch as she silently felt the rhythm of his breath.


    Somehow, she started feeling ufortable.


    Gradually, her anger toward him for forgetting her was beginning to fade.


    Leo hugged her tight.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯vee and looked for you sooner. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± His voice was subdued but


    also sounded heartbroken.


    Amelie shuddered and froze at the spot.


    What is he saying?


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe and look for me?¡± She almost blurted the question as she was eager to know the


    answer.


    Hershes shuddered uncontrobly after she asked the question. It was a sign of grievance.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Leo muttered.


    ¡°Your fault? What did you do wrong?¡± Amelie asked softly.


    They were knitted so tightly they could turn into a knot that couldn¡¯t be untied.


    ¡°I always thought it was you.¡± He blurted out of nowhere after falling silent for some time.


    She almost gave up seeking an answer from him, but that sentence once again aroused her


    curiosity.


    ¡°You thought it was me?¡±


    Leo snuggled deeper into her nape and muttered, ¡°El¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡±


    Amelie pricked up her ears in an attempt to hear him clearly, but the weight on her body suddenly


    turned light. Leo had been pried away from her.


    Laura¡¯s worried face entered Amelie¡¯s line of sight, which caused thetter to sober up. she recalled


    that she was no longer in a rtionship with Leo, she quickly backed away.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When


    Noticing Amelie, Laura looked surprised but didn¡¯t badger her. ¡°Mr. Alston is drunk. Sorry that he


    bothered you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Amelie replied indifferently.


    Laura quickly called the guards over to help Leo stand.


    Standing still in the middle of the road, Amelie allowed the wind to blow the hem of her dress.


    What was Leo doing?He has forgotten about Big Eyes but suddenly said things like it¡¯s my fault.¡±


    Shaking her head fervently, she forced herself to forget about him.


    Since they were divorced now, she intended to leave everything behind and stop dwelling on the past.


    Despite her trying tofort herself, Leo¡¯s words still left a strong impression, like a ripple that formed


    in her usually calm heart.


    After the incident, she returned to her normal life.


    Amelie started going up and down between the two cities.


    It was tiring sometimes, but she was happy.


    On this day, she entered the office as usual.


    She sat on the chair with her legs crossed, revealing her slim legs as she flipped through a magazine


    with her slender fingers.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Noticing something off, Amelie asked.


    Julia looked at her with aplicated gaze. Then, she tossed the magazine on the table with a thud.


    ¡°Look at this.¡±


    Amelie was puzzled as she turned to look at the magazine.


    The opened page revealed a familiar face of a man.


    The photo had a dark filter that entuated his textured skin.


    He sat in an upright posture with an ever-handsome face, but his expression was stern. He didn¡¯t look


    approachable at all.


    The man was none other than Leo Alston.


    Seeing his face in the magazine, Amelie felt her heart race without reason. She couldn¡¯t help recalling


    that night when he hugged her and admitted his mistake.


    ¡°Leo Alston must be out of his mind. I can¡¯t believe he used his power to bail Elyse yton out. He


    even invested in a series she¡¯s going to star in. Rumors are saying that she¡¯s going to rise to fame


    again.¡±


    Julia sounded furious as she spoke urgently and at lightning speed.


    On the other hand, Amelie felt as if being hit in the head.


    She quickly skimmed through the content of the magazine.


    Aside from the fact that Elyse persuaded Ashton to take Bria away, the content was exactly the same


    as what Julia had mentioned.


    Amelie found it absurd. ¡°Is this an actual magazine? Did you get it from the streets?¡±


    Some immor¨¢l ?sthetic clinics would often pick up outdated entertainment news for the sake of


    promotions, so Amelie immediately thought of that.


    In response, Julia closed the magazine to show her the cover.


    Hitting Amelie¡¯s head with her knuckles, she eximed, ¡°Look! This is a weekly entertainment


    magazine. I bought it! This article isn¡¯t just published here but is also spread across the Inte.


    Everyone is talking about Leo investing in Elyse¡¯s projects, and they¡¯re even iming that he¡¯s


    getting hack tooether with herlTM


    Without much effort, she managed to find another article.


    Amelie went silent as her beautiful face was suddenly deprived of color.


    Julia¡¯s irritated voice rang in her ears again. ¡°I knew that Leo Alston have been acting in front of us. He


    was afraid that we would make things worse, so he pretended to side with us. His ultimate goal was to


    convict Elyse yton of her crimes. Look how sessful his strategy was. We fell for his trick and left


    Elyse up to the police, and we didn¡¯t even tell the public about her arrest! Anyway, I reckon this was his


    n all along!¡±


    Julia talked non-stop beside her.


    However, Amelie¡¯s mind was currently in a mess that she didn¡¯t register what her friend was bbering


    on and on about.


    Her mind was filled with the scene from that night when Leo hugged her, called her Big Eyes, and


    admitted his mistake.


    Was that part of his act too?


    If he wasn¡¯t acting, how could he exin the news today?


    The more she thought about it, the more disappointed she felt.


    After a long time, she brought her hands to her head and uttered, ¡°Can you leave me alone for a


    while?¡±


    It was only then that Julia noticed the sadness on Amelie¡¯s face. She was first taken aback by her


    reaction but quickly led her to the couch without another word.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep your worries to yourself. Remember, you can always tell me and Samuel,¡± she reminded


    Amelie.


    Amelie nodded in response.


    After Julia left, Amelie plopped onto the couch as if suffering from a cramp.


    She sat on the couch for a while until the sound of her ringtone brought her back to reality.


    Grabbing her phone, she realized there were a few iing calls from the same number, but she was


    so distracted that she didn¡¯t hear them.


    The number on the screen arousedplex emotions in Amelie.


    She was about to toss the phone aside when the same number appeared on the screen again.


    M


    Amelie forced herself to suppress the overwhelming emotions in her heart and swiped the answer key


    before blurting in a cold voice, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet up.¡± That was all the other party said before giving her the address and hanging up the


    phone.

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175


    ¡°Miss Dillon?¡±


    When Amelie arrived at the riverside opposite Starlight Media, she was stopped by a youngdy. Then,


    she nodded without saying anything and nced at the familiar figure not far away. Even though the


    other person was only a few feet away, she could sense an air of superiority emanating from that other


    person, which made her uneasy.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Come here.¡± The woman nodded at her and led her to the familiar figure.


    ¡°Mrs. Alston, Miss Dillon is here,¡± the youngdy informed.


    The woman did not turn around but instead authoritatively waved her hand. So, when the youngdy


    saw that, she lowered her head and retreated.


    Meanwhile, Amelie silently watched the woman¡¯s annoying behavior and felt speechless. ¡°Is something


    the matter, Mrs. Alston?¡± she inquired directly.


    Melissa eventually turned around but did not meet her gaze, and there was a hint of displeasure on her


    face. It was an expression of dismay at Amelie¡¯sck of respect for her. As was her custom, she


    conveyed her emotions solely through her facial expression without further exnation. Simply


    lowering her gaze, she could make anyone feel small and vulnerable.


    Nevertheless, Amelie still felt oppressed despite being used to her behavior.


    ¡°Do you know why I must fight for Bria¡¯s custody, Amelie?¡± Melissa finally spoke.


    Suddenly, Amelie could finally heave a breath. Don¡¯t you get tired ofying the groundwork and putting


    up a front? My heart goes out to her. ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase.¡± She had never fancied beating around the


    bush, so she reminded Melissa directly.


    Melissa frowned in displeasure when she heard that. She could no longer control her expression as


    she felt offended. However, she knew Amelie would not surrender to her like that, so she stifled her


    anger and finished her sentence. ¡°Our family owns a hugepany, so we can¡¯t tolerate malicious


    comments from the public. You are financially supported by Starlight Media¡¯s boss to raise Brja, and it


    has be an act of humiliation to our family. We cannot allow you to continue humiliating us, so we


    will fight for Bria¡¯s custody at all costs!¡±


    ¡°Is that what Leo wants?¡± Amelie questioned calmly while looking into her eyes.


    Melissa froze for a moment before responding, ¡°This is what our family wants.¡±


    In other words, he was bound by whatever the Alstons decided.


    The words caused Amelie to frown and she felt a sharn nain in her chest hit cho mickly


    must have spent so much time writing a great script that he almost cost Elyse her future.


    Initially, she nned on telling Melissa that she was Starlight Media¡¯s owner and paying for Bria¡¯s


    upbringing from her savings. On the other hand, after hearing Melissa¡¯s remarks, she was no longer in


    the mood to make such a deration. While that statement would be a p in the face to Melissa and


    the Alstons, it would also give the impression that she had not moved on. Furthermore, it would imply


    that she could not detach herself from that deceitful family, which would be like rubbing salt in her own


    wounds.


    ¡°Does that mean as long as I don¡¯t use the money offered by Starlight Media¡¯s boss and give up on the


    job offer, you will not interfere with me and Bria¡¯s lives?¡± Raising her chin slightly, Amelie enunciated


    every word as she looked into Melissa¡¯s eyes.


    Seeing how serious Amelie was, Melissa snickered in her heart. Pfft, acting so high and almighty.


    Whom are you trying to show off to?How is a useless woman going to survive without a man? Her


    intention on that particr day was part of a deliberate n to ensnare Amelie, and she needed to


    execute it sessfully. Then, mirroring her expression, Melissa intentionally nodded with grace. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± Amelie quickly agreed.


    Despite agreeing to the terms without hesitation, Melissa felt nothing was amiss.


    She tried to keep her cool but could not help but remind Amelie, ¡°Think about it carefully. That means


    you can¡¯t spend any money he gives you, no matter what method you use. All the money you put


    towards Bria¡¯s upbringing muste from your hard work. It should have nothing to do with Starlight


    Media¡¯s boss!¡±


    As if afraid that Amelie might go back on her words, Melissa took out a small notepad. ¡°If you can do it,


    sign this agreement. The agreement will take effect after you sign it. Once signed, you must willingly


    give up Bria¡¯s custody when you spend a penny of his money, We wille and take Bria away!¡±


    Amelie was well aware of what Melissa¡¯s n was. She thinks that I won¡¯t make enough to support


    myself and Bria. Moreover, she is waiting for me to vite the contract or my inability to raise Bria so


    that the Alstons can take custody of my daughter.


    Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Amelie grabbed the agreement and signed her name on it.


    Then, she handed it back to Melissa. ¡°There you go. The agreement goes into effect today.¡±


    Suddenly, Melissa¡¯s jaw dropped as she stared at Amelie. I do not believe she will sign the agreement


    so quickly. My initial assumption is that it will be difficult to convince her to relinquish custody of her


    daughter to me. ¡°Let me remind you one more time. You can only support Bria with your own ie


    without the involvement of Starlight Media or mary support from others,¡± she reminded her.


    =


    cancel the 20 million education fund for Bria!¡±


    After saying that, she kept her phone gracefully. ¡°Is that enough? If not, you may deploy a financial


    team to monitor my financial situation at any time.¡±


    Melissa was dumbfounded by Amelie¡¯s attitude. Soon, after hearing what she said, Melissa kept quiet


    and snatched the agreement before shoving it into her bag. After that, she stomped away.


    ¡°I had no idea Melissa Alston would pull such a stupid act. The Alstons will be too embarrassed to ask


    for Bria¡¯s custodyter under this agreement.¡± In the office, Julia snatched the agreement from Amelie,


    flipped through it, and remarked sarcastically. Soon, anger no longer painted across her face but was


    reced with her usual energetic expression.


    After taking a seat, Amelie rubbed her temples and chimed in, ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s for the better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the day those b¡¯stards from the Alston Family see you living a prosperous life


    even though you didn¡¯t get money from Starlight Media.¡± Immersing herself in her imagination, Julia


    laughed out loud.


    On the contrary, Amelie pulled an indifferent expression. ¡°They have no right to see how prosperous


    my life is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but those b¡¯stards are crossing the line. They make me want to p them in the face!¡±


    Julia huffed and was secretly plotting in her mind. I need to find a chance to show those arrogant


    b¡¯stards that the woman they look down on is not an easy enemy!


    ¡°It¡¯s a great day for shopping today! Come with me!¡± After making that statement, Julia was eager to


    leave.


    Given that Amelie already nned to go shopping for new seasonal clothing for her father and


    daughter, she quickly agreed.


    After a round of shopping, both managed to haul a few bags. Nheless, they were relieved to learn


    that the luxurious mall provided services that would deliver their purchases directly to their homes.


    The two only left the mall when they were satisfied with their purchases. However, when they left the


    building, they ran into two familiar faces. As soon as Julia caught sight of the couple, her smile/turned


    to disgust.

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176


    Amelie also noticed the couple. I can¡¯t believe how had my luck has been today. Why are the odds of


    running into Leo and Elyse so high? After a few days in detention, she appears to have shed some


    pounds. Her once-glowing face now shows signs of haggardness, and she gives off an air of pathetic


    desperation. Leo, who imed a few days ago to be seeking justice, is now walking alongside her.


    They appear very when she wraps her arm around his and leans on him affectionately. Suddenly, she


    momentarily froze and felt a fleeting emotion with that thought.


    Then, she walked by the couple, pretending to not notice them.


    intimate


    On the other hand, Leo noticed Amelie and Julia. When they exchanged nces, he could not help but


    look at Amelie, but her expression of indifference caused him to frown.


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you the famous Mr. Alston?¡± Julia, on the contrary, did not choose to turn a blind eye as


    Amelie did, and she stopped him.


    Then, she shot a sharp gaze at him before looking down at their linked arms. ¡°h! Are you two getting


    married soon?¡± she snickered.


    Nheless, Leo said nothing as Elyse leaned on his arm again andter rested her head on his


    shoulder as if dering her possession.


    Julia smiled even wider at that. ¡°I knew you two were the perfect match. I guarantee you will live


    happily ever after.¡±


    Suddenly, Elyse¡¯s expression was distorted at the mention of ¡®happily ever after¡¯ because Julia.


    sounded like she was mocking them and was being sarcastic! Following that, she gave Leo a gentle


    squeeze on the arm, looked at him with a pitiful expression, and at the same time, tears began to form


    in her eyes.


    The sight of her behavior made Julia feel sick to her stomach. Since she had always had a sharp


    tongue, there was no way she would let go of that opportunity. Folding her arms in front of her chest,


    she used her fingers to prop her chin up. In a yful tone, she mocked, ¡°I realize you have quite a kink,


    Mr. Alston. You seem to like women who treat you as a fool and treat your daughter like a toy. Does


    that prove that all men are cheap?¡±


    Julia slowly crossed the line with her remarks, causing tears to pool in Elyse¡¯s eyes. While her eyes


    welled up with tears, not a single drop trickled down her cheek. She appeared pitiful and victimized,


    with her head bowed, and shoulders stooped. Her act is so convincing that even a woman could be


    fooled by her.


    Feeling disgusted by her behavior, Julia snorted.


    While she was thinking of something else to say, Leo broke the silence. ¡°Miss White,e at me if you


    have an opinion about me. Don¡¯t vent your anger on others.¡±


    He was openly defending Elyse with the words he spoke!


    Seeing how protective he was of Elyse, Julia started fuming. She parted her lips and intended to


    counterattack. Suddenly, Amelie walked up to her and stopped her. ¡°Enough, Julia. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As expected, Julia was not reconciled, so she struggled but was eventually dragged away by


    Amelie.


    ¡°How could they be so rude? We should make things clear now that we¡¯ve bumped into each.


    other!¡±


    Later, when they arrived at the parking lot, Amelie finally let go of her friend.


    Julia was so enraged that she punched the car windows, but it was still not enough to vent her


    anger.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Amelie gently calmed her down. ¡°Elyse¡¯s release is already a done deal. We already know what


    happened, and if we try to uncover the truth, we will be the only ones suffering humiliation. I know you


    are defending me, Julia, but it¡¯s unnecessary. From the day I divorced him, I didn¡¯t intend to seek


    fairness or justice from him. The current situation is the best for everyone.¡±


    Julia looked at Amelie and realized that she would never be like her. She would not self-destruct for the


    sake of the people she loved. Nevertheless, she would also never be as open-minded as her friend.


    Standing before Amelie, Julia suddenly felt she wasn¡¯t on the same notch as her friend. Still, she could


    help but feel sorry for Amelie.


    Who on earth would make a sacrifice without expecting something in return? The more Julia thought


    about it, the more distressed she became. Eventually, she could only hug Amelie tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elie.


    I¡¯m useless and unable to help you.¡±


    ¡°You have always stayed by my side and managed Starlight Media well for me. That¡¯s the biggest


    assistance you¡¯ve offered me,¡± Amelie reassured her, gently patting her on the back.


    In her heart, Julia still felt like she had not done enough. Still, she didn¡¯t want them to be caught up in a


    never-ending conversation, so she could only release Amelie from the hug and grab her- arms. ¡°Okay.


    Let¡¯s not get emotional over this matter. People will think we¡¯re actually a couple.¡±


    Julia¡¯s remark elicited augh out of Amelie as they entered the car together.


    Meanwhile, in the mall, Elyse looked at Leo with teary eyes. Then, she uttered in a grateful tone,


    ¡°Thank you for defending me earlier, Leony.¡±


    Following that, she batted hershes and purposely showed him a beautiful expression. Her eyes


    shone with the radiance of spring and were as clear as the ocean.


    he took a step forward and distanced himself from her.


    Half an hourter, at Spring Garden Memorial, the ring-shaped mountain was surrounded by pine


    trees, and rows of tombstones stood in the middle of the mountain in awe. The sound of crows cawing


    made the atmosphere distant and deste.


    In front of a tombstone stood a tall and broad figure. His hands were hanging beside his body as he


    held a bouquet of white lilies. The sight of the man¡¯s straight back added a hint of loneliness to


    the scene.


    Elyse stood next to him and looked at the photos on the tombstone while uttering in a soft voice, ¡°My


    sister and I were twins, but she was more sensible than me. She took good care of me since I was a


    child, andter when my mother and father divorced, I couldn¡¯t ept the truth and ran away from


    home to live with my grandmother in Quinn Town. When my sister found out, she came to find me and


    persuaded me to go home. I refused, so she stayed with me for a long time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all my


    fault. I was only a shoemaker, so I couldn¡¯t provide a good life for my children and their mother.¡± A little


    further away from the two stood a bald man who scratched his head and sighed. He looked about 40


    years


    old.


    ¡°During the divorce, each of us took custody of one child. Elie felt bad for me, and she didn¡¯t want her


    sister to suffer with me, so she volunteered to live with me while you followed your mother, El,¡± the man


    continued with furrowed brows and a low voice. ¡°The divorce took a toll on me, so I didn¡¯t allow her to


    bring up her mother. I made her tell everyone that her mother was dead. Now that I think about it, I


    realize I went overboard.¡±


    Elyse nced at the middle-aged man and wavered. ¡°After my sister stayed with me for a while, I


    suffered from depression, so my mother came to take me away. She stayed at our grandma¡¯s house for


    some reason, but my father moved nearer to us back then to learn shoemaking from an expert. Due to


    that, my mother could take care of both of us.¡±


    The middle-aged man nodded. ¡°I was too focused on learning the skills to pay attention to her. She had


    to look after herself; she also had to look after her mother and me. It must have been difficult for her. I


    now regret not treating her better at the time. If I had been concerned about her and discovered her


    illness sooner-


    The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes turned red as he spoke.

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177


    Elyse walked over and took his hand. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be sad.¡±,


    ¡°How can I not be sad?¡± The man lost control of his emotions and burst into tears. ¡°Ellen was so ill, yet I


    knew nothing about it. I¡¯m such an ipetent Dad. She was probably afraid of burdening me further.


    That was why she hid her illness, pretended to be rebellious, and ran away from home. Back then, I


    always heard from your grandmother that she was a rebellious child. I believed her, and I even


    continuously criticized and scolded Ellen. It¡¯s true that Ellen ran away from home, but judging by her


    health condition¡­ She¡¯s absolutely..


    The middle-aged man cried so hard that he couldn¡¯t get the words out. Elyse, too, wiped away her


    tears.


    Meanwhile, Leo remained standing quietly with a solemn and gloomy expression.


    The reason why he spared Elyse was because of her sister, Ellen yton.


    After his sobbing fest, only then did the middle-aged mane over and hand a small box covered in


    dirt to Leo. ¡°There are Elie¡¯s diary, medical records, and farewell letter inside this box, which she buried


    in the backyard. Her uncle discovered it when he wanted to build a pigsty over there a few days ago¡­..


    Why don¡¯t you have a look, Mr. Alston?¡±


    Leo took it silently, lowered his head, and opened it.


    Inside, there were a few small items lying neatly.


    When Elyse saw these items, she choked with tears to the point that she lost her bnce and fell into


    the arms of the middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man caressed her back lovingly. ¡°Elie is really a kind youngdy. She still worried


    about El until the day she passed away. Her only hope was that El could live happily. She even said


    something like asking El to live on her behalf¡­ T-These words¡­ They anguished me like sharp


    des.¡±


    And then, he let go of Elyse and walked up to Leo. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Alston. It was a good thing that you


    were with her for a period of time and gave her happiness before she left this world.¡±


    Leo felt a lump in his throat and couldn¡¯t answer a word as he held the yellowed diary in his hand.


    Every word and sentence in the diary were a memory of his past meetings with Big Eyes. He flipped


    through the diary in silence when suddenly, a page shakily fell to the ground.


    Leo looked down and picked it up.


    His pupils constricted when he saw the content on the page, and his heart pounded even harder.


    At once, a sense of unbearable pain engulfed him.


    ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Alston?¡± Laura, who climbed up from the mountain¡¯s base, hurried over to help him


    after seeing him in such a state.


    Leo waved her off, letting her know he didn¡¯t need help. However, no matter how hard he tried, he just


    couldn¡¯t straighten his back.


    When Laura saw this, she had no choice but to have someonee up and help Leo down the


    mountain.


    Behind them, Elyse¡¯s father, Michael yton, watched as they went away. Then, he looked at Elyse


    with a worried look on his face. ¡°Is this strategy reliable? What if he finds out¡­¡±


    ¡°Find out? Find out about what?¡± Elyse¡¯s eyes were clear, and her gaze was calm and confident.


    ¡°Everything is real, so how will he find out?¡±


    And then, she nced lightly at the tomb. The smile on her lips grew deeper.


    In the car, the pain in Leo¡¯s body finally dissipated slowly.


    Although his forehead was beaded with sweat and looked weak, he still stubbornly stayed strong.


    ¡°What can I get for you, Mr. Alston?¡± Laura asked with concern.


    Leo shook his head, took out his phone, and dialed a number. ¡°Help me investigate something,¡± he said


    to the person on the other end of the phone.


    She remained silent as she watched Leo on the phone. Normally, it¡¯s me who does the errands. Mr.


    Alston definitely attached great importance to this matter, judging by how he directly bypassed me and


    sought help from a professional.


    As she thought of that, her eyes flickered a few times before she practically blurted, ¡°Mr. Alston, what


    will you do with Elyse if this matter truly turns out to be true?¡±


    After she posed that question, only then did she realize she had crossed the line. Therefore, she


    hurriedly lowered his head and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Nevertheless, Leo seemed to not hear anything she said and kept looking in a particr direction.


    He pursed his lips tightly as he gazed far in the distance. At this moment, no one knew what was on his


    mind.


    A young man was already standing inside Leo¡¯s office by the time Leo arrived.


    Laura recognized this young man. He¡¯s the detective hired by Mr. Alston recently.


    unreliable.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Laura didn¡¯t dare to disturb the two of them, so she left immediately after she served them coffee.


    Leo pulled his necktie and nodded to Victor, motioning him to take a seat.


    ¡°How¡¯s the investigation?¡± he asked.


    With that, Victor spread out some documents in front of him. ¡°Everything the ytons said is


    true.¡±


    ¡°What about these then?¡± he asked again as he handed over the box in his hand.


    Victor opened the box. Then, he checked everything meticulously. He even took out a magnifying


    ss.


    Finally, he closed the box and nodded. ¡°These are real as well. The years basically match the timeline.¡±


    Leo fell into dead silence after he heard what Victor said. I won¡¯t doubt Victor¡¯spetency, let alone


    his sentiment. After all, I wouldn¡¯t have hired him immediately if I had no absolute certainty about his


    competency. In that case, all these can¡¯t possibly be fake now that even Victor himself confirms they


    are genuine.


    During Leo¡¯s silence and his trip down memoryne, Victor had collected Ellen¡¯s notes and everything


    else. Then, hepared them one by one with the information he obtained. Everything was a match,


    even the handwriting.


    ¡°At the very least, this shows that Ellen indeed wrote the diary and farewell letter and that the ytons


    didn¡¯t falsify her identity,¡± Victor concluded.


    Leo looked down for a long time before he hummed in a low voice.


    As Victor couldn¡¯t guess what Leo would do, he could do nothing but wait quietly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Leo said.


    Victor knew that it was time for him to take his leave upon hearing those words. Thus, he gave Leo a


    polite nod, turned around, and left.¡±


    Once Victor left, Leo allowed his body to sink into the couch. He moved his fingers and once again fell


    into thought as he looked at the piece of paper that fell out of the diary earlier. This piece of paper is a


    copy of the application form for corneal donation involving a living donor, which I¡¯d discovered at the


    hospital in the first ce. So, does this mean that not only is Ellen the Big Eyes from back then, but


    she¡¯s also¡­ The cornea donor? If so, then everything about the case of corneal donation involving a


    living


    donor would make sense!


    ill at that time? What kind of thought did she have in mind when she apanied me every day


    without saying a word about her illness?


    After a while, he dialed Victor¡¯s number. ¡°Try to find Ellen, regardless of the price.¡± ording to


    Michael, only Ellen¡¯s clothes were buried in the tomb, and they didn¡¯t actually see her corpse either. Is


    there a chance that she might still be alive?


    The next day, Elyse sat in Leo¡¯s car with Michael beside her.


    A very special smile rose from the corner of Elyse¡¯s mouth as she gazed at Leo¡¯s back silhouette. with


    a pair of crystal-clear eyes.


    Michael, on the other hand, rubbed his hands with an excited look on his face.


    That was because Leo had bought them a huge vist night and allowed them to move in today.


    Since Michael had never lived in a vi in his life, he felt excited just thinking about it. From now on, I,


    too, will be living the life of an upperssman.


    In his mind, Michael began to imagine the dejected expressions those who once looked down on him


    would have when they learned about it. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.


    Soon, they arrived at the ce.


    The vi was even more beautiful and huge than what they saw in the rendering. Michael¡¯s eyes were


    about to pop out of their sockets as he stared at the glorious-looking vi. Finally, he couldn¡¯t help


    himself as he practically ran into the building.


    Elyse was a lot more restrained than Michael. She stood in front of Leo and said, ¡°Leo, there¡¯s


    absolutely no need for you to do this.¡±


    ¡°Big Eyes wished for me to take good care of you guys. Hence, I will fulfill her wish,¡± Leo responded


    tly.


    Elyse¡¯s eyes flickered several times before she asked, ¡°Ellen hoped that I could live on her behalf. Leo,


    what will you do?¡±


    Leo suddenly turned his head and looked at her coldly.


    His sharp gaze made Elyse realize that she was being too hasty. Therefore, she hurriedly hid her


    ambition and went on to say, ¡°Sorry. I just came across some bad news, so I wasn¡¯t myself for a


    moment.¡±


    After that, she quietly held out her phone. ¡°It¡¯s about Amelie.¡±


    Elyse¡¯s phone.

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178


    Elyse kept observing the changes in Leo¡¯s facial expression. When she saw that he was silent, she


    slightly furrowed her brows.


    ¡°Amelie suddenly announced that she would cut all ties with Starlight Media and the boss of Starlight


    Media. She probably has something up her sleeves, considering she chose to announce it at such a


    moment. Leo, will you choose to remarry her because of Bria?¡±


    The content she showed Leo was precisely the joint statement announced by Amelie and Starlight


    Media.


    The statement stated that Amelie would part ways with Starlight Media and seek opportunities at


    another entertainmentpany. At the same time, the 20 million dor educationfund established by


    the boss of Starlight Media for Bria would also be automatically invalidated.


    Initially, this was Melissa¡¯s tactic to rob Amelie of Bria¡¯s custody rights. However, the meaning behind


    this announcement was suddenly interpreted as Amelie taking this opportunity to hint to Leo that she


    was single when these words escaped Elyse¡¯s lips.


    Leo frowned. I¡¯m really quite surprised that Amelie would make this decision. Through our interactions


    these days, I can sense that my feelings for Amelie are secretly changing from utter loathing to having


    a certain degree of affection for her. In fact, I don¡¯t even resent the idea of getting back with her. It¡¯s just


    that¡­ Ellen¡¯s whereabouts are unknown. Compared to Amelie, she is the person I should truly be


    responsible for and look after throughout my life!


    When he thought of this, he firmly denied, ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Elyse smirked inwardly upon hearing Leo¡¯s answer and took care to remain calm and collected on the


    outside. As long as Leo doesn¡¯t remarry Amelie, I will have plenty of time to woo him!


    Things had been far more rxing for Amelie now that she was no longer in charge of Starlight Media¡¯s


    business.


    Other than doing live streaming at a fixed period of time every day, she was practically free the rest of


    the time.


    However, given her restless nature, she eventually couldn¡¯t bear going about her days like this and


    started working on new projects again after she had nothing better to do.


    Just like that, a new proposal came out half a monthter. For hertest project, she decided to build


    an advanced learning plus training tform oriented toward adults.


    She sent the proposal to Julia, and thetter had her mind blown after she read it. ¡°Holy moly! You


    really are a genius! There are so many study channels, but why has no one ever thought of


    doing it this way? Amelie, you are about to get rich again!¡±


    Amelie smiled, feeling wholly confident in her ns.


    ¡°The most important thing now is to find the most brilliant personnel for designing the most. outstanding


    courses that can exin profound theories in simple terms.¡±


    Since advanced users were the target market for her tform, Amelie naturally needed to create


    fantastic courses in order to draw their attention.


    This quality of Amelie¡¯s was exactly what Julia admired the most. She knows what she wants and how


    to reach her goal.


    When Julia heard that Amelie was seeking highly specialized personnel, she immediately asked


    Samuel to utilize hiswork resources to scout out some professors for Amelie.


    Within a few days, Samuel sent Amelie an email, informing her that he had received the contact


    information of some of the most impressive leaders in the field of economics, cutting-edge technology,


    business, astronomy, and many more!


    Amelie recruited a few business representatives and assigned them clients who were easily


    persuaded. As for her, she reserved the fussiest client to herself. And thus, her business expansion


    journey began.


    On this day, Amelie located the most prominent figure in the field of economics known asSpectre


    Manus.


    Even though he was really exceptional, he was notoriously known to have a cold attitude as well.


    The other party finally came to meet her after she had waited for a long time.


    However, as soon as she held out her business card, the other party rudely pped it onto the ground.


    ¡°I am a very busy person. I don¡¯t have time for this nonsense!¡±


    Even so, Amelie wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, she picked up the business card with a smile and said, ¡°I know


    you are busy. I shall discuss the skillful means to change the world again when you are free.¡±


    The other party seemed not to care about her gender at all, for he pped her hand away and got out


    of the car with an icy demeanor.


    Since Amelie had gone through plenty of hardships when she started Starlight Media, she didn¡¯t take


    this setback into consideration at all. In fact, it only motivated her further.


    As she stared at the car that was driving away, she merely sat back down and thought about her


    next move.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    A car gradually stopped before her while she was in her thoughts.


    The people in the car kept looking at her through the window with a hint of indifference and


    comcency glimmering in their condescension-filled eyes.


    This person was none other than Melissa.


    She happened to notice Amelie¡¯s every move when her car drove over.


    She didn¡¯t know what Amelie and the other party were talking about. She only knew that the other party


    threw away all the business cards after Amelie held out her business card repeatedly.


    In fact, in Melissa¡¯s eyes, Amelie¡¯s current state of sitting down and thinking was a sign of her defeat. It


    seems that I have reallye up with the right strategy. As expected, Amelie is just a nobody after she


    left Starlight Media!


    When she thought of that, she secretly took a picture of Amelie and ordered her driver, ¡°Go down and


    ask her for a business card. Also, ask her whichpany she works for.¡±


    Since she had just recruited this driver, she figured there was no way that Amelie could recognize


    him.


    The driver took her order and stepped out of the car.


    Not long after, he returned with Amelie¡¯s business card. ¡°Here you go, Mrs. Alston.¡±


    Melissa took it, lowered her head, and nced at it. ¡°Enhance App? What is this?¡±


    With that, the driver exined to her Amelie¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°In conclusion, she¡¯s doing something rting to c-books.¡± Melissa had always despised things like this


    the most, and the disdain on her face intensified when she remembered that the number of e-books


    avable was abundant nowadays.


    She took another look at the business card and noticed Amelie put herself as Sales Manager of


    Enhance Co. Ltd.


    When sheid her eyes on the title, she snorted derisively again, not being able to hide the mockery on


    her face. Everyone knows that those engaging in sales often give themselves the title of ¡®manager¡¯ just


    to deceive others. In reality, they are nothing but low-ss salespeople.


    ¡°Miss Dillon said that theirpany has just been established,¡± the driver added.


    Melissaughed out loud when she heard what the driver said. ¡°Only a newly established


    She saw hope through Amelie¡¯s pathetic life.


    specifically invited her friends to y poker for the entire day. Finally, she even went for a full- body spa


    before instructing the driver to take her home.


    By the time she got home, Leo had also returned.


    He was looking down, frowning as he read the stack of documents that he ced on his knees.


    Laura stood by his side without saying a word.


    When she saw Melissa, she immediately addressed her, ¡°Mrs. Alston.¡±


    After she nodded arrogantly, she handed her shopping bags to Miss Potts. Then, she sat across from


    Leo.


    Laura knew that, based on Melissa¡¯s actions, she had something to discuss with Leo. So, Laura quickly


    left after she received the documents from Leo.


    Only then did Melissa put her feet together, straighten her back, and look at Leo. ¡°Can you be more


    concerned regarding Bria¡¯s custody rights? Amelie probably won¡¯t be able to raise her any longer, so


    bring her back as soon as possible.¡±


    Leo, who was initially deep in thought, frowned upon hearing those remarks and immediately raised his


    head to stare at Melissa.


    Meanwhile, Melissa looked at her son with a prideful look written all over her face. ¡°We had signed an


    agreement when she made her own statement that she would leave Starlight Media, cut all ties with the


    boss of Starlight Media, and only use her own money to raise Briast time. And if she can¡¯t do it, then


    we have the right to take Bria away. Today, I witnessed her humbling herself in front of clients for the


    sake of business and getting her business cards thrown away. So, I guess she won¡¯tst long in her


    job.¡±


    After that, she pursed her lips in a dignified manner. ¡°Even if she can stay in such a smallpany,


    she still won¡¯t be able to earn a lot of money. Bria will only suffer if she follows her. Considering how


    she thought highly of herself and regarded herself as infallible before, I¡¯d say it¡¯s about time someone


    taught her a lesson and let her have a clear look at the harsh, cold reality.¡±


    ¡°So, it was you who forced her to give up her job at Starlight Media!¡± Leo frowned as he looked at


    Melissa.


    In contrast with the delighted look Melissa had in mind, Leo¡¯s face was currently full of displeasure.


    For a moment, Melissa was stunned yet somewhat guilty. She almost didn¡¯t dare to look Leo in


    the eyes.


    Nevertheless, she immediately regained her courage. ¡°I¡¯m simply doing this for you and the Alstons¡¯


    sake. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s she who¡¯s ipetent and cannot afford to raise Bria. Therefore,


    go to her, and ask her to hand over Bria¡¯s custody rights. As long as Bria returns to the Alston


    Residence, I don¡¯t care who she is with or what she does!¡±


    Just when she was raving about this, Leo suddenly got up and walked away.


    Melissa was so angry that she nipped her fingers when she received such an abrupt dismissal just


    when she was talking.


    Nheless, she could do nothing, for Leo had already opened the door and left.


    Since Amelie was on the move for the entire day, she returned home a littleter than usual.


    Although she got off to a bad start, she wasn¡¯t discouraged even the slightest.


    That was because whenever she started a new business, it always energized her. It was as though her


    strength was doubled, giving her inexhaustible energy.


    As she walked, she organized the tasks she needed to carry out tomorrow on her phone.


    Because she was so immersed in typing out her ns for tomorrow, she didn¡¯t notice that there was


    someone in front of her and identally bumped into that person¡¯s arms.


    The bump sent her head aching.


    Amelie covered her aching area and quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    As she spoke, she backed away.


    s, the person suddenly reached out and grabbed her arms instead of responding to her.


    Amelie was taken aback for a moment and instinctively raised her head.


    When she saw the face of the person in front of her, it momentarily took her off guard.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179


    The face that entered her vision was a clear, sculptured face. The man carried the charm and.


    grandeur of a prince as though he had strolled right out of a fairytale.


    ¡°ke?¡± Amelie called out his name, but when she saw him looking at her with a tender look in his


    eyes, she pursed her lips softly.


    Still, she was especially excited to see him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ke had gone for training recently, and it had been a while since thest time they met..


    When he heard her question, a longing look shed past his angelic, smooth face, but he quickly


    concealed it with a gentle smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to visit you.¡±


    As he was born with an angelic face, the smile on his face was akin to a polished pearl that made him


    even more dazzling.


    Amelie nodded. ¡°Bria has been missing you a lot recently, always telling me that she misses you. out of


    the blue.¡±


    His smile wavered as he studied her. Is Bria the only one who misses me? He wanted to ask but was


    afraid to startle her. So, he merely continued to smile silently.


    At this time, Brianna had already gone to bed, and Steven was about to fall asleep, too. Naturally, it


    wasn¡¯t appropriate to visit her now.


    He lowered his head and stared at the woman who only reached the height of his nose, and the edges


    of his lip turned tender as he said gently, ¡°I heard from Julia that you¡¯re working on a new project and


    didn¡¯t take any funds from Starlight Media. So, that¡¯s as good as starting from scratch, right?¡±


    At the mention of her new project, her eyes shone brightly with fiery ambition. ¡°Yes,¡± she said and


    briefly told him about her own ideas.


    As he stood in front of her, her image was reflected in his eyes as a lively, happy pixie, and his heart


    melted secretly at such an energetic woman whom he found adorable and delightful.


    In fact, he wanted to take her under his wing so she wouldn¡¯t have to suffer from any difficulties.


    When he realized that his thoughts had wandered, he discretely bit his nails into the tips of his fingers


    as he asked in concern. ¡°Is it tiring?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Her eyes were shining like stars. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make me tired at all to do something which I enjoy.¡±


    He came here because he saw her reputation on the Inte and became concerned, but when


    she was right before him, happy and well, he wasn¡¯t sure if he should be happy or disappointed.


    In his heart, he yearned for this woman to need him and rely on him. However, he also didn¡¯t want her


    to be upset.


    ke knew that he might have to keep this affection for her locked in his heart for the rest of his


    life.


    He hung his head in resignation and whipped out a card after a while. ¡°I know that you¡¯re good at


    business, and I would like to make some extra money. May I join you as a shareholder?¡± he asked,


    without looking at her because he was worried that she would see through his true intentions.


    Even though he knew that she was a capable woman and had it all handled, he still wanted to help her.


    He still wanted to silently share and reduce her burdens but was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t ept his


    help. Hence, he proposed his intention of bing a shareholder instead.


    Of course, Amelie knew what he had in mind, but she didn¡¯t say anything about it and merely smiled. ¡°I


    still have the money from you. What amount of money would you like to invest? I¡¯ll just


    the money from there.¡±


    use


    ¡°That amount is what I owed to you.¡± When she brought up the past again, his face fell, looking


    discouraged. ¡°Back then, you spent money and time on me. Not to mention the amount, even a billion


    isn¡¯t enough to pay you back.¡±


    Unfortunately, before she could say anything to dissuade him of that notion, he had hastily stuffed the


    card into her hands forcefully and said, ¡°You know that I can¡¯t be figure-skating all my life, and I¡¯ll be


    retired in a few more years. I don¡¯t want to be without any security at that time. So, from now onward,


    I¡¯ll pass you all the money I earn, and you¡¯ll manage it for me!¡±


    He¡¯s betting all of his riches on me, she realized, feeling rather stressed.


    Nevertheless, he had a point; figure skating was a career he could pursue as long as he was young,


    and nobody knew how long livemerce could sustain him.


    So, his decision to save for a rainy day and make more investments when he could had been honestly


    the correct path to take.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you in as a shareholder. She decided to keep his card. ¡°When I get hometer, I¡¯ll


    allocate you the shares ording to the amount of money.¡±


    Once ke saw that she had epted the money, he became very satisfied and nodded at agreeably


    everything she said. They chatted for a little longer, but he felt worried for her because she had been


    busy the whole day. So, even though he wanted to stay by her side for a few more minutes, he finally


    decided to say goodbye and left.


    As Amelie watched his slender back silhouette, she smiled softly, lowered her head, and wanted to


    keep the card away in her bag. Yet, before the card could slip in, she felt it vanish between her


    She thought that she was getting robbed, so she raised her head in shock, and her eyes met a pair of


    icy eyes without warning.


    Besides the chill, there was also anger, and the man furrowed his brows as his stunning face was filled


    with emotions.


    ¡°L-Leo Alston?¡± Amelie stammered his name and couldn¡¯t stop herself from looking around. Did he


    have a business dinner around my house or what?


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you need money?¡± He frowned deeply, and the look on his face. remained


    angry. ¡°I¡¯m Bria¡¯s father!¡±


    She thought, But I¡¯m not in need of money.


    Leo whisked out his wallet from his pocket, flipped it open, picked out a card, and handed it to


    her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Alston, but did you get the wrong idea about something?¡± She tapped on ke¡¯s ?ard


    that he was holding in his palm. ¡°I don¡¯t want your card. Please return my card to me.¡±


    Leo¡¯s scowl became deeper when he saw that she was insistent on him returning ke¡¯s card to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with him? Did you have sex already?¡±


    His direct and rude words stabbed through her chest, and her face turned rigid and pale.


    The polite smile she carried in the beginning gradually disappeared, and slowly, it turned into a stony


    expression.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, this is my personal life. I don¡¯t need to report my life to you.¡±


    For the sake of novelty, he and Elyse had yed her like a fool. Although she didn¡¯t want to question


    him over that matter, it didn¡¯t mean that he could push her around without any limits.


    Her cold voice was akin to a knife made out of pure ice as it pierced him right in the chest and was


    excruciating.


    She didn¡¯t rify their rtionship and merely med him for intervening in her personal life. ¨C Clearly,


    she had something going on with ke.


    So, it wasn¡¯t his mother¡¯s coercion that she broke off all connections with Starlight Media, but she


    purely wanted to be with ke?


    He¡¯s just a pretty boy, he scoffed silently. What¡¯s so special about him that she likes? Does she have no


    taste


    at all?


    At the same time, his face turned into a myriad of colors, from pale to utterly fuming crimson the next,


    looking very nasty.


    It became even worse when he imagined her underneath ke in sweet lovemaking. It was as though


    a bowl of acid had spilled over his chest-burning hot and painful!


    ¡°I¡¯m not interfering in your personal life. I just want to remind you that you¡¯ve promised my mom that


    you¡¯ll raise Bria with the money you earned, and I¡¯m here to supervise you. If you can¡¯t do that, send


    Bria back as soon as possible!¡±


    His words were cold and heartless, and when he finished speaking, he tossed ke¡¯s card at her


    chest. But he didn¡¯t leave immediately and merely watched her with dark, gloomy eyes as though


    waiting to see if she would really pick up ke¡¯s card.


    Amelie found it amusing and sneered when she heard his insults to her character.


    Was she so timid in the past that it left a stereotype in the minds of the Alstons that she was useless


    and couldn¡¯t make a living for herself besides depending on a man?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Alston.¡± When she spoke again, her voice was bitterly cold and without a shard of


    emotion. ¡°I won¡¯t use anyone else¡¯s money since I already said that I won¡¯t. If you¡¯re still worried, you


    can investigate and find out whether I¡¯m capable of raising Bria or not.¡± Then, she took a deep breath


    and spoke in an even icier voice, ¡°At the same time, I wish that once you¡¯re done with the


    investigations, you¡¯ll stop showing up in front of me to insult me. Even if I did cling to you without dignity


    in the past, that was in the past. The Alstons had trampled on my dignity for four years as punishment.


    We should be even now.¡±


    After she said all that, she raised her chin indifferently and left without a backward nce. Behind her,


    Leo stared at her back quietly, pursing his lips as tightly as he could.


    He was here to give her some money so she wouldn¡¯t be forced into a corner, but when he saw her


    smiling at ke and taking his card, a boiling fury ignited in his chest, and he started blurting all sorts


    of demeaning words.


    Nevertheless, he snapped back to reality once his phone started ringing. Only then did he set his


    emotions aside and pick up the call. When he left, he called Victor¡¯s number.


    ¡°Investigate something for me.¡±

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180


    At night, Leo went to Prix Bar. His usual straight-backed posture was nowhere to be seen. He remained


    there and was quiet until Victor walked in.


    When he raised his head slightly and Victor, his gaze slightly sharpened on Victor.


    Although Victor didn¡¯t say anything. Leo knew that he had found something in his investigation.


    The price to pay for hiring Victor may be sky-high, but he had to admit that the man was very


    efficient.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± he asked after a few seconds of silence.


    Victor nodded. ¡°Miss Dillon has a fixed ie in her ount. The amount every month is not fixed,


    but never less than one million. The money was stated as tips and had nothing to do with Starlight


    Media.¡±


    ¡°Tips?¡± Just a second ago, Leo was expressionless, but now he looked taken aback. ¡°What tips?¡±


    The confidence in Amelie piqued his curiosity, but of course, it was because he felt responsible toward


    Brianna that he asked Victor to investigate her ie status.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain.¡± An uneasy look washed over Victor¡¯s face. ¡°It seems like these tips have been


    deliberately handled so that the source couldn¡¯t be traced.¡±


    While they were speaking, Toby and Ashton arrived.


    Since thatst time when Elyse instigated Ashton to abduct Brianna to Leo¡¯s ce, Ashton was


    severely punished by his father and was just released tonight.


    A sneer that was clearly marked with disgust appeared on his lips when he heard Leo checking up on


    Amelie, and this disgust was more distinguished than it was in the past. After that, he jeered, ¡°What


    kind of tips can a woman like her receive? She¡¯s useless, and only her face and body are pleasing to


    the eyes. Most probably, she¡¯s making dirty money at some explicit ces.¡±


    When Toby heard that, he furrowed his brows slightly in disgruntlement, but he didn¡¯t say anything and


    turned to Leo, only to find him frowning, looking deep in his thoughts.


    Meanwhile, Ashton had shifted all the me for his punishment on Amelie, and he was full of hate for


    her. He took big strides over to the table, stopped opposite Leo, and sat down ungracefully. There was


    no hiding the displeasure on his face as he helped himself to a ss of


    wine.


    While he raised his ss, he stopped and put on a sneer. ¡°As far as I know, many adult websites from


    abroad are recruiting the girls here with lucrative conditions. Those men are very generous, giving huge


    tips every time. Only these websites will deliberately hide their tracks when paying


    In his opinion, Amelie would have publicized it to the world if she was capable of making money.


    ¡°Hmph, she¡¯s just a b*tch that¡¯s acting arrogant,¡± he criticized and finished the drink in a gulp.


    Still, Leo was silent, but his hand tightened as he held the ss, showing his white-knuckled grip on


    the ss.


    Toby observed him quietly; seeing the way he reacted, he quickly understood the situation and went


    over to take a seat next to Leo.


    eyes,


    He helped himself to a ss, stared at the wine within with a deep look in his and questioned. ¡°Is that


    what you think as well, Leo?¡±


    However, not a single word came out of Leo, and he merely waved at Victor for him to leave. Then, he


    lowered his head and finished his wine. No matter how anyone looked at it, it seemed like he was


    drinking out of frustration, and the look in Toby¡¯s eyes deepened..


    Meanwhile, Ashton was still sulking and huffing because he didn¡¯t think that he was not in the wrong for


    the matterst time.


    After he had brought Brianna back home to Leo, not only was he ungrateful to him, he even snitched to


    his father about it.


    How frustrating!


    The more all these reyed in his mind, the more he didn¡¯t want Amelie to do well in life and for Leo to


    resent her, and he said even bluntly, ¡°Leo, I bet that the money she¡¯s making is filthy. Even if you don¡¯t


    care about your own reputation, you have to consider it for Bria. She¡¯ll learn nothing good from that


    woman! It¡¯s not like the Alstons don¡¯t have the money to raise a child, so why did you leave her


    unattended? It¡¯s better to make a clean break quickly by unraveling Amelie¡¯s true colors, get the child


    back, and end this for good!¡±


    Right after he finished speaking, Leo sprang to his feet and left without a word.


    When Ashton saw how Leo had utterly dismissed him, he punched the table angrily and cursed..


    Meanwhile, Amelie had also walked into Prix Bar because Samuel had made an appointment with an


    important figure for her, and this was where they would meet.


    Although she didn¡¯t really enjoy business meetings in such settings, she could only bite the bullet in


    order to make her tform a sess.


    The other party didn¡¯t make her wait for a long time, arriving soon afterward. However, he had


    Upon seeing her, that man said politely, ¡°I wanted to meet you alone, but I ran into a bunch of old


    friends at the door. Why don¡¯t we hang out together?¡±


    As it was difficult to make an appointment with him, Amelie didn¡¯t want to waste this chance and gave


    him a nod.


    Then, the man politely introduced everyone to her one by one. That was when she noticed, with slight


    surprise, that there was another important person she was interested in meeting among them. So, she


    was delighted.


    In between, while she watched everyone chatting happily, she couldn¡¯t find a point in interrupting. So,


    she crept up silently and took a seat next to the other important figure, spoke a little, and asked for a


    business card.


    The man not only gave her a card happily and even asked for a toast with her. Unable to turn him


    down, she epted the drink.


    When the others saw that she epted a drink from him, they followed suit and offered her a


    toast.


    This was a round of several drinks, and her head started to spin from the alcohol.


    Afterward, she came up with an excuse and left the room, standing outside for quite a while.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    In her mind, she was aware that these people weren¡¯t in the mood to talk about work tonight, and it


    would only be a waste of time if she hung around any longer.


    I should just wait until they¡¯re free and ask them out alone next time, she thought, pacing back to the


    room to say goodbye.


    Just a couple of stepster, the important figure she had just met came out of the room.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, why are you here by yourself? Come and have a drink with me,¡± he said, cing an arm


    around her shoulders.


    Although she was disgusted by his touch, she couldn¡¯t throw a temper at him and could only avoid him


    tactfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor Fernando, I feel a little sick from all the drinks today, and I still have some


    issues at home. I have to leave now, but I¡¯ll ask you out next time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already here. Why are you speaking about next time?¡± Fernando was already tipsy from the


    drinks and had lost the respectful image that he usually carried. He exposed his true colors after the


    alcohol, and his lecherous gaze was glued to her face.


    Then, they slowly traveled from her face and down to her chest.


    =


    Naked and direct.


    considered her current circumstances, she sighed inwardly. These people usually appear proper and


    are a group of senior experts, but inside, they¡¯re wholly repulsive!


    If she really led him to her tform, trouble could crop up any minute! So, it was better to watch. out


    and not use a person with such distorted moralities.


    With that thought in mind, she decided to give up Fernando and the other important figure, and her


    expression turned indifferent. ¡°Mr. Fernando, I¡¯m sorry, but please step aside.¡±


    She even stopped addressing him as a professor because it would be an insult to other genuine


    teachers if a person like him were called one.


    Then, she sidestepped and walked past him. As Fernando was used to being respected and assumed


    that Amelie had other motives for him from chatting up with him earlier, he looked incredibly sullen


    when he saw that she was about to leave. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s better for you, huh? Since you¡¯re out


    to sell yourself, why are you putting up airs?¡±


    ¡°Sell myself?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s expression shifted into a forbidding one as she stared at him coldly.


    He was just hinting earlier, but he escted it to verbal insult so quickly? she thought disparagingly.


    On the other hand, Fernando didn¡¯t feel that he did anything wrong at all as he carried on with his


    ways, muttering nonstop, ¡°What? Do you think the price is too low? Then, is 10,000 enough? You have


    a pretty face, and your body is good as well. It¡¯s definitely going to be great when we have fun, but


    seeing how open-minded you are, I reckon you¡¯re not a virgin anymore. 10,000 is already the highest


    price.¡±


    After that, he fished out a wad of cash from his pocket with wobbly hands to stuff it into her chest.


    Amelie snorted coldly and had already cursed him countless times in her heart. What kind of idiot


    did I run into now?


    Then, she bluntly shoved the cash back to him. ¡°Mr. Fernando, please watch yourself!¡± she said,


    pushing him aside with the money.


    As he staggered backward from her actions, the money also scattered over the floor due to his drunken


    state.


    Instantly, fury ignited within him, and he lunged at Amelie, who had started to walk away.


    Suddenly, she felt a heavy mming into her without warning, causing her to smack right into


    the wall.


    Since she was pinned to the wall by said heavy object and had difficulties breaking free. Finally, when


    she twisted her head back, she saw Fernando holding her firmly with his hands, and his


    your lucky stars that you caught my interest! How dare you put up airs!¡±


    After thest word left his lips, a pungent-smelling mouth that reeked of alcohol moved toward her.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181


    Amelie almost fainted from the foul smelling from Fernando¡¯s mouth. In that instant, she urgently


    dodged to the side while quickly pondering upon how she could break free from his clutches. She


    began to umte strength in her hands.


    However, before she was able to swing her fist at him, she heard an agonized scream, saw Fernando


    being thrown out from the side, and fell to the ground with a loud bang.


    Amelie was utterly dumbstruck by this turn of events. She nced down at her fist and wondered if it


    gathered strength and hit Fernando with the aura just like those superhumans in Marvel movies. Then,


    just as she was lost in her thoughts, she heard him yelling in pain again.


    She instinctively looked up and saw a figure standing in front of Fernando, kicking him brutally. The


    kicks got stronger every time theynded on Fernando¡¯s body till he cried pathetically as he pleaded for


    mercy.


    She had to squint her eyes due to the dim lighting and scrutinize the face of the man who was kicking


    Fernando. And she could not help but gasp when she saw his face. The man who was kicking


    Fernando was none other than Leo.


    Leo was ruthless, his attacks on Fernando seemed endless, and it didn¡¯t look like he was stopping any


    time soon. His lips were tightly pressed together like a sharp de, his eyes emanated immense


    coldness as if he was the devil, and his face was tense. Finally, Fernando got so beaten up that he no


    longer had any strength to fight back.


    This was the first time she had seen Leo so bloodthirsty and merciless. Of course, she had known him


    for a long time but did not know that he could fight that well. Leo did not stop kicking Fernando until his


    nose and face were broken and swollen.


    Leo then ordered the bodyguards, who came over after hearing themotion, to drag Fernando


    away. It wasn¡¯t until he and the bodyguards faded out of sight that Amelie regained her senses. She felt


    the need to thank Leo. After all, he helped her escape the situation, even though she knew martial arts


    and did not need Leo¡¯s help.


    ¡°Thank¡ª¡±


    She was just about to thank him when Leo scoffed sarcastically and cut her off, ¡°So, the so-called you-


    can-support-Bria-yourself is actually via this way?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Her heart dropped when she heard him say that, and she looked at him, puzzled. Yet, he


    remained distant and emanated a cold aura around him. His words were even more piercing and


    heartless than before.


    He then continued, ¡°I don¡¯t care how you want to mess with your life, but my daughter will not live in


    this environment. So, you should get rid of this dirty lifestyle if you really want to live with her.


    Otherwise, I will take her away from you!¡± Finally, he left the scene without a moment of hesitation.


    Amelie was still in shock at Leo¡¯s sharp words. She could notprehend what he was on about, but


    somehow the puzzlement in her eyes turned into astonishment secondster. She finally realized that


    he was mocking her for using her body to make money, and this realization made her enraged. And the


    angrier she got, the calmer she became.


    She stood upright and looked directly at Leo¡¯s back indifferently. ¡°So, do you really think that I have no


    other way to support myself other than engaging in prostitution?¡±


    Her words managed to make Leo pause for a moment. But instead of replying, he merely continued


    striding forward. Her heart sank, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles creaked in


    protest as she stared at his back, which was moving further and further away.


    She sneered coldly.


    Leo initially nned to get some fresh air and did not expect that he would encounter such an incident.


    So, his mood got even worse when he returned to the room. He did not say a word as he sat on the


    couch, looking extremely exhausted. He thought of how Amelie fell into the arms of the man, looking all


    fragile, and the look on the man¡¯s face, who wanted to devour her.


    How could she be willing to be with the stinky man? He silently balled his fists as Ashton¡¯s analysis and


    what he just witnessed merged together.


    Ashton and Toby were also rmed by themotion just now and left the room to see what was


    going on. They just walked back to the room one after the other and saw Leo sitting on the couch, deep


    in his thoughts. The two looked at him with different expressions.


    Ashton kicked the couch, and his face showed obvious disdain. ¡°Leony, why are you being polite to this


    kind of woman? Just find some evidence against her and snatch Bria away from her. I can do it on your


    behalf if you don¡¯t feel like slogging through that. I guarantee that I¡¯ll be able to find evidence that she is


    engaging in prostitution within three days. And trust me, she won¡¯t be able to deny it!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s view was simple. He thought that Amelie was the one who caused trouble for Leo and Elyse.


    And Leo¡¯s shattered rtionship could only be saved by bringing Bria back home.


    On the other hand, Toby did not join Ashton¡¯s ramble. Instead, he remained silent and leaned against


    the door¡¯s frame in his half-sleeved casual suit. He seemed to know something the others did not.


    From his standing position, he was able to nce at what was happening inside and outside the room.


    However, his eyes never left the slender figure on the opposite side, and as such, he did not miss out


    on Amelie¡¯s expressions.


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    So, when he heard Ashton ndering Amelie, he finally said, ¡°Leony, you¡¯d better think before you act.


    Otherwise, you will regret it.¡±


    Leo opened his eyes the moment he heard these words and looked Toby straight in the eyes. ¡°What do


    you know?¡±


    Unfortunately, Toby merely stared back at him silently. He did not want to admit it, but still, he had to


    express his admiration for Leo for being so perceptive, even at a time like this.


    Toby instinctively nced away from the cold man before him. His thumb silently touched his other


    fingers as if he was pondering upon something. There were indeed some things that he had long


    regarded as a little secret between him and Amelie. He did not want to share it with others.


    Nevertheless, he felt so distressed when he saw her being humiliated like that.


    After what seemed to be a decade, Toby took a deep breath and nced down at his phone.


    Leo could not help but feel disappointed upon seeing that. He was waiting for a response from Toby,


    but who knew that Toby would cease to respond to him and instead look at the phone?


    Ashton was also puzzled at Toby¡¯s reaction, so hemented, ¡°It¡¯s irritating that you don¡¯t say things in


    full.¡± But Toby was not the slightest angry. He dismissed Ashton, walked to Leo¡¯s side, put the phone on


    the table in front of Leo, and pressed Leo¡¯s shoulder meaningfully. ¡°Take a good look at it.¡±


    After that, he put his hands in his pockets and left.


    Ashton was totally confused by Toby¡¯s actions. ¡°What¡¯s he up to?¡±


    He leaned over and saw what was ying on the phone. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Foxy? What¡¯s the big fuss with her?


    I am getting more and more confused now.¡±


    Leo nced down and saw Foxy¡¯s paused video on the screen. It was her live broadcast room. The


    person in the video wore a snow-white fox mask, only revealing a pair of beautiful eyes.


    He tapped the screen mechanically, and they could hear Foxy¡¯s infectious voice as the video


    continued.


    But Ashton was not having it. He even teased Leo when he saw Leo avidly watching the video, ¡°Do you


    really think that Toby is trying to tell you something with this video? All the twists and turns! You¡¯re


    making me tired!¡±


    Yet, he saw Leo frantically picking up the phone, and his eyes were fixated on it all of a sudden. Ashton


    was taken aback by his sudden change of demeanor and instantly snapped his jaws shut. However,


    Leo seemed to be possessed, and he kept looping the video, which was only less than ten seconds


    until he had listened to it no less than ten times! The more he listened to it, the more his facial muscles


    tensed, and his expression became weirder.

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ashton asked.


    Leo didn¡¯t respond but just turned around and left the room.


    ¡°Sh*t!¡± Ashton cursed unhappily, upset that Leo ignored him.


    Then, he kicked the couch, frustrated out of his mind.


    ¡­


    Three dayster, inside the Genesis office, Victor Willis walked into the office briskly and saw a tall man


    who was having a meeting in the office. He lowered his eyes and stepped to the side silently.


    Leo nced at him but didn¡¯t react. Then, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed everyone. ¡°That¡¯s the


    end of today¡¯s meeting. Everyone is dismissed.¡±


    Everyone was secretly relieved and left the office instantly.


    Their hurried steps immediately gave way to dead silence.


    Laura brought in two cups of coffee and left as soon as she ced the cups.


    Leo didn¡¯t think to invite Victor to drink coffee as he walked over to him and asked, ¡°How did the


    investigation go?¡±


    Victor stood up and looked at him. ¡°It¡¯s just as you expected.¡±


    His answer made Leo look at him in shock, his face frozen.


    There was silence in the office for quite some time.


    It took Leo a while before he snapped out of the shock and asked quietly, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Victor was confident in his investigation. ¡°I had gone to investigate it myself. I saw with my


    own eyes that Miss Dillon is actually Foxy.¡±


    So, all those tips were her legitimate ie?


    Leo¡¯s hands dropped to his sides, and his face twisted into aplicated expression.


    What did he say to her?


    Did he call her a stripper?


    He finally understood the things she said when she left.


    He was also aware of just how angry she was.


    Leo¡¯s grip on his bag tightened as he stood upright. Still, Victor noticed that something was slowly


    disappearing from Leo.


    His eyes flickered, but he didn¡¯t bring any attention to it.


    After he gave his report, he melted into the shadows.


    He seemed to have erased his existence as he faded away as if he was never there in the first ce.


    Leo stood there for a while before walking out of the office, his eyes downcast.


    Only then did Victor leave quietly through a secret passage.


    Meanwhile, at The Walsh Residence, Toby sorted through the documents with his head down. His face


    was as gentle and kind as ever.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He handed the documents to his secretary next to him, and he smiled lightly. He was good-natured and


    polite as he thanked his secretary sincerely.


    The secretary took the documents with a smile and walked out.


    As soon as he reached the door, someone else came in, and his smile froze. Still, he greeted the


    unannounced visitor, ¡°Mr. Alston.¡±


    The secretary quickly gave way and bowed his head. The smile on his face had disappeared entirely.


    Leo¡¯s face was indifferent, and his expression was nk. He bowed his head slightly to the secretary¡¯s


    greeting, and it was barely noticeable.


    As he walked by, the secretary felt a gust of cold wind and couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    The secretary was thankful that he was serving someone like Toby, not the icy-cold man in front of him.


    Even though this man looked significantly better than Toby, his indifferent aura was enough to scare a


    lot of people away.


    If Toby waspared to the spring breeze and summer sun, then Leo was the harsh winter that was


    negative 30 degrees.


    When Toby heard the secretary¡¯s greeting, he looked over immediately. Toby wasn¡¯t surprised to see


    Leo as a meaningful smile shed across his face.


    He looked at the secretary with gentle eyes and asked, ¡°Can you pour me two cups of coffee?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Toby¡¯s gentleness warmed his heart as he nodded. Once he poured two cups of coffee, he


    left the room happily.


    Leo stood there with his head lowered the whole time. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to speak, but his face was


    gloomy enough to tell there was something on his mind.


    Toby picked up a cup of coffee, walked over, and handed it to him. ¡°Why did youe over? Is there


    an emergency?¡±


    However, Leo didn¡¯t take the coffee, but his eyes were fixed on Toby¡¯s hands.


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    Toby didn¡¯t feel awkward and just raised his hand higher, offering the cup of coffee.


    In the end, although Leo took the cup, he didn¡¯t give the coffee a sip. Instead, he looked at the man


    across from him. ¡°When did you find out Amelie is Foxy?


    Toby looked away with a smile. Then, he took a sip of his coffee and said, ¡°I¡¯ve known it for a while.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a need to. You¡¯re divorced, right?¡± He looked up at Leo, his head slightly tilted.


    Toby still had a smile on his face, but it seemed to be carrying a different meaning now.


    Leo couldn¡¯t help but think about Toby¡¯s crush on Amelie. He had even expressed his liking for Amelie


    several times.


    Suddenly, he found it hard to breathe, as if something was constricting his heart.


    It was so slippery, making it impossible to grasp, and he gradually felt his head spin.


    ¡°Leo, what you should be more concerned about is not when I knew she was Foxy but when she


    became Foxy.¡± Toby¡¯s voice was clear and pleasant, but his words were like knives stabbing into Leo¡¯s


    body.


    The sudden pain caught him off guard!


    The veins on his forehead bulged violently in response!


    ¡°Foxy rose to fame seven years ago and suddenly disappeared three yearster. But, then, she was


    suddenly on the Inte again not too long ago. Don¡¯t you think the timeline is very coincidental with


    your marriage?¡± Toby asked. ¡°Have you ever thought what Amelie had sacrificed just to marry you?¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t want to mention this.


    He knew that if he mentioned this, it would only push Leo to Amelie again.


    Yet, Toby had constantly been thinking of how she swallowed her pride and allowed herself to be


    bullied when she was in the Alston family these past few days. Whenever he thought of what she had


    gone through, his heart ached.


    She had wings that could bring her straight to the sky, but she was willing to break them for a man¡­


    He felt that if he didn¡¯t bring this to light, no one would know what she had suffered, making his heart


    pang.


    He felt that her sufferings were unjust.


    On the other side, Leo went even more silent than before.


    He had constantly lowered his head throughout their conversation, and his eyes were pitch ck. No


    one could tell what he was thinking.


    Toby¡¯s eyes settled on him for a moment as if what he said was no big deal.


    He soon regained hisposure and decided to push this discussion along.


    With that, he continued, ¡°By the way, Leo, I heard that you have an interesting rtionship with Elyse¡¯s


    twin sister. I want to know, if you find her, will you marry her?¡±


    Only then did Leo look up at him silently.


    He noticed that Toby was staring back at him with great interest. After a moment, he parted his lips and


    responded with one word, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Toby seemed very surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you pamper Elyse thinking she was Ellen before?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, but we shouldn¡¯t confuse kindness for affection. Moreover, we haven¡¯t seen each other for ten


    years. Our lives have changed. Forcibly being together isn¡¯t good for either of us.¡±


    After he replied curtly, he seemed to have lost interest and turned to leave.


    Behind him, Toby was staring at his back; his gentle gaze felt oddly piercing.


    ¡°Is it really because you haven¡¯t seen each other for ten years, Leo? Or did Amelie influence you?¡± He


    murmured to himself, slowly tightening his grip on the coffee cup.


    ¡­


    Amelie had just finished her live stream. So, she greeted Steven and nned to meet the new


    partners.


    The other party already had a finished manuscript in hand and was preparing to publish it.


    She was trying to convince him to release it on his own tform.


    There had been a lot of discussion going on, and now thest thing to do now was to edit the


    manuscript to match up with their needs.


    Amelie kept her head down as she made phone calls to contact the other party until she almost ran into


    a car that drove by.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± She took a few steps back, cried out apologetically, and hung up the phone immediately.


    The car stopped, and the door opened.


    A shiny pair of ck leather shoes stepped out of the car.


    A pair of slender legs followed right after, which truly disyed just how expensive those shoes could


    possibly be.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help but raise her head. It was then that she saw his slender frame and his handsome


    but cold face.

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183


    ¡°Mr. Alston¡­?¡± Her face was filled with surprise.


    Even though the argumentst night was horrible, Amelie didn¡¯t want to bring it up again. Instead, she


    just looked around and asked, ¡°Are you here to talk about business? If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ Bye.¡±


    She only took one step before Leo suddenly grabbed her wrist.


    She looked at the man who grabbed her wrist in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Alston?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t speak but just dragged her into the car with all his might.


    After he closed the car door with a bang, he drove away.


    This confused Amelie even more as she asked a few times, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Leo did not respond. He continued driving before mming on the brakes when they reached a


    secluded ce.


    Amelie was unprepared, and she flung forward due to the inertia.


    However, someone managed to grab her before she came into close contact with the car¡¯s board.


    She looked up and met Leo¡¯s dark eyes.


    His eyes were still as cold as before. ¡°Four years ago, a billionaire woman with an annual ie of


    more than ten million pretended to have nothing. She came to my house to be my wife, and for what?¡±


    His voice was piercing and cold as he asked the question.


    When Amelie heard his words, she was stunned.


    He didn¡¯t even hide it. He never cared about her in the four years of their marriage. She never thought


    he would care or even notice her for the rest of his life.


    When she saw his piercing eyes on her, she smiled sadly.


    This was ironic.


    It was he who had forgotten his vows. He betrayed their rtionship, yet now he was the one who was


    questioning her.


    Where did he get the right to ask that?


    The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to talk about it. She finally responded coldly, ¡°For


    what? Probably it was to experience life.¡±


    There was instantly a sharp pain in her arm.


    Leo had tightened his grip on her arm into a painful squeeze.


    Her slender arms in his hands felt as if he could break them at any moment!


    His face showed his apparent anger, and his eyes were bitterly cold!


    He couldn¡¯t help but slightly ground his teeth to vent some of his fury.


    Then, as though that wasn¡¯t enough, he hissed menacingly to convey his displeasure!


    Leo thought of thousands of possibilities on the way, but he never thought she would give him such an


    answer!


    Experience life?


    What did she mean?


    She didn¡¯t marry him because she had feelings for him.


    It was just a coincidence!


    If she were with someone else that night, she would¡¯ve epted it too and gotten married to someone


    else!


    This thought was like a curse, and it locked him in ce.


    His blood was boiling.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was from anger or abject despair!


    ¡°Mr. Alston, you¡¯re hurting me,¡± Amelie told him nkly.


    Suddenly, he shoved her away angrily. ¡°Leave!¡±


    There was no emotion in his tone. Instead, it made her seem like she was something that he could


    discard at any time.


    Even though Amelie had seen all his cruelty towards her, she still felt rather hurt.


    However, she quickly hid her feelings.


    She wasn¡¯t going to let her feelings show today.


    There was no need to.


    She tugged on her sleeve indifferently and opened the door to leave.


    Leo stared at her back, and she felt his sharp gaze on her.


    It was obvious with how she just walked off that she didn¡¯t care.


    He smacked the steering wheel harshly!


    Amelie had walked for a while before she felt the dampness on her face.


    She touched her face and realized it was her tears.


    She stared at her wet fingers absent-mindedly.


    Then, she finally wiped it off with a tissue.


    When she was done, she threw the tissue in a bin as if nothing had happened.


    Leo sat in the car silently.


    No one knew what he was thinking as he sat there as still as a statue.


    The knot in his chest didn¡¯t disappear after Amelie left. Instead, it felt even tighter.


    He obviously had no feelings for this woman, but why was he so infuriated when he heard her answer?


    Could it be that he really fell in love with her?


    No, that would be ridiculous.


    She had yed with him for four years. He should despise her!


    He was drowning in his sorrow when his phone rang out of the blue.


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    He quickly pushed his feelings aside and picked up the phone in his usual, cold tone, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Leo,e quick.¡± On the other side of the phone, Ashton¡¯s voice was panicked, ¡°Elyse is ill. She¡¯s


    hospitalized.¡±


    Leo immediately rushed to the hospital and quickly found Elyse¡¯s ward.


    Ashton was already inside.


    He immediately stood up when he saw Leo with a gloomy look on his face.


    He didn¡¯t forget to remind Leo, ¡°She¡¯s sick. So, don¡¯t say anything that will rile her up.¡±


    With that, Ashton stepped aside.


    Elyse was lying on the bed weakly. Her face was pale, and her lips were chapped. She wasn¡¯t as


    beautiful as she was before.


    Her eyes were half closed, and her thick eyshes rested on her cheeks. Hershes were so dark that


    they contrasted against her pale face, making her look even frailer.


    As if she was aware of his presence, her eyes rolled under her eyelids before opening slowly to look at


    him.


    ¡°Le¡­o.¡± Her voice was weak, pitiful, and trembling. She seemed to be choking on tears.


    Leo walked over to her and looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Ashton is just making a big fuss.¡± Her voice was low, but she began to pant after


    saying a few words.


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s nothing serious? If you didn¡¯t get to the hospital in time, you would¡¯ve¡­¡± Ashton


    retorted huffily before he gradually sounded close to sobbing.


    Leo didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he called the doctor over and asked about her condition in detail.


    The doctor¡¯s face was solemn as he exined, ¡°The patient¡¯s condition has always been unstable.


    Because of the years of depression, the brain tumor is beginning topress her nerves. Therefore,


    her condition can worsen at any time.¡±


    The word ¡®brain tumor¡¯ pierced Leo¡¯s heart like a bullet.


    His eyes were full of disbelief.


    Finally, he quietly asked, ¡°What can be done now?¡±


    The doctor looked at Elyse gravely. ¡°The brain tumor is in a difficult spot. The risk for surgery is very


    high. From the doctor¡¯s consultation, the best treatment would be to put her under medication to control


    the growth of the tumor. It¡¯s better to leave operating until thest resort. As her family, you all need to


    be there for the patient so she can face this more optimistically.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡±


    After the doctor left, Elyse burst into tears.


    Ashton rushed over tofort her.


    This made her cry even harder. ¡°Ashton, what should I do? I won¡¯t even be able to care for myself in


    the future. What if I lost my memories? If that happens, I¡¯d rather die!¡±


    ¡°No, no. It won¡¯t happen,¡± Ashton hurriedly said. When he noticed that Elyse kept crying, he turned and


    looked at Leo, ¡°Leo, you shouldfort her.¡±


    Leo walked closer to her and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the doctor said that there¡¯s medicine to


    control it.¡±


    ¡°But taking medicine will have a lot of side effects. I¡¯ll lose my hair and be hideous. It¡¯s horrible,


    and I don¡¯t want it!¡± Elyse cried, her tears streaming down her face pitifully. ¡°How will I be able to face


    people that way?¡±


    She continued to sob for a long time. Finally, when she stopped, shey limp on the bed and fell into a


    deep sleep.


    Elyse¡¯s eyshes were still wet with tears.


    Her eyes were still swollen, and her face was clearly distraught.


    Ashton mmed his fist into the wall when he saw her in such a state.


    After his violent reaction, he suddenly turned around and harshly grabbed Leo¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Leo, since


    Elyse is in such a terrible condition, can¡¯t you do something? Since you¡¯ve decided to start dating


    again, why don¡¯t you propose to her now? Your proposal will lift her mood, and she won¡¯t feel helpless.


    It will be good for her condition.¡±

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184


    Leo pulled Ashton away. ¡°The most important thing right now is to find the best doctor for her and go


    about the best treatment n. I¡¯ll try to get in touch with one.¡±


    Leo then turned to leave.


    Behind him, Ashton gritted his teeth. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    He really hated Leo¡¯s attitude.


    Leo quickly contacted top experts abroad and called for a private ne to pick them up. Within ten


    hours, the top experts would arrive.


    He frowned after making all these arrangements and suddenly missed Bria a lot.


    With that in mind, he went to buy some toys and rushed to the child¡¯s school.


    Bria didn¡¯t know what was going on between him and Amelie and was very happy to see him.


    The two stayed together for two hours before Leo left and went back to thepany.


    At the entrance of thepany, Laura greeted him anxiously. ¡°President, you¡¯re finally back.


    Something happened to Elyse.¡±


    Leo and Laura rushed to the hospital and saw Elyse on the roof of the hospital.


    She stood on the edge, trembling as if she could fall off at any second.


    Her face was bleak and full of despair.


    Ashton stood at the side in fear. He was trying to persuade her toe down.


    Beside him was Elyse¡¯s father, Michael. He was yelling at her, looking terrified. ¡°Elyse! Don¡¯t scare me.


    Come down quickly. I¡¯ve already lost your sister. I can¡¯t lose you too. As long as youe down, I¡¯ll do


    anything for you.¡±


    At this moment, she burst into tears. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m very sick. It¡¯s meaningless for me to live! This is karma.


    My sister is punishing me. I pretended to be her, and I caught feelings for someone that I shouldn¡¯t. On


    top of that, I never learned how to cherish it!¡±


    ¡°Why would your sister punish you? She cared about you so much. Even¡­ even when she knew she


    was dying, herst words were to let you stay in this world instead of her and be happy on her behalf.


    She loved you so much.¡±


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not true!¡± Elyse cried out and covered her ears tightly, refusing to listen.


    Noticing Leo, Michael ran to grab him. ¡°Mr. Alston, please. Please say something to her. Elyse cares


    about you so much. As long as you talk to her, she will surely listen.¡±


    Melissa, who heard the news, had also run over.


    When she saw the scene, she was visibly upset. ¡°What is going on? The reporters have gathered


    downstairs. What would the reporters say if she jumped? They will start to make assumptions and it¡¯ll


    be linked to us, saying that we forced her to her death! Leony, you have to stop her immediately!¡±


    All Melissa cared about her entire life was her reputation. As such, how could she possibly let such a


    thing happen now?


    When Michael heard what Melissa said, he muttered again, ¡°Mr. Alston, Elyse is desperate and


    insecure. Please, for Elie¡¯s sake. Please help her, even if it¡¯s just a lie. Elie has done so much for you. It


    won¡¯t be too much of a favor for you to marry Elyse now. Elie wanted Elyse to live on for her. Isn¡¯t that


    more or less asking you to marry Elyse?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t bother responding.


    Among everyone¡¯s panic, he was so calm that it was frightening.


    Those eyes red at Elyse from a distance. Without even moving his mouth, his eyes spoke


    thousands of words.


    When Elyse met his eyes, her heart beat faster and she could hardly stand without support!


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    She began to think. If Leo didn¡¯t show up to stop her, would she go through with it?


    If she did so, she would be smashed to pieces!


    Elyse¡¯s legs suddenly turned to jelly.


    Michael saw it and kneeled in front of Leo. ¡°Mr. Alston, please, save my daughter. Please save her! As


    long as you save her, I¡¯ll do anything for you!¡±


    On the other hand, Ashton looked annoyed as he ran his fingers through his hair.


    At this time, Laura came running towards Leo. ¡°Those reporters found out it¡¯s Elyse who¡¯s going to


    jump. They¡¯re already rushing upstairs! Mr. Alston, what should we do?¡±


    Leo frowned and stared at Ashton.


    The man who acted like he wasn¡¯t afraid of anything flinched immediately.


    ¡°Okay. I agree to the engagement!¡±


    A loud voice came from behind them.


    Everyone turned and looked around.


    Their eyes fell on Leo.


    However, their stares didn¡¯tst long because the voice clearly belonged to a woman.


    It wasn¡¯t until Leo turned away that everyone turned their gazes away as well.


    In the end, their staresnded on Melissa.


    Melissa took a deep breath and looked at Elyse. ¡°Come down. I¡¯ll get him to propose to you.¡±


    Elyse seemed to be taken aback by her words and she stood there nkly.


    Ashton and Michael took this chance to pull her down from the ledge.


    Instantly, a group of people surrounded her.


    After a while, Michael pulled Elyse to Leo. ¡°Elyse, did you hear that? Mr. Alston said that he wants to be


    engaged to you. From now on, he¡¯ll be by your side forever.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the reporters rushed in.


    Cameras and phones started shing as the crowd rushed in.


    Some reporters asked, ¡°Miss yton, I heard that you were about to jump off. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°What made you do this?¡±


    ¡°That hospital gown. Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°Is it terminal?¡±


    ¡°Did you do this because of your illness?¡±


    ¡°As your boyfriend, did Mr. Alston fulfill his responsibilities when you were sick? Are you overwhelmed


    by stress?¡±


    ¡°Everyone, this is a big misunderstanding!¡± Melissa stood up and shouted when she heard the


    reporters directing the situation toward Leo. ¡°Elyse is indeed sick, but she isn¡¯t trying tomit suicide.


    My son came up to propose to her. She was so happy she jumped up.¡±


    She nudged Leo discreetly after speaking.


    However, Leo didn¡¯t move and said nothing.


    Ashton stood up quickly and supported Melissa¡¯s im. ¡°Yes, I witnessed the proposal just now.


    They¡¯re both my best friends and I wish them all the best.¡±


    ¡°My daughter and Mr. Alston have gone through a lot of ups and downs in their rtionship. Now it¡¯s


    blossoming and I couldn¡¯t be happier!¡± Michael announced as he held his daughter with tears in his


    eyes.


    It was only then that Elyse came back to her senses and she nodded gently. ¡°Thank you for your


    concern, everyone. I am just a little unwell, but Leo has always been by my side. I¡¯m very happy!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Leo wants to bring her into the family. They will be getting engaged first.¡± Melissa¡¯s


    engagement proposal didn¡¯t mean that she wanted Elyse to marry into the Alston Family. It was just to


    calm everything down temporarily.


    Now that they saw the yton Family really push them toward marriage, they hurriedly came up with a


    white lie.


    Elyse smiled shyly and cooperatively leaned into Leo¡¯s arms.


    The reporters pointed their cameras at Leo, waiting for him to speak.


    Melissa winked, and Laura immediately came to her senses and rushed to stop them, ¡°Since everyone


    knows what happened, you shouldn¡¯t pester them anymore. If there¡¯s any more news, we¡¯ll notify you


    all.¡±


    Even though no one else dug deeper for information, just the news of their engagement was more than


    enough for them to write about. In the end, they all left.


    Ashton and Michael hurriedly helped Elyse return to her ward when the reporters left.


    Leo didn¡¯t move but looked at Melissa with a frown, ¡°When did you get the right to decide about my


    marriage?¡±

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185


    Melissa¡¯s face stiffened.


    Leo¡¯s words made her angry and embarrassed


    It was embarrassing to be questioned like that, and it ticked her off because she was his mother. It was


    natural for her to arrange his marriage. What he said meant that he didn¡¯t take the engagement


    seriously!


    But she knew that this wasn¡¯t a time to quarrel with him.


    Instead, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°You saw the situation. Elyse was so upset. What if she


    really went through with it? Plus, all the reporters were here. How would you exin it to them? Either


    way, it will impact her and her family. I trust that you won¡¯t want that to happen either.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but sneak a nce at Leo after speaking. When she saw that he didn¡¯t intend to


    refute, she discreetly breathed a sigh of relief.


    Melissa took a few steps toward him and continued, ¡°It¡¯s just an engagement, not marriage. If you don¡¯t


    want to be with her, you¡¯ll have chances to break off the engagement in the future. Now is not the time.¡±


    ¡­


    Downstairs, Ashton stood in front of Elyse¡¯s bed, pacing in circles.


    He couldn¡¯t help but reprimand her, ¡°You know how dangerous that was, Elyse?! Don¡¯t you dare do


    such dangerous things again in the future!¡±


    Elyse listened to his words indifferently. Her face was a nk mask.


    After listening for a while, she muttered, ¡°I¡¯m tired. Come back again tomorrow.¡±


    Ashton stopped pacing as soon as he heard her request. Nodding, he stated, ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle back


    tomorrow, then. Listen to me and be obedient. Stop thinking about what you have and don¡¯t have.¡±


    It was when Ashton left that Michael decided to approach his daughter.


    He sat closely beside his daughter.


    Then, he quietly said, ¡°This Ashton guy really cares about you, so much more than Leo. If it doesn¡¯t


    work out, don¡¯t get hung up on him. You should consider Ashton.¡±


    Elyse immediately changed her tune and rolled her eyes at her father. ¡°Ashton is just an ordinary guy.


    Not only is he not the only son, but he¡¯s also not a capable man. Being with him is like throwing myself


    into a pit of fire!¡±


    Michael was so surprised by his daughter¡¯s outburst that he choked before quickly covering it up with a


    cough. His fists were clenched tightly.


    ¡°But Leo doesn¡¯t care much about you. If the reporters weren¡¯t there, he would¡¯ve rejected the


    engagement long ago.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool? Didn¡¯t I get what I wanted before I got down?¡± Elyse said craftily. ¡°Do you think


    Melissa came here on her own? She¡¯s the kind of woman who only cares about her reputation and


    shows off her wealth all day long. Do you think she has time to ask about my affairs?¡±


    Michael immediately understood everything with her exnation. He looked proudly at Elyse. ¡°As


    expected of my daughter. She¡¯s just as smart as I was when I was young!¡±


    However, he was immediately clouded by worry again.


    ¡°This engagement isn¡¯t a joke. Although Leo didn¡¯t deny it in front of the reporters, he isn¡¯t someone


    who can be manipted easily. If he doesn¡¯t buy your act, we will die of embarrassment.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that even if he doesn¡¯t care about me, he would still care about Elie?¡± Elyse wasn¡¯t


    worried at all. ¡°As long as my sister is still on his mind, he won¡¯t humiliate us!¡±


    These words assured Michael. ¡°Good. That¡¯s good.¡±


    He also wished for a powerful son-inw.


    That way, they would be respected.


    Michael was overjoyed with her n. Before leaving, he hurriedly told Elyse that she must take good


    care of her body.


    When everything had quietened, Elyse took out her phone and checked the news.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    As she had nned, the news of the couple getting engaged was all over the Inte.


    The corners of her lips twitched into a smile and a cunning gleam appeared in her eyes.


    Melissa wants to fool me with a promise of engagement, but it isn¡¯t that simple.


    Elyse then sent a short message to someone.


    ¡­


    On the other end, Melissa had left the hospital and was driving off in a car.


    She had initially made an appointment to y poker with her friends but after the things that happened,


    she simply had no energy to go.


    She rubbed her temples and thought about how she could postpone the engagement indefinitely and


    finally peel off Elyse like an unwanted ster.


    Just as she was deep in thought, her phone rang.


    It was Genevieve Yancey. She was a long-term friend whom Melissa often yed poker with.


    Melissa sat up hurriedly and puffed up her chest before answering the phone. ¡°Madam Yancey, I¡¯m so


    sorry. I¡¯ve already told Madam Freeman I won¡¯t be joining youdies today. You can go ahead.¡±


    Genevieve¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand that you¡¯re too busy


    witnessing your son propose to your future daughter-inw.¡± Her voice sounded condescending.


    She was giggling over the phone. ¡°Congrattions, Mrs. Alston!¡±


    Melissa¡¯s face tugged into a frown.


    She knew reporters had already spread the news of the engagement. However, Elyse was not her


    choice of daughter-inw and she didn¡¯t want to talk about it at all.


    She reluctantly answered everything Genevieve asked with only a few words.


    However, Genevieve waspletely oblivious to Melissa¡¯s displeasure and continued to chat happily.


    ¡°Your daughter-inw is as arrogant as she was four years ago. Your son has already proposed to her


    and yet, she¡¯s still sitting on her high horse. Why don¡¯t they get married straight away instead of getting


    engaged? This marriage wouldn¡¯t be like the one four years ago, right?¡±


    What happened four years ago was a big humiliation to the Alston Family. Melissa¡¯s expression


    darkened when she heard Genevieve mentioning it so carefreely. She was getting more and more


    upset by the minute.


    If she didn¡¯t value her reputation as much, she would have started cursing Genevieve out.


    Melissa discreetly took a deep breath to hold back her annoyance before saying calmly, ¡°An


    engagement seems good. We¡¯ll take things one step at a time.¡±


    ¡°You see, the people on the Inte will always go too far, talking about this and that. A lot of


    assumptions will surface. As soon as the news of Mr. Alston and Miss yton¡¯s engagement spread on


    the Inte, the citizens made up a lot of rumors. A lot of people are saying that the Alston Family


    didn¡¯t want Elyse yton at all and that Elyse forced your hand to call the engagement. Before long,


    you will try and find a reason to call off the engagement. s, the Inte alwayses up with ugly


    assumptions.¡±


    By the time Melissa hung up the phone, her face was already pale as a ghost.


    She quickly went on news webpages and sure enough, just like Genevieve said, every bit of the news


    was covered with the engagement of Leo and Elyse. To top it off, there was a long list ofments.


    Most of them were as Genevieve said.


    Melissa grumbled to herself, This means that my ns have been foiled!


    Thus, if she were to cancel the engagement, it would prove all the rumors true. It would truly be a p


    in the face.


    Melissa was so angry that her hands shook and her lips trembled. She was about to crush her phone in


    rage.


    ¡°Damn these bast*rds!¡±


    She forced herself to calm down after a while.


    At this point, the Alstons could not announce their stance. This would only cause people to specte


    even more.


    Unwilling to lose to these people, Melissa sighed in annoyance. Then, she called Laura and instructed,


    ¡°Make an official announcement on the engagement of Leo and Elyse, stating that they will get


    engaged in ten days!¡±


    ¡­


    By the time Amelie reached home, it was alreadyte.


    When she entered, she saw Bria sitting at the dining table ying on the phone.


    There was a smile on her cute face. The girl seemed like she was in a great mood.


    Amelie walked over and gently patted Bria¡¯s shoulders before softly saying, ¡°Why are you using


    Grandpa¡¯s phone? What did I say about phones?¡±


    To protect her innocence, Amelie never allowed Bria to y with a phone.


    Bria¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment and she avoided her mother¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mommy, I saw a picture


    of dad.¡±


    The little girl had just met Leo in the morning and even spent a few hours ying with him.


    Now, when she saw a photo of her father, she was very happy.


    She lifted the phone and showed it to Amelie with a bright smile.


    Although Amelie was fighting for the child¡¯s custody, she didn¡¯t have an issue with Bria meeting Leo.


    Even though there was a lot of disagreement between the two, she didn¡¯t intend to deprive her child of


    her father.


    Therefore, she wasn¡¯t angry that Bria was looking at Leo¡¯s photos.


    When she saw Bria¡¯s expectant eyes, she cooperated and looked at the phone.


    It was only then that she saw the headline.


    Her face immediately froze and her smile dropped.

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186


    What Brianna found was a news report concerning Leo.


    The headline was, ¡®Elyse yton¡¯s On/Off Rtionship with the Rich Young Master Finally


    Blossomed¡¯, and the sub headline was, ¡®The Alstons officially announce their engagement date¡¯,


    followed by the date.


    The main text wrote about the story of Leo proposing to Elyse on the hospital rooftop a few days ago,


    and she agreed to the engagement. However, he was worried that his lover might have a change of


    heart, so he brought the engagement forward to keep her heart.


    The more Amelie read, the harder it was to continue reading, and she pursed her lips silently.


    Even though she knew that it was only a matter of time before Leo and Elyse got married, it still made


    her very uneasy, especially after she found out that Elyse had ganged up with Ashton to take Brianna


    away.


    Leo had repeatedly verified for himself that Elyse had a vile character, but he still held her dearly in his


    hands, giving his whole heart to her. What sort of mentality was this?


    She was even a little suspicious about whether Elyse had saved the universe in her past life.


    Otherwise, why would a man be so loyal to her?


    As Brianna could only read a few words, she couldn¡¯t understand such a lengthy news report, and the


    reason for her excitement was seeing her father in the news.


    She became puzzled and rubbed her big eyes, asking, ¡°Mommy, why did Daddy take a picture with this


    strangedy? What¡¯s written there?¡±


    Amelie gently drew the report out of her palms and held her in her arms. ¡°Listen to me, Bria. We¡¯re


    separated from Daddy and the Alston Family. So, Daddy will get engaged and marry another woman in


    the future, and thisdy will be his future wife.¡±


    Although she knew that Brianna¡¯s opinion of Leo had changed recently, she didn¡¯t want to hide the truth


    from her. Thest thing she wanted was to see her darling daughter pin any hopes on him, and neither


    did she want Briar to be hurt when she found out about this from someone else. Therefore, she


    decided to take precautions in advance.


    ¡°Really?¡± The smile on Brianna¡¯s face disappeared immediately, and great disappointment took its


    ce instead.


    She bit her lip, yed with her tiny fingers, and hung her head quietly as she processed the news.


    Amelie felt her heart wrenching when she saw Brianna in this state, but all she could do was stroke her


    head over and over as a form offort.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. I want to go to bed,¡± Brianna said after a while.


    Amelie took it that she was tired from ying in the kindergarten during the day and brought her back


    to her room without thinking further.


    After Brianna climbed into bed, Amelie tucked her in carefully, kissed her on the forehead, and stayed


    behind a few more minutes before finally leaving the room.


    Behind the tightly closed door, Brianna bit her nail and opened her eyes. The scene where Leo yed


    with her during the day kept reying in her mind.


    Her father, at that time, seemed to care about her and loved her. So, why did he suddenly abandon her


    and her mother to marry another woman?


    In her mind, she actually thought that her parents would reconcile.


    Outside the door, Amelie stood for a while, aware that they were divorced and everything about Leo


    was unrted to her. So, she shook her head as she dismissed any unnecessary thoughts by throwing


    that news report to the back of her head and quickly helped Steven over for dinner when she saw him


    returning home with a bunch of groceries in his hands.


    Usually, Steven would let Brianna eat first while he insisted on waiting for Amelie to return. Then, at the


    dinner table, he always kept piling food on Amelie¡¯s te, worried that she would not be well-


    nourished.


    Since she was a child, she grew up showered in Steven¡¯s love and nevercked familial love.


    Although she was raised in a single-parent family, she never felt she was any less because of the


    absence of a mother. Therefore, she believed that Brianna would grow up strong, just like her.


    ¡°Have some as well, Dad.¡± She added some more food to Steven¡¯s te. ¡°Don¡¯t just worry about me.


    I¡¯m a grown-up who can take care of myself now.¡±


    Steven chuckled as heid his eyes on the food on his te. ¡°In my eyes, you¡¯ll always be a little girl.


    My sweet, little girl.¡±


    After dinner, she went to the study, reviewed the manuscript for the new tform, and had a meeting


    with the influential figures who had just joined to discuss their work for a while.


    When it was almost midnight, she finally returned to her room to retire for the night.


    Just as she was about to turn off the lights, her phone beeped from a text Julia had sent her.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    She grabbed her phone and squinted while she read through the text, ¡®Did you see the news that Leo


    Alston is going to be engaged?¡¯


    Her soft brows knitted together at this text, but they rxed in the end as she calmly replied, ¡®Yeah.¡¯


    Immediately, Julia followed up with voice messages. ¡°That shameless couple has no limit to their public


    disy of affection, and they suddenly sent their wedding invitation. What do you think they mean by


    this? Didn¡¯t Elyse embarrass herself enough on her birthday? Does she want to embarrass herself


    again?¡±


    She even included a photo of the wedding invitation card she received.


    Amelie tapped to view and saw the wedding invitation with Leo and Elyse¡¯s names, and the edge of her


    lips froze.


    ¡°Elie, since they¡¯re so shameless, we don¡¯t have to give any regard to their reputation as well. So, we


    can make a huge ruckus this time and give them an unforgettable engagement ceremony!¡± Julia said,


    angry and loud like firecrackers.


    Amelie¡¯s fingers paused on the screen and didn¡¯t move for a while. Meanwhile, Julia had already


    thought of all sorts of ways to embarrass Leo and Elyse, and Amelie¡¯s phone kept beeping from the


    messages she sent without stopping.


    Amelie could help butugh at her ideas as she listened to Julia¡¯s angered rambling and replied, ¡°It¡¯s


    their business that they¡¯re getting engaged. I¡¯m running a verified ount with millions of fans, and I


    don¡¯t want to be involved, never mind create a publicity stunt for them.¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± It dawned on Julia suddenly, and she cursed. ¡°I almost fell for it if you didn¡¯t mention it. Alston


    already knows that you¡¯re Foxy, and they¡¯re using this engagement to increase yton¡¯s poprity,


    aren¡¯t they? If we do anything on that day, we will ruin only our reputation. The more criticisms there


    are outside, the more it will ruin our reputation, and yton will have all to gain from this! She wants to


    use us to increase her poprity, eh? Well, she can keep dreaming!¡±


    Amelie pursed her lips silently and didn¡¯t say anything else, seeing that Julia had realized the situation


    for herself.


    Nevertheless, Julia was still hopping mad. ¡°Elyse yton and Leo Alston are simply a scumbag and a


    shameless slut! Four years ago, they made use of you once and even painted themselves as the


    victims, and four yearster, they wanted to pull another trick again. If we don¡¯t do something, I can¡¯t


    quench the anger in my heart! So, Elie, we have to think of a way to get our revenge on them!¡±


    ¡°The best revenge is to ignore them,¡± Amelie replied. ¡°So, just pretend that you didn¡¯t receive this


    invitation.¡±


    On the other end, Julia was quiet for a long time and finally said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do just that. But before we do


    that, I have to show them something.¡±


    After she said that, she sent a text, ¡®Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡¯


    Amelie couldn¡¯t guess what Julia was up to, but she didn¡¯t ask. Of course, if anyone were to ask her


    why she would probably say something along the lines of ¡®usible deniability¡¯. Thus, she didn¡¯t pay it


    any mind and went straight to bed after switching off her phone.


    On the other end, Julia¡¯s long fingers¡ªwith aqua green nails that she had painted¡ªdanced across her


    keyboard.


    ¡°Bingo.¡± Once she was satisfied, she tossed her phone aside.


    The next day, Elyse sat in front of the mirror; although she was still dressed in the patient¡¯s garb, it was


    clear that she was delighted.


    At the end of the day, Melissa was a foolish woman and would do anything for the sake of her


    reputation.


    With Melissa¡¯s help, her engagement with Leo was finally on the agenda.


    A smirk spread across her face, carrying traces of glee and tion.


    This time, not only did she want to be engaged to Leo, but she also wanted to make use of Amelie and


    Julia to increase her poprity.


    Back when Leo was investigating Amelie, she also asked Ashton to investigate the matter, and that


    was when she found out that Amelie was Foxy!


    It was amazing that she turned out to be Foxy, and it would be even better if she showed up with Julia


    to make a scene at the engagement. The bigger the stir they caused, the more famous she would


    be, and in turn, the higher her chances to make aeback.


    She tapped the table¡¯s surface lightly as a triumphant glint shed in her eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s a parcel for you, Elyse.¡±


    While she was thinking about that, Michael came in with a delivery box in his hand.


    ¡°Why is there a delivery?¡± she asked, turning to him in confusion.


    She had been resting for the past few days and didn¡¯t buy anything online.


    ¡°Maybe your fans know that you¡¯re sick and sent you a gift,¡± Michael said after thinking about it.


    That sounded reasonable to her, and she took the parcel from him before starting to unwrap it slowly.

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187


    The package was wrapped securely. Inside the box contained a bunch of Styrofoam peanuts as well as


    another box. There was yet another smaller box inside it.


    Even after Elyse had unpackaged severalyers, she still couldn¡¯t make out what it was.


    Michael stood beside and snickered when he watched the scene. ¡°It must be a costly gift to be


    wrapped into so manyyers. Could it be an expensive piece of jewelry?¡±


    Although Elyse felt like it wasn¡¯t expensive, she also felt it must be something special, seeing how it


    was wrapped in such a way. Although she was getting impatient, she still unboxed it patiently.


    In the end, the huge box had transformed into a small envelope about four inches thick. When Elyse


    grabbed it, she felt something hard inside.


    ¡°Oh my, is it a credit card?¡± Michael could only think of such a gift.


    Elyse had always pictured herself as a star. Hence, her followers would not send her meaningless


    things. Since Elyse didn¡¯t know what it was, she ripped open the envelope. Instead of a credit card, a


    red card fell out of the envelope.


    The moment she caught sight of the red card, her expression froze. Her heart was beating fast, and


    she felt like she was being pped in the face.


    On the other hand, Michael had also seen the card. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the invitation you sent out yesterday?


    Who would send it back?¡±


    There were only a few people whom Elyse had given the invitation. Although she was not respectable


    enough to do so, the Alston Family was. Everyone wanted to receive the invitation, so Michael couldn¡¯t


    figure out who would send it back. However, Elyse knew who the sender was¡ªafter all, only two


    people were bold enough to do this.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    As she suppressed her anger while picking up the invitation, she saw Julia and Amelie¡¯s names written


    on it.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Not only was her n ruined, but her invitation was also sent back to her in such a state.


    At that moment, Elyse felt like she had been pped by Julia and Amelie.


    ¡°Why did you send the invitation to them?¡± Michael saw the names on the card and looked at Elyse


    disapprovingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Elyse snapped at him. After all, she had another motive other than using


    them to be famous.


    During her engagement party, the crowd would certainly gossip about her cheating on Leo four years


    ago. By then, she would be humiliated. Hence, Julia and Amelie¡¯s arrival would divert their attention


    away from her. If anyone were to humiliate or embarrass her, she would pretend to be the victim and


    win the others¡¯ hearts.


    Moreover, she even nned on ming Amelie for what had happened. She would emerge as the


    winner, and Amelie would be the loser. At the same time, she would expose Amelie¡¯s identity as Foxy


    and make her the street rat.


    However, Amelie had ruined such an excellent n. Not only that, she had even humiliated Elyse by


    sending back the invitation!


    As Elyse thought about it, she gripped her knuckles tightly, causing her freshly manicured nails to fall


    apart.


    Although Michael was upset that Elyse had scolded him, he also realized that something was amiss


    when he looked at her expression. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked in concern.


    Hearing his words made Elyse suppress her frustration and cross her arms together, looking as


    arrogant as usual. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s no meaning to this. As long as I am Leo¡¯s fianc¨¦e, I will be the


    winner. After all, the Alston Family will put me on a pedestal if they want a better reputation.¡± As she


    spoke, she smiled confidently.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Leo was sitting in the car with his eyes closed.


    After he parted ways with Melissa, thepany¡¯s overseas branch encountered several issues.


    Hence, he went abroad in a hurry to solve the problem, only returning today while feeling exhausted.


    His face was tired, and his eyes were bloodshot due to theck of sleep.


    When he got into the car, he closed his eyes and rested. Beside him was his assistant, Eugene.


    All these years, Eugene had been Leo¡¯s trustworthy right-hand man. However, he stopped working to


    be by his wife¡¯s side during her pregnancy. As such, Leo had asked Laura to be his temporary


    assistant.


    Now that Eugene¡¯s child was a year older, Leo asked him to return to work. He also brought Eugene


    abroad to solve thepany¡¯s issues. Although Laura was outstanding, she was a woman, so it would


    be inconvenient for her to run around with Leo.


    While Leo was resting, Eugene dealt with thepany¡¯s business. At the same time, he had organized


    the documents that Leo needed to inspect. Then, he looked at the news. At that moment, his


    expression changed drastically.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Although Leo was taking a rest, he was still aware of his surroundings. When he felt


    something was off with Eugene, he opened his eyes and asked about it. His clear eyes showed that he


    was fully awake.


    Hearing his words, Eugene hummed in response and gripped his knuckles. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised to see


    that you are engaged.¡±


    When Leo heard his words, he closed his eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t fret about it.¡± However, he had different


    thoughts in his mind.


    I have to talk to Elyse about this. Being grateful isn¡¯t the same as falling in love. There is nothing


    between us. Speaking of which, Amelie didn¡¯t respond to the news when it has been spreading around


    for such a long time. Am I really that unimportant to her?


    For some reason, Leo thought about Amelie. As he thought about her, he let out a mocking smile. After


    all, why would Amelie care about him when she was just using him to experience the life she never


    had? Moreover, they were divorced.


    As he thought about it, he became more upset.


    Although Eugene knew Leo was in a bad mood, he wondered why. However, he didn¡¯t ask about it and


    said, ¡°The engagement date is just around the corner. Do you need me to order a set of suits for you?


    Or are you going to choose it by yourself?¡±


    At that moment, something snapped in Leo when he heard the man¡¯s words.


    Just as Eugene was about to put his phone away, Leo snatched it from him. In that split second, he


    looked at Leo in surprise. However, Leo didn¡¯t seem to be calm as he scrolled through the phone


    quickly. While doing so, he furrowed his eyebrows deeply.


    ¡°Is something the matter, Mr. Alston?¡± Eugene asked. From his experience, he knew that something


    was bothering Leo.


    Suddenly, Leo sped the phone to his side. He had used so much force that his fingers changed their


    form.


    ¡°Make a U-turn and head back to the Alston Residence!¡± he ordered.

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188


    At the Alston Residence, Melissa had gotten many calls to congratte her. Although she was


    unhappy about it, she could only feign happiness. After all, she couldn¡¯t keep a low profile when news


    about Elyse¡¯s suicidal attempt had spread around the town. At this moment, everyone knew about Leo


    and Elyse¡¯s engagement.


    After Melissa was done with the calls, she told Miss Potts to do her nails. In the meantime, she was


    thinking about ways to make Elyse give up on marrying Leo without affecting the Alston Family¡¯s


    reputation.


    While Miss Potts was doing Melissa¡¯s nails, she looked at her worriedly. ¡°Mr. Alston hasn¡¯t returned in


    days. I¡¯m afraid he still doesn¡¯t know that you have chosen the engagement date. What if he refuses to


    do it?¡±


    Hearing her words, Melissa lowered her eyes without thinking much about it. ¡°I¡¯ve already made it clear


    to him before, so it doesn¡¯t matter if he knows or not.¡±


    When Miss Potts heard her words, she opened her mouth and tried to say something. However, she


    kept quiet in the end. She was just a maid, so she could not interfere with her master¡¯s business.


    Just as they were talking, the door swung open. Melissa was immediately startled, and the two women


    looked over.


    Leo stood by the door, radiating an intimidating presence with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Mr. Alston!¡± Miss Potts called out hastily. Although she had met him countless times, she was still


    intimidated by his presence.


    In that split second, Melissa snapped out of her trance and said, ¡°When did youe back? How¡¯s


    work?¡± Then, she signaled Miss Potts to leave while she stood up from the couch and walked toward


    Leo.


    Her face was filled with concern, and she tried to hold his hands. However, Leo avoided her hands and


    said, ¡°Who decided the date of the engagement? Why didn¡¯t you ask for my permission before making


    a decision?¡± he snarled.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Melissa heard his words, she froze for a second before saying, ¡°I was the one who chose the


    date. I¡¯m sure you know we are on edge with Elyse¡¯s matter. Everyone is asking us about this, and


    some even think that we¡¯re lying. I¡¯m doing this to stop the rumors.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you n on letting me marry Elyse?¡± questioned Leo.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! This is just an expedient measure!¡± Melissa denied it without hesitation.


    Leo smirked when he heard her words. ¡°Do you think that this will stop them from talking about it? As


    long as I don¡¯t marry Elyse, the Alston Family will be the town¡¯s gossip!¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Melissa didn¡¯t think much about it. When she heard Leo¡¯s words, she realized that things


    were indeed tricky. However, she was stillposed as she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll find a way to make


    Elyse cancel the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that will happen? From the moment she used you to hold the engagement, she never


    nned on canceling it!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying that¡­¡± Melissa trailed off, and the confident look on her face was


    gone. She had a grim expression while her fingers clutched her dress tightly.


    Is this all just a setup? Have I been fooled by Elyse?


    At that moment, realization dawned upon Melissa as she uncovered the truth.


    ¡°Announce that the engagement will be called off right now!¡± Leo ordered without hesitation. With that,


    he turned around and left.


    Hearing his words, Melissa seemed to have thought of something and stopped him from leaving. ¡°It¡¯s


    toote, Leony. The engagement is today. It¡¯s starting soon, and guests will be arriving any moment


    now. How can you expect me to cancel the engagement?!¡± She looked nervous to the point that she


    didn¡¯t even have the time to me Elyse.


    ¡°Even if Elyse set this up, there¡¯s no going back. Please y along, Leony. We¡¯ll talk about it after the


    engagement, alright?¡± In the end, she valued the family¡¯s reputation more than anything else.


    After all, if the engagement were to be canceled, the Alstons¡¯ reputation and hers would be ruined.


    Although Leo knew what she was thinking, he still felt disappointed by her words.


    ¡°Is reputation that important to you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡± For the first time, Melissa didn¡¯t know how to answer. After some time, she whispered, ¡°I¡¯m doing


    this for your own good. Since you¡¯re a busy man, how are you going to live with a ruined reputation?¡±


    When Leo heard her words, he lowered his head and said nothing. Needless to say, her words did not


    persuade him.


    ¡°Leony¡­¡± Melissa was a nervous wreck.


    Leo removed Melissa¡¯s fingers that were gripping his clothes and said, ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this matter. All you


    have to do is stay put at home.¡± Then, he left.


    When Melissa heard his words, she was frustrated and stomped her feet. As she tried to chase him,


    two bodyguards blocked her way. ¡°Mr. Alston has asked us to keep an eye on you, Mrs. Alston.¡±


    Since she couldn¡¯t chase after Leo, she could only throw a tantrum at the guards. However, they simply


    ignored her. In the end, she could only call Elyse for help.


    Meanwhile, Elyse was in the dressing room as she donned the most expensive dress. Melissa had


    hired a famous designer to make the tailored evening gown.


    At that moment, many people surrounded her. Some were doing her makeup, and some were tidying


    her dress. Everyone was watching her with envy.


    Donia Watson, Elyse¡¯s agent, looked at her with bright eyes. ¡°Oh, Elyse. It¡¯s a good thing that Mr.


    Alston cares for you. Don¡¯t think of fooling around after the engagement, though. I have a few scripts,


    and you¡¯ll be famous if you star in several movies this year.¡±


    It had been a long time since Doniast talked to her with such a good attitude. Moreover, her words


    seemed like she was ttering Elyse.


    Once Elyse was engaged to Leo, she would not want to be a celebrity anymore. After all, she only


    needed to show her love for him in public. However, her status skyrocketed after she became engaged


    to Leo, and many would offer her opportunities because of him. Moreover, other celebrities associated


    with Elyse would gain poprity as well.


    When the others heard Donia¡¯s words, they all went to tter Elyse. Some even wanted to be her


    bridesmaid for free.


    As they surrounded Elyse, Elyse raised her chin proudly and ignored them.


    All these years, she had been pretending to be a generous person and did stuff she hated to maintain


    her public image. However, she wouldn¡¯t have to put up with the act anymore once she was Leo¡¯s


    fianc¨¦e.


    As Elyse squinted her eyes and thought about how the others¡¯ gaze would be on her and Leo, she felt


    delighted.


    ¡°Miss Elyse, can you teach me how to make a wealthy man fall in love with me?¡± Among the people,


    one of them couldn¡¯t help but ask for Elyse¡¯s advice.


    Everyone had heard about what happened between her and Leo. Many people were jealous of her, for


    she was still together with Leo despite cheating on him and going abroad.


    When Elyse heard the woman¡¯s words, she looked at her and smiled coldly. ¡°This isn¡¯t an easy task.


    After all, you have to be smart.¡±


    When the woman heard her words, her expression changed drastically.


    Is she saying that I¡¯m stupid? the woman thought to herself.


    As she thought about it, she was furious and wanted to scold Elyse. However, she didn¡¯t dare do so


    and could only endure the humiliation since Elyse had a higher status than her.


    At this moment, Elyse¡¯s phone rang. When she saw that it was Melissa, she smiled even brighter.


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment. My mother-inw is calling.¡± Then, she ignored everyone and walked away


    as she answered the phone.

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± On the other end of the phone, Melissa¡¯s voice was in haste and impatient.


    Hearing her words, Elyse rolled her eyes in disdain, unhappy with Melissa¡¯s attitude. Just as she was


    about to retort, she heard Melissa¡¯s words. ¡°Leo just came back and refuses to hold the engagement. I


    have done everything I can to help you. Now, it¡¯s up to you if the engagement will go through.¡±


    When Elyse heard her words, she was stunned. ¡°What do you mean? Did you not inform him about the


    engagement?¡±


    She knew that Melissa couldn¡¯t have gotten Leo to agree to this matter. Hence, she asked Melissa if


    she had tried persuading him all this while.


    However, Melissa didn¡¯t reply to her. The only sounding from the phone was the beeping tone¡ª


    Melissa had hung up on her.


    At that moment, Elyse was furious. She gripped her phone tightly and almost threw it away. However,


    she stopped herself since there were still many people outside the room. If they were to know about


    this matter, she would be doomed.


    Thinking about this, Elyse clutched the phone tightly and leaned against the wall while breathing


    heavily. Her eyes were filled with dissatisfaction. After all, there was no way she would give up when


    things hade to this point.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    She gritted her teeth tightly, almost drawing blood.


    At this moment, Donia¡¯s voice rang by the door. ¡°Did something happen, Elyse?¡±


    Hearing her voice, Elyse turned around and was met with her questioning gaze. Donia¡¯s gaze was like


    a light shining on her, making her nauseous. However, she suppressed the feeling and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.


    I¡¯m just nervous and tired, that¡¯s all.¡±


    When Donia heard her words, her expression softened. Then, she nodded and looked at her watch.


    ¡°There is still some time before the ceremony. I¡¯ll take the girls out of the room while you get some


    rest.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Elyse maintained herposure, not wanting to let Donia notice her nervousness.


    Only did she fall to the ground when the crowd had left.


    As Melissa¡¯s words filled her mind, she pulled her new hairdo in frustration, not caring if she would


    mess it up. At this moment, she was only thinking about how to make Leo agree to this engagement.


    After some time, the door opened, and Elyse raised her head abruptly. She saw Leo entering the room


    with a cold expression.


    Leo was a stern and quiet person, and it was getting hard for Elyse to get closer to him after everything


    that happened. Although he looked at her silently, Elyse still felt her heart thumping wildly.


    At that moment, she managed to get up. ¡°Leony.¡± As she spoke, she darted toward him and tried to


    hold his hand.


    However, Leo took a step back and said, ¡°I just found out that I have an engagement to attend to.¡±


    ¡°We will be engaged anyway, so why not sooner?¡± Elyse forced a smile and acted innocent. ¡°However,


    I just got a call from Mrs. Alston, and she told me that you didn¡¯t know the exact date of our


    engagement. I¡¯m sorry about that. If I had known about this sooner, I would have reminded you.¡± She


    secretly pushed the me onto Melissa.


    Leo didn¡¯t expose her lies and said, ¡°It¡¯s not toote. After all, the engagement will be called off


    anyway.¡±


    Although Elyse knew what he was implying, she still acted surprised. ¡°What do you mean, Leony? It


    wouldn¡¯t matter even if you don¡¯t know the engagement date, right? After all, we are going to get


    engaged soon.¡± Then, she bit her lips in disappointment. ¡°Are you going to break your promise? If that¡¯s


    the case¡­ you should have told me sooner. How will I walk out of this matter now that things have


    gotten to this point?¡± She didn¡¯t try to push his limits. Instead, she acted as if she didn¡¯t know what to


    do.


    As Leo looked at her, he couldn¡¯t help but soften his gaze when he saw her state.


    Elyse saw the look in his eyes and felt happy. Then, shey her head on his shoulder as she exined,


    ¡°I have my reputation to uphold, Leony. I have sent all the invitations, and many guests have arrived.


    What will they think of me if we were to call it off abruptly? I would be doomed.¡±


    Although Leo didn¡¯t push her away, his words were cruel. ¡°It¡¯s easy. We can tell the public that you


    regret being engaged with me. I¡¯ll be the one who gets dumped instead.¡±


    Hearing his words, Elyse looked at him in disbelief.


    ¡°A-Are you willing to ruin your reputation just to call off the engagement?¡±


    Leo looked at her calmly.


    He had long disregarded his so-called reputation.


    At that moment, Elyse¡¯s eyes were filled with horror. She looked at him with tears in her eyes as she


    spoke. ¡°Even so, my reputation will still be ruined. Everyone will say that I am an ungrateful woman


    who manipted your feelings. They will never look at me the same way. Moreover, they will think that


    I am an ill-mannered woman. I¡¯ll lose my job by then!¡±


    ¡°I can get you whatever you want, be it an advertisement or a movie role,¡± said Leo.


    Hearing his words, Elyse felt like she was being pushed to the edge, and there was no escape for her.


    She tried to speak but didn¡¯t know what to say. The only thing she felt was resentment.


    ¡°Leo!¡± Elyse cried out as tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked at Leo miserably and said, ¡°How


    can you do this to me? How can you put me in this state? Ellen would be disappointed in you if she


    were to know about this!¡±


    When Leo heard her words, he frowned in disdain and said, ¡°Is this why you have nothing to fear? Do


    you think that you can threaten my mother with your death and force her to hold this engagement


    because of Ellen?¡±


    When Elyse heard his words, she stopped crying and stared at him dumbly.


    At this moment, she realized that Leo was an intelligent man. He would have seen through her disguise


    with ease! All this while, he never exposed her lies since he respected her. However, she had


    overstepped his boundaries.


    Knowing that Leo had seen through her disguise, Elyse put down the act and said, ¡°Even so, your


    mother has agreed to everything.¡±


    ¡°That is why you can take our family¡¯s name and rack it to the mud,¡± replied Leo as he nodded.


    His intentions were clear. He would endure whatever it was that Elyse had med on them. However,


    there was no way he would participate in this engagement!


    Seeing that Leo was stubborn, Elyse was frustrated.


    As Leo looked at his watch, he decided to end their conversation. ¡°Listen here, Elyse. I can respect you


    and give you whatever you want. However, that doesn¡¯t mean you can intervene in my life and control


    me!¡± he warned her.


    When Elyse heard his words, she took a sharp breath and was startled.


    ¡°Eugene will be here to call off the engagement.¡± After that, Leo turned around and opened the door,


    wanting to leave.


    However, as soon as he walked out of the door, a bright light shed across his eyes. Leo raised his


    hand to block the light and realized a bunch of reporters was outside the door.

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190


    The reporters quickly surrounded Leo and bombarded him with questions.


    ¡°Since today is your engagement day, Mr. Alston, have you decided when the wedding will be?¡±


    ¡°Will Miss yton still be acting after the engagement, or will she quit the job? Have you guys talked


    about this?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Miss yton¡¯s dress is handled by Mrs. Alston. A famous designer created the dress, and


    she even checked on the work progress. Does that mean Miss yton and Mrs. Alston are on good


    terms?¡±


    When Leo saw the reporters, he gritted his teeth and wore a cold expression. Then, he snapped his


    head toward Elyse as he red at her.


    She ignored his gaze as she approached him with a smile. Then, she linked her arm with his and


    snuggled her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°You told me you will protect and respect me for the sake of Ellen,¡± she whispered to him. ¡°Now, it¡¯s


    time for you to show your respect to me.¡± A hint of provoke shed across her eyes.


    If Leony refuses to be engaged with me, I will force him to! Thinking about it, Elyse smiled brightly at


    the reporters.


    Since they stood close together, the crowd, who was unaware of the truth, was sure they were a lovely


    couple when they saw her smile. At that moment, they raised their cameras and took pictures of them.


    During the whole process, Leo had a cold and unnatural countenance.


    Although the crowd felt it was a shame that they could not get a picture of him smiling, they did not


    mind since they knew he had a cold personality.


    Despite Leo¡¯s grimace, Elyse could feel that the arm she wrapped around was not as stiff as before,


    seemingly a sign that he had agreed to y along with her.


    Initially, she was nervous. However, at that moment, she looked proud. I knew it. No matter how


    unwilling Leony is, he will never embarrass me in front of the public. Loyalty is his weakness and my


    tool to use against him. Today, I am going to shine with this opportunity! I don¡¯t care what will happen


    next.


    In recent times, she was doubted and criticized. Thus, now that she could be herself, she hung her


    head up high looking proud.


    It was then that Leo¡¯s phone buzzed. Then, he withdrew his upied arm and grabbed his phone. It¡¯s


    Amelie!


    When Elyse saw the number, her heart sank. However, she quickly smiled again and thought, Amelie


    has always been up against me. It¡¯s time to teach her a lesson. Since she chose to call Leony at this


    moment, I will let her know how blissful I am right now!


    As she thought about it, she acted virtuous and said, ¡°Hurry up and answer the phone, Leony.¡±


    Many reporters were close to him and saw who was calling him. After many incidents, they knew that


    Amelie was his ex-wife. As such, many were excited to see what would unfold and nodded thoughtfully


    when they heard Elyse¡¯s words.


    Her words would make the crowd feel like she was a kind-hearted woman. On the other hand, it would


    also show that the feelings she and Leo had were strong enough to withstand Amelie¡¯s call.


    This was what Elyse had wanted; she was thrilled and felt like a genius who could manipte others.


    She acted as if she was blessed and the woman Leo truly loved.


    Hence, the reporters praised them. ¡°You two are so in love with each other.¡±


    ¡°You guys are so sweet.¡±


    Hearing their words, Elyse giggled and looked at them with bright eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you guys will have a


    happy life like me.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Just as her words fell, Leo answered the call, ¡°Hello?¡±


    However, Bria¡¯s voice sounded from the other end of the phone. ¡°Daddy! Quick! Save Mommy and


    Grandpa!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± His face changed drastically when he heard her words.


    ¡°We were shopping at the grocery store when the racks fell. Mommy pushed me away and went to


    save Grandpa. I can¡¯t find them¡­¡± She sobbed.


    For some reason, Leo had put his phone on speaker. Thus, everyone overheard what Bria had said.


    In the meantime, the joyful Elyse froze and twitched her lips, digging her nails into her skin. Amelie is


    doing this on purpose! She is pretending to be in an ident when today is my engagement day!


    Although Elyse was furious, she did not show it on her face and asked with concern, ¡°Oh my. Although


    the paramedics will be at the store, we still have to send someone to the rescue. We can¡¯t let them¡­¡±


    Before she had finished her words, Leo darted toward the door, saying, ¡°Which store are you at?!¡±


    Looking at him, she was speechless. Initially, she said those words because she thought he would only


    send someone to save Amelie; she wanted to mislead people into thinking that he had listened to her.


    However, he decided to rescue Amelie himself! Not only that, he did not even bid her goodbye. At that


    moment, it was clear that Amelie was more important than her.


    Elyse felt like she was being pped across the face. The prouder she was in the beginning, the more


    miserable she was now!


    Then, she raised her head and saw that the reporters were looking at her in silence. The envy in their


    eyes was reced with enlightenment.


    Elyse had done this upon herself and wished that the ground would swallow her up. After all, it was she


    who hired those reporters. She did it to subdue Leo, but she never thought she would humiliate herself!


    As she thought about it, she decided she could not stay here any longer and quickly chased after Leo.


    Meanwhile, he rushed to the garage as soon as possible and jumped into the car. Just as he


    elerated, another car came his way, and they almost crashed into each other. Then, Elyse jumped


    out of her car and mmed her hand against his window with puffy eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leo lowered his window and looked at her with a darkened expression.


    ¡°What am I doing? Where do you think you¡¯re going, Leony? Are you nning on leaving me behind


    and saving Amelie? Have you ever thought about the possibility that she might be fine and was just


    trying to stop us from being engaged?¡±


    When he heard her words, Amelie¡¯s face shed across his mind. To him, he felt like she would not


    have done such an outrageous thing.


    ¡°Go away!¡± he ordered her.


    However, Elyse would not oblige since she had already seen the reporters rushing toward them. Thus,


    she grabbed the window and said with teary eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare forget that Ellen had donated her


    cornea to you. You can¡¯t do this to me. I am her only sister! You can¡¯t betray her!¡± She pursed her lips


    while tears brimmed her eyes, making her look pitiful. However, deep down in her heart, she was sure


    that as long as Leo was grateful for Ellen, he would never escape from her!


    Then, she stopped moving, trying to force him out of the car. On the other hand, the reporters were


    getting nearer. The closer they were, the more confidence she felt.


    Just as she was feeling proud, her hand was suddenly pushed away. Next, a loud bang sounded.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191


    The sound was so loud that the ground rumbled.


    When Elyse heard that, she was frightened. Then, she saw that Leo had driven past her and went


    toward the reporters¡¯ direction.


    They were terrified by the iing car and quickly moved aside. In just a split second, the car had


    disappeared out of sight.


    Subsequently, the reporters hadplicated expressions as they surrounded Elyse¡¯s car.


    Her bumper was dented, and the car lights were shattered! The car had been flipped from the huge


    force when Leo crashed against it.


    ¡°Oh my god! Mr. Alston¡­ He¡­¡± One of the reporters could not help but exim in utter exaggeration.


    What happened before them made everyone realize that not only had Leo left Elyse, his fianc¨¦, alone


    in the garage, he even crashed into her car for Amelie, his ex-wife! After all, he could have waited for


    Elyse to move her car, but he was so anxious that he did not even have the time to do so! With this


    matter, it was clear that Amelie was more important to Leo.


    As Elyse looked at the broken car, she clenched her fists tightly. Her car was ruined, and so was her


    reputation! Leo had overlooked what Ellen did for him just because of Amelie! At that point, nothing


    could get her out of this mess. He had embarrassed her in front of the reporters, and she would be a


    laughingstock of the town!


    As she thought about it, she was angry and red at the reporters. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what to write on


    today¡¯s news. If anyone were to write nonsense, the Alston Family would get their revenge!¡± Then, she


    stormed off angrily.


    When she returned to the dressing room, she was frustrated and disappointed. All she wanted to do


    was vent her emotions.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as she stepped into the room, she saw Donia and the girls who had surrounded her inside.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I heard Mr. Alston has left.¡± Donia¡¯s expression was grim. As soon as Elyse entered


    the room, she interrogated her, and her attitude was unlike before.


    Although Elyse was frustrated, she still had to deal with Donia. ¡°He has some important business to


    attend to.¡±


    When Rose, the girl Elyse humiliated previously, heard her words, she said, ¡°What is more important


    than his engagement? It looks to me that Mr. Alston doesn¡¯t love you!¡±


    She was getting her revenge since Elyse had humiliated her.


    Her words resembled a p to Elyse¡¯s face, which infuriated and embarrassed her. She almost wanted


    to pick a fight with Rose right there and then.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any manners, Miss Donia. Don¡¯t you have something to say about it?¡± Elyse


    suppressed her anger and reminded her manager.


    In reality, Donia was angry and disappointed in Elyse since Leo had left. When she heard her words,


    she gave a light scolding to Rose. Then, her words took a turn as she looked at Elyse. ¡°Do you know


    when he will be back? After all, he is the star of today¡¯s event. If he were to be absent, your reputation


    will be ruined.¡±


    At that, Elyse felt excruciating pain and wanted to bang her head against the wall from the


    embarrassment. Even if she wanted Leo to return, he would not listen to her!


    As she thought about it, she suppressed her anger and said calmly, ¡°Bria¡¯s mother is in a life-and-death


    situation, and the kid is terrified. So, how can Leo ignore this matter? Surely, he would return after the


    mother is found. It was me who allowed him to leave. I¡¯ll exin it to you guyster on.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Rose snorted in disdain and mocked her. ¡°You sure know how to tter yourself!¡±


    Donia could also tell that Leo did not love Elyse as much as she proimed. Otherwise, he would have


    sent his men over to save Amelie rather than going there in person. However, she knew there was


    nothing more they could do now. Moreover, most people would believe in Elyse¡¯s words, so she did not


    expose her since she wanted her to keep in touch with the Alston Family. ¡°I¡¯m sure Mrs. Alston will


    arrive if he doesn¡¯t get here in time.¡± Then, she looked at Elyse thoughtfully before leaving with the


    others.


    After they left, Elyse stood there without moving. She knew what Donia meant. If Leo can¡¯t be here,


    Melissa can take his spot for the time being, so I won¡¯t be embarrassed. If anyone were to talk about


    this, I can say that Leo¡¯s parents approve of me as his wife.


    As she thought about it, she went to dial Melissa¡¯s number. However, Melissa had turned off her phone!


    Hearing the beeping noise, she dared not believe it and redialed the number. However, it was still the


    same!


    ¡°Damn it!¡± At that moment, herst hope had ceased to exist. She threw her phone to the ground


    angrily before it shattered into pieces. Yet, she did not seem to have had enough and rushed toward


    the dressing table and flipped everything off the ground.


    ¡­


    When Leo arrived at the grocery store, it was surrounded by police cordons. Someone was carrying


    Bria as she sobbed hysterically. Her eyes and nose were red as she kept calling for her mommy and


    grandpa.


    As soon as he saw her, he immediately rushed over and embraced her.


    Seeing her daddy, Bria cried while pushing him. ¡°Daddy, please save Mommy and Grandpa!¡±


    Once Leo had scrutinized the scene, he realized that it was not just the racks that had fallen but half of


    the building! When Bria was being pushed away by Amelie, the paramedics quickly got her out of the


    building. Since she only remembered the racks falling, she could only tell such information to Leo.


    While heforted her, he walked toward a paramedic and told the person his identity.


    When the paramedic heard Leo was from the family of one of the victims, he was solemn. ¡°We are


    trying to get them out of there. However, too many things are inside, and the building has copsed


    severely. Thus, we are unable to get everyone out in the meantime.¡±


    Since Bria could only understand half of the thing, she knew that it was hard for them to save the


    people trapped underneath. At that moment, she cried even harder and said, ¡°Daddy, I want Mommy


    and Grandpa. Please. Save them.¡±


    Leo was disheartened when he heard the news too. He was already nervous when he heard that the


    racks had fallen. However, things were more severe than he thought. Although he did not love Amelie


    and even despised her, he still felt sad when he realized that she might be trapped underneath the


    building!


    Thinking about it, he took a deep breath and patted Bria¡¯s back gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will help you find


    Grandpa and Mommy.¡± Then, he quickly dialed a number and arranged for more rescue teams to


    arrive.


    Not far away, Julia and Samuel had arrived at the scene too.


    Her eyes were red and puffy. When she saw Bria, she quickly rushed over and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s


    Mommy, Bria? Where¡¯s Grandpa? Do they have any news?¡±


    Hearing her words, Bria could only cry and shook her head. When Julia saw her reaction, she nced


    at the ruined building, and tears streamed down her face. Samuelforted her for a moment before


    he went to look for them with the rescue team.


    Since Leo¡¯s men had not arrived and he was not qualified to be in the rescue team, he was stopped


    outside of the police cordon. Just as he was in deep thought, Julia saw him.


    Seeing that he was just standing outside, she had mistaken him that he was only here to take Bria


    away and would ignore Amelie¡¯s situation. At that moment, she was enraged and barked at him. ¡°How


    heartless of you, Leo! Don¡¯t you feel guilty? Did you think you could hide the truth by forgetting it? If


    Elie¡¯s apaniment didn¡¯t mean anything to you, what about the things she had done for you? If it


    weren¡¯t for her, you would still be an unworthy, useless man!¡±


    Before that, Leo was trying to think of a way to get into the copsed building. However, he was


    stunned and quickly turned his head toward Julia when he heard her words. ¡°What are you talking


    about?¡±


    ¡°What am I talking about? Do you know who¡¯s the one that made you regain your eyesight?¡± She was


    so angry that she had forgotten to keep it a secret.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192


    Leo looked at her with a puzzled look.


    Previously, Elyse had given him a series of evidence that proved that it was her older sister, Ellen, who


    had donated her cornea to save his eye.


    Regarding this matter, Leo had done a thorough investigation and even found Ms. Albert from Quinn


    Town.


    Ms. Albert confirmed that the shoemaker¡¯s daughter, Elie, dide to ask her for information on


    corneal donation.


    Since he had used some special measures, Mrs. Albert had spat out the truth.


    However, why was Julia asking about this now?


    ¡°Who is it?¡± After a slight pause, he asked Julia, wanting to hear what she was about to say.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Elie!¡±


    Before she could say the name ¡°Elie,¡± they heard another loud rumble, followed by the ground


    trembling again.


    Something had happened at the copsed supermarket!


    As the loud rumble interrupted their conversation, Julia didn¡¯t speak any further, and both looked in that


    direction.


    ¡°Mommy! Grandpa!¡± Bria¡¯s cries were bing more hysterical.


    Scrunching his eyebrows tightly, Leo ignored the rescue staff¡¯s warning and tore the cordon away


    before rushing inside.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s dangerous there!¡± the personnel responsible for guarding the site yelled.


    However, Leo had already disappeared.


    Following that, Eugene just happened to lead another team of rescuers over, and they entered the


    scene.


    The scene was a mess with broken and fallen pirs all around. The concrete coating was broken into


    pieces, exposing the twisted steel bars inside. There were even some bars that were bent into strange


    angles.


    There were so many concrete pieces with sharp angles that there was nowhere to step on.


    Dust filled the air, choking anyone who ran inside and causing them to have difficulty breathing.


    At the same time, the rescuers were constantly carrying out the wounded one by one.


    All of them had faces covered in dust and they were heavily wounded, and there were still some who


    were pinned under concrete pirs, with no one knowing whether they were still alive.


    The originally luxuriously and fashionably decorated supermarket had now be hell. It was a


    horrific situation!


    When Eugene caught up with Leo and saw the situation, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp.


    Meanwhile, Leo frowned slightly while focusing his attention and quickly locating Samuel, who was


    directing the rescuers.


    Leo walked over and arrived before Samuel in just a few steps. ¡°Have you found them?¡±


    Samuel looked at Leo in surprise but then shook his head solemnly.


    The building was so badly damaged that it was almost impossible for Amelie to still be alive.


    Such a realization made Leo frown even deeper.


    A whileter, he informed Samuel, ¡°I¡¯ll look over there!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Alston, that part of the building is still crumbling. How about I bring someone over?¡± Eugene ran


    over and suggested.


    Leo nced at him and declined, ¡°No need!¡±


    After saying that, he sprinted over there himself.


    While searching through the rubble, Leo dodged a few small copses before finallying across a


    light-colored figure under arge pir.


    There was Amelie, lying right under the huge pir.


    When the shelves fell, they happened to form a small corner that blocked the pir and created a small


    space.


    That small space was where Amelie was in.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Leo called out to her the moment he saw her.


    Hearing someone calling her, Amelie slowly raised her head and looked over.


    It was then that Leo discovered that she was shielding someone below her.


    Judging from the gray hair, Leo thought it might be Steven.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but my dad¡­ he might be injured,¡± Amelie answered softly. When she saw it was him, a trace


    of surprise appeared in her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t expect Leo woulde and save her.


    After a quick observation of Amelie¡¯s position and surroundings, Leo frowned because where she was


    was a tight space, so they needed to dig her out.


    The things around her and the shelves were supporting the huge pir, so if they moved any of that, the


    pir would fall and squish the people under it.


    However, the situation hadn¡¯t reached the point of desperation either because they could still save


    Amelie and Steven by removing the pir.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ming to save you,¡± Leoforted her.


    It was the first time Leo spoke so gently and harmlessly to Amelie. She was terrified at first, but she


    was now filled with courage.


    She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Afterward, Leo didn¡¯t say anything else and quickly contacted the rescuers and professionals.


    The professionals came quickly and tied several huge iron chains to the end of the pir while a piece


    of heavy machinery was outside, waiting to move the pir at any moment.


    Back inside, Leo and a few rescuers had changed into their rescue uniforms and were ready to save


    Amelie and Steven the moment the crane raised the pir.


    There was a safety rope attached around Leo¡¯s waist.


    ¡°One, two, three!¡±


    Under the guidance of themander, the pir was slowly raised.


    At the same time, Leo and the others were being let down slowly ording to how they had nned.


    Leo pushed away some debris and came to where Amelie was.


    Then, Amelie strenuously helped Steven fasten his safety belt and let the rescuers pull him out first.


    ¡°Give me your hand. Grab onto me.¡± Leonded before her.


    As Amelie knew it was an urgent situation, she reached out her hand without giving it much thought.


    With his hands linked together, Leo hugged her waist and was prepared to bring her up.


    However, before he could grab hold of her, Amelie suddenly pushed him away!


    Leo¡¯s body was hanging by the rope around his body, so he couldn¡¯t find his footing and was swung far


    away. Then, his back crashed into a concrete b.


    He felt the sharp edge of the concrete pierce his back and was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t


    breathe.


    At that very second, the ground began to shake again.


    The roof copsed again, bringing down a huge b of concrete thatnded on the spot where he was


    previously standing!


    He instinctively grabbed onto the concrete b behind him and saw Amelie retreating in the opposite


    way.


    Even though she was moving fairly quickly, she was still hit by one of the corners of the falling concrete


    b.


    Pfft! She spat out a mouthful of blood!


    The situation had changed in just a matter of a few seconds.


    When Leo saw her spitting blood, he felt like a knife was stabbing his chest. The sharp pain was even


    more painful than the pain in his back!


    Just now, she pushed him away to save him!


    Even though it happened in a split second, he still managed to see the gentle light in her eyes when


    she pushed him away.


    Her eyes were filled with gratefulness, joy, and relief¡­


    ¡°Amelie!¡± The pain in Leo¡¯s chest seemed to have exploded as he used the leverage on his safety rope


    to desperately swing over to Amelie.


    He saw her lying there with blood at the corner of her lips and a ghastly face.


    Dark red blood was slowly seeping out from her back and staining her red clothes like a silently


    blossoming blood-red flower.


    It was shocking!


    Amelie hadn¡¯t lost consciousness, so she slowly turned her head and smiled at Leo.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing her smile left Leo so heartbroken that his sobs were caught in his throat, rendering him


    breathless.


    He didn¡¯t have any time to care about his feelings because after the incident just now, the load-bearing


    equipment was destroyed, and everything had tilted onto the pir.


    When the pir¡¯s weight came down again, the shelves shielding Amelie broke and pushed down on


    her body, encasing her inside.


    Even so, those shelves couldn¡¯t hold on much longer.


    ¡°Get new heavy equipment over here and reattach the pir. Hurry up!¡± Leo had never felt so flustered


    as he roared out his order.


    Obviously, his n of attack was the right one, so the rescuers quickly contacted the others outside.


    This time, they sent a helicopter over.


    Several iron chains were hung down from the helicopter, and the rescuers that came down with Leo


    quickly fastened the chains to the pir.


    ¡°They have to lift the cranes first, so the pir will definitely shift, but don¡¯t worry because the load is on


    that end, so you won¡¯t be in danger.¡± Leo was speaking to her through a small hole between the


    shelves, and he couldn¡¯t help but soften his voice when reassuring her.


    Amelie barely managed to nod. She was in bad shape after losing a lot of blood and getting hit by the


    concrete b.


    Leo stared at her for a few seconds before screaming his order to the personnel outside. ¡°Start lifting!¡±


    The helicopter above him whirled as the crane was slowly lifted away, followed by the pir.


    When Leo reached out his hand again, they suddenly heard a child¡¯s pitiful cry.


    Everyone was shocked.


    ¡°Bria!¡±

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193


    Someone¡¯s calling. It¡¯s Julia!


    Amelie nced in that direction only to see Julia tottering over in a rush with her twisted arm.


    ¡°No! No! Stop it! B-Bria is at the other end!¡± Tears wet her paled face as she shook her head vigorously.


    She was on the brink of losing her mind.


    Everyone¡¯s expression changed at that instant. Julia¡¯s reaction made Amelie¡¯s heart sink to the pit of


    her stomach. ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s Bria?¡±


    ¡°Why did you let the kid in? Can¡¯t you keep an eye on a kid?¡± Someone from the crows reproached.


    Frantic and remorse filled Julia to the brim as she bit her lower lip. ¡°I¡­ People were jostling around and


    she ran in. I-I¡¯m terribly sorry!¡±


    She then sprinted in another direction with wobbly legs, shouting Bria¡¯s name again and again.


    Meanwhile, Amelie broke into a cold sweat. It was as if someone had taken away a part of her; the


    hollow was painful.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Leo, who was undoing the safety gears.


    Samuel approached him with a somber face. Instead of words, he merely shot a look at Leo.


    Leo took the hint as he whispered to Amelie, ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡±


    When the men were about to leave, Amelie suddenly piped up determinedly, ¡°Samuel, just spill it.¡±


    He hesitated, but she added in a quivering voice, ¡°Bria is my daughter. I have the right to know what


    happened.¡±


    Nothing hurt her more than knowing Bria was in danger.


    Despite the reluctance, Samuel recounted seriously, ¡°Julia¡¯s arm is dislocated because of the jostling


    crowd, and Bria seized the chance to look for you¡­¡±


    His expression darkened at that point. ¡°When they lifted the pir, it shifted and fell onto her. ¡±


    ¡°It fell on her?!¡± Amelie recalled Bria¡¯s scream. Was that because of the fallen pir?


    The sudden plight spurred vehement emotions in her veins; her lungs shrank and squeezed out a


    cough of blood.


    Uff!


    ¡°Elie!¡± he shrieked.


    Leo¡¯s brows knitted tightly. The second Amelie coughed up blood, his heart squeezed and even his


    body shuddered. He reached out in an attempt to support her, but he could not touch her because she


    was stuck!


    ¡°I¡¯ll check on the situation.¡± As Bria¡¯s father, no one was in more pain than Leo to hear her getting hurt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± He nced at Amelie while rising to his feet before leaving.


    On the other side, there was a throng of people surrounding with the same grim expression. Julia was


    not in the state of mind to treat her dislocated arm. She was kneeling and wailing Bria¡¯s name.


    The crowd made way for Leo upon noticing his arrival. His gaze firstnded upon Bria¡¯s figure, which


    wasying underneath a huge pir in a pool of fragments.


    It was a few timesrger than her body, burying her lower half. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her


    arms drooped listlessly.


    The doctor, who was checking on her situation, removed the stethoscope after Leo arrived. ¡°She¡¯s


    breathing, but seriously injured. If we don¡¯t get her out right away, she might be in danger.¡±


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This pir is huge, and its position is tricky. We can only l it up from one side with the machines in our


    hands. Naturally, the other end will have to bear the extra weight and die.¡± Themander of the


    rescue team approached them with a solemn expression. It was heart-wrenching for him to tell the


    cruel truth. Lives were at stake.


    However, time was of the essence. Once the racks were broken, Amelie would be dead. As for Bria¡­


    If they could not make the call within ten minutes by choosing either one, both of them would die! Leo


    had never been in such a quandary.


    One was his daughter, and the other was Amelie.


    The circumstances shocked Julia to the core. As her mind went nk, she kept repeating the same


    thing. ¡°What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?¡±


    ¡°We must make a decision right now or we won¡¯t be able to save either one!¡± urged themander


    because every second counted.


    At this moment, Samuel came up to them with a serious announcement. ¡°Elie told us to save Bria first.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s decision made Leo frown, yet he disyed no sort of expression.


    Meanwhile, the deranged Julia ran over and toss herself before Amelie. ¡°No, no! You can¡¯t do that.


    There must be a way, Elie. There has to be a way!¡±


    Amelie watched Julia as she wanted to wipe off those tears for her, but she couldn¡¯t. She shut her eyes


    and her eyshes fluttered.


    No one could wee his death with open arms; she was not a heroine and the fear bore the same


    weight on her. Still, Bria was her biological daughter, so as the mother, how could Amelie bear to let


    Bria die?


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret, Julia. Luck¡¯s on my side. Heaven won¡¯t ept me.¡± She masked the intense fear to assure


    Julia.


    Julia shook her head vigorously, for no one would gamble when it was a matter of life and death.


    Speaking of which, she was the very person to me because she failed to look after Bria.


    ¡°I¡¯m with you, Elie. If we don¡¯t survive this, we still have each other¡¯spany.¡± She wiped off her tears


    before crawling underneath the pir.


    After that, Leo came. He looked at Julia indifferently before gazing at Amelie. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will keep


    both you and Bria safe.¡±


    Amelie raised her gaze onto his eyes which exuded determination and certainty. Strangely enough, it


    gave her a sense of security. In spite of theck of exnation, she had the hunch that he would fulfill


    his promise.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded without saying much.


    Leo stared at Amelie deeply before leaving. Not long after, a machinery voice prated the air as the


    commander gave his orders.


    The pir slowly yet miraculously levitated in the air upon the string ofmands. Noticing the shifting


    object, the surrounding people hurriedly pulled Amelie out and Julia crawled out herself.


    Both of them then dashed in Bria¡¯s direction simultaneously. On the other side, the medical team


    carried the little girl away from the pir and ran outside in full pelt with an IV drip.


    Amelie wanted to catch up with them, but her frail body did not allow that; she flopped onto the ground


    after barely running a few steps.


    Julia, who noticed Samuel, helped Amelie up and then rushed to him. The anxious Amelie almost


    tossed herself at him. ¡°How¡¯s Bria? Is she okay?¡±


    Another arm pulled her into an embrace before she touched Samuel. The warmth wrapped around her


    tightly as though she was a long-lost treasure.


    ¡°Bria¡¯s safe. She didn¡¯t suffer any secondary injuries from the rescue.¡± The familiar voice pulled her


    back to her senses, and she finally realized who was hugging her.

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194


    ¡°Thank you, Leo.¡± He fulfilled his promise. He saved both of us!


    Leo pursed his lips tightly without a word, tightening his arms around Amelie. What Amelie did not


    know was, the moment he realized he was going to lose her, he panicked like never before.


    A couple of momentster, she freed herself from him to take a look at Bria. She was so feeble that she


    fell forward after barely taking two steps.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Before her knees reached the rough surface, Leo wrapped his arm around her waist to carry her.


    ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ll bring you there.¡±


    ¡°N-No. It¡¯s fine.¡± Amelie thrashed about and protested because it was his first time carrying her that


    way. She felt extremely awkward.


    ¡°You¡¯re hurt. What if the injuries be even more severe because you force yourself? Remember,


    Bria needs you,¡± he reminded her that she could not fall right now.


    In the end, she caved in and he carried her all the way to the vehicle. On the other hand, someone was


    watching them from afar with her fingers tightened around the steering wheel.


    Elyse gritted her teeth. It was as if she could devour someone at that instant. The gown on her was


    beautiful and graceful as ever, but her reputation waspletely ruined because of the absence of her


    fianc¨¦ and future mother-inw at that engagement ceremony.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she dead yet? Why?! Why!¡± She punched the steering wheel in a fit of pique. The loud


    punches and tingling sensation in her fingers couldn¡¯t subside the ire in her.


    ¡°You¡¯re bold toy a finger on that child. Don¡¯t you know what awaits you if Leo finds out about the


    truth?¡± A menacing voice mocked her.


    Reflexively, she looked back at the man behind her. She did not notice his ghost-like arrival at all.


    He was all wrapped up, revealing only that pair of sinister eyes. The sharp glint shining in his eyes was


    that of a hawk, so keen that it could give one goosebump.


    His appearance made Elyse¡¯s face go pale for a moment. Still, she maintained herposure. ¡°I don¡¯t


    get what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°You do.¡± He hugged his arms and reclined in the back seat. ¡°How did that woman lose sight of the kid?


    And how did she get stuck under that pir?¡±


    Those implicit questions were enough to distort her expression, eliciting fear in her on the ount that


    someone saw through her schemes.


    She just wanted Amelie to be dead. That way, no one would take Leo away from her. That was why


    she asked someone to set it up!


    Once Leo found out that Elyse almost killed Bria, he would never let her off the hook that easily. Not


    even Ellen¡¯s ¡®grace¡¯ would be able to offset the trouble caused!


    The man¡¯s cold finger prodded Elyse¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s between only you and me. I won¡¯t tell


    your crush about it.¡±


    She turned her head to face him hesitantly. The glint in his eyes spoke of malicious intents like that of a


    snake. He poked her again. ¡°I¡¯ll help you bury the truth too.¡±


    He withdrew his hand, but she remained vignt on the knowledge of the man¡¯s nature. ¡°W-What do


    you want?¡±


    ¡°I just wanna help you.¡± His eyes narrowed into crescents before he alighted from the car.


    Her fingers curled into a fist. She knew that he was not up to something good, but could she turn down


    the offer?


    In the meantime, the victims underwent checkups at the hospital. Although the pir fell on her, Bria did


    not suffer any fatal injury thanks to her young age and soft body. Some of her bones were ruptured, but


    that was the best possible oue of such an ident.


    Steven waspletely fine as a couple of days¡¯ rest was the only thing he needed. As for Amelie, she


    had internal bleeding resulting from a slight rupture. Fortunately, she received treatment in time and


    would be able to get back to her feet after some rest.


    Leo was all over the ce. Only after he made sure that the three of them were safe could he finally


    ease up.


    Amelie fell into deep slumber shortly after being sent to the hospital. Staying conscious with that injured


    body had sapped all of her strength.


    Under Leo¡¯s arrangement, Amelie and Bria stayed in the same room while Steven had a separate


    room.


    Leo sat by the bed, watching the sleeping girl and woman. His face remained expressionless, but


    affection outlined the bottom of his eyes. Gradually, he zeroed in on Amelie while his mind reyed the


    scene of her shoving him away just to save him.


    Ever since they divorced, all she had shown him was nothing more than an indifferent attitude.


    However, he discerned the worry in her eyes at that very moment.


    He did not seem to hate it upon noticing her worries for him for some reason. Instead, an ambiguous


    feeling rippled in him.


    Why is she worried about me? I didn¡¯t treat her well when we were married back then. There¡¯s


    something special in her gaze. It¡¯s deep and intense. I wonder what it is.


    Knock, knock.


    Someone knocked on the window from the outside, breaking his deep thoughts. He turned his head to


    see Eugene standing right there. Knowing the reason behind his visit, Leo rose from the bed and


    closed the door gingerly.


    Silently, Eugene watched Leo¡¯s course of action as an epiphany struck him. Never once had he seen


    such a gentle side from Leo, especially when Leo was confronting Amelie. Eugene even thought he


    had gotten the wrong person when looking through the window.


    ¡°Found anything?¡±


    Eugene pulled his thoughts back upon hearing Leo¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯ve interrogated the people who bumped


    into Miss White. They imed that their mind was a mess to know that their family was stuck in there,


    hence the unintentional ferity. As to why Bria ran away, they have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe in their words?¡± Leo¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Eugene was tranced for a moment as he dared not give a naive answer. It took him a while before


    continuing the conversation. ¡°The building ispletely ruined. We can¡¯t find anything, but I found


    something in the vicinity.¡±


    ¡°Fire away.¡±


    Eugene inhaled a deep breath. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in particr, but there are traces of someone cleaning


    away something.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    Eugene gave it a thought before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°It must be rted to the mastermind if they erased it in a rush. Find out who came over recently. Just


    the people acquainted with Amelie and I will do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Eugene left thereafter.


    Leo returned to the room, where Amelie kept murmuring something in her dreams. Sensing something


    off about her, he paced up to listen to what she was saying.


    His expression fell when he finally grasped what she uttered.

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195


    ¡°Snowy.¡±


    What did she say?


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± He instinctively ced his hand on the nket as his throat tightened.


    He had to be sure.


    Amelie mumbled softly again, but the sounds were too soft and muffled that he couldn¡¯t hear anything


    at all! After that, she fell into a deep sleep while Leo maintained that position without moving a muscle.


    After a long while, he turned around suddenly and walked out.


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can get to work.¡±


    In the treatment room, Julia, whose arm was hanging from a bandage, walked out together with


    Samuel.


    Obviously, she had just been treated for dislocation, but it had been dislocated for quite a long time, so


    the doctor put it into a sling for now.


    From the unhappy look on her face, Samuel knew that what happened earlier had a significant impact


    on her, and he didn¡¯t say anything, only squeezing her shoulders a little as a form of silentfort.


    It was true that there were a lot of matters to follow up on, so he only stayed briefly, leaving after giving


    her a few instructions.


    Then, she walked toward Amelie¡¯s ward with one harm in the sling. A few stepster, she saw Leo


    standing opposite her, watching her with a solemn gaze.


    Even though she didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of him and had even publicly expressed her dislike for him,


    she still stiffened out of reflex when she met those eyes.


    She had to admit that he carried a very dominant air, especially after what happened.


    Despite the guilt in her heart, she bit the bullet and paced over.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, I know you¡¯re here to settle the score with me. What happened today is my fault. I didn¡¯t


    take care of Bria properly and almost¡­ Almost caused her and Elie¡¯s death.¡±


    When she brought this up, she choked a little. But, even if Leo didn¡¯t reprimand her, there was no


    hiding the wave of remorse that was currently overwhelming her.


    ¡°A mistake is a mistake, and I¡¯m not going to make an excuse for it. You can decide what punishment I


    deserve!¡± she said and squeezed her eyes shut.


    Leo watched her silently. Usually, she had a sharp tongue and wasn¡¯t very likable, but at this moment,


    he thought that it wasn¡¯t so bad that Amelie befriended her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to pursue responsibility. I have another question for you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± He¡¯s not going to me me? Julia¡¯s eyes popped open in shock, gawking at him in disbelief


    and thinking that she had misheard him.


    When she ced herself in his shoes, she reckoned that, given his temper, he would at least beat her


    to a pulp after something like this happened!


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked tentatively.


    ¡°Who was the person you told me before that cured my eye?¡±


    She was startled by that particr question. ¡°Huh?¡±


    At that time, she told him this purely because she was scared out of her wits by the copse of the


    supermarket and thought that Amelie would not survive; it was a result of her recklessness.


    And now¡­ If I tell him, will Elie skin me alive?


    Actually, she was in a dilemma when it came to this matter. Although she was afraid that Amelie would


    skin her alive, she couldn¡¯t ignore the help and protection he showed toward Amelie today.


    She reckoned that he wasn¡¯t as aloof to her as it seemed. At least he cared about her, to some extent.


    At the thought of this, she opened her mouth. ¡°I told you that it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Leo.¡±


    Before she could spit out the name, a loud, clear voice interrupted her, and both of them turned their


    heads simultaneously. Their eyes fell on Elyse, who was dressed in a short sleeveless dress and


    holding the shoulder strap of her handbag as she stood modestly with a beautiful smile on her


    gorgeous face.


    When she got their attention, she started walking toward them on her long, skinny legs.


    Her arrival was a bucket of cold water on Julia¡¯s head, sobering her immediately.


    What am I doing? Trying to match them up? Leo is already engaged to Elyse. So, what¡¯s the point of


    telling him this? To make him ufortable or to turn Elie into a third party? She thought and


    shrugged with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Alston. I was so angry at that time that I babbled some nonsense


    to make you ufortable.¡±


    Then, she walked past them expressionlessly and left.


    Behind her, Elyse smirked and watched her back, her eyes gleaming with a malicious light.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Leo asked with a stony face.


    She hid away that sweet and happy expression from earlier and quivered when she faced his stoicism.


    ¡°Something so major happened today, and I came over to take a look because I¡¯m worried about you


    and Bria.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing very well. You can leave now.¡±


    The way he spoke was so rude that she thought he was chasing away a stray dog, and her fingers


    twitched and curled under the hem of her dress. Her facial features would have long been distorted into


    a nasty scowl if he weren¡¯t standing in front of her.


    When she saw that he had started walking away, she hastily followed in his heels. ¡°Leo, we¡¯re already


    a family since we¡¯re engaged, making Bria my daughter as well. I should take care of her.¡±


    When she said that, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, and her face lit up with delight. Then, she


    reached out and grabbed his arm, and he didn¡¯t shove her aside!


    Initially, she was merely testing the waters, but Leo¡¯s reactions were all out of her expectations!


    She pursed her lips to prevent her gleeful smile from appearing as her heart was flooded with delight.


    She thought, Looks like Bria is his soft spot. It¡¯s good that he has a soft spot.


    ¡°Do you have anything to do with the ident today?¡± he asked out of the blue while she was secretly


    basking in happiness.


    Her smile turned stiff on her face, and her heart jumped to her throat. The void in her chest was


    immediately reced with terror.


    A few secondster, her face twitched, and she mumbled, ¡°Leo, w-what do you mean?¡± Then, she


    started whining aggrievedly, ¡°I cannot be so powerful that I can stage a copse!¡±


    After she spoke, she tried her best to squeeze out tears and started crying tears that emphasized her


    downtrodden expression while she bit her lip.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s for Elie¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t do something so heinous. In my heart, I know that everything I have


    right now was given by her. I¡¯m not such a jerk.¡±


    When she brought up Ellen, Leo¡¯s expression softened a little, but his tone was still grim, ¡°If the report


    comes out, in the end, showing that this matter is connected to you, even your sister won¡¯t be able to


    save you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t be me.¡± She was so overwhelmed by guilt that she didn¡¯t even dare to meet his


    eyes.


    After being by his side for so long, she could sense the depths of his coldness and ruthlessness.


    As it turned out, she was really too well-protected by him in the past, and the more she thought about it,


    the more remorse she felt, ming herself for her ignorance back then and not holding on to this man


    properly.


    Unfortunately, there was no cure for regret in this world.


    Her initial n when she came over was to butter up Leo and smooth things over with him over the fact


    that the Alstons were not at the scene today. But after the scare he gave her, she didn¡¯t dare to stay


    any longer and scurried away aftering up with a random excuse.


    Then, in a secluded corner, she took out her phone and called a number. ¡°How is it going with the


    matter today? Leo already has his suspicions about me, and I¡¯ll be dead if he finds out the truth.


    Whatever it is, you have to cover up this matter properly!¡±


    After she hung up, she panted heavily while desperately clutching the cell phone. Unbeknownst to her,


    a pair of eyes was watching her in the dark, and he had heard every word she said.


    He waited until she had left before he walked out slowly, revealing a handsome, young face.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196


    ¡°Mr. Alston,¡± Eugene walked over to stand behind Leo and called out in a low voice.


    Leo himself was wounded, but it was not until a moment ago that he remembered to arrange for a


    doctor to bandage his wounds.


    When he caught sight of Eugene, he remained calm and lowered his head to button the gray shirt


    draped around his body. His cold and white fingers were a sharp contrast against the gray shade of his


    shirt.


    The doctor said a few words to him before departing. Only then did he open his mouth to speak, ¡°What


    is it?¡±


    Eugene nodded. ¡°Your spection was correct. Miss yton was indeed involved in Bria¡¯s ident.¡±


    He informed Leo about the contents of Elyse¡¯s phone call that he had overheard earlier. After he


    finished his report, he quietly turned to look at Leo. ¡°How do you n to deal with her?¡±


    Leo¡¯s fingers were frozen in the middle of undoing one of the buttons. Although his stern expression


    remained unchanged, the sharp light in his eyes had grown increasingly intense. His pitch-ck pupils


    resembled bottomless pits of darkness.


    Eugene shuddered in fear when he identally got a glimpse of Leo¡¯s frigid anger! Still, he couldn¡¯t


    help feeling secretly surprised to see Leo in such a state. He had worked under Leo for so long, so he


    could tell with a nce¡ªLeo was absolutely enraged.


    ¡°Punish her.¡± A long while passed before Leo spoke in a chilly voice, ¡°Teach her a harsh lesson!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Eugene instantly responded in a quiet murmur.


    Elyse had probably counted on the fact that Leo was indebted to Ellen when she took action, but she


    had forgotten about one thing¡ªwhere Leo¡¯s limits stood.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Eugene epted the order, turned around, and walked out of the room.


    Behind Eugene, Leo¡¯s fingers clenched around the button. He clutched the button so tightly that his


    knuckles had turned white! If not for the favor he owed Ellen, then what Elyse did today would be


    enough to make her disappear from this world for good!


    ¡­


    Amelie slept deeply and did not awaken until the next day. When her eyes fluttered open, a white


    ceiling entered her vision. After some time, she gradually recalled what had happened to her yesterday.


    She also remembered that she was in the hospital. She slowly turned her head, searching for the


    figures of Bria and Steven. What she saw was a head of ck hair instead.


    Leo? She was taken aback for a moment.


    At this moment, Leo was sitting in her hospital ward and reading something with his head lowered. His


    expression was serious, and his lips were pursed tightly. Even though his appearance was stern, his


    stern appearance could not conceal his inherent beauty and breathtaking good looks. Nevertheless,


    that was not the main point. The important point was that he had remained in her hospital ward! She


    thought that he would leave immediately after sending her here!


    Perhaps her stare was too intense as he seemed to sense that she was awake. Therefore, he raised


    his head in response. His gaze collided with her searching gaze, and then his eyes flickered slightly.


    ¡°How do you feel? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡± he asked.


    She swallowed and did not answer. His overly concerned tone left her disoriented for a moment.


    A short whileter, she dragged her thoughts back to reality. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    His fingers stiffened slightly. He did not like the manner of her speech. Is she implying that¡­ She


    doesn¡¯t want to see me? Does she want me gone as quickly as possible?


    ¡°Bria is being hospitalized. As her father, I can¡¯t just ignore her,¡± he responded coldly.


    His momentary concern, followed by his usual coldness, left her scratching her head in bafflement.


    Nevertheless, when she heard that he had only stayed here for Bria¡¯s sake, she let out a soft


    exmation of understanding. That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing between us. Naturally, he has no obligation


    to protect me either.


    An inexplicable wave of disappointment washed over her heart. She patted her chest lightly, secretly


    reminding herself not to get ahead of herself. The whole reason for her disappointment was that she


    had been touched by his behavior yesterday. Unfortunately, he had only saved her out of a sense of


    morality, nothing else.


    At that thought, she quickly said, ¡°Thank you¡­ For yesterday, I mean. I will definitely pay you back for


    saving my life. Please feel free to ask if you need any help from me in the future.¡±


    Leo opened his mouth. He originally wanted to say that she had also saved him, so they were even.


    Yet, the words were on the tip of his tongue when he changed his mind and finally choked out the


    words, ¡°Do you think there is anything you can help me with?¡±


    She was dumbstruck by his remark. s, upon further consideration, she realized that there was


    indeed nothing she could do for him.


    Hispany and herpany operated in entirely different directions, so their paths did not intersect


    at all. As for their private matters, they were no different from strangers except for the fact that they


    shared Bria.


    She quietly lowered her head and said nothing.


    At the sight of her drooping head and sullen expression, he suddenly couldn¡¯t bear watching her in that


    state. After a while, he made a suggestion. ¡°If you really want to thank me, you should treat me to


    dinner.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She showed a surprised expression. ¡°Dinner?¡±


    She had always assumed that he would scoff at spending time with her. Contrary to her expectations,


    he had chosen for her to thank him with a meal instead!


    ¡°Is there an issue?¡± His voice turned chilly.


    ¡°No,¡± she hurriedly denied.


    She wanted to settle the debt with him as soon as possible so that they did not owe each other, but she


    couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward about the idea of eating together with him.


    ¡°Lunch the day after tomorrow,¡± he quickly interjected before she could have second thoughts.


    That happened to be the day she was discharged from the hospital. So, if they had lunch together, it


    could be regarded as a celebration of sorts.


    She did not know what he was thinking, but she readily agreed anyway. Otherwise¡­


    Leo stayed in the hospital for the next two days around the clock.


    Amelie could have dealt with everything else, but he would also sleep in her hospital ward at night.


    Even though he slept in Bria¡¯s bed, she couldn¡¯t help feeling weird since they shared the same room.


    She had never slept in the same room as him ever since she became an adult, except for that one


    night before their marriage. For that reason, she had trouble resting well during the night.


    Finally, the day came when she would be discharged from the hospital. It was a form of liberation for


    her as she would finally get some good rest alone.


    Steven was also discharged from the hospital on the same day.


    He had wanted to stay behind to take care of Bria. However, considering that he was getting older and


    that he had gone through such a severe ident, she insisted that he go home and recuperate


    instead.


    He was forced to leave, especially after she gave such a logical argument against his ideas.


    When it was almost noon, Amelie contacted Leo by phone. ¡°Mr. Alston, do you still have time for lunch


    together today?¡±


    Leo had left early in the morning to attend a meeting. Hence, she was hoping that she could take


    advantage of his hectic schedule to cancel their meal ns.


    Frankly speaking, she did not believe that it was going to be a wonderful experience for Leo to have


    lunch with a woman whom he despised with all his heart. Plus, she did not wish to be caught in a


    situation where they stared at each other in tense silence, either. In fact, she would rather repay him in


    a manner where they would not have any contact with each other.


    ¡°Of course.¡± The answer she received from the other party was not what she wanted to hear.


    She was silent for a moment before she forced herself to swallow any frustrated shrieks that were


    about to burst forth her lips.


    ¡°Good. Which restaurant should we meet at? I will make a reservation in advance.¡± She squashed any


    hint of irritation in the depths of her heart and acted as enthusiastically as possible.


    Unfortunately, acting as though she had multiple personalities really exhausted her, and she hoped with


    all her might that this would be thest time she had to do such a thing.


    ¡°Up to you.¡± The other party was taciturn.


    She did not expect him to have an opinion in the first ce. After all, they barely spoke to each other


    throughout their entire marriage.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll decide.¡± Hence, she made a swift decision. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the address once I¡¯ve


    decided on where to go.¡±


    After she said that, she promptly hung up the phone.


    On the other end of the call, Leo was slightly stunned by her abrupt manner. He stared at the call that


    had been cut off, then his expression darkened. Is she that unwilling to speak to me?


    The executives around him who were listening to his presentation during the meeting were silent with


    terror. Why has he suddenly gone quiet? What does this mean? Is he displeased with this quarter¡¯s


    sales? If he is dissatisfied, then¡­ Oh, dear God, his target next month would be hell, wouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡­


    On the other side, Amelie ended the call and shook her head in resignation. If I can¡¯t avoid him, then I


    can only confront him.


    She wished to finish her task as quickly as possible, so she began to search for nearby high-end


    restaurants on her mobile phone. She was in the middle of her search when someone abruptly


    snatched her phone out of her hand.


    She was startled by such a thing and immediately raised her head to get a clear look at the person who


    grabbed her phone. But then, her expression immediately turned stone cold. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197


    Elyse did not seem to hear Amelie as she swiped her fingers furiously across the phone screen.


    Elyse¡¯s rude actions upset Amelie greatly, and she involuntarily raised her voice at Elyse. ¡°If you don¡¯t


    return my phone to me right now, then don¡¯t me me for being rough with you!¡±


    Elyse abruptly pushed the phone screen into Amelie¡¯s face and pointed fixedly at a phone number


    disyed on the screen. ¡°I knew it! You were on the phone with Leony earlier! How shameless can you


    be, Amelie! We are engaged! Why are you still trying to seduce him?¡±


    Amelie was utterly speechless. She never imagined that discussing where to have lunch with Leo


    would be considered an act of seduction.


    ¡°You have misunderstood the situation. I am simply thanking him by treating him to a meal,¡± she


    patiently exined. Regardless of the circumstances, Elyse was Leo¡¯s fianc¨¦e. She did not wish to be


    misunderstood and wrongly used of being a homewrecker.


    Elyse snorted with disdain. ¡°Sure. You¡¯re just thanking him by asking him out for a meal today. What


    about tomorrow? Are you going to thank him by inviting him into your bed tomorrow?¡±


    Those words were extremely harsh.


    ¡°Miss yton, please watch what you say!¡± Amelie coldly reprimanded the other party.


    Elyse snorted again. ¡°Am I wrong? If I had not checked your phone myself, you could have used the


    excuse that Leony was the one who initiated contact with you! The evidence is right before us! It¡¯s clear


    that you are the one who is harassing Leony! How dare you harass him yet prevent me from speaking


    my mind?¡±


    As she spoke, her chest heaved intensely.


    She had been trying to contact Leo over the past few days, but he had stoutly refused to answer her


    calls. Finally, with no other choice, she decided to visit the hospital to try her luck. She did not expect to


    overhear Amelie¡¯s conversation over the phone.


    At this moment, she was furious. It wasn¡¯t just that Amelie was suspected of seducing Leo. She was


    even more upset over the fact that Leo would rather answer the calls of his ex-wife, who was kicked out


    of the house than talk to her! His fianc¨¦e!


    For her, that was tantamount to pure humiliation. The more humiliated she felt, the more she wished


    she could retaliate at Amelie in return!


    Amelie stared at Elyse, whose face was twisted into a hideous scowl and who had lost her usual


    gracefulposure. Her heart sank bit by bit in her chest. She was wrongly used, but she couldn¡¯t


    even find the words to exin her innocence.


    Although she was the one who made the phone call, Leo was the one who suggested having a meal


    together. But who would believe her words?


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Following a brief pause, she took a deep breath to calm her mind and intoned coldly, ¡°Miss yton,


    you are right. However, upon careful consideration, even if Mr. Alston had saved me, we can only


    consider ourselves even. Nobody owes the other party anything. I¡¯ve been remiss. Please convey my


    message to Mr. Alston. Tell him that I will not treat him to lunch anymore.¡±


    Then, she snatched her phone back from Elyse¡¯s hands and strode away.


    Elyse widened her eyes and red fiercely at Amelie¡¯s back. ¡°Shameless!¡±


    Her heart was filled with hatred. Oh, how she wished she could tear Amelie to pieces! Unfortunately,


    they were at the hospital. There were too many eyes and ears around. If others were to see her


    unsightly appearance, it would only affect her negatively.


    After she mulled over her options, she forcefully suppressed the hatred in her heart. Then, she turned


    around and stomped away in her high heels.


    Not far from where the two women had stood earlier, Leo stood with eyes resembling a pool of ice. A


    faint trace of emotion appeared on his stern and unwavering yet handsome face.


    He had arranged for the meeting to be held in the hospital. When he received the phone call from


    Amelie earlier, he had been in the meeting room that the hospital staff had specially prepared for him in


    the hospital. After their phone call ended, he hastily dismissed the meeting early and even went out of


    his way to meet her. Eventually, he was greeted with this scene instead.


    Although he initially wanted to step forward and help her, their quarrel ended before he could move.


    She also left the scene almost immediately.


    Nevertheless, these were not the points that he had fixated upon. Instead, what bothered him the most


    were the words she uttered at the end. What did she mean? Why did she say that we¡¯re even?


    Those words sounded highly unsettling. They were also very puzzling to the ears.


    When did she help me? It did not take long for him to recall how she had pushed him out of danger the


    other day. Was she referring to that incident when she said that we¡¯re even? If that was the case, then


    why didn¡¯t she mention anything when I asked her to treat me to dinner the other day?


    He practically drowned in confusion for a time. Then, he suddenly received a phone call. He pushed his


    musings aside and turned around to answer the phone. Eugene¡¯s voice came from the other end of the


    phone. ¡°I¡¯ve already made the necessary arrangements. The revenge you wanted will begin


    immediately.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Even though he knew exactly what the so-called ¡®revenge¡¯ entailed, the look in his eyes


    remained unchanged.


    ¡­


    Elyse walked over in her high heels, holding a small tinum bag in her hands. Herplexion was


    very poor. Moreover, despite the long journey, her distorted facial features still could not return to


    normal. Instead, her facial muscles felt stiff and rigid in her anger.


    Her assistant hurriedly ran over when she saw her in such a terrible state. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss Elyse?¡±


    She smacked her assistant¡¯s hand away in anger. There was a refusal to admit defeat burning in her


    heart. Not to mention, her rage grew steadily the longer she considered the matter.


    ¡°Wait for me in the car!¡± she coldly instructed. After that, she wore a hat and a pair of sunsses


    before she slipped into a lonely alley nearby.


    Her assistant had long since gotten ustomed to how Elyse acted like the perfect woman in front of


    others but disyed an unpredictable temperament in private. So, her assistant gave her some space


    and entered the car alone upon hearing her instructions.


    After Elyse entered the alley, she hugged her bag close to her body and furtively looked around until


    she confirmed that there were no passersby. Only then did she bring out her phone and dial a number.


    ¡°Help me with something. Get rid of Amelie!¡±


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re really ruthless.¡± The voice on the other end of the phone was yful yet sinister. ¡°A


    woman with a beautiful appearance but a poisonous nature. How terrifying.¡±


    His insults caused her facial features to distort further. The twitching of her facial muscles nearly made


    her curse out loud. Nevertheless, she knew that now was not the time for burning bridges.


    ¡°As long as you help me, I will help you!¡±


    ¡°What concerns me right now is not the issue of whether you can even help me with anything. On the


    contrary, I¡¯m curious about how she offended you this time. Did she dig up your grave? Did she


    humiliate you in public? Oh! Could it be that she snatched your beloved Leo away from you?¡±


    The words of the person on the other end of the phone grew increasingly harsh and insulting. At the


    same time, her expression was bing increasingly manic.


    ¡°Are you going to help me or not?¡± she shrieked in rage.


    The other party responded contemptuously, ¡°Of course, I want to help you. Unfortunately, the current


    situation does not allow me to do so. Leo will never let me walk free if I get rid of her. Say, Elyse¡­


    You¡¯re such a loser. You clearly had such a good hand, so how did you y so badly? In contrast,


    Amelie lost¡­ Well, she lost almost everything because of you. And yet, she can catch his attention and


    favor even without relying on her rtionship with Leo. Tell me, does that count as retribution?¡±


    ¡°Bast*rd!¡± The man¡¯s wordspletely enraged her. She could not bear to listen to his insults any


    longer and ended the call in a huff.


    ¡°Damn it! Damn it!¡± She let out a string of expletives, but none of that could alleviate the fury raging in


    her heart.


    Unable to control her emotions, she threw her phone to the ground. That was not all. She even


    stomped on her phone with her feet. It was not until her phone was in little pieces that she stumbled out


    of the alley.


    I¡¯m sure I can find somebody willing to deal with Amelie! That person¡¯s words sliced through her mind


    like a sharp de, causing her heart to ache in sorrow.


    I¡¯m going to find somebody who will ruin Amelie! I want to see what Leo will do once Amelie is


    completely destroyed!


    She was so focused on her revenge that she failed to notice the people entering the alley. By the time


    she noticed their presence, they were already standing right in front of her.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± She sharply questioned them. Although she was in a panic, she forced herself to


    remain calm.


    Those people remained silent and ignored her questions.


    She quickly noticed that something was amiss as she turned to flee.


    One of them swiftly reached out a hand and grabbed her, covering her mouth¡­

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198


    ¡°Let go! What are you doing?!¡± Elyse struggled with all her might.


    Be that as it may, someone dragged her into a car. Unfortunately, the car was small and narrow. It was


    also tightly sealed, making the interior stink to high heaven.


    She tried to shout for help, only for her mouth to be forced shut again.


    A short whileter, a three-wheeled truck carrying many empty chicken coops drove past the front of


    Elyse¡¯s van.


    Her assistant, who was ying on her phone with her head lowered, looked up and showed an


    expression of disgust. She didn¡¯t even notice that Elyse had been kidnapped.


    Elyse had never been transported in a three-wheeled truck in her life, never mind one that transported


    chicken! She was scared and angry. At the same time, herplexion turned various shades of purple


    and green as she was cooped up in such a disgusting vehicle.


    How could the performance of the three-wheeled truckpare to a van? It shook and swayed


    violently, causing her to be thrown back and forth. Moreover, the road was uneven and filled with


    potholes. Combined with the truck¡¯sck of an impact reduction system, she couldn¡¯t help feeling dizzy


    every time the truck went over a pothole.


    The stench and the shaking made her extremely nauseous. On multiple asions, the contents of her


    stomach rose to her mouth. However, her kidnappers had sealed her mouth. She could not spit out the


    bile in her mouth, and the contents of her stomach had nowhere to go but remain in her mouth. In order


    to prevent herself from choking to death, she had no choice but to swallow the bile again. This scenario


    repeated itself over and over again.


    Since she was forced to endure various forms of torture repeatedly, the entire journey felt like a trial in


    hell to her. By the time the three-wheeled truck came to a stop, she was limp and weak. The whites of


    her eyes showed as she alternated between various states of consciousness and unconsciousness.


    In the next moment, her body was carelessly thrown to the ground. The pain was so intense that she


    regained consciousness and opened her eyes. What entered her vision was the dark interior of a


    house.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let me go!¡± The arrogance that was practically carved into her body was gone.


    Elyse was so scared and ufortable that she burst into tears.


    Her sweat and tears had ruined her perfect makeup, flecks of mascara sticking to her face. She looked


    like a ghost straight out of a horror movie. Likewise, her hair was messy, and her clothes were filthy.


    The three men who brought her here circled around her as though examining cattle. Finally, one of the


    men reached out and pped her face lightly. ¡°It is said that idols are gorgeous, but she doesn¡¯t even


    compare to the vige h*g without her makeup.¡±


    The other menughed and snickered at the statement. The sound of their mockingughter was


    rough, harsh, and highly grating to the ears.


    She couldn¡¯t help feeling angry and humiliated.


    Nevertheless, they seemed to think that she was not humiliated enough and called the vige h*g over.


    Elyse stared at the vige h*g in front of her and nearly fainted from indignation! It was bad enough that


    the vige h*g was old and hideous! She was also mentally unstable!


    These damn men! How dare theypare my appearance to this old h*g?


    Elyse had always been the most famous woman among men. Certain obsessive nerds even regarded


    her as a goddess. She had never once suffered such insults and humiliation in her life! She gnashed


    her teeth in fury, infuriated enough to tear a person apart with her teeth alone!


    For some reason, she had the feeling that these men did not kidnap her for money but to thoroughly


    humiliate and shame her!


    ¡°Who sent you here?! Was it Amelie Dillon?¡± The only person who came to mind was Amelie. The


    instant she even mentioned the name, the hatred in her heart immediately soared to new heights!


    ¡°What amount did she pay you? If you bring her here, I¡¯ll pay you double!¡±


    ¡°Who is Amelie Dillon?¡± one of them inquired.


    Likewise, the other two exchanged a nce of confusion.


    Elyse was taken aback by their reactions. Is it not Amelie? Impossible! I¡¯m sure she hid her identity so


    that these people would not recognize her!


    With that thought in mind, she swiftly recited Amelie¡¯s address. ¡°Go to this ce and capture her.¡±


    ¡°Amelie Dillon! How dare you scheme against me? I¡¯m going to make you wish you were dead!¡± Unable


    to suppress the hatred in her heart, she shrieked at the top of her lungs.


    As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a resounding pnding on her face. The blow came so


    suddenly that she was struck by surprise. She clutched at her face and looked up instinctively only to


    see the vige h*g¡¯s fierce expression. ¡°Evil woman! How dare you try to harm others! Beat her to


    death!¡±


    Following those words, two more ps smacked Elyse harshly across the face. The force of the blow


    left her cheeks stinging in pain. She tried to stand up and fight back, but the vige h*g was as strongN?velDrama.Org content.


    as a bull. The woman swiftly and efficiently tied her hands behind her back in a few precise


    movements!


    ¡°Hurry up and save me! I¡¯ll give you money!¡± She began to beg the three men.


    However, they simply nced at the vige h*g. ¡°We¡¯ll leave this person to you. y with her well!¡±


    Then, they scattered and fled in all directions!


    After that, Elyse became the toy of the vige h*g. She would sometimes be submerged in water and


    suffocated or forced to pull the mill like a cow. Regardless, that was not the most humiliating part of the


    torture! What she could not ept was that the vige h*g had smeared cow dung all over her face!


    The vige h*g even dared to call it a facial mask!


    Elyse was so disgusted that she heaved and threw up, but her reaction only excited the vige h*g.


    The vige h*g then proceeded to smear cow dung all over her face.


    Elyse screamed, trying to call for help. s, as soon as she opened her mouth, the h*g stuffed a fistful


    of cow dung into her mouth¡­


    A long while passed before the vige h*g had enough fun and kindly brought over two pails of water


    for Elyse to wash her face.


    Elyse was just feeling a little better when the vige h*g suddenly took out a lighter and began ying


    with fire. There were many empty chicken coops and dried grass scattered around the room, so it did


    not take long for the ce to be aze with mes!


    The vige h*g initially cheered and pped her hands when she saw the mes. However, the look in


    her eyes turned to fear and horror as the fire grew wild and uncontroble. In the end, she ran out with


    a scream.


    Elyse was terrified. The h*g had tied up her hands and legs, so she could not move a single muscle. All


    she could do was watch as the mes crept closer and closer. One by one, the wooden pirs in the


    house caught fire. The mes crackled loudly, then one of the pirs snapped and fell in her direction¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡± Following a shrill scream of terror, Elyse was crushed beneath a pir!


    ¡­


    When Elyse opened her eyes, she had a look of disbelief in her eyes. Am I alive?


    ¡°Your leg has been broken, but you¡¯ll be fine after resting for three months.¡± A man¡¯s deep and


    mesmerizing voice entered her ears.


    She abruptly turned to the side and saw the man standing beside her bed. ¡°Leony?¡±


    Her eyes immediately brightened with hope. She grabbed Leo¡¯s hand agitatedly and asked, ¡°Were you


    the one who saved me?¡±


    Leo stared at her and pursed his lips in silence.


    Then, she abruptly burst into tears, her tears gushing out of her eyes. ¡°I knew it. You would not


    abandon me. Leony, I¡¯m so d you saved me. Otherwise, I¡­ I would have been¡­¡± The more she


    spoke, the worse she felt. Her tears flowed even harder.


    ¡°Leony, I was so scared.¡± Her entire body trembled in fear. She had honestly been terrified just now.


    ¡°Right! I was kidnapped! The culprits probably live nearby. As long as you find the crazy old h*g, then


    you will find the rest of them! Leony, hurry up and capture them!¡± Her heart was filled with pure loathing


    at this moment. She wanted to tear the vige h*g to pieces and make those men who kidnapped her


    pay a horrible price!


    In stark contrast to her emotional outburst, Leo was oddly calm. He simply pursed his lips and watched


    her quietly without the slightest hint of emotion on his face.


    After a while, Elyse finally noticed that something was wrong. She turned back to look at Leo, her gaze


    identallynding on his deep eyes. There was a sense of deep and unpredictable darkness within


    them, making her feel uneasy.


    ¡°Leony?¡± She softly called out his name and tugged at the corner of his shirt with her fingers.


    Only then did Leo open his mouth to speak, ¡°Do you really want me to capture the vige h*g and


    those men?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± She couldn¡¯t help thinking that his question was bizarre. ¡°They hurt me! You need to


    capture them and throw them into prison!¡±


    ¡°Do you know the name of that vige?¡± he continued with his questions.


    ¡°The name of the vige?¡± She looked puzzled. ¡°With your current influence, all the viges will have to


    pay respect to you. The people in charge of the vige will not dare to conceal the whereabouts of


    those people from you.¡±


    ¡°Kirkford Vige.¡±


    Those were the only words she received in response to her questions.


    As soon as the name entered her ears, she felt as though she had received a blow to the head. A


    sharp pain shot through her temples, nearly causing her head to explode in pain! At the same time, her


    complexion went deathly pale!

 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199


    ¡°Any recollection?¡± Leo¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but Elyse could sense his hostility. The


    frostiness sent chills deep into her bones.


    She finally looked up shakily with darting eyes. ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t hide what you did forever. Calista from Kirkford Vige is the daughter of the family who got


    Bria buried under the pir. The other three are rted to their family.¡±


    She did not need further exnation to understand what he was getting at. Not only had he gotten to


    the bottom of the incident, but he also hurt everyone she worked with to take revenge on her, and he


    didn¡¯t even bother to hide the truth. It was a clear attempt at taunting and humiliating her.


    How ruthless!


    Elyse sat tensely on the bed and realized btedly that, before this, Leo had only shown her a tenth of


    the ruthlessness he was capable of.


    ¡°Get her the best medicine, doctor, and nurse,¡± Leo gave some instructions and left.


    Eugene, who had been following Leo around, stole a nce at Elyse and looked at Leo with pursed


    lips. Leo took revenge on Elyse because of her wrongdoing, but he asked Eugene to take care of Elyse


    out of courtesy. It was Leo¡¯s way of telling Elyse that Ellen¡¯s kindness could only go so far as to spare


    Elyse¡¯s life, and served as a warning that Elyse might end up in a worse situation if she dared to


    misbehave.


    ¡­


    Bria suffered from some fractures but was not in serious condition. When Amelie was released from the


    hospital, she brought Bria home with her and hired a doctor to look after Bria.


    Meanwhile, Samuel and Julia did not slow down on their investigations. One day, he and Julia visited


    Amelie with the results of their investigation. ¡°Someone purposely shoved Bria under the pir.¡±


    Amelie had expected the answer, but the truth still crushed her.


    ¡°How could they hurt a kid? That¡¯s pure evil!¡± As one of the victims, Julia took the investigation


    personally. She could not hold back her anger and resentment. ¡°Have we found the criminals behind


    this? They¡¯d better not get caught because I will skin them alive!¡±


    Samuel gave her a look. He could not deal with her temper, but he also understood that she suffered


    from guilt for failing to protect Bria in the ident. He reached out to squeeze her hand.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Amelie was slightly better at keeping her emotions in check, but as Bria¡¯s mother, she was anxious to


    know the oue of the investigation. Samuel read their expression and stared at Amelie with a


    knowing look. ¡°I found the people behind the ident, but something odd happened to them. They


    were all hurt to different extents over the past two days.¡±


    He pursed his lips tensely before continuing. ¡°The guy who caused Julia¡¯s wrist dislocation got into an


    ident two days ago and lost both arms. The couple who shoved Bria under the pir was now buried


    in a copsed mine. They are alive but are likely to be paralyzed from the incident.¡±


    ¡°The others got into different troubles as well, to the point that the Kirkford vigers thought there must


    be some paranormal activities around. They have been holding ceremonies for days to drive away the


    spirits.¡±


    Amelie and Julia took deep breaths, for they knew that ghosts were merely superstitions. Someone


    was behind the rogue justice, leaving them wondering about the identity of this merciless and ruthless


    person.


    Their eyes fell on Samuel. Amelie whispered her guess, ¡°Could that person be¡­ Leo¡­¡± Leo¡¯s figure


    popped up in her mind.


    ¡°Leo Alston?¡± Julia finished her sentence. ¡°Is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Based on our analysis, we could confirm that he was behind the revenge,¡± Samuel added. Amelie¡¯s


    expression crumbled as she struggled toprehend. She knew that the perpetrators were seemingly


    after Bria, but they were really after her.


    Is Leo avenging me? Amelie wondered.


    ¡°There must be a mastermind behind the copse. What¡¯s the motive of the vigers in hurting Bria


    when they had nothing to do with us?¡± Julia asked a pointed question. Samuel¡¯s expression changed


    when he heard that. After a pause, he exined, ¡°This has been the focus of our investigation. But


    someone clearly destroyed the evidence by erasing the key information. That¡¯s why nothing showed up


    in our investigation.¡±


    ¡°Erasing information?¡± Julia¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Who would do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Samuel shook his head. ¡°But one thing is clear¡ªtwo different groups were behind this


    ident.¡±


    ¡°That mastermind must be very powerful to get help from two different groups.¡± Samuel¡¯s remark led to


    more doubts in Julia.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to guess.¡± Amelie finally spoke after a long silence. ¡°Just list out the people who hold


    grudges against me, and we¡¯ll get the answer.¡±


    Amelie was indeed intelligent. Julia came to a realization and pped her thighs in excitement. ¡°Yes!


    Why have we not thought of that? My kind Elie, you rarely make enemies. There are only a few who


    hold grudges against you!¡±


    Julia did not name the three people, but they knew the answer. Elyse yton, Melissa Richards, and


    Jodie Alston were prime suspects.


    The Alstons would never mess with Bria to hurt Amelie, which left Elyse as the only suspect.


    Samuel marveled at Amelie¡¯s wits. He appeared troubled when he considered Julia¡¯s point. He finally


    confessed with much difficulty, ¡°Something else happened at Kirkford as well. Two days ago, Elyse was


    abducted by the vigers and thrown to a madman. The madman burned down the house she was kept


    in, and she almost died in the fire.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she just die?¡± Julia cursed spitefully, showing her extreme dislike for Elyse. Samuel went


    on, ¡°But Leo Alston arrived on time and saved her life. She suffered from a fractured leg because of the


    fire and was warded in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Leo Alston? Why is he good to that phony b*tch?¡± Juliained grudgingly


    again. ¡°Anyway, this shows that the vigers were noting for Elie¡ªthey were after Leo. Is that


    right?¡±


    It was unsurprising that Bria and Elyse were tied with Leo because they were close to him. Still, Amelie


    held a different opinion. ¡°There might be some misunderstanding. Don¡¯t you think that what the


    vigers did to Elyse was intentional revenge?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that Elyse was responsible for the copse, and someone who knew the truth got the


    vigers to take revenge on her?¡± Julia¡¯s eyes sparkled excitedly at Amelie¡¯s bold assumption, which


    cleared some of their lingering doubts.


    Amelie fell silent and pursed her lips with a thoughtful expression. If Leo could discover the identity of


    the people who shoved Bria, he must have also found out that Elyse was the perpetrator. Even after


    Elysemitted a horrific crime, he was unwilling to hurt her. What¡¯s that about?


    She wondered if he was one of the people who helped to erase evidence that implicated Elyse.


    He¡¯s still as protective and attentive when ites to Elyse. Amelie sighed and smiled bitterly. She


    realized that Leo only took revenge against the vigers for Bria, not her.


    At the thought of it, she stood up without warning, which startled Julia. ¡°Elie?¡±


    ¡°I need to get something done. I¡¯ll be out for a while.¡± Amelie was gone in no time.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Elie going?¡± Julia was bbergasted.


    Samuel did not reply, but he appeared more worried than before.

 Chapter 200

    Chapter 200


    Elyse kept throwing tantrums in the ward, and the floor was in a mess.


    Michael kept his head lowered while he tidied up the mess. As he did so, he said to his daughter,


    ¡°You¡¯re still a celebrity, so what are you going to do if people see you throwing things around? If they


    start spreading rumors, your reputation will be ruined.¡±


    Elyse remained silent as she gripped her nket tightly.


    In fact, she gripped the nket so hard that she tore a hole in it.


    Michael shook his head in exasperation. ¡°Speaking of which, it was a close call this time. Elyse, did you


    hit your head or something? How could you do something like that? Getting someone to push Bria


    under the pir means that you¡¯re making Leo your enemy. It¡¯s already a miracle that he hasn¡¯t killed


    you!¡±


    ¡°Dad, can¡¯t you just be quiet?!¡± Unable to bear it, Elyse shrieked annoyedly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! I


    don¡¯t want to hear any of it!¡±


    With that, she covered her ears.


    When Michael saw her reacting like that, he gave a few sighs.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to hear it, but I¡¯m still your dad. I want you to know that after what you did, Leo


    was merciful enough to only break your leg. Don¡¯t ever do that again.¡±


    As he spoke, he scooted closer to Elyse and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? Kirkford Vige has been carrying


    out exorcismstely, and they¡¯re iming that serious idents keep happening. The luckier ones


    were only injured, but the less fortunate ones ended up crippled. I asked around and found out that


    those people had all been to the site where the supermarket copsed. Don¡¯t you know what that


    means?¡±


    When Elyse heard what Michael said, the fury on her face finally faded and was reced by shock.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    As she asked the question, her voice was trembling.


    Kirkford Vige was miles away from the copsed supermarket. She only went to those people


    because they happened to be hanging out there.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Only few vigers from Kirkford had been to the supermarket, and it could only be those people!


    ¡°Of course, I am.¡± Michael threw his head back. ¡°That¡¯s why I said that your life was spared. Don¡¯t ever


    do that again.¡±


    Elyse hadn¡¯t told Michael anything, but Michael was a wise man, so he had already figured out what


    was going on behind the string of incidents and guessed what his daughter had done.


    ¡°I can ept the fact that he¡¯s mad at me for Bria¡¯s sake, but I fear his true reason is Amelie! He knew


    that I only wanted to target Amelie!¡± Elyse was still mad as she sobbed.


    Michael pped her on the arm. ¡°Were you out of your mind, Elyse? Why did you involve Bria if you


    just wanted to target Amelie? You knew that¡ªto be honest, if it weren¡¯t for what your sister did for him,


    you won¡¯t be so lucky right now! Listen, stop thinking if he got mad for Bria¡¯s or Amelie¡¯s sake. Just stay


    out of trouble.¡±


    Even though Elyse was still upset, after learning such a grave lesson, she relented and nodded


    unhappily.


    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all thanks to your sister. Once you¡¯re discharged, remember to visit her grave.


    Hopefully, she¡¯ll watch over you so that you¡¯ll live a smooth-sailing and luxurious life,¡± Michael said, a


    greedy look appearing on his face.


    Soon, several medical staff came in to examine her condition. The two stopped their conversation, and


    the curtains were drawn.


    Outside the window, a pretty face could be seen.


    Amelie stood there with her face slightly tensed, the sharpness in her eyes gradually decreasing.


    She hade to look for Leo so that she could confirm a few things with him, but she hadn¡¯t expected


    to get the answer from Elyse.


    Leo saved Elyse, but he also punished her severely.


    It was a surprise that he would punish Elyse, his fianc¨¦e, for Bria¡¯s sake. This was probably the most


    he could do.


    Even before their wedding, Amelie had been keeping an eye on Leo and Elyse, so she knew what


    Elyse meant to him.


    Elyse was someone he treasured and pampered, so now that he cruelly allowed her to lose her legs¡­


    He was probably suffering as well.


    He had done so much, and Amelie felt that it would be unreasonable to keep digging further.


    However, what did they mean by what Elyse¡¯s sister did for him?


    At that thought, Amelie felt uneasy all over again.


    She didn¡¯t know who Elyse¡¯s sister was, nor what she had done for Leo. She only felt wronged.


    He remembered what others did for him, so why did he solely forget about her existence?


    Amelie had already decided not to hold it against him, but now that she was faced with this, she


    realized that she couldn¡¯t quite stick to her decision anymore.


    She shook her head and forced herself to get rid of those messy thoughts.


    Just then, the door of the ward opened, and Michael walked out.


    Amelie hastily hid behind a pir.


    Michael was ncing around, and he didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to leave.


    When Michael was in the ward just now, Amelie didn¡¯t manage to have a good look at him. Now that he


    hade nearer, Amelie saw his face and found him familiar. It felt as though she had seen him


    somewhere before.


    Amelie thought long and hard, but she couldn¡¯t remember anything.


    She decided not to pursue the matter. When Michael left, she followed suit.


    In the days that followed, things were peaceful once again.


    However, Leo woulde over to visit Bria once every few days.


    Bria also seemed to have taken a special liking to him.


    Even though Amelie didn¡¯t want to be in contact with him too often, she knew that she had no right to


    stop him from visiting and spending time with Bria, so she let them be.


    However, every time he visited, she would escape and busy herself with work.


    Her studio was upstairs while Bria was downstairs, so the two adults did not bump into each other.


    ¡°Daddy, can you go upstairs and get my doll? It¡¯s my favorite doll. Please?¡± When Leo came over to


    spend time with Bria again, the little girl nudged him and begged.


    Leo had developed a strong bond with Bria, and the two were closer than ever.


    Naturally, he readily agreed to his darling daughter¡¯s request.


    As Bria watched Leo walk upstairs, she blinked. There was a sly look in her huge, shiny eyes.


    After Leo made it upstairs, the first thing he saw was a light blue living room.


    There was a small couch inside, and the floor was carpeted. The decorations andyout gave off a


    warm feeling.


    Then, he noticed the open door next to the living room.


    On the other side of the door, a slender figure was dancing.


    Even from a distance, he could still sense her passion.


    Almost uncontrobly, he walked over to her.


    Amelie was streaming. She donned her snow-white fox mask, revealing only a pair of pretty eyes and


    pink lips that resembled cherry blossoms.


    Even though she was rtively covered up, one could still sense her beauty from her eyes and the


    color of her lips.


    She interacted with the viewers in a lively voice she had never shown him before. She would


    sometimes smile innocently and attractively, sing a beautiful song, or start telling a story.


    Even though he had watched her streams in private, it didn¡¯t feel as real as when he watched her in


    person at a close distance.


    The hardships in his life had turned him into a stern and quiet person.


    People like him were rarely affected by the outside world, and it was difficult for them to sympathize


    with others.


    However, at that moment, Amelie¡¯s joy was slowly infecting him.


    Without him knowing, his frozen cells were being warmed and activated.


    When she finished telling a joke, the corners of his lips curved upward into a smile.


    All of a sudden, Amelie turned around.

 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201


    Their gazes met, and Leo¡¯s expression was in its weirdest state as it froze on his face.


    Likewise, Amelie was stunned for a moment.


    She never expected Leo toe upstairs, much less think that he would be smiling at her.


    But then, she quickly remembered a news article she saw a while back.


    In the article, Elyse mentioned that their wedding date was near; he was probably happy because


    Elyse finally agreed to marry him.


    In the end, everyone loved the story where Elyse only agreed to an engagement despite a marriage


    proposal on the top floor.


    When Amelie thought about that, the surprise in her eyes faded as she asked politely, ¡°Is something


    the matter, Mr. Alston?¡±


    Amelie had been smiling happily when she faced the screen and all those strangers. But now that she


    was facing him, she had a cold expression.


    The stark contrast made Leo feel extremely uneasy, but he couldn¡¯t say anything about it. He simply


    told Amelie about Bria¡¯s request.


    Amelie grunted in response, took the huge doll, and passed it to him. She couldn¡¯t help but think that


    Leo must love Elyse very much, for he could get lost in thought while thinking about his marriage during


    short moments like fetching stuff.


    She still bore a grudge since Elyse had been targeting her and almost killed Bria because of Leo. Now


    that they were getting married, Amelie felt that it was all the more reason for her to avoid him.


    As such, she said, ¡°Mr. Alston, if you don¡¯t have any other business in the future, you¡¯d better note


    here anymore.¡±


    Leo was already brooding, so when he heard her sudden words, his facial features became even more


    twisted as he looked at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Amelie couldn¡¯t understand his anger, so she exined kindly, ¡°You¡¯re going to marry Miss yton


    soon, so it won¡¯t be appropriate for you to keeping. If you want to see Bria, you can always give


    me a call, and I¡¯ll arrange for you to meet her outside.¡±


    ¡°Marry?¡± Leo was bewildered for a moment.


    It hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind that he would be marrying Elyse.


    ¡°Just because of that?¡± At that thought, he noticed that his mood was unspeakably brightening up.


    Amelie nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Since Elyse could do something so vicious simply because she hated Amelie, Elyse might go berserk if


    Amelie continued getting involved with Leo.


    Even though Amelie cared about Bria¡¯s feelings, she didn¡¯t want to court death if she could help it.


    After saying everything she was supposed to, Amelie ended the conversation and noticed his silence,


    assuming that he had acknowledged her intentions.


    ¡­


    At night, Leo went to Prix Bar.


    ¡°Long time no see. I thought you¡¯d nevere back.¡± When Toby saw him, a hint of a smile appeared


    on his face.


    Toby noticed a slight curve in Leo¡¯s lips, and he was a little stunned as he said, ¡°Are you in a good


    mood?¡±


    His phone was propped up in front of him, and a video was ying.


    Leo didn¡¯t respond as he lowered himself into a seat.


    His gaze fell upon Toby¡¯s phone screen, and he immediately spotted the people on the screen.


    It was Amelie in her fox mask, and next to her was Bria; she was wearing her fox mask as well.


    In thements, the fans were all encouraging Bria because they heard that Bria was recently injured.


    Bria¡¯s exposed eyes were glittering like stars in the sky. Her tiny mouth opened to reveal a set of pretty


    teeth as she cutely thanked everyone.


    Her sweet, crisp voice and positive attitude made the fans adore her even more, and they wished they


    could just take her home to raise as their own.


    Leo watched Bria for a moment, but he couldn¡¯t help focusing his attention on the woman next to her.


    Amelie had just streamed earlier in the day, but now, she remained spirited as she thanked everyone


    for their concern. She also gave them an update on Bria¡¯s recovery.


    Simrly, her eyes were shining as if there were stars in them.


    Leo had the urge to reach out and put the stars in his pocket¡ªhe didn¡¯t know why, though.


    In the past, even just a nce at Amelie would fill him with annoyance and disgust.


    But now, even though he had just met her earlier in the day, he still found it refreshing to see her


    through the screen.


    He wanted to see her more often.


    Even Leo himself wasn¡¯t quite sure when this change started.


    Toby quietly observed Leo¡¯s expressions, his gaze darkening as he said, ¡°I heard you¡¯re getting


    married. Congrattions.¡±


    Because of those words, the gentle light in Leo¡¯s eyes slowly turned cold before it disappeared without


    a trace. ¡°You¡¯ve been mistaken,¡± he said calmly. He didn¡¯t have to exin too much, for everything was


    apparent.


    ¡°If Elyse hears that, she¡¯ll be so sad.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t respond.


    However, the look in his eyes when he gazed at Amelie was obvious enough, and Toby could see that.


    ¡°Will you be getting back together with Amelie?¡± he directly asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Leo was stunned for a moment before he finally spoke up.


    Even though his view of Amelie had changed a lot, it wasn¡¯t to the point of loving her.


    Leo had just finished speaking when a crisp voice sounded from the phone. ¡°Mommy, my homeroom


    teacher called today and said that we¡¯ll be holding an event next week. She said our mommies and


    daddies can join the event with us. Will Daddy agree toe?¡±


    Joining a school event together?


    Me and Amelie?


    Leo had never imagined this sort of thing before, and he couldn¡¯t help but wait for Amelie¡¯s response.


    Amelie was also stunned by the question.


    She never expected Bria to ask about this while they were streaming.


    On the first day of Amelie¡¯s return, she announced her divorce, so the fans already knew about it.


    When the fans heard Bria asking that question, they sent tons ofments to voice their opinions.


    ¡®That jerk has no right to join Baby Fox¡¯s event after abandoning Foxy and Baby Fox!¡¯


    ¡®I strongly object to it!¡¯


    Leo also saw thosements, and the expression on his stern and handsome face quickly darkened.


    Was he being objected to?


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    It was Toby¡¯s first time seeing such a foul expression on Leo¡¯s face. He suddenly found it amusing and


    couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle.


    ¡®Baby Fox, if you¡¯re willing, I can stand in as your dad and join the school event with you.¡¯


    Soon, people began to volunteer themselves.


    However, most of the fans immediately rejected the suggestions.


    ¡®Foxy and Baby Fox are so pretty and outstanding; normal people aren¡¯t worthy of them. We have to


    find someone on their level.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡¯


    The fans were terrifyingly passionate about this, and in just a split second, they beganing up with


    suggestions.


    They started listing out all the celebrities, both inte and conventional.


    Amelie was speechless.


    The child had put her in a tight spot.


    Bria probably didn¡¯t expect her question to cause such a hugemotion. She blinked her huge,


    curious eyes as she diligently read thements.


    She was still young, and she had a limited vocabry. She was focusing all her attention on reading


    thements, so she couldn¡¯t think of anything else.


    Just as everyone was voicing their own opinions, a message flew into view. ¡®Is it okay if I volunteer?¡¯


    ¡®Wow, it¡¯s key! ke Gareth!¡¯


    ke¡¯sment immediately caused an uproar asments rapidly flew across the screen.


    People loved ke because he was clean, perfect, and gentle¡ªjust like a prince. Also, his figure


    skating performances were always memorable, and he was quite friendly when interacting with others


    as well. He truly was the nation¡¯s idol.


    At that moment, Amelie only felt confused.


    Within five minutes, the opinions on the screen all united as the fans spammed, ¡®Yes! Yes!¡¯


    Amelie was speechless.


    They made it sound like a proposal, of all things.


    The fans were simply too enthusiastic, and she could barely hold the fort.


    Before she could say anything, the fans had already agreed in her stead, and it seemed like she was


    unable to reject the idea.


    Some fans even publicly announced that if she didn¡¯t agree to it, they would stop watching her streams.


    After saying that, though, they begged pitifully, ¡®Are you so cruel that you¡¯d make us stop watching your


    streams? Would you rob us of this happiness?¡¯


    Amelie didn¡¯t know what to say.


    The fans in this field were too difficult to please.


    From the beginning, Leo hadn¡¯t missed anything on the screen.


    The more he saw, the graver his expression became.

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202


    After the stream, Amelie¡¯s forehead was drenched in sweat.


    She took off her fox mask, wiped her sweat, then pushed Bria out of the streaming room.


    ¡°Mommy, are you asking Mr. Gareth to pretend to be Daddy?¡± Bria couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    There was a troubled look in herrge eyes.


    She liked ke, but she liked Leo as well.


    She found it extremely difficult to choose between them.


    Amelie caressed her small cheek. ¡°Bria, you haven¡¯t recovered yet, so you can¡¯t join the event. I¡¯ll be in


    the audience with you, and we can cheer the other children on.¡±


    Bria pursed her small lips, but she didn¡¯t say anything in the end.


    When Amelie opened the door the next day, she was surprised to see arge and slender figure


    standing at the entrance.


    The man stood there silently, his stern aura causing the entire corridor to feel suppressive.


    ¡°Mr. Alston?¡±


    Amelie was stunned when she saw the man in front of her.


    After making it so clear before, she thought that he wouldn¡¯t visit again.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Bria.¡± Leo¡¯s expression was cold.


    He had always been a serious man, but now, he had grown even colder, and there was a distant look in


    his eyes.


    When Amelie heard that, she stepped aside and allowed him passage.


    Leo walked into the house.


    After taking a few steps, he paused and turned around slightly. A seemingly nonchnt look colored


    his eyes as he said, ¡°So you¡¯re asking ke to attend the event at Bria¡¯s school, eh?¡±


    Amelie was stunned. She didn¡¯t think that he would know about this.


    She had only mentioned this while streaming.


    Had Leo been watching her streams?


    Even though Leo already knew that she was Foxy, she didn¡¯t think that he would watch her streams.


    Noticing her silence, Leo allowed his expression to turn even fiercer. ¡°Bria is my daughter; she doesn¡¯t


    need anyone to rece her father! She doesn¡¯t need outsiders to join her events!¡±


    For a moment, the entire house fell into silence.


    Leo paused for a moment, then asked, ¡°What time?¡±


    Amelie realized that he was asking when the event would be held. Even though Bria couldn¡¯t


    participate and would only spectate at most, she still told him the answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there on time,¡± he said calmly.


    Amelie was speechless.


    Leo had visited quite early, so Amelie hadn¡¯t had time to make breakfast yet.


    Steven had an urgent matter to attend to and was back in Quinn Town. Hence, Amelie had taken on


    the task of making breakfast.


    When breakfast was ready, she walked over to wheel Bria out of the room.


    When she entered the room, she saw Bria lying in Leo¡¯s arms, staying quiet like a doll.


    Her little fingers were flipping through a book.


    As Leo held her, he read the book out loud in his deep voice.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    The tense voice he always used had softened now, and he didn¡¯t seem as serious as he usually was;


    tenderness had washed over him.


    Meanwhile, Bria seemed to enjoy the feeling of being embraced by him. As she listened, she narrowed


    her eyesfortably while smiling.


    When they finished the book, Bria finally noticed Amelie¡¯s presence and called out to her.


    It was only then that Amelie removed Bria from Leo¡¯s embrace. ¡°It¡¯s time for breakfast.¡±


    With that, she ced Bria onto the tiny wheelchair and began pushing her outward.


    Meanwhile, Leo turned around and looked at the two.


    There was a hint of envy in his eyes.


    Amelie thought she was seeing things, but still, she asked politely, ¡°Mr. Alston, would you like to join


    us?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Leo stood up as well.


    He frowned a little. He didn¡¯t like her calling him ¡®Mr. Alston¡¯.


    On the other hand, Amelie was at a loss for words.


    She thought that he would decline, and she didn¡¯t mean to invite him along at all.


    Sadly, what was said had been said, so she couldn¡¯t take back her words. It was fortunate that she


    made extra breakfast.


    Amelie wheeled Bria out of the room, then poured a bowl of chicken soup for Bria and Leo respectively.


    Leo looked down at the chicken soup, an ambiguous look in his gaze.


    Amelie suddenly remembered that this was his favorite dish. Her expression stiffened as she hastily


    exined, ¡°Bria likes it as well, so¡ª¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t say anything as he picked up a spoon and began eating.


    He was especially quiet when he ate, and he carried himself elegantly.


    Amelie watched him for a while, a dreamy feeling fleeting across her mind.


    She never thought that she could still sit at the same table and have breakfast with him after their


    divorce, nor had she expected that he would be willing to eat her cooking.


    Back then, she put in a lot of effort to study his preferences. She memorized his likes and dislikes and


    made every meal strictly ording to his tastes.


    However, he always avoided her cooking, refusing to try even a bite of it.


    If she had cooked all the dishes, he would ask Miss Potts to make another dish for him.


    Even though it was history, when she recalled it now, she still felt her chest tightening.


    Amelie drew a long breath discreetly.


    He probably hated it even now, and he was forcing himself to eat just to apany Bria.


    Amelie had epted this oue a long time ago. Refusing to dwell on the past which would only


    sadden her, she stopped thinking about it and lowered her head to eat.


    The atmosphere at the dining table was awkwardly quiet.


    Even though Bria was focused on eating, she kept stealing nces at Amelie with herrge eyes, then


    at Leo. She was secretly observing the adults¡¯ reactions.


    ¡°Daddy, have some dumplings. Mommy made them herself. Mommy also baked these buns.¡± Bria


    suddenly reached out and passed a dumpling and a bun to Leo.


    There was a proud look on her face, and it was paired with an earnest wish.


    She thought that her mother¡¯s cooking was the best, so she sincerely wanted her father to try them.


    Of course, she also wished that Leo would fall in love with her mother¡¯s cooking, hence deciding never


    to leave her mother again.


    Leo froze for a moment, his hand still holding the spoon as he looked at Bria silently.


    ¡°Bria!¡± Amelie whispered harshly, trying to remind Bria.


    Leo was already forcing himself to eat Amelie¡¯s chicken soup, so Bria shouldn¡¯t get more of her cooking


    to tarnish his stomach.


    She reached out and was about to retrieve the dumpling and bun from Bria¡¯s hand when anotherrge


    hand interjected and snatched them away.


    Amelie looked at Leo in shock.


    After grabbing the food, Leo lowered his head and took a bite of the dumpling.


    Amelie was speechless.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Unable to suppress it any longer, she spoke up.


    Leo didn¡¯t seem to hear her.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t do anything but extend a hand toward him.


    He didn¡¯t return the food. Instead, he ate them all, taking bite after bite.


    Amelie fell silent.


    Never mind, then.


    She couldn¡¯t be bothered anymore.


    After breakfast, Amelie went into the kitchen to wash the dishes.


    Leo stood quietly in the living room, watching the woman bustling about in the kitchen through the ss


    door that separated the two living spaces.


    His lips were tightly pursed.


    In the past, he never ate the food she made because he hated her.


    Today was the first time he tried her cooking¡ªit was delicious.


    When he ate the food she made, he felt warm and fuzzy inside, and it was especiallyforting.


    It was the same as when he ate the food Big Eyes made.


    However, he knew that Big Eyes¡¯ cooking skills were a far cry from Amelie¡¯s.


    Even though Amelie wasn¡¯t a top chef, her skills were extremely mature.


    Big Eyes, however, knew nothing about cooking. Everything she made was a mess, and he felt more


    like a test subject than anything when he ate her food.


    Leo was deep in thought when someone tugged on the corner of his shirt.


    He lowered his head to see Bria holding a picture. ¡°Dad, I drew Grandpa¡¯s house. Is it good?¡±


    Leo reached out and took the picture.


    Even though the child¡¯s drawing was innocent and crude, he looked at it earnestly and said, ¡°It¡¯s very


    pretty.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± A grin appeared on Bria¡¯s proud little face. ¡°Grandpa lives in Quinn Town, and it¡¯s the most


    beautiful ce in the world!¡±


    ¡°Quinn Town?¡± When those words popped up in Leo¡¯s mind, his nerves were suddenly wrecked as his


    expression shifted ordingly.

 Chapter 203

    Chapter 203


    ¡°Did you just say that your grandpa lives in Quinn Town?¡± Leo instantly grabbed Bria¡¯s arms as he


    asked.


    Bria¡¯s expression shifted as Leo¡¯s sudden change in behavior startled her.


    Leo realized that he was being impulsive, so he quickly let go. ¡°Sorry, Bria, I just didn¡¯t expect that your


    grandpa and your mommy would be from Quinn Town.¡±


    Even though he had bumped into Amelie when he went to Quinn Town before, he initially thought that


    she was just following him there.


    Later on, he thought that she was going there on vacation.


    When they got married in the beginning, he was aggrieved, so he didn¡¯t ask much about Amelie.


    He knew nothing about her except for the fact that she had a father.


    Because of this new revtion, his heart skipped a beat.


    Bria knew he didn¡¯t mean it, so she stopped being afraid as she said tentatively, ¡°Mommy grew up


    there. There¡¯s a huge river with fish in it. Grandpa took me fishingst time, and we caught a lot of


    them.¡±


    Little children only chose to talk about things they remembered the most, so they couldn¡¯t give the


    answers adults were looking for.


    Nevertheless, Leo didn¡¯t mind it, and his emotions slowly settled down.


    All his investigations proved that Ellen was Big Eyes, the person who donated their cornea to him.


    What did that have to do with whether Amelie was from Quinn Town or not?


    He was overreacting.


    Soon came the day of the event at Bria¡¯s school.


    Early in the morning, Leo made arrangements forpany matters, then hastily got ready to drive so


    that he could meet up with Bria and Amelie.


    He had just walked a few steps when his phone rang. It was a call from Elyse.


    Seeing Elyse¡¯s number, Leo felt a sense of disgust rising within his heart, and he decided not to


    answer.


    Elyse only attempted to call him once and never tried again after that.


    However, when Leo walked to the entrance of thepany, he saw her seated in a wheelchair,


    dressed thinly and looking pitifully at him.


    Her face and lips were especially pale. She looked weak, sickly, and oh-so-pitiful.


    When Leo saw her, his unaffected gaze darkened a little as his handsome face tensed up. ¡°Why are


    you here?¡±


    His tone was nonchnt.


    Elyse opened her mouth, but before she could speak, tears fell out of her eyes and streamed down her


    face.


    ¡°Leo, I¡¯m scared.¡± Her voice was shaky as well. ¡°My phase 2 physical examination report just came out,


    and the tumor in my brain is getting worse.¡±


    As she spoke, she painstakingly wheeled herself over to him, then pitifully grabbed his leg. ¡°I¡¯m scared


    that I might just die. Leo, can¡¯t you apany me?¡±


    When Leo heard Elyse¡¯s sobs, the warmth didn¡¯t return to his cold eyes. Almost without hesitation, he


    pulled his hand away. ¡°I¡¯ll find you the best doctor.¡±


    ¡°You know that I just want you to be with me.¡± As if breaking down, Elyse sobbed so hard that her body


    trembled. She hugged herself pitifully, acting like an abandoned little bird.


    Any man would feel pity if they saw her feeble appearance.


    The care worker who was pushing the wheelchair couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Ever since Miss yton


    received the reportst night, she hasn¡¯t slept a wink. She just kept crying, and if this goes on, her


    health will get worse.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your own body. If you don¡¯t take care of it, you¡¯ll be the only one suffering when things get worse,¡±


    Leo said calmly with an indifferent look in his eyes.


    He lowered his head and made a call to Eugene. ¡°Find the world¡¯s best brain tumor specialist within 24


    hours.¡±


    With that, he lowered his hand. ¡°Go back to the hospital and wait.¡±


    Then, he left.


    Behind him, the care worker shook her head as she watched him leave. ¡°What a cold-hearted man.


    Under these circumstances, it¡¯s only proper to offer at least a few words offort.¡±


    Elyse was already pursing her lips tightly.


    Her body, which was weak and soft moments before, had now tensed and straightened up.


    Her fingers gripped the handle of the wheelchair fiercely as hatred spilled from her eyes.


    ¡°Miss yton, if you threaten him with your life, perhaps he would turn back.¡± The care worker had


    received too much from Elyse, so she couldn¡¯t help but provide some ideas.


    Elyse huffed, the corners of her lips getting even more twisted.


    ¡°With my life, you say?¡± Leo hated her so much now, he probably wished she would just die.


    If she died, he would be set free. He would no longer have any obligations to fulfill and repay what


    Ellen did for him.


    She must not die.


    She would fight Leo to the bitter end!


    Once back in the ward, Elyse diverted the care worker away, then made a call to Laura. ¡°Leo seemed


    to be in a hurry just now. Where is he going?¡±


    ¡°Elyse.¡± When Laura heard Elyse¡¯s voice, she spoke with some hesitation. ¡°Mr. Alston doesn¡¯t want me


    to reveal his whereabouts. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Even you are looking down on me now!¡± Elyse was so good at acting. In just a split second, her voice


    turned sad and pitiful. ¡°Laura, we¡¯re the best of friends! How can you treat me like this?¡±


    Laura was speechless.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other intentions; it¡¯s just too painful to endure. I just want to know when Leo would


    have time to visit me. Are you not willing to help me even with a small request like this?¡±


    Laura sighed in exasperation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure where they¡¯ve gone. I heard them mentioning a kindergarten when they went out.


    Elyse, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you; I¡¯m truly powerless.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then.¡± Elyse hung up emotionlessly.


    Laura was such a snob.


    As soon as she realized that Elyse had lost, she stopped taking thetter seriously.


    Still, a general direction was better than none.


    There was only one kindergarten Leo would go to, which was the one Bria was at.


    At the thought of Leo meeting Bria and spending time with Amelie, Elyse was so furious that she


    gnashed her teeth.


    She hastily got someone to investigate Bria¡¯s school, and she soon heard about the event.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    A cold chuckle escaped her lips.


    How could she miss such a good opportunity?


    Soon, a thought urred to her.


    Even though Bria only had a fracture in her leg, she wasn¡¯t allowed to walk before shepletely


    recovered.


    Hence, she went to school in her wheelchair.


    The school was holding amunity service event, and the children were going to the nursing home to


    visit the old folks there. They would help tidy the ce and put on some performances.


    Because of her injured leg, Bria couldn¡¯t join the group event. She couldn¡¯t help with either task, so she


    looked a little sullen like a withered flower.


    However, the teachers felt that she was pretty and quite good with words, so she was tasked with


    presenting flowers to the old folks.


    With Amelie¡¯s help, Bria happily brought back arge bouquet, her small face lighting up like the sun.


    ¡°Wait for me here, Bria. I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Amelie patted Bria¡¯s little head as she spoke.


    Bria nodded in understanding. ¡°Be careful, Mommy.¡±


    As she watched Amelie leave, the smile on her lips never once faded.


    ¡°Bria.¡± A girl wearing a princess crown and a pretty princess dress ran over to her, her eyes staring


    right at the bouquet Bria was holding. ¡°You have a bad leg and can¡¯t walk, so why don¡¯t you let me


    present the flowers instead?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Bria declined without hesitation.


    Her thought process was simple; since the teacher had given her the task, she had to aplish it.


    The little girl was upset now. ¡°The teacher gave you all the flowers, but I want to present them as well!¡±


    It was only then that Bria understood what the girl meant. She nodded generously, ¡°Since you want to


    present the flowers, I¡¯ll give you half so that we can present the flowers together.¡±


    She thought that the girl would be happy with this suggestion, but the girl stomped her feet and cried


    reluctantly, ¡°I don¡¯t want half of them! In my house, as long as I want it, Daddy and Mommy will give me


    the whole thing!¡±


    With that, the little girl red intently at Bria, willing thetter to give her all the flowers.


    ¡°Come on, give it to me!¡± Seeing that Bria wasn¡¯t moving, she moved to grab the flowers.


    Bria was in a wheelchair, so it wasn¡¯t convenient for her to move. The flowers were about to be


    snatched when¡­

 Chapter 204

    Chapter 204


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the teacher if you snatch it!¡±


    Bria¡¯s personality had changed a lot, for she had learned to fight back.


    As such, she shouted in her crisp voice.


    The girl was already holding the flowers in her arms, but when she heard Bria shouting, she began to


    look a little scared.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    She worked hard to get those flowers, so she was reluctant to give them back just like that.


    Hence, she ran away with the flowers in her arms.


    ¡°Chloe, only robbers snatch things.¡± Bria subconsciously raised her voice, attracting the attention of the


    other children.


    When they saw Chloe Hill snatching what belonged to Bria, their sense of justice was instantly ignited.


    ¡°Chloe, our teacher gave it to Bria. You can¡¯t touch that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bullying Bria because she can¡¯t walk. You¡¯re a naughty child!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t give it back, we¡¯re going to tell on you!¡±


    The children chattered as they kept scolding Chloe. Some of them were even going to tell the teacher


    about it.


    Despite her reluctance, Chloe could only return the flowers to Bria.


    Bria held the flowers as she said sincerely, ¡°Thank you all for helping me.¡±


    The other children felt especially aplished for delivering justice.


    They crowded around Bria and began chatting with her.


    Bria had always been a friendly child, and she was quite adept at bringing children together. She was


    also generous, and the children liked her a lot.


    She took out the snacks she brought and distributed them to the children. ¡°My grandpa made these for


    me. They¡¯re yummy.¡±


    Steven pampered his granddaughter a lot. He was worried that the snacks outside were unhealthy, so


    he prepared snacks for her daily.


    It was the children¡¯s first time eating such unique snacks, so they were overjoyed.


    Bria was never selfish. She didn¡¯t mind if she knew the children or not; she distributed the snacks all


    the same.


    A few children who were on good terms with Chloe saw this, and they all went over to Bria.


    They gathered around and tried the snacks as they chatted away, enjoying themselves.


    At the side, Chloe was silently left alone.


    She had always looked down on other people simply because she was pretty and better off than the


    others. She even thought that everyone had to do what she said.


    When she saw everyone gathering around Bria, she was so pissed that she stomped her feet.


    She even red at herckeys, but none of them noticed her.


    She had never been treated like this before. She was so furious that she was going to lose her mind,


    and she deeply hated Bria for it.


    The more she hated Bria, the more she wanted thetter to suffer.


    Chloe thought for a bit, then her eyes gleamed. She raised her volume, saying, ¡°My mommy and daddy


    came today. They¡¯re so nice to me.¡±


    ¡°My mommy and daddy came too.¡±


    ¡°My mommy and daddy came as well.¡±


    Everyone responded ordingly.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s mommies and daddies are here. It¡¯s nothing special.¡±


    Chloe blinked, then fixed her gaze on Bria. ¡°Your daddy isn¡¯t here, right?¡±


    Bria was stunned, but still, she replied quickly, ¡°My daddy isingter.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± Chloe seemed to have gotten ahold of the cat¡¯s tail as she threw her head back, shouting in a


    louder voice, ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know? You don¡¯t have a daddy. Everyone knows that, and the


    teacher knows it too!¡±


    Chloe knew about this, for the incident was exposed on the day Bria went to kindergarten.


    The teachers hid it well, and the child who said that Bria didn¡¯t have a father was transferred to another


    school, but Chloe found out since she had special connections at home.


    When the children heard Chloe mention that the teachers knew about it too, they were a little doubtful.


    Even those who wanted to speak up for Bria fell silent.


    They then turned their gazes toward Bria.


    Chloe was even more gleeful as she pointed at the girl. ¡°She¡¯s a liar. Why are you all being friends with


    a liar?¡±


    The children all knew that kids who lied were bad. They subconsciously took a few steps back and kept


    a distance from Bria.


    ¡°I have a daddy, and he¡¯s visited the school a few times before!¡± Bria said unhappily, her tiny face filled


    with stubbornness.


    Chloe sounded a heavy huff. ¡°Who knows who that man is! Anyway, he isn¡¯t your daddy!¡±


    With that, she looked at the other children. ¡°Whoever bes friends with her will be a liar, just like


    her!¡±


    The children didn¡¯t want to be liars, so they quickly put the snacks back.


    Bria looked at the returned snacks, a wronged expression surfacing on her clean little face as her eyes


    turned red.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a liar,¡± she repeated.


    However, Chloe had spoken so firmly and even mentioned the teachers, so who would doubt her?


    ¡°Turns out that Bria is a liar all along.¡±


    ¡°She lied to us.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to be liars.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not y with her anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    While the children were talking, a deep man¡¯s voice sounded.


    Everyone turned around to see a handsome man standing not far away.


    The man was very tall, and his clothes were very neat. He had long fingers and long legs.


    They had never met this man before, and they all stared at him with huge, curious eyes.


    Leo weaved through the crowd and made his way to Bria. ¡°Bria, sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    He kneeled in front of Bria, his voice gentle as he spoke.


    When Bria saw Leo, her face brightened up joyfully as she shouted, ¡°Daddy!¡±


    She reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around Leo¡¯s neck. ¡°Daddy, why are youte?¡±


    Leo pursed his lips, a little regretful as he said, ¡°I got dyed on my way.¡±


    The other children fell silent.


    They gathered behind the two, theirrge eyes gazing at Bria and Leo.


    ¡°Bria does have a daddy,¡± someone mumbled.


    It was only then that Bria let go of Leo, introducing him proudly, ¡°This is my daddy.¡±


    Chloe was at a loss for words, and she widened her eyes in disbelief.


    She never thought that Bria would have a father and such a handsome one at that.


    He was as handsome as the celebrities on TV.


    In fact, he was even more handsome than her father!


    ¡°What happened just now? Did they bully you, Bria?¡± Even though Leo had just gotten out of the car, he


    still noticed Bria¡¯s pitiful expression.


    He looked at Bria, his voice cold as he spoke.


    The other children all turned to look at Chloe, and the girl took a step back timidly.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, what a surprise it is to see you here.¡±


    A man and a woman walked into the crowd, smiling as they greeted Leo.


    Even though they were in Halport, the Alstons¡¯ business was expansive, so the two recognized him.


    The woman bent over and took Chloe into her arms. ¡°Children always make a ruckus, and they don¡¯t


    always watch their words. I hope you and Bria can forgive her.¡±


    Leo¡¯s expression remained cold.


    Even though he wasn¡¯t looking at the two, a chilly aura exuded from him as if he were a moving fridge.


    ¡°I can understand children being careless with their words, but it is the adults¡¯ responsibility to teach


    and correct them,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The couple exchanged nces, their faces turning red.


    They had been standing nearby when Chloe bullied Bria, but they pretended not to have seen it.


    They behaved like this since they didn¡¯t know Bria was Leo¡¯s child.


    Furthermore, they were also upset that the teacher had given Bria all the flowers, so they wanted Chloe


    to teach Bria a little lesson. Most of all, they just wanted to pamper their daughter and let her be.


    They were originally thinking of getting on good terms with Leo so that they could get some business.


    Now that things had turned out like this, they no longer stood a chance¡ªperhaps they would never


    have a chance in the future.


    The man and woman were feeling unspeakably defeated and greatly regretted their selfish behavior


    just now.


    Leo didn¡¯t say anything else to them as he picked Bria up. ¡°Where¡¯s Mommy? Let¡¯s look for her


    together.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the two had walked away that the children came to their senses.


    They were all intimidated by Leo¡¯s aura just now, and none of them dared to make a sound or even


    move.


    ¡°Turns out that Chloe is the real liar!¡± A child pointed at Chloe and shouted.


    The other children started scolding her as well.


    Chloe¡¯s parents were dejected and could do nothing but slip away.


    Meanwhile, Amelie had just emerged from the washroom.


    She was worried about Bria¡¯s inconvenience, so she couldn¡¯t help but walk a little hurriedly.


    As soon as she dashed out, she ran straight into someone.


    ¡°Oh!¡± With a low grunt, she staggered backward.


    She didn¡¯t notice a small ditch behind her.


    She was about to fall when arge hand grabbed her wrist.


    The hand was big and strong, and the palm was dry and warm.

 Chapter 205

    Chapter 205


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help but stop and stare for a moment. She froze when she saw the person who was


    grabbing her wrist.


    ¡°Are you okay, Mommy?¡± Bria, who was in Leo¡¯s arms, tugged on Amelie¡¯s sleeve while questioning


    Amelie in a worried tone. Amelie snapped back into reality before she gazed awkwardly at Leo¡¯s hand


    that was wrapped around her wrist. His fingers were slender, and he had arge palm, so his grip felt


    especially firm and solid.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± In a panic, Amelie shook her head before she pulled her hand away. ¡°Thanks.¡± She


    pretended to fix her hair as she tried to conceal the embarrassment that she felt. She rarely had any


    physical encounters with males in the past.


    Leo lowered his gaze to look at the lost and bashful woman before his eyes. She seemed especially


    petite and dainty as she hung her head low and looked around frantically. She looked extremely


    nervous. Leo knitted his brows together as he curled his hand into a fist. The sensation of the woman¡¯s


    skin against his lingered for a while after that. She has such a slim wrist. Doesn¡¯t she eat at all? Why is


    her wrist so small? I felt like I was grabbing bones when I held her earlier.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, Mommy?¡± Bria¡¯s sharp eyesnded on the bag that was in Amelie¡¯s hands. Amelie


    emptied the bag to reveal three hats of the same color. Earlier, the teacher informed Amelie to go over


    and collect the hats. That was why she took a long time to head to the washroom.


    ¡°Is this for us?¡± Bria¡¯s eyes widened with excitement. There were three caps¡ªone for each of them!


    Bria was amazed as this was the first time that she owned a cap that had the exact same pattern as


    both her parents. ¡°Hurry up and put it on for me, Mommy!¡± Bria urged.


    Amelie beamed when she saw how excited Bria was. Amelie¡¯s soft and silky hair fell loosely on her


    shoulders, and a few strands of her hair covered her face. Her skin seemed especially fair when ced


    in contrast with her dark hair. The smile on her face seemed to blossom like a flower in spring, and Leo


    was attracted by how fresh and gorgeous she looked. He couldn¡¯t help but stare at her as she smiled


    and ced the yellow cap on Bria¡¯s head.


    Bria grinned, revealing her pearly whites. ¡°Daddy needs one too!¡± The young girl was overjoyed.


    Amelie handed a cap to Leo, but Leo didn¡¯t respond as he was still mesmerized by the sight of the


    woman. Bria quickly held her hand up. ¡°I have an idea! Mommy can put the cap on for Daddy, and


    Daddy can put it on for Mommy!¡±


    Only then did Leo return to his senses. He stared at Amelie for a while, but he didn¡¯t take the cap from


    her. Instead, he seemed to be going along with Bria¡¯s words and wanted Amelie to put the cap on for


    him. He even lowered his head a little before leaning closer to Amelie. Amelie was speechless for a


    moment. In the end, she had no choice but to put it on for him.


    Even though Leo had already lowered his head, she was still much shorter inparison to the six-


    foot-one man as she was only five-foot-five in height. Amelie had to get on her tiptoes and stretch just


    to put the cap on him. Right then, she lost her bnce and fell forward. She ended up falling into his


    arms.


    Leo was holding Bria in one arm, and he was worried that Amelie would bump into Bria, so he reached


    his hand out to steady her. As he did so, his hand brushed past her chest area, and he could feel her


    soft breasts against his fingers. He ended up holding onto her arm, which felt nearly as slim as her


    wrist.


    Leo¡¯s gaze darkened when he next looked at the woman. On the other hand, Amelie was furious at


    herself for her clumsiness. She bit her lower lip as she cursed at herself. What¡¯s wrong with me? I¡¯m


    usually calm and grounded.


    After putting Leo¡¯s cap on for him, Bria offered to put Amelie¡¯s cap on for her. Once that was done, Bria


    gazed at both her parents before she felt for the cap on her head. She then shed them her biggest


    grin. Even though they all had the same cap on their heads, Bria¡¯s cap stood out the most.


    Bria was adorable and pretty; her father was handsome and stunning, and her mother was youthful and


    gorgeous. Despite having given birth to a child, Amelie still had a young and energetic aura that made


    her seem like she was still a university student. The public gave them envious gazes whenever they


    walked around as a family. Everyone was attracted by the family¡¯s good looks. A few of the parents


    who enjoyed photography even pointed their cameras toward the three of them before taking multiple


    pictures.


    Everyone took a bus over to the nursing home. Amelie allowed Bria to take the middle seat between


    herself and Leo so that Amelie could draw some boundaries with the man. Amelie heaved a sigh of


    relief after that. Even though Leo was there to participate in Bria¡¯s school event, Amelie believed that


    they should maintain some distance since they were divorced. She also considered how Leo was


    engaged to another woman.


    Meanwhile, Leo sat on Bria¡¯s other side while he casually nced in Amelie¡¯s direction. He didn¡¯t say


    much during the ride, but he frowned a little as he gazed at the woman. ¡°Hey, Bria¡¯s Mommy and


    Daddy, I was wondering if you guys could squeeze a little. There¡¯s a parent here who doesn¡¯t have a


    seat.¡± The teacher walked over and spoke to them in an apologetic tone.


    ¡°This child¡¯s grandfather decided to join the event at the veryst minute, and we didn¡¯t save a seat for


    him. He traveled all the way here, so¡­¡± The teacher seemed extremely conflicted and troubled. Amelie


    looked around and saw that all the other parents took up two seats in total as they had their child in one


    of theirps.


    Amelie and Leo, on the other hand, chose thest row of the bus. Amelie wanted this spot as she didn¡¯t


    want to get too close to Leo, but now¡­ The teacher had just finished her sentence when Bria voiced


    out. ¡°Hurry up, Dad!¡± Leo froze for a moment before he lifted Bria onto hisp and took her seat.


    Amelie was speechless. She could smell the fresh scent of the man¡¯s cologne the moment he moved


    closer to her. His scent didn¡¯t seem to fit his demanding personality¡ªhe smelled much lighter and


    gentler than the way he acted. Amelie couldn¡¯t help but recall the old times when they would sit next to


    each other as teens. Back then, Leo smelled of medication most of the time, but she would still find his


    scent more attractive than anyone else¡¯s.


    Amelie could still recall how she would read to him while inhaling his scent and how she would


    eventually fall asleep and rest on his shoulder. The most intimate memories they shared also felt like


    the most ironic ones to recall right then. The man who was once the closest to me is now this stranger


    who has an odd rtionship with me¡­ Amelie took a deep breath as she tried to stop thinking about


    the past.


    Coincidentally, the parents who had been snapping photos earlier offered to send her some pictures


    right there and then. Amelie lowered her head to scroll through the pictures on her phone. Their family


    of three looked stunning and natural in all the pictures. Leo was a man who rarely smiled, but he wore


    a faint smile on his face in one of the pictures. His gaze seemed gentle and loving as he looked at


    Amelie.


    Amelie stiffened for a moment. She felt like she had forgotten how to breathe when she saw the way


    the man looked at her. However, she quickly concluded that it had to be some issue with the angle at


    which the photo was taken. She shook off her thoughts before refocusing on Bria.


    At that very moment, Leo¡¯s gaze happened tond on Amelie¡¯s phone, and he saw the pictures she


    had received. The family of three seemed especially happy in the pictures. ¡°You guys look great in


    pictures, especially when all three of you are in them. You guys have such a stunning aura!¡± The parent


    who had taken pictures of them didn¡¯t hesitate to shower them withpliments. ¡°This is the best


    photo I¡¯ve ever taken.¡±


    Amelie smiled at the parents. Leo thought that Amelie would save the pictures on her phone, but to his


    surprise, she started deleting some pictures. She deleted all the pictures with Leo inside, keeping only


    a few shots of herself and Bria. She had seen how Elyse lost her mind back then, and she didn¡¯t want


    the photos to cause her simr issues.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Therefore, Amelie scrolled through some pictures before deleting them. Leo¡¯s expression darkened


    when he saw what she was doing. Veins surfaced on his arms as he clenched his fist. He felt as if


    someone had stabbed him in the chest whenever she deleted one of his pictures. He watched as


    Amelie got to thest picture. She was about to tap on the button to delete it¡­

 Chapter 206

    Chapter 206


    All of a sudden, Bria swung her arm in Amelie¡¯s direction and hit Amelie on her hand. Amelie was taken


    by surprise, and her phone slipped out of her fingers. ¡°What happened, Bria?¡± Amelie turned to check


    on Bria first.


    Bria simply shrugged before scratching the back of her head. The young girl looked like she didn¡¯t


    know how she had bumped into her mother either. ¡°Let me carry her,¡± Amelie said as she nced at


    Leo. Leo handed the child over without saying much. Then, he bent down to pick Amelie¡¯s phone up for


    her. ¡°Here you go,¡± he said.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Amelie nodded in appreciation before she took the phone from him and chucked it into her handbag.


    Soon enough, the bus arrived at their destination. The teacher directed all the children into the nursing


    home, and the dean of the nursing home delegated some cleaning duties to all of the parents and their


    children.


    Even though Bria¡¯s leg was injured, she insisted on being a part of the activity. Amelie hesitated for a


    while before she went to the toolshed and approached one of the staff members there. ¡°Can you give


    us some cleaning tools?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The staff member handed Amelie some tools, and her eyes lit up with admiration when she saw


    Bria. ¡°You¡¯re still helping out even though you¡¯re injured, huh? That¡¯s so nice of you,¡± the staff


    commented. Bria simply responded with a shy smile.


    ¡°How many sets of tools will you need?¡± the staff member asked.


    Amelie hesitated for a while. ¡°You can give me two sets,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Three, please.¡± A man¡¯s deep voice came from behind Amelie right after she finished speaking. Amelie


    was shocked when she turned to see Leo standing behind her. She had assumed that Leo was just


    there to spend time with Bria and that he wasn¡¯t going to take part in any cleaning activities. Leo, on the


    other hand, didn¡¯t seem to realize the look of surprise on Amelie¡¯s face. He extended his long arm over


    her and took the tools on her behalf.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Leo said as he walked toward Bria and headed off with her. Amelie was left speechless for a


    while. She eventually hurried after them. The three of them were sent to a t and cooling piece ofnd


    outdoors, where there was ayer of tree leaves scattered all over the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s sweep all of the


    leaves toward the middle first,¡± Leo suggested after looking at their surroundings.


    Both Amelie and Bria nodded before they got to work. Bria was wheelchair-bound so she couldn¡¯t move


    around much, but she was still earnest as she swept up all the leaves in her area. She giggled to


    herself as she worked on her task. Meanwhile, Amelie stole a few nces at Leo while they worked.


    She was genuinely curious¡ªshe had never seen Leo clean up after himself in her whole life, and she


    was nearly convinced that Leo didn¡¯t even know how to hold a broom.


    However, to her surprise, he was dedicated to his task. He even seemed to work the broom with ease.


    He had taken his suit off and rolled his sleeves up. His posture was upright, and his arms looked strong


    as he swept the leaves¡ªhe looked like he had walked out of an oil painting. ¡°Mommy¡¯s checking


    Daddy out. Hehe¡­¡± Bria giggled with her hand covering her mouth.


    Amelie blushed before she quickly lowered her head to focus on sweeping the leaves. A married


    couple with their twin boys were cleaning up the area beside them, and the two boys were extremely


    naughty. They were fooling around, and their parents had to shout at them every now and then. The


    twins¡¯ parents shook their heads helplessly as they sent envious nces in Bria¡¯s direction. They


    wished their children would be as focused as Bria.


    Right then, the twin boys ran in Bria¡¯s direction with two shovels that they had found somewhere. They


    both stuck the shovels into a thick pile of leaves before they sent the leaves and a few rocks flying into


    the air. Amelie saw the rocks flying in Bria¡¯s direction, and she instinctively threw herself over Bria.


    Amelie could hear the rocks knocking against one another as they flew up into the sky, and she could


    already imagine how much it was going to hurt when theynded on her back.


    Thud! Thud! A few consecutive sounds came from behind Amelie. She let out a soft grunt, but to her


    surprise, she didn¡¯t actually feel any pain from the rocks hitting her back. All she felt was a looming


    figure above her. Amelie turned a little to notice the man¡¯s long legs behind hers. When she spun


    around, she realized that Leo had protected her with his own body. The thuds didn¡¯te from the


    rocks striking her back, but when the rocks struck Leo!


    Amelie froze when she realized what just happened. This is the second time Leo has saved me today.


    Doesn¡¯t he hate me? Why does he¡­ Does he remember who I am now? Amelie parted her lips to


    question him when the twin boys¡¯ parents rushed over. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± The parents wore


    apologetic and remorseful looks on their faces, and they kept apologizing to Amelie.


    Amelie dusted off some dirt on her shirt before she nced in Leo¡¯s direction. He had already walked


    off with his head hung low as if he were contemting something. He showed no intention of


    responding to the twins¡¯ parents. ¡°We¡¯re okay.¡± Amelie had no choice but to answer on Leo¡¯s behalf.


    Despite so, the parents insisted on dragging their sons over to apologize to the victims of their mischief.


    The children were scheduled to give a few performances to the old folks after they were done cleaning


    the ce up. The elderlies chuckled with excitement as they shuffled over to watch the performances.


    Bria handed the flowers that she had prepared to the elderlies while Amelie followed along to wheel


    Bria around. Amelie wore a faint smile on her face as she moved through the crowd.


    Every now and then, Amelie would look up to nce in Leo¡¯s direction, and she would realize that Leo


    was staring at them as well. For some reason, she could sense that Leo was acting in a rather odd


    manner. He was being especially silent. Could it be because he¡¯s too bored?


    After all the activities, the dean requested that every family nt a tree up in the hills tomemorate


    their visit. The pathway up the hills was rather rocky, and Bria¡¯s wheelchair couldn¡¯t be brought up. Bria


    urged Leo and Amelie to go ahead without her. ¡°Take your time! You don¡¯t have to rush back to me.¡±


    Bria had already made friends with a few of the elderlies in the nursing home, and the elderlies were all


    circling around her.


    Amelie shook her head with a smile when she saw how naturally and effortlessly Bria had blended in


    with all the old people around her. Leo nced at Bria as well. He realized how different Bria seemed


    inparison to the way she acted back when she was in the Alston Family, and his gaze darkened at


    that thought.


    Amelie didn¡¯t see any reason to stay close to Leo once Bria was out of their sight. She kept her


    distance, and she stood far, far away while Leo dug a hole for the nt. Leo was efficient with his


    movements, but he stayed in his spot after he was done with his digging. Amelie didn¡¯t know how long


    he was going to stay there, so she simply walked over to him before cing the seedling into the hole.


    She was about to take the shovel from him to cover the hole up, but he dodged her hand before he


    started filling the hole himself. She eyed him speechlessly before she got to her feet to head down the


    hill. ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± the man¡¯s icy voice came from behind her all of a sudden.


    Amelie turned around with a puzzled look on her face. She had intended to head down the hills


    because she didn¡¯t want to bother him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make it so obvious in front of Bria¡¯s ssmates.


    Her ssmates might look down on her if they find out that we¡¯re divorced. They were just


    discriminating against her earlier this morning,¡± Leo uttered.


    Amelie had no idea what had happened earlier that day, so she widened her eyes in surprise. She had


    intended to ask him more about the incident, but he had pressed his lips tightly together and looked


    away. Amelie shook her head helplessly before she made her way back to the man and took a seat at


    the curb. She watched as he slowly filled the hole up. He seemed to move slower than before, and the


    hole was barely filled even after a long while. He kept pressing the soil down to make it morepact,


    but this seemed like a pointless move in Amelie¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Are you¡­ staying in Quinn Town?¡± Leo asked all of a sudden.


    Amelie was taken aback by his sudden question, and her head shot up in surprise as she red at


    him. She didn¡¯t understand why he was asking such a question, so she didn¡¯t know how to respond to


    him. After a while, Leo looked up and met her gaze. There was a mysterious look in his eyes that she


    couldn¡¯t seem to understand.


    Earlier, Leo had noticed a faint scent on Amelie when he was protecting her and Bria from the rocks.


    Even though the scent wasn¡¯t strong, it caught Leo¡¯s attention as it was a familiar smell to him. He was


    reminded of how Big Eyes smelled. Even though Amelie¡¯s scent was covered by the smell of milk,


    Leo¡¯s other senses had be heightened after he lost his eyesight. He could still pick up the special


    scent on her.


    Leo couldn¡¯t believe it at first, but he was reminded of what Bria once mentioned¡ªthat Amelie was


    from Quinn Town. ¡°What is it? Is it a secret?¡± Leo further questioned Amelie when he saw how silent


    she was. Amelie let out a bitterugh. I¡¯m the only one who cares for him, and I¡¯m the only one who


    genuinely values him. I even donated my cornea to him. Yet, he doesn¡¯t even know where I¡¯m from.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m from Quinn Town.¡± Amelie nodded as she generously revealed the truth. ¡°In fact, we¡¯ve


    known each other for a while.¡±


    ¡°We have?¡± Leo¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at her. For some reason, Amelie felt a weight on her


    chest. She hadn¡¯t intended to further pursue this matter, but at that moment, she desperately felt the


    need for an answer. She looked into Leo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Have you really forgotten about it? Back in the


    hospital in Quinn Town¡­¡±


    ¡°Leony.¡± A crisp and clear voice interrupted their conversation.

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207


    Amelie turned around to see Elyse sitting in a wheelchair with a smile on her face. Someone was


    pushing her up the hill. Elyse was dressed in a long, white dress that perfectly covered her leg that was


    in a cast. She had natural-looking makeup on her face that made her seem especially mesmerizing.


    Amelie snapped back to reality¡ªas if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over her¡ªwhen she


    saw Elyse. What¡¯s wrong with me? Leo and Elyse are about to start a new family. Wouldn¡¯t I cause


    more problems for Leo if I brought up the past? He might have caused me problems by forgetting about


    me, but what would I gain from causing him problems now?


    ¡°You guys should enjoy yourselves.¡± Amelie excused herself and headed down the hill without any


    hesitation. Amelie figured that Elyse¡¯s presence would bring her a lot of unnecessary issues, so Amelie


    decided not to head back with the rest of the group. She hailed a cab for herself instead.


    Amelie wheeled Bria over to the side of the road before she used an application on her phone to book


    a cab. The nursing home was in a rather secluded area, so it was hard for her to get a cab there. She


    requested one but didn¡¯t get an offer for a long while. Right then, a seven-seater Cayenne pulled up in


    front of them.


    The man inside the car lowered his window to reveal his icy face. ¡°Get in,¡± the familiar-looking man said


    to Amelie. She let out a scoff when she saw who it was. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She rejected him in a polite tone.


    Leo knitted his brows together upon hearing her words.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be polite with us, Miss Dillon. Let¡¯s head off together.¡± Another person stuck her


    head out of the car window in the back. It was Elyse, and she was wearing a huge and innocent-


    looking smile on her face. If Amelie hadn¡¯t seen Elyse¡¯s true colors, she might have thought that Elyse


    was genuinely a nice person.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to get a cab here, and you might have to wait for a long while. You might be fine with waiting,


    but I¡¯m not sure about Bria,¡± Elyse uttered. Amelie stared at Elyse silently. Bria and I wouldn¡¯t have to


    be in this tough situation if you hadn¡¯t shown up, Amelie thought to herself. There were other families


    who were heading down the hill after nting their trees, and things would get worse if those families


    passed by and saw Amelie standing around with Elyse in the car.


    Amelie finally nodded before lifting Bria into her arms. ¡°Let¡¯s take Daddy¡¯s car home.¡± Leo¡¯s driver


    rushed out of the car to help store the wheelchair in the boot. Amelie initially wanted to take the driver¡¯s


    seat so that she wouldn¡¯t have to see the couple in action, but she couldn¡¯t do so as Bria was too


    young to sit in front. Amelie was contemting her next move when Leo got out of the car.


    ¡°You should sit in front, Leony. I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Elyse uttered from inside the car. She gave him


    an apologetic look after that. Amelie eyed both of them speechlessly. This wasn¡¯t the first time Amelie


    witnessed how obedient Leo was to Elyse, but Amelie still felt disgusted every time she saw the way


    they interacted.


    Amelie tried her best to keep herself invisible throughout the car ride. Bria didn¡¯t seem to be in a good


    mood either¡ªshe kept quiet throughout the whole ride, with her hands clinging onto her mother¡¯s arms


    and her head buried in her mother¡¯s chest. Bria pouted the entire time. It was obvious that Bria was


    hurt by Elyse¡¯s sudden appearance.


    Amelie felt sorry for her daughter, so she patted Bria¡¯s back gently tofort her. Bria pulled one of her


    hands away from Amelie to press it against her own belly, creating a barrier between herself and


    Amelie. This was one of Bria¡¯s signature moves¡ªshe often did this when she was feeling down or


    insecure. Amelie felt rather sad for Bria, so she lowered her head to press her cheek against Bria¡¯s


    hair. I tried so hard to make sure that Bria wouldn¡¯t be hurt by me and Leo¡¯s divorce, but things still


    turned out like this.


    The car was silent throughout their one-hour drive back to Amelie¡¯s housing area. Bria was fast asleep


    by the time they arrived, and Amelie tried to carry Bria out of the car without waking her up. ¡°Please


    help me get the wheelchair,¡± Amelie whispered to the driver.


    However, before the driver could do so, Leo had already opened the boot to retrieve Bria¡¯s wheelchair.


    Amelie watched as Leo¡¯s bony hands picked the wheelchair up before he expanded it and ced it on


    the ground. Amelie gave him a pleasant smile. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Alston. You can leave the wheelchair here.


    I¡¯ll pick it upter.¡±


    Bria was fast asleep on Amelie¡¯s shoulder, and Amelie was worried that she would wake the child up if


    she moved around too much. Thest thing Amelie wanted was for her daughter to be hurt again by


    the sight of Leo leaving with another woman. Amelie turned to walk off after thanking Leo. However,


    right when Amelie arrived at her front door and was about to let herself in, she saw the man¡¯s bony


    hand reaching forward to open the door for her.


    Amelie was shocked as she hadn¡¯t expected Leo toe after her. ¡°Thanks,¡± she uttered politely.


    Then, she stepped into her house. Amelie had been certain that Leo would leave her alone after she


    entered her house, but to her surprise, he followed her in. Amelie couldn¡¯t help but freeze for a


    moment. ¡°We¡¯re home, Mr. Alston. You shouldn¡¯t keep your fianc¨¦e waiting. You should leave now,¡±


    Amelie uttered with Bria still resting on her shoulder.


    ¡°Elyse¡­¡± Leo knitted his brows together. ¡°Elyse is your fianc¨¦e, and I¡¯m not interested to hear about


    you two. Thank you for spending time with Bria today. I appreciate it,¡± Amelie uttered in a curt and firm


    manner. She had no interest in hearing about Leo¡¯s loving rtionship with Elyse.


    Not interested? Amelie¡¯s words stabbed Leo¡¯s heart like a dagger. He was silent for a long while before


    he spoke. ¡°You mentioned that you used to know me. What happened between us while we were still in


    Quinn Town?¡± he asked.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Amelie hadn¡¯t expected Leo to ask such a question. However, she was no longer in the mood to


    exin herself to him at that point. ¡°We¡¯ve been married for four years. Doesn¡¯t that count as knowing


    each other? Anyway, don¡¯t you know what happened between us in Quinn Town? What I meant was


    how we would bump into each other at least three times a day back in that town. You suspected that I


    had some ulterior motive, and I felt really misunderstood back then. I only brought it up because I hope


    that you¡¯d stop assuming things about me.¡±


    Amelie pressed her lips together for a while before she spoke again. ¡°Perhaps I once held hopes


    toward my rtionship with you, but¡­ I¡¯ve lost all hope since we got a divorce. If you wish to see Bria


    again, you should call me and inform me beforehand, Mr. Alston. I¡¯ll get someone to send her to you


    after I¡¯ve asked for her permission.¡± In other words, Amelie was implying that she didn¡¯t have ns of


    seeing him in the future.


    Upon finishing her words, Amelie waved at him before turning around and walking off. Leo no longer


    went after her, and Amelie shut the door behind her before she let out a sigh. Amelie knew that she


    couldn¡¯t me anyone else for Elyse¡¯s sudden appearance¡ªit was her fault that she didn¡¯t see this


    coming. I¡¯m never going to ask Leo to participate in another activity like this again. Amelie tucked Bria


    into bed and stayed around in the living room for a while before she realized that she had left Bria¡¯s


    wheelchair outside.


    When Amelie walked out to get the wheelchair, she realized that there was a figure standing beside the


    wheelchair. ¡°Leo?¡± Amelie called out instinctively. The man¡¯s figure looked rather simr to Leo¡¯s.


    However, Amelie then recalled that Leo was dressed in dark blue cks. The man before her eyes was


    dressed in a full white outfit and had his hair tied up.


    The visitor was¡­ Toby. ¡°What are you doing here, Mr. Walsh?¡± Amelie changed her tone of voice as


    she walked up to him. ¡°Are you here to meet my father? He¡¯s not home.¡± Amelie had just finished her


    words when Toby reached out and pulled her in for a hug. Amelie froze¡ªshe was speechless for a


    while before she pushed him away. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mr. Walsh?¡±


    Amelie had always thought of Toby as a gentle and ssy man¡ªshe had never seen him acting so


    rashly. The next second, she smelled the stench of alcohol on him. ¡°Were you drinking earlier?¡±


    Toby took a deep breath before he spoke in a raspy voice. ¡°I understand now. I know everything now,¡±


    he said.


    ¡°What¡­ do you know?¡±

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208


    Toby remained quiet for quite some time. His brows were tightly knitted together, and he felt torn.


    After a while, he stepped back abruptly and rubbed his forehead. ¡°Sorry about that. I had a little too


    much to drink.¡±


    As his hand fell back down to his side, he regained his pleasant, gentlemanly demeanor. He then


    nodded at Amelie and left.


    She stared at his retreating figure in confusion. Although she could tell that he was in a bad mood, she


    didn¡¯t know why. I guess something must¡¯ve happened, she thought to herself as she turned around


    and went back in.


    Behind her, the elevator door came to a close. The warm, gentle smile on Toby¡¯s face slowly vanished


    as his features contorted in pain. His long sleeves kept his clenched fists hidden from sight. It had


    taken him all the self-restraint he had to not blurt out thest thing he wanted to say.


    He didn¡¯t tell Amelie that he discovered her secret an hour ago. In the past, he suspected that she was


    Big Eyes, and now, he had been proven correct.


    He didn¡¯t go to Leo with this information right away. Instead, he came to look for Amelie first, but he had


    no idea why he did that.


    For some reason, his chest was killing him. It felt as if someone had stabbed a dagger right through his


    heart.


    When he thought about everything Amelie had to suffer throughout her marriage while staying with the


    Alstons, the pain he felt became so excruciating that he almost gasped for air. What was it like to cling


    to hope in the middle of despair? How did she survive those times? It¡¯s Amelie¡¯s business, so why does


    my heart hurt so badly?


    Toby pressed his fist against his chest. Deep down inside, he knew why, but he dared not say it. If he


    did, Amelie would stay away from him. He even had to use the excuse of being drunk just to see her.


    Toby went back to Prix Bar. He owned the establishment, so no one stopped him along the way. Once


    he got back to the private room, hey down on a couch and covered his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± When Leo came in, he was surprised to find Toby in this state.


    Leo was used to being stern and indifferent. He rarely showed any emotions in his expression, but he


    still knew how to express concern for others.


    Toby¡¯s hand moved away slightly as he turned to look at Leo.


    Soon, he startedughing.


    Leo was even more puzzled by theughter. He walked over to the other side, bent down, and poured


    himself a drink.


    Leo was in a bit of a funk as well because of Amelie. She didn¡¯t even want to listen to my exnation.


    It¡¯s clear she doesn¡¯t care about me anymore.


    This was what he wanted all along, but now that his wish came true, his mood was sour. It felt as if his


    chest had been reced by an empty cavern¡ªa hollowed-out hole.


    All of a sudden, Leo¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Eugene.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, someone took a photo of you and Miss yton together. Everyone¡¯s saying that the


    wedding will happen soon. Shall I attend to it?¡±


    Leo frowned. He removed his phone from his ear and started tapping. True enough, he saw a photo of


    him and Elyse going viral on social media. In the photo, he was tending to the garden while Elyse was


    sitting in the wheelchair looking on with a loving expression. It had been taken at Joie Nursing Home.


    Manyments had been left under the original post. Most of them said the two were a match made in


    heaven.


    The further Leo scrolled, the tighter his grip became, and the darker his expression.


    ¡°Why are you only reporting this to me now?¡± His tone became a lot harsher.


    Eugene shuddered at the iciness in Leo¡¯s tone before answering, ¡°I just received the news from Miss


    Harris¡­¡±


    After Eugene¡¯s return, Laura had been reassigned to themunication department.


    ¡°She¡¯s only reporting it now when it happened an hour ago?¡± Leo¡¯s voice became even colder. ¡°Fire


    her.¡±


    Eugene was stunned into silence. All this while, he could tell that Leo was far more lenient on Laura


    than he was on anyone else. Laura hadmitted several mistakes even graver than this, but she had


    never been punished for them. Yet, now¡­


    Eugene nced at the news with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He sighed to himself as he replied,


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Alston.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I want you to do,¡± Leo instructed just as Eugene was about to end the call.


    Eugene listened dutifully, but his eyes progressively widened as he heard Leo¡¯smand. ¡°Yes, Mr.


    Alston,¡± Eugene said atst.


    After finishing the call, Leo was in no mood to sit around and drink anymore. He got to his feet.


    ¡°Leo,¡± Toby called out to stop him.


    Toby had a perceptive look in his eyes as he asked, ¡°Why are you treating Elyse like that?¡±


    He heard the call between Leo and Eugene.


    Leo simply looked right back at Toby without saying anything. He didn¡¯t n on answering the question.


    Toby chuckled. ¡°Is it because of Amelie?¡± His fingers dug into the couch under him.


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken,¡± Leo refuted coolly.


    Toby startedughing again. It was a mockingughter that Toby had never used with Leo in the past.


    Leo frowned.


    All of a sudden, he felt a grip on his shoulder. It was Toby who grabbed him.


    Toby didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he swung his fist right at Leo.


    Leo was caught off-guard and took a punch to the face. A bruise blossomed on his handsome face as


    blood trickled out of the corner of his lips. ¡°Toby! Have you gone mad?¡± Leo snarled as he wiped the


    blood off.


    Toby didn¡¯t answer. He swung his fist again.


    Leo¡¯s guard was up this time. He dodged Toby¡¯s fists as he raised his own, and the two began


    pummeling each other¡­


    Amelie woke up with a start. Her eyes were still a little droopy, but she saw Brianna sitting on the bed


    and staring at her with a phone held up.


    Brianna¡¯s eyes were bright and clear.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Amelie asked puzzledly as she stroked Brianna¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Ma¡¯s calling you.¡± Brianna passed the phone to Amelie.


    It was only then that Amelie realized the phone was ringing. She quickly answered the call. ¡°Why are


    you calling me thiste, Julia? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the most shocking news to tell you!¡± Julia screeched so loudly that Amelie¡¯s eardrum nearly


    burst.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Julia¡¯s tone was so emphatic that Amelie¡¯s heart stopped for a moment as she


    thought, Did something happen to thepany?


    She grabbed her tablet to check for herself.


    ¡°What happened to Leo? Why did he suddenly stopvishing his affections on Elyse?¡± Julia cried out.


    ¡°At 8.00PM today, Elyse did her usual b*tchy thing of posting a photo of her and Leo tending to the


    garden together, and the Inte went wild with praise. Everyone said the wedding bells were ringing


    soon enough. Quite a number of productionpanies tried to get her onboard for their projects when


    they heard about this.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Amelie hummed nomittedly.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t that prove his affection for her?¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t help but recall what happened earlier


    today. She felt a slight twang in her heart. No wonder they took so long. They were busy showing off


    their rtionship. He shouldn¡¯t have done it during Bria¡¯s event. He went too far.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all, of course!¡± Julia raced to finish sharing, ¡°Herees the twist. At midnight, Leo


    personally made an announcement saying that the so-called gardening date was just a coincidental


    encounter.¡±


    Amelie was taken aback. ¡°A coincidental encounter?¡±


    ¡°Not only that, but Leo even said that Elyse wants to focus on her career and has decided to go back to


    being just friends with him. He said that from now on, the two of them are just friends and he asks that


    everyone stops trying to put them together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think Leo went crazy? Or did Elyse cheat on him?¡± Julia kepting up with different


    possibilities.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the news either. She went online and checked the article for


    herself. Not only did it include the photo, but it even had a statement that the reporter received from


    Elyse.


    The article included a response from Elyse¡¯s team who confirmed that she and Leo were in a solid


    rtionship and would soon be announcing some good news.


    Leo immediately refuted what Elyse said. Wasn¡¯t that akin to pping her in the face?


    When did Leo be so cold and merciless toward Elyse?


    Still, this had nothing to do with Amelie and she wasn¡¯t keen on paying any attention to it. She chatted


    briefly with Julia before ending the call.


    As soon as she finished her call with Julia, her phone started ringing again.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she asked in puzzlement.


    A male voice rang out. ¡°Miss Dillon? This is Eugene Cornelius. Could youe over to Prix Bar now?¡±

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209


    Eugene Cornelius?¡± Amelie had to search her mind for several moments before she remembered that


    he was Leo¡¯s assistant. ¡°Why?¡±


    Eugene hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Something¡¯s happening here, and you¡¯re the only


    one who can resolve the situation.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Amelie¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    Eugene nced at the two men who were still tussling with each other and had no choice but to state


    honestly, ¡°Mr. Alston has gotten into a fight with someone.¡±


    ¡°Leo Alston?¡± Amelie thought she had to get her ears checked. Leo¡¯s a stoic iceberg. Why would he get


    into a fight with someone?


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Eugene felt ashamed to make this call for help, but he had to push through it anyway. He


    doubted that the two men would stop if Amelie didn¡¯t show up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but his matters have nothing to do with me.¡± After a moment of stunned silence, Amelie


    regained her senses and replied, ¡°We¡¯ve divorced. You should be calling his family.¡± While Eugene had


    been away for two years, there was no reason for him to not be aware of the divorce.


    ¡°I know.¡± Eugene¡¯s head was throbbing. ¡°But you know what Mr. Alston¡¯s like. His family¡­¡±


    Leo wouldn¡¯t listen to Melissa, and Melissa didn¡¯t have the guts to get involved either.


    There was no point even considering Jodie.


    Eugene didn¡¯t know what he could say to convince Amelie.


    After a while, he said, ¡°He¡¯s fighting with Mr. Walsh, and it seems to have started because of you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Walsh? Toby Walsh?¡± Amelie was startled by what Eugene was telling her. She had the impression


    that Toby was a warm and pleasant gentleman. Would he get into a fight with someone?


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Eugene confirmed.


    Amelie might not have gotten involved if it had been anyone else, but Toby was different. Previously, he


    saved her life, and now, he was her father¡¯s mentee.


    Amelie knew a thing or two about how strict the Walshes were when it came to their family upbringing.


    If this news got back to Toby¡¯s family, he would be in for a hard time.


    ¡°Fine.¡± In the end, she agreed to go. After attending to Brianna, Amelie rushed over to Prix Bar.


    Eugene looked as if his savior had arrived. ¡°You¡¯re here atst, Miss Dillon.¡±


    Amelie eyed him and asked, ¡°Where are they?¡± Before Eugene could answer, there was a loud bang as


    if something had crashed. Everyone jumped in shock while Eugene gave Amelie a sheepish nce.


    Quite a number of bodyguards lined the corridor. This was to avoid letting anyone else find out that the


    two men were fighting.


    Amelie was a little nervous as she opened the door.


    The private room waspletely thrashed and almost unrecognizable. The furniture was wrecked with


    most things missing a leg or two, but the two men were still going at each other. Now and then, the


    sound of someone¡¯s fist pounding against the other¡¯s body was heard. Even from the sound alone, one


    could tell just how painful the blow was.


    Amelie looked at them. She saw the silhouette in ck pouncing with agility. His attacks were quick


    and menacing.


    Although the silhouette in white was a little less skillful, he was just as persistent.


    Amelie never knew the two were that good at fighting, especially Leo. Her memory of him consisted of


    him being very proper and courteous despite his stern appearance. Even when he detested her, he


    neverid a finger on her. She never knew he could fight this well.


    Thump! Another muffled sound of a fist making contact. Toby, the one in white, was punched so hard


    that he mmed into the wall.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t stand idly by any longer. ¡°Stop!¡± she cried out.


    The two men froze and turned toward her. Leo¡¯s brows furrowed at once when he saw her. His eyes


    flitted straight over to Eugene.


    Eugene was startled as he shrank back feeling a little helpless.


    Toby smiled. Then, as if he was trying to prove something, he smashed his fist into Leo¡¯s face right in


    front of Amelie. Leo¡¯s expression hardened as he repaid in kind.


    Amelie was speechless.


    While she was still in shock, Leo backed Toby all the way into the corner. Toby was at s clear


    disadvantage and was rapidly bing Leo¡¯s punching bag.


    Amelie thought about leaving them be, but when she saw what was happening, she couldn¡¯t ignore it.


    She rushed over and got between the two men. ¡°Stop fighting!¡±


    Leo¡¯s fist had been flying straight toward Toby, but when he saw Amelie dashing in front of Toby, he


    quickly redirected his fist which ended up smashing into the wall behind her with a loud bang.


    It had been a heavy punch, and in the process of avoiding Amelie, he couldn¡¯t retract his strength in


    time, so his fist smashed into the wall.


    Meanwhile, Amelie¡¯s heart was pounding in fear as she growled, ¡°Two respectable and aplished


    men fighting like that! Have you no shame?¡±


    Leo said nothing as he red at Toby.


    However, Toby shed Leo a smug, taunting smile.


    Then, he pulled Amelie into his arms. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Amelie nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± He nodded back at her.


    His handsome face was swollen and bruised all over. ¡°How can you say you¡¯re alright when you look


    like this?¡± Amelie eyed him in exasperation. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡±


    She started pulling him toward the door. Toby didn¡¯t object and allowed her to steer him out.


    Behind them, Leo stood there with his brows all knotted together. The temperature around him seemed


    to drop a few degrees.


    Upon seeing that Amelie was only concerned with Toby, Eugene came over and stood in her way.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, Mr. Alston¡¯s¡­ injured too.¡±


    ¡°You can take him to the hospital then.¡± She noticed Leo¡¯s injuries too, but who was she to be


    concerned about him?


    Amelie sidestepped Eugene and carried on walking, but as soon as she got to the door, she felt a grip


    on her shoulder.


    Amelie turned around and saw a wounded hand sping onto her tightly. The owner of the wounded


    hand stood there in silence with a stormy expression on his bruised face. It was a terrifying expression.


    Amelie was startled by Leo and couldn¡¯t help but look at him. There was something else in his dark


    eyes, apart from his usual indifference. It looked as if he felt¡­ aggrieved.


    Amelie felt her heart constricting ever so slightly. She blinked to try and get a better look, but a figure


    came over and blocked her sight.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Toby stared at Leo with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Everyone¡¯s talking about the drama between


    you and Elyse now, Leo. What are they going to think if Elie¡¯s seen with you?¡±


    Toby¡¯s smile faded away as his expression grew stern. ¡°Everyone will think that Elie¡¯s the third party


    who caused your breakup. How will she be able to deal with that kind of reputation? Do you want her to


    bear the brunt of everyone¡¯s criticisms and insults?¡±


    Leo¡¯s grip weakened as he took in Toby¡¯s words, and in the end, he let go. Toby took this chance to


    grab Amelie¡¯s hand and walk out with her.


    Meanwhile, Eugene felt bad for Leo when he took this all in from behind.


    Leo¡¯s fist had changed trajectory because of Amelie. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her and would rather be the


    one who got injured instead.


    Eugene walked over and nced down at Leo¡¯s bloodied fist. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital, Mr. Alston.¡±


    Leo walked off without responding. Blood trickled through his fingers and dripped down to the floor, but


    he didn¡¯t seem to feel the pain. He went out and climbed into the car.


    After taking his seat, he closed his eyes. His mind kept reying the scene of Amelie fearlessly


    shielding Toby with her own body.


    He knew that Toby was a far better fighter than he seemed to be earlier. His disadvantaged position


    and defeated stance had all been an act. Yet, she didn¡¯t notice that at all¡­ What does it mean? Leo


    didn¡¯t want to dwell on this thought, but it felt as if someone had punched him right in the chest as it


    was throbbing with pain.

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210


    Amelie and Toby went to the hospital.


    Under the cold, harsh light of the hospital, Amelie stood quietly and watched as the doctor tended to


    Toby¡¯s wounds.


    She saw Toby¡¯s jaw twitching in pain multiple times. Even so, he didn¡¯t make a sound.


    A little whileter, they both walked out of the hospital. Amelie turned to look at Toby, who was covered


    in bandages all over. ¡°Why did you get into a fight?¡±


    Toby averted his eyes and smiled a little embarrassedly. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. It was just a personal


    disagreement.¡±


    The more he tried to make light of it, the more Amelie became suspicious. She knew Toby as someone


    with a gentle personality who wouldn¡¯t get into fights with anyone. Furthermore, Leo was his friend and


    business partner. There¡¯s no reason why they¡¯d get into a fight out of the blue.


    However, as Toby wasn¡¯t inclined to exin any further, Amelie didn¡¯t continue pressing him. At the end


    of the day, their rtionship wasn¡¯t deep enough for either one to pry into the other¡¯s private matters.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I drop you off?¡± Amelie asked as she walked over to the car. Toby agreed, but he jumped


    into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡±


    After all themotion tonight, Amelie wasn¡¯t in the mood to stand on ceremony with him, so she only


    hesitated briefly before getting into the front passenger seat. A yawn escaped Amelie, and she began


    to feel a little drowsy.


    All of a sudden, Toby leaned over.


    Amelie¡¯s gaze cleared a little. She saw him looming in front of her as his arms rested beside her.


    Their breaths shed.


    She nervously shrank back into her seat and was about to speak when she heard a click.


    ¡°You forgot to wear your seatbelt,¡± she heard his gentle voice saying.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Amelie said a little btedly.


    Toby didn¡¯t move away at once but looked down at her. ¡°What did you think I was going to do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Amelie brushed her fingers through her hair as she thought to herself, There¡¯s something


    unusual about Toby today. Usually, he would maintain proper decorum and a polite distance between


    them, but he kept encroaching into her personal space today.


    Amelie was just about to push Toby away when he retreated on his own ord and started driving.


    Meanwhile, across from where the car was parked, two men walked over.


    The coat of the man in front pped against the wind and exposed his long legs.


    Leo came to an abrupt halt. Eugene, who was right behind him, nearly crashed into him and had to rear


    himself back a little to prevent doing so.


    Eugene noticed that Leo was staring at the parking lot, so he looked over curiously, but all he saw was


    an empty parking spot. Eugene scratched his head. What¡¯s he looking at? There¡¯s nothing there.


    Leo¡¯s mouth tightened, and he clenched his fists. It had only been for a brief moment, but he had seen


    the position Toby and Amelie had been in. Amelie didn¡¯t push Toby away, even though he was so near


    her. Does she really like him that much?


    Eugene didn¡¯t know what Leo had seen so he had no idea what Leo was thinking about. However, he


    could sense the cold air emanating off of Leo and saw the way Leo¡¯s expression hardened. Thus, he


    dared not say anything and simply stood behind Leo in silence.


    Amelie napped for a while. When she woke up, she was surprised to find that the car had stopped


    outside her residence.


    It took an hour to drive from Clouson City to Halport. Moreover, she said she was going to drop Toby off


    at his ce.


    ¡°You were sleeping so soundly that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to disturb you,¡± Toby said warmly.


    Amelie looked up and saw Toby looking at her with a soft gaze in his eyes. He had a smile on his face


    that made his features look even more gentle.


    They were already at Amelie¡¯s doorstep, so there was no point for her toment on it. ¡°Oh,¡± she


    acknowledged. ¡°How are you going to head home?¡±


    Toby shrugged nonmittedly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you drive my car back?¡± He did drive me home. I can¡¯t possibly ask him to get a cab.


    Toby looked like a mess. It was as if he had been robbed earlier, so few drivers would be willing to stop


    for him.


    Since Toby didn¡¯t object, Amelie handed him the keys and got out of the car.


    ¡°Elie.¡± She had only taken a few steps when she heard Toby¡¯s voice. ¡°I like you. Will you give me a


    chance to date you?¡±


    It was such a shock to Amelie that she turned to him with a frozen expression.


    He had gotten out of the car and was leaning against the car with a soft, affectionate look in his eyes as


    he stared at her.


    It wasn¡¯t as if Amelie hadn¡¯t picked up on the fact that Toby harbored feelings for her. However, she


    didn¡¯t expect him to say it aloud. The two of us? Together? That¡¯s impossible!


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to give me an answer now,¡± Toby cut in when he noticed that Amelie was about to


    respond. He then walked over to her and gazed at her lovely face. ¡°I¡¯m serious about this. I hope you


    will give it some serious thought too.¡± Then, he sped her on the shoulder briefly before walking back


    to the car.


    Amelie stood in front of the car for quite some time. In the end, she turned and left without didn¡¯t say


    anything.


    Even after she walked off, Toby didn¡¯t drive off. He sat inside the car, closed his eyes, and took a deep


    breath.


    He took in the air that smelled of her. The more he breathed in, the more he wanted to hold her close


    and protect her for the rest of their lives.


    As his fingers moved gently across the steering wheel, it looked as if he wasforting the woman he


    loved.


    Toby wanted to heal all the wounds Amelie had gotten from Leo. I¡¯ll do it as her man.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Leo returned to Alston Residence.


    Melissa was sitting on the leather couch in her nightgown and watching television. She jumped to her


    feet when she saw him. ¡°Leo! You¡¯re back atst.¡±


    The joyous smile on her face made it clear she was in a good mood. She had been waiting for Leo.


    ¡°Quite a few socialites reached out to the family and passed their information to us. Come and take a


    look.¡± Melissa held out a folder filled to the brim with paper.


    It was evident that the socialites had gone to great lengths to prepare these things.


    No one was happier about the end of Leo and Elyse¡¯s rtionship than Melissa.


    She thought that Leo¡¯s method of cutting the ties would affect the Alstons¡¯ reputation, but she ended up


    with an unexpected windfall instead.


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked through the information. These socialites are all highly educated¡ªthey graduated from Ivy


    League schools, you know. They carry themselves with poise and conduct themselves with courtesy


    and sophistication, and every one of them can make an excellent wife for you.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Every single one of these socialites was far better than Elyse and Amelie. That was what Melissa was


    most pleased about. Because of this, she even skipped her beauty sleep to stay up and wait for Leo.


    Naturally, her pride had been stoked as this proved how much of a catch her son was. Otherwise, there


    wouldn¡¯t have been these many socialites who came knocking on their door within a few hours after


    Leo¡¯s announcement.


    Leo nced at the folder, but he didn¡¯t take it. He rubbed his temples and said, ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about


    getting married again right now.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re not thinking about marriage, it doesn¡¯t matter. You can start looking for someone


    suitable and date her first.¡± Melissa wasn¡¯t deterred. She flipped the folder open and picked out a


    socialite. ¡°This is the one I like. Her family¡¯s from Seafare. They¡¯re a prestigious family with great


    connections in both the public and private sectors. You¡¯ve been thinking about expanding into Seafare,


    right? She¡¯s the ideal candidate.¡±


    Melissa¡¯s words only made Leo¡¯s frown deepen. His tone became a little colder as hemented,


    ¡°You¡¯re not asking me to choose a wife. You¡¯re asking me to choose a business partner.¡±


    ¡°Whom you marry will be your business partner too, of course. That¡¯s the case for everyone,¡± Melissa


    replied matter-of-factly. ¡°If you don¡¯t go after her, then someone else will because she¡¯s the cream of


    the crop. The strong should form alliances with the strong. That¡¯s what your father and your grandfather


    did too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s them. I¡¯m me,¡± Leo dered before heading upstairs.


    Melissa was dumbfounded and could only watch as her son walked off in a huff. She sighed in


    frustration. He finally divorced Amelie and ended his rtionship with Elyse. I thought he¡¯d finally marry


    a woman that¡¯s his equal¡ªsomeone who can help thepany and bolster the family reputation. In


    the end¡­ No! This won¡¯t do! I must think of something!


    Just then, Miss Potts came over and said, ¡°I think I saw a wound on Mr. Leo¡¯s face, Mrs. Alston.¡± She


    had tried her best to hold herself back, but she couldn¡¯t resist mentioning it anyway. She knew that all


    Melissa could think of was how to boost Leo¡¯s standing in society to bolster her own reputation, but she


    cared little, if at all, about Leo himself.


    Melissa felt clueless when she heard that Leo was wounded. She had been too caught up in her


    attempt to persuade Leo and in too much of a rush to get him to check the socialites¡¯ profiles that she


    didn¡¯t notice if he was injured.


    Is he injured? Melissa¡¯s reaction to this wasn¡¯t to check on Leo but to open the folder and make a call.


    After listening to the conversation Melissa was having, Miss Potts had no choice but to shake her head


    and leave feeling rather helpless.

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211


    Thanks to Toby, Amelie tossed and turned in bed all night long.


    In the morning, after dropping Brianna off at school, Amelie was nning on heading home for a nap


    when she got a call from Julia.


    Julia said she had a remarkable talent to introduce to Amelie.


    Amelie¡¯s audiobook service tform was beginning to produce results, so she nned on starting a


    new project that offered offline training courses. Thus, she was looking to hire people for the project.


    It was hard to find great talents, so after hearing what Julia said, Amelie booked a ride to Clouson City


    without wasting any time.


    When she arrived, the candidate wasn¡¯t there yet. Julia was drinking coffee by herself.


    Julia spotted Amelie and immediately waved at her, but when she saw Amelie¡¯s face, she eximed,


    ¡°Oh, my. Your undereye circles are pretty dark. What happened? Did you lose sleep over Leo¡¯s


    announcement?¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡± Amelie immediately retorted in embarrassment.


    It did have something to do with Leo, but it was mostly because he got into a fight with Toby and she


    had to go over to talk them down, which culminated in Toby¡¯s confession.


    Still, she wasn¡¯t going to agree to start a rtionship with Toby, so she saw no point in mentioning this


    to Julia.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Julia replied, but her expression became rather strange.


    Amelie didn¡¯t understand why, so she turned around to see what Julia was looking at. What she saw


    was a cold and stern-looking face.


    The man¡¯s features were wless, but his brow was hard.


    A stifled feeling rose in Amelie¡¯s chest. Her limbs felt numb.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Julia shuddered and backed away ever so slightly as she thought, That b*stard Leo has such an


    imposing presence. How scary!


    Amelie had been married to Leo for four years and knew him well enough to pick up on his displeasure.


    I didn¡¯t say anything to rile him up, so why is he displeased?


    ¡°Did hee in because of you? Don¡¯t tell me he suddenly developed feelings for you,¡± Julia


    murmured into Amelie¡¯s ear when she saw that Leo showed no signs of leaving.


    Before Amelie could say anything, the clear, bright voice of a woman rang out. ¡°Leo.¡±


    Immediately after, a young, fashionably dressed woman walked over. She was carrying her purse with


    both hands as she stood elegantly in front of Leo.


    Her smile made her pretty dimples even more prominent. ¡°Have you been waiting long? I¡¯m so sorry. I


    got stuck in traffic.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there,¡± Leo said as he led the way. Soon, their silhouettes disappeared behind the


    partition.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Julia cried out as she mmed her hand on the table. ¡°It was obvious that he was


    standing up for you when he made the announcementst night, but here he is on a date with another


    woman today! What does he mean by this?¡±


    Julia had already heard about Elyse interrupting Amelie and Brianna at the event.


    Although Elyse didn¡¯t mention the event when she uploaded the picture, Brianna¡¯s ssmates and their


    parents who took part in the event as well knew about it.


    Elyse¡¯s actions had turned Amelie and Brianna into the subjects of mockery.


    Julia had been focused on finding a way to get even with Elyse, but before she could do anything, Leo


    beat her to it.


    Amelie was amused by Julia¡¯s fury. ¡°You¡¯re the one who misunderstood him, so you can¡¯t me him for


    that.¡±


    Amelie no longer had any expectations, so she didn¡¯t misinterpret Leo¡¯s intentions. ¡°If he even cared


    the slightest bit about me, it would¡¯ve been clear during our marriage. Why would he wait until now to


    show me that he liked me?¡±


    Julia understood that too, but she still had a feeling that there were still instances of Leo protecting


    Amelie. Even though Julia loathed Leo, she knew that Brianna cared about her father, and sometimes,


    she couldn¡¯t help but entertain the thought that it would be good for Brianna if Leo did fall in love with


    Amelie. It turned out that she was mistaken after all.


    Amelie didn¡¯t dwell on this subject, and the candidate arrived soon after, so the three quickly became


    engrossed in a discussion about work.


    Eventually, the meeting came to an end. The candidate had other matters to discuss with Julia while


    Amelie had work to attend to, so she took leave of them.


    As soon as she stepped out, she saw a tall figure standing right in her path.


    The man turned around, and Amelie got a clear view of his dashing face.


    ¡°key?¡± Amelie called out to him in surprise.


    ke¡¯s eyes were as clear as ever. He smiled when he saw her, and it looked as if spring had bloomed


    across his face.


    Before Amelie could swoon over the way he looked, the young women beside him were shrieking with


    infatuation.


    ¡°It¡¯s key! He¡¯s so handsome. I¡¯m in love!¡±


    ¡°He looks even more like a prince in real life.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my goodness! I can barely breathe.¡±


    Amelie was a little embarrassed when she saw ke¡¯s adoring fans.


    However, ke wasn¡¯t affected by their presence at all as he continued to stare at her.


    ¡°Hey, is that his girlfriend? She¡¯s very pretty.¡± The crowd finally noticed where ke was staring and


    spotted Amelie.


    ¡°She makes a good match with him. It feels as if I¡¯m watching a romanticedy.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me that my celebrity crush has a girlfriend? I don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡±


    Amelie was even more embarrassed when the fans mistook her rtionship with ke, so she quickly


    said, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, everyone. key and I are just friends.¡±


    She said this because she didn¡¯t want to damage ke¡¯s image. He was pure and wless in every


    way, and she would feel guilty if he was stained in any way.


    Everyone brightened up when they heard Amelie stating that she wasn¡¯t ke¡¯s girlfriend.


    The fans understood ke¡¯s personality, so they didn¡¯t go overboard with their reactions and left after


    greeting him.


    Amelie exhaled in relief to have avoided a messy scene. When she turned around, she noticed the hurt


    look in ke¡¯s eyes.


    She was startled, but she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it as she said, ¡°What a coincidence. I didn¡¯t think


    I¡¯d bump into you here.¡±


    ke hid the hurt in his eyes and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me take part in Bria¡¯s event?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Amelie stared nkly at him as she didn¡¯t expect him to ask this question.


    ¡°Am I not qualified?¡±


    ¡°Not qualified? Of course not! There¡¯s no such thing!¡± Amelie instantly refuted him.


    All along, she thought that ke was merely joking and wouldn¡¯t care about it. However, since he


    asked, she had to be honest and tell him that Leo took part in the event.


    ke pursed his lips, and his expression grew a little stormy. It waspletely at odds with his usual


    warm and pure-hearted image.


    Amelie had always treated him like a younger brother and liked the guileless side of him, so when she


    saw his reaction now, she couldn¡¯t resist taking his hand. ¡°I know you like Bria, but you¡¯re a celebrity so


    it won¡¯t be wise for you toe to Bria¡¯s events. I don¡¯t want people to gossip and create unwarranted


    rumors about you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that.¡± His voice was just as soft and warm as ever, but there was a trace of


    stubbornness in it as well.


    Amelie didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ke kept quiet, but he continued to stare at her with clear, gentle eyes.


    That look in his eyes¡­


    ¡°You said you¡¯re not a couple, you liars!¡±


    Before Amelie could look any closer, a shrill voice pierced through the air.


    One of the fans who left moments ago jumped back out and shrieked at the top of her lungs.


    Amelie was speechless.


    She turned around to look at the fan and saw the young woman with a hurt expression on her face. Her


    eyes were reddened, and her fists were clenched.


    It looked as if she had caught her boyfriend cheating on her.


    ¡°See! You¡¯re holding hands, and so tightly too!¡± she fumed agitatedly as she pointed at Amelie and


    ke¡¯s sped hand.


    Amelie was still speechless.


    She quickly withdrew her hand and said, ¡°This is just a misunderstanding.¡±


    However, the young woman wasn¡¯t convinced. She stared at ke with teary eyes and asked, ¡°Tell me,


    key. Do you like her?¡±

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212


    Amelie kept sending signals to ke to get him to clear the air.


    However, ke pursed his lips as if he didn¡¯t receive her signals.


    He kept quiet.


    The female fan¡¯s eyes grew even redder. ¡°See? See? I knew it! key likes you! Why did you lie, you


    wretched woman?¡±


    She raised her hand and shoved Amelie.


    Amelie stumbled back and reached out to grab the young woman. She wanted to talk to her.


    However, the fan was hysterical as she began punching Amelie. ¡°You horrible woman! You stole my


    key away from me! I hate you! I hate you!¡±


    Amelie was stunned.


    The young woman didn¡¯t hold back at all with her punches. It was pretty painful.


    Amelie was beginning to suspect that the woman ate some kind of pill that gifted her with supernatural


    strength. Why else would she be this strong?


    She couldn¡¯t stop the young woman, so she had to back away.


    Just then, she felt a grip on her shoulder as someone pulled her away.


    At the very next moment, a hand grabbed the female fan¡¯s fist.


    Amelie was startled. She turned around and saw ke with a hardened expression on his face.


    He was holding her protectively with one arm while he blocked the fan¡¯s attack with his other.


    His warm, clear expression had been reced by a never-before-seen look of iciness!


    The young woman seemed to have gotten a fright as she froze for a while.


    However, she started wailing even harder. ¡°How can you lie to me, key? How can you fall in love


    with someone else? I like you so much! I buy the most expensive ticket to every one of your


    competitions! I give you the most money when you stream, and I buy everything you promote! I spent


    all my money on you! You can¡¯t treat me this way! You can¡¯t be this cold to me! Hurry up and tell me


    that you don¡¯t like her! Tell me you have nothing to do with her!¡±


    Never in Amelie¡¯s decades of existence had she ever seen a fan as crazy as this. Sweat began forming


    on her brow.


    When she heard the fan demanding for ke to rify his rtionship with her, she exhaled in relief


    and swiftly said, ¡°key doesn¡¯t like me. He has nothing to do with me.¡±


    She quickly moved away from ke.


    ¡°Shut up, you b*tch! I want to hear key say so himself!¡± the young womanshed out in anger before


    staring tearfully at ke. ¡°I¡¯ll believe whatever you tell me, key!¡±


    Atst, ke responded. He eyed the young woman coolly and said, ¡°From now on, you don¡¯t have to


    buy the tickets to my matches. You don¡¯t need to buy the things I promote. Also, you¡¯re not allowed to


    rebuke her.¡±


    Amelie was dumbstruck. What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s wrong with ke? Did he get his wires crossed?


    Why is the guy who¡¯s usually so gentle with his fans suddenly being so harsh?


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me not to rebuke her? You¡¯re defending her?¡± The young woman¡¯s actions were


    comically exaggerated as she pounded her chest and shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t ept this.


    ¡°You raised your voice at me!¡±


    Amelie was stupefied. Hey, girl. Do you think you¡¯re the leadingdy in a melodrama right now?


    The young woman seemed to be too caught up in her emotions. She kept whimpering and couldn¡¯t


    calm down.


    Why is ke being so stubborn today? He¡¯s not doing anything even though I keep sending him


    signals. Amelie rubbed her temples in exasperation.


    All she did was lend him a hand when he was having a hard time. He didn¡¯t have to go this far.


    The young woman didn¡¯t believe her, and ke refused to rify¡­ She¡¯s about to have a heart attack.


    ¡°Look, everyone! ke and that woman lied! They¡¯re a couple but they¡¯re trying to hide it!¡± Amelie was


    beginning to get a headache when another female fan jumped out and screamed.


    The fans who had left earlier suddenly popped up again. They were all staring at ke with hurt


    expressions.


    ¡°How could you lie, key?¡± one of them asked in a trembling voice. ¡°We¡¯d be upset if you were in a


    rtionship, but you¡¯re our idol, so we can ept it. The only thing we can¡¯t ept is your lies!¡±


    ¡°Fans are humans too! How could you toy with our feelings?¡±


    ¡°Here I was thinking that you¡¯re not like the others, but you¡¯re exactly like every other celebrity! You¡¯re


    just as cold and fake!¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t let you get away with this! We¡¯ll expose you!¡±


    Amelie¡¯s headache grew worse with every sentence she heard. She had half a mind to hit her head


    against the wall.


    At a time like this, even if ke spoke up, there was no way he could smooth things over.


    The fans would simply think that he was trying to hide the truth for the sake of his career.


    Amelie nced at ke.


    He was as still as a statue and a lot calmer than she was.


    In this situation, it was better for him to keep quiet.


    Amelieposed herself and tried to think of a way to resolve this issue.


    While she could calm down, the fans couldn¡¯t, and one of them even started calling up other members


    of ke¡¯s fan club.


    Amelie panicked and grabbed the fan¡¯s phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Afraid of being exposed even though you lied to us?¡± Amelie¡¯s instinctive reaction


    incited the fans even more.


    Amelie was about to exin when her body jerked sideways.


    The person who yanked on her was so strong that she twirled, and her nose hit the other person¡¯s


    chest.


    She rubbed her nose first. Then, thinking it was ke, she was about to speak when she took in an


    entirely different scent.


    She froze and quickly raised her head.


    A hard jaw greeted her.


    ¡°What are you doing? She¡¯s my woman and the mother of my child.¡±


    The familiar crisp,manding voice rang out.


    All of a sudden, it was as if someone had hit on a mute button that silenced the crowd of manic fans.


    They mmed up and looked at the new arrival.


    Amelie finally recognized who it was too, and she frowned in confusion. Isn¡¯t he on a date with a pretty


    woman? Why did he show up?


    Nevertheless, his appearance immediately quelled the situation. It was uncertain whether the group of


    fans was scared of his imposing presence or believed what he said, but either way, none of them had


    the guts to say a word.


    A few momentster, they mumbled their apologies and fled. This time, they left for good.


    Even the first female fan who started the frenzy left, and with a gleeful smile on her face too. All of them


    believed Leo¡¯s ims.


    Amelie looked at Leo. His expression was stern, and though he was young, his innatelymanding


    air seemed to inspire confidence in others fairly easily.


    When did the young teenager be this indomitable man? Amelie sighed to herself.


    Atst, ke¡¯s manager came after everything was over. He greeted Leo before hurrying off with


    ke.


    Amelie was finally relieved, and it was then that she realized she was still in Leo¡¯s arms.


    He was holding her waist so tightly that strangers would think they were a loving couple.


    When did he be such a good actor? Amelie immediately escaped from his grasp and tidied up her


    hair. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Alston.¡±


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Leo fixed his dark, intimidating eyes on her.


    There was an inexplicable murderous look in his eyes! She felt a chill running down her spine as the


    murderous look frightened her.


    He pursed his lips, but he didn¡¯t say anything. At the very next second, he took a step toward her¡­

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213


    Amelie thought he would do something, but instead, he went past her and left. Huh. For some reason,


    he¡¯s been acting weird sincest night?


    ¡°Can we leave now?¡±


    Amelie looked at the girl in a white dress, and she realized why he was in a hurry to leave. Oh, he¡¯s


    trying not to make that girl suspect anything. The girl met Amelie¡¯s gaze, and then she smiled. Then


    she left with Leo by her side.


    Vaguely, Amelie heard her say, ¡°Your mother is quite the weing host. I do hope we get to see each


    other more.¡±


    So that¡¯s the new girl Melissa got for him? I can see she¡¯s from a good family, what with her wearing


    expensive clothes. Guess Melissa got what she wanted. But what about Leo? Why did he dump Elyse


    all of a sudden? I thought he listened to her. Thought he was nice to her. Nice enough to be the Leo I


    didn¡¯t know.


    Amelie entered the garage and met Leo again. He was leaning on his ck Cayenne, looking like


    someone from a beautiful poster of a movie. In case he got angry again, Amelie nodded at him politely


    and moved to her car.


    But just before she could enter the car, Leo asked coolly, ¡°You just told everyone we¡¯re a couple. If we


    go our own ways now, someone might notice it and take a picture. You¡¯d have a lot to exin about


    then.¡±


    Oh, right. ke¡¯s fans are crazy. They might be hiding somewhere. Gotta be careful. She heaved a


    sigh and turned to Leo¡¯s car instead. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll need your help then, Mr. Alston.¡±


    Alston entered his car and mmed the door shut, saying nothing.


    Amelie would rather not talk to someone who would only give her the cold shoulder, but she had no


    choice. In the end, she got into the backseat, but the girl from earlier was nowhere to be found. Off to


    buy something, perhaps? Amelie thought. Since Leo wasn¡¯t driving, she thought she had a correct


    guess.


    But then Leo coolly said, ¡°I don¡¯t like the feeling of being a driver.¡±


    Amelie looked around. Wait. He wants me in the passenger seat? But what about his new girl? Will she


    be mad? ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not the best idea,¡± said Amelie.


    ¡°You can get out of the car otherwise,¡± said Leo.


    Never knew he could be this tart. She couldn¡¯t leave alone, lest ke¡¯s fans came after her. Left with


    no choice, she took the passenger seat. Not like the girl can get angry at me. The moment she sat


    down, Leo drove away like a stampeding stallion. ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t ask where she was going. He was driving in Halport¡¯s direction.


    Amelie looked around in silence for a while, then she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to take me all the way


    home. Just let me alight somewhere quiet.¡±


    ¡°I want to see Bria,¡± said Alston coolly. Amelie thought the air around him felt colder than usual.


    She kept her mouth shut, or he mightsh out at her again. Oh, there¡¯s a bag here. Hm, that¡¯s the bag


    that girl was holding. Curious, she sneaked a peek at the content and saw a few beautiful bottles in it.


    On a closer look, she realized those bottles were salves for wounds and scars. Oh, so she was trying


    to appease him? How nice. I guess they¡¯ve been dating for a while, then.


    She looked at Leo and was reminded of the scars she saw on his face. She didn¡¯t look at him earlier


    just in case anyone saw them and tried to make a scandal out of it. But now she noticed that his face


    was still hurt, though the wounds were not as scary as the night before. Even with scars on his face,


    Leo still looked handsome. Not only did the scars fail to mar his looks, but they also made him look


    rugged and handsome. This is so unfair.


    She moved her gaze away, sleepiness grasping her. She hadn¡¯t slept well the night before, and the


    fans scaring her earlier took a toll on her mind. Even though Amelie tried her best to resist it, eventually


    she sumbed to sleep.


    Finally, Leo looked at her in silence, his eyes glinting.


    When she woke up, the car had alreadye to a stop, and standing outside was Brianna¡¯s


    kindergarten. Amelie sat up and noticed a piece of clothing sliding away. She stared down and, to her


    surprise, found that it was a men¡¯s suit. This has been covering me? There are only the two of us here,


    so¡­


    She looked at Leo. As expected, his suit was gone, revealing the shirt underneath. It clung to his skin


    tightly, showing off his beautiful lines. Quickly, Amelie snapped out of it and handed the suit back.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    But Leo didn¡¯t take it. He looked at her with an even darker gaze than before.


    Um¡­


    Just when she thought he would stay silent, he blurted, ¡°Who is ke to you?¡±


    Amelie froze. She wondered why he asked that. ¡°He¡¯s like a brother to me. Is anything the matter?¡± she


    answered honestly, looking at him.


    Leo met her gaze as well.


    ¡°Brother?¡± he repeated.


    He said nothing more, but Amelie knew he didn¡¯t agree with her statement. He¡¯s mocking me?


    Annoyed by his attitude, Amelie sneered. ¡°The rtionship I share with him has nothing to do with you,


    Mr. Alston.¡±


    Leo kept quiet.


    Refusing to talk to him anymore, Amelie left the car.


    Leo was alone. No matter how many deep breaths he took, he couldn¡¯t hold back the sense of


    frustration welling within him. She risked herself to protect Toby and ke, but she wouldn¡¯t even give


    me a moment of her time?


    Amelie and Brianna eventually came out, chatting happily. Noticing Leo¡¯s car, Brianna pointed at it. ¡°Is


    that Daddy¡¯s car, Mommy?¡±


    Amelie looked in the direction she was pointing, but all she saw was Leo¡¯s car driving into the distance.


    I thought he was here to see Bria. Why did he leave? Amelie was confused, but she quickly shook her


    head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not his car.¡± She¡¯d be devastated if she knew he was here but still refused to see her.


    ¡°Really?¡± Brianna was doubtful. It looked like Daddy¡¯s car, but I couldn¡¯t see its te. It¡¯s going too fast.


    ¡­


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    An hourter, Leo entered Prix Bar and made his way to one of their rooms. Silently, he poured himself


    a ss of wine and took a big swig.


    Toby was also hurt. He looked at Leo and smirked, then he stood up. ¡°So, here to drink away your


    frustration?¡± He ced a set of keys on the table.


    Leo¡¯s attention turned to the keys. The car key belonged to Amelie. It had her name carved on it. Even


    though he tried to stay calm, Leo tightened his grip on his ss.


    At his change, Toby¡¯s smirk broadened, but then he dragged Leo up by the cor. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve


    Amelie, Alston!¡±

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214


    Leo was unfazed, his expression as stern as usual. It felt like he didn¡¯t even care Toby was holding him.


    Feeling defeated, Toby let him go. He was about to back off, but Leo gripped his shoulder and pushed


    him down. ¡°What do you know?¡±


    Toby froze. Even when he¡¯s angry, he¡¯s still smart. He knows something. But Toby wasn¡¯t going to tell


    him what he knew. All he did was smile. ¡°Just joshing.¡± He pulled Leo¡¯s fingers away and left.


    Leo frowned. He knew Toby. He was not one quick to anger, and yet he had flown into a rage twice in a


    span of a single day. He¡¯s bothered. That was why Leo came. He needed to know what Toby was


    bothered about. Shadows were cast upon Leo, and he narrowed his eyes. A momentter, he stared at


    the ground and called Victor. ¡°Look into Toby.¡±


    Twenty minutester, Victor showed up, hidden in the shadows and standing before Leo.


    When Leo raised his head, Victor said, ¡°He¡¯s been sending his men to look into Ms. Dillon.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Victor knew what Leo wanted to know before he even said it, and that was why Leo liked him. There


    was a reason he was willing to pay for Victor¡¯s sky-high price. He¡¯s looking into Amelie? Leo paused for


    a moment, his brows furrowed into a frown once more. He didn¡¯t like anyone looking into Amelie,


    especially not Toby. Yet he remained stern, refusing to fly into a rage. ¡°What precisely did he want to


    know?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure.¡±


    Leo¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Victor fell into silence, his breathing almost quiet. And for a moment, it felt as if he was not there.


    A long whileter, Leo said, ¡°Look into Amelie¡¯s case.¡±


    Victor drifted away like a phantom, saying nothing.


    ¡­


    Melissa was chatting with Carol.


    Carol pouted. ¡°Leo doesn¡¯t like me, does he? He doesn¡¯t talk to me that much, and he almost refused


    my salves. I had to tell him that you sent me before he begrudgingly took me with him.¡±


    Melissa loved Carol. She was a good woman, and she came from a good family. Now that she had


    concerns, Melissa needed to douse them right away. ¡°Leo¡¯s an aloof man, but I assure you he¡¯s quite


    passionate inside. He¡¯s just not good atmunicating, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t seem like that with the other girl. He wouldn¡¯t take me anywhere, but he would wait for her. And


    the moment she got into trouble, he went and helped her.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Melissa cocked her eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡± Weird. He was only nice to Elyse. Wouldn¡¯t


    care about anyone else.


    ¡°Lots of people saw that. That girl¡¯s really close to ke. Even came to his defense.¡± Carol told Melissa


    everything she saw. ¡°And Leo said that girl is his girlfriend. They even had a child together. Melissa, are


    you hiding something from me? Is he taken?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± Melissa denied. Sh*t. A friend of ke and the mother of Leo¡¯s child? That¡¯s


    Amelie. What¡¯s going on? Why did they get together again? Melissa was furious, yet she didn¡¯t show it.


    She kept putting in a good word for Leo and promised she would make Leo apologize to her.


    Eventually, Carol felt better, and she left happily.


    Once she was gone, Melissa¡¯s face fell, her smile reced by fury. ¡°What are you doing, Leo? Why did


    you poke your nose in Amelie¡¯s case? Damn it, I bet Amelie seduced him again. That wench!¡±


    ¡­


    It was an arduous day at the training ss. Eventually, Amelie came out feeling woozy, and she


    massaged her temples. Gods, I want to go home, but Julia wants to talk to me. Julia came to Halport


    that day, and she wanted to see Brianna. Amelie stood outside the coffee shop in her neighborhood,


    waiting for her ride. As she waited, she scrolled through the novel website, going through her stats.


    She then heard the clops of heels. Oh, Julia¡¯s here. Amelie tucked away her phone and was about to


    say hi, but that woman stormed up to her and mmed something into her chest. Then she said shrilly,


    ¡°If you need money, youe to me. Leave Leo alone!¡±


    Amelie looked at the woman before her. Melissa. Melissa¡¯s short, curly hair tumbled down to her


    shoulder. She was in branded-name clothes, and her bag was as expensive as ever. Hanging from her


    neck was a designer ne. She looked like a regal woman, and yet her attitude spoke of nothing


    but a spiteful wench.


    Amelie noticed the disgust hanging in her eyes. She was looking at Amelie with hatred like Amelie was


    a mouse. The thing she mmed into Amelie¡¯s chest were two pieces of paper. Checks. They were


    fluttering down to the ground, escaping Amelie¡¯s grasp. Amelie wasn¡¯t angry at Melissa. She was used


    to Melissa¡¯s hypocritical act. Slowly, she picked the checks up. ¡°Now, Mrs. Alston, calm down. You don¡¯t


    want anyone seeing you in this state.¡±


    ¡°Why you little¡­¡± Melissa¡¯s lips were trembling, but she didn¡¯t push matters any further. Like magic, she


    quickly calmed down and looked around.


    Amelie smirked. What a hypocrite. Doesn¡¯t she get tired of putting on this act?


    When she noticed the coast was clear, Melissa hissed, ¡°Six hundred grand. That enough for you?¡± A


    frown furrowed her almost-perfect brows.


    Amelie was counting the zeroes on the checks. Three hundred thousand each. ¡°Generous.¡± She throws


    money at everyone she meets. Of course, she¡¯s generous. ¡°Thank you then, Mrs. Alston.¡±


    She took the checks. Hah. ¡°I always help the poor. But this proves you can¡¯t take care of Bria well, so


    give her back to us. Take the money and leave. Do note back.¡±


    Oh my gosh. Look at her. So arrogant. Amelieughed. Six hundred grand is nothing to me. Not even


    enough to hire a live streamer.


    ¡°You should know that Leo is going to marry Carol of the Joyner Family. He won¡¯t go back to you just


    because you¡¯re hounding him.¡±


    Oh, so that girl is the daughter of Seafare¡¯s local boss, huh? Amelie was surprised. For some reason,


    she got upset, even though she knew Leo¡¯s rtionship was none of her business. I¡¯m just sad for Bria.


    She has acknowledged him as her father, but if he marries someone else, their rtionship will change.


    She¡¯s staying quiet. She must know I have a point. Melissa shot her a look of disdain and stuffed an


    agreement into her hands. ¡°This is the agreement for relinquishing Bria¡¯s custody. Sign it, take the


    money, and leave.¡±


    Gods, look at her. Money is all she knows. And she keeps pointing at the checks with her eyes. Does


    she think I¡¯m that poor? Amelie took the papers and nced at them. But she didn¡¯t sign them. Instead,


    she whipped two more checks out of her bag.

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215


    Amelie ced the checks on the agreement and handed them back to Melissa. Then, mimicking her,


    she said, ¡°Name your price. Sign the papers, take the money, and leave,dy.¡± She pointed at the line


    of signature.


    ¡°Why you little¡­¡± Melissa didn¡¯t expect that. I gave her six hundred grand, and now she¡¯s asking me to


    name my price? Is she insulting me, thedy of the Alston Family? I will not stand for this insult! Driven


    by fury, Melissa¡¯s face contorted like something straight out of a horror movie. In the end, she flew into


    a rage. ¡°Insolence!¡±


    Amelie shot her an icy look filled with mockery and disdain. What? Don¡¯te into the kitchen if you


    can¡¯t take the heat,dy.


    Amelie¡¯s nonchnt attitude angered Melissa even further. She pressed down on her chest and was


    going to reach for her Heparin. Then she held the empty checks, waving them. ¡°You don¡¯t get to talk


    like that to me. You¡¯re nothing without Starlight. Without the help of men!¡±


    ¡°Really? Then write down any amount you want then. Let¡¯s see if I¡¯m nothing,¡± Amelie answered coolly.


    Melissa wouldn¡¯t do that. If she did, then that would be akin to asking money from Amelie. Even if


    Amelie didn¡¯t have enough money to pay, Melissa¡¯s image would still be ruined.


    ¡°Or I can give you cash.¡± Amelie crossed her arms. Do whatever you like. You don¡¯t respect me, then I


    don¡¯t respect you.


    ¡°Even if you do have money, they belong to the men behind you. It¡¯s either Starlight¡¯s boss or Leo!¡± said


    Melissa adamantly. She desperately needed to save what remained of her dignity. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been


    hounding Leotely. You still like him. You still want toe back to us. Well, let me tell you something.


    Dream on.¡±


    Amelie chuckled. She thinks her family means anything to me. ¡°Mrs. Alston, I have never spent a single


    cent your son made, nor have I ever tried to hound him. And I do not like him either. He¡¯s my ex. No


    matter how bad my life might get, I will never take back the trash I¡¯ve thrown away. You¡¯re a public


    figure. You should know better than to get into pointless arguments.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯d believe that?¡± Adamant on exiling Amelie, Melissa went straight for threats. ¡°You¡¯re giving


    us Bria, and you¡¯re going to be exiled. Forever. If you don¡¯t listen to me, you¡¯re going to have to face


    the Alstons next! And you are nothing in front of us!¡±


    Melissa was going to leave, but then she crashed into someone. Ow! She held her nose, and in her


    frustration, she wanted to yell at the person in front of her.


    But the woman grabbed her by the cor. ¡°You again, Richards? Elie might be kind enough to let you


    go, but me? I am not.¡±


    The woman was none other than Julia. She was in a tight-fitting dress and a pair of stilettos. Despite


    her outfit, she wasn¡¯t afraid of getting into a tussle with Melissa. Melissa was wearing a pair of heels as


    well, but she couldn¡¯t move as well as Julia could. Her clothes were a mess, her hair was unkempt.


    Julia raised her fist, waving it in front of Melissa. Melissa was scared and angry, but she couldn¡¯t break


    free of Julia¡¯s grasp. And the buttons on her clothes were torn, and her heels slipped off. She looked


    worse for wear.


    Julia would have punched Melissa in the face had Amelie not stopped her.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    With Amelie¡¯s help, Melissa finally broke free of Julia¡¯s grasp and staggered off into the distance.


    Julia was about to hit Melissa, but Amelie held her back. ¡°Calm down, Jules.¡±


    ¡°Calm down? As if that¡¯s gonna work against people like Richards!¡± Julia raised her fists, her eyes wide


    with rage. If looks could kill, Melissa would be dead. ¡°You go easy on her, and she¡¯s gonna think you¡¯re


    easy prey. I say we kick her t, sorry *ss!¡±


    Melissa was hastily straightening her clothes out as she backed off. Her lips were trembling, but she


    said, ¡°I take that as a deration of war then, Amelie. Fine. Challenge epted.¡±


    You f*cking h*g! Julia couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. Not even Amelie could stop her. She rushed ahead


    and raised her fist at Melissa¡¯s face. ¡°Show me what you got, then.¡±


    Melissa froze in fear, and she kept quiet.


    Julia turned around and tossed the checks at Melissa¡¯s face. ¡°Listen here, h*g. Elie doesn¡¯t need any


    man. She makes enough money to support a whole army, let alone a kid. If you have questions, tell


    your son to check the ounts first.¡± She shoved Melissa, checks and all, into the roadside.


    Melissa fell on all fours, looking like a tortoise. The crowd who was passing by stared in their direction.


    Under such humiliation she had never felt before, Melissa¡¯s face once again contorted with rage.


    Julia didn¡¯t bother with her. And she held her friend¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    But Amelie pulled Julia¡¯s hand away and approached Melissa.


    Thinking that Amelie was going to help her up, Melissa sat back down and barked, ¡°You¡¯re friends with


    that rude woman, Amelie? I expected nothing more from you.¡±


    ¡°You do not get to criticize my friends, given your own rotten personality. I¡¯m just here to say that I don¡¯t


    even like your son. I don¡¯t even want him back. If you are still worried, I can sign an agreement to never


    see him again. Or I can call a press conference. You decide how to announce the matter.¡± Amelie left


    when she was done speaking.


    Once they were out of earshot, Julia gave her friends a thumbs up. ¡°Nice.¡± She used to think her friend


    had a chance to get back together with Leo, but after seeing that h*g of Amelie¡¯s ex-mother-inw, she


    was d she never matched Amelie up with Leo.


    Amelie smacked her hand away. ¡°The Alstons are powerful. If she asks her son toe after you, not


    even I can help.¡±


    ¡°She can do whatever she wants. If I had to quit the biz, I could always get married and raise a family.¡±


    Julia waved the warning off nonchntly.


    Amelie looked at her. She still is bothered by that thing. Even though she and Samuel had dated for


    many years, they still hadn¡¯t taken a step further because of the affair that was bothering her. It was


    something that had been haunting her for a long time, and it was hard to cure.


    ¡­


    When Leo came back to his office from a meeting, he saw his mother inside, stuffing Heparins into her


    mouth. ¡°What happened?¡±


    The moment she saw her son, Melissa felt like acting like a child who was bullied, but she wanted to


    look dignified, so she sat up. ¡°Do you know what Amelie said to me?¡±

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216


    Leo massaged his forehead, upset. ¡°You sought her out?¡± he interrogated.


    Melissa caught his tone, and she was furious. She almost wanted to stuff more Heparin into her mouth.


    But before she could say anything, Leo warned, ¡°I told you to never seek her out.¡±


    Melissa gripped her bag tightly and held down her frustration. Then she tried to advise her son. ¡°You


    think I wanted to do that? I was just worried about you. You¡¯re not getting any younger. You should start


    thinking about settling down. Leo, listen to me. Just get along with Carol, will you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the conclusion you came to? After you saw Amelie?¡± A small smile tugged at Leo¡¯s lips. I knew


    it. My own mother can never do anything good for me.


    ¡°What do you mean? Carol is a lot better than Amelie. A lot better educated too. She¡¯s the best choice


    for you.¡± All Amelie has is her looks.


    Leo kept quiet again. He was a man of few words, especially to his mother. But he wasn¡¯t like that. He


    used to trust and respect his mother. No matter what she asked of him, he would do his best.


    Yet at some point, all of that changed, and both of them knew when that happened. It happened ever


    since his mother abandoned the blind young Leo in Quinn Town and never came to see him. Ever


    since she pretended to be a loving mother to his adopted brother.


    Leo¡¯s silence was unnerving Melissa, yet she didn¡¯t want to stop just like that, so she forced a few


    drops of tears. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry at me for leaving you in Quinn Town, but I had no choice. Your


    father had just died, and those goblins were trying to steal thepany. I had to spend all my time


    keeping things in check. Couldn¡¯t even sleep, so I¡­ I neglected you.¡±


    Despite her attempts at making herself sound like the victim, Leo still said nothing. Melissa looked at


    him, but he was drinking his coffee and going through his documents, silent as a gargoyle. It felt like


    she was talking to a wall. Then she saw the ring he was wearing. That¡¯s the ring he bought back when


    he married Amelie! She looked like she had seen a ghost, and her bag fell. ¡°What is the meaning of


    this?¡± She left her bag and darted to her son to hold up his finger. ¡°You still want to be with that


    woman?¡±


    When she sought Amelie out, Melissa believed Amelie was the one hounding her son, but when she


    saw this ring, her faith was starting to waver.


    Leo looked at the ring. It was a simple, almost perfunctory ring. He was in a foul mood when he was


    forced to marry Amelie. Weddings or ceremonies were not on his mind. And he only bought this ring


    just to go through the motions. He didn¡¯t care about the price or style. The retail assistant also asked


    him to buy another one, since this one was too simple. In other words, she said the ring was cheap. But


    he didn¡¯t care. He wanted to use that ring to humiliate Amelie.


    Yet Amelie wasn¡¯t unhappy. Instead, she grinned like an idiot when she saw the ring. Even when the


    retail assistants were mocking her due to Leo¡¯sck of love for her, she didn¡¯t mind. That memory came


    flooding back, and it pained Leo¡¯s heart. He only wore this ring to tell all the women out there that he


    was married, so they would back off. But when his mother asked him those questions, he didn¡¯t want to


    deny them. All he could think of was Amelie.


    Melissa took his silence as confirmation, and her chest heaved. She wanted to dissuade him but knew


    he wouldn¡¯t listen to him. What to do? What to do? Oh, wait, here¡¯s an idea. ¡°You might still love her,


    but she lost her love to you. When I talked to her, she wanted me to tell you to never disturb her again.¡±


    Melissa then looked at Leo in silence. Her son had stopped moving, his grip on the coffee cup


    tightening. Good, that worked. Melissa heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Leo, we¡¯re a famous family here. You


    don¡¯t want the public to say you can¡¯t let go of your ex-wife. Besides, Amelie is a useless bum. She¡¯s


    just ying hard to get so you can get back together with her. So, she can spend our money. We can¡¯t


    fall for that.¡±


    Despite how Amelie expressed her disinterest in Leo, Melissa still thought that was just her ploy. She


    pushed her hair back arrogantly. ¡°She refused my six hundred grand, and I¡¯ll make her regret it. When


    shees to me again, I won¡¯t give her a single cent, and I¡¯m taking Bria¡¯s custody.¡± She was still


    annoyed by how Amelie tossed the checks in her face. ¡°That woman is unreasonable. Useless and


    arrogant. Why, she even tossed empty checks at me in an attempt to insult me. What a joke.¡±


    Every word Melissa uttered angered Leo even further, and his face fell. When she was done talking,


    Leo harrumphed, as if he was mocking someone.


    Thinking that he was mocking Amelie, Melissa was delighted. Good. That works. The more he


    despises Amelie, the better.


    ¡°You tried to buy her out? And you think she was just putting up an act?¡± Leo asked.


    Melissa nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Leo stood up and approached his mother. Then he gave her a document. ¡°Look at this.¡±


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Melissa skimmed through the document. ¡°Wow. Foxy¡¯s revenue. So, you¡¯re going to start a


    livestreaming business now?¡±


    Foxy was a famous influencer. Some of Melissa¡¯s friends were fans of hers, and Melissa had watched


    a few of her streams as well. Foxy was an interesting woman. Unlike most influencers who would talk


    in an overly cute way to attract attention, Foxy built her fame on her own skills. Melissa admired her a


    little as well.


    Even though she knew Foxy¡¯s fans soared a lot after hereback, the sum of her revenue still


    shocked Melissa. ¡°She makes six figures in one day?¡±


    That¡¯s enough for me to buy a whole year of makeup products. And that¡¯s just from donations. Not


    including the products she¡¯s selling. This is crazy.


    And to make things even more shocking, Leo said, ¡°She¡¯s Amelie.¡±


    Melissa froze, her eyes wide, and her jaw dropped. ¡°What?¡± A momentter, she snapped out of it.


    That¡¯s a joke. He¡¯s trying to change the topic.


    ¡°Foxy is Amelie,¡± added Leo.


    Amelie thought her jaw would be dislocated. Impossible. That listless,zy, useless, timid, worthless


    Amelie is Foxy? She wanted to know if Leo was kidding, but she knew better than anyone that he was


    always serious. He¡¯s not lying.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help to live the best life she can. You tried to buy her out? No wonder she


    humiliated you.¡± Leo couldn¡¯t even begin to feel any sympathy for his biological mother. Not when her


    arrogance got the better of her.


    Melissa felt her cheeks burn, and humiliation rained down on her.

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217


    But Melissa snapped out of it and read into the matter. The more she thought about it, the more she


    was sure Amelie was no Foxy. Or at least, she wasn¡¯t the original Foxy. If she had that kind of skill, she


    would¡¯ve shown it off when she was married to Leo. Nobody would hide their own best side, especially


    not the finest people in the world. And besides, nobody liked her back then. She could¡¯ve used this as


    leverage to make us take her seriously. Also¡­


    Most people would have a ton of excuses to wave away the facts that didn¡¯t align with their


    preconceived notions. Cognitive dissonance, so to speak, and Melissa had fallen into it. And now she


    had a new theory. Amelie used Julia to change Foxy¡¯s ount ownership. She¡¯s still useless. She


    doesn¡¯t want us to find out she¡¯s still useless. If we do find out, we¡¯d take Bria away from her. And once


    we have her custody, Amelie would have no reason to see Leo, and she would have no chance to


    return to our family.


    Melissa didn¡¯t tell him about her theory. Instead, she ced a voice recorder on the table. ¡°Listen to


    this.¡± And then she left without saying a word.


    Leo remained in his seat for a while before he finally turned the recorder on. At first, he heard white


    noise, and then he heard Amelie¡¯s voice.


    She said a lot, but all Leo remembered was one particr line she said. ¡°He¡¯s my ex. No matter how


    bad my life might get, I will never take back the trash I¡¯ve thrown away.¡±


    He clenched his fist, his face tensing up. I am nothing but trash to her? And then his grip became so


    strong, he broke the recorder.


    When Victor came in, he was met with Leo and his bloody hand. Whoops. He ignored the scene and


    handed him something. ¡°The file you want. It¡¯s about Amelie.¡±


    Leo grunted calmly.


    Victor asked nothing. He nodded and drifted away like a phantom.


    But the moment the door was closed, the loud sound of something crashing came from the office,


    shocking the assistants and secretaries. They looked at the office, wondering what had happened.


    When they realized it was from Leo¡¯s office, they exchanged a look. None of these employees had ever


    seen Leo fly into a rage. No matter what kind of crisis thepany had to face, Leo settled him with


    calm precision, much like a machine. So, what happened?


    ¡­


    Amelie and Julia spent hours negotiating, and the matter came to a close. Julia was about to pick Bria


    up with Amelie, but Samuel called. He had something important to talk about, so Julia left.


    Amelie busied herself for a while before she turned herptop off and made her way to Brianna¡¯s


    kindergarten. Her daughter wasn¡¯t around, but her new teacher was. Her old teacher took a medical


    leave due to her illness.


    ¡°She left with a young gentleman,¡± the new teacher said.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Amelie¡¯s mind buzzed for a moment. She was reminded of the time Elyse sent someone to kidnap


    Brianna. That incident left her with an injured leg that still wasn¡¯t healed. Once bitten, twice shy, and


    Amelie worried that her daughter might be kidnapped once more.


    Oh no. She looks scared. The new teacher quickly exined, ¡°I think he¡¯s Bria¡¯s father. She called her


    Daddy. Didn¡¯t he call you?¡±


    Oh. So, it¡¯s Leo. Amelie felt a weight getting lifted off her shoulders, and she heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She went back to her car and called Leo, but he didn¡¯t pick it up. She had no idea why


    Leo took Brianna away, but she went all the way to Clouson anyway.


    She was surprised nobody at Genesis stopped her, and she made her way to Leo¡¯s office easily. With


    her worry held down, she pushed her bangs back so she wouldn¡¯t look too harried. And then she


    knocked.


    ¡°Enter,¡± said Leo coolly.


    Amelie entered the office. Leo was behind his desk, working on something. His lips were pursed, and


    his attention was focused on his work. But she couldn¡¯t see what he was doing, not when hisputer


    was in her way. All he afforded her was a nce.


    Still worried, she darted over to Leo. ¡°Where¡¯s Bria? You took her, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    He slowly raised his head, the look in his eyes dark as the night. ¡°She¡¯s asleep. In the waiting room,¡± he


    said after a long pause.


    Good. She¡¯s here. Amelie rxed and, almost instinctively, made her way to the waiting room.


    ¡°That¡¯s my private quarter,¡± said Leo.


    Amelie held the door handle, wondering why he said that.


    Leo stood up, approaching her coolly. ¡°I¡¯m just trash that you have thrown away, aren¡¯t I? Didn¡¯t know


    you had a habit of dumpster diving.¡± He stopped a few inches before her.


    Huh? Oh, wait. The thing I told Melissa. She recorded it? Amelie looked a little awkward. She didn¡¯t


    mean to talk him down, but Melissa was being pushy, so she had to say something. Yet now the one


    she denigrated heard herment, and he was asking for an exnation. Awkward. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say that. If you don¡¯t like it, you can hurl any insult you want at me.¡± She bowed and


    put both her hands before her.


    Leo froze. She thinks this is a transaction? Is she an idiot? ¡°If I¡¯m nothing but trash, then I suppose you


    won¡¯t want the child you had with trash,¡± said Leo.


    Amelie¡¯s polite smile disappeared, reced by horror. She didn¡¯t think Leo would be this petty. He¡¯s


    going to take Brianna away over onement? ¡°I¡­ I can exin.¡± She fidgeted.


    Leo kept quiet, giving her a chance to exin.


    Amelie wondered what he wanted, but she told him the truth anyway. ¡°Your mother was pushing me


    around. She wouldn¡¯t leave if I didn¡¯t tell her what she wanted to hear.¡±


    ¡°You could havee to me.¡± Leo was still upset.


    ¡°Which would prove that I still am hounding you.¡±


    And then she felt the air around her stop. A great pressure came from Leo. He¡¯s upset? But why?


    ¡°You don¡¯t wish to get involved with me?¡±


    Yep. Dealing with my past is something bad. But he has Bria. If he tries to take her away from me, I


    can¡¯t win. Deciding not to take the aggressive way, she said softly, ¡°You¡¯re going to get married to Miss


    Joyner. I don¡¯t think I should be involved with you. I have my own concerns.¡±


    For some reason, Leo instantly looked happier. ¡°So, you were just cutting ties with me because you


    heard I was going to marry someone?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Amelie gave a vague answer.


    And then Leo blurted, ¡°Go. See the girl.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± What¡¯s he trying to do? I can¡¯t understand him. But she didn¡¯t have time to figure out what he


    was thinking. She wanted to see Brianna, so she entered the room. But when she turned around, she


    caught Leo looking at her gently.

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218


    Brianna was in a deep sleep. Her skin was gleaming, her cheeks were puffing, and a bubble hung from


    her nose. Then she gurgled, perhaps seeing something in her dream.


    Amelie wanted to wake her up, but after hearing thatugh, she decided against it. In the end, she took


    a seat before the bed and whipped out her tablet from her bag. Then she hooked it up to a set of


    keyboards and started working away.


    The moment Amelie came, Leo lost his mood to work. He stood beyond the door, staring into the room.


    And he saw Amelie working away on her tablet. Her head was hanging slightly low, revealing her


    slender neck. A few strands of hair clung to it, swaying as she moved. Her profile was gentle and


    beautiful, her lips lustrous and pink. Her attention was on the screen before her. He had no idea what


    she was working on, but she looked beautiful when she was serious.


    Leo was immersed in the scene, only snapping out of it when Eugene came to hand in some


    documents. He put a finger to his lips.


    Oh, right. Bria. Eugene slowed down and handed the document to Leo. He whispered, ¡°You need this


    in a moment.¡±


    Leo looked at the document, and then Eugene saw who was inside the room. The first person he saw


    had a slender figure belonging to a woman. Wait. That¡¯s a woman in there! Eugene¡¯s jaw dropped. Leo


    was someone who took rtionships seriously. He never had any other woman other than Elyse. He


    would move away even when a woman was trying to touch his hand. Eugene thought he would find no


    other woman after Elyse, and yet now he saw his boss hiding a woman in his waiting room. Who is¡­


    Just when he was about to have a closer look, he felt a chill run down his spine, and he shivered. He


    looked back only to meet Leo¡¯s stern, dark gaze. He shivered once more. It felt like he just had a


    hundred spears pierced through his body. He imagined his cartoon side jumping around while being


    pierced by spears. Quickly, Eugene looked down and took the file from his boss. He felt the file


    mming into his hands, and the steel rings hit his pinky. Ow. Do you have to go that far? But he didn¡¯t


    say that out loud.


    ¡°Leave,¡± Leo said coldly.


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Eugene ran off like the wind and closed the door. Once he felt that Leo¡¯s sight was


    gone from his back, he heaved a sigh of relief. Gods, that was scary. But he was really bothered. I


    need to find out who she is. He didn¡¯t even show that much love to Elyse.


    He thought Leo loved Elyse, as he never did anything when she threw her tantrums, but now he


    realized love should manifest itself in the form of care. He didn¡¯t care for Elyse. He just let her do what


    she wanted.


    It was already seven, and Brianna slowly woke up. Groggily, she rubbed her eyes, but when she saw


    Amelie, delight and surprise welled within her. ¡°Mommy!¡±


    Amelie stopped working, and the girl pounced on her, leaning in her embrace. Amelie fell backward, but


    someone held her lower back, steadying her. She could feel the warmth of their hand through her shirt.


    It was a strong, warm hold. Amelie froze, and then Bria said, ¡°Daddy!¡±


    She stared at her father with big, gleaming eyes. Amelie stiffly moved away from Leo¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank


    you.¡± He has a new girl now. I should keep away from him.


    ¡°Bria,¡± said Leo. He noticed Amelie trying to distance herself, and he frowned, a hint of anger flowing in


    his eyes.


    Amelie didn¡¯t care. She held Brianna in her hands and went to search for her shoes. ¡°It¡¯ste. We


    should go home now.¡±


    Home? Brianna curled up, upset. She said nothing, but it was clear she wanted to be with Leo. Amelie


    looked at her daughter, and she sighed. She is so forgetful. Every time Leo is nice to her, she forgets


    all the cold shoulders he gave her. But she said nothing. Gently, she said, ¡°Grandpa is going to worry if


    we don¡¯t go home.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Brianna said nothing more. She slid down and wore her shoes.


    Leo looked at the girl. ¡°It¡¯ste. She must be hungry now. Let¡¯s have dinner first.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Amelie politely. I can grab dinner with her after we leave this ce.


    Leo added, ¡°I promised I¡¯d take her to Starlight Tower.¡±


    Starlight Tower was the tallest building in Clouson. Brianna saw an ad once, and she had been dying to


    go there. Ever since Amelie moved to Halport, work and studies had been taking up all her time, so


    they never had the chance to go. She looked at Brianna, and Brianna was staring at her, even


    forgetting to tie her shoes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Leo.


    Amelie was about to say no, but Brianna stood up and tugged on her shirt. ¡°Aw, Mommy, let¡¯s go.¡±


    She stared at her mother with anticipation in her eyes. It was her best weapon to get what she wanted.


    Nobody could say no to that, but Amelie refused to have dinner with Leo.


    ¡°We¡¯re her parents. We should have dinner with her. Just because our marriage is over doesn¡¯t mean


    we can take her rights away,¡± he said coldly. There was admonishment in his tone.


    Amelie had to agree with that.


    Leo approached the girl and helped her tie her shoes. He knelt on one knee and tied the knots for


    Brianna. He was clumsy, but he was serious. Once he was done, Leo carried Brianna and walked out


    the door without saying a word.


    Amelie looked at Brianna¡¯s coat. She picked it up and hurried after Leo and Brianna. They got to the


    car park, and just when Amelie wondered if she should drive or get into Leo¡¯s car, she felt someone


    putting something into her hands.


    Leo ced Brianna in her hands, breaking the silence, ¡°I don¡¯t have a child seat. Take her.¡±


    Brianna wrapped her arms around her mother¡¯s neck, giggling at her father. She might be young, but


    she was smart. She could see her father cared about her mother, and a cute smile curled her lips.


    Half an hourter, they came to Starlight¡¯s basement car park. Once they were parked, Amelie got out


    of the car with Brianna in her hands. There were a lot of cars going around. Starlight was receiving a lot


    of customers.


    The moment Amelie got out of the car, the door of the car next to their car opened. She didn¡¯t realize it,


    and the person in the car didn¡¯t see her either. The door was about to hit her, and she quickly moved


    backward, but the cramped space made her lose her bnce, and she gasped.


    Just when she and Brianna were going to fall, someone held her. ¡°Are you alright,dy?¡±

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219


    Someone held her just in time, though barely¡ªit was the driver. Before Amelie could do anything, she


    was held by the waist and pulled away from the driver just then. Then, she saw the silhouette of a man


    standing beside her. It belonged to someone she could recognize anywhere.


    Leo was silent. His lips were pursed, and he shot a sharp look at the woman who mindlessly opened


    her door without checking her surroundings. Scared, the woman fell back into the car, and the door slid


    shut automatically, mming into her foot.


    The driver¡ªmost likely the woman¡¯s boyfriend¡ªtried to help, but he was toote.


    The woman howled in pain.


    ¡°Next time you¡¯re so careless, you¡¯re not getting off with just a bruised foot,¡± said Leo coolly.


    When the driver raised his head to meet Leo¡¯s eyes, he froze as if stricken by fear. In most cases, the


    man should¡¯ve fought with Leo to protect his girlfriend, but the murderous gleam within Leo¡¯s gaze had


    made him chicken out.


    Amelie thought the way Leo punished the woman was a bit too much, though what the woman did


    earlier was indeed careless. If Amelie hadn¡¯t moved back fast enough, the door would have mmed


    into Bria and her. In the end, she merely thanked the man and didn¡¯t say anything else after that.


    Leo pulled his hand back and took Bria into his arms. Then, he went ahead without saying another


    word.


    Amelie scratched her nose in confusion. Is he¡­ mad? Did I do something wrong? She spent four years


    observing the man. She knew how he expressed his anger, but she hadn¡¯t gotten to know him too well,


    so she had no idea why he was angry. Though, she didn¡¯t bother to figure out the reason and went


    after them.


    Leo and Bria entered the elevator. The moment Amelie was about to walk into the elevator, the door


    started sliding shut. Most elevator doors would open back up the moment they mmed into someone,


    but that m was awful nheless. Figuring she wouldn¡¯t be fast enough to dodge it, Amelie closed


    her eyes as she waited for the impact tond, but she felt nothing even after a long while.


    ¡°Come in, Mommy,¡± Bria said.


    When Amelie opened her eyes, she saw a pair of hands holding the doors back. Those were Leo¡¯s


    hands, and Bria was hanging from the man¡¯s neck, holding him tightly.


    Amelie quickly hopped in and stood at the corner.


    Leo pulled his hands back in silence and held Bria once again while throwing a nce at Amelie. His


    gaze filled with admonishment.


    The little girl in his arms chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re such an airhead, Mommy. Good thing Daddy is always


    protecting you.¡± Her head bumped into the man¡¯s chin as she giggled.


    The man said nothing. He merely covered her head with his hand so she wouldn¡¯t hurt herself. He


    looked just like a father taking care of his child.


    An old woman who shared the elevator with them happily said, ¡°It¡¯s a father¡¯s job to protect his wife.¡±


    She looked at them. ¡°The three of you look great together, not to mention beautiful, too. You¡¯re the


    perfect family I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    Amelie wanted to say they were not a family, but then she noticed the smile on her daughter¡¯s face. It


    was a beautiful, happy smile. If I said that, that¡¯d be too cruel to her. I should stay quiet instead. With


    that in mind, she remained silent.


    Even though she tried not to look at Leo¡¯s face, she could still see his chin and lips when she looked at


    Bria since he was holding the little girl. She couldn¡¯t help but notice a slight smile on his lips. Is he¡­


    smiling? Why? She realized just then she might actually not know the man that well.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Starlight Tower¡¯s restaurant was resplendent and bright, and it was filled withfy little couches. The


    ce looked like a warm and inviting cottage. Since Leo made his reservations, they got the window


    view. The city unfurled beneath them, and lights wereing on like stars twinkling in the night sky.


    Bria giggled happily, extending her hands in an attempt to catch the ¡®stars.¡¯ Leo let her do what she


    wanted.


    The food here was marvelous. A momentter, they were served with big Amidalia lobsters, beautifully


    cut foie gras, and T-bone steaks imported from Amidalia. In the end, the manager even served them


    wine, saying that the patrons dubbed them ¡®the best customer for the night.¡¯ After pouring them two


    sses of wine, the manager bowed before leaving the family of three to dine in peace.


    Amelie looked at the wine awkwardly. She figured the both of them shouldn¡¯t be drinking wine together


    since they were not a couple. Thus, she ignored it and focused on cutting the steak for Bria.


    Elegantly, Leo picked his ss up and twirled the wine within, though his gaze fixed on thedy and


    the girl. He noticed Amelie trying clumsily to cut the steak, and he smiled.


    Thanks to Steven feeding her all kinds of food since she was a child, Amelie didn¡¯t really have any


    desire to eat these kinds of food. She seldom went for fine dining over the years. Even during the times


    that she did go, Julia would be the one to cut up the steak for her. Ever since she married Leo, she


    never ate out. This was the first time she was cutting up steak, and she wanted to do it well, but the


    cutlery wouldn¡¯t do as she wanted them to. She either couldn¡¯t cut the meat up, or it would slide past


    the knife. A few momentster, droplets of sweat formed on her forehead, making her look miserable.


    Just when she was wondering what she should do, someone took the te away. Surprised, she


    looked up only to meet a gaze of resignation and¡­ a hint of love. No way. I must be seeing things.


    Amelie was stunned for a while, only snapping out of it when Leo extended his hand toward her. Oh,


    he¡¯s trying to help. She quickly handed the cutlery to him. Once he had the cutlery, like a noble from the


    medieval era, he cut into the steak perfectly, slicing them up into perfect, equal sizes. The pieces of


    meat looked just like a work of art.


    That¡¯s a super-rich guy for you. While Leo was cutting up the steak, Amelie wrote some replies to her


    more urgent texts. When she raised her head again, two tes of bite-sized steak sat before her. One


    of those tes was given to Bria. Just when she thought the other one was for Leo himself, he pushed


    it to her.


    Oh, you shouldn¡¯t. Though, Amelie didn¡¯t reject his kind gesture. She dug right into it like her daughter.


    Unlike Leo, both of them were wolfing the meat down.


    Despite Leo¡¯s distaste for people who had no regard for table manners, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to


    dislike these girls. Instead, he felt proud, thinking that he managed to make these girls happy.


    While they were having the time of their lives, Elyse was having the time of her life as well, only in the


    opposite way.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220


    Due to her marriage¡¯s cancetion, numerous projects Elyse was in were canceled, and her n to


    raise her poprity through these projects was for naught. Brimming with frustration, she couldn¡¯t be


    bothered to keep up the image she portrayed herself in public and kept scolding her assistant for every


    little thing during the whole ride.


    However, once she was done yelling at her assistant, she looked into the mirror and straightened


    herself out. Still have an image to keep in public. When she came to thepany, she had hidden her


    hideous, evil self deep within her, recing it with a bright, cheery, and elegant look. Her heels clopped


    as she made her way to the dressing room.


    Only a select few in thepany had a dressing room, and Elyse was one of them. She had the


    biggest and grandest dressing room. As usual, she was being stared at by the interns, yet she didn¡¯t


    even throw as much as a nce at them. Even those who tried to say hi to her only gained a harrumph


    in return.


    As she stood before her dressing room, she felt her heart calm down. At least I¡¯m still treated like an A-


    lister here. I bet tons of people are jealous of me. As she thought of that, she pulled on the door, but no


    matter how much she tried, the door was still shut. Thinking that it was malfunctioning, she shot her


    assistant a re. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? The door¡¯s broken, yet you didn¡¯t even bother to call for


    someone to fix it!¡±


    Scarred by all the yelling from earlier, the assistant shuddered when Elyse yelled once more. She then


    tried to pull on the door as well. ¡°No way. It was still good when I came this morning.¡±


    ¡°Then, exin this! Don¡¯t try to use any excuses to cover up your failure.¡±


    The assistant was at a loss for words at that point.


    ¡°Get someone to fix this!¡± hissed Elyse. Her voice filled with a distaste for her assistant, who was


    nothing but a failure in her eyes.


    The assistant was about to call someone to fix the door, but then someone opened the door from


    within.


    When Elyse saw who it was, her face fell. ¡°What is the meaning of this? This is my dressing room!


    Don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    The person who came out of the dressing room was none other than Rose. Not only did she ignore


    Elyse¡¯s questioning, but she also leaned on the door, looking nonchnt as she replied, ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°In that case, get out of my sight, then!¡± Rose was one of those who tried to butter her up all the time.


    Elyse wouldn¡¯t even give her a moment of her day. She refused to even shove her. Doing that is going


    to dirty my hands.


    Rose hated that arrogant attitude of hers.


    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t Donia tell you? This room is mine now.¡± She filed her beautiful nails. Unlike her usual


    sycophantic self, Rose was acting high and mighty.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Elyse snapped.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s impossible.¡± Rose chuckled. ¡°One who makes the most money will get the best thepany


    has to offer. I have a few projects on my hands while nobody would work with you. Heck, they¡¯re all


    canceling your projects. Donia has no reason to keep this room for you.¡± Rose wanted to get back at


    Elyse for the humiliation she had to suffer back then.


    ¡°W-What are you talking about?¡± Elyse was confused. Rose isn¡¯t the best girl around. That was why


    she kept ingratiating herself with me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The guys who canceled your projects came to me after that. They¡¯ve picked me for


    the main role.¡±


    Elyse felt shocked, infuriated, and insulted. ¡°How can that be?!¡± She knew the investors pulled out, but


    she never thought they¡¯d turn to Rose. Wait. So, this means the investors didn¡¯t pull out. Thepany


    just changed its n!


    Angry, Elyse called Donia. In the past, Donia would have taken her calls instantly, but this time, she


    only picked up after several calls were made. ¡°What is it? I¡¯m in a meeting.¡±


    She must have known those were my calls. Now, she¡¯s talking to me like trash because I¡¯m worthless


    to her. Unable to hold her anger back, Elyse hissed, ¡°Why did you let Rose take over my projects?


    Don¡¯t you know the investors came for me?¡±


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Donia responded coolly, ¡°They dide for you, but the moment your marriage with Leo was


    canceled, they pulled out. If I hadn¡¯t rmended Rose to them, and if Rose hadn¡¯t performed


    spectacrly, they would have taken their money elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Spectacrly?¡± Elyse almostughed. All she knows is buttering people up and sleeping with the


    clients. That¡¯s all. ¡°This is unfair.¡±


    ¡°How so? They weren¡¯t investing in you; they were investing because of Mr. Alston. You only have


    yourself to me for your ipetence in keeping him by your side. If you really want those roles,


    why don¡¯t you work for them as Rose did.¡±


    Work for it as she did? Does she expect me to go around and sleep with those pigs? I am not that kind


    of woman! Because of Leo¡¯s spoiling, Elyse developed a haughty and arrogant attitude. She would


    never sell herself out to get a future. Even when Leo and Amelie were married, Elyse was still using the


    resources of the Alstons. She would never deign to attend any appointments.


    Donia had lost her patience, and she hung up as soon as she finished her words.


    Elyse could feel her fury bubbling up within her, ready to explode at any minute. ¡°You think you have a


    future just because you sleep around?¡± She looked at Rose coldly, mocking, ¡°One day, they¡¯re going to


    get tired of you and toss you away like an abandoned ragdoll.¡±


    Rose chuckled, a sardonic smile curling her lips. ¡°At least I¡¯m relying on myself. You, on the other hand,


    are like a parasite sucking off the Alstons. Without them, you are nothing. Before you talk down to me,


    you should try carving a future for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why you little¡­¡± This arrogant b*tch! Elyse clenched her fists. I am going to w her face and gouge


    her eyes out!


    Rose wasn¡¯t going to stop right there. She drove the point deeper. ¡°Oh, wait. You¡¯re already old.


    Nobody¡¯s going to sleep with you even if you were to stand before them naked.¡±


    Elyse was 28 years old. She was already past her prime, at least in this industry, where everything was


    changing by the minute. Except for the most outstanding ones, most female celebrities would have


    retired and married someone or taken up supporting roles. Elyse wasn¡¯t the best actress around. The


    only things she had going for her were her looks and attitude. However, those could only attract shut-


    ins and NEETs. These people would switch to thetest and hottest things at the first chance, leaving


    the old actresses behind.


    Infuriated and humiliated by Rose¡¯s retaliation, Elyse shivered in rage. Putting her image aside, she


    raised a hand against Rose, giving her one tight p.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221


    Rose let out a scream, her head turning to the side. A smug Elyse was going to lecture her, but Rose


    shot her a re and swung her hand straight into Elyse¡¯s face. Elyse covered her face as she stared at


    Rose in disbelief. ¡°How dare you?¡±


    Rose put her hands on her hips, harrumphing. ¡°What? Do you think I won¡¯t retaliate? Are you stupid?¡±


    She huddled closer to Elyse and poked her. ¡°Do you know how much money I can make? If you were


    to ruin my face, I would ruin your future. Fortunately, I am a generous woman. So, how will you settle


    this? Compensation or apology?¡±


    Already incensed by Rose¡¯s arrogant attitude, Elyse couldn¡¯t stand for her further bragging of the


    resources she had. The resources she stole! Livid, she pped Rose once more, but Rose wasn¡¯t one


    to back down that easily, and they got into a tussle. However, Elyse came from money, and she was no


    match for Rose, who had seen and been through society¡¯s darkest side. Eventually, Elyse¡¯s hair


    became unkempt, her shirt was torn, and her face was wed. She was pinned down by Rose like a


    defeated cat.


    Not even Elyse¡¯s assistant came to help. She was sick and tired of Elyse¡¯s exploitation and constant


    yelling. Everyone else stood by and watched. Elyse looked down on them in the past, after all. Some


    even stayed far away lest they got dragged into the mess. The fight went on until Donia came.


    A tattered Elyse was dragged back up. She felt her scalp roaring in pain, and her face was burning. Her


    whole body was screaming out, and her legs were buckling.


    Donia shot her a look of disgust before handing Elyse a mirror. ¡°Look at yourself.¡±


    When she looked into the mirror, all Elyse saw was a mad woman. A madwoman with disheveled hair,


    messy clothes, and a face covered in bruises. Tears were streaming down that woman¡¯s cheeks. Is


    that¡­ me? Aghast, she touched her hair, and the woman in the mirror mimicked her movement as well.


    She then opened her mouth, and that madwoman did the same as well. Stricken by grief, Elyse hurled


    the mirror away and covered her face, shrieking.


    What happened to me? This isn¡¯t me. I¡¯m supposed to be perfect. I¡¯m supposed to have perfect hair


    and perfect makeup. I¡¯m supposed to be impably dressed!


    ¡°Oh, shut it!¡± Donia snapped. She wouldn¡¯t even give Elyse a moment of her time. Her attention was on


    Rose. ¡°You injured her face. How do you expect her to work tomorrow? What if the investors decide to


    pull out? Elyse, are you dumb or something?¡±


    Elyse looked at Rose. Aside from the p on her face, she looked as perfect as ever. Her clothes were


    straight, and her hair was perfect. She looks practically unscathed. This is so unfair!


    Donia ignored Elyse and quickly rubbed some salve on Rose¡¯s cheeks, working through all the


    necessary actions to make sure she could heal faster. Even so, she still thought Rose should be seen


    by a doctor. And so, she called one.


    Elyse stared dumbly. Donia would only do that for her in the past. But she¡¯s changed. As soon as I¡¯ve


    lost my worth, she¡¯s changed. How could she! How could she abandon me? Elyse hated her guts.


    Rose approached her, and she whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t feel angry. You¡¯ve been in this industry for years. You


    know how they are. They only care for those who have value to them. Anyone who¡¯s useless is nothing


    to them.¡±


    Elyse clenched her fists and red at Rose, but Rose chuckled and turned the other cheek,


    challenging Elyse to p her. Even though she was overwhelmed by anger, she still couldn¡¯t do


    anything to Rose. Donia said she would press charges if Rose were hurt. If that happens, I¡¯m done for.


    Eventually, Elyse pulled her hand back. With all the strength she could muster, she left thepany


    without shedding a tear. However, the moment she got into the car, she burst into tears, agonizing over


    the unfair treatment she was given. Eventually, she got exhausted from crying, and she slowly stopped.


    Then, she pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears away. When she raised her head, she saw her assistant


    staring at her, and she frowned.


    She was just going to yell at her assistant, berating her for noting tofort her, but her assistant


    said, ¡°Donia called. Since you don¡¯t have any projects, this car is wasted on you. So, they¡¯re taking it


    back tomorrow.¡±


    Infuriated once more, Elyse raised her hand and was about to p her assistant.


    The assistant added, ¡°Don¡¯t me this on me. Donia said that. If you want the car back, tell her.¡±


    Even the assistant is mocking me! Elyse¡¯s face contorted with rage, but she didn¡¯t p her assistant.


    Instead, she punched the car. Dammit. Everyone¡¯sing at me just because of one canceled


    marriage. I¡¯ll show them. I¡¯ll show them all. A long whileter, she told her assistant an address. ¡°Drive.¡±


    She was heading to an investor¡¯s home. He invested in five movies and asked her to y the leading


    role in three. She tried her best to doll herself up, but the scars couldn¡¯t be hidden, so she wore a pair


    of sunsses and a mask. Fortunately, it was the pandemic season, so nobody would think she was


    disrespectful for wearing a mask.


    In the past, Donia would arrange everything for Elyse, and the assistant would only have to take her to


    the meetup spot. Though, she now had to make the calls and do everything herself. Just for this


    meeting alone, Elyse had to make at least 20 calls. After much bureaucracy, she had to tell them Leo


    was her friend before the investor would see her. It was infuriating, but she sucked it up. She needed


    the movies. She needed to return to the top.


    The investor was a Gingham local. He was dressed casually and was having tea in a tea shop.


    Elyse approached him. With a silvery voice, she called out, ¡°Mr. Oates.¡±


    John Oates looked at her, frowning when he noticed the mask, yet he said nothing about it. ¡°Here.


    Have some tea.¡±


    She took the seat across from him and ced her hands on the coffee table. ¡°Mr. Oates, about the


    movies¡­ You know how serious I am about acting, and I¡¯m more experienced than Rose. And I¡¯m


    famous, too. If I can get the leading role once more, I promise I can do better than Rose ever can.¡±


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    John ogled her and popped a petite pipe into his mouth. Then, he sucked on it twice and puffed a ring


    of smoke out. ¡°Of course, I can give ya the show, Miss yton. But y¡¯know, Rose sacrificed somethin¡¯,


    so ya gotta sacrifice somethin¡¯ too. Y¡¯know what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    Um, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying. Elyse looked at him, and John winked flirtatiously as he pointed at


    her chest. She quickly covered it up, but he said he was just going to kiss her.


    The moment he touched her, Elyse tensed up and was going to give John one tight p, but she put


    her hand down right away. This is myst chance. If I don¡¯t give him what he wants, I¡¯m done for.


    Remember what Donia did to you. Remember what Rose did to you. You¡¯ve got to be strong. Get


    famous, and then get back at them! Her arms hung limply by her side, and she closed her eyes,


    holding her disgust down as John did whatever he wanted with her.


    He groped her chest and moved his perverted hand up to her mask. However, when he took it off, he


    balked. ¡°Da hell is this?!¡±

 Chapter 222

    Chapter 222


    Elyse opened her eyes and saw John holding her mask, looking at her with disgust. Her face had


    scratches and bruises from the earlier fight she had with Rose, and her fair skin only made her wounds


    stand out even more.


    He tossed the mask back to her. ¡°Great. Now, my mood is spoiled.¡±


    ¡°Your mood is spoiled?¡± She held the mask and stared at the man in disbelief. I stooped to your level


    and gave myself to you, you bumpkin! Yet, you nowin about me spoiling your mood? I will not


    stand for this insult!


    Her eyes went wide with anger, and she wanted to raise a hand against him.


    John ignored her anger, however. He sneered and moved far away from her. Then, he took the teapot


    and drank straight from the spout. After that, he spat and fiddled with some marbles. ¡°I¡¯m not a trash


    collector. I don¡¯t sleep with¡­ ugly things.¡±


    Elyse retracted her hand and touched her face.


    Without further ado, he waved away at the bodyguards. ¡°Toss her out.¡±


    She never thought the day woulde when an investor would toss her out. They used to beg her and


    even worship her. Damn it. They¡¯re doing what they please just because of the breakup. Short-sighted


    *ssholes! Though, she had no one to rely on.


    With no one to turn to, she could only watch helplessly as the bodyguards pulled her up and dragged


    her away. ¡°You can¡¯t do this, Mr. Oates! You¡¯ll regret it!¡±


    However, John ignored her. He was on the call with someone, and then heughed raucously, his jowls


    trembling. Just when she was about to be tossed out, he said, ¡°A minute, please.¡±


    Did he change his mind? Just from a phone call? Elyse had no idea who made the call, but they had to


    be so powerful that John was scared of them. Someone came to my aid. She thought it was her fan.


    She had a lot of fans, and some must have known about her predicament. My fan must have helped


    me out.


    Thinking she was saved, she flung the bodyguards¡¯ arms away and gave each of them two tight ps.


    ¡°Unhand me, you curs.¡±


    Hey, we¡¯re only following orders given by Mr. Oates. That p wiped off what little sympathy they had


    for that woman, but she did not know. She only knew she felt better after pping someone.


    Elyse would have hit John as well, but she had no idea if her helper was powerful enough to pin John


    down, so she spoke softly, ¡°Can we negotiate now, Mr. Oates?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She was delighted to hear his affirmation. Good. Just you wait, Rose. Once I rise to fame again, I will


    destroy you.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Oates. I shall get prepared now.¡± She put on the best smile she had.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not in a hurry.¡± He sat down. ¡°I have two roles for you. Pick whichever you want.¡±


    ¡°Two roles?¡± Oh my gosh. Who is my helper? I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s offering me two roles. Wow, my helper


    must be powerful. Elyse was excited, but she didn¡¯t show it. Instead, she adjusted her sunsses and


    wore her mask. Slowly, she asked, ¡°What kind of roles are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°One, a servant. She dies in the first episode. She has three scenes and dies with her body mangled


    and broken up,¡± said John slowly.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    What? A servant who dies after three scenes?! And dies with a mangled body, too? The acting industry


    was filled with all kinds of roles, but any veteran would be reluctant to take roles that had a horrible


    ending. They said it would bring misfortune. Naturally, someone who was used to taking the lead roles


    like Elyse wouldn¡¯t take the job.


    ¡°T-That is preposterous! Insulting, even!¡± She was shivering in fury.


    John exined nothing. He added, ¡°You can have the lead role as well.¡±


    She didn¡¯t like how he was looking at her, but she couldn¡¯t refuse the allure of the lead role and quickly


    nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take that!¡± Good. That was just some kind of bad practical joke.


    ¡°Oh, let me finish. Rose said you could have the role, but you must f*ck the bodyguards first. If they¡¯re


    fine with your service, then we can move on to the negotiation.¡±


    She tensed up at that, her delight disappearing immediately. Rose wants me to f*ck those pigs?


    Impossible! I had to hold back a lot just to force myself to sleep with John, and now, she expects me to


    sleep with¡­ a lowly bodyguard?!


    The bodyguards were over the moon as they stared at her with unbridled lust in their eyes. She¡¯s losing


    her fame fast, but she is still a celebrity. There¡¯s no way we can sleep with one with our pay. They had


    been wanting to sleep with a celebrity ever since they saw their boss sleeping around with them.


    Unfortunately, John never shared, and yet he was going to give them an A-grade woman now.


    Elyse couldn¡¯t ignore the lust. They were being too obvious. She saw their eyes widen as they rubbed


    their hands together. She had no doubt they would tear her clothes apart if given the chance.


    She thought having no movies to star in was bad enough, but she now knew it was just the beginning.


    When the bodyguards came near her, she couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and pped them once more.


    Infuriated, the bodyguards pinned her on the ground, rubbing her face against it. Her injured face got


    worse. It was crushed, smashed, and bumped against all kinds of hard surfaces. Instead of helping,


    John recorded a video of it for Rose.


    Left with no choice, Elyse called Ashton. When Ashton came, she looked like a broken doll lying on the


    ground. She was not vited, but her dignity was gone. All gone. When she saw him, she crawled into


    his arms, crying. John and his bodyguards were long gone when Ashton came.


    Elyse wouldn¡¯t stop crying. She almost suffocated halfway through.


    It¡¯s her first time relying on me. Ashton was delighted. He keptforting her, patting her head and


    back time and time again.


    Yet,fort was not what Elyse wanted; it was revenge. She raised her head and gripped his arms so


    tightly that he thought his bones were going to break.


    ¡°You need to help me, Ashton. Drag Rose out from whatever hole she¡¯s hiding in, and then punish her.¡±


    She must suffer as much as I have suffered. No. She needs to suffer even more than that. She must


    suffer at least ten times the suffering I have gone through.


    Elyse¡¯s eyes were filled with dark vengeance.

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223


    Ashton winced and frowned at the pain he felt. ¡°I don¡¯t have an issue with punishing her. But¡­ she¡¯s


    with Mr. Oates now, and if Mr. Oates finds out I was the one who punished her, he might tell my father


    about it. I¡¯d no longer get any allowance if that happened!¡± he cried.


    Elyse was speechless for a while. Ashton was usually an independent and firm man¡ªhe often imed


    that he was capable of doing anything that he set his mind to. However, now that he had to actually


    deal with an issue, he simply turned into a big baby! She was disgusted to hear that Ashton still


    collected allowance from his father. She was tempted to just shove him off a bridge. He¡¯s worse than I


    am!


    ¡°Are you saying you can¡¯t even deal with someone like Rose? You¡¯re so¡­¡± Elyse wanted to say that he


    was useless, but she held her tongue back at the veryst second. I¡¯m already in trouble now, and I¡¯m


    practically at the bottom of the food chain at this point. He¡¯s the only influential friend I have now. I can¡¯t


    afford to offend him¡ªhow would I keep myself alive then?


    After a while, she was finally able to hold down her contempt toward Ashton and softened her tone as


    she said, ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to go against Rose, it¡¯s fine, but I¡¯d like to work under yourpany. The


    people at thepany I¡¯m working in at the moment are awful, and I don¡¯t want to work with them


    anymore.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Ashton was still hesitant. He appeared to be a powerful figure in the public¡¯s eyes, but he


    didn¡¯t receive much respect in the Lowe Family. He was the youngest of the three sons in the Lowes,


    and his elder brothers were extremely capable and skillful. They both held significant roles in the


    company and received a lot of their father¡¯s attention and care.


    Ashton, on the other hand, never had an interest in running apany. He was a dreamer who


    enjoyed envisioning and imagining unrealistic scenarios, yet he was also a man of all words but no


    action. He hadn¡¯t aplished much in his whole life. His father didn¡¯t even bother masking the fact


    that he was avoiding Ashton, treating him almost as if he was a pest.


    ¡°Well, you know how inconsiderate Leo was when Ist helped you. He was the reason my father


    found out about it. My father doesn¡¯t have a good impression of you now, so it¡¯s practically impossible


    for me to hire you at thepany.¡± He scratched the back of his head helplessly.


    He can¡¯t do anything at all. What a useless guy! Elyse was fuming¡ªshe cursed at Ashton in her heart.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything that you can do?¡± She couldn¡¯t contain her temper for much longer, and she


    sounded rather agitated. Ashton panicked when he heard the anger in his beloved Elyse¡¯s tone, yet he


    couldn¡¯t think of a way to please her. He kept shifting around in his seat as he was anxious.


    ¡°Forget it!¡± She knew he couldn¡¯t do much at that point, so she simply hissed those two words at him


    before she got out of her seat and left the house. The ce wasn¡¯t John¡¯s residential house¡ªit was


    simply a ce he used for his leisure purposes. Elyse continued to recall all the ways she had been


    wronged as she stormed out of the ce. The more I think about it, the angrier I feel! I hate this!


    She was even more annoyed when she saw that Ashton had followed her out. ¡°Get lost. I¡¯m going to


    look for Leo!¡± She wasn¡¯t an idiot¡ªshe knew that she only had the privilege of being a demanding and


    authoritative person because of her rtionship with Leo back then. So, she knew that the right


    decision was to cling to Leo.


    ¡°Leo?¡± An uneasy look surfaced on Ashton¡¯s wimpy face after he heard her words. The Lowe Family


    had a long history with the Alstons, and Ashton and Leo had practically grown up together. The families


    had always madeparisons between Ashton and Leo as they were growing up, and the


    comparisons always brought them to the same conclusion¡ªthat Leo was the gold standard to be


    achieved while Ashton was the biggest failure. Even though Ashton rarely voiced out, he often felt a


    sense of aversion toward Leo.


    It was clear that Elyse was trying to shame Ashton by mentioning Leo. He felt like she was rubbing salt


    in his wound. ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t have the time for you. He¡¯s probably with Amelie now. I saw a


    leather file in his office, and I heard that it consisted of all of Amelie¡¯s files. I¡¯m not sure what he¡¯s doing


    with that information, but it¡¯s rare for Leo to gather information about someone else. He barely does it


    to other girls!¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t help himself from speaking up.


    As expected, his words brought about a weak and pale expression on Elyse¡¯s face. Her body even


    started trembling. If Leo sees the data, he¡¯ll find out that Amelie is Big Eyes! If that gets released, then


    a lot of things will¡­ Even though Ellen¡¯s cover-up story was wless, there were still a lot of things that


    could be found if someone tried investigating the matter! Furthermore, Amelie was alive, and if Leo


    asked her about it¡­


    Large beads of sweat trickled down Elyse¡¯s back. He treats me so heartlessly, even when he thinks I¡¯m


    his savior¡¯s sister. If he finds out the truth about my role in this, and if he finds out that I have been


    lying, then my life will be over. He¡¯s going to do more than just cancel our engagement! Elyse didn¡¯t


    have the guts to imagine further what the man might do. She might have pulled on her hair and


    screamed at the top of her lungs if she hadn¡¯t felt the need to control herself in front of Ashton.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± She clutched onto his arm once more. She didn¡¯t even realize how deep she had dug her


    nails into his skin. ¡°Please help me. Please, help me to alter the details in the files!¡± she cried.


    ¡°Why do you need to change the files?¡± Ashton was confused. Elyse took her sunsses off to reveal


    the side of her face that had scars on it. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks at that point.


    The man felt a strong sense of sympathy for the woman, even though she looked like aplete mess


    at that moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t question me¡ªjust do what I say! Isn¡¯t your family business rted to information-providing? I


    just need you toe up with some false information for Leo before stealing the actual file from him.


    I¡¯m begging you!¡± She shook his arms frantically. Ashton had embarrassed himself a few times in frontThis is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    of her earlier, and this time, he finally found something that he was capable of helping out with. ¡°Calm


    down. I¡¯ll do it for you,¡± he uttered as he held onto her hands.


    ¡°Hurry up and do it!¡± Elyse gave him a harsh shove.


    ¡­


    Leo was in a good mood that night. He had a meal with Amelie and Bria, and this was the first time he


    felt a sense of kinship in their family of three. Looking back now, I really failed to appreciate all the good


    times we once had. He couldn¡¯t help but think about Amelie while he was on the way back. The smile


    on his lips remained frozen on his face throughout the whole ride home.


    Eugene, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, was shocked to see the smile on Leo¡¯s face. Eugene hung his


    mouth wide open. He had always thought of Leo as a stern person, and he had barely ever seen Leo


    smile since he first met him. What¡¯s he smiling about? Is it Bria? Eugene considered the possibility of


    Leo thinking about Bria, but his gut feeling also told him that Leo¡¯s smile didn¡¯t seem like the type of


    smile he would make for his daughter.


    Eugene was a father himself, so he knew how he would have apassionate and loving smile on his


    face whenever he thought about his kids. The smile on Leo¡¯s face¡­ looks more like it¡¯s for a woman.


    But he doesn¡¯t have any women around him, Eugene thought. ¡°I want to head back to the office.¡± Leo¡¯s


    voice sounded from the backseat, disrupting Eugene¡¯s train of thought.


    Leo¡¯s voice was icy and hard. The warm smile on his face earlier had been reced by an icy frown.


    Eugene shuddered at how quickly Leo could change his expression. ¡°The office, right?¡± Eugene had


    been too distracted to pay attention to Leo¡¯s words earlier. Furthermore, Leo had finished all of his


    tasks that day. Why does he want to go back to the office?


    Eugene didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but he followed his orders and sent Leo to the office


    anyway. ¡°You can get off work now.¡± Leo took the keys from Eugene while dismissing him from his


    duties. After that, Leo headed up to his room. He didn¡¯t have much work to do, but he wanted to go


    through the files on Amelie that Victor had left for him.


    After so long, this was the first time Leo genuinely felt the urge to know Amelie as a person. He wanted


    to know all about her childhood and how she grew up. He was somewhat puzzled by certain things,


    too, and he wanted to figure them out. At that thought, Leo picked up the files from the table and tore


    the seal open to reveal the papers inside.

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224


    Leo ced the papers on top of his knees before flipping through them with the tips of his fingers. His


    gaze was lowered, and he wore a serious look on his face. After he finished thest page, he flipped it


    over and sat in silence for a long while. He pressed his palm against thest page and remained still for


    a long time.


    The content and details of the file were extremely thorough, and it documented Amelie¡¯s primary school


    life up until her university days. Everything was written clearly, yet there didn¡¯t seem to have anything


    that stuck out for Leo. He flipped through the pages once more with an enigmatic look on his stone-cold


    face.


    He felt a strong sense of familiarity after spending all his recent time with Amelie. He felt like he had


    known her even before their four-year marriage. Yet, none of this was mentioned in the file. He didn¡¯t


    question Victor¡¯s professional abilities, and he trusted Victor immensely. Does that mean I was the one


    who was overthinking it?


    ¡­


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    The next day, Amelie went to pick Bria up at 5.00PM sharp. She could see Bria being led out by


    someone else, even from a distance away. The girl seemed especially happy that day, and she skipped


    over to Amelie, revealing her fair legs under her princess dress. Her braids swung around in the air as


    she lifted her small face to beam and spoke to the person holding her hand.


    Amelie followed Bria¡¯s gaze and shifted her attention to the person holding Bria¡¯s hands, and she saw a


    man, who was dressed in a dark green coat. The man had a same-colored scarf dangling around his


    neck. His figure wasnky, and he was dressed stylishly. The white shirt under the man¡¯s dark coat


    seemed especially eye-catching due to the contrast in colors.


    Leo¡¯s hard expression seemed softer than usual. Didn¡¯t he just see Bria yesterday? Why is he here


    again today? Amelie was confused. It was a one-hour drive from Halport to Clouson City, and it was


    troublesome for one to travel between the two ces. Furthermore, Leo was a busy man with a lot of


    other important matters to handle.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Bria and Leo walked up to Amelie while she was still immersed in her thoughts. Bria¡¯s sweet


    and loud voice sounded in Amelie¡¯s ears, and the young girl swung her father¡¯s arm back and forth as


    she greeted her mother. ¡°Daddy¡¯s here to pick us up,¡± she uttered before shing a wide grin that


    showed her baby teeth. The little girl made it sound as if Leo was there for both Amelie and herself.


    Amelie remained calm as she pulled Bria closer to her. ¡°You¡¯re a busy man, Mr. Alston. You don¡¯t have


    toe over every day,¡± she uttered in a polite tone. The man frowned at her words. ¡°Well, Bria¡¯s my


    daughter, and I want to make time for her. I don¡¯t see an issue with that.¡± He stuck his hands into his


    pants as he spoke coldly.


    His words¡­ Why does he sound like he¡¯s trying to pick a fight? Amelie was too stunned to speak for a


    moment, so she had no choice but to remain silent. ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s have dinner with Daddy again


    today.¡± Bria held onto Amelie¡¯s hand while looking at her. The girl was petite, so she had to stick her


    head up just to meet Amelie¡¯s gaze. Dinner had been wonderful the night before, and she was still


    yearning for more time with her parents.


    Naturally, Amelie disagreed with that idea. ¡°Your dad¡¯s busy. We shouldn¡¯t take up too much of his


    time.¡±


    ¡°I came all the way here, anyway. I don¡¯t mind having a meal,¡± Leo added right after she finished her


    words. She was speechless after that. She couldn¡¯t help but give him a long stare. She felt like he had


    been acting differently in recent days. He used to be so eager to get away from me. Why is he


    suggesting that we have a meal together now? Did he injure his head or something? Is he getting pre-


    wedding jitters because of his uing marriage?


    Amelie was certain that he was about to get married ever since she found out about Carol. Based on


    Amelie¡¯s knowledge, people who had pre-wedding jitters would act in ways that were out of their norm.


    This is the second time he¡¯s getting married. Why is he still so nervous?


    ¡°But I¡¯ve already prepared food at home.¡± Regardless of what Leo¡¯s issue was, she had no interest in


    sharing another meal with him. She had to take up a lot more chores since Steven wasn¡¯t around, and


    she was in charge of cooking. Phew. I¡¯m d I have this as an excuse, Amelie thought to herself.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we invite him for dinner at home, then?¡± Bria suggested. Amelie was speechless after that.


    It seems like this youngdy has forgotten whose side she¡¯s on ever since Leo pampered her a little.


    The little girl was worried that her mother would reject her suggestion again, so she tugged Amelie¡¯s


    sleeve. ¡°Please say yes, Mommy. Daddy traveled all the way here, and he must be hungry. It¡¯d be so


    sad if he didn¡¯t get to have a meal with us.¡± She was a sneaky but smart little girl¡ªshe knew how to


    widen her eyes and purse her lips when she wanted something. She knew that others wouldn¡¯t reject


    her when she looked both adorable and pitiful at the same time.


    Amelie parted her lips to speak, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to reject Bria. ¡°I don¡¯t mind skipping a


    meal if you don¡¯t have enough food for three. I just want to spend time with Bria since she¡¯s so fond of


    me.¡± Leo, who had been silent, finally spoke up for himself. Amelie was speechless¡ªshe had intended


    to use theck of food as her next excuse, but his words left her stuck in a corner.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She had no choice but to nod in agreement. ¡°However, I¡¯m not good at cooking, so I¡¯m not sure


    if you¡¯ll appreciate the food I make.¡± Her words were directed toward Leo. She was referring to how he


    had always rejected her food when she prepared meals for him back in Alston Residence.


    He didn¡¯t respond to her words. He simply walked over to Bria¡¯s other side before reaching for the girl¡¯s


    unupied hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Amelie blushed as she watched the both of them. Leo was holding onto


    Bria¡¯s left hand while she was holding onto Bria¡¯s right. They looked like a perfect little family. Isn¡¯t Leo


    worried that this might look bad for him? she thought.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mommy.¡± Bria swung her arm to urge her mother to hurry. Both Bria and Leo were already


    walking ahead of Amelie. However, when Amelie looked at the back of Leo¡¯s head, she realized he


    didn¡¯t seem to see any issue with the way they were holding Bria¡¯s hands. He seemedfortable with


    the arrangement. Ultimately, she gave in to Bria¡¯s urges and hurried after her daughter and the man.


    She made sure to walk slightly behind the father-daughter pair, and she kept arger distance between


    herself and Bria so that she could be farther away from Leo as well. Bria¡¯s kindergarten was just two


    streets away from Amelie¡¯s house. Leo didn¡¯t drive his car¡ªthe three of them simply walked back


    home together. Bria greeted her friends whenever she walked past them. ¡°Hey, Lexie! This is my dad.


    Hey, Jordy! Meet my dad!¡± Bria seemed as if she wanted to tell the whole world that she had a father.


    The students were part of the team who went to the nursing home, so they had met Leo in the past.


    Amelie figured it wouldn¡¯t be awkward for them to know of Leo as Bria¡¯s father. What embarrassed her


    the most was how Bria insisted on introducing her father to every single store they had passed by on


    the way back to their house. The exasperation was written all over Amelie¡¯s face as she walked with


    the father-daughter pair.


    The store owners seemed excited to meet Leo. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Bria¡¯s father. What a handsome man!¡±


    Some of them stuck their thumbs up as they genuinely found Leo good-looking. Amelie hastened her


    footsteps and covered half of her face with her hand. Once they got home, Leo reached out to get


    himself a pair of indoor slippers. He had gottenfortable with the ce since he had visited Bria


    frequently while Bria was injured. Back then, Amelie had prepared a pair of indoor slippers for him.


    Once he was done putting on his slippers, he helped Bria with her shoes. Bria¡¯s tiny figure rested


    against his body as she pressed her small palms against his shoulder. Leo didn¡¯t seem to mind this¡ª


    he used his bony and slender fingers to remove her princess shoes before putting on a pair of indoor


    slippers for her. His actions were calm and steady. Even though he was helping someone else to put


    on their shoes, he still managed to act in a ssy and elegant manner.


    After Bria was done putting her slippers on, she ran off into the living hall. Amelie had bought a


    rtivelyrge house, and there were a lot of vintage items lying around. Even though her house


    wasn¡¯t asrge as Alston Residence, it didn¡¯t seem too shabby or tight either. Amelie had prepared


    their meal before she left the house, so there were already dishes on the table. There were only two


    tes of vegetables and a soup, which weren¡¯t enough for the three of them. I can¡¯t just let Leo sit


    around without eating, right?


    Amelie let out a loud sigh before she gave up and walked into the kitchen. She opened her fridge and


    pulled out some chicken breast, some ginger, and some fresh vegetables. After washing the


    vegetables, she reached out for the ginger. Just then, she saw a bony hand sliding into her field of


    vision and reaching for the ginger she wanted to take.


    She froze before she looked up to see Leo standing before her with a calm look on his face. He had


    removed his coat and scarf, so he was only wearing a in white shirt. The high-quality shirt fitted


    perfectly on his body, enhancing the shape of his torso. He seemed rather sexy in the thin shirt.

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225


    ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Amelie only realized she was supposed to take the ginger from him then. She took it and


    peeled its skin off with a knife while Leo simply stood around and watched her. She was dumbfounded.


    Why is he looking at me as if I¡¯m putting on some performance for him? ¡°The kitchen can smell pretty


    oily and smoky after a while. I think you should wait outside, Mr. Alston. Food will be ready in 20


    minutes.¡± She felt too uneasy about having him watching her cook, so she ¡®kindly¡¯ reminded him of the


    stench in the kitchen.


    Leo nodded to show acknowledgment but remained in his spot anyway. Amelie no longer knew what to


    say. Fine, fine. He can watch me if he wants to. A rich guy like him has probably never seen anyone


    preparing his food. Perhaps he thinks of me as one of those people on cooking shows. In the end, she


    simply kept her focus on her food,pletely ignoring the man¡¯s existence.


    ¡°Are you good at cooking?¡± he questioned Amelie when he saw how smoothly she had chopped the


    ginger into tiny slices. Amelieughed to herself under her breath. ¡°I bet rich guys like you don¡¯t have


    enough memory to remember everything about your lives. My main duty was to stay in the kitchen and


    clean the house, remember?¡± Before she became a part of the Alston Family, she had never once


    gotten her hands dirty.


    Steven treated her like a princess, and he didn¡¯t allow her to do any chores at all. However, after she


    entered the Alston Family, she was downgraded to bing a maid. Jodie and Melissa¡¯s critical


    comments would fill the house as Amelie desperately tried toplete all her chores. However, Amelie


    no longer wanted to think about the past, so she merely poured some ginger and garlic into the oil


    before frying it.


    Soon enough, the room was filled with the heavy scent of ginger and garlic. Leo tilted his head a little


    as he watched how smoothly and skillfully she cooked the food. She¡¯s right. I never once paid attention


    to her back in the Alston Residence. I hated her too much back then, so I didn¡¯t show any care for what


    my family did to her or what she was told to do in the house. Every time I saw her walking here and


    there with Miss Potts, and every time I saw her cooking or doing chores, I just assumed that she was


    trying to attract my attention. But it¡¯s now evident that she doesn¡¯t need my wealth to live a good life on


    her own, Leo thought.


    ¡°Is your father a cobbler as well?¡± he asked. Amelie was sweating from the heat as she cooked, but


    she froze and turned to look at the man when she heard his random question. Her brows were pressed


    into a puzzled frown when she realized the way he worded his sentence. Why did he ask if my father¡¯s


    a cobbler ¡®as well¡¯? Does he know anyone else who¡¯s in the same line of work?


    She let out augh without questioning Leo. She didn¡¯t exin the reason she wasughing, but Leo


    was quick to understand the reason for herughter. He had been married to Amelie for four years, yet


    he didn¡¯t even know what her father worked as. A rather bashful look surfaced in his cold expression.


    He reached out and held onto her arm right before she brought the bowl of soup out to the dining area.


    ¡°Were you a frequent visitor of the hospital in Quinn Town?¡± he asked.


    Amelie turned around to stare at him. Did he recall something? She was about to make ament


    when his phone rang out of nowhere. ¡°You should pick it up,¡± she uttered after some hesitation. She


    still wasn¡¯t too sure about how she was going to talk to him about the past.


    While Leo picked up his phone, Amelie took this chance to exit the kitchen. He only joined them a while


    later, looking somewhat uneasy. He rubbed his long fingers against his brows for a while before


    ncing at Amelie and Bria. Bria was sitting in Amelie¡¯sp, but she was looking at Leo.


    Amelie, on the other hand, didn¡¯t bother to meet his gaze. ¡°You should leave if you have something to


    do, Mr. Alston.¡± Her tone was harsh and cold. When she walked out of the kitchen earlier, she


    overheard the voice on the other end of the line. She heard Elyse¡¯s nameing up in the


    conversation. If Elyse is still interacting with him at this point, then it¡¯s clear that their rtionship is


    something beyond their regr friendship. I guess that¡¯s good, Amelie thought. If Leo pays more


    attention to Elyse, then Carol will stop ming me for taking up Leo¡¯s time.


    ¡°It¡¯s not urgent,¡± Leo replied before he moved to sit beside Bria. Amelie stared at the man for a brief


    moment, but the man was already busy picking up Bria¡¯s bowl to scoop up some rice for her. He


    scooped another bowl for himself before he reached for Amelie¡¯s bowl in front of her. She was utterly


    speechless at that point. Doesn¡¯t he care about Elyse anymore? In that case, why did he seem so


    uneasy earlier, then?


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    She only returned to her senses when she felt the weight of a bowl on her palm. What was I thinking


    about? It doesn¡¯t matter if Leo cares about Elyse. It¡¯s none of my business. The person who should be


    worried about this is Miss Joyner. Moreover, he¡¯s probably only staying because he doesn¡¯t want to


    disappoint Bria. At that thought, Amelie looked up and focused on eating her meal.


    She was a fast eater. She had been a much slower eater back when she was in Alston Residence.


    Back then, she would slowly chew on one mouthful of food before swallowing it. She used to seem a lot


    more cautious and fearful. She was so alert that she used to sit only on the edge of her chair. However,


    right now, Amelie seemed much calmer and more natural in front of Leo. She didn¡¯t even seem to


    bother with her mannerisms as she casually ate her food.


    Leo was stunned to see the way she ate. They had eaten in a restaurant the day before, so Amelie


    might have been a little more careful with the way she ate then. However, when he saw her true nature,


    he didn¡¯t feel disgusted at all. If anything, he feltforted by the sight of her. ¡°Hurry up and eat,


    Daddy,¡± Bria urged him by knocking on his bowl. Then, the younger girl ced some food in it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he uttered before he started eating his meal. Bria hurried off to y with her toys after


    they were done with the meal. Leo watched as Amelie cleaned the table up with an apron around her


    waist. For some reason, she seemed both simr yetpletely different from the person she was


    back when she was in the Alston Family. Leo couldn¡¯t tell what the change was about.


    When he nced at his daughter, who was ying on her own in the hall, and the woman who was


    hard at work before his eyes, he felt a wave of serenity washing over him. It felt as if he had finally got


    home after walking through a snowstorm. This was something he had never experienced back when he


    was in the Alston Residence.


    Amelie felt somewhat puzzled when she walked out of the kitchen after washing her bowls. Why is Leo


    still here? He still needs to work even if he doesn¡¯t want to meet Elyse, right? Why is he acting as if he


    has just shut down his business and has nothing better to do?


    She was aware of how well Leo¡¯spany was doing. They had just revealed their report for the first


    quarter and saw a 300% increase in their profit. Leo¡¯s business used to be considered a significant


    organization within the city, but at this point, it was practically recognized across the whole nation. He


    didn¡¯t have manypetitors. Amelie heard that he had tons of projects to handle.


    She was just thinking about that matter when she heard her doorbell ring. She had no idea who would


    visit her at that time of the day. She was about to walk over when she saw Bria had already tottered


    over to the door. ¡°Grandpa must be home!¡± the little girl cried out excitedly as she pulled the door open.


    Amelie didn¡¯t hear Steven¡¯s voice ring out even after the door was opened for a while. And Bria didn¡¯t


    say anything, either. Amelie turned around to see a wheelchair sitting outside her front door. Dressed in


    white, a long-haired woman sat in the wheelchair with her face covered in makeup. It was none other


    than Elyse.


    Elyse¡¯s leg hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet, but she didn¡¯t want to seem like a mess when she returned to the


    company. So, she ordered her doctors to give her some painkillers before she put on her heels and


    headed to work. However, she was back in a wheelchair right now, her arms resting on either side of


    her wheelchair. Her legs were covered by long white pants, so one couldn¡¯t see the condition of her


    legs.


    There were beads of sweat on her forehead, and she seemed rather anxious. When Elyse met gazes


    with Bria, she reached her hands out and held Bria¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Is your father here, Bria?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Leo walked over with a grim look on his face. He bent down and picked


    Bria up before giving Elyse an icy, distant re. Elyse eyed him helplessly. She pouted at the sight of


    how cold and heartless he seemed toward her. ¡°I have some important matters I need your help with,¡±


    she said.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked in the same icy tone.


    Amelie was standing a distance away, quietly observing their interactions with one another. She could


    hear Elyse¡¯s soft reply. ¡°It¡¯s about my sister¡­¡±

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Leo suddenly interrupted her. Then, he turned back around and set Bria on the


    ground before patting her tiny head. ¡°I need to head outside to talk about something. I¡¯lle back and


    y with youter.¡±


    Her eyes filled with confusion as she looked at him, but she still nodded.


    While standing back up, he looked at Amelie and informed her, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    That surprised Amelie. Is he informing me of his whereabouts? Is there a need to do so? Perhaps this


    is the courtesy between the guest and the host?


    After hearing that Leo was willing to talk outside, Elyse took the initiative to maneuver her wheelchair


    out the door. Following that, he strode outside.


    Amelie considerately closed the door to prevent hearing about their conversation. When she turned


    around, she saw Bria still standing in her spot.


    The smile on the kid¡¯s face was long gone, and she was currently looking at Amelie with herrge eyes,


    tightly pouting her lips. ¡°Will Daddy leave with that woman?¡± she asked.


    Internally, she hoped that her daddy would stay because what child would not want that?


    Amelie walked over and squatted down before embracing her. ¡°Your daddy has his life and work, so he


    can¡¯t always stay by your side, but he¡¯s already trying his best to make time to be with you. So, you


    have to understand his situation. Alright?¡±


    Although divorced, Amelie never wanted to be enemies with Leo, especially before their children.


    Therefore, she always tried to be as fair to him as possible.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Bria was still unhappy, but she no longer felt conflicted.


    ¡°How about we y with your building blocks?¡± Amelie held Bria¡¯s hand.


    ¡­


    Outside, Leo stood in the corridor that was coincidentally adjacent to the door to Amelie¡¯s home. When


    he saw her closing the door, he could not help but frown.


    In the meantime, Elyse stopped her wheelchair before him and watched his every expression. Her eyes


    were slightly red as she pleaded, ¡°Leony, I¡¯m being bullied by everyone. My manager ignores me and


    turns a blind eye when the newbies steal my jobs. They¡¯ve already taken away several acting roles


    from me. Even those sponsors are humiliating me! Please, help me.¡±


    At that, he finally withdrew his gaze from Amelie¡¯s door and looked at Elyse with a calm and


    emotionless countenance. ¡°Did you ask me toe here just for this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other choice. That¡¯s why¡­¡± She bit her lips as tears fell from her eyes. Both of her


    hands clenched into fists, which made her look pitiful.


    Though she was unwilling toin to Leo, she could not do anything without his help. If she could,


    she would instead aplish something beforeing to him so she could show him how excellent


    she was. After considering her situation, she could only plead with him for help.


    ¡°For Ellen¡¯s sake, please help me.¡±


    Leo did not reply to her immediately, but his emotionless visage became gloomier and more distant. As


    the pressure around them dropped, which caused the air to dissipate, Elyse felt like she was struggling


    to breathe.


    ¡°Since this has nothing to do with Ellen, you can leave.¡± Once he finished speaking, he walked away


    without any mercy.


    ¡°Leony!¡± At the sight of a merciless man, she could not hold back her gushing tears. ¡°You can¡¯t leave


    me alone. You¡¯ve said that although you can¡¯t return my feelings, you will repay Ellen¡¯s kindness!¡±


    It felt embarrassing to use her sister to ask Leo for help, but Elyse could not care less about that. She


    was willing to do anything just to stand up again and crush those b*stards that hurt her!


    ¡°You can do nothing and live a peaceful life with the money I gave you.¡± His voice sounded cold, and


    the meaning was clear¡ªhe would only make sure she would not starve.


    Elyse did not know how to respond. What¡¯s the use of only avoiding starvation? Without actual power


    and status, I can¡¯t avenge all those grievances and humiliations I suffered!


    However, Leo was not in the mood to care about her feelings and had already reached Amelie¡¯s door


    by then. He pulled the door open, eager to return and be with Amelie and Bria.


    Just as he was about to open the door, he heard a voice yelling from behind, ¡°Ellen. Ellen is back!¡±


    The hand on the doorknob froze, and his lightning-like gaze shot at Elyse. It was so forceful and strong


    that it made her shiver in fear.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Say that again!¡± When he said so, he had arrived before her wheelchair and gripped tightly onto the


    armrests. Then, he pulled her and her wheelchair over.


    Since he was close, his gaze seemed more forceful and sharper than earlier, causing Elyse to stammer


    a while before muttering, ¡°E-Ellen is back. I-It¡¯s true.¡± She shrank her body, obviously terrified by his


    actions.


    Leo fell silent again while staring straight at her like he was trying to see through her. A whileter, he


    stood up without saying anything and entered the house.


    Elyse was at a loss for words. He¡¯s leaving? Does he not care about Ellen¡¯s return?


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Bria jumped to her feet excitedly and disregarded her building blocks upon hearing the door


    lock. Then, she ran over and threw herself into Leo¡¯s arms.


    He squatted and caught her before helping her steady herself. ¡°I have something important I need to


    deal with. I¡¯ll visit you next time.¡±


    In response, she did not speak but pouted. She wanted to ask him to stay but remembered that Amelie


    said he was swamped.


    He looked down and leaned his forehead against Bria¡¯s before rising to his feet and thanking Amelie,


    ¡°Thank you for having me over tonight.¡±


    After saying that, he strode away.


    An hourter, his limited-edition Porsche Cayenne stopped before the entrance of a small cottage. The


    entrance was in an alley with tall walls around it, making it seem quiet and secluded.


    At the door was Michael, who had been waiting for some time. When he saw the car approaching, he


    quickly came forward to wee the guest, after which the door opened, revealing Leo.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, y-you¡¯re here,¡± Michael greeted him while tteringly bowed.


    Since he was not tall, to begin with, he seemed even shorter and more vish after bowing.


    ¡°Dad.¡± Elyse opened the door and called to him.


    Then, Michael sprinted over and helped her get her wheelchair.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ellen?¡± she asked.


    He pointed inside the cottage. ¡°Inside. She¡¯s inside!¡±


    As soon as his words fell, Leo dashed over at the speed of lightning.


    The courtyard only had one single-story house. He scanned every corner of the cottage and walked


    toward the corridor that led to the rooms.


    There were three rooms in the cottage, and two of them were open and empty. Therefore, he merely


    scanned across them before staring at the only closed door. He reached out and grabbed the handle.


    ¡°Mr. Alston!¡± Michael ran over anxiously and grabbed Leo¡¯s hand. ¡°You can¡¯t open this door!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± After shaking Michael¡¯s hand away in frustration, Leo questioned, ¡°Isn¡¯t Big Eyes back?


    Where is she?¡±


    Michael kept scratching his head while sneaking a peek at Elyse.


    Then, she rolled her wheelchair over and exined, ¡°Leony, don¡¯t be so anxious and hear me out.


    Ellen has been through a lot, so she¡¯s gotten very timid and easily terrified. You¡¯ll scare her if you barge


    in like that.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when we wereing here?¡± Leo¡¯s gaze looked furious.


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ I forgot to tell you,¡± she replied quickly.


    His sharp gaze made her afraid to look into his eyes.


    ¡°Leony, truth be told, Ellen has been back for a few days, but she isn¡¯t mentally stable. That¡¯s why I


    didn¡¯t tell you about it. She screams at everyone and won¡¯t stop no matter what you say or do. Also,


    she¡¯s seriously malnourished and would faint if she gets too emotional. Would you bear to see her pass


    out from seeing you?¡±


    At that, Leo slowly fixed his eyes on that door. Elyse lies pathologically, so her words aren¡¯t believable.


    Therefore, he reached out and nned to push the door open forcefully.


    Frantic, Elyse quickly came forward and leaned over to hug his legs. ¡°Leony, please. Don¡¯t scare Ellen


    anymore. She¡¯s already been through hell! Sob!¡± she cried in pity as tears streamed down her cheeks.


    At that moment, he could only nce down at her.

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227


    ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll bring you to see her once she gets better. So, Leony, for the sake of your savior,


    please give her some time, okay?¡± Along with the tears streaming down her pitiful-looking face, her sad


    voice could evoke everyone¡¯spassion.


    In the end, Leo withdrew his hand, but it was not because he felt distressed for Elyse. It was because


    he was afraid that¡­ Big Eyes was back.


    How could he stand to hurt Big Eyes, who donated her cornea to him?


    As such, he walked toward the living room with Michael and Elyse following behind him. When they


    looked up, they saw that Leo had not left but stood in the living room with his back against them. His


    hands were sagging before him, and he seemed to be exuding a sad aura.


    Having known him for so long, Elyse had never seen him so dejected and was shocked.


    Michael nudged her, asking her to say something. ¡°Leony¡­¡± She hesitantly called him.


    ¡°You should know what I¡¯m capable of. If this is all a lie, you¡¯d bettere clean!¡± After warning them,


    Leo disappeared through the entrance.


    It was not until they heard the car engine gradually disappearing that Michael clutched his chest,


    moved a few steps back, and plopped down onto the couch like a pile of mud.


    Meanwhile, Elyse was not faring any better. Her face was ashen, and she had broken out in a cold


    sweat. She was gripping the metal armrests of her wheelchair to stop herself from falling over.


    It took her a while before she slowly made her way to the closed door and opened it with a key,


    revealing an empty room.


    ¡°El, have you gone mad? How could you lie to Leo about this?¡± Michael got up from the couch and


    made his way over to Elyse with difficulty. He supported his waist while heaving. ¡°Do you know how


    much danger you¡¯ve put us in earlier? I was almost scared to death!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time, anyway! What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Her voice was now ice cold, and her


    expression had returned to normal.


    On the other hand, he looked pale after being exposed.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to get a decoy?¡± Elyse questioned in dissatisfaction, ¡°Why is no one here?¡±


    Michael sighed and replied, ¡°How do you expect me to get a woman in such a short time? You should


    be lucky I was quick-witted and locked the door. Or else, we would¡¯ve been toast.¡± He kept wiping the


    sweat on his forehead.


    The so-called ¡®Ellen is back¡¯ was just a n Elyse conjured up on a whim. Therefore, when Leo asked


    to meet his savior, she could only text Michael and ask him to make some arrangements.


    Although they were habitual liars, Michael was still terrified by what happened. The person tricked was


    not anyone but Leo Alston, the man who could erase him from the earth with ease and silence!


    ¡°El, even though you managed to fool Leo this time, you might not be able to fool him again. I think


    we¡¯d bettere up with another n. How about wee clean to him?¡±


    He was already so old and wanted to live the rest of his life peacefully, so he did not want to cause any


    more trouble for himself.


    ¡°Come clean?¡± When Elyse heard what Michael said, her face immediately fell. ¡°Leo doesn¡¯t even look


    at me now. How do you expect me to make a turnaround if we tell him the truth?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Thinking of the people who bullied and hurt her, she gnashed her teeth so hard and felt her blood boil!


    ¡°I¡¯m still counting on him to help me get back on my feet!¡±


    ¡°My dear daughter, what nonsense are you on about?¡± He felt like crying after hearing what she said. ¡°If


    you tell him the truth now, he might forgive us because of your ¡®sister¡¯ and make sure we can live a


    comfortable life. However, if your lies get exposed, not only would we have to worry about food and


    water, we might even lose our lives!¡±


    To Michael, having necessities and money to spend was already a perfect life, so he did not have to


    make things more difficult for himself.


    ¡°El, you can¡¯t be so muddleheaded.¡±


    Meanwhile, Elyse also knew that her n was risky.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find Leo now and apologize to him!¡± While saying that, Michael frantically sprinted toward


    the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡± Her voice came from behind him. ¡°Dad, have you thought about what would happen if


    you tell Leo we lied? He¡¯d start getting suspicious about whether there¡¯s an ¡®Ellen¡¯ in the first ce! You


    and I know the truth, so if he decides to investigate this matter, he¡¯ll certainly find something. When that


    timees, we won¡¯t live afortable life but disappear without a trace!¡±


    Once she finished her words, Michael fell to the ground like he had lost all his energy. ¡°El, what have


    you done? Can¡¯t you think beforeing up with such a n?¡±


    ¡°Do you think Leo wouldn¡¯t investigate this matter had today¡¯s incident not happened?¡± Elyse stared


    down at her haggard-looking father with cold eyes. ¡°He¡¯s already suspicious and has been


    investigating! I helped you this time because only when ¡®Ellen¡¯es home will he ignore his suspicion


    and believe that it was her who saved him!¡±


    ¡°Leo¡­ is investigating this matter? H-How could that be? Didn¡¯t we tie up all our loose ends? How


    could he¡­¡± He looked at her in disbelief.


    She sneered. ¡°Do you think Leo is a fool? He wouldn¡¯t have survived in the business industry if he¡¯s so


    gullible.¡±


    Temporarily, Leo could not find any clues because she had someone helping her. When she thought


    about that person, she could not help but feel irritated.


    ¡°So, what should we do now?¡± Michael was anxious. He did not want thefortable life he obtained


    to vanish.


    ¡°What else can we do? Of course, it¡¯s to find Ellen as soon as possible.¡±


    Hearing that, he wanted to cry again. Find ¡®Ellen¡¯? Ellen might¡¯ve been long dead by now, so where can


    we find her?


    When he transmitted his thoughts into words, she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t care about the probability! We must


    find her! If she¡¯s dead, we¡¯ll just find one who has simr circumstances. If there isn¡¯t one, we¡¯ll just


    make one!¡± She wore a vicious expression while pinching her fingers.


    At that sight, Michael could not help but exim secretly while looking at his daughter. My daughter is


    more merciless than me!


    ¡°You have more connections, so I¡¯ll leave this to you. I¡¯ll be responsible for stalling Leo,¡± Elyse ordered


    decisively.


    ¡­


    When Amelie¡¯s father, Steven, went to Quinn Town without returning home after a long time, she


    became worried and began calling him.


    He found an excuse and said he had something important to do but did not disclose much information


    when asked.


    Therefore, she thought he had gotten used to living in the countryside and stopped asking questions.


    Then, she exhorted him to take care of himself and transferred some money into his bank ount.


    That weekend, Amelie was sending Bria home when Julia called and said she was about to arrive in


    Halport before inviting them to a meal. Since Julia still needed some time to arrive, Amelie brought Bria


    to the restaurant first.


    When they arrived at the restaurant¡¯s entrance, a group of people happened toe out. One of them


    spotted Amelie and paused before calling out for her, ¡°Elie.¡±


    When she looked over, she saw a man in a buzz cut with a briefcase in his hand. She was stunned and


    took a while before recognizing the man. ¡°Matthew Larkson?¡±


    Matthew was the richest man from her hometown and used to pursue her, so it came as a surprise to


    run into him here.


    He uttered something to hispanions before leaving them and approaching her.


    ¡°Bria, this is Mr. Larkson,¡± Amelie told Bria.


    Then, Bria greeted him in her sweet and crisp voice, after which he caressed her dainty face.


    Since Amelie and Bria had stayed in Quinn Town for some time, Matthew had gotten to know the kid


    and had taken a liking to her.


    ¡°Did you have a business to discuss here?¡± asked Amelie.


    While humming in response, he nodded. ¡°Starlight Media and I are working on an agricultural


    development project. I was just discussing it with them.¡± He rubbed his head as he said that. Although


    he felt proud of his aplishment, he did not show off in front of her.


    With that, Amelie finally remembered that Julia had mentioned a project they were working on with


    Quinn Town, not expecting it to be with Matthew. However, she did not mention that she was the owner


    of Starlight Media and decided to exchange some pleasantries before leaving.


    He suddenly changed the topic. ¡°Have you heard about what happened with your dad at Quinn Town?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She could not figure out what he was trying to say.


    He hesitated for a bit before exining, ¡°I don¡¯t know the details since I heard it from someone else, but


    ording to them, the matter has spread throughout the whole vige. I think you¡¯d better head over


    and check up on him.¡±

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228


    After hearing Matthew¡¯s words, Amelie felt uneasy and even lost her appetite. Therefore, she left Bria


    with Julia after she arrived and drove straight to Quinn Town, which was not particrly near since it


    took her three hours to drive there.


    When she arrived, it was already past 9.00PM. There were not many residents in the vige or any


    special entertainment. The most the middle-aged and older folks did was group exercises, and they


    had almost dispersed.


    There were one or two that saw how luxurious Amelie¡¯s car was and came forward to have a look. So,


    she had no choice but to lower her window.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Elie.¡±


    The two lived near Amelie¡¯s home, so they recognized her and greeted her with bright smiles.


    Following that, they looked at her car from all angles whilementing, ¡°Have you made a fortune?


    This is such a great car.¡±


    The vigers were different from before and were now more knowledgeable. Therefore, many of the


    elderly vigers could recognize luxurious cars.


    As Amelie did not drive her car on herst visit, the two elderly women were surprised when they saw


    her car.


    She was anxious to get home but still smiled at them before greeting them politely, ¡°Mrs. Olson, Mrs.


    Drew.¡±


    The two nodded, and Mrs. Drew reached out her oily hand that was used to doing chores and patted


    Amelie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Elie, you must¡¯vee here to pick up your dad, right? That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Hearing her mentioning Steven, Amelie thought about what Matthew had said and asked, ¡°What


    happened to my dad?¡±


    ¡°You mean that matter? Jeez! I even feel embarrassed just talking about it!¡± Mrs. Drew used her wrinkly


    hand to cover her face, but she was giggling.


    Meanwhile, Mrs. Olson was calmer. She also ced her hand on Amelie¡¯s car window and exined,


    ¡°Elie, your dad used to seem upright, but how did he turn into such a person? Men do develop bad


    habits after getting rich. After your dad sold his artwork and earned some money, he started to¡­ His


    lifestyle became¡­Gosh!¡±


    When Amelie heard it was about her dad¡¯s lifestyle, she was not as anxious anymore. She was worried


    about her dad¡¯s health deteriorating or him getting into trouble. Since her dad stayed alone his whole


    life for her, it was reasonable that he wanted to find someone to apany him during hisst years.


    Therefore, she supported that idea.


    In the meantime, Mrs. Olson was still criticizing. ¡°How can he do such a thing? Even if he wants a new


    wife, he should¡¯ve found one that suits him. Why did he have to find such¡­ Gosh!¡±


    The two could not bear to continue anymore and asked Amelie to head home and see for herself.


    Without wasting any more time, she drove toward her home.


    Since thest time they returned, Steven retrieved the old house he used to live in and moved back in.


    After arriving, Amelie parked her car and jumped out. Then, she pushed the old wooden door open


    without being bothered by anything else. The door was not locked, so she easily thrust it open.


    Subsequently, she nced inside and saw a dark, gloomy courtyard.


    There was no light there, so her vision was blurred. However, she still caught sight of her father sitting


    beside the well, bending over while pushing and pulling the lever of the well. In the meantime, water


    was being pumped up from the well and flowed into a basin.


    Then, he bent down to pick up the basin and ced it outside the concrete well, where someone was


    sitting on a stool.


    Amelie could not make out the person¡¯s face, but her pale legs swinging back and forth were eye-


    catching.


    He ced the basin before that woman and uttered slowly, dragging his words. ¡°Hurry up and wash


    your feet. You should head to bed and rest early.¡±


    The woman on the bench giggled, which somehow exposed her age to be a young woman.


    It was then that Amelie realized the reason behind Mrs. Olson and Mrs. Drew¡¯s behavior. So, my dad is


    dating a young woman?


    Hahahaha.


    Laughter sounded again.


    This time, Amelie turned on the shlight on her phone and shone it in Steven¡¯s direction while calling


    out, ¡°Dad.¡±


    The light from her phonended on his figure.


    Vividly stunned, he rose to his feet and was shocked when he saw her. ¡°Amelie, why did youe


    here?¡±


    It was then that she approached him and looked at him in the night. ¡°You haven¡¯t returned after a long


    time, so I was worried and decided to check up on you.¡±


    She was shocked that her dad would date such a young woman. Then, she looked worriedly at the


    lady.


    Since it was dark outside, Amelie could not make out the woman¡¯s face. The only thing she noticed


    was that the woman¡¯s hair was hanging before her face and was not tied up.


    Though her hair mostly covered her face, the woman seemed like she was about Amelie¡¯s age.


    Steven noticed Amelie was looking at the woman and coughed uneasily. ¡°I wanted to return earlier, but


    this young woman suddenly appeared at our house. I asked her where she lived, but she said she


    doesn¡¯t know. Then, I brought her to the police, but she started crying heavily. The police couldn¡¯t do


    anything, so we could only wait and see whether her family woulde and find her. There was no


    ce to stay at the police station, so I brought her back here.¡±


    After listening to his exnation, Amelie finally understood what had happened. It turns out that Dad


    found a woman who has lost her way and not a girlfriend. I was right. Dad has always been upright, so


    how could he have fallen in love with such a young woman?


    Steven did not like talking to others, so he did not exin anything when the other vigers bumped


    into that youngdy. That was why the vigers thought he was dating her and spread those rumors


    around the vige.


    On the other hand, Amelie did not tell him that she came because of the rumors, but she could not help


    but worry about where that woman could go.


    ¡°Since her family hasn¡¯te for her after so long, they might¡¯ve given up on her. How about we bring


    her to a shelter?¡± Not only did they not know where that woman came from, but she also seemed


    mentally ill. Therefore, it was rather terrifying to keep such a woman around.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    After thinking about it, Steven nodded. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°Elie.¡±


    Just as the two were talking, they suddenly heard a voice.


    Amelie was taken aback and scanned her surroundings.


    There was only her, Steven, and the woman around, so that voice¡­


    ¡°Do you know my daughter?¡± He was the first to react and looked surprisedly at the woman before him.


    She nodded. ¡°Of course, I know Elie. Elie is very pretty. She wears a princess dress every day and is


    the prettiest princess in the entire vige.¡±


    Hearing that, Amelie was at a loss for words because the girl she was describing was indeed Amelie


    when she was a child. How does she know what I was like?


    While thinking of that, she shone the light onto the woman while moving away the hair that was


    covering her face. Steven also leaned over to take a look.


    Since he had presbyopia, he could not see anything under the dim lighting.


    However, Amelie slowly gained confidence that she had seen this face before. She racked her brain to


    find out who this woman was, and a simr figure suddenly appeared in her mind. ¡°You¡¯re Liz!¡±


    ¡°Liz?¡± Steven became even more shocked. ¡°How could she be¡­ Liz? How could Liz be¡­¡±


    Liz was the daughter of Steven¡¯s former apprentice and had stayed with the Dillons for a long period.


    Since her father did not send her to school, she became introverted and locked herself in the loft


    almost every day.


    However, the ¡®Liz¡¯ back then was alert and not mentally ill¡­

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229


    ¡°Yes, I am Liz,¡± the young woman spoke up sweetly, but her voice sounded robotic.


    Amelie was at a loss for words.


    Steven could not recognize Liz until now because she covered almost her entire face with her hair all


    day long. Also, she did not like appearing before others when she lived with the Dillons, so they would


    not meet each other for a few days at once. It had been so long since then that he had long forgotten


    about her.


    After observing her for a while, he sighed and withdrew his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s out on the


    streets.¡±


    He never had any positive feelings about Liz¡¯s dad, his apprentice.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious now. Gary saw that she had gone mad and discarded her.¡±


    Gary McBride was Steven¡¯s apprentice. One day, he came to Steven¡¯s door and told him how pitiful he


    was. After hearing Gary¡¯s story, Steven could not bear to see him suffer and agreed to let him be his


    apprentice.


    He pretended to be an honest person, addressing Steven as his master and saying he would take care


    of Steven after he got old. However, he secretly stole Steven¡¯s glue-making form and decided to sell


    it at a high price.


    The glue-making process was the most important in making shoes, for it was what paid the bills.


    Therefore, selling the form was equivalent to ruining Steven¡¯s career.


    At that time, Steven relied on his skills in shoemaking to feed his family. Naturally, he would not let such


    a thing happen. After Gary¡¯s intentions were exposed, he sent the traitor away. Yet, he even stole a


    huge amount of money when he left!


    It was until they went to file a police report that they discovered the name, Gary McBride, was fake.


    If Liz had not appeared, Steven would have forgotten about that incident since it happened so long


    ago.


    When Amelie thought of these, she could not help but sigh softly. Then, the two brought Liz inside and


    let her sit on the old cloth couch.


    Amelie asked her, ¡°Where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    Liz¡¯s eyes looked dazed, and it took her a while before coughing out augh and replied, ¡°My sister is


    the most important. Daddy isn¡¯t a good person. I followed Daddy, and Mommy married a rich man. My


    sister followed Mommy and the rich man.¡±


    After asking Liz many questions, she kept repeating these illogical sentences, so the Dillons could not


    get much information from her and stopped asking.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Since Gary was a fake name and Liz was not in a sound mind, the Dillons had no idea where to send


    her. Therefore, Amelie stuck to her original n and sent her to a shelter.


    As there were not any in Quinn Town, Amelie brought her back to Halport and settled her at a shelter


    there.


    After the personnel checked Liz, she asked Amelie, ¡°One of her eyes is blind, and she has traces of


    abuse on her. Do you know what she¡¯s been through?¡±


    Amelie gazed into Liz¡¯s eyes in surprise. She noticed her eyes looked dazed and thought it was due to


    her mental state. So, it was because she¡¯s blind in one eye?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± It took her a while to answer.


    The worker sighed and shook her head. ¡°People from the ck market typically prefer healthy but


    mentally ill kids because their families don¡¯t care or want them, so there¡¯s no risk in kidnapping these


    kids. After caring for the kids for a few years, they would have these kids¡¯ organs harvested for


    whoever needed them. It seems like she¡¯s one of the lucky ones because she only lost her cornea.¡±


    Although Liz only had her cornea removed, such an experience must have been terrifying. Then,


    Amelie subconsciously touched her eye, which had lost most of its cornea too.


    That day onward, Amelie¡¯s life was back to being peaceful, except when Leo kepting over with the


    excuse of visiting Bria. Luckily, his visits were not frequent, so Amelie could ept that exception.


    Two weekster, she went to Starlight Media. Although she no longer relied on thatpany to earn


    money, she still had to participate in making important decisions.


    When she arrived at Starlight Media and was ready to walk up the long, artistic stairs inside the


    building, she heard someone call her name. She turned around and saw it was Matthew, who was


    standing not far from her and dressed like an elite with his neat suit, beaming at her.


    ¡°Matthew.¡± Since they bumped into each other, she had no choice but to greet him.


    He kept his bright smile. ¡°I thought I saw you.¡±


    Amelie smiled and heard him continue, ¡°Miss White and I just happened to talk about you thest time


    we met. Since you¡¯re single, how about giving me a chance, Elie?¡±


    Previously, he retreated his pursuit because he thought she had a boyfriend, yet after hearing from


    Julia that Amelie was single, he felt his heart beating wildly for her again.


    Amelie did not answer him but touched her aching forehead. Julia, that idiot. Does she think I don¡¯t


    have enough on my te?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have ns on getting married.¡±


    ¡°Well, you never know. Things might change. Perhaps you¡¯re just terrified of getting married again after


    yourst attempt. After all, everybody is different, and I¡¯m not the same kind of person as your ex,¡±


    Matthew spoke quickly, desperately trying to persuade her. ¡°Although my conditions aren¡¯t as good as


    your ex-husband¡¯s, it¡¯s not a problem for me to give you and Bria afortable life.¡±


    She remained silent.


    ¡°As you can see, Starlight Media and I are working together, and Miss White is very interested in our


    project, so you have to believe me when I say that.¡±


    Of course, Amelie believed him because she was the one who authorized the project. However, she did


    not need another man in her life as she enjoyed her life with Bria and Steven. She had grown tired of


    living with arge family that required her to be attentive to all sorts of rtionships. Now, she preferred


    a simple life.


    Before she could speak, he grabbed her hand. ¡°Elie, please give me a chance. I¡¯ll use the rest of my


    life to prove to you that I can bring you and Bria happiness. If you think that¡¯s not enough, I can even


    give you all of my assets!¡±


    She was too stunned to respond. I don¡¯t need any money because I have countless of them, but if I say


    that, would it¡­


    Just as she was thinking of how to dissuade Matthew, she heard a coughing from behind her.


    Who¡¯s this guy? This is such a broad hallway, but why does he have toe over here? Also, he¡¯s


    coughing like I¡¯m in his way.


    While thinking of that, she moved slightly toward Matthew to make room, but the person behind her did


    not move. Why is that person still standing there? Is he watching us?


    Amelie could not figure out why that person was stationary. She was already feeling awkward with


    Matthew grabbing her hand, but now, they had an audience. Without any other choice, she looked over


    to the person behind her.


    When she turned around, she was met with a pair of cold eyes. Leo!


    Her heart began thumping frantically as she felt like today was her unlucky day. Leo had bumped into


    her in such an awkward state!


    Meanwhile, the man did not move and glued his gaze on her so brazenly that it surprised Matthew.


    ¡°Who is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Alston.¡± Amelie barely managed to smile when she greeted him.


    On the other hand, Leo wore an expressionless face and was as serious looking as ever. There was


    even a slight trace of hostility in him as if someone owed him money.


    With him standing there like an audience, Matthew could not continue with his confession and let go of


    Amelie¡¯s hand. The moment he let go, Leo silently walked past her.


    This man¡­ What is he doing? Did he stand there just to enjoy the show? She was speechless.


    ¡°What¡¯s his rtionship with you?¡± asked Matthew, as Leo¡¯s visage was on the tip of his tongue.


    Since Amelie had no intention of telling others about the matters between her and Leo, nor did she feel


    like there was a need to mention them, she simply replied, ¡°A client.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Matthew responded. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t asked about your job.¡±


    ¡°A social media influencer.¡±


    She had a lot of careers, so she just told him a random one.


    When Matthew heard that she was an influencer, he replied with an ¡®oh¡¯, and his face dimmed. ¡°My


    folks back home don¡¯t like influencers. If it¡¯s possible, you should have a change of career. I can help


    you get whatever job you want. If you want to continue with your current one, t-that works too.¡±


    Amelie was the person Matthew could not let go of. Therefore, even if her career would affect how his


    family judged her, he was willing to ept her wholly.


    Meanwhile, she looked at him speechlessly. Why are we back on this topic again?


    She had repeatedly told him her standpoint and now felt her throat dry, so she no longer wanted to


    continue this conversation and said, ¡°I have something to do. Let¡¯s continue this conversation in the


    future.¡±


    Hearing that she was about to leave, Matthew stuffed his name card into her hand. ¡°If you¡¯re free,


    please call me. No matter what trouble you¡¯re facing, I¡¯m one call away.¡± While he said that, he


    retreated while repeatedly gesturing that she call him.


    In the meantime, Amelie held the name card and thought about how as stubborn as a mule he was.


    Well, at least he¡¯s an honest one.


    As she thought about it, she continued to walk up the stairs. When she arrived at the top and turned a


    corner, she saw the man that left earlier.


    Leo was leaning against the railing at the end of Starlight Media¡¯s corridor while smoking a cigarette.


    The position he was standing in was able to monitor everything that happened at the curved staircase.

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230


    Please don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s been standing there watching me and Matthew all this while.


    With that thought, Amelie shook her head. No, Leo wouldn¡¯t do such a childish thing, so he must be


    waiting for someone.


    As a result, she did not intend to pay any attention to him and continued forward. When she arrived


    before Leo, he straightened his back and left the railway to stand before her. His deep eyesnded on


    her figure. ¡°That man isn¡¯t a fit for you.¡±


    She was speechless. Although she had no intention of getting into a rtionship with Matthew, having


    Leo point out her private matters made her feel uneasy.


    A faint smile appeared on her beautiful face as she rebuked, ¡°Mr. Alston, you¡¯re crossing the line.¡±


    Leo looked silently at her and found her smile cold and offended. Is it because I criticized that man?


    He did not know Matthew¡¯s name but remembered who Matthew was. He was the man who was


    always following behind Amelie back at Quinn Town. Now, he chased after her to Clouson City.


    Combining what Amelie said and how she let that man hold her hand, Leo reckoned she had feelings


    for that man. That guy not only looks meh, but his career is also¡­ meh. His entire existence screams


    ¡®basic¡¯, so what does she see in him?


    The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. His face darkened like storm clouds, and


    an oppressive aura spread about several feet to their surroundings!


    Suddenly, Amelie could feel the oppressive atmosphere and shivered. Why do I feel so cold?


    At first, she thought Leo would act like he usually did and leave without saying anything, but who would


    have thought he would continue to stand before her like a statue?


    ¡°I just want to remind you that you have Bria with you, so it¡¯s not suitable for you to marry a man who¡¯s


    stepping into his first marriage.¡± In an instant, Leo¡¯s voice became ice cold.


    His words¡­ He¡¯s clearly saying that I¡¯m divorced, so I don¡¯t deserve to marry someone like Matthew.


    Fortunately, I have no intentions with Matthew. Or else, I might¡¯ve been discouraged.


    His words resembled a fishbone lodged in her throat; it was stuck in her throat, neither going up nor


    down, making it utterly ufortable to reply.


    Not wanting to say another word to him, Amelie walked past him and left.


    When she arrived at Julia¡¯s office, she saw Julia crossing both her legs on her chair, indecently swirling


    it in circles. Also, she had one handzily propping one side of her head while looking at something in


    her other hand.


    When she saw Amelie, she giggled and walked over. ¡°Have you heard? Elyse has been living a hellish


    life recently. Not only is her manager ignoring her, but all her resources have also been taken away by


    newbies. Also, there¡¯s been news that she even fought with a newbie. Someone happened to catch it


    on camera and posted it on the Inte. The few remaining geeky fans she had have now made a


    change of heart and unfollowed her social media ounts.¡±


    Since Amelie was busy with matters about their tform and had no interest in entertainment news,


    she did not know about Elyse¡¯s recent situation.


    Then, Julia reached out her arm and showed her the video.


    Amelie looked down and watched the video of Elyse fighting another person without caring about her


    image. The Elyse inside the video was no longer the same elegant woman but shrewd!


    Also, the viral video gave theizens another look at how she was in real life. Henceforth, her image


    plummeted, and the inte was filled with criticism of her.


    ¡°She already can¡¯t act, and now, shees out with such a scandal. Does she not want to stay in the


    industry anymore?¡± Julia huffed.


    With the number of disgusting deeds Elyse had done, Julia felt no pity for her encounter; instead, she


    was gloating.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with Leo recently? The love of his life is being mistreated, yet he doesn¡¯t evene to her


    rescue. Is he going to stand by and watch as everyone criticizes her and let her dreams get washed


    away?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    At the mention of him, Amelie instinctively thought about what he had said earlier and felt displeased.


    However, she did not show it on her face but replied coldly, ¡°Melissa has her eyes set on the Joyner


    Family from Seafare, so he might be getting married soon.¡±


    ¡°Really? The Joyner Family from Seafare? That¡¯s a huge chunk of meat,¡± Julia spoke sarcastically. ¡°No


    wonder he left Elyse alone. He¡¯s afraid the Joyners would be unhappy about this. Seriously, how


    ambitious is Leo? He¡¯s already a tycoon in Clouson City and gets his assets doubled each year, yet he


    still wants to marry someone from the Joyner Family? Is he trying to be the richest man in the


    country?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether he¡¯s trying to be the richest man in the country or the world, that has


    nothing to do with me.¡± Amelie seemed uninterested as she reached for a contract on the table beside


    her. ¡°Have you drawn up the cooperation details on Matthew¡¯s project?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all done. All there¡¯s left is for the legal department to run through it, then we can get him to sign the


    contract.¡± While Julia was exining, she looked at Amelie with glistening eyes. ¡°He asked me a lot of


    questions about you after finding out that we know each other. Also, he told me that he had exerted a


    lot of effort in pursuing you back in the day. It was a pity he was interested in you, but you weren¡¯t. I


    think he¡¯s an honest and upright man whom you can rely on. Are you not going to consider him?¡±


    Julia only met Amelie after high school, and since Matthew and Amelie did not go to the same school,


    he could only pursue her when she was in Quinn Town. Therefore, Julia did not know of his existence.


    Moreover, with Amelie¡¯s current value, their marriage would be considered marrying down into the


    Larkson Family.


    Still, with her abilities, she did not need to rely on men to gain money. All she needed was a


    considerate and meticulous man, so Julia saw highly of Matthew.


    ¡°Stop trying to be a matchmaker.¡± Amelie closed the document and pped it on Julia. ¡°Don¡¯t you think


    I have enough on my te?¡±


    Having Matthew chasing after me is already bothersome enough, and there are also Leo¡¯s sarcastic


    remarks¡­


    ¡°I rather leave these men alone and not let them interfere with my life.¡±


    Isn¡¯t it satisfying enough to live a life with Bria and Dad?


    Seeing that Amelie was uninterested, Julia could only stop talking about it and received the document.


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know much about Quinn Town. If you, the boss, hadn¡¯t authorized this project, I


    wouldn¡¯t have decided to cooperate with them so quickly.


    ¡°I was born in Quinn Town. The air there is fresh, and I¡¯ve visited Matthew¡¯s farm before. The farm is


    run ording to the Peroulian Union¡¯s standards, and the fruits are grown entirely without pesticides.


    So, we don¡¯t have to worry about their products.¡±


    Back then, the fruits Matthew sold were all imported. However, due to the pandemic worsening the


    market over thest two years, he could only turn to local fruits.


    ¡°Although the quality of his fruits passes with flying colors, the domestic market is already saturated. If


    it weren¡¯t for you, no matter how good he is, he might not have reached what he has today. In that


    sense, it looks like Matthew owes you a big favor.¡± After saying that, Julia rose to her feet and called


    the legal department to progress with the final checking and printing of the contract.


    When Amelie heard what Julia said, she pursed her lips and said calmly, ¡°We grew up in the same


    town, so I¡¯ll help him in any way I can.¡±


    Just as Julia was about to reply, she thought she saw a figure behind the ajar door and strode over.


    When she looked out the door, the ce was empty, so she did not think too much about it and took a


    few more nces around before shutting the door.


    After the door was closed, a figure d in a suit appeared.

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231


    The man had short hair and a square face.


    With his thick lips tightly pursed, he had a very deep gaze that seemed to harbor infinite emotions.


    Matthew came to sign the contract after receiving the phone call. The only reason he came to Julia¡¯s


    office was because of this.


    After she mentioned that Amelie and she were friends, Matthew did not even think about how Amelie


    managed to be friends with the head of Starlight Media and only wanted Julia to hook him up with


    Amelie.


    The more awkward thing was what he said to Amelie just now.


    Although he did not mean to show off, now that he had heard their conversation, it all seemed like a big


    joke.


    Did I say that I wanted to marry the wife of Starlight Media¡¯s boss? I even stated that I would support


    her financially, huh? My job is given to me by her. Why would I say such a thing?!


    Matthew nearly pped himself out of embarrassment.


    You shameless embarrassment!


    ¡°Mr. Larkson?¡±


    Just as Matthew was pondering over this, someone called him from behind.


    Turning around, he seemed dumbfounded, as he was still stunned about his newfound identity of


    Amelie.


    The person calling him was thew department personnel, who gestured at him. ¡°The contract is ready


    now.¡±


    He then walked in while the two people inside saw him walking over.


    Julia¡¯s eyes glimmered, as Matthew looked at Amelie with a disappointed expression and forced a


    smile before following the personnel to the smaller meeting room.


    Using her eyes, Julia hinted to Amelie that she was leaving to sign the contract.


    Amelie then nodded, walking to the balcony that had a coffee machine installed.


    Breathing in the outside air and enjoying the natural breeze, she leisurely sipped on the coffee she


    brewed herself.


    Night fell.


    In Mercury Bar, an expressionless Leo walked in with Toby apanying him. Leo¡¯s smile created a


    stark contrast between the two.


    The bar had a nice name, giving it a sense that it would be a quiet and rxing ce to have a few


    drinks with a live singer adding to the atmosphere.


    Yet, they were almost sent stumbling backward by the deafening sound of the music as soon as they


    opened the door.


    ¡°Is this James person right in the head? Talking business in such a noisy ce?¡± Toby tried his best to


    take in his surroundings while showing a slightly disdained expression.


    The dim lights, heavy metal music, less than savory crowd plus the people onstage that were dancing


    maniacally made it seem more like they had entered the valley of death instead.


    The moment Leo opened the door, he also frowned and had the same expression as Toby.


    Yet, after a mere two seconds, he regained his calmness. His expression appeared just as stoic as


    before.


    Toby turned around and looked at him only to see Leo taking in his surroundings nonchntly.


    He had to admit that Leo was better than him in this regard. Even in this kind of environment, Leo can


    still keep his cool and not be swayed. This isn¡¯t easy to aplish.


    Toby knew that he could not do it. It seems like James wants to use this environment to disturb our


    thoughts and get the upper hand in the negotiation, eh? He¡¯s going to be disappointed then.


    He could almost imagine how defeated the big, blonde businessman would look.


    In the end, it was the same as what Toby predicted, for Leo maintained his sharp demeanor. Not only


    did he not lose, but he even managed to turn the tables around and forced the opposition to give a five


    percent discount.


    Although it might not seem much, a five percent discount dealing worth a billion was astounding.


    Seeing James sign the contract and leave with a defeated expression made Toby smile.


    He looked at Leo, who was unaffected by his chaotic surroundings. ¡°We didn¡¯t have to negotiate on the


    base price anyway, yet you still chose to do it. Why? Did you want to punish him for his trick tonight?¡±


    Not denying this, Leo finally frowned deeply to express his disdain toward the ce. ¡°You can wrap this


    up.¡±


    He then took his coat and left.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Taking long strides, he seemed very proper and distant.


    After looking at Leo¡¯s silhouette for a while, Toby turned around and started packing the documents.


    Then, he walked out only to bump into someone.


    That man was so drunk that he did not even move upon bumping into Toby.


    Although Toby was upset and frowned slightly, he still pushed the person aside politely. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re


    drunk.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not drunk!¡± That person waved his hands around.


    Not wishing to entertain a drunkard, Toby pushed him aside, wanting to leave.


    However, the man tugged on his shirt. ¡°Elie, please don¡¯t go. How about we have a chat?¡±


    Toby was speechless because he hated drunkards, but the name ¡®Elie¡¯ seemed to have glued him onto


    the spot.


    Although Toby was unsure whether the person was calling out to the one whom Toby thought, he was


    sure that they had nothing to do with each other but still found himself drawn to the name.


    At that moment, he only felt that he was pathetic andughable.


    ¡°Elie¡­¡± the man called out. ¡°We grew up in the same vige. I have liked you since the first day of


    meeting you in school. Even after you rejected me, I was never disheartened. I kept working hard to


    make sure that I could match up with you, but now¡­ I only found out howughable I am! You¡¯re the


    boss of Starlight Media! I¡¯m just some small-time business owner who even has to depend on your


    help! I really am a fool that doesn¡¯t know his limits.¡±


    Toby, who was hearing the man speak, did not react until the words ¡®Starlight Media¡¯ was uttered. It


    was then a spark shed in his mind and connected a lot of incidents.


    Finally, a conclusion emerged within him. He was dumbstruck!


    Starlight Media¡¯s Elie could only be Amelie! She¡­ She is the real boss of Starlight Media! How many


    secrets is Amelie hiding in that tiny frame of hers?


    The man who had drunk himself into a stupor was none other than Matthew.


    This was the first he got so drunk, and everything he said came from his heart. Even if he was wasted,


    something was wing at his chest, making him feel awful. He gripped his shirt tightly.


    After a long time, Matthew stumbled away.


    Meanwhile, Toby only left after Leo¡¯s chauffeur came to call him.


    Finally, there was some peace and quiet outside.


    Coming out from the noisy and polluted environment in the bar, no matter how bustling the street was,


    Toby still felt like it was paradise.


    Toby then saw Leo standing under a tree with his hands in his pocket.


    His gaze was a well of endless depth that nobody could disturb.


    Suddenly, a prank popped into Toby¡¯s mind. If I expose who Amelie truly is and tell him the woman that


    treated him so whole-heartedly is not only beautiful and kind but also possesses an incredible


    capability, what kind of blow would it be to him?


    ¡°Leo,¡± he called out to Leo with that in mind.


    Turning around, Leo was a bit upset. ¡°Why took you so long?¡±


    Without waiting for Toby to answer, Leo rubbed his temples. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He walked toward his car.


    ¡°Amelie!¡± Toby suddenly stated, which made Leo look at him with curiosity.


    Although he did not speak, it was obvious that Leo was waiting for what Toby was going to say.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡±

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232


    ¡°She¡¯s?¡± Leo asked.


    Toby suddenly smiled. ¡°Leo, looks like you¡¯ve really fallen for her, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    If not, then why would he be so sensitive to what I said?


    Staying silent with his dark eyebrows seeming extra heavy in the night, Leo seemed very solemn.


    Pursing his lips, Leo slowly matched his gaze. ¡°So what if I¡¯ve fallen for her?¡±


    This stunned Toby.


    What appeared in his eyes was understanding and surprise.


    He thought that Leo would deny it like thest time or keep silent.


    At least he admitted to it.


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± After a split second, Toby suddenlyughed.


    Yet, Leo only stood there and watched himugh with a frown, not asking him anything.


    This was what Leo was. Even if the opposition had already touched on his emotions, he could still


    remain calm and collected.


    This was why he was sessful and was the characteristic Toby detested.


    At that moment, he had the urge to tear Leo apart when he recalled how Leo actually hurt such a


    wonderful woman before.


    A woman that, for him, would hide her skills and humble herself!


    ¡°Leo, you best not fall for her,¡± Toby stated.


    ¡°Reason?¡± Leo asked.


    He was a leopard that was observing his prey and dissecting its every move and action.


    Leo could see that Toby had something else to say.


    Yet, Toby only kept a smile on his face and did not say anything else.


    Even if his smile was the same as ever, Leo could clearly feel a chilling auraing from it.


    The next moment, he turned around and got into his car, driving away, leaving Leo standing there.


    ¡­


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡±


    Deep in the night, Victor came to Leo¡¯s office.


    Dressed in ck, he looked as if he was almost fusing with the darkness and moved through the night


    like a specter, his wide hat concealing the emotions on his face.


    Leo sat on the chair, deep in thought.


    It was until Victor called out to him that he stood up.


    ¡°Are you sure the information you gave mest time was correct?¡± he asked.


    A bit confused, Victor then realized that Leo was talking about the dossier on Amelie.


    ¡°It¡¯s correct,¡± he answered. ¡°I, Victor Willis, am a man of my word. If I can¡¯t dig anything up, I¡¯ll lower my


    head and apologize to you, but I¡¯ll never give out false information.¡±


    Leo ced his hands on the table while looking at Victor.


    Even though this made him shorter, it did not make him seem weaker.


    As to who was the employer and the employee, one could tell with a single nce.


    ¡°What I meant to ask is that did anyone give you false information that even you yourself missed?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Victor was confident.


    Upon hearing that, Leo only nodded before opening his drawer.


    Then, he threw something on the table. ¡°Take a look. Is it this dossier?¡±


    Reaching out, Victor took it and only nced at the cover. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Leo was a bit surprised.


    Waving the dossier, Victor stated, ¡°All dossiers prepared by me would have my signature on the side.


    This doesn¡¯t have it.¡±


    He pointed at the side of the dossier, which was as thin as a hair¡¯s breadth.


    ¡°This is my special mark. Normal people wouldn¡¯t notice this.¡±


    With how thin the line was, even if Victor did sign on it, a normal human would not be able to see it.


    Taking back the dossier, Leo used the magnification features of his phone¡¯s camera only to find no


    such mark on it.


    Does this mean someone switched out the information?


    ¡°I still have the information. If you want, I can send it again,¡± suggested Victor.


    Saying nothing, Leo slowly put down the dossier, as his fingers dug into the top of the dossier.


    Who would be so fearless as to change out the dossier right under my nose?


    After Victor left, he sat down again.


    This time, his eyes were nearly closed with only a cold gaze emanating from the slit of his eyes.


    It was a sharp, cold, and piercing gaze.


    Although Toby did not say anything that night, he still realized that Amelie¡¯s real self might be unlike


    what the information suggested.


    I think she still has something that I don¡¯t know about.


    This was why he questioned Victor, who proved him correct.


    The thing he was curious about now was what the real Amelie was like.


    Pondering this for a while, Leo decided to call Eugene. ¡°Check this date and see who came to my


    office.¡± He then gave him a date before hanging up.


    ¡­


    In the room, Elyse was drawing her eyebrows.


    During this period, she had been casually throwing out the fact that she had been in contact with Leo


    all to let the public know that even though they were not couples, they were still close friends.


    Thanks to her ¡®sister¡¯, Leo did not trouble her, nor did he reply to her.


    Since nobody dared to ascertain Leo¡¯s stance, they did not dare to look down upon her. Although deals


    and resources were not pouring in, they were starting to talk in a more polite tone to her.


    Using this opportunity, Elyse decided to leave Donia¡¯spany and establish her own firm.


    Not only is my cut of the share low under thispany, I even have to be discriminated against!


    I, Elyse yton, will fight my way to stardom and show them what I¡¯m truly capable of!


    Elyse began to draw her eyebrows more elegantly with that in mind while saying to her new assistant,


    ¡°Find a random picture from my phone and upload itter.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to choose one with Mr. Alston in it?¡± the assistant asked respectfully.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Elyse nced at her. ¡°Is that a question?¡±


    At that, the assistant quickly walked out.


    Yet, just as she opened the door, she walked back in.


    Vexed, Elyse asked, ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± The assistant walked up to her and tugged on her arm.


    It was only then that Elyse felt something off, and she ced her makeup brush down before looking


    toward the entrance.


    Standing there was a man, whose fair face had a cold expression, fixated on her with an unknown


    gaze.


    Although it was a stern look without any emotions in it, it still made Elyse panic, as she stood up with


    her hands on the table.


    ¡°Leo?¡±


    She called out, forgetting to even change her tone to a gentler one.


    Leo rolled his eyes, seemingly responding to her.


    He then looked at the assistant, making Elyse understand what he was hinting at. ¡°You can leave first.¡±


    Looking at Elyse, the assistant then looked at Leo.


    Leo had a dominating aura about him that was very oppressive. If that assistant continued to stay


    there, she knew she would suffocate because of it.


    Even though she was worried about Elyse, she chose to leave in the end.


    In the room were only Leo and Elyse.


    Elyse asked him, ¡°Why did you suddenlye?¡±


    After her perfect image crumbled in front of him, Elyse did not dare to act so casually with him, as she


    even spoke carefully.


    ¡°How¡¯s your sister?¡± Leo asked.


    His question made Elyse frown. ¡°Same old.¡±


    She then sighed.


    ¡°When she got separated from my father, we didn¡¯t know what she went through. Nowadays, she¡¯s as


    timid as a mouse. She even gets frightened by the slightest of movements. Even my father and I have


    to be careful when delivering her meals to her. Sigh. I don¡¯t even know when she¡¯ll get better.¡±


    ¡°Did you find a doctor?¡±


    ¡°I did. But the doctor said that mental issues were tricky to heal. The treatment won¡¯t be done in the


    short term, and he did not guarantee its sess either. He only told us to stay with her and see if a


    miracle appears.¡±


    ¡°If so, then I can go apany her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be great¡­ What?¡±


    Elyse, who only thought that Leo would only casually ask about her sister¡¯s condition, realized what


    Leo meant after she nodded in agreement to his statement, and her expression stiffened.


    Going slightly pale, she was shocked.

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233


    ¡°W-Why do you want to apany her all of a sudden? Her mental state hasn¡¯t been all that well


    recently, so even if you go, you¡¯ll be scaring her.¡± Elyse tried to deter Leo from visiting Ellen.


    It was then that she realized how quiet it was in the room.


    There was a strange atmosphere affecting her.


    Unable to withstand this, Elyse turned around to look at Leo only to find that Leo was also looking at


    her.


    His icy gaze seemed like it was looking straight into her innermost thoughts, digging up all her secrets.


    Frightened by this, Elyse found herself unable to stand properly, as her knees gave out somewhat.


    Hasn¡¯t Leo just been asking about her condition out of courtesy?


    Why does he suddenly want to see her?


    Don¡¯t tell me he knows?


    Elyse thought about that, but then she shook her head.


    Unless he found Ellen, there¡¯s no reason he would suspect me.


    But if he really found Ellen, he wouldn¡¯t act like this.


    When Elyse was still around Leo, even though she would make a fuss over everything, she was, by no


    means, brainless, as she still more or less understood Leo as a person.


    After deducing this, she calmed herself down.


    On the other hand, Leo, who did not state whether he believed her words or not, walked outside.


    Upon seeing him walk out, Elyse held her chest, feeling like it was about to burst.


    That was scary.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± At the entrance, the man suddenly stopped and stated.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Elyse¡¯s heart rate immediately shot up to the maximum. She thought she was going to have a heart


    attack.


    Without waiting for her to say anything, Leo left.


    After half an hour, they found themselves standing in front of Michael¡¯s house.


    Two blooming pomegranate trees were nted on both sides of the entrance, making it seem very red.


    Although Elyse looked calm on the surface, she kept fiddling her fingers, unable to hide the fear within.


    Looking at the entrance and then back at the statue-like man, she bit her lips before saying, ¡°My dad¡¯s


    not home. How about wee another day?¡±


    ¡°He left your sister, who is in a bad shape, alone?¡± Leo asked.


    Speechless, Elyse realized that she spoke out of turn.


    ¡°What I mean is that my father must have gone out with my sister since it¡¯s not healthy to be cooped up


    in the house all day long. My father cares for her dearly, so he often takes her out,¡± she quickly added.


    Since Elyse¡¯s ¡®sister¡¯ did not exist, she could say anything as long as Michael did not return.


    Elyse then secretly dialed her father¡¯s number, for her aim was to let him be aware of their


    conversation.


    Although she thought that her father was not reliable, she admitted that he was, at the very least,


    sharp.


    Even without needing her reminder, he would know to hide away if he overheard their conversation.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Leo looked at her.


    Not in the mood to seduce him, Elyse only wanted to make him leave of his own ord as fast as


    possible.


    As expected, Leo turned around, yet he added, ¡°Aren¡¯t you calling your father right now? Tell him to


    come back with your sister.¡±


    Caught off guard, Elyse did not think that Leo would notice such a small detail.


    This made her grip her phone tightly and look at him as if she was looking at a monster.


    When did Leo be so observant?


    Leo then kept his silence.


    Naturally, he would not tell her that he was always so observant.


    In the past, he did not question her out of love for her.


    Now, it was simply because he no longer needed to give her his love.


    Exposed by Leo, Elyse found no other option but to call Michael again.


    This time, Michael did not answer the call.


    ¡°I think something might have happened to Ellen,¡± she stated dryly.


    Nodding, Leo got into his car, which was parked right beside the residence.


    The sight of him getting into the car relieved Elyse before she followed him into the car.


    Not daring to sit in the back seat, she chose to sit in the front passenger seat.


    When she turned around, she saw that Leo had his arms crossed and eyes shut.


    ¡°Just reverse the car out,¡± she ordered the chauffeur.


    Since the alleyway was too narrow, there was no way to make a U-turn.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Yet, the chauffeur remained motionless, looking only at Leo.


    Obviously, he only tookmand from Leo.


    In the past, this chauffeur used to drive her around. Now, he acted as if he had never seen her before.


    Elyse cursed him under her breath before saying to Leo, ¡°Leo, this alley is a dead end. We can only


    reverse out.¡±


    ¡°Just wait.¡±


    Expressionless, Leo only moved his lips.


    But it was these two words that scared the wits out of Elyse.


    What¡¯s wrong with this man today?


    Why must he see my ¡®sister?¡¯


    ¡°What if they aren¡¯ting back today? They often stay at a ce for one or two days if my sister


    fancies it.¡± Elyse clutched the tinum bag on herp tightly so as to maintain her sanity.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll stay there for an eternity, will they?¡± Leo suddenly opened his eyes before lurching


    forward.


    He pressed his hands against the chair before extending his neck, exchanging his gaze with Elyse,


    who got shocked so much that she jumped a bit.


    At that moment, she was akin to frightened prey while Leo watched her every move in silence.


    The more silent he got, the more naked Elyse felt she was to him.


    Are my secrets already known to him?


    If I make such a man like Leo into my enemy, it will mean the end of my life.


    After a long while, she managed a squeak. ¡°Not that they will.¡±


    Leo theny back and resumed resting.


    Lowering her head, Elyse carefully took her phone out, wanting to send Michael a message, telling him


    to note back.


    Yet, she only managed to type one word before her phone was snatched away.


    ¡°Miss yton, I¡¯ll be taking your phone for safekeeping temporarily.¡± The driver was the one who took


    it.


    Speechless, Elyse was livid.


    Unfortunately, without Leo to back her up, she was nothing in front of the chauffeur, as he ignored her


    and ced her phone in the storage bin.


    Elyse naturally knew that a chauffeur would not dare to offend her, meaning that this was nned by


    Leo.


    Feeling regretful, she thought that if she had not kicked up a fuss and had married him back then, she


    would not be stuck in this predicament now.


    The thing Elyse felt remorse about was getting affected by that person to do this sort of thing.


    Not only did the oue affect her rtionship with Leo, but it also allowed Amelie toe between


    their lives.


    As time went by, Leo seemed like he had really fallen asleep, for he stayed motionless for hours.


    Elyse, who could only watch the sky slowly darken, prayed that her father would note back.


    Night came. With no streetlights to illuminate the surroundings, Leo¡¯s car was shrouded byplete


    darkness.


    By this point, the driver was already gone, leaving only Elyse and Leo alone in the car.


    Finally, Elyse found the opportunity and subtly reached out toward the storage bin.


    Inching closer and closer, she managed to reach her phone.


    With an ted expression, she yanked it out before turning on silent mode and started typing away.


    Yet, just as she finished typing the message, a light shone their way, illuminating them.


    Under the sudden illumination, Leo¡¯s car seemed like a beast that popped up out of nowhere.


    The driver was driving at a breakneck speed. Caught off guard, by the time the driver had stopped, the


    other car was already in the alleyway.


    There were only a few inches left before it would crash into Leo¡¯s car.


    Elyse was still guessing who drove to this ce when she looked into the rearview and saw a rotund


    person.


    Father! He came back.

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234


    Elyse heard a movement behind her. Turning around, she saw that Leo had woken up and swung


    himself out of the car by holding onto the door hinge. His eyes looked alert, unlike someone who had


    just woken up from a nap.


    She looked at the phone in her hand, picturing his eyes on her when she secretly took out her phone


    just now. That sent a shiver down her spine.


    Meanwhile, Michael was fuming because he almost got into a car crash, and he marched up to kick the


    wheel of the car blocking the way. However, Leo¡¯s sudden appearance by the car door forced Michael


    to frantically scurry back to his car to leave.


    At the entrance to the alley, a few bodyguards dressed in ck closed in under Eugene Cornelius¡¯


    lead.


    Elyse saw the scene unfold in Leo¡¯s car. It finally dawned on her that Leo had been waiting to ambush


    them¡ªhe wanted to expose her and Michael!


    We¡¯re done for.


    Michael, with his egglike head and tiny eyes, crossed his arms on his chest and bent down a little in a


    defensive position. Given his stocky build, he probably could not take down even one bodyguard.


    After weighing it up, he put down his hands, turned around, and chuckled. ¡°Mr. Alston, what is this?


    Why did you send these men to stand guard at my house? I thought they were robbers!¡±


    Then, he scratched his head. A pathological liar like him could lie with a straight face.


    Leo stood there in silence. Half of his figure was shrouded in the night, giving him a cold and distant


    appearance.


    By now, Elyse¡¯s face was as pale as a ghost. Her hands and legs went limp, and she lost all strength to


    get out of the car.


    Eugene took a few huge steps forward. ¡°Michael yton, how bold of you and your daughter! How


    could you cheat Mr. Alston over and over? Do you think he¡¯d always turn a blind eye to what you did?¡±


    He waved, and the bodyguards in ck produced two huge ck sacks, which they unrolled in front of


    Michael. The sacks were perfect for two.


    Eugene walked over and flicked the sack. ¡°Mr. Alston didn¡¯t make a move on you not because he


    believed in your words. He just wanted you to find the person he needed. But you let him down.¡±


    Michael looked at Eugene and Leo quietly, and his gaze rested on the sacks again.


    ¡°Mr. Alston has plenty of sacks like these. Whoever fools him will receive one. Some of those guys


    were unlucky. They got their sacks right when they identally revealed their intentions. I¡¯d say you


    are rather lucky, thanks to that somebody.¡±


    Eugene was referring to the person who had once helped Leo.


    There was a mousy look on Michael¡¯s round face. He lost his calm, and his face was ashen, and his


    shins were trembling violently.


    Elyse noticed the two ck sacks as well. She covered her mouth in disbelief and shook her head


    furiously, refusing to believe that Leo would go to such lengths.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    The bodyguards went up to the car, dragged her out, and flung her on top of Michael. The two were


    shaking. Elyse inched closer to Michael, who was powerless to help his daughter.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re breaking thew.¡± Elyse refused to die. She had a long life ahead of her, and she had


    unrealized ambitions. Everything would be in vain if she were to die.


    Tears flowed down her cheeks.


    Eugene snickered at her plea. ¡°Breaking thew to rid evil is a service to the people.¡± Then, he waved


    his hand. ¡°Put them in and throw them into the river!¡±


    The bodyguards immediately went into action and stuffed the two into the sacks. Elyse struggled and


    attempted to shout for help, but someone covered her mouth tightly to quiet her. Her screams were


    muffled. Crying and shaking her head, she tried to show her remorse to Leo. s, he did not want to


    take another look at her.


    That was when she realized that she was done for. She and Michael were now fully in the sack.


    Without needing orders, the bodyguards lifted the sacks and walked away.


    Elyse was pissing herself in the sack out of fear. As the sack was waterproof, she was soaked in her


    pee.


    ¡°L-Leony.¡± Suddenly, Leo heard a tiny voice and tensed up. He turned around and saw a figure pushing


    open Michael¡¯s car door.


    The woman had long hair that was stuck to her face. She was smiling timidly at him by the car door.


    He was about to speak, but she called out to him again. ¡°Snowy.¡±


    The nickname struck him like lightning. He dashed over and held her arm. ¡°What did you call me?¡±


    The skinny woman was clearly frightened. She cowered and dropped her head, covering her face with


    her hair. Soon, he heard her sobbing. ¡°Snowy, you¡¯re a bad guy. We promised not to be angry at each


    other. You said you wouldn¡¯t yell at me. You¡¯re a bad guy.¡±


    He loosened his grip on her arm but did not back off. Staring at her in joy and surprise, he asked, ¡°Are


    you¡­ Big Eyes?¡±


    She did not answer. Instead, she repeated, ¡°Snowy is a bad guy. We made a pinky promise that you


    would never get angry at me. You said a pinky promise is childish. But you were fifteen years old and a


    child yourself too!¡±


    The details she mentioned matched his personal experiences. He felt hot tears welling up, and a drop


    of tear rolled down his cheek onto her hand.


    Eugene had never seen Leo acting in this way. Amid the shock, he came to a realization and hurriedly


    waved at the bodyguards. ¡°ce them down!¡±


    On their way back, Leo stared straight at the road in front of them. He was a taciturn man, to begin


    with, and his silence at the moment was more deafening.


    Eugene turned around to look at Leo, whose face was covered in flickering light and dancing shadows.


    Eugene could not tell his emotions from his expression. He hesitated before announcing, ¡°The doctor


    performed a full checkup on Miss Ellen yton. She lost her left cornea and was blind. This is what


    she said to the psychologist under hypnosis.¡±


    Eugene gave Leo a file. Leo snapped back to reality and received it. He switched on the light and


    started flipping through the pages for a long time before closing the file.


    ¡°Did you manage to find out what she had gone through over the years?¡± Leo questioned.


    ¡°Not at the moment,¡± Eugene whispered. ¡°We didn¡¯t have enough time to get any clues.¡±


    ¡°Keep investigating!¡± Leo said decisively. ¡°If you found those who hurt her, do not go easy on them!¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    Back at Michael¡¯s house, Elyse showered and changed into fresh clothes. They sat in front of the


    woman and stole nces at her.


    ¡°Dad, are you sure she¡¯s Ellen?¡±


    In her memory, Ellen was quiet, timid, and slow. When their parents divorced, Elyse pulled some tricks


    and acted pitiable, and she managed to get Ellen to live with Michael.


    To her surprise, Ellen managed to pull off the role of Leo¡¯s ¡°Big Eyes¡±. It was hard to believe.


    ¡°Is that important? She saved us tonight.¡± Michael examined the woman in front of him. His blood


    daughter was the same as before, apart from looking crazy.


    He had never liked Ellen. She was too honest, the exact opposite of his shrewdness, which he


    considered a humiliation.


    Thankfully, Ellen was obedient and would follow all of his orders.


    However, Ellen turned a little crazy after his stay in Quinn Town. Not only that, he lost her somehow,


    but he did not care enough to search for her, thinking that she might have run away.


    Ellen was back, but she returned as a mad woman.


    ¡°God is helping us. Didn¡¯t we tell Leo Alston that Ellen has gone mad? And she did!¡± Michael touched


    his chin in satisfaction. He did not feel sad about Ellen¡¯s change¡ªit was good news to him.


    ¡°Dad, where did you find her?¡±

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235


    While asking, Elyse could not help but rey the scenes from the horrific event today.


    She was almost scared out of her wits, knowing how close she and Michael were to bing fish


    food.


    Michael smirked. ¡°You were the one who asked me to find Ellen! I couldn¡¯t find her no matter how I


    tried, so I went to the shelter to bring home any mad woman just to shut you up. I never thought I¡¯d run


    into her over there.¡±


    Most of the homeless at the shelter had no family. Therefore, he could easily get Ellen out.


    ¡°I thought she looked crazy and might ruin our n, so I didn¡¯t tell Leo about it. I never thought that


    she¡¯d be our savior tonight.¡±


    He was equally frightened because of Leo, and he never thought that Leo could do something that


    appalling to them.


    Elyse chuckled. ¡°I bet she likes him because he¡¯s into crazies!¡±


    They learned a lot of details about the history between Big Eyes and Leo from Ellen¡¯s diary. Elyse also


    used a sleight of hand to obtain the agreement form of the cornea donor. Armed with that information,


    she and Michael made up the perfect story that Ellen was Big Eyes.


    Had Elyse not known about the real identity of Big Eyes, even she might have fallen for Ellen¡¯s bluff


    and believed that her sister was Big Eyes.


    Michael spat after hearing Elyse¡¯s words. ¡°That sister of yours keeps to herself. But she warms up to


    one particr person. What¡¯s the name of that girl again?¡±


    ¡°Amelie Dillon!¡± Elyse answered, looking ufortable.


    Michael nodded. ¡°Yes! Yes! Amelie¡¯s father pampered her like a princess, buying her everything she


    wanted. She was always in floral dresses that showed off her legs, but her father didn¡¯t care about it. I


    bet Ellen must have gotten her craziness from that girl!¡±


    At that moment, he had no idea that Amelie was the real Big Eyes. He only learned about the


    rtionship between Big Eyes and Leo Alston from Ellen¡¯s diary, where Ellen described herself as Big


    Eyes.


    Anyway, Elyse did not n to tell Michael the truth because he was a bbermouth that might leak the


    secret. Her sister was the key to hereback.


    ¡°Quit overthinking. From today onward, you need to keep an eye on Ellen and take good care of her.


    She¡¯s Leo¡¯s treasure right now. If anything happens to her, we¡¯re going down too!¡± Elyse said.


    Now that Michael had witnessed Leo¡¯s ruthlessness, he nodded furiously and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll


    treat her as my savior.


    Those who brought him luck would be considered his saviors.


    ¡°My savior! Do you have anything you want to eat or drink?¡± Michael asked while heading to the kitchen


    to get some food for Ellen.


    Although Ellen was mad, she remained timid and stayed put instead of going with him.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Elyse quietly stared at her sister with a strong dislike. Ellen was never an outstanding kid when they


    were young. She was umunicative and looked like a loser. How the tables have turned! Ellen was


    now a treasure in Leo¡¯s eyes.


    Even though Elyse would benefit from this lie, she felt uneasy about Ellen¡¯s sudden leap in status.


    ¡°How did you lose your cornea?¡± Elyse questioned Ellen coldly, held her chin, and examined her eyes


    roughly. ¡°You didn¡¯t actually donate them to Leo Alston, did you?¡±


    As Ellen was timid, Elyse did not believe that she would make a brave decision like that. Ellen made


    some inaudible sounds and shook her head to free her chin from Elyse¡¯s grip. Elyse ran out of patience


    and gripped on harder. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯m going to beat you to death!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Michael returned with some food and hurriedly shoved Elyse away. ¡°Are you out


    of your mind? How dare you touch Mr. Alston¡¯s woman? Have you forgotten the lesson he taught us so


    quickly?¡±


    Elyse felt ufortable after she was reprimanded by her father, but she couldn¡¯t say a thing as a


    comeback. Michael ced some good food in front of Ellen and opened a bottle of Dr. Pepper for her.


    ¡°Go on. Have a drink.¡±


    Ellen bent her back while eating the bread and drinking Dr. Pepper. Soon, her mouth was filled with


    food. When she was chewing, she mumbled, ¡°Ellie¡­ Me Liz. She is Ellie. Ellie¡¯s eyes¡­ Ellie brave


    girl.¡±


    Michael hummed along with Ellen, thinking that his daughter was speaking nonsense. However, Elyse


    started frowning. If she recalled correctly, Michael had once stayed at Steven Dillon¡¯s home as an


    apprentice.


    Michael went to live with Steven Dillon for a while with a fake name because he was there to steal the


    recipe for the adhesives. He named himself Gary McBride, while Ellen became Liz. Since the


    identification system was not digitized, no one cared to verify their backgrounds. The two lived with the


    Dillons for a long time.


    Ellie¡­ Liz¡­


    Elyse went over Ellen¡¯s words just now and stood up in a hurry. Her movement was so great that she


    knocked against the table.


    Michael gave her a puzzled look. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Elyse did not answer. Grabbing her bag, she left the house without a word.


    ¡­


    Since work wasn¡¯t busy, Amelie ended her day early, which was rare.


    Steven had been thinking about Liz and worrying that she might be suffering at the shelter.


    Amelie knew that her dad was too kind to me Liz for Gary¡¯s wrongdoings. Still, she had sent Liz to


    the shelter, so she felt an obligation to visit. Therefore, she drove Steven to the shelter that day.


    After registering themselves, they arrived at the office of the shelter director.


    ¡°Liz has been brought home by her family two days ago,¡± the director shared with them when he


    learned that they wanted to see Liz.


    ¡°Has she been brought home?¡± Steven looked shocked and exchanged nces with Amelie.


    Amelie also asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± the director exined. ¡°Her father came to take her home. They¡¯vepleted the paternity test


    and the results are positive.¡±


    The director was always extra cautious when it came to the issue of releasing someone to their family.


    ¡°If you¡¯re concerned, you may apply to the upper management to get Liz¡¯s family contacts.¡±


    The director did not have the authority to reveal private information.


    Steven waved at him. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re not going to look for Gary McBride?¡± When they left the chief¡¯s office, Amelie asked


    Steven. ¡°He stole a lot of money from you, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    In the past, everyone liked to keep cash at home instead of depositing it in the bank. In an incident,


    Gary almost looted everything owned by the Dillons.


    Walking ahead, Steven folded his hands behind his hunched back. He shook his head and waved at


    her. ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. What¡¯s the point of going after an incident that happened long in the past?


    Seeing that he has brought his daughter home, I believe he still has some morality left in him. We


    should let it go.¡±


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s so easy to take advantage of you.¡± Amelie took his arm and swayed it. ¡°Thankfully, I am


    different from you.¡±


    Her casual remark took him aback, but he merelyughed it off.


    After learning that Liz went home, Steven finally put his worries to rest. He was reminded of his


    precious granddaughter and was in the mood to cook up some good food for her when they reached


    home. Amelie went silent when she thought about Brianna¡¯s weight increase, but eventually, she let


    him be.


    The school was about to end. Amelie waited outside the school gate. It would open in a few minutes.


    She waited under a tree and scrolled her phone.


    When she was absorbed in browsing the Inte, someone suddenly reached out to pull her, causing


    her to stumble. She looked up and saw a familiar face.

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236


    ¡°Elyse?¡± Amelie cried out in surprise, not understanding why Elyse was there.


    As she watched on, Elyse did not let go. Instead, she eagerly gazed at Amelie¡¯s face as if to confirm


    something.


    Amelie was bing perplexed. ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    Their faces were so close that their eyshes almost touched.


    Elyse did not respond either.


    Those who weren¡¯t aware would think Elyse was attempting to kiss Amelie.


    That action drew the attention of other parents, who began scrutinizing them.


    Elyse was covered entirely, wearing shades and a mask that stood out in the crowd.


    Although the parents who sent their children to this school were not the type to gossip, they spected


    on what was going on.


    Amelie disliked having people close to her and she despised Elyse, so she reached out to pull Elyse¡¯s


    hand away from hers. ¡°Others are paying attention to you. Let me go!¡±


    With that, she walked away.


    Elyse took a quick look around. Sure enough, the crowd stared at her, so she reached out to cover her


    eyes and dared not pursue Amelie.


    She came looking for Amelie as a result of Ellen¡¯s words.


    Ellen had implied that Amelie donated the cornea, so Elyse couldn¡¯t sleep all night because of the


    revtion.


    She was terrified but intrigued. Did Amelie go to great lengths to save Leo, even if it meant risking her


    eyesight?


    It was simple to pretend to be Big Eyes, but no rational person would agree to donate the cornea while


    they were still alive.


    Unless Amelie was insane.


    Elyse had spent the entire night specting on the possibility. As such, she couldn¡¯t take it any longer


    and came to Halport.


    Despite covering her eyes with her hands, she couldn¡¯t stop staring at Amelie from afar. Amelie was


    standing gracefully, her fair and calm face serene. Elyse squinted and couldn¡¯t see anything wrong.


    She hadn¡¯t noticed anything wrong earlier either.


    However, just because one couldn¡¯t see it didn¡¯t mean it was fine.


    It was unfortunate for her that she could no longer approach Amelie.


    Approaching Amelie again would not only draw attention from others but would also raise suspicions.


    As a result, Elyse could only turn around and get back in the car.


    She shut the door but couldn¡¯t bring herself to touch the steering wheel.


    Her heart was racing furiously.


    Will I walk away empty-handed?


    She was unwilling to do that.


    Before proceeding to the next step, confirming that Amelie is the cornea donor is of utmost importance.


    With that in mind, Elyse reached into her bag, took out her cell phone, and dialed a number. ¡°Can you


    assist me with something?¡±


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Amelie returned to look for Elyse after picking up Bria, only to discover that the woman had vanished.


    Elyse appeared out of nowhere today. She ignored the consequences of being recognized and


    grabbed me recklessly to stare at me. She didn¡¯t do it just because I look pretty, did she? There must


    be a reason for her behavior. But what exactly is it?


    As Amelie thought about it, her cell phone rang.


    When she saw the unknown number on the screen, she didn¡¯t hesitate and answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Amelie, you didn¡¯t forget about me, did you?¡± a young man asked.


    Amelie was surprised. Immediately afterward, she realized the caller was Chris.


    She grunted.


    Chris acted aloof and behaved rudely toward others. However, he changed his mind about Amelie after


    discovering she was Dash.


    ¡°Amelie, you promised to have a match with me. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time but have yet


    to receive your call. Are you looking down on me and refusing topete with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Amelie said while patting her head as she remembered her agreement with Chris. ¡°I


    was so preupied that I forgot about it.¡±


    He calmed down after realizing she had simply forgotten. ¡°Are you avable tonight? How about we go


    head-to-head then?¡±


    Amelie lowered her head to check her schedule. ¡°I¡¯m avable after 9.00PM.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Chris snapped his fingers. ¡°At 9.00PM, we¡¯ll meet at the new racing track. I¡¯ll see you there!¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Amelie wanted to use this thrilling sport to clear her mind and relieve her umted stress.


    After that, she messaged Julia, asking if she wanted to join her in the car race.


    Julia called back quickly. ¡°I have an important dinner to attend tonight. I really have to go.¡±


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s just me, then.¡± Amelie was unconcerned.


    ¡°Are you okay with going by yourself? Your vision is poor,¡± Julia stated with concern.


    Amelie smiled at that. ¡°This is not a fight to the death. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±


    Her skills would be worse without Julia¡¯s guidance, but it would not significantly impact her


    performance.


    Furthermore, the match was meant to fulfill Chris¡¯ dream. As a result, even if she lost, she would not be


    embarrassed.


    Amelie ended the call after a short chat with Julia.


    Bria, who was holding Amelie¡¯s hand, blinked a few times while her mother was on the phone.


    After returning home, the girl rushed to her room and dropped her bag. ¡°I¡¯m going to y with my toys


    in the room!¡±


    She shut the door tightly as she said this.


    Amelie didn¡¯t want to bother her, so she went to the kitchen to assist Steven in his cooking.


    Bria ced her ears on the door of the room. When Amelie¡¯s footsteps faded, the girl took off her


    shoes and climbed onto the bed.


    Then, she took out her small cell phone and called Leo.


    Meanwhile, Leo was handling important business in thepany. He was in arge modern meeting


    room with a cold air conditioner. The senior executives were all sitting up straight.


    Leo, who sat in the chief seat, was also glum. He tapped the table repeatedly with his slender fingers.


    ¡°Why are there so many people here but none of you can solve the problem?¡±


    He didn¡¯t spit out harsh words, but his tone was cold enough to give the executives goosebumps.


    Everyone knew that while Leo spoke less, he worked hard and was generous to his subordinates. If an


    employee performed well, he would give them numerous bonuses.


    There were also many holidays, and one could take advantage of various high-end travel opportunities


    for free. Genesis employees saw Perou and global tours asmonce.


    However, if one of them made a mistake, the entire team would be fired.


    The industry was well aware of Leo¡¯s generosity, so many people were constantly attempting to join the


    company. Thepany had no shortage of talent.


    As a result, the employees were determined not to be fired.


    Even if they could find another job right away, it wasn¡¯t easy to find anotherpany that offered the


    same benefits as Genesis.


    All of Genesis¡¯ leaders and employees worked hard to stay in thepany.


    However, they were bound to have a bad day regardless of their efficiency.


    Their current challenge was severe. As a result, the executives could not find a solution quickly and


    exchanged nk looks among themselves.


    Leo¡¯s expression darkened as they couldn¡¯t respond. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay you big bucks to stare at each other¡¯s


    faces! Since you are unable to respond, then¡­¡±


    When they heard his words, the executives broke out in cold sweat, as if they had been dragged to the


    edge of a cliff to await an order to be pushed down and smashed to pieces.


    It¡¯s all over!


    Ring! Ring!


    A cell phone rang at this precise moment.


    The executives were shocked. They quickly wiped their sweat and checked their cell phones.


    A basic rule in Genesis was turning off one¡¯s mobile during a meeting. At this crucial moment, making


    these stupid mistakes would be equivalent to a death sentence.


    Everyone looked around and discovered that the sound was not from their mobiles, so they all turned


    to face the main seat.


    Leo was covering his cell phone, which was flickering against the ss in the main seat. He also heard


    his phone ring and was surprised for a moment.


    Everyone was stunned and they looked as if they had witnessed something strange.


    In their minds, Leo was stricter on himself than on his employees.

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237


    Leo didn¡¯t immediately react to the ringing phone, but he recalled adding Bria¡¯s number and allowing


    her interruption.


    No matter what he was doing at the moment, she was allowed to call him at any time.


    He turned on the ¡®do not disturb¡¯ mode to silence his phone before the meeting. Thus, only her number


    was allowed through even though he was busy.


    He flipped his phone over and saw the expected caller ID.


    The others in the room were watching him with close attention.


    The moment they saw his gazend on the phone, they were expecting him to immediately reject the


    call because it was only natural for him.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    To their surprise, the man¡¯s response was the opposite of their expectations.


    Leo reached for the phone and pushed his chair back with a calm expression as all eyes were on him.


    Tapping on the table, he gestured for Eugene to continue the meeting without him before he walked out


    of the room, leaving the others gaping in shock.


    The reason was that they could see a smile forming at the corners of his lips and stretching across his


    face after he answered the call.


    Is that a smile? Mr. Alston? Smiling? Is this a dream?


    The executive¡¯s hearts thundered in their chests because their minds were blown by their discovery.


    ¡°I wonder, who¡¯s calling Mr. Alston?¡±


    Even though they were a bunch of top talents trained to be the elites, some of them were eager to


    find out the identity of the caller after witnessing Leo¡¯s smile.


    After all, Leo didn¡¯t even smile like that back when he was dating Elyse.


    Eugene scanned around the room ndly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Mr. Alston behind his back unless you¡¯re


    hoping to get fired.¡±


    In a split second,plete silence fell between them.


    Outside the room where nobody was watching, Leo held the phone in his hand as his expression


    softened. ¡°Bria, did you call because something happened?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bria nodded her head vigorously, her round eyes on her fair face widened to build a sense of


    mystery. ¡°Daddy, there¡¯s something you need to know. Mommy and a man are nning to race cars


    tonight.¡±


    Leo already knew that Amelie was a pro racing driver, but he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at Bria¡¯s


    words. ¡°Just the two of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± She nodded again.


    Even though she couldn¡¯t hear the man¡¯s name clearly, she remembered the rendezvous point, so she


    immediately told Leo afterward. Other than that, she also reminded him, ¡°Remember, it¡¯s 9.00PM. Don¡¯t


    forget about it.¡±


    Leo¡¯s curling lips were slowly pulled downward by the weight of the news and eventually pressed into a


    thin line.


    A man and woman racing cars at 9.00PM?


    He couldn¡¯t help but imagine other scenes that could ever happen between two people, and none of


    them was rted to car racing at all.


    His worries were understandable. After all, Amelie was surrounded by many men after the divorce and


    all of them were nning to make a move to devour her.


    He clenched his fists so tight that his fingernails sank into his palm.


    However, he didn¡¯t visibly react to the pain, let alone grunt. Instead, he only answered, ¡°I got it.¡±


    Leo kept his voice as calm as ever the whole time.


    When he returned to the office, the executives could sense a change in him judging by the way he


    looked more distant than ever.


    The veins in his forehead were bulging due to anger.


    I remember him leaving the room with a smile on his face a moment ago.


    The men¡¯s gaze allnded on Leo as he strode toward his seat. Instead of sitting back, he put his


    hands on the table to support his weight as he scanned the others¡¯ faces from amanding position.


    ¡°Whoever has acquaintances in the motorsport industry can round up his team and pack their things. I


    don¡¯t want to see any of you in thepany.¡±


    The others exchanged looks wordlessly. What¡¯s wrong with having acquaintances in the motorsport


    industry?


    In their opinion, Leo was a fair person who rewarded and punished people equally. Even if he nned


    to fire his employee, the person must be a poor performer who deserved it. He would also present


    detailed data and in-depth information to prove his decision was right, so the person wouldn¡¯t argue


    with him.


    Why is it wrong to have acquaintances in the motorsport industry? Is there a trend to prove those


    people are poor performers?


    Eugene was also confused, so he turned to Leo for the answer.


    However, Leo simply answered the question by dismissing the meeting and leaving the room.


    When he returned to his office, he pushed the windows open in frustration before he stood there with


    his arms akimbo.


    Eugen followed after him. ¡°Mr. Alston¡ª¡±


    ¡°You have been neglecting your responsibilities as an assistant, haven¡¯t you? The air conditioner is not


    even blowing cold air. Can¡¯t you feel it?¡± Leo used with a frown between his brows.


    Eugene was taken aback by the groundless usation. That¡¯s because you opened the windows to


    the hot weather outside! It¡¯s not the air conditioner¡¯s fault!


    Even though these thoughts were running through his mind, he shut the windows that Leo opened a


    moment ago without a word before lowering the air conditioner¡¯s temperature.


    Atst, he finally turned to Leo.


    Even for him, it was the first time to see Leo getting angry to the degree that he tried to fire a group of


    people without a good reason.


    As the room temperature dropped, Leo felt slightly calmer. He walked toward the sofa and sat there


    without saying a word. Resting his hands on hisp, he knitted his brows in annoyance and confusion.


    What¡¯s wrong with me? Why did I get angry just because Bria told me that Amelie has nned to race


    against another man tonight?


    He remembered Toby asking him whether he had fallen for Amelie. He also remembered himself


    admitting his feelings, but it was only because he felt at peace around Amelie.


    He would never have thought that learning the news that she was meeting up with another man would


    affect him that much.


    Putting the meeting minutes on Leo¡¯s desk, Eugene asked warily, ¡°Mr. Alston, is there anything else?¡±


    His question brought Leo back to reality. He massaged the bridge of his nose as his expression


    returned to its original state. ¡°Turn down the business dinnerter.¡±


    Eugene blinked in surprise. ¡°The business dinnerter is important, though. Mr. Smith is going¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his words, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine as Leo gave him a death


    stare.


    Eugene immediatelyplied with his boss¡¯ wish. ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡­


    Amelie arrived at the racetrack at 9.00PM sharp.


    The newly built racetrack was oval in shape like the others, and the audience could sit in the


    grandstand and look down at the race circuit when there was a race.


    As she got down from the car, Amelie smelled the mix of fresh paint and other building materials.


    She made a fanning motion in front of her nose. Just then, two beams of white light illuminated the dark


    as if a monster lurking in the dark had opened its eyes upon smelling its prey.


    Amelie narrowed her eyes to make out the intruder behind the strong light.


    Behind them was a sports car painted in a custom scheme. The car¡¯s skirting had almost touched the


    ground and it had sharp lines overall.


    d in his white racing suit, Chris got down from the car with a racing helmet in his hand, looking both


    handsome and confident.


    ¡°Good evening.¡± Greeting him warmly, Amelie walked over, only to find another car parked next to


    Chris¡¯.


    A man got out of the car.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    She frowned slightly at the sight of the uninvited guest.


    ¡°Ash is interested in racing against us. Amelie, you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Chris proposed with caution.


    He now treated Amelie as his idol in car racing. If she allowed it, he would even worship her.


    Ashton had a fake smile at the mention of his name before he sneered. ¡°Why do you care? She¡¯s no


    longer rted to your family.¡±


    After that, he snorted again as his gazended on Amelie as if implying that she was misleading Chris


    on purpose.


    However, she rarely met Chris after theirst encounter, so she had no way to mislead him even if she


    wanted.


    Even so, she didn¡¯t try to exin herself. Instead, she approached Chris with a calm expression. ¡°I


    don¡¯t mind. After all, it¡¯s your n. Besides, I indeed am no longer rted to your family, but you can


    call me ¡®Amy¡¯ or ¡®Elie¡¯ since we are friends.¡±


    Ashton sneered, disapproving of the idea in her words again.


    After all, he loathed Amelie. Thus, he would always find her words perfunctory while her a hypocrite,


    and he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to express his disapproval.


    ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± Chris hesitated. It¡¯s impolite to address my idol by her nickname.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick with ¡®Amelie¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    As the easy-going woman that she was, Amelie agreed with him. Then, she turned around and


    grabbed her helmet before putting it on. ¡°How manyps?¡±


    Chris watched her without blinking. She wore the helmet in one go with a natural and smooth motion.


    The red helmet and suit suited her well and set off herplexion, making her look both authoritative


    and vibrant.


    Before Chris could answer, Ashton chimed in, ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in it if you do it like normal?¡±


    He was also chewing gum at the same moment. There was a smug grin at the corner of his lips, and


    his expression was telling the pair that he wouldn¡¯t let their answers stop him from getting what he


    wanted.


    Amelie detected the implication in his words, so she turned to him. ¡°How do you want to y?¡±


    The grin on his face widened. ¡°All of us will cover one eye.¡±


    After that, he took out three satin sashes and held them higher to let her see them. ¡°Are you in or not?¡±


    He even pointed to his right eye on purpose. ¡°We cover this one.¡±


    Atst, he lifted his chin and threw her a challenging look.


    Ashton¡¯s meaningful gesture brought memories of that day back to Amelie. She remembered Elyse


    showing up out of nowhere and kept staring into her eyes.


    Now, realization dawned on her that Elyse was already suspecting her eye.


    After all, Amelie could see nothing with her right eye covered. Only a malicious woman like Elyse can


    think about such a dirty trick! She wants to get rid of me by Ashton¡¯s hands!


    She didn¡¯t reply as a scowl fell between her brows.


    Noticing the serious expression on her face, Chris interrupted, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ashton. It¡¯s not a good


    idea.¡±

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238


    He only wanted to race with Amelie and did not want toplicate matters.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she a good racer? Can¡¯t she adapt to even a minor change?¡± Ashton went on sarcastically, ¡°It


    looks like Dash can only race in broad daylight and on a straight road. What kind of dashing is that?¡±


    His words were mean, undermining all of her previous aplishments.


    However, Amelie simply smiled. She casually looked around and asked, ¡°Do you want me to agree to


    this race that badly?¡±


    Her sharp gaze seemed to be able to cut through the darkness. Elyse, who was hiding in the audience


    seats, happened to meet Amelie¡¯s gaze and the coldness in it shocked her.


    Despite knowing that Amelie couldn¡¯t see her, Elyse couldn¡¯t help but be startled.


    She felt Amelie¡¯s question was directed at her for some inexplicable reason.


    No¡­ It can¡¯t be!


    Amelie doesn¡¯t know I¡¯ll be here!


    Elyse tried to console herself before putting on a brave expression and raising her head. When she


    looked at Amelie again, the woman had already turned her head away, showcasing only her fair neck


    from behind.


    ¡°I agree to it,¡± Amelie said as she casually strapped on her helmet.


    Hearing that, Elyse felt her tenseness decrease and a cunning smile appeared on her face.


    Truth was, she was the one who summoned Ashton.


    Besides, she also gave him the idea to hold the race in the manner he suggested.


    Ashton ignorantly thought that Elyse¡¯s suggestion to hold the race in such a way was merely to scare


    Amelie. He had no idea that she had an ulterior motive.


    Though Elyse couldn¡¯t find out anything from Amelie¡¯s eyes when she looked at her today, from the


    cornea transnt consent form Ellen brought back previously, it was stated clearly that the donor had


    donated her left eye¡¯s cornea.


    If Amelie was indeed the donor, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything with her left eye right now.


    With her right eye blindfolded, she would be akin to a blind person.


    And how could a blind person race?


    Elyse had already thought of ways for Ashton to force Amelie to agree to his suggestion by hook or by


    crook.


    But unexpectedly to her, Amelie readily agreed to it.


    Thus, Elyse only had to wait for Amelie¡¯s performance now.


    If Ameliepleted the entire race sessfully, it meant that there were no issues with her eyes.


    At best, she was merely the Big Eyes who apanied Leo during the times he was abandoned.


    Even if Amelie told him the truth in the future, he would not believe it.


    There was no reason for Leo to doubt Elyse¡¯s identity at all, especially given that she had lost her


    eyesight in her left eye, not to mention her diaries and other information.


    However, if Amelie were truly the one who donated her cornea, racing with her right eye blindfolded


    would almost certainly result in a fatal ident, saving Elyse the need to get rid of Amelie with her own


    hands.


    Meanwhile, seeing that Amelie had agreed to Ashton¡¯s suggestion, Chris did not say anything further.


    He quickly took two scarves from Ashton¡¯s grasp and handed the bright red one to Amelie.


    He didn¡¯t give it much thought and simply felt that the bright red scarfplemented Amelie¡¯s red shirt.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Amelie murmured, her smile as beautiful as a rose blooming in the darkest of nights.


    Amelie¡¯s smile is truly captivating! Chris eximed in his heart.


    Amelie, on the other hand, ignored everyone else and jumped into the driver¡¯s seat of the car right


    away.


    She then took out her phone and opened her racing app.


    Her slender fingers clicked on some settings, and the entire race route was shown on the screen in no


    time.


    A delicate woman¡¯s voice resonated from the phone. ¡°Racing mode has been activated. Good luck,


    racer.¡±


    Amelie smiled faintly and bowed her head to blindfold her right eye with the red scarf. She then put on


    her special Bluetooth earphones, which automatically connected to her phone.


    With the audio broadcast function, the fact that she couldn¡¯t see wouldn¡¯t affect her performance in the


    race.


    She had also practiced blindfolded racing with Julia so many times that a new race route would not


    affect her at all.


    Meanwhile, Chris noticed Amelie setting the navigation on her phone and assumed it was her habit to


    do so before a race.


    When Ashton saw the same, he sneered, thinking that Amelie was indeed ipetent since she


    needed to set the navigation for such a simple race.


    Elyse, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t see what Amelie had done as thetter was already in her car.


    And so, all three cars then went to the starting point.


    Chris had previously downloaded a bell sound to his phone and connected it to the loudspeaker.


    When the bell rang, the three cars took off like arrows from their bows.


    Elyse stood up slowly as she saw the cars getting further away, her gaze fixed firmly on Amelie¡¯s red


    car.


    The red car nimbly drove past all the curves and spun freely, as if it were a bird flying freely in the air.


    No one would have guessed that this was a dangerous sport when they looked at the freely moving red


    car.


    Is there nothing wrong with Amelie¡¯s eyes? Elyse pondered as she clutched her tinum bag tightly,


    her lips pursed.


    The race was set to be fiveps.


    Within two minutes, Amelie¡¯s car had stopped at the original starting point, followed by Chris¡¯ car, which


    stopped right next to hers.


    Even though their time differences were only two to three seconds, such a difference meant a lot to


    professional racers.


    ¡°Dash, you¡¯re indeed fast!¡± Chris admitted defeat.


    Hearing that, Amelie jumped out of the car and removed her red scarf while smiling confidently.


    Chris was mesmerized by her yet again when he saw her smile.


    Ashton was thest to arrive, with a time difference of thirty seconds.


    When he reached them, a defeated expression could be seen on his face.


    He had previously thought Amelie was incapable, but she proved to be more than capable of defeating


    Chris, a highly skilled racer.


    All of Ashton¡¯s previous words were now a p in the face for him.


    This was a total disgrace for him. After all, he was a young master from a wealthy family who had never


    been this embarrassed before.


    Hence, he pped his helmet on his steering wheel, venting his anger.


    At this point, his phone¡¯s notification rm rang, notifying him that he had a message.


    Seeing that it was a message from Elyse, he quickly opened it without any hesitation.


    Elyse texted, ¡®What¡¯s the shining thing in front of Amelie?¡¯


    She was further away and couldn¡¯t see clearly what it was except for the fact that it was shining


    brightly.


    Elyse wasn¡¯t particrly surprised by the results of the race. However, she somehow felt that


    something was amiss, so she asked this question.


    ¡®The navigation system.¡¯ Ashton depressingly replied to her message.


    Navigation? Elyse was also a racer and she was even more skilled than Ashton. Hence, she knew that


    there was an application specifically designed to broadcast the race route to aid racers.


    It might not work well onplicated routes, but it could work wlessly on simpleps with no errors.


    Why did Amelie need to use the navigation system?


    There is no reason for a professional racer to use navigation for such simpleps!


    Elyse began to analyze the situation.


    Suddenly, she remembered the previous race in which Amelie had defeated her. In that race, Amelie


    was also blindfolded for the entire duration and depended solely on Julia¡¯s route broadcast.


    At the time, Elyse assumed Amelie did it to humiliate her, but apparently it was all because Amelie had


    vision problems and chose to be blindfolded to not affect the race!


    There must be some issues with her eyes!


    She is Amy, the person whom Ellen always mentioned!


    Such a sudden realization caused Elyse to unconsciously release her grip on her bag, and her bag fell


    to the floor with a thud.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Chris heard the noise and started looking around while pulling out the torchlight.


    But Ashton quickly approached Chris and took away his torchlight. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for anyone to be


    here. Maybe it¡¯s just a stray cat.¡±


    When Chris heard that, he epted such a possibility and did not pursue it further.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Elyse hid for a moment before raising her face indignantly again.


    She then noticed Amelie leisurely tidying her helmet and car essories. Is she preparing to go back


    now?


    The truth is out! She is the woman who donated her cornea to Leo. She¡¯ll be trouble for me if I let her


    go tonight!


    Elyse had had enough of people looking down on her and she couldn¡¯t imagine how Leo would treat


    her if he found out the truth.


    With this in mind, she clenched her fists and bit her lower lip tightly, oblivious to the fact that she had


    bitten down so hard that her lip was bleeding.


    Her white teeth were stained with blood, but all she could think about was how she could keep Amelie


    here forever so that she would never appear in front of Leo again.


    Elyse¡¯s gaze fell and, as if the night had given her miraculous strength, a bold idea emerged in her


    mind¡­

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239


    She quickly took out her phone and tapped her fingers on the screen to text Ashton.


    At the same time, Chris approached Amelie¡¯s car and asked cautiously, ¡°Amelie, would you like to join


    the next Speedway Race?¡±


    Dash hadn¡¯tpeted in majorpetitions in a long time and as a result, all racingpetitions were


    bing increasingly lifeless.


    As such, Chris genuinely wanted the other racers to be able to witness and relive Dash¡¯s capabilities,


    just like what he did today.


    The Speedway Race was the country¡¯s greatest andrgest racingpetition which would be held


    not long after.


    Faced with Chris¡¯ invitation, she tossed her long hair behind her shoulders. With her head cradled in


    her palms, she murmured with uncertainty, ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±


    Racing was just a hobby for her. It was something she did for fun in her spare time.


    He was captivated by her adorable demeanor and he secretly eximed in his heart how charming she


    was once more.


    However, he knew Amelie must have had her reasons. Hence, he did not push any further and merely


    made a salute gesture to her before walking away.


    Amelie then got ready to start her car.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Just as her car was about to speed away, Ashton appeared.


    Amelie¡¯s car would have hit him if she hadn¡¯t stepped on the brakes quickly enough.


    After the car stopped, she did not say anything and simply stared at Ashton.


    ¡°Let¡¯s race for another round!¡± he suggested as he ruffled his hair.


    When Chris heard that, he assumed Ashton was simply refusing to admit defeat. ¡°Mr. Lowe, you don¡¯t


    have to be too upset over losing to Dash. I lost to her as well,¡± he said.


    With Ashton¡¯s skills, he would never win against Amelie no matter how many rounds theypeted.


    Hence, Chris did not want Ashton to be embarrassed again. ¡°Amelie has to go back earlier.¡±


    Truth was, Ashton did not want to race against Amelie again as he knew he would lose, but that was


    what Elyse wanted.


    He had no idea why she had requested this. All he knew was that his goddess had asked him to do so,


    and he had to abide by her wishes so that he wouldn¡¯t be less respected again.


    But he was too embarrassed to even raise his head. With his head bowed, he kicked the gravel on the


    ground and muttered, ¡°This time, it¡¯ll be just the two of us and a more difficult route!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll race on her behalf!¡± Chris said at this point since his skills were enough to defeat Ashton.


    Furthermore, Chris was the one who invited Amelie today. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t allow Ashton to do


    what he pleased at her expense.


    However, Ashton pushed Chris away. Putting his hands on Amelie¡¯s car bumper, he challenged, ¡°You


    either race me again or run your car over me!¡±


    Amelie just stared at him coldly. Is he threatening me now? Why is Elyse so concerned about my eyes?


    What exactly does she want to know?


    Despite her reservations, she responded, ¡°Your life is priceless, Mr. Lowe. How could I run over you? If


    you insist on another race, I¡¯ll oblige.¡±


    She was curious to see what other tricks Elyse coulde up with.


    Hearing that she was open to another round, Ashton backed away in satisfaction as he finally fulfilled


    his goddess¡¯ request.


    However, Amelie¡¯s voice rang out once more as she said, ¡°But I can¡¯t race with you again for nothing.


    In a general race, I can at least win some money. Mr. Lowe, are you not going to show me your


    sincerity?¡±


    ¡°Sincerity, you say?¡± Ashton went on disdainfully, ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll pay you 150,000.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t going to offer more because he knew he would lose to her.


    Amelie curled her lips mockingly when she heard that. Such a sum was not even worth considering.


    ¡°Instead of money, Mr. Lowe, why don¡¯t you offer the woman you like to carry my shoes for two days if I


    win?¡±


    That rendered Ashton speechless.


    Elyse, too, was stumped for words. In fact, she was furious. Is Amelie hinting that I am only worthy to


    carry her shoes? Oh, how I wish to p her right now!


    Her body trembled with rage and she red at Amelie.


    At this point, Amelie cast a casual nce in Elyse¡¯s direction and curled her lips profoundly.


    She knows I am here! Elyse gasped as she finally realized Amelie had known she was in this ce all


    along. She has been ying with me since earlier!


    After smiling in Elyse¡¯s direction, Amelie turned her head back and said, ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, Mr. Lowe.


    Don¡¯t take it to heart. What I want are the few schrs you have. If you lose, please turn them over to


    me.¡±


    Amelie had no idea how, but Elyse had learned that Amelie was establishing a learning tform.


    Following that, Elyse had asked Ashton to forbid a few schrs from working with Amelie, particrly


    those from economic and business backgrounds at reputable universities with whom Amelie had


    wanted to coborate.


    Faced with such a term, Ashton was in a dilemma again. Elyse intended to prevent the schrs from


    working with Amelie. If he agreed to Amelie¡¯s terms on his own now¡­


    ¡°Mr. Lowe, if you don¡¯t agree with my terms, I will not race with you even if it means giving up my car,¡±


    Amelie added.


    As such, Ashton had no choice but to nod and say, ¡°Deal!¡±


    Elyse had requested for him to have another race with Amelie at all costs. Therefore, he had to see it


    through, no matter what it took.


    With this, the terms of the race were settled.


    Ashton then stood in front of the car and made a phone call. Not long after, the sound of equipment


    rubbing against the quiet racetrack echoed.


    ck pilings appeared on the originally t racetrack.


    They were arranged irregrly and because the surrounding area was dark, the pilings were difficult to


    see.


    In no time, the entire racetrack was filled with countless pilings.


    Amelie immediately understood what Ashton meant. With her lips curved, she said, ¡°Do you mean for


    me to avoid all these pilings, Mr. Lowe? There are a lot of them and visibility is poor at night. We might


    have an ident.¡±


    ¡°This is only the basic setup. The pilings will change after eachp. Since you¡¯ve already set your


    terms, shouldn¡¯t you ept my challenge as well?¡± Ashton said unnaturally. ¡°Oh, and you have to finish


    the race within the same time you did earlier, or you¡¯ll be considered to have lost.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Well, it appears that you really want me to get into an ident,¡± Amelie murmured as she blinked.


    Despite saying so, she agreed to it.


    Then, she drove her car to the racetrack and blindfolded herself once again.


    Chris came nearer and muttered in a worried tone, ¡°This¡­ Amelie, I don¡¯t think you should join this.¡±


    The racetrack was already dangerous enough on its own, let alone with Amelie being blindfolded.


    Though he did not know why Amelie wanted to blindfold herself, he felt that she wasn¡¯t doing it just to


    show off her skills.


    ¡°Do you want me to dissuade Mr. Lowe?¡±


    In light of the increased difficulty, it was impossible for Amelie to finish the race within the same time as


    earlier.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she responded nonchntly. ¡°Even though this is my first time racing in this manner, it is


    always fun to try.¡±


    Chris became even more concerned when she said such words.


    Such a trial would be fatal.


    Ashton, who was on the other side, was already mming the honks to signal Amelie to get ready.


    With this, Amelie sat up straight before putting both hands on the steering wheel and her foot on the


    elerator.


    Elyse wants me to die in an ident, I suppose? Well, I¡¯ll let her see with her own eyes whether or not


    I¡¯ll die!


    A loud bell was heard over the loudspeaker, signaling the start of the race. Amelie¡¯s car sped away,


    leaving only Chris behind, his clothes blown about by the wind from the car.


    Chris had his brows tightly furrowed. He was now kicking himself for organizing the race tonight.


    It was dangerously dark. Ashton was the young master of the Lowe Family while Amelie was Chris¡¯


    highly respected racer. He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine if any of them had an ident.


    Truth was, he favored Amelie, especially since she was racing with her eyes blindfolded.


    When her car¡¯s engine started, he could feel his chest tighten as he clenched his fists, staring at


    Amelie¡¯s car without blinking.


    It was the most nerve-racking race he had ever seen in his racing career.


    ¡°Turn, turn, turn, or you¡¯ll crash on it!¡± Chris yelled repeatedly. He felt as if his heart was about to leap


    out of his chest whenever he saw Amelie¡¯s car about to collide with the pilings.


    Every time she managed to dodge them, he would exhale a deep breath of relief.


    Though Amelie performed admirably and avoided all of the piles with agility, the increase in difficulty


    prevented her from maintaining her speed in the earlier race.


    That meant she wouldn¡¯t be able to cross the finish line as quickly as she had in the previous round.


    Realizing this, Chris couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    In the blink of an eye, Amelie hadpleted twops.


    He quickly looked at his watch. She is four seconds slower than in the previous round. With her current


    speed, she would be at least ten seconds slower than earlier by the time she reached the finish line.


    Even though she is faster than Ashton, she will still lose the bet!


    Chris heaved a sigh as he thought about this. Suddenly, he heard a booming sound, which caused the


    entire ground to vibrate slightly.


    He lifted his head to see what was happening. Then, he saw the red car that had been moving at a


    constant speed earlier picking up speed and elerating into a bend as fast as a rocket.


    It was so fast that itpletely startled him.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Chris yelled, his eyes red. He had never seen anyone race at such speed.


    The car was flying at least one hundred meters in a single second, or even in the blink of an eye!


    Is that lightning speed? She has driven for twops in just three to five blinks! No ordinary person can


    achieve such a speed on a t racetrack, but she does it wlessly even when the surroundings are


    dark and there are so many pilings in her way! She¡¯s so terrifying!


    Chris finally realized that the two to three seconds that hegged behind her earlier were what she


    spared him¡ªit wasn¡¯t her true capability.


    If she had driven like how she was behind the wheel now, he would have been at least twenty seconds


    behind her!


    Twenty seconds was an insurmountable hurdle for a racer.


    Chris was so stunned that he copsed to the ground.


    Within the next few seconds, Amelie hadpleted her fourthp.


    There was only onep left.


    She couldn¡¯t see anything and all she could hear was the wind passing through her ears.


    Her highly efficient phone was reporting the obstacles in front of her with increased speed, and she


    needed to react in one-tenth of a second.


    This was genuinely thrilling for her!


    ¡°The entire path is blocked fifty meters ahead!¡± the phone broadcasted suddenly.


    The entire path is blocked? What does that mean? Amelie froze for a brief moment. It¡¯s impossible to


    have the pilings set in this manner in normal circumstances. Where exactly has it gone wrong?


    It was only fifty meters away. In short, she would be dead if she couldn¡¯t find a way out within the next


    few seconds.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240


    Four headlights at the entrance to the racetrack flicked on like a demon¡¯s eyes in the night, illuminating


    the entire racetrack in a wretched white color.


    Chris, who had been watching the battle nervously, couldn¡¯t help turning his head to look in the


    direction of the blinding white lights.


    Two figures emerged from the lights.


    They strode over in a vertical line. One was in white while the other was in ck.


    The white figure looked elegant with its clothes rolled up.


    The ck one, on the other hand, was a handsome and solemn man who didn¡¯t have one hair that was


    out of ce.


    ¡°Leo? Toby?¡± Chris hurriedly called out and went over the moment he recognized them.


    ¡°What brings the two of you here?¡±


    Walking in front, Leo had a nk expression on his serious face. He didn¡¯t respond to Chris¡¯ words as


    his dark gaze swept over the racetrack.


    ¡°You wanted to race, no? Why aren¡¯t you on the racing track?¡± Toby¡¯s gentle eyes were a stark contrast


    to Leo¡¯s.


    There was a small smile on his graceful face.


    Chris grabbed a handful of hair andmented, ¡°I did for one round! But I lost¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Someone actually beat the Chris Alston! Which amazing person was it?¡± Toby asked out of


    curiosity.


    He apparently didn¡¯t know who Chris was here for tonight.


    The more questions he asked, the more embarrassed Chris felt. Chris¡¯ head was hanging low when he


    muttered, ¡°Who else? Of course, it¡¯s A-Amelie. Ashton came up with the stupid idea to cover our right


    eye. I lost by three seconds.¡±


    Even the three seconds were what Amelie spared him.


    Chris was overwhelmed by shame the more he thought about it.


    He initially thought that Toby would tease him for it. To his surprise, Toby¡¯s face suddenly fell. ¡°What did


    you say?¡±


    As soon as he said that, Toby grabbed Chris by the cor and yanked hard.


    Confused, Chris peered at Toby dazedly. ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter, Toby?¡± he choked out. The face in front


    of him was thunderous.


    With his mouth pressed in a thin line, Toby looked as if he wanted to gobble someone up.


    Chris had never seen Toby acting so menacingly before.


    Toby only managed to stop himself from throwing a punch at Chris¡¯ face by pursing his lips and calming


    down.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± He shoved Chris away.


    To begin with, Amelie had lost her vision in her left eye. Covering up her right one would render her


    completely blind.


    This was a race with a blind person!


    ¡°Where is she?¡± he growled.


    Chris was still bewildered when he robotically pointed at the racetracks upon hearing Toby¡¯s question.


    He looked in the direction he was pointing at as well before he suddenly cursed, ¡°F*cking hell!¡±


    Because of the headlights, the whole racetrack was lit up.


    It was only when the lights came on that Chris saw a row of standing wood pilings not far from Amelie.


    In other words, she would crash into it no matter how she drove! She would undoubtedly end up dead if


    she drove at a speed of 600 miles per hour and crashed into the pilings.


    Who would do something so evil?! Chris started to dash in Amelie¡¯s direction, but someone was faster


    than him.


    He only felt a strong gust of wind from both sides before he saw two figures, one ck and the other


    white, rush out. They¡¯re like arrows! No, they¡¯re faster than arrows. They¡¯re like rockets! Both of them¡­


    Chris was stupefied.


    However, he soon noticed that they wouldn¡¯t be able to save Amelie no matter how fast they were.


    It would take less than a second to cover that 50 meters¡­


    In short, Amelie was doomed.


    Even Elyse, who was hiding in the audience section, smiled triumphantly.


    Not even the best racer in the world could avoid crashing into the pilings 50 meters away at this speed!


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Amelie will finally be gone for good! Elyse inwardly cheered. Haha! My n worked! I¡¯m a genius!


    She had a glint in her eyes as she was already imagining how she wanted to celebrate her victory.


    Then, she closed her eyes to enjoy the explosion of the fatal car crash.


    Swoosh!


    Two seconds had passed after that and yet, she didn¡¯t hear the impact she was expecting. Instead, all


    she heard was the sound of something shooting through the air.


    It was like a flying saucer.


    Elyse couldn¡¯t help but open her eyes, only for the fire in her pupils to be covered by a sh of red.


    It was a striking, willful redness in the shape of a car!


    The car soared high in a perfect arc and easily sailed over the blocked road before it made the perfect


    landing on the ground.


    With a swish, it stopped at the finish line in the most graceful pose.


    The entire process was simple and neat without any extra movement.


    T-That¡¯s Amelie¡¯s car! Elyse finally understood when she saw the red figure hopping out of the car. She


    went over the wooden pilings and sessfully dodged the bullet! How can this happen? It¡¯s


    impossible! How can she do this when she can¡¯t see anything?


    At the same time, Leo was in the middle of running toward Amelie when he abruptly stopped in his


    tracks and fixed his gaze on her.


    Although his face was calm, his heart was racing.


    His heart almost stopped the moment he realized that she was going to be in danger.


    He wasn¡¯t even this afraid during the car ident he was involved in with his father¡­


    Toby also let out a breath of relief as he staggered toward her. ¡°Were you trying to give me a heart


    attack?¡± he scolded.


    She must have been trying to test the audience¡¯s tolerance by participating in apetition like this


    blindfolded.


    At that, Amelie tore off the silk scarf with one hand and removed the hat with another. Her smooth locks


    fanned out like a waterfall, making her bright eyes stand out against the background.


    H-Hot damn¡­ She¡¯s so cool!


    Chris had always admired Amelie, but the blindfolded leap she made just now had gotten him to throw


    himself down at her feet in admiration.


    He was now on his knees despite being in public.


    Bang!


    Amelie hadn¡¯t had the time to do anything before she heard another sound.


    Everyone turned their heads, only to see that Ashton¡¯s car had crashed into the fence which had cut off


    the track.


    As he couldn¡¯t control it well, his car spun several times on the track before it finally flipped over on the


    side of the road.


    Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t been driving too fast. The protection he had was also adequate.


    It didn¡¯t take long before he crawled out from under the car.


    With a defeated look on his face, he forcefully kicked his battered car. He had destroyed a car worth


    hundreds of thousands just like that.


    Despite seeing his pathetic appearance, Chris didn¡¯t feel like sympathizing with him at all. He even


    started guffawing.


    ¡°Oh, Ashton. Your bet, you pay. My idol not onlypleted the race within the specified time, but she


    also gave us a flying-car show. Now that is something new!¡±


    He put the stopwatch in Ashton¡¯s face.


    Still, he regretted not taking a photo or video of such a courageous act.


    Ashton couldn¡¯t say anything in return. Annoyed, he only threw Chris¡¯ hand aside and stormed off.


    However, he hadn¡¯t even taken more than three steps when a hand grabbed him from behind and


    pulled him back.


    Bam!


    A heavy punchnded on Ashton¡¯s face.


    Heavy thuds could be heard going on and on after that.


    All they could see in the dark of the night was a white figure ruthlessly treating Ashton like a sandbag.


    ¡°Toby? What are you¡ª¡± Chris was at a loss for words.


    Toby was the gentlest one among their friends. No matter if he liked it or not, he would always be full of


    smiles and treat people courteously.


    Yet, he was now beating Ashton up and he didn¡¯t hold back at all as hey continuous blows on


    Ashton.


    Chris even suspected that the person in front of him was not Toby but another person wearing Toby¡¯s


    skin!


    Unable to stand more of those hits, Ashton finally fell to the ground.


    Even so, Toby didn¡¯t stop.


    His fists swung again and again as hatred filled his eyes, making him look like a beast that devoured


    humans.


    Quietly standing beside him was Leo, who had his fists clenched as he looked on with a dark gaze.


    Even though his friends were in a tussle, he stood there motionless, as if he was an outsider.


    The look on his face was even darker than Toby¡¯s.


    He didn¡¯t hit Ashton but was no different from the devil himself. Just looking at him gave others chills all


    over their bodies.


    What¡¯s wrong with the two of them? Chris didn¡¯t understand what was going on. Seeing how one-sided


    the fight was, he only stepped forward to stop Toby out of worry that this would escte into something


    worse. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough!¡±


    It was only then that Toby gloomily retreated.


    Ashton spat out a mouthful of blood and threw a mocking re at him.


    Chris didn¡¯t want another fight to break out, so he nudged Ashton. ¡°Mr. Lowe, how about you leave for


    now?¡±

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241


    Ashton could barely walk straight after being roughed up.


    Seeing this, Chris had no choice but to support him.


    Even though he wanted to send Ashton home, he couldn¡¯t help turning around to look at the other two


    men before his eyes darted in Amelie¡¯s direction.


    They¡¯re acting weird tonight¡­ What if something happens to Amelie after I leave?


    ¡°You should take him away,¡± Amelie told him calmly.


    Chris couldn¡¯t possibly say anything else when Amelie herself told him to go with Ashton.


    With a screech, he drove off into the night after he carried Ashton into his car.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Toby returned to looking gentle as he reached out to hold on to Amelie.


    He had the fright of his life because of what happened earlier.


    Noticing that he was about to grab her, she ducked to the side, only for her hand to fall into another big


    palm.


    The hand smoothly caught her hand and held it tight.


    She was taken aback at first but when she turned her head, she was greeted by the sight of an


    expressionless Leo.


    She would have thought that it was someone else if she hadn¡¯t seen him reaching out to her.


    Her not letting Toby hold her didn¡¯t mean that she was permitting Leo to do so.


    She didn¡¯t even hesitate and was about to pull her arm away.


    ¡°Bria¡¯s looking for you,¡± he suddenly brought up.


    Bria was Amelie¡¯s lifeline. As expected, Amelie stopped struggling at the mention of the child¡¯s name.


    ¡°When did you go see her?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t answer her and only pulled her away from the racetracks.


    A small head suddenly perked up from Leo¡¯s car before a hand appeared and waved. ¡°Mommy!¡±


    Speak of the devil.


    ¡°Bria? What are you doing here?¡± Amelie pulled away from Leo¡¯s grip and ran to the girl.


    Leo didn¡¯t stop her this time.


    Bria immediately reached out and threw herself into Amelie¡¯s arms, rubbing against her like a kitten. ¡°I


    woke up and didn¡¯t see you, Mommy. I was so scared. Daddy said he could bring me to see you!¡±


    She then quietly blinked at Amelie. She didn¡¯t tell Amelie why Leo went to their home or how she was


    taken away through Steven.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Amelie didn¡¯t have time to tell Bria about her ns because the child had gone to bed early.


    ¡°Mommy, you were amazing! I want to go vroom-vroom too when I grow up!¡± Bria articted each word


    with precision.


    She thought Amelie was impressive when she saw her car flying in the air earlier.


    Amelie patted the child¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m professionally trained. You can¡¯t do what I did like it¡¯s a game, okay,


    Bria? It¡¯s very dangerous.¡±


    With the child¡¯s limited ability toprehend things, Amelie was afraid that Bria would imitate her


    actions.


    Bria gave a hum in reply while she rubbed her eyes.


    She was very, very sleepy. In order to wait for her Daddy to bring her to Mommy, she had been


    struggling to put off sleep.


    When Amelie noticed her drowsiness, she caressed Bria¡¯s soft and fluffy hair before turning to look at


    Toby, ¡°Mr. Walsh, my daughter is sleepy. We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    She then picked up Bria and carried the girl to her car.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°She can¡¯t lie down in your car. It¡¯s too narrow for her to feelfortable.¡± Leo stopped her out loud.


    After saying that, he opened the backdoor of his car.


    ¡°I want to ride in Daddy¡¯s car.¡± Bria nuzzled her face in Amelie¡¯s embrace. ¡°Daddy¡¯s car has a little


    princess bed.¡±


    Amelie wouldn¡¯t have cared under normal circumstances but when it came to Bria, she had to think


    more about it.


    Seeing how stubborn Bria was about it, Amelie said nothing while she turned around and entered the


    car with her head lowered.


    Leo pressed his broad palm on Amelie¡¯s back, giving her proper support.


    Toby silently watched every move. Leo¡¯s support might look like he was helping Amelie into the car but


    in fact, he was staking his im.


    Leony, have you really fallen for her?


    Amelie only noticed the additional child safety seat in Leo¡¯s car after hopping into the car.


    It was a pink chair that had turned into a sleeping basket. There were nkets and pillows inside.


    There was even a small canopy hanging over it.


    It looked like a mini bed for a princess.


    Bria crawled into the basket andfortably smacked her lips together, two of her fingers pointing at


    her belly.


    Amelie quickly buckled Bria in when she understood what the child wanted.


    Only then did Bria feel at ease and close her eyes.


    ¡°Mommy, I¡¯d like a bedtime story, please,¡± she mumbled.


    Amelie thought for a while. She then took out her phone and pressed into a story app before slowly


    reading the story on it.


    Leo, who was in the passenger seat, signaled the driver to turn off the music from the radio.


    The car was filled with Amelie¡¯s soft yetpelling voice at that instant.


    An hourter, the car drove into a residential area and stopped at the building where Amelie lived.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she politely uttered and lowered her torso to carry Bria.


    However, the driver was even quicker than her as he took Bria first and strode to the building.


    Amelie didn¡¯t say anything and followed after him. She opened the door for the driver and started to go


    upstairs with him when the door suddenly closed in her face.


    She didn¡¯t even notice that a big hand was pressing the door shut from above her head.


    ¡°Why did Toby hit Ashton?¡± Leo pressed the door with one hand and left his other arm hanging by the


    side of his body.


    Their distance was suddenly closed when he lowered his torso and leaned in toward her.


    She could even feel his erratic breath fanning her face.


    ¡°How am I supposed to know the answer to that?¡± she asked in return, her expression innocent.


    It was true that she didn¡¯t know.


    She was at a loss as well when Toby started beating up Ashton.


    ¡°They probably have some kind of personal grudge between them.¡± This was the only possibility she


    could think of.


    Despite hearing her answer, Leo didn¡¯t step backward. He continued to gaze at her with dark eyes,


    looking as though he wanted to see through her.


    There was something different about his eyes. It was like a stone pressing on her chest, or more like an


    invisible steel surrounding her.


    Even breathing became difficult for her.


    Leo insisted again, ¡°Toby has never enjoyed making enemies.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to admit that he fought because of me, Mr. Alston?¡± She was cornered by him at this


    point. ¡°If that is what you want, I¡¯ll agree with whatever you think.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to waste her time on him.


    ¡°Also,¡± she added, ¡°will you please let me know before you take Bria away in the future?¡±


    Her heart couldn¡¯t take it. He had brought the child away without saying anything more than once now.


    ¡°Bria likes me.¡± Leo gave an irrelevant answer.


    Seeing how she was rendered speechless, he asked again, ¡°Do you have feelings for Toby?¡±


    Tonight, he has more questions than usual. During our four years of marriage, he has never asked me


    questions more than he is doing tonight.


    ¡°It is none of your business, is it, Mr. Alston?¡± Even if Amelie didn¡¯t have feelings for Toby, she didn¡¯t


    want Leo sticking his nose into her life either.


    However, her answer made his calm gaze narrow.


    ¡°Bria is my daughter. I have the right to know the kind of family she will have in the future!¡±


    Ah, it¡¯s because of Bria! Amelie quietlyughed at herself. And here I was, overthinking about how he


    would want to be a part of my life. Thank goodness I didn¡¯t say anything.


    Amelie was ufortable being trapped against the wall by Leo, and she couldn¡¯t help fiddling with


    some wisps of hair next to her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Alston. I have no ns to get married yet.¡±


    But that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t like Toby.


    ¡°You can find out about Toby¡¯s family if you look into it. The Walsh Family can¡¯t ept someone who


    was married, especially if the partner is an ex-wife from a family they are close with!¡±


    How dare he? Amelie fumed.


    This was not the first time Leo had reminded her how she wasn¡¯t worthy of Toby.


    Is he still thinking that I want to marry someone wealthy for their money even at this point?


    Her expression quickly turned cold. ¡°Mr. Alston, you don¡¯t have to worry that I¡¯ll hold on to Mr. Walsh.


    Also, the Walsh Family may be unweing of a divorcee from a family they are close with but I, too,


    don¡¯t like getting involved with the people my ex-husband knows.¡±


    Pleased with her words, Leo finally stepped back.


    Amelie started deriding herself when she saw the satisfied smirk on his face.


    She thought Leo was afraid that his ex-wife would stick around him.

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242


    Elyse only reached home in the middle of the night.


    Ashton was the one who secretly picked her up and brought her to the racetrack.


    However, he was injured and waster brought away by Chris.


    There were two cars left at the racing grounds, one of which was Amelie¡¯s while the other was


    Ashton¡¯s¡­ And Elyse didn¡¯t have the key to either one of those cars!


    Because of that, she had to walk all the way back in the night from the dark ce.


    Her legs even felt like breaking from all that walking.


    She did call for a cab, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t get even one toe to pick her up.


    Much to her frustration, she only realizedter that her phone had no signal.


    Instead of her room, she went to Michael¡¯s as it was nearer.


    After she pushed the door open, she couldn¡¯t care less about what Michael was doing and she plopped


    down on a chair.


    The soreness all over her body made her feel as though she hade back from the dead.


    Michael was currently feeding Ellen.


    After all, Ellen was Leo¡¯s savior. He had to take good care of her to continue raking in a steady stream


    of benefits.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Michael couldn¡¯t help but ask when he saw his second daughter in such a


    mess.


    Hearing that, Elyse turned her face in his direction. She felt the utmost disgust at the sight of Ellen


    eating a mouthful of food just to drop half of it. Elyse¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knitted together when she


    comined, ¡°You can¡¯t just coddle her for nothing all day long. She has to do something to prove her


    worth!¡±


    ¡°Look at this dunce. What can she do?¡± Michael put down the bowl he was holding and sighed.


    He wanted practical benefits more than Elyse did.


    ¡°Whether she can be useful or not depends on how you figure out a way to use her. She will be


    completely useless if you keep dragging this out!¡± Elyse couldn¡¯t help but think of the secret that was


    confirmed tonight.


    Not only was Amelie ¡®Big Eyes¡¯, but she was also the cornea donor! The secret was like two hands


    clutching at Elyse¡¯s throat, taking the breath out of her.


    She was also well aware that she was doomed if Amelie ever spoke about it.


    ¡°Drat!¡± Overwhelmed by frustration, Elyse tore off her high heels and hurled them away.


    She wanted to use this opportunity to drag Amelie down, but that woman managed to get the car to fly


    even though she couldn¡¯t see!


    Just the memory of it was enough to make Elyse cough up blood whenever it came to mind.


    Why is it so hard to get rid of Amelie Dillon?!


    Michael didn¡¯t know why she was so angry, but her words reminded him of something. He nodded and


    agreed, ¡°You¡¯re right. We can¡¯t get anything from Leo even if we were to take care of this fool our whole


    lives. I would rather go to Leo myself.¡±


    After he said that, he scratched his head.


    ¡°But I am Ellen¡¯s father, after all. I must maintain my image, or else Leo will see through me. He might


    not even help us again in the future. How about this? I will talk to Leo about you and have him arrange


    something for you to do. You can take the chance to be famous again if I hang on to my image of


    a good father.¡±


    Michael was so used to being a liar that he didn¡¯t bother hiding his evil and phony side.


    Elyse nodded in agreement when she heard what he said.


    It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea for them to earn some money before Ellen was exposed. Even if the truth


    came to light in the future, it would all be on Ellen for lying to everyone. It wouldn¡¯t have anything to do


    with Elyse.


    Ellen was the one who wrote the diary. She also gathered the evidence herself. No matter how angry


    Leo would be, he could only release his anger on Ellen.


    As for me, I¡¯ll be a richdy by then and I can get married anytime I want. Even if I don¡¯t get married, I


    can live a worry-free life.


    Even though Elyse had made a considerable amount of money in her early years, she spent even more


    than what she earned. She barely had anything left now.


    Let alone money, her poprity was hanging by a thread and she was on the verge of being eliminated


    from the industry.


    ¡°Variety shows have been pretty profit-making recently. Have him make me appear on the best variety


    shows.¡± Elyse had long since set her sights on this path. However, she was not well-known enough for


    shows to invite her. As such, she was stuck at a dead end.


    ¡­


    Starlight Media.


    ¡°What? That b*tch Elyse used Ashton to set you up? Oh, that little¡­ Is she tired of living?¡± Julia was so


    loud that the office she was sitting in was almost blown away.


    Her face was tense as she looked at Amelie, who was sitting in front of her. ¡°This won¡¯t do. I¡¯m going to


    get her a*s! That damn woman! She doesn¡¯t think much of me, does she?!¡±


    Julia had always been a hasty person. As soon as she mentioned that, she stood up and made a move


    to go to Elyse.


    Amelie was leisurely slouched on another chair with her legs propped against the armrest.


    She grabbed Julia when thetter stomped past her. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, silly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Julia was so angry that she could set the whole office on fire. ¡°We never minded


    her when she went around causing trouble. Even though sheid her hands on Bria, we let her go


    because Leo handled it. But now she has taken it a step further by trying to get you killed. How can we


    not do anything about this?!¡±


    She picked up the hammer on her table. ¡°I want to personally smash her head with this!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t live as well if you really did that.¡± Amelie used Julia¡¯s arm as leverage to stand up. After she


    snatched and tossed the hammer aside, she patted Julia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is not the end of


    it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t get involved when Elyse messed with Bria because the woman ended up having her leg


    broken by Leo.


    But this¡­ Amelie wanted to seek justice for herself.


    ¡°Can you help me find out what she¡¯s been up totely? Since she likes to pick a fight with others, I will


    do the same for her. ¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Julia immediately held up a peace sign and happily hopped away to get someone to


    investigate.


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to bring the results of the investigation to Amelie. ¡°This b*tch has recently


    started getting involved with Leo again. She got a big variety show production through him.¡±


    Amelie jolted to a stop when she heard Leo¡¯s name, and she couldn¡¯t help recalling what he saidst


    night.


    A frown appeared on her face.


    He and his double standards¡­


    He has never stopped helping Elyse even when her true colors are showing up one by one.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    And me? I didn¡¯t even do anything, but all he does is misunderstand me. He still thinks I¡¯m a gold


    digger.


    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s all for now,¡± Amelie stated coldly. She didn¡¯t even bother to check the name of the


    variety show.


    ¡­


    Elyse sat gracefully on a chair in the green room of ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ three dayster. Her beautiful


    face was full of smiles as she rested her fingers on her long and slender neck.


    A few reporters were originally interviewing other celebrities, but someone finally spotted her and


    moved over. ¡°Why are you here, Miss yton?¡±


    Her poprity was not what it used to be. Supposedly, there was no chance for her to join a high-


    profile program like ¡®Show Your Love¡¯. It was inevitable that the reporters grew curious when they saw


    her.


    Instead of getting angry, she smiled sweetly. ¡°Take a guess,¡± she purred.


    A reporter smirked at her reply. ¡°There are tons of people who would kill to be a part of this show. Could


    it be that you got in through connections?¡±


    She covered her lips and giggled. ¡°You sure know the industry well.¡±


    She was admitting that she had someone important backing her up.


    Her worth plummeted when she canceled her engagement with Leo before, but her having a big


    fish supporting her now was undoubtedly big news.


    The reporters who were interviewing other artists also came over and turned their microphones to


    Elyse, wanting to know who the important person was.


    Leo wasn¡¯t the only powerful figure in Clouson City.


    However, there was only a handful who were influential, young, and handsome like him.


    There were one too manydies in the city who envied Elyse when she and Leo were together.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243


    ¡°Surely it¡¯s not still Mr. Alston?¡± a reporter asked.


    ¡°Okay, enough with the guessing. Pay more attention to our program and my performance, please.¡±


    Elyse pretended to be embarrassed and smilingly waved her hands as she entered the dressing room.


    Her assistant came running over to touch up her makeup.


    She closed her eyes and instructed emotionlessly, ¡°Make the color darker.¡±


    She knew that many people watched ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ although it was only a variety show. Among


    them were some famous directors, investors, and bigwigs of new media tforms. She could get their


    attention if she performed well.


    She would never have to worry about her path as a celebrity anymore if that happened.


    Elyse realized she was the best person she should depend on. She wanted to get famous before Leo


    found out that Ellen was not the one he owed his sight to.


    Even though today could only be regarded as a warm-up before her real battle, it was very important.


    Twenty minutester, the show officially started in the studio.


    A well-known emcee in a white dress and a male host in a blue suit came out and enthusiastically


    introduced the members who had arrived today.


    ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ was a program about secret admirers. The participants would mainly go through the


    completion of specific cooperative tasks to show themselves off to their unrequited love, so as to finally


    achieve the goal of making their secret love public.


    Five female artists appeared on the show today.


    They took the stage through a group dance.


    Elyse had changed into a beautiful and sexy dress to passionately dance with several other artists.


    It was only a short interlude and yet, the performance earned a passionate round of apuse and


    screams from the audience.


    The corners of Elyse¡¯s mouth curled upward when she heard someone yelling her name.


    It seems I haven¡¯t been forgotten.


    The other artists who came here were all celebrities who had just participated in a hit drama, whereas


    she hadn¡¯t done anything.


    Noticing this, the audience began to discuss and specte about how she got in.


    Elyse would love for everyone to specte more. The more they guessed, the more her name was


    mentioned and the more attention she would receive.


    ¡°Youdies danced so well that I almost passed out from watching you!¡± The male host came over with


    a smile and sighed.


    The hostess stood next to Elyse as she announced, ¡°We have to specifically introduce this guest of


    ours. Even though she hasn¡¯t developed in the country in the past few years, her previous works have


    gotten the attention of many.¡±


    Clips of Elyse¡¯s works that matched the hostess¡¯ words were disyed on the big screen.


    She was the only one who received such honor among the five artists.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is she the only one being introduced?¡± someone in the audience asked in


    confusion.


    A person who knew the ropes of the industry replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? She must have been sent in


    by an investor.¡±


    ¡°How powerful of an investor are they to be able to send someone in?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the most powerful one. Haven¡¯t you heard? Yummy Tummy Beverage is not the most


    important investor this time. It¡¯s Genesis Company.¡± The person waved the Yummy Tummy Beverage


    in their hand.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    To promote Yummy Tummy Beverage, thepany ced its products everywhere on and off the


    stage.


    ¡°Genesis Company does not advertise and they only have one requirement, which is to add someone


    in.¡±


    ¡°Wow! I¡¯m envious.¡±


    The gossip-loving crowd had always loved watching the rich spend money to gain a beauty¡¯s smile.


    Even though Elyse couldn¡¯t hear everyone¡¯s discussion while she stood on the stage, she clearly felt


    the audience¡¯s eyes on her.


    Her smile continued to deepen in satisfaction. She could already imagine herself being the center of


    attention tonight!


    She then closed her eyes to enjoy the moment.


    ¡°The five on stage are all women of rare beauty. Your good looks and outstanding talents have created


    countless images on film and touched thousands of people.¡± After the female host finished speaking,


    the host followed suit. ¡°But there is one person who has won over tens of millions of fans with her talent


    alone. Even after leaving the industry for four years, the number of her fans has not decreased after


    hereback. She even has more fans than ever! This is the sixth, andst, special guest that we


    have arranged to join us today.¡±


    The host deliberately kept the audience guessing.


    The audience thought that there would only be five celebrities onstage today, but now that there was an


    additional one whom the host so vividly described, the crowd was in an immediate uproar.


    ¡°He¡¯s talking about Foxy, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Foxy came too?¡±


    ¡°I thought that she never participates in variety shows!¡±


    While everyone was still guessing, the closed door on the stage slowly opened. A snow-white mask


    slowly appeared from the depths of the blue light.


    Elyse¡¯s works initially disyed on the screen were reced by this mask in an instant.


    It was snow-white, pure, and vivid.


    The mask only exposed a pair of clear eyes that people could get lost in.


    ¡°It really is Foxy! She¡¯s here!¡±


    The crowd immediately went crazy upon seeing her.


    The tform that was simultaneously broadcasting the show live was also bombarded withments.


    This was the type of reaction shows wanted. Seeing this, the host and hostess exchanged a smile.


    Elyse was still basking in the joy of being watched by everyone. However, she couldn¡¯t help being


    startled when her name could no longer be heard and was reced by Foxy¡¯s.


    She swiftly opened her eyes.


    Her gaze then shifted to the blue light that the crowd was looking at, but she saw Foxy wearing a mask


    just like on her live broadcasts, only revealing a pair of lively eyes.


    Foxy was wearing a white dress of the same color as the mask as she sauntered through the stage


    special effects¡¯ smoke screen.


    Her footsteps were so light she looked like she was floating.


    ¡°Ah! Foxy is also my idol!¡± The artists on stage couldn¡¯t help but squeal passionately.


    Foxy had gotten the attention of seemingly the whole world.


    However, the perfect smile on Elyse¡¯s face immediately froze at Foxy¡¯s appearance.


    Elyse knew better than anyone that Foxy was Amelie!


    This damn woman!


    How did she have the connections to have the opportunity to show off by herself?!


    Seeing Foxy here suddenly made Elyse feel as though her being here was only incidental to Foxy¡¯s


    appearance.


    Even the hostess¡¯pliments for Elyse had suddenly be as unimportant as an unsolicited


    opinion.


    F*ck!


    Now that her spotlight was snatched away from her, Elyse was filled with so much hatred for Amelie


    that she could chew a hole in her.


    On the other hand, Amelie seemed oblivious to the other woman¡¯s disgust as she stopped in front of


    Elyse.


    Her clear gaze unashamedly scanned Elyse from head to toe.


    For some reason, that one look made Elyse¡¯s chest feel tight and she involuntarily cowered to the back.


    She turned around just enough to take one step to thest position and stand up straight.


    The cameramen in front of the stage happened to capture Elyse quietly shrinking away, making her at


    a loss for words.


    As this was the first time the two hosts met Foxy in real life, they had to ask more questions.


    A few minutes had passed by the time they brought their focus to the next segment, which was the


    female celebrities¡¯ confession time.


    It was a simple segment. All the women had to say was whether they had someone they had a crush


    on, their crushes¡¯ upations, or their characteristics.


    This segment would y a guiding role in the arrangement of the male guests. The female guests


    would either explicitly or implicitly hint at a lot of things, but they would not reveal who their crushes


    were.


    ¡°What about you, Foxy? Do you have someone you like? What kind of man is he?¡± The hosts quickly


    got to Amelie.


    Amelie smiled under the mask as a hint of lightheartedness appeared in her eyes. ¡°Does it have to be a


    man? Can¡¯t I have a crush on a woman?¡±


    Amotion immediately broke out in the crowd.


    Her words were simply earth-shattering.


    Taken aback by the unexpected information, the hostess didn¡¯t know how to respond. Fortunately, the


    host responded quickly, ¡°And there is a reason that everyone likes Foxy¡ªyou¡¯re straightforward! Can


    you tell us a thing or two about thedy you have a crush on?¡±


    Instead of answering straight away, Amelie looked to Elyse with a half-smile on her face.


    Even though her gaze wasn¡¯t threatening, Elyse still felt her body break out in goosebumps.


    Why is this b*tch looking at me?


    The host took the hint and asked, ¡°Are you interested in Miss yton?¡±


    Amelie casually smiled and glided over to Elyse. ¡°Am I not allowed to?¡± she asked, her head cocked.


    Elyse had noeback.


    What is Amelie up to? Did she join this program to pick a fight with me? People will have a prejudice


    against me if they think I¡¯m not straight! It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if we were overseas, but this country


    isn¡¯t that open-minded yet!


    ¡°That reminds me¡­¡± Amelie continued, ¡°We have history, don¡¯t we?¡±


    Her words were getting more and more outrageous by the second.


    Elyse knew that she wouldn¡¯t have the chance to rectify this if she didn¡¯t exin it properly today.


    No director would hire her if she didn¡¯t give a good exnation!


    Suppressing the bubbling anger in her, Elyse forced a smile and decided to clean Amelie¡¯s clock so


    that Amelie would admit to her mistakes.


    And so, she began, ¡°Sorry, but I would like to rify¡ª¡±


    Before she finished her words, she saw Amelie slowly approaching her before lifting her mask for


    Elyse¡¯s eyes only. ¡°Speaking of which,st night¡­¡±

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Elyse, who was immediately reminded of what happened at the racetrackst night, abruptly yelled to


    stop Amelie.


    I¡¯ll be in deep sh*t if she reveals it!


    As soon as she said that, she saw countless ambiguous gazes directed her way.


    ¡°Aww, Miss yton¡¯s shy!¡± the male emcee teased.


    Elyse thought she heard a buzz in her ears after the emcee said that. She turned to Amelie, who still


    looked innocent as she shrugged.


    Sh*t! I fell for her trap!


    Amelie looked at the stupid woman in front of her who had dug a hole and jumped into it voluntarily. As


    she calmly fixed the mask back on her face, she answered her words with a smile. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll listen to


    you.¡±


    Elyse, who was on the verge of losing her temper, could only clench her fists.


    ¡°How sweet! I want a considerate girlfriend like her as well.¡± The hostess came back to her senses and


    eximed in an exaggerated manner.


    How were they supposed to bring the show to an end after a couple like that had popped out of


    nowhere?


    Of course, there was no way for them to end this peacefully.


    They had no choice but to bite the bullet and go with the flow.


    They could only hope that their program would end up alright too.


    At this moment, Elyse wanted nothing more than to have the program banned.


    Her fans were mostly male stay-at-home nerds. They wouldn¡¯t worship her anymore if news like this


    got out!


    With her head filled with such thoughts, Elyse was not herself the whole time.


    She only stood there in a daze.


    Unfortunately for her, the director team thought Elyse and Foxy¡¯s rtionship had topicality, and they


    kept alternating the camera shots between the two of them.


    Each alternate shot felt like a reminder to the public of what happened earlier.


    Elyse proceeded to storm out of the studio after the recording.


    ¡°Damn it! Damn it!¡±


    When she got home, she gave her all to rip apart her pillow as she pretended that it was Amelie.


    She kept at it until there was cotton everywhere.


    The whole Inte was now discussing her romantic rtionship with Foxy, and Elyse¡¯s number of


    followers on Facebook was decreasing at lightning speed.


    She had already lost 200,000 of them before two hours went by.


    She didn¡¯t have many followers in the first ce, and she only had a handful left now.


    No matter how she huffed and puffed and panicked, she couldn¡¯t think of a way to deal with this.


    Now that she didn¡¯t have a public rtions team, she could only spend her own money to reim her


    innocence. She spent a lot of paid posters, but it didn¡¯t work.


    She could barely control her temper when she tore open two more pillows.


    She only stopped and calmed down when she felt tired.


    ¡°Amelie, you fool!¡± Elyse suddenly let out a sneer. ¡°You call this revenge? You are dragging yourself


    down as well!¡±


    Elyse only had a few hundred thousand followers mostly made up of nerds who were not loyal to her.


    She couldn¡¯t care less if they decided to unfollow her.


    But Amelie had tens of millions of followers.


    Live streamers were highly dependent on their fans¡¯ support.


    Let¡¯s see who¡¯s going to watch her live streams after her followers unfollow her.


    She won¡¯t even know if no one is watching her stream!


    The thought of that instantly put Elyse in a better mood.


    She wanted to see for herself how pitiful Amelie could end up!


    She then took out her phone and quickly went to Foxy¡¯s page.


    Seeing that Foxy was streaming, Elyse happily tapped into the video.


    She immediately heard Amelie¡¯s beautiful voice singing a pop song.


    ¡°Ha! So what if you sing well?¡± Elyse mocked, her eyes quickly scanning the number of people in


    Amelie¡¯s live broadcast while she hummed.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Elyse saw the number of viewers at a nce. The number at the beginning of the series of


    numbers used to be four or five but today, it was one.


    She lost tens of millions of followers in just two hours. Hehe! Serves her right.


    Elyse was overjoyed. She even thought that her failure was a huge victory in disguise.


    She patiently waited as she firmly believed that Amelie would be left with no supporters at the rate that


    she was losing followers.


    ¡°You¡¯re left with 10 million fans now. What a pity.¡± In a moment of excitement, she typed in a sarcastic


    comment and hit send.


    As soon as herment was sent, another message immediately replied to her. ¡®Dude, do you even


    do math? I¡¯ll teach you if you haven¡¯t. C¡¯mon now¡ªones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of


    thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions¡­¡¯


    Elyse was so angry that she was about to call the person who replied an idiot when severalments


    popped up. ¡®Congrattions, Miss Foxy! The number of simultaneous online users in the live broadcast


    room today has exceeded 100 million!¡¯


    Thement was copied and re-sent by many people, instantly flooding the screen with the words


    ¡®100 million¡¯!


    What I saw just now was not 10 million, but¡­ 100 million?


    H-How is that possible?All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Refusing to believe it, Elyse began to match the numbers one by one. ¡°Ones, tens, hundreds,


    thousands¡­ A million.¡±


    Elyse counted five times and the results were all the same.


    Are they nuts? Why are they supporting her when their idol turned out this way?


    They must be stupid!


    She suddenly felt that she was the mole in a Whac-A-Mole machine, being beaten from all directions


    with all kinds of attacks¡ªan uppercut, lower cut, left uppercut, right uppercut, and finally¡­ KO!


    ¡­


    Amelie had just ended her stream when she received a call from Julia.


    ¡°Damn, girl, you actually attracted 100 million people with news about you being into women! You are


    the only one who can make such a high-profile scandal. No matter if it¡¯s now or then, you are definitely


    the one who leads the live broadcasting industry in and out of the country. You have left an honorable


    mark on the history of the development of the Inte.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Stop ttering me with those big words.¡± Julia¡¯s praises were giving Amelie a


    headache. ¡°Say something I can understand.¡±


    Julia giggled. ¡°Elyse lost two-thirds of her handful of fans because of this, and the remaining one-third


    probably won¡¯tst for a week. You¡¯re pretty evil, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    This was what it meant to destroy someone without spilling blood.


    Amelie let out a soft chuckle at that. ¡°I only made her lose some fans and made her life harder in return


    for her attempt at my life. I¡¯m already very generous as is.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡± Julia wished she could turn herself into a mini-Julia and kneel in front of Amelie. ¡°By


    the way, how are you so bold? Didn¡¯t you consider the possibility of it backfiring?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s actions today were too bold even for someone like Julia.


    ¡°Inte celebrities are different from celebrities. My fans, especially, were won over by my talent,


    considering how they have never seen my face. What they want is my content. They don¡¯t pay much


    attention to the kind of person I am and what I think of love. As for the sudden increase of 50 million


    followers today, they came to my page because of my status as an ¡®out-of-the-closet celebrity¡¯, but they


    stayed because of my content.¡± Amelie analyzed slowly and eloquently exined.


    Julia felt like she was in an advanced theoretical course. She was left stunned before realization hit her.


    ¡°In other words, appearances don¡¯tst, so do your inner work? Amelie, do you still need someone to


    warm your bed? Let¡¯s keep the goodies within the family. Take me in.¡± She began to tease Amelie then.


    ¡°Elyse reeks of a nympho. You might choke on her scent. How about you consider me?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Amelieughed at Julia¡¯s nonsensical words. ¡°As long as Samuel is fine with it, I¡¯ll take you in


    right away.¡±


    ¡°Pshh!¡±


    They continued to chat for a while before Julia suddenly changed the topic. ¡°Elie, have you ever


    wondered why Elyse wants you dead?¡±

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245


    Amelie was taken aback for a moment. It was not like she hadn¡¯t thought about this question before,


    but she always felt that the reasons she came up with were too far-fetched.


    All this while, she had little to no interaction with Elyse, knowing her only through Leo. Now that she


    and Leo were divorced, Elyse had no reason to target her anymore.


    ¡°Probably because she¡¯s jealous of my talent,¡± she deduced.


    Julia was amused by her response and chuckled. ¡°Well, you¡¯d better be careful then. From now on, all


    the live streamers on the inte will probably be jealous of your talent. You might even have people


    trying to assassinate you every day.¡±


    After exchanging a few jokes, they hung up.


    Then, Amelie lowered her head and flipped through the official Twitter ount of ¡®Show Your Love¡¯. As


    she had expected, the whole of Twitter was in chaos because of her and Elyse¡¯s affair; Their fans were


    even bickering with each other.


    Since Elyse¡¯s fan base was too small, it was not enough to make an impact. They were all attacked by


    Amelie¡¯s fans whenever they wanted to start an argument. After that, none of them dared leave any


    comments anymore. Gradually, the whole event turned from argument to discussion.


    Everyone expressed their understanding for Amelie to go public with her ¡®rtionship¡¯, but there was


    some asional criticism, saying that she had poor taste and wondering why she chose a fake b*tch


    like Elyse.


    Following that, someone exposed a bunch of Elyse¡¯s indecent behaviors.


    The production team loved effects like this. So, they didn¡¯t address thesements. Instead, they


    released a teaser saying that they¡¯d recruited a male guest and that there would be surprises for the


    next episode.


    The characteristic of the show ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ was that they first gathered all the female or male


    guests and then, through their appearance on the first episode, attracted celebrities or well-known


    individuals who were interested in these guests to sign up for the show.


    Amelie participated in this show purely to mess with Elyse, so she didn¡¯t care about who the male guest


    on the next episode would be. After only taking a nce at the teaser, she closed it right away.


    After calming down, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the question Julia had asked as she propped her chin


    up.


    The next day, she took Bria downstairs to go to school as usual. Since their house wasn¡¯t far from the


    kindergarten, she decided to walk Bria there.


    The morning air was fresh, and Halport, as a model of a civilized city in the country, was green with


    lush trees and clean water. There were even birds flying around, truly living up to its reputation as a


    desirable city.


    Along the way, Bria bounced and hopped, greeting every street vendor. She was cute and friendly,


    which made all the vendors like her. In the end, her arms were full of soy milk, croissants, and


    sandwiches that the vendor gave her.


    When Amelie saw Bria carrying a variety of breakfast items in her arms, she didn¡¯t know whether to


    laugh or cry. Is this a gic mutation? She wasn¡¯t someone who could talk to anyone. Only when she


    was on air would she be more rxed. As for Leo, his quiet personality made it impossible for him to


    be loved by everyone.


    Just as she was immersed in her thoughts, a white car drove past her at a distance of mere inches


    from her foot, startling her. She quickly pulled Bria to the side, away from the road, and her eyes


    followed the car instinctively. At this moment, what she saw was a beautiful face full of hatred. Elyse?


    Elyse¡¯s car drove off without stopping. At once, Amelie¡¯s gaze turned bloodcurdling.


    When Amelie arrived at the kindergarten, she saw Elyse¡¯s car parked on the side of the building,


    partially covered by the leaves. When the car window was wound down, she could see Elyse¡¯s white


    clothes and her tightly clenched jaw. Seemingly afraid of being recognized, she was wearingrge


    sunsses as well.


    Amelie didn¡¯t look any further and calmly handed Bria over to the teacher, instructing the teacher to pay


    close attention to her safety.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Dillon. Unless it¡¯s someone you designated for pickup, we won¡¯t let anyone take her


    away,¡± the teacher quickly replied.


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Amelie walked out after bidding goodbye to Bria and the teacher.


    As soon as she turned around, her wrist was grabbed by someone, and the person pulled her to the


    side. The one pulling her was none other than Elyse. Elyse pulled her roughly and with great force.


    Since Amelie wanted to know what Elyse was doing there, she followed her to the car without


    struggling.


    Elyse then pushed her into her car, and they drove to a deserted area before stopping. After stepping


    out of the car, Elyse mmed the door shut, which was enough to show how furious she was.


    On the contrary, Amelie slowly unbuckled her seatbelt and casually opened the door. Without bothering


    to close it, she rested her arm on the car door and looked at Elyse calmly.


    With her hands on her hips, Elyse paced back and forth before confronting Amelie. ¡°What do you gain


    by making me fail, Amelie? Can you stop targeting me?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s gaze remained calm as she put on a smile. ¡°It¡¯s true that your failure doesn¡¯t benefit me. If it


    weren¡¯t for you targeting me, I wouldn¡¯t waste my time talking to you. How about this? Tell me why you


    want to kill me, and I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I never wanted to kill you. Don¡¯t make baseless usations!¡± Although


    Elyse intended to negotiate with Amelie, she knew she should never admit this. It was Ashton who did


    it, after all. I just need to keep denying it since she won¡¯t be able to find any evidence, either.


    Hearing that, Amelie nodded nonchntly and smirked. ¡°Since you deny it, I guess I¡¯ll have to continue


    then, right?¡± As she said that, she looked at Elyse with a meaningful gaze. It was in and simple, but


    in Elyse¡¯s eyes, it was full of murderous intent.


    Elyse knew that Amelie was not someone to be trifled with. Once she concludes that I want to harm


    her, she won¡¯t spare me for sure. Previously, she had already made me suffer because of that little trick


    of mine. The investors who had initially seen potential in me after I joined ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ are now all


    avoiding me! If this continues, I¡¯ll lose my ce in the entertainment industry!


    Meanwhile, Amelie had no interest in waiting for Elyse to engage in her thoughts, so she turned around


    and started to walk away.


    At that sight, the furious Elyse clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Must you be so merciless, Amelie? I will bite


    too if you push me too far! Let¡¯s not forget that your precious daughter is in school, and she will cross


    that road every day. Do you suppose she¡¯ll be gone if I had just driven a little further ahead?¡±


    When Elyse was talking, Amelie was gradually walking away, but at these words, she spun around.


    Before Elyse could even see what had happened, Amelie was already in front of her, pressing her


    throat against the car window.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Amelie¡¯s grip on her throat suddenly tightened to the point where she couldn¡¯t even draw a breath.


    At the same time, Elyse struggled to pull Amelie¡¯s hand off her, but it was like a pair of pliers,


    immovable from her neck. Her face was squeezed against the car window, making itpletely


    distorted. In the end, her sunsses couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and shattered with a crack. The


    broken edge bounced against her face, leaving a bloody mark.


    Just then, Amelie¡¯s face slowly approached her. Her usually carefree expression was twisted with


    intense anger while she red at Elyse with a death stare.


    Elyse had never seen Amelie enraged, so it caused her body to tremble in fear.


    ¡°Listen!¡± While squeezing Elyse¡¯s neck, Amelie brought Elyse close to her own face and said word-for-


    word, ¡°If my daughter loses a single strand of hair¡­¡±


    She pointed her long finger at Elyse¡¯s face, causing her to flinch as she wanted to dodge it. Yet, Amelie


    pressed her finger forcefully on Elyse¡¯s wound, wiping away the beads of blood and then slowly


    smearing it back on her face. ¡°I promise you a painful death!¡±


    With a loud bang, she pushed Elyse back against the car window before walking away.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    With her head spinning, Elyse slid to the ground as she leaned against the car window. At that moment,


    she was like a dead chicken that had had its fur all plucked. She hugged herself tightly, but her


    trembling still couldn¡¯t be stopped. What on earth was that, Amelie? Dang it!


    On the other hand, in a hidden location where nobody would notice, a camera was silently recording


    the scene¡­

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246


    ¡°Urgh!¡± As Elyse returned to Michael¡¯s house, she constantly stomped and kicked to throw a tantrum.


    The news of Amelie going public with her ¡®rtionship¡¯ had put Elyse in a very passive position.


    Her investors fled and abandoned her while reporters followed her relentlessly. In fact, her original


    residence was surrounded by reporters, so she could only temporarily escape to Michael¡¯s ce.


    The conditions at Michael¡¯s ce were bad and inconvenient, so she had to negotiate with Amelie to


    try to calm things down. Not only did I fail, but I was also bullied by that damn woman!


    As she looked at the scratch on her nose in the mirror, she was so enraged that she wanted to eat


    Amelie alive. Did that woman have some mighty pills? Where does her strengthe from?


    Recalling the scene made her body establish a conditioned reflex as her body trembled involuntarily.


    How can I show myself with a scar like this on my wless face? She had always viewed appearance


    as her life, so the injury was not just a disy of Amelie¡¯s aggression; it was Amelie going after her life!


    Even though a thousand ways to get revenge on Amelie and tear her to pieces ran through Elyse¡¯s


    mind, she couldn¡¯t find anyone willing to help her after going through her contacts. Those men who


    used to pursue her would extend an olive branch and flirt with her, but after learning that she might y


    for the other team, they all blocked her.


    Only Ashton still treated her as before, but since his injury from the car race, his father had kept him at


    home. So, he couldn¡¯t move an inch from there. As for Leo, the only feeling he had for her was disgust,


    so he would never help her. No matter how hard she tried to think of a way, she had nothing but dead


    ends.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    As she was annoyed and frustrated, she saw Ellen walking toward her, munching on a piece of bread.


    Instantly, she strode over and snatched the bread from her hand, throwing it into a garbage bin. ¡°All you


    ever do is eat, eat, eat! You¡¯ll eat yourself to death!¡±


    With a mouthful of bread still in her mouth, Ellen started crying and wailing when she saw her bread


    being tossed into the garbage bin. This made bits of breadcrumbs fly all over Elyse¡¯s face.


    Ignoring her appearance, Ellen rushed over and flipped the garbage bin over, trying to retrieve her


    bread.


    At this moment, Elyse was speechless. Her image waspletely ruined with breadcrumbs all over


    her face. While covering her face, she screamed, ¡°Do you have a death wish?!¡±


    Meanwhile, Ellen was solely focused on retrieving her bread and didn¡¯t hear what Elyse said at all.


    After living on the streets for many years, she knew that food shouldn¡¯t be wasted, even though her


    mental state was not entirely clear.


    Seeing her scavenging for food, Elyse didn¡¯t feel pity for her but rather grew even angrier. ¡°Even you


    are picking on me now!¡±


    With a stride, she rushed over and kicked Ellen in the back. ng! Ellen fell into the garbage bin and


    toppled over with it.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why did you hit your sister? Do you want to die?¡± Michael happened to return


    from an errand with various bags in his hands. When he saw Ellen on the ground, he dropped


    everything and rushed to help her up. While assisting her, he brushed the garbage off her clothes and


    gave Elyse an angry look. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that she is our lucky star? Our future sess depends on


    her. If you hurt her and anything serious happens to her, you¡¯ll be sorry when Leo finds out!¡±


    At the mention of Leo, Elyse couldn¡¯t help but shudder. She began to regretying her hands on Ellen,


    but she still refuted the truth and yelled, ¡°Well, she¡¯s annoying!¡±


    ¡°Bread. My bread.¡± Ellen wasn¡¯t in the mood for their argument about her, as her eyes were only on the


    bread covered in garbage. She continued to stretch out her hand to reach for it.


    After ring at Elyse, Michael quickly took out more snacks from the bags to coax Ellen. Only after that


    did she calm down and let him lead her to the couch. Then, he kneeled to tear open the snack


    packaging and ced a ss of water on the coffee table before her. His attentive care would have


    made an outsider mistake him for a doting father.


    Only after he settled Ellen down did he hold his bby waist to stand up straight and look at Elyse.


    ¡°You¡­ Not only did you not aplish anything, but you destroyed everything. You can¡¯t even handle


    a simple task. All you know how to do is pick on your sister. Let me tell you this. Be kind to her from


    now on, or I¡¯ll even need to ask you to leave.¡±


    The rumor about Elyse being queer had spread widely, so of course, he knew about it. Initially, he liked


    her because she reminded him of himself, but he became unhappy when he saw her in such a passive


    state.


    Being treated like this by her biological father upset her, and she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore.


    ¡°How can you me everything on me? This is all Amelie¡¯s fault. If it wasn¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t be in


    such a difficult situation. I¡¯m your daughter! Why are you scolding me instead of helping me? Why don¡¯t


    you think that no matter how much gratitude this fool has toward Leo, she cannot achieve anything


    without me? She¡¯s useless! If I cannot get back up, we will both be left with nothing!¡±


    It was evident that Michael knew he still needed Elyse to seed, so he softened his tone. ¡°I was just


    too anxious. If this doesn¡¯t work out, you don¡¯t have to go on the show. We can ask Leo to make you a


    movie. So what if Amelie can go on a variety show? It¡¯s not like she can be in a movie.¡±


    Hearing that, she snorted. ¡°She¡¯s intentionally targeting me. Even if I y a part in a movie, she can


    still find a way to cause me trouble!¡±


    ¡°I mean, why does she hold such a big grudge against you?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but scratch his head.


    ¡°God knows!¡± Elyse didn¡¯t want to expose what she had done. ¡°Maybe because I had Leo¡¯s heart


    previously, so she became jealous and wants to rake things up now!¡±


    ¡°Is that possible?¡± As Michael raised his chin, he showed disbelief on his face. He had spent half his life


    deceiving others, so he could guess someone¡¯s character just by looking at them. Moreover, he had


    stayed with the ytons long enough to know Amelie and her father well.


    Elyse knew that her father wasn¡¯t easy to fool, so she quickly changed the subject. ¡°So, are you helping


    me or not? If you aren¡¯t, we can just wait to be doomed together!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I want to help you.¡± As he scratched his head, his small eyes darted around like a mouse.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t think of a way now.¡±


    ¡°My goodness¡­ Howe even your brain isn¡¯t working?¡± Since she couldn¡¯te up with a solution


    herself and now, he seemed just as useless, she was both annoyed and upset.


    Just then, her phone rang. She was extremely annoyed looking at the phone number because,tely,


    various reporters had been calling her to ask about her rtionship with Foxy. They wanted insider


    information, but when she told them the truth, they didn¡¯t listen. It was like talking to a brick wall.


    So, her first instinct was to hang up the phone, but for some reason, just as she was about to press the


    hang-up button, her finger moved andnded on the answer button.


    ¡°Hello, is this Miss yton? I¡¯m a reporter from Sky News.¡± As expected, a reporter¡¯s voice came from


    the other side of the phone.


    Only then did Elyse realize how foolish her action was just now, so her finger was already hovering


    over the hang-up button.


    Seemingly knowing what she was going to do, the reporter quickly said, ¡°Wait, I¡¯m not here to ask


    about your rtionship with Foxy. I have something important that I think I can help you with.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked coldly. Although she was curious, she pretended to be uninterested.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247


    The mysterious caller responded with a cunning chuckle. ¡°I finally know why you wouldn¡¯t disclose your


    rtionship with Foxy, Miss yton.¡±


    The mysterious coller responded with o cunning chuckle. ¡°I finolly know why you wouldn¡¯t disclose your


    relotionship with Foxy, Miss Cloyton.¡±


    ¡°Whot?! Whot kind of nonsense ore you tolking obout?!¡± Elyse neorly flipped out, unhoppy to heor thot


    she wos considered on ossociote of Amelie. Whot¡¯s this guy tolking obout? Amelie ond I hove nothing


    to do with eoch other. So, whot does he meon when he soid I wouldn¡¯t disclose my relotionship with


    her? At the thought of thot, Elyse reckoned she would hove snopped ot the reporter ongrily if it hodn¡¯t


    been for her reputotion.


    ¡°I hove o little something to show you, Miss Cloyton. Once you check it out, I¡¯d oppreciote it if you could


    give me o little ¡®something¡¯ in return. I¡¯m not osking for o lot¡ª70 to 80 grond will do. Pleose don¡¯t be


    mod ot me for thot becouse you know how hord it is for people like us to moke o living os o reporter.


    After oll, I hove to moke my hord work worthwhile. Anywoy, I promise I¡¯ll delete it once I receive the


    poyment ond pretend os if nothing ever hoppened.¡±


    Confused with whot she hod just heord, Elyse wos obout to osk for more detoils, but the coller hung up


    on her the next second. Soon, she heord o notificotion olert from her phone ond sow o messoge from


    the some number thot colled her eorlier. Without hesitotion, she immediotely viewed the messoge¡¯s


    content, which rendered her foce pole ond left her foreheod covered in o cold sweot right owoy.


    Michoel wos puzzled when he sow the bitter look on Elyse¡¯s foce. Thus, hee closer to toke o look


    ot whot his doughter wos viewing, only to see o video. While the footoge hod no oudio, he could see


    Elyse restroined by Amelie with her foce pressed ogoinst the cor window in ogony.


    ¡°Whot¡¯s this oll obout?¡± he osked obout the video with o dorkened look on his foce, reolizing Elyse hod


    been on the losing end oll olong. As he continued to desperotely store ot Elyse to heor on onswer from


    her, his goze wos only met by his doughter¡¯s emotionless eyes. ¡°Did Ameliee osking for trouble


    from you?¡± he osked ogoin.


    Elyse shouted in o ponic ond threw her phone oside, wropping her orms oround her foce in disbelief.


    This is impossible! Unoble to ept the virol rumor obout her questionoble sexuol orientotion, she


    found herself on the verge of losing her insonity when she sow the video of Amelie monhondling her. In


    foct, Elyse wos mod, not becouse of the video, but becouse she wos shocked ot the sight of how


    terrible she looked.


    After oll, she couldn¡¯t live down thot kind of humiliotion os she wos olwoys so full of herself. No! I¡¯m the


    lody every mon wonts to dote, so how con this¡­ Elyse wos hounted by the thought of her mole fons


    forsoking her ofter they sow her disheveled look. ¡°Go to hell, Amelie! You¡¯re behind this! You must hove


    contocted the reporter!¡± Elyse storted screoming fronticolly while yonking her own hoir, moking herself


    look even more of o modwomon thon Ellen could be.


    ¡°This seems stronge to me.¡± Michoel colmly onolyzed the situotion, unlike his ponicky doughter.


    ¡°Amelie won¡¯t go public with the video even if she wonts to mess with you,¡± hemented. After oll,


    Michoel didn¡¯t think Amelie wos so dumb thot she would put herself in trouble since she wos the one


    getting physicol with Elyse in the video.


    ¡°Who else could it be besides her?!¡± Confused, Elyse refused to believe her fother¡¯s words.


    ¡°Moybe the reporter hoppened to poss by ond sow whot you both were doing before recording the


    fight.¡± He ventured o logicol guess, thonks to his quick-thinking obility thot he hod developed os o


    dishonest mer over the yeors. With his honds on his woist, he odded, ¡°Try to recoll whot else the


    reporter told you.¡±


    Since she onswered the phone coll on loudspeoker, Michoel wos oble to heor the entire conversotion


    between her ond the mysterious coller.


    Upon heoring his words, she tried to recoll whot the reporter told her ond only found thot one line,


    which sounded owry. ¡°He soid he knew why I wouldn¡¯t disclose my relotionship with Foxy.¡± Although


    she initiolly thought the coller wos just trying his luck by venturing on uneducoted guess, it begon to


    seem stronger to her os she continued to recoll thot sentence in hindsight.


    ¡°Thot¡¯s my girl!¡± Michoel clopped his hond in sotisfoction, feeling proud of his own doughter¡¯s quick wit.


    ¡°How is thot going to help?¡± Elyse couldn¡¯t find onything worth investigoting obout thot sentence,


    olthough her intuition told her something wos wrong.


    Soon, he wolked closer to her ond potted her shoulder. ¡°Think obout it, girl. The reporter, who hos thot


    video, mentioned nothing obout you being bullied by thot womon. Insteod, he soid he knew why you


    wouldn¡¯t disclose your relotionship with Foxy.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to soy thot he knows there is onother reoson behind my refusol to disclose my


    relotionship with Foxy? And Amelie is the key to thot reoson?¡± Elyse mode her own speculotion with


    Michoel¡¯s hint. At the some time, when she mentioned Amelie¡¯s nome, she couldn¡¯t help but feel


    disgusted obout it.


    ¡°Exoctly.¡± Michoel¡¯s eyes lightened up with glee os he repeotedly tilted his heod side to side with joy.


    ¡°Whot does thot meon? Thot meons he thinks Amelie is hitting you becouse she is jeolous.¡± The mon


    grinned ond chuckled cunningly.


    As soon os Elyse heord his onolysis, it finolly downed on her. ¡°Whoever colled me hos no ideo thot


    Amelie is octuolly Foxy. The video only shows her hitting me, ond since the reporter thinks we¡¯re o


    couple, he ossumes Amelie wos hitting me becouse of my ¡®relotionship¡¯ with Foxy. To thot guy, Amelie


    got physicol with me becouse I wos two-timing her!¡±


    Michoel nodded in response. ¡°Bingo! Thot guy wouldn¡¯t hove colled you if he hod known Amelie wos


    Foxy. He would hove colled her stroight owoy insteod. After oll, Amelie hos over o billion fons, which


    would moke it eosier for him to blockmoil. Furthermore, he could even get more from extorting her thon


    extorting you. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°Yeoh, you¡¯re right.¡± She wos storting to get more ideos obout whot she should do with the video.


    ¡°All he wonts is just money, so why don¡¯t we just poy him o hundred thousond ond use the video to


    blockmoil Amelie for more? I¡¯m sure she con offord to poy us o million ot leost, considering how much


    she is worth todoy.¡± Michoel indulged in the fontosy of his ideol plon, his eyes rolling in excitement os


    he imogined the ideol oue.


    However, Elyse oppeored to hove some other plons in mind. ¡°We¡¯re, of course, going to poy for the


    video, but I will not use thot to blockmoil thot womon.¡± Becouse¡ªI¡¯m going to use it to destroy her!


    Michoel wos dissotisfied with Elyse¡¯s ideo. ¡°Are you out of your mind? With how much you¡¯re worth


    todoy, there is no woy we con moke onywhere close to 10 million, but this is going to moke us rich


    without us hoving to go through oll the hord work. So, why not? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be worth our


    while.¡±


    Storing ot her greedy fother, she grunted coldly ond replied, ¡°Do you think Amelie is reolly thot dumb?


    Whot mokes you think you¡¯re going to sessfully moke 10 million from blockmoiling her ond get owoy


    with it? Who knows if she could turn the tobles ond send you to joil with the video? Don¡¯t forget; she still


    hos the goods on you. So, if she goes public with it, it¡¯s going to be over for you!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Michoel groped his own hoir in frustrotion, discouroged by the possibility of how his lousy plon


    to moke o fortune could bockfire.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to use this video to my odvontoge. While it moy not be o tool for you to moke


    o fortune by blockmoiling Amelie, I¡¯m sure it con work in our fovor ond ruin her life. By then, no one will


    hove the guts to mess with us, ond moking tens of millions won¡¯t be o problem for us either onymore!¡±


    Deep down, Elyse reckoned she juste by chonce to destroy Amelie¡¯s life. I¡¯m going to seize this


    opportunity ond moke good use of it!


    ¡°Whot ore you going to do?¡± Michoel curiously osked.


    Elyse curled her lips upword sinisterly. ¡°I¡¯m going to let her hove o toste of her own medicine!¡±


    The mysterious caller responded with a cunning chuckle. ¡°I finally know why you wouldn¡¯t disclose your


    rtionship with Foxy, Miss yton.¡± Tha mystarious car raspondad with a cunning chuc. ¡°I finally


    know why you wouldn¡¯t disclosa your rtionship with Foxy, Miss yton.¡±


    ¡°What?! What kind of nonsansa ara you talking about?!¡± Elysa naarly flippad out, unhappy to haar that


    sha was considarad an associata of Amalia. What¡¯s this guy talking about? Amalia and I hava nothing


    to do with aach othar. So, what doas ha maan whan ha said I wouldn¡¯t disclosa my rtionship with


    har? At tha thought of that, Elysa rackonad sha would hava snappad at tha raportar angrily if it hadn¡¯t


    baan for har raputation.


    ¡°I hava a lit somathing to show you, Miss yton. Onca you chack it out, I¡¯d appraciata it if you could


    giva ma a lit ¡®somathing¡¯ in raturn. I¡¯m not asking for a lot¡ª70 to 80 grand will do. asa don¡¯t ba


    mad at ma for that bacausa you know how hard it is for pao lika us to maka a living as a raportar.


    Aftar all, I hava to maka my hard work worthwh. Anyway, I promisa I¡¯ll dta it onca I racaiva tha


    paymant and pratand as if nothing avar happanad.¡±


    Confusad with what sha had just haard, Elysa was about to ask for mora datails, but tha car hung up


    on har tha naxt sacond. Soon, sha haard a notification rt from har phona and saw a massaga from


    tha sama numbar that cad har aarliar. Without hasitation, sha immadiataly viawad tha massaga¡¯s


    contant, which randarad har faca p andft har forahaad covarad in a cold swaat right away.


    Michaal was puzd whan ha saw tha bittar look on Elysa¡¯s faca. Thus, ha cama closar to taka a look


    at what his daughtar was viawing, only to saa a vidao. Wh tha footaga had no audio, ha could saa


    Elysa rastrainad by Amalia with har faca prassad against tha car window in agony.


    ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± ha askad about tha vidao with a darkanad look on his faca, raalizing Elysa had


    baan on tha losing and all along. As ha continuad to dasparataly stara at Elysa to haar an answar from


    har, his gaza was only mat by his daughtar¡¯s amotioss ayas. ¡°Did Amaliaa asking for trou


    from you?¡± ha askad again.


    Elysa shoutad in a panic and thraw har phona asida, wrapping har arms around har faca in disbaliaf.


    This is impossi! Una to apt tha viral rumor about har quastiona saxual oriantation, sha


    found harsalf on tha varga of losing har insanity whan sha saw tha vidao of Amalia manhandling har. In


    fact, Elysa was mad, not bacausa of tha vidao, but bacausa sha was shockad at tha sight of how


    tarri sha lookad.


    Aftar all, sha couldn¡¯t liva down that kind of humiliation as sha was always so full of harsalf. No! I¡¯m tha


    lady avary man wants to data, so how can this¡­ Elysa was hauntad by tha thought of har m fans


    forsaking har aftar thay saw har dishavd look. ¡°Go to hall, Amalia! You¡¯ra bahind this! You must hava


    contactad tha raportar!¡± Elysa startad scraaming frantically wh yanking har own hair, making harsalf


    look avan mora of a madwoman than En could ba.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This saams stranga to ma.¡± Michaal calmly analyzad tha situation, unlika his panicky daughtar.


    ¡°Amalia won¡¯t go public with tha vidao avan if sha wants to mass with you,¡± hamantad. Aftar all,


    Michaal didn¡¯t think Amalia was so dumb that sha would put harsalf in trou sinca sha was tha ona


    gatting physical with Elysa in tha vidao.


    ¡°Who alsa could it ba basidas har?!¡± Confusad, Elysa rafusad to baliava har fathar¡¯s words.


    ¡°Mayba tha raportar happanad to pass by and saw what you both wara doing bafora racording tha


    fight.¡± Ha vanturad a logical guass, thanks to his quick-thinking ability that ha had davalopad as a


    dishonast scammar ovar tha yaars. With his hands on his waist, ha addad, ¡°Try to racall what alsa tha


    raportar told you.¡±


    Sinca sha answarad tha phona call on loudspaakar, Michaal was a to haar tha antira convarsation


    batwaan har and tha mystarious car.


    Upon haaring his words, sha triad to racall what tha raportar told har and only found that ona lina,


    which soundad awry. ¡°Ha said ha knaw why I wouldn¡¯t disclosa my rtionship with Foxy.¡± Although


    sha initially thought tha car was just trying his luck by vanturing an unaducatad guass, it bagan to


    saam strangar to har as sha continuad to racall that santanca in hindsight.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡± Michaal ppad his hand in satisfaction, faaling proud of his own daughtar¡¯s quick wit.


    ¡°How is that going to halp?¡± Elysa couldn¡¯t find anything worth invastigating about that santanca,


    although har intuition told har somathing was wrong.


    Soon, ha walkad closar to har and pattad har shouldar. ¡°Think about it, girl. Tha raportar, who has that


    vidao, mantionad nothing about you baing bulliad by that woman. Instaad, ha said ha knaw why you


    wouldn¡¯t disclosa your rtionship with Foxy.¡±


    ¡°Ara you trying to say that ha knows thara is anothar raason bahind my rafusal to disclosa my


    rtionship with Foxy? And Amalia is tha kay to that raason?¡± Elysa mada har own spaction with


    Michaal¡¯s hint. At tha sama tima, whan sha mantionad Amalia¡¯s nama, sha couldn¡¯t halp but faal


    disgustad about it.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Michaal¡¯s ayas lightanad up with a as ha rapaatadly tiltad his haad sida to sida with joy.


    ¡°What doas that maan? That maans ha thinks Amalia is hitting you bacausa sha is jaalous.¡± Tha man


    grinnad and chucd cunningly.


    As soon as Elysa haard his analysis, it finally dawnad on har. ¡°Whoavar cad ma has no idaa that


    Amalia is actually Foxy. Tha vidao only shows har hitting ma, and sinca tha raportar thinks wa¡¯ra a


    cou, ha assumas Amalia was hitting ma bacausa of my ¡®rtionship¡¯ with Foxy. To that guy, Amalia


    got physical with ma bacausa I was two-timing har!¡±


    Michaal noddad in rasponsa. ¡°Bingo! That guy wouldn¡¯t hava cad you if ha had known Amalia was


    Foxy. Ha would hava cad har straight away instaad. Aftar all, Amalia has ovar a billion fans, which


    would maka it aasiar for him to ckmail. Furtharmora, ha could avan gat mora from axtorting har than


    axtorting you. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°Yaah, you¡¯ra right.¡± Sha was starting to gat mora idaas about what sha should do with tha vidao.


    ¡°All ha wants is just monay, so why don¡¯t wa just pay him a hundrad thousand and usa tha vidao to


    ckmail Amalia for mora? I¡¯m sura sha can afford to pay us a million atast, considaring how much


    sha is worth today.¡± Michaal indulgad in tha fantasy of his idaal n, his ayas rolling in axcitamant as


    ha imaginad tha idaal oua.


    Howavar, Elysa appaarad to hava soma othar ns in mind. ¡°Wa¡¯ra, of coursa, going to pay for tha


    vidao, but I will not usa that to ckmail that woman.¡± Bacausa¡ªI¡¯m going to usa it to dastroy har!


    Michaal was dissatisfiad with Elysa¡¯s idaa. ¡°Ara you out of your mind? With how much you¡¯ra worth


    today, thara is no way wa can maka anywhara closa to 10 million, but this is going to maka us rich


    without us having to go through all tha hard work. So, why not? I¡¯m sura it¡¯s going to ba worth our


    wh.¡±


    Staring at har graady fathar, sha gruntad coldly and rapliad, ¡°Do you think Amalia is raally that dumb?


    What makas you think you¡¯ra going to sassfully maka 10 million from ckmailing har and gat away


    with it? Who knows if sha could turn tha tas and sand you to jail with tha vidao? Don¡¯t forgat; sha still


    has tha goods on you. So, if sha goas public with it, it¡¯s going to ba ovar for you!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Michaal gropad his own hair in frustration, discouragad by tha possibility of how his lousy n


    to maka a fortuna could backfira.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to usa this vidao to my advantaga. Wh it may not ba a tool for you to maka


    a fortuna by ckmailing Amalia, I¡¯m sura it can work in our favor and ruin har lifa. By than, no ona will


    hava tha guts to mass with us, and making tans of millions won¡¯t ba a prom for us aithar anymora!¡±


    Daap down, Elysa rackonad sha just cama by chanca to dastroy Amalia¡¯s lifa. I¡¯m going to saiza this


    opportunity and maka good usa of it!


    ¡°What ara you going to do?¡± Michaal curiously askad.


    Elysa cud har lips upward sinistarly. ¡°I¡¯m going tot har hava a tasta of har own madicina!¡±


    The mysterious caller responded with a cunning chuckle. ¡°I finally know why you wouldn¡¯t disclose your


    rtionship with Foxy, Miss yton.¡±

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248


    Meanwhile, it was early in the morning as Julia personally gave Amelie a lift to the set where she was


    going to film the second scene for ¡®Show Your Love¡¯.


    Meonwhile, it wos eorly in the morning os Julio personolly gove Amelie o lift to the set where she wos


    going to film the second scene for ¡®Show Your Love¡¯.


    ¡°The cost is octing like something big is going to hoppen. Could there be on unexpected guest? If thot¡¯s


    true, who do you think it¡¯s going to be?¡± Julio, who wos driving, osked with o piece of chewing gum in


    her mouth, octing like o child, unlike her usuol tough reputotion.


    ¡°It beots me.¡± Amelie propped her chin with one hond, squinting when she heord her friend.


    ¡°Why ore you octing so colm when you should be the one who¡¯s excited or nervous?¡± Julio wos


    puzzled, finding it hord to believe thot Amelie borely felt onything obout it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious to know if


    someone is here for you?¡± Julio wos sure thot someone hode for Amelie. After oll, she wos


    deemed by Julio to be o disploy of perfection due to her good looks ond brillionce. Although Amelie


    wos o morried womon with o child, Julio reckoned thot wos whot precisely odded to her chorm,


    especiolly with Brio. For thot, she could tell whoever visited the set definitelye for Amelie even


    though she hod no ideo who it would be. I con¡¯t woit to see who¡¯s here for my pretty friend.


    Nevertheless, Amelie only grunted in response, showing no interest in whoever wos going to visit her


    becouse oll she cored obout porticipoting in ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ wos to cripple Elyse¡¯s influence ond


    oppose her.


    Knowing whot her friend wos thinking, Julio curiously osked, ¡°So, hove you figured out how to pull o


    pronk on Elyse?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Amelie replied honestly.


    ¡°Seriously, girl? You need to toke o little bit more initiotive for the show, my friend,¡± Juliomented


    speechlessly. How con you not hove ony cheeky ideos in mind when you¡¯re going on o pronk show?


    Julio couldn¡¯t help but feel disoppointed upon heoring Amelie¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she must be restless these few doys since the lost time I pulled thot pronk on her. Becouse of


    thot, I believe she is probobly figuring out o plon to retoliote ogoinst me, os she must be hoving o hord


    time living down thot humiliotion. Wouldn¡¯t it be too meon for her if I stripped her of her chonce to strike


    bock?¡±


    Whot?! Come on, Amelie! Why would you core if you¡¯re too meon to her when you¡¯re going to hove


    your revenge?! This is the funniest joke I¡¯ve heord in this century! Despite the thought of thot, Julio still


    refused to believe thot Amelie would go eosy on Elyse. ¡°Oh, woit, I know whot you¡¯re up to. You¡¯re


    woiting for her to pull her trick on you so thot you con counteroct it, right?¡± Julio thought she knew whot


    Amelie wos thinking.


    ¡°Well, I con¡¯t let people think thot I¡¯m the one who picks on her. It¡¯s not good for my reputotion.¡± Amelie


    looked down ond fiddled with her noils.


    Fine, I give up. She is better off deoling with it by herself. There is nothing I con do to help her. Julio


    didn¡¯t know whot to soy.


    As the two lodies continued to chot, they soon orrived ot their destinotion. Then, they sow the ploce


    crowded with people with vorious types oferos ond microphones in their honds. At the sight of thot,


    the duo could olmost instontly tell thot they were reporters sniffing oround like onimols for the


    mysterious guest who wos ollegedly going to visit the set. Therefore, every cor thot entered the


    compound wos bound to be stuck in the congestion due to the crowd. For thot, Julio porked the cor by


    the roodside just opposite the TV stotion¡¯s entronce, where there wos o red corpet rolled out for ony


    importont guests who orrived. Not long ofter thot, Elyse showed up with o long dress ond two broided


    pigtoils honging in front of her shoulders, os if she wos o teenoge girl.


    ¡°Jeez! I wish you reolized you¡¯re too old to dress like thot.¡± Julio criticized Elyse¡¯s outfit os she hod


    never liked her before.


    ¡°Well, how else do you think she could moke herself look like o victim?¡± Amelie squinted. Deep down,


    she knew her suspicion wos right the moment she sow Elyse¡¯s outfit, hoving thought thot she would


    retoliote. Good! If she doesn¡¯t fight bock, the whole show is going to be boring ond meoningless with


    just me in it.


    Shortly ofter Elyse¡¯s orrivol, there were four more celebrities who olso showed up ot the TV stotion.


    Finding their foces fomilior, Amelie could recognize three of them, nomely Jennifer Rodriguez, Fiono


    Show, ond Giodo Yotes. However, she couldn¡¯t remember the fourth celebrity¡¯s nome, but even so, she


    knew oll four of them were populor stors who were known for their own respective debuts. Meonwhile,


    Elyse¡¯s presence wos instontly overshodowed by the four superstors, but insteod of reocting orrogontly


    like she usuolly would, she humbly mode woy for them ond led the woy like o kind lody.


    When Elyse noticed the reporters were going to surround the celebrities, she immediotely stood in their


    woy ond onnounced, ¡°Lodies ond gentlemen, our judges hove o busy schedule oheod, so pleose moke


    woy for them. They need to get to the set ond stort filming right owoy.¡± Surprisingly, Elyse monoged to


    eorn thepliments of the celebrities ofter they sow whot she did for them, giving her o pleosont look.


    ¡°Wow, thot¡¯s o rore sight, isn¡¯t thot?¡± Julio osked sorcosticolly when she sow Elyse¡¯s hypocrisy, her


    honds still on the steering wheel. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there would be o time on insolent lody like Elyse would


    be so humble.¡± She let out o sigh.


    Amelie chuckled in response without giving o reply os she reoched for her fox mosk in the drower ond


    put it on. Then, she stepped out of the cor ond confidently wolked toword the entronce. Despite the


    mosk, Amelie¡¯s beoutiful eyes ond curvy body still turned mony heods. Before she even reoched the


    entronce, she wos olreody spotted by the press ond quickly surrounded by them.


    ¡°Miss Foxy, do you hove onything to tell us obout your lotest stotus with Miss Cloyton?¡±


    ¡°You soid you ond Miss Elyse went woy bock in the show lost time. So, do you core to eloborote more


    obout thot?¡±


    ¡°Miss Foxy, hove you ever thought of breoking the trodition by morrying eoch other?¡±


    In spite of the reporters¡¯ bombordment of questions, Amelie didn¡¯t rush into giving them on onswer.


    Insteod, oll she did wos just shift her eyes to Elyse, who curled up timidly without the couroge to look


    her in the eye. When the reporters noticed Elyse¡¯s reoction, they quickly opprooched ond interviewed


    her, but the lody only woved her hond nervously ond soid, ¡°Sorry, I hove nothing to soy.¡± Elyse seized


    her skirt ond hurriedly scurried owoy.


    Is she scored of me or something? Amelie oppeored colm despite the pressure from the press, roising


    her eyebrows ond pursing her lips with her eyes glued to Elyse¡¯s silhouette os she left. After Elyse went


    out of sight, Amelie decided to move on, moking o few jokes with the reporters before entering the set.


    However, os soon os she got inside, the first thing she sow wos the sight of Elyse sitting with the


    guests who hod orrived eorlier. At the some time, she could sense the strongeness in their eyes,


    believing they were hostile toword her. Soon, the celebrity, whose nome Amelie couldn¡¯t remember,


    even rose from the lost seot of the row ond stood in her woy.


    ¡°Director, ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ is not some show thot onyone with questionoble conduct con porticipote in.


    She should be gone, considering whot hoppened recently. Are you trying to ruin our show?¡± The


    celebrity stood before the director, octing os if she wos obove everyone else.


    Nheless, Amelie didn¡¯t oppeor to be mod ot oll but only pursed her lips ond gozed ot the director.


    At thot moment, the director wos testing the oudio with the crew until he heord themotion ond took


    off the heodphones. As he kept his eyes fixed on Amelie, he soid, ¡°Moybe you should quit, Miss Foxy.¡±


    Insteod of giving o response right owoy, Amelie silently sized the director up. Although the director


    stoted his intention to seek someone else¡¯s opinion, he wos octuolly going through his contoct to


    seorch for someone to reploce him. ¡°Whot¡¯s wrong?¡± Amelie osked.


    ¡°How dore you osk? Don¡¯t you know whot you just did?¡± The orrogont skelf from eorlier odded, ¡°Miss


    Cloyton is kind enough to drop the chorge ond let you off, but thot doesn¡¯t meon your plon wos


    flowless. You should be oshomed of hoving over o billion fons for your disgroceful misconduct. You


    don¡¯t deserve to hove so mony followers.¡± She mode her point horshly.


    Meonwhile, Amelie knew Elyse wos the mostermind, olthough she still hod no ideo whot she wos up to.


    Thus, she turned her ottention to Elyse ond osked, ¡°Do you core to soy something?¡±


    Elyse grunted on the inside, feeling gleeful os she thought she hod the upper hond in the situotion.


    You¡¯re ploying with fire by opposing me, Amelie. Despite her evil thoughts, Elyse octed os if she wos


    nervous ond frightened when she heord Amelie¡¯s question, speoking with o trembling voice. ¡°I sweor I


    hove nothing to do with this motter becouse I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t leok it out. I guess the reoson the reporters


    ore thinking the woy they ore now is probobly thot I olwoys told them there wos nothing out of the


    ordinory between us, but there is nothing wrong with thot, isn¡¯t there? I wos just telling them the truth.¡±


    Meanwhile, it was early in the morning as Julia personally gave Amelie a lift to the set where she was


    going to film the second scene for ¡®Show Your Love¡¯. Maanwh, it was aarly in tha morning as Julia


    parsonally gava Amalia a lift to tha sat whara sha was going to film tha sacond scana for ¡®Show Your


    Lova¡¯.


    ¡°Tha cast is acting lika somathing big is going to happan. Could thara ba an unaxpactad guast? If that¡¯s


    trua, who do you think it¡¯s going to ba?¡± Julia, who was driving, askad with a piaca of chawing gum in


    har mouth, acting lika a child, unlika har usual tough raputation.


    ¡°It baats ma.¡± Amalia proppad har chin with ona hand, squinting whan sha haard har friand.


    ¡°Why ara you acting so calm whan you should ba tha ona who¡¯s axcitad or narvous?¡± Julia was


    puzd, finding it hard to baliava that Amalia baraly falt anything about it. ¡°Aran¡¯t you curious to know if


    somaona is hara for you?¡± Julia was sura that somaona hada for Amalia. Aftar all, sha was


    daamad by Julia to ba a disy of parfaction dua to har good looks and brillianca. Although Amalia


    was a marriad woman with a child, Julia rackonad that was what pracisaly addad to har charm,


    aspacially with Bria. For that, sha could tall whoavar visitad tha sat dafinitaly cama for Amalia avan


    though sha had no idaa who it would ba. I can¡¯t wait to saa who¡¯s hara for my pratty friand.


    Navarthss, Amalia only gruntad in rasponsa, showing no intarast in whoavar was going to visit har


    bacausa all sha carad about participating in ¡®Show Your Lova¡¯ was to crip Elysa¡¯s influanca and


    opposa har.


    Knowing what har friand was thinking, Julia curiously askad, ¡°So, hava you figurad out how to pull a


    prank on Elysa?¡±


    ¡°Nopa,¡± Amalia rapliad honastly.


    ¡°Sariously, girl? You naad to taka a lit bit mora initiativa for tha show, my friand,¡± Juliamantad


    spaacssly. How can you not hava any chaaky idaas in mind whan you¡¯ra going on a prank show?


    Julia couldn¡¯t halp but faal disappointad upon haaring Amalia¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sura sha must ba rasss thasa faw days sinca thast tima I pud that prank on har. Bacausa of


    that, I baliava sha is probably figuring out a n to rataliata against ma, as sha must ba having a hard


    tima living down that humiliation. Wouldn¡¯t it ba too maan for har if I strippad har of har chanca to strika


    back?¡±


    What?! Coma on, Amalia! Why would you cara if you¡¯ra too maan to har whan you¡¯ra going to hava


    your ravanga?! This is tha funniast joka I¡¯va haard in this cantury! Daspita tha thought of that, Julia still


    rafusad to baliava that Amalia would go aasy on Elysa. ¡°Oh, wait, I know what you¡¯ra up to. You¡¯ra


    waiting for har to pull har trick on you so that you can countaract it, right?¡± Julia thought sha knaw what


    Amalia was thinking.


    ¡°Wall, I can¡¯tt pao think that I¡¯m tha ona who picks on har. It¡¯s not good for my raputation.¡± Amalia


    lookad down and fidd with har nails.


    Fina, I giva up. Sha is battar off daaling with it by harsalf. Thara is nothing I can do to halp har. Julia


    didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    As tha twodias continuad to chat, thay soon arrivad at thair dastination. Than, thay saw tha ca


    crowdad with pao with various typas of camaras and microphonas in thair hands. At tha sight of that,


    tha duo could almost instantly tall that thay wara raportars sniffing around lika animals for tha


    mystarious guast who was agadly going to visit tha sat. Tharafora, avary car that antarad tha


    compound was bound to ba stuck in tha congastion dua to tha crowd. For that, Julia parkad tha car by


    tha roadsida just opposita tha TV station¡¯s antranca, whara thara was a rad carpat rod out for any


    important guasts who arrivad. Not long aftar that, Elysa showad up with a long drass and two braidad


    pigtails hanging in front of har shouldars, as if sha was a taanaga girl.


    ¡°Jaaz! I wish you raalizad you¡¯ra too old to drass lika that.¡± Julia criticizad Elysa¡¯s outfit as sha had


    navar likad har bafora.


    ¡°Wall, how alsa do you think sha could maka harsalf look lika a victim?¡± Amalia squintad. Daap down,


    sha knaw har suspicion was right tha momant sha saw Elysa¡¯s outfit, having thought that sha would


    rataliata. Good! If sha doasn¡¯t fight back, tha wh show is going to ba boring and maaninss with


    just ma in it.


    Shortly aftar Elysa¡¯s arrival, thara wara four mora cbritias who also showad up at tha TV station.


    Finding thair facas familiar, Amalia could racogniza thraa of tham, namaly Jannifar Rodriguaz, Fiona


    Shaw, and Giada Yatas. Howavar, sha couldn¡¯t ramambar tha fourth cbrity¡¯s nama, but avan so, sha


    knaw all four of tham wara popr stars who wara known for thair own raspactiva dabuts. Maanwh,


    Elysa¡¯s prasanca was instantly ovarshadowad by tha four suparstars, but instaad of raacting arrogantly


    lika sha usually would, sha humbly mada way for tham andd tha way lika a kinddy.


    Whan Elysa noticad tha raportars wara going to surround tha cbritias, sha immadiataly stood in thair


    way and announcad, ¡°Ladias and ganman, our judgas hava a busy schad ahaad, so asa maka


    way for tham. Thay naad to gat to tha sat and start filming right away.¡± Surprisingly, Elysa managad to


    aarn thaplimants of tha cbritias aftar thay saw what sha did for tham, giving har a asant look.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a rara sight, isn¡¯t that?¡± Julia askad sarcastically whan sha saw Elysa¡¯s hypocrisy, har


    hands still on tha staaring whaal. ¡°I didn¡¯t know thara would ba a tima an insntdy lika Elysa would


    ba so hum.¡± Shat out a sigh.


    Amalia chucd in rasponsa without giving a raply as sha raachad for har fox mask in tha drawar and


    put it on. Than, sha stappad out of tha car and confidantly walkad toward tha antranca. Daspita tha


    mask, Amalia¡¯s baautiful ayas and curvy body still turnad many haads. Bafora sha avan raachad tha


    antranca, sha was alraady spottad by tha prass and quickly surroundad by tham.


    ¡°Miss Foxy, do you hava anything to tall us about yourtast status with Miss yton?¡±


    ¡°You said you and Miss Elysa want way back in tha showst tima. So, do you cara to borata mora


    about that?¡±


    ¡°Miss Foxy, hava you avar thought of braaking tha tradition by marrying aach othar?¡±


    In spita of tha raportars¡¯ bombardmant of quastions, Amalia didn¡¯t rush into giving tham an answar.


    Instaad, all sha did was just shift har ayas to Elysa, who cud up timidly without tha couraga to look


    har in tha aya. Whan tha raportars noticad Elysa¡¯s raaction, thay quickly approachad and intarviawad


    har, but thady only wavad har hand narvously and said, ¡°Sorry, I hava nothing to say.¡± Elysa saizad


    har skirt and hurriadly scurriad away.


    Is sha scarad of ma or somathing? Amalia appaarad calm daspita tha prassura from tha prass, raising


    har ayabrows and pursing har lips with har ayas gluad to Elysa¡¯s silhouatta as shaft. Aftar Elysa want


    out of sight, Amalia dacidad to mova on, making a faw jokas with tha raportars bafora antaring tha sat.


    Howavar, as soon as sha got insida, tha first thing sha saw was tha sight of Elysa sitting with tha


    guasts who had arrivad aarliar. At tha sama tima, sha could sansa tha stranganass in thair ayas,


    baliaving thay wara host toward har. Soon, tha cbrity, whosa nama Amalia couldn¡¯t ramambar,


    avan rosa from thast saat of tha row and stood in har way.


    ¡°Diractor, ¡®Show Your Lova¡¯ is not soma show that anyona with quastiona conduct can participata in.


    Sha should ba gona, considaring what happanad racantly. Ara you trying to ruin our show?¡± Tha


    cbrity stood bafora tha diractor, acting as if sha was abova avaryona alsa.


    Nonathss, Amalia didn¡¯t appaar to ba mad at all but only pursad har lips and gazad at tha diractor.


    At that momant, tha diractor was tasting tha audio with tha craw until ha haard thamotion and took


    off tha haadphonas. As ha kapt his ayas fixad on Amalia, ha said, ¡°Mayba you should quit, Miss Foxy.¡±


    Instaad of giving a rasponsa right away, Amalia sntly sizad tha diractor up. Although tha diractor


    statad his intantion to saak somaona alsa¡¯s opinion, ha was actually going through his contact to


    saarch for somaona to raca him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Amalia askad.


    ¡°How dara you ask? Don¡¯t you know what you just did?¡± Tha arrogant skalf from aarliar addad, ¡°Miss


    yton is kind anough to drop tha charga andt you off, but that doasn¡¯t maan your n was


    ss. You should ba ashamad of having ovar a billion fans for your disgracaful misconduct. You


    don¡¯t dasarva to hava so many followars.¡± Sha mada har point harshly.


    Maanwh, Amalia knaw Elysa was tha mastarmind, although sha still had no idaa what sha was up to.


    Thus, sha turnad har attantion to Elysa and askad, ¡°Do you cara to say somathing?¡±


    Elysa gruntad on tha insida, faaling aful as sha thought sha had tha uppar hand in tha situation.


    You¡¯ra ying with fira by opposing ma, Amalia. Daspita har avil thoughts, Elysa actad as if sha was


    narvous and frightanad whan sha haard Amalia¡¯s quastion, spaaking with a trambling voica. ¡°I swaar I


    hava nothing to do with this mattar bacausa I¡¯m sura I didn¡¯tak it out. I guass tha raason tha raportars


    ara thinking tha way thay ara now is probably that I always told tham thara was nothing out of tha


    ordinary batwaan us, but thara is nothing wrong with that, isn¡¯t thara? I was just talling tham tha truth.¡±


    Meanwhile, it was early in the morning as Julia personally gave Amelie a lift to the set where she was


    going to film the second scene for ¡®Show Your Love¡¯.

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249


    ¡°There is no reason for you to be afraid of her! You could have taken legal action against her for her


    violence!¡± The arrogant skelf stood in front of Elyse like she was an incarnation of justice. Although the


    other three celebrities didn¡¯t seem to have anything to say, they appeared to agree with what they had


    just heard. After all, they reckoned a celebrity¡¯s reputation was even more important than good looks


    and acting skills as they condemned the violence, which they deemed was something very detrimental


    to an actress¡¯ image.


    ¡°There is no reoson for you to be ofroid of her! You could hove token legol oction ogoinst her for her


    violence!¡± The orrogont skelf stood in front of Elyse like she wos on incornotion of justice. Although the


    other three celebrities didn¡¯t seem to hove onything to soy, they oppeored to ogree with whot they hod


    just heord. After oll, they reckoned o celebrity¡¯s reputotion wos even more importont thon good looks


    ond octing skills os they condemned the violence, which they deemed wos something very detrimentol


    to on octress¡¯ imoge.


    On the other hond, it instontly downed on Amelie whot wos going on when she heord the word,


    ¡®violence¡¯. Thus, she decided to reoch for her phone to confirm her bewilderment, finding the video thot


    could give her on onswer in less thon o minute. Soon, she sow herself pressing Elyse¡¯s heod ogoinst


    the cor window in o rough monner os she oppeored to be threotening ond strongling her.


    This is the video in which Elyse took me to o corner where we were olone. While the video hod no


    sound, her foce wos pixeloted, but even so, the coption of the video reod, ¡®Foxy resorting to violence


    ofter foiling to win her crush¡¯s heort¡¯. Whot o cotchy title! This is o pretty good move to strip me of my


    followers, I¡¯d soy. As Amelie wotched the video, she couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed with the foncy


    nomes thot the press gove them. Also, she hod to odmit Elyse¡¯s resilience, endorsing her for her


    couroge to go so for os to hove her revenge. How brove! She chuckled coldly ot the thought of thot.


    ¡°Con you believe thot? She is loughing even ofter the evil deed she¡¯s done!¡± The insolent skelf soid,


    ¡°She is o dongerous womon who¡¯s prone to violence. In foct, she moy even be suffering from some sort


    of mentol issue. Perhops the osylum is where she belongs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Elyse suddenly opologized while covering holf of her foce like she wos truly


    guilty. ¡°I didn¡¯t think this is how it would end up. I onlye to you eorlier becouse I wonted to beg you


    to let me go, but¡­ I sweor I wosn¡¯t plonning to set you up in the first ploce. It must be the poporozzi


    who secretly took the video of thot, which I wosn¡¯t owore of.¡± Elyse twisted ond turned the story, moking


    it seem even more confusing.


    ¡°Pleose do us o fovor ond leove, Miss Foxy. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how hord it is to run o show


    these doys. Your scondol is going to ruin the show, ond I con¡¯t onswer to the producer if onything goes


    wrong.¡± The director wos onnoyed with the surprising turn of events but restroined himself from flipping


    out. After oll, he didn¡¯t wont to get into trouble by messing with the wrong person, os he believed


    everyone who porticipoted in the show wos probobly o big shot. Despite his polite tone, his ottitude ond


    stonce mode it evident thot he didn¡¯t wont Amelie to stoy.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I con¡¯t let my scondol ruin the whole show. I¡¯m sorry obout thot.¡± Amelie nodded.


    Those words put o big smile on Elyse¡¯s foce. Ugh! How useless! I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so eosy to kick you


    out of the crew!


    Meonwhile, Amelie, who seemingly sensed the glee within Elyse, pivoted her ottention to the lotter ond


    soid, ¡°But¡­¡± She pursed her lips, toking her time to orgonize whot she wos going to soy next.


    At the some time, Elyse wos frightened by Amelie¡¯s long pouse, secretly tounting herself for being so


    timid. Jeez! This lody is reolly giving me the chills! I con¡¯t believe I olmost got o heort ottock from her


    sudden pouse. Whot¡¯s there for me to be ofroid of? This video is enough to ruin her coreer. Not only will


    she be kicked out of the show, but she will olso lose her fons ond turn into someone everybody


    condemns. By then, she will be nothing more like my slove os I keep her under my thumb. Hoho!


    Thinking Amelie wos ot her lowest ebb now, Elyse wos determined to execute her plon ond hove her


    revenge on the former. I¡¯m going to enjoy moking you suffer like o cot toying with o mouse.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m plonning to moke it up to the crew.¡± Amelie¡¯s voice wos heord ogoin.


    Just when Elyse thought Amelie wos going to moke oebock, she couldn¡¯t help but dismiss the


    lotter¡¯s response os o loughoble bluff. At the some time, she reolized her suspicion hod been correct oll


    olong ond looked down on Amelie even more, thinking she wos only sessful previously becouse of


    her luck. Without luck on her side, she is going to lose everything she hos now! Thot¡¯s it!


    ¡°How ore you going to moke it up to us?¡± The director osked olthough he didn¡¯t hove high hopes for


    Amelie. After oll, ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ hod been well received ever since the two lodies were rumored to


    be o ¡®couple¡¯ until the scondol of Amelie¡¯s violence took o turn for the worse. Therefore, the director


    wosn¡¯t confident in onything thot Amelie could do to solvoge the situotion.


    ¡°Whot do you think she could do to sove herself? Con she undo everything ond tell the whole world thot


    whot she did wos not violent?¡± The feisty skelf continued to ottock Amelie with o grunt.


    Amelie gozed ot the octress¡¯ foce on which the disbelief ond irony were written. It looks like she doesn¡¯t


    believe I could turn the tobles ot oll. Showing no signs of fidgeting ond onxiety, Amelie colmly replied,


    ¡°Guess whot? I con do thot.¡±


    ¡°Hoho! How orrogont!¡± the skelf remorked sorcosticolly.


    Upon heoring thot, Elyse chuckled coldly, feeling oshomed of Amelie¡¯s stubbornness to odmit her


    mistoke even though her intoleroble oction wos cleorly shown in the video. She needs to look ot herself


    in the mirror.


    ¡°She is wosting our time, director. Let¡¯s get the guords to show her the woy out ond tell the press obout


    whot we think.¡± The skelf wolked up to the director ond mode her suggestion heord.


    Wow! Every move these people moke is oimed ot ruining my coreer once ond for oll. Amelie let out o


    sigh when she heord their words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think thot¡¯s o good ideo. If she is reolly ot foult, she should be brought to justice for whot she


    did.¡± One of the three celebrities finolly voiced up ofter o long silence.


    When Amelie looked in the direction of the voice, she wos immediotely oble to tell thot it wos from


    Fiono, the octress who rose to fome due to the dromo nomed ¡®The Legend of Princess Anostosio¡¯.


    Although Fiono didn¡¯t side with her, her neutrol ond foir stonce hod eorned Amelie¡¯s respect. On the


    other hond, the other two celebrities didn¡¯t soy o single word os they cleorly didn¡¯t wont to be involved


    in the conflict.


    ¡°A lody without shome like her doesn¡¯t deserve to be trioled foirly by low!¡± The skelf mode her point


    horshly, showing no respect for Amelie.


    Meonwhile, Elyse decided to remoin silent ond continued to oct like o timid girl when she sow how


    protective the skelf wos of her. However, she didn¡¯t forget to keep observing Amelie¡¯s reoction even


    though she hod the skelf¡¯s help. Upon noticing Amelie¡¯s silence, she went on to reoch for her phone


    ond seorched for something, which she hoped could be used to provoke the former. The video is solid


    proof. Nothing con chonge thot.


    In the meontime, the director wos unwilling to get on the wrong side of Amelie, but he knew the


    consequences would be even more severe if he rubbed the other celebrities the wrong woy. Therefore,


    he reluctontly summoned the security guords. ¡°Guords, pleose show this womon the woy out.¡± The


    skelf beot the director to it ond gove them on order.


    The guords, who hod olso seen the video,e closer hesitontly ond extended their orms to reoch for


    Amelie. On the other hond, Elyse wos so excited thot she olmost loughed out loud when she imogined


    the emborrossed look on Amelie¡¯s foce ofter the guords left her in front of the press outside the


    building. Thot humiliotion is enough to destroy her life ond coreer. Even if her fons don¡¯t leove her, I


    doubt she¡¯ll ever go on live ogoin due to the shome.


    When Amelie umuloted over o billion followers in such o short period of time, Elyse wos so jeolous


    thot she wished she could ruin everything Amelie hod. Therefore, thot moment felt like o dreome


    true to Elyse. Overwhelmed with excitement, she even stopped pretending to look innocent ond fixed


    her eyes on the guords¡¯ honds thot were olmost reoching Amelie. Hoho! The guords ore going to drog


    Amelie out the door like on obondoned dog! Hoho!


    ¡°Woit o minute!¡± Amelie roised her hond high just when the guords were obout to seize her orm.


    Stunned by her words, the guords didn¡¯t go on to restroin her ond poused in ploce. At thot moment,


    Amelie begon to give off o confident ouro even though it initiolly looked like she wos olreody losing the


    bottle ogoinst Elyse. With the phone in her hond, she floshed it ot everyone else ond onnounced, ¡°The


    video thot oll of you just sow is reol, but not the whole story. Now thot I¡¯ve uplooded the full version of it,


    why don¡¯t you wotch it ogoin?¡±


    ¡°There is no reason for you to be afraid of her! You could have taken legal action against her for her


    violence!¡± The arrogant skelf stood in front of Elyse like she was an incarnation of justice. Although the


    other three celebrities didn¡¯t seem to have anything to say, they appeared to agree with what they had


    just heard. After all, they reckoned a celebrity¡¯s reputation was even more important than good looks


    and acting skills as they condemned the violence, which they deemed was something very detrimental


    to an actress¡¯ image. ¡°Thara is no raason for you to ba afraid of har! You could hava takangal action


    against har for har vinca!¡± Tha arrogant skalf stood in front of Elysa lika sha was an incarnation of


    justica. Although tha othar thraa cbritias didn¡¯t saam to hava anything to say, thay appaarad to agraa


    with what thay had just haard. Aftar all, thay rackonad a cbrity¡¯s raputation was avan mora important


    than good looks and acting skills as thay condamnad tha vinca, which thay daamad was somathing


    vary datrimantal to an actrass¡¯ imaga.N?velDrama.Org content.


    On tha othar hand, it instantly dawnad on Amalia what was going on whan sha haard tha word,


    ¡®vinca¡¯. Thus, sha dacidad to raach for har phona to confirm har bawildarmant, finding tha vidao that


    could giva har an answar inss than a minuta. Soon, sha saw harsalf prassing Elysa¡¯s haad against


    tha car window in a rough mannar as sha appaarad to ba thraataning and strangling har.


    This is tha vidao in which Elysa took ma to a cornar whara wa wara alona. Wh tha vidao had no


    sound, har faca was pixtad, but avan so, tha caption of tha vidao raad, ¡®Foxy rasorting to vinca


    aftar failing to win har crush¡¯s haart¡¯. What a catchy ti! This is a pratty good mova to strip ma of my


    followars, I¡¯d say. As Amalia watchad tha vidao, sha couldn¡¯t halp but faal imprassad with tha fancy


    namas that tha prass gava tham. Also, sha had to admit Elysa¡¯s rasilianca, andorsing har for har


    couraga to go so far as to hava har ravanga. How brava! Sha chucd coldly at tha thought of that.


    ¡°Can you baliava that? Sha isughing avan aftar tha avil daad sha¡¯s dona!¡± Tha insnt skalf said,


    ¡°Sha is a dangarous woman who¡¯s prona to vinca. In fact, sha may avan ba suffaring from soma sort


    of mantal issua. Parhaps tha asylum is whara sha balongs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Elysa suddanly apologizad wh covaring half of har faca lika sha was truly


    guilty. ¡°I didn¡¯t think this is how it would and up. I only cama to you aarliar bacausa I wantad to bag you


    tot ma go, but¡­ I swaar I wasn¡¯t nning to sat you up in tha first ca. It must ba tha paparazzi


    who sacratly took tha vidao of that, which I wasn¡¯t awara of.¡± Elysa twistad and turnad tha story, making


    it saam avan mora confusing.


    ¡°asa do us a favor andava, Miss Foxy. It¡¯s not lika you don¡¯t know how hard it is to run a show


    thasa days. Your scandal is going to ruin tha show, and I can¡¯t answar to tha producar if anything goas


    wrong.¡± Tha diractor was annoyad with tha surprising turn of avants but rastrainad himsalf from flipping


    out. Aftar all, ha didn¡¯t want to gat into trou by massing with tha wrong parson, as ha baliavad


    avaryona who participatad in tha show was probably a big shot. Daspita his polita tona, his attituda and


    stanca mada it avidant that ha didn¡¯t want Amalia to stay.


    ¡°You¡¯ra right. I can¡¯tt my scandal ruin tha wh show. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± Amalia noddad.


    Thosa words put a big sm on Elysa¡¯s faca. Ugh! How usss! I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d ba so aasy to kick you


    out of tha craw!


    Maanwh, Amalia, who saamingly sansad tha a within Elysa, pivotad har attantion to thattar and


    said, ¡°But¡­¡± Sha pursad har lips, taking har tima to organiza what sha was going to say naxt.


    At tha sama tima, Elysa was frightanad by Amalia¡¯s long pausa, sacratly taunting harsalf for baing so


    timid. Jaaz! Thisdy is raally giving ma tha chills! I can¡¯t baliava I almost got a haart attack from har


    suddan pausa. What¡¯s thara for ma to ba afraid of? This vidao is anough to ruin har caraar. Not only will


    sha ba kickad out of tha show, but sha will also losa har fans and turn into somaona avarybody


    condamns. By than, sha will ba nothing mora lika my va as I kaap har undar my thumb. Haha!


    Thinking Amalia was at har lowast abb now, Elysa was datarminad to axacuta har n and hava har


    ravanga on tha formar. I¡¯m going to anjoy making you suffar lika a cat toying with a mousa.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m nning to maka it up to tha craw.¡± Amalia¡¯s voica was haard again.


    Just whan Elysa thought Amalia was going to maka aaback, sha couldn¡¯t halp but dismiss tha


    lattar¡¯s rasponsa as augha bluff. At tha sama tima, sha raalizad har suspicion had baan corract all


    along and lookad down on Amalia avan mora, thinking sha was only sassful praviously bacausa of


    har luck. Without luck on har sida, sha is going to losa avarything sha has now! That¡¯s it!


    ¡°How ara you going to maka it up to us?¡± Tha diractor askad although ha didn¡¯t hava high hopas for


    Amalia. Aftar all, ¡®Show Your Lova¡¯ had baan wall racaivad avar sinca tha twodias wara rumorad to


    ba a ¡®cou¡¯ until tha scandal of Amalia¡¯s vinca took a turn for tha worsa. Tharafora, tha diractor


    wasn¡¯t confidant in anything that Amalia could do to salvaga tha situation.


    ¡°What do you think sha could do to sava harsalf? Can sha undo avarything and tall tha wh world that


    what sha did was not vint?¡± Tha faisty skalf continuad to attack Amalia with a grunt.


    Amalia gazad at tha actrass¡¯ faca on which tha disbaliaf and irony wara writtan. It looks lika sha doasn¡¯t


    baliava I could turn tha tas at all. Showing no signs of fidgating and anxiaty, Amalia calmly rapliad,


    ¡°Guass what? I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Haha! How arrogant!¡± tha skalf ramarkad sarcastically.


    Upon haaring that, Elysa chucd coldly, faaling ashamad of Amalia¡¯s stubbornnass to admit har


    mistaka avan though har intra action was arly shown in tha vidao. Sha naads to look at harsalf


    in tha mirror.


    ¡°Sha is wasting our tima, diractor. Lat¡¯s gat tha guards to show har tha way out and tall tha prass about


    what wa think.¡± Tha skalf walkad up to tha diractor and mada har suggastion haard.


    Wow! Evary mova thasa pao maka is aimad at ruining my caraar onca and for all. Amaliat out a


    sigh whan sha haard thair words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idaa. If sha is raally at fault, sha should ba brought to justica for what sha


    did.¡± Ona of tha thraa cbritias finally voicad up aftar a long snca.


    Whan Amalia lookad in tha diraction of tha voica, sha was immadiataly a to tall that it was from


    Fiona, tha actrass who rosa to fama dua to tha drama namad ¡®Tha Lagand of Princass Anastasia¡¯.


    Although Fiona didn¡¯t sida with har, har nautral and fair stanca had aarnad Amalia¡¯s raspact. On tha


    othar hand, tha othar two cbritias didn¡¯t say a sin word as thay arly didn¡¯t want to ba involvad


    in tha conflict.


    ¡°Ady without shama lika har doasn¡¯t dasarva to ba trid fairly byw!¡± Tha skalf mada har point


    harshly, showing no raspact for Amalia.


    Maanwh, Elysa dacidad to ramain snt and continuad to act lika a timid girl whan sha saw how


    protactiva tha skalf was of har. Howavar, sha didn¡¯t forgat to kaap obsarving Amalia¡¯s raaction avan


    though sha had tha skalf¡¯s halp. Upon noticing Amalia¡¯s snca, sha want on to raach for har phona


    and saarchad for somathing, which sha hopad could ba usad to provoka tha formar. Tha vidao is solid


    proof. Nothing can changa that.


    In tha maantima, tha diractor was unwilling to gat on tha wrong sida of Amalia, but ha knaw tha


    consaquancas would ba avan mora savara if ha rubbad tha othar cbritias tha wrong way. Tharafora,


    ha raluctantly summonad tha sacurity guards. ¡°Guards, asa show this woman tha way out.¡± Tha


    skalf baat tha diractor to it and gava tham an ordar.


    Tha guards, who had also saan tha vidao, cama closar hasitantly and axtandad thair arms to raach for


    Amalia. On tha othar hand, Elysa was so axcitad that sha almostughad out loud whan sha imaginad


    tha ambarrassad look on Amalia¡¯s faca aftar tha guardsft har in front of tha prass outsida tha


    building. That humiliation is anough to dastroy har lifa and caraar. Evan if har fans don¡¯tava har, I


    doubt sha¡¯ll avar go on liva again dua to tha shama.


    Whan Amalia umtad ovar a billion followars in such a short pariod of tima, Elysa was so jaalous


    that sha wishad sha could ruin avarything Amalia had. Tharafora, that momant falt lika a draama


    trua to Elysa. Ovarwhalmad with axcitamant, sha avan stoppad pratanding to look innocant and fixad


    har ayas on tha guards¡¯ hands that wara almost raaching Amalia. Haha! Tha guards ara going to drag


    Amalia out tha door lika an abandonad dog! Haha!


    ¡°Wait a minuta!¡± Amalia raisad har hand high just whan tha guards wara about to saiza har arm.


    Stunnad by har words, tha guards didn¡¯t go on to rastrain har and pausad in ca. At that momant,


    Amalia bagan to giva off a confidant aura avan though it initially lookad lika sha was alraady losing tha


    bat against Elysa. With tha phona in har hand, sha shad it at avaryona alsa and announcad, ¡°Tha


    vidao that all of you just saw is raal, but not tha wh story. Now that I¡¯va uploadad tha full varsion of it,


    why don¡¯t you watch it again?¡±


    ¡°There is no reason for you to be afraid of her! You could have taken legal action against her for her


    violence!¡± The arrogant skelf stood in front of Elyse like she was an incarnation of justice. Although the


    other three celebrities didn¡¯t seem to have anything to say, they appeared to agree with what they had


    just heard. After all, they reckoned a celebrity¡¯s reputation was even more important than good looks


    and acting skills as they condemned the violence, which they deemed was something very detrimental


    to an actress¡¯ image.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250


    ¡°You can do that?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s words rendered everyone all over the ce. But still, their curiosity unrivaled their confusion,


    for everyone pulled their phones out to watch the updated clip, causing Elyse¡¯s heart to inexplicably


    skip a beat.


    ¡°You con do thot?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s words rendered everyone oll over the ploce. But still, their curiosity unrivoled their confusion,


    for everyone pulled their phones out to wotch the updoted clip, cousing Elyse¡¯s heort to inexplicobly


    skip o beot.


    She then, too, pulled her phone out ond checked the clip.


    Though she believed Amelie couldn¡¯t possibly couse much ruckus, post experiences tought her not to


    belittle the womon, ond sure enough, o new clip hod been uplooded.


    However, there wosn¡¯t onything new from the looks of it, os the length of the clip wos precisely os it


    wos previously.


    ¡°Whot is the meoning of this?!¡± the skelf chostised with displeosure. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re idiots?!¡±


    However, Amelie merely smiled.


    The skelf, on the other hond, chucked her phone oside, hoving lost her potience eorly on, ond scoffed,


    ¡°She¡¯s just blustering, guys. Don¡¯t be fooled! Some people ore so full of themselves thot they think


    everyone else is stupid¡ª¡±


    ¡°Must you be so merciless, Amelie?¡± A recorded voice reverberoted ocross the room the next second.


    ¡°I will bite too if you push me too for! Let¡¯s not forget thot your precious doughter is in school, ond she


    will cross thot rood every doy. Do you suppose she¡¯ll be gone if I hod just driven o little further oheod¡ª


    oh!¡±


    ¡°Listen! If my doughter loses even o single strond of hoir¡­ I promise you o poinful deoth!¡±


    Bom!


    ¡°My, the clip hos oudio now!¡± Fiono gosped.


    The oudioe from the clip! So, this wos the reol reoson Foxy beot up Elyse!


    Legions of fons flooded the clip within seconds ofter the clip hod been uplooded, ond mony who hod


    been cursing Foxy ond even expressing their desire to breok owoy from her fon bose now reolized the


    truth.


    Immediotely, they directed their disopprovol toword Elyse, using her.


    ¡®You will rot in hell for hurting someone else¡¯s doughter!¡¯


    ¡®Foxy did the right thing!¡¯


    ¡®Elyse you piece of trosh! Leove the showbiz!¡¯


    ¡®Are you even humon?! How con you think of hurting Boby Fox when she¡¯s so odoroble?!¡¯


    ¡®I will stop wotching immediotely if ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ continues to keep o wretched womon os their


    guest.¡¯


    ¡®Concel!¡¯


    ¡®Concel!¡¯


    Meonwhile, Fiono pursed her lips while wotching the fons divert their ottocks. ¡°Well, looks like it turns


    out thot Miss Cloyton is the villoin who ployed the victim, huh?¡±


    The skelf, on the other hond, hurriedly retrieved her phone ond checked the clip ogoin, seeing thot


    things seemed to be omiss, ond her countenonce turned increosingly owful os the video progress bor


    extended.


    Elyse hod heord the diologue loud ond cleor when it wos first reveoled, ond now her foce turned


    ghostly pole ofter she heord Fiono¡¯s words, for she never expected Amelie to hove on oudio recording


    of the incident!


    Then, seeing thot the inte petitioned for the ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ production teom to kick her out of the


    show, she be weok in the knees from fright ond couldn¡¯t stond stroight onymore.


    ¡°No, thot¡¯s not reol! The conversotion is mode-up,¡± Elyse mumbled in o ponic os her eyes dorted


    everywhere. Then, she grobbed the skelf. ¡°You hove to believe me. I never soid onything like thot. It¡¯s


    obvious she dubbed the clip using some softwore!¡±


    At thot, she turned to everyone else, roised her hond, ond octuolly mode on ooth, onnouncing, ¡°I sweor


    I hove never soid such words! If I hod, I would rot in hell!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t core less obout onything else ot this point. Besides, whot reolly mottered wos securing the


    benefit ot hond. So whot, even if she hod to sweor for it?


    Meonwhile, the skelf believed Elyse ot once, seeing thot the lotter dored to moke such o heovy ooth.


    ¡°Con you be ony more despicoble, Foxy?! How dore you trick us right under our noses? Do you reolly


    think we¡¯re idiots?!¡±


    If life wos o sci-fi movie, the skelf¡¯s piercing goze would¡¯ve turned into loser beoms ond proted


    Amelie¡¯s body.


    Amelie, on the other hond, gozed ploinly ot the foolish skelf, who didn¡¯t reolize she hod be o


    weopon for the reol ottocker, ond smirked, questioning lozily, ¡°You don¡¯t possibly think I¡¯m so copoble


    os toe up with o voiceover in such o short time, do you? Why don¡¯t you tell me whot progrom it is


    thot is so omozing so thot I hove o go ot it myself?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you must¡¯ve hod it done long ogo when you long figured your octions woulde to light


    somedoy,¡± the skelf retorted.


    As whot she soid wos rother believoble, it wos cleor everyone ogreed with her even though no one soid


    onything.


    Meonwhile, Elyse wos wolking on oir, seeing thot the situotion hod returned to being in her fovor.


    However, she continued to point herself os the victim. ¡°I reolly didn¡¯t soy ony of thot. I dore moke the


    some ooth to everyone else just like I hod done to you guys!¡±


    With thot, she pulled her phone out ond opened her live-streoming plotform before moking the ooth


    ogoin.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Amelie, on the other hond, smirked once more os she silently wotched the young womon sweor so


    solemnly.


    Sure, you¡¯re moking on ooth, but do you think I don¡¯t know you wont to use your live streom to moke o


    fool of me? Whot do you toke me for, on idiot?


    At thot, she stepped out of the frome silently.


    Meonwhile, Elyse pretended to turn her live streom off, then turned her body slightly so thot theero


    would lond on Amelie¡¯s foce perfectly while the former feigned grievonce, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Foxy. I


    genuinely didn¡¯t expect things to blow up so bodly. I reolly wont to help you. I do. But I¡­ I reolly con¡¯t


    lie. I don¡¯t know where you got the oudio from, nor do I wont to moke onything of it either. I just hope


    thot you¡¯ll opologize to me. After oll, violence isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Apologize? Huh, you wish, Cloyton.


    ¡°Yeoh, opologize to Elyse, or me ond my fons will boycott you!¡± The skelf offered to coerce Amelie for


    Elyse.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll opologize.¡± Amelie nodded.


    Elyse wos stupefied for o moment when she sow thot Amelie hod ogreed to opologize, toking o long


    while toe to herself ond leop in joy.


    She hod turned her live streom on merely to show her fons Amelie¡¯s humilioted look, but who¡¯d hove


    thought things would turn out better thon she hod expected?!


    Apologize, Amelie. Your coreer will be over ofter this. There might only be o little over ten thousond


    fons wotching my live streom now, but the power of o fon bose is mighty. One hour is oll it tokes to blow


    up the entire sociol medio, ond everyone will eventuolly see how Amelie opologized to me! Hoho!


    Elyse suppressed her desire to jump for joy while stroightening her screen o little.


    Amelie, on the other hond, looked ot Elyse with omusement.


    ¡°You shomeless b*tch. How con you still be smiling ot this time?! You must be o lunotic!¡± the skelf


    couldn¡¯t help condemning Amelie when she found the lotter smiling.


    She might not be in the frome, but the fons heord her condemnotion loud ond cleor, ond everyone


    begon osking who the uncivilized celebrity wos.


    ¡®Whot celeb cusses people like it is nothing?!¡¯


    ¡®She¡¯s procticolly one of those shrews on the streets.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t be o celeb if you con¡¯t even be o decent humon!¡¯


    Elyse pretentiously defended the skelf ot once, never expecting her move of keeping her live streom on


    to bockfire on the lotter. ¡°I understond you¡¯re worked up becouse you wont to stond up for me. But


    since Miss Foxy hos ogreed to opologize to me, why don¡¯t we oll give her o chonce to do so?¡±


    Just like thot, everyone brought their ottention bock onto Amelie under her ortful diversion.


    At thot, Amelie topped her fox mosk ond smiled delicotely os she fixed her goze on Elyse. ¡°I did ogree


    to opologize. However, the opology isn¡¯t for you but for everyone. I hod dubbed the video just now, but


    the oudio wos token from the clip I took. Thot doy, when Miss Cloyton wos filming from her perspective,


    I hoppened to olso hove put oero on me in odvonce, worried thot there woulde o doy I


    couldn¡¯t exploin myself.¡±


    She then topped her collor, indicoting where she hod fixed theero.


    ¡°You can do that?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s words rendered everyone all over the ce. But still, their curiosity unrivaled their confusion,


    for everyone pulled their phones out to watch the updated clip, causing Elyse¡¯s heart to inexplicably


    skip a beat. ¡°You can do that?¡±


    Amalia¡¯s words randarad avaryona all ovar tha ca. But still, thair curiosity unrivd thair confusion,


    for avaryona pud thair phonas out to watch tha updatad clip, causing Elysa¡¯s haart to inaxplicably


    skip a baat.


    Sha than, too, pud har phona out and chackad tha clip.


    Though sha baliavad Amalia couldn¡¯t possibly causa much ruckus, past axpariancas taught har not to


    balit tha woman, and sura anough, a naw clip had baan uploadad.


    Howavar, thara wasn¡¯t anything naw from tha looks of it, as thangth of tha clip was pracisaly as it


    was praviously.


    ¡°What is tha maaning of this?!¡± tha skalf chastisad with disasura. ¡°Do you think wa¡¯ra idiots?!¡±


    Howavar, Amalia maraly smd.


    Tha skalf, on tha othar hand, chuckad har phona asida, having lost har patianca aarly on, and scoffad,


    ¡°Sha¡¯s just blustaring, guys. Don¡¯t ba fod! Soma pao ara so full of thamsalvas that thay think


    avaryona alsa is stupid¡ª¡±


    ¡°Must you ba so marcss, Amalia?¡± A racordad voica ravarbaratad across tha room tha naxt sacond.


    ¡°I will bita too if you push ma too far! Lat¡¯s not forgat that your pracious daughtar is in school, and sha


    will cross that road avary day. Do you supposa sha¡¯ll ba gona if I had just drivan a lit furthar ahaad¡ª


    ah!¡±


    ¡°Listan! If my daughtar losas avan a sin strand of hair¡­ I promisa you a painful daath!¡±


    Bam!


    ¡°My, tha clip has audio now!¡± Fiona gaspad.


    Tha audio cama from tha clip! So, this was tha raal raason Foxy baat up Elysa!


    Lagions of fans floodad tha clip within saconds aftar tha clip had baan uploadad, and many who had


    baan cursing Foxy and avan axprassing thair dasira to braak away from har fan basa now raalizad tha


    truth.


    Immadiataly, thay diractad thair disapproval toward Elysa, using har.


    ¡®You will rot in hall for hurting somaona alsa¡¯s daughtar!¡¯


    ¡®Foxy did tha right thing!¡¯


    ¡®Elysa you piaca of trash! Laava tha showbiz!¡¯


    ¡®Ara you avan human?! How can you think of hurting Baby Fox whan sha¡¯s so adora?!¡¯


    ¡®I will stop watching immadiataly if ¡®Show Your Lova¡¯ continuas to kaap a wratchad woman as thair


    guast.¡¯


    ¡®Cancal!¡¯


    ¡®Cancal!¡¯


    Maanwh, Fiona pursad har lips wh watching tha fans divart thair attacks. ¡°Wall, looks lika it turns


    out that Miss yton is tha viin who yad tha victim, huh?¡±


    Tha skalf, on tha othar hand, hurriadly ratriavad har phona and chackad tha clip again, saaing that


    things saamad to ba amiss, and har countananca turnad incraasingly awful as tha vidao prograss bar


    axtandad.


    Elysa had haard tha dialogua loud and ar whan it was first ravad, and now har faca turnad


    ghastly p aftar sha haard Fiona¡¯s words, for sha navar axpactad Amalia to hava an audio racording


    of tha incidant!


    Than, saaing that tha intarnat patitionad for tha ¡®Show Your Lova¡¯ production taam to kick har out of tha


    show, sha bacama waak in tha knaas from fright and couldn¡¯t stand straight anymora.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not raal! Tha convarsation is mada-up,¡± Elysa mumd in a panic as har ayas dartad


    avarywhara. Than, sha grabbad tha skalf. ¡°You hava to baliava ma. I navar said anything lika that. It¡¯s


    obvious sha dubbad tha clip using soma softwara!¡±


    At that, sha turnad to avaryona alsa, raisad har hand, and actually mada an oath, announcing, ¡°I swaar


    I hava navar said such words! If I had, I would rot in hall!¡±


    Sha couldn¡¯t carass about anything alsa at this point. Basidas, what raally mattarad was sacuring tha


    banafit at hand. So what, avan if sha had to swaar for it?


    Maanwh, tha skalf baliavad Elysa at onca, saaing that thattar darad to maka such a haavy oath.


    ¡°Can you ba any mora daspica, Foxy?! How dara you trick us right undar our nosas? Do you raally


    think wa¡¯ra idiots?!¡±


    If lifa was a sci-fi movia, tha skalf¡¯s piarcing gaza would¡¯va turnad intosar baams and panatratad


    Amalia¡¯s body.


    Amalia, on tha othar hand, gazad inly at tha foolish skalf, who didn¡¯t raaliza sha had ba a


    waapon for tha raal attackar, and smirkad, quastioningzily, ¡°You don¡¯t possibly think I¡¯m so capa


    as toa up with a voicaovar in such a short tima, do you? Why don¡¯t you tall ma what program it is


    that is so amazing so that I hava a go at it mysalf?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you must¡¯va had it dona long ago whan you long figurad your actions woulda to light


    somaday,¡± tha skalf ratortad.


    As what sha said was rathar baliava, it was ar avaryona agraad with har avan though no ona said


    anything.


    Maanwh, Elysa was walking on air, saaing that tha situation had raturnad to baing in har favor.


    Howavar, sha continuad to paint harsalf as tha victim. ¡°I raally didn¡¯t say any of that. I dara maka tha


    sama oath to avaryona alsa just lika I had dona to you guys!¡±


    With that, sha pud har phona out and opanad har liva-straaming tform bafora making tha oath


    again.


    Amalia, on tha othar hand, smirkad onca mora as sha sntly watchad tha young woman swaar so


    smnly.


    Sura, you¡¯ra making an oath, but do you think I don¡¯t know you want to usa your liva straam to maka a


    fool of ma? What do you taka ma for, an idiot?


    At that, sha stappad out of tha frama sntly.


    Maanwh, Elysa pratandad to turn har liva straam off, than turnad har body slightly so that tha camara


    wouldnd on Amalia¡¯s faca parfactly wh tha formar faignad griavanca, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Foxy. I


    ganuinaly didn¡¯t axpact things to blow up so badly. I raally want to halp you. I do. But I¡­ I raally can¡¯t


    lia. I don¡¯t know whara you got tha audio from, nor do I want to maka anything of it aithar. I just hopa


    that you¡¯ll apologiza to ma. Aftar all, vinca isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Apologiza? Huh, you wish, yton.


    ¡°Yaah, apologiza to Elysa, or ma and my fans will boycott you!¡± Tha skalf offarad to coarca Amalia for


    Elysa.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll apologiza.¡± Amalia noddad.


    Elysa was stupafiad for a momant whan sha saw that Amalia had agraad to apologiza, taking a long


    wh toa to harsalf andap in joy.


    Sha had turnad har liva straam on maraly to show har fans Amalia¡¯s humiliatad look, but who¡¯d hava


    thought things would turn out battar than sha had axpactad?!


    Apologiza, Amalia. Your caraar will ba ovar aftar this. Thara might only ba a lit ovar tan thousand


    fans watching my liva straam now, but tha powar of a fan basa is mighty. Ona hour is all it takas to blow


    up tha antira social madia, and avaryona will avantually saa how Amalia apologizad to ma! Haha!


    Elysa supprassad har dasira to jump for joy wh straightaning har scraan a lit.


    Amalia, on tha othar hand, lookad at Elysa with amusamant.


    ¡°You shamss b*tch. How can you still ba smiling at this tima?! You must ba a lunatic!¡± tha skalf


    couldn¡¯t halp condamning Amalia whan sha found thattar smiling.


    Sha might not ba in tha frama, but tha fans haard har condamnation loud and ar, and avaryona


    bagan asking who tha uncivilizad cbrity was.


    ¡®What cb cussas pao lika it is nothing?!¡¯


    ¡®Sha¡¯s practically ona of thosa shraws on tha straats.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t ba a cb if you can¡¯t avan ba a dacant human!¡¯


    Elysa pratantiously dafandad tha skalf at onca, navar axpacting har mova of kaaping har liva straam on


    to backfira on thattar. ¡°I undarstand you¡¯ra workad up bacausa you want to stand up for ma. But


    sinca Miss Foxy has agraad to apologiza to ma, why don¡¯t wa all giva har a chanca to do so?¡±


    Just lika that, avaryona brought thair attantion back onto Amalia undar har artful divarsion.


    At that, Amalia tappad har fox mask and smd dalicataly as sha fixad har gaza on Elysa. ¡°I did agraa


    to apologiza. Howavar, tha apology isn¡¯t for you but for avaryona. I had dubbad tha vidao just now, but


    tha audio was takan from tha clip I took. That day, whan Miss yton was filming from har parspactiva,


    I happanad to also hava put a camara on ma in advanca, worriad that thara woulda a day I


    couldn¡¯t axin mysalf.¡±


    Sha than tappad har cor, indicating whara sha had fixad tha camara.


    ¡°You can do that?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s words rendered everyone all over the ce. But still, their curiosity unrivaled their confusion,


    for everyone pulled their phones out to watch the updated clip, causing Elyse¡¯s heart to inexplicably


    skip a beat.

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251


    ¡°I¡¯ve recorded the whole thing; it¡¯s more integrated than Miss yton¡¯s. It even includes our discussion


    about life and death. So if you don¡¯t mind, Miss yton, I¡¯ll show it to everyone now.¡±


    Calmly, Amelie fished out her phone and started scrolling.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Meanwhile, Elyse looked at Amelie like she was looking at a ghost, fixing her gaze on Amelie¡¯s cor.


    Did she really fix a camera on her cor that day? When did she do it? Was it after she entered her


    car?


    She tried hard to recollect the moment and was certain she didn¡¯t see any cameras. However, when


    she saw howposed Amelie was looking, she became absolutely terrified, and suddenly, she was


    certain Amelie had indeed fixed a camera on her cor.


    She captured the whole thing? Even our discussion about life and death? What discussion about life


    and death?!


    The next second, a memory hit her. Amelie had asked why I wanted to kill her. What was my answer?


    What was it?


    Elyse wracked her brain but couldn¡¯t find any denial. Yes. She didn¡¯t refute it, which also meant it was a


    silent admission!


    If that video gets out, everyone will know that I intended to kill Amelie! I¡¯ll be done for!


    As though something triggered her nerve, Elyse pounced on Amelie to seize the phone. However, the


    latter was agile as she slithered her arm through Elyse and raised the phone above her head.


    ¡°What are you doing, Miss yton?¡± Amelie asked inly as she fiddled with the phone hanging above


    her head carelessly.


    However, Elyse merely continued to shake Amelie¡¯s arm violently, hoping the phone would eventually


    slip. Yet, it stuck to Amelie¡¯s fingers like a ma. How exasperating!


    ¡°Rx, Miss yton. I will release theplete clip since you¡¯re so eager to watch it.¡± Amelie


    deliberately twisted Elyse¡¯s intention and walked toward the studio.


    She¡¯s going to y the video on the big screen?!


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Elyse stopped Amelie at all costs, scared sh*tless.


    Of course, Amelie was well-trained inbat, so she could subdue Elyse with just one hand while


    using the other to connect her phone to the big screen.


    Now, all she had to do was press the y button, and the truth would be revealed to the public.


    This might just be the studio, and there weren¡¯t many people, but word of mouth from these people


    alone was enough to send Elyse to her impending doom.


    At that, Elyse sneakily turned her live stream off and half-kneeled at Amelie, begging, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,


    Amelie, please give me another chance!¡±


    ¡°What wrong have you done?¡± Amelie asked with feigned bewilderment while pulling her up, stopping


    Elyse from kneeling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not argue among ourselves anymore and let the video tell the truth,¡± Amelie grumbled


    impatiently, then pressed on her phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me! I lied!¡± Elyse squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to tell the truth. She couldn¡¯t care


    about anything else at this point. ¡°I threatened you with your daughter. It was wrong of me.¡±


    It was then that Amelie withdrew her finger and gazed at Elyse with an ambiguous smile.


    Meanwhile, the skelf was bbergasted, for she began realizing she had been siding with the wrong


    person the whole time. She had been supporting a goody two shoes?!


    The director, on the other hand, kept wiping the sweat on his forehead. Thank goodness I hadn¡¯t been


    too rude, or I¡¯d have offended a big shot.


    ¡°See, it isn¡¯t so hard to tell the truth, is it?¡± Amelie patted Elyse¡¯s head like she was patting a dog. ¡°A


    woman bes more assertive when she bes a mother. I¡¯m sorry for attacking you out of haste


    when you threatened my daughter.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Elyse lifted her head in pain. As infuriated as she was, she


    dared not reveal a sliver of it.


    Thank goodness I turned the live stream off in advance, or things will be troublesome if the fans


    see this.


    As defeated as Elyse felt, she was also jubnt, for as long as her fans were willing to support her, she


    would still be able to find other jobs even if she lost her chance with ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ after the


    humiliating event.


    At that, she sneakily red daggers at Amelie, only to find thetter waving her phone at her.


    The screen was directed at her, and she found herself in it.


    Amelie is¡­ She¡¯s live-streaming?! She live-streamed my confession?!


    One hundred million people saw her confession¡­ One hundred million people witnessed her


    misdeed¡­


    Elyse¡¯s head buzzed and spun as though someone had given it a violent wham, and she dropped to


    the ground with a thump.


    Meanwhile, Amelie turned her live stream off, then helped Elyse up and even thoughtfully patted the


    dust off her before whispering in her ear, ¡°This is called beating someone at their own game. You


    taught me this, so you can¡¯t me me for it.¡±


    While Elyse had been rendered stumped, Amelie continued to fix the former¡¯s skirt and straps


    thoughtfully like they were best friends.


    Others, on the other hand, said nothing but only watched the scene with stupefaction.


    It wasn¡¯t finally after she was done fixing Elyse¡¯s outfit that Amelie took a step back and waved her


    phone while speaking at a volume only the two could hear before turning around. ¡°One more thing. I


    hadn¡¯t recorded any video at all.¡±


    So I¡¯ve been hoodwinked? By Dillon?!


    ¡°Miss Foxy.¡± The director hurriedly approached Amelie seeing that she wanted to leave. ¡°I¡¯m really


    sorry for just now. I hope you can forgive us and stay in the show.¡±


    Though her ultimate purpose was to screw with Elyse, she had also willingly joined the show, so she


    naturally couldn¡¯t back out halfway. At that, she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get myself ready in the green room.¡±


    The director thanked the heavens after hearing her words, while the skelf stood behind the director with


    an ashen face and drooped arms.


    She hadn¡¯t only sided with the wrong person but even humiliated herself by speaking rudely, and she


    couldn¡¯t be any more regretful of her actions when everyone wasmenting on her behavior.


    Elyse, who came running, huffing and puffing as a fire burned aze beneath her eyes.


    She was trembling. Her lips, cheeks,shes, and even eyeballs were trembling.


    ¡°Why are you doing this to me?!¡± she growled as tears dripped down her face one after another. ¡°Why


    do you have to destroy me when I have nothing against you?!¡±


    Amelie was washing her hands when she saw Elyseing in. Even so, she never even batted an


    eyelid toward thetter as she smirked derisively while gently shaking her hand to remove the excess


    water before slowly drying them with a towel. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®I want to destroy you¡¯? Would I


    do anything to you if you hadn¡¯t wanted to destroy me?¡±


    She was honestly baffled by Elyse¡¯s mindset. It was the young woman who persistently wanted to kill


    her, yet Elyse now turned around and asked her why she wanted to destroy her?! What am I supposed


    to do, then? Sit and do nothing while you kill me?


    Elyse couldn¡¯t stop her body from shaking no matter how, and her fists were clenched tightly on her


    sides as her face twisted disproportionately.


    After Amelie dried her hands, she approached Elyse with a nonchnt gaze.


    It was a very in gaze, but Elyse still reflexively shuddered, and her anger instantly diminished arge


    fold.


    She had genuinely grown traumatized by Amelie¡¯s schemes.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you onest time. Why do you want me dead?¡± Amelie questioned.


    Why?


    Amelie¡¯s words were like a curse, causing Elyse¡¯s body to tremble and spasm. Her clenched fists


    suddenly became lifeless, and she couldn¡¯t ball them up again.


    ¡°I might not have a video recording of that day, but I do have an audio recording of your implied


    admission to killing me on the racetrack. You¡¯ll only be dead for good if this recording gets to the media.


    By then, forget about ¡®Show Your Love¡¯; no production would even want you even if you ask to join as


    an extra!¡± Amelie warned gravely and pulled her phone out to retrieve the recording of the incident.


    Elyse¡¯s face nched at once, and cold sweat dripped down her face like rain.

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252


    ¡°N-No reason!¡± answered Elyse stiffly before dashing away.


    Meanwhile, Amelie slowly narrowed her eyes as she watched Elyse stagger away. Not even


    threatening to destroy her career could get her to speak out her reason¡­ Why?


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you two have such a long history.¡±


    A voice came out of nowhere while Amelie was in deep thought, and she turned around to find Fiona


    walking toward her with an ambiguous smile.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I was wondering why you want to screw her up. So she nearly killed you, huh? So you havee for


    vengeance instead of love as you had imed.¡±


    Amelie smiled inly when she saw it was Fiona, who was the only one who stood up for her when


    Elyse wanted to screw her up.


    Hence, she had a pretty good impression of Fiona, despite being unfamiliar with her.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re an inquisitive cat,¡±mented Amelie as she smiled ambiguously, leading Fiona to


    shake her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m inquisitive, but that your show is very dramatic. Not even reality TV


    would daree up with a script like this. That said, I really hadn¡¯te to eavesdrop. I overheard you


    two when I was touching up my makeup.¡±


    At that, she extended an arm toward Amelie. ¡°Fiona Shaw, a pleasure to know you.¡±


    ¡°Foxy.¡± Amelie returned the handshake.


    Following that, the two went out.


    ¡°yton will certainly be kicked out of the show. Who do you think will fill in her spot?¡± Fiona asked


    while walking.


    She had an innate sense of aloofness. It was no wonder she could y the lead role in shows like ¡®The


    Legend of Princess Anastasia¡¯. However, Amelie had no interest in it. ¡°Beats me.¡±


    Fiona paused her steps and smiled. ¡°You sure are an interesting one.¡±


    At that, she threw her hair back andmented, ¡°Better not be another one who will send my heart


    racing. Can¡¯t take too much drama when you¡¯re getting on in years, you see.¡±


    Fiona actually looked to be about Amelie¡¯s age, yet she imed to be old. Amelie thought the woman


    was getting more interesting by the second.


    Everything had returned to normal by the time they returned to the set, and the other three guests were


    already in their seats. Notably, the skelf was ashen-faced despite having freshened up.


    Amelie happened to have noticed the name ¡®Lilith Quill¡¯ written on the skelf¡¯s name tag, and it was only


    then that she remembered thetter shot to fame recently for starring in a social satire drama alongside


    a veteran actor.


    In the drama, she was a just and sensible person. But who¡¯d have thought she¡¯d be this muddle-


    headed in real life?


    Lilith lifted her eyelids but ultimately dared not look at Amelie. Amelie didn¡¯t bother herself with Lilith


    either, and she only greeted the other two guests with a nod as she walked past them.


    As she was about to sit in the sixth seat, she suddenly noticed someone had already taken up Elyse¡¯s


    seat, and the young woman exuded haughtiness despite wearing delicate makeup.


    No, it wasn¡¯t aloofness like Fiona¡¯s but haughtiness.


    Fiona¡¯s aloofness derived from what society made her to be, but this young woman¡¯s condescension


    evidently came from her family background. In fact, even her eyes were filled with contempt, and it


    inexplicably reminded her of her ex-mother-inw, Melissa.


    Then again, this young woman had everything to do with Melissa, for they were mother and daughter.


    Yes, the young woman was the one and only Jodie Alston.


    Even when Amelie had seen far too many things in life, she still couldn¡¯t help being taken aback to


    encounter Jodie in such an event.


    Has the ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ production team be so undiscriminating nowadays?


    Of course, Jodie noticed Amelie too, but because Amelie wore a mask, Jodie didn¡¯t make out who it


    was. Still, it didn¡¯t stop her from looking up condescendingly.


    The filming began in two shakes, and the hosts briefly introduced Jodie¡¯s background, but because she


    didn¡¯t have any prominent achievements, they had no choice but to mention her family, shocking the


    other guests when they learned that she was Leo¡¯s younger sister.


    Leo single-handedly held up the Alston Family and turned their family business from being on the verge


    of shutting down to a leading corporate in just a short few years. The man had long be a legend


    and a household name in Clouson City.


    Many were curious about Leo¡¯s private life. However, they couldn¡¯t find anything else other than his


    somewhat messy rtionship with Elyse, no matter how they tried.


    Meanwhile, behind the cameras, the director nodded pleasingly as he looked at the guests¡¯ reactions.


    This was precisely what he wanted.


    Celebrities were everywhere nowadays; it was a wealthy family¡¯s life that people were curious about,


    and Jodie¡¯s inclusion would guarantee a massive wave of viewership.


    Though Amelie was also surprised by Jodie¡¯s appearance, she merely stayed to fulfill the contract she


    had signed and had no intention of causing any kind of ruckus. Hence, she naturally wouldn¡¯t have


    many ideas.


    Now, I just have to rx, enjoy myself, and be an apaniment, mused Amelie as she drooped her


    eyelidszily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the audience and our female guests are curious to see who our secret admirers are for the


    night.¡± The hosts rambled enthusiastically to build up the suspense before finally introducing the male


    guests.


    The guys would receive a round of apuse when each came out, and the hosts would ask them about


    their crushes. The audience, too, would guess ording to the guys¡¯ answers.


    The first five were actors who had a few acimed works in the past couple of years. Hence, the


    audience responded enthusiastically. Even those watching the live stream were hyped. Comments


    wereing in one after another at breakneck speed on the live stream portal.


    ¡°Our next guest isn¡¯t an actor, but he¡¯s also in showbiz. He¡¯s got the looks, the skills, and the perfect set


    of techniques that leaves hundreds and thousands of youngdies infatuated with him. But young


    ladies aren¡¯t the only ones crazy about him. Even moms, grandmas, in fact, even dads and grandpas


    are crazy about him.¡± The host evidently spent more time and enthusiasm introducing the sixth guest.


    Following her instigation, everyone grew increasingly curious, wanting to know just who it could be.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wee our next guest!¡± The second after the host finished her words passionately, a piece of


    even more exciting music yed, and the door in the middle turned from ck to a faint Morandi white


    color.


    It was a kind of gentle whiteness, warm and wondrous, clean and pure.


    Meanwhile, the audience all directed their gaze to the slowly opening door and held their breaths in


    unison.


    Amelie, too, reflexively looked in that direction to find a nearly thin figure dressed in a simr white


    color.


    Despite wearing a in modern suit, he looked exactly like he could be from a fairy tale. He was


    unrealistically crisp and handsome, so much so that no one dared to touch him.


    The handsome young man ambled out and instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention with his amiable


    gaze and faint but gentle smile.


    ¡°ke Gareth!¡± Jodie gushed reflexively as joy enveloped her face. In fact, she even jumped without


    caring that she was onstage.


    Well, I¡¯ll be damned! Amelie nearly lost herposure when she realized who it was. What the heck is


    ke up to?!


    ¡°Goodness me. He¡¯s so hot!¡± The female host exaggeratedly fell backward as she had been infatuated.


    The male host, on the other hand, approached with a smile. ¡°Indeed. Even a guy like me is infatuated


    with him.¡±


    Meanwhile, ke smiled subtly. It was oneced with a hint of bashfulness of a fresh young adult,


    gentle and wonderful.


    Having made infatuated by the smile, the crowd only apuded a long whileter before chanting


    frantically, ¡°key, key!¡±


    The chant, too,sted for quite a while, and when it finally died, the female host approached ke with


    her hand on her forehead. ¡°Goodness, ke. Looks like you¡¯re a crowd favorite. The crowd nearly blew


    up the studio.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡± ke gave the crowd a simple thank-you bow while still wearing his signature


    smile.


    His every movement was exceptionally graceful, filled with a sense of nobility.


    While Jodie nearly passed out from excitement, the other young women expressed their shock with


    different expressions.


    ¡°I am absolutely shocked that you¡¯ve decided to join us, ke. Can you tell us whom you havee


    for?¡± asked the female host eagerly.

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253


    While ke silently swept his somewhat innocent gaze across the female guests sitting across from


    him, Amelie was wondering to whom he had taken a liking. So she looked toward him only to find that


    he had already been looking at her for some time.


    His eyes were curved into crescents as he smiled gently, and that smile seemed to beced with


    affection as it was uniquely lingering.


    Goodness, that man sure can pull a smile that kills, Amelie mused.


    Meanwhile, the hosts and audience followed ke¡¯s line of sight to where all the female guests were


    sitting. Everyone was like a radar, searching, wanting to dig up ke¡¯s secret immediately.


    ¡°Can I keep it a secret?¡± answered ke after finally looking away.


    As disappointed as the hosts were at ke¡¯s answer, they refused to give up and continued probing for


    a definitive answer. However, the man merely smiled no matter what question had been thrown at him.


    In the end, when the hosts used up every trick in their book, the female host was so desperate she was


    nearly begging on her knees. ¡°How about this? Why don¡¯t you describe your impression of her to us?¡±


    Amelie was also curious as to who in the world he came for, so she looked toward the young man with


    great interest before shifting her gaze inadvertently toward the other female guests.


    Thedies were of different ages and personalities, but seemingly none matched ke¡¯s crisp


    personality.


    Then again, who could be so certain about love in this era?


    ¡°She¡¯s really amazing.¡± This time, ke answered crisply instead of keeping quiet. ¡°She¡¯s the cutest


    and the most unyielding girl I¡¯ve ever met. There¡¯s nothing I can do about her most of the time.¡±


    His lips curved into a gentle smile as he spoke, and in that smileced a hint of coddling.


    ¡°Goodness, they really don¡¯t calldy-killer ady-killer for nothing. His smile is killing me,¡± eximed


    the female host as she pressed her hand against her chest.


    She wasn¡¯t exaggerating at all, for ke¡¯s affectionate smileced with bashfulness hadn¡¯t only


    intoxicated the female host but also the entire audience. The live stream portal was filled with various


    exmations and gushes as well.


    ¡®Goodness, this smile sure is intoxicating!¡¯


    ¡®Help me! I can¡¯t breathe!¡¯


    ¡®Who¡¯s this lucky woman who has won key¡¯s heart?¡¯


    ¡®I can already rest in peace if he can nce at me with those eyes.¡¯


    Amelie, on the other hand, sat quietly in her seat, but, unsure if it was because of the angle, she


    couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that he was smiling at her.


    I must be over-sensitive.


    Though Julia¡ªthe unreliable best friend¡ªWhite had once casually set the two up together, Amelie


    always believed a gentleman like ke would never have feelings for her.


    ¡°key is talking about me, isn¡¯t he?¡± giggled Jodie while Amelie was deep in thought. At that, she


    cupped her cheeks as hearts flew out of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never given up winning his heart. Isn¡¯t it


    precisely the unyielding he¡¯s talking about?¡±


    As Jodie was mumbling to herself, only Amelie heard her, and thetter frowned subtly in response.


    ke came for Jodie?


    The answer was clearly unrealistic. However, Jodie didn¡¯t think it was the case at all. In fact, she was


    certain her persistence had touched ke, and that was why he hade to win her heart this time.


    ¡°Word is that he has only decided to join this week¡¯s episode today,¡±mented Giada, who was


    sitting on Amelie¡¯s other side, inly.


    Her voice was a little loud, so even Jodie heard her, and thetter¡¯s smile deepened in response. So


    much so that her eyes had curved into crescents. I also happened to have decided to join the show at


    thest minute. key sure is well aware of my whereabouts!


    Back on stage, ke behaved impassively toward the hosts¡¯ and the live stream¡¯s praises and gushes


    the whole time, looking aloof and noble,pletely unfazed by all the attention he was given.


    Amelie, on the other hand, stopped guessing and lowered her head to ponder how she should loaf


    around to kill time. Hence, she never noticed theyers uponyers of gentleness and affection he had


    in his eyes toward her.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that no one else noticed it.


    Leo was looking at the monitor with narrowed eyes that were condensed with grimness.


    He had long known about ke¡¯s feelings for Amelie, but he didn¡¯t expect the man to pursue her all the


    way there, on reality TV.


    Eight out of ten crushes would ultimately be revealed during a shooting of a reality dating program, and


    it was evident ke intended to confess his love to Amelie!


    How dare he covet Amelie when he can even barely be called a man?! What is he, blind? Does he not


    know that Amelie is a divorcee and has a child with her?!


    Leo quickly noticed that what he minded wasn¡¯t whether ke cared if Amelie was a divorcee and had


    a child with her. What he minded was the way he looked at Amelie.


    It was absolutely, totally jarring! Not only jarring but also heart-wrenching!


    Even if they had divorced, no one and no one had the right to covet his ex-wife!


    ¡°Mr. Alston, Mr. Alston?¡± The station manager¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw Leo¡¯s suddenly


    malicious gaze glued onto the monitor.


    Is Mr. Alston displeased with the show? The station manager¡¯s eyelid twitched worryingly, for Leo was


    the reality show¡¯s investor. At that, he hurriedly humbled himself and asked fawningly, ¡°Do you happen


    to have a better idea for the show, Mr. Alston?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Leo drawled, then pointed at the screen and said something.


    He wasn¡¯t loud, but his words left the station manager dumbfounded, and his eyes widened with


    incredulity. ¡°Y-You¡­You¡¯re¡­ s-saying¡­¡±


    Leo took an impassive gander at the station manager, causing thetter to shut up and nod at once.


    ¡°Yes, sir, I¡¯ll see to it right away!¡±


    Meanwhile, the audience was sated with ke¡¯s gentleness at that point, and though they weren¡¯t


    willing to move on just yet, time waited for no one, and the show must continue.


    At that, the hosts had to spare him and let him return to his seat.


    After all the guests had been introduced, the two hosts briefly mentioned the production¡¯s following


    arrangements.


    ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ had already been around for a few seasons, so everyone was aware that it had some


    adventure elements, and it was through various adventures that the secret admirers had the chance to


    showcase themselves while also letting their crushes see how they performed, ultimately deciding if


    they would be a couple by the end of the season.


    Of course, before the activities began, the twelve guests would be split into two teams, which were left


    for them to decide how the teams should be split.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stick together,¡± Fiona suggested when she went up to Amelie, who nodded in agreement since


    she was only familiar with Fiona.


    Giada, too, approached the two and asked to join them.


    Following that, ke and a tall actor approached them. ¡°We¡¯ll join you guys,¡± said ke with an


    amiable, crisp, and bashful smile at the threedies.


    Amelie naturally was fine about ke joining their group. After all, having someone familiar looking


    after each other¡¯s backs was better than having none.


    Now, they just needed another guy to join them, and their team would be full.


    Just then, Jodie hopped in out of nowhere. ¡°I want to join you guys too!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, we already have enough female members,¡± Giada reminded, leading Jodie to shoot the young


    woman a side-eyed nce with displeasure, refusing to leave. ¡°Well, I¡¯m staying!¡±


    As if she would ever join the other group when ke was in this one!


    Hence, she asked matter-of-factly, ¡°So which of you three will be backing out?¡±


    Giada¡¯s face turned grim at once.


    I joined the show with notable work, at any rate, and now I¡¯m being ordered around by a rich brat that


    I¡¯ve never even heard of?!


    But as displeased as she appeared to be, she eventually just kept her mouth shut. However, she didn¡¯t


    move either.


    Amelie, on the other hand, shook her head helplessly, seeing Jodie digging her own grave off the bat.


    Not wanting such an insignificant issue to blow up, and she wasn¡¯t into Jodie either, she took a step,


    about to back out when someone grabbed her arm.


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    It was Fiona. ¡°I¡¯ll head to the other team,¡± announced the young woman with a smile before walking


    past the tall actor toward the other group.


    Meanwhile, an actor also approached their group, and with that, the teams were paired perfectly with


    three guys and threedies in each of them.


    ¡°And now, for the first adventure,¡± The hosts flipped their cue cards and announced after ensuring no


    further changes to the teams would be made. ¡°This week¡¯s activity is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± The director gestured offstage, baffling the two hosts with the unforeseen change. Everyone,


    too, looked toward the director.


    Momentster, the director sent a crew member to hand a note to the two hosts.

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254


    Bafflement enveloped the two hosts in different degrees after reading the note as they exchanged a


    nce.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± The male host hesitated for a moment before announcing with a professional smile,


    ¡°The production team has decided to add another pair of guests to the show at thest minute.¡±


    Add another pair of guests now? Can the production team be any more casual about this?!


    Everyone was gobsmacked by the host¡¯s words. Even Amelie had quirked her brows slightly.


    Just who are these people the production team so willingly added in at the veryst minute? mused


    Amelie just as the hosts told the crew to open the door and wee the additional pair.


    The music yed the next second, and the golden door turned ck, slowly opening, forming an


    increasingly wide gap.


    Everyone including her looked toward the door and found a tall, slender figure exiting the door.


    He had the physique of a model but a moremanding presence than one, and when he approached


    the stage, his movements were crisp and strong, and his presence stirred the entire studio.


    ¡°Leo Alston?!¡± Giada eximed.


    ¡°What is he doing here? Isn¡¯t it said that he¡¯s low-key and rarely makes an appearance?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Are entrepreneurs beginning to steal our jobs too?¡±


    The other celebrities began mumbling to each other.


    It wasn¡¯t just them. Amelie, too, was shocked by Leo¡¯s appearance. Never would she have dared to


    imagine how things would be like in a reality TV show if the stern-looking and silent Mr. Leo Alston ever


    joined one.


    ¡°What is Leo also doing here?¡± Jodie was just as surprised. Clearly, even she wasn¡¯t let in on this.


    At that, she swept her gaze across the other female guests andnded on Amelie in the end, ring


    daggers at the woman, who couldn¡¯t help being taken aback when Amelie caught the gaze.


    Why is she looking at me like that? Does she think Leo hase for me? Really? I doubt it. We¡¯re


    already divorced. Even if we have any interaction because of Bria, we¡¯d merely say hi and look away.


    So for whom could he havee if not me? Jodie? Doesn¡¯t really look like it.


    While musing, she found Leo¡¯s gaze shifted in her direction, but it wasn¡¯t on her. Rather, he sized ke


    up icily.


    So he hase to inspect ke for Jodie? Amelie couldn¡¯t help assuming.


    After all, Leo might usually let Jodie do whatever she wanted, but he was strict about her marriage.


    ¡°Can you please tell us for whom you havee, Mr. Alston?¡± The female host couldn¡¯t stop herself


    from asking. Her gossip radar was off the charts at this point, and her eyes were twinkling with great


    affection, looking like she wanted to throw herself on Leo.


    This is the Leo Alston we¡¯re talking about here. The most eligible bachelor in the city. Sure, he was


    once married, but his looks, abilities, wealth, and family background were more than sufficient to


    overshadow the failed marriage.


    Instead of answering the host, Leo gazed inadvertently toward where the other guests were seated,


    only to coincidentally meet with Amelie¡¯s eyes.


    Amelie thought his eyes were icy, but it wasn¡¯t worth being rmed as his eyes were always icy.


    However, her heart skipped a beat for some reason.


    ¡°Bring the other guest up,¡± he ordered, ignoring the host¡¯s question, making her stumped for a moment.


    In all her years of being a host, this was her first time being ordered around onstage.


    Even as upset as she was, she still reflexively raised the microphone to her mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s wee our


    next mystery guest.¡±


    The door opened once again, and what Amelie first saw was the oh-so-familiar white strap maxi dress.


    The owner of the dress left her hair hanging loosely around her waist, and she had a stunning face.


    Elyse?! The mystery guest is Elyse yton?!


    The other female guests¡¯ countenances turned awful at Elyse¡¯s entrance, and they all looked toward


    the director.


    None of them had forgotten how the production team had kicked the humiliated Elyse out just before


    the show began filming.


    You invited an ill-reputed celebrity back?!


    The director scratched his head ufortably while gesturing to Leo with his chin, signifying, ¡®the one


    who pays gets the final say¡¯. No one would dare say a word, even if Leo wanted to bring a murderer


    onstage.


    So, Leo¡¯s the one who brought Elyse back onto the show? Amelie¡¯s heart shattered into two halves and


    sank into the depths after receiving the director¡¯s cues. Just how much does Leo love Elyse?


    In the past, he would coddle and condone her actions again and again, and now, he would even be


    willing to go against his low-key personality to help her get back onto the stage.


    Just then, a hand silently held hers. ¡°You okay?¡± ke asked softly.


    His palm was clean and warm, and his eyes wereced with worry.


    Amelie shook her head in response, and to avoid causing a misunderstanding, she withdrew her hand.


    ¡°Director, the members of the two teams aren¡¯t equal anymore. Why don¡¯t I drop out instead?¡± She


    approached the director. I have no obligation to watch the two being lovey-dovey.


    The next second, Leo turned his piercing gaze toward Amelie. Does this woman want to back out as


    soon as she sees me?!


    His eyes narrowed further as his gaze turned increasingly malice, looking like he wanted to pierce


    through Amelie with them.


    Elyse, on the other hand, stood quietly next to Leo, looking as benign as a doll.


    Plus, the two were engaged in the past, so everyone began guessing if they wanted to get back


    together.


    After hearing Amelie¡¯s words, the young woman deliberately made a dramatically shocked expression,


    behaving as if she hadpletely forgotten about how she had just been exposed earlier.


    ¡°Things really are different when you have a backer,¡± Fiona gibed frostily. ¡°Even I¡¯m thinking of backing


    out.¡±


    ¡°Please hold on.¡± The male host hurriedly saved the day. ¡°The two of us will also be partaking in the


    activities with everyone.¡±


    In other words, they would be a part of the team too.


    Though the male host was pulling his most professional smile, the cold sweat on his back was dripping


    non-stop. Why do they have to do this to an originally perfect show?! I swear my hosting career is on


    the verge of ending!


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    At that, he put his hands together and begged Amelie and Fiona to spare them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± mumbled Leo, who walked toward Amelie¡¯s group before the host could speak further.


    Okay, fine, this show doesn¡¯t need its hosts at all. The male host whined before nudging the female


    host toward Fiona¡¯s group.


    Next, they had to pick a leader for their group, and Fiona¡¯s group appointed the male host as their


    leader quickly.


    However, things were evidently grimmer in Amelie¡¯s group.


    Now with Leo and Elyse a part of their already strange group, they became incredibly stressed and the


    most talked about participants of the show.


    How were they going to choose? Who would dare speak up when they had Leo, amanding


    entrepreneur, standing amongst them like a mobile freezer?!


    ¡°How about you be our leader, Mr. Alston?¡± suggested Chester Hale, the actor who joined them


    last.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± Leo said impassively. It was an indefinite no.


    Chester scratched his head at that, and Amelie believed his scalp would nearly be bruised at this point.


    ¡°Mr. Hargreve¡¯s the oldest among us. I think it¡¯ll be perfect if he¡¯s our leader,¡± ke suggested softly.


    He was talking about the quiet tall actor.


    He turned to Amelie after speaking up, looking like he was asking for her opinion.


    His eyes were constantlyced with a kind of intoxicating tenderness, and she believed she had been


    lacking love for too long, or how could she be infatuated by a young man¡¯s smile?!


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± She was rather impressed with Fabian Hargreve as well.


    The man had appeared in several reality TV shows, and Amelie had seen how he could always regard


    the overall picture while caring for everyone. What was more, he was the oldest among them, so his


    words were more credible.


    ¡°I second it.¡± Giada raised her hand after sizing Leo up.


    The others naturally had no problems with the decision when three people agreed to it.


    The first adventure was titled ¡®Love vs. Wild¡¯, and the hosts ushered everyone out of the studio without


    exining the details of the activity.

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255


    Everyone was herded to a minibus as the cameraman filmed. The celebrities stood at the minibus door,


    cooperating with the cameraman as they posed and discussed what the so-called ¡®Love vs. Wild¡¯


    program was about. The host then held up his phone to broadcast the live situation and interacted with


    the fans watching on the live tform.


    On the other hand, Amelie was not interested in gaining fame that way and avoided the cameras


    whenever possible. Then, she stayed in the restroom for a while, estimating that everyone had


    probably boarded the bus before she came out.


    As she walked to the door, she unexpectedly saw a figure standing in the corridor smoking with his


    head down. The person seemed to have heard her footsteps and looked back, only to meet her gaze.


    His eyes were calm and indifferent but with a hint of depth, and his handsome face was as serious as


    ever. His thin lips parted to exhale slight smoke, adding a touch of sensuality to him.


    Leo rarely smoked, so the sight surprised her. After a moment of daze, she nodded lightly as a greeting


    and walked past him. However, he followed her and asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly want to participate


    in the program?¡±


    His clear voice was slightly hoarse due to smoking. Amelie, momentarily taken aback by his inquiry,


    turned to face him. She didn¡¯t expect him to ask this question because she didn¡¯t believe that he had


    not seen the scene where Elyse was KO¡¯d by her, so he was asking the obvious.


    Since he wanted to y dumb, she would y dumb too.


    The corners of her lips under her mask slightly curled up, ¡°Is it wrong for me to increase my


    poprity?¡±


    When she was done talking, she noticed a slight curve in Leo¡¯s lips. He¡¯s actually smiling! He could


    smile?


    She was shocked and couldn¡¯t figure out which sentence she had said that could touch his funny bone.


    In her memory, he had a high threshold for humor.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to ke.¡± His voice came again with a hint of warning. ¡°Bria must only recognize


    me as her father, and there can be no one else except me.¡±


    Is Leo suspecting that something is going on between ke and me? Is he an idiot? He unted his


    new rtionship and went out to protect Elyse, but he wanted me to stay chaste and be an excellent


    mother to his child?


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Amelie sarcastically snorted. Regardless of whether or not I ever decide to date again, I will


    not listen to his advice because hecks credibility.


    Without even wanting to say another word to him, she turned her head and walked toward the bus.


    There wasn¡¯t much room on the bus, and soon all avable seats were taken except Elyse and Jodie¡¯s.


    Nheless, she didn¡¯t want to sit with these two, so she walked to thest row of seats. There were


    five seats, and ke had already taken one. Seeing her, he smiled shyly and pointed to the window


    seat beside him. That was the one he had thoughtfully reserved for her.


    However, she walked over without much thought. Before she could sit down, her arm was grabbed, and


    her body was forcefully pulled away. A figure then bumped past her left shoulder and sat in the seat.


    ¡°I have motion sickness, so I want to sit here.¡±


    Thus, Amelie was thrown off bnce and nearly fell, but ke caught her in time. When she nced


    over, she noticed that Jodie waspeting with her for the seat. Then, Jodie lifted her chin and


    crossed her arms, looking like a spoiled little princess.


    Seeing that, Amelie furrowed her brow but didn¡¯t want to make a scene, so she looked for another seat.


    On the other hand, Leo had stepped into the bus. When he saw Jodie, he furrowed his eyebrows.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit in the front?¡± Amelie suggested. Since Jodie upied that seat, she left two side-by-


    side seats vacant in front. Hence, ke nodded, and the two took the seats in the row where Jodie had


    previously sat.


    When Jodie saw that, she was speechless. She widened her eyes and was so angry she almost cried.


    I¡¯vee to im this seat because I¡¯d like to sit with ke, and now he¡¯s¡­ Amelie, that despicable


    wretch!


    She would have uttered profanity if the camera hadn¡¯t been rolling. Although no one said anything, they


    all knew what was going on. Everyone knew Jodie liked ke, but he seemed particrly caring


    toward Foxy.


    ¡°Are you close with Miss Foxy, key?¡± The male host couldn¡¯t help but ask in a gossipy manner.


    ke¡¯s clean lips curved into his signature shy smile. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    His eyes shone, and he didn¡¯t hide his feelings. It was so pure that it didn¡¯t allow people to have dirty


    thoughts. After a moment of hesitation, the host didn¡¯t ask further. Amelie didn¡¯t think much of it either.


    ke was indeed close to her, so it was no big deal.


    However, standing in the aisle, Leo looked even gloomier, especially when he saw her acting as if


    nothing had happened. His eyes darkened, and a strange chill emanated from his body, causing the


    bus¡¯ temperature to drop instantly. Soon, several female celebrities who couldn¡¯t stand the cold began


    rubbing their arms.


    Then, he stood still, only a few paces from Amelie and ke. His actions made others wonder if he


    also had feelings for Foxy. Nevertheless, ke seemed to not feel Leo¡¯s gaze but instead nonchntly


    took out a thin nket from his bag and covered Amelie with it. ¡°The aircon in the bus is cold, so be


    careful and don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She smiled happily and touched the corner of the nket, looking grateful under the mask.


    key is so thoughtful that whoever marries him in the future will definitely be pampered.


    In her mind, ke was her little brother for life, and since he was usually thoughtful like that, she didn¡¯t


    give it much thought.


    ¡°You should cover yourself too.¡± She gave him half of the nket.


    His health wasn¡¯t good as he had asthma, and low temperatures could easily trigger his difort.


    Seeing that, Leo¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted as they fixed on the nket, looking like they were about


    to burst into mes! His long fingers suddenly reached for the nket.


    ¡°Leony!¡± His outstretched hand was intercepted by Elyse. The bus began to shake at that moment, and


    she stumbled into his arms. From another angle, it looked like he had already predicted that she would


    fall and had reached out to hold her in advance. Then, he silently pushed her away. Although he didn¡¯t


    reach out for the nket again, his gaze was menacing. She sat down, and it appeared as if she had


    held onto him before sitting down, so no one would have known he had pushed her away.


    Then, she smiled brightly and said, ¡°I saved this seat for you. I guessed right that you couldn¡¯t find a


    seat.¡± She pointed to the empty seat beside her.


    ¡°Leo.¡± Behind them, Jodie was all alone. She looked at Leo with red eyes and a sad expression,


    sending him a distress signal. As soon as Jodie came, ke and Amelie switched seats and sat up


    front, which was like a p in her face. She was used to being a pampereddy and couldn¡¯t stand this


    kind of injustice. Moreover, she felt like her reputation had beenpletely destroyed, so she eagerly


    awaited Leo to help her. Nheless, Leo silently looked at his sister, then sat behind Amelie.


    In the end, he chooses Elyse. Amelie silently snorted to herself. Even though she knew he cherished


    Elyse, she was still surprised. His love for Elyse has already surpassed kinship. Impressive!


    Meanwhile, in the back seat, Elyse saw Leo sit down, and the boulder on her chest slowly lifted. She


    knew better than anyone what her current rtionship with him was like. If it wasn¡¯t for the program


    team not being able to find other actresses and asking her back, she wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to


    stand next to him. It was herst chance to turn things around.

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256


    The bus continued its long journey, during which time the road grew increasingly rough and muddy


    terrain. The further it went, the darker and more foreboding it became. After passing through a lengthy


    tunnel, there was a loud bang, and the bus suddenly stopped; the engine had died. Soon afterward,


    there was another loud crash, and something heavynded with a thud, shaking the ground beneath its


    feet. Looking back, they discovered that a massive boulder had sealed off the tunnel they had passed


    through earlier. Everyone¡¯s expression changed slightly as they looked around, and then they turned to


    the hosts, who also seemed perplexed but had no idea what had happened.


    ¡°Did we take the wrong road?¡± Giada asked, looking at the driver.


    However, the driver shook his head. ¡°The instructions I received were to bring you here.¡±


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    ¡°Here?¡± Everyone looked doubtfully out the window. In the distance, there was a vast tract ofnd that


    had a road that was obviously deserted running through the middle of it. The road led to a strange-


    looking ck building; everything else was deste except for the building and the road.


    ¡°Our program has undergone a change.¡± The cameraman who had been following them suddenly


    spoke up. ¡°This program is modeled after a survival TV show. The road you came in on is your only


    way out and has been blocked off. Moreover, the signal has also been blocked. If you enter this ce,


    it doesn¡¯t matter how high up the socialdder you once stood; you¡¯re now a zero. Both teams can only


    leave if you manage to find the key that exists in this area.¡±


    He continued, ¡°The first team to find the key wins, and there is only one key. Don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t


    find the key; we will pick you upter. This arrangement is not meant to make you fight to the death but


    for you to test thepetence and skills of your secret crush. Of course, secret crushes can also use


    this time to determine whether the other person is worth liking. Life is long, and only by going through


    difficulties can one witness a person¡¯s true character, isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    After speaking, the cameraman waved to everyone before exiting the car with his assistant and the


    driver. As soon as they stepped out of the vehicle, they heard a low rumble overhead, and a helicopter


    swooped down to whisk them away. However, people on the bus didn¡¯t begin to piece together what


    was happening until the helicopter ascended into the air and was no longer visible.


    ¡°This is supposed to be a fun adventure, isn¡¯t it? What the hell is going on?¡± Lilith, who had been silent


    for a long time, angrily kicked a chair and cursed. ¡°They said it¡¯s only a mini adventure, but what the


    hell is this?¡±


    ¡°How long do they n to keep us here?¡± Giada looked around anxiously, her beautiful face full of


    anxiety. ¡°Is there any water or food here? I didn¡¯t even bring my makeup box. What if my makeup gets


    messed up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah! Are we going to have to sleep in this creepy ce at night? No way, I won¡¯t do it!¡± Jodie


    jumped up from her seat, shaking her head frantically. She was ustomed to living the life of a


    pampered wealthydy and sleeping in herfortable bed with air conditioning that could


    automatically adjust to her body temperature. Her room was always filled with the scent of flowers, and


    the bathroom had arge jacuzzi bathtub. Soon, she regretteding to that godforsaken ce to


    suffer. I was crazy to even agree to this.


    Nevertheless, Fiona¡¯s eyebrows also showed worry. After all, as a celebrity, appearance was always


    important. Coming to a ce like that would inevitably reveal one¡¯s true character and form.


    Meanwhile, Elyse leaned toward Leo, looking pitiful and about to cry. The previous ¡®Show Your Love¡¯


    program was arranged quite well. Why did they have to change it to this?


    However, Amelie remained silent andposed throughout the event, unlike the other women present.


    The men were much moreposed than the women, and except for Chester, who muttered a few


    words in annoyance, the others were silent and lost in thought.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Fabian walked over to Fiona and whispered.


    As if she had not heard him, she walked past him directly to Amelie. ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    Nheless, Amelie had been frowning and had her head lowered. Hearing the question, she said,


    ¡°We should first see what supplies we¡¯ve been given.¡±


    Everyone then remembered that the program team had given them supplies before they left. They


    rushed off the minibus and opened the storagepartments on both sides. Two male actors pulled


    out all the items within, but there were only a few sleeping bags, some raw food, two camping stoves,


    and two pots.


    ¡°This food is only enough for one day. We must leave here today, or we¡¯ll all die of starvation


    tomorrow!¡± Chester said, disheartened.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go look for the key first,¡± the male host suggested as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. He


    made a mistake bying to this program when he didn¡¯t have to. When they added another team, he


    went from being a host to being one of the participants. The program had be a mess, and now he


    had to face a terrible situation. On the other hand, the members of his group did not express any


    opinions and were all eager to leave. So, they followed the host and walked away without taking any


    food with them.


    ¡°We should go too,¡± Fabian said, stepping forward.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Amelie parted her lips, only to realize that someone had already spoken, and it was Leo. His handsome


    face was unruffled, and his expression was as serious as always as if the terrible circumstances had no


    effect on him.


    ¡°Leo, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t want to stay in this haunted ce for even a minute. We can¡¯t


    let them take the key away!¡± Jodie anxiously spoke up.


    Amelie looked at her with a helpless expression. Jodie was the type who dreamed big but faltered in


    the face of adversity, and she was under the impression that sess would fall into herp like rain.


    ¡°The show¡¯s organizers wouldn¡¯t make it easy for us to get the key. Acting rashly in frustration would


    only lead to wasted effort and no results. Let¡¯s make some food, discuss our next steps, and let Team A


    explore ahead to narrow our search area,¡± Amelie calmly responded.


    Before departure, the two teams had established themselves and chosen fancy names. Amelie didn¡¯t


    bother with that and simplybeled Fiona¡¯s group Team A.


    ¡°What nonsense! You act like you know everything! If you guys listen to her, you¡¯ll definitely fail and be


    laughed at by Team A!¡± Jodie rudely replied. Her mood was terrible, and she didn¡¯t care about


    maintaining her image.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not from the organizers, so how do you know their arrangements?¡± Giada inquired as she


    agreed with Jodie. Although her tone wasn¡¯t as sharp as Jodie¡¯s, she still skeptically questioned


    Amelie. ¡°What if they intentionally ce the key in the most essible location?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should search around first like what they¡¯re doing,¡± Chester suggested, looking at Jodie and


    Giada. Meanwhile, Elyse looked at everyone and turned to Leo, signaling she would follow his


    decision. Even though Fabian hadn¡¯t said a word, it appeared that he would agree with the choice


    made by the majority. With the situation settled, only Leo and ke¡¯s opinions remained. Since nobody


    dared to challenge Leo, they turned to ke.

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257


    ¡°key, you¡¯re thinking the same thing as me, right?¡± Jodie couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and asked


    eagerly. She was confident in her decision-making skills and knew that not only would he agree with


    her, but he would also find her quite remarkable. Suddenly, she felt a surge of confidence and tossed


    her long hair gracefully.


    ¡°I believe¡ª¡± ke shed a gentle grin, and his pure and meek expression drew everyone¡¯s attention.


    When she heard the word he said, she jumped up with joy. ¡°I knew it¡ª¡±


    ¡°That Miss Foxy¡¯s analysis is correct.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jodie¡¯s excitement came to a sudden stop. Thinking she must have heard wrong, she looked


    at him in disbelief.


    However, ke¡¯s eyes fell softly on Amelie. One could practically see his attraction to Foxy¡­ Who


    would believe that he had no interest in her?


    Nevertheless, Jodie had long suspected it, and now that his gaze was so candid, she was so angry that


    she nearly exploded. Then, she shouted, ¡°Leo!¡±


    Meanwhile, Leo stood silently, and his gaze was also fixed on Amelie. There was a hint of surprise in


    his eyes. He didn¡¯t expect her to say what he wanted to say first. When he learned that she was Foxy,


    he only thought she was pretty talented, but he soon realized that her thinking was so sharp and


    intelligent. ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± he responded to Jodie after a while.


    I can¡¯t say I me ke for siding with this woman, but even my brother sided with her! Still, Jodie


    couldn¡¯t figure it out. What kind of monster is this woman?


    Then, she red fiercely at Amelie. Receiving her death stare, Amelie shrugged silently. It¡¯s a good


    thing I wore the mask here. If my true identity is revealed, Jodie¡¯s anger might double.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s make some food first. I¡¯ll wash the vegetables.¡± Elyse quickly brought out a


    basin of greens and spoke up. Then, she cleverly blocked Leo¡¯s view of Amelie when she walked by


    the two.


    When Fabian saw that everyone had decided, he quickly assigned tasks. The girls and Chester went to


    look for a water source and wash the vegetables. At the same time, the remaining men set off toward


    the distant building to see if it could be used. Nheless, Jodie naturally didn¡¯t want to do any hard


    work. When Leo and the others left, she angrily got on the bus and went to sleep. Hence, Amelie didn¡¯t


    bother with her and took out a basket of vegetables to wash.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it together,¡± Giada walked over, happily linking her arm with Amelie¡¯s as if she had forgotten


    all about her earlier disdain for Amelie.


    The water source wasn¡¯t difficult to find, but the area was deste. Since Amelie grew up in the


    countryside and had experience, she led the group in clearing a road without the proper equipment. In


    the end, she ended up taking over as leader of the small group, which had been led by Chester. After a


    while, they finally arrived at the water¡¯s edge. The water was not polluted and was crystal clear, which


    excited Elyse, Chester, and a few others who went to y in the water.


    Meanwhile, Amelie silently walked to the higher ground and washed the vegetables with her head


    down.


    Then, Giada held a tomato in her hand, looked around, and squatted down after making sure no one


    was paying attention. She gently tapped Amelie and said, ¡°That Mr. Alston is so impressive. Although


    he¡¯s stern, his decisions are urate and amazing. No wonder hispany can be so sessful.


    He¡¯s such a great man! Don¡¯t you find him attractive?¡±


    Amelie smiled absent-mindedly and replied, ¡°Not really.¡± She used to find him attractive, but that was in


    the past.


    ¡°You¡¯re so smart. Howe you have no ambition at all?¡± Giada pushed her in disapproval. ¡°I¡¯ve seen


    him nce at you a few times.¡±


    ¡°nce at me?¡± Amelie tried to think and could only recall sensual moments between Leo and Elyse. ¡°I


    think you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nevertheless, Giada sighed lightly as she looked Amelie up and down. She couldn¡¯t help but try to lift


    the edge of Amelie¡¯s mask with her fingers.


    However, Amelie grabbed her hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. I assumed that wearing this mask the whole day must be tiring for you.


    There¡¯s no filming equipment here, so you can remove it.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Amelie pushed Giada¡¯s hand away.


    Afterward, Giada looked at her thoughtfully as she bit into the tomato. ¡°Miss Foxy, is something wrong


    with your face since you always cover it with a mask?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Amelie gave a vague answer as she didn¡¯t want to bother exining herself to Giada.


    When Giada heard her response, she suddenly rxed, and her face lit up with a smile. ¡°No wonder!


    That¡¯s why you don¡¯t dare to fall for Mr. Alston.¡±


    Amelie was speechless. My appearance has nothing to do with not falling for him.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re not interested in him, I¡¯ll pursue him.¡± Giada yfully spoke and stuck out her tongue. As


    it turned out, she had been asking around Amelie for so long because she wanted to pursue Leo


    herself.


    Suddenly, a bbergasted smile crossed Amelie¡¯s face under her mask. After four years of marriage, I


    still haven¡¯t won his affection. Thinking she could win him over in one TV show is ridiculous! Initially,


    she intended to give Giada some well-meaning advice but ultimately kept her mouth shut. Sometimes,


    it is best to let someone learn from their mistakes.


    As dusk settled in after dinner, neither Fabian nor Team A had returned. Amelie could tell that Fabian


    had gone to find Fiona, as he had taken something with him when he left, which was probably food for


    her. However, Fabian¡¯s departure didn¡¯t affect Team B¡¯s activities, as Leo was a stabilizing force, and


    everyone seemed to feel secure with him around.


    ¡°Those with talent are different, like Leo. No matter where he goes, he can quickly adapt to the


    environment. He¡¯s practically a God!¡± Giada eximed, her eyes constantly flicking toward the second


    floor where the men were surveying the terrain. Her gaze was fixated on Leo as she had already


    marked him as her man since deciding to pursue him.


    Then, Elyse elegantly chimed in, ¡°Yeah, Leo has always been exceptional. I¡¯ve known him for years


    and have never seen him falter. He¡¯s my strongest support.¡±


    Elyse¡¯s words emphasized her and Leo¡¯s unique rtionship, which made Giada feel like she had


    swallowed a fly.


    On the other hand, Jodie, who rarely bothered to speak to them, said something out of the blue. ¡°Not


    only you guys, even I, as his little sister who grew up with him, haven¡¯t seen him defeated yet. In


    school, his grades were the best, and whatever he did, he always performed dozens of times better


    than others.¡±


    Amelie listened quietly to their conversation, blinking. Suddenly, she thought of those days 10 years


    ago. Leo was silent, moody, anxious, and quick-tempered. If things didn¡¯t go his way, he would throw


    things and not take care of his health. In addition, he was a problematic teenager, utterly different from


    the person they were describing. Perhaps, he was her bad karma from her previous life, so he showed


    her all his ugly sides. When she finally changed him, he left andpletely forgot about her. Touching


    her left eye, which had almost no sight, she sighed quietly.


    Meanwhile, Team B still had yet to return at night. For safety reasons, everyone took turns keeping


    watch in pairs. So, she took the initiative to team up with ke, as few people knew about his poor


    health, and she was worried he might overexert himself. When it was their turn to patrol, she didn¡¯t


    wake him but went out alone. The night wind was freezing and biting, especially in the deserted


    wilderness. Even though the building they stayed in was old and falling apart, at least the old walls


    protected them from the cold. However, they were still concerned about the possibility of wild beasts or


    other intruders.


    Amelie held her phone, which had the shlight function, and slowly walked around the perimeter. As


    she walked, she suddenly heard a rustling sound, like something stepping on leaves. The sound was


    incredibly eerie and ominous in the dead of night.

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258


    Amelie was trying to guess whether it was a bear or a person when suddenly, the rustling sound behind


    her grew louder. In a sh, a powerful force struck her neck from behind! She quickly ducked out of the


    way and grabbed the hand, reaching for her. Twisting her body, she slipped under the other person¡¯s


    arm and tried to throw them over her shoulder in one move.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± a low voice suddenly said, and a hand pressed down on her shoulder, halting her movement.


    She was momentarily stunned, but then she heard the name she recognized well.


    ¡°I¡¯m Leo.¡±


    ¡°Leo?¡± She turned around and shone the phone¡¯s light on him. Then, she saw the sharp line of his jaw


    and, above that, his pursed lips, nose, and those clear, stern, and always indifferent eyes. He was


    staring at her, his eyes wide with surprise.


    ¡°You know martial arts?¡± She would have thrown him off if he hadn¡¯t called out in time.


    ¡°I learned a little before,¡± Amelie replied casually, not wanting to say much. She turned her body and


    met Leo¡¯s gaze, standing straight andposed. His height gave him a clear advantage, and he


    looked down at her as if he wanted to see right through her.


    ¡°How much do you know?¡± he asked, feeling he didn¡¯t know his former wife. She¡¯s a social media star,


    a racecar driver, and now she knows martial arts?


    ¡°Not much,¡± she replied, thinking they no longer needed to be honest with one another. After their


    divorce, it was no longer necessary for him to boastfully list her qualities. On the other hand, these


    were merely hobbies for her, and she never felt conceited about learning them.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go patrol,¡± she said and walked away.


    Nheless, Leo did not leave but instead followed Amelie. ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    After Fabian left, he entrusted the patrol work to Chester. There was an initial request for a man and a


    woman to patrol together, but no specific details were provided.


    ¡°key¡¯s not feeling well, so I didn¡¯t wake him up,¡± she responded truthfully. She knew martial arts and


    could easily defeat the typical bad guys and small animals. So, having him around wouldn¡¯t do her


    much good if a ferocious and dangerous animal came.


    A cold and sarcastic ¡°Hmph!¡± sounded beside her as soon as she finished speaking.


    ¡°You¡¯re so concerned about him.¡±


    I assumed ke has feelings for her, but it appears she is providing him with more care. Suddenly, a


    sour feeling rose in Leo¡¯s stomach, and he clenched his fists silently at his side.


    These words made Amelie very ufortable, so she turned to look at him. His face, already solemn,


    was now dark and icy, and he lifted the corner of his lips in a mocking arc. The mockery was extremely


    obvious, as if she had done something shameful.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± She didn¡¯t like his insinuating tone and decided not to exin. Then, she looked


    straight into his eyes with apletely open and honest expression. ¡°Whom I care about is none of


    your business, Mr. Alston.¡±


    As her words pushed him into a corner, his chest tightened, and he struggled to catch his breath. ¡°Did


    you forget what I said?¡±


    Amelie rubbed her ear, pausing to remember. ¡°You mean the thing about me not being qualified to find


    a stepfather for Bria? Whichw states that Mr. Alston? Or is it your ego talking? Do you think that


    anyone who¡¯s been your ex-wife must simply rot away?¡±


    Nevertheless, Leo was indeed letting his ego get in the way, but he never thought about letting her rot


    away.


    ¡°You have people you want to care for, and I have mine. Even though we are Bria¡¯s parents, we are


    divorced now, and I hope you won¡¯t cross my boundaries next time!¡± She spoke clearly and confidently,


    with no hesitation in her words.


    Hearing that, his face instantly went ck, and he walked away from her without saying a word.


    Is he angry? She shrugged in resignation. Everything she said was true, and if he could do it, why


    couldn¡¯t she say it?


    ¡­


    When Amelie returned from her patrol, ke was already awake. His clean, youthful face was tinged


    with a hint of disappointment. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s one person or two, it¡¯s still the same patrol. Since nothing happened outside, I went


    alone.¡± She knew he had self-esteem, so she didn¡¯t mention his condition and spoke indifferently. After


    all, the reason he intended to give up ice skating was because of the injuries he had.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± he muttered. I should be the one patrolling alone, not you.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go alone next time,¡± ke said softly. He was always gentle with Amelie, even though he felt


    unhappy. Then, his bangs fell over his eyes, making him look like a handsome young nobleman, but


    there was a sense of loneliness and distress in his eyes. I can¡¯t figure out how to get her to depend on


    me.


    ¡°How about youe patrol with me, key?¡± Jodie ran over, intentionally making her voice sound


    coy. She was pretty annoyed when Chester scheduled her to patrol. However, when she saw ke


    had woken up, she immediately suggested he go with her.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded.


    Seeing him agree, she was overjoyed. ¡°Really?¡± She thought he would refuse.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    On the other hand, he didn¡¯t say anything and got up from his sleeping bag. Then, he walked outside,


    and she followed him out. When they were outside the building, she couldn¡¯t help but hook her arm


    around his and press her body against him.


    Then, ke stopped and looked at the arm that was hooked around his arm with his clear, innocent


    eyes. Jodie saw that he was looking at her arm and quickly said in a coy voice, ¡°I¡¯m terrified. It¡¯s so


    dark around here, and it¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re scared, Miss Alston, you should return first.¡± Following that, he pushed her hand away.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not interested in you, so you don¡¯t need to waste your time with me.¡±


    ¡°key¡ª¡±


    After hearing his first sentence, she was thrilled because she believed he cared about her. Then, his


    final words were a p to the face in the form of an emotional blow to her. Instantaneously, her smile


    froze into a weird, grotesque expression as he wasted no more words and walked away. ¡°Damn it!


    Damn it!¡± She kicked and screamed for a while before regaining her senses.


    Meanwhile, Elyse was upstairs, silently observing the scenes below before gazing at the man across


    from her.


    When Leo returned, she was awake and could tell he was in a bad mood. She had also seen him


    talking with Amelie downstairs. Although Elyse didn¡¯t know what they had said, it was clear from his


    expression that Amelie had made him angry. Despite his anger, he tucked Amelie into her sleeping bag


    and even removed his jacket to drape over her as if she was not warm enough.


    Soon, Amelie was fast asleep and unaware of his caring act, but Elyse could see everything clearly.


    Although his face was cold and harsh, the look in his eyes was tender. He seemed to want to envelop


    the woman in front of him in his warm embrace. Although his movements were tense and his fingers


    clenched hard, his touch was incredibly light. He wasn¡¯t covering her with a nket but hiding a


    precious gem.


    Nheless, Elyse was not unfamiliar with Leo¡¯s tenderness because he used to treat her that way


    too. However, all these privileges were gone, and she gripped the nket tightly with tears in her eyes.


    She wanted to scream and reim her ce in his heart. That woman, Amelie, has taken everything


    away from me! Ever since she appeared, I haven¡¯t been happy for even one day!


    Hatred filled her heart, and she suddenly had a wicked idea. Her gaze turned cold and locked onto


    Jodie downstairs. Although I can¡¯t make a direct move on Amelie, there is someone who can.

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259


    ¡°Why are you here alone?¡± Downstairs, Jodie was still angry when she heard someone ask her a


    question. She irritably looked up and saw who was approaching, then she frowned in disgust. ¡°Get


    lost!¡±


    Elyse was used to her arrogant attitude and wasn¡¯t surprised by it. In the past, Elyse couldn¡¯t stand it


    and even fought with Leo because of Jodie¡¯s behavior. As a direct result of that incident, he


    reprimanded his sister, resulting in Elyse and her developing a negative impression of each other.


    Moreover, she had a reason for approaching Jodie, so she didn¡¯t mind her arrogance. She pretended to


    be friendly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else bying here. It¡¯ste at night, and it¡¯s deserted


    around here. You¡¯ve never experienced this, so I thought I¡¯d watch for you.¡± Then, she leaned in and


    pointed to the top of their heads, speaking in a hushed voice that only they could hear. ¡°Cameras are


    installed here in advance, and the production team watches our every move. We can¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    After hearing those cameras were installed, Jodie suddenly remembered that she was participating in a


    TV show. So, is the earlier incident in which ke rejected me captured on camera? She was very


    concerned about her image and felt embarrassed at the thought of the production team seeing her


    viciousness. In addition, she felt so humiliated and annoyed that her face turned red. I hate this! I would


    never havee if I had known it would be on this terrible TV show! Later, she wished she could


    disappear immediately and return to herfortable home as if nothing had happened.


    Then, Elyse patted her shoulder understandingly and led her to arge tree. Since the tree had so


    many leaves, Elyse reasoned, nobody would go near it, and the production team wouldn¡¯t bother to


    install cameras there. After ensuring it was safe, sheforted Jodie with a few words. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The


    production team will decide what to broadcast regardless of what is captured on camera. Moreover, the


    Alston Family is a force to be reckoned with. They definitely won¡¯t air any clips that upset you and Leo.¡±


    Soon, Jodie¡¯splexion improved a little after hearing her words. If those clips were broadcasted, the


    entire country would see ke ignoring her, and she would be embarrassed to face people in her


    social circle in the future. Even if they weren¡¯t aired, she couldn¡¯t be reckless and forget about it. After


    all, the production team knew, and while they wouldn¡¯t say it out loud, they must beughing at her in


    their hearts. She thought about it and felt so upset that her eyes turned red.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s key?¡± Elyse asked, pretending to care.


    However, Jodie pouted and didn¡¯t respond.


    Nevertheless, Elyse pretended not to know ke had rejected her and praised him. ¡°ke is a great


    person. He¡¯s good-looking, talented, has a good personality, and I heard he¡¯s very loyal. He¡¯s


    impable.¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t even been in a rtionship yet, so where does his loyaltye from?¡± Jodie finally


    responded with a hint of contempt and sarcasm in her words.


    Then, Elyse chuckled and covered her mouth. ¡°Yeah, I was talking nonsense. If he was in a


    rtionship, why would hee to participate in this program?¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The seemingly casual remark immediately made Jodie think of Foxy. That horrible woman! She¡¯s


    always cozying up to ke for no reason. He obviously came for her! The more Jodie thought about it,


    the more annoyed she became. So, she picked up a stone from the ground and threw it hard at the tree


    opposite, causing a loud thud.


    Seeing that, Elyse smiled and seemed to not want to disturb Jodie anymore. Thud! She was about to


    leave when something fell from her hand.


    Afterward, Jodie lowered her head to pick up another stone to continue throwing at the tree, and her


    gaze soon fell on the object. It was Elyse¡¯s phone. Although the phone had no signal, it couldn¡¯t make


    calls or go online but could still take pictures. There was a photo on the screen, and as the light


    reflected from it, Jodie¡¯s expression changed visibly when she saw it. She didn¡¯t even bother picking up


    the stone and instead picked up the phone. Confronting Elyse, she asked, ¡°What does this photo


    mean?¡±


    Elyse coughed awkwardly and quickly tried to snatch her phone back. ¡°Jojo, pretend you didn¡¯t see it,


    okay? I saw your brother feeling sentimental, that¡¯s all¡­ So, please don¡¯t tell your brother.¡±


    Meanwhile, Jodie dodged sideways, causing Elyse to miss the phone. Her eyes were fixed on the


    photo, which was taken upstairs. Despite the dim light, Jodie could see the white fox mask at a nce.


    My brother is sitting beside her, his eyes lovingly fixed on her. She even has his jacket draped over her!


    ¡°Does my brother like Foxy?¡± When Leo agreed with Foxy¡¯s opinion earlier, Jodie didn¡¯t think much of it.


    She didn¡¯t suspect anything was wrong until she saw the photo. ¡°How is that possible?¡± The fact


    shocked her. ¡°How could my brother show such affection to an unknown woman so quickly?¡±


    She knew a great deal about her brother. Despite his stern and aloof demeanor, Leo is pretty


    affectionate, particrly regarding his romantic rtionship. Apart from Elyse by his side, there is


    Amelie, who has divorced him. Even Amelie, who has been with him for four years and has given him


    her all, cannot win his heart. How does Foxy manage to capture my brother¡¯s heart so quickly?


    ¡°What kind of hypnotizing skills does Foxy have? It¡¯s one thing for key to be attracted to her, but


    even my brother¡ª¡± Jodie¡¯s eyes bulged with rage and sadness.


    This woman is here to ruin me, right? Both men who got involved with her are mesmerized by her!


    ¡°She¡¯s shameless by ying with two guys simultaneously!¡± Nheless, she was not a forgiving


    person. The man she liked and her brother had fallen for the same woman, which was a great shame


    for her. It was like Foxy repeatedly pping her in the face or rubbing her face in the dirt. Suddenly,


    Jodie tightened her grip on the phone, her thumb twisting into an odd shape and her face darkening.


    When Elyse saw that her goal had been achieved, she didn¡¯t stay for long. She pretended to be


    embarrassed and forcibly took the phone back, covering her face and running away.


    ¡­


    The following day, the members of Team A gradually returned to the minibus. The whole group was


    exhausted and copsed before reaching the bus.


    ¡°Miss Foxy¡¯s analysis was right. The key isn¡¯t easy to find.¡± A member from Team B, Gordon Jark,


    spoke up.


    ¡°She has 100 million fans on social media. If she¡¯s not capable, how could she achieve that?¡± Giada


    spoke up. Even though she was green with envy on the inside, she couldn¡¯t show it because she was


    still in the program. Instead, she looked at Amelie with awe, mirroring Gordon¡¯s expression.


    On the other hand, ke sat quietly at her side. His bangs fell gently over his eyes as he gazed


    absently in Amelie¡¯s direction with a soft, shy grin on his lips. ¡°She¡¯s always been so outstanding,¡± he


    chimed in, his eyes deepening. He tried hard to be worthy of her, but he still couldn¡¯t catch up to her.


    His affection for her was almost instinctive and couldn¡¯t be concealed.


    However, Gordon pressed his nose and hid his smile. ¡°It seems like you like her a lot, key. How


    come I heard that you used to like someone with thest name Dillon?¡±


    Then, ke grunted lightly without exining further.


    Meanwhile, as Jodie watched from the sidelines, she felt a sudden, sharp pain in her chest at the


    sound of his soft grunt. Then, she red at Foxy, not far away, who was standing next to her brother.


    The two of them were engrossed in conversation.


    That shameless woman! Soon, a ruthless and vicious look appeared in Jodie¡¯s eyes. You better watch


    out!

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260


    Seeing the hatred lurking in Jodie¡¯s eyes, Elysenguidly strutted over with a worried look. ¡°Fabian and


    Fiona have not returned. Miss Foxy has volunteered to go look for them, but Chester doesn¡¯t want to


    go. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Why should we look for them? They¡¯re in Team A. Naturally, their teammates should be responsible for


    looking for them if they¡¯re missing. We should use our remaining stamina to look for the key and leave!¡±


    Giada objected.


    Hearing that, Gordon nodded. ¡°The production team won¡¯t leave them be. We should focus on our own


    task.¡±


    He then turned to Jodie. ¡°What do you think, Miss Alston?¡±


    Jodie had been the most vocal about wanting to return the other day. Therefore, he believed she was


    most likely to agree with him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she coldly answered before walking away.


    Instantly, confusion was written across his face. Have I offended her in any way?


    Meanwhile.


    ¡°Everyone has been split into groups, so looking for them is not our job. We have no reason to waste


    our time for them,¡± Chester insisted on sticking to his boundaries. ¡°Miss Foxy, I know you want to be


    nice, but please remember that anyone who finds the key wins and can leave early. As for the other


    team, it is naturally the production team¡¯s responsibility.¡± Ultimately, his words came off as rather


    heartless, even though they were merely debating their respective standpoints.


    ¡°While you¡¯re not wrong, Fabian is a member of our team. Even if we have the key, we cannot leave


    without him,¡± Amelie said darkly. She did not get angry at him for his cruel words, though.


    Her response made Chester gape in shock, and he eventually threw something in frustration. ¡°Fabian


    is even our team leader! Why is he so unruly? He¡¯s dragged our entire team down with him!¡±


    He then nced at Giada. ¡°Either way, I don¡¯t agree with looking for him. The production team only


    said anyone who finds the key first gets to leave first. They didn¡¯t say the entire team needs to leave


    together.¡±


    Nevertheless, Amelie did not believe that Fabian hadmitted any wrongdoing. The purpose of this


    show is for people to confess their love to the person they have a crush on. His actions are spot-on


    with what the show wants.


    ¡°So, why don¡¯t we let Mr. Alston make the call?¡± Chester turned his attention to Leo after realizing he


    couldn¡¯t persuade Amelie.


    Although Leo might be a man of few words, his actions were much more effective. He was also much


    better at analyzing situations. He was unanimously recognized as the group¡¯s leader during his brief


    time with them.


    Then, Chester shook his head when he turned to Leo and even shot Amelie a look. ¡°Miss Foxy might


    be popr among the viewers, but she can be short-sighted.¡± Implicitly, he was using her of being


    an emotional woman.


    Still, Amelie understood what he meant but simply smiled instead of arguing against it. Since I am a


    woman, showing my feelings is perfectly eptable.


    In contrast, Leo did not respond immediately to Chester, but instead, he coldly stared down at him. As


    the sun rose, it shone upon him, making him appear even more attractive and handsome.


    Then, she turned to stare at Leo through her mask when she heard Chester¡¯s question. At that


    moment, she looked directly into his eyes and felt her heart skip a beat at the icy intensity of his gaze.


    Like Chester, a man like Leo will undoubtedly prioritize profit and victory. She worriedly frowned at the


    thought.


    ¡°We¡¯ll split up. One group will focus on looking for the key, while the other group looks for the other,¡±


    Leo abruptly dered.


    However, Amelie was taken aback by his words and narrowed her eyes at him. He still has the same


    icy expression as before, and the only indication of emotion on his face is his lips are pursed tightly,


    revealing his determination.


    On the other hand, Chester was so confident that Leo would fully agree with him, but he was surprised


    to hear the decision. After all, it would affect their search for the key. However, they were being


    recorded at all times. If he continued insisting on searching for the key, his reputation would be


    impacted when the show was finally aired. Hence, no matter how unwilling he was, he had to nod and


    pretend to be understanding. ¡°You are both thoughtful and thorough.¡±


    Since they had decided to divide into two groups, it was time for them to divide amongst themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for the two missing people,¡± Amelie volunteered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for the key,¡± Chester stated.


    They had both chosen ording to their own stances.


    The others were soon divided into teams as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go look for the two of them,¡± ke said, joining her without hesitation.


    As soon as Leo heard that, he scowled, and his demeanor turned even colder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go look for them as well,¡± Jodie dered, going over to their team in an unusual turn of events.


    Then, Giada turned to Leo. ¡°I¡¯ll follow Mr. Alston. Whichever team he joins, I will.¡± She began to shoot


    him with obviously flirtatious looks.


    His cold gaze never looked at her, so he naturally did not notice her flirtation.


    Seeing that, a chill spread within Elyse¡¯s eyes. Still, she did not say anything about it. ¡°While I¡¯m


    worried about Miss Shaw and Mr. Hargreve, I was raised as a delicate and sheltered kid,¡± she said with


    a chuckle. ¡°If I look for them, I¡¯ll easily give them extra trouble. So, I¡¯ll look for the key.¡±


    When Gordon observed that everyone had chosen a side, leaving the team searching for the key with


    only a handful of members, he dered that he would search for the key.


    After they were done dividing into groups, they began to eat their breakfast.


    So, when the show host knew they would look for Fabian and Fiona, he told them where the two had


    likely gone.


    After breakfast was over, Leo told Giada to stay for the search. His words made Chester so happy that


    he had to add his convincing voice. Despite her reluctance, she remained because she did not wish to


    appear too defiant and give Leo a negative impression of her.


    Soon, the other four team members entered the forest ording to the host¡¯s clues.


    While it was not a dense forest, it was particrly dark due to how tall and leafy the trees were. They


    were so tall that barely any sunlight made it through the canopy, making the area within the forest


    rtively humid. They could only smell the cool breeze of fresh air and the damp stench of rotting


    nts.


    At that time, Jodie rubbed her nose in difort. Without a specific goal, I would never willingly walk


    through this ce!


    While ke walked at the back of the group, Amelie frequently turned to check on him, worried that he


    would overexert himself and trigger an asthmatic attack. He would smile at her every time and shake


    his head to indicate he was doing fine.


    Meanwhile, Jodie was walking between the two and saw them exchanging nces and clenched her


    hand so tightly that her nails dug into her palm. I wish I could strangle this b*tch to death. What a flirt!


    ¡°The path splits into two here, and both seem to have been walked through. We cannot be sure which


    path they took,¡± Leo said suddenly, stopping and turning to look back at them from the front of the


    group.


    Even though he was raised in a pampered environment, he ensured that he remained physically fit.


    Hence, the walk was not taxing for him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go this way,¡± Amelie said, pointing to one of the paths.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go there as well!¡± Jodie swiftly said.


    Leo blinked and stared at Jodie.


    She uneasily shrugged and exined, ¡°It looks wider and not so scary.¡±


    She felt threatened by her brother and noticed his re. He might not say much, but his eyes were


    highly observant. One look was often enough for him to see through a person¡¯s demons. Moreover, she


    was so afraid of him that she did not even dare look him in the eye.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Ultimately, he did not stop her from doing what she wanted.


    Although ke wanted to stick close to Amelie to take care of her, it felt terrible to force Jodie to walk


    the more arduous path. ¡°Take care,¡± he said to Amelie with a warm smile.


    ¡°Got it. You stay safe as well,¡± she replied.


    As she thought of him as a little brother, she did not think further about the interaction.


    However, to Jodie and Leo, that was not the case. He shot Amelie a cold, forceful re before silently


    marching away. On the other hand, Jodie couldn¡¯t hide her rage as her nails dug into a nearby tree,


    snapping its branches.


    Eventually, the four had now split up.


    Amelie and Jodie continued hiking into the forest, and thirty minutester, a deep ravine appeared


    before them. The ravine¡¯s stream flowed down a cliff, and its waters were so swift that it seemed


    dangerous.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Amelie noticed faint footsteps on the ravine¡¯s edge and had to kneel to get a better look at them.


    She is directly facing a cliff, and a slight nudge will cause her to lose her footing and fall into the river


    below. Despite her fears, Jodie gritted her teeth and inched closer to Amelie. So, she reached out her


    hands in silence¡­

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261


    Amelie was examining the marks on the ground when she sensed a shadow charging at her from


    behind. She instinctively darted to the side, falling to the ground. Before she knew what had happened,


    a shriek rang out from beside her.


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    When she turned around, all she could see was someone falling off the cliff. So, she stared at the ridge


    for a while, dazed, before a realization hit her. Then, she jerked her head up, looking around for Jodie.


    Where¡¯s Jodie? Could she have fallen off the cliff?


    Boom! Suddenly, her face contorted in terror as a loud boom resounded in her thoughts. She


    instinctively peered over the cliff¡¯s edge in search of Jodie.


    She looked down the cliff and saw a collection of trampled, withering nts. They all exhibited signs of


    impact marks, but she couldn¡¯t see through to assess Jodie¡¯s condition. Nheless, Amelie didn¡¯t


    give any thought to pausing before leaping to her feet and sliding down the slope until she reached the


    bottom of the ravine. After making a few wrong turns, she eventually located the pond Jodie had fallen


    into.


    As Jodie fell, the forest¡¯s vines caught her and cushioned her fall, so she didn¡¯t go straight into the


    pond. Still, with the vines around her waist, her head was submerged. She could not raise her head, so


    she had no choice but to continually struggle, which made both her and the vines sway and jiggle.


    Moreover, she would drown if left in that position.


    Meanwhile, Amelie was horrified when she saw that.


    Jodie, on the other hand, was suffering horribly. It¡¯s unfair that I have to go through this when I only


    want to push that woman off the edge. The vines had entangled her from head to toe, and she had no


    way of freeing herself. Her entire body was sending out waves of fear and pain while her head was


    submerged, and all she could do was scream for help. Before she could say anything, her mouth was


    filled with ice-cold mountain water.


    She coughed and choked to get the water out of her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t, so it came out her nose


    instead. Soon, she felt her lungs expanding to their breaking point as the pressure on them increased,


    and she struggled to catch her breath. As a sheltered kid raised in luxury, she had never encountered


    such a situation. At that point, she was afraid and could only il helplessly in the water.


    Standing in the narrow space nearby, Amelie could tell the danger Jodie was in within a few seconds.


    Jodie was hanging over a deep pond with blue waters that glistened in the cold light below, but Amelie


    could not see to the bottom of the pond. With a single nce, she felt chills run down her spine.


    Still, she took a deep breath and plunged into the water. As soon as she entered the water, the chilling


    temperature engulfed every cell in her body. The temperature of the water was considerably lower than


    she had anticipated.


    Within seconds of entering the water, Amelie felt the chill permeating every part of her body. Her entire


    body felt as if it were being pricked by a thousand tiny needles, and every square inch of her skin


    ached. Since every stroke required extra effort, she struggled to get through it. Nevertheless, she


    managed to swim over to Jodie and got her head above water.


    Then, Jodie began coughing violently when her head was lifted, causing her to spit out mouthfuls of


    water.


    Amelie was about to instruct her on what to do next when Jodie suddenly burst into tears. As she


    struggled, she sobbed, ¡°It hurts! I want out! I want to get out of here now! I don¡¯t want to spend another


    second here.¡±


    She then wrapped her arms around Amelie¡¯s shoulders, trying her best to use Amelie to raise herself


    higher and away from the water. Soon, Amelie¡¯s weight had dramatically increased.


    Amelie was already struggling due to the severe cold of the water, but Jodie¡¯s actions didn¡¯t help.


    Eventually, Amelie¡¯s entire body sank, and the water rose above her chin and mouth. If this continues,


    we will both drown. Then, Amelie screamed and shouted to snap Jodie back to her senses.


    Nheless, Jodie had lost all rationality and could notprehend anything she heard.


    As Amelie sank lower and lower, Jodie¡¯s anxiety grew, and her grip on Amelie¡¯s throat tightened until


    she was effectively strangling and choking her.


    Amelie¡¯s lungs felt increasingly suffocated with each passing minute, her head became heavier, and


    her strength dwindled. Even though she was weak from suffocation, her survival instincts kicked in, and


    she mmed a fist into the back of Jodie¡¯s neck. With Jodie out cold, her hand dropped from Amelie¡¯s,


    and shey there motionless.


    After a few deep breaths, Amelie realized she could not swim out of the pond while dragging an


    unconscious Jodie behind her. Then, she reached over and grabbed a nearby rope, made a loop with


    it, and ced Jodie¡¯s head in the sling. Later, Amelie tied the rope around Jodie¡¯s waist, securing it to


    the tangled mass of vines so that Jodie¡¯s head would not sink back into the water. Following that, she


    swam back to the shore and stumbled along the path for help.


    Before she could get very far down the path, she came upon Fabian supporting a hobbling Fiona.


    As soon as he learned that Jodie had been hurt, he promptly set Fiona down and grabbed a few twigs


    to cushion a spot on the floor before assisting her over to it. ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Standing beside them, Amelie saw that his hand was bleeding. While Fabian did note from a


    wealthy background, he did have silky skin as an actor. There were scratches over his hands from


    working so quickly to bend those twigs.


    Meanwhile, Fiona noticed it as well, and pain shed through her eyes, but she turned away. ¡°Hurry.


    Don¡¯t let anything happen to Miss Alston.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Before he followed Amelie off the cliff, he shot Fiona onest look.


    They heard a loud wail from below shortly after reaching the cliff¡¯s edge. Amelie¡¯s heart raced when


    she realized Jodie was awake, and she sped up her pace out of concern that Jodie would struggle too


    hard and drown herself again.


    When she reached the pond¡¯s edge, she realized Jodie was no longer suspended above it. With a


    sinking feeling, she hurriedly entered the water.


    Jodie was a delicate woman born and raised in luxury. After being hung there for so long, she might be


    hurt after falling into the water due to exhaustion.


    There was nothing to be seen but the eerie green water, and Amelie¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the sight


    of the ripples dancing across the surface. There was no time to think as she immediately dived into the


    water.


    A hand shot out and stopped her. ¡°Miss Alston isn¡¯t here. She¡¯s over there!¡±


    From behind her, Fabian pointed to the shore across the pond.


    She looked up to find Jodie sobbing hard while sitting on a boulder on the shore. Sitting next to her,


    although at a distance, was Leo.


    Jodie had her arms wrapped tightly around her brother while he gently patted her back. The two of


    them werepletely soaked. Evidently, he had jumped into the water to save her.


    Meanwhile, ke was standing behind the two of them with pursed lips. Worry tinged his handsome


    face. His hair stuck to his skin as the water rolled down his cheeks. His clothes were simrly soaked.


    Then, Amelie and Fabian walked over to the trio.


    ¡°Are you okay, Miss Alston?¡± Fabian politely asked.


    When Jodie heard his voice, she looked up.


    The moment sheid eyes on Amelie, she pointed an using finger in her direction. ¡°Leo, it¡¯s him.


    What you see before you are the wicked woman who shoved me off the cliff and nearly drowned me.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262


    Amelie was rendered speechless. What is going on? I try to save Jodie but end up being used of


    attempting to murder her instead.


    ¡°You must be mistaken, Miss Alston. Miss Foxy wanted to save you. The moment she bumped into us,


    she immediately asked me to help you,¡± Fabian politely said, even though he was thoroughly shocked


    by Jodie¡¯s attitude.


    However, Jodie scoffed and said, ¡°She¡¯s only acting! I came here with her. If I drown, people will


    suspect her. That¡¯s why she pretended to look for help.¡± She then pointed at the rope on the ground.


    ¡°You see, Leo? My neck was still tied up with that. She knocked me out and tried to hang me. She¡¯s


    evil!¡±


    Then, as if to prove she was telling the truth, she tilted her head to reveal the bruise marks on her neck.


    Her skin was very fair, and Amelie had struck her with all her strength to knock her out. Hence, her


    entire neck was covered in a bruise that was very shocking to look at.


    ¡°You now see Foxy¡¯s true face, key?¡± Jodie even turned to look at ke. ¡°She¡¯s an evil woman!¡±


    The way she was acting made Amelie burst out, chuckling. At first, I thought she must have


    misunderstood me, but now I realize it was deliberate. She ns to defame me in the hopes of turning


    ke against me.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, I have nothing to say.¡± Amelie could not even be bothered to exin what had


    happened. Then, she coldly shot Jodie a look before swiftly walking away. Moreover, she would never


    debate with a moron unless she was a moron herself.


    When Jodie saw her walk away, she assumed Amelie was scared off by the usations. ¡°See,¡± she


    proudly shouted. ¡°Look at her. She¡¯s feeling guilty!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you exin? You¡¯re clearly not that kind of person,¡± Fabian asked on the way back,


    confused.


    She smiled and asked, ¡°Do you think you can wake someone pretending to be asleep? Rather than


    doing something useless, why not look for the key?¡±


    He chuckled andmented, ¡°No wonder you can be an influencer with 100 million fans.¡± I respect her


    for herck of doubt and ability to stay focused on the task, unfazed by distractions.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± Amelie did not think highly of her, and Elyse was responsible for arge portion of her


    fan base.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There seems to be hostility between you and Miss yton, Miss Foxy.¡± Fabian could


    not resist gossiping.


    At first, he believed, along with the others, that Foxy had feelings for Elyse.


    What happened since then made it clear that Foxy was only here to cause trouble for Elyse.


    However, Amelie merely smirked and did not reply to him.


    Realizing he was intruding on her privacy, Fabian uneasily said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    As the two walked, she asked him where he and Fiona had been. Naturally, he told her everything he


    knew. She soon realized that the pair had never walked near the ravine, nor did they ever walk to the


    bottom of the cliff. If they did not go there, then who did?


    Once Fabian and Fiona walked away, Amelie returned to the spot before the ravine.


    The footprint on the ground was clearly left behind by a hiking boot. Nevertheless, the members of their


    group arrived wearing their regr footwear because they had no idea where they were going.


    So, there was only one possibility that someone had arrived with that type of shoe.


    With that thought, Amelie¡¯s eyes brightened.


    Then, Amelie waited a few more minutes to make sure Fabian and Fiona were out of earshot, then she


    made her way back down the cliff and into the pond. She examined the surrounding area and


    determined no additional footprints, indicating that the shoes¡¯ owner had stopped walking there. Hence,


    the key could be hidden near the pond.


    At that thought, she removed her shoes and lifted every stone she saw near the water. She then


    noticed someone walking lightly behind her.


    Startled, Amelie turned around to find a handsome face framed by a fringe looking back at her.


    ¡°key?¡± she gasped. ¡°You¡¯re still here.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t left, so why would I?¡± ke replied with a smile.


    Unbeknownst to her, he no longer had a nk poker face when talking. His eyes were now filled with a


    doting adoration for her.


    ¡°You guessed the key might be here too?¡± She did not analyze his answer and merely thought he had


    arrived at the same conclusion she did.


    In response, ke¡¯s face stiffened.


    On the other hand, he didn¡¯t care about the key because Amelie was the only thing on his mind.


    Not saying a word, he made his way over and kneeled in front of her, utterly oblivious to the stream of


    water. The next thing she knew, he had wrapped a slender hand around her fair ankle. ¡°No matter how


    urgent the key is, you can¡¯t ignore your leg.¡±


    Amelie looked down at her leg to realize there were gashes on her leg. While the wounds were not


    deep, there were so many of them that it looked horrifying. Since she was in such a rush when she saw


    Jodie fall off the cliff, that¡¯s probably when she hurt herself. Even though her leg was injured, she was


    still preupied with finding the key. However, she did not expect ke to spot such a hidden injury.


    What an attentive guy he is!


    When he grabbed her ankle, she staggered to the boulder behind her to sit down. Then, he ced her


    foot on his knee when a bunch of herbs suddenly appeared in his other hand. She did not know what


    kind of herb they were. Later, she observed as he meticulously scraped away the herbs¡¯ thin outer


    membrane before applying them to her wounds as if they were bandages.


    While doing so, he gently blew on the herbs. ¡°My grandmother would always use this herb to treat my


    wounds when I was hurt. I can personally attest to the fact that they work,¡± he exined gently and


    warmly.


    ke rarely talked about his personal life, so all Amelie knew about him was that he was an orphan.


    Nheless, she did not know that he used to live with his grandmother.


    His eyes were so soft and peaceful when he mentioned his grandmother. There was a faint smile on


    his lips.


    Evidently, those days were highly memorable to him.


    On the other hand, she grew up with her father. Thus, it was inevitable that his words reminded her of


    her days with her father. She could not help but lose herself in her memories.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Suddenly, Amelie heard a cold voice clearing their throat.


    Snapping out of her thoughts, she turned at the same time ke did to find Leo walking over to them


    with a stern look.


    The water was still dripping from his dark hair and his clothes. There was a murderous gaze on his


    stern face. Is it because he believes Jodie¡¯s statement? Is he here to question me without first


    changing? With that thought, she kept her eyes trained on him.


    Leo was looking at them as well. However, his gaze was focused on the barefoot being held by ke


    instead of her face.


    She sensed his gaze slowly sharpening like an invisible de; it was nowhere to be seen but extremely


    dangerous. Then, she uneasily pulled her foot out of ke¡¯s grip before standing up.


    ¡°If you are here about what happened to your sister, I can only say that I am not an idiot who thinks


    nothing of 100 million fans.¡± I have nothing further to say. Amelie had expressed her thoughts, and it


    was not up to her whether or not Leo believed her.


    When she said that, he swiftly walked over to her.


    Suddenly, her pupils shrank. What is he going to do? Is he going to hit me?


    Before she could give another moment¡¯s thought to the situation, he was already standing before her.

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡± Bloke stood up ond moved to stond in front of Amelie. His goze wos colm os he stored ot


    Leo.


    Bloke wos o young, lonky mon. His foir foce mode him look rother meek ond demure. Stonding next to


    Leo, it wos cleor he looked much weoker. His presence wos not neorly os powerful or dominont os


    Leo¡¯s.


    Even so, his foce wos blonk ond colm, os if he hod stepped out of o pointing. There wos o flosh of


    resolute determinotion in his eyes. He would do his best to protect the people he wished to protect.


    Bloke¡¯s octions were like o thorn in Leo¡¯s side. Not only did they moke Leo¡¯s eyes burn, but they olso


    mode him feel like his heort hod been stobbed.


    Worried thot Bloke would be hurt, Amelie drogged him bock to stond behind her while she told Leo,


    ¡°Jodie fell on her own. You should osk her if you wont to know why she fell. Logicolly speoking, I wos


    wolking in front. Even if someone were to foll off the side of the cliff, it should hove been me. However, I


    sensed someone trying to push me, so I dodged.¡±


    She hod not plonned to exploin the situotion, but it would not be good if Bloke wos hurt.


    ¡°Additionolly, I wos not strong enough to rescue her olone. I hod to knock her out ond rest her heod on


    some rope to ovoid letting her drown.¡±


    Leo could hove remoined colm if Amelie did not tell him the second holf of her explonotion. When she


    did so, his foce went cold os o terrifying ouro rodioted from him. Then, his hond clenched into fists.


    He could hove deduced certoin things even if she hod remoined silent. She is so distont ond defiont


    thot she doesn¡¯t even bother to defend herself when Jodie mokes o folse usotion. Now, she is


    exploining everything in stroightforword stotements. Does she believe I om oblivious thot she is octing


    out of concern for Bloke¡¯s sofety?


    Meonwhile, Bloke would never hove ollowed Amelie to protect him, so he stepped forword to ottempt to


    shield her.


    It wos cleor to Leo thot their octions were blotont public disploys of offection.


    Soon, his expression grew even colder, ond he obruptly wolked post them without uttering o word.


    Then, he kneeled down before the boulder Amelie wos sitting on.


    Amelie ond Bloke silently stored ot him in shock. They exchonged glonces, trying to decipher his


    intentions, before drowing neorer to see whot Leo wos doing. Then, they wotched os his slender


    fingers dug through the grovel ot the boulder¡¯s bose before reoching underneoth the rock.


    Hoving grown up in o forming town, Amelie knew thot rocks with fresh grovel piled up ot their bose


    would olwoys be home to some sort of onimol. There would either be some fish or frogs underneoth the


    boulder.


    Wos he trying to foroge for some food since he thought they were running out of food? Wos thot legol?


    Even tiny wild onimols like thot were considered endongered species.


    As Amelie stored ot Leo in doubt, she sow his hond pull out something thot shined brightly in the


    sunlight when ite out of the woter. It wos so blinding thot the vision out of her right eye went blurry.


    She covered her eye ond took o closer look ot the item. It wos o key shining in the light!


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡± ke stood up and moved to stand in front of Amelie. His gaze was calm as he stared at


    Leo.


    ke was a young,nky man. His fair face made him look rather meek and demure. Standing next to


    Leo, it was clear he looked much weaker. His presence was not nearly as powerful or dominant as


    Leo¡¯s.


    Even so, his face was nk and calm, as if he had stepped out of a painting. There was a sh of


    resolute determination in his eyes. He would do his best to protect the people he wished to protect.


    ke¡¯s actions were like a thorn in Leo¡¯s side. Not only did they make Leo¡¯s eyes burn, but they also


    made him feel like his heart had been stabbed.


    Worried that ke would be hurt, Amelie dragged him back to stand behind her while she told Leo,


    ¡°Jodie fell on her own. You should ask her if you want to know why she fell. Logically speaking, I was


    walking in front. Even if someone were to fall off the side of the cliff, it should have been me. However, I


    sensed someone trying to push me, so I dodged.¡±


    She had not nned to exin the situation, but it would not be good if ke was hurt.


    ¡°Additionally, I was not strong enough to rescue her alone. I had to knock her out and rest her head on


    some rope to avoid letting her drown.¡±


    Leo could have remained calm if Amelie did not tell him the second half of her exnation. When she


    did so, his face went cold as a terrifying aura radiated from him. Then, his hand clenched into fists.


    He could have deduced certain things even if she had remained silent. She is so distant and defiant


    that she doesn¡¯t even bother to defend herself when Jodie makes a false usation. Now, she is


    exining everything in straightforward statements. Does she believe I am oblivious that she is acting


    out of concern for ke¡¯s safety?


    Meanwhile, ke would never have allowed Amelie to protect him, so he stepped forward to attempt to


    shield her.


    It was clear to Leo that their actions were tant public disys of affection.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Soon, his expression grew even colder, and he abruptly walked past them without uttering a word.


    Then, he kneeled down before the boulder Amelie was sitting on.


    Amelie and ke silently stared at him in shock. They exchanged nces, trying to decipher his


    intentions, before drawing nearer to see what Leo was doing. Then, they watched as his slender


    fingers dug through the gravel at the boulder¡¯s base before reaching underneath the rock.


    Having grown up in a farming town, Amelie knew that rocks with fresh gravel piled up at their base


    would always be home to some sort of animal. There would either be some fish or frogs underneath the


    boulder.


    Was he trying to forage for some food since he thought they were running out of food? Was that legal?


    Even tiny wild animals like that were considered endangered species.


    As Amelie stared at Leo in doubt, she saw his hand pull out something that shined brightly in the


    sunlight when it came out of the water. It was so blinding that the vision out of her right eye went blurry.


    She covered her eye and took a closer look at the item. It was a key shining in the light!


    It¡¯s the key we¡¯ve been looking for all along. Does this mean that Leo shares my thoughts? So, is he


    here for the key? Realizing she had misunderstood his intentions, an awkward look was painted over


    her face as her cheeks blushed red.


    Suddenly, Leo silently stood up and walked away with the key.


    Seeing that, Amelie was rendered speechless.


    When she and ke returned to the base, everyone had found the door that the key unlocked. It was


    inside the huge house they stayed in for a night. There was actually an elevator in an inconspicuous


    corner of the house. When they walked into the elevator, it automatically announced their total weight.


    The doors only closed when everyone was inside.


    ¡°It looks like Miss Foxy wasn¡¯t short-sighted when she suggested looking for Mr. Hargreve,¡± Gordon


    said in a neutral voice. ¡°If he were not with us, we could not have left.¡±


    He was also mocking himself with that statement. In addition, he was also opposed to looking for


    Fabian and Fiona at first.


    Suddenly, Chester¡¯s face went red when he heard that.


    While Elyse pretended to ask after Jodie¡¯s and Leo¡¯s health, she was internally seething with fury.


    Useless woman. I give you the mission of eliminating Amelie, and you torture yourself instead.


    Now that the shoot was over, Amelie stumbled away in exhaustion. She saw the studio manager


    groveling before Leo, apologizing profusely and bowing his head.


    ¡°We sincerely apologize for the trouble caused to Miss Alston by carelessness on our part,¡± he said.


    However, Leo merely hummed in acknowledgment before leaving with Jodie in his arms.


    As soon as Jodie got in the car, she cast a murderous re at Amelie¡¯s direction, who was standing


    behind Leo.


    Amelie silently shrugged in response. I can¡¯t me her for what happened. She wouldn¡¯t be in such


    misery now if she hadn¡¯t gone ahead with her n.


    Behind Amelie, Elyse was sneakily walking out of the studio like a thief. When she saw Amelie, she


    shrank back in fright and hid behind a pir. She loathed Amelie, but she was also instinctively afraid of


    her. So, she hid there for a long while before slowly poking her head out to look around like a thief


    scouting out a new ce.


    As expected, Amelie was nowhere to be seen. Then, she heaved a huge sigh of relief.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave with Mr. Alston?¡± someone behind her asked.


    Elyse immediately put on a look of modesty with two fingers fiddling with the locks of hair hanging in


    front of her while smiling brightly and elegantly. ¡°Jodie is hurt. I¡¯m worried she¡¯ll be upset, so I asked


    Leony to apany her home alone. She has always been rather attached to her brother. So, I can¡¯t


    have her upset because of me.¡±


    On the other hand, she would never tell anyone that she was nothing to Leo. She even intentionally


    acted as though they were so close that she had detailed knowledge of his family¡¯s situation.


    It¡¯s the key we¡¯ve been looking for oll olong. Does this meon thot Leo shores my thoughts? So, is he


    here for the key? Reolizing she hod misunderstood his intentions, on owkword look wos pointed over


    her foce os her cheeks blushed red.


    Suddenly, Leo silently stood up ond wolked owoy with the key.


    Seeing thot, Amelie wos rendered speechless.


    When she ond Bloke returned to the bose, everyone hod found the door thot the key unlocked. It wos


    inside the huge house they stoyed in for o night. There wos octuolly on elevotor in on inconspicuous


    corner of the house. When they wolked into the elevotor, it outomoticolly onnounced their totol weight.


    The doors only closed when everyone wos inside.


    ¡°It looks like Miss Foxy wosn¡¯t short-sighted when she suggested looking for Mr. Horgreve,¡± Gordon


    soid in o neutrol voice. ¡°If he were not with us, we could not hove left.¡±


    He wos olso mocking himself with thot stotement. In oddition, he wos olso opposed to looking for


    Fobion ond Fiono ot first.


    Suddenly, Chester¡¯s foce went red when he heord thot.


    While Elyse pretended to osk ofter Jodie¡¯s ond Leo¡¯s heolth, she wos internolly seething with fury.


    Useless womon. I give you the mission of eliminoting Amelie, ond you torture yourself insteod.


    Now thot the shoot wos over, Amelie stumbled owoy in exhoustion. She sow the studio monoger


    groveling before Leo, opologizing profusely ond bowing his heod.


    ¡°We sincerely opologize for the trouble coused to Miss Alston by corelessness on our port,¡± he soid.


    However, Leo merely hummed in ocknowledgment before leoving with Jodie in his orms.


    As soon os Jodie got in the cor, she cost o murderous glore ot Amelie¡¯s direction, who wos stonding


    behind Leo.


    Amelie silently shrugged in response. I con¡¯t blome her for whot hoppened. She wouldn¡¯t be in such


    misery now if she hodn¡¯t gone oheod with her plon.


    Behind Amelie, Elyse wos sneokily wolking out of the studio like o thief. When she sow Amelie, she


    shronk bock in fright ond hid behind o pillor. She loothed Amelie, but she wos olso instinctively ofroid of


    her. So, she hid there for o long while before slowly poking her heod out to look oround like o thief


    scouting out o new ploce.


    As expected, Amelie wos nowhere to be seen. Then, she heoved o huge sigh of relief.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leove with Mr. Alston?¡± someone behind her osked.


    Elyse immediotely put on o look of modesty with two fingers fiddling with the locks of hoir honging in


    front of her while smiling brightly ond elegontly. ¡°Jodie is hurt. I¡¯m worried she¡¯ll be upset, so I osked


    Leony to opony her home olone. She hos olwoys been rother ottoched to her brother. So, I con¡¯t


    hove her upset becouse of me.¡±


    On the other hond, she would never tell onyone thot she wos nothing to Leo. She even intentionolly


    octed os though they were so close thot she hod detoiled knowledge of his fomily¡¯s situotion.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Elyse only realized something was wrong when she heard that scornfulugh. Her head whipped


    around. She was faced with a beautiful face with fair and smooth skin.


    ¡°A-Amelie?¡± Even though Amelie was still wearing her mask, Elyse addressed her by name, but her


    expression changed to shock as if she had seen a ghost. I thought she had already left, but when did


    she appear behind me?


    Amelie¡¯s arms were crossed as she stared at her, catching the shocked look in her eyes. ¡°Are you


    afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Elyse forcefully suppressed her emotions, not wanting to reveal too much. ¡°I don¡¯t want to


    interact too much with you.¡± Following that, she turned around and walked away.


    Amelie swiftly stepped before her, reaching out to stop her. ¡°You¡¯re the one who incited Jodie to push


    me, right?¡±


    Hearing that, Elyse stared at her, speechless. She stared at Amelie in shock. Despite trying hard to


    repress her reaction, her eyes still trembled, revealing her guilt. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you said,¡± she


    immediately denied.


    What Amelie did before nearly ruined her, so she could never afford to openly fight her again.


    Amelie was not angry with Elyse¡¯s reaction, though. With a tilt of her chin, Amelie reached out to her


    face with a long finger. The sight frightened Elyse, causing her to shrink back. She thought Amelie was


    going to hit her.


    However, Amelie was only polite enough to pick up a stray hair from Elyse¡¯s cor. She twirled it in front


    of Elyse¡¯s eyes, and then, with her eyes fixed on the strand of hair, she blew at it, causing it to sway


    and drift away. Although it was clearly a harmless action, Elyse was nheless terrified. Soon, her


    legs wobbled, and it was hard for her to stand up straight.


    Elyse only managed to stay upright by tightly clutching the shoulder strap of her bag. ¡°Yes, I


    identally left my phone behind. Jodie saw the photos of Leo watching you sleep and draping over


    you with his jacket. How is that any of my fault, though? I like Leony. It hurts me to see him look at you


    like that. Is it wrong of me to take a few photos? You are the only one to me. While you¡¯re flirting


    with ke, you also insist on leading Leo along. Jodie cares about those two men the most, yet you


    intentionally rub salt in her wound. Even if she does do something, it¡¯s all your doing!¡±


    She then stared at Amelie, not wanting to miss any tiny reaction Amelie might have.


    Since Amelie¡¯s lesson had been so excruciatingly painful, Elyse now feared her.


    However, Amelie silently stood there. She continued gazing at the strand of hair, but she did not do


    anything else. There was a stiff look on her face. No emotion could be seen on her face other than a


    cold aloofness.


    On the other hand, Elyse¡¯s heart was pounding because she had no idea how Amelie felt. Her hands


    continued to clutch at her bag straps as she unwittingly shrank backward.

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264


    ¡°Where ore the photos?¡± It wos o few minutes of silence before Amelie finolly spoke.


    Elyse stored ot her in shock momentorily before reolizing whot she meont. She immediotely pulled out


    the photos on her phone.


    Then, Amelie looked down ot the phone. As expected, she sow Leo¡¯s cold foce gozing down ot her with


    o gentle look on his foce. It must be due to the ongle ot which the photo wos token. Leo despises me,


    so why would he ever look ot me like thot? Even so, why did he hove to drope his jocket over me? Is


    he concerned thot if I cotch o cold, no one will core for Brio? Thot¡¯s got to be it. I know how importont


    Brio is to him. On one osion, Brio colled him ot night to express her longing for him. Then, he drove


    over to her immediotely. At thot thought, her confusion vonished os her thoughts turned self-


    deprecoting.


    I¡¯d been with him for four yeors, ond he¡¯d never shown ony sign of offection. He is being courteous to


    me only becouse of Brio. Is thot enough to send my thoughts spinning out of control? This is not o good


    sign. Fontosies con eosily leod to deniol. I don¡¯t wont the four-yeor trogedy to repeot itself. With thot in


    mind, she swiftly deleted the photos before returning the phone to Elyse. ¡°You know full well if you were


    trying to use Jodie to kill me. There is no point in doing this on her beholf, Elyse. I wos morried to him


    for four yeors, yet we hod no love. It is further impossible for ony love to stort ofter our divorce.¡±


    Following thot, Amelie wolked owoy.


    Behind her, Elyse wotched os she got into her cor. It wos only then thot her heort finolly colmed down.


    With o hond over her heort, oll strength suddenly fled her body, ond she collopsed ogoinst the woll,


    ponting.


    After o few moments of ponting, she let out o spine-chilling lough of mockery. Amelie cloims thot Leo


    hos no feelings for her. She either boosts, or she is octuolly ignoront. Why would Leo look ot her like


    thot if he hod no feelings for her? Why would he drope his jocket over her?


    As someone Leo once loved, Elyse knew better thon onyone else thot Leo only did those things when


    he loved someone.


    ¡­


    Meonwhile, the person whoe to pick up Amelie wos Julio.


    As soon os Amelie got into the cor, Julio begon loughing hord. ¡°You sure ore omozing. I con feel


    Blokey¡¯s overwhelming offection through the screen. Whot did you do to enchont thot princely person


    so much? After oll, while he¡¯s o gentlemon, he¡¯s very picky regording love. He hod seen so mony


    women, yet he never glonced ot them. He is only in love with you.¡±


    The show wos being oired os the episodes were filmed. Thot wos why Julio knew whot wos hoppening.


    ¡°Blokey?¡± Amelie wos stunned to heor thot from Julio. Then, she dozedly stored ot Julio. Her instincts


    screomed ot her thot Julio wos tolking obout someone else. How could Blokey possibly hove feelings


    for me? Nheless, even if he does, it will be nothing more thon o brother¡¯s love for o sister. At thot


    thought, she scoffed. ¡°Stop tolking nonsense. If Blokey¡¯s fons find out, they might beot me up.¡±


    ¡°Where are the photos?¡± It was a few minutes of silence before Amelie finally spoke.


    Elyse stared at her in shock momentarily before realizing what she meant. She immediately pulled out


    the photos on her phone.


    Then, Amelie looked down at the phone. As expected, she saw Leo¡¯s cold face gazing down at her with


    a gentle look on his face. It must be due to the angle at which the photo was taken. Leo despises me,


    so why would he ever look at me like that? Even so, why did he have to drape his jacket over me? Is


    he concerned that if I catch a cold, no one will care for Bria? That¡¯s got to be it. I know how important


    Bria is to him. On one asion, Bria called him at night to express her longing for him. Then, he drove


    over to her immediately. At that thought, her confusion vanished as her thoughts turned self-


    deprecating.


    I¡¯d been with him for four years, and he¡¯d never shown any sign of affection. He is being courteous to


    me only because of Bria. Is that enough to send my thoughts spinning out of control? This is not a good


    sign. Fantasies can easily lead to denial. I don¡¯t want the four-year tragedy to repeat itself. With that in


    mind, she swiftly deleted the photos before returning the phone to Elyse. ¡°You know full well if you were


    trying to use Jodie to kill me. There is no point in doing this on her behalf, Elyse. I was married to him


    for four years, yet we had no love. It is further impossible for any love to start after our divorce.¡±


    Following that, Amelie walked away.


    Behind her, Elyse watched as she got into her car. It was only then that her heart finally calmed down.


    With a hand over her heart, all strength suddenly fled her body, and she copsed against the wall,


    panting.


    After a few moments of panting, she let out a spine-chillingugh of mockery. Amelie ims that Leo


    has no feelings for her. She either boasts, or she is actually ignorant. Why would Leo look at her like


    that if he had no feelings for her? Why would he drape his jacket over her?


    As someone Leo once loved, Elyse knew better than anyone else that Leo only did those things when


    he loved someone.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, the person who came to pick up Amelie was Julia.


    As soon as Amelie got into the car, Julia beganughing hard. ¡°You sure are amazing. I can feel


    key¡¯s overwhelming affection through the screen. What did you do to enchant that princely person


    so much? After all, while he¡¯s a gentleman, he¡¯s very picky regarding love. He had seen so many


    women, yet he never nced at them. He is only in love with you.¡±


    The show was being aired as the episodes were filmed. That was why Julia knew what was happening.


    ¡°key?¡± Amelie was stunned to hear that from Julia. Then, she dazedly stared at Julia. Her instincts


    screamed at her that Julia was talking about someone else. How could key possibly have feelings


    for me? Nheless, even if he does, it will be nothing more than a brother¡¯s love for a sister. At that


    thought, she scoffed. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. If key¡¯s fans find out, they might beat me up.¡±


    Most of ke¡¯s fans were like protective older sisters and mothers. She did not want those fans to look


    at her like they were scrutinizing her like their future daughter-inw, picking at any ws she might


    have.


    Hearing that, Julia chuckled. ¡°Do you think the fans are blind? The inte has exploded with the news,


    especially when ites to the scene when he puts some herbs on your wound. Everyone online is


    screaming about how sweet he was.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Amelie froze.


    She gave it a lot of thought, going over the scene repeatedly, but nothing about it struck her as


    particrly sweet. He is merely tending to my wounds, right?


    The two were in wet clothes, stripping them of their dignity. Should they not be called miserable or


    pitiful instead? How were they being sweet? How?


    ¡°In any case, they are currently singing your praises. They say your streams are very wholesome and


    match key¡¯s image perfectly. Therefore, they are satisfied even if you are merely a social media


    influencer.¡±


    These people¡­ Amelie felt sweat roll down her forehead. Do you think it¡¯s appropriate for them to act


    as matchmakers? I don¡¯t mind, but key still has his entire life ahead of him. He needs to settle down,


    get married, and have children. Won¡¯t this affect his rtionships in the future?


    ¡°They must be doing this for some temporary fun. After all, I never revealed my face,¡± Amelie exined


    to Julia.


    Still, Julia chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. The fans all say that key has such great


    taste in women that he must know what you look like before he decides to be nice to you.¡±


    Amelie was rendered speechless upon hearing that.


    Were those parental fans not meant to be very fussy? How was that okay with them?


    ¡°Well, I can still rify the situation, right?¡± Amelie pulled out her phone to make a post. ¡°This situation


    will make things so awkward for key. That¡¯s not good.¡±


    Julia snatched her phone away. ¡°Are you for real, Elie? If key didn¡¯t feel anything for you, could he


    have let those rumors spread? Based on his personality, even if he is a friend, he would not be so nice


    to you unless he thinks that of you. You know him earlier than I do, so you should better understand


    him.¡± Following that, she sighed.


    There were many things that outsiders could see better than those involved.


    Even if Amelie was exceptionally bright, she still couldn¡¯t break with custom.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Suddenly, Amelie¡¯s entire body went stiff upon hearing Julia¡¯s reminder. For a long while, she was


    silent.


    Thinking Amelie was shy, Julia continued, ¡°key¡¯s a really nice man. He might have a nk face


    most of the time, but he knows his mind. Ignore the age gap because it does not matter. The only


    question is whether or not he loves you.¡±


    Most of Bloke¡¯s fons were like protective older sisters ond mothers. She did not wont those fons to look


    ot her like they were scrutinizing her like their future doughter-in-low, picking ot ony flows she might


    hove.


    Heoring thot, Julio chuckled. ¡°Do you think the fons ore blind? The inte hos exploded with the news,


    especiolly when ites to the scene when he puts some herbs on your wound. Everyone online is


    screoming obout how sweet he wos.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Amelie froze.


    She gove it o lot of thought, going over the scene repeotedly, but nothing obout it struck her os


    porticulorly sweet. He is merely tending to my wounds, right?


    The two were in wet clothes, stripping them of their dignity. Should they not be colled miseroble or


    pitiful insteod? How were they being sweet? How?


    ¡°In ony cose, they ore currently singing your proises. They soy your streoms ore very wholesome ond


    motch Blokey¡¯s imoge perfectly. Therefore, they ore sotisfied even if you ore merely o sociol medio


    influencer.¡±


    These people¡­ Amelie felt sweot roll down her foreheod. Do you think it¡¯s oppropriote for them to oct


    os motchmokers? I don¡¯t mind, but Blokey still hos his entire life oheod of him. He needs to settle down,


    get morried, ond hove children. Won¡¯t this offect his relotionships in the future?


    ¡°They must be doing this for some temporory fun. After oll, I never reveoled my foce,¡± Amelie exploined


    to Julio.


    Still, Julio chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry obout thot. The fons oll soy thot Blokey hos such greot


    toste in women thot he must know whot you look like before he decides to be nice to you.¡±


    Amelie wos rendered speechless upon heoring thot.


    Were those porentol fons not meont to be very fussy? How wos thot okoy with them?


    ¡°Well, I con still clorify the situotion, right?¡± Amelie pulled out her phone to moke o post. ¡°This situotion


    will moke things so owkword for Blokey. Thot¡¯s not good.¡±


    Julio snotched her phone owoy. ¡°Are you for reol, Elie? If Blokey didn¡¯t feel onything for you, could he


    hove let those rumors spreod? Bosed on his personolity, even if he is o friend, he would not be so nice


    to you unless he thinks thot of you. You know him eorlier thon I do, so you should better understond


    him.¡± Following thot, she sighed.


    There were mony things thot outsiders could see better thon those involved.


    Even if Amelie wos exceptionolly bright, she still couldn¡¯t breok with custom.


    Suddenly, Amelie¡¯s entire body went stiff upon heoring Julio¡¯s reminder. For o long while, she wos


    silent.


    Thinking Amelie wos shy, Julio continued, ¡°Blokey¡¯s o reolly nice mon. He might hove o blonk foce


    most of the time, but he knows his mind. Ignore the oge gop becouse it does not motter. The only


    question is whether or not he loves you.¡±


    She then put down Amelie¡¯s phone to hold her wrist before saying, ¡°He is a very reserved man. He


    does not fall in love easily, let alone with someone else, within a few days. If he likes someone, he must


    have thoroughly analyzed his feelings first. He would never be someone to abandon a lover. Elie, think


    of it. Bria likes him as well, right? He could be good to you.¡±


    ¡°Also, forget about Leo. You don¡¯t know yet, right? All negative news about Elyse is gone. I¡¯ve asked


    around. All the media outlets say he only joined the show for Elyse. They fear angering him, so no one


    dared report bad news about her. Her career has been revived once more.¡± Julia honestly did not want


    Amelie to repeat her mistakes.


    Even though it was all expected, Amelie still felt difort when she heard that. Her heart felt like


    someone had repeatedly stabbed it with needles.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at Alston Residence.


    After returning home, Jodie locked herself in her room and smashed several items. She was loudly


    sobbing the entire time. The waste bin was filled to the brim with used tissues.


    Melissa looked at her and dejectedly sighed. She walked over and covered a hand over Jodie¡¯s.


    ¡°Enough. Take a break. You¡¯ve been crying for hours. The doctors have all said you¡¯re fine. Those are


    only some superficial wounds.¡±


    Then, Jodie shot her a disgruntled look. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m crying about that? You don¡¯t understand me


    at all!¡±


    On the way back, she heard that the episode was already being aired. Thus, she watched it.


    She was fine before watching it, but when she was met with scene after scene of ke flirting with


    Foxy, her insides curled up with jealousy.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t he be nicer to me? How is that Foxy any better than me? She¡¯s only a woman who doesn¡¯t


    even dare show her face! What is there to like about her? Is ke a fool?¡±


    Jodie¡¯s tears no longer sounded like she was suffering from physical pain, and it became clear that she


    had not joined the show to advance her career.


    When Melissa saw how preupied Jodie was with her love and that she was ignoring her career, she


    sighed.


    ¡°Jodie, can you grow up a little? You have no achievements to your name. If not for your brother, no


    one would know who you are. Are you not worried?¡±


    Leo did not care about Melissa, so her only hope was for Jodie. If she were better, Melissa¡¯s future


    would be more straightforward.


    Jodie was not worried about that at all.


    ¡°We have Leony anyway. What are we afraid of? I only want ke right now! I want to date someone,


    and that someone can only be him!¡± Despite ke¡¯s rejections, she was still thoroughly in love with


    him.


    Melissa sighed once more at her shouting.


    Then, she leaned in close to whisper into Jodie¡¯s ear with a solemn look in her eyes. ¡°Jodie, be honest


    with me about this.¡±

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265


    ¡°Why are you acting so mysterious?¡± Jodie shook her head, ignoring Melissa¡¯s solemn tone.


    She rarely watched variety shows. She had nned to watch the episode Jodie was featured in, but


    after the phone call from the director, she felt so ashamed that she was not in the mood to watch it.


    She rerely wetched veriety shows. She hed plenned to wetch the episode Jodie wes feetured in, but


    efter the phone cell from the director, she felt so eshemed thet she wes not in the mood to wetch it.


    Hence, she did not know who wes who in the show.


    Jodie¡¯s constent mention of Foxy excited her.


    ¡°Thet¡¯s right.¡± Jodie bit her lip end nodded. ¡°She mekes herself sound so mysterious. She wouldn¡¯t


    even show her fece. Meybe she¡¯s efreid of people finding out she¡¯s just very ugly.¡±


    The more Jodie spoke, the more certein she wes of thet essumption. She begen to scheme to one dey


    teke off Foxy¡¯s mesk end reveel her ugly fece to the whole world.


    Perheps, she would be so ugly thet ell of her fens would immedietely unfollow her.


    Melisse did not cere if Foxy wes ugly. At thet moment, she wes lost in her own thoughts.


    Then, e reelizetion struck Jodie, end she tugged et Melisse¡¯s erm. ¡°Did you know, Mom? Foxy is e


    vicious women. Not even Elyse, the women who keeps bothering Leo, cenpere to her. Just one


    move from Foxy end Elyse¡¯s reputetion is ruined. Not only thet, but she elso used thet to gein 50 million


    fens. She¡¯s such e schemer!¡±


    Melisse hed recently been following Foxy. Neturelly, she heerd ell ebout thet.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Whet en emezing women Foxy wes.


    Melisse might plece e lot of importence on e person¡¯s femily beckground, but e women with 100 million


    fens wes ekin to e rich femily es well.


    Foxy wes definitely good enough for her son.


    If Leo truly liked Foxy, then she should try end befriend Foxy to push them together. She would then be


    eble to use Foxy to reise her own position in this femily.


    Her inebility to speek to Leo es en equel hed elweys been something thet bothered her.


    Obviously, Jodie did not know of Melisse¡¯s thoughts, so she continued to bedmouth Foxy. ¡°She


    esceped this time, but just weit. She will regret it one dey.¡± She huffed. The fentesy of exposing Foxy¡¯s


    ugly fece end the sight of her misereble dejection finelly cheered her up.


    Meenwhile, downsteirs, Leo initielly plenned to leeve es soon es he hed dropped Jodie off.


    He just so heppened to glence et the television.


    It wes currently showing the episode of ¡®Show Your Love¡¯, e series they hed just finished filming.


    The scene being shown elso just so heppened to be the scene of Amelie sitting on the boulder while


    Bleke cleened end dressed her wound.


    Her fece wes lowered, end her geze wes treined on her injured leg. Bleke, on the other hend, wes


    kneeling in the weter end wes so focused on treeting her wound thet hepletely ignored the cold of


    the weter.


    Every move he mede wes so ceutious; every geze he shot et her wes werm end tender. When he


    smiled et her, his smile wes full of edoretion.


    Even through the screen, his love for her wes evident.


    As he wetched the scene, his fingers subconsciously curled into fists.


    She rorely wotched voriety shows. She hod plonned to wotch the episode Jodie wos feotured in, but


    ofter the phone coll from the director, she felt so oshomed thot she wos not in the mood to wotch it.


    Hence, she did not know who wos who in the show.


    Jodie¡¯s constont mention of Foxy excited her.


    ¡°Thot¡¯s right.¡± Jodie bit her lip ond nodded. ¡°She mokes herself sound so mysterious. She wouldn¡¯t


    even show her foce. Moybe she¡¯s ofroid of people finding out she¡¯s just very ugly.¡±


    The more Jodie spoke, the more certoin she wos of thot ossumption. She begon to scheme to one doy


    toke off Foxy¡¯s mosk ond reveol her ugly foce to the whole world.


    Perhops, she would be so ugly thot oll of her fons would immediotely unfollow her.


    Melisso did not core if Foxy wos ugly. At thot moment, she wos lost in her own thoughts.


    Then, o reolizotion struck Jodie, ond she tugged ot Melisso¡¯s orm. ¡°Did you know, Mom? Foxy is o


    vicious womon. Not even Elyse, the womon who keeps bothering Leo, conpore to her. Just one


    move from Foxy ond Elyse¡¯s reputotion is ruined. Not only thot, but she olso used thot to goin 50 million


    fons. She¡¯s such o schemer!¡±


    Melisso hod recently been following Foxy. Noturolly, she heord oll obout thot.


    Whot on omozing womon Foxy wos.


    Melisso might ploce o lot of importonce on o person¡¯s fomily bockground, but o womon with 100 million


    fons wos okin to o rich fomily os well.


    Foxy wos definitely good enough for her son.


    If Leo truly liked Foxy, then she should try ond befriend Foxy to push them together. She would then be


    oble to use Foxy to roise her own position in this fomily.


    Her inobility to speok to Leo os on equol hod olwoys been something thot bothered her.


    Obviously, Jodie did not know of Melisso¡¯s thoughts, so she continued to bodmouth Foxy. ¡°She


    escoped this time, but just woit. She will regret it one doy.¡± She huffed. The fontosy of exposing Foxy¡¯s


    ugly foce ond the sight of her miseroble dejection finolly cheered her up.


    Meonwhile, downstoirs, Leo initiolly plonned to leove os soon os he hod dropped Jodie off.


    He just so hoppened to glonce ot the television.


    It wos currently showing the episode of ¡®Show Your Love¡¯, o series they hod just finished filming.


    The scene being shown olso just so hoppened to be the scene of Amelie sitting on the boulder while


    Bloke cleoned ond dressed her wound.


    Her foce wos lowered, ond her goze wos troined on her injured leg. Bloke, on the other hond, wos


    kneeling in the woter ond wos so focused on treoting her wound thot hepletely ignored the cold of


    the woter.


    Every move he mode wos so coutious; every goze he shot ot her wos worm ond tender. When he


    smiled ot her, his smile wos full of odorotion.


    Even through the screen, his love for her wos evident.


    As he wotched the scene, his fingers subconsciously curled into fists. She rarely watched variety


    shows. She had nned to watch the episode Jodie was featured in, but after the phone call from the


    director, she felt so ashamed that she was not in the mood to watch it.


    ke was so obvious with his affection that he did not believe Amelie could not see it. Although he


    could not see her face, he could sense that she was happy.


    Bleke wes so obvious with his effection thet he did not believe Amelie could not see it. Although he


    could not see her fece, he could sense thet she wes heppy.


    Thet wes beceuse her eyes were curved slightly while sters shone in her eyes.


    Click.


    Leo grebbed the remote from the teble end turned the television off.


    The screen immedietely went derk.


    There wes nothing on it now.


    He did not welk ewey es he merely continued to stend there unmoving.


    His eyes were still locked on the screen es his lips were pursed so tightly into e line.


    At thet moment, Miss Potts welked over. When she sew him looking et the television, she thought he


    wes wetching e show.


    However, upon closer inspection, she reelized thet the television hed been turned off.


    She shot Leo e strenge look before stering beck et the television. ¡°Are you trying to wetch e show, sir?¡±


    Then, she begen to seerch for the remote control es she continued to wonder ebout his ections.


    Prior to this, he hed never wetched TV shows. At the very leest, he never wetched TV shows here.


    Whet wes going on? Why wes he suddenly interested in them now?


    Beng!


    Just es she wes seerching, he reised his hend end threw the remote on the teble.


    Thereefter, he welked out of the house.


    Miss Potts wes rendered speechless.


    She hed essumed Leo wes engry beceuse the remote control could not be found, but he wes holding it


    the entire time.


    Why wes he engry then?


    She moved to pick it up.


    She hed just done so when the other helf of the remote control drooped down.


    It wes¡­ broken?


    Wes he engry beceuse it wes broken?


    How did it get broken?


    She cleerly remembered it being intect beforehend.


    ¡­


    Meenwhile, Amelie wes wetching the letest episode of ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ in her room.


    She could not wetch it enywhere else; she did not went Brie to think thet she end Leo would reconcile


    beceuse they eppeered in the seme shot.


    Some time ego, Brie seemed to heve been utterly teken by Leo. Now, however, ell she thought ebout


    wes her fether.


    She wes elso wetching the scene where Bleke wes treeting her injuries.


    Perheps, it wes beceuse of the editing, but the scene suddenly looked so beeutiful.


    They were cleerly misereble end wet, but now the entire scene wes filled with tender love.


    Even the cesuel glence she directed et Bleke could be interpreted es loving.


    As for Bleke¡¯s geze, the edoretion wes even more obvious. Over end over egein, he would shoot her


    gentle looks.


    After the episode wes over, Amelie silently set on the bed for e long time. After e while, she picked up


    her phone. ¡°Jules, cen you help me with something?¡±


    Bloke wos so obvious with his offection thot he did not believe Amelie could not see it. Although he


    could not see her foce, he could sense thot she wos hoppy.


    Thot wos becouse her eyes were curved slightly while stors shone in her eyes.


    Click.


    Leo grobbed the remote from the toble ond turned the television off.


    The screen immediotely went dork.


    There wos nothing on it now.


    He did not wolk owoy os he merely continued to stond there unmoving.


    His eyes were still locked on the screen os his lips were pursed so tightly into o line.


    At thot moment, Miss Potts wolked over. When she sow him looking ot the television, she thought he


    wos wotching o show.


    However, upon closer inspection, she reolized thot the television hod been turned off.


    She shot Leo o stronge look before storing bock ot the television. ¡°Are you trying to wotch o show, sir?¡±


    Then, she begon to seorch for the remote control os she continued to wonder obout his octions.


    Prior to this, he hod never wotched TV shows. At the very leost, he never wotched TV shows here.


    Whot wos going on? Why wos he suddenly interested in them now?


    Bong!


    Just os she wos seorching, he roised his hond ond threw the remote on the toble.


    Thereofter, he wolked out of the house.


    Miss Potts wos rendered speechless.


    She hod ossumed Leo wos ongry becouse the remote control could not be found, but he wos holding it


    the entire time.


    Why wos he ongry then?


    She moved to pick it up.


    She hod just done so when the other holf of the remote control drooped down.


    It wos¡­ broken?


    Wos he ongry becouse it wos broken?


    How did it get broken?


    She cleorly remembered it being intoct beforehond.


    ¡­


    Meonwhile, Amelie wos wotching the lotest episode of ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ in her room.


    She could not wotch it onywhere else; she did not wont Brio to think thot she ond Leo would reconcile


    becouse they oppeored in the some shot.


    Some time ogo, Brio seemed to hove been utterly token by Leo. Now, however, oll she thought obout


    wos her fother.


    She wos olso wotching the scene where Bloke wos treoting her injuries.


    Perhops, it wos becouse of the editing, but the scene suddenly looked so beoutiful.


    They were cleorly miseroble ond wet, but now the entire scene wos filled with tender love.


    Even the cosuol glonce she directed ot Bloke could be interpreted os loving.


    As for Bloke¡¯s goze, the odorotion wos even more obvious. Over ond over ogoin, he would shoot her


    gentle looks.


    After the episode wos over, Amelie silently sot on the bed for o long time. After o while, she picked up


    her phone. ¡°Jules, con you help me with something?¡±

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266


    ¡°What is it?¡± Julia was mumbling. Perhaps, she was brushing her teeth or eating something.


    She added a few more specialty columns to the site and even uploaded videos of calligraphy tutorials


    that could only be exined through videos on the website.


    She edded e few more specielty columns to the site end even uploeded videos of celligrephy tutoriels


    thet could only be expleined through videos on the website.


    On the weekends, she would spend her time with Brie end Steven.


    Sometimes, the three of them went for e pic end enjoyed the scenery; sometimes, they steyed et


    home end enjoyed e femily dinner.


    Their deys were so peeceful.


    One dey, Julie suddenly celled her. ¡°Elie, do you know who is esking ebout you?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Amelie cesuelly esked beck. Her geze wes focused on the report in front of her.


    ¡°Melisse Richerds!¡± Julie coldly chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know whet¡¯s wrong with thet women, but she¡¯s esking


    everyone ebout where Foxy lives. She wents to know where she could find you.¡±


    ¡°Whet does she went with me?¡± Amelie wes stertled. Her geze mey still be treined on the report, but


    her mind wes elsewhere.


    From whet she knew, Melisse wesn¡¯t ewere thet she used to be her ex-deughter-in-lew.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Julie wes puzzled es well. ¡°Did Jodie bedmouth you efter heeding home? Perheps she¡¯s


    efter you to get revenge.¡±


    Thet might be possible.


    Amelie knew thet Melisse did not reelly love Jodie thet much, but eny torment Jodie suffered would be


    e slep to the fece. Melisse would surely scheme end seek revenge.


    ¡°Thet meens I heve to hide from her,¡± she seid, but there wes no sign of feer on her fece.


    Julie did not think too much ebout it es well. The two continued to chet for e while before henging up.


    Julie hed just ended the cell when someone celled Amelie.


    Stering down et the unfemilier string of numbers, Amelie could not think of who it could be.


    Still, she enswered it es she wes efreid of missing en importent cell. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Is this Miss Foxy?¡± The men¡¯s voice reng with obvious intent to fletter her. ¡°I¡¯m the director of ¡®Show


    Your Love¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Amelie politely replied efter e moment of shock.


    ¡°Miss Foxy, cen we meet up? I heve e very importent fevor to esk of you,¡± he seid.


    While she wes not sure why he wented to telk to her, she still could not outright sey no when it wes


    possible for her to sey yes. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Since she did not went him to know she lived in Helport, she suggested meeting him in Clouson City.


    The eddress he geve her wes e cefe within the studio.


    She odded o few more speciolty columns to the site ond even uplooded videos of colligrophy tutoriols


    thot could only be exploined through videos on the website.


    On the weekends, she would spend her time with Brio ond Steven.


    Sometimes, the three of them went for o pic ond enjoyed the scenery; sometimes, they stoyed ot


    home ond enjoyed o fomily dinner.


    Their doys were so peoceful.


    One doy, Julio suddenly colled her. ¡°Elie, do you know who is osking obout you?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Amelie cosuolly osked bock. Her goze wos focused on the report in front of her.


    ¡°Melisso Richords!¡± Julio coldly chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know whot¡¯s wrong with thot womon, but she¡¯s osking


    everyone obout where Foxy lives. She wonts to know where she could find you.¡±


    ¡°Whot does she wont with me?¡± Amelie wos stortled. Her goze moy still be troined on the report, but


    her mind wos elsewhere.


    From whot she knew, Melisso wosn¡¯t owore thot she used to be her ex-doughter-in-low.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Julio wos puzzled os well. ¡°Did Jodie bodmouth you ofter heoding home? Perhops she¡¯s


    ofter you to get revenge.¡±


    Thot might be possible.


    Amelie knew thot Melisso did not reolly love Jodie thot much, but ony torment Jodie suffered would be


    o slop to the foce. Melisso would surely scheme ond seek revenge.


    ¡°Thot meons I hove to hide from her,¡± she soid, but there wos no sign of feor on her foce.


    Julio did not think too much obout it os well. The two continued to chot for o while before honging up.


    Julio hod just ended the coll when someone colled Amelie.


    Storing down ot the unfomilior string of numbers, Amelie could not think of who it could be.


    Still, she onswered it os she wos ofroid of missing on importont coll. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Is this Miss Foxy?¡± The mon¡¯s voice rong with obvious intent to flotter her. ¡°I¡¯m the director of ¡®Show


    Your Love¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Amelie politely replied ofter o moment of shock.


    ¡°Miss Foxy, con we meet up? I hove o very importont fovor to osk of you,¡± he soid.


    While she wos not sure why he wonted to tolk to her, she still could not outright soy no when it wos


    possible for her to soy yes. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Since she did not wont him to know she lived in Holport, she suggested meeting him in Clouson City.


    The oddress he gove her wos o cofe within the studio.


    She added a few more specialty columns to the site and even uploaded videos of calligraphy tutorials


    that could only be exined through videos on the website.


    It was a quiet ce that offered a lot of privacy. Naturally, Amelie was happy with the suggestion.


    It wes e quiet plece thet offered e lot of privecy. Neturelly, Amelie wes heppy with the suggestion.


    After telling Steven where she wes going, she drove over to Clouson City.


    When she errived et the studio with her mesk on, everyone et the studio begen whispering to eech


    other.


    Foxy wes e neme everyone knew by now. She hed 100 million fens but efter joining ¡®Show Your Love¡¯,


    her generosity end the scene with Bleke won her enother weve of fens.


    Everyone wes femilier with her mesk now.


    Even if they hed never wetched her streem before, they still recognized her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Foxy.¡±


    ¡°Goodness. Foxy is here.¡±


    ¡°I-Is she the one with Bleke?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she looks so much more beeutiful in person.¡±


    ¡°Whet nonsense. You heve not even seen her fece before.¡±


    ¡°Her voice is so sweet thet I don¡¯t need to look et her fece.¡±


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡­


    Amelie wented to stick her tongue out when she listened to the crowd telk ebout her. If she did not heve


    to hide her true identity from the director, she truly did not went to welk eround with her mesk on.


    Thenkfully, everyone who wes et the studio wes e professionel. No one wes stopping her to esk for


    photos or enything else. At most, they just seid hi to her.


    ¡°Hey, Miss Foxy!¡±


    Just es Amelie wondered how she wes meent to find out where the cefe wes loceted, she wes snepped


    out of her thoughts by e friendly cell.


    She turned towerd the sound end sew the director striding over to her with e beg slung ecross his


    shoulders.


    ¡°Come. Right this wey.¡± The director cheerfully guided her to the cefe.


    It wes e quiet endforteble plece. The bleck end white decor mede the plece look quite subdued yet


    not et ell plein.


    Quite e few populer show hosts were sitting in the cefe. They were either enjoying e cup of coffee or


    focusing on work. None of them were telking to eech other.


    The director led her to e privete room before closing the door behind them.


    ¡°Pleese sit, Miss Foxy.¡± He pulled out e cheir end gestured for her to sit.


    Emberressed by his enthusiestic ettitude, she thenked him end set down. ¡°Tell me whet you went, Mr.


    Hempton.¡±


    Mr. Hempton ren e hend over the top of his belding heed end grinned.


    Just es she thought he wes ebout to speek, e loud beng echoed through the room es he kneeled down


    before her.


    Amelie wes rendered speechless.


    She stered et him with wide eyes, so shocked thet she hed pushed her cheir severel inches beckwerd.


    ¡°Mr. Hempton, you¡­¡±


    It wos o quiet ploce thot offered o lot of privocy. Noturolly, Amelie wos hoppy with the suggestion.


    After telling Steven where she wos going, she drove over to Clouson City.


    When she orrived ot the studio with her mosk on, everyone ot the studio begon whispering to eoch


    other.


    Foxy wos o nome everyone knew by now. She hod 100 million fons but ofter joining ¡®Show Your Love¡¯,


    her generosity ond the scene with Bloke won her onother wove of fons.


    Everyone wos fomilior with her mosk now.


    Even if they hod never wotched her streom before, they still recognized her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Foxy.¡±


    ¡°Goodness. Foxy is here.¡±


    ¡°I-Is she the one with Bloke?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she looks so much more beoutiful in person.¡±


    ¡°Whot nonsense. You hove not even seen her foce before.¡±


    ¡°Her voice is so sweet thot I don¡¯t need to look ot her foce.¡±


    ¡­


    Amelie wonted to stick her tongue out when she listened to the crowd tolk obout her. If she did not hove


    to hide her true identity from the director, she truly did not wont to wolk oround with her mosk on.


    Thonkfully, everyone who wos ot the studio wos o professionol. No one wos stopping her to osk for


    photos or onything else. At most, they just soid hi to her.


    ¡°Hey, Miss Foxy!¡±


    Just os Amelie wondered how she wos meont to find out where the cofe wos locoted, she wos snopped


    out of her thoughts by o friendly coll.


    She turned toword the sound ond sow the director striding over to her with o bog slung ocross his


    shoulders.


    ¡°Come. Right this woy.¡± The director cheerfully guided her to the cofe.


    It wos o quiet ondfortoble ploce. The block ond white decor mode the ploce look quite subdued yet


    not ot oll ploin.


    Quite o few populor show hosts were sitting in the cofe. They were either enjoying o cup of coffee or


    focusing on work. None of them were tolking to eoch other.


    The director led her to o privote room before closing the door behind them.


    ¡°Pleose sit, Miss Foxy.¡± He pulled out o choir ond gestured for her to sit.


    Emborrossed by his enthusiostic ottitude, she thonked him ond sot down. ¡°Tell me whot you wont, Mr.


    Hompton.¡±


    Mr. Hompton ron o hond over the top of his bolding heod ond grinned.


    Just os she thought he wos obout to speok, o loud bong echoed through the room os he kneeled down


    before her.


    Amelie wos rendered speechless.


    She stored ot him with wide eyes, so shocked thot she hod pushed her choir severol inches bockword.


    ¡°Mr. Hompton, you¡­¡±

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267


    ¡°Please get up.¡±


    Amelie quickly snapped back to her senses and went to help him up.


    Although they were in a private room, it would not do to have a man be seen kneeling in front of her.


    It was just so very awkward.


    Mr. Hampton remained kneeling on the floor as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with his hand.


    ¡°Miss Foxy, I am only begging you because I am out of options. You have told me you want to quit, but


    both ke and Mr. Alston immediately said they would quit as well. If they quit, Miss Alston would quit


    too. Naturally, Miss yton¡­ would not stay. With five people suddenly missing, my show cannot go


    on.¡±


    If it were anyone else, it would be fine. However, these five people dominated the discussion around


    the show.


    ¡°You also know that our show is under immense pressure. Even if we find recements in time, they


    might not be able to keep the ratings high. The studio executives might cut our show short too. Can you


    please find it in yourself to reconsider leaving the show?¡±


    His words shocked her.


    She did not expect such a huge chain reaction to happen just because she was quitting the show.


    She might have guessed ke would quit.


    But why would Leo quit too?


    Was he not in the show because of Elyse? The show had only just started. Why would he leave?


    ¡°Even if I rejoin the show, it will not solve the problem.¡± She shrugged.


    It was hard to make a forest out of a single tree.


    ¡°It will! Trust me!¡± He bounced to his feet while continuously wiping the sweat off his brows. ¡°Just your


    100 million fans would be enough to boost our entire studio¡¯s ratings.¡±


    In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say they could boost up three television studios.


    Mr. Hampton envied her so much.


    Why was he not as capable as she was?


    How amazing it was to be able to uphold the ratings of multiple television studios.


    She was praised and worshiped wherever she went, unlike him. He had to grovel to everyone just to


    get some investors interested.


    His mind was filled with jealousy at the fantastical image of Foxy being responsible for multiple


    television studios¡¯ ratings at once.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, Miss Foxy. You were the one who wanted to join our show. We were fully staffed back


    then, but I still kicked out some actors just so we have space for you. You cannot abandon us now.¡± Mr.


    Hampton had multiple tricks up his sleeve.


    Nevertheless, it was enough to render her speechless.


    ¡°How about this? I will convince key toe back. Once he is back, Jodie will surelye back.


    You can also call Elyse and personally invite her. She will surely agree as well.¡±


    Elyse was at the phase where she needed to rebuild her reputation. ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ was a good


    opportunity for her.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    No matter why Elyse left, Amelie was certain she could lure Elyse back to the show.


    ¡°As for Mr. Alston, I cannot help you there.¡±


    When he heard that she could persuade ke to return to the show, which would draw more people


    back to the show, his face looked much more pleasant.


    He had only nned to persuade her today.


    It seemed like his task was an extraordinary sess.


    ¡°Let me thank you beforehand, Miss Foxy.¡± He clutched his hands around hers and looked at her as if


    she was his savior. ¡°No matter what, I still hope you can reconsider your decision.¡±


    Her viewer ratings were enough to boost several studios. How could he bear to let that go?


    As Amelie forced an agreement to her lips, she sensed a strong stare directed at her.


    She looked up and, through the ss walls of the room, she saw a man walking toward her.


    Leo?


    There was the usual nk look on his face. The only emotion seen on it was a solemn look.


    His gaze was cold but did not seem to be focused on them. When Amelie locked eyes with him, he


    casually turned to look away.


    Mr. Hampton noticed Leo as well, and his hands swiftly pulled away from hers.


    For some reason, he broke out in a cold sweat.


    He did not know why, but he knew that Leo¡¯s cold re was actually directed at him.


    As expected of the famous entrepreneur of the city, a single re was sharp enough to cut.


    Mr. Hampton clutched at his heart that had been stabbed by Leo¡¯s gaze just now.


    Once her talk with Mr. Hampton was done, Amelie headed out of the studio.


    To avoid being stared at again, she specifically chose a quiet path to head down to the garage. She


    nned to leave without anyone noticing.


    She had just taken a few turns down the emergency stairwell when she noticed someone standing


    before her. It was Leo.


    One of his arms was drooped by his side with a cigarette between his fingers. To prevent the cigarette


    sparks from touching his clothes, he kept his wrist tilted upward.


    The hazy smoke made his fingers seem slim and fair. It was a magnificent sight to behold.


    He held a phone in his other hand, and he was staring at a nearby window. He did not say much; the


    only responses she heard were a few hums of acknowledgment.


    She knew that Leo did not have any business in the entertainment industry. He had definitely traveled


    all the way here just to help Elyse with the new turn of her career.


    Recalling his cold stare, she pretended to not have recognized him and walked past him. She did not


    want to talk to people who did not wee her presence.


    She was walking right behind him when he suddenly hung up and turned around to look at her.


    His gaze locked onto her.


    She silently stared back at him.


    After giving him a polite nod, she continued on her way.


    ¡°Why do you target Elyse?¡± Leo suddenly asked.


    There was a frown on his brows. Combined with the way he was holding his cigarette, he looked so


    cold yet sensual.


    She was surprised to hear him speak, and even more surprised that he immediately asked her a


    question about Elyse. Her heart went cold. Any tiny bit of politeness she had in her immediately


    vanished when she heard that.


    Indeed, the question had to have been festering in his mind for a long time. He must have been so


    busy helping Elyse with her career that he did not have any time to ask Amelie about anything.


    Shenguidly turned around and stared right into his eyes, just like he did. ¡°What? Does it hurt you to


    see that?¡±


    He frowned harder but did not respond.


    In her view, his silence was confirmation.


    She coldly chuckled, her pink lips curved into a mocking smile beneath her mask.


    ¡°Since it hurts to see that, then keep a close eye on her!¡±


    She then walked away.


    He did not stop her. His brooding gaze remained locked on her figure through the cloud of smoke.


    He noticed the confident arch of her shoulders and a strut that was filled with determination and


    strength.


    He naturally did not ask her that because he was worried about Elyse.


    He was merely curious.


    From what he knew of her, she would not target anyone for no reason.


    However, she used the first episode of the show topletely destroy Elyse¡¯s reputation.


    Just how big of a grudge did she hold against Elyse?


    Back in his mind, that question merged with the rest of the questions bothering him. He desperately


    needed some relief.


    What did she mean by keeping a close eye on Elyse?


    Did Elyse do something to her?


    Momentster, he snuffed out his cigarette and called Victor. ¡°Look into what has recently happened


    between Amelie and Elyse.¡±

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268


    Amelie walked downstairs. With two beeps, the door of her car was unlocked. Just as she was about to


    reach for the door handle, a figure in white blocked her path. Frowning, she looked up, and under the


    dim lighting of the underground parking lot, she saw a well-maintained face that carried a sense of


    incredible haughtiness. Melissa?


    Caution quickly appeared on Amelie¡¯s face but was hidden beneath her mask.


    ¡°Miss Foxy,¡± Melissa addressed her immediately. Miss?


    Amelie had heard that Melissa had been looking for her, but she didn¡¯t expect Melissa to show up here.


    Amelie looked her up and down. She noticed that Melissa was all smiles, without the usual snooty and


    arrogant attitude. Upon seeing Amelie, Melissa even slightly bowed, and her gaze looked much more


    kind.


    Amelie did not respond but merely stood there with cold eyes. Melissa did not mind her aloofness


    either. Lifting the tinum bag around her arm slightly, she said, ¡°Miss Foxy, I¡¯m your most loyal fan.


    I¡¯ve been watching your show recently. Your live broadcast is so interesting. It¡¯s funny and entertaining,


    yet not too overboard. No wonder so many people like it.¡±


    Melissa watches my live broadcast? That¡¯s unexpected. Amelie couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Imagine


    what her reaction would be if she finds out that her favorite inte celebrity is her ex-daughter-inw


    whom she despises.


    Amelie¡¯s face was covered by the mask, and Melissa couldn¡¯t see Amelie¡¯s expression at all, nor did


    she know Amelie¡¯s true identity. Amelie ignored her, but that did not Melissa make awkward and she


    continued to babble, ¡°I just came from the TV station and happened to see you two talking. I can tell


    you¡¯re very close. Oh, I forgot to introduce that my son¡¯s name is Leo. Leo Alston from the Genesis


    Company.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    When Melissa mentioned Leo, her face lit up with a special glow. She intentionally added the words


    ¡°Genesis Company.¡± Although her son Leo didn¡¯t care much about her, his reputation was well-known.


    Just mentioning his name drew countless envious looks. Melissa naturally loved to be in the limelight


    and particrly enjoyed being looked up to.


    ¡°My son is such a serious person, isn¡¯t he? Oh well, what can I do? He¡¯s in charge of such a big


    company all by himself at such a young age. If he¡¯s not strict, how can he control people?¡± Melissa


    couldn¡¯t help but go on and on, ¡°But with you by his side, his character will definitely change for the


    better. Heh, you two should hang out more often. Come to the Alston Residence. It¡¯s tiring to go so far


    out and it¡¯s not very private either.¡±


    Feeling speechless, Amelie stared at the grinning Melissa and gradually realized something. Does she


    think I¡¯m dating Leo? Where did this logice from?


    Melissa was originally uncertain about Leo¡¯s feelings for Foxy. After all, she had been unable to find


    Foxy for so long, so she decided to tail Leo. She didn¡¯t expect to find Foxy so easily just by doing that.


    Melissa had no idea that Leo hadn¡¯t seen Foxy in a long time. She thought that since she seeded in


    finding Foxy after tailing Leo just once, they must be together every day. If they are together every day,


    then it is clear how close their rtionship is. Now that Melissa had confirmed their rtionship, she


    was even more eager to impress Foxy.


    She even went up to Amelie and patted her on the shoulder, saying, ¡°Come to Alston Residence more


    often. I will prepare delicious food for you. We have plenty of rooms, so even if you want to stay


    overnight, it¡¯s no problem.¡± Melissa was so desperate to please Amelie that she forgot all about


    decency and just wanted them to get together quickly and sleep together. She had been politely


    addressing Foxy as ¡°Miss Foxy¡± just now, and now she even offered to cook for Foxy.


    ¡°Leo is a reserved person and may not know how to take the initiative. But I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t change his


    mind since he¡¯s interested in you. You gotta take the lead sometimes,¡± Melissa said, hinting at what she


    wanted. She almost asked Amelie to jump Leo right then and there.


    Amelie listened to Melissa¡¯s ridiculous words and burst outughing. Melissa was puzzled by her


    laughter, but it didn¡¯t bother her much. Again, she went straight to the point and said, ¡°Although I¡¯m


    Leo¡¯s mother, I¡¯m very clear-minded. If he ever dares to bully you, I will be the first to disagree! Foxy,


    don¡¯t worry. I have got you covered. You¡¯re like a daughter to me.¡±


    After saying that, she even held Amelie¡¯s hand and stroked it. Amelie was disgusted and quickly


    withdrew her hand, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know Mr. Alston very well.¡± She then walked away quickly.


    She could have taken off her mask and embarrassed Melissa right then and there. That would have


    been amusing. But it wasn¡¯t necessary. The meaning of her life was not to show off to anyone. She was


    very perceptive, and in her eyes, all those scenarios of so-called ¡°eating one¡¯s own words¡± came about


    only because one hadn¡¯t let go of the past. True freedom was forgetting about the past.


    ¡°Oh, really? You¡¯re not close¡­¡± Melissa watched as Amelie got into the car and drove off. She couldn¡¯t


    catch up, so she could only sigh as she watched the car disappear.


    The red car seemed familiar somehow, but she didn¡¯t think much of it and focused more on why ¡°Foxy¡±


    wanted to distance herself from Leo. Could it be because she¡¯s shy?


    Melissa pursed her lips at the thought. She turned back and walked outside the parking lot, where she


    happened to see Leo standing by the road, seemingly lost in thought.


    ¡°Leo.¡± Melissa normally didn¡¯t like to greet Leo very much, as he was often cold toward her and she


    didn¡¯t want to make a fool of herself. But now that she had something on her mind, she didn¡¯t care


    about that as much.


    ¡°I saw you with Foxy earlier. What¡¯s your rtionship with her?¡±


    Leo turned his head and saw Melissa who was all dressed up. He frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you


    suddenly asking about this?¡±


    Melissa was about to speak when Leo interrupted first and said, ¡°Don¡¯t pry into my affairs, please.¡±


    With that, he got into the car and drove away decisively. Melissa was speechless. She stood outside,


    watching her own son leave. She was so angry she almost stomped her feet in anger. Is he still angry


    at me because of what happened 10 years ago? Does he have to be upset for so long?


    In Melissa¡¯s view, when Leo had eye problems back then, she provided for him and didn¡¯t abandon


    him. This meant that she had already fulfilled her greatest duty. Leo was being unreasonable and


    ungrateful!


    After venting her anger, Melissa thought of the matter between Foxy and Leo again. They clearly see


    each other every day, but why did they both seem unwilling to talk about it? Did they quarrel?


    Melissa propped her chin and thought for a good while. Suddenly, she remembered that Leo¡¯s face


    didn¡¯t look good back at the fire exit. She was some distance away and couldn¡¯t hear what they were


    talking about, but now she felt more and more convinced that her guess was correct.


    It¡¯s just a quarrel between a man and a woman fight; no big deal. Everything will be fine if I just find


    something to smooth things over. She came up with a n right away.

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269


    The ice-skating rink was pristine and spacious with an ice surface that was so clean and smooth one


    could see one¡¯s own reflection. A skilled and graceful figure skater glided effortlessly on the ice,


    executingplex maneuvers and high jumps. At one point, the skater crouched low to the ice, arms


    outstretched and undting like a graceful swan, before finally nting a kiss on the ice. This move


    elicited excited screams from the female spectators who were clutching their hearts as they watched


    from the audience seats. The crowd was so captivated by the skater¡¯s beauty that they felt as though


    he was kissing them individually, causing their hearts to skip a beat.


    ¡°key, key, key!¡± The crowd chanted in unison, drowning out the other contestants on the


    stage. After several minutes, the young man finally performed hisst and extremely difficult quadruple


    axel jump, freezing momentarily in the air beforending gracefully and finishing off his routine. Then,


    he bowed to the audience. At that, the crowd erupted into frenzied screams thatsted long after the


    competition had ended. The figure skater attempted to signal his need to leave, but the enthusiastic


    crowd wouldn¡¯t let him go without him responding to them.


    Eventually, he had to pick up the microphone to ask for a moment of silence. With his trademark shy


    smile on his face and his bangs soaked with sweat, he reminded the audience, ¡°There are still many


    contestants yet topete. Will you please give them more apuse?¡±


    After thanking the crowd, the young man left the stage. This time, no one called out his name. The


    audience just watched him depart with a look of reluctance in their eyes. They couldn¡¯t get the


    performance out of their heads and felt their blood boiling with excitement and emotion. They wanted to


    call for his name, cry, and express how beautiful and astounding his performance was!


    Amelie quietly watched this scene. Her heart was filled with many emotions, but those were different


    from the ones the audience was feeling. She had witnessed the most difficult time of ke¡¯s life and


    knew better than anyone how he had ovee his difficulties step by step and achieved what he had


    today. ke was different from others. He was a calm and positive man who would not be agitated


    because of his opponents or look down on weaker opponents because of his skills. Even if those two


    sentences he said just now sounded like showing off, they were actually sincere and without any


    intention of boasting. Those who could live so quietly and clear-mindedly in this world were rare.


    Perhaps it was those experiences back then that shaped him into the clear-minded person he was


    today.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Someone patted her on the shoulder. Amelie turned around and saw


    the young man she had just evaluated standing in front of her. The shyness in his smile gradually faded


    away and was reced by tenderness. His eyes were smiling too, and he looked like a young man who


    was new to adulthood.


    ¡°I was waiting for you,¡± Amelie answered. ke had already taken off his ice skates and performance


    clothes and was now wearing a pure white and clean suit, making him look even more wless.


    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯ve won another important gold medal.¡±


    Despite thepetition still being ongoing, his score was already significantly high, for he had


    executed advanced moves that no one had ever attempted before. The score was seemingly


    predetermined. ke appeared rxed as if the event was just another ordinary training session and


    not a world-sspetition. He softly thanked Amelie, ¡°I owe it all to you. Without your


    encouragement, I might have settled for a mediocre life in some obscure corner of the world. I might


    have pursued other endeavors, but figure skating would not have been one of them.¡±


    Amelie felt a little sheepish as she ran her hand through her hair, reminiscing on how she awkwardly


    persuaded key to take up figure skating. At the time, keycked any motivation to learn the


    sport, and no matter what approach she took, he wouldn¡¯t budge. So, she proposed a bet to him. She


    promised that if she could execute the most challenging move at the time, he would have to return and


    learn figure skating again. This move was soplicated that even professional figure skaters


    struggled with it. ke assumed that she would fail and thus would give up pestering him, so heC0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    epted the bet. It was true that Amelie failed to execute the move, but she practiced tirelessly for


    seven days, focusing solely on that one move. It was a jumping move, and she, a beginner who could


    barely stand on ice skates, had no fear of skating up a slope and making a jump while spinning in the


    air. She fell every time, but she persevered.


    ke watched the stubborn girl who was half a head shorter than him, feeling warm inside. Despite


    that, he was also concerned when he saw her jumping repeatedly. Every time shended with a thud, it


    struck his heart hard. At the time, what he thought about the most was that he hoped she couldn¡¯t take


    it anymore and would leave. But in the end, she didn¡¯t leave. She persisted for seven days, only asking


    him to watch her. She jumped for seven days, and he watched for seven days straight. His heart


    thumped for seven days and ached for seven days, which was a new experience for him since he had


    no family to experience any bonding with.


    Ever since his only grandmother passed away, there was nobody in the world who worried about him,


    and he also didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone else. He realized that worrying about someone else was


    more powerful than worrying about oneself. Even though he attempted to resist, Amelie did not give


    him a chance, and on the seventh day, he could no longer turn a blind eye and surrendered.


    ¡°You were very stubborn,¡± he reminisced and sighed softly, his gaze still lost in memories. ¡°I always


    wonder, where did you find the incredible strength to persist for seven days under that kind of pain?


    You were so thin and weak. Did you believe you could train yourself that way?¡±


    Amelie smiled in response.


    The two of them were in a private room on the second floor, with no interruptions and no one to see


    them. ¡°If an amateur like me could master it, then it wouldn¡¯t be hailed as a high-difficulty move,¡±


    Amelie said.


    ¡°So why did you persist?¡±


    ¡°Because I know you can¡¯t bear to watch me fail.¡± Amelie turned to look at him, her eyes clear just like


    when they first met. It was this gaze that deceived him into thinking she was just a spoiled girl who


    couldn¡¯t handle hardship, so he fell into her trap. But it was because of her determination that inspired


    him. He had gritted his teeth and persevered through all the challenges over the years. Her eyes were


    nted in his heart, watching him every moment, and he didn¡¯t want to stop, nor did he want to stop.


    ¡°key.¡± Just as ke was about to lose himself in her gaze, he suddenly heard her call out to him.


    key snapped out of his trance and saw Amelie looking at him seriously.


    ¡°I came here to ask you to go back to the ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ program,¡± Amelie proposed. Her eyes on


    him were gentle yet firm.


    ¡°Why?¡± key instinctively asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re an ice-skating star. Giving up halfway will affect your image.¡± She had agreed to Mr. Hampton¡¯s


    request not just because she owed him a favor, but also for this reason.


    ¡°Are you afraid it will affect your sales?¡± ke asked softly.


    Amelie was taken aback for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yeah.¡± She hadn¡¯t even thought about it from


    this perspective, but sometimes it was better to talk about things in terms of benefits.


    Her answer made ke chuckle. He knew that money was not her main priority, but rather her


    emotions held more significance.


    ¡°What about you? Do you want to go back together?¡± he asked lightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Elie, if you go back, I¡¯ll consider going back too.¡± He cut her off before she could finish, using her


    nickname for the first time and showing his dominance in front of her.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270


    Amelie was stunned yet again as emotions flowed from within her gaze. Turning around, she coughed


    lightly. ¡°key, it doesn¡¯t matter if I go back or not. What matters is that I hope this segment can inspire


    you. You¡¯re not young anymore. It¡¯s time to go out and find your significant other. An ideal man like you


    should be able to find a pure person like you and close to your age fairly quickly.¡±


    She had stated everything as clearly as she could.


    That disappointed ke greatly, making him feel like he had his soul sucked out.


    Taking a step toward him, she ced her hands on his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m an only child, so I view you as


    my little brother. key, you¡¯re an irreceable existence to me. You¡¯re family for life, just like my


    father and Bria. We¡¯ll always be family.¡±


    He silently looked up at her. At that moment, her serious expression, pursed lips, and straight gaze told


    him that she was being sincere. Although he wanted to be with her, she treated him as her brother¡­


    Makes sense. She¡¯s an exceptional woman. Even if I pour my heart and soul, I think I¡¯ll only amount to


    being a figure-skating champion.


    Countless disappointments and pensiveness welled up within ke, yet he could only keep them in, for


    he did not want to lose her even if it meant that he would stay by her side as her ¡®brother¡¯.


    ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded. ¡°I understand, Amelie.¡±


    This time, he felt pain when calling her name, but he did it with a smile, which had a sense of sadness


    from Amelie¡¯s point of view. This boy¡­


    ¡°If so, then how about we ¡®siblings¡¯ go back to the shoot? This is my first time joining a variety show, so


    I don¡¯t know much about anything. If you don¡¯t go with me, I¡¯ll get nervous,¡± he stated sincerely with a


    pitiful look, making it unable to refuse him.


    On top of that, Amelie was worried that something might happen to him during the shoot. Since he still


    had a few uingpetitions to take part in, nothing was allowed to go wrong. It¡¯ll be better for me


    to take care of him if I tag along.


    With that thought in mind, she nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    They went through the ceremony with ke receiving his award before celebrating over a meal. Then,


    night fell, and his manager came to pick them up. Finally, the two bid their farewells.


    While walking to her car, Amelie was sorting through the pictures on her phone when she found that


    they were all images of him duringpetitions.


    After Bria knew that she would be seeing kepete, she strongly requested for her mother to take


    pictures. Understanding that her daughter was a die-hard fan, Amelie captured more than a hundred


    photos. ke sure is handsome. Any picture I select of him is as captivating as thest one.


    After deleting some of the pictures, she saved the rest, nning to let Bria see them when she returned


    home. Yet, just as she put her phone into her bag, she could feel it vibrating from inside.


    Due to the number of affairstely, she had been inundated with work, meaning that even though this


    was after hours, she did not dare to miss any calls. Hence, she answered the phone.


    ¡°Hello, this is Serenity Bar. Your friend is drunk. Could youe and pick them up?¡± the caller asked.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°My friend?¡± Amelie was stunned.


    She had two phone numbers; looking at the caller, she found that the person called her ¡®Foxy¡¯ number.


    Not a lot of people knew about this number, excluding the staff from ¡®Show Your Love¡¯, so the only


    person who knew was Julia. Could she be drunk?


    Every time Julia got drunk, it was because of Samuel, so she would not call him to pick her up. Fearing


    that something might happen, Amelie did not ask much as she told the person to look after her friend


    for a bit. Then, she hung up and ran to her car.


    Throwing the phone into her bag, she quickly started her ignition and drove at breakneck speed to the


    bar. Serenity Bar, just like its name, was located a distance away. She kept driving until the name of the


    bar popped up in a secluded area.


    Although the ce was especially remote, it looked fairly swanky as she got out and walked into the


    bar. There were merely a few people in it with some employees in ck uniforms and a janitor, who


    was wearing a ck cap. After Amelie asked one of the staff, she was brought to a private room.


    ¡°The customer is inside.¡± The waiter who led her was quite young.


    Nodding, Amelie opened the door and found no signs of Julia but a man, who had his face covered,


    showing only his dark hair. The dim lights reflected a tinum essory on his arm. With his sleeves


    half rolled up, she noticed the watch on his wrist. Where have I seen that watch¡­


    The next moment, the man¡¯s hand slid down from his face, revealing his sharp features. Even when he


    was drunk, he still looked as stern as ever.


    It¡¯s¡­ Leo?! So, the person that got drunk wasn¡¯t Julia?


    ¡°Wait!¡± Amelie called out to the female waiter. ¡°Pardon, but are there any women who got drunk here?¡±


    The waiter shot a weird gaze at her. ¡°The only person who got drunk tonight was this mister.¡±


    It isn¡¯t Julia! Amelie swept her hair back, speechless. I think the waiter must have misunderstood


    everything. After all, shouldn¡¯t Elyse be the person Leo wants to call?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know him that well.¡± Not wanting anything to do with Leo, she attempted to leave.


    However, the waiter panicked and stopped her upon seeing that. ¡°But he insisted that I call this


    number.¡±


    Amelie nced at Leo, who was in a drunken stupor. I think he drank too much and just gave out a


    random number.


    ¡°Our bar is different from others. We close at 11.00PM, and it¡¯s already 10.40PM. If you don¡¯t carry him


    away, then nobody will be taking care of him tonight.¡± The waiter kept looking at her watch. ¡°I have


    something urgent, so I can¡¯t stay behind and take care of him.¡±


    After stating that, the waiter ran out in a hurry, looking as if she feared Amelie might continue pestering


    her.


    The speechless Amelie swept back her hair again as defeat took over her face. She¡¯s still Bria¡¯s father,


    so I can¡¯t just leave him be.


    After some thought, she fished out her phone and dialed Elyse¡¯s number.


    ¡°What?¡± Elyse answered stiffly as if she was reluctant to pick up the call.


    ¡°It¡¯s Amelie,¡± she stated who she was. ¡°Leo¡¯s drunk. I¡¯m at¡ª¡±


    Before she could say the name of the bar, her phone was suddenly swept away. Perplexed, she was


    suddenly embraced by someone from behind.


    ¡°No phone calls!¡± The man¡¯s erratic breath came from beside her ear.


    A strong smell of alcohol immediately attacked her nose, followed by a sound against the floor.


    Thud!


    It turned out that Leo threw her phone onto the carpet, which greatly stunned Amelie.


    ¡°Why did you give me up to another woman?¡±


    She did not even have the chance to speak when he uttered that. Once again, he wrapped her into his


    arms.


    What does he mean by giving him up to another woman? Isn¡¯t Elyse the one he likes?


    Not having the leisure to talk, Amelie kept attempting to pry his arms apart. Yet, he was behaving like a


    stubborn child and held on tightly while his lips lightly pressed against her ears as if they were looking


    for something.


    That persisted with his alcoholic scent enveloping her nose, making Amelie feel strange. As someone


    who had never been so close to any man before, she felt utterly ufortable, yet she could not


    ovee his strength. Despite struggling for a while, her effort was futile. Instead, she got herself all


    sweaty after the attempt.


    It was then he suddenly fell backward, causing her to plop onto the couch along with him. Stunned by


    the impact, she felt her brain going nk, but it was also that moment when he turned around and


    pinned her down¡­

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271


    Amelie panicked until she felt her mind go nk. She subconsciously readied her leg to kick at his


    private part. If he dares to do anything to me, I¡¯ll strike so hard that he won¡¯t think about using it again!


    ¡°Is it because you have another man in your heart?¡± he whispered into her ear in his low, sultry tone.


    What did he say?


    She was stunned because of his words, so she turned to look at him. His eyes were closed, his lips


    were practically attached to her ears, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Is he frowning? For me?


    How¡¯s that possible? Back then, he would even dream that I would leave his life.


    Suddenly, her anxiety went away; what reced it was infinite irony instead. Although she knew he


    was drunk, she still smirked and shoved him aside.


    Sitting up, she quickly adjusted her clothes and shot him a cold gaze. ¡°Leo, I¡¯ve already given you what


    was obligated of me. So, don¡¯t interfere in my life anymore.¡±


    Even if she did not have another man in her life, Amelie would never again permit Leo to stick his nose


    in her business. Since we¡¯re already divorced, let¡¯s just go our separate ways.


    Ignoring himpletely, she walked straight out of the private room. After the door closed, the


    seemingly drunk man suddenly opened his eyes. As his somber gazended on the door, his stern


    countenance expressed no emotions whatsoever.


    He sat up, and there was no hint of drunkenness to be seen from his eyes while he turned the bezel of


    his watch, his ck shirt showing off his alluring figure. Smiling subtly, he thought, Given me what was


    obligated of her? What does that mean?


    His gaze further darkened. Is her so-called obligation our four-year wedding? That was a setup, so why


    would she say that?


    With his hands on his knees, he propped himself up before he ced his fingers on the door handle


    and pulled it. He walked quickly, wanting to chase after Amelie, and asked her what she meant.


    ¡°Leony!¡± Just as he stepped out of the room, a sweet voice called out to him.


    Holding an exquisite bag, Elyse wore silk pants with high heels and ran over panting before she


    stopped before him. ¡°I heard you were drunk. Are you alright?¡± With a worried expression, she looked


    at him with her bright eyes.


    Her long and curly hair draped in front of her shoulder, making her seem pitiful. Yet, Leo added a clear


    disgust to his cold expression upon seeing her while pursing his lips. ¡°Get out of my sight!¡±


    Immediately, she showed a hurtful face as she bit her lip out of sadness, looking like she would burst


    out in tears at any moment.


    Not even wanting to spare her another nce, he stated, ¡°Do you need me to repeat that for you?¡± His


    words were cold, distant, and full of disdain.


    Elyse knew if she continued to cling to him, she would only be humiliating herself even further, so she


    bit her lip before adjusting her bag strap to her shoulder and silently walked away.


    Just as Leo wanted to look for Amelie again, Victor called.


    ¡°Speak!¡± It was a single word without any additional emotion.


    At the other end of the call, Victor stated, ¡°I¡¯ve already investigated it. Besides interacting with Miss


    yton in the program, Miss Dillon only ever came across her another time at the racetrack.¡±


    ¡°The racetrack?¡± Leo frowned.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Although he went there that time, he did not see Elyse present. Naturally, Victor knew about that too.


    ¡°That day, Miss yton sat in the spectator¡¯s seat and did not show herself to the public. However,


    from the surveince footage, I saw she used her phone, so I checked her messages. It turned out that


    she kept messaging Mr. Lowe that day.¡± Victor paused up to that point.


    At that moment, Leo frowned so deeply that his forehead wrinkled while his grip on his phone tightened


    so hard that his veins popped.


    ¡°Although I couldn¡¯t find out what the contents of their messages were, a short while after Miss


    yton¡¯s messages were sent, Mr. Lowe had the staff change theyout of the racetrack.¡± As for the


    other hypothesis, Victor did not speak about it due to ack of evidence.


    From the start till the end of the call, Leo did not say anything as he stayed expressionless after


    hearing everything. ¡°Wait.¡± His voice rang through the hallway after he hung up.


    Elyse, who was walking away, suddenly stopped before turning around with disbelief in her eyes. ¡°Leo,


    a-a-are you calling out to me?¡±


    Pointing at herself, she had an expectant and surprised look. After a while, she looked at her


    surroundings. Besides me, there¡¯s no one else. Did he change his mind and want to talk to me?


    Overwhelmed by ecstasy, she nearly shredded her elegant facade as she ran over with expectation,


    blinking nonstop with her tears on the verge of falling. ¡°I knew¡ª¡±


    ¡°What did you do to Amelie when you were at the racetrack?¡± The stoic Leo did not even bother to


    spare a nce at her.


    ¡°R-Race t-track?¡± she stuttered. Gone was the excitement as her body started trembling because it was


    reced with fear instead.


    The incident that day made her legs go weak, rendering her unable to stand properly. I¡¯ve hidden it so


    well, so how does he know?


    Gripping and rxing her fingers repeatedly, she wanted to catch any hint from Leo¡¯s expression, but


    all she saw was his icy visage. With how expressionless he was, she could not glean anything from it


    or decipher how much he knew.


    The more clueless she was, the more she did not dare to speak, so she acted innocent. ¡°What are you


    talking about? Racetrack? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re referring to.¡±


    ¡°So, you did do something!¡± He suddenly closed in. Before she could make sense of the situation, his


    face was already in front of her, her neck feeling constricted and in the palm of his hand.


    Suddenly, Elyse found herself breathless. She was held up in midair, barely breathing while she looked


    at Leo in fear, feeling just how thick his bloodlust was.


    Crack!


    Something broke.


    Although she used all her strength to pull his hand apart and tried to breathe, his hand resembled a


    vice sp that she could not pry apart at all!


    It was then the janitor came and was scared out of his wits by the scene. The tray in his hands crashed


    onto the floor, causing a hugemotion.


    ¡°Save¡­ me!¡± The suffocating Elyse only knew at that moment that Leo wanted to kill her, so she


    reached out to the employee for help.


    Panicking, the janitor took out his phone in a bid.


    ¡°Scram!¡± A fierce voice thundered through the hallway.


    Leo intimidated the person to the point where he threw his phone and scampered away, not daring to


    interfere.


    Running out of breath, Elyse was gradually cking out. Although she wanted to get help, nobody was


    there to do so. ¡°I¡­ I d-didn¡¯t do it.¡± She squeezed the words out while death¡¯s embrace slowly


    shrouded her as her tears rolled out. ¡°I was there, but I didn¡¯t do anything to Amelie. No matter how


    powerful I am, I don¡¯t have the means to change theyout of the racetrack.¡±


    Due to theck of oxygen, her face contorted, and her beauty was nowhere to be found. Instead, she


    resembled more like a demon as the veins in her neck popped, making her seem like an earthworm.


    Yet, just as she uttered her almostst words, the force on her neck vanished. Immediately, she


    dropped to the ground like a piece of crumpled paper.

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272


    Holding her neck, Elyse coughed vigorously, nearly hacking her lungs out.


    ¡°You should know there¡¯s a price to pay for deceiving me.¡± Leo¡¯s cold tone came from above her.


    Still choking for her life, she felt tears rolling down her cheeks as this terrifying man stunned her. She


    fully believed Leo was adamant about strangling her to death earlier. Although she had always known


    of his cruelty, it was today she realized she had underestimated him. There¡¯s no end to how cruel he


    can be!


    Up to this point, she knew she could not admit to her deeds no matter what. Once she did, she would


    die a dog¡¯s death. Leo doesn¡¯t have any evidence anyway, and I didn¡¯t leave any signs behind.


    With this in mind, Elyse clenched her teeth and nodded. ¡°I did go to the race track that day and texted


    Ashton to increase the difficulty of the trackyout. I was upset inside and wanted to teach Amelie a


    lesson. I never thought there¡¯d be something wrong with the logs.¡±


    Shemunicated that rapidly out of fear that his grip might tighten around her neck if she spoke any


    slower. The sensation of death, pain, and desperation was something she never wanted to experience


    again.


    ¡°I mean, it was Amelie who insisted on beingpletely blindfolded when Ashton kept emphasizing


    only one eye was to be covered. If not for her stubbornness, such a dangerous thing wouldn¡¯t have


    happened, though it did prove her abilities. Even under those circumstances, she still came out


    unscathed. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re suddenly pinning the me on me. I-I-I feel so wronged.¡±


    Her tears started to fall, yet they stemmed from fear rather than aggrievement.


    Still, she knew if the secret about Amelie¡¯s cornea remained unexposed, Amelie could only me


    herself for this incident at the end of the day. From the outsiders¡¯ perspectives, it was her ego that


    caused her the consequences.


    ¡°Leony, if you care about her, you should talk her out of it. It isn¡¯t safe to be blindfolded for a bet.¡±


    Leo did not move. Although Elyse could not be trusted, he indeed saw Ameliepeting blindfolded,


    twice.


    ¡°Why is she so adamant about targeting you?¡± he asked.


    Sensing that his tone had softened, she slowly stood up with her puffy eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I¡¯ve


    been pondering over this and thought she might¡¯ve misunderstood me, just like you did. Since she saw


    me that day, she must¡¯ve thought I was the one pulling the strings. That exins why she is so fixated


    on ruining me,¡± she stated while drying her tears.


    Coming from an actor background, Elyse was able to pull off a pitiful look with ease despite her subpar


    acting chops. While she bit her lip, she looked at the ground all teary-eyed with tears dripping from her


    cheeks. She perfectly illustrated how ¡®wronged¡¯ she felt.


    ¡°It better be just like what you said.¡± Leo did not show any sympathy for the pitiful-looking woman


    before him. As if his heart had been frozen, he found it hard to be patient with her again. Then, he


    turned around.


    The fact that he was about to leave made Elyse realize she was safe. cing her hands on her chest,


    she breathed deeply.


    ¡°If¡ª¡± The man did not begin walking. Instead, his cold voice echoed. ¡°If Ie to know you were lying,


    you¡¯ll experience pain worse than death!¡±


    Just as she thought she could rx, her breath was once again taken away by his words, causing her


    to nearly suffocate.


    The pair of shiny leather shoes then slowly disappear from her view. As she watched Leo¡¯s silhouette


    disappear, she ced her hand from her mouth back onto her chest and gripped her clothes so tightly


    to the point where the fabric stretched beyond recognition.


    ¡°Leony, is this what we¡¯vee to now? You¡¯re all about protecting her,¡± she muttered under her breath


    jealously, paired with sarcasm.


    Is he going to be shielding Amelie like this from now on? He doesn¡¯t even know she donated her


    cornea to him yet! Why? Why is God so unfair?


    Seeing that Leo still protected Amelie without prior knowledge of the secret, Elyse felt like she was


    thoroughly humiliated. Sheer pain, humiliation, and embarrassment were tearing her apart from within.


    ¡­


    ¡°Leo? Why are you back?¡± In the middle of the night, Melissa went downstairs to get some water, only


    to be shocked the moment she turned on the lights.


    It was under close observation before she found herself looking at her son. She was shocked to the


    point of covering her mouth with her hands.


    Although Leo was notpletely wasted, he did drink quite an amount, so he was tipsy, to say the


    least. Just as he was about to fall asleep on the couch, he was awakened by the ruckus as the lights


    pierced through his eyes, rendering him unamused at his mother.


    She walked over to him in her pajamas and scrutinized him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with Foxy right now?¡±


    ¡°Foxy?¡± He ruminated the word before understanding what she was talking about.


    ¡°So, you had something to do with Amelieing to the bar?¡±


    ¡°What?! Amelie went instead?!¡± Melissa¡¯s expectations crashnded. ¡°Why was it her?¡± She was so


    angry that she pulled on the hem of her pajamas.


    I had my people call Foxy! That shameless woman must¡¯ve arrived first! If so, what would happen if


    Foxy got mad? Where will I find such a rich daughter-inw again?


    The reason why she was trying hard to get on Foxy¡¯s good side was not only because she thought she


    was a suitable candidate for her son but because of the hundred million fans she had. With the number


    of fans who love and support her, no matter what she sells, it all culminates in at least tens of millions in


    sales. This means a profit of, at the minimum, a billion! Who would miss such a God-given opportunity?


    Although the Alstons were rich, nobody would mind more money. Once Foxy gets married into our


    household, we will go to the next level. Including the nation¡¯s wealthiest people, we might even be


    the richest people in the world!


    The thing that mattered most to Melissa was her pride, for she always thought of ways to further


    advance her inherent sense of superiority. After discovering the existence of Foxy, she was no longer


    satisfied being an individual of admiration by those from Clouson City and the nearby cities. Rather,


    she wanted more! It would be best if I get treated like the First Lady!


    Yet, her n was ruined by Amelie.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Angered beyond belief, she frowned so hard that her well-maintained skin suddenly popped a few


    wrinkles. Her good mood was thoroughly ruined by this news as she expressed huffingly, ¡°That


    shameless woman! I can overlook that she set you up in the beginning, but she¡¯s still clinging to you


    after all this time! I think she never really wanted the divorce from the start. She just wants your riches


    and the family¡¯s fame! I called the people to phone Foxy, so how did she get there first?¡± she eximed


    while walking upstairs.


    Watching her silhouette, Leo suddenly had an epiphany. The reason Amelie went there today was that


    she knew I was drunk. Did she go there just for me?

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273


    After the first episode of ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ was released, the show went viral on the Inte, where the


    comments on the forums revolved around the ambiguous rtionships that were beginning to be


    clearer between the guests. Out of all the couples, ke and Foxy were most popr and well-liked by


    theizens, who considered the part in which he treated her wound a ssic scene to be


    remembered. Thanks to that, that scene was edited and reuploaded by theizens to express their


    admiration for the duo.


    ¡°This is impossible!¡± Melissa wrapped her fingers tightly around the phone with one hand while the


    other rapidly swiped through the webpage. At the same time, the fair skin on her forehead appeared to


    be covered in veins, and her eyes filled with rage and hatred. The next second, she mmed her


    phone onto the table and poked her chest with one finger. Ah! It hurts! Why does everything going on


    have to give me anxiety? ke won¡¯t stop wooing Foxy, while that shameless woman, Amelie, won¡¯t


    leave my son alone!


    At that thought, she wished she could confront Amelie in person and p her in the face. ¡°Where is


    your sense of shame, Amelie?! Have you not had enough sponging off us for thest four years? Why


    won¡¯t you just go away and leave us alone?!¡±


    She was annoyed with Amelie, whom she considered a threat from outside her family, yet the


    disappointment about her son¡¯s disobedience only added to her frustration. Ironically, the more she


    dwelled on that matter, the stronger the stab of pain grew in her chest.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, will you continue to be a part of ¡®Show Your Love¡¯?¡± A voice was suddenly heard from the


    television.


    Melissa bitterly shifted her gaze to the television and saw the camera changing its direction toward


    Genesis¡¯ entrance, a grand-looking gate made of granite. The next second, Leo stepped out of the car


    and presented his charming self in front of everyone. With his usual cial look, he began to walk in


    the direction of the building in a decent outfit. When she saw that, she had to admit she was proud of


    her son, although he did not like her very much. That¡¯s my boy! Outstanding and handsome like


    nobody else!


    In the meantime, Leo was quickly surrounded by the press that had been waiting at the entrance as he


    was faced with several microphones near his face. Surprised by the unexpected situation, he was


    forced to stop in his tracks along with the people who were following behind despite his busy schedule.


    He glimpsed the paparazzi around him and furrowed his eyebrows unhappily, pursing his lips with a


    scowl on his face.


    Meanwhile, the security guards at the door were shocked when they noticed Leo¡¯s reaction. Thus, they


    quickly stepped in and separated the paparazzi from him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Alston. It was our fault that we


    failed to notice the paparazzi at the entrance.¡±


    Nevertheless, Leo¡¯s eyes remained emotionless just as the guards went on to clear a path for him


    among the crowd.


    However, the paparazzi were not going to give up so easily because they had been waiting there for a


    long time. ¡°Mr. Alston, please tell us something.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a sessful man with wealth and fame, Mr. Alston. So, what makes you want to be a part of


    ¡®Show Your Love¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Are you doing this for Miss yton?¡±


    ¡°Or are you trying to tell everyone that Miss yton is your woman, whom you¡¯re going to protect


    unconditionally?¡±


    Due to his status in themercial world, Leo inevitably became the center of attention ever since he


    joined the show. Therefore, the public was curious to know whether he would be in the next episode,


    which was why the paparazzi were there to learn more about his n.


    ¡°So far, it seems like you and Miss yton have barely interacted with each other in the show. Was it


    because those scenes were deleted?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Alston¡­¡±


    Nheless, despite the bombardment of questions from the press, Leo remained unresponsive with


    his lips sealed. Due to that, every face of the paparazzi was written with disappointment as they


    thought their questions would be left unanswered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± Leo spoke just when the paparazzi thought they were going to leave empty-handed. At


    the same time, the man¡¯s answer came like a bolt from the blue just before it was followed by murmurs


    of gossip and whisper. He went silent and gave the guards a cold gaze, signaling them toe closer


    and clear a path for him. After that, he moved on and disappeared from the TV screen.


    On the other hand, Melissa kept her eyes glued to the screen without blinking while her frustration


    slowly faded away. Soon, a smile showed on her face because she was sure Leo did not attend ¡®Show


    Your Love¡¯ for Elyse, but instead, he did that for Foxy. Apart from that, she also knew it was Leo¡¯s idea


    instead of the director to appear in so many scenes of the show, having requested the original footage


    from the director so that she could watch all the scenes he was in. Leo seemed different when he was


    looking at Foxy. That means he neverid his eyes on anyone else besides her. That¡¯s great! There is


    a high chance that Leo and Foxy will date each other as long as he continues to be in the show.


    Without any idea that Foxy and Amelie were the same people, Melissa thought the reason why Foxy


    was so indifferent to Leo was that she had not developed feelings for him yet. I don¡¯t care if Foxy and


    ke have anything out of the ordinary between them or are the most popr couple. Foxy will be my


    daughter-inw no matter the cost because I chose her!


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At the thought of that, she quickly gave Jodie a call and told her toe home.


    Half an hourter, Jodie pushed the door open and entered the house, showing herself in an outfit with


    a noticeable mini skirt. Her body was covered with an unpleasant smoky odor as she appeared to be


    holding a small purse. Struggling to walk in a straight line, she staggered while the purse hanging on


    her wrist oscited wildly.


    Before she even got close, Melissa could already smell the alcohol stench that was wafting from her


    daughter¡¯s body. In that instant, a scowl showed on her face just when she lectured Jodie without


    hesitation. ¡°What did you do to yourself? Were you drinking? Jodie Alston, have you forgotten your


    ce and who you are? Are you trying to ruin your image? Oh, dear¡­¡± She repeatedly fanned her


    nose to keep the stench away from her while expressing her disappointment in Jodie. ¡°If anyone sees


    you like that, you¡¯re going to have a hard time finding a man who wants to marry you!¡±


    Jodiebed her hair backward with her fingers, whereupon she walked to the couch and copsed


    on it without even taking off her high heels. Then, she swung her arms wildly several times and fell onto


    the ground from the cushion. ¡°Marry me? Nah, no man is going toy his eyes on me no matter how


    good I am.¡±


    Melissa gave Jodie a look of disapproval, but even so, she went into the kitchen and made some green


    tea to cure her hangover. After being forced by her mother to finish the tea, Jodie finally sobered up


    from the alcoholic influence and sat up straight. ¡°Why did you call me back?¡±


    Melissa was about to lecture her daughter again, but when she heard her question, she decided she


    might as well get down to business. ¡°You¡¯re in ¡®Show Your Love¡¯, right? I want you to keep your eye on


    your brother from the next episode onward.¡±


    ¡°Nah!¡± Jodie grunted coldly. ¡°I just decided to quit the show.¡±


    ¡°What? Why did you quit?¡± Melissa was surprised to hear that.


    Jodie flung her new curly hair and pouted unhappily. ¡°Why can¡¯t I quit? I¡¯m tired of swallowing my pride


    just to grab someone¡¯s attention.¡±


    Deep down, she was dismayed and discouraged that ke did not even bother to look at her even


    after everything she did, which was why she gave up on attending the show.


    ¡°No! You must attend the show!¡± Melissa said to her daughter in amanding tone just as she was


    about to reach for her phone to call the director.


    ¡°Why?!¡± Jodie angrily questioned her mother, stomping the couch with her feet repeatedly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t quit. Think about your brother. Foxy is the woman I choose to be my daughter-inw, so if


    you¡¯re there to help out, he can bring her back home sooner.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind, Mom?¡± Jodie lost her temper and flipped out like a barking dog, bouncing off


    the couch with a high-pitched voice. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Mom? How could you let a woman like Foxy


    marry Leo? You¡­ You¡¯re¡­¡± She puckered her trembling lips and stammered toward the end of her


    sentence. Foxy stole my dream man away from me, yet now she wants to marry into the Alston Family.


    No goddamn way!


    ¡°No! I will not let that woman marry Leo! There¡¯s no way she¡¯s bing a part of our family!¡± Her blood


    was already boiling just hearing Foxy¡¯s name as her jealousy and rage overwhelmed her rational mind.


    ¡°What has thatdy done to you, Mom? Did she put you under her spell or something? You used to


    think very little of those inte celebrities.¡± She was sure it was Foxy who created all the chaos behind


    her back. She took a step forward impatiently and stated, ¡°I must confront her and make her pay for


    what she did!¡±

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274


    Melissa seized Jodie¡¯s arm and expressed her dislike for her daughter¡¯s hot temper. ¡°Get a hold of


    yourself! I¡¯m the one who wants Foxy to marry your brother, which has nothing to do with her.¡± She then


    sat Jodie down on the couch and said, ¡°You need to keep your temper in check and think straight.¡±


    ¡°I have every reason to lose my temper about that,¡± Jodie responded in frustration, her eyes filled with


    tears. ¡°Foxy wouldn¡¯t stop getting in my way during the show, yet now, you¡¯re inviting her to be a part of


    our family. How is that fair?!¡± Her tears began to roll down her eyes as sheined.


    Melissa reacted by helplessly shaking her head, giving a look of disappointment to her daughter, who


    she thought was toofortable with her life to deal with any setback. However, she still went on to


    patiently exin her point, ¡°But you can¡¯t deny the fact that Foxy is indeed an inte celebrity. Now


    that times are different than before, I have to change my thinking as well. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± She


    patted Jodie¡¯s knee and continued her words, ¡°Look. Foxy has over a hundred million followers, and


    what does that seem to you? A gold mine is what it seems to me. If your brother marries her, we¡¯re


    going to be even richer and more influential than ever before.¡±


    As a graduate of Mass Communication herself, Jodie quickly understood Melissa¡¯s point, not to


    mention her desire to be an inte celebrity like Foxy as well. A hundred million followers? I


    could make several times more than an average officedy ever could in a few months or even a year


    by just going live every night if I was an inte celebrity with that many followers. That¡¯s not even


    inclusive of any sales made during those live shows, so if I do that, I could even make billions. That¡¯s


    right! Mom has a point. Foxy is a mine with unlimited gold in it.


    The more she thought about that, the more excited and thrilled she felt about her mother¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°I may be helping Leo, but I¡¯m also giving you a chance to prove your worth at the same time. Haven¡¯t


    you always wanted to be an inte celebrity? Now is your chance. You could ask her for her


    guidance and make your dreame true. Even if you can¡¯t be as sessful as her in the end, I¡¯m


    sure you¡¯ll umte at least thousands or millions of fans with her help.¡± Melissa tried to talk some


    sense into her daughter¡¯s head.


    Who says I need Foxy¡¯s help?!


    Despite the thought of that, Jodie somehow did not feel as disgusted as she used to before when she


    heard Foxy¡¯s name from Melissa. Soon, she rolled her eyes sinisterly and began to think that Melissa¡¯s


    suggestion was not a bad idea. After all, she reckoned she could seize the opportunity to woo ke


    while Foxy was busy dating Leo. Then, she would find a chance to ruin Leo and Foxy¡¯s rtionship


    later once she became an item with ke.


    As her ego got the better of her, she did not care how Foxy could strengthen the Alston Family¡¯s


    influence or help her be an inte celebrity because all she cared about was to have ke for


    herself and ruin Foxy¡¯s life.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Elyse was sitting in front of the television in Michael¡¯s room when she happened to see the


    part of the show, in which Leo appeared. However, the admiration on her beautiful face slowly faded


    away before it was reced by a look of hatred and jealousy. After all, she knew better than anyone


    else that he did not join the show because of her but Amelie.


    What kind of trick has that b*tch used to put those men under her spell? Why are the two most


    sessful men ever known in their respective areas of expertise so crazy over her?


    At the thought of how popr Amelie was, Elyse¡¯s jealousy filled her mind with so much rage and


    hatred that she wished she could ssh some sulfuric acid at Amelie¡¯s face and destroy her good


    looks. This is annoying!


    She stood up irritably and saw her reflection in the mirror, taking a second to admire her pretty looks,


    though her terrible mood was overwhelming at that moment. Then, she gently rubbed her cheeks with


    her fingers, asking herself why no man was interested in her despite her beauty.


    Just when Amelie was engrossed in her train of thought, she suddenly felt a slight pain caused by what


    felt like something hitting her finger joint. As she turned around, she met Ellen¡¯s innocent eyes and saw


    her holding a tennis racket in an unsightly posture that made her look silly. At the same time, she


    realized the impact that she felt in her finger joint was caused by a tennis ball.


    Seeing the ball still bouncing up and down on the floor, Elyse allowed her anger to get the better of her


    and charged at Ellen before pping her in the face. ¡°Are you blind?! I was standing there, so why did


    you hit the ball my way?¡± Despite having pped Ellen in the face, Elyse still did not think it was


    enough as she grabbed her sister by the cor and shoved her to the wall.


    In the meantime, Ellen was sent flying to the wall by Elyse¡¯s force, hitting it with her back. However, due


    to the great inertia, the back of her head bumped into the concrete, apanied by a loud bang.


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts!¡± Ellen knitted her eyebrows and curled up in agony, touching her head while gazing at


    Elyse fearfully. Her eyes filled with tears and terror, which indicated that she was afraid of Elyse.


    Nevertheless, the sight of Ellen¡¯s pitiful expression only served to annoy Elyse even more. Thus, she


    landed a few more kicks on her sister to vent her anger. ¡°What¡¯re you looking at?! What¡¯re you looking


    at?! What have you been doing all this time? Why didn¡¯t you just die?!¡± As she went on to scold Ellen


    harshly, her rude and aggressive behavior made her look just like an uncivilized battleax, unlike her


    decent reputation as a celebrity.


    While Ellen continued to back away and put up with Elyse¡¯s abuse, Michael suddenly showed up and


    stepped in. ¡°Oh my god! What in the world are you doing?!¡± The man was seen to be wearing an apron


    with a spade in his hand.


    Ever since Ellen returned home, he had dedicated all his time to looking after her, even taking care of


    the house chores, although he hardly did them in the past few decades. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have sorted


    things out with her nicely? You didn¡¯t have to get physical with her at all.¡± He pulled Ellen away and


    approached Elyse, dusting Ellen¡¯s clothes while making sure she was unhurt as if she was a rare


    treasure he just found. ¡°You could have hurt her. Did you know that?!¡± The man lectured Elyse for her


    violence.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Elyse stared at Michael, annoyed with the fact her father was giving all his attention to Ellen. ¡°She is


    nothing but a piece of useless crap, so why do you care so much about her? Just abandon her for


    good!¡±


    This woman is such an unpleasant eyesore!


    ¡°Abandon her?¡± Michael disagreed with her and gave her a strange look. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±


    Only a fool would leave a gold mine and walk away.


    ¡°What are you going to do with her? Keep her until Christmas so we can all celebrate the asion


    together? She¡¯s mentally handicapped. What else can she do besides giggle like a fool? Don¡¯t tell me


    you¡¯re counting on her to seduce Leo and win his heart! He¡¯s not even going to look at her!¡± Elyse


    mocked her father with a smirk and red at Ellen, intimidating her so much that she immediately hid


    behind him.


    Michael then patted Ellen¡¯s skinny shoulder and patiently exined to Elyse his point of view, ¡°Oh, girl.


    Does Leo Alston seem like an ordinary man to you? Do you think a man like him would abandon his


    pride and fall for this woman, who¡¯s mentally handicapped, as you described? No, I don¡¯t think so, but


    guess what? Mr. Alston seems to care a lot about thisdy. Look, Ellen only came back not long ago,


    but he¡¯s already given us a few million because of that. Thus, you can¡¯t deny that this is good money


    because we didn¡¯t have to work like a donkey to earn it. So, what¡¯s your take? I, for one, will not say no


    to that.¡±


    To Michael, a life like that was too good for him to let go. ¡°Besides, Mr. Alston¡¯s assistant also promised


    on his behalf that we can ask them for financial assistance whenever Ellen needs it. Also, she was


    given a credit card with no spending limit yesterday, which means I won¡¯t have to worry about the price


    anymore before I buy anything!¡±


    Back then, he never dared to even think about having afortable life like that as he wascent


    with all he had, despite his greed. Nevertheless, he was now happy he could finally kiss his poor life


    goodbye, recalling the old days in which he had to steal just to make tens of thousands when he was


    working for Steven.


    ¡°From now on, you will forget about whatever ideas you have in your mind and help me take care of our


    ¡®gold mine¡¯.¡±


    Forget about whatever ideas I have in my mind. How can I forget that Leo and Amelie are getting


    closer day by day?


    Elyse blinked bitterly while her jealousy gnawed at her with the thought of Leo and Amelie growing


    closer to each other on set. While he did not even care to hide his feelings for Amelie, their intimate


    interaction on TV always made Elyse go crazy, as if someone was reminding her that Amelie took him


    away from her. Due to that, her wild imagination intensified in thest few days and almost drove her


    nuts.


    ¡°I¡¯m the woman Leo loves! I¡¯m the only woman who can have him!¡± She gritted her teeth and swore to


    herself, thinking that having Leo mattered more than anything to her, including the amount of fortune


    that Ellen could bring them.


    ¡°Leo is mine, and no one can take him away from me!¡± She got so agitated that she clenched her fists


    and jaw tightly until a loud bang was heard. Before she could figure out what hit her, her vision started


    to ck out just when the pain began to kick in.

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275


    Elyse held her numb and painful head and looked over, just to see that Ellen¡ªwho had been hiding


    behind Michael¡ªsuddenly appeared with the tennis racket she had been holding all along.


    The top of the cheap racket hung down, and the light blue strap was loosely draped over an iron


    handle.


    ¡°You hit me?¡± Only then did she realize what had happened and stare at Ellen in disbelief, her eyes


    rolling in fury.


    However, at the same time, she noticed that the once timid and cowardly Ellen was no longer to be


    found, as she was now staring back at her with a sinister gaze.


    ¡°Leo is mine. He¡¯s mine,¡± she muttered under her breath, her eyes staring nkly, emitting a mad gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare take him from me. I¡¯ll kill anyone who does that!¡±


    As she spoke, she raised the tennis racket and wildly swung it in the air while rushing toward Elyse. At


    this moment, her intention to kill was evident, as her eyes showed her desire for blood.


    Her sudden change and huge contrast shocked Elyse, causing her to fall to the ground,pletely


    stunned.


    If Michael didn¡¯t rush over to stop Ellen, Elyse would have been beaten to a pulp by her sister.


    Yet, even with Michael stopping her, Ellen still refused to let Elyse go. She frantically shouted, ¡°Say it,


    say it now! Say that you don¡¯t love Leo! Say that you won¡¯t take him from me!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. No one¡¯s taking him from you. No one,¡± heforted her as he pushed her into a room.


    Meanwhile, Elyse remained sitting on the ground. As she propped herself up from the ground with her


    hands, she slowly regained her senses. The image of Ellen¡¯s terrifying bloodthirsty look kept shing


    through her mind, causing cold sweat to seep out until her back became cold and damp. I have almost


    been beaten to death. Ellen is truly terrifying when she goes crazy.


    Ellen in this state¡­ A bold idea suddenly shed through her mind, and her eyes lit up. Immediately, a


    sinister smile yed on her lips.


    Although unexpected events urred during the production of ¡®Show Your Love¡¯, the show¡¯s effect


    turned out to be surprisingly good. So, Mr. Hampton immediately started nning the second episode.


    On Monday, the new episode officially began filming. Since the early morning, various reporters and


    online influencers gathered outside the TV station, waiting to capture thetest scoop.


    The TV station was happy to have people generate buzz for them, so they added space on both sides


    of the red carpet for the reporters to use. The carpet extended all the way from the TV station¡¯s


    entrance to the studio, and the reporters filled every avable spot there. Everyone was eagerly


    awaiting the appearance of the most talked-about contestants.


    Amelie habitually arrived early and didn¡¯t bother with any shy tricks for a grand entrance.


    After putting on her mask, she confidently made her way down the red carpet. Seeing the crowds of


    people on either side, she just wanted to quickly finish walking the red carpet and get it over with.


    Meanwhile, ke, who got out of the car behind her, noticed her hurried steps. He knew her well


    enough to know what was on her mind. At the thought of that, a faint smile yed on his lips.


    ¡°Shall we go over there?¡± his assistant asked.


    At that, he pocketed the tenderness in his gaze and shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a bit.¡± She doesn¡¯t


    like to be surrounded by people. I should join inter.


    He was well-versed in the ways of the media. If they both appeared together, they would be bombarded


    with questions and could never leave.


    Just then, another long, ck MPV pulled up next to them. The door opened slowly, revealing a pair of


    shiny ck shoes, followed by a pair of long and slender legs that were wrapped in ck suit pants


    that fit perfectly.


    The MPV was high enough that the man didn¡¯t even have to bend his head as he stepped out. With just


    a slight push from his long fingers on the car door, a cold and stern face was revealed.


    Behind the man was a woman who followed closely, but he didn¡¯t pay her any attention as he walked


    away with determined strides.


    At the same time, Amelie was intercepted by the reporters in front. Just as she paused for a moment,


    the man had already walked up behind her. With one more step, he stood right next to her.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡± Jodie looked at the hurried Leo with a pout. When she saw her brother standing next to the


    masked Foxy, a clear disgust shed in her eyes.


    Just as she was about to chase after him, she turned around and saw ke standing by their car.


    Suddenly, her eyes lit up like two brightmps, and she could no longer see anyone else. She ran to


    ke while holding up the hem of her dress.


    Meanwhile, the reporters were interviewing Foxy when their cameras were suddenly blocked, causing


    them to look up. When they saw Leo, their eyes shone inexplicably.


    By right, even if Leo had arrived, he would be standing behind Foxy or at least leave the ce after


    greeting her. What¡¯s going on? Why is he beside Foxy?


    Everyone¡¯s eyes darted between him and Amelie, trying to find the answer on their faces.


    Leo was now right in front of her, so it was hard not to notice him. Amelie was also surprised to see him


    standing next to her and couldn¡¯t help but look over, but she noticed that he was still pressing his lips


    together and not saying anything.


    He remained silent; the reporters remained silent; Amelie remained silent as well. At once, the scene


    fell into an eerie silence.


    ¡°Morning, Mr. Alston.¡± Amelie decided to break the silence.


    At that, a low and elusive ¡®hi¡¯ slipped out of his throat.


    For some reason, she felt that this ¡®hi¡¯ was filled with a certain ambiguity as if he wanted people to


    know that they were quite close to each other.


    Not only she, but the reporters also sensed this and began to raise their microphones, ready to ask


    questions.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he continued, ignoring all their gazes but not moving.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    At this moment, she waspletely speechless. Since he didn¡¯t move, she had to take the first step.


    She truly disliked being endlessly probed and investigated for her privacy, so she took a step forward.


    He followed suit, and the two walked side by side.


    Something is definitely going on between them. The reporters¡¯ eyes lit up with excitement, and they


    pondered whether to pluck up some courage and try to interview Leo, or at least ask Foxy a few


    questions.


    Although the reporters in the front row wanted to do so, not one of them dared to stop them. Talking to


    Foxy was doable, but Leo¡¯s cold and aloof demeanor was too intimidating. They felt like they were


    being scrutinized through a skewer with just one nce from him. Moreover, it was rumored that he


    was ruthless in the business world. He might ruin their career if he became unhappy. Since Amelie was


    standing next to him, they didn¡¯t dare stop her either.


    At that moment, there was amotion behind them, so everyone turned around to see what was


    happening, only to see that it was Elyse stepping out of her white luxury MPV.


    She wore a white suit that entuated her extremely fair skin, which seemed to glow. However, she


    was no longer dressed like a goddess, with her hair tied up instead, giving her the vibe of a strong and


    capable woman.


    Her appearance was like a big stone suddenly thrown into a pool, and everyone¡¯s attention quickly


    shifted from her back to the nearby Leo, who was walking alongside Amelie.


    It was well known that Leo only participated in ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ because of Elyse. Now that they had


    gone their separate ways, he was with Foxy. What is going on?


    The nature of gossip immediately surged through the reporters, filling every part of their bodies and


    piquing their curiosity. It even made them forget their fear of Leo as the reporters in the front row


    rushed to block their way on the red carpet.


    Instantly, as if everyone¡¯s eyes had turned into spotlights, they were fixed on Amelie, Leo, and Elyse.


    As their eyes darted around the three, they started specting in their minds.

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276


    At this moment, Amelie didn¡¯t know what to say. She just wanted to quickly finish walking the red


    carpet, but now this had happened. As her head started aching, she rubbed her temples through the


    fox mask, feeling deeply resentful. Why can¡¯t the two of them just solve their issues in private? Why


    drag me into it? Since the beginning, I have only wanted to be a bystander.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    The reporters didn¡¯t ask any questions, but was it necessary in this situation? They just needed to


    observe the interaction between her, Leo, and Elyse.


    The reporters¡¯ gossipy eyes shone brightly as they pulled out all their devices, which could collect any


    information to capture every moment, whether it was of Elyse alone or Amelie with Leo. There was no


    angle they missed. Even the three¡¯s gazes could be useful for their reports.


    Speechless, Amelie felt like a monkey on disy. Although people were constantly watching her during


    her live stream, at least she had something to do. She couldn¡¯t just dance or sing here on the red


    carpet. So, she could only hope for Leo to end this situation. Go ahead. Go to your beloved first love.


    I¡¯ll be free once you leave.


    However, he did not budge as he just stood there without moving an inch. He didn¡¯t even nce over at


    Elyse but just stood there, stoic.


    Seeing that, Amelie felt helpless. Is being watched by others that fun? Mr. Alston, were you too low-key


    in your earlier years that you now wee excitement?


    ¡°Leo.¡± Elyse finally made a move and walked over confidently.


    At the same time, Amelie took a step back, giving the two of them some space.


    Just then, Elyse¡¯s soft voice resonated again. ¡°There¡¯s no need to give us space, Miss Foxy. I¡¯m here


    today to say goodbye to Leo.¡±


    F*ck! Amelie, who usually paid the most attention to her image, couldn¡¯t help but curse in her mind.


    Why involve me?


    Sure enough, as soon as Elyse said that, there was an obvious change in the gazes of the reporters.


    ¡°Does it mean Foxy took Mr. Alston from¡­¡± Although the whispers were soft, Amelie still saw through


    the meaning behind those gazes.


    Likewise, Elyse saw through it all as well. She let out a cold snort smugly. However, she didn¡¯t show


    any of that on her face and even deliberately put on a look of regret and reluctance. ¡°I had a great time


    participating in this show and learned a lot, but I have decided to withdraw myself from the show for the


    good of everyone.¡±


    F*ck, f*ck, f*ck!


    At once, the crowd soared. As expected, Mr. Alston and Foxy have gotten together. So, Elyse is leaving


    with heartbreak.


    The reporters all turned their attention to Amelie, but their gazes were no longer showing respect and


    were even tinged with some contempt. How is she an influencer with 100 million fans when she has


    such a poor moral character?


    Amelie was not stupid, for when Elyse announced her departure, she knew that Elyse intended to ruin


    her in this way.


    However, Elyse seemed to be unaware that she had deployed a weapon of mass destruction against


    Amelie, as she intentionally looked at Leo with so much tenderness and reluctance. Yet, when she


    turned to the audience, she pretended to be strong. ¡°Allow me to exin. There¡¯s actually nothing


    going on between Mr. Alston and me, so please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡±


    This statement only deepened everyone¡¯s misunderstanding. Not only did they misinterpret their


    rtionships, but they also pitied Elyse. Her man is taken away from her, but she still pretends to be


    strong. It¡¯s really heartbreaking.


    Many online influencers in the reporter group were live streaming this scene. That day happened to be


    the weekend, so students and adults were all at home watching the live stream.


    Instantly, this incident attracted countless viewers, with everyone feeling indignant for Elyse.


    ¡®The heck? What was Mr. Alston thinking? Why did he choose a faceless influencer over the beautiful


    Miss yton?¡¯


    ¡®I feel so sorry for Miss yton. I swear there were tears in her eyes when she forced a smile just now.


    Poor her.¡¯


    ¡®I beg you, Mr. Alston. Please don¡¯t abandon Miss yton. She made mistakes in the past, but her love


    for you is genuine.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s all because of that shameless Foxy! How can she interfere in other people¡¯s rtionships? She¡¯s


    disgusting!¡¯


    ¡®How can a woman like her even be an influencer? Are all of her fans brainless as to support her?¡¯


    ¡®Damn, I must be brainless. I¡¯m unfollowing her now.¡¯


    At once, different live streams were all bustling. Comments in various colors and fonts were filling the


    screen and were all condemning Foxy and stating to unfollow her.


    Elyse also nced at the content of the live stream. Although she looked pitiful on the outside, she was


    blooming with joy on the inside. This is exactly the way I want to ruin Amelie! What is this called again?


    Oh, giving one a taste of one¡¯s own medicine. Thank you for teaching me that, Amelie!


    Meanwhile, Amelie looked at Elyse¡¯s act coldly and guessed her intentions perfectly. A faint smirk


    tugged on her lips. Without talking to Elyse, she turned around and gave Leo a cold look. ¡°Are you not


    going to exin, Mr. Alston?¡±


    Hearing that, he lowered his head to look at her. Although there was a mask between them, her anger


    was visible in her eyes. At this moment, she was livelier than she usually was since she was always


    polite and formal with him.


    Of course, he had no intention of letting these things affect her, so he turned his gaze to Elyse. Despite


    not saying a word, his gaze was deep, and his stare was deadly.


    That re frightened Elyse, who was feeling triumphant, making her couldn¡¯t help but tremble a little.


    For a moment, she had forgotten his ruthlessness.


    Her original goal was to make people misunderstand Amelie. In this situation, no one would believe


    Amelie no matter how she exined. Her fans would definitely realize her true colors and cease to


    simp for her. They would not only unfollow her but also be haters. Leo couldn¡¯t help her either. If


    he admitted to liking Amelie, it would be tantamount to admitting that Amelie had interfered in their


    rtionship. For him to deny it¡­ was impossible. She knew his character well. He could stay silent, but


    he would never deny the truth.


    With much confidence, she thought that she could use this trick to ruin Amelie, but she never expected


    that Leo would throw the question back at her. However, she knew that if she didn¡¯t resolve this issue,


    he wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook.


    At this thought, she quickly spoke up. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, everyone. What I meant was¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like people surrounding you, so I stopped behind and let you go ahead. Guess it


    didn¡¯t change anything.¡± Before Elyse could finish her sentence, a resigned sigh resonated. This sigh


    was gentle, full of helplessness and affection.


    Immediately after, an arm was hooked around Amelie¡¯s shoulder.


    When everyone shifted their attention, ke¡¯s overly beautiful and clean face came into their sight. His


    eyes were hidden beneath his fringe and they had a gaze as gentle as water that softly engulfed


    Amelie like a veil. It seemed that he didn¡¯t dare look at her too intensely, afraid that he would melt her


    with his gaze.


    This natural disy of affection didn¡¯t require anynguage. Such affection prated everyone¡¯s mind


    like a ghostly breath, making them can¡¯t help but feel soft and tender in their hearts.


    Damn it. It¡¯s so sweet just to look at him, and it¡¯s to feel his affection is just heavenly. At this moment,


    everyone watching the scene could only wish they were Miss Foxy.


    In fact, Amelie had already discussed with ke beforehand that they would treat each other like


    siblings. When she saw himing out to help her, a smile of relief appeared on her lips.


    At this moment, Leo just happened to catch her smile. In his eyes, her smile was a woman¡¯s coquettish


    smile toward a man, a smile of venting grievances, and most of all, a joyful smile at the protection of a


    man.


    His handsome face suddenly became as if it had been dipped in ice, so cold that it was bloodcurdling.

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277


    ke did not care about Leo¡¯s rage, nor did he bother to look at the others. Amelie was the only one in


    his eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He didn¡¯t exin or me her for anything, as though the farce earlier had never happened.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Amelie looked up at him gratefully and let him lug her forward with his arm around her shoulder.


    The reporters couldn¡¯t help but move to the sides and let them pass.


    ¡®Damn! I was spooked. It didn¡¯t happen, after all.¡¯


    Everything was on live stream, and theizens startedmenting enthusiastically.


    ¡®They must be out of their minds to think that Foxy has hooked up with Mr. Alston. She and key are


    partners.¡¯


    ¡®It was all Elyse¡¯s fault for spouting nonsense.¡¯


    ¡®She must have done so intentionally. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s her first time ndering Foxy.¡¯


    ¡®I heard that she has tried to tarnish Foxy¡¯s reputation on several asions.¡¯


    ¡®Really? We should get to the bottom of it, then.¡¯


    ¡­


    As Elyse went through thements that cursed at her and threatened to find out her wrongdoings,


    her face paled in horror.


    She pressed her hands against her thighs and balled up her fists.


    Initially, she thought that after she gave an exnation, the others would think that Leo and Amelie had


    joined forces to oppress her and that she was still the victim.


    However, everything changed upon ke¡¯s arrival.


    There wasn¡¯t a need for Amelie to exin anything, and everyone believed that she was innocent.


    My n has failed again!


    Although Elyse felt dejected, she wouldn¡¯t dare to let her emotions show on her face. She then


    approached Leo, her body trembling slightly.


    Leo did not look at anyone, nor did he move a muscle. Nheless, his gaze was as sharp as a knife.


    Elyse felt as though a knife had been jabbed into her heart, causing her horrendous pain.


    With a pale face, she stood in front of Leo and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not making myself clear earlier, Leo.


    What I meant was that I intended to give the chance to someone else.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t bother to spare her a nce as he walked away.


    This time, no one stood up for her, nor did anyone find her piteous.


    They were not fools. Elyse could¡¯ve exined it clearly early on, but she only did so after a series of


    things happened.


    It was apparent that she was trying to frame her opponent.


    ¡°Leo.¡±


    Just then, a clear voice was heard calling out to the man.


    The next moment, a woman in a chiffon dress with floral patterns got out of Elyse¡¯s white van.


    She had long silky hair with a pink hairband over her head. Some strands of hair stuck close to her


    cheeks, making her look as dreamy as a princess.


    She was the one who called out to Leo in a sweet voice.


    The woman could run so fast that she reached Leo in a moment.


    She took Leo¡¯s fingers with both hands and kept shaking his hand. ¡°Why did you walk so fast, Leo? I


    had to run after you.¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    The woman¡¯s appearance instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention as they looked at the duo¡¯s hands.


    It seemed that they were pretty close.


    Elyse strode forward and patted the woman¡¯s shoulder with a smile. ¡°She¡¯s the one I¡¯ve been talking


    about. Her name is Ellen yton, and she¡¯s my sister.¡±


    As though not hearing her, Ellen focused on Leo¡¯s face.


    She batted her big alluring eyes at the man. Unlike how sedate a mature woman was supposed to be,


    she behaved like a young kid.


    Why is she acting childishly?


    ¡°Are you here to take part in the show?¡± Leo finally replied as everyone spected on their


    rtionship.


    Nevertheless, he only arched his brow without showing much affection.


    Although he was surprised at Ellen¡¯s arrival, he wouldn¡¯t let his emotions show on his face like others


    typically did.


    Ellen pouted gently. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I certainly have toe. Don¡¯t you want me to be here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    Leo was always gentle to his benefactor.


    Everyone was shocked when they saw how tender Leo looked.


    One had to know that Leo had always been indifferent. He rarely showed his gentle side to anyone.


    What¡¯s this woman¡¯s rtionship with him?


    Since Ellen appeared intimate with Leo, coupled with the fact that Elyse had just announced that she


    and Leo were not a couple, everyone soon realized something new.


    It was no wonder that there didn¡¯t seem to be muchmunication between Elyse and Leo when they


    watched the show. After all, Elyse¡¯s sister, Ellen, was Leo¡¯s partner.


    Elyse was worried that others might notice that Ellen was disturbed if they stayed there any longer. As


    such, she urged them by saying, ¡°Ellen, Leo, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Leo nodded in response.


    Ellen just wouldn¡¯t release Leo¡¯s hand as though she was some sort of glue. She skipped forward and


    turned to sh a sweet smile at the man. ¡°Hurry up, Leo.¡±


    Leo looked down at her hand but said nothing as he stepped forward.


    When ke and Amelie reached the end of the red carpet, she couldn¡¯t help but turn around, only to


    see Ellen and Leo holding hands.


    Due to the distance, she was unable to make out the woman¡¯s face. However, it was apparent to her


    that the woman was acting coquettishly in front of the man.


    Leo was a dispassionate man. He wouldn¡¯t let anyone touch him unless it was someone close to him.


    That woman¡­


    Just then, Elyse was heard saying that the woman was her sister.


    Amelie then recalled that Elyse had said she had a sister who had saved Leo before.


    I suppose she¡¯s that woman, then. Has he gotten together with her just because she saved him before?


    I¡¯m also his benefactor, but why doesn¡¯t he treat me the same way?


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± ke asked caringly.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Amelie turned around and saw ke looking at her with a gaze that was tinged with worry. Smilingly,


    she replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    All the same, she and Leo were divorced. Since she had willingly done so much for him in the past,


    there was no point asking anything from him in return.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said and lifted the hem of her dress.


    Then, she couldn¡¯t help but utter, ¡°Thank you so much for what happened earlier. If you hadn¡¯t stepped


    forward and diverted everyone¡¯s attention, I would¡¯ve been in trouble.¡±


    Although she could still solve the issue without ke, it would¡¯ve been troublesome.


    ¡°That was the least I could do.¡± ke looked softly at her and smiled sheepishly.


    Nevertheless, a tinge of dejectedness rose within him.


    How he wished he could stand by her side and protect her as her man.


    However, he knew that once he confessed his love, he would scare the woman off.


    Even though he was still deeply in love with her, he wouldn¡¯t dare to show his affection. Below his soft


    bangs, his eyes curved into crescents. ¡°Regardless, you¡¯re my good friend.¡±


    Amelie nodded with a smile as they entered the ce.


    Soon, they arrived backstage.


    Since it was a variety show, there wasn¡¯t any strict demand when it came to makeup. As such, they


    only let their makeup artists reapply some makeup for them.


    Amelie didn¡¯t have to put on any makeup as she was going to wear a mask. Therefore, she just waited


    in the lounge.


    She was the only one in that ce.


    Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to close her eyes and meditate.


    That was something she did regrly. When she had some free time, she would empty her mind so


    that she would get enough rest and feel energetic when she had to respond toplicated questions.


    While she was meditating, someone asked coldly, ¡°What are you up to?¡±

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278


    Amelie smiled and looked at ke, who also happened to be grinning at her.


    Both of them did not want to invite trouble for themselves, nor did they bother to exin anything.


    Amelie only gave Fiona an ambiguous response. ¡°Why don¡¯t you venture a guess?¡±


    Fiona giggled. ¡°For some reason, even though both of you look intimate, something iscking between


    you two.¡±


    ¡°Can you get me some water, Leo?¡± Ellen was heard asking softly. Her childish voice was piercing.


    All of them were startled, and they couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at her.


    Although they were aware that there would be a neer, they hadn¡¯t seen her before. When they


    saw how Ellen was dressed up like a princess, coupled with the fact that her expression and voice


    were that of an inexperienced girl, they were surprised.


    Where is this woman from? Does Mr. Alston like this kind of pretentious woman?


    When a crew member heard that she needed water, he promptly passed her a water bottle.


    However, Ellen wasn¡¯t willing to take it. She snuggled up to Leo and demanded, ¡°I want you to take it


    for me, Leo.¡±


    Everyone was stunned.


    Oblivious to their awkward expressions, Leo took the water bottle from the crew member and opened


    the cap.


    As though he was worried that Ellen might dampen her clothes, he asked for a cup and filled it with


    water for her.


    An ted Ellen said, ¡°You¡¯re the best, Leo!¡±


    Then, she took the cup and drank the water.


    Following that, Leo kept filling the cup for her until she said she was no longer thirsty.


    Certainly, the videographer wouldn¡¯t miss such a scene as he found the right angle and started


    recording them.


    Amelie was standing nearby. When she saw what was going on, her gaze darkened.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ke asked worriedly.


    Then, he pointed to the side. ¡°It¡¯s humid here. Why don¡¯t we get some rest under the tree?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They then shuffled forward and sat down on the chairs with their backs to the crowd.


    The moment Amelie took a seat, she saw ke passing a water bottle to her.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said with a smile.


    ke pressed his lips together and looked down at the ground. ¡°Do you still feel sad?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Amelie was taking a sip of water when she heard that. It wasn¡¯t until a momentter that she


    realized what he was talking about. With a smile, she shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Despite what she said, the worry on ke¡¯s face never faded.


    A helpless Amelie exined, ¡°We¡¯re divorced. Regardless of how many women are by his side, it has


    nothing to do with me anymore. I still have a bright future ahead, so why should I feel sad over


    something meaningless?¡±


    She was just slightly surprised.


    After all, Leo wasn¡¯t a man who would be excessively gentle to a woman.


    Back then, he only connived at Elyse¡¯s wrongdoings, but he never served her water before.


    ¡°You have a point.¡± ke nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts!¡±


    Just then, someone eximed from behind them.


    They turned their heads at the same time and saw Leo and Ellen standing behind them.


    The moment Amelie met Leo¡¯s eyes, she realized that his face was livid.


    Why is he acting like that? Did he hear what I said? Is he mad at me?


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    ¡°Leo, my head aches badly.¡± Ellen looked pitifully at Leo and touched her forehead, her eyshes


    fluttering.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Without saying anything else, Leo carried her and walked away.


    Amelie was stunned.


    Was he livid because Ellen had a headache? He¡¯s usually an indifferent man, but he lost his cool when


    Ellen was in pain. It seems that I¡¯ve underestimated his love for her.


    Presently, Ellen stuck close to Leo as she wrapped her arms around his waist. The man supported her


    weight with his strong arms, and he wasn¡¯t bothered by the attention at all.


    ¡°I guess he really loves her.¡± Amelie sighed.


    ¡°Something seems off.¡± Fiona came over and took Amelie¡¯s hand as they watched Leo leave. There


    was no doubt she had beautiful eyes.


    For some reason, she felt that Leo was only carrying Ellen to make someone jealous.


    Meanwhile, Fabian stood in the distance. He wanted to approach them, but he seemed worried.


    A momentter, he came up to ke and spoke to him.


    Amelie noticed that even though he was talking to ke, he was stealing nces at Fiona.


    In truth, she already realized that something was going on between Fiona and Fabian when they were


    shooting the previous episode. Nheless, Fabian took the initiative to talk to her most of the time


    while Fiona rarely responded to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The bus ising.¡± Fiona pointed at the bus in the distance and pulled Amelie to somewhere


    else.


    As Fabian watched them walk away, there was a helpless expression on his angr face.


    Meanwhile, in the lounge, Ellen leaned against the chairnguidly as though she didn¡¯t have a


    backbone. She took Leo¡¯s arm and rambled on.


    ¡°I guess you can¡¯t take part in the show anymore. In that case, I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Leo retracted his


    arm and sat down on a chair that was far away from Ellen.


    There was no longer any softness behind his gaze as he appeared distant and aloof.


    Without the man by her side, Ellen pouted aggrievedly.


    He was carrying me gently earlier, but why is he so indifferent now?


    However, the moment she met Leo¡¯s dispassionate eyes, she straightened up. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I feel much


    better now. My head no longer aches.¡±


    Although Ellen loved Leo, she was also afraid of him.


    Leo didn¡¯t respond to her. Just then, his phone started ringing.


    ¡°Just stay here,¡± he ordered and strode out of the room.


    It wasn¡¯t until he reached somewhere quiet that he connected the call. ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve examined Ellen¡¯s background.¡± The person on the other end of the line was Victor. ¡°She might not


    be the girl who used to keep youpany back then.¡±


    Leo¡¯s pupils dted when he heard that as he clenched his phone.


    In truth, he had already doubted Ellen¡¯s identity. Although plenty of evidence showed that she was Big


    Eyes, he still asked Victor to look into the matter.


    The truth turned out to be just as he had expected.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about the details when I go back.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Victor replied.


    After hesitating for a bit, he asked, ¡°Do we have to take Miss yton away?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t immediately respond to him while holding his phone. He couldn¡¯t help but recall the images


    of Amelie and ke making out.


    A momentter, he replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Jodie took the longest time to put on her makeup, for she wanted to stun everyone with her


    appearance.


    When she was done dressing up, she stepped out of the room and realized everyone was there.


    She ran her hand through her wavy hair and bit her lip charmingly. Then, she sashayed forward while


    d in a tight-fitting dress.


    When she looked at her reflection in the mirror earlier, she was stunned by her own beauty.


    Just as she expected, she attracted everyone¡¯s attention at once.


    Giada was the first topliment Jodie, and the others subsequently approached her to praise how


    gorgeous she looked.


    A conceited Jodie lifted her chin, pleased with theirpliments.


    Nevertheless, the person she wanted to see the most was nowhere in sight.


    She couldn¡¯t help looking around for ke, and when she finally found him, she wasn¡¯t surprised to see


    a certain woman beside him.


    Foxy!


    Her alluring face contorted as she dug her nails into her palms. At that moment, she had the urge to


    strangle Foxy.


    What¡¯s going on with Leo? Doesn¡¯t he love Foxy? Why hasn¡¯t he taken this woman away from ke?


    At the thought of this, Jodie hurriedly looked for Leo.


    ¡°Jojo, I¡¯ve just realized that your brother is in love with someone else. Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±


    Giada came over and wrapped her arm around Jodie¡¯s shoulder without permission. ¡°Seems that after


    the show ends, you¡¯ll have a new sister-inw.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Just like Melissa, Jodie felt that she was superior to others.


    If a woman like Giada had tried to get close to her in the past, she would¡¯ve red up.


    However, she was too stunned to push her away at this moment.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look.¡± Giada pointed in a particr direction.


    Jodie looked in the same direction and saw Leo striding forward while a woman followed him.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been sticking close to each other since their arrival. Are they also like this when they¡¯re at


    home?¡± Giada asked.


    Only then did Jodie recall Elyse iming that this woman was her sister.


    She couldn¡¯t believe that her brother had hooked up with the woman.


    In that case, who would help her lure Foxy away from ke?


    She took a look at Leo and Ellen before shifting her attention to Foxy and ke. With reddened eyes,


    she seemed to be on the brink of breaking into tears.


    How can they do this to me? No, I¡¯ll never ept this oue!


    Just then, the director announced, ¡°It¡¯s time to split all of you into different groups.¡±


    An idea suddenly sprang into Jodie¡¯s mind as she strode forward.

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we stick to the previous arrangement? I suppose we¡¯re all used to it now.¡±


    Then, Jodie looked at her brother. ¡°What do you say, Leo?¡±


    Leo stopped in his tracks and fell silent.


    Meanwhile, Amelie nced at Jodie with surprise, for she couldn¡¯t believe that the woman still wanted


    to be on the same team as her.


    When Ellen heard that, she stuck close to Leo and said, ¡°Wherever Leo goes, I¡¯ll be with him.¡±


    Jodie was annoyed by Ellen. When she heard what the woman said, she glowered at her.


    However, Ellen¡¯s attention was all on Leo, so she didn¡¯t notice it at all.


    On the other hand, Amelie was reluctant, for she did not want to watch Leo and Ellen showing their


    affection for each other again, nor was she willing to face the grumpy Jodie all the time.


    She parted her lips, trying to tell them that she wanted to be on the other team. All of a sudden, Leo


    approached the director and took their name tags.


    When the other team saw that he had chosen his team members, they took the remaining name tags.


    In the end, their members were the same as in the previous round.


    Under such circumstances, it would make Amelie seem difficult if she wanted to go to the other team,


    and she might be regarded as making things hard for others.


    Since she only wanted to keep a low profile in this show, she decided to keep her mouth shut.


    Just then, Jennifer came over with a male participant as she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we have to quit the


    show.¡±


    Then, they exchanged nces and smiled.


    The rules stated that if any two of them became a couple, they had to leave the show.


    All of them instantly realized what was going on, so they offered their blessings to the couple.


    Jennifer bashfully epted their blessings and thanked them before leaving with her partner.


    ¡°In that case, Team A iscking two people now,¡± Fabian said.


    Previously, to make up for the deficiency, even the hosts had to join Team A. Now that two people were


    gone, coupled with the fact the hosts had resumed their roles, they needed two more people to join


    Team A so that the people on both sides would be equal.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I go to Team A?¡± Upon finishing his words, Fabian strode toward Team A and stood beside


    Fiona.


    ¡°Foxy, why don¡¯t youe over and join my team as well?¡± Fiona ignored Fabian¡¯s fervent gaze and


    walked over to take Amelie¡¯s arm.


    Amelie was eager to stay away from the Alston siblings, so she nodded immediately.


    ¡°key, why don¡¯t we exchange ces?¡± Ss, who had been keeping a low profile in Team A, winked


    at ke.


    In actuality, they were good friends in private.


    Before Ss joined showbiz, he was also a figure skating athlete. ke had helped him a lot in the


    past.


    Everyone could tell that ke was fond of Amelie. As such, Ss decided to exchange ces with


    ke.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Without turning him down, ke shuffled toward him and switched ces.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    As his bangs brushed above his beautiful eyes, he shed an amiable smile at him. Ss clenched the


    other man¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You can do it!¡±


    Then, he took a look at Amelie, who stood beside Fiona. ke put on a gentle and bashful smile.


    However, when he looked down, he appeared downcast.


    Without exining anything, he stood beside Amelie calmly.


    ¡°They can¡¯t do this to me!¡± When Jodie saw ke heading to the other team, she furiously stomped her


    foot on the ground.


    She then turned to look at her brother and called out, ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    Nheless, Leo remained unmoving as his expression was as solemn as usual.


    Jodie wanted to join the other team as well, but there wasn¡¯t any ce for her. Left with no choice, she


    snorted and entered the bus with reddened eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Leo,¡± Ellen said in a childish voice that didn¡¯t match her age as she kept swaying Leo¡¯s arm.


    Without a word, Leo turned around and shuffled toward the bus. The moment he brushed past Amelie,


    he stopped in his tracks for two seconds before he started moving again.


    Thedies only thought that he was waiting for Ellen, so they shot her envious nces. Giada was


    especially green with envy.


    Ellen chuckled in response. Although she was a little disturbed, she still noticed how Leo pressed his


    lips together while the veins on his forehead bobbed when he looked at Amelie.


    That prompted her to take a look at Amelie with caution.


    She didn¡¯t recognize Amelie since thetter was wearing a mask. Still, she exerted more force with her


    hand as she draped her arm around Leo¡¯s.


    When they entered the bus, they realized that they couldn¡¯t choose the seats they wanted. Their names


    had been written on the seats, so they had to sit down ordingly.


    It wasn¡¯t clear if it was a coincidence or if the director had done so intentionally, for Amelie¡¯s seat was


    just beside Leo¡¯s.


    The seats with their names gave Amelie a headache. She stopped in her tracks and waited for Leo to


    comin to the director.


    As though not seeing Amelie¡¯s expression, Leo pushed Ellen¡¯s hand away and brushed past Amelie


    before taking a seat.


    At that, Amelie was stunned.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡± Ellen stood in front of him and muttered under her breath with a pitiable gaze.


    Even an outsider like Amelie felt sorry for her.


    When did Ellen learn to be so coquettish and squeamish?


    An unfazed Leo ordered coldly, ¡°Go to your seat.¡±


    Ellen was evidently not happy with the arrangement. She waited for a moment and realized that Leo


    didn¡¯t seem like he was going to give in. Worried that he would get mad, she bit her lip and walked


    toward the back of the bus.


    After sitting down, she batted her teary eyes as though she had just suffered the worst grievance in the


    world.


    Amelie nced at her and felt as if she was the one oppressing her.


    The female host walked over and said passionately, ¡°Miss Foxy, please have a seat. The bus will set off


    soon.¡±


    Since the female host didn¡¯t have to be a participant this time, her expression was mild and joyful.


    Certainly, Amelie didn¡¯t want to have a seat, but her refusal to do so would make it impossible for the


    bus driver to get going.


    Forget it. Leo doesn¡¯t mind sitting with me, his ex-wife. Why am I being dramatic here?


    At the thought of this, she set her mind at ease and sat down beside him.


    Leo wasn¡¯t a talkative person. Amelie didn¡¯t have anything to say to him either, so she fished out her


    phone and dealt with the learning tform¡¯s affairs.


    The tform¡¯s development was wonderful. They hadunched several economics and business


    courses, and they were very popr with over a million subscribers.


    On the other hand, over 300,000 e-books had been uploaded to her online bookstore. Those were all


    useful and highly sought-after books.


    Many people had subscribed to the service as well.


    Amelie went through the statistics and saw somements saying that some books were too difficult


    to understand. Several people also said that they didn¡¯t have sufficient time to read those books. An


    idea instantly formed in her mind.


    She was a pragmatic person who loved putting ideas into action immediately.


    As such, she contacted the tform¡¯s operations manager at once and started an intensive discussion


    with him via text.


    When the discussion ended, the bus stopped as well.


    Amelie stretched her back while feeling pleased with what she had achieved. When she looked up, she


    met Leo¡¯s eyes.


    He pressed his lips together. Unlike how stern he usually appeared, he looked inquisitively at the


    woman.


    There also seemed to be something deeper behind his gaze.


    Just as Amelie wanted to find out what it was, she heard someone saying sweetly, ¡°Leo!¡±


    Ellen sprinted toward them from behind and crashed into Leo¡¯s arms, looking as though she had been


    forced to be separated from her man. It seemed that she was about to break into tears.


    Does she think she¡¯s acting in some sort of tragic drama?


    Amelie found the woman over the top.


    Leo didn¡¯t push Ellen away, nor did he respond to her. He only stared fixedly at Amelie, who was


    rendered speechless by his behavior.


    Why is he looking at me like that? Does he think that I¡¯m a third wheel or something while she puts up a


    pitiful act?


    At any rate, she wasn¡¯t interested in watching such a tacky and cheesy act. As such, she turned around


    and left the bus.


    Behind her, Leo¡¯s face fell as his gaze turned cold and distant.


    Terrified by the man¡¯s indifference, Ellen looked at him meekly and muttered, ¡°Leo.¡±


    While ignoring the woman, Leo brushed past her and left the vehicle with a dispassionate expression.

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280


    The view outside was arge, t, green grass field that extended to a mountain range.


    The mountains weren¡¯t tall, but to those used to city life, this was still a breath of fresh air.


    After exiting the bus and seeing the view, Amelie took a deep breath. ¡°Fresh air!¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take a look over there,¡± suggested Fiona while pulling Amelie after hopping out of the


    vehicle.


    The others, too, ignored the following cameramen and their cameras and ran toward the center of the


    field.


    Just like that, the area where the buses parked fell silent instantly.


    Meanwhile, Leo held his phone impassively as he went to a secluded area. ¡°That girl back then, can


    you still find her?¡±


    ¡°It happened too long ago, and a lot of evidence has been deliberately wiped out. It isn¡¯t an easy


    investigation. However, I did talk to the attending physician who treated your eyes. He said he doesn¡¯t


    quite remember what she looked like anymore, and what he said was practically what he told you the


    last time¡ªthe girl¡¯s father was a shoemaker.¡±


    A shoemaker? Ellen¡¯s father, Michael, is a shoemaker.


    It was indeed useless information.


    He hung up the phone dryly and looked up to capture Amelie at first nce.


    The young woman was snapping pictures of the surrounding scenery.


    Though he couldn¡¯t make out her expression hidden beneath the mask, something hit Leo with a


    thump, and he clenched the hand holding his phone.


    If his memory served him right, Amelie¡¯s father was also a shoemaker.


    With that, he strode toward Amelie, who was oblivious to Leo¡¯s actions. She remained immersed in the


    beauty of the scenery.


    Bria will love this ce, she mused while taking more photos when Leo suddenly entered the shot.


    He had a dashing face, and his chiseled outlines were impably good-looking. He was looking right


    into the camera as though he wanted to creep into her heart through it.


    A thick, enigmatic emotion surged beneath his eyes, and it had already reached the ignition point. One


    flick of a match, and it would explode.


    Amelie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She nearly dropped her phone, for it was her first time seeing Leo like


    this. What¡­ What is up with him?


    The man wasn¡¯t himself that day, and Amelie couldn¡¯t help being stupefied, only staring at him through


    the camera.


    For a moment, time stopped.


    Half a minuteter, Leo finally moved, reaching a hand toward her.


    Is he going to pull me toward him? Just as Amelie was specting, another hand entered the shot, and


    a slender figure blocked the entirety of it the next second.


    ¡°Leo.¡± Ellen appeared out of nowhere and held Leo¡¯s hand while giggling, looking innocent and


    adorable. Her piteous look was long gone.


    ¡°We¡¯re camping today. I¡¯m so happy!¡± She pped and hopped with joy in front of Leo like a little girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be sick!¡± Jodie shot Ellen a side-eye nce with zero effort of concealing her contempt for


    the young woman as she approached the pair from the other side.


    With that, she shoved Ellen aside and stood in front of her brother. ¡°The crew wants us to gather now.


    Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Leo hummed a response, but he remained still and only gazed at Amelie.


    Amelie, on the other hand, genuinely wanted nothing to do with them, so she hurriedly put her phone


    away and rushed toward the bus upon hearing that they needed to gather up.


    A glimmer shed across Leo¡¯s unfathomable eyes before his eyelids drooped and he strode toward


    the bus.


    Meanwhile, Jodie red warningly at Ellen before checking their surroundings for the camera crew.


    Seeing that no one was following them, she taunted icily, ¡°Don¡¯t copy your sister¡¯s ridiculous actions!


    My brother isn¡¯t a trophy you and your sister can give to each other, and the Alston Family will never


    ept low lives like you. F*ck off!¡±


    Terrified, Ellen balled herself up and stared timidly at Jodie. The woman loathed Elyse and disliked


    Ellen as well, so she wanted to throw up even more when she saw Ellen¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Did you not hear me? I told you to f*ck off! I won¡¯t y nice the next time I catch you approaching my


    brother!¡± With that, she pointed far away. ¡°See that? My brother¡¯s interested in Foxy. A sl*t like you isn¡¯t


    even worthy of holding a candle for Leo!¡±


    With that, she strutted away condescendingly.


    ¡°As all of you can see, we¡¯re camping today,¡± the hosts announced the theme for the day beside the


    bus.


    ¡°No challenges?¡± Lilith asked quizzically.


    Usually, the crew would arrange a difficult challenge for them.


    ¡°Nope.¡± The two hosts shook their heads, appearing incredibly guilt-ridden.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help ncing at each other.


    ¡°Why does it sound too good to be true?¡±


    ¡°Has the crew given up on messing with us?¡±


    ¡°Since when have they be so humane?¡±


    Everyone teased benignly.


    After all, it was an open secret that the ¡®Show Your Love¡¯ crew loved to give the celebrity guests a hard


    time on the show.


    Meanwhile, the hosts exchanged a nce and pointed toward a few camping carts aside. ¡°These are


    your supplies. Team A and B will get the same things.¡±


    With that, they hopped into the vehicle speedily and waved everyone goodbye.


    After the door closed and the vehicle drove away, the two hosts finally heaved a sigh of relief and


    looked at each other.


    ¡°What a relief.¡±


    Thank goodness they sped away.


    Back on the field, everyone looked at each other for a while, but they still couldn¡¯t figure anything out.


    Fiona reacted quickest to the situation and tugged on Amelie. ¡°Forget about guessing. Let¡¯s pull all the


    stuff out so that we can assign the work.¡±


    It was clear that they had to improvise when they didn¡¯t even pick a leader for the team this time.


    ¡°Why waste time instead of making the most out of this?!¡± Gordon echoed and joined the twodies in


    carrying the equipment.


    It was only right that they enjoyed it to the fullest when they not only got to go out for some fun but also


    earned a few bucks from it.


    The others, too, returned to their teams without thinking and helped pull everything out from the carts.


    There were honestly quite a few things in there¡ªtents, foldable chairs and tables, and all sorts.


    What was more, the crew even provided them with a portable stove, pots and pans, bowls, and a


    camping grill.


    ¡°Wow, we¡¯re going to have a great time today.¡± Ss grinned while rubbing his hands together.


    Simrly, Fabian chuckled as he moved toward the cart storing their food. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we¡¯ll be


    feasting on today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s surely barbecue. This is my forte. Just sit back and watch this pit master cook up the best


    barbecue you¡¯ll ever have,¡± boasted another male guest in their group as he followed Fabian to the


    food cart.


    The two removed the dark green linoleum, and sure enough, arge white container appeared.


    It was a rectangr type that could store more than ten pounds of food.


    Everyone apuded upon seeing it. However, Fabian and the male guest stood frozen stiff with


    strange expressions.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it too heavy for you guys to carry? Come on, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Lilith rolled her sleeves up and


    strode toward the two, only to blurt out a cuss, ¡°What the f*ck?!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s first reaction was to look toward the camera crew around them. Has Lilith given up on


    maintaining her image?


    ¡°What the heck?! Howe all we get is arge bowl of dry pasta?!¡± someone from Leo¡¯s group


    shouted, leading the camera crew and everyone else to look in that direction, only to find Jodie holding


    arge bowl in front of the food cart.


    Inside the bowl was indeed pasta.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?! You guys invited us to join your stupid show, yet all you give us is a bowl


    of dry pasta?! Do you want to starve us to death?!¡± Jodie¡¯s bratty attitude came out, and she threw an


    exasperated tirade at the camera crew without even caring about her image anymore.


    The camera crew, on the other hand, silently put their equipment away since whatever they captured


    would be deleted anyway. After all, who¡¯d dare to broadcast Jodie cussing?


    Meanwhile, Amelie and Fiona approached the food cart when they saw therge bowl in Jodie¡¯s arms.


    Their ingredients were no different from Jodie¡¯s. Therge bowl was all there was in therge


    container, and the bowl was cling-wrapped to prevent the pasta from spilling everywhere. What can


    anybody do with nothing but a bowl of pasta?!This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281


    ¡°If you guys nned on giving us only pasta from the beginning, you could¡¯ve just put the stick of butter


    into the bowl, and we¡¯ll make buttered noodles. Why go so far as to give us pots and pans, and even


    this barbecue grill?!¡± said the male celebrity who called himself a pit master while waving dismissively.


    Then, everyone quickly realized there wasn¡¯t even basic oil and seasoning, let alone a stick of butter.


    ¡°This is a special arrangement from the crew. Everyone will have to figure a way out. No outside food


    allowed, though,¡± one of the cameramen announced as he lifted his camera a little over his head,


    worried the celebrity guests would hammer him.


    The celebrity guests, on the other hand, were rendered speechless. Not only do we have to figure it out


    ourselves, but we can¡¯t get outside food either. What do they want us to do, eat grass?!


    Not even the best cooks could make dinner without ingredients. With that, everyone just looked at each


    other with no game n in mind, and the enthusiasm from earlier gradually diminished.


    At that, everyone looked toward Leo in unison.


    Because of how he showcased perfect leadership on the showst time, everyone ced their hopes


    on him now. However, they quickly realized his attention wasn¡¯t on them but elsewhere.


    Curious, they followed his line of sight to notice Amelie and Fiona setting the chairs and table, and the


    originally chaotic scene became organized.


    Better yet, the two even decorated the table with some wildflowers they had picked.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a patient one? To think you still have the mood to arrange flowers under these


    circumstances.¡± Fiona gazed at Amelie admirably.


    She was genuinely impressed.


    Amelie smirked in response, and as she continued arranging the flowers, she pulled a smile. ¡°What


    else am I supposed to do when I¡¯m stuck in this situation? Cry?¡±


    ¡°Why do I think you have already devised a n, though?¡± The actress looked at her with great


    interest.


    To that, Amelie nodded and pointed toward the distance. ¡°See that? There¡¯s a river at the foot of the


    mountain. I saw quite a few fish there, and they¡¯re not species that a river in the wild can produce. The


    crew dropped them there in advance.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Though she had also wandered around and even seen the river earlier, she certainly didn¡¯t look as


    closely as Amelie did.


    Foxy sure is unlike any other.


    ¡°Even so, what can we do? They haven¡¯t provided us with any fishing equipment, not even a hook.


    How are we going to catch them?¡± Fiona furrowed her brows with worry.


    ¡°Simple!¡± Amelie snapped her fingers. ¡°Call Fabian and the others over.¡±


    Though Fiona was somewhat upset that she had to call Fabian over, she still did so, and behind Fabian


    followed Lilith and another male celebrity.


    ¡°You must be joking! Catching fish? In this kind of river? How are you going to do it? By hand?¡± Lilith


    burst outughing after hearing Amelie¡¯s game n.


    She even gestured with her hands at that.


    Amelie was aware that the young woman had a problem with her, so she said nothing but only pointed


    behind Lilith with her chin.


    Lilith turned around in response, and her face nched as soon as she saw the cameraman following


    her.


    In the end, she stomped her feet in anger and said nothing more as she moved aside. However, her


    gaze remained judgmental. Evidently, she didn¡¯t believe Amelie coulde up with any good ns.


    ¡°Lilith¡¯s right, though. All we have is our hands. How are we going to catch any fish?¡± Gabriel, the other


    celebrity, asked as he leaned toward Lilith a little,forting her with his gaze.


    At that, Amelie removed her jacket and said, ¡°You guys should also remove whatever outerwear you


    can.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking us to take off our clothes? What is the meaning of this?!¡± Lilith questioned again,


    displeased.


    The others were shocked as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know how to fish, and we¡¯re just your experiment!¡± Hostility enveloped Lilith¡¯s


    voice this time, for she never responded well to being ordered around, and everyone¡¯s gazes turned


    profound as well following her questioning.


    Just then, a clean, gentle voice traveled over. ¡°If Foxy says she can, then she can.¡±


    Then, a white jacket was handed over. ¡°Here¡¯s mine.¡±


    Everyone turned around and found ke handing a white overshirt to Amelie with a smile.


    With the white overshirt removed, the only shirt left on him was a wife beater, which made him look


    much more like the boy next door as the white shirt enveloped his thin body.


    ke¡¯s eyes were curved into crescents as frankness and sincerity enveloped his face, believing she


    could do it from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If Foxy says she can, then she can.¡± Fiona came to herself as well, and she removed the


    jacket she had wrapped around her waist and gave it to Amelie generously.


    Seeing that she supported Amelie, Fabian followed Fiona in removing his jacket.


    The others naturally said nothing when they saw the three of them supporting Amelie¡¯s decision, and


    apart from Lilith, everyone handed their jackets over one after another.


    Following that, Amelie quickly and skillfully tied everyone¡¯s clothes together to form a massive piece of


    cloth.


    ¡°Fabian, ke, Gabriel, I¡¯ll need your helpter,¡± said Amelie, to which the guys agreed naturally.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, the group headed to the river.


    Lilith, on the other hand, stood rooted to the spot with her arms crossed in front of her chest, but seeing


    that the crew also followed everyone to the river, she finally went as well at the thought that she could


    see Amelie embarrass herself.


    She stood afar and found Amelie ordering the three men toy the jackets at the bottom of the river,


    then had everyone pulling on a corner while she stirred the aquatic nts around with a stick.


    ¡°What is this? An ancient ritual of catching fish?!¡± The members of Team A followed over as well, and


    Jodie crossed her arms in front of her chest, quirking her lips in disdain as she watched Team B do


    their thing.


    This woman only ever does anything and everything weird. I still haven¡¯t forgotten how you tied my


    head to a rope!


    However, it never urred to Jodie that Amelie had only done so because Amelie was worried that she


    would fall into the water. If anything, she believed Amelie was only messing about.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Lilith moved a little aside, hoping that even more people would watch Amelie humiliate


    herself.


    Meanwhile, a row of people stood at the bank, and a deep voice suddenly rang out behind them. ¡°She¡¯s


    chasing the fish out.¡±


    Everyone reflexively looked behind and found that Leo had arrived behind them some time ago. As he


    pressed his lips lightly together, he fixed his profound gaze on Amelie, looking like he was only gazing


    at her. At the same time, it seemed like he was looking deep into her heart.


    He didn¡¯t miss a single movement she made.


    Amelie was wearing shoes, but she didn¡¯t seem bothered at all that the water would soak her shoes


    wet.


    Right then, she was still hitting the aquatic nts and crevices with the stick in her hands, so focused


    that she wasn¡¯t affected by the people ashore. Her eyes were agile and twinkling brightly like the stars


    in the universe.


    He had seen her domineering, jaunty, and alluring side, but never did he think that she would have this


    side to her as well.


    He believed he wouldn¡¯t be surprised at all if she had a thousand sides to her, for there seemed to be


    no end to her potential.


    Just then, a long-lost memory came to him. ¡°I¡¯ll take you somewhere we can catch fish when your eyes


    have healed, okay? I¡¯m really good at catching fish, I¡¯m telling you. When the timees, I¡¯ll show you


    my best trick!¡±


    Did Big Eyes catch fish like this too?


    No one said anything else after Leo pointed out what Amelie was doing. Still, they were baffled.


    What fish can there be in these waters other than inedible ones? What are we going to do with them?


    Decorate our tes with it?!


    Ssh!


    Just then, erratic movements came from the waters, and everyone saw a massive silhouette dashing


    across the river.

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282


    ¡°Oh my gosh, it¡¯s a fish. It¡¯s massive!¡± Giada eximed softly.


    The others saw it too, and they all appeared amazed. Who¡¯d have thought?!


    The fish had been spooked, and it swam right into their trap.


    ¡°Now!¡±manded Fabian when the right time came.


    With that, the three guys lifted the clothes.


    Ssh!


    The water seeped through the clothes continuously and flowed back into the river, leaving a fish that


    was about five pounds flopping around in there.


    At that, Fabian gathered the ends and sealed the fish inside, rendering it immobile as it swayed its tail


    helplessly.


    ¡°Incredible!¡± Everyone apuded.


    Meanwhile, Amelie wiped the sweat off her forehead out of habit, only to remember she was wearing a


    mask when she touched it.


    The camera crew was so amazed by Amelie¡¯s unusual fish-catching method that instead of filming,


    they brought therge white container over.


    With that, the fish slipped into it, taking up half the space.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big grass carp,¡±mented someone who knew what type of fish it was.


    Later, Fabian led a few guys to fill the container with water, and just like that, the fish no longer flopped


    around but swam calmly inside.


    ¡°You have to hand it to Foxy. She sure has her ways!¡±


    Their praise became like nails on a chalkboard for Lilith, and her originally smug face turned beyond


    grim.


    Jodie pouted as well, surprised that Amelie was so capable.


    But surely key wouldn¡¯t like a barbaric woman like her. An unadulterated man like ke will only like


    otherworldly women. Sure, Foxy¡¯s image was passable before this, but now that her ugly side has


    come out, key will be repulsed.


    At that, she looked toward ke, who was standing in the water with his hands drooped by his sides


    and his pants rolled up. The droplets of water stuck to his fringeplimented his brilliantly bright


    eyes, which were locked onto Amelie intensely and affectionately.


    For a moment, Jodie was captivated by the man¡¯s gaze, and she wanted nothing more than to be


    Foxy right then so that she could bear the honor.


    Following that, she clenched her fists, and the anger within her was set aze.


    Damn you, Foxy. How dare you steal my man?! key¡¯s mine!


    Furious with rage, Jodie kicked a rock on the ground with all her might, pretending it was Foxy.


    Take that, you vixen!


    Lo and behold, she stubbed her toes from overexertion, and she held her toes while grimacing in pain.


    Just like that, her perfect image was gone.


    Meanwhile, Team B caught another fish using the same method, and seeing that it was just about


    enough for them, the group carried the tworge fish out of the water.


    While Team B caught two fish using Foxy¡¯s method, Team A became green with envy as they watched


    the scene develop.


    After all, none of them were willing to stray from their image and do something like that. Besides, it was


    humiliating to catch their fish using Amelie¡¯s method.


    ¡°Come. I¡¯ll make buttered noodles for everyone!¡± Chester announced, unable to apud the opposing


    team at all.


    With that, he nced at Giada before striding away.


    The others returned to the campsite as well, feeling upset.


    Ellen, on the other hand, stood a distance away from Leo. She wanted to approach him, but then, she


    was worried she¡¯d piss him off.


    He looked really scary when his face was grim. She bit her lips piteously.


    Meanwhile, Jodie came over and red daggers at her. ¡°What¡¯s there to look at?! Leave!¡±


    At that, Ellen tucked her neck and followed everyone back to the campsite, no longer daring to stay a


    second longer.


    At the same time, Giada deliberately swayed her shapely figure as she walked toward Leo after taking


    a gander at those returning to the bank andtched her amorous gaze onto the man. ¡°Mr. Alston, I¡¯m


    pretty skilled if I do say so myself, and I also know a few ways to whip up delicacies. I¡¯ll find some stuff


    and make them for youter¡ªonly for you.¡±


    While speaking, she leaned in closer toward Leo, and her gaze practically told him what she wanted;


    her actions couldn¡¯t be any more explicit.


    However, the man merely strode away as though he never heard a word she said. In fact, he never


    even spared her a nce.


    Giada, on the other hand, didn¡¯t feel defeated at all despite his impassiveness, for she had gotten a


    good grasp of Leo¡¯s temperament after spending such a long time with him. Instead, she narrowed her


    alluring eyes while a deeper desire to subjugate him surged within her.


    Meanwhile, Team B was highly motivated since they managed to bag themselves a good catch.


    After carrying the fish back to the campsite, Fabian and the two other guys voluntarily put up the tent


    while Amelie pulled out a knife to prep the fish for cooking.


    Fiona, on the other hand, squatted next to her with nothing but admiration in her eyes. ¡°Who would¡¯ve


    guessed that you know how to catch fish and gut them? You are what they call Miss Perfect. So, tell


    me, is there anything you don¡¯t know?¡±


    To that, Amelie disagreed with amusement. ¡°How can anybody be perfect? It¡¯s merely because I was a


    yful child, and my dad let me mess around because he spoiled me.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s eyes beamed brilliantly as she recalled the childhood she spent with her father, who spoiled


    her. He would support her no matter how ridiculous her ideas got.


    If she wanted to catch fish using clothes, Steven would bring her all his clothes.


    If it weren¡¯t for his coddling, she probably wouldn¡¯t havee up with such a brilliant n for this.


    ¡°Your dad sounds amazing.¡± A hint of envy shed across Fiona, and something hit her. ¡°By the way,


    why would you be aware of the river, and how did you know the crew dropped some fish in there?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help wondering if the crew had told Amelie about it in advance.


    Amelie smiled and answered, ¡°It was just a guess. No way would the crew only give us pasta, and


    remember how they didn¡¯t tell us anything about today¡¯s challenge? I figured they would do something


    with the food. There¡¯s nothing but grass around here. Since the field isn¡¯t a wise ce to hide food, it


    can only be in the water.¡±


    ¡°Genius!¡± Fiona was genuinely impressed with Amelie. ¡°Weren¡¯t you worried that you¡¯d be wrong,


    though? What if they actually hid the food up in the mountains?¡±


    As Amelie focused on descaling the fish, she pursed her lips and answered, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have done


    so. There¡¯s no sign of anyone ever going up there. Besides, putting food up there will lure the ants to


    them easily.¡±


    Only if the food was alive would they not have to worry about any idents or infections, and the only


    best possible living thing would be a fish.


    ¡°I see.¡± Fiona realized how different she and Amelie were at this point. With a brain like Amelie¡¯s, it was


    no wonder she could gain a hundred million fans.


    By the time Fabian and the guys finished setting up the tent, Amelie had cooked up a piping hot pot of


    fish soup with one of the fish.


    For the final touch, she sprinkled some wild herbs from somece she got into the soup, making it look


    mouth-wateringly good.


    At that, Fiona served everyone a bowl, to which they all gushed, ¡°Amazing!¡±


    Yeah, right. Chester came out with a te of odd-looking pasta as he spoke. Though the man didn¡¯t


    speak out his thoughts, his expression said everything.


    ¡°Eat up,¡± he said while cing the te on the table.


    ¡°What is this? Why is it charred?¡± Jodie pitched her nose rudely, wearing nothing but contempt on her


    face.


    Just then, someone went over and took a spoonful of pasta.


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    It was so bad that they spat it out directly, leaving Chester in an awkward position.


    Compared to Team B¡¯s milky fish soup, his was¡­ a disaster, to say the least.


    ¡°Come on, guys. Have some.¡± Amelie walked over and ced a tray on Team A¡¯s table.


    On the tray were six bowls of fish and soup.


    Jodie wanted to discredit Amelie when she saw the bowl of soup, but it smelled incredible, and it


    looked amazing too. Plus, she was already famished, so she drank it without saying a word.


    ¡°Wow, this is amazing.¡± Gordon took a sip too and gave Amelie a thumbs up.


    At that, the rest of Team A quickly grabbed a bowl for themselves.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After everyone had taken their share, Amelie noticed there was still a bowl left on the tray.


    She looked up and found Leo sitting not far away like a statue.


    If her memory served her right, he had been sitting in that position for a long time, looking afar.


    Who knows what¡¯s running through his head?! Either way, he never cared for anything I did.


    With that, she picked up the tray, intending to bring the bowl of soup back to her team.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    A voice sounded just as she turned around.


    Amelie turned back around and saw that Leo had left the chair. He then strode toward her.

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283


    Leo reached out and took the bowl.


    What happened? Amelie looked at him in surprise. Is he going to throw the soup away? Even if he


    dislikes me, there¡¯s no need to show it to my face, is there?


    She was lost in thought, but next, she saw him taking the bowl and lowering his head to drink the soup.


    H-He¡¯s actually drinking the soup I made?


    To Amelie, this was a rare urrence. It was too strange.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Giada came over that Amelie came back to her senses. Seeing Giada praising her and


    smiling at her, she also smiled. ¡°You can have more if you like.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, I need to lose weight,¡± Giada refused, twisting her slender waist. All this while, her eyes were


    hooked on Leo, who was drinking the soup not far away.


    Leo had not noticed Giada¡¯s gaze. All his attention was focused on the soup in front of him.


    The milky white fish soup was silky smooth and refreshing, with a hint of sweetness in the tenderness,


    and not all fishy.


    Without oil, salt, or seasonings, it not only didn¡¯t affect the taste but also retained the original and


    authentic fragrance.


    Didn¡¯t know Amelie¡¯s cooking skills is this good.


    ¡°You are a talented person.¡± Fiona walked over and hugged Amelie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Unlike me, I can only


    sing a few songs and act in a TV drama. I can¡¯t do anything else.¡±


    Her admiration for Amelie in her beautiful eyes came from the heart.


    Amelie smiled bashfully. ¡°Actually, I was like you before. My father highly pampered me, and I couldn¡¯t


    even fry an egg, let alone make fish soup. If it weren¡¯t for¡ª¡±


    She stopped herself in mid-sentence.


    Fiona looked at her strangely, not knowing why she had stopped talking.


    Meanwhile, Leo slowly pursed his lips and put his attention on thedies. After listening to their chit-


    chat, he could guess that Amelie learned cooking after marrying into the Alston Family.


    Initially, he detested her, so he never paid attention to her preferences and talents. In his memory, she


    spent most of her time in the kitchen.


    At that time, naturally, he thought she was good at cooking.


    Which maniptive woman never considered getting a man¡¯s heart by learning cooking?


    ¡°You must have had a hard time learning how to cook.¡± Although Amelie didn¡¯t exin further, Fiona


    saw through it.


    Amelie smiled. As a girl in her early twenties marrying into her husband¡¯s family, unable to even cook a


    meal, her first stage of suffering undoubtedly came from her mother-inw Melissa¡¯s contempt.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Melissa treated this as Amelie¡¯s crime. She nagged Amelie countless times every day, using her of


    aspiring to climb the socialdder yet having no intention to learn how to serve the rich.


    In Melissa¡¯s eyes, Amelie¡¯s marrying into the Alston Family was her trying to curry favor with the rich.


    Hence, Amelie was not qualified to enjoy herself and could only serve them.


    Rather than saying Leo got himself a wife, it was more like the Alston Family got themselves an unpaid


    servant, me.


    In order to avoid Melissa¡¯s nagging and attract Leo¡¯s attention, she started to work hard at learning


    cooking and hoped to use her culinary skills to keep her husband¡¯s interest, but no matter how hard


    she tried, the early stages were always painful.


    There were many difficulties, and every time she cooked, she burned herself in various ces, her


    hands, her body, and even her face.


    This kind of training continued for a whole year before it started getting a little easier.


    Amelie was excellent at other things but really bad at cooking.


    That was also the reason why it took her so long to be able to cook a decent meal.


    Looking back, nothing was worth mentioning. It was all in the past.


    ¡°How hard could it be? Cooking for the person you love is the best feeling,¡± Giada cut in.


    She was talking to Amelie and Fiona, but her eyes were still on Leo.


    ¡°I just love cooking, and everything I make is absolutely top-notch.¡± Giada¡¯s self-praise didn¡¯t get a


    response from Fiona, so she turned and walked back without any regard for the camera pointing at her.


    Amelie was slightly stunned, surprised at Fiona¡¯s attitude toward Giada.


    With the camera around, it wasn¡¯t good to frame Fiona as someone aloof, so Amelie had to take over


    and say, ¡°Ugh, cooking is what I dislike the most. I hardly ever went into the kitchen for the first twenty


    years of my life.¡±


    Meanwhile, Leo¡¯s hand shook a little. So, when she married into the Alston Family, she had to force


    herself to do things she didn¡¯t like? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s her intention, but saying so only serves to prove


    that she married into the family because she genuinely feels something for me. Did she fall for me at


    first sight? Or was it because of the one-night stand?


    Leo¡¯s mind was in turmoil, and he couldn¡¯t help but walk back quickly in the direction of Amelie.


    Amelie was about to turn around when a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of her. She was stunned


    to see Leo.


    ¡°Would you like some more soup to drink, Mr. Alston?¡± she asked with a smile while looking at his bowl.


    He did not respond, and his gaze fixed on her.


    His sudden movement and intense gaze made the cameraman immediately point the lens at the two of


    them.


    Why is he looking at me like that? Through his deep, dark pupils, she felt herself falling into a deep sea,


    and nothing could be seen clearly.


    She could only reach out to take the bowl. ¡°Let me.¡±


    Leo did not let the bowl go.


    Their hands held the same bowl simultaneously, and the atmosphere became even more mysterious.


    Amelie looked at him puzzled. ¡°Mr. Alston?¡±


    The cameraman finally realized something. He smiled and focused the camera on the two people.


    The daytime scene was a live broadcast, and the cameraman was carrying live broadcasting


    equipment.


    ¡®What does Leo mean? Is he interested in Miss Foxy?¡¯


    ¡®Isn¡¯t he with Elyse?¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯ve already broken up. Now, he¡¯s with someone named Ellen.¡¯


    ¡®Damn, he¡¯s fickle.¡¯


    ¡®Why do I feel like he¡¯s just so-so toward the yton sisters but different toward Miss Foxy?¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s something about the way he looks at Miss Foxy. It¡¯s how my boyfriend looks at me.¡¯


    ¡®With love in his eyes?¡¯


    Although she was unaware of thements in the live chat, Amelie¡¯s scalp still tingled. These snippets


    are going to be aired. If they are misinterpreted, it will be hard to exin.


    Thinking of this, she retracted her hand.


    However, Leo suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.


    Just when he was about to grab it, there was yelling.


    Ellen was running over holding her scalded hand up high in front of Leo. ¡°Ow! Ah! It hurts.¡±


    As she spoke, her eyes were filled with tears.


    Her body happened to be in between Leo and Amelie, and she identally touched their hands,


    causing them to move away from each other.


    This small action could be considered as saving Amelie. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    However, Leo did not miss her expression of relief. His eyebrows furrowed deeply, and his expression


    turned thunderous. Does she hate my touch now?


    ¡°My hand¡­ It hurts.¡± Ellen shed tears in front of him while looking pitiful.


    He stiffened his face and took his gaze back to focus on Ellen¡¯s hand.


    She had already put her scalded hand into his palm.


    Standing on the side, Amelie didn¡¯t know what was happening in Leo¡¯s mind. Seeing him frown, she


    thought he was just sympathizing with Ellen and silently sighed. It¡¯s obvious who is his favorite. It¡¯s just


    a little burn, and he¡¯s so heartbroken. I used to hurt myself every day cooking for him, but he wouldn¡¯t


    even bother to take a nce at me.


    As Amelie thought about this, she walked back, unable to help but think about Ellen¡¯s rtionship with


    Leo. How did such an introverted girl get involved with Leo?


    Just as she was thinking about this, a figure appeared in front of her and blocked her way.

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284


    Amelie looked up and was greeted by Giada, who was sporting a tight outfit. She was standing in a


    position that could show off her allure as much as possible, her gaze on Amelie. ¡°You like Mr. Alston,


    don¡¯t you?¡± she whispered. And her gaze stayed on Amelie. Gaze as piercing as a sword.


    ¡°No,¡± said Amelie coolly.


    Giada tilted her head. ¡°I see.¡± And then she left, swaying her hips.


    Amelie had seen enough people to know that Giada liked Leo. The way she looked at him and the way


    she acted around him was enough proof. Another moth to the fire, huh? And she turned back as well.


    Fiona helped her with the dishes. While the cameraman was elsewhere, she whispered, ¡°You should


    stay away from Giada. And tell ke to do that too.¡±


    Amelie was surprised that Fiona would make that remark as thetter barely ever talked behind any


    actor¡¯s back. Amelie only nodded in response.


    Fiona liked that about Amelie. She knows everything, yet she knows what not to speak.


    When they were done with the dishes, the gentlemen were already grilling the fish. Theythered the


    fish oil on the fish and turned them around on the grill.


    ke was there as well. He did not reek of the grease of an unkempt man. Even a crude job like fish


    grilling looked like art when he was doing it. The slivers of smoke that wafted into the air swirled around


    him, covering him in a veil of mystery, not unlike the protectors of the elf king behind a shield.


    ¡°Man, ke¡¯s the goal of every guy out there.¡± The cameraman snapped photos of ke.


    Not every man could have the air of grace and innocence ke had. Even though he would choke on


    the smoke from time to time, ke would keep up his smile, and everyone admired him for that.


    Through her mask, Amelie looked at ke, and a smile curled her lips. He¡¯s a big boy now. No longer


    the dejected kid he once was. Now he¡¯s happy and joyful. Wonder who¡¯s going to be lucky enough to


    date him?


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    And then she was presented with a fish. ¡°Here, done,¡± someone said. Amelie looked before her and


    realized that it was ke. He was holding a piece of fish filet in his gloved hand. The skin of the fish


    was golden and crisp, but the flesh was white with fresh smoke billowing from it.


    He cut a slice of the fish and fed Amelie with it.


    Since Amelie had no gloves on, she gulped the fish right off his hand. ¡°This is good.¡± She closed her


    eyes and sighed in enjoyment. Her face was gleaming, and she looked like a fairy dancing through the


    lush, verdant woods around her.


    ¡°Really?¡± ke smiled like a child who just gotplimented by his mother. His eyes were gleaming,


    but he was only gazing at Amelie.


    Whoa. This is just as beautiful as the scene in the water. The cameraman quickly set the camera


    rolling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they look loving?¡± Noticing this, Ellen said, sitting on the boulder.


    Leo was bandaging her wound, and he raised his head just in time to see that scene, and he balled his


    fist.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Ellen gasped and held her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me, Leo.¡±


    Leo snapped out of it and let go of the bandage to dress her wound again. After dinner, the contestants


    went around for some fun and scattered when night had fully descended. It had been an exhausting


    day, and everyone returned to their tents. They were split into two groups, and each group would get


    two tents.


    Every tent would have three people in it. Amelie soon fell asleep, but a mosquito bite woke her up at


    midnight. She got up silently and sprayed some insect repellent around. It was silent. Not even a bug¡¯s


    chirp was heard. Aside from the tent, the only thing she saw around her was a row of lights. Dim lights.


    Their illumination was limited, but Amelie couldn¡¯t sleep, so she followed the path of these lights as she


    stared around at the night. A chilly breeze kissed her, sending shudders down her spine, and she


    hugged herself.


    She turned back only to realize the tents were already some distance away. It was a safe ce, but


    she didn¡¯t want to leave the tents too far. Just when she was about to go back, she noticed, under the


    tree illuminated by some light, a woman suddenly hugging the man before her. Hold on, that¡¯s¡­ The


    light shone on the hugging pair, and Amelie noticed who the man was.


    Leo? Is he making out with Ellen at this hour? They could¡¯ve just told everyone they were dating and be


    done with the show. Why this surreptitious act? Not like it has anything to do with me, though. She


    ignored them and tried to leave.


    But then she heard the woman whisper, ¡°I¡¯ve been in love with you for a while now, Mr. Alston.¡±


    That¡¯s not Ellen! Amelie froze, and the woman spoke again.


    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t give me the cold shoulder. I¡¯m a girl too. Whatever Ellen can give you, I can too. And I can


    do better than her. Wanna grope my milkers?¡±


    Giada! Amelie was in shock. She knew Giada liked Leo, but this was a brazen behavior. She¡¯s been


    flirting with all the guys, and Chester only came to this show for her. And she never refused his help.


    So, he¡¯s her backup n?


    This woman is a h¡­ Best not to finish that thought. I can see why Fiona dislikes her. Then sounds of


    footsteps broke Amelie¡¯s train of thought. She raised her head and was met with Leo. Despite the


    darkness of the night shrouding his face, she could still feel the air around him tensing up, and she


    shuddered. She thought he would go around her, but instead, he came to a stop mere inches before


    her. What¡¯s he trying to do?


    Are we in a staringpetition? Wait, what am I thinking? This is awkward. I wanna hide in a hole.


    Leo said nothing, staring at her.


    Amelie felt perspiration forming on her head, and she waved her hand. ¡°Hi, Mr. Alston.¡± And she put on


    a nervous smile.


    Leo could see her clearly thanks to the light, and he noticed her grin. His face fell, and then he left


    without saying a word.


    Huh? Amelie stared at him. I have a feeling he was angry at me. Because I saw them making out?


    That¡¯s a bit of an overreacting, isn¡¯t it? To not make things even more awkward, since Giada was


    following Leo closely, Amelie went away in a hurry so she wouldn¡¯t see Giada.


    Her head was hung low, and she didn¡¯t realize that Leo had slowed down. He was clearing out the


    obstacles for her, and when they came back to the tents, he went around the tent she was in. Giada


    saw that, however, and she bit her lip, her eyes fixed on the two of them, and her gaze dripping with


    venom.


    Amelie came back only to see ke standing outside her tent. He was looking at her with worry in his


    eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    ¡°ke?¡± Amelie looked at him, surprised. ¡°You can¡¯t sleep either?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he lied. He came because he knew she couldn¡¯t sleep well in new ces. He knew she might


    get up at night, and he wanted to apany her. Back when Amelie got up, he had already emerged


    from his tent, but in case she felt uneasy around him, he only watched over her from a distance.


    ¡°Get some sleep. We have work tomorrow.¡± Amelie smacked his sleeve and yawned. I just saw some


    nightmare fuel. Better stay in the tent now.


    ¡°Sure.¡± ke returned to his tent, but just before he entered it, he stopped and looked at Leo, who was


    in the other tent. And he frowned.

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285


    Chapter 285 Snake Bite


    The sun rose early the next morning. At the break of dawn, the contestants had already woken up, and


    the host made his appearance. Their task for the day was picking and making tea. It was then the


    contestants realized that there was a mountain near the camp, and on it were fields of tea leaves.


    These people went all their lives drinking tea, but not once did they ever make tea. Delighted by the


    task, they urged the production team and everyone to set off at once.


    But then, a scream pierced through the air. Everyone froze, then Chester ran into Team A¡¯s tent.


    ¡°Giada¡¯s in trouble, huh?¡± Fiona approached Amelie.


    Amelie looked around. The girls were all here, save for Giada. Just when she was about to say


    something, two more cries rang from the tent, and everyone ran toward it.


    Just before they could enter the tent, Giada screamed shrilly. ¡°A snake! A snake bit me!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces fell. Fabian tore the entrance¡¯s curtains open, and everyone looked inside. Giada was


    all curled up, holding her leg. She was screaming and looking as pale as a ghost. Chester was white as


    well, hiding in a corner. And then everyone saw a green snake slither out of the tent, moving as fast as


    a bolt of green lightning.


    ¡°Am I gonna die?¡± Giada burst into tears, fearing for her life.


    Chester snapped out of it. ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor?¡±


    Fabian ran inside and picked Giada up. And then he quickly darted over to the production team. The


    staff members were taking it seriously. Fortunately, they had a medic with them, and Giada was taken


    into the trailer. With the snake emergency looming over them, the contestants¡¯ earlier passion was fully


    doused. They waited for a while, and the doctor eventually came out.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Chester asked in a hurry.


    The doctor took his gloves off. ¡°The snake is not venomous, fortunately. I¡¯ve given her the serum, so


    she should be fine.¡±


    Chester heaved a sigh of relief, but he asked, ¡°Where did that snakee from?¡±


    Giada hobbled out of the car, and Chester quickly held her.


    ¡°Yeah. Where did that snakee from?¡± Giada¡¯s eyes were red with fear, and she looked at the tents.


    We barricaded the tents with sulfur. There¡¯s no way any snakes could¡¯ve gotten into the tents.¡±


    Obviously, someone put the snake in her tent when everyone was sleeping. Or so she used.


    ¡°Yeah, true. We did that.¡± Everyone looked at one another in suspicion.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we call the cops?¡± someone suggested.


    ¡°What say you, Foxy?¡± Suddenly, Giada turned her attention to Amelie. ¡°I¡¯m in distress. Perhaps we


    should call the cops.¡±


    What is she trying to say?


    ¡°What are you talking about? You think Foxy was the one who sabotaged you?¡± Fiona snapped. She


    didn¡¯t like Giada¡¯s attitude.


    Giada didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°I see no other suspect. She knows what she didst night.¡±


    What? Amelie gave Giada an awkward look and turned her attention to Leo. Leo was in the distance,


    looking at them calmly, as if he was just a spectator. When Amelie looked at him, he met her eyes, but


    she saw no panic in his gaze. Only serenity.


    Something happenedst night? The other contestants gave Amelie a gossipy look.


    Amelie quickly looked away, lest someone saw her meeting eyes with Leo. ¡°A bold yet uncorroborated


    usation, Miss Yates.¡± She thought I would put a snake in her tent just because I saw her hugging


    Leost night? That¡¯s a big leap of logic there.


    Giada shuffled over to Amelie and huddled closer to her. Then she hissed quietly, ¡°I know you¡¯ve


    hooked up with Mr. Alston. You got mad jealous because I hugged himst night, and that snake was


    your attack on me.¡±


    Me, hooking up with him? Where did she get that idea? Gods, she¡¯s stupid. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, Miss


    Yates. Do not use me of something I didn¡¯t do.¡± She took a step back. Don¡¯t want her stupidity to


    rub off on me.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re just denying your crimes. We might have to call the cops,¡± Giada growled.


    ¡°What are you, stupid? Just because you got bitten by a snake doesn¡¯t mean someone put it there,


    dumb*ss!¡±


    Someone shoved Giada away, and she almost tumbled.


    Amelie stared at her backer in awe. What is up with these mountains? Everyone¡¯s gone wonky since


    we got here. First Giada, and now Jodie? She¡¯s¡­ helping me? Is it gonna rain gold today? She looked


    up to the skies. No. It¡¯s still clear.


    Jodie wasn¡¯t trying to help Foxy, but she overheard Giada¡¯s whispers. She was delighted to hear that


    Leo and Foxy had hooked up. Can¡¯t let the cops take her away. I need them to find my happiness.


    Giada almost fell from the push, but she said nothing. Jodie was Leo¡¯s sister, and she didn¡¯t want to get


    on her bad side. Yet she shot Amelie a re, and then the matter was put to rest.


    The production team would love it if they didn¡¯t have to call the cops. Even if everything was fine, the


    public would still doubt the integrity of the team. If they found something bad, then all the investment in


    the show would be for nothing.


    The director stepped up and calmed Giada down. The injury, ording to him, could be seen as a


    work injury, and Giada would still be paid ordingly even if she stayed out of the shoot.


    Giada looked at Leo and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. The snake bite is painful, but I can¡¯t let this be my


    excuse to drag everyone down. I can still go on.¡± I can¡¯t see Leo if I were to leave now. I must press on.


    The director was delighted, and he pped and thanked her profusely.


    Already there was a tea maker when the contestants made their way to the tea garden. The


    contestants were then each given a small basket and were taught how to pick the leaves.


    Leo watched as Amelie drifted off into the mountain. Even though he was annoyed by her less-than-


    wee treatment, he couldn¡¯t help but look at her.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Amelie picked a few tea leaves and took a whiff. She fell in love with the fresh scent they were


    radiating, and she took some deep breaths. But when she opened her eyes, she was met with a


    mysterious gaze. Leo? Why is he looking at me like that?


    Just when she was about to ask, someone pounced into Leo¡¯s embrace.

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286


    Chapter 286 His Attention on Her


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Leo.¡± Ellen was trembling in fear, looking like a scared kitten. She curled up in Leo¡¯s


    embrace as she mumbled, ¡°Snakes are scary. I¡¯m afraid of snakes.¡±


    Amelie looked at her speechlessly. We¡¯re standing on a big path here. No snakes will take up


    residence in a ce without grass. Only Leo will believe something that stupid, but what do I care? It¡¯s


    their rtionship and their fun. She turned around and resumed picking leaves.


    The moment Amelie turned around, Leo frowned hard, his expression ck as thunder. ¡°Then f*ck off!¡±


    he said coldly.


    Ellen froze and looked at him in disbelief. But he was so nice to me a while ago! What happened? Like


    a child who got scolded by her parents, she teared up.


    However, Leo spared her no sympathy. He entered the mountain and the moment he did, he heard


    gasps of pain. When Leo raised his head, he was met with Amelie and Fiona jumping around.


    ¡°I stepped on an anthill!¡± Amelie gasped, her voice trembling, though she wasn¡¯t exaggerating her


    reaction.


    Yet, it worried Leo and he quickly ran toward her.


    Amelie and Fiona ran in different directions, trying to get away from the anthill. Then, Amelie ran into


    someone. Caught by surprise, she bumped her head and stumbled into an embrace. ¡°Ow!¡± Amelie


    turned around, holding her head, and she was greeted by a resigned ke.


    ¡°You are such a klutz. One of these days you¡¯re going to bump your head off!¡± ke admonished, his


    voice filled with love and his gaze welled with worry.


    Amelie stuck out her tongue at him. ¡°Man, the ants here can really bite.¡± She held her forehead and


    jumped around like a rabbit.


    ke shook his head. He got down and held her leg before flicking the ants away.


    Leo was standing a couple of yards away from them, and he saw ke kneeling on the ground,


    ignoring the fact that his pants would be dirtied. It looked like he was proposing to Amelie and his eyes


    were glinting warmly. Leo clenched his fists at that sight.


    ¡°She¡¯s not the only one who got bitten,¡± someone said softly. Giada showed up, giving Leo a seductive


    look.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She didn¡¯t try to hug him, though Giada did lick her lips suggestively. Even now she still wanted to hook


    up with him. He didn¡¯t take me because he didn¡¯t realize my beauty, but now he can see me in all my


    glory. She looked like a damsel in distress with the wound on her leg. Men. They either like their


    women sultry or vulnerable. I can do both.


    She tried her best to sell her sultriness, but Leo didn¡¯t even spare her a look. Beset by fury, Giada shot


    Amelie a re. Damn her! She got the attention of two men. I bet they just like the air of mystery she¡¯s


    giving out. I should¡¯ve worn a mask as well. Giada had a lot of suitors, but none of them were as good


    as Leo or ke.


    She was angry, but she couldn¡¯t do anything. Before the cameraman could film her, she hobbled off to


    a quiet corner. Then, her phone rang. Already in a bad mood, she snapped, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Miss Yates.¡± A woman asked, ¡°Do you know where I am?¡±


    ¡°Who are you? And why should I know where you are?¡± Giada hissed quietly.


    The womanughed. ¡°I¡¯m Elyse. I¡¯m watching you guys with the director right now, and there¡¯s one


    thing I need to make clear. You might want to dial back your desire for Mr. Alston. You¡¯re showing it too


    tantly.¡±


    So, they saw me seducing him on camera? An awkward look crept onto Giada¡¯s face but she resumed


    herposure right away. Sneering, she muttered, ¡°What makes you think you have the right to warn


    me? You¡¯re not his girlfriend and he¡¯s not married either. I don¡¯t think I did anything wrong. I was just


    trying to tell him I like him. You¡¯re no better than I am, so get off your high horse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, and I¡¯m not trying to warn you either. This is just a friendly reminder. My sister


    is trying to take Mr. Alston for herself, and she¡¯s a bit screwed in the head. Obsessive, so to speak.


    She¡¯d kill any woman who would even so much as talk to him.¡± Elyse coughed. ¡°Not kidding here.


    She¡¯s the reason I stopped chasing after Mr. Alston.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Giada was about to retort, but then she saw the spaced-out Ellen. I knew something was wrong


    with her. So, it seems she¡¯s mentally ill and she¡¯s prone to violence, huh? Oh, that gives me an idea.


    Ant bites weren¡¯t as bad as snake bites, but it was still torture for Amelie. Her whole body was itching


    and in pain. The tea picking seemed to take an eternity to finish, and then the tea maker led them into


    another room to dehydrate the leaves.


    Amelie ced her harvest on a warm work surface. The tea leaves would lose some of their hydration


    and they would be stir-fried to dry them up even further. Afterying her leaves out, she took her spot


    and pulled up her pants to check her injuries. The moment she sat down, she saw a bottle of salve right


    beside her. It was used to treat bug bites, including ant bites.


    Thinking that it was from ke, Amelie smiled at him. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ke looked at the bottle of salve and his warm smile froze. A momentter, he said, ¡°This isn¡¯t mine.¡±


    ¡°Then whose is it?¡± An elf¡¯s? Amelie looked around, trying to find the one who left this bottle of salve.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Alston¡¯s,¡± whispered ke. He was reluctant to say that, but he didn¡¯t want to lie.


    Leo? Amelie held the bottle of salve dumbly, wondering if she should use it.


    Fiona came and took the bottle, then she uncapped it. ¡°Good. The bites are killing me.¡±


    Amelie looked at her. He probably helped us because he had the salve all along. Might as well, then.


    She scooped up a bit of the salve and rubbed it over the bite wounds.


    Even though Leo was a distance away from them, he could still see Amelie rubbing the salve over her


    legs, and a gentle look welled in his eyes.


    Ellen was sitting across from him, muttering under her breath and staring at him like a puppy looking at


    her master. Ever since Leo told her to scram, she didn¡¯t try to go near him, even though she too was


    bitten by the ants. Now she was scratching away all by herself, her eyes tearing up.


    ¡°Oh, you got bitten as well?¡± Giada took the seat beside her and looked at Ellen¡¯s feet in pity.


    Ellen pouted and she was on the verge of crying.


    Giada took a sip of her water and heaved a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s so unfair. Mr. Alston has the salve to cure bug


    bites and yet, he gave it to Miss Foxy instead of you.¡± She looked at Amelie. ¡°I ran into Miss Foxy and


    Mr. Alstonst night. They said nothing to each other, but Mr. Alston walked ahead of her, clearing all


    the obstacles for her so she wouldn¡¯t be pricked by the grass and brambles. That was so sweet of him.¡±

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287


    Chapter 287 You Do Not Deserve Them


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with Giada and the snake, anyway?¡± Fiona rubbed the salve over her feet as she


    whispered to Amelie. She didn¡¯t think Amelie left the snake in the tent.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Amelie answered nonchntly before she looked at Giada and Ellen.


    Ellen was still shivering like a scared kitten, her eyes filled with tears. If anyone tried to scare her a


    little, she would cry. However, Giada was now being friendly to her.


    ¡°That Ellen girl seems wrong in the head,¡± Fiona muttered. Everyone can see that at this point. ¡°We¡¯re


    in a show. No matter the grudge, nobody would show it during the shoot. Only cuckoos do that.¡±


    Amelie froze for a moment. She had the same guess a while ago and now, Fiona was voicing it. Amelie


    looked at her.


    Fiona came over and held her hand. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that Mr. Alston treats you differently than he does


    most people.¡±


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    ¡°Thank you.¡± Amelie didn¡¯t share Fiona¡¯s thoughts, but she still appreciated the reminder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have some tea leaves to fry.¡± Fiona held Amelie¡¯s hand and led her into the teamaking


    room.


    The staff had already set up a big pan. To make sure the teamaking was fully traditional, the teamaker


    was using open fire. They heated their quality charcoal until they were red before tossing it into the


    stove. ¡°We only hand-picked quality charcoal to ensure they won¡¯t create smoke or any odor. That¡¯d


    affect the tea leaves¡¯ texture.¡±


    This activity was new for the contestants, and they listened intently. Once the teamaker was done with


    the exnation, everyone was given a pair of gloves. Amelie and Fiona then retrieved their tea leaves.


    After the dehydration earlier, the leaves were feeling soft and they were radiating the refreshing aroma


    of tea.


    ¡°They¡¯ll smell better if you dehydrate them more.¡± The teamaker poured the leaves into the pan and


    taught thedies how to fry them.


    Amelie started going through the process. The high heat from the pan was starting to make her sweat


    but fortunately, her mask was preventing anyone from noticing that.


    Leo didn¡¯t take part in the teamaking. He stood in the distance, his eyes on Amelie. She was less than


    half the size of the pan and her oversized gloves looked overwhelmingpared to her slender arms.


    Even though she was wearing a mask, he could still see her beautiful eyshes fluttering like butterfly


    wings. Her attention was on her leaves, her lips pursed. Even though he couldn¡¯t see her face, he could


    imagine it looking red and sweaty.


    Unlike the other celebrities, Amelie wouldn¡¯t turn to the camera every so often. She was focused on


    teamaking as if she was here solely for that. But thanks to her focused effort, she stood out among the


    crowd.


    The more Leo looked at her, the more he couldn¡¯t move his gaze away, but then a sweet voice said,


    ¡°Leo.¡±


    Ellen was holding a hatchling in her hand, carefully walking over to him. She presented the hatchling to


    him like it was a treasure. ¡°It¡¯s so cute. They just hatched and they were chirping at me.¡± The hatchling


    was all red and barely had any feathers. Eyes closed, ity in Ellen¡¯s hand, chirping.


    Noticing this scene, the cameraman quickly turned the camera to them, hoping to catch a sweet scene.


    s, Leo ignored Ellen.


    Ellen knew that she wouldn¡¯t get any response and the delight on her face was crushed. She started


    blinking and a few momentster, she was tearing up. I thought I would get a nice scene. What¡¯s this


    about? They started off okay, didn¡¯t they? They even hugged each other, so what¡¯s with Mr. Alston


    ignoring her now? The cameraman had a lot of questions, but he dared not voice them out, so he


    turned his camera away.


    Ellen burst into tears and pulled her hand back like a sad little child. ¡°How can you do this to me? I¡¯ve


    given so much to you!¡± Then, she touched her left eye.


    Leo finally looked away from Amelie. When he noticed Ellen touching her left eye, even a cool and


    collected man like him had to smirk sardonically.


    With her head hanging low, Ellen missed that sardonic smirk. She was still grumbling, ¡°Elyse stole my


    credit and you gave everything to her. Now that you know the truth, you should marry me.¡±


    Finally, Leo said, ¡°Credit? What credit?¡±


    Ellen quickly tugged on her shirt. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious enough? I was the one who stayed by your side when


    you were blind, and I donated my cornea to you. I gave my own eye up for you, Leo.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even feel nervous. Her mind was not right, and she thought she was the one who did all that


    for him, though it was only her delusion. ¡°I wrote down everything I did for you in this journal.¡± She


    whipped her book out of the bag.


    But Leo didn¡¯t take it. A hint of disgust welled in his eyes and he looked away. ¡°No matter how much


    you have done for me, all I can give you is money. You do not deserve my love. ¡± And you didn¡¯t


    actually do anything for me. Leo didn¡¯t know why she would write that diary, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered


    to ask.


    Ellen cried even harder, but she didn¡¯t even wipe her tears away. At this point, anyone would start to


    come to her aid, but not Leo. He wouldn¡¯t give a moment to anyone he didn¡¯t care about. She could


    drop dead right now, and he wouldn¡¯t bat an eyelid.


    Since her crying didn¡¯t work, he looked at him, trying to make him notice her. It was then she realized


    he was looking elsewhere. She looked in the direction he was staring, and the thing she saw was


    Amelie frying her tea leaves. Leo was staring right at the woman. Even though Ellen¡¯s mind was not in


    the right ce, she could still feel Leo¡¯s possessiveness toward Amelie. Stricken by grief, she buried


    her face in her hands and quickly ran away.


    After a lot of effort, Amelie and Fiona finally finished frying their leaves. The teamaker tucked the


    leaves away in a container and told them they could make some tea in a moment.


    Even though they were drenched in sweat, thedies felt aplished. They emerged from the room


    together to wash their hands and prepare for the tea brewing. Right after Amelie started washing her


    hands, Fiona screamed. Instinctively, Amelie turned around and she saw Fiona covering her mouth and


    backing off, looking as if she had just seen something out of a horror movie.

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288


    Chapter 288 The Passing of a Famous Female Celebrity Was Impossible to Cover


    Amelie rushed to her and nced over. She also covered her mouth when she noticed the thing beside


    the tap.


    There was something bloody beside the tap.


    One could see a sharp beak and a broken w upon closer inspection.


    It could be affirmed that it was a chick.


    The chick was smashed into pieces and its internal organs were scattered everywhere.


    It was a ghastly and strange scene.


    Fiona could not hold it in as she covered her mouth and started gagging.


    Amelie carefully washed the flesh with water while trying to hold back her disgust and fear. She then


    carried the chick¡¯s head and w outside to the tea farm using a tissue. Next, she prepared a grave for


    the chick.


    ¡°Who would be that cruel? How can one do such a thing?¡± Fiona finally found her voice after witnessing


    Amelie burying the chick.


    The horrific image from earlier left asting mark on her as she trembled in terror.


    Amelie shook her head but remained silent. She got to her feet and went back to wash her hands once


    again.


    Bang!


    A dull voice came out of the blue.


    Fiona immediately yelled, ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Amelie abruptly turned back to discover that the wooden roof over her head had dislodged. She was


    about to be struck by a log.


    That log was thicker than her body and made a low rumble that was coupled with the brisk wind and


    strong force.


    If this fell on her, she would surely be dead.


    It would be just like what happened to that chick!


    Fiona wanted to do something, but the log was moving too quickly. She was at a loss for what to do


    and her mind went nk.


    Thump! Amelie instinctively closed her eyes and covered her head as she screamed desperately.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The photographer was startled by the cry and ran over with his camera.


    He was astounded to see the crumbled scene. For a moment, he forgot to turn off his camera as he


    just stood there in a daze.


    ¡°Miss Foxy? Miss Foxy!¡± Fiona was too stunned and terrified to cry. She simply ran in the direction


    where Amelie had vanished.


    Her heart sank. She knew very well that Amelie was ruined.


    When Fiona was halfway there, she spotted a ck figure sprinting past as fast as lightning. In a split


    second, the figure was in front of her.


    Given how quickly he moved, nobody knew who it was. Only when he stopped could they see who he


    was. It was none other than Leo.


    Leo rushed to the scene and immediately began turning the wood over. He was unconcerned about


    another roof copse.


    Veins were protruding from his forehead and he appeared to be on the verge of losing control at any


    moment.


    His delicate fingertips appeared to have disregarded the roughness of the wood as he used every bit of


    strength that he had to lift the wood.


    ke also rushed over.


    He had a deathly pale face. His soft smile had long since faded and his firmly pursed lips were a sign of


    extreme nervousness.


    They cooperated to move the wood away.


    The other men arrived to lend a hand as soon as they noticed the two of them beginning to rescue


    Amelie.


    The women did little more than stand to the side and cover their mouths.


    Fiona could not help but burst into tears.


    The director also ran over.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked with a thunderous expression.


    ¡°Miss Foxy was identally hit by the wood that fell from the roof. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to make


    it,¡± Giada whispered. A scheming glint shed across her eyes as she added, ¡°I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll dig out


    a bloody mess.¡±


    ¡°Gosh!¡± The director copsed to the ground after hearing that.


    His directing career would be ruined if a person was killed in his TV show.


    The director just about crawled to the scene of the ident.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we call the police?¡± someone suggested.


    They had to report to the police since such a serious ident had happened.


    At this point, the director was out of options.


    The passing of a female celebrity with 100 million fans was impossible to cover.


    Sighing, he nodded heavily, signaling for those nearby to call the police.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    A voice could suddenly be hearding from below.


    ¡°Who¡¯s talking?¡± The director was quite dismayed at the thought of his prospects. When he abruptly


    heard that voice, he was inevitably stupefied.


    Both Leo and ke heard that voice too. They exchanged looks and their gazes soon brightened.


    They had not discussed it when they worked together to lift the heaviest piece of wood.


    A head was eventually visible.


    Everyone looked over.


    They saw Amelie curled up in a small space under the pool.


    The pool was crushed by the force of the crash and it created a triangr-shaped area.


    It was because of this area that Amelie was unharmed.


    ¡°Oh, my gosh! Miss Foxy, you¡¯re all right?¡± Fiona rushed over. When she saw Amelie, she was filled


    with disbelief.


    She was ecstatic as her tears flowed even faster.


    She was scared out of her wits by what happened earlier.


    Leo lowered his head to look at Amelie, who was curled up in the narrow space. He felt extreme pain in


    his chest. It was as if he had been thrown in a meat grinder.


    He could now breathe a sigh of relief.


    Almost instinctively, he moved to approach Amelie and reached out to grab her wrist.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Amelie looked up at him without moving. Before she could move, he yanked her out of the cramped


    area with force.


    Even if she was yanked out, he did not let go of her hand. Leo drew her into his embrace.


    Is he going to hug me?


    Amelie was stupefied.


    Then, her face fell into an embrace and she smelled a clean scent.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine.¡± She heard a man¡¯s gentle but nervous voice.


    Again, Amelie was in disbelief. When she turned to face the man, she saw a face different from Leo¡¯s.


    The person had gentle and clean-cut features with his bangs spread across his smiling eyes. He


    looked just like a leading actor in a series.


    ¡°key?¡± she whispered.


    ke pulled her into his arms again as he held her tightly.


    Amelie was equally afraid. Yet, because she saw ke as her brother, she naturally did not think much


    about it as she let him hug her.


    Leo was right behind them. His gaze turned extremely gloomy because ke had beaten him to it.


    However, he did not let go of Amelie¡¯s hand.


    He fixed his thunderous gaze on them.


    When he noticed that Amelie did not even struggle in ke¡¯s arms, Leo suddenly realized that all his


    worries were for nothing.


    He then released his grip on Amelie¡¯s wrist and turned to walk away.


    It was a frightening experience but fortunately, nothing bad happened. Everyone exhaled deeply in


    relief, especially the director.


    He located the manager of the tea farm and rebuked him fiercely.


    The manager did not foresee such an ident, so he could only apologize continuously.


    After Amelie was released from ke¡¯s embrace, she was soon hugged by Fiona.


    ¡°I almost passed out from the fear! Did you know that my heart nearly stopped beating just now?¡± Fiona


    continued to pat her chest, her eyes reddened.


    She was utterly terrified.


    Her legs were still weak at the moment.


    ¡°How did you escape in such a dangerous situation?¡± Fiona thought it was nothing short of a miracle.


    Amelieughed subtly. Her gaze sharpened as she cast a nce toward the shattered roof. However,


    she only looked at it briefly.


    ¡°What else could I do? My reactions are fairly quick because I used to participate in car racing.¡±


    Amelie would have turned into a gory mess if she hadn¡¯t developed quick reflexes.


    ¡°You¡¯re one of a kind!¡± Fiona gave her a thumbs-up. ¡°You even used to race!¡±


    Fiona truly admired Amelie greatly.


    ¡°Tell me what you can¡¯t do.¡±


    Amelie burst intoughter. ¡°You think too highly of me.¡±


    She looked toward the crowd while talking.


    Fiona was sensitive enough to notice Amelie¡¯s gaze, so she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Amelie remained silent, but she secretly checked off everybody present.


    ¡°She¡¯s not around,¡± Fiona stated. She was rather smart and knew what Amelie was thinking.


    Both Amelie and Fiona exchanged nces in silence. They then walked out together.


    Yet, as soon as Amelie turned away, Giada¡¯s attention was drawn to her. Giada blinked, her eyes filled


    with hatred.

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289


    Chapter 289 Something Is off About Jodie


    Ellen was squatting by the river, a bird¡¯s nest before her.


    The nest had two newly hatched chicks.


    The mother of the chicks was nowhere to be found. The chicks had their eyes closed as they opened


    their beaks, chirping the whole time.


    Ellen felt somewhat helpless though she was doing her best to feed them the worms she had captured.


    However, the chicks were too young, so they could not swallow the worms.


    That being said, she still kept going at it, not feeling the least bit tired.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    At some point, Amelie came over and expressed herself while standing behind Ellen. She gazed at


    Ellen like she was watching a movie.


    Meanwhile, Ellen refused to look at Amelie. She simply curled up and continued behaving as she had


    earlier.


    Amelie approached Ellen and picked up the worms in front of her using two tiny sticks before stuffing


    them down the chicks¡¯ necks.


    The chicks could finally eat the worms, so they chirped contentedly.


    Ellen stopped what she was doing since she was transfixed by Amelie¡¯s actions.


    Her dumbfounded eyes radiated a lifeless glow.


    One could tell at a nce that she was off her rocker.


    ¡°What is Elyse nning to do? Why did she send you over?¡± Amelie inevitably sighed.


    Only Elyse was capable of sending someone who was not of sound mind to the program.


    Is she out of her mind? Amelie mused.


    On the other hand, Ellen was unresponsive. As she looked at Amelie, her gaze slowly morphed into


    one of shock, as if she had seen a ghost.


    It was primarily fear.


    She curled into herself even more.


    Amelie reached out and grabbed Ellen¡¯s shoulder to gently tug at her, sessfully getting her close.


    ¡°Why did you want to save these two chicks?¡± she asked.


    Ellen shifted her gaze and her eyshes fluttered. After some time, she finally mumbled, ¡°They¡¯re


    pitiful.¡±


    ¡°These two are pitiful, and the other is not?¡± Amelie questioned. ¡°You smashed it to death. Why?¡±


    That statement seemed to have caused Ellen greater pressure. Soon, her gaze began to flit wildly.


    Amelie pulled her closer as she fixed her gaze on the photographer who was filming them from afar.


    Lowering her voice, she questioned, ¡°What part did you y in the roof copse just now?¡±


    ¡°I-I have no idea what you¡¯re referring to.¡± Ellen jumped away from Amelie apprehensively. She turned


    around and left the chicks behind as she fled.


    Amelie was quicker, though. She leaned forward and gripped Ellen¡¯s wrist before getting close to the


    woman¡¯s ear and whispering, ¡°You can ask Elyse if you¡¯re not sure about my character.¡±


    Ellen grunted and shook her head vigorously. Tears soon filled her eyes and she burst into tears.


    ¡°I did nothing. Don¡¯t use me.¡± She trembled as she spoke, appearing rather feeble and pitiful.


    Those who were not aware of what was going on might feel that Amelie had done something bad to


    Ellen.


    Everything seemed a little weird to Amelie. As such, she inevitably turned around, only to see Leo


    standing nearby.


    He was looking at them with a dark gaze.


    Is Ellen acting pitifully because she saw Leo? Amelie found it amusing, but she did not let go of Ellen


    immediately. On the contrary, she continued warning her. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this. If you¡¯re proven


    guilty, I¡¯ll get even with you even if someone else backs you up!¡±


    She strode out of the ce after she said that.


    She walked right by Leo without pausing. Behind her, she sensed that Ellen seemed to have thrown


    herself into Leo¡¯s arms.


    Amelie, however, could not be bothered. She did not even turn around.


    The director rushed to her when she entered a crowded area.


    ¡°Miss Foxy!¡± The director was extremely humble the minute he saw her. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I invited you


    over to the show, but there were so many idents. Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Amelie said lightly. She refrained from reprimanding the director because she was aware that


    the mishap had little to do with him.


    However, the director kept stroking his bald head.


    This show was his career¡¯s most thrilling and exciting program to date, and his bald spot had


    significantly grown because of the fear.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Since Amelie did not hold him responsible, the director quietly breathed a sigh of relief.


    He then said, ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­ With the nonstop issues these past two days, our team decided to alter


    our ns and pray together this afternoon at the local Church of Faith.¡±


    He would not be able to hold on anymore if he did not pray to God for some blessings.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Amelie naturally had no objections.


    Twenty minutester, a car came to take them to the Church of Faith.


    Everyone had long been informed, so they slowly walked toward the car.


    A ck figure was quicker than everyone else as he leaped onto the car.


    His extraordinarily aloof and distant aura left everyone in awe. Eventually, they turned to see that he


    had taken a seat.


    His dark, deep-set eyes were full of profoundness, and his gorgeous face was solemn.


    Leo? Amelie was a little taken aback by Leo¡¯s enthusiasm. However, she did not give it much thought.


    She chose to sit in the first row that was farthest from him when she saw that he had picked a seat in


    thest row.


    As she was deep in thought, someone abruptly pushed her.


    She almost lost her footing as she trembled.


    When she looked up, she noticed Ellen had run past her to get to Leo.


    The woman came to a stop about three seats away from him while anxiously blinking her eyes. She


    appeared quite pitiful.


    ¡°Elie, sit over there.¡± Giada approached and gave her a brief nudge.


    Ellen was pushed forward and she sat next to him.


    She shifted her body uneasily, but Giada pressed onto her shoulder without letting go. However, she


    did nothing other than that.


    Her face was lowered, but she was beaming with joy.


    Amelie did not pay much attention to Ellen and Leo. Yet, at that moment, she furrowed her brows.


    She looked toward Giada as if she was deep in thought.


    She knew that Giada liked Leo. Besides, Giada was not the kind of woman who would make


    concessions for others.


    So, why did Giada suddenly try to put Ellen and Leo together? There must be something fishy going


    on!


    Amelie suddenly felt a grasp around her wrist when she was deep in thought.


    When she regained her wits, she was taken to Leo.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± The person who held her yanked Ellen up and pushed her out into the seat.


    Amelie was rendered speechless.


    The push almost caused her to trip and fall, which in turn made her stumble andnd in Leo¡¯s arms.


    She could not be bothered about her fall, but she gazed in disbelief at the person who had pushed her.


    Jodie? What is wrong with her?!


    Once again, Amelie saw Jodie¡¯s illogical action and she was struck dumb in astonishment.


    In that instant, Jodie put both her hands on her waist. She couldn¡¯t care less if there was a


    photographer with her or not as she stared at Ellen and growled, ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Amelie was at a loss for words.


    The push caused Ellen to bang against the seat next to her. She looked quite feeble and delicately


    pitiful when that happened.


    She started blinking in a trance again. Tears were brimming in her eyes as they threatened to fall at any


    minute.


    The tears in her eyes trembled, but they did not fall. It was such a skill that she had.


    Amelie was never one for crying. She was forced to sigh as a result of Ellen¡¯s amazing talent for crying


    and controlling her tears. Truth be told, she was quite impressed by that.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Meanwhile, Ellen still remained silent. Her eyes were crimson as she pursed her lips. She slowly


    straightened her back, looking as if she was being bullied. She just stood there and looked at them


    pitifully.


    Once again, Amelie was struck speechless. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles there.


    Amelie¡¯s feelings worsened with Ellen¡¯s frail and pathetic appearance. It gave her the illusion that she


    had bullied Ellen.


    At first, she assumed Leo would undoubtedly act in some way given the circumstances. He would at


    least hurry over tofort Ellen by giving her a hug, but the man beside her did nothing after waiting


    for quite a while.


    On the contrary, she missed the best chance to leave.


    When she realized that she should find another seat and not act like a dog in the manger, the bus was


    fully upied.


    Amelie was at a loss for words and she felt numb all over.


    She patted her head ruefully.


    Atst, Ellen could only get into another small car arranged by the director since she had no seat.


    The man beside her made noment throughout the whole process.


    Did he¡­ argue with Ellen? Amelie inevitably made assumptions. Only after a long while did she realize


    that she was in his arms with his hand on her shoulder.


    Suddenly, Amelie leaped up and straightened her posture.


    Her face under her mask was burning hot and she was extremely flustered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered after a while.


    Leo retrieved his hand and turned around slowly to nce at her. His gaze was dark and bottomless,


    drawing her in.

 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290


    Chapter 290 He¡¯s Mine


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll take the car then,¡± Amelie said as she was about to push herself up from her chair.


    Halfway through, she heard his voice. ¡°Your father is a shoemaker?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She stopped her movement halfway, looking at him nkly.


    Doesn¡¯t he know about this already? Why would he ask about this again? What does he want?


    She was just thinking when the car started moving.


    Is it even worth it to miss the opportunity to ride in the same car with the woman you love just to ask


    these useless questions?


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes and added, ¡°My dad is a well-known shoemaker in Quinn Town.


    Everyone knows him.¡±


    Only his ex-son-inw still needed her confirmation until now.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve met me before?¡± Leo did not dwell on the question but asked her another one instead.


    Amelie looked at him weirdly. Is Leo starting to remember me?


    ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± Her voice was noticeably much colder.


    This question was obviously a trap. As soon as he asked this, she remembered all the foolish things


    she had done back then.


    Her pretty face was gloomy and full of thoughts.


    She was lost in her own world,pletely unaware of the man beside her suddenly shaking as if struck


    by an unexpected blow.


    The serious expression was slowly reced by shock.


    For the rest of the car ride, Amelie didn¡¯t say another word to him. She simply closed her eyes and fell


    asleep.


    It wasn¡¯t until the car stopped that she woke up in a daze.


    The man beside her got up and left without looking at her.


    Amelie wiped the corner of her lips and felt the warmth on the side of her face. Even though she was


    asleep, she still had consciousness. In her sleep, she felt that she was leaning against something


    warm. It¡¯s probably not Leo but the chair, right?


    She thought so.


    As Leo got out of the car, he touched his arm and felt the warmth left behind by Amelie. He could even


    feel the touch of her soft face still lingering on his arm.


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile a little.


    Amelie followed everyone out of the car. She looked up and saw the towering and glorious gate of the


    Church of Faith that reached high into the sky.


    She looked through the gate and saw ancient stone-carved altarpieces on both sides of the path.


    The scent of the candle and the liturgical music in the background created a peaceful and serene


    atmosphere, which made her feel rxed and extra calm. Church is a great ce. No wonder a lot of


    people choose to find peace here.


    Amelie admired the ancient architecture around her as she walked, feeling like she had traveled back


    to ancient times.


    A figure suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her way.


    It was Ellen who got off from another car.


    Their car had arrivedter than the bus. It was obvious that she ran all the way here, with her chest


    heaving and her breathing heavily.


    She stared at Amelie with anger in her eyes. Amelie definitely was different from the weak and pitiful


    image from before.


    ¡°Foxy, how dare you interfere between me and Leo! You¡¯re too much!¡± sheined angrily and


    pouted as she yed a very convincing victim.


    Amelie looked at her. She couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. ¡°Did Leo even publicly announce his


    rtionship with you? If not, we¡¯re justpeting fairly, and I certainly did not interfere with both of


    you.¡± Her mischief took over her and she decided to make Ellen ufortable.


    ¡°You!¡± Ellen¡¯s eyes immediately turned red and tears began to well up in them again.


    Ha! It was just a moment of impulse. I wanted to mess with her for a bit. Indeed, she is quite the


    actress. Her tears came faster than I expected. With her talent, it¡¯s such a pity that she¡¯s not an


    actress.


    Amelie even began to suspect that her foolishness was just an act.


    ¡°He¡¯s mine! He has always been mine!¡± Ellen couldn¡¯te up with a reason and kept repeating her


    words aggrievedly.


    Those who were not aware of what was going on would probably think that Amelie had humiliated her.


    Amelie was not interested in ying her games anymore. She straightened herself and spoke


    seriously, ¡°Since he¡¯s yours, please take good care of him. Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m not interested in him at


    all.¡±


    After she finished speaking, she flipped her ponytail and didn¡¯t hurry to leave. Instead, she leaned in


    and whispered to Ellen, ¡°Although I¡¯m not interested in him, I¡¯m quite interested in the fact that when


    you and your father lived under my roof, he stole thousands from my family. Shouldn¡¯t you ask your dad


    to settle this matter with me?¡±


    The thousands back then were indeed arge sum of money.


    Amelie purposely started counting with her fingers and said, ¡°You and your father left at least 10 years


    ago. ording to the current market interest rate, it would be worth tens of thousands by now.¡±


    Ellen was dumbfounded. Stunned, she looked at Amelie and said, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°If your dad doesn¡¯t want to pay me back, I¡¯ll have to tell Leo about all those dirty things you and your


    father did. What do you think he¡¯ll think of you once he knows?¡±


    Amelie had never felt that Leo¡¯s name was as valuable as it was now.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    As soon as Amelie was done talking, Ellen¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet.


    ¡°You¡­That¡¯s too much,¡± Ellen mumbled after a while. Tears glistened in her eyes and she blinked


    rapidly, trying to hold them back.


    Amelie was speechless at Ellen¡¯s words.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me why you want to harm me?¡± Ellen asked.


    Amelie certainly doesn¡¯t need the few ten thousand. However, she had never thought of letting go of


    the matter that happenedst time.


    Ellen couldn¡¯t help herself anymore. Tears started falling down her cheek and she began to tremble.


    Amelie didn¡¯t bother tofort her and simply crossed her arms, making the situation look worse.


    A crowd was starting to form.


    Ellen knew her tears wouldn¡¯t have any effect on Amelie. She could only stutter, ¡°You said you¡¯re not


    interested in Leo, but you are. You can¡¯t take him away from me; it¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°Who? Who is she?¡±


    Amelie¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted!


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ Leo!¡± Ellen suddenly ran behind her and threw herself into his arms.


    As Amelie was slowly turning her head, she saw Ellen clinging onto Leo like a monkey and crying


    loudly.


    Great! Amelie thought.


    Although Amelie was the actual victim, Ellen now looked like she was the one being bullied.


    Amelie really couldn¡¯t be more interested in Ellen¡¯s old-fashioned and uncreative way of ying the


    victim. Seeing Leo staring at her intensely, she simply shrugged innocently and walked straight past


    them.


    Behind her, Leo, who was about to push Ellen away, suddenly froze. He gazed at Amelie with a deep


    look as she walked away.


    Even though she did not say a word, her expression and movement were perfectly in line with what she


    had said before.


    She was not interested in him anymore!


    Such a great move!


    ¡°Foxy.¡± Fiona caught up with her just as she arrived at the main hall.


    Fiona had always avoided getting involved with Fabian. After he got on the bus, she willingly chose to


    take a car.


    With their close rtionship, she just put her arm around Amelie¡¯s shoulder naturally. They walked side


    by side up the huge stairs paved with granite.


    As the two slender figures walked up the stairs, they suddenly felt tiny and insignificant.


    ¡°Giada is a problematic person. You should be careful of her,¡± Fiona whispered, leaning in close to her.


    Even though she didn¡¯t say it out loud, Amelie immediately guessed that Fiona was referring to an


    incident earlier where the rooftop copsed.


    Amelie was able to guess a little bit about the situation from the way Giada pushed Ellen and Leo


    together.


    After getting confirmation from Fiona, Amelie had even more confidence now. She remained calm,


    turned her head to look at Fiona, and said, ¡°You seem to have a great hostility toward her.¡±

 Chapter 291

    Chapter 291


    Chapter 291 The Official Announcement


    Fiona chuckled and said, ¡°You should¡¯ve figured it out a long time ago. Fabian and I have known each


    other for a long time. When we were much younger back then, we suffered together. I was willing to


    step back and give him all the resources I fought so hard for.¡±


    As she spoke, her gaze became distant.


    ¡°I thought you would¡¯ve guessed it with your intelligence. To be honest, Giada and I used to be best


    friends, but during Fabian¡¯s celebration dinner, they kissed.¡±


    Uncovering the past was like a knife stabbing into her heart.


    Amelie could understand her pain as she had experienced heartbreak too.


    Now, sheughed as if it was not a big deal, but back then, the pain was unbearable.


    ¡°Why would you tell me when you could have said nothing.¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Although it was a momentary impulse, she hated exposing people¡¯s scars.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Fiona said calmly as she smiled.


    ¡°Some people still feel distant even after knowing them for a few decades. You still can¡¯t figure out their


    true colors. But for some people, you only need a few days or even a few hours, and you can already


    figure out their personality. You are the second kind of person.¡±


    Amelie chuckled softly and said, ¡°Are you indirectly calling me shallow?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. You¡¯re not shallow. You¡¯re genuine.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Fiona¡¯spliment was fair enough.


    Amelie nodded in agreement and said, ¡°I like it when youpliment me.¡±


    Fiona smiled. ¡°I know your personality. You won¡¯t hurt others, and you won¡¯t let others harm you too.


    But remember, no matter what, don¡¯t take revenge now.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± A trustworthy friend like her was hard to find.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take target the crew even if I had a grudge.¡±


    The image of the pitiful director shed through Amelie¡¯s mind. She didn¡¯t want him to be fully bald.


    However, I still need to find an opportunity to find Giada¡¯s dirt. Once the show ends, it will be the


    beginning of her nightmare!


    Amelie was still thinking when her vision suddenly went dark.


    All of a sudden, her slender body was blocked by a tall figure.


    That person was so tall that it made him look unapproachable.


    Amelie was stunned for a moment before looking up. Her neck was sore from the movement. Finally,


    she saw his face.


    It was Leo again.


    This man just won¡¯t give up, will he?


    ¡°Miss Shaw, can you give us a second? I want to talk to Foxy.¡± Even though Leo was speaking to


    Fiona, his eyes were on Amelie.


    Fiona was frightened by his cold and harsh demeanor. She shuddered before nodding. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After she finished speaking, she walked into the hall elegantly.


    Amelie stood there, then she smirked. ¡°Why? Are you going to take revenge for your lover?¡±


    Her lips curled into a smile, but her eyes were as cold as ice.


    Leo noticed it. ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± His irrelevant response left Amelie stunned as she stared at him like he was an alien.


    Was it important whether she liked him or not?


    ¡°Mr. Alston, you seem to be asking the wrong question,¡± she reminded him kindly.


    Leo frowned.


    He had always hated her calling him Mr. Alston politely. It was too formal.


    ¡°I did threaten your lover.¡± Leo tried to beat around the bush, but she didn¡¯t have time to y along, so


    she threw the question back at him. ¡°What are you going to do about it, Mr. Alston?¡±


    She tilted her head to the side as she spoke and looked at him provocatively.


    Her lips formed a stubborn line.


    Even though Amelie¡¯s expression was filled with provocation, Leo found it adorable for some reason.


    His lips couldn¡¯t help but slowly curve upward.


    He smiled. He smiled?


    Amelie looked at Leo as if she had seen a ghost.


    Did he just smile at me? Is my vision ying tricks on me?


    ¡°I want to pursue you,¡± he said.


    ng!


    Amelie felt like her head was hit by something and it suddenly went nk.


    She looked at Leo in confusion, feeling that she was either hallucinating or that Leo was ying tricks


    on her.


    This man always felt like talking to her was a waste of time, but now, he was willing to y tricks on her


    just for Ellen¡¯s sake?


    ¡°Mr. Alston, you must be kidding,¡± She finally forced out a fake smile after a long while.


    This was the slowest reaction she had ever had.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking, and I¡¯m not here to discuss or ask for your opinion. I¡¯m here to inform you,¡± he said


    directly.


    Huh? Amelie¡¯s brain crashed again.


    She looked up and saw Leo¡¯s focused and serious expression. He was saying the most romantic words


    in the world with a serious tone.


    An outsider would have thought he was having a meeting.


    For some reason¡­ it was funny.


    ¡°Are you nning to take revenge for Ellen this way?¡± Amelie asked a very silly question.


    Leo smiled. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that bored?¡±


    For some reason, he found Amelie¡¯s silly question cute.


    Even though he couldn¡¯t see her face, he still liked her a lot.


    It was only recently that he realized he had feelings for her.


    He had fallen for her a long time ago.


    ¡°Yes, I think you are quite bored,¡± Amelie said.


    This conversation was going nowhere. Amelie ran past him and into the hall to get away from him.


    Leo turned to watch her. His smile deepened at the sight of her running away.


    Compared to his good mood, Amelie felt like her world had been turned upside down. For the rest of


    the day, she was in a daze. She couldn¡¯t even think properly.


    Leo had been very clear with her about their rtionship, but he suddenly changed his attitude and


    confessed his feelings to her.


    Even the strongest heart would have a hard time bearing this.


    Amelie didn¡¯t even know how she managed to make it back to the ce.


    The sun was already setting when she made it to the entrance of the main hall.


    A group of people had gathered there. Their sudden arrival had startled the guest.


    Although everyone was restraining themselves, they refused to leave and formed a crowd.


    Amelie felt a headacheing on as she looked at all the eyes fixed on her. She felt like she was a


    monkey in a zoo being watched.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Suddenly, apuse and cheers erupted from a small group.


    Amelie turned around and saw Chester holding Giada¡¯s waist. They stood together, looking extremely


    happy.


    Compared to Chester, Giada looked stunned, as if she had just swallowed a fly.


    It wasn¡¯t just a fly. It was as if she had swallowed sh*t.


    Amelie even saw Giada¡¯s eyes which were red and swollen. She was on the verge of tears.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Amelie looked around in confusion.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to announce their rtionship.¡± Fiona approached Amelie and patted her on her


    shoulder as she cleared Amelie¡¯s doubt.


    Fiona was also surprised when she found out they were together.


    The amusement came after the surprise.


    ¡°Giada is usually intelligent. She even broke up with someone as powerful as Fabian easily, so why


    would she jump into the arms of Chester, this yboy?¡±

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292


    Chapter 292 Leo Makes a Wish


    Amelie finally caught on. She was visibly taken aback. ¡°They announced that they¡¯re in a rtionship?¡±


    All along, Chester had been giving off hints and obvious signs of his interest, but it appeared as if


    Giada was simply using him as she never acknowledged his feelings.


    What does this mean?


    Meanwhile, Chester was asking affectionately, ¡°Are you happy, Giada?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Giada replied in a shaky voice.


    ¡°Look! Giada has be so emotional.¡± Lilith and the others misunderstood Giada. They began


    pping again.


    Many of the visitors here knew about the program ¡®Show Your Love¡¯, so when they heard that a


    celebrity couple was announcing their rtionship, they whipped their phones out to take a picture.


    Fiona¡¯s expression slowly morphed into a grim frown. ¡°Chester¡¯s an incorrigible yboy. He has done a


    lot of unthinkable things behind the scenes and his managementpany has long since decided to


    let him go. They¡¯re only doing their best to keep things under wraps for him because they don¡¯t want to


    affect this program. Once the program ends, they won¡¯t be helping him anymore. Isn¡¯t Giada just


    screwing herself over by going public with him now?¡±


    Over the years, Fiona had finessed her way into quite a lot of resources for her career and was


    acquainted with many of the industry bigwigs, so she heard about these things a long time ago.


    ¡°Do you think she might not know about it?¡± Amelie pondered as she was a little fuzzy about what was


    happening too.


    ¡°Giada has entertained her fair share of bigwigs over thest few years,¡± Fiona scoffed. ¡°There¡¯s no


    way she had no idea about this. I¡¯m guessing she hit a brick wall this time. Maybe some bigshot¡¯s wife


    found out about her skanky ways and wanted to punish her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why people say it¡¯s wise to know your ce. There¡¯s no winning in a losing battle,¡± Fiona added


    knowingly.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t be bothered to dissect the situation any further.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As it was, she had been meaning to teach Giada a lesson. Now that someone else had done it for her,


    it saved her the trouble.


    ¡°Chester¡¯s secrets are noughing matter. The best oue for Giada would be to disappear from the


    industry,¡± Fiona muttered. ¡°She would probably have to pay up a lot of money because of this. All her


    years of earnings would have to be poured into this sinkhole.¡±


    All of a sudden, a thought shed across Fiona¡¯s mind and she turned to Amelie. ¡°Hey. Does this have


    anything to do with you?¡±


    She thought that it was Amelie¡¯s undoing.


    Amelie shook her head with a nk look on her face.


    She promised that she wouldn¡¯t do anything to Giada now, so she hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Who else could it be then?¡± Fiona was extremely curious.


    On the other hand, Amelie wasn¡¯t all that interested to know.


    To her, Giada was simply leaving the entertainment industry a little sooner.


    All this while, ke was standing in front of Amelie. He looked princely in his white attire.


    At this moment, his clean-cut face was not as calm as it usually was as his baster skin was masked


    by a dark expression. Concern was etched into his brows.


    He heard the conversation between the two women.


    Amelie didn¡¯t know who made the move against Giada, but he knew.


    ke¡¯s eyes flickered over to Leo.


    Leo¡¯s gaze was perfectly neutral. He was standing neither too far nor too near and seemed to be


    ignorant of everything that was happening over here.


    Just as always. It¡¯s as if he had nothing to do with this cruel situation. Imperceptibly shrewd.


    ke¡¯s concern intensified as he turned his eyes back on Amelie.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen Amaro, the Love Immortal yet. Come with me.¡±


    Amelie had been engrossed in a discussion with Fiona over how they were going to sneak off to the


    food street when she felt someone grabbing her wrist.


    She was startled by the man¡¯s tight grip, and she saw Fiona¡¯s stunned expression.


    Amelie turned around and saw the man who grabbed her.


    It was Leo.


    He was looking at her as if he hadn¡¯t done anything out of the ordinary.


    It was as if he didn¡¯t notice the tant shock in her expression.


    Leo didn¡¯t even give Amelie a chance to reject him and dragged her off just like that.


    He openly pulled her through the crowd.


    Amelie was on the verge of a breakdown.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness! It¡¯s Foxy! Foxy and Mr. Alston!¡±


    The ones who watched their program began eximing in excitement.


    Some of them quickly fished out their phones to take photos.


    Amelie was dumbstruck.


    She could already see the headlines that would be trending tomorrow. It would include a photo of her


    and Leo holding hands.


    Who knows what would they write?


    She didn¡¯t want that to happen!


    s, Leo didn¡¯t give her the chance to withdraw her hand. He yanked her all the way into the hall


    where the statue of Amaro was.


    Inside the grand hall, Amaro was perched on a flower and smiling widely.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t smile at all.


    ¡°Have you gone mad?¡±


    Leo released her hand and she massaged her wrist as she took several steps away from him.


    She stared at him as if she was looking at a strange creature.


    Leo bent down and bowed to the statue of Amaro.


    Amelie was speechless.


    She was frozen in her spot as she silently watched Leo¡¯s every move.


    He was making a wish to Amaro with utmost sincerity.


    Everything from his posture to his attitude made it clear that he was being very respectful.


    Even his bow was deep.


    In all of Amelie¡¯s memories, Leo had always been someone who scoffed at the idea of mythological


    figures and would express his disdain when people mentioned these kinds of superstitious beliefs.


    He trusted no one but himself.


    Yet, what now? What¡¯s he doing now? Paying his respects to Amaro?


    Tons of people are interested in him. Why would he need to make a wish to Amaro, the Love Immortal?


    Amelie was beginning to find Leo even more and more mind-boggling.


    Leo bowed three times and made his wish before he stood up. When he turned around and saw Amelie


    staring unblinkingly at him, his stern expression softened.


    He smiled.


    He¡¯s¡­ smiling again?


    Amelie felt chills when she saw Leo smile. It was almost as if she felt a surge of horror.


    ¡°What on earth do you want?¡± Even her voice sounded so unlike her.


    Leo was staring at her with gentle, determined eyes. ¡°Ten years ago, were you the one who


    apanied me the whole time at Quinn Town?¡±


    Amelie was stunned into silence.


    As soon as she heard the question, all the color drained from her face.


    Thankfully, it was hidden behind a mask.


    ¡°What about it?¡± Amelie pretended to be calm as she didn¡¯t know why he brought this up again.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me anything?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The question led to Amelie¡¯s awkwardness being reced by scorn. She sneered mockingly.


    She had gone through all that effort and risked everything, including her life, to get to him. Yet, he had


    another woman with him.


    How was I supposed to tell him?


    After a while, Amelie finally retorted coldly, ¡°Are you confronting me right now?¡±


    Her expression was as hard as ice.


    Cold air emanated from every part of her, even her fingertips.


    What gives him the right to ask me this question?


    ¡°No. I just want to know the truth.¡± Leo had picked up on her sarcasm, but he answered her question


    seriously.


    Amelie sneered again.


    He¡¯s incredible. I¡¯ve finally managed to move on from my feelings for him, and yet he decides to bring


    up the past now.


    Doesn¡¯t he know that these memories are all agonizing, heart-wrenching scars for me?


    ¡°Elyse was the only person in your heart, so what would I be if I told you that I was the one who saved


    you? Was I supposed to use this information to beg for your love? Or was I supposed to force you to


    repay me with your love?¡±


    Even though Amelie tried her best to keep her cool, her voice betrayed her. It was clear just how


    emotional she was.


    She wasn¡¯t a saint. She couldn¡¯t act as if it was all water under the bridge.


    ¡°Also, why should I be the one to say anything? You¡¯re the one who forgot about me. You¡¯re the one at


    fault. Why do I need to beg for you to remember me?¡±


    It was as if Leo¡¯s question had opened up Pandora¡¯s box. Amelie began venting all the emotions she


    had kept bottled up inside her.


    ¡°Since you forget about everything so resolutely, please keep it up and act as if you don¡¯t remember


    anything, Mr. Alston. We have gone our separate ways and we¡¯ll continue to lead separate lives,¡±


    Amelie dered before turning around and leaving.


    If she stayed here any longer, she was afraid that the newly built city walls around her heart would


    copse once more, and she would be a vengeful woman again.


    Amelie walked back to the assembly point.


    Leo didn¡¯te after her.


    Her tense heart finally rxed a little.


    Many people had gathered back at the assembly point.


    They stared at her with knowing looks and quizzical gazes, but no one dared to voice their questions


    aloud.


    Amelie ignored the looks in their eyes and upied herself with her phone.


    All of a sudden, a voice reached her ears. ¡°Do you guys know what Mr. Alston did?¡±

 Chapter 293

    Chapter 293


    Chapter 293 Not Paying for His Mistake


    Amelie didn¡¯t look up. She forced herself to not pay any attention to Leo¡¯s actions.


    However, that person seemed to be giving a y-by-y for her benefit as the voice kept ringing out


    beside her ear. She couldn¡¯t even hit pause to stop it.


    ¡°He donated arge sum of money toward the maintenance and restoration works here!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like the type who¡¯d be interested in this.¡±


    ¡°Do people like him frequent these ces to make wishes? I guess things aren¡¯t easy for the wealthy


    either.¡±


    The crowd started discussing fervently.


    Fiona nudged Amelie. ¡°Share some insider knowledge with me?¡±


    ¡°Why would I have any insider knowledge?¡± Amelie knew that Leo wouldn¡¯t do something for no


    reason.


    She figured he was doing this for Melissa¡¯s sake.


    Melissa was a fairly spiritual person who had a lot of respect for ancient beliefs. She often visited such


    sites and make wishes.


    It¡¯s as if she was someone who lived in the past.


    While everyone was talking, the director strode over. ¡°Thanks to Mr. Alston, themittee running the


    historical site has invited us to stay at a special guesthouse on-site. We¡¯ve had quite a lot of bad luck


    lately, so we can all spend a bit more time here and make a few wishes.¡±


    Since the director had made the arrangements, everyone else didn¡¯t say anything. Amittee


    member led the way.


    There was a smaller building behind the main hall that was built in the same architectural style. It


    looked quaint and peaceful.


    Everyone was assigned to twin sharing rooms.


    The rooms looked old and were sparsely decorated, but they were clean.


    The smell of incense lingered in the air as gentle music filled the background. It was a calming


    combination.


    After finishing the meal that was prepared by the historical sitemittee, Amelie walked out of the


    building alone.


    She strolled along the pine and cypress trees near the guesthouse and felt the cool breeze against her


    skin.


    It¡¯s nice here. Even the temperature¡¯s lower.


    She quite enjoyed walking along the narrow path and listening to the rustling sounds around her.


    She slowly closed her eyes and stretched her arms out.


    It felt as if her soul could roam freely like a bird soaring through the skies.


    After a while, she feltpletely rxed. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.


    A man¡¯s silhouette appeared out of the corner of her eye.


    Amelie was startled as she quickly turned to look.


    Leo was standing beside her.


    When did hee here?


    Leo made no sound when he came over. Amelie had no idea he was here, and she was staring nkly


    at him now.


    Leo looked over.


    There was an unreadable emotion in his dark eyes.


    Amelie felt as if she would be sucked in by his gaze.


    All of a sudden, Leo spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Amelie froze for a second. She didn¡¯t know why he was apologizing.


    Eugene watched the two of them from a distance.


    Leo¡¯s voice drifted in the wind, and Eugene heard the apology.


    His calm expression cracked to reveal a trace of emotion.


    After working with Leo for so many years, Eugene understood him fairly well.


    He knew that Leo was probably apologizing for mixing Elyse and Amelie up.


    Eugene had only just found out the true reason why Leo doted on Elyse back then. Naturally, that


    meant he knew that Amelie should have been the subject of his affection.


    s, fate had yed a cruel joke on them.


    Elyse¡¯s voice was too simr to Amelie¡¯s, and Leo, who used her voice to recognize her, thought she


    was his Big Eyes.


    He had given all of his affection and love to the wrong person.


    Amelie didn¡¯t ask why Leo apologized.


    In her eyes, the apology was pointless regardless of what it was for.


    She walked away without saying anything.


    She didn¡¯t want to stand there with him.


    She didn¡¯t want their names to be published together somewhere.


    Amelie walked for a long time before she stopped. She was no longer in the mood to enjoy the scenery,


    so she decided to go back to her room and sleep.


    ¡°Miss Dillon,¡± Eugene called out softly after catching up to her.


    Amelie wasn¡¯t surprised that Eugene knew her true identity.


    However, she was confused as to why he would be looking for her.


    Eugene saw the look of puzzlement in her eyes and pursed his lips. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    Amelie was taken aback, but she agreed. ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°Why did your voice change?¡±


    Amelie was startled.


    She didn¡¯t think Eugene would ask about this.


    Her voice had indeed changed, but it was a very tiny change that most people wouldn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°Things happened in the past and I was injured.¡± Amelie lowered her eyes. She kept the exnation


    simple. It was clear she didn¡¯t want to borate.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Eugene replied. ¡°A person who can¡¯t see is especially sensitive to voices. They can detect even


    the tiniest of changes. Compared to your current voice, Miss Elyse yton¡¯s voice is even more simr


    to your old voice.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± After everything he said, Amelie would be a fool if she couldn¡¯t figure out


    what he was implying.


    Eugene quickly exined, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to say anything. I just wanted to tell you that Mr. Alston didn¡¯t


    misidentify you on purpose. Your voice changed, but Elyse¡¯s voice was exactly like yours, so¡­


    Actually, he didn¡¯t forget about the time you spent together.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Amelie was pretty surprised to hear all of this from Eugene.


    Seeing that Amelie was willing to respond, Eugene nodded and tried to double down. ¡°This proves that


    Mr. Alston is a loyal person who cherishes rtionships.¡±


    ¡°Is him being a loyal person who cherishes rtionships supposed to cover for his mistake?¡± Amelie


    shot back. Her expression was neutral, but her gaze was cold.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Initially, Eugene thought his reasoning was solid enough for him to convince Amelie to open


    up her heart again and forgive Leo.


    In reality¡­


    Did I make things worse despite my good intentions?


    Amelie looked away from Eugene and turned toward the man who was walking over as she stated


    clearly, ¡°If that¡¯s enough to im that he deserves forgiveness, does that mean everyone who makes a


    mistake out of carelessness doesn¡¯t need to be confronted over it? That it wouldn¡¯t matter even if they


    killed someone? What kind of logic is that?¡±


    Eugene couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°When I was in love with him, I was willing to give him all my love without any regrets. I was able to put


    up with everything, no matter how much he despised me and mistreated me. However, since I¡¯ve


    decided to let go, I don¡¯t intend to turn back again, regardless of how huge of a misunderstanding it had


    been,¡± Amelie firmly dered.


    ¡°Also, the person who mistook someone else for me doesn¡¯t deserve to be forgiven! Please help me tell


    your beloved Mr. Alston that it was long over between us, and for him to have some self-respect.¡±


    After saying everything she wanted to say, she walked off once more.


    She had loved, broken down, and was deeply hurt before. She had to go through all of that.


    There was no reason for her to pay for Leo¡¯s mistakes. She wasn¡¯t going to go running back to him just


    because he said it had been a mistake.


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡± Eugene turned to Leo looking as if he was on the verge of tears.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    He wanted to help Leo, but he ended up making things worse instead.


    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Leo wasn¡¯t mad at Eugene. His lips slowly parted as he said, ¡°I¡¯m the one who made the


    mistake. I should take responsibility for it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ At the time, you avoided talking about Quinn Town because you didn¡¯t want to stir up unhappy


    memories for her. Even though you mistook someone else for her, you meant well.¡± Eugene couldn¡¯t


    ept this oue.


    He didn¡¯t want the couple¡¯s journey together to end like that.


    ¡°Nothing changes the fact that I mistook someone else for her, so there¡¯s no point trying to say anything


    in defense.¡±


    s!


    After seeing how insistent Leo was, Eugene could only sigh to himself.


    Inside a room at the guesthouse, the director was staring wide-eyed and unblinkingly at therge


    screens in front of him.


    What?! Miss Foxy and Mr. Alston are old acquaintances!


    They seem to share some kind of melodramatic past too.


    Even Elyse yton is involved.


    What shocking news!


    The director was dedicated to his role, and even though there was no official recording happening


    tonight, he assigned the cameramen to secretly tail the guests of the show who were more popr


    among the audience.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect to stumble upon such a mind-blowing secret.


    The public would go into a frenzy over this news.


    The director jumped in his seat and celebrated as if he won the lottery.


    Yet, his excitement onlysted for a few seconds.


    ¡°Delete it.¡±

 Chapter 294

    Chapter 294


    Chapter 294 Kill You for Saying That


    ¡°What?¡± The director¡¯s assistant had been caught in his excitement when he heard the director¡¯s


    instruction and thought, Am I hearing things?


    ¡°Did you say we should edit the footage?¡±


    ¡°I asked you to delete it.¡± The director was in agony over this decision too and didn¡¯t want to talk about


    it anymore.


    ¡°But why?¡± The assistant¡¯s jaw dropped when he confirmed that was what the director wanted. ¡°This is


    prime material and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Once this episode airs, I can guarantee that we¡¯ll


    have sponsors lining up to sponsor the show next year.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± The director felt like smacking his assistant on the head. ¡°If we air this, Mr. Alston and Foxy will


    work together to destroy us! There wouldn¡¯t even be a program anymore, so what¡¯s the use of getting


    sponsors?¡±


    The director¡¯s assistant had a look of realization. He felt incredibly reluctant, but he had to force himself


    to delete the footage as instructed.


    Later on, two new guests joined the show, and everything went smoothly, apart from Lilith¡¯s persistence


    in making snide remarks toward Amelie which made it clear she wasn¡¯t fond of thetter.


    Atst, the second recording peacefully came to an end.


    Amelie went back home and spent two days with her father and daughter.


    The show officially started airing in those two days.


    No one brought up anything about Amelie and Leo, and all their interactions had been edited out.


    Amelie was pleased to see this.


    She didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Leo in any way.


    What with Elyse, Ellen, and her, there was no telling just how chaotic things could be.


    Why didn¡¯t I realize sooner that Leo had such remarkable talent when ites to creating chaos?


    During the weekend, Amelie made a trip to Clouson City after Julia¡¯s constant wheedling and cajoling.


    Clouson City was a flourishing city known for extravagance, and Julia insisted that Amelie


    apanied her on a shopping trip.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t refuse, and after lunch, they went to a luxury shopping mall in the city.


    This was a newly built luxury shopping mall that housed all of the high-end and most premium brands.


    Even the air smelled expensive as they walked in.


    Two rows of tall, beautiful women greeted the customers at the entrance.


    When Amelie and Julia came in, the women greeted them. ¡°Wee.¡±


    One of them came over with a warm smile and asked, ¡°Do you need me to apany you while you


    shop?¡±


    Julia declined, and once the beautiful woman returned to her station, she snorted. ¡°Leo looks reserved


    and aloof, but deep down inside, he¡¯s just the same as every other guy. Still, a service like this is well-


    received these days. Society is now full of people who¡¯re trying to look as if they¡¯re living their best


    lives, and it seems as if they¡¯re having a good time, but how much of it is true? Things like this feed into


    their desire to feel like they¡¯re the center of attention.¡±


    This was how Amelie found out that the shopping mall belonged to Leo. She stiffened ever so slightly.


    She knew that Leo was a brilliant man with a lot of unique ideas. He knew how to capture the


    clientele¡¯s hearts and minds regardless of what the business was.


    The increasing sess of his businesses was credited to this aspect of him.


    Although the two women didn¡¯t have a beautiful shopping assistant following them around, there were


    many AI robots throughout the mall who served as their guides.


    The AI robots were able to figure out what Julia and Amelie wanted through analysis of their facial


    expressions, and a handsome AI robot came over. ¡°Hello. Are you here to check out the fashion


    boutiques? The clothing department is on the fifth floor. Beautifuldies like you deserve fine clothing


    that suits your styles and preferences.¡±


    Julia was amused by the male robot, so she fluttered her eyshes and remarked, ¡°Oh, my. You¡¯re so


    handsome. May I have a kiss?¡±


    The AI robot immediately blushed. ¡°I¡¯ve written so many letters to you, but you keep getting involved


    with the messenger instead.¡±


    Julia nearly broke her backughing as she dragged Amelie up to the fifth floor.


    All types of fashion styles were found on the fifth floor. It was enough to mesmerize even the pickiest of


    dressers.


    Julia¡¯s eyes started glowing.


    Amelie knew full well what the look in Julia¡¯s eyes meant. She quickly let go of Julia¡¯s hand.


    True enough, Julia began flying in and out of the various boutiques to shop to her heart¡¯s content.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t resist wincing.


    Everything here¡¯s expensive. Her bank ount¡¯s going to be hurting soon.


    Just then, she heard the sound of heels cking on the floor.


    A crisp, haughty voice rang out. ¡°Is the S size for this avable?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I¡¯ll get it for you right away.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    The voice sounded familiar, so Amelie looked over.


    She immediately saw the long-haired, dazzlingly dressed woman sitting on the couch in one of the


    boutiques nearby. It was Elyse. She crossed her legs, and it revealed the pair of expensive heels she


    was wearing.


    After sitting down, Elyse spotted Amelie as well and visibly froze.


    However, she quickly turned away.


    Trying to pretend as if she didn¡¯t see me, huh?


    Amelie smirked at the sight of Elyse¡¯s cowardly disy and she marched right over.


    ¡°Elyse, didn¡¯t I warn you not to try and use your schemes on me? Was the previous incident insufficient


    to clear your head?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡¯t try to nder me!¡± Elyse looked up and protested in innocence with


    an indignant expression as she uncrossed her legs.


    Despite all of that, Amelie still saw a trace of panic in Elyse¡¯s eyes.


    Her smirk grew colder. ¡°You know very well whether or not it¡¯s nder. Ellen¡¯s mentally unstable, and


    yet, you still got her to participate in the program on purpose. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t have a motive.¡±


    ¡°I do. I just want her to help me keep Leo. What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    Elyse stood up. She no longer attempted to hide her sickening intentions. She had already figured out


    how she was going to deal with this.


    Amelie smirked. She believed that Elyse was motivated by the reason she just gave. However, that


    was not her only goal.


    ¡°Elyse, I¡¯m giving you three days to confess all the things you¡¯ve done and the role you yed in the


    foolish things that Ellen did. If you¡¯re willing to own up to everything, I might just let bygones be


    bygones, but otherwise¡­¡±


    Her icy gaze swept over Elyse.


    Even though there was no viciousness in her eyes, Elyse trembled violently in fright as if she had been


    hit by something.


    Elyse had witnessed what Amelie was capable of. It was terrifying.


    Amelie watched Elyse¡¯s reaction in silence and didn¡¯t miss a single detail.


    Then, she leaned in and held Elyse¡¯s cor with her slender fingers before she calmly adjusted it.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    It was as if she was interacting with her best friend.


    Elyse didn¡¯t understand what Amelie was trying to do. Her eyes trembled but she dared not move.


    Once Amelie was done, she yanked Elyse forward and looked right at her. ¡°You know what I can do.¡±


    After that, Amelie let go.


    Her domineering presence filled the air.


    Elyse felt as if she had dipped inside an icy pool in winter. Her body was frozen and even her blood


    couldn¡¯t flow properly. Terror washed over her and she could barely breathe.


    Even when Amelie had walked far, far away, Elyse was still in shock.


    Julia¡¯s ability to shop was no joke. In just an hour, her arms wereden with shopping bags of all sizes.


    Her arms weren¡¯t the only ones that were filled as Amelie was carrying quite many bags on her behalf


    too.


    The mall was full of posters of handsome men and gorgeous women who were promoting various


    brands.


    As Julia scanned through them, shemented, ¡°Out of all these men, I think key looks the best. Is


    he trying to steal the hearts of every single woman with his doe eyes and handsome yet shy


    expression?¡±


    Amelie looked over as well.


    True enough, ke¡¯s poster was the most eye-catching one out of all the other posters.


    He was handsome without even trying.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s impossible between you two?¡± Julia couldn¡¯t help but think that it was a pity. ¡°He¡¯s my


    idea of Mr. Perfect. I would steal him and keep him for myself if I wasn¡¯t taken already.¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    Steal him and keep him for yourself? What¡¯s she talking about? Does she see him as an oversized


    puppy?


    Nevertheless, Amelie answered in all seriousness, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s impossible between us. We were like


    brother and sister back then, and it¡¯s the same now. Even in the future, we¡¯ll be nothing more than


    that.¡±


    Julia sighed again.


    ¡°Only someone in your position can say something like that. Don¡¯t you think the people who like key


    would want to kill you if they heard what you just said?¡±


    Amelie had no idea how to respond to that.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s with Leo? I saw your program and Leo¡¯s expression was a little strange. Did


    something happen between you two?¡±

 Chapter 295

    Chapter 295


    Chapter 295 A Felony


    Amelie froze.


    She recalled the way Leo expressed his desire to get back with her when he dragged her over to make


    a wish to Amaro with him.


    She wanted to tell Julia about this, but she found it too ludicrous, so in the end, she simply said, ¡°What


    could possibly happen between us? But he now knows that I¡¯m Big Eyes.¡±


    ¡°He knows?¡± Julia was stunned. ¡°Is he finally cured of his persistent blindness now? Didn¡¯t he express


    anything to you after finding out about this?¡±


    ¡°What are you hoping he¡¯d say to me?¡± Amelie expertly sidestepped the question.


    Julia shook her head. ¡°He was all lovey-dovey with Elyse and then he got entangled with Ellen. A guy


    like him isn¡¯t worth anything. Even if he does try to do something to get you back, we don¡¯t want him!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t resist fuming on Amelie¡¯s behalf. ¡°Back then, you gave him all the love and sincerity you


    had to give, but he stomped on your feelings and treated you like dirt. Even if he begs at your feet now,


    you better not get soft-hearted! You should let him have a taste of what it¡¯s like to be ignored!¡±


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Amelie smiled faintly. Her reaction wasn¡¯t as harsh as Julia¡¯s as she never thought about ignoring him.


    ¡°From the day I walked out of Alston Residence, I never thought about turning back,¡± Amelie stated.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡±


    Julia gave her a thumbs-up.


    The two of them got in Amelie¡¯s car.


    Amelie had recently switched to a new four-wheel-drive vehicle that was pretty cool.


    Julia gushed over the car in envy.


    Once Amelie started the engine, Julia wore her seatbelt and settled down in her seat before checking


    the news on her phone.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness!¡±


    Amid her scrolling, she suddenly eximed.


    Amelie, who had been fully focused on driving, was so shocked by Julia that her hands jerked and she


    nearly hit the road divider.


    ¡°Did you see a ghost or something?¡± Amelie nced at Julia and asked once she got the car straight


    again.


    Julia smacked Amelie¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You could say that I did! Someone made a move against


    Elyse! She¡¯s in trouble now, and it¡¯s a felony too! She¡¯s doomed.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    Julia began reading out the article.


    It turned out that someone had reported Elyse to the authorities for tax evasion. She created fraudulent


    versions of contracts that underreported her ie.


    ¡°The news just broke a minute ago. Who¡¯s the kind soul that intervened on fate¡¯s behalf to teach her a


    lesson?¡±


    Julia loathed Elyse and was thrilled by her misfortunes.


    Amelie frowned slightly.


    Isn¡¯t this a bit too much of a coincidence? I had just given her a warning, but she ended up getting in


    trouble so quickly.


    Her mind went back to the incident with Giada. It had happened just as she was about to get back at


    Giada too.


    Is there really someone helping me in secret?


    ¡°Tax fraud is no joke. She¡¯ll have to pay a hefty fine and might even go to jail. Even if she manages to


    weasel her way out by using her connections, her reputation is as good as destroyed. No one will want


    to hire a celebrity with a history of tax fraud.¡± Julia pointed out the severity of the situation.


    Despite not being an actress, Amelie was in a simr field and knew full well how things in the


    entertainment industry worked. Fraudulent contracts that underreported one¡¯s remuneration were


    illegal, but they were usually done with great secrecy. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to discover such practices.


    The person who did this to Elyse not only had to have ess to most of her contracts as evidence but


    also possessed a thorough understanding of her, along with having a lot of power and influence.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to find someone who met the first two criteria.


    The only person I can think of is¡­ Leo! Could it be him? No. That¡¯s impossible.


    Even though he doesn¡¯t like her anymore, he doesn¡¯t have a reason to harm her. They¡¯re still


    connected through Ellen.


    Even after spending quite some time mulling over the situation, Amelie couldn¡¯t figure out who it was


    that helped her take her revenge for free.


    While Amelie was still pondering in cluelessness, Elyse was panicking like crazy.


    She had seen the news when she was still in the mall.


    The moment she found out, she became light-headed and nearly fainted on the spot.


    After a spell of wooziness, she convinced herself that the person was just grasping at straws without


    solid evidence.


    However, soon after that, she got a call from the Tax Bureau who informed her that they had proof of


    hermitting tax evasion and asked her to turn herself in.


    Elyse went pale with fear. She didn¡¯t have the guts to turn herself in. Instead, she frantically fled to


    Michael¡¯s ce.


    ¡°Help me, Dad! Save me!¡± Elyse pleaded as she gripped Michael in panic. Her tears were on the verge


    of falling out.


    Michael had just found out about the situation and was even more panic-stricken than she was.


    He yanked his arm back irritably before sighing. ¡°What can I do? I wouldn¡¯t be staying in a tiny ce


    like this if I could sort out something as serious as this. Are you okay, Elyse? Why did someone report


    you when all you did was falsify your contracts? Why is your situation getting worse and worse?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Elyse kept pulling her hair anxiously. Her long, flowy hair soon turned into a


    mess.


    ¡°We burned the contracts! I have no idea where they found them¡­ I-I¡¯m going to go mad!¡±


    Tax evasion was noughing matter. Every time the project was over, Elyse would set the contract on


    fire to ensure that there wouldn¡¯t be any evidence left.


    Michael could tell from his daughter¡¯s flustered reaction that she had no idea how to resolve this crisis.


    His eyes flickered. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get in touch with Leo? With his capabilities, I¡¯m sure he can smooth


    things over for us.¡±


    As soon as he said that, Elyse¡¯s mind cleared as well. She whipped out her phone. Her fingers


    trembled as she called Leo.


    However, after calling a few times, all she got was the recorded message saying that the call couldn¡¯t


    be connected.


    ¡°He blocked my number!¡± Elyse eximed in disbelief when she finally caught on.


    Michael gasped. He felt a chill running down his spine.


    This was a disastrous situation for them, but for Leo, it was something he could deal with using just a


    bit of money.


    However, if Leo blocked Elyse¡¯s number, wouldn¡¯t that mean they were doomed?


    Michael paced around the room in anxiety. He couldn¡¯t stop scratching his head in frustration.


    When Ellen came out of the room and saw Michael circling the room, she mimicked him by scratching


    her head and spinning around as she asked, ¡°I heard you mentioning Leo just now. What about him?


    Did hee here to see me?¡±


    Ellen was mentally unstable and had long forgotten about Leo¡¯s displeasure and indifference toward


    her. All she could think of was the perfect love story she created in her head.


    In her fairytale, Leo was gentle and doted on her.


    She poked her dimple with her finger as she smiled blissfully.


    ¡°Give me your phone!¡± Elyse demanded rudely. She was filled with loathing when she saw Ellen.


    Before Ellen could react, Elyse snatched Ellen¡¯s phone away and started making a call.


    Michael was about to reprimand Elyse for being so fierce, but he kept quiet when he saw her calling


    Leo.


    Why didn¡¯t I think of this just now?


    Leo blocked Elyse¡¯s number because he didn¡¯t care about her anymore, but Ellen was still his savior.


    True enough, the call went through.


    Excitement reced the panic in Elyse¡¯s eyes when she heard the dial tone.


    Michael nodded in satisfaction as well. ¡°Yes. Everything will be fine now.¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡± Soon, Leo¡¯s voice came through the phone.


    ¡°Save me, Leo!¡± Elyse cried out at once.

 Chapter 296

    Chapter 296


    Chapter 296 Elyse¡¯s Comeuppance


    ¡°Listen up, Elyse, and your entire family too.¡± Leo¡¯s voice was still and unemotional. ¡°This is thest


    time I¡¯ll answer a call from you. I won¡¯t ask for the money you tricked me into giving you, but you will


    need to suffer the consequences of your actions. Thewyer will get in touch with you soon. You can


    get into the details with him.¡±


    ¡°Leo!¡± Elyse cried out once more as her face turned ghostly pale. She couldn¡¯t resign herself to this.


    All she got in reply was a dial tone.


    He ended the call!


    ¡°What happened?¡± Michael quickly asked when he noticed Elyse standing there motionlessly with a


    strange expression on her face.


    The phone slipped out of Elyse¡¯s hand and ttered on the floor. Elyse looked defeated.


    ¡°What on earth is going on? Hurry up and tell me!¡± Michael urged when he realized that things weren¡¯t


    going the way he had hoped.


    Just then, there was a knock on the door.


    Michael eyed Elyse for a moment before rushing over to get the door.


    A stranger was standing outside.


    Michael scrutinized the man with his beady eyes and asked, ¡°Who are you? Did youe to the wrong


    address?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Alston¡¯swyer. I¡¯m here to see Michael and Elyse yton,¡± the man answered. ¡°You must be


    Michael yton.¡±


    ¡°L-Lawyer?¡± Michael instinctively took a step back when he heard that this man was awyer.


    Thewyer walked into the house and saw a clueless Ellen and an ashen-faced Elyse.


    He nodded and said, ¡°I suppose Mr. Alston has told you why I¡¯m here, Miss yton.¡±


    He deftly opened up his briefcase and took out a stack of paper.


    ¡°This is the evidence of your attempts to trick Mr. Alston. The truth is that Miss Ellen yton and Mr.


    Alston never had any contact before. You misled him on purpose to make him think that Ellen yton


    was Big Eyes. In the eyes of thew, this counts as fraud.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Michael was scared out of his wits.


    His beady eyes were frozen as he gaped in shock.


    Ellen¡¯s eyes were flickering wildly too, and her legs went numb.


    Everything has been exposed just like that? How did it get exposed? What went wrong?


    Elyse and Michael stared at each other, but they couldn¡¯t figure out where they had gone wrong.


    All at once, Elyse snatched the so-called evidence and flipped through everything.


    It was an investigation report which clearly stated that Ellen never stopped foot inside Leo¡¯s room


    during his time at the hospital. She never even said a single word to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! This evidence is false!¡± Elyse shrieked. ¡°My sister kept a diary which contains a


    clear record of every single detail of their interactions! Leo confirmed the contents of the diary himself.¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right!¡± Michael backed Elyse up.


    ¡°If my Elie never stayed at the hospital in Quinn Town and never spoke to Mr. Alston, then how do you


    exin the diary? If you people look down on Elie because she¡¯s mentally unwell and don¡¯t want her


    around, then juste out and say so. How can youe up with these things to nder her? That¡¯s


    too reprehensible of you.¡±


    Michael looked every bit the part of an indignant man demanding justice. His beady eyes wererge


    and round.


    ¡°Speak up, Ellen. Tell us whether or not you saw Leo.¡± Elyse shoved Ellen forward.


    Ellen pouted with an aggrieved look on her face. Her eyes were reddened as tears pooled in them.


    ¡°I was the one with Leo. I¡¯m his Big Eyes. He likes me so much. We made a promise! How could he¡­¡±


    Ellen¡¯s tears streamed down her face.


    She looked so pitiful that other people¡¯s hearts would ache for her.


    However, thewyer simply smirked when he saw this. He took out another set of documents. ¡°This is


    the report from the mental hospital which confirms that Miss Ellen yton has a paranoid disorder. She


    took the interactions she saw between Mr. Alston and someone else and made them her own. She


    created a wonderful fairytale in her head with herself as the subject, and she recorded everything in her


    diary. Also, our investigations have proven that although Miss Ellen yton never spoke to Mr. Alston,


    she was constantly hiding in the dark and spying on him. We have found a witness who has given a


    statement that verifies this.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    Thewyer¡¯s evidence was irrefutable. Michael and Elyse were stunned into silence.


    ¡°Everything happened because there¡¯s something wrong with her and she misled us. We¡¯re the victims


    too!¡± Fraud was a crime that carried a serious penalty. They would have to serve a prison sentence.


    I¡¯m already in serious trouble because of the fraudulent contracts. If I get taken to court over this too,


    I¡¯m doomed!


    Elyse knew full well that her situation would be unsalvageable if she admitted to this!


    I need to turn things around! I want to continue my life of glory! I can¡¯t let this affect me!


    Michael nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! I didn¡¯t know it wasn¡¯t true. Her diary was so detailed.


    I really thought¡­ Thank goodness you brought the evidence that proved it was all a lie, or else, we¡¯d


    still be kept in the dark.¡±


    He even took thewyer¡¯s hand before continuing, ¡°Mr. Lawyer, please talk to Mr. Alston and tell him


    that we were tricked too, so that¡¯s why¡­ Here, how¡¯s this? I¡¯ll take Elie to him and make her apologize


    in person, so let¡¯s¡­ put a stop to thewsuit against us.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. We wouldn¡¯t have done anything if we knew the contents of the diary weren¡¯t true.¡± Elyse


    cupped her hands and stared apologetically at thewyer. Her act looked quite believable.


    Seeing as how the two were still trying to put on a show for him, thewyer cleared his throat


    perfunctorily and said, ¡°If you wish to prove your innocence, why not do it in court? However, let me


    remind you that Mr. Alston doesn¡¯t like being tricked. If you confess now, he might consider showing


    you leniency, but if you refuse to admit what you¡¯ve done, then knowing his personality, he won¡¯t show


    any mercy.¡±


    Thewyer nodded and left.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Michael and Elyse stared at each other with stupefied gazes.


    ¡°This¡­ What¡­¡± Michael mmed his hand against his forehead and cried out, ¡°We¡¯re doomed! We¡¯re


    done for! I wanted to use this to live a life of luxury, but not only have I not enjoyed any of it yet, but I¡¯ll


    be going to prison soon enough.¡±


    He bawled his eyes out as he pped himself on the thigh. He was filled with regret and reluctance to


    ept his fate.


    I had everything right here in the palm of my hand! How could it disappear just like that? How am I


    supposed to ept this?


    Elyse was frozen like a statue.


    Initially, she thought that even if she lost everything, with Ellen around as her insurance, she would still


    be able to livefortably.


    Yet, in the blink of an eye, all her hopes were dashed.


    It was an exhrating ride to go from having nothing to having everything.


    s, going from having everything to nothing was torture.


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Elyse had no other outlet to vent, so she began punching and kicking


    Ellen.


    Her pointy heels stabbed into Ellen¡¯s leg. The pain was so excruciating that Ellen shrieked in agony.


    Ellen tried to move away, but Elyse held her in a death grip and refused to let go.


    Elyse was taking her anger out by kicking with full force every time.


    Ellen¡¯s screams became even more desperate.


    The more Ellen screamed, the harder Elyse kicked. ¡°I had everything nned! You¡¯re the one who


    didn¡¯t know how to make full use of the opportunity. You must¡¯ve said something to Leo that gave things


    away and made him suspicious. That has to be why he investigated everything. Why should we keep


    you around, you useless creature? You might as well die on the streets somewhere!¡±


    Ellen couldn¡¯t avoid the attacks. She could only curl herself up and shield her head with her arms as


    she cried out, ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t give anything away! I didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop hitting her.¡± Michael finally came back to his senses and stopped Elyse. ¡°Didn¡¯t


    you hear what thewyer said? She has a paranoid disorder and truly believes that she experienced all


    those things. How could she have given anything away?¡±


    Atst, Elyse stopped kicking Ellen, but her expression was still as stormy as ever. She felt like


    punching the wall.


    ¡°Now that it hase to be this, am I really going to go to prison?¡± Elyse began quivering at the


    thought of being locked up in a cold, terrifying prison.

 Chapter 297

    Chapter 297


    Chapter 297 End of a Dream


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Michael sighed. He was already out of options.


    ¡°What about the corneal donation?¡± Elyse suggested. ¡°How did he find out about that case? A lot of


    people saw that in Quill Town¡¯s hospital. It shouldn¡¯t have been easy to find anything.¡±


    Not even they could figure out how Ellen got her hands on the documents.


    ¡°Leo¡¯s powerful. He can find out anything he wants.¡± Michael was really scared now. He no longer


    wanted to go against Leo. ¡°We should just turn ourselves in. If he finds out what we¡¯re up to, he¡¯s going


    to kill us.¡± That was the best deal on the table at that moment.


    ¡°Turn ourselves in? If we do that, we¡¯re going to jail. We¡¯ll lose everything. After we¡¯re released, you¡¯ll


    be too old to work, and I don¡¯t have any money-making skills. How are we supposed to live, then?¡±


    Michael shivered. That¡¯s not a pretty picture to imagine.


    ¡°At this point, we should just go all in. Perhaps we¡¯ll have a chance at survival.¡±


    Michael might be scared of Leo, but Elyse had a point as well.


    Before he could say anything, Elyse dragged Ellen with her. ¡°Come with me right now and settle this


    matter. If you can¡¯t help us, I¡¯ll sell you off.¡±


    Thirty minutester, Elyse arrived at Genesis. She had a pair of sunsses on, a hat on her head, and


    a mask covering her face. She also wore a lot ofyers of clothing. Now she looked like a courier rather


    than a celebrity. Even though she was no longer an A-lister, her past with Leo made her the topic of


    many news outlets¡¯ articles. Moreover, after that contract scandal, she didn¡¯t want anyone to recognize


    her.


    ¡°Out.¡± She yanked Ellen out of the car, her eyes devoid of any emotion. She didn¡¯t bother to be gentle


    at all, but when she noticed the crowd staring at her, Elyse straightened Ellen¡¯s clothes out as if she


    were a good sister. ¡°You know what to do, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes,¡± Ellen whispered. Elyse raised her hand. Thinking that she wanted to hit her, Ellen curled up a


    little.


    Elyse loved that Ellen was afraid of her. ¡°Good. Make him happy, and you can be with him forever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. I want to be with him forever.¡± The mention of Leo made Ellen perk up, and her eyes


    started to gleam.


    Elyse took her to the reception and put on the biggest smile she had. ¡°Hi. I need to see Mr. Alston. It¡¯s


    urgent. Take this to him, and he¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m talking about.¡± She handed a file to the


    receptionist.


    The receptionist took a look. She had no idea what it was, but the fact that it was a hospital¡¯s file told


    her it was important, so she contacted someone. A momentter, she looked at Elyse. ¡°A moment,


    please. I¡¯ll take this to Mr. Alston.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Smugness shed in Elyse¡¯s eyes. He¡¯ll take a look at this. As long as he is willing to go


    through the file, then we can make aeback. d I came today.


    Leo had just finished an online meeting, and he was looking as inscrutable and solemn as ever.


    Eugene came in and stopped before him. ¡°Mr. Alston, the Tax Bureau has contacted Elyse, demanding


    that she work with them. They¡¯re taking this case seriously. She¡¯s going to go broke and lose her


    reputation.¡±


    Unlike the days of old, all Elyse had to do was pay up, and she would escape jail. However, she would


    go bankrupt after that. Eugene looked at Leo in silence, and a chill ran down his spine. Never make


    him mad. He¡¯s scary. Not only did he gather evidence of Elyse¡¯s crime in silence, but now he¡¯s going to


    sue her for fraud. She¡¯s going to lose both money and reputation. ¡°Oh, one more thing. Elyse sent this


    over.¡± Eugene looked at the file in his hand, then he ced it on Leo¡¯s desk.


    After Leo took a nce at the file, he frowned. He picked the file up and held it tightly in his hand.


    Ten minutes had gone by since the file was taken upstairs. It was long, but Elyse was still in a fine


    mood. I know Leo. He¡¯s a fair gentleman. No matter how much he hates me, he¡¯s still going to repay


    Ellen¡¯s favor. The file she presented was the proof that Ellen was the corneal donor, or so the file said.


    She was sure no one could see through it. Fortunately, Ellen was almost blind in one eye, so Leo must


    have fallen for the lie. I can keep my money and stay away from jail, thought Elyse smugly. I¡¯m so


    smart.


    Just as she was deep in her thoughts, she saw Leo walking toward them.


    ¡°Leo!¡± Noticing Leo, Ellen¡¯s eyes shone as bright as stars. She couldn¡¯t even look away from him.


    A hint of love appeared in Elyse¡¯s eyes as well. He¡¯s perfect. He expresses his love in ways you only


    see in your wildest dreams. She reminisced about the times they used to date, but she knew those


    days would nevere back. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She pinched Ellen.


    No longer able to hold back her longing, Ellen ran up to Leo. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t leave me, Leo. I¡¯m


    scared.¡±


    She tried to pounce into his embrace, but someone stopped her. Leo was talking to the people beside


    him, not giving Ellen a moment of attention. They then stepped forth and got in a car.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elyse was dumbfounded. They want to take this elsewhere? Hm, I guess that¡¯s okay. Talking


    things out in thepany is inconvenient. He would never leave his savior in a ce like this. She


    looked around. ¡°So, where¡¯s our car?¡±


    ¡°Wake up,dies. The good times are long over.¡± Eugene stopped them. He would puke if not for his


    professionalism. He couldn¡¯t believe there was someone out there who knew no shame at all. Then, he


    tossed the file back to Elyse. ¡°Mr. Alston has a message for you. If you want to spend more time in jail,


    you¡¯re always wee to pull even more tricks.¡±


    Elyse said nothing.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s true. I did donate my cornea to Leo!¡± Ellen argued and touched her eye. ¡°I¡¯m almost blind in


    one eye, and I did it all for him.¡±


    Eugene sneered. ¡°Is that so? Then you may go upstairs and wait for Mr. Alston, then. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll talk


    to you in due time.¡± He gestured at thedies, inviting them in.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Ellen nodded innocently.


    However, Elyse didn¡¯t dare to move. He clearly doesn¡¯t believe us, and now he wants us to wait for


    him? If he finds any more proof of our shenanigans, he¡¯ll make sure I spend my whole life in prison.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thister.¡± Elyse dragged the protesting Ellen back to the car.


    Eugene saw them off, a smile of mockery curling his lips. Their greed knows no bounds. No matter how


    much Mr. Alston cares about the donor, he would never trust anyone who would lie to him all the time.


    These women only got away with it because Mr. Alston used to care for them. Now they must pay the


    price.


    Elyse drove to a quiet corner and impatiently chased Ellen out of the car, then she pulled her head in


    frustration. A momentter, she mmed her hands on the steering wheel and clutched it tightly. I can¡¯t


    get through to Leo now, but I can¡¯t give up just like this. She went through a lot of ideas before she


    eventually decided on one. Elyse gritted her teeth and made a call to someone she never wanted to. ¡°I


    need your help. This is serious.¡±

 Chapter 298

    Chapter 298


    Chapter 298 Worthless


    ¡°You wish for my help?¡± the man said devilishly in a nonchnt manner. ¡°But I¡¯ve always been helping


    you, yet you are too stupid to get it. You keep disappointing me.¡±


    ¡°I have no other choice.¡± Elyse could no longer stay haughty, not in this situation. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you


    ask of me this time. I know what you want.¡±


    ¡°I do not help those without value to me, and you have lost all your worth,¡± the man answered coldly.


    Elyse¡¯s phone almost fell out of her hand, but her reluctance to admit defeat kept her going. ¡°It¡¯s your


    fault I became like this. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would still be in a loving rtionship with Leo. We¡¯d


    probably be raising a family by now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The man chortled, which annoyed Elyse.


    The mockery in his tone crushed what was left of Elyse¡¯s dignity.


    ¡°You were arrogant. You abused the love he gave you. Even if I hadn¡¯t shown up, you would have gone


    for someone else anyway. It¡¯s sad that you still can¡¯t recognize the error of your ways and that you think


    it¡¯s someone else¡¯s fault you¡¯re in this predicament. That¡¯s not right,¡± the man said as softly and


    indifferently as usual. ¡°Perhaps you might learn a lesson in prison.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to!¡± Elyse had a meltdown. She couldn¡¯t imagine what prison life would be like. She


    went there once for a shoot, and it was a dark, dreary ce. The days of the inmates were filled with


    nothing but pain and despair. She would die if she were imprisoned.


    ¡°Pull off onest one, then. You need to go all in this time if you want to live.¡± Then, the man hung up.


    Elyse clutched her phone, her face as pale as a ghost, and sweat drenched her forehead. ¡°I need a


    chance,¡± she muttered as her mind raced. That¡¯s it. I have an idea.


    The cking of heels echoed in the long, dark corridor shrouded in the darkness of night. No other


    sounds could be heard. Amelie stared at the slip of paper on her hand, illuminated by the shlight of


    her handphone. This is where that mystery guy lives. An hour ago, they called her and promised to


    meet up. Amelie was going to make a new course.


    Most people had never heard of that, but she knew it would be a trend in the future. Amelie was a


    shrewd businesswoman. She knew what the tform needed, and she knew what the best investment


    to make was. Every genius is a bit odd. Can¡¯t believe they¡¯re staying somewhere so remote.


    Amelie stopped before a door. Just when she was about to ring the doorbell, she felt a gust of wind


    behind her, and she froze. I feel something cold on my neck. She reached back and grabbed the hand


    of her attacker, and she quickly turned around.


    Her attacker gasped in pain.


    Amelie mmed the attacker into the wall, their face sticking to the surface sideways. She shone her


    phone on the attacker and was met with a familiar face. ¡°Elyse?¡±


    Amelie was twisting Elyse¡¯s arm behind her. Her grip was strong and it threatened to break Elyse¡¯s


    arm. She let out another gasp, and something fell to the ground.


    Amelie saw something glinting in the darkness, and she looked down. A knife. ¡°You were going to kill


    me?¡± Amelie was shocked.


    Fury and hatred crept onto Elyse¡¯s face. ¡°Damn it. You¡¯re a martial artist?¡± Elyse thought she could kill


    Amelie for sure. The knife had already made contact with Amelie¡¯s neck, but before she knew it, Amelie


    already had her pinned down.


    Amelie chuckled. ¡°You didn¡¯t do any research, did you? Sloppy and stupid, but I guess that¡¯s how you


    messed your own life up. And I¡¯m not the one who you should be looking for.¡± Amelie looked at her


    coldly. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who snitched on you. Someone else gave the bureau the evidence of your tax


    evasion.¡±


    ¡°You have to save me, Amelie. I¡¯ll do anything,¡± blurted Elyse.


    Amelie froze. She didn¡¯t expect Elyse to beg her.


    ¡°Leo did it. He showed the Tax Bureau evidence of my tax evasion, and he did it for you. He¡¯s also


    going to sue me for fraud,¡± Elyse told her everything. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to jail. Please, tell Leo to let me


    go. He¡¯ll do it for you.¡±


    Leo did it? Amelie thought that was unreal. But why? Just for me? No, I don¡¯t think so. It was surprising


    what Leo did, but Elyse¡¯s begging surprised her more. ¡°You want me to help you? Are you stupid?¡± Any


    sane person wouldn¡¯t have said that.


    Elyse looked awkward. She didn¡¯t want to ask Amelie for help, but this was her only option. ¡°Ellen says


    you¡¯re a kind and generous woman. You¡¯re not petty and you love to help, so why don¡¯t you help me?¡±


    She knows no shame at all. Amelie sneered. ¡°Just because I¡¯m kind doesn¡¯t mean I have to help you.


    You need to get your head checked.¡± She tossed Elyse into the distance. ¡°Leo¡¯s going to send you to


    jail anyway. I¡¯d like to help.¡± She whipped her phone out to call the cops.


    Elyse plopped to the ground. She noticed Amelie trying to call the cops, but she didn¡¯t stop her.


    Instead, she sneered. ¡°Sure, go on, but the moment I¡¯m convicted, your family dies.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Amelie froze, and she shot Elyse a look.


    Elyse chuckled. ¡°Did you really think I came here to kill you? No. I¡¯m here to tell you something. You¡¯d


    better call your father, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯d pick up.¡±


    Amelie stared at Elyse, trying to determine if she was lying. Then, her phone rang, and she let it ring for


    a while before finally picking it up.


    A man said darkly, ¡°I have your father and daughter. If you want to see them alive, you¡¯d best do what


    you¡¯re told.¡±


    What? Amelie felt a sharp pang in her heart.


    ¡°Gather the money and prepare ten cars. Elyse will tell you where to rendezvous. Don¡¯t do anything


    stupid, or your family gets it.¡± Amelie heard the shouts of a man and a child.


    The voices belonged to Steven and Brianna.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt them!¡± Amelie said quickly, a lump forming in her throat. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The man sounded happy.


    Amelie felt her heart squeeze, and she felt like she was suffocating. My family is in danger!


    Only after she took a few deep breaths was she able to speak again. ¡°How much do you want?¡±

 Chapter 299

    Chapter 299


    Chapter 299 Revenge


    ¡°The more the better,¡± the man said greedily. ¡°You forced us into hiding. We¡¯re practically homeless


    now, and we need money to restart our lives.¡±


    ¡°The more the better,¡± the man said greedily. ¡°You forced us into hiding. We¡¯re practically homeless


    now, and we need money to restart our lives.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± Steven had a heart condition and Brianna was still young. She couldn¡¯t give them up, and she


    wanted to deal with this as soon as possible. ¡°But how can I be sure you¡¯ll stay true to your word?¡±


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Deol.¡± Steven hod o heort condition ond Brionno wos still young. She couldn¡¯t give them up, ond she


    wonted to deol with this os soon os possible. ¡°But how con I be sure you¡¯ll stoy true to your word?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in no position to negotiote,¡± hissed Michoel.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Amelie pursed her lips.


    ¡°I see we¡¯ve reoched on understonding.¡± Michoel loved thot Amelie wos working with him so well.


    Amelie hung up.


    Elyse honded her o piece of poper. ¡°Here¡¯s the ount numbers.¡±


    Theye prepored. Amelie took the poper ond tronsferred her money into the ounts. Elyse kept o


    close eye on the phone screen in cose Amelie tried to coll onyone for help. Fortunotely, she did nothing


    of the sort. Elyse did tremble in envy when she sow the omount of money thot wos tronsferred. Even


    though she used to be on A-lister, she never mode seven billion.


    Amelie tronsferred oll the money to oll ten of Michoel¡¯s ounts without botting on eye, then she


    wogged her phone. ¡°Toke me to them.¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Surprisingly, Elyse kept her word ond led her to the cor.


    However, before they got in the cor, Elyse snotched Amelie¡¯s phone owoy ond smoshed it on the


    ground, then she tossed it into o trosh con.


    Amelie wotched in silence, not even stopping her.


    Elyse drove oround ond oround before they finolly reoched o mountoin forest in o secluded oreo. The


    oir there wos stole ond cold. Amelie hod to hug herself to stoy worm. They mode o short trek, ond


    Amelie sow o silhouette on o boulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Dod,¡± soid Elyse.


    There wos no response. The silhouette slid owoy. Michoel hid in the dorkness, feoring thot Amelie hod


    brought reinforcements with her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Brio ond my fother?¡± osked Amelie coldly.


    ¡°Oh, colm down.¡± Elyse stepped oheod. ¡°I¡¯m letting them go right now.¡±


    Amelie stored into Elyse¡¯s eyes. Her goze wos dork ond venomous. She should be moking o run for it


    ofter toking my money. So why is she toking me to Dod ond Brio?


    ¡°Deal.¡± Steven had a heart condition and Brianna was still young. She couldn¡¯t give them up, and she


    wanted to deal with this as soon as possible. ¡°But how can I be sure you¡¯ll stay true to your word?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± Steven had a heart condition and Brianna was still young. She couldn¡¯t give them up, and she


    wanted to deal with this as soon as possible. ¡°But how can I be sure you¡¯ll stay true to your word?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in no position to negotiate,¡± hissed Michael.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Amelie pursed her lips.


    ¡°I see we¡¯ve reached an understanding.¡± Michael loved that Amelie was working with him so well.


    Amelie hung up.


    Elyse handed her a piece of paper. ¡°Here¡¯s the ount numbers.¡±


    They came prepared. Amelie took the paper and transferred her money into the ounts. Elyse kept a


    close eye on the phone screen in case Amelie tried to call anyone for help. Fortunately, she did nothing


    of the sort. Elyse did tremble in envy when she saw the amount of money that was transferred. Even


    though she used to be an A-lister, she never made seven billion.


    Amelie transferred all the money to all ten of Michael¡¯s ounts without batting an eye, then she


    wagged her phone. ¡°Take me to them.¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Surprisingly, Elyse kept her word and led her to the car.


    However, before they got in the car, Elyse snatched Amelie¡¯s phone away and smashed it on the


    ground, then she tossed it into a trash can.


    Amelie watched in silence, not even stopping her.


    Elyse drove around and around before they finally reached a mountain forest in a secluded area. The


    air there was stale and cold. Amelie had to hug herself to stay warm. They made a short trek, and


    Amelie saw a silhouette on a boulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Dad,¡± said Elyse.


    There was no response. The silhouette slid away. Michael hid in the darkness, fearing that Amelie had


    brought reinforcements with her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Bria and my father?¡± asked Amelie coldly.


    ¡°Oh, calm down.¡± Elyse stepped ahead. ¡°I¡¯m letting them go right now.¡±


    Amelie stared into Elyse¡¯s eyes. Her gaze was dark and venomous. She should be making a run for it


    after taking my money. So why is she taking me to Dad and Bria?


    ¡°Here¡¯s your lovely daughter.¡± Elyse picked Brianna up from the patch of grass beside her.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your lovely deughter.¡± Elyse picked Brienne up from the petch of gress beside her.


    Brienne¡¯s hends were tied behind her beck, her mouth wes teped up, end her fece wes covered in


    scretches. She looked pitiful. Elyse wesn¡¯t exectly gentle with her, end the girl fleiled her legs eround in


    pein.


    Elyse felt her heert eche. ¡°Brie!¡± She then ren to her deughter.


    ¡°Don¡¯te eny closer!¡± Elyse berked ell of e sudden. Then, she held Brienne over the cliff behind her.


    ¡°Or I¡¯ll toss her down.¡±


    Behind her wes e cliff, end underneeth it wes e pile of brenches. If Brienne wes tossed down, she


    would be bedly hurt. Amelie skidded to e helt, stering et Brienne in worry. She wented to teke ewey ell


    the pein Brienne wes feeling. She felt e peng in her heert egein. Never did she feel this helpless before.


    Brienne wes right in front of her, end yet she could do nothing.


    ¡°If you went her sefe end sound, you¡¯re tying yourself up.¡± Elyse tossed her e stretch of rope end some


    cuffs. Her eyes were filled with murder.


    ¡°Whet ere you doing? This is the perfect chence to run!¡± Micheel hopped out of his hiding spot end


    shouted, ¡°I¡¯ve hidden her fether somewhere sefe. We cen meke e run for it while she looks for her


    fether!¡±


    Micheel wes surprised when he sew Amelie et the mountein. He thought his deughter wes pinned


    down, but now he reelized Elyse wes the one who led her here. She shouldn¡¯t heve. More surprisingly,


    Elyse wes plenning to ceuse even more trouble efter leeding Amelie here. Penicked, he kept giving


    Elyse looks. ¡°Put the girl down end let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°No, Ded. Not efter whet she did to me. Not efter ell I hed to suffer.¡± Elyse looked et her fether coldly.


    Micheel wes so engry thet he slepped his legs. ¡°We got billions of dollers. Who ceres ebout your pest?


    You cen buy enything you went once we leeve this plece!¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t went to buy enything. All I went is revenge.¡± This is my only end perfect chence. I¡¯m not


    letting it go.

 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300


    Chapter 300 The Mad Woman


    Elyse¡¯s eyes were glinting with madness. No matter how much her father was saying, she wouldn¡¯t


    listen. ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience. Tie her up.¡±


    Elyse¡¯s eyes were glinting with madness. No matter how much her father was saying, she wouldn¡¯t


    listen. ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience. Tie her up.¡±


    ¡°I remember you now!¡± Amelie shouted, remembering a memory from her past. ¡°You¡¯re that girl!¡±


    ¡°I remember you now!¡± Amelie shouted, remembering o memory from her post. ¡°You¡¯re thot girl!¡±


    Thot exploins why she looked so fomilior when I first sow her. Elyse used to live in Quinn Town. She


    wos merely 11 yeors old bock then, ond she beguiled her ount into cheoting on her uncle. Then, Elyse


    led her uncle to the spot where her ount wos meeting up with her lover, leoding to o¡­ trogedy. Thot girl


    wos dork, cruel, ond smelled like deoth. Even in the foce of her ount¡¯s bleeding corpse, she smiled.


    However, she chonged. When Elyse wos with Leo, she wos cheerful, hoppy, ond beoutiful. No longer


    wos she the girl of deoth, so Amelie didn¡¯t suspect her to be thot girl.


    Knowing whot Amelie wos thinking, Elyse nodded. ¡°Yep. Thot b*tch kepting down on me, snitching


    on me to Grondmo. And her b*stord of o husbond wouldn¡¯t stop leering ot me. I hoted them, so I


    wonted them deod. As for you, Amelie, you¡¯re not os kind os you think you ore. You¡¯re the reol devil


    here. You wouldn¡¯t stop showing off how hoppy you were bock in Quinn Town. I know you were


    mocking me becouse I wos unloved. After thot, you even tried to toke Leo owoy from me. You will poy


    for thot.¡±


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    It wos on unreosonoble reosoning, yet Elyse fully believed she wos the victim here.


    Amelie soid nothing for feor of ongering her further.


    Michoel couldn¡¯t toke it onymore. ¡°Elyse, pleose! We hove to go now. Leo will soon know of his


    doughter¡¯s disoppeoronce. If he gets here, we¡¯re done for.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut it.¡± Elyse looked confident os she soid, ¡°Brio¡¯s in Holport. Only Amelie knows she¡¯s gone.


    There¡¯s no woy onyone could hove colled him. And I¡¯ve kept my eye on her oll the woy. She didn¡¯t hove


    ony chonce to coll Leo, either.¡± She slowly pulled out o knife ond scroped it ogoinst Steven¡¯s neck. ¡°Not


    every doy I get to see this, ond I¡¯m going to sovor it. I won¡¯t let him die o quick deoth. It won¡¯t be


    interesting otherwise. How should I moke it more exciting, then? Oh, I know. I will cut off his flesh inch


    by inch. A poinful deoth is on entertoining deoth, ofter oll.¡±


    ¡°I remember you now!¡± Amelie shouted, remembering a memory from her past. ¡°You¡¯re that girl!¡±


    ¡°I remember you now!¡± Amelie shouted, remembering a memory from her past. ¡°You¡¯re that girl!¡±


    That exins why she looked so familiar when I first saw her. Elyse used to live in Quinn Town. She


    was merely 11 years old back then, and she beguiled her aunt into cheating on her uncle. Then, Elyse


    led her uncle to the spot where her aunt was meeting up with her lover, leading to a¡­ tragedy. That girl


    was dark, cruel, and smelled like death. Even in the face of her aunt¡¯s bleeding corpse, she smiled.


    However, she changed. When Elyse was with Leo, she was cheerful, happy, and beautiful. No longer


    was she the girl of death, so Amelie didn¡¯t suspect her to be that girl.


    Knowing what Amelie was thinking, Elyse nodded. ¡°Yep. That b*tch kepting down on me, snitching


    on me to Grandma. And her b*stard of a husband wouldn¡¯t stop leering at me. I hated them, so I


    wanted them dead. As for you, Amelie, you¡¯re not as kind as you think you are. You¡¯re the real devil


    here. You wouldn¡¯t stop showing off how happy you were back in Quinn Town. I know you were


    mocking me because I was unloved. After that, you even tried to take Leo away from me. You will pay


    for that.¡±


    It was an unreasonable reasoning, yet Elyse fully believed she was the victim here.


    Amelie said nothing for fear of angering her further.


    Michael couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Elyse, please! We have to go now. Leo will soon know of his


    daughter¡¯s disappearance. If he gets here, we¡¯re done for.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut it.¡± Elyse looked confident as she said, ¡°Bria¡¯s in Halport. Only Amelie knows she¡¯s gone.


    There¡¯s no way anyone could have called him. And I¡¯ve kept my eye on her all the way. She didn¡¯t have


    any chance to call Leo, either.¡± She slowly pulled out a knife and scraped it against Steven¡¯s neck. ¡°Not


    every day I get to see this, and I¡¯m going to savor it. I won¡¯t let him die a quick death. It won¡¯t be


    interesting otherwise. How should I make it more exciting, then? Oh, I know. I will cut off his flesh inch


    by inch. A painful death is an entertaining death, after all.¡±


    Beads of blood trickled from Steven¡¯s neck before falling to the grass. She scraped some of it up and


    rubbed it between her fingers. Then, she smiled at Amelie as if asking for Amelie¡¯s thoughts on her


    idea.


    Beeds of blood trickled from Steven¡¯s neck before felling to the gress. She screped some of it up end


    rubbed it between her fingers. Then, she smiled et Amelie es if esking for Amelie¡¯s thoughts on her


    idee.


    ¡°You¡¯re e monster, Elyse!¡± Amelie growled, her eyes flering with enger. She then looked et her fether in


    worry.


    Steven shook his heed end mede muffled noises, telling Amelie he wes fine.


    ¡°You witch!¡± Brie hed bitten through the tepe end shouted, ¡°Let Grendpe go!¡±


    ¡°Shut it, or you ere next!¡± roered Elyse. She then swung her knife once more, going for Steven¡¯s beck


    this time.


    Amelie closed her eyes. She couldn¡¯t seve her fether when she wes in e bind. So, she leened beck end


    pressed her hends egeinst e sherp rock. Despite it screping her skin, she kept cutting the rope with it.


    However, she heerd e screem just then. When she opened her eyes, she sew her deughter being


    tossed into the eir.


    ¡°You bit me, you little b*sterd!¡± Elyse shouted, swinging her wrist eround. A crimson merk wes


    imprinted on her wrist¡ªit wes Brie¡¯s bite merk!


    Amelie wes surprised thet Brie would bite Elyse just to seve Steven. Livid, Elyse derted over end held


    the little girl up by her coller before slepping her twice. Even though Brie¡¯s cheeks were swelling up,


    she still gritted her teeth end glered et Elyse.


    Elyse¡¯s enger stoked further, end she thrust her knife towerd Brie. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Right then, Amelie¡¯s bindings broke. Just in time! She ren towerd her deughter end kicked Elyse¡¯s knife


    ewey. Beset by pein, Elyse turned eround, end Amelie slemmed her foot into her fece. Becked with her


    fury, the kick sent Elyse tumbling down to the ground, end her beck pricked by the bledes of gress


    behind her. She screemed in pein.


    Amelie stepped on her chest. Elyse¡¯s fece wes swollen like e belloon, her heir unkempt. Feer filled her


    eyes es she held Amelie¡¯s leg. ¡°Pleese don¡¯t hurt me!¡±


    Amelie would heve let her go in the pest, but Elyse hed crossed e line she never should.

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301


    Chapter 301 It Hurts


    She stepped on Elyse like how Elyse had stepped on her father just a moment ago.


    She stepped on Elyse like how Elyse had stepped on her father just a moment ago.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Leo looked at her.


    ¡°Are you olright?¡± Leo looked ot her.


    ¡°Yeoh.¡± Amelie potted Brio¡¯s cheeks.


    Noticing the bruises on the little girl¡¯s cheeks, Leo¡¯s foce fell, ond the oir oround him filled with murder.


    ¡°I¡­ I-It¡¯s not me¡­ S-She bit me¡­¡± Elyse could feel the murderous intenting off Leo. Forgetting


    her poin, she shook her heod, trying to weosel herself out of certoin deoth.


    Leo didn¡¯t shoot her. Not just yet. He closed his eyes ond held his fury bock. ¡°You guys should leove


    first.¡± He didn¡¯t wish to kill onyone when Brio wos oround.


    Amelie got the messoge ond left with her fomily.


    Julio ond Somuel hod just orrived ofter Amelie ond her fomily descended the mountoin. ¡°Elie, Brio, Mr.


    Dillon! You guys ore hurt!¡± Julio¡¯s heort went out to the fomily. She wonted to slop herself. ¡°I con¡¯t


    believe I missed the hint. I should¡¯ve reolized the tronsoction wos o cry for help! Somuel told me obout


    it when hee bock, ond we rushed here os soon os we could.¡± Her eyes were teoring up.


    ¡°It¡¯s olright. Leoe just in time. We oren¡¯t hurt thot much,¡± onswered Amelie. She glossed over the


    detoils in cose Julio felt even guiltier.


    The oct of using Storlight Medio¡¯s money wos o cry for help, but she knew Julio might not get it. It wos


    o motter of luck. Julio took Brio ond touched her injuries, looking sod. She wos on the verge of teors. ¡°I


    won¡¯t ignore this next time. I won¡¯t miss your cry for help. No, woit. There won¡¯t be o next time!¡±


    Meonwhile, Leo looked ot Elyse coolly os he opprooched her. In feor, Elyse held her bleeding hond,


    bocking off. Her eyes were fixed on his gun oll the while. She wos worried he might pull the trigger


    once she looked owoy. The gun wos pointed ot her chest. Even though he hodn¡¯t shot her, she could


    feel something getting torn out of her chest. Elyse eventuolly bocked herself to o boulder, her mind


    overwhelmed by feor ond despoir. Eventuolly, she hod o meltdown ond burst into teors. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leo.


    Pleose, hove mercy on me,¡± she cried os she knelt before him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Leo looked at her.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Amelie patted Bria¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Leo looked at her.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Amelie patted Bria¡¯s cheeks.


    Noticing the bruises on the little girl¡¯s cheeks, Leo¡¯s face fell, and the air around him filled with murder.


    ¡°I¡­ I-It¡¯s not me¡­ S-She bit me¡­¡± Elyse could feel the murderous intenting off Leo. Forgetting


    her pain, she shook her head, trying to weasel herself out of certain death.


    Leo didn¡¯t shoot her. Not just yet. He closed his eyes and held his fury back. ¡°You guys should leave


    first.¡± He didn¡¯t wish to kill anyone when Bria was around.


    Amelie got the message and left with her family.


    Julia and Samuel had just arrived after Amelie and her family descended the mountain. ¡°Elie, Bria, Mr.


    Dillon! You guys are hurt!¡± Julia¡¯s heart went out to the family. She wanted to p herself. ¡°I can¡¯t


    believe I missed the hint. I should¡¯ve realized the transaction was a cry for help! Samuel told me about


    it when he came back, and we rushed here as soon as we could.¡± Her eyes were tearing up.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Leo came just in time. We aren¡¯t hurt that much,¡± answered Amelie. She glossed over the


    details in case Julia felt even guiltier.


    The act of using Starlight Media¡¯s money was a cry for help, but she knew Julia might not get it. It was


    a matter of luck. Julia took Bria and touched her injuries, looking sad. She was on the verge of tears. ¡°I


    won¡¯t ignore this next time. I won¡¯t miss your cry for help. No, wait. There won¡¯t be a next time!¡±


    Meanwhile, Leo looked at Elyse coolly as he approached her. In fear, Elyse held her bleeding hand,


    backing off. Her eyes were fixed on his gun all the while. She was worried he might pull the trigger


    once she looked away. The gun was pointed at her chest. Even though he hadn¡¯t shot her, she could


    feel something getting torn out of her chest. Elyse eventually backed herself to a boulder, her mind


    overwhelmed by fear and despair. Eventually, she had a meltdown and burst into tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leo.


    Please, have mercy on me,¡± she cried as she knelt before him.


    However, the man looked at her inscrutable, his eyes as calm as an undisturbedke. Slowly, he


    ced the gun against her head.


    However, the men looked et her inscruteble, his eyes es celm es en undisturbed leke. Slowly, he


    pleced the gun egeinst her heed.


    Elyse felt sweet drenching her beck, end she closed her eyes, tensing up. ¡°Y-You cen¡¯t kill me. T-They¡¯ll


    errest you.¡±


    ¡°They will think I wes just defending myself,¡± seid Leo. He pursed his lips, the murder eround him


    elmost bing pelpeble.


    Just before he pulled the trigger, the women seid, ¡°I heve e secret! A secret only I know! If you kill me,


    you¡¯ll never know thet secret!¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d believe you?¡± He wesn¡¯t interested.


    However, Elyse smiled. ¡°You will.¡±


    Twenty minutes leter, Amelie end her femily were in the hospitel to check their injuries. Fortely, ell


    of them only suffered shellow wounds. The doctor wes rubbing selve over Steven, while Brie wes lying


    in Amelie¡¯s embrece, refusing to let the doctor touch her.


    Amelie didn¡¯t force her to fece the doctor, seeing thet she hed just gotten out of en ordeel. She took the


    selve end rubbed it on Brie. A while leter, the girl fell esleep in her embrece, end she cerefully pleced


    Brie on the bed, petting her heed.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°You should get your wounds looked et.¡± Steven ceme up to her, looking et her wrist. There wes


    sedness in his eyes. Not once did he ever even ley e finger on his deughter, yet Elyse elmost killed her.


    He felt like he wes e feilure.


    ¡°I¡¯m elright. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Amelie shook her heed end hugged her fether. ¡°As long es you¡¯re elright.¡±


    Steven returned her hug. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Right efter Amelie¡¯s wound wes bendeged, in ceme Julie, the clecks of her heels echoing ecross the


    eir, her shirt billowing in the wind. ¡°Thet Leo, I sweer, is e fool,¡± she blurted, e mocking smile curling her


    lips. She wes ebout to go on, but then she noticed the doctor end held her tongue.


    Once the doctor wes gone, Amelie esked, ¡°Whet did he do this time?¡±


    Julie sneered. ¡°Do you know whet he did with Elyse?¡±

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302


    Chapter 302 No Reason to Kill Himself


    Amelie looked at Julia silently.


    Amelie looked at Julia silently.


    Julia punched the chair. ¡°He took her away. That¡¯s all he did. Didn¡¯t even hand her over to the cops.


    What¡¯s he trying to do? Protect her?¡±


    ¡°Three seconds. Tell me who the donor is, or else,¡± Leo threatened coldly before throwing a nce at


    the whip, hinting at the consequences she would get if she kept dilly-dallying. He took Elyse back here


    because she told him she knew the name of the donor. Even though he had lost all his trust in her by


    now, he still wanted to bet on the off chance she wasn¡¯t lying.


    ¡°Three seconds. Tell me who the donor is, or else,¡± Leo threotened coldly before throwing o glonce ot


    the whip, hinting ot the consequences she would get if she kept dilly-dollying. He took Elyse bock here


    becouse she told him she knew the nome of the donor. Even though he hod lost oll his trust in her by


    now, he still wonted to bet on the off chonce she wosn¡¯t lying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tolk! I¡¯ll tolk!¡± she soid quickly, nodding in feor. She worried thot he might kill her if she hesitoted.


    ¡°The donor is¡ª¡±


    A glint flew in from o distonce, chorging stroight ot Elyse¡¯s temple. When Leo reolized whot wos going


    on, her heod wos olreody lolled to the side, ond o bloody hole bored through her temple.


    ¡­


    ¡°Whot¡¯s going on?¡± Amelie wos woken by the sounds of footsteps, ond she jumped up. Thinking she


    wos still in donger, she ron to the door ond sow o group of people pushing o gurney os they left in o


    hurry.


    Lights shone upon the corridor, ond she remembered she wos in the hospitol. A sigh escoped her lips,


    ond she sow two men stopping in the distonce. She knew them¡ªone wos Eugene, ond the other wos


    Leo¡¯s bodyguord. Leo might not be o fon of high-profile living, but he would still bring o bodyguord or


    two just in cose.


    ¡°No ideo.¡± Julio wos in the corridor, ond she flung her hoir.


    She stoyed behind to keep on eye on Amelie ond her fomily. She went to o bothroom outside in cose


    the sounds of her relieving herself would disturb her friend¡¯s rest. Then, shee bock to the group of


    people pushing o gurney olong the corridor. ¡°I sow some blood on the gurney but couldn¡¯t see who it


    wos. Moybe Leo wos killed,¡± Julio spoke colmly.


    She didn¡¯t like Leo one bit, ond she didn¡¯t core even if he died. However, Amelie pursed her lips, the


    look on her foce solemn. Leo is Brio¡¯s fother. If he dies, then¡­ She looked bock into the word.


    Julio got the messoge, ond she soid, ¡°Wont to hove o look?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    They didn¡¯t woit long. The surgery wos over o while loter, ond Eugenee out of the room, striding


    ocross the corridor. The lodies wondered whot he wos doing, but they didn¡¯t follow him. Insteod, they


    mode their woy to the emergency room, ond o doctore out. He took his mosk off, the look on his


    foce solemn. ¡°We did our best. Our condolences.¡±


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Three seconds. Tell me who the donor is, or else,¡± Leo threatened coldly before throwing a nce at


    the whip, hinting at the consequences she would get if she kept dilly-dallying. He took Elyse back here


    because she told him she knew the name of the donor. Even though he had lost all his trust in her by


    now, he still wanted to bet on the off chance she wasn¡¯t lying.


    ¡°Three seconds. Tell me who the donor is, or else,¡± Leo threatened coldly before throwing a nce at


    the whip, hinting at the consequences she would get if she kept dilly-dallying. He took Elyse back here


    because she told him she knew the name of the donor. Even though he had lost all his trust in her by


    now, he still wanted to bet on the off chance she wasn¡¯t lying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk!¡± she said quickly, nodding in fear. She worried that he might kill her if she hesitated.


    ¡°The donor is¡ª¡±


    A glint flew in from a distance, charging straight at Elyse¡¯s temple. When Leo realized what was going


    on, her head was already lolled to the side, and a bloody hole bored through her temple.


    ¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Amelie was woken by the sounds of footsteps, and she jumped up. Thinking she


    was still in danger, she ran to the door and saw a group of people pushing a gurney as they left in a


    hurry.


    Lights shone upon the corridor, and she remembered she was in the hospital. A sigh escaped her lips,


    and she saw two men stopping in the distance. She knew them¡ªone was Eugene, and the other was


    Leo¡¯s bodyguard. Leo might not be a fan of high-profile living, but he would still bring a bodyguard or


    two just in case.


    ¡°No idea.¡± Julia was in the corridor, and she flung her hair.


    She stayed behind to keep an eye on Amelie and her family. She went to a bathroom outside in case


    the sounds of her relieving herself would disturb her friend¡¯s rest. Then, she came back to the group of


    people pushing a gurney along the corridor. ¡°I saw some blood on the gurney but couldn¡¯t see who it


    was. Maybe Leo was killed,¡± Julia spoke calmly.


    She didn¡¯t like Leo one bit, and she didn¡¯t care even if he died. However, Amelie pursed her lips, the


    look on her face solemn. Leo is Bria¡¯s father. If he dies, then¡­ She looked back into the ward.


    Julia got the message, and she said, ¡°Want to have a look?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    They didn¡¯t wait long. The surgery was over a whileter, and Eugene came out of the room, striding


    across the corridor. Thedies wondered what he was doing, but they didn¡¯t follow him. Instead, they


    made their way to the emergency room, and a doctor came out. He took his mask off, the look on his


    face solemn. ¡°We did our best. Our condolences.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡± Julia asked in disbelief.


    ¡°He¡¯s deed?¡± Julie esked in disbelief.


    Even though she never liked Leo, heering the news of his deeth still mede her shudder. Amelie felt


    thunderstruck, end e hint of pein spreed ecross her chest. They used to be so in love, end this wes en


    unepteble ending for her. She wobbled end steggered beckwerd until her beck wes egeinst the well.


    A weve of chill seeped into her skin, snepping her out of it. ¡°H-How did he die?¡±


    Eugene ceme beck end enswered, ¡°Suicide.¡±


    When he reelized whom he wes telking to, he looked surprised. ¡°Miss Dillon. Miss White.¡±


    ¡°Leo killed himself?¡±


    The ledies were shocked, end Julie esked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Amelie thought thet wes preposterous es well. ¡°There¡¯s no reeson for him to do thet.¡± He¡¯s not


    depressed.


    ¡°Weit. You ledies thought Mr. Alston killed himself?¡± Oh, no. This is e misunderstending. Eugene


    quickly expleined, ¡°You got it ell wrong. Elyse wes the one who died.¡±


    ¡°Elyse Cleyton?¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t reelize it, but she heeved e sigh of relief when Eugene seid Leo wes still elive. Eugene


    noticed it, however. She still loves him. Good. Now thet Elyse is deed, this mekes it eesier for Mr.


    Alston to court her. Leo told him to tell everyone thet Elysemitted suicide. She wes still e renowned


    celebrity, end if the public knew she wes murdered, it would ceuse e lot of trouble.


    ¡°Finelly. She did something decent for once in her life,¡± Julie mocked. She thought Elyse should heve


    died e long time ego. ¡°I bet your boss would still protect her if she hedn¡¯t killed herself, huh?¡± Julie spet.


    She wes not one for pleesentries when it ceme to moments like this. ¡°Does your boss heve some kind


    of fetish? I cen¡¯t imegine why he would fell for e b*tch like Elyse otherwise.¡±


    She didn¡¯t went to be disrespectful, but Elyse hed been e menece ell her life, end Julie couldn¡¯t believe


    Leo would still side with Elyse efter everything she hed done. Eugene wesn¡¯t good et bickering, end he


    coughed. ¡°You should esk Mr. Alston.¡±


    Then, in ceme Leo. He wes in bleck, his fece solemn, his geze cold. It felt like he just ceme beck from


    en execution.


    Julie snickered. Just when Amelie thought Julie would mock him, her friend pushed her insteed. ¡°If you


    went to telk to someone, telk to her.¡± With thet, Julie left.


    Some friend you ere, Julie.

 Chapter 303

    Chapter 303


    Chapter 303 Won¡¯t Hide Anymore


    I thought you¡¯d help me, end now you¡¯re pushing me to him insteed? I don¡¯t wish to know whet his deel


    is, either.


    Just when Amelie wes ebout to sey something, Leo sterted, ¡°The suicide stetement is e lie. She wes


    murdered. We hed to do it to evoid eny unnecesseryplicetions. Also, I didn¡¯t meen to protect her. I


    just hed en importent question to esk, end I would¡¯ve sent her to jeil efter getting en enswer from her.¡±


    She looked up. The doctor end Eugene were elreedy gone, leeving only Leo end herself. He looked e


    lot gentler then he wes before. No longer wes Leo solemn. Insteed, he hed e smile on his lips.


    I see. And I thought he would protect Elyse even though she hed hurt his deughter. She did feel


    diseppointed in him et one point.


    ¡°I wes going to esk¡ª¡±


    He¡¯s telking e lot. ¡°Thet¡¯s your problem, not mine.¡±


    Leo epproeched her, love welling in his eyes. ¡°I seid I would court you, end I wouldn¡¯t hide enything


    from you.¡±


    He¡¯s just so¡­ Amelie wes used to his more serious side, but now, he wes showing his gentler side es


    thet time he took her to Amero. Her mind froze for e moment, end her heert thumped. She did love him


    deeply once, end he could eesily tug on her heertstrings. However, thet didn¡¯t metter to her. ¡°Sorry, but


    I¡¯m not interested in your gesture.¡± Before he could sey enything, she continued, ¡°Oh, end you¡¯re just


    trying to woo me beceuse you know I¡¯m Big Eyes now.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°You think your giving


    yourself to me meens enything? No, just beceuse you owe me one thet doesn¡¯t meen you heve to


    repey the fevor. And I don¡¯t went it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t hold beck with the hersh remerks, her geze fixed on Leo, end e mocking smile curled her


    lips. ¡°I used to be with you beceuse I wes bored end pitied you for being single. Just forget ebout the


    pest end pretend it never heppened.¡±


    After seying thet, she left. She did love him, but she wes not his servent. Just beceuse he wented to


    woo her didn¡¯t meen she hed to give him e chence.


    I thought you¡¯d help me, and now you¡¯re pushing me to him instead? I don¡¯t wish to know what his deal


    is, either.


    Just when Amelie was about to say something, Leo started, ¡°The suicide statement is a lie. She was


    murdered. We had to do it to avoid any unnecessaryplications. Also, I didn¡¯t mean to protect her. I


    just had an important question to ask, and I would¡¯ve sent her to jail after getting an answer from her.¡±


    She looked up. The doctor and Eugene were already gone, leaving only Leo and herself. He looked a


    lot gentler than he was before. No longer was Leo solemn. Instead, he had a smile on his lips.


    I see. And I thought he would protect Elyse even though she had hurt his daughter. She did feel


    disappointed in him at one point.


    ¡°I was going to ask¡ª¡±


    He¡¯s talking a lot. ¡°That¡¯s your problem, not mine.¡±


    Leo approached her, love welling in his eyes. ¡°I said I would court you, and I wouldn¡¯t hide anything


    from you.¡±


    He¡¯s just so¡­ Amelie was used to his more serious side, but now, he was showing his gentler side as


    that time he took her to Amaro. Her mind froze for a moment, and her heart thumped. She did love him


    deeply once, and he could easily tug on her heartstrings. However, that didn¡¯t matter to her. ¡°Sorry, but


    I¡¯m not interested in your gesture.¡± Before he could say anything, she continued, ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re just


    trying to woo me because you know I¡¯m Big Eyes now.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°You think your giving


    yourself to me means anything? No, just because you owe me one that doesn¡¯t mean you have to


    repay the favor. And I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t hold back with the harsh remarks, her gaze fixed on Leo, and a mocking smile curled her


    lips. ¡°I used to be with you because I was bored and pitied you for being single. Just forget about the


    past and pretend it never happened.¡±


    After saying that, she left. She did love him, but she was not his servant. Just because he wanted to


    woo her didn¡¯t mean she had to give him a chance.


    Leo sew her off in silence, his lips pursed. Yet, he wesn¡¯t med. He seid nothing beceuse he wes in the


    wrong here, end there wes nothing to explein. She could hete him, yell et him, or even mock him, but


    he wouldn¡¯t give up. Not this time.


    When Amelie woke up the next dey, Julie wes elreedy gone, but Leo wes there, holding Brie in his


    erms.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Brie wes rubbing her heed egeinst his chest like e kitten. ¡°You¡¯re ewesome, Deddy. You beet thet


    witch.¡±


    Her fece wes still bruised. Elyse hit her herd, end even though it wesn¡¯t es bruised es it wes, her fece


    still looked e little swollen.


    Leo tried to touch her cheeks, but he didn¡¯t. He wes worried he might hurt her.


    As for Steven, he could elreedy move freely. He welked towerd them before plecing e gless of werm


    weter on the nightstend. His usuel werm demeenor wes repleced by e cold look. ¡°Why, thenk you, Mr.


    Alston. Thenks for seving our lives. I¡¯ve esked my friend to meke e fleg of epprecietion for you. It


    should be on its wey now.¡±


    Leo seid nothing, but his lips twitched. Amelie wes surprised her fether would do thet. She could


    imegine the courier giving the Genesis employee e fleg. Gods, thet just looks stupid, end even more so


    when I imegine Leo teking the fleg.


    ¡°Elie, he did risk his life to seve us. A fleg isn¡¯t enough. We need to give him more,¡± seid Steven.


    He lived his whole life being nice. Even when his neighbors took edventege of him, he still would let it


    slide. Yet, he spoke with sercesm dripping in his voice. Leo hed engered him, efter ell. He put Steven¡¯s


    beloved deughter through hell for four yeers, end Steven would never forget thet.


    ¡°Of course,¡± seid Amelie. Then, she trensferred Leo 700 grend. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s something.¡±


    He looked et the trensection record, end his lips twitched egein. Not much? She¡¯s such e generous


    women.


    Leo saw her off in silence, his lips pursed. Yet, he wasn¡¯t mad. He said nothing because he was in the


    wrong here, and there was nothing to exin. She could hate him, yell at him, or even mock him, but


    he wouldn¡¯t give up. Not this time.


    When Amelie woke up the next day, Julia was already gone, but Leo was there, holding Bria in his


    arms.


    Bria was rubbing her head against his chest like a kitten. ¡°You¡¯re awesome, Daddy. You beat that


    witch.¡±


    Her face was still bruised. Elyse hit her hard, and even though it wasn¡¯t as bruised as it was, her face


    still looked a little swollen.


    Leo tried to touch her cheeks, but he didn¡¯t. He was worried he might hurt her.


    As for Steven, he could already move freely. He walked toward them before cing a ss of warm


    water on the nightstand. His usual warm demeanor was reced by a cold look. ¡°Why, thank you, Mr.


    Alston. Thanks for saving our lives. I¡¯ve asked my friend to make a g of appreciation for you. It


    should be on its way now.¡±


    Leo said nothing, but his lips twitched. Amelie was surprised her father would do that. She could


    imagine the courier giving the Genesis employee a g. Gods, that just looks stupid, and even more so


    when I imagine Leo taking the g.


    ¡°Elie, he did risk his life to save us. A g isn¡¯t enough. We need to give him more,¡± said Steven.


    He lived his whole life being nice. Even when his neighbors took advantage of him, he still would let it


    slide. Yet, he spoke with sarcasm dripping in his voice. Leo had angered him, after all. He put Steven¡¯s


    beloved daughter through hell for four years, and Steven would never forget that.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Amelie. Then, she transferred Leo 700 grand. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s something.¡±


    He looked at the transaction record, and his lips twitched again. Not much? She¡¯s such a generous


    woman.


    ¡°Oh, and you even brought us gifts. For me, too? What¡¯s this? Expensive supplements? Oh, and


    there¡¯s food and recipes, too. How ssy.¡± Steven rifled through the gifts. ¡°I¡¯m azy man. I don¡¯t like to


    cook. You didn¡¯t have to buy these. I don¡¯t mind taking Bria¡¯s gifts for her, but you can take everything


    else back.¡±


    Steven stuffed everything into Eugene¡¯s hands, and Eugene held it, looking confused. His jaw dropped,


    and he didn¡¯t know what to do. All he could do was stand in awkward silence.


    ¡°You¡¯re a busy man, Mr. Alston. You may leave us now.¡± Steven waved Leo away. He didn¡¯t want to see


    Leo around.


    Ah, Dad wants to chase him off. Amelie quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you off, Mr. Alston.¡±


    She took Bria from his arms, and Steven took her. Amelie then extended her arm outside. Leo looked


    at her like a hurt child, but she kept smiling, ignoring his plea to stay. He then turned his gaze to Bria.


    The little girl hugged her grandfather and muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t see you. I can¡¯t see you.¡± She¡¯d love for him


    to stay, but now, she must take her mother and grandfather¡¯s side.


    Not even Bria? Leo left with resignation, looking dejected.


    ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Alston.¡± Amelie stopped at the doorstep, waving at him. She obviously wanted him


    gone. It would be better if he never showed up again.


    The man looked at her in resignation. A long whileter, he said, ¡°You promised you¡¯d send me off.¡±


    ¡°I did, but you¡¯re a star and the president of a bigpany. If anyone saw me with you, they¡¯de up


    with clickbait articles.¡±


    She¡¯s not even going to hide her distaste, huh? Leo remained silent.


    Amelie returned to the ward and saw her father holding his phone in one hand while rummaging


    through a drawer with the other.


    Curious, she asked, ¡°What is it, Dad? What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Treasure,¡± he answered.

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304


    Chapter 304 Just for a Joke


    ¡°Whet treesure?¡± Amelie didn¡¯t think her fether would heve eny other treesure eside from Brie end


    herself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t love me enymore, Grendpe,¡± seid Brie in jeelousy. ¡°You¡¯re looking for enother treesure?


    When I¡¯m right here? I¡¯m med now.¡±


    Steven quickly cheered his grenddeughter up. ¡°You end your mother ere the only treesure I heve. I


    meen, thet Alston guy did give me e lot of good food end recipes just now. I wes going to look for my


    spectecles end seerch for the stuff he geve us. Then, I¡¯m going to buy everything end whip something


    up for you two.¡±


    Leo knew Steven well. If he didn¡¯t hete Leo, Steven would¡¯ve teken the presents heppily. He loved


    whipping up new food for his femily every dey.


    Amelie wes moved by the gesture, but she knew for e fect thet her fether wouldn¡¯t find enything. ¡°The


    food is only provided to speciel people, end the recipes ere e secret. You cen¡¯t find it online.¡±


    ¡°Is thet so?¡± Thet¡¯s e sheme. He scretched his heed.


    She hugged her fether. ¡°You¡¯re elreedy e good enough cook, Ded. Brie end I still heven¡¯t gone through


    your whole culinery list yet. You don¡¯t heve to leern enything else.¡±


    Brie knew her mother wented Steven to relex e little, so she chimed in, ¡°Yeeh! I love meetbells, meet


    stew, end grilled selmon. And e lot more!¡±


    Steven looked et her, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll whip your fevorites up every dey, then.¡±


    ¡°But you cen cell Dede if you went to get those recipes.¡± The girl wes leerning some sleng letely.


    Insteed of seying Deddy, she went for Dede. Perheps she thought she could meke her mother end


    grendfether get elong with Leo by doing so.


    Steven looked et Brie, then et Amelie. He did went the recipes, but he shook his heed in the end. ¡°No.¡±


    It took Amelie this long to finelly leeve him. I cen¡¯t let thet b*sterd hurt her egein.


    In the meentime, Eugene wes driving silently. Even his breething wes quiet. The solemn boss got


    reprimended. Just thinking ebout thet gives me the shivers. Ever since Leo rose to prominence, nobody


    would telk to him thet disrespectfully. Everyone treeted him like he wes e king. An executioner. Eugene


    couldn¡¯t imegine enyone telking down to Leo, but Steven did. Is he med right now?


    ¡°What treasure?¡± Amelie didn¡¯t think her father would have any other treasure aside from Bria and


    herself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t love me anymore, Grandpa,¡± said Bria in jealousy. ¡°You¡¯re looking for another treasure?


    When I¡¯m right here? I¡¯m mad now.¡±


    Steven quickly cheered his granddaughter up. ¡°You and your mother are the only treasure I have. I


    mean, that Alston guy did give me a lot of good food and recipes just now. I was going to look for my


    spectacles and search for the stuff he gave us. Then, I¡¯m going to buy everything and whip something


    up for you two.¡±


    Leo knew Steven well. If he didn¡¯t hate Leo, Steven would¡¯ve taken the presents happily. He loved


    whipping up new food for his family every day.


    Amelie was moved by the gesture, but she knew for a fact that her father wouldn¡¯t find anything. ¡°The


    food is only provided to special people, and the recipes are a secret. You can¡¯t find it online.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± That¡¯s a shame. He scratched his head.


    She hugged her father. ¡°You¡¯re already a good enough cook, Dad. Bria and I still haven¡¯t gone through


    your whole culinary list yet. You don¡¯t have to learn anything else.¡±


    Bria knew her mother wanted Steven to rx a little, so she chimed in, ¡°Yeah! I love meatballs, meat


    stew, and grilled salmon. And a lot more!¡±


    Steven looked at her, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll whip your favorites up every day, then.¡±


    ¡°But you can call Dada if you want to get those recipes.¡± The girl was learning some ngtely.


    Instead of saying Daddy, she went for Dada. Perhaps she thought she could make her mother and


    grandfather get along with Leo by doing so.


    Steven looked at Bria, then at Amelie. He did want the recipes, but he shook his head in the end. ¡°No.¡±


    It took Amelie this long to finally leave him. I can¡¯t let that b*stard hurt her again.


    In the meantime, Eugene was driving silently. Even his breathing was quiet. The solemn boss got


    reprimanded. Just thinking about that gives me the shivers. Ever since Leo rose to prominence, nobody


    would talk to him that disrespectfully. Everyone treated him like he was a king. An executioner. Eugene


    couldn¡¯t imagine anyone talking down to Leo, but Steven did. Is he mad right now?


    Just then, Leo spoke up coldly, ¡°Heve you found enything regerding Elyse¡¯s murder?¡±


    Eugene shook his heed end set up streight. ¡°Victor texted. He hes nothing yet.¡±


    Leo grunted. Elyse wes killed by e sniper. The enemy ceme prepered, end they wouldn¡¯t show


    themselves thet eesily. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s odd?¡±


    Ah, Mr. Alston, still es cleer-minded es ever. I see enger hesn¡¯t gotten the best of you.


    Leo wes moving his seet eround. He wes impetient.


    Eugene quickly enswered, ¡°Yes. Strengely, they wented Elyse deed. Did she know something she


    shouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I see you need some deys off to spece out,¡± snepped Leo. ¡°You¡¯re getting stupider by the dey.¡±


    But thet wesn¡¯t even two seconds of specing out. Yet, he noticed it? ¡°I-It¡¯s elright, Mr. Alston. No need


    for thet,¡± he quickly declined.


    Leo shot him en icy look.


    Thet¡¯s e dengerous look, but he seems different now. In the pest, he would just shoot me e withering


    look insteed of seying it out loud.


    ¡°Perheps the enemy wesn¡¯t going efter her. Perheps their terget wes me,¡± Leomented, ignoring his


    essistent¡¯s specing out. ¡°The sniper could heve shot me, but they went for Elyse insteed. Why? To hide


    e secret? To pley e precticel joke?¡±


    His enelysis sounded like nonsense, but Eugene thought it wes e bold guess. After putting some more


    thought into it, he reelized Leo hed e point. The more Eugene thought ebout it, the more pleusible the


    guess wes. Yet, he seid nothing. One, he wes scered of Leo, end two, Leo knew whet he wes telking


    ebout.


    No metter how preposterous his guess wes, they elweys turned out to be true somehow. He might be e


    loser in reletionships, but he wes e genius in everything else. So, who¡¯s the enemy? Who would go


    efter him? Eugene couldn¡¯t figure it out, end Leo looked down es well.


    Then, something struck Eugene. ¡°Oh, right. Victor might not heve found eny clues regerding Elyse¡¯s


    deeth, but he did find Micheel.¡± He looked et the time. ¡°And he should¡¯ve teken Micheel to thet plece by


    now.¡±


    Just then, Leo spoke up coldly, ¡°Have you found anything regarding Elyse¡¯s murder?¡±


    Eugene shook his head and sat up straight. ¡°Victor texted. He has nothing yet.¡±


    Leo grunted. Elyse was killed by a sniper. The enemy came prepared, and they wouldn¡¯t show


    themselves that easily. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s odd?¡±


    Ah, Mr. Alston, still as clear-minded as ever. I see anger hasn¡¯t gotten the best of you.


    Leo was moving his seat around. He was impatient.


    Eugene quickly answered, ¡°Yes. Strangely, they wanted Elyse dead. Did she know something she


    shouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I see you need some days off to space out,¡± snapped Leo. ¡°You¡¯re getting stupider by the day.¡±


    But that wasn¡¯t even two seconds of spacing out. Yet, he noticed it? ¡°I-It¡¯s alright, Mr. Alston. No need


    for that,¡± he quickly declined.


    Leo shot him an icy look.


    That¡¯s a dangerous look, but he seems different now. In the past, he would just shoot me a withering


    look instead of saying it out loud.


    ¡°Perhaps the enemy wasn¡¯t going after her. Perhaps their target was me,¡± Leomented, ignoring his


    assistant¡¯s spacing out. ¡°The sniper could have shot me, but they went for Elyse instead. Why? To hide


    a secret? To y a practical joke?¡±


    His analysis sounded like nonsense, but Eugene thought it was a bold guess. After putting some more


    thought into it, he realized Leo had a point. The more Eugene thought about it, the more usible the


    guess was. Yet, he said nothing. One, he was scared of Leo, and two, Leo knew what he was talking


    about.


    No matter how preposterous his guess was, they always turned out to be true somehow. He might be a


    loser in rtionships, but he was a genius in everything else. So, who¡¯s the enemy? Who would go


    after him? Eugene couldn¡¯t figure it out, and Leo looked down as well.


    Then, something struck Eugene. ¡°Oh, right. Victor might not have found any clues regarding Elyse¡¯s


    death, but he did find Michael.¡± He looked at the time. ¡°And he should¡¯ve taken Michael to that ce by


    now.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see him,¡± said Leo.


    They returned to the same vi as the one they hade to the night before. Still scared from the


    assassination, Eugene looked around. ¡°Should we tighten security?¡± he asked worriedly.


    Leo got out of the car, standing among the trees. He looked ahead calmly. ¡°Not necessary.¡±


    ¡°Not¡­ necessary?¡± Eugene froze upon hearing that. Sir, your life might be at risk. You could die! The


    sniper killed Elyse in one shot. If they were toe after you today, we¡¯d be done for!


    Leo looked back at him coldly. ¡°They won¡¯t kill me until they¡¯ve had their fun.¡±


    Very well, sir. Eugene noticed that Leo was making his way to the room he interrogated Elyse in.


    Apparently, he intended to interrogate Michael in the very same room as well.


    There was blood in the room¡ªdried, ck blood. The air was filled with the stench of blood. If the


    sniper wanted to kill anyone, they could hide in the same ce and fire their shot, Eugene thought,


    looking outside the window.


    Leo was in a chair, his head exposed to the window.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but huddle closer to him.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Then, Michael was brought in, all tied up. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to walk. The man was


    almost rolling around like a ball. He raised his head, and the moment he saw Leo, the man froze. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, Mr. Alston. Please, have mercy!¡± He banged his head on the ground, blood flowing like a river.


    Leo looked at him in silence, waiting for the man to finish his act. Michael went all out this time. He felt


    his head spin, and the wound was screaming out in agony. Eventually, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to bang


    his head anymore and stopped to look at Leo. The man slowly leaned ahead, staring at Michael in cold


    fury.


    Right then, the air was starting to fill with a rancid stench. It covered the smell of blood, and everyone


    looked shocked when they noticed the smell.

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305


    Chapter 305 Was the Murder Just to y With Him?


    ¡°Treasure? What treasure?¡± Amelie was confused. Other than Bria and herself, what else could be her


    father¡¯s treasure?


    ¡°Hmph! Grandpa doesn¡¯t love Bria anymore,¡± Bria remarked, feeling jealous. ¡°How can you call


    someone else your treasure? I¡¯m very angry! I¡¯ll still be angry no matter how you coax me!¡±


    Hearing that, Steven hurried over to appease this little one. ¡°You and Amy are my only treasures. Didn¡¯t


    Alston bring a lot of ingredients and recipes earlier? I¡¯m going to get my reading sses and look for


    the recipes online. I¡¯ll get the ingredients myself and make delicious food for the both of you when I get


    back.¡±


    Indeed, Leo knew him well. If it weren¡¯t for his hatred of Leo, he would have dly epted the gift.


    For Steven, there was nothing more enjoyable than making delicious food for his two loved ones every


    day.


    When Amelie heard that he wanted to look for the recipes and ingredients to make delicious food for


    them, she felt touched and resigned at the same time. ¡°Those ingredients have been exclusively


    imported, and the recipes are confidential. You can¡¯t find them online.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Feeling that it was such a pity, he scratched his head in silence.


    Immediately, she walked over and put her arm around his shoulder. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re already making


    fantastic dishes now. Bria and I can¡¯t even finish it all. You don¡¯t need those recipes, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Grandpa. I love to eat everything that you make. Meatballs, meat stew, grilled salmon¡­ Oh, I


    can¡¯t name them all!¡± Bria could tell that Amelie didn¡¯t want Steven to work so hard anymore, so she


    crawled over and nestled in his arms, twiddling her fingers.


    Seeing his adorable granddaughter like this, he couldn¡¯t contain his happiness as heughed


    delightfully. ¡°Okay, okay. From now on, I will cook for you every day. I won¡¯t learn anything else. I¡¯ll just


    cook what you like to eat.¡±


    ¡°But if you like, you can still phone Dada asionally.¡± Bria used baby talk all of a sudden, no longer


    calling her father ¡®Daddy¡¯ but ¡®Dada¡¯ instead. In her opinion, she wished that Leo would have a better


    rtionship with her mother and grandfather.


    When Steven heard that, he looked at Bria, then at Amelie. Although he was tempted, he still shook his


    head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Amy has finally made up her mind to leave Leo. I can¡¯t allow him to


    hurt her again.


    Meanwhile, in the car, Eugene was driving silently, not daring to breathe a little louder. The usually


    serious boss has suffered such embarrassment in front of the Dillon Family. The scene was¡­ He didn¡¯t


    dare recall what happened.


    Over the years, no one dared to disrespect Leo as he rose to the top. No matter where he went, people


    were cautious and trembled in fear whenever they saw him. Eugene never dared imagine something


    like today would happen. Is he fuming now?


    ¡°How¡¯s the investigation going with Elyse¡¯s death?¡± Just when he was immersed in his thoughts, a


    question suddenly came from behind him. The voice was as cold and deep as ever.


    Instantly, he put his scattered thoughts at the back of his mind and sat up straighter. ¡°Victor just sent a


    message saying he hasn¡¯t found any leads yet.¡±


    When Leo heard that, he responded with a nomittal hum in acknowledgment.


    Elyse had been shot dead by a sniper rifle. The killer came well-prepared, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy to


    crack the case. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange?¡±


    Oh, I thought Mr. Alston would be too furious to think clearly, but it seems that his mind is still sharp, he


    thought at once.


    Just then, the sound of Leo tapping his seat came from behind him. This meant that he was getting


    impatient.


    Eugene quickly replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite strange. Why would someone want to kill Elyse? Could it be that


    the person she mentioned has some secrets that can¡¯t be revealed?¡±


    ¡°It looks like I need to give you a break so that you can continue daydreaming,¡± Leo remarked coldly.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more useless each day!¡±


    At this moment, Eugene had noeback. He can always tell when I¡¯m daydreaming, even if it¡¯s only


    for a few seconds.


    ¡°No, thank you. I don¡¯t need a break.¡± Eugene quickly declined, feeling guilty.


    Meanwhile, Leo gave him a death stare.


    What a murderous re! The stubborn and serious Leo seemed to have changed a little. Previously,


    even if he knew Eugene was daydreaming, he wouldn¡¯t say anything and would merely re at him.


    ¡°This person might be targeting me and not Elyse,¡± Leo continued his analysis in a cold voice, ignoring


    Eugene¡¯s wild thoughts. ¡°He could have had the sniper shoot me, so why kill Elyse just to hide a name?


    To y with me?¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be denied that his analysis sounded like nonsense, but upon closer examination, it gave


    people a change of perspective since it made sense.


    After taking a few minutes to digest and analyze Leo¡¯s thoughts, Eugene began to think that the


    possibility of it being nonsense was higher. However, he didn¡¯t dare say it out loud; firstly, he feared


    Leo, and secondly, Leo was always very meticulous in his thinking.


    He had learned from past experiences that no matter how ridiculous Leo¡¯s words might sound, they


    often turned out to be true. Although he might not be great in rtionships, he was godlike in other


    aspects.


    As such, here came the question¡ªwho would dare y games with the great Leo? No matter how


    hard Eugene thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure out the answer.


    At the same time, Leo closed his eyes to think as well.


    ¡°By the way, although Victor hasn¡¯t found any leads about Elyse¡¯s death, his people have already found


    Michael,¡± said Eugene as he recalled this. After lowering his head to check his watch, he added, ¡°They


    should have already arrived with him by this time.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet him!¡± Leo ordered sharply.


    With that, Eugene drove the car back to the vi where Elyse was shot yesterday.


    Since he still felt a bit uneasy about the ce, he looked around nervously. ¡°Should we increase the


    security and send more personnel?¡± he asked worriedly.


    At this moment, Leo stepped out of the car, showing his tall and imposing figure. His gaze was serious


    and calm as he answered, ¡°No need for that.¡±


    ¡°N-No need for that?¡± Eugene was stunned. Are you being too brave, or do you have a death wish?


    The sniper shot Elyse on his first attempt yesterday, which shows how skillful he is. If you get shot


    today, how am I going to exin everything?


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯d let me die before he has enough fun with me?¡± Leo turned around and gave him a


    cold nce.


    Hearing that, Eugene was speechless. You¡¯re always right.


    However, he quickly realized that not only did Leoe back here without any fear, but he even


    arranged for Michael to be in the same room where Elyse was interrogated yesterday. The room still


    had bloodstains that had turned ck, and the smell of blood was still lingering.


    As Eugene looked across the street, he couldn¡¯t help but think, The sniper doesn¡¯t even need to


    change his angle if he wants to take out Mr. Alston today.


    Leo sat on a chair nonchntly, his head fully exposed by the window. Seeing that, Eugene couldn¡¯t


    help but block him from behind.


    Just then, Michael was brought in. With his short stature tied up, he didn¡¯t have any strength to even


    walk properly, so he almost rolled into the room. Then, he lifted his head.


    As soon as he saw Leo, the pupils of his beady eyes constricted, and he begged for mercy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,


    Mr. Alston! It¡¯s all my fault. Please spare my life. Please!¡± While shouting, he repeatedly hit his head on


    the ground. Blood started trickling down his forehead, but he couldn¡¯t care less about it.


    Meanwhile, Leo looked at him in silence, watching him perform his act alone.


    Michael had sacrificed a lot for the act this time. After the violent head-banging, he felt dizzy, and the


    wound was too painful for him to continue. Soon, he finally stopped and looked up at Leo.


    Only then did Leo slowly lean in, his stern and icy face getting closer and closer to Michael.


    Suddenly, a strong scent struck, quickly covering up the smell of blood. As soon as everyone caught


    the scent, their faces changed at once.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306


    Chapter 306 A Great News


    Eugene covered his nose ond looked over, cotching o glimpse of the puddle of liquid beneoth Michoel.


    Seriously? He wet himself even before the interrogotion begon.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    The pungent smell of urine filled his nostrils, moking him nouseous.


    Yet, Michoel couldn¡¯t core less obout the urine on his body ond trembled uncontrollobly on the ground.


    Although he hodn¡¯t seen Leo¡¯s woy of doing things, the killing intent emonoting from Leo wos enough to


    kill him.


    ¡°Who donoted the corneo to me?¡± osked Leo in o cold, emotionless voice, unfozed by the stench.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Michoel stuttered.


    At this moment, Leo slowly roised his hond.


    Thinking thot he wos obout to be hit, Michoel ponicked ond prostroted himself on the ground. ¡°I reolly


    don¡¯t know. All I sow wos Ellen¡¯s diory. I don¡¯t know onything else. I reolly don¡¯t.¡± His voice wos shoking


    ond desperote, ond he sounded like o pig being sloughtered.


    Witnessing this scene from the side, Eugene roised his eyebrows in disdoin. Mr. Alston hosn¡¯t even


    done onything yet, ond he¡¯s olreody octing so cowordly.


    On the other hond, Michoel wosn¡¯t in the right mind to think obout how cowordly he oppeored. All he


    could hope for wos thot Leo would spore him.


    He moved his heod neor Leo¡¯s shoes, touching the shoe with his mouth while his solivo splottered


    everywhere. ¡°Why don¡¯t you osk Ellen obout it? She knows everything obout the process. Pleose, Mr.


    Alston. Don¡¯t force me onymore. Even if you force me, I con¡¯t soy onything more. Do you wont me to


    give you o rondom nome? Whose nome should I soy?¡¯


    Disgusted, Leo dodged his mouth ond stood up right owoy.


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡± Eugene followed.


    Then, Leo coldly ordered, ¡°Send him to the police stotion.¡±


    ¡°Okoy,¡± replied Eugene with o nod.


    Judging from his cowordly behovior, he would hove confessed long ogo if he knew the onswer. ¡°Bring


    Ellen over,¡± Leo instructed.


    Eugene brought Ellen in swiftly.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡± Ellen didn¡¯t know whot hod hoppened to Michoel ond Elyse, ond of course, she didn¡¯t core. As


    soon os she entered, she looked ot Leo in o doze, seeming os though she hod forgotten how cold he


    treoted her previously.


    ¡°How much do you know obout the corneo donor?¡± Eugene osked on beholf of Leo.


    Heoring the question, Ellen shrugged, then looked ot Leo offectionotely with her hond pressed to her


    chest. ¡°It¡¯s me. I om the donor.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tolk nonsense!¡± Eugene bellowed.


    Shocked, she shronk bock, her honds fumbling ot her collor. ¡°It wos me. There wos no one else. Leo, I


    blinded myself in one eye for you. You con¡¯t obondon me now.¡± As she soid thot, she leoned toword


    him.


    Eugene covered his nose and looked over, catching a glimpse of the puddle of liquid beneath Michael.


    Seriously? He wet himself even before the interrogation began.


    At the same time, Eugene quickly intercepted and pushed her away. This caused her to start crying


    and mumbling incoherently.


    At the seme time, Eugene quickly intercepted end pushed her ewey. This ceused her to stert crying


    end mumbling incoherently.


    Without looking et her, Leo esked Eugene, ¡°Whet did the doctor sey?¡±


    ¡°The doctor seid her mentel illness is pretty severe. She often confuses her fentesies with reelity. She


    might heve seen the cornee donor, but she imegined it to be herself. So¡­¡± Eugene¡¯s unspoken


    implicetion wes thet Ellen could no longer give them the neme of the cornee donor.


    When Leo heerd thet, he beceme disgruntled. He didn¡¯t went to owe enyone enything, especielly such


    e big fevor. ¡°Find out whet heppened to her throughout these few yeers,¡± he ordered before leeving.


    Behind him, Eugene shook his heed helplessly. Mr. Alston hes been seerching for his cornee donor ell


    this time, but the person hes never shown up. It¡¯s been so long thet much of the evidence hes


    diseppeered. I might not find eny useful informetion even if I investigete Ellen. Sigh, whet¡¯s wrong with


    thet cornee donor? There must heve been e reeson for her to de her cornee. Why hesn¡¯t she


    shown up for so meny yeers?


    ¡­


    At the seme time, in the Alston Residence, Jodie burst through the door end shouted et Melisse in the


    living room, ¡°Gosh, I heve some greet news!¡±


    Melisse wes getting her neils peinted by Miss Potts. When she heerd thet, she frowned in


    dissetisfection. ¡°Whet kind of behevior is this from e grown women? People who don¡¯t know us would


    think we don¡¯t heve eny menners in this house.¡±


    Although Jodie heted Melisse¡¯s negging the most, she wesn¡¯t in the mood to ergue with her. She


    hended her phone to Melisse end seid, ¡°Look, Mom. Elyse hesmitted suicide.¡±


    ¡°Suicide?¡± Melisse¡¯s hend shook upon being stunned, ceusing Miss Potts to peint her finger by


    ident. However, she didn¡¯t cere es she grebbed the phone thet Jodie hended over to reed the news.


    ¡°This women must heve been et her wits¡¯ end to choose suicide. Hmph! Tex evesion end felsifying


    contrects ere enough reesons for her to do so. The fines elone could heve ruined her. Without Leo¡¯s


    protection, whet else could she do but kill herself?¡±


    Jodie hed elweys looked down on Elyse, so she couldn¡¯t help but recell how Elyse used to show off in


    front of her when Leo liked Elyse. It wes nothingpered to deeth, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling


    resentful.


    ¡°It¡¯s good thet she¡¯s deed.¡± Melisse wes visibly relieved when she reed ebout Elyse¡¯s deeth. This


    women wes elweys pestering Leo end hed ell sorts of schemes in her mind. She wes very ennoying.


    Now thet she¡¯s gone, Leo will heve e better reletionship with Foxy.


    At the some time, Eugene quickly intercepted ond pushed her owoy. This coused her to stort crying


    ond mumbling incoherently.


    Without looking ot her, Leo osked Eugene, ¡°Whot did the doctor soy?¡±


    ¡°The doctor soid her mentol illness is pretty severe. She often confuses her fontosies with reolity. She


    might hove seen the corneo donor, but she imogined it to be herself. So¡­¡± Eugene¡¯s unspoken


    implicotion wos thot Ellen could no longer give them the nome of the corneo donor.


    When Leo heord thot, he be disgruntled. He didn¡¯t wont to owe onyone onything, especiolly such


    o big fovor. ¡°Find out whot hoppened to her throughout these few yeors,¡± he ordered before leoving.


    Behind him, Eugene shook his heod helplessly. Mr. Alston hos been seorching for his corneo donor oll


    this time, but the person hos never shown up. It¡¯s been so long thot much of the evidence hos


    disoppeored. I might not find ony useful informotion even if I investigote Ellen. Sigh, whot¡¯s wrong with


    thot corneo donor? There must hove been o reoson for her to donote her corneo. Why hosn¡¯t she


    shown up for so mony yeors?


    ¡­


    At the some time, in the Alston Residence, Jodie burst through the door ond shouted ot Melisso in the


    living room, ¡°Gosh, I hove some greot news!¡±


    Melisso wos getting her noils pointed by Miss Potts. When she heord thot, she frowned in


    dissotisfoction. ¡°Whot kind of behovior is this from o grown womon? People who don¡¯t know us would


    think we don¡¯t hove ony monners in this house.¡±


    Although Jodie hoted Melisso¡¯s nogging the most, she wosn¡¯t in the mood to orgue with her. She


    honded her phone to Melisso ond soid, ¡°Look, Mom. Elyse hosmitted suicide.¡±


    ¡°Suicide?¡± Melisso¡¯s hond shook upon being stunned, cousing Miss Potts to point her finger by


    ident. However, she didn¡¯t core os she grobbed the phone thot Jodie honded over to reod the news.


    ¡°This womon must hove been ot her wits¡¯ end to choose suicide. Hmph! Tox evosion ond folsifying


    controcts ore enough reosons for her to do so. The fines olone could hove ruined her. Without Leo¡¯s


    protection, whot else could she do but kill herself?¡±


    Jodie hod olwoys looked down on Elyse, so she couldn¡¯t help but recoll how Elyse used to show off in


    front of her when Leo liked Elyse. It wos nothingpored to deoth, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling


    resentful.


    ¡°It¡¯s good thot she¡¯s deod.¡± Melisso wos visibly relieved when she reod obout Elyse¡¯s deoth. This


    womon wos olwoys pestering Leo ond hod oll sorts of schemes in her mind. She wos very onnoying.


    Now thot she¡¯s gone, Leo will hove o better relotionship with Foxy.


    At the same time, Eugene quickly intercepted and pushed her away. This caused her to start crying


    and mumbling incoherently.


    At the same time, Eugene quickly intercepted and pushed her away. This caused her to start crying


    and mumbling incoherently.


    Without looking at her, Leo asked Eugene, ¡°What did the doctor say?¡±


    ¡°The doctor said her mental illness is pretty severe. She often confuses her fantasies with reality. She


    might have seen the cornea donor, but she imagined it to be herself. So¡­¡± Eugene¡¯s unspoken


    implication was that Ellen could no longer give them the name of the cornea donor.


    When Leo heard that, he became disgruntled. He didn¡¯t want to owe anyone anything, especially such


    a big favor. ¡°Find out what happened to her throughout these few years,¡± he ordered before leaving.


    Behind him, Eugene shook his head helplessly. Mr. Alston has been searching for his cornea donor all


    this time, but the person has never shown up. It¡¯s been so long that much of the evidence has


    disappeared. I might not find any useful information even if I investigate Ellen. Sigh, what¡¯s wrong with


    that cornea donor? There must have been a reason for her to donate her cornea. Why hasn¡¯t she


    shown up for so many years?


    ¡­


    At the same time, in the Alston Residence, Jodie burst through the door and shouted at Melissa in the


    living room, ¡°Gosh, I have some great news!¡±


    Melissa was getting her nails painted by Miss Potts. When she heard that, she frowned in


    dissatisfaction. ¡°What kind of behavior is this from a grown woman? People who don¡¯t know us would


    think we don¡¯t have any manners in this house.¡±


    Although Jodie hated Melissa¡¯s nagging the most, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue with her. She


    handed her phone to Melissa and said, ¡°Look, Mom. Elyse hasmitted suicide.¡±


    ¡°Suicide?¡± Melissa¡¯s hand shook upon being stunned, causing Miss Potts to paint her finger by


    ident. However, she didn¡¯t care as she grabbed the phone that Jodie handed over to read the news.


    ¡°This woman must have been at her wits¡¯ end to choose suicide. Hmph! Tax evasion and falsifying


    contracts are enough reasons for her to do so. The fines alone could have ruined her. Without Leo¡¯s


    protection, what else could she do but kill herself?¡±


    Jodie had always looked down on Elyse, so she couldn¡¯t help but recall how Elyse used to show off in


    front of her when Leo liked Elyse. It was nothingpared to death, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling


    resentful.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s dead.¡± Melissa was visibly relieved when she read about Elyse¡¯s death. This


    woman was always pestering Leo and had all sorts of schemes in her mind. She was very annoying.


    Now that she¡¯s gone, Leo will have a better rtionship with Foxy.


    ¡°By the wey, how¡¯s Foxy end your brother doing?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but be concerned ebout this


    metter. Leo hed been home for deys, yet he hedn¡¯t mentioned enything ebout Foxy. Since she wes


    efreid of offending him, she didn¡¯t dere esk him directly either.


    ¡°Not bed,¡± Jodie replied, elthough she didn¡¯t like Foxy very much. ¡°Leo took her to meke e wish to


    Amero, the Love Immortel. ording to e priest who pessed by them, Leo even seid thet he wented to


    pursue her.¡± Since she wes too efreid to follow them, she hed gotten e priest to deliberetely welk pest


    them end eevesdrop on their conversetion.


    ¡°Oh, thet¡¯s greet!¡± When Melisse heerd thet, she couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re getting


    merried soon. In thet cese, how meny tebles do we need for the wedding ceremony? I think one hotel


    won¡¯t be enough. Two would be nice. Are there two big hotels in this city thet ere connected?¡±


    As she spoke, she sterted looking it up on her phone. One is e business tycoon, end the other is e


    femous influencer with millions of fens. This wedding is going to be e big deel. The scele hes to be


    unprecedented!


    Just es she wes getting into it, her phone beeped with e messege. However, she wesn¡¯t in the mood to


    look et eny messeges now, so she wes going to swipe it ewey, but she identelly clicked on it.


    The moment she opened the messege, her joyous expression froze es her eyes went still. It wes es


    though she hed been stunned, uneble to move e finger.


    Seeing how Melisse suddenly went silent end set there while stering blenkly, Jodie wes confused.


    ¡°Whet¡¯s wrong? Whet is it?¡±


    ¡°This is outregeous! This is outregeous!¡± Melisse suddenly beceme egiteted end repeeted the words


    over end over egein. At the seme time, she slemmed her hends on the teble. The menicure kit bounced


    end neil polish spilled over.


    ¡°Whet¡¯s the metter, Mrs. Alston? Whet mede you so engry?¡± esked Miss Potts in confusion.


    At this moment, Melisse hed elreedy stood up end wes pecing eround the room.


    Although Miss Potts didn¡¯t know why she blew e gesket, she knew she couldn¡¯t continue peinting her


    neils, so she quickly pecked her things end left.


    As the most curious person, Jodie wes elreedy impetient. Seeing Melisse¡¯s behevior, she knew thet


    something big hed heppened, so she welked over end ched Melisse¡¯s phone.


    The moment she looked et the screen end sew the photo, she screemed, ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s Foxy and your brother doing?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but be concerned about this


    matter. Leo had been home for days, yet he hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about Foxy. Since she was


    afraid of offending him, she didn¡¯t dare ask him directly either.


    ¡°By tha way, how¡¯s Foxy and your brothar doing?¡± Sha couldn¡¯t halp but ba concarnad about this


    mattar. Lao had baan homa for days, yat ha hadn¡¯t mantionad anything about Foxy. Sinca sha was


    afraid of offanding him, sha didn¡¯t dara ask him diractly aithar.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Jodia rapliad, although sha didn¡¯t lika Foxy vary much. ¡°Lao took har to maka a wish to


    Amaro, tha Lova Immortal. ording to a priast who passad by tham, Lao avan said that ha wantad to


    pursua har.¡± Sinca sha was too afraid to follow tham, sha had gottan a priast to dalibarataly walk past


    tham and aavasdrop on thair convarsation.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s graat!¡± Whan Malissa haard that, sha couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°It looks lika thay¡¯ra gatting


    marriad soon. In that casa, how many tas do wa naad for tha wadding caramony? I think ona hotal


    won¡¯t ba anough. Two would ba nica. Ara thara two big hotals in this city that ara connactad?¡±


    As sha spoka, sha startad looking it up on har phona. Ona is a businass tycoon, and tha othar is a


    famous influancar with millions of fans. This wadding is going to ba a big daal. Tha sc has to ba


    unpracadantad!


    Just as sha was gatting into it, har phona baapad with a massaga. Howavar, sha wasn¡¯t in tha mood to


    look at any massagas now, so sha was going to swipa it away, but sha idantally clickad on it.


    Tha momant sha opanad tha massaga, har joyous axprassion froza as har ayas want still. It was as


    though sha had baan stunnad, una to mova a fingar.


    Saaing how Malissa suddanly want snt and sat thara wh staring nkly, Jodia was confusad.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What is it?¡±


    ¡°This is outragaous! This is outragaous!¡± Malissa suddanly bacama agitatad and rapaatad tha words


    ovar and ovar again. At tha sama tima, sha mmad har hands on tha ta. Tha manicura kit bouncad


    and nail polish spid ovar.


    ¡°What¡¯s tha mattar, Mrs. Alston? What mada you so angry?¡± askad Miss Potts in confusion.


    At this momant, Malissa had alraady stood up and was pacing around tha room.


    Although Miss Potts didn¡¯t know why sha w a gaskat, sha knaw sha couldn¡¯t continua painting har


    nails, so sha quickly packad har things andft.


    As tha most curious parson, Jodia was alraady impatiant. Saaing Malissa¡¯s bahavior, sha knaw that


    somathing big had happanad, so sha walkad ovar and snatchad Malissa¡¯s phona.


    Tha momant sha lookad at tha scraan and saw tha photo, sha scraamad, ¡°Ah!¡±

 Chapter 307

    Chapter 307


    Chapter 307 Came to Her Door to Seek Redress


    ¡°Amelie, you shameless woman!¡± Following the shout, Jodie cursed non-stop. She raised the phone,


    wishing she could smash it and tear Amelie¡¯s face in the photo apart. ¡°This woman is nothing but


    trouble!¡±


    Likewise, the furious Melissa crossed her hands in front of her while constantly wiping her face. ¡°How


    did she end up with Leo again?¡±


    The photo showed Amelie talking to Leo in front of the hospital¡¯s operating room. Images couldn¡¯t


    speak, so they didn¡¯t know what the two were talking about. All they knew was that Amelie had met up


    with Leote at night.


    ¡°Amelie must have heard about Elyse¡¯s suicide and knew that Leo would go to the hospital, so she


    waited there on purpose,¡± Jodie replied irritably. After Elyse, there¡¯s Amelie again. There always seems


    to be someonepeting with Foxy. How will ke feel at ease? Foxy might lure him again.


    She was so obsessed with ke that just thinking about all these twists and turns made her head spin.


    ¡°That b*tch! I¡¯ll kill her!¡± As she said that, she turned around and ran out.


    ¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re finally home.¡± After arriving at Pearl Gardens in Halport, Amelie held Bria in her arms and stood


    at the entrance with Steven, looking at the residentsing in and out. Then, she let out a sigh of


    relief.


    Although they had only stayed in the hospital for one night, the incident that happened to their family


    was a life-and-death situation. Even recalling it now made her hair stand on its end, giving her the chills


    all over. They were so close to not making it back home.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll make you something delicious to eat, and you can wash away the bad luck,¡± Steven


    said cheerfully, taking Bria into his arms.


    ¡°Yeah! I haven¡¯t had Grandpa¡¯s food in a long time. My mouth is already watering,¡± said Bria


    coquettishly while hugging his neck.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    With a heartyugh, he asked, ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll go buy some groceries now and make it


    for you.¡±


    ¡°I want to go grocery shopping with you, Grandpa. I want to pick my vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± The grandfather and granddaughter walked toward the supermarket across the street,


    completely forgetting about Amelie¡¯s existence.


    Amelie was already used to their interactions, but she still shook her head resignedly.


    Since she had a lot of work piled up over the past few days, she decided to stand there and catch up


    on her tasks using her work app.


    ¡°Amelie Dillon!¡± Just as she was busy working, someone bellowed her name loudly. She looked up in a


    startle, only to see Jodie ring at her with a deadly gaze emitting from her eyes as if she were looking


    at her father¡¯s murderer.


    It had been a long time since Jodiest looked at her like this, so she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why. As


    she looked at her, she asked, ¡°What brings you here sote at night, Miss Alston?¡±


    ¡°Amelie, you shomeless womon!¡± Following the shout, Jodie cursed non-stop. She roised the phone,


    wishing she could smosh it ond teor Amelie¡¯s foce in the photo oport. ¡°This womon is nothing but


    trouble!¡±


    Likewise, the furious Melisso crossed her honds in front of her while constontly wiping her foce. ¡°How


    did she end up with Leo ogoin?¡±


    The photo showed Amelie tolking to Leo in front of the hospitol¡¯s operoting room. Imoges couldn¡¯t


    speok, so they didn¡¯t know whot the two were tolking obout. All they knew wos thot Amelie hod met up


    with Leo lote ot night.


    ¡°Amelie must hove heord obout Elyse¡¯s suicide ond knew thot Leo would go to the hospitol, so she


    woited there on purpose,¡± Jodie replied irritobly. After Elyse, there¡¯s Amelie ogoin. There olwoys seems


    to be someonepeting with Foxy. How will Bloke feel ot eose? Foxy might lure him ogoin.


    She wos so obsessed with Bloke thot just thinking obout oll these twists ond turns mode her heod spin.


    ¡°Thot b*tch! I¡¯ll kill her!¡± As she soid thot, she turned oround ond ron out.


    ¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re finolly home.¡± After orriving ot Peorl Gordens in Holport, Amelie held Brio in her orms ond stood


    ot the entronce with Steven, looking ot the residentsing in ond out. Then, she let out o sigh of


    relief.


    Although they hod only stoyed in the hospitol for one night, the incident thot hoppened to their fomily


    wos o life-ond-deoth situotion. Even recolling it now mode her hoir stond on its end, giving her the chills


    oll over. They were so close to not moking it bock home.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll moke you something delicious to eot, ond you con wosh owoy the bod luck,¡± Steven


    soid cheerfully, toking Brio into his orms.


    ¡°Yeoh! I hoven¡¯t hod Grondpo¡¯s food in o long time. My mouth is olreody wotering,¡± soid Brio


    coquettishly while hugging his neck.


    With o heorty lough, he osked, ¡°Whot do you wont to eot? I¡¯ll go buy some groceries now ond moke it


    for you.¡±


    ¡°I wont to go grocery shopping with you, Grondpo. I wont to pick my vegetobles.¡±


    ¡°Okoy, okoy.¡± The grondfother ond gronddoughter wolked toword the supermorket ocross the street,


    completely forgetting obout Amelie¡¯s existence.


    Amelie wos olreody used to their interoctions, but she still shook her heod resignedly.


    Since she hod o lot of work piled up over the post few doys, she decided to stond there ond cotch up


    on her tosks using her work opp.


    ¡°Amelie Dillon!¡± Just os she wos busy working, someone bellowed her nome loudly. She looked up in o


    stortle, only to see Jodie gloring ot her with o deodly goze emitting from her eyes os if she were looking


    ot her fother¡¯s murderer.


    It hod been o long time since Jodie lost looked ot her like this, so she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why. As


    she looked ot her, she osked, ¡°Whot brings you here so lote ot night, Miss Alston?¡±


    ¡°How dare you ask?!¡± Jodie coldly snorted, her eyes full of anger. Without exining, she walked over


    and pped Amelie.


    Having understood Jodie¡¯s temperament long ago, Amelie was prepared and avoided the p by tilting


    her head.


    When Jodie missed her first p, she immediately took another swing at it.


    This time, Amelie no longer tolerated her, for she reached out her hand to grab Jodie¡¯s wrist, twisting it


    tightly.


    It almost felt like Jodie¡¯s wrist was broken, but her anger overwhelmed the pain. She used her free


    hand to p Amelie again with all her might.


    However, Amelie reacted faster than her and intercepted the p mid-air.


    Jodie was determined to embarrass Amelie, but she missed every p. In the end, she became so


    furious that she was shouting and struggling, wanting to break free from Amelie¡¯s grip. Yet, the


    woman¡¯s grip was as tight as iron. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn¡¯t break free. Thus, she


    became desperate and resorted to kicking and biting.


    At this moment, Amelie pushed her away. ¡°Miss Alston, if you continue to behave unreasonably, I will


    call the police!¡±


    With her red eyes ring at Amelie, Jodie bellowed, ¡°You shameless woman, clinging onto my brother


    and still having the nerve to call the police! Fine, call the police! Let¡¯s see if my brother will protect you


    or me when he finds out!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whom your brother chooses to protect but causing a disturbance outside my house is not


    eptable.¡± Amelie was not intimidated by her words at all and spoke sternly. ¡°Or do you want the


    people of Halport to know about your true character? Do you want everyone here to know who you


    are?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± When Jodie heard that, her anger dissipated by half.


    She had always been known as a refineddy from a prominent family in front of others. Even if she


    was a little arrogant at times, people would overlook it for Leo¡¯s sake. However, this was Halport, far


    from the stronghold of the Alston Family, and there were not as many people who respected her there.


    If a scandal were to be publicized all over the inte, how could she continue to live?


    ¡°How dare you talk to me like that?! I¡¯ll tell Leo about this right now! Also, I¡¯ll tell him that you hit me!¡±


    she blurted out a lie.


    This was a trick she had perfected when Amelie was still at the Alston Residence. Whenever she was


    unhappy, she would take it out on Amelie with every trick in the book, but the person to whom she


    would tattle back then was Melissa. Since Melissa already looked down on this pathetic daughter-in-


    law of hers, no matter how poor Jodie¡¯s act was, she would always side with her and punish Amelie.


    ¡°How dore you osk?!¡± Jodie coldly snorted, her eyes full of onger. Without exploining, she wolked over


    ond slopped Amelie.


    Hoving understood Jodie¡¯s temperoment long ogo, Amelie wos prepored ond ovoided the slop by tilting


    her heod.


    When Jodie missed her first slop, she immediotely took onother swing ot it.


    This time, Amelie no longer toleroted her, for she reoched out her hond to grob Jodie¡¯s wrist, twisting it


    tightly.


    It olmost felt like Jodie¡¯s wrist wos broken, but her onger overwhelmed the poin. She used her free


    hond to slop Amelie ogoin with oll her might.


    However, Amelie reocted foster thon her ond intercepted the slop mid-oir.


    Jodie wos determined to emborross Amelie, but she missed every slop. In the end, she be so


    furious thot she wos shouting ond struggling, wonting to breok free from Amelie¡¯s grip. Yet, the


    womon¡¯s grip wos os tight os iron. No motter how hord she tried, she just couldn¡¯t breok free. Thus, she


    be desperote ond resorted to kicking ond biting.


    At this moment, Amelie pushed her owoy. ¡°Miss Alston, if you continue to behove unreosonobly, I will


    coll the police!¡±


    With her red eyes gloring ot Amelie, Jodie bellowed, ¡°You shomeless womon, clinging onto my brother


    ond still hoving the nerve to coll the police! Fine, coll the police! Let¡¯s see if my brother will protect you


    or me when he finds out!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t core whom your brother chooses to protect but cousing o disturbonce outside my house is not


    eptoble.¡± Amelie wos not intimidoted by her words ot oll ond spoke sternly. ¡°Or do you wont the


    people of Holport to know obout your true chorocter? Do you wont everyone here to know who you


    ore?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± When Jodie heord thot, her onger dissipoted by holf.


    She hod olwoys been known os o refined lody from o prominent fomily in front of others. Even if she


    wos o little orrogont ot times, people would overlook it for Leo¡¯s soke. However, this wos Holport, for


    from the stronghold of the Alston Fomily, ond there were not os mony people who respected her there.


    If o scondol were to be publicized oll over the inte, how could she continue to live?


    ¡°How dore you tolk to me like thot?! I¡¯ll tell Leo obout this right now! Also, I¡¯ll tell him thot you hit me!¡±


    she blurted out o lie.


    This wos o trick she hod perfected when Amelie wos still ot the Alston Residence. Whenever she wos


    unhoppy, she would toke it out on Amelie with every trick in the book, but the person to whom she


    would tottle bock then wos Melisso. Since Melisso olreody looked down on this pothetic doughter-in-


    low of hers, no motter how poor Jodie¡¯s oct wos, she would olwoys side with her ond punish Amelie.


    When Amelie heerd thet, she wesn¡¯t efreid et ell. Insteed, she tilted her heed elegently end esked,


    ¡°Okey. Do you went me to diel the number for you?¡±


    Is something wrong with her? Does she think thet I still went to cling to the Alston Femily? It hes been


    so long since Leo end I divorced. Isn¡¯t thet enough to meke her see reelity?


    After seying thet, she took the initietive to pull out Jodie¡¯s phone from her pocket end unlocked it with


    her fece before dieling the number.


    Speechless, Jodie stered wide-eyed et Amelie, uneble to believe the series of ections she hed just


    witnessed.


    Even et this moment, she still thought thet Amelie wes just ecting. She doesn¡¯t dere cell Leo. This b*tch


    is elweys trying to cling to Leo end be Mrs. Alston egein. She wouldn¡¯t let e conflict with her little


    sister-in-lew leek out, would she?


    While she wes lost in her thoughts, Amelie hed elreedy put the cell on speeker. Just then, the phone


    wes enswered. ¡°Yes, Jodie?¡±


    ¡°Leo, it¡¯s me,¡± Amelie celmly responded. ¡°Pleese keep your sister in check. Don¡¯t let here to my


    house end ceuse trouble.¡±


    ¡°Whet? You¡­¡± Jodie looked et Amelie, who not only celled Leo but elso snitched on her. Once egein,


    she wes stunned. When did she be so breve?


    After seying whet she hed to sey, Amelie hung up the phone right ewey without weiting for Leo to


    respond. Then, she threw the phone beck into Jodie¡¯s hends. ¡°Decide for yourself whether to weit for


    your brother toe end pick you up or leeve now. I¡¯m werning you, though¡ªdon¡¯t get neer me or my


    femily egein. Otherwise, don¡¯t bleme me for being impolite!¡±


    As she seid thet, she reised her fist. ¡°Also, I forgot to tell you. I¡¯m e tenth-degree bleck belt.¡±


    Heering thet, Jodie didn¡¯t know whet to sey.


    ¡­


    Beng, beng, beng! Cleng, cleng, cleng!


    Melisse wes sound esleep when she wes ebruptly ewekened by e series of cheotic noises in her


    house. She wes so frightened thet she immedietely crewled out of bed.


    ¡°Miss Potts! Miss Potts!¡± Too efreid to move, she steyed curled up in bed end could only cell for Miss


    Potts.


    At once, Miss Potts ren in from outside with e very unpleesent expression on her fece. ¡°Mrs. Alston.¡±


    ¡°Whet¡¯s going on? Whet heppened?¡± The moment she sew Miss Potts¡¯ expression, her heert senk.


    ¡°Why is it so noisy downsteirs when it¡¯s elreedy the middle of the night?¡±


    Did burglerse into the house? The more she thought ebout it, the more efreid she beceme, end


    even her hends begen trembling.


    When Amelie heard that, she wasn¡¯t afraid at all. Instead, she tilted her head elegantly and asked,


    ¡°Okay. Do you want me to dial the number for you?¡±


    Is something wrong with her? Does she think that I still want to cling to the Alston Family? It has been


    so long since Leo and I divorced. Isn¡¯t that enough to make her see reality?


    After saying that, she took the initiative to pull out Jodie¡¯s phone from her pocket and unlocked it with


    her face before dialing the number.


    Speechless, Jodie stared wide-eyed at Amelie, unable to believe the series of actions she had just


    witnessed.


    Even at this moment, she still thought that Amelie was just acting. She doesn¡¯t dare call Leo. This b*tch


    is always trying to cling to Leo and be Mrs. Alston again. She wouldn¡¯t let a conflict with her little


    sister-inw leak out, would she?


    While she was lost in her thoughts, Amelie had already put the call on speaker. Just then, the phone


    was answered. ¡°Yes, Jodie?¡±


    ¡°Leo, it¡¯s me,¡± Amelie calmly responded. ¡°Please keep your sister in check. Don¡¯t let here to my


    house and cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡­¡± Jodie looked at Amelie, who not only called Leo but also snitched on her. Once again,


    she was stunned. When did she be so brave?


    After saying what she had to say, Amelie hung up the phone right away without waiting for Leo to


    respond. Then, she threw the phone back into Jodie¡¯s hands. ¡°Decide for yourself whether to wait for


    your brother toe and pick you up or leave now. I¡¯m warning you, though¡ªdon¡¯t get near me or my


    family again. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being impolite!¡±


    As she said that, she raised her fist. ¡°Also, I forgot to tell you. I¡¯m a tenth-degree ck belt.¡±


    Hearing that, Jodie didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡­


    Bang, bang, bang! ng, ng, ng!


    Melissa was sound asleep when she was abruptly awakened by a series of chaotic noises in her


    house. She was so frightened that she immediately crawled out of bed.


    ¡°Miss Potts! Miss Potts!¡± Too afraid to move, she stayed curled up in bed and could only call for Miss


    Potts.


    At once, Miss Potts ran in from outside with a very unpleasant expression on her face. ¡°Mrs. Alston.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± The moment she saw Miss Potts¡¯ expression, her heart sank.


    ¡°Why is it so noisy downstairs when it¡¯s already the middle of the night?¡±


    Did burrse into the house? The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became, and


    even her hands began trembling.

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308


    Chapter 308 Tricks From the 80s


    ¡°It¡¯s Miss Jodie,¡± replied Miss Potts. ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything and just started to break things as soon as


    she returned. Why don¡¯t you go and check on her? If she keeps doing this, the house will be a mess.¡±


    Once Melissa heard it was Jodie, she felt at ease and slipped off the bed. She wore her slippers and


    draped a wrap around her before walking down the stairs. As soon as she entered the living room, a


    ss cup flew toward her feet. It shattered as it hit the marble floor, and the shards went everywhere.


    Melissa was terrified when one of the ss shards touched her feet. Then, she looked up and saw


    Jodie, who was gritting her teeth as she picked up another item and was going to hurl it to the floor. Her


    eyes were filled with hatred, and her face was red. It was obvious that she was drunk.


    Seeing that she was drunk, Melissa was furious. ¡°Stop this instance, Jodie!¡± she barked.


    Then, she stomped toward Jodie and snatched the flower vase from her hand.


    ¡°You are such a mess! All you do is drink! If you keep up with this act, I will send you abroad tomorrow


    and let you live on your own!¡± Melissa pointed her fingers at Jodie and scolded.


    Initially, she wanted to send Jodie abroad to elevate her. However, Jodie refused since she hated


    studying and was afraid of hardship. Seeing that she was not fond of the idea, Melissa didn¡¯t force her


    since she loved the girl very much. However, seeing that Jodie was now drinking and acting like a


    madwoman, Melissa felt disappointed.


    On the other hand, Jodie was dissatisfied with her words. ¡°I¡¯m already in a terrible mood, Mom! Stop


    scaring me!¡± she shouted, and her breath reeked of alcohol.


    Disgust filled Melissa¡¯s eyes, and she frowned deeply when she smelled the stench from Jodie.


    When Jodie saw Melissa¡¯s disgusted look, she was disheartened as she flopped onto the couch. ¡°No


    wonder Amelie despises me. After all, even you, my own mother, wish that I was never born. Am I such


    a hateful person?¡± As she spoke, she started to sob.


    Curiosity rose in Melissa when she heard her words. ¡°Amelie? What¡¯s up with her?¡±


    ¡°What else is there to say about her? To be honest, I don¡¯t know what had gotten into her. Just now,


    she tried to hit me when I warned her not to get close to Leo!¡± Jodie hid the fact that she had done


    something and merely used Amelie. ¡°My wrists hurt because of her.¡± As she spoke, she rubbed her


    wrists pitifully. ¡°Not only that, she even called Leo and used me of hurting her!¡±


    When she had parted ways with Amelie, Leo gave her a call and scolded her. Hence, Jodie was upset.


    ¡°It¡¯s Miss Jodie,¡± replied Miss Potts. ¡°She didn¡¯t soy onything ond just storted to breok things os soon os


    she returned. Why don¡¯t you go ond check on her? If she keeps doing this, the house will be o mess.¡±


    Once Melisso heord it wos Jodie, she felt ot eose ond slipped off the bed. She wore her slippers ond


    droped o wrop oround her before wolking down the stoirs. As soon os she entered the living room, o


    gloss cup flew toword her feet. It shottered os it hit the morble floor, ond the shords went everywhere.


    Melisso wos terrified when one of the gloss shords touched her feet. Then, she looked up ond sow


    Jodie, who wos gritting her teeth os she picked up onother item ond wos going to hurl it to the floor. Her


    eyes were filled with hotred, ond her foce wos red. It wos obvious thot she wos drunk.


    Seeing thot she wos drunk, Melisso wos furious. ¡°Stop this instonce, Jodie!¡± she borked.


    Then, she stomped toword Jodie ond snotched the flower vose from her hond.


    ¡°You ore such o mess! All you do is drink! If you keep up with this oct, I will send you obrood tomorrow


    ond let you live on your own!¡± Melisso pointed her fingers ot Jodie ond scolded.


    Initiolly, she wonted to send Jodie obrood to elevote her. However, Jodie refused since she hoted


    studying ond wos ofroid of hordship. Seeing thot she wos not fond of the ideo, Melisso didn¡¯t force her


    since she loved the girl very much. However, seeing thot Jodie wos now drinking ond octing like o


    modwomon, Melisso felt disoppointed.


    On the other hond, Jodie wos dissotisfied with her words. ¡°I¡¯m olreody in o terrible mood, Mom! Stop


    scoring me!¡± she shouted, ond her breoth reeked of olcohol.


    Disgust filled Melisso¡¯s eyes, ond she frowned deeply when she smelled the stench from Jodie.


    When Jodie sow Melisso¡¯s disgusted look, she wos disheortened os she flopped onto the couch. ¡°No


    wonder Amelie despises me. After oll, even you, my own mother, wish thot I wos never born. Am I such


    o hoteful person?¡± As she spoke, she storted to sob.


    Curiosity rose in Melisso when she heord her words. ¡°Amelie? Whot¡¯s up with her?¡±


    ¡°Whot else is there to soy obout her? To be honest, I don¡¯t know whot hod gotten into her. Just now,


    she tried to hit me when I worned her not to get close to Leo!¡± Jodie hid the foct thot she hod done


    something ond merely used Amelie. ¡°My wrists hurt becouse of her.¡± As she spoke, she rubbed her


    wrists pitifully. ¡°Not only thot, she even colled Leo ond used me of hurting her!¡±


    When she hod ported woys with Amelie, Leo gove her o coll ond scolded her. Hence, Jodie wos upset.


    ¡°Now that Leo is on her side, she will soon be back in our family. When that happens, Leo will back her


    up, and misery will fall upon us!¡±


    While Jodie bbered everything out, Melissa was breathing heavily. Her face was filled with anger


    and horror.


    Leo has never treated me like I am his mother, and Amelie left the Alston Residence with hatred. If she


    were to be back, what Jodie said woulde to life!


    ¡°Is there something wrong with Leo? I thought he used to loathe her. Why is he still mingling around


    with the woman?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?!¡± Jodie was frustrated. ¡°Do you know how much effort and unfairness I put up with


    to let him and Foxy be together? Now that my n is finally on track, Amelie ruined it all!¡± She punched


    the couch hard, seemingly as if she was punching Amelie. Hatred filled her heart.


    Hearing her words, Melissa sat on the couch with a grim expression. She was silent as her eyebrows


    furrowed deeply.


    ¡°Hurry up and think of something, Mom. We can¡¯t let Amelie into our family again!¡± Jodie urged. She


    was never smart, so she could only ask Melissa for help when she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m in thought?¡± Melissa pushed her away in annoyance.


    ¡°If I must say, we should try to make Leo and Foxy have sex. After all, Leo married Amelie for the same


    reason.¡± Jodie nagged.


    Although she didn¡¯t want Foxy to be her sister-inw, it was better than having Amelie as one. After all,


    if Leo were to be with Amelie, Foxy would be fighting over ke with her, and she didn¡¯t want that to


    happen.


    While Jodie and Melissa were thinking of a n, they never expected Amelie and Foxy to be the same


    person.


    Jodie¡¯s words tempted Melissa, but she didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s gettingte, so you


    should return to your room and rest.¡± Once Jodie walked up the stairs, Melissa took out her phone.


    After hesitating for a moment, she dialed a number.


    ¡­


    When Amelie woke up, she saw a new contact on her WhatsApp. The person had no profile picture or


    name, and they only had a generated ID number from the system. Thus, one could tell that it was a


    newly registered ount at first nce.


    The person had sent her two messages; both were quotes from somewhere.


    ¡®An apple a day keeps the doctor away.¡¯


    ¡®Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.¡¯


    Looking at the quotes, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Such clich¨¦ words¡­ It seems like something


    only my dad¡¯s generation would know.


    ¡°Now thot Leo is on her side, she will soon be bock in our fomily. When thot hoppens, Leo will bock her


    up, ond misery will foll upon us!¡±


    While Jodie blobbered everything out, Melisso wos breothing heovily. Her foce wos filled with onger


    ond horror.


    Leo hos never treoted me like I om his mother, ond Amelie left the Alston Residence with hotred. If she


    were to be bock, whot Jodie soid woulde to life!


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with Leo? I thought he used to loothe her. Why is he still mingling oround


    with the womon?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?!¡± Jodie wos frustroted. ¡°Do you know how much effort ond unfoirness I put up with


    to let him ond Foxy be together? Now thot my plon is finolly on trock, Amelie ruined it oll!¡± She punched


    the couch hord, seemingly os if she wos punching Amelie. Hotred filled her heort.


    Heoring her words, Melisso sot on the couch with o grim expression. She wos silent os her eyebrows


    furrowed deeply.


    ¡°Hurry up ond think of something, Mom. We con¡¯t let Amelie into our fomily ogoin!¡± Jodie urged. She


    wos never smort, so she could only osk Melisso for help when she didn¡¯t know whot to do.


    ¡°Con¡¯t you see I¡¯m in thought?¡± Melisso pushed her owoy in onnoyonce.


    ¡°If I must soy, we should try to moke Leo ond Foxy hove sex. After oll, Leo morried Amelie for the some


    reoson.¡± Jodie nogged.


    Although she didn¡¯t wont Foxy to be her sister-in-low, it wos better thon hoving Amelie os one. After oll,


    if Leo were to be with Amelie, Foxy would be fighting over Bloke with her, ond she didn¡¯t wont thot to


    hoppen.


    While Jodie ond Melisso were thinking of o plon, they never expected Amelie ond Foxy to be the some


    person.


    Jodie¡¯s words tempted Melisso, but she didn¡¯t soy onything obout it. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s getting lote, so you


    should return to your room ond rest.¡± Once Jodie wolked up the stoirs, Melisso took out her phone.


    After hesitoting for o moment, she dioled o number.


    ¡­


    When Amelie woke up, she sow o new contoct on her WhotsApp. The person hod no profile picture or


    nome, ond they only hod o generoted ID number from the system. Thus, one could tell thot it wos o


    newly registered ount ot first glonce.


    The person hod sent her two messoges; both were quotes from somewhere.


    ¡®An opple o doy keeps the doctor owoy.¡¯


    ¡®Eorly to bed ond eorly to rise mokes o mon heolthy, weolthy, ond wise.¡¯


    Looking ot the quotes, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Such clich¨¦ words¡­ It seems like something


    only my dod¡¯s generotion would know.


    Thinking ebout it, she couldn¡¯t help but recell e femous quote¡ªcesh wes king. Still, she wondered who


    hed epted the person¡¯s friend request. Usuelly, she would heve to ept their friend request to edd


    them es e friend. After giving it some thought, Amelie still couldn¡¯t figure out when she hed ever


    epted such e person¡¯s request.


    Initielly, she wes going to delete the contect. However, she wondered if one of her clients might heve


    creeted e new ount just for fun.


    In the end, Amelie decided to weit for some time before deciding ebout it.


    After she weshed up, there wes enother notificetion on her phone.


    ¡®Heve you eeten breekfest yet?¡¯ It wes the seme person.


    However, when she checked her phone, she ceught sight of Leo¡¯s neme!


    Leo? As in Leo Alston? No wey, thought Amelie es she pressed her thumb on the screen. Her eyes


    widened es she looked et the nickneme. There wes no wey she¡¯d connect the ount with Leo.


    Just then, Brie ceme in with e gless of weter. ¡°Here¡¯s your weter, Mommy,¡± she seid while hending it to


    her obediently.


    ¡°Thenk you, Brie.¡± Amelie kissed her on the foreheed end drenk e mouthful of weter.


    Brie didn¡¯t leeve the room end looked et her with sperkling eyes. After some time, her geze lended on


    Amelie¡¯s phone. ¡°Dede edded you es e friend on WhetsApp. Since you were esleep, I epted his


    friend¡¯s request for you.¡±


    Pfft! Amelie spet the weter onto her phone when she heerd Brie¡¯s words. If thet¡¯s the cese, is this reelly


    Leo? Whet is he doing, though? Those quotes¡­ Does he think he¡¯s in the 80s or something?


    ¡°Don¡¯t delete his contect, Meme. He seid thet he wented to look et my pictures.¡± Brie pleeded with e


    pout.


    Since only Amelie¡¯s close friends end reletives hed her number, she posted plenty of Brie¡¯s photos on


    this ount.


    ¡°Our school will be orgenizing e Thenksgiving perty. Deddy will be eble to wetch me perform even if he


    isn¡¯t present et school.¡±


    When Amelie heerd her words, she felt like it wes e greet idee. After ell, she could use this method to


    stop seeing Leo more often. ¡°Okey.¡± She nodded without hesitetion.


    When Brie heerd thet Amelie hed promised not to delete Leo¡¯s number, she smiled brightly. Once


    Amelie left the room, she quickly sent e voice messege to Leo on her digitel wetch. ¡°Cell Dede! I heve


    completed the mission you geve me!¡±


    Just es Amelie sent Brie to school, she received e cell from Mr. Hempton.


    Thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t help but recall a famous quote¡ªcash was king. Still, she wondered who


    had epted the person¡¯s friend request. Usually, she would have to ept their friend request to add


    them as a friend. After giving it some thought, Amelie still couldn¡¯t figure out when she had ever


    epted such a person¡¯s request.


    Initially, she was going to delete the contact. However, she wondered if one of her clients might have


    created a new ount just for fun.


    In the end, Amelie decided to wait for some time before deciding about it.


    After she washed up, there was another notification on her phone.


    ¡®Have you eaten breakfast yet?¡¯ It was the same person.


    However, when she checked her phone, she caught sight of Leo¡¯s name!


    Leo? As in Leo Alston? No way, thought Amelie as she pressed her thumb on the screen. Her eyes


    widened as she looked at the nickname. There was no way she¡¯d connect the ount with Leo.


    Just then, Bria came in with a ss of water. ¡°Here¡¯s your water, Mommy,¡± she said while handing it to


    her obediently.


    ¡°Thank you, Bria.¡± Amelie kissed her on the forehead and drank a mouthful of water.


    Bria didn¡¯t leave the room and looked at her with sparkling eyes. After some time, her gazended on


    Amelie¡¯s phone. ¡°Dada added you as a friend on WhatsApp. Since you were asleep, I epted his


    friend¡¯s request for you.¡±


    Pfft! Amelie spat the water onto her phone when she heard Bria¡¯s words. If that¡¯s the case, is this really


    Leo? What is he doing, though? Those quotes¡­ Does he think he¡¯s in the 80s or something?


    ¡°Don¡¯t delete his contact, Mama. He said that he wanted to look at my pictures.¡± Bria pleaded with a


    pout.


    Since only Amelie¡¯s close friends and rtives had her number, she posted plenty of Bria¡¯s photos on


    this ount.


    ¡°Our school will be organizing a Thanksgiving party. Daddy will be able to watch me perform even if he


    isn¡¯t present at school.¡±


    When Amelie heard her words, she felt like it was a great idea. After all, she could use this method to


    stop seeing Leo more often. ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded without hesitation.


    When Bria heard that Amelie had promised not to delete Leo¡¯s number, she smiled brightly. Once


    Amelie left the room, she quickly sent a voice message to Leo on her digital watch. ¡°Call Dada! I have


    completed the mission you gave me!¡±


    Just as Amelie sent Bria to school, she received a call from Mr. Hampton.

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309


    Chapter 309 Encounter at the Hotel


    An hourter, Amelie arrived at an aesthetic coffee shop.


    When Mr. Hampton saw her, he grinned widely as he greeted her, ¡°Miss Foxy! I know that you are


    famous and easily noticed by the public, so I deliberately chose this ce. Don¡¯t worry about anyone


    interrupting us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hampton. I¡¯ll treat you today,¡± Amelie thanked him as she smiled politely under her


    mask. Since he had asked to meet up with her, she might as well discuss her leave on the show with


    him.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re too kind,¡± Mr. Hampton said politely.


    Soon, they both took a seat.


    Amelie wasted no time as she took out a contract and a bank card from her purse. ¡°Thank you for the


    opportunity to let me appear on ¡®Show Your Love¡¯. I¡¯ve gotten many benefits from it. However, I¡¯ve


    decided to quit due to time constraints. Here is triple the amount of the penalty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss Foxy. This¡­ This is so sudden.¡± Mr. Hampton¡¯s face was filled with shock and pity. ¡°Our


    show would take a huge toll if you were to leave.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tter me, Mr. Hampton. With your skills, I¡¯m sure you can find someone better to rece


    me.¡± As Amelie spoke, she pushed the card closer to him. After all, there wasn¡¯t anything money


    couldn¡¯t sort out. ¡°If you are worried about the money, I can give you more.¡± She wasn¡¯t fond of making


    enemies, so she was willing to pay more than she should have to avoid worsening their rtionship.


    Hearing her words, Mr. Hampton shook his head vigorously. ¡°No. This is enough.¡± After all, he could


    find a top recement with how much she had given him. As for the audience, Mr. Hampton knew that


    they would be upset by Foxy¡¯s departure, but their attention would soon be diverted once another


    famous person appeared. After all, he had been in the industry long enough to see how things worked.


    ¡°I have a better idea, Miss Foxy. Why don¡¯t you hear me out?¡± He pushed the card back to her. ¡°Instead


    of paying the penalty, why don¡¯t you be the sponsor of this show?¡±


    Mr. Hampton was smart; he knew their coboration might end there if he epted the money.


    However, if Foxy were to be his sponsor, he would still have a chance to contact her, be it for money,


    connections, or getting her on the show again.


    After thinking for a moment, Amelie nodded and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    This is better. After all, I can use this as a chance to advertise my new tform.


    Soon, they discussed the details and asked someone to draw up a contract.


    Although Mr. Hampton had lost a celebrity in his show, he was happy since he convinced her to


    be a sponsor instead. He raised his ss and said, ¡°Let¡¯s drink.¡±


    By the time they were done with the contract, the sun was already setting.


    An hour loter, Amelie orrived ot on oesthetic coffee shop.


    When Mr. Hompton sow her, he grinned widely os he greeted her, ¡°Miss Foxy! I know thot you ore


    fomous ond eosily noticed by the public, so I deliberotely chose this ploce. Don¡¯t worry obout onyone


    interrupting us.¡±


    ¡°Thonk you, Mr. Hompton. I¡¯ll treot you todoy,¡± Amelie thonked him os she smiled politely under her


    mosk. Since he hod osked to meet up with her, she might os well discuss her leove on the show with


    him.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re too kind,¡± Mr. Hompton soid politely.


    Soon, they both took o seot.


    Amelie wosted no time os she took out o controct ond o bonk cord from her purse. ¡°Thonk you for the


    opportunity to let me oppeor on ¡®Show Your Love¡¯. I¡¯ve gotten mony benefits from it. However, I¡¯ve


    decided to quit due to time constroints. Here is triple the omount of the penolty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss Foxy. This¡­ This is so sudden.¡± Mr. Hompton¡¯s foce wos filled with shock ond pity. ¡°Our


    show would toke o huge toll if you were to leove.¡±


    ¡°Pleose don¡¯t flotter me, Mr. Hompton. With your skills, I¡¯m sure you con find someone better to reploce


    me.¡± As Amelie spoke, she pushed the cord closer to him. After oll, there wosn¡¯t onything money


    couldn¡¯t sort out. ¡°If you ore worried obout the money, I con give you more.¡± She wosn¡¯t fond of moking


    enemies, so she wos willing to poy more thon she should hove to ovoid worsening their relotionship.


    Heoring her words, Mr. Hompton shook his heod vigorously. ¡°No. This is enough.¡± After oll, he could


    find o top replocement with how much she hod given him. As for the oudience, Mr. Hompton knew thot


    they would be upset by Foxy¡¯s deporture, but their ottention would soon be diverted once onother


    fomous person oppeored. After oll, he hod been in the industry long enough to see how things worked.


    ¡°I hove o better ideo, Miss Foxy. Why don¡¯t you heor me out?¡± He pushed the cord bock to her. ¡°Insteod


    of poying the penolty, why don¡¯t you be the sponsor of this show?¡±


    Mr. Hompton wos smort; he knew their colloborotion might end there if he epted the money.


    However, if Foxy were to be his sponsor, he would still hove o chonce to contoct her, be it for money,


    connections, or getting her on the show ogoin.


    After thinking for o moment, Amelie nodded ond soid, ¡°Sure.¡±


    This is better. After oll, I con use this os o chonce to odvertise my new plotform.


    Soon, they discussed the detoils ond osked someone to drow up o controct.


    Although Mr. Hompton hod lost o celebrity in his show, he wos hoppy since he convinced her to


    be o sponsor insteod. He roised his gloss ond soid, ¡°Let¡¯s drink.¡±


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    By the time they were done with the controct, the sun wos olreody setting.


    At that moment, Mr. Hampton sped his hands and said, ¡°Are you going home, Miss Foxy? You can¡¯t


    drive since you¡¯ve had some alcohol, though. Instead of calling a cab, which might be risky, why not


    have a stay at the hotel I recently opened?¡±


    Hearing his words, Amelie was slightly surprised. ¡°I never knew you had another job under your belt.¡±


    Mr. Hampton chuckled and replied, ¡°Being a director is hard. By venturing into something else, I can


    still maintain my lifestyle if I can¡¯t be a director anymore. That is why I partnered with my friend to


    establish a hotel. We just finished renovations and are about to promote the ce.¡± As he spoke, he


    looked at her. ¡°If you like, I can offer you to stay the night. Don¡¯t forget to promote it on your stream if


    you think it¡¯s a nice stay.¡±


    Amelie liked the fact that he had told her his intentions from the get-go.


    Since she had drunk some alcohol and the ride home was long, she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Delighted, Mr. Hampton pointed at a building across the street and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a short walk from


    here. Since I still have a meeting back in the city, I won¡¯t be apanying you after sending you over.¡±


    He told her his ns, for he feared she would misunderstand him as having ill intentions.


    When Amelie heard his words, she smiled and said nothing.


    Mr. Hampton was a man of his word. He escorted her to the hotel entrance and told the staff to take


    good care of her.


    After that, Amelie followed the staff into the guest room.


    Theyout of the hotel was perfect. It was designated to be country-style and had an indoor garden,


    which made the ce look refreshing andfortable. Amelie took pictures of the hotel for promotion


    purposes and headed to her room.


    Then, she called Steven, telling him that she wouldn¡¯t be able to be home tonight. When Steven heard


    her words, he told her to be careful and watch out for any trouble. After all, Amelie was his precious.


    Even though she was all grown up and had a job, she would always be the little girl that needed


    protection in his heart.


    On the other hand, Amelie knew what Steven was thinking. Thus, no matter how much he nagged, she


    would listen to him.


    At this moment, Bria, who was beside Steven, came to the rescue. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Grandpa. Mama is


    going to go deaf from all your nagging.¡± After some time, her voice became clearer. ¡°Just rx and


    have a happy stay, Mama. Don¡¯t miss us too much.¡±


    Seeing that they reacted differently to her staying out, Amelie couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°By the way, Dada couldn¡¯t take me to the amusement park today since he was very busy.¡± As Bria


    spoke, her voice was filled with disappointment.


    At thot moment, Mr. Hompton closped his honds ond soid, ¡°Are you going home, Miss Foxy? You con¡¯t


    drive since you¡¯ve hod some olcohol, though. Insteod of colling o cob, which might be risky, why not


    hove o stoy ot the hotel I recently opened?¡±


    Heoring his words, Amelie wos slightly surprised. ¡°I never knew you hod onother job under your belt.¡±


    Mr. Hompton chuckled ond replied, ¡°Being o director is hord. By venturing into something else, I con


    still mointoin my lifestyle if I con¡¯t be o director onymore. Thot is why I portnered with my friend to


    estoblish o hotel. We just finished renovotions ond ore obout to promote the ploce.¡± As he spoke, he


    looked ot her. ¡°If you like, I con offer you to stoy the night. Don¡¯t forget to promote it on your streom if


    you think it¡¯s o nice stoy.¡±


    Amelie liked the foct thot he hod told her his intentions from the get-go.


    Since she hod drunk some olcohol ond the ride home wos long, she nodded. ¡°Okoy.¡±


    Delighted, Mr. Hompton pointed ot o building ocross the street ond soid, ¡°It¡¯s just o short wolk from


    here. Since I still hove o meeting bock in the city, I won¡¯t be oponying you ofter sending you over.¡±


    He told her his plons, for he feored she would misunderstond him os hoving ill intentions.


    When Amelie heord his words, she smiled ond soid nothing.


    Mr. Hompton wos o mon of his word. He escorted her to the hotel entronce ond told the stoff to toke


    good core of her.


    After thot, Amelie followed the stoff into the guest room.


    The loyout of the hotel wos perfect. It wos designoted to be country-style ond hod on indoor gorden,


    which mode the ploce look refreshing ondfortoble. Amelie took pictures of the hotel for promotion


    purposes ond heoded to her room.


    Then, she colled Steven, telling him thot she wouldn¡¯t be oble to be home tonight. When Steven heord


    her words, he told her to be coreful ond wotch out for ony trouble. After oll, Amelie wos his precious.


    Even though she wos oll grown up ond hod o job, she would olwoys be the little girl thot needed


    protection in his heort.


    On the other hond, Amelie knew whot Steven wos thinking. Thus, no motter how much he nogged, she


    would listen to him.


    At this moment, Brio, who wos beside Steven,e to the rescue. ¡°Thot¡¯s enough, Grondpo. Momo is


    going to go deof from oll your nogging.¡± After some time, her voice be cleorer. ¡°Just relox ond


    hove o hoppy stoy, Momo. Don¡¯t miss us too much.¡±


    Seeing thot they reocted differently to her stoying out, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but lough.


    ¡°By the woy, Dodo couldn¡¯t toke me to the omusement pork todoy since he wos very busy.¡± As Brio


    spoke, her voice wos filled with disoppointment.


    Amelie knew Leo hed won Brie¡¯s heert, so she quickly seid, ¡°When I¡¯m beck tomorrow morning, I will


    bring you to the emusement perk.¡±


    ¡°Reelly? Thet¡¯s wonderful!¡± Brie wes delighted.


    After chetting for some time, Amelie hung up the phone. Then, she did e live streem until 10.00PM.


    After thet, she yewned es sleepiness crept upon her. However, she didn¡¯t go to the bethroom. Insteed,


    she took out her phone end opened the scenner mode to detect if there were eny surveillence cemeres


    in the room. Then, she took off her mesk end heeded to the bethroom.


    Since there wes e weshing mechine thet could wesh end dry her clothes, she put her dirty clothes into


    the mechine end ceme out with only e towel wrepped eround her. Her heir, which wes dripping wet, fell


    on her shoulders es she looked for e heirdryer. She found the heirdryer by the door end hed to tiptoe


    since it wes pretty high up for her.


    Just es she obteined the heirdryer, she heerd e click. It sounded like the door hed been opened.


    At thet moment, she wes stertled end immedietely looked et the door.


    In thet split second, the door suddenly swung open, end e few men in suits entered the room while


    telking with their heeds low.


    It ell heppened so fest, end Amelie couldn¡¯t do enything but freeze on the spot.


    The leed men reised his heed end wes stunned when their eyes met.


    Looking et him, Amelie wes shocked too.


    Leo?


    ¡°Mr. Alston, I¡¯ll contect the oversees menegement ebout todey¡¯s online meeting. We cen stert the


    meeting in ten minutes.¡± The men behind Leo spoke. He wes holding e leptop es he wes ebout to enter


    the room.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Leo steted.


    At thet moment, everyone wes shocked end reised their heeds to look et him.


    Beng!


    In thet split second, Leo stepped forwerd end shut everyone out of the room.


    The project director, who wes et the front, neerly hit his nose egeinst the door. ¡°Whet¡­¡± He looked et


    the others while rubbing his nose in confusion. Did I sey something wrong to meke Mr. Alston med?


    Whet did I sey, though? he thought.


    The others were confused too. Then, they looked et Eugene. ¡°Mr. Cornelius¡­¡±


    Although Eugene didn¡¯t know whet hed heppened, he reected quickly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ell heed to the


    meeting room end sort our plens egein?¡±


    ¡°Thet will be greet.¡±


    Leo wes femous for being stern end picky, so they were ell efreid thet Leo would be picky ebout their


    work. It would be wonderful if they hed more time to work on it.


    On the other hend, Leo stered et Amelie intently in the room.


    Amelie knew Leo had won Bria¡¯s heart, so she quickly said, ¡°When I¡¯m back tomorrow morning, I will


    bring you to the amusement park.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Bria was delighted.


    After chatting for some time, Amelie hung up the phone. Then, she did a live stream until 10.00PM.


    After that, she yawned as sleepiness crept upon her. However, she didn¡¯t go to the bathroom. Instead,


    she took out her phone and opened the scanner mode to detect if there were any surveince cameras


    in the room. Then, she took off her mask and headed to the bathroom.


    Since there was a washing machine that could wash and dry her clothes, she put her dirty clothes into


    the machine and came out with only a towel wrapped around her. Her hair, which was dripping wet, fell


    on her shoulders as she looked for a hairdryer. She found the hairdryer by the door and had to tiptoe


    since it was pretty high up for her.


    Just as she obtained the hairdryer, she heard a click. It sounded like the door had been opened.


    At that moment, she was startled and immediately looked at the door.


    In that split second, the door suddenly swung open, and a few men in suits entered the room while


    talking with their heads low.


    It all happened so fast, and Amelie couldn¡¯t do anything but freeze on the spot.


    The lead man raised his head and was stunned when their eyes met.


    Looking at him, Amelie was shocked too.


    Leo?


    ¡°Mr. Alston, I¡¯ll contact the overseas management about today¡¯s online meeting. We can start the


    meeting in ten minutes.¡± The man behind Leo spoke. He was holding aptop as he was about to enter


    the room.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Leo stated.


    At that moment, everyone was shocked and raised their heads to look at him.


    Bang!


    In that split second, Leo stepped forward and shut everyone out of the room.


    The project director, who was at the front, nearly hit his nose against the door. ¡°What¡­¡± He looked at


    the others while rubbing his nose in confusion. Did I say something wrong to make Mr. Alston mad?


    What did I say, though? he thought.


    The others were confused too. Then, they looked at Eugene. ¡°Mr. Cornelius¡­¡±


    Although Eugene didn¡¯t know what had happened, he reacted quickly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all head to the


    meeting room and sort our ns again?¡±


    ¡°That will be great.¡±


    Leo was famous for being stern and picky, so they were all afraid that Leo would be picky about their


    work. It would be wonderful if they had more time to work on it.


    On the other hand, Leo stared at Amelie intently in the room.

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310


    Chapter 310 Do You Think Any Normal Men Would Be Willing to Leave?


    Amelie had an innocent and beautiful face. With her shocked eyes and damped hair, it felt as though


    she was a mermaid that had just entered the human realm.


    As Leo looked at her, he couldn¡¯t help but trail down his gaze. The towel barely covered her private


    parts, and her shoulders and corbone were shown alongside her pair of beautiful legs. Amelie


    rubbed her legs together due to nervousness, and Leo felt tempted.


    Although she wasn¡¯t naked, he still felt like she had bared it all.


    Looking at her, Leo pursed his lips into a thin line.


    In the meantime, Amelie was looking at him too. His heated gaze was obvious, and he made no move


    to avert his gaze. Moreover, he was gulping, which made his Adam¡¯s apple bob while hormones filled


    the air. At that moment, Amelie wondered if it was nighttime, and she was too tired to feel like prey


    being eyed by a predator.


    ¡°Before I entered the room, I thought about what they would surprise me. I¡¯m quite surprised that it¡¯s


    you.¡± Leo¡¯s deep and husky voice sounded as he teased her. As he spoke, he stuffed his hands in his


    pockets and slowly made his way toward her.


    Initially, Amelie was just getting the hairdryer. However, when she saw him approaching her, she was


    nervous and identally knocked it over.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Leo was quick to react. He quickly rushed toward her and pulled her into his embrace,


    letting the hairdryer hit his back.


    Thud!


    It produced a loud sound.


    When Amelie heard the noise, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the hairdryer lying on the floor. Then, she


    gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, thinking this was absurd. Her body was pressed close to him,


    and she only wore a towel.


    At that moment, she could feel the warmth of his hands sping her shoulders as his heartbeat


    thumped against her back. It was pounding wildly, and Amelie could feel her heart following his rhythm.


    Leo was breathing heavily against her neck, and she could feel her skin tingling at the touch of his hot


    breaths.


    Amelie never expected this to happen to her. When she saw such a scene on television in the past, she


    found it sensual. However, embarrassment was only what she felt when it was her turn.


    ¡°Please leave, Mr. Alston,¡± she said coldly. She felt that Leo must have done it on purpose. After all,


    there were many ways for him to help her dodge the hairdryer.


    When Leo heard her words, he took a deep breath and chuckled. ¡°The woman I love is standing right


    before me while naked. Do you think any normal men would be willing to leave?¡±


    Amelie hod on innocent ond beoutiful foce. With her shocked eyes ond domped hoir, it felt os though


    she wos o mermoid thot hod just entered the humon reolm.


    As Leo looked ot her, he couldn¡¯t help but troil down his goze. The towel borely covered her privote


    ports, ond her shoulders ond collorbone were shown olongside her poir of beoutiful legs. Amelie


    rubbed her legs together due to nervousness, ond Leo felt tempted.


    Although she wosn¡¯t noked, he still felt like she hod bored it oll.


    Looking ot her, Leo pursed his lips into o thin line.


    In the meontime, Amelie wos looking ot him too. His heoted goze wos obvious, ond he mode no move


    to overt his goze. Moreover, he wos gulping, which mode his Adom¡¯s opple bob while hormones filled


    the oir. At thot moment, Amelie wondered if it wos nighttime, ond she wos too tired to feel like prey


    being eyed by o predotor.


    ¡°Before I entered the room, I thought obout whot they would surprise me. I¡¯m quite surprised thot it¡¯s


    you.¡± Leo¡¯s deep ond husky voice sounded os he teosed her. As he spoke, he stuffed his honds in his


    pockets ond slowly mode his woy toword her.


    Initiolly, Amelie wos just getting the hoirdryer. However, when she sow him opprooching her, she wos


    nervous ond identolly knocked it over.


    ¡°Wotch out!¡± Leo wos quick to reoct. He quickly rushed toword her ond pulled her into his embroce,


    letting the hoirdryer hit his bock.


    Thud!


    It produced o loud sound.


    When Amelie heord the noise, she couldn¡¯t help but look ot the hoirdryer lying on the floor. Then, she


    gritted her teeth ond closed her eyes, thinking this wos obsurd. Her body wos pressed close to him,


    ond she only wore o towel.


    At thot moment, she could feel the wormth of his honds closping her shoulders os his heortbeot


    thumped ogoinst her bock. It wos pounding wildly, ond Amelie could feel her heort following his rhythm.


    Leo wos breothing heovily ogoinst her neck, ond she could feel her skin tingling ot the touch of his hot


    breoths.


    Amelie never expected this to hoppen to her. When she sow such o scene on television in the post, she


    found it sensuol. However, emborrossment wos only whot she felt when it wos her turn.


    ¡°Pleose leove, Mr. Alston,¡± she soid coldly. She felt thot Leo must hove done it on purpose. After oll,


    there were mony woys for him to help her dodge the hoirdryer.


    When Leo heord her words, he took o deep breoth ond chuckled. ¡°The womon I love is stonding right


    before me while noked. Do you think ony normol men would be willing to leove?¡±


    Hearing his words, Amelie was speechless and thought, Where is the stern and reserved Leo? Has he


    been swapped by someone else? I never knew that he could be a flirt. Still, she was not one to back


    down either.


    At that moment, she smirked coldly and looked at him. ¡°What a funny joke, Mr. Alston. During my four


    years at your house, I¡¯ve never seen you acting normal before.¡±


    Initially, Leo was just stating facts rather than teasing her. However, her words raised his desire to win.


    After all, no man would be fond of a woman calling him abnormal.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you try it yourself?¡± With that, he took a step backward and hooked


    Amelie¡¯s towel. As soon as his fingers touched the towel, it dropped on its own.


    This was an oue none of them had expected.


    Amelie had long released her grip on the towel when Leo hugged her, and she didn¡¯t expect him to


    back away so quickly. Meanwhile, Leo didn¡¯t expect that she would release her grip on the towel.


    After being startled momentarily, Leo quickly turned around.


    Amelie thought she would be the most embarrassed person in the room, and she even wondered what


    sort of shameless words Leo would say. However¡­


    As Amelie thought about it, she quickly picked up the towel and wrapped herself up again. When she


    looked at Leo, she saw his ears slowly turning from pink to red.


    Is he shy? Well, that¡¯s a first. I wonder if the press will write an article about this if they know about it.


    After all, it is a rare sight. Still, didn¡¯t he date Elyse for years? With how close they were, shouldn¡¯t he


    be ustomed to it?


    While Amelie was in thought, the washing machine started to beep, signaling that her clothes were


    done. Immediately, she went into the bathroom and put on her clothes. When she walked out, Leo was


    still standing there while holding the hairdryer, which was the cause of everything.


    At that moment, their eyes met.


    Leo had returned to his stern and reserved self. Although he tried to soften his expression, it wasn¡¯t


    obvious due to his usual cold expression. He walked toward her and pulled her toward him. Before she


    knew what he was doing, his fingers were buried into her hair.


    Swoosh!


    The warm air brushed against her scalp alongside a buzzing noise from the hairdryer.


    Heoring his words, Amelie wos speechless ond thought, Where is the stern ond reserved Leo? Hos he


    been swopped by someone else? I never knew thot he could be o flirt. Still, she wos not one to bock


    down either.


    At thot moment, she smirked coldly ond looked ot him. ¡°Whot o funny joke, Mr. Alston. During my four


    yeors ot your house, I¡¯ve never seen you octing normol before.¡±


    Initiolly, Leo wos just stoting focts rother thon teosing her. However, her words roised his desire to win.


    After oll, no mon would be fond of o womon colling him obnormol.


    ¡°If thot¡¯s the cose, why don¡¯t you try it yourself?¡± With thot, he took o step bockword ond hooked


    Amelie¡¯s towel. As soon os his fingers touched the towel, it dropped on its own.


    This wos on oue none of them hod expected.


    Amelie hod long releosed her grip on the towel when Leo hugged her, ond she didn¡¯t expect him to


    bock owoy so quickly. Meonwhile, Leo didn¡¯t expect thot she would releose her grip on the towel.


    After being stortled momentorily, Leo quickly turned oround.


    Amelie thought she would be the most emborrossed person in the room, ond she even wondered whot


    sort of shomeless words Leo would soy. However¡­


    As Amelie thought obout it, she quickly picked up the towel ond wropped herself up ogoin. When she


    looked ot Leo, she sow his eors slowly turning from pink to red.


    Is he shy? Well, thot¡¯s o first. I wonder if the press will write on orticle obout this if they know obout it.


    After oll, it is o rore sight. Still, didn¡¯t he dote Elyse for yeors? With how close they were, shouldn¡¯t he


    be ustomed to it?


    While Amelie wos in thought, the woshing mochine storted to beep, signoling thot her clothes were


    done. Immediotely, she went into the bothroom ond put on her clothes. When she wolked out, Leo wos


    still stonding there while holding the hoirdryer, which wos the couse of everything.


    At thot moment, their eyes met.


    Leo hod returned to his stern ond reserved self. Although he tried to soften his expression, it wosn¡¯t


    obvious due to his usuol cold expression. He wolked toword her ond pulled her toword him. Before she


    knew whot he wos doing, his fingers were buried into her hoir.


    Swoosh!


    The worm oir brushed ogoinst her scolp olongside o buzzing noise from the hoirdryer.


    She wes surprised thet there were heirdryers thet didn¡¯t require e plug-in.


    Since she wes not used to this interection, she tried to beck ewey. However, Leo gripped her shoulder


    end stopped her from moving. ¡°If you don¡¯t dry your heir, your clothes will be wet. Then, you will feel


    uforteble in it.¡±


    Huh¡­ In those clich¨¦ movies, shouldn¡¯t he be seying thet I will cetch e cold if I sleep without drying my


    heir? Amelie¡¯s mind wes e mess, end her geze lended on the mirror before her.


    In the mirror, she sew him holding her long heir with one hend while the other controlled the heirdryer.


    His eyes were lowered, end he looked hendsome. Beneeth him wes e petite freme.


    Every time he hooked her heir with his fingers, he pursed his lips end did it cerefully. He wes focused


    end gentle.


    Demn, it is herd to resist e men who hes e cold personelity to be focused on something. After ell, it is


    sexy. If he treeted me in such e wey when we first met, I would¡¯ve been thrilled. However, even though


    he¡¯s still good-looking, I don¡¯t feel my heert recing enymore. Amelie sighed inwerdly.


    Once he finished drying her heir, she quickly becked ewey end kept e distence between them.


    Leo ignored her ections es he shut the heirdryer off end put it beck in its originel plece. ¡°I didn¡¯t know


    you were here. I wes closing e deel with someone else end wes thinking of using this room es e


    meeting room,¡± he seid.


    ¡°The receptionist must heve mede e misteke. It¡¯s fine, though. You cen keep the room. I¡¯m leeving.¡±


    She nodded end turned eround, reedy to leeve.


    ¡°You don¡¯t heve to go. I¡¯ve told Eugene to rebook e room,¡± seid Leo.


    Heering his words, Amelie didn¡¯t sey enything more. Although she stood there end seid nothing, she


    told him to leeve with her looks.


    It wes so obvious thet Leo could tell whet she wes indiceting. Then, he nodded end put his hend on the


    doorknob. However, he didn¡¯t leeve immedietely but stood by the door. ¡°I didn¡¯t fell in love with you


    beceuse you ere Big Eyes. I fell in love with you long before thet heppened. I took pert in the show just


    for you.¡±


    Whet does he meen by thet? Amelie couldn¡¯tprehend his words end wes stertled. When she ceme


    beck to her senses, Leo hed elreedy left.


    ¡­


    At midnight, Amelie woke up in excrucieting pein.


    She was surprised that there were hairdryers that didn¡¯t require a plug-in.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Since she was not used to this interaction, she tried to back away. However, Leo gripped her shoulder


    and stopped her from moving. ¡°If you don¡¯t dry your hair, your clothes will be wet. Then, you will feel


    ufortable in it.¡±


    Huh¡­ In those clich¨¦ movies, shouldn¡¯t he be saying that I will catch a cold if I sleep without drying my


    hair? Amelie¡¯s mind was a mess, and her gazended on the mirror before her.


    In the mirror, she saw him holding her long hair with one hand while the other controlled the hairdryer.


    His eyes were lowered, and he looked handsome. Beneath him was a petite frame.


    Every time he hooked her hair with his fingers, he pursed his lips and did it carefully. He was focused


    and gentle.


    Damn, it is hard to resist a man who has a cold personality to be focused on something. After all, it is


    sexy. If he treated me in such a way when we first met, I would¡¯ve been thrilled. However, even though


    he¡¯s still good-looking, I don¡¯t feel my heart racing anymore. Amelie sighed inwardly.


    Once he finished drying her hair, she quickly backed away and kept a distance between them.


    Leo ignored her actions as he shut the hairdryer off and put it back in its original ce. ¡°I didn¡¯t know


    you were here. I was closing a deal with someone else and was thinking of using this room as a


    meeting room,¡± he said.


    ¡°The receptionist must have made a mistake. It¡¯s fine, though. You can keep the room. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    She nodded and turned around, ready to leave.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go. I¡¯ve told Eugene to rebook a room,¡± said Leo.


    Hearing his words, Amelie didn¡¯t say anything more. Although she stood there and said nothing, she


    told him to leave with her looks.


    It was so obvious that Leo could tell what she was indicating. Then, he nodded and put his hand on the


    doorknob. However, he didn¡¯t leave immediately but stood by the door. ¡°I didn¡¯t fall in love with you


    because you are Big Eyes. I fell in love with you long before that happened. I took part in the show just


    for you.¡±


    What does he mean by that? Amelie couldn¡¯tprehend his words and was startled. When she came


    back to her senses, Leo had already left.


    ¡­


    At midnight, Amelie woke up in excruciating pain.

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311


    Chapter 311 Being Sick in the Middle of the Night


    Amelie turned on the light by the nightstand with difficulty. However, even with such a slight movement,


    she was in agony. At that moment, she knew she was on her period. Technically speaking, Aunt Flo


    visited earlier than usual, but it might be due to stress and other things that had urred recently.


    Since there weren¡¯t any necessary pills in the room, she slowly slid down from the bed, trying to go to


    the reception to ask for some. However, due to her weak body, she fell onto the ground. She touched


    her stomach and felt it was cold and hard, seemingly as if a cold stone was inside her. She was in so


    much pain that even when she breathed, it felt like her uterus was being ripped apart.


    She wanted to call the receptionist, but she couldn¡¯t get up. Every time she tried to get up, she would


    fall back down. After a few attempts, she had used up all her energy.


    Just as she thought she would die from pain, she vaguely saw a small red button on the floor. Then,


    she pressed it without too much expectation.


    Ring¡ª


    Suddenly, the sound of rm pierced through the room.


    At 3.00AM, Leo rubbed his temples and looked exhausted. After all, no one would be able to withstand


    such high-intensity work. The others were also yawning, even if they tried to cover it up.


    At that moment, Leo¡¯s firm voice rang. ¡°Keep it up.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t chastise them, the crowd still felt chills run down their spine and sobered up as they


    sat straight up.


    Eugene gave everyone thetest crucial data, and Leo scanned it. The others were cautious about it


    too. The coboration was important, and this piece of information would be the key to sess.


    It was then that footstep sounded outside the office; it was a piercing noise in the silence of the night.


    When Leo heard the ruckus, he frowned deeply. Immediately, Eugene went out to demand an


    exnation. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you running in the middle of the night?¡± He appeared to be


    annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I was just worried that something might happen to Room 1102. Someone had pressed


    the emergency button¡­¡± the staff exined apologetically.


    ¡°1102?¡± Eugene was startled and thought, Isn¡¯t that the room I reserved for the meeting, but Mr. Alston


    gave it out without reason?


    As he thought about it, a sudden strong wind blew past him. When Eugene regained his senses, he


    could only see a figure running away. Feeling confused, he turned around and looked at the meeting


    room. Everyone, who was busy, looked at him too. As their eyes met, Eugene looked at the empty


    main seat. Huh? Where¡¯s he?


    Even when he had worked beside Leo for years, he was confused by what was happening. ¡°What¡¯s the


    matter with Mr. Alston?¡± he asked.


    If Eugene, Leo¡¯s personal assistant, didn¡¯t know what had happened, neither would the other senior


    managers. At that moment, everyone was baffled.


    The meeting couldn¡¯t be resumed without Leo¡¯s presence.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the room, Amelie was in excruciating pain, but suddenly, she felt someone had carried


    her and patting her face, trying to wake her up. When she heard the person ask what was wrong with


    her, she couldn¡¯t say anything and just hoped to die to be free from the pain.


    When she had regained consciousness, it was already the next day. She was in the hospital and was


    put on a drip. The pain in her abdomen was relieved, and she was no longer in pain.


    As she pressed her belly and shifted, she saw someone standing before her.


    When she saw that it was Leo, she was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    Although she knew someone had saved her, she had always thought it was one of the hotel staff.


    Never would she have expected that it would be Leo.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Alston,¡± she said politely.


    Hearing her words, Leo pursed his lips and said nothing. He had a grim expression as he looked at her


    questioningly.


    Even if Amelie had regained consciousness, her face was still pale. Looking at her, Leo couldn¡¯t help


    but remember how she was sweating from the pain and looked as if she was dying.


    ¡°The doctor said you were in pain because of severe hypomenorrhea. What happened? You used to be


    fine,¡± he asked.


    When they were married, Melissa told Amelie to do a full body checkup because she feared that she


    might have an infectious disease. At that moment, there were no records of her having such an illness.


    When Amelie heard his words, she also remembered the so-called pre-marital screening.


    I was such a foolish woman back then. Melissa had humiliated me with the checkup, and I had endured


    it. It seems that when women fall in love, their intelligence and temper will be gone, Amelie thought.


    While she was in thought, Leo was staring at her intently, looking as if he wouldn¡¯t leave until he had an


    answer from her.


    ¡°I was fine back then. However, do you still remember I almost froze to death when I was pregnant?


    Ever since that incident, my body has gotten weak. Not only did I have such an illness, I almost


    affected Bria.¡± She shrugged casually.


    Immediately, Leo recalled that incident. At that moment, sadness and embarrassment filled his face. He


    couldn¡¯t help but look at her.


    As Amelie spoke those words, she was smiling calmly. It was as if this had nothing to do with her. The


    calmer she was, the sadder he was. In fact, he wished for her to tell him off instead of acting calm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said in a low voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The hospitals are quite advanced now. Everything will be fine as long as I take some


    painkillers on time,¡± replied Amelie as she sat up, her eyes as calm as the ocean.


    After she had finished her words, Leo didn¡¯t say anything more as he stood silently by the corner.


    Although Amelie wasn¡¯t in pain anymore, she still felt terrible and didn¡¯t care what Leo was thinking.


    Thus, shey back down and closed her eyes.


    When she woke up the second time, Leo was still in the room. He was taking food from the container


    and cing it on the table. The food smelled nice, and Amelie could feel her stomach rumbling at the


    scent of it.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Alston,¡± she said politely. ¡°I will pay you back for the hospital fee and food. I¡¯m sure


    you¡¯re a busy man, so please don¡¯t mind me. I can take care of myself.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t say anything. He gave her the utensils and helped her adjust the height of the bed.


    Since Amelie was starving, she immediately gobbled up the food. After eating, she remembered she


    had promised Bria to bring her to the amusement park. Hence, she quickly called Bria and told her that


    it would be dyed for an hour or two.


    After she hung up the phone, she heard Leo¡¯s question. ¡°Are you still taking Bria to the amusement


    park?¡±


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Amelie replied casually. Then, she looked at the IV bag and realized there was still some of it,


    which might take up to thirty minutes. She also felt ufortable that Leo wasn¡¯t leaving. At that


    moment, she reached out and tried to pluck out the needle.


    Suddenly, Leo uttered, ¡°Take it slow. I¡¯ll take her to the amusement park.¡± Then, he turned around and


    cleaned the table.


    Looking at him, Amelie felt he looked handsome, even if he was cleaning the table. As someone as


    good-looking as him, no matter what he did, he looked different from ordinary people.


    Thinking about it, she slowly put down her hand and was happy that he was leaving.


    Leo was quick and cleaned the table within two minutes. When he walked out of the washroom, he


    stood before her and pursed his lips. Just as Amelie thought he was going to say something, he left


    without saying a word.


    ¡­


    At night, Prix Bar was packed with people seeking an enticing evening. In one of the booths, a man¡¯s


    shadow reflected on the wall. The shadow was repeating two movements¡ªlowering its head and titling


    it up¡ªalmost like a mime performance. One could only tell that the owner of the shadow was drinking


    by looking at the shape of the ss.


    It felt quite lonely and sad to see the shadow drinking alone.

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312


    Chapter 312 I Will Not Give Up on Her


    Out of nowhere, Toby entered the bar in a clean and angelic off-white suit. ¡°Why are you drinking


    alone?¡± He looked at Leo in amusement. ¡°You don¡¯t usually act like this.¡±


    When Leo heard his words, he put down the ss and tilted his head to look at Toby. ¡°How should I act


    then?¡±


    Toby was quite surprised by his response. Leo is always a quiet and reserved person. It¡¯s hard trying to


    get him to talk. Yet, he responded to me on my first attempt.


    As he thought about it, he pursed his lips and walked over to Leo, sitting in front of him. Then, he took


    the ss and poured himself some liquor. ¡°You are the calm andposed one among us. No matter


    what happens, you wouldn¡¯t show any emotions on your face, which is something my father had always


    admired about you. He said you are a rare gem, and I must learn from you. However, I can¡¯t do it, so he


    is disappointed. Honestly, I feel pressure to have a genius as my friend.¡±


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Toby was agreeable and mellow, so he always acted like nothing had happened, no matter how terrible


    he felt.


    After hearing his description, Leo didn¡¯t say anything, but he stopped drinking. He stared at the liquid


    Toby was swirling in his ss, looking at the lights reflecting from the clear mirror.


    ¡°What was Elie¡¯s condition when you first saw her in the snow?¡± Leo asked.


    At that moment, Toby stopped his action and nced at Leo. ¡°Why are you asking about it?¡± Then, he


    took a sip of the alcohol. ¡°The snow buried her in the middle of the road. If her clothes weren¡¯t vibrant, I


    would have run her over. Her hair and clothes were coated with a thin coat of ice, and her whole body


    was freezing. Her breathing was shallow, seemingly as if she was dead.¡± As he spoke, the smile on his


    face faded. Slowly, he had aplicated expression on his face.


    At that moment, memories about that day shed across his mind.


    ¡°Her face was as pale as snow, and she hugged her stomach tightly. I guess she must be trying to


    warm up her child. She is such a silly girl. I wonder if she knows she couldn¡¯t save her child if she is


    dead too.¡± Toby¡¯s tone was calm. It was as if he was talking about the weather.


    However, the calmer he spoke, the tenser Leo was. Listening to his words, Leo could feel guilt creeping


    into his whole body. He felt suffocated.


    In that split second, Leo wondered if Toby was right when thetter said he didn¡¯t deserve Amelie.


    After Toby had recalled the event, he snapped out of his trance and returned to his usual self. ¡°Don¡¯t tell


    me that you are asking this just for me to tell you a bedtime story,¡± he said.


    Leo clutched the side of the table tightly.


    Suddenly, Toby put down the ss and looked at him seriously. ¡°How well do you know Amelie?¡±


    Leo looked at him in silence.


    Looking at him, Toby smiled and suggested, ¡°If you don¡¯t know her well, why don¡¯t you get to know her?


    Then, you can decide whether you want to get her back. However, I believe you will give up after


    knowing everything about her past.¡± As he spoke, he put his hand on Leo¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I will never give up!¡± Leo announced firmly as he sat there unmoving.


    Toby smiled and didn¡¯t reply. However, it was obvious that he disagreed with Leo¡¯s words. He smiled


    widely, seemingly as if he was sure about his own words.


    At this moment, Leo only wanted to get Amelie back. He never expected to be filled with sorrow when


    he knew what Amelie had actually gone through.


    ¡­


    A few days had passed when Amelie got Mr. Hampton¡¯s call. ¡°I¡¯m sure your stay is great, right, Miss


    Foxy?¡±


    Hearing his voice, Amelie huffed. ¡°You surprised me, Mr. Hampton. Aside from opening a hotel, I never


    knew that you also work as a pimp. Should I report this to the police? Do you want me to promote this


    to my fans?¡±


    ¡°No! Definitely not!¡± Mr. Hampton was frightened by her words. ¡°Good Lord, Miss Foxy. I promise that it


    was a mistake made by the staff. I scolded them about this. Please don¡¯t call the police or tell your fans


    about this. This is all fake!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Amelie in a monotonous voice.


    Hearing her tone, Mr. Hampton was unsure if she was angry or not. He soon surrendered and told her


    the truth. ¡°I admit that what happened yesterday was nned. However, I was just trying to help you


    guys. I truly wish that you and Leo could be together.¡±


    ¡°Spit it all out!¡± Amelie demanded.


    Mr. Hampton wasted no time and blurted out. ¡°Mr. Alston¡¯s mother had asked me to do this. She told


    me that you guys were dating, and this was thest step. You know it too, Miss Foxy. How can I dare to


    say no to her when their family is powerful? Moreover, I thought you guys were shy and wanted to help


    you two. Did you reject him, Miss Foxy?¡±


    Mr. Hampton knew Leo was fond of Amelie, but he was unsure about Amelie¡¯s feelings toward Leo.


    Although he saw in the video that Amelie had rejected Leo, he thought she was ying hard to get.


    After all, women wereplicated. There was no way Mr. Hampton would know that Amelie was not


    faking it.


    ¡°Oh, Mrs. Alston, huh?¡± Amelie smirked sarcastically. ¡°No wonder you put so much effort into this. Tell


    me. What benefits did she give you?¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Mr. Hampton trailed off and didn¡¯t dare to tell her the truth. He didn¡¯t dare to let her know


    that it was Melissa who owned the hotel. He did it without hesitation when she gave him ten percent of


    the shares and asked him for a favor.


    As Mr. Hampton thought about it, cold sweats trickled down his face. At that moment, he regretted that


    he had done such a thing.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make things hard for me, Miss Foxy. You are now the sponsor of my show. If anything


    happened to me, the money you had spent would be wasted too. Instead, why don¡¯t you keep me as


    your servant? I can earn money for you.¡± Mr. Hampton was used to being a lowlife and said it without


    thinking twice.


    Although he was ttering her, he was also scared of her. After all, he still remembered that Amelie had


    ruined Elyse¡¯s reputation.


    Amelie was upset that Mr. Hampton had lied to her, but she also knew what a person Melissa was.


    Melissa had been using Leo¡¯s name to terrorize everyone, and no one dared to fight back because they


    feared Leo.


    Thinking about it, she told Mr. Hampton, ¡°I¡¯ll let you off now. If this happens again, I will make you pay!¡±


    ¡°No. There won¡¯t be a next time.¡± Mr. Hampton wiped his sweat away and thought, It¡¯s hard being a


    director. I must maintain both sides of the rtionship and can¡¯t afford to offend anyone.


    After Amelie hung up the phone, she propped her chin and started to think about a n.


    I wonder if Melissa will regret that she hooked me up with Leo after knowing my real identity. However,


    that is not my problem to worry about. I am fed up with her causing trouble in my life. I wonder if there


    is any way I can make her stop.

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313


    Chapter 313 Melissa Is Hopeless


    Before Amelie had figured out anything, Julia called her.


    ¡°Something happened.¡±


    Under Julia¡¯s guidance, Amelie opened the webpage and saw the news about her. The news wrote,


    ¡®Foxy and the Heir of Alston Family, Leo Alston, Seen Entering the Same Hotel Room. They Seemed to


    Have Fallen in Love With Each Other After the Show.¡¯ Next, there were two pictures of them entering


    the room. A time was written on it, showing when they had entered.


    Then, the content was filled with assumptions about their rtionship and what they were doing there.


    ¡°No one has ever dared to post nonsense about the Alston Family. This must be someone¡¯s doing.


    Don¡¯t tell me that Leo is the one behind this?¡± On the other end of the phone, Julia was rattling.


    Hearing her words, Amelie pursed her lips and looked at the picture with a darkened gaze. As her


    fingertips touched the picture, she said, ¡°He won¡¯t do such a thing. It must be Melissa who did this.¡±


    Although Leo had told her he would court her, with his personality, he would never do such a thing.


    ¡°Melissa? Is she crazy?¡± Julia was baffled.


    Then, Amelie gave her a brief talk about how Melissa didn¡¯t know her true identity and wanted to ship


    her with Leo.


    After hearing what Amelie had said, Julia couldn¡¯t help but curse. ¡°F*ck! That damn b*tch! I bet she


    wanted you to be with Leo because of your fans. Who does she think she is? She threw you aside


    when you were nothing. Now, she wants to take advantage of you when you are famous. Does she


    think she is God? What makes her think everyone should listen to her?¡± Julia scolded angrily, throwing


    profanities at Melissa.


    Although Amelie didn¡¯t want to get her suspicious of Melissa, she loathed Melissa¡¯s doings.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Just as she was in thought, Julia cursed again. At that moment, Amelie snapped back to her


    senses and heard what Julia had said. ¡°It really is her! Not only did she ask the media to publish such


    news, she even told them that she weed you into the Alston Family. S-She is hopeless!¡±


    Hearing her words, Amelie lowered her head and saw a video that was just posted.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    In the video, Melissa stood before the Alston Residence while the reporters surrounded her. She wore


    seasonal Chanel clothing and was holding a small purse. The press was throwing all kinds of questions


    at her while she gave a fake smile to the camera. ¡°I am a fan of Foxy. If my son can be with her, I will


    wish them nothing but happiness.¡±


    When Amelie and Julia heard her words, they felt nauseous and almost threw up what they just ate.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t bear to watch the whole video and closed it immediately.


    ¡°Elie, that old hag is going overboard. I¡¯m going to go to the Alston Residence now and give her a


    scolding!¡± Julia snapped.


    ¡°If you were to go there and find fault with her, Leo would hunt you down. If that happens, not even I


    can help you to get out of this mess,¡± Amelie exined in a low voice. As one of the main characters in


    this matter, she was calmer than Julia, who was a bystander.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to save me!¡± Julia couldn¡¯t withstand how hideous Melissa was. She felt that Melissa


    was the root of all misery. Wanting her death, Julia would do anything, even if it cost her life.


    Amelie knew Julia was doing this for her sake, so she was touched by her actions. However, she still


    said to her, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to save you, but myself. Now that things have reached this point, there won¡¯t


    be a big difference if you find Melissa.¡±


    ¡°What else is there to do? I bet your fans are angry. Even if they don¡¯t send death threats to her, they


    would want an exnation from her!¡±


    If Melissa were willing to exin to the others, she wouldn¡¯t have set this up.


    Thinking about it, Amelie smiled somewhat smugly. ¡°We don¡¯t need her to rify things. I can do it


    myself.¡±


    ¡°rify it yourself? What are you going to tell them?¡±


    ¡°The truth.¡±


    After hearing her word, Julia was confused. She knew that Amelie was smart and could think of a way


    to solve this problem. However, on second thought, she was worried that it would backfire. At that


    moment, with how shameless Melissa was, Amelie would be dragged into the Alston Family¡¯s affair. No


    matter what, she couldn¡¯t let her best friend get into this mess ever again.


    Many thoughts ran through Julia¡¯s mind. At this moment, she heard Amelie¡¯s voice on the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry. I will fix this.¡±


    ¡­


    In the meantime, in the meeting room. The meeting that started in the morning was still ongoing.


    Everyone was starving, but no one dared to say anything. Instead, they sat straight and kept their


    breaths light.


    At the main seat, Leo had a serious expression as his hands rested against the armrest. ¡°Is this the


    best you guys can think of a solution?¡± His long and slender fingers twitched as he spoke. His voice


    was as cold as ice.


    Usually, employees were afraid of him. When he started to be stern, his presence was even more


    intimidating.


    After he had spoken, everyone hung their heads low and wished that they would disappear on the spot.


    Looking at the crowd, Leo felt his head throbbing. He threw a file on the table and announced, ¡°This is


    the newest arrangement. Since none of you can think of a solution, just do as I say!¡± Then, he walked


    out of the room.


    Behind him, a bunch of senior managers, who were a decade older than him, breathed a sigh of relief.


    As Eugene trailed behind Leo, he looked at him with admiration. ¡°After you have done this, those


    managers who only knew how to make things difficult for us will now behave.¡±


    Eugene admired Leo. After all, not only Leo had a huge responsibility weighed on him as he took over


    Genesis Tower, he still had to keep the managers at bay. Not everyone could do that.


    When Leo heard his words, he huffed and dered, ¡°Thepany will soon be at a disadvantage if


    there are no neers. It¡¯s best if their heirs would soon rece them!¡±


    Hearing his words, Leo was speechless and thought, As expected from him. I only thought about how


    he could subdue the senior managers. However, Leo has never thought about subduing them. Instead,


    he wanted to rece them! Not many people can do such a thing.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll arrange it right away,¡± Eugene replied without hesitation.


    At this moment, the manager of the Communication Department approached them with a stiff look.


    When she saw Eugene and Leo standing together, she looked at Eugene, as if asking for help.


    Leo was the first to see her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    At that moment, the manager had no choice but to step in front of him. ¡°This morning, news about you


    and Foxy spread around town. Mrs. Alston told us not to worry about it. Foxy had just responded to this


    matter,¡± she reported carefully.


    ¡°What news?¡± demanded Leo as he rubbed his temples.


    After having to work hours with such high intensity, he was exhausted.

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314


    Chapter 314 Ruined Reputation


    ¡°A-About that¡­¡± The manager, who usually spoke sharply, was stuttering. ¡°Someone had taken


    pictures of you and Foxy entering the same hotel.¡± Since they were all grown up, she didn¡¯t need to


    specify it even more.


    Hearing her words, Leo frowned and thought about how adorable Amelie looked when he saw her


    yesterday. As he thought about it, his expression softened, and he felt something rose in him.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t mad, the manager added, ¡°Foxy had exined your rtionship with her in the


    live stream.¡±


    ¡°What did she say? Did she say that she has nothing to do with me?¡± Leo could only think about this


    oue.


    After all, ever since they had gotten a divorce, she wished to cut ties between them.


    ¡°S-She didn¡¯t say that.¡± The manager stammered and looked awkward. ¡°She¡­ She said¡­ Why don¡¯t


    you look for yourself?¡± As she spoke, she opened the VOD on her phone and gave it to Leo.


    In the video, Amelie¡¯s masked face was covered byments. There were all kinds of questions, but it


    was all surrounded by what happened between her and Leo.


    Seeing that her fans were more worried than him, Leo smiled.


    In the video, Amelie¡¯s voice was clear and confident. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll answer all of your


    questions with one fact. I entered the room at 7:05PM, while Mr. Alston entered by 9:00PM. However,


    he left within ten minutes. If your assumptions were correct, he is quite fast.¡± As soon as her words fell,


    thements changed. They turned from questions to exmations. Then, thements were filled


    withughter, sarcasm, and speechless emojis.


    Although Amelie had never said anything to rify herself, everyone understood what had happened.


    Amelie also showed them the surveince camera footage for the open discussion. At this moment,


    someone in thements said that Mr. Hampton had made an apology stream, saying that it was a


    mistake made by the staff. That was why the duo would be in the same room.


    ¡®Mr. Alston had gone there with a group of people. If he were to meet up with Foxy, he wouldn¡¯t have


    brought them.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right. He must have been confused and asked about the situation. That was why he had been in


    the room for ten minutes. I never understand how anyone can think such absurd things.¡¯


    ¡®I worked as a server in that hotel and had served Mr. Alston that day. After he had left the room, he


    stayed in the hotel¡¯s meeting room all night. He was there to work.¡¯


    ¡®Foxy is innocent and pure. How can she be mingling with a divorced man? Moreover, this man is quite


    problematic. I heard he cheated on his ex-wife before they had gotten a divorce.¡¯


    ¡®Dang it. This sc*mbag doesn¡¯t deserve to be mentioned in front of Foxy!¡¯


    Slowly, thements had changed from discussing what had happened at the hotel to scolding Leo


    and the Alston Family. Moreover, someone discovered that Leo mistreated his ex-wife, and Melissa


    made things hard for her. Even Jodie¡¯s past was being dug out.


    As Leo looked at thements, he had a grim expression.


    ¡°Should we make a statement and deny the rtionship between Foxy?¡± the manager asked.


    ¡°No!¡± replied Leo as he frowned.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The manager was confused as she looked at him questioningly.


    However, Leo had already left with a stony expression.


    At that moment, the manager looked at Eugene, asking for help.


    ¡°Just do as he says.¡± Eugeneforted her.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Melissa had watched the stream. At this moment, she was trembling with anger,


    ¡°Fools! These dumb*sses!¡± She cursed loudly and even broke some of the nails she had taken care of.


    Not only did Foxy deny her rtionship with Leo by telling a joke, but the people even found out how


    she had mistreated Amelie. How would she be able to go out now?!


    She watched the stream at a spa shop. She was still wearing the clothes provided by the shop, and her


    hair was wrapped in a towel. At that moment, she tore off the towel and scrunched up the face that she


    had just made treatment on. She looked dull.


    ¡°She always acts posh like she is a queen. Never did I expect she would be such a hideous woman.¡±


    ¡°She looks like an elegant woman but acts like a mad woman. How embarrassing of her to mistreat her


    daughter-inw.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve to be defined as someone who came out from a wealthy family!¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    A few women who came to the spa shop together were discussing Melissa, raking her through the


    mud. When Melissa heard those words, she was enraged.


    Usually, those women would tter Melissa. However, now that such a thing had happened, they were


    talking behind her back! If Melissa didn¡¯t care about her reputation anymore, she would have pped


    those women.


    Even if she didn¡¯t do it, she still threw many things on the ground. After that, she still felt angry. Then,


    she took out her phone and dialed Mr. Hampton¡¯s number. ¡°What is the meaning of this? Is this how


    you repay me after I give you ten percent of the shares? How dare you betray me?¡±


    ¡°Goodness sake, Mrs. Alston. I never meant to betray you. However, if I don¡¯t tell the truth, she will


    report to the police that I worked as a pimp. I am a famous director, Mrs. Alston. I can¡¯t live if this were


    to be spread around. Plus, it happened at your hotel, so you can¡¯t escape it.¡± Mr. Hampton had


    regretted his decision. ¡°If you are unhappy about it, I can give you back the shares.¡± He didn¡¯t want to


    have his life ruined because of a ten percent share. Moreover, he knew that Melissa wasn¡¯t humiliated


    because he had helped Foxy but because news spread around that she had mistreated her daughter-


    inw.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Mr. Hampton was innocent. After giving the shares back to Melissa, he immediately hung up the phone,


    not wanting to talk to her anymore.


    Hearing the beeping noise of the other end of the phone, Melissa felt like she was being stabbed in the


    heart. She was in pain and humiliated.


    At that moment, she gripped her phone tightly. Her fingers appeared crooked from the force, looking


    like the devil¡¯s hands.


    Just as Melissa was angry, her phone rang. She answered it in annoyance, and Jodie¡¯s cries could be


    heard. ¡°How did this happen, Mom? What does this have anything to do with me? Do you know what


    they¡¯re saying about me? They say I am cold, unreasonable, demanding, and so on! My reputation is


    ruined! How can I live with thesebels on me?!¡±

 Chapter 315

    Chapter 315


    Chapter 315 She Is Nothing Compared to Foxy


    The situation gave Melissa a headache. Now that Jodie was bugging her, she felt like she was about to


    explode from frustration. ¡°You brought this upon yourself, so why are you asking for my help?¡±


    ¡°Are you still my mother? How can you not care about my situation?!¡± Jodie shrieked.


    Melissa was in a sticky situation herself, so she didn¡¯t have the spare time to care about Jodie. Seeing


    that Jodie couldn¡¯t deal with it on her own, she felt her head throb.


    ¡°You are twenty-five years old, Jodie. You are a grown-up. I can¡¯t decide everything for you anymore.


    You should think on your own.¡±


    Jodie was mad at Melissa¡¯s dispassionate response. ¡°What else can I think about? I was having a great


    time and didn¡¯t cause trouble. However, this happened! Did you offend someone, Mom?¡± Although


    Jodie wasn¡¯t smart, she was at least good at making wild guesses.


    When Melissa heard her words, she was embarrassed. However, she denied it, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare


    talk nonsense about me! How can I possibly cause any trouble? Moreover, this is our family affairs, and


    only a few people know about it. Now that it was being mentioned, it was clear that someone was


    behind this!¡±


    At that moment, Jodie thought about a specific person. ¡°Amelie!¡± she cried out. ¡°It must be her! It can


    only be her! She did this because she wanted to take revenge on us and hold on to Leo!¡±


    Jodie could only think of Amelie since Elyse was dead, and Ellen was a madwoman who knew nothing


    about the Alston Family¡¯s affairs.


    Melissa was thinking the same thing too.


    ¡°This woman! I never expected that she would act in such a way when she used to be kind in our


    house! Why hasn¡¯t she thought about how unworthy she is? Not only did she not deserve Leo, she


    even took the initiative to get a divorce. However, she is acting as a victim in this story! This is just


    horrible!¡± Melissa was venting her anger.


    Jodie was also furious when she heard Melissa¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right! If I must say, she is a cunning


    woman! She tried to make us beg her to stay by using the divorce. When her n backfired, she


    started causing a ruckus!¡±


    ¡°This b*tch! What else can she do aside from this? She is nothingpared to Foxy.¡± To Melissa, there


    was a huge difference between Amelie and Foxy.


    ¡°You are quite smart in this, right, Jojo? Hurry up and think of a way to mess with her.¡±


    ¡°To mess with her?¡± Although Jodie was angry about Amelie, she recoiled at the thought of messing


    with her. After all, she had lost multiple times when going against Amelie, so she couldn¡¯t help but


    shiver at the thought of it. ¡°Let¡¯s forget it, Mom. If we were to do anything now, she would find an


    opportunity to get payback. If that happens, it will even be harder on our reputation.¡±


    When Melissa heard her words, she felt that Jodie was right.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you think of a way to get on her good side, Mom? Maybe then she will stop messing with


    us,¡± suggested Jodie.


    ¡°Get on her good side?¡± As soon as Melissa heard her words, she wanted to p her daughter across


    her face.


    She would rather die than try to win over Amelie. Plus, if she were to do this, she would be


    surrendering to her. There was no way she would do it. After all, she was a noblewoman. How could


    she yield against a poor woman?


    ¡°No!¡± Melissa refused without hesitation. ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± Knowing that she couldn¡¯t count on


    Jodie to think of a better solution, Melissa hung up the phone.


    As she sat on the bed, she was frustrated and couldn¡¯t ept the fact that this had happened. After all,


    she was Melissa, the mistress of the Alston Family, who was at the top of the pyramid. There was no


    way she would endure this humiliation!


    ¡­


    ¡°Amelie?¡±


    When Amelie left Starlight Media, she heard someone calling her. She turned her head and saw


    Melissa standing in the hall.


    Melissa was hooking a yellow-striped leather purse in her hand. She looked elegant as always and


    looked down on everyone. The only difference about her today was that she wore a pair of sunsses


    and a mask.


    If Amelie hadn¡¯t known her well, she would have misrecognized her as someone else.


    Melissa came to push her luck since she heard that Foxy used to work at Starlight Media. However,


    she didn¡¯t expect to meet the person she loathed. At this moment, she frowned and looked at Amelie


    with contempt. ¡°I thought you swore you would never rely on Starlight Media and raise Bria on your


    own? It looks like you lied to me. If that¡¯s the case, you better hand her to me now!¡± She had been


    suppressing her anger along the way. Now that she had caught Amelie red-handed, she exposed her


    immediately.


    As Amelie heard her words, she looked at Melissa before asking with a smirk, ¡°How can you use


    me of taking Starlight Media¡¯s money when I just stood here? What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act a fool!¡± Melissa had seen how eloquent Amelie could be after she had divorced Leo. Hence,


    she would not let her guard down. ¡°First of all, you don¡¯t have a job. Secondly, you don¡¯t have the ability


    to do so. If you want to live with your father and Bria, you must rely on Starlight Media. There is no way


    Leo would help you out on this, right?¡±


    Recalling that Amelie had been seen walking with Leo, Melissa felt she had found the truth.


    ¡°You are such a shameless woman, Amelie. It was you who wanted a divorce and was willing to leave


    without anything. Yet, you are still pestering Leo. Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed about it?¡±


    Hearing her usation, Amelie looked at her coldly and felt speechless. She really thinks I am a


    useless person. Why can¡¯t she think of other things rather than using me of using Starlight Media or


    Leo?


    Thinking about it, Amelie jeered and replied, ¡°If you are doubtful, you can find evidence about it. Check


    Leo¡¯s ount, Mrs. Alston. If you were to find out that I have taken even a single penny for him, I¡¯d pay


    you back ten times!¡± Then, she turned around and left.


    Seeing that she was being high-profile, Melissa quickly grabbed her and said, ¡°Wait! Even if you didn¡¯t


    take money from Leo, you could have taken the money from thepany. Since you have broken the


    promise, you must give Bria back to me! If you wish to keep her, you have to sign an agreement with


    me saying that you will never interact with Leo ever again!¡± After she had finished her words, she


    regretted it.


    After all, she felt like she was digging her own grave. With how cunning Amelie is, she will definitely


    give Bria back to me. After that, she will use the excuse of visiting Bria to mingle with Leo!


    Just as she regretted her decision, she heard Amelie¡¯s voice. ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Melissa thought she had heard it wrong. She looked at Amelie and frowned in confusion.


    At that moment, Amelie took out her phone and opened the recorder. Then, she put her lips against her


    phone and said, ¡°My name is Amelie Dillon, and I am twenty-five years old. Today, in the presence of


    Melissa Richards, who is Mrs. Alston, I swear that I have no feelings toward Leo and will never be with


    him!¡± Then, she sent the recorder to Melissa and said, ¡°I suppose this is enough.¡±


    During the whole process, Melissa was looking at Amelie dumbly. Amelie was fast and did it without


    hesitation. She had an intimidating presence, unlike how she used to be during her stay with the Alston


    Family.


    Even though Amelie had recorded her words, Melissa still didn¡¯t trust her. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to break the


    promise, right?¡±


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°You can hire awyer to draw the agreement, and we can go through all the legal procedures. I will


    sign it immediately. Of course, it will be best if you give Leo a copy too. After all, I hate trouble.¡±


    Is she saying that Leo is the one pestering her? thought Melissa when she heard Amelie¡¯s words.

 Chapter 316

    Chapter 316


    Chapter 316 Depend on Leo


    ¡°Oh, right, Mrs. Alston, please stop your son from pursuing Foxy. She¡¯s one of my best friends, and she


    told me early on that she isn¡¯t interested in your family at all.¡±


    Knowing that Melissa was still hung up about Foxy, Amelie reminded her.


    Melissa was so pissed that she snorted. ¡°Who do you think you are to know someone like Foxy? In the


    end, you¡¯re just trying to depend on Leo!¡±


    In Melissa¡¯s eyes, Amelie was already lucky enough to get to know Julia. A famous icon like Foxy was


    someone Amelie could only see in live streams.


    ¡°You can depend on Leo if you want, but you have to make it clear to the media right away that


    everything Foxy said in the live stream was false, and it was something you made up!¡±


    ¡°Hah! So, you think I was the one who said all those, Mrs. Alston?¡± Something I made up?!


    She used to think that Melissa was just a little too proud and cruel, but she realized that this super-


    wealthydy also had the ability to spin lies without batting an eye.


    Melissa raised her chin and sneered, clearly signifying that she was insistent on this thought. She had


    never once allowed Amelie to depend on her son. However, at that moment, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to


    make use of Amelie.


    As long as Amelie put in a good word in front of the media, the reputation of Melissa and the Alstons


    would be saved.


    She would think of a way to deal with Amelieter! Amelie watched Melissa¡¯s proud behavior, and she


    had to lift her hand to cover the mocking smile appearing on her lips.


    How can I not know what Melissa is thinking?


    ¡°Sorry, I won¡¯t depend on Leo, but I don¡¯t tell lies either. Mrs. Alston, if you feel like you were wrongly


    used, you can go ahead and look for evidence to clear your name. As long as the evidence is solid,


    I won¡¯t say another word.¡±


    Melissa fell silent because Amelie had forced her into a corner. Without faking anything, it was


    impossible to find any evidence in their favor.


    ¡°Amelie, you¡¯re just being shameless and reluctant to let go of Leo! Have more decency!¡± Melissa was


    so mad that she no longer cared about her reputation, yelling, ¡°You¡¯re so young, but you refuse to do


    anything, Amelie! You just want to be a parasite!¡±


    The more Melissa talked, the worse her insults were. Amelie originally wanted to ignore her, but when


    she heard Melissa¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    A momentter, she took out her phone and pulled up her ie records. ¡°Mrs. Alston, please have a


    good look at this. I do have ie. Aside from other sources, this is a reading tform I started


    recently. Just the ie from this source is enough to provide for me, my father, and Bria.¡±


    Melissa lowered her head to look at it.


    ¡°Knowlit?¡±


    Even though Melissa wasn¡¯t an avid reader, she still heard about this newly established reading


    tform.


    Many wealthydies in her social circle even joined the tform¡¯s offline training camp to heighten their


    tastes.


    She heard that the training camps had amazingly high standards, and the public was always fighting to


    get a ce in the camps. Even scalpers were invested in the training camps and resold registration


    spots for the bases, so they were highly sought after.


    Wealthydies only took up a small percentage of the camp participants; most of the participants were


    bosses of various hugepanies. Some were even important bosses of listedpanies. So,


    Amelie¡¯s the one who organizes those camps? How could a useless woman like Amelie actually


    establish such a high-ss tform?


    Melissa checked the ie records again with her eyes wide like saucers. Amelie¡¯s ie was more


    than enough to providefortably for her family of three; it wouldn¡¯t even be a problem to provide for


    1000 families of three!


    ¡°H-How can this be?¡±


    Melissa looked at Amelie with bloodshot eyes, as if she had seen a ghost.


    ¡°If you doubt the authenticity of the records, Mrs. Alston, you can check with the Industry and


    Commerce Bureau to see if I¡¯m the legal representative.¡± Amelie put her phone away and asked in a


    calm voice, ¡°So, can you leave me alone for a while now, Mrs. Alston?¡±


    Melissa was lost for words. Usually, if Amelie dared to chase her away, she would blow up in a fury. But


    now, her soul seemed to be drained from her body as she made no reaction.


    Sometimeter, she walked out in a daze. Looking at Melissa¡¯s receding figure, Amelie sighed lightly.


    ¡°It must be tiring to have the Alstons on your heels all the time.¡±


    At the side, Toby walked in with a smile on his never-changing face.


    With his signature white casual suit and refreshing smile, his presence seemed to soften the entire


    world. Amelie looked at him in surprise.


    Toby curved his lips into a smile. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± It was only then that Amelie shrugged.


    Toby knew more than anyone about her unfortunate situation with the Alstons. He was still smiling, and


    the smile in his eyes deepened when he looked at her. ¡°I have a way of silencing everyone who wants


    to bother you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± She was intrigued. It would be the best help she could get.


    Toby pointed at himself, but Amelie was silent. Seeing her obviously confused expression, Toby


    chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy. Link your identity as Amelie to the boss of Starlight Media, then announce to the public that


    you are already engaged or even married. As for your identity as Foxy, she can go out with me.¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    She did approve of the former part of the n, for she was the boss of Starlight Media anyway. But


    going out with Toby¡­


    ¡°Never mind.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Am I not worthy?¡± Toby asked with raised eyebrows.


    Amelie looked at him. The man was born with a refreshing aura like the spring breeze, and everything


    he did gave people the feeling of walking into a field of flowers, where only rxation remained.


    It was no wonder that many women kept pursuing him despite knowing they wouldn¡¯t get anywhere.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re a young man, Mr. Walsh, and you can choose anyone you


    like, so you don¡¯t have to be involved with me.¡±


    ¡°Being involved with you is beneficial to me too,¡± exined Toby. ¡°My family has been pressuring me to


    get married these days, but I never liked those rich young girls. If I can find someone who can silence


    my parents, my life will be much easier. If you¡¯re willing, just think of it as helping me. My parents even


    said that if I don¡¯t settle down soon, I¡¯ll be kicked out ofpany matters.¡±


    If he were to speak of something else, Amelie definitely wouldn¡¯t agree.


    But if he was asking her for help¡­


    Amelie knew more or less about the situation in Toby¡¯s family. The person in power in thepany was


    the Old Mr. Walsh.


    Toby¡¯s father and uncles were fighting each other for the right to inherit thepany. The younger


    generations were dragged into this battle early on, and as soon as they reached their twenties, they


    would immediately find their partners.


    The partners in question were simply strong allies they could marry so that they would seem more


    qualified.


    Toby¡¯s sister was a little luckier because she coincidentally married the man she loved. The other


    cousins were less fortunate, however.


    Toby had saved her twice, and she owed him a lot.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded. ¡°But just to make things clear, we¡¯re simply pretending to be lovers. When you¡¯ve


    found someone you like, who is also a suitable partner, we¡¯ll announce our breakup right away.


    Throughout the entire process, I won¡¯t get involved in your private life, but you can¡¯t fool around like you


    used to. You should seek someone you like as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Toby replied, his curved lips unknowingly tinted with a hint of bitterness.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s been a long while since Ist got to know any women,¡± he said sheepishly.


    Amelie nced at him without thinking too much about his words. Toby could only extend a hand


    toward her. ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 317

    Chapter 317


    Chapter 317 A Deep Impression of That Night


    Work ended a littlete, and it was already 8.00PM by the time Amelie returned to Halport. Steven said


    that he had something urgent to attend to, so he was going back to Quinn Town. The olddy next door


    was taking care of Bria for the time being, so Amelie had to go home in time to fetch Bria.


    After that, Steven reminded her about getting groceries because he didn¡¯t want Amelie and Bria to


    starve.


    As Amelie listened to her father¡¯s loving voice, she allowed a faint smile on her lips. She was both


    exasperated and touched. Most parents loved and cared for their children even though they were


    grown-ups.


    Amelie obediently said yes to all of Steven¡¯s nagging. Steven talked for a while, then finally hung up.


    Amelie touched her ear, which was heated by the phone. As she ended the call, she felt around for her


    keys. She had just touched the keys when she froze in front of the entrance.


    A man was standing under the warm yellow glow of the streetlights in front of the entrance of her


    apartment. He had a tall build and long legs, and his body proportions followed the perfect standard for


    models.


    Even in the dim light, the stern aura emanating from his body was unmistakable.


    Leo kept facing the door, but it seemed like he had eyes on the back of his head, for he turned around


    as soon as Amelie stopped walking.


    He pursed his lips as he simply stared at her with his deep gaze. His eyes were alluringly deep, like an


    endless ocean.


    Amelie was stunned for a moment before asking, ¡°Mr. Alston? Why are you here?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t reply as he shifted his position. He then began striding toward her.


    He constantly kept his eyes on her, and with every approaching step, the alluring sensation thickened.


    Amelie subconsciously took a step back. A wary and nervous look appeared in her pretty eyes.


    He took note of her minuscule shifts in expression, his gaze gradually darkening as he stopped a few


    inches before her. ¡°Miss Foxy doubted my capabilities in public. I feel that it is necessary for me to


    come in person so that you can verify it yourself.¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    So, he watches the live stream too?


    This was something she had never expected before. In her memories, Leo was a workaholic, and his


    mind was filled with nothing but work.


    Even if he took an asional break, he would read up on economic news or reports from tech-based


    news outlets.


    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± She wanted to signify that the two only had a brief meeting in the guest room


    of the hotel, so they couldn¡¯t have done anything.


    Despite saying that, however, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed.


    She didn¡¯t think anything of it in the live stream, but when she was in front of the person himself, she


    felt uneasy regardless.


    Leo was a tall man, and he was standing close to her while looking down at her. She felt like a little


    mouse with people watching her every move, and she had nowhere to run.


    She uneasily licked her lips, and her eyes darted subconsciously.


    Suddenly, Leo reached out, but Amelie didn¡¯t know what he was trying to do, so she instinctively


    dodged him.


    There was a chill on her back as it pressed against the wall. The man¡¯s hand extended forward and


    pressed on the wall while his other hand did so as well, trapping her between his chest and the wall.


    Amelie was feeling even more trapped. Confused, Amelie felt her heart beating wildly as she stared at


    him with a wary look in her eyes.


    She saw his lips curving into a half-smile. ¡°So, was that sarcasm instead, and you actually think of me


    as a powerful person?¡±


    Amelie said nothing.


    ¡°Looks like you have a deep impression of the night we shared.¡±


    His words were like a torch that caught fire, burning Amelie so strongly. The man was supposed to be


    stern with his words, but he was surprisingly skilled at making suggestive talk.


    Amelie wanted to appear indifferent and talk seriously to him like before, but after he said that, her


    brain seemed to be glued together, and she couldn¡¯t quitee up with a reaction.


    She had always been perfectly capable of handling other men, but Leo was a little hard to deal with.


    Is it because this man shared an intimate moment with me before?


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Amelie was quite regretful about this matter.


    Leo noticed Amelie¡¯s troubled expression, and when he saw her pursing her lips, his gaze darkened


    even more. Her behavior was a stark contrast to her carefree attitude online. A sliver of charm was


    injected into her innocent expression, and it was simply too appealing.


    He subconsciously gulped, his Adam¡¯s apple moving sensually as he did so. He gazed at her lips, then


    lowered his head.


    Almost uncontrobly, his lips searched for hers, but Amelie was silent. Just as Leo¡¯s lips were about to


    find Amelie¡¯s, he felt a piercing pain on his foot.


    He subconsciously let out a groan, after which Amelie swiftly ducked under his armpit and escaped.


    ¡°If you want to fulfill your desires, Mr. Alston, there¡¯s a decent club two streets down. Perhaps you¡¯ll find


    a type you fancy there.¡± She turned around and gave him a challenging look, then tapped the sole of


    her shoes against the floor.


    Along with that tap, Leo felt his foot hurting even more from her merciless stomp. Amelie couldn¡¯t be


    bothered to waste more time on him as she waved leisurely and chimed, ¡°Have fun!¡±


    With that, she hastily opened the door and dashed inside to create a barrier between them.


    ¡°Dada.¡±


    Just then, a cute voice rang out. Amelie froze halfway through her action of closing the door. She


    turned to see Bria walking out with Mrs. Mason, the olddy next door, holding her hand.


    Bria blinked with her gigantic eyes, then looked at Leo in surprise.


    Leo pretended to be fine as Bria hastily ran up to him. ¡°Dada, did youe to us because you knew


    that Grandpa wasn¡¯t home?¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    Great.


    She had nned to threaten Leo with her dad if he did anything he shouldn¡¯t, but her darling daughter


    had exposed everything.


    ¡°Oh, so this is Bria¡¯s father? He¡¯s so handsome.¡±


    Mrs. Mason only moved in some time ago, so she hadn¡¯t met Leo yet. She looked like she found some


    treasure when she saw Leo, her surprise unbridled as shemented, ¡°No wonder Bria looks so


    pretty. She got it from her parents!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Mason.¡±


    Amelie had no choice but to walk out and greet Mrs. Mason.


    The olderdy nodded in response, then looked between Amelie and Leo. ¡°What a perfect match!¡±


    Amelie was speechless. She opened her mouth to say that there was nothing between them, but Mrs.


    Mason spoke up smilingly before she could say anything. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere in your family reunion now.


    Goodbye.¡±


    Right in front of Amelie, Leo took Bria into his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Bria


    immediately clung to his neck. ¡°Mama, I¡¯m so hungry.¡±


    Amelie looked at the two in exasperation. In the end, she had no choice but to open the door and allow


    Leo to enter as well.


    Bria was extremely excited about Leo¡¯s arrival as she bbered on and on, saying, ¡°Dada, the


    amusement park was so fun! I love it so much.¡±


    Leo always felt like he owed Bria something. When he heard her say that, he nodded and replied,


    ¡°Since you like it so much, we can go there again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Bria shook her head, her gaze secretly turning in Amelie¡¯s direction. ¡°But Mama will be


    taking me to a light show tonight. Dada, if you want to go, I can invite you.¡±


    Steven was the one who arranged for the event, and Amelie knew of it beforehand.


    When she saw Bria about to invite Leo along, her pretty face changed color as she gave Bria a warning


    look.


    Bria immediately bit her lip pitifully and slid out of Leo¡¯s arms. She ran to Amelie and tugged at the


    latter¡¯s clothes incessantly. ¡°Mama, you always say that we should repay the kindness. Dada took me


    to the amusement park, so I should invite him to the light show in return.¡±


    Bria had just learned some new vocabry, and she wasn¡¯t quite sure about the meaning, but she was


    already acting like a master.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t find the words to retort Bria while Leo curved his lips in satisfaction. As expected of my


    daughter!


    Bria also curved her lips at him. ¡°Dada, hurry and make dinner. We¡¯ll be setting out after we eat.¡±


    She had been testing her father in her mother¡¯s stead for a long time. Even though her father did a lot


    of bad things before, he sincerely cared about her mother.


    Bria felt that inparison to other people, her father was more suited to be with her mother.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Without another word, Leo turned around and went into the kitchen. As for the person being left


    out, she could only stand in silence.

 Chapter 318

    Chapter 318


    Chapter 318 Willingly Be Her Puppet


    ¡°Can you cook?¡± Amelie quickly followed Leo into the kitchen.


    When she was in the Alston Residence, she had never seen him enter the kitchen, so she was very


    doubtful about his cooking skills.


    Leo had already taken off his coat, and he was lowering his head as he undid the buttons on his


    sleeves. His slender fingers leisurely rolled his sleeves upward, exposing his muscr arms.


    ¡°I can learn,¡± he dered indifferently as he looked up at her. ¡°You can teach me.¡±


    He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, so Amelie almostughed out loud.


    Leo¡¯s gaze was insistent, and there was a sense of bewitchment in it as well. Amelie didn¡¯t dare meet


    his gaze as she sighed in exasperation. ¡°Just let me do it.¡±


    Instead of teaching him, it would be far quicker for her to do the cooking.


    With that, she took the apron to put it on. Before she could wear it, however, the man snatched the


    apron and put it on himself.


    ¡°Bria wants to eat the food I made,¡± he said matter-of-factly.


    Amelie was speechless.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re very nice to Bria, and you won¡¯t decline anything she asked with good reason.


    Therefore, it should be a reasonable request if she wants to eat what her father made.¡±


    Amelie was about to say something when Bria¡¯s voice sounded, saying, ¡°Dada, I want to eat the beef


    stew! Don¡¯t forget the potatoes! Oh, and I want a poke bowl too, the sort with chopped carrots,


    tomatoes, shrimp, beans, and sausages!¡±


    Bria¡¯s words perfectly supported Leo¡¯s, and Amelie could onlypromise.


    Leo nodded in response, then opened the fridge after tying the apron around him. He skillfully retrieved


    all the ingredients Bria listed, then ced them on the counter.


    ¡°You have to wash the beef and cut it into chunks.¡± Bria continued her remotemands.


    She knew that Leo didn¡¯t know how to cook, so after searching her memories, she provided him with


    Steven¡¯s easiest recipes.


    Leo swiftly unwrapped the beef, then ced it under running water to wash it.


    He fetched the chopping board and a kitchen knife, then washed them as well. Then, he ced the


    beef on the chopping board and began slicing it.


    Seeing how smooth his actions were, Amelie decided she had no reason to stay in the same room as


    him, so she turned around to walk outside.


    ck!


    With a sudden noise, the knife flew out of control and ttered onto the chopping board.


    Startled, Amelie turned to look at Leo.


    Leo put on an innocent expression. ¡°The beef was being stubborn. It¡¯s too slippery.¡±


    With that, he pointed at the beef he had sliced off a little. The portion was irregrly sliced, and it was


    far from the small chunks Bria wanted.


    If this went on, either beef chunks or human fingers would end up in the pot. Therefore, Amelie had no


    choice but to walk back in. Leo had already picked up the knife. ¡°Teach me. At least Bria will feel like I


    made this.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to mind the embarrassment. With that, he pointed at the back of his hand, as if asking


    Amelie to take his hand and guide him.


    Amelie was out of options, so she could only extend her hand, circling around his back and gripping his


    knife-wielding hand with great effort. Her other hand pressed hisrge palm on the beef. ¡°Keep close to


    the meat, angle the knife a little, and cut down little by little.¡±


    Even though Leo was slim, he still had a man¡¯s figure, so Amelie¡¯s arms couldn¡¯t quite wrap around


    him.


    She painstakingly poked her head out to make sure that she could see the beef and her own hands. It


    was terribly awkward.


    If she knew this would happen, she would¡¯ve bought an automatic cooking machine.


    Amelie had wanted to do this a long time ago, but Steven said that cooking machinescked that


    human touch, so he disagreed insistently.


    Moreover, he wasn¡¯t working anymore, so the only joy in his life right now was to prepare good food for


    them.


    Amelie didn¡¯t want to rob him of his joy, so that was how things turned out like this.


    Leo allowed her control of his hands as they sliced the meat bit by bit.


    The woman¡¯s soft body was leaning against his back, and her gentle and clear voice was ringing right


    in his ears. It was simply too alluring.


    Because they were sticking so closely together, he could feel on his back her heart pulsating through


    her chest. Every heartbeat from her struck his own heart.


    His heart began beating along with this rhythm, and he was so captivated by her that he could barely


    regain his sense of self.


    Still, he pretended to be serious as he allowed her full control, just like a puppet in her hands. However,


    his body was getting warmer as time ticked by.


    Of course, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but feel his rising temperature and hear his steady heartbeats ringing in


    her ears.


    Even though she was just sticking to his back, she could hear it clearly. Every beat of his heart was


    strong and domineering as if threatening to traverse across their bodies into her insides.


    She suddenly realized that the man wasn¡¯t even looking at the meat. Throughout the entire process, he


    had his head tilted so that he could see her face.


    Amelie was speechless. She immediately let go and said, ¡°Try it yourself!¡±


    Leo noticed her panicked behavior and curved his lips, then lowered his head and began cutting.


    His actions weren¡¯t too slow, and he cut the meat into more even chunks than when she had held his


    hands. As Amelie watched the pieces of beef falling down, she suddenly felt like she had fallen into a


    trap.


    He probably knew his way around kitchen knives.


    ¡°Having a smart teacher makes all the difference. Look, the student is mastering the skill with just a few


    words from the teacher. Of course, the student takes some credit as well.¡± Leo feigned nonchnce as


    he spoke, easily covering up the fact that he knew how to cut and slice ingredients.


    After that, Amelie never got close to him again. Leo didn¡¯t find any excuses for her to help him, either.


    She was so resentful of him that he dared not force her too much in case she ran away.


    Even though Leo¡¯s cooking wasn¡¯t as good as Steven¡¯s, Bria still finished the food on obligation.


    After dinner, the three walked out to watch the light show.


    The light show was held at a park within a mile of themunity they lived in.


    The three strolled to the park, and by the time they arrived, the sky had turned dark. Lights were


    glimmering in the park, and they could see the brilliant glow even from a distance away.


    Bria held both Leo¡¯s and Amelie¡¯s hands as she excitedly ran through the colorful light tunnel. Then,


    she went to look at the shimmering mascots, thoroughly enjoying herself.


    There was quite a crowd at the park, and most of them were families.


    Many people were taking photos with the lit sculptures as well.


    ¡°Dada, take a photo of us too,¡± Bria said.


    With that, she pulled Amelie along as she ran to awn.


    Lights had formed all sorts of flowers there, including chrysanthemums, roses, peonies, and the like. It


    had every flower they could think of, and the flowers were also life-like and pretty.


    There were even bunnies,mbs, and other animals made of lights hiding among the flowers. Bria


    asked Amelie to pout like she did and struck a cute pose with the flowers. Then, she asked Amelie to


    carry her so that she could touch the giraffe¡¯s mouth.


    Leo took out his phone and watched the two bathed in light through the lens.


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    The little kid was lively and adorable, and she was a cute bundle of joy, whereas the woman was sweet


    and pretty, and her smile was alluring.


    He couldn¡¯t help but zoom in. The closer he zoomed in, the more he was entranced by her smile, and


    he was in a daze for some time.


    Her curved lips remained pink in the poor lighting of the night, and they looked like delicious jelly. The


    taste must be lovely and fragrant as well.


    Leo wasn¡¯t a lustful man, and he had a mild personality. Save for the night he shared with Amelie


    before the marriage, he had never gotten intimate with other women before. Even when he was dating


    Elyse in the past, they only held hands at most.


    Elyse had dropped hints, but apparently, he wasn¡¯t born interested in that area. But when he was taking


    pictures, he suddenly had the urge to pull the woman reflected in the lens into his embrace.


    ¡°Wow, what a happy family!¡± A married couple passed by, and the woman spoke up in admiration. She


    even nudged her husband as shemented, ¡°Look how professional and patient the husband is!


    Unlike you, every time I ask you to take photos, you react like I¡¯m asking for your life!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you see how pretty his wife and daughter are? They¡¯re so photogenic that it¡¯s a pleasure to


    take photos of them.¡± The man retorted without care.


    The wife was so mad that she began fuming and retaliating. ¡°His wife and children are pretty because


    he¡¯s worthy of them! A terror like you can only settle for me!¡±


    Leo could care less about the conversation, but the word ¡®family¡¯ was deeply ingrained in his mind. He


    gazed lovingly at the people reflected in the lens, then strode toward them.

 Chapter 319

    Chapter 319


    Chapter 319 Innocent Taste of Youth


    Amelie was posing and highlighting her figure under Bria¡¯s guidance, but all of a sudden, something


    tightened around her waist as her body collided with someone¡¯s broad chest.


    Her nose caught a whiff of the unique scent of a man, but before she could react, the man¡¯s voice


    sounded. ¡°Please help us take a photo.¡±


    She turned to see Leo handing his phone to a man who was equipped with a digital camera. The man


    looked at the three in surprise, then immediately nodded. ¡°Of course, of course.¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    ¡°Can the mom please carry the girl? Then the dad can hold both the mom and the girl in his arms.¡± The


    man was obviously a professional as he quickly gave them instructions.


    Bria proactively settled into Amelie¡¯s embrace as Leo reached out and draped his arms around the two.


    Warmth invaded Amelie¡¯s back as Leo leaned against her.


    The man had long enough arms that he could easily embrace the two.


    ¡°Good. The dad has an especially pleasant expression. The mom should smile wider.¡±


    Leo was presenting his most honest self as he gazed gently at the people in his arms, his usually stern


    face colored with rare tenderness.


    When the man saw Leo¡¯s expression, he couldn¡¯t praise thetter enough. Amelie forcefully raised the


    corners of her mouth.


    ¡°Can the mom smile a bit brighter?¡±


    Even though Amelie was quite beautiful and her smile was already nice enough, the photographer still


    wanted a more astounding expression.


    Bria hastily reached out her little fingers and pushed up the corners of Amelie¡¯s mouth. The


    photographer took a few shots. Leo¡¯s phone had exceptional specs, so its camera was on par with


    professional cameras. The photographer was amazed.


    Amelie finally let out a sigh of relief. She was about to push Leo away when she heard the


    photographer say, ¡°Let¡¯s take a few more shots. The mom and the dad will hold the girl in turn¡ª¡±


    Despite Amelie¡¯s strong reluctance, Bria was extremely excited about it, and Leo didn¡¯t look like he


    wanted to stop.


    Amelie had no choice but to take shot after shot under the photographer¡¯s direction.


    The smile on her face almost went stiff.


    She thought that with Leo¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t allow someone else to direct him ceaselessly, but


    he remained silent as he obediently followed the photographer¡¯s instructions.


    Amelie was lost for words. The impromptu photo shoot continued until the photographer¡¯s client


    arrived. He was a little reluctant, but he had no choice but to return the phone and leave.


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    Amelie was finally revived while Leo reluctantly moved his hand away from Amelie, then retrieved his


    phone to look at the photos.


    The family was close and intimate in the photos, especially Amelie, who was held tightly in his arms. As


    Leo scanned the photos, his body began burning again.


    ¡°Ooh.¡± Bria¡¯s little head tilted into view as she asked Amelie to carry her so she could see the photos.


    She then swiped across the screen with her little fingers as if she couldn¡¯t wait any longer.


    Leo looked at the photos, then turned his gaze onto Amelie¡¯s face.


    Compared to the photos, she looked even livelier and prettier in person. The dim lights had taken on a


    suggestive vibe, and he gulped as he leaned in her direction. His lips were almost touching hers. In the


    end, he didn¡¯t do anything.


    He wanted to touch her under her consent. Even though it might take a longer time, he was willing to


    wait. Just like how she had waited for him.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a loud noise was heard. Several people were shocked as they turned simultaneously to look.


    In the sky above the shimmering river, a blue me burst in all directions and formed a flowery shape.


    ¡°Fireworks, fireworks!¡± Bria had only seen fireworks on TV before, so she couldn¡¯t help but jump up and


    down as she shouted.


    She had just finished shouting when another few bangs sounded.


    Amelie didn¡¯t expect any fireworks tonight, and she was so startled that she curled up and almost


    instinctively covered her ears.


    She found her hands resting upon a pair ofrger hands. She was stunned as she saw Leo standing


    right in front of her. His hands had covered her ears before hers could.


    She was immediately reminded of a simr scene in the past. She suddenly remembered when she


    was in Quinn Town 10 years ago.


    It was New Year¡¯s Eve, and she had sneaked out to apany Leo.


    When she arrived, Leo looked like an abandoned child as he sat alone on the windowsill, looking into


    the distance in a daze.


    Quinn Town was a ce that prioritized celebrations, so most of the hospital staff had gone home for


    the countdown. Even patients themselves wouldn¡¯t stay in the hospital. Hence, the entire hospital was


    eerily silent.


    When she spoke to him, he pursed his lips and stayed silent. He waspletely void of reaction like a


    statue.


    Amelie could understand how he felt. It was New Year¡¯s, but his family didn¡¯t even visit him, much less


    take him home. He must be feeling terrible inside.


    However, she didn¡¯t know how to make him happy, so she could only drag him downstairs to listen to


    the fireworks.


    Quinn Town wasn¡¯t like the cities, and fireworks there were released at will. She brought him to a


    crowded ce where people were setting up fireworks and ying with firecrackers.


    She was actually deathly afraid of loud noises. Every New Year¡¯s, Steven would buy rtively quieter


    firecrackers, and he only got her sparklers instead of loud fireworks.


    But she mustered up her courage for Leo¡¯s sake. She thought she could withstand it, but it wasn¡¯t until


    she arrived at the scene that she realized she had overestimated herself.


    As soon as the firecrackers and fireworks went off, she was shocked and stiff as she leaned against


    Leo, shivering.


    In the end, Leo sensed her trembling and covered her ears.


    Leoughed at her and said she was biting off more than she could chew. She was so scared, but she


    still pretended to be a hero.


    He mocked her and told her that she was silly and that she should just tell him if she was scared. After


    that, however, he hugged her.


    In her teenage years, she didn¡¯t wonder why he would hug her. She only felt her heart thumping wildly,


    even louder than the fireworks and the firecrackers.


    It wasn¡¯t scary at all; it was extremely sweet. She wasn¡¯t sure if he did it on purpose, but his lips


    brushed against hers.


    She had remembered the soft and innocent taste of youth for an entire 10 years. Amelie suddenly


    came to her senses.


    The sickly youth in front of her had turned into a mature and handsome adult.


    He was no longer lonely and helpless; he had already be independent and had risen above


    everyone else.


    His thin lips were right in front of her, and there was a dark gleam in his eyes as he stared at her lips.


    She felt like his lips would touch hers at any moment, so she took a step backward. Caught off guard,


    he found his hands covering air instead of her ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Amelie turned around and left. Even though Bria hadn¡¯t had enough, Leo picked her up, so she could


    only follow them back.


    On their way home, they were especially quiet. Amelie lowered her head and remained silent, and Leo


    didn¡¯t say anything either.


    Bored, Bria yawned and leaned against Leo¡¯s shoulder as she tossed and turned. Soon, she closed her


    eyes and fell asleep.


    ¡°Let me hold her.¡± Once at the entrance of themunity, Amelie spoke up.


    Leo held the child and stayed still, focusing his gaze directly on Amelie.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t said anything, his straightforward gaze was like a hook that threatened to reel


    her heart out. Amelie avoided his gaze and cleared her throat. ¡°There¡¯s something I didn¡¯t tell you. I


    started seeing someone.¡±

 Chapter 320

    Chapter 320


    Chapter 320 Huge News About Amelie


    Even though Amelie had agreed to pose as Toby¡¯s lover and acknowledged his ideas, she didn¡¯t have


    the slightest intention of lying to Leo.


    She found it a little too deliberate. However, from tonight¡¯s events, she felt that maintaining a distance


    was the best option.


    ¡°With my future in the equation, I think you should put an appropriate distance between us, Mr. Alston.


    Also, please delete the photos too.¡±


    With that, before Leo could respond, she took Bria from his arms, then turned around and went


    upstairs.


    ¡­


    It was already 1.00AM by the time Leo returned home, but Melissa was still up.


    She had had trouble sleepingtely, and her insomnia that evening was especially serious. Her mind


    was filled with thoughts, and even at this hour, she didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all.


    Melissa rubbed her temples in annoyance. She felt that if she kept losing sleep like this, her


    painstakingly maintained skin would wither and age.


    While she was troubled over that, the door opened.


    Leo walked in, looking all cold and chilly. The jacket hanging from his coat was obviously untouched


    throughout his whole journey.


    The temperature was only about 50 degrees at night, and the sole shirt he was wearing looked


    especially thin.


    His gaze was stony as if he was numb to everything.


    As he passed by Melissa, he nodded at her out of courtesy and called, ¡°Mom.¡±


    Melissa was already used to receiving Leo¡¯s cold treatment, but she hastily stopped him anyway. ¡°Leo,


    how much do you know about Amelie?¡±


    Leo frowned, a little upset that Melissa was asking about Amelie.


    Melissa was so bothered about her own questions that she didn¡¯t notice her son¡¯s expression. She


    said, ¡°I only knew today that she established an outstanding reading tform. You¡¯ve heard of Knowlit,


    right? How can she be the owner of Knowlit? She can¡¯t be that capable.¡±


    Knowlit wasn¡¯t news anymore in their social circle. Many business schools were even analyzing her


    business model, and they had nothing but praise for her.


    Leo sounded a grunt indifferently. Ever since he discovered that she was Big Eyes, he paid special


    attention to her, so he naturally knew about that.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°You know that too? Is that why you maintained a connection with her?¡± Melissa guessed, then couldn¡¯t


    help but advise her son, saying, ¡°Leo, Amelie is bad news. She deceived you back then, so she might


    be doing the same thing now. She¡¯s probably hoping that we can see her in a better light so that she


    can remarry you. It¡¯s not much of an issue if she¡¯s really capable, but I think she must have used some


    dirty tricks to put her name on the reading tform.¡±


    From what Melissa knew of Amelie, thetter was uncultured and incapable of anything. Save for her


    using her body to exchange for some goodies, she wasn¡¯t capable enough to pursue any career.


    ¡°She might have sold herself to some random man already!¡±


    The more Melissa said, the less careful she was, and the more indecent her words became. Her


    elegant image waspletely shattered.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t spout nonsense if you don¡¯t know anything!¡± Leo reminded her in annoyance. Melissa was


    already challenging his patience by ndering Amelie. ¡°She established the reading tform on her


    own, and she never depend on anyone. Even if she did rely on someone, it was a win-win partnership.


    She¡¯s far more capable than you can imagine, so she never had a reason to sell her body!¡±


    Leo rarely had anything to say to Melissa, but now, he delivered a speech for Amelie¡¯s sake.


    Melissa was stunned.


    She wasn¡¯t shocked just because Leo spoke so much to her; she was also surprised that Leo would


    know so much about Amelie.


    ¡°Leo?¡± She called his name uneasily. ¡°Why do you care so much about Amelie? What about Foxy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything about her without evidence in the future!¡± Leo rubbed between his eyebrows as he


    skipped the exnations, choosing to remind Melissa instead.


    He had never told anyone that Amelie was Foxy. Even though he didn¡¯t understand why Amelie would


    do that, he still kept it a secret for her sake, even from his own mother. As Melissa listened to her son¡¯s


    words, she started picking at her nails as all sorts of thoughts appeared in her head.


    Even though her son was cold and unapproachable, he wouldn¡¯t speak nonsense. This could only


    mean that Amelie truly did establish the reading tform on her own. Hence, by the looks of that,


    Amelie was a capable person herself.


    If she were so outstanding, why would she hide in the Alston Family and humble herself? Even though


    Melissa couldn¡¯t understand why Amelie did that, when she recalled the few times Amelie fought with a


    different attitude against her after the divorce, she found herself believing Leo.


    Suddenly, she regarded Amelie with less disdain than before. Even though Amelie wasn¡¯t as good as


    Foxy, who had 100 million fans, she had quite a remarkable tform.


    Even though their backgrounds differed a little, Amelie could be quite reputable with the tform she


    established.


    Also, she would be easier to handlepared to Foxy.


    Melissa couldn¡¯t help butpare Amelie¡¯s two identities. Her conclusion was that Foxy was too


    haughty, so if Foxy married into the Alston Family, she might have to serve Foxy instead.


    After Melissa thought it through, her mood lifted and sleepiness invaded her. She stood up and decided


    to get her beauty sleep. Just then, Leo¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated.


    It wasn¡¯t a phone call; it was a message notification. Leo had programmed it so that his phone would


    automatically notify him if news of Amelie cropped up on the inte.


    It was exactly because she was involved that he behaved more anxious than usual as he quickly took


    out his phone to check.


    The news was disyed on the lock screen, so he could read it without unlocking his phone.


    As he read the text on the blue screen, Leo¡¯s handsome eyebrows suddenly creased as the joints in his


    fingers tensed up.


    The room was instantly filled with a dark atmosphere as if a storm was brewing. Even Melissa was


    affected by it as she subconsciously looked at her son. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    However, Leo stayed silent as he gritted his teeth. Then, he turned around and walked toward the door.


    m! He mmed the door on his way out.


    Melissa fell silent.


    What¡¯s going on now?


    Melissa didn¡¯t have the faintest idea as she stared at the door.


    Don¡¯t tell me something happened at thepany¡­


    At that thought, Melissa felt beads of sweat appearing on her forehead as her legs grew weak. She


    hastily called up Eugene.


    Eugene was still in dreand, and he yawned as he listened to what Melissa had to say. ¡°The


    company is doing very well right now, and there are no problems. Did Mr. Alston go out in the middle of


    the night for private matters?¡±


    ¡°Private matters?¡±


    Melissa suddenly came to her senses at that reminder. What else could Leo¡¯s private matters include?


    It would be either Foxy and Amelie or Bria at the most.


    If something had happened to Bria, Amelie would definitely call him straight away. So, Bria clearly


    wasn¡¯t involved.


    As Melissa pondered, she recalled what little she saw of Leo¡¯s phone screen when she nced at it


    just now.


    He seemed to have read a news notification. At that thought, Melissa immediately turned on her phone


    and scoured through the news on major news sites.


    There weren¡¯t many news articles uploaded at 1.00AM, so she found one with great ease. It had


    something to do with Amelie.


    When she saw Amelie¡¯s name, Melissa hastily continued reading, but before she could finish reading


    the article, she gasped.


    My goodness!

 Chapter 321

    Chapter 321


    Chapter 321 Who¡¯s the President of Starlight Media?


    ¡°Is Amelie kidding me right now?¡±


    Melissa had just decided to ept Amelie, but thetter was already getting married! She read the


    words on the screen over and over again, feeling like fate was mocking her.


    The news article was reporting the news of Amelie getting married to Starlight Media¡¯s owner. The boss


    of Starlight Media had been missing for so long that Melissa almost forgot this person even existed.


    Melissa felt like someone was choking her, and she couldn¡¯t catch her breath.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡±


    Gripping her phone, Melissa began pacing around the house. The sleepiness she managed to develop


    had vanished in an instant. After pacing for a while, she thought long and hard about it, then suddenly


    realized that it might not be bad news after all.


    Even if Amelie got married, they still had Foxy. Foxy¡¯s 100 million fans were far more impressive than


    Amelie¡¯s reading tform.


    If she secured Foxy, no matter what thetter tried to do, she could easily win!


    After shifting her focus, Melissa began anxiously thinking of ways to get Foxy and her son together.


    ¡­


    It was a new day. Like always, Julia leaped out of the car in great vigor and strode with a haughty aura


    toward her own office.


    She had just arrived at the steps leading to the main entrance of Starlight Media when she identally


    caught sight of a tall man standing next to the steps.


    When she recognized the man, she couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect to see


    trash here.¡±


    Her voice wasn¡¯t too loud, but her eyes were filled with obvious disdain.


    Not many people could incur such wrath from Julia, and one of them was Leo.


    Leo didn¡¯t look like he sensed her disgust as he remained standing. His thin shirt clung to his skin as


    the chilly morning breeze rustled the leaves around them. He didn¡¯t seem affected by the cold as he


    remained stationary.


    On the contrary, his natural stern aura felt even colder than the wind. Julia suspected that the one


    getting frozen to death wouldn¡¯t be him but the wind instead.


    Julia had nothing nice to say about Leo, so she gave him a nce and decided to take another path.


    However, Leo suddenly turned around as if he had eyes on his back. He walked toward her and


    blocked her path in just a few steps.


    ¡°Miss White, I have a question.¡±


    The impatience was clear in his eyes, but he suppressed his attitude when he talked to her. Even


    though his voice was as cold as always, it wasn¡¯t unpleasant at all.


    Julia looked at him scornfully as she crossed her arms. ¡°Mr. Alston, you came to me early in the


    morning to ask a question. People who didn¡¯t know better might think that we have some secret affair.¡±


    Leo frowned slightly, obviously unapproving of her bold teasing. Still, he didn¡¯t express any opinions as


    he asked, ¡°Who exactly is the boss of Starlight Media?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Starlight Media¡¯s boss.¡± As soon as he spoke up, Julia understood why he was asking about this.


    It definitely had to do with the news Amelie released earlier in the day. Honestly speaking, Julia only


    saw the news in the morning.


    Julia was wondering why Amelie would post such things out of the blue, and she had intended to


    interrogate thetter about it when she had timeter. Now that Leo was asking her, she suddenly


    understood.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Amelie probably did it to ward off the man in front of her.


    ¡°Why are you looking for our boss?¡± Julia feigned ignorance as she rolled her eyes at Leo. ¡°Business


    matters? Sorry, but our president doesn¡¯t fancy talking business with the likes of you.¡±


    Leo frowned again. ¡°It has nothing to do with business.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s even less of a reason to tell you.¡± Julia exaggerated her shrug as she put on a pitying


    expression. ¡°However, Mr. Alston, you¡¯re quite skilled, aren¡¯t you? If you¡¯re truly sincere about it, you


    can figure it out yourself.¡±


    With that, she stepped around him and walked forward.


    ¡°Miss White, you should know what Samuel did in the past, right?¡±


    Julia had only walked a few steps when the man¡¯s low voice sounded again.


    She froze in her tracks.


    Her pretty face instantly turned white as she balled her hands into fists.


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± A long whileter, she finally growled through gritted teeth. Fury was evident


    in her expression.


    Leo remained unaffected. ¡°I want all the information on the identity of the boss of Starlight Media.¡±


    Without explicitly admitting it, he was indeed threatening her. If she didn¡¯t give him what he wanted, she


    knew what would happen to Samuel. Julia was so furious that her entire body trembled as she bit her


    lip.


    A long whileter, she snorted. ¡°Does Elie know that you came to talk to me? Does she know your true


    self? You¡¯re anxious to see the boss of Starlight Media because of her, right? But if she knows that


    you¡¯re actually threatening me, even if she did like you a little, that tiny bit of affection will still turn into


    hatred! Moreover, she¡¯s no longer the slightest bit interested in you!¡±


    Julia seemed to have gone all out, not caring anymore whether what she said would enrage Leo.


    There was a fire raging in her eyes.


    ¡°Leo, you¡¯re a jerk! Jerks like you don¡¯t deserve to be with Elie in a million years! It¡¯s a good thing that


    Elie married a good man, so she won¡¯t be hurt by jerks like you again!¡±


    The words ¡®good man¡¯ were like a thorn that pierced Leo¡¯s nerves.


    His de-like eyebrows twitched as his gaze turned even sharper!


    Still, he didn¡¯t say anything as he fell silent. He stood there gloomily like a murderous tree, and he was


    so cold and distant that anyone would fear him.


    Julia was haughty, so as soon as she took that bold step forward, she no longer feared anything.


    She huffed at Leo, demanding, ¡°You want to go against Samuel, huh? Fine, go ahead. Report him and


    expose everything he has ever done. See if I¡¯d tell you anything after that!¡±


    With that, she stormed away.


    Behind her, Leo slightly pursed his thin lips. He smiled. Yes, he did.


    Eugene had been watching him from a reasonable distance all this while. When Julia insulted Leo like


    that, Eugene was already sweating all over his palms as he imagined the tragic ending Julia would


    face.


    In the end, Leo didn¡¯t do anything, and he even smiled.


    Eugene looked at Leo as if he were looking at a ghost. ¡°Mr. Alston, are you¡­ enraged?¡±


    ¡°Enraged? Do you think that¡¯s necessary?¡± Leo said coldly, his voice void of emotions. ¡°I just feel like


    with a personality like that, she¡¯s the perfect friend for Elie.¡±


    She was a little careless yet quite heroic, so she wouldn¡¯t try to harm or plot against Amelie. In the end,


    Eugene was speechless.


    Leo was in a dire situation, and he lost his fianc¨¦e, but he still had the mood to talk about Amelie¡¯s


    friend.


    Just as expected, his boss¡¯ world was something normal people couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Miss Dillon is¡­ married.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but remind Leo.


    Leo snorted. ¡°If Amelie really did get married, with Julia¡¯s personality, why would she not want to reveal


    the person¡¯s identity at all? There must be a reason behind this.¡±


    Eugene fell silent, thinking he had underestimated his boss. No matter his circumstances, Leo was


    always wise and perceptive. He would never fail.


    ¡°Even if she did get married, a man like that might not pose a threat to me either.¡± Eugene was deep in


    thought when Leo¡¯s voice sounded again.


    Eugene was so startled by the statement that he began coughing violently. She¡¯s married, but her


    husband wouldn¡¯t be a threat to him? How does his mind work?


    Eugene didn¡¯t dare voice his thoughts, so he could only cough in session. Leo ignored Eugene¡¯s


    coughs as he fell into deep thought.


    Ever since the sudden release of the newsst night, he had been suspecting that this was a feint from


    Amelie. She¡¯s trying to trick me. I know it for sure. Does she dislike me so much?


    The answer was naturally yes. Leo put a hand on his chest as he lowered his head, sumbing to


    fate.


    Even if she did hate him, he deserved it! But no matter how much she hated him, he would never give


    up on her.


    Even if she did get married, he would pull her out of the grave of marriage. Right now, he was more


    bothered about the boss of Starlight Media.


    That man must have feelings for Amelie, which was why he agreed to release such news.


    At the thought of another man setting sights on Amelie, Leo instantly felt uneasy. He frowned once


    again before demanding, ¡°How¡¯s the investigation going?¡±


    Eugene was bewildered for a moment before he realized what Leo was asking about. He hastily


    reported, ¡°Still no news from Victor.¡±


    The night before, or more urately, that exact morning, Leo had woken him up to investigate some


    matters.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t help but yawn in secret. Leo was probably pursuing his budding love like a young


    man, for he was especially intent on getting people to do things for him.


    While Eugene was thinking, his phone rang. He looked at his phone, then his eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s a call


    from Victor.¡±


    He had just finished speaking when someone took his phone away. His phone was now pressing


    against Leo¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Speak!¡± Leo demanded curtly.

 Chapter 322

    Chapter 322


    Chapter 322 Pretending to Be Toby¡¯s Girlfriend


    On the other end of the line, Victor cut to the chase and said, ¡°The boss of Starlight Media is


    exceptionally well-hidden, and it¡¯s very difficult to obtain verified information. However, we¡¯ve concluded


    one thing. The owner¡¯s ady.¡±


    ¡°Ady?¡± A mysterious smile appeared on Leo¡¯s lips.


    Amelie was using a woman to ward him off? Interesting! The uneasiness in his heart suddenly


    disappeared without a trace because of this info.


    ¡°We¡¯re going back!¡± After hanging up, he held his head high and strode down the steps.


    Eugene hastily got into the car. After starting the car, he said, ¡°It¡¯s Old Mr. Walsh¡¯s birthday. What shall


    we prepare as a birthday gift?¡±


    By ¡®Old Mr. Walsh¡¯, Eugene was referring to Toby¡¯s grandfather, Alfred Walsh. The Walshes and the


    Alstons were old acquaintances, and the Alstons would attend Alfred¡¯s birthday banquet every year.


    Leo rubbed between his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯ll choose his birthday present myself.¡±


    Knowing that Leo was extremely respectful of Alfred, Eugene sounded his agreement.


    ¡­


    Amelie had just ended her live stream when Julia called to inform her about her encounter with Leo


    earlier that day.


    ¡°That stupid Leo came early in the morning to ask me who the boss of Starlight Media was. Obviously,


    he was shaken by the news of your ¡®marriage¡¯.¡± Julia purposefully avoided mentioning how Leo


    threatened her as she criticized Leo.


    Amelie listened to her babble on, asionally giving a few brief responses.


    ¡°Say, if he knew that you own Starlight Media, would his jaw drop?¡± Julia guessed boldly.


    ¡°No,¡± Amelie said indifferently.


    He had calmly epted the fact that she was Foxy, so what else could shock him?


    ¡°However, there¡¯s no need to tell him.¡±


    She had decided to cut off all ties with him, so there was no reason for her to reveal her identity. Julia,


    however, wanted to reveal all of Amelie¡¯s identities and shove them in Leo¡¯s face so that Leo would


    realize how amazing the person he used to disregard was.


    She wanted Leo to regret it even more.


    Of course, if Amelie didn¡¯t like it, she wouldn¡¯t do it. Hence, the two chatted for a while before hanging


    up.


    Amelie massaged her temples. She was a little surprised that Leo didn¡¯t ask her straight away and had


    opted to ask Julia instead. While she was thinking, the doorbell rang.


    It can¡¯t be Leo, can it?


    Amelie felt her heart skip a beat as she hesitated for a moment before walking to the door. She didn¡¯t


    dare open the door. Instead, she checked the electronic surveince system on the door.


    The one standing at the door wasn¡¯t Leo but Toby. He was facing the camera while he stood as if he


    knew she was looking at him, after which he gave her a charming smile.


    His smile, paired with his extremely pleasant-looking face, was enough to swoon any other woman


    right away. However, Amelie wasn¡¯t interested in Toby¡¯s attractive appearance. Even though she was


    surprised, she still opened the door. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    She had just finished talking when Toby grabbed her wrist and led her outside.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± he said.


    Amelie hadn¡¯t had the chance to ask, but Toby was already leading her far away.


    She wondered where Toby was taking her. In the end, she was brought to a boutique selling dresses.


    The boutique wasvishly decorated, and it had a huge floor space. As soon as they stepped in, they


    were met with all sorts of dresses of various designs hanging on the racks.


    Amelie could see from the decorations that the dresses here would cost a fortune.


    Toby didn¡¯t even bat an eye as he pointed at the rows of dresses and said, ¡°Pick whichever dress you


    like.¡±


    When one of the staff saw that a handsome man had walked in, her eyes immediately lit up as she said


    in an extra sweet voice, ¡°Wee. Our dresses are all designed by famous designers, and there¡¯s only


    one of each dress avable.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Amelie didn¡¯t move as she looked at Toby.


    Toby slightly pursed his lips. ¡°It¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s 80th birthday. He heard that I got a girlfriend, so he


    wanted me to introduce my girlfriend to him.¡±


    Amelie fell silent. It was only then that she remembered she had promised she would pretend to be


    Toby¡¯s girlfriend.


    ¡°Just give me a call about your grandfather¡¯s birthday, and I¡¯ll be there. You don¡¯t have to make this


    extra trip,¡± she said.


    She felt that Toby was being a little too serious.


    Toby curved his lips into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m asking for your help, so of course, I have to be more sincere.¡±


    With that, he took a white dress with extremely obvious curves and held it up toward her. ¡°This one


    suits you.¡±


    Amelie looked at the dress. The curves were stunning and appropriately ced, and the dress wasn¡¯t


    too revealing, either. Toby was in white as well, so she felt it would be a little weird if she wore white


    too.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pick another one. Red.¡± She pointed at the bright red dress in the distance.


    ¡°My grandfather has very discerning eyes. If you want to wear red, he will notice that something is


    wrong right away,¡± he reminded by saying.


    Amelie fell silent. In the end, she had no choice but to wear white.


    ¡°Oh, right, Foxy is the one you¡¯re dating. Would it be weird if I wore a mask there?¡±


    Essentially, she simply didn¡¯t want to go.


    Toby smiled his refreshing smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My grandfather is a modern man. The birthday banquet


    tonight is themed after masquerades and cosys, so you won¡¯t stand out by wearing a mask.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t escape, Amelie could only nod in submission.


    After purchasing the dress, Amelie went to get her hair done. It wasn¡¯t until 6.00PM that she got into


    Toby¡¯s car and headed for Clouson City.


    The journey took one hour, so it was exactly 7.00PM by the time they arrived at the Walsh Residence.


    The Walshes had quite a prominent status in Clouson City, and Alfred¡¯s birthday banquet was a major


    event.


    Even though it was only 7.00PM, all sorts of luxurious cars were already parked outside the Walsh


    Residence. The Walsh Residence was situated at the foot of a hill, and it was a manor that covered a


    large area.


    Largenterns adorned therge antique doors, and the manor looked like it belonged to a wealthy


    family in ancient times. Despite his white hair, Alfred looked sprightly as he stood at the door in his


    traditional clothing, exchanging pleasantries with someone.


    The servant presented him with a mask. He took it but was in no hurry to put it on. Beside him stood


    some middle-aged men and women.


    They were Toby¡¯s parents and also his uncles and aunts. Everyone was wearing a mask, so their


    identities were concealed.


    The Walshes and the Alstons were on good terms with each other, so Amelie had met Alfred a few


    times before. She was now extremely d that she was wearing a mask. Things would get awkward if


    Alfred recognized her.


    ¡°Grandpa.¡± Toby led her forward and called out to Alfred.


    Alfred had just put his mask on when he saw Toby and Amelie. He waved at them.


    ¡°Grandpa, your mask looks very majestic. It suits you.¡± Toby smiled as he spoke to Alfred.


    Alfred seemed to be in a good mood. ¡°Kid, stop teasing me!¡±


    ¡°And this is¡­?¡±


    Behind Alfred, a masked woman asked as she looked at Amelie.


    Toby pulled Amelie forward a little as he introduced, ¡°Mom, this is my girlfriend.¡±


    The woman was Toby¡¯s mother, Minnie Wembler.


    ¡°Thisdy¡­ looks familiar, for some reason.¡± Minnie studied Amelie through her mask. ¡°Are you¡­


    Foxy? Or are you just wearing the same mask she does?¡±


    Foxy had 100 million fans, so even wealthydies knew about her.


    ¡°I am Foxy herself.¡± Amelie didn¡¯t hide it at all.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Minnie dragged out the vowel, but no one knew if she was protesting or approving.


    ¡°Happy birthday.¡± Amelie ced a small gift in Alfred¡¯s hands. ¡°This is a newly released technology, and


    you can get your heart and blood rate tested just by wearing it on your hand. You can report


    emergencies, and if you connect it to your phone via Bluetooth, you can make emergency calls too.¡±


    Amelie had struck the perfect bnce. The gift she picked wasn¡¯t too luxurious, but it signified how


    sincere she was.


    Alfred opened the box in front of everyone. Seeing a small ring nested within the box, he picked it up.


    ¡°Technology is really advanced these days. Who would¡¯ve guessed that a tiny thing like this has so


    many functions? I was worried that no one would know if I identally fell to my death in the bathroom,


    so things will be much easier with this.¡±


    With that, he put it on in front of everyone.


    He had given Amelie the utmost honor by this gesture. The rows of uncles and aunts from the Walsh


    Family widened their eyes at that.


    If they knew that this little gadget could win the old man¡¯s favor, they wouldn¡¯t have to wrack their brains


    to figure out the best present to give.


    ¡°Sorry, this is your first time at my house, but as my girlfriend, you¡¯re not free yet. You have to stay with


    me to wee the guests,¡± Toby turned and said to her in a low voice.


    Amelie gave an ¡®oh¡¯, then went with him to the back where the younger generations stood in line.


    Soon, the other brothers of the Walsh Family returned one after the other. They all came withpany,


    which was either their wives or their fianc¨¦es.


    Everyone quickly noticed Amelie¡¯s presence, and they all looked at her curiously. However, because


    Alfred was there, and they were still weing the guests, they didn¡¯t ask any questions.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    These people¡¯s gazes were so straightforward that Amelie felt like she was a monkey on disy. She


    was extremely ufortable about it.


    Toby was called away by his mother, so she stood alone, bored out of her mind. Just then, her phone


    rang. She lowered her head to look. When she saw the number disyed on the phone, she


    subconsciously shifted her expression.

 Chapter 323

    Chapter 323


    Chapter 323 The One for Him


    The phone call was from Leo. Why is he calling me at this time? Without thinking, Amelie hung up the


    phone, but he seemed to be persistent as he called her once again. So, she turned her phone to silent


    mode and held it in her palm without looking at it again.


    After a while, she heard the sound of someone giggling beside her, followed by something tugging at


    her clothes.


    As she turned around, she saw a chubby, soft, tiny hand on her clothes. The little hand was pulling her


    clothes back and forth, refusing to let go.


    Following the little hand, she saw a little guy who was as soft and chubby as his hand.


    The little guy was probably only a few months old. With one hand, he was pushing against the person


    who was holding him with all his might and was tugging at Amelie¡¯s clothes with the other. He was


    panting and grunting, looking as though he wanted to struggle out of the person¡¯s arms.


    His little eyes were like ck grapes, and he was darting around constantly while his little mouth kept


    spitting bubbles with saliva. He was so adorable and lively.


    When he noticed that Amelie was looking at him, he grinned and giggled at her.


    ¡°This little guy. You already know how to flirt with girls when you¡¯re this young.¡± The person holding the


    little guy was a young man. He sighed helplessly as he looked at his baby with an affectionate gaze. It


    was evident that he loved his son to the bone.


    After nagging his son, he turned to look at Amelie and said politely, ¡°Sorry about that. My son is quite


    outgoing.¡±


    Immediately, Amelie recognized that he was Jimmy, the brother-inw of Toby. Jimmy and Leo were


    close business partners, and he used to asionally visit the Alston Residence. When he married


    Toby¡¯s sister, Yasmine, Amelie was not allowed to participate in the wedding ceremony, but she had


    known the rtionship between the two families through Jodie and Melissa.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± When she heard his apology, she smiled and shook her head. Then, she touched the hand


    of the little guy who was tugging at her clothes. ¡°He¡¯s quite cute.¡±


    ¡°He he.¡± The little guy seemed to understand her words as he smiled at her with his toothless mouth,


    drooling profusely.


    He was dressed in a pumpkin-shaped outfit, like a cute little pumpkin. Jimmy, on the other hand, wore


    the costume of a certain anime character, which had a bit of a dark and cool vibe to it.


    Meanwhile, his wife beside him, Yasmine, was wearing a simr style of clothing but in a long dark blue


    skirt. Her long hair was let down, and she wore a beautifully crafted headpiece made of tree branches


    decorated with flowers in the same color scheme. She looked both beautiful and witty.


    Seeing Amelie¡¯s interaction with her son, Yasmine also smiled politely. ¡°He¡¯s just not easy to handle.¡±


    However, the little one didn¡¯t care what the adults were saying and continued to struggle out of Jimmy¡¯s


    arms, trying to run into Amelie¡¯s arms.


    Jimmy also allowed the little one behave however what he wanted, and in a blink of an eye, his head


    had already bumped into Amelie¡¯s arms.


    Instinctively, Amelie caught him, and the little one giggled again.


    Taking advantage of the situation, he grabbed the fake fur on her fox mask and put it in his mouth. He


    looked like he was going to nibble on her face as small droplets of saliva were all over.


    She was amused and resigned at the same time. Afraid that he would cause any trouble, she quickly


    pulled out a colored candy from her pocket to tease him.


    Sure enough, the little one fell for it and forgot about nibbling on her face. He stretched out his chubby


    hand and snatched the candy away.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Miss Foxy. You tamed this little mischief in no time.¡± Yasmine looked at her son, who


    had be well-behaved in Amelie¡¯s arms, with disbelief in her eyes. This was because she herself


    was always made a mess by this little one, and she even wished she could put him back in her belly.


    When Amelie heard thepliment, her lips under the mask curled up in a faint smile. After all, she


    had raised Bria on her own, so she had some experience handling children.


    As the two of them were chatting, a voice suddenly sounded in their ears. ¡°Happy birthday!¡± It was a


    familiar voice, with a hint of coldness in its tone. There was hardly any fluctuation in its tone, even when


    facing people whom he was close to.


    Hearing that voice, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but turn around to look and happened to see Leo walking in


    with Eugene¡¯spany. They were already standing in front of Alfred.


    Leo was dressed in a vintage suit, which made his sharp facial features more elegant and charming.


    He looked so handsome and beautiful, and the long wig on his head added a touch of schrly


    elegance and nobleness to his usual charm. With the sharp contrast formed between his dark clothing


    and his fair skin, he captured countless eyes the moment he appeared.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Meanwhile, Eugene stood behind him, looking grand and imposing. However, he was still


    overshadowed by Leo in terms of aura and appearance.


    ¡°Wow! So handsome!¡± Alfred sincerely eximed. ¡°Young people are just different from us old ones, full


    of vitality.¡±


    He was always serious toward outsiders; even his own grandchildren rarely received a smile from him,


    but he treated Leo differently, as he didn¡¯t see Leo as a junior but as an equal. It was enough to show


    how much he admired Leo.


    Even with Alfred¡¯s praise, Leo showed no sign of being ttered. While maintaining his etiquette, he


    presented his prepared gift.


    Watching the interaction between the two, Amelie gave herself a facepalm in frustration. How can I


    forget that Leo will be here too? She had only agreed to pretend to be a couple with Toby to help him


    out, and she didn¡¯t want too many people to know about it.


    As Leo handed over the gift and looked up, he caught a glimpse of Amelie in the crowd. Instantly, his


    perfectly icy face froze, and his expression changed.


    Alfred seemed to notice his gaze, so he introduced her to him. ¡°This is Miss Foxy. You should know her,


    right?¡±


    Foxy had 100 million followers, so she was well-known by many.


    When Leo heard that, his lips slowly tightened, then loosened, and he went back and forth for a while


    before finally saying, ¡°Of course, I know her.¡±


    Although he spoke calmly, Amelie felt a sudden, inexplicable danger, and her nerves trembled. Even


    her expression under the mask changed.


    Only the little one in her arms was unaware of the situation. After ying with the candy for a while, he


    was presumably hungry. So, he crawled toward her chest, wing and looking for milk to drink.


    Seeing that, Jimmy quickly picked up the little one and gently patted his head. ¡°She¡¯s Uncle Toby¡¯s


    girlfriend. If he finds out what you did, he¡¯ll definitely beat you up!¡±


    His inadvertent remark about ¡®Uncle Toby¡¯s girlfriend¡¯ felt like a nail being driven into Leo¡¯s chest,


    bringing him pain. Just that morning, he had confirmed that she couldn¡¯t possibly have anything to do


    with the president of Starlight Media, and now she suddenly became Toby¡¯s girlfriend.


    At this moment, his face grew increasingly dark and fierce, and he focused his gaze on Amelie. With


    that gaze, she felt like his eyes were seemingly capable of unleashing demonic energy that could


    consume her at any moment.


    With such a direct gaze, the sharp Walshes will soon notice something is amiss. At this thought, Amelie


    felt pins and needles in her head. Especially when Leo ended his sentence with a hint of a trailing tone,


    indicating that he hadn¡¯t finished. Will he expose my true identity to everyone?


    She wasn¡¯t afraid of her identity being exposed, but she was there to help Toby. So, if her identity was


    revealed, it would put him in an awkward position. The more she thought about it, the more her heart


    pounded, and her fingertips clenched tightly together.


    ¡°Miss Foxy has over 100 million followers. Even if I don¡¯t care about the influencers¡¯ world, I can¡¯t help


    but hear about her.¡± Leo¡¯s voice sounded again.


    He didn¡¯t expose me! Startled, she looked at him.


    Right after that, he bowed to Alfred and took a step forward, indicating that he was going inside.


    It was only then that she slowly heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Speaking of which, Toby is quite fortunate,¡± said Yasmine, who was at the side, with a smile. ¡°He and I


    both found spouses whom we really love.¡± After saying that, she blushed and looked at her husband


    beside her. Meanwhile, Jimmy also looked back at her with an affectionate gaze.


    Yasmine didn¡¯t mean anything special, but the man who was walking in front suddenly stopped in his


    tracks, standing directly in front of Amelie.


    Despite the presence of Jimmy between them, Amelie could still feel the intense chill emanating from


    the man¡¯s body, like a violent tornado that wanted to sweep her away and shatter her into nothingness.

 Chapter 324

    Chapter 324


    Chapter 324 Have Masks on All Day Long


    ¡°Excuse me. I need to use the washroom,¡± Amelie said in a low voice. Although she wasn¡¯t fond of


    Toby, she didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble on this asion. So, she hurried into the hall and headed


    toward the washroom.


    She spent quite some time in the washroom. Since she was originally brought there to fill the scene,


    she wasn¡¯t willing to be out there, and now that Leo had arrived, she was even less willing to go out.


    After she left the washroom, she didn¡¯t enter the hall. Instead, she walked toward a secluded area in


    the opposite direction of the hall, as she wanted to find a ce to get this night over with quietly.


    As she walked, she arrived at the back of a rockery with no one there. With the rockery and trees


    blocking her, even if someone passed by, they wouldn¡¯t see her.


    Then, she noticed a stone bench behind the rockery, so she walked over to sit down. After lowering her


    head, she sent a message to Toby to let him know where she was so he wouldn¡¯t look for her


    everywhere.


    As soon as she sent the message, she heard a voice say, ¡°Toby really has special taste in women,


    choosing an influencer with 100 million followers. Doesn¡¯t he feel embarrassed?¡± The tone of the


    person speaking was sarcastic and harsh, making Amelie feel ufortable just by listening.


    ¡°In this day and age, capital is king. Being able to earn money and gather a fan base is a skill. Does the


    profession still matter?¡± Another woman¡¯s voice chimed in. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how Dad treated her just


    now? He ignored all the gifts given by his other granddaughters and grandsons-inw but only treated


    her differently. Not only did he open the gift, but he also wore it on the spot.¡±


    ¡°People are all treated differently, you see. Your Jackson and Harry, and my Kenny and Sage. Aren¡¯t


    they all his grandsons? But he just treats Toby better than he treats them!¡±


    ¡°I know, right!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Amelie had already guessed who was speaking. These two people should be Toby¡¯s


    eldest aunt, Brenda Peyton, and second-eldest aunt, Eunice Monroe.


    Alfred had three sons and several daughters.


    Brenda and Eunice were still kind and considerate to her before this, but now they were criticizing her


    so harshly. At this thought, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but sigh. People in wealthy families have masks on all


    day long. It should be exhausting for them.


    ¡°Who knows? With this Foxy helping out, the inheritance rights of the Walsh Family might go to


    Theodore¡¯s family.¡± Brenda sighed sulkily.


    Following that was Eunice¡¯s sighing. ¡°Your family still has a chance. At least there¡¯s still Michelle, who


    hasn¡¯t married yet. You should try to find a good one tonight, so you can have the chance to turn the


    tables. As for my family, all my sons and daughters are already married. There¡¯s no way to turn things


    around no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Turn the tables? How? There are many people in Clouson City, but how many of them are truly


    capable? Those young heirs of wealthy families are all idle. Although they have big ambitions, they


    have little talent. How can they bepared to a powerful woman like Foxy? Letting Michelle marry


    those young heirs won¡¯t help our family, and we might even have to support the guy. What¡¯s the use of


    letting her marry then?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps other young heirs are useless, but isn¡¯t Leo here? Even Dad was amazed by his abilities. You


    should have Michelle take this chance to win him over tonight and secure your inheritance!¡±


    As they spoke, Amelie grew increasingly unhappy listening to their idle chatter. In the end, she had to


    give up her hard-earned quiet spot and walk out from the other side. She walked along the wall, looking


    for another ce to sit, but suddenly, her shoulder was grabbed.


    This sudden force startled her, and she reflexively swung her hand to hit the person¡¯s wrist. However,


    the person was faster and swiftly dodged, then grabbed her shoulder again and pushed her hard


    against the wall.


    Feeling the coldness of the wall, she shuddered. Before she could resist, a hard, cold chest pressed


    against her. Although people should have a certain body temperature, this chest was colder than the


    wall behind her.


    She hadn¡¯t had a chance to see the person¡¯s face yet, but an intense breath rushed into her nostrils,


    bringing a familiar scent.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡± she blurted out suddenly, and at the same time, she saw the person¡¯s face. It was none other


    than Leo.


    At that moment, he was no longer as cold as he had been at the entrance just now. There was an


    inexplicable aura emanating from his body that flowed through the already chilly night. It was so intense


    that it could have frozen the air around them into ice crystals.


    His face was very close, so close that their breaths were entangled. When she looked up, she could


    see the hostility in his eyes, as well as the obvious veins on his temples.


    Amelie struggled ufortably, but he was still squeezing her shoulders tightly. The strength of a man


    was incredibly strong, indeed. Her struggle was so insignificant that it had no effect at all.


    So, she lifted her leg, but he quickly pressed it down, tightly sandwiching her between his body and the


    wall.


    ¡°What do you want, Leo?¡± she growled lowly after being angered by his actions. Meanwhile, fire zed


    in her eyes as she red at him.


    Suddenly, his tightly pursed lips approached her face, almost touching her ear. ¡°Why did you suddenly


    be Toby¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    His words were apanied by a strong gust of cold wind, which made her earlobes extremely


    sensitive and her blood vessels throb.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± She tried to back away, trying to distance herself from his breath, but she


    couldn¡¯t do that at all.


    Just then, the grip of his palms on her shoulder tightened even more. The strength was so great that it


    seemed like he wanted to crush her shoulder des.


    He never treated her like this, even during the time he hated her the most. She had only ever felt his


    indifference, rarely seeing him lose his cool.


    As she bit her lip, she said, ¡°I divorced you a long time ago, Leo. It¡¯s my freedom to be anyone¡¯s


    girlfriend. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re making a fuss over nothing,ing here to question me?¡±


    Hearing that, Leo was so angry that his eyebrows twisted into a knot. He retrieved his palms from her


    shoulders and grabbed her neck, wanting to strangle her. However, when he saw the painful


    expression on her face, he loosened his grip, but his body, which was pressing onto her, didn¡¯t move an


    inch.


    ¡°I cen promise you enything you went, but not this!¡±


    ¡°Who ere you to me? My fether?¡± Amelie retorted in enger. ¡°Even if you were my fether, you wouldn¡¯t


    heve the right to meddle in my privete life! Pleese restrein yourself, Mr. Alston!¡±


    It wes obvious thet Leo hed no intention of restreining himself es he remeined motionless.


    So, she struggled end twisted in his erms, infurieted.


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    ¡°If you keep moving like this, you will be responsible for whetever heppens next.¡± The men¡¯s reminder


    reng in her eers.


    When she heerd thet, she wes confused.


    Suddenly, she felt e chenge in his body. It turned herd like iron end wes scorching hot. The moment


    she noticed thet, her fece turned red es well.


    ¡°You pervert!¡±


    Leo, who wes originelly full of enger, wes mede to leugh by her insult. ¡°I¡¯m e typicel men. How cen I not


    get eroused when the women I like struggles in my erms like this?¡±


    Heering thet, she didn¡¯t know whet to sey. Although she reelly wented to mock him, she didn¡¯t went to


    stert enother fight et this moment. So, ell she could do wes breethe. Breethe, Amelie. Teke e deep


    breeth.


    After teking e dozen deep breeths, she meneged to celm herself down end chenge her tone of voice.


    ¡°We¡¯re both edults, Leo. I didn¡¯t force you to sign the divorce pepers beck then. You egreed to it. You


    egreed so reedily et the time, but now you¡¯re here pestering me? Whet is this? Whet em I to you? It¡¯s


    obvious thet in your eyes, I¡¯m just e cheep women who cen be summoned end dismissed et your whim,


    with no dignity or self-respect, just like before.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t meen thet!¡± He denied.


    Without seying enything, she just looked et him celmly. Her eyes were like e ruthless judgment sword


    thet hed elreedy pinned him to the sheme pole.


    Suddenly, the dominence thet hed been exuding from his body diseppeered without e trece, end he


    silently stepped beck.


    Meenwhile, she petted her body, trying to sheke off eny trece of his presence thet might heve stuck to


    her.


    As he lowered his heed to look et her, he esked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you efreid thet they will find out thet you ere my


    ex-wife end humiliete you? The Welsh Femily is more judgmentel then my femily.¡±


    ¡°This is my business. I don¡¯t need your concern, Mr. Alston.¡± She didn¡¯t even lift her heed when she


    seid thet. She hed no intention of being e pert of the Welsh Femily, so she didn¡¯t cere whether they


    despised her or were judgmentel.


    ¡°Do you cere thet much ebout Toby?¡± Leo¡¯s eyebrows suddenly furrowed es if he hed been stebbed by


    something.


    Amelie looked et him, knowing thet he hed misunderstood her. After e moment¡¯s thought, she mede e


    vegue hum of ecknowledgment end took e step to leeve the plece.


    Yet, just es she took the step, her wrist wes tightly grebbed egein.


    ¡°I can promise you anything you want, but not this!¡±


    ¡°Who are you to me? My father?¡± Amelie retorted in anger. ¡°Even if you were my father, you wouldn¡¯t


    have the right to meddle in my private life! Please restrain yourself, Mr. Alston!¡±


    It was obvious that Leo had no intention of restraining himself as he remained motionless.


    So, she struggled and twisted in his arms, infuriated.


    ¡°If you keep moving like this, you will be responsible for whatever happens next.¡± The man¡¯s reminder


    rang in her ears.


    When she heard that, she was confused.


    Suddenly, she felt a change in his body. It turned hard like iron and was scorching hot. The moment


    she noticed that, her face turned red as well.


    ¡°You pervert!¡±


    Leo, who was originally full of anger, was made tough by her insult. ¡°I¡¯m a typical man. How can I not


    get aroused when the woman I like struggles in my arms like this?¡±


    Hearing that, she didn¡¯t know what to say. Although she really wanted to mock him, she didn¡¯t want to


    start another fight at this moment. So, all she could do was breathe. Breathe, Amelie. Take a deep


    breath.


    After taking a dozen deep breaths, she managed to calm herself down and change her tone of voice.


    ¡°We¡¯re both adults, Leo. I didn¡¯t force you to sign the divorce papers back then. You agreed to it. You


    agreed so readily at the time, but now you¡¯re here pestering me? What is this? What am I to you? It¡¯s


    obvious that in your eyes, I¡¯m just a cheap woman who can be summoned and dismissed at your whim,


    with no dignity or self-respect, just like before.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that!¡± He denied.


    Without saying anything, she just looked at him calmly. Her eyes were like a ruthless judgment sword


    that had already pinned him to the shame pole.


    Suddenly, the dominance that had been exuding from his body disappeared without a trace, and he


    silently stepped back.


    Meanwhile, she patted her body, trying to shake off any trace of his presence that might have stuck to


    her.


    As he lowered his head to look at her, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that they will find out that you are my


    ex-wife and humiliate you? The Walsh Family is more judgmental than my family.¡±


    ¡°This is my business. I don¡¯t need your concern, Mr. Alston.¡± She didn¡¯t even lift her head when she


    said that. She had no intention of being a part of the Walsh Family, so she didn¡¯t care whether they


    despised her or were judgmental.


    ¡°Do you care that much about Toby?¡± Leo¡¯s eyebrows suddenly furrowed as if he had been stabbed by


    something.


    Amelie looked at him, knowing that he had misunderstood her. After a moment¡¯s thought, she made a


    vague hum of acknowledgment and took a step to leave the ce.


    Yet, just as she took the step, her wrist was tightly grabbed again.

 Chapter 325

    Chapter 325


    Before Amelie could react, Leo removed her mask and pressed his lips onto hers, kissing her with all


    his might.


    She tried to struggle, but it was as though he had gone mad. He held her body tightly, pressing her


    head down and not giving her any chance to escape. All she could do was whimper in protest, as she


    was unable to form coherent words.


    At this moment, he aggressively stirred inside her, blurring her world.


    Suddenly, footsteps approached. Someone ising!


    Leo seemed to have lost his hearing as all he wanted to do was kiss her. His kiss turned fierce, as


    though he was a wild beast, wanting to devour every inch of her.


    Just then, the footsteps grew closer and closer. Judging from the sound, one could conclude that quite


    a few of them were present.


    It wasn¡¯t anyone else but Alfred and the others from the Walsh Family.


    ¡°There are many young people here tonight and young girls like desserts. Ask the kitchen to prepare


    more, with a variety of options,¡± Alfred said as he walked.


    ¡°Okay, Dad,¡± his three daughters-inw answered in unison, afraid of being slow in their responses.


    Meanwhile, his three sons also followed closely, serving and attending to him. Behind them was the


    younger generation of the Walsh Family.


    As the group marched forward, Amelie and Leo would soon be seen just around a corner.


    Since the banquet was about to start, Alfred was in a hurry to get to the hall, so his steps were faster


    than usual.


    At this moment, Amelie waspletely stunned. All she felt was her head ringing, and she could


    already imagine the kind of reaction the Walshes would have when they saw this scene. However, she


    had no way to defend herself as Leo was acting like a total lunatic.


    ¡°Grandpa, the butler said he saw a snake around here this morning. It might not be safe to take this


    route. Let¡¯s use another way.¡± Toby suddenly interjected as Alfred was about to step into the corner.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°A snake?¡± Alfred wasn¡¯t too concerned, but the people around him became anxious. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday


    today. It will be such a jinx if we encounter a snake.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If any of us gets bitten by a snake, it will ruin your birthday, and it will be a sin for us as


    children.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d rather take the long way than risk it.¡±


    Alfred didn¡¯t want a snake to ruin everyone¡¯s mood, so he nodded. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s take the long way


    then.¡±


    After he said that, footsteps sounded once again.


    Only when the group walked away did Amelie¡¯s heart, which had been pounding so quickly in her


    chest, slowly calm down. After a long time, Leo finally let go of her.


    Under the moonlight showed his handsome face, as if the lunatic just now was not him.


    He held her face and put her mask back on. With his fingertips, he touched her face gently and softly.


    Without thinking, Amelie raised her hand and pped him hard. p! She used all her strength in this


    p, making the crisp sound echo through the night.


    Leo¡¯s face was slightly tilted by the p. Even though the streetlights were dim, the finger mark on his


    fair face was still visible, disying a disheveled beauty.


    ¡°You can p me again if you still need to vent.¡± He held her hand, gesturing for her to p his face


    again. He was crazy just now, but he didn¡¯t regret it.


    Speechless, she shook off his hand and turned to leave.


    Yet, he followed her. ¡°They said there¡¯s a snake here. I¡¯ll walk with you.¡± Big Eyes is most afraid of


    snakes.


    ¡°No need.¡± A warm male voice came through before Amelie could speak.


    Following that, Toby¡¯s face appeared in the corner. Even in the dim light, he still had his usual gentle


    look on, making people feel at ease.


    The moment Amelie saw him, she was surprised that he hadn¡¯t left earlier. Then, an embarrassed look


    overtook her face. If he didn¡¯t leave just now, he probably saw everything. Even though her face was


    hidden behind the mask, she couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed.


    However, Toby seemed oblivious to the situation and just smiled at her, his gaze falling on Leo. ¡°I¡¯ll take


    care of Foxy¡¯s safety.¡± His gaze was calm, no different from usual.


    Following his appearance, Leo¡¯s previously clear eyes darkened at once.


    Amelie didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer and just wanted to leave as soon as possible, so she turned


    around and walked away.


    Bam! A muffled sound suddenly came from beside her, followed by a groan of pain. Then, someone fell


    to the ground. It was Toby!


    It turned out that Leo had walked up to him at some point and mercilessly punched him in the face.


    Toby¡¯s face instantly swelled up, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.


    Meanwhile, Leo looked like a crazed beast, ring at Toby with his fists clenched tightly. It was as


    though he was killing Toby over and over again with his deadly gaze.


    However, Toby was not afraid of his gaze. When he propped himself up, he even smiled at Leo and


    didn¡¯t rush to stand up.


    ¡°Leo! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Amelie shouted, running over to help Toby up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She kept


    checking his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Toby replied with a smile. His eyes were still fixed on Leo, and his lips curled in a provocative


    smile.


    ¡°Leo, Elie came here tonight as my girlfriend. You won¡¯t embarrass her again, will you?¡± He said


    ¡®again¡¯. It was obvious that he saw everything that had just happened. This was also the reason why he


    asked Alfred and the others to change their route.


    Without responding, Leo shifted his gaze to Amelie.


    Under his gaze, she took out a tissue from her bag and carefully wiped the wound on Toby¡¯s face. Her


    eyes were focused and serious, but it felt like a sharp knife piercing through Leo¡¯s heart that he couldn¡¯t


    remove, no matter how hard he tried, causing him intense pain.


    Unable to bear watching any longer, he turned and walked away.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Amelie said when she saw that Leo walked further from the corners of her eyes. At the same


    time, she took a step back, keeping a safe distance from Toby.


    At this moment, an unnoticeable, bitter smile yed on Toby¡¯s lips. ¡°You were just being nice to me


    earlier to make Leo give up, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    She felt a little awkward but didn¡¯t deny it. She did that because she didn¡¯t like Leo pestering her.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we find a doctor to take a look at your injury?¡± she said, reaching for her phone.


    However, he held her hand down. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury. No need to make a big deal out of it.¡±


    Although it wes e minor injury, his fece wes swollen, end blood wes trickling from the corner of his


    mouth. Amelie just felt sorry for him.


    It wes Alfred¡¯s birthdey celebretion, so he hed to greet the guests. If he looked disheveled, it would


    inevitebly ceuse suspicion end could potentielly effect Alfred¡¯s impression of him.


    Toby seemed to reed her mind es he held up e fox mesk in his hend. ¡°This will cover everything up. No


    one will be eble to tell.¡± He hed somehow ecquired e fox mesk thet wes the seme es hers, but it wesn¡¯t


    es white end hed e bit of grey in it.


    After putting on the mesk, he reeched out his hend to her. ¡°We¡¯re e couple, efter ell. If we ect too


    ewkwerdly, it will erouse suspicion emong my femily members.¡±


    When she overheerd the words of Brende end Eunice just now, she knew thet every member of this


    femily hed ulterior motives end wes very observent. So, she could only nod end plece her hend in his


    pelm.


    He lowered his heed to look et the smell hend thet hed fellen into his pelm. Her skin wes es feir es


    porcelein, end her fingers were exquisitely sheped, slender, end delicete, es beeutiful es e work of ert.


    Without e word, he held it, not squeezing it too tightly, keeping e certein level of etiquette.


    At the seme time, she noticed thet he held her hend with greet tect. Although slightly uforteble,


    she didn¡¯t sey enything, end they welked together towerd the hell.


    In the hell, Leo stood silently emong the crowd.


    Perheps it wes due to the finger merks on his fece thet mede his expression even more solemn end


    cold. With his extreordinery hendsomeness, he ceused countless women to drool in edmiretion, but no


    one dered to epproech him.


    On the stege, Alfred wes giving e speech with his three sons by his side. Meenwhile, in the front row,


    his grendchildren stood end listened ettentively.


    Michelle, the youngest deughter of Scott Welsh, Alfred¡¯s eldest son, hed been turning her heed multiple


    times, looking beyond the crowd to cest edmiring glences et Leo.


    Just now, Brende hed e secret conversetion with her, seying thet Leo still didn¡¯t heve e girlfriend. If she


    could win him over, the inheritence of the Welsh Femily would be secure in their hends.


    Although she wes not perticulerly interested in the inheritence of the Welsh Femily, she wes obsessed


    with Leo.


    Previously, he wes either deting someone or merried, so she could only secretly edmire him. This time,


    when he returned from studying ebroed, he hed not only divorced but elso sepereted from Elyse, the


    women he initielly liked. This mede her see hope.


    Before Alfred finished his speech on the stege, she took two glesses of wine from the servent¡¯s hend


    end quietly welked over to Leo¡¯s side. ¡°Long time no see, Leo.¡±


    When she seid thet, Leo turned eround.


    When she sew thet he reected, she wes both heppy end shy, so her fece sterted flushing. However, he


    didn¡¯t teke the gless from her even efter e long time.


    Puzzled, she couldn¡¯t help but look et him. Only then did she reelize thet he wes not looking et her but


    in enother direction through her shoulder. Over there, two figures, one mele end one femele, were


    slowly eppeering.


    Although it was a minor injury, his face was swollen, and blood was trickling from the corner of his


    mouth. Amelie just felt sorry for him.


    It was Alfred¡¯s birthday celebration, so he had to greet the guests. If he looked disheveled, it would


    inevitably cause suspicion and could potentially affect Alfred¡¯s impression of him.


    Toby seemed to read her mind as he held up a fox mask in his hand. ¡°This will cover everything up. No


    one will be able to tell.¡± He had somehow acquired a fox mask that was the same as hers, but it wasn¡¯t


    as white and had a bit of gray in it.


    After putting on the mask, he reached out his hand to her. ¡°We¡¯re a couple, after all. If we act too


    awkwardly, it will arouse suspicion among my family members.¡±


    When she overheard the words of Brenda and Eunice just now, she knew that every member of this


    family had ulterior motives and was very observant. So, she could only nod and ce her hand in his


    palm.


    He lowered his head to look at the small hand that had fallen into his palm. Her skin was as fair as


    porcin, and her fingers were exquisitely shaped, slender, and delicate, as beautiful as a work of art.


    Without a word, he held it, not squeezing it too tightly, keeping a certain level of etiquette.


    At the same time, she noticed that he held her hand with great tact. Although slightly ufortable,


    she didn¡¯t say anything, and they walked together toward the hall.


    In the hall, Leo stood silently among the crowd.


    Perhaps it was due to the finger marks on his face that made his expression even more solemn and


    cold. With his extraordinary handsomeness, he caused countless women to drool in admiration, but no


    one dared to approach him.


    On the stage, Alfred was giving a speech with his three sons by his side. Meanwhile, in the front row,


    his grandchildren stood and listened attentively.


    Michelle, the youngest daughter of Scott Walsh, Alfred¡¯s eldest son, had been turning her head multiple


    times, looking beyond the crowd to cast admiring nces at Leo.


    Just now, Brenda had a secret conversation with her, saying that Leo still didn¡¯t have a girlfriend. If she


    could win him over, the inheritance of the Walsh Family would be secure in their hands.


    Although she was not particrly interested in the inheritance of the Walsh Family, she was obsessed


    with Leo.


    Previously, he was either dating someone or married, so she could only secretly admire him. This time,


    when he returned from studying abroad, he had not only divorced but also separated from Elyse, the


    woman he initially liked. This made her see hope.


    Before Alfred finished his speech on the stage, she took two sses of wine from the servant¡¯s hand


    and quietly walked over to Leo¡¯s side. ¡°Long time no see, Leo.¡±


    When she said that, Leo turned around.


    When she saw that he reacted, she was both happy and shy, so her face started flushing. However, he


    didn¡¯t take the ss from her even after a long time.


    Puzzled, she couldn¡¯t help but look at him. Only then did she realize that he was not looking at her but


    in another direction through her shoulder. Over there, two figures, one male and one female, were


    slowly appearing.

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 326


    Chapter 326 Foxy Got Into the Walsh Family


    The man was tall and slender, and his strides conveyed confidence. On the other hand, thedy in the


    long, bodycon dress moved gracefully. Her gait was as graceful as if she were a runway model. The


    couple wore matching clothes, and only the masks on their faces were slightly different in color. In


    addition, it further enhanced their appearance as a lovely couple.


    ¡°That¡¯s my cousin and his new girlfriend.¡± Michelle Walsh took the initiative to introduce them to Leo.


    She reasoned that he must not have known them because she had just returned and not participated in


    the line of people greeting visitors at the front door.


    ¡°I honestly wonder why he suddenly started dating an influencer.¡± She viewed influencers negatively


    and frequently looked down on them. However, to maintain a positive image in front of Leo, she


    avoided harsh criticisms of them.


    ¡°Toby!¡± Then, she waved at her cousin and greeted him.


    Coincidentally, he approached her with Amelie.


    ¡°This is my cousin, Michelle.¡± Toby looked at the two of them with a meaningful gaze but still introduced


    them to Amelie.


    Hearing the name ¡®Michelle,¡¯ Amelie recalled the conversation between Brenda Peyton and Eunice


    Monroe, the eldest and second daughters-inw of the Walsh Family. Though it brought her mind


    somewhere else, she still greeted her politely. ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Walsh.¡±


    Despite her disdain for influencers, Michelle had to courteously return the greeting in front of Toby.


    Afterward, she introduced them to Leo, ¡°This is the renowned president of Genesis Company, the


    young and promising Mr. Leo Alston. He¡¯s also my idol, by the way!¡± She then tilted her head on


    purpose, almost leaning against Leo as if she was close to him.


    However, Amelie was no longer interested in interacting with Leo, but she didn¡¯t want to dampen Toby¡¯s


    spirits, so she nodded and greeted him indifferently, ¡°Hello, Mr. Alston.¡± She not only followed the rules


    of basic etiquette, but she also kept an appropriate distance, acting as though it was their very first


    encounter.


    On the contrary, Leo¡¯s gaze was stered on her face as his dark orbs turned gloomy.


    The fingerprints on his fair skin stood out under the lights, seemingly reminding Amelie of what had


    happened before. Subconsciously, she retreated.


    Seeing that, Toby stepped forward and blocked her from Leo¡¯s gaze. Then, he reached out to ruffle


    Michelle¡¯s head andmented, ¡°What a rare opportunity it is for you to meet your idol on the first day


    of your return from abroad. I¡¯ll entrust Leo to you tonight, then. Be sure to take good care of him,


    okay?¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Toby!¡± When Michelle heard that, her face instantly turned crimson as she whined at him. She was


    ecstatic to hear that statement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He ced his hand on Amelie¡¯s waist before leading her to where the rest of his siblings


    were.


    On the other hand, Amelie preferred to stay with the Walshes and engage in conversation rather than


    return to where she had been earlier. However, Leo¡¯s attention was drawn to where she stood. It was


    as if he were a sunflower that always turned its head toward her.


    Although Michelle noticed his gaze was a little strange, she merely thought he was interested in the


    fact that Toby was dating an influencer. Covering her lips shyly, she chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m sure a decent man


    like you, Leo, won¡¯t be interested in influencers. They may have some influence, but mostly they make


    their living by selling their bodies or looks. Not many are truly talented. Frankly, those who enjoy


    watching live broadcasts of these influencers are either yboys like Toby or office workers and nerds


    who are not ambitious. They only enjoy watching pretty faces and pretentious behaviors, so influencers


    don¡¯t need education and skills.¡±


    Her words eventually caught Leo¡¯s attention.


    When he looked down at her, she was overjoyed and immediately adjusted her posture to show him


    her best side.


    With his lips pursed, Leo scanned Michelle¡¯s face with a piercing gaze. In contrast to her expectations,


    the look in his eyes was not one of tenderness or admiration, and there was not even the slightest hint


    of warmth in them! Unprepared for his sudden reaction, she froze on the spot and shuddered.


    ¡°Even if you are willing to sell your looks or body, I doubt anyone will want to see. Qualifications with no


    essence are equivalent to wasting your parents¡¯ money!¡± Without a trace of emotion, he outlined each


    and every word ruthlessly.


    After hearing that, she was taken aback by hisment. Her face instantly turned red due to


    embarrassment, and the sparkles in her eyes froze while she trembled weakly. Have I been insulted by


    Leo Alston, a man of few words? Does he really despise me to this extent?


    Although Michelle couldn¡¯t make men go weak in the knees for her, she was still considered a stunning


    beauty. Moreover, she was born with a silver spoon. Ever since she was young, everyone treated her


    like a princess wherever she went! To be belittled outright was a humiliation she couldn¡¯t ept. Before


    long, her eyes turned red as tears pooled in her eyes.


    Nevertheless, Leo had never been the kind who was gentle and affectionate. Without sparing her a


    nce, he strode away.


    Afterward, Eugene, who caught up from behind, shook his head and sighed secretly at Michelle.


    Among all the people in the world, you shouldn¡¯t have criticized Mr. Alston¡¯s beloved. He is considered


    lenient to you because he only scolds you verbally.


    In the meentime, Alfred Welsh left the stege with the help of his sons efter delivering his speech. Then,


    his grendchildren gethered eround him.


    At thet moment, the music sounded in due time.


    ¡°Grendpe, you¡¯re the mein cherecter tonight. Pleese stert the dence,¡± one of his grendchildren urged


    him.


    When he suddenly hosted such en extreordinery mesquerede perty, everyone sterted cheering for him


    boldly es he hed en eesy-going personelity.


    After heering thet, Alfred chuckled et their response end weved his hends in dismissel. ¡°I¡¯m getting old.


    Youngsters like you should teke over the dence floor.¡± As he seerched emidst the crowd, his geze


    eventuelly lended on Toby end Amelie. ¡°Didn¡¯t Toby bring his girlfriend over todey? Let them do the


    opening dence then.¡±


    Amelie wes speechless when suddenly cued, end e hesitent expression wes hidden beneeth her mesk.


    Nheless, she wented to get through the perty silently, but the situetion didn¡¯t permit her.


    Then, Toby glenced et her with e helpless grin plestered ecross his fece. ¡°Well, it¡¯s his birthdey todey,


    end since Grendpe hes celled our nemes, I don¡¯t think we should reject him.¡±


    His geze wes gentle end bright.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help but let out e quiet sigh efter gezing into his gentle end bright eyes. Of course, I


    know thet. Eventuelly, she hed no choice but to plece her hend in Toby¡¯s es they welked to the center


    of the stege.


    When Brende end Eunice overheerd Alfred hed chosen the two to stert the dence, they pulled e long


    fece. Afterwerd, they exchenged glences with their respective husbends.


    Wesn¡¯t Alfred epproving Foxy by inviting Toby end his girlfriend to stert the dence on such e greet


    esion?


    The guests were ell surprised to see Amelie¡¯s mesk end soon gossiped emong eech other.


    ¡°Is she Foxy?¡±


    ¡°Did Foxy menege to get her wey into the Welsh Femily?¡±


    ¡°Does thet meen Old Mr. Welsh epproves of her?¡±


    Immedietely, the geze of envy from the eudience lended on the center of the dence floor.


    The girls who knew Toby wes still single end were hopeful thet they might stend e chence with him


    elmost cried out of jeelousy for Amelie.


    At thet moment, two guests entered the venue. Jodie wes dressed in e low-cut gown end e four-inch


    heel, meking her look es gorgeous es ever. Beside her wes Melisse, who wes equelly well-dressed


    elegently.


    In the meantime, Alfred Walsh left the stage with the help of his sons after delivering his speech. Then,


    his grandchildren gathered around him.


    At that moment, the music sounded in due time.


    ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re the main character tonight. Please start the dance,¡± one of his grandchildren urged


    him.


    When he suddenly hosted such an extraordinary masquerade party, everyone started cheering for him


    boldly as he had an easy-going personality.


    After hearing that, Alfred chuckled at their response and waved his hands in dismissal. ¡°I¡¯m getting old.


    Youngsters like you should take over the dance floor.¡± As he searched amidst the crowd, his gaze


    eventuallynded on Toby and Amelie. ¡°Didn¡¯t Toby bring his girlfriend over today? Let them do the


    opening dance then.¡±


    Amelie was speechless when suddenly cued, and a hesitant expression was hidden beneath her mask.


    Nheless, she wanted to get through the party silently, but the situation didn¡¯t permit her.


    Then, Toby nced at her with a helpless grin stered across his face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s his birthday today,


    and since Grandpa has called our names, I don¡¯t think we should reject him.¡±


    His gaze was gentle and bright.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help but let out a quiet sigh after gazing into his gentle and bright eyes. Of course, I


    know that. Eventually, she had no choice but to ce her hand in Toby¡¯s as they walked to the center


    of the stage.


    When Brenda and Eunice overheard Alfred had chosen the two to start the dance, they pulled a long


    face. Afterward, they exchanged nces with their respective husbands.


    Wasn¡¯t Alfred approving Foxy by inviting Toby and his girlfriend to start the dance on such a great


    asion?


    The guests were all surprised to see Amelie¡¯s mask and soon gossiped among each other.


    ¡°Is she Foxy?¡±


    ¡°Did Foxy manage to get her way into the Walsh Family?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean Old Mr. Walsh approves of her?¡±


    Immediately, the gaze of envy from the audiencended on the center of the dance floor.


    The girls who knew Toby was still single and were hopeful that they might stand a chance with him


    almost cried out of jealousy for Amelie.


    At that moment, two guests entered the venue. Jodie was dressed in a low-cut gown and a four-inch


    heel, making her look as gorgeous as ever. Beside her was Melissa, who was equally well-dressed


    elegantly.

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327


    Chapter 327 Hypocrites


    Jodie was sharp enough to notice the couple on the dance floor immediately. She was bbergasted


    when she realized who the woman in Toby¡¯s arms was. ¡°Am I seeing things right, Mom? Why is Toby


    dancing with that woman?¡±


    While entering the venue, Melissa constantly adjusted her clothing and checked on her appearance.


    On such a big asion, she had to keep her image perfect. Hearing Jodie¡¯s startled voice, she


    scolded, ¡°Don¡¯t you know where you¡¯re at? Stop yelling. Is that how ady should behave?! I swear


    you¡¯re learning backward!¡±


    On the other hand, Jodie was not in the mood to bother her mother¡¯s lecture. Instead, she tugged on


    Melissa¡¯s sleeves and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s Foxy! Toby is starting the dance with Foxy!¡± While saying that,


    she pointed in the direction of the dance floor.


    The name ¡®Foxy¡¯ instantly attracted Melissa¡¯s attention. She was initially going to scold her daughter


    again but instead looked in the direction Jodie pointed in.


    Meanwhile, on the dance floor with a navy background, a couple in white was dancing elegantly. The


    man had long, elegant legs and a smooth and gentlemanly gait. In addition, the woman was tall with a


    slim, graceful frame. With the sound of the music and the man¡¯s guidance, she moved with the


    lightness and agility of someone walking on clouds! Their seamless coordination attracted the


    amazement of the audience. Everyone found it difficult to peel their eyes off the couple.


    Soon, Melissa¡¯s gazended on the fox mask the woman was wearing. As an avid Foxy¡¯s live


    broadcast fan, she was highly familiar with her mask! ¡°No way! How could Foxy have any connections


    with Toby?¡± She felt her heart was being pounded as it thumped uncontrobly. Then, she quickly


    deduced, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just wearing a simr mask.¡±


    Following Foxy¡¯seback, her mask was sold on major online shopping tforms and was said to be


    a best-selling item. Since tonight¡¯s theme was a masquerade party, her fan must have bought a simr


    mask!


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just his new girlfriend,¡± Melissa added another assumption.


    Among the younger generation in their circle, the other men from other families were not as abstinent


    as her son, Leo. Hence, they tend to start new rtionships very often.


    ¡°Really?¡± Jodie asked.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    She wasn¡¯t bothered whether the woman on the dance floor was Foxy. Moreover, she was fine as long


    as no woman lurked around ke.


    Nheless, Melissa was an exception because, despite her best efforts, she couldn¡¯t shake her


    nervousness.


    On the one hand, Amelie had officially announced her marriage to the president of Starlight Media, but


    her son only adored Foxy, who was the only person worthy of him.


    Then, Melissa kept her attention focused on the woman who was dancing on the floor. After much


    deliberation, she still had no answers, so she brought Jodie to meet Alfred instead.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Mr. Walsh.¡± Melissa handed him a gift.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Grandpa.¡± Jodie also took out her gift.


    Seeing that, Alfred chuckled in response. ¡°Leo has already given me something. You really didn¡¯t have


    to bring another gift.¡±


    He used to be best friends with Warren Alston, Leo¡¯s father. Hence, he had always adored the


    members of the Alston Family.


    ¡°We only have one chance to give you a present, and that is on your birthday, Grandpa. Just take it,¡±


    Jodie replied sweetly. Though she wasn¡¯t exceptionally bright, she was pretty good at coaxing.


    After hearing that, he chuckled in delight and told the butler to keep them.


    After exchanging customary greetings with him, Melissa switched the subject. ¡°What made you decide


    to let Toby lead the dance this year? You used to be worried that his girlfriends from casual


    rtionships might ruin your family¡¯s reputation, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Hearing that question, Alfred propped his chin with his fingers and looked in Toby¡¯s direction. ¡°He is


    quite a flirt but never brings his girlfriend to my birthday banquets. He must be serious about this one


    since he brought her along.¡±


    ¡°Which family is she from to have the honor of being chosen by Toby?¡± she prodded.


    Hearing that, his stern gaze darkened a little. ¡°Her name is Foxy. I heard she¡¯s a famous influencer, but


    as long as he likes her, her identity doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Alfred didn¡¯t keep himself up to date with thetest trends about influencers, but he heard from others


    that Foxy had a huge fanbase.


    ¡°F-Foxy?¡± After Melissa obtained confirmation from him regarding her assumption, she could no longer


    hold back. What on earth is going on?! How did my soon-to-be daughter-inw be Toby¡¯s


    girlfriend?


    Afterward, she forced a smile and chatted with him as usual, but her heart was already beating wildly


    as she felt at a loss. Someer came up to greet him, allowing her to excuse herself.


    As her gaze fixed on the couple on the dance floor, Melissa experienced shortness of breath. What is


    going on in this world? Why isn¡¯t everything going my way?


    After failing to snatch the inheritance, her son¡¯s marriage did not seem like it was going to go well


    either! As she recalled the past and watched the current scene, she was so agitated that she nearly


    spat blood.


    On the other hand, Jodie¡¯s mood was the pr opposite of her mother¡¯s. I¡¯m d Foxy is dating Toby


    rather than Leo. Now that she is eagerly flinging herself into Toby¡¯s waiting arms, I could spare myself


    the trouble of kicking her out. It¡¯s a relief she¡¯s out of the way because I¡¯ve been dying to get my hands


    on ke!


    As she imagined the consequences, she pulled out her phone and took pictures of Toby and Amelie.


    After that, she forwarded ke the best-quality image she had taken, as the photo itself was self-


    exnatory.


    Foxy and Toby were dancing together during Alfred¡¯s birthday banquet, which meant their rtionship


    was already approved.


    The more she thought about it, the happier she felt as she hummed a soft tune.


    Once the music ended, enthusiastic apuse broke out in the hall, regardless of whether or not they


    were sincere.


    Immediately, Amelie broke free of Toby¡¯s embrace and scanned the crowd. She didn¡¯t see Leo, and the


    spot he was standing in earlier was now empty. Then, she sighed a breath of relief.


    On the other hand, Leo had been standing in the same spot before the dance ended. Although she did


    notmit a crime, she felt so burdened that she messed up the dance. Nevertheless, Toby quickly


    reacted and followed her lead to avoid any suspicion from the crowd.


    Biting her lip in frustration, she cursed herself for still being mindful of his feelings.


    ¡°As expected of you, Miss Foxy. Your steps are as graceful as a river. We couldn¡¯t peel our eyes off you


    at all.¡±


    As soon as she left the dance floor, Toby¡¯s two aunts approached Amelie and greeted her


    enthusiastically. Then, they linked Amelie¡¯s arms together as if she were a celebrity.


    Watching their overly friendly faces, Amelie felt uneasy. She couldn¡¯t help recalling their conversation


    around the rockery earlier.


    The Walsh Family was used to wearing a mask wherever they went, but Amelie couldn¡¯t switch


    between different masks seamlessly like Toby¡¯s two aunts. Biting her lip, she remained silent all the


    way.


    When Toby came over in an attempt to dismiss the two of them, Brenda uttered, ¡°Toby, your grandpa is


    looking for you. Hurry up and see him. Don¡¯t make him wait too long.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll take care of Miss Foxy. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Hearing that, the corners of his lip twitched slightly under his mask as he looked at Amelie. In


    response, she shook her head to hint that she would be alright. After being reassured, he left to meet


    Alfred.


    ¡°Toby is always considerate to girls,¡± Brenda sighed as she watched him leave.


    Eunice nodded and agreed, ¡°Exactly. Despite his yful nature and refusal to engage in serious


    rtionships, I recall how attentive he was to Rosie back then. I reckoned he almost fell deeply in love


    with her, but if it wasn¡¯t for¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, Brenda nudged Eunice and hinted at her continuously with her eyes.

 Chapter 328

    Chapter 328


    Chapter 328 A Change of Heart After Elyse¡¯s Death


    Seeminglying to her senses, Eunice hurriedly smacked her lips. ¡°Oops! I couldn¡¯t control my


    mouth. Please don¡¯t take my words seriously. What I said is merely nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have a drink!¡± Brenda hurriedly took two sses from the waiter¡¯s tray and handed


    them to Amelie and Eunice.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Amelie took the ss and merely brought it near her lips without taking a sip. They¡¯re


    obviously putting on a show, and I¡¯d be foolish not to notice.


    The two of them wanted to make Amelie feel uneasy, but they never assumed that she and Toby were


    only pretending to be lovers. Thus, she wasn¡¯t interested in his past rtionships.


    While the two took their drinks, they waited for Amelie to ask questions, but when she remained silent,


    the two couldn¡¯t read her mind. Soon, they finished their drink, exchanged nces, and made up an


    excuse to leave.


    In the end, Amelie¡¯s ears were finally clear of noise! Rubbing her earlobe, she felt pity for Toby.


    Anyone who grew up in such an environment would have been abnormal by now.


    On the other hand, Leo stood alone upstairs, aloof and with a chilly gaze. His intimidating aura


    automatically formed an invisible barrier preventing anyone from crossing his territory.


    He had been fixated on the crowd below, specifically the figure in white downstairs. From the beginning


    of the dance until Amelie was left alone, he had been watching her. He was already upstairs even


    before she and Toby ended the dance.


    Nheless, he wasn¡¯t actively refusing to watch them. He worried he¡¯d be unable to control his urge


    to rush onto the dance floor and break up the couple! Leo had strong self-control, so he always


    ensured he wouldn¡¯t cross the line, but earlier, he almost did.


    Moreover, he wasn¡¯t someone considerate. He was presumptuous in the business industry and never


    had the slightest sympathy. Even if he caused trouble at Alfred¡¯s birthday banquet, he didn¡¯t really care,


    but his actions might bring embarrassment to Amelie.


    While clutching the ss in his hands, no particr emotion was shown on his face. No one noticed


    the dark, red fluid dripping from his palms to the ground. The ss in his hands had already broken,


    causing the sharp shards to pierce into his skin.


    However, Michelle noticed Leo¡¯s hand was bleeding. When she was downstairs, she already realized


    he was staring at Foxy. Even when Foxy and her cousin started dancing, he still looked at her.


    Why is he so cold and cruel to me but cares so much about that woman? She couldn¡¯t express the


    emotions she was feeling. Still, she felt her body tingling, making her highly uneasy. Doesn¡¯t everyone


    say he only had eyes for Elyse? She is already dead, so why the sudden change of heart?


    All these years, Michelle purposely avoided inquiring about Leo¡¯s rtionships. Only recently did she


    hear Elyse was dead and he was divorced. Coming back with a heart full of hope, she did not expect to


    face a situation as such.


    When he went upstairs after that, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. It appears that he is no longer


    interested in that woman. He is simply curious about why Toby would bring an influencer to such an


    event. At that thought, she felt hopeful again as she followed him up the stairs. Despite his spiteful


    words earlier, she wasn¡¯t going to give up.


    Leo was known for his loyalty in a rtionship. The reason he could pamper Elyse back then was proof


    that he would love her wholeheartedly if he developed feelings for her.


    Meanwhile, Michelle only fancied him among the young heirs of wealthy families. It wasn¡¯t until she


    followed him upstairs that she realized how incredibly wrong she was.


    He has no intention of stopping his gaze from wandering over to Foxy. Instead, he chose a spot with a


    better view! From where he is now, he can nce at that woman no matter where she goes.


    Hiding in a dark corner, Michelle was instantly furious and watched the blood drip down his palm.


    Clenching her teeth and stomping her feet, she hurriedly went downstairs.


    On the floor below, Amelie stood in her spot momentarily and decided to pass the time in a quiet area.


    However, she was stopped as soon as she took a step forward.


    ¡°Miss Foxy,¡± someone called out to her. The other party had a hostile demeanor and a cold expression.


    Looking at Michelle standing before her, Amelie squinted her eyes underneath her mask. Her sudden


    hostility confuses me; she seemed pretty pleasant moments ago.


    ¡°Hello, Miss Walsh,¡± Amelie replied calmly.


    After taking a few steps closer to her, Michelle shot a sharp and critical gaze at Amelie¡¯s mask. ¡°You¡¯ve


    been here for a while and have met Toby¡¯s parents, so why are you still afraid to show your face?¡±


    Afraid?


    ¡°Is it because you¡¯re ugly? And you¡¯re afraid to be seen?¡±


    Amelie initially thought the Walsh Family would somehow be indirect with their words, judging from


    their upbringing. Still, unexpectedly, Michelle suddenly questioned her straightforwardly. After asking


    her, Michelle even presented a look that demanded an answer.


    However, Amelie wasn¡¯t sure the reason behind her hostility, but she wasn¡¯t a pushover. With a


    mocking smile, she replied indifferently, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a masquerade party?¡±


    The nonchnt counterattack instantly rendered Michelle speechless.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    How could she be willing to admit defeat just like that?


    Holding back her animosity, she took a sharp breath and demonstrated the aura of a top celebrity.


    She even slowed down her speech. ¡°I¡¯ve watched your broadcast, Miss Foxy. You can sing, dance, and


    attract attention, but none seem appropriate or elegant. Any woman who wants to marry into our family


    cannot depend on mere attention-seeking tricks. Do you really have the talent to stand on the stage?¡±


    Michelle was thest unmarried daughter of the Walsh Family, while Foxy was a famous influencer.


    When the two confronted each other, they immediately attracted the audience¡¯s attention.


    Some people started inching closer to them to find out about their rtionship and to obtain insider


    information about the Walsh Family.


    Hearing how blunt Michelle was, they couldn¡¯t help gasping in shock.


    So what if Foxy had hundreds of millions of fans? Her background would still be looked down upon.


    Of course, some were delighted to hear thatment. Once Foxy wasn¡¯t epted by the Walsh


    Family, their daughters would stand a chance to marry Toby.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep your expectations high. Even if Miss Walsh doesn¡¯t like her, Old Mr. Walsh has consented


    to their rtionship.¡± It was also inevitable that some would rain on their parade.


    Despite not seeing any hope, the fact that the wealthy Walsh Family¡¯s daughter fought with her future


    sister-inw was a show worthy of watching.


    Hearing that, Amelie scanned the crowd with an indifferent gaze. She knew their intentions; hence she


    smirked. So, what if they belonged to the upper ss of society? They are nothing lesspared to


    janitors when ites to gossip. She pondered for a while before looking at Michelle, but though the


    latter presented a graceful expression, her nails had dug into her palms.


    On the other hand, Michelle was upset with her because she thought Amelie was dragging her down.


    Without a word, Amelie hinted to Michelle that guests were starting to gather around them. She


    assumed Michelle would leave the area if she were a wise woman, but she was not.


    Seeing the adamant look on her face as if demanding an answer, Amelie curled her red lips upward.


    Under the mask, she snickered, ¡°Do you really think my performances are inappropriate? If I remember


    correctly, performers are invited to major TV channels to perform during New Year¡¯s Day. Are you


    calling their performances inappropriate too?¡±


    Michelle was rendered speechless as she never expected to be counterattacked. Her face instantly


    flushed due to embarrassment. ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± she blurted after a long while.


    Amelie shook her head helplessly as she watched Michelle attempt to maintain her celebrity image.


    Throughout the years of being bashed byizens, Amelie became eloquent in her speech. How could


    she back away so easily? Michelle was a fool, perhaps even worse than Jodie.


    ¡°What difference is there? Are the songs they sing different from what I sing? Or are the jokes they


    make different from mine?¡±


    Once again, Michelle was at a loss for words. She meant to say Amelie¡¯s talents weren¡¯t appropriate for


    sophisticated asions, but now, she was entirely misled by her!


    Nevertheless, they were at an event hosted by the Walsh Family, so Amelie didn¡¯t want to worsen it.


    Raising her head, she turned around and left.


    ¡°Stay right there!¡± Michelle was used to having everything her way, so she wasn¡¯t reconciled and


    proceeded to grab her in the arm.


    At that moment, Amelie was about to push her away when she noticed Leo¡¯s figure from the corner of


    her eye.

 Chapter 329

    Chapter 329


    Chapter 329 She¡¯s Exerting Dominance Even Before Marriage


    With his hands behind his back, Leo appeared aloof and intimidating as his ck suit set off his fair


    skin.


    Leo! Michelle dared not call his name out loud. She merely mouthed his name and gritted her teeth,


    tears almost rolling down her face.


    When she came downstairs, Leo followed her from behind.


    The reason she couldn¡¯t give up on pestering Amelie was to prove that she was better than thetter.


    She refused to be the losing party as it made her feel humiliated.


    Watching the aggrieved look on Michelle¡¯s face, Amelie slowly returned to her senses.


    I knew it! Michelle was the daughter of a wealthy family. How could she be willing to be aughingstock


    without reason?


    Since Michelle did all that just to attract Leo¡¯s attraction, she decided to y along with her.


    As if not noticing Leo, Amelie changed her expression and grabbed Michelle¡¯s hands. ¡°Miss Walsh,


    you¡¯re right. The New Year shows are just pure entertainment. They aren¡¯t sophisticated events at all.


    I¡¯m sure someone as excellent as you don¡¯t even enjoy watching them.¡±


    Her response took Michelle aback.


    Upon hearing herpliment, Michelle immediately assumed that Amelie was mocking her.


    The more she thought, the more eager she was to prove how excellent she was. Hence, she


    announced, ¡°I¡¯m not considered outstanding in my family, but at least I graduated from a prestigious Ivy


    League university. Anyone who graduated from an Ivy League university is naturally exceptional. So


    far, no one I know of has graduated from an Ivy League university!¡±


    Amelie was speechless at that.


    Did all Ivy League university students behave like her? Did all of them look down on people and act


    almighty?


    Was the Ivy League some kind of joke?


    However, Amelie didn¡¯t forget her original intention. She purposely raised her voice in exaggeration and


    eximed, ¡°Wow! Ivy League?! That¡¯s so cool! I can¡¯tpare to you, Miss Walsh. My university can¡¯t


    even get into whatever league in Corynthea. It is merely an ordinary university.¡±


    Michelle couldn¡¯t stifle augh upon hearing that.


    That woman was indeed dumb. She didn¡¯t even seem to know what Ivy League was!


    The guests who overheard Amelieughed out loud as well.


    Some thought she was being funny, but some carried the same thought as Michelle who assumed


    Amelie was ignorant.


    Of course, Amelie heard theirughter, but she didn¡¯t care.


    Others couldn¡¯t simply judge one¡¯s intelligence. What mattered most was one¡¯s own thoughts.


    As if not understanding why the crowd wasughing, she continued, ¡°Even though I studied at an


    ordinary university, I merely strove to graduate.¡±


    Back then, she was busy doing live broadcasts and establishing Starlight Media, so she didn¡¯t have to


    attend sses at all.


    She could only make use of the two weeks prior to examinations to flip the untouched textbook and


    digest everything in a short period of time.


    Nheless, she aced her exams every single time.


    When she heard that Amelie narrowly graduated from university, Michelle was even more confident.


    Raising her chin, she announced in a clear and loud voice, ¡°Even though school was tough for me


    since young, I still managed to cultivate my other talents. I obtained a tenth-grade in piano, a


    professional qualification in violin, a membership in the Equestrian Association, a membership in the


    Business Club¡­¡±


    She deliberately emphasized the word ¡°professional¡± for fear that Amelie didn¡¯t know that there were


    professional and amateur levels in each of the extra-curricr activities that she had participated in.


    After that, she continued naming all the other qualifications or memberships that she obtained.


    Amelie almost wanted to clean her ears due to boredom.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you perform a song for us on stage, Miss Walsh?¡± She pointed at the piano on stage and


    suggested.


    This was a great idea for Michelle to show off her talents in front of Leo. However, Amelie merely


    mentioned that just to get away from her. She talks too much.


    Tilting her chin upward, Michelle agreed readily. ¡°Sure, if you want to hear me y.¡±


    She looked as if she was only going to y for Amelie out of pity.


    After saying that, she made a beeline for the stage.


    Finally! I managed to get rid of that annoying piece of gum. Amelie finally felt rxed.


    Suddenly, her stomach grumbled, a reminder that she had not eaten lunch yet after being upied the


    whole day.


    She was famished.


    Ignoring Michelle¡¯s performance on stage, she strode toward the buffet table.


    An array of delicacies was arranged neatly.


    Although Amelie wasn¡¯t short of money, she wasn¡¯t extremely particr when it came to food. Upon


    seeing the delicate dishes on the table that resembled works of art, she couldn¡¯t help clicking her


    tongue.


    When she walked over, a waiter lifted the lid for her.


    Amelie then dished some food, took a seat, and enjoyed her meal.


    The sound of piano music rang in her ears.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help tapping to the beat. She had to admit that Michelle yed the piano very well. It


    did somehow stimte her appetite.


    When she was done with her meal, Michelle was still ying the piano.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help looking in the direction of the stage.


    There seemed to be a crowd surrounding the area.


    ¡°What a pity.¡± Amelie sighed.


    This brat doesn¡¯t know that she shouldn¡¯t go overboard on certain things.


    No matter how beautifully the piano was yed, the music would only blend into the background after


    being yed repeatedly.


    At that thought, Amelie decided not to join the crowd and instead roam around the buffet area.


    After turning a few rounds, she noticed a few sses ced on the table.


    Drinks were filled in the sses, and the colors made them look vibrant.


    However, the sses were not filled with the same amount but in the shape of adder in ascending


    order.


    Out of nowhere, she recalled videos of foreigners striking the sses to produce sounds.


    She then asked for a steel spoon from the waiter and tentatively tapped the sses.


    As expected, the sound produced was pleasant.


    After trying a few more times, she realized that the sses produced vibrant sounds.


    Immediately, her mind was filled with a melody.


    Narrowing her eyes, she hummed to the music and started ying around with the melody.


    On the other hand, Amelie was right about the piano performance. After the crowd listened to a few


    more pieces, they started getting sick of it and dispersed.


    Some walked over to the buffet corner, and when they heard the low humming of a woman¡¯s voice


    combined with the sounds produced by the sses, they couldn¡¯t help feeling stunned.


    Soon, they noticed a few waiters gathering around to watch, so they nosily went over.


    ¡°Woah. That sounds amazing!¡±


    A few guests were surprised as they immediately recognized Amelie¡¯s fox mask.


    They dared not disturb her and merely exchanged nces with each other.


    As Amelie indulged in the music, she moved gracefully ording to the beat of the melody as if she


    was already one with the music.


    After she ended the song, she opened her eyes with lingering feelings still present.


    However, the moment she opened her eyes, she was immediately shocked to find the space suddenly


    filled with a crowd.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that there were three batches of guests around her.


    When did these people gather around her?


    Soon, the guests who were immersed in the melody earlier broke into a round of apuse.


    They looked at each other and couldn¡¯t believe that they had plunged deep into the music without


    realization. It felt as if their souls were being lured by Foxy¡¯s music.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    What a magical feeling it was!


    Amelie was at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t help raising her head and ncing at the stage.


    The crowd that was initially watching Michelle¡¯s performance was suddenly nowhere to be found.


    Michelle, on the other hand, was no longer ying the piano and was standing beside it instead. Even


    from afar, Amelie could feel her burning gaze.


    Feeling as if Amelie¡¯s gaze was piercing through her, Amelie took a sharp breath and covered her face.


    She was really just caught up in the moment and had no intention of diverting the audience¡¯s attention


    to her.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t even married into our family, yet she seems to be exerting her dominance already!¡± The


    woman beside Brenda muttered as she nced at Amelie in a mocking way.


    Even though Brenda didn¡¯t utter a word, she bit her lip and appeared to agree with the woman¡¯s words.


    Eunice, on the other hand, gloated.


    She would only benefit if a dispute broke out between Scott Walsh and Theodore Walsh, the first and


    third son of the family.


    She desperately wished the two families would get involved in a serious fight due to this incident.


    Meanwhile, Minnie and Theodore stood slightly further away from the crowd. Both of them looked in


    Amelie¡¯s direction with heavy gazes but did not get close to her.


    Obviously, they had mixed feelings about Amelie¡¯s current action.


    On one hand, it meant that they had won against Theodore¡¯s brother, Bryan Walsh¡¯s family, but on the


    other hand, she was also deliberately causing trouble in public.


    It was aplicated matter to deal with.

 Chapter 330

    Chapter 330


    Chapter 330 Do You Regret the Past


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going too far, Foxy?¡±


    Michelle¡¯s best friends could no longer stand her. They pushed through the crowd and started criticizing


    her in the face.


    ¡°You saw Michelle ying the piano on stage, but you still decided to pull a trick to make her feel


    worse!¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    If she had known that her actions would draw such a huge crowd, she wouldn¡¯t have done it in the first


    ce.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized sincerely.


    ¡°Do you think an apology is enough after you ruined her performance?¡± Her best friends were indeed


    not easy to deal with. They refused to ept her apology.


    In fact, Amelie did not have to apologize for her actions.


    She merely took a step back to prevent Michelle from suffering humiliation, but she didn¡¯t realize how


    aggressive these women could be.


    Amelie suddenly found their unreasonable behavior amusing.


    Just as she was about to speak, a soft voice sounded from the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Michelle had somehowe down the stage while holding the hem of her dress elegantly.


    Her exasperated image from before was long gone.


    She walked into the crowd with a magnanimous look and a smile on her lips. ¡°Anyway, I only want to


    y the piano for one person. I don¡¯t mind if others will leave. Stop causing a fuss, girls.¡±


    After saying that, she looked at Leo with loving eyes.


    There was bliss but also shyness in her orbs.


    It was then that Amelie realized Leo had been standing under the stage, listening to her music. He


    never left his spot at all.


    It seemed that Leo was attracted to her gesture.


    Hearing that, everyone cast their gaze at Leo.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Mr. Alston!¡±


    ¡°These two¡­¡±


    ¡°She has great taste!¡±


    While everyone¡¯s eyes shone in surprise, rumors started spreading everywhere. Some even started


    thinking of wedding gifts to prepare.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t listening to Miss Walsh¡¯s music when I stood below the stage. I was merely afraid of disturbing


    the otherdy ying music.¡±


    That was the pr opposite of what one called gentlemanly behavior. He had no intention to save


    Michelle¡¯s pride at all.


    The crowd went silent, and so did Michelle.


    As soon as he expressed his thoughts, Michelle¡¯s words became self-centered and self-indulgent,


    which was tantamount to driving her to a dead end.


    He had ruined everything for her.


    Amelie also shuddered.


    Wasn¡¯t Leo always aloof? Wasn¡¯t he always trying to keep his mouth shut unless necessary?


    Why was he exining the situation now?


    Did he hate her so much to cause trouble for her?


    Moreover, he even turned in her direction and stared at her.


    It was a cold gaze, but somehow, Amelie caught a hint of pity in those dark orbs.


    I should get my eyes checked!


    As everyone noticed Leo¡¯s gaze, they quickly looked at her.


    The situation was a huge mess all of a sudden!


    Just as Amelie was worrying about what to say, a loud and crisp apuse sounded.


    ¡°Thank you for putting up the performance for me, Foxy.¡± Toby pushed through the crowd and stood in


    front of her. He sessfully blocked Leo¡¯s line of sight as he looked into Amelie¡¯s eyes with a warm


    gaze.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve been the only one to indulge in such an exceptional performance, but I¡¯m jealous now to


    see so many people watching with me.¡± Toby looked as if he was cracking a joke, but his words were


    serious and meaningful.


    After saying that, he turned around and pointed to the side, hinting to her that he had been watching


    since the start.


    It turned out that it was all an act between the couple.


    The crowd broke intoughter. Some teased Toby about it while some apologized to him for reacting


    inappropriately.


    Michelle was the only one who clenched her fists tightly under her sleeves.


    After all, she grew up in an enclosed school environment and had little social experience. Moreover,


    she was spoiled by her parents. Thus, despite having such a high degree of education, she failed to


    control her emotions and expressions.


    Her face instantly twisted in a bad way.


    When everyone saw her appearance, their expressions changed as they started gossiping again.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ignoring the rest, Toby reached out to hold Amelie¡¯s hand.


    Amelie was slightly taken aback since she wasn¡¯t used to his intimate behavior. In addition to that, she


    was well aware that it wasn¡¯t time for her to cause trouble, so she followed him out obediently.


    When they passed by Michelle, Toby halted in his steps. ¡°You y the piano well, Michelle, but it¡¯s too


    impetuous. It sounds like you¡¯re trying too hard to gain attention and curry favor. To be a good


    performer, you must first learn to please yourself.¡±


    Toby¡¯s words instantly made Michelle¡¯s face turn crimson.


    It was true that she was trying to win the heart of her idol with the performance earlier!


    Toby was telling her not to express certain feelings with exaggeration. If she went overboard, it could


    be counterproductive!


    How could she forget such basic knowledge?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a piano expert!¡± Once they were away from the crowd, Amelie immediately


    withdrew her hand and eximed in surprise.


    No ordinary person could read the yer¡¯s mind just from the melody they yed.


    Lowering his head while ncing at his empty hand, he chuckled bitterly, ¡°I received elite education


    from a young age. My knowledge is the result of forced education.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Amelie looked at him pitifully. ¡°My father always told me to do whatever I wanted to. I


    enjoyed listening to the sound of forests and rivers, so he would always take some time off to bring me


    there.¡±


    Besides forcing her to go for Taekwondo sses to defend herself, Steven never forced her to do


    anything else. No matter how adamant she was about marrying Leo back then, he didn¡¯t utter a word.


    ¡°I want a dad like yours,¡± Toby uttered while looking at her enviously.


    Suddenly, his gaze started burning. The implication in his words was obvious that he wanted to live


    with her.


    Amelie, however, was immersed in her thoughts, so she failed to notice the strong affection in his eyes.


    ¡°Do you regret the past?¡± While thinking, she felt a hand touching her eye.


    It was her left eye!


    Amelie quickly withdrew herself from her thoughts as she widened her eyes at him with a hint of


    uncertainty.


    However, she could see the pain in his eyes¡ªcare and pity. He knows!


    As if being burned, she turned away abruptly to avoid his finger before covering her left eye.


    ¡°H-How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°How did I find out?¡± Toby shook his head. He didn¡¯t seem to recall how he found out, but he


    remembered the excruciating pain he felt when he first discovered it.


    He desperately wanted to punch Leo in the face on behalf of her.


    There was a main reason he strongly disapproved of Leo pursuing Amelie.


    Though a youngdy like her was willing to give her eye to him, he had no idea about it.


    How could he be worthy of having such a lovelydy?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will keep it a secret since you don¡¯t want to let him find out.¡± He gave an irrelevant


    answer.


    However, both of them naturally knew whom he was referring to.


    Forcefully calming her messy mind and heart, Amelie chuckled dryly.


    ¡°Toby.¡±


    As soon as she coughed, a soft voice sounded.


    Amelie turned her head abruptly to find a youngdy standing on the stairs.


    She was pale and thin to the point even the clothes on her body seemed empty. It was as if she would


    be blown away by a strong wind.


    Her urgent and anxious gaze was locked on Toby.


    Though it carried hints of delight, she also seemed to be timid.

 Chapter 331

    Chapter 331


    Chapter 331 He Is in Love With Someone Else


    Amelie had been in love before, so she instantly saw through the new girl¡¯s thoughts. She was


    interested in Toby.


    Amelie turned to look at him.


    The gentle smile on his stern face previously had vanished.


    To be more exact, there was a conflicted look on his face.


    She did not know what it meant, but she was absolutely certain that he and the girl knew each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it,¡± she said, kindly stepping away.


    Her dress swished as she strode away.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°What is going on, Leony? Why did you let Toby get together with Foxy?¡±


    After searching the whole ce in frustration, Melissa finally found her son. The instant she did so, she


    began to question him, making no effort to suppress her disappointment.


    Her youthful face no longer looked elegant and refined. Instead, she looked frustrated and breathless.


    In contrast, Leo looked so calm that it made others wonder if they belonged to two separate


    dimensions instead.


    They were acting very differently from each other.


    He remained where he was with two hands resting against the railing with a calm and handsome face.


    If one were to look closer, one would realize he was staring at something in the distance.


    Three figures could be seen reflected in his eyes with one of them slowly drifting away from the other


    two with a swish of her dress.


    His gaze trailed the departing figure until she vanished from his sight.


    ¡°Are you listening to me, Leony?¡± Melissa was so furious when she did not hear a response from him


    after a while. Still, she dared not cause a scene because she was afraid of humiliation. Thus, she had


    no choice but to suppress her rage.


    Her exquisite makeup was starting to crack, though.


    It was only then that Leo slowly turned around and looked at her.


    When he looked at her, the warmth lurking deep within his eyes had vanished and was reced by his


    usual cool aloof look.


    He pursed his lips and kept quiet.


    Whenever he silently pursed his lips, he always looked incredibly stern and even Melissa was afraid of


    him despite being his mother. If not for the anger burning in her, she would have backed off by now.


    She forcefully shoved her frustration out of her mind and insistently said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything by it,


    but you looked so interested in her. I don¡¯t want you to miss out on someone you love.¡±


    ¡°Love?¡± Leo finally spoke, but it was only to repeat her statement. He said it as if he were savoring and


    considering it.


    Her face flushed red. Although he had not actually said anything, he had already pped her in the


    face with such a reply.


    His eyes tantly told her he knew she was only using not wanting him to miss out on someone he


    loved as an excuse. At the very least, he knew she was not doing all this for him.


    With her secret motive exposed, it took her a long time before she could finally speak again. ¡°I admit, I


    like Foxy. She may be a little arrogant, but she¡¯s a strong woman. She would be of great help to you in


    the future.¡±


    She then cleared her throat and looked up at him. ¡°Leony, you have brought thepany to great


    heights and made those who doubted you shut their mouths, but your marriage is always a weakness


    people criticize you for. I don¡¯t want those shareholders to use that as an excuse to criticize you one


    day. If you marry Foxy, you won¡¯t have to worry about that. Of course, my status would also increase if


    you married an amazing wife.¡±


    Herst statement was her true motive.


    Leo looked in disappointment at the woman who was his biological mother. Since he was a child, she


    only cared about her reputation.


    As long as it made her look good, anything could be given up¡ªeven he, her own son.


    ¡°Do you know who she is?¡± he asked calmly. His lips were tilted in disappointment and mockery.


    ¡°Her? Isn¡¯t she Foxy?¡± she slowly replied, not understanding what he meant.


    Who else could the woman be if not Foxy?


    Not wanting to exin further, Leo turned and left.


    Melissa¡¯s fury red to life once more when she saw him walk away from her, but she did not dare stop


    him.


    After walking away, Amelie hid in a safe and quiet spot.


    She did not want to bump into Leo, and she did not want the Walshes and other people to constantly


    talk about her and Toby.


    Thankfully, the gods seemed to understand what she wanted. For the next few hours, no one disturbed


    her.


    Toby only decided to call her sometime after ten.


    ording to him, the event was over.


    Amelie rejoiced and told him where she was.


    Within five minutes, he appeared in her vision.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at hiding.¡± There was a bitter smile on his face when he realized where she was hiding.


    She smiled in return, but she did not ask him what was happening between him and that girl.


    Toby did not n to exin either. ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡±


    However, it was sote that she did not want to waste his time. Hence, she had him drop her off at the


    area she used to live in.


    She took her mask off, bid her farewells, and walked into the area with her bag in hand.


    She waited until he drove off before walking back out.


    Amelie currently lived in Halport, and she would always go home unless something happened, so she


    walked along the road, nning to call a taxi to take her back to Halport.


    However, just as she pulled out her phone, she sensed an overpowering presenceing from above


    her as her entire body was covered by the shadow of a man.


    She swiftly looked up and saw that Leo had been standing less than three feet away from her, staring


    at her with pursed lips and dark eyes.


    He exuded an aura that was so heavy that she felt breathless looking at him.


    It felt like she was going to suffocate.


    She had to take a deep breath and force herself to look at him. ¡°Is there something you need, Mr.


    Alston?¡±


    Her voice was so casual and nonchnt that it sounded as if she had merely bumped into a neighbor


    she only knew the name of.


    Leo frowned, seemingly in dissatisfaction. Still, he did not focus on her tone of voice. Instead, he said,


    ¡°Toby is not the same kind of yboy as Ashton. Ashton is only a yboy on the surface, an act for his


    family. Toby is a man who has been in love with someone the entire time, but he could not be with her


    since she was not good enough to be Mrs. Walsh. His parents had warned him that they would destroy


    her if he continued to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°Toby only obeyed their orders on the surface. He had never once nned on giving up on her. If you


    date him, you will only end up in a love triangle.¡±


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    As she silently listened to him, she immediately recalled the seemingly demure woman she saw.


    While she had only nced at the woman, her modest beauty was striking enough that she could still


    recall the woman¡¯s looks. She was so breathtakingly beautiful.


    Beautiful and fragile.


    It was the easiest way to get men to feel protective.


    However, what did that have to do with her?


    Her rtionship with Toby was just a farce. No matter how many people he loved, it was none of her


    business.


    At that thought, she politely smiled and grunted in acknowledgment.


    She had just responded when her arms were taken hostage.


    Even though Leo had acted with great restraint, his hands were still mped tightly around her arms.


    ¡°Listen up, Amelie. You are mine. No matter what you do to me, be it a fit of rage or revenge, I am fine


    with it. My only condition is that you cannot be with another man!¡±


    Just the mere sight of her smiling at Toby and dancing with Toby had him going crazy.


    Leo could not bear watching the woman he loved smiling at another man.


    He instinctively dragged her into his arms and only felt safe when he could feel her petite body pressed


    up against his chest.


    ¡°Ha!¡± His words did not make Amelie¡¯s heart skip. Instead, she let out a cold and curt chuckle.


    Her smile shone brightly, but it was full of scorn.


    When she loved him, he threw her aside like trash.


    How could he say all this after she had finally moved on from him?


    Who did he think she was?


    She did not want to go over the past though. Instead, she broke free of his grip and said, ¡°Mr. Alston,


    are you filming a drama series? Yours? I belong to myself, and that has nothing to do with you. Please,


    stop telling me all this nonsense. Stop interfering with my personal life.¡±


    Even though she had spoken in a joking manner, her face was nk as she rubbed the pain out of the


    spots he had clenched his hands around.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not done acting yet, you can stay here and continue your performance. I won¡¯t be ying


    along.¡±


    She then walked away.


    She had only taken a step when her entire body was lifted into the air by him, which left her


    speechless.

 Chapter 332

    Chapter 332


    Chapter 332 Won¡¯t Let Go of Her


    Amelie hurriedly tried to break free.


    Suddenly, she was lowered down. She had been ced in a car seat.


    She swiftly darted out of Leo¡¯s arms and clung tight to the seat.


    Bang.


    The door gently closed.


    The next thing she knew, he was getting in the driver¡¯s seat.


    Then, the car started.


    That was all done in the space of a few seconds.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she called out, confused by his actions.


    However, she saw him tap and swipe at the car navigation system to enter the address of her home in


    Halport.


    Was he¡­ driving her home?


    She stared at him in shock.


    ¡°It has been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Bria. I want to visit her,¡± he said.


    He said that with a straight face.


    If her memory was right, those two had just met a while ago.


    Leo drove quickly, and in a few minutes, they were already on the highway.


    It was already toote for her to say anything.


    It was nearly midnight by the time they arrived at her home.


    Steven was not home yet.


    As Toby dragged her away without giving her time to prepare, Amelie had to ask her neighbor, Mrs.


    Levine, to babysit Bria.


    When the two of them arrived, Bria was fast asleep in Mrs. Levine¡¯s home.


    Amelie repeatedly apologized for howte it was while Leo walked over to tenderly lift Bria into his


    arms.


    Even so, she was awoken by the shift. She stared at Leo while drowsily rubbing her eyes.


    He looked down at her and kissed her on the forehead.


    Her lips spread into a wide grin. ¡°Dada.¡±


    She then wormed into his embrace, shuffling around to find afortable spot before going back to


    sleep.


    Mrs. Levine watched their interaction with wide eyes and gave Amelie a nudge. ¡°The child¡¯s father is a


    great man. He¡¯s handsome and knows how to take care of kids.¡±


    That rendered Amelie speechless.


    When they headed back to her home, he acted as though he was only there because he wanted to see


    Bria.


    He stayed in Bria¡¯s room the entire time, never once leaving it.


    When Amelie walked past, she spotted him carefully wiping Bria¡¯s face with a wet cloth.


    His hands were so cautious, and his eyes were solemn. The usual stern look on his face was tinged


    with the softness of a kind father.


    She was taken aback by the sight. After leaving a set of new sleepwear from her father on the couch,


    she headed back to her room.


    She had been exhausted on the car ride over, but she did not dare fall asleep since Leo was there.


    Now that she was back in her domain, such worries were unnecessary.


    She stretched and took off her clothes before heading into the bathroom.


    After a nice shower, she went to bed and soon fell asleep.


    She woke up at dawn when her rm rang.


    After Steven¡¯s departure, she was now in charge of making Bria breakfast.


    Thus, she got up and headed to the kitchen.


    She immediately spotted the shadow of a man in the kitchen.


    ¡°Dad,¡± she called out, thinking her father had returned.


    The man turned around to face her.


    It was actually Leo dressed in Steven¡¯s sleepwear.


    She was startled.


    It was only then that she recalled he had driven her homest night.


    She had left her father¡¯s sleepwear on the couch as a precaution. Based on what she knew of him, she


    thought he would have gone home.


    He did not, however.


    She knew that he never liked sleeping anywhere apart from his own bed. Unless he had no choice, he


    would always head home.


    This¡­


    Leo frowned when he heard her call ¡°Dad¡±. His gaze swept past her figure in a meaningful manner.


    There was something different about his gaze today. Every second of being looked at made her feel as


    if her clothes might vanish.


    The look in his eyes was so impressionable that she found it hard to breathe.


    She could not avoid recalling their hug from yesterday and instinctively retreated far away from him.


    He did not call her out on it though. ¡°Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes.¡±


    She returned to her room and changed out of her sleepwear. She then headed over to Bria¡¯s room to


    wake her up.


    By the time they were ready, there was already arge bowl of steaming hot soup waiting for them in


    the middle of the table. Combined with the fresh parsley, they looked very appetizing.


    Bria was drooling. She hurriedly scrambled over to get Leo to serve her some soup.


    He grabbed a shallow soup bowl anddled some into it. That way, the soup would cool down faster.


    Bria squinted her eyes with pleasure as she took a tiny spoonful of soup.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    He stroked her head before serving Amelie a bowl as well.


    She was surprised by his actions.


    She just could not get used to the idea of him cooking breakfast.


    Still, she lowered her lips and took a spoonful of soup.


    It was refreshing and sweet.


    While it was not as nice as Steven¡¯s, it was good.


    Sitting across the table, Bria was engrossed in her food. Her spoon kept clinking against the bowl as


    she shoved spoonful after spoonful of soup into her mouth.


    Soon, her bowl was almost empty.


    ¡°Dada, can you make breakfast for me every day?¡± Bria swiftly asked after she finished breakfast.


    He did not respond. Instead, he turned to look at Amelie.


    It was as if he was asking for her opinion.


    She ignored him and walked over to straighten Bria¡¯s clothes. ¡°Come on. We¡¯re going to bete.¡±


    Bria pouted but did not protest and let Amelie pull her out of their home.


    Leo followed right behind them.


    ¡°Oh, are you going to drop Bria at her school?¡± Mrs. Levine cheerfully asked, having just returned from


    her morning exercise.


    She then gazed at the trio with joy. ¡°A family of three; how nice.¡±


    That rendered Amelie speechless.


    ¡°Say goodbye to Mrs. Levine,¡± Leo said to Bria as his lips tilted up into a faint smile.


    Bria waved at Mrs. Levine and chimed, ¡°Goodbye, Mrs. Levine!¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Mrs. Levine smiled as she waved back. Before heading back into her home, she pulled


    Amelie aside and said, ¡°You have such a handsome husband, Elie. You should hurry up on your


    second little one.¡±


    Once more, Mrs. Levine rendered Amelie speechless.


    What did having a second child have to do with how handsome her husband was?


    Wait. She was not even married to Leo!


    She was about to exin the situation, but Mrs. Levine winked at her and headed home.


    After dropping Bria off at the kindergarten, Amelie turned to Leo. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    She then led him to a quiet spot.


    When she turned back to look at him, she saw that he had followed her over. Standing under the tree,


    he fixed his gaze on her.


    She uneasily ruffled her hair. ¡°Leo, we¡¯re divorced. Please stoping to my home. I don¡¯t want any


    misunderstandings to happen. If you want to see Bria, tell me. I¡¯ll have you meet her somewhere else.¡±


    Boundaries had to be set. She did not want a repeat of what happened this morning.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He did not say anything and just calmly stared at her.


    His lips were pursed the entire time, making it hard for her to tell what he was thinking.


    Now that she had said her piece, she nodded and walked past him.


    He did not run after her.


    Instead, he went back to his car.


    Watching the car speed away, she felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders.


    The reason why she had to rify things with Leo was that she did not want Bria to assume they were


    getting back together.


    The years Bria spent in the Alston Residence had irrevocably damaged her. Amelie could not let that


    happen again.


    She turned and walked away.


    She never noticed the car quietly turning around to follow her until she headed into her home.


    There was a dark look on Leo¡¯s face as he held the steering wheel with one hand.


    Meanwhile, his left hand was hanging out of the window with a cigarette hanging from it.


    The hazy smoke rising from it made his cold face look rather ethereal.


    He was lost in thoughts.


    There was so much he wanted to say.


    He even felt the urge to lock her up and stay by his side.


    However, after he realized just how vain his mother was, he had be more restrained.


    He wanted her, not because she was Foxy.


    It was not because she was Big Eyes either.


    He had started to love her before he even knew she was Big Eyes.


    However, he had not realized his feelings back then.


    By the time he knew of them, it was already toote.


    Even so, he would not let go of her.

 Chapter 333

    Chapter 333


    Chapter 333 Disowned


    Amelie was busy with work for the next few days.


    Thankfully, Steven was back from his trip, relieving much of her burden.


    She was busy with both Knowlit and her streams.


    Knowlit was booming, and there was a lot of interest from research groups.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    She had no choice but to hire a few professionals for quality control.


    With more quality content being produced, the tform¡¯s business was soaring. Investors were all


    interested in it and tried to convince her to go public.


    Not wanting to expand too fast, she rejected all of their suggestions.


    Meanwhile, she made a few tweaks to the site to improve the user interface and increase the variety of


    content avable.


    In the blink of an eye, two weeks passed.


    After all that work was over, she generously gave herself two days off from work.


    She was thinking about how to make use of her vacation time.


    Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a message.


    ¡®Come to the Walsh Building.¡¯


    It was an unknown number.


    She stared at it for ages, but she could not think of just who could have sent her that message.


    However, she was familiar with the Walsh Building.


    That was where Toby¡¯spany, Walsh Residence, was located.


    Did that mean Toby sent her the message?


    She called Toby, wanting to confirm her guess.


    He did not answer the phone.


    Worried that it was urgent, she did not spend too much time pondering. She informed Steven before


    swiftly jumping into her car and driving over to the Walsh Building.


    It was an hour¡¯s drive from Halport to Clouson City.


    However, she had cut it down to thirty minutes.


    As soon as she arrived at the building, she swung the car around in a beautiful arc to slide her car into


    a narrow parking lot.


    She was about to grab her bag and get out of the car.


    At that moment, she saw a car stop right in front of her.


    The driver swiftly got out and opened one of the doors to allow a middle-aged man to step out.


    He was dressed in a fine suit.


    Meanwhile, another man stepped out of the car from the other side.


    The man was dressed entirely in white with his somewhat long hair tied up in a ponytail to frame the


    gentle curves of his face.


    It was Toby.


    ¡°Think carefully. What happened between you and Leo Alston?¡± the middle-aged man sternly asked


    Toby. Despite looking very simr to Toby, he looked extremely strict.


    She instantly knew who he was.


    He was Toby¡¯s father, Theodore Walsh.


    The two men had yet to spot Amelie and her car. They were fully focused on each other.


    Toby silently pursed his lips. His usually smiling eyes were drooping and staring down at the ground


    while his shoulders were hunched over.


    When Theodore saw that, his anger only grew as he barked out in a harsher tone of voice, ¡°We have


    always worked well with the Alstons, yet today he suddenly canceled our coboration, specifically your


    project. Don¡¯t tell me this has nothing to do with you!¡±


    Uncontroble rage rang in his voice and his eyes looked fierce.


    Toby helplessly pursed his lips and huffed in silent agreement.


    Theodore mmed his hand against the car window. ¡°You¡¯re such a useless failure! Now that the


    Alstons have canceled our contract, our necks are on the line! If things do not improve, the entire


    project will fail. Think carefully; thepany will suffer a great loss once the few hundred million dors


    project fails. If you can¡¯t resolve this matter, your grandfather will disown you.¡±


    Then, without a second nce at Toby, he stomped into the office building.


    Toby raised his eyebrows in helplessness as hebed his long fingers through his hair. As he turned


    around, he spotted her.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked in surprise with an awkward look on his face.


    Ah, so he was not the one who messaged her.


    She was certain of that.


    She silently got out of her car and walked over to him. ¡°My apologies. I did not mean to overhear your


    conversation.¡±


    He ducked his head down and gave her a smile that was somewhat bitter and somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°What happened between you and Leo? How did things end up this way?¡±


    She knew that the two families had always worked together.


    With how close the two families were, there was no reason for Leo to cancel their coborative


    projects.


    Not unless something major happened.


    ¡°Profit has always been the king in the world of business. My project isn¡¯t profitable enough for him, so


    he gave up on it,¡± he casually exined.


    She silently stared at him.


    For some reason, she believed that was not the real reason.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had lunch, have you? I¡¯m hungry. Do you want to grab lunch together?¡± he asked, pulling


    her along as he walked.


    That snapped her out of her thoughts.


    She instinctively shied away from his touch. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have ns.¡±


    She did not want to interact too much with him.


    ¡°This is the Walsh Building, and quite a few people know we¡¯re dating. If you don¡¯t have lunch with me


    while you¡¯re here, people will be suspicious.¡± He did not try to pull her along again. Instead, he looked


    down at his now-empty hand.


    That rendered Amelie speechless.


    Theodore had just expressed his dissatisfaction with Toby. If people start to suspect Toby¡¯s rtionship


    with her, it would be adding fuel to the fire.


    He did save her twice, so she could not be cruel.


    Finally, she nodded. ¡°Fine.¡±


    He walked fast. Soon, he brought her to a huge andvishly decorated restaurant.


    ¡°This way, Mr. Walsh,¡± a waitress greeted, walking up to them. ¡°Your usual?¡±


    It was evident he was a regr here.


    The waitress¡¯ eyes were shimmering as she looked at him. Her eyes nearly spelled out ¡°I love you¡± at


    him.


    However, she uneasily looked away when she spotted Amelie.


    ¡°No.¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°We¡¯ll have something different today.¡±


    He then pulled out a chair for Amelie.


    After they sat down, he immediately began to order without even looking at the menu.


    The waitress swiftly tapped away on her tablet and added the dishes he named to their order. Then,


    she paused with doubt in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Walsh, you usually hate spicy dishes.¡±


    ¡°I merely do not like to have spicy food when I¡¯m working. I¡¯m on leave today, so I¡¯d like to give the


    dishes a go,¡± he replied.


    The waitress went silent, hid her doubt, and strode away.


    Amelie silently stared at him.


    Every dish he had ordered was her favorite.


    Was it a coincidence?


    They rarely ever dined together, and she had never told him her food preferences.


    It was hard to wave it away as a coincidence.


    An advantage of high-end restaurants was that few people dined there.


    The servers were quick to serve them. In just ten minutes, all of their dishes were served.


    Toby politely picked up his cutlery and gestured to her, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    She continued to silently stare at him before turning her attention to the food.


    They were soon done with their meal.


    Just then, his phone rang.


    He shot her an apologetic look. ¡°I have to take this.¡±


    He then answered the phone as he walked out.


    She took the opportunity to walk over to the sales register as she wanted to pay for the meal.


    ¡°Mr. Walsh has already paid,¡± the waitress politely responded while also sizing her up.


    Standing nearby, the waitress who had served them whispered to another waitress, ¡°I heard Mr. Walsh


    never orders spicy food, yet he suddenly ordered some today. Is it all because of thedy he brought


    along?¡±


    She had just finished speaking when the waitress she was speaking to nudged her.


    Realizing Amelie was standing at the sales register, the gossiping waitress hurriedly covered her mouth


    while shooting an embarrassed smile at Amelie.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have something urgent to attend to. I have to go now,¡± Toby said, suddenly appearing


    behind Amelie.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it,¡± she swiftly replied with a nod.


    He nodded to her apologetically before striding away.


    She did not go back to the table. Instead, she headed to the exit as well.


    She had barely taken a few steps when someone stepped in front of her, blocking her way out. ¡°Miss


    Dillon.¡±

 Chapter 334

    Chapter 334


    Chapter 334 Mr. Alston Has a Soft Side


    Amelie stared at the woman blocking her way. The woman was slender and had delicate features, but


    her pale face looked sickly. Amelie recognized her as the girl who had tried to talk to Toby at the party


    hosted by Alfred. If Amelie guessed correctly, this was the girl that Leo said Toby had always liked and


    never gave up on.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Amelie asked calmly. The girl was visibly nervous, making her seem fragile and


    vulnerable.


    ¡°Uhm.¡± The girl bit her lip as if finding it hard to speak, but continued, ¡°Miss Dillon, have you heard that


    Mr. Alston canceled his coboration with Toby?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Amelie responded nonchntly.


    ¡°Mr. Alston did it because you and Toby announced during Old Mr. Walsh¡¯s birthday party that you two


    are dating. He did it because of you¡­¡± The girl blurted out. Her face turned red as she began coughing


    a little.


    ¡°I-I followed you and found out that you are Foxy. Miss Dillon, you¡¯re Mr. Alston¡¯s ex-wife, so this was a


    form of warning to Toby because Mr. Alston doesn¡¯t want you and Toby to be together,¡± the girl added,


    showing that she knew quite a lot.


    Was Leo dealing with Toby because of me? Amelie couldn¡¯t help but recall Leo¡¯s previous domineering


    expression.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who told me to meet you at the Walsh Building? You nned for me to hear Toby


    and his father¡¯s conversation?¡± Amelie¡¯s expression grew colder.


    ¡°Y-Yes, it was me,¡± the girl said, coughing again because of her nervousness. She was so weak it was


    downright frustrating to watch.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t exin it, but she felt uneasy looking at the girl. She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to like


    her.


    ¡°I¡¯m Serenity Lindon,¡± the girl introduced herself. ¡°I don¡¯t have the power to help Toby, so I hope you


    can help him, Miss Dillon. He can¡¯t leave thepany; he¡¯s too good to be let go.¡±


    After saying that, Serenity looked even more pitiful as her eyes turned red. If Amelie were a guy, she


    would probably hug andfort her right now. ¡°Please help him,¡± she pleaded, bowing deeply before


    turning to leave.


    Watching her wobbly back as she walked away, Amelie tightened her lips, but she still went to Genesis


    anyway.


    ¡°Hello, do you have an appointment?¡± the new receptionist at Genesis greeted her with a friendly smile.


    Amelie smiled back and was about to speak when someone walked over. ¡°Miss Dillon!¡±


    It was Eugene. Seeing Amelie, Eugene acted like he was facing a formidable enemy and even red


    at the receptionist.


    The receptionist looked confused, but still recognized Amelie¡¯s distinguished status and quickly lowered


    her head.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, are you here to see Mr. Alston?¡± Eugene asked politely, wiping away his cold sweat. If he


    hadn¡¯te down in time, Mr. Alston¡¯s distinguished guest would have been neglected.


    ¡°Please follow me,¡± he gestured without waiting for Amelie¡¯s response and quickly pressed the elevator


    button. Amelie didn¡¯t hesitate and followed him into the elevator.


    A few secondster, Eugene led Amelie into Leo¡¯s office. Leo was sitting in front of hisputer, his


    face as serious as ever. Not only did his seriousness not affect his appearance but also added a few


    degrees of coldness.


    He was holding a phone in his hand, issuing orders to the other end. When Eugene spoke, his eyes


    were cold, but when he saw Amelie, warmth came to his eyes, and his gaze softened.


    ¡°The meeting is postponed for three hours,¡± hemanded the person on the other end, his lips


    curling up slightly.


    There was a loud bang as the phone hit the ground on the other side. After a moment of silence, a


    trembling voice spoke up, ¡°T-Three hours?¡± The executive from the R&D department had never heard


    of Leo postponing a meeting before. Leo¡¯s time was always calcted by the minute and was never


    wasted. A three-hour dy was unimaginable. Leo didn¡¯t say anything else; he just hung up the phone


    and stood up, giving Eugene a look. Eugene understood and quickly left the room.


    ¡°Bring two cups of coffee to the office,¡± he strode over to the secretary¡¯s desk and ordered the


    secretary.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The professional and beautiful secretary immediately walked toward the CEO¡¯s private


    pantry.


    Inside the office, Leo looked at Amelie with a soft gaze. ¡°Why did you suddenlye over?¡± His voice


    was unexpectedly gentle, so much so that the secretary who brought in the coffee almost thought she


    was in the wrong ce. Is this really the CEO? He was always serious and stern like he could freeze


    others with a single nce. Even if he was incredibly handsome, no secretary would dare to approach


    this cold and distant CEO. The secretary took a step back, almost spilling the coffee. After she


    gathered herposure, she walked toward Amelie. Seeing that Amelie was standing, she put the


    coffee on the small table behind Amelie. She then took another cup of coffee from the tray and ced it


    on Leo¡¯s desk. ¡°Mr. Alston, your coffee.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Eugene?¡± Leo¡¯s face darkened at the sound of the secretary¡¯s voice. ¡°Can¡¯t a special


    assistant like him brew coffee?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Brew coffee? Isn¡¯t that something I always do? The secretary looked at Leo nkly,


    completely unable to understand what she did wrong.


    Seeing Leo¡¯s face darken and the secretary on the verge of tears, Amelie took a step back and picked


    up the coffee on the table, taking a sip with her head down. ¡°I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    Leo finally looked away from the secretary, and when he faced Amelie, his gaze softened once again.


    The secretary was shocked to see this, wondering if her eyes were ying tricks on her. The always


    cold and distant Mr. Alston was looking at someone with such tenderness! This girl¡­ the secretary


    couldn¡¯t help but look at Amelie, wondering what was so special about this girl that could turn their CEO


    into a gentlemb.


    ¡°Sit down.¡± Leo felt annoyed that Eugene brought in a female secretary to pour coffee. He left his seat


    and pulled out a chair for Amelie. The secretary was surprised. Did the CEO just pull out a chair for


    someone?


    She was so shocked that her jaw almost dropped. But thinking about Leo¡¯s sternness toward her, she


    didn¡¯t dare to linger and quickly leave the office with the tray, her pace so quick that it seemed like a


    wolf was chasing her.


    Amelie didn¡¯t sit in the chair Leo pulled out for her. Instead, she took a step back and pulled out another


    chair herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Toby.¡± She put the cup on the table and only stared at it, not at him. ¡°If you have any


    grievances, you can vent them on me. There¡¯s no need to take it out on him.¡±


    Amelie¡¯s sudden visit had initially made Leo feel happy, but after hearing her words, he tightened up his


    previously soft features once again.

 Chapter 335

    Chapter 335


    Chapter 335 Till Death Do Us Part


    ¡°You came just for him?¡± Leo¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. Amelie had grown ustomed to the coldness


    after four years of facing it almost every day in Alston Residence, so she simply lifted her chin


    nonchntly and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    What? She agreed so readily! Leo felt as though a knife had been plunged into him, slicing away the


    joy and excitement he had just felt. All that remained was an overwhelming sense of suffocation, like a


    chest full of hard, cold stones that made it difficult for him to breathe.


    Amelie naturally did not miss his subtle change. After years of being around him, she could still tell


    when Leo was angry. In the past, she would have been nervous and at a loss, racking her brain to find


    a way to calm him down. But now, she had no such intentions. She silently sipped her coffee, waiting


    for Leo to explode.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, let¡¯s eat together.¡± She waited for what felt like forever, but all she got was this


    statement. Leo pushed back his chair, walked over to the coat rack, and took off his coat, draping it


    over his arm.


    Amelie was speechless.


    She looked at Leo in surprise. He didn¡¯t get angry, but instead wants to eat with me? She had thought


    he would leave silently like he used to. Leo lowered his eyes and looked at Amelie. There was a hint of


    helplessness in his gaze. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need to say, let¡¯s do it over a meal.¡±


    Outside the door, Eugene, too, was speechless.


    He hade over because the secretary had conveyed Leo¡¯s earlier message, and only then did he


    realize how significant Amelie was to him. He felt guilty for having a random female secretary bring in


    the coffee. When he arrived at the door, he saw the two of them at odds. Eugene was not unfamiliar


    with this situation, but he couldn¡¯t just walk in. He stood there, frozen. Yet what he witnessed was the


    usually cold Mr. Alston bing extremely gentle toward Amelie. He is putting his lover¡¯s needs above


    his own, even when provoked by a love rival! Is this the same boss I know?


    Eugene was still in shock when Amelie spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve eaten.¡±


    Amelie stayed put in her seat. Then, Leo walked over, lowered his head, and pressed his nose against


    her clothes, sniffing lightly. Amelie didn¡¯t understand what he was doing and flinched away in fear.


    ¡°Did you eat with Toby?¡±


    Amelie stared at him as if she was staring at a creature. Is he a dog? Could he really smell Toby on


    me?


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t really a secret, so Amelie nodded. Leo¡¯s face darkened again. Seeing this expression of his,


    Amelie was aware that Leo was not a softie, and he could do anything when he was angry. She wasn¡¯t


    afraid for herself, but she didn¡¯t want him to take it out on Toby. Since she came here to help Toby and


    not give him more trouble, she quickly said, ¡°Toby and I are just pretending to be a couple. There¡¯s no


    way we would do something like that.¡±


    ¡°Pretending?¡± Leo¡¯s face finally softened a little, and his expression became slightly warmer. Even if


    they were just pretending, he still didn¡¯t like it. He didn¡¯t say anything more, though. Given Amelie¡¯s


    attitude toward him, he knew that saying anything would only make her dislike him even more. He


    decided to let it go for now.


    ¡°In any case, you have to eat with me. No meal, no talk!¡± He finished speaking and walked out. He


    knew he shouldn¡¯t threaten her, but if he didn¡¯t, she probably wouldn¡¯t agree to eat with him.


    Eugene was dumbfounded again at the door. Mr. Alston is so shameless!


    Amelie sighed helplessly as she watched Leo walk away. She used to dream of him leading her by the


    nose, but he refused to do so. Now she had no feelings for him, but he was causing one trouble after


    another. Oh well, it¡¯s just to keep himpany. I can do that. Reluctantly, she followed him.


    ¡°Toby?¡±


    In the narrow corridor, Serenity, who was following Toby, didn¡¯t expect him to turn back. She was


    caught off guard and her face showed a brief moment of embarrassment and shyness as she bumped


    into him. But she quickly recovered and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be here too.¡±


    Toby looked at her with a deep expression, and the warmth that used to be on his face was gone; it


    was reced by a hint of ice. Serenity felt anxious being looked at by him like this, so she could only


    clench her fists and cough softly. She coughed weakly and gasped for breath, looking very pitiful. While


    coughing, she secretly observed Toby¡¯s facial expressions. She couldn¡¯t see the tenderness of the past


    in his face anymore. Serenity frowned slightly and looked sad and helpless as if she were a pitiful


    abandoned little animal. Even so, Toby did note forward to help her and always maintained a great


    distance from her.


    Serenity had to raise both her hands and say, ¡°I admit, I¡¯ve been following you. I only did it because I


    care about you.¡±


    She looked up at him with a pair of innocent eyes, like a helpless littlemb. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been


    bullied by Mr. Alstontely, and I really want to help you.¡±


    Serenity bit her lip and her eyes were red. Her tears were threatening to fall. ¡°I know you¡¯ll be unhappy,


    but I still went to find Miss Dillon. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really just too concerned about you, and I can¡¯t bear to


    see you b-being bullied like this.¡±


    As soon as her words fell, Toby¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tightly. ¡°You went to see her?¡±


    ¡°I really just want to help you,¡± Serenity said with a trembling voice. As soon as she finished speaking,


    Toby quickly said, ¡°Our rtionship has long been over, and I made that clearst time. From now on,


    don¡¯t appear in front of her in any way!¡±


    His words were calm and devoid of any emotions; he didn¡¯t even look at Serenity more than once. After


    he finished speaking, he turned and walked away. Serenity swayed on the spot and looked at Toby. He


    clearly wanted to go in and buy something, but now he would rather leave to avoid her!


    Serenity couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and tears fell down her cheeks. ¡°I know you hate me for not listening


    to you and marrying someone else, but it was your family that forced me. I had no other choice!¡±


    She ran up to him, hugged him from behind, and said, ¡°Toby, do you know how hard my life has been


    these years? I like you, but I have to be with another man¡­ It¡¯s just like living a life worse than death.¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t move. He looked down at her tightly sped hands and asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Toby, what do you mean?¡± Serenity looked at him with a pair of pitiful and innocent eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you


    believe that I¡¯ve been suffering all this time? Don¡¯t you believe that I love you? I¡¯ve been enduring all


    this time just to give you time to grow stronger so that you can save me. Toby¡­¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡± Toby suddenly smiled, took her hand, and pulled her in front of him.


    His expression softened as he said, ¡°So you love me enough to be with me even if I have nothing,


    right?¡±


    Serenity hesitated for a few seconds before nodding and saying, ¡°Yes, Toby.¡±


    Toby saw the change in her expression and his smile deepened. He nodded and took out his phone in


    front of Serenity. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to call my father and grandfather now. I¡¯ll give up everything and start


    looking for work tomorrow. You divorce that man and we¡¯ll leave here together. We¡¯ll live life just like a


    normal couple. Maybe I can¡¯t give you a life of luxury, but I can promise you that we¡¯ll never be


    separated for our entire lives.¡±


    With that, he pressed a string of numbers on his phone.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 336

    Chapter 336


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡± Serenity panicked as she saw Toby dialing Theodore¡¯s number without blinking. She


    knocked his phone off his hand, then picked it up and quickly hung up the call. When she looked up, all


    she saw was the lucidity and sarcasm in Toby¡¯s eyes.


    Serenity¡¯s mind went nk. ¡°Toby¡­¡± Even if Toby didn¡¯t say anything, she could imagine how


    ridiculous she looked¡ªlike aplete clown.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m actually doing this for your own good. You¡¯vee this far and achieved so much; you can¡¯t give


    up now. Toby, you¡¯re so talented! You can¡¯t ruin yourself because of me!¡± Serenity hurriedly tried to


    exin. ¡°You know that I don¡¯t mind suffering. But I can¡¯t let you suffer.¡±


    ¡°Heh!¡± Toby snatched his phone back from her fingers, his sarcasm even more pronounced. If Amelie


    said those words, he would never doubt her. But Serenity¡­ Toby even felt likeparing Serenity to


    Amelie was an insult to Amelie.


    ¡°I actually divorced him already, really!¡± Serenity desperately tried to get his trust back, moving closer to


    him.


    Toby still only smiled. ¡°What a pity.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Serenity looked at him.


    Toby stretched his eyebrows, but his eyes were not showing any anger. He looked straight ahead,


    thinking about something. In any case, it had nothing to do with her. As a woman, she could feel that he


    was thinking about another woman.


    ¡°Toby¡­¡± She called out to him again, unwilling to give up. Toby finally looked at her, his gaze as warm


    as before. This gave Serenity a glimmer of hope. ¡°I know you¡¯re regretting our rtionship. As long as


    we¡¯re patient, it¡¯s still possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not regretting our rtionship. I regret that when I was willing to give up everything, there wasn¡¯t a


    foolish girl willing to be with me unconditionally.¡± He was thinking of Amelie. If he had met her earlier,


    the oue might have been different.


    Serenity¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°I have my reasons; I¡¯m doing this for you¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell anyone about your divorce or rify our rtionship.¡± Toby didn¡¯t want to listen


    to this boring topic anymore and interrupted her.


    Although so, Serenity¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°So¡ª¡± Is he willing to ept me?


    ¡°Remember, we¡¯re impossible to be together!¡± Toby interrupted her. His eyes were clear butcking in


    tenderness.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Serenity was stunned and couldn¡¯t understand why he made such a contradictory decision.


    Toby raised his chin slightly in goodbye and walked away. The evening breeze was cold as it blew his


    hair into a mess. He was smiling and his eyes were clear. He only allowed Serenity not to rify their


    rtionship because of Amelie. Amelie always kept her guard up because of his status as a single


    man, making it impossible for him to approach her. He raised his fist to the sky, using all his strength. It


    was time to strive for sess. He wanted to be stronger and match her.


    Toby took out his phone, dialed a number, and put it to his ear. ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to start


    a business in Quima? I¡¯m willing to give it a try.¡±


    ¡°You want to go?¡± Theodore was stunned when he received his son¡¯s call, thinking his ears were


    ying tricks on him. ¡°Weren¡¯t you reluctant to do it before?¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t respond. Theodore had to remind him, ¡°You have to think it through. Doing business in


    Quima is difficult and risky.¡±


    ¡°No matter how difficult it is, I have to give it a try,¡± Toby said.


    Theodore couldn¡¯t understand why his son suddenly became so enthusiastic. He was willing to try and


    take risks, which was very much in line with his father¡¯s expectations. Once this son of his seeded,


    even if he didn¡¯t deliberatelypete for the position of the heir, Alfred would certainly take notice. In


    that way, Toby would be the heir to the Walsh Family, and no one else could take his ce.


    ¡°Good!¡± Theodore nodded in satisfaction. He felt excitement rise in him. My son has finally grown up.


    Leo brought Amelie into a restaurant, which had a quiet atmosphere andfortable sofa seats.


    Amelie sat near the edge of the sofa, indicating that she didn¡¯t want to sit with Leo. He didn¡¯t force her


    and sat across from her. After his deep gaze roamed around her for a moment, he picked up his phone


    to order. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. Just water is fine,¡± Amelie said lightly.


    Like she just said, she had just eaten. The smell of food made her nauseous. When the server heard


    that she wanted water, they immediately brought over a jug of water and wanted to pour water into


    Amelie¡¯s ss, but Leo stopped them midway.


    ¡°Do you have lemon and honey?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The server quickly brought a lemon and a small bottle of honey to the table. Leo took out a small


    knife and sliced the lemon into pieces, then used a pair of tweezers to put the lemon slices into the


    ss. He then poured a small amount of honey and a little water, then stirred it. All of it was done with


    precision, and his movements were pleasing to the eye. The surrounding servers couldn¡¯t help but look


    over.


    Leo stirred for a while, until the water and honey werepletely blended, before adding more water to


    the cup and filling it halfway. ¡°Drink it,¡± he said as he handed the cup to Amelie.


    ¡°Wow, how thoughtful of him!¡± When the servers saw how much effort he put into making the lemon


    honey water for Amelie, they couldn¡¯t help but admire him.


    ¡°And so handsome too.¡±


    ¡°If there were a man like him chasing after me, I would wake up smiling every day.¡±


    Everyone whispered to each other as they inevitably looked at Amelie. Amelie was beautiful and


    charming, and every move and smile of hers was exquisite.


    ¡°Ah, what a match made in heaven.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why beautiful women and handsome men belong together. We should just live our lives as


    ordinary people.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, why can¡¯t I be that beautiful?¡±


    Their whispers were quiet, but asionally a few words drifted into Amelie¡¯s ears. She looked at the


    lemon honey water that Leo had carefully prepared and sighed silently. ¡°I prefer to drink in water.¡±


    She pushed the lemon honey water toward Leo and found a new ss to pour a ss of in water


    for herself. Then, she lowered her head and took a sip. The taste was light and refreshing, just like her


    current mood. Leo silently watched her drink water, his deep and dark gaze falling on her lips which


    were moist from the water. She was polite and smiling to everyone else, but cold and indifferent to him.


    Although he knew it was the bitter fruit he had sown, he still felt frustrated.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± After speaking, Leo stood up and walked quickly toward the opposite


    corridor.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Leo? He¡¯s with Amelie?¡±


    Jodie and Melissa walked up together. They had originallye to have lunch, but as soon as they


    entered, they saw Leo striding toward the direction of the restroom. Behind him was Amelie sitting


    there. Jodie eximed in surprise. Melissa also saw the two of them, and her well-maintained face


    suddenly froze. Even her usual air of superiority lost its color as she followed Leo. Jodie, on the other


    hand, walked toward Amelie in her high heels. ¡°Dillon, do you have no shame?¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jodie couldn¡¯t suppress her anger and shouted at Amelie. ¡°You¡¯re already married, yet you still mess


    around with my brother! What do you want? I¡¯ve never seen anyone with such thick skin as you!¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Amelie¡¯s methods which Jodie was wary of, Jodie would have probably attacked her


    already. This woman just looks so repulsive! Jodie¡¯s feelings toward Amelie were more about jealousy


    than anything else. A divorced woman like her was actually able to marry the boss of Starlight Media!


    The more jealous Jodie felt, the harsher her words became. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about two-timing with my


    brother! He is not someone whom you can associate with! I advise you to be smart and leave now!¡±


    Amelie rubbed her temples in pain. Leo was enough to annoy her, and now there was Jodie! Is this


    ever going to end?


    Although she was annoyed, she didn¡¯t show it and just stood up.


    Seeing Amelie stand up, Jodie reflexively shielded her face with her hand with obvious caution in her


    eyes. ¡°Y-You better not touch me!¡±

 Chapter 337

    Chapter 337


    Chapter 337 Don¡¯t Mess With Her


    ¡°I won¡¯t touch you,¡± Amelie spoke lightly and calmly. Although there was no imposing manner, Jodie


    could see a hidden threat in her eyes.


    Ignoring Jodie¡¯s caution, Amelie smiled faintly. ¡°However, you are right, Miss Alston. I shouldn¡¯t have


    any more contact with Mr. Alston. Please tell your brother for me that I¡¯ll leave now, and we should try


    not to see each other in the future if possible.¡±


    After speaking, she walked out.


    Jodie was speechless. What¡¯s going on? Amelie listened to me so obediently? Did the sun rise in the


    west?


    Jodie was confused by Amelie¡¯s move, and even her sunsses fell off her forehead without her


    realizing it. ¡°Hmph, she just married the boss of Starlight Media! What¡¯s so great about that?¡± Jodie


    immediately scoffed.


    Amelie¡¯s attitude had turned into a form of showing off in Jodie¡¯s eyes. But it¡¯s true, she could show off


    as much as she wants to because she married a first-rate man despite being a divorced woman. Ugh!


    Meanwhile, the men who approached me are either desperate or want to gain some benefit from our


    family, whereas the men I like don¡¯t even care to look at me. The more Jodie thought about it, the more


    jealous she became of Amelie. She pounded the table in anger.


    ¡°Leo.¡± Leo had juste out of the restroom when he was blocked by Melissa.


    ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡± Leo¡¯s face showed obvious displeasure as he spoke with a t tone.


    Melissa tried hard to calm herself down but couldn¡¯t suppress the turmoil in her heart. She spoke with a


    hint of aggression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you still in contact with Amelie? Don¡¯t you know? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    she¡¯s already married? You know how bad her reputation is, not to mention your past rtionship with


    her¡­ Leo, listen to my advice and stay away from Amelie! The further the better!¡±


    Melissa felt that even if ¡°Foxy¡± and Toby were now involved, it was because of Leo¡¯s ties to Amelie. The


    more she thought about it, the more she despised Amelie. ¡°That woman is obviously not a good


    person! She might have already hooked up with the boss of Starlight Media before she divorced you.


    This kind of indecent woman will only bring you trouble! She¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not the kind of person you think she is. Don¡¯t say things like that about her again!¡± Leo


    interrupted her before Melissa could finish.


    Leo¡¯s face became even darker than before, with a coldness that could freeze the air. Melissa felt


    uneasy after hearing what he said; it was as if he would have been violent toward her if she weren¡¯t his


    mother. Is Amelie really that important to him? The more Melissa realized this, the more nervous she


    became.


    She couldn¡¯t act recklessly in front of Leo and had to speak slowly and calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything. I


    just hope you can stay away from her. In any case, she¡¯s married, and doing this is for her and her


    family¡¯s own good, right?¡±


    Leoughed lightly, tilting his head to reveal his sharp jawline. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? A while ago, you


    were daydreaming about us being together, and you were even willing to scheme for it to happen.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Melissa looked confused. ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    Although she briefly thought that the two of them could get back together, she absolutely did not


    purposely scheme for it! Leo didn¡¯t exin himself and just walked past her, leaving the restroom area.


    In the hallway, Leo quickly scanned the seats, but Amelie was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he saw his


    sister Jodie stamping her feet and mming the table, looking very angry.


    Frowning, he quickly walked over to her and asked, ¡°Where is she?¡± His tone was cold and icy.


    Jodie was startled by Leo¡¯s imposing demeanor but quickly recovered and started toin. ¡°Do you


    know how arrogant Amelie was just now? I only said a few things to her, and she got up and left, telling


    me to tell you not to see her again. It¡¯s as if you were pestering her. How can someone be so


    shameless? This kind of woman should be taught a lesson! You should make her learn to respect us!¡±


    Jodie couldn¡¯t provoke Amelie herself, so she could only rely on Leo. To achieve her goal, she added


    fuel to the fire and said some nasty things about Amelie.


    ¡°Listen to me! Don¡¯t bother her in the future!¡± Leo said coldly.


    ¡°What?¡± Jodie thought Leo would be angry and go find trouble with Amelie, but instead, he said only


    these words. Before she could react, Leo had already rushed out of the door. He was running off!


    Jodie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Leo had always beenposed and steady over these years, and


    she had never seen him so restless before. Is he going after Amelie? That couldn¡¯t be possible. Jodie


    couldn¡¯t believe that he would lose control just to chase after Amelie, but she couldn¡¯t help following


    him.


    Leo ran downstairs, but all he saw were unfamiliar faces. Amelie was nowhere to be seen. He gritted


    his teeth and pulled his tie tightly, walking toward his car while taking out his phone. Then, he opened


    his car door.


    Bang! The car door closed.


    ¡°Hurry up and open the door!¡±


    As soon as Leo sat down, he heard a hurried and anxious voice from behind. The person mored and


    tried to rush out without any regard.


    ¡°Elie?¡± Leo was surprised and quickly extended his hand to block her from hitting the car window.


    Amelie¡¯s head hit his palm with force, causing his hand to go numb.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He looked at her with concern, not noticing his hand.


    Amelie covered her head and looked at him with blurred eyes that gradually became clear. After a


    while, she said, ¡°Oh,¡± and looked around.


    This was inside the car, not the garage.


    ¡°Sorry, it was a reflex,¡± Amelie apologized. The four years of living in the Alston Family¡¯s garage¡ª


    where she would jump up to open the door whenever she heard a loud noise in her sleep¡ªhad left her


    traumatized.


    She had originally thought of leaving, but she decided to talk to Leo instead since his car wasn¡¯t locked.


    As soon as she got in, she started feeling drowsy, which led to the scene that just happened. Leo was


    happy that she hadn¡¯t left, but his smile froze when he heard what she had to say. He couldn¡¯t deny it


    or make excuses. His eyes showed a heavy sense of guilt and regret. Even if she didn¡¯t say anything,


    he exactly what she meant.


    Back then, a distant rtive of the Richards Family watched over the garage, but he had poor hearing


    and people had to bang on the door loudly for him to hear anything. Over time, it became a habit. After


    the old man left, Amelie moved into the underground garage. Leo had never really considered her as


    family and didn¡¯t bother thinking about who was living there, so he continued to bang on the door as


    usual. His indifference had caused her irreparable trauma.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized in a low voice after a while.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± Amelie shrugged.


    Leo looked at her bright and clear eyes that had no sadness. However, the bright light stabbed his


    heart and made him feel suffocated. He wished that she would bring up the past, get angry, and swear


    at him. At least it would prove that she cared. Only when she cared about these things would she care


    about him as a person. He was once confident that with time, he could win her heart back, but now it


    felt like he was holding onto the sand that was slipping through his fingers. His chest was tight, and the


    air was filled with endless silence.


    Amelie had enough of this kind of atmosphere in the Alston Residence and didn¡¯t like it. She furrowed


    her eyebrows and ran her fingers through her hair, breaking the silence.


    ¡°I still want to talk to you properly,¡± she said.

 Chapter 338

    Chapter 338


    Chapter 338 Each Took What They Needed


    She pursed her lips and continued, ¡°Back then, when I appeared in your bed, it was a surprise to me


    too. It wasn¡¯t nned by me. After we got married, I started liking you, and seeing Elyse betray you, I


    thought we could start over together. I¡¯m not saying that I had no grievances against you, but you never


    promised me anything either. The only unfair thing that you did was that you didn¡¯t believe that the


    incident that night had nothing to do with me. Your family needed me to marry you to settle the chaos,


    and I wanted to marry you to fulfill my teenage dream. We both got what we wanted, and no one owed


    anyone anything. As adults, we should take responsibility for our own choices. When I married you and


    your family mistreated me, it was due to my choice, and I don¡¯t want you to feel guilty for it or think that


    you owe me anything just because I¡¯m ¡®Big Eyes.¡¯¡±


    Amelie used to feel wronged and upset, but with time, she realized that she could think clearly about


    these things. ¡°Leo, if you really want to make it up to me, just let me live my life in peace and don¡¯t hurt


    my friends whom I cherish.¡±


    She finished speaking and elegantly tilted her chin. With that, she opened the door and got out of the


    car.


    Leo¡¯s hand, which was pressing down on her, fell weakly. The sunlight shone on his face, but instead of


    warmth, it radiated coldness, making one shiver.


    At night in Prix Bar, a man¡¯s hand was faintly visible through the hazy glow. It was holding a ss of ice


    cubes that clinked together. After the drink was downed in one gulp, only the faint cold light reflected off


    the ice remained. It looked deste and lonely, just like the expression on the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Even the great Mr. Alston has his moments of depression?¡± Toby walked over, sat


    opposite him, and spoke with a slight smile. This wasn¡¯t a private room, but the noisy main hall. The


    table was in the most inconspicuous corner, and neon lights asionally shed, illuminating the


    scene of the man drinking and those overly stern eyes of his. This kind of Leo seemed to be no


    different from his usual self, except to Toby who could sense his bad mood.


    Leo finished his drink without responding, his gaze still devoid of emotion.


    Toby tapped his fingers lightly with a yful smile on his face. He didn¡¯t say anything and simply leaned


    lazily against the backrest.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly want to go to Quima?¡± Leo asked, his voice still cold and sharp despite the


    alcohol he had consumed. He was a man who never showed signs of being drunk. At any time, his


    gaze was sharp and resolute.


    Toby lightly pressed his finger to his lips and coughed a little. ¡°What if I say I want to be stronger?¡±


    Leo looked at him. His ck eyes were as dark as ink, sharp enough to prate a person¡¯s soul.


    Toby met his gaze calmly.


    Then, Leo looked away and poured himself another drink, not asking anything else. Smart people could


    usually tell what wasing next just by hearing a few words.


    ¡°She is mine.¡± After a long pause, he spoke, gripping the ss tightly and his fingertips turning blue.


    Toby smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve always beenzy since I was a kid because I don¡¯t like topete with anyone. My


    biggest wish was to have lots of freedom. Now I realize that myziness in the past was because there


    was nothing worth me fighting for. But now, I won¡¯t back down!¡±


    He picked up his ss and lightly tapped it against Leo¡¯s. ¡°To be honest, you¡¯re really not good enough


    for her.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time Toby had said this, but it was the first time Leo was curious.


    Toby smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? She¡¯s not just your ¡®Big Eyes,¡¯ she¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Leo¡¯s phone rang. The call was from Victor. Leo probably wouldn¡¯t


    have answered if it had been anyone else, but if Victor was looking for him, it was probably important.


    He walked out of the bar with his phone and appeared in the private meeting room 20 minutester.


    Victor was already waiting there, dressed in a ck jacket. He had sharp and cold facial features, and


    he was standing like a statue.


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    When Victor saw Leo, he finally moved and greeted him with a nod.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    Leo walked over and sat down on the chair. Then, Victor took out a transparent small bag containing a


    bullet from his pocket.


    ¡°The origin of the bullet has been traced. It came from a border organization that mainly engages in


    hiring operations and also takes on special tasks, such as sniping.¡± He was talking about the bullet that


    killed Elyse.


    ¡°When did Elyse make enemies with them?¡± Leo¡¯s eyebrows suddenly furrowed. Even he had never


    dealt with these ouws. Anyone with a clear mind knew not to get involved with these people.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± Victor shook his head.


    Leo frowned in the dimly lit room. The faint light from the window illuminated the faces of the two men.


    Despite Victor¡¯s sharp demeanor, he couldn¡¯t match Leo¡¯s aristocratic elegance.


    ¡°Try to investigate the mastermind behind the setup that framed Amelie and me,¡± Leo said, lost in


    thought. He had not pursued the matter before because he thought it was solely Amelie¡¯s doing.


    However, now that she had made it clear that she was not involved, Leo had a new theory.


    Victor was taken aback. ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible that it¡¯s a different person behind both incidents?¡± he asked,


    skeptical. One was a murder case, and the other was an insignificant setup. Even Victor thought they


    had no connection.


    ¡°Just investigate it!¡± Leo snapped.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Victor then left.


    Leo did not leave immediately. He kept his head bowed as he stood by the window in silence, letting


    the light fall on his stern profile.


    Meanwhile, at the Alston Residence, Melissa and Jodie were still discussing Leo and Amelie¡¯s


    situation. ¡°It¡¯s definitely Amelie being shameless. She¡¯s seducing the boss of Starlight Media while also


    messing around with Leo. She¡¯s trying to have her cake and eat it too,¡± Jodie dered confidently.


    In her mind, Amelie was the kind of person who would do anything to climb the socialdder and


    achieve wealth and status.


    Melissa¡¯s well-maintained face carried a hesitant expression. ¡°Why do I feel like there¡¯s more to it than


    that?¡±


    She had previously thought the same as Jodie, but over time, she had witnessed Amelie¡¯s cunning


    ways. Coupled with Leo¡¯s inexplicable questioningst night, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    ¡°Leo keeps saying I don¡¯t know the real Amelie. I don¡¯t know what he means,¡± Melissa continued.


    Jodie, who never overthought anything, said dismissively, ¡°What else could it mean? She¡¯s one way in


    front of us and another way in front of men. She¡¯s quite skilled at seduction.¡±


    Looking down at her watch, she added, ¡°Ah, let¡¯s not talk about her anymore; it¡¯s been so annoying


    chatting about her sincest night until this morning. Mom, just go back first. I¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    ke had a local performance today and she couldn¡¯t miss it! Melissa wanted to keep discussing, but


    Jodie thrust Melissa¡¯s things into her arms, then drove away.


    ¡°Jodie!¡± Melissa called to her daughter in annoyance, but she couldn¡¯t stop the car from speeding away.


    In the blink of an eye, Jodie disappeared without a trace. Melissa felt both angry and annoyed as she


    let out a series of sighs. She felt neither her son nor her daughter understood or cared about her. My


    son¡¯s not very affectionate, and my daughter¡¯s always off ying somewhere!


    Jodie rushed all the way to the performance site. Not even stopping to park her car properly, she simply


    parked it by the roadside and then ran all the way backstage with her backpack. She had secured


    backstage passes through a special connection and was eager not only to see ke on stage but to


    have a chance encounter with him backstage. Jodie grew increasingly happy as she ran towards the


    backstage door. She stopped to check herself in the mirror and adjusted her short skirt and strapless


    top. Then, she reapplied her makeup before she suddenly heard a gentle male voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s key!¡±


    Jodie was ted and turned around to look, but instead of ke, she saw a woman first.

 Chapter 339

    Chapter 339


    Chapter 339 If He Could Turn Back Time


    ¡°Don¡¯t you still have apetition? Why did youe all the way to pick me up?¡±


    Amelie and ke walked side by side.


    Since he had apetition in town, she wouldn¡¯t miss it.


    An innocent smile spread across his bashful face. ¡°We¡¯re close friends. Can¡¯t Ie to pick you up?¡±


    His eyes blinked under his bangs, which entuated his prince-like demeanor.


    Amelie was happy to hear him call her a close friend. ¡°Fine, then. Make sure to put in all your effort for


    thepetition so that you don¡¯t disappoint your best friend.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± ke hummed. Pulling her hand, he asked, ¡°So, Amelie, will you be my partner today?¡±


    She was taking a sip of water her assistant passed to her, but hearing ke¡¯s request, she almost spat


    the water out.


    ¡°Are you in your right mind, key? Why are you asking me to be your partner out of the blue? Don¡¯t


    you want to win first ce?¡±


    He smiled bashfully. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a performancepetition today, so the results don¡¯t really matter.


    Besides, audiences prefer to watch something fresh, so I thought of performing pair skating. You


    practiced with me many times before; you¡¯re a quick learner, and I¡¯d like to think we both have good


    chemistry. There will be no major issues.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Amelie,¡± her assistant chimed in. ¡°Pair skating was an idea given by the organizer. Even


    though key is an expert in figure skating, he has never performed with anyone else but you. Figure


    skating requires chemistry. You¡¯re the only one who can help him out at such short notice.¡±


    Amelie no longer objected to the idea after listening to her assistant¡¯s exnation, yet she was still


    hesitant. ¡°But I¡¯m not as good as you¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We can practice. I¡¯ll be in charge of taking over the difficult moves. All you need to do is


    follow my rhythm.¡±


    She was speechless. Was she being forced to do something out of her ability now?


    ¡°Come on. The practice rink is over there.¡± ke pointed at the ice rink opposite them. ¡°We have 30


    minutes before thepetition starts, and I¡¯m thest to perform, so we have another hour and a half


    to practice. We can make it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Amelie was extremely doubtful, but she still went after him.


    Jodie watched the scene as she stood behind them. Smoke seemed to emit from her head like a train


    as her anger piled.


    ¡°Damn you, Amelie Dillon!¡±


    How many more men is she going to pester?! She is married yet still flirting with other men. Does


    Starlight Media just let her be?


    Worst of all, she had to get entangled with the men around Jodie!


    If it wasn¡¯t considered a crime, Jodie desperately wanted to peel Amelie¡¯s skin off! After huffing in anger


    for some time, she stomped toward the practice rink.


    Amelie and ke had already changed into their outfits for practice.


    For the first time, he wore a ck costume with gold threads on his cor and tassels hanging from his


    cuffs.


    The outfit made him look even more elegant and extravagant.


    If not for the woman beside him, Jodie would have screamed out loud like an infatuated fangirl.


    Amelie wore a simr outfit as him but in red.


    The contrast in their outfit colors produced a strong sensory impact.


    In addition to their outstanding appearances, their perfect figures made them look as dazzling as stars


    in the sky.


    In his skates, ke made an elegant gesture of invitation to Amelie.


    She had tied her long, silky hair into a bun, revealing her smooth forehead. With light makeup on, she


    looked youthful and energetic.


    She didn¡¯t look like a woman who had given birth, and she even seemed to look younger than ke.


    Coupled with her slim figure, she appeared petite standing beside him, who equally had a slender


    figure.


    Jodie¡¯s eyes burned furiously. If she had known, she would have learned figure skating long ago; if she


    had mastered figure skating, Amelie wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance to steal her ce!


    Carrying the anger in her heart, Jodie took a few steps forward.


    ke and Amelie did not seem to notice Jodie¡¯s presence as he only had eyes for Amelie.


    Amelie, on the other hand, was covering her chest nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a good idea. I¡¯m going


    to seriously affect your performance.¡±


    She was just an amateur figure skater; thus, she was worried that she might be photographed by


    reporters if she performed together with a professional like ke.


    Nheless, ke did not show his impatience due to her repeated rejection. Instead, he offered her a


    bright smile that was as warm as the spring breeze, as soft as cotton. He enveloped her in his warmth,


    but of course, Jodie was the only one who could feel his intentions.


    As expected, she fumed in anger. She could no longer hold back as she stormed toward them, wanting


    to pull Amelie away from ke.


    ¡°What else can stop you in this world, Foxy?¡± ke¡¯s voice suddenly sounded.


    That made Jodie halt in her steps abruptly, her gaze filled with doubt and shock as she stared at the


    two. Her ears also perked up to listen to more of their conversation.


    ke added, ¡°I can tell how rxed you are in your live broadcasts! No matter what the fans ask to


    see, you show them. Your talent surpasses some who even trained ten years to achieve their skills!¡±


    Is Amelie Foxy? Amelie¡­ She¡¯s¡­ Jodie ruffled her hair in frustration. All she heard were noises


    shing in her mind.


    Never did she expect Amelie to be rted to Foxy.


    How could that be?


    How could they be the same person?!


    Thud! Jodie was so shocked that she hit something and produced a noise.


    ke and Amelie were slightly startled as they looked in her direction.


    Covering her face, Jodie scrambled away as fast as she could, so the two only managed to see her


    back.


    Staff members would oftene in and out of the practice rink, so the two didn¡¯t think too much of it.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Eventually, Amelie made up her mind. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll risk my reputation to help you. Don¡¯t me me


    if I can¡¯t perform on par as you or if you get scolded because I affected your performance.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ke looked at Amelie with a tender and affectionate gaze. He was desperate to have her


    name written beside him on paper.


    Even if it meant getting scolded, he felt it was an honor.


    ¡°I¡¯m going topete abroad soon with really strongpetitors. I¡¯m not confident in beating them, but


    being able to perform with you for once will boost my confidence,¡± he uttered with a warm and light


    tone, just like the spring breeze.


    At the same time, his gaze seemed to carry a hidden emotion that couldn¡¯t be expressed.


    ¡°Just treat today¡¯s performance as a way of encouragement for me.¡±


    Hearing that, Ameliepletely overcame her unease and took his hand.


    ¡°I heard that you stood up even in a near-despair situation back then to continue your career in figure


    skating. That alone is enough to show how exceptional you are in this field. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to


    beat your opponents again this time!¡±


    She held a fist at him with bright and sparkly eyes.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± ke indulged himself in her eyes.


    Though the opponent was powerful, he wasn¡¯t afraid. Admitting his weakness was to get his way to


    perform with her on the same stage out of desperation.


    ¡°You once asked me what I wanted,¡± he uttered.


    Amelie smiled. ¡°Yeah. You said you wanted to be at the top of the world. I knew you¡¯d be able to


    achieve that as soon as I heard your wish, and as expected, you lived up to your own expectations.


    You did it.¡±


    ke smiled softly, but a hint of fondness was now evident in his tender eyes.


    If he could turn back to the time she asked that question, he would¡¯ve answered ¡°I want you!¡± without


    hesitation.


    On the other hand, Jodie stumbled and ran out of the practice rink.


    The news she had just obtained came too much of a shock to her. Her eyes had turned red with tears.


    The woman whom she was never willing to look in the eye and used to bully turned out to be Foxy!


    The news was even more shocking than the announcement of Amelie¡¯s marriage to the president of


    Starlight Media.


    It made her feel even worse.


    To her, a woman would be able to get married as long as she had a pretty face.


    Foxy was a highly talented and intelligent woman who deserved a hundred million followers. Jodie was


    one of her admirers.


    At that thought, she suddenly felt as if being pped in the face. Every part of her skin hurt, and her


    chest nearly exploded due to suffocation!


    She couldn¡¯t ept it! There was no way she could!


    Does this mean that¡­ Amelie might have been mocking me inwardly for being ignorant and dumb


    every time I bully and insult her?


    Her active attacks on Amelie seemed to serve as thetter¡¯s entertainment, yet she waspletely


    unaware of that. All this while, she had been a clown in Amelie¡¯s world!


    If Jodie didn¡¯t n a retaliation on her, she reckoned that she would go crazy!

 Chapter 340

    Chapter 340


    Chapter 340 An Ugly B*tch


    Jodie¡¯s mind was close to bursting. Even after scratching her scalp as she racked her brain, she


    couldn¡¯t think of a good way to seek revenge on Amelie.


    All she could think of was Melissa.


    Hence, she dialed her mother¡¯s number. ¡°Mom, did you know? Amelie is Foxy!¡±


    When Melissa picked up the phone, she was watching the rey of Foxy¡¯s live broadcast in aid-back


    manner while letting Miss Potts do her manicure.


    Jodie¡¯s sudden statement made her pull her hand slightly, causing Miss Potts to clip on her flesh.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Melissa red at Miss Potts.


    Miss Potts shuddered subconsciously and waited for her scolding.


    However, it was more important for Melissa to figure out what was going on. ¡°What do you mean?


    Exin in detail.¡±


    While saying that, she gestured to Miss Potts to back away.


    As if being forgiven, Miss Potts hurriedly grabbed her tools and took to her heels.


    Jodie sounded like she was crying over the phone. ¡°I overheard Amelie and ke¡¯s conversation just


    now. ke called her Foxy! Mom, Amelie must think of us as fools! She used to act pitiful at home back


    then and imed that her family was poor. They were all lies! She has been toying with us all along. All


    of us are her source of entertainment!¡±


    Hearing that, Melissa felt her head buzz.


    Even though she knew that Amelie was capable, she never associated her with Foxy at all.


    If she is Foxy, then what I did back then¡­


    At the thought of how harsh and sarcastic she treated Amelie back then, she felt her cheeks burn.


    She was too ashamed of herself now!


    Melissa had always carried a strong sense of superiority, and she valued her pride more than anything


    else.


    Jodie¡¯s discovery had no doubt crushed her pride into pieces.


    She wanted to deny it. She wanted to use Jodie of mishearing, but Leo¡¯s words suddenly shed in


    her mind.


    He asked me multiple times whether I know who Amelie really is.


    Has he been hinting to me about this?


    Melissa pped the table with her palm, and she couldn¡¯t care even if it hurt. At this moment, she only


    cared about her lost pride!


    Jodie merely bullied Amelie, but what about her? She didn¡¯t just give Amelie the cold shoulder, she


    even continuously created opportunities to matchmake her son to Foxy, when they were both the same


    person.


    She eagerly wanted to dig a hole and hide in it so that she didn¡¯t have to face anyone in her life.


    Her face hurt, but her chest hurt even more! To be precise, every part of her body hurt!


    She called out to Miss Potts a few times, but there was no response.


    Eventually, she had to clutch her chest and run outside.


    As soon as she arrived at the door, she stumbled and fell to the ground.


    Fortunately, she managed to support herself by holding the door, but a look of despair painted across


    her face.


    ¡°We¡¯re doomed. We¡¯re doomed!¡±


    Initially, she merely thought that her son still stood a chance regardless of Foxy¡¯s rtionship with Toby.


    As long as the two weren¡¯t engaged, she could still pull some tricks to matchmake her with Leo.


    Now, however¡­ It is all over!


    Since Amelie and Foxy were the same people, she had deep resentment for Melissa. Why would she


    agree to marry her son?


    The hundreds of millions of fans backing Foxy and the wealth that came with it that could have


    belonged to the Alstons were now gone!


    The most ideal alliance she had in mind had slipped out of her hands. Just like that.


    The loss of benefits made her even more desperate and heartbroken than the loss of pride.


    Propping her forehead with her fingers, she suddenly felt the world spinning around her. She could


    pass out anytime soon!


    ¡°Mrs. Alston.¡± Just then, someone suddenly supported her arm.


    Ady¡¯s voice sounded crisp and clear in her ear. ¡°I¡¯m here to look for Leo.¡±


    ¡­


    Jodie waited for hours outside the rink, but Melissa had yet to arrive.


    Her mother hung up in the middle of the call, and she didn¡¯t even send her help.


    The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt, and the more aggrieved she was.


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    She smashed her limited edition bag against the wall until it was deformed.


    But so what? She couldn¡¯t save anything.


    She wanted to leave this ce, but humans were stubborn beings. The more aggrieved one was, the


    more unwilling they were to leave the ce that brought them misery.


    Eventually, she entered the venue once again.


    Before long, the host announced in an enthusiastic voice, ¡°Thest group who will perform for us is our


    long-awaited extraordinary, handsome, and talented prince, ke Gareth!


    All of a sudden, the audience cheered and apuded loudly.


    ke was extremely popr in the country hence many people attended the event today just to watch


    him.


    Before the apuse died down entirely, the lights suddenly dimmed.


    Under a mysterious light blue beam of light, a dark figure skated across the stage.


    ¡°key! key!¡±


    The audience immediately cheered his name.


    Their voices even overshadowed the music at one point.


    ke danced around gracefully under the ring of light, and every movement he made elicited a scream


    from thedies in the crowd.


    Some even fainted due to his charisma.


    After doing a few simple movements, he reached out toward the darkness.


    Another hand stretched out andnded on his palm.


    Her hand was fair and smooth, and her fingers were thin and slender. It was as graceful and beautiful


    as aquatic nts floating in the water.


    ¡°Oh my god! He brought a partner!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°He never performs pair skating!¡±


    ¡°Is she going to snatch key away from us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cruel.¡±


    At the sight of the hand, the audience broke into an uproar. Everyone started discussing with each


    other. They also opened their eyes wide to check out the beauty.


    ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about her? She¡¯s just an ugly b*tch!¡± Hearing the discussions among the crowd,


    Jodie spat coldly.


    A fire was currently burning in her chest.


    However, when she heard the reaction of the audience, she saw hope once again.


    ke had always performed solo. Now that a woman came out of nowhere, she was definitely going to


    suffer criticism.


    Perhaps, Amelie might even be attacked by his fans!


    Jodie couldn¡¯t wait for her to be criticized, better yet if they threw rotten tomatoes at her every day!


    As she imagined the picture, she felt her mood lift.


    ¡°Woah! She¡¯s so pretty!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Is that an angel?¡±


    ¡°She and key look so good together!¡±


    As soon as Amelie revealed her face, a new wave of admiration came from the audience.


    ¡°I hope key asks her to be his girlfriend.¡±


    Jodie was returning to her senses, but what she heard was not what she wanted to hear.


    Why are they allplimenting Amelie?


    Once again, she clenched her fists until her fingernails sank into her palms. An enormous wave of rage


    boiled within her as her eyes turned bloodshot. She looked like a predator ready to pounce on her prey.


    Are these people blind?


    Didn¡¯t they im that they admired key?


    How could they not be angered when the innocent ke was snatched by Amelie?


    Suddenly, music sounded.


    Under the guidance of ke, Amelie started making spins on the spot before the two of them slid freely


    and galloped in unison.


    The audience¡¯s gaze was locked on the duo. Every step they took in unison, and the contrast of their


    clothes against the white background, were eye-catching.


    From time to time, ke would lead Amelie in performing some difficult moves.


    Their movements were neat and nimble. To be precise, the duo didn¡¯t seem to be skating but instead


    flying on clouds.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    ¡°Woah! Woah! Woah!¡±


    Exmations from the audience came continuously.


    Amelie had previously majored in dance, and whenbined with ke¡¯s outstanding performance,


    their coboration did not appear awkward at all.


    Everyone started guessing where the figure skating novice came from as she wasn¡¯t a familiar face.


    Hearing thepliments from the audience, Jodie couldn¡¯t help scrunching her face as she scratched


    her fingers on the chair.


    She refused to believe that she wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Amelie!


    How could she perform pair skating that required intimate interactions with another man after just


    getting married? Is the boss of Starlight Media not jealous about it?


    Even if he isn¡¯t, could he really ignore it when the audience startsmenting on how perfect she and


    key are as a couple?


    At that thought, she immediately snapped pictures of them on the ice rink.


    She didn¡¯t have Starlight Media¡¯s contact, but that didn¡¯t matter.


    She sent the pictures purposely to a rich man who came from a family with a media background, and


    she told him to find a way to spread the news across the Inte.


    Once that was done, Jodie felt her rage dissipate a little.


    ¡°How dare you snatch my man, Amelie Dillon?! Let¡¯s see how you fare after this!¡±


    ¡­


    Leo walked out of the office.


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡± Eugene held his phone and stood in front of the car with flickering eyes and a bothered


    expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Leo read his mind with just a nce. ¡°You can leave if you¡¯re caught up with


    something.¡±


    Since Eugene was married and had children, Leo could understand that he might need to settle some


    family affairs.


    ¡°No.¡± Eugene walked over to him, feeling his scalp tingle as he found it hard to speak.


    Eventually, he blurted, ¡°Please look¡­ look at this.¡±


    He handed the phone over.


    Leo looked down to find two beautiful figures¡ªa man and a woman in red and ck outfits


    respectively.


    The man was lifting the woman high up, while the woman split her leg and spread her arms in the air.


    Though it was a still photo, he could feel the graceful rhythm of the duo¡¯s movements and the chemistry


    they carried.

 Chapter 341

    Chapter 341


    Chapter 341 I Could Faint Shipping You Two


    Leo¡¯s eyes were firmly fixed on the man¡¯s hand holding the woman¡¯s waist.


    Even from a distance, Eugene could sense the icy, murderous aura that Leo radiated. Nheless,


    Eugene could not help but shudder upon seeing him in such a state.


    ¡°Get me the video!¡± He heard Leo¡¯s stiff order.


    Immediately, Eugene fished out the iPad and searched for the video of Amelie and ke¡¯s


    performance.


    The performance was open to the public and broadcast live on their official website, so it didn¡¯t take


    long for Eugene to find the video before handing the iPad to Leo. ¡°Mr. Alston, here it is.¡±


    Then, Leo quickly snatched the iPad and frowned.


    On the other hand, Eugene stood still, but his gaze was drawn to the screen.


    A moving video was more vivid than a in photo. Moreover, the video was yed in an ultra-clear


    resolution. Despite being shot from far away, one could still see the smile on Amelie¡¯s face.


    Soon,ments popped up one after another on screen, all of them talking about the duo.


    ¡°Woah. Their moves are so neat and graceful.¡±


    ¡°Their chemistry is unmatched!¡±


    ¡°They must be a couple, or they wouldn¡¯t possibly have such great chemistry.¡±


    ¡°From a professional point of view, the woman doesn¡¯t look like a professional. The reason she¡¯s


    standing out is due to key¡¯s superb skills. Of course, she is also smart enough to use dance moves


    perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Damn! How does an amateur perform like a professional?¡±


    ¡°Huhuhu, I want to be like her! I want to be lifted by key too!¡±


    ¡°Come on, key can only lift someone under 100 pounds.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 100 pounds!¡±


    ¡°Pfft. Coughs¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to make key show the audience how he lifts weight?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s scary to even imagine.¡±


    ¡°A handsome man like key deserves a woman with a beautiful face and a slender figure. Don¡¯t even


    try to take her ce!¡±


    ¡°key seemed really careful when he lifted her up! Even his gaze is so tender. Huhu. I don¡¯t want to


    be lifted by key anymore. I love the two of them so much I¡¯m willing to be their sacrifice!¡±


    ¡°Even if I die, I must die in your hands, key.¡±


    Seeing the weirdments, Eugene almost couldn¡¯t stifle hisughter. I love the two of them so much


    I¡¯m willing to be their sacrifice? Nowadays,izens go to great lengths to ship their favorite couples. Of


    course, he did not miss the hand that nearly crushed the iPad. If he puts even more strength, the iPad


    or his hand will break. Calm down, Mr. Alston!


    Meanwhile, Leo¡¯s full attention was on the two of them, and every time Amelie was lifted, his eyes


    squinted. Every time ke nced at her, Leo¡¯s expression would darken!


    At that moment, Eugene almost felt like the air surrounding them had turned cold. Even with a coat, it


    felt like he was being sent into a freezer below 32 Fahrenheit. As time went on, the cold even caused


    his teeth to chatter.


    Strangely, though, Leo didn¡¯t burst out of anger despite watching till the end. After the video ended, he


    handed the iPad back to Eugene.


    Seeing that, Eugene¡¯s heart thumped anxiously as he couldn¡¯t help stealing nces at Leo. Though his


    expression is still cold, it is only his usual poker face. D-Does he really not care at all? Why does he


    exude a chilly cold aura earlier if he doesn¡¯t care? Even the iPad was nearly crushed by him.


    ¡­


    ¡°Thank goodness we made it through smoothly.¡±


    Amelie was still wearing her performance outfit as she walked backstage with ke. When she went


    on the stage earlier, she was so scared that she might make a mistake and affect his scores.


    While walking beside her, he slowly looked at her while listening to her talk.


    After the strenuous activity, sweat formed on her forehead, her face was flushed, and she was slightly


    panting. Sparks resembling stars in the night sky filled her eyes, making her alluring and captivating!


    ¡°Your performance was excellent,¡± he praised her tenderly, unable to hold back the affection in his


    eyes.


    At that moment, ke¡¯s orbs were also sparkling. Not only was admiration present in his eyes, he even


    had the urge to be drowned by Amelie.


    ¡°Hehe.¡± She was aware of how well she did.


    Nevertheless, they had an audience rooting for them, and even after they bowed and thanked the


    audience for their support, they stood their ground and refused to sit down.


    ¡°You two did great!¡± The president of the organizer, Mr. Lynch, strode over and gave them thumbs up.


    ¡°The crowd had so much fun and were satisfied with today¡¯s performance.¡±


    He was d that ke and Amelie managed to exceed his expectations.


    ¡°May I know if you¡¯re interested in a career in figure skating, miss? I can tell you have a strong


    foundation in dance. If you try figure skating, you will be very popr.¡±


    Thoughpetitions were judged based on techniques, performances only required entertainment


    value.


    Since Mr. Lynch had a few figure skating clubs, he was willing to take her as a student.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m too busy for that,¡± Amelie politely rejected his offer.


    Figure skating was only an unintentional hobby that she picked on. She never thought of relying on it to


    make a living.


    ¡°I have children to take care of.¡±


    When Mr. Lynch heard that she was busy, he intended to persuade her, but the light in his eyes


    dimmed at the mention of children. Then, he couldn¡¯t help ncing at ke. What a pity. Earlier, he


    almost shipped both of them.


    Although there were rumors between ke and Amelie, she always covered her face ingeniously,


    preventing anyone from recognizing her.


    Mr. Lynch initially intended to persuade her to join his club, then use her as bait to lure ke over. If he


    could sign her and ke together into his club, he would definitely be able to earn a fortune. Now that


    his n fell through, one could imagine his disappointment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lynch. We have to take a leave now.¡±


    ke knew that Amelie did not enjoy entertaining strangers, so he took the initiative to make a move


    and apany her out of the venue.


    ¡°Let me take you home.¡± When they were outside, he offered with a smile.


    However, she shook her head in response. ¡°No, thanks. I drove here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a car, anyway,¡± he replied.


    Amelie was speechless upon hearing ke¡¯s confession.


    Since they agreed to be best friends, she wouldn¡¯t abandon him. So, she offered him a ride home


    without hesitation.


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


    After she dropped him off, the sky started to get dark as she drove back to Halport.


    When Amelie parked her car in the housing area, she received a call from Julia.


    ¡°Excuse me, Amelie Dillon. How could you perform with key on such a huge asion without telling


    me? If you had told me, I would have rushed to watch the performance live!¡± sheined. ¡°I still


    shipped you two even through theputer screen! I might have fainted if I were at the scene!¡±


    Amelie was rendered speechless by her friend¡¯s statement. She was used to her exaggeration as she


    replied nonchntly, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because I didn¡¯t want you to pass out, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ugh! I hate you!¡±


    Julia pretended to be angry before asking, ¡°Are you both really tonic friends? The gazes you two


    exchanged during the performance looked like you could win the best couple award. How about you


    make my shipe true and ept key¡¯s feelings for you?¡±


    She knew Julia loved joking, so Amelie countered, ¡°Sure. When you pass out, I¡¯ll get a monkey to do


    CPR on you.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡±


    The two bantered with each other until Amelie entered the elevator that arrived on her floor.


    She was about to enter the elevator when she felt a presence behind her. Caught off guard, she was


    pushed into the elevator. Before she could regain her senses, someone turned her around and pinned


    her against the wall.


    The sudden urrence made her let out a shriek. However, as soon as she opened her mouth, arge


    palm covered her lips! Amelie couldn¡¯t speak.


    For a moment, she thought she had encountered a pervert. So, she struggled with all her might and


    threw punches at the perpetrator, but he could lock both her arms and drive her into a corner of the


    elevator.


    Slowly, she came to a realization after smelling the familiar scent of the man. Under the warm yellow


    light, she saw the man¡¯s sharp features and stern expression.

 Chapter 342

    Chapter 342


    Chapter 342 Do Not Anger Me Using Other Men


    Leo Alston!


    At that moment, he was mercilessly biting and sucking at Amelie¡¯s lips like a ferocious beast. Her lips


    were in agony from his kiss.


    When she looked at him, his eyes were half-closed. He was so close that his longshes nearly


    brushed against her skin.


    Rage burned in his eyes, and his jaws were tense. He held her so tightly that she could barely move an


    inch.


    In her mind, Leo had always been a cold, aloof, and strict man. Moreover, strong emotions were not


    easily acted upon. This side of him was a stranger to Amelie.


    The kiss continued for so long that she was running out of air. Her legs went weak as her body slid


    down to the floor despite her demands not to do so. When she was about to suffocate, he let go of her.


    Then, his arms were steadily wrapped around her waist.


    ¡°Have you gone mad?¡± As she did not even have the strength to stand up, her only option was to re


    and breathlessly shout at him.


    Suddenly, Leo pressed Amelie closer with a strong palm on her head and neck. ¡°You are not allowed to


    be so intimate with those men!¡±


    As soon as he thought of ke hugging her and all the body contact that would have happened, his


    entire being would radiate with pain as if he had been scalded by boiling water.


    Meanwhile, Leo¡¯s other arm curled even tighter around her waist as if he was trying to squeeze out any


    of ke¡¯s scent from her.


    His hot breath brushed against her earlobe as his lips were so close that he was almost kissing her ear.


    When she felt his heat, she thought she might be gobbled up and drowned in his breath. ¡°Let go of me


    for now. I can¡¯t breathe.¡±


    After Leo heard that, he finally let go of Amelie.


    At that moment, the elevator stopped. She bolted far away from him and turned to stare at him warily


    with her back against the wall. Then, she watched as he walked out of the elevator.


    A stray strand of hair was hanging in front of one of his eyes, covering half of it, and his clothes were


    wrinkled, suggesting he hade in a hurry.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Ameliemanded.


    Surprisingly, Leo obeyed and stood there.


    The way he looked at her seemed much gentler than before. Still, it was the type of gentleness


    associated with a cocoon that trapped its prey withyers andyers of silk.


    She was still panting hard, and his scent lingered in her mouth. Although she was no longer in his


    arms, he still surrounded her. It was such an unfamiliar and diforting experience.


    Suddenly, Amelie¡¯s heart trembled uncontrobly. It took her a while to calm down enough to speak


    again. ¡°Speak if you have something to say.¡±


    ¡°I got jealous because you were with ke,¡± Leo dered truthfully.


    There was a dark yet bright light shining in his ck eyes. It made him look so pitiful, like a child who


    had been wronged. He had always thought he would be okay with anything she did, even if it was done


    in revenge against him, as long as she did not leave his sight. However, when he saw the video of her


    skating with ke, he realized he was not that great of a man.


    She silently stared at him, feeling quite speechless upon hearing that.


    With the state of their rtionship, he had no right to make any demands on her.


    However, when Amelie recalled what Leo did to Toby, she had no choice but to exin, ¡°ke and I


    merely think of each other as siblings. You¡¯re overthinking things.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow it even if that¡¯s the case!¡± Then, he strode over and tugged at the straps of her bag.


    Worried that Leo was about to do something again, she quickly let go of her bag. Still, she kept a close


    eye on every twitch and shift in his body, but all she saw was his fingers darting into her bag to pull a


    tiny knife from within it.


    Seeing that, Amelie was rendered speechless.


    That knife was something she brought around as a precaution against dangerous men. It was a small,


    discrete item. How did he know about it?


    Then, he flicked the knife open and pressed the handle into her hand. ¡°If you hate me, you can attack


    me yourself. Do not anger me using other men.¡± He then pulled her hand over to point the knife at his


    chest.


    While it did not have a long de, it would still pierce his heart.


    On the other hand, Leo looked so calm, as if being stabbed in the heart was trivial.


    For a moment, Amelie felt the urge to sink the knife in and end his life. That would stop him from


    picking fights with her whenever he was bored.


    Ultimately, she threw the knife back into her bag and spat out through gritted teeth, ¡°Enough. I don¡¯t


    want to be a murderer yet.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯vee to an agreement then,¡± he stated swiftly.


    That was quite a shameless response from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s something you decided. It has nothing to do with me.¡± Amelie was in no mood to


    be fooled. ¡°I have the right to date anyone I want. If you are really going to attack ke, I do not mind


    being responsible for him for the rest of my life.¡±


    After Leo heard that, he silently stared at her, speechless. He would much rather she had stabbed him


    than listen to her say those words.


    He was a man, and he knew what other men were like. How ke looked at her was definitely not how


    a brother would look at his sister. ke was ambitious!


    Despite how much time had passed since that moment, Leo still felt the urge to scoop out ke¡¯s eyes


    and feed them to the dogs. However, he would have fallen for his trap if he had been foolish enough to


    strike at ke now.


    Now that she had stated her piece, she could not continue talking to him. So, she turned around with a


    hand held over her mouth and headed for the door.


    Bam! She mmed the door shut right in his face.


    He was rendered speechless by that act.


    ¡­


    It was the start of autumn. The leaves of the ginkgo trees were turning yellow. They formed a sea of


    shimmering gold.


    A little girl sat at the small, sturdy table underneath the trees, dressed in a red dress and a pair of ck


    Mary Janes, who was cheerfully swinging her legs to and fro. She held a strawberry ice cream cone in


    a chubby little hand. A happy smile was spread across her face as her tongue darted out to lick the


    creamy pink dessert.


    Then, she wolfed down the ice cream in minutes since she was a swift eater. Later, she rubbed her


    bulging tummy and sighed satisfactorily before sticking out an ice-cream-stained hand. Soon, her hand


    was being held by a pair of slender yet broad hands that thoroughly cleaned the stains off with a wet


    tissue.


    ¡°What happened? Have you hit a wall with Mama?¡± Bria asked when the wet tissue moved to wipe her


    lips.


    Ever since Leo bought her the ice cream cone and led her over to the bench, he had only sat there with


    a nk, wooden look in his eyes. His brows were locked in a frown as he remained silent the entire


    time.


    His daughter was perceptive, and she immediately knew something was off.


    While he was surprised to find out she knew the phrase ¡°hit a wall,¡± he responded, ¡°How did you know?


    Did your mommy say something?¡±


    ¡°Tch!¡± Scorn was painted all over her face as she held her chin up high. ¡°Mr. Sam read to me The


    Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock could tell what was happening before anyone said anything,


    and I¡¯ve learned a few tricks from him.¡±


    By Mr. Sam, she meant Samuel Gage.


    Bria then leaned in close to Leo and blinked up at him. ¡°If Mama¡¯s not ignoring you, you would not be


    here alone to buy me ice cream. You would be with her!¡±


    Hearing that, he stared down at her in shock.


    Was it a good thing or a bad thing that his daughter was way too bright? His ears turned red in


    embarrassment at having his secrets exposed. Still, he did not deny her guess.


    Then, Bria patted Leo on the shoulder in a mature fashion. Her eyes gleamed with pity as she said,


    ¡°Well, Mama can¡¯t be med for that. You were so mean to her before!¡±


    She might be a child, but she remembered much of her life. Furthermore, she would never hold back


    because someone bought her some ice cream. What should be said would be said.


    Being lectured by his daughter made him feel like he had failed as a father.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Always apologize for one¡¯s mistakes; that was a rule he never broke, even if it were to a kid.


    Seeing him apologize made her sympathize with him once more.


    Even though Bria¡¯s father had done many wrong things in the past, her teachers had always told her


    that anyone could be a good child as long as they apologized for their mistakes and learned from them.


    Since Leo now wanted to turn over a new leaf, she had to help him.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    At that thought, Bria sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll help you think of a way.¡±

 Chapter 343

    Chapter 343


    Chapter 343 Man Begging to be Pitied


    It was time to eat.


    On the other hand, Amelie ended the stream and stretched beforenguidly walking down the stairs.


    In the dining room, Bria was helping Steven set the table.


    ¡°Bria, it¡¯s time to eat,¡± he said, cheerfully pulling out a chair for the girl.


    However, she did not need his help, as she quickly climbed onto the chair and sat properly.


    Then, he loaded her divided te with some of every side dish he cooked before adding the


    carbohydrates.


    Bria ate so fast and happily that Stevenughed by watching her. His heart was filled with joy to see his


    little granddaughter be so mature.


    ¡°You are much more well-behaved than your mother,¡± hemented, stroking her head while he gave


    her a tender look.


    She was enjoying the warmth of his hand when she suddenly spotted Amelie. ¡°Mama, hurry up.


    Grandpa made lots of amazing food today.¡±


    When Amelie strode over, she found the tableden with various new dishes.


    Bria then ced a forkful of food on her te. ¡°Here, Mama.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, and here is some for you.¡± Amelie reciprocated by serving her daughter more food.


    She also filled Steven¡¯s te with some food. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He was joyfully beside himself to see his daughter and granddaughter so well-behaved.


    Afterward, he gently patted Bria on the head. ¡°Focus on your food now.¡±


    Bria gave him a firm nod but did not immediately return to her food. Instead, she turned to her mother


    and said, ¡°Mama, I want to learn figure skating.¡±


    ¡°Figure skating?¡± Amelie stared at her in astonishment.


    Bria nodded several times consecutively while humming in the affirmative.


    ¡°Your performance with Mr. Gareth is so pretty. I want to skate too. I want to perform. I also want to be


    famous like him.¡±


    Amelie had thought of making her daughter learn a skill or craft before, but she always thought it could


    wait since Bria was so young. Now that Bria was asking to learn something, she naturally had no


    reason to reject the request.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Amelie nodded. ¡°Whether or not you can perform like Mr. Gareth is not important. What¡¯s


    important is that you enjoy learning how to skate.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Bria joyfully cheered, pumping her hands high. Meanwhile, there was a sh of a sly fox¡¯s


    cunning glint in her big eyes.


    The following day was a weekend. Amelie brought Bria to arge skating rink.


    After registering, Bria went with her female instructor for her lesson.


    Nheless, Amelie had nothing to do but sit and watch since she felt ufortable leaving. Thus,


    she pulled out her phone and started on some simple tasks from work.


    ¡°Mama! Mama!¡±


    Before ten minutes were up, someone was tugging at her shirt sleeve. So, she turned around to find


    Bria curled beside her while wearing her pink skating outfit.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She stroked Bria¡¯s head. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you with your instructor?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to learn with her.¡± Bria pouted with bulging cheeks. ¡°She doesn¡¯t skate as well as you do. I


    want you to teach me instead, Mommy.¡±


    Amelie turned to nce at the instructor. The instructors at the skating rink were only to teach kids who


    had only started learning how to skate. Naturally, the instructors were only mediocre skaters.


    ¡°Mama, teach me.¡± Bria pleaded in a soft and sweet voice as she continued to tug at Amelie¡¯s shirt.


    Combined with the sight of her shimmering eyes, Amelie¡¯s heart immediately melted.


    Well, she had nothing to do anyway. Hence, Amelie went to the instructor and told her about the


    request. Nevertheless, the instructor had no objections.


    Soon, Amelie was teaching Bria to skate at the rink¡¯s edges after buying a new outfit and a pair of new


    skates.


    ¡°Dada!¡± Bria suddenly called out in the middle of the lesson. She was waving hard at someone.


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Leo said as he skated over with a man in an instructor¡¯s outfit. After exchanging


    a look with his daughter, he then turned to Amelie.


    ¡°Are you skating as well, Dada?¡± Bria eximed in faux surprise at seeing his outfit.


    He was currently dressed in workout clothes instead of his usual suit. The beige outfit was tightly


    wrapped around his tall body, making his skin appear fair and smooth. He did not look as cold as usual,


    yet he was still a striking sight.


    ¡°Dada¡¯s handsome!¡± Bria swiftly gave him a thumbs-up.


    She then hurriedly nudged Amelie. ¡°Mama¡¯s pretty as well.¡±


    Then, Leo turned to look at Amelie¡¯s outfit when he heard that.


    She wore a white exercise outfit, making her tiny face look so beautiful and fair. There was no makeup


    on her face, and her hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She looked so much younger than her actual


    age, like a young girl who had finished puberty.


    While Amelie¡¯s outfit was not cinched, her curves were still visible. Leo¡¯s throat tightened when he saw


    that, and his eyes darkened.


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re family,¡± the instructor eximed as he watched the trio interact. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll leave


    you to catch up.¡± He then walked away.


    Bria stealthily winked at Leo before saying, ¡°You¡¯re here just in time, Dada. Mama¡¯s teaching me how to


    skate. You can ask her to teach you as well.¡±


    ¡°It is already against the rules for me to teach you how to skate here, Bria. I can¡¯t teach anyone else.¡±


    Amelie knew what her daughter was scheming. ¡°Mr. Alston should find a qualified instructor to teach


    him.¡±


    She then pulled Bria away. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Upon realizing her n had failed, Bria sadly blinked at her father before following Amelie.


    Later, Amelie led Bria around the rink a few moreps.


    She thought Leo would either leave the rink or go to the instructor. However, when they skated back to


    their original spot, he was alone, leaning against the railing for support. It was evident that he had


    never skated before. Even with the help of the support railing, he was still highly unbnced.


    Suddenly, Leo let go of the support railing and tried to skate forward.


    Bang! He had not even taken a single step before he was sprawled out all over the ground.


    Amelie was rendered speechless upon seeing that. She assumed that he would have at least skated a


    step or two, no matter how new he was to skating. Now, it seemed like he knew nothing about skating,


    nor did he have any experience.


    The impact of his fall could be heard by anyone within a few feet radius.


    She could not help but feel her body ache in sympathy.


    Leo soon climbed to his feet, though. After dusting himself off, he tried to skate forward once more.


    Before he could even do a thing, he crashed to the ground once more. One fall soon became a series


    of crashes. Crash after crash reached her ears.


    Therefore, every time he fell, Amelie and Bria would frown and close their eyes.


    I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll give up after a few tumbles. After all, embarrassing himself in public like that would be


    equivalent to social suicide for a president of his stature. He should have gone somewhere where no


    one could see him tumbling like that. However, Amelie was proven wrong.


    ¡°Mama, let¡¯s go help Dada.¡± Bria could not watch on any longer. Hence, she yanked on her mother¡¯s


    shirt, her eyes turning red as if she were about to cry. Bria knew from experience how badly her father


    would hurt if he fell, as she had experienced it herself. Moreover, she should not have devised this


    scheme, which resulted in her father¡¯s suffering.


    It had been a long time since Amelie saw Leo look so wretched.


    He had never looked so miserable before, not even when he was blind and raging with anger.


    His series of falls were not for show. Every time he got back up, he was slower than before. Still, he


    gritted his teeth and kept quiet.


    However, the pain was so overwhelming that his entire jawline was emphasized by how hard he was


    clenching. The throbbing vein on his face shined with a sheen of sweat.


    His neat and tidy hair was a sweat-soaked mess.


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


    ¡°Let me teach you, sir.¡±


    Before Amelie knew it, a young woman was standing near him.


    The young woman held out a hand to him. When she saw his face, astonishment was painted all over


    her face. As a regr visitor of this rink, she had seen many outstanding men and women.


    Nevertheless, she had never seen a man as handsome as Leo. Seeing him in his disheveled state set


    off an adrenaline rush in her. Then, she looked directly into his eyes, her lust and desire for him written


    all over her face.


    ¡°Scram!¡± Leo did not even look at her before he shouted.


    The young woman stared at him in shock. She knew she was an attractive woman with a beautiful


    physique. At the skating rink, she was constantly being pursued by strangers. Nevertheless, she had


    never been yelled at before. Suddenly, her eyes turned red as she skated away swiftly.


    Afterward, he slowly sat back up with one hand on the ground. He did not try to get up another time.


    Instead, he turned around to nce in Amelie¡¯s direction. Although Leo wasn¡¯t staring at her, the


    distress on his face made it evident that he was trying to get her attention.


    On the other hand, it strangely reminded her of the begging face of a dog she used to own.


    Soon, a few more girls skated over to him, asking him if he needed help. Quite a few of them even tried


    to help him up. However, the sight of his eyes always struck terror into their hearts. He might have


    been attractive, but the chill in his eyes was enough to stop them in their tracks right there and then.


    Ultimately, those girls were better off running away.

 Chapter 344

    Chapter 344


    Chapter 344 Low-ss


    ¡°See that? Your daddy is a strong man. He doesn¡¯t need help.¡± Amelie jerked her chin in Leo¡¯s direction


    as she spoke to Bria. She then dragged Bria to the other side of the rink.


    Then, he silently stared at her, speechless.


    It was not that he did not need help; instead, he did not need help from any other woman but her. What


    a heartless woman.


    His heart clenched as he watched them skate away. The dejection born from being abandoned and


    ignored hurt more than the bruises on his body.


    On the other hand, Amelie and Bria skated for an hour before leaving the rink. By the time they left, Leo


    was nowhere to be seen.


    However, Bria could not resist ncing at the spot her father had fallen earlier. When she recalled how


    he looked when falling, she pursed her lips. It is entirely my fault for devising such a terrible n. When


    my daddy fell, he looked so pitiful.


    While Amelie did not pity Leo, Bria did not me her for that. After all, her mother suffered much worse


    when they lived with him.


    Still, would he stoping to the rink because he had fallen too many times and humiliated himself?


    Nevertheless, Bria still hoped for her parents to get back together, so her heart sank when she thought


    about how she might not see Leo again.


    Amelie could see Bria was in a bad mood, so she suggested a nice meal.


    Bria was currently in a growth spurt and had a big appetite. So, when she heard her mother would treat


    her to some steak, she was drooling. ¡°Mama, I want the biggest steak! I want bibimbap and that sweet


    Fairy¡¯s Drink.¡±


    She had tried Perouvian cuisine a few times before, and these were the dishes she loved the most.


    The Fairy¡¯s Drink she spoke of was a special fruit tea with added passion fruit. There was even a slice


    of lemon on top. It was fruity, sweet, and beautiful.


    Steven might be a fantastic chef, but he was not good at Perouvian cooking. After all, she was still a


    child, and after eating the same food too many times in a row, she yearned for something different.


    Hearing that, Amelie wiped the drool off her daughter¡¯s face with a soft smile. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll order


    anything you want.¡±


    As they continued to talk, they walked into a Perouvian restaurant. Nheless, the food Bria ordered


    was not considered the expensive items on the menu. However, Amelie did not know much about


    Perouvian cuisine, so she always ordered discounted meals on the coupon site.


    Without hesitation, Bria grabbed her mother¡¯s phone and tapped into the coupon site to order a meal


    she had eaten before.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± the smartly dressed server cheerfully greeted them with a polite smile.


    ¡°We want this set,¡± Bria said as she held up the phone to show the server their coupon.


    When the server saw they wanted to order a discounted value meal, the sweet smile on her face


    instantly vanished. The discounted meals they offered through the coupon site were only meant to


    attract foot traffic to the shop. Hence, there was not a lot of profit to be gotten from those sales.


    At that moment, it was also the peak lunch hour. Therefore, having the tables be taken by customers


    who would not give the restaurant much profit would be a waste.


    ¡°We do not have any tables for two. Please wait,¡± the server coldly stated as she scribbled a note. After


    she handed it to them, she immediately walked away.


    Nevertheless, Bria said nothing and took Amelie¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s wait over there, Mama.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    While Amelie noticed the server¡¯s abrupt change in behavior, she did not want to let Bria know about it.


    Hence, she smiled as she walked to sit in the waiting area with her daughter.


    After waiting a few minutes, she felt the urge to go to the bathroom. She leaned over to stroke Bria¡¯s


    head. ¡°I need to go to the bathroom. Do you need to go?¡±


    ¡°No, you go. I¡¯ll wait here for you,¡± Bria replied as she snuggled into Amelie¡¯s touch. Then, she turned


    her face to peek at her mother with bright eyes from behind Amelie¡¯s hand.


    Even though she was only a month away from turning four, she had a silver tongue. It was also a


    Perouvian restaurant that was not as chaotic as the world outside.


    Amelie hummed in acknowledgment before tapping on Bria¡¯s smartwatch. ¡°Call me if anything


    happens.¡± She then walked to the bathrooms.


    She was a gorgeous woman who stood out in the crowd. Then, she changed out of her exercise outfit


    to put on a shirt and a pair of jeans. Wrapped in denim fabric, her legs looked very long and slender.


    She wore a white button-up shirt tucked into her jeans with the cor slightly agape, revealing her slim


    neck and a peek of her corbone. It made her look so pure yet sensual. Thus, a lot of the people she


    walked past would turn to look at her.


    Amelie ignored the stares and swiftly walked to the bathroom, not wanting to leave Bria alone for too


    long. She had just arrived at the bathroom entrance when a shadow moved into view, and someone


    mmed into her shoulder. The impact made her stumble backward.


    Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her waist to stop her from stepping backward.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± a man said.


    Men rarely touched her around her waist, so she uneasily stepped aside and away before turning to


    look at him.


    The man looked to be in his thirties. Even if he wasn¡¯t strikingly handsome, he was certainly more


    attractive than the average person. His eyes were narrowed in a smile that looked somewhat


    apologetic.


    Despite his calm and gentle appearance, Amelie still felt ufortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she calmly replied. She avoided further conversation by retreating to the bathroom.


    A few minutester, she walked out of the bathroom. She then strode toward the waiting area.


    However, Bria was nowhere to be seen. Her heart sank as she stared at the empty couch. So, she


    hurriedly pulled out her phone and called her daughter. Unfortunately, nobody answered. Moreover, the


    watch was set to automatically answer the call if no one answered it after a few rings.


    Then, when the call went through, Amelie heard noises from the other end of the line. Worried, she


    called out, ¡°Bria! Bria!¡±


    Her daughter¡¯s voice soon rang out, but Bria wasn¡¯t talking to her.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You are the one in the wrong. You should apologize!¡±


    ¡°Apologize? You¡¯re being rude, kid.¡±


    There was a woman¡¯s voice on the other end of the call besides Bria¡¯s. It was arrogant and sharp.


    Realizing Bria had gotten into an argument with someone else, Amelie was nervous and worried that


    her daughter was being bullied. So, she quickly called out for Bria once more.


    Then, she saw a crowd standing around the private rooms and spotted a small figure among them.


    With her phone in her hand, she quickly walked over.


    When Amelie saw the entrance to a private room, she soon recognized the tiny figure as Bria.


    She stood in the doorway with her hands stretched out to block it. Her face had a stubborn look as she


    red at the server. ¡°I¡¯m only blocking the door because you¡¯re being unfair. We were here first! How


    can you let other people be seated before us?¡±


    The server she was shouting at was the server who had greeted them earlier. Two guests were


    standing behind her.


    While the customers did not say a word, they still frowned and looked impatient when they saw the


    doorway was being blocked.


    Seeing their impatience, the server panicked. ¡°You¡¯re such a funny kid. Whom do you think you are to


    bepared to them? You ordered a discounted set meal while they booked a private room. The


    booking fee they paid is enough to pay for two sets. How can youpete with them?¡±


    ¡°If you want to be served because you came before they did, tell your mom to pay the booking fee. Can


    she even afford it?¡± The server had spoken extremely coldly and sharply, using very revolting words.


    ¡°Move away, or I¡¯ll have the guards kick you out!¡± She then reached out to tear Bria away from the


    doorway.


    Chapter 344 Low-ss


    ¡°See that? Your daddy is a strong man. He doesn¡¯t need help.¡± Amelie jerked her chin in Leo¡¯s direction


    as she spoke to Bria. She then dragged Bria to the other side of the rink.


    Then, he silently stared at her, speechless.


    It was not that he did not need help; instead, he did not need help from any other woman but her. What


    a heartless woman.


    His heart clenched as he watched them skate away. The dejection born from being abandoned and


    ignored hurt more than the bruises on his body.


    On the other hand, Amelie and Bria skated for an hour before leaving the rink. By the time they left, Leo


    was nowhere to be seen.


    However, Bria could not resist ncing at the spot her father had fallen earlier. When she recalled how


    he looked when falling, she pursed her lips. It is entirely my fault for devising such a terrible n. When


    my daddy fell, he looked so pitiful.


    While Amelie did not pity Leo, Bria did not me her for that. After all, her mother suffered much worse


    when they lived with him.


    Still, would he stoping to the rink because he had fallen too many times and humiliated himself?


    Nevertheless, Bria still hoped for her parents to get back together, so her heart sank when she thought


    about how she might not see Leo again.


    Amelie could see Bria was in a bad mood, so she suggested a nice meal.


    Bria was currently in a growth spurt and had a big appetite. So, when she heard her mother would treat


    her to some steak, she was drooling. ¡°Mama, I want the biggest steak! I want bibimbap and that sweet


    Fairy¡¯s Drink.¡±


    She had tried Perouvian cuisine a few times before, and these were the dishes she loved the most.


    The Fairy¡¯s Drink she spoke of was a special fruit tea with added passion fruit. There was even a slice


    of lemon on top. It was fruity, sweet, and beautiful.


    Steven might be a fantastic chef, but he was not good at Perouvian cooking. After all, she was still a


    child, and after eating the same food too many times in a row, she yearned for something different.


    Hearing that, Amelie wiped the drool off her daughter¡¯s face with a soft smile. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll order


    anything you want.¡±


    As they continued to talk, they walked into a Perouvian restaurant. Nheless, the food Bria ordered


    was not considered the expensive items on the menu. However, Amelie did not know much about


    Perouvian cuisine, so she always ordered discounted meals on the coupon site.


    Without hesitation, Bria grabbed her mother¡¯s phone and tapped into the coupon site to order a meal


    she had eaten before.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± the smartly dressed server cheerfully greeted them with a polite smile.


    ¡°We want this set,¡± Bria said as she held up the phone to show the server their coupon.


    When the server saw they wanted to order a discounted value meal, the sweet smile on her face


    instantly vanished. The discounted meals they offered through the coupon site were only meant to


    attract foot traffic to the shop. Hence, there was not a lot of profit to be gotten from those sales.


    At that moment, it was also the peak lunch hour. Therefore, having the tables be taken by customers


    who would not give the restaurant much profit would be a waste.


    ¡°We do not have any tables for two. Please wait,¡± the server coldly stated as she scribbled a note. After


    she handed it to them, she immediately walked away.


    Nevertheless, Bria said nothing and took Amelie¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s wait over there, Mama.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    While Amelie noticed the server¡¯s abrupt change in behavior, she did not want to let Bria know about it.


    Hence, she smiled as she walked to sit in the waiting area with her daughter.


    After waiting a few minutes, she felt the urge to go to the bathroom. She leaned over to stroke Bria¡¯s


    head. ¡°I need to go to the bathroom. Do you need to go?¡±


    ¡°No, you go. I¡¯ll wait here for you,¡± Bria replied as she snuggled into Amelie¡¯s touch. Then, she turned


    her face to peek at her mother with bright eyes from behind Amelie¡¯s hand.


    Even though she was only a month away from turning four, she had a silver tongue. It was also a


    Perouvian restaurant that was not as chaotic as the world outside.


    Amelie hummed in acknowledgment before tapping on Bria¡¯s smartwatch. ¡°Call me if anything


    happens.¡± She then walked to the bathrooms.


    She was a gorgeous woman who stood out in the crowd. Then, she changed out of her exercise outfit


    to put on a shirt and a pair of jeans. Wrapped in denim fabric, her legs looked very long and slender.


    She wore a white button-up shirt tucked into her jeans with the cor slightly agape, revealing her slim


    neck and a peek of her corbone. It made her look so pure yet sensual. Thus, a lot of the people she


    walked past would turn to look at her.


    Amelie ignored the stares and swiftly walked to the bathroom, not wanting to leave Bria alone for too


    long. She had just arrived at the bathroom entrance when a shadow moved into view, and someone


    mmed into her shoulder. The impact made her stumble backward.


    Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her waist to stop her from stepping backward.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± a man said.


    Men rarely touched her around her waist, so she uneasily stepped aside and away before turning to


    look at him.


    The man looked to be in his thirties. Even if he wasn¡¯t strikingly handsome, he was certainly more


    attractive than the average person. His eyes were narrowed in a smile that looked somewhat


    apologetic.


    Despite his calm and gentle appearance, Amelie still felt ufortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she calmly replied. She avoided further conversation by retreating to the bathroom.


    A few minutester, she walked out of the bathroom. She then strode toward the waiting area.


    However, Bria was nowhere to be seen. Her heart sank as she stared at the empty couch. So, she


    hurriedly pulled out her phone and called her daughter. Unfortunately, nobody answered. Moreover, the


    watch was set to automatically answer the call if no one answered it after a few rings.


    Then, when the call went through, Amelie heard noises from the other end of the line. Worried, she


    called out, ¡°Bria! Bria!¡±


    Her daughter¡¯s voice soon rang out, but Bria wasn¡¯t talking to her.


    ¡°You are the one in the wrong. You should apologize!¡±


    ¡°Apologize? You¡¯re being rude, kid.¡±


    There was a woman¡¯s voice on the other end of the call besides Bria¡¯s. It was arrogant and sharp.


    Realizing Bria had gotten into an argument with someone else, Amelie was nervous and worried that


    her daughter was being bullied. So, she quickly called out for Bria once more.


    Then, she saw a crowd standing around the private rooms and spotted a small figure among them.


    With her phone in her hand, she quickly walked over.


    When Amelie saw the entrance to a private room, she soon recognized the tiny figure as Bria.


    She stood in the doorway with her hands stretched out to block it. Her face had a stubborn look as she


    red at the server. ¡°I¡¯m only blocking the door because you¡¯re being unfair. We were here first! How


    can you let other people be seated before us?¡±


    The server she was shouting at was the server who had greeted them earlier. Two guests were


    standing behind her.


    While the customers did not say a word, they still frowned and looked impatient when they saw the


    doorway was being blocked.


    Seeing their impatience, the server panicked. ¡°You¡¯re such a funny kid. Whom do you think you are to


    bepared to them? You ordered a discounted set meal while they booked a private room. The


    booking fee they paid is enough to pay for two sets. How can youpete with them?¡±


    ¡°If you want to be served because you came before they did, tell your mom to pay the booking fee. Can


    she even afford it?¡± The server had spoken extremely coldly and sharply, using very revolting words.


    ¡°Move away, or I¡¯ll have the guards kick you out!¡± She then reached out to tear Bria away from the


    doorway.

 Chapter 345

    Chapter 345


    Chapter 345 We¡¯re Not That Close


    Amelie did not allow the server¡¯s hand to touch Bria, though. She ran forward and flung the server¡¯s


    hand away. ¡°Is this how the restaurant treats its customers? We paid for a meal, but security had to


    kick us out?¡±


    If the server had stuck to using words, Amelie would not have stepped in. However, there was no way


    she would allow the server toy a hand on her daughter.


    Hearing that, the server stared at Amelie in shock. When arguing with Bria, the server spoke arrogantly


    since she felt the kid was an immature coward. Nevertheless, being caught red-handed by Bria¡¯s


    parents caused a humiliated look on her face.


    Still, the server¡¯s shocked expression onlysted a few minutes. She soon regained her initial


    confidence as she held her head up high. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with kicking you out? I can kick you out for


    viting the restaurant¡¯s rules!¡±


    ¡°Please show me the rules then. I want to know exactly which rule states that customers are to be


    served ording to how much they spend.¡± Amelie was someone who relied on her words to make a


    living. There was no way the server could win in an argument. One sentence was enough to render the


    server speechless.


    Suddenly, the server¡¯s arrogance immediately vanished. ¡°Even if it is not written down, it is an internal


    ruling. You should be dining in the main hall, not a private room. How are we meant to earn a living


    otherwise?¡± the server eventually stammered after a long pause.


    ¡°There were two groups who didn¡¯t book a private room, and they were seated first,¡± Bria immediately


    responded in a loud and clear voice. ¡°Tables 32 and 45 were also tables of two!¡±


    Since Amelie knew Bria was a well-behaved child who wouldn¡¯t deliberately block a doorway, she didn¡¯t


    immediately lecture her.


    Hearing that made Amelie¡¯s pupils shrink.


    The server was surprised by how good Bria¡¯s memory was and cleared her throat in panic. ¡°They did


    not order from a coupon site and are in a rush. Of course, they would be seated first. Since you


    ordered off a coupon site for a discounted meal, you should know that means you must wait. If you


    don¡¯t want to wait, you coulde at another time. Why would you wait until peak hour?¡±


    ¡°Who said we¡¯re not in a hurry?¡± Bria shot back. ¡°We are in a greater hurry than they are! Also, when is


    it any of your business when wee, Mrs. Waitress? Did you even state in your terms and conditions


    that buying off a coupon site means waiting?¡±


    She had inherited Amelie¡¯s genes, for she was as good at arguing as her mother.


    The term ¡°Mrs. Waitress¡± seemed to shake the server in anger, though, and Bria¡¯s arguments had her


    at a loss for words. Her face went pale as she silently tried toe up with an answer.


    ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s eat somewhere else.¡± The other customers had long lost their patience and walked out


    the door.


    Seeing that, the server immediately dashed over and bowed low. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for the poor experience,


    sirs. Why don¡¯t I upgrade you to a better room? Please don¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t paid, yet you¡¯re upgrading them to a better room. What about us? We¡¯ve already paid.


    What are you going to do, Mrs. Waitress?¡± Bria would not back off since she was in the right.


    The server was too money-minded that Bria intentionally emphasized how old she looked.


    Seeing that her daughter could handle herself, Amelie silently stood to the side.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± The server¡¯s face immediately turned red. She had never imagined she would one day be spoken


    so rudely at by a three or four-year-old. Moreover, she was on the verge of crying from embarrassment,


    especially since it happened in front of other customers.


    Meanwhile, Amelie was watching the entire time with cold eyes.


    If the server had served others first, she might have stepped in to help the server. However, the server


    also insulted Bria. That meant the server needed to be taught a lesson.


    Bria held her chin up high and her hand behind her back as if she was speaking in ss. ¡°My teacher


    said humans are all equal. It is wrong of you to look down on us. If you think people who buy off


    coupon sites are that bad, you can stop offering discounted meals. If you offer it and ignore us for


    buying it, you¡¯re being a bully!¡±


    The server silently stared at Bria in shock. It was not her first time giving customers who bought off


    coupon sites poor service, but her first time being rebuked like this.


    What kind of freak was Bria? She had spoken with such a silver tongue that she sounded like she had


    much experience.


    ¡°That¡¯s something even a kid knows. Are you so out of touch that you don¡¯t know that, Mrs. Waitress?¡±


    Bria was ruthless.


    There were a lot of customers around them. If this went on, the other customers dining in the restaurant


    would be affected. When Amelie saw that customers were waiting to be served, she stepped forward.


    ¡°Bria¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Amelie had not finished speaking when she was interrupted by a woman¡¯s voice.


    The crowd turned around to look at the speaker.


    They watched as a face familiar to Amelie walked over on a man¡¯s arm.


    The woman was well put-together with a perfect smile that made her seem so different from the angry


    woman in the Walsh Family. It was Michelle Walsh.


    The man she was with was not a stranger to Amelie either. In fact, he was a very familiar person. She


    could have recognized him even if his handsome, stern face had been charred. It was Leo.


    Even though they were only walking in with linked arms, it was still evident that their rtionship was


    no ordinary friendship.


    Minutes earlier, at the skating rink, he had been the man who had tried to get close to Amelie by acting


    miserable. However, now he was flirting with another woman.


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    Suddenly, a cold smirk silently spread across Amelie¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Miss!¡± Hope shed on the server¡¯s tearful face when she spotted Michelle. ¡°These two customers are


    from the coupon site. They think I¡¯m being unfair to them because I had them wait, so they blocked the


    doorway and forbade other customers to enter.¡±


    The server was not a fool. She knew some things could not be said, so she left a few details out of her


    exnation.


    ¡°Oh¡ª¡± Michelle slowly said as she turned to look over.


    Amelie¡¯s face was blocked from Michelle¡¯s vision by the server and the other two customers, so she


    only saw Bria. Since she had never seen Bria, she naturally did not know who Bria was.


    However, she had to appear generous since Leo was watching. Thus, she said, ¡°It does not matter if


    they bought discounted meals. If there are no tables in the main hall, give them a private room.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± the server hurriedly said with a nod. Since the boss had spoken, she naturally could not


    object.


    The server then turned to Amelie and Bria. ¡°This way, please.¡±


    ¡°Not interested!¡± Bria roared in anger while she red at Leo.


    She was much more disappointed in her father than Amelie was. To think she had tried so hard to help


    him get back with Amelie because she thought he had gotten better. Soon, her eyes turned red as she


    swiftly ran away.


    ¡°Bria!¡±


    Leo had been busy with a phone call and only looked over when he heard Bria¡¯s voice. The anger and


    misery gleaming in her red eyes made him go numb as he instinctively went after her.


    Amelie ran over and stopped him with a cold re in her eyes. ¡°Do not touch my daughter, Mr. Alston!¡±


    She then ran out after her.


    ¡°Leo¡ª¡± Michelle uneasily called out when she finally spotted Amelie. Suddenly, she realized what had


    happened.


    As everyone was watching, he tugged his arm away from her hand. ¡°We¡¯re not that close, Miss Walsh.¡±

 Chapter 346

    Chapter 346


    Chapter 346 Get Her Attention


    Leo didn¡¯t actually make ns with Michelle. Melissa called him a few days ago, saying she was in


    town and wanted to grab a meal with him. Even though he wasn¡¯t close to his mother, he agreed to this


    basic request and came over.


    After arriving at the location but being unable to locate his mother, he called her. However, nobody


    answered the phone; instead, someone grabbed his arm. He initially thought it was Melissa, but before


    he could confirm, many things had happened.


    At that moment, Michelle¡¯s impulsive actions made his daughter sad, and Amelie¡¯s attitude toward him


    became colder. Due to that, Leo was beyond furious. His usually serious face was tight and tense.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t have time to argue with her and went to chase after his daughter and Amelie.


    Since Michelle had embarrassed herself in front of everyone, her perfect expression was about to slip.


    She soon caught up with Leo and stood in front of him. ¡°Leo, how can you say we¡¯re not familiar with


    each other? Mrs. Alston invited me toe and have a blind date with you.¡±


    ¡°My mom?¡± Her words finally made Leo understand. So, my mom¡¯s intention is not to have a meal with


    me, but she has duped me into a blind date.


    ¡°Ha!¡± He was already disappointed with Melissa. With her actions now, he didn¡¯t know what else to say


    except to be sarcastic. ¡°Since my mom invited you for a blind date, date her then.¡± He spat out these


    words coldly and walked away, passing by Michelle.


    On the other hand, she clenched her fists in frustration. How could Leo treat me like this? How could he


    embarrass me in front of the staff and guests? My education and family background are even better


    than Amelie¡¯s. Is he blind? He only has eyes for her! Unlike other women who would hate their love


    rivals when pursuing men, she hated him at that moment! She wished she could tear down every bit of


    his arrogance and humiliate him by stepping on him under her feet!


    ¡°It¡¯s merely a small matter. No need to be angry.¡± Someone suddenly grabbed her wrist and spoke.


    Nevertheless, she instinctively thought it was a staff member, so she forcefully pushed the hand away,


    saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be working?¡±


    Still, the hand didn¡¯t move. Consequently, Michelle stared with wide eyes, and one could tell she was


    pretty angry with her fiery gaze.


    When she turned to look, she realized that the person in front of her was not a waiter or a diner but


    rather aplete stranger. The man had a tall and straight frame, and his facial features were


    considered top-notch. He looked at her with a half-smile.


    Michelle was taken aback and said, ¡°Hello¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re angry and want to give that man who ignored you a taste of his own medicine. I also


    know you can¡¯t do anything about it, so you can only think about it in your head,¡± the man said,


    maintaining his half-smile as if he could see through everything. He had light blue eyes like two


    bottomless whirlpools, slowly sucking people in.


    Suddenly, she felt dizzy, so she rubbed her temples. Nheless, she heard the man utter, ¡°I can help


    you.¡±


    ¡­


    The following day, Amelie brought Bria to learn ice skating again. When they arrived, they saw a figure


    in the rink. The man was tall and conspicuous, slowly gliding while holding onto the railing. Although he


    wasn¡¯t fast, he was steady.


    ¡°Is that man also here to learn?¡± Bria asked, pointing at the man.


    Amelie was about to respond when the man turned around, revealing a familiar face. It¡¯s Leo! She


    thought he wouldn¡¯t show up after embarrassing himself so much the other day. Not only did he show


    up, but he also made noticeable progress.


    At that moment, she was stunned and couldn¡¯t help but look at Bria.


    Nevertheless, Bria also recognized him but turned her face away coldly. She hadn¡¯t forgotten about her


    father hooking up with Michelle the other day. In addition, she didn¡¯t want to associate with him


    anymore. ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s skate over there.¡± Then, she pointed to the farthest ce from him.


    On the other hand, Amelie looked at Bria worriedly, wanting tofort her, but she didn¡¯t know what to


    say. In the end, Amelie could only nod and say, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Afterward, they arrived at their spot and changed their shoes.


    Soon, Leo skated over. ¡°Good morning,¡± he greeted them quietly.


    Bria pretended not to hear and pulled her mother into the rink. Then, Amelie politely nodded at him and


    followed Bria. She wouldn¡¯t mind Leo being with Michelle if she didn¡¯t have to consider her daughter¡¯s


    feelings. That way, she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with him.


    Later, Amelie took Bria¡¯s hand and did warm-up exercises before teaching her simple skating moves.


    Leo followed them closely, learning what she taught too. At first, he stayed some distance away from


    them.


    Later, he slowly approached and stood in line with his daughter. When Bria practiced, he practiced too.


    Bria was slim and agile and had talent in the sport, so she practiced perfectly. On the other hand, he


    was noticeably clumsier but tried his hardest.


    ¡°Bria, what you sawst night wasn¡¯t what you thought it was,¡± he said as he practiced.


    ¡°I was set up on a blind date by your grandmother, but I had no idea about it.¡± He exined the whole


    thing to her from beginning to end. Although he only spoke to Bria, his voice was loud enough for


    Amelie to hear.


    However, Bria didn¡¯t say anything, but she looked in her mother¡¯s direction. Although she might seem


    young, she was perceptive and aware of everything around her. Even though she knew her father was


    talking to her mother, she felt much better inside. While practicing, Bria intentionally became clumsier


    and fell to the ground. Nheless, Leo was doing worse than his daughter before, but when she


    intentionally did poorly, he becameparatively better.


    ¡°Yay, Daddy is awesome!¡± She pped her hands excitedly while Amelie remained silent.


    Soon, he lifted Bria, who had fallen, and twirled her in his arms. It was a pretty cool move. Then, she


    cheered loudly, giving him a round of apuse.


    With a hint of pride, he looked at Amelie like a puppy trying to please its owner. He purposely hid his


    skills, hoping to impress and catch her attention.


    ¡°Daddy, did you practice for a long time again yesterday?¡± Bria asked, unintentionally lifting Leo¡¯s


    sleeve and revealing the many bruises on his elbow.


    Hearing that, he affectionately touched her forehead with his and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Daddy is really amazing!¡± She gave him another thumbs-up.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Amelie ignored their interaction, leaving Bria¡¯s praise unanswered. However, he felt slightly


    disappointed as he met his daughter¡¯s gaze.


    Seeing that, Bria had no choice but to work harder to get her mother¡¯s attention. ¡°Daddy, are you in


    pain with so many injuries?¡± she asked.


    ¡°A little bit,¡± Leo replied, pleased with his daughter¡¯s quick reaction.


    ¡°Then, you need medicine,¡± she spoke loudly.


    Amelie still didn¡¯t react to their conversation.


    Afterward, Bria had to leave Leo¡¯s embrace and skate toward Amelie, showing her the knee she had


    bruised yesterday. ¡°Mommy, my leg still hurts, and I need medicine,¡± she said.


    Amelie naturally didn¡¯t refuse Bria¡¯s request, so she quickly took medicine from her bag to apply to her


    daughter¡¯s injury.


    At that moment, he felt envious and looked at his daughter. His injuries were worse and more painful


    than Bria¡¯s, and he also wanted medicine. So, he leaned over and revealed the bruises on his arm


    while checking Bria¡¯s injury.

 Chapter 347

    Chapter 347


    Chapter 347 Are Demons Scarier Than Humans?


    Leo¡¯s wounds were no joke. His arm was bruised and battered, with purple and green bruises and


    broken skin. It was evident that he had other injuries in other ces as well.


    Then, Bria let Amelie tend to her wounds while she blew on her father¡¯s wounds to soothe him. At that


    moment, Leo ¡°identally¡± lifted his trouser to reveal the bruises on his leg. ¡°Dada is so pitiful,¡± she


    said as she feigned, wiping tears from her eyes.


    ¡°All done,¡± Amelie said after applying the medicine to her daughter.


    Suddenly, he extended his arm in front of her. Bria thought her father was better at being shameless


    than anyone else.


    Amelie looked down at his bruised arm in front of her. She nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s pretty serious.¡± It was


    hard to ignore his injuries when they were right in front of her face. ¡°Here¡¯s the medicine.¡± Following


    that, she handed him the ointment.


    Leo was dumbfounded, and his heart was filled with disappointment, but he could only silently ept


    the medicine from her. He didn¡¯t avoid her gaze as he applied it to his wounds. After tending to his


    hands and feet, he unbuttoned his cor to reveal his striking vicle and well-maintained skin. As he


    was applying the medication, he purposefully rubbed and slid his hands over himself in a way that


    looked very arresting to the eye. Soon, it caused everyone in the vicinity to look over at him and be


    transfixed by his random gestures. He intentionally turned his back on Bria and only let Amelie watch.


    On the other hand, Amelie was cornered by him and had no other option but to focus on him.


    ¡°Elie.¡± While Leo was basking in the glory, a voice suddenly sounded behind him.


    Amelie, who had been blocked by him the entire time, looked up. Suddenly, her expressionless face


    bloomed like a flower before him, quickly revealing a brilliant smile. ¡°Mr. Walsh, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to leave the country, so I wanted to see you before I go and say goodbye.¡± Toby leaned on


    the railing, his smile just right for his features. The wind ruffled his half-tied hair, and his bangs partially


    covered his face, making him look even more handsome and charming.


    ¡°Mr. Walsh,¡± Bria called out as well.


    ¡°Little Bria.¡± He nodded at her before his gaze brieflynded on Leo.


    ¡°Leo, hello.¡± Toby¡¯s tone was noticeably more rxed.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Leo¡¯s handsome face darkened as a storm began brewing in his eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving soon?


    Shouldn¡¯t you be going now?¡± he asked, clearly displeased with Toby¡¯s presence.


    Nevertheless, Toby could naturally hear the displeasure in his voice. So, he smiled, revealing two rows


    of teeth, and appeared even more graceful and charming. ¡± There¡¯s no way around it; I have someone I


    care about here,¡± he said.


    Leo knew in his heart that Toby hade to cause trouble for him. Then, he snorted and said, ¡°You act


    so ostentatiously. Aren¡¯t you afraid of encountering demons?¡± It was a clear insinuation.


    Still, Toby smiled faintly, pretending not to understand. ¡°Are demons scarier than humans in this world?


    If I¡¯m not afraid of humans, why would I fear demons?¡± His smile was warm and bright. In addition, his


    words seemed to have no hidden meaning, but he had said everything.


    ¡°Elie, what do you think?¡± Toby intentionally broke Leo¡¯s heart by involving Amelie.


    Hearing that, Amelie nodded in agreement. ¡°Mr. Walsh, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Her response rendered Leo speechless. It doesn¡¯t matter what he says; she¡¯ll agree with him.


    Nheless, she will not listen to me no matter what I say. I am envious! I¡¯m very jealous!


    Seeing that, Toby chuckled lightly. His smile wasn¡¯t just because Amelie was on his side but also


    because Leo was losing. Since he was a child, except when Leo¡¯s eyes were giving him trouble, Leo


    had always been the ¡°golden child¡± every parent longed to have. He and Ashton, along with the other


    children, were never good enoughpared to Leo.


    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we have a meal together?¡± Toby invited Amelie.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Bria called out as soon as he spoke.


    Once they went to eat with Toby, her father would be left alone. It was too pitiful.


    After Toby heard that, he bent down and gently stroked her little head. ¡°I¡¯m going to a very faraway


    ce. Won¡¯t you have a meal with me? You won¡¯t see me much in the future.¡±


    She was conflicted by his response. On the one hand, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see Toby for a long time,


    but on the other hand, she had to be loyal to her father. Oh well, I¡¯ve decided to listen to Mommy.


    However, she didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re treating us to a meal, naturally, we¡¯ll have to agree,¡± Amelie politely said. After speaking,


    she reached out and pulled Bria over. ¡°Well then, Mr. Alston, goodbye.¡±


    Leo was dumbfounded and grumbled to himself. Is a meal really that important to this heartless


    woman?


    ¡°Are you nning to give Leo a chance?¡± Amelie and Toby walked outside, and he asked her while


    taking advantage of Bria rushing off to see someone else¡¯s pet.


    ¡°No,¡± she denied. ¡°I only want to focus on my career for the time being. I have no ns to pursue any


    rtionships.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± His smile fell a little. Amelie not only didn¡¯t want to give Leo a chance, but she also blocked


    his advances.


    The three of them quickly arrived at the restaurant. It was still early and not even noon, so there weren¡¯t


    many people dining. The restaurant was empty, with only a few tables upied. Toby led them to a


    window seat. As soon as they sat down, a shadow shed past the table across from them, and


    someone sat there.


    Meanwhile, Amelie was oblivious to the man at the table beside her until she felt his eyes on her. When


    she saw the man¡¯s face, her temple couldn¡¯t help but twitch. It was Leo, and he had followed them.


    Soon, Toby took out his phone and scanned the QR code on the table to order while Leo remained


    motionless across from them. His eyes were fixed on her. Although the two tables were not far apart, it


    was hard not to notice his gaze.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Seeing that, she rubbed her temples. Doesn¡¯t Leo always present himself as aloof and


    unapproachable? What¡¯s with this puppy-like look now? Has he given up his cold image?


    Not wanting to indulge him, Amelie turned her face away, not wanting to satisfy him, pretending not to


    see him.


    However, Toby was utterly focused on ordering and didn¡¯t notice Leo¡¯s presence. He asionally


    asked Bria¡¯s opinion since he knew Amelie wouldn¡¯t tell him her preferences, so he simply asked Bria.


    After Bria finished ordering, she saw Leo, and her big eyes lit up. At that moment, a waiter pushed a


    food cart to their table. Soon, their table was full of delicious food, and the aroma filled the air.


    In contrast, Leo had nothing but a ss of water. His table was empty, so he looked pitiful.


    Adults could ignore the situation, but how could a child like Bria overlook that her father had nothing to


    eat? Then, she couldn¡¯t help but nudge Toby. ¡°Mr. Walsh, look. My daddy is so pitiful. Let hime


    over and eat with us.¡±


    Only then did Toby turn his head and see Leo. He couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you,


    Leo? Coming to a restaurant but only drinking water? Are you trying to lose weight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to lose weight. I didn¡¯t bring any money with me,¡± Leo replied nonchntly, without any


    hint of embarrassment on his face.


    Tobyughed and pointed to the phone Leo had put on the table. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Simply use your phone to


    pay. That¡¯s what everyone does now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t use mobile payments. It¡¯s not safe,¡± Leo said.


    Toby was speechless by that remark.


    ¡°Do you want toe over to eat, Dada?¡± Bria couldn¡¯t resist and directly extended an invitation as she


    looked at the delicious food on the table.

 Chapter 348

    Chapter 348


    Chapter 348 He Won¡¯t Foot the Bill


    ¡°Okay.¡± Leo didn¡¯t even hesitate and immediately sat down beside Amelie.


    After seeing his behavior, she was rendered speechless, and she admitted that she had no idea how


    shameless he could be. Bria initially sat with her mother, but when her father joined them, Toby felt


    excluded. It was clear to anyone that the three were rted, with Toby being the odd man out.


    On the other hand, Toby was stunned by Leo¡¯s unexpected behavior, and he became more


    contemtive. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± He didn¡¯t say much and then picked up his cutlery.


    Suddenly, there was an eerie silence at the table, with everyone else in their own thoughts except for


    Bria.


    While Toby had plenty to say to Amelie before Leo arrived, he suddenly found himself at a loss for


    words.


    The silence was then broken by the sound of utensils striking the tes.


    After finishing the meal, Leo picked up Bria. ¡°Come on. As your daddy, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± He


    emphasized the word ¡°daddy.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She wrapped her arms around her father¡¯s neck and waved at Toby. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Walsh.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Bria.¡± Toby shook his head helplessly. He had never seen Leo act like that before.


    Furthermore, Leo didn¡¯t even say goodbye; he took Bria and left.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make ns to meet again,¡± Amelie said apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Toby smiled with a gentle expression.


    Not far away, Bria called out, ¡°Hurry up, Mommy!¡±


    Amelie was afraid of losing her daughter and had to wave goodbye at him before she chased after


    them.


    However, Toby did not move an inch as he narrowed his eyes and watched her figure fade from his line


    of sight. Suddenly, he heard a notification chime on his phone. So, he took out his phone and saw that


    the money he had paid for the meal had been refunded.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked the waiter.


    Naturally, the waiter had no idea what was happening, so he called his boss to inquire. After a while, he


    said, ¡°Our boss said he is treating you to the meal.¡±


    ¡°Your boss? Who¡¯s that?¡± Toby was taken aback.


    The waiter shook his head, ¡°It used to be Mr. Zane, but he sold the restaurant a moment ago. Since he


    treated you to the meal, you should know him.¡±


    ¡°Sold the restaurant? A moment ago?¡± Toby smiled wryly at the statements. Of course, he knew that


    person. He had no words to describe Leo¡¯s move. He is willing to spend millions to buy a restaurant


    solely to give me a refund and prevent me from associating with Amelie! He must be crazy!


    Soon, Amelie caught up with Leo and Bria. They had stopped in front of her car.


    ¡°Let me carry Bria.¡± She walked over and offered her hand to him.


    Nheless, he seemed to disregard the woman¡¯s hand and used his chin to press down on Bria¡¯s


    small head instead. ¡°You drive.¡±


    When Amelie heard that, she was speechless. The man refused to give Bria back to her, and it was


    windy outside, so she didn¡¯t want her daughter to catch a cold. Ultimately, she had to use the car


    remote to unlock the door.


    Afterward, Leo opened the car door and lifted Bria into the car while Amelie stood outside, silently


    watching him. He first put her daughter in the child safety seat, carefully fastened her seat belt, and


    then, like a well-behaved child, he pulled his own seat belt across his chest and clipped it in ce. After


    completing everything, he put his hands on his knees like a good child, sitting upright like Bria.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, you must be super busy with everything going on,¡± Amelie reminded him as she opened


    the car door.


    Hearing that, he nced at Bria with a faint expression. ¡°Even if I¡¯m busy, it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t drop


    my daughter off first.¡±


    Nevertheless, Bria tried to remain neutral and kept her head down, but she couldn¡¯t help nodding in


    agreement.


    After realizing that all he wanted to do was spend time with his daughter, Amelie got in the car without


    saying another word. Then, without making a sound, she began driving to the gatedmunity, which


    was 20 minutes away from the ice-skating rink. However, he decided not to follow them and instead


    chose to stand at the entrance, where he observed them walk away in silence.


    After Amelie and Bria left, Eugene called Leo. ¡°Mr. Alston, the restaurant you wanted has been


    purchased, and Mr. Walsh¡¯s money has been refunded.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Leo replied nonchntly. Earlier, he had sent the message to Eugene after they had finished


    their meal with Toby, and as was to be expected, Eugene¡¯s response was prompt.


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡± Eugene knew he should hang up the phone now, but he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you


    trying to stop Mr. Walsh from seeing Miss Dillon by doing this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only informing him that no matter where my woman goes to eat, he won¡¯t be the one paying the


    bill.¡± Leo¡¯s response stunned Eugene.


    He thought Leo wouldn¡¯t reply or even scold him for asking such a stupid question. Leo might even


    cancel his bonus because of that question. Instead, Leo answered like a boss.


    Mr. Alston, you¡¯re really astounding!


    ¡­


    Later that night, Amelie walked out of a bar wearing a light green dress. She met with the bar¡¯s owner,


    a cultured middle-aged woman and a leader in the liquor industry. She wanted business advice on the


    liquor industry, so they talked for over two hours.


    Nevertheless, she wouldn¡¯t have left so soon if she didn¡¯t have a child at home. As she walked to the


    door, a group of people approached her. Seeing that, she drew her bag closer and moved aside so


    they could pass.


    ¡°Well, well, well, if it isn¡¯t Miss Dillon. Are you working as a bar hostess now?¡± A sharp male voice


    echoed, and the group stopped in their tracks.


    She looked over and recognized several familiar faces. These people were friends of Leo¡¯s from


    childhood. The one who spoke was Ashton, who wore his usual flowery shirt and condescending


    expression. When he saw her, his eyes flickered with disdain and sarcasm. He always despised her,


    and even after Elyse died, he still wouldn¡¯t change his opinions about Amelie.


    On the other hand, she didn¡¯t get angry but instead covered her mouth andughed. ¡°I always thought


    the term ¡®sharp-tongued¡¯ was used to describe women, but I guess it fits you perfectly, Mr. Lowe.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± He only wanted to criticize her for venting his anger about Elyse¡¯s death, but he didn¡¯t expect to


    be humiliated by her instead. Then, he turned red with rage.


    Amelie smiled and continued, ¡°Mr. Lowe, did you see me working as a bar hostess with your own eyes,


    or do you have evidence? If not, then it¡¯s your assumption that all girls like working as bar hostesses


    because you¡¯re used to being a sugar daddy for such girls.¡±


    She used to disregard his remarks because of Ashton¡¯s friendship with Leo, but he had since be


    intolerable and expected special treatment at all times. Eventually, she had to show him the truth.


    ¡°Amelie, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that Elyse¡¯s death wasn¡¯t an ident. You nned her death, and I


    will avenge her now!¡± Ashton was so angry that he used Elyse¡¯s death as a pretext to attack Amelie,


    but she wasn¡¯t afraid of him and prepared to defend herself when he raised his fist.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± Someone stopped his fist before itnded.

 Chapter 349

    Chapter 349


    Chapter 349 The Best Oue


    ¡°I thought I¡¯m here to celebrate and rx, not to fight. What¡¯s going on?¡± The man who spoke was


    Josiah Sekke. He was older than Ashton and Leo, so he was more mature than them. His style was


    simr to Leo¡¯s but not as aloof. He was the only one in their group who had left his family and had


    been working abroad for a long time with good results.


    Ashton angrily withdrew his fist and walked into the bar. Amelie sneered at Ashton, thinking that had


    Josiah not intervened, she would have punched Ashton. She was more than capable of handling a rich


    young man like Ashton who could only talk big and was useless at everything else.


    ¡°Amelie.¡± Josiah didn¡¯t go after Ashton but instead greeted her politely. Although Amelie knew Josiah


    was Leo¡¯s friend, she had only met him once or twice during events at the Alston Residence. He never


    stayed for more than five minutes and always seemed very busy. So, she didn¡¯t have much interaction


    with Josiah and didn¡¯t know much about him.


    ¡°Mr. Sekke.¡± Since Josiah took the initiative to greet her, Amelie responded politely.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± Josiah asked unexpectedly. Amelie¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly in surprise as she didn¡¯t


    understand why Josiah would want to talk to her. The others quickly gave them space and went into the


    bar first. Subsequently, Josiah gestured toward a tree.


    ¡°It¡¯s too noisy here; can we talk outside?¡±


    Although Amelie didn¡¯t know what he wanted to talk about, she followed him outside. Josiah stopped


    under the tree where there was a bench. He then took out a handkerchief and wiped the bench clean


    before gesturing for her to sit down. Amelie hesitated for a moment as she was not used to Leo¡¯s


    friends being overly polite to her. In the end, she remained standing.


    ¡°Mr. Sekke, just say what you want to say.¡±


    Josiah smiled and nodded. ¡°Let me get straight to the point, Amelie. When I came back this time, all I


    heard about was you. Everyone said you¡¯ve changed, and you really have changed a lot.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve only met you twice, and it was just for a brief moment each time, you were clearly not as


    sharp and confident as you are now,¡± Josiah continued, giving Amelie a thumbs-up. Amelie smiled


    faintly in response to Josiah¡¯s unexpected interest in her back then.


    ¡°I also heard that Leo has changed.¡± Josiah suddenly changed the topic. ¡°He used to be cold and never


    showed weakness to anyone. Buttely, he has done a lot of embarrassing things while pursuing you.¡±


    As Josiah said this, he ran his finger through his hair, which was styled with wax, and looked at Amelie


    meaningfully. ¡°Honestly, when I heard those descriptions of him, I couldn¡¯t believe it was the same Leo I


    grew up with. Even during the most difficult times in Genesis, he never showed any weakness to


    anyone. Even with Elyse, it never got to this point. Amelie, I can tell that he truly loves you.¡±


    ¡°So, Mr. Sekke, do you think that as long as he has genuine feelings for me, I should just ept him?¡±


    Amelie remained calm and saw through Josiah¡¯s intentions.


    She continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that it makes me look like a dog, Mr. Sekke? Should I wait obediently


    for my master¡¯s affection? When he decides to pamper me, should I run to him immediately?¡±


    To put it bluntly, it meant being at someone¡¯s beck and call. She used to do that, but even if she acted


    like a dog, Leo never looked at her once. Looking back at her past subservience, Amelie realized how


    foolish she was.


    Josiah was taken aback by her blunt words but still said, ¡°Leo is a faithful man; as long as he falls in


    love with you, he will always treat you well. You also have a child together, so if you two can be


    together, that¡¯s obviously the best oue.¡±


    Amelie looked silently at Josiah as her lips curled with a hint of speechlessness. Even elites like him


    couldn¡¯t escape the shackles of society.


    ¡°Mr. Sekke, you rarely live here, so you may have forgotten that marriage between a man and a woman


    in this country is not only rted to the couple but rted to the families of both sides as well. When I


    divorced Mr. Alston, it wasn¡¯t just because I waspletely disappointed with him, but also because


    my child was constantly living within his family¡¯s hostility. Mr. Sekke, you think that I should reconcile


    with Mr. Alston because of my child, but I think that because of my child, I should not go back there.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Josiah¡¯s well-intentioned advice was turned down by Amelie, leaving him at a loss for words.


    Amelie smiled faintly and said, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to help me, Mr. Sekke, I hope you can do me a favor


    and persuade Mr. Alston to give up on those useless obsessions of his and let me and Bria go.¡±


    With that, she bowed politely before leaving.


    Behind her, Josiah watched Amelie walk away as he pinched his chin with his long fingers. It seemed


    like he was convinced by her words. Well, it seems that Leo¡¯s pursuit of Amelie is bound to be a bumpy


    one.


    Although Josiah had intended to speak well of Leo, he was not at all sorry for failing to help Leo.


    Instead, he decided to call Leo and put him down a bit. He was curious to see if Leo, who was more


    resilient than him since childhood, could be discouraged by these words.


    At the Alston Residence, Melissa paced anxiously in the room. She had been waiting for the result of


    Michelle¡¯s meeting with Leo. Michelle had volunteered and said she liked Leo, so she wanted to go on


    a blind date with him. For Melissa, this was great news. Although the Walsh Family was in the midst of


    a family feud, they were still well-known and influential. Alfred had always favored Leo, and if Michelle


    married Leo, Alfred would definitely favor Scott when distributing the family¡¯s wealth and resources.


    This was a real top-notch alliance. With such an alliance, all the resources in Clouson City would


    belong to the Alston Family, and with Leo¡¯s abilities, he would not only be the trailzer of


    Clouson City but also potentially the leader of the whole country.


    Melissa loved reading about foreign political gossip, especially about the firstdies. They might not be


    involved in politics, but it was great being a woman from such a family. The more Melissa thought about


    it, the more excited she became, and the more she hoped that her son and Michelle would seed in


    their blind date. Since Michelle hadn¡¯t called yet, it made her feel even more convinced that this was


    going to happen!


    Unable to contain her excitement, she called out to Miss Potts, ¡°Bring out the bottle of red wine I¡¯ve


    been saving.¡±


    Miss Potts was surprised when she heard that Melissa wanted to drink the rare wine that was worth


    more than gold. In fact, Melissa had told her that the wine was too expensive to drink and had been


    kept in the wine cer for many years.


    ¡°Do you have good news, Mrs. Alston?¡± Miss Potts couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Melissa was overjoyed as she expected Michelle and Leo to be having sex at this moment.


    If Michelle got pregnant with a child, marriage would be a sure thing.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± she urged.


    Miss Potts hurriedly went to get the wine, but just as she poured it for Melissa, the door was pushed


    open with a bang.

 Chapter 350

    Chapter 350


    Chapter 350 Being Followed


    As Melissa sipped her wine, she saw Leo walking in. He had a frown on and was holding his phone,


    talking to someone on the other end.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Leo?¡± Melissa couldn¡¯t help but exim in surprise.


    She was about to ask him why he wasn¡¯t spending more time with Michelle when she heard his voice.


    ¡°Did Elie tell you herself? She¡¯s right. I¡¯ll take care of it. Yeah, I won¡¯t give up.¡±


    Shatter! Hearing these words, Melissa felt her nerves go numb. The wine ss slipped from her fingers


    and fell to the floor, shattering. The liquid, which was more valuable than gold, spilled all over the table


    as the ss broke into pieces. Melissa had no mood toment the wine¡¯s loss as she stood up and


    rushed toward Leo.


    ¡°Leo, what do you mean? Who won¡¯t you give up on?¡±


    Leo frowned and looked at Melissa before ending the call.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go on a blind date with Michelle?¡± Melissa was too anxious and forgot her fear of Leo as


    she asked in a hurry.


    The furrow in Leo¡¯s brows deepened.


    ¡°Stop arranging these meaningless blind dates in the future!¡±


    When he spoke, his voice was low and his tone was icy and stiff. Melissa stared at him in a daze and


    she could feel the chill emanating from him.


    ¡°Michelle is such a perfect girl. Also, she¡¯s the most suitable one for you. Leo, think it over carefully.


    Amelie is just an ordinary inte celebrity. Anyone who doesn¡¯t like her could easily get rid of her. The


    Walsh Family, on the other hand, is different. They are deeply rooted in this city, and they will never fall.


    A girl from that family is more suitable for you.¡±


    Melissa¡¯s dream of bing part of the top wealthy family in the country was gone just like that, and


    she couldn¡¯t bear it. She didn¡¯t have the mood to care about Leo¡¯s attitude and tried to persuade him.


    Leo rubbed his forehead. He had long been disgusted with Melissa¡¯s greed. He realized that he had


    been too hasty in pursuing Amelie after hearing Josiah¡¯s words. After all, he hadn¡¯t even settled things


    with his family, so how could he have the right to win her over?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t remarry Elie until you truly ept her, but don¡¯t arrange any more blind dates for


    me. I¡¯ll only marry her in this life,¡± Leo said firmly.


    Melissa felt hopeful when she heard the first half of Leo¡¯s sentence. However, as she continued to


    listen, her face turned pale and her mind buzzed frantically. It¡¯s over!


    ¡°W-What if she marries someone else?¡± she stuttered.


    Leo didn¡¯t say anything, but Melissa could clearly see the determination on his handsome face. For the


    first time, she understood her son¡¯s thoughts. He was telling her straightforwardly that he would end up


    alone and unmarried. Melissa suddenly felt weak and fell to the ground with trembling legs.


    ¡­


    ¡°Julia, someone has been following me for the past few days. Can you help me find out who it is?¡±


    Amelie was driving on the main road. She turned on the Bluetooth on her phone to call Julia while


    constantly checking the rearview mirror.


    Two days ago, she noticed that she was being followed no matter where she went. Even though the


    other party kept changing cars, she could still see through their disguise. Although it was easy for her


    to shake off the other party, she decided to first find out the identity of the person following her to


    ensure the safety of Bria and her father, Steven.


    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Julia became excited as soon as she heard that Amelie was being followed. ¡°Send me


    your location!¡±


    Amelie quickly shared with Julia her location, allowing Julia to know her whereabouts at all times. Then,


    she drove toward Clouson City. As soon as she got off the highway, a motorbike raced toward her at


    lightning speed. The motorbike wasrge and powerful with a cool-looking ck body. The rider was


    wearing a racing suit of the same color, showing off her perfect curves as she executed a drift in front


    of Amelie¡¯s car before sliding past it.


    Amelie recognized that it was Julia and pointed behind them. Julia nodded and immediately chased


    after the car that had been following Amelie. Then, Amelie took the opportunity to speed away. The car


    following her also tried to elerate, but Julia¡¯s motorbike suddenly turned sideways and forced the


    car to changenes. The motorbike seemed to be maic, following the car as it swerved. The other


    party had no choice but to m on the brakes.


    Inside the car, Jodie looked at the motorbike blocking her way and was so angry that she mmed the


    steering wheel. ¡°Damn it, son of a b*tch!¡±


    The motorbike rider honked the horn loudly, seemingly mocking her. Jodie red at the rider, wanting


    to poke two holes in the helmet. She had spread the video of Amelie and ke skating together on


    social media and had been waiting for Amelie to get hereuppance. But after waiting for so many


    days, there was no response from Starlight Media. Feeling frustrated and defeated, Jodie believed that


    Amelie had said something to the boss of Starlight Media to deceive him. After a few angry outbursts,


    she decided to find the boss of Starlight Media.


    With her status as Amelie¡¯s former sister-inw, she thought that the boss of Starlight Media would


    definitely believe her. Amelie was going to pay for meddling with ke, that much was certain. Jodie


    had even spent a considerable amount of money trying to track down the boss of Starlight Media, but it


    had all been for naught.


    Due to that, she decided to stalk Amelie. She had never worked so hard in her life. As soon as Amelie


    moved, she would follow, and she would change different cars to avoid being discovered once she got


    home. She was afraid of missing Amelie¡¯s whereabouts and didn¡¯t even dare to sleep properly. She


    had visible dark circles under her eyes as she didn¡¯t have time to put on makeup. In fact, she looked


    like aplete zombie.


    Jodie never imagined that after all her effort, she would be thwarted by this motorbike. If she didn¡¯t


    know that Leo wouldn¡¯t bail her out if she got into trouble, she probably would have hit the motorbike


    with her car already. The motorbike was intentionally antagonizing her, swaying back and forth in front


    of her car while honking its horn. In addition to that, the motorbike was spewing exhaust toward her


    from time to time. Jodie felt her anger rising and her hair standing on end. She lost control and,


    regardless of the consequences, she stepped on the gas pedal and tried to crash into the motorbike.


    However, the motorbike suddenly seemed to sense her presence and took off like a rocket just as


    Jodie¡¯s car closed in on its tail, leaving Jodie with nothing to collide with.


    ¡°You son of a b*tch!¡±


    At that moment, Jodie started spewing profanities as she felt her heart and lungs exploding with rage.


    Then, she gripped the steering wheel and chased after the motorbike. As she sped on, the motorbike


    entered an alley. Jodie was so angry that she didn¡¯t even bother to assess the width of the alley and


    followed it in.


    Crack!


    First, both side mirrors shattered into pieces. Then, a sudden jolt shook the car. In the end, the throttle


    abruptly gave out and the car came to aplete stop!


    Jodie finally snapped out of it and noticed that the alley was narrower than she thought. Currently, the


    car waspletely stuck!


    ¡°Damn it!¡± She pounded the steering wheel in frustration.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, how tragic.¡± The motorbike that had just sped away suddenly turned around and stopped in


    front of her.


    The rider on the motorbike removed her helmet and shook her long hair with an air of arrogance while


    making clicking sounds with her tongue.


    ¡°Julia!¡± Jodie recognized the woman and almost spewed blood!


    ¡°You b*stard! How could you set me up like this!¡± Jodie lowered the car window and tried to jump out


    the window to hit Julia. However, the window was tightly pressed up against the alley wall, and she


    couldn¡¯t get out! She could only sit in the car and stare at Julia who walked over pompously while


    winking at her.


    Subsequently, Julia propped herself up with one hand before jumping onto the hood and sitting down.


    Jodie was speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go ahead and upload everything you¡¯ve done to me online, right here and now!¡± She whipped


    out her phone and started screaming like a crazy person, acting like she was the victim.


    Juliaughed and put on her helmet. ¡°Thanks for the reminder. No one will recognize me now.¡±


    Jodie felt her lungs exploding with anger and almost passed out.


    All of a sudden, she spotted a hammer lying in the car. She thought to herself that if she smashed the


    windshield with it, not only would it shatter, but it could also cause harm to Julia! Consumed by her


    intense hatred, she gathered all her strength in silence and swung the hammer toward the windshield¡­

 Chapter 351

    Chapter 351


    Chapter 351 Reputation¡¯s Destroyed But Still His Precious Darling


    ¡°I know why you followed Elie. You wanted to see the boss of Starlight Media, right?¡± Julia said


    suddenly. ¡°Why don¡¯t I just tell you?¡±


    Jodie dropped the hammer she had raised halfway into the air abruptly as she stared at Julia


    doubtfully. Julia seemingly didn¡¯t notice her actions and scratched her ear. ¡°The boss of Starlight Media


    is¡­ Amelie Dillon.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± Jodie shouted. She would never believe such nonsense and did not hesitate in swinging the


    hammer toward Julia.


    Unfortunately, Julia had already jumped off the vehicle. ng! While Julia was unhurt, the window had


    already shattered. Several broken piecesnded on Jodie¡¯s face, making her bleed instantly.


    Under normal circumstances, she would have screamed, but right now, she was so overwhelmed with


    fury that she forgot about being injured. She red so intensely that her eyeballs nearly shot out of her


    head.


    Jodie¡¯s terrifying demeanor gave Julia the feeling she had gone overboard, yet she couldn¡¯t help


    shaking her head with a snort. ¡°Look at how angry you are. I¡¯m telling the truth, but you won¡¯t believe


    me.¡±


    ¡°Just wait. When I find the boss of Starlight Media, I will get him to personally destroy all of you!¡± Jodie


    could no longer speak fluently and kept stuttering, yet she was still making threats.


    ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Julia shrugged after witnessing another instance of Jodie¡¯s stupidity and knew


    that it couldn¡¯t be cured. She climbed onto the motorcycle and waved goodbye.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to advise you not to waste the effort, though. No matter how you try, the boss of Starlight


    Media would never abandon Elie nor harm her. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can test it out yourself and


    try whatever means to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Even an idiot would never hurt himself or herself.


    ¡°Sigh, she has gotten into his good books. Even if her reputation is destroyed, she¡¯s still his precious


    darling.¡± Since Jodie did not believe her, Julia decided to blow smoke before stepping on the


    elerator.


    The motorcycle moved backward bizarrely, which shocked Jodie, and she could only watch as Julia


    disappeared from her sight.


    ¡°Argh!¡± She broke down and screamed, forcefully tearing at her hair.


    ¡­


    Soon, Julia met up with Amelie, where she described animatedly how she had enraged Jodie.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s stupid? She was in denial even when I told her the truth! Getting all frustrated


    just because she¡¯ll never admit that you could be a boss.¡± She sighed, sipping her drink. ¡°Please don¡¯t


    make me deal with her again. I¡¯m scared that her stupidity may be contagious.¡±


    Amelie had asked Julia to help her for no other reason than to check who was stalking her. Hearing


    that it was Jodie made her confused. Fortunately, she had the foresight to refuse Leo. Who knows how


    Bria would have ended up if I had brought her to the Alston Residence?


    ¡°Speaking of which, we should record the scene from before for everyone so they could see what the


    Alstons are like. There¡¯s Jodie and then there¡¯s Melissa too. What weirdos!¡± Julia shook her head at the


    thought of them. ¡°You had been so tolerant back then. Had it been me, I could never do it!¡±


    Amelie bit her lip, sipping her tea without responding. She only had eyes for Leo back then and was


    willing to endure the bullying by the others no matter how despicable they were. Love was truly


    powerful but was also blind.


    ¡°So, since I did you such a great favor, shouldn¡¯t you repay me in some way?¡± Julia changed the


    subject.


    Amelie raised her head. As she saw the unique gleam in Julia¡¯s eyes, she had a bad feeling and rm


    bells rang in her head.


    30 minutester, a luxury car drove into Windy City International, the biggest hotel in Clouson City. The


    car stopped beside a row of palms and the automatic doors opened.


    A woman in a sundress skipped out of the car while carrying a pink purse. As she exaggeratedly


    ced a hand on her skirt to stop it from being blown by the wind, there was a sweet smile hanging on


    her lips.


    ¡°I-is that Miss White?¡± The person greeting them was stunned. He rubbed his head, feeling that he had


    to have been mistaken. Julia has always been energetic and handsomely dressed. Since when has


    she behaved in such a feminine way?


    He merely froze for a moment before remembering something more important. ¡°Miss White, you


    promised that the boss of yourpany woulde personally. Is he here?¡±


    Julia nodded and smiled warmly towards the inside of the car. ¡°Mr. Dillon, we¡¯re here.¡±


    The person weing them was an executive of thepany and had only heard of the boss of


    Starlight Media without ever seeing him personally. Hearing that Julia had brought him here, the


    executive couldn¡¯t help but follow along, hoping to catch a glimpse of his appearance.


    As Julia called him, a shiny leather shoe stepped out, followed by the other. She deliberately stretched


    out her hand, and another hand d in a ck glovended on her palm.


    The executive was speechless. Such a showoff¡­


    As he thought about how dramatic the boss of Starlight Media seemed, something within his view


    shifted.


    A man, blindingly beautiful although he wasn¡¯t that tall, alighted from the car. The moment his face was


    revealed, the executive felt his world brighten and he had the urge to fall at the man¡¯s feet.


    ¡°H-Hello, Mr. Dillon.¡± The executive soon remembered he had to greet the guest. His voice stuttered as


    he spoke.


    He had seen plenty of handsome men, but none of them stood out as this man did. Mr. Dillon had the


    wless smooth skin of a woman, thick eyebrows, and a sharp gaze, which was a perfectbination


    of a man¡¯s and a woman¡¯s best features. It wouldn¡¯t only be women obsessed with him since even he


    wanted the man to himself. The executive looked at Julia meaningfully as he finally understood why


    this usually dominating woman had dressed up like this.


    ¡°Please follow me to the venue.¡± The executive did not dare hesitate and quickly led the way.


    Behind him, even a small gesture of the boss of Starlight Media lowering his arm and putting one hand


    into his pocket appeared unbelievably attractive. Julia slid close to him and hooked her arm into his,


    nudging his hip while the executive wasn¡¯t looking.


    Amelie sighed internally. Never had I expected to show up like this publicly in my entire lifetime.


    Julia had been discussing a valuable project, but the other party was hard to deal with since they


    insisted on talking personally with the boss. Since she had agreed to it¡ªfor whatever reason¡ªand


    since they had announced the marriage between the boss of Starlight Media and ¡®Amelie Dillon¡¯, which


    had given the boss a male identity, Amelie had no choice but to dress up like this. She red at Julia,


    resisting the urge to beat her to death.


    Julia giggled softly in her ear. ¡°I did think of letting youe without a disguise, but I feared that their


    boss would be so captivated that he would insist on marrying you. For the record, he is a family man,


    so we would be in the wrong if you became the homewrecker. Besides, you look handsome like this.¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    ¡°You cannot do this to me anymore. I don¡¯t care if it means we have to cancel the business deal!¡± she


    warned in a low voice.


    Julia nodded vigorously. ¡°I promise that this is thest time!¡±


    Amelie and Julia were brought into avishly decorated conference room. There were many people


    inside, the most eye-catching of which were the man and woman at the head of the table. The man had


    a short beard and had a masculine charm, while the woman was beautiful and was dressed formally.


    ¡°This is Mr. Goldstein, and this is Miss Gage.¡± The executive began introducing everyone one by one


    courteously.


    ¡°This is our boss, Mr. Dillon.¡± Julia gripped Amelie¡¯s arm without letting it go.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Goldstein. Hello, Miss Gage.¡± Amelie greeted them politely while purposefully deepening her


    voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard many good things about you.¡± Mr. Goldstein inclined his head.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Dillon.¡± Miss Gage, the woman beside him, weed them as well.


    Amelie noticed she raise an eyebrow and shoot a challenging nce at Julia, and she couldn¡¯t help


    looking at Julia with confusion.


    Julia looked calm as she smiled happily. ¡°Can the meeting start now?¡¯


    ¡°Hang on.¡± Mr. Goldstein looked down at his watch. ¡°I have also invited a very important guest to join


    this meeting. He will arrive soon.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, the door was pushed open. Amelie and Julia wore businesslike smiles as


    they turned around to see a man enter the room.

 Chapter 352

    Chapter 352


    Chapter 352 How Daring


    When she had a clear view of the man, an rm bell buzzed within Amelie¡¯s brain. She had only one


    thought¡ªshe was finished!


    Julia¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look great either, for she had caused Amelie trouble.


    ¡°Mr. Lowe.¡± Miss Gage greeted the man first.


    It was none other than Ashton Lowe standing at the entrance. While he was dressed more formally


    than usual, his cor was loose and revealed part of a chain, making his status as a rich heir all too


    clear.


    ¡°Miss Gage, Alex,¡± Ashton greeted the two at the head of the table, then his gaze shiftedzily toward


    them.


    ¡°Mr. Lowe.¡± Julia stepped forward to block his view of Amelie and greeted him happily. She usually


    scorned rich heirs like him, who only knew how to talk and throw tantrums but was useless when it


    came to doing anything else. However, she had to resort to her most disgusting tactic by pandering to


    him so that he wouldn¡¯t notice Amelie.


    Ashton snorted faintly. While he was useless in everything, he despised people like Julia who earned a


    living by being an influencer the most.


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


    Julia naturally didn¡¯t care about his scorn for her. Her utmost concern was what she was going to do


    about Amelie. Things would beplicated if he recognized her, so how could Julia make up an


    excuse for Amelie to leave?


    Ashton soon noticed someone hiding behind Julia. Since he was curious in nature, he couldn¡¯t help


    looking at whomever she was hiding behind her.


    ¡°Oh, this is the boss of Starlight Media, Mr. Dillon,¡± Miss Gage introduced Amelie. Her tone was cold,


    and it made her seem difficult to approach.


    ¡°Mr. Lowe.¡± Amelie walked out and greeted Ashton. She knew that she could never hide forever since


    continuing to do so would only make him suspicious, so it was better to just reveal herself. She shook


    her head slightly at Julia¡¯s concerned look.


    Ashton was also curious as to who the boss of Starlight Media was and looked at them as well. His


    expression stiffened when he saw Amelie.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you know each other?¡± Miss Gage quickly caught the shift in his expression and


    asked.


    He narrowed his eyes, whereas Julia watched him with sweaty palms. Her brain was ringing, and she


    felt like she was about to explode. She was on the verge of crying when she turned to Amelie, but she


    soon realized Amelie calmly facing Ashton head-on. How daring that girl was!


    ¡°No,¡± he answered, shifting his gaze away. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t suspect her, but the way she looked


    at him openly without any fear made him feel that it was merely a physical resemnce.


    Seeing that Amelie¡¯s strategy had tricked Ashton, Julia¡¯s clenched heart finally rxed as her blood


    flowed once again. She had nearly been scared to death and mentally ced a hand on her chest.


    ¡°What are you all doing? Why don¡¯t we sit down?¡± She quickly utilized her strong people skills and


    invited everyone to sit. Soon, they all found their seats.


    Since Ashton had a high opinion of himself and Amelie was disguised as a man, he did not spare her


    another nce. Amelie was unruffled by the whole thing as well. Julia secretly gave her a thumbs-up


    under the table when she saw this.


    ¡°Were you unable to invite him?¡± Miss Gage asked Ashton.


    Mr. Goldstein exined politely to Amelie and Julia, ¡°Both Cassandra and I are amateurs in this field,


    so we asked Mr. Lowe to help invite his trusted friend to share his opinion.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Amelie replied courteously. The woman¡¯s fair skin under her disguise made her look attractive,


    and there was also a hint of dominance in her tone.


    Her eyes shifted a little when Mr. Goldstein wasn¡¯t paying attention. Whom could that trusted friend be?


    He did not wait for her to ask and introduced the man voluntarily, saying, ¡°This friend of his is a


    respectable figure who umted great achievements at a young age. I can never be as capable as


    him even if I live a decade longer than him.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, the door opened once again.


    ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡± As the man finished speaking, Amelie saw a slim wristnd on the doorknob


    before the man attached to it walked in. rm bells rang in her head when she saw the wristwatch, and


    her shocked gaze met the man¡¯s. His pupils contracted, and his eyes narrowed when he saw her.


    It¡¯s Leo, and he has recognized me! It took a second for her toe to that conclusion.


    ¡°Leo, you¡¯re a difficult person to invite.¡± Mr. Goldstein stood up to wee him. ¡°I thought I could never


    get you toe.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Leo¡¯s gaze shifted away from Amelie as he smiled at Mr. Goldstein. ¡°Jimmy and I have


    been close friends for many years. Since you¡¯re his brother, it¡¯s only right that Ie.¡±


    Mr. Goldsteinughed. ¡°Jimmy has be unreliable ever since having a child. He didn¡¯t know your


    whereabouts when I asked him, so I had to contact you through Mr. Lowe.¡±


    Amelie remained beside them, her scalp tingling. Who knew that she would attract these people when


    she was just showing up for Julia¡¯s sake? It was far too coincidental.


    ¡°This is Mr. Dillon, the famous boss of Starlight Media.¡± Mr. Goldstein quickly made introductions as


    soon as he exchanged greetings with Leo.


    Amelie felt extremely distracted but had to rise from her seat. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Mr. Alston.¡±


    Leo¡¯s gaze was unreadable as he studied her. ¡°I finally get to meet the mysterious boss of Starlight


    Media. I should be the one feeling honored.¡±


    His words made her anxious, and she feared that he might expose her disguise as a man. He even


    stretched his hand toward her when he finished speaking.


    Amelie was speechless, and this action surprised even Mr. Goldstein. Leo was famous in the business


    circle for being cold and distant, so not everyone had the chance to shake hands with him. The boss of


    Starlight Media was truly famous and capable, but he was merely a newbie who had made his


    appearance in recent years and was rtively inexperienced. He wasn¡¯t exactly qualified for Leo to


    approve of him.


    Amelie wanted to pretend not to have seen this, but Mr. Goldstein and the others were still present. Leo


    refused to lower his hand as well, and if this went on, many wild assumptions would be made. Thus,


    she had no choice but to reach out and touch his hand quickly. His palm felt dry and warm when her


    fingertips touched it.


    Besides initiating their handshake, Leo did not cause any other issues. Everyone soon sat down and


    the meetingmenced. It was a meeting in name only, for it was a negotiation. Julia was a master in


    this aspect, so she led the discussions. Amelie only needed to sit quietly beside her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break,¡± Leo suggested, having remained silent up to that point too.


    Mr. Goldstein wiped his temple. ¡°Sure.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help ncing at Julia with admiration, since there were multiple times when she had nearly


    trapped him.


    Miss Gage shot a cold look at Julia, who stood up and looked at Amelie meaningfully. Amelie joined


    Julia in standing up. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡±


    After nodding to everyone politely, they left the room.


    ¡°Oh, my God. Fortunately, Leo did not see through you, or it would have been over for us.¡± Julia


    eventually sighed openly when they came to a deserted area.


    Amelie looked at her silently, her mouth slightly agape. In the end, she did not mention that he had


    already recognized her.


    ¡°Do you know Miss Gage?¡± Amelie asked. She had sensed something strange in the way the woman


    looked at Julia.


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Julia replied mildly and pped her shoulder. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you can leave first. You don¡¯t


    have to wait for its conclusion.¡±


    Amelie had no desire to remain in the room anyway. ¡°Alright.¡±


    After Julia left, she headed for the exit. Just as the elevator doors opened, she sensed a shadow


    hovering over her.

 Chapter 353

    Chapter 353


    Chapter 353 Only Be Cheesy With You


    She was about to turn around when her waist was gripped tightly and she was dragged into the


    elevator. Her back immediately made contact with the cold wall.


    The process happened too quickly, and when she tried to turn around and attack the other person, they


    caught her hand perfectly and pressed it against the wall. She lifted her leg and tried to get at their


    lower half, but it was caught and trapped as well. Both their bodies were now pressed together tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± a low, masculine voice uttered as the other person pushed her hand higher. She nced


    sideways to see Leo looking downward, his face nearly touching hers. They were now in an


    unbelievably intimate position.


    ¡°What do you mean by this, Mr. Alston?¡± His face was dangerously close as his breath tickled her face,


    making it difficult for her to breathe. She had no choice but to turn her head and avoid him.


    His face moved closer, the breath from his lips fluttering against her cheek as he spoke. ¡°Why did you


    come here dressed like this?¡±


    His long fingers moved against her temple as he tried to remove her wig. He did not like her dressed as


    a man.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, Mr. Alston.¡± Amelie was pushed against the wall by Leo and could only


    shrink into it. However, she was already fully pressed against it; since she didn¡¯t know the art of


    contortion, she couldn¡¯t get any further than that. The back of her ear burned as he breathed against it.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, can you release me? The way you are pressing yourself against me will make witnesses


    suspect your sexual orientation.¡±


    He merelyughed and did not retreat. ¡°That¡¯s better. It will be less troublesome.¡±


    Well¡­


    Even if he didn¡¯t mind it, she did. She didn¡¯t want this to be recorded and eventually hit the headlines.


    ¡°When have you be so cheesy?¡± He would never have said such things back then, even on the


    brink of death. ¡°I¡¯m more used to the past you.¡±


    He had been stern and scornful toward her, ensuring they never interfered in each other¡¯s lives.


    ¡°I will only be cheesy with you,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s easy for others to see the past me, but it will be


    impossible for you!¡±


    His implication was clear, and he would be pestering her from now on.


    Amelie had no words, and she didn¡¯t need all that.


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


    He had to be some kind of curse inflicted on her. Back then, he ignored all her attempts to win his


    heart, but now that she decided to abandon him entirely, he chose to haunt her instead.


    There was no point in protesting and Amelie knew she couldn¡¯t change his opinion, so she changed the


    subject immediately. ¡°Thank you for not exposing my identity just now, Mr. Alston. I owe you a favor.¡±


    Her mention of the issue made him shift his focus back to her. He looked into her eyes, suddenly


    recalling what Victor had said before¡ªthe boss of Starlight Media was a woman, which meant that¡­


    A thought suddenly shed across his mind, and his eyes narrowed abruptly. Then, he released her as


    he suddenly retreated. Amelie, who had been pondering how she could make him let go of her, was


    puzzled when he rxed his grip on her but did not want to think too much about it.


    The elevator reached the lowest floor at that moment, and she marched out while rubbing her wrists


    that had been gripped tightly. She quickly walked to the garage, and when she turned around, Leo was


    no longer in sight. She could finally breathe easily and promptly left in her car without wasting any time.


    Soon after she arrived home, Julia called her. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t manage toplete the deal after


    dragging you there.¡±


    Amelie had applied a mask on her face as her fingers yed with the sash of her pajamas. ¡°I¡¯m okay.


    What about you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a business deal. It¡¯s fine.¡± Julia sounded as careless as she had always been. While Amelie


    founded Starlight Media, she had given Julia full control after marrying into the Alston Family.


    After hanging up the call, she contacted thepanywyers to give Julia fifty percent of the shares


    for Starlight Media. She had wanted to do so five years ago, but Julia refused to ept it. Now that


    Julia and Samuel had been together for so long, it was about time they got married. Samuel¡¯s family


    was extremely sessful, so Amelie couldn¡¯t just let Julia marry into the family empty-handed.


    Samuel had always treated Julia well, but Amelie had learned a lot from her past marriage. The more


    prestigious a family was, the more rtionships would be involved. It would be hard to get by with only


    love from one¡¯s husband. She didn¡¯t want Julia to have to be as tentative as she had been but to get


    married spectacrly. That way, Julia could hold her own when dealing with her inws as well.


    ¡­


    The Genesis Tower resembled a slumbering lion after working hours, with only its tall silhouette visible


    when the lights were turned off. Only the president¡¯s office was illuminated in the dark building.


    Leo had returned to his office after leaving Windy City International but postponed all his appointments


    and meetings.


    Eugene opened the door to the president¡¯s office to see his boss sitting somberly with his back to him.


    He touched the files under his arm, his expressionplicated.


    ¡°Well?¡± Leo asked as if he had eyes on the back of his head.


    Eugene came back to himself immediately and marched inside, standing behind Leo with his back


    straight. ¡°I¡¯ve already checked it out. Miss Dillon submitted the files for the application to start Starlight


    Media under the name Gina Hond. That is most likely the name of Miss Dillon¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Gina Hond?¡± Leo thought this over. Amelie had told him about her mother back in Quinn Town and


    how she felt that her birth had caused her mother¡¯s death. Was she paying homage to her mother in


    such a way?


    She definitely was the boss of Starlight Media!


    ¡°Miss Dillon is amazing. She¡¯s not only a powerful influencer with millions of fans but also the founder


    of such a bigpany.¡± Eugene made a thumbs-up gesture, feeling impressed by her.


    The more that feeling intensified, the more thoughtful his expression became. The president¡¯s mother


    spent so much effort looking around for apatible girl for him but did not know that her former


    daughter-inw was the real deal. Would she be frustrated after knowing that Amelie was this


    aplished and regret letting go of the chance at a powerful coboration?


    Meanwhile, there was Miss Alston, who looked down on everyone and bullied them while relying on her


    reputation as the Alston heiress. She had bullied Amelie far too many times and would regret that


    immensely.


    Eugene could already imagine the expressions on both their faces if they knew about this. How did


    such a great individual like Mr. Alston get saddled with such unreliable family members?


    As Eugene was distracted by his wayward thoughts, Leo was also pondering things carefully.


    The stepwise reveal of Amelie¡¯s true identity was like a p to the face. Had he investigated more


    closely in the past or merely asked enough questions, he would have known that she was such a


    powerful individual. However, he was too blinded by anger and did nothing.


    She had abandoned everything for him in favor of bing a normal housewife and waited loyally for


    him to reciprocate her feelings, but what did he do? He suspected her of having ulterior motives, hated


    her, and even ignored her. The more he thought about this, the more disgusted he felt about himself.


    Eugene could guess what Leo was thinking from his expression. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely your fault. After all,


    Miss Dillon did not say anything during the four years you were married. If she had been willing to give


    even a hint, the misunderstanding between you two wouldn¡¯t have gotten this bad.¡±


    Leo was pale and silent as he closed his eyes and looked toward the ceiling. All he could see was


    Amelie approaching him hesitatingly when they were newly married. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to tell


    him; he hadn¡¯t even given her the chance to do so.


    As he considered this, his phone rang.


    He took out his cell phone and raised it to his ear. ¡°Speak.¡±


    Victor¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°I¡¯ve found the cornea donor.¡±

 Chapter 354

    Chapter 354


    Chapter 354 Leo¡¯s Acting Strangely


    At 6.00AM, Amelie left home with a basket on her arm. Her father, Steven, had been suffering from a


    cold and coughing, so she was worried that it would get worse if he left the house. As such, she


    deliberately got up earlier to help with the groceries.


    Shopping online was more convenient now, plus herpany had a section dedicated to electronic


    shopping. It had held live shopping events for agricultural products, and she could always ask her own


    company to send some over. However, Steven wasn¡¯t sold on the idea and felt that it would be better if


    he picked them out himself. She couldn¡¯t argue with him and was willing to give in, so their family


    maintained the habit of going to the market.


    Waking up at 6.00AM wasn¡¯t easy for Amelie. When she pushed open the lobby gate, a figure suddenly


    appeared. She assumed it was another resident who had risen early, but upon taking a closer look, she


    froze.


    ¡°Leo?¡±


    What is he doing here so early in the morning?


    Leo turned to her with a confused look, seemingly surprised to see her there as well.


    ¡°Were you drinking?¡± She rarely saw him this confused and couldn¡¯t help asking the question warily.


    ¡°No.¡± He threw away the cigarette between his fingers.


    Right then, Amelie noticed the multiple cigarette butts littered on the ashtray above the rubbish bin and


    tilted her head in surprise. She recalled that he was obsessed with cleanliness and never touched a


    cigarette, so what was this about?


    ¡°I was taking a walk and didn¡¯t realize I had wandered here.¡± He stepped toward her, his arm nearly


    touching hers. The coldness emanating from it made her shiver briefly. How long had he stood in the


    cold air?


    ¡°Did you walk from Clouson City to Halport, then?¡± She had seen him acting cheesy with her too many


    times and did not take him seriously, teasing him instead.


    Leo didn¡¯t answer, only forcing out a rueful smile.


    ¡°Elie,¡± he murmured, looking sideways at Amelie, who was at chin height. He then lifted his arm.


    She did not miss that movement, instinctively taking a step back when she saw that he was about to


    touch her. However, he did not lift his hand.


    Instead, he muttered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so guarded against me, nor do you need to deliberately


    avoid me. I will never disturb you again.¡±


    With that, he nodded his head at her and turned away before leaving.


    Is he leaving just like that?


    Amelie stared at his back, her lips slightly open. He left just as abruptly as he hade, and his words


    even more so. She was confused and could not react for some time, staring at where his figure had


    been while even wondering if it had merely been a hallucination.


    After breakfast, Bria insisted on going ice skating. She had fallen in love with the sport and always


    practiced at home. Amelie was willing to indulge her as well; her lessons were twice a week, but she


    had applied for an additional annual pass so that they could go every day.


    When they arrived at the practice rink, there were already many people skating about on the freezing


    ice. Since the surface had to remain frozen, the temperature within was colder than outside the rink.


    Bria changed her clothes and dragged Amelie onto the ice excitedly, stumbling slightly before starting


    to skate. She looked around for someone with wide eyes as she did so, and Amelie knew whom she


    was looking for. Leo had practiced skating with them without fail all this while, so Bria was looking for


    him. Amelie was usually irritated by him, but she couldn¡¯t help looking around as well when she


    remembered his appearance that morning.


    Leo wasn¡¯t there.


    Bria pursed her lips, the disappointment clear in her eyes, but she did not give up. Dada is busy with a


    lot of things and is probablyte. He will be here soon.


    However, he did not show up even after they had warmed up.


    Amelie had always considered him annoying, yet his sudden absence made her anxious. She couldn¡¯t


    avoid reying the way he appeared that morning, but she couldn¡¯t figure out anything from that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start practicing.¡± She didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    Leo did not appear even when Bria¡¯s practice had ended, and she walked out of the rink despondently


    with hunched shoulders. There was no sign of him for several days, but Amelie was too upied with


    work to ponder over it.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was soon Friday, and thewyer called to report that the documents for the share transfer were


    already done and would be effective once both sides signed them. Thewyer could help send the files


    to Halport but considering Julia didn¡¯t know about it and Amelie would have to personally persuade her


    to ept the shares, Amelie drove to Clouson City.


    After meeting thewyer, she brought the documents to Julia¡¯s office in Starlight Media.


    ¡°Why did youe without saying anything?¡± Julia looked eye-catching and practical in her white work


    outfit. She did not call for her assistant and poured out the coffee beans herself to brew freshly ground


    coffee for Amelie.


    Amelie made a noise of assent, noticing that Julia¡¯s makeup did not hide her dark circles despite being


    thicker. ¡°Have you been busy recently?¡±


    ¡°Just like usual.¡± Julia shrugged lightly. ¡°What happened with you and Leo, though? I saw him being


    quite close to a woman a few days ago when I was out. Their rtionship didn¡¯t seem casual. I asked


    around, and it¡¯s said that she¡¯s Toby Walsh¡¯s younger sister or something. They were on a date, and it


    looked pretty serious since Melissa, Jodie, and even the girl¡¯s parents were there.¡±


    Amelie froze slightly as she heard the news regarding Leo. ¡°Really?¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t have a sister, but he did have an unmarried cousin.


    Did Leo and Michelle go on a date?


    It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t consider the fact that he would date the people around him and get married in


    the future, but this was far too sudden. She remembered that he hadn¡¯t really cared about Michelle


    much, even telling Bria that he wasn¡¯t close to her, and their outings together had been arranged by


    Melissa without his knowledge.


    Had that been just to reassure Bria?


    Amelie was somewhat familiar with Leo. She knew he was a serious and honest person who disliked


    lying. So, did he eventually decide to be with Michelle?


    Aftering to that conclusion, she couldn¡¯t help feeling more puzzled. However, since she didn¡¯t n


    on developing anything with him, she did not wish to make too many guesses. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Julia did not say much and ced the ground coffee beans into the special filter which contained a


    piece of white filter paper. The brown coffee beans were ground finely and smelled aromatic.


    She took the jug with a narrow spout and tested the temperature, only pouring the water along the


    edge of the filter when she estimated its temperature to be around eighty degrees. Her movements


    were smooth and practiced, but it did not seem like her style. She was extremely grandiose and


    exuberant and disliked such simple and rustic habits.


    Amelie also remembered that with Julia¡¯s temper, she would have called Amelie much earlier after


    seeing Leo having such a high-profile date to tear him apart. She wouldn¡¯t have waited days before


    mentioning it. She was behaving far too unusually.


    ¡°Did anything happen to you recently?¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking.


    Julia paused her actions abruptly, freezing on the spot.

 Chapter 355

    Chapter 355


    Chapter 355 Leo, Do You Think a Boy or a Girl Is Better?


    She recovered within seconds and continued pouring. ¡°No.¡±


    No? Amelie studied her carefully.


    Julia was alreadyughing it off. ¡°See, you keep interrupting me, and it has interrupted the flow of


    water. Coffee is delicate and finicky; if you don¡¯t pour water at once, it will be sour. I was about to


    show you my extraordinary abilities and treat you to an exquisite cup of coffee, but I¡¯ve failed.¡±


    With her animated expression, she didn¡¯t look like something had happened to her.


    ¡°Please do tolerate it even if it¡¯s sour.¡± She handed Amelie the cup of coffee. ¡°You know that I¡¯m


    unrefined and only would engage in such a delicate habit once in a blue moon. I don¡¯t have the talent


    either, so don¡¯t expect too much.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Amelie lowered her head to sip her coffee. Nothing was added to it, and she couldn¡¯t


    taste anything besides the intense bitterness.


    When she finished her coffee, she remembered her purpose foring and pressed the documents


    she was holding into Julia¡¯s palm. She said seriously, ¡°Jules, I may have founded Starlight Media, but


    both of us did the work. You have sacrificed so much, even more than I have. I already asked the


    lawyer to draft a transfer agreement of fifty percent of thepany shares, so I hope you will ept it.¡±


    ¡°Elie, what are you doing? Didn¡¯t I mention that Starlight Media made me famous? I¡¯ve already gotten


    what I want, so I don¡¯t want your shares.¡±


    Amelie pressed her hand to stop her from moving. ¡°Your contributions aside, we are still best friends


    who are even closer than blood sisters. You¡¯re getting married soon, so consider this your dowry or my


    blessing for you and Samuel. If you see me as family, you have to ept it!¡±


    Just as she finished speaking, Julia¡¯s tears rolled down her face uncontrobly. Julia rarely cried, and


    Amelie was stunned since it had been very long since Julia cried this hard.


    ¡°Elie, you are the best since you always look after me. However, it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need for this.¡± It


    was a while before Julia continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already broken up with him.¡±


    ¡°Why did you guys break up?¡±


    Julia sobbed for some time before finally taking a tissue to wipe away her tears. ¡°Do you still remember


    Miss Gage from before? She¡¯s Samuel¡¯s sister.¡±


    The reminder made Amelie recall the two executives whom she had met in disguise. In particr, Miss


    Gage seemed cold and proud whenever she looked at Julia. She had her suspicions and asked Julia


    about it, but the other woman might not have told the truth.


    ¡°Did their family forbid you from being with him?¡± Amelie inquired, her tone more frigid than before.


    Julia nodded. ¡°Miss Gage somehow managed to discover what happened back then, med me for it,


    and imed I did not deserve Samuel. It would have been fine if only she shared this sentiment, but


    Samuel has also lost interest in our rtionship. He went behind my back and went for a matchmaking


    session.¡±


    ¡°Did Miss Gage tell you that?¡± Amelie felt Samuel wouldn¡¯t be that sort of person. The three of them


    had known each other for many years, and she considered him to be humble, honest, and sort of a


    brother figure.


    Julia shook her head. ¡°You know that while I have a short temper, I won¡¯t fall for ims that easily. Miss


    Gage took me to the matchmaking ceremony herself. The other girl¡¯s parents seemed satisfied with


    him and were discussing their marriage.¡±


    ¡°If Samuel didn¡¯t want to be with me, he could¡¯ve just said so, but secretly going on a blind date¡­ I


    cannot ept this.¡± Julia¡¯s usually sharp features were now filled with hurt and bitterness.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make a scene though. No matter what, Samuel did have a rtionship with me before. I raised


    my ss and blessed them.¡± Julia smiled slightly. ¡°Elie, I¡¯m like you now. I am free and have nothing to


    worry about.¡±


    Amelie looked at Julia somberly. The woman might have grown up in a vige, but her parents had


    been important officials which gave her a proud attitude. Being brought there like that was akin to


    humiliation.


    Amelie felt sympathetic and hugged her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you still have me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Julia buried her face in her shoulder as tears ran down her cheeks again. She had been


    pretending to be unbothered about it and acted as careless as usual, but no one knew how


    heartbroken she was. Amelie¡¯s warm hug made her feel like she had found her family, so she let


    everything out.


    When she was done crying, her mood improved drastically.


    ¡°I made you cross-dress before because Miss Gage was still concerned that I might disturb Samuel. I


    deliberately acted intimate with you so they would think I¡¯d already found someone. Sorry for using you.


    Don¡¯t get angry.¡±


    Amelie red at her. ¡°Of course, I am angry. You didn¡¯t tell me anything when something of this scale


    happened. Do you still consider me your friend?¡±


    ¡°I thought about telling you, but I was scared that I might get dejected and depressed by doing so.¡±


    Her pride did not allow her to be depressed after experiencing a failed rtionship.


    ¡°Miss Gage came suddenly, so I was unprepared. I didn¡¯t know what to do and came up with that stupid


    idea.¡± Julia still looked apologetic.


    Amelie shook her head and sighed. Without saying anything else, she handed over the transfer


    agreement to Julia. ¡°Since you¡¯re not getting married, this isn¡¯t considered a dowry. However, you¡¯ve


    already served thepany this long and contributed a lot to it, so you should have some shares as


    well. You can think of it as a work benefit. It¡¯ll encourage you to continue working hard, strengthening


    and expanding Starlight Media into a global toppany!¡±


    ¡°Wow, Amelie Dillon. How cruel of you. You¡¯re using thepany shares to bind me. That way, I can


    toil tirelessly for you!¡± Julia eximed dramatically.


    Amelie pretended to be an evil businesswoman. ¡°Miss Julia, you are not working for me but for


    yourself!¡±


    The two of them joked around for some time before Julia eventually epted the shares.


    After lunch, Julia had to go on a live show, so Amelie did not disturb her any longer. However, her


    mood became worse when she walked out of Starlight Media. Samuel suddenly abandoning Julia still


    felt somewhat doubtful, and after some thought, she called him.


    ¡°Can we meet up, Samuel?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but I am upied right now. Can I get someone to fetch you?¡± He sounded exhausted.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Soon, the car Samuel sent arrived along with his subordinate. After she got in the car, they headed


    straight for a high-ss private hospital in the countryside.


    Samuel was waiting for her in the garden on the ground floor.


    ¡°Samuel, why are you at the hospital? Are you ill?¡± Amelie asked anxiously.


    He rubbed his brows and smiled. ¡°Not me, but my mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She had assumed for a moment that he had decided to break up with Julia because he had an


    incurable illness.


    ¡°My mother has a serious disease and needs to undergo an operation with a low sess rate. She


    was afraid she couldn¡¯t survive it and insisted on arranging my marriage. She arranged for a blind date


    the day Julia found me, and I only knew about it upon arriving at the venue.¡± He had guessed her


    purpose foring and gave his exnation.


    ¡°She left as soon as she gave a toast, not even giving me a chance to exin. She even blocked me


    on everything, so I couldn¡¯t contact her,¡± he went on, rubbing his brow more insistently. ¡°Is she okay?¡±


    It had been a misunderstanding. She secretly sighed in relief and chose to tell the truth. ¡°She isn¡¯t okay.


    She feels hurt and offended, but she¡¯s trying to put up a happy facade.¡±


    Samuel frowned deeply when Amelie finished speaking.


    ¡°Sir, the doctor is looking for you.¡± A plump woman who looked like a servant ran toward them.


    ¡°Something happened to Madam Gage again.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Samuel frowned and looked at her apologetically before leaving. ¡°Sorry for not being able to


    amodate you properly. Can you help me exin things to Julia? At the very least, tell her not to


    block me again.¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I will. Go on.¡± Knowing that it was urgent, she nodded her head decisively.


    Samuel left quickly with the servant, while Amelie lingered there for a while before walking out of the


    hospital. Just as she passed a patch of greenery, she heard a delicate voice.


    ¡°Leo, do you think a boy or a girl is better?¡±

 Chapter 356

    Chapter 356


    Chapter 356 To Hurt His Feelings


    Amelie looked in that direction to see Michelle and Leo walking in her direction side by side.


    Already discussing family ns? Amelie couldn¡¯t help looking at Michelle¡¯s tummy, but it was t. They


    had just confirmed their rtionship, so they wouldn¡¯t have children this early even if they were


    together. Obviously, they were at the hospital for a pre-marital checkup.


    Leo¡¯s arms hung by his sides, his gaze cold and lips pursed tightly as if he didn¡¯t want to talk to


    Michelle. When his gaze shifted andnded on Amelie, it lingered briefly as he answered, ¡°Both are


    okay to me.¡±


    Michelle froze, surprised that he had responded to her. However, she also caught sight of Amelie, and


    a meaningful expression appeared on her face. Purposefully linking her arm with Leo¡¯s, Michelle raised


    her carefully made-up face higher. ¡°You and I have the same opinion, Leo. I am not picky either.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss Dillon. What a coincidence to see you here,¡± she called out after that as if she had just


    spotted Amelie.


    ¡°Miss Walsh, Mr. Alston,¡± Amelie greeted them politely.


    Michelle smiled brightly while Leo nodded politely as they passed her, behaving like strangers. Amelie


    merely assumed he wanted to avoid controversy and did not think too much about it as she continued


    walking.


    Behind them, Michelle voluntarily removed her arm from Leo¡¯s and retreated to a safe distance, her


    eyes focused curiously on Leo¡¯s face. Since his gaze was still directed toward Amelie, he wasn¡¯t


    looking at her. Even if it wasn¡¯t obvious, she still caught it as her smile became wider.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, you still cannot forget Miss Dillon, can you?¡± Her voice became polite and distant,


    compared to the intimate one from before. Amelie was truly admirable since she had caught Leo¡¯s


    weakness. Now, he thought he didn¡¯t deserve her. Although he still fancied her a lot, he still distanced


    herself from her.


    After being refused by Leo, she was focused on revenge. The more he was hurting, the happier she


    felt. If she wasn¡¯t so wary of him, she would have brought him before Amelie every day so that she


    could torture him repeatedly.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t let go of her, just pursue her. We¡¯re merely putting up a facade to avoid everyone¡¯s


    attempts at forcing marriage on us. You don¡¯t have to be concerned about me.¡± She sounded sincere,


    yet her eyes were cold.


    He didn¡¯t seem to have heard her and walked straight past her.


    She was speechless, and the satisfaction she got from revenge was quickly reced with the feeling of


    being ignored. She pinched her fingertips under her sleeve before she quickly chased after him.


    Even if he didn¡¯t say anything, she continued chattering on. ¡°Miss Dillon is admirable for removing her


    cornea for you. This takes a lot of courage, and I would never have done it even with borrowed


    courage,¡± she said before sighing once again. ¡°How much does she like you? I heard that she got an


    infection after donating her cornea and was unconscious for three months. She saved you by risking


    her life.¡±


    Michelle knew that Leo had decided to let her go because of this, and she decided to rub salt in his


    wound. The more tormented he was, the better she felt!


    ¡°Ow!¡± Just as she was talking, Leo suddenly stopped. Not paying attention, she bumped into his back.


    It was cold and stiff, which made her shiver from it. Even if he hadn¡¯t turned around and she couldn¡¯t


    see his expression, she could feel the murderous auraing from him. Her satisfaction was quickly


    reced by fear as she felt an invisible hand around her neck, which caused her breathing to be


    laborious.


    He did not need to say anything to make her feel suffocated!


    ¡­


    Soon, night fell. As the cold tide came, the weather became colder. The night was freezing cold, and


    the number of people outside declined while every home was illuminated.


    Leo sat in the car, his windows half open. The warm light shining on his face formed a clear contrast to


    his pale skin. The air conditioning wasn¡¯t cold, but the interior was as cold as the exterior.


    He held a cigarette between his fingers and took a smoke asionally. The blue smoke emanating


    from his mouth as well as his slightly thin white shirt somehow gave the feeling that it was colder inside


    the car.


    His eyes were half-closed, and his eyebrows were locked in a frown. While a slight smile could be seen


    from time to time previously, his expression was now frigid enough to freeze water.


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve Amelie.¡± He recalled Toby¡¯s words over and over, a bitter smile spreading across his


    face. He had thought Toby said that on purpose because the other man wanted to fight him for Amelie,


    but now, he could feel how much she had sacrificed for him.


    He did not deserve her and wasn¡¯t even worthy of bringing her shoes to her.


    Leo rubbed his eyes, allowing the explosive pain to fill his chest. She was Big Eyes, and the cornea


    donor had been her. However, he had abandoned his savior in the Alston Residence for four years and


    let everyone bully and tease her. He should go to hell because of this!


    The coldness he had shown her in the daytime wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to be involved with her


    but because he didn¡¯t deserve it. He didn¡¯t deserve to talk to her, see her face, or even miss her!


    ¡­


    Time flew by, and a month soon passed.


    ¡°Mr. Alston.¡± Eugene walked into the office early and turned to see Leo. His head was bowed as he


    worked on theputer, his expression cold and serious. Even though the heater was cranked up to


    the max, Eugene still chilled at the sight and shivered involuntarily.


    He retreated from the room and headed for the secretary¡¯s 24-hour work counter. ¡°Give me today¡¯s


    work arrangements.¡±


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


    The secretary quickly took out a form that was filled with words. Even Eugene, who had worked with


    Leo and gotten used to him, drew in a sharp breath at that. Did Leo consider himself a robot?


    ¡°What happened to Mr. Alston? He does not take any breaks and keeps working, nor does he eat


    much,¡± the secretary couldn¡¯t help asking him.


    Eugene might be the president¡¯s special assistant, but he was apletely different personpared


    to Leo. He was open and friendly with a willingness to deal with the secretaries, which was why she


    dared to ask him that question.


    ¡°What can I do?¡± Heughed bitterly and shook his head. At this rate, Mr. Alston would work himself to


    death.


    ¡°Eugene.¡±


    Just as he was sighing, Melissa walked in from the side with a thermal cup in one hand. She was


    dressed in a thick mink coat, but her expression was sour.


    ¡°Mrs. Alston.¡± He didn¡¯t exactly like her but still greeted her out of courtesy.


    Melissa looked into the office. ¡°Is he¡­ still acting like this?¡±


    He nodded silently, and she looked ready to cry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Leo? Why has he be like


    this? He doesn¡¯t even go home now and always drives to somewhere I don¡¯t know about. I¡¯m so


    worried.¡±


    Eugene did not say anything but mentally pursed his lips. She was only worried that Leo was going


    through something that wouldn¡¯t allow her to continue her morous lifestyle.


    ¡°Eugene, you have been by his side for the longest time, so you should know him best. Please think of


    a way to make him go back to normal so that he does not work this much.¡± She didn¡¯t care about


    appearances anymore and held his hand while pleading with him.


    ¡­


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s snowing!¡± Bria shouted excitedly in the morning when she saw a sea of white as soon as she


    opened the window. The temperature had dropped for so long, and she had waited long enough. The


    snow was finallying as she wished.


    Bria quickly put on the down parka Steven had gotten her and dragged Amelie along with her. ¡°Mama,


    let¡¯s go see the snow and skate!¡±


    Amelie was led downstairs by Bria.


    ¡°Oooh!¡± Bria jumped into the snow, her hands throwing the snowkes into the air.


    However, Amelie¡¯s eyes were fixed on the spot that the snow hadn¡¯t covered. It looked dark and far too


    obvious in contrast with the snow around it, and there was evidence of tires having stopped there.


    There were also cigarette butts beside those tire tracks.

 Chapter 357

    Chapter 357


    Chapter 357 We¡¯re Square Now


    There was a car that had been parked nearby for about a month.


    Amelie¡¯s apartment wasn¡¯t on a high floor. Hence, she could see the car whenever she looked down.


    As the car was quite a distance away, she didn¡¯t think about checking out whom it belonged to.


    It always arrived in the wee hours, only to leave at dawn. Furthermore, there were always a lot of


    cigarette butts left at the spot where the car was parked.


    Did the car stille despite the coldst night? Why didn¡¯t the owner return to his home? Why did he


    park his car here? Also, what makes him smoke so much?


    Amelie had many doubts regarding the car. Just as she was deep in thought, she heard someone


    calling her. ¡°Miss Dillon.¡±


    She raised her head and saw Eugene standing in front of her, dressed in a thick coat.


    ¡°Mr. Cornelius?¡± Amelie was surprised to see him here.


    Ever since Leo began dating Michelle, he had never looked for Amelie.


    She, too, had never been in contact with anyone rted to him.


    Eugene casually kicked the snow on the ground as he said, ¡°I¡¯m here to seek your assistance, Miss


    Dillon.¡±


    ¡°My assistance?¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Eugene then hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth to say, ¡°Mr. Alston discovered


    that you were the one who donated your cornea to him, and he thinks that he has wronged you. As a


    result, he has been working endlessly as ofte, and he hasn¡¯t returned home. I sent someone to follow


    him, and I discovered that he would drive his car here and spend the entire night beneath your


    apartment.¡±


    Amelie was surprised by what she heard as she turned around to look at the ck patch of ground


    among the snowy white snow.


    Leo was the one who came here every night to park his car, huh?


    ¡°He¡¯ll work himself to death if this continues. You¡¯re the only one who can help him right now, Miss


    Dillon.¡±


    Amelie, on the other hand, went into a long trance before realizing what Eugene meant.


    Is this why he has stopped bothering me?


    ¡­


    Windy City International was hosting a grand banquet today.


    The granddaughter of a well-known figure in the city, Louis Harvey, would be getting engaged here.


    Louis was a frequent coborator with Starlight Media and one of its most important clients.


    Hence, Julia attended the engagement party in a bright red off-the-shoulder gown, and she brought


    Amelie along as well.


    ¡°Why do you confine yourself to your home every day? Come out and feast your eyes on some hot


    men!¡± Julia said as she walked, twisting her waist. Her slim-fit gown did not hide her hot and impatient


    temper at all.


    Amelie, on the other hand, was wearing a white muslin gown. Her hem, while not overly eye-catching,


    entuated her good figure perfectly.


    Two of them, one in white and the other in red, were dressed ording to their personalities; one was


    a hot, sexydy and the other more elegant and fairy-like.


    When they both entered the hall, countless eyes were drawn to them.


    Amelie, however, shook her head speechlessly.


    ¡°You¡¯re hopeless, Julia.¡±


    Two of them then walked to the prominent figure and greeted, ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Harvey!¡±


    Louis exchanged pleasantries with Julia smilingly. Amelie was content to stay out of their conversation


    and simply stood silently next to Julia after greeting Louis.


    Julia, on the other hand, was buttering Louis up so much that he couldn¡¯t stopughing, which


    surprised both his granddaughter and grandson-inw.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Harvey,¡± a woman¡¯s voice resonated while they were happily chit-chatting.


    Amelie had beenughing patronizingly with them all this while, her head lowered. However, she found


    the woman¡¯s voice familiar, and when she raised her head, she saw Michelle.


    Michelle was dressed in a gown that was simr to Be¡¯s in color and style, with the only difference


    being the length.


    Michelle approached Louis while holding Leo¡¯s arm and smiling sweetly.


    ¡°Mr. Harvey,¡± Leo greeted Louis as well, his voice low.


    When she saw both of them, Julia¡¯s original smile froze. She quickly said goodbye to Louis and drew


    Amelie away from the crowd.


    While walking away, she grumbled, ¡°Is Michelle doing this on purpose? She¡¯s wearing the same gown


    as you on purpose. That way, people can debate whether Leo¡¯s ex-wife or current wife is more


    beautiful, huh?¡±


    Amelie, however, did not think too much about it and merely let out a faint smile.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s just a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Michelle doesn¡¯t seem like a good Samaritan to me; she must have something up her sleeve!¡±


    They continued walking and talking until they came to a corner. Amelie happened to turn her head at


    this point and noticed Leo, his head bowed, assisting Michelle with her hem.


    He looked serious as he patiently smoothed the creases on Michelle¡¯s hem.


    Immediately, everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with admiration as they surrounded them. ¡°With Mr. Alston


    adoring her, Miss Walsh really has a good life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Mr. Alston is known to be a generous and loving man to the woman he loves. In the past,


    Elyse¡­¡±


    Such remarks inevitably reached Michelle¡¯s ears.


    She lowered her head and gazed at Leo, who was carefully tucking her hem. At the same time, she


    smiled ironically as she cast a sidelong nce at Amelie, who was standing by the corner with her hem


    tangled.


    Everyone assumed that Leo was tidying Michelle¡¯s hem for her, but only she knew that he was treating


    her as Amelie.


    She had deliberately bought the same style of gown as Amelie¡¯s just to agitate Leo and make him


    suffer the agony of not being with the woman that he loved.


    Michelle¡¯s heart had already been corrupted by evil, and she was proud of it.


    However, Leo appeared too serious in tidying Michelle¡¯s hems that she became enamored with him


    and forgot that everything she did was for revenge.


    When Leo was done with the hem, she took his arm and leaned coquettishly toward him.


    ¡°Stay away from me when there¡¯s no one around!¡±


    His cold voice interrupted Michelle¡¯s enjoyment of his loving gesture, snapping her back into reality.


    Leo quickly withdrew the arm she was holding onto, and the aloof man walked forward, not once


    looking back at her.


    Seeing that, Michelle felt like she had been pped in the face as tears welled up in her eyes.


    She then dashed up to him and extended her hand to stop him. ¡°Leo Alston, how could you just toss


    me aside after using me? Aren¡¯t you being too much?¡±


    However, all that she obtained in response was his cold, unfeeling stare.


    ¡°Don¡¯t assume that I¡¯m unaware of what you did; you took me as Amelie just now! Even if we¡¯re just


    pretending to be a couple, you don¡¯t have to humiliate me like this!¡± Michelle eximed angrily as if she


    were the victim.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you used my guilt toward Amelie to do a lot of dirty things as well?¡±


    Leo¡¯s cold words pierced through her and revealed Michelle¡¯s evil heart, making her so embarrassed


    that she stood motionless.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± she yelled, but her voice trembled, making her sound unconvincing.


    Leo merely ignored her and left straight away.


    Michelle, who had been left behind, felt both embarrassed and angry as she clutched the hem of her


    dress tightly until her fingers turned green.


    She felt like a clown at this point.


    All this while, she was secretly pleased that she was fooling everyone, but she had no idea that Leo


    had seen through her every move.


    This was an utter disgrace to her!


    Amelie, who was behind Michelle, witnessed everything.


    She trailed behind them because she remembered what Eugene said, which made her skeptical. Now,


    after hearing Leo and Michelle¡¯s conversation, she finally believed Eugene¡¯s words.


    Michelle, her reddish eyes welling up with tears, noticed Amelie as well.


    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± she said, ring fiercely at Amelie before leaving.


    Amelie, on the other hand, looked solemnly at the ground.


    She had no idea how long she stood motionless until a shadow engulfed her.


    Then, she raised her head and saw Leo, which caused her to blink her eyes subconsciously as she did


    not expect him to be back.


    Just as she was about to say something, Leo opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted the best eye


    surgeons I¡¯ve been able to locate. They can use DNA technology to create an eye cornea best suited


    for you, and you¡¯ll be able to regain your sight.¡±


    After speaking, he then handed her a name card.


    Amelie lowered her head to look at the name card as well.


    She had considered getting a cornea in the past. However, her cornea had been forcefully removed in


    the past, and her sight could not be restored even if she obtained a new cornea now.


    ¡°So, we are square now, right?¡± Amelie did not rush to take the name card and instead looked at Leo.


    Even for the sake of their previous rtionship, she didn¡¯t want to see him trapped in his obstinate


    thoughts.


    Leo nodded in response. ¡°We¡¯re square now.¡±


    He then stuffed the name card into her palm and pressed his fingers against her hand for a brief


    moment.


    Eventually, he retracted them.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± he said as he turned around and walked away.


    Then, he walked further and further away until he disappeared from Amelie¡¯s sight.


    This was their final meeting for the next two years.

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358


    Chapter 358 Leo Has Changed


    In the airport, the sweet voice of the broadcaster could be heard. ¡°Dear travelers, flight M5223 will be


    landing soon. To all rtives and friends, please wait in an orderly manner at door number seven.


    Remember to keep your mask on and stay at least three feet apart. Thank you.¡±


    Not long after the broadcast ended, a swarm of travelers walked toward door number seven, pulling


    their luggage along.


    They were all looking for their names among those waiting outside several feet away.


    A navy-blue figure stood out among the crowd.


    She was pulling a suitcase the same color as her clothes, enhancing her fair, slender fingers that were


    wrapped around the handle.


    Her waist, legs, and back were all slim. Even though her coat went down to her knees, one could tell


    that she had long legs.


    Half of her face was hidden behind her mask. However, her snowy-white exposed skin and her glowing


    eyes made people wonder which celebrity she was.


    In actual truth, she was a celebrity. After all, she had more than a hundred million fans.


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


    ¡°Miss Dillon!¡±


    A sweet voice alerted the woman who was walking, and when she turned her head in the direction of


    the voice, she saw a petitedy.


    Due to thedy¡¯s petite stature, she was jumping among the crowd.


    Just as Amelie was about to walk over to the petitedy, someone hugged Amelie¡¯s head.


    ¡°Wee back,¡± a familiar woman¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°It¡¯s enough to get Casey to pick me up. Why are you here as well?¡± Amelie was taken aback when she


    saw the woman right in front of her wearing a mask and sunsses, covering herselfpletely.


    ¡°You¡¯re my best friend. Naturally, I have to be here!¡± Julia¡¯s bright eyes were blinking beneath the


    sunsses as she pounced on Amelie¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡±


    Amelie, however, was speechless.


    She quickly wiped her face while silently observing everyone around her.


    Fortunately, everyone in the airport was either looking for someone or talking to someone they had just


    picked up, so Amelie and Julia both went unnoticed.


    ¡°Jules, do you miss my spanking?¡± Amelie asked as she raised her hand at Julia.


    ¡°You¡¯re still acting crazy even though you¡¯re getting married,¡± she added.


    Amelie went abroad two years ago to treat her eyes. Since treatment required an extended amount of


    time, she brought her entire family along.


    Sheter realized that the air was clean and the environment was suitable for living, so she settled


    there.


    She moved the focus of her career there as well, leaving only Starlight Media behind for Julia to


    manage.


    ¡°Getting married isn¡¯t some sort of spiritual practice. Why should I be solemn?¡± Juliamented, but her


    face was radiant with joy. Her original candid and straightforward character now had a tinge of


    gentleness to it as well.


    Seeing her, Amelie knew that Samuel had been treating Julia well for the past two years, and she truly


    felt happy about that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t chit-chat here. The car is outside, so let¡¯s get in the car first,¡± said Casey. The petitedy had run


    up to them.


    Though those in the airport were more cultured and wouldn¡¯t be so interested in gossiping at the


    moment, Amelie and Julia were both well-known figures, and Casey was concerned that something


    might happen if they continued staying there.


    She grabbed Amelie¡¯s luggage as soon as she finished her words. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with this, Elie.¡±


    Julia had hired Casey as an assistant during thest two years, but she was good with her words. She


    had been referring to Amelie as ¡®Miss Dillon¡¯ just moments before, but now, she was addressing her as


    ¡®Elie¡¯.


    Seeing that this youngdy was adorable and knew how to behave well, Amelie nodded and handed


    Casey her luggage. ¡°Good choice,¡± she looked at Julia and spoke.


    Julia would be devoting her time to her family once she got married. Though Casey was Julia¡¯s


    assistant, she was actually Julia¡¯s sessor, especially when it came to running the business.


    Hence, Julia deliberately brought Casey here to the airport for her to pick Amelie up. That way, Amelie


    would be able to determine whether Casey was a suitable choice as well.


    ¡°Really? I was worried that her different temperament from mine would be an issue,¡± Julia remarked.


    To that, Amelie responded, ¡°I believe that if we chose someone with a simr style to you, it would


    appear as though she¡¯s imitating you, which will negatively impact everyone¡¯s first impression of her.


    Thus, we should get someonepletely different so that the viewers would feel refreshed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You are indeed a true business master, always looking at things from a different


    perspective than the rest of us,¡± Juliamented.


    If Julia had to pick someone to admire in this life, it would undoubtedly be Amelie.


    Amelie didn¡¯t get herself involved in many things, but almost everything she did was a ssic


    achievement.


    That included the creation of her online persona, Starlight Media, and even Knowlit, which sheter


    established.


    Both Amelie and Julia then got into the car while talking.


    The car they got into was an enhanced version of a luxury car, which had everything they needed.


    Every seat had a screen in front of it, and every passenger could pick their own shows to watch.


    The car was configured to auto-pilot mode, and it drove at afortable and steady speed, which felt


    safer than a driver.


    Amelie then clicked on the screen in front of her and began watching the local financial news.


    ¡°The following is the most recent news for today, October 13th. Genesis Capital sold all of its shares in


    Fundview and immediately earned 25 billion from the sale. Such a move triggered the stock market,


    resulting in a 10-percent drop in Fundview¡¯s market value. The confidence of all investors, both


    companies and individuals, is dwindling and is expected to continue for some time. Despite being in the


    capital market for only two years, Genesis Capital has achieved excellent results through its unique


    business vision, and this is not the first time it has achieved such remarkable results in its investments.¡±


    ¡°Leo Alston has done a lot in thest two years,¡± Julia said, looking at the screen that was showing the


    news. ¡°He initially went on with his usual business, but one day, he abruptly announced that he was


    entering the capital market. Many people were skeptical of his decision, believing that he would surely


    lose all of his wealth, but it turned out that for each investment he made, he made a significant profit. I


    even heard that the money he earned from investments over thest two years is higher than his


    regr business. Indeed, he has sound investment judgment. Everypany he invested in made a


    fortune, which is why everyone is dying for his investments. Meanwhile, thepanies in which he


    sold his shares experienced nightmares. Everyone regards Leo as the weathervane; whenever he sells


    off apany¡¯s shares, everyone believes thepany will go downhill and shut down soon.


    Regardless of how well thepany is doing now, or how many times its directors or shareholders


    come out to rify matters or even show their promising financial reports, all investors will continue to


    follow Leo.¡±


    Julia briefly told Amelie about Leo¡¯s career over thest two years, adding, ¡°He¡¯s a great businessman!¡±


    Aftermenting on his career, she moved on to his personal life. ¡°Not only is his career intriguing, but


    his rtionship is even more so. Many women have thrown themselves at him, and he has refused


    none, in stark contrast to the picky him of the past. He is now changing his women more quickly than


    you can imagine! How did such a solemn man in the past be like this? Men will never change, just


    as a leopard will never change its spots.¡±


    Amelie, upon hearing what Julia said, was surprised as well.


    Then again, both of them were divorced and had never been in contact for the past two years. Hence,


    she wasn¡¯t in a position toment on anything about Leo and didn¡¯t want to talk about him either.


    ¡°What made you change your mind and decide to marry Samuel?¡±


    Amelie was more interested in this.


    Although Samuel had exined the matchmaking incident two years ago, Julia epted the fact that


    the Gage Family would never ept her.


    Furthermore, she was well aware of what had happened to Amelie¡¯s marriage. Hence, Julia was


    unwilling to enter into a marriage and had put off the matter for two years.

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359


    Chapter 359 Julia Is Getting Married


    Julia smiled after being asked by Amelie and replied, ¡°Mrs. Gage previously met up with me and told


    me that she had thought things through. She would rather give us her consent than let us drag the


    rtionship out without getting married.¡±


    Learning that Mrs. Gage was able to think in such a way, Amelie felt relieved. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±


    External interventions, particrly from close family members, were the most upsetting in a


    rtionship.


    It wasn¡¯t umon for people to destroy a rtionship¡ªor even a marriage, at that¡ªunder the guise


    that they were acting in the best interests of the couple.


    As such, no matter how much Amelie wished for them to have a happy ending, Amelie never pressed


    Julia about her rtionship with Samuel.


    ¡°In reality, she hasn¡¯t actually thought things through. It¡¯s just that her son wasn¡¯t listening to her, and


    she finally gave in. However, she deserves credit for being able to reason clearly. She even told me


    that if my rtionship with Samuel doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯d break up someday, and she didn¡¯t have to be


    the bad guy to make that happen. If our rtionship goes well, she has no reason to lose her son just


    because she wants another daughter-inw.¡±


    Julia then paused and bitterlyughed before continuing, ¡°At the end of the day, she is still dissatisfied


    with me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t know you well. As you spend more time with her, she will grow to like you.


    Also, don¡¯t stop keeping in touch with her after the marriage just because you¡¯re afraid of the hassle,


    and remember to pay her frequent visits with Samuel,¡± Amelie reminded Julia. ¡°Mrs. Gage may have


    epted you for the sake of her son, but no one is made of steel. If you treat her with sincerity, she will


    feel it someday.¡±


    Mrs. Gage¡¯s words demonstrated that she was a reasonable person. Hence, Amelie quickly reminded


    Julia of some strategies to win Mrs. Gage¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Your words are truly a wake-up call, Amelie!¡± Julia eximed. ¡°Previously, when Mrs. Gage said that


    she would not be living with me and that we could just meet up asionally, I even decided not to


    appear in front of her as frequently to avoid irritating her.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t know these tricks as well in the past. However, throughout thest two years, she had


    been organizing training camps besides managing Knowlit, and she had learned these tips from the


    trainers at the training camps.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her emotional intelligence grew as a result of meeting so many formidable people.


    ¡°My parents are unconcerned about me. Luckily, I have you to guide me in a lot of things,¡± Julia said as


    she rested her head on Amelie¡¯s shoulder and sighed.


    In response, Amelie patted Julia¡¯s head. ¡°We¡¯re best friends for life, so I¡¯m your family. You can tell me


    anything,¡± she said sincerely.


    Both of them then went for lunch to wee Amelie back to the country.


    After lunch, Julia suggested, ¡°Elie,e with me to pick out my gown.¡±


    Amelie, however, simply smiled. ¡°This is the groom¡¯s responsibility. I¡¯m not going to do it for him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me!¡± Julia blushed, which was unusual. ¡°Samuel has bad taste. He always picks out


    the most old-fashioned pieces, so I don¡¯t want him to go with me!¡±


    Due to Julia¡¯s persistent badgering, Amelie had no choice but to apany her to the bridal store.


    The store was located in Clouson City¡¯s most opulent shopping mall. Its specially designed high ceiling


    and interior decorations gave it a grand and ssy appearance.


    In the store were plenty of gowns by various designers in a variety of styles.


    When Julia and Amelie arrived at the storefront, Amelie was astounded by its grandeur.


    Julia, too, wasn¡¯t anxious to enter. Instead, she stood outside the store and pointed to the tall building


    across the street that was even more imposing. ¡°Do you see that supermarket? It is thergest and


    most stylish supermarket with the most extensive product selection.¡±


    Amelie looked in the direction Julia was pointing at and saw a mall with ten floors, each one shining


    brightly while disying its extraordinary atmosphere.


    ¡°And that is the city¡¯srgest entertainment agency, with the city¡¯srgest arcade on its south side.


    Aside from livemerce, Leo is involved in every industry here.¡±


    Julia didn¡¯t mean to bring up Leo, but there wasn¡¯t a single business or asset on the street that didn¡¯t


    belong to the Alstons.


    She then pointed to a few other ces in a row, and more than half of the buildings in this city center


    belonged to the Alstons. For the rest, Leo was either a shareholder or involved in some other form of


    coboration.


    ¡°He has been venturing into many industries for the past few years, snatching a lot of benefits from


    other businessmen. Many people hate him to the core for it, but they can¡¯t do anything about it. They


    can only make a living in the industries Leo hasn¡¯t ventured into yet.¡±


    I¡¯ve already known how capable he was two years ago.


    But it appears that he has expanded his career to four, five times its previous scale.


    How did he manage to achieve this in such a short time? Did he not rest at all?


    Amelie was secretly impressed, but she didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    Everything she did was motivated by her self-interest rather than pure business. Hence, even after


    learning about Leo¡¯s empire, she didn¡¯t feel particrly envious.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Both of them then entered the bridal store.


    ¡°Hello, Miss White.¡± The store manager recognized Julia and came over to greet her.


    ¡°This is my friend, and she¡¯s here to apany me while I choose my gown,¡± Julia introduced Amelie.


    Despite being more famous than Julia, Amelie wore a fox mask during her live streams. Hence, few


    people knew she was Foxy.


    The store manager enthusiastically greeted Amelie as well before leading the two of them to the


    second floor, which disyed more luxury gowns designed by only the top designers.


    ¡°These designers are frequent attendees at all fashion shows around the world. Their creations have


    clear themes arising from rich imagination, which are suitable for brides like you, Miss White. After all,


    you have a job that requires you to interact with the public regrly. You can take your time to choose,


    Miss White. If you see a design you like, we can immediately arrange for the designer to modify it to fit


    your size.¡±


    Just as the store manager had described, all of the gowns on the second floor were indeed ssier


    and more elegant.


    The manager was also astute enough to know that Amelie was here to be Julia¡¯s advisor. Hence, the


    manager did not disturb them and left after bringing them two cups of coffee and some refreshments.


    The gowns were all stunning. Together with Julia¡¯s good figure, all of them looked nice on her.


    Julia chose more than ten gowns in a row, instructing the staff to bring them to her one at a time for her


    to try on.


    As Amelie was back mainly for Julia¡¯s wedding and had no other pressing matters to attend to, she sat


    quietly by the light blue table, enjoying her coffee and the refreshments while patiently waiting for Julia


    to change into the gowns.


    While Julia was changing, Amelie took a sip of the coffee.


    The chinaware saucer holding her Americano looked interesting to her.


    The refreshments brought to them by the store manager were slightly sweet. Amelie thoroughly


    enjoyed taking a sip of coffee before biting into the cake.


    Just as she was feeling blissful with what she was having, she turned her head and saw the road


    outside through the floor-to-ceiling window.


    There was an intersection outside, and a young girl, probably four or five years old, was hesitating to


    cross the zebra crossing in front of her. After extending her legs several times, she finally stepped on it.


    It appeared to be her first time crossing a zebra crossing, and she appeared unustomed to it. Her


    gaze was drawn to the cars in the distance, but she failed to notice the most important thing: the traffic


    light.


    The green light was blinking, and it would turn red in seconds.


    It was aplex intersection. Once the surrounding cars started moving, the little girl would


    undoubtedly be in danger.


    Seeing that, Amelie didn¡¯t have time to think any longer and quickly dashed downstairs.


    When she reached downstairs, the red light lit up. Cars darted here and there, sandwiching the little girl


    in the middle of the road, looking helpless. She subconsciously took a few steps back when she saw a


    car speeding toward her.


    However, right behind her, a van was rushing in her direction as well.


    She could have crossed the road safely at first, but her few steps backward made her closer to the van.


    The driver mmed on the brakes, but it was toote. Due to inertia, the van continued to slide to the


    front.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Amelie dashed into the traffic, pulled the little girl back, and drew her into her embrace.


    The next second, the van brushed past them within an inch.


    Amelie quickly took the chance to step back onto the sidewalk where the little girl had been standing


    earlier and ced her on the ground. ¡°Are you fine, little girl?¡±


    However, the little girl did not respond, probably too frightened by what had just happened.


    ¡°Why did you run into the traffic? It¡¯s dangerous!¡± A woman¡¯s voice rang out from afar.

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360


    Chapter 360 He Wants the Child Only


    Amelie raised her head and noticed a woman running toward them, holding a child in one hand and a


    shopping bag in the other.


    When she reached them, she tossed the shopping bag aside and hugged the little girl, her eyes


    flushed.


    The woman was obviously here to shop.


    It appeared that she couldn¡¯t chase down the little girl earlier because she had too many things with


    her, which led to what had just happened.


    After reprimanding the little girl, the woman repeatedly thanked Amelie and gave her two apples before


    leaving.


    Amelie was lost for words as she looked at the two apples.


    She originally refused to ept them, but the woman insisted.


    Thus, she had no choice but to walk back to the bridal store with the apples in her hands.


    Just as she was about to reach the store, someone ran past Amelie and mmed her shoulder


    forcefully, rendering her unstable. The apples in her hands fell to the ground.


    Amelie wanted to rebuke the person who had knocked her, but when she turned around, she saw a


    beautiful woman wearing heavy makeup with a pregnant belly.


    Noticing that she was pregnant, Amelie couldn¡¯t bring herself to lecture her.


    Hence, she waited for the woman to walk past her before bending down to pick up the apples.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, Mr. Alston.¡± She heard someone say at this point.


    Amelie raised her head and noticed a car parked along the road.


    The pregnant woman earlier stood by the car door, touched herrge belly, and continued, ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡±


    Although Amelie¡¯s vision was blocked by the woman, she still saw the bright leather shoes stepping out


    of the car, and it was followed by a pair of extremely long legs.


    The next moment, the person stepped on the ground with both feet and stood upright.


    He was much taller than the woman, hence his attractive face and solemn expression were revealed to


    Amelie.


    It¡¯s Leo!


    Leo¡¯s sudden appearance caught Amelie by surprise, causing her hands, which were picking the


    apples, to stop halfway.


    She hadn¡¯t seen him in over two years, but he showed no signs of aging at all. His face remained fair


    and wless, and there wasn¡¯t a single wrinkle in sight.


    Leo, on the other hand, lowered his indifferent gaze, his lips folding into a line as he looked at the


    pregnant woman in front of him.


    His gaze waspletely emotionless. There was no happiness, no rage, nothing.


    When the woman saw this, she nervously shrank her body and wrapped her arms around her belly.


    Cautiousness appeared in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m already seven months along. The baby will be born soon.¡±


    Leo did not say anything in response. Instead, he retracted his gaze and raised his right hand abruptly.


    The woman immediately assumed that he was about to do something to her. She was so terrified that


    her expression changed as she quickly took a big step backward and yelled, ¡°Mr. Alston, I left an


    important piece of evidence with a friend before I came here. If you dare to hurt me or my child, my


    friend will immediately expose the evidence. I have no control over what happens next!¡±


    Even though she was threatening him, her body was trembling.


    If she was rational enough, she should have known that Leo had a thousand ways to deal with her.


    It would be easy for him to let her disappear without anyone knowing it.


    But it was human nature to be willing to take risks, even though the chance of getting what one desired


    was slim.


    And it was precisely this mindset that drove the woman to look for Leo today.


    However, at this instant, she was terrified.


    I¡¯m still young, and I have a long way to go. What if I lose my life just because of this moment of


    greed¡­


    ¡°Give her 1.5 million.¡± Just as the woman was about to back down, she heard Leo¡¯s cold voice saying


    so.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°What?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe her ears.


    When she regained her senses, a check was already in front of her.


    It was handed to her by an unfamiliar face, which was most likely Leo¡¯s assistant. ¡°Take care of the


    baby, miss,¡± he advised.


    ¡°You¡­ Are you saying that you want me and the child?¡± The woman epted the check and looked at


    Leo, surprised at how smoothly everything had gone.


    Is Lady Luck smiling upon me?


    ¡°I want the child, but not you,¡± Leo replied coldly. He didn¡¯t even raise his head to look the woman in the


    eyes, instead focusing on tidying his cor.


    His tone and expression were indifferent as if he were simply having a casual conversation about the


    weather.


    That rendered the woman speechless.


    ¡°How could you be so cruel to me?¡± the woman screamed angrily, her tears streaming down her


    cheeks. ¡°Mr. Alston, we used to be so close. You can¡¯t treat me this way¡­¡±


    Since the 1.5 million was too easy to obtain, the woman¡¯s greed grew as her previous thoughts arose.


    I want to marry Leo!


    She hugged Leo after speaking and said, ¡°Mr. Alston, I don¡¯t want to leave you. I don¡¯t want to leave


    the baby behind either¡­¡±


    Leo, however,pletely ignored her and only gave the bodyguard a sidelong nce.


    The bodyguard immediately approached them and pulled the woman away.


    ¡°Send her somewhere where the baby will be safe.¡± The man¡¯s cold voice sounded again.


    He then buttoned his left cuff and his right. Following that, he slipped his hands into his pockets and


    walked away, brushing past the woman.


    ¡°You can¡¯t treat me like this, Leo Alston! If you dare to do so, I will make my pregnancy public!¡± the


    woman yelled as if she was losing control.


    Seeing this, the assistant approached her and said, ¡°You are not the first woman to threaten Mr. Alston


    with the child, and Mr. Alston treats everyone who does this equally. Take the 1.5 million, give birth to


    the child, and leave, or expose everything with nothing to gain. Choose wisely.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The woman¡¯s hysterical expression quickly changed as her fingers clutched the check tightly.


    The assistant understood her decision and nodded to the bodyguard.


    The woman said nothing more and simply followed the bodyguard into the car as well.


    Amelie, on the other hand, had been squatting on the ground the entire time, witnessing everything. No


    one noticed her because she was obscured by the nearby flower beds.


    She only stood up when she saw the car driving away and Leo entering the supermarket.


    When she heard Julia talking about Leo¡¯s personal life previously, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe


    it. However, now that she had witnessed it for herself, she finally realized that Leo had indeed changed.


    He now yed with all kinds of women, did not take preventive measures properly, and when things


    went wrong, he only wanted the child, not the mother.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t make any connections between the Leo she had just seen and the man she


    remembered.


    When she returned to the bridal store, Julia had already chosen the gown that she liked and was


    discussing with the manager the modifications that needed to be made.


    Seeing Amelie walk in, Julia blinked and asked, ¡°Where have you been? I¡¯ve only been in for a short


    while, but you were nowhere to be found when I came out.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Amelie answered vaguely. She did not tell Julia about what had happened


    earlier.


    Julia was so focused on the gown that she didn¡¯t notice anything different about Amelie.


    After exiting the store, Julia took Amelie¡¯s arm and said, ¡°I¡¯m suddenly nervous about getting married.¡±


    She then patted her chest as if she were incredibly feeling nervous. ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun before I get


    married.¡±


    The wedding was scheduled for three dayster, so they didn¡¯t have much time.


    Samuel was the one who wanted the wedding to be held as soon as possible.


    After all, they had been dragging their rtionship for so long, and he couldn¡¯t wait to marry Julia now.


    ¡°Have some fun? What do you have in mind?¡± Amelie did not want to entertain Julia¡¯s insane idea and


    instead pinched her cheek. ¡°You¡¯ll get a lecture from Samuel if he finds out!¡±


    Samuel was the only person who could lecture Julia.


    Julia, being a person with a wild temperament, became submissive whenever she was with him.


    Remembering Samuel¡¯s way of lecturing her all this time, Julia blushed, and her ears became red.


    However, she insisted and said, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. He¡¯s been extremely busy recently and has no


    time for me.¡±


    Then, without even considering Amelie¡¯s willingness, Julia dragged her to a bar.


    She even chose a vivacious bar to go to. When they both walked in, they were immediately


    overwhelmed by loud rock music.


    Many young men and women were dancing enthusiastically on stage.


    Given Julia¡¯s identity and the fact that she was about to get married, Amelie insisted on dragging Julia


    to a private room.


    The room was far from the stage, and they could only see it through an open window.


    ¡°It¡¯s not interesting at all to just watch them but not join.¡± Julia sighed, cing her chin in her palm.


    ¡°You should be content with this,¡± Amelie said after hearing Julia¡¯s whine, her head lowered as she


    fiddled with her phone.


    ¡°Look! There¡¯s a hottie over there!¡± Julia suddenly grabbed Amelie¡¯s arm and eximed in


    exaggeration.


    Amelie nearly dropped her phone due to Julia¡¯s actions, so she had no choice but to raise her head


    and look in that direction as well.

 Chapter 361

    Chapter 361


    Chapter 361 I Have a Six-Pack


    Then, she saw a waiter passing by the stage.


    He appeared young, his fair skin making him appear clean and fresh. He had a slim body as well,


    which was exactly the type of young hunk that was popr at the time.


    Julia couldn¡¯t take her gaze away from him. ¡°Look at his sweet face, slim waist, and long legs! How I


    wish I could touch him.¡±


    Amelie waspletely stumped for words when she heard that.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame I don¡¯t have a future with this young hunk,¡± Juliamented. ¡°I¡¯m about to be a


    married woman, and then an old woman. My, my¡­¡±


    Julia¡¯s crazy words didn¡¯t bother Amelie, who turned her head back after staring at the waiter briefly.


    When she turned around, she saw a tall man standing by the door.


    Amelie had no idea how Samuel knew they were here, but she was certain he was staring at Julia right


    now.


    Julia was seated with her back to the door. As a result, she was unaware that Samuel was present and


    continued to be awestruck by the waiter¡¯s good looks.


    ¡°Do you think I should go and feel him up a little?¡± she asked, grabbing Amelie¡¯s arm.


    Amelie was rendered speechless once more. Previously, she only thought Julia had nothing better to


    do, hence the joking words. However, even Amelie was worried for her right now.


    Amelie was well aware of Samuel¡¯s personality.


    To outsiders, Samuel was a generous, ssy, and mature man. However, to Julia, he wasn¡¯t a gracious


    man at all.


    She had sought her doom by praising another man in front of him.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help but kick her, reminding her that she needed to keep her mouth shut right now.


    However, Julia did not sense the impending danger at all. Instead, she became more animated in her


    discussion about the waiter, saying, ¡°Look at his face! His skin is wless, and it must be a pleasure to


    touch! If he has a six-pack, thening here today ispletely worth it!¡±


    Samuel had already entered the room as she spoke. The moment Julia finished speaking, Samuel


    wrapped his arm around her waist, drew her into his embrace, and asked, ¡°Whom do you want to


    touch?¡±


    Julia was at aplete loss for words. She red at Amelie from within Samuel¡¯s arms, and it seemed


    as though she was asking the woman why she hadn¡¯t warned her.


    Amelie could tell what she meant as she shrugged her shoulders, her gaze seemed to say, ¡°I already


    gave you a hint earlier!¡±


    Julia was leftpletely tongue-tied.


    Samuel, with his arms wrapped around Julia, looked out the window and saw the waiter as well. He


    then narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, his figure isn¡¯t as good as mine. When we get home,


    you can feel my abs.¡±


    He then attempted to pull her out of her seat.


    She refused to move, but he quickly carried her away after raising his chin at Amelie.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw Julia obediently in Samuel¡¯s arms, looking at her pitifully.


    It was true that one thing curtailed another.


    Julia was a person of wild character. However, whenever she was with Samuel, she could only be


    obedient to him.


    Julia was the one who dragged Amelie to the bar at the outset. Hence, after Julia left, she felt


    uninterested in staying there.


    She then drank two sses of wine before paying the bill and leaving. As she passed through the dark


    hallway, a dark figure carrying a tray happened to walk toward her.


    They were both walking quickly. As a result, when they noticed each other, it was toote for them to


    retreat.


    Amelie¡¯s body was almost stuck to the wall. When she realized she had nowhere else to go, she


    quickly grabbed the arm of the person in front of her and pushed him out a little in the blink of an eye.


    However, a figure suddenly dashed from the side, colliding with the person holding the tray.


    Amelie immediately heard the tray fall to the ground, followed by the sound of sses shattering.


    Cold sweat broke out on Amelie¡¯s forehead. The next instant, someone turned on the lights, and the


    entire ce instantly brightened.


    The waiter, whom Julia had thirsted over earlier on, appeared in Amelie¡¯s sight. He didn¡¯t have the


    chance to clean up the broken ss pieces yet because he was too busy apologizing to the person


    who had crashed into him earlier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Obviously, the wine in the ss had sshed all over the person. The person flicked his shirt in


    frustration. His rage was already showing even without him raising his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. I was the one who pushed him.¡± Amelie shouldered the responsibility, for she


    knew the waiter wasn¡¯t having a good time either.


    ¡°Are you blind?¡± the person yelled, raising his hand as if about to grab Amelie¡¯s cor. His hand


    stopped mid-air beforeing to a halt. ¡°Well, well. Isn¡¯t this my old friend?¡±


    Hearing that, Amelie looked at him, and she saw Ashton¡¯s arrogant face.


    He pursed his lips and stared at her mockingly. ¡°What shameful deeds have youmitted in thest


    few years for you to hide, Miss Dillon? Why haven¡¯t I seen you all this while?¡±


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


    Amelie, on the other hand, felt her spine tingle when she saw Ashton.


    He had never been satisfied with her in the past. Now, after offending him, he would not let her go


    easily.


    She was right. The next second, Ashton raised a corner of his wine-soaked clothes and said, ¡°Look.


    You¡¯ve ruined my clothes, as well as my good mood. How do you n onpensating me?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    After being frustrated over what to do for a few moments, Amelie quicklyposed herself and threw


    the question back to him.


    Ashton sneered mockingly and responded, ¡°I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you as well. Finish


    two sses of wine as your penance, and I¡¯ll let you off.¡±


    Then, he walked into a private room, swaying his body.


    Amelie, on the other hand, remained motionless as she looked at Ashton¡¯s figure from behind, which


    seemed to exude an evil aura. She was well aware that Ashton was a calctive and merciless man.


    Hence, he wouldn¡¯t let her go just because she drank two sses of wine after offending him.


    Despite this, she still followed him into the private room.


    Just as she reached the door, she heard several women¡¯s coquettish voices calling out ¡®dear¡¯


    repeatedly.


    The voices were extremely flirtatious, and Amelie felt ufortable hearing that. Then, she raised her


    head and noticed a few men and women in the room.


    The men were all sitting around casually, while the women were all dressed skimpily.


    Their shorts didn¡¯t even cover much of their thighs.


    Just by looking at them, Amelie could tell what kind of people they were.


    In an inconspicuous corner, there sat the most eye-catching figure. The man had a cold temperament


    as he sat in the corner with his gaze cold and his face solemn. That did not, however, diminish the


    attractiveness of his fair skin and good-looking facial features.


    Since he was sitting off to the side, the attention of the entire room seemed to be drawn to him as well.


    Leo! Amelie secretly eximed in surprise.


    Leo was still dressed in the ck shirt she had seen earlier that day. His cuffs were unbuttoned,


    exposing his muscr arms. A few buttons on his cored shirt were also undone. His fair corbone


    could vaguely be seen, captivating enough to entice anyone.


    Unsurprisingly, there was also a woman beside him.


    The woman had an extremely sweet smile on her face as she said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll feed you, Mr. Alston. Eat


    this.¡±


    She was prettier than all the other women in the room. Her clothes weren¡¯t too revealing, and she


    exuded a more refined air.


    Seeing her, Amelie narrowed her eyes, trying to recall who the woman was. Finally, she remembered


    the woman as a less well-known celebrity who had previously appeared in Julia¡¯s live stream.


    Julia had previously advertised for a sessor, and this celebrity had sent Julia her information and


    photos at the time.


    Despite being cold and aloof, he opened his mouth when the woman fed him a spoonful.


    Both of them sang the same tune; it wasn¡¯t the woman¡¯s first time feeding someone, and it wasn¡¯t Leo¡¯s


    first time being fed either.


    Amelie found them irritating and blinked her eyes in disgust.


    Ashton¡¯s obnoxious voice interrupted her thoughts at this point. ¡°Look, Leo. Your old friend¡ªsorry, your


    ex-wife is here. Aren¡¯t you going to wee her?¡±

 Chapter 362

    Chapter 362


    Chapter 362 Why Do You Have to Be Sympathetic Toward Your Ex-wife?


    When she finished speaking, Amelie saw Leo open his eyes. He froze as their gazes met. Even though


    they were divorced and didn¡¯t interfere in each other¡¯s lives, she couldn¡¯t help but recall what had


    happened during the day and felt difited. However, she still greeted him politely.


    ¡°It has been a while, Mr. Alston.¡±


    He did not answer but reached out his hand to stop the woman from feeding him. His eyes lingered on


    Amelie as he bit his lips, his inner thoughts indiscernible.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, is she your ex-wife?¡± The woman beside him spoke in a delicate voice after she noticed


    him looking at Amelie while ncing several times at her involuntarily.


    ¡°Mr. Alston may have yed around a little during these two years, but he truly fancies the serious


    type,¡± Ashton went on, his eyes looking at Amelie meaningfully in a clear attempt to anger the minor


    celebrity. ¡°You should learn that well and be more dignified. Don¡¯t take off your clothes in front of him


    too quickly, or people will get weary of you far too soon.¡±


    He was clearly trying to elicit hatred toward Amelie, and Amelie knew that. She pretended not to


    understand him, ignoring the hateful look the woman beside Leo sent her as she marched toward the


    table and poured herself a ss of alcohol. She gave Ashton a toast, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t offend you on


    purpose, Mr. Lowe. It¡¯s my fault, and I apologize for that.¡±


    She downed it when she finished speaking and poured another. Just as she was about to drink it,


    someone stopped her halfway.


    ¡°You two were married before. Why aren¡¯t you sympathetic toward her? Here, I¡¯ll give her a chance by


    allowing you to drink on her behalf.¡± Ashton pressed down on her hand as he spoke to Leo, seemingly


    oblivious that the atmosphere would worsen.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Lowe say that she¡¯s your ex-wife? Why do you have to be sympathetic toward her?¡± Leo


    hadn¡¯t even responded, yet the minor celebrity beside him was not having it. She pursed her lips as if


    protesting the unfairness of it. Anyone could see that she didn¡¯t want any contact between Leo and


    Amelie.


    Everyone else in the room either knew Amelie or didn¡¯t, but they wouldn¡¯t miss such a good show when


    it was happening right there. They melted into the background and watched with total concentration,


    not wanting to interrupt.


    The minor celebrity had braced herself to express her opinion, but she couldn¡¯t avoid studying Leo¡¯s


    reaction when she had finished speaking. He continued to bite his lips in silence, but his gaze had left


    Amelie, which made her braver. She eyed Amelie scornfully. ¡°I hope Mr. Lowe isn¡¯t purposefully helping


    someone with their little antics.¡±


    Her words implied that Amelie hadn¡¯t let go of Leo and wanted to reconcile with him.


    Amelie felt amused by that. If she wanted to get back with Leo, she wouldn¡¯t have waited until now. Not


    wanting to waste any time, she pushed Ashton¡¯s hand away and downed the second ss of wine.


    When she was done, she waved the ss at everyone before her cool gazended on Ashton¡¯s face.


    ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Lowe.¡±


    She put down the empty ss and left the suite. Leo looked at the ss she had left behind with dark


    and unreadable eyes.


    ¡°The alcohol she drank is no ordinary wine. It may taste good, but it has a high alcohol concentration.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s intriguing voice sounded. ¡°Leo, I heard that she has a low alcohol tolerance. She will definitely


    get drunk from this.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s stubbornness made the minor celebrity simmer with anger, yet she didn¡¯t dare express it. She


    looked at Leo anxiously, her fingers tangled together.


    Leo leaned forward to take the wine ss and bowed his head to drink from it. He did not say anything


    throughout it all, seemingly as though it had nothing to do with him; he didn¡¯t care about Amelie¡¯s


    condition at all.


    The minor celebrity rxed her fingers when she observed his attitude and quickly served up another


    dish. ¡°Have another mouthful, Mr. Alston.¡±


    ¡­


    Amelie hadn¡¯t left the suite for long when she felt her head bing heavy. She began to stumble; her


    world was blurry, and her surroundings were swaying around as if she had a stic bag over her head.


    Her movements became slower as well.


    She shook her head, staggering her way to somewhere with a window. She used her chin to hold her


    head up as she let the wind blow against her face, hoping to sober up a little.


    After some time, someone tapped on her shoulder from behind.


    ¡°Miss, are you drunk? You will get dizzy if you get drunk and stand in the cold wind. Let me help you to


    somece where you can rest.¡±


    She looked back muzzily to see a blurry face swaying in front of her. She could make out the uniform of


    the other person. It was a waiter working there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m the waiter who nearly collided with you just now. I¡¯m not a bad person.¡±


    The waiter¡¯s voice came indistinctly. Feeling so dizzy that her head was about to fall off, she nodded


    mechanically and allowed him to help her into a room. She didn¡¯t hear anything else he said and closed


    her eyes after copsing on the bed.


    ¡°Dad, I want a smoothie,¡± Amelie called out when she shot up from the bed, her eyes still closed.


    After that, she spoke again. ¡°I¡¯ll wake Bria up.¡±


    She reached her feet out to put them into her slippers but couldn¡¯t find them, which made her open her


    eyes slowly. It wasn¡¯t the warm interiors of her home but somewhere unfamiliar. This was clearly a


    hotel!


    Her consciousness slowly returned, and she abruptly recalled that she had returned to attend Julia¡¯s


    wedding. She had offended Ashtonst night and drank two sses of alcohol.


    She rubbed her head. While she didn¡¯t feel pain from a hangover, her nerves were still numb and her


    throat still burned with the taste of alcohol.


    It seemed like a waiter had taken her herest night, and she had foggily sensed someone wiping her


    face and hands while feeding her something. Had it been that waiter?


    She was in a hotel suite on the first floor of the bar, so she tidied herself up a little before going


    downstairs. As soon as she arrived, she ran into the waiter fromst night.


    ¡°Hello.¡± She walked toward him, sounding grateful. ¡°Thank you for looking after mest night.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t look after you the entire night, though.¡± The waiter probably wasn¡¯t used to talking with women,


    and he looked slightly shy. His ears were red. ¡°I only took you to the guest room when I saw that you


    were drunk. It didn¡¯t take much, so you don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t?¡± She was stunned. If he hadn¡¯t looked after her, who had done so? Had it been


    imaginary or something she had dreamed up?


    She did not think about it too much and nodded. ¡°You have excellent physical attributes. Have you


    considered doing live shows?¡±


    ¡°Me? Forget it. I only helped you along and did nothing else. Plus, the room was paid for by you, so you


    don¡¯t have to thank me like this. Besides, I love my current job and hope to open my own bar in the


    future.¡±


    His handsome face was filled with expectation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make the decision because you helped me, but because I think you are suitable for it. You


    don¡¯t have to leave the bar if you like your job here. We are currently working on career-oriented short


    videos, so you can work here while working for us on the side. That way, you can get another stream of


    ie and widen your influence. Won¡¯t your dream of opening a bare true faster this way?¡±


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


    The waiter looked interested when she exined that to him. ¡°Really? That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    She chatted briefly with the waiter and knew he was named Anthony Dillon, meaning they shared the


    samest name. She arranged an appointment for him to go to Starlight Media and sign a contract


    before leaving the bar.


    Behind her, Anthony looked at her retreating figure with some delight and a hint of guilt.

 Chapter 363

    Chapter 363


    Chapter 363 Virtue Doesn¡¯t Fit Status


    It was another busy day with plenty of preparations required for Julia¡¯s wedding. As her best friend,


    Amelie could not just sit by and do nothing. She was so upied with her tasks that sunset soon


    arrived. It was only when Bria gave her a video call that she eventually remembered she hadn¡¯t


    contacted her daughter and her father after arriving here.


    She had wanted to bring Bria along, but she was about to enter elementary school soon and her


    kindergarten lessons were scheduled pretty tightly. Her father¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t in a suitable condition for


    him to fly either, so she needed someone there to apany him while she was there. That was why


    she had left Bria behind.


    ¡°Mama, is Miss Julia there with you? I want to wish her a happy marriage.¡± Bria¡¯s voice was crisp and


    sweet. It was a melodious sound, and she had grown so much in these two years.


    ¡°Miss Julia has already been picked up by Papa Samuel. Why don¡¯t I help you send the message to


    her?¡± Amelie responded apologetically. Samuel was now obsessed with pampering, protecting, and


    also apanying his wife. He would be with his wife whenever he had the time. Even though Amelie


    was extremely close to them, she was reluctant to be the third wheel and went back when she had


    finished her tasks.


    She was staying at the condo she had bought in Clouson City back then. While she had spent thest


    few years overseas, she would employ someone to maintain and clean the ce, thus the condo was


    spotless.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Bria didn¡¯t sound disappointed and went on to ask about the details of Julia¡¯s wedding before


    moving on to talk about Steven. Her eyes were wide and expectant as she chattered away.


    Amelie knew what she was waiting for, but considering Leo¡¯s current circumstances, she couldn¡¯t say


    anything she wanted to. He had always been an imposing and respectable figure in Bria¡¯s eyes, and


    Amelie didn¡¯t want to destroy that image. She had no choice but to pretend she couldn¡¯t read Bria¡¯s


    thoughts and continued talking about other topics.


    After hanging up the call, Amelie rubbed her brows guiltily. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Leo had


    turned out like this.


    As she was thinking about it, Julia¡¯s call came.


    ¡°Do you want anything?¡± Amelie asked, a smile already lingering on her lips.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Julia replied. ¡°I was so busy in thest two days that I forgot about your bridesmaid gown. You


    can go and pick out something tomorrow. Remember to pick the prettiest one, and don¡¯t be afraid of


    stealing the spotlight.¡±


    Julia intended to use her wedding to create opportunities for Amelie. Amelie could sense that and


    quickly refused. ¡°I¡¯m not suited to be a bridesmaid. Choose someone else.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was divorced and might bring bad luck if she was Julia¡¯s bridesmaid.


    ¡°There are plenty of girls in the office. If you can¡¯t spare the time, I can help you pick several who are


    currently in love to apany you during the wedding happily.¡±


    They might be a mediapany that brought influencers fame, but they had no limitations on their


    employees¡¯ rtionships. All rtionships were epted as long as they were healthy.


    Amelie¡¯s words also told Julia the reason she couldn¡¯t be Julia¡¯s bridesmaid, to which Julia snorted. ¡°I


    don¡¯t have such stupid considerations, nor do I want a whole gaggle of bridesmaids. I want only you to


    be my bridesmaid since you are my best friend. Don¡¯t you dare drop the ball on this!¡±


    Had it been something else, Amelie couldn¡¯t deny her responsibility. However, she was insistent on


    this.


    ¡°I¡¯m your sister, and I have to attend as a family member.¡± She didn¡¯t believe in such things either, but


    she still wished for her best friend to have a perfect and wless wedding.


    Julia knew Amelie well and understood that she couldn¡¯t change Amelie¡¯s mind when the other woman


    was insistent on something, so she didn¡¯t object anymore.


    Before hanging up, she reminded Amelie, ¡°You have to prepare for something. Samuel¡¯s family has


    coborations with Leo¡¯spany, so he¡¯ll be present as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Amelie was momentarily stunned, but she had already calmed down by the time she


    responded.


    After talking to Julia, she went to Starlight Media to ask for employee details from Casey and picked out


    six girls to be Julia¡¯s bridesmaids. It was an auspicious number, and Amelie hoped that Julia¡¯s life


    would be smooth sailing by doing so. When that was done, she asked Casey to choose several young


    men for the role of best men.


    Soon, the day of the wedding arrived. Amelie apanied Julia in the dressing room of the hotel as


    Julia was being styled, which finally ended at 9.00AM.


    Julia had always been unrestrained and being trapped there for four to five hours made her expression


    turn impatient. However, ording to tradition, the bride couldn¡¯t just wander freely before the


    ceremony, so she could only lean against the window without interest while chatting on and off with


    Amelie.


    They were both on the third floor of the hotel, and the window faced the hall perfectly. From there, they


    could see everyone below when they looked down, but no one could see them since the window was


    too small.


    Down below, Samuel was d in his suit and loafers, a flower pinned to hispel as he weed the


    guests with Mrs. Gage, his sister, and brother-inw. Even from this far away, they could sense his joy.


    Mrs. Gage was also smiling in delight as she chatted continuously with the wedding guests.


    Only his sister maintained a cold and stony expression as she followed behind Mrs. Gage, and even


    when she smiled, it was forced. Her name was Cassandra Gage, and she was married to Jimmy¡¯s


    cousin, Alex Goldstein. Alex managed the Gage Family¡¯s business with her, acting as vice president


    while she was the president.


    ¡°Cassandra was so dissatisfied after Mrs. Gage consented to the marriage between me and Samuel


    that she had an intense argument with her family. If Alex hadn¡¯t reassured her, she might have turned


    against them. Now that Samuel has returned and also participated in the management of the family


    business, she may only be more guarded against me.¡±


    Alex¡¯s family also had their own business. The Goldstein Family had already encouraged him to return


    and were all angered by Cassandra forcing Alex to stay with her. Cassandra¡¯s abilities were limited, but


    she had strong ambitions. As such, shemandeered the head position of the family¡¯spany on


    the basis of being slightly older.


    Samuel did not fight his sister for it and branched out to start his own business. However, if Alex didn¡¯t


    return to the Goldsteins now, they wanted him and Cassandra to get divorced. She now had no choice


    but to ept Samuel¡¯s return but insisted on him only bing the vice president and not fighting her


    for the head position.


    Even so, Julia¡¯s parents¡¯ status as high-ranking officials had always been a thorn in Cassandra¡¯s side.


    Cassandra was worried that Samuel would get the help of Julia¡¯s parents in kicking her out.


    Julia recounted the Gage Family¡¯s issues and couldn¡¯t help sighing when she was done. ¡°Cassandra¡¯s


    worries are unfounded. My parents may be high-ranking officials, but they¡¯ve never cared about us.


    She¡¯s so tiresome since she doesn¡¯t work on improving her management abilities but chooses to fixate


    on my family¡¯s background.¡±


    Amelie wasn¡¯t highly acquainted with Julia¡¯s parents, but she knew their parenting concepts well. All


    Julia¡¯s achievements had been acquired with her hard work without any help from them.


    ¡°To be honest, the source of Mrs. Gage¡¯s disapproval of me being with Samuel besides that event is


    mostly Cassandra¡¯s provocations.¡±


    Amelie had already witnessed Cassandra¡¯s behavior and couldn¡¯t help clutching Julia¡¯s hand. She


    didn¡¯t say anything, though she was worried about Julia getting hurt after marrying into the Gage


    Family.


    Julia understood this and sped her hand in return. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will be spending my life with


    Samuel, not her.¡±


    As they were talking, something shed brightly as an eye-catching figure entered their view.

 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364


    Chapter 364 Leo Is Ready to Settle Down


    The figure wasn¡¯t eye-catching because of his outfit; it was the direct opposite since he wore a dark suit


    like every other male guest. However, his back was straight as he walked with a certain air. With one


    hand in his pocket, he still carried an aura of his own even if it wasn¡¯t deliberate.


    Everyone around him straightened up due to his arrival, their gazes focused on him.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Alston. Wee!¡± Mrs. Gage¡¯s eyes shone brightly as she went over to greet him without


    concern for her advanced age. Samuel and Cassandra both followed suit.


    Regardless of his current status and the legends involving him in the past two years, his appearance


    and aura far surpassed everyone else present. Even Samuel, who was the groom, appeared


    somewhat inferior next to him.


    ¡°Congrattions Mrs. Gage. Congrattions, Mr. Gage,¡± Leo replied politely as he reached out to


    shake the hands of Mrs. Gage and Samuel respectively. His cold eyes held amanding air that


    cooled the atmosphere slightly.


    While he was greeting the guests, his subordinate presented the gift money. Mrs. Gage couldn¡¯t avoid


    making small talk with him, her eyes shifting to his eyes as she did.


    He hadn¡¯te alone; there were pale hands that belonged to a woman clinging to his arm. The


    woman looked to be in her early twenties and had her head tilted toward him, making her appear dainty


    next to him.


    ¡°Oh? Is that his new beau?¡± Julia had also seen the woman on his arm.


    Amelie pursed her lips. Even from this distance, she recognized the girl to be the very same one she


    had seen back in the bar suite that had been feeding Leo. She briefly exined how she had seen


    them together but left out the part where Ashton purposefully humiliated her.


    ¡°Is that a sign of him settling down?¡± Julia was taken aback. ¡°He has never brought the same woman to


    two different appointments before.¡±


    In Julia¡¯s mind, Leo treated women like a celebrity with her custom gowns in that these women would


    never appear again in public with him. Her eyes couldn¡¯t help lingering on the woman, but she could


    only see her indistinctly from this distance. She soon closed the window to block everything out,


    probably worried that Amelie might feel ufortable.


    Amelie wasn¡¯t thinking about it too much. Instead, she felt it was a good thing that Leo had settled


    down since she didn¡¯t want Bria to see her father being a libertine.


    She looked down at her watch and saw that the arranged time was in half an hour. She called Casey to


    inquire about the bridesmaids and best men, nodding in satisfaction when she knew they were already


    ready. ¡°Very good. Let theme to the dressing room entrance.¡±


    After hanging up, she stood up. ¡°It¡¯s nearly time. I¡¯ll go get your parents.¡±


    Julia¡¯s parents had rushed here during the night and were currently catching up on some sleep in the


    guest room upstairs. Half an hour was a little too short, but it allowed them to sleep a little more. As she


    was speaking, she considered bringing two more make-up artists with her to speed up the process.


    She had just finished talking when someone knocked on the door. Assuming that it was the


    bridesmaids and best men, she quickly walked over to open the door.


    ¡°You guys¡ª¡± Amelie was about to give a briefing and was stunned to see a single girl in the doorway.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Miss White,¡± she exined, her eyes flickering when she looked at Amelie, clearly


    recognizing her.


    Amelie quickly recognized the girl as the one Leo had brought along as well. She was d in a soft


    princess-style dress, her hair loose and pulled back with a tiara. Several strands hung loose around her


    face, which made her look delicate and cute.


    The girl did not wait for Amelie to reply and moved past her to approach Julia. ¡°Miss White, can you


    throw the bouquet toward meter?¡±


    Julia looked at her meaningfully as she smiled, clearly knowing who she was from her outfit. ¡°Are you


    that eager to marry Leo?¡±


    The girl blushed hard and bit her lip quietly in a silent confession. Julia couldn¡¯t help but let out augh.


    ¡°It won¡¯t make any difference to Mr. Alston. I just want to catch the bouquet to get some good luck.


    Besides, you won¡¯t lose anything, right?¡± the girl continued blithely, raising her head high. Her


    confidence and pride were apparent in her tone as if she had decided she was the one for Leo.


    It was no surprise the girl would think that. As Julia said, Leo would never bring the same woman to


    two different appointments, and she had been the only exception. The girl probably assumed Leo, who


    was experienced in romance, had now fallen for her and was willing to settle down. The girl merely


    wanted Julia to throw the bouquet at her as encouragement for Leo so that she could lead him toward


    marriage.


    Julia saw through the girl immediately, and her smile widened mockingly. ¡°Sorry. It depends on fate. If


    luck¡¯s on your side, it willnd in your hands.¡±


    It was a clear sign of refusal.


    The girl had thought Julia would agree to her request for Leo¡¯s sake, but she didn¡¯t expect Julia to


    refuse this quickly. Her expression became uncertain as she snorted hard. ¡°Some things have been set


    in stone, and there¡¯s no use in you being so defensive!¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She shot a nce at Amelie, who was standing at the door and didn¡¯t know what to say. The girl


    walked toward the entrance and paused in front of Amelie. ¡°A wise man submits to the circumstances,


    after all.¡±


    Those words appeared to be a reminder to Julia but were really a jab at her. Amelie had been involved


    in the business world for so long that she could discern the girl¡¯s intentions and couldn¡¯t help smiling


    helplessly.


    ¡°Is she nuts?¡± Julia cursed as she watched the girl walk away arrogantly.


    Amelie shrugged carelessly. ¡°You are the bride and must stay pretty today. You¡¯re not allowed to get


    angry.¡±


    Julia snorted and continued cursing the girl for a while, even bringing Leo into it. ¡°Leo¡¯s taste leaves a


    lot to be desired. Why does he just ept everyone? First, she came to Starlight Media to try working.


    While she¡¯s reluctant to work hard, she also flirted for no reason with the president of our coborators.


    This gave them the impression that Starlight Media had be pimps instead.¡±


    When she was done, Julia suddenly dragged Amelie to face her, studying her carefully as if she had


    thought of something. ¡°Elie, did you notice that the upper half of her face looks simr to yours?¡±


    Amelieughed at her sudden disy of neuroticism. ¡°Other people get a condition called ¡®pregnancy


    brain¡¯, but you somehow got one known as ¡®marriage brain¡¯. What are you thinking?¡±


    Without waiting for Julia to say anything, Amelie patted her shoulder and went upstairs.


    ¡­


    After waking Julia¡¯s parents up and helping them put on their outfits and makeup, the scheduled time


    had finallye, so Amelie apanied them downstairs to meet up with Julia.


    The bridesmaids and best men were already standing in their positions. The bridesmaids were all


    wearing white dresses made of muslin and the lengths were tailored to suit them, while the best men all


    wore the same outfit consisting of a white cored shirt, dark blue cks, and a waistcoat of the same


    color.


    As the twelve of them stood behind her in a line, they emanated an aura thatplemented Julia and


    made her look regal in contrast. The photographer clicked on the camera as he directed everyone into


    position, only retreating a little when he saw the trio approaching.


    ¡°Miss Dillon.¡± The bridesmaids and best men all knew who Amelie was and greeted her.


    ¡°Mom, Dad.¡± Julia ran toward her parents, who looked extremely sentimental at the fact she was about


    to be married even though they had raised her in a hands-off manner. Mrs. White even had tears in her


    eyes.


    After a brief photo session, someone came from downstairs to inform them that the time hade. Mr.


    and Mrs. White stood beside Julia on either side and escorted her downstairs, while Amelie walked


    beside Mrs. White as part of the family.


    The entourage made their grand entrance.


    ¡°Wow!¡± The bride¡¯s appearance caused amotion as everyone looked toward them. Amelie smiled


    slightly and looked down, but her gaze was caught involuntarily by a pair of cold eyes.

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365


    Chapter 365 Disy of Affection


    Leo¡¯s eyes were empty without any emotion as he looked at her with his hands by his sides. He stood


    out from the rest of the crowd.


    Amelie was slightly stunned before she saw a pair of pale hands clinging to his arm, and the girl leaned


    her head against him. She shot Amelie a warning nce which she didn¡¯t allow Leo to see. Amelie only


    smiled slightly in response before shifting her gaze to another direction.


    After they arrived downstairs, the Gage Family made small talk with Julia¡¯s parents. As soon as the


    scheduled time arrived, Samuel took her hand from her parents¡¯ grasp, and the both of them walked


    toward the oath stand. Amelie watched on silently as they made their vows and exchanged rings,


    wishing them happiness again and again when she saw their loving gazes.


    ¡°Amelie, it has been a long time.¡± The wedding was nearly over when Jamie approached her. It had


    been two years since theyst met, but he remained the same as before, constantly smiling and


    making girls¡¯ hearts race with a mere nce.


    ¡°It¡¯s been some time,¡± she replied with a smile. His father had died from his illness soon after she went


    overseas two years ago, so he had to return to thepany.


    ¡°Come with me.¡± He reached out his hand to pull her along.


    Amelie was confused and could only follow him away. As she passed Leo, the top of her head


    somehow felt chilly. She did not raise her head and followed Jamie in standing opposite Julia.


    Julia was now standing on the podium with the bouquet in her hands as her back faced the crowd.


    Many young men and women below her looked eager and rubbed their hands together in preparation.


    It was obvious all of them wanted to catch Julia¡¯s bouquet.


    Jamie, who was tall, clicked his fingers at Julia. She gleefully swung the bouquet and threw it toward


    Amelie. Everything happened too suddenly, and when the realization hit her, the bouquet was already


    in front of her. She could only catch it on instinct.


    Just as her fingertips made contact with the bouquet, she felt her shoulder being weighed down before


    someone collided with it. The force was so strong that her body tilted as the bouquet fell from her


    hands.


    She was propelled to one side, where a tall champagne tower had been set up. If she hit it, the tower


    would fall and injure her in the process. She tried to catch her bnce but there was nothing she could


    use for support, so she closed her eyes in preparation for the disaster.


    At that moment, a hand appeared around her waist and exerted an opposing force to support her falling


    body. Thanks to that support, Amelie eventually found her bnce and straightened up. As she turned


    to thank the other person, she saw Leo¡¯s calm face.


    He removed his hand and ced it into his pocket before turning to walk away, which made her wonder


    if it had merely been a hallucination. However, she had a distinct sensation of someone clutching her


    waist, which reminded her that Leo had really helped her.


    ¡°Leo!¡± A dejected voice rang out before the girl ran toward him.


    ¡°I¡¯m your date. How can you be concerned for someone else?¡± She sounded extremely sad, and her


    eyes were red. The bouquet was still in her hands, which meant she had been the one who pushed


    Amelie away to grab the bouquet. Amelie suppressed her disdain and did not scold her.


    Leo¡¯s eyes fell on the bouquet for a moment. ¡°You pushed her away, so I should help her.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so?¡± His exnation surprised and delighted the girl, making her gaze brighten.


    ¡°I thought you¡ª¡± She did not go on, her expression glowing with happiness. He had always been a


    quiet person and behaved coldly to everyone, so his words and assistance were enough to show his


    concern and attentiveness toward her. She wished she could let the entire world know she had


    received such a rare honor.


    ¡°Look, this is the bouquet I caught.¡± She pushed the bouquet toward him delicately, almost like she was


    asking for a reward.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied quietly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jamie, who had been standing beside Amelie, frowned and shook his head at this.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Amelie agreed, not wanting to witness their disy of affection.


    They both turned around and walked away.


    Just as Amelie turned away, Leo¡¯s nk expression darkened considerably, and he pushed the


    bouquet away. ¡°It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Meanwhile, Amelie sat with Jamie for a while. While he couldn¡¯t avoid disparaging Leo, she behaved


    more calmly.


    ¡°Leo and I aren¡¯t involved in each other¡¯s lives, so you don¡¯t have to be petty over this.¡±


    Jamie sighed at her unruffled attitude. ¡°Since you no longer want to get back with Leo, why don¡¯t you


    date me? My mother keeps insisting that I find a capable wife to coborate with, and you are the most


    reliable option out there.¡±


    She teased him gleefully, knowing that his mother didn¡¯t deviate from tradition and wanted him to


    strengthen the family business in such a way. His expression darkened and became pinched as he


    walked away. However, she knew that he wasn¡¯t really angry and didn¡¯t mind it, putting down her ss


    and leaving the venue after that.


    She had brought a gift for Julia which she had put in the car. Since she was unupied right now, she


    could take it and give it to her in case she forgot afterward.


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


    She went down to the underground car park and couldn¡¯t find her car after looking around for a while,


    so she decided to just walk about while pressing the key in the hopes her car would react to it. Her


    strategy worked as a car blinked several feet away.


    She lifted her skirt and ran quickly toward it. She was about to open the door when she saw a figure


    standing in the corridor. It was so sudden that she couldn¡¯t react and was taken aback, but her retreat


    had thankfully prevented their collision.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± She recognized the figure at once as Leo¡¯s date. The girl didn¡¯t turn around, her shoulders


    moving up and down as she sobbed.


    Is she crying?


    Amelie was astounded. If she remembered correctly, Leo had just been affectionate with her moments


    ago. Why was she crying after such a short time?


    She looked around instinctively but did not catch sight of Leo or even his car.


    What did this have to do with her, though?


    She suddenly realized she was being nosy and didn¡¯t look any further. She went to open the car door


    and retrieved the gift before walking back.


    ¡°Miss Dillon,¡± the girl called out nasally, sniffling as she walked toward Amelie. She looked up pitifully at


    Amelie, her eyes and nose red from crying.


    ¡°Can you tell me how you got married to him back then?¡±


    Is she trying to get guidance?


    Amelie merely felt amused. ¡°Have you forgotten that we¡¯re divorced?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important!¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°I just want to know how you got married. I only want to


    marry him.¡±


    She bit her lip pathetically. ¡°I really like him, and I really don¡¯t know how to live without him.¡±


    Leo was like a drug, and just the sight of him was already intoxicating. She hadn¡¯t just seen him but


    also apanied him on two appointments; she was even protected lovingly. She had thought herself


    to be different the entire time, but Leo just told her that they shouldn¡¯t see each other anymore.


    He had broken up with her.


    It would have been better if she had never had him, but having him slip from her hands when she was


    about to secure him made it worse. She couldn¡¯t ept this at all, so she asked Amelie frantically for a


    way to marry him.

 Chapter 366

    Chapter 366


    Chapter 366 Everything Is Fake


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know why he¡¯s angry because everything was alright just a second ago,¡± she murmured,


    looking rather lost.


    Although Amelie understood what she was saying, she had no answers to her questions because, just


    like her, she couldn¡¯t figure out what was on the current Leo¡¯s mind as well.


    Nevertheless, one thing she was sure of¡ªthis girl in front of her had been dumped.


    ¡°Smarten up and look for another man if you want to get married. It¡¯s meaningless to attach yourself to


    a man who doesn¡¯t give you his heart because you won¡¯t get a happy ending.¡±


    This was the best and kindest advice she could offer her right now.


    ¡°This is not true!¡± Despite that, the girl refused to believe her and red at her, arguing aggressively,


    ¡°Leo is not that type of person. He¡¯s a responsible man, and as long as I marry him, he¡¯ll definitely treat


    me well and give me the world! You¡¯re only criticizing him because you¡¯re unhappy and jealous that


    we¡¯re dating. That¡¯s definitely it!¡±


    A speechless Amelie thought that she was probably bored out of her mind with plenty of time to spare,


    which led her to be a free therapist here; not only was she unable to help out with anything, she was


    even painted as the viin person in this situation.


    So, when she realized that there was nothing she could do for this woman, she decided not to continue


    the conversation and left after giving her a shrug.


    On another note, Samuel and Julia arranged a very packed schedule for themselves, hopping on their


    honeymoon right after the wedding ended.


    So, after Amelie gave them the wedding present, she did Julia a favor by dropping off Julia¡¯s parents at


    their hotel room so that the newlyweds could have more time for themselves.


    It had been a tiring day for her parents as they had been traveling between ces the entire day and


    were beyond exhausted. Furthermore, they had to start the next day early to return home. Amelie was


    well aware of that. That¡¯s why she left them soon after dropping them off so as not to disturb their rest.


    She had booked a flight for tomorrow morning, nning to return after sending off Julia¡¯s parents.


    The thought of not knowing when she would return again made her feel a little reluctant to leave. So,


    she slipped into a daze as she leaned against the corridor railing and stared into nothing.


    ¡°Hey, there.¡±


    While she was in a daze, she heard someone calling out of the blue. Initially, she thought that he was


    calling someone else, so she didn¡¯t respond. But soon, someone approached her and stopped in front


    of her. ¡°Since you are already back, why didn¡¯t you visit the Alstons, Amelie?¡±


    Finally, it dawned on Amelie that he was speaking to her, and she turned to him in surprise.


    A young face entered her vision, and her brows furrowed as she racked her brains because she didn¡¯t


    remember speaking to him before despite finding the face a little familiar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am, Amelie?¡± A smile appeared on his face, and he looked like a kind littlemb.


    ¡°We¡¯ve met before, actually, but that was two years ago.¡±


    As Amelie had a good memory, some vague images popped into her mind after his reminder. She had


    indeed seen him before, but it was only once.


    Back then, he gave her a simr smile. Still, although he seemed friendly enough, he made her feel


    uneasy.


    ¡°I actually have another identity. That is, Leo¡¯s adopted brother,¡± the man said. He had a pair of sses


    across the bridge of his nose and seemed like a nerdy guy at first nce. ¡°Since you¡¯re my sister-in-


    law, just call me Chandler, then.¡±


    When he mentioned that, it urred to Amelie that the Alstons did have an adopted son. He was


    actually an orphan that Leo¡¯s father, Warren, had been sponsoring until he enrolled in a school close


    nearby. Due to his circumstances, Warren eventually decided to just let him move into their house.


    After that, Warren was involved in a car ident with Leo, which caused Warren¡¯s passing as Leo lost


    his eyesight.


    Melissa was terrified that the family¡¯s assets would be taken away and cut up by other rtives, so she


    urgently changed his family name to Alston, acknowledged him as her son, and named him the next


    heir.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    That was why Amelie hadn¡¯t seen Chandler before. He wasn¡¯t in attendance during her wedding, and


    she was told that he was living abroad.


    Everything she knew about Chandler was pieces of broken information she gathered from Leo when


    she met him at Quinn Town.


    Later, when Leo regained his sight, Chandler was immediately chucked out of the picture by Melissa,


    who sent him abroad, implying that he should stay far away from them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amelie, I¡¯ve always been abroad all these years and rarely had the chance to return, so I¡¯ve


    never met you officially,¡± Chandler exined.


    Amelie figured out his status in the family in a matter of seconds and didn¡¯tment on it. Instead, she


    simply rified, ¡°I have nothing to do with the Alstons because we¡¯re divorced. So, you shouldn¡¯t regard


    me as your sister-inw anymore.¡±


    A gentle and warm smile spread across his face. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you for a favor, actually. Leo has


    been fooling around a lot for the past two years and caused quite some trouble, putting Mother in a


    pickle at home. Even though you¡¯re divorced from him, I can tell that you have a special ce in his


    heart. Will you please help us to turn him around so he¡¯ll keep his behavior in check?¡± He sighed before


    continuing, ¡°I truly want Mother to be happy, but I¡¯m just an adopted son. Even if I stay by her side


    every day, I can¡¯t relieve or share her burden. But I truly am worried about her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help you.¡± If they didn¡¯t consider her immense dislike for anything Melissa-rted,


    even if she had a good rtionship with that impossible woman, she wasn¡¯t in the position to intervene


    in Leo¡¯s private life. Thus, she immediately turned Chandler down, nodded at him, and turned to leave


    because she didn¡¯t want to waste more time.


    ¡°Leo really cares about you!¡± Unfortunately, the man didn¡¯t seem to catch her meaning as he caught up


    to her and kept up with her pace as he continued, ¡°Mother wanted to convert your room into a


    storeroom, but he refused to let her do it. Now, he even turned it into his own bedroom without moving


    anything that you¡¯ve used before!¡±


    His words made her stop in her tracks abruptly, and she looked at him in disbelief.


    Then, Chandler sped his palms together and pleaded, ¡°Please believe me. Everything I said is true,


    and I can even bring you there to have a look for yourself if you want! My dear sister-inw, there was


    probably some misunderstanding, and Leo divorced you unwillingly back then. All I ask of you is to give


    him another chance.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me these?¡± Amelie asked, looking at him emotionlessly.


    ¡°I just want to repay their kindness,¡± he answered honestly. ¡°If it weren¡¯t because of them, I wouldn¡¯t


    even have the chance to attend school. There¡¯s a high possibility that I¡¯d still be trying to make ends


    meet at the lowest level of society. The only reason Leo is fooling around and dating different girls is


    because of frustration and boredom. I know he doesn¡¯t have any feelings for them. I even know another


    secret. That is, he had never slept with any of these girls that he dated.¡±


    Hisst statement sounded ridiculous to her, and she asked, ¡°How did the childrene about if he


    didn¡¯t sleep with them?¡±


    ¡°They are not his biological children!¡± Chandler blurted. ¡°I did think that they were his children as well,


    and I became worried when he kept bringing the children home one after another. After that, I had each


    child undergo a paternity test, and the results showed that these children are unrted to Leo by blood.


    Eventer, I found the women he dated, and they confessed that they were merely his female


    companions in social events, and they barely even held hands. Those women who got pregnant simply


    took advantage of him when he was drunk and tried to create a scene without any hope that it would


    seed. Yet, Leo didn¡¯t expose their lies and even kept the children. I¡¯ve asked him about this before,


    and he said those women tried to ckmail him with the children so they could be his wife. Once they


    lose this opportunity, they would abandon these children instead of raising them properly. But he


    doesn¡¯t want these children to be homeless because they reminded him of his daughter, and because


    he couldn¡¯t raise his own daughter, he could only remember her in this manner,¡± Chandler said, tears


    building up in his eyes. ¡°Amelie, do you know that he turned alcoholic in the past couple of years? If


    this continues, he could die. I know that he¡¯s heartbroken and doesn¡¯t want to break up with you, but at


    the same time, he feels that¡­ he¡¯s not good enough for you. Will you please, even if it¡¯s for Bria¡¯s sake,


    speak with him for even just a moment?¡±

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367


    Chapter 367 Car ident


    Amelie never once interrupted Chandler until he got everything out of his chest. Nevertheless, a look of


    shock shed past her eyes, and she even forgot to breathe by the time he was done with his tirade.


    ¡°I have to admit that all that information from you is very shocking to me, but he¡¯s an adult who knows


    what he¡¯s doing. All I can say is, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, gave him a nod, and walked past him. After the


    divorce, Leo had nothing to do with her. All he was to her was a familiar stranger. Therefore, she had


    no right to intervene in his affairs. Besides, even if they weren¡¯t strangers, her awkward status as his


    ex-wife made it weird for her to even talk to him normally, forget advising him away from his path.


    Faced with such logic, Chandler could do nothing but stare at her silently.


    Even though she appeared nonchnt andposed in front of him, she still couldn¡¯t sleep a wink that


    night.


    Too many things had happened between her and Leo that she couldn¡¯t help but be affected by his


    current situation even if she knew that she really shouldn¡¯t be.


    But still, what can I do about it? she asked herself in exasperation, unable to fall asleep.


    The next day, she started her journey back with tworge dark circles under her eyes.


    In the cab on the way to the airport, she gave Julia a call to inform her that she had taken care of her


    parents and also to bid her farewell.


    ¡°Are you leaving again?¡± Julia asked over the phone, sounding sad that Amelie had to leave. ¡°I really


    want you to stay. Do you have any idea how bored I am without you?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and have a child with Samuel. Then, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t even have time toin about


    being bored,¡± To Julia¡¯s dismay, Amelie started teasing her instead. As a result, Amelie was faced with


    endlessints from her best friend.


    Finally, after they ended the call, Amelie massaged her temples in exhaustion. Since she didn¡¯t sleep


    wellst night, she was starting to feel somewhat drowsy now that she was in the car.


    ¡°Sir, please wake me up when we reach the airport,¡± she said to the driver in front, slumped into the


    seat, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she was asleep, but she did know that she was violently awakened from her


    restful slumber by a deafening bang. Before her brain even realized what was going on, her body was


    thrown forward due to the momentum.


    Fortunately, she was wearing the seatbelt, which held her back firmly and prevented her face from


    mming into the back of the seat in front of her. Nevertheless, this impact jerked her wide awake.


    She was utterly confused and still rather groggy as she tried to keep her eyes open while her ears were


    filled with the cab driver¡¯s curses, ¡°F*ck! Watch where you¡¯re going!¡±


    Judging from the driver¡¯s angered tone, she figured she was probably involved in an ident as she


    rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Just as expected, when she looked out of the car window, she saw


    that a white Hyundai MPV had stopped diagonally in front of them. The front of the car was pointing in


    the reverse direction from the traffic oddly, as though it had deliberately crashed toward them after


    making an abrupt U-turn.


    Regardless, that MPV didn¡¯t crash into their car, and there was only a tiny gap of a few inches between


    the two vehicles. She wasn¡¯t awake when the ident urred, so she had no idea whether it was


    due to the cab driver¡¯s quick reflexes or if the other party managed to m the brakes before the


    vehicles crashed into each other.


    On the right of the MPV was another small, red car that was also facing the opposite direction, but the


    front of the red car had crashed and embedded itself into the chassis of the MPV.


    ¡°These two drivers have lost their minds. The traffic was smooth until the red car suddenly went in the


    wrong direction and made the MPV turn in the wrong direction as well. If I hadn¡¯t mmed the brakes,


    our car would have been part of that pancake,¡± the cab driver muttered with a pale face and looked


    shaken after witnessing such a big ident. ¡°Don¡¯t drive if you can¡¯t! The roads are not a yground!


    Are they trying to die?¡±


    Obviously, the cab driver was a person susceptible to road rage. Furthermore, he was almost caught in


    the ident, so he couldn¡¯t stop himself from cursing loudly despite his fear.


    But from his description, Amelie could roughly piece together the picture of what had happened earlier.


    Now that an ident had urred on the straight road to the airport, the scene started to turn chaotic


    because the cars behind couldn¡¯t pass by. Several people who were in a rush honked obnoxiously,


    resulting in a cacophony of honks. Frankly, if it weren¡¯t for her involvement in such an ident, she


    would even have time to joke that a flock of geese would have felt right at home here.


    Nheless, the cab driver definitely wasn¡¯t nning to stay around and be involved in that mess, so


    he slowly started the car and intended to steer away. s, when he drove past the white MPV, Amelie


    caught sight of the driver¡¯s face through the shattered ss of the window.


    His eyes were shut in the driver¡¯s seat as he bled profusely from the wound on his head, smearing his


    entire face with blood. That face?


    ¡°Leo Alston?!¡± She instantly recognized him and leaned forward, shouting, ¡°Stop the car!¡±


    The cab driver hit the brakes almost without hesitation, utterly startled by her sudden outburst. Amelie


    didn¡¯t even realize what had happened until she was already out of the car door and dashing toward


    the driver¡¯s seat of the white car. Finally, she pressed her face against the window and yelled, ¡°Leo!


    Leo Alston!¡±


    Despite her screaming his name at the top of her lungs, he didn¡¯t open his eyes, and it seemed to her


    that the open wound on his head was bleeding profusely. After she had gotten a closer look at his


    condition, she reckoned that he was most definitely hurt elsewhere and needed treatment immediately.


    Once that thought registered in her mind, she instantly became sick with worry as she frantically looked


    around for someone who could help her.


    Coincidentally, a trembling girl got out of the red car. Her hair was in disarray, and her face was as


    white as a sheet, but Amelie still recognized her at one nce¡ªthe girl who was with Leo and was


    dumpedst night.


    Her name is Jessie Webber, she recalled. What was she up to? she wondered and turned her attention


    to Jessie¡¯s car.


    Meanwhile, Jessie¡¯s shaky gaze slowly turned to Leo, and when she saw him covered in blood, she let


    out a shrill shriek and held her head in her palms.


    There was no time to waste, so Amelie didn¡¯t ask Jessie the reason behind her appearance at such a


    coincidental time or how such a bizarre ident took ce. Instead, she quickly yanked the car door


    open and said to the cab driver. ¡°He¡¯s seriously injured. We have to send him to the hospital right now!¡±


    When the news of someone being seriously injured was spread to the other drivers in the back, they


    immediately stopped honking to rush them. There was even a good Samaritan who rushed to make a


    phone call to the police and the ambnce.


    The cab driver, who couldn¡¯t watch a man die right in front of her, stepped out of the cab and lifted Leo


    out of his car with Amelie¡¯s help. When they carefully ced Leo in the backseat of the cab, she


    gingerly sat next to Leo¡¯s unconscious form and held him steady, preventing him from worsening his


    injuries or gaining new ones on the way to the hospital. Meanwhile, the cab driver wasted no time


    hopping into the car and speeding off for the hospital.


    In the meantime, the police arrived at the scene very quickly, and by the time the cab had made a U-


    turn, Jessie was already apprehended by them.


    Perhaps it was her imagination ying tricks on her, but when their car drove past the scene, Amelie


    thought that she saw Jessie looking at her with hatred in her eyes.


    After the cab driver dropped them off at the nearest hospital, Leo was immediately transferred to the


    ER. Amelie even gave the cab driver a fat tip as thanks, and he politely left.


    Amelie had no idea how Leo was doing since the hospital staff was all busy, and the doctor wasn¡¯t


    done with Leo. So, she knew that all that was left for her to do was wait outside.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Once she shakily sat on the bench at the ER¡¯s waiting lounge, she saw the bloodstains on her hands


    when she lowered her head, which caused her heart to shudder as she recalled the horrible scene


    earlier.


    Perhaps she was bored out of her mind as her brain started trying to puzzle out the reason behind his


    appearance there. s, she still couldn¡¯t figure out why Leo drove a regr MPV alone on that road.


    Given his finances, buying a ne was not an issue, and an MPV from this brand didn¡¯t seem fitting


    with his financial status.


    In addition, he didn¡¯t bring his assistant or driver along, she recalled. It looks like he¡¯s changed a lot


    these past two years.


    While she waited for the doctor¡¯s good news, all sorts of guesses and thoughts ran wild in her mind


    until it finally urred to her to inform Leo¡¯s family about the ident. Hence, she fished out her cell


    phone and wanted to call Eugene, but when she turned on her phone, she saw thetest news update.


    ¡®Top Millionaire, Leo Alston, in an ident on Airport Road. Current Condition Unclear.¡¯


    The headlines were apanied by text and pictures, and in the blurry images, Leo¡¯s head which was


    covered in blood could be clearly seen. Amelie couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock when she saw the news


    published so quickly. These media journalists are really something. The ident just happened less


    than an hour ago, but they have already made a report on it, she thought with a hint of admiration.


    As the pictures were blurred enough and she was facing the camera with her back, her face was not


    captured or published, and it was only mentioned in the report that Leo was sent to the hospital by a


    cab that happened to pass by the scene. In addition, it also imed that the one who caused the


    ident was Jessie, who had already confessed to her crime.


    Lifestyles of the rich and the famous were inevitably topics of gossip and attention for the general


    public, which was why this ident made the headlines. Besides, she saw from thements section


    that the public was in an absolute tizzy over such a thing.


    ¡®Jessie Webber is the culprit? Hasn¡¯t she been showing off her blissful life on her social media


    recently? She said that she met the man of her dreams and even posted a bouquet of flowers, hinting


    that she was hearing wedding bells soon. So, why did she suddenly try to kill him?¡¯


    ¡®Obviously, the man of her dreams that she meant was this millionaire. I met her at a party once, and


    she was right next to Alston, but I heard that Alston only took her out twice, and it¡¯s pretty clear that she


    was dumped.¡¯


    ¡®Hate born out of love?¡¯


    Amelie didn¡¯t waste any time as she through the screen, skim-reading the texts. Did Jessie hit Leo


    because she was dumped? she wondered and felt goosebumps appearing on her skin when the


    terrifying image of the car crash as well as the resentful re Jessie shot her, popped into her mind.

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368


    Chapter 368 Can¡¯t Stop Caring About Him


    Her mind was shrouded in confusion again. If the white car¡¯s angle resulted from Leo turning the


    vehicle around out of reflex when he realized that Jessie was crashing into him, then why did Jessie


    give her a look with such hate?


    Does she hate me because she thinks that I¡¯m the one who snatched Leo from her? Amelie thought.


    Suddenly, the surgery room doors burst open, and a doctor wearing a white robe and surgical mask


    strode out.


    She dismissed those thoughts as she set aside her phone hastily, trotted over, and asked worriedly,


    ¡°How¡¯s he doing, doctor?¡±


    ¡°His head and chest suffered trauma, but luckily, he was sent here in time, and we managed to stop the


    bleeding. He just has to stay for observation for a few days, and he¡¯ll be up and about again in no time.¡±


    A breath of relief escaped Amelie¡¯s lips at the doctor¡¯s words because she thought that he was severely


    injured when she saw him utterly drenched in blood earlier.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, and the bed rolled out, but nobody was on it.


    She frantically swept her gaze across the room and quickly noticed Leo slowly ambling out after the


    bed.


    His head was wrapped in bandages, but his wounds were definitely still bleeding; she saw some blood


    seep through the bandages and leave a red stain. His freshly washed face appeared so pale that even


    his lips had turned slightly gray due to blood loss. He had a change of clothes as well¡ªthe light-colored


    patient robes provided by the hospital¡ªand she could see the bandages around his chest from the


    cor of his shirt.


    Although he took each step slowly, he was still staggering slightly. Coupled with the light-colored


    patient robe, he appeared like a beautifully fragile and sick man.


    Amelie strode over and immediately supported him. ¡°Why did youe out by yourself?¡±


    He merely grunted curtly in a low and soft voice. There was a brief second where his gaze fell on her


    hands that were supporting him. However, he didn¡¯t say a word of protest as they slowly made their


    way to his ward.


    Although Leo¡¯s life wasn¡¯t in danger, his injuries were far from light, and he had to be hospitalized for a


    few days.


    Amelie carefully helped him to the bed and pulled the sheets over him as he watched her every move


    with pursed lips.


    When she had tucked him under the sheets, she brushed her palms together and started, ¡°Well¡­¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She wanted to ask him what exactly happened, but she swallowed back the words that were about to


    tumble off her lips. Unfortunately, to her dismay, no matter how she tried to word the question, it


    sounded like she was trying to find out something about his private life.


    Finally, all she said was, ¡°Take a good rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he muttered almost inaudibly. ¡°Thank you for sending me to the hospital regardless of your


    busy schedule, Miss Dillon. You probably have other things to attend to.¡±


    Amelie could already tell that he was trying to drive her away even before he finished speaking.


    Regardless, she didn¡¯t n to hang around where she was not weed, so when she saw Eugene


    running over from the end of the corridor, she said, ¡°Get well soon, Mr. Alston.¡± After that, she gave him


    a nod, twirled around, and walked away.


    ¡°Hi, Miss Dillon¡ª¡±


    At the door, she bumped into Eugene, who had just run over, and she smiled at him politely before


    stepping past him and leaving.


    Eugene turned his head to watch her retreating figure as it disappeared from his line of sight, then he


    turned to the quiet man on the bed. The man¡¯s eyes were also glued on Amelie¡¯s back, but there was a


    hint of life and light in them, which were different from its usual lifelessness.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, why didn¡¯t you let Miss Dillon know that you¡¯re injured because you tried to stop Jessie


    from hitting her cab?¡± Eugene asked, pacing into the room.


    He only discovered the truth behind the ident after visiting the police station earlier.


    Leo raised his eyes and looked at him for a brief second before looking away. ¡°At the end of the day,


    I¡¯m the reason this happened. She¡¯s just an innocent victim,¡± he exined calmly.


    Eugene watched the thoughtful but stoic expression on his face and sighed. Despite the anxiety he was


    feeling in his heart, there was nothing he could do for Leo.


    In his mind, the scene where Jessie was wailing in the police station appeared.


    ¡°That woman named Dillon has no feelings for him, but he insists on sending her off and even changes


    his car because he worries that she would notice it was him. How am I any less aspared to Dillon?


    Why won¡¯t he notice me? Why did he break up with me? No, I can¡¯t take this. I want to kill that woman


    and make him give up!¡±


    It¡¯s genuinely terrifying when a woman loses her mind. If Mr. Alston hadn¡¯t discovered her n, the one


    lying on the hospital bed now would be Miss Dillon. But did he save her just because he med


    himself for implicating Miss Dillon when he was the one who befriended Jessie?


    Eugene was finding it even harder to understand what was on Leo¡¯s mind, and he didn¡¯t dare to draw


    any conclusions lest he arrives at the wrong one.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the document on that project? Did you bring it?¡±


    When Leo asked him about the file, he quickly opened his briefcase and passed it to him. The instant


    Leo¡¯s hands touched the folder, he began reading through it.


    As Eugene watched him go through the document, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly once more. Mr.


    Alston has turned into a robot now, only working and reading documents whenever his eyes are open.


    He barely speaks, and the look in his eyes is also turning colder as time passes. At this point, he won¡¯t


    even talk to anyone unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary. If this continues, I¡¯m really worried that¡­


    Meanwhile, Amelie dazedly stood on the side of the road for a while after departing the hospital. Her


    flight had already taken off without her by now, and there was only one flight a day. So, she could only


    leave tomorrow.


    How am I going to spend the rest of the day, then?


    Although she had quite a few friends in this city, everyone was living their own lives now, and she didn¡¯t


    want to impose. In the end, she decided to visit Quinn Town.


    Two years had passed since shest returned to this ce, and the small town had undergone


    significant changes. The streets were wider, there were fewer potholes, and so were the roads


    connecting to the other neighboring cities. They were absolutely bustling, with cars passing by almost


    every other second.


    On the side of the road, two roadside vendors were chatting while running their business.


    ¡°This town looks amazing, but you know we might not be far off from those big cities in a few years¡¯


    time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. We don¡¯t have to visit the city anymore because we can buy everything we need


    here. Oh, I heard that the reconstruction isn¡¯t finished yet. The town hospital will be torn down and


    reconstructed again.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    When Amelie overheard their conversation, she looked lost. The town hospital was the ce where


    she met Leo when they were young. If they tore that ce down as well, that would mean wiping out


    her memories with Leo altogether.


    Regardless of their many misunderstandings, the time they spent together in their youth was one of her


    cherished memories. So, while she reminisced about the past, she strolled to the town hospital and


    stopped at the central atrium to admire the magnolia trees that had grown.


    As she stared at the trees, she could see them in her mind¡¯s eye all those years ago. From the


    entrance of the atrium to the spot under the trees, and from under the trees to the artificial hill, they


    took lovely strolls as they held each other¡¯s hands, seated side-by-side as one read out loud for the


    other to listen to¡­ She even remembered the time when they threw pebbles by the artificial hill.


    Those were beautiful times, she recounted with a sigh and was so engrossed in reminiscing that it was


    already dusk by the time she came to her senses. When she lowered her head to check the time, she


    saw that it was already past 6.00PM. How time flies!


    She initially wanted to visit the old house as well, but it was toote for that now. So, she slowly strolled


    out and was ready to return when her phone started ringing.


    She didn¡¯t check the caller ID as she swiped to answer and ced the phone to her ear. ¡°Hello?¡± she


    said.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, you haven¡¯t left the country yet, right?¡± From the other end of the call, Eugene said in a


    hushed voice after stealing a look at the man in the VIP room.


    ¡°No, not yet.¡± She was a little surprised when she recognized the voice of the caller. ¡°What¡¯s the


    matter?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he began and continued worriedly, ¡°Will you please make a trip to Prix Bar? Despite his


    injuries, Mr. Alston is drinking with business partners and won¡¯t do otherwise, no matter what I say. If he


    continues like this¡­¡±


    He trailed off, not knowing whether he should continue.


    ¡°A business meeting?¡± Amelie¡¯s brows shot up, taken aback by this piece of information. ¡°What on


    Earth is he doing? Does he have a death wish?!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Eugene clutched the phone tightly with agitation and felt as though he had found someone


    who could rte to him. ¡°He already had quite a few drinks.¡±


    He¡¯s drinking even though he¡¯s still injured? That¡¯s no different frommitting suicide, she thought


    with a huff.


    ¡°Pleasee over quickly. If Mr. Alston continues drinking like this, his condition will only worsen.¡±


    Regardless, she lifted her head as she stared at the scarlet sun that was slowly dipping into the horizon


    little by little and pursed her lips. ¡°You should call Mrs. Alston for an issue like this or his sister. I¡¯m


    sorry, but it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me to be there,¡± she said and hung up.


    Eugene stared nkly at the phone, utterly speechless, and sighed in resignation. One is tough while


    the other is heartless, he thought.


    By the time Amelie returned to Clouson, it was already past 8.00PM, and she instructed the cab driver


    to drop her home via GPS.


    While she was in the backseat, she looked out the window and nkly watched the neon lights from


    the bars and clubs that were pouring through the car windows brightly.


    Out of the blue, she was reminded of Leo. Is he still at Prix Bar at this time? I don¡¯t think so. However,


    his injuries seem rather serious, and I reckon he should be in the ER now if he really drank for two


    hours.


    In her opinion, even if Leo went for a work-rted social meeting, he was only there for show and


    wouldn¡¯t really disregard his health.


    Although she sounded so confident with her deduction, she still stopped the car and hopped off when it


    passed by Prix Bar.

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369


    Chapter 369 Won¡¯t Let Her Go


    ¡°Wee!¡±


    The beautiful and talldies at the reception of Prix Bar simultaneously gave Amelie a warm wee


    and bowed respectfully when they saw her.


    Amelie smiled lightly as she asked casually, ¡°Is Mr. Alston still here with his friends?¡±


    ¡°Are you looking for Mr. Alston?¡± One of the receptionists went to her, judging her warily. ¡°May I ask


    how you are rted to him? Do you have an appointment? I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t show you to him if you


    don¡¯t have an appointment.¡±


    ¡°That means he¡¯s still around?¡± Amelie gasped in surprise.


    However, the receptionist took her surprise wrongly, thinking that she was here to hook up with Leo,


    and she sneered, ¡°Of course, he¡¯s still here, but he won¡¯t meet just anyone randomly. You should call


    and ask him to send someone out here to take you in.¡±


    On the other hand, Amelie was so anxious that she didn¡¯t even notice the sarcasm in her voice and


    asked instead, ¡°Did they order any alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    This time, even the other receptionists assumed that Amelie came with an ulterior motive. ¡°Mr. Alston


    can drink very well and doesn¡¯t get drunk even after finishing a few bottles. Today, he only ordered four


    bottles, which is less than half of what he usually orders. So, you shouldn¡¯t have any weird designs on


    him.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I think you should hone your skills and cultivate some proper talents before trying to approach


    him.¡±


    These receptionists had seen too many tricks from the women who wanted to approach Leo, and they


    readily assumed that Amelie was one of them.


    In fact, Amelie didn¡¯t really want to meet Leo because she had nned to leave if he didn¡¯t indulge.


    Yet, when the receptionist told her that he already had four bottles, the alert rm inside her head


    red loudly, and she started storming inside.


    The receptionists were about to call for security when they saw that she was going to force her way in


    when Eugene happened toe out of the room.


    ¡°Miss Dillon!¡± At the sight of Amelie, the light in his eyes shone with pure, unabashed gratitude as


    though he had met his savior. ¡°You¡¯re finally here! If you¡¯re just a minutete¡­ Mr. Alston might really


    knock the life out of himself with the drinks.¡±


    ¡°Why is he acting this way?¡± Her eyes flickered as she tried to ignore his fervent gaze and asked, ¡°Why


    isn¡¯t Melissa here?¡±


    ¡°Well, you know Madam¡¯s personality¡­ All she cares about is herself. She won¡¯t be bothered with what


    Mr. Alston is up to, but even if she does intervene, he won¡¯t listen to her, anyway,¡± Eugene answered


    straightforwardly.


    No one knew the situation between Melissa and Leo better than Eugene, who was also the most


    helpless about it.


    ¡°Furthermore, the guests today are special, so I can¡¯t advise against his course of action directly, but he


    refused to listen to me even after I hinted at him. So, all I can do is¡­ Worry.¡±


    While he was exining the situation, they had walked off quite a distance away, leaving the


    receptionists in bewilderment.


    Did Leo¡¯s assistant regard that woman as an important guest? What did it mean? Earlier, did they just


    try to stop someone they shouldn¡¯t offend? But there was nothing particr about that woman besides


    having a pretty face.


    By the time Eugene showed Amelie to the VIP room, the people inside were already done drinking. A


    few well-dressed men came out in groups of twos and threes, chatting, smiling, and chuckling happily,


    and Eugene hastily went to see them off one by one.


    None of the men noticed Amelie, thinking that she was just another waitress, and one of them patted


    Eugene¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Eugene, Mr. Alston can¡¯t hold his drink today. He¡¯s already drunk after a


    few drinks. We¡¯re going now, leaving him in your care.¡±


    As Amelie didn¡¯t want to attract any attention, she lowered her head just enough not to seem like she


    was utterly ignoring everyone because they were all senior shareholders of Genesis. Back then, when


    Leo just took the reins of thepany, they were very supportive of him, and as a person who values


    loyalty, Leo couldn¡¯t find it in himself to turn them down when they asked him out for drinks.


    ¡°Sure, just leave him to me,¡± Eugene answered, sending them off respectfully.


    When they had cleared out of the room, Amelie looked through the window into the room. The curtains


    were not drawn, and she easily saw a man¡¯s figure under the dim lighting.


    At that moment, he slumped sideways on the couch, and even though there were warm yellow lights in


    the room, they couldn¡¯t hide his ashenplexion.


    His palm rested on his forehead feebly as though he was ufortable, and even his brows were


    tightly knitted together into a look of agony.


    Suddenly, he sat up and started coughing, and his body swayed and trembled violently as he hacked


    his lungs out. It seemed as though he would topple over anytime!


    Amelie instantly dashed to him and held him without hesitation. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She wanted to lecture him, but when she remembered that they weren¡¯t rted anymore, she shut her


    mouth and only stroked his back to ease his difort. Then, she poured a ss of water from the jug


    and handed it to him. ¡°Here, have some water.¡±


    Leo slowly raised his head and swept his cold gaze over her face, and she raised the ss of water in


    front of him awkwardly, signaling him to take a sip.


    All of a sudden, she felt a force behind her back, and he pulled her into his arms the next second.


    Everything happened so abruptly that it caught her entirely unaware, but she was quick enough to


    move the ss aside to avoid spilling the water on him.


    As a result, their bodies were tightly pressed against each other.


    So, she stiffly held the ss and squirmed ufortably, calling him, ¡°Hey, Leo.¡±


    She merely moved a little, and he immediately tightened his arms around her like a piece of metal,


    suffocating her with his hug.


    She could hear his rugged breath right next to her ears and feel the abnormally high temperature of his


    breath against the skin of her neck.


    She raised her head to take a look at him and immediately noticed that his face was also exceptionally


    red.


    ¡°Mr. Alston has a fever!¡± Eugene pointed out.


    As Amelie¡¯s body was pressed tightly against Leo¡¯s, she could clearly feel how feverish he had


    be. ¡°Let¡¯s take him to the hospital,¡± she said urgently, and Eugene came over to help her carry


    Leo.


    They each had Leo¡¯s arms as they positioned him in the middle and dragged him into the car. Once


    they ced him in the backseat, they immediately drove to the hospital.


    ¡°What happened? How can you allow a patient with such injuries to drink?¡±


    At the hospital, Eugene and Amelie were reprimanded harshly by the doctor. Eugene could only


    apologize repeatedly with a look of dismay while Amelie remained expressionless throughout the


    doctor¡¯s dressing down as they sneaked nces at Leo from time to time.


    ¡°We¡¯ll lower his temperature with medication,¡± the doctor said after a round of reproach and quickly


    wrote a prescription for the nurse to retrieve from the pharmacist.


    Finally, the doctor left with a few parting warnings, and the nurse returned soon afterward with the


    medication, blushing as she tried to feed the medicine to Leo.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    However, she had barely touched him when Leo shoved her aside angrily, and the medication in her


    hands sttered around.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    ¡°Miss Dillon, will you please feed him the medication?¡± Eugene requested with a pained look. ¡°The


    drunker he is, the harder it is to get close to him.¡±


    At first, Amelie wanted to turn him down, but when she saw his puppy eyes, she nodded in resignation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Frankly, she assumed that Leo would push her away. She thought that she would have an excellent


    excuse to leave if he really did so.


    But the truth was, Leo was very cooperative; every time she gently urged him to take the medication,


    he would open his mouth without protest.


    Eventually, she couldn¡¯t leave as she sat on the bed and ced an arm around him while feeding him


    his medication, rightfully worried that the liquid would spill everywhere if she didn¡¯t. Therefore, she


    coaxed him to finish the medication sip by careful sip.


    The nurse standing beside them watched the scene with burning jealousy in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t


    stop herself from scrutinizing Amelie because she was curious about what was so charming about that


    woman that attracted Leo even when he was semi-conscious and drunk.


    On the other hand, Amelie¡¯s entire focus was on feeding the medication, and she was unaware of the


    nurse¡¯s spiteful re. When she was done, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she could wash


    her hands off him now.


    So, she cautiously ced Leo on the bed and slowly sneaked off the bed, looking around for Eugene at


    the same time so she could bid farewell to himter.


    Then, she saw Eugene in a call outside the room and ced her foot out to take the first step. s,


    before she could even set her foot firmly, she felt her hand being gripped tightly.


    She twisted her head and saw that Leo had gotten ahold of her wrist with his hand without her knowing,


    and she stole a look at his face. He was definitely out cold as his eyes remained closed, and he didn¡¯t


    seem like he was going to wake up any time soon, but his hand that held her wrist tightly refused to


    release her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Dillon. Can you please help me to take care of Mr. Alston? I just received a call saying


    that the children at home¡­ Well, we have a situation.¡± Eugene paced over anxiously and waved the


    cell phone in his hand, anxiety written all over his face. After he spoke, he even took off without even


    waiting for Amelie¡¯s response.


    She stared at him, utterly mute with shock as he thought, this one refuse to release me while the other


    just left me. What else can I do?

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370


    Chapter 370 Worried About Her


    Meanwhile, the nurse also left after keeping away the utensils, and silence fell over the room; she could


    hear only Leo¡¯s shallow breathing.


    It made Amelie ufortable that Leo was holding her hand, and she tried to pry his fingers apart, but


    when she just tried to remove one finger, the man on the bed exerted more force and practically


    dragged her toward him.


    As a result, she lost her bnce and almost toppled on top of him. If she hadn¡¯t used her other hand to


    support herself at the veryst moment, she would have fallen directly on him, aggravating his injuries.


    She inhaled sharply, didn¡¯t dare to move a muscle, and maintained that awkward position for a while


    before she slowly but surely retreated into the chair by the hospital bed.


    It had been an eventful day for her, and drowsiness crashed into her the moment she sat down.


    Eventually, she supported her chin with her palm and wriggled about on the chair to shift into a


    comfortable position before closing her eyes slowly. The next time she opened her eyes, she was


    greeted by sunlight shining through the hospital windows.


    She immediately startled awake and noticed that she was sleeping on the bed, with a nket


    cocooning her. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know what was going on as she stared at the nket nkly


    until the light smell of cigarettes wafted up her nostrils, reminding her that she was far from alone and


    that this was Leo¡¯s ward.


    He was the one sleeping on the bed earlier. So, where is he? she wondered, sitting up and scanning


    the room for him. A few secondster, she found him on the balcony with his back facing her.


    Although his silhouette looked straight-backed as per usual, he seemed to have lost more weight within


    these two years. He propped himself against the railing with his arm, and she noticed a cigarette


    sandwiched between his slender fingers. The wispy smoke traveled up the air with the morning breeze,


    and the whole scene somehow exuded a sense of abject loneliness.


    Maybe he was worried that he would awaken her, he even specially closed the balcony door, but the


    stubborn cigarette smoke still seeped in through the gaps.


    Amelie fanned her nose as she wasn¡¯t used to the nicotine smell. Leo turned around right then as


    though he could see what was happening behind his back, and their eyes met.


    His eyes were as cold and dark as usual, they also held no trace of any emotions, but they seemed to


    show a little concern when he saw her actions. So, he put out the cigarette in the ashtray he was


    holding. Then, he set it aside and brushed any remaining soot on himself before opening the door and


    stepping in.


    ¡°Did you just wake up?¡± he asked in a firm but cold voice.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered, unwittingly turning to the ashtray that was reflecting the light outside the


    window. ¡°You¡¯re still injured. It¡¯s better to avoid smoking and drinking.¡±


    When she received no answer from him, she realized that she had crossed the line and was about to


    apologize when he said hoarsely, ¡°When are you returning? It¡¯s too inconvenient to buy another ticket,


    and Bria is definitely anxiously waiting for your return. You should take my ne back.¡±


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


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± she rejected his offer after wearing her shoes. ¡°Even if it¡¯s for Bria¡¯s sake, please take


    care of your own health.¡± Then, she tucked her hair behind her ears, gave him a polite nod, and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave, then.¡±


    However, Amelie was really down on her luck. That was because the instant she arrived at the airport,


    she was informed that there was a sandstorm in Lumaria, the country where she was currently


    residing, and the only flight there had been canceled. She was also gently advised to find a hotel to


    wait it out as there wouldn¡¯t be a flight back until they were sure that it would be safe for them to


    operate.


    Amelie stood frozen on the spot as she stared at the noticeboard that shed the word ¡®Cancelled¡¯ in


    bright red lights. She immediately felt her head throbbing as she thought, I just want to go home. Why


    is life making things so difficult?


    As nobody knew when the sandstorm would be over, the airport staff couldn¡¯t tell her the exact time


    when the flight would take off, either.


    When her brain started reminding her that she had been away from home for longer than nned, she


    couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t matter how frustrated she felt, as it wouldn¡¯t


    help her situation. Hence, she could only wait at the airport for thetest news regarding her departure,


    and this waiting gamested for a few more hours.


    The waiting game was utterly torturous and mind-numbingly dull. As a result, she kept yawning, but she


    persisted in her efforts as she grabbed a magazine and flipped through it, trying to stay awake.


    Meanwhile, at the airport entrance far away, Eugene was following a gorgeous man into the airport.


    ¡°Mr. Alston, didn¡¯t the ne already pass the test? So, why are you catching a flight at the airport?¡±


    The Alstons had bought a private ne a long time ago. Regardless, it came with a strict requirement


    as it had to take two tests to ensure that it was up to par. Fortunately, the final test for this year had just


    been concluded.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t understand why Leo wanted to go to this airport instead of taking their own private


    ne.


    Leo¡¯s handsome face was tinged with its usual seriousness and aloofness, and his lips were pursed


    together tightly as he remained stonily silent. Nheless, Eugene had been serving as his personal


    assistant for years, so he quickly noticed that Leo seemed to be looking for something the moment they


    entered the airport.


    What on Earth is he looking for?


    Eugene followed his searching gaze as he darted his eyes around before they finallynded on a lean


    figure nearby that was sleeping soundly without anyone by her side.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The moment Eugene recognized the woman, the situation became clear to him. Now


    everything makes sense.


    Early in the morning, Leo had been paying attention to weather reports¡ªonly the ones about foreign


    countries¡ªand after listening to them, he announced that he wanted to make a business trip abroad.


    Still, he came here straight away without even mentioning his destination.


    So, the business trip is bogus, but the concern for Miss Dillon is genuine, Eugene thought. Why didn¡¯t


    he ask her to stay if he was so worried about her? Eugene frankly couldn¡¯t figure out what Leo was


    trying to do, and he sighed when he saw Amelie fast asleep,pletely unaware of her surroundings.


    The magazine that she was perusing had even fallen to the floor. How could she be so careless? Isn¡¯t


    she worried about her own safety when she¡¯s sleeping in a public area like this?


    Just when Eugene thought that Leo would head over to her and wake her up, he spun around and went


    to the reception instead. ¡°I would like to have a nket.¡±


    ¡­


    Amelie had a weird dream. In her dream, a pair of eyes were fixed on her, and she had nowhere to run


    or learn whose eyes they were. Her dream was a confusing desert, and she couldn¡¯t find her escape no


    matter where she went.


    The cold wind ruffled past her, and she shivered from the cold. She desperately ran around as she


    wanted to find a ce to hide from the wind, but there was nothing to shelter her as the winds ravaged


    the desert, blowing coarse sand against her face.


    Just when she couldn¡¯t bear the cold any longer, a ball of fire appeared nearby, and she ran toward it to


    find that the ming ball was burning brightly, and there was even a furry toy next to it.


    Nheless, she hastily warmed her hands at the fire, but the mes were just as cold as the winds.


    So, she picked up the furry toy instead, which was delightfully warm. Thus, she immediately hugged


    the toy tighter, bringing it closer to her.


    Amelie stretched her bodyfortably, and her eyes fluttered open slowly. That was when she saw


    that she was curled up under a nket. Even though the nket was warm, her left arm and the left


    side of her head were warmer, like she was leaning against someone.


    She started to look around to find out who was the one who ced it over her as she clutched the


    nket in her hands in bewilderment. Just then, her mind kept reying the dream she had earlier


    because she seemed to have smelled a familiar scent in her dreams.


    It smelled like Leo. Was he here? she thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± While she was trying to recall the details of her dream, a gentle voice interrupted her


    thoughts, snapping her back to reality.


    She quickly turned to the source and saw a man with an elegant, clean-cut face dressed in a white shirt


    and a pair of matching white trousers.


    ¡°Toby?¡±


    His appearance took her by surprise, and he looked a little different from two years ago; the hair he


    used to tie at the back of his head had been cut short, and he sported a short haircut now.


    On the contrary, his elegant and clean-cut face seemed untouched by time. It gave off the feeling that


    regardless of where or when, he would always appear rxed, which made others feelfortable


    and at ease in his presence.


    ¡°You¡¯re really amazing. How can you sleep so well in a busy airport like this?¡± he teased, revealing his


    pearly whites when he smiled.


    For a moment, Amelie was embarrassed, and she kept the nket away before returning his smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s a sandstorm, and nobody knows when the next flight will be avable. I thought I¡¯d just hang


    around and wait here, but I fell asleep without realizing it. Thanks for this,¡± she said, holding up the


    nket.


    A look of confusion shed past his eyes, but he didn¡¯t rify anything about the nket when she


    showed it to him. ¡°A sandstorm usuallysts for days. Why don¡¯t you return to a hotel and wait for the


    news rather than stay here? My car has just arrived to pick me up. Would you like toe with me?¡±


    Ameliebed her hair with her fingers and knew that he was right. So, she epted his offer with a


    nod. ¡°Sure,¡± she said, and they left together.


    In the airport bathroom, Eugene could hear the sounds of water flowing, and he secretly checked the


    time on his watch while standing behind the man who was washing his hands. It¡¯s been five minutes.


    Mr. Alston has been washing his hands for five minutes, and there are no signs of him stopping. All he


    did was¡­ Why is he washing his hands when it¡¯s not something filthy? And he¡¯s even washing them for


    such a long time!

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371


    Chapter 371 Beauty Lies in the Eyes of the Beholder


    Downstairs, outside Amelie¡¯s apartment building, Toby leaned against his car door and stared at the


    woman who had just fished her house keys and hopped out of the car. Then, he tilted his chin and


    asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me upstairs since we haven¡¯t met for two years?¡±


    Amelie paused in her tracks at his question and turned to look at him. A secondter, a smile spread


    across her face. ¡°If you would like to catch up, you can ask me out to a cafe nearby, Mr. Walsh.¡±


    She¡¯s still not giving me a chance, eh? he thought, and a bitter smile shed past his clean-cut face.


    Nevertheless, he checked the time on his watch and said, ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte. Rest well when you get


    home. I don¡¯t think you can return to Lumaria immediately, so we can catch up tomorrow.¡±


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


    Toby stared until her tall and lean figure disappeared into a corner after the lobby before he looked


    away, but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to get back into the car. Instead, he called a number. ¡°I¡¯m back. Let¡¯s


    meet up, shall we?¡±


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


    For the past few years, the country had been doing well economically, and both Josiah and Louie had


    stayed in the country to build their careers. Usually, they were busy with their work, but they decided to


    meet up when they heard that Toby had returned today.


    As usual, Josiah seemed reliable and resilient. Meanwhile, the good-looking Louie was a typical stylish


    man because he had previously dabbled in the entertainment industry. Since his family was in the car-


    manufacturing business, he was the CEO as well as the brand ambassador.


    Ashton remained the same as usual. He hadn¡¯t improved at all¡ªa good-for-nothing that still had the


    gall to look down on everyone despite his ipetence.


    After Toby said hi to everyone, he furrowed his brows because he noticed that Leo wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Is Leo


    noting?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon,¡± Ashton said confidently.


    Over the past couple of years, Leo had turned into a man of little words, but he wasparable to


    Ashton when it came to being flighty in terms of romance. Naturally, this made Ashton feel that he


    could rte more to Leo. But, of course, that was only what Ashton thought.


    After Toby received confirmation that Leo would being, he asked the waiter to bring them a few


    bottles of drinks. The four men chatted casually while they drank, asking each other about their recent


    developments.


    ¡°Who would have thought that the most yful one is so sessful in his career now?¡± Josiah said


    with a sigh, holding the wine ss in one hand and patting Toby¡¯s shoulder with the other.


    Louie nodded in agreement. ¡°He¡¯s right. You¡¯re the one who has the most potential to live an easy life


    based on your pretty face. It would have been so easy, but you chose to build your own career


    instead.¡±


    Although Toby was working in the past, he merely did some odd jobs here and there. In contrast, he


    was doing so well abroad that no one else in his family could evene close. They figured that he


    would eventually inherit his family¡¯s fortune sooner orter.


    ¡°What made you change? Why are you so motivated all of a sudden?¡± Louie couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°The story I heard was it all started because of a woman. Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us to that


    woman?¡± Josiah teased, shaking Toby¡¯s shoulder a couple of times.


    Toby lowered his head as he took a sip of his wine. Yet, when they asked him about the woman, all he


    did was grace them with a bitter smile.


    On the other hand, Ashton snorted and sneered derisively, ¡°You guys mean Amelie Dillon, right?


    Besides having a face that you can maybe consider pretty, there are honestly no other qualities about


    her that are worthplimenting. It really makes me wonder what¡¯s going on in those people¡¯s heads


    that they¡¯d be so attracted to her that they would revolve around her as though she was the Sun to their


    Earth.¡±


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


    ¡°There should be something about her if they couldn¡¯t bear to leave her.¡± Toby¡¯s usual calm expression


    had turned a few notches colder, and his usual smile had disappeared. He even shot Ashton a


    provocative re. ¡°She¡¯s not any less capable than Leo.¡±


    ¡°Ha! That¡¯s not true!¡± Ashton snapped arrogantly. ¡°Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, so everything


    she does is amazing to you. But she¡¯s nothing but a piece of sh*t!¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s a piece of sh*it, what are you, then?¡±


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


    As Ashton had never been questioned this way before, his face turned stiff from shock, and he scowled


    before turning to the source of the voice.


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


    He tightly knitted his brows together, and his dull eyes seemed as though they wanted to pierce


    through Ashton¡¯s soul.


    ¡°Leo?¡± At the sight of Leo, the fury on Ashton¡¯s face morphed into surprise. He probably never


    expected Leo to reprimand him so harshly.


    Leo utterly disregarded him as he strode toward the table, took a seat, and picked up a ss of wine


    between his fingers. Yet, he didn¡¯t drink it and merely swirled it gently. ¡°From now on, I don¡¯t want you


    to appear near me. Get lost!¡±


    Ashton was rendered speechless as he gaped at Leo with utter disbelief and pointed at his own nose.


    ¡°Are you driving me away because of a woman?¡±


    Earlier, he merelypared Amelie to a piece of sh*t; in his opinion, this shouldn¡¯t have caused any


    dispute! Nevertheless, he felt humiliated that Leo had actually used this opportunity to have a quarrel


    with him. So, his face distorted into a nasty scowl as he impatiently waited for Leo to answer his


    question.


    Ashton became even more infuriated when he noticed Leo¡¯s indifference. Unfortunately, it also didn¡¯t


    seem like Leo was about to change his mind about chasing him away, so he growled, ¡°Leo Alston, why


    are you picking a fight with me? Even if Amelie is a flower, it has nothing to do with you because you¡¯ve


    already divorced her for years! She doesn¡¯t even care for your concern or protection at all!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± As Toby didn¡¯t want the situation to worsen, he dragged Ashton out to the hallway


    outside, but Ashton was still burning with fury.


    ¡°What makes him think that he can tell me to get lost when he doesn¡¯t even own this ce?


    Furthermore, he and Amelie had cut off all ties with each other after that mess. Why is he still so


    protective of her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s undeniable that you¡¯ve said the wrong thing.¡± Toby, who usually wore a smile on his face, also


    turned austere. ¡°Besides, you shouldn¡¯t hurl abuse at her in the first ce. Even if you didn¡¯t, you still


    don¡¯t have the right to criticize her. She¡¯s Foxy and the boss of Starlight Media. If you call her a piece of


    sh*t despite her achievements, wouldn¡¯t that make you less than a piece of sh*t?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ashton gawked at him with astonished eyes andpletely ignored Toby¡¯s rebuke. ¡°That¡¯s


    impossible!¡±


    He had always known that Amelie was Foxy, but he always thought that she was sessful as an


    influencer because of her looks and that she just got lucky. Regardless, it never urred to him that


    she was the boss of Starlight Media, and this news hit him like a sledgehammer, knocking him so hard


    that he felt dizzy.


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


    Toby released him and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trousers. ¡°Not only was she an


    influencer and boss, she even created a tform called Knowlit that attracted tons of followers. The


    highly-educated academics around us find it very reliable and have booked a few courses on her


    tform.¡±


    ¡°Knowlit?¡±


    Even if Ashton was uninterested in Amelie¡¯s recent updates, he had heard of this tform before.


    Knowlit had be a highly favorite tform in less than three years since its establishment. The


    ones who had the capability to contribute to the tform were proud to publish their books and lessons


    on that tform, while the ones who couldn¡¯t do so would buy the sses and join the training offline.


    Everything aside, Ashton¡¯s family members would also often bring up this tform.


    ¡°This¡­ It¡¯s started by Amelie?¡±


    Not only was she an influencer and started apany, she even made training and reading into such a


    popr thing.


    ¡°She can¡¯t be so capable! Did she find herself a sessful man?¡±


    When such an idiotic question stumbled out of Ashton¡¯s mouth, Tobyughed and jeered, ¡°Do you think


    she needs to cling herself to a man? She was already a top influencer and had set up Starlight Media


    before getting to know Leo. After she divorced him, she created Knowlit. Speaking of which, she was at


    her worst during those four years when she was married to Leo. Not only was she belittled, she even


    gave up on her career.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets from shock; he had met way too many


    women who were willing to do anything for money and had never heard of someone like Amelie who


    was willing to give up money because of love.


    Toby curled his lips into a mirthless smirk as he squeezed Ashton¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°That¡¯s why


    you should spend more time on learning and less on fooling around, Ashton. Stoping to the Prix


    Bar in the future.¡±


    Even though he was more tactful and considerate than Leo, the meaning behind his words was the


    same¡ªAshton should just get lost and nevere by ever again.


    He owned Prix Bar, and his words were akin to a lifelong ban for Ashton. Hence, he didn¡¯t bother


    waiting for Ashton¡¯s reply after saying his piece and returned to the private room.a

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 372


    Chapter 372 It¡¯s Not Because of the Inheritance


    In the VIP room, the three of them continued drinking, and no one asked about Ashton. It was as


    though nothing had happened earlier.


    Toby had already donned his signature smile as he strode to Leo and sat beside him. Then, he picked


    up a ss of wine in front of him and started drinking.


    As Toby knew about the situation in Leo¡¯s family, something popped into his mind, and he asked after


    finishing half of the wine in his ss, ¡°I heard that Chandler is back. Is that true?¡±


    Leo merely grunted in reply, ¡°Yeah.¡± But there was no emotion in his voice.


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


    Everyone present knew that it was almost impossible for Leo to have a cornea change back when he


    lost his sight because of his body¡¯s unique condition.


    At that time, Chandler was ced as the next heir of Genesis with the help of Melissa, who seemed to


    have abandoned Leo.


    Although the mastermind behind the heir change incident was Melissa, Chandler¡¯s name was still Leo¡¯s


    biggest shame and pain as it reminded him of his dark past.


    Since Josiah and Louie had important things to do the next day and had to start the day early, they


    didn¡¯t hang around for long and left after a few drinks.


    The only ones left were Leo and Toby, who was lightly holding the ss in his hand as he kept his eyes


    glued on Leo the entire time while silently observing him.


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


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


    ¡°Leo, I met Amelie today,¡± Toby started.


    Leo¡¯s hand that was holding the wine ss froze briefly before he mumbled a curt reply and continued


    drinking.


    The indifference he disyed made Toby raise his brows, and he continued, ¡°I would like to court her.


    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t good enough for her two years ago, so I could only give up. But I realize that I


    still have feelings for her after seeing her again.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    This time, Leo didn¡¯t even pause for a second, and the iciness on his face and in his eyes was the


    coldest Toby had ever seen.


    It seems like he doesn¡¯t care about Amelie at all, he thought in surprise.


    After a few seconds, he smiled and didn¡¯t continue this topic anymore.


    They continued drinking in silence until Toby ced his ss down, rose to his feet, and started to


    head out.


    ¡°Toby.¡± The moment his hand touched the door, Leo¡¯s voice stopped him from behind.


    Toby twisted his head and saw that Leo was filling up his ss. Then, his emotionless voice echoed


    into his ears, ¡°If you like her, then ask for her heart with sincerity and don¡¯t flirt around or try to court


    other women at the same time. Just give your full attention and heart to her.¡±


    If Toby hadn¡¯t witnessed with his own eyes that Leo was indeed the one who had said this, he would


    never believe that Leo really said this.


    After that, Leo raised his head to stare at him suddenly. Although his gaze was steady, Toby could still


    sense the deep murderous intent in them¡ªif he didn¡¯t do as he said, he would be dead!


    ¡°You¡¯re still in love with her,¡± he blurted, but Leo didn¡¯t respond to him and continued drinking with his


    head as he lowered his head.


    For a full ten minutes, Toby stood there waiting to see how he would respond, but to Leo, it was as


    though he was just an invisible presence.


    ¡­


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re home, Leo.¡±


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


    greet him.


    ¡°What kept you so busy until this time of the day? Did you have dinner yet?¡± His voice was filled with


    concern and care, which made him seem like a genuinely nice person.


    Yet, Leo remained quiet the whole time and went straight into the house, wholly dismissing Chandler¡¯s


    presence.


    That didn¡¯t bother Chandler the slightest as he followed Leo in while sniffing the air around him. ¡°Did


    you drink? If Mother sees you like this, she¡¯ll be worried again. I¡¯ll prepare some ginger tea for you.¡±


    After they passed by the living room, he scurried toward the kitchen.


    Leo went upstairs instead as though he hadn¡¯t heard Chandler at all, leaving him alone at the kitchen


    entrance with an awkward expression as he gingerly rubbed his hands together.


    ¡°Is Leo home?¡± Melissa inquiredzily when she saw Chandler after she came out of her room,


    dressed in pajamas.


    ¡°Yes, he is,¡± Chandler answered, cleaning his hands hastily before going to her. ¡°But he¡¯s tired and


    heading straight to bed. What do you need, Mother? Let me get it for you.¡±


    Melissa stared at the empty staircase apathetically as she rubbed her temples and sighed. A few


    secondster, she intonedzily, ¡°Get me a ss of water, then.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he answered and immediately went to pour her a ss of water. ¡°It¡¯s better to have warm water


    at night.¡±


    Melissa nodded in approval and started drinking. When she finished, she gave him a pat on the


    shoulder. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re here.¡±


    Although Chandler was merely her adopted son, he treated her far better than her own son, Leo,


    attending to her every need and showering her with unabashed concern.


    Hence, her approval for him was over the roof, and she couldn¡¯t help butin that Leo was too


    aloof toward her.


    I merely made a small, tiny mistake back then. Does he need to carry the grudge to this day? she


    comined silently and sighed a couple of times.


    Regardless, Chandler knew better than to ask what was troubling her and merely said, ¡°You should be


    wide awake after waking up at this time, Mother. Would you like me to give you a massage? I¡¯ve


    learned quite a lot over the years when I was abroad, and my massage skills are pretty good.¡±


    ¡°That will be great!¡± Melissa epted his offer with delight and took a seat on the couch.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


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


    As she enjoyed thefortable massage, she nodded and patted him. ¡°You¡¯re so considerate,


    Chandler.¡±


    Back then, if it weren¡¯t because Leo had regained his eyesight and she was worried that Chandler


    would snatch up thepany shares, she wouldn¡¯t have insisted on sending him abroad.


    And now, when shepared his attitude toward her with Leo¡¯s, a shard of regret crept over her.


    If she had known that Leo was such a tough nut to crack, it might have been even better if the


    company hadnded in Chandler¡¯s hands back then.


    If I had passed Genesis to Chandler, I wouldn¡¯t have to put up with Leo¡¯s attitude because Chandler


    has a lot of respect for me, she thought and sighed once more.


    ¡°Are you worried about Leo, Mother? He may be a little indifferent, but he¡¯s always been career-


    focused and has made impressive achievements over the past two years, which makes me pale in


    comparison.¡±


    He came up with all sorts of things tofort her when he heard her sigh. Just as expected, when he


    brought up Leo¡¯s achievements, Melissa felt the disgruntlement growing inside her instantly be doused


    by cold water.


    ¡°Yes, he is a workaholic.¡±


    In thest two years, Leo had made massive profits for thepany, and she could lift her head higher


    than before whenever she was in public.


    ¡°Chandler, you should stay,¡± she said.


    That would be amazing, she thought. Since Leo wasn¡¯t close to her, she decided to keep Chandler,


    who was willing to please her, by her side. On the one hand, she would have her own son to make


    money and make her proud. On the other hand, she would have Chandler, who would treat her like a


    Queen¡ªthe best of both worlds.


    ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Chandler answered. in a dilemma.


    ¡°Why not?¡± she asked instead. ¡°It would have been so tiring for me if you weren¡¯t around to take care of


    things around here. So, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll ask Leo to give you a part of thepany¡¯s shares.¡±


    ¡°No, definitely not!¡± Chandler shook his head profusely in shock. ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave if you really do that!¡±


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


    because she really wanted to give him any!


    Her eyes crinkled from smiling when she saw that he was not ambitious. ¡°If you insist, I won¡¯t force it on


    you, then. However, you¡¯re my son, just like Leo!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mother,¡± Chandler said earnestly.


    After a few minutes of massage, Melissa was finally tired again and ambled off with a yawn. In the


    living room, Chandler¡¯s clear eyes, which seemed as though they held zero desires, narrowed all of a


    sudden, and a sharp light gleamed from within.


    ¡°I¡¯m your son? Do you really take me for a fool? But rest assured. I didn¡¯t return because of the family


    inheritance,¡± he murmured as the gleam in his eyes turned cial and malicious.

 Chapter 373

    Chapter 373


    Chapter 373 Melissa Putting up a Show


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


    Running water fell on Leo¡¯s head and formed streams down his face as it flowed down his chest, torso,


    and legs before finally sshing against the tiles.


    Leo¡¯s skin was as red as a beet after standing under such a hot shower for an hour. Yet, he repeatedly


    applied soap as he harshly scrubbed his body and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.


    ¡­


    The next day, the government had not retracted the vog alert. So, Steven called Amelie early in the


    morning and advised her from flying back due to worry.


    Lumaria was a country with a great natural environment. Yet, a volcano suddenly erupted, creating


    severe volcanic smog that affected a huge part of the area.


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


    subside.


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


    It was already noon in a blink of an eye. Just as she was thinking about grabbing some food to eat


    outside, Toby gave her a call, saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go for coffee? I¡¯m already


    downstairs.¡±


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


    against it.


    Even though she couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, the signature white clothes and how he carried himself


    all pointed toward Toby.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t very well tell him that she was just being polite yesterday. So, she answered, ¡°Sure.¡±


    She didn¡¯t let him wait long and appeared downstairs a few minutester. ¡°Where are we going for


    coffee?¡±


    Toby tilted his sculpted face and said mysteriously, ¡°You¡¯ll know. Get in.¡±


    So, Amelie didn¡¯t push for an answer and got in the car.


    Toby brought her to a private kitchen that was known for its quality for lunch before pointing in a


    direction and telling her, ¡°There¡¯s a good coffee shop down this street.¡±


    He didn¡¯t start the car but motioned with his head asking silently for Amelie to walk with him. And so


    she did.


    The area they were in was rather far from the city. So, there weren¡¯t many skyscrapers but lower


    residential houses. It seemed like the houses were self-built as they all looked different from one


    another.


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


    him.


    ¡°Woah,¡± she eximed, instinctively reaching out to hold the child.


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


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


    Then, Amelie immediately looked around for his family.


    ¡°Urgh! Why do I have toe here every week?!¡± Then, when she was searching for his parents, she


    heard the shrill of an impatient female from the courtyard.


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


    Just as she expected, she saw a familiar figure standing by the wall when she turned her head around


    to look at the courtyard.


    Jodie was wearing a mini dress showing off her long slender legs and carrying a mini bag, looking like


    the fashionista that she was. Unfortunately, she also had heavy makeup on, and it was almost


    impossible to decipher her natural face.


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


    Beside her were two children crawling and one child holding onto her leg like he wanted to stand up.


    Nheless, Jodie pushed the child away with her leg without hiding the disdain on her face.


    ¡°If you want to suck up to Leo, you can do it yourself! Don¡¯t pull me into this!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean pull you into this? These are all Leo¡¯s children. How could you not care?¡± Then,


    another voice sounded, and Amelie immediately knew that it was Melissa.


    Amelie was a little surprised that Melissa and Jodie didn¡¯t know that those children weren¡¯t Leo¡¯s.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°He can take care of them himself since they¡¯re his children. He has the money and influence. He can


    hire the best nanny in the world. So, there¡¯s no need for us to butt in,¡± Jodieined unpleasantly.


    She couldn¡¯t find it in herself to like the children that filled the courtyard. In fact, she detested them. If


    there weren¡¯t legal repercussions for murder, she would have strangled the little brats.


    ¡°You know that I don¡¯t like children!¡±


    It was well known that Jodie didn¡¯t like children. She especially didn¡¯t like that Leo had so many


    children as she thought about the inheritance these children would take from him. Then, what would


    happen to her?


    In her opinion, everything Leo owned would be hers if he didn¡¯t have a family. When these children


    grow up, they would sweetly address her as auntie. Nheless, she bet that none of them would


    willingly share their inheritance with her when she brought it up.


    ¡°You think I like children, then?¡± Melissa sighed in a low tone. ¡°Have you ever thought about this? If we


    don¡¯t help Leo now, he¡¯ll not care about uster.¡±


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


    Still, she had to n ahead for herself. Leo wasn¡¯t her ideal son. So, she had to have a backup n.


    As she thought about that, she turned around and waved Le over. ¡°Are the pictures ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Le nodded and passed over the phone.


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


    children.


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


    screen with her forefinger.


    ¡°This. This. And this.¡±


    Le would send pictures of the children to Leo every day, and Melissa would be there picking a few


    photos with her in them.


    She did this to garner Leo¡¯s good impression of her to change his view of her. That was one of the


    reasons she even bothereding here.


    The other reason was that one of these children would eventually inherit his business. Therefore, her


    days would be easier if she treated them well once they grew up.


    She knew how to take care of herself and was aware that she could live until she was 80. However,


    she didn¡¯t want to grovel under her grandson when she was that age.


    So, she needed to instill her authority among the children now. That way, they would all obey her


    orders like she was the queenter.


    Le knew Melissa¡¯s scheme but didn¡¯t say anything and obediently sent the pictures as she was


    instructed.


    Jodie made sounds of disapproval when she saw that Melissa still had the mood to go through the


    pictures but stopped herints since Le was there.


    After Le sent the pictures, Melissa had enough of the situation and waved her hands in dismissal.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go in for tea.¡±


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


    Le, who stood outside, let out a silent sigh and shook her head in disappointment, thinking of the


    show Melissa and Jodie were putting up. This mother-and-daughter duo didn¡¯t think to advise Leo¡¯s


    sudden habit of meeting women and only thought about their interests.


    She was but a maid and didn¡¯t have a say in this. So, she could only swallow any displeasure she felt


    about this situation.


    Meanwhile, Amelie heard everything they said clearly, although she was outside and couldn¡¯t see them.


    As a result, she couldn¡¯t help but curl the corner of her lips in disdain.


    These two women are such bad actors. They don¡¯t even realize that a child is missing.


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


    The young baby being carried by Amelie suddenly caught a whiff of her scent and moved closer to her


    with his big round eyes as he snuggled against her.


    His tiny hands held onto her neck and bbered, ¡°Smells. Smells good.¡± Then, he tried to bite on her


    face with the few little teeth that had just started to grow in his mouth.


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


    Toby rushed to carry him away when he noticed the child biting Amelie. s, the child struggled and


    kicked his legs as he wanted to be with Amelie.


    The dirt on his shoes allnded on Toby and painted his white suit with numerous ck footprints.


    Just as he was about to pull the child away, someone came running out and eximed, ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m so


    sorry!¡± Then, he swiftly took the child from Toby¡¯s hands.


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

 Chapter 374

    Chapter 374


    Chapter 374 Being Cold to Him


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


    Toby dusted the footprints off his white shirt while Chandler carried the child in his arms like he had


    done it a million times. It was hard to believe he wasn¡¯t married.


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


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Toby waved his hands nonchntly and smiled brightly. ¡°Why are you here, though?¡±


    Even though Chandler was adopted by the Alston Family, he was barely acquainted with Toby. So, they


    only knew of each other at the most and had never talked to one another besides the basic


    pleasantries required.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help take care of the children.¡± Chandler smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m free anyways, and the kids are


    cute.¡±


    Toby didn¡¯t respond and gave a silent nod instead. It was unclear what he truly thought about


    Chandler¡¯s reason.


    Chandler carried the child with one arm and lightly patted his head with another before sighing lightly,


    ¡°These children are lucky to have Leo adopt them. If not, they¡¯ll be an orphan for life. I¡¯m an orphan. I


    know how tough it is. So, I wanted to do something to lessen the trauma of their parents abandoning


    them.¡±


    He was so emotional that Toby felt rather ufortable and awkwardly coughed into his fist in


    response.


    On the other hand, Amelie wasn¡¯t one to butt in other people¡¯s problems. So, she stayed quiet.


    Then, Chandler¡¯s gazended on her. ¡°Leo will celebrate their birthdays all on one day. It¡¯s in two days.


    Would you like toe, Miss Dillon?¡±


    Amelie guessed his intention and just smiled with a shake of her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be busy.¡±


    After her rejection, she noticed the child in Chandler¡¯s arms staring at her and felt terrible. So, she


    offered, ¡°I¡¯ll get them birthday gifts, though.¡±


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


    Finally, he nodded gratefully. ¡°I thank you on their behalf.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Then, Amelie and Toby left.


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


    ¡°You did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± Amelie questioned after they were some distance away.


    Toby was slightly taken aback. ¡°Huh?¡±


    He immediately caught on and shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Leo¡¯s children to be here. However, it


    was Chandler who introduced the coffee ce to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea how he knew that I often go to the private kitchen we went to earlier and strongly


    rmended the coffee from this ce.¡± Toby pointed at the coffee shop sign that was right up ahead.


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


    ¡°You think there¡¯s something off with Chandler?¡± he asked.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She didn¡¯t reply and only curved the corner of her lips in reply.


    Indeed, she didn¡¯t like Chandler. But it wasn¡¯t right to use him without any evidence. Besides, she


    and Chandler¡¯s interests didn¡¯t sh.


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


    children birthday gifts as she promised.


    Since they were all still quite young and she didn¡¯t know what they liked. In the end, she got them all a


    big plush toy that they could y with.


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


    After she had made up her mind, she realized that she didn¡¯t know how many of the children were


    there. So, after some thought, she called Chandler, and he promptly told her the answer.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Dillon. It¡¯s so kind of you to buy them gifts,¡± he said sincerely. ¡°I can see that you


    really like children.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t reply as she felt that Chandler had more to say.


    As expected, he continued, ¡°I still hope that you will reconsider. Leo¡¯s not a yboy. He has been


    abstinent these few years.¡±


    ¡°Those rumors about him sleeping around aren¡¯t true. You know that he holds a high position. Those


    people spread the rumors because they wanted to use this as a chance to get closer to him. He didn¡¯t


    care enough to rify. So¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll courier the gifts to you, Mr. Chandler,¡± Amelie interrupted him as she wasn¡¯t interested in this


    conversation.


    Chandler let out a sigh before acknowledging her statement.


    ¡°Oh, right. Please don¡¯t tell Mr. Alston about me sending the gifts,¡± she requested, as she didn¡¯t want to


    cause a stir.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t,¡± he promised.


    ¡­


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


    Leo¡¯s car was quietly parked outside the house at night, and Eugene came jumping out of the car a


    momentter.


    Eugene opened the trunk and took out the cake and birthday gifts specially prepared for the children


    that his wife helped pick out.


    After he gathered everything, he strode to the side of the car and pulled open the door before


    announcing in a low voice, ¡°We¡¯re here, Mr. Alston.¡±


    The serious man who had been working with his head lowered in the car hummed through his sealed


    lips as an acknowledgment.


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


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


    ¡°Leo.¡± Chandler came running out, rubbing his hands together while wearing an apron.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s ready,¡± he informed.


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


    ¡°Um. I came to help because I saw how busy Miss Potts was.¡± Chandler scratched his head and


    exined nervously, seemingly afraid of Leo.


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


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


    ¡°Tell Miss Potts to hire more people the next time she needs help!¡± Leo ordered Eugene and didn¡¯t


    reply to Chandler.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Alston,¡± Eugene answered.


    Then, Leo continued to walk into the house.


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


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Eugene avoided his hands. He had to stay away from people his boss didn¡¯t like.


    Chandler¡¯s eyes dimmed as he saw how Eugene rejected his help like he was the gue.


    By the time the two men entered the living room, Leo was already seated on the sofa leaningzily into


    it with his legs crossed and a hand ced on his knee.


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


    The house was filled with cushions. So, they weren¡¯t afraid of the babies falling over and hurting


    themselves.


    The babies seemed to be very curious about Leo as they gathered around him. One of them even


    ced their hand on his knee and stared at him. Some were nibbling on their little hands and dribbling,


    while others were nudging at his ankles.


    Le and the nannies were standing to the side while Le kept her gaze going back and forth between


    the children and Leo.


    When she noticed how Leo¡¯s stern face was slightly rxed, she felt a touch of relief as she knew that


    he genuinely liked the children.


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


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


    Even though Leo didn¡¯t say anything, his actions intentionally became more delicate when he caressed


    the children¡¯s faces.


    He didn¡¯t even care when the babies grabbed onto the legs of his pants and nibbled on them, leaving a


    trail of saliva.


    ¡°Mr. Alston is so patient with the children,¡± Le softly murmured to herself with a sigh.


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


    It was only now that Leo looked connected to the world. Although he was as cold as usual, his eyes


    didn¡¯t seem as apathetic and even held a trace of warmth.


    Chandler acted like he didn¡¯t hear what Le said and walked to Leo¡¯s side. ¡°Leo, I don¡¯t understand


    why you hate me. I have no ill intentions. I just want to help.¡±

 Chapter 375

    Chapter 375


    Chapter 375 It¡¯s Not Good To Hold It In, Leo


    Leo didn¡¯t respond and merely flicked off the inexistent lint on his pants.


    Chandler, who was ignored, looked at him pitifully with teary eyes. ¡°I know you think I¡¯m back to get a


    share of the inheritance. But I know my position. I was never an Alston. So, I never dared to imagine


    such a thing.¡±


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


    hell.¡±


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


    his eyes was unmistakable.


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


    everything.


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


    them were about inheritance.


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


    Finally, after what seemed like a decade, Leo averted his gaze away, but he still didn¡¯t deign to give


    him a response.


    He leaned forward and carried the baby, who was sitting by his leg, before standing up and walking


    away from Chandler. ¡°Let¡¯s cut the cake.¡±


    The cake-cutting ceremony went by without problems with Le¡¯s help.


    ¡°This is for you, Mr. Alston.¡± Le passed him a slice of cake.


    Leo epted the te and took a spoonful but didn¡¯t eat it. Instead, he put the spoon into the baby¡¯s


    mouth.


    The little guy had his mouth wide open, and the spoon went in. But, he impatiently chomped down, so


    the spoon was stuck in his mouth. Leo wasn¡¯t afraid of the mess and gently nudged the spoon out


    before continuing to feed him.


    Le watched as Leo fed the child with his long slender fingers holding the spoon. Although he was


    doing something so down to earth, he still looked as noble as ever.


    ¡°Miss Potts, a new baby will be delivered in a couple of months. Please prepare the necessary items


    for the newborn,¡± Leo ordered as he fed the child.


    Le replied with a heavy heart, ¡°Why don¡¯t we bring the baby¡¯s mother over as well? They need to live


    too.¡± She couldn¡¯t bear to see Leo continue to take only the child and not their mother.


    ¡°The children need a mother too. It¡¯s not enough to have just us nannies. We can neverpare to


    their mothers,¡± Le spoke up.


    Usually, she was afraid of speaking up to Leo. However, she pitied the children and didn¡¯t want Leo to


    continue his phnderer ways.


    ¡°Children need both their father and mother,¡± she dropped thest bomb, and her whole body tensed


    up, afraid of what was toe.


    She knew she had crossed the line. However, it was human nature to think of the positive sides of


    things, especially since she watched Leo growing up.


    Nheless, Leo didn¡¯t reply and took a tissue to wipe the baby¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t give them so many


    sweets.¡±


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


    disappointment and sigh inwardly.


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


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


    hands on the cake.


    Immediately, a teddy bear was stuffed into the baby¡¯s arms. It was so huge that he almost couldn¡¯t hug


    it.


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


    Chandler smiled heartily when he caught a glimpse of the joy on the child¡¯s face. So, he rushed to pass


    out the plush toys to the rest of the children.


    Leo, who was wiping the cake that the baby had smothered on his shirt and fingers, was stunned when


    he looked up to see the plush toys in the children¡¯s arms.


    Suddenly, his eyes darkened.


    Chandler didn¡¯t miss the look in his eyes but acted nonchntly as he patted the children¡¯s heads.


    ¡°This is a gift from an Auntie. A very, very nice Auntie.¡±


    Just as he finished his sentence, Leo stood up. ¡°That¡¯s it for tonight. Bring the kids to rest.¡± Then, he


    strode out of the room.


    Le was caught off guard at his sudden departure and looked at him with a confused look. Still, she


    didn¡¯t dare disobey him and urged the nannies to carry the children back to their rooms.


    ¡°Leo!¡±


    Leo exited the courtyard and was about to step onto the stairs leading to the outside of the house when


    Chandler came running after him. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me, and I respect that. But it¡¯s obvious you


    care about Miss Dillon. So, why don¡¯t you do something about it?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t stop in his tracks, and Chandler also had no intention of stopping.


    ¡°Those presents were gifted by Miss Dillon. She knows that these children aren¡¯t yours. She also


    knows that you¡¯re not sleeping around like in the rumors!¡±


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


    Chandler shuddered when he felt the change of aura.


    Yet, he still plucked up the courage to get closer to Leo. ¡°Miss Dillon came by today. I merely


    mentioned that the children are celebrating their birthdays. Then, she said that she wanted to send


    them gifts. Leo, she still has feelings for you. Since you both have feelings for each other, why not try a


    little harder? There¡¯s nothing in your way.¡±


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


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


    An evil smile gradually crept up on Chandler¡¯s good-natured face as he watched the car drive away


    and disappear before his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not good to hold it in, Leo.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Leo? He¡¯s gone to his room for a long time. Did he fall asleep?¡± Melissa asked as


    she held a cup of floral tea, sitting on the sofa with her fair legs crossed.


    Jodie, who was sitting on a single sofa, was busy scrolling on her phone and answeredzily, ¡°Who


    knows?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Leo seems to be showering,¡± the butler answered and walked over with a concerned look on his


    face. ¡°I heard the water running in his room. It hasn¡¯t stopped at all since just now.¡±


    Leo¡¯s room door wasn¡¯t shut properly, and the sounds of the running water were loud. That was why he


    overheard it.


    ¡°Does it take so long for a shower?¡± Melissa frowned impatiently.


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


    needed something.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Even though the butler wasn¡¯t family, even he was worried that Leo had fainted inside the shower after


    so long.


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


    This family¡­


    In the end, he was but a butler and was in no ce toment on his masters. So, he could only keep


    those words to himself.


    ¡°Should I go take a look?¡± Chandler just so happened to return and ced a soft pillow behind


    Melissa¡¯s back before adjusting the light beside Jodie to make it brighter.


    Melissa was very pleased with his considerate action and smiled. ¡°Yea. Go take a look and ask him to


    come down.¡±


    She didn¡¯t dare go up. However, Chandler, the errand boy, came back just in time.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Then, he went upstairs.


    At the moment, Leo was scrubbing his body furiously in the bathroom with a rough loofah. Every time


    the loofah passed by, it would leave horrid red marks all over his skin.

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 376


    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 nced 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 toe 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 avable.


    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 n oning 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 epted the gift.


    They still had some time before the ne 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 exin.


    ¡°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¡­¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    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 havee 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, ke 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.


    Bria noticed the tenderness in his eyes despite him never exposing his feelings for Amelie to the light.


    She even roasted ke behind his back to Amelie, ¡°I bet key really wants to be 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 ke 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 woulde 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.¡±


    ke turned around and saw her blinking her big eyes with a face filled with seriousness before


    bursting out in jovialughter as he patted her little head.


    Bria was far from happy by his reaction. ¡°I¡¯m serious, key. 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,¡± kemented gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll still like you,¡± Bria promised as she thumped her chest confidently.


    However, ke just nodded carefreely. ¡°Okay. Sure.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know that this simple answer nted 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 ke 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 investigationpany 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

    Chapter 377


    Chapter 377 Double-Booked


    Inside the car, a man dressed in a ck 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 nced at the luxury watch on his wrist with a nk 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 foreignnd 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 ck.


    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 muscr body was exposed.


    Drops of water slid off his ck 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 shed 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 re 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.


    Simrly, 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 muscr 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 rtionship between the couple was not an average friendship, so he


    decided to y 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.


    She ced 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 tes 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 cing 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 feastid 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.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    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 quiterge. 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 upied.


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


    Amelie nced down at her spoon ttering 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 ced the spoon on the table and gestured at the spare


    cutlery.


    He then turned and walked into the bathroom.

 Chapter 378

    Chapter 378


    Chapter 378 ckmailed Into Bing 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 dering


    they were done with dinner.


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


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    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.


    Toozy 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 amp 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 ced 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 nonchnt 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 beughed 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 shed 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 ncing at Amelie¡¯s room when he spotted her.


    She did not tell him much. ¡°I¡¯m here for some work-rted business.¡±


    She was not that close to him, so there was soon nothing for them to talk about. He had nned 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. Thest 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 nket 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 nket 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.¡±


    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 ckmail their victims into bing 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 nned 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 red his horns in dissatisfaction.


    The neer 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 mmed 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 wereing. 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.


    ck! 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

    Chapter 379


    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


    ced 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 theyy between his knees. He did not even bother to


    hide his leer as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re allw-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 asionalughter 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 shed 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 shed 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 de 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 de 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 nned 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


    obviousndmark.


    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 hispanion held hostage, the driver did not dare fool around. He slowly


    changednes 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 mped 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 allrge, 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 aplices? 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, mming 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 ck 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 toote 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 nned 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?!¡± hispanions 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,nky figure.


    That person was so quick and nimble that they were like a panther.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 380

    Chapter 380


    Chapter 380 We Should Indulge Ourselves


    The guy-in-charge noticed that someone wasing 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 nced 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 ce because she was worried


    about thews 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 ryed 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 nced 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, camouged 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 darkplexion, turned to the person sitting next to him.


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


    He lounged in the plush leather seat, his features entuated by the ck 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 oue 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 meaninglessbat, 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 nonchntly 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 eximed, 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 borate further.


    Instead, he extended his hand and meticulously straightened the man¡¯s shirt cor,


    smoothing out the creases on the floral- patterned fabric.


    ¡°Nightwing, we¡¯ve made enough money tost 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


    reced by a look of worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡± she eventually replied.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Leo responded.


    Seemingly realizing that he had lost hisposure, 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, nced 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¡ªhe wanted to allow Amelie and Leo to spend some


    time alone.


    However, Amelie could see right through his n 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 ufortable 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


    contemtion, 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 ne. 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 ne 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¡ª¡± However, Leo spoke up before Eugene could finish.


    ¡°No need¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    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.

 Chapter 381

    Chapter 381


    Chapter 381 Eugene Was Confused


    Instead of boarding the ne immediately, Leo had Eugene book a nearby hotel


    room.


    He then spent over an hour in the bathroom.


    As Leo¡¯s personal assistant, Eugene was very intelligent.


    After recalling several instances of Leo behaving this way, he suddenly realized the


    reason for Leo¡¯s behavior.


    So, it seemed that Leo only acted like this because of his interactions with Amelie.


    Eugene was almost shocked by his own discovery.


    Was it necessary to dislike someone so much? It seemed that Leo had truly let go of


    his feelings for Amelie.


    Then, were the rescue today and previous instances of generosity simply because


    she was Bria¡¯s mother? As Eugene was pondering this, the door clicked open.


    Wearing a bathrobe and drying his hair with a towel, Leo walked out.He had no


    expression on his handsome face, and his chest was red from the long shower.


    no.vel.e.book His legs were also red, and his hands and feet were wrinkled from being


    soaked in water.


    Leo nced at Eugene indifferently before picking up his phone and dialing a number.


    ¡°Find out who was bothering Amelie between 9 and 10 this morning and who recently


    had a problem with her!¡±


    He then gave the country and location before hanging up.


    Eugene was confused.


    What did this mean? Did Leo dislike Amelie but still care about her? His previous


    conclusion had been overturned, and he was once again baffled.


    When Leo turned around and saw Eugene¡¯s dazed expression, he red at Eugene


    and said, ¡°Get the ne ready!¡±


    Eugene quickly nodded, finallying to his senses.


    He was just about to ask Leo about the reason for his changing attitude toward Amelie


    when Leo turned and walked into the changing room.


    The nended in Clouson City at 3.00PM.


    Just when itnded, Eugene walked over with his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s a call for you.¡±The call was from Victor.Eugene was curious about what Victor


    would say.Leo walked over and took the phone from Eugene¡¯s hand without a word,


    then looked at Eugene and didn¡¯t say anything.Eugene understood immediately and


    stepped back.


    Leo didn¡¯t answer immediately but walked about 10 meters away to an open area


    before answering the phone.


    ¡°Speak!¡±


    ¡°Mr.Cornelius!¡±


    Eugene was standing under the ne, lost in thought when Chandler walked over


    with a grin on his face.


    Eugene didn¡¯t have much of an impression of Chandler, but he felt that Chandler was


    a decent guy who was nice and polite to everyone.


    Melissa and Jodie werepletely won over by him too.


    ¡°Why are you here, Mr.Chandler?¡± Eugene politely asked.


    Chandler ran a hand through his short hair.


    ¡°I asked the captain of the ne and found out that you¡¯reing back at this time,


    so I came to pick you guys up¡±


    He smiled cidly, looking like someone anyone could bully.


    Eugene didn¡¯t like men with this kind of personality, but he couldn¡¯t despise Chandler


    just because he didn¡¯t like thetter, so he maintained his politeness.


    ¡°Oh, Mr.Chandler, you¡¯re so thoughtful.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re family, so don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Chandler said.


    After a moment of searching, his gaze settled on Leo in the distance, and he bobbed


    his chin a little.


    ¡°Talking business, huh?¡±


    Eugene replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Chandler rubbed his hands.


    ¡°Who is Leo talking to? Why is he acting so secretive? Doesn¡¯t he trust you usually?


    Why is he avoiding you too?¡±


    Eugene chuckled in his heart.


    Chandler¡¯s words were full of hidden meanings. On the surface, Chandler was


    speaking up for Eugene, but in reality, Chandler was trying to sow discord between


    Eugene and Leo.


    He had originally thought that this adopted son of the Alston Family was a simpleminded nice guy, but


    he was obviously not as naive as he appeared on the surface.


    Eugene remained silent while covertly cing Chandler on his cklist, adding him to


    the roster of individuals to be wary of.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go pack up,¡± Eugene said before heading back to the ne.


    Leo only had one suitcase.


    When Eugene walked over, a flight attendant was carrying the suitcase toward him.


    Seeing Eugene, she called out, ¡°Mr.Cornelius.¡±


    Eugene politely nodded and walked straight into the cockpit.


    ¡°Mr.Cornelius,¡± the captain had just put his headset on the shelf when he turned


    around and saw Eugene.


    Eugene nodded and closed the door behind him.


    Seeing him close the door, the captain knew Eugene had something important to say


    and didn¡¯t do anything else.


    ¡°In the future, don¡¯t reveal our whereabouts to anyone,¡± Eugene reminded him. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The captain became instantly aware of what Eugene was saying. He asked, ¡°What


    about Mrs.Alston and Miss Alston?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell them either!¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    On thergewn of the private airport, Leo was talking to Victor on the phone. Victor


    quickly told him what he had found out.


    ¡°Miss Dillon went on this trip to discuss business, but for some reason, she changed


    her mind. She was kidnapped by a group of local thugs disguised as cab drivers


    outside the hotel. These people often cheat others under the pretext of discussing


    business. no.vel.e.book I believe that they had been targeting Miss Dillon early on and


    had probably arranged to meet her to discuss business.


    Miss Dillon changed her mind at thest minute probably because she found out


    about their true nature.However, it¡¯s strange that although Miss Dillon said she would


    discuss business with them, she didn¡¯t give them a specific time.Yet, they not only


    knew that Miss Dillon was there but even knew which hotel she was staying at.It¡¯s


    really puzzling¡±


    ¡°Are these people very influential?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re egotistical, but not influential.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t ask anything else and hung up the phone.


    He walked back holding his phone and saw Chandler standing under the ne.When


    he saw Chandler, his brows furrowed.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chandler put on a smile.


    ¡°Mrs.Alston knew you wereing back and sent me to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°She did?¡±


    Leo uttered, his lips curling in faint mockery.


    Given Melissa¡¯s attitude toward him, she probably didn¡¯t even inquire about when he


    wasing back, so how could she send Chandler to pick him up? ¡°Mr.Alston, do you


    want to go back to thepany first?¡±


    Eugene came down from the ne and saw Leo walking back, so he rushed over.


    ¡°No.I¡¯ll go home,¡± Leo said, pointing toward Chandler with his chin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ride with him.¡± Eugene was taken aback.


    Although Leo had never said it, he could tell that Leo didn¡¯t like Chandler.


    Usually, Leo couldn¡¯t be bothered to look Chandler in the eye, let alone ride in his car.


    What was Leo thinking?


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear!¡±


    Chandler heard Leo¡¯s words and was overjoyed, acting like a child who just got


    candy.He took the luggage from the flight attendant and quickly opened the trunk to


    put it in.


    After doing so, he ran to open the car door, saying happily, ¡°Leo, get in.¡±


    The fawning and joyful smile on his face nearly even moved Eugene¡¯s heart.


    If Eugene hadn¡¯t seen through his true nature, he would have thought that Chandler


    was really so subservient in the Alston Family.Leo didn¡¯t say much.He simply lowered


    his head and got into the car.


    Eugene was worried so he tried to follow them, saying, ¡°Let me drive.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Leo waved his hand.


    ¡°Mr.Cornelius, see you next time.¡±


    Chandler waved his hand with a happy and gentle smile.


    Then, he got into the car and started the engine.


    As Eugene watched the car drive away, his eyelids twitched uncontrobly.


    Why did he feel that something was about to happen? In fact, Eugene¡¯s sixth sense


    was right.


    Something did happen.

 Chapter 382

    Chapter 382


    Chapter 382 Don¡¯t Make


    Trouble for Amelie ¡°Leo, what are you doing?!¡±


    Seeing that he was slowly being lifted, Chandler began struggling and shouting nonstop.His hands


    were tied tightly behind him, and he was being hung up and raised


    toward the ceiling.


    Due to his struggles, his body was shaking like a sandbag.


    Chandler screamed and his eyes turned red; he was almost on the verge of tears.


    ¡°Stop this! Mrs.Alston and Jodie are still waiting for us to go back home: Leo sat on


    the only chair in the room, his gaze as cold as ever.His eyes were calm and his thin


    lips were pursed.He only looked at Chandler and had no intention of speaking.The


    two of Leo¡¯s bodyguards were the ones who hung Chandler up.


    Chandler looked down and saw Leo¡¯s jet-ck hair and his icy eyes.


    He finally burst into tears, crying out, ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did it turn out like this? I


    just stopped the car.Why is this happening to me?¡±On the way, Leo told Chandler to


    stop the car.As soon as the car stopped, Chandler was dragged out by the


    bodyguards and then shoved into this room.


    Chandler was so passive and pitiful at this moment with tears and snot running down


    his face that he had no image at all.


    Seeing that Leo remained silent, Chandler stopped asking questions.


    Instead, he begged for mercy.


    ¡°Leo, please let me go.If I made you unhappy in any way, just tell me.Even if you want


    me to leave that home, I-I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to leave.¡±


    Leo, who had been silent all along, finally parted his lips and spoke with a faint smile.


    ¡°You can stay, and you can also make trouble there as you like.¡±


    Chandler was speechless.


    A trace of surprise shed in his eyes.He couldn¡¯t help but meet Leo¡¯s gaze, but when


    he looked into Leo¡¯s eyes, he still saw coldness and nothing more.


    Even the bodyguards were shocked by Leo¡¯s words.


    The boss allowed Chandler to create trouble at home? What was he thinking? ¡°But


    you absolutely cannot make trouble for Amelie!¡±Leo¡¯s eyes were cold and he spoke


    ina firm tone.


    ¡°Leo, what are you saying? How could I make trouble at home? I swear to God! I¡¯ve


    never done that before!¡±


    Chandler quickly suppressed his emotions and spoke in a pitiful tone.He continued,


    ¡°Are you thinking that I am being too nice to Mrs.Alston and Jodie? If you don¡¯t like it, I


    won¡¯t do it anymore.I¡¯m sorry.I really didn¡¯t think that my actions would cause you


    harm.¡±


    Chandler¡¯s performance was done with great effort as he tried hard to portray himself


    as a weak and wronged guy.Leo beckoned to the bodyguards with his finger.


    They understood and let Chandler down using the ropes.


    When Chandler¡¯s feetnded on the ground, his legs were so weak that he almost fell


    over.Leo walked over, picked up his cor, and lifted him before saying in a serious


    tone, ¡°Listen.If I ever see you try to harm Amelie again, you¡¯re dead!¡±


    As soon as he said this, heavy killing intent filled the room, and the temperature


    dropped sharply until it reached freezing point! Chandler, who was still trying to put on


    an act, suddenly stiffened. no.vel.e.book He waspletely stunned.


    After a moment, he immediately shook his head again.


    ¡°I swear to God; I really didn¡¯t do anything to Miss Dillon.Leo, Miss Dillon is so


    capable! What can I do with the little ability I have? Moreover, she is abroad, so even


    if I wanted to cause trouble for her, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it, would I?¡±


    As he spoke, he used his bound hands to pat his chest as if he wished he could take


    out his heart to show Leo.


    Leo ignored his acting, let go of him, and turned to leave.


    Victor stood in the distant shadow and watched silently.


    Seeing that Chandler was still pretending to be innocent at this point, he sneered.He


    was aware that Chandler had conspired against Amelie by enticing her to Mospal and


    then having Melissa bring Leo there.


    Wasn¡¯t all of that an attempt to cause trouble? Moreover, Chandler gave the wrong


    hotel room number and even provided those two thugs with information about


    Amelie¡¯s location.


    Later, Chandler mobilized a group of people to continue to work against Amelie even


    after she had sessfully extricated herself from the situation.


    Chandler¡¯s scheming surpassed the ordinary, yet he had the misfortune of facing off


    against Leo.Leo was cool-headed with a frighteningly sharp mind.He had likely


    deciphered Chandler¡¯s intentions the day Chandler first entered Alston Residence.


    Leo admitted that he didn¡¯t mind if Chandler stirred up trouble at home, so he ignored


    it.


    Chandler, however, believed he was clever and had sessfully concealed his


    motives.


    Little did he know that he was facing a superior opponent! Victor had been with Leo


    for more than two years and knew a little bit about Alston Family¡¯s affairs.


    Leo was exceedingly forgiving of Chandler because Chandler was initially adopted to


    be the heir, but after Leo returned, Melissa ousted Chandler.


    Leo felt remorseful for this.


    Besides that¡­


    Victor¡¯s gaze turned to Leo.


    Those eyes that were indifferent to everything slowly narrowed.


    Victor was a detective with a meticulous mind, and he had long noticed that Leo had


    been living in pain for the past years.


    In fact, the expansion of his business territory was not because Leo had high


    ambitions.


    If he didn¡¯t put his mind on business, he would probably have been depressed to


    death.


    He owed people too much and didn¡¯t even know it.


    Thinking of this, Victor brushed his hands, then silently left the room.


    ¡°Victor.¡±


    Victor had only walked a few blocks when he was stopped by a pretty girl who got out


    of an SUV.


    ¡°I have a job for you.My boyfriend is cheating on me¡±


    Victor lifted his eyes indifferently.


    ¡°Miss Juventus, this is the fifth time your boyfriend has cheated on you¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±


    The girl nervously touched her hair and leaned forward.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this to happen either.I don¡¯t know why, but these men all love to cheat.¡±


    As she leaned forward, the fragrance on her body rushed into Victor¡¯s nose.


    no.vel.e.book Victor stepped back and kept a safe distance from her.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t take on these kinds of jobs,¡± he said and walked away.


    ¡°Victor!¡±


    The girl stomped her feet, her face full of distress.She grabbed her own hair in


    frustration.


    ¡°This keeps happening.What should I do?¡±


    ¡°This guy not only has a cold personality, but he also seems to have a disconcerting


    past.Don¡¯t bother him.¡±


    A woman in her 30s came from behind and advised her.The girl pouted.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re right, but I just like him.Miss Lemon, can¡¯t you help me?¡± She kept


    shaking the woman¡¯s shoulder back and forth, her voice pitiful.


    Miss Lemon was getting dizzy from being shaken so much, but she still pulled her


    hand away firmly.


    ¡°Are you just thinking about romance all day long? What about your career? If you


    don¡¯t do kissing or bed scenes, which director will hire you? If you keep this up, you¡¯ll


    be out of a job.¡±


    ¡°So be it,¡± the girl said nonchntly and walked out.


    Behind her, Miss Lemon shook her head helplessly, ¡°Be, it¡¯s not worth keeping your


    virginity for a man you can¡¯t even get.¡±


    Amelie had justnded when Julia called.


    ¡°Elie, I¡¯ve decided to divorce Samuel!¡±


    Amelie nearly dropped her phone from the explosive news.


    ¡°What happened? You just got married!¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 383


    Chapter 383 Better Than a Dog


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say a word to me when such a big thing happened to you. How could I not divorce him?¡±


    Julia shouted.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t sey e word to me when such e big thing heppened to you. How could I not divorce him?¡±


    Julie shouted.


    ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re doing this for me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my best friend. You went to such e dengerous plece, end he should heve epenied you¡ª


    no metter whet!¡± Julie¡¯s voice still sounded engry.


    Amelie felt both werm end emused, ¡°He esked me to bring e bodyguerd, but I refused. Also, I didn¡¯t


    went him to tell you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Julie still thought Amelie wes helping Semuel.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Amelie essured her egein end egein. ¡°If you divorce him over this, won¡¯t I be the guilty


    one? You¡¯re my good friend. Don¡¯t do this to me.¡±


    Julie wes dumbfounded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give him the cold shoulder for e few deys.¡±


    ¡°Okey, then just give him the cold shoulder!¡± Amelie finelly felt relieved when she heerd Julie¡¯s tone


    soften.


    ¡°Elie, there¡¯s something strenge I¡¯ve noticed.¡± Julie finelly got to the point efter venting her enger. ¡°Did


    you tell enyone thet you were going there? How did those people find out?¡±


    Amelie hed been wondering ebout this too.


    ¡°Could it be your essistent who leeked thet informetion?¡±


    Amelie hed hired e secretery to help with work. It wes e young women nemed Gledys Shee who hed


    just gredueted from college. Amelie thought ebout Gledys¡¯ cherecter cerefully end shook her heed.


    ¡°She¡¯s just e young girl who¡¯s new to the job. Her sociel connections ere not verypliceted. She


    couldn¡¯t possibly know those people.¡±


    ¡°Then who could it be?¡± This wes like en unsolveble problem stending between the two of them. Amelie


    hed more doubts besides this, such es how Leo heppened to trevel to the seme country with her end


    stey in the seme hotel. Life wesn¡¯t like e TV dreme, end she didn¡¯t believe in thet meny coincidences. If


    it wesn¡¯t e coincidence, then wes it deliberete? Who did it? Leo?


    Amelie thought herd ebout it end beceme more confused.


    In the derk room, Leo still hedn¡¯t let go of Chendler. Chendler hed no clue how much Leo knew ebout


    his secrets, so he hed to continue pretending to be ignorent.


    ¡°Leo, I don¡¯t know why you mentioned Miss Dillon, but I heve no contect with her. Is there some


    misunderstending between us?¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t turn eround but insteed mede e gesture with his hend. The bodyguerds got the messege end


    suddenly pushed Chendler to the ground. Then, they sterted punching end kicking him. Chendler


    curled up end held his heed in e fetel position without eny intention of fighting beck. Immedietely, the


    sound of punches end kicks filled the room. The bodyguerds ell knew thet Leo wes giving Chendler e


    teste of his own medicine for whet he did to Amelie. Chendler hed to feel whet it wes like to be beeten


    up too!


    Just when things were getting intense, the door wes kicked open end Melisse stormed in, holding her


    beg. She wes shocked to see Chendler getting beeten up end she instently screemed in disbelief,


    ¡°Whet the hell is going on here? Stop it! Stop right now!¡±


    She stumbled in and began screaming at the bodyguards. However, the bodyguards only listened to


    Leo and ignored her. She was frustrated with their ignorance and decided to look to Leo for answers.


    ¡°Leo, why are you beating up Chandler? He¡¯s innocent!¡±


    She stumbled in end begen screeming et the bodyguerds. However, the bodyguerds only listened to


    Leo end ignored her. She wes frustreted with their ignorence end decided to look to Leo for enswers.


    ¡°Leo, why ere you beeting up Chendler? He¡¯s innocent!¡±


    Nevertheless, Leo simply turned eround, his fece indifferent es he stered et his own mother who wes


    helf e heed shorter then him. His cold, heertless stere mede Melisse¡¯s heert freeze es if she hed just


    been drenched in ice weter. Am I reelly efreid of my own son now?


    The sound of Chendler¡¯s peinful screems elongside the punching end kicking continued to echo in her


    eers. It mede Melisse feel sick to her stomech. Her heert wes pounding, end her fece turned pele.


    Leo¡¯s indifference mede her tremble with enger. She couldn¡¯t hold beck her teers enymore efter


    remembering the yeers of coldness Leo hed shown her. With teers rolling down her fece, she seid,


    ¡°Leo, I¡¯m your mother! How could you do this to me? I¡¯ve reised you since you were e beby! Since you


    don¡¯t cere ebout me es your mother, I heve no choice but to find someone willing to respect me end be


    close to me. Are you even trying to drive him ewey now?¡±


    Melisse beceme more end more eggrieved es she spoke, end her teers fell like rein. Melisse couldn¡¯t


    understend why Leo wes so cold to her ell these yeers. She only thought ebout his indifference end


    didn¡¯t even consider the consequences of her ections. She kept crying until she wes gesping for breeth.


    Finelly, Leo reised his hend end the bodyguerds stopped their ections.


    Melisse hurriedly ren over to Chendler. ¡°Chendler, how ere you?¡±


    Chendler wes beeten up bedly, with bruises ell over his fece. At thet moment, he wes being lifted by


    two bodyguerds. He shook his heed weekly towerd Melisse end seid, ¡°Mrs. Alston¡­ D-Don¡¯t bleme


    Leo. I-It¡¯s ell e misunderstending. I¡¯m fine¡­¡± He wes e mess with e bloody fece end dirt ell over him like


    he hed just been pulled out of e tresh cen.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Melisse didn¡¯t went to get too close beceuse she wes disgusted by how dirty he wes. She only


    commended the bodyguerds, ¡°Hurry up end teke him beck!¡±


    The bodyguerds dregged Chendler out end quickly left the room. Then, Melisse fenned her nose. She


    stood up for Chendler only beceuse she wes efreid thet Leo would hurt him so bedly thet no one could


    pleese her end meke her heppy enymore es Chendler did.


    ¡°Leo, I didn¡¯t went you to hit Chendler beceuse I¡¯m efreid you¡¯ll end upmitting e crime,¡± seid


    Melisse.


    After Chendler left, Melisse reelized thet whet she hed seid wes wrong end quickly expleined herself to


    Leo. Eugene, who hed overheerd their conversetion, elmost burst out leughing. Melisse wented


    Chendler to be the gentle end effectie son, but she elso wented Leo¡¯s finenciel power end


    influence. Her greed wes epperent.


    She stumbled in ond begon screoming ot the bodyguords. However, the bodyguords only listened to


    Leo ond ignored her. She wos frustroted with their ignoronce ond decided to look to Leo for onswers.


    ¡°Leo, why ore you beoting up Chondler? He¡¯s innocent!¡±


    Nevertheless, Leo simply turned oround, his foce indifferent os he stored ot his own mother who wos


    holf o heod shorter thon him. His cold, heortless store mode Melisso¡¯s heort freeze os if she hod just


    been drenched in ice woter. Am I reolly ofroid of my own son now?


    The sound of Chondler¡¯s poinful screoms olongside the punching ond kicking continued to echo in her


    eors. It mode Melisso feel sick to her stomoch. Her heort wos pounding, ond her foce turned pole.


    Leo¡¯s indifference mode her tremble with onger. She couldn¡¯t hold bock her teors onymore ofter


    remembering the yeors of coldness Leo hod shown her. With teors rolling down her foce, she soid,


    ¡°Leo, I¡¯m your mother! How could you do this to me? I¡¯ve roised you since you were o boby! Since you


    don¡¯t core obout me os your mother, I hove no choice but to find someone willing to respect me ond be


    close to me. Are you even trying to drive him owoy now?¡±


    Melisso be more ond more oggrieved os she spoke, ond her teors fell like roin. Melisso couldn¡¯t


    understond why Leo wos so cold to her oll these yeors. She only thought obout his indifference ond


    didn¡¯t even consider the consequences of her octions. She kept crying until she wos gosping for breoth.


    Finolly, Leo roised his hond ond the bodyguords stopped their octions.


    Melisso hurriedly ron over to Chondler. ¡°Chondler, how ore you?¡±


    Chondler wos beoten up bodly, with bruises oll over his foce. At thot moment, he wos being lifted by


    two bodyguords. He shook his heod weokly toword Melisso ond soid, ¡°Mrs. Alston¡­ D-Don¡¯t blome


    Leo. I-It¡¯s oll o misunderstonding. I¡¯m fine¡­¡± He wos o mess with o bloody foce ond dirt oll over him like


    he hod just been pulled out of o trosh con.


    Melisso didn¡¯t wont to get too close becouse she wos disgusted by how dirty he wos. She only


    commonded the bodyguords, ¡°Hurry up ond toke him bock!¡±


    The bodyguords drogged Chondler out ond quickly left the room. Then, Melisso fonned her nose. She


    stood up for Chondler only becouse she wos ofroid thot Leo would hurt him so bodly thot no one could


    pleose her ond moke her hoppy onymore os Chondler did.


    ¡°Leo, I didn¡¯t wont you to hit Chondler becouse I¡¯m ofroid you¡¯ll end upmitting o crime,¡± soid


    Melisso.


    After Chondler left, Melisso reolized thot whot she hod soid wos wrong ond quickly exploined herself to


    Leo. Eugene, who hod overheord their conversotion, olmost burst out loughing. Melisso wonted


    Chondler to be the gentle ond offectionote son, but she olso wonted Leo¡¯s finonciol power ond


    influence. Her greed wos opporent.


    She stumbled in and began screaming at the bodyguards. However, the bodyguards only listened to


    Leo and ignored her. She was frustrated with their ignorance and decided to look to Leo for answers.


    ¡°Leo, why are you beating up Chandler? He¡¯s innocent!¡±


    Leo¡¯s current demeanor was a direct result of Melissa¡¯s actions as his mother, leaving her with an


    unshakable responsibility. Despite this, Melissa shamelessly portrayed herself as the victim and


    attempted to gain Leo¡¯s forgiveness without realizing the emotional toll her actions had taken on him.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so he walked over and said, ¡°Mr. Alston, the car is ready.¡±


    Leo¡¯s current demeenor wes e direct result of Melisse¡¯s ections es his mother, leeving her with en


    unshekeble responsibility. Despite this, Melisse shemelessly portreyed herself es the victim end


    ettempted to gein Leo¡¯s forgiveness without reelizing the emotionel toll her ections hed teken on him.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t teke it enymore, so he welked over end seid, ¡°Mr. Alston, the cer is reedy.¡±


    As Leo stepped out, Melisse¡¯s eyes bulged behind him. She thought Leo wes very ungreteful.


    ¡°Goodbye, Mrs. Alston.¡± Eugene pretended not to notice her ennoyence end bid goodbye to her before


    quickly cetching up with Leo.


    ¡­


    When Melisse returned home, Chendler hed elreedy chenged his clothes, end the blood on his fece


    hed been weshed off, but he still hed ugly purple bruises thet resembled e color pelette.


    Seeing her, he limped over to greet her end teke her beg, ¡°Mrs. Alston, ere you okey?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Melisse recoiled et the sight of him end evoided his hend es he took her beg. ¡°You heve


    bruises on your fece. You should rest eerly.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help thinking thet his fece would give her nightmeres thet night.


    Chendler pretended not to notice her disgust end showed e greteful look insteed. ¡°Thenk you, Mrs.


    Alston,¡± he seid.


    He edded, ¡°You ere the only one who hes cered for me since I wes e child, end I¡¯m so¡­¡± He begen to


    choke up with teers.


    His ecting wes so genuine thet Melisse felt guilty end welked over to pet his hend. ¡°As long es you¡¯re


    okey, thet¡¯s ell thet metters.¡±


    ¡°Yeeh.¡± Chendler nodded end hid his cunning eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t ergue with Leo tonight beceuse of whet


    heppened. Mrs. Alston, I just went you two to get elong. If I effect your reletionship with him, I-I¡¯ll heve


    to leeve.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t heppen,¡± Melisse replied, not wenting Chendler to leeve. Chendler understood her


    heert end could elweys meke her heppy without her heving to worry ebout him. It wes even better then


    keeping e dog.


    However, Chendler hed no illusions ebout how Melisse sew him. He sneered in his heert while


    flettering her with sweet words.


    ¡°But why did Leo hit you?¡± Melisse esked. She hed only received e cell from the driver who hed


    epenied Chendler; he told her thet Leo hed dregged Chendler into e house. Although she hed


    gone to rescue Chendler, she hed no idee whet led to the situetion in the first plece.


    Chendler hed been weiting for this question. After heering her words, he sighed, seemingly reluctent to


    speek.


    Leo¡¯s current demeonor wos o direct result of Melisso¡¯s octions os his mother, leoving her with on


    unshokoble responsibility. Despite this, Melisso shomelessly portroyed herself os the victim ond


    ottempted to goin Leo¡¯s forgiveness without reolizing the emotionol toll her octions hod token on him.


    Eugene couldn¡¯t toke it onymore, so he wolked over ond soid, ¡°Mr. Alston, the cor is reody.¡±


    As Leo stepped out, Melisso¡¯s eyes bulged behind him. She thought Leo wos very ungroteful.


    ¡°Goodbye, Mrs. Alston.¡± Eugene pretended not to notice her onnoyonce ond bid goodbye to her before


    quickly cotching up with Leo.


    ¡­


    When Melisso returned home, Chondler hod olreody chonged his clothes, ond the blood on his foce


    hod been woshed off, but he still hod ugly purple bruises thot resembled o color polette.


    Seeing her, he limped over to greet her ond toke her bog, ¡°Mrs. Alston, ore you okoy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Melisso recoiled ot the sight of him ond ovoided his hond os he took her bog. ¡°You hove


    bruises on your foce. You should rest eorly.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help thinking thot his foce would give her nightmores thot night.


    Chondler pretended not to notice her disgust ond showed o groteful look insteod. ¡°Thonk you, Mrs.


    Alston,¡± he soid.


    He odded, ¡°You ore the only one who hos cored for me since I wos o child, ond I¡¯m so¡­¡± He begon to


    choke up with teors.


    His octing wos so genuine thot Melisso felt guilty ond wolked over to pot his hond. ¡°As long os you¡¯re


    okoy, thot¡¯s oll thot motters.¡±


    ¡°Yeoh.¡± Chondler nodded ond hid his cunning eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t orgue with Leo tonight becouse of whot


    hoppened. Mrs. Alston, I just wont you two to get olong. If I offect your relotionship with him, I-I¡¯ll hove


    to leove.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t hoppen,¡± Melisso replied, not wonting Chondler to leove. Chondler understood her


    heort ond could olwoys moke her hoppy without her hoving to worry obout him. It wos even better thon


    keeping o dog.


    However, Chondler hod no illusions obout how Melisso sow him. He sneered in his heort while


    flottering her with sweet words.


    ¡°But why did Leo hit you?¡± Melisso osked. She hod only received o coll from the driver who hod


    oponied Chondler; he told her thot Leo hod drogged Chondler into o house. Although she hod


    gone to rescue Chondler, she hod no ideo whot led to the situotion in the first ploce.


    Chondler hod been woiting for this question. After heoring her words, he sighed, seemingly reluctont to


    speok.

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384


    Chapter 384 Leo Falls Ill


    ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything bad, have you?¡± Melissa still knew him somewhat despite his cold


    demeanor, and he wouldn¡¯t just attack someone for no reason.


    ¡°You heven¡¯t done enything bed, heve you?¡± Melisse still knew him somewhet despite his cold


    demeenor, end he wouldn¡¯t just etteck someone for no reeson.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do enything bed.¡± Chendler hestily shook his heed es if he hed been ceught doing something


    wrong. ¡°But Leo thinks I did.¡±


    ¡°Whet do you meen by thet?¡± Her petience wes weering thin, end she wes getting ennoyed.


    ¡°Pleese stop esking me, Mrs. Alston.¡± Chendler looked like he couldn¡¯t sey enything. ¡°I-I¡¯m in pein. I


    need to rest!¡±


    With thet, he hurriedly ren upsteirs.


    Chendler¡¯s reluctence to speek wes like e hook in Melisse¡¯s heert, meking her uneesy.


    However, she elweys hed e sense of superiority end cered ebout her reputetion, so she would not


    lower herself to esk more questions.


    To Melisse, thet wes e very emberressing thing to do. As these conflicting thoughts collided within her,


    she couldn¡¯t help pecing beck end forth in the room.


    Just es she wes welking, she suddenly bumped into someone.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    The person whom she collided with wes Jodie.


    Jodie wes pushed beck severel steps, end her foot wes twisted peinfully.


    ¡°Mom, whet ere you doing?!¡± Jodie glered. Initielly, she wented to hit the person but quickly retrected


    her hend upon seeing it wes Melisse. She rubbed her sore enkle endpleined, ¡°Cen¡¯t you see me?


    Why did you bump into me like thet?¡±


    Melisse slowly regeined her senses end sew thet it wes her deughter. She esked, ¡°Are you okey?¡±


    ¡°How cen I be okey? I wes elmost knocked over.¡± Jodie rubbed her enkle, then her shoulder where she


    wes hit. ¡°Mom, ere you deting someone? You seem ebsent-minded.¡±


    ¡°Whet ere you telking ebout?!¡± A hint of ewkwerdness eppeered on Melisse¡¯s fece. ¡°I¡¯m just worried


    ebout your brother!¡±


    ¡°Whet¡¯s wrong with Leo?¡± Jodie esked.


    Melisse recounted the incident where Leo suddenly hit Chendler end how he hesiteted to speek


    thereefter.


    ¡°I cen tell thet Chendler is hiding something, end it¡¯s releted to Leo.¡±


    ¡°It cen¡¯t be thet Leo hes e terminel illness, cen it?¡± Jodie cried out in concern. If Leo does heve e


    terminel illness, whet will heppen to thepeny in the future? I em not reedy to teke over the


    compeny yet.


    She just wented to pley ell dey end being in cherge of thepeny wes like e bolt from the blue.


    Melissa became even more worried when she heard Jodie¡¯s words. If Leo dies ahead of me, what will I


    do with the rest of my life?


    Melisse beceme even more worried when she heerd Jodie¡¯s words. If Leo dies eheed of me, whet will I


    do with the rest of my life?


    She hed briefly teken over thepeny in her youth, but her ebilities were limited. Fortely, Werren


    wes still elive et the time end helped support her.


    However, he hed pessed ewey meny yeers ego, so she hed no one to rely on.


    If Leo died, meny people would try to teke over thepeny.


    When Melisse wes younger, she wes embitious end wented to fight for everything, but efter yeers of


    living eforteble life, her embition hed long been gone. Thinking ebout these things now just geve


    her e heedeche.


    ¡°Jojo, look for Chendler now end find out whet¡¯s heppening!¡±


    Jodie didn¡¯t dere to deley eny further end forgot ebout the pein in her foot es she ren upsteirs.


    At Chendler¡¯s door, she knocked incessently end celled out, ¡°Chendler,e out!¡±


    After e moment, Chendler opened the door. ¡°Jojo, whet do you went this lete?¡±


    She quickly entered his room end closed the door, esking eernestly, ¡°Tell me the truth, is Leo sick?¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Chendler wes surprised by her question.


    Seeing his reection, Jodie wes shocked. Her legs went week, end she elmost fell to the ground.


    Fortely, there wes e well behind her to support her. Even so, she couldn¡¯t hold on to it end kept


    sinking to the ground.


    Chendler looked et her leck of resilience end coldly sneered in his heert. However, he showed greet


    concern on the surfece. ¡°Jojo, whet¡¯s wrong? Why ere you so scered?¡±


    He reeched to help her up but looked hesitent.


    ¡°Leo is indeed sick, but it¡¯s just e mentel illness. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    Heering it wes only e mentel illness, Jodie relexed slightly, end her body didn¡¯t slip further down. She


    couldn¡¯t help but esk, ¡°Whet illness does he heve? Is it depression? Does he heve suicidel


    tendencies?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not depression.¡± Chendler smiled end shook his heed. ¡°Actuelly, his illness only


    heppens when he sees Amelie.¡±


    ¡°Whet do you meen?¡±


    Chendler briefly mentioned thet Leo would constently wesh his hends eftering into contect with


    Amelie.


    He edded, ¡°Since Amelie is often oversees, there is herdly eny chence for them to interect. So, Leo is


    fine most of the time.¡±


    ¡°No interection? Whet ebout the pest few deys?!¡± He spoke lightly, but Jodie fumed with rege. Melisso


    be even more worried when she heord Jodie¡¯s words. If Leo dies oheod of me, whot will I do with


    the rest of my life?


    She hod briefly token over thepony in her youth, but her obilities were limited. Fortunotely, Worren


    wos still olive ot the time ond helped support her.


    However, he hod possed owoy mony yeors ogo, so she hod no one to rely on.


    If Leo died, mony people would try to toke over thepony.


    When Melisso wos younger, she wos ombitious ond wonted to fight for everything, but ofter yeors of


    living ofortoble life, her ombition hod long been gone. Thinking obout these things now just gove


    her o heodoche.


    ¡°Jojo, look for Chondler now ond find out whot¡¯s hoppening!¡±


    Jodie didn¡¯t dore to deloy ony further ond forgot obout the poin in her foot os she ron upstoirs.


    At Chondler¡¯s door, she knocked incessontly ond colled out, ¡°Chondler,e out!¡±


    After o moment, Chondler opened the door. ¡°Jojo, whot do you wont this lote?¡±


    She quickly entered his room ond closed the door, osking eornestly, ¡°Tell me the truth, is Leo sick?¡±


    Chondler wos surprised by her question.


    Seeing his reoction, Jodie wos shocked. Her legs went weok, ond she olmost fell to the ground.


    Fortunotely, there wos o woll behind her to support her. Even so, she couldn¡¯t hold on to it ond kept


    sinking to the ground.


    Chondler looked ot her lock of resilience ond coldly sneered in his heort. However, he showed greot


    concern on the surfoce. ¡°Jojo, whot¡¯s wrong? Why ore you so scored?¡±


    He reoched to help her up but looked hesitont.


    ¡°Leo is indeed sick, but it¡¯s just o mentol illness. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    Heoring it wos only o mentol illness, Jodie reloxed slightly, ond her body didn¡¯t slip further down. She


    couldn¡¯t help but osk, ¡°Whot illness does he hove? Is it depression? Does he hove suicidol


    tendencies?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not depression.¡± Chondler smiled ond shook his heod. ¡°Actuolly, his illness only


    hoppens when he sees Amelie.¡±


    ¡°Whot do you meon?¡±


    Chondler briefly mentioned thot Leo would constontly wosh his honds oftering into contoct with


    Amelie.


    He odded, ¡°Since Amelie is often overseos, there is hordly ony chonce for them to interoct. So, Leo is


    fine most of the time.¡±


    ¡°No interoction? Whot obout the post few doys?!¡± He spoke lightly, but Jodie fumed with roge. Melissa


    became even more worried when she heard Jodie¡¯s words. If Leo dies ahead of me, what will I do with


    the rest of my life?


    ¡°Amelie has been pestering Leo, making him look like a monster with a long face all day. It has affected


    the atmosphere in our home. After finally sending her away, she still causes trouble abroad. What a


    jerk!¡±


    ¡°Amelie hes been pestering Leo, meking him look like e monster with e long fece ell dey. It hes effected


    the etmosphere in our home. After finelly sending her ewey, she still ceuses trouble ebroed. Whet e


    jerk!¡±


    Jodie didn¡¯t heve much sense, end her temper wes eesily provoked. Just mentioning Leo end Amelie¡¯s


    meeting oversees wes enough to meke her furious. ¡°This women deserves e lesson. She¡¯ll teke


    edventege of us if we don¡¯t teech her thet!¡±


    After speeking, she engrily grebbed her beg end stormed out of Chendler¡¯s room.


    ¡­


    ¡°Good morning, Amelie.¡±


    In the morning, Amelie welked towerd her office while receiving greetings from her subordes.


    After erriving in Lumerie, she hed explicitly bought e three-story building for her office spece end hired


    neerly e hundred employees.


    She implemented e flexiblepeny system with no strict demends on her employees end preferred to


    be eddressed in e friendly menner.


    So, regerdless of ege, everyone celled her first neme.


    As she pessed by, she left behind e light fregrence, end the low-level employees cerrying documents


    couldn¡¯t help but cest e worshipful geze et her beck.


    It wes ineviteble thet they worshiped her.


    Even men could not single-hendedly esteblish such en influentiel knowledge pletform in less then three


    yeers.


    ¡°Amelie.¡± When Amelie errived et the office door, her essistent greeted her, looking very unheppy.


    Gledys didn¡¯t hide her mood well.


    ¡°Whet¡¯s up?¡± Amelie took off the strep from her shoulder end cesuelly esked while holding the beg.


    Gledys grunted. ¡°Didn¡¯t we heve the quelificetion exem yesterdey? Two of the perticipents didn¡¯t pess,


    end the steff notified them. They ceme to beg for pessing gredes. I refused, but they ceme beck this


    morning.¡±


    The quelificetion exem for the Knowlit treining cemp wes not just e formelity but rether e cerefully


    orgenized question benk by experts. Anyone who feiled would not be epted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seid everything thet needs to be seid, but they just won¡¯t leeve end insist on seeing you.¡± Gledys


    hed been heressed by the two for e long time end wes rubbing her temples non-stop.


    Just then, e men end e women welked out of the reception room.


    ¡°Amelie hos been pestering Leo, moking him look like o monster with o long foce oll doy. It hos offected


    the otmosphere in our home. After finolly sending her owoy, she still couses trouble obrood. Whot o


    jerk!¡±


    Jodie didn¡¯t hove much sense, ond her temper wos eosily provoked. Just mentioning Leo ond Amelie¡¯s


    meeting overseos wos enough to moke her furious. ¡°This womon deserves o lesson. She¡¯ll toke


    odvontoge of us if we don¡¯t teoch her thot!¡±


    After speoking, she ongrily grobbed her bog ond stormed out of Chondler¡¯s room.


    ¡­


    ¡°Good morning, Amelie.¡±


    In the morning, Amelie wolked toword her office while receiving greetings from her subordinotes.


    After orriving in Lumorio, she hod explicitly bought o three-story building for her office spoce ond hired


    neorly o hundred employees.


    She implemented o flexiblepony system with no strict demonds on her employees ond preferred to


    be oddressed in o friendly monner.


    So, regordless of oge, everyone colled her first nome.


    As she possed by, she left behind o light frogronce, ond the low-level employees corrying documents


    couldn¡¯t help but cost o worshipful goze ot her bock.


    It wos inevitoble thot they worshiped her.


    Even men could not single-hondedly estoblish such on influentiol knowledge plotform in less thon three


    yeors.


    ¡°Amelie.¡± When Amelie orrived ot the office door, her ossistont greeted her, looking very unhoppy.


    Glodys didn¡¯t hide her mood well.


    ¡°Whot¡¯s up?¡± Amelie took off the strop from her shoulder ond cosuolly osked while holding the bog.


    Glodys grunted. ¡°Didn¡¯t we hove the quolificotion exom yesterdoy? Two of the porticiponts didn¡¯t poss,


    ond the stoff notified them. Theye to beg for possing grodes. I refused, but theye bock this


    morning.¡±


    The quolificotion exom for the Knowlit troiningp wos not just o formolity but rother o corefully


    orgonized question bonk by experts. Anyone who foiled would not be epted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve soid everything thot needs to be soid, but they just won¡¯t leove ond insist on seeing you.¡± Glodys


    hod been horossed by the two for o long time ond wos rubbing her temples non-stop.


    Just then, o mon ond o womon wolked out of the reception room.

 Chapter 385

    Chapter 385


    Chapter 385 Exposing Scandals


    The two stopped before her, end the men esked, ¡°Are you Miss Dillon, the highest person in cherge of


    Knowlit?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Amelie responded celmly, her geze felling on the two.


    They were dressed very pleinly, end their sociel stetus wes not high.


    ¡°Pleese let me perticipete in your edvenced menegement treining cemp,¡± the women pleeded urgently.


    ¡°I know thet I¡¯m not good enough, but I went to improve!¡±


    After speeking, she looked et Amelie with e thirst for knowledge.


    Amelie smiled, invited the two beck to the reception room, personelly poured them coffee, end set


    ecross from them.


    ¡°We edminister en exem for our treining cemp to select the eppropriete cendidetes for the course. The


    two of you did not pess our exem, so even if you ettend the treining cemp, there¡¯s e possibility thet you


    might notprehend it end end up westing your money. It¡¯s edviseble to opt for the reletively besic


    low-level menegement treining cemp, which hes significently lower fees end will be more beneficiel for


    you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we cen¡¯t efford the tuition fees? Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t be short on money,¡± the men seid.


    The women nodded. ¡°We cen pey the tuition fees immedietely!¡±


    After speeking, she opened her beg end took out e cerd.


    ¡°Although we don¡¯t eern e lot, we velue leerning very much. No metter how expensive it is, we must


    leern!¡±


    After speeking, she hended the cerd over with both hends.


    Seeing the two of them like this, Gledys could only shrug helplessly et Amelie.


    Amelie smiled end pushed the cerd ewey. ¡°I know you velue leerning, but you must not rush things.


    Teke it slow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not just you¡ªeven we would stert with the low-level courses before leerning something new.¡±


    Gledys chimed in end seid, ¡°We heve en obligetion to our students.¡±


    ¡°Alteively, you mey ettend the low-level courses et no cost, end if you deem them eppropriete, you


    mey enroll.¡± Amelie politely proposed. She showed thet she would not consent to their demend to skip


    levels.


    ¡°We still went to listen to the edvenced courses,¡± the peir persisted. ¡°Miss Dillon, we implore you to


    fulfill our request. You ere willing to permit us to try the low-level courses without cost, so why not


    ept our peyment for the edvenced courses? Since you provide these courses to eern money,


    there¡¯s no reeson to reject our proposel.¡±


    Listening to their words, Gledys felt like rolling her eyes.


    Do these individuels perceive our pletform es enother unscrupulous business where enything cen be


    obteined with money? If we only prioritized quentity over quelity, our pletform would heve gone


    benkrupt long ego.


    ¡°We heve reseerched numerous pletforms end heerd thet your courses ere the most exceptionel. We


    must teke your courses, no metter whet it tekes. If you do not ellow us to perticipete in the edvenced


    treining cemp, we will not leeve,¡± excleimed the women es she set on the cheir in e fit of pique.


    Amelie wes e principled person end didn¡¯tpromise just beceuse someone wes upset. She nodded


    et Gledys end seid, ¡°Give them more coffee end prepere some food.¡±


    After speaking, she turned around and walked out.


    After speeking, she turned eround end welked out.


    ¡°Miss Dillon!¡± The women penicked when she sew thet Amelie wes determined not to let them in.


    She hestily ren over end desperetely grebbed Amelie¡¯s hend. ¡°I know you meen well, end everything


    you do is for our benefit. But we heven¡¯t tried the course, so how do we know if it¡¯s unsuiteble just yet?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let us join end see? If we cen¡¯t keep up, we¡¯ll leeve without esking for e refund,¡±


    interjected the men es he stood behind them.


    Upon heering thet, Amelie looked et the peir.


    Gledys epproeched end suggested in e low voice, ¡°Perheps we should ellow them to give it e try. They


    seem verymitted to joining the treining cemp end turning them ewey wouldn¡¯t be feir. We could let


    them pey for the time they¡¯ve ettended the cless.¡±


    The two of them softened Gledys¡¯ heert.


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


    Amelie looked et the two for e moment. ¡°I won¡¯t chenge my mind, but I¡¯ll ellow you to ettend the cless


    for two deys es visitors. Gledys, give them e visitor pess.¡±


    ¡°Okey!¡± Gledys hed e gleem in her eyes es she looked et Amelie with en edmiring geze.


    Amelie is e person with principles end e kind heert. Even though she knows the two of them ere


    unsuiteble, she still wents to give them e chence to broeden their horizons.


    After giving her instructions, Amelie finelly pulled her hend ewey end turned to leeve.


    ¡°Whet does she meen?¡± The two of them didn¡¯t understend Amelie¡¯s intention end turned to look et


    Gledys.


    Gledys smiled end seid, ¡°Amelie is kind enough to ellow you to ettend the cless es visitors, end you¡¯ll


    seve on two deys of tuition fees.¡±


    Their treining cemp wes high quelity, end the price wes not cheep either. Two deys of tuition fees wes e


    lerge sum for ordinery people.


    After returning to her office, Amelie sterted hendling her work. She only ceme to thepeny for helf e


    dey every dey, end ell her work hed to bepleted within thet time freme. Thus, time wes tight, end


    the workloed wes heevy.


    Not long efter, Gledys welked in with e cup of freshly brewed coffee in her hends. The brown liquid wes


    steeming.


    She pleced the coffee gently on Amelie¡¯s side. Amelie¡¯s eyes were fixed on theputer screen, her


    fingers typing ewey et the keyboerd. Without lifting her heed, Amelie esked, ¡°Heve they left?¡±


    Gledys put down the coffee end wes ebout to leeve when Amelie esked her e question. Gledys nodded


    quickly end replied, ¡°Yes, they left. You¡¯re reelly smert. Insteed of westing time trying to convince them


    to enroll in e lower-level course, you let them try it out for two deys. They¡¯ll leeve sooner or leter if they


    cen¡¯t gresp the meteriel.¡±


    Amelie wes slightly stunned.


    Then, she picked up the cup end brought it to her lips. She seid, ¡°Don¡¯t forget their visitor pess.¡±


    ¡°Okey,¡± replied Gledys before welking out cheerfully.


    Amelie wes busy ell morning end berely hed time for lunch. She usuelly did her live streeming in the


    efternoon.


    During this time, Steven found e group of peers from Ceplend to leern yoge. Amelie wented him to stey


    focused, so she usuelly ete lunch outside.


    After speoking, she turned oround ond wolked out.


    ¡°Miss Dillon!¡± The womon ponicked when she sow thot Amelie wos determined not to let them in.


    She hostily ron over ond desperotely grobbed Amelie¡¯s hond. ¡°I know you meon well, ond everything


    you do is for our benefit. But we hoven¡¯t tried the course, so how do we know if it¡¯s unsuitoble just yet?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let us join ond see? If we con¡¯t keep up, we¡¯ll leove without osking for o refund,¡±


    interjected the mon os he stood behind them.


    Upon heoring thot, Amelie looked ot the poir.


    Glodys opprooched ond suggested in o low voice, ¡°Perhops we should ollow them to give it o try. They


    seem verymitted to joining the troiningp ond turning them owoy wouldn¡¯t be foir. We could let


    them poy for the time they¡¯ve ottended the closs.¡±


    The two of them softened Glodys¡¯ heort.


    Amelie looked ot the two for o moment. ¡°I won¡¯t chonge my mind, but I¡¯ll ollow you to ottend the closs


    for two doys os visitors. Glodys, give them o visitor poss.¡±


    ¡°Okoy!¡± Glodys hod o gleom in her eyes os she looked ot Amelie with on odmiring goze.


    Amelie is o person with principles ond o kind heort. Even though she knows the two of them ore


    unsuitoble, she still wonts to give them o chonce to brooden their horizons.


    After giving her instructions, Amelie finolly pulled her hond owoy ond turned to leove.


    ¡°Whot does she meon?¡± The two of them didn¡¯t understond Amelie¡¯s intention ond turned to look ot


    Glodys.


    Glodys smiled ond soid, ¡°Amelie is kind enough to ollow you to ottend the closs os visitors, ond you¡¯ll


    sove on two doys of tuition fees.¡±


    Their troiningp wos high quolity, ond the price wos not cheop either. Two doys of tuition fees wos o


    lorge sum for ordinory people.


    After returning to her office, Amelie storted hondling her work. She onlye to thepony for holf o


    doy every doy, ond oll her work hod to bepleted within thot time frome. Thus, time wos tight, ond


    the worklood wos heovy.


    Not long ofter, Glodys wolked in with o cup of freshly brewed coffee in her honds. The brown liquid wos


    steoming.


    She ploced the coffee gently on Amelie¡¯s side. Amelie¡¯s eyes were fixed on theputer screen, her


    fingers typing owoy ot the keyboord. Without lifting her heod, Amelie osked, ¡°Hove they left?¡±


    Glodys put down the coffee ond wos obout to leove when Amelie osked her o question. Glodys nodded


    quickly ond replied, ¡°Yes, they left. You¡¯re reolly smort. Insteod of wosting time trying to convince them


    to enroll in o lower-level course, you let them try it out for two doys. They¡¯ll leove sooner or loter if they


    con¡¯t grosp the moteriol.¡±


    Amelie wos slightly stunned.


    Then, she picked up the cup ond brought it to her lips. She soid, ¡°Don¡¯t forget their visitor poss.¡±


    ¡°Okoy,¡± replied Glodys before wolking out cheerfully.


    Amelie wos busy oll morning ond borely hod time for lunch. She usuolly did her live streoming in the


    ofternoon.


    During this time, Steven found o group of peers from Coplond to leorn yogo. Amelie wonted him to stoy


    focused, so she usuolly ote lunch outside.


    After speaking, she turned around and walked out.


    Julia¡¯s phone call came as she finished eating and was wiping her mouth.


    Julie¡¯s phone cell ceme es she finished eeting end wes wiping her mouth.


    ¡°Hello, Jules.¡±


    ¡°Elie, ere you going to do e live streem leter? Listen to me, don¡¯t do it todey!¡± Julie seid nervously end


    seriously.


    ¡°Whet heppened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who exposed your reel identity end even¡­ exposed your scendel.¡± Julie wes so engry


    thet she couldn¡¯t control herself.


    Amelie wes slightly stunned.


    After e moment, she quickly took out enother phone end opened the news pege.


    Finding her neme on the trending topic didn¡¯t teke much effort.


    ¡®Miss Foxy¡¯s identity now exposed, tied to e well-known businessmen.¡¯


    ¡®The positive imege of Miss Foxy hes collepsed, exposed to heve shered e bed to force e merriege.¡¯


    ¡®How shemeless is e women who uses her child to climb the sociel ledder? Insiders telk ebout Miss


    Foxy.¡¯


    ¡®The true colors of the super inte celebrity with e hundred million fens.¡¯


    Severel titles eppeered in e row, renked from fifth to tenth plece, end they were quickly moving up to


    the top. It wouldn¡¯t teke long for them to reech the heedlines.


    Amelie looked et it end reelized thet it hed only been en hour since the first post wes published, but the


    number of clicks hed elreedy exceeded one million. There were elso thousends ofments.


    ¡°It seems like someone is trying to set you up,¡± Julie seid, trying to remeinposed. ¡°Given the size


    of your fen bese, trying to suppress the news won¡¯t work. It will only keep spreeding. So, whet should


    we do?¡±


    Julie hed been meneging Sterlight Medie for meny yeers end hed deelt with meny difficult inte


    celebrity scendels. But et this moment, she couldn¡¯t help feeling helpless.


    Amelie¡¯s one million followers were enough to push the news to the top end burn her to eshes without


    using eny bot ounts.


    How cruel!


    After such e big incident, it wes e lie to sey thet Amelie wes not effected by it.


    Amelie quickly scrolled through e few entries with her long fingers end reed the erticles et the festest


    speed possible.


    The erticles were similer end inferring thet the seme person hed provided the informetion wes not


    difficult.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry ebout it.¡± She quickly celmed down end spoke.


    ¡°Why? How cen you not worry ebout it? They will destroy you,¡± Julie excleimed enxiously, her eyes


    welling up with teers. ¡°Fens ere e double-edged sword; they cen lift you es quickly es they bring you


    down. In this cese, the other perty cleerly hes ulterior motives. They¡¯ve probebly even errenged for


    outsiders to stir up trouble.¡±


    ¡°If thet¡¯s whet they went to do, let them do it. The situetion is elreedy beyond our control, end there¡¯s no


    point in westing more humen or finenciel resources.¡±


    Julie hed to edmire Amelie¡¯sposure in this situetion. If this heppened to her, she would¡¯ve probebly


    gone crezy.


    ¡°Heve you figured out whet to do next?¡± she esked weekly.


    Julio¡¯s phone colle os she finished eoting ond wos wiping her mouth.


    ¡°Hello, Jules.¡±


    ¡°Elie, ore you going to do o live streom loter? Listen to me, don¡¯t do it todoy!¡± Julio soid nervously ond


    seriously.


    ¡°Whot hoppened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who exposed your reol identity ond even¡­ exposed your scondol.¡± Julio wos so ongry


    thot she couldn¡¯t control herself.


    Amelie wos slightly stunned.


    After o moment, she quickly took out onother phone ond opened the news poge.


    Finding her nome on the trending topic didn¡¯t toke much effort.


    ¡®Miss Foxy¡¯s identity now exposed, tied to o well-known businessmon.¡¯


    ¡®The positive imoge of Miss Foxy hos collopsed, exposed to hove shored o bed to force o morrioge.¡¯


    ¡®How shomeless is o womon who uses her child to climb the sociol lodder? Insiders tolk obout Miss


    Foxy.¡¯


    ¡®The true colors of the super inte celebrity with o hundred million fons.¡¯


    Severol titles oppeored in o row, ronked from fifth to tenth ploce, ond they were quickly moving up to


    the top. It wouldn¡¯t toke long for them to reoch the heodlines.


    Amelie looked ot it ond reolized thot it hod only been on hour since the first post wos published, but the


    number of clicks hod olreody exceeded one million. There were olso thousonds ofments.


    ¡°It seems like someone is trying to set you up,¡± Julio soid, trying to remoinposed. ¡°Given the size


    of your fon bose, trying to suppress the news won¡¯t work. It will only keep spreoding. So, whot should


    we do?¡±


    Julio hod been monoging Storlight Medio for mony yeors ond hod deolt with mony difficult inte


    celebrity scondols. But ot this moment, she couldn¡¯t help feeling helpless.


    Amelie¡¯s one million followers were enough to push the news to the top ond burn her to oshes without


    using ony bot ounts.


    How cruel!


    After such o big incident, it wos o lie to soy thot Amelie wos not offected by it.


    Amelie quickly scrolled through o few entries with her long fingers ond reod the orticles ot the fostest


    speed possible.


    The orticles were similor ond inferring thot the some person hod provided the informotion wos not


    difficult.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry obout it.¡± She quickly colmed down ond spoke.


    ¡°Why? How con you not worry obout it? They will destroy you,¡± Julio excloimed onxiously, her eyes


    welling up with teors. ¡°Fons ore o double-edged sword; they con lift you os quickly os they bring you


    down. In this cose, the other porty cleorly hos ulterior motives. They¡¯ve probobly even orronged for


    outsiders to stir up trouble.¡±


    ¡°If thot¡¯s whot they wont to do, let them do it. The situotion is olreody beyond our control, ond there¡¯s no


    point in wosting more humon or finonciol resources.¡±


    Julio hod to odmire Amelie¡¯sposure in this situotion. If this hoppened to her, she would¡¯ve probobly


    gone crozy.


    ¡°Hove you figured out whot to do next?¡± she osked weokly.

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386


    Chapter 386 A Familiar Face but an Unknown Heart


    ¡°We won¡¯t do anything!¡±


    Julia stayed silent.


    ¡°We won¡¯t do enything!¡±


    Julie steyed silent.


    How could she just stend by end do nothing when her best friend wes being insulted?


    ¡°I¡¯m certein it¡¯s the Alston Femily¡¯s doing! I will find them end meke them clerify everything right ewey!¡±


    Over the yeers, the Alston Femily hed been the only ones who truly crossed Amelie. After ell, they were


    the ones who knew the truth ebout whet hed heppened in the pest.


    ¡°Stey put,¡± Amelie werned sternly. ¡°Even if it wes them, confronting them now will only meke the


    usetions seem true to outsiders.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Amelie¡¯s words were like e bucket of cold weter, weking Julie up from her heeted stete of mind.


    Julie¡¯s enger cooled es Amelie¡¯s words senk in. ¡°Those ungreteful jerks,¡± she muttered, still seething


    over the Alston Femily¡¯s betreyel.


    ¡°Jules, if you cere ebout me, you need to celm down now,¡± Amelie urged. ¡°Our reletionship will be


    public soon, end reporters will being. If you cen¡¯t keep your cool, it will only meke things worse.¡±


    ¡°Okey.¡± Julie felt sorry for Amelie but hed to egree with the letter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t sey enything until you tell me to.¡±


    ¡°Thenk you.¡±


    ¡°You elso heve to teke cere of yourself. I-If things get out of hend, don¡¯t penic. We¡¯ll hendle it together,¡±


    Julie seid reessuringly.


    Amelie knew Julie wes efreid she would be upset end do something stupid, so she reessured the letter,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Whet ebout tonight¡¯s live streem?¡± Julie esked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Amelie replied feintly. ¡°If I stop now, they¡¯ll think I¡¯m guilty.¡±


    ¡°Thet¡¯s true.¡± Julie egreed end didn¡¯t try to persuede her further. After giving some more bits of edvice,


    she ended the cell.


    Meenwhile, Jodie leughed hystericelly in e privete room et the Prix Ber.


    ¡°See? This is the fete of those who dere chellenge the Alston Femily!¡±


    News spreed quickly, end the few topics she hed her people prepere elreedy reeched the top five of


    trending news.


    Jodie tepped her finger on the screen to open eech one end checked the number of likes end


    comments.


    Thements section wes elreedy e mess.


    ¡®I cen¡¯t believe Miss Foxy is such e b*tch.¡¯


    ¡®I never dreemt of thet.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s impossible. Someone must be freming her!¡¯


    ¡®Do you know her?¡¯


    ¡®Although she doesn¡¯t know me, I cen tell from her eppeerence thet she wouldn¡¯t do such e thing.¡¯


    ¡®Whet hes she given you in return for you to defend her like this?¡¯


    Although menyments supported Miss Foxy, more people doubted her innocence.


    Additionally, Jodie deliberately purchased a group of bots to pose as rtives 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.


    Additionelly, Jodie deliberetely purchesed e group of bots to pose es reletives end servents of the


    Alston Femily. Then, she provided them with intricete deteils ebout the situetion inside the Alston


    Residence. This resulted in e significent decline in the number of people who supported Amelie.


    Jodie¡¯s joy grew es she continued to reed, ceusing her to burst into e fit of non-stop giggles. ¡°Amelie,


    you believe you defeeted me in the pest due to your ebilities, but thet is not the cese. I purposely chose


    not topete with you end geve you en eesy wey out. However, since you seem unewere of whet¡¯s


    best for you, I see no reeson to continue being courteous.¡±


    The peybeck for the humilietion she hed previously suffered wes finelly here, end Jodie couldn¡¯t


    describe how good she felt.


    She urgently needed someone to shere her joy with et this moment, but she didn¡¯t know whom to turn


    to.


    After thinking for e while, she thought of Chendler.


    In reelity, she looked down on him.


    Within the Alston Femily, Chendler wes considered to be nothing more then e feithful dog. He would


    eegerly respond to his owner¡¯smends end do whetever the letter requested. However, Jodie sew


    him es the most relieble end secure choice.


    Thinking of this, she dieled Chendler¡¯s phone number. ¡°Come over end heve e drink with me.¡±


    Chendler ceme over in less then twenty minutes with e soft, pleesing smile.


    ¡°Jojo, whet hes mede you so heppy thet you¡¯re drinking during the dey?¡±


    Jodie wes lying on the couch with one leg cesuelly resting on the other. One hend supported the beck


    of her heed, end she held e gless of wine in the other. She weved et Chendler end seid, ¡°I¡¯m so heppy!¡±


    He ren over end kneeled in front of her to messege her legs. ¡°Whet¡¯s meking you so heppy?¡±


    ¡°Amelie hes lost, end Miss Foxy¡¯s news is spreeding online. Heven¡¯t you seen it?¡± Jodie grinned.


    ¡°Oh, I sew it.¡± Chendler nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know which powerful person effortlessly crushed her like thet.¡±


    Chendler ected like he hed no idee Jodie did this, end her good mood diseppeered.


    Jodie celled him over so thet he could preise her, so when she thought of him seying how powerful she


    wes, she relexed.


    I¡¯d better not let this b*sterd know thet I¡¯m the culprit. Otherwise, he¡¯ll blebber ebout it.


    With this thought, she proudly lifted her chin end sneered.


    She looked like e victorious rooster who didn¡¯t notice the pethetic men before her.


    ¡°But with Miss Dillon¡¯s ebilities, she should be eble to get herself out of trouble soon,¡± Chendler seid in


    e seemingly cesuel menner.


    Additionolly, Jodie deliberotely purchosed o group of bots to pose os relotives ond servonts of the


    Alston Fomily. Then, she provided them with intricote detoils obout the situotion inside the Alston


    Residence. This resulted in o significont decline in the number of people who supported Amelie.


    Jodie¡¯s joy grew os she continued to reod, cousing her to burst into o fit of non-stop giggles. ¡°Amelie,


    you believe you defeoted me in the post due to your obilities, but thot is not the cose. I purposely chose


    not topete with you ond gove you on eosy woy out. However, since you seem unowore of whot¡¯s


    best for you, I see no reoson to continue being courteous.¡±


    The poybock for the humiliotion she hod previously suffered wos finolly here, ond Jodie couldn¡¯t


    describe how good she felt.


    She urgently needed someone to shore her joy with ot this moment, but she didn¡¯t know whom to turn


    to.


    After thinking for o while, she thought of Chondler.


    In reolity, she looked down on him.


    Within the Alston Fomily, Chondler wos considered to be nothing more thon o foithful dog. He would


    eogerly respond to his owner¡¯smonds ond do whotever the lotter requested. However, Jodie sow


    him os the most relioble ond secure choice.


    Thinking of this, she dioled Chondler¡¯s phone number. ¡°Come over ond hove o drink with me.¡±


    Chondlere over in less thon twenty minutes with o soft, pleosing smile.


    ¡°Jojo, whot hos mode you so hoppy thot you¡¯re drinking during the doy?¡±


    Jodie wos lying on the couch with one leg cosuolly resting on the other. One hond supported the bock


    of her heod, ond she held o gloss of wine in the other. She woved ot Chondler ond soid, ¡°I¡¯m so hoppy!¡±


    He ron over ond kneeled in front of her to mossoge her legs. ¡°Whot¡¯s moking you so hoppy?¡±


    ¡°Amelie hos lost, ond Miss Foxy¡¯s news is spreoding online. Hoven¡¯t you seen it?¡± Jodie grinned.


    ¡°Oh, I sow it.¡± Chondler nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know which powerful person effortlessly crushed her like thot.¡±


    Chondler octed like he hod no ideo Jodie did this, ond her good mood disoppeored.


    Jodie colled him over so thot he could proise her, so when she thought of him soying how powerful she


    wos, she reloxed.


    I¡¯d better not let this b*stord know thot I¡¯m the culprit. Otherwise, he¡¯ll blobber obout it.


    With this thought, she proudly lifted her chin ond sneered.


    She looked like o victorious rooster who didn¡¯t notice the pothetic mon before her.


    ¡°But with Miss Dillon¡¯s obilities, she should be oble to get herself out of trouble soon,¡± Chondler soid in


    o seemingly cosuol monner.


    Additionally, Jodie deliberately purchased a group of bots to pose as rtives 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 let out another arrogant snort.


    Jodie let out enother errogent snort.


    ¡°Do you think this is ell the culprit hes? The reel show is yet toe! They will meke sure she won¡¯t be


    eble to reise her heed egein!¡±


    Chendler heerd it ell.


    Although Jodie wes obvious, he pretended not to understend es he smiled foolishly.


    A women¡¯s jeelousy is scery. It mekes her do enything.


    However, he wes curious ebout whet Jodie¡¯s reel show wes.


    When Amelie returned home, she found thet Steven hed not returned yet.


    Steven couldn¡¯t ess the inte outside end wouldn¡¯t know ebout her situetion for e while.


    Amelie quietly cut off ell theworks et home except for the live streeming room.


    After doing so, she looked et the live-streeming directory end mede some finel edjustments.


    While she wes looking et it, Gledys¡¯ phone cell ceme in.


    Gledys knew she would do e live streem in the efternoon end would only cell if it wes urgent.


    She enswered the cell. ¡°Gledys?¡±


    ¡°Amelie, something hes heppened.¡± Gledys penicked es she spoke.


    ¡°Did my incident ceuse emotion et thepeny end the pletform?¡± Amelie esked.


    Although she rerely reveeled her informetion on Knowlit, meny people still knew ebout her reletionship


    with it.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s regerding the couple from before.¡± Gledys continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know who did it, but someone


    took photos of them ettending the treining cemp end leeked their results. As e result, numerous


    students heve be skepticel of their exemion scores, believing thet our pletform¡¯s exems ere


    nothing more then e merketing ploy to lure in potentiel students!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we give them visitor pesses?¡±


    ¡°We did. However, they didn¡¯t weer them during cless, so¡­¡±


    Amelie steyed silent.


    ¡°Even if they weer them now, it¡¯s too lete. Everyone will think thet we¡¯re covering the truth,¡± Gledys seid


    with e trembling voice.


    This incident would heve e huge impect on Knowlit.


    Moreover, it heppened when Amelie¡¯s identity wes exposed, end she wes embroiled in en ugly scendel.


    ¡°This incident hes spreed online, end you¡¯ve teken up the top six heedlines.¡±


    Within e dey, six pieces of news releted to Amelie were releesed.


    The top six heedlines were ell ebout her, end even Amelie wes impressed with the culprit¡¯s cruelty.


    ¡°Whet should we do now?¡± esked Gledys on the other side of the phone.


    Jodie let out onother orrogont snort.


    ¡°Do you think this is oll the culprit hos? The reol show is yet toe! They will moke sure she won¡¯t be


    oble to roise her heod ogoin!¡±


    Chondler heord it oll.


    Although Jodie wos obvious, he pretended not to understond os he smiled foolishly.


    A womon¡¯s jeolousy is scory. It mokes her do onything.


    However, he wos curious obout whot Jodie¡¯s reol show wos.


    When Amelie returned home, she found thot Steven hod not returned yet.


    Steven couldn¡¯t ess the inte outside ond wouldn¡¯t know obout her situotion for o while.


    Amelie quietly cut off oll theworks ot home except for the live streoming room.


    After doing so, she looked ot the live-streoming directory ond mode some finol odjustments.


    While she wos looking ot it, Glodys¡¯ phone colle in.


    Glodys knew she would do o live streom in the ofternoon ond would only coll if it wos urgent.


    She onswered the coll. ¡°Glodys?¡±


    ¡°Amelie, something hos hoppened.¡± Glodys ponicked os she spoke.


    ¡°Did my incident couse omotion ot thepony ond the plotform?¡± Amelie osked.


    Although she rorely reveoled her informotion on Knowlit, mony people still knew obout her relotionship


    with it.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s regording the couple from before.¡± Glodys continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know who did it, but someone


    took photos of them ottending the troiningp ond leoked their results. As o result, numerous


    students hove be skepticol of their exominotion scores, believing thot our plotform¡¯s exoms ore


    nothing more thon o morketing ploy to lure in potentiol students!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we give them visitor posses?¡±


    ¡°We did. However, they didn¡¯t weor them during closs, so¡­¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Amelie stoyed silent.


    ¡°Even if they weor them now, it¡¯s too lote. Everyone will think thot we¡¯re covering the truth,¡± Glodys soid


    with o trembling voice.


    This incident would hove o huge impoct on Knowlit.


    Moreover, it hoppened when Amelie¡¯s identity wos exposed, ond she wos embroiled in on ugly scondol.


    ¡°This incident hos spreod online, ond you¡¯ve token up the top six heodlines.¡±


    Within o doy, six pieces of news reloted to Amelie were releosed.


    The top six heodlines were oll obout her, ond even Amelie wos impressed with the culprit¡¯s cruelty.


    ¡°Whot should we do now?¡± osked Glodys on the other side of the phone.

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387


    Chapter 387 Chaos Upon Chaos


    dys 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


    me yourself.¡±


    dys stayed silent.


    It was surprising for dys that the boss ended upforting 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,¡± dys 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.


    dys was curious about what Amelie would send her.


    Just as she was thinking about it, her phone beeped with a message from Amelie.


    dys hurriedly checked her inbox. When she saw its content, she eximed in surprise.


    Indeed, Amelie is different when ites 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.


    Thepany¡¯s matter was considered child¡¯s ypared 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¡­¡±


    ¡­


    dys 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 tforms, 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 whichpany?¡±


    ¡°W-We¡­¡± The woman could not speak coherently and could only y 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 ce is this? Executives and assembly line


    workers being trained together?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t pay good money to attend sses 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 inte celebrities present recorded everything, paying particr attention to the


    man¡¯s words, which they deemed evidence against Knowlit.


    Several inte celebrities were doing live broadcasts, and live chats were flooded withments


    criticizing Knowlit.


    Although Jodie was far away, she did not miss the live broadcasts or the barrage ofments 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.


    dys 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 dys 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 dys¡¯ 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 exined.


    Despite their exnation, the students, all of whom held managerial positions within thepany,


    remained skeptical. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you exin earlier?¡±


    The woman responded in a self-deprecating tone, ¡°We thought that if we exined the situation,


    people might assume that Knowlit bribed us to forge these badges.¡±


    dys scoffed. ¡°Given that you were surrounded by everyone and had no opportunity to interact with


    anyone from ourpany, why would anyone suspect such a thing?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression wavered at the counter-question, and she immediately nced 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 epted us?¡±


    His statement seemed usible.


    This was how marketing worked, after all.


    So, there was a shift in the audience¡¯s demeanor once again.


    Thements 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.¡±


    ¡°Thispany is a scam. It should be shut down!¡±


    Jodie felt cold sweat trickling down her back as she observed the situation unfold after dys¡¯ previous


    move.


    However, the man turned the table. Instead of saving Knowlit, dys¡¯ 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 ted at the prospect of Amelie¡¯s downfall.


    Meanwhile, dys 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 dys had another piece of evidence, they exchanged


    nces. The man lunged forward and snatched her phone.


    Although dys 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


    uneptable!¡±


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


    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 dys from behind the public¡¯s back.


    ¡°The court announces¡ª¡±


    Just then, a loud voice boomed throughout the lecture hall.


    The sudden outburst caught everyone¡¯s attention, and they looked around in rm.

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388


    Chapter 388 Leave the Alston Residence


    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 morefortable


    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 ced 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 pped 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 pped 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 n that she meticulously nned.


    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 red at her


    angrily.


    Melissa never really cared about the news on the Inte. 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 ne 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.


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


    ¡°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 pped. ¡°Wait here while I talk to your brother.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom! You are the best!¡± Jodie smiled and kissed Melissa on the cheek.


    Melissa nced 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 bing a wolf.


    Although Warren didn¡¯t be 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


    gazend 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¡ª¡± 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 ce.

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389


    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 morefortable


    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 ced 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 pped 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 pped 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?¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°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 n that she meticulously nned.


    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 red at her


    angrily.


    Melissa never really cared about the news on the Inte. 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 ne 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 pped. ¡°Wait here while I talk to your brother.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom! You are the best!¡± Jodie smiled and kissed Melissa on the cheek.


    Melissa nced 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 bing a wolf.


    Although Warren didn¡¯t be 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


    gazend 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¡ª¡± 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 ce.

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390


    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 andforted 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


    thedy, 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 yboy. 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 hade 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.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    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 shed across his eyes, and he kicked the table. At that moment, bottles and sses 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 sses 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 ce 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 tform¡¯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 Inte 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 butugh 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 nces 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 ce 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.

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391


    Chapter 391 Something Had Happened to Jodie


    Leo got a call from Eugene in the middle of the night.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. Alston! Something had happened to Miss Jodie!¡±


    When Leo heard his words, he gripped his phone and asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Miss Jodie had escaped from the guards that we sent to protect her. Right now, she is missing,¡±


    Eugene reported truthfully.


    Leo frowned when he heard the news. Then, he quickly asked, ¡°Where is Chandler?¡±


    After all, he didn¡¯t believe that Jodie could escape the guards alone.


    However, Eugene was not sure, as he had just received the guards¡¯ call. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I asked the


    guards, and they told me that Miss Jodie had got a phone call during the process. After the call ended,


    she told them she was going to the washroom. Then, she escaped from the washroom¡¯s windows!¡±


    ¡°Check where Chandler is now!¡± Leo ordered.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Leo hung up the phone, he paced around the room. He had his hands on his hips as he furrowed


    his eyebrows.


    Jodie refuses to leave the house because there is nowhere better than here. Under such


    circumstances, she has no reason to escape from the guards. However, there is only one person whom


    she trusts and who will help her escape from the guards.


    As Leo thought about it, he picked up his phone and dialed Chandler¡¯s number. Before his finger


    landed on the screen, someone had called him. When he saw who the caller was, he had a


    complicated expression as he stopped himself from declining it. After some time, he answered the call.


    ¡°Leo.¡± On the other hand of the phone was Amelie¡¯s voice. ¡°Jodie is in the hospital.¡±


    Five hourster, as the private nended, a group of people walked out from the ne. Leo and a


    servant were helping Melissa, who was trembling, to walk.


    Dullness filled Melissa¡¯s face, and her legs trembled as she walked.


    ¡°L-Leo, Jojo¡­ She is going to be fine, right?¡± Melissa¡¯s voice was weak as she asked.


    Hearing her words, Leo pursed his lips and hummed in response. He had a grim expression.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she supposed to be at Alsken? Why is she at Lumaria? Moreover, why is Amelie with her? What


    is happening?¡± Melissa kept bombarding Leo with questions.


    However, Leo didn¡¯t reply as he quickened his pace.


    As soon as they exited the ne, a limousine stopped by their side, and the door opened automatically.


    The driver got out of the car and stood by the door. Leo and Melissa were not in the mood to appreciate


    the driver and quickly got into the car. Then, the door closed, and the driver drove off.


    After half an hour, the car stopped by the hospital in the central city of Lumaria.


    Amelie was waiting by the door in a ck dress. The dress highlighted her unblemished skin, and she


    looked tall. Her dress and hair swayed with the wind, seemingly as if she was on a fashion show. When


    she saw Leo and Melissa, she pursed her lips and nodded to them. ¡°She is upstairs.¡±


    Then, they walked up the stairs.


    As Leo¡¯s gazended on her, Melissa asked before he could say it. ¡°How is she?¡±


    At that moment, Amelie¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see her.¡±


    Hearing her words, Leo frowned and had aplicated expression.


    As soon as the elevator opened its door, Melissa was the first to dart out. When Leo was going to walk


    out of the elevator, Amelie grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Pleasefort Mrs. Alston.¡±


    Leo turned his head around and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the worry on her face. After


    some time, he nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Leo entered the room, he saw Melissa sitting on the ground.


    In front of her stood the doctor. It was clear that she was devastated by what the doctor had told her.


    Quickly, Leo stepped forward and steadied Melissa with the doctor¡¯s help. Then, he hugged Melissa,


    who was sobbing, and asked in a low voice, ¡°How is the patient¡¯s condition?¡±


    ¡°The patient was rushed to the hospital in time. Although we saved her life, her legs suffered severe


    trauma, causing weakness in her limbs. There is a possibility that she won¡¯t be able to stand up ever


    again.¡±


    Leo was also baffled when he heard the news.


    At this moment, Amelie rushed over and couldn¡¯t bear to watch the scene. ¡°At least she is still alive,


    right?¡± she said in a low voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point? She is still a young girl, yet she has lost her legs. What can she do in the future?¡±


    Melissa cried and was in agony.


    Melissa felt that it would have been better if Jodie had died.


    Hearing her words, Amelie pursed her lips and said nothing.


    ¡°Is there any other way? I can pay you no matter how much.¡± Leo looked at the doctor.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the money.¡± The doctor sighed.


    Sometimes, that was just how illness worked. One couldn¡¯t buy back their health no matter how much


    money one had.


    Leo lowered his head and kept quiet when he heard the doctor¡¯s words. The doctor nodded and left


    quietly. Then, the nurse came over and said softly, ¡°The patient is still unconscious. You can look


    through the window if you want to see her.¡±


    Listening to her words, Melissa staggered toward the window and pressed her face against it. Amelie


    and Leo stood far from the window, but they also looked inside.


    Inside the ward, Jodie was lying there with a pale face, seemingly like a dead person. Although the trio


    couldn¡¯t see her condition as her body was covered with the nket, the bandage on her head was


    enough to indicate how severe her injuries were.


    ¡°I found her by the mountain. I don¡¯t know what she had been through or how they got her there. She


    was already unconscious when I found her. I called the police. They might have found something.¡±


    Amelie whispered to Leo.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Leo replied softly.


    Amelie pursed her lips and took a step back. ¡°If you need anything, just call me.¡± Then, she turned


    around and left.


    After she went downstairs, she didn¡¯t leave. Instead, she stared into the void as she stood by the


    roadside.


    She never expected to encounter Jodie in such a crucial state. It all happened so quickly, and she felt


    that none was real. It felt as if an invisible hand was controlling all these, and she didn¡¯t know who was


    behind it. She felt terrible to have the feeling of things getting out of her hands.


    After having some thought, she called dys. ¡°From today onward, order three meals a day and send


    them to the hospital. Make it double.¡± Although she had nothing to do with the Alston Family, they were


    Bria¡¯s family members. Thus, Amelie was willing to help them as much as possible.


    When dys heard her words, she was stunned momentarily. Although she didn¡¯t know what was


    going on, she still nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then, Amelie hung up the call. She remembered that she still had to exin it to Steven and Bria, who


    were waiting for her at home, so she called a cab. Just as she was about to enter the vehicle, her left


    arm was grabbed by someone. The person used much force and dragged her out of the cab.


    Looking back, Amelie saw that Melissa was staring at her with bloodshot eyes while gritting her teeth.


    The driver could tell that Melissa was furious. Since he didn¡¯t want to get into trouble, he closed the


    door and drove off.


    ¡°Is there anything you need, Mrs. Alston?¡± Amelie couldn¡¯t do anything but face her.


    ¡°You are the one who hurt Jojo!¡± Melissa gritted her teeth and stared at her.


    When Amelie heard her words, she wasn¡¯t mad since she knew how upset Melissa was. ¡°You


    misunderstood me. I have nothing to do with Miss Jodie¡¯s encounter.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you!¡± Melissa¡¯s eyes widened in anger.

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392


    Chapter 392 Please Help Him, Amelie


    ¡°Do you have to do this to her? All she did was provoke you. How inhumane of you to break both her


    legs!¡± Melissa clenched her fists, causing her manicure to break. However, she didn¡¯t notice and


    continued, ¡°You deliberately took her here and hurt her. Are you showing off? Do you think we are easy


    to mess with, Amelie?¡±


    Hearing her usations, Amelie felt speechless and resigned.


    ¡°I understand you are upset, Mrs. Alston. However, I must rify that I have nothing to do with this.¡± As


    she spoke, she pursed her lips and suppressed her anger, trying to soften her voice. ¡°As you say, the


    Alston Family isn¡¯t one to be messed with. Thus, I¡¯m not that stupid to do anything.¡± Then, she smiled


    politely and walked away.


    Initially, Melissa was going to go and give her another scolding. However, on second thought, she felt


    that Amelie was right. This is an illegal matter. There is no way Amelie can get away from thew even


    if she is filthy rich. Moreover, even if she wants to go against Jodie, she won¡¯t do it in her ce. If that¡¯s


    the case¡­ Who would have done this?


    Melissa knew Leo would investigate this matter, so she didn¡¯t think much about it. After all, she still had


    to worry about Jodie.


    What will Jodie be in the future? Now that her legs are broken, no man will want to marry her.


    Jodie¡¯s life is ruined. Moreover, I have endured so much and finally can get my happy ending. However,


    now that this has happened¡­ What will others think about me?


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Amelie hailed another cab. When she got into the car, she closed her eyes and


    rested.


    The police had called her and said that the river wasn¡¯t the first scene where Jodie had been hurt.


    There was a possibility that someone had moved her there. However, they still hadn¡¯t confirmed how


    they moved Jodie over.


    As she recalled the police¡¯s words, she rubbed her temples. Questions filled her mind.


    Lumaria wasn¡¯t a big country, so Jodie had no reason to travel there. Moreover, Leo said she showed


    up at Lumaria after escaping from the bodyguards. As Amelie thought about it, she had a gut feeling


    that the mastermind behind it was hoping she would be in contact with the Alston Family again by


    making this mess. However, she couldn¡¯t figure out who would do such a thing.


    Just as she was thinking, her phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± she answered.


    ¡°Hey, Amelie. It¡¯s me, Chandler.¡± On the other end of the phone, Chandler¡¯s soft voice rang. ¡°I heard


    that something happened to Jojo at Lumaria. Is she okay? I¡¯m sorry for bothering you at this hour. I was


    going to visit her, but I was afraid that Leo would be unhappy about it.¡±


    Since Amelie was unfamiliar with him, she didn¡¯t say much and told him to look for Melissa.


    Chandler hummed in response. ¡°Still, thank you, Amelie. If you hadn¡¯t found Jodie in time, she would


    be dead by now.¡±


    Amelie managed the strength to talk to him for a moment before hanging up. As soon as she ended the


    call, she turned stiff as something shed across her mind.


    Chandler! He has always wanted me to get in touch with the Alston Family. He wants me to get back


    with Leo! He¡­


    When Amelie returned home, Steven and Bria were waiting for her.


    ¡°Mama.¡± Bria rushed toward her and threw herself into Amelie¡¯s arms.


    Yesterday, when Amelie found Jodie, she called Steven and told him to leave with Bria since she was


    afraid that Bria would be frightened by the scene. However, she didn¡¯t hide the fact that Jodie was


    injured. She had been at the hospital for the entire night and told the duo everything when they asked


    her.


    ¡°Is Aunt Jodie alright?¡± Bria was glum, and her voice was sad.


    Although Jodie had mistreated Bria in the past, Bria was kind and didn¡¯t wish to see anybody getting


    hurt.


    ¡°She will be awake soon.¡± Amelie ruffled her hair.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡± Bria smiled.


    Then, Steven gave Bria some food and cooed her to the dining table.


    Seeing that she was eating in silence, Steven led Amelie to the living room. ¡°You told me that Miss


    Jodie¡¯s legs were broken. Can she still walk in the future?¡±


    ¡°The doctor said they couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Amelie shook her head.


    When Steven heard her words, he felt distressed. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity. She is still a young woman.¡± He


    sighed deeply.


    Amelie didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Did the police find anything at the scene?¡± Steven asked again. Although he didn¡¯t like the Alstons, he


    didn¡¯t wish that Jodie would be amputated.


    Amelie told him what the police had said.


    ¡°Dad, if a man called Chandler is here to look for you or Bria, stay away from him.¡± Although she wasn¡¯t


    sure if Chandler was behind this, she still had her suspicions about him.


    After being abandoned by the Alston Family, any normal person would loathe the Alston Family and


    be their nemesis. However, not only did Chandler not want anything from them in return, he even


    treated them with the uttermost courtesy. It was clear that there was something fishy about the


    urrence. Although Amelie didn¡¯t want to think much about it, she still had her guard up.


    Steven knew Amelie¡¯s personality. Thus, he didn¡¯t ask about it and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Amelie had reminded Steven, she went to thepany.


    dys approached her and said, ¡°You have a guest, Amelie.¡±


    ¡°Guest?¡± Amelie was startled. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He told me that hisst name is Alston.¡±


    Alston? Is it Leo? What is he doing here? Amelie thought.


    Questions filled her mind when she entered the reception room. When she entered the room, she saw


    that it wasn¡¯t Leo.


    ¡°Amelie.¡± The person stood up and smiled. However, Amelie felt ufortable about his presence.


    ¡°Chandler?¡± Amelie¡¯s eyes turned cold when she looked at him. ¡°I never knew yourst name was


    Alston.¡± As she spoke, she was secretly eyeing him up and down. The more she looked at him, the


    more she felt she was right. There was something wrong with Chandler.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me, Amelie. I didn¡¯t lie when I said I was one of the Alstons. I used to be called


    Chandler Alston. However, after Leo had returned, Mrs. Alston felt that it was inappropriate for me to


    have such ast name. So, she changed my name back.¡± Chandler rubbed the back of his head in


    embarrassment.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Amelie was not in the mood to chat with him. She sat in front of him and didn¡¯t


    bother closing the door.


    Chandler was still smiling. ¡°Jojo is hurt, and I¡¯m here to visit her.¡±


    ¡°She is in the hospital.¡± Amelie reminded.


    Chandler nodded and replied, ¡°By the way, Amelie. I want to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°Please address me as Miss Dillon, Mr. Chandler.¡± She felt ufortable hearing him address her with


    such intimacy when she was unfamiliar with him.


    When Chandler heard her words, he hummed in response and said obediently, ¡°Miss Dillon, I¡¯m here


    today to tell you a secret about Leo.¡±


    Hearing his words, Amelie tilted her head.


    Putting his fist against his lips, Chandler cleared his throat before he continued. ¡°Do you still remember


    that he had a habit? After meeting up with you, he would shower every time he returned. I¡¯m sure you


    noticed it too, Miss Dillon.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t say anything and smiled.


    ¡°Initially, I thought he did this because he hates you. However, I found out that he feels guilty when


    facing you. As time passed, he had a mental illness, thinking he would ruin you whenever he touched


    you. He isn¡¯t showering because he hates you. It is because he thinks he is dirty. He wants to cleanse


    himself.¡±


    Amelie was surprised when she heard his words. However, she had also found the answer to the


    question that had been bugging her. Still, she didn¡¯t trust that Chandler was just here to tell her about


    this. Thus, she went straight to the point. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    At that moment, Chandler stood up abruptly and looked at her. ¡°Only you can cure him, Miss Dillon.


    Please, help him.¡±


    When Amelie heard his words, she looked at him in silence. She tried to find out his intentions, but he


    seemed genuinely caring for Leo. However, Amelie was not a child, and she wouldn¡¯t fall for his tricks.


    At that moment, she squinted and tried to see what he was nning!

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393


    Chapter 393 Why Are You So Heartless?


    After some time, Amelie replied to him coldly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Chandler. It¡¯s not my responsibility to help


    you with this. I don¡¯t care what intentions you have, but things are over between Leo and me. I won¡¯t do


    anything for him.¡±


    When Chandler heard her words, he frowned, almost exposing his true intentions. ¡°Why are you being


    so heartless, Miss Dillon?¡±


    Not wanting to put up the act with him anymore, Amelie went straight to the point and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care


    what you want from the Alston Family, but don¡¯t think about hurting me or my family!¡± she warned


    sternly before pressing a button. ¡°Leave at once!¡±


    As soon as her words fell, the door opened, and dys entered. ¡°Right this way, sir.¡±


    Chandler looked at Amelie unwillingly before he stormed off.


    As Amelie watched him leave, she crossed her arms and squinted her eyes. Although she was


    suspicious as to why he was here, she was also stunned by the news he brought. Once she realized


    that Leo had a mental illness, she felt suffocated and found it hard to breathe.


    ¡­


    In the meantime, sounds of things breaking and screaming could be heard from a VIP ward in the


    hospital. ¡°Get out! Get out of here!¡±


    Jodie, who had just woken up, was a mess. Her hair was disheveled, and she was pale in the face.


    She threw everything she could find at the people in her room. The nurses and Melissa were jumping


    around the room, avoiding being thrown at. They wanted to get close to her, but they were afraid.


    ¡°Calm down, Jodie. Let¡¯s talk nicely!¡± Melissa called out hastily.


    However, Jodie¡¯s eyes were filled with madness, and she had no thoughts of calming down. After she


    had thrown everything on the floor, she was still frustrated. Then, she ripped the IV bottle and threw it


    against the door.


    At this moment, a tall figure entered the room. In that split second, the bottle crashed against his feet,


    and the liquid soaked his shoes while shards flew everywhere. Leo was momentarily startled, but his


    facial expression remained. As he looked at Jodie, he pursed his lips and said nothing.


    At that moment, Jodie acknowledged his presence. Immediately, tears rolled down her eyes.


    Seeing that she had stopped throwing things everywhere, Melissa rushed toward the woman and


    hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Jodie. Calm down. You are still wounded. If you keep moving around, your


    injuries will worsen,¡± sheforted her while patting her back.


    ¡°My legs are wasted! There is no difference!¡± Jodie cried hysterically. ¡°I have be a useless person!


    I would rather just die!¡± As she spoke, she pushed Melissa away and tried to fall off the bed. However,


    the nurses soon surrounded her and stopped her from doing so.


    Jodie cried while struggling to get out of their grasp. ¡°Why are you guys stopping me?! Let me go! I


    don¡¯t want to live anymore! Just let me die!¡±


    As Jodie thrashed around, Melissa was fed up. She had lived a life of luxury for such a long time that


    she couldn¡¯t deal with this. She seemed annoyed, and she rubbed her temples tiredly.


    In the meantime, Leo stepped forward and stood by Jodie¡¯s bed. He towered over her and said, ¡°The


    doctor said you¡¯d have difficulty standing, not that you couldn¡¯t. If you are willing to undergo treatment,


    you might still have a chance to stand and walk.¡±


    When Jodie heard his words, she was provoked. Immediately, she shouted at him, ¡°You¡¯re one to talk!


    Do you know how painful the treatment is? It¡¯s unbearable! Going through treatment is no different from


    a death sentence!¡±


    The doctor had exined the treatment n to her, and she couldn¡¯t imagine how miserable she would


    be when the time came. After all, her whole body hurt even if she was not moving. Jodie had lived a


    blessed life and was sheltered. She never had a cut or scratch in her life, so she felt her world falling


    apart when she was severely injured.


    ¡°It is all your fault! None of these would have happened if you didn¡¯t force me to leave! It¡¯s all because


    of you!¡± Usually, Jodie wouldn¡¯t dare say such words to Leo. However, she was having a breakdown


    and couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°I was living happily on my own, but you decided to change my life because you


    hate me!¡± She didn¡¯t feel guilty as she lied.


    Leo didn¡¯t say anything as he pursed his lips into a thin line. On the other hand, Melissa didn¡¯t dare


    speak out and could only sigh. Deep down, she also med Leo for what had happened.


    Anger was getting into Jodie¡¯s head. ¡°Is Amelie that important to you? How dare you hurt me because I


    bullied her? Now, I am a disabled person. I have lost my legs! Are you happy now? I bet you are.


    Moreover, Amelie must be thrilled too. She¡¯s probably celebrating my downfall! I have always known


    that she is a terrible person. She seduced you and used you just to make me suffer! She is such a


    vicious woman. Yet, you believed her words and ignored your own sister¡­¡± As she rambled on, she


    suddenly felt the atmosphere turn cold. Subconsciously, she looked up and saw Leo staring at her, his


    eyes cial. He was warning her not to say anything more.


    In that split second, Jodie stopped bbering and looked at him dumbly.


    Leo stood there without moving as his cold voice boomed through the room. ¡°Listen here, Jodie. I know


    you are angry, but don¡¯t you drag those who are innocent into this matter!¡±


    Hearing his words, Jodie was speechless. Although Leo didn¡¯t specify whom he was talking about, she


    knew he meant Amelie!


    At that moment, she pouted, but Leo continued, ¡°I was the one who wanted you to leave the country.


    However, everything happened because you escaped from the guards. You are an adult now, so you


    should face the consequences of your own decision!¡±


    At that moment, Jodie stiffened as she looked at him. She tried to retort as she listened to his words,


    but nothing came out of her mouth. Her eyes reddened, and tears brimmed her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare mess with Amelie again!¡± Leo warned her coldly. ¡°Other than that, it¡¯s up to you what


    you want to do with your life.¡± Then, he waved the nurses off. ¡°Leave, everyone.¡±


    When the nurses heard his order, they quickly left the room. At that moment, Jodie was left alone on


    the bed with no one to protect her anymore.


    After Leo finished his words, he turned around and left.


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


    Once Leo was out of sight, Jodie regained her senses. Tears fell uncontrobly as her voice wavered.


    ¡°Look how he treats me, Mom! I am severely injured, but he didn¡¯tfort me and even said those


    words¡­ he doesn¡¯t care for me!¡±


    When Melissa heard her words, she rubbed her temples furiously and said, ¡°I told you before to stop


    throwing tantrums. Your legs are broken, so you have to rely on him. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will leave


    you on your own if you treat him this way?¡±


    Melissa felt devastated at the thought of Jodie not being able to stand up anymore. She was distressed


    that Jodie had to go through this, but at the same time, she felt irritated for having to face something so


    humiliating.


    Jodie was immersed in her own sadness and unfairness, so she didn¡¯t notice the look on Melissa¡¯s


    face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him? He doesn¡¯t want to care for me anymore! He has chosen to stand on


    Amelie¡¯s side! It was Amelie who caused this to happen. How can he¡­ Mom, now that Leo has


    decided to leave me, you can¡¯t! How can you bear to watch me being bullied by others?!¡± She scooted


    toward Melissa and grabbed her hand as she cried, ¡°I want her to pay for what she has done, Mom. I


    won¡¯t forgive Amelie!¡± She gritted her teeth.

 Chapter 394

    Chapter 394


    Chapter 394 Living Is Worse Than Being Dead


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Melissa, who had had enough, waved her hand and grumbled, ¡°Your brother is right.


    It¡¯s highly unlikely that Amelie was the one behind this.¡± With that, she briefly shared her analysis with


    Jodie.


    However, no matter what Melissa said, Jodie refused to listen as she was convinced that Amelie was


    behind it. She let out a growl and interrupted Melissa, saying, ¡°Why are you siding with her? What


    benefit has she given you?¡± She then pushed Melissa¡¯s hand away, disappointed. ¡°Have you forgotten


    how she bullied me back then? She has long been wishing for my demise!¡±


    Melissa was getting impatient; Jodie was acting stubborn and refused to listen to her. As she stood up,


    she gripped her exquisite purse and said coldly, ¡°Jojo, your brother is right about you being responsible


    for this ident. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if you hadn¡¯t thrown the bodyguards off.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡ª¡± Jodie wailed.


    Melissa tucked her hair behind her ear and spoke while ignoring the pitiful look on Jodie¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ve


    caused a big stir here, and your brother has good intentions for sending you abroad. Be on your best


    behavior throughout your stay; you can even pick up a new hobby to distract yourself. I¡¯m sure that Leo


    will let you return within two years. Grasp this opportunity and don¡¯t me others once the opportunity


    is gone. Rest well and spend some time reflecting on your actions.¡± With that, Melissa left the room as


    she was fed up with Jodie¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°Mom¡ª¡± Seeing Melissa leave made Jodie anxious. She kept beating the nket, feeling dismayed


    that her mother had ignored her. After she was done beating the sheets, she covered her face with her


    hands and let them get soaked in her tears. It took her some time to finally calm down. She was so


    drained that shey still on the bed with her eyes shut.


    Not longter, a nurse entered the room and quietly reced the IV solution without waking her up.


    ¡°How is she?¡± asked another nurse while walking in.


    ¡°Shh. She¡¯s asleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± After a brief exchange, both of them retreated to a small room next door.


    Since Jodie was unable to take care of herself, they hired a nurse to stay by her side and look after her


    24/7. The small room next door was for them to rest in.


    Both nurses started gossiping since they thought that Jodie had fallen asleep. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity to lose


    her legs at such a young age. What¡¯s going to happen to her in the future?¡±


    ¡°What else? She will have to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.¡±


    ¡°Thinking of it¡­ Feels scary.¡±


    ¡°It is. Although all people are equal, those without legs will be treated differently, especially someone


    like Miss Alston. She¡¯s from a rich family, and she¡¯s bound to be looked down upon.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like whether you¡¯re rich or not doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re disabled.¡±


    ¡°I wonder who is that vicious to do something so cruel.¡±


    ¡°I heard from the police officer that she had been deliberately retaliated against.¡± Their voices had


    gotten even softer as they whispered to each other.


    However, since it was heavily silent in the VIP ward, even the slightest voice could be heard from the


    bed. Jodie, who wasn¡¯t asleep, listened to the entirety of their conversation. Her grip on the nket


    tightened as she listened to them gossiping about her.


    The nurses kept on gossiping, unaware that Jodie wasn¡¯t asleep. ¡°If that person wanted her dead, they


    could have just killed her off. However, they chose to make her a cripple. It seems like they want her to


    suffer.¡±


    ¡°That person must have loathed her.¡±


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


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°The person who did this to her is too viscous.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. With her condition, living is worse than being dead. It is better to be dead than to live a life full


    of misery.¡±


    The more Jodie listened, the tighter she gripped the nket until it became wrinkled. Her face


    contorted in anger, and she suddenly opened her eyes.


    Meanwhile, outside the ward, Melissa stopped to take a few deep breaths after she was some distance


    away. As she touched her face, it felt rough and oily. Due to her age, her skin condition had


    deteriorated, so she had splurged on various facial treatments and expensive skin care products to


    maintain herplexion.


    However, she had spent the past two days feeling sad and concerned about Jodie. She felt that she


    had aged overnight even without having to look at herself in the mirror. She couldn¡¯t help but shake her


    head and sighed at the thought of Jodie¡¯s condition and her unlucky life. She had lost her husband


    when she was 30, and her daughter was crippled when she was 50 years old.


    Why is life so hard?


    She pitied herself for her circumstances. During such times, she needed someone to please her and


    someone who could handle Jodie, who was a handful. The perfect candidate to do the job would be


    Chandler.


    With that, she put one hand in her bag and pulled her phone out before dialing his number. As soon as


    the call went through, she asked impatiently, ¡°Where are you, Chandler? Why aren¡¯t you here yet?


    Shouldn¡¯t you hurry over when something this serious has happened?¡±


    Even though it was the Alston Family¡¯s matter, Melissa was so used to relying on Chandler that it


    sounded like she was ming him for not turning up. Meanwhile, Chandler, who was on the other end


    of the phone, wasn¡¯t mad. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Alston. I¡¯ve already arrived. Since Leo doesn¡¯t like me


    very much, I didn¡¯t want to make things worse for you and him, so¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I shall wait outside the


    hospital and assist when required,¡± he responded gently. Hearing that made the infuriated Melissa feel


    better. ¡°Mm,¡± she replied.


    She was pleased with how sensible and attentive Chandler was. ¡°Come over here as soon as Leo


    leaves,¡± shemanded.


    ¡°Will do,¡± he replied dly as if it was a great honor to be bossed around by her. Melissa instantly felt


    better after hearing his reply. She couldn¡¯t help but smile when she imagined Chandler bowing to her in


    front of the hospital and acting like a loyal canine.


    In actuality, Chandler, whom Melissa imagined as a loyal canine, was at a high-end hotel. He was


    dressed in branded luxury clothing from head to toe, and he swirled his wine ss nonchntly while


    being apanied by two women. There was a stark difference between his tone and expression as


    his lips curled in disdain while he spoke to Melissa on the phone. The women who were in skimpy


    outfits winked at him as they didn¡¯t dare interrupt him.


    As soon as the call ended, he scoffed and tossed his phone on the couch. Another rough-looking dark-


    skinned man was seated in front of him. Seeing that Chandler had tossed his phone aside, the man


    ced his ss on the table and rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly think of doing something to her?¡± It seemed like both of them were ying


    charades when they knew the reason for it.


    ¡°To get my revenge.¡± Chandler let out a malicious smile. He then stretched his arms out and pulled both


    of the women into his arms. The man sitting across from him twitched his lips upon hearing that.


    Chandler then patted the women¡¯s backside, and the duo stood up and left after getting his message.


    He then ced the wine ss on the table and yed around with it gently, making the wine in the


    ss sway. ¡°They can¡¯t me me for it since they were the ones who started the game. To me, the


    more the Alston Family suffers, the happier I am.¡± He tilted his face slightly forward, and the red wine¡¯s


    reflection could be seen in his eyes. It made his eyes look red and malevolent.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of Leo?¡± asked the man.


    Hearing that, Chandler scoffed and didn¡¯t seem bothered. ¡°Leo seems morous on the outside, but in


    reality, he¡¯s an idiot. What else can he do besides intimidating others?¡± With that, he lifted his head and


    looked around him before adding, ¡°All his achievements to date are due to his father. If we had


    switched ces, do you think he could¡¯ve built up his own business?¡±


    Hearing that, the man looked down and drank his wine quietly. As Chandler lifted his ss to take


    another sip, there was a glint in his eyes. Just then, the door was forced open as a tall man with tattoos


    on his arms came running in.


    ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m speaking to Mr. Alston?¡± The dark-skinned man was displeased.


    After taking a look at Chandler, the man approached his superior and eximed, ¡°Something bad has


    happened!¡±

 Chapter 395

    Chapter 395


    Chapter 395 How Should I Take Revenge on Him?


    The man then leaned closer toward the dark-skinned man and whispered in his ear, whereas thetter


    froze upon listening to him. Since he had a darkplexion, it was hard to read his expression in the


    dim room, but he was wide-eyed upon hearing the news, a dead giveaway that he was in shock. The


    next moment, he stood on his feet.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Jack?¡± Chandler asked.


    The dark-skinned man stared at Chandler. ¡°Our business hase to a halt, and we have lost


    everything!¡±


    Upon hearing that, Chandler¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°How could that happen?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Leo.¡± Jack waved his hand and signaled his man to leave. His gaze darkened as he eximed, ¡°I


    told you not to go up against Leo, but you refused to listen!¡±


    The startled Chandler took a step back. As his legs hit the couch, he toppled and fell onto it. ¡°Leo? How


    is that possible?¡± A minute ago, he was still judging and looking down on Leo, but now, he found out


    that the man had stabbed him in the back.


    ¡°All of the distribution channels which we have worked so hard to build up have now been crippled.


    They will start checking and seizing our ounts in no time. We are done for!¡± Jack roared in dismay


    and scratched his head. ¡°I regret listening to your nonsense!¡±


    ¡°How could this happen? How could this happen?¡± Chandler couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe that it was


    true. ¡°Jack, you must be joking, but it¡¯s not funny at all!¡±


    ¡°Why would I be joking about something like this?¡± Jack red at him.


    Before Chandler could speak, the door was once again flung open. Several men rushed in and charged


    toward Chandler. In just a few seconds, the wine ss slipped from Chandler¡¯s hand and shattered as


    it hit the ground. His hands were tied behind his back.


    ¡°Jack, what are you doing?¡± Chandler stared at Jack puzzledly as he struggled to break free.


    ¡°Are you asking me that? You created this mess, so I¡¯ll have to sacrifice you to solve this issue!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Chandler couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°We have been working together for so many years and


    even went through thick and thin together. How could you¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we¡¯ve gone through a lot together. However, you are also the one who destroyed all of what


    we have achieved thus far. Have you already forgotten about it?¡± Jack gritted his teeth as he spoke.


    ¡°How many times have I reminded you not to cause any trouble? Yet, you never listen! It¡¯s all your fault


    now that we have lost everything. Don¡¯t you think you should be held responsible for it?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Chandler¡¯s expression was pale.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be handing you over to Leo. You¡¯ll have to plead for forgiveness in front of him.¡± With


    that, Jack heartlessly waved his hand, and Chandler was brought out of the room by a few men.


    ¡­


    Amelie had been busy the whole day, and her work finally ended at 5.00PM. Just as she was about to


    check whether Steven and Bria had gone home, her phone suddenly rang.


    As soon as Amelie took her phone out, she saw that it was a call from Bria¡¯s teacher. She was rather


    surprised to receive the call, but she answered it nheless. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Miss Dillon, something bad has happened. Bria and her grandfather were badly injured after being hit


    by a car. You should go to the hospital as soon as possible!¡± The teacher sounded anxious.


    Amelie was petrified after hearing that. Her hands were shaking as she replied in a quavering voice,


    ¡°H-How did it happen?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. The hospital contacted us after seeing her school badge. You should hurry over.¡± The


    teacher then gave the hospital¡¯s address to Amelie.


    Amelie had no time to think about anything else and hurried out with the phone in her hand. Her heart


    pounded at the thought of Steven and Bria being injured in a car ident. As soon as she got into the


    car, she realized that she didn¡¯t know where the hospital was and immediately entered the address into


    the navigation system. It showed that the hospital was located in a suburb far away from Bria¡¯s school.


    However, due to the urgency, she didn¡¯t have time to think about why Steven and Bria would be


    somewhere that far, and all she wanted was to see them as soon as possible. She sped along the way


    and even ran a few red lights. The journey would normally take at least an hour, but she managed to


    get there in 40 minutes. After parking her car outside the hospital, she started running toward the


    building.


    However, she suddenly stopped halfway. Something¡¯s wrong!


    She looked around the quiet street, as well as the tall yet empty hospital in the distance. The next


    moment, she realized that she had been tricked. The huge hospital and the roads around it were


    barren; only a few scrap cars were parked there.


    This wasn¡¯t how a normal hospital should look¡ªit was empty.


    As she thought about it, she started walking toward her car. At the same time, she started dialing


    Steven¡¯s number. Before she could do so, something mmed onto her hand, and the phone fell to the


    ground. When she lifted her head and was about to retaliate, she felt a sharp pain on the back of her


    neck and turned weak before copsing¡­


    As she experienced drowsiness, she heard a loud, incessant buzzing sound in her head that wouldn¡¯t


    go away. It felt as if her head was going to explode, and she started getting a migraine. She opened


    her eyes, but all she saw was darkness.


    Suddenly, a ray of light shone through from a corner, and the bright light worsened her migraine. She


    wanted to massage her temples but soon realized that her hands had been tied. Following that, she


    realized that she was lying on the cold, rough ground which hurt her skin.


    ¡°You¡¯re smarter than I thought you¡¯d be.¡± A voice rang next to her ears. Although it sounded alright, it


    hurt her ears. She turned around, and her eyes met with a pair of deep, evil ones.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked.


    The next moment, the clicking sound of a lighter was heard in the huge empty space, and blue mes


    shot out not far from her. As the blue me flickered, it outlined the blurred face which gradually


    became clearer. The evil eyes, nted lips, and huge grin were very disturbing.


    ¡°Chandler? Amelie was surprised after recognizing him.


    He was holding the lighter in his hand and clicking it nonstop. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± she asked while looking at him.


    ¡°Try guessing.¡± He smiled wickedly.


    Hearing that, she pursed her lips and didn¡¯t respond to him. She had known he was an obnoxious


    person, but she didn¡¯t know he was that insane.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wise women sure are something else.¡± He was impressed at how she remained calm and silent.


    ¡°The police will find out that you¡¯ve captured me, and it won¡¯t do you any good.¡± In reality, Amelie was


    nervous, but she knew that being nervous wouldn¡¯t solve the problem. ¡°You can let me know if you


    need anything, and I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill you.¡± She tried to persuade him.


    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m afraid of the cops?¡± He didn¡¯t answer her question. ¡°Let me tell you the truth; I


    just escaped from my gang. Leo ruined everything, and they turned against me because of that. They


    decided to send me over to Leo as an exchange.¡± He spoke so nonchntly that it sounded like he


    was talking about a fictional movie.


    However, Amelie gasped after hearing it. Given the situation, Chandler would be so desperate that he


    would do anything, and she didn¡¯t dare imagine what he was capable of doing. The next moment,


    something cold was ced against her face. She instantly realized that it was a knife when she felt its


    sharp edge against her face.


    Being a woman, she refused to have a scar on her face, so when the knife was held against her, her


    body froze as she held her breath. Her gaze was downward as she stared at the knife.


    Following that, the knife glided over to her eye. ¡°How do you think I should take revenge on him for all


    that he has done to me?¡±


    Amelie was quiet and didn¡¯t answer him.

 Chapter 396

    Chapter 396


    Chapter 396 Make Sure That You¡¯re Dead Before He Goes Insane


    Chandler licked his teeth and stuck his tongue in his inner cheek as he spewed hatefully, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll


    make him suffer!¡±


    Following that, he pressed the tip of the knife against her eye socket and continued, ¡°I heard that he


    owes you a cornea, and he¡¯s suffering from mental illness because of this. What do you think will


    happen to him if you lost your eyeball and your life this time round?¡±


    He was speaking so casually that his tone wasn¡¯t solemn; it was more like a soothing whisper between


    lovers. If one disregarded the contents of his words, one might even be smitten by his voice. He spoke


    of the most horrifying and bloody subject with the most soulful voice, and it gave Amelie the chills.


    ¡°Do you think that his condition will worsen? Is there a possibility that he will go crazy?¡± he asked with a


    straight face and tipped her chin as he waited for an answer.


    ¡°Chandler, it¡¯s not toote to stop this. Leo might go insane, but you know him well. He¡¯d make sure


    that you¡¯re dead before he goes insane.¡± Amelie looked at him coldly.


    ¡°I know that.¡± Chandler let go of her chin and inserted his finger into his mouth to lick it as if he was a


    pervert. ¡°But I don¡¯t care.¡± He then continued, ¡°Do you know that I should have been dead many years


    ago? I was able to stay alive with God¡¯s grace, and I¡¯m only here to make Leo and the Alston Family


    suffer!¡±


    His sinister grin exposed a row of white teeth which seemed terrifying, but at the same time, tears


    welled up in his eyes like an aggrieved child. It was creepy that he expressed two kinds of expressions


    at the same time.


    ¡°I want them to pay the price of their decision for the rest of their lives!¡±


    Chandler had gone mad. In truth, he had been mad for a long time. Ever since the Alston Family


    abandoned him, he was full of hatred and he only managed to stay alive for the past few years by


    fuelling his life with resentment.


    If Amelie wasn¡¯t in such a dangerous situation, she would have pitied him. With that, he pull her up and


    forced her to sit on a chair before tying her up. Right after, he took his phone out and made a video call.


    As the lighting from the phone shone on his face, it revealed his grin and the excitement in his


    eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Leo see with his own eyes how the love of his life, whom he is indebted to, will lose her sight,¡± he


    uttered. As soon as he spoke, he ced the phone in front while facing Amelie. He then pressed the


    knife against her eye socket.


    ¡°Chandler, stop it!¡± Leo¡¯s voice could be heard calling out. However, the screen of the phone was ck


    with nothing disyed on it. Even so, Leo must have answered the call since his voice was heard.


    ¡°Leo, look closely.¡± With that, Chandler slowly lifted his hand. Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard


    coming from outside, and following that, a bright light came through the room. A tall figure was seen


    walking in the next moment. They could only make out his silhouette since he was standing against the


    light.


    ¡°Chandler!¡± yelled the man.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    It¡¯s Leo¡¯s voice! Amelie was surprised when she heard his voice, but at the same time, she had mixed


    feelings about his sudden appearance.


    ¡°That quick, eh?¡± Chandler was startled.


    Leo then slowly approached them. After his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked at Chandler before


    turning to look at Amelie. She noticed that he seemed calm.


    Chandler was displeased when he saw Leo¡¯s overly calm expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anxious when a


    bloody spectacle is about to take ce?¡±


    However, Leo was quiet and took a few steps forward. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to suffer? You can still make


    me suffer by releasing her.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The fascinated Chandler tilted his head and turned to look at Leo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one came with me,¡± Leo answered. Indeed, no one had followed along.


    ¡°Leo, it seems that you do look down on me.¡± Chandler scoffed.


    ¡°In fact, I will despise you even more!¡± Instead of giving him an exnation, Leo provoked him instead.


    ¡°You¡­ It seems like you¡¯re doubting my ability!¡± The provoked Chandler was infuriated. With that, he


    stabbed the knife into Amelie¡¯s eyes. As she experienced a sharp pain, she instinctively shut her eyes


    and soon felt warm fluid gushing down her face. It was blood!


    This pain that I¡¯m feeling, though¡­ Having an eye gouged out should be more painful than this. While


    she was still trying to make sense of the situation, she heard Chandler roaring frantically, ¡°Leo, you


    lunatic!¡± When Amelie looked up and opened her eyes, she saw a hand in front of her. That hand was


    gripping tightly onto the knife which was supposed to stab into her eyes.


    Chandler was so baffled by the scene in front of him that he was wide-eyed. Before Amelie could figure


    out the sudden change in his expression, the back of her neck felt cold and moist. The next moment,


    she could feel fluid dripping; over time, there was more of it.


    Suddenly, Leo¡¯s deep voice rang next to her ears. ¡°Once I¡¯m dead, I wouldn¡¯t know or feel heartbroken


    if you cut her into pieces. Chandler, you won¡¯t be able to achieve your objective.¡±


    As soon as Leo spoke, Amelie heard a loud gunshot. Following that, there a was bloody hole on


    Chandler¡¯s forehead that went through the front and back of his skull. The bloody hole appeared


    horrifying, and someone covered her eyes before blood started gushing out of the hole.


    Suddenly, a loud thud was heard before police officers started rushing in.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, are you okay?¡± one of them called out as they untied her. Amelie wiggled her body, but


    before she could stretch her hands which had been tied for a long time, she turned to look at Leo. He


    was seen slumping against the chair with a knife stabbed in his chest. Blood was flowing down from the


    edges of the knife¡­


    It was then that Amelie finally realized what had caused the fearful look on Chandler¡¯s face and the


    liquid on the back of her neck.


    At that moment, she was overwhelmed by emotions as she rushed over to him. ¡°Leo!¡±


    Leo was being carried by a few men. As he arduously ced his hand on her face, he smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t


    be scared¡­¡± Before he could finish what he wanted to say, his hand slipped down from her face as he


    copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Leo!¡±


    ¡­


    Three monthster, Clouson City was still as busy and crowded as ever.


    On a huge screen outside of the entrance of a shoppingplex, a news anchor was delivering the


    following news, ¡°Genesis Company has once again led the way this year, being the most profitable


    company in Clouson City for the third consecutive year. Their share price has risen steadily and has


    reached 10,000 per share. Thepany is estimated to be worth¡­¡± In a Bentley parked outside of the


    shoppingplex, Eugene pursed his lips as he looked over to the person next to him who was resting


    her eyes. They¡¯re like two peas in a pod.


    Soon, the car drove away and reached Genesis Tower in 20 minutes. Eugene instantly got out of the


    car and opened the other door. The next moment, a slim woman in all-ck office wear was seen


    getting down.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, a few reporters have requested to interview Mr. Alston. What do you¡­¡± Eugene asked.


    ¡°Tell them that Mr. Alston is on a business trip overseas and won¡¯t be epting any interviews for the


    time being.¡± With that, the woman entered Genesis Tower. As Eugene looked at the woman¡¯s back, he


    pursed his lips while looking grim. In the end, he let out a sigh and followed behind her.

 Chapter 397

    Chapter 397


    Chapter 397 Do You n On Managing Genesis and the Alston Family?


    Amelie finally left work at 11.00PM after wrapping everything up.


    ¡°Miss Dillon,¡± Eugene greeted her as he walked toward her.


    She was surprised to see him. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± His reply was brief.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down,¡± she said after pressing the elevator button.


    With that, both of them entered the esctor and headed toward the underground car park. After


    opening the car door to let her in, he sat in the passenger seat.


    ¡°Are you heading home?¡± he asked as he turned around.


    The car was dark, and the light from the streemps that came in through the window reflected on her


    calm yet fair face. Since the light was dim, Eugene couldn¡¯t tell whether she was asleep or not. Seeing


    that she was silent, he quietly turned to look to the front.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home yet.¡±


    As soon as Eugene turned over, Amelie¡¯s voice rang. She had been staring out of the window earlier


    on.


    Just then, she shifted her gaze forward and massaged her temples before replying, ¡°I¡¯d like to go


    there.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯ste at night.¡± He knew where she was referring to and couldn¡¯t help but remind her. However,


    he didn¡¯t get a response.


    With that, he looked over to the driver and said, ¡°To the hospital.¡±


    As soon as Amelie arrived at the hospital, she received a call from Julia. ¡°Are you home?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Amelie answered while slowing down her footsteps.


    Hearing that, Julia acknowledged her answer and asked, ¡°Are you at the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Following that, there was a brief pause.


    ¡°How¡­ How is he?¡±


    ¡°Same old.¡± Amelie looked into the distance calmly with the phone in her hand.


    Julia hummed in response. She wanted to say something else but ended up saying, ¡°Please take good


    care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Amelie knew that Julia was concerned about her and added with a smile on her face, ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry, I¡¯m fine.¡±


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


    Even so, Julia¡¯s heart ached for her as she said, ¡°You are not responsible for the incident, so don¡¯t be


    too hard on yourself.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Amelie pursed her lips, and a trace of sorrow could be seen on her face. She looked down and


    stared at her toes as she tried to suppress her emotions. Since it was alreadyte at night, Julia ended


    the call soon after asking Amelie to rest early.


    As soon as the call ended, Amelie turned around and instructed Eugene, ¡°You should go home now


    since it¡¯ste. Your wife and children must be waiting for you.¡±


    Eugene didn¡¯t budge, for he couldn¡¯t bear to leave her there.


    ¡°The driver will be here,¡± she said while pointing at the car in the distance. The driver was a female who


    knew martial arts, so she was a driver cum bodyguard.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Eugene nodded and left. He knew that Amelie wanted to be alone.


    She stood downstairs for a while before heading to the ward on the highest floor as it started to get


    cold. The ward gave off a homey atmosphere; if it wasn¡¯t for the medicine bottles on the table, one


    would mistake it for someone else¡¯s abode. The nkets were fluffy, and the warm lighting made the


    atmosphere feel cozy. A nurse in a pastel blue uniform was looking down and arranging something by


    the pillow. She greeted Amelie upon spotting her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Amelie responded.


    ¡°No worries.¡± The nurse nodded and left the room.


    After the nurse left, Amelie¡¯s gaze fell on the bed. Under the sheets, a man with well-defined features


    was lying on the bed. Since his eyes were shut, he seemed gentle and not solemn like he usually was.


    Hey still with pursed lips as if he was just asleep. However, no one would be asleep for three months


    straight.


    She slowly walked over to the bed and stared at his face after taking a seat. ¡°Leo,¡± she called out


    gently.


    Three months ago, after Leo stabbed himself in the chest to divert Chandler¡¯s attention and save


    Amelie, he underwent emergency heart surgery. The surgery was sessful, but he fell into aa


    due to the trauma.


    For the first two months, Leo had undergone treatment overseas in secret, but it didn¡¯t help much with


    his condition. It was only a month ago when he was transferred back. Meanwhile, Amelie returned a


    month earlier to run the show at Genesis.


    Ever since Leo was injured, Melissa was put in charge of Genesis. However, as soon as she took on


    the position, thepany was in chaos as many problems had arisen. She was nearly scammed once,


    and it almost caused Genesis to change hands. Due to such issues, Amelie had no choice but to return


    to the country and manage thepany on Leo¡¯s behalf.


    It took her two months to finally put thepany back on track. Of course, she had been through a lot


    during that period, but fortunately, she managed to protect thepany and even helped it grow, which


    helped to reduce the guilt she was harboring.


    The news about Leo in aa was kept away from the public, and they only knew that he was


    apanying his daughter overseas. Both Amelie and Leo, who were supposed to go their separate


    ways, had ended up in this current situation. Amelie smiled bitterly at the thought of it.


    ¡­


    The next day, Amelie was awakened by Eugene.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go homest night. Will you be fine?¡± He looked at her concernedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± With that, she went to the toilet to freshen up. Since she had been leaning on Leo¡¯s bed the


    whole night, her neck felt sore and she had a stuffy nose.


    ¡°Give me today¡¯s schedule,¡± she asked. She looked refreshed after washing up.


    Hearing that, Eugene opened the notebook and started reading from it. After reading everything, he


    looked at her and said, ¡°Melissa called me earlier, and she was hoping that you¡¯d drop by her ce


    tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Amelie as she nodded with a frown on her face.


    At noon, she signed a big project. As soon as she exited the clubhouse after securing the deal, she


    bumped into Toby. He happened to enter the venue and waved at her when he saw her. He then turned


    over, spoke to his team, and walked toward her after they had left. Amelie was in a daze when she


    noticed the metal tie pin on his white suit.


    ¡°I never thought that I¡¯d bump into you here,¡± Toby said with a smile, his personality as warm as ever.


    ¡°Mm,¡± she answered.


    ¡°You seem quieter than before. Is it because you¡¯ve been too tired?¡± Toby looked at her while he spoke.


    He was one of the people who knew about Leo¡¯s injury, so he naturally knew that Amelie was


    managing Genesis on behalf of Leo.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied politely.


    Hearing that, he pursed his lips. ¡°I visited Leo yesterday. About his condition¡­ I¡¯m sure that the doctors


    would have told you about it. Do you n on managing Genesis and the Alston Family for the rest of


    your life if Leo never wakes up?¡± He looked at her concernedly.


    He knew how capable she was from how she had established Starlight Media and Knowlit to being a


    social media influencer. All of these would help her manage Genesis well. He also knew that she loved


    her freedom. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have let Julia manage thepany that she had established.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Amelie answered softly.


    Toby felt bad for her when he saw how calm she was. In the end, he told her, ¡°Let me know if you need


    any help.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± She nodded at him and didn¡¯t say anything else. After their conversation ended, he entered the


    clubhouse with a heavy heart.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the woman from earlier on Amelie? She¡¯s Leo¡¯s ex-wife, and they got divorced.¡± A few of the


    Walsh siblings and Toby¡¯s uncle were in the clubhouse. They remembered Amelie since Toby and her


    used to pretend to be a couple. On top of that, she was also Leo¡¯s ex-wife. Toby nodded upon hearing


    the question.


    ¡°Toby, that¡¯s so smart of you to get close to Leo¡¯s ex-wife now that Leo is in aa. What¡¯s more, no


    one from the Alston Family can manage Genesis. You should find a way to seize thepany.¡± Toby¡¯s


    uncle was impressed by him and gave him two thumbs up.


    Hearing that, Toby¡¯s expression tensed up. ¡°Leo is my best friend. I will never kick him when he is


    down, so don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    ¡°Why so serious, Toby? In business, there are no friends. What¡¯s more, it is still unknown whether Leo


    will wake up or not.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Someone else will be eyeing Genesis even if we don¡¯t. Why shouldn¡¯t we do it?¡± Both of


    Toby¡¯s cousins chimed in as they couldn¡¯t agree more with their uncle.


    The furious Toby suddenly mmed the table, his expression grim. ¡°Listen carefully. This will be the


    last time I¡¯m saying this¡ªI will never seize and take ownership of Genesis. If anyone dares to do that, it


    will mean that you are going against me!¡±


    Toby¡¯s cousins wanted to protest, but their uncle shot them a look and nudged them. Although Toby¡¯s


    decision didn¡¯t sit well with them, they kept quiet after seeing how adamant Toby was about it.


    ¡­


    It was already 7.00PM when Amelie finished work. She had to postpone a work dinner to go to the


    Alston Residence. Upon her arrival, Le was seening out with a doctor.


    ¡°What happened? Who has fallen sick?¡± Amelie walked over and asked.


    Hearing that, Le looked at her and sighed.

 Chapter 398

    Chapter 398


    Chapter 398 She¡¯ll Have to Pay!


    ¡°Who else could it be? Mrs. Alston didn¡¯t get much restst night, and she has beenining about


    her headache ever since she woke up this morning. She eventually got the doctor toe over as she


    couldn¡¯t handle the pain any longer.¡± Le let out a sigh. ¡°Mrs. Alston has been really worried recently.¡±


    Amelie understood what was going on even though Le wasn¡¯t explicit with her words.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Amelie uttered before she hurried into the house. As expected, she found Melissa lying on the


    couch with a weak look on her face.


    Melissa used to love painting her nails, but her nails were naked and bare right then.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Amelie asked gently as she walked over.


    Melissa had her eyes closed at first, but she opened them wide after hearing Amelie¡¯s voice. The bitter


    and weak look on Melissa¡¯s face was immediately reced by a more energetic one as Melissa


    pushed herself up to sit on the couch. ¡°You¡¯re here! Come over and take a seat. Go on and get her


    some soup, Miss Potts. Hurry up,¡± Melissa ordered.


    Le had just sent the doctor out, and she looked rather flustered upon hearing Melissa¡¯s impatient


    tone. Amelie held Le¡¯s hand to stop her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just be here for a while.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to leave? This house is huge. You might as well move in.¡± Melissa sounded


    extremely eager.


    Amelie, however, simply pressed her lips together without responding.


    Melissa then waved her hand to signal Le to leave the room. Once Le was far enough from them,


    Melissa went over and held Amelie by her hand before sitting her down on the couch.


    Amelie wasn¡¯t used to being so intimate with Melissa, but she didn¡¯t protest as she took a seat beside


    Melissa. Melissa patted Amelie on the back of her hand as she spoke. ¡°Amelie, now that Leo¡¯s in this


    state, and now that you¡¯ve decided not to leave the country, why don¡¯t you bring Bria home?¡±


    Melissa¡¯s words took Amelie by surprise, and Amelie widened her eyes as she turned to stare at the


    other woman. In an instant, Melissa shifted her gaze away¡ªshe was too afraid to look Amelie in the


    eyes. ¡°Bria is a child of the Alston Family, after all. She should be close to her ancestors and her roots.¡±


    The reason Melissa fell ill wasn¡¯t entirely due to Leo¡¯s sickness¡ªit was also because she had just


    found out that all of Leo¡¯s kids weren¡¯t actually his real children. At this point, no one knew if Leo would


    wake up, and Bria might be Leo¡¯s only real child. Melissa had every reason to be anxious over this


    matter.


    Amelie had an inkling of what was going on in Melissa¡¯s mind when she saw how avoidant Melissa was


    of her gaze. ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait for a while more?¡± Amelie suggested. The doctors were still uncertain


    about Leo¡¯s condition¡ªthey first had to find out the reason that Leo was in aa. Amelie, therefore,


    still felt rather hopeful about Leo¡¯s condition, and she thought that he might wake up. ¡°Now¡¯s not the


    best time to bring Bria back. After all, the public thinks that Leo is spending time with his daughter


    abroad. People might get suspicious if Bria¡¯s the only one whoes back,¡± Amelie exined.


    Melissa seemed to realize something upon hearing Amelie¡¯s words. ¡°Oh, yeah. Right, right.¡±


    ¡°Also, does the Walsh Family know about Leo¡¯s condition?¡± Amelie asked. Melissa seemed rather


    embarrassed after hearing Amelie¡¯s question, but she quickly regained herposure. ¡°Well, Toby is


    Leo¡¯s good friend, and the Walshes are pretty close to our family, so¡­¡±


    Amelie knitted her brows together as she stared at Melissa. I was right. She was the one who exposed


    the news of Leo¡¯s condition. ¡°Well, Toby might not harm Genesis, but we can¡¯t be sure of the rest of the


    Walshes. The industry is a harsh and cruel ce¡ªanything could happen,¡± Amelie uttered.


    Melissa scratched the back of her head frantically as she spoke. ¡°I got too worried after hearing about


    Leo¡¯s condition, and¡­ I wanted someone to help, so I¡­ I might have shared a little too much,¡± Melissa


    replied.


    ¡°I know.¡± Amelie got to her feet. Deep down, she knew that Melissa wasn¡¯t being entirely transparent


    with her even then. Mrs. Alston probably just doesn¡¯t trust me enough. She wanted to use the Walshes


    to keep an eye on me and to control me. Amelie didn¡¯t bother pointing this out as she felt like there was


    no need to expose Melissa. ¡°Well, you should try to keep things a secret from now on. We don¡¯t want to


    expose our vulnerabilities to people who may have the intention to harm.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Melissa replied with a nod. She was no longer as haughty as she used to be. ¡°Are you leaving


    now?¡± Melissa asked when she saw Amelie picking up her bag.


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


    ¡°I have a few cases to deal with, so I need to head back to work,¡± Amelie replied honestly. Melissa


    clung onto Amelie¡¯s bag then. ¡°You should still have a meal before leaving. Why don¡¯t I get Miss Potts


    to cook some good food for you? You can leave after eating,¡± Melissa suggested. Before Amelie got a


    chance to respond, Melissa started crying out for Le.


    ¡°I¡¯m really busy today. We can do this another day,¡± Amelie said before pulling her bag out of Melissa¡¯s


    grip and giving Melissa a curt nod. Melissa no longer insisted on keeping Amelie around after that, but


    an obvious look of disappointment formed on her face when she watched Amelie leave.


    After a long while, Melissa finally turned around to see Jodie sitting in her wheelchair in the corner of


    the room. Jodie wore an icy look on her face as she curled her lips into a smirk. ¡°Since when did the


    high and mighty Mrs. Alston be such ap dog?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Melissa hissed as a rather troubled look formed on her face. Jodie


    scoffed at the other woman. ¡°Did I get it wrong? Weren¡¯t you just trying to please Amelie from the


    moment she stepped into the house? I thought you were going to get on your knees and beg her to


    order you around at one point,¡± Jodie replied in a harsh and offensive tone.


    Even though Jodie¡¯s words were rather exaggerated, she wasn¡¯t wrong to say that there was a drastic


    change in Melissa¡¯s attitude toward Amelie. Melissa red at Jodie. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the state that our


    family is in now? We would¡¯ve been destroyed by the others if Amelie hadn¡¯t been around to support


    the family. We might even be on the streets by now! Amelie¡¯s our savior, so I don¡¯t see a problem with


    being nice to her,¡± Melissa uttered.


    ¡°Hmph. Leo wouldn¡¯t be in this state if it weren¡¯t for Amelie. Whatever she¡¯s doing now is just


    compensation for all that she owes us! We shouldn¡¯t be nice to her¡ªit¡¯s her duty to work for us and to


    pay us back!¡± Jodie always had a bad temper, but her temper seemed to have gotten worse ever since


    she became paralyzed.


    Melissa let out a sigh and shook her head when she saw how deluded her daughter was. ¡°Why can¡¯t


    you understand the situation, Jodie?¡± Melissa massaged her temples as she spoke. ¡°Even if Amelie¡¯s


    the reason that Leo got injured, we can¡¯t do much to her if she chooses to ignore us. She¡¯s showing


    more kindness than we can ever ask for by being here to support us now!¡± Melissa was a selfish


    woman, but she was more rational than Jodie.


    ¡°What kindness are you talking about?¡± Jodie¡¯s heart was filled with hatred. She was convinced that


    Amelie was the one who harmed Leo and that Amelie was the reason she lost her ability to walk. ¡°I


    don¡¯t need her charity at all! I¡¯m not done getting revenge on her!¡± Jodie cried.


    Melissa was already troubled by all these matters, and her headache only felt worse after she heard


    what Jodie had to say. With her hand pressed against her head, Melissa let out another few groans and


    sighs before she headed up to her room. Meanwhile, Jodie wore the same hateful look as she


    tightened her grip on the armrests of her wheelchair. It was a while before Jodie finally wheeled herself


    back to her room. She sat around in her room for a while before she pulled her phone out to make a


    call. ¡°Mr. Walsh, right?¡±


    ¡­


    There weren¡¯t a lot of people who knew about Leo¡¯s condition. Amelie decided not to visit him every


    day as she didn¡¯t want to attract any unwanted attention. That day, she stayed home to work. She was


    seated in front of herptop, and she had a pen in one hand as she flipped through some papers with


    the other. Every now and then, she would make notes on the papers. The light from herptop screen


    shone on her serious face.


    She was midway through her work when her phone rang. She turned around to nce at her phone


    before she swiped across the screen to pick it up. ¡°Why are you calling at this hour, Mr. Cornelius? Is


    anything the matter?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been an issue in thepany, Miss Dillon!¡± Eugene cried out anxiously.

 Chapter 399

    Chapter 399


    Chapter 399 Someone Caused Trouble


    Things were already an utter mess by the time Amelie arrived at the office. Many of the shareholders


    who rarely showed up were all present¡ªsome of them stood around while others sat down with sour


    looks on their faces. ¡°Mr. Fleurs, Mr. Weir, Mr. Langston¡­¡± Amelie greeted everyone politely. Even


    though she hadn¡¯t met them in the past, she had memorized all of the shareholders¡¯ names throughout


    her three months in Genesis.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve just called if there were any issues. Why did all of youe over?¡± Amelie asked.


    ¡°Miss Dillon?¡± Andy Weir called out to her. He was a man in his fifties, and he was dressed in a dark-


    colored shirt with a vest on the outside. He seemed like a gentleman, but he didn¡¯t sound that pleased


    at that moment. ¡°If my memory serves me right, you¡¯re Leo¡¯s ex-wife, right? What are you doing here?


    Where¡¯s Leo?¡± he asked.


    Amelie kept a smile on her face. ¡°You sure have a good memory, Mr. Weir. Why don¡¯t we head in to


    have a talk?¡± she asked while pointing at her office.


    Andy seemed a little less agitated after hearing her words of praise, but he continued to wear a stern


    look on his face as stepped into the office with Amelie. The other shareholders followed closely behind


    them. Eugene hastily arranged some chairs for the shareholders while the secretary hurried in with the


    shareholders¡¯ preferred drinks.


    Darren Langston nced at the cup of tea in front of him before he picked it up and took a sip. ¡°I heard


    that Mr. Alston hasn¡¯t been in the office for more than three months, Miss Dillon. Is that so? Has he


    decided to stop running the business and hand it over to you? If that¡¯s the case, then why did he have


    to hide it from us?¡± Darren asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re thepany¡¯s shareholders, after all. We might not hold as many shares as the Alston Family,


    but we still have the right to vote and make decisions. Are you guys looking down on us right now?¡±


    another shareholder voiced out.


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


    ¡°You guys are too much!¡± The other five shareholders started speaking up after hearing Darren¡¯s


    words.


    Amelie quickly shook her head with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s not the case, of course. I¡¯m just a temporary


    recement.¡±


    ¡°I heard that he¡¯s abroad with his daughter. Is that right?¡± Travis Sunders asked. Travis was quieter


    than the rest of the shareholders. He was a man with small eyes and thin lips, and he looked like an


    extremely wise and thoughtful man. His question wasn¡¯t directed to Amelie¡ªinstead, he had gone over


    to ask the secretary who handed him his drink earlier.


    The secretary had been informed by Amelie to stick to this particr story, so she nodded and smiled.


    ¡°Yes¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Amelie interrupted the secretary before she couldplete the sentence. She turned to give


    Amelie a puzzled look, and Amelie walked over to pat her on the shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be here


    anymore. You may leave now,¡± Amelie urged.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The secretary walked out without protest. After that, Eugene walked over and shut the door


    behind the secretary while Amelie stood in front of all the shareholders to give them a clear


    exnation. ¡°What you guys heard earlier was just a story that we¡¯ve told the rest of our internal staff


    and clients. The truth is that Leo has suffered a cardiac injury and is currently still in aa.¡±


    Eugene shot Amelie a surprised gaze after hearing her words. However, he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°A


    cardiac injury?¡± one shareholder asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s in aa?¡± Both Andy Weir and Sebastian Warhol wore looks of surprise on their faces, while


    Darren and another shareholder, Jonathan Lee, showed no response. Darren simply rubbed his chin


    with a thoughtful look on his face, while Jonathan wore a rather amused expression.


    Eugene seemed to understand something when he noticed the two men¡¯s expressions. He couldn¡¯t


    help but feel amazed by Amelie¡¯s wits right then. ¡°How could such a thing happen?¡± Andy asked.


    Amelie told the shareholders a brief summary of what happened to Leo when he was abroad.


    ¡°Well, if he hasn¡¯t woken up for three months, it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s never going to wake up. We can¡¯t just


    allow you to handle thepany, can we, Miss Dillon? How could we have such huge changes without


    a formal announcement?¡± Darren asked with a slow but harsh tone.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Andy nodded in agreement. ¡°Mr. Alston is a brilliant man. I only invested in thispany


    because I was impressed with his abilities.¡± In other words, Andy was implying that he had no trust in


    Amelie.


    ¡°Same here. I only invested in Genesis because of Mr. Alston.¡± The rest of the shareholders began to


    share their thoughts after hearing Andy¡¯s words. ¡°Furthermore, regardless of how great your skills are,


    you¡¯re merely Mr. Alston¡¯s ex-wife, Miss Dillon. You¡¯re not even part of the Alston Family. How are we


    supposed to trust you?¡± Andy¡¯s eyes glinted with rage as he spoke.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± The rest of the shareholders were in agreement with Andy¡¯s words.


    ¡°There was a huge issue that arose after you got a divorce with Mr. Alston, right, Miss Dillon? Mr.


    Alston might be in aa, but Mrs. Alston is still well and alive, isn¡¯t she? How could she allow this to


    happen?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Your rtionship with Mr. Alston is tooplicated for you to be able to take over Genesis, Miss


    Dillon,¡± someone else said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have no choice but to retract my investments if you insist on taking charge of Genesis, Miss Dillon!¡±


    Jonathan was the first to express his wishes. Even though the rest of the shareholders didn¡¯t speak up,


    their bodynguage made it clear that they were in agreement with Jonathan.


    Amelie didn¡¯t seem fazed by the shareholder¡¯s threats¡ªshe continued to smile at them as she stood in


    front of the crowd silently. Eugene stepped forward then. ¡°Miss Dillon has already taken over the


    company for three months, and I believe you guys can see how well thepany has been doing ever


    since she took over. Her skills are undeniable.¡± Eugene ced somepany performance reports in


    front of the shareholders as he spoke.


    These reports had been prepared beforehand, and Amelie was the one who had requested for them to


    be prepared. Eugene was extremely impressed by how Amelie seemed to have predicted all of this to


    happen. ¡°Furthermore, if you guys are worried about how trustworthy Miss Dillon is,¡± Eugene continued


    after handing the reports out, ¡°Both Mr. and Mrs. Alston haveplete trust in Miss Dillon. Otherwise,


    they wouldn¡¯t have handed the entirepany over to her.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s their business! We don¡¯t know Miss Dillon at all, so how are we supposed to trust her?¡±


    Jonathan spoke up in a dissatisfied tone. It was evident that he was a rash and impatient man. ¡°Yeah. I


    met Miss Dillon back in the Alston Residence, and it seemed like the Alstons didn¡¯t really fancy her.


    Why would she help a family who doesn¡¯t like her? Does she have some ulterior motive? The Alstons


    aren¡¯t the only ones who own thispany. We have rights to thepany as well!¡± Andy added. He


    was expressive of his distrust in both Amelie¡¯s skills and her character.


    Sebastian spoke up as well. ¡°Genesis started off with a strong foundation. The outstanding


    performance in the past three months simply shows us that Mr. Alston has done a good job with


    managing thepany previously. It doesn¡¯t showcase Miss Dillon¡¯s skills at all!¡± The shareholders


    were very direct, and they clearly had two main concerns. Firstly, they didn¡¯t trust Amelie¡¯s skills, and


    secondly, they didn¡¯t believe that Amelie genuinely cared for the Alston Family.


    Eugene was worried that Amelie wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the crowd, and he had been about to


    speak up when Amelie held her hand up to stop him. She continued to wear a pleasant smile on her


    face as she spoke. ¡°Well, if you are so suspicious of my abilities, you may retract your investments. I¡¯ll


    pay you with whatever the market rate is.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The shareholders were stunned after hearing her words. They had been ready to start a fight


    earlier, but now they were all frozen in their spots. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re too reckless.¡± Jonathan was the first to


    express his displeasure. ¡°How could Genesis be thepany that it is now if it wasn¡¯t for our help back


    then? You¡¯re getting rid of us after receiving our help!¡±


    ¡°If that was what I wanted to do, we would¡¯ve bought off all your shares years ago. Leo is a skilled man


    ¡ªhe would¡¯ve had his way to make you guysply with his wishes if he wanted to do so. He didn¡¯t


    pull such an act because he was grateful for all of your help.¡± Amelie remained calm.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m the one in charge, I continue to share the same views as Leo. I won¡¯t allow any of you to


    suffer any losses. If you trust me, you may continue to be a shareholder of thepany. Even if you


    decide not to trust me, I¡¯ll still make sure that you don¡¯t suffer any losses,¡± Amelie offered.

 Chapter 400

    Chapter 400


    The shareholders no longer continued kicking up a fuss after they heard what Amelie had to say.


    Amelie cleared her throat after the shareholders were silenced. ¡°If you wish to further understand my


    skills, you may look up Starlight Media, Knowlit, and the live stream sessions with my ID, Foxy.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re in charge of Starlight Media?¡±


    ¡°Did you say that you¡¯re the boss of Knowlit as well?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re Foxy?¡±


    The shareholders were frequent travelers, and they were typically out in search of new businesses or


    leisure activities. It was rare for them to keep up with things in the entertainment industry. So, even if


    they had heard of Foxy, they had no idea that Amelie was the one behind the name. Starlight Media¡¯s


    boss had always been anonymous, so no one could¡¯ve known that it was Amelie, either. Knowlit, on the


    other hand, had received a lot more attention in recent years, and Amelie had shown up at its events.


    However, most people assumed that she was working for someone, and they never considered other


    possibilities.


    It was, therefore, a huge shock for everyone to learn that Amelie was the sole person in charge of


    these three ventures. Even the shareholders, who were experienced figures in the industry, couldn¡¯t


    imagine themselves generating as much wealth within such a short period of time. The shareholders no


    longer held the same judgments about Amelie¡¯s skills after that.


    Amelie continued to speak calmly. ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about my loyalty toward Genesis as well.


    My daughter is Leo¡¯s only real child. If Leo never wakes up, I¡¯ll have to protect Genesis to ensure that


    my daughter inherits a profitable business in the future.¡± Amelie felt a sharp ache in her chest after


    finishing her words.


    The shareholders no longer made any protests after that. They simply made a few neutral remarks


    before they found some excuse to leave the office. Eugene felt like he was finally able to breathe


    normally after they sent thest shareholder out of the office. ¡°Phew.¡± Eugene had been genuinely


    worried for Amelie earlier.


    ¡°I was dripping with cold sweat after you suggested that the shareholders retract their investments


    earlier, Miss Dillon. How were you so sure that they wouldn¡¯t do it?¡± Eugene was eager to learn a thing


    or two from her. He wouldn¡¯t have been worried about the investors retracting their funds if Leo had


    been around. However, after Melissa handled thepany for that period of time, the entire system


    turned into a huge mess, and they had just managed to settle things a while ago. If the investors


    retracted their funds right then, Genesis would¡¯ve been in huge trouble. They would¡¯ve lost their biggest


    support.


    Amelie smiled as she lowered her head to collect the shareholders¡¯ cups on the table. ¡°Well, if I started


    off by telling them about my skills, they would¡¯ve thought of me as a cocky person. If I offered for them


    to retract their investments first, then they would think that thepany isn¡¯tcking in funds. I only


    shared my personal achievements after that as a cherry on top. The shareholders would have no


    reason to worry after hearing my words.¡±


    ¡°Impressive!¡± Eugene cried. It was then that he realized how Amelie¡¯s sesses were never due to


    pure luck but genuine ability. Amelie responded with a bashful smile as she took herptop and


    stepped out of the office. ¡°Don¡¯t we have a meeting at 9.00AM? We¡¯re just on time.¡± She strode out


    after that.


    When Amelie stepped out of the room, she realized that Darren was still standing in the well-lit corridor


    outside. He seemed to be admiring the potted nts on the walkway. It only took Amelie one nce to


    know that Darren probably had more to talk to her about. So, she handed herptop to Eugene and


    gestured for him to go ahead and host the meeting first. Then, Amelie walked over to Darren. ¡°Are you


    checking the nts out, Mr. Langston? Do you fancy any of these? I can get someone to send you a


    few nts if you want them,¡± Amelie offered. She knew that Darren was a fan of arranging flowers.


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine,¡± he uttered while holding his hand up. Despite iming that he wasn¡¯t interested, he


    continued to gaze at one particr nt. He rested his hands behind his back and bent down as if to


    observe every detail of the nt. Amelie stood around and kept quiet for a while. Darren stared at the


    nts for nearly five minutes before he turned his attention back to Amelie. He pushed his sses up


    his nose while staring at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious, Miss Dillon. Since you¡¯re such a capable woman, why did you insist on being so


    secretive? I¡¯ve always wanted to invest in Starlight Media, yet I couldn¡¯t find the owner¡¯s identity even


    after asking around in the industry. Starlight Media is a goodpany, and it seems to be profiting well.


    We should all share this profit, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Amelie knew that he was kidding, so she simply chuckled without responding to his statement.


    Meanwhile, Darren flicked the leaves of the nt. ¡°You sure are a smart woman, Miss Dillon. You told


    us the truth right after we showed up and asked about Mr. Alston¡¯s whereabouts. Frankly speaking,


    whatever you said would¡¯ve been pointless if you hadn¡¯t told the truth from the start.¡±


    Amelie pressed her lips together. ¡°Well, you and the rest of the shareholders are here to gain benefits


    for yourselves as well. I wouldn¡¯t lie to you,¡± she uttered.


    Darren responded with a satisfied nod. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you already knew something from the moment


    you saw the shareholders, right, Miss Dillon?¡±


    She smiled this time. ¡°Yeah. You are all busy people, so you wouldn¡¯t just show up at thepany if


    you were utterly clueless.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s smart!¡± Darren stuck his thumb up. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know who leaked such information to


    them?¡± he asked.


    Amelie pressed her lips together without responding. Darren¡¯s gaze was filled with admiration when he


    saw how unintrigued Amelie seemed. Finally, he clenched his fist before clearing his throat. ¡°You¡¯re a


    smart woman, Miss Dillon. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re good at managingpanies. However, I¡¯d like to remind


    you not to neglect family time in the process,¡± he uttered before turning around and walking off.


    Amelie stared at his figure for a long while before she, too, turned and headed toward the meeting


    room. Later that night, Amelie showed up at Alston Residence. ¡°Elie.¡± Melissa beamed the moment she


    saw Amelie. ¡°Have you thought things through? Did you decide to move in?¡± she asked excitedly.


    Amelie didn¡¯t seem too pleased, but she still gave Melissa a polite nod. ¡°Where¡¯s Miss Jodie?¡± she


    asked.


    ¡°Jodie?¡± Melissa raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you need anything from her?¡± Melissa had every right to be


    surprised¡ªafter all, Amelie rarely ever showed up at Alston Residence unless she was invited to go


    over. Furthermore, Amelie never once spoke to Jodie while she was there.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Amelie replied without exining.


    Melissa decided to get the housekeeper to bring Jodie over. ¡°Hurry up and get Miss Jodie toe


    here!¡± Soon enough, the sound of a wheelchair¡¯s rollers moved closer to them, followed by Jodie¡¯s


    agitated voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you hear what I¡¯m saying? I said I don¡¯t want to go to the living room. Can¡¯t you


    hear me?¡± She was clearly speaking to the housekeeper. Before Jodie could protest any further, the


    housekeeper had already pushed her into the living room.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Jodie shot Melissa a look of displeasure. ¡°What is it, Mom? Can you stop torturing me? Why don¡¯t you


    give me some peace?¡± Jodie always had a bad temper, but her temperament only grew worse after she


    injured her leg. She showed zero patience whenever she was talking to others.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who asked for you. Your sister-inw is the one who wants to see you,¡± Melissa


    uttered while pointing at Amelie. Amelie had been standing behind Melissa, so Jodie didn¡¯t notice


    Amelie from where she was until she heard her mother. ¡°Hah! My sister-inw, huh? How could you be


    so careless with that term, Mom? Do you think any random woman has the right to be my sister-in-


    law?¡± Jodie scoffed.


    Melissa¡¯s face turned sour when she heard Jodie¡¯s sharp and hurtful words. ¡°Why are you talking that


    way?¡± Melissa growled as her face darkened.


    ¡°What else do you want me to say?¡± Jodie talked back to her mother. ¡°She¡¯s just someone my brother


    dumped. She might even be the family¡¯s enemy in some ways. She¡¯s the reason Leo is the way he is


    now!¡± Jodie cried.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Melissa rushed over and pped Jodie on her face. The whole Alston Family was


    dependent on Amelie at that point, and Melissa had no choice but to punish Jodie because of her


    reckless behavior. Jodie felt as if her cheek was deformed after receiving Melissa¡¯s firm and hard p.


    Melissa pressed her palms together as well¡ªshe knew that she had used a little too much strength,


    and she felt both angry and sorry for Jodie. ¡°H-How dare you hit me?¡± Jodie only reached out to touch


    her cheek moments after she was pped. Then, Jodie turned to re at Amelie before she started


    screaming at her. ¡°Are you happy now? You broke my legs, and you made my mother hate me¡­ This


    is the oue you were waiting for, right? You¡¯re such a malicious woman, Amelie!¡±


    Amelie shifted her icy gaze to look at Jodie. ¡°You¡¯re not in the right mind now. I think your mom was


    being nice by only pping you once.¡± Jodie was speechless after that. She hadn¡¯t expected Amelie to


    utter such a thing in front of Melissa.


    ¡°Did you hear that, Mom? She¡¯s just trying to hurt me!¡± Jodie immediately startedining to


    Melissa. ¡°She¡¯s trying to tear our family apart, and she¡¯s trying to ruin us. She¡¯s doing it to me now, but


    you¡¯ll be her next target!¡± Jodie cried.


    Melissa shuddered as a rather fearful expression formed on her face. It wasn¡¯t clear if she was furious


    at Jodie for going overboard or if she was simply too shocked. Amelie didn¡¯t have the time to mess


    around with Jodie anymore, so she got straight to her point. ¡°I have some questions. Let¡¯s go to your


    room,¡± she told Jodie.


    ¡°Hah! Are you going to beat me up behind closed doors? I¡¯m not going to leave. If you have the guts to


    do it, why don¡¯t you hit me here, in front of my mother and the housekeeper? I want all of you to stay.


    You guys can be my witness!¡± Jodie cried.


    Amelie had no choice but to change her ns when she saw how dramatic Jodie was acting. ¡°Are you


    sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Amelie replied.

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401


    Chapter 401 You Idiot!


    Amelie took a few steps closer to Jodie. Jodie was too afraid even to bat an eyelid, and she red at


    Amelie¡¯s hand with a look of caution in her eyes. Jodie flinched a little as Amelie got closer, and


    Melissa flinched along with her. Melissa didn¡¯t have the guts to mess with Amelie right then, but Jodie


    was still Melissa¡¯s daughter, after all. Melissa couldn¡¯t help but wonder what she should do if Amelie


    were to hit her daughter.


    Fortunately, Amelie didn¡¯t do what Jodie and Melissa had expected her to do. Instead, Amelie tucked


    her hair behind her ear before staring directly at Jodie. ¡°You could¡¯ve just expressed all your


    dissatisfaction at home, and everyone would be fine with that, Miss Jodie. Why did you have to tell the


    shareholders about this? Are you trying to dig your own grave? You¡¯re already paralyzed¡ªare you


    trying to ruin the rest of the Alston Family as well?¡±


    Jodie¡¯s face turned pale after hearing Amelie¡¯s words. She looked all over the house frantically¡ªshe


    felt too ashamed to look into anyone¡¯s eyes right then. ¡°What¡­ What do you mean?¡± Melissa felt her


    heart pounding after hearing Amelie¡¯s words. She turned to stare at Amelie.


    However, Amelie didn¡¯t respond to Melissa. She simply kept her lips sealed. Melissa had no choice but


    to turn and look at Jodie. ¡°What have you done, Jodie?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ What could I have done?¡± Jodie had been eager to get revenge when she first did the deed.


    She was even excited to do it. However, Jodie no longer had the guts to admit to her faults after she


    heard what Amelie said. Melissa knew that Amelie wasn¡¯t the sort of person who would randomly


    use someone of something they hadn¡¯t done, so she smacked her hand on her own thigh as she


    shouted at her daughter. ¡°I want you to exin yourself now. I¡¯ll kick you out of the house if I have to


    find out about your acts on my own!¡±


    ¡°How could you trust an outsider, Mom? I¡¯m your daughter!¡± Jodie put on a pitiful look as she gazed at


    her mother with bloodshot eyes. Tears threatened to trickle down her cheeks.


    ¡°That¡¯s beside the point!¡± Melissa wasn¡¯t the brightest woman, but she knew her daughter well enough


    to tell what she was trying to do. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to exin yourself, then I¡¯ll tell the housekeeper to


    send you out now. Mr. Cooper!¡± Melissa cried.


    ¡°No! No! Don¡¯t send me away!¡± Jodie shook her head frantically. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯ve done,


    okay?¡± Jodie shot Amelie an angry re before she finally exined herself. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, you


    know. I was angry because this woman here took over the role as the president of ourpany, so I


    told the shareholders to drag her down,¡± Jodie exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. She also told all the shareholders about Leo¡¯sa,¡± Amelie added. Melissa¡¯s eyes


    were so wide, her eyeballs looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets at any moment.


    Smack! Melissa gave Jodie a p. ¡°What a betrayer you are! How dare you tell outsiders about such


    things? Don¡¯t you know that those shareholders are a bunch of greedy pigs? They¡¯d probably swallow


    Genesis alive if Amelie weren¡¯t here to hold the fort! Amelie and I have been trying our best to keep


    everything a secret, yet you told the public all about what happened to Leo! Are you trying to ruin us


    all?¡± Melissa cried. Even though Melissa wasn¡¯t in charge of thepany, she still knew a lot about


    company matters.


    Jodie¡¯s face turned pale after Melissa pped her. ¡°I know. I¡¯m paralyzed now, so you no longer care


    about me. You probably wish I was dead, right? Are¡­ Are you even my mother?¡± Jodie cried while


    pressing her hand against her cheek. Melissa felt like she was about to burst into mes after hearing


    Jodie¡¯s words.


    ¡°How dumb can you be, Jodie? Didn¡¯t you hear what Amelie just said? Once you tell the shareholders


    about such matters, you will have given them the power to snatch ourpany away from us. You


    might be paralyzed now, but you still have tons of people to care for you. You have tons of money and


    a big house! However, if the shareholders ended up scheming against us, we would have no choice but


    to sleep on the streets!¡± Melissa cried.


    Jodie couldn¡¯t picture herself sleeping on the streets¡ªjust the thought of it left her too shocked to


    speak for a while. Jodie simply started sobbing silently after that. ¡°There are a lot of times when I chose


    not to argue with you, not because I was guilty of your usations, but simply because I didn¡¯t have


    the time. Let me clear things up this time around, Jodie¡ªyou¡¯re responsible for your own broken legs. I


    have nothing to do with it. I¡¯ll bring you to court if you ever bring this up again!¡± Amelie cried.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°As for Leo¡­ It¡¯s true that he was trying to save me. But have you ever considered why Chandler


    ended up taking me away? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re partially responsible for it as well?¡± Amelie added.


    ¡°I obviously didn¡¯t¡­ You were the one¡­¡± Jodie mumbled.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Amelie widened her eyes. Jodie was too terrified by Amelie¡¯s strong aura¡ªshe had to


    swallow her words even though they were at the tip of her tongue. Jodie knew what she did, of course


    ¡ªshe was the one who told Chandler about Amelie¡¯s whereabouts, and it was Jodie¡¯s intention for


    Amelie¡¯s life to be ruined.


    However, Jodie had no idea that Chandler was a madman who had been using her the entire time.


    What Chandler really wanted was to see the Alston Family being torn apart, and for the Alstons to


    suffer. Most of his dreams had been achieved at that point!


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go just this once. If this ever happens again, you¡¯ll no longer be under my protection!¡±


    Amelie announced before she strode out of the door. Melissa shot Jodie an exasperated and


    disappointed re. ¡°Jodie, you idiot!¡± Jodie couldn¡¯t handle all the criticism that she just received, and


    all she could do was cover her face and bawl her eyes out.


    ¡­


    There was no need to hide the truth about Leo¡¯s condition after that, so Amelie figured that she might


    as well bring Bria and Steven back into the country. Steven was aware of how much Leo had sacrificed


    for his own daughter, so he no longer felt the same intense hatred toward the Alstons. Even though


    Steven still didn¡¯t want to meet the Alstons, he often brought Bria over to visit Leo at the hospital.


    Bria was braver than everyone had expected her to be. When she saw Leo lying still in bed, she wasn¡¯t


    afraid of him¡ªshe even reached out and held his hand before talking to him. Amelie went over to visit


    Leo whenever she ended work a little earlier, and she would sit by his bed to tell him about things that


    happened in the office. This eventually became a routine.


    Everyone now and then, Amelie would fall asleep while talking to Leo. One day, she woke up to find a


    jacket draped over her. She often fell asleep resting on the bed, so she figured that a nurse must have


    put a jacket over her. However, after she tugged on the jacket, she froze in shock.


    Her gaze was fixed upon her own hand. My hand is warm. This isn¡¯t the sort of warmth thates from


    the heater in the room! Amelie turned to look at the man¡¯s palms. I pulled my hand out of his earlier.


    Does that mean that he¡­ held my hand? Amelie couldn¡¯t believe what was going on, so she gently


    poked his arm before calling his name.


    The man didn¡¯t respond to her at all. Could I have been the one who pulled his hand out of the sheets


    before putting my hand in his? Amelie thought about this matter for a while more, but she couldn¡¯t


    seem toe up with any other possible answers.


    ¡°What would you like for breakfast, Miss Dillon?¡± The nurse walked in right then. They were in a VIP


    room, so the nurse was in charge of both caring for the patients as well as the patient¡¯s visitors.


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine,¡± Amelie replied as she regained her senses. The nurse ended up handing Amelie a


    bowl of porridge after that, and Amelie took it before devouring the food while scrolling through her


    phone. Amelie had an application that allowed her to manage her schedule, and she was focused on


    arranging her time when the man on the bed seemed to have moved a little.


    The man¡¯s eyes moved under his eyelids, but they eventually stopped after a while. There were other


    things that Amelie missed out too¡ªshe didn¡¯t notice how the man¡¯s fingers were moving as if they were


    in search of something. His hand moved around for a long while, and he only stopped when he finally


    ran out of strength.

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402


    Chapter 402 Ashton¡¯s Ambition


    Amelie came to thepany a little after 8.00AM.


    The employees had been long used to her arriving at work earlier. Eugene also specifically hired an


    early shift secretary for her.


    When she arrived at her office, the early-shift secretary served Amelie a cup of steaming hot coffee.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She lowered her head and spoke.


    The secretary did not leave immediately as usual, but she stopped there with an uneasy look. ¡°Miss


    Dillon, a gentleman was here to see you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Amelie looked surprised. I¡¯m not surprised that someone wants to see me, but he came earlier


    than me. ¡°Who?¡±


    The secretary shook her head. ¡°He said that you¡¯ll know once you see him.¡±


    However, that man did not stay in thepany, but on the contrary, he left an address for the cafe


    downstairs.


    Amelie disliked such odd behavior, so she did not take it to heart. Turning on herputer, she started


    getting busy with work.


    In the blink of an eye, it was noon. She asked her secretary to buy her lunch as usual. However, her


    secretary was away for a long time and did not return. Amelie got a call from her. ¡°Miss Dillon, I came


    downstairs to buy you lunch, but suddenly, two people led me to a cafe. It¡¯s the same gentleman who


    asked to see you.¡±


    What¡¯s with that man? He seems persistent. Amelie checked the weather. It¡¯s a sunny day. And he


    wants to see me in a crowded ce like a cafe. Surely, it¡¯s not to kill me.


    Amelie got to her feet. Now I¡¯m curious who¡¯s so eager to see me. She walked straight into that cafe


    after going downstairs.


    The slow,nguid music ying in the cafe radiated a kind of ambiguous atmosphere and gave off an


    aura of a slow lifestyle.


    Amelie frowned because she despised that type of clingy and sentimental music.


    ¡°Miss Dillon,¡± a woman called out to Amelie.


    Amelie raised her head and noticed her secretary ufortably waving at her from the second-floor


    banister. The secretary appeared to be on the verge of tears with her lips pressed together. Behind her


    was a figure that had obscured facial features. However, his legs were asnky as ever. After that,


    Amelie approached them.


    Two bodyguards blocked the secretary, and the man behind the secretary finally revealed his face. It


    was a cynical and slightly unruly face. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lowe?¡± Amelie muttered while raising her brows. That was all her reaction.


    Unlike his usual self who always wore a casual floral shirt with a devil-may-care attitude, Ashton now


    donned a very formal suit with a tie and leather shoes. He appeared quite presentable. When he saw


    Amelie, he spread his hands open in exaggeration.


    ¡°Miss Dillon.¡± Atst, the bodyguards let the secretary go. Her eyelids fluttered incessantly as she ran


    over to Amelie. She had been detained there for an extended period for no apparent reason, so she felt


    scared and even vited.


    Amelie patted her secretary¡¯s shoulders with understanding. ¡°Just get back to work.¡±


    ¡°How about you?¡± The first thing Ashton Lowe did was ask his bodyguards to detain me. Will Miss


    Dillon be fine?


    Amelie smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mr. Lowe¡¯s an old friend.¡±


    The secretary was still slightly worried since Ashton did not seem like a good guy no matter what, but


    she did not dare to disobey Amelie. Hence, she nodded and went downstairs to leave.


    Only then did Amelie walk to Ashton slowly. ¡°Mr. Lowe, you can just go to Genesis if you want to see


    me. Why did you have to wait here for such a long time ande up with such tricks?¡±


    Ashton smiled faintly before he started fiddling with a small ornament on the table as if pondering


    something. ¡°Well, I¡¯m free. Getting coffee to kill time sounds nice to me.¡± Then, he stood up. ¡°Miss


    Dillon, please have a seat.¡±


    Amelie approached him and sat across from him. Her gaze was calm. ¡°Mr. Lowe, what can I do for


    you?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, setting the ornament down and straightening his back to face her. ¡°I¡¯vee to talk


    business with you.¡±


    She frowned. I recall him always looking down on me and never being nice to me. He hasn¡¯t said


    anything nonsense or mean today, though, and he even wants to talk business with me.


    ¡°Mr. Lowe, you want to talk business with me? Did I hear that right?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What would you like to talk about, Mr. Lowe?¡± Amelie remained calm as she straightened her back,


    appearing to be all ears.


    The upper half of Ashton¡¯s body leaned against the chair as he behaved like a sessful


    businessman.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Genesis. I want to acquire it.¡±


    ¡°You want to acquire Genesis?¡± Even Amelie was astounded by Ashton¡¯s bold idea.


    ¡°Mr. Lowe, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re joking.¡±


    ¡°Does this sound like a joke? I do want to acquire Genesis.¡± Ashton raised seven fingers at Amelie.


    ¡°Seven billion. t rate.¡±


    She was bbergasted. Seven billion isn¡¯t considered the top price to acquire Genesis, but it¡¯s a pretty


    good price. After a while, she chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a pretty good price, but thepany belongs to


    Leo. I don¡¯t have the right to make this decision for him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do.¡± He tapped the table. ¡°I know that he has long transferred his shares to you, and the


    contract is kept in his safe. It¡¯s binding.¡±


    She nced at him. When did this half-hearted yboy be a cunning wolf?


    ¡°Mr. Lowe, Leo is your best friend, but you want to frame him like this. How can you live with that?¡± she


    demanded coldly.


    He burst intoughter. ¡°Best friend? I¡¯m just ackey for him at most. No, not even ackey. When he¡¯s


    in a good mood, he looks at me, but when he¡¯s in a bad mood, he doesn¡¯t even acknowledge my


    presence!¡± Ashton¡¯snguid gaze was filled with hatred. ¡°Miss Dillon, isn¡¯t he bad to you? Why are youAll content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    concerned about him? My offer isn¡¯t low, and you¡¯ll get some of it. A few billion, that is if you sell your


    share to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Mr. Lowe.¡± Her expression had be icy. ¡°I never want something that isn¡¯t mine.


    Even if there is a shares transfer agreement, I will not ept it because I despise receiving handouts


    from others.¡±


    Amelie slowly leaned forward. ¡°I advise you to reflect on yourself carefully as to why Leo doesn¡¯t take


    you seriously. It¡¯s because you¡¯re only worth that much, or you¡¯re simply worthless. How could you ask


    others to respect you if you¡¯re worthless?¡± Amelie rarely gave someone a mouthful. This guy has


    crossed the line. I have to be straightforward.


    ¡°You sound as if you¡¯re nothing to him. But do you remember, when your father ignored you, who


    helped you? You¡¯ve been in business for a long time. Which one didn¡¯t he support? Do you think you¡¯ll


    hold a little status in your family without him? If youck even the most basic gratitude, are you even


    human?¡± Amelie then nodded politely before slowly walking down the stairs.


    Ashton¡¯snguid face turned angry and violent behind her.

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403


    Chapter 403 A Self-directed Scheme


    An hourter, Amelie exited the conference room.


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


    ¡°What is the result? Did you figure out who did it?¡± Melissa staggered as she approached Amelie and


    inquired.


    Amelie shook her head. ¡°Everyone who came has an alibi, and the surveince camera in the room


    was inexplicably broken. Nothing was recorded.¡±


    ¡°Why did it turn out like this?¡± Melissa appeared very worried.


    However, Jodie snorted. ¡°Why not? You¡¯re just trying to shift the me, Amelie. Others might be


    ignorant but I¡¯m not. You did this because you covet my brother¡¯s property! You want to kill him, so you


    came up with such a self-directed scheme!¡±


    ¡°Jodie!¡± Melissa reminded her and gave her a look to shut her up.


    Jodie, of course, was reluctant. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? This is the VIP floor. Who could easilye


    here and do something bad? Except for Amelie, who else is capable of this? Mom, I warned you not to


    put too much faith in this woman. She ims she is uninterested in our family property, but she has


    long coveted it. Who in this world dislikes money?¡± Jodie sounded aggressive, and she even red at


    Amelie. ¡°Furthermore, even if she didn¡¯t do it for the money, she despises Leo because of how he has


    treated her in the past. Of course, she wants to kill Leo and us to exact revenge!¡±


    Amelie had lost the desire to refute Jodie¡¯s oundish ims, so she simply let Jodie be.


    However, Jodie behaved more outrageously seeing Amelie remain silent. ¡°Mom, look at that. She¡¯s


    struck speechless. She¡¯s already admitted to it!¡±


    ¡°Zip it!¡± Melissa gave several warnings whenever Jodie spoke more nonsense, and she even made a


    gesture as if to p Jodie.


    Consequently, Jodie felt much aggrieved, and she kept pursing her lips. ¡°Just wait and see. I¡¯ll expose


    her true colors one day!¡± After that, she snorted and left while pushing her wheelchair forward.


    Leo¡¯s condition was still unknown. The doctors had been in the surgery room for three hours. No one


    came out to give them a message either. Amelie appeared calm, but her eyes were full of worry. What


    if something happens to him¡­ A sudden sharp pain gripped her chest.


    The doctors only appeared when night fell.


    ¡°How is he?¡± Amelie and Melissa both dashed over to question the doctor.


    The doctor took off the mask. ¡°Ladies, don¡¯t worry. This incident didn¡¯t cause Mr. Alston any real harm.¡±


    ¡°Why did you take so long to save him since he¡¯s not harmed? You¡¯re not lying to us, are you?¡± Melissa


    was very anxious.


    The doctorughed. ¡°How could we possibly lie to you when it¡¯s a matter of life and death for the


    patient? We weren¡¯t trying to save him, but rather to figure out why he could breathe on his own.¡±


    ¡°He could breathe¡­ on his own.¡± Amelie was stunned by what she had heard.


    The doctor nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t know when he started breathing on his own either. Anyway, he was not


    harmed when the breathing apparatus was pulled off.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean¡­ he will wake up soon?¡± Joy filled Amelie.


    The doctor did not immediately respond, but after a long pause, he exined, ¡°The ability to breathe on


    his own has no bearing on whether or not he can wake up. We don¡¯t dare to make any conclusion.


    However, one thing is certain. His body is healing in a good way. He might regain consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Regain¡­ consciousness?¡± Melissa was more agitated than Amelie as she muttered that statement


    several times.


    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility of that.¡± The doctor did not respond in the affirmative.


    Leo was pushed out before long. Although he could breathe on his own, the doctor ced him on a


    respirator for safety reasons.


    Both Melissa and Amelie went forward and saw Leo lying in bed. They then pushed him back to the


    ward.


    In the ward, Melissa touched Leo¡¯s face and cried incessantly while Amelie stood by the side quietly.


    Amelie did not dare to be careless after such an incident. She readjusted the security system of the VIP


    ward and hired two guards to protect Leo. Only after arranging those did she go downstairs with


    Eugene. A deep frown remained on her brow.


    ¡°What else are you worried about, Miss Dillon? Are you concerned that the people who did this to Mr.


    Alston will not give up and will try again?¡± Eugene asked a question.


    She pressed her lips together and nodded.


    ¡°But you have enforced the security system.¡± He felt that that should be enough.


    ¡°If someone wants to kill him, these devices will eventually fail. And the men who are guarding him¡­¡±


    I¡¯m well aware that human loyalty is less dependable than a strong security system. ¡°I need a


    trustworthy person to find out who wants him dead as soon as possible.¡±


    Amelie initially wanted to seek assistance from Samuel, but he had returned to his family to manage his


    family business. It was best not to let him get involved in this again. For a brief moment, she was


    unsure whom to approach.


    Eugene paused for a moment to reflect on the situation. ¡°I¡¯ve got a decent candidate.¡±


    The moment Amelie saw Victor, she knew he was a trustworthy person. In his eyes was a sense of


    indifference not seen in ordinary people. He was quiet andposed, no matter whether he stood or


    sat. She handed over control of the situation to him and asked him to be responsible for Leo¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be worried, Miss Dillon. It¡¯s my responsibility given my rtionship with Mr. Alston.¡±


    She then talked about the details with him untilte at night before returning to her house, but she did


    not tell Bria or Steven about what happened to Leo because she didn¡¯t want them to worry.


    The days that followed were rtively peaceful. However, a solicitor went to Amelie to give her a


    shares transfer agreement.


    ¡°Mr. Alston has long drafted this shares transfer agreement, which has been kept at my ce. I believe


    you should keep this,¡± thewyer borated.


    Amelie had known about the shares transfer agreement for a long time, but she was still a little dazed


    when she saw the document right in front of her.


    ¡°This shares transfer agreement is legally binding. Miss Dillon, it¡¯s possible if you want to go through


    the formalities,¡± thewyer continued.


    Amelie looked at him but made no response for a long time. Atst, she pushed it slightly. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Thewyer could not figure out her thoughts, but he said nothing more and left.


    She called Victor no long after thewyer had left. ¡°Investigate Mr. Lewis.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Victor never said or asked anything unnecessary. He hung up the phone right after Amelie gave


    her order.


    Amelie then locked the shares transfer agreement away in her cab and went to numerous


    meetings. After the final meeting, it was already evening. As she walked toward her office, she leaned


    close to give Eugene some orders.


    ¡°Miss Dillon.¡± The secretary at the secretary¡¯s desk called after her with an uneasy expression. ¡°Mrs.


    Alston is here. She insisted on waiting for you in your office, and we couldn¡¯t do anything¡­¡±


    There were many important documents in her office. Others were generally not permitted to enter her


    office unless she invited them. She was bewildered for a moment before nodding. She did not


    reprimand the secretary, instead saying, ¡°Just get me two cups of coffee.¡±


    The secretary was relieved since Amelie did not scold her.


    Amelie was not as solemn as Leo, but she was meticulous in her work. She would not show mercy if


    her subordinates made any fundamental errors. Her means were not insignificant inparison to


    Leo¡¯s. So, even though she was generally polite to her subordinates, the secretary did not dare to


    disobey her easily.

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. Just sort out the data again based on what I just said,¡± Amelie instructed Eugene.


    He nodded and walked away in a different direction.


    Only then did she open the door and step into the office.


    The secretary happened to bring the cups of coffee into the office. Melissa was then given a cup of


    coffee. ¡°Madam.¡±


    Melissa sat upright in the small reception room in her branded suit dress while carrying a designer bag.


    Her ssy appearance had a deliberate elegance to it. She pushed away the cup of coffee in front of


    her as she nced at Amelie. ¡°I¡¯m not going to take the coffee. Makes me sleepless at night.¡±


    Amelie knew how much Melissa cared about her health, so she asked her secretary to substitute a cup


    of milk for Melissa.


    After the secretary left, Melissa rose to her feet and took several steps toward Amelie. ¡°Be honest with


    me, Elie. Uhm¡­ Did thewyer give you the shares transfer agreement?¡±


    She found out about this so quickly. Amelie could not help but be taken aback. Nheless, she


    nodded. ¡°He did, indeed.¡±


    Melissa paled as her fingers turned weak while gripping her bag. ¡°I trusted you, Elie. How could you


    possibly¡­ How could you have done this to me¡­ I-is Jodie right about you coveting the Alstons¡¯


    property?¡±


    Amelie rubbed her aching brows. Genesis¡¯ affairs are much moreplicated than my previous work.


    I¡¯m already under great pressure and exhaustion from handling them every day. Now I have Melissa


    making a scene here.


    She knew the reason why Melissa was afraid, so she hurriedly stated, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Although the


    lawyer gave it to me, I don¡¯t intend to take anything from the Alstons.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Melissa¡¯s question revealed how little she trusted Amelie.


    Amelie sighed silently.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want the Alstons¡¯ property, why don¡¯t you let me keep that shares transfer agreement?¡±


    Melissa asked quickly, averting her gaze. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it prove that you¡¯re selfless if you let me have it?¡±


    However, Amelie made no reply before she walked over to take out the shares transfer agreement. She


    was on the verge of ripping the shares transfer agreement.


    Melissa, on the other hand, moved quickly to stop Amelie. ¡°Elie, what are you doing? No, you can¡¯t


    destroy it.¡± She snatched it and pressed it against her chest while speaking.


    Amelie frowned as she looked at Melissa.


    Melissa had stuffed the shares transfer agreement into her bag. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tear it. I¡¯ll keep it for


    you.¡±


    The secretary happened toe into the office to serve Melissa a cup of milk. After casually taking a


    sip, Melissa said, ¡°I¡¯ve got to go because I have something to do.¡± Then, she strode out of the office


    swiftly as if she was being pursued.


    The secretary was perplexed as she observed Melissa¡¯s back. ¡°Why did Mrs. Alston leave in such a


    rush? Isn¡¯t it better for her if you rip the shares transfer agreement up? What made her stop you?¡±


    When the secretary entered the office, she happened to see that scene. She was baffled, so she tilted


    her head. However, she soon realized that she had overstepped her boundary, so she immediately


    bowed her head to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Dillon.¡±


    Amelie did not say anything but waved her hand.


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


    The secretary left quickly and closed the door.


    Her frown tightened. Even the secretary found it strange. It might make sense if it were someone else,


    but Melissa has always been extremely selfish. She¡¯d want me to just destroy it given her character.


    While she was deep in thought, a phone call from Victor came.


    Victor would never call her for no reason, so she frowned as she quickly picked up the phone.


    As expected, he said something useful on the other end of the phone. ¡°I found who harmed Mr. Alston!¡±


    Victor and Eugene were both present when Amelie arrived at Alston Residence.


    Melissa wore an extremely solemn and hideous expression.


    All the servants in the house were sent away.


    Jodie huddled in the corner feebly, sobbing and covering her face. Not far away, the wheelchair she


    had been using was turned upside down.


    Eugene approached Amelie when he saw her.


    ¡°What happened exactly?¡± she asked, looking down at Jodie.


    ¡°Victor found out that it was Miss Jodie who yanked off Mr. Alston¡¯s respirator. When we came just now,


    we forced the truth out of her, and she admitted to it. Mrs. Alston got so angry that she kicked Miss


    Jodie.¡±


    Amelie responded subtly. The call she received from Victor not long ago informed her that the murderer


    was Jodie. The news shocked her, but she had calmed herself down on her way there. She appeared


    asposed as usual at the moment. Melissa, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t stop breathing heavily on


    the couch. Even her face was distorted.


    ¡°Your brother has been extremely protective of you. You never earned a penny for our family at your


    age, and all you ever did was cause problems. He never made a big deal about it, and he just let you


    be. What audacity you have to do this to your brother!¡±


    Jodie was too shameful to face others, so she covered her face even more firmly.


    Melissa dashed over to shake Jodie¡¯s body recklessly. ¡°You useless girl! Why did you harm your


    brother? For what? He¡¯s be like this now, but you still want him dead. What do you want?¡±


    Jodie became dizzy as a result of the shaking. Her teary face turned pale as she bit her lips again until


    they bled.


    Something finally got to her, and she shoved Melissa. ¡°You are only ever concerned with him. When do


    you care about me and my feelings? I know everything, even if you guys thought you kept things well


    hidden. He gave all of his property to an outsider and gave me nothing! The Alstons¡¯ property is not


    solely his, and he did not acquire it all on his own. How could he do this? Why should I care about him


    if he doesn¡¯t care about me?¡±


    Amelie listened to her silently. Both Victor and Eugene said nothing either.


    However, Jodie¡¯s motive became obvious with what she had just said. Jodie had discovered Leo¡¯s


    shares transfer agreement and wanted to kill him before the affair became public. She believed she


    could keep the Alstons¡¯ property in this manner.


    ¡°You fool!¡± Melissa pped Jodie. ¡°Do you know that the transfer agreement has taken effect? If you kill


    your brother, we¡¯ll lose the property!¡±


    Jodie was struck speechless. She was struck dumb there like a helplessmb. She was not that bright,


    and she disliked studying. She had no idea that her actions would go against her wishes.


    On the other hand, Melissa hit and pushed her incessantly.


    ¡°You must trust Elie, even if your brother is unjust to us. She never wants our family¡¯s possessions. She


    even gave me the shares transfer agreement!¡± Melissa felt Jodie had fallen short of her expectations.


    Amelie stood there as an observer for a while before Victor approached her. ¡°How should we handle


    this? Should we call the cops?¡±


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t.¡± When Melissa heard Victor¡¯s words, she hurriedly let Jodie go and ran to Amelie to


    hold her hand. ¡°Elie, you can¡¯t call the cops. We should never wash our dirty linen in public, and our


    family can¡¯t afford to be humiliated like this. And i-if we call the cops, Jodie will be locked up in jail.


    Please, I¡¯m begging you. Don¡¯t do this. Let¡¯s handle this family issue between us, okay?¡±


    After all, Amelie was just an outsider. She could not say much if Melissa did not haggle over it.


    Melissa realized that Amelie had agreed to her given Amelie¡¯s silence. Hence, she was no longer


    nervous. She then red at Jodie. ¡°You should be punished even if we won¡¯t send you to jail. Lock her


    up in her room. She¡¯s grounded from today onward!¡± After that, she called the butler over and asked


    him to drag Jodie to her room.


    After the matter was resolved, she wiped away her tears. ¡°Elie, thank you for giving Jodie a way out.


    Have you had your dinner? What would you like? Let me cook for you.¡±


    Amelie noticed Melissa still had something to say to her, so she nodded at Eugene and Victor. They


    quickly realized what was going on and left. She only spoke up after that. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay for


    dinner. Now, spit it out.¡±

 Chapter 405

    Chapter 405


    Melissa gripped Amelie¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Elie, Jodie did such a stupid thing just because Leony gave you


    all the shares. She¡¯s already lost her mind, even though you don¡¯t want them. It¡¯s useless even if we


    advise her. I¡­ I don¡¯t want her to be ruined in this way. Why don¡¯t you do one more thing and return the


    shares to the Alstons? I know that it¡¯s meddlesome, but Jodie won¡¯t be so upset when she knows about


    it.¡±


    Amelie became thoughtful. ¡°Do I put Leo as the recipient?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, just put down my name.¡± Melissa borated, ¡°You know that Leony¡¯s illness will recur. Who


    knows when he¡¯ll wake up? It¡¯ll be more troublesome if you return them to him. Jodie won¡¯t have any


    objections if you give them to me, and others won¡¯t dare to say anything either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Amelie answered.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to.¡± Melissa appeared to be nervous. ¡°You simply need to transfer them to me. After


    all, you don¡¯t want the shares, do you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but it involves a lot of legal technicalities. It¡¯s best to get everything cleared up.¡±


    Melissa did not say much about that after listening to Amelie. She simply said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask around and see


    if it¡¯s meddlesome. I¡¯ll call you after figuring it all out. Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t take up much of your time. I¡¯ll


    do my best to handle everything and just have you sign it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Amelie noticed the cars parked by the curb as she exited Alston Residence. Eugene and Victor were


    still there. Eugene had to look after Amelie as per Leo¡¯s orders, and Victor had something else to say.


    She asked Eugene to leave first before she got into Victor¡¯s car. He then started the car.


    Amelie ryed Melissa¡¯s suggestion. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Miss Dillon, I believe you have the answer,¡± Victor said.


    Smiling, Amelie replied, ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°You think Melissa¡¯s been acting unusual, and thewyer seems off as well,¡± Victor outlined. He had


    been a detective for a long time, so his logical reasoning abilities were exceptional.


    She nodded. ¡°Thewyer¡¯s appearance is too sudden, while Melissa¡¯s request is too odd.¡± Melissa only


    needs to tear up the shares transfer agreement to get those shares back. She doesn¡¯t have to take


    such a detour at all.


    ¡°I suspect thewyer gave me the shares transfer agreement on Melissa¡¯s orders. She most likely


    wants to im the shares herself.¡± Amelie was aware that it was a wild guess, but she could not think


    of anything else.


    ¡°Does that mean what Jodie did was also the result of Melissa¡¯s deception?¡± Victor had a wilder


    suggestion.


    Amelie drew in a cold breath at the thought. This idea did ur to me, but I didn¡¯t dare to give it much


    thought. If Melissa did all this, what did it make her? She would be worse than a monster!


    ¡°I¡¯m still baffled as to why she did this.¡±


    Victor turned around to nce at her. She¡¯s not shocked at my assumption, but she¡¯s jumped to a more


    important issue. Ordinary people aren¡¯t as quick-witted as her.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ I can look into that,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    Amelie was not ignorant of worldly affairs. Although the guess toward Melissa is too bold, I still trust my


    instincts.


    The days that followed were peaceful. Melissa woulde to Amelie for small talk daily. She did not


    say anything about it, but she made it clear to Amelie that she hade for the shares. Amelie, on the


    other hand, received no news from Victor, so she naturally would not agree to it while she pretended


    not to see through that. Melissa could only leave every day in dismay.


    One day, Victor finally called her. ¡°There¡¯s a big issue that may be relevant to Melissa. This could be


    the real reason she¡¯s so eager to get her hands on the shares.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk face-to-face.¡± Amelie did not say much before they decided on a location.


    Melissa¡¯s exquisite fingernails stood out against the red wine in Alston Residence. The fingernails were


    blue, while the wine was red. She held the wine ss between her fingers and wore silk pajamas as


    sheyzily on the couch, talking on the phone.


    ¡°Mr. Lowe, why don¡¯t you believe me? I¡¯ll transfer the shares to you as soon as I receive them.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Leony can breathe on his own now. It looks like he¡¯s about to wake up. If you do this,


    aren¡¯t you afraid that he¡¯lle after you when he wakes up?¡± It was Ashton¡¯s wicked butnguid voice


    coming from the other end of the phone.


    ¡°What is there to be afraid of?¡± Melissa cocked her chin. ¡°When he wakes up, I¡¯ve already left with my


    belongings. How is he going to find me? Even if he finds me, what can he do to me since I am his


    mother?¡±


    Ashton chuckled lowly as he listened to Melissa¡¯s fearless remarks.


    ¡°What about you, though? When he wakes up, he¡¯lle after you if you get the shares and be


    the boss of Genesis. You must be prepared.¡±


    ¡°When he wakes up, he¡¯s nothing but a poor man. At most, he can work for me. How can he possibly


    fight against me? But, for your sake, I¡¯ll be nice to him.¡± After that, he feignedughter with a low


    chuckle as his eyes were engulfed with a sinister light.


    Leo looked down on me previously. How could I let him have it easy? When he wakes up, the first thing


    I¡¯ll do is show off. I¡¯ll let him know that the person he once despised is not easy meat.


    ¡°All right.¡± All Melissa wanted at that moment was to get the shares and exchange them for money. She


    cared about nothing else.


    ¡°So, Mrs. Alston, why did you suddenly decide to give Genesis and your son up? Even if you hold a


    great grudge against him, you don¡¯t have to go to such an extent since he¡¯s your son, do you?¡± Ashton


    asked curiously.


    Her face became distorted. ¡°I don¡¯t hold a grudge against him, but there¡¯s no one managing the


    company now given his current situation. It¡¯s better to hold the money in hand. If he wakes up in the


    future, of course, I¡¯ll help him with the money since I¡¯m his mother.¡±


    A giggle came from Ashton. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m not as silly as you guys thought. I heard that Leony had


    started investigating the car ident that caused his father¡¯s death before hisa. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve


    heard about it. Oh, that car ident is quite mysterious. I even heard a version that ims that you


    were the one who caused the car ident.¡±


    ¡°W-What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Melissa¡¯s well-nourished face revealed nothing but deep


    fear now. She even dropped the wine ss in her hand. The ss shattered on the floor and made a


    loud, crisp sound.


    Ashton was enlightened when he heard that. ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep it a secret from me. We¡¯re all in


    the same boat now. Even if you¡¯re really the culprit, I won¡¯t look at you differently.¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    He was not a kind man himself, and he never cared about morality. Besides, those were family affairs


    of the Alstons. It would only make him happier to see the Alstons get into more and more mess.


    Melissa was able to calm herself down after a long while. She warned with a shaky voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you


    dare spread it out!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t. By the way, do you need help getting rid of thatwyer whom you bribed?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Melissa became flustered. She quickly hung up the phone. She then grabbed


    her hair and drew in a cold breath. ¡°How did Ashton find out? This isn¡¯t a small affair. Will this b*stard


    use this to set me up?¡±


    ¡°Mom, you want to sell thepany?!¡± She heard a voice out of the blue when she was still vexed.

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406


    Chapter 406 Cold Blooded and Ruthless, It Was Her!


    Melissa was startled by the sound and her heart raced as she looked up.


    She saw Jodie gripping the handles of the wheelchair while staring at her in disbelief.


    Melissa was shocked to her core. She jumped. ¡°How did you get out?¡±


    Jodie was locked up in the room by her, so she couldn¡¯t get out.


    She had no intention of answering Melissa and stared at her. ¡°Mom, exin to me. Why did you sell the


    company¡¯s shares?¡±


    Jodie¡¯s brain was usually slow, but at this moment, she connected the dots in just a moment.


    Realizing all of this, she was so shocked that she almost sprung up from the wheelchair. ¡°You used me!


    You¡­¡±


    Melissa was also shocked when she heard Jodie say this.


    She did use Jodie.


    She thought Jodie was stupid enough that she would never figure it out. It turned out she did!


    Jodie looked at her mother incredulously and said, ¡°I thought I was cold-blooded, heartless, and


    inhuman enough, but it turns out that it¡¯s you who¡¯s truly inhuman!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t stop shaking her head and shedding tears. All she could think about was the conversation


    she overheard between Melissa and awyer the other day.


    Thewyer said that Leo had transferred all his shares to Amelie, which meant Jodie and Melissa had


    nothing left.


    At that time, she thought it was just a conversation she had eavesdropped on. Now, she realized


    Melissa had purposely allowed her to overhear it!


    Melissa wanted to stir up her hatred and make her take action against her brother!


    She was stupid and fell for it!


    ¡°How could you? How could you do this?¡± At this point, Jodie couldn¡¯t even cry.


    After Melissa¡¯s fear had dissipated, she finally calmed down.


    Jodie is just a fool. She¡¯s easy to deal with, she thought.


    Melissa slowly approached her and said, ¡°Jojo, listen to me. I did this for our sake.¡±


    ¡°Stop fooling me!¡± Even if Jodie was foolish, she still had basic analytical skills.


    In this matter, she didn¡¯t get any benefits at all.


    ¡°Why would you kill your own son? What did you do? Was it Ashton who called you just now? What did


    he say that made you so flustered?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to guess. I didn¡¯t do anything. Jojo, listen to me. Sell your shares ande with me.


    We won¡¯t have to worry for the rest of our lives.¡±


    Melissa tried tofort her, but Jodie no longer trusted her. She pushed Melissa away and shouted,


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, I¡¯ll ask Ashton myself!¡±


    Jodie said as she pushed her wheelchair toward the door.


    A sh of malice flickered in Melissa¡¯s eye before she kicked the wheelchair.


    Jodie fell to the ground.


    Melissa stepped forward and grabbed her neck. ¡°Listen to me. You better stay put and not ask any


    questions. Otherwise, you¡¯ll end up in hell with your filthy dad!¡±


    ¡°Filthy dad? My father¡­¡±


    Jodie was stunned to hear Melissa use such vicious words to insult her father.


    After a while, she finally understood what was going on. ¡°You hate¡­ my father.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s useless! Of course, I hate him!¡± Melissa had been suppressing her resentment for years. She


    couldn¡¯t control herself anymore and shouted, ¡°I asked him to fight for the family property, but he


    wanted to leave it to his brother. What a fool! So, I took matters into my own hands and tampered with


    his brakes. I only wanted to injure him, but he died because of his bad luck. It¡¯s not my fault!¡±


    Jodie looked at her mother in shock.


    She already knew that Melissa was not a good person, but she never expected she could be so


    malicious.


    After my father¡¯s death, the me naturally fell on my uncle, who had a rtionship of interest with my


    father. Melissa presented a file of evidence. She cried and pleaded with my grandfather, refusing to let


    my uncle take over the position of the president of Genesis Company. Grandfather also believed her


    and expelled my uncle¡¯s family from the country.


    To make up for Melissa¡¯s loss of her husband, he gave the inheritance of Genesis Company to her.


    During that incident, Leo also injured his eyes and was sent to a remote area.


    After all these years, Melissa did not regret her evil deeds and even med Leo for her husband¡¯s


    death.


    Jodie seemed to have be smart suddenly. She exposed all the evil deeds Melissa had done.


    Melissa sneered. She didn¡¯t care. ¡°Let me tell you something else. I even brought Ashton in. I had him


    locate Amelie to test her intentions on the Alstons shares. When I found out she didn¡¯t care, I found a


    way to get her to give me her shares.¡±


    Leo had originally drafted this contract in an attempt to win back Amelie¡¯s heart. Later, when she went


    abroad, this matter was dropped. He never mentioned it again and the contract was kept in a safe.


    Melissa gave thewyer a lot of benefits. After she found out about this matter, she asked thewyer to


    give the contract to Amelie.


    She then took the contract from Amelie to prevent her from tearing it up.


    Later, she instigated Jodie to take action against her brother, both to appease Jodie and get Amelie to


    transfer the shares to her.


    Now, this was thest step.


    Although Amelie had been avoiding talking about this matter, Melissa still had her confidence in this.


    Listening to her words, Jodie almost vomited blood.


    ¡°Do you think I want to be the viin? For so many years, all I¡¯ve ever wanted was to live my life


    peacefully. They never wanted me to be at peace! I had to fight for myself, step by step!¡± Melissa was


    both aggrieved and crazy.


    Her grip on Jodie¡¯s neck tightened.


    Jodie was unable to breathe. She wanted to push Melissa away but was too weak to do so as her eyes


    started rolling.


    Just then, the door was pushed open with a bang.


    Victor and Amelie rushed in!


    ¡°Melissa, let her go!¡± Amelie shouted when she saw what was going on.


    Victor kicked Melissa away.


    Melissa was thrown to the ground, after which she gasped for air.


    Amelie helped Jodie up.


    Jodie felt ashamed after looking at Amelie.


    Amelie did not have time to deal with Jodie right now. She just looked at Melissa coldly. ¡°We have


    found evidence of your conspiracy and the incident where Leo¡¯s father was killed. The police are


    coming. Melissa, you¡¯re done!¡±


    Melissa was dumbfounded.


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


    Her eyes widened as she looked at Amelie in disbelief. She gaped at Amelie and constantly moved her


    mouth to speak but was unable to say a single word


    ¡°If you do something bad, people will inevitably find out about it,¡± Amelie said coldly. She knew what


    Melissa wanted to ask.


    The light in Melissa¡¯s eyes suddenly disappeared before her body slumped to the floor.


    She had been scheming her whole life. Was this the end?


    ¡°Take her away first,¡± Amelie said since the police hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    The servants heard themotion and ran over from the nearby rooms. They were looking at the


    chaotic scene in confusion.


    Victor carried Melissa and walked outside.


    Suddenly, Melissa grabbed a rope that was tied to the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t move, or we¡¯ll all die together!¡±


    He paused. His expression changed slightly when he saw what was in her hand.


    Amelie looked over in confusion and also saw what was in Melissa¡¯s hand.


    ¡°This is a fuse!¡± Melissa said coldly, her eyes filled with madness. ¡°I predicted this day woulde, so I


    buried arge number of explosives in this house. When I pull the fuse, the house will explode. You will


    all die with me!¡±


    Even Amelie¡¯s face turned pale with fear.


    ¡°Melissa, are you sure you want to do this? You¡¯ll just end up in jail if you¡¯re arrested by the police. But


    if you do this, you¡¯ll die!¡± Amelie said.


    Melissa sneered. ¡°Jail? What¡¯s the difference between jail and death? Amelie, it¡¯s because of you that I


    failed. I have nothing left now, so it¡¯s not so bad to drag you down with me!¡±


    With that, she pulled the fuse without hesitation!


    Amelie instinctively looked down while Victor closed his eyes and Jodie screamed in terror.


    The expected explosion did not ur.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? How could this happen?¡± After a long while, Melissa eximed in disbelief.


    Outside the door, there was another loud bang.


    Someone walked inside.


    ¡°I had the explosives cleared out a long time ago,¡± the man said coldly.


    Melissa looked up, and her face became as white as a sheet when she saw him.


    ¡°Leony?¡± Jodie muttered after a while.


    Leo walked step by step toward them. He was followed by Eugene, some of his men, and the police.


    The police quickly moved in and hauled Melissa up.


    Leo walked toward Amelie with a heavy look in his eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t until a long timeter that Jodie found out Leo had regained his autonomous breathing the day


    she removed his breathing mask.


    He didn¡¯t tell anyone. Instead, he took advantage of this time to investigate many things, including


    Melissa¡¯s involvement in the death of her husband.


    Of course, it also included the incident where she pulled off Leo¡¯s breathing mask.


    Leo connected the dots and already anticipated Melissa¡¯s n.


    He had specially sent Victor to the house to search it. It didn¡¯t take them long to find the explosives.


    In fact, the explosives had been removed quietly before Amelie stepped foot into Alston Residence.


    Jodie felt ashamed to face her brother again and took the initiative to ask to be sent abroad for studies.


    As for Amelie and Leo¡­


    Their rtionship was another matter.


    It was said that after that incident, Leo refused to take over Genesis and allowed Amelie to manage the


    company.


    Later, Steven and his family returned to take over the management of Genesis.


    Leo enjoyed his leisure time and spent all those days with his daughter. Later, the backyard was slowly


    filled with more and more children¡­

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407


    Chapter 407 We Are Even


    The expected explosion did not ur.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? How could this happen?¡± After a long while, Melissa eximed in disbelief.


    Outside the door, there was another loud bang.


    Someone walked inside.


    ¡°I had the explosive cleared out a long time ago,¡± the man said coldly.


    She looked up, and her face became as white as a sheet when she saw him.


    ¡°Leony?¡± Jodie muttered after a while.


    Leo walked step by step toward them. He was followed by Eugene, some of his men, and the police.


    The police quickly moved in and hauled Melissa up.


    Leo walked toward Amelie with a heavy look in his eyes.


    ¡­


    At the hospital, Leo asked, ¡°How is she doing?¡±


    Eugene knew whom he was asking about. He was stiff and his face was solemn. ¡°Her condition isn¡¯t


    very good. The doctor said¡­ she suffered a mental shock.¡±


    Leo lowered his head and only hummed in acknowledgment. He didn¡¯t speak after that.


    Amelie was standing opposite him. Even though three hours had passed since that incident, she still


    couldn¡¯t believe it was true.


    Melissa suddenly became the true culprit who killed her husband.


    Leo woke up from hisa.


    Jodie was fooled by her real mother. She targeted her brother and was now suffering a mental shock.


    Even most TV dramas would not dare to portray such a plot.


    Eugene waited a long time but didn¡¯t get any response from Leo. He nodded at the both of them and


    then walked away.


    Other medical staff also left quietly. Finally, only the two of them were left in the room.


    Amelie quietly looked at Leo, who then turned his head to look at her too. Her gaze was filled with


    surprise, whereas his expression was much moreplex.


    In his deep eyes, there was a touch of tenderness. It was like an abyss that wanted to lure her in.


    This gaze that was carrying affection quietly prated Amelie¡¯s heart. This caused her stomach to


    flutter with butterflies.


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    She found it hard to even breathe.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you woke up,¡± she muttered after a while.


    So many things happened today. She had so many questions and things she wanted to know, but what


    could be more important than him waking up?


    ¡°Yes, I woke up.¡± He repeated what she said as his gaze focused on her. He only had eyes for her.


    Even though he didn¡¯t say anything, his deep gaze still made Amelie blush. Her heart even skipped a


    beat.


    She didn¡¯t know what to say, so she asked, ¡°Does anywhere else hurt?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, but he didn¡¯t say much after.


    Amelie waited for a long time for his response.


    ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± She had to ask further. After asking, she bit her lip and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    His real mother became a criminal. Not only did she kill her husband, but she even intended to end her


    son¡¯s life. She didn¡¯t even want to spare her daughter. His younger sister also nned to kill him. It is


    very tragic when one¡¯s family members turn against them in such a way. What¡¯s there to feel good


    about? she thought.


    She suddenly felt fortunate that she was not born into a wealthy family, so she did not need to do these


    cruel and heartless things for money and status.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say sorry.¡± Leo walked toward her with an intense gaze before he clutched his heart


    with his hand. ¡°But I feel a bit ufortable.¡±


    She quickly walked over to him when she saw his action. ¡°Has your heart not fully recovered yet?¡±


    After the emergency surgery, he remained unconscious. It was unclear how much his heart had


    recovered as a result.


    Leo merely responded with a hum. He pulled her into his embrace the moment her hand touched his


    shirt, and he held her tightly.


    Amelie remained still, letting him hug her. She could smell the faint scent of medicine on him and


    couldn¡¯t help but notice his breathing in her ear.


    When was thest time they had been this close to each other?


    It seemed like they had rarely been this close all along.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± Amelie knew she owed him a thank you all along.


    Leo chuckled. ¡°You sacrificed so much for me back then. Can we call it even now?¡±


    ¡°Call it¡­ even?¡± She was confused. Although she didn¡¯t know what he meant, she still nodded in


    agreement.


    She had been in aa for more than a month to save him. He had been in aa for more than


    three months to save herself. They could indeed call it even.


    What happens after we are even? Amelie didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore. ¡°You should rest. I¡¯m


    going home,¡± she said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± Leo replied.


    He took her hand in his and they walked out together.


    She followed him passively. ¡°Your health¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost fully recovered.¡±


    After three months ofa, he had lost a lot of weight, but it gave Amelie a feeling that Leo was a


    changed man.


    It wasn¡¯t until they got back in the car that she realized where this feeling came from.


    He wasn¡¯t as serious and reserved as before.


    Thea was like a rebirth for him.


    She could even see a faint smile on his lips.


    On the way home, she tried to pull her fingers out of his hand but failed.


    His palm was dry and she could feel the steady flow of warmth from it.


    ¡°When did you wake up?¡± Amelie asked, feeling tongue-tied from him holding her hand.


    ¡°On the day when Jodie removed my oxygen mask.¡±


    Amelie was too stunned to speak as asking this question hit his sore spot. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell


    everyone?¡±


    She still felt scared thinking of the day when she found out that someone had removed his oxygen


    mask.


    ¡°There were many things that I had been suspicious of. It was a good opportunity for me to investigate.¡±


    Leo closed his eyes. ¡°I knew you were in trouble that day, but I also knew you could handle it, so¡­¡±


    Amelie wasn¡¯t a dramatic person, so she didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    There was nothing to dwell on too.


    ¡°I also took advantage of the time to investigate my mother.¡±


    She looked over at him. There were conflicting emotions in his eyes when he talked about his mother.


    Even though he was trying to hide it, Amelie still could see it. Humans were not animals. It was


    impossible that he wouldn¡¯t feel anything after what Melissa had done.


    Watching Melissa being thrown into prison would definitely result in Leo feeling something too.


    Amelie wanted tofort him, but she didn¡¯t know how to all of a sudden.


    ¡°How did you know we were in danger today?¡± It took her a long time to ask him.


    Leo tilted his chin. ¡°Once the truth behind these matters were unveiled, you would naturally be aware of


    other things. I knew that¡­ she would take action. So, I purposely had Victor search the house. Sure


    enough, he found some explosives underneath the house.¡±


    ¡°However, the explosives had already been removed before you even stepped foot in Alston


    Residence.¡±


    Leo was familiar with that residence to the point where doing these things secretly was not difficult for


    him.


    Amelie murmured in acknowledgment softly.


    After sending Leo back to Alston Residence, she left.


    He did not ask Amelie to stay either.


    When Bria knew Leo had woken up, she was very excited. She peppered Amelie with questions all


    night, blinking her big eyes and refusing to leave.


    After a while, Bria finally asked the question she had been wanting to ask. ¡°Mommy, when can we go to


    see him?¡±


    Seeing the hopeful gleam in Bria¡¯s eye, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Her daughter had been


    enchanted by the man who was her father.


    ¡°When do you want to go see him?¡±


    ¡°Tonight!¡±


    Amelie had no choice but to take Brianna to see Leo that night itself.

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408


    Chapter 408 The Night Was Long


    Amelie knew that if she didn¡¯t bring Bria along, Bria wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep all night.


    When they arrived, the Alstons were just about to have dinner.


    The butler greeted them with a smile. ¡°You¡¯vee just in time. Mr. Alston is eating alone.¡±


    Amelie looked at the table.


    It seemed that Leo had anticipated their arrival as there were two extra sets of utensils on the table.


    Bria blinked a few times when she saw him and pursed her lips. She was excited when they had just


    arrived, but now, she was just standing still in silence.


    Leo got up and walked over to them.


    He bent down and hugged Bria.


    Bria suddenly burst into tears.


    Amelie looked at Bria balling her eyes out, knowing that she had been suppressing too much fear,


    worry, and grievances during this time.


    Leo didn¡¯t try tofort her. He just held her and let her cry.


    After a while, Bria finally stopped crying.


    Only then did Leo carry her to the dining table where he wiped her tears with a tissue.


    Amelie watched quietly as she saw him delicately wiping the tears off Bria¡¯s face with the tissue, only


    pressing it on the areas with tears.


    His long and straight eyshes fluttered; it was neat and tidy as he focused on Bria.


    He didn¡¯t stop until all the tears on Bria¡¯s face were wiped away. Then, he put down the tissue, took a


    bowl, picked up some food, and fed her one spoonful at a time.


    Bria was obedient as she ate one spoonful at a time, even if it was something she didn¡¯t like to eat.


    ¡°Miss Dillon, please have a seat.¡± The butler walked over and pulled out a chair for her.


    Amelie hesitated for a moment before sitting down.


    The butler asked if she wanted wine.


    She declined and the butler filled a bowl of rice for her.


    Amelie lowered her head and ate silently.


    Across from her, Leo had finished feeding Bria. He started to eat.


    He ate slowly and quietly as he was a very cultured man.


    After dinner, Bria insisted on sleeping with Leo. She refused to go back no matter what.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t bear to force her to leave. So, she had to call Steven and inform him that Bria wouldn¡¯t


    be home tonight.


    There were many servers in Alston Residence, and with Leo there, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to leave


    Bria here for the night.


    She prepared to leave after ending the phone call.


    However, Bria insisted that Amelie help her with her bath.


    Bria learned to bathe herself a long time ago, but she was just acting spoiled now.


    She had always been obedient, but today she was being particrly stubborn.


    Leo felt sorry for her. He looked at Amelie and said, ¡°Could you help her bathe for my sake?¡±


    Amelie couldn¡¯t find a reason to decline him.


    In the end, she could only take Bria upstairs and help her with her bath.


    After the bath, Bria wanted her to carry her to Leo¡¯s room.


    When Amelie walked inside, she saw that Leo had already finished showering.


    He probably knew that Bria wasing. So, he dressed more conservatively, but there was still a lot of


    skin showing from the neckline of his bathrobe.


    Although he had been in aa for three months, his body hadn¡¯t changed much. It was still firm.


    Amelie had almost no experience with men and had never entered a man¡¯s room before. For a


    moment, her throat tightened and she didn¡¯t know where to look.


    She turned her head and handed Bria to him.


    As Leo took Bria, his palm slid over the back of her hand.


    It was still dry, but the temperature had risen a lot.


    She turned around and quickly ran out.


    Downstairs, the butler saw hering and hurried over. ¡°Miss Dillon, it¡¯ste now, and Bria is here too.


    Why don¡¯t you stay for the night?¡±


    He gestured to the floors upstairs and downstairs. ¡°There are many guest rooms here. You can choose


    whichever you want.¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    The butler could tell she didn¡¯t want to stay, and he smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else. It¡¯s just that


    Bria hasn¡¯t stayed here for a long time and she may not be used to it. If she wants to see you at night


    and you¡¯re not here, and Mr. Alston has just recovered¡­¡±


    His reason left Amelie no way out. She could only nod in agreement.


    The butler took the initiative to give her the guest room next to Leo¡¯s room.


    This room was the closest to Bria. If anything happened, she could also get to the child quickly.


    After thanking the butler, Amelie quickly received a set of new sleepwear and toiletries from him.


    She freshened up herself.


    After several years, she was back at Alston Residence again.


    Although she was not there as the young mistress, her treatment now was much betterpared to


    back then.


    Amelie smiled bitterly. Although she didn¡¯t want to dwell on the past, she still couldn¡¯t help butment.


    She couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so she went downstairs.


    Without realizing it, she ended up on the bottommost level, which was the garage.


    The small room where she had once slept was still as simple as ever.


    Standing there, Amelie couldn¡¯t help but wonder. If there had been no misunderstanding from the


    beginning, she would have had the courage to tell Leo her true identity, and there wouldn¡¯t be so many


    conflictster. She had resented Leo for his heartlessness before, but sheter realized that it was fate


    ying tricks on her. He had kept his promise from the beginning to the end, but he realized his


    promise to the wrong person. She too had been wholehearted to him this whole time but had used the


    wrong approach.


    Amelie was lost in her thoughts for a while. She slowly walked upstairs when she felt chilly and pushed


    open the door to the guest room.


    Just as she opened the door, she almost collided with someone rushing out from the inside.


    Amelie was stunned, but luckily the person had regained their bnce.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Then anxiety in his eyes was extremely noticeable. She could clearly see it.


    Leo fixed his gaze on her as she entered the room. The anxiety in his heart suddenly turned into an


    impulse.


    He grabbed Amelie and pulled her into the room, then mmed the door shut with a bang.


    Then, he pressed her against the door and began to kiss her madly.


    Amelie had never kissed a man before. She was both inexperienced and nervous. She didn¡¯t know


    what to do.


    She could only struggle.


    He held her head tightly with one hand and sped her waist with the other, not allowing her to back


    away or struggle.


    She was kissed until she couldn¡¯t breathe. Her knees were starting to weaken.


    Only then did he finally let her go, but he still didn¡¯t release his grip on her.


    He was holding onto her waist.


    His forehead was pressed against hers as he breathed heavily.


    His scorching breath sprayed on her neck and stimted every single cell of hers.


    ¡°You¡­ let go of me,¡± Amelie said nervously. She had never done this with anyone before.


    Leo held her even tighter without saying a word. He pressed Amelie to his chest, burying his head in


    her shoulder.


    Amelie felt the heat emanating from his body, just like that night years ago.


    She became even more nervous and started twisting in his arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± he whispered, his breath bing heavier.


    Although she had no experience with this, she wasn¡¯t young and immediately understood what was


    going on.


    Her face turned red in a second.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around,¡± she said softly, her voice trembling.


    Even when she was in danger, she had never been this nervous before.


    Leo chuckled in her ear.


    The heat in hisughter sprayed on her ear, making her earlobe even hotter.


    ¡°I want to mess around, but¡­ my experience is also very limited,¡± he muttered.


    Amelie was dumbfounded.


    He and Elyse had been together for so many years, so Amelie couldn¡¯t believe what he said.


    ¡°Whether you believe it or not, I have never touched Elyse,¡± he murmured.


    Amelie looked at him in surprise.


    Leo looked at her dumbfounded expression and found her even cuter than before. He couldn¡¯t help but


    give her a peck on the nose.


    ¡°In the beginning, we were young. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her. I thought that no matter what, we had to wait


    until after marriage to do such things. However, too much happened in between, and in the end¡­¡± he


    sighed.


    He didn¡¯t exin further, but Amelie knew the story well enough.


    Elyse took advantage of Leo¡¯s love for her and fooled around without boundaries. First, only rumors


    were spread about her with other men. In the end, she was caught in bed with someone else.


    Later, Leo and Amelie spent that night together. That was when Leo¡¯s rtionship with Elyse was


    finally over.


    ¡°I have been yours from the beginning to the end,¡± he whispered softly in her ears.


    Amelie¡¯s face immediately became hot again.


    By the time she came to her senses, the man¡¯s lips were already causing endless mischief.


    Although they were both inexperienced, women were no match for men in this situation.


    Amelie tried to remain calm and reminded him that they had no rtionship with each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s because we have no rtionship that we need to create one,¡± he said.


    The skies turned dark. The breeze lifted the curtains asionally, and even the wind became shy by


    the scene inside and quickly retreated. Yet, curiosity was hard to suppress, and the curtains were lifted


    again and again.


    The night was long.

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409


    Chapter 409 Speechless


    ¡°Mommy¡­ Mommmyyyyy.¡±


    In the morning, Amelie woke up from Bria¡¯s calling.


    Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was a man¡¯s chest.


    For a moment, she was confused.


    The man had already woken up and was smiling at her with sleepy eyes. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Amelie suddenly remembered what had happenedst night, and her face immediately turned red.


    Leo put his fingers on her lip lightly and caressed it.


    Her blushing face was particrly charming, which was why his eyes darkened.


    The way he looked at Amelie made her feel very hot. She wanted to get up.


    He gently pressed her back down and said, ¡°Rest a little longer.¡±


    After speaking, he got up without avoiding her and picked up the pajamas that were left under her shirt


    on the ground. After that, he went to open the door.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mommy?¡± Bria stuck her head in, looking for Amelie.


    ¡°Mommy¡¯s tired. She¡¯s still sleeping.¡± Leo bent down and hugged her, then kissed her face. ¡°What do


    you want to do? Daddy will apany you.¡±


    Bria¡¯s face wrinkled when she was kissed, but she didn¡¯t ask for Amelie again.


    Amelie was so embarrassed that she kept her head buried under the covers. It wasn¡¯t until Leo took


    Bria away that she finally let out a sigh of relief.


    How did things turn out like thatst night? Although she thought so, it seemed that everything had


    fallen into ce naturally. There was nothing toin about.


    Amelie didn¡¯t want to be too sentimental, so she flipped over.


    The soreness all over her body caused her to gasp for air. She once again realized the difference in


    strength between men and women, after which she let out a gentle sigh and closed her eyes.


    When Amelie woke up again, it was already close to noon.


    Someone hade in at some point, but she didn¡¯t know who it was. The clothes on the ground had


    been picked up and neatly ced by the bedside.


    On the bedside table, there was also a set of casual clothes.


    Amelie picked up the set of casual clothes and put them on. She then washed up and walked out of the


    room.


    She happened to see Bria throwing a ball in the backyard.


    After throwing the ball, a small white dog ran out from somewhere and chased after it.


    Although the puppy was small, it had agile legs and could jump and run quickly. It caught up with the


    ball in no time.


    Briaughed joyfully and yed with the puppy.


    Leo was standing nearby and watching Bria, but his expression was unclear.


    ¡°Where did the doge from?¡± Amelie walked over and asked while avoiding eye contact with him.


    Bria stood up and walked to her with the little dog in her arms. ¡°Mommy, this is the puppy Dada just


    bought for me. It¡¯s so cute!¡±


    Bria was like a sparrow and chirped non-stop.


    Amelie felt a headacheing on. ¡°We won¡¯t stay here long. We need to go back to Grandpa¡¯s ce.¡±


    Bria pouted immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can take it home,¡± Leo said simply.


    Amelie was slightly stunned by how straightforward he was.


    They still hadn¡¯t talked about what had happened between themst night officially.


    His straightforward behavior left Amelie a bit puzzled.


    They were both adults after all. They couldn¡¯t just act a certain way just because they slept with each


    other, so she pursed her lips and remained silent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    After lunch, Amelie took Bria and the puppy home.


    Leo went to the hospital.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± he asked.


    Many doctors were standing outside the VIP ward. All of them were experts in neurology, psychiatry,


    and psychology.


    Jodie had suffered a mental shock. Her mental state had been abnormal since yesterday and she had


    refused to see anyone.


    ¡°Her condition is not very good, but she¡¯s finally sane,¡± the attending physician said while looking at


    him. ¡°The patient said she wants to see you.¡±


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    ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded.


    Leo walked into the ward.


    In the ward, Jodie sat on the bed like a puppet, looking dull.


    She only looked up when Leo entered the room.


    She nced at him and quickly lowered her head.


    Although Leo was her older brother, she was too ashamed to meet him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leony,¡± she said softly after a while, tears streaming down her face.


    Leo watched her silently.


    Jodie had never suffered any hardship ever since she was a child. She was always selfish and self-


    centered.


    Even so, she was extremely embarrassed when she realized all the absurd things she had done.


    Leo did not say whether he forgave her or not. He just frowned and watched her.


    Behind, Eugene watched this scene from afar with a solemn mood.


    He felt sorry for Leo.


    His father, the person he respected the most, had passed away early. Even though there were plenty of


    family members left behind, their cruelty was worse than that of strangers.


    ¡°Rest well,¡± Leo said finally after a long time.


    Jodie was crying, but when she heard his words, she suddenly looked up at him. There were still tears


    in her eyes.


    Eugene also looked at Leo and understood what he meant. Even the most generous person could not


    forgive the betrayal and harm that was caused by a family member.


    Even if he didn¡¯t forgive her, they were still siblings after all.


    Leo would still treat Jodie the same way before.


    ¡°Leony!¡± Jodie seemed to have realized the same thing too. She called out to him as he was about to


    leave.


    It was as if she had made up her mind when she spoke again. ¡°Send me abroad.¡±


    Leo raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.


    Jodie held the corners of her clothes tightly. ¡°I want to go abroad and get away from everything here.¡±


    Foreign countries were once thest ce she wanted to go. Now, it had be her only refuge.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s for my sake, please¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t stay here anymore as she was too ashamed of herself.


    After a long period of contemtion, Leo uttered his agreement softly and walked out.


    Behind him, Jodie had wanted to call out to him several times. She wanted to ask if she still had the


    right to be his sister.


    In the end, she didn¡¯t ask anything.


    Right?


    What right?


    She herself couldn¡¯t ept what she had done, so how could she expect anything from others?


    It seemed as if Jodie had grown up overnight. Well, not just grown up, but she had even aged.


    Everything in her world had lost its color.


    She could imagine how deste her life would be from then on.


    But what could she do? It was all her fault, and this was her karma. Whom could she me?


    That day, Eugene sent Jodie to the airport.


    Leo didn¡¯t send her off.


    She also didn¡¯t want him to.


    It would be awkward. They should just stay in each other¡¯s hearts forever and never see each other


    again. That was the best way to let go.


    Amelie brought Bria and the puppy back home. After that, she went to thepany.


    Leo had just woken up. The affairs of thepany should have been handed over to him, but since he


    had just woken up, Amelie didn¡¯t want to rush him.


    Another busy day passed.


    Fortunately, she enjoyed challenges. Even though she was really busy, there were barely any signs of


    exhaustion on her face.


    Amelie was worried about her child and afraid that Steven could not handle the puppy. So, she quickly


    rushed back home.


    When she pushed the door open, the familiar aroma of food filled her nose.


    Bria sat quietly on the mat, ying with the puppy.


    Both of them looked forward. It was as if they were waiting for something.


    After a while, she heard some sounds from the kitchen.


    Steven walked out with a big bowl of soup.


    Amelie rushed up to help Steven, but when she looked up and saw the person behind Steven, she was


    stunned.

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410


    Chapter 410 Anyone Who Tries to Hinder Her Will Not Live


    The person had already raised his head and was looking at her.


    It was Leo.


    He was wearing casual clothes. Even though he had just recovered, his excellent figure still couldn¡¯t be


    hidden.


    The apron that Steven always wore was now on Leo.


    He was tall, making the apron look small on him. It was a funny sight.


    Leo was also holding a dish. When he saw Amelie, he just smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Amelie was too stunned to speak.


    ¡°Leony, you sit down. I¡¯ll take care of the rest,¡± Steven said to Leo in an unusually polite tone.


    Leo still followed Steven into the kitchen.


    Only when all the dishes were ready did Steven ask Bria and Amelie to the table.


    Amelie looked at Leo, who was untying the apron.


    Steven walked over and helped him take off the apron. Their tacit understanding was perfect.


    This¡­


    In her memory, her father had always had a problem with Leo. The politest he could get was nodding at


    Leo.


    At this moment, they looked like father and son, which was inexplicable.


    ¡°From today on, Leo will learn to cook from me.¡± Steven seemed to notice his daughter¡¯s confusion and


    exined.


    Amelie didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Bria pped happily. ¡°Next time, I can eat the food made by Grandpa and Dad when I


    come home. I¡¯m so lucky.¡±


    Amelie was amused and pursed her lips. The mighty Mr. Alston of Genesis was learning how to cook?


    He¡¯s being underutilized.


    Although Leo rarely cooked, his skills were not too bad. Bria was more than willing to finish the dish he


    made.


    Amelie wanted to talk to Leo, but of course, she couldn¡¯t do it in front of Steven.


    After dinner, she went to the study to deal with some business matters.


    By the time she was done, it was already 10.00PM. Leo was still there.


    He was sitting on the mat with Bria while helping her to assemble something. Both of them seemed to


    be in discussion.


    Steven was reading the newspaper beside them. He was wearing his reading sses, but it was very


    far down his nose. They seemed to be sitting on the tip of his nose and could fall off at any moment.


    The three of them formed a strangely harmonious scene.


    Amelie inexplicably felt like she was the intruder.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for bed.¡± She walked over to Bria, indirectly reminding Leo that he should leave.


    Steven was the first to react. He put away his reading sses and folded the newspaper.


    Leo helped Bria tidy up the things on the floor.


    After finishing those tasks, Bria obediently went to her room.


    Leo then swaggered into Amelie¡¯s bedroom.


    Amelie was too stunned to speak.


    She stared at the back of Leo before turning to look at Steven.


    Steven seemed unaware of where Leo had gone. He just went into his own room and closed the door.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    She was speechless


    Amelie looked at her partially opened bedroom door and then at her father¡¯s closed door. She pped


    her forehead.


    Is he my real father? she thought.


    After a moment, she hurriedly went into her room.


    ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for you to stay here. You should go back,¡± she said.


    After she had finished speaking, she looked up and saw Leo¡¯s bare upper body.


    He casually removed his clothes, and with azy smile on his lips, he said, ¡°What¡¯s considered


    suitable?¡±


    Amelie was dumbfounded.


    She wanted to say something, but he had already walked into her bathroom.


    She couldn¡¯t follow him in, so she just sat on the bed in silence.


    After Leo had finished his shower, he walked out with only a loosely draped bath towel around his


    waist.


    His perfect skin and physique were almostpletely exposed, which caused Amelie¡¯s face to burn


    with heat.


    ¡°Do you want to take a shower yourself or do you want me to help you?¡± the man asked in a low voice.


    Amelie looked at him. She felt like this man had not only injured his heart but his brain as well.


    After waking up from aa, hepletely changed his ways of doing things.


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s safe to get married, we can go get married first,¡± he repeated.


    This extremely abrupt statement left Amelie stunned for a moment before she realized that he was


    referring to their earlier conversation.


    ¡°No need,¡± she replied, then quickly walked into the bathroom. She washed up hastily because Leo


    was still in her room.


    When Amelie came out of the bathroom, she was wrapped up tightly.


    Leo was sitting on the bed and he lifted his head to look at her. ¡°Which part of your body have I not


    seen? Even if you¡¯re all wrapped up, I still know your body.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°You¡¯ll sleep on the bed. I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room,¡± she muttered. She didn¡¯t really feel like sharing a


    room with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡± Leo pointed to the couch opposite her.


    She looked over.


    This couch was only used for temporary rest. It was not spacious enough for him to sleep on.


    ¡°Or we can sleep on the bed together.¡± He spoke again.


    Amelie threw her hands up with exasperation. ¡°You¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t say anything. He just walked to the couch andy down on it.


    His long body was nestled on the couch, which gave off a sense of pity.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help sympathizing with him.


    However, when she realized that he brought this upon himself, she didn¡¯t say anything. She climbed


    onto the bed and got under the covers.


    Perhaps the day¡¯s exhaustion had depleted her energy because not long after, she fell asleep.


    When Amelie woke up, it was already morning.


    She opened her eyes and saw Leo sitting on the couch and looking at the bed with a pitiful expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± she asked casually, ignoring his gaze.


    ¡°My neck hurts.¡± Leo pointed at his neck.


    ¡°Go home and sleep,¡± she said intentionally.


    He shook his head and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake, should we talk about it?¡± she asked.


    She had been wanting to talk about this.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t fully recovered,¡± Leo said matter-of-factly.


    Looking at him, Amelie said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell there¡¯s something off with you at all.¡±


    ¡°The problem is with my heart, which you can¡¯t tell just by looking at me,¡± he answered.


    Amelie didn¡¯t really believe him.


    However, she didn¡¯t know much about heart problems, so she could only remain silent in the end.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± he muttered.


    Seeing his pitiful appearance, Amelie could no longer stay cold-hearted. She pointed at the bed and


    said, ¡°Go sleep on the bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± After he finished speaking, he stretched out his arms and legs.


    The woman who was being held by him growled, ¡°Hey, I told you to sleep on the bed, not me!¡±


    The man rubbed his lips against her earlobe and said, ¡°It¡¯s so lonely and cold at night. It¡¯s no fun to


    sleep alone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already morning¡­¡± Amelie said.


    Indeed, it was already morning.


    For the first time in her life, she was exhausted during the day because of something other than work.


    From that day on, Leo upied her bedroom as a matter of course.


    During the day, Amelie worked tirelessly for hispany. At night, she worked tirelessly for him.


    Leo, on the other hand, became interested in cooking, gardening, and everything else that was simple


    and ordinary. All under the excuse of recovering from his heart injury.


    Ever since he moved in, Steven waspletely liberated as he could eat ready-made meals every day


    now.


    Maybe Steven was too bored, but he soon hit it off with a middle-aged woman whom he met at the


    group exercise. The two of them moved in together happily.


    Her father had finally found the one for him, but there was no news for Amelie.


    She waited and waited.


    Even the end of the year did not bring any news.


    Steven brought his newlywed wife, Mrs. Dillon, to celebrate the New Year at Amelie¡¯s house.


    The family of three had now be a family of five. The atmosphere was lively and bustling.


    ¡°rgh!¡±


    During the dinner on New Year¡¯s Eve, Amelie suddenly felt nauseous and ran to the bathroom to vomit.


    Mrs. Dillon looked at her and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Pregnant¡­ What?¡± Amelie was puzzled.


    Mrs. Dillon smirked and said, ¡°What else? You¡¯ve already given birth to one. Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    Amelie understood.


    But Leo¡­


    ¡°Wifey¡­¡±


    Leo followed her, his face filled with joy and some uneasiness.


    Amelie suddenly realized what was going on and wanted to hit him so badly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we take precautions?¡± she asked.


    He came over and hugged her pitifully. ¡°Wifey, please keep the baby. I¡¯ll do anything as long as you¡¯re


    willing to keep it.¡±


    She was speechless.


    After bing pregnant, Amelie didn¡¯t let others take over the work in Genesis. Instead, she gained a


    tagalong by her side.


    Every day, Leo would be by her side to apany her and take care of her day and night. He wouldn¡¯t


    let anyone tire her out.


    Yet, when it came to the person taking over thepany, he remained tight-lipped.


    Slowly, rumors began to circte within thepany that Genesis was built by Mrs. Alston, and Mr.


    Alston was just a freeloader. Without her, Mr. Alston was nothing.


    The rumors spread for a long time. Everyone outside knew that Leo was the least worthy man in


    Clouson City. Other than his good looks, he had nothing else to offer and was definitely not worth


    pursuing.


    One day, in a dark room, someone that had been criticized stepped on a man¡¯s chest and said, ¡°My


    wife is in charge of the business. I¡¯ll be the one ending the trouble. Whoever tries to hinder her will not


    live!¡±

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411


    Chapter 409 Speechless


    ¡°Mommy¡­ Mommmyyyyy.¡±


    In the morning, Amelie woke up from Bria¡¯s calling.


    Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was a man¡¯s chest.


    For a moment, she was confused.


    The man had already woken up and was smiling at her with sleepy eyes. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Amelie suddenly remembered what had happenedst night, and her face immediately turned red.


    Leo put his fingers on her lip lightly and caressed it.


    Her blushing face was particrly charming, which was why his eyes darkened.


    The way he looked at Amelie made her feel very hot. She wanted to get up.


    He gently pressed her back down and said, ¡°Rest a little longer.¡±


    After speaking, he got up without avoiding her and picked up the pajamas that were left under her shirt


    on the ground. After that, he went to open the door.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mommy?¡± Bria stuck her head in, looking for Amelie.


    ¡°Mommy¡¯s tired. She¡¯s still sleeping.¡± Leo bent down and hugged her, then kissed her face. ¡°What do


    you want to do? Daddy will apany you.¡±


    Bria¡¯s face wrinkled when she was kissed, but she didn¡¯t ask for Amelie again.


    Amelie was so embarrassed that she kept her head buried under the covers. It wasn¡¯t until Leo took


    Bria away that she finally let out a sigh of relief.


    How did things turn out like thatst night? Although she thought so, it seemed that everything had


    fallen into ce naturally. There was nothing toin about.


    Amelie didn¡¯t want to be too sentimental, so she flipped over.


    The soreness all over her body caused her to gasp for air. She once again realized the difference in


    strength between men and women, after which she let out a gentle sigh and closed her eyes.


    When Amelie woke up again, it was already close to noon.


    Someone hade in at some point, but she didn¡¯t know who it was. The clothes on the ground had


    been picked up and neatly ced by the bedside.


    On the bedside table, there was also a set of casual clothes.


    Amelie picked up the set of casual clothes and put them on. She then washed up and walked out of the


    room.


    She happened to see Bria throwing a ball in the backyard.


    After throwing the ball, a small white dog ran out from somewhere and chased after it.


    Although the puppy was small, it had agile legs and could jump and run quickly. It caught up with the


    ball in no time.


    Briaughed joyfully and yed with the puppy.


    Leo was standing nearby and watching Bria, but his expression was unclear.


    ¡°Where did the doge from?¡± Amelie walked over and asked while avoiding eye contact with him.


    Bria stood up and walked to her with the little dog in her arms. ¡°Mommy, this is the puppy Dada just


    bought for me. It¡¯s so cute!¡±


    Bria was like a sparrow and chirped non-stop.


    Amelie felt a headacheing on. ¡°We won¡¯t stay here long. We need to go back to Grandpa¡¯s ce.¡±


    Bria pouted immediately.


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    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can take it home,¡± Leo said simply.


    Amelie was slightly stunned by how straightforward he was.


    They still hadn¡¯t talked about what had happened between themst night officially.


    His straightforward behavior left Amelie a bit puzzled.


    They were both adults after all. They couldn¡¯t just act a certain way just because they slept with each


    other, so she pursed her lips and remained silent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    After lunch, Amelie took Bria and the puppy home.


    Leo went to the hospital.


    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± he asked.


    Many doctors were standing outside the VIP ward. All of them were experts in neurology, psychiatry,


    and psychology.


    Jodie had suffered a mental shock. Her mental state had been abnormal since yesterday and she had


    refused to see anyone.


    ¡°Her condition is not very good, but she¡¯s finally sane,¡± the attending physician said while looking at


    him. ¡°The patient said she wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded.


    Leo walked into the ward.


    In the ward, Jodie sat on the bed like a puppet, looking dull.


    She only looked up when Leo entered the room.


    She nced at him and quickly lowered her head.


    Although Leo was her older brother, she was too ashamed to meet him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leony,¡± she said softly after a while, tears streaming down her face.


    Leo watched her silently.


    Jodie had never suffered any hardship ever since she was a child. She was always selfish and self-


    centered.


    Even so, she was extremely embarrassed when she realized all the absurd things she had done.


    Leo did not say whether he forgave her or not. He just frowned and watched her.


    Behind, Eugene watched this scene from afar with a solemn mood.


    He felt sorry for Leo.


    His father, the person he respected the most, had passed away early. Even though there were plenty of


    family members left behind, their cruelty was worse than that of strangers.


    ¡°Rest well,¡± Leo said finally after a long time.


    Jodie was crying, but when she heard his words, she suddenly looked up at him. There were still tears


    in her eyes.


    Eugene also looked at Leo and understood what he meant. Even the most generous person could not


    forgive the betrayal and harm that was caused by a family member.


    Even if he didn¡¯t forgive her, they were still siblings after all.


    Leo would still treat Jodie the same way before.


    ¡°Leony!¡± Jodie seemed to have realized the same thing too. She called out to him as he was about to


    leave.


    It was as if she had made up her mind when she spoke again. ¡°Send me abroad.¡±


    Leo raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.


    Jodie held the corners of her clothes tightly. ¡°I want to go abroad and get away from everything here.¡±


    Foreign countries were once thest ce she wanted to go. Now, it had be her only refuge.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s for my sake, please¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t stay here anymore as she was too ashamed of herself.


    After a long period of contemtion, Leo uttered his agreement softly and walked out.


    Behind him, Jodie had wanted to call out to him several times. She wanted to ask if she still had the


    right to be his sister.


    In the end, she didn¡¯t ask anything.


    Right?


    What right?


    She herself couldn¡¯t ept what she had done, so how could she expect anything from others?


    It seemed as if Jodie had grown up overnight. Well, not just grown up, but she had even aged.


    Everything in her world had lost its color.


    She could imagine how deste her life would be from then on.


    But what could she do? It was all her fault, and this was her karma. Whom could she me?


    That day, Eugene sent Jodie to the airport.


    Leo didn¡¯t send her off.


    She also didn¡¯t want him to.


    It would be awkward. They should just stay in each other¡¯s hearts forever and never see each other


    again. That was the best way to let go.


    Amelie brought Bria and the puppy back home. After that, she went to thepany.


    Leo had just woken up. The affairs of thepany should have been handed over to him, but since he


    had just woken up, Amelie didn¡¯t want to rush him.


    Another busy day passed.


    Fortunately, she enjoyed challenges. Even though she was really busy, there were barely any signs of


    exhaustion on her face.


    Amelie was worried about her child and afraid that Steven could not handle the puppy. So, she quickly


    rushed back home.


    When she pushed the door open, the familiar aroma of food filled her nose.


    Bria sat quietly on the mat, ying with the puppy.


    Both of them looked forward. It was as if they were waiting for something.


    After a while, she heard some sounds from the kitchen.


    Steven walked out with a big bowl of soup.


    Amelie rushed up to help Steven, but when she looked up and saw the person behind Steven, she was


    stunned.

 Chapter 412

    Chapter 412


    Chapter 410 Anyone Who Tries to Hinder Her Will Not Live


    The person had already raised his head and was looking at her.


    It was Leo.


    He was wearing casual clothes. Even though he had just recovered, his excellent figure still couldn¡¯t be


    hidden.


    The apron that Steven always wore was now on Leo.


    He was tall, making the apron look small on him. It was a funny sight.


    Leo was also holding a dish. When he saw Amelie, he just smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Amelie was too stunned to speak.


    ¡°Leony, you sit down. I¡¯ll take care of the rest,¡± Steven said to Leo in an unusually polite tone.


    Leo still followed Steven into the kitchen.


    Only when all the dishes were ready did Steven ask Bria and Amelie to the table.


    Amelie looked at Leo, who was untying the apron.


    Steven walked over and helped him take off the apron. Their tacit understanding was perfect.


    This¡­


    In her memory, her father had always had a problem with Leo. The politest he could get was nodding at


    Leo.


    At this moment, they looked like father and son, which was inexplicable.


    ¡°From today on, Leo will learn to cook from me.¡± Steven seemed to notice his daughter¡¯s confusion and


    exined.


    Amelie didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Bria pped happily. ¡°Next time, I can eat the food made by Grandpa and Dad when I


    come home. I¡¯m so lucky.¡±


    Amelie was amused and pursed her lips. The mighty Mr. Alston of Genesis was learning how to cook?


    He¡¯s being underutilized.


    Although Leo rarely cooked, his skills were not too bad. Bria was more than willing to finish the dish he


    made.


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    Amelie wanted to talk to Leo, but of course, she couldn¡¯t do it in front of Steven.


    After dinner, she went to the study to deal with some business matters.


    By the time she was done, it was already 10.00PM. Leo was still there.


    He was sitting on the mat with Bria while helping her to assemble something. Both of them seemed to


    be in discussion.


    Steven was reading the newspaper beside them. He was wearing his reading sses, but it was very


    far down his nose. They seemed to be sitting on the tip of his nose and could fall off at any moment.


    The three of them formed a strangely harmonious scene.


    Amelie inexplicably felt like she was the intruder.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for bed.¡± She walked over to Bria, indirectly reminding Leo that he should leave.


    Steven was the first to react. He put away his reading sses and folded the newspaper.


    Leo helped Bria tidy up the things on the floor.


    After finishing those tasks, Bria obediently went to her room.


    Leo then swaggered into Amelie¡¯s bedroom.


    Amelie was too stunned to speak.


    She stared at the back of Leo before turning to look at Steven.


    Steven seemed unaware of where Leo had gone. He just went into his own room and closed the door.


    She was speechless


    Amelie looked at her partially opened bedroom door and then at her father¡¯s closed door. She pped


    her forehead.


    Is he my real father? she thought.


    After a moment, she hurriedly went into her room.


    ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for you to stay here. You should go back,¡± she said.


    After she had finished speaking, she looked up and saw Leo¡¯s bare upper body.


    He casually removed his clothes, and with azy smile on his lips, he said, ¡°What¡¯s considered


    suitable?¡±


    Amelie was dumbfounded.


    She wanted to say something, but he had already walked into her bathroom.


    She couldn¡¯t follow him in, so she just sat on the bed in silence.


    After Leo had finished his shower, he walked out with only a loosely draped bath towel around his


    waist.


    His perfect skin and physique were almostpletely exposed, which caused Amelie¡¯s face to burn


    with heat.


    ¡°Do you want to take a shower yourself or do you want me to help you?¡± the man asked in a low voice.


    Amelie looked at him. She felt like this man had not only injured his heart but his brain as well.


    After waking up from aa, hepletely changed his ways of doing things.


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s safe to get married, we can go get married first,¡± he repeated.


    This extremely abrupt statement left Amelie stunned for a moment before she realized that he was


    referring to their earlier conversation.


    ¡°No need,¡± she replied, then quickly walked into the bathroom. She washed up hastily because Leo


    was still in her room.


    When Amelie came out of the bathroom, she was wrapped up tightly.


    Leo was sitting on the bed and he lifted his head to look at her. ¡°Which part of your body have I not


    seen? Even if you¡¯re all wrapped up, I still know your body.¡±


    Amelie didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°You¡¯ll sleep on the bed. I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room,¡± she muttered. She didn¡¯t really feel like sharing a


    room with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡± Leo pointed to the couch opposite her.


    She looked over.


    This couch was only used for temporary rest. It was not spacious enough for him to sleep on.


    ¡°Or we can sleep on the bed together.¡± He spoke again.


    Amelie threw her hands up with exasperation. ¡°You¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡±


    Leo didn¡¯t say anything. He just walked to the couch andy down on it.


    His long body was nestled on the couch, which gave off a sense of pity.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t help sympathizing with him.


    However, when she realized that he brought this upon himself, she didn¡¯t say anything. She climbed


    onto the bed and got under the covers.


    Perhaps the day¡¯s exhaustion had depleted her energy because not long after, she fell asleep.


    When Amelie woke up, it was already morning.


    She opened her eyes and saw Leo sitting on the couch and looking at the bed with a pitiful expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± she asked casually, ignoring his gaze.


    ¡°My neck hurts.¡± Leo pointed at his neck.


    ¡°Go home and sleep,¡± she said intentionally.


    He shook his head and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Amelie was speechless.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake, should we talk about it?¡± she asked.


    She had been wanting to talk about this.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t fully recovered,¡± Leo said matter-of-factly.


    Looking at him, Amelie said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell there¡¯s something off with you at all.¡±


    ¡°The problem is with my heart, which you can¡¯t tell just by looking at me,¡± he answered.


    Amelie didn¡¯t really believe him.


    However, she didn¡¯t know much about heart problems, so she could only remain silent in the end.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± he muttered.


    Seeing his pitiful appearance, Amelie could no longer stay cold-hearted. She pointed at the bed and


    said, ¡°Go sleep on the bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± After he finished speaking, he stretched out his arms and legs.


    The woman who was being held by him growled, ¡°Hey, I told you to sleep on the bed, not me!¡±


    The man rubbed his lips against her earlobe and said, ¡°It¡¯s so lonely and cold at night. It¡¯s no fun to


    sleep alone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already morning¡­¡± Amelie said.


    Indeed, it was already morning.


    For the first time in her life, she was exhausted during the day because of something other than work.


    From that day on, Leo upied her bedroom as a matter of course.


    During the day, Amelie worked tirelessly for hispany. At night, she worked tirelessly for him.


    Leo, on the other hand, became interested in cooking, gardening, and everything else that was simple


    and ordinary. All under the excuse of recovering from his heart injury.


    Ever since he moved in, Steven waspletely liberated as he could eat ready-made meals every day


    now.


    Maybe Steven was too bored, but he soon hit it off with a middle-aged woman whom he met at the


    group exercise. The two of them moved in together happily.


    Her father had finally found the one for him, but there was no news for Amelie.


    She waited and waited.


    Even the end of the year did not bring any news.


    Steven brought his newlywed wife, Mrs. Dillon, to celebrate the New Year at Amelie¡¯s house.


    The family of three had now be a family of five. The atmosphere was lively and bustling.


    ¡°rgh!¡±


    During the dinner on New Year¡¯s Eve, Amelie suddenly felt nauseous and ran to the bathroom to vomit.


    Mrs. Dillon looked at her and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Pregnant¡­ What?¡± Amelie was puzzled.


    Mrs. Dillon smirked and said, ¡°What else? You¡¯ve already given birth to one. Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    Amelie understood.


    But Leo¡­


    ¡°Wifey¡­¡±


    Leo followed her, his face filled with joy and some uneasiness.


    Amelie suddenly realized what was going on and wanted to hit him so badly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we take precautions?¡± she asked.


    He came over and hugged her pitifully. ¡°Wifey, please keep the baby. I¡¯ll do anything as long as you¡¯re


    willing to keep it.¡±


    She was speechless.


    After bing pregnant, Amelie didn¡¯t let others take over the work in Genesis. Instead, she gained a


    tagalong by her side.


    Every day, Leo would be by her side to apany her and take care of her day and night. He wouldn¡¯t


    let anyone tire her out.


    Yet, when it came to the person taking over thepany, he remained tight-lipped.


    Slowly, rumors began to circte within thepany that Genesis was built by Mrs. Alston, and Mr.


    Alston was just a freeloader. Without her, Mr. Alston was nothing.


    The rumors spread for a long time. Everyone outside knew that Leo was the least worthy man in


    Clouson City. Other than his good looks, he had nothing else to offer and was definitely not worth


    pursuing.


    One day, in a dark room, someone that had been criticized stepped on a man¡¯s chest and said, ¡°My


    wife is in charge of the business. I¡¯ll be the one ending the trouble. Whoever tries to hinder her will not


    live!¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!