Chapter 103
"Your hand..."
Yesterday, Leo injured his right hand rescuing me from the hotel.
Today, Leopold's right hand was injured too.
"It's nothing." Leopold's answer was casual, almost dismissive.
I didn't believe in that kind of coincidence. "Let me see your wound."
Leopold glanced at me sideways. "What? Your pretty boy injured this hand, too?"
Called out so directly, my expression froze.
Leopold let out a cold snort. "You can't seriously think I'm him, can you?"
He hit the nail on the head.
My expression shifted from frozen to mortified.
Right. How could I even entertain such a ridiculous thought?
Leopold was the high-and-mighty CEO of the Percy Group. Leo was just a small bar owner. There was no way they could be the same person.
Besides, Leo had risked his life to save me multiple times without asking for anything in return.
Leopold, on the other hand, kept backing Sophia and even got her pregnant with their child again.
How could Leo possibly be a heartless bastard like Leopold!
When I snapped back to reality, I caught Leopold unfastening his cufflinks. I stopped him immediately.
"No need. I know you're not him."
Leopold's movements stilled.
The streetlight outside cast shadows across his brow, making his expression unreadable.
Seeing us lingering in the car, Teddy cleared his throat.
"Mr. Percy, Ms. Wipere."
Leopold stepped out of the car.
This time, he didn't wait for me, striding straight into the house.
I felt uneasy about this villa, dragging my feet for a while, still reluctant to get out.
"Ms. Wipere, the entire day you were missing, Mr. Percy was searching for you."
"Mrs. Alicia Percy was furious that he wasn't watching over Mr. Donovan Percy. She kept berating him, even sent bodyguards to forcibly bring him back."
Teddy held the car door, speaking to me in a low voice.
This was news to me.
Something stirred inside me, and I couldn't help but recall what Sophia had let slip.
"Teddy, did Leopold give up his position as heir to the Percy Group?"
Teddy looked at me with surprise, clearly hesitant to speak.
In the end, he tactfully declined.
"Ms. Wipere, that's something you'll have to ask Mr. Percy yourself, or wait for him to tell you."
At that point, I already had my answer.
I just didn't understand.
How could Leopold's heart be full of Sophia while still reserving a corner for me?
Were all men naturally able to juggle two women at once?
I got out of the car and entered the villa.
To my surprise, Sophia wasn't here.
Seeing Leopold leaning back on the sofa with his eyes closed, looking exhausted, I paused.
After a moment, I headed straight to the guest room.
The drugs still lingering in my system made me dizzy.
Making it here was my limit.
After collapsing on the bed, I fell asleep quickly.
I didn't sleep peacefully.
Sometimes I dreamed of the hotel fire, where I wasn't rescued but locked in the room waiting to die.
Other times, I dreamed of Leopold and Sophia together, standing side by side, mocking me, calling me worthless, saying I could never measure up to Sophia.
I also dreamed of attending my teacher's birthday party, getting drunk, and being taken to a room.
Soon after, I heard someone burst in, yelling and cursing at me.
I tried to open my eyes but couldn't, couldn't even make out what they were saying.
"Lucinda... wake up..."
Through my hazy consciousness, someone kept calling my name.
I tried hard to make it out, but couldn't hear clearly.
"It hurts..."
The person immediately pressed, "Where does it hurt? Tell me."
I shook my head, unable to say where it hurt, but kept saying it hurt.
"Give her a painkiller shot now... She can't have any complications... or you'll all pay for it!"
Faintly, I heard someone talking constantly.
After that, I heard nothing.
When I woke up again, it was already daylight.
I tried to get up but found my body even weaker than last night.
There was a red needle mark on my arm.
What was this?
"You're finally awake."
Suddenly, an unfamiliar man's face appeared in front of me.
I instinctively pulled back. "Who are you..."
As soon as I spoke, my throat felt like it had been sliced with razor blades, a dull ache.
"Have some water first."
The man quickly poured me a glass of warm water, helped me sit up, and had me drink.
After downing the water, that razor-blade sensation eased.
Before I could speak, he volunteered an explanation.
"You had a fever last night. Got so delirious, you were all over the place. One minute crying about pain, the next cursing people out. You wore me out completely."
I only had fragmented memories of that. Hearing him complain, I apologized reflexively.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know I had a fever."
He waved it off with a smile. "It's fine. It wasn't you wearing me out, it was—"
Before he could finish, the door swung open.
Leopold walked in wearing light-colored loungewear.
I was so used to seeing him in sharp suits that seeing him this casual felt oddly jarring.
"You're awake? Still dizzy? Anything you feel like eating?"
He strode to my bedside, his voice low as he asked.
I shook my head.
But he still reached out to feel my forehead.
I froze.
"Relax. With me here, nothing's going to happen to her."
The man patted his chest with a confident grin.
Leopold gave him a cool glance. "Last night, you said her fever would break in ten minutes. She spiked for five hours straight."
The man looked aggrieved. "Is that my fault? If you hadn't kept making her cry, would she have kept spiking?"
"Given how bad it was last night, getting her fever down and conscious by today is pretty damn impressive."
Hearing them bicker, I belatedly asked Leopold.
"Who is he?"
"Forgot to introduce myself. I'm Brady Wood, a doctor. Leopold's private physician, actually."
I'd heard Leopold mention that name, but had never met him.
I definitely hadn't expected him to be a young rich kid rather than some older doctor.
"So you're him."
Brady shot Leopold a look. "Sounds like you've mentioned me to her?"
Leopold glanced at me, deflecting. "She's really better?"
Brady looked insulted. "Obviously. Who else do you think is sitting in front of you?"
I found their dynamic oddly fascinating.
Everyone Leopold kept around was extraordinarily capable.
But every single one of them was deferential to him.
Only Brady was different.
Their relationship didn't seem like doctor and patient, more like old friends.
"Get out." Leopold ignored him, issuing a flat command.
Brady gathered his things with a huff. "Now that you don't need me, you're kicking me out. Don't you dare call me in the middle of the night next time!"
Leopold was unfazed.
After the door closed, he looked at me. "Last night, you were crying about pain. What's wrong with your body?"
My heart leapt into my throat.
He couldn't have found out, could he?
"Nothing. I was delirious from the fever. I don't even remember what I said."
"Is that so?" Leopold didn't buy it. "You cried last night."
I bit my lip. "So what? I was sick. Crying is perfectly normal."
Suddenly, the closed door swung open again.