Chapter 183
I froze. My heart felt like something was gnawing at it from the inside, sharp and relentless.
Heat flooded my throat, but no words would come.
Leopold didn't seem to mind. He just held me tighter.
A long while passed before he finally loosened his grip.
"The hospital is crawling with germs, and the rain just stopped. You can't handle this. I'll have someone take you back to Pansea Heights."
Seeing him worry about me while sick himself made my chest ache.
"No need. Once your fever breaks tomorrow morning, we'll go back together."
Leopold stared at me intently, emotions churning in his eyes. Then he smiled softly. "Then let's go back now."
I blinked in surprise. "Now?"
"Yeah. Arnold's medical team is there anyway. I can recover just as well at home."
"But your condition—"
Before I could finish, Leopold reached up and affectionately pinched my cheek. "I'm fine. Touch me if you don't believe me."
My ears burned instantly. I suspected he was being inappropriate, though I had no proof.
After returning to Pansea Heights, I sent Amelia a message saying we'd come back overnight and she didn't need to bring breakfast.
But since Arnold was arranged by Ethan and his entire team consisted of researchers, I worried they couldn't properly care for Leopold. I specifically brought along one of the specialized nurses Amelia had arranged.
Because Leopold's fever hadn't fully broken, he couldn't stay in the master bedroom with me. I had to settle for the adjacent guest room instead.
Ever since that bout of nausea, my pregnancy symptoms had kicked in. Not morning sickness exactly—more like constant fatigue.
After showering, the moment my head hit the pillow, I was out.
But somewhere in my half-conscious state, I felt someone moving my legs.
Forcing my eyes open, I couldn't make out the figure at the foot of the bed, but I knew it was Leopold.
My words came out slurred. "Go to sleep."
"It's okay. Tammy mentioned your legs were bothering you this morning. I'll massage them—you sleep." Leopold's voice sounded muffled, like he was wearing a mask.
My eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. They drifted shut again. I murmured drowsily, "You should rest too."
Leopold said something in response, but I didn't catch it before sleep claimed me completely.
When I opened my eyes again, sunlight flooded the room. That brilliant golden glow held no trace of yesterday's gloom.
I stared for a moment before sitting up and climbing out of bed. Just as I reached the door, I heard footsteps outside.
I quickly stepped back. The next second, the door swung open.
Leopold walked in carrying three plates of exquisite breakfast items.
"Why are you out of bed? Get back in there. Arnold said your legs got chilled yesterday—no more unnecessary walking around today."
Before I could protest, he was already half-dragging, half-guiding me back to bed.
"Eat your breakfast first. Arnold will be here in an hour to continue your physical therapy."
Leopold arranged the dishes neatly as he spoke. I didn't refuse, picking up a spoon and eating at a leisurely pace.
Leopold looked pleased. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching me intently. When he noticed juice at the corner of my mouth, he carefully wiped it away.
The attention made me self-conscious. Halfway through, I couldn't eat anymore.
Leopold looked concerned. "What's wrong? Does it not taste good?"
"No, I'm just full."
"Alright. I'll have Tammy prepare some of your favorite snacks to keep on hand in case you get hungry."
Leopold gathered the dishes onto the tray and handed them to a bodyguard waiting outside. When he returned, his voice was gentle. "I'll have Arnold give you another exam later to check on your leg injury."
I nodded lightly. He said nothing more.
Silence settled between us.
After a moment's hesitation, I reached out and pressed the back of my hand to his forehead.
"Your fever's gone. You recovered fast."
Leopold caught my hand and wrapped both of his around it. "I'm in good shape—of course, I bounce back quickly. Did yesterday scare you?"
"It was sudden, but I'm okay."
Leopold brought my hand to his cheek. "Cindy, this time you came to me. So no matter who objects, I'm not letting go."
I heard the implication in his words. "Don't rush. Things will work themselves out eventually."
But Leopold wasn't satisfied with my answer. "No. Three years ago, I was waiting for you to marry me. I don't want to wait another day."
My heart twisted. Too much had stood between us these past three years. Even now, it hadn't all been cleared away.
"But if we don't have your grandparents' blessing, we won't have peace of mind even if we're together."
Leopold lowered our joined hands and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. "Fine. I'll do what you want."
"No matter what, I'll convince my grandparents and earn their blessing."
Watching his earnest expression, my gaze drifted away.
"Leopold, tell me about what happened three years ago. With Sophia."
Leopold's spine went rigid. He looked at me, confused. "Why bring that up now?"
I fixed my eyes on his face, my voice soft. "No reason. I just want to know."
Though I'd already heard the full story from Donovan and Alicia, I still wanted to hear it from him.
Leopold's expression showed reluctance, but he began anyway.
"At first, I didn't even know Sophia was back. Someone drugged me at a bar one night, and I got cornered in an alley..."
His explanation matched what Alicia had told me, though the details differed.
"The drug wasn't that strong—I could've handled it. But Sophia had been drugged too. She kept pressing against me. I couldn't push her away no matter what I did. Even when I cut my palm open, I couldn't fight off the effects."
"After that, I passed out in the bathroom. When I came to, Sophia and I were in the same bed."
"Later, she told me she was pregnant, but the baby had complications, and she lost it. I felt I owed her, and since I thought you'd betrayed me... that's why I gave her whatever she wanted."
By the time he finished explaining, his voice had grown heavy and strained. As if the words weren't being spoken but squeezed out from somewhere deep inside.
Hearing that he'd passed out triggered a flicker of suspicion.
"Do you believe what Sophia told you was true?"
Leopold hadn't expected that question. After several seconds of hesitation, he added, "She showed me video footage..."
He paused mid-sentence, releasing my hand. "Wait. Let me find it."
Soon, he returned with his laptop, gesturing for me to watch the video with him.
I suppressed the resistance and displeasure rising inside and focused on the screen.
The video wasn't long—just over thirty seconds. It showed two people kissing passionately, removing each other's clothes. They moved from off-screen all the way to the bed, locked in an embrace.
"Is this you?" I pointed at the final frozen frame and looked at Leopold.
Leopold nodded. "I was wearing that exact outfit that day. Even the watch is the same."
I pressed on. "But there's no clear shot of your face. How can you be certain this person is actually you based on just clothes and a watch?"
Leopold fell silent, clearly stumped. After a moment, he turned the question back on me, confused.
"Why do you think the person in the video isn't me?"