Chapter 77
For the few days after being slapped by Jessa, I felt pretty down.
Levi asked me about it several times, but I stayed silent.
There wasn't much to say about it. Since I'd decided to swallow my anger, I didn't plan to dwell on it anymore—no point draining my energy over it.
After getting back from the office, I had a bit of a headache.
Maybe I was tired from work, or maybe I was coming down with something.
I stared at my computer screen, my focus drifting in and out.
"If you're not being productive, take a break."
Seeing me looking so listless, Levi pulled out his Mr. Morgan act again.
Now that I wasn't under his control anymore, I couldn't be bothered to respond to him.
If he hadn't been fooling around with other women, I wouldn't have been upset so many times. It was one thing when he pestered me before, but now I'd actually been slapped—that really happened.
"Almost done."
I gave him a casual reply.
He leaned in for a closer look. "You're still working on design stuff?"
I quickly shut my laptop. Since he already thought my work was just fooling around, I didn't want him to see me adjusting design drawings.
"No, just browsing. Nola asked me to check something, look over some data."
Levi looked at me skeptically. "I already saw it. What are you hiding?"
"I'm not..."
"I know a thing or two about jewelry."
He really had some nerve. If he'd said he'd seen lots of luxury jewelry, I'd believe him, but actually knowing the business was another matter.
These rich kids—they're all just throwing money around, right? He even tried to buy my design for Jessa at that auction before, though Aiden ended up getting it.
Levi teased, "One day, if someone tells me I have a famous designer for a wife, that would be pretty interesting."
Did he know something?
Why was he being so chatty today?
Was he testing me?
I tried to stay calm and turned to look at him. "That wouldn't be interesting—that would be your honor."
Levi couldn't help but smile. "Well then, do I have the honor of inviting you to dinner?"
I was speechless. When did Levi become so smooth-talking?
"If you want to eat, just say so. We're already a married couple for a long time..."
I suddenly realized I'd said the wrong thing. That was so embarrassing.
I stood up—better to make a quick exit. As long as I left first, I wouldn't be the embarrassed one. I kept telling myself that as I hurried to the dining room.
Indigo had prepared dinner for us as usual, all light dishes.
"Mrs. Morgan, I was just about to call you both."
"He'll be right down. Let me help you."
Indigo stopped me. "I'll do it. It wouldn't be good if Mr. Morgan saw."
"What's wrong with that? One of these days, I'll have him help, too." As I was saying this, I saw Levi coming, so I sat back down.
Levi sat down. "Talking about me again?"
"When have I ever talked about you?"
"Mr. Morgan, Mrs. Morgan wasn't talking about you," Indigo explained on my behalf.
This made Levi look awkward. It seemed he was just trying to lighten the mood.
But when someone who's usually cold suddenly becomes chatty, it's easy to come across as nitpicking. Indigo had shut Levi down.
Indigo brought over the last vegetable dish and smiled. "Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, please enjoy."
"Thanks. Go rest for a bit—you're always so busy."
I was truly grateful to have someone as capable as Indigo managing the household so well, allowing me to balance work and life easily.
We'd just picked up our chopsticks when Cleo showed up.
"I'm here to pick up Hayden. You didn't send him back to the Morgan mansion this time, right?"
Cleo walked over, and seeing only Levi and me eating dinner, her eyes went wide.
"Where's the child?"
Levi and I looked at each other, confused. Since I'd gotten home from work, I'd only seen Levi, who'd gotten back before me. There was no child in the house at all.
"When did you drop Hayden off?" I was confused. Why was she asking me for the child?
Cleo put her hands on her hips. "Don't play dumb with me. This morning, I dropped the child off at your door. Indigo said she was making you breakfast and told the child to play first."
I was completely lost. I hadn't seen Hayden at all after eating breakfast this morning.
I looked at Levi. I didn't know what to say—this whole made-up story made me feel like she was messing with me.
"Are you sure about this?"
Levi put down his utensils. "I came home early today. I haven't seen Hayden."
Cleo slammed the table in anger. "What kind of uncle and aunt are you two? You lost Hayden, and you're still in the mood to eat?"
I thought this was completely ridiculous. Wasn't this just making false accusations?
"Did you hand the child directly to anyone?"
I tried to stay rational.
Cleo rolled her eyes. "I dropped the child off this morning. Indigo said she was making breakfast and told the child to play by himself, so I left."
"Indigo, come here for a moment."
I called Indigo out. We needed to confirm this face-to-face, or I'd be wrongly accused again.
"Mrs. Morgan, what is it?"
Indigo, who'd just gone down to rest, was called back. When she saw Cleo, she smiled. "Ms. Cleo Morgan."
Cleo asked her loudly, "Where's my son?"
Indigo looked at me in confusion, then at Levi. "This morning when you dropped Hayden off, I was busy. Later, when I went to the yard to look for the child, I didn't see him. I thought you must not have left him after all."
Since I'd refused Cleo several times before, Indigo thought she'd changed her mind this time and taken Hayden with her.
"I left the child and went! What's wrong with you people? You lost my son!" Cleo was furious.
Indigo trembled with fear, slapping her thigh. "Oh no, I think I really messed up. I honestly thought the child wasn't left here."
"Look at your staff—as irresponsible as you are. Last time when you sent Hayden away, I let it go, but now you've actually lost him. Oh my god, give me back my child..."
As Cleo spoke, she threw herself down on the floor...
I clenched my fists. What were we going to do?
Levi helped her up. "You're partly to blame, too. If you hadn't dropped Hayden off, this wouldn't have happened."
"How was I supposed to know a child could get lost at your house?" Cleo acted all righteous instead.
"The priority now is finding the child."
Levi got up, grabbed a jacket from the living room, and went out. He told everyone to search our house first, then sent people to look outside too.
"Blair, I'm telling you, if you don't find my son, I'm not done with you!" Cleo sat down, taking on the posture of someone staging a scene.
"A normal mother whose child is missing should be out looking, not sitting here complaining." I was angry too.
I pointed at my chest. "If you'd handed Hayden directly to me and I lost him, that would be my fault. I never even saw the child. Is it right for you to keep blaming me?"
Cleo calmly picked up the utensils and started eating. "You're absolutely right—I do blame you. The child was lost at your house. If you're not responsible, who is?"