Chapter 101
Hearing Leopold ask that, I found it deeply ironic.
"You're surprised to see me here?"
Leopold frowned. "What are you talking about?"
I suppressed the urge to snap at him, saying flatly, "It doesn't matter."
"I heard your grandfather collapsed and wanted to check on him, but your grandmother doesn't want to see me. Can you take me in?"
Leopold glanced at the bodyguard blocking me, his tone growing even colder.
"If my grandmother doesn't want to see you, then don't upset her."
Seeing him about to walk inside, I instinctively grabbed his right hand.
"Leopold, I'm not trying to anger your grandmother. I'm just worried about your grandfather. If I don't see him, I won't be able to rest easy."
Leopold's brow furrowed deeper. He lifted his hand, shaking me off.
"If you really cared about my grandfather, you wouldn't antagonize my grandmother."
"Why do you think he collapsed? Don't you have any idea?"
My throat churned violently, but in the end, I couldn't say anything.
Donovan had always hoped Leopold and I would marry. He knew my heart had always belonged to Leopold, so when he saw the photos Alicia brought, he didn't doubt me for a second—he still defended me.
But I hadn't kept my composure. I'd not only personally shattered the peace Leopold maintained, but also crushed Donovan's last hope.
Donovan had been utterly disappointed in me, which triggered his collapse.
"Just... let me see him once. Please?"
Leopold lowered his gaze, looking at me with heavy eyes.
The air suddenly went quiet. A suffocating feeling crept in.
Just when I thought he'd refuse, he suddenly spoke.
"Follow me."
Relief flooded my face. I hurried after him.
The bodyguard's expression showed conflict, but he didn't block me again.
"Leo, you're here."
Sophia had just emerged from the hospital room. A smile was forming on her face when she spotted me. It vanished instantly.
"Lucinda, how dare you show your face here!"
I ignored her, walking straight to the door to see Donovan.
But Sophia raised her arm, blocking me three steps away.
"Mrs. Percy said she never wants to see you again. Leave!"
I raised an eyebrow at her. "I'll leave after seeing Mr. Donovan Percy once."
"Can't you understand plain English?"
Sophia had just started berating me when Leopold cut her off.
"Sophia, watch your tone."
Sophia looked utterly wronged. "Leo, I'm just upset. Your grandfather collapsed because of Lucinda. Your grandmother said she's not allowed to visit."
"I'm saying this because I'm afraid she'll make your grandmother collapse, too."
Leopold said flatly, "If she wants to see my grandfather, let her see him once."
Sophia looked at him in confusion. "Leo, why are you still letting her do whatever she wants?"
"Do you know how awful she is? This morning, when I went to the hotel to find you, she deliberately provoked me and nearly killed our baby!"
Leopold remained unmoved. "Is the baby still there or not?"
Sophia said miserably, "It is, but only because I got to the hospital in time..."
"Then there's no problem."
Leopold's indifference left Sophia somewhat at a loss.
Listening to their exchange, a trace of doubt stirred in my heart.
Leopold showed no anticipation whatsoever for Sophia's child.
Could this baby really not be his?
"If you truly cared about your grandfather, you shouldn't have brought this walking disaster here!"
Alicia emerged from the room, fury written across her face. Her sharp gaze swept over me before turning disapprovingly to Leopold.
"Mrs. Percy, please don't be angry. Leo only brought Lucinda here out of consideration for their past connection." Sophia gently tried to placate her.
But Alicia wasn't having it.
"Connection?"
"When she was keeping a man on the side behind Leo's back, whatever connection they had was already exhausted."
"Grandma, I told you not to interfere in my affairs." Leopold's response was cold and hard.
Alicia's face went pale with anger.
Seeing this, Sophia quickly tried to mediate.
"Leo, how can you speak to your grandmother like that?"
"How I speak doesn't require your instruction."
Sophia was struck speechless.
Alicia was livid. "You're beyond help!"
"Lucinda is already with another man—that means she doesn't have you in her heart. Why won't you let her go?"
"The Percy family is Silverlight City's premier family, and you're the most capable of the next generation. What kind of woman couldn't you have?"
"Why must you hang on to her? Do you enjoy being cuckolded that much!"
Leopold's expression turned ugly. "Grandma, you don't understand my situation with Sophia, so stop making wild guesses."
I didn't care about Leopold, but hearing his defense, my heart couldn't help but ache.
He didn't care about me anymore—why did he still say these things?
Alicia was so angry that she swayed on her feet.
"Grandma!" Leopold quickly stepped forward to steady her.
"Lucinda, how much more chaos will you cause in the Percy family before you're satisfied?"
Unable to contain herself, Sophia turned her attack on me again.
"You've already made Mr. Donovan Percy collapse—are you going to make Mrs. Percy collapse too?"
"They're elders who watched you grow up. How can you bear to treat them this way?"
I looked at Alicia, pale with fury, then at Leopold's worried face. Finally, I glanced at Donovan's door.
"I apologize for the disturbance."
I turned and walked back.
Though Sophia's words were pointed, they were true.
If I hadn't lost control of my emotions last night and mentioned Leo, Donovan wouldn't have been tormented to the point of collapse.
I wasn't sure why Leopold was defending me today, but I didn't want him arguing with Alicia anymore.
Visiting Donovan—there would be other opportunities.
But if I stayed there any longer, today wouldn't end well.
I walked to the elevator lobby. The elevator was stopped on the first floor.
I quickly pressed the button, waiting for it to come up.
"Ms. Wipere." Teddy suddenly followed me over. "Mr. Percy asked me to take you home."
I glanced behind him. Leopold was already helping Alicia walk into the hospital room.
"No need. I can get back on my own."
But Teddy was insistent. "Those are Mr. Percy's orders. I dare not disobey. Please don't make this difficult for me."
I reluctantly agreed.
After entering the elevator, I suddenly remembered that somewhat familiar assistant.
"The one who came with you earlier—is he Leopold's new assistant?"
Teddy's gaze flickered before he answered, "No, that's Special Assistant Barry Gray."
"I don't think I've seen him before."
"Mr. Gray mostly takes care of the tasks Mr. Percy assigns and deals with client relations. He’s rarely in the office, so it’s no surprise you haven’t run into him."
I nodded in understanding. "I see. That's why I've never met him."
I'd just returned to Bayview Villas when James video-called me.
"Sweetheart, have you arrived in Gravenford Kingdom?"
Fanny also came into frame. "Baby, where are you staying? Why does your background look just like Bayview Villas?"
I sighed. "Mom, Dad, I'm still in Silverlight City. I haven't left."
They both looked shocked.
"What happened?"
"Why didn't you leave?"
What happened last night was too terrifying to explain truthfully, so I used Donovan's illness as an excuse.
My parents didn't suspect anything, then said, "That's okay. Once we settle things with the company here, the three of us can leave together."
That was the only option now.
If I left with my parents, Leopold wouldn't be able to make a scene.
I sat on the sofa and casually picked up my water glass.
Then I suddenly noticed something wrong.
It seemed like a stranger had been in the house!