Chapter 106
After hearing Alicia's words, I immediately looked at Leopold.
That night after I left, he and Sophia went back to the room.
He'd been drugged. Alone together in a room—if nothing happened, no one would believe it.
Especially since Sophia was the woman he cared about.
Drugs plus love—there was no way he could have resisted.
"Leo, the baby is still so early. It hasn't even passed the dangerous first trimester. Taking a sample this early could harm it."
"Can't we wait? At least until after the first three months?"
Sophia clutched her belly, pleading with Leopold in a soft voice.
But Alicia said, "Sophia, while this approach carries some risk, rest assured—the doctors here won't let anything happen to Percy family blood."
"Relax. Once the paternity test is done, I'll personally oversee your wedding to Leo."
Sophia's eyes lit up, her expression conflicted.
"Mrs. Percy, I understand what you mean, but I worked so hard for this baby. I'm just so scared..."
Alicia's patience wore thin, her tone cooling. "Would you rather have this child born a bastard?"
"No!" Sophia immediately shook her head. "My baby is not a bastard!"
"Then that's settled. What are you still hesitating about?"
Sophia fell silent.
Her hesitation left me puzzled, too.
This was her best chance to marry into the Percy family.
If she was certain this child was Leopold's, she shouldn't hesitate.
Unless... the child wasn't Leopold's?
The thought made my heart leap into my throat.
Did Sophia really have the audacity to pass off someone else's baby as Percy blood?
At that moment, Leopold spoke in a low voice.
"Fine. We'll do as Grandma says."
Alicia nodded with satisfaction. "That's more like it."
Seeing Leopold's agreement, Brady relented.
"Alright, I'll make the arrangements."
But Donovan looked worried, specifically asking Brady.
"Brady, will taking the sample really affect the baby?"
Brady considered. "Generally speaking, it won't affect normal fetal development unless the fetus is naturally weak or the mother has been under severe emotional stress recently."
"Good, then."
Donovan relaxed. Brady turned to Sophia.
"Ms. Guise, please come with me."
Sophia looked at Leopold reluctantly. "Leo, I'm a little scared. Can you come with me?"
Leopold's face remained expressionless. "I'm not a doctor. I'd be useless there."
Sophia bit her lip in frustration but didn't dare say more, following Brady out, looking miserable.
Once they left, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy again.
"Leo, take the guest out to wait. The hospital air is bad enough without extra people making it worse for your grandfather's recovery."
Before the results were even in, Alicia was already labeling me an outsider.
"Grandma, let's wait for the results." Leopold didn't listen to her.
Alicia flared up, about to say something more, when Donovan cut her off.
"Stop talking and let everyone have some peace."
Alicia huffed. "I'm doing this for your own good, and you're being ungrateful. When those test results come in, you'll all pay!"
Donovan coughed violently from the stress.
Leopold had to calm him down.
Feeling out of place, I excused myself, saying I had something to handle, and went outside the room.
I got a disposable cup from a nurse and headed to the water room for a drink.
Suddenly, a figure rushed past the doorway.
Something about them felt oddly familiar. I couldn't help but chase after them.
The person wore a mask and a white coat, looking like a doctor, but when passing patient rooms, they didn't glance inside even once.
Plus, they walked straight past the elevator hall, pushed open the emergency stairwell door, and headed down.
That seemed even stranger.
I waited a few seconds before pushing the door open and following.
"Lucinda, stop right there!"
I'd just started down when Leopold grabbed me and yanked me back.
He demanded furiously.
"The test only takes an hour. You can't even wait that long?"
"I wasn't leaving, I was—"
Halfway through my explanation, I changed tack.
"I wanted to go downstairs for some fresh air. It's too stuffy up here."
Leopold's fury paused. His grip shifted from a yank to a pull as he headed downstairs with me.
"Then I'll get some air with you."
I wanted to refuse, but seeing how tightly he held my hand—his knuckles white from the pressure—I abandoned that self-defeating idea.
We made it downstairs. Today's weather was better than yesterday's.
Golden sunlight bathed the entire lawn, lifting my spirits considerably.
"Lucinda, in all these years, I've never asked you this. Why did you agree to be with me in the first place?"
Once outside, Leopold released my hand, leaning casually against a planter. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tapped one out with his fingertips, and lit it.
Through the curling smoke, he watched me silently.
I avoided his gaze, my eyes landing on nothing in particular.
Why had I gotten together with him?
Besides love, I couldn't find a second reason.
But he'd never believe that answer.
"At this point, what's the use of bringing up the past?"
"Lucinda."
Leopold called my name again, his magnetic voice tinged with hoarseness.
"Back then, Ethan had already secured his spot to study abroad through the competition. So you came to me."
I immediately looked at him. "Leopold, you've already destroyed our present. Now you want to slander our past, too?"
Leopold slowly exhaled smoke, his expression caught between a smile and something darker. "Then why are you avoiding the question?"
"I'm not avoiding it. I just don't want to invalidate the past."
I looked at him calmly, asking the question that had been bothering me.
"Why are you so convinced Ethan and I are having an affair?"
Leopold laughed softly. "Isn't that the obvious truth?"
He stood, closing the distance between us step by step until his shadow engulfed me.
"Ethan's been buzzing around you like a disgusting fly, taking you away right under my nose multiple times. And you..."
His lips curved up, though his eyes held no trace of amusement. "You never refused him once. Hell, you kept pushing my limits just to leave with him."
"Ethan wanted to take me away because he knew about you and Sophia. He didn't want me staying somewhere that would break my heart."
"Oh?" Leopold pressed his cigarette-holding hand against my chest, right over my heart. "And did it actually break your heart?"
A sense of helplessness spread through me.
"When I know you won't believe me, why am I even saying this?"
"But if we're talking about betrayal, aren't you and Sophia way more shameless?"
"Even if Ethan and I care about each other, we've never crossed any lines. We certainly didn't end up with a baby."
"You already slept with Sophia. What gives you the right to interrogate me?"
"As long as you didn't cross the line, it's fine, right?" Leopold's lips curved slightly, the cigarette dangling from his mouth lending him an air of indifference.
"Fine. Once Sophia's paternity results come back, we'll forget the past and start over."
His words shocked me.
It took forever to find my voice.
"Do you even hear yourself?"
Leopold was about to speak when a bodyguard hurried over.
"Mr. Leopold Percy, the paternity results are in. Mr. Donovan Percy and Mrs. Percy are asking for you both upstairs."