Chapter 127
The moment we stepped outside the bar, the cold wind hit me and sobered me right up. Thinking back on my reckless behavior earlier, I broke into a cold sweat. If Leopold hadn't shown up when he did, even if Amelia and I had managed to escape, we would've paid a steep price.
"This is the boyfriend you've been bragging about to your parents?"
Leopold's tone was colder than the night wind itself. I looked at Amelia sympathetically. Dating a guy like that? Her taste in men really needed work.
Amelia looked even more guilty, explaining quietly, "Not exactly. My parents have been pressuring me about marriage, and when he pursued me, I figured I'd give him a chance."
"You know exactly what kind of people the Diaz family are. Getting involved with someone like that—have you lost your mind?" Leopold didn't hold back.
Amelia looked wounded. "I know that now."
I was about to defend her when Leopold turned his fire on me.
"Why didn't you stop her? Instead, you went around starting fights. What if I hadn't been here tonight? What would you two have done?"
I answered coldly. "None of your business."
"I was already planning to pick up Amelia tonight. Since you're here, she's your problem now."
I turned to leave, but Amelia grabbed my arm.
"Cindy, don't be mad. Leopold didn't mean to blame you—he's just worried..."
I shook off her hand. "I don't need it. I'm heading home."
"It's so late—you won't find a cab easily. Let us give you a ride." Amelia pulled at me again, shooting Leopold a pointed look. "Right, Leopold?"
Leopold's eyes were cold and unfathomable, like a bottomless abyss.
"She said she doesn't need it. Why are you meddling?"
"Leopold!" Amelia snapped in frustration.
I let out a bitter laugh and pulled my hand free again. "Leopold's right. We're not involved anymore. I won't stick my nose in your business from now on, and you two stay out of mine."
I crossed the street, heading in the opposite direction. It was already past eleven. The streets were nearly empty, and honestly, I was a little scared. But going back to Leopold? Absolutely not.
I kept walking, my nerves on edge. When I reached a late-night food street, I finally relaxed a bit. I found a corner to call a ride.
Before I could place the order, an SUV pulled up in front of me. I glanced over—it was Leo.
Seeing him, I couldn't help but smile.
"Leo."
Leo stepped out of the driver's seat, his expression serious. "I called you. Why didn't you pick up?"
I checked my phone suspiciously—sure enough, two missed calls.
"I was walking. Didn't notice."
Once his expression softened, I asked, "What are you doing here?"
Leo leaned over to fasten my seatbelt as he answered, "When I got back, you weren't home. You didn't answer your phone, so I checked the places you usually go. There's construction up ahead, so I had to detour—and happened to run into you."
I was amazed. We really did have some kind of fate. Silverlight City was huge, with countless streets—yet he appeared exactly when I needed him most.
"I'm sorry. Something came up, and I forgot you were at the hospital. I tried calling you later, but you didn't answer."
Leo braced his hand on the roof. "Had some business at the bar. Went to handle it."
Mention of the bar reminded me of what Amelia had said earlier. He doesn't own bars.
I wanted to ask him directly, but I hesitated.
Leo walked around the front of the car, slid into the driver's seat, and headed toward Bayview Villas. We didn't speak the entire ride.
At first, I didn't think anything of it. But when Leo parked in front of my place and didn't unlock the doors, I realized something was off.
"Leo, is there something you want to say to me?"
Leo kept one hand on the steering wheel, turning to look at me. "I saw what's going viral online."
My expression shifted. He knew.
Did he believe me, or did he believe the internet trolls?
"I'm sorry. I should've answered your call earlier."
His reaction caught me off guard.
"This isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself."
Leo's breathing grew heavier, his voice weighted. "You don't blame me because you've never expected anything from me, have you?"
I looked at him, confused. "Why would you think that?"
Leo tilted his head back, his hand tightening silently on the wheel.
"I know you don't care about me. You tried to push me toward Amelia. You didn't care that I didn't answer your calls or that I missed being there when you needed me most."
"It's because you've never seen me as someone you could rely on."
I understood what he meant, but I couldn't give him the answer he wanted. All I could say was, "I don't need to rely on anyone."
Ten years with Leopold taught me that no one could truly be someone else's anchor. Everyone could only rely on themselves.
But Leo disagreed. "Yet you saw Leopold that way."
"I didn't." I denied it immediately.
Leo studied me intently. "When you were kidnapped or in danger, who did you think of most? Your parents? Your friends? Or him?"
I hesitated before replying, "Things were too urgent. I didn't have time to think."
Leo smiled faintly. "You couldn't have been too panicked the entire time. It's not that you didn't have time—you're just afraid to admit it."
I froze. Was that true?
Leo continued, "Because Leopold already hurt you. You're afraid to expect anything from him. But that just proves you still have expectations—you're just too scared of being disappointed to admit it."
His words stunned me. In hindsight, I realized that at the bar earlier, I'd used Leopold's name to try to escape. The same thing happened during those two kidnappings. Even with Asher.
I kept saying Leopold, and I was done, but whenever danger struck, my instinct was to invoke his name to intimidate my attackers.
Maybe Leo was right. Maybe I hadn't fully let Leopold go.
"Lucinda, if you haven't let him go, then let's end this. Go back to him. It'll be easier on both of us."
Leo's words pierced my heart like fine needles. I never imagined Leo suggesting we end things would hurt this much.
When Leo unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for the door, my chest tightened. I blurted out, "Leo, you're right—I haven't completely let Leopold go. But I won't go back to him. He and I are truly over."
Leo's hand paused on the door handle, but he didn't turn around.
"And yet you still tried to set me up with Amelia. That's a fact."
"No! I didn't try to set you up with her. I genuinely thought you two had history and still had feelings for each other. That's the only reason I tried to bring you together."
Leo whipped around. "Who told you I was ever with her?"
"No one. I just assumed."
The coldness in Leo's eyes thawed slightly, his voice noticeably softer.
"Obviously, you assumed wrong. She and I are just friends. That's all we've ever been."
I nodded gently, then gathered my courage to ask.
"But Amelia told me tonight that you don't own bars at all. So what do you actually do?"