Chapter 148
I turned my face away, refusing to engage with Sophia.
But Sophia wouldn't let me off that easily. She asked with fake concern, "Lucinda, what happened to your head? How did you get hurt?"
When I still didn't respond, she suddenly leaned in close, grabbing my face to turn it toward her. "Why won't you answer? Did you realize you lost and try to end it all?"
"What's wrong with you?" I irritably knocked her hand away.
Sophia let out a cold laugh. "Why so harsh? We're just romantic rivals, not actual enemies. But if you think making yourself look pathetic will earn Leopold's sympathy, let me save you the trouble. Leopold won't have anything to do with you ever again."
My hands clenched into fists. "Good. That's exactly what I want too."
Sophia looked me over, her tone turning mocking. "Speaking of which, I was actually thrilled you witnessed our happy moment last night. You showed up dressed to the nines, but Leopold didn't spare you a single glance. That's all the proof anyone needs of how much he loves me."
That word—love—pierced straight through my chest.
I kept my voice cold. "If you're done, leave. Don't interfere with my medical care."
But Sophia had no intention of leaving. She continued, "Lucinda, you know what I can't stand about you? No matter how bad things get, you act like nothing fazes you. Leopold is the most powerful man in all of Silverlight City, yet right after your engagement ended, you couldn't wait to have other men keeping you company. You even moved in with one. How do you still have the nerve to hope Leo will come back to you? I'll tell you something—last night he told me that seeing you, even knowing you're living in the same city as him, makes him absolutely sick."
My heart twisted violently. He found me disgusting?
Then what was all that time he'd forced his way back into my life? What about risking his injured hand to save me? What did those ten years we'd shared mean?
A joke? A humiliation?
My head dropped in defeat. I didn't want to spiral into this emotional vortex, but I had no strength left to fight it.
Sophia seemed to derive sadistic pleasure from my despair. Her voice turned cheerful. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Next Wednesday is Leopold's and my engagement ceremony. Every socialite in Silverlight City will attend. The Wipere family is on the guest list. Make sure you and your parents come. Don't forget."
I didn't look up, but an invitation landed beside my hand. That card made my heart grow colder and colder.
"Back off! Who said you could get near her?"
Leo's furious shout suddenly rang out, pulling me back from the bone-deep chill.
I looked up at him.
"You're just some pretty boy living off women, and you're telling me to back off?" Sophia snarled, enraged. "Do you have any idea I'm about to join the Percy family? If you cross me, I have a hundred ways to make sure you can't survive in Silverlight City!"
Leo strode closer. When he spotted the engagement invitation, his expression darkened. "Make me unable to survive? You?"
Sophia ground her teeth in fury. "What's with that tone? I'm the Percy family's future granddaughter-in-law. You dare speak to me like this? Aren't you afraid of offending the Percys?"
Leo pulled me protectively into his arms, his voice ice-cold. "Wait until you actually marry into the Percy family before throwing around threats like that."
"You dare disrespect me!" Sophia raised her hand to strike him.
Seeing this, I struck first, slapping her across the face. "Sophia, you haven't even married into the Percy family yet, and you're already throwing their name around. If Mr. Donovan Percy found out, he'd be the first one to refuse your entry!"
"You—" Sophia trembled with rage.
Leo stared at her coldly. "Sophia, this is my last warning. If I hear you disrespect Lucinda one more time, I'll make sure you never speak again."
Sophia burned with fury and resentment, but Leo's intimidating presence kept her from fighting back. She could only grab her purse and leave.
"Stop."
She'd barely taken two steps when Leo called out. "What else do you want?" Sophia demanded, wary and angry.
Leo glanced at the invitation. "Take your trash with you."
"You—"
Sophia's face turned green with rage. She stormed back to snatch up the invitation. Before leaving, she couldn't resist a parting shot. "I'll settle this score with both of you, ten times over!"
I didn't bother responding. After dealing with Sophia, Leo turned to me, his tone almost exasperated. "You knew she was spouting nonsense. Why did you take it to heart?"
I shook my head gently, stepping out of his embrace. "I wasn't taking it to heart. I just suddenly understood some things that confused me before."
Leo's expression shifted. "What did you figure out?"
I shook my head again, unwilling to share. "You shouldn't have intervened earlier. Sophia's petty and vindictive. After offending her, navigating Silverlight City's high society might get difficult for you."
Leo didn't care about Sophia in the slightest. "The Percy family won't let a woman like that run wild. Besides..." He looked at me, his gaze serious and intense. "I'm your boyfriend. Protecting you is what I should do."
I met his eyes, my expression calm and detached. "Leo, our relationship ended when I asked you to leave Bayview Villas. You don't need to do this."
Leo disagreed. "That's just your perspective. What couple doesn't argue? We had a minor disagreement. Nothing's changed between us."
"You know perfectly well the person in my heart isn't you—"
He cut me off before I could finish. "So what? I told you—you're worth it."
I fell silent, unable to argue. Leo continued, "Whether you accept or reject me, I still have the right to express my feelings."
I couldn't win against him, so I gave up trying. He had the right to express himself. I had the right to refuse. Besides, I was leaving the country soon anyway. Our time together was limited.
Back in my hospital room, I'd barely lain down when Ethan rushed in. "Cindy, your parents heard about the accident. They're downstairs now. Do you want to see them?"
I hadn't expected my parents to find out. I started to say no, but worried they'd be concerned, so I finally nodded in agreement.
"Cindy, you're getting more impossible by the day! Something this serious and you didn't tell your father or me!"
Fanny started scolding me the moment she walked in, but broke into tears before she'd even finished. My own eyes reddened as I tried to soothe her. "Mom, I'm fine. Just a cut on my forehead. Everything else is okay."
James had been about to scold me, too, but seeing both of us crying, he could only sigh heavily and comfort us.
After both Fanny and I had calmed down, James finally noticed Leo standing to the side. He asked with confusion, "Cindy, who is this gentleman?"
My brain took a few seconds to process before remembering Leo hadn't met my parents yet. I was about to explain when Leo spoke first.