Chapter 15
I stood frozen for a few seconds before quietly thanking the officer, taking the report, and turning to leave.
"Do you want to press charges against whoever falsely accused you? We can process that right now," the officer asked, confused.
I shook my head. "No need. It doesn't matter anymore..."
Walking out of the police station, I noticed the street lamps had already come on. My knee throbbed with pain, and I couldn't walk far, so I hailed a cab to the hospital right there.
While waiting for the driver, I pulled up Leo's chat window again. He still hadn't replied to my message.
I couldn't help but sigh. I don't blame him. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have left the city he'd lived in for years.
Now that things were increasingly tense between Leopold and me, it wasn't fair to keep making him avoid his friend.
Once he replied, I'd suggest terminating our contract. I should handle the mess I created myself without dragging others down with me.
At the hospital, the doctor scolded me when he saw new injuries on top of my unhealed knee. Knowing I was in the wrong, I didn't talk back. As soon as he finished changing my bandages, I made a quick escape.
Since I hadn't seen Donovan in days, I decided to visit him on my way home. Before going in, I changed back into my own clothes.
"I was just thinking about you, and here you are—still the same sneaky little fox as always," Donovan said cheerfully when he saw me, quickly instructing Ben the butler to bring a chair beside his bed.
"Grandpa, I came because I missed you, and you're calling me sneaky? Maybe I should visit less often," I protested, pretending to be offended.
Donovan knew I was teasing but played along. "That won't do. Being in the hospital is boring—you'll have to visit me more often."
"Of course," I agreed with a smile.
"I watched your performance on TV today. You danced beautifully as always, but why weren't you in the center? Aren't you the principal dancer?"
Donovan sometimes watched my performances, but I hadn't expected him to catch this one—or to immediately notice something was off.
I casually deflected. "I wasn't the lead in this piece. If you want to see that, you'll have to wait until next time."
Donovan immediately frowned. "You dance so well—why would your company replace you? That's not right. I'm calling Leo to look into this..." He reached for his phone.
I quickly stood to stop him, but the sudden movement sent a sharp pain through my knee, making me hiss.
"Cindy, what's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Donovan forgot about the phone and rushed to help me sit down.
"It's nothing, just the old injury acting up," I forced a smile to reassure him.
Unconvinced, Donovan immediately instructed Ben to find a doctor.
Afraid my condition would be exposed, I hurried to stop him. "There's no need, Grandpa. I just saw a doctor, and I have medicine on my knee." To prove it, I pulled up my pant leg to show him.
Donovan relented, but seeing my injury, he couldn't help worrying. "Why is the bandage so thick? Did it reach the bone?"
I shook my head, insisting it wasn't serious, then quickly changed the subject.
As we chatted, the conversation somehow turned to past events. Donovan pulled out his phone with a mysterious smile, saying he had a surprise to show me.
"This is Leo's treasure. It took me quite some effort to download it," he said proudly. "The other day when he visited, he was secretly watching it. He thought I hadn't noticed, so I downloaded the video and sent it to myself when he wasn't looking. I even deleted the record—he still hasn't realized it!"
His secretive tone made me incredibly curious. What could possibly have Leopold so captivated?
When I leaned over to look, I was surprised. It was a video clip. The camera seemed positioned from a distance, with the first few seconds out of focus. Gradually, the image became clear.
A girl in a ballet dress was practicing in front of a mirror. In the frame, she moved with ethereal grace, floating through light and shadow. She looked like a painting come to life.
This was from Leopold's perspective. The way he captured her beauty showed how much he cared for the subject.
After just a few seconds, I couldn't watch anymore. The dancer's silhouette looked remarkably like Sophia from tonight's performance.
Leopold really did care for Sophia. Even in filming her, he'd taken care to find her most beautiful angles.
"Cindy, why did you stop watching? The best part is coming up," Donovan said, pushing the phone closer to my face when he noticed I'd looked away.
Not wanting to torture myself further, I firmly declined. "Grandpa, it's getting late. I should go."
"What's the rush? Leo will be here in about five minutes. Watch a little more."
I jumped to my feet. "He's... he's coming here?"
"Of course I asked him to pick you up. It's dark outside," Donovan replied as if it were the most obvious thing.
I froze, unsure whether to blame Donovan for taking matters into his own hands or to grab my bag and leave immediately.
Suddenly, Donovan raised his voice. "Cindy, look—is that writing on the ballet shoe?"
Reluctantly, I looked down at the screen. What I saw left me stunned. The name on the ballet shoe was mine.
So the dancer was... Just then, the person in the video turned around, revealing her full face. It was me!
I couldn't believe it. My mind was in chaos. So Leopold's treasure was... me? How was that possible?
"Grandpa."
Leopold's voice suddenly came from behind me. I quickly collected myself but couldn't bring myself to look at him, keeping my eyes fixed on Donovan.
He reluctantly put down his phone. "Perfect timing. Take Cindy home. I don't know what's keeping you so busy that you've let Cindy come to the hospital alone multiple times."
Leopold smoothly apologized, then said to me without making eye contact, "Let's go. I'll drive you home."
I said goodbye to Donovan, trying to control my racing heart as I walked out with Leopold.
The hospital corridor at night was uncomfortably quiet. My mind was at war with itself. My rational side kept debating whether to ask him about the video.
Finally, I gathered my courage. "Leopold, I have something to ask you."
Leopold didn't respond, continuing to walk ahead. This dismissal reminded me of his cold, unfeeling demeanor at the police station. My courage instantly crumbled.
By the time we reached the lobby, I still hadn't spoken.
"If you want to back out, don't bother. I promised Sophia I wouldn't pursue the matter, and I won't go back on my word," Leopold suddenly turned to me, finally showing some emotion.
"But be careful. Next time, not even Sophia will be able to protect you."
The hope I'd been harboring shattered with those words. The fragments pierced my heart with precision. Even breathing felt suffocating.
"Leopold, that's not what I wanted to talk about."
"Then what did you want to say?"
I gave him a faint smile. "I wanted to say, Leopold, I wish you happiness. I wish you and Sophia a lifetime of joy together."
Leopold's expression instantly darkened, his entire being radiating a dangerous aura that made my blood run cold.
"Get out!" he snarled. "Don't make me say it twice!"
I didn't understand why my sincere blessing for him and Sophia made him so angry. But I didn't care anymore.
Realizing he wouldn't drive me home after all, I headed outside. As I prepared to call a taxi, I noticed Leo had finally replied to my message.
[Let me know when you're done. I'll come get you.]
I immediately dialed his number. But the next second, I heard a ringtone coming from right behind me.