Chapter 155
Leopold's gaze swept over the girl and me, completely devoid of emotion.
"I want an explanation."
I pressed my lips together. "It was an accident."
Sophia looked even more wronged, her voice soft and pitiful. "It wasn't an accident. She deliberately provoked me just now, got me so upset my stomach's starting to hurt."
Leopold released his grip, his gaze settling heavily on me.
"What did you say?"
I immediately looked at Sophia, silently asking with my eyes—are you sure you want me to tell him?
Sophia instantly changed her story. "Leo, it wasn't Cindy who said it, it was her!"
She pointed at the girl, furious. "I already explained I'm your fiancée, but she didn't show me any respect whatsoever."
"Not only did she ignore me, she even said this is Blueprint Tech and told me to know my place."
"Leo, you have to stand up for me."
As she spoke, she leaned toward Leopold again.
Leopold reminded her coolly, "Public place. Watch yourself."
Only then did Sophia reluctantly stay put.
Worried Leopold would take it out on an innocent person, I was about to explain when the girl spoke up for herself.
"Mr. Percy, I showed no disrespect to your fiancée. I was simply stating facts."
"The lobby has security cameras. I can pull up the footage immediately for your review."
Sophia's face immediately soured.
"That won't be necessary." Leopold declined indifferently.
The answer was exactly what I'd expected.
Sophia's eyes lit up as she threw herself toward Leopold.
"Leo, I knew you'd believe me."
Leopold raised his hand to hold her back, his gaze falling on me once more.
"Don't let it happen again."
I met his eyes, an invisible string pulling taut in my chest.
Who was he talking to?
Me?
Or Sophia?
Watching him lead Sophia away, I drew my own conclusion.
It must've been me.
Sophia was his only publicly acknowledged fiancée. He'd be too busy doting on her to issue warnings, wouldn't he?
As soon as they left, a sharp-looking secretary approached me.
"Ms. Wipere, hello. I'm Leo's secretary, Susan."
"He got your message, but he can't get away right now, so he sent me to collect what you brought for him."
I collected myself and handed her the soup thermos. "Thanks for the trouble."
"You're too kind."
As Susan turned to leave, I asked one more question. "Did he have any message for me?"
Susan smiled politely. "Leo said he'll leave work on time tonight to meet with you."
I nodded slightly, thanked her, and walked out of Blueprint Tech Building.
Leopold had already left, yet Leo hadn't come down to see me. Was he really that tied up?
Realizing I was overthinking again, I quickly suppressed these inappropriate thoughts.
After picking up a few things at the mall, I headed home.
Halfway there, I got a call from the private investigator.
"Ms. Wipere, that foreign guy definitely lives near the location you sent. He left just five minutes ago—looks like he's meeting someone."
Most likely Sophia, I figured.
"Send me the location. I'm coming to you."
After receiving the pin, I hung up and headed straight there.
It was a small commodity market in the suburbs, packed with foot traffic, streets lined with colorful trinkets and vases.
Following the location, I arrived at a rundown coffee shop.
In this sketchy, mixed-up area, it looked completely unremarkable.
But perfect for discussions that couldn't see daylight.
Though this didn't seem like Sophia's kind of place.
Despite my doubts, I went inside anyway.
The moment I entered, the investigator's phone rang again.
I immediately confirmed, "I'm at your location. You're sure it's this coffee shop?"
A voice laced with contemptuous amusement came through the line.
My scalp prickled instantly.
This wasn't the investigator's voice!
I demanded, "Who is this?"
"How amusing." The voice was lazy, dripping with mockery. "You send someone to tail me, yet you don't even know who I am."
Blood rushed to my ears.
I'd walked straight into a trap!
I spun around to leave.
The sound of the door locking echoed.
My heart felt crushed by an invisible fist as I realized I'd become prey.
The panic lasted barely a second before I shoved it down.
Taking a deep breath, I asked steadily, "You lured me here. What do you want?"
A voice drifted down from the second floor.
I looked up. A mixed-race man appeared at the railing.
He lowered his phone and waved at me. "Must've been exhausting, following me all this way."
The movement made his already loose shirt collar slide further open, revealing a complete thorn tattoo.
I bit down hard, forcing myself to stay calm.
"Where's my guy?"
The mixed-race man toyed with his phone, arms draped casually over the railing, half-smiling. "After we finish our little chat, you'll see him soon enough."
I gripped my phone tighter, pressing him. "I don't even know you. We've got nothing to talk about."
"Then let's fix that right now."
The mixed-race man descended the stairs, flashing me an overly friendly smile.
"I know you're Lucinda. Hey there, I'm Jason. Nice to meet you."
Those azure eyes sparkled like sapphires.
If I didn't know he was part of Gravenford Kingdom's underground scene, I might've fallen for that pretty-boy act.
"How do you know who I am? Did Sophia Guise tell you?"
Jason's mouth twisted. "Kind of, but also not really."
What kind of non-answer was that?
I restated my position firmly. "You two knowing each other is clearly more than just names."
"Like I said—you and I have nothing to discuss."
"Don't be so hasty." Jason pulled out a chair and dropped into it, fishing a cigarette pack from his pocket. He knocked one out and stuck it between his lips.
"Next Wednesday is Sophia and Leopold's engagement party."
"Same as you, I'd rather not see them get engaged smoothly. So we can help each other out."
So he really was here for Sophia.
I refused immediately. "You've got me wrong. I have zero interest in stopping their engagement."
Jason cocked an eyebrow, taking a drag before speaking in that same weather-chat tone.
"Silverlight City, south district. 3 Birch Road—that's your parents' place, yeah?"
My chest seized. A threat.
"I don't care who you are—if you dare touch anyone close to me, I'll make you regret it!"
Jason exhaled smoke slowly. "As long as you play nice and chat with me, naturally, I won't do anything to mess up our partnership."
"That includes, of course, letting your guy walk out of here in one piece."
Each word was ice-cold, drilling deep into my core.
The investigator's cover was blown, plus he'd dug up my parents' info...
I was backed into a corner.
No pushing back now. I had to keep him calm first.
So I softened my voice.
"What do you want from me?"
Seeing me cave, Jason's face lit up with that warm smile again.
Like he wasn't the same psycho who'd just threatened my family.
"My ask is super simple for you. Next Wednesday, you bring me along to their engagement party."