Chapter 219
Neither Amelia nor I had expected this reversal. We were both stunned.
"You... how can you say that about me?" Irma's face flushed red, full of grievance and helplessness.
Leopold looked down at her coldly, without a trace of sympathy in his eyes.
Just then, Teddy hurried over.
He first picked up Leopold's phone from the ground, then respectfully handed it to him. "Mr. Percy."
Only then did Leopold withdraw his gaze from her. Without even looking at the phone, he said, "Get a new one."
Teddy froze for a moment, then quickly caught on. "Yes."
They left one after the other.
Only Irma remained where she was.
"Honestly." Amelia bumped my shoulder with hers and said with a smile, "I think Leopold was kind of cool just now."
I rubbed my shoulder, noncommittal.
By the time we reached the private room, it was already quite lively inside.
Seeing us, everyone was very happy.
"Ms. Percy."
"Lucinda."
Amelia and I responded to each one.
Several girls even pulled me aside to ask me to explain difficult dance moves.
While I was chatting with them, the surroundings suddenly quieted down.
An intensely present gaze fell on me.
Before I could look over, I noticed many people looking in my direction.
"So you already came in. I was wondering why I couldn't find you."
A low, magnetic voice approached.
The next second, the light above my head dimmed. Following that, Leopold's tall figure loomed over me. "Am I interrupting?"
Before I could speak, the girls surrounding me quickly shook their heads.
"No."
"Mr. Percy, you two chat. We'll leave you to it."
They tactfully walked away, leaving the space to Leopold and me.
After all, the young couldn't hide their feelings. Before they'd even gotten far, they were all smiling excitedly, heads together, animatedly discussing something.
Watching them, I felt envious.
Being that age was truly wonderful.
"The doctor said you can't stand for too long with your leg. Why don't you sit down and rest?" Leopold gentlemanly pulled out a nearby chair, gesturing for me to sit.
I looked at him and didn't refuse.
With Leopold present, the surrounding conversations noticeably quieted.
Many people's gazes fell on him and me.
Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly awkward, I quickly looked at Amelia.
After receiving my plea for help, Amelia immediately spoke up. "This is my cousin. I'm sure you all know him. Tonight he's paying the bill, so everyone can order whatever they want."
My gaze paused. Leopold was paying?
But hadn't Leopold said tonight was Amelia's treat?
"Thank you, Mr. Percy." The others thanked Leopold one after another.
Leopold nodded lightly. Noticing I was looking at him, he leaned closer and said in a low voice, "I didn't lie. When Amelia invited me, that's what she said. But once I come, it becomes my treat."
I suddenly felt like I'd been tricked onto a pirate ship.
"Mr. Percy, online it says you and Lucinda seem to have broken up. Is that true?" Suddenly, someone bold enough inquired about Leopold's and my relationship.
No one had ever asked me such a question in public before. My face immediately began heating up.
But Leopold remained composed.
He looked at me, his gaze deep and focused. "Of course it's false."
Hearing this, everyone showed gossipy expressions.
That person pressed on. "So what's your relationship now?"
My breathing tightened. Would he take advantage of the crowd to force me to acknowledge my fiancée status?
Leopold looked at me deeply.
After a moment, he said, "I can't tell you that right now."
Hearing this answer, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, Irma pushed open the door.
Her hair and clothes had been rearranged, showing no trace of her earlier dishevelment. Only her walking posture was somewhat strange.
"Irma, are you injured? Why are you limping?"
When someone asked, Irma immediately glanced in Leopold's direction.
"It's nothing." Though she said this, the way she looked at Leopold clearly carried a coy quality.
Anyone who saw it wouldn't believe her words.
The atmosphere at the scene became subtle again.
"Irma, why did you just look at Leopold? You're not trying to say he pushed you, are you?" Amelia spoke up to break the silence.
Just as Irma was about to explain, Amelia continued, "Usually joking around is harmless fun, but if you want to slander Leopold, you'd better be prepared to be sued by the Percy family's legal team."
Irma's expression shifted slightly. She quickly waved her hands. "Ms. Percy, you misunderstood. I didn't mean that. I just had something in my eye—I wasn't trying to draw attention."
"Good. Everyone hurry up and order." Under Amelia's urging, everyone's attention was diverted to the menu.
Suddenly, Leopold grasped my hand.
He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "So you were at the scene then."
His words were disconnected, but I understood.
My ear was brushed by his breath, and a tingling sensation instantly spread.
I worked hard to control my breathing rhythm, trying to make my tone sound natural. "Yes, I was chatting with Amelia and happened to see Irma approach you."
Leopold's thin lips curved slightly. "That sentence has a hint of jealousy."
My expression shifted slightly. "Nonsense. No such thing."
Hearing this, the smile at the corner of Leopold's mouth deepened.
Suddenly, the teacup in front of me was accidentally knocked over, and the tea inside splashed everywhere.
Just as I was about to move, Leopold was a step ahead, lifting the tablecloth to cover the splashing tea.
Irma quickly stood up to apologize. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. My hand slipped."
Leopold looked at her coolly. "If you don't want that hand, I can chop it off for you."
Irma was frightened and apologized repeatedly.
The others were also intimidated by the pressure Leopold released and didn't dare make a sound.
Amelia had no choice but to speak up to ease the atmosphere.
After that, Irma didn't cause any more disturbances and ate her meal obediently. As if everything earlier had been an accident.
I'd lost interest in eating. After a couple of simple bites, I found an excuse to leave.
Leopold left with me.
Back in the car, he got straight to the point. "That girl has problems."
I nodded calmly. "I know."
Leopold sat up slightly. "You and Amelia have already investigated her?"
"We did, but haven't found any useful information yet."
Leopold tested the waters. "Do you need my help?"
"Sure." If Amelia's people couldn't detect anything unusual, perhaps he could find something.
Leopold's eyes brightened slightly. "Alright, I'll have someone investigate right away."
Back at Pansea Heights, I didn't like the smell on me and went straight to a shower. When I came out, I saw Leopold sitting on the sofa in the guest bedroom.
My first reaction was to clutch the collar of my nightgown tightly.
For comfortable sleeping, my nightgowns were all deep V-necks.
"I've seen it all before. What are you covering up?" Leopold's amused tone sounded.
I was somewhat annoyed. "Why aren't you in your own room? What are you doing here?"
Leopold's index finger lightly tapped the side table. "Dr. Moore has prepared the medication. You start taking it tonight. I was afraid you'd forget, so I came to remind you specifically."
I froze. If he hadn't mentioned it, I really would have forgotten about taking medicine.
Walking over, I picked up all the pills and stuffed them in my mouth, then took a gulp of water and swallowed them together.
While swallowing the last mouthful, I suddenly choked and immediately started coughing.
"Slowly." Leopold quickly stood up and patted my back.
His large palm pressed directly against my skin.
The scalding temperature was like a fireball, rapidly spreading along the texture of my skin.
Everywhere it touched trembled.