Chapter 90
"Leo, I'll be waiting for you after my shower."
Sophia's face flushed as she dropped a suggestive hint.
Leopold's eyes flicked toward me, and he acknowledged her with a flat "Mm."
Sophia's eyes lit up, her face blooming into a radiant smile.
I couldn't stand to watch. Nausea roiled in my stomach.
I quickly got up and headed to the door for some fresh air.
I waited nearly ten minutes, but Leo was nowhere in sight. Just as I was about to send him a message, I saw him emerge from the night carrying a bouquet.
"What's all this..."
"Bought these especially for you. Like them?"
Leo pressed the flowers into my hands.
A massive bouquet of lush red roses.
I smiled and accepted them. "Would've been perfect if you'd come back a minute earlier."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
I held the flowers as we walked inside together.
"Because I wanted to show off to my ex and his first love."
Leo's expression turned peculiar. "You're into that kind of thing?"
I shook my head. "Not really. They just flaunted their affection in front of me, so I wanted to return the favor."
Leo let out a soft laugh. "I'll come back earlier next time, then."
I smiled without responding.
There probably wouldn't be a next time.
"By the way, why didn't you come through the front entrance?"
Leo explained calmly, "The GPS gave me the wrong location. The driver stopped at the side entrance, so I had no choice but to come in that way."
I nodded in understanding and led him inside.
The moment Sophia saw Leo and me, she immediately started mocking.
"Lucinda, you're a disgrace to women everywhere."
"A twenty-dollar bouquet of roses has you so dizzy you can't think straight, and you've even decked out this knockoff in designer clothes. I've never seen a woman as stupid as you!"
I stared coldly at her. "Watch your tone, or I'll kick you out right now."
"I'm just stating facts." Sophia set down her bowl. "Leopold already promised to spend tonight with me. If you dare throw me out, he won't let you off!"
"Besides, you keep claiming you don't care about Leopold, yet you bring back this trashy man who's not even worthy of being seen in public. Aren't you just trying to provoke Leopold with him?"
"I won't let you have your way!"
"That's all in your head. Leo is my boyfriend, not some trashy man. If you still don't understand that you need to play nice under someone else's roof, I'll contact building management right now and have both you and Leopold thrown out!"
"Ooh, touched a nerve." Sophia acted like she'd found my weak spot, laughing triumphantly.
"Lucinda, you're such a hypocrite. You clearly haven't let go of Leopold, but you're trying to act magnanimous."
"Once you found out we'd be intimate tonight, you immediately dragged this piece of trash back here. You must be desperate to mistake this lowlife for something valuable."
"Talk about having no standards!"
Fury flared in my chest.
Just as I was about to react, Leo spoke first.
"Say that one more time. I dare you."
His voice was low, devoid of emotion.
Yet it made one's heart tighten.
Sophia swallowed hard but still refused to back down.
"Too scared to admit it? A coward like you dares to compare yourself to Leopold? Please!"
I'd had enough. I slapped her hard across the face.
Sophia clutched her cheek and shrieked.
"Lucinda, you bitch! How dare you hit me!"
She lunged at me like a wild animal.
With my injured knee, I couldn't dodge.
Just as I thought I'd be knocked over, Leo grabbed my arm and pulled me aside.
Sophia missed her target and crashed hard onto the floor, screaming in pain.
"Lucinda, just you wait! I'm going straight to Leopold!"
"You—" Before I could finish, I noticed her lips were swollen like sausages. I couldn't help but laugh.
Sophia grew even more furious, like a boiling kettle letting out a piercing whistle.
"Just wait! I'll make you both pay double!"
I wasn't about to give her the chance to tattle. I had Leo take her down to the storage room on the basement level.
Once the living room fell quiet again, I couldn't help glancing toward the study.
Was Leopold so engrossed in his meeting that he couldn't hear all that commotion?
"What are you looking at?"
Leo walked over and pressed a warm, damp towel against my palm.
I snapped back to reality with a faint smile. "Wondering why my current boyfriend hasn't come out yet."
"Didn't you say he was in a meeting? He's probably wearing headphones and didn't hear anything."
I thought about it—that was entirely possible.
"Then we should head back to the room quick, before he notices and gives us trouble."
Leo switched out the towel for a fresh one and continued applying it. "Are you that afraid of him?"
"Not afraid. I just want to make Sophia suffer more."
From the moment she came back until now, I couldn't count how many times she'd gotten the better of me. Now that I had the chance, I definitely wasn't letting it go.
Seeing Leo stay silent, I couldn't help asking, "Do you think I'm a little bit wicked?"
Leo chuckled softly. "I'm the one who personally dragged her into the storage room. Does that make me a good person?"
I immediately laughed. "Birds of a feather."
Leo looked up in surprise, his eyes locking onto mine. "We're... birds of a feather?"
My smile faded slightly. That question was too loaded.
"When you dragged Sophia into the storage room earlier, you didn't hesitate for a second. Aren't you worried she'll tell on you and make Leopold give you trouble?"
"You know how powerful Leopold is. If he comes after you..."
Leopold set down the towel, looking completely unbothered.
"So what if he's powerful? I have my own ways."
My eyes flickered. "True. You can always ask Amelia for help. You two go way back—she wouldn't just leave you hanging."
Leo clicked his tongue. "That comment sounds a little jealous. Are you?"
It wasn't until after I'd said it that I realized the words came out wrong.
I quickly denied it.
"Of course not. I'm just reminding you not to shoulder everything alone when the time comes. Know when to ask for help."
"Alone? You're not going to shoulder it with me?"
I hadn't expected him to be so perceptive. Half-joking, half-serious, I replied, "You just said you were the one who dragged her in there—it has nothing to do with me. Of course, you have to handle it yourself."
Leo's mouth twitched. "See? Women's words are always lies."
Through our playful banter, the gloom in my heart was swept away.
If only time could stop right at this moment.
The next day.
I slept until nine before getting up.
The spot beside me was already empty.
I reached over and felt the sheets—no warmth left. Why had Leo gotten up so early?
After washing up, I leisurely made my way out.
I decided to check on the storage room along the way.
Although people didn't often go to the storage room, someone cleaned it regularly, so it was fairly tidy. There was even an old couch that had been retired there. Sophia could rest comfortably enough.
But as I drew closer, I noticed it was completely silent behind the door.
Could Sophia still be asleep?
I couldn't help but take another step forward.
"What are you doing?"
Suddenly, a cold voice came from above.
I jumped, my foot slipping, and I fell straight backward!
"Lucinda!"
Leopold braced one hand on the railing and vaulted down in a single leap.
Against the warm morning light, he crashed into my field of vision.
In an instant, I fell into his embrace.
My heart still pounding from the scare, I heard the rapid twist of a door lock behind me.
My barely-settled heart plunged once more!