Chapter 96
I glanced at Donovan—his face showed no joy, but to maintain the Percy family's dignity, he still walked over.
"You came."
Alicia nodded coldly. Her gaze swept past Donovan, landing directly on me. That look carried obvious hostility.
I frowned slightly. I'd met her less than three times total, and each time had only involved ordinary pleasantries. Why would she suddenly be so displeased with me?
But the next second, seeing Sophia's smug expression, I understood. Sophia had been stirring up trouble.
"Grandma."
Just then, Leopold also walked over, stopping beside Donovan. Whether intentional or not, he positioned himself to block Alicia's line of sight to me.
"Leo, it's been a year. You've certainly grown bolder."
I caught the warning tone in those words and couldn't help glancing at Sophia again. What exactly had she told Alicia?
Leopold said calmly, "Grandma, let's go sit inside."
Alicia raised her chin without responding.
"Mrs. Percy, you must be tired from the journey. Why not take Leo's advice and rest a bit?" Sophia chimed in from the side.
Only then did Alicia nod. "Let's go. You've worked hard too—come inside with me."
Sophia's face lit up with joy as she supported Alicia walking inside. As they passed me, Alicia suddenly spoke.
"Lucinda, follow us. I have something to say to you."
I was confused.
Leopold said, "Let's go. We'll hear what Grandma has to say together."
Donovan's face darkened. "I'm coming with you. Leave your uncle and aunt to handle things out here."
The inner chamber.
When I arrived, Alicia was drinking tea with Sophia sitting beside her. The two were chatting back and forth. They seemed to have quite a good relationship.
I couldn't help wondering—had Sophia and Alicia already gotten along well before this?
"Today is the Percy Group's big day. Not telling us you were coming is one thing, but why are you pulling rank as an elder now?"
The moment Donovan entered, he complained to Alicia with visible displeasure.
Alicia put away her smile and snorted coldly. "Am I not her elder? It's because you've spoiled her that she doesn't know her place and has ruined the Percy family's reputation!"
"What nonsense are you talking? Cindy would never do such a thing!" Donovan vigorously defended me.
Alicia ignored him, turning instead to Leopold. "Leo, what do you say?"
Leopold's thin lips pressed together slightly. "Grandma, please just say what you mean."
"How wonderful!" Alicia angrily slapped the armrest. "I haven't been back that long, and you two—grandfather and grandson—have been manipulated to this extent!"
"Lucinda! Why did you drug Leo? And why are you keeping a man on the side behind his back!"
"Do you have any respect for the Percy family at all?"
I knew Sophia had told her all of this. I glanced at Leopold.
Leopold immediately spoke up. "Grandma, about these matters..."
Alicia angrily cut him off. "I'm talking to her, don't interrupt!"
"Mrs. Percy, please don't be angry." Sophia patted her soothingly from the side.
Alicia patted her hand. "It's alright. You're in a delicate condition now. Just sit and rest."
"Yes, ma'am." Sophia obediently complied.
Was Sophia in a delicate condition?
I suppressed my confusion and looked at Alicia.
"The drugging incident had nothing to do with me. And I'm not keeping anyone on the side. Mrs. Percy, you've been deceived."
Donovan also defended me. "That's right. Cindy would never be the kind of person you're describing. Someone must be deliberately slandering her!"
"I think you two—grandfather and grandson—have completely lost your minds!" Alicia grew even angrier. "I said before that Lucinda doesn't play by the rules, but you refused to believe me. Even now, you're still taking her side!"
"Whether she's keeping someone on the side, she knows in her heart."
"If you don't believe me, look at these photos!"
With that, Sophia pulled a thick envelope from her bag and dumped its contents onto the table. All photos. Each one showed me with a man—eating, chatting, walking. The man was only ever captured from the side or from behind.
But I knew it was Leo.
"What is this?"
This was Donovan's first time seeing these photos. He looked completely shocked.
Seeing the photos, Leopold's expression also turned extremely dark. He directly scolded Sophia.
"Who gave you permission to take these photos? Destroy them all!"
He gestured for the bodyguard to enter.
"Don't anyone dare touch those photos!"
Alicia immediately stood up, her full authority on display. The bodyguard was intimidated and didn't move.
Alicia's gaze swept over the bodyguard with威严, finally landing on me.
"Do you dare say these photos are fake?"
"Cindy, quickly tell her these photos aren't real!" Donovan urged me anxiously.
I bent down and picked up a photo. It showed Leo and me eating at a restaurant, with Silverlight City's night sky in the background.
From a third-party perspective, Leo and I actually looked quite well-matched. And from this angle, Leo resembled Leopold about seventy percent.
His gaze was gentle—just like Leopold's had been when we first got together.
"Grandma, these photos aren't real."
Leopold suddenly spoke up.
Alicia said furiously, "You're truly deluded! I had experts examine every one of these photos. There's no trace of digital manipulation."
"They're all real!"
"Lucinda has been with you for ten years. Every single day, every single moment of those ten years, she's been deceiving you. She doesn't truly care about you—don't you understand that!"
"Shut up!"
Donovan clutched his chest, loudly refuting her. "I know more about Cindy and Leo's situation than you do. I won't allow you to talk about them like this. These photos are fake!"
Seeing him defend me so fiercely, my eyes involuntarily grew hot. Seeing his poor complexion, I quickly tried to calm him down.
"Grandpa, don't be angry. It's all my fault."
Donovan suddenly gripped my hand tightly, his eyes both shocked and grieved. I waited for him to question me.
But he didn't. Instead, he turned to Leopold.
"Leo, since your grandmother doesn't believe these photos are composites, hurry and get someone here to authenticate them."
Leopold was about to agree when Alicia interrupted again.
"Enough! Do you think I don't know what you're scheming!"
"You say you'll get someone, but really you'll threaten them to say whatever you want, to make me drop the matter."
"Let me tell you—not a chance! I may stay out of other Percy family matters, but this one I will see through to the end."
She pointed at Sophia.
"Because I absolutely will not allow any mishap to befall the Percy family bloodline!"
Those words struck like a thunderbolt exploding above my head.
The Percy family bloodline!
Sophia was carrying the Percy family's—no, Leopold's—child!
From just that one night, she already had a child!
I wanted to demand an explanation from Leopold, but my lips were trembling too much to make a sound.
The next second, a wave of powerless grief crashed over me like a tsunami.
I had orchestrated all of this myself.
It was me!
"Leo, say something! What's the deal with that child?"
Only when Donovan shouted urgently did I snap slightly out of my collapsing emotions, my gaze slowly shifting to Leopold.