Chapter 204
"What?" Leopold asked in confusion.
"No, nothing." Jake didn't have the habit of gossiping about others behind their backs, and he thought he might have misheard Elora say "Bentley". He'd witnessed Elora's feelings for Leopold with his own eyes—she shouldn't be helping someone else scheme against Leopold.
"I'm leaving." Jake waved his hand and turned to go.
Lisbeth received the news while having dinner with the children. Megan called, excitedly reporting that the Hearst Group's shareholders had gone to the hospital to make trouble. "I bet Leopold's face looked terrible."
Lisbeth made a bowl of mixed rice for Anne—fragrant and delicious. Anne loved it. Watching Anne eat, she replied coolly, "He brought that on himself."
Megan couldn't help but ask, "Lisbeth, you don't regret going after Leopold, do you?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"I heard about the car accident. He protected you in the car, didn't he?"
Lisbeth said nothing.
Megan wasn't speculating wildly. Worried about Lisbeth, she'd gone to the accident scene and the police station to understand what had happened.
According to police analysis and the restored dashcam footage, the situation had been critical, yet Leopold had shielded Lisbeth without hesitation.
It could be said that more than half his injuries came from protecting Lisbeth.
"Did he..." recover his memory?
Lisbeth glanced at Sebastian, who was pouring a drink for Dennis, and said calmly, "These things have nothing to do with me. I don't really care."
Megan understood and felt relieved. "Okay, as long as you've thought it through."
She was truly afraid Lisbeth might soften and forgive that scumbag again, stepping back into the fire pit.
"Eat up. The food's getting cold."
Hearing Sebastian's voice, Megan immediately said into the phone, "Alright, I won't disturb your dinner. Enjoy your meal."
After hanging up, Lisbeth looked at Sebastian, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You did that on purpose?"
Sebastian's lips curved slightly as he said gently, "It really is getting cold. Eating cold food is bad for your stomach."
He had a point, and his concern was thoughtful. Lisbeth couldn't argue. "Fine, then I won't look at my phone during meals."
She set her phone aside.
Sebastian's smile deepened. "During meals, just focus on eating. Whatever it is can be handled after dinner."
"Got it," Lisbeth responded.
Sebastian smiled, and beside them, Anne and Dennis inexplicably felt a bit superfluous.
Leopold was at the company but couldn't rest easy. Although Jake had provided money, the company's public opinion and the impact of recent events still needed to be calmed.
And as CEO, naturally, he couldn't slack off.
He stayed up late handling work. By dawn, he was dizzy and felt his body starting to heat up. Just then, Elora arrived.
Leopold looked up and froze.
Today, Elora wore a white t-shirt paired with jeans and white shoes, looking fresh and crisp.
But this wasn't her usual style.
Or rather, this was how she'd dressed when he first met her.
But later, that changed.
She liked to wear dresses—all kinds, all colors of dresses.
Looking at her, Leopold felt momentarily disoriented.
Elora didn't notice his abnormality. She carried a thermos containing chicken soup that she'd had the housekeeper prepare. "This is really nourishing. I made it myself. Try some quickly."
Leopold frowned slightly. "Why are you dressed like this?"
Elora froze. "Does it not look good?"
"It doesn't suit you."
Hearing this, Elora's heart sank, her smile somewhat forced. "But I dressed like this when I first met you."
Leopold stared at her.
Elora felt uneasy under his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think these clothes don't look good on me?"
She placed the thermos on the bedside table, head lowered, not looking at Leopold. "If you don't like it, I won't wear this again."
In that moment, countless images flashed through Leopold's mind. He remembered that when he first woke up in the hospital, the first person he saw was Lisbeth.
But that first time waking up, he hadn't even managed to say a word to Lisbeth before falling asleep again.
That sleep wiped clean all the images and emotions he'd felt upon opening his eyes.
When he woke again, he saw Elora.
She wore a white shirt and jeans, her long hair cascading lightly behind her. The scene felt strangely familiar.
Later, in their interactions, they shared many habits and interests. Leopold once thought he'd found his soulmate.
Three months.
A full three months.
When Lisbeth reappeared, she'd apparently just come from some gala, wearing an evening gown with makeup still on.
Completely different from the bare-faced Elora.
Leopold couldn't accept the unfamiliar Lisbeth before him. The moment Lisbeth saw him, she tried to force him to accept those supposedly fabricated memories.
He couldn't accept it.
He even began to detest Lisbeth.
Three months of constant companionship had completely shifted his emotions toward Elora. He remembered everything—except Lisbeth.
"Did you do it on purpose?"
Elora froze at his words. "What are you saying?"
Leopold suppressed the turmoil in his heart. "Did you deliberately put on these clothes and deliberately appear before me?"
Elora stiffened completely.
"You deliberately copied Lisbeth's style. You deliberately approached me." The more Leopold spoke, the more certain he became, because he could see Elora's expression.
She wasn't angry or shocked. What appeared first on her face was panic.
"I don't understand what you're saying." Elora lowered her head, saying somewhat awkwardly, "I had no reason to do those things. Lisbeth was the one who asked me to work as a caregiver to look after you. I only thought of you as my client."
"Then why did you change into these clothes again today?"
Elora froze.
Leopold pressed closer. As the distance between them narrowed, facing his approach, Elora felt not joy but oppression, panic, even the urge to retreat.
Until her back hit the wall. There was nowhere left to go.
Leopold stared at her intently. "These three years, I've never seen shirts or jeans in your closet. What you wear most are dresses. You said you liked dresses. You cut your long hair, saying short hair was more crisp and efficient. You said you didn't like blueberries, you said you didn't like reading..."
But all these things were Lisbeth's preferences.
Elora realized—he'd remembered.
He'd remembered everything!
She looked at Leopold, trembling, barely able to speak. "When did you remember?"
Leopold's eyes were full of pain. As more and more truths and facts dawned on him, that pain surged like ocean waves.
His voice was hoarse. "Just now."
Elora felt struck by lightning. She never imagined that wearing this outfit to salvage their relationship would become the switch that restored his memory.