Amelia responded with a soft nod. "Yes." Leo frowned slightly. "Why?" He knew that unless there was an urgent reason, it wasn’t wise to frequently change schools for children. Constant shifts in their environment could make it difficult for them to feel comfortable or establish meaningful, stable relationships. Amelia sighed deeply. She explained what had happened at the school earlier, though she deliberately left out the name of the other child involved. After all, kids were innocent, and it was the adults who were abusing their authority for personal gain. Leo listened with increasing frustration. "If they were at fault, why are you pulling Liam and Ella out of school? Shouldn’t the others be the ones to leave?” Amelia shook her head and replied with resignation. "Of course, I know that, but it's not that simple. One of them is the principal, and the other comes from a powerful family. We're just ordinary people. It's not so easy for us to make others leave." Leo's expressio
She managed a tight smile and instinctively stepped back, trying to create some distance between them. “Uh... thanks for your help,” she said softly. “You should be grateful,” Leo replied with a smirk. “I did a lot today, didn’t I? But...” He closed the gap between them again, his expression amused. “Is a simple thank you really sufficient? Just words?” What’s his deal? Amelia wondered. Did he wake up and decide to act like an overbearing boss today? She could only muster another strained smile, forcing politeness. “Didn’t I cook for you earlier tonight? Isn’t that enough thanks?” Leo chuckled. “Not even close. And are you sure that meal was for me? Or was it more for you and the kids, with me just being an afterthought?” Amelia stared at him, momentarily speechless. Why hasn't he figured out how to be decent yet, and now he’s nitpicking? She managed a strained laugh. “Leo, do you really want to go down this road?” Leo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Amelia continued
He clenched his jaw and muttered, “Amelia, must you really be this unfeeling?” Amelia scoffed. “And what's wrong with that? Liam, Ella, come help Mommy show him out.” The two children, excited by the commotion, quickly ran to open the door. “Daddy, your visit is over. It's time for you to leave. You can come back later, or you might lose the chance to return at all,” Ella chimed in. "That’s right, a real man should keep his word. You've already been here for five hours. It's time to go," Liam added. Who were these two little helpers? Why were they siding with Amelia instead of him? Despite Leo’s strength, there was no way he could hold his ground against six hands. Ultimately, he found himself outside. Amelia slammed the door and let out a long breath of relief. She was aware of several luxury hotels nearby. If Leo had nowhere to go, it wasn’t like he’d end up on the streets. With that in mind, she felt no sympathy and refused to give him another chance. Satisfie
Soon, the door swung open. Amelia stood before him, her hair wet and foam on her face completely unclothed. Leo was taken aback momentarily forgetting the clothes he was holding. He thought he had forgotten the sight of her body after six years, but now, seeing her unclothed brought back vivid memories of their past. His throat tightened involuntarily Amelia couldn't open her eyes because of the foam on her face. She extended her hand and waited for a long time, but there was no response. She called out again, but still no response. Suddenly, she felt a threatening presence and caught a whiff of Leo's scent. Amelia rubbed her eyes and forced them open. In the next moment, “Ah–pervert!" “Smack!” A slap landed hard on Leo's face. The commotion finally roused Liam and Ella from their room. They jumped off the bed and realized that the door had been shut Ella asked curiously, "Liam, did you close the door?” Liam shook his head, "I didn't close it, maybe you did.”
Amelia glared at him with icy eyes. "What do you want now? Can't you just leave us alone?" Leo clung to the door frame, straining with all his strength. "You don't have the right to kick me out." She smirked. "If I don't have that right, who does? Stop with the nonsense and get out of my house before I call the police on you." Leo paused. "Hold on." The veins on his neck bulged with the effort. He pulled out his phone, showing her a message from James: a signed contract. He thrust it toward her. "Check this out before you say anything." Amelia's brow furrowed as she took the phone. The document was a lease agreement for the property. Her expression immediately shifted. "You!" Anger flashed in her eyes as she looked at him. "How low can you go?" Leo scoffed. "I'm the tenant now. You’re just a former tenant, booted for the time being. If I want, I could throw you out right now. So, tell me, do I have the right to stay here?" Amelia's chest burned with frustration,
Sophia's tear-filled eyes were puffy from crying. Wiping them, she said, “Noah seemed fine this morning when he went to school. But later, Briana called, saying he’d been pushed into the water by some classmates and had caught a cold." "I didn’t think much of it at first; kids catch colds all the time. So, I told Briana to take him to the hospital. When I got here, I found out he’d developed pneumonia.” Her voice broke as she continued, “It’s freezing today. He’s still so young, and he fell into that icy pool. How could anyone be so cruel? He’s just six years old.” Sophia’s sobs grew louder, and Leo’s frown deepened. He recalled something Amelia mentioned earlier. Could it be true that Amelia had something to do with this? Could she have pushed Liam and Ella into bullying Noah? No, that didn’t make sense. He brushed aside the suspicion immediately. His two children, Liam and Ella, were kind and gentle. They’d never do something so mean, especially not to Noah their classmate
The room fell into an unsettling stillness. Leo stood silently, his entire presence radiating a grim, icy demeanor. In a soft, mournful tone, Sophia spoke, “I never asked for much in this relationship. I’ve always known that you may never love me, and I accepted that. All I wanted was to stay by your side. Why take even that from me?” “I have no one left—no family, no lover. If you take away this last bit of hope, then yes, you are cruel. Truly cruel.” Leo's clenched fist gradually loosened. After a moment, he spoke through gritted teeth, “Sophia, this won’t bring you happiness.” “You’re not me, how could you know what makes me happy?” Sophia’s voice was heavy with sorrow. “Some people need to be loved to be happy. But for me, being close to the one I love, quietly watching over them, is enough.” Leo frowned. He had never realized this was how she felt. After a brief hesitation, he finally let go of her hand. Turning to face her, his voice became deep and firm. “The engagem
Mark was caught off guard, surprise flickering across his face. Amelia exhaled deeply. “I’m sorry. I was thinking that if Queens School was really like this, maybe I should transfer my kids. But I found out last night the principal was dismissed, so... I’m sorry for wasting your time.” Mark felt a wave of uncertainty wash over him. He hesitated, then asked, “Did Mr Reynold have anything to do with that?” Amelia paused, momentarily stunned. She thought back to what Leo had said the night before. His vague actions were like sparks dancing in her chest, stirring a quiet unease. She couldn’t quite grasp what he was thinking or why he did what he did. Despite trying to shake it off, her mind wouldn’t settle. Looking at Mark, she gave a slight nod. “Yes, it was him.” Since Leo had acted, there was no reason to hide the truth from Mark. She hadn’t wanted to get too close to him anyway. If this made him step back, all the better. As expected, a flicker of sadness c