With the three ancient texts and the Blue Phantom Sword stowed in the car trunk and a full tank of gas, Leo left the rest stop.
Today, as usual, he was picking up Sophia from work. He stopped by the convenience store first and chatted with the owner, just as he had done for the past four years. In all this time as part of the family, Leo had only made one true friend, the owner of this convenience store.
In the Henley family’s villa, Jessica and Martin sat together on the sofa, lost in thought. When Leo and Sophia returned, both of them looked up, their gazes locking onto Leo with less than favorable expressions.
Jessica and Martin weren’t in the best of moods today, as they had heard the news that the Wyndham Grand Palace Hotel had been completely booked. The memory of Leo marrying into the Henley family at the Wyndham Hotel four years ago had been a thorn in their hearts, though it had faded from their minds until this recent buzz about the hotel.
While they had thoughts in their minds, they refrained from expressing them directly in front of Sophia. Despite Leo’s recent transformation, the four years of history couldn’t be erased in a short while.
Leo sensed that something was amiss with the older couple’s behavior today, but he didn’t inquire further. Instead, he went straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
After dinner, following a signal from Jessica’s eyes, Martin suddenly invited Leo to take a walk with him. After a few minutes outside, Martin couldn’t hold back anymore and began to speak, “Leo, do you remember what happened on the 19th of this month four years ago?”
“It’s the day Sophia and I got married,” Leo replied.
Martin snorted coldly, “You should never forget that day, right?”
Leo remained silent.
“Do you know about the Wyndham Hotel being booked on the 19th?” Martin asked.
Leo nodded, “I heard about it.”
“You’ve been with our family for four years now. Honestly, I don’t have high expectations of you, nor do I hold much resentment. My request is simple: be good to Sophia.”
“The 19th is approaching, and I don’t want Sophia to be hurt. So, I want you to take her on a trip. I don’t care where you go, just make sure you’re not in Langstel on that day,” Martin revealed the purpose behind taking Leo for a walk.
Leo paused for a moment and then replied, “Dad, Sophia has just entered into a comprehensive partnership with Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company. The first batch of cosmetics hasn’t been delivered yet, and she’s currently dealing with issues of domestic cosmetics shortages. So, asking her to go on a trip right now might be difficult for her.”
“What do you mean by difficult? My point is that on the 19th, find a way to keep Sophia away from Langstel. I don’t want her to be affected by the Wyndham Hotel incident. Do you understand?” Martin’s voice grew louder as he spoke, showing his frustration.
Leo looked at Martin, his gaze determined, “Dad, don’t worry. On the 19th, Sophia won’t be affected. She’ll only get a pleasant surprise.”
In the living room, on the sofa.
Jessica held Sophia’s hand and said with tender concern, “My dear, you’ve been working hard lately. You’ve lost weight.”
Sophia smiled, “Mom, you’ve already asked Dad to talk to Leo. If you have something to say, just say it.”
Jessica pretended to be annoyed, “You little rascal, can’t your mother show some care?”
“I know you care the most about me, Mom. Speak up, what’s the matter?” Sophia’s face lit up with a smile.
Jessica rolled her eyes, saying, “I want you and Leo to go on a trip for a couple of days, to relax your body and mind.”
A daughter knows her mother best. Sophia immediately guessed Jessica’s intention and said, “Mom, let me guess. You want Leo and me to leave Langstel on the 19th, right?”
“Yes, the 19th is too sensitive a day. I really don’t want you to hear those rumors and gossip, so I suggest you take a break away from here.” Since her daughter had figured out her thoughts, Jessica didn’t beat around the bush.
“Mom, it’s been so many years. I’ve long stopped caring about those idle talk and rumors. Besides, I’m really busy with work right now. Whatever happens on the 19th, it won’t affect me in the slightest.” Sophia spoke from the heart.
With the comprehensive partnership between her company and Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company, backed by Azure Financial, Sophia was confident that her cosmetics company would become one of the most powerful in the local. Moreover, Leo’s transformation was something she believed in, and with their joint efforts, their future life would surely become better and better.
Seeing her mother still wanting to say something, Sophia continued, “It’s a critical period now, and I can’t leave the company. Bruno has been eyeing my position, as you know.”
Sophia’s reasoning was sound, and Jessica could only sigh in her heart, no longer pushing her daughter.
As the 19th approached, the buzz around the Wyndham Grand Palace Hotel booking continued to grow. The mystery of who had booked it added to the intrigue, and people’s curiosity grew stronger.
Many speculated that the person who booked the hotel must be a member of the William family, but according to the hotel manager, the person wasn’t a William. This only made the situation more mysterious.
Even in the lower-ranking noble families of Langstel, this incident had become a hot topic for discussion during their leisure time.
The fact that Sophia and Leo got married on the 19th was well-known, and the coincidence of the timing couldn’t be ignored. Many couldn’t resist mocking the useless son-in-law of the Henley family.
The gossip was infuriating the members of the Henley family, and their anger was mostly directed at Leo. If it weren’t for this useless son-in-law, the Henley family wouldn’t have become the subject of ridicule. Teresa, the old lady, had even confined herself to her home, neglecting the affairs of the Henley Group. She intended to wait for the 19th to pass before addressing anything.
On this day, several young members of the Henley family gathered for a meal.
The main topics at the dinner table were three: the Wyndham Grand Palace Hotel, Leo, and Sophia.
“A few days ago, that brat from the Pearson family had the audacity to mock me. Damn it, Leo’s situation has nothing to do with me. He asked me what I’ve learned from bringing a son-in-law living off the Henley family. What a joke!”
“I’ve said it before, as long as we have that useless Leo in our family, we’ll never have peace. It’s really embarrassing. I wish I could drive over and run over that waste!”
“I think we should blame Sophia for this. I heard she doesn’t want to divorce Leo. I wonder if her brain has gone haywire.”
Listening to everyone condemning Leo and Sophia, Bruno simply smiled, refraining from speaking.