Leo suppressed his anger. Although he wanted to teach this guy a lesson, he wasn’t a cruel or murderous person. He walked over to Ron, extended his hand, and gently said, “Ron, it’s all my fault for leaving you at home.”
Ron held Leo’s hand, looked at the three big men and Ivan lying on the ground with a hint of fear in his eyes, and shook his head upon hearing Leo’s words.
“You must be hungry now. Big brother will make some food for you.” Leo let go of Ron’s hand and started preparing a meal.
With a hungry stomach, Ron obediently stood aside.
Jay and his men exchanged glances and slowly tried to crawl towards the door.
“Did I tell you to leave?” Leo’s voice sounded coldly behind them.
They shuddered and dared not move, quickly dropping to their knees.
Leo prepared a dish of stir-fried meat, a plate of tofu, and a bowl of bitter vegetable soup. When the food was ready, he called Ron to come and eat.
“Big brother, you should eat too.” Ron held a bowl and smiled at Leo.
Leo reached out and ruffled his hair, smiling, “Big brother has already eaten. You go ahead.”
Ron nodded and started eating heartily.
Jay and his two henchmen, along with Jay’s son Ivan, all knelt in front of Leo and Ron, keeping their heads down, not daring to say a word.
—
At the Henley family’s villa, after shopping and dining with Karen, Sophia walked into the living room feeling exhausted.
Jessica was sitting on the sofa, her face gloomy. When she saw Sophia come in, she said coldly, “Darling, starting today, Leo is not allowed to enter this house anymore. If you insist on letting him in, then I will leave!”
Sophia put down her shopping bags and furrowed her brow. “Mom, what’s this drama again?”
Jessica looked at Sophia, clearly displeased, and said, “It’s all because of that useless Leo. He’s starting to disregard me more and more. He actually dared to insult me in front of so many people. It’s like he’s rebelling against me. Right now, there’s no harmony between us!”
Sophia was taken aback by this statement. Leo insulting her own mother? That seemed highly unlikely.
During the four years Leo had been married into the Henley family, he had always endured quietly, even when misunderstood by the family. He never defended himself.
“Mom, Leo would never insult you. Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand something?” Sophia asked, trying to make sense of the situation.
“In the street, he openly insulted me in front of so many people. Do you think I misunderstood!?” Jessica retorted.
“In the street?” Sophia inquired.
Jessica proceeded to describe the traffic accident that had happened today, leaving out key details and focusing on how Leo had berated her at the scene. She also mentioned Leo’s desire to move into a new house and not allow Jessica and Martin to live there.
Listening to Jessica’s emotionally charged account, Sophia remained skeptical. She had spent four years with Leo and believed he would never utter such words.
As for the new house matter, it was still in the early stages and far from being finalized.
Seeing Martin stay silent, Sophia guessed that Jessica hadn’t shared the complete truth with her. She turned to her father and asked, “Dad, what really happened?”
Martin hesitated for a moment, then cast a quick glance at Jessica, who glared at him in return. He decided to keep his mouth shut.
Jessica stood up from the couch, her anger evident in her words. “Sophia, can you believe it? You don’t even trust your own mother’s words. Leo is just an outsider, a useless son-in-law in our family. You’d rather believe in him than me, wouldn’t you? You’re an ungrateful child. I’ve raised you with so much effort, and this is how you treat me?”
Sophia was taken aback and attempted to soothe her mother’s emotions. “Mom, please don’t say that. There must be some misunderstanding. When Leo comes back, I’ll have him apologize to you.”
Jessica, however, remained obstinate. She spoke bluntly, “Dear, I’ve made up my mind. This household won’t have both of us. You know what you should do as my daughter. You should be well aware.”
Hearing Jessica’s seriousness, Sophia felt uneasy. “Mom, Leo is your son-in-law, and we’re family. Can’t we sit down and have a proper talk?”
Jessica’s tone turned threatening as she replied, “Son-in-law? Family? Let me be frank with you. Ever since Leo became a gemstone consultant at that Wilde Jewelry Group and started making money, he thinks he’s too good for us. He doesn’t respect me anymore. If you dare move out with him, I won’t consider you my daughter!”
Sophia sighed deeply. Everything was fine yesterday, so why had things suddenly turned like this today? What kind of conflict had arisen between her husband and her mother?
Martin couldn’t hold back and said in the end, “What if Leo’s new house is even better than Jeffrey’s Golden Coast Villa? Would you still refuse to live there?”
Jessica sneered. “Martin, do you not know Leo after four years? He’s nothing but trash. If he can afford a better house than the Golden Coast, I’ll believe it when pigs fly!”
Martin pursed his lips and remained silent. He thought his wife had a point. If Leo could really afford a mansion better than the one at Golden Coast, he wouldn’t keep it a secret. He’d surely take them to see it right away.
Sophia, determined to get to the bottom of this, said, “Mom, Dad, whatever issue there is between you and Leo, I’ll talk to him when he gets back. If he’s in the wrong, I’ll make sure he apologizes to you.”
Having said her piece, Sophia turned and headed upstairs.
Seeing Sophia determined to get to the bottom of the situation, Jessica felt somewhat anxious and guilty deep down. After all, the traffic accident that happened today was the fault of her and Martin. But even if Leo hadn’t done anything wrong, she considered herself Sophia’s real mother, and blood was thicker than water. Leo, in her eyes, was just a useless son-in-law. No matter what, Sophia would choose her mother. In any case, after what happened today, Jessica was resolute in her decision to drive Leo out.
—
In the village, after Ron finished his meal, Leo asked Jay and the others to go away and took Ron to the hospital. At the hospital, Leo paid for a private room for Doreen and arranged for a caregiver to look after Doreen and her son.
The conditions in the private room were excellent, and an extra bed was set up for Ron to sleep on. With the caregiver’s assistance, the difficulties caused by Doreen’s injury were resolved.
After taking care of everything, Leo drove back.