Summer frowned as she looked at him. “I thought you went out?”
Leonardo nearly broke out in a cold sweat, not expecting her to finish cooking and come up so quickly.
He almost blew his cover, but he collected himself. “Can’t I come back?”
Occupied with the online news, Summer was not in the mood to argue with him. “Please come with me. I have something to tell you.” Her voice sounded grim.
Her facial expression matched her voice, but when she looked at him with her big shining cat eyes, he did not find them cold, only enchanting.
With his hands in his pants pockets, Leonardo followed her unhurriedly.
The dining hall was a place that no one would go to at that hour. Summer brought him there, her soft voice giving out a sense of aloofness. “Douglas, because of you, I’ve become a target of mockery. Are you happy now?”
She just could not get what “Douglas” was thinking. If he was interested in her, he would have taken advantage of her after he saved her from the Violet Gold Club, where Vicky lured and drugged her. Yet, he did not.
However, he harassed and teased her constantly. She had seen such rich kids. They changed partners quicker than she could blink, and they would not waste too much time and effort on one woman. They preferred to cut the formalities and get down to “business” as fast as they could. Since “Douglas” did not take advantage of her during that incident, she believed that he did not have any ulterior motives toward her. Be that as it may, his teasing and frivolity were upsetting and causing her trouble.
“So have I. Didn’t they give me a good scolding too?” Leonardo tilted his head, shrugging and playing the victim.
How shameless. Summer glared at him. “Did you really think that I wouldn’t have read the comments? Instead of mocking you, they were talking about your body!” Why the selective persecution? They should have derided both of them, not trample her but exalt “Douglas”.
Leonardo squinted at her with a strange look, sounding magnanimous as he said, “Oh, you women could see it? Tell you what, I can strip and let you have a look if you want.”
“Like I care. Don’t change the subject!” Summer knew what he was up to.
As though he did not hear her, “Douglas” turned around and walked out of the dining hall. While he did so, he listlessly said, “I’m sleepy. I’ve got to sleep.”
Frustrated, Summer sighed. She then took out her phone and sent Leonardo a text message. “I’ve put your dinner in your study room.”
Ten seconds later, there was a reply. “Mm.”
Still depressed, Summer did not have much of an appetite. Figuring that Leonardo must have finished his meal by then, she went upstairs. After two knocks, she went in.
It was still the same; Leonardo was sitting with his back to her.
He had cleaned his plate. She remembered that he had also eaten all of the food she cooked for him previously. She guessed that he must like her cooking very much.
“Do you want some fruits or a drink?” Summer asked, feeling elated.
“No.” Leonardo’s voice still sounded hoarse, unlike that of a man his age.
She stood there, unsure of what to do or say. All of a sudden, Leonardo spoke.
“You are now the Emerson family’s young mistress. Do your part and behave, then we’ll be fine. Otherwise…”
His words sounded personal, making his already hoarse voice even grimmer, especially that last part, where he let it hang; it felt creepy.
Summer could not help but wrap her arms around herself, biting her lips before explaining, “I swear, there’s nothing between me and Douglas.”
Leonardo must have seen the news, she figured.
“It has nothing to do with Douglas. I trust him.” Leonardo’s voice plunged a few pitches lower.
Did he just insinuate that she was messing around with other men? Obviously, Leonardo was protecting his own clan. She knew it. He had a close relationship with “Douglas” and would not believe that his own beloved cousin would have an affair with his wife. She was to blame for all of it.
“What about me? Don’t you trust me?” Summer asked.
Leonardo was silent for a while and finally said, “You even faked your appearance. Why should I trust you?”
She just could not rebut him on that one. If she had been a little more willful, she could have shot back with, “You don’t even dare to reveal yourself, why can’t I disguise myself?”
Unlike the Jarrett family, Leonardo had been forthright in the way he treated her. That was why she could not bring herself to add salt to his injury.
“If there’s nothing else, please leave me. From now on, Tim will give you a ride to and from work.” Then he said nothing else.
Summer looked at him, perplexed. It felt as if he was giving her a slap on the face, followed by a pat on the back. It was all too familiar, just like how “Douglas” behaved; he was sometimes good and sometimes bad. Perhaps the cousins had been staying under one roof long enough that their personalities began to mimic one another.
After Summer left, Leonardo turned around and gave himself a temple massage. He was starting to feel like he was being caught in his own trap. It seemed that Summer was beginning to hate “Douglas” more and more. Making her hate “Douglas” and like Leonardo more would make it easier for her to accept him when she found out his real identity someday.
…
The viral news had been suppressed. There were still sporadic discussions, but it could no longer pick up momentum. The issue was seemingly over online, but in real life, things were not totally over just yet. In the Marketing Department where Summer worked, gossip flew around whenever people gathered. Discussions about Summer were inevitable.
The next day when Summer arrived at the office, nearly all of the employees in the Jarrett Group gave her a weird stare. She could hear them mumbling something in the background.
“I’m surprised that she’s still coming to the office!”
“What’s on Young Master Emerson’s mind? Shouldn’t he do something when his wife’s having an affair with his cousin?”
“Don’t say that. Maybe there really is nothing between them. Who knows?”
“I agree with you. How could the Emerson family tolerate it if it was true? Summer would be in deep sh*t!”
“Don’t be so naive. As the saying goes, Where there is smoke, there is fire!”
However, all that was just speculation.