There was a hint of surprise in his eyes. “Douglas” gazed at her with a thoughtful look, then said, “Let’s go.”
Summer followed him from behind, looking in some sort of predicament. Humans were creatures of feelings and emotions. It surprised her to find that her hatred for “Douglas” had lessened. She was even starting to feel grateful for and admire him. If he was not Leonardo’s cousin; had she not married Leonardo… Then the questions came to full circle.
Had she not married Leonardo, she would have never crossed paths with “Douglas” in her life. It was a question without an answer, a chicken and egg situation.
As they got in the car, “Douglas” suddenly asked, “How are you going to get the Black Card back?”
“I will think of a way,” said Summer with a smile.
“Aren’t you afraid of Leonardo holding you responsible?” “Douglas” tried to sound her out.
“Well, if he were, he would have summoned me to his room last night.” Her smile gradually faded. “Since he has been this magnanimous, it’s even more important for me to return the card to him.”
At first, she thought the gifting of the Black Card by Leonardo was a gesture of recognition of her identity. But now it seemed that it was just because he did not really care about the Black Card.
Leonardo had singled out the keywords: return the card to him. When he gifted her with the mobile, she happily accepted it because it was from Leonardo. He gave her the Black Card; she returned it to Leonardo. But when Leonardo asked her to keep the card, she even used it once. Before that, she had accepted everything Leonardo had given her. But now, she wanted to return the Black Card to Leonardo. That meant she finally lost her patience with the Leonardo, whom she had never met and decided to pay her attention to “Douglas”? This thought was bothering Leonardo. His expression darkened.
…
Jessica earned a lot from her movies, but at the same time, she also had less time to spend it. That was why, once she got the opportunity, she would splash it. Sometimes hundreds of a thousand; sometimes a million. Summer might have a different money view from Jessica, but she had no qualms about her bestie’s spending habits. She thought spending however she liked was a matter of course, so long as she earned what she spent.
They spent the whole day shopping. In the evening, after Summer and Jessica had dinner together, they parted.
The moment Summer stepped in the mansion, she saw “Douglas” there. She asked, “Have you had your dinner yet? If not, I will cook.” The thought of cooking for “Douglas” has always been in her mind. That was why she had come home early. It was now only six-something.
“Douglas” looked at her with a face that looked almost grateful. He hemmed, trying to hide his thoughts, then said with a serious tone of voice. “Not yet.”
Standing beside him, the bodyguard’s face twitched, knowing that the young master was not going to tell his wife he had just returned from dinner at the Golden Cauldron.
As the dinner was ready, Summer served a portion on a tray and had the bodyguard send it to Leonardo, thinking since “Douglas” had not had his dinner, Leonardo had not too. After that, she returned to her room.
Leonardo sat at the dining table, looking at the savory dishes and asked the bodyguard who was pouring him the water. “What do you think of my wife? Do you see anything different now?”
The bodyguard gave it a serious thought and said, “In the past, your wife would first ask whether the young master was home every time she came home. But today, she didn’t.”
The young master that the bodyguard meant was “Leonardo” who had never shown his face. The bodyguard thought he had not explained it clearly enough. He continued. “I mean it is not you, it is the other you Young Master…” The bodyguard was complicating things further.
“I know. Leave me now.” Leonardo cut him off and motioned him to leave.
…
It was Monday. Summer rose early and had put on a meticulous face. When she went downstairs, Tim had been waiting, but “Douglas” was nowhere to be seen. She went up to Tim and said, “I appreciate you for fetching me to and from work all this while. But I think I can just take the cab.” She then turned around and left.
Tim said nothing, just thinking to himself, It’s my pleasure! Working as Mrs. Emerson’s chauffeur had been the easiest job he had ever had.
Standing on the upper landing of the staircase, Leonardo had taken in every word that Summer had said. He sauntered down the stairs. Tim nodded at him as a sign of respect. But he knew Leonardo had heard everything, and he did not have to repeat it.
Leonardo glanced at the doorway, wearing a half-smile. “Let her be.”
He thought Summer was about to find out his identity. Just then she started to distance herself from Leonardo. This was something unexpected.
Summer arrived in front of Jarrett Group in a cab. She got out and stood there, her beautiful face was icy cold, and her eyes determined. She, Summer, had not only come out alive, but she was also even more resolute than before. She walked toward the building entrance, starting to attract the attention of the employees that passed by. They all saw the same thing: Summer seemed to be different today. Although still with the same face, as beautiful as ever, something was distinct.
One of her acquainted coworkers in the Marketing Department saw her and said, “Good morning, Summer.”
Summer returned the same with a captivating smile. Her beautiful cat eyes looked like a pair of crescents, lips bright red, skin lustrous; every feature on her face looked just so right. Passersby saw her face and got mesmerized, forgetting to return a smile.
As people entered the elevator, Summer struck up a conversation with them.
“How was your weekend? Where did you go?”
“I brought my kids to the amusement park…”
“I had a romantic dinner with my boyfriend.”
“No wonder there are red marks on your neck. I thought they were mosquito bites!”
“What crap are you talking about?”
There was laughter. And then Summer just listened on, smiling as she pressed a button on the elevator panel. As the elevator doors closed and opened again, Vicky walked in. The laughter stopped, and there was a cautious silence.
Summer was the first to enter the elevator and now standing in the innermost corner. Vicky raised her chin skyward, casting a condescending glance at the surrounding people, unaware of the presence of Summer.
Summer observed quietly. Vicky wore an expensive overcoat that she had seen in the mall yesterday, branded and costing around a million bucks apiece. Summer smiled and spoke.
“Good morning, my elder sister.”
The elevator was making its way up, but it was quiet inside. Summer’s soft voice sounded as if she was speaking through a loudspeaker with a hint of strangeness. Vicky looked back in disbelief.
She did a double-take and her face collapsed, jaw on the floor as if Summer was some kind of monster. Losing her balance, she grabbed the handrail to save herself the embarrassment of tumbling down to the floor, eyes wide open.
“How come you are here? Were you not…” Realizing that she was in the packed elevator, she pretended to be calm.
“Oh, hi! Summer, you’re early today.”
While Summer spoke earlier, those standing around her had consciously stepped back. Now she stared at Vicky and said with a distant voice.
“I’m just a little earlier than you, my elder sister.”