Shock was an understatement. Summer walked up to the teenager, her face grave. “What is your relationship with the Emerson family?”
“I’m a relative.” The teenager sounded nonchalant, but he suddenly appeared alarmed. “But we are not that close. I have no money!” The rascal had occupied her house without her permission. Now he turned around and became cautious of her. Was he afraid of her holding him ransom?
“Are you really Douglas?” Summer tried to sound him out. “How many people with the name Douglas are in your family?”
“Why?” The teenager grew even more suspicious but he was too young to look deterring enough.
She had no idea how the kid broke into her house, but her gut feeling told her that he was smart. He had a strong accent when he spoke, like how most foreigners did, so he obviously must have been living abroad for quite some time. All of this only showed one thing: he had run away from home.
“Hey, kid, are you running away from home? You’re probably not used to such a living place. Should I contact the Emerson family to take you home? What do you think?”
He got nervous. “No, don’t do that! It was difficult for me to get out!”
She was right.
“Do you know that trespassing a private property is a crime under the criminal law?” She could do nothing to “Douglas”, who was sitting at home now, but handling Douglas Jr. was a walk in the park.
Douglas Jr.’s expression changed. There was nervousness in his eyes. “I am the only Douglas in the family!” He had been living overseas, only coming back during his vacations. He knew little about his home country and was now pretty much a bundle of nerves after Summer threatened him.
Summer’s expression faded after she heard what he said. She could not make out what that meant for a moment. If there was only one Douglas in the Emerson family, then who was “Douglas”-the one sitting at home? She looked at Douglas Jr., who appeared uneasy from being stared at.
“What is it again?” he asked.
Just as Summer was about to say something, a series of growls interrupted her train of thought. Douglas Jr. glanced at her, embarrassed. He then put on a brave face and shouted, “Why are you staring at me? Never heard of the sound of hunger?” It seemed that guys named Douglas were all ill-tempered.
…
In a restaurant, Summer looked on as Douglas Jr. wolfed down his third bowl of beef noodles.
Her rented place was in the slum of Hoover City, so not many “proper” restaurants were around there. Nonetheless, food stalls were everywhere.
Douglas Jr. was hesitant about eating at these places at first, but he still followed her. He was probably too hungry. After his first bite, his eyes lit up. There is a saying that goes, “he who receives gifts sells his liberty”. Three bowls of noodles later, Douglas Jr. answered nearly every question Summer threw at him.
“I was living in Australia and aspiring to become a professional gamer, but my mom wouldn’t let me. She’s even cut all my allowances, so I ran away… Please don’t tell the Emerson family I’m here. They’ll drag me back home…”
“Playing video games? Don’t you think people of your age should concentrate on their studies?”
“It’s not just playing video games; it’s a profession! A professional gamer! It’s my dream!” Douglas Jr. corrected her.
“You’re only fourteen!” Summer brushed him off. Although she had no idea what professional gaming was about, she knew that Douglas Jr. had to reach the legal age to do any of it.
He hissed, arms folded across his chest and chin skyward. Summer tried hard not to laugh. The kid was funny, she thought. She tapped her finger on the table twice and casually asked, “How are you related to Leonardo, then?”
“He’s my elder cousin. Don’t all of you know him? He’s very well-known, isn’t he?” After he said, he wore a this-is-for-your-own-good look and continued, “He may be wealthy and not bad looking, but he’s married. If you’re eyeing him, you better perish the thought.”
Something in his words caught her attention. Not bad looking? They said that Leonardo was disfigured and impotent. How could he still look okay?
Seeing the suspicious look on Summer’s face, Douglas Jr.’s heart skipped a beat. “Forget what I just told you.” His family had instructed him not to divulge anything about his elder cousin to anyone outside the family, but he had a slip of the tongue earlier.
Based on how the woman looked, though, she seemed like someone who was easily fooled. He should be fine, he thought to himself.
Summer was in no mood to guess what Douglas Jr. meant. Every doubt and suspicion in her mind since the day of her marriage seemed to have an answer now.
“Douglas” and Leonardo never appeared at the same time.
“Douglas” stayed in the master bedroom, and Tim was always by “Douglas’s” side.
When Tim saw her in “Douglas’s” arms in the dining room, he nearly did not bat an eye. Instead, he just walked away. The Black Card, and the expensive car… “Douglas’s” continuous lewd behavior toward her… He, who had unrestricted access to Leonardo’s mansion but not his cousin… There was only one explanation-he was Leonardo.
The realization came as a bolt from the blue; Summer was dumbstruck. She could not help but get to her feet, walking away like a possessed woman.
Surprised, Douglas Jr. got up and tried to catch up. “Where are you going? You…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Summer had disappeared from his sight. Patting his bloated stomach, which was full of noodles, then fiddling with his curly hair, he mumbled to himself, “At least lend me some money before you go…”
…
Summer had waved down a cab and headed straight home. Storming into the doorway, she caught a bodyguard. “Is Douglas home?”
“N-No…” the bodyguard stuttered.
Summer checked the study room and bedroom. “Douglas” was not there. Every soul in Hoover City knew that Leonardo was ugly and impotent.
Even Vicky had to rescind her marriage arrangement and force Summer to take her place to marry into the Emerson family. Summer had been believing that narrative; Leonardo was ugly and impotent.
She had never doubted the rumor one bit, so much so that when she saw “Douglas”, she did not associate him with Leonardo at all.
Her prejudice against Leonardo had marred her judgement. She may have had some doubts for the past two or three months, but she never gave them a second thought until she met Douglas Jr. The kid seemed strange, but he did not look like he was lying.
She finally calmed down and was no longer in a hurry to confront “Douglas” with the question. She first wanted to find out for herself whether “Douglas” was Leonardo. If he was, then she would play along.