Letting go of her, Leonardo took half a step back. “But they all deserve to die.”
“You’re going to such great lengths to force my grandpa to come home; are you going to kill him, too?” Summer felt a chill run up her spine. She thought she had a place in Leonardo’s heart somewhere, but his response invalidated her assumption.
“I won’t.” His voice sounded distant. “I’m not going to do anything to your grandpa. He wasn’t involved in the case. He was just bought by the Emersons.”
“Then why do you want him to come home?”
She still could not figure out what was in his mind, but she did work something out.
Leonardo’s mom had been sexually violated to death, and Ben Burton’s father knew that because he was a part of it, somehow.
The world was not strictly black and white. Summer found it hard to judge what Leonardo was doing, and she still felt sorry for him.
If his mom was still alive, Leonardo’s fate could have been entirely different. He could have been a titan reported in the financial journals, a man craved by all women.
But because of the tragic incident of his mom, he was spending his whole life pursuing the hidden hand behind the abduction. He was living in vengeance and guilt. He was not happy, no matter how powerful or wealthy he was.
“Why did the Emersons allow him to leave the country? Because if he stayed, someone would feel very uneasy.” Leonardo left a gap. “Once he is home, someone will be on pins and needles.” As if he had thought of something funny, his lips curled up in a smile. But that smile less than warm, it reeked of cold bloodthirstiness. What made Summer’s blood run cold was not his smile but his words.
“When you say ‘someone’, do you mean the Emersons?”
She thought she must have misunderstood his meaning, but the smile on his face told her that she got it right. Thinking of everything that Leonardo had done in the past, she still felt them shocking but she had come to grip with them.
…
The next morning, when Summer woke up and surfed the net on her phone as usual, she was shocked to find that news of Jarrett Sr. coming home from abroad had virtually occupied every estate of major news platforms—financial and entertainment. Everyone was talking about him.
Fifteen years ago, Jarrett Sr. was well known in Hoover City. He had wide personal networking; people who are far more wealthy and powerful than they were willing to get acquainted with him. Just when Jarrett Group was growing, Jarrett Sr. suddenly left the country. After a fifteen-year absence, it was not a surprise if his return caught the attention of the media. But with so many media outlets scrambling to publish the news, it was a bit over the top.
Leonardo was waking up. He still remembered he was cuddling her in his arms as they fell asleep last night. Summer had taken his hands off her and writhed away. Now he felt nothing but air in his arms. He was not too happy, and that reflected on his face. He drew her back into him, his chin rubbing against her hair.
“I did that. What do you think?” There was a hint of pride in his voice as if a kid had drawn a picture and asked for a compliment.
Summer forced a smile. “Why did you ask the media to report on the news of my grandpa coming home?” She was not as smart as he was. Sometimes she just could not catch up with his train of thought.
“Just wanted to alert those who are supposed to know about Jarrett Sr.’s homecoming.” After he said that, Leonardo snatched away her phone. He then held her hand and put it under the quilt. “We can do something more meaningful.”
Summer read his mind, but it was too late. Her hand was forcibly placed lower down his body, that part of him seemingly melting her hand with its searing hotness.
“I have to go to work!”
She instantly blushed. They may have done whatever they wanted and done it however they liked at night with the lights off, but it was daylight now. The room was bright as hell, and she was not as audacious as him.
“Mm, then we should hurry, or you’ll run late.”
“No… Mm…”
…
The fact spoke for itself; men, no matter how calm, cool, and collected, were still shameless in bed. When they finally finished, it was almost time to get off to work. They brushed their teeth and cleaned up before she put on her makeup at the dressing table. He stood beside her, looking with interest. She could not help but hurry him.
“You can go now if you are ready.”
Leonardo’s lips curled into a smile, his low voice having a tad of seriousness and gentleness. “You already look stunning enough without makeup.” He flattered her with utmost seriousness.
“You said I was too ugly the first time you saw me.” She looked away from him.
“It was indeed.” Leonardo was bloody frank.
Considering how filthy his mouth was, he should have been grateful for getting a wife like her, Summer said to herself.
“But…” Leonardo added, “I still kissed you despite your looks, didn’t I? I wonder if Jerome could do that!”
“That was because you had an exotic taste,” she retorted.
“As exotic as my taste is, not every ugly woman fits the bill.” Leonardo sounded pleased with himself.
Her heart started pounding. Unsmiling men could be just as good in flattery.
…
When they came downstairs, Douglas was standing in the living room, school bag on his back, looking at them, shaking his head with a grave face.
“You two are getting later by the day. First it was Summer, now what? Both?”
Summer smiled embarrassedly but said nothing. It was Leonardo who shot Douglas a cold glance as he walked out.
“The weather is getting chilly. It is normal that we all tend to lie in a bit longer.”
Back at the office, Summer found that Lynn and Vicky did not arrive for work. At noon, she got a call from Karen.
“Summer, your grandpa’s back. Come back and have lunch together.”
“Okay,” Summer agreed at once.
She had almost no impression of Jarrett Sr. The only thing she remembered about him was his kindness. Compared with the other Jarretts, Jarrett Sr. had treated her nicely. At that time, because of work and having his attention on Vicky and her brother, Jarrett Sr. had little time for Summer.
She tucked her phone, and the moment she walked out of Jarrett Group building, she saw Leonardo standing by the car.
“Why are you here?” Summer trotted over.
“Did your family call and ask you to go home for lunch?”
“Mm.”
“I’m going with you.” Immediately after that, he opened the door and shoved her into the car.