Summer chuckled with her hand covering her mouth. She then said matter-of-factly, “I think the gown looks good, so too the makeup. The stylist and makeup artist are fantastic. You’ve hired the right people.”
Leonardo looked at her, still expressionless and saying nothing.
“I’m not used to high heels, but I will wear them for your sake.” She sounded as if she was serious. After she said that, she patted Leonardo on the back. “It’s almost time. If I don’t go now, I’ll be late, but I’ll be home soon.” Seeing his stony face, Summer felt fun instead of fear for the first time.
Just then, Douglas returned on his bicycle in a thin hoodie, drenched in sweat. He was just back from a basketball game. When he came in with a basketball in his hand, he first saw Summer.
“Holy moly!” The ball dropped from his hand. “Leonardo, how dare you bring another woman home while Summer is away?”
Summer was struck dumb.
Leonardo turned around and took a glance at him, squinting as if he had thought of something. Douglas could not help shuddering.
“I’m leaving now.” Summer headed for the door. As she walked past Douglas, she said, “Go clean yourself up. The temperature has dropped, don’t sick.”
“Summer?” Only then Douglas came to his senses, eyes on stalks. “You look so gorgeous today. Where are you going?” Children and fools tell the truth.
“I’m going to a party.” While speaking, she went out of the door.
Douglas looked on, scratching his head. He then turned to look at Leonardo. “It’s the party your dad is holding. Didn’t you say you were not going to attend? You changed your mind?”
“I’m not going.”
Leonardo did not look too happy. He had been concealing his identity all these years to investigate his mom’s case. If he appeared in public, people would know him, and it would jeopardize his plan. Michael’s purpose for inviting Summer to the party was to find out if he got along well with her and whether he was willing to bring her to the party, giving her the recognition she deserved. The party that the Emersons hold would be filled with social elites. After the party, everyone would know that she was the daughter-in-law of the Emerson family. He wanted to give Summer the recognition, too, but he knew his mom’s case was even more important. It was the guilt and mission that he had to carry his whole life.
Douglas had no clue what was in Leonardo’s mind. He sneakily came up to Leonardo, “Are you letting Summer go alone? Think about it, when even many boys in my class like her, you can imagine those dudes out there…”
Already feeling miserable, Leonardo’s face darkened even more when he heard what Douglas said. When he saw Summer coming down the stairs earlier, the first thing that came to mind was to stop Summer attending the goddamn party.
She belonged to him alone. He knew he was overly possessive; the thought surprised him. He was attracted by Summer; he could shower her with all his love, but he knew he must not indulge in it.
She was the daughter-in-law of the Emerson family as much as she was his wife. The moment he told himself he would get to the bottom of the kidnapping case as his personal mission, he knew he was destined to live on the edge, and should be wary of too much self-indulgence. So he let Summer attend the party.
“Should I also go to the party so I can keep an eye on Summer?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Following that, Leonardo headed up the upstairs. Just a couple of steps up the stairs, he turned around, motioning at the stylist with his hand. As if the stylist could read his mind, she and the makeup artist got hold of Douglas, starting to undress him.
“What are you all doing?” He looked at them, panicking. “I’m a minor. What are you all going to do to me?”
They ignored his protest, took off his hoodie, and put on a new shirt and suit. “Would you like us to help take off your pants or you do it yourself?”
“I’ll do it myself!” Douglas took the pants and scurried into his room.
…
The party was held in a seven-star hotel. The moment Summer got out of the car, she bumped into Liam. She remembered the last time she went to see Michael; it was Liam who fetched her.
Liam came up to greet her, and she returned it with a smile. A kind smile broke out from his solemn face, and then his eyes looked past her as if searching for someone.
Summer quickly explained, “I came alone, Emerson—”
Before she could finish her sentence, a voice that she recognized cut in.
“Wait, I’m coming too! Summer!”
A car screeched to a halt. Liam quickly moved next to Summer, blocking the dust stirred up by the tires from hitting her. Douglas jumped out of the car and struck an attitude in his body-fit suit. Three seconds later, scrambling up to a flowerbed, he started to throw up big-time. The driver must have driven like his tail on fire.
Summer asked Tim for water while she walked up to Douglas, handing him a tissue paper and patted him on the back.
“Why are you here?”
“They changed me into this, and I did the pants myself. After makeup, I came straight away.” Douglas sounded like he had a frog in his throat; he probably did not even know what he was saying. But Summer could half guess what it was all about.
It must be Leonardo. After seeing her changing into the evening gown with makeup, he wished she would not attend the party.
However, aside from her intention to help him, she still had her little mind of hers. It would be a waste not to flaunt it since she was dressed in a gorgeous dress and makeup. Women are like this. She felt like she was walking on air.
Perhaps Leonardo was worried about her and forced Douglas to tag her.
“Mrs. Emerson, here you go.”
Tim brought a bottle of water to her, and she handed it to Douglas. Only after sorting out himself that he accompanied Summer into the hotel.
Apparently, Liam and Douglas knew each other. And he was surprised to see Douglas.
“When did you come back to Hoover City, Douglas?”
Since Douglas last sneaked back into the country, no one from the Emerson family, except Adams and Leonardo, knew he was back.