Carl brought Summer leaving the Tip Top Entertainment through the back door, outside which a black vehicle had been waiting.
As soon as they approached, a bodyguard opened the car door for them. Carl let Summer get into the car first as he scanned around before getting in.
As soon as he was on board, the driver started the car and drove them away. Only then Carl breathed a sigh of relief. But when he looked over at Summer, he had his heart in his mouth.
“Are you alright, Summer?”
He realized he had asked a stupid question. Of course, she was not alright when such a thing happened to her.
Leonardo and her were legitimate husband and wife. But this certificate of marriage that came out of nowhere had painted her as a mistress.
His stomach churned at seeing this thing. Let alone Summer.
But Summer just sat still, face devoid of any expression. It worried him at seeing her this way.
“Don’t worry. Things aren’t that serious. You’ve got to trust Leonardo; he will fix this.” Carl tried to comfort her.
But he found his words had no effect on her.
Grabbing his hair frustratingly, he realized that women were complicated creatures.
“Where is Leonardo?” She turned her head and looked at him, speaking for the first time.
“He…” Looking at her face, he knew Summer was not alright.
But he could not bring himself to lie to her. “He has gone to inspect the worksite in some remote area, but now on his way back. He will arrive in an hour.”
Summer acknowledged him, leaned back on the seat, and said nothing.
Carl said nothing too because no matter what he said, it was not going to change anything.
All she needed now was Leonardo.
…
They went straight toward Carl’s house, which was a duplex suite in an upscale residential zone.
“Last time, Laura had found her way to Leonardo’s mansion. Now reports must be camping outside Leonardo’s mansion. So I’ve to bring you to my place…” As Carl opened the door, he explained carefully and gently, trying to make her feel better.
She was the only woman, except for Jessica, whom he was gentle with.
“Thank you.” Summer’s face was still blank as she followed him into the house.
“You want water? Or some other drinks?” he asked as soon as they were inside.
Summer shook her head from side to side. But he still poured her a glass of hot water.
After a while, Summer held out her hand.
“Give me the mobile phone.”
“Mobile phone? There is nothing to see. Why don’t we talk?”
Carl knew how nasty those people were online. He was not going to hand the mobile phone back to her, and she did not insist on it either. Just then, the doorbell rang.
“It could be Leonardo.” While speaking, he walked toward the door.
Summer finally showed some response as she looked over at the door.
But it turned out that the person coming through the door was not Leonardo but Jessica.
Jessica, still as impetuous as ever and donned in her movie-set costumes, hustled in.
The hairpins sticking out of her hair told Summer that Jessica had come over like a bat out of hell.
“Summer!” Jessica ran toward her, trying to say something.
At last, she just managed a few words. “It’s going to be okay.”
Summer nodded.
Jessica examined her. Aside from her face, which looked a little pale, she looked totally fine.
But it was because of her unusual calmness that was worrying. Jessica exchanged a look with Carl, who shook his head helplessly back at her.
3For a moment, the three sat in the house, lapsing into silence. An hour later, Leonardo arrived. As soon as Carl opened the door, Leonardo went straight to Summer.
He suddenly appeared hesitating midway.
Coming before her, he held her hands and called her name.
She looked up, face white as a sheet of paper.
But there was no sign that showed she had cried. “You’ve come.”
He nodded at her, looking hesitant. At last, he managed two words. “Trust me.”
Summer said nothing. How could she not trust him? Leonardo had been her most trusted person all along.
Even when she was implicated in the trending topic online, she had never been afraid because she knew Leonardo would take care of it.
She stared at him, her eyes looking like that of the cat were beautiful, yet smileless, hollow and numb.
“He did that?” She finally spoke after a long while.
Carl and Jessica, who stood by, looked at each other. Who was she talking about?
But Leonardo knew she was referring to Adams.
There was a time when Vicky was into Adams, and she had wanted to join the entertainment industry just because of Adams.
The notion they conspired to carry out the personal attack was entirely possible.
For the first time, Leonardo did not dare to look at Summer in the eyes.
He pursed his lips, tilting his head elsewhere, his hands dangling beside him clenched into fists.
All of a sudden, Summer snickered.
“You are still not going to believe that he is on the opposite side, he is against you. Aren’t you?” She paused, then continued. “Even though he has repeatedly dragged me into the maelstrom of gossip and exposure, even though he is the one who orchestrates all this, you still think he is your good elder brother—”
“I’ll give you an answer.” Leonardo cut her off, his voice husky yet firm.
As if Summer finally flew off the handle, her voice was a few octaves higher. “I don’t need an answer from you! Who am I to you? There isn’t anything between us!”
“I know nothing about the certificate of marriage,” he tried to explain.
She pulled her hands back and said nothing more. When she could trace things back to Adams, how could Leonardo not? He must have found out already.
As distant as Leonardo might look on the outside, he placed high importance on relationships—especially persons close to him.
He still had not had a showdown with Adams because he chose not to believe that Adams would do this. And so Adams could play the same old trick.
Not that Leonardo was vacillating. It was because he cared a lot he wanted to give Adams another chance.
But it was Summer who paid the price for it. She was getting hurt each time Leonardo gave Adams a chance.
That would only mean one thing: Adams was more important than she was to him. It was the connivance of Leonardo that caused what happened today.
Listening on the side, Carl and Jessica could not make head or tail of what the two were talking about.
“Did Adams do all of this?” Jessica asked in disbelief.
“Why did he want to do this?” Carl was just as incredulous.
“I’m tired. I need a rest.” Summer looked at Jessica. “Can I go to your place, Jessica?”
“Sure!” Jessica got to her feet at once.