After Summer said that, she stared dead at Leonardo. His expression was so grim that he looked like an angry lion that would pounce on and gnaw her to death at any time.
She was half angry and half wanting to sound him out. She still could not convince herself that Leonardo would suddenly become so impervious to reason.
After a long while, Leonardo calmed down. “Since you know you can’t fight the Emerson family, don’t cross the line.” His voice was monotone, and his words were clear yet chilly. Without waiting for Summer to respond, he spoke again. “As for the child? You’d better not think of doing anything stupid.” He then wore a faint smirk and walked out.
Summer sat on the sofa, looking on as Leonardo left. Gazing at the closed door for a second, she then sighed and collapsed back onto the sofa.
What a day, she thought. As if slouching on the sofa was not comfortable, she lay down and recalled what had happened today over and over.
She had woken up in the morning as a maid called out outside the door, saying that Grandpa Emerson was asking for her. She headed to see Grandpa Emerson, only to find he was not in the room. She then heard sounds at the stairs as Grandpa Emerson was falling down the stairway. He was sent to the hospital. When Grandpa Emerson was in the operating theater, Michael started to question the maids. A maid pointed out that she heard her scream and went to check out what happened, only to find Grandpa Emerson had fallen down the stairs. Leonardo questioned the way Michael handled the case, and then Alisa jumped out, saying that she had every reason to harm Grandpa Emerson. Alisa’s accusation was so ridiculous. Why would she want to harm Grandpa Emerson just because of a woman like Eliza?
Anyone in their right mind would know that this was counterintuitive. But Leonardo believed Alisa. Since he came home, his every word reeked of distrust and suspicion.
No one had said anything yet, but Leonardo had suggested calling the police. His attitude told her he suspected her. She was damn sure about this because Leonardo seemed to be blaming everything on her deliberately. Why did he want to do that?
Under this circumstance, and if Leonardo’s personality was anything to go by, his normal reaction should not be blaming things on her but find out the truth. Unless…
Unless he knew the truth—he knew who did this. If that was the case, did he have something else in mind by using her as a scapegoat?
She now thought she had thought it through. But then she was not so sure when she reran the entire incident again in her mind. She finally fell asleep halfway through doing the thinking.
Waking up the next morning, she found herself sleeping on the bed. She sat up, reaching to touch the spot beside her. Leonardo was not in the room. She clearly remembered she was on the sofa and fell asleep. Did Leonardo come back again last night?
She put on a jacket, got out of bed, and went to open the door. Outside, the bodyguards were still there, guarding her. But Tim was not there. She found the bodyguards familiar; she recognized them from Leonardo’s mansion. So she felt a bit at ease.
“Did Leonardo come back last night?” she asked them.
“Once. But he left before first light.”
“Did he say anything?” Summer frowned and asked quickly.
The bodyguards shook their heads.
She pressed her lips and then asked again, “Do all of you know what is Grandpa Emerson’s condition now?”
They shook their heads again.
Summer returned to her room and closed the door. Thinking back and forth, she finally decided to call Leonardo. But she could not find her mobile phone. Did he take it from her last night? She went outside and looked for the bodyguards.
“Do you have a mobile phone with you? Can I borrow it for a while?”
The bodyguards did not give their mobile phone to her. Instead, one of them asked, “Mrs. Emerson, do you want to call Mr. Emerson?”
She started to suspect something but was still nodding her head.
The bodyguard called Leonardo and passed the mobile phone to her. It rang for a while before the call was answered. The voice at the other end was hoarse.
“Anything?”
Leonardo sounded indifferent. So was she.
“You came back last night?”
“Get straight to business.” He started to lose his patience.
“How is Grandpa’s condition?”
“Still unconscious.”
“Where is my mobile phone?”
“I don’t know.”
She had been brooding about it from yesterday. Now, she could no longer hold back her anger and burst out. “You think I’m a fool? You took my mobile phone when you came back last night!” She paused, and without waiting for Leonardo to respond, she continued. “What are you afraid of? You are worried that I might read something online or call someone?”
“If there’s nothing else, I will hang up now.”
The line went dead. Summer fought the urge to smash the mobile phone to the ground and handed it back to the bodyguards and thanked him. She returned to her room and gave the poor door two good kicks and swore, “Leonardo, you bastard!”
Not long after, someone knocked on the door again.
“Mrs. Emerson, it’s time for breakfast.” That voice sounded familiar.
“I have no appetite!” She was so upset to eat now.
“It’s okay if you don’t feel like eating, but please think of your baby.”
Which maid on earth would talk like that? After a few seconds, her eyes brightened up. She scurried over to open the door.
“Jessica!”
It was none other than Jessica, who saw her and started lecturing her. “Are you playing tough or what by refusing to eat?”
“Get in first.” This time, the one who spoke was Carl, who came right behind Jessica.
Summer knew it was not the place to talk. She quickly ushered them inside and closed the door.
“How did you find your way here?” Summer asked as she dug in.
Jessica’s face straightened as she took out this morning’s paper and put it in front of her, then fiddled with her mobile phone before handing it to her.
Summer opened the newspaper and saw the news about Grandpa Emerson occupying half of the pages. The news reports went to great lengths, making various speculations. At the end of the ‘analysis,’ it pointed out that Summer was the suspect of the case.
“Summer, didn’t you read the news?” Jessica asked worriedly.
Summer threw the newspaper aside and took Jessica’s mobile phone. “I lost my mobile phone.”
News of Grandpa Emerson’s falling down the stairs should not have become so sensational. The reason it was so because the person who pushed him was his granddaughter-in-law. People were attracted to such sensational news in the elite circles. The news had gone viral and made several headlines.
After Leonardo suspected her, she was basically immune to these news reports. Looking up at Jessica, she asked, “Do you believe that I was the one who pushed Grandpa Emerson down the stairs?”