The bodyguards and maids noticed Summer taking a brick, and they all went up to her nervously.
“Mrs. Emerson, what are you doing?”
“I’m in a black mood, I’m going to smash things up.” Summer glanced at them.
The bodyguards and maids were all dumbstruck. No one stopped her as she took the brick and returned to Leonardo’s study.
The bodyguards did not stop her, but they kept an eye on her. Seeing Summer take the brick and walk into the reading room, a bodyguard called Leonardo. “Young Master, Mrs. Emerson has taken a brick and walked into your study.”
“What is she doing?”
“She said she was in a black mood and she was going to smash things up.”
“Then let her be.”
The bodyguard was stunned. Well, people say that “if you are rich, you can b*tch about”.
…
In the study.
Summer sat on the floor, took the brick, and hacked the locked drawer with all her might. Leonardo used quality stuff, and that included the drawer. It took her a while before the lock gave way.
Throwing the brick aside, she dusted her hands and pulled open the drawer. An individual household register lay inside. She opened it up and discovered that, sure enough, it was in her name.
Taking the individual household register, she got to her feet. Just as she did, she saw from the corner of her eye a beautiful rectangular box in the drawer. The box was meticulous in design with high-quality material. No doubt it was custom-made, which only showed that whatever inside the box had to be precious to Leonardo. But what could be inside the box? By keeping things in such a secure place, it had to be something of paramount importance to him.
Summer was too curious about what was inside. Just as she reached out to open it, she stopped halfway. Alas, her curiosity got the better of her. She opened up the box only to find an old fountain pen inside. She recognized the logo on the fountain pen; it was of a popular brand when she was little. She still remembered that her school had used the same brand of fountain pens as presents. The fountain pens sold under the brand were cheap, and they had been discontinued. She just did not expect to see Leonardo have one in his collection.
In fact, the fountain pen was not worth its price as a collector’s item. It was mass-produced back then. Yet, Leonardo had taken the trouble to custom-make a box for the fountain pen. She was damned sure that the box was worth more than the pen.
Summer took out her mobile phone and searched online for fountain pens of this brand. She wanted to know the date of the cessation for its production, and she found it. Running some small calculations in her mind, she found that Leonardo had kept the fountain pen for at least ten years.
Ten years ago, he was only sixteen or seventeen. Was the fountain pen a present from a girl? She suddenly became self-conscious and mumbled in frustration.
“Who cares who gave him this fountain pen!” After all, she had made up her mind to break up with Leonardo.
She pressed her lips together and placed the fountain pen back into the box before she cleaned up the scene and went back to her room. She kept the individual household register, passport, and ID together, tucking them in a safe place.
…
In the evening, Leonardo broke his norm by coming home for dinner.
Summer was sitting at the dining table, and while she was eating, Leonardo came in from the outside. His body carried a damp and frigid air as he sat down across from her. Meanwhile, Ava was laying out the table for him with an additional set of chopsticks and a bowl.
Did he not say that he was busy? He still had time to come home for dinner? It seemed like she could no longer hide the fact that she had hacked his drawer and taken her household register during the day.
Sure enough, after they finished dinner, Leonardo asked, “What did you smash in my room?”
Summer quickly realized that those bodyguards must have alerted him. Heck, except for complaining to Leonardo, what else could those big men do? Summer decided to surrender herself.
“The drawer,” she said frankly, knowing that Leonardo would find out sooner or later. She did not have to hide it.
His face changed as he got to his feet and went upstairs. Summer looked on as he set off, her emotions all complicated. She had never seen Leonardo lose his composure before. Looking up and blinking her eyes, she calmed herself before she got to her feet and went after him.
The study room door was wide open while Leonardo was standing behind the desk, holding the box that contained the fountain pen in his hand.
Summer folded her arms, half-leaning on the door frame. Her voice reeked of jealousy when she said, “That fountain pen you’re keeping like a treasure, who gave it to you? Your first love?”
Leonardo did not look at her. He just carefully wiped the fountain pen before he gingerly placed it back into the box. Instead of putting the box back into the drawer, he placed it into the safe.
Summer noticed that. She clenched her fists and pursed her lips, then returned to her bedroom. Out of sight, out of mind. Damn that man!
Leonardo entered the bedroom and saw Summer browsing a magazine. She turned a page every three seconds, so she was obviously not actually reading it. He came before her and took the magazine from her hand.
“Give it to me.” Summer tried to snatch the magazine back, looking up and staring at him.
Leonardo wore a faint smile. “Did you really think I’d let you go after you stole the household register?”
“I’m not your pet. I can go wherever I want. Why do I have to get your permission?” Summer stuck her chin up in a haughty and unyielding manner.
“Try me.” Leonardo smiled, almost grinning.
His glaring self-confidence was unnerving. He seemed to be able to predict her every move and think she would fail.
Summer felt frustrated, not just because she knew she could not defeat Leonardo, but more importantly because she was conscious of her weaknesses. She could not fight back in front of him.
Leonardo was spending the night at home for the first time since the Grandpa Emerson incident. They slept in the same bed, but each occupied one side of the bed. There was no affectionate hugging or talking.
The next morning, Summer and Leonardo woke up almost at the same time. She went downstairs before him.
A bodyguard standing in the living room greeted her with respect.
She could sense the bodyguard had something to say, so she went over. “What is it?”
The bodyguard handed her an express envelope. She looked at it for two seconds and could pretty much guess what was inside. Taking the envelope, she opened it up, and sure enough, it was just as she had expected. It was a subpoena.
The injury inflicted on Grandpa Emerson was classified as a criminal case, but right then, Summer was pregnant, so she was released on bail, pending a trial.
Footsteps approached her from behind, and Summer knew it was Leonardo. She looked back, waving the court document in her hand and sneering. “Leonardo, you’re part of this, aren’t you?”