Carl noticed that Leonardo stopped. He thought Leonardo must have taken his advice, so he continued, “Bring her back since you miss her so much.”
Leonardo looked down as if thinking of something. Then he opened the door and left.
Carl sighed and mumbled to himself, “Since he got a wife, a brother like me has become secondary.”
…
Summer stayed in the hotel for two days. There was nothing to do there except for eating and sleeping. So with time in her hands, she would venture out. She was not buying anything or doing anything, just meandering around, trying to see if Leonardo had really sent his men to follow her.
She did not discover this last time because she had never thought of it. But she had been very alert now, and a couple of times, she found that someone was following her. The bodyguard was very professional. If not switched on to her environment, she would not have discovered it.
She had to plan to leave Sydney now. But before she could work out her next move, someone had come and disrupted her plan.
The next morning, just as the past two days, she cleaned herself up and was ready to get out. The moment she opened the door, she saw black luggage outside and was startled. Before she knew what happened, a voice she recognized came.
“Summer!”
She looked up and saw Douglas was all smiles, standing in front of her.
Douglas got no response from Summer and pouted. “Summer, it has just been a few months and you don’t recognize me anymore?”
During his puberty, Douglas had changed a lot in just four or five months. Wearing a white sweater and a pair of blue jeans, he looked young and energetic.
“Douglas? Why are you here?”
“I am looking for you.” Douglas looked at her, smiling brightly. He leaned close to her ear, looking mysterious. “I’m telling you, I’ve run away from home again.”
“You think I believe you?” Summer looked at him.
Douglas broke into a witty smile. “Let me stay, pleeeease.”
She did not believe him but would not send him away. After checking him into another room, she brought him out for breakfast.
Douglas grew up abroad and spoke a fluent foreign language. Coupled with his good look, there were daring girls coming up asking him for a telephone number.
These Emersons, from Leonardo to Douglas, were especially popular with the girls. But Douglas was not interested in them and turned them away politely and with ease.
Summer chuckled and left him to it as she concentrated eating her breakfast.
After a few minutes, Douglas sitting across from her suddenly spoke. “Summer.”
“What?” She looked up, seeing Douglas facing his mobile phone at her, she frowned. “What are you doing?”
“I’m just taking a photo.” While speaking, he looked down and tapped with his finger on the mobile phone screen before putting it down on the table.
Summer was baffled but said nothing.
Halfway through the meal, Douglas excused himself to the gents. While he was away, Summer took his mobile phone and opened up his Wechat. Inside the chat window, the first chat thread was from Leonardo.
She hesitated for a second before opening up the chat thread. The last chat was a video clip that Douglas sent out just a few minutes ago. She played the clip and heard a very familiar conversation.
“Summer.”
“What?”
It was a video clip that Douglas secretly filmed earlier. Further up was his chat history with Leonardo, most of which was sent by Douglas.
“Will Summer let me stay?
“Will she turn me away?
“I don’t feel like going. Why don’t you go there?
“I have arrived in Sydney, now in a taxi to the hotel where Summer’s staying in.”
Leonardo’s replies were sporadic, mostly comprising of “Okay” and “Mmm”.
She glanced in the gents’ direction and put the mobile phone back in its original position. Even before looking at the Douglas’s mobile phone, she could almost guess that Douglas’s arrival was sanctioned by Leonardo.
Before this, she had never known that Leonardo would use such a backhanded way to find her. But after reading the messages in Douglas’s mobile phone, it had confirmed her suspicion.
Leonardo knew she was in Sydney. He had found her but not spook her. He just sent his men to keep an eye on her. If not for her looking for a place to rent, she would still be in the dark. Just as she was planning her next route of escape, Douglas came.
By sending Douglas to her, was Leonardo not telling her it was futile to run again? Leonardo knew she and Douglas were close to each other, and that she would not turn Douglas away. He no longer had to send his bodyguards to monitor her in secret; he had sent Douglas to keep an eye on her openly. If not she had not been the subject of his surveillance, she almost wanted to give Leonardo a big thumbs-up.
When Douglas returned and saw Summer’s changed expression, he asked with concern, “Summer, are you all right? Do you feel unwell?”
Summer looked down. “It’s nothing. Let’s finish breakfast and head back to the hotel.”
Back at the hotel, Summer made a phone call to Jessica. This bestie of hers had been busy for the past six months. They had barely spoken over the phone. Even if they did, it would be just for a moment before Jessica had to hang up in a hurry again.
Jessica answered her call at warp speed. “Summer?”
“Still busy lately?” She could hear the tiredness in Jessica’s voice.
“Yeah, busy like hell. It must be that bastard, Carl who’s given me so much work. He is trying to kill me…” Every time Jessica mentioned Carl, she could not stop berating him.
Summer chortled. “It is for a good intention. He wants to make you famous.”
As if Jessica did not want to talk about Carl anymore, she changed the subject. “How are you recently? A friend of mine has helped me do some research on a few hospitals in Sydney. When the time comes, you can go there straight away…”
Jessica was busy, but she always had Summer in mind. Summer was hesitating at first whether to let Jessica know about her being followed by Leonardo’s men. At last, she still told her.
Hearing that, Jessica swore. “Is Leonardo a pervert? What does he want? It would have sounded more normal had he lifted you and brought you back. Why is he following you?”