Summer’s eyes were half-open as she looked at the child. They said all newborns were ugly because of the wrinkled skin. But the way she looked at it, her daughter was not ugly at all.
The doctor could not help but say, “She is a pretty girl.”
Summer pursed her lips in a smile. She was too exhausted to open her eyes.
…
When she woke up later, it was late at night, but the room was brightly lit.
Douglas had been accompanying her in the room all the time. Seeing her waking up, he quickly came to the bedside. “Summer, you’ve finally woken up!”
She said nothing and just stared at him.
Douglas creased his brow. “Leonardo has not answered.”
Summer’s expression collapsed.
“Mrs. Emerson, do you want to have some water?” a maid came up and said.
She nodded. After taking a couple of sips, she looked around the room but did not find the child. She turned to look at the maid. “Where is the child?”
“She was crying just now, and we are afraid that it would wake you up, so we have carried her to the outside,” said the maid.
“Bring her back in,” Summer said with a frown.
“Aye.”
Not long after, the maid came back in with the child. Summer leaned on the headboard and took the child in her arms.
The child was asleep. Her face was scrunched up and just the size of Summer’s hand. It seemed like the child looked different from the one she had first seen. Summer carefully studied the face of the child. The longer she looked, the more she thought her child did not look like her or Leonardo. After a long while, she put down the child; her face pale.
“This is not my child!”
“Summer, what are you talking about?” Douglas came over and took a glimpse at the child. Did all newborns not look like this?
Just then, there was an audible commotion outside. “Where have you taken my child? I will sue all of you! I will not let you all off just like that!”
Summer instructed the maid, “Go and check it out.”
As the maid opened the door, the voice of the same woman rose again. She was complaining that her child was missing.
Summer glanced at the child sleeping on the bed and saw a name tag with a name on the baby’s clothes.
“Douglas, let the woman come in.” Summer reached out to touch the name tag.
Douglas sensed Summer’s abnormal behavior and was worried. But he still said, “Okay.”
When the woman came in, Summer asked, “What is your child’s name?”
The woman told her the name, which was exactly the same name on the tag. Summer’s voice started to tremble. “Take a look if this is your child.”
The woman came over. Seeing the child, she cried as she smiled. “Yes, this is my child. I recognize the black birthmark on the sole.” While she spoke, she showed Summer the baby’s sole.
Even if the woman did not tell her about the birthmark, she already knew this was not her child. She would not have mistaken it even though she had just seen her child once.
“Summer, could you have gotten it wrong?” Douglas asked as the woman took the child away.
Summer asked back, “You couldn’t contact Leonardo, could you?”
He hesitated for a while, then nodded.
Summer started to laugh. Her laughter got louder and dreary. At last, tears rolled down her cheeks. Was this why he asked if she trusted him? His men were all around her. Now her child was missing, and he was not answering the phone. Who could have taken the child away other than Leonardo?
“Summer, please…” Douglas did not know what to say to her.
A maid said, “Mrs. Emerson, please take care of yourself. You’ve just given birth.”
“Don’t call me Mrs. Emerson. I find it disgusting!” Summer covered her ears and screamed.
Just then, the door was pushed open from the outside. Summer looked up, saw the familiar figure, and was rooted to the spot. Their eyes met, but no one said a word.
Douglas turned around and called out excitedly, “Leonardo!”
“I was just wondering why I couldn’t get through to your phone. Looks like you’re here in Sydney.” While he spoke, he walked over to Leonardo.
Leonardo did not look at him. Instead, he walked over to Summer’s bed. Her face was pale, and her hair was a mess. There were even tears in her eyes. She was a real sight.
Leonardo sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch Summer’s face. However, his hand was slapped away.
“You’re despicable! I will never trust you again!”
“Summer, what are you talking about?” Leonardo’s expression turned grave.
“Who are you trying to bluff now? Where is my child? Give me back my child!” Summer grabbed his clothes and demanded. She had lost her senses.
“What happened?” Leonardo looked back at Douglas.
Douglas glanced at Summer, then said, “When Summer woke up, she said she wanted to see the child. When the maid brought the child to her, she said the child was not hers and let a woman take the child away.”
Leonardo’s expression could never be grimmer now. He summoned Tim with his low voice. Tim had been following him, but he had remained silent the entire time, so no one had noticed him just now.
Tim got the message; Leonardo wanted him to investigate the matter. He went off at once.
Leonardo looked at Summer, his expression grim with a hint of hatred. He reached to stroke her hair and said, “I will find our child and bring her back. You get some rest.”
Summer flung his hand away and slapped him on the face. “I would have respected you as a man had you admitted to taking away the child.”
Douglas and the maids were wide-eyed when they saw what happened.
Summer had used all of her might when she slapped Leonardo. His head was flung to one side with a slap mark on his face. Leonardo did not move but spoke with a cold and calm voice.
“Leave us alone,” he told the others.
“Leonardo.” Douglas still stood on the spot as he was worried about them.
Leonardo did not even look at him, so Douglas had no choice but to walk out the room.
There were only Summer and Leonardo in the room. They had not seen each other for over half a year. When they finally met, it ended up in a bad way.
Leonardo finally turned to look at her. Seeing her pale face, he could not help but say gently, “You take a good rest. We will talk about it later when you regain your strength.”