After Summer’s voice trailed off, the atmosphere in the room plunged into silence. They stood face-to-face, looking into each other eyes, neither of them backing off.
After a long while, Leonardo let out a soft sigh, his voice containing a rare sense of tiredness.
“They’re wary about me, and I can’t let you take the risk.”
He had been investigating his mother’s case for years but not found anything yet. Just when he thought he had discovered a lead, it would vanish again. He used to think he was just paranoid and that their kidnapping was just an accident until misfortune fell on Grandpa Emerson.
Grandpa Emerson had met him before the incident, telling him that after the new year celebration, he was going to tell him what he wanted to know. However, Grandpa Emerson did not get to enjoy his New Year. On the morning of the first day of New Year, he fell down the stairs. When he finally regained his consciousness, he had lost his memories and sanity. After that, Summer was framed for trying to kill Grandpa Emerson.
These were all warnings that someone from the Emerson family was sending him. Someone did not want him to find out the truth behind his mother’s case. So, the culprit used those who were close to him to threaten him.
Summer shook her head. “Can I stay out of this even if I don’t take the risk?” After that, she added, “You know better than me why this has happened to Grandpa. Even if I do nothing, they will not let me alone. The only thing that I don’t understand is why are they going out of their way to bring you down.”
Summer had also been pondering about the same things for the past few days. She had suspected Michael and Violet when the accident happened to Grandpa Emerson. On the night of New Year’s Eve, she saw them sneaking into a room, and after Grandpa Emerson met the accident, she was framed for it. Everything seemed to be deliberate.
She did not know why they wanted to do that or what Leonardo had been keeping from her. It was not until after Rosie went missing did she figure something out. They were threatening and trying to contain Leonardo. They wanted Leonardo to toe the line.
Summer then looked up at Leonardo. How she wished he would tell her what was actually happening, even if it was just a bit.
Yet, Leonardo changed the subject. “I’m hungry.”
“Then you should go and get something to eat.” She stepped aside, signaling him to leave.
He did not leave but sat down on the sofa. “I don’t know how to cook.”
“You can always dine out.” Summer stood her ground.
“Outside food sucks.” His expression appeared normal, but his voice was rascally.
Summer walked up to him. “So you’re not going to leave, are you?”
He leaned back leisurely and said, “We’re legally married.”
If it had not been for the sake of getting Rosie a household registration, she would not have been in a hurry to register her marriage with Leonardo. She thought she would feel better after registering Rosie in the household register. She may have only seen Rosie once, but she wanted Rosie to know that her dad and mom loved her.
In the end, Summer did not manage to send Leonardo away and just glared at him. “Wait here.”
After Summer disappeared into the kitchen, Leonardo started to study the house.
A simple one-bedroom unit, the place was clean and neat with little furniture. It looked even more lifeless than his apartment unit, but it was filled with Summer’s scent.
He closed his eyes, leaning back on the sofa and dozing off. Summer came out once she was done cooking, and seeing Leonardo dozing off, she was hesitant about waking him up. Nevertheless, she still did, giving him a push.
He opened his eyes, still in a stupor. Just as she was about to pull her hand back, he suddenly held it and pulled her toward him. She lost her balance and fell forward into his arms against a wall of muscles. It hurt, and a hint of anger rose on her face as she snapped, “Leonardo!”
He did not seem to hear her as his other hand quickly curled around her waist to hold her tightly in place. He felt her flagrant, soft body, which was as tender as a pool of water. He buried his head in her neck, smelling her.
“I dreamed of you every night when I slept alone in the apartment. I would think that I was hugging you in my arms, but when I woke up, my arms would be empty. There wasn’t even a hint of your scent. How could you be so heartless to burn my mansion to the ground…” Had the mansion been still there, he could at least find her scent.
Summer did not expect him to say that; she was stunned. She then tried to get away but found herself stuck. Leonardo had to be born in the Year of the Ox, otherwise, where did he get such strength from?
But then, her anger flared when he mentioned the fire in the mansion.
“I was heartless? If so, I wouldn’t have taken the fountain pen with me. I should have let it burn in the fire!”
“Yet, you didn’t.” Leonardo’s tone of voice changed. “You couldn’t bear to do that.”
She was startled. She did not want to continue the subject. “Let me go, or else don’t step into my house again.”
Her threat seemed to work as his hand on her waist loosened. She took the opportunity and got up, but Leonardo held her head and descended upon her with his kisses.
Leonardo had not been so intimate with Summer since the time she left him. During their one month together in Sydney, Rosie went missing, and Summer was in pieces. He had been trying his best to take care of her and make her feel better, hence he had not been in the mood for s*x or things like that.
His kisses were just like his personality; they were unbridled and overpowering. It felt as if he was going to swallow her alive. He pried open her mouth with his tongue, like an army attacking a city. He wanted to occupy her.
Men had a natural talent in that aspect. He cuffed her hands with one hand and held the back of her neck with the other. He would not give her the slightest chance to escape. She was under his control. By the time she realized it, she and Leonardo had swapped positions. She was almost naked, lying on her back on the sofa.