Summer covered her face and wept, quietly observing Michael’s reaction from the corner of her eyes.
She noticed a tinge of exasperation in Michael’s eyes.
However, the very next moment, Michael still comforted her with a gentle voice. “I’ll talk to Leonardo about this, don’t be too sad.”
Summer wiped her tears away with a tissue and gratefully said, “Thank you, Uncle Emerson.”
Michael smiled and said nothing else.
…
When Summer and Michael came out of the cafe, both of them saw Leonardo.
Leonardo rushed over in a hurry and looked rather nervous.
When he saw Summer, his gaze remained on her for a few seconds. While there were not many changes in his expression, Summer could still feel that he seemed relieved.
She had no idea if it was because they had lived together for a long time that they had a seemingly bizarre mutual understanding.
Even if he said nothing, she could still understand what he was trying to express.
But soon, she noticed that Leonardo’s temperament slowly turned cold again.
His gaze swept past Summer’s face, and his eyes were cold.
Summer recalled that she was crying earlier, and her eyes were probably swollen red now.
Before Leonardo could say anything, she stepped forward and gave him a brutal slap across the face.
*Slap!!!*
The sound of the slap was loud and clear.
Tim, who was right behind Leonardo, stared at Summer in shock.
Surprise also flashed across the eyes of Michael, who was right beside Summer.
Leonardo appeared to be stunned by the slap, and he only regained his wits after a few seconds as he stared daggers at Summer. “You dare hit me?”
“Why wouldn’t I? You took my daughter away, you inhuman piece of sh*t!” Hatred once again welled up in Summer’s eyes, and she wished that she could slap him across the face another time.
Leonardo’s eyes flickered, but soon, he lowered his gaze, hiding away the emotions in his eyes. With a cold voice, he said, “She’s my daughter. I’ll take her away as I wish. Do I even need your permission?”
As he said that, his lips curled, and he spat coldly, “Tim.”
Tim acknowledged and waved at the bodyguard behind him. The latter immediately stepped forward and grabbed Summer.
At that moment, Michael who had been silent the whole time finally spoke. “Leonardo, Summer is still the mother of your child after everything is said and done. She only lost control of her emotions just because she was worried about her child. Get your man to stand down.”
Leonardo snorted coldly with a mocking smile. “Let her go.”
Seeing this, Michael nodded at Summer. “You head back first.”
“Thank you, Uncle Emerson. Goodbye,” Summer said gratefully as she turned and left.
Leonardo did not even look at Summer, only turning to Michael. “I have something to discuss with you.”
“Let’s talk in the car, then,” Michael said and entered the car first.
Only then did Leonardo glance in the direction that Summer left in as Michael turned around.
When he heard the sound of the door closing, Leonardo finally got into Michael’s car.
Michael asked him aloud, “Where did you hide the child? Summer is the girl’s mother, after all. Letting her see her child is not too much to ask, no?”
Leonardo sneered. “I did not take the child away, and even if I did, I won’t let her see the child. From the beginning, I married her just to investigate Mom’s kidnapping.”
The moment Michael heard that, he looked on with a puzzled expression. “Then who can actually take the girl away under your own eyes?”
“Back then, didn’t that group of kidnappers take me and mother away under your eyes?” Leonardo’s lips continued to curl, but there was no smile on his face.
“You’re suspecting me,” Michael said it like it was.
He seemed to sigh before he softly said, “Leonardo, I know you’ve been holding a grudge since that incident, but it was an accident; why must you keep investigating it, and what good will come out of it? Aren’t you doing well now? The Emerson family is now in your hands, and with you managing it so well, the family is at peace. Isn’t that all good?”
Leonardo had long gotten accustomed to such platitudes, and he ignored Michael.
Michael was not miffed and still went on patiently, “The matter has long passed, don’t investigate it anymore. That is what’s best for everyone. We all need to look ahead, then maybe your daughter can be found soon enough.”
The last sentence was obviously threatening.
Leonardo clenched his hands as his whole body tensed up, but he still said nothing.
Michael’s meeting with Summer today was nothing more than an attempt to gauge how much she knew about the Emerson family…
And gauge her relationship with Leonardo.
If it was possible, Michael would not let go of someone he could use as he pleased.
Seeing that Leonardo was silent, Michael thought that the former had listened to his advice.
Michael continued to say with a pained heart, “You and Summer are also separated now. The Emerson family cannot do without a mistress of the house. You can bring anyone you fancy back, otherwise, I can get someone to scout around for you—”
“There’s no need.” Leonardo coldly interrupted him. “Just mind your own business.”
After Leonardo finished speaking, he opened the door and got off the car.
Michael sat in the car as he watched Leonardo get into his own car. A trace of elation appeared on his face as he laughed.
…
Leonardo returned to his car and loosened his tie before he violently smashed his fist against the car window, creating a loud bang.
Tim who was in the driver’s seat was taken aback and rather thankful that the car had been fitted with bulletproof glass, or else it would not have survived that brutal blow.
Leonardo smashed the car window too as he leaned back and hissed three bitter words between his teeth, “That old fox!”
Tim knew that he was cursing Michael.
Now it was pretty much certain that Rosie had been taken away by Michael’s men.
He deliberately withdrew money from Adams’s account to let Leonardo know that it was his doing.
However, Leonardo knew that he could not do anything to him even if he found out about it… because Rosie was in his hands.
So, Leonardo could just passively react to whatever Michael did.
Besides, Michael’s intentions were very clear; as long as Leonardo gave up on investigating his mother’s case, he would return Rosie to him, or else…
Tim sighed slightly. He knew far too little about the Emerson family.
However, what just happened was perhaps merely the tip of the iceberg.
He knew that Leonardo had been investigating his mother’s case for many years now, how could he give up so easily?