The discomfort went away as quickly as it came. When Summer looked back out of the window again, the black vehicle had driven off into the distance. She had noticed the unique license plate, which suggested that the owner was either rich or powerful, or probably both.
She thought of the man she had glimpsed earlier and recalled what he had said. Your aesthetic sense makes me wonder if you are my daughter.
Did she look ugly? How could a father talk to his daughter like that? That reserved and cool man sounded baleful. Few women could probably stand a man like him.
Thinking of that, Summer looked over at Stanley, who stayed focused behind the wheel. He seemed to be much better in comparison—he was steadfast and good-tempered.
“Why are you staring at me?” Stanley had noticed her stare from the corner of his eye.
“I think you’re a good man.” She smiled.
“Really?” Stanley never expected her to say that.
…
The car arrived in a beautiful neighborhood.
“I’ll drop you off first. I’ll park the car and come back to you.” While Stanley spoke, he leaned over to help her release the seatbelt buckle.
“I can do it myself.” Summer held up her arm in a defensive posture to stop him.
Stanley’s hand froze in the air. After a long while, he nodded. “All right.”
Feeling extremely uneasy, Summer undid the safety belt and got out of the car. She stood on the side of the road, looking on with her brows knitted together as Stanley parked his car.
Earlier, she thought her feelings for Stanley may not have been very deep in the past. But when Stanley leaned over to undo the seatbelt for her, she was resentful and subconsciously trying to protect herself. Sometimes, your body could be much quicker and more honest than your brain in reaction.
“Is something on your mind?”
Stanley’s voice brought Summer’s mind back to reality. She quickly looked up only to find that Stanley had parked his car and returned to her.
“Nothing in particular, just feeling a little too hot.” Summer raised her hand to her forehead. The weather was neither too hot nor cool.
Suspecting nothing, Stanley brought her into an apartment building. The neighborhood had a lush green landscape. The apartment buildings around there were seven or eight-story high and sparsely scattered around the vast, quiet neighborhood. Stanley opened the door, then stepped aside.
“Come in.”
Inside was a duplex unit, which was spacious and cozy. Except for a few pieces of furniture, there were no extra decorations, making the unit look bland. Summer walked in and saw that everything was still new. It was possible that no one had lived there before.
“What do you think?” Stanley followed her from behind, leaving a slight space between them. That way, he would not appear too distant or too close.
“Summer nodded and asked, “You’re not staying here?”
“Yeah.” Stanley approached a vast window that spanned from the floor to the ceiling and looked out at the greenery outside. His voice became brisk as he spoke. “It’s a perfect place for you to recover your strength.”
“Thank you.” Summer was touched.
Stanley smiled but said nothing. He walked to the TV, picked up the remote controller, and pointed it at the TV. “Do you know what this is?”
She nearly choked on her words. “… It’s a TV.”
She just could not recall her past. It was not to the point where she could not recognize everyday objects.
“I’m just kidding. Please don’t be angry.” He wore a bigger smile this time. Switching on the TV and flipping through the channels, he happened to stumble upon a business news channel.
“This morning, Emerson Corporation’s president, Leonardo…”
Stanley suddenly became hesitant about whether to switch the channel. He looked over at Summer, who was looking at the TV screen in surprise. The TV was showing Leonardo attending a business function. He was wearing a meticulously-pressed black business suit, and the confidence displayed on his face as well as his every move made him a natural leader. Seeing her expression, Stanley gingerly placed the remote on the cabinet as if he did not want to startle her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’ve seen him before, at the traffic light on the way here. He was inside the car next to us.” When Summer recalled the eyes she saw, she shivered inside. But she still could not help but look at the TV screen. An unexplained urge made her want to look at him. He looked better in person than on the TV.
“Oh.” Stanley sounded absentminded.
By then, the TV was showing another person.
“He has a very adorable daughter!” When she thought of the little one calling her “pretty girl”, a sweet smile unwittingly spread across her face. The man who was known as Leonardo called the little girl “Rosie” or something. Could it be Rosie? That father seemed to have given his daughter a random name—if that was her name in the first place.
“The news recently reported that Leonardo has a three-year-old daughter, but it has yet to be confirmed whether the news is true.” While Stanley spoke, he carefully observed Summer’s reaction.
However, aside from confusion and curiosity, there was no other emotion on her face. Had she really forgotten everything?
“Why does the media pay so much attention to him? What is his family doing?” The brief news report did not reveal much to her.
“The Emersons are the wealthiest people, and they have more money than they can possibly spend.”
“They’re that rich?” Summer was wide-eyed.
“Yeah.” Stanley had seemingly found something interesting. He continued to talk to her about the Emersons and Leonardo while she listened with fascination. Other than surprise and curiosity, there were no other emotions on her face. People said that those who hurt their heads in accidents could lose their memory. Now he could not believe that he was witnessing it right before his eyes.
“You say he has a fiancée? He’s not married, but he has a daughter; I’ve heard it with my own ears!” Summer shook her head in disgust. “It sounds like his private life is quite interesting.”
Stanley put his hand to his lips as he cleared his throat to conceal his laughter. “We mustn’t talk about it openly…”
“I know. Rich and powerful people like Leonardo definitely want to keep their private lives away from prying eyes. I will definitely not talk about it in the open. Besides, who else can I talk to other than you?” Summer suddenly felt a little sad. Other than Stanley, she did not seem to know anyone else.