After Carl returned to his table, Stanley started to ask Summer with concern, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Mr. Jones means no harm.” Summer glanced over at Carl, who happened to glance at her too, his eyes filled with confusion and questions.
“That’s good. Let’s order something to eat.” Stanley did not harp on the issue again.
On the other hand, Carl constantly glanced at Summer while he had his meal. His mom suddenly said, “Do you know what you look like now, Tim?”
“What?” Carl replied absentmindedly.
His mom took a glimpse of Summer, then leaned close to Carl. “You look like a husband who’s caught his wife cheating.”
Carl turned to look at his mom for a few seconds, then solemnly said, “No, I am a friend of that husband.”
His mom was startled. After a long while, she asked, “She’s your friend’s wife?”
“Mhm.” When Carl thought of Leonardo, he sighed and shook his head. After thinking for a while, he took out his mobile phone to call Jessica and tell her that he had seen Summer. However, he had not figured out what happened to her yet. If he called Jessica now, it would only make Jessica a bundle of nerves. So, he thought better of it and decided to suss out what had happened to Summer first.
…
When Summer and Stanley finished their meals, Carl and the others were still having theirs.
They both went out to the parking lot, but once inside the car, Stanley said, “I think I’ve left my mobile phone in the restaurant. Give me a minute while I go back in to retrieve it.”
“Okay.” Summer suspected nothing. “Go, I’ll wait here.”
Stanley got out of the car and went around a corner to the back of the restaurant. Carl was lighting up a cigarette when Stanley approached him. Carl asked, “You smoke?”
“Thank you.” Stanley took the cigarette that Carl handed him.
Carl took a drag, then solemnly asked, “Who are you? How did you find Summer? Where did you hide her for the past three years?”
“Stanley.” He handed Carl a business card, and Carl took it. His eyes glanced over the words, “Psychotherapy Clinic” on the business card before he tucked it in his pants pocket.
“You haven’t answered my question.” Carl was not interested in what Stanley did for a living. He just wanted to know about Summer. For Leonardo and also Jessica, he needed to find out what had happened to Summer.
“I didn’t hide her. After she was severely injured in the explosion that happened a few years ago, she underwent no less than a few dozen surgeries and was in a coma for three years. She came out of her coma just recently but has lost her memory. I hope ‘friends’ like you will refrain from disturbing her. She hasn’t fully recovered yet.”
Stanley looked solemn, and he was insistent. After the incident, Leonardo was almost fully covered by the time he came back to the country. Carl never imagined that Summer would be injured so badly and be in a coma for three years.
“Summer grew up in Hoover City, and she has few friends. Since when did she come to know you?” Carl knew Stanley would not tell him, so he tried to sound him out instead.
“It has nothing to do with you, Mr. Jones, but I was the person who saved her. I have to be responsible for her health. You can all visit her but don’t disturb her and affect her health. If there is nothing else, I’ll leave now,” Stanley said very politely but also unyieldingly. His message was plain and simple: he saved Summer, and Carl as well as the others could see her but not say anything about the past with her.
It was utterly absurd. But…
Thinking of Leonardo’s current condition, Carl ran his fingers through his hair and kicked the wall in frustration. The next second, he held his leg up, jumping up and down in pain.
…
By the time Stanley returned to the car, Summer had almost dozed off. Hearing the opening and closing of the car door, she opened her eyes.
“You’re sleepy?” Stanley asked when he saw her opening her eyes.
“I feel better now.” Summer glanced at the mobile phone he threw to one side. “What took you so long?”
“I went to the gents.” Stanley looked entirely natural.
Summer nodded and looked hesitant.
“Feel free to say anything you want.” Stanley saw her expression, and the corner of his lips curled up in a smile.
Since Stanley said so, she plucked up her courage. “Do I really know Mr. Jones?”
“Maybe. What do you think?” Stanley asked as he started the car.
“You don’t know him?” Summer was a little surprised; she thought he knew Carl.
“I don’t know him and am not sure if you know him. Just like you said, we weren’t so close before this.”
Summer had been suspecting that they were not as close as a betrothed couple. Surprised that Stanley had read her mind, she sounded a little weirded out. “How… do you know that?”
“Because I’m looking at you through here, so I know what you’re thinking.”
He pointed at his heart as he spoke to her, but his eyes were not on her. Summer looked over and could only see the side of his face. Just then, Stanley suddenly turned his head around.
“If you feel touched, you can tell me directly.”
“I’m really touched.” Summer could not help but smile.
His lips curled up in a silent smile too.
…
Carl’s mind was restless after he went home, so he headed out and drove straight to find Leonardo in Emerson Corporation.
Leonardo was a workaholic. It did not matter if it was the weekdays or weekends, he would be in the office. If Carl wanted to see him, ambushing him at the entrance of the Emerson Corporation building was a sure way to find him. At about eight in the evening, Carl finally saw Leonardo emerging from the building.
“Leonardo!”
Carl called out as he ran toward him.
Seeing that it was Carl again, Leonardo frowned as he felt irritated. “It’s you again. What do you want? An investment in your company? I told you I’m not interested in Tip Top Entertainment.”
Three years ago, when Leonardo came out of his coma, he lost his memory, including that of Summer. It was the same as Summer’s current situation. Obviously, Carl, the poor proxy-CEO of Tip Top whom Leonardo had been unapologetically exploiting, was not even at the back of his mind.
“I’ve told you for the hundredth time that you are the actual owner of Tip Top Entertainment!” Carl had lost count of how many times he tried to tell Leonardo about it.