After Carl finished, Leonardo said indifferently, “Are you done yet?”
He wanted to leave, but Carl followed him. “Leonardo, please let me finish. Don’t go away every time I try to explain.”
“My time is precious. I don’t want to waste time on things like this.” Leonardo moved to his car as he spoke. As he reached his car, he turned to look at Carl. “Are you intending to follow me to the Emerson residence?”
Carl inhaled in frustration and finally blurted out, “Are you f*cking bewitched or something?”
Ignoring him, Leonardo turned to instruct his bodyguard. “Put this man on Emerson Corporation’s blacklist next time,” he said emotionlessly before he got into the car.
As his car left, Carl stomped his feet angrily. “Leonardo!”
Sometimes, he wondered if Leonardo did not lose his memory but was bewitched instead. Leonardo was ill-tempered, that was for sure. Nevertheless, he was at least circumspect previously. This time, he would not even listen to anyone.
The sound of the opening and the closing of a car was heard behind him, followed by the click-clack of high heels.
Carl looked back and saw the face of Kate, who appeared just as disgusted as Leonardo. With her arms crossed, Kate looked at him haughtily and sneered, “It’s you again.”
Carl’s face darkened. “Kate, what have you done to Leonardo?”
“Ridiculous! Leonardo is my younger brother. What could I have done to him? He lost his memory because he suffered a head injury. It’s been three years, and he has remembered nothing. It’s fate. Don’t come here and see him again.” After Kate warned him, she hissed and turned back to her car.
She had seen Carl and Leonardo earlier when she was about to drive off. She sat in the car, waiting for Leonardo to leave before getting out to talk to Carl, who had been very persistent. Leonardo had not recalled who Carl was for the past three years, yet he still found every way to approach Leonardo. However, what use was it? Leonardo would never remember these people.
Thinking of it, a smile spread across Kate’s face before she drove off.
…
Inside the car, Leonardo leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to have some shut-eye. After a while, he suddenly opened his eyes and asked the chauffeur, “How many times had Carl ambushed me in front of the company?”
“About a dozen times.” The chauffeur was not so sure and could only give an estimate.
Leonardo said nothing. When they arrived in front of the Emerson residence, the chauffeur spoke. “Young Master, we have arrived.”
As soon as the car came to a halt, the bodyguards standing at the entrance came out to open the car door for Leonardo. Stepping through the main doorway of the living room, he heard a child speaking rapidly.
“This… not right… I… Big castle…” The little girl’s voice was full of energy.
Leonardo entered the living room and saw Rosie sitting on the floor, surrounded by a circle of maids. They were playing a castle game with her.
She was mumbling something rapidly in her mouth, but no one understood what she was saying. Just then, Amber took a plate of fruits and went up to her.
“Rosie, would you like to eat some fruits?”
“I don’t want to.” Rosie spoke clearly, looking down as she was busy building her castle.
Amber looked quite unhappy. She pointed at the toy castle in front of Rosie and ordered the maid, “Keep this thing.” She squatted down to sweep Rosie up in her arms and then put her on the sofa.
When Rosie tried to get away, Amber’s face darkened. “Sit down!”
Rosie froze, and her eyes began to well up as she pouted with her arms crossed and turned away. Just then, she saw Leonardo. Her eyes immediately brightened up, and she broke into a smile. She swung her legs a couple of times before she agilely jumped down from the sofa and ran toward him. “Leonardo!” she called out.
Rosie had just celebrated her third birthday not long ago, and her communication ability was a little better than her peers. Despite that, every time she pronounced Leonardo’s name, she could not get it right.
Leonardo’s face was as stone-cold as ever, but there was a hint of tenderness when he looked at Rosie. He crouched down and caught the little one, who ran toward him, with open arms. Rosie wrapped her arms around his neck and habitually reached up to fiddle with his hair. It had been a habit of hers since she was very little, but she would not do it too roughly. She just found it kind of fun.
Amber did not notice that Leonardo was back. She only realized it when he carried Rosie and walked in her direction. “Leonardo, you’re back.”
Leonardo glanced at her, his expression no different from the way he looked at the maids and strangers.
Still with Rosie in his arms, he sat down on the sofa and let Rosie sit facing him on his lap. With a matter-of-fact look, he started to teach her. “Say ‘Daddy’.”
“Daddy,” Rosie emulated him.
Leonardo responded with an “Mhm” as he patted her on the head. The next moment, however, Rosie called out, “Leonardo!” Her eyes were still a little red as she sat on his lap and smiled triumphantly.
Something seemed to flash across Leonardo’s mind, but he could not tell what it was.
With Leonardo staring at her, Rosie thought he was angry, so she held onto his hands and got down from his lap. Fearing that she might fall, Leonardo gave her a hand as she climbed down. But Rosie did not notice his gesture. She ran away as soon as she got down on the floor, and two very conscientious maids ran after her.
Leonardo’s eyes were fixated on Rosie until she disappeared from his field of vision. Every time Rosie thought she had angered him, she would escape to her hole to hide.
Amber saw Leonardo’s expression and took it all in, looking pretty unhappy. However, she quickly regained her composure and acted as if nothing had happened, trying to remain gentle.
“Leonardo, have you had your dinner?”
Leonardo could not have cared less about her. His voice was cold as he spoke. “Don’t come here looking for Rosie again since you have no clue on how to take care of her.”