Rosie gave the mobile phone to Summer as she was told.
Summer took over the phone and put it to her ear. “Hello, Mr. Emerson.” She then realized she had inadvertently revealed the fact that she knew who he was.
Leonardo did not seem to be surprised. “Miss, could you tell me the address so that I can go and collect her?”
His voice sounded steady, and it had a sense of command as well as control. Summer found herself obliging. “Okay.”
As soon as her voice trailed off, Leonardo hung up. She was stupefied. Should he not say goodbye to Rosie first? Why did he hang up just like that?
…
In Emerson Corporation.
A secretary carried a stack of files into the president’s office. Leonardo had just ended the call, and he was grabbing his jacket as he was ready to go out. The secretary quickly said cautiously, “Mr. President, there is an important meeting in ten minutes.”
“Postpone it.” Leonardo did not look at him but headed straight out the door.
Since the president wanted to postpone it, the secretary could not have said no. The secretary followed him out of the room and asked, “Postpone it to what time, Mr. President?”
“Until I come back.” Leonardo stopped in his tracks and glanced at the secretary sideways. His brows were knitted together as he was about to lose his patience. He was not satisfied with the current bunch of secretaries and assistants.
The secretary got the message and kept his mouth shut. He dared not even breathe. As Leonardo made his way, the driver followed.
“You don’t have to follow me, I’ll drive,” Leonardo said faintly.
“But Young Mistress said…”
“Who do you work for? Her or me?” Leonardo turned his head around and squinted at the driver. “You take money from me yet listen to others?”
Sensing that Leonardo was not too happy, the driver quickly explained, “No, Mr. President. It’s not like that…”
Leonardo was in no mood to listen to the driver. He shoved him aside and got into the car. He made a telephone call to Kate as he started the engine. He did not ask the woman why she was with Rosie earlier. He had figured out why, even without asking.
Kate answered the phone quickly with a slightly displeased voice. “Leonardo, I was just thinking about calling you. The meeting will begin soon. Where are you?”
Kate had joined Emerson Corporation since Leonardo came out of his coma three years ago. But in a time like this, Leonardo could not have cared less about the meeting. He was known as a workaholic, but choosing between work and his daughter, he knew which was more important to him.
“Don’t let me see Amber coming to the Emerson residence again. I’m telling you now because I respect you. I don’t want to see her at our house again. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Kate was struck dumb by what Leonardo said. Why did he call and tell her that?
“What are you talking about, Leonardo? I’m asking you where you are? The meeting—”
Leonardo could not care less about Kate’s question. He hung up on her. As traffic was piling up ahead, a delay was expected. Taking out his mobile phone, he called the woman.
…
Summer and Rosie had been waiting in the restaurant for quite some time, yet Leonardo had yet to arrive. Just as she begin to wonder why, she received his call.
“I’m on my way but there’s a traffic jam. I’m sorry to make you wait. If you aren’t free, you can send her to the police station.”
The man’s voice was calm—so calm that it did not sound like a father who was looking for his daughter. “I’m free,” Summer said sulkily.
How could he ask her to send a child this little to the police station? After hanging up, she brought Rosie out of the restaurant. Kids were born active; they needed to move around. When Leonardo finally arrived after a long while, Summer had brought Rosie to a nearby public park.
While she and Rosie were squatting on the ground, watching the ants moving house, the low voice of a man came from behind them. “Rosie.”
Rosie was too occupied with the bugs and did not hear him. It was Summer who looked back. She saw a tall man walking toward them, his eyes on the little girl beside her.
After shopping with Jessica and having dinner with Rosie, by the time she saw Leonardo arriving, it was already nightfall. The streetlamps had lit up by then. The man’s stern and frosty face looked surprisingly gentle under the streetlight. Coupled with his good looks, he was even more pleasing to the eyes. Summer was rooted to the spot, gaping at Leonardo.
Leonardo approached them and leaned forward, reaching out to lift Rosie from the ground.
Rosie seemed to be confused for a while. After she made out the man’s face, she was overjoyed. “Leonardo!”
Summer’s pursed lips curled up in a smile.
Leonardo squinted at Rosie. “It’s Daddy.” His voice was unfriendly.
Rosie wittily kissed him on the face and said, “Daddy!”
A hint of gentleness then flashed across Leonardo’s face.
He wondered where Rosie got the gene from; she liked to provoke him by calling him by his name. When he pulled a face, she would quickly change her tone of voice and address him as “Daddy”. One thing he was sure, though, was that Rosie inherited the attitude from neither him nor Amber.
He patted her on the head, his eyes scanning her a couple of times. After he made sure that she was all right, he turned to look at the woman who had been quiet all this while.
The first glance was special; the woman felt familiar to him. Yet, he could not remember where he had seen her before.
Summer was unnerved by his staring. “Since you’re here, I’ll leave now.”
However, she did not move. Not that she did not want to, but it was because Leonardo had said nothing; she dared not leave just yet. She did not know why she feared the man, who was merely a stranger to her. But that was the signal her brain was giving her. She could not leave before Leonardo said so.
“Thank you for taking care of Rosie. What can I do to repay your kindness?”
Leonardo finally spoke, but looking at his emotionless face, Summer could not feel a hint of gratitude in him. So, she shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. Whoever witnesses a situation like this would have done the same. Keep an eye on the child next time.”