“Mom” Leonard snapped. He finally figured out where Alyssia had p
I picked up her flair for drama.
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He thought in surprise, ‘My mom actually brought Charte here is a peaceful life too boring for her? She just had to stir up a storm?”
“Leon, I show up and find Charlie standing out in the hallway. He came to visit you out of pure kindness, and you shut him out? How could you do that?”
Beatrice scolded Leonard
She turned around, shooed Joseph away, and plopped herself right down next to Alyssia. “Sweetie, what happened? I heard you fainted Work’s important, but so is staying alive, you know?”
She Book Alyssia’s hand and frowned. “Oh my, why are your hands so cold?”
She then glanced over at Leonard.
Milena had already straightened her posture, not leaning against Leonard’s bed like she did earlier. She subtly shifted away from Leonard, keeping a polte distanc
Beatrice’s last visit and these harsh words she said to Milena were still fresh in Milena’s mind. Milena had learned to be cautious around this unpredictable, sharp tongued woman who had both power and the title of her “future mother–in–law”
Beatrice let out a low scent. “No wonder her hands are cold. Her heart’s probably frozen stiff by now.”
Leonard felt his mother was picking a fight for no reason. He cut in, “Mom…”
“Don’t call me that I sometimes really regret bringing you to the world,” Beatrice snapped.
She had initially givin Leonard some credit, thinking he’d finally come to his senses by putting Alyssia in the same room as him, so that they could patch things up
But then she walked in and saw him and Milena acting affectionately. It looked like they were rubbing salt in Alyssia’s wounds for fun.
“Charlie, sit down,” Beatrice said, still bitter but ready to fight dirty.
She flashed Charlie a warm smile. “Look how silly I was. Of course, you didn’t come here for Leon. Come on, sit with Aly. The poor girl’s been in the hospital alone. Thank goodness you came to check on her.”
Charle rarely got flustered, but Beatrice’s bold lies even made him blush a little,
After Alyssa fainted and Leonard dragged her away by force, Charlie was dying to check on her but wasn’t allowed in. Helpless, he had turned to Beatrice for help
But now, as Beatrice spun the truth without blinking, Charlie only felt embarrassed.
“You called my mother, didn’t you?” Leonard’s voice turned cold before Charlie could even sit down.
Leonard had made it very dear to his people that no one was to tell Beatrice what happened to Alyssia. Charlie was the only one who would’ve known and the only one who dared to call Beatrice for help,
In Leonard’s mind, Charlie would use any means possible to get close to Alyssia
Charlie gave a dry laugh and said directly. “Milena, Theard Archer’s deal with your Summer Haze Media has a bet clause. Did you set today!”
Alyssia looked up, thinking in surprise, Chile found it out too?”
the interview
Betrice and Leonard both turned to Milena at once Beatrice’s eyes were sharp and unyielding. She didn’t fully get what was going on yet, but her
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Chapter 34
expression already screamed hostility.
Leonard’s pare narrowed just
just slightly, but a cold haze swept through his eyes.
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Milena tensed so hard that she could barely get a word nat. “No. I mean, I don’t know. I’ve never been involved in the company’s business. Charlie, what interview I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Milena warned herself inwardly, Thave to play dumb. No choice. If anyone finds out I was behind the scenes, all the effort I put into being the perfect woman will go up in flames
“I’ve already taken 99 steps. I’m just one step away from being together with Leon, I can’t let it all crash now, Charlie doesn’t have proof. Archer and his team would never leak it.
“Besides, no one dares cross the Johnson family. Even if Leonard finds out about the bet between Archer and Summer Haze Media, that still doesn’t prove orchestrated the whole thing
Now that she’d made up her mind, Milena’s voice became more confident. “Charlie, what are you even talking about? Say it clearly. What exactly happened to Archer?”
Beatrice also turned to Charlie and urged, “Yeah, what happened? Spit it out” She couldn’t stand people who spoke in riddles.
“Damn it, Charlie’s half–assed accusations are doing nothing but making it obvious Milano’s done something shady. I’m still stuck playing guessing games. It’s driving me up the wall, Beatrice thought, her teeth grinding
But how was Charlie supposed to explain the whole thing? it involved Alyssia’s reputation, and honestly, he wasn’t even sure just how far things had
Still, he refused to let Milena off the hook. “That phone call I got was that you? You had someone tip me off about Alyssia’s incident and even gave me the exact location, Milena, what the hell were you trying to pull?”
Histone sharpened like a blade as he added, “Let me guess, you tipped Leonard off too? What was the plan, eh?
“Get us both to show up so we could watch her fall apart? Or did you screw it up, and you want me to clean up the mess?”
Charlie had been nearby when the doctor gave Leonard the results of Alyssia’s blood test, so he heard every word with his own cars.
He continued, “You planned that interview to ruin Alyssia, and you wanted Leonard to witness the whole damn thing. But things didn’t go how you expected, did they? She didn’t fall for it. So then what?
“You were scared the two of them might patch things up, so you rushed to tip me off, hoping rd come in and rescue her. Milena, you family’s expectation–devious to the bone.”
Cold sweat slid down Milena’s temple. She thought, “Damn, he nailed every single detail, Charlie actually pieced it all together.
really live up to your
“No wonder he’s Vanguard Media’s golden boy, the rightful heir to the entire empire. And this kind of man this brilliant, sharp, righteous man eyes for Alyssia. Alyssia of all people. What did she ever do to deserve that?”
Beatrice shot to her feet like she’d been lit on fine. “Milena, what the hell did you do? I want the full story now”
Even if some details w
Huzzy, Beatrice had already stitched together the truth behind the scenes, and she was seething.
once dropped with meriate “Don’t testine, pili swear I’ll teach you a lesson your other should we taught you years ago
only has
“Mrs. Huzera, I didn’t… I really didn’t.” Milena trembled, her eyes brimming with tears. “I don’t know anything, thonestly don’t. I’ll go back and look into it myself ‘ll prove I’m innocent.
1–like Leonard, but I know a decent person doesn’t trutch what belongs to someone else”
She wept like her heart was breaking: But seeing Beatrice still put on a long face, Milena switched tactics and lunged for Leonard’s arm
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Milena begged, “Leon, I didn’t do it. I swear on everything. You know exactly what kind of person Lam. Anyone else can doubt me, but not you. If you don’t believe me today, I’ll jump out that window”
“Jump then. Go on.” Beatrice pointed right at the window and shouted, “If you don’t feel like jumping. I don’t mind helping you out.”
Of course, Milena didn’t dare. She sobbed uncontrollably, trying to throw herself into Leonard’s arms. “Leon, you know me better than anyone. You know how hard I’ve tried to bring you and Alyssia back together.”
But Leonard brushed her off with a cold wave of his hand.
“I get to the bottom of this,” he said, his voice like stone. There wasn’t a flicker of warmth in his eyes.
thena’s heart plummeted. She wondered with fear, “What should I do? Leonard is really doubting me
“Are you serious? You’re gonna take Charlie’s word over mine?” she snapped, her voice rising with panic. “Leon, how could you believe him
nover me? –
Beatrice casually stepped aside and gestured toward the window. “Come on. Don’t just brag here.”