Leo placed the papers on top of his knees before flipping through them with the tips of his fingers. His gaze was lowered, and he wore a serious look on his face. After he finished the last page, he flipped it over and sat in silence for a long while. He pressed his palm against the last page and remained still for a long time. The content and details of the file were extremely thorough, and it documented Amelieâs primary school life up until her university days. Everything was written clearly, yet there didnât seem to have anything that stuck out for Leo. He flipped through the pages once more with an enigmatic look on his stone-cold face.He felt a strong sense of familiarity after spending all his recent time with Amelie.
He felt like he had known her even before their four-year marriage. Yet, none of this was mentioned in the file. He didnât question Victorâs professional abilities, and he trusted Victor immensely. Does that mean I was the one who was overthinking it?â¦The next day, Amelie went to pick Bria up at 5.00PM sharp. She could see Bria being led out by someone else, even from a distance away. The girl seemed especially happy that day, and she skipped over to Amelie, revealing her fair legs under her princess dress. Her braids swung around in the air as she lifted her small face to beam and spoke to the person holding her hand.Amelie followed Briaâs gaze and shifted her attention to the person holding Briaâs hands, and she saw a man, who was dressed in a dark green coat. The man had a same-colored scarf dangling around his neck. His figure was lanky, and he was dressed stylishly. The white shirt under the manâs dark coat seemed especially eye-catching due to the contrast in colors.Leoâs hard expression seemed softer than usual. Didnât he just see Bria yesterday? Why is he here again today? Amelie was confused. It was a one-hour drive from Halport to Clouson City, and it was troublesome for one to travel between the two places. Furthermore, Leo was a busy man with a lot of other important matters to handle.âMommy!â Bria and Leo walked up to Amelie while she was still immersed in her thoughts.
Briaâs sweet and loud voice sounded in Amelieâs ears, and the young girl swung her fatherâs arm back and forth as she greeted her mother. âDaddyâs here to pick us up,â she uttered before flashing a wide grin that showed her baby teeth. The little girl made it sound as if Leo was there for both Amelie and herself.Amelie remained calm as she pulled Bria closer to her. âYouâre a busy man, Mr. Alston. You donât have to come over every day,â she uttered in a polite tone. The man frowned at her words. âWell, Briaâs my daughter, and I want to make time for her. I donât see an issue with that.â He stuck his hands into his pants as he spoke coldly.His words⦠Why does he sound like heâs trying to pick a fight?
Amelie was too stunned to speak for a moment, so she had no choice but to remain silent. âMommy, letâs have dinner with Daddy again today.â Bria held onto Amelieâs hand while looking at her. The girl was petite, so she had to stick her head up just to meet Amelieâs gaze. Dinner had been wonderful the night before, and she was still yearning for more time with her parents.Naturally, Amelie disagreed with that idea. âYour dadâs busy. We shouldnât take up too much of his time.ââI came all the way here, anyway. I donât mind having a meal,â Leo added right after she finished her words. She was speechless after that. She couldnât help but give him a long stare. She felt like he had been acting differently in recent days. He used to be so eager to get away from me. Why is he suggesting that we have a meal together now? Did he injure his head or something? Is he getting pre-wedding jitters because of his upcoming marriage?Amelie was certain that he was about to get married ever since she found out about Carol. Based on Amelieâs knowledge, people who had pre-wedding jitters would act in ways that were out of their norm. This is the second time heâs getting married. Why is he still so nervous?âBut Iâve already prepared food at home.â Regardless of what Leoâs issue was, she had no interest in sharing another meal with him. She had to take up a lot more chores since Steven wasnât around, and she was in charge of cooking. Phew. Iâm glad I have this as an excuse, Amelie thought to herself.âWhy donât we invite him for dinner at home, then?â Bria suggested. Amelie was speechless after that. It seems like this young lady has forgotten whose side sheâs on ever since Leo pampered her a little. The little girl was worried that her mother would reject her suggestion again, so she tugged Amelieâs sleeve. âPlease say yes, Mommy. Daddy traveled all the way here, and he must be hungry. Itâd be so sad if he didnât get to have a meal with us.â She was a sneaky but smart little girlâshe knew how to widen her eyes and purse her lips when she wanted something. She knew that others wouldnât reject her when she looked both adorable and pitiful at the same time. Amelie parted her lips to speak, but she couldnât bring herself to reject Bria. âI donât mind skipping a meal if you donât have enough food for three. I just want to spend time with Bria since sheâs so fond of me.â Leo, who had been silent, finally spoke up for himself. Amelie was speechlessâshe had intended to use the lack of food as her next excuse, but his words left her stuck in a corner.âFine.â She had no choice but to nod in agreement. âHowever, Iâm not good at cooking, so Iâm not sure if youâll appreciate the food I make.â Her words were directed toward Leo. She was referring to how he had always rejected her food when she prepared meals for him back in Alston Residence.He didnât respond to her words. He simply walked over to Briaâs other side before reaching for the girlâs unoccupied hand. âLetâs go.â Amelie blushed as she watched the both of them.
Leo was holding onto Briaâs left hand while she was holding onto Briaâs right. They looked like a perfect little family. Isnât Leo worried that this might look bad for him? she thought.âLetâs go, Mommy.â Bria swung her arm to urge her mother to hurry. Both Bria and Leo were already walking ahead of Amelie.
However, when Amelie looked at the back of Leoâs head, she realized he didnât seem to see any issue with the way they were holding Briaâs hands. He seemed comfortable with the arrangement. Ultimately, she gave in to Briaâs urges and hurried after her daughter and the man.She made sure to walk slightly behind the father-daughter pair, and she kept a larger distance between herself and Bria so that she could be farther away from Leo as well. Briaâs kindergarten was just two streets away from Amelieâs house. Leo didnât drive his carâthe three of them simply walked back home together. Bria greeted her friends whenever she walked past them. âHey, Lexie! This is my dad. Hey, Jordy! Meet my dad!â Bria seemed as if she wanted to tell the whole world that she had a father.The students were part of the team who went to the nursing home, so they had met Leo in the past. Amelie figured it wouldnât be awkward for them to know of Leo as Briaâs father. What embarrassed her the most was how Bria insisted on introducing her father to every single store they had passed by on the way back to their house. The exasperation was written all over Amelieâs face as she walked with the father-daughter pair.The store owners seemed excited to meet Leo. âOh, so youâre Briaâs father. What a handsome man!â Some of them stuck their thumbs up as they genuinely found Leo good-looking. Amelie hastened her footsteps and covered half of her face with her hand. Once they got home, Leo reached out to get himself a pair of indoor slippers. He had gotten comfortable with the place since he had visited Bria frequently while Bria was injured. Back then, Amelie had prepared a pair of indoor slippers for him.Once he was done putting on his slippers, he helped Bria with her shoes. Briaâs tiny figure rested against his body as she pressed her small palms against his shoulder. Leo didnât seem to mind thisâ
he used his bony and slender fingers to remove her princess shoes before putting on a pair of indoor slippers for her. His actions were calm and steady. Even though he was helping someone else to put on their shoes, he still managed to act in a classy and elegant manner.After Bria was done putting her slippers on, she ran off into the living hall. Amelie had bought a relatively large house, and there were a lot of vintage items lying around. Even though her house wasnât as large as Alston Residence, it didnât seem too shabby or tight either. Amelie had prepared their meal before she left the house, so there were already dishes on the table. There were only two plates of vegetables and a soup, which werenât enough for the three of them. I canât just let Leo sit around without eating, right?Amelie let out a loud sigh before she gave up and walked into the kitchen. She opened her fridge and pulled out some chicken breast, some ginger, and some fresh vegetables. After washing the vegetables, she reached out for the ginger. Just then, she saw a bony hand sliding into her field of vision and reaching for the ginger she wanted to take.She froze before she looked up to see Leo standing before her with a calm look on his face. He had removed his coat and scarf, so he was only wearing a plain white shirt. The high-quality shirt fitted perfectly on his body, enhancing the shape of his torso. He seemed rather sexy in the thin shirt.