Amelie was trying to guess whether it was a bear or a person when suddenly, the rustling sound behind her grew louder. In a flash, a powerful force struck her neck from behind! She quickly ducked out of the way and grabbed the hand, reaching for her. Twisting her body, she slipped under the other personâs arm and tried to throw them over her shoulder in one move.âItâs me!â a low voice suddenly said, and a hand pressed down on her shoulder, halting her movement.She was momentarily stunned, but then she heard the name she recognized well.âIâm Leo.ââLeo?â She turned around and shone the phoneâs light on him. Then, she saw the sharp line of his jaw and, above that, his pursed lips, nose, and those clear, stern, and always indifferent eyes. He was staring at her, his eyes wide with surprise.âYou know martial arts?â She would have thrown him off if he hadnât called out in time.âI learned a little before,â
Amelie replied casually, not wanting to say much. She turned her body and met Leoâs gaze, standing straight and composed. His height gave him a clear advantage, and he looked down at her as if he wanted to see right through her.âHow much do you know?â he asked, feeling he didnât know his former wife. Sheâs a social media star, a racecar driver, and now she knows martial arts?âNot much,â she replied, thinking they no longer needed to be honest with one another. After their divorce, it was no longer necessary for him to boastfully list her qualities. On the other hand, these were merely hobbies for her, and she never felt conceited about learning them.âIâm gonna go patrol,â she said and walked away.Nonetheless, Leo did not leave but instead followed Amelie. âAre you alone?âAfter Fabian left, he entrusted the patrol work to Chester. There was an initial request for a man and a woman to patrol together, but no specific details were provided.âBlakeyâs not feeling well, so I didnât wake him up,â she responded truthfully. She knew martial arts and could easily defeat the typical bad guys and small animals. So, having him around wouldnât do her much good if a ferocious and dangerous animal came.A cold and sarcastic âHmph!â sounded beside her as soon as she finished speaking.âYouâre so concerned about him.âI assumed Blake has feelings for her, but it appears she is providing him with more care. Suddenly, a sour feeling rose in Leoâs stomach, and he clenched his fists silently at his side.These words made Amelie very uncomfortable, so she turned to look at him. His face, already solemn, was now dark and icy, and he lifted the corner of his lips in a mocking arc. The mockery was extremely obvious, as if she had done something shameful.âIs there a problem?â She didnât like his insinuating tone and decided not to explain. Then, she looked straight into his eyes with a completely open and honest expression. âWhom I care about is none of your business, Mr. Alston.âAs her words pushed him into a corner, his chest tightened, and he struggled to catch his breath. âDid you forget what I said?âAmelie rubbed her ear, pausing to remember. âYou mean the thing about me not being qualified to find a stepfather for Bria? Which law states that Mr. Alston? Or is it your ego talking? Do you think that anyone whoâs been your ex-wife must simply rot away?âNevertheless, Leo was indeed letting his ego get in the way, but he never thought about letting her rot away.âYou have people you want to care for, and I have mine. Even though we are Briaâs parents, we are divorced now, and I hope you wonât cross my boundaries next time!â She spoke clearly and confidently, with no hesitation in her words.Hearing that, his face instantly went black, and he walked away from her without saying a word.
Is he angry? She shrugged in resignation. Everything she said was true, and if he could do it, why couldnât she say it?â¦When Amelie returned from her patrol, Blake was already awake. His clean, youthful face was tinged with a hint of disappointment. âWhy didnât you wake me up?ââWhether itâs one person or two, itâs still the same patrol. Since nothing happened outside, I went alone.â She knew he had self-esteem, so she didnât mention his condition and spoke indifferently. After all, the reason he intended to give up ice skating was because of the injuries he had.âItâs not the same,â he muttered. I should be the one patrolling alone, not you.âYou canât go alone next time,â Blake said softly. He was always gentle with Amelie, even though he felt unhappy. Then, his bangs fell over his eyes, making him look like a handsome young nobleman, but there was a sense of loneliness and distress in his eyes. I canât figure out how to get her to depend on me.âHow about you come patrol with me, Blakey?â Jodie ran over, intentionally making her voice sound coy. She was pretty annoyed when Chester scheduled her to patrol. However, when she saw Blake had woken up, she immediately suggested he go with her.âOkay.â He nodded.Seeing him agree, she was overjoyed. âReally?â She thought he would refuse.On the other hand, he didnât say anything and got up from his sleeping bag. Then, he walked outside, and she followed him out. When they were outside the building, she couldnât help but hook her arm around his and press her body against him.Then, Blake stopped and looked at the arm that was hooked around his arm with his clear, innocent eyes. Jodie saw that he was looking at her arm and quickly said in a coy voice, âIâm terrified. Itâs so dark around here, and itâs terrifying.ââIf youâre scared, Miss Alston, you should return first.â Following that, he pushed her hand away. âBesides, Iâm not interested in you, so you donât need to waste your time with me.ââBlakeyââAfter hearing his first sentence, she was thrilled because she believed he cared about her. Then, his final words were a slap to the face in the form of an emotional blow to her. Instantaneously, her smile froze into a weird, grotesque expression as he wasted no more words and walked away. âDamn it! Damn it!â She kicked and screamed for a while before regaining her senses.Meanwhile, Elyse was upstairs, silently observing the scenes below before gazing at the man across from her.When Leo returned, she was awake and could tell he was in a bad mood. She had also seen him talking with Amelie downstairs.
Although Elyse didnât know what they had said, it was clear from his expression that Amelie had made him angry. Despite his anger, he tucked Amelie into her sleeping bag and even removed his jacket to drape over her as if she was not warm enough.Soon, Amelie was fast asleep and unaware of his caring act, but Elyse could see everything clearly. Although his face was cold and harsh, the look in his eyes was tender. He seemed to want to envelop the woman in front of him in his warm embrace. Although his movements were tense and his fingers clenched hard, his touch was incredibly light. He wasnât covering her with a blanket but hiding a precious gem.Nonetheless, Elyse was not unfamiliar with Leoâs tenderness because he used to treat her that way too. However, all these privileges were gone, and she gripped the blanket tightly with tears in her eyes. She wanted to scream and reclaim her place in his heart. That woman, Amelie, has taken everything away from me! Ever since she appeared, I havenât been happy for even one day!Hatred filled her heart, and she suddenly had a wicked idea. Her gaze turned cold and locked onto Jodie downstairs. Although I canât make a direct move on Amelie, there is someone who can.