Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Leo’s question was really presumptuous, making Zachary uncomfortable as his question forced Zachary to reveal confidential information. He was momentarily stunned before he responded defensively, “I’m sorry, but I can’t reveal anything.”
However, Leo seemed to have expected that Zachary would keep it a secret and was not in a hurry to answer. He merely cast his gaze onto Zachary. Even though he was young, he had a deep stare, making Zachary feel discomfited enough that he experienced difficulty breathing.
The thought of him panicking at a young man’s gaze shocked him, and this time, he took a good look at Leo. He was a fantastic surgeon who had done many surgeries and withstood an insurmountable amount of stress over the years. But his ability to resist pressure and remain calm in the face of life and death became useless when facing this young man. How bizarre!
It definitely didn’t help matters that Leo wasn’t deliberately showing off his majestic aura. There wasn’t even a frown on his face, yet he was already taking control of the situation. For a split second, Zachary thought of surrendering and revealing everything. But before he could roll over, he managed to take a deep breath and lowered his head to avoid Leo’s gaze.
“I know that you’re a capable man. You can force me to spill the tea however and whenever you want. However, I made a promise that I will not disclose the donor’s identity to anyone, and I will hold on to that promise.”
Leo looked at Zachary, but this time, with a hint of admiration. Leo thought Zachary was simply a doctor, who would succumb to pressure, but it seemed that he was very wrong. Though, this would not stop him from getting the information he wanted.
“I was the recipient of the cornea you took from my donor,” he said patiently. “I merely hope to thank her.”
“It was you?” Zachary was surprised at the turn of events. He had made some, in hindsight, very accurate assumptions when he witnessed Amelie’s behavior back then. Regardless, as his motive was to save his patients, he could not be bothered with the whereabouts of the cornea. Later on, as Amelie recovered and he left the private hospital to go abroad, he totally forgot about the incident.
He was stunned and at a loss for words. It was after a few seconds that he regained his senses. “To be honest, Mr. Alston, I don’t know who she is. The only thing I know is that her last name is Dillon.”
“Dillon?” Leo could barely restrain his emotions. He thought of Amelie, who appeared not long ago. Was it really… her?
He was not sure what to make out of this complicated situation. If she indeed was the donor, who had donated the cornea to him, why had she not mentioned a single thing for four years? She even stayed with the Alstons for four years, and no one noticed her eye problems. How could it be such a coincidence that she appeared in front of the Hospital if she weren’t the donor?
He wanted to leave in that instant and demand answers from Amelie himself.
However, Zachary’s words pulled him back to reality. “The girl has already been married and lives a peaceful life. I think she doesn’t want her family to know about this past.”
“Married?” Leo was startled by his answer. The Dillon he knew was not married but divorced. So, was Amelie’s appearance truly just a coincidence?
Leo once again fixed his gaze on Zachary, perhaps even sharper than before. Zachary felt that his stare saw through his flimsy façade, making him feel more insecure as his heart was pounding in his chest irregularly. He could even feel his palms sweating.
“Thank you, Dr. Zachary.”
Just when he thought Leo would use a different tactic to interrogate him, he was surprised to hear Leo thank him.
Leo withdrew his gaze, turned, and got into his car. Zachary only heaved a sigh of relief once he saw the vehicle leaving his sight. Then, he wiped off the sweat from his palms onto the hem of his clothes.
He was aware of Amelie’s current situation, although he had hardly contacted her these years. The reason he did not reveal who the donor was to Leo was that he had made a promise to Amelie to be tight-lipped on her involvement. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
Zachary was just about to get into the car when his assistant opened the door for him. He glanced at the assistant and didn’t bother getting in for several seconds. He looked as if he was deep in thought, trying to figure out something. Then, just when the assistant was thinking of a way to respond to the baffling situation, he heard Zachary say, “You’re fired. You aren’t my assistant from tomorrow onward.”
Then and only then did he lower his head and enter his car. The assistant was startled by his sudden. announcement, but he knew well what got him into the situation and flushed for being caught. He should have known that Zachary was brilliant enough to deduce just who leaked the information about him meeting. the donor to Leo.
”
It was nearly 9.00PM when Leo finally returned home. He parked the car at the front door and walked in with his head down.
“Leo.”
Leo froze for a moment as he heard someone calling him. But he could not tell whom the voice belonged to, so he raised his head to clarify his guess. He saw a graceful figure standing under the big pillar beside the door. Her arms were resting naturally by her body. It was pretty dark, and he could barely see the face.
“Amelie?” He instinctively called out Amelie’s name, and surprise flashed across his eyes.
The woman walked down the steps into the place illuminated by the streetlamp. It was Elyse. Her eyebrows twitched when she heard Leo calling for Amelie, and she unconsciously clenched her fist. Do you think there is any similarity between Amelie’s and my voice, Leo? The thought made her feel like she had been hit on the back by a boulder falling from the sky, and it was a bitter pill to swallow.
So, she clenched her fists tighter and coughed until her voice became a little hoarse before she raised her head and responded, “Leo, it’s me.”
When Leo finally saw Elyse’s face clearly, his expression turned nonchalant. The feeling he experienced when the thought of Amelie flashed across his mind had disappeared. He couldn’t help but wonder whether exhaustion was taking a toll on him that he actually mistook Amelie for Elyse.
“What’s the matter?” Leo smoothened out the furrows between his brows and asked coldly. Elyse bit her lips when she heard his dispassionate tone. She came to find Leo two days ago but unexpectedly ran into Amelie. Although she showed off her happiness in front of Amelie, she knew deep down in her heart that the so- called joy was all fake. Her heart had been in utter torment for the past two days, although she did not meet Leo. She had not had a peaceful moment since then.
The thought of Amelie revealing to Leo that she was the real Big Eyes tormented her even in her dreams. She woke up in cold sweat every time. She had been unable to work or rest for the past two days, and expensive cosmetics could no longer cover up her extremely anxious and haggard face. She could endure this torture any longer. So, she came over to find Leo.
But she heard him calling Amelie’s name the moment she arrived, which undoubtedly exacerbated her anxiety and uneasiness.
Regardless, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him, “Leo, I feel very uncomfortable. I have been having insomnia and nightmares. I feel like I’m going to die. Please, don’t break up with me. I can’t stand it. I will definitely die.” The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Toward the end of her sentence, she even started sobbing incessantly in his arms.
She knew well that Leo was an affectionate person. He would not turn a blind eye to her sufferings and would remain dedicated to helping her so long as she remained his Big Eyes. Unfortunately, Leo did not show his previous affection toward her. Instead, he looked extremely calm.
He pursed his lips and fixed his eyes on Elyse. He did not push her away, nor did he respond or talk. She could not feel his usual warmth even though she was embracing him. The awkward silence continued for another few minutes before she felt that she was starring in a one-man show, and all she felt was humiliation.
She had no choice but took a step back, looking all teared up. “Leo, please don’t ignore me. I have depression, and I will really commit suicide if you do so.”
She tried to emotionally guilt him, but he was not buying it. He finally parted his lips to speak as he stared straight into her eyes. “Your doctor told me that you are in good spirits and have no symptoms of depression.”
There was no doubt that he investigated her, and it was at that point that Elyse could not pretend any longer. She even forgot to sob, and her eyes gleamed with a guilty conscience. Immediately afterward, she figured something was not right.
She had bribed the doctor. So, the secret should not be out! But she also knew Leo’s temperament; he would never lie to people close to him, and the fact that he said that to her face showed that he had
thoroughly investigated her.
It was at that moment that she felt as if her heart dropped to her stomach, and the only thing she thought of was to run away from the place before she embarrassed herself even further.
“Go home and rest.” However, Leo was not the slightest bit vexed. He did not question why she had lied to him nor expressed his anger at her. Instead, he merely patted her on the shoulder calmly and left without hesitation. That’s all.
She would have felt better had he gotten infuriated or questioned her for her lies. At least it would have proved that he cared about her. But the silence pierced her heart and nailed her down with countless pillars of shame.
Elyse begrudgingly clenched her fists, shouted something at his retreating back, and successfully stopped him in his tracks. His face darkened in that instant.