Chapter 5 Yell at Him
1041 Words
Andrew glanced at Enzo. It was rare to see him so emotionally stirred.
"Also, during Ms. Gatlin's trial, her father was in a coma. The hospital claimed he was likely to remain in a vegetative state, but soon after Ms. Gatlin was imprisoned, he woke up. He never made any moves to appeal her case."
"That's... interesting."
"Sir, should we dig deeper into this?"
Enzo stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Keep investigating. Find enough evidence to overturn the case! And how are the arrangements with the prison?"
"They've been taken care of. All the paperwork and procedures are being processed."
Andrew glanced at Enzo and hesitated for a moment.
"Just go ahead!" Enzo snapped.
"Yes, sir. We also found out that Ms. Gatlin suffered a lot in there. She was beaten nearly every day. It was especially brutal when she first went in—she was beaten so frequently that it was like having meals three times a day. Bone fractures and vomiting blood were common occurrences."
Enzo's eyes darkened slightly.
"Was it those two women?"
"Yes, but her father was involved too."
"Hah, quite the family. Look into her father. I want to see what kind of man could do this to his own daughter."
It seemed that Leah wasn't aware of her father's true nature. All she probably wanted Enzo to do was to clear her name.
Enzo remembered something else. "What about Lauren's blood type?"
"All of the records show Mrs. Molan has type O blood. We've checked her hospital records as well. It's unlikely there was any mistake."
Enzo tapped the table with his fingers. "Then look into something else for me. Three years ago, when our families were supposed to unite, who was that woman who entered my presidential suite? Get the details."
Andrew blinked, slightly taken aback.
"Sir, do you suspect that Mrs. Molan wasn't the one who entered the room?"
"Just find out. We'll see what turns up. It's been three years—if someone had a hand in covering things up, it might not be easy to uncover."
Leah accompanied Elisa home from the hospital, and they both returned to the Molan Mansion. Elisa had grown more attached to her than Leah had expected. After spending a few days together, they had developed a bond so strong that they could often communicate with just a glance.
Leah was growing increasingly fond of this sweet, innocent child. And at the same time, her longing for her own daughter—whom she had never seen since birth—was becoming unbearable.
Late at night, Leah would often find herself wondering what her own daughter was like now. Would she be as lively and adorable as Elisa?
Every time Leah closed her eyes, she was haunted by the memory of giving birth. Her child, too, was a girl. And yet she had no idea where that little girl was now—or if she was even still alive. If she was, she'd be about the same age as Elisa.
Thinking of how Elisa was battling leukemia made Leah's heartache. Perhaps fate was giving her a second chance—to use her rare blood type to save Elisa, as some kind of penance for abandoning her own daughter.
"Elisa, you keep asking for your mom. Is she not in the country?"
Leah asked softly, carefully handing a peeled and seeded grape to Elisa on a fruit fork.
Elisa took the grape but didn't eat it. Her eyes dimmed.
Leah immediately realized she had touched on something she shouldn't have, so she quickly wrapped her arms around Elisa.
"I'm sorry, Elisa. I shouldn't have asked that. Don't be sad. How about I bake you your favorite little cakes tomorrow?"
Leah tried to shift the conversation, but Elisa lifted her head and forced a smile.
"It's okay, Leni. Dad says that when Mom finishes her work, she'll come back. But she's been so busy. It's been a really long time since she's come home."
Elisa leaned in, wrapping her arms around Leah's neck and nuzzling her face against her cheek.
"But now that I have you, Leni, I don't need my mom anymore. Will you promise me you'll stay with me forever?"
Leah's heart swelled, and tears pricked at her eyes. She set down the fruit plate and hugged Elisa tightly.
"I'll stay with you, Elisa. I promise."
Until she could clear her name, Leah had nowhere else to go. And she had already decided—she would give everything she had to help Elisa recover.
"Daddy!"
Elisa's excited voice snapped Leah back to reality. She quickly released the child and stood up, wiping the corners of her eyes. She lowered her head respectfully. "Mr. Molan."
Enzo shot her a glance before walking over to the bed, where Elisa was already trying to throw herself into his arms. But Enzo, with an amused smile, simply pressed his finger against her forehead, pushing her back onto the bed.
Watching out of the corner of her eye, Leah saw Elisa wobble as she nearly fell. Instinctively, she reached out to catch the girl, her eyes flashing with anger as she looked up at Enzo.
"Mr. Molan, you'll hurt her! Elisa's still very weak!"
Enzo froze, clearly not expecting Leah to react so fiercely.
Elisa, now safe in Leah's arms, stuck out her tongue at Enzo before burying her face in Leah's chest, her voice shaky with sobs.
"Leni, does Daddy not like me anymore? I'm so sad. Mommy doesn't like me, and now Daddy doesn't like me either!"
Leah's heart melted at the little girl's cry.
She held her tightly and gently soothed her, "Don't be sad, Elisa. Your daddy doesn't dislike you. He was just teasing you. Don't cry, or you'll make me cry too."
Enzo watched Leah with an amused smile. She actually dared to yell at him? Had she been faking her delicate, fragile act all along?
Leah spent quite some time comforting Elisa before her sobs finally subsided. Elisa kept her head low, looking utterly pitiful. The moment Leah looked up, she suddenly realized what she had done.
God, she didn't even dare look into Enzo's eyes.
Was he going to throw her out to the dogs now?
- Writer
