05

  

  

  

   "Leo?" A smooth, flirtatious voice said from behind him as Leo made his way to go to grandpa.

  

  Sydney  stepped over and clasped his arm. "Were you waiting for me here?" She had picked out a dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline just for the event, which made her look more delicate. 

  

  Leo grimaced slightly when he saw her  and responded, "No." 

  

  Sydney’s  face froze since she didn't expect him to be that straightforward. She spotted a beautiful woman standing next to grandpa Eric before she could say anything, and she felt scared right away. 

  

  Mona? Leo’s ex wife? What was she doing here?.. Sydney thought.

  

  Mona was currently turning down grandpa’s  offer to join him on stage. "Grandpa, I can't go up there right now," she said. "

  

  “Why?" Grandpa yelled. “I told you a long time ago that I only see you as my granddaughter-in-law. The rest doesn't matter!" 

  

  Mona had only ever gotten warmth from grandpa  after she married Leo for those three years. She could only grin softly now. "Leo and I are divorced now, and Miss Harlow has married him. It should be miss Harlow instead.”

  

  "Pretense right? That’s what you’re good at after all. It should be miss Harlow instead  bla..bla bla… trying to look pitiful to grandpa isn’t it?” Leo, who had somehow come next to them, said.

  

  “I..” Mona tried to talk, but cut short by Sydney. 

  

  Sydney looked at her with disbelief and said, "Why are you here?" 

  

  Wasn't she in another country? How could she be here?

  

  Sydney grabbed Leo by the arm to hers without thinking about it, to make Mona feel jealous.

  

  Sydney was trying to make her jealous? What a fool! 

  

  Over the years, her feelings for Leo had faded, and now, even if she wished them a long and happy life together, it wouldn't move her heart. Mona put on a polite smile and said, "Hello miss Harlow.”

  

  Sydney  interpreted her smile as a challenge, especially after all these years of grandpa Eric’s  dislike for her and his love for Mona. And suddenly Mona was right next to him! 

  

  "Hi miss Hunt. I was told you travelled to another country, right? What made you come back all of a sudden? Could it be...” Sydney smiled sweetly as she leaned on Leo’s arm even more and said, "If you have any problems, I can ask Leo to help you." 

  

  Mona made a face. She didn't care for Leo anymore, but that didn't mean she could let Sydney  be so rude to her. 

  

  "Is that so?" She said with a laugh. “Mrs. Cox really does have a kind heart. She…” 

  

  Grandpa scoffed before Mona could even finish her sentence. "She's not Mrs. Cox, and our Cox family's door isn't open to just anyone." 

  

  These words made the people around them start to whisper. 

  

  Sydney’s cheeks got pale when she heard grandpa’s word and stared at Leo. 

  

  His grandfather had always been very biased toward her, and Leo didn't want to overtly go against him. He could only gently pat Sydney’s arm. 

  

  Sydney would have usually let it go before, but Mona was standing next to grandpa now! Also... Maybe Leo didn't even realize, but he always appeared to look at Mona seductively without meaning to.

  

   Sydney had done everything she could to make grandpa  happy for years, but he never accepted her. And now Mona was back…

  

  She  was so upset that she yelled, "Grandpa, are you going to turn down the child in my womb too, even if you don't want me?”

  

  Mona gazed right away at Sydney’s stomach. 

  

  Leo hesitated and asked Sydney, "Are you pregnant?" 

  

  Sydney  looked down shyly and said, "You were drunk one week ago in Paris..." 

  

  One week before, Leo had gone to Paris for work, and Sydney had gone with him. Leo was intoxicated at a party hosted by his business partners three day after their arrival in Paris, and woke up the next morning seeing Sydney next to him in bed, naked. 

  He asked Sydney to take a contraceptive pills before he left for work that morning, and didn’t even  know she didn’t take it.

  

  Leo looked at Mona, and when he saw that she didn't react, a complicated look crossed his face. 

  

  Sydney  said, "I know you've always liked kids, and now that we have a symbol of our love, why not give the child a home?" 

  

  She saw that Leo wasn't as happy as she had hoped. 

  

  Leo loved kids? Was it truly like that? Mona couldn't help but laugh when she heard this. 

  

  Leo pressed his lips together. He nodded after a time and said, "If that's how it is, I….." 

  

  

  "Today is my birthday. Stop saying stupid things and keep quiet.” Grandpa spoke loudly before Leo complete his statement.