Chapter 5

"Lucinda Wipere, are you deaf? Didn't you hear me calling you?"

Leopold tightened his grip around my waist, holding me against him while berating me furiously.

"I'm not your subordinate. Why should I listen to you?" I pressed my arms against his shoulders, creating distance between us.

Leopold glanced at my hands. "You're resisting me?"

"I resist all filth."

The pressure on my waist suddenly intensified, as if he meant to snap it in two.

"Lucinda, you never used to be like this."

I gave a short laugh. "As you said—used to be. Besides, we have no relationship anymore. Let me go!"

Leopold's brow furrowed. "I don't like how you're speaking to me."

"You'd better get used to it." I gritted my teeth and used all my strength to break free from his embrace.

"Must you speak to me this way?" Leopold's anger flashed, but his expression softened slightly when he noticed my reddened elbows. "Angering me won't do you any good."

I no longer needed his concern. "We have nothing to say to each other. It's better if we see less of each other from now on."

"You don't want to see me, but what about grandfather? Are you abandoning him too?"

I had only taken two steps before stopping again. Leopold circled around to face me, his tone low. "The doctor says grandfather's angina attacks are becoming frequent. He needs careful treatment, or his life could be in danger."

I looked at him in disbelief. "Really?"

Donovan was the person in the Percy family who loved me most. If anyone spoke ill of me, he would be the first to defend me. If Leopold and I had disagreements, he would immediately take my side and scold Leopold. In many ways, Donovan was the main reason Leopold and I had stayed together for ten years.

"Grandfather's condition is documented by the doctors. I have no reason to lie to you."

Seeing his expression more serious than before, my heart sank. Leopold respected Donovan above all others. He wouldn't lie about something like this. It must be true.

"Lucinda, with grandfather's health declining, let's keep our canceled engagement private for now. I don't want him worrying about us."

I was completely disillusioned with Leopold and could harden my heart against him. But Donovan...I couldn't disregard him.

"Just keep the canceled engagement secret?"

Perhaps my tone had softened, because Leopold's expression became less severe.

"Yes, but you know grandfather's temperament. We might need to pretend occasionally."

After speaking, he seemed uncomfortable, deliberately turning his head away. My heart felt a slight prick.

With Sophia in his life, he probably didn't want any further entanglement with me. How ironic! We had actually reached a day when we simultaneously despised each other.

"I'll pretend, but I have one condition."

Leopold turned to look at me, his eyes cold. "What condition?"

"I want five million dollars."

"Absolutely not!" Leopold exploded instantly. "Lucinda, my grandfather protects you and loves you like his own granddaughter, and you're using him to extort money? Do you truly have no heart?"

His words were like sharp needles stabbing into my flesh. On Sophia's birthday, he had secretly given her a custom necklace worth two million dollars. Yet in our ten years together, apart from my engagement ring, I had never received a gift from him worth more than a million dollars. Now he was suddenly frugal, implicitly accusing me of being a gold-digger. How laughable.

"If you don't agree, then our previous arrangement is off."

I coldly stated this and turned to leave. I hadn't taken more than a few steps when Leopold's restrained voice came from behind.

"I agree."

I turned back casually, waving my phone at him. "Transfer it."

Leopold's expression immediately darkened as he stared at me icily. Yet his slender fingers moved swiftly over his phone. Soon after, my phone chimed with a notification of a five-million-dollar deposit.

I smiled with satisfaction and promptly transferred the entire amount to Leo's bank account.

[A little care from your girlfriend. Enjoy the pleasure of being kept today.]

The next moment, Leopold's phone rang. I put my phone away and walked on indifferently. During our ten years together, I had grown accustomed to his constant work messages. This was probably another epic project approval.

Little did I know that behind me, Leopold's already grim expression had instantly darkened to coal black after seeing the message on his phone.

Returning to Donovan's hospital room, I immediately spotted Sophia still waiting outside. Seeing me, she stood up abruptly. She was about to speak when her eyes suddenly lit up, and she smiled, walking past me toward someone behind me.

"Leo, you're finally back. The butler just said your grandfather is awake and wants to see us."

"Sophia, you should go home today. Come visit my grandfather another time."

Hearing Leopold's refusal, I turned around with a smile, just in time to see Sophia's crestfallen expression.

"Leo?"

Leopold said nothing, but his attitude was clear enough. Sophia dared not disobey. She could only glare at me fiercely before reluctantly leaving.

I paid her no mind and entered the hospital room.

"Cindy! Why are you coming at this hour?" Donovan immediately asked with concern when he saw me.

I quickly moved to his bedside, my eyes swelling with emotion. "Grandpa, I'm so glad you're alright. I was terrified earlier."

Donovan hastened to comfort me. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Just then, Leopold entered. Donovan scolded him: "Leo, you brought Cindy here but didn't comfort her? Look how frightened she is!"

In front of his grandfather, Leopold shed the coldness he showed me, responding gently, "I didn't handle it well. Please don't be upset, Grandfather."

Donovan glared at him before turning to me with a smile. "Cindy, have you and Leo set a wedding date? I was just telling the butler that there's an auspicious day two months from now. If you two don't object, we could set it for then?"

I was momentarily stunned. Two months from now, Leopold and I would already be going our separate ways. Marriage would be impossible.

"Grandpa, there's no rush about the wedding date. Your health is the priority right now."

Either I wasn't good at lying, or Donovan was too perceptive. After I finished speaking, his face immediately darkened.

"Cindy, is Leo bullying you again? Don't cover for him, tell me!"

I hadn't expected to be seen through and didn't know how to respond. Donovan grew anxious, his gaze shifting to Leopold. "You rascal, have you done something to hurt Cindy?"

My heart instantly jumped to my throat. "Grandpa—"

Before I could finish, Leopold moved behind me, his arm gently encircling my waist. "Grandfather, that's not the case. Cindy is just too worried about your health. She wants to wait until you've fully recovered before setting the date, so you can be our witness at the wedding."

"Is that so?" Donovan looked at me suspiciously.

Suppressing my revulsion, I quickly nodded. "That's exactly it. Grandpa, I'm waiting for you to be our witness."

Donovan's expression finally softened. "Alright, I'll recover quickly."

To avoid raising his suspicions, Leopold and I didn't stay too long. As soon as we left the hospital room, we both dropped our smiles and distanced ourselves from each other.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Leopold noticed me checking my phone and coldly asked, "In such a hurry—who's waiting for you?"

I couldn't stand this kind of sarcasm and immediately snapped back. "I don't have to answer to you."

Leopold's eyes darkened as he pinned me against the wall. "Lucinda, watch yourself. We still have a contractual relationship. If you dare do anything to break that contract, I won't let you off!"

His domineering behavior infuriated me. I grabbed my bag and swung it at his head. Leopold had to release me to dodge.

I clutched my bag tightly. "As if you're any better—engaged to me while secretly dating your first love!"

With that, I stormed off. Leopold, you bastard!