Chapter 13

Leonard narrowed his eyes with a hint of malice. It had been a long time since someone had dared speak to him like that. Moreover, Lisa threw his words from the previous night back at him. ‘What a petty woman!’ Lisa took her time to ask, "Are you feeling angry now?" "Lisa, if you want to die, just say it. There’s no need to beat around the bush." Leonard glared at her. "Leonard, I want you to understand how I felt last night." Lisa showed no signs of fear or anger. Instead, she smiled. "We're in a cooperative relationship and equals. Despite that, you always act superior and tell me to get lost. “I don't care about social status. Yes, you may have a higher status than me, but in this marriage, we’re at each other's mercy." A flicker of melancholy crossed Leonard's eyes, and he fell into deep thought. Lisa was the first person he met who wanted to be his equal. Other women approached him cautiously or with respect, fearing his displeasure. Only Lisa wanted to be equal to him. This realization piqued his curiosity, making him want to know more about her. "Think about it,” Lisa said as she turned and left. Leonard watched her arrogantly leave with her pink suitcase and pondered, ‘Isn’t that what I often tell my employees?’ … It was 10 a.m. when Lisa entered the villa. Leonard and Jeffrey had already left for work, leaving only David, Melissa, and Michelle at home. "Hello, everyone," Lisa greeted politely. "So you do know the way home!" Michelle spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "After running away on the first night, I thought you wouldn’t return since you hate us so much.” "Michelle, you've misunderstood," Lisa smiled, then her eyes hinted at grievance. "It wasn't my intention to leave. Leonard told me to get out. It hurt, so I left." "What? That b*stard dares to tell you to leave?" David was furious. Melissa, who had always protected her youngest son, added, "Leonard didn't know her well before. It's normal for him to find it difficult to accept her. Maybe Lisa..." She glared at Lisa in dissatisfaction. "You're too naive. Leonard told you to leave, and you just left? How compliant of you. If he told you to jump, would you ask how high?” Lisa feigned consideration and said lowly, "When I was a child, my father taught me to obey my husband when I married. If my husband were to die, I must obey my son." Melissa fell silent for a moment before responding, "Nonsense. We live in a modern society now, and your father is still teaching you such feudal ideas?" David stood up and declared, "You should listen to Leonard, but don't take it too seriously. Come and find me if he dares to bully you again. I'll deal with him for you." "Thank you.” Lisa expressed her gratitude but felt conflicted. David was the only one with a favorable impression of Lisa among the other family members. However, she needed to make him hate her to obtain a divorce. "Help Lisa carry her luggage upstairs," David ordered. The housekeeper gathered Lisa’s things and hurriedly carried them to the second floor. The housekeeper was about to enter Leonard’s room when Lisa intercepted. She asked, “Is there a guest room on this floor? Could you please take my luggage there?” The housekeeper was puzzled and found herself in a dilemma. "Ms. Lisa, do you wish to sleep in a separate room from Mr. Leonard?" Before Lisa could respond, her father-in-law’s stern voice sounded from behind, "Newlyweds don't sleep in separate rooms. Just go in. By the way, isn't there a sofa inside? Let's remove it." Lisa remained quiet. David’s move was quite clever. He was not even allowing her to sleep on the sofa. "Dad," she said, turning around with a bitter expression. "Leonard and I aren't familiar with each other yet. He won't appreciate sharing a room with me. I also—" "He works during the day, and if you two sleep in separate rooms at night, you'll remain even more unfamiliar," David coldly interjected, "Your mother-in-law and I had an arranged marriage back in the day. “We only met once before marrying, yet here we are now. We’ve spent years together after first sharing a bed." Without waiting for Lisa to respond, he continued, "That's settled. As for Leonard, I have a way to make him agree." Lisa felt a strong resistance before reluctantly stepping into the same room as Leonard. Once inside, she did not rush to unpack her luggage. After all, she would not need to repack if Leonard told her to leave again. … The Parker Corporation was the largest in Queenston, and its international ranking was equally impressive. Only a handful of employees knew the company had been of medium size, with only a few hundred staff members five to six years ago. Thanks to Leonard’s vigorous reforms and massive expansion, the family could control Queenston. Unfortunately, news of Leonard's car accident sent the Parker Corporation into a slump. Leonard finally returned to the company, and the employees had planned a grand welcome ceremony. They had waited anxiously for him that day, and finally, Leonard came into view. Every Parker Corporation employee greeted him. They popped the champagne and handed him a bouquet. However, Leonard took the flowers and tossed them straight into the trash. His piercing gaze swept over each person. "Our company's stock has been dropping daily for a month, and you’re all in the mood for this?" Fear gripped the employees present, as Leonard seemed in a foul mood. He continued, "Gather the senior officials for a meeting." After uttering those words, he strode into the elevator. Later, he skipped lunch and conducted a three-hour-long meeting. Then he returned to work in his office. Before Leonard could open the door, Jackson cautiously approached him and said, "Mr. Leonard, Ms. Stephanie is here. She’s waiting for you inside." Leonard paused for a long moment and furrowed his brows. Then he pushed the door open. Stephanie, standing near the window, abruptly turned around. Her eyes were red with tears. "Leonard, I never thought I’d see you again!" She could not resist throwing herself into Leonard's arms as she spoke. Leonard kept walking and shifted her off to the side. Stephanie flinched as more tears welled in her eyes as she turned her head. "Leonard, do you hate me? I only heard about your accident the night you sent me abroad. My parents kept it a secret from me. You know I was touring then. I was busy and couldn’t reach you. “I feared you wouldn’t want to be with me anymore. I wanted to leave everything behind to find you, but my team needed me. I had no choice. I just returned yesterday. My parents said your family contacted mine some time ago, proposing we get married. “My parents believed you wouldn't survive, so they turned your parents down." Stephanie’s sparrow and desperation grew the more she talked. Tears continued to flow down her face as Leonard’s tense expression gradually softened.