Chapter Fifteen

LEO

"Come to the lobby after you have dressed up." I state before I close the door behind me.

That man is really a handful.

No, this is not the time I should think about something like that. The most important thing is: why is my father still here? Did he stay the night here? If so, then why?

Therefore hundreds of thousands questions start to clog up in the back of my mind as I walk toward the specious lobby of the hotel.

"I didn't know you guys were staying at the hotel too." I refer to the big crowd sitting in the middle of the lobby with various expressions in their faces.

"Oh Leo!" Jules jumps up on his feet. "Actually they said that they wanted to stay here last night so I thought what I would do if I returned alone, so I stayed behind as well." He explains with a huge grin on his face.

Oh…

I give him a slight nod in acknowledgement and then turn my attention to the other people in the room, "You called me?" I take a seat across from my father Louis Snow and cross my legs.

"I never thought that I would end up hearing those voices from you in such a shameful manner." Louis says with a dark expression on his slightly wrinkled face, making him even uglier. "Your mother and I were staying in the room beside yours."

So the rooms aren't sound proof. But I thought that the walls were quite thick. Just then, the events flash across my mind and I internally blush. Well...can't blame the walls. I was quite loud last night, I guess? 

I curl my upper lip in distaste. "I never asked you to stay behind and hear me having sex with my husband." I say pointedly.

"I never raised you to be like this to us, Leo!" My mother Kelly Snow exclaims as if she is gravely hurt because of my behavior.

How dramatic.

"Oh please don't even bother yourself with such thought that you raised me." I drawl sarcastically, "I can count the number of times when you just took me in your arms with the digits of my one hand." 

"Oh my, oh my, Leo dear, let's not be like this to your parents." Jean chimes up, "We are talking here peacefully."

I dearly wish I could spit at that disgusting smile on his face.

"Please spare me the lecture, uncle." I snap at him, "And keep it in mind that I am still the number one candidate to the chairman's chair even though you and my brother are rivaling me."

Something dark crosses Jean's eyes but his smile doesn't wane. Not that I care much about that, anyway.

"You can't talk like that to your uncle Leo!" Louis barks as he grimaces. James and Jessie also grimace.

"What if I do?" I drawl, my tone calm and my gaze cold. The temperature in the room drops by several degrees.

"Let me teach you just how you should talk to your uncle." Jessie says as she charges forward to me, cracking her fist.

As she is about to slam her fist against my face, I lift my leg swiftly and block the attack with ease then kick her right in the stomach. She yelps and hits the floor with a loud thud. I put down my leg over my other one as elegantly as I lifted it.

Everyone in the room is so shocked that they are speechless by the scene just transpired before them. Good thing there is no one in the lobby beside us.

 I narrow my eyes and peer down at her like a hunter looking at his prey. "Dare to touch me again and I will kill you." I warn and everyone present here knows that I don't bluff, "And other than that, do you think I am blind? Do you think I don't know how you treat Tina?" I question, referring to Tina who is standing stiffly far away from us, carrying Rita under her arms as ice pours out from my every word, "I swear to god, if you try to harass her in any way from now on, I will sue you."

In reply she just groans in pain, unable to sit up and Tina starts to tremble with fear.

"Leo you can't talk to your elder sister like this!" Louis at last starts to lose his temper.

"Well, well, please don't let me reveal what you do behind my mother's back." I drawl, enjoying the environment, "And mother too."

Their faces instantly darken like the bottom of a pot.

"Leo, aren't you crossing your line?" James bitts out, his voice shaking because of anger.

"Isn't it always you who crosses the line?" I counter sharply. "In any case what do you guys want from me now? Are you guys objecting to the fact that I am sleeping with my husband?" I add extra emphasis to the word 'husband'.

Everyone's rumbling stales as they contemplate a reply to give to this question.

"Anyway, at this point I don't want to hear your reasons anymore." I state as I get on my feet, slightly trembling because of the harsh movements and my increasing back pain. "I have many other things to do that are far more important than listening to your rumblings."

"I will go with you!" Jules exclaims as enthusiastic as ever like the scene just now hasn't affected in a least bit.

I shrug, "Why are you asking? Come if you want." I spin around my heels. Kevin at last approaches me who was shadowing in the corner, not wanting to intervene in our 'family meeting'.

I walk over to Tina, "Go home. And tell me if anything happens." I grab her hand and squeeze it gently to comfort her.

"Thank you, thank you." She whispers as she trembles violently.

I smile then notice a little creature looking at me with big doe eyes, anticipation blooming in them. Just then Rita starts to thrash back and forth in her mother's arms and violently slips free.

"What are you doing Rita?" She squeaks.

But it's too late by this time as she lands on the ground and starts to walk to me with her tiny, trembling feet, she sprawls her arms wide. Rita halts as she reaches me and tugs at my pants.

"Ups, ups!" She babbles out.

My eyes sparkle with emotion as I scoop her up in my arms and she rubs her cute tiny face against my chest. 

Cute!

"Ow, she likes you a lot, little nut." Jules croaks, "It took me a whole hour of cooing just then she came out of her shell and let me take her in my arms." He sounds somewhat disappointed. "What did you just do with this little kid, huh? Did you use some kind of wicked spell over her?"

"What hack are you bullshitting about Jules?" My brows pinched, "Do you think everyone is as evil as you? Even the child knows that."

Jules tucks out his tongue and makes a face, I roll my eyes and Rita giggles.

"Tina, can I have Rita for an hour?" I shift my attention back to Tina, who is watching her kid play with that mother like affection in her eyes, "I will send her back with Jules."

"H-huh?" She snaps out of it, "B-But..."

"I will bring her back even it takes my life, Tina!" Jules decliers with enthusiasm as he holds his fist over his chest as if bowing his allegiance to the flag.

"Don't be dramatic." I smack his head lightly. He rubs the spot I just hit with a grin.

"O-Okay, but please try to be fast." She permits as she warily swipes her eyes over the faces in the lobby.

"Thank you." I mumble a thank you.

"Leo!" Erwin waves at me as he crosses the lobby, "Are you leaving without me?"

My heart tingles as he approaches me. "Why do you always have to blab nonsense?"

Erwin grins, "Jules, are you going with us, too?"

"Yep!" Jules replies.

"What about this little buddy? Is she also going?" he pinches Rita's soft cheeks gently.

"Yes, do you mind?" I ask.

"Why would I?" He leans down and places a kiss above my forehead and places his hand at my waist. "Let's go."

I flinch as blood rushes up to my face. "What are you doing?" I squeak with some difficulty.

I can feel the heat of everyone's stare, including Jules and Kevin, Tina just smiles as Erwin leads me to the exit.

This man is going to be the death of me.

"Oh Leo there is something on your sweat suit!" Jules exclaims as he tugs at the collar of my sweat suit just when we are about to exit, in result some of my neck is revealed and almost everyone in the lobby blushes at the sight of my neck. Jules seems to have frozen as his cheeks flushes.

I hurriedly reach out and cover my neck anew, "What are you doing?"

"Sorry!" Jules apologizes enthusiastically.

Erwin chuckles at his reaction.

"Don't laugh!" I chide.

"Okay, okay." He presses his lips to prevent them from curving into a smile.

I exit the hotel lobby hurriedly as embarrassment takes over me. The others follow suit.

 I hop on the car Erwin sitting beside me and Jules in the front passenger seat. Kevin is driving the car.

"Where are we going first, Leo?" Kevin asks as he starts the engine.

"Let's go home." I reply as I play with Rita silently, who is sitting in my lap. "I need to drop Erwin first and get out of these clothes."

"Okay."

"Leo, do you like children?" Erwin asks out of the blue, amusement glimmering in his eyes.

"No, I love them!" I say as I can no longer hold my emotions in. 

"Then let's have kids!" he states.

"What?!" The other three of us exclaim at the same time as the car halts on its track too.