Chapter 199 Taking Eloise Away?
When Richard saw Leo heading straight toward them, he naturally assumed Leo was coming for him. His heart surged with pride as he cast a smug glance at Alistair, as if to say, “See that? No matter how high you climb, some circles will always be out of reach.”
Back when Leo first entered the music industry, he’d been proud and fiercely private. He hated anyone bringing up his mother Paige’s powerful reputation or the fact that his uncle was none other than Gordon. Since the Ashbourne family kept a low profile, very few people outside their inner circle knew about Leo’s background, even after all these years.
Richard wasn’t remotely qualified to be in that circle, but he knew the truth.
In his mind, Alistair had never earned Gordon’s approval. Which meant Caroline was the only person he had any real influence over. Richard assumed Leo shared Gordon’s disdain for Alistair and had come over just to humiliate him.
Feeling emboldened, Richard greeted Leo with an enthusiastic, almost overly familiar tone, as if they were longtime acquaintances, even though they’d never interacted before.
Leo, dressed simply and without fanfare, gave Richard a puzzled look. His tone was clipped and unamused. “Do I know you?”
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He hated being called “Mr. Reed.” Did people think he didn’t have a first name?
Richard froze.
Leo didn’t bother acknowledging him any further. He turned to Alistair instead. “I heard you guys were here, so I came over.”
Alistair asked, “Something up?”
Leo scratched his nose like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Not really…”
“Oh, then I’ll go back to Carol,” Alistair said.
“Wait–no, no, I do have something!” Leo grabbed Alistair’s arm and quickly pulled him aside.
Richard stood there, dumbfounded.
What the hell just happened?
Wasn’t Leo supposed to rip into Alistair for overstepping, for being a nobody trying to marry into a family far above his class? Weren’t they on the same team?
Even if Leo didn’t hate Alistair outright, this definitely wasn’t how Richard expected him to act.
Leo, the musical prodigy who’d never tolerated a rude question
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from a journalist, was now standing in front of Alistair… timid and cautious.
For someone known to snap back at reporters on live camera, this kind of caution felt disturbingly off–key.
“There are some things that don’t come across well over the phone,” Leo said, stammering a little. “I figured it’d be better to explain in person, you know, just to show sincerity.”
He finally got to the point. Summer was approaching fast, and he wanted to take Mabel to a seaside town for vacation. He had a beachfront villa there. It would give him a change of scenery, a chance to heal emotionally.
Alistair replied, “You don’t need my permission. As long as Grandma’s willing to go, that’s her choice.”
Leo hesitated. “She’s really close with Eloise. If she leaves for too long, she’ll start to miss her. I mean… what I’m trying to say is…”
Even he could hear how selfish the request sounded. The more he spoke, the more anxious he became. He didn’t want Alistair to get the wrong idea… well, to think he was trying to take Eloise away, or that he had some kind of hidden agenda.
Under Leo’s uneasy gaze, Alistair finally said, “Isn’t Eloise’s preschool still in session?”
Leo’s face fell.
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He’d already considered that, of course, but hearing it out loud still stung.
“I can’t make decisions for Eloise,” Alistair added. “Even if you ask Carol, she’ll go straight to Eloise and ask for her opinion. If she says she wants to go, then sure.”
Leo’s face lit up. His head, which had been hanging so low it might as well have brushed his knees, now snapped upright. “Really? If Eloise agrees, you’ll let me take her? I mean–not take her, just–take her on vacation?”
Alistair nodded cautiously. “But before anything else, you’ll need to run it by Carol.”
“Absolutely. No problem,” Leo said quickly.
After a long process of internal adjustment, Alistair could now face Leo’s affection for Eloise with clarity and peace.
Leo was her father. It was only natural he would want to be close to her.
So far, Leo had shown that he understood how important Eloise was to them. He’d never tried to take her away or claim sole custody.
Once Alistair changed the way he looked at it, he realized it might not be such a bad thing after all.
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At the very least, it meant Eloise had one more person in the world who genuinely loved her.
He was about to head off and look for Caroline when he suddenly remembered there was still someone nearby, someone he’d completely ignored.
Turning back, he gave Richard a slow, amused look, then walked away without saying a word.
Richard’s eyes practically burst into flames.
He had completely underestimated Alistair.
Even Leo had warmed to him.’
But so what?
Alistair was a problem for more than just him. The man was living on borrowed time. Sooner or later, the truth would come out. He’d fall from his pedestal, land in prison, and become a cautionary tale.
Let him enjoy his little victories for now. The bigger the fall, the more devastating the crash.
That was the kind of ending Richard looked forward to.
The expo continued to draw in more visitors.
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And soon enough, Richard spotted another familiar face.
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He took a breath, straightened his posture, and approached with a smile. “Long time no see.”
The young woman, stylish and graceful, was craning her neck to look in a certain direction. Only when the person beside her tapped her arm did she come back to the moment. She blinked at Richard, gave him a brief nod in acknowledgment, and then turned and walked off in the same direction Alistair had gone.
Her lukewarm response was a sharp contrast to Richard’s enthusiasm. The whole thing had the air of someone trying far too hard for someone who clearly didn’t care.
Richard stood frozen.
Gritting his teeth in silence, he wasn’t quite sure why, but he picked up his pace and caught up to her. “Vivienne.”
Vivienne turned around, clearly surprised.
She’d never liked Richard much.
Out of habit more than anything, she offered a polite smile.
“Hello. Is there something I can help you with?”
Richard gave a deliberately meaningful smile. “Your restaurant’s
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doing really well. That’s all the more reason for you to be careful with the company you keep.”
Vivienne frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Maintaining a smug, gentlemanly expression, Richard replied,
“I’m just saying, maybe it’s best you don’t get too close to Alistair. For your own protection.”
Her expression turned cold.
Of all people, Richard, morally bankrupt and scandal–ridden, thought he had the right to lecture her?
“Oh? And what makes you say that?”
He leaned in, trying to sound ominous. Vivienne immediately took a step back to maintain distance.
He scoffed inwardly.
So dramatic. She really thinks she’s above me now?
“You’ve heard the rumor, haven’t you?” Richard said smugly. “That Alistair paid someone to run down his ex’s parents?”
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