When I Was a Wallflower (Leo and Amelie)
Chapter 224

Leo placed the papers on top of his knees before flipping through them with the tips of his fingers. His gaze was lowered, and he wore a serious look on his face. After he finished the last page, he flipped it over and sat in silence for a long while. He pressed his palm against the last page and remained still for a long time.

The content and details of the file were extremely thorough, and it documented Amelie's primary school life up until her university days. Everything was written clearly, yet there didn't seem to have anything tha stuck out for Leo. He flipped through the pages once more with an enigmatic look on his stone-cold face.

He felt a strong sense of familiarity after spending all his recent time with Amelie. He felt like he had known her even before their four-year marriage. Yet, none of this was mentioned in the file. He didn't question Victor's professional abilities, and he trusted Victor immensely. Does that mean I was the one who was overthinking it?

The next day, Amelie went to pick Bria up at 5.00PM sharp. She could see Bria being led out by someone else, even from a distance away. The girl seemed especially happy that day, and she skipped over to Amelie, revealing her fair legs under her princess dress. Her braids swung around in the air as she lifted her small face to beam and spoke to the person holding her hand.

Amelie followed Bria's gaze and shifted her attention to the person holding Bria's hands, and she saw a man, who was dressed in a dark green coat. The man had a same-colored scarf dangling around his neck. His figure was lanky, and he was dressed stylishly. The white shirt under the man's dark coat seemed especially eye-catching due to the contrast in colors.

Leo's hard expression seemed softer than usual. Didn't he just see Bria yesterday? Why is he here again today? Amelie was confused. It was a one-hour drive from Halport to Clouson City, and it was troublesome for one to travel between the two places. Furthermore, Leo was a busy man with a lot of other important matters to handle.

"Mommy!" Bria and Leo walked up to Amelie while she was still immersed in her thoughts. Bria's sweet and loud voice sounded in Amelie's ears, and the young girl swung her father's arm back and forth as she greeted her mother. "Daddy's here to pick us up," she uttered before flashing a wide grin that showed her baby teeth. The little girl made it sound as if Leo was there for both Amelie and herself.

Amelie remained calm as she pulled Bria closer to her. "You're a busy man, Mr. Alston. You don't have to come over every day," she uttered in a polite tone. The man frowned at her words. "Well, Bria's my daughter, and I want to make time for her. I don't see an issue with that." He stuck his hands into his pants as he spoke coldly.

His words... Why does he sound like he's trying to pick a fight? Amelie was too stunned to speak for a moment, so she had no choice but to remain silent. "Mommy, let's have dinner with Daddy again today." Bria held onto Amelie's hand while looking at her. The girl was petite, so she had to stick her head up just to meet Amelie's gaze. Dinner had been wonderful the night before, and she was still yearning for more time with her parents.

Naturally, Amelie disagreed with that idea. "Your dad's busy. We shouldn't take up too much of his time."

"I came all the way here, anyway. I don't mind having a meal," Leo added right after she finished her words. She was speechless after that. She couldn't help but give him a long stare. She felt like he had been acting differently in recent days. He used to be so eager to get away from me. Why is he suggesting that we have a meal together now? Did he injure his head or something? Is he getting pre-wedding jitters because of his upcoming marriage?

Amelie was certain that he was about to get married ever since she found out about Carol. Based on Amelie's knowledge, people who had pre-wedding jitters would act in ways that were out of their norm. This is the second time he's getting married. Why is he still so nervous?

"But I've already prepared food at home." Regardless of what Leo's issue was, she had no interest in sharing another meal with him. She had to take up a lot more chores since Steven wasn't around, and she was in charge of cooking. Phew. I'm glad I have this as an excuse, Amelie thought to herself.

"Why don't we invite him for dinner at home, then?" Bria suggested. Amelie was speechless after that. It seems like this young lady has forgotten whose side she's on ever since Leo pampered her a little. The little girl was worried that her mother would reject her suggestion again, so she tugged Amelie's sleeve. "Please say yes, Mommy. Daddy traveled all the way here, and he must be hungry. It'd be so sad if he didn't get to have a meal with us." She was a sneaky but smart little girl-she knew how to widen her eyes and purse her lips when she wanted something. She knew that others wouldn't reject her when she looked both adorable and pitiful at the same time.

Amelie parted her lips to speak, but she couldn't bring herself to reject Bria. "I don't mind skipping a meal if you don't have enough food for three. I just want to spend time with Bria since she's so fond of me." Leo, who had been silent, finally spoke up for himself. Amelie was speechless-she had intended to use the lack of food as her next excuse, but his words left her stuck in a corner.

"Fine." She had no choice but to nod in agreement. "However, I'm not good at cooking, so I'm not sure if you'll appreciate the food I make." Her words were directed toward Leo. She was referring to how he had always rejected her food when she prepared meals for him back in Alston Residence.

He didn't respond to her words. He simply walked over to Bria's other side before reaching for the girl's unoccupied hand. "Let's go." Amelie blushed as she watched the both of them. Leo was holding onto Bria's left hand while she was holding onto Bria's right. They looked like a perfect little family. Isn't Leo worried that this might look bad for him? she thought.

"Let's go, Mommy." Bria swung her arm to urge her mother to hurry. Both Bria and Leo were already walking ahead of Amelie. However, when Amelie looked at the back of Leo's head, she realized he didn't seem to see any issue with the way they were holding Bria's hands. He seemed comfortable with the arrangement. Ultimately, she gave in to Bria's urges and hurried after her daughter and the man.

She made sure to walk slightly behind the father-daughter pair, and she kept a larger distance between herself and Bria so that she could be farther away from Leo as well. Bria's kindergarten was just two streets away from Amelie's house. Leo didn't drive his car-the three of them simply walked back home together. Bria greeted her friends whenever she walked past them. "Hey, Lexie! This is my dad. Hey, Jordy! Meet my dad!" Bria seemed as if she wanted to tell the whole world that she had a father.

The students were part of the team who went to the nursing home, so they had met Leo in the past. Amelie figured it wouldn't be awkward for them to know of Leo as Bria's father. What embarrassed her the most was how Bria insisted on introducing her father to every single store they had passed by on the way back to their house. The exasperation was written all over Amelie's face as she walked with the father- daughter pair.

The store owners seemed excited to meet Leo. "Oh, so you're Bria's father. What a handsome man!" Some of them stuck their thumbs up as they genuinely found Leo good-looking. Amelie hastened her footsteps and covered half of her face with her hand. Once they got home, Leo reached out to get himself a pair of indoor slippers. He had gotten comfortable with the place since he had visited Bria frequently while Bria was injured. Back then, Amelie had prepared a pair of indoor slippers for him.

Once he was done putting on his slippers, he helped Bria with her shoes. Bria's tiny figure rested against his body as she pressed her small palms against his shoulder. Leo didn't seem to mind this-he used his bony and slender fingers to remove her princess shoes before putting on a pair of indoor slippers for her. His actions were calm and steady. Even though he was helping someone else to put on their shoes, he still managed to act in a classy and elegant manner.

After Bria was done putting her slippers on, she ran off into the living hall. Amelie had bought a relatively large house, and there were a lot of vintage items lying around. Even though her house wasn't as large as Alston Residence, it didn't seem too shabby or tight either. Amelie had prepared their meal before she left the house, so there were already dishes on the table. There were only two plates of vegetables and a soup, which weren't enough for the three of them. I can't just let Leo sit around without eating, right?

Amelie let out a loud sigh before she gave up and walked into the kitchen. She opened her fridge and pulled out some chicken breast, some ginger, and some fresh vegetables. After washing the vegetables, she reached out for the ginger. Just then, she saw a bony hand sliding into her field of vision and reaching for the ginger she wanted to take.

She froze before she looked up to see Leo standing before her with a calm look on his face. He had removed his coat and scarf, so he was only wearing a plain white shirt. The high-quality shirt fitted perfectly on his body, enhancing the shape of his torso. He seemed rather sexy in the thin shirt.