"Toria, dear, why don't you stay at the old house for a couple of days and keep this old lady company?" Mrs. Carter said to Toria.
Toria knew she had already offended Leo and didn't want to lower herself to the Turner Family for the sake of her adoptive parents.
So, she had no choice but to rely on Mrs. Carter. After all, Mrs. Carter didn't seem to harbor any ill will towards her.
"I don't understand, why do you want me to stay with you?" Toria asked.
"Leo 'bullied' you, so he should take responsibility. Having you stay at the old house for a few days will also give me a chance to get to know you better," Mrs. Carter explained.
Considering Toria's concern, she added, "I've already arranged for the best specialists from abroad to treat your parents. They should be well soon."
Toria felt deeply grateful, almost to the point of being overwhelmed. She could only comfort herself by remembering that she had saved Leo, and now Mrs. Carter was helping her adoptive parents. It balanced out.
"Thank you, Grandma," she said sincerely.
Over the next three days, Toria accompanied Mrs. Carter in practicing in the mornings, tending to the flower garden in the late mornings, and making pastries or playing chess in the afternoons.
The fulfilling days passed quickly.
On the fourth morning, after having breakfast with Mrs. Carter, Toria packed her things and carried her luggage downstairs. She nodded slightly to Mrs. Carter, who was sitting on the sofa.
"Grandma, I'm leaving now. Thank you for your hospitality."
Mrs. Carter stood up and walked over to her, smiling kindly. "You have such a cheerful personality, my dear. Being around you makes me feel much younger."
In front of Toria, Mrs. Carter didn't have a trace of the stern matriarch demeanor; instead, she exuded the warmth of a grandmother.
"Grandma, you must always keep a young heart. I'm leaving now, bye-bye."
"Alright, remember to come visit this old lady whenever you have time."
"Uh... heh heh... sure, Grandma."
Toria responded awkwardly. Whether she could come back to the old mansion wasn't up to her.
After leaving the old mansion, Mrs. Carter arranged for a driver to take her to downtown New Orleans.
Passing by a pharmacy, she told the driver, "Stop here. I'll get off."
The car came to a halt, and she got out, saying to the driver, "Thank you. And please thank Grandma Carter for me as well."
"Of course, Miss Kingsley," the driver replied before turning the car around to head back. Toria, with her cross-body bag, jogged into the pharmacy.
The pharmacist immediately approached her and asked, "Hello, what kind of medicine do you need?"
"Please give me the best emergency contraceptive you have," Toria said urgently to the pharmacist.
Toria had been stuck at the Carter Family's old mansion for the past few days, with no chance to leave.
Naturally, she hadn't been able to buy any emergency contraception. Now that she was out, she knew she had to get the pills as soon as possible. If she got pregnant, it would be a disaster.
The pharmacist handed her a box of pills. "This is the best emergency contraception within 72 hours."
Toria took the box and was about to pay when she paused. "What did you say? 72 hours?"
"Yes, the sooner the better. If you take it after three days, it won't work."
"Only three days?"
"That's right." Toria's mind went blank, and she stood there, stunned.
She looked down at the box and read the instructions. Sure enough, it was emergency contraception effective within 72 hours. After that, it wouldn't work.
She had never used this before and naively thought emergency contraception could be used within a week. No wonder Mrs. Carter had kept her at the Carter Family mansion for three days. It was all part of her plan.
Toria handed the box back to the pharmacist, her eyes red as she walked out of the pharmacy. She wandered the streets alone, trying to comfort herself.
"What's there to be afraid of? If I get pregnant, I can always have an abortion!" She tried to reassure herself, "I'll deal with whatever comes my way. There's nothing to be scared of!"
Just then, a car screeched to a halt right in front of her. Before Toria could react, she was shoved into the car.
"Hey, who... who are you people? Kidnapping in broad daylight is illegal!" She struggled a bit and warned, "Stop the car right now and let me go, or I'll call the police."
"Miss Kingsley, you'd better behave and not cause trouble for yourself."
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the driver's seat.
Toria craned her neck to look over and was shocked to see that the driver was George . So, it was Leo who had arranged for her to be kidnapped?
Indeed, acting tough felt good for a moment, but the aftermath was a disaster.
She had barely left the Carter Family estate when Leo had her captured. He acted way too fast. "George, stop the car right now, or I'll call Grandma."
"I advise Miss Kingsley to be more self-aware."
Toria Kingsley : "..."
Self-aware enough to accept her fate?
Thinking about her parents still in the Carter Family hospital, she didn't dare to struggle any further. About ten minutes later, she was taken to the 38th floor of the Velvet Club, into Leo's private room.
"Boss, Miss Kingsley has been brought to you."
George brought Toria before Leo. "I'll take my leave now," he said, turning and exiting the room.
Toria clutched the strap of her bag tightly, her eyes fixed on Leo, who was engrossed in his work with a laptop on his lap.
His long, elegant fingers danced across the keyboard, and his focused gaze exuded an aura of authority, as if he were a god passing judgment from the heavens.
His face, especially, was striking, an exquisite masterpiece with perfect features, as if sculpted by the hands of God himself. Even Toria, usually immune to handsome men, couldn't help but steal a few extra glances.
"Have you seen enough?" Leo suddenly closed his laptop and placed it on the table, catching her off guard.
"Who—who was looking at you?" Toria retorted, her lips curling slightly.
"Don't flatter yourself."
Leo, dressed in a black shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, stood up and fixed her with a piercing gaze.
"Do you think just because Grandma supports you, you can act recklessly in front of me?"
Feeling the intense pressure emanating from him, Toria nervously swallowed.
"No... no, absolutely not."
"Already scared? Weren't you the one who boldly declared at the old house that you wanted to have my child and marry me?"
Leo's eyes narrowed. This audacious woman dared to provoke him. She had no idea what she was getting into. "Hehe hehe hehe..." Toria let out a nervous laugh.
Toria's face turned slightly pale as she forced a bitter, self-mocking smile. She couldn't help but take a few steps back.
"Mr. Carter, don't be angry. I was just joking that day." She forced a nervous laugh, "Just joking."
She kept retreating, but Leo grabbed her by the collar. "I, Leo, hate being threatened the most. Congratulations, you've done it."
Though he said "congratulations," Toria saw Leo's icy expression, it was as if he was staring at a corpse.
Her heart nearly leapt out of her throat in fear. "Mr. Carter, it was all just a joke." Oh my god, this is terrifying.
"Whether it was a joke or not isn't something you can prove with just your words."
"Then... then... how can I prove it?" Toria stammered, scared out of her wits.
Leo raised his ink-black eyebrows. "Do you really want to prove that everything you said in the Carter Family old house was just a joke?"