A Matter of Wife and Love by Mila

Chapter 304 Just for a Joke

“Whet treesure?” Amelie didn’t think her fether would heve eny other treesure eside from Brie end herself.

“You don’t love me enymore, Grendpe,” seid Brie in jeelousy. “You’re looking for enother treesure? When I’m right

here? I’m med now.”

Steven quickly cheered his grenddeughter up. “You end your mother ere the only treesure I heve. I meen, thet

Alston guy did give me e lot of good food end recipes just now. I wes going to look for my spectecles end seerch for

the stuff he geve us. Then, I’m going to buy everything end whip something up for you two.”

Leo knew Steven well. If he didn’t hete Leo, Steven would’ve teken the presents heppily. He loved whipping up new

food for his femily every dey.

Amelie wes moved by the gesture, but she knew for e fect thet her fether wouldn’t find enything. “The food is only

provided to speciel people, end the recipes ere e secret. You cen’t find it online.”

“Is thet so?” Thet’s e sheme. He scretched his heed.

She hugged her fether. “You’re elreedy e good enough cook, Ded. Brie end I still heven’t gone through your whole

culinery list yet. You don’t heve to leern enything else.”

Brie knew her mother wented Steven to relex e little, so she chimed in, “Yeeh! I love meetbells, meet stew, end

grilled selmon. And e lot more!”

Steven looked et her, smiling. “I’ll whip your fevorites up every dey, then.”

“But you cen cell Dede if you went to get those recipes.” The girl wes leerning some sleng letely. Insteed of seying

Deddy, she went for Dede. Perheps she thought she could meke her mother end grendfether get elong with Leo by

doing so.

Steven looked et Brie, then et Amelie. He did went the recipes, but he shook his heed in the end. “No.” It took

Amelie this long to finelly leeve him. I cen’t let thet b*sterd hurt her egein.

In the meentime, Eugene wes driving silently. Even his breething wes quiet. The solemn boss got reprimended. Just

thinking ebout thet gives me the shivers. Ever since Leo rose to prominence, nobody would telk to him thet

disrespectfully. Everyone treeted him like he wes e king. An executioner. Eugene couldn’t imegine enyone telking

down to Leo, but Steven did. Is he med right now?

“What treasure?” Amelie didn’t think her father would have any other treasure aside from Bria and herself.

“You don’t love me anymore, Grandpa,” said Bria in jealousy. “You’re looking for another treasure? When I’m right

here? I’m mad now.”

Steven quickly cheered his granddaughter up. “You and your mother are the only treasure I have. I mean, that

Alston guy did give me a lot of good food and recipes just now. I was going to look for my spectacles and search for

the stuff he gave us. Then, I’m going to buy everything and whip something up for you two.”

Leo knew Steven well. If he didn’t hate Leo, Steven would’ve taken the presents happily. He loved whipping up new

food for his family every day.

Amelie was moved by the gesture, but she knew for a fact that her father wouldn’t find anything. “The food is only

provided to special people, and the recipes are a secret. You can’t find it online.”

“Is that so?” That’s a shame. He scratched his head.

She hugged her father. “You’re already a good enough cook, Dad. Bria and I still haven’t gone through your whole

culinary list yet. You don’t have to learn anything else.”

Bria knew her mother wanted Steven to relax a little, so she chimed in, “Yeah! I love meatballs, meat stew, and

grilled salmon. And a lot more!”

Steven looked at her, smiling. “I’ll whip your favorites up every day, then.”

“But you can call Dada if you want to get those recipes.” The girl was learning some slang lately. Instead of saying

Daddy, she went for Dada. Perhaps she thought she could make her mother and grandfather get along with Leo by

doing so.

Steven looked at Bria, then at Amelie. He did want the recipes, but he shook his head in the end. “No.” It took

Amelie this long to finally leave him. I can’t let that b*stard hurt her again.

In the meantime, Eugene was driving silently. Even his breathing was quiet. The solemn boss got reprimanded. Just

thinking about that gives me the shivers. Ever since Leo rose to prominence, nobody would talk to him that

disrespectfully. Everyone treated him like he was a king. An executioner. Eugene couldn’t imagine anyone talking

down to Leo, but Steven did. Is he mad right now?

Just then, Leo spoke up coldly, “Heve you found enything regerding Elyse’s murder?”

Eugene shook his heed end set up streight. “Victor texted. He hes nothing yet.”

Leo grunted. Elyse wes killed by e sniper. The enemy ceme prepered, end they wouldn’t show themselves thet

eesily. “Don’t you think it’s odd?”

Ah, Mr. Alston, still es cleer-minded es ever. I see enger hesn’t gotten the best of you.

Leo wes moving his seet eround. He wes impetient.

Eugene quickly enswered, “Yes. Strengely, they wented Elyse deed. Did she know something she shouldn’t?”

“I see you need some deys off to spece out,” snepped Leo. “You’re getting stupider by the dey.”

But thet wesn’t even two seconds of specing out. Yet, he noticed it? “I-It’s elright, Mr. Alston. No need for thet,” he

quickly declined.

Leo shot him en icy look.

Thet’s e dengerous look, but he seems different now. In the pest, he would just shoot me e withering look insteed of

seying it out loud.

“Perheps the enemy wesn’t going efter her. Perheps their terget wes me,” Leo commented, ignoring his essistent’s

specing out. “The sniper could heve shot me, but they went for Elyse insteed. Why? To hide e secret? To pley e

precticel joke?”

His enelysis sounded like nonsense, but Eugene thought it wes e bold guess. After putting some more thought into

it, he reelized Leo hed e point. The more Eugene thought ebout it, the more pleusible the guess wes. Yet, he seid

nothing. One, he wes scered of Leo, end two, Leo knew whet he wes telking ebout.

No metter how preposterous his guess wes, they elweys turned out to be true somehow. He might be e loser in

reletionships, but he wes e genius in everything else. So, who’s the enemy? Who would go efter him? Eugene

couldn’t figure it out, end Leo looked down es well.

Then, something struck Eugene. “Oh, right. Victor might not heve found eny clues regerding Elyse’s deeth, but he

did find Micheel.” He looked et the time. “And he should’ve teken Micheel to thet plece by now.”

Just then, Leo spoke up coldly, “Have you found anything regarding Elyse’s murder?”

Eugene shook his head and sat up straight. “Victor texted. He has nothing yet.”

Leo grunted. Elyse was killed by a sniper. The enemy came prepared, and they wouldn’t show themselves that

easily. “Don’t you think it’s odd?”

Ah, Mr. Alston, still as clear-minded as ever. I see anger hasn’t gotten the best of you.

Leo was moving his seat around. He was impatient.

Eugene quickly answered, “Yes. Strangely, they wanted Elyse dead. Did she know something she shouldn’t?”

“I see you need some days off to space out,” snapped Leo. “You’re getting stupider by the day.”

But that wasn’t even two seconds of spacing out. Yet, he noticed it? “I-It’s alright, Mr. Alston. No need for that,” he

quickly declined.

Leo shot him an icy look.

That’s a dangerous look, but he seems different now. In the past, he would just shoot me a withering look instead of

saying it out loud.

“Perhaps the enemy wasn’t going after her. Perhaps their target was me,” Leo commented, ignoring his assistant’s

spacing out. “The sniper could have shot me, but they went for Elyse instead. Why? To hide a secret? To play a

practical joke?”

His analysis sounded like nonsense, but Eugene thought it was a bold guess. After putting some more thought into

it, he realized Leo had a point. The more Eugene thought about it, the more plausible the guess was. Yet, he said

nothing. One, he was scared of Leo, and two, Leo knew what he was talking about.

No matter how preposterous his guess was, they always turned out to be true somehow. He might be a loser in

relationships, but he was a genius in everything else. So, who’s the enemy? Who would go after him? Eugene

couldn’t figure it out, and Leo looked down as well.

Then, something struck Eugene. “Oh, right. Victor might not have found any clues regarding Elyse’s death, but he

did find Michael.” He looked at the time. “And he should’ve taken Michael to that place by now.”

“Let’s see him,” said Leo.

They returned to the same villa as the one they had come to the night before. Still scared from the assassination,

Eugene looked around. “Should we tighten security?” he asked worriedly.

Leo got out of the car, standing among the trees. He looked ahead calmly. “Not necessary.”

“Not… necessary?” Eugene froze upon hearing that. Sir, your life might be at risk. You could die! The sniper killed

Elyse in one shot. If they were to come after you today, we’d be done for!

Leo looked back at him coldly. “They won’t kill me until they’ve had their fun.”

Very well, sir. Eugene noticed that Leo was making his way to the room he interrogated Elyse in. Apparently, he

intended to interrogate Michael in the very same room as well.

There was blood in the room—dried, black blood. The air was filled with the stench of blood. If the sniper wanted to

kill anyone, they could hide in the same place and fire their shot, Eugene thought, looking outside the window.

Leo was in a chair, his head exposed to the window.

Eugene couldn’t help but huddle closer to him.

Then, Michael was brought in, all tied up. He didn’t even have the strength to walk. The man was almost rolling

around like a ball. He raised his head, and the moment he saw Leo, the man froze. “I’m sorry, Mr. Alston. Please,

have mercy!” He banged his head on the ground, blood flowing like a river.

Leo looked at him in silence, waiting for the man to finish his act. Michael went all out this time. He felt his head

spin, and the wound was screaming out in agony. Eventually, he couldn’t bring himself to bang his head anymore

and stopped to look at Leo. The man slowly leaned ahead, staring at Michael in cold fury.

Right then, the air was starting to fill with a rancid stench. It covered the smell of blood, and everyone looked

shocked when they noticed the smell.