"Sorry."
Leo's expression remained indifferent, as he held Holly's hand and walked past Rosalie, leaving the mall.
Rosalie watched Leo leave, clenching her fists tightly. She liked Leo, but Leo did not like her.
Leo might not know, but during that game, she had actually manipulated it. Becoming a couple with Leo was part of her plan, and she thought Leo would like her, but unexpectedly, he still didn't.
Leo is someone who keeps his promises, and naturally plays games fairly. So when he learned he was to become Rosalie's boyfriend, he didn't refuse, only stating upfront that he wouldn't fall for her.
"Brother, that aunty seemed angry just now."
Outside the mall, Holly tilted her head slightly to look at Leo, speaking with an innocent expression.
"No, it's elder sister. Elder sister seemed angry."
The little girl lowered her head guiltily, seeming to regret her address, appearing especially pitiable.
"It's okay, how she feels is none of our business."
Leo rubbed Holly's head gently, his voice soft.
"I didn't mean to call her aunty, she's quite pretty, but Holly doesn't like her. I feel her gaze wasn't very friendly towards me."
The little girl twisted her fingers, head bowed, speaking in a soft, tender voice full of grievance.
The pure little girl seemed to be hurt, her voice aggrieved, her small face lacking a smile.
"It's alright, Holly didn't call wrong, calling her aunty isn't incorrect."
Leo reached out and pinched Holly's cheek, speaking patiently.
The girl is just too pure, with a child's nature. Encountering even the slightest issue feels particularly upsetting to her.
Holly nodded, revealing a smile.
Of course Holly knew who Rosalie was; she understood everything about Leo, and naturally knew of Rosalie too.
Leo might not know, but Holly knew well that Leo and Rosalie's accidental coupling was all Rosalie's scheme.
Rosalie thought Leo would fall for her, but ultimately, it was just her one-sided wish.
——
Holly sat on the swing in the Grant Family villa's backyard, sucking on a lollipop, leisurely swinging her legs, gazing thoughtfully at the tranquil lake.
Lollipops are a good thing; eating one when unhappy can lift one's spirits.
Sweets can indeed sweeten one's heart, but in Holly Sawyer's hands, the lollipop would be poison; lethal poison.
In the pavilion of the backyard, Leo and Noah sat across from each other on stone benches, a computer in front of them, discussing matters.
"Look, this little girl without a care in the world, seems like a silly girl without worries."
Over in Arkenfall, wave after wave of assassination attempts came, meant to prevent Leo from returning alive to Arkenfall. Noah scratched his head in frustration, his gaze landing on Holly nearby.
Holly lived carefree, her emotions displayed openly, seemingly without any troubles.
"The young girl is indeed carefree, I wish to protect her innocence."
Leo took a deep breath, his gentle gaze falling on Holly. The girl had a great personality, simple and carefree. Having her by his side all these days brought him joy.
"Suddenly, I think it would be good if you lost your memory."
Noah looked at Leo meaningfully.
If Leo lost his memory, would those in Arkenfall still act against him?
Perhaps not.
It's all connected by blood, if it weren't for Leo being the heir apparent, those people wouldn't go to such lengths.
But now, interests take precedence.
"Regardless of whether they'll still act against me, if I were to lose my memories, Sean Grant would be put in danger."
Leo shook his head, speaking of the Grant Family he knew well. When interests haven't been touched, relationships can be harmonious, but once interests come into play, blood ties don't matter.
Sean Grant is Leo's cousin; although not born from the same parents, their relationship is rock solid.
If anything happened to Leo, the heir's identity would then fall upon Sean Grant without a doubt.
"You think of him? What if he's involved too?"
Though Noah and Leo had a good relationship, he wasn't familiar with Sean, nor had much interaction with him.
If Leo were incidentally harmed, Sean would naturally become the heir, and the biggest beneficiary would be Sean. Who knows what role Sean plays in all this?
"He wouldn't. I trust him."
Leo shook his head, speaking slowly.
In truth, from a broad perspective, Sean was the biggest beneficiary, yet Leo believed Sean was not such a person.
Noah remained silent, hoping Sean wasn't involved. Leo rarely placed unconditional trust in someone.
"Brother, here's a candy, don't be upset, okay?"
Unknowingly Holly approached, looking at Leo as she spoke, then skillfully tore off the candy wrapper, offering it to Leo's lips.
Leo hesitated, seeing the girl's expectant eyes, then took the lollipop into his mouth.
"Holly, have you recently been to my room?"
Leo looked at Holly, suddenly asking, his tone notably serious.
Holly tilted her head, blinking at Leo. "Holly goes to wake brother up every morning."
She looked at Leo with confusion, her expression blank as she reminisced.
Each time Holly woke up, Leo usually wasn't up yet. The first thing Holly did after waking was to get Leo up, and this had been going on for quite a few days.
"Ah, a butterfly."
Just as Leo intended to inquire further, Holly's keen eyes spotted a butterfly, and she darted after it.
Watching her jubilant demeanor, Leo shook his head.
His little girl was so innocent and adorable, how could she possibly be involved in such matters, right?
"What are you thinking?"
Noah asked.
"From the first unexplained death to now, there have been five. Each appearing accidental, but do you think there would be that many accidents?"
Leo queried, the first could be said an accident, but the second, third, fourth, and fifth couldn't all be deemed accidents, right?
These five were found dead after he woke up, and all seemed intended for assassinating him.
Moreover, among the five, traces of sugary residue were found.
"Perhaps someone is secretly protecting you."
"Little girls liking sweets is normal. Holly carries candy with her all the time, she often eats it; it's normal."
Noah analyzed, speaking so earnestly.
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