Chapter 555
Standing Before Love
It was Heatherâs first time bringing Leon back to the Langston Residence, so the sight of them walking side by side naturally attracted the attention of other pedestrians. Excited, Leon spat some meaningless chatter as he scanned around the residence.
âItâs like a medieval castle! Ha!â He laughed loudly as he was astonished by the residence, as if it was one of the iconic buildings in Bradfort City, although he might have been exaggerating.
âShut up,â Heather muttered furiously as she was triggered by Leonâs running mouth.
When it came to her, Leon would always find something about her to pick on. He would have so many teases building up in his mind that he had trouble finding words to express them.
âHeather, is this why youâve been reluctant to bring me to your residence?â Presently, Leon finally acknowledged that the reason Heather wouldnât bring him home was to prevent him from making fun of her.
âShut up, I said. Is this how you behave as a guest?â Heather shot him a look from the corner of her eye, failing to find the humor in his speech. Why is he so detestable?
Holding back his laugh, Leon nervously waved his hand out of denial. âOf course not! The design is really unique. For someone who seldom explores the world, overreacting to such a wonder is natural, isnât it?â
Sensing the mockery in his words, she decided to ignore him while she drowned in remorse for bringing him home. I must have been out of it when I decided to bring Leon to the Langston Residence.
As much as Heather wanted to clip his mouth shut, she could only surrender to her misery.
On the other hand, Leon, whose smile was toppingly intoxicating, had smeared the line between heterosexual attractions. Be it a man or a woman, no one could resist his charm.
Sadly, the hideous, infuriating truth behind the handsome mug was only known to Heather. At that very moment, she wanted to toss him outside the door.
âI canât wait to see your boudoir, Heather!â After seeing how Heatherâs home was built like a castle, Leon got eager to see what her bedroom looked like and wondered, Perhaps itâs like a princessâ
chamber?
âOur family rules are strict. Only my significant other is allowed entry into my boudoir.â she shot him a cold grin. If she were to let him into her room, sheâd be a gag topic for days!
âOhâhow disappointing! Looks like Iâll never have the chance to visit your room for the rest of my life, then,â he mumbled with a dispirited expression. Seeing how Heather wouldnât let him into the room, it must have been as he predictedâthe boudoir was but a front to the princess chamber.
âBehave yourself! My grandfather hates an indecent man,â she reminded him. Indeed, Robert did abhor men that had a cunning tongue like Leon. He might even have Leon escorted out of the residence before dinner.
âAm I not decent enough?â Feeling great about himself, Leon thought that as long as he wasnât too uptight, he would be good to go.
Heather sarcastically scoffed as she rolled her eyes at him, secretly hoping everything would go fine.
Except for Myra, she had never brought any friends to the residence. Now that she had brought Leon over, she would be extremely ashamed if her family didnât accept him.
Seeing the inexplicable expression on her face, Leon thoughtfully behaved himself as he straightened his clothes. Although sporting a jacket seemed somewhat perfunctory, his fit figure allowed him to look fanciable.
As long as he was mindful of his facial expressions, Leon would still be a piece of art, not emitting any trace of obscenity.
Gifted with a ravishing face and the diligence to maintain a desirable body, Leon had certainly passed the attractiveness test. Besides, he had undergone nobility training, so he could reflect the quality of a noble as long as he remained stern and orderly.
To strangers, Leon would appear friendly and beguiling. However, to acquaintances, evilness would fill his eyes when he grinned with cunningness imprinted on his face, just like a true degenerate.
Shortly after, Heather led Leon to the residence hallâa vast, empty hall, only because the kids were still in school while the adults hadnât gotten off work.
The stillness in the residence would soon be over when the kids eventually returned home, turning the silence into a head-aching party.
Since the children were raised spoiled, none of them was sensible in arguments. Annoyed by that, Heather often fantasized about smacking each of them.
Unlike the disciplined, meticulous family they once were, the Langstons had failed to pass down the admirable traits to their heirs as none of the succeeding generations after Heather was well trained, but it was not that she cared anymore. Nonetheless, the kids still knew their places in the family and would control themselves when Robert was around.
Conversely, when in private, they would turn into a gang of mischief in a split second, and Heather would immediately discipline them. Hence, they were rather scared of her.
Ultimately, when it came to instructing children, she alone couldnât do much in helping them develop their core personalities; she could only educate them to conduct themselves under certain circumstances.
Heather sat down on the couch and she invited Leon to do so too. She then had a servant prepare some tea for him, and they then served some tidbits and snacks along with drinks.
Leon thanked the maid with a friendly smile and it made her blush immediately. Upon seeing that, Heather shot him a warning look. Despite having informed him several times in the past, Leon disregarded her reminders as he carried on with his usual ways. Ahâwhen will he ever change?
Because of his tendency to make passes, Leon would never have a good ending with girls. After all, who in the world would like their partners to continuously flirt around with others?
Despite that, Heather had an intuition that he might drop that irresponsible habit of his if he were to get together with Paige.
âWhereâs Old Master Langston?â Leon looked around but he couldnât find Robert anywhere. He could have saved the sweat if he knew the old man wasnât present.
Heather pursed her lips slightly and she knitted her brows. âIf heâs not in the living room, he should be in the study room,â she murmured. Truth was, she hesitated whether to bring Leon to Robert. Although she had mentioned Leon to him, she wasnât sure if he still remembered it.
âIâm a little nervous,â Leon explained outright. Somehow, he felt more anxious than meeting the parents of a partner, not that he had done that many times.
Hearing that, Heather responded with a smirk as she would never have expected the mighty Leon to reveal his timid side. It seemed like her effort in making her grandfather seem intimidating didnât go to waste.
Just as she had wished for, a little uneasiness helped shut Leonâs witless mouth up. This way, he wouldnât blurt things he wasnât supposed to, especially pertaining to certain private matters that she wasnât ready to tell Robert.
âWhat for? Grandpaâs real amiable!â Heatherâs grin got even deeper as she got to enjoy Leonâs vulnerable look.
âWhy do I find that hard to believe?â he questioned suspiciously. Amiable? What a load of bull!
Just like the one Leon had at home, a man who had once conquered the business world could never evolve into an amiable person even if he tried. Recalling how ferocious his grandfather was, Leon would shiver even at the mere thought of his existence.
âDonât stress yourself out. After all, werenât you the one nagging to see him?â Heather teased. As a matter of fact, Leon was indeed the one who wished to meet Robert, which Heather took no part in.
âMaybe I shouldnât be seeing him after all. I donât think Iâm ready to.â Frightened, Leon tried to retreat from his decision. âWell, I could meet him when our business starts up. That way, we have more things to talk about.â
âNo way, Leon! Since youâre already here and the maids have already seen you, Grandpa will be coming soon knowing youâre here.â Heather continued to scare Leon as she felt tremendously satisfied seeing his panicked expression. Serves him right for being so gabby!
âTell him something urgent came up and I had to go. Iâll take my leave now.â He stood up as he spoke, getting ready to walk out, to which Heather quickly grasped his arm.
With one drag of a hand, Leon was immediately pulled back to his seat and Heather gave him a vicious stare. âDo not leave. If you do so, youâll be embarrassing me, so do as you promised.â Looking at her murderous expression, Leon was frightened out of his mind.
Coincidentally, the sight of the duo sharing skinship was caught by Robert and he frowned. Even with his deteriorating eyesight, he could tell the man beside Heather wasnât Matthias.
Perhaps she is seeing a man other than Matthias? Then again, Robert knew how Heather hated being intimate with other people. Given how close they were interacting, was Heather closer with this man than with Mathias?
Speeding up his steps, Robert wanted to identify the man. Could he be someone she truly fancies?
Hearing the rapid footsteps coming from the staircase, Heather swiftly unhanded Leon as they both stared at the staircase, only to see Robert walking over.
Heather watched as Robert came down the stairs, and she got worried that he might have seen her dragging Leon. She then thought that she should have been more careful in the residence and regretted her decision to bring Leon home. Now, she had basically dug a hole for herself.
Leon turned to Heather anxiously, clueless about what to say when Robert was approaching them.
Since having arrived in Bradfort City, Leon had been socially helpless as he had to force himself to communicate with others, unlike in Italy, where people were more hospitable.
If the opening acts were already this exhausting, how devastating would the main playâthe tricky Robertâbe? In all honesty, Leon hadnât the faintest idea.
âRelax; act more naturally. Just rememberâyouâre my entrepreneurial partner, so confer more about the job and do not even try being funny.â Heather purposefully emphasized the last part.
Regardless of everything, cultural differences between countries would never cease to exist. Thanks to the openness of Italy, a carefree man like Leon was born.
Hastily, Leon nodded his head in acknowledgment. Within seconds, Robert arrived before them.
Immediately, Heather sprung up from her seat to link her arm through his as she beamed sweetly.
So there really is a man that can turn Heather into a demure, little girl, and that man is none other than her grandfather, Robert Langston! Stupefied by her act, Leon momentarily forgot to greet the old man.
âWhoâs your friend, Heather?â Robert quizzed his granddaughter.
Despite Heatherâs hinting glare, Leon, who was still stunned, wasnât able to heed her signal. As Leon failed his first impression, Heather felt utterly frustrated and could only peer at him helplessly.
âHello, Grandpa.â Out of panic, Leon mistakenly blurted the form of address Heather uttered.
Amazed by his stupidity, Heather shot a speechless look at Leon, having already stabbed him countless times in her mind. Upon hearing that, Robert hit her with a knowing look and she knew then and there that she was done for.