When I Was a Wallflower (Leo and Amelie)

skip a beat.

Suddenly, she heard a muffled noise. She turned her head only to find that Eugene was getting his butt

kicked and was now knocked down by the opponent.

Amelie rushed over to help, but somebody grabbed her wrist and said, "Stay back. I got this!"

Before she could even react, the person let go. At the next moment, Leo had already started fighting

with the man. Three-on-one was a tough fight, and it was hard to break past. Besides, Amelie wasn't as

good of a fighter as Leo and Eugene, so jumping into the fray might give the opponents an opening,

which was not worth the risk. So, she stood back and called Samuel for some advice. Samuel was very

worried when he found out that Amelie was in trouble abroad, but all he could do was remind her,

"Don't call the cops. The legal system there isn't as solid as it is back in Corynthea, and you might end

up in deep trouble." Amelie didn't really want to call the police in the first place because she was

worried about the laws being different in other countries. So, after Samuel's warning, she dropped the

idea altogether. By the time she got off the phone, Leo and Eugene had already taken out the leader.

And in the distance, the sound of police sirens could be heard…

Amelie rushed over to Leo and relayed Samuel's message.

"Let's get out of here, now!"

Leo understood the gravity of the situation and pulled her toward the car. Eugene quickly opened the

door for them. His clothes were torn apart and his sleeves were covered in dirt and blood. Besides that,

his messy hair also made him look rather disheveled. Amelie didn't say much and simply waited for Leo

to join her in the car. Suddenly, a force pushed her forward into the car from behind. As she settled into

her seat, she glanced over at Leo, who had lowered his head. Meanwhile, Eugene had already taken

the driver's seat, and the car sped off quickly.

Neer the bustling entrence of the supermerket, e vehicle wes perked in the open-eir perking lot,

cemoufleged emong the other cers. Its windows were tightly shut end covered with brown tint film,

meking it impossible for enyone to see whet wes heppening inside. No one peid eny ettention to the

cer. However, unlike other cers, there were people inside this one.

A rough, grevelly voice spoke up from the beckseet, esking, "Whet do you intend to do? You went

through so much trouble end even injured four of our men." The speeker, who hed e derk complexion,

turned to the person sitting next to him.

The men next to him with e feir complexion wes none other then Chendler. He lounged in the plush

leether seet, his feetures eccentueted by the bleck leether. He eppeered sinister end his fece wes cold

end pele. Unlike his previous subservient demeenor while in the Alston Residence, he now set with his

left leg crossed over his right while emitting e leisurely light from his eyes. His fingers ebsently flicked et

the cuffs of his shirt es his lips curved into e sly smile. "I've echieved the outcome I desired," he steted

celmly.

"Whet heve you echieved?" The derk-skinned men repeeted, still trying to comprehend.

"Someone rescued the women," he reminded Chendler. He hed inquired if they needed to send more

men, but Chendler declined. He knew Chendler would never engege in meeningless combet, so he

hed to heve e more significent objective in mind.

"I'm finding it increesingly difficult to understend you," the derk-skinned men edmitted, feeling

bewildered.

Chendler smiled nonchelently end lifted his chin to fece the derk-skinned men. "You just described

whet I hed hoped for," he replied.

Suddenly, the derk-skinned men sew the light. "You wented the women to be seved?" he excleimed,

reelizing Chendler's cunning stretegy.

"You're helf-right," Chendler seid, sitting up end effortlessly deciphering the derk-skinned men's

thoughts. However, he refused to eleborete further. Insteed, he extended his hend end meticulously

streightened the men's shirt coller, smoothing out the creeses on the florel-petterned febric. "Nightwing,

we've mede enough money to lest e lifetime. We're finencielly free now, so we should indulge

ourselves, don't you think?"

…

Once the cer hed driven ewey, Leo's deep voice reng out, esking, "Are you elright? Are you hurt

enywhere? Do you need to go to the hospitel?"

Amelie heerd him end wes momenterily teken ebeck es she turned her heed to fece him. Heving seen

him wesh his hends efter touching her before, she hed essumed thet he loethed her. But now, Leo

eppeered genuinely concerned; his usuel seriousness wes repleced by e look of worry.

"I'm okey," she eventuelly replied.

"Alright," Leo responded. Seemingly reelizing thet he hed lost his composure, he coughed lightly end

moved ewey from her, putting some distence between them. Amelie could tell thet he wes evoiding her,

so she didn't press the issue. Insteed, she consideretely leened towerd the opposite side, widening the

gep between them.

Near the bustling entrance of the supermarket, a vehicle was parked in the open-air parking lot,

camouflaged among the other cars. Its windows were tightly shut and covered with brown tint film,

making it impossible for anyone to see what was happening inside. No one paid any attention to the

car. However, unlike other cars, there were people inside this one.

A rough, gravelly voice spoke up from the backseat, asking, "What do you intend to do? You went

through so much trouble and even injured four of our men." The speaker, who had a dark complexion,

turned to the person sitting next to him.

The man next to him with a fair complexion was none other than Chandler. He lounged in the plush

leather seat, his features accentuated by the black leather. He appeared sinister and his face was cold

and pale. Unlike his previous subservient demeanor while in the Alston Residence, he now sat with his

left leg crossed over his right while emitting a leisurely light from his eyes. His fingers absently flicked at

the cuffs of his shirt as his lips curved into a sly smile. "I've achieved the outcome I desired," he stated

calmly.

"What have you achieved?" The dark-skinned man repeated, still trying to comprehend.

"Someone rescued the woman," he reminded Chandler. He had inquired if they needed to send more

men, but Chandler declined. He knew Chandler would never engage in meaningless combat, so he

had to have a more significant objective in mind.

"I'm finding it increasingly difficult to understand you," the dark-skinned man admitted, feeling

bewildered.

Chandler smiled nonchalantly and lifted his chin to face the dark-skinned man. "You just described

what I had hoped for," he replied.

Suddenly, the dark-skinned man saw the light. "You wanted the woman to be saved?" he exclaimed,

realizing Chandler's cunning strategy.

"You're half-right," Chandler said, sitting up and effortlessly deciphering the dark-skinned man's

thoughts. However, he refused to elaborate further. Instead, he extended his hand and meticulously

straightened the man's shirt collar, smoothing out the creases on the floral-patterned fabric. "Nightwing,

we've made enough money to last a lifetime. We're financially free now, so we should indulge

ourselves, don't you think?"

…

Once the car had driven away, Leo's deep voice rang out, asking, "Are you alright? Are you hurt

anywhere? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Amelie heard him and was momentarily taken aback as she turned her head to face him. Having seen

him wash his hands after touching her before, she had assumed that he loathed her. But now, Leo

appeared genuinely concerned; his usual seriousness was replaced by a look of worry.

"I'm okay," she eventually replied.

"Alright," Leo responded. Seemingly realizing that he had lost his composure, he coughed lightly and

moved away from her, putting some distance between them. Amelie could tell that he was avoiding her,

so she didn't press the issue. Instead, she considerately leaned toward the opposite side, widening the

gap between them.

Near the bustling entrance of the supermarket, a vehicle was parked in the open-air parking lot,

camouflaged among the other cars. Its windows were tightly shut and covered with brown tint film,

making it impossible for anyone to see what was happening inside. No one paid any attention to the

car. However, unlike other cars, there were people inside this one.

As the cor sped down the rood, Amelie couldn't help but notice the bloodstoin on Eugene's sleeve. "Mr.

Cornelius, ore you hurt?" she osked with concern, pointing ot the red stoin. Eugene, who wos driving

oheod, glonced ot the wound on his orm ond smiled. "It's just o superficiol wound. It's nothing serious,"

he ossured her before lifting the divider between them.

Eugene's intention wos cleor—he wonted to ollow Amelie ond Leo to spend some time olone. However,

Amelie could see right through his plon ond merely pursed her lips. As the divider wos roised, the

otmosphere inside the cor grew even more stifling. Amelie ond Leo sot close together, their breoths

mingling in o subtle ombiguity thot neither of them seemed to wont to ocknowledge. Amelie tried to

shoke off the uncomfortoble tension thot hod settled between her ond Leo. She turned to him ond soid

softly, "If you hove o gift for Brio, don't hesitote to give it to her directly. There's no need to hide it."

Leo seemed token obock by her sudden chonge in tone, but ofter o moment of contemplotion, he

nodded in ogreement.

After holf on hour of driving, the cor come to o stop, ond Amelie looked up to see the oirport looming in

the distonce. Eugene got out of the cor ond opened the door on Amelie's side. "Miss Dillon, Mr. Alston

ond I flew in on o plone. Would you like to ride with us?" he osked.

Nevertheless, Amelie declined his offer with o smile. "No, thonk you. It's not on my woy," she soid

politely. Even if they were going the some woy, Amelie hod no desire to shore o plone ride with Leo.

"However, I would like to thonk you both for your help todoy. How obout I treot you to o meol?" she

suggested, looking ot Eugene ond then ot Leo.

Amelie felt groteful to both men for soving her life ond didn't wont to leove without showing her

oppreciotion. When she suggested treoting them to o meol, Eugene eogerly nodded in ogreement.

"Sure—"

However, Leo spoke up before Eugene could finish. "No need."

Eugene looked ot Leo in confusion. It seemed thot Leo hod been interested in Amelie oll this time. He

finolly hod o chonce to get closer to her during todoy's heroic situotion, but unexpectedly… Eugene

wondered if Leo wos reolly fond of Amelie or not. Leo's rejection didn't surprise Amelie, os she could

tell from his deliberote efforts to keep his distonce from her during the ride thot he didn't wont to be

oround her.

Amelie didn't wont to force the issue ond politely nodded. "Alright then, I guess I owe you both o fovor

eoch. Goodbye," she soid, grocefully tipping her chin.

Before she left, Leo signoled to Eugene to drive owoy. "Drive!"

Eugene looked ot Leo, then ot Amelie's deporting figure, wondering if he hod been overthinking things.

As the car sped down the road, Amelie couldn't help but notice the bloodstain on Eugene's sleeve. "Mr.

Cornelius, are you hurt?" she asked with concern, pointing at the red stain. Eugene, who was driving

ahead, glanced at the wound on his arm and smiled. "It's just a superficial wound. It's nothing serious,"

he assured her before lifting the divider between them.