Chapter 983 Too Painful to Recall
When Leon heard that, his face went dark.
Seeing his reaction, Isabella frowned and grabbed his hand. "You're hiding something from me, aren't you?" she asked softly.
Leon finally spoke up. "It's not that I'm hiding it. I just don't want to talk about it."
Isabella nodded. "I get it. We all have stuff we don't want to dig up because it hurts too much."
Leon squeezed her hand tighter, feeling understood.
"If you don't want to talk, that's cool. When you're ready, I'm here," Isabella said with a smile.
Leon took a deep breath. "The person who sent this jewelry is my biological father. His name is Zane Johnson."
Isabella was stunned. 'Leon never mentioned his dad. His mom has schizophrenia, and he spent three years in an orphanage, so I think he don't have a father. This must be a mess,' she thought.
Leon continued, "My mom's schizophrenia came from my grandmother. My grandparents were from Skyhaven and had a big company there. My mom got the illness but it wasn't bad at first. My grandpa brought her here to invest and build a factory. She fell in love with my dad, who was just a worker then. They got married and had me."
Isabella frowned. "Did your mom's condition get worse after that?"
"Yeah," Leon nodded. "When I was eight, her condition got really bad. By then, my grandparents had passed away. My dad had taken over Johnson Corporation. That's when he found out about my mom's schizophrenia. He felt betrayed and wanted a divorce. My mom couldn't handle it, and her condition got worse. She took me and left, but she lost me. I ended up in an orphanage. Three years later, my dad found me, but by then, my mom was in the hospital, sometimes recognizing me, sometimes not."
Leon, usually so tough, had tears in his eyes.
Isabella had thought Leon stayed in the orphanage because his mom couldn't support him. She never imagined he came from a wealthy family but had such a rough childhood. She felt a deep sadness and patted his shoulder.
Seeing Leon tear up showed just how hard those years were.
"And then?" Isabella asked.
Leon looked up at the ceiling, his tears drying up. His voice was steady again.
"During those three years, my dad remarried and had a son and a daughter. My mom couldn't handle it, and her health got worse. I hated him, so I stayed in boarding school until I graduated from college," Leon said coldly.
Isabella could feel Leon's bitterness towards his dad, and honestly, she couldn't understand him. If she were in his shoes, she'd probably hate him too. It was wrong for Leon's mom to hide her illness, but it was even colder of his dad to remarry and start a new family while they were missing.
"Everything that man, his new wife, and their kids enjoyed came from my grandfather. Sure, he expanded Johnson Corporation, but my grandpa built it. So, I swore from a young age to take back what belonged to the Johnson Family. I majored in law in college and became a lawyer after graduation to get revenge on him!" Leon said.
Isabella felt a mix of heartache and sadness for Leon. He'd been plotting revenge and reclaiming his family's assets since he was a kid. That must've been a tough childhood.
"So you and Alfonso are in the same field?" Isabella blurted out, immediately regretting it.
Leon frowned slightly but then said with a hint of arrogance, "If I were still a lawyer, he wouldn't be so famous."
Isabella couldn't help but chuckle. His tone was so cocky. Mentioning Alfonso had definitely struck a nerve.
Normally, Isabella would've argued with him about his sarcastic tone, but today she didn't. Leon's story was just too heartbreaking.
She propped her chin and smiled. "Yeah, in every way, he's no match for you. Happy now?"
Leon smiled, clearly pleased with her words.
"Why did you stop being a lawyer?" Isabella asked.
Leon sighed. "Just when I was about to use the law to reclaim my grandfather's assets, his new wife and their kids died in a plane crash while on vacation abroad."
Isabella was shocked. "They all died?"
"Yeah, no one survived," Leon nodded.
"That's tragic. But they built their happiness on someone else's pain, so maybe they got what they deserved. Still, their kids were innocent," Isabella frowned.
"The crash hit him hard. I realized revenge was pointless, so I dropped the lawsuit and quit. By chance, I joined Prosperity Group and earned Mr. Anderson's trust. I've been there ever since," Leon explained.
"So now he wants to make up with you? Otherwise, he wouldn't send such an expensive gift. This set of ruby jewelry must be worth a fortune," Isabella said, glancing at the jewelry in the velvet box on the bed.
"No matter how valuable it is, you can't accept his stuff!" Leon said, suddenly emotional.
Isabella quickly responded, "When did I say I wanted his things? Do you think I'm that greedy?"
Leon smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. "Over the years, he's been trying to get me to forgive him. Maybe now that he sees I'm not budging, he's trying to get to me through you."
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