Chapter 415 Isn't this a bit too overbearing?
Sharon hadn't even opened her mouth when Seb cut in coldly, "Mr. Leo Wendy, she's got no time for you."
He stepped forward, blocking Sharon and cutting off Leo's view.
Leo stared him down, not backing off. "Mr. Smith, Sharon hasn't answered yet. Isn't that a bit domineering for you to speak for her?"
Seb and Leo were eye to eye, both about the same height, and the tension was thick.
Seb's vibe was icy, like he could freeze Leo with a look.
Leo, though, just smiled a bit, unfazed.
The living room was so quiet that the people could hear a pin drop, or at least their breathing.
Sharon frowned a bit, her voice chilly, "Leo, I heard your mom remarried. We're done, and I don't want to have dinner with you."
Leo's smile faltered, disappointment flashing in his eyes.
He looked down, speaking softly, "Sharon, I know you're still mad about before. I just want to be a brother now and make up for the past."
"No need. If you really want to make up for it, let's just act like strangers. It's better for both of us." Sharon's voice was ice-cold, shutting down Leo's last hope.
Turned out, Sharon really hated him that much, not even wanting to know him.
Leo gave a bitter smile, "Alright, I get it."
Leo left while holding Jerold, his back looking pretty lonely.
Once they were gone, Seb turned to Sharon. "Stay away from Ayla and Leo. We haven't got solid proof that the roses and creepy texts were from Leo, but my gut says he's involved."
Sharon's eyes got colder, and she nodded, "Got it."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you and Demetrius." Seb's voice was deep, emotions swirling in his eyes. He wouldn't let what happened five years ago happen again.
Seeing his serious look, Sharon smiled, "Okay, I believe you."
Her almond-shaped eyes were gentle, like they held a million stars, making people get lost in them.
Seb's gaze softened too, "Alright, let's get ready for dinner."
At the villa entrance.
Leo and Jerold got into the car, both looking tense, making the car's atmosphere pretty bad.
It took a few minutes before Leo was ready to start the car and leave.
When Leo glanced in the rearview mirror, he noticed Jerold was unusually quiet. Surprised, he turned to look at him.
"Jerold, what's up? Still upset about apologizing to Demetrius earlier?" Leo asked.
Jerold looked up and shook his head, "No, Dad. I just think Demetrius's mom is really good to him."
Jerold wished Leo and Ayla would play with him after work, but Leo was always working late. Ayla came home early, but when he brought toys to her, she'd tell him not to bother her.
After a few times, Jerold stopped trying.
"Why do you think that?" Leo asked.
"His mom plays with him, but you and mom are always busy and don't have time to play with me," Jerold said.
The car went silent, and after what felt like forever, Leo finally spoke up. "Do you want a mom like that?"
"Of course! I want a mom who can play with me, come to my school stuff, and cuddle me to sleep at night," Jerold said, not noticing Leo's gaze getting more intense.
Leo eventually smiled and started the car. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get the mom you dream of."
Jerold's face lit up, but then he looked downcast again. "But Mom's always busy and doesn't have time to play with me."
"She will have time," Leo said.
"Really?" Jerold asked, hopeful.
Leo chuckled, "When have I ever lied to you?"
Jerold's face brightened with excitement. "Dad, when will Mom have time to play with me?"
"Soon," Leo replied.
Leo looked ahead, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Time flew by, and soon it was Saturday.
On Friday afternoon, Seb had Paul get everything ready for their hiking trip, so after breakfast, the family of three set off.
There weren't any mountains in the center of Metropolis, so they headed to a nearby city with a mountain a few thousand feet high.
After driving to the base and parking, Seb opened the trunk and pulled out two bags, one big and one small.
He slung the big one over his shoulder and handed the small one to Demetrius.
"This is your bag. It's got your snacks and water. You carry it while we hike, and if you get tired, I'll carry it for you."
Demetrius took the backpack and put it on, looking up at Seb with confidence. "Dad, I'm a man too. I can do it myself."
Seb smiled, "Alright, I believe you."
The mountain they chose was called Eldra Hill. It usually had a lot of local tourists, but because of the light rain today, it was just the three of them.
Sharon had never taken Demetrius hiking before, so he was excited about everything, his eyes full of curiosity.
Watching Demetrius hop and skip ahead, Sharon occasionally reminded him to slow down and be careful.
To keep tourists safe, there were handrails along the path, so they didn't have to worry about falling off, just tripping and falling.
Seb walked beside Sharon, smiling. "Don't worry too much. Demetrius is already five. We don't often get the chance to spend time alone with him, so let's enjoy this hike."
As he spoke, Seb took her hand.
Seb's hand was dry and warm, enveloping hers completely. The warmth from their touch seemed to travel from her hand to her heart, bringing a tingling sensation.
Sharon tried to pull her hand away, but Seb held on tight. "Hold on to me, so you don't accidentally fall."
"I won't fall, I..." Before she could finish, she stepped on a rock and fell sideways.
Seb pulled her into his arms, and her face hit his chest.
His chest was so hard that her nose hurt, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She rubbed her sore nose, angrily saying, "Is your chest made of bricks? Why is it so hard?"
Seb chuckled, "I have another place that's even harder. Do you want to try?"
Sharon's hand paused, and her face and ears turned red.
She looked up and glared at Seb, "Can you be serious?"
Seb looked all innocent, "I was talking about my biceps. How is that not serious? Or is it you who's thinking something else?"
Seeing the mischievous glint in Seb's eyes, Sharon realized he was messing with her. Just as she was about to retort, Demetrius's voice rang out from ahead. "Dad, Mom, come over here! Let's take a picture!"
Sharon took a deep breath, pushed Seb away, and walked quickly ahead without looking back.
Seb watched her storm off with a doting smile on his lips.
They soon caught up with Demetrius, who was sitting in a pavilion, his face lit up with excitement. "Mom, let's take a picture in this little pavilion!"
Sharon nodded, "Okay."
While Sharon and Demetrius were chatting, Seb had already put down his bag and pulled out his phone. "I'll take the picture."
He walked over to Sharon and Demetrius, and the three of them took a few photos together. Then he looked at Demetrius and smiled, "Demetrius, can you take a picture of Dad and Mom?"
"Sure!" Demetrius said eagerly.
"We don't need to take one; the main thing is to play with Demetrius," Sharon said.
Seb looked at her seriously, "We don't have any photos together. I want to take one with you."
Seeing the anticipation in his eyes, Sharon couldn't bear to refuse, "Alright."
Seb taught Demetrius how to take the picture, telling him to stand a bit farther away, then walked over to Sharon. "Just standing like this is too plain. Let's strike a pose."
Before Sharon could say anything, Seb put his arm around her waist and looked at Demetrius, "Demetrius, you can take the picture now."
Demetrius gave him an OK sign, "Alright, 3, 2, 1."
At the moment the picture was taken, Seb turned and kissed Sharon on the cheek, capturing the moment perfectly.
Sharon turned to Seb, glaring at him, "Did you do that on purpose?"
"No, I just suddenly wanted to kiss you while taking the picture," Seb said with a grin.
Sharon was silent, her cheeks flushing.
Seb let go of her and walked over to Demetrius. "Let me see the picture."
Demetrius giggled and handed him the phone.
Looking at the photo, Seb nodded in satisfaction, "You did a great job."
They rested in the pavilion for a while before continuing their climb.
After more than an hour, they finally reached the halfway point.
There was a suspension bridge at the halfway point, and they took a few group photos on it before continuing upward.
The rain gradually got heavier, so they put on raincoats and kept climbing. After another hour, they finally reached the top.
By then, the rain had stopped, and the fog in the mountains had cleared, revealing the original appearance of the peaks.
Although it was winter, it rarely snowed here.
The once colorful autumn mountains had now donned a deep, dark coat.
Most of the trees on the mountain had turned yellow, with sparse leaves hanging on the branches, gently swaying in the breeze.
Sunlight bathed the mountain, giving the ridges a faint golden glow.
The exposed rocks glistened coldly in the sunlight, like steadfast guardians protecting this tranquil land.
The winding mountain paths were covered with fallen leaves, which crunched underfoot, as if nature itself was playing a symphony.
Seb opened the bag, spread a moisture-proof mat on the ground, and placed the food and water in the middle.
"Come over and eat something first," he said to Sharon and Demetrius. Seeing that Seb had packed mostly her and Demetrius's favorite foods, Sharon felt a warm glow in her heart.
After eating and resting for a bit, they started their descent down the mountain.
The way down was much quicker than the climb, and they reached the halfway point in less than half an hour.
Demetrius walked quickly, sometimes breaking into a run when the path was smooth.
Sharon kept an eye on him, reminding him to slow down, but she didn't notice the stone underfoot and slipped.
A sharp pain shot through Sharon's ankle, and she let out a scream as she fell toward the railing.
Seb's eyes tightened, and he quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her back. "Are you okay?"
Sharon's face was pale, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. "I think I twisted my ankle."
"Hold onto the railing; let me check," Seb said.
After making sure Sharon was stable, Seb squatted down to check her ankle, which was already swollen.
"Your ankle is swollen. It looks like a sprain." Then he stood up, turned his bag around to his front, and squatted with his back to Sharon. "Get on, I'll carry you down."
"But there's still a long way to go," Sharon protested.
"I can handle it. Get on," Seb insisted.
Sharon bit her lip and didn't refuse, climbing onto his back and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Seb stood up, walking steadily down the mountain. His broad and strong back gave Sharon a sense of security.
Demetrius, who had been running around, quieted down after seeing Sharon's injury, walking quietly a few steps in front of Seb.
It wasn't until they got back to the car that Demetrius looked at Sharon guiltily. "Mom, I'm sorry. It's my fault."
Sharon turned to Demetrius, seeing the sadness on his face, and patted his head. "Demetrius, it was an accident. It's not your fault. But next time, walk slower when going down the mountain, or you might twist your ankle or even fall like I did."
Demetrius nodded, "Okay, I promise I won't do it again."
"Good," Sharon said.
Seb found a spray in the car's first aid kit and applied it to Sharon's ankle. "Bear with it for a bit. I'll drive you to the nearest hospital for an X-ray to make sure there's no fracture."
"There's no need. I think it's just a sprain," Sharon said.
"I'd feel better if a doctor checked it," Seb insisted.
Seeing the worry in his eyes, Sharon felt her heart soften, and she nodded, "Alright."
Seb started the car and drove to the nearest hospital. After the doctor confirmed it was just a sprain and prescribed some medication, they headed back.
By the time they returned to the villa, it was almost evening.
Seb parked the car and carried Sharon directly to the room.
Sharon was both amused and exasperated. "The doctor said it's just a sprain. I can walk."
"The doctor also said to avoid walking as much as possible," Seb replied, his face serious and his tone firm, leaving Sharon no choice but to let him be.
After placing Sharon on the sofa, Seb stood up. "I'll run a bath for you. Do you want to use the bathtub since your foot is inconvenient?"
"No need, I can stand for a bit," Sharon said.
Besides, if she used the bathtub, wouldn't he have to carry her in and out?
Thinking of that scene, Sharon felt her face and ears burn.
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