Chapter 106

Leopold looked puzzled. It wasn't until he got closer that he could read the words on her phone screen.

He took her phone, glanced at it briefly, and then locked the screen with a blank expression. "I don't have time for this. It was Kelly's doing."

Kelly set it up?

Last night, she had asked Kelly to check out the hotel where Leopold usually stayed.

She asked cautiously, "Will this mess things up for you?"

Leopold scooped her up in his arms. "You're my wife. I sleep with you. How could it mess things up?" Because of this, he didn't bother to have the trending searches and news reports taken down.

At the dining table, Agnes took the chance to pull out her phone. She had just flipped through a few pages when Leopold stopped her. "Focus on eating."

She obediently finished her meal. While Leopold was on a call, Agnes replied to her friends: [Don't worry, everyone. The college girl who had a rendezvous with Leopold last night was me.]

Her friends sent back a bunch of shocked emojis.

Finally, she opened the news on Twitter: #Lydia was stood up at the banquet. It turned out Mr. Neville was in a hotel room with a mysterious woman, and he hadn't left from last night until this morning. Mr. Neville's private phone was only reachable by noon

Changing into the clothes sent by Leopold's people, Agnes walked towards him. "What should we do now?"

Leopold adjusted his sleeves and pulled her into his arms. "Feeling better now?" He noticed her steps were a bit off.

Hearing his question, Agnes's face turned red. She hadn't felt it until he mentioned it, but now the discomfort surged up.

Seeing her slight nod, he picked her up. "Need to go to the hospital?"

She stammered, "No, no need."

"Okay, I'll take you home first. I need to handle some stuff at the office," Leopold said.

"Okay."

To Agnes's surprise, the hotel entrance was swarming with people, and the reporters almost broke the glass door. After all, this was the first time Leopold had been involved in such big news!

In the past, any news about Leopold would quickly be taken down, and the involved reporters and companies wouldn't be spared.

This time, not only were the reporters unharmed, but the most crucial part was that ZL Group hadn't made any response, as if they were cool with everything.

Leopold carried Agnes into the view of the reporters. Facing such a scene, Agnes shyly buried her face in Leopold's chest. So, everyone only saw Leopold holding a young girl with her hair tied up and wearing a pink down jacket.

Instantly, the news about Leopold and the college girl booking a room together was confirmed.

Dozens of security guards came to maintain order, separating Leopold from the reporters.

Agnes listened to the reporters' barrage of questions, which were nothing more than about her identity, their relationship, and even some mentioned Lydia. "Mr. Neville, what is your relationship with Ms. Fisher?"

"Mr. Neville, it is well known that you were supposed to attend the banquet with Ms. Fisher last night. Why are you here? Who is the girl in your arms? What is your relationship?"

"Mr. Neville, is she your girlfriend?"

"Mr. Neville, is she the other woman between you and Ms. Fisher?"

Agnes was annoyed. How did she end up being the other woman between Lydia and Leopold?

Leopold's face remained impassive until they reached the car. When confronted by the reporters' probing questions, he halted. His sharp gaze swept over the crowd, and the reporter who had suggested Agnes was a mistress visibly recoiled.

"I'll say this once. The woman in my arms is my partner!"

Leopold's declaration hit the reporters like a thunderclap. Everyone wanted to see who could be Leopold's partner. Unfortunately, Agnes's face remained hidden in Leopold's embrace, leaving her true appearance a mystery.

Leopold got into the car with Agnes, and Kevin closed the door, turning to formally inform the reporters, "Today's matter is purely Mr. Neville's private affair. We hope everyone will not pay excessive attention and should focus more on ZL Group's new product launch! Thank you!"

The car slowly drove away from the crowd. Until the reporters were no longer visible, Agnes finally poked her head out, gasping for air. "Sorry, Leopold. Did I cause you a lot of trouble? If I had known, I wouldn't have come to the hotel!"

Agnes never dreamed that booking a room with her own husband could cause such a stir.

"It's okay. Today's incident also has a certain positive effect on ZL Group's new product launch," Leopold comforted her.

Leopold never planned to use his personal life to boost ZL Group's new products. But since it happened, he wasn't going to explain or erase anything.

Hearing his words, Agnes felt a lot better.

Back at the villa, Leopold took her to the living room and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Want me to take you to school?"

"No need. I'll have Tyler take me later. You go ahead and get busy!"

Her refusal was expected. Leopold didn't say much and turned to leave the villa.

Agnes went back to her room to change clothes and pack her textbooks before heading to school.

On the way, she kept browsing the news and refreshing Twitter. The exposure of Leopold's private life gave her a deeper understanding of him.

For instance, the popularity of Leopold, a corporate president, actually surpassed many entertainment stars. She had been on Twitter for years and had never seen any celebrity news that could cause the system to crash.

The top headline featured a picture of Leopold carrying her out of the hotel. Leopold's face was very clear, but as for her, only her outline was visible, and the rest was blurred.

The headline read: #Leopold's Bold Declaration: The Person in His Arms is His Partner

Within half an hour of the news being published, the number of comments had exceeded 100,000, with countless retweets and likes.

The comment section was filled with mixed emotions. [My Leopold, I've loved you for so many years. You must be happy!]

[Oh my God! Oh my God! My Leopold is so handsome!!]

[Leopold, I love you. Even if you have a girlfriend, I still love you!]

Agnes was surprised to find that so many people in the world were as infatuated with Leopold as she was. The number of her rivals in love was astonishing.

In the office of ZL Group, Leopold was intently listening to Tessa's work report. Just as he was about to give instructions, his private phone rang. It was a call from his mother.

"Mr. Neville, that's all for now. I'll step out." Tessa, sharp-eyed, noticed it was a personal matter and tactfully placed the documents on the desk before leaving the office.

As the door closed softly, Leopold swiped to answer the call. "Mom."

"Leopold, are you busy?" Teresa Thorne's gentle and loving voice came through the phone.

"Not really. What's up?" he asked.

"Your dad and I saw the news this morning. Did you..." Teresa trailed off.

Leopold confessed honestly, "Yes, Mom. It's true."

"Oh, when it's convenient, bring her home to meet us, okay? Or, should I come over in the next couple of days to see her?" Teresa decided she wanted to meet her future daughter-in-law herself.

"Okay, I'll have Kevin book the tickets." Some things were better said face-to-face, like the fact that he and Agnes had already quietly gotten married.

"Alright, you get back to work. Take care of yourself, okay?" Teresa said.

"Got it, Mom. Goodbye!" Leopold replied.

After hanging up, Leopold gazed out the window, deep in thought. He still remembered how Billy had nearly fainted upon hearing the news of his marriage to Agnes. Until now, even his parents were unaware of his marital status.

Meanwhile, at Lumina City School of Economics and Management, Bella returned from the restroom and pulled Agnes into a hug, whispering, "Agnes, be honest. Last night, did you and Mr. Neville..." She left the sentence hanging, giving Agnes a knowing look.

Agnes broke free from her embrace, blushing and glaring at her. "You always know everything."

"Of course!" Bella said proudly, then leaned in to whisper. "I could tell right away from the way you were walking and the news this morning!"

Agnes, embarrassed, pinched her arm and then wrapped her arm around Bella's neck, threatening, "Shut up! You may know it, but don't you dare spread it around!"

Bella laughed heartily and, glancing at Agnes's neck, exclaimed, "Wow, you two must have had quite the night. Look at all these marks."

Agnes quickly zipped up her down jacket, wrapping herself tightly. "Stop it, or I'll tell your dad you spent ten thousand dollars on a boy toy!"

Bella patted her shoulder in mock indignation. "Hey, that's not fair. Didn't I treat you to lunch today? And this is how you repay me?"

"One meal isn't enough to buy me off. Treat me to coffee this Saturday, and I want two servings each of the new sea salt cake and nut cake!"

"No problem. Wait, Agnes, don't you dislike sea salt?" Bella asked.

Agnes rested her chin in her hands and said dreamily, "I do, but you know, it's on you!"