Chapter 97

Edwin wanted to refuse. He wanted to take care of Victoria himself. Before he could insist, Leon carried him straight to the bedroom and casually added a threat, "If you don't wash up and sleep, I'll tell her tomorrow that I was the one who brought her home." "You…" Edwin was stunned. "Go now," Leon urged. Edwin stood still. "I'll wait for you." Leon did not argue further. He took the makeup remover to the bedroom and skillfully began removing Victoria's makeup. His movements were precise, especially around the delicate areas near her eyes and lips. After that, he used a facial towel to wipe her face carefully, making sure no residue was left behind. Edwin watched everything unfold. His mind drifted back to the past, to those nights when Victoria had accompanied Leon to banquets, coming home too late and falling asleep in the car. Back then, Leon would do the same, telling him not to wake her before patiently helping her remove her makeup and wash up. It was exactly like before. So why had everything changed? Leon noticed him standing there in a daze but did not say anything. Instead, he told him to wait outside. After helping Victoria change into her sleepwear, he went to Edwin's room and sat on a chair beside his bed. "What's with that expression? You look like a little old man." "Daddy." Edwin sat cross-legged on the bed. Leon's tone lifted slightly. "Hmm?" Edwin looked at him seriously. "You still love Mommy, don't you?" Leon paused. For a moment, his body froze. "I don't understand why you're with that lady, and I don't know what makes her more important than Mommy. But if you still care about Mommy, why are you giving up on her?" Edwin said, his small face showing a level of seriousness he had never displayed before. "I never gave up on her," Leon said, his lips barely moving. From the beginning, it had always been her who wanted to separate and her who had insisted on divorcing. If she ever turned back, he would set everything aside and let her return to being Mrs. Quigley. Edwin, though young, understood things well. "Being with that lady is the same as giving up on Mommy, or maybe you're just waiting for her to give up first." Leon frowned slightly, disagreeing with him. "I have one more question," Edwin said. He wanted to give his father one last chance since he had been so gentle with Victoria just now. Leon seemed distracted. "Go ahead." "Who's more important? Mommy or that lady?" Edwin asked. His round eyes carried a mix of emotions as he looked at Leon. Leon's lips pressed into a thin line. Emotionally, Victoria was more important. Logically, Eva was. If she had not saved him back then, he would not even be alive today, let alone have married Victoria. Edwin waited but never got the answer he wanted. A small part of his heart was hurt. "Can you stop seeing that lady?" "I can't," Leon answered without any change in tone. Hearing that, the last bit of hope in Edwin's heart disappeared. He uncurled his legs, pulled the blanket over himself, and gave a quiet dismissal. Even his tone became distant and formal. "You should leave. Don't keep that lady waiting." Leon reached out to ruffle his hair. Edwin deliberately avoided his hand. His hand hovered in mid-air, and something sharp pierced through the place where his heart should be. "From now on, Mommy is the only one I have. You don't need to come anymore. I'll find a daddy who loves both me and Mommy. Just pretend I don't exist anymore," Edwin said, his small temper flaring. Leon fell silent.