But Leonard had let her go with such nonchnce.


    Leonard added, "The reason Ipensated Aurora was because of your stupid mistake, which gave the Williams family leverage. Without thatpensation, do you think they would have let you off so easily?"


    Simone''s lips parted. "I... I was just trying to help you. Besides, you didn''t even touch Aurora. How can she ept those shares with a clear conscience? It''s not like you ever did anything to wrong her over the years. If anyone wronged anyone, it was her who wronged you. We don''t owe them anything, so why should we have topensate her? If anything, she owes you. The Williams family should be the onespensating you!"


    "If you were given something, would you be willing to spit it back out?" Leonard said coolly. "Besides, I gave her those things willingly. There''s no reason to ask for them back. Money is just an object. I don''t want to stay entangled with the Williams family over something so trivial. It''s better to pay for some peace and quiet."


    Simone stared at Leonard, looking at him as if she''d seen a ghost. To hear such wordsing from his mouth was surreal. Leonard was the mostpetitive person she knew; aside from the Williams family, it was rare for anyone to get the better of him. It wasn''t surprising he''d let Aurora take advantage of him. But for Leonard to utter such a philosophical sentiment was almost unbelievable.


    Previously, Simone had thought his talk of paying to sever ties with the Williams family was a strategic retreat, a ploy to reawaken Aurora''s conscience. But now...


    It seemed Leonard might have genuinely meant it.


    "Leonard, what has gotten into youtely?" Simone''s gaze drifted to hisputer. "You haven''t really fallen for someone online, have you?"


    Leonard''s brow furrowed slightly. "Don''t be ridiculous. I''m just chatting with an artist I admire."


    Simone wasn''t convinced it was that simple. To prevent Leonard from being hurt by Aurora only to stumble into another disaster, she began to earnestly persuade him. "Leonard, you don''t even know if this so-called Summer is a man or a woman. What if it''s some sixty-year-old woman, or worse, a greasy middle-aged guy?"


    Leonard found this baffling. "What does it matter to me who he is?"


    Simone took a deep breath and spoke more bluntly. "Leonard, admiration is often the first step to love."


    Leonard understood her meaning. "I just see him as a kindred spirit," he said coldly. "You''re overthinking things."


    Simone was about to say more when her eyes scanned hisputer screen and caught sight of his desktop wallpaper: the backyard of Williams Manor Her gaze sharpened. "Leonard, have you been to the Williams'' backyard?"


    "Yes," he replied. "The painting Summer gave me was indeed from there."


    Simone said, "Leonard, have you ever considered that this Summer


    might be one of the Williamses?!!


    it''s Jonathan Israel,


    Or what if it''s Skyler?"


    Leonard, however, dismissed the idea without a second thought.


    "Summer could never be a Williams."


    Simone said urgently, "Leonard, the flowers are from the Williams'' backyard! The probability that the artist is a Williams is extremely high You can''t just jump out of the fire pit that is Aurora and into another one!"