Chapter 46
“Ms. Black, there might have been a misunderstanding,” Scarlett said, her tone softening slightly. “I admit I didn’t investigate thoroughly before coming here.”
She glanced briefly at Leroy. “Sorry for the trouble,” she added before turning to leave, clearly intent on avoiding further conflict.
Zoe let out a sharp laugh. “Oh, you’re just leaving like that?” she asked, crossing her arms. “Accuse Leroy, then wave it off with a quick apology? That’s all?” Her voice held a sarcastic edge that made Scarlett stop mid-step. “What? Am I supposed to apologize to him now?” Scarlett turned back, her brows knitting together in confusion.
“Yes,” Zoe said pointedly. “Your accusations were baseless, and let’s not pretend you weren’t tempted to escalate things further just now.”
Scarlett stiffened, a flicker of guilt flashing across her face before she composed herself. “This is ridiculous. I’m not apologizing to him,” she said flatly.
“Ms. Black,” Cedric chimed in, stepping forward. “You can’t just make things difficult for people because of who your father is. This is a private matter; what does it even have to do with you?”
Leroy finally spoke up, his voice steady but firm. “Cedric, you owe me an apology. If you can’t manage that, I’ll have no choice but to ask Mr. Black to come and explain things to Scarlett directly.”
This incident had an indirect impact on Leroy’s career as a doctor, so he naturally wouldn’t let it slide.
The mention of Samuel’s involvement made Cedric freeze. He hadn’t anticipated Leroy pushing back this hard.
“You think you can just pull strings like that because Mr. Black has your back?” Cedric snapped, his voice tinged with desperation.
Before Leroy could respond, Scarlett cut in, “Cedric, apologize.” Her tone was clipped, her eyes narrowing in warning.
“What?” Cedric turned to her, genuinely shocked. “I didn’t do anything wrong, Lettie,” he protested, his voice rising.
Cedric hesitated, glancing around at the small crowd of onlookers, then back at Scarlett’s unyielding expression.
Finally, he relented, his shoulders sagging in defeat.
“Fine,” he muttered, stepping forward. “I’m sorry. It was my fault,” he said grudgingly, though his tone betrayed his lack of sincerity.
Zoe looked unimpressed and opened her mouth to say something, but Leroy shook his head subtly, stopping her.
“It’s fine. An apology is enough,” Leroy said simply. “Thanks for stepping in, Zoe. Let’s wrap this up.”
Zoe grumbled but relented, muttering under her breath about how Cedric deserved more than just a slap on the wrist.
As Cedric slunk away with Scarlett, Zoe turned to Leroy, her frustration still evident.
“Leroy, you give in way too easily!” she said, her voice tinged with exasperation. “If you don’t put people like him in their place, they’ll just keep coming back for more.”
Leroy gave her a small, weary smile. “Some battles aren’t worth fighting, Zoe,” he said, his tone calm but firm.
Zoe crossed her arms but didn’t argue further. Instead, she smirked, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Well, since I helped you out today, don’t you think you owe me a little something in return?”
Leroy raised an eyebrow, looking both amused and confused. “How about I treat you to dinner?”
Zoe’s response came almost immediately. She nodded and said, “What are you waiting for? Let’s get going!”
Zoe spoke excitedly, leaving Leroy with a helpless feeling.
“Shouldn’t you let Mr. Black know first?” Leroy asked.
Zoe smiled confidently. “It’s fine. He’ll be over the moon if he hears we’re having dinner together.”
Without waiting for a response, Zoe grabbed Leroy’s arm and led him to an upscale restaurant.
As Leroy took a look at the elegant décor of the place, he mentally stored the mused, “She really lives up to her spoiled reputation. Even her dining…”
“Leroy, you really should start going out more often,” Zoe teased. “Don’t just lock yourself up at home all the time. The world outside is full of excitement!”