Chapter 59
As the sun fell below the horizon, Valeria massaged her neck.
A notification pinged on her laptop.
Leo was texting her using the username “The Prince of Love”. He asked, “Ms. Neal, are you busy now?”
“How are you doing, Leo? Do you still have a stomach ache?”
“I’m feeling much better. I was on an IV drip for the whole afternoon.”
“Good job, Leo!”
Valeria even sent him a cute sticker. Leo continued, “Ms. Neal, do you have a nickname I can call you?”
Leo believed that getting closer to someone started with addressing them differently.
He suggested, “Ms. Neal, you can call me Leo. That’s what Uncle Sebastian calls me.”
Valeria didn’t have a nickname. Only her grandparents would call her “Riri”.
Leo asked, “Ms. Neal, can I call you Val?”
“Of course you can,” Valeria replied.
“Has anyone else called you this before?”
“Nope. Only you.”
As Selena had fallen asleep, Valeria just settled for some macaroni for dinner. However, it was
spicy.
Leo said he’d like macaroni too, especially with a sausage added in.
Valeria had no idea why children liked eating things like that nowadays. Selena also enjoyed macaroni. Only when Valeria made it for herself once in a while would she allow Selena to take
a bite.
Valeria liked Leo. He was chubby and cute. If her son had been alive, he’d be Leo’s age.
As she chatted with Leo, Valeria finished off her meal.
Leo asked, “Val, can I video call you?”
Valeria replied, “Of course.”
Leo turned over in bed out of excitement. He ran to the bathroom and stepped onto his stool
to comb his hair while looking in the mirror. Then, he opened his cupboard and put on his most fashionable jacket.
Valeria took one glance and knew Leo had dressed up to call her. He’d even combed his hair up. She couldn’t help but purse her lips to hide a smile.
“Val, I’m starving. Uncle Sebastian won’t let me eat.”
“He’s a doctor. You should listen to his instructions.”
As he had diarrhea, he wasn’t supposed to eat. Warm water was best for Leo in his current
situation.
“Val, those instant noodles look great.” Leo licked his lips.
With a smile, Valeria asked, “How about I treat you to some ravioli after you’ve recovered?”
“Alright, I’ll hold you to that.”
Suddenly, Leo clapped a hand over his stomach. That familiar feeling was back.
“Don’t hang up yet, Val. I’ll be back in two minutes.” Leo frowned while waddling over to the
bathroom.
After he was done, Leo walked out of the bathroom to see Sebastian standing inside his room, Leo’s phone in hand.
Leo protested hurriedly, “Uncle Sebastian, you can’t just intrude on my privacy.”
Since Sebastian had sent Leo home, he’d remained there for the whole afternoon. As Leo wasn’t supposed to eat on account of his stomach ache and was on bed rest, Sebastian wanted to check in on how he was doing.
To his surprise, Leo had been calling Valeria.
Valeria’s connection faltered. Her face was frozen on the screen. Her lips were parted and her face was bare. She was naturally beautiful, with her dark hair tied up in a messy ponytail. There was a slight ring of oil around her lips and a half-eaten bowl of macaroni beside her.
Her dinner made Sebastian frown.
Leo jumped up to grab his phone, but Sebastian lifted it out of reach.
Even after Leo jumped onto the bed, he still failed to take his phone.
Suddenly, Valeria’s voice rang out in the room. Her connection was back, and she could hear a boy speaking.
“Leo, are you back?”
