Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance
Chapter 728

Leo meticulously read through the email, his heart heavy with anticipation before he finally made the call to his uncle.

In his office, Andre watched his phone ring. He reached out to answer it instinctively but ultimately hung up.

Setting down his phone, Leo's momentary hope was quickly replaced with anxiety. He wiped the moisture forming at the corners of his eyes. His uncle's opinion meant the world to him; gaining Andre's support was more motivating than anyone else's could ever be. With a self-mocking laugh, he thought about how he could still hope for support after angering his uncle.

The next second, his phone rang again. He swiftly grabbed it, but a fleeting disappointment crossed his face when he saw it was Noah, not his uncle. "Hello, Noah."

"Leo, you've received the email. Please come to the office to handle the resignation and handover procedures."

"Alright."

After being out of sight for a few days, Leo reappeared, noticeably more mature. Previously seen as an immature young man, he now spoke as an equal among his peers.

Arriving at his uncle's newly arranged office for him, Noah commented, "This desk and chair were custom-ordered for you from overseas by the CEO himself, matching his own. Unfortunately, you won't be using them, and neither dare we." "Has my uncle left work?" Leo asked.

"No, he's still in his office."

Pausing briefly, Leo replied, "I understand."

He left with a box in hand, hesitated before Andre's office, then decided to knock on the door.

Andre, watching his nephew through the surveillance, felt each knock resonate in his heart, "Come in."

Yet, Leo hesitated, intimidated by the thought of facing his uncle again.

After a few seconds, he pushed the door open.

For the first time in days, uncle and nephew locked eyes.

"Uncle, I'm sorry," Leo apologized with a quiver, his eyes glistening.

Andre's heart seemed made of stone, his demeanor cold, "You chose your path, bear its hardships. From today, Cedillo Inc. has no place for you."

Leo nodded, wiping away the tear, "Uncle, I won't return home until I've achieved something. I don't deserve to be your nephew."

Seeing the tears in his eyes, Andre scolded sharply, "Pathetic! Society doesn't care for your tears or promises."

As Leo left, casting one last look at his uncle who returned to his work, his resolve strengthened.

After Leo's departure, Andre closed his laptop with a frustrated slam.

At the Irvin household, Mia went directly to her parents' home after school to pick up her son.

Henry sat alone on the couch, engrossed in playing with his grandmother's sun umbrella, with only his grandfather watching him quietly.

Mia, having heard about Leo's job loss from the well-informed Molly, indirectly learned about Leo's choice. "Dad, if a cybersecurity firm approached you for investment, would you consider it?"

"No."

"Why not?" Mia asked.

"There are many companies, but none of substantial size that interest me. I'm unfamiliar with the field, and without trust in the people involved, I wouldn't invest. Moreover, with the high entry barrier and its technical nature, our company would struggle to assess the product quality. Investors lacking industry background and technical support can hardly predict future revenues."

Meanwhile, Henry had started chewing on the sun umbrella.

Aaron quickly took the umbrella from Henry's mouth, comforting the nearly tearful child, "Henry, are you hungry? Grandpa will take you out for something else to eat."

Mia, still on her phone, noticed her chat with Molly.

Both sisters had summarized their parents' reasons for refusal and sent them to Leo.

When Andre came to pick them up, Mia handed Henry over to her husband without a word.

Leo had found a temporary residence. That evening, he called home to announce his decision and his resignation from the company.

His reluctance to return home worried Naomi deeply.

She even called Mia, hoping she could persuade him. "I managed to bring my husband back, why won't Leo return?"

"Mia, why won't you come home?" Mia directly asked him during their call.

"I don't want to be babied at home, pampered by servants and doted on by my parents. Have you ever seen a successful entrepreneur living like that?"

His familiar tone and cheeky demeanor were unmistakably Leo's.

"I'll give you the 'pampered by servants' part, but think twice before you speak about being babied by parents. They love my son more than they love you, you know!" Mia retorted with a laugh.

After their lighthearted banter, Leo knew Mia was sent by his mother to convince him. "Mia, do me a favor. Hold Henry a bit more when you're home, and visit my parents. They miss me too much when there's no child around." "You're really not coming back?" Mia pressed.

Leo hummed in affirmation, "I won't. Please, visit my uncle often."

"And it's not because you're being stubborn with my husband that you're staying away?"

Leo, looking out the hotel window, thought of his uncle, "No, it's not out of stubbornness."

"Alright, I can't manage you two anyway. You both are like, the big Andre has raised a medium Andre. I just hope my son doesn't end up being a little Andre," Mia teased, hoping the uncle-nephew duo would take it to heart.

After hanging up, she sat next to her husband, "He's not coming home."

"I don't care," Andre replied coldly, focusing on his son.

"Don't make my son the next you," Mia warned.

Andre remained silent.

Leo, staying temporarily in a hotel, was sought out by Anya.

Seizing the moment, Leo surprised her by picking her up from school.

Anya, spotting the familiar car and the figure standing beside it, ran towards him with open arms, "Chad-"

Leo, engulfed in her embrace, felt a mix of happiness and awkwardness. Since Anya became his girlfriend, meeting her somehow made him... shy.

"In such a crowded place, hugging like that - what are people going to think?" Leo stepped back from Anya.

Anya's cheeks were flushed with a soft pink, and there were tiny beads of sweat at her temples. Ever since she learned that Leo was coming to pick her up today, she couldn't concentrate on her last class, her heart already leaping outside the window. As soon as school was over, she ran all the way, like the school's own whirlwind.

"But Aunt Sarah always hugs Uncle Mike right at the school gates."

"They're married."

Anya felt emboldened, "Well, we're boyfriend and girlfriend, aren't we?"