The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 1672 What Is Your Next Move

Seeing the wicked smile in Leila's face, Melissa shot her a confused look and asked, "What is your next move?"

"Aunt Melissa, do you still remember the private detective that Charles contacted in the past?" Leaning close to Melissa, Leila whispered in her ear.

Leila paused, gazing at Melissa with a smirk on her face. She expected Melissa would be smart enough to get her point. However, Melissa just stared back at her, utterly clueless. Though she nodded her head like she knew what was going on, Leila could read nothing but confusion from her expression.

Eagerness to know the whole story made Melissa anxious. Half a minute later, Leila gave up keeping Melissa in suspense. With a smile, she continued, "Yesterday, I got a chance to peep into Charles' phone. I found there was a call log. It showed Charles had called the private detective! I quickly had a notion that he must have doubted Sheryl, so he must have asked that guy to dig into Sheryl's private life. And guess what? I bought off that guy!"

Staring at each other in silence, it took a while before they exchanged an evil chuckle.

"Leila, you are so brilliant! In that case, Charles has no choice but to believe us. But was the detective that easily bought?" Melissa asked. The smile on her face froze as suspicion started to take over her thoughts. She had met the guy once before, and she had formed an impression that he was not an easy man to deal with. With a frown, Melissa couldn't help but think to herself, 'What method did Leila use to handle that guy?'

"Aunt Melissa, if you want to control someone, you only need to strike on his weakness. Everyone has a weak point, and that is how we act and take them down!" Leila regarded Melissa as she explained briefly, but with much determination.

The confidence Leila displayed dispelled all the doubts on Melissa's face.

In fact, the process was far easier said than done. To buy off the private detective, Leila had invested a lot, both in money and manpower. It would be more accurate to call it coercion than a buy-off. The guy wasn't willing to be bribed to frame Sheryl. No matter how Leila tried to make her offer look fair, he wouldn't give in.

Before Leila gave up on her plan, she made a last attempt. She thought it might be better to use a tough tactic. So, she came up with an idea to go after the detective's wife and her engagements. Luckily, wher Leila's men took action, they happened to spot the target with a senior officer on their way into a hotel, their interactions rather intimate. Then the event was quickly filmed!

Looking at those perfect pictures, Leila felt that God seemed to be in her favor.

After their long conversation, Melissa still didn't see Charles come into sight. So she suggested, "Leila, why don't you go and check on Charles. He's not answering his phone. He may need your help." Taking it as a great chance to tend to Charles, Leila felt so grateful that Melissa always cared about the progress between her and Charles. Nodding at Melissa, she immediately made her way to Charles' room next door.

As soon as Leila arrived at the door, she slowed down, gently knocking on it and waiting till Charles called for her to enter.

"Charles, are you okay? The phone call that you picked up just now has taken you so long. Was it something urgent?" Leila asked with concern in her eyes, walking closer to face Charles.

He shook his head, ignoring Leila's question. Changing the topic, he asked, "How's my mother doing?"

"Be at ease. Aunt Melissa is fine. She has fully recovered, but she is worried about you. That's why I came here to see you." Feeling bashful, Leila's face reddened as she lowered her eyes.

Glancing at Leila while she spoke, Charles felt a little touched by her patience. He thought that she had been patient to look after his mother. Though she had done something unforgivable to Sheryl, she could always get on the right side of Melissa. Considering that, he decided that he should not remain indifferent towards her.

"I am fine. Thank you. You'd better take care of my mom. I want to take in some rest right now." Charles softened his tone.

Never having been treated so tenderly by Charles, Leila almost thought that she had lapsed into delusion. She quickly raised her head to look at him, but still saw nothing other than his expressionless face. Then she sighed in silence and thought, 'I think too much. How could he possibly turn soft on me?'

"Okay, I am leaving now. Call me if you need any help." Walking out of the ward, Leila bowed her head and bit her lips.

Every time Leila showed up in front of Charles, she tried her best to show him her delicate and mild image. That was her way of continuing to stay by his side.

As Leila left the ward, she was convinced that the detective had done his share of the deal. Otherwise, Charles wouldn't look so awful.

The feeling she got from Charles' expression was so familiar to her. There is no greater tragedy than this, the death of the heart! Leila had tasted it countless times.

In the doorway, Leila turned around and carefully took a last look at Charles, a victorious smile escaping her lips.

'Charles, you don't have to feel sad. As long as you have me around, I will make you happy every day! Sheryl, that bitch doesn't deserve to be your wife!'

Leila almost said those words out loud. She had reminded herself about it every day, setting it as a motivation for her to compete against Sheryl, and to win Charles' heart.

At the hospital gate, Sheryl's face was wet with tears. In the face of Leila's malice, she didn't know how to fight back. Venting all the sadness and distress that she had bottled up in her heart, all she can do now was weep.

Suddenly, she heard a gentle knocking sound on the car window. Surprised, Sheryl saw Nick standing outside her car.

Quickly wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she then opened the passenger door to let Nick get in.

"Sheryl, is everything okay?" Nick asked, concern showing in his eyes.

Managing a faint smile, Sheryl failed to speak normally. Shaking her head, she stammered, "I'm fine. I just feel a little upset. Why are you here? Wasn't Cassie off duty?"

Sheryl remembered that Cassie had told her that she was going to a movie with Nick tonight. So Nick was not supposed to be there.

Pausing, Nick sighed helplessly, "I pissed her off."

"What happened?" Sheryl questioned Nick, puzzled.

Two hours ago, Cassie sounded so excited about going out with Nick to watch a movie. How could a date turn into a fight so abruptly?

A trace of sadness crossed Nick's eyes. Shaking his head, he replied, "Nothing! It was no big deal. I will go and pick her up later. She left something behind here. That's why I came back." Knowing Nick didn't want to continue with this subject, Sheryl didn't push further. But she decided to give Nick some advice on his relationship with Cassie. "It is not easy to maintain a lasting and stable relationship. Rocky things can happen at any time, to any couple. So as a man, you should try to be tolerant. And it is not a shameful thing to bow your head in front of your beloved girl, is it?"

"Okay, relax. I know how to comfort her. And I will try not to make her angry." Nick nodded in agreement.

In fact, as Nick seriously recalled, the quarrel had happened because of a petty thing. They had come to a disagreement due to different opinions on which movie to see. Thinking about it now, he was even shocked by how a disagreement had escalated into a big quarrel. But to Nick's relief, he had been wise enough to apologize to Cassie the moment he realized it.

Even though Cassie had accepted Nick's apology, in the end, her mood had been completely ruined. Running out of choices, they had decided to go home.

On their way back home, Cassie had suddenly noticed that she had forgotten something at the hospital. He stopped the car halfway and dropped Cassie by a coffee shop. Then Nick offered to run the errand to the hospital. What he hadn't expected was running across the scene of Leila reproaching Sheryl.

"Sheryl, are you okay?" Though the tears had been wiped off her face, Nick could still see the sadness lingering at the corners of her eyes.

"I am fine. You don't have to worry about me." Sheryl managed a smile, hoping to dissuade Nick's worry.

But how could Nick turn a blind eye to how she looked now? He saw Sheryl as she had rushed into her car from the hospital, crying! He had never seen her this miserable before. Clearly, the great distress in her heart contributed to her hurt demeanor.

"Sheryl, your kindness will only hurt you! Let's expose what Leila has done to you to Charles! I don't know what you are waiting for," Nick advised Sheryl, feeling outraged with Leila.

He initially suggested exposing Leila's plot as soon as Charles woke up. But Sheryl stopped him. She didn't want Charles to be in a rage while he was still so weak. Now Nick regretted not doing so for Sheryl when there was a chance.