The Apple of My Eye novel Chapter 1403

Suddenly, Leila changed her mind. She decided not to pick up Shirley and instead said to Benjamin on the phone, "Benjamin, could you please help me take care of this child? I am kind of busy right now and I don't have time in my hands. I will text you what to do later. And please don't make any moves before you hear from me. Of course, your reward will be raised. Thanks for understanding."

Benjamin was puzzled by Leila's words. After all, Leila was dying to find Shirley before and kept calling him for updates from time to time. Now that the girl had been found, Leila wasn't as eager to pick her up. 'What's going on?' Benjamin wondered.

Although Benjamin was confused, he understood the wisdom of silence. He'd better keep his head down and do his work without asking any questions. Besides, Leila promised to offer him more money, so he just said yes.

"Okay, I can help you with that. Just let me know when you are ready to pick up the kid."

Leila wasn't anxious about it at all. Shirley wasn't her biological child. At the very beginning, she might have seemed anxious and worried about Shirley, but that was just a show for Charles.

Now that Charles was suspicious of her and determined to bring her to justice, if Leila brought back his daughter to him, it would give Charles the confidence to put more time and efforts into the investigation.

Leila wouldn't want that to happen. Why would she willingly put herself in jeopardy? Besides, she knew that Shirley was in safe hands now. She wanted to make full use of this opportunity to turn things in her favor.

"I appreciate your help, Benjamin."

After she hung up, Leila lost herself in deep thought. It sounded simple enough to have Benjamin take care of Shirley, but there was always room for accidents. What if Charles found Benjamin? This time, she had to be extremely careful. She could not afford to leave any traces that could lead Charles to her.

Leila furrowed her brows, her face darkened. When she turned around, her body jerked in surprise, not knowing how to react. Her anxiety was obvious.

Standing behind her back was Melissa, who just happened to come downstairs to get some stuff. When she heard Leila talking, she followed the sound of her voice, to check up on her. Leila's odd reaction convinced Melissa that she was hiding something from her.

Leila was so focused on the phone that she failed to notice Melissa standing behind her this whole time.

Melissa narrowed her eyes and studied Leila from head to toe, which made Leila anxious.

"Leila, what happened? I can see that something is bothering you," Melissa asked Leila indifferently, her gaze fixated, eager to find some clues on Leila's face.

Leila averted her gaze, trying her best to remain calm. She would have comfortably told a lie and easily fool Melissa any other day. But this time was different. Melissa had already caught on to her anxiety.

"Nothing, Aunt Melissa. It's just…I just got home and I need some time to adjust myself. It's really nothing to worry about." Leila managed to fake a smile, trying really hard to convince Melissa that nothing was wrong.

"Really?" However, Melissa didn't buy into Leila's words at all.

"Leila, if something is wrong, you should come to me first. I am concerned about you. If you get mixed up in something bad again, I don't know what I could do." Melissa's words carried subtle implications. She was talking about Sheryl, who was bed-ridden in the hospital because of Leila.

"Thank you for your concern, Aunt Melissa. If I need your help, I will come to you straightaway. I was just being absent-minded. I guess that's what made you misunderstand me."

Leila was lying through her teeth. She had made up her mind not to tell Melissa anything about Shirley.