The Apple of My Eye novel Chapter 508

Leila stared at Chris and said in a solemn voice,"Yeah, if you talk about love, I really had deep feelings for Mr. Lu. I cannot deny it. He is handsome, successful at such a young age and more than anything else, he is a thorough gentleman. How could anyone ever resist his charm?

Had it been a few years back, I would have been overjoyed to accept your proposal. I would have promised anything to be with Charles. But now my priorities have changed. Now, all my focus is on my son. As a mother, I have to be responsible for both of us. I need to pay attention to my behaviors. It's important for me to set a good example. Besides, I don't have much money. The first thing I think about when I wake up is how to make more money to support myself and my son. Love is merely a luxury for me. But then one's energy is limited. I can't waste my energy on gaudy enjoyment." Leila spoke in one breath. For the first time she sounded reasonable to Chris. Leila was infamous for her deceitful and opportunistic attitude that had even affected Charles and Autumn's marriage in the past.

Leila stood up and continued maintaining the earnestness in her voice,"Miss Lu, I am sorry. I can't keep your request. It is no use persuading me. I won't say yes." Speaking these words she turned her back towards Chris, trying to map her silence as she listened to her. Leila played her cards very well till now. She knew exactly how to win Chris's confidence and use her to get Charles back in her life. All her good intentions as she revealed to Chris were fake. Her ultimate goal was to get married to Charles. And she was sure Chris would create opportunities for her to get close to Charles. 'After Autumn went missing, Charles' loneliness has been a matter of concern for everyone in the Lu family. And who could be better than me to be with Charles?' Leila thought.

"Wait!" Chris stopped Leila by holding her arm as she was about to leave.

No matter how much genuine Leila tried to sound in front of Chris, her past activities stopped her from believing in her. 'How is it possible for a girl like Leila to give up on Charles? My gut tells me she is lying, ' Chris thought to herself.

'However, I have no other choice. She is the only hope to save Charles from depression. Besides, she has a son from Charles. Anyhow, I have to help her win Charles's affection.'

Chris just could not let Leila go. She had to stop her for Charles's sake. She held Leila's arm and pleaded earnestly,"Leila, please take a seat and listen to me for a moment. I promise it won't take a long time." Leila didn't speak. Nor did she move from her place. Chris pulled Leila's hand and got her seated on the chair.

Then she sat down face to face with her and said,"Although you don't admit that Charles is the father of your son, I am not blind. Nor am I a fool. He has such striking resemblance with Charles that you simply can't deny that he is Charles's son." Leila lowered her eyes as she pretended to listen to Chris. However, heart of heart, she was elated and proud to be Charlie's mother. Charlie was the gate pass for her to enter into Charles's life and become his wife. But she showed no excitement in front of Chris. Rather, she presented herself to be a tender and considerate mother. Inside, her heart was taking leaps of fantasy by the thought of becoming Charles's wife and reigning over Dream Garden. But her face reflected humbleness as she sat with her head lowered in front of Chris.

Inch by inch Leila was getting closer to her target. She could not afford to make any mistake. She could not let Chris get the slightest hint of what was going on in her mind. Hence, she kept her eyes lowered lest Chris read her mind. In her mind, she said happily, 'Autumn did one good thing for me. She gave birth to a son and left him for me to bring him up. Now her son will help me to achieve my rightful place in Charles's life.'

Keeping her ambitions concealed in a humble smile, Leila replied to Chris,"Does it really matter?" Leila forced a smile and said in a firm voice,"The moment I decided to give birth to the baby, I had told myself he is my child. Only mine. He has nothing to do with anyone else. I decided to stay away from Charles and raise him myself."

Leila's statement proved Chris's assumption to be true. Chris had a very strong intuition the moment she met Charlie that he could be Charles's son. Little did she imagine how it was Leila and her contriving ways that had brought her to this conclusion. It never even occurred to her in her wildest thought that Charlie could be Charles's son from Autumn. When she heard Leila indicating towards Charlie being Charles's son, she asked with a broad smile,"So you admit that Charles is the father of your son?" Chris stared at Leila, waiting for her reply.

Leila sneered,"What if he is? And what if he is not? Why are you persistently asking about my son's father? How does that change anything for me or my son?"

Chris smiled and said politely,"Relax Leila. I mean no harm. I have asked an unofficial consulting detective to investigate about your livelihood. I learnt that you didn't live a good life. You had to take care of your son all by yourself and make enough money to earn a living. It has become more difficult for you when your savings are used up." Once Chris got confirmed about Charlie's identity, she knew how to persuade Leila for coming into Charles's life. Even Autumn would not have been happy to see the way Charles was wasting his life in loneliness and depression. She felt, if Charles accepted Leila, they would live a happy family.

"Does it have anything to do with you?" Leila pretended to be unconcerned and said in an indifferent tone. 'Stupid Chris, you will never come to know how I used you to achieve my goal."

Chris thought the simplest way to persuade Leila was to depict a new life for her son. A mother could never deny a comfortable life and a bright future for her son. Hence she showed concern towards Charlie as she said in a persuasive manner,"Think about it Leila. Your son is nearly four years old. Very soon you have to put him in a good school. And as you know it will be a huge expense. Will you be able to afford it all by yourself? Don't you want your son to enter the best school?"

"Of course I do," Leila replied promptly without hesitation. Her eyes mellowed down when she thought about her financial situation. Slowly, the sparkle in her eyes disappeared. It was true that she couldn't afford the expenses of sending Charlie to the best school. In fact, she didn't have enough money for him to learn something like piano. "But, it would be totally impossible," Leila said in a very soft voice. She looked humiliated and embarrassed as she admitted about her poor status. She felt herself going red in the face.

"Nothing is impossible, Leila," Chris comforted Leila with a gentle smile. She went on to speak in the same persuasive manner and said,"You can take your son back to Dream Garden and tell all the truth. Since you are family, Charles will take good care of him and be responsible for his education."