Leo Gambino A Thousand Foes

015 Sugar Mommy

"Mr. Leonard…?" the crowd murmured in disbelief. The respectful title struck everyone like thunder.

The entire hall plunged into dead, shocked silence. Their eyes snapped towards Leonard, who was still seated calmly in his corner chair, his face blank of expression as if the chaos had nothing to do with him.

Then every gaze swung back to Valery, searching for any sign that their ears had deceived them.

"D-Did she just call him Mr. Leonard?" a guest whispered hoarsely.

"No way. Did she make a mistake?"

"The guy whom Mr. Mercer was about to throw out?"

"Why would she defend him?"

Shock, confusion, and growing unease painted every face. But their murmurs were scared and low, because Valery had arrived with a deadly force. If she didn't care about putting down the Consortium guards, what would she do to them?

Simon Mercer, who minutes ago didn't dissuade his guards from pointing a gun at Leonard's face, was now petrified, his face drained of color, looking as if he had swallowed glass.

Victor stood frozen, his lips twitching but producing no sound. The most affected was Felicity, staring in utter disbelief.

Why would Valery Frost—the feared CEO of the Eclipse Consortium—defend that worthless orphan like Leonard? Unless he wasn't a nobody after all?

Valery ignored them completely. Her sharp gaze settled on Leonard. She said nothing, simply waiting for his cue like the trained soldier she was.

Leonard finally glanced up from his phone, meeting her eyes. With a subtle shake of his head, he sent the silent message, "Don't blow my cover."

Valery's lips pressed into a thin line. Her expression softened by the slightest fraction, but the deep reverence in her eyes remained unmistakable.

"Understood, sir," she replied quietly. Valery stepped back respectfully, positioning herself just behind Leonard like a loyal shadow awaiting orders. That small detail did not escape anyone.

"Why is she standing behind him like that?" someone whispered frantically.

"Is he higher ranking than Miss Frost? A major shareholder? She wouldn't even respect an SVP like Mr. Mercer."

Finally, the ice broke. Victor's smirk crept back slowly, trying to make sense of the situation. "There must be a logical explanation to this… Perhaps Miss Frost is humoring him for a reason."

"Right," Felicity muttered to their group. "Maybe she owes him a favor. Perhaps he saved her life in an accident? That doesn't mean he is important. That would also explain the black card."

"Exactly," Simon added, desperate to salvage his dignity. "If he were truly someone powerful, Miss Frost would have declared his title to the gathering. This is clearly just her personal bias."

Their words gained momentum as they built a theory. "He just got lucky, didn't he?"

"The loser was at the right place, at the right time. I bet he helped Miss Frost in a tight situation, and she owes him."

Arrogance flickered back into their eyes, judging Leonard all over again. After all, if Valery refused to reveal his true status, how significant could he possibly be?

Sophia watched from a few steps away, her eyes wide with quiet amazement. The sudden power shift, Valery's deference to Leonard, and the way the entire elite crowd now second-guessed itself, left her stunned.

She observed the young man who had calmly defended her moments earlier. Who was he really?

Leonard glanced at the murmuring crowd. The faintest trace of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Barely a minute had passed. Valery turned her cold stare on Simon. A chill ran down his spine.

"What exactly was happening before I entered?" she asked, her voice like frost.

Simon swallowed hard, the words tumbling out in haste.

"Ma'am, I apologize that you had to see such escalation at the gala, but I had no choice."

He jabbed a finger at Leonard. "I don't know why you're protecting him, but this man claims to be the new Chairman! He's clearly a fraud! I was so outraged by his audacity that I ordered the guards to remove him!"

He puffed out his chest, expecting praise for his decisive action.

"Haha! Throwing him out wasn't enough," Felicity sneered, glaring at Leonard. "Now that his reality is exposed, we should break his legs, arrest him, and lock him up!"

"Without a severe punishment, this loser will never finally learn his place. Didn't I tell you your luck wouldn't last, Leonard?"

SMACK!

The loud slap cracked across the hall. Valery had just taken a stride forward and struck Felicity so hard the sound echoed for a few seconds.

"You little bitch! Say one more word of nonsense, and I'll have the guards break your legs first!"

Gasps rippled through the room. What was going on?

"W-Why, Miss Frost?" Felicity stuttered, clinging to her stinging cheek in disbelief. Her face was red, and her voice was shaking. "I did nothing wrong!"

She had only offered advice on how to handle the trash named Leonard. Why was Valery so furious?

"Miss Frost," Victor began, stepping forward cautiously. "She was only trying to—" "Valery cut him off with a sharp wave. "And you are?"

"Victor Langford of Langford Enterprises." It was natural for a powerful woman like the CEO of the Eclipse Consortium not to remember third-rate businessmen like Victor.

Valery's brows furrowed slightly. She shot a discreet glance at Leonard. So the women who harassed him at the Emporium, and his toxic ex-girlfriend, were attached to this fool.

Her face darkened further. "Never heard of you. Whoever you are, when I'm speaking, everyone else shuts up or gets out!"

Victor's face burned with embarrassment. He gritted his teeth but stayed silent, eating his words. "Of course, ma'am."

However, his fiancée wasn't truly aware of how terrifying Valery could be. Feeling entitled and humiliated by being publicly slapped, she fought back.

"We were only trying to help you!" Felicity's voice rose. "Why wouldn't you listen?"

Then a sudden, vicious thought struck her as she remembered the name Valery thrown around by her mother and sister while they narrated the Reishi Royale incident.

"Or perhaps… Are you that loser's sugar mommy? Is that why you're defending him instead of putting him in his place?"