Ingrid's eyebrow shot up at the sound of her name on his lips.
"How..." She cleared her throat, which was parched from excessive crying. "How do you know my name?"
The man chuckled darkly.
"Why? Are you scared of me?" His voice held a heavy accent that she couldn't place her finger on.
"Who are you?" She whispered timidly.
"Your Savior. You would be dead if it wasn't for me, Tesorino (darling)." He took a huge drag of his cigar once again.
Ingrid's mind went back to the scene of the accident. Her screams as the car swiftly advanced towards her.
What happened next? She couldn't tell as that was when the darkness took over.
Her hand frantically roamed all over her body, but she couldn't feel pain anywhere else but in her abdomen. She gasped in realization.
The car never hit her.
It must have escaped her mind while she was busy wallowing in self-pity. How was it possible? It seemed like a miracle, as she was so sure the hit was unavoidable.
She looked up at him.
"You were the one driving the car?"
He gave a lopsided grin. "What do you think?"
Ingrid shuddered. No matter what this man said or did, there was this eerie and fearful feeling that couldn't be detached from him. Whatever he did looked menacing to her. Be it a smile or a snarl.
He sat quietly, taking drags of his cigar. His eyes watched her with a scrutinizing look. She felt like he was trying to see through her soul.
After each drag, he'd close his eyes in pleasure, and the act told Ingrid that it wasn't just plain tobacco. The wheels in her head turned with the same question.
Who was this man? Why did he bring her here? He even knew it was her birthday.
The dangerous atmosphere around him caused an unsettling feeling in her mind. She opened her mouth to satisfy her curiosity, but he beat her to it.
"Leo Amante."
Ingrid felt her mouth drop open.
The Leo Amante?
There was no one in the country who didn't know that name. The Amante family was the richest in the entire of Singapore and had connections in every sector one could think of. He was the investor that Simon had been trying to impress for months.
They were the major conglomerates of Singapore.
The function she was supposed to attend with Simon was to see him, but here he was, right in front of her.
No wonder she felt his face was familiar.
Leo plainly watched, his face giving nothing away as Ingrid took in the information. He had hoped his face would trigger some memories but it didn't.
He told her his name, hoping it might ring a bell, but from the look on her face, he didn't think she'd remember any time soon.
She confirmed that with her next words.
"I'm not trying to be rude or anything, and I'm really grateful you saved my life, but why did you bring me here? You could've just dropped me in the hospital and been off on your way."
Ingrid couldn't help but be suspicious of him. It would've been more efficient for him to drop her off at a hospital. No one was this nice. His intentions didn't seem pure to her.
Leo sat up straight with a frown.
"I may not look like it, but I would not abandon a woman who had just lost her child and has nowhere to go."
Ingrid looked away.
"I never said I have nowhere to go."
"You're with suitcases. What do you think?"
She exhaled deeply, her expression becoming a sad one.
"So you helped me because you pity me?"
Leo scoffed.
"If that's what you think then you still have a lot of remembering to do. I am not in the habit of showing pity."
"So why did you help me?" Ingrid pressed further
"Because you're mine, and I'm here to take you back!"
The shell shock of his words left her open-mouthed.
This man must be crazy...
