As he recognized who was in front of him, Carl instinctively pulled back his hand as if he had touched something hot, forcing a smile that felt awkward.
Leo raised an eyebrow and asked, "The person you were just talking about is me. What’s the problem?"
Carl responded with a sycophantic grin.
"If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have worried," Carl said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Why's that?" Leo asked, his curiosity piqued.
"How could a woman like Mia ever have anything to do with you, Mr. Norris?" Carl replied, dismissively.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Who is she?"
Carl sneered at me. "You don't know? She was kidnapped as a child. The kidnapper had a terrible reputation and was said to have abused her. If they hadn’t saved her, who knows what would have happened? Her parents even called her a loser. Our family would never accept her. If a woman like that shows up, not even the Norris family would be fooled into thinking she could climb the social ladder!"
Carl's cruel words cut through me, leaving me feeling cold and exposed, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head.