Chapter 222

Chapter 222

Mary chuckled softly, her laughter echoing in the quiet room before she quickly resumed her stern facade. “You brat!”

Curtis glanced at Leanne, looking for any sign of intention towards him, but found none. So, he took matters into his own hands and grabbed the gift bag she had brought.

It was empty. Nothing left.

He looked up at Leanne, searching her face for any sign of guilt, but she appeared completely at ease, not a hint of remorse in sight.

–

Feeling somewhat left out, especially after noticing Phillip flaunting a Montblanc pen – not that it was anything special, but still, he didn’t have one Curtis felt a sourness in his mouth as if he had just bitten into a fresh lemon.

Ungrateful girl. And after all he does for her.

“Nice. How did you know I needed a bag,” he said, holding the empty paper bag with an air of satisfaction.

Leanne was rendered speechless by his comment.

In the odd, quiet of the room, Jennifer rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming

Maddox, holding his blood pressure monitor, was tempted to check his levels right then

and there.

Phillip, unable to bear the tension any longer, cleared his throat. “How about we start

dinner?”

In the dining room, the servants had already laid out a lavish dinner.

Leanne helped Mary to the dining room, suggesting, “Maybe you should take off your scarf. It’ll be easier to eat.”

Mary agreed, “Alright, put it back on me after dinner.”

After removing her scarf, Leanne was about to sit next to Curtis when Mary pulled her aside.

She gave her seat at the head of the table to Maddox and sat on the side, pulling Leanne to sit next to her. This caused Jennifer to move further down, as it was unheard of for the younger generation to sit above, their elders.

“I’ll just sit over there,” Leanne offered.

“Just have a seat,” Jennifer was too tired to argue with Mary.

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8

Chapter

Leanne sat down, puzzled by Mary’s whimsical behavior that evening, but Curtis knew

why.

Throughout dinner, Leanne sat next to Mary, across the table from him.

After dinner, she stayed for a while before deciding to leave.

Mary didn’t insist on her staying and had the driver who brought her take her back.

Her frail figure stood at the door, Leanne urging her to come in from the cold wind, but she refused, waving until the car was out of sight.

At her age, there was a sentiment younger people couldn’t understand: each meeting could be the last.

She stood in the chilly wind until the car vanished from view. Suddenly, a figure appeared behind her. “Missing her already, should I chase her down for you?”

Mary nearly jumped out of her skin, slapping his arm. “You little rascal, so annoying!”

“What’s bothering you, acting as a stumbling block for me?” Curtis leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, giving her a sideways glance. “Two months ago, you were all for helping me, and now you’re bullying me? Your mood swings are hard to follow.”

“How dare you bully Anne? Stay away from her!” Mary’s protective instincts flared up. “She’s been on her own since she lost her folks, and you still pick on her. Where’s your sense of decency?”

“My bad,” Curtis sighed, his attitude genuinely remorseful. “Do me a favor, help me win her

back.”

“I won’t help you. Weren’t you the one who told me not to interfere?” Mary huffed. “I can’t trust her with you anymore. You might have inherited my looks, but not my loyalty. The Richardson family has never seen a cad like you. Look at your grandfather, he’s been gone for years, and I never remarried.”

Curtis laughed, a hint of resignation in his voice. “Fine, don’t help me. Just don’t get in my way.”

He straightened up, opened the door for Mary to go inside, and followed her, quipping lightly, “Otherwise, I’ll complain to your grandpa’s ghost, tell him you’re hindering the birth of his great-granddaughter.”

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