Chapter 449
When Leanne's estrangement from the Richardson family became public knowledge, Devin was more devastated than if he'd gone through a breakup himself.
"It's nothing," Curtis said, clicking the pen shut with an air of indifference that made it seem as if they were discussing the unremarkable weather of a typical summer day. "Same as always."
Devin couldn't grasp the situation. "She didn't even show up for Mary's 80th birthday bash. How is that the same as always?"
Curtis couldn't be bothered to explain. He stood up from his chair and playfully slapped Devin on the head as if he were a mischievous pup. "Go entertain yourself."
Joy had been staying at Leanne's Castle for nearly a month by then, arriving just a few days after Curtis had moved out.
Concerned about Leanne's well-being, Joy took all the leave she could from work. She avoided the office unless absolutely necessary, choosing instead to spend her days in the garden with Leanne. Their time together felt more like a vacation than anything else.
The summer in Stonebridge was on another extreme, with the heat crawling everyone's skin and the sun scorching the earth. Only the gardens in this bustling city offered some respite from the relentless heat. What surprised Joy, however, was Leanne's stable mood. She wasn't sad or depressed but spent her days gardening, playing with the cats, feeding the fish, and preparing her application for Medical School in Emberland.
Selina would visit now and then, sometimes bringing beer and crawfish, other times ice cream, cake, and bubble tea.
This time, she brought nutritious chicken soup. After eating their fill, Joy lounged on the rocking chair, sipping on freshly squeezed watermelon juice, and patted her belly contentedly. "Life's pretty sweet when you're eating and resting well.."
Leanne was buried in her textbooks at the table. Despite the heat, the air conditioning was on low for Joy's comfort. Leanne had draped a shawl over her shoulders while a cat napped in her lap. Hearing Joy, Leanne didn't respond.
"You haven't gained a pound, but here you are, packing on the pounds," Selina teased. "You sure you're not pregnant?"
Leanne paused her note-taking and looked up at them.
Joy quickly kicked Selina under the table, causing her to bite her tongue. Wincing in pain, Selina retaliated with a lisp, "She's the one who told me!"
Leanne turned to Joy, "How did you know?"
Leanne's period had been over a week late that month, initially attributing it to stress. On the tenth day, she took a pregnancy test, and the two clear red lines couldn't be denied.
It was only last week's news. She hadn't even sorted out her feelings yet. Somehow, they guessed it as if they could read her like a book.
No wonder Selina brought nutritious soup today.
"I saw the pregnancy test in the
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bathroom after you showered.. Imagine if Laura had found it instead," Joy said, gaining confidence. "Imagine the drama if
she accidentally told Curtis S
"Exactly," Selina chimed in. "We can't let the Richardson family find out."
"Their kind wouldn't want their
bloodline outside the family. If the
child grows up outside and then
comes back to claim their
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inheritance, it'd be chaos. But considering Hanley's example, they might not want you to have the baby."
Leanne hadn't kept her breakup with Curtis a secret, not that she could have.
They were resolutely on her side, no questions asked.
Leanne stroked the cat's sleek fur. "I haven't decided to keep it."
"You'll definitely keep it," Joy said confidently.
"Why?" asked Leanne.
"Because I've got a sixth sense about these things. I've foreseen that she's my destined
goddaughter," Joy claimed. "Besides, it's not like we can't afford it. If you need help, I'll quit my job and be your full-time nanny. You just need to keep us fed and
housed."
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Chapter 448
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Joy was restless and shared a bed with Leanne, tossing and turning like a pancake on a hot griddle.
Leanne's hard-won drowsiness vanished with Joy's gymnastics, leading her to suggest, "If you can't sleep, why not go outside and count how many stars are in
the sky?"
Joy was speechless and flipped over, propping herself up on an elbow to ask, "Is there nothing we can do about Hanley? It just doesn't sit right with me, letting him get away with everything." Leanne paused, "We can't find him. Even if we did, without proof, we can't touch him."
Knowing who was responsible yet feeling powerless was the most disheartening
part for her.
"But seeing both of you suffer like this breaks my heart," Joy said, pounding the mattress in frustration. "Why should he get to ruin your parents' lives and leave you and Curtis to pick up the pieces?" Leanne didn't have an answer.
Luck never seemed to be on her side. She never seemed to get what she
wanted, and any love she found always slipped through her fingers.
No, that wasn't entirely true.
Someone had once promised never to stop loving her.
A certain strength began to grow in Leanne and she felt a sense of peace
returning.
The autumn that year felt unusually short, the drop in temperature happening in
the blink of an eye, as if overnight, the first snow had already fallen. Leanne had planned lunch at the new trendy diner in town with Amy and Donna. The food was so-so, but the place was bustling with energy. Donna brought her two kids along, who were lively and well-mannered.
After lunch, Donna had to take the kids to their extracurricular class, leaving Leanne to watch them drive off.
The diner was close to Northwood. On a whim, Leanne decided to visit the mansion in Northwood.
The yard was covered in a thick layer of snow, like a pristine white carpet, too
perfect to disturb.
Her boots crunched in the snow as she bundled up in her thick coat, whimsically
starting to roll snowballs and build a snowman.
Forgetting her gloves, her hands
quickly turned red from the cold. She
breathed on her fingers for warmth
before placing a newly rolled
snowball atop another. Content
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She picked a small branch for the nose and wandered the yard looking for stones
for the eyes.
In the quiet and empty yard, the sudden sound of a watch's chime was startlingly
clear.
Leanne stopped in her tracks,
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glancing at her wrist where her
I
star-patterned watch was signaling the presence of another person within five meters. The content is on
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It was then that she heard a familiar and clear voice.
"Would these work?"
She looked up and turned around.
Snowflakes fell softly around her as a tall figure emerged from the mansion.
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Curtis was dressed casually in a
sweater and lounge pants under his black coat His jaw was shadowed with stubble, looking a bit disheveled
yet charming. The content is on Novelxo.org! Read the latest chapter there!
Despite the snow-covered ground showing no footprints, he must have been
there before the snow began.
Curtis held out his hand, revealing two stones.
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They seemed to be picked at random, perhaps from a decorative piece,n black with the shimmer of sapphire
under the light, quite beautiful. The content is on Novelxo.org! Read the latest chapter there!
"No grapes at home, so these will have to do."
Leanne's gaze landed on his hand, particularly on the silver band on his ring
finger that he never took off.
She tucked her left hand deeper into her sleeve and reached out with her right for
the stones.
As her icy fingers brushed Curtis' palm, he closed his hand, warmly enveloping hers, much like the snow outside.