Chapter515RepayTheMoneyLysanderOwedYou
Onceagain,theatmospheregrewtense,
Aidenquicklyturnedtohisbrotherinstead,winkingatthtter.“Adrian,youhaveothernstoday,right?
JosiahsawthroughAiden’shintandsaid,“Youdon’thavetochasehimaway.Ifheleavestoo soon,I’dseemlikeapoorhost.”
Aiden<b>found</b>himselfinapredicament,forhecouldn’taffordtooffendeitheroneofthem.Backingawayinfeartomakehimselflessconspicuous,heturnedtolook<b>at</b>Adrian,hopinghewouleupwithasolutiontobreakthedeadlock
Josiah,behavinglikeagracioushost,suggested,“Lookslikeyou’renot inagoodmood.Howaboutthetwoofyoustayhereforafewdays?It’smytreat.Thesceneryhere’s<b>a</b>sightforsoreeyes andwillhelpyou
rx”
ConsideringthatLysanderwashere,too,Adriannodded.“Iappreciateit.Mr.Guerra.”
Aideninstantlybrokeoutinacoldsweat,lookingathisbrotherinbewildermentasiftoaskwhetherhehadlosthismind.
Adrianremainedunperturbed,showinghisconcerncalmlyuponnoticinghisyoungerbrother’sexpression.“What’swrong?”
“Oh,nothing…Ijustfeeldizzy,”answeredAiden.
Adrianstoodup.“Whydoyoufeeldizzy?”
“Maybetheair’stoothinuphereinthemountains.I’llbefineaftersomerest.”
Adrian,worriedabouthisbrother,asked,“Areyoureallyokay?”Owned by N?velDrama.Org.
“Yeah,I’mokay.”Aidenrespondedindespair,wishingsomeonewouldcallhimatthatmoment<b>to</b>rescuehimfromthisawkward<b>situation</b>.
Theheavensprobablyheardhisprayers,forhisphonevibratedwithatextmessage.Relievedandthinkingthata<b>text</b>messagewasbetter<b>than</b>nothingatall,heopeneditandwidenedhiseyesinsurprise.
What’sgoingonhere?
AidenliftedhisheadandaskedJosiahinsurprise,“Josiah,whydidyou suddenlytransfer moneytome?One,ten,hundred,thousand,tenthousand,<b>hundred</b>thousand…Also,what’swiththeextrachange?”
<b>Josiah</b>exinedcalmly.“This<b>money</b>isn’tforyou.It’sforDr.Sutton.Idon’thavehis<b>bank</b><b>ount</b>details,<b>so</b>you’llhavetotransferitto<b>him</b>.Asfortheextrachange,it’sthe interestI’m<b>paying</b>basedonthecurrentmarketrate.”
Aidenturnedtolookathisbrother,hopingthttercouldexin.“DidyoulendJosiahmoney?”
“<b>This</b>isthemoneyIgaveLysander,answeredAdrian.
Josiahdidn’tbothertoborateandsimplysaid,“I’mpayingitbackforher.”
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Chapter515RepayTheMoneyLysanderOwedYou
“Noneed.ThisisbetweenLysanderandme.Youshouldn’tgetinvolved.”Adrianspokecoldly.
Josiahnodded.“Ioweher,andsheowesyou.Debtsshouldberepaid,sowhydon’tIpayyoudirectlyandsimplifytheprocess?”
Adrianrefusedtoeptthis.“DoesLysanderknowthatyou’remakingdecisionsonherbehalf?”
AuroragotboredwithyingwithJosiah’shandandcooed,spreadingherarmsand wantingtobeheld.
Josiahcradledthebabyinhis<b>arms</b>andmadesureshewafortablebeforesaying,“Whydon’tyou<b>ask</b>heryourselfandseeifshe’dratheroweyouorme?”
AfterwanderingaroundwithLysanderforawhile,Daphnefinallyfoundtheperfectspottorest.
Theviewwaspleasantasthetwoofthemsettleddownonawoodenbenchbeneathatree.ncingupward,theywouldseeleavesshimmeringinthesunlight,swayinggentlyinthebreeze.Anyonewhobeheldsuchatranquilscenewouldfeepletelyatpeace.
Leaningbackagainstthebench,Daphneaskedwithapuzzled expression,“Lysander,didJosiahreallyinviteNievaheretohelpme?”
Whathappenedinthemorning wasratherstraightforward.LysanderquicklyexinedtheagreementNievareachedwithJosiah,aswesthereasonforhersuddendeparturetoahiking trip.
Lysandementedobjectively,“Bottomlineis,you’vereallymisjudgedhimthistime.Havinghim<b>directly</b>negotiatewithMs.Lionhartwould<b>significantly</b><b>increase</b>the<b>chances</b>of<b>sess</b>.Youshouldwaitafewmore daysuntilshereturnsfromherhikingtrip.”
Daphnelistenedwithafacefullofshock,herlipstwitching<b>as</b><b>she</b>said,“Would<b>Josiah</b>reallybethis<b>kind-</b>hearted?Hedidn’tholdbackat<b>all</b>whenhewasunderminingmebefore!”
Lysanderspokehelplessly,choosingherwordscarefully.“Whathesaidat<b>Tiffany’s</b>birthdayparty<b>wa</b>indeedquiteunpleasant,buthesharedwith<b>me</b><b>some</b>informationaboutthesituationatMr.Spears‘end.ThechancesofEverhartCorporationsessfullysecuringfinancingfromher arereallynotthathigh,andtheriskisalsosubstantial.”
Daphnesighedheavily.“Iknewthechanceswereslim,butifhehadn’tinterfered,therecouldstillbesomehope.HeextinguishedthstsparkofhopeIever<b>had</b>.”
Lysanderrarelysawherfriendsodejected,sosheheldherhandandassured,“Ms.Lionhart’sa<b>kind</b>person.I’msureshe’llconsiderJosiah’sproposalonceshe’sback.YoushouldgobackfirstandgetEverhartCorporation’sdocumentsready.It’salwaysrighttobefullyprepared.”
“Allrightthen.”Daphnesaidbeforesuddenlyrememberingsomething.“Whyishesohelpfulthistime?Hedidn’taskyouforanything,didhe?Likesomesortofexchange<b>or</b>conditions?You mentionedoverthephhere<b>wasn’t</b>,butIcan’thelpbutfeelthatsomethingisdifferent.Ifsomethingisgoingon,youcan’thideitfromme.”
Thistime,Josiah’sattitudeandactionswerewlessineveryway.Daphnecouldn’tfindasingle<b>fault</b>withitevenwhenshenitpicked,sosheassumedLysanderhadonceagaipromisedon somethingforhersake.
Daphnequicklysatup.“I’mgratefultohim,butthatdoesn’tmeanI’mfinewithyoumarrying<b>him</b>againformysake.Youmustnotbeswayedbyhistricks!”
Chapter515RepayTheMoneyLysanderOwed<b>You</b>
Asthesungraduallyroseintothesky,itsraysbecame<b>increasingly</b>gentleandwarm.Inresponse,thechirpingofthebirdsinthetreesgrewnoticeablymorecheerful.
Lysander<b>reassured</b>herfriend,“Don’tworry.IknowwhatI’mdoing
Daphinewasstillworried.“Areyousure?”
Lysandernoddedearnestly,hervoicegentleassheexined,“Whenwedivorced,Ididn’ttakeasinglepennyofoursharedassets.”
DaphnehadalwaysconsideredLysanderfoolish,anduponhearingthtterbringupthepast,shecouldn’tstopsighing.“Yeah,but,thesituationhaschangednow.Ifyouaskforhishelpnow,you’rejustgivinghimachancetogetclosertoyou.”
Lysanderwas notworried.“I’vethoughtitallthrough.OnceThorneConstructionsandEnergiesisback<b>on</b>track,I’ll<b>find</b>someoneIcantrustfromwithinthpanytotakeover,thencontinuewithmycareerasadoctor.
“That’smorelikeit.Beingadoctorisyourdream.You’reonlysteppingupnowbecausethere’snooneelseinthe<bpany</b>whocan.Butoncethisisover,<b>you</b><b>should</b>returntobeingadoctor.Afterall,peoplearehappiestwhentheydowhattheylove.”
“Yeah?”
<b>Daphne</b>,withherhappy–go–luckyattitude,quicklystoppeddwellingon hertroublesandrememberedthemattershehadbeenmeaningtoaskLysander.“Irecall<b>you</b>mentioning<b>that</b>youweregoingtoattendasummit.Howdiditgo?Didyougainanything?
ThementionofthatstirredmixedfeelingswithinLysander,somuchsothatherbrighteyeswereveiledwithgloom.
Sensingsomethingwaswrong,Daphinevoicedherconcern.“What’swrong?Didsomethinggo<b>wrong</b>?”
Lysanderdidn’t<b>leave</b>manyregretsinthepastfew<b>days</b>,butshestillsoundeddisappointed.“Nothingwentrightonthistrip.IwasdownwithaslightcoldwhenIsetoff,andIdidn’texpectitto<b>worsen</b>uponmyarrival.Itriedtoughingitoutbutstillendedupinthehospital.”
Althoughitwasundeniable<b>that</b>Josiah<b>had</b>been<b>taking</b>careofherinthehospital,itwasbestnottomentionthisinfrontof<b>Daphne</b><b>,</b>who<b>was</b>seethingwithresentmenttowardhim.
When<b>Daphne</b>noticedherfriend’s gloomyexpression,sheassumedthatthtterwas
upsetaboutthesummit.Inacarefreemanner,<b>she</b><b>said</b>,“Don’ttake<b>this</b>toheart.Itwasjustasummit.Iftheyholditagainnext year,youcanjustattenditthen.Who<b>knows</b>,theymighteveninviteyouagain!”
“Alltheydidwas<b>send</b>theinvitationtompany.Howcouldtheypossiblyvalueme<b>that</b>much?”Lysanderwasclear<b>about</b>herownstandardandsaidthoughtfully.“It’shardlyrealistictogofrombeingunknowntomasteringthefieldwithinayear.But…I’lljusttakethingsone stepatatime,hopingIcangetoutofthissoonandreturntomyfieldasquicklyaspossible.”
Thetwoofthemmomentarilysetasidemattersofwork,sittingamidstthepleasantscenery,gazingatthemountainviewnotfaroff.
Daphenwarned,“There’sonemorething.Nowthatyou’vetakenoverThorne<b>Constructions</b><b>and</b>Energies,it’shardtoconceal thetruthaboutfindingyourbiologicalparents.Haveyouthoughtabouthowyou’regoingtobreakth