Chapter527HelpComes
TiffanyseemedtakenabackbyLysander’ssuddenchangeindemeanor,castingatimidnceatJosiah.Seeingnoreactionfromhim,shehesitantlybitherlipandasked,“Lysa,areyoufeelingupsettoday?Imaynotbeabletohelpmuch,butIcanatleastlendanear.”
Lysander’swordswerepoliteyetdistant.“I’mfeelingokay.”
Eventhemostdensepersonwouldhaveunderstoodherattitudebythen.
Tiffany,likeaninexperiencedyounggirl,noddedandsaid,“Allrightthen.”
Sheextendedherhand,yfullyjinglingherbraceletinfrontofAurora.SessfullyelicitingagigglefromAurora,she,too,brokeintoagenuinesmile.ContinuingtheconversationwithLysander,sheasked,“Lysa,sheseemstolikemealot.CanIholdher<b>?</b>”
Lysanderdidn’tevenbothertofindanexcuse.“No.”
Tiffanypausedforamoment,thenquicklyreassured.“It’sokay,Lysd.Iunderstandthatyou’rehesitantletmeholdthebabybecauseI’myoung,inexperiencedwithchildren.However,IcanlearnwhatIdon’tknownow.Afterall,it’ssomethingI’lleventuallyneedinthefuture.”
LysanderncedatTiffany,hergazedevoidofanyemotion.“Ms.Lanister,we’renotthatfamiliarwitheachother.
TiffanywasatalossforhowtoreactunderLysander’sgaze,disyingaperfectlymeasuredsenseof
unease.
DillonappeareddeepinthoughtashestudiedLysander,aglintofsharpnessshinginhiseyes.
Josiahbrokethesilence.“Mr.Lanister,Tiffany,dinnertimeattherestaurantislimited,soifyountoeat,you’dbetterhurryup.”
“Sure,sure.Dad,let’ssitwithJoseandLysa.Thisspothasthebestview,Tiffanysuggested.
“Nowthatit’sdarkout,there’snotmuchtosee.Also,Lysanderisadoctorwithmysophobia.She’snotusedtodiningwithstrangers.Thereareplentyofemptyseatsaround.Feelfreetochooseany.”Josiahgesturedtobeckonawaiterover.“Guidethegueststoselectsomedishes.”
“Understood,Mr.Guerra.”Thewaitergestured.“Esteemedguests,pleasefollowme.”
Dillondidn’trespondimmediately,insteadturningtolookatLysander<b>as</b>ifhehadjustrememberedsomething.“There’snorush…Ms.Thorne,doyouhappentohaveagoodrtionshipwithMs.Everhart,thecurrentheadofEverhartCorporation<b>?</b>”
Lysanderdidn’tdenytheobvious.Idon’tthinkyouhaveanyconnectionwiththeEverhartfamily,right,Mr.Lanister?”
Dillonseemed quitethrilled.“Thisisfantastic.Oneofourproductionlinesbrokedownand,aftermuchthought,<b>it</b><b>seems</b>onlyEverhartCorporation’sfactory hassimrequipment.”
RiveronCorporationandEverhartCorporationhadoveppingbusinesses,buttheyhadneverbeenparticrlyclose.Toputiturately,theywerpetitors.
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hewantedtocoboratewiththem.
Asthesayingwent,somethingmustbeamissifonewasexhibitingabnormalbehavior.
LysanderrecalledtheadviceAmeliahadgivenherinthegreenhouse,andwithaheightenedsenseofcaution,sheasked,“It’sjustamalfunction,right?It’snopletelybroken.Can’titbefixedwithalittlerepair?”
Dillonlookeddrasticallydifferentfromwhenhefirstappeared,appearingespeciallyanxious.“Icanfixit,buttheproblemisIhadpreviouslytakenon rgeorderthat’sduesoon.Now,anentireproductionlineisdown,andIsimplycan’tcatchup.IrememberthattheproductionlineinEverhartCorporation’sfactoryisthesamemodsours.IfMs.Everhartiswillingtohelp,wecansplittheprofitsfifty–fifty.”
<i>Help</ieswhenoneneedsitmost,ch?thoughtLysander.Daphneisindeedindesperateneedofmoneynow,althoughDillonprobably<i>isn’t</i>awareyetthatJosiahhashelpedtoarrangeaninvestmentfromMs.Lionhart.<i>Still</i>,Ican’thelpbutfeeluneasefromthesuddenshowofgoodwillfromthesetwo.
Seeingherremainsilent.Dillonaskedwithevidentconcern,“Istheresomething wrong?Wecandiscusseverything.There’salwaysroomfornegotiation,evenintermsofprofit.Icanmakefurtherconcessions.”
Lysandercasuallyasked.“Isn’titabitstrangeforyoutodiscussthis withme,giventhatI’mnotpartoftheEverhartfamily,Mr.Lanister?EverhartCorporation’saddressandcontactinformationareavableontheofficialwebsite.Won’titbequickerforyoutodirectlyreachouttothem?”
TherewasabsolutelynoneedforDillontobeataroundsuchamassivebush,soshewasfairlycertainsomething<b>was</b>up.
Josiahwatchedinsilencefromtheside,deepinthought.
Dillon hesitatedabitbeforeexining,“Ourfamilybusinessusedtohavea bitofarivalrywithEverhartCorporation’s.Itwon’tbeappropriatetoaskthemtolendustheir productionlinenow.However,sinceIhappenedtorunintoyou,Ms.Thorne,IthoughtImightaskyoutogetintouchwithMs.Everhartfor
<ol>
<li>me.</li>
</ol>
Thatreasonsoundedquiteusible,andgivenhisstyle,itcouldevenbedescribedasattentive.
Orrather,itwasclear<b>that</b>DillonwastryingtowinLysanderover.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.
Aftersomethought,Lysandersaid,“I’llmentionittoMs.Everhart,butIcan’tinterferewithherfinal.decision.”
“That’sgoodenough.”Dillonsaidconfidently,“Thisbusinessisn’plex.AslongasEverhartCorporationcan deliverontime,itwouldbeagreathelptome.”
Tiffanyrevealedaninnocentsmile.“That’swonderful.Lysa,thankyouforhelpingmyfather.”
Lysanderimmediatelyrebutted,“Ms.Lanister,atmost,Icanonlyhelpryamessage.Ididn’tpromiseanything.”
Tiffanyfinallyrosefromherseat,timidlyapproachingherfather.Shelookedsomewhatfrightened.“Jose,Lysaseemstohavesuddenlychanged.Shewasn’tlike thisbefore.DidIdosomethingwrongtoupsether?”
LysanderpaidTiffanynomind,nordidsheofferanyunnecessaryexnations.ShesimplypickedupAuroraandsaid,“I’mtakingAurorahomefirst.Youcansortouttherestyourself.”
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<b>Josiah</b>slightlynodded.“Yougoahead.I’llbethereshortly.”
Lysanderbowedherheadandbegantidyingup Aurora’sitems.
<b>Josiah</b>gentlypattedherhand.“I’lltakecareofitina bit.”
Withoututteringmuch.LysandertookAuroraandretreatedtotheirroomforpeaceandquiet.
Auroraobedientlyfollowedalong,notshowingany<b>signs</b>ofprotestuntilshewascedonthebedforachangeofclothes.Itwasthenthatshescruncheduphernose,onthevergeofcrying.
Lysanderquicklyrecalledalltheimportamthingstorememberwhentakingcareofachild.AftercarefullywipingAuroracleanwithawettissue,shechangedAurora’sdiaper.
Aurorainstantlystoppedcryingandbrokeintoasmile.
Lysanderfoundherselflostinthe child’sangelicsmile.
Auroraboreastrikingresemncetoherbiologicalfather,withher,delicatebrowsandeyes,apointedchin,andskinaswhiteassnow.
However,Eliowaspale,whileAurorahadahealthypinkishhue.
However,herpersonalitywapletelydifferentfromElio’s.Shewascheerfndoutgoing,adelightfullyeasy–goinglittleangel.
Ding!
Thedoorbellhadbeenrung.
Justmomentsago.Lysandercalledthefrontdesk,requestingtheysendsomewettissues.Thus,sheassumedItmustbethestaffmemberwhohadarrivedwiththeitems.
Shehurriedlyopenedthedoor, onlytefacetofacewithJosiah.
Josiahhandedherwettissues.“Doyouhaveenoughofeverythingelse?Needanythingmore?”
“It’senough.”Lysanderswiftlysteppedasidetolethimin,casuallyasking.“WhereareTiffanyandherfather?”
“Stillintherestaurant.”Josiahbroughtbackabagfilledwithitemssuchasbabybottles.
Lysanderdidn’taskanyfurtherandsimplyreachedouttotakethebag,firstremovingessentialslikebabyformandcingthemonthetable.
Theirmovementswereincrediblynatursifthey<b>had</b>neverbeenapart.
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