Chapter 46


    Chapter 46


    Halfway through the conversation, Leanne’s words cut off abruptly as she heard at woman’s voice on


    the other end of the line asking, “Curtis, want some cherries?”


    Curtis pulled the phone slightly away and replied with a dismissive “No thanks.” The woman on the


    other end seemed to say something else, but Leanne couldn’t make it out. Her head was buzzing with


    noise.


    It wasn’t until Curtis’ voice became clear again on the phone that she was pulled back to reality. “Were


    you asking me something?”


    There were a few seconds of silence.


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    “It’s nothing,” Leanne said, forcing a casual tone. “We’ll talk when you get back.”


    She didn’t wait for Curtis to respond before ending the call.


    The chill ofte autumn prated her sweater, seeping through her bones. Her fingertips were so cold


    she could hardly feel them. Even hailing a cab on her screen felt clumsily difficult.


    Perhaps it was the cold that made her tremble ever so slightly.


    A ck sedan pulled up in front of her, and Caleb leaned out from the rolled-down. window, “Madam,


    let me give you a ride back to the hospital.”


    Leanne didn’t refuse. There was no sense in making herself suffer more.


    Inside the car, the heat was sting, quickly warming her cheeks, but her bones still felt.


    cold.


    The drive from the ElitePinnacle building to the hospital took half an hour, and Leanne was quiet the


    whole way.


    Caleb nced at her from time to time in the rearview mirror. She was leaning back in her seat, staring


    out the window, lost in thought.


    When he parked in the hospital’s underground lot and killed the engine, he reminded her, “Madam,


    we’re here.”


    Leanne unbuckled her seat belt, slipped back into her white coat, and was fastening the buttons when


    she suddenly asked, “Caleb, have you seen Suzan?”


    ruggling to find an answer.


    have.” Leanne finished with her buttons and looked up, aplex smile on “Am I prettier, or is Suzan?”


    Caleb, Curtis’ most trusted aide, although only titled as the president’s assistant, held a status and


    compensation equal to a vice president at ElitePinnacle. He could discuss


    Chapter 46


    international acquisitions with ease and assist Curtis in securing major IPO projects, but this question


    was beyond his ability to answer.


    Sweat almost broke on his forehead as he fumbled for words.


    “Madam, you are certainly more beautiful than Ms. Wrigh


    Thepliment wasn’tpletely false. There were not many who couldpete with Leanne’s


    beauty.


    “Is that so?” Leanne’s tone bordered on self-torment. “Then why does Curtis love Suzan


    more?”


    Caleb was speechless.


    “Actually, Mr. Richardson…”


    Before he could finish, Leanne had already opened the car door and stepped out, heading straight for


    the elevator without looking back. Her slender figure, draped in the white coat, looked isted and


    cold.


    The voice that hade from Curtis’ phone earlier was unmistakable. It was Suzan’s


    Leanne didn’t contact Curtis again. She didn’t care whether he was still in Embend or had already


    returned home. She no longer wanted answers because she knew that seeking them was just


    humiliating herself.


    A few dayster, in the afternoon, Jennifer called.


    “Your Uncle Kyle passed away. The memorial service is Saturday morning. Make sure you request time


    off in advance. You need to be there.”


    Leanne nced at the tightly scheduled nner on her desk. “I have a surgery scheduled the day after


    tomorrow morning…”


    “Which is more important, your surgery or your Uncle Kyle’s memorial?” Jennifer snapped. “You’re a


    grown-up. Don’t you know about setting priorities?”


    Leanne quickly calcted. The surgery wasn’tplex, which would take an hour at most. She could


    probably make it to the service if she rushed.


    Without further argument, she responded, “Got it.”


    But ns never kept up with changes. The surgery went smoothly and waspleted in under fifty


    minutes, but before Leanne could leave the operating room, an emergency


    ase came in. It was a patient with chemical burns to the eyes.


    assion inherent to a healer, Leanne immediately chose to stay and perform eansing procedure. Once


    finished, she rushed to hail a cab to the memorial