Chapter 82


    Chapter 82


    n wore a pained expression, apologizing once more, “I’m really sorry, Ms. Wright. You came out of


    nowhere, I swear I didn’t see you.”


    Curtis stormed out of the hospital room. As soon as he left, Suzan darkened her face.


    “So are you saying I’m faking this drama?” she snapped.


    n waved his hands frantically, “No, that’s not what I mean!”


    He was new on the job, a decent driver but a bit green and reckless. It was his first time. chauffeuring


    Mr. Curtis while Jake was on break. Nerves got the best of him. Pulling out from the ElitePinnacle


    garage, he didn’t see Suzan, who was approaching Curtis’ car to say hello, and identally bumped


    into her.


    Thankfully, the car wasn’t going fast, or the consequences could have been dire.


    Curtis immediately scooped her up and rushed her to the hospital for a full check-up. Nothing serious,


    except Suzan’s knee needed stitches.


    The incident wasn’t major, but it wasn’t minor either. Suzan was the heiress of the Wright family. Even a


    small injury was a big deal for them!


    n spent the entire night on tenterhooks, convinced his job was on the line.


    Curtis, donning his coat, strode out and dialed Leanne.


    It was bizarre. She and Suzan had spoken over the phone just ten minutes earlier, and now Leanne


    was unreachable.


    Curtis quickened his pace, his urgency mounting. He sprinted to the parking lot, flung. open the car


    door, started the engine, shifted gears, and floored the elerator. The speedometer needle whizzed


    as neon lights zipped past the windows, reflecting off his grim face.


    It was just his luck to hit every red light.


    With Leanne’s phone going unanswered, Curtis furrowed his brow deeper, racing back to Crystal Cove


    Vis.


    He leapt out of the car, mmed the door, and took the front steps two at a time, pushing open the


    front door.


    Inside, the vi was pitch ck, not a single light on.


    The motion-sensor lights from the entrance to the living room flickered on one by one, illuminating the


    house, yet it retained an eerie silence.


    Dinner was stillid out on the table.


    Chapter 82


    Curtis’ heart, which had been beating like a drum in his chest all the way, finally returned to its normal


    rhythm.


    He didn’t know what he’d been afraid of, but the sight of the untouched meal was a relief.


    He’d seen this kind of quiet before, a false rm. He figured Leanne must have gone to bed early, tired


    of waiting.


    She liked to sleep with her phone on mute, hence why she wasn’t answering. It all made.


    sense.


    But there was a nagging tension in the back of his mind. Upstairs, the master bedroom was dark, not


    even the nightlights on.


    He flicked the switch by the door, the room lighting up to reveal an immactely made


    bed without a wrinkle.


    Leanne wasn’t home.


    Curtis checked the walk-in closet. It was as full as ever, with no sign of her leaving.


    The room just felt emptier somehow.


    He circled the room, sensing something was missing but couldn’t figure out what.


    The feeling fueled an inexplicable restlessness. He went back downstairs to the cat room. Leanne


    loved those kittens more than he did. She wouldn’t leave her cats unattended.


    As long as the cats were still there…


    But when Curtis pushed open the door, the room was barren. All the cat paraphernalia, the climbing


    frame, litter box, automatic feeder and toys, all had vanished.


    here was not a single yful kitten in sight, not even a speck of dust.


    The silence of the night seemed to swell like a tide, an unsettling quiet.


    He always joked those cats were trouble. Now they’d vanished with the house.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Curtis dialed Leanne’s number yet again.


    The relentless and mechanical tone rang out, long and unpleasant, still unanswered.


    “ying games with me? Ignoring my calls on purpose?”


    Leanne had wanted to talk things through, and they hadn’t yet. She wouldn’t just run off without that.


    Maybe she’d gone out to drown her sorrows again?


    Lately, Joy, that fool, had been leading her astray. Leanne had grown wild, frequenting bars every other


    night.


    Chapter 82


    Curtis scrolled through his contacts for Joy’s number, unsure if he’d ever saved it. Juggling the phone


    in one hand and his tie in the other, he tossed couch.


    It missed its mark,nding on the floor instead


    His search paused as his gaze settled back on the dining table.


    e tie toward the


    The dinner and the pair of ce settings remained untouched. His eyes fixed on the spot where


    Leanne usually sat.


    A tinum ringy motionless and quiet on the polished wooden surface.