"What kind of product design..." Leanne''s ears suddenly felt hot.


    "Shameless!" Mary delivered a hefty p to his arm, her eyes sharp. "Waiting for nine months, there is


    no progress in their conception, you little swindler!"


    Whether it was Curtis'' audacity or the mention of her great-granddaughter, whose progress was at zero


    percent, that triggered her, Mary seemed to perk up a bit.


    "Drive Anne back to work. Call Maddox in. I need to speak with him."


    Maddox and Phillip had both rushed back, and Mary summoned Maddox inside.


    As Leanne closed the door behind her, she saw Mary sigh deeply and silently.


    The sigh was soden withplexity that Leanne couldn''t decipher it. Perhaps it was her imagination,


    but she felt that the once sprightly Mary seemed to have grown profoundly pensive.


    Back at the hospital, Leanne found herself engulfed once again by the hectic pace of work.


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    After receiving a call for a consultation, she hurriedly left her office for the emergency room. Walking


    through the corridors bustling with patients and their families, someone passed by carrying a bag of


    oranges, likely a visitor for one of the patients.


    Suddenly, the oranges tumbled out of the bag, scattering across the floor, nearly causing a passerby to


    trip.


    Several rolled towards Leanne''s feet. She quickly bent down to pick them up and handed them back to


    their owner.


    The person reached out to take them, and Leanne inadvertently slid her gaze over his right hand,


    pausing there.


    It was the hand of an adult male, smooth and clean, with not a single rough callus, indicating a life of


    comfort and privilege much like Curtis.


    There was a small mole at the base of his thumb.


    Leanne looked up.


    It was an adult man''s hand, smooth and unblemished, without a single hard callus. It hinted at a cushy,


    privileged life, much like what Curtis had. "Thank you," he said in a deep and resonant voice.


    Leanne nodded and continued walking. A few stepster, she looked back.


    The man was already moving forward with the bag of oranges.


    For the rest of the day, she was somewhat distracted. During the consultation meeting, she nearly


    zoned out and was only snapped back to reality when the nurse detailing the patient''s condition raised


    her voice.


    That evening, Joy invited her to a new movie, amercial mysteryedy that had the cinema


    erupting inughter. Joy munched on popcorn, chuckling heartily, but Leanne couldn''t focus.


    Certain scenes, designed to shock with their sound effects and mystery, made her nerves on edge.


    Stepping out of the air-conditioned cinema, she realized she was sweating coldly.


    "What''s wrong?" Joy noticed her difort. "Didn''t you like the movie?"


    "I feel a bit off," Leanne couldn''t pinpoint the reason. She hadn''t absorbed much of the plot, but the


    tension had left her deeply fatigued. "I think I''ll go home and rest."