Sunlight cascaded through the window, casting a golden glow that enveloped the woman lounging on


    the sofa.


    Her shirt-dress shimmered, its soft yellow hue reflecting the sunlight as shey half-reclined on the


    dark leather couch, eyes closed.


    Curtis tiptoed closer, crouching before her.


    She must have dozed off waiting for too long, in an ufortable position with her legs still on the


    ground, head resting on the arm of the sofa. Knowing she''d have a stiff neck from sleeping like this


    made Curtis want to wake her, yet he couldn''t bear to disturb her slumber.


    Stray strands of hair fell across her forehead, which Curtis gently brushed aside with his fingertips.


    Leanne was a light sleeper. As Curtis touched her, she opened her eyes.


    Her blurry and sleepy gaze fixed on him as she stretched her arms around his neck in a weary


    embrace.


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    "Why didn''t you head home to rest if you were this tired?" Curtis asked.


    "I missed you," she murmured, her voicezy and heavy with sleep. She hadn''t slept well in those brief


    moments, and her head was dizzy as she leaned against Curtis'' shoulder.


    Curtis, whose heart was usually as stoic as stone, felt it soften with tenderness. His palm supported her


    back as he leaned in to kiss her near her ear. "There''s a rest area inside. Want to go sleep there?"


    "No, I don''t." Leanne felt uncertain, but being with him seemed to stabilize her.


    "Then I''ll hold you while you sleep."


    Curtis unbuttoned his suit jacket, took it off, and sat on the couch, pulling her onto hisp and slipping


    off her shoes.


    Leanne found afortable position against him, her head resting on his shoulder. The subtle scent of


    woodsy cologne surrounded her, soothing the fluttering uncertainty in her chest.


    The drowsiness that had gripped her had dissipated. She remained quiet in the crook of Curtis'' neck


    before mentioning, "I just returned from visiting Mary and saw your Uncle Hanley there."


    "Uncle Hanley?" Curtis sounded as surprised as she had been, "He''s back?"


    "Yeah." Leanne yed absentmindedly with the buttons on his shirt. "Howe you never mentioned


    him before?"


    "He''s like a taboo in our family. No one''s allowed to bring him up."


    Not only was his existence not mentioned, but all traces of him had also been meticulously erased as if


    he had vanished into thin air. Those who had known him kept quiet, and the media never covered any


    news that Maddox, the Chairman of Vector Vista Bank, once had a brother.


    A living, breathing person, seemingly erased from existence.


    "Why?" Leanne was full of questions.


    The events from twenty years ago were a blur to Curtis, who was only seven or eight then. The adults


    had intentionally kept him in the dark, but he was clever enough to piece some of it together amidst the


    chaos that engulfed the Richardson family.


    "Grandpa had a heart attack and died, which probably had something to do with Uncle Hanley."


    "His sudden death with your parents'' kidnapping that drew massive media attention threw Vector Vista


    through a period of instability. It was a time of turmoil. Dad was overwhelmed daily, and Mom, pregnant


    at the time, miscarried due to overexertion."


    "Some say Grandma kicked him out, while others believe he cut ties with the family. After that, no one


    has ever seen him again."


    Leanne hadn''t expected Hanley''s involvement in Charles'' death, which exined why Mary was so


    emotional upon seeing him.


    Could her previous fainting spell also have something to do with him? Was Mary''s reticence merely due


    to holding a grudge for causing her husband''s death, or was there more to it?


    Considering the timing of Charles'' passing and her parents'' murder coincided, it was hard not to


    suspect a connection.