The chatter was sometimes a whisper in Leanne''s ears, and at other times, it seemed miles away.


    Navigating through the bustling hall of the celebration, Leanne felt her fingertips tingle with nerves as


    she approached the duo.


    Phillip and Chuck were deep in business talk, their conversation lighter and less formal owing to the


    nature of the event. Chuck had a smile, asionally taking sips from his wine.


    A burst of vibrant color caught Phillip''s eye as Leanne approached.


    "Hey, Phillip," she greeted.


    Phillip nodded, his demeanor calm and collected, showing no hint of his recent heartbreak.


    Chuck turned to her, and his smile was unwavering.


    Standing at an average height, not too tall but not short, Chuck, nearing fifty, had climbed his way up to


    be the Deputy Director of VectorVista Bank. Wealth and status were hispanions.


    Unlike Maddox''s stern and imposing presence, Chuck''s slightly plump figure and warm smile gave off a


    vibe of honesty and kindness.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Beauty always pleases the eye, and he looked at Leanne with a soft, amused gaze as Phillip


    introduced him, "This is the Executive Director of our group, Mr. Chuck."


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Chuck," Leanne said.


    "And this is Anne, Mrs. Curtis," Phillip continued.


    The curve of Chuck''s smile remained, though the spark of admiration in his eyes seemed to dim


    slightly.


    The change was minute, almost unnoticeable, but watching him closely, Leanne caught it.


    "Ah, Mrs. Curtis," Chuck remarked, his tone polite but reserved, neither overly ttering nor showing


    undue emotion.


    With Phillip present, Leanne felt restrained from inquiring further.


    Just then, someone approached Phillip. "Mr. Phillip, Keh has arrived."


    The elderly gentleman had flown from the Capital City, a gesture of respect toward Maddox. As the


    eldest son of the Richardson family, Phillip had to y the gracious host.


    "I''ll go and wee Keh," he excused himself, leaving Leanne an opportunity.


    Once Phillip was gone, Leanne seized the moment. "I heard you were one of the pioneering tech gurus


    of VectorVista and developed the system we use today. Is that right?"


    The advanced system VectorVista Bank used was a significant chapter in Chuck''s career,ying the


    foundation for his current position.


    While it was his crowning achievement, he seemed reluctant to dwell on it, especially in front of


    Leanne.


    "That''s an overstatement. I only wrote part of the program. The real pioneers have either retired or


    moved on, leaving me to take the credit," Chuck modestly replied. "I just got lucky."


    Usually, Leanne would''ve responded with apliment, but she didn''t.


    "Then you must know my father, Joseph Castillo," she said, cutting to the chase, catching Chuck off


    guard.


    After a moment''s pause, Chuck responded, "Of course, I knew him. Mr. Castillo brought me to Vector


    Vista. He was a programming genius who had spearheaded the development of VectorVista''s software


    systems."


    "Thanks for remembering my dad," Leanne said. "It seems everyone else has forgotten him."


    Chuck''s expression turnedplex. "How could anyone forget him? Mr. Castillo might have passed


    away early, but his contributions to VectorVista still y a vital role today. Everyone remembers him."


    "But no one ever mentions him," Leanne observed his expression closely. "The criminals who


    kidnapped us years ago are still atrge, and it seems no one cares. If it weren''t for my parents''


    desperate efforts to save me, our whole family would have perished in that factory."