Chapter548IDidNotWantYouToBeDistracted


    Withafleetingncetowardthebackseat,Josiahquicklyavertedhiseyes,exining,“Hisdeathhasnothingtodowith me.Hegotdrunkonhisown,fell intotheriver<b>,</b>anddrowned.”


    “Whendidthishappen?”


    “BeforewewenttoApexCity.”


    “Wait…”Lysandersuddenlyrealized.“YoudeliberatelysentmetoApexCityforthesummit,justtosidestepthisissue?”


    “Thatwasoneofthereasons,”repliedJosiah.“Attendingthesummitwillmoreorlesshelpyou<b>progress</b>.Plus,it’sbeenawhilesinceHarrydrowned.Hisbodywasjustdiscoverete,leadingtoseveredposition.Iknowhowmuchyourespectlife,soIdidn’twantyoutobedistracted.”


    Lysanderfellsilent.


    Josiahreachedoutandgentlycoveredherhand,pattingitlightly.“Hisasheshavealreadybeensentbacktohis hometownforburial.Asimplefuneralwasheld,givinghimsomesenseofclosure.”


    “Youevenarrangedhisfuneral?”


    “Ihiredalocalweddingandfuneralteamto dealwithit?Josiahsaid,“I’mstartingtobesuperstitiousnow.Nomatterwhat,Ithink itwillbringgoodfortoourchild.”


    Whentheyreturnedtothehotel,Nievahadalreadyreturnedfromhertrek,justasexpected.Shewascasuallydressed,sittinginthediningroomandenjoyingtheviewwhilesippingonher coffeeandnibblingonpastries.


    Nowthatherjobwasdone,SaffronhandedthestrollerovertoJosiahbeforeshereturnedtoherpost.


    Fromadistance,NievaspottedJosiahpushingababystroller,walkingalongsideLysander.Shecouldn’thelpbuttease,“Well,lookatthat.Auroraseemssowell–behavedinyourcare,almostasif she’syours.”


    Josiahtookaseatacrossfromher,eyeingLysander’shelplessexpression.Hewarned,“Youbetterwatchwhatyousay,orI’llendupgettingpunished.”


    Nievacouldn’thelpherself,sheppedthetableandburstintughter.“Honestly,I’dlovetoseeyouinsuchasituation,Mr.Guerra!”


    “Sheesh.Ican’tbelievethatIstill have toputupwithyourinsultsafterlookingafteryourkidforfree.”


    “Becausesuchopportunitiesarehardteby!Inthepast,Iwouldn’tdaretooffendyou,butMs.Thorneisheretoday.There’snowayyouwouldloseyourtemperinfrontofher.”


    Josiahcouldn’thelpbutchuckle.“Alright,alright,Iadmit,you’vedonemeahugefavorthistime.Goahead,saywhatyouwish.”


    NievabrushedherhandagainstLysander’s.“Buthonestly,thewayyoubothwalkedoverherejustnowmadeyoulooklikeamatchmadeinheaven<b>.</b><b>”</b>


    LysanderknewhowcandidNievawasandthatthetter would speakhermindwithouthesitation.Thus,shedidn’tmindatall.“It’snobigdeal.Amanand awoman walkingtogetherwithachildareboundto


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    Nievawavedherhanddismissively.“That’snot necessarilythecase.IfitweremeandElio…Hmph,passersbywouldprobablyjustthinkweareenemies<b>.</b><b>”</b>


    Lysanderagreedbutdidn’tvoiceanyofherthoughts.Reluctantly,shehandedAurorabacktoNievaandsaid,“Ms. Lionhart,Aurorahasbeenmissingyou.”


    “Iappreciatewhatyou’vedoneforthepastfewdays.DidAuroracauseanytroubleordisturbyoursleep?”Nievareachedoutandtookher daughterinherarms.


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    Uponseeingher mother,Aurora’seyessparkledvibrantly.Atthatmoment<b>,</b>shedesirednothingelsebuttonestlewithinhermother’sarms,alongingthatstemmedfromthedepths<b>of</b>herheart.


    Lysanderfeltanemptinesswithinher.Shecasther eyesdownandsaid,“No,shewaswell–behavedallthetime.”


    Thismomentwasevenmoreunbearablethanshehadanticipated.


    Allthemental preparationbeforehandhadbeeninvain.


    Nievatenderlykissedherdaughter’sfaceandsaid,“Oh,I’vemissedyoutoo.”


    JosiahobservedLysanderfromtheside,noticingherreluctancetopartwithAurora.HeturnedtoNievaandasked,“IfIremembercorrectly,you’renningtostayhereforawhile,aren’tyou?”


    “Indeed,ifyouguysarefree,rememberteandhelpmewithAurorafora fewdays.”Nievawasdelightedtohavesomeassistance.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Withoutanyhesitation,Lysanderagreed,“I’mtrulygratefulforyourwillingnesstolendahelpinghandthistime,Ms.Lionhart.Ifyoueverneedanythinginthefuture,feelfreetoletusknow.”


    Nievasaidhalf–jokingly,“It’snotjustnowthatIneedhelp,I’llstillbeneedingitinthefuture,Whoknows,one dayImightjustleaveherwithyouguysandgoenjoymyself.”


    Despiteherwords,NievacradledAurora,hereyesfilledwiththejoyofreunioneventhoughtheyhadonlybeenapartfortwodays.


    Lysanderwatchedthem,awaveofenvy risinginherheart.


    NievahadbeenbondingwithAurorafora whilewhenshesuddenlyrememberedsomething.“Oh<b>,</b>right,I’vearrangedfor youtomeetsomeonefamiliarhere.”


    TheacquaintanceNievawasreferringtowasnoneotherthanDaphne.


    Uponlearningabouttherapidprogressofthematter,Lysanderwasnolonger<b>as</b>worriedasshepreviously


    <b>was</b><b>.</b>


    Daphnearrivedmuchearlierthanexpected.Thatday,shewasnoticeablymorereservedinbothherattireanddemeanor.Evenhergreetingswererestrained.However,shedeliberatelygaveJosiahthecoldshoulder.


    “Goodmorning,Ms.Lionhart/she greeted.Shetookouttheprepareddocumentsfromthefolder,cingthemneatlyonthetable.Then,sheextended herhandtoNieva.


    Thiswastheirfirstface–to–facemeeting,buttheyhadpreviouslmunicatedoverthephone,sotherewasnounfamiliaritybetweenthem.


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    Josiahncedatthedocumentsbutdidn’t<b>say</b>aword.


    Fromthelookonhisface,LysanderknewthatthedocumentpreparedbyDaphnemusthavebeenquitethoroughand werewithout<b>issues</b><b>.</b>


    Observingfromtheside,Lysanderfeltadeepsenseofsatisfaction.Ithadonlybeenafewdayssincethestmet,butDaphne’sprogresswastrulyremarkable.


    “Ms.Lionhart,you’realreadyawareofEverhartCorporation’srecentcircumstances,so<b>I</b>won’trepeatmyself.Icanonlyassureyouthat yourinvestmentwon’tbeinvain.Iwillstrivetoprotectyourprincipndgenerateprofitsforyou.”


    Daphnewasknownforherauthenticity,alwaysspeakinghermind.


    Nievahappenedtogetalongwellwithpeopleofasimrtemperament.Shealsopresentedaninvestmentcontractwith asmile,saying,“Alright,I’mlookingforwardtothereturns.”


    Sheced<b>a</b>penonthecontractandsaid,“I’vealreadysignedit. Ms.Everhart,ifyouhavenoobjections,youcan<b>go</b>aheadandsignit.”


    Dapookseveraldeepbreathsinherexcitement,managingtosteadyherhandbeforeshebegantopenhersignaturedown.


    Theopportunityshehadbeenwaitingsolongforwasabouttobeareality.


    Thecontractcameintwocopies. Itwasn’tuntilDaphneheldhercopyinherhandsthatshedaredtobelieveshehadtrulyseeded.


    WhenLysanderthefoolishgrinonherface,shecouldn’thelpbut giveDaphneaslightpoke.


    DaphnewasjoltedbacktohersensesasshegrabbedNieva’shandandshookitvigorously,saying,“Ms.Lionhart,Iappreciateyourgestureinmytimeofneed.Iwillforeverrememberyourkindness!”


    Nievaletoutaheartugh,hergazethenfallingontotheothertwoindividuals,


    “It’snotasdramaticasyou’remakingitouttobe.Ifyouneedtothankanyone,thankMr. GuerraandMs.Thorne.Imadeapromisetothemafterall.Aslongastheytakegoodcareofmydaughter,Iwill domybesttomakethishappen.I’msimplyfulfillingmypromisenow.”


    Thebabyinherarmsbegantughalong,andinDaphne’seyes,Aurorabroughtnothingbutgoodlucktoher.


    Meanwhile,Nieva’scuriositywaspiqued.“Bytheway,what didMr.Guerradotoupsetyou?<b>It</b>seemslikeyouandMs.Thorneareonprettygoodterms.”


    Daphne’sfeelingswerecrystalclear.<b>“</b>Ms. Lionhart,youseemtonotunderstand.One’s<b>best</b>friendandboyfriendareinherently adversaries,letalonewhenit’sanex–husband.”