Chapter 199 Compensation
The meal on the table was light, likely at Myron's request.
Luann wasn't feeling well and didn't eat much.
After finishing their meal, Myron scooped Luann up and carried her upstairs.
"Do you want to rest some more?"
Luann shook her head. She'd slept too long already and felt groggy. Lying down was the last thing she wanted.
"Go about your business. Don't mind me."
"I'm not busy."
Myron tucked a cushion behind Luann so she could sit more comfortably.
Luann eyed the scar on his face and asked, "Am I the only one who knows your face isn't disfigured?"
"Just John and Grandpa," Myron replied softly.
Luann nodded thoughtfully.
"Are you doing all this to investigate something?"
Myron hummed. "The fire that year wasn't an accident. Unfortunately, the perpetrator hid their tracks well. I haven't caught them. So I let them believe they succeeded. It gives me a chance to see who's had their eye on the Curtis fortune over the years."
"Sure enough, not long after I stepped back from the Curtis Group, they started showing their true colors."
"Is it your uncles?"
"I'm not sure."
Luann continued, "So Grandpa's being kind to you out of guilt, then?"
Myron couldn't help but sense that Luann was fishing for information.
"You’ll find out some things eventually."
"When will eventually be?" Luann pursed her bright red lips, suspicious that there was more to Myron than met the eye.
P
"Soon."
"How mysterious," Luann muttered with a twist of her mouth.
Some things were better left unsaid, Myron thought. As long as Luann was in the dark, she could enjoy their time together without any worries.
But when she discovered the Curtis family secrets, she'd have to report back to the head of the family.
"There's a good girl."
Curled on the couch, Luann hesitated before finally messaging Holly.
‘I'm with Myron now.’
Holly: ?!?!?
Holly Weiss nearly jumped out of her chair, incredulous at the message she had just read.
‘Spill the details!’
It took Luann a while to reply. ‘I can't make it right now...’
‘Why?’
‘My back and my legs hurt.’
Holly: ‘Did you two...’
Myron: ‘Ahem, I'll see you tomorrow, we'll talk then.’
Inside, Holly's emotions were in turmoil. She pressed a hand to her forehead, whispering in a hypnotic chant, "I didn't see anything, nothing at all."
The appeal of her afternoon tea had vanished entirely.
Holly got up and drove home, her mind racing with thoughts of the head of the family's directive to uncover the Curtis family secrets and her impending marriage to Williams. Luann's sudden involvement with Myron blatantly defied the head's authority.
The head would be furious if he found out.
When Holly arrived at her mansion, she saw a familiar figure waiting.
It was Wilber Gilbert.
When Holly stepped out of the car, Wilber hurried toward her, his demeanor suggesting that he had something difficult to discuss.
"Got a minute? Can we talk?"
"What is this about?"
Holly wasn't in the mood to deal with Wilber. Her mind was preoccupied with the family head's command.
Wilber's hand nervously fidgeted with the hem of his pants. "Can we talk inside?"
Holly glanced at him, a hint of annoyance in her eyes. She opened the door.
"Come in."
Wilber Gilbert's lips tightened as he followed her inside, wondering why the warmth she once had for him had suddenly turned so cold.
He had racked his brain for a solution, but it seemed that only she could pull him out of the dire straits he was in.
"I've run into some trouble with my company. I need some cash, but I'm running low on funds, so..."
"You came to me for a loan?" Holly's eyes twinkled slightly.
"Yeah..."
Asking a woman for money was a tough pill to swallow, but he had hit a dead end.
Holly said, "I'm strapped for cash myself. I doubt I can help you. Maybe you should try asking Luann for help?"
When Wilber heard Luann’s name, his expression subtly shifted.P
Since the last car race, when he heard that she had become the lead designer for the Curtis family and found out about her current online popularity from a songwriting event, he'd felt the insurmountable gulf between him and Luann Weaver.
"Luann... would she be willing to lend me any money?"
Holly Weiss shrugged. "She's got a big heart. She'll want to help you. She's not like Juliet, that's for sure. She’s very compassionate. Don't forget, she landed you a big deal before she left your company."
No one knew that Luann had helped Wilber just so she could enter the Curtis family company.
Wilber nodded, feeling a little guilty.
Luann's assistance had helped his company hang on a little longer.
If it hadn’t been for her, his company would have...
"So I should go to Luann for help?"
"You have to try. I'll scrounge up what I can and let you know if I come up with anything," said Holly with an encouraging smile.
Buoyed by Holly’s encouragement, Wilber mustered up his courage.
"Alright."
After leaving Holly's place, he called Luann.
When Luanne saw the phone number on her screen, she arched an eyebrow in suspicion.
"What's up?"
"Luann, I'm in a bind. I need your help. Can we meet to talk about it in detail?"
Myron sat beside Luann, close enough to hear the voice on the phone. He knew who was calling, but he remained silent, and didn’t intrude on Luann's right to choose.
Luann said in a chilly voice, "Just tell me what you want."
"I was... hoping to borrow some money... for the business..." Wilber stammered.
"You're out of cash?"
"Yes..."
Luann managed a faint smile tinged with a hint of scorn.
"If you need money, ask Juliet. Why did you come to me? I'm not your ATM."
Wilber's tone was strained.
"Juliet and I... it's been a long time since we split."
"I'm aware. But didn't you give her quite a hefty cash gift before? You should get that back and keep your business afloat," Luann said flippantly, planting a seed in Wilber's mind.
That’s right!
In a ploy to spite Luann and in retribution for her infidelity, he had deliberately given Juliet an extra sum of money. Little did he expect it would be like throwing money into the ocean.
"Would the Weavers even return the money to me...?"
Luann's lips curled into a slow, calculating smile.
"Why wouldn't they? They didn't give their daughter away in marriage, did they? There's no reason for them to keep the cash gift."
Wilber hung up the phone and took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with resolve.
Things had come to this. He had no choice but to act!
