Chapter 207 Gratitude
Dawn had just broken.
A call roused Luann Weaver from her slumber. It was Adolph.
She sat up, glancing at the empty and cold space beside her in bed.
"Adolph?"
Adolph's voice was weak, his words barely carrying strength. "Just calling to let you know I'm not dead."
Luann's delicate brows furrowed. "Don't talk nonsense, Adolph."
A low chuckle came from him. "Alright, didn't mean to worry you."
"Take care and heal up. I'll come to see you after a while," Luann spoke softly.
"Benjamin told me the patriarch brought up the Curtis family again; wants you to wrap things up quickly and come back for the wedding with Williams."
Adolph paused.
"How's it going now?"
Luann didn't hide it. "I'm with Myron Curtis."
Silence stretched on the other end before Adolph managed to get out, "For real?"
"Dead serious," Luann assured with unwavering certainty.
Adolph exhaled, sounding resigned. "Luann, you know, you were always the favorite of the four siblings. He raised you like his own daughter, took such care."
"You can play around all you like, but don't go falling for real."
"Otherwise, you'll be the one who ends up hurting."
"I never took matters of the heart as a game," Luann replied coolly.
Adolph felt a raw tightness in his chest, his broken rib throbbing more insistently.
"Have you thought about what the patriarch will do to him if he finds out?"
"You'll be fine; he adores you too much to lay a hand on you, even in anger."
"But Myron Curtis?"
"Are you prepared to watch him get taken down by the patriarch?"
"He could lose his life!"
Luann stayed quiet for a moment.
"I believe there's more to Myron Curtis than meets the eye."
A sarcastic laugh squeezed out of Adolph. "Evidence? Is your intuition enough?"
"Adolph," Luann said with exasperation, "I wouldn't do anything if I wasn't sure."
Adolph stayed quiet, not wanting to dwell on the matter.
"So, when you say Myron Curtis is not simple, have you found something?" he probed.
A flawless image of Myron Curtis flashed in Luann's mind.
Her fingers unwittingly clenched the bedsheets.
Deep in her heart...
Adolph and Holly Weiss shared an equal standing in the family.
Even though she and Adolph weren't related by blood, their sibling-like bond ran deep.
Should she tell him?
Luann Weaver doubted Adolph would spill the beans; her concern was that he might do something rash on the spur of the moment.
After a moment's hesitation.
Finally, Luann Weaver began, “He—”
“Enough!” Adolph cut her off sharply. “I don’t want to know. The less I know, the better off I am.”
“And besides, I trust you've got everything under control.”
A sourness touched Luann Weaver’s nose.
She remembered her childhood—those days of playful mischief, marred when the neighborhood boys bullied her, pelting her with stones.
Back then, Adolph burst forth like a hero, shielding her and taking the beating from the gang.
Adolph said, “All the years I’ve looked out for you, it’s high time you returned the favor, right? Could you cover a bill for your dear brother Adolph?”
Luann Weaver responded dryly, “Goodbye, hanging up now.”
After a quick morning routine, Luann Weaver went downstairs for breakfast, only to find Myron Curtis gone.
Seeing her confusion, John chuckled, “Myron headed out early today. The driver will take you to the office shortly.”
“That works.”
On her way to the office, Luann Weaver scrolled through her phone and logged into Adolph’s account to check his shopping cart.
Ninety-nine items in total.
Ninety of them were scalpels of various designs.
The rest were a mishmash of knick-knacks, along with a house.
“What kind of mess is Adolph buying now?”
Luann Weaver selected all the items and made the payment.
In an instant, a card with fifty million was wiped clean.
It didn't matter to her—she had plenty of cards, and the balance was replenished daily.
By tomorrow morning, that zero balance would likely see a handsome refill.
The car pulled up at the office building.
Luann Weaver ascended the steps to her floor.
Upon entering, she saw Joshua in the corner, his head hung low.
Next to him, a bubbly girl with a high ponytail kept dabbing something on his face.
“C'mon, bro, this will fix it, trust me!” the girl insisted as Joshua kept dodging.
Luann approached, curious, “What’re you doing?”
Emma, energized by her arrival, exclaimed, “Luann! I’m treating my brother’s face!”
“He looked horrifying last night; his skin was peeling, all red and blistered.”
“We had to call our family doctor in the middle of the night—it’s sunburn. He prescribed some medication.”
"I checked with the doctor again this morning," she mentioned casually, "and he recommended some more aloe vera gel. It should help with the skin healing."
"But my brother refuses to use anything."
Luann Weaver leaned forward slightly to better look at Joshua's face.
His face was swollen and alarmingly red.
It was just as Emma had described.
Luann couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"What's so funny?" Joshua glared at her, his eyes seething with anger. "I wouldn't look like this if it weren't for you!"
Emma pinched Joshua's arm hard.
"Bro, why are you being so rude to Luann?"
"She's only trying to help," she said, "You used to just sit in the office back at the company, but even though you're not in such a high position now, you're getting valuable experience, right?"
A muscle twitched in Joshua's cheek. "You don't know anything!"
Before he could say more, the office door swung open.
Myron Curtis strode in, holding an elegant paper bag.
He walked in as if Joshua and Emma were invisible, his eyes only on Luann Weaver.
"John mentioned you didn't eat much, so I picked up breakfast for you. Don't starve yourself."
"Ah, thanks!"
Luann took the bag from him.
Myron caressed her hair absentmindedly, "Work hard, and I'll take you out for dinner tonight."
"Sure, I'd love that!" Luann's smile beamed at him.
As Myron turned to leave and his hand touched the doorknob, a crisp voice called out from behind.
"Bye, brother-in-law!"
