Chapter 181
“Is it going to be a girl? Just like her mom, Leanne v
cheeks and big eyes when she was little.
such a cutie with her chubby
She could braid her hair. If she likes short hair, that’s fine too.
The wailing baby, now a storm of tears, was whisked away by the nanny for clean-up, and the friend went to change. Curtis plopped down on the couch in the stink-filled room, rubbing his temples. He fiddled aimlessly with his phone.
After a while, he picked it up and dialed Leanne.
Still, he wanted to ask her if she ever loved him.
He needed to know. Because, damn it, he didn’t want to let go.
The phone rang several times before it was picked up. Leanne’s background was noisy, like a crowd, so she raised her voice, “Hello?”
“Why is the hospital so lively?” Curtis asked.
“I’m out,” she said, her voice strained over the din, her finger plugging her other ear as she listened. “You back in town?”
“Not yet. Ran into some complications, partnership’s gone sour, and I’m trying to smooth things over,” he said, trying to sound casual, “it’s going to take a while.”
“So why are you calling me?” Leanne snapped.
All the tenderness he felt scattered with her sharp words, and he started to notice just how bad the room stank.
“Just wanted to ask you something.” He picked up a little toy, green and fluffy, like a
monster.
Leanne seemed to anticipate my question, “How many times are you going to ask?”
“One last time.”
Curtis leaned back on the sofa, staring at the little monster, the words “Do you love me?” teetering on the brink of escape when he heard someone call her name.
“Leanne.” A man’s voice, it was Jeremy.
He squashed the green fluffy monster flat.
Leanne was at a beauty brand event. Selina, a sort of micro-influencer, never took ads because she was too rich to care, so people really liked what she shared.
She started it as a hobby, but now that she was getting business offers, she couldn’t resist.
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Chapter 181
This s was her first event, and even though there were some celebs there, she was just a side note. But she was thrilled, insisting that Leanne and Joy come to support her, and even dragged her brother and mom along.
The place was packed, fans crowded around the perimeter, and only invited clients, media, and influencers like Selina were allowed inside Penelope managed to score an invite through a friend.
Joy was perched on a railing, ogling some hot boy-next-door” type celeb, while poking funt at Selina, “Look at you, not even on stage. Are you sure they invited you and you didn’t just find an invite in the trash at the entrance?”
Selina, all dolled up and in a gorgeous dress for the event, glared at her, unable to lash out at the moment, and turned to tattle, “Mom, look at her. She’s always bullying me like this.”
Penelope chuckled, her eyes crinkling into crescents, “Finally, someone puts you in your place.”
Selina turned back to look for Leanne but she was gone, stepped aside to take a call.
She nearly tripped over some cables on the floor, not seeing them in the dim light, but, Jeremy caught her, “Leanne. Watch out for the wires.”
Leanne thanked him and stepped around the cables to a fire exit.
When she returned the phone to her ear, Curtis didn’t ask the question, his voice suddenly colder, “Where are you?”
“At a brand event. Selina’s got a business deal, Leanne explained.
Jeremy was protective of his little sister; supporting her at an event was normal for him.
But that didn’t clear the clouds over Curtis’ mood.
Curtis tossed the unfortunate little monster back into the toy box and nonchalantly covered it with a baby’s pee pad. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” he said.
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