Mary chuckled, her eyes crinkling as she pulled Leanne into the living room. Upon spotting Curtis sprawled on the couch, she grumbled, "Whose annoying brat is this? Shoo him away, shoo!"
Curtis lazily raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? If you kick me out, I might take your darling Anne along."
"In your dreams," Mary retorted, clearly in high spirits. After dinner, Leanne stayed to keep her company, helping trim her nails in the cozy living room. Once they finished, on a whim, Mary told Sarah to fetch some nail polish for a manicure session.
Curtis stood by the window, phone in hand, discussing stocks with Devin, who had recently found some newfound motivation to make investments. Not usually one to teach investing, Curtis showed unusual patience as he explained the potential of a particular stock.
Devin sounded confused. "So, should I buy it or not?"
You cannot teach new tricks to an old dog.
"I'll teach you how to 'make' five million in three months. Interested?"
Devin perked up. "Let's hear it."
"Keep your five million in the bank, and don't touch it. After three months, it'll still be there. Congratulations, you've 'made' five million."
Devin realized the joke. "Bro, are you mocking me?"
Curtis smirked. "It's quite clever."
Dejected, Devin muttered, "Whatever, I've had enough of these stocks and bonds. They give me a headache."
As Curtis pocketed his phone, he turned to see Mary and Leanne sitting under the warm lamp glow. Leanne was carefully painting Mary's wrinkled nails.
"Just stick to what you're good at," Curtis advised casually. "Run your race instead of blindly following others."
When it was time to leave, Mary clung to Leanne's hand. "I'm bored with you guys a lot. From now on, I want Anne to take care of me. Sarah, pack my bags, I'm going with Anne."
Leanne laughed. "And who will look after you when I'm at work?"
Playfully, Mary insisted. "Then I'll take Sarah with me."
Jennifer tried to play peacemaker. "Leanne's place ain't huge, plus she's got a cat. It's packed as is."
Reluctantly, Mary let go, pouting as they walked Leanne to the car. She shot Curtis a disdainful look. "Useless, you still haven't managed to win her back."
Curtis shrugged on his coat, unruffled. "I'm not in a hurry, so why are you?"
Grumbling under her breath, Mary hobbled back inside, cane in hand. "Just wait. You'll be in a hurry soon."
The charity dinner was on Friday night.
Exiting a meeting, Curtis found Caleb waiting outside. "Lady Mary called to ask when you'll arrive at the dinner."
"I'll get there later," Curtis replied, his day particularly busy.
As they stepped into the elevator, Caleb relayed, with a strange expression, another piece of news. "She's planning to publicly announce tonight that she'll officially adopt Leanne as her granddaughter."
Mary cared for Leanne like her granddaughter by blood, treating her better than her grandson, Curtis. That wasn't a problem. But it was another story if she would publicly adopt Leanne as her granddaughter.
Curtis sighed, rubbing his temples. "What is she up to now? Looking to stir up a scandal because things have been too quiet?"
Uneasy, Caleb continued, "She also mentioned that you might as well divorce since there seems no hope of you and your wife getting back together. She'll adopt your wife as her granddaughter, and you can call each other brother and sister."
Curtis let out a resigned breath. "What does Leanne think?"
"The driver is picking her up now, and she is on her way."
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