The moment the doctor declared the time of death, Curtis enveloped Leanne in his arms, her face wet with tears.
The profound grief of losing a loved one had finally broken through the barriers Leanne had built around her heart since the death of her parents twenty years earlier. The tears she had never dared to shed were now flowing freely.
Jennifer wept silently, while Maddox turned away, his silhouette against the window looking solitary and forlorn.
Mary had flirted with death several times before, as if to desensitize them to the eventual loss. Yet, when she finally passed away, their grief was not diminished in the slightest.
With the entire Richardson family present, the lawyer proceeded to read Mary's will.
The contents of the will were straightforward. Aside from the Richardson Manor, which had been in the family for over a century and was now bequeathed to Maddox, all other assets including real estate, a lifetime's collection of antique jewelry, and a 5% share in the Richardson Group were left to Leanne.
In the immediate aftermath of her grief, Leanne fell into a stunned silence. It took her a few seconds to process the news and then she looked up at the lawyer.
Owning a 5% stake meant that Leanne would become the third-largest individual shareholder in the Richardson Group after Maddox and Phillip, giving her significant influence within the company.
The lawyer seemed to anticipate her confusion and handed over the documents, saying, "The will was dictated by Mary in a lucid state, witnessed by myself and another lawyer, and signed by Mary. It is legally binding. Here's a copy for your review."
The bequest of a 5% share went far beyond mere guilt.
Leanne's eyes welled up with tears again. There were so few people in the world who loved her, and now she had lost another.
The will was both surprising and expected.
In her later years, Mary had become increasingly willful, showing that her primary concern had always been for Leanne.
The Richardson family raised no objections. After a moment of silence, Maddox said, "If it was Mary's wish, then you should accept it."
Jennifer added, "Leanne, no matter what, you know Mary truly loved you."
Leanne covered her eyes with her hand.
As they left the hospital, the night had already fallen. Curtis drove Leanne back to Leanne's Castle. As he was about to leave, Leanne grasped his hand tightly. "Don't go."
Turning to face her, Curtis saw her eyes, red from crying, and soothingly stroked her hair, "I'll make us something to eat. You haven't had anything yet." Leanne followed him back inside.
Laura had prepared some nutritious soup. Curtis used it as a base to whip up two servings of pasta.
They stood together in the kitchen, silent, providing each other with quiet company.
Both of them were grieving. It was his family member, too.
With the heating turned up, the warmth of the house enveloped them. Leanne had taken off her coat, revealing a white cashmere sweater underneath, its loose hem hiding her figure. The pasta was fragrant and steaming, blurring Leanne's vision with its warmth.
She quietly ate, and then, breaking the silence, said, "Curtis, let's make amends."
Curtis paused, his fork mid-air, and asked with an unclear implication, "What about your parents? Can you get past that?"
"I can't."
But sometimes, love and hatred were not so easily separated. She couldn't forgive Mary for hiding the truth, yet she couldn't stop loving her either.
Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report
