Leanne's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she nodded, saying, "Regardless, I'm grateful you're willing to share it now."
"The family motto my father left us, 'Love in the family brings prosperity.' It was his dying insight, his hope for us. Seeing you three brothers united and the love between you and your spouses, I can't lag as a father."
Maddox was moved. "What we failed to achieve in our generation, you three have accomplished. If your grandparents were watching over us, they could rest easy now."
A knowing smile played on Curtis' lips, an expected yet affirming one.
"Had you mentioned it earlier, I would've just told the guard to let you in."
Maddox lifted his right hand, and his hearty palm hitting Curtis' shoulder echoed twice. "How did I end up with a son like you?"
"Mind the baby," Curtis said with feigned seriousness, covering Leanne's belly with his hand as a warning. "Her brain is already developing, sensing the world around her. You wouldn't want your granddaughter's first words to you to be 'old rascal,' would you?"
The image was indeed beautiful.
Maddox fell silent, withdrawing his hand to his back.
Perhaps it was indeed time to enjoy the joys of being a grandfather. Maddox hadn't been too fond of these sentimental moments when his sons were young, but at the moment, the unborn baby had unmistakably caught his heart.
"After this case wraps up and the kid's here, I won't have to feel all sorry when she asks about her grandparents."
Inside, the warmth was like spring, while outside, the drifting snow seemed to be easing.
As Maddox and Jennifer prepared to leave, Leanne and Curtis walked them to the door.
Watching the two get into the car, Jennifer called out from the half-lowered window. "Take Anne back into the house."
Leanne said before the window rolled up, "Maddox, Jennifer, thank you."
With the push from the Richardson family and widespread public interest, the kidnapping and murder case of Joseph and his wife was quickly resolved, and the truth came to light.
On a sunny morning after the snow had stopped, the Richardson Group held a press conference to disclose the sequence of events and apologize to the public.
The Richardson family was present in full force, with Leanne sitting beside Curtis, facing the barrage of questions from reporters and the boiling public opinion. VectorVista Bank's stock unavoidably fluctuated, and the online criticism against the Richardson family surged, affecting ElitePinnacle, too.
Even Leanne wasn't spared from the criticism, accused of betraying her parents for a luxurious life without a conscience.
The Richardson family faced the storm head-on, choosing not to manipulate public opinion with their influence and accepting all criticisms and accusations.
But when it came to the attacks aimed at Leanne, they unanimously ensured those were gone, not allowing a single derogatory word against her.
As the weather turned colder, Leanne found herself embracing laziness more.
Waking up to find Curtis already at work, she saw several snowmen he'd built outside the bedroom's floor-to-ceiling window, each wearing brightly colored knit hats, bringing a smile to her face each morning. After a late breakfast, she'd read and play with the cat, and Curtis would always return on time for lunch, then lull her to sleep for her nap. When she woke from her nap, the afternoon would be well underway, and it wouldn't be long before Curtis came home from work.
On the day Hanley was sentenced, Curtis accompanied Leanne to the cemetery, a solemn visit that marked the beginning of their healing.
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