Grace had just turned away when she unexpectedly met Curtis' icy stare.
Having known both Skyler and Curtis for a decade, Grace was well aware of Curtis' inherent pride and aloofness. He had never once looked at her directly. Now, his gaze landed on her nonchalantly, his eyes cool and intriguing.
Grace felt a slight tightness in her chest and subconsciously tightened her grip on her fingers.
She turned to Leanne, "Leanne, you're back! We've been waiting for you to join our card game."
"Let's call it a night," Curtis announced abruptly.
The group of guys, who were just getting into the swing of things, hit pause, checking their phones. "Ending it at just past nine? The night's just starting!"
Curtis clearly had no intention of continuing the night with them. "If you're not done, go find somewhere else to keep at it. And take your trash with you when you leave." The usually boisterous group obediently began to clean up the mess they had created, wiping tables and taking out the trash.
They left noisily, and Leanne instructed Jake to drive Joy and Selina home.
Skyler stood from the couch to take his leave. "See you."
With the living room quieting down, Curtis pulled a delicate pink-white flower from his pocket, placing it into a glass jar and sealing it with a cork stopper.
He placed the jar on a rustic wooden shelf, worried about his increasingly mischievous cat knocking it over, then thought better of it and moved it to the highest shelf.
After arranging everything, he glanced up at Skyler with a cool, warning look, "Keep your people in line. Stop harboring ulterior motives."
After seeing Joy off, Leanne was about to close the car door when Joy suddenly grabbed her, offering a serious reminder, "Watch out for Xenia. She's a bit like you. I have a feeling Grace didn't bring her here with good intentions."
"Like me?"
The scene Leanne had witnessed earlier flashed through her mind.
In the garden, late at night, Curtis and Xenia alone, a setting that could easily lead to misunderstandings.
Leanne paused for a few seconds, then composed herself, "I got it."
"Oh, don't worry so much," Selina leaned over from the other side to reassure her, "Curtis isn't the type to cheat. Besides, the original is still here. What's the point of duplicating? Besides, Leanne isn't gone yet... Ow! Why did you hit me?"
Joy smacked her on the back of the head, annoyed, "Can't you watch your words? If you can't talk right, might as well donate your mouth!"
Selina protested weakly, "I have no ill intentions. You know what I mean..."
Joy retorted, "I'll give you a piece of my mind!"
Leanne rubbed Selina's head, soothing her, "It's okay. Curtis wouldn't do that."
Joy snorted, "You trust him that much?"
Leanne responded, "If he were a man who could easily fall for someone else, then losing him wouldn't be a loss at all."
Joy pondered this logic.
After going through a major change, Leanne's mind was a lot clearer.
When a person received steadfast love, he gained equally steadfast confidence.
The moonlight reflected in her serene and clear eyes as she slowly said, "I trust Curtis loves me, not so easily shaken, and I trust myself, not so easily replaced."
If he were to lose her again, Curtis would deeply regret it.
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