CHAPTER 856: CHAPTER 855

"No, no, it’s not lost. I opened it and saw that the painting was so good, thinking it would be a shame to toss it, so I hung it up."

"Where did you hang it up?"

"In my office, on the wall."

"It was the welcome gift from my sister; I hadn’t even taken a glance at it, and you went ahead and hung it on your wall??"

The club manager was scared witless; wasn’t it Sean who said it wasn’t wanted.

"Why didn’t you hang your own head up there?"

Although Sean was steaming, he felt relieved that the painting was still intact. "Keep an eye on it and don’t touch it; I’ll come to fetch it."

After ending the call, Sean tried to get out of bed, but the movement pulled at his wound, causing his eyes to darken, so much so that even his breathing became pained.

"Sean, let me go for you instead; your body hasn’t been recovered."

"Then what are you waiting for? Get going!"

"Right away."

Steward realized that Sean’s temper was as unpredictable as ever. Just as he was about to leave the room, he heard Sean add, "And have someone check on my sister’s whereabouts."

Where could she have gone after leaving the hospital?

Who was that henchman following her??

It seemed like his sister held some high status he was unaware of.

Was she also suspicious about that fire years ago??

She must have been conducting a secret investigation without letting their parents know which means that she’s smarter and more capable than he thought.

She’s only been back for half a year but has already been onto Sam’s trail.

"Sean." without leaving the ward, Steward asked shakily, "Dr. Bell is Ms. Collins, right? I’ve tried to nab her several times."

Though he never succeeded, but the hostility was established.

If Ms. Collins got mad, and later blamed him.

He couldn’t be left holding the bag for this; he was just following orders.

"Who told you to go around arresting people without proper investigation? After all these years, you’re still so reckless."

Upon hearing this, Stewart was flooded with hundreds of question marks in his mind.

Who was it that wanted to skin her alive and throw her to the wolves?

"Alright, I’ll put in a good word for you later, now get going, will you?"

Steward thought to himself: Sean, do you think you can really avoid this? You were the one who hit her on the back.

As the brother and sister sparred that day, neither yielded; Sean’s forearm had hit Ms. Collins’ back.

Not just they saw it; Ms. Collins was probably well aware too.

"Why are you still standing there? What, are you a tree?"

"Yes, Sean."

Steward took the order and left the ward.

Sean felt a bit guilty, realizing he might have to face the music, and with that guilt came a mix of anxiety and irritation.

It was only now that he realized he didn’t have his sister’s phone number, not even a WhatsApp contact.

His only choice was to send messages to his buddies, asking around for his sister’s contact information.

Hunter: [Finally remembered you have a sister, huh?]

Chasel: [You think you can just ask for your sister’s number and get it?]

Clark: [I had to go through quite a bit to get our sister’s number myself. You think it’s that easy?]

David rolled his eyes dramatically. [You finally grew a conscience? You haven’t checked in on your sis for like, what, six months? You want her digits? Call me ’big bro’ and I might just think about it.]

Sean could only sigh, realizing they were totally on the same page when it came to the sister’s matters.

He sent a text to Louisa on WhatsApp, and just to be sure, he forwarded the same message to Kenneth.

Not long after, two texts buzzed in on his phone.

Dad: [Concern over the phone is one thing, but nothing beats showing it in person, kid. Want her number? Go ask her yourself.]

Mom: [We’ll talk when you get home!]

Who knew why he wanted his sister’s number? If he went off-script like he did just now, describing her as temperamental, he’d tick her off in a heartbeat.

Sean’s mind wandered back to the last time when he almost recognized his sister, but his buddies threw him off the scent.

With that, he texted Hunter, with a hint of accusation in his tone.

[Is sis really that pretty?]

[Do you even have to ask?]

[I remember I asked you last time, and you said you didn’t know where to start.]

[She is drop-dead gorgeous, a one-in-a-million kind of beauty. Whether we’re talking her stunning features, her ethereal vibe, or her mad skills, she’s a total head-turner. Her list of pros is a mile long,and wouldn’t be covered even if we talk about it all day.]

Sean blinked. So that’s what Hunter meant. Did he misunderstand?

Next, he confronted Chasel, [Last time, you said sis’s looks were ’indescribable.’ Is she that hideous in your eyes?]

[Hideous? Every positive adjective falls short of capturing even a fraction of her beauty. She stands out in a crowd, a total knockout. And it’s not just her face; her talents are dazzling, too. She’s like this

glowing gem, and once you get to know her, you realize she’s truly special. Indescribable? Yeah, because a single sentence hardly does her justice.]

Sean was irritated. [Why didn’t you just say so last time?]

[Man, I was on a mission last time! No time for chit-chat. Plus, why didn’t you come home and see her for yourself?? What, got a glimpse of her in person and found her prettier than expected? Or was it a photo that caught your eye?]

Sean didn’t bother replying, recalling how Clark had also been vague, probably because he wanted him to see her with his own eyes for the full effect as well.

He tried David next, who, when asked about their sister’s looks, launched into a rhapsody, showering her with every flattering word under the sun—easy 800 words worth.

[Why did you not compliment her last time?]

[Busy with my concert back then, man!]

Sean had assumed that his brothers thought lowly of their sister’s looks—probably unremarkable, not ready for prime time.

[Oh yeah, you mentioned meeting someone who looked a lot like sis, a real piece of work. Whatever happened with that?]

David’s memory surprised Sean, who replied curtly, [Zip it. Don’t ever bring that up with sis around.]

[Okay.] David was confused. He hadn’t been talking about their actual sister, so why the gag order?

But he had bigger fish to fry. With the New Year around the corner and the last three gigs lined up, he’d soon go home to be by his sister’s side. This year, he was skipping every New Year’s Eve gig that

came his way.

In his heart, nothing was more important than spending time with sis.

After parting with friends, Rosemary and Romeo left, leaving the coffee shop with two lovesick souls.

"Grab a drink somewhere?"

Once alone, Timothy felt his hidden emotions bubble to the surface like air escaping a deflating balloon.

"Let’s hit up that club I own. We’re not calling it a night until we’re absolutely sloshed."

Derrick needed the alcohol’s numbness, too.

"You look like you’ve been dumped, man." Timothy was down in the dumps himself and couldn’t fathom why his buddy seemed even more out of it.

To someone unknown to the situation, they’d both look like they’d just been kicked to the curb.