CHAPTER 855: CHAPTER 854

"Can you believe he just hung up on me??" Louisa fumed, jabbing the screen to redial.

Steward glanced at Sean who was still resting in the hospital bed, and with a heavy heart, he stepped into the hallway to answer the call, bracing himself for the onslaught.

"You ignored my calls? And hanged up on me?. Have you all grown too big for your britches? Is that you got too wild out there, and thought you can just hang up on me now?"

"Ma’am, I swear I didn’t hang up. It was it dropped onto the floor."

"Blaming heaven and earth but never yourself, huh, Steward? After all these years shadowing Sean,you’ve learned nothing but shirking responsibility. You’re trying to give me an ulcer, aren’t you?"

Steward attempted to soothe her, "Please, ma’am, just cool down a bit."

"Cool down? I’m steaming right now!"

Louisa had been trying to get a hold of her fourth son for half a year now, but to no avail. He either dodged her calls, ignored her messages, or made up excuses to avoid her. Anyway there was no sign of him.

"During this time, Hunter, Chase, Clark, and David have all visited their sister, except for that rascal Sean! Steward, I want a straight answer now, what in the world are you two up to? Is Sean coming

home for the new year or not?"

Steward shivered as he replied, "Ma’am, I can’t predict Sean’s whereabouts."

"Then give me an address, I’ll drag him back myself! Half a year without a peep; he gave no care for the family, let alone his parents. Nor did he give a thought for his own sister."

"Ma’am, take it out on me, I can take a hit."

"Just wait, you’ll get yours too!"

Steward visibly shook at the threat.

"I’m asking you one last time, where is Sean?" Louisa’s tone was a clear indication of her seriousness;

she wasn’t going to be brushed off with a few words.

Steward could hear Kenneth trying to calm her in the background.

"Honey, honey, don’t work yourself into a frenzy. The New Year is coming, and we’ve got to plan a grand holiday feast for our darling daughter. Look at you, all this anger is going to make you sick."

Louisa snapped back, "Sean has crossed the line. I’ve called and messaged him countless times, but he was either making excuses or ignoring me. And Steward is no better, a chip off the old block!"

Steward knew she was adamant about getting Sean home.

Just then, a slight noise came from the hospital room – It seemed Sean woke up.

Steward rapped on the door lightly but urgently, and as he entered, he mouthed exaggeratedly,

"Ma’am. It’s Ma’am!!"

Sean, who just came to his consciousness, was greeted by Steward’s contorted face and wild gesticulations.

He raised an eyebrow, "Are you asking for trouble?"

Steward was speechless.

"Is Sean right there?" Louisa’s voice tightened, demanding, "Put him on the phone now!"

Steward could only offer Sean a sympathetic glance as he silently handed over the phone.

Sean saw the caller ID and shot Steward a warning look.

Steward felt helpless; it wasn’t his fault that Sean had been caught.

Seeing Sean still hooked up to the IV, Steward wisely switched to speakerphone.

"Sean, I know you can hear me. Your sister has been home for six months now, and you haven’t bothered to show up or even send a single gift. New year is around the corner, and we’re going to

announce her to all our friends and family. You need to be here, do you understand? If I don’t see you in the next couple of days, you might just forget about this home, and drop the Collins name as well .

Don’t even call me mom anymore!"

Steward heard Kenneth trying to calm Louisa down on the other end of the phone, "Honey, you can be mad, but don’t work yourself into a frenzy. Sit down, take a deep breath."

As he saw Mrs. Collins so worked up, but found it impossible to tell her that Sean was on the brink of uncovering some leads about a fire incident abroad, he had no choice but to explain, "Mrs. Collins, it’s

not that Sean doesn’t want to come home, it’s just that he’s sick. He just had surgery and is currently on IV fluids."

"What? He is sick? When did this happen? Is it serious? Why did he need surgery?" Louisa’s tone shifted to one of concern, "Why is he dealing with this alone? Why didn’t you tell me?"

"He didn’t want to worry you both."

"The way you guys kept secrets from me makes me worry more!"

"He’s in post-surgery recovery, and just needs to rest for some more days."

"Let him come home to recuperate! Your sister, she’s a whiz, who was known as Dr. Bell. She’s the one who cured your grandparents."

Before Louisa could finish, Sean blurted out, "What did you say?"

Steward, who thought he misheard it as well, paused for a while and said, "Ma’am, do you mean Ms.Collins is Dr. Bell?"

"Yes!" Louisa affirmed over the phone, "You boys haven’t been home, so we didn’t tell you. Her medical skills are exceptional; she even cured Phillip McMillian!"

"Does she look a bit like you, fair-skinned with long hair?" Sean asked urgently.

"Nonsense, she’s my daughter; of course she looks like me!"

Sean pressed on in disbelief, "Is she rather aloof, with a temper?"

"What temper? Your sister couldn’t be sweeter, the darling of the house and the treasure of us!"

Sean continued, "Is she good in fighting?"

"What are you talking about? Your sister is gentle and kind! She’s no thug. Can’t you have a better imagination about your sister? What kind of descriptions are those?"

"You just said she’s Dr. Bell??" Sean felt his heart clench.

"Yes, and let me tell you, she’s not only just Dr. Bell but also the renowned artist Mirabelle. You’ve seen the Christmas gift she sent you; I bet it’s better than any of the world-famous paintings we have at

home!"

Sean’s mind went blank. The item Hunter passed on to him was so precious.

And he...

Sean abruptly ended the call and urged Steward to dial the club manager.

"Find out where that painting ended up!"

It was a painting his sister had made for him.

And he hadn’t even looked at it!

As soon as the call got connected, Sean snatched Steward’s phone immediately and demanded,

"Where’s the painting I left behind that day??"

The club manager, startled by Sean’s direct questioning, stammered, "Sir, you said you didn’t want it. I reminded you that evening that you’d left something in the club."

"So you lost it???" Sean’s voice was tinged with desperation.