?Chapter 1053:


    He was on the night shift. If he didn’t eat now, hunger would gnaw at him mercilessly in the dead of night.


    For reasons he couldn’t exin, Amanda’s voice surfaced in his mind again.


    “Sugar can chase away a bad mood.”


    But there was no sweetness in his life. At that moment, he wished for a piece of candy, but who would give him one?


    His phone rang. It was Joelle.


    “Are you doing okay?” she asked.


    “I’m doing well. Don’t worry, Aunt,” he replied, masking his struggles behind a brave front, as always.


    “You’ve lost so much weight, and you still im you’re fine?”


    Startled, Rnd turned around—only to see Joelle standing behind him, phone pressed to her left ear, a lunchbox in her right hand.


    “How did you get here?” he asked, confused.


    “There was an ident at the factory. Adrian is swamped, so he sent me to handle it—and to check on you while I was at it.”


    “I’m fine,” Rnd said automatically.


    “If you’re fine, why haven’t you gone home?” Joelle snatched his boxed meal. “Here, eat this. I made it for you.”


    Without resistance, Rnd took the meal and began eating. As he did, Joelle reached out and gently ruffled his hair, a gesture filled with warmth. “Don’t be too hard on your uncle. He started from the bottom just like you. Running Miller Group isn’t easy. He cares about you—he just doesn’t know how to show it.”


    “I know,” Rnd murmured. How could he not? Wade had done his best to guide him, teaching him everything he could, even if the things he did were illegal.


    Joelle continued, reminding him not to suffer in silence, to take better care of himself.


    ???????????? ?????????????? @ ?????????ν?????????????


    As she prepared to leave, she mentioned, “Kalel’s birthday ising up. You should go spend time with them.”


    “Okay.”


    Before walking away, she pressed a handful of choctes into his palm. “You’re not in the best shape. If your blood sugar drops, eat one.”


    “Thank you, Aunt,” he said softly.


    As Joelle disappeared into the night, a strange warmth lingered in Rnd’s chest. Someone had given him choctes.


    He unwrapped a piece, popped it into his mouth. The rich sweetness spread across his tongue, and for the first time in a long while, his mood lifted.


    Kalel’s birthday party was held at a karaoke bar. He had begged Rnd to take him to a real bar, but that was out of the question—minors weren’t allowed. With Aurora at school and Lucas overseas, Rnd had automatically be the responsible chaperone for the kids.


    “So, you want to go to a bar?” Rnd asked.


    .


    .


    .