The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains
Chapter 148 Brother's Duty

"Hey, Mr. Smith," Daniel greeted, trying to keep things light. He could totally pick up on the sarcasm in Mason's voice.

But since he was here as a visiting doctor, Daniel wasn't about to show any irritation towards an elder.

So, Mason stayed polite and didn't give him a hard time.

"How's your sleep been lately? You don't look too great. And how's your appetite?" Daniel quickly zeroed in on the problem and thought about giving Mason some acupuncture.

Mason played along, answering all his questions. "Sleep's been rough. I've been having nightmares for some reason. My complexion's only gotten worse recently. The house feels empty, but at least Emily and Michael have been dropping by. As for eating... Emily and Michael have been craving sour foods, so I've been eating some with them. Sour foods help with appetite, so it's been manageable."

But there was a hint of caution in his words, subtly reminding Daniel that Emily was still the Smith family's daughter-in-law and had to serve him as an elder.

Daniel got the message loud and clear.

More importantly, he knew Emily was craving sour foods because she was pregnant.

Even though doctors didn't usually buy into old wives' tales, there was a saying that craving sour foods meant having a boy. If Emily was carrying a boy, the Smith family would be even less likely to let her go.

Thinking about this, Daniel felt their chances were slim. But luckily, Emily had already given up on Michael. If he was patient, Emily would eventually come around.

After the consultation, Daniel got ready to leave.

Mason insisted on seeing him out, and Daniel couldn't say no.

"Mr. Smith, you mentioned the house feels empty. Do Emily and Michael still visit often?" Daniel asked out of the blue.

Mason didn't hold back. The two had been pretty close lately, always together. Today, he had sent them to the Watson Mansion, and they didn't mind. He even heard Michael had asked Emily to be his secretary, and everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Thinking about this, Mason couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, they went out together today and will be back tonight. But they have their own stuff to do, and I don't pry!"

As he spoke, Mason's face lit up with a sweet smile.

It was easy for Daniel to misinterpret. Being a smart guy, he didn't push the topic. But what he really wanted to know about was Veda. "Mr. Smith, I also wanted to ask, has Veda not come back? A few days ago, she messaged me to have dinner, but I was busy and couldn't make it. Later, during another consultation, I ran into a friend of Veda's."

"Her friend said they hadn't been able to reach Veda for a while and asked me to call her. I did, but the call wouldn't go through. I also checked her social media, and it hasn't been updated for days. For someone who's always online, it's weird for her to just vanish."

Now, Mason was the one looking puzzled. "Dr. Wilson, what are you talking about? Isn't Veda still getting treatment at your hospital? How could you not be able to contact her? Has she gone missing?"

On the drive back to the Smith Mansion, Michael and Emily sat in the back seat, both looking pretty upset.

Michael couldn't stop ranting about Daniel. "I knew that Daniel was no good! We could have kept Veda's disappearance a secret from Grandpa, but no, he went to tell Grandpa directly! What is he trying to do, cause chaos?" But to Emily, his words were just nonsense.

Emily shot back, "Dr. Wilson is right. Veda's been missing for days, which is definitely unusual."

Michael immediately snapped at her. "What's unusual? You didn't think it was weird before, but now that Daniel mentioned it, you're worried? I know my sister best, and I don't need him to worry!"

Hearing this, Emily couldn't take it anymore. They were just discussing the matter, but he was being completely unreasonable!

Emily, now angry, said, "Michael, what are you even saying? You know your sister best? You said cutting off Veda's credit cards would make her come home, but it's been days, and has she returned? Aren't you worried about her being out there alone? If something really happens, Grandpa will be even more worried."

The two of them started arguing again.

The driver, who was taking them back, felt helpless.

Andrew wasn't in the front seat today. He was the only one enduring the awkwardness, and it was really embarrassing.

Thinking about this, the driver stepped on the gas and sped up.

Finally, they arrived back at the Smith Mansion before Daniel left.

Michael was furious. But it was understandable. He wasn't just jealous of Daniel; he was also worried about Mason's health.

The family had already faced so many issues. If the news of Veda's disappearance reached Mason, Michael feared more trouble. "Grandpa." Michael and Emily rushed to Mason as soon as they got out of the car.

Mason was sitting in the main seat in the living room, with Daniel beside him. The atmosphere was tense, especially with Mason's stern expression, furrowed brows, and a hint of reproach in his voice. "Don't call me Grandpa. Do you still see me as an elder?"

Michael and Emily exchanged glances and then looked at Daniel.

Daniel, too, stood his ground, staring back at Michael. Daniel could tell they had just returned from a party. Emily, in a purple dress, looked stunning as she entered, making it hard for him to look away.

But being a man of propriety, Daniel knew the priority was to replace Veda. So, while he admired Emily, he knew to keep his distance.

However, the anger in Michael's eyes puzzled Daniel. Veda was missing, and as her brother, Michael wasn't searching for her immediately. It was absurd!

Daniel couldn't believe that Michael, who seemed like a capable CEO managing thousands, failed in his duties as a husband and brother! It was truly laughable!