A storm of grievance, sorrow, and anger churned in Chloe Reed’s heart.

But when her gaze fell on Autumn Linton’s pale, unconscious face, an invisible hand seemed to clamp down on those emotions, leaving her unable to vent even a little.

She stood to the side, waiting quietly.

Walker Grant returned after ending his call. Seeing her pale complexion, he said gently, "I’ve contacted the best cardiologist. They’ll be here in a few days. She’ll be fine, so don’t worry."

Chloe Reed’s long lashes trembled, and she pressed her lips together without a word.

Walker Grant then turned to Charles Reed, his tone growing colder. "Even now, you’re still blaming her. It seems you’ve made your choice."

Between the Reed Group and Sunny Reed, he had chosen Sunny.

The muscles in Charles Reed’s face twitched violently. He glared at Walker Grant, livid. "You..."

But he couldn’t manage another word.

Walker Grant’s dark, intense eyes simply watched him calmly. He hadn’t left, which meant Charles Reed still had a chance to change his tune.

The moment he walked out of this hospital room, things would spiral completely out of control.

Helplessness filled Charles Reed’s eyes. He looked at Chloe Reed, his earlier bluster gone. "Chloe, I was wrong to blame you, and I shouldn’t have laid a hand on you. It will never happen again."

Chloe Reed’s heart gave a violent tremor.

Walker Grant looked at her and asked, "Do you want to go home and rest?"

Charles Reed said, "Walker Grant, the Reed Group is her foundation. Please, go easy on it."

But Walker Grant didn’t answer him, his gaze fixed solely on Chloe Reed.

Chloe Reed, however, shook her head. "I’m not going back."

"Alright, then I’ll stay here with you," Walker Grant said, pulling over a chair for her to sit on.

The hospital room fell silent once more.

An unknown amount of time passed before a faint murmur came from the bed. "Chloe..."

Chloe Reed snapped her head up to see Autumn Linton looking at her, her eyes slightly red, reaching out a hand toward her.

Chloe Reed hesitated for a moment before taking her hand.

"Don’t say such silly things, alright? You’re my daughter. How could you talk about cutting ties?"

Autumn Linton’s voice was trembling.

Chloe Reed opened her mouth to say something, but her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making it incredibly difficult.

She felt as if she were being torn apart, and the pain was unbearable.

"Chloe?"

Seeing her remain silent, Autumn Linton started to grow anxious again.

"Okay."

Not wanting to see her mother pass out again—or worse, never wake up—Chloe Reed closed her eyes and agreed in a hoarse voice.

Only then did Autumn Linton let out a sigh of relief, squeezing her hand tightly. "Your father was wrong to hit you; he was just too worried. And I didn’t handle this well, either. I want to apologize, too. Chloe, I’m so sorry."

A sudden sting filled Chloe Reed’s eyes. She averted her gaze and said, "You should rest. I’m going to go home."

Autumn Linton nodded. "Okay. It’s late, go get some rest."

Chloe Reed turned and quickly left the room.

Walker Grant followed, taking in her struggle and pain. She had always been a soft-hearted person.

She, too, longed to be her parents’ favorite, to be chosen unconditionally.

Looking at her pale profile, an indescribable feeling welled up inside him. He stepped forward and took her hand.

"Chloe, I’ll take you home."

"I don’t need you to." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

But Chloe Reed pulled her hand away and quickened her pace.

It was late at night by now, and the area outside the hospital was quiet.

Chloe Reed flagged down a taxi and got right in. Just as she was about to tell the driver to hurry, the passenger-side door opened, and Walker Grant climbed in as well.