He always planned his moves carefully. He was rarely this impulsive.

Preston Vance gave Chloe Reed a faint nod, then got up and left.

Iris Yates remained seated, torn between not wanting to leave and being terrified of Walker Grant.

Chloe Reed let out a slow, heavy breath and said to her, "Iris, you should head back for now."

"But..." Iris glanced at Walker Grant, her eyes filled with unconcealed worry.

Chloe Reed gave her a small smile. "It’s fine. It’s not like he’s going to kill me."

Walker Grant’s expression faltered, and he shot her a cold, dark look.

Iris Yates bit her lip, wanting to say she would stay.

But Chloe Reed had already taken her hand and led her to the door. "Go home and get some rest. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine."

As she was pushed out the door, Iris’s face was still etched with worry.

To her, Walker Grant was a terrifying beast.

No.

He was even more frightening than a beast.

’His temper is so unpredictable. Chloe has defied him time and again, and even moved here behind his back. He must be furious. He wouldn’t... he wouldn’t hit her, would he?’

Iris hesitated at the door for a long time, unable to bring herself to leave.

’I’ll keep listening for any noise from inside. If I hear anything amiss, I’m calling the police right away!’

"..."

Chloe Reed looked at him, her tone icy. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Why did you move?"

Walker Grant remained seated, even picking up her chopsticks to continue swishing meat in the hot pot and eating.

He acted as if they were just making small talk.

"I told you, I wasn’t comfortable living there."

"Didn’t you say you were going back to Jardinelle?" Walker Grant looked at her. "You lied to me."

It was not a question, but a statement.

Chloe Reed nodded. "That’s right. I didn’t just want to escape them, I wanted to escape you. Walker Grant, I’ve grown to despise you. Can’t you tell?"

"I can tell," Walker Grant said slowly. "I just can’t believe it. You used to love me so much."

Chloe Reed’s eyelashes trembled. She gave a self-deprecating smile. "If I’d known that the man you’ve become would cause me this much pain, I never would have fallen in love with you."

Walker Grant put down his chopsticks. Without a word, he cleared the table and even washed the dishes.

She couldn’t understand his actions.

Her nerves remained taut; she had no idea what he was planning.

When he was done, he came out of the kitchen. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled to his elbows, revealing strong forearms. His handsome, sharp-featured face was impassive, and his narrow, elegant eyes were dark and unreadable.

It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Chloe Reed’s eyes never left him, filled with a mixture of confusion and vigilance. "What is it you really want?"

Walker Grant walked over to the sofa and sat down. "I’m a guest in your home. Aren’t you going to offer me a glass of water?"

He had seen the glass of water on the coffee table, the one she had given to Preston Vance.

She treated other visitors with courtesy, but for him, there was only a cold shoulder.

’It wasn’t fair at all.’

’He was her husband. They had been in love for so many years. How could she treat him this way?’

A sense of injustice raged in his chest.

Chloe Reed didn’t move, only watching him coldly. "If you like this place so much, you can stay. I’m tired. I’m going to go lie down."

"Take me off your blocklist."

Walker Grant said in a low voice.

He had been stopped by security when he first tried to enter. Only then did he realize she had actually added him to the building’s blocklist.