But they never, ever should have poisoned her grandmother.

Chloe Reed didn’t have many people she cared about, but her grandmother was one of them.

Now, days had passed, and her grandmother’s condition hadn’t improved. Her reactions remained slow, and most of the time, she was simply dazed.

Every time she saw her grandmother in this state, Chloe Reed felt a pang of sorrow, and her hatred for Charles Reed and his wife deepened.

Iris Yates studied her placid expression and asked cautiously, "Chloe, is there really nothing you want to say? They... after all, they were the family who was by your side since you were a child."

They weren’t related by blood, but that hardly seemed to matter.

After all, they had raised her as their own daughter since birth.

Before she turned ten, Chloe Reed had truly lived like a princess. Charles Reed and Autumn Linton had showered her with all their affection.

But then... sigh...

Chloe Reed said, "I was the one who orchestrated the Reed family’s bankruptcy."

Iris Yates genuinely hadn’t known about this, and hearing her friend’s confession, a look of shock filled her eyes!

She was in utter disbelief!

But she quickly gave Chloe Reed a thumbs-up. "Nice one! Chloe, you’ve finally learned to fight back! You’ve learned to protect yourself!"

Chloe Reed curved her lips into a smile, though a flicker of sadness crossed her glistening eyes. "If I could, I’d want my grandma to go back to how she was before."

Gentle and loving, always holding her hand, every wrinkle on her face a vessel of profound tenderness.

Not dazed and vacant like she was now, as if her soul had left her body.

Iris Yates put an arm around her shoulder, her own face clouded with sadness. "They really went too far. How could they poison your grandma? What’s happening to them now is exactly what they deserve!"

Chloe Reed patted her hand. "It’s okay, I’m fine. From now on, I’m going to focus on taking care of my grandma and improving myself."

"Yes! You’ll become so strong that no one will be able to bully you. And then, you can kick Grant the Scumbag to the curb! Find a few male models with killer bodies to play with—wouldn’t any of them be more obedient and well-behaved than Grant the Scumbag?" Iris Yates looked at her with anticipation, her eyes glazing over as if she was already picturing the scene.

"Kick who?"

Just then, a deep, magnetic voice cut in, tinged with a faint chill.

The smile on Iris Yates’s face froze. She turned to Chloe Reed and said, "You know, I just remembered I have something to do. I’m going to head out. See you another time."

"Okay, be safe."

Chloe Reed couldn’t help but laugh as she watched her friend scurry away like a mouse that had just seen a cat.

Walker Grant raised an eyebrow slightly. "Were you two bad-mouthing me?"

Chloe Reed glanced at him and said, "No, we were just talking about what’s been happening with the Reed Group."

Walker Grant walked over, glanced at the still-sleeping grandmother, and asked in a low voice, "Have you spoken to your grandma about moving back to Jardinelle?"

Chloe Reed frowned slightly, her expression resistant.

But Walker Grant pressed, "Jardinelle is safe. There’s plenty of space, and your grandma can get some fresh air. If you keep staying at Maplewood Gardens, how is it any different from living in a prison cell?"

Chloe Reed shot him a blank look before replying, "We’ll talk about it later."

Walker Grant watched her with a deep, inscrutable gaze but said nothing more.

As dusk began to fall, the old woman woke up. She hadn’t been lucid for long stretches that day, spending most of it asleep.

"Grandma, would you like to get up and walk around a bit?" Seeing that she was awake, Chloe Reed went over to help her up.

It took the old woman a few seconds to process, but then she nodded. "Yes, please. I’m so tired of lying down."

Chloe Reed quickly helped her out of bed. However, she hadn’t been on her feet in a long time, and her legs were weak. Her body gave a sudden lurch!