Chloe Reed had barely eaten anything again tonight, so when they returned to Jardinelle, Walker Grant went straight into the kitchen.

She looked at the messages on her phone. Many people from their social circle had sent messages checking in on her.

Among them was a message from Preston Vance.

Preston Vance: [Chloe, how have you been? I saw the news about the Reed Group. It hasn’t affected you, has it?]

Chloe Reed: [I’m fine, really. Thanks for your concern, Preston.]

Preston Vance: [Why are you being so formal with me all of a sudden? Aren’t we friends?]

Preston Vance: [Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like we’ve grown distant. You haven’t been back to Maplewood Gardens in a long time.]

Preston Vance: [Chloe, if something’s wrong, I hope you can just tell me. I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings between us.]

’A misunderstanding?’ 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

’But when they caught that guy, he confessed everything. He made it very clear that Preston was the one who ordered him to do it.’

’And now he’s calling it a misunderstanding...’

After everything she had been through, Chloe Reed didn’t dare to trust anyone easily anymore.

She weighed her words for a long moment before typing a reply.

Chloe Reed: [No, Preston, you’re mistaken. I’ve just been busy with my grandmother. She hasn’t been feeling well recently, and I’ve been taking care of her.]

Preston Vance: [Oh? Which hospital is she in? I’ll go visit. Your grandmother always enjoyed talking with me. Maybe if I go chat with her, she’ll start to feel better?]

Chloe Reed: [She’s already been discharged. She wanted to go home, so I took her back.]

Preston Vance: [Oh, I see. It’s a shame I didn’t get to see her off.]

Chloe Reed: [I’m sure you’ll see her again.]

Preston Vance: [Okay. Well, I won’t bother you any longer. Good night.]

Chloe Reed: [Good night.]

...

She set her phone down and thought about what to do next.

Just then, a sharp KNOCK, KNOCK sounded at her bedroom door.

She walked over and opened the door, her clear eyes regarding him coolly. "Well, this is a surprise. You actually know how to knock?"

Walker raised an eyebrow slightly, his voice calm. "You weren’t asleep, so of course I knocked. What if you decided to pick a fight with me again?"

’What kind of twisted logic is that?’

Chloe couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and asked directly, "What is it?"

Walker said, "I’m hungry. Come down and have a bite with me."

But Chloe said, "I don’t want to. I’m tired and I want to rest."

Walker retorted, "Fine. I won’t eat either, then. We can just stay here... together."

As he spoke, he pushed the door open, intending to force his way in.

Chloe knew perfectly well what would happen if he got in. She immediately pushed against his chest and headed out the door. "Fine! I’ll go down and eat."

Walker allowed her to push him back, his eyes glancing down at her hand on his chest. The corner of his mouth curled into a smirk.

「Downstairs, in the dining room.」

Two servings of egg-fried rice were set on the dining table.

It was a simple, humble dish, but each grain of rice was coated in a glistening layer of golden egg. Mixed with diced carrots, ham, and finely chopped scallions, it looked exceptionally tempting.

Chloe’s stomach betrayed her with a couple of growls.

She hesitated for a moment before picking up her spoon and starting to eat.

Walker glanced at her, then said, "Miles Hawthorne still hasn’t talked. He says he wants to see you."

Chloe’s eyelashes fluttered. "If he sees me, will he talk?"

"Probably not."

Walker’s tone grew colder. "He might even still be thinking about killing you."

Chloe said, "Then that’s all the more reason for me not to see him."

Walker looked at her. "You can see him. It’ll be good practice for your marksmanship."

At his words, she froze, her clear eyes staring at him in astonishment.

Then she heard him ask, "Don’t you want revenge?"