"You’d take revenge on anyone who hurt your grandmother. Are you really going to let someone who’s tried to kill you multiple times just walk away?"

The night outside was dark and heavy, and the atmosphere in the dining room had grown tense. Walker Grant’s deep, magnetic voice held a cool edge as his jet-black eyes fixed on her, dredging up memories of her near-death experiences. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Chloe Reed’s long lashes trembled. She thought of her own brushes with death, of Miles Hawthorne’s hypocrisy and ruthlessness. She knew she had to get her revenge.

She looked at him and nodded. "Alright. I’ll do what you say."

A faint smile touched Walker Grant’s thin lips, a hint of approval in his jet-black eyes. "You have to learn to protect yourself. You also have to learn how to fight back, how to get revenge, how to make people fear you. That’s what will put you in a position where you can’t be threatened."

’So, just making myself stronger isn’t nearly enough.’

Chloe’s opponents were a mystery, and she had so much more to do.

She nodded, finished the rest of the egg-fried rice, brushed her teeth, and lay down on her bed to think about what would happen next.

Just then, Walker Grant walked in without knocking.

She said, "Why didn’t you knock?"

"I’ve come to collect my tuition."

Walker Grant wore a dark gray bathrobe, his short hair slightly tousled. In the dim light, his face was exceptionally handsome. His jet-black eyes stared at her, filled with an unreadable emotion.

Chloe: "..."

As his presence washed over her, she finally understood what he meant by "collecting his tuition."

Later that night, she said breathlessly, "That’s five times."

"Mm, five more times this month."

Walker Grant kissed her shoulder blades, his voice hoarse.

Chloe Reed closed her eyes and said, "It’s not fair."

"Hm?"

Hearing this, Walker Grant looked up at her. "What’s not fair?"

Chloe Reed’s breath trembled as she spoke. "Ten times is too many. Three is just right."

But Walker Grant let out a soft laugh. "I’m holding back. If it were up to me, it would be ten times a week."

"Get lost!"

Chloe Reed gave him a shove, but she was too weak. He caught her by the wrist, his soft, moist kisses landing on her fingers.

A tremor ran through Chloe’s heart. She simply turned her back to him, trying to ignore the flood of emotions.

...

After seven days in the hospital, the toxins in her grandmother’s body had been cleared, and Walker Grant brought her directly to Jardinelle to live.

The weather was beautiful. Supported by Aunt Woods, Grandma smiled as she took in the villa’s exquisitely landscaped courtyard.

"Beautiful."

Walker Grant said, "If you like it, Grandma, you can live here for as long as you want."

But Grandma looked at Chloe and said, "When you two get divorced, make sure you get this house."

A smile played on Chloe’s lips. She was really starting to love her grandmother’s bluntness.

"Okay, I’ll get it. Then the two of us can live here."

Grandma paused for a few seconds, then nodded. "Mhm!"

Walker Grant: "..."

Chloe exercised every day, working to build her strength. It was only later that she discovered the villa’s basement was actually a shooting range. The soundproofing was so good that she’d had no idea when Walker Grant used to practice down there!

She looked at the shooting range in front of her, then at the man beside her. Suddenly, he felt like a stranger.

’They had been together for eight years, yet it seemed she didn’t really know him at all.’

Walker Grant opened a box and took out a small, elegant black handgun. He handed it to her. "This one’s size and weight are perfect for you. Give it a try."