Chloe felt a pang of regret for not taking the subway earlier.
It was rush hour, and the main road was heavily congested.
Candy, already impatient, was close to losing her temper when the traffic finally started to move.
“I thought we’d be stuck here for half an hour!” she exclaimed.
Candy followed the car ahead, and as they passed through an intersection, she turned to talk to Chloe in the back seat, asking what she should say to Amanda when they met.
In her distraction, she failed to notice the car in front of her slowing down. Suddenly, there was a loud “bang.”
They had rear-ended the car in front.
Everyone in the car was stunned, but Candy quickly hit the brakes and reversed slightly, mitigating the damage. Chloe turned pale, and Candy was still in shock.
Quinn, sitting in the front passenger seat, was the first to unbuckle his seatbelt. “I’ll go check it out,” he said. Chloe, worried, opened the door and stepped out as well. “I’ll go with you.”
They both got out and saw the dented rear bumper of the Audi they had hit. Chloe sighed in frustration.
She hoped no one was injured and that they could resolve this amicably through insurance.
Quinn knocked on the driver’s window, and when the door opened, Chloe was taken aback. “Tom?”
Tom looked equally surprised. “Mrs. Shawn… Ms. Nelson, what a coincidence!”
Tom had been on his way to take Michael back to Shawn Manor. With the traffic jam, Michael had already gotten impatient and decided to walk, leaving Tom to drive alone. Just as the traffic cleared, his car got rear-ended.
“Sorry about this, Tom. My friend wasn’t paying attention. How much do you need for repairs? We can settle it now, or we can go through insurance,” Chloe said quickly, anxious about being late for her meeting with Amanda. Tom, recognizing Chloe, decided to let it go. If Michael were here, he would have insisted on no compensation from Chloe.
“It’s fine, Ms. Nelson. I’ll take it to the shop later. It’s just a small dent.”
Chloe glanced at the back seat, wondering if Michael was inside. She couldn’t see through the tinted windows, so Tom clarified, “Mr. Shawn went back to Shawn Manor earlier.”
Chloe was momentarily stunned.
about where Michael had gone, she She hadn’t actually been curious et
just wanted to apologize on Candy’s behalf if he was in the car.
She knew one of the things Michael hated most was having his time wasted.
Tom added, “There was an incident at the manor. Mr. Shawn had to rush back.”
Chloe’s concern deepened. “What happened?”
Tom realized Chloe wasn’t aware of the situation.
“Simeon called to say Sir Shawn fell in the garden and broke his leg.” Chloe felt a chill run through her.
She had
seen her grandfather just a
few days ago, and he had seemed quite robust. How could he have suddenly broken his leg?
“Is he in the hospital? Is it serious?” she asked, visibly shaken.
Quinn, noticing her distress, gently took her hand. “Chloe, Tom might not know all the details.”
Chloe regained her composure.
“Ms. Nelson, if you’re worried, you should go see Sir Shawn. He would be happy to see you,” Tom suggested. Chloe hesitated.
She had an appointment with Amanda and needed to thank Felipe for gathering evidence for her.
But Admas…
Her mind was in turmoil. Admas’ health had never been great, and it had been particularly unstable recently. Older people were always afraid of falling.
If he couldn’t catch his breath, she couldn’t imagine not being able to see Admas one last time.
Quinn, seeing her hesitation, offered
a
“If you want to go, we can
201da for you. C
and I can handle
vel.
If she handled things quickly on her end, she might still be able to make it to dinner.
He thought Amanda was reasonable; she would surely understand if she knew Admas had an accident.Text © 2024 cHáPtèRS.FLO_w.COM.
“Really?”
Chloe started to waver when she heard Quinn’s suggestion.
Quinn nodded seriously, and Chloe made up her mind. “Then I’ll go to the Shawn Manor. If everything is fine, I’ll come quickly.”
Quinn nodded again, and she walked towards the nearby subway station.
It was rush hour, and the subway was the best way to get to the Shawn Manor.
Candy and Jessica were in the car, watching Chloe walk away with confused looks.
Quinn contacted Tom about the insurance and provided his contact information before returning to the car.
“All settled. Let’s go,” he said.
Candy turned to him. “Where about Chloe?”Text © 2024 chApTèRsflō_W/cóm.
Two people had gone out, but only one returned.
“Something happened at the Shawn Manor. She went to check it out,” Quinn replied.
Candy exclaimed, “What does the Shawn family have to do with her? Is Michael causing trouble again?”
“It’s said Admas broke his leg. Michael has already gone there.”
Candy was surprised and regretted her words.
Chloe took the subway to the foot of the hill and took a taxi up.
The taxi driver charged her double since no one usually took a taxi down from the wealthy area up there.
The taxi stopped at the Shawn Manor’s entrance. Chloe paid and got out.
As she walked in, she heard Admas’ cries.
“Oh, Gigi, I’m so sorry. How could you forget there was a staircase there? Now you’ve broken your leg,” he said. Chloe’s entrance caught Michael’s attention. He turned his head and met her eyes.
“Chloe!” he called out.
Chloe froze, realizing she had been deceived.
They said it was Admas who broke his leg, but actually, it was the dog.
Admas heard the sound and also looked over.
“Chloe, you’re here. Come over, Gigi is hurt. Help me comfort her,” he said.
When Chloe was living at the Shawn Manor, Gigi always liked to stay near her.
Now seeing her, Gigi whimpered, as if complaining about its injury.
Chloe felt awkward but walked over, squatted beside Gigi, and stroked its fur. “How did Gigi break her leg?” she asked.
Gigi had lived there for years and should have known the place well.
“I recently added a fence and a staircase in the backyard to separate two areas. Gigi wasn’t used to it and got hurt while playing,” Admas replied.
Gigi loved playing with the toy ball in the backyard, and Chloe used to take it there.
too obe moved out, Admas was
to play with Gigi for
1. Gigi
didn’t like the servants, so it played alone.
That was how it got hurt.
Chloe’s heart softened, and she patted Gigi’s head. “Don’t worry, Gigi. You’ll be fine after some rest!”
Admas glared at Michael, who was standing there like a lemon.
He wanted Michael to show some initiative.
Michael was stunned for a moment before stepping forward. “Gigi will be okay.”
Gigi licked Chloe’s hand, making her itchy.
Since Admas was fine, Chloe felt relieved.
Then she started to blame Michael and Tom. If it weren’t for their lives, she wouldn’t have rushed over.
It was all Michael’s fault.
Chloe glared at Michael and got up to leave.
Michael, confused, wondered what he had done to upset her.
“Chloe, are you leaving? Why not stay for a meal? Gigi misses you,” he said.
Chloe looked apologetically at Admas. “Grandpa, I have an event to attend, so I can’t stay long.”
Admas was reasonable and nodded in understanding. “Oh, you have things to do. Michael will give you a ride. It’s hard to hail a taxi here.”
Ine
swne vol.r
Chloe wanted to refuse but knew Admas was telling the truth.
Michael stepped forward to stand beside her. “I’ll ride you there.”
In the passenger seat, Chloe looked out the window and paid no attention to Michael.
“Chloe, did I upset you?” He asked.
Chloe glanced at him. “You tell me, lair!”
Michael had deceived both Tom and Chloe.
Michael felt wronged. He really didn’t know.
“If you hadn’t told Tom that Admas broke his leg, I wouldn’t have dropped my work and rushed over,” Chloe said.
She was worried that Amanda would think she broke her promise.
Michael was stunned for a moment before realizing why Chloe had hurried over that day. He was deceived too.
“Who told you?” He asked.
“Tom,” Chloe replied.
Michael paused for a second. “Did you meet Tom on the way?”
Chloe snorted and didn’t reply.
While driving, Michael said, “I didn’t know it was Gigi. When Tom called me, the signal was bad. I only heard Grandpa and broken legs. I thought Grandpa was hurt.” Chloe took his words with a pinch of salt.
He could even transfer money to her just to talk. What else could he not do?
And why would the phone signal suddenly be bad?
“I really didn’t lie to you,” Michael added.
He wanted someone to vouch for him, but he was alone in the study when he took the call.
He was at a loss.
“If your work was affected, I can explain for you,” he managed to say.
He knew Chloe was still working at Bright Moon International. If he stepped in, no one would say anything about it.
“No need. I’d be grateful if you could drop me off in the city center,” Chloe said.
She’d be in trouble whenever she encountered anything related to him.
They both fell silent.
After a while, Chloe said, “I need to go back to the Lotus Manor in a few days to get my books.”
Michael was overjoyed to hear she was going back to the Lotus Manor.
But his mood soared when he heard she was only going to get her books.
During their separation, he saw the entire set of poetry she left in the study.châPTëRsflōW__Com owns © this.
He read all those poems during his daily visits.
The author loved using roses as metaphors. Michael realized why Chloe always asked for roses those first three years.
To her, every rose was unique.
But he rarely sent flowers. If she insisted, he would send other gifts like bags or jewelry.
But there were never flowers.
He thought for a moment and said,
“Let me
e know when you go. I’ll have
Emma pack your things and leaket
them in the living room.”
Chloe thought he would try to make her stay longer at the Lotus Manor, but he agreed so readily. “Okay,” she responded.
That set of poetry would gather dust in his study if she didn’t take it. He wouldn’t read it anyway.
In those three years, he never showed interest in what she liked.
Michael didn’t drop her off in the business area but took her directly to the restaurant.
“Who are you having dinner with today?” He asked.
Chloe paused while unbuckling her seatbelt, “None of your business!”
She walked into the restaurant, leaving Michael feeling anxious. He wanted to know who she was dining with.
He watched Chloe enter and disappear around a corner on the second floor.
He tried to follow but was stopped. by a waiter at the stairs. “Sorry sic
It’s
the upper floor is booked today.net nt
not open to the public.”
Michael frowned. “I know the one who just went up.”
Too many people had used this trick to sneak in. With disdain, the waiter glanced at him and said, “Sir, if you know her, why not ask her to come down and get you?”
The waiter found it unbelievable that someone dressed so well as Michael was trying to get a free meal from them.
Michael was rendered speechless. If he could ask Chloe to come down, he wouldn’t be sneaking around.
The waiter mistook Michael’s silence for surrendering.
“Sir, if you don’t know anyone here, please leave and don’t disturb our guests,” he said.
Michael was furious and eager to reveal his identity.
But doing that would seem too arrogant, so he held back.
Chloe entered the private room, and everyone looked at her.
She bowed apologetically. “Sorry, I’m late.”
Amanda waved at Chloe. “Don’t worry, there’s nothing important today. Come sit. The food isn’t all here yet.”
Chloe was surprised. She had been at the Shawn Manor for an hour, and the food still wasn’t ready.
After she sat down, Felipe handed her the documents he had collected.
“Ms. Nelson, I have gathered enough evidence. Even though Maya Campbell and her friends are in jail, we can still reveal the truth online if you want,” he said. Amanda chimed in, “Those who spread and commented on the false rumors can also be held accountable.”
Chloe hadn’t thought about going after the netizens.
She believed that many people online were just following the crowd and didn’t truly hate her. They were just curious.
But…
“Some people commented and spread the rumors excessively?” She asked.
Felipe replied, “Yes, during my investigation, I found one user who can be considered your ultimate hater.”
Chloe was puzzled.
She wasn’t a celebrity. How could she have a hater?
“I saved screenshots of the comments at the end of the document. You can take a look,” he replied.
Chloe flipped to the last few pages and saw an ID with these rumors.
This person was stirring up the comments section.
Chloe had every reason to believe it was someone she knew.
Such hatred for a stranger was abnormal.
Candy leaned over and got mad after reading the comments.
“Who is this person? How can they say such things? They even said you were…” she said.
The person claimed Chloe was a prostitute.
That was horrible.
The rest of the comments fabricated Chloe’s life after she turned twenty, but none were true.
Quinn, who hadn’t wanted to look, also caught sight of the comments.
“Ms. Nelson, do you want to pursue this legally?” he said indignantly.
“Yes, we must hold this person accountable! People can’t just say such things online without
consequences,” Chloe replied
swne
Chloe closed the file and looked at Felipe. “What’s the chance of success?”
She didn’t want to fight a losing battle.
“One hundred percent,” he replied.
Everyone was shocked by his words. They had never seen such a confident lawyer.
“Even if the other side hires a great lawyer, it’s still one hundred percent?” Candy asked doubtfully.
Felipe smiled, “No matter who they hire, we will win.”
Chloe was reassured. “Then I leave this to you, Mr. Moore. Send a lawyer’s letter to the other party, if
you need this person’s id Party i
find out.”
It was an easy task for a hacker.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
While they were talking, the waiter kept bringing in dishes.
I can
When Chloe finished speaking, Amanda smiled, “Let’s eat. The food is all here.”
They were about to start eating when Felipe spoke. “Two more people haven’t arrived yet.”
Amanda frowned. “Who else?”
She didn’t remember inviting anyone else to dinner.
Felipe smiled as the door opened. He said confidently, “Here they are.”
They looked up to see Marvin and Luna walking in together.
“What are you doing here?” Amanda asked, showing her seniority.
“I’m on vacation and haven’t gone
back home yet. You didn’t invite
me
inner, which breaks my heart,”
Marvin replied.
Luna sat beside Felipe and greeted everyone. “Sorry, I’m late.”
Then she turned to Chloe. “Ms. Nelson, are you feeling better?”
“I’m fine now,” Chloe replied.
Marvin sat down next to Amanda, staring at Chloe like a hunter watching its prey.
Even Candy noticed his strange behavior.
She whispered to Chloe, “Why is Marvin staring at you like that?”
Chloe hadn’t noticed until she turned her head and saw Marvin staring at her. She felt awkward and gave a polite smile. “How would I know?”
“Ms. Nelson, I am Marvin Klein, Amanda’s nephew. This is our second meeting. Do you remember me?” Marvin said.
He stood up and offered Chloe a drink. Before he could take a sip, Amanda hit his back. “Chloe can’t drink!”
This guy was causing trouble.
“Sorry, I forgot. Ms. Nelson can drink water, juice, or coffee!” Marvin said.
Chloe looked at the young man and felt his kindness.
She remembered the pool party when she saw him from the second floor.
“Alright, sit down, you silly boy!” Amanda said..
She felt embarrassed and pressed him down.
Quinn watched with hostility toward Marvin.
As a man, he could tell Marvin liked Chloe.
But Marvin was immature and wouldn’t stay interested for long.
“Ms. Nelson, you look familiar, like I’ve known you before. Do you feel the same?” Marvin said.
He didn’t notice Quinn’s look. He just wanted to talk to Chloe.
Amanda shook her head, feeling helpless.
Chloe would usually find this kind of accosting awkward.ChàP-TERSfL/OW.COM owns © this.
But she didn’t mind Marvin saying it.
“Yeah, I do,” she replied.
Marvin was delighted. “I knew it! We must be fated to meet.”
He was usually cheerful, but he had never shown this extent of kindness to someone he had met only once.
Luna, sitting nearby, watched with mixed feelings.
“Marvin, knock it off. You look creepy and will scare Ms. Nelson,” she said, glaring at him and then looking away.
Marvin
why she was upset. During t
Luna didn’t talk to him. the meal, he confused, not knowing
s to en.kikistorie ?
She smiled at others but had a stern face when looking at him.
Marvin felt helpless.
Except for this, the meal was pleasant. Amanda thanked Chloe’s team for their help.
Candy waved her hand, saying it was a mutual benefit.
When leaving the restaurant, Candy slowed her pace. Chloe noticed and slowed down too.
“I bet Luna likes Marvin. Want to bet?” Candy said.
“Betting is bad!” Chloe shook her head, not liking the idea.
“Chloe, you agree with me, so you don’t want to bet!” Candy teased.
She guessed right.
Then they conspired to trick Quinn and Jessica.
In the car, Jessica, the naive college Sxclaimed, “Huh? No way, 1 y’re just ordinary friends!”
Swno
Candy and Chloe saw an opportunity. “Jessica, want to bet?”
Candy’s smile scared her. “How do we bet?”
“Simple, whoever loses treats for a month!” Candy said.
“Come on, Jessica is still a student,” Chloe said, coughing lightly.
But Candy remembered Jessica had recently earned 10 million dollars.
Candy took the hint and eventually
changed the bet. “How about
cleaning duties for a month? That should be okay, right?”
After they left, Marvin caught up with Luna. “Luna, what are you upset about again?” “Again? Do I always get mad at you? Do you not know what you did?” Luna snapped.
Marvin was rendered speechless.
“I don’t know,” Marvin said, frowning.
Luna crossed her arms. “Do you like Ms. Nelson?”
Luna didn’t like hiding things. She was determined to get to the bottom of this matter.
“Huh?” Marvin was confused.
He never thought about this before.
But his silence made Luna think she had guessed right.
“I knew it. You never act this eager in front of others. Today, you were so excited. Can you deny that you like her?” Luna said.
“No, no…” Marvin found it hard to explain.
He held Luna’s wrist and spoke cautiously. “It’s not what you think.”
“You men always say that. If it’s not what I think, then what is it? Is Chloe your half-sister?” she retorted.
Marvin was speechless.
“I told you to read fewer romance novels,” he said.
“Don’t change the subject!” Luna countered.
Marvin raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, I’ll tell you why. Come with me. I don’t want anyone else to know.”
Luna looked at him suspiciously, thought for a moment, and then followed him. “You better have a good reason, or you’ll be in trouble!”
Marvin looked around before telling her about Chloe and the Miller family.
“What? You said Chloe is… mmph!”
Before she could finish, Marvin covered her mouth. “Don’t let anyone know!”
Luna nodded, showing she understood.
When he let go, she whispered, “Are you sure?”
“Not entirely. Let’s wait for the DNA results. I think I’m right,” he replied.
Luna frowned. “Amanda’s sister has been missing for so many years. How could you find her so easily? Could it be a mistake?”
She didn’t doubt Chloe, but it seemed too coincidental. Amanda’s sister had been missing for 20 years.
“Who knows? The results will tell,” Marvin replied.
Luna relented, but she still thought Marvin was a bit reckless.
“Aren’t you afraid Chloe thinks you’re silly? You were so enthusiastic toward her. If you’re wrong, it’ll be awkward,” she said.
Marvin waved his hand. “How so? Chloe is nice. Even if she’s not my aunt, we can still be friends.”
Luna laughed, “That depends if she wants to be friends with you.”
…
Chloe and Candy drove home. Passing a cake shop, Chloe asked Candy to stop the car.
Candy was startled and braked hard.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
Chloe pointed at the cake shop. “I want to go buy a cake.”
The others were all stunned.
Chloe rarely made such requests, and they had no reason to refuse.
She got out of the car and asked, “Do you guys want anything?”
Candy and Quinn shook their heads. They weren’t interested in sweets.
Chloe turned to Jessica. “What about you?”ChãpTër$fL/óW.COM owns © this.
Jessica spoke softly. “Can I have a strawberry cake?”
Her cautious look amused Chloe. “Of course. No need to be shy.”
Chloe went into the store, not expecting a line there.
There were only two strawberry cakes left, and she prayed that no one in front wanted them.
When it was her turn, a kid squeezed in front and said, “I want two strawberry cakes!”
Chloe was stunned.
This kid was rude.
The salesperson thought they were together and started packing.
quickly said, “Excuse me, l
first.”
The salesperson froze, realizing the situation.
She looked at the kid and Chloe before speaking softly. “Miss, how about letting the kid have the cakes? We can give you a discount on something else.”
Chloe laughed, “I just want the strawberry cake. Even if it’s free, I wouldn’t take something else.”
Age didn’t guarantee special rights.
But Chloe was a reasonable person. She patted the boy’s shoulder and tried to communicate with him.
“Hey, whether you’re an adult or not,
you have to queue to buy things. The people behind you queued hard
Even if you want it, you have to follow the rules, okay?” she said.
The boy turned, and Chloe got to see his face.
It was the boy with Michael last time.
The boy looked up at Chloe, who was much taller than him. Showing no respect, he smirked, “I have a lot of money. I can buy as many as I want. Why are you trying to take them from me?” Apparently, he was a spoiled kid.
Chloe thought of Michael’s personality. He could raise such a child.
The people behind them got angry too.
“Hey kid, how can you talk like that? Having money doesn’t mean you can be rude,” they said.
Chloe saw the arrogant look on his face and didn’t want to argue.
She straightened up and said to the salesperson, “I’ll take those two strawberry cakes.”
The boy glared at her and pointed. “You’re doing this on purpose!”
“It doesn’t matter if I am. It’s my turn, and I can buy what I want,” Chloe countered.
The boy was stunned, probably because he had never been treated like this before.
The salesperson, seeing Chloe’s determined look, nervously packed the strawberry cakes for her.
Chloe took the cakes and was about to leave when someone pushed her hard from behind.
She was caught off guard and almost hit the glass door. The cakes dropped to the ground.
Though she couldn’t see inside, she knew they were ruined.
She angrily turned around and glared at the boy.
“If I can’t have them, neither can you,” he said.
The boy looked proud and didn’t think he had done anything wrong.
Exasperated, Chloe grabbed his arm and said, “Where are your parents? Call them over and see if what you did was right!”
She didn’t care about his connection to Michael anymore.
No matter who he was, she was going to teach this kid a lesson.
Everyone deserved respect, no matter their age. Even though she was older, she would not let the boy get away with this. The boy struggled and frowned. “Let go of me!”
He tried to free his arm.
Chloe, who was pregnant, didn’t want to hurt him, so she let go.
The boy, using too much force, stumbled and hit the glass door.
He sat on the ground and started crying.
Outside, they couldn’t park the car
there for long. It had taken let
while to buy the cakes, and Candy and Quinn started to worry
“Quinn, go check on her. Why isn’t she back yet?” Candy said.
Quinn got out of the car and walked to the cake shop. He saw a crowde
and
felt something was wrong?
Swno
When he got closer, he saw Chloe
standing by the door and a cryingnet
boy sitting nearby.
“Chloe, what happened?” He asked anxiously.cHaPtER/sFlōW-cøm owns © this.
Chloe was upset about the ruined cakes, and the boy’s crying gave her a headache.
Seeing Quinn, she felt a bit relieved. “This boy is rude.”
The boy heard it and cried even louder.
Quinn looked at the boy and saw a bruise on his forehead.
“Where are his parents?” Quinn asked.
The onlookers looked at each other and shrugged.
“He seems to be here alone,” the salesperson replied with a trembling voice.
She didn’t want their shop to be involved in this situation.
Quinn turned back to Chloe. “We should take him to the hospital. He’s still a child.”
He hinted that there was no need to wrestle with a child.
Chloe agreed. The boy’s wound was more important.
When Chloe tried to help him up, he suddenly bit her arm hard.
Chloe winced in pain and pulled her arm back.
The boy glared at her. “I don’t need your help!”
Quinn, upon witnessing the scene, finally understood why Chloe had accused the boy of being impolite. It seemed evident now.
“If you don’t behave, I’ll take you to the police station and let the officers have a chat with you,” Quinn threatened.
Upon hearing Quinn’s mention of the police station, the mischievous child immediately straightened up.
In the hospital, the young boy sat in a chair, waiting to be called. Though intimidated by Quinn, his gaze towards Chloe still held a hint of defiance.
Approaching him, Quinn inquired, “What’s your family’s phone number?”
The boy pouted and turned away, refusing to answer.
With no other choice, Quinn continued, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll have to involve the police. And if they find you uncooperative, they’ll have to reprimand you, which I can’t control.”
Observing his interaction with the child, Chloe was taken aback. For the first time, she found Quinn speaking so much to someone he had just met, even though the person was just a kid. Even a child she couldn’t handle was tamed by Quinn in just a few words.
She thought he would have made a great preschool teacher!Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
Under Quinn’s “coercion and persuasion”, the boy reluctantly divulged his parent’s contact number.
Quinn dialed the number, and after a moment, someone picked up.
“Who is this?”
“Hello, this is Central Hospital. Your child has been injured outside. Please come over,” Quinn informed.
Upon hearing about the injury, the person on the other end instantly became anxious. “Injured? How could he be injured? What did you do to him?”
“Ma’am, it’s hard to explain over the phone. Please come to the hospital as soon as possible so we can discuss it in person,” Quinn urged.
After Quinn’s statement, the person on the other end seemed to be consulting with others and refused to answer any more of his questions.
Sitting nearby, the boy casually remarked, “Don’t wait for them. That’s how they are. Just hang up.”
Quinn skeptically ended the call, then turned his attention back to the boy, carefully studying him.
The boy wasn’t particularly handsome, but his chubby face was endearing, and his height was average for his age.
The expensive designer clothes he wore hinted at a wealthy upbringing.
Typically, children from affluent families often faced a common situation-busy parents focused on work, neglecting their children.
“Are you sure your family will come for you? We don’t have much time to wait around.”
Quinn’s tone was somewhat aloof, causing the boy to lower his head in silence.
After a moment, the boy finally muttered, “They’ll come.”
He thought, “Whoever comes, they would definitely send someone to pick me up.”
Slightly relieved, Quinn turned to Chloe and said, “Would you like to tend to the bite mark on your arm?”
He was referring to the bite inflicted by the boy earlier.
Glancing at her arm, Chloe saw just a faint mark, not even blood. Besides, how much strength could a child really have? “No need, it’s just a minor wound.”
She thought, “This isn’t even a proper injury; a few days of rest should make it disappear.”
The boy’s head wound was disinfected. After waiting a while, Chloe couldn’t help but ask, “When will your family arrive?” They had been at the hospital for over two hours.
Frowning, the boy was about to speak when someone approached from the distance.
Recognizing the familiar footsteps, Chloe tensed up.
It was strange how she could distinguish Michael’s footsteps, perhaps out of habit, like the one approaching now.
Michael walked into the hospital
with a gloomy face. After a brief exchange with the receptionist at the front desk, he made his way towards the treatment room
Swn?
As he approached, he saw Charlie standing in the hallway, his forehead still smeared with traces of iodine.
Michael’s anger was almost
palpable as he walked over, ready to
find out what was going on, but his attention was quickly drawn to Chloe and Quinn sitting nearby.
Chloe glanced up and seemed almost unsurprised to see him.
After all, the kid had been with him in the car earlier, and they did share a noticeable resemblance-there was no doubt they were connected in some way.
“Chloe?”
Michael’s eyes widened in surprise as he took in the sight before him. He walked up to her with a concerned frown.
“Are you under the weather? Why are you here at the hospital?”
His immediate concern for Chloe’s well-being made her feel uncomfortable.
Quinn hadn’t initially realized that Michael was there to pick up the little boy until the child spotted Michael and darted towards him, exclaiming, “They both bullied me!”
Facing this scene, Michael wore a puzzled expression.
As Charlie pointed towards Chloe and Quinn, Michael furrowed his brows and questioned, “What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying this woman pushed me in the cake shop, causing me to fall, and she even insisted on snatching the strawberry cake. The last two pieces were bought by her, knowing well that I wanted the strawberry cake!” Charlie accused. Chloe was taken aback by how the brat twisted the truth upon seeing his family.
Standing up from her chair, Chloe retorted, “You little brat, stop spouting nonsense. There are cameras in the cake shop. If you lie, I’ll take you to the police station!”
Chloe’s tone was stern, causing Charlie to hide behind Michael instantly.
With Michael as his backer now, he feared no one else.
“So what? You took my cake, and you made me crash into the glass. It’s all your fault, you old witch!” Charlie retorted.
Charlie expected Michael to unhesitatingly take his side, but the next moment, he received a slap from Michael.
“Ow!” he exclaimed, clutching his head. It was the second time today he had injured his head.
He raised his hands to cover his head. This was the second time he had suffered a head injury today.
“What are you doing, Uncle!” Charlie protested, looking at Michael with a face full of grievance.
This revelation left Chloe and Quinn stunned.
Chloe thought, “Uncle?
He’s actually Michael’s… nephew?C_hâ.PTē/R_s-FLōw_Com owns © this.
Well… they do bear some resemblance…”
Chloe instinctively touched her belly.
Realizing her thoughts had strayed too far, Chloe quickly reined them back in.
With a cold gaze, Michael instructed Charlie, “Apologize.”
Charlie couldn’t believe what he had heard. “I won’t apologize!”
He thought, “Why should I apologize? It was me who got hurt. I’m even in the hospital. The one who should apologize is that old witch!” “I’ll say it again. Apologize,” Michael said
His patience was wearing thin, especially in the face of Charlie.
He thought, “If Cathy didn’t have something urgent come up today, I wouldn’t have to come pick up this little troublemaker.
I wonder if Cathy is out of her mind, willingly taking care of the Swift family’s child and having me deal with every issue.”
Charlie cautiously watched Michael, genuinely afraid of his uncle. Michael’s expressionless face resembled an ancient iceberg. Sensing Charlie’s gaze, Michael shot him another cold look.
Charlie shivered all over. Reluctantly, he took small steps towards Chloe.
“Sorry, okay?”
This “okay” was directed at Michael.
However, Michael frowned. “What ‘okay’? No apology? Apologize properly. You need their forgiveness.”
Chloe thought, “I’ve never seen Michael be so stern with a child.
But… he seems to have the right mindset when it comes to educating children.”
Just as she had that thought, Chloe mentally scolded herself, “How could I think Michael has the right mindset? If he does, then there will be no twisted people in the world!”
Pouting, Charlie stared at Chloe, unable to bring himself to apologize.
Not wanting to push the child too hard, Chloe smiled awkwardly and said, “It’s okay if you don’t want to apologize, you know!” Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Chloe nodded with a smile. “Of course it’s true. But it just means take you to the police station. It’s fine if you don’t apologize to me!”
Dealing with bratty kids, Chloe had plenty of tricks up her sleeve.
Charlie was taken aback, genuinely not wanting to end up at the police station. If his parents found out, he
would definitely be in deep,
Under Chloe’s coercion, he could only reluctantly hang his head low and mumble, “I’m sorry, I know I was wrong.”
“Wrong about what?”
Chloe still had her friendly smile, but it sent a chill down the spines of Michael and Quinn behind her.
“I… I shouldn’t have cut in line.”
“What else?”
“I shouldn’t have called you an old witch.”
“And then?”
Chloe couldn’t believe she had this much patience, especially in making a child apologize for his actions.
“An… and… Oh! I really don’t know anymore. I’ve already said sorry, can’t that be enough?”
Charlie looked at Chloe’s expression and couldn’t hold back his tears any longer.
Charlie had expected Michael to come forward and take him away out of pity, but to his surprise, Michael just stood back.
With his arms crossed, he was leaning against the wall, watching the scene unfold like a spectator.
“You can cry all you want, it won’t change anything. Just because you said sorry doesn’t mean I have to forgive you!”
Chloe’s words lacked any hint of politeness. It was about time this impolite kid learned a lesson about the harsh realities of society.
After crying for a while with no one coming to comfort him, Charlie awkwardly wiped away his tears.
In truth, he had cried so much that there were no more tears left to shed.
“Done crying? Have you figured out where you went wrong?” Chloe asked.
Charlie nodded with puffy eyes and a sniffle.
“I shouldn’t have bitten you or blamed you for pushing me. Also, I shouldn’t have been rude.”
Chloe nodded in satisfaction. “Good.”
Her cold response prompted Michael to step forward finally.
“I’ll apologize on his behalf. He’s been spoiled by his parents, never faced any hardships outside. Sorry about that,” Michael said, looking at Chloe.
“He’s just a kid, I can let it slide. But I’m really not in a good mood right now,” Chloe replied.
Michael raised his gaze to meet hers. “What would it take to lift your spirits?”
She smiled, raising her two fingers, “It’s simple, my two strawberry cakes got ruined by him. You owe me.”
Michael was taken aback by her request for just two strawberry cakes.
As he looked at Chloe’s mischievous smile, his heart skipped a beat.
He realized she was the kind of person who, despite knowing he would compensate her generously, only asked for two strawberry cakes-pure and simple.
“I’ll get them for you,” Michael said before walking out to make a call to Ethan.
Ethan swiftly procured the strawberry cakes from another bakery and delivered them promptly.
Initially, he thought they were for Charlie, but seeing Michael hand them to Chloe, he understood they were for her.
He thought, “No wonder Mr. Shawn went out of his way for a cake, it was all for Ms. Nelson.”
Upon receiving the cakes, Chloe visibly brightened up.
Looking at Quinn, she smiled genuinely this time, “Let’s go back. Candy and the others must be waiting impatiently.”
Seeing her genuinely happy smile directed at Quinn, Michael couldn’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort.
He knew he had no grounds to be jealous now, but the feeling was hard to shake off.
It had been a long time since she last smiled at him like that.
After Chloe left, Charlie stood beside Michael, following his gaze as they watched Chloe disappear without a trace Charlie then asked, “Uncle, do
you
like that old… lady?”
Michael immediately glared at him. “That’s your Aunt. Don’t you dare mistreat her again, or I’ll send you back to your parents.” Charlie pouted, saying, “You’re biased, Uncle.”Text © 2024 chaptER$.Flow//Com.
“I am biased! So what?”
The next morning, before Chloe
could even freshen up, she lay in bed and opened her phone to see the day’s trending topic-the incident involving her and Maya.
Felipe had acted swiftly, suing the online rumor-monger and even posting the court summons online, sparking a storm of discussions.
People were amazed that Chloe had actually chosen to sue over the rumors, not targeting Maya but a random online user.
The internet was divided into two camps over the issue.
[Isn’t it a bit too much to sue an online user? I think just getting an apology would suffice; why blow things out of proportion?]
[Hey, what if it happens to you? We’ve been tolerating online violence for years; it’s high time someone took legal action against those spreading defamatory dies about Chloe!]
The two factions argued fiercely while Chloe sat back, enjoying the drama.
At that moment, Felipe texted her, mentioning the court date was in three days.
Chloe replied with a simple “Got it” and then went back to enjoying the drama.
Little did she expect that the drama would come back to bite her.
Someone online revealed that Chloe had been working with Jioleek all along, causing another uproar on the internet.
[What? Chloe knows Jioleek? Goodness gracious, my mind is blown.]
[Wait, who’s Jioleek?]
[Hey, Jioleek is a big shot in the hacking world. If you’re a hacker and get to meet Jioleek, you can consider your life complete!]
Chloe clicked on the account that leaked her connection to Jioleek, only to find it was a newly registered account with just that one piece of information.
Frowning, she couldn’t help but wonder who could have posted that tweet.
The only person that came to her mind was Rachel.
