The old woman smiled and nodded. "Yes, that’s the right way to think about it. What other people do is their business. We just need to be true to ourselves."

Chloe Reed murmured her assent.

Miles Hawthorne arrived shortly after, gift in hand, and chatted cheerfully with the old woman. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Chloe Reed sat to the side, watching quietly. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, but the doubt in her heart didn’t last long.

’Don’t overthink this.’

’Right now, Miles Hawthorne is the one helping me.’

’If I hurt Miles’s feelings with my suspicions, wouldn’t that do more harm than good?’

’That would make me a real ingrate.’

The old woman’s energy was flagging. After chatting for a bit, she began to look tired.

"Grandma, you should get some rest. Chloe and I are going to take a walk," Miles Hawthorne said, seeing her fatigue.

"Alright."

...

Behind the hospital, there was an artificial lake. On nice days, patients would come out for some fresh air.

But at this hour, there weren’t many people around.

The two of them strolled along the lakeshore. Lights from the shore reflected on the water, which rippled gently, spreading the shimmering glow in circles like shattered gold.

"I feel like you’ve changed a lot lately," Miles Hawthorne said with a smile, glancing at her.

"Really?" Chloe Reed touched her cheek. "Have I gotten even prettier?"

"You’ve always been beautiful. It’s just your aura that’s different now—more independent, and more decisive." Miles Hawthorne chose his words carefully. "Could it be thanks to that Mr. Zhou?"

Chloe Reed smiled faintly. "With resources comes confidence. I finally understand why the rich and powerful act so high and mighty. Now, I’m not afraid of anything either."

"Sounds like you’ve gained quite a bit," Miles Hawthorne said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Mind telling me about it?"

Chloe Reed glanced at him and said, "You’ll find out eventually."

Miles Hawthorne smiled knowingly. "Just as I thought."

He paused, then asked, "Does it have to do with your grandmother?"

"Isn’t it a good thing that I’ve become stronger?" Chloe Reed retorted. "As my friend, you should be happy for me."

"Of course I’m happy for you," Miles Hawthorne said. "I’m gratified to see you come into your own."

A strange feeling passed over Chloe Reed, but it was gone as quickly as it came, vanishing before she could dwell on it.

"What about you?" she asked.

Miles Hawthorne shrugged. "Oh, you know, same as ever. My family’s company isn’t that big, and since I was abroad for so many years, I’m not involved in any of the core operations. I’m basically a fringe player now, just relying on a major client like you to keep me afloat."

Chloe Reed couldn’t help but laugh. "You don’t have to keep reminding me. I won’t short you your agent fee."

But Miles Hawthorne said, "Hey, I’m feeling the pressure. After all, you have your own legal team now. What if my people underperform and you get angry and drop me?"

"That’s not going to happen," Chloe Reed said. "Don’t worry about that. If you all cooperate to help me, my chances of success will be even higher."

"Alright, I’ll hold you to that. Just don’t go ditching me halfway through," Miles Hawthorne joked.

"Absolutely not."

"I also heard about what’s happening with the Reed Group. That was all you, wasn’t it?" Miles Hawthorne watched her, a flicker of keen interest in his eyes. "Why suddenly target your own family’s company? Did Sunny Reed do something again?"

Chloe Reed said, "It’s nothing more than the usual. I just want them to know that I’m not a pushover anymore."