Chapter 397: Chapter 397: Pausing the Collaboration with Preston Vance

Chloe looked away, refusing to meet his gaze.

The hospital room fell silent. She played a game on her phone, as if everything that had just happened was merely an interlude.

That evening, she returned to Maplewood Gardens and had dinner with her grandmother.

Her grandmother asked, "How is he doing now?"

Chloe said, "He’s in good spirits."

"That’s good." Her grandmother nodded. "Young people are resilient. They bounce back quickly."

Chloe smiled and took out the divorce agreement. "We’ve signed this," she said. "Once he’s fully recovered, we’ll go get our divorce finalized."

A smile spread across her grandmother’s face. "It seems you’ve both come to an agreement about the divorce. That’s good."

"Yes, that’s right."

’At least, that’s how things stand for now.’

’Once this is all over, we’ll dissolve our marriage.’

’But all of this is still a mystery. When will it finally be over?’

’He promised he would help me investigate.’

’And I’m supposed to move back to Jardinelle in the next few days.’

’He’ll be recuperating at Jardinelle.’

Chloe lowered her gaze, her thoughts a tangled mess. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Mr. Vance?"

Just then, the housekeeper’s voice came from the doorway.

Chloe’s eye twitched. She turned her head and saw Preston Vance standing in the doorway. He wore glasses, his handsome face gentle and kind. "I made some dessert," he said, "and brought it for you and your grandmother to try."

Her grandmother laughed. "Preston, you’re here! Come in, come in."

Preston Vance smiled, walked in, and set the box aside.

The housekeeper brought over water and fruit.

Her grandmother asked, "You’re off work so early today?"

"Mhm, it was a quiet day at work," Preston Vance said. "Chloe and I were supposed to visit a friend, but something came up for her last minute, so she had to leave. I just went home after that."

Her grandmother looked at Chloe. "Why did you cancel on him?"

Chloe was taken aback and gave a helpless smile. "I really did have something else to do. I didn’t mean to cancel on him."

Preston Vance shook his head. "Grandma, please don’t scold her. She’ll think I came here just to tattle on her."

Her grandmother laughed heartily. "It wouldn’t matter if you did! If she does something wrong, I’ll be sure to scold her."

"Grandma..." Chloe looked at her helplessly. "Whose grandmother are you, mine or his?"

Her grandmother gave her a gentle poke. "Oh, you. When have I ever truly scolded you?"

The atmosphere was warm and cozy, but Chloe’s mind was elsewhere.

Since he was here, she took the opportunity to say, "Preston, there’s actually something work-related I need to talk to you about."

"Alright."

Preston Vance got up and followed her to the study.

As soon as the door closed, Chloe said, "I’m dealing with a lot of personal things lately, and I can’t focus my energy on work right now. I think we should put our studio on hold for a while."

Preston Vance raised an eyebrow. "What’s going on? Tell me. Maybe I can help."

But Chloe shook her head. "I can handle it myself. I know this is sudden, but I don’t want to drag you into my problems. So, Preston, let’s just put things on hold for now."

A flicker of something passed through Preston Vance’s eyes. He asked tentatively, "Is this... about Walker Grant?"

’Chloe grew wary. He was probing, trying to get a read on her.’

’I’ve been so obviously evasive, so why does he keep pushing?’

’She thought about what happened today—how she’d been drugged with an aphrodisiac. If Daniel Hayes hadn’t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable.’

Suddenly, she couldn’t bring herself to look Preston Vance in the eye.