Just then, the elevator doors opened. The person waiting outside stared for a moment upon seeing them before stepping inside.

Chloe Reed averted her gaze, pretending she hadn’t seen a thing.

The elevator car had mirrored walls, so anyone standing at the front could see what was happening behind them.

The woman’s gaze was full of curiosity.

After all, Walker Grant and Chloe Reed were standing on opposite sides of the elevator, yet they were still holding hands, their arms stretched awkwardly between them. It was a ridiculous sight.

The woman even took out her phone, seemingly to take a picture.

But then an icy glare fell upon her, and she shuddered. She quickly pretended to be busy on her phone, her fingers fumbling across the screen, not daring to sneak another peek at them.

When the elevator reached the first floor, the woman hurried out. Even from a distance, Chloe Reed could still hear her on a voice chat.

"OMG, you guys, you’ll never guess what I just saw..."

Chloe Reed: "..."

She tried to wrench her arm free again, but he wouldn’t let go.

He didn’t say a word, and he didn’t release her.

She was truly out of patience.

Finally, the car pulled over in front of a pharmacy. Walker Grant got out, went inside, and returned holding a bag of ice.

Walker Grant took her hand and placed the bag of ice directly into her palm.

The biting cold seeped through her skin, and her fingers curled reflexively.

She looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

Walker Grant looked down at her reddened palm, his gaze darkening a fraction. "It’ll stop hurting in a bit," he said.

A complex expression flickered in Chloe Reed’s clear eyes. "Walker Grant, you’re so full of contradictions."

’One moment he’s suspecting me of laying a hand on Sunny Reed.’

’The next, he’s grabbing my hand, getting ice to stop the pain.’

’What is going on inside his head?’

"I think you were right," Walker Grant said, looking up at her. "If you really wanted to hurt someone, you wouldn’t go so easy on them. You’d make sure they were in pain, crying, before you’d even think of stopping."

Chloe Reed’s lips tightened into a thin line.

Walker Grant continued, "So, this time, she fell on her own."

Hearing him say this, Chloe Reed felt no stir of emotion.

Their relationship was riddled with countless holes and voids.

And he was only patching up the most insignificant ones, which couldn’t salvage anything.

The gaping holes were still there, letting in a bitter wind, and sometimes, sharp weapons would fall out and wound her.

She said, "Just let me go."

Walker Grant looked at her, then slowly released his grip.

Chloe Reed tossed the bag of ice aside. "I don’t need this," she said, her tone flat.

Then she moved to get out of the car.

But the doors were locked; she couldn’t open them.

Without looking back at him, she said, "Unlock the door."

Walker Grant stared at her, his gaze heavy. "Then what is it you want? Aside from what happened with Noah, haven’t I been good enough to you?"

Chloe Reed kept her eyes downcast, only repeating, "Unlock the door."

’She was done trying to talk to him about it all.’

’She had already introduced Selene Adler to him. Tomorrow, Selene would start working at his company. They would have more opportunities to see each other, and all Chloe had to do was wait for Selene to win him over. Then they could finally get divorced.’

Walker Grant felt that familiar sense of suffocation. He reached up and tugged at his collar, his tone hardening. "Where are you going? I’ll drive you."

"I don’t need you to."

"I have to drive you."

Both of their stubborn streaks flared. One refused, and the other insisted.

And so, they were at an impasse.

Walker Grant shot her a look, his brows furrowed. Without asking again, he started the car and drove off toward Jardinelle.