Chapter 002: Craving? That's Right!

At the entrance to the restroom.

Chloe tidied herself up and came out, saw a man with a wicked smile, and slightly furrowed her eyebrows.

Ethan Coates looked her up and down, raising his thick eyebrows, "Not bad looking but a bit thin, little Sister, what's your name?"

"Get out of the way."

Chloe spoke indifferently, just like her personality.

The light in the hallway shone on the girl, casting a pale color on her, making her skin even colder and whiter, even the light purple veins were clearly visible.

Feeling a sudden weight on his shoulder, Ethan Coates turned his head to see Len Hawthorne dressed properly.

"We should go," Len Hawthorne's lips curled up seductively, and his long, black eyes filled with a dangerous laugh, "Little girl, it's not a good habit to sneak into the men's room instead of studying well."

Chloe stared at him quietly.

She seemed a bit foolish and silly in the eyes of others.

Ethan Coates laughed, "Young Master Hawthorne, the little girl is awestruck! Here is Young Master Hawthorne's private number, little girl, feel free to call him!"

With that, he took out a wrinkled business card from his pocket and placed it in her collar.

Len Hawthorne's palm slapped Ethan Coates' forehead, his alluring eyes lifted slightly, and he glanced at the unresponsive Chloe.

He wanted to take back the wrinkled business card but stopped himself, as it had gone into the little girl's collar.

"Let's go, don't delay the important business."

Len Hawthorne's gaze moved from the little girl's face to her waist, then to her straight long legs. After sizing her up, he turned and walked away with an elegant stride.

Ethan Coates moved closer, chuckling with delight, "Isn't Young Master Hawthorne's figure great? Does it make you drool? If it does, dial this number, and I guarantee you'll be surprised!"

He put his hands in his pockets, whistling as he walked out of the hallway of the public restroom.

He's nuts!

Chloe, with a cold expression on her face, shook out the business card that had been tucked into her clothes.

On top of it were the words "Len Hawthorne" and a series of numbers.

So the man's name is Len Hawthorne?

She remembered it.

He's just like those haunting customer-fetchers in ancient times.

Really bad luck.

Stepping on the business card, Chloe patted the area where she'd been touched earlier and went to complete the tests with her urine sample.

...

"Chloe, why did you take so long?"

Yvette Foster ran over, full of concern.

Fred Foster, a bit older now, panted as he followed behind her.

"Yvette, Chloe is not young anymore, she can handle little things on her own..." Fred wanted Yvette to let go and let Chloe do her own thing, afraid that one day they both wouldn't be around, and Chloe wouldn't know how to take care of herself.

"Dad, Chloe has had some unpleasant experiences at the hospital in the past, and I'd rather she not go inside unless she really has to," she worried about Chloe experiencing symptoms.

Yvette Foster could never accept the fact that her daughter had a problem with her brain. To her, Chloe was just like a normal person.

Just a bit slower in response than others.

Chloe handed the test results to Yvette Foster.

Yvette Foster was stunned, took it, and looked at Fred Foster.

Fred Foster smiled and said, "I told you Chloe could do it!"

Yvette Foster looked at Chloe, with tears in her eyes, "Chloe has grown up."

Chloe raised her eyebrows. Even though she had been disconnected for one hundred years, she didn't need to be treated like a mentally challenged person.

...

After checking the urine test report, Doctor Gordon nodded, "It's nothing serious, just that the body is too weak. Apply ointment on the abrasion at home for a few days and use nutritional supplements to recover strength."

Doctor Gordon turned on the computer, typed down a list of medications for them to pick up and pay for before heading home.

Watching Chloe being escorted out by the two of them, Doctor Gordon shook his head.

The child looks good, but her mind is a bit slow, what a pity.

After leaving the county hospital, they went shopping for high-nutrition vegetables to take home.

Upon entering the house, they heard the nagging from the first floor.

"Weren't you going to the hospital? Why did you go to the market and buy so many vegetables? The household expenses are already high, she has been here for one or two years, eating our food, living in our house, and her so-called rich father hasn't even visited once, only sent over a few thousand dollars. What can that do?"

Carrying vegetables in, Yvette Foster looked embarrassed and turned to Chloe, "Chloe, you go upstairs and rest first. I'll make you something delicious and call you when it's ready."

Old Madam disapproved of Yvette doting on Chloe so much, "Yvette, don't just spoil her all day. If we still lived in the village, she would have to help with the farm work at this time."

Yvette smiled and placated, "Mother, Chloe just got injured."

"Chloe, go upstairs," Fred Foster also urged Chloe to go upstairs.

The Old Madam felt uncomfortable and spoke more harshly, "It's just a scratch, and she's not going to school anymore. Going to the hospital must have cost a lot."

"Enough," Fred's brow furrowed like the character "川", pushing Chloe to go upstairs.

Chloe glanced at the Old Madam, then walked past her to go upstairs.

The Old Madam felt uneasy being stared at by Chloe and couldn't help getting angry, "Look at her attitude."

"You're her grandmother, can't you act like one?" Fred Foster snapped irritably.

The Old Madam's eyes widened, and she felt wronged by the scolding.

Fred spoke to Yvette, "You go and make something nutritious for her, Doctor Gordon said she needs it. My son-in-law gave plenty of money, so don't worry about finances."

Just as the Old Madam wanted to argue back, Fred Foster glared at her.

"Alright," Yvette knew her mother had always favored boys over girls. If not for her own good marriage, she would have been traded off as a bargaining chip to older men, for family interests, long ago.

...

Chloe sat on her bed meditating, hearing the voices from downstairs.

"Meow."

The black cat silently leaped out from the corner and nestled quietly beside Chloe.

Yvette brought lunch directly to her room, which again got her scolded by the Old Madam.

For her daughter's sake, Yvette pretended not to care about these things.

After finishing lunch, Chloe looked at the frail woman, who was cleaning up the dishes, and asked, "Why don't you move out?"

Yvette paused and then smiled gently, "What's the matter? Chloe, do you want to move out and live on your own?"

"This family dislikes us," Chloe said. "So why do we still live here?"

"Chloe, if it's just the two of us, it'll be much harder. But if you want to move out, I can try to make more money and then we can move..."

"Doesn't the Stephens family send you money regularly?"

"Let's not touch that money, alright?" Yvette almost begged.

Chloe frowned but didn't ask why they couldn't use it.

Yvette, holding the dishes at the door, couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

Wiping her tears, she put on a strong front and went downstairs.

Yvonne Sullivan, Chloe's aunt who came home from work for dinner, saw Yvette's red eyes and felt somewhat impatient.

"Sister-in-law."

"Mm."

Yvonne simply answered and went into the dining room, ignoring her.

At night, Xavier and everyone came back from school, the family gathered, and the house was lively. Only Chloe's room was eerily quiet with the black cat wrapped around her, occasionally lifting its beautiful glass-like eyes to look out the window.

Chloe opened her eyes, walked to the window, pushed it open, and suddenly leaped, gracefully landing in the alley behind the house.

The black cat followed, taking cat steps to stay beside Chloe.

Under the night, the combination of the girl and the black cat was strangely eerie!

...

"Team Hawthorne, the target escaped."

On the slope outside the county town, a swift figure quickly ran to the man's side, panting to report.

Len Hawthorne's captivating eyes narrowed, "They ruined my clothes and let them escape, where does that leave my face? What are you all waiting for? Find them! If you can't find them, go back and receive your punishment."

The men standing beside Len Hawthorne hurried into action.

"Tsk, Young Master Hawthorne is angry, that's no small matter." Ethan Coates squatted down, stretching his hand to touch the wet mud on the ground. "They shouldn't have gotten far."

Suddenly, his butt was fiercely kicked, and Ethan almost fell flat on his face from the force.

Len Hawthorne looked down at him and chuckled darkly, "You can have a taste of your own shit. You dragged me into this, and now you want me to pay a betrothal gift?"

Ethan shuddered, his face turning pale, "Yes, I'll bring the person back for Young Master Hawthorne to vent his anger."

What a joke! Who didn't know that Len 'Five' Hawthorne of Forty-Nine City had the destiny of a solitary star? Even ghosts and gods feared him! Anyone who dared to make him unhappy could expect a betrothal gift and be bankrupt in three days and choked to death by cold water in seven!

This wasn't a joke; everyone in the Forty-Nine City had witnessed it, and none had been spared!