CHAPTER 159: PLEASE...

The drive didn’t take long.

Chloe had chosen a quiet restaurant. The place had dim lighting and soft jazz humming through the air, with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the city skyline. It was the kind of place people came to for a relaxing dinner.

Gray followed Chloe to their table. He was surprised once again that she’d made such a proper reservation. The staff seemed to recognize her, too, as one of them greeted Chloe by name when they walked off.

As soon as they were seated, Chloe casually ordered their food without even checking the menu.

"You’ve been here before?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A few times," she said, folding her hands neatly on the table. "Mostly with my dad. Sometimes, when he wanted to talk about ’important things’ over dinner. You know how he is."

"Yeah," Gray said with a chuckle.

Not long after, their meals arrived. It was a restaurant without a menu because they only served one full-course meal.

As Gray glanced in his plate, he saw that the food was plated beautifully. It also looked delicious.

With their stomachs grumbling, they just ate for a while with small talk in between.

The conversation drifted between small updates, jokes, and Chloe sharing something from her life.

I think I kind of get it now," she said as she idly stirred her drink with the tip of her straw. "Why my dad always care so much about the company. Why he wanted me to understand it."

Gray glanced up at her.

For a moment, Chloe looked so serious as she said those words. It was not like her.

"I used to think everything about how business was just boring. Or worse, pointless. A world of suits and meetings and fake smiles. We’re already rich, so why bother? But after I watched things closely... after I saw how it ran... it wasn’t just that. Not really."

Chloe smiled faintly as her eyes stayed fixed on her glass.

"There are people behind the numbers. There’s something that gets built and moved and protected with every choice that’s made. I didn’t notice that before." She finally looked at him.

"I still don’t know what I want to do, exactly," she went on, "but I started taking private lessons. Just basic stuff, you know. Management. Business strategy. The kind of things I ignored before."

"You did?" Gray blinked. "You never told me."

"I was embarrassed to, honestly." She laughed softly. She also couldn’t say that it was part of her deal with her dad to invest in Velmora Tech, which was surprisingly doing well now.

"It felt weird being the daughter who suddenly went from rejecting everything to actually... trying."

There was no hint of bragging in her voice. There was no pride, either. It was just Chloe and her honesty. It was as if she were someone learning how to understand themselves all over again.

Gray stared at her for a long second.

He could still see the Chloe he knew. That playful, stubborn girl who teased him whenever she got the chance. But there was something new underneath all that now.

"Honestly, I didn’t expect that," Gray said at last.

"I figured." Chloe grinned, sipping from her glass. "But that’s okay. I didn’t expect it either."

The two of them shared a look. And for a while, there wasn’t a need to speak. The city outside gleamed softly through the glass, and the air between them felt calm, steady, even.

"Anyway," Chloe said after a while, tapping her fork against her empty plate. "Thanks for listening."

Gray shook his head, his lips tugging up again.

"You know you don’t need to thank me for that."

"I know," she replied easily. "But I wanted to."

They stayed in the restaurant for a while longer after finishing the meal. They even ordered a dessert after. For them, there was no rush.

Outside, the sky had already turned a deeper shade of blue. From where they sat, they could see the last traces of golden hour slipping behind the skyline. The city lights slowly flickered to life, one building after another, lighting up.

Chloe leaned back in her chair, sipping the last of her drink, a lazy smile playing on her lips.

"This place is nice," Gray said, glancing out the window.

"Right? I knew you’d like it."

"You’re starting to sound a little too proud."

"I am proud," she shot back with a grin. "I planned this whole thing, you know."

Gray chuckled. "Good thing, I agreed then."

"You’re the worst."

Their laughter settled into a peaceful silence again. And for a few seconds, everything felt peaceful.

Then—

Krinnng.

Gray’s phone buzzed on the table beside him, interrupting the moment.

He frowned slightly and glanced at his phone, which was placed down. He couldn’t see who it was because it’s the back of the phone was facing him.

He ignored it and returned his gaze to Chloe.

But then it rang again.

And again.

Three times.

"...Hold on," Gray muttered under his breath, picking up the phone.

This time, he saw the name of the caller.

Selina.

He blinked.

Why was she calling him?

Gray quickly answered, pressing the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Selina? Is there a pro—"

But before he could say anything else, a rushed voice came through the other end. The voice was loud, panicked, and breathless.

"Gray!" Selina cried out loud. "We’re at the hospital! Lily’s... Lily said she’s feeling sick! I don’t know what happened, but she said her tummy hurts!"

Gray paled as he heard those words. His hand tightened around the phone. His back straightened instantly, and the air around him seemed to freeze.

"What?" Gray said, his voice sharp. "What hospital?"

"St. Francis," Selina replied quickly. Her voice was shaky and rushed. It was evident how she was trying not to panic so she could say everything to Gray.

"We’re in the ER right now. I didn’t know what to do... she was crying and curled up in pain, and then she said she felt dizzy! Gray, I swear I got her here as fast as I could. I was so scared!"

Gray stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the floor. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

"I’m coming," he said. "I’m on my way right now."

"Okay," Selina whispered. "We’ll wait for you."

’Please... I hope nothing bad happens to Lily.’ Gray could only plead in silence.