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827 Words
Looking at the sentence written by the little boy, the frustration in Chloe Bishop’s heart vanished instantly. A warm, soft feeling flooded her chest as she leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss onto Liam Jr.’s fair forehead. She couldn't help but feel a flicker of pity for Xavier Grayson. He doted on the boy so much, yet his status in his son's heart didn't even come close to hers. As a father, he was truly failing! Liam Jr.’s face turned bright red, his shy, adorable expression melting Chloe’s heart. She ruffled his curly hair, completely defenseless against this precious, thoughtful little boy. At the same time, she was stunned by his vocabulary—he was only four years old and hadn't even started formal schooling yet! Xavier didn't return until very late. After Chloe made sure Liam Jr. was tucked in and asleep, she sat on the sofa to read. When he finally walked through the door, he merely spared her a cold glance before heading straight into the bedroom. Half an hour later, Chloe put down her book and followed him in, but the bedroom was empty. The rhythmic sound of a keyboard clicking drifted from the study. He was still working! Chloe let out a helpless sigh and knocked on the study door. She watched Xavier sitting in front of his monitor and asked softly, "Have you eaten yet?" No reaction. Chloe tried again. "I’ll go bring your dinner up for you." A few minutes later, Chloe entered the study with a healthy late-night meal prepared by the kitchen and placed the tray on the coffee table. She glanced at the busy Xavier and walked over to his desk. "I brought your dinner up. You should eat it while it’s still hot." From beginning to end, Xavier didn't look at her once. He ignored her presence entirely. Chloe detested this kind of cold war—actually, it probably didn't even qualify as a cold war. No matter how busy he was, surely he could look at her or offer a simple "mm" in response? Being this dismissive was rude and lacked any shred of grace. Did he have any idea how awkward he was making things? Chloe took a deep breath and turned to leave the study. Fine, ignore me then! Eat or don't eat, I don't care! If I ever look out for you again, I’m a fool. Lying on the oversized bed, Chloe thought back to her conversation with Xavier at noon. Her mind was a mess of irritation. Why was it so difficult to just get along with him peacefully? Chloe never considered herself to have a particularly good temper, but compared to Xavier's volatility, her own moods were nothing. Forget it, she thought. I should focus on my studies. Every bit of knowledge helps. If the day ever came when she and Xavier actually divorced, she needed the ability to support the Bishop Group on her own. She refused to be backed into a corner with no way out ever again. She immediately contacted Justin and asked him to recommend some engaging business books and online courses. Without hesitation, she purchased the curriculum. The instructors were two young, elite returnees who taught live sessions from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM every night. The website also hosted recorded sessions, each about forty minutes long. Chloe started from the absolute basics: Introductory Level 1. The videos were far more interesting than the textbooks, and the teacher's explanations were clear and simple. Chloe managed to stay focused through the entire first lesson and moved straight into the second. Then, Chloe discovered... she had been far too naive. Starting from the second lesson, the difficulty spiked. She listened but couldn't understand a word, and the teacher had even assigned homework. To make matters worse, the assignments seemed completely unrelated to the content covered in the video. She stared at the screen, utterly lost. Weren't these supposed to be introductory basics? Do they have a misunderstanding of what 'introductory' means? When Xavier finally emerged from the study, he saw Chloe sitting on the floor, her head slumped over the coffee table as she slept. She was still biting the end of her fountain pen. Xavier’s brow furrowed. He walked toward her, standing over her for a long moment. He leaned down, gently slid the pen out of her mouth, and began to bend closer... At that exact moment, Chloe’s eyes snapped open. Xavier straightened up instantly, his face a mask of cold indifference. "Go to the kitchen and make me something to eat." Still half-asleep, Chloe nodded instinctively. "Oh... okay." Chloe is trying to bridge the gap between her life as a "socialite" and the hard reality of running a multi-billion dollar corporation. Will she swallow her pride and ask Xavier—the ultimate business titan—for help with her homework, or will his cold demand for a midnight snack push her further away?
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