Chapter 22: Excitement

Chloe's life remained simple, revolving around two places: her apartment and the library. Occasionally, she'd reward herself with a nice meal for her hard work, and if she happened to run into her neighbor, they’d sometimes share food. Well, it was more of a one-sided sharing, as Chloe would always offer her dishes. Although her living conditions in the apartment couldn’t compare to the luxury of a villa, and her quality of life had dropped considerably, this lifestyle made her feel freer than ever before. There was nothing tying her down, and she was more satisfied than she had been in a long time. Mia, being one of Chloe’s closest friends, called daily to check in on her. This time, she called to arrange a dinner outing. “Don’t even think about saying no. This is the third time I’m asking, and even if you were a machine, you’d need to wind down a bit!” Mia, knowing Chloe might decline, made sure to block off any possibility of refusal. In the end, they met at a Japanese restauran