Chapter 7

Chloe furrowed her brow, suppressing the pain, and looked at Ethan, asking, "Isn't Mr. Blackwood also going to be the groom on the same day? How will you have time to attend my wedding with Aiden?" A faint smile played on her face as she deliberately emphasized the name "Aiden." Ethan's expression remained unchanged, unaffected by Chloe's words. He chuckled lightly and looked at Chloe, saying, "Rest assured, considering our past friendship, I'll be there." After speaking, Ethan turned to Aiden, giving him a meaningful look. Hearing the mention of "past friendship," Chloe's face stiffened for a moment. Once Ethan left, Aiden suddenly released Chloe and strode toward the car. Feeling a twinge in her heart, Chloe quickly caught up. On the drive back, Aiden remained silent. Chloe attempted to speak several times but couldn't find the right words. In the end, she said nothing. The car stopped in front of a mansion. Chloe watched as Aiden took several bags of gifts from the trunk, realizing she hadn't prepared anything. Feeling sorry, she hastily followed Aiden's steps. Inside the living room, the maid took the items from Aiden. "Madam has been waiting for a while. Hurry and join for dinner." On the dining table, a spread of delicious dishes awaited. Aiden's mother, Elizabeth, sat at the head of the table with an indifferent expression. Once Aiden and Chloe took their seats, she suddenly confronted Chloe. "The wedding is approaching. It's time to discuss the dowry." Chloe paused in her actions. Aiden's face changed dramatically. "Mom!" Chloe looked at Aiden, sensing that his reaction was somewhat peculiar. At this moment, Elizabeth glared fiercely at Aiden and snapped, "Shut up!" Chloe clenched her fists slightly, her voice calm. "Please say it." Elizabeth looked at Chloe with a fake smile and said, "15% of Hollis Group's shares as part of the dowry, a mansion in the city, and Hollis Group will allocate 30% of its projects to Tinsley Group each year..." Listening to Elizabeth slowly listing the terms, Chloe's expression became increasingly grim. "Miss Hollis, where would a bankrupt Hollis Group get shares, a mansion, and projects? You must have put quite a bit of effort into fabricating these so-called dowry!" Elizabeth sneered and continued. "Look at you, so pretty and delicate. A young lady, yet unexpectedly shameless! Your lies flow so easily, it's unbelievable!" The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She forcefully tossed the documents in front of her towards Chloe! The hard case of the documents hit Chloe like a slap. Chloe, who knew nothing about this, blushed instantly, feeling embarrassed and indignant. She abruptly stood up, apologized to Elizabeth, grabbed her bag, and rushed out. Aiden's expression changed, and he quickly got up to follow. He grabbed Chloe's wrist. "Chloe, please listen to my explanation." Chloe's eyes reddened slightly, and she turned around forcefully, shaking off Aiden's hand. "Are all of these lies you made up? Why would you do this?! My family is bankrupt, but I've never relied on anyone, nor did I ever think I'd become a liar!" Aiden hurriedly explained. "I'm sorry; I just... I just wanted us to get married smoothly!" He sighed, "I thought you understood. If I didn't say those things, you wouldn't be able to marry into my family..." Chloe was taken aback. She looked at Aiden, a sense of disappointment overwhelming her. Though there were many things she wanted to say, she didn't want to continue. "Let's take some time apart. Let me think about it," she said, and then walked away. Aiden stood there momentarily, surprised by Chloe's unexpected response. He wanted to explain further, but he realized that she had already walked away. Chloe walked along the road, forcing herself to take deep breaths, preventing the tears from falling. Felt exhausted, she wrapped herself in a blanket at home, attempting to shut out everything. She just suddenly wanted to escape from this place. Early the next morning, she boarded a car back to her hometown in Greenwood. When the car arrived in Greenwood, it was 3 in the afternoon. She took a taxi directly to the hospital. As she approached the receptionist, she overheard the nurses discussing a patient in bed 18. "She's already in the Stage IV cancer. If she goes for treatment, it'll cost at least one million." "Hello, I'd like to ask, where is Lucy Hollis's room?" Chloe interrupted the nurses' conversation. The nurses looked at her with a hint of strangeness. "Go forward, the third room on your right. Bed 18." Chloe froze on the spot. Bed 18, Stage IV cancer!