Chapter 6 Zayne frowned slightly, and his expression turned a little colder. She actually follows me all the way to the library. Seeing that, Erin felt a wave of relief. She hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to greet Chloe, but Chloe had already walked into the library with a calm look on her face. Chloe spent the entire lunch break in the library. Just before class started, she returned to the classroom, arms full with a stack of ten books, and took her seat. Next to her, Callum was chatting with a bunch of his usual tagalongs. Apparently, they had skipped class all morning to play games at an internet café After talking about the game for a while, Vincent pulled out a deck of cards. He said , "Hey, Callum, let's play Uno" Then Vincent pulled out a pack of cigarettes and handed them around. Three or four guys lit up right there, and the air quickly turned thick and smoky. Chloe glanced toward the podium. A young female teacher, probably in her early twenties, looked too timid to handle this group of spoiled rich kids. She didn't dare scold them and just went on with the lesson as if nothing was happening, her voice dull and lifeless. And the rest of the class seemed used to it. Callum had a cigarette in one hand and was about to play card with the other. Just then, a slender pale hand reached over and snatched the cigarette from his fingers, tossed it to the floor, and crushed it under a white sneaker, grinding it to ashes. "Damn!" Vincent yelled. 'Chloe, are you serious right now! Callum's been going easy on you, and you really think you can just push your luck?" Chloe raised an eyebrow. " You've got two options. Either get out, or sit here in total silence. No noise, no smell. If not- Then Chloe picked up the water-based pen on Vincent's desk and snapped it in half with a light twist. Vincent stared at her in disbelief. Then he nudged Callum. "Dude, she's walking all over us now." Callum thought, I know full well how arrogant she is. But what can I do? I can't beat her Callum slumped over his desk. "Perfect. I'm tired anyway. Nap time" Vincent looked stunned. "Are you seriously scared of her? She's just a girl" " Real men don't fight women. Get it?" Callum said coldly. "Keep whining and you can get out ." Chloe lowered her head and went back to reading. The other slackers in the class, seeing the school tyrant back down, didn't dare cause any trouble Some went to sleep, others played on their phones. For the first time, the classroom fell completely silent. The young teacher could hardly believe it. With just one sentence, Chloe had shut them all down. What have I been so afraid of before? she thought. As soon as afternoon classes ended, Chloe grabbed her backpack and headed out of school. She took a cab straight to the Octmond Michael wa in a meeting at the company and wasn't home yet. But the butler recognized her now and respectfully led her inside . Chloe sat down by the bed. "What did the doctor say ? " The butler replied, "The longest he's ever stayed unconscious after an episode was three months. The shortest was three to four days. It's hard to say "Does it happen often ? Chloe pressed her lips together "What causes it?" The e butler stayed silent and didn't P P - Chapter 6 Chloe didn't push. Instead, she changed the subject. Please prepare a dinner for me. Chloe thought, 'If Chloe had a good relationship with the family, I wouldn't mind playing the role of a sweet, obedient daughter. 'But clearly, the Lancaster family doesn't need me. That works out perfectly. I don't want to stay tied to them anyway? Chloe would start pulling away-first with something simple, like meals. After dinner, Chloe took out a pencil. Within a few minutes, she had sketched a simple drawing and neatly placed it on the nightstand. Then she leaned back in the chair and began reading . It was a children's book from the 1930s or 40s. Chloe's voice, soft and steady, floated gently through the room, calm and soothing. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the butler thought he saw Tristan's fingers twitch. Chloe sat there for over half an hour before standing up. "Tris , I'm heading out. I'll come see you again tomorrow." The butler walked her to the door. "Ms. Lancaster, I can arrange a car for you ." "Thank you." Chloe smiled. "But I saw a bookstore nearby on my way here. I'll stop in for a bit." The books at the school library were all several years old. If Chloe wanted to understand the most recent breakthroughs in mathematics, she needed to buy journals and magazines. With her backpack slung over one shoulder, Chloe walked toward the bookstore. Just then, a car pulled up at the villa's front gate. The butler rushed over to open the door. "Mr. Rhodes." Callum glanced toward the bookstore. Isn't that Chloe ? Does she seriously follow me here? "Wait-just a few days ago at the airport, I also ran into her. Could the world really be that small? Thinking this, Callum curved his lips. The builer asked. "What are you smiling about, Mr. Rhodes?" "None of your business ," Callum said, striding inside. "How's Grandpa doing today ?" They talked as they walked into the house. Chloe spent a long time browsing in the bookstore. When she finally went to pay for the journals, she realized her phone only had a few hundred left. Just buying a few books had almost drained her balance. The Lancaster family are supposed to be one of the wealthiest families in Erord City, and this is all they gave their eighteen-year-old daughter? Chloe thought . Back then, at just fourteen, Chloe had taken over Lancaster Ventures and led the family's fortune abroad for her studies. She'd been through plenty of hardship -but never the kind that involved being broke. Even though the family eventually fell during the war, by then Chloe had already returned and become a nationally protected research scientist. As the lady of the Rhodes family, she had never needed to worry about money. At that time, the Rhodes family wasn't primarily in business . They held serious power in politics, the military, and academia . Part of their original fortune had come from Chloe. But she couldn't exactly tell Callum. "I'm your great -grandmother-send me No our would believe that. And Callum would think she was insane. I had to wait until Tris woke up, Chloe thought Chloe wandered through the bookstore for a while longer. By the time she got back, it was already past nine in the evening The four members of the Lancaster family were sitting in the living room. Sergio was reading over documents. Erin was helping Caleb with his homework Sarah walked in from the balcony after a phone call and said, "Erin, the Rhodes Group just announced a major new music talent show. The winners get to debut in a band and record a single with top artists . This is a big opportunity . " 2/3 P P Chapter 6 Suddenly, Chloe remembered that Erin had been in the entertainment industry. As a child, she acted in a lot of family drama series. Later on, her standout voice led her to pursue a singing career. Even though she wasn't exactly famous, for someone her age. Erin was doing pretty well. These are the audition requirements. Pick one of these three songs to record a video and send it to the production team, Sarah explained. "Flying High. " Moonlight, and Running Waters. They're all children's songs. You're young, your voice is clear, so you've got an advantage. Pick one and give it a try." Erin frowned. "I've never even heard of these songs." "They're from the 1920s and 30s, Sarah replied. "I heard from an insider that these were Tristan's favorite lullabies. He listened to them every day. Since he's been sick lately. I guess Mr. Rhodes wanted to fulfill his wish and suddenly launched this show. Chloe froze. Back then, whenever Tristan acted up, those were the three songs I'd sing to put him to sleep. Seventy years later, he's still listening to them every day. Tris must really miss me