The Paine family had spent so much time abroad, where their dining options felt limited.
Now that they were back in the country, they had no desire for Western cuisine, opting instead for simple, home-cooked meals.
“If anything isn’t to your taste, just let me know.
I’ll have the chef adjust it next time,” Wayne Paine said softly, as if carefully observing the Austin family’s reaction.
“It’s fine.
It’s quite delicious.” Mark Austin was the first to reply, which made Wayne feel a bit better.
“By the way, why hasn’t Ethan come down to eat yet?
We’ve been eating for a while,” Winona Hayes asked slowly.
“Ignore him.
I reckon he’s on the phone again.
Whenever he gets busy, the calls are endless.” Wayne seemed accustomed to this.
He didn’t even look up, just continuing to eat his food.
“What are your plans for the future, Chloe?
I heard you’re working in design.
Do you want to open your own design company or studio someday?” Wayne asked.
“I do, but there’s no rush right now.
My skills aren’t quite there yet.
I’ll wait until I’ve learned a bit more,” Chloe smiled, though she had already made up her mind.
She had previously given up a new learning opportunity because of her marriage.
Now that she was free, she wanted to continue studying design-related knowledge.
“It’s incredibly difficult to run a studio these days.
Most shut down after just three months.
Very few can stay afloat for years,” Mark sighed.
Chloe looked at everyone with a smile.
She hadn’t actually considered starting a studio or company right away; she was just trying to set their minds at ease.
“There’s no hurry.
Right now, I just want to focus on learning.
I’ve fallen behind on so many things during my marriage.
Since I have the time now, I need to improve myself first before considering moving to a higher level.
Besides, there’s no place where I can learn more than I can with my mom.”
Chloe’s intentions were crystal clear.
As everyone continued eating, smiles appeared on their faces.
“Your parents must be very happy that you think this way.
Your dad told me about the divorce.
If you ever really need anything, Chloe, just give Ethan a call,” Wayne added.
“Thank you, Uncle Paine.
You’re so good to me.” Chloe’s sweet words easily won Wayne over.
“It really is better to have a daughter.
Unlike that brat of mine, who caused me nothing but trouble back in the day.
Now we hardly exchange a word in days.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think we were enemies.”
Wayne voiced his true feelings, prompting Winona and Mark to offer him words of comfort.
As they ate, a tall man suddenly sat down next to Chloe.
She tilted her head to look at him, only then realizing that the new arrival was her childhood playmate, Ethan Paine.
“If it isn’t Ethan!
We haven’t seen you in such a long time,” Winona said with a warm smile.
Ethan returned the greeting to her and Mark.
“Look here, this is Chloe, and this is Jensen.
You and Chloe went to the same school when you were kids.
You were even in the same class and used to play together after school all the time.
Why aren’t you saying anything now that you’ve met?”
Wayne seemed a little dissatisfied.
Ethan merely gave a faint nod and said nothing.
“Ethan has grown much more mature and steady.
He’s no longer as restless and impulsive as he was when he was little.
This is a good thing, Old Man Paine,” Mark said.
“While it might be a good thing, he can also be a bit disrespectful at times.
I’d rather he be a little more lively.”
The people at the dining table chatted casually, finishing their meal in the process.
Chloe looked at Ethan.
He had changed quite a bit.
As a child, he was rather chubby, but now he was tall with striking features.
He had such a prominent, straight nose that she couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances.
“If looking at me fills your stomach, I don’t mind you staring a little longer,” Ethan said.
Chloe quickly withdrew her gaze.
The awkwardness only dissipated when Jensen placed some food in her bowl.
“Uncle Austin, Aunt Hayes, I heard Chloe is working at your company now.
Are you still short on staff?
Why don’t you hire me too?” Ethan joked as he served tea to Winona and Mark.
His words sent Winona and Mark into a fit of laughter.
“How could our company possibly hire you?
You’re a famous top-tier corporate lawyer now.
I even heard Old Man Finch talking about you today.
You have a bright future ahead of you.
Don’t go burying your talents in my company,” Mark chimed in.
“Exactly.
My company deals with design.
What would a lawyer like you do there?
Help us fight lawsuits?” Winona asked with a smile.
Ethan paused before saying, “I heard about what happened between Amore and Tess.
At the time, I was wondering if Chloe would come to me if she needed a lawyer.
It seems she still doesn’t trust my abilities.”
“How did you know about that?
Who told you?” Winona asked in surprise.
“President Hayes, your company’s legal counsel is my college classmate and former roommate.
He mentioned it in passing.
I looked into it myself, and it wasn’t hard to figure out.”
Chloe didn’t know what to say and felt a bit embarrassed.
“It seems our company’s legal counsel isn’t very tight-lipped.
Mom, shouldn’t we consider replacing him?” Chloe quipped.
“Oh, stop it.
Watch what you say,” Winona playfully scolded her daughter.
Chloe just grinned at everyone.
Chloe stood up to go to the restroom to touch up her makeup, and afterward, she didn’t return to the living room.
There was nothing wrong with chatting with them, but today, she just wanted to take a moment to breathe and collect herself.
“Today…
today hasn’t been a good day at all,” she murmured, a slight tremble in her voice.
Although nothing major had happened, the delayed realization still left her with a pang of heartache.
She had hoped Caden Sterling would agree to the divorce, but he had agreed far too readily.
Standing on the balcony, letting the cold wind brush against her, Chloe subconsciously rested her hand over her stomach.
A small life was growing inside her.
This was her child.
Even if the child would grow up without a father, she had already made up her mind to raise them well on her own.
“Standing out here in the wind probably isn’t a good idea for someone who just got discharged from the hospital, is it?”
“How do you know everything?
You weren’t like this when we were kids.” Ethan’s sudden appearance startled Chloe.
She hastily moved her hand to rest on the railing and took the opportunity to jab at him.
“I’m a lawyer.
Whenever there’s a dispute, the places I visit most frequently are either the police station or the hospital.
If you cared about me enough, you’d know that I’m currently handling a case for migrant workers fighting for their unpaid wages.”
“Why would I care about you?
And you expect me to care about you ‘enough’?” Chloe asked in confusion, subconsciously tilting her head as she looked at him.
“You used to look at me like that when we were kids.
Don’t look at me like that; I can’t handle it,” Ethan said, averting his gaze.
Chloe curled her lips, feeling that Ethan was just being dramatic.