On the Day I Was Kicked Out of the Wealthy Family, I Had a Flash Marriage with a Tycoon

Chapter 224: They All Think That Way

Chloe Sterling looked at Jasper Lockwood and said seriously, "Jasper Lockwood, I’m not working myself to death for anyone. I just want to get this job done as quickly as possible."

"If Silas Coldwell weren’t in his current situation, would you be pushing yourself this hard?" Jasper Lockwood asked.

Chloe Sterling’s expression faltered slightly. "Do I have to be pushing myself this hard for him? Can’t it be for..."

Jasper Lockwood said, "For what?"

Chloe had wanted to say, ’Can’t it be for you? So you’ll stop being jealous all the time, so we can travel together.’ But that didn’t seem very convincing, and she couldn’t deny that a part of her did want to help Silas Coldwell.

But her desire to help Silas had absolutely nothing to do with romantic feelings. She just wanted to repay a favor.

"Are you trying to say it’s for me?" Jasper Lockwood said. "If it’s for me, then there’s no need. Silas Coldwell isn’t even in Crestfall. You won’t see him at the Nocturne Group, so you don’t have to be in such a hurry."

Chloe said petulantly, "It’s not for you. It’s for myself. I don’t want to be at the Nocturne Group anymore. I want to leave as soon as possible!"

Jasper Lockwood: "..."

After that, neither of them spoke, eating the rest of their meal in silence.

When they were finished and had left the restaurant, Jasper Lockwood suddenly spoke up. "Don’t work so late today. I’ll come pick you up at six."

After a brief pause, Chloe said, "No, I have to finish everything on my schedule for today."

Jasper Lockwood stared at her, a hint of a threat in his voice. "If you’re not out by six, then I’ll have to come in and get you."

"You..." Chloe was choked with anger. "Then come on in. Just remember to bring plenty of men. Even though it’s just a branch office, there are quite a few bodyguards."

Jasper Lockwood: "..."

In the end, they parted on bad terms and went their separate ways.

Chloe returned to the lab with a cold expression. The two Pharmacists guessed what had happened and didn’t dare to strike up a conversation. Besides, what they’d said was true. No matter how angry Jasper Lockwood got, it was a fact that Lynn Chester cared about their boss.

Seeing the two men beside her, Chloe suddenly remembered what they had said before, asking if she was working so hard for Silas Coldwell. ’Do they think the same way Jasper does?’

’Or is that just how all men think?’

Noticing Chloe looking at them, one of them asked, "Miss Chester, is something wrong?"

After a moment of thought, Chloe said, "I have a question for you."

"Go ahead."

"Why do you think I’ve been working myself to death to finish this project recently?"

The two men glanced at each other, then paused. One of them answered, "For President Coldwell, of course. To help him."

The other one added, "That’s right, Miss Chester. We can all tell you care a lot about our boss. You’re working so hard so he has something to show the elders. We’ve all seen it, and President Coldwell understands it in his heart, too."

"Right, we all get it. It’s just... there’s one thing we don’t understand. Since you care so much about President Coldwell, why aren’t you willing to join the Nocturne Group and be with him? Could it be... he did something to wrong you in the past? Something you can’t forgive? Then why are you still willing to help him?"

Chloe was speechless, staring at the two of them in exasperation. "Is that really what you think?"

The man said, "What else could it be?"

Chloe said, "Couldn’t it be because I want to get away from the Nocturne Group and Silas Coldwell sooner?"

The man replied, "Then you could just pull some strings to make sure President Coldwell can’t get past the elders. Wouldn’t that also let you get away from him?"

Chloe couldn’t help but laugh. "So because I chose to help him instead of kicking him while he’s down, that means I care about him? What kind of logic is that? Is that how all men think?"

The two men were momentarily struck speechless, finding themselves unable to refute her point.

’Could it be that we were really wrong?’

Chloe’s sharp gaze fixed on the two of them as she demanded, "You haven’t been spouting nonsense in front of Silas Coldwell, have you?"

The two men’s expressions changed slightly, and they immediately shook their heads.

"No, no, absolutely not."

"Right, definitely not."

In reality, they had already said plenty. How could they pass up such a prime opportunity to suck up? Not only had they told Silas Coldwell how hard Chloe Sterling had been working to help him finish the project, but they had also embellished their story, adding how nervous, worried, and concerned she seemed for him.

Silas Coldwell was naturally delighted to hear this. And when the big boss was happy, their own benefits were sure to follow.

Chloe saw the guilty looks on their faces and knew they were lying. She then said, "Listen carefully. I’m only doing this to complete my deal with Silas Coldwell as quickly as possible. After this project is over, we will go back to being strangers.

"So you’d better stop spouting nonsense in front of Silas Coldwell. Otherwise, he might be happy now, but when I part ways with him for good, things might get a little ugly for you."

The two men’s faces paled, their expressions turning awkward.

It seemed they really had been mistaken. This woman had no feelings for their boss whatsoever.

Chloe ignored them and focused on her work.

The time quickly reached six in the evening. Chloe was a little worried. ’Would Jasper Lockwood really barge into the Nocturne Group?’ But on second thought, he probably wouldn’t be that impulsive.

Fortunately, there was no commotion outside; Jasper Lockwood hadn’t come. ’But...’ she glanced at the two Pharmacists beside her and recalled their words. ’Jasper probably thinks the same way they do.’

Unlike the past few days, she didn’t work until almost midnight. Instead, she returned to the Lockwood Residence shortly after eight.

But Jasper Lockwood wasn’t home.

Chloe asked the butler, "Did Mr. Jasper say when he’d be back?"

The butler replied, "Madam, Mr. Jasper didn’t say when he would be returning."

Since they had parted on bad terms at lunch, Chloe didn’t want to call Jasper Lockwood directly, so she called Henry Chamberlain instead.

"Henry, are you with Mr. Lockwood? Does he have a social engagement tonight?"

Over the phone, Henry Chamberlain said, "Madam, he’s drinking with President Sinclair. Are you home?"

"I... not yet. I was just asking. Let them be."

"Oh, okay."

After hanging up, Chloe went back upstairs, planning to talk to Jasper Lockwood when he returned.

「In the bar.」

Henry Chamberlain thought for a moment, then called the butler at the residence to ask if Madam had returned. The butler confirmed she had. Henry understood; his guess had been correct.

After hanging up, he immediately walked over to Jasper Lockwood’s side.

Jasper Lockwood was drinking with Tristan Sinclair, and neither of them looked particularly happy.

Henry Chamberlain approached cautiously and whispered in Jasper Lockwood’s ear, "Sir, Madam is home. She just called to ask me when you would be back."

Jasper Lockwood’s long fingers tightened around his glass as he glanced sideways at him. "She called *you*?"

A chill went down Henry Chamberlain’s spine. He quickly added, "Madam thought you were at a social engagement and was afraid of disturbing you, so she called me instead. I told her you weren’t at an engagement, but were drinking with President Sinclair."

Jasper Lockwood’s thin lips pressed into a firm line. He said nothing.

Steeling himself, Henry Chamberlain continued, "Sir, shall we head back?"

After a long moment of silence, Jasper Lockwood said coldly, "No."