Chapter 766: Determined to Leave

Hearing such morbid words so suddenly left an uncomfortable lump in her chest. Chloe Reed furrowed her brows. Gripping the old woman’s hand tightly, she forced the words out, syllable by syllable, "Don’t. Say. That."

The old woman merely smiled kindly. Stroking Chloe’s hair with the tranquil air of someone who had seen through worldly affairs, she said, "I made peace with this a long time ago. Although my life hasn’t been perfect, it has been wonderful. I’ve experienced a bit of everything, so my time here hasn’t been wasted. We all have to face parting calmly; after all, it is just a fact of life."

Chloe simply buried her face in her grandmother’s embrace, refusing to listen to another word.

Her grandmother didn’t continue nagging. Instead, she gently stroked Chloe’s long hair, over and over again, just like she did when Chloe was a child. They had always spent their quiet afternoons together exactly like this.

Since her grandmother insisted on returning to her hometown, Chloe didn’t try to stop her. She discussed the matter with Walker Grant.

"I’ll dispatch people to secretly protect Grandma twenty-four hours a day," Walker assured her. "Don’t worry."

Chloe nodded and managed to say, "Thank... you."

Walker immediately began to push his luck. "Just a verbal thank you?"

Chloe fixed him with a cool, watery stare. Pulling out her phone, she typed out a reply and showed the screen to him. "We aren’t divorced yet. My grandmother is your grandmother too. Isn’t it only right that you send someone to protect your own grandmother?"

Reading this, Walker burst into laughter. He nodded in agreement. "You’re right. What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours."

He was far too addicted to this profound sense of mutual belonging. Even if they were doing nothing but having a simple exchange, he felt immensely joyful—a joy that radiated from the very depths of his soul!

Chloe planned to personally see her grandmother off. The weather was beautiful that day. Her grandmother didn’t need to pack much luggage; whatever she needed could simply be purchased once she returned home.

"You should stay behind and take care of Walker," her grandmother suggested. "I’ll be fine going back alone."

Chloe shook her head and typed, "No. I’m going to take you home and make sure you’re properly settled in before I come back. I’ll only be gone for a day or two; he’ll survive without me."

Standing nearby, Walker nodded. "Grandma, just listen to her. Otherwise, if you leave and she starts crying, I won’t know how to coax her."

The old woman smiled helplessly. "Alright then. Walker, stay safe at home. If anything comes up, have someone call Chloe."

"I will," Walker nodded, his demeanor humble and gentle.

They got into the car and headed straight for the high-speed railway station.

Because her grandmother was getting older, her body couldn’t handle the strain of flying, so they had opted out of taking a plane.

Upon arriving at the station entrance, they unexpectedly spotted Annie York. Annie had heard the news of the old woman’s departure and had taken time off work specifically to see her off.

"I had to come say goodbye," Annie said, hurrying over.

The old woman smiled kindly at her. "How have you been lately? You look thinner than before."

"I’m doing great, you don’t need to worry about me," Annie replied. "But what about you? How could you just up and leave so suddenly? What am I supposed to do when I miss you?"

"When you miss me, you can give me a call or come visit," her grandmother said. "There are plenty of ways for us to keep in touch."

Annie’s eyes reddened. "But it won’t be as convenient as when you’re living right here."

"There, there. Just come visit my place whenever you have the time. You won’t have to worry about a single thing." The old woman gently wiped the corners of Annie’s eyes.

Looking at Annie apologetically, Chloe typed out a message and showed it to her: "I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it to your birthday party. However, I did get you a present and mailed it to your workplace. Happy early birthday."