Chapter 224: Playing the Victim Again
Grant directly told me the time he needed.
Grateful, I responded, "Mr. Quill, I'll have to rely on you to take care of Claire. Thank you so much!"
"No need to thank me," Grant replied, gesturing towards Christopher. "Thank him. He's been asking me for nearly two months. I didn't planned on coming back here anytime soon, but my wife softened my resolve and persuaded me."
I looked at Christopher in surprise.
Two months. It meant that even before I returned to Jacquar, when Christopher might have thought I was already dead, he had never given up on Claire.
I pressed my lips together. "Christopher, thank you very much."
Christopher smiled. "If you really want to thank me, how about treating me to a meal?"
I was taken aback, not expecting Christopher to make such a request. Then, I turned to Grant and smiled. "Sure. I'll treat you and Mr. Quill to some local Maple Valley cuisine."
I was talking about the restaurang Jerry had taken me to two years ago.
Grant waved his hand. "No, no. I rarely come back. I will meet some old friends tonight."
Grant patted his assistant's shoulder, grinning. "He has to tag along too. Ms. Royston, you should spend time with Mr. Valence alone. After all, this is all his doing. I’m merely performing my duties."
The doctor then clarified that he would officially begin treating Claire starting tomorrow, and with that, he departed with his assistant.
Christopher looked at me. "Changed your mind?"
"No." Feeling the necessity to express my gratitude, I said bluntly, "It's just a meal. I’m not that stingy."
Christopher smirked. "In that case, can I pick the restaurant?"
"Sure," I agreed readily. It was only right for him to decide since the meal was a thank-you gesture.
While Christopher deliberated on a restaurant, I assisted Claire into her room. "Claire, I'm treating Christopher to a thank-you dinner for finding a good doctor for you. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay." Claire agreed, then added in a whisper, "But remember, Jerry is your fiancé!"
I sighed and indulged her like a child, "Okay, I remember."
Christopher chose a riverside restaurant renowned for its ambiance and scenery. The only drawback was the waiter’s cheerful query: "Sir, ma'am, would you like to order à la carte or from our Valentine's Day set menu? We have three options specially for couples. Would you like to take a look?"
I instinctively refused, "À la carte..."
"Let's take a look at the special menu," Christopher interrupted me calmly.
I frowned. "Christopher, I..."
"We're just having a meal," Christopher reasoned, "It doesn't matter if it’s a set menu or à la carte. Hope, don't be so tense."
I found myself at a loss for words. Christopher then told the waiter, "We’ll go with the C set menu."
The waiter confirmed, "The C set menu from the couples' options, right? This comes with a pair of couple dolls. Should I bring them over now?"
As he spoke, I felt eyes on me. Turning instinctively, I met Sophia’s gaze. Her companion was pulling out her chair and planting a kiss on her cheek, but she seemed oblivious, staring at me quizzically.
I was about to go over and say hello when Sophia looked away.
Christopher stopped me. "Hope, do you want to add anything?"
"No," I replied.
Turning around, Sophia feigned taking a selfie while capturing the table in the distance, and then sent it.
Sophia: [Couples' restaurant]
Sophia: [Couples' set menu]
I was engrossed in my meal when my phone buzzed with a friend request.
[Ms. Royston, I'm Jerry's cousin, Sophia.]
I glanced in Sophia's direction and accepted the request.
At the other table, Sophia hadn't picked up her phone yet, but 'Sophia' on my phone sent two messages.
'Sophia': [Ms. Royston, Jerry's leg is suddenly hurting badly. Could you come over?]
'Sophia': [Location]
After reading the messages, I deliberately replied: [Today isn't convenient.]
Sophia, now cutting her steak, still hadn’t touched her phone, but my phone buzzed again.
'Sophia': [That's okay, let him suffer. He's used to it by now.]
'Sophia': [Ms. Royston, just focus on what you're doing.]
'Sophia': [Don't worry about him, no one cares about him anyway.]
Three more messages in a row.
I couldn't help but smile. [I'm coming over now]
Turning to Christopher, I said apologetically, "Are you almost done eating?"
Christopher looked up. "Got something urgent?"
I nodded. "Yes."
Christopher asked, "What's wrong?"
I tossed my phone into my bag and said openly, "Jerry's leg is hurting. I'm going to check on him."
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