The cough in the darkness startled Chloe Grant awake, making her quickly pull away from Matthew Morgan's embrace.
Just as she stood firm, Matthew Morgan released her hand.
Before she could figure it out, Chloe Grant felt an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into an embrace. Her face hit a rock-hard chest, radiating heat, and the thumping of a heartbeat.
Chloe Grant's body froze.
"The steps are many." Above her was Matthew Morgan's deep voice, as if explaining.
Yet, Chloe Grant's body remained as stiff as ever.
She certainly knew Matthew Morgan wouldn't do anything to her; it was him she feared, not the action!
Matthew Morgan guided Chloe Grant towards the house. Before reaching the main room, they had to pass through a long garden hallway.
Whenever someone approached, the corridor lights would automatically turn on. Although the light was not strong, it was enough for an ordinary person to see the way.
However, for someone like Chloe Grant, who suffered from severe night blindness, she still saw nothing, held by Matthew Morgan.
This made her feel disoriented, and for a few seconds, she thought it was Lucas Morgan.
Back when Chloe Grant was with Lucas Morgan, during dark phases of the road, it was Chloe Grant who clung to Lucas Morgan's arm.
It was only in the past three years that Lucas Morgan started to actively wrap an arm around Chloe Grant's shoulders as he led her.
That feeling now, was almost the same...
Thinking about Lucas Morgan, Chloe Grant's heart ached again.
Earlier, being dragged along by Matthew Morgan, Chloe Grant's barely calmed emotions surged uncontrollably, overwhelming her with sadness.
Thinking back, it was from such gestures that Chloe Grant began to delusively believe that Lucas Morgan had feelings for her beyond that of an uncle and niece.
On countless nights, she tossed and turned in bed, wondering if Lucas Morgan also missed her at that moment.
During countless days, facing Lucas Morgan, she felt shy yet happy, and with just an occasional glance, she had already lived a lifetime with him.
However, those days and nights now seemed laughable to Chloe Grant.
Looking up felt like seeing a mocking face, ridiculing her self-indulgent affection.
Chloe Grant didn't know how to describe her current feelings; she wanted to cry but couldn't. She felt so sad, as if her heart was being forcibly compressed, making it impossible to breathe.
The road finally came to an end. As Matthew Morgan opened the door to the main villa, the hall lights turned on.
Matthew Morgan's first reaction was to reach out and cover Chloe Grant's eyes.
The sudden brightness would be too much for her eyes to bear.
After about five or six seconds, Matthew Morgan finally lowered his hand, also releasing Chloe Grant's shoulder.
The person who turned on the light was the Morgan family's matriarch. She was still in her sleepwear, just wearing a coat as she came downstairs.
Her eyes were a bit swollen, clearly just woken up, as she descended the stairs.
Seeing Matthew Morgan and Chloe Grant, she was somewhat surprised, "Why did you come so late?"
Chloe Grant looked at the elderly lady approaching. Though in her early fifties, because of good care and a positive outlook on life, she appeared very young. Her face bore the marks of time, yet it gleamed with a certain glow, exuding a remarkable aura like a secluded orchid.
Besides, she had a very pleasant and elegant name, Isabella Gray.
As she walked over, Chloe Grant suddenly burst into tears and hurriedly threw herself into Isabella Gray's embrace, "Grandma, sob sob sob."
"Oh, my darling Chloe, what's wrong, my dear?" Isabella Gray quickly embraced Chloe Grant, patting her head.
Looking up, she glanced at Matthew Morgan, her eyes asking: What has happened to my dear child to make her cry ?