James looked at Zoe covering Chloe Grant’s mouth, his expression a bit strange.
Because he had spent quite a bit of time with Chloe Grant, he had met some of her dorm mates.
Otherwise, with Matthew Morgan’s bodyguards arranged in the dark, they would have rushed over upon seeing Zoe doing that.
Seeing an outsider arrive, Zoe had no choice but to release Chloe Grant.
However, as she let go, she softly said, "Sophia speaks bluntly, you know that, and she’s always been , with a bit of a temper. She’s good to us normally, you know that too, so don’t take it too seriously."
The words weren’t wrong, but hearing them, Chloe Grant felt a bit unhappy inside.
Still, she didn’t say anything.
The man beside them glanced at his wristwatch, saw the time was about right, and asked, "Ladies, shall we head out now?"
Though the question was posed politely, James’s gaze focused on Chloe Grant.
She nodded, "Let’s go."
James led them to the most famous street in the imperial capital, which boasted renowned local and international gourmet restaurants.
Any tourists visiting the capital for leisure would be bound to visit a restaurant on this street to have a taste.
Unlike the usual bustling, chaotic food streets, this place was very quiet, and each restaurant had a high-end design.
Ultimately, as they had previously discussed, they chose a Japanese restaurant.
James arranged for the group at the restaurant and only left after making sure everything was settled.
Chloe Grant and the others sat in a private room. Because of the earlier conflict between Chloe Grant and Sophia Fraser, the atmosphere among the four was somewhat delicate.
While they were in the car, James drove and would tease them with gossip or jokes, so the atmosphere wasn’t as awkward.
Now with the atmosphere setter gone, Chloe Grant and Sophia Fraser were silent, and Ava Woods was the type to keep quiet when others were arguing.
"Chloe... um... is your uncle not coming?"
Finally, it was Ava Woods who spoke up.
Chloe Grant shook her head, "He’s not coming."
From the start, he hadn’t said he would come, only that he’d pick her up after they finished eating.
Chloe Grant was actually quite confused inside; she really didn’t know how to face Matthew Morgan.
Every time she saw him, there was a strange feeling in her heart.
She wanted to escape, but yet...
If only there hadn’t been that damn kidnapping or the issue with the chip, how great it would be!
If only her parents had agreed to let her go abroad, how wonderful it would be!
Chloe Grant sighed—thinking about these "ifs" now, what could they change?
"Actually, I’d feel uncomfortable eating with an elder present."
Ava Woods giggled naively, turned to look at Sophia Fraser, "Sophia, you told me before, about that fish that’s kind of black; what’s it called?"
"If you don’t know, just don’t eat it; don’t be like a country bumpkin." Sophia Fraser snapped impatiently, rolling her eyes at her.
Ava Woods had been happily flipping through the menu, but her action froze, and the smile she had vanished completely.
"I was just asking..."
She felt innocent—why was she being scolded?
"I said, if you don’t know, don’t eat it; aren’t you afraid of embarrassing yourself!" Sophia Fraser leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, her face not looking good at all.
Ava Woods was upset after being snapped at , her eyes even reddening...
"What’s this... treating me like a punching bag again."
Ava Woods simply closed the menu, stood up, and walked out of the private room.