Chapter 286: Is There Nothing We Can Do About Her?

Chloe Reed shrugged helplessly. "If that’s what you want to think, there’s nothing I can do."

She stood and walked over to her grandmother’s side, the sharp look on her face vanishing in an instant. "Grandma, how are you feeling today?" she asked.

Old Mrs. Sutton gave a kind smile. "Much better than the last few days."

Chloe Reed picked up a nearby apple and began to peel it, completely ignoring the furious Autumn Linton.

Seeing their indifferent attitude, Autumn Linton grew even more angry and hurt.

’One is my own mother, and the other is my own daughter, yet they both treat me like this!’

’Neither of them can compare to Sunny!’

She turned and left in a fury, and the tense, heavy atmosphere in the room instantly vanished.

"Grandma, do you blame me?" Chloe Reed asked softly, her eyes downcast.

"Silly child." Old Mrs. Sutton reached out and stroked her face. "You were protecting yourself, how could I possibly blame you? Did you think I didn’t know why she was ’taking care’ of me before? In her heart, she only sees that woman—her adopted daughter. Since she no longer cares about us, we don’t need to care about her."

Chloe Reed looked up, a soft light in her moist eyes. "Mm-hm, I’ll do my best to protect us!"

Then, she said, "Grandma, I’ve met Zachary Bowman and Daniel Hayes. How do you know such impressive people? How come I’ve never heard you mention them before?"

But Old Mrs. Sutton said, "I’m an old woman; I stopped managing my affairs a long time ago. Zachary Bowman and Daniel Hayes both came from an orphanage I sponsored. After they graduated, they came to work for me, helping me run my company and manage my assets. They’re very reliable."

"I agree." Chloe Reed nodded. "They just got here, but they’ve already been a huge help."

"It’s all my fault." Old Mrs. Sutton looked at her apologetically. "I didn’t realize how much you were struggling. If I’d known sooner, I would have sent them to help you long ago."

But Chloe Reed said, "How could it be your fault? They’re the ones who went too far, they all bullied me. But I’m not afraid anymore!"

Old Mrs. Sutton chuckled as Chloe fed her a slice of apple.

...

"What! That wretched girl has completely lost her mind! How dare she say something like that!" Charles Reed was livid after hearing what Autumn Linton had to say.

"Dad, Mom, I don’t want it anymore..." Sunny Reed said from the hospital bed, looking weak and pale. "Please don’t fight with Chloe. She’s your biological daughter, after all. If this gets any uglier, people are going to start blaming me."

Autumn Linton squeezed her hand, her heart aching. "What does this have to do with you? It’s obviously Chloe who’s being completely unreasonable. We’re her parents, and she dares to treat us this way! It’s outrageous!"

Charles Reed’s face was grim. "It seems she didn’t learn her lesson last time. I’m going to teach her a good one this time!"

With that, he turned to leave.

"Dad, don’t!" Sunny Reed quickly tried to stop him. "What if she runs and complains to Walker Grant again? We’ll be the ones who suffer in the end!"

Charles Reed stopped in his tracks. He suddenly recalled the period of turmoil at the Reed Group, which had truly left him mentally and physically exhausted.

"So, is there really nothing we can do about her?" Autumn Linton’s brow furrowed deeply.

Sunny Reed said hesitantly, "Chloe doesn’t love Walker Grant anymore. Nowadays, she only cares about herself and Old Mrs. Sutton..."

A glint appeared in Autumn Linton’s eyes. "Charles," she said, "come outside with me for a moment."

Watching them leave the room, the weak, pitiful look in Sunny Reed’s eyes instantly turned sinister.