Chapter 897 Bribery

Hearing this, Daniel Hayes’s expression turned serious. He stared at Chloe Reed for a long time before suddenly asking, "Chloe, you’re not planning to face those people all by yourself like last time, are you? Let me tell you, absolutely not. That’s too dangerous; you’ll get yourself killed. You’ve been fighting so hard to survive. You can’t just throw it all away now."

Feeling his genuine concern, Chloe smiled gently. "Of course I won’t give up. I just want to bring them in and ask if they’d consider answering only to me from now on. I can offer them better pay."

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, so that’s it. You scared me to death—I thought you were going to do something foolish again. Alright, I’ll call them all over right now, but here..." He glanced around. "This place obviously isn’t suitable for that kind of conversation. Let’s find somewhere else."

"I know a teahouse," Chloe said. "It’s in a secluded location, very quiet, and highly private. Let’s go there."

Daniel nodded. "Alright."

They left and headed straight to the teahouse. When Chloe entered the private room, quite a few people were already standing inside.

Eight people per shift, rotating across three shifts—all twenty-four bodyguards were present.

Daniel looked at her. "Chloe, they’re all here. Say whatever you need to say."

Chloe nodded and looked at him gratefully. "Thank you, Daniel."

He waved it off. "Don’t mention it. Just get down to business."

"Okay." Chloe took a deep breath. She turned to face the bodyguards and began with a deep bow. "Thank you all for your protection over this long period."

The bodyguards were confused about what exactly she was doing, so they neither spoke nor stopped her. They simply watched.

Straightening up, Chloe looked at them with calm, earnest eyes. "I plan to hire you as my personal bodyguards, answering only to my orders. Walker Grant hired you from outside agencies, so it should be possible to terminate your current contracts, right?"

At this, the bodyguards’ expressions shifted slightly.

She called them here for this?

"I can double your current salaries," Chloe continued, "because following me is genuinely dangerous. I imagine you’re all in this line of work to make as much money as possible.

"You can take your time to think it over. If you agree, contact Daniel, and he’ll handle your contract issues. If you don’t agree, please also inform him. I only need bodyguards who follow my orders alone, not people who monitor me under the guise of protection."

Having said her piece, Chloe sat down and began to brew tea.

The room fell silent. She was giving them ample time to consider.

Hot water washed over the teacups repeatedly. Her movements were practiced, and soon the fragrance of tea wafted through the air as the pot finished brewing. She took a small sip. The taste was faint and bitter, but it was refreshing, making her mind clearer.

The wait was long. Outside the window, the sky grew increasingly dim. Stray snowflakes began to drift down from the thick, heavy clouds, much like the dark gloom hanging over her heart—so suffocating and oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

The light in her clear eyes dimmed slightly. She gazed at the falling snow, remaining silent for a long time.

Daniel didn’t rush the men, either. This was a decision that required careful thought. After all, from their perspective, choosing Chloe Reed meant betraying Walker Grant.