Chapter 914: She’s Your Girlfriend, Right?

Arriving at the restaurant, the owner clearly recognized Preston Vance. Seeing the beautiful Chloe Reed, he asked in surprise, "Old Fletcher, who is this?"

Preston smiled faintly. "A friend of mine."

The restaurant owner gave a meaningful look. "Looks more like a girlfriend to me. You aren’t getting any younger, you know. You should hurry up and settle down. My kid is already old enough to run errands this year."

Preston smiled. "I’ll do my best."

The owner chuckled and led them to a private room. He handed the menu directly to Chloe. "Miss, take a look and see what you’d like. Order whatever you want. You’re the first female friend Old Fletcher has ever brought here. It’s on the house today!"

Chloe’s smile stiffened slightly with awkwardness. She hadn’t expected Preston’s friend to be quite so enthusiastic.

"Actually, we’re just—" she started to say.

Preston cut in. "Old Spencer, stop spouting nonsense. She really is just a friend. You’re going to make her uncomfortable with all this talk."

The restaurant owner slapped his forehead and nodded repeatedly. "Right, right, my bad! I was just too happy for you and forgot my manners for a second. Take your time ordering. I’ll head out first; just call me if you need anything."

Preston nodded and watched him leave before turning to Chloe. His smile was tinged with apology. "Sorry about that. My friend worries a bit too much about my love life."

Chloe nodded. "It’s understandable. What are the signature dishes here?"

Preston listed a few recommendations.

"Let’s get those, then," Chloe said.

"Alright."

Preston called the waiter in to place their order, then requested a glass of juice.

He looked at Chloe. "I noticed you really like peach juice. They make excellent fresh juice here."

"Thank you. I’ll give it a try," Chloe replied.

Preston gazed at her gently. "Chloe, there’s no need to be so polite with me. We’re already friends, aren’t we?"

Chloe lowered her eyes slightly and pondered for a moment before speaking. "Preston, I’ve seriously considered the proposal you brought up earlier. I think we can try it out for a while."

Preston’s expression froze. Looking as though he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing, he tried hard to steady his emotions. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes." Chloe nodded, her clear eyes fixed on him. "But this will be terrible for your reputation. After all, I’m not divorced yet..."

"I don’t care," Preston said without hesitation. "I’ve never cared about how outsiders see me."

Chloe’s expression stiffened for a second, but then she let out a soft laugh. "When you put it like that, I don’t even know what to say anymore."

Preston gave a helpless smile. "Please forgive me. I’m just a little excited. I’m already trying hard to control my emotions, but I really didn’t expect you to consider my proposal."

He had thought she would refuse. After all, she seemed to genuinely love Walker Grant. She was always softhearted toward him and would subconsciously show that she cared.

Chloe’s tone grew a fraction colder. "He refuses to divorce me, and I don’t have any other options. Filing a lawsuit is the absolute last resort in this situation. I don’t want to blow things out of proportion just yet, so I figured your proposal is worth a try."

Preston reached up to adjust his glasses, a gentle smile still playing on his lips. "But before we begin, I still need to warn you. Walker Grant treats you very well, and he might truly love you. Once you get divorced, there may never be another chance for you two to be together. Have you really thought this through?"