Chapter 181: Adrian Kane Questions Chloe York

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Adrian Kane Questions Chloe York

If it were anyone else, after helping her and finding out her identity, they would have started making demands long ago. Otherwise, they would have asked for her brother’s contact information or begged her to introduce them to him.

She had never met anyone like Chloe York before.

"I can feel that she isn’t actually a cold person by nature. On the contrary, she’s quite warm. So, she usually wouldn’t keep people at a distance or give them the cold shoulder." Willow looked at Adrian, her tone exceptionally serious. "But that day, I could feel that she was very resistant toward me. She was quite aloof. She was probably only okay with Nora—she was still pretty warm with her."

Hearing Willow’s words, Adrian’s lips curled up. The girl he fancied was just that kind-hearted.

To think she hadn’t only saved him, but now she had also helped his sister—no, she had practically *saved* his sister too.

"Willow, just like you said, Chloe helped you. If I miss out on such a great girl and don’t fight for her, wouldn’t it be a huge pity?" Adrian retorted, his tone laced with stubbornness.

Willow had originally wanted to persuade her brother to give up, to stop pestering the girl and making her annoyed. She hadn’t expected him to be even more infatuated, let alone try to lecture her instead.

"I tracked down her contact information and reached out to her, saying I wanted to treat her to a meal. She rejected me. I didn’t give up and sent another message, but she didn’t reply to that either. You could say she absolutely wants nothing to do with me."

Adrian frowned. "Willow, the way you’re acting... Forget Chloe, even I find it annoying. If she had known she’d end up with you pestering her, she wouldn’t have helped you in the first place."

Unwilling to swallow being spurned after offering well-intentioned advice, Willow snapped back. "You have the nerve to criticize me? Let me tell you, I can tell her resistance toward you is even deeper than it is toward me. I don’t mean to throw cold water on you, but I want you to face reality. You want to pursue her, but you don’t even have a chance to get close. You can’t even get her to lower her guard, so how can you possibly expect her to accept your feelings?"

After saying her piece, Willow instantly felt she had vented her frustrations. This brother of hers truly grew more unlikable as he got older. She had kindly tried to advise him, and in return, he mocked her.

Willow’s words made Adrian fall silent, his brows knitting tightly together. He didn’t need his sister to tell him; he had felt it himself. The undisguised aloofness and resistance Chloe displayed every time she saw him—he was clearer on that than anyone.

He had never provoked her, nor had their paths ever crossed before this, yet she was so repulsed by him. He couldn’t figure out the reason, but the fondness in his heart wasn’t something he could easily let go of.

"What, does that sting? Well, being upset won’t help. But speaking of which, have you asked her?" Willow was genuinely curious now.

Her brother was so handsome and wealthy—shouldn’t he be exactly the type of guy girls liked? Even if he wasn’t every girl’s type, it shouldn’t warrant such intense dislike! How had he managed to make a girl hate him this much? So much so that she even hated his sister by association. Only Nora, who was slightly further removed from him, had been spared from her dislike.

"Ask her what?"

"Why she hates you so much."

"Why don’t you say she hates the Kane Family?" Adrian didn’t believe Chloe distanced herself just because she hated him personally. After all, his investigations showed he had never offended her.

Moreover, he hadn’t even met her before. That left only one possibility: the Kane Family had offended her in the past. Or no, maybe it was a grudge from the previous generation.

"Hates the Kane Family? Our family offended her?"

Adrian shook his head. "I’m not sure either."

Seeing her brother’s crestfallen state, Willow didn’t say anything more. She had already said what needed to be said, anyway.

"Think about it!" With that, Willow stood up and left.

Adrian stared at the coffee in front of him. He thought that no matter what, perhaps he should figure out why Chloe was so resistant toward him. Realizing he was always wearing a suit whenever he appeared before her, he wondered if maybe the suit was what she disliked.

After mulling it over, he made a special trip home to change into a casual outfit before heading straight to Chloe’s university.

Chloe had just stepped out of the academic building and was heading to the cafeteria for dinner when a familiar figure blocked her path.

It was Adrian Kane.

He wore a simple, casual outfit. With his tall and straight posture, he stood out remarkably in the crowd, drawing frequent glances from passing students. He was obviously here specifically to see her. A hint of imperceptible stubbornness lingered in his eyes as his gaze fell squarely on Chloe.

Ever since she accidentally helped his sister, Willow, at the mall last time and ran into Nora again, Willow had somehow managed to get her contact information. Willow constantly offered to thank her, but she had refused every time. This was because she was afraid of getting entangled with Adrian again.

Adrian looked at the completely unruffled expression in her eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he took the initiative to break the silence. "Chloe, do you have an aversion to me?"

The sudden question took Chloe by surprise. He came all this way just to ask her that? She fell silent for a few seconds before shaking her head, her tone calm. "I don’t have an aversion to you."

"You don’t?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. He took a small step closer, his tone laced with a resolve that vowed not to rest until he got his answer. "If it’s not aversion, then why do you always look so impatient and unwilling to speak to me every time you see me?

"Chloe, I know for a fact that you saved my life, and I want to thank you. But you act like this toward me every single time. It makes me feel terrible, do you know that?

"Furthermore, you’ve helped my sister now, and I’m very grateful for that too. But with this attitude of yours, it’s hard not to feel like you despise me.

"I don’t want to be hated by my own lifesaver. So, can you please stop hating me?"

He genuinely couldn’t figure it out. He had never offended Chloe, and she had even been willing to save his life. Yet, she always kept her distance from him, treating him with a polite but distant coldness. It was as if there were an invisible wall between them, making it impossible for him to get close.

The more Adrian spoke, the more aggrieved his expression and tone became, giving Chloe a bit of goosebumps.

She took a half-step back, widening the gap between them. "I just think that since we aren’t close to begin with, there’s no need for us to get too close."

"Just because we aren’t close?" Adrian pressed, a trace of indignation in his eyes.

Were they still not close? She had saved his life once, helped his sister once, and they had even watched a movie together—even though there were others present. In his mind, their interactions meant they weren’t just strangers; they were already very well acquainted.

"Yes," Chloe nodded, her tone resolute. "You probably still don’t know me that well. I’ve always had this attitude toward people I’m not close to. I’m not targeting you, nor do I hold any aversion toward you. Mr. Kane, maintaining an appropriate distance is good for both of us."