Chapter II Ced had been resting in her room for about half an hour when someone knocked on the door again. When she opened it, Tim was standing outside. His tone remained strictly business. "Mr. Henderson invites you to join him for dinner," he said. She had been snacking on apples all evening, and they had long since been digested by now. Stepping into Ethan's room, she found the lights turned up to their brightest, illuminating an extravagant feast laid out on the table.

He was seated by the table, silently flipping through a book. He lifted his gaze at the sound of her arrival, his voice calm and deep. "Sit." Grace was quite hungry, so she didn't hesitate and took a seat. "Thank you, Mr. Henderson!" At least 15 dishes were spread across the table with all kinds of imaginable food. Grace couldn't help but be a little surprised. This level of dining was almost excessive. She picked up her cutlery and began eating at a steady pace.

Meanwhile, Ethan set his book aside, took up a knife and fork, and quietly ate the small portion of steak on his plate. Halfway through the meal, she noticed that he had barely eaten. That was unexpected; his appetite was surprisingly small for a grown man. Just then, a knock came from outside. It was not at Ethan's door but at hers. It belonged to Mandy. She was likely here to ask what she planned to do about the twenty thousand orders.

Grace's mood lifted, but the sharp pain in her knee made her stumble. She instinctively reached out and grabbed the tablecloth for support. But in doing so, she accidentally yanked it too hard, sending a bowl of pumpkin and mushroom soup flying. The soup splashed straight onto Ethan's pants. For a split second, she froze as if turned to stone. Then, snapping back to reality, she grabbed a napkin and started dabbing at the fabric.

She wiped at it a few times before realizing that this was entirely inappropriate. She lifted her gaze and met his eyes. Ethan reached out, his fingers closing around her wrist as dark waves surged in his eyes. "Stop." Grace quickly stood up. "I'm sorry, Mr. Henderson. I lost my balance because of my knee." Even now, it was still throbbing with pain. He didn't let go of her wrist right away.

Several seconds passed before he finally asked, "Does it hurt badly?" Outside, Mandy was still calling for her. She had no choice but to say, "It's fine. I need to head to Northbrook tonight. The drive from Southbrook to Northbrook takes two hours, and I won't be back. There are apple orchards there too, and I want to negotiate prices with the local farmers." Her project's goal was to support farmers in Brookfield, and Northbrook was part of that.

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However, Northbrook's apples weren't as well-known as those from Southbrook. The government's strategy had been to promote Southbrook apples first before shifting focus to Northbrook, which had left the latter almost forgotten in recent years. Since the farmers in Southbrook didn't need her help, she would go to Northbrook. For a moment, she thought she felt Ethan's grip tightening slightly and his thumb brushing lightly over her skin. It was subtle, almost accidental.

But the warmth it left behind lingered. He released her wrist. "The farmers in Northbrook aren't easy to deal with. They deeply resent this neglect after being neglected for so long." Grace was a little surprised. Ethan knew about this too? If she hadn't mentioned Northbrook herself, would he have brought it up on his own? "I know," she replied. "I'll show them sincerity and earn their trust. Their apples aren't any worse than Southbrook's.

They're just not well-known." She turned to leave, but Ethan's phone rang just then. Yancey's name flashed on the screen. What a mood killer. Grace's brow furrowed slightly. Why was Yancey calling him? Ethan picked up the phone and put it on speaker. On the other end came Yancey's voice. "Uncle Ethan, which room is Grace in? I just arrived in Southbrook and need to talk to her about something." Ethan glanced at Grace, whose expression darkened with impatience.

If Yancey was looking for trouble, it was either to make her give that thousand-dollar handbag to Yelena or to force her to apologize to Alice. Either way, it wasn't going to be good. Ethan's voice remained indifferent. "What do you need her for?" "Well, it's because of the mess she caused. She said what she did in the livestream, and now some people online are attacking Alice. She even cried.

I just want her to apologize." Grace mentally replayed what she had said in the livestream-something about the two of them leaving together. And now she had indeed done so; she had lied. Her disgust for Yancey spiked, instantly wiping away any lingering bitterness. All that was left was pure irritation. "Mr. Henderson, I'll be going now. Mandy is still waiting outside." She opened the door and immediately spotted Mandy waiting outside.

Mandy looked a little surprised but quickly turned to follow Grace. "The orders are slipping. That girl, Alice, said in her livestream that we won't be able to fulfill the orders at all." Grace walked forward, ignoring the disconcerted look on Mandy's face. "Don't worry. Come with me to Northbrook." After walking for over ten minutes, they reached the main hall. The inn had two courtyards, one to the east and one to the west, separated by a ten-foot-wide street.

Grace had been staying in the western courtyard. It turned out that Alice was staying in the eastern one.