ced 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 Mc Lambert, M. Henderson in She had been knarking on apples all evening, and they had long since digested by noww.


    stepping into Extan''s room, she found the lights turnedup to their brightest, dluminating an extravagant feaut Laid not 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."


    re wat 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 food imaginable. Grace couldn''t help but be a little surprised. This level of dining was almost excFLL?VE.


    the picked up her cutlery and began eating at a steady pace.


    Manwhile, En sei hit book aude, took up a kelle and book, and quietly are the small portion of uneak on his te.


    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 knack came from outside. It was not at Ethan''s door but athere


    They


    belonged to Manly. She was likely here to ask what she nned to do


    about the 20 thousand orders.


    Grace mood up, but the sharp pain in her knee made her stumble. She instinctively reached out and grabbed the tablecloth for support. But in doing so, the identally yanked it too hard.. sending a bowl of pu The soup sshed 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 few times before realizing that this


    was entirely inappropriate.


    She lifted her paze and met his eyes.


    Ethan trached on, 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 bnce because of my love."


    Lven now, it was still throbbing with pain.


    He didn''t let go of het went right away. Several seconds passed before he finally asked, "Does it hurt badly?"


    Dutside, Mandy was still calling for her.


    she had no choice but to say, "Ti''s dine. I need to head to Northbrook tonight. The dive from Southbrook to Northbrook takes two hours, in I won''t be back. There are apple orchards there too, and want to negoti Her project''s pool was to support farmers in Brookfield, and Northbrook was part of that. 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 shitting focus to Northbrook, which had left thetter almost forgotten in recent years. Since the farmers in Southbrook didn''t need For a moment, she thought


    she felt Ethan''s grip tightening slightly and his thumb brushing lightly over her skin. It was subtle, almost idental.


    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 side after being neglected for so long"


    Grace was a linte surprised Ethan knew about this too? If she hadn''t mentioned Northbrook herself, would he have brought it up on his own? "know," the 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 cang just then.


    Tandry''s name shed on the screen. What a mood killer.


    Grace''s brown furrowed slightly. Why was Yancey calling him?


    Erhan picked up the phone and put it on speaker.


    om the other end came Yancey''s voice. "Uncle Ethan, which room is decent just arrived in Southbrook Inedito talk to her about something


    Dhan nced at Grace, whose expression darkened with impatience...


    IF Yancey was looking for barn, it was either to make her give that go-thousand-


    dor handbag


    to Yelena to face her to apologior to Alice. Either way, it wasn''t going to be anything goal.


    Ethan''s volte armaised indifferent. "What do you need her for?"


    "oli, It''s because of the mess she caused the said what she did in the live stream, and now some people ondine are attacking alice. She even cried. I just want her


    to apologize. After all, she''s


    Grace Hentally reyed what she had said in the live seam-


    something about the two of them leping together.


    And Hory had indeed done so she ludi'' lied.


    Hei disgust for Yancey spiked, instantly wiping away any lingering betterness. All


    that was left was pure nitation.


    "Marie Erban, Gitare sply joined Henderson Group because she''s chasing altet me. All this di sher''s stirring up is just to get my attention. But no matter how far she takes things, the shouldn''t joder about Alire''s Kat are took a dergi temal ". Henderson, I''ll be going now Mandy is still waiting outside,


    She spened the dot stukimmediately sported Mandy walling asbest


    Mandy kosketa batle surprised kar dobyt kurve the time lo pasip right mm


    Now, theyers are in air


    nawa''y a slipping the orders. That toch, Alice, sablon hes live at eam that wingers and that we won''t be able to fulfill the orders at all.


    are walked forward, ignoring the disconduct bucher hire. "Thor''t worry. Come with jne to Northbound"


    After walking for over ten minutes, they reached the main hall


    The inn had no courtyard, one to the wax and one to the west, separated by a ten-


    foot-wide street


    Grace had been staying in the western courtyard 11 turned out that Alice was staying in the eastern one