?Chapter 1540:


    Brenna saw through the act in an instant. Gracie’s tearful gratitude masked a calcting mind. After her time in Vand, Gracie had grown more cunning, always finding ways to linger in Ethan’s orbit—a habit Brenna found increasingly irksome.


    “That is not a bad n,” Brenna said smoothly, “but with your talents, why not start your ownpany? Being your own boss beats answering to someone else any day.”


    Gracie quickly shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears once more.


    Brenna marveled at how effortlessly Gracie could turn on the waterworks.


    “I’m finished withunching ventures,” Gracie said, her voice trembling. “It’s utterly draining and far too risky. All I want now is for Ethan to help me sell my Chapman Group shares at a tidy profit. Thepany’s thriving; those shares are worth a fortune.”


    Her shrewd gaze slid toward Brenna. “Miss Harper, you ought to consider investing in the Chapman Group. You will make a lot of money by doing so.”


    Brenna offered a faint, bemused smile, genuinely curious about Gracie’s motives for nudging her to invest in the Chapman Group.


    Still, the suggestion wasn’t without merit—the Chapman Group did hold promising potential.


    “I’ll give it some thought,” Brenna replied with measured calm.


    Gracie’s face lit up; she was convinced that Brenna had taken the bait. Everyone praised Brenna’s keen intellect, but to Gracie, she seemed delightfully naive.


    Turning to Ethan with fervent sincerity, Gracie dered, “This is wonderful, Ethan. I’ll file for divorce from Waldo when I get back. You have to help me this time. If only I had heeded your advice back then, I wouldn’t be drowning in regret now.”


    Once Gracie left, Ethan’s phone buzzed. He answered in a gentle tone. “Mom, we’ll be there in thirty minutes.”


    ??α???????? ?hαρ???????? g??l????v??????．?????


    On the other end, Elsa’s voice burst out, urgent and brimming with frustration. “Good, hurry up. I need to talk to you both. I’m furious. Rosanna is just too much. I’m helping her with her child, and she still dares toin about me. Can you believe that? It’s outrageous…”


    A dull ache spread through Ethan’s temples as he listened. Family quarrels wore him down, and Elsa had been pulling him into them more and more. This time, though, he couldn’t avoid her and had agreed to stop by.


    He let her vent about Kenny and Rosanna, waiting for the right pause before answering simply, “I hear you.” Then, he hung up.


    From across the room, Brenna caught the faint frown on Ethan’s face. With a yful smile, she teased, “Lucky for us, your mom dotes on her granddaughter and spends her time at your brother’s ce. Otherwise, once we’re married, she’d probably be camped out at our ce every other day.”


    .


    .


    .