<h4>Chapter 274: epting the Pursuit</h4>


    Mason nced at E with a provocative smile, basking in Chloe’s care and affection. "Mason, are you still in pain? Does it still hurt down there?"


    Mason felt a bit awkward. Chloe was so clueless—asking about such a private area so casually!


    E was fuming, barely able to contain her anger as she sat off to the side, her expression icy.


    "Chloe..." E’s eyes suddenly flickered with an idea as she called softly, "I’m feeling a bit dizzy."


    Chloe immediately panicked and rushed to sit beside her, leaving Mason behind.


    E sighed in relief. Despite Chloe being blinded by love, she was still a dependable friend in moments like this.


    "E, are you okay? Did the drinks get to you? Are you drunk?"


    Chloe remembered that E couldn’t handle alcohol well. Last time she’d gotten drunk, she even lifted Eric’s chin in front of everyone and demanded he kiss her, leaving the crowd in stitches.


    "Maybe a little..."


    E furrowed her brow. "Why don’t youe with me to the lounge for a bit?"


    Chloe was about to agree when Mason chuckled, "Chloe, I’ve got something to tell you."


    E silently fumed—Mason was doing this on purpose!


    Chloe’s face turned a shade of red as she looked at Mason, the charming, devilishly handsome man gazing at her with deep affection. Her heart raced wildly. "What do you want to say?"


    Mason, with his breathtaking good looks, seemed like a dreame true. Before, Chloe had thought E was the luckiest girl in the world for ending up with Eric.


    Now that Mason had appeared, Chloe secretly hoped for her own perfect love story.


    Mason smiled softly, his expression tender and his voice dripping with charm. "Chloe, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"


    Before E could even react, Chloe jumped up, squealing with joy as she threw her arms around him. "Yes, yes, I will!"


    E froze in ce, utterly stunned.


    Mason!


    He was doing this on purpose!


    After teasing her just moments ago, he was now confessing to Chloe. It was obvious he was ying with Chloe’s feelings, likely nning to crush herter.


    E stared at the two of them, still locked in an embrace. Mason nced over his shoulder at her, raising his eyebrow with a smug, teasing smile.


    Mason had never been this maniptive before!


    E couldn’t figure out why he was targeting her like this. They had no real connection, so why was he going out of his way to mess with her?


    His strategy was clearly through Chloe. Stay calm. Stay calm.


    E took a deep breath and sat down quietly. Even if she wasn’t okay with it, Chloe was.


    Mason wasn’t proposing to her. If she intervened now, pulling Chloe away and warning her about Mason, there would only be one oue—her friendship with Chloe would be over.


    So, she had to figure out what Mason’s game was and what he was nning next.


    "E, I’m so happy! I finally have a boyfriend!" Chloe, adorable and clueless, came back to E, hugging her tightly as she cried andughed.


    "Alright, alright. Go chat with your Mr. Mason. I’m going to walk around and get some fresh air."


    E needed to step away. Her emotions were all over the ce, and if she stayed, she mightsh out at Chloe.


    Chloe didn’t insist on her staying, and soon she was back toughing and talking with Mason.


    E walked off into the distance. The venue was quiterge, with a balcony overlooking a sizeable pool.


    She walked over to the pool’s edge, her thoughts drifting to Eric, who was far away in another country.


    What was he doing? Was he okay?


    The shimmering water of the pool reflected in E’s eyes, bringing back memories of Eric’s vi and the times they’d spent together by the pool.


    Looking back now, time had flown by. Over a year had passed, and yet, step by step, she hadpletely changed the course of her past fate.


    Just then, a waiter approached with a tray of drinks. "Miss, would you like a drink?" the male server asked politely.


    As the man walked closer, E instinctively took a step back, forgetting that the swimming pool was right behind her. She had developed a habit of retreating whenever strangers approached, especially after the way Mason had just toyed with her at the party.


    "Miss, be careful!" the waiter cried out, watching in shock as E stepped right into the pool. His shout caught the attention of two people nearby, who immediately rushed toward her.


    Although E knew how to swim, she fell backward into the pool and, while turning over, identally swallowed some water. It stung her nose and eyes, causing her to cough and feel disoriented. Just as she was about to steady herself and swim to the surface, she heard two loud sshes.


    Wait, who else fell in?


    E paddled a bit, but all she saw were the ripples of water in front of her. Suddenly, someone grabbed her dress and started pulling her toward the edge of the pool.


    Startled, E realized that someone had jumped in to rescue her, thinking she was drowning!


    When she was finally dragged to the edge and helped out of the water, she wiped the water from her face. Her eyes were stinging, but she could still make out the scene in front of her.


    Four men stood there, soaking wet and staring at her with concern. It was Henry and Mason! The other two were, of course, E’s bodyguards.


    E was fuming. What was Mason doing here, interfering again? And now, after his public confession to Chloe, what if she got the wrong idea?


    No matter what, Mason’s confession would inevitably hurt Chloe at some point, whether now orter.


    "E, are you okay? You scared me half to death!" Chloe ran over, her usual clueless expression reced with genuine concern as she gently touched E’s face. "E, are you back to your senses?"


    E, dripping wet with her clothes sticking to her body, felt utterly ufortable.


    "I’m fine, Chloe. Don’t worry," E reassured her calmly, starting to regain herposure.


    Henry shot a nce at Mason, then quietly turned to leave. E called after him, "Thank you, brother-inw!"


    That simple phrase—"brother-inw"—hit Henry like a punch to the gut, stirring up all his bottled-up emotions.


    Everyone around them was taken aback.


    Did E just call Henry her brother-inw? Did that mean she and Eric were married?


    Henry turned back with a faint smile, masking his inner turmoil. "It’s nothing. I just happened to be passing by and thought you couldn’t swim, so I jumped in to help. I’ll go change now, and you should too, sister-inw, before you catch a cold."


    E nodded. Her previous impression of Henry hadn’t been great, but unlike Kevin, Henry had never been obsessed or caused trouble after Grace was taken away.


    In this moment, she felt a bit grateful toward him.


    Mason chuckled softly. "If I had known her brother-inw was here, I wouldn’t have listened to Chloe and jumped in to save you myself."


    Both of them jumping in had made things even more awkward, and now rumors would likely start circting.


    Chloe shot Mason an annoyed look. "Mason, E’s my best friend! I thought she couldn’t swim!"


    But the onlookers were all giving Mason strange nces. This business genius from Country W had been so eager to dive in and save someone he barely knew?