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There, he saw Chloe opening the balcony glass door. Tucked in a loose sweater, she joined Vernon, who was smoking on the balcony.

Vernon was a little dumbfounded because he thought Chloe went to bed right after dinner or had a mother-daughter talk with Mackie downstairs.

But what made him even more dumbfounded was how she looked at him.

Vernon saw no fear in her eyes. She looked at him as if he was a part of the family, something that he never expected to come from her.

After all, he always expected Chloe to see him as an outsider, especially since she said he was just an inferior version of Vincent.

Chloe's eyes quickly darted at the cigarette in his mouth, "I didn't know that you're a smoker…."

"Oh—Ah!" Vernon quickly pulled out the cigarette and put it off before throwing it off the balcony. He looked like a kid who felt guilty after getting caught red-handed for smoking.

"I—I didn't do it often, I swear!" Vernon said. "Just when I was feeling too stressed with work…."

Chloe sighed. She tucked her sweater because the cold wind wasn't good for her frail body and drew near Vernon.

Vernon instinctively took a step back until his hip hit the railing, and Chloe chuckled when she saw his nervousness, "Why are you so nervous? Is it because I caught you smoking?"

"Ah—w—well, yeah…." Vernon admitted that it was embarrassing for him. "You told me not to smoke when I was young…."

"I will still tell you not to smoke right now, you know? It's never good for your health."

"I know…" Vernon lowered his head, ready to get scolded by Chloe. "Sorry…"

Chloe sighed and lifted her hand. She gently ruffled Vernon's hair and said, "Though I'm not happy that you smoke, it's your right to do so. You're an adult now."

Vernon lifted his head slightly, staring at Chloe, who didn't seem to be mad.

Now he was the one who got a little annoyed instead. He'd be happy to get scolded for being bad.

Or maybe he was just fucked up because getting scolded by Chloe was somewhat of an old feeling he wished to relive.

"Y—You can scold me a little, you know…." Vernon murmured almost inaudibly, afraid that Chloe would find him weird.

But Chloe heard it, and she frowned, "Well, rather than scolding you like a kid, I'd rather ask you not to smoke too much, okay? You might get addicted."

"Un, okay…"

Chloe smiled at Vernon and then turned around. She walked towards the railing and rested her arms on it.

She gazed upon the view of New York City at night, just like what Vernon did, and said, "I've never felt this free in my life for the past ten years. I should've done this sooner."

Vernon didn't know what Chloe meant by that. But she seemed to be enjoying herself while gazing at the view.

​ Thus, he was also gazing at his view— Chloe's side profile.

Chloe was beautiful. Since Vernon was a kid, he had never seen someone as beautiful as her, and that opinion stood strong for him.

Even now, he still saw Chloe as the most beautiful woman he had ever met.

'I don't understand…' Vernon kept thinking about how his Big bro hurt Chloe so much, to the point that she was nothing like her previous self.

Vincent changed her so much, desecrating such a beautiful flower by stomping on her.

'What's wrong with him? I'd forever be grateful if Chloe were my wife—'

Vernon shook his head as quickly as possible. He didn't want to have that idea because he was also unsure of his own feelings.

'And it's not the time to think about that….'

"Vernon…"

"Y—Yes!" Vernon stood straight as he got nervous.

Chloe smiled as she gave Vernon a side glance, "Thank you," She said.

"Huh? For what?" Vernon frowned, unable to comprehend what was in Chloe's mind.

"For everything," Chloe added. "You don't know how much help you gave to me. When I was the most desperate, you took me and my daughter so we can have a place to stay, and continue with our life, especially with Mackie's study. I was so afraid that she couldn't continue going to school because of Vincent's craziness."

…

Vernon didn't want to admit that he had malicious intent when he took her in.

He returned to New York for payback for the humiliation he experienced when Chloe basically called him an inferior version of Vincent.

It might be a small thing for her. Still, for Vernon, it became such a thorn in his heart, making him unable to see himself as enough. He would constantly beat himself up for being too weak or stupid.

'You should've seen through me already, Chloe…' Vernon said in his heart. 'I helped you because I want to hurt you. I want you to suffer humiliation, just like what you did to me. Because you're basically selling your body for me.'

Vernon thought that he could get satisfaction by ruining her life. But it seemed that Chloe never saw it that way.

Because she had suffered a great deal with Vincent, 'She must have suffered abuse and humiliation so awful, that my kind of humiliation doesn't even seem to affect her much.'

But Vernon still thought himself guilty. He was, after all, a man with malicious intentions.

'So, why are you thanking me right now? Why can't you see that I'm also a bad guy?'

Vernon continued staring at Chloe's side profile, and the more he stared at her, the faster his heartbeat got.

'Maybe you saw me through your rose-colored glasses. That's why you don't see all of my mistakes for making things worse for your mental health…' Vernon continued blaming himself.

'So I promise to make up for it. I will be the man you can rely on, Chloe. Even if it will cost me everything.'