Chapter 445 - 420: He Actually Did It for Her...

"I know, thank you so much, but I think I’ll head back to my own place. It’s been a hassle for you for too long. The old saying goes, nothing beats being in your own home. It’s always more comfortable there."

Chloe Simpson declined Alan Johnson’s offer without a second thought.

If she followed the mysterious man’s instructions and the upcoming plan, it would actually be more suitable for her to stay at Julian Sterling’s place.

But today, after receiving Mom’s photo, she wanted to return home and see if there were any other clues there.

"Alright, if you have anything you need when you return, just give me a call. My phone is on 24/7."

Alan Johnson nodded and said nothing more.

"Okay. Alan, you don’t have to do this. Even though my mom once saved your mom’s life, you don’t need to sacrifice so much for this favor. I..."

Upon hearing that remark about being available 24/7, Chloe Simpson suddenly felt warmth in her heart, and she turned to look at Alan Johnson.

"Chloe, I know what you want to say. I also know that what I’m doing might seem far-fetched, just for my mom’s past favor, and I’ve given so much."

"Don’t overthink it. Honestly, there are many times I don’t even understand why I’m doing this. Perhaps because that favor is tied to many things from the past, making me feel, in some mystical way, that being closer to you brings me closer to Mom."

"After all, at this point, there are fewer and fewer things connected to Mom. To outsiders, I might sound like I’m the Second Master of the Johnson Family, but the reality is not like that. When I was very, very young..."

Alan Johnson stood there and spoke for a long, long time.

Chloe Simpson truly didn’t expect that her simple words would unravel so many things.

She was even more surprised to learn what the Second Master of the Johnson Family, Alan Johnson, went through in the family.

His mother fell gravely ill and passed away while he was very young.

And it was only because his mother entrusted him before she died, that he was sent to the Johnson Family.

Ordinarily, an illegitimate child would be sent back to the biological father’s care.

But Julian Sterling was sent to Lorelei, the matriarch of the Johnson Family.

It was precisely because of this that Alan Johnson’s true identity remained undisclosed, and his days at the Johnson Family were considerably more bearable.

Since childhood, his mother had taught him not to compete, not to fight, to do only what was expected of him, and to obey.

Ethan Sterling continued speaking from where he stood by the window: "From the first day I entered the Johnson Family until now, there’s always been a taut string in my mind."

"That string was set by Mom; it’s the only thing she felt was best for me. To this day, I remember clearly what Mom said before she died. I dare not forget a single word."

"She said I must live well, live with effort; money, power, none of it is important. As long as I live this life happily and contentedly, that’s enough. She said that nothing in the Johnson Family belonged to me, that the family gave me food, allowed me to grow up safely, that’s already a grace from the Johnson Family..."

Chloe Simpson listened to these words, standing there, looking at him.

Suddenly, she didn’t seem to resist Alan Johnson as much.

Suddenly, she felt maybe this man standing before her wasn’t quite as she thought.

Alan Johnson turned back to look at her as he finished speaking: "So, Chloe, you really don’t need to feel any psychological burden. Call me anytime if you need anything; perhaps being closer to you can help me relax a bit. I don’t even know why. If you really want to know the reason, I couldn’t tell you."

"Okay, alright, I will."

This time, Chloe finally nodded sincerely, without any calculation, without any reservations.

By eleven in the morning, the discharge paperwork was completed.

Alan Johnson took Chloe out to celebrate.

Chloe had thought that Alan, the Second Master of the Johnson Family, would take her to some high-end restaurant.

But unexpectedly, he only took her to an alley in the Kyohai’s urban village.

It was a very deep alley.

The passage of vehicles was quite inconvenient; driving was almost impossible.

All that went back and forth were bicycles, electric bikes, and pedestrians.

The road was narrow but very clean.

The path was paved with bluestone, not the painted roads or asphalt roads of modern industrialization.