Chapter 881: Tempted

Fiona Linton pinched Chloe Reed’s cheek, grinning. "Babe, your alcohol tolerance is terrible."

Chloe lay on the table, her eyelids heavy. A hazy halo seemed to settle over everything in front of her, making her vision blur. She blinked and mumbled, "I’m sleepy..."

Preston Vance’s heart fluttered fiercely when he came upstairs and saw the scene. He found Chloe absolutely adorable and fought the urge to pinch her cheek just like Fiona had. His fingers twitched, but he suppressed the impulse and walked over. "Chloe, you’re drunk. Let me take you home."

Chloe shook her head. "No... I’m not drunk."

A gentle, helpless smile touched Preston’s lips. He helped Chloe to her feet. "The car is already waiting downstairs. It’s late; you should go home and rest."

Standing up only made Chloe dizzier. She subconsciously grabbed Preston’s arm to steady herself.

Fiona stood up as well. Her head was still somewhat clear, so she reached out to support Chloe. "I got her... I got her..."

"I’ll hand her over to you once we’re downstairs," Preston said. "You’re both drunk. It’s not safe to navigate the stairs like this."

Fiona let out a silly giggle. "Mr. Vance, you’re so considerate. Fess up, do you have a crush on our Chloe?"

"I’ve never denied it," Preston replied with a faint smile.

"Wow!" Fiona covered her mouth in dramatic surprise. "Well, that makes sense. Our Chloe is so pretty and cute, it’s only natural for people to like her."

She slung an arm around Annie York’s shoulders and beamed. "Isn’t that right, Ann? You like Chloe a lot too, don’t you?"

Annie subconsciously looked away, not daring to meet her gaze, but she nodded. "Yes, Chloe is wonderful."

Fiona’s mind was a bit muddled, so she completely missed Annie’s strange behavior as the girl helped her down the stairs.

A few patrons still lingered in the first-floor lobby. The group walked straight out of the restaurant. Preston had already called his driver, and the car was waiting right by the entrance.

Preston helped Chloe into the backseat, and Fiona slid in right after her.

"Text me when you get them home," Preston instructed the driver.

The driver nodded. "Understood, Mr. Vance."

Fiona waved enthusiastically from the window. "Alright, bye-bye!"

As the car pulled away, Preston watched it disappear down the street before turning to look at Annie. She was clutching her clothes nervously, her expression still tinged with deep unease.

Seeing her like this, Preston let out a helpless sigh. "Good thing she was drunk. If she were sober, she definitely would have noticed something. How are you supposed to help her if you act like this?"

Annie pursed her lips. "But... Mr. Vance, I just feel like..."

"Have you forgotten what I told you?" Preston’s tone was cool. "She said it herself—she doesn’t love Walker Grant anymore. Since that’s the case, there’s no reason for them to be together. It would only be mutual torture, wouldn’t you agree?"

Annie opened her mouth to argue but held her tongue. She mulled over his words carefully, and the unease in her heart gradually began to fade.

"Alright, don’t overthink it," Preston added. "You haven’t done anything to hurt her, so there’s no need to feel guilty or blame yourself. Besides, if she knew you liked Walker, it might actually take a weight off her shoulders."