Donovan suspected that Chloe had seen Brayden the day before. Otherwise, it didn't make sense for Brayden to suddenly send so many messages. Of course, it was also possible that Brayden had always been messaging that frequently, and Donovan was simply not aware of it.
"Be straight with me from now on. Let me know what you need," Donovan stated, leaning against the headboard and lighting up a cigarette.
Chloe closed her eyes, remaining silent as she wasn't sure what she had done to appear dishonest. This recent event had made her feel oppressed, and it reminded her of her eagerness to see him before, a clear miscalculation of trust.
After finishing what they were doing, Chloe lay down, but sleep eluded her. Picking up her phone, she noticed Brayden's messages.
She began to understand why Donovan was behaving this way. He must have seen the barrage of WhatsApp notifications from Brayden, assuming that she had met with him. In Donovan's mind, "Brayden" was Chloe's current boyfriend, and the idea of them meeting naturally made him angry. He had expressed his disdain and made it clear he didn't want her sleeping with Brayden.
So Chloe explained, "Mr. Blake, I have already told you that I am a professional. Once I accept a job from you, I do not entertain anyone else. You can trust me on that."
"A job?"
"Yes. You pay, and I provide the service," Chloe stated, her voice tinged with irritation.
"Your work is good," Donovan mentioned, his tone suggesting a double entendre, but he seemed more at ease and less suspicious.
"Mr. Blake, you need to understand something. This isn't real between us!" Chloe declared earnestly.
Donovan let out a laugh, finding Chloe's earnestness somewhat naïve.
With no further conversation, Chloe flipped through the economic law past papers and other materials Brayden had sent her on WhatsApp. He had also included tests from a 'Financial Cost Management' course she hadn't signed up for, as well as highlighted textbook content. Brayden was indeed a good teacher, and he was very thorough in his help.
Chloe messaged him back: [Thanks for this. I was showering earlier and didn't see it.]
[It's fine. Just review them when you can. Once you've worked through these questions, you should be good to go.]
Not speaking further to Donovan, Chloe turned off the bedside lamp and eventually drifted to sleep.
Chloe's dissatisfaction with Donovan didn't affect her performance in front of Samuel. The next day, she was as exemplary as ever, delighting Samuel to the point where he was almost reluctant to see her leave. Donovan, on the other hand, didn't seem to hold the same sentimental attachment.
On the ride back, Donovan transferred $50,000 to Chloe. The transaction seemed casual since all she did was make Samuel laugh without any cooking involved. Chloe, looking at the sum, messaged Donovan on WhatsApp, "What is this for?"
Moments later, Donovan replied, "Great job."
Chloe's face flushed red with embarrassment. She didn't want Donovan to see her discomfort, so she turned her gaze toward the car window.
"Since it was a great job, feel free to book me more often. After all, a repeat customer is better than a new one. And you are quite generous," Chloe sent back, masking her humiliation with return bravado.
"If I book you often, you'll need to freshen up your act."
"Sure, money is a good motivator. I'm new to this and can't match your expertise. I should practice more."
After sending the message, Chloe tossed her phone onto the seat and closed her eyes to rest.