NovelOnlineChapter 397 Following
Benjamin asked with a steady voice, "Larry, are you staying for dinner?"
"No need. Her word doesn't count." Larry squinted his eyes, giving Julia a cold look. "You think you're close with
them?"
Larry didn't intend to do Julia a favor.
Julia's cheeks stiffened, and she fell silent.
Larry turned to Benjamin and said, "I'm heading out first."
"Alright," Benjamin murmured.
Larry left first, with Julia quickly following him.
The room fell into an eerie silence. Harper unconsciously looked at Annie beside him. She was eating
nonchalantly and smiled when she met Harper's eyes, "Why are you looking at me? Just eat, I'm fine."
Harper's expression darkened slightly, worry creeping into his mind.
Benjamin initiated an explanation. "I didn't call him over."
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"It's okay, what does it matter? Am | supposed to avoid Mayby just because of him?"
Annie seemed indifferent, but Harper knew her well enough to understand that the more she acted like this, the
more upset she actually was.
The dinner, which was initially pleasant, had turned somewhat gloomy due to Larry and Julia's appearance.
On the way home, Annie kept the conversation going, almost as if she had "I'm fine" written on her forehead for
Harper to see.
Annie was staying at Eleanor's apartment, and although Harper wanted to keep her company, she saw through
his intentions and refused. "Con, I'm really fine. I'm not that fragile. It's all in the past. We have to look
forward, right? I'm just tired today. | need to get srest early. | have work tomorrow for you, remember?"
Harper pressed her lips together, her brows furrowing slightly. "Callif you need anything."
"l got it."
Annie nodded and walked through the door under Harper's gaze.
As she closed the door, she flashed Harper a faint smile, but the moment the door shut, her smile vanished,
leaving only a cold, expressionless facade.
She thought she could completely
forget him, but now she realized that her supposed forgetting was merely due to no one mentioning him, so he
had no relevance in her world, but that didn't mean she had truly erased him from her memory or heart.
Back at the apartment, Harper was also a bit worried and asked Benjamin, "Is Annie really okay?"
"Do you want to keep her company?" Benjamin asked softly.
Harper shook her head, thinking it was better to let her cool off for now.
Still, she couldn't help but be curious, and she asked, "How did Larry know we were also dining at the Silver? Has
he been having someone following Annie?" "Probably not. He must have heard it from a waiter and thought just
to say hi since it was just the two of us."
"He cover with Julia to greet us. Are we close?"
Harper was clearly protective and not fond of Julia.
Benjamin simply smirked and drew
her into his arms, and he said in a
soft and mild voice, "Should | remind | him not to bring Julia around us next time, hmm?"
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Harper didn't respond, but it was clear she felt the same.
After all, she was Annie's best friend, and best friends need to support each other.
That night, Annie couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned and eventually got up to drink alone by the floor-to-
ceiling windows, one sip after another.
She thought getting drunk might help her sleep, but it only made her more alert, and by the end, she was fully
aware of her discomfort but mentally clear.
At three in the morning, Annie was rushed to the hospital for alcohol poisoning.
After a series of checks throughout
the night, as dawn was breaking and
the effects of the stomach pump
were still wearing off, Harper and
Benjamin sat on the couch waiting.
Benjamin gently held the woman next to him and whispered, "Close your eyes and sleep a bit. I'll wake you when
she does, okay?"
Harper shook her head and said, "I'm not tired."
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