The car rolled smoothly into the Lancaster estate. As the driver opened the door for him, Gray stepped out and gave the man a brief nod of thanks.
"I'll see you later, sir," the driver said politely before returning to his seat.
The moment Gray stepped inside the mansion, he was greeted by one of the maids. The same maid from yesterday bowed slightly and guided him back through the familiar elegant hallway.
This time, though, the door to the study was already slightly opened as if it was expecting him.
Still, Gray knocked on the door lightly before opening it fully. He thought that it was basic courtesy.
As soon as Gray stepped inside, he caught a glimpse of Chloe.
Chloe was seated on the same plush sofa by the fireplace. But today, she looked more relaxed. She wasn't dressed as primly as yesterday either. Instead of a skirt, she wore light beige shorts and a casual blouse that rolled up on her sleeves. Her hair was in a messy bun, showing off her flawless neck.
She looked up the moment Gray entered the study room. In an instant, her face lit up. She offered a small but noticeable warm smile.
"Good morning, Gray," she said simply, hiding the excitement in her voice.
"Morning, Chloe," Gray replied as he flashed a smile, too. He stepped inside and looked around, noticing that Emily wasn't there.
"You're early, huh?" Chloe added, sounding a little amused. "What, are you excited to teach me again?" she asked playfully.
"Oh well, I could ask you the same question," Gray said as he took a seat across from her. "You look ready, and you're even here already." He pointed out that made the two of them laugh.
"Well, who knows," Chloe leaned back, still laughing a little. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes were brighter than the day before.
"Well, Yesterday was... actually fun," Chloe uttered. The last few words of her sentence trailed off. She was a little shy to say that, but she thought there was no problem with her words.
"Is that your way of saying you learned something?" Gray raised an eyebrow, looking at her playfully. Her words somehow had a good effect on her.
Chloe rolled her eyes but chuckled.
"Don't push your luck, Gray."
Gray chuckled as he opened his folder. In a split second, the mischief in his eyes was replaced by seriousness.
Having fun is good.
But he needs that apartment.
"Alright then. Stop with jokes and let's start early."
With it, their session quickly began, and much like yesterday, they started with some theory work that was related to business.
Today, it was noticeable that Chloe was more engaged in their discussion. She asked more questions and let out her thoughts on a few things. It was an improvement, and Gray was glad about it.
Whenever Chloe didn't understand something, she no longer stayed quiet. Instead, she looked Gray in the eyes and asked him to explain it again. And Gray, in return, found himself explaining things in ways that were tailored just to her pace.
The two looked more like they were studying together than gray teaching Chloe. Maybe because they were at the same age, so they could talk similarly, and their interest aligns a little.
It was helpful to Gray too, since he was also learning at the same time.
At one point, Gray even stood up and walked to the whiteboard besides one of the bookshelves to sketch out a basic business model.
Chloe remained seated, but her eyes followed him curiously. She rested her head on the backrest of the sofa.
"You're surprisingly good at this, Gray" she said out of the blue.
"At teaching?" Gray looked back.
"Yeah," Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "And… not making me feel dumb."
Gray paused, sensing the shift in her tone. He frowned slightly.
"Is that something you're used to?" he asked quietly.
Chloe didn't answer immediately. She looked down at her notes, tapping the pen lightly against the edge of the notebook.
"Sometimes," she admitted softly. It surprised her how she can easily admit these kinds of things.
"People expect a lot from me, you know. And when I don't meet it… they don't say I'm stupid, but I just feel like it."
Gray stayed quiet, then walked back to sit across from her. He smiled at her assuringly.
"You're not stupid, Chloe. Not even close," he said firmly. "You just… needed someone to explain it in a way that makes sense to you."
Chloe blinked at him, surprised by how direct but gentle his words were.
"Thanks," she muttered, her eyes flickering away as an unknown emotion crossed from it.
"You don't have to thank me. That's part of my job," Gray replied, then added with a grin, "Though, I do accept praise in the form of snacks."
That got a laugh out of her.
"Fine. I'll ask the maids to prepare some food before you leave."
"Good."
The rest of their session flowed easily. Gray gave her a small quiz at the end. Chloe didn't get everything right, but it was already better than yesterday.
When they finally wrapped up, Chloe leaned back with a satisfied sigh.
"Thanks, Gray. I learned a lot today."
"That's good," Gray said, pleased at it. "Don't worry. I'm sure your grades will improve in a month."
"Yeah…" Chloe turned her head slightly, looking at him.
Before Gray could say any words, there was a soft knock at the door.
One of the maids stepped in with a rolling tray of refreshments. On it were small plates of warm pastries, and two elegant cups of juice that were freshly prepared.
"Ah, finally, the snacks," Gray muttered with a grin. "You weren't kidding."
"Told you," Chloe said smugly as she reached for one of the lemon tarts.
Gray got himself some juice, settling back into his seat as the maid quietly left the room to let them enjoy the snacks.
For a few moments, they sat in silence, just eating and sipping.
But then, Gray glanced toward Chloe again, remembering the mission that had popped up earlier in the cab. His fingers tapped lightly on his cup before he decided to ask something about it.
Since Chloe's family is in business, maybe she knows a thing or two about investments.
"Hey, Chloe," he began casually, "do you know much about investing?"
Chloe raised a brow, surprised by the sudden question.
"Investing?"
"Yeah. Like stocks, funds… that sort of thing," Gray clarified, watching her reaction closely.
He knew something, but it was not bad to ask a few questions that might benefit him.
Chloe tilted her head slightly, thinking about it.
"Well, I'm not an expert, but I've been taught the basics since I was young. Why?"
Gray shrugged his shoulders, trying not to sound too eager.
"I'm just… curious. Thought I should learn more about it. It seems like something useful to understand."
"It is," Chloe nodded slowly. "Especially if you want to build long-term wealth. My dad says that saving is smart, but investing is how people really grow their money."
"Even for people who don't have a lot?" Gray asked.
Chloe gave him a thoughtful look. "Yeah. You can start small, with safer options. There are apps and platforms now where you don't need thousands to begin."
Gray leaned forward slightly.
"What would you recommend for someone… you know, totally new to it?"
Chloe set her cup down and crossed one leg over the other, getting a bit more serious now.
"Start with ETFs. They're less risky than individual stocks. Or dividend stocks—those give you passive income over time. And don't go chasing crypto trends unless you know what you're doing."
"I see…" Gray slowly nodded, weighing the options.
"You could also just ask me for help, you know… " Chloe added, shooting him a side glance.
"If you ever get stuck at it."