Chapter 238: Chapter 238: Refusal
If she didn’t know who Shawn Styles was, his behavior would have made Chloe Sinclair suspect he had some kind of ulterior motive.
She stared straight at him without saying a word.
Seeing this, Shawn realized he had been too forward and quickly explained, "Sorry, I was just asking. It’s just that I haven’t seen you running these past few days."
The more Shawn spoke, the more he felt his tone was off.
He trailed off, at a loss for words.
However, Chloe listened very attentively and explained, "I was held up by a few things recently. From now on, I’ll be up to exercise every morning at five-thirty."
"Five-thirty?"
Shawn’s pupils contracted. He clearly hadn’t expected Chloe to get up so early.
Chloe didn’t seem to think it was a big deal and nodded nonchalantly. "Yes, I’m usually quite busy."
Of course, Shawn knew Chloe was busy.
After all, Chloe’s status spoke for itself. What he hadn’t expected was just how self-disciplined she was.
The national team went through high-intensity training every day, but outside of training camps, they would never get up this early to exercise.
Judging by Chloe’s casual tone, she had probably been doing this for a very long time.
"Is there anything else?" Chloe couldn’t help but ask, seeing Shawn staring into space.
"N-Nothing else."
When Chloe suddenly moved closer, a blush crept up Shawn’s face. He stumbled back several steps until he was pressed against the wall, a faint red tinge coloring the tips of his ears.
A puzzled look appeared on Chloe’s face.
’She had some memory of Shawn from her past life. In his final competition before he retired, he’d suffered from cramps and bleeding mid-race. Although he didn’t place high, he still finished.’
’When the news came out, the sports forums had erupted with criticism.’
’That was because the competition had been extremely important for the country.’
’Getting cramps mid-race was considered an unforgivable mistake.’
’After returning home, Shawn publicly apologized, and then he disappeared from the public eye.’
Chloe looked at the young man before her. She found it hard to imagine that the man who would soon be forced to retire due to injury, scorned by the public even as he left, was actually like this in real life.
Shawn felt uneasy under Chloe’s stare.
He opened his mouth and said tentatively, "Actually, there’s one more thing."
After speaking, he raised his eyes and snuck a glance at Chloe’s expression.
Her expression hadn’t changed; she didn’t seem to have reacted at all.
So, Shawn quickly said, "I want to sincerely invite you to join our national team." free𝑤ebnovel.com
’The national team?’
Chloe was slightly surprised.
But a moment later, she understood his motive.
She glanced at Shawn and finally gave a clear and direct reply, "I’m sorry, but I’m not interested."
Shawn wasn’t surprised at all by Chloe’s firm refusal, but he still asked, "Don’t you want to win glory for our country?"
He was afraid Chloe didn’t realize her own potential, so he said, "We observed your speed last time. With just a little training, you could definitely stand on the first-place podium."
"Mr. Styles, I’m sorry."
After what happened with Paul Lancaster, Chloe had learned to be decisive and absolute when rejecting things she wasn’t considering, leaving the other party with no false hope. freёweɓnovel.com
"I know you must have asked about me at the university, so you should be aware that my work is in scientific research."
She paused, then said apologetically, "My morning runs are just a habit. I need to maintain good physical health for my research. I have no other intentions."