Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 497

The lobby of the Department of Civil Records was quieter than they had anticipated.

Likely due to it being a weekday, there weren't many people processing paperwork.

A few clerks sat expressionless behind their windows, typing away at their keyboards. A young couple sat in the waiting area, a few empty seats between them, both staring down at their phones.

The air carried a scent unique to government administrative halls.

A mixture of printer toner, disinfectant, and the cloying sweetness of cheap air freshener.

Quentin stopped at the entrance, his footsteps halting.

He looked up at the official state seal hanging on the wall in the center of the lobby, then glanced at the electronic display scrolling above the windows—"Marriage Registration," "Divorce Registration," "ID Photography."

He remembered the day he forced her to marry him immediately. He had acted almost like a bully, his expression a mix of stubbornness and grievance. She had been trembling back then. Thinking about it now, he realized how awful he had been.

"Mr. Prescott? Ms. Monroe?" A staff member in uniform approached them with a rehearsed, professional smile.

"The Deputy Mayor already made the arrangements. You two don't need to wait in line; please use the VIP channel. Follow me."

Quentin glanced at Madeline.

Her expression was perfectly composed, her lips pressed into a thin line.

She followed the staff member inside.

The VIP channel led to a private office, far more discreet than the bustling lobby outside.

A slightly plump, middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses sat behind the desk. His demeanor was accommodating and efficient.

Their profiles were already pulled up on his computer screen, and the printer beside him was warmed up and ready to go.