I Stopped Waiting and Started Loving novel Chapter 21

Quentin stopped in his tracks, sweeping a cold gaze over the man.

"Did you just crawl out of the swamp?" he asked, his tone flat but sharp as a knife.

The man froze. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Why else would you be dragging mud around where it doesn't belong?"

"You!"

The man's face instantly turned the color of bruised liver. He pointed a trembling finger at Quentin, too furious to speak.

"Enough. I could hear you bickering all the way from inside."

An authoritative yet elderly voice drifted over.

Bonnie looked toward the sound and saw an old man walking slowly with a cane. It was Quentin's grandfather, Arthur Vance.

Arthur's eyes grew slightly damp as he looked at Quentin. He let out a heavy sigh before shifting his gaze to Bonnie.

"Quentin, come with me to the study."

With that, Arthur waved to a sweet, energetic young girl standing nearby.

"Nora, take your new cousin-in-law for a stroll in the garden."

"You got it, Grandfather!"

Nora agreed brightly, running over with a friendly smile to link her arm through Bonnie's. "Come on, Bonnie, let's head over there. Ignore these boring people."

Bonnie glanced at Quentin. Seeing him give a slight nod, she let Nora lead her toward the gardens.

Inside the study.

As soon as the heavy mahogany doors clicked shut, the noise outside vanished completely.

Quentin didn't speak immediately. He simply pulled two marriage certificates from his suit jacket and tossed them onto the desk.

Arthur picked one up and opened it.

The official seal was undeniably real. This wasn't a joke or a convenient lie spun to buy time.

Arthur's expression darkened, his voice laced with disapproval.

"This is absolutely reckless! You grabbed some random woman and married her just to reject the marriage the York family arranged for you?"

"Marriage is not a game. Even if you refuse to marry Xandra Xavier, you shouldn't throw away your future out of spite."

Quentin sat languidly in a leather armchair, crossing his legs and offering a self-deprecating smirk.

"He thought I was a nuisance back then and threw me out of the country. Now that he needs someone to clean up his mess, he plays the loving father."

"Why should I be the one to plug the holes Parrish created?"

Looking at his cold, detached grandson, Arthur let out another long sigh.

He knew the dead knot between this father and son couldn't be untied with a few simple words.

"Never mind, let's not talk about him."

Arthur waved his hand, steering the conversation elsewhere.

...

Meanwhile.

Inside the CEO's office at the York Group.

Parrish was frowning as he reviewed documents when his phone suddenly buzzed on the desk.

A photo popped up on the screen.

It had clearly been taken secretly from outside the lawn, shot through the flower beds, capturing the entrance of the Vance mansion.