Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 184

(Author’s POV)

Quentin’s jaw was tight the whole way. The truth was, his injuries were worse than Leo’s by a significant margin. Sam had bolted the moment things escalated, gone straight for a teacher, and the whole thing had ended before Quentin could do much damage. Leo had two bruises on his face. Quentin had three, plus the split lip.

That was the part that sat in his chest like a stone.

He’d been so certain this was going to go the other way. He’d set it up carefully – the things he’d said in class, the angle he’d taken, making sure enough people were listening. He’d expected Leo to either take it or snap and get himself suspended. He hadn’t expected the recording. He hadn’t expected the teacher to walk back in holding a phone with that expression on his face.

He’d had Leo pegged as a problem from the first week the guy transferred in. New student, quiet, kept to himself – and somehow within a month he was the one everyone respected. It didn’t make sense to Quentin. It wasn’t fair. Leo hadn’t earned anything. He’d just shown up.

And now Quentin was going home to write a thousand–word apology.

He didn’t say any of this to his father. There was no version of that conversation that ended well. He just sat in the seat and kept his mouth shut and waited for the car to stop.

When they pulled into the driveway, the lights in the front room were already on.

Zachary cut the engine. “Remember what I said.”

“I remember,” Quentin said.

They got out.

Sienna was in the living room when they walked in, sitting on the couch with her coat still on, a shopping bag on the cushion beside her. She looked up when the door opened and smiled.

“There you are.” She reached into the bag and produced a skateboard – matte black, new grip tape, the kind of brand that cost more than most people’s rent. “I was in the area. Thought Quentin might like this.”

Quentin’s eyes went to the board immediately. Despite everything, some of the tension went out of his face.

“Sienna stopped by to drop that off,” Tiffany called from the kitchen. “I told her she had to stay for dinner.” Tiffany appeared in the doorway still wearing her apron. She had flour on one sleeve and a wooden spoon in her hand. In a house that had employed a full kitchen staff for as long as Quentin could remember, the sight of his mother actually cooking was strange enough to register.

She was smiling. Then her eyes found Quentin’s face.

Clam

The smile dropped.

She crossed the room in four steps, grabbed him by the shoulders, and turned his face toward the light. “What happened to your face?” Her voice had gone sharp. “Were you fighting? Did someone hit you?” Quentin’s eyes cut sideways to his father for half a second. Zachary’s expression gave him nothing.

“No one hit me,” Quentin said. “It was on the court. I wasn’t watching where I was going and someone ran into me. It’s fine.”

Tiffany stared at the bruise. “That doesn’t look like a court injury.”

“I went down pretty hard.”

Sienna leaned forward from the couch, her voice easy and conversational. “Was it one of those scrambles for the ball? Someone goes up for a shot and you both come down wrong?”

Quentin grabbed the exit. “Yeah. Exactly. We were both going for it and I caught an elbow on the way down. Hit the floor too.”

Tiffany held his face in both hands for another moment, studying the damage. Then she exhaled. “You have to be more careful. Courts are dangerous when people aren’t paying attention.” She released him and pointed toward the bathroom. “Sit down. I’m getting the first aid kit.”

Quentin went. He let out a long, slow breath the moment he turned the corner.

In the living room, Zachary settled into the armchair and loosened his tie. Sienna waited until Tiffany’s footsteps faded down the hall, then leaned slightly toward him.

“He was actually fighting, wasn’t he,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

Zachary rubbed the back of his neck. “Some conflict with a classmate. The school handled it.”

“Which classmate?”

He was quiet for a moment. “The Higgins girl’s brother. The one who transferred in this semester.”

Sienna’s expression didn’t change, but something behind her eyes did. She sat back and smoothed her coat over her knees. “I see.”

“It’s dealt with,” Zachary said. “I don’t want Tiffany worrying about it.”

“Of course.” Sienna nodded once. “If you need anything handled – anything at all – you know you can come to me. The Whitmores and the Rathbones have always looked out for each other.”

Zachary nodded. “I know.”

Tiffany came back with the first aid kit and called Quentin out from the bathroom. Dinner was on the table twenty minutes later – roast chicken, roasted potatoes, green beans with almonds, a salad she’d put together herself. The table looked good. She’d clearly put real effort in.

They ate. Conversation stayed light. Sienna complimented the chicken twice. Quentin ate with his head

233

down.

Clam

By the time dessert was cleared and Sienna had said her goodbyes, it was nearly ten. Quentin disappeared to his room. The house settled into its nighttime quiet.

(Tiffany’s POV)

I couldn’t sleep.

I lay in the dark and stared at the ceiling and listened to Zachary breathe beside me. The dinner had gone fine. Everything had gone fine. Quentin was home, the kitchen was clean, Sienna had left in a good mood. By every measure, it had been a normal evening.

But something sat in my chest that I couldn’t name.

Comments

LUCK DRAW >

Vote

320

straps book wwwtamall