Shattered Vows: Call Me Auntie Now novel Chapter 31

Quinn wondered if Mrs. Hayes would lose her mind if she knew Leo wasn't even her biological grandson.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Quinn kept her tone casual. "I've raised Leo since he was born. He's closest to me, so staying with me is his best option."

"Absolutely not," Mrs. Hayes snapped. "A grandson of the Hayes family requires the finest material and educational resources. You can't provide that."

Quinn chuckled inwardly. Just how little did this woman think of her, assuming she couldn't even afford to raise her own child?

She didn't bother mentioning that she had legally secured half of Dante's assets during the property division. If Mrs. Hayes knew that, she would probably try to kill her on the spot.

"The alimony Dante agreed to is quite generous, and I have my own design studio. Leo's quality of life won't suffer."

Seeing the older woman's furious expression, she added, "Besides, Leo is still a toddler, and Dante has barely spent a day with him. Even if we took this to court, a judge would undoubtedly grant me full custody."

Mrs. Hayes lowered her eyes, her brow furrowing. A messy court battle was the last thing she wanted right now. It was better to play the long game.

Once the company's IPO was secure, she could hire a ruthless legal team to snatch custody back.

Nodding reluctantly, she said, "Fine. We'll do it your way for now."

Leo's custody had already been written into the divorce agreement. Quinn was only negotiating face-to-face to avoid short-term drama.

She saw right through Mrs. Hayes's stalling tactic. It didn't matter. Quinn planned to use this buffer period to scale up her studio and build her professional reputation.

By the time Mrs. Hayes tried to fight for custody again, Quinn would have a thriving career as her armor, guaranteeing her victory.

Before leaving, Mrs. Hayes issued her final demand. "For the next two months, whenever we need to maintain the illusion of your marriage for the public or attend important galas, you must appear as Mrs. Hayes. You have no objections to that, I presume?"

"Fine. I agree."

Just like that, the two women finalized their secret pact behind Dante's back.

When Quinn returned to the Belvedere Gardens estate, Mabel was already prepping lunch.

"Where's Leo?"

Leo stared in awe, clapping his little hands with sheer delight.

"Mommy!"

The toddler had spotted Quinn in the living room and ran toward her on his short, chubby legs.

Still buzzing with excitement, he pointed back at the towering man. "Playing ball! With Ray!"

Lydia walked in behind them with a warm smile. "They've been having the best time out there!"

Quinn looked up. Raymond's massive frame practically took up the entire doorway. He was wearing a fitted black t-shirt that perfectly outlined the hard, powerful muscles of his chest.

Quinn found herself staring for a second too long before snapping her attention back to her son.

With his round, pinchable cheeks and tiny limbs, Leo looked indescribably cute and handsome in his little jersey.