Shattered Vows: Call Me Auntie Now novel Chapter 61

Quinn Yates let out a scoff. Dante Hayes still expected her to move back to Belvedere Gardens.

The sheer audacity of him condescending to help her with her luggage.

"No thanks. Leo and I are doing perfectly fine at Lunas Crest, and we have no intention of moving back."

Dante frowned, his tone shifting into something far more commanding. "Lunas Crest is cramped and out in the middle of nowhere. It doesn't even compare to Belvedere Gardens. The environment isn't right for Leo. You need to come back."

Seeing her expression remain entirely indifferent, he suppressed his impatience and added, "I've already had someone prep our bedroom and stock it with everything you need. This isn't up for debate."

Quinn narrowed her eyes. Had the man completely lost the ability to understand simple English?

She reiterated, "I said, I am not moving back."

"How long are you going to keep throwing this tantrum?"

Tantrum? In his eyes, she was always just being completely unreasonable.

"Move out of the way."

Right at that moment, Tara Moore found them.

Assessing the situation instantly, she grabbed Quinn and pulled her protectively to her side.

When her gaze landed on the disheveled Vivienne Ambrose standing nearby, Tara let out a loud snort.

"Well, well, if it isn't the beloved Vivienne. How on earth did you end up looking like this?"

"Judging by that look, did you take a nasty spill in the bathroom and lose your dignity along the way?"

She even generously pulled a compact mirror from her purse and shoved it in front of the other woman's face.

"Are you sure you want to hand in your application looking like a complete disaster?"

Vivienne instinctively glanced into the mirror. Seeing her hair in knots and her makeup smeared across her face like a horror movie extra, she let out a shriek.

Forgetting the argument entirely, she covered her face and stumbled frantically back toward the restrooms.

"Oh, my god!"

Tara burst into unapologetic laughter, practically gasping for breath.

She turned to Quinn, unable to hold back her curiosity. "Seriously, what happened to that two-faced witch?"

Vivienne had always presented herself to the world as flawlessly dressed and impeccably groomed.

This humiliating state was definitely a first.

Quinn cast a glance at her best friend and replied flatly, "I hit her."

The entire scene was comically absurd.

Quinn walked over and smiled at Raymond. "Thanks for this. I'll take over from here. You can take Leo to sit on those chairs over there."

Raymond gave a curt nod.

He took a step back, allowing Quinn to slip into the line.

Then, he took Leo's tiny hand and led the boy to the side.

It didn't take long before Quinn finally reached the front desk.

She neatly handed over her registration form, initial design sketches, and resume to the reviewing clerk.

Seated behind the desk was a slightly overweight middle-aged man wearing thick black frames.

He was apparently the primary reviewer handling the competition's applications.

He glanced down, and the moment he saw Quinn's name and credentials on the first page, his expression shifted. Still, he quickly flipped through the rest of the documents.

His face settled into a deeply stern frown.

After a brief moment, he looked up, pushed his glasses up his nose, and spoke in a rigid, non-negotiable tone.