Shattered Vows: Call Me Auntie Now novel Chapter 82

He knew his mother too well; she had always been domineering and stubborn, never one to easily give up on something she set her mind to.

There was no way she could just drop the idea of making him separate from Quinn and marry Vivienne in such a short amount of time.

Mrs. Hayes immediately sensed his skepticism. Not wanting her son to grow suspicious, she added, "Just because I'm not pressuring you anymore doesn't mean I accept Quinn."

"I simply don't want you getting distracted right when the company is going public. We can discuss your marital issues later."

Dante gave a brief nod, tucking the notarized document away. "I'm heading out. I have a dinner meeting tonight."

It wasn't until Dante left and walked downstairs that the smile vanished from Mrs. Hayes's face.

She hurriedly grabbed the envelope and locked it inside the safe in the corner.

Only she knew the combination.

She had been too careless. Her son had almost discovered his divorce certificate just now.

Just to be safe, she called her secretary. "Dante is definitely suspicious. Smooth things over with the City Clerk's Office. You must ensure he cannot pull up any of the divorce records."

"Yes, Mrs. Hayes!"

***

In the blink of an eye, the day of the Yates family dinner arrived. Tara Moore called Quinn that morning.

"Quinn, I'm so sorry. My brother dragged me to a last-minute meeting in Arlington. I can't go with you to the Yates estate today. Please be careful."

"Don't worry. I'll deal with whatever they throw at me. I've got this."

Yasmine Yates and Vivienne loved to stir up trouble, but Quinn was no pushover either.

Before leaving, she applied her makeup flawlessly, slipped into a tailored cheongsam, and gracefully descended the stairs from the second floor.

Downstairs, Raymond Moretti looked up at her.

Quinn instructed him, "I'm heading back to the Yates family for a dinner. You don't need to follow me."

The man abruptly raised an eyebrow, displeasure lacing his tone. "What, not taking me along? Am I not presentable enough for you?"

Snapping back to reality, Dante approached the car. "You're not bringing Leo?"

Quinn retorted bluntly, "For the past two years, you've basically been a deadbeat dad to Leo. There's really no need to play the loving father card now, is there?"

Besides, the Yates household was a toxic environment, and she didn't want Leo's innocent mind tainted.

Dante frowned, looking at Quinn. "Do you have to speak to me with such hostility?"

"Are we leaving or not? If not, I'll drive myself."

Dante's gaze turned somber. Finally, he slammed the car door shut and started the engine.

While waiting at a red light, Dante glanced through the rearview mirror at Quinn's hand resting on her purse.

Just below her watch lay a scar. He had seen it before, of course; it was even uglier than Vivienne's.

Driven by an inexplicable urge, he asked, "What exactly happened to your wrist to leave that scar?"