The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 451

Quinn's eyes widened in sheer disbelief at the accusation.

"You don't have—"

She swallowed back a curse just in time, cutting herself off.

She took several deep breaths, trying desperately to calm her racing heart.

Clearly, she failed.

Her gaze darted to Nathan, frantic and utterly shattered, her voice trembling violently. "Michael didn't kill anyone."

"This is pure slander!"

"Michael is a public figure! Do you have any idea how much trouble this will cause him if word gets out?"

"He was specifically invited to Luminport City as a promotional ambassador. If a scandal like this breaks right now, even if it's cleared up later, the haters will never let it go! His reputation will be completely ruined!"

"Mr. Peyton, you're the captain of the Special Task Force. You can't just make baseless accusations like this!"

Quinn's words tumbled out faster and faster.

Every sentence was a fierce defense of Michael, a textbook reaction from a dedicated manager protecting her star client.

But the harder she pushed, the more guilty she appeared.

If she didn't know the dark truth, she wouldn't be defending him with such hysterical desperation.

"We obviously wouldn't have brought you here if we didn't have proof."

Nathan remained intensely calm, radiating a cold, unshakable authority in the face of her meltdown.

His dark, predatory gaze locked onto Quinn, his expression holding the terrifying certainty of a man who already knew everything.

Quinn guiltily lowered her eyes.

That single flinch practically confirmed everything.

Realizing her mistake, Quinn's shoulders immediately slumped in defeat.

"Is Michael..."

"Michael had a private schedule that day. The only reason I invited the team to The Concorde Hotel was to create a cover for him."

"You were worried he'd be photographed sneaking into a hotel?" Nathan asked.

"Yes."

Her voice was faint, but she looked noticeably more relaxed than before.

Unloading the dark secret she had been carrying clearly brought her a twisted sense of relief.

"We prepared for every scenario. We kept our distance, drafted multiple PR cover-ups just in case... but we never anticipated that Maisie Shaw would be at that same hotel, or that she would spot him instantly."

It was impossible to tell if the expression on her face was disgust or pure frustration.

Her tone grew incredibly complicated at the mention of Maisie.

"I knew Maisie. I had coordinated with her several times on behalf of the team. Honestly, she was the glue that kept Michael's fanbase so stable all these years."

"We even tried to hire her officially, but she turned us down. She said she only did it because she adored Michael as an idol, and she wanted to support him voluntarily."