The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 117

"I heard you invited Dr. Macleod to the country, only to have him poached right out from under you?"

The mature, composed man spoke casually while meticulously brewing a pot of tea.

Quentin stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out into the heavy night, not saying a word.

Preston's methods were far more ruthless and underhanded than he had anticipated.

Because Preston ignored the rules, the rules couldn't touch him.

A man like that—if he loved someone, he would give them the world and place them on a pedestal.

But if he grew tired of them, he would stomp them into the dirt without a second thought, ensuring they never rose again.

Hector Shaw looked at his son. Quentin was usually unflappable and rarely took things this seriously. Seeing him in such a brooding mood brought a faint, teasing smirk to Hector's lips.

"When I asked you to take over Shaw Holdings, you fought me at every turn. Now that someone has walked all over you, how does it taste?"

"You went through all that trouble to find Dr. Macleod, so it must be for someone very important to you. Sometimes, family background is the ultimate leverage. If she knew who you really were, she might just look at you a little differently."

Hector had intended to use this to finally push his son into taking over the family empire.

But to his surprise, Quentin showed zero regret. If anything, he looked even more resolute.

"She isn't a vine that needs to cling to someone else to grow."

"And she's never cared about high-and-mighty power."

"What she wants is respect, understanding, and genuine support."

Hector chuckled. "Hearing you talk like that actually makes me curious about her."

"But, Quentin, a man only truly has the power to protect the people he cares about when he holds enough strength in his own hands. Otherwise, you'll just be left feeling useless."

"Next week is your mother's birthday gala. I expect you to attend as the heir to Shaw Holdings. Forget the business politics—just think of it as having dinner with your parents. Deal?"

Quentin's dark, raven-like lashes lowered, hiding his eyes. He remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

Chloe spent the next two days entirely bedridden. Yuri stayed faithfully by her side, curled up against her chest, watching her curiously with bright, dark eyes.

On the third day, she finally regained a bit of strength.

She had just dragged herself out of bed and thrown together a simple breakfast. Before she could take a single bite, a call from Preston unexpectedly lit up her phone.

She didn't even glance at it, immediately sending it to the block list.

But a moment later, a message popped up.

Her finger hovered over the button to delete his WhatsApp contact, but as she read the text, she froze.

[Are you trying to breach the contract?]

[Pick up the phone.]

A furious heat surged from her chest. She slammed the phone screen off and slapped it face-down onto the table.