The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 12

She had intended to pack her things, but for a moment, she didn't even know where to begin. Suddenly, the sound of the front door unlocking echoed from the entryway.

Preston's towering figure stepped inside. He took in the fully lit house before finally finding Chloe in the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Still afraid of the dark, even at your age?"

His clean, masculine scent was tainted with the sickly sweet smell of a woman's perfume. Chloe's stomach churned. She pushed him away coldly. "Let go. Unless you want me to throw up on you."

Preston chuckled softly. "Throw up? We haven't exactly slept together recently." His voice dropped to a husky murmur. "Or are you dropping a hint?"

His large hand rested on her lower back, his thumb tracing slow, deliberate circles before slipping beneath the hem of her shirt, trailing upwards.

"Creep!" Chloe lashed out, aiming a fierce kick at him, but he easily caught her ankle and gave it a light tug.

She instantly lost her balance and crashed hard against his solid chest. The impact sent a shockwave of pain through the bruises covering her body, and she let out a sharp gasp.

Preston's brows knit together. He steadied her. "What's wrong?"

Chloe shoved him away. "None of your business."

His expression darkened. Without another word, he scooped her up into his arms, carrying her effortlessly to the living room, and set her down on the sofa.

"Let me go! Get off!" Chloe struggled wildly.

But he easily pinned both her wrists above her head with one hand, using his free hand to pull up her shirt. The next second, the violent, mottled array of dark bruises across her skin was fully exposed to his gaze.

Preston's usually impassive, handsome face turned terrifyingly grim. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet, the sheer dominance radiating from him almost suffocating.

"Who did this?" he demanded, barely suppressing his fury. "Wallace said someone was chasing you. Was it them? Why didn't you tell me?"

She propped herself up. Her gaze landed on the nightstand, where a tube of ointment and a brand-new, expensive smartphone sat waiting. A chaotic mix of emotions swelled in her chest.

Suddenly, the new phone lit up. The screen displayed an incoming call from "Hubby." Chloe answered it, and Preston's voice came through the speaker.

"The summit wraps up tonight. There's a banquet afterward. You're coming with me."

Chloe was about to refuse, but a sudden thought made her pause. "Got it," she said instead. She was actually quite curious to see which version of "Caroline Monet" Jenna would manage to drag in for the interpretation.

Pleased by her easy agreement, Preston's tone lightened. "Good. I'll have Wallace pick you up this afternoon."

Just as he finished speaking, a woman's whining voice filtered through the line. "Aw, Preston, why is your wife coming? I thought you were going to be my date."

Chloe hung up the phone. She stared at the screen, her fingers moving quickly to edit Preston's contact name. She changed it to a single word: "Dog."