The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 14

Chloe let out a dry laugh. "Am I the one ruining his hard work?"

Mason didn't care. He practically shoved her into the translation booth. "There are too many of Vantage's rivals out there. No one is going to lend us an interpreter. You still have your right ear, don't you? Just translate whatever you can catch!"

The heavy door slammed shut.

The thick soundproof glass instantly severed the noise of the auditorium, leaving the small booth suffocatingly quiet, save for the faint hum of the electrical equipment.

Chloe steadied herself, her eyes drawn uncontrollably to the console. Two professional chairs sat side by side. The desk was lined with a light gray anti-slip mat, the central control panel and microphones perfectly positioned. It was exactly as she remembered.

Driven by pure muscle memory, she found herself walking toward the desk. She expertly slipped on the headphones, adjusted the audio feed, and locked onto the speaker's channel.

Her movements were so fluid it was as if she had never stopped working. It wasn't until the highly sensitive microphone amplified her shallow breathing that she snapped back to reality.

No. She couldn't do this. In her current condition, there was no way she could handle the intense pressure. Her left ear was a ticking time bomb, threatening to erupt into a deafening ring at any moment. She simply couldn't.

Panic setting in, Chloe moved to rip off the headset. Just then, a large, warm hand covered her trembling fingers.

She looked up, crashing straight into a man's deep, steady gaze. She froze. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, his tailored black suit accentuating his lean, powerful build. The ambient light cast sharp shadows across his striking jawline. Even standing perfectly still, he radiated an untouchable, dominant elegance that demanded absolute submission.

"For Vantage Corp's success today, there is one person I must thank..." Chloe unconsciously held her breath.

"She is my closest, best partner. She has been by my side for many years... Without her, there would be no Vantage Corp, and there would certainly be no Preston Hayes."

Over the audio feed, Preston's soft chuckle was painfully clear. "Thank you, Jenna."

A heavy, suffocating wave of despair crashed over Chloe. It felt like she had been struck in the chest. An agonizing mix of betrayal and heartbreak seized her lungs, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Amidst the roaring applause from the crowd, she dug her nails into her palms. Her face remained a mask of pure apathy as she delivered the final, flawless translation into the mic. "Thank you, Jenna."