The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 149

"It's fine!"

Chloe waved it off quickly, joking, "Honestly, I'm just surprised I've been hanging out with a secret billionaire this whole time!"

Quentin looked at her carefully. "You're not mad I wasn't completely honest?"

Chloe paused, then smiled. "Why would I be? Everyone has secrets. You don't owe me your life story."

"Yeah." Quentin nodded softly, his gaze deepening. "To be honest, I prefer being Quentin the interpreter over Quentin of Shaw Holdings."

"You've already proven you're brilliant at it," Chloe said sincerely. She truly admired his talent.

Quentin blinked in surprise, then a slow, genuine smile spread across his face.

Chairman Shaw and Mrs. Shaw watched in awe. Their notoriously stoic, unapproachable son was actually smiling warmly at someone. They almost couldn't believe their eyes.

In an instant, their affection for Chloe skyrocketed. If it weren't for her, who knows how long Quentin would have kept his identity hidden.

Chloe greeted the parents gracefully and handed over a beautifully wrapped gift box with a sincere birthday wish.

A few bystanders sneered inwardly. A woman of Serena Shaw's unimaginable wealth would never care about a random gift from a stranger.

But to everyone's shock, Mrs. Shaw smiled brightly and accepted the box with genuine delight.

"Thank you, Chloe."

The casual, warm use of her first name caught Chloe off guard. She smiled softly. "It's just a small token... I hope you like it."

"I love it! Of course I love it!"

Mrs. Shaw immediately took the cashmere scarf out and draped it elegantly around her neck.

Hector Shaw looked at his wife, his eyes crinkling with affection.

"Serena, that looks stunning on you."

He turned to Chloe, offering a broad smile. "You have excellent taste, my dear. This is wonderful."

His tone was so incredibly genuine that Chloe didn't feel out of place at all. It felt remarkably comforting.

"Quentin and I are just friends. There's no need for this."

The women froze awkwardly. By the time they recovered, Chloe was already walking away.

The freezing wind and biting snow on the terrace hit her face, instantly clearing her head.

The forecast had been right. Tiny snowflakes drifted down, landing on her skin and stealing her warmth, but she felt entirely numb to the cold.

Chloe pulled out her phone and realized she had over a dozen missed calls.

All from Preston.

Her thumb hovered over the countdown app on her screen, watching the numbers tick down into the single digits. She took a deep breath of the icy air and locked her screen.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. A black umbrella smoothly blocked the falling snow.

Chloe turned around and found herself face-to-face with a strange man.

He had striking, cold silver hair that partially obscured his eyes. A gentle smile played on his lips, but his dark, calculating gaze felt terrifyingly familiar.