The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 169

"Quentin..."

After walking out of the private room, looking at the tall, imposing figure of the man walking ahead of her, Chloe finally couldn't hold back.

"Are you seriously going to..."

"I'm sorry." Quentin suddenly turned around, his dark eyes locking onto hers.

Chloe blinked in surprise.

"I'm sorry. I failed to handle the people around me, and it dragged you into this mess."

Quentin's tone was dead serious, laced with lingering fear. "But Chloe, moving forward, if you ever run into any kind of trouble, you have to tell me, okay?"

"We've known each other for years. I'd like to think we're friends. Not to mention..."

Chloe cut in softly. "I thought..."

"You thought she was actually my fiancée?"

Quentin held her gaze. "You don't need to guess. If you want to know something, just ask me. I would never lie to you."

Chloe stayed quiet, not knowing how to respond.

They had known each other for a long time, yes, but Quentin carried this innate, untouchable distance that made people hesitate to get too close.

So, despite how well they worked together, they had never been truly close.

Besides, an engagement was a deeply personal matter. It was hardly her place to pry.

Still, Chloe kept those thoughts to herself.

Seeing her silence, Quentin's tone softened a fraction. "Chloe, you're leaving the country soon. I don't want any more slip-ups."

"This is Rowan territory. If I hadn't shown up tonight, how were you planning on getting out of there?"

Chloe pointed toward the decorative plants near the entrance of Aethel Lounge.

Two heads suddenly popped up from behind the foliage.

"Ms. Reed, what are you doing out here?"

"The boys were waiting for your signal! We were ready to go!"

Quentin, "..."

Chloe said, "Thanks for the help tonight, guys. You can head home."

She then turned back to Quentin to explain.

"I just brought them along to call the cops for me."

"I was never going to actually hurt her. I have some evidence, but it's not foolproof, so I just came here to bluff a confession out of her."

When she answered, a middle-aged woman's voice came through the speaker.

"Chloe, it's Mrs. Shaw. I heard about what happened yesterday..."

Chloe instinctively tensed up.

The Rowan Family held serious weight in Sterling Bay.

And they had partnered with the Shaw family for decades.

By doing what he did, Quentin had undoubtedly unleashed a massive nightmare on himself and his family.

Just as she was trying to find the right words to apologize, the woman continued.

"Chloe, are you okay? You must have been terrified. How bad are your injuries?"

"You poor girl, I never imagined that Rowan girl was so rotten to the core. I am so, so sorry our family dragged you into this mess..."

Hector's voice drifted through from the background.

"Chloe, it's Mr. Shaw. Don't you worry about a thing. The Shaws are going to make sure you get the justice you deserve!"

Chloe sat frozen for a long time.

When she first picked up the phone, her gut reaction had been to brace herself for an interrogation, fully expecting them to pressure her into taking the high road and letting it go...