The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 19

"There's an international summit next week. The Chairman of Shaw Holdings hired me to interpret, and I'm still missing a partner..."

This time, Chloe didn't even let him finish before shutting him down in utter panic. "No way!"

Quentin held her gaze. Chloe avoided looking at him, repeating desperately, "I can't."

"Caroline," Quentin said softly. "Even after three years away from the booth, your performance today was flawless. You need to give yourself a chance instead of writing yourself off so easily."

Chloe cut him off again. She was physically and mentally drained, barely holding herself together. "Quentin, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I know exactly what condition I'm in. Don't lie to me. If it hadn't been for you carrying me through that session today, I would have crashed and burned."

She lowered her eyes. "I've left the industry. You don't need a broken partner like me. Please, just leave me alone." With that, she turned to hurry away.

Quentin caught her wrist. The deep night seemed to sharpen his cold silhouette, yet his eyes burned intensely, as if determined to pierce straight to her soul. "Caroline, are you running away from me, or from translating?"

Chloe stiffened almost imperceptibly.

"A damaged ear doesn't mean your life is over. Even if you work behind the scenes, Caroline Monet will always be better than anyone else!"

Her heart, which had been silent and suppressed for three grueling years, slammed violently against her ribs.

For the past three years, everyone had fixated on her ruined left ear. They had offered her pity, sympathy, and urged her to just accept her fate, as if losing one ear meant she had lost every shred of her worth and potential. She never expected the agonizing pain she had buried so deeply to be dragged into the light by a single sentence from Quentin.

All these years, she had been the one keeping herself imprisoned in a cage of her own making.

"I'll be in the country for the next month. If you ever find the courage to start over, you know where to find me."

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