The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 198

"Who the hell do you think you are? Do you seriously still consider yourself Preston's wife?"

Mason grabbed his arm. "Calm down. This woman is manipulative. She's just trying to provoke you to draw Preston out!"

"That's so sick! We almost fell right into her trap!"

The wary, disdainful looks they gave her were even worse than before. They weren't even trying to hide their contempt anymore.

Belle blocked Chloe from them, snapping back, "You're the disgusting ones! Since you clearly have no shame, you should donate your faces to the janitors—your skin is thick enough to be used as rags!"

Chloe didn't want to drag Belle into this mess. She grabbed her arm to leave.

Just then, the Clerk quickly turned to Jenna.

"Miss, are you still planning on buying the astrolabe you reserved?"

"What astrolabe?" Jenna asked.

Rhonda explained, "When you called earlier, you said you wanted the most expensive item in the store..."

Jenna suddenly remembered. Preston had told her to come to The Scholar's Trove for an elder's gift, so she had called ahead and reserved their priciest piece.

Looking at the seemingly ordinary antique on the counter, she sneered in disbelief.

"You're charging six figures for this piece of junk? Are you out of your mind?"

Rhonda's face darkened, but she still explained patiently,

"Miss, the value of many antiques isn't obvious at first glance. If you look closely, this is..."

"Are you calling me ignorant?"

The only reason Jenna wanted the most expensive item was so she could show off at the alumni gathering the next day.

But she wasn't stupid. There was no way she was spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a useless piece of brass.

Realizing she was wasting her breath, Rhonda jogged over and stopped Chloe.

"Excuse me, miss! I'm not selling it to her. Do you still want it?"

Jenna instantly bristled when she heard that.

"What the hell do you mean? Did I say I didn't want it?"

Rhonda gave her a cold look. "Sorry, but we reserve the right to choose who we sell our products to."

Jenna exploded. "Do you even know who I am? How dare a lowly retail worker talk to me like that! I'll have this place shut down before you can blink!"

Rhonda stood her ground. "I said I'm not selling it to you. Deal with it."

Preston's eyes remained fixed on Chloe.

But Chloe didn't spare him a single glance. She didn't even look his way in her peripheral vision.

An inexplicable wave of irritation surged through Preston's chest.

He turned to Jenna. "Do you like it?"

Jenna nodded vigorously. "Yes! I love it!"

Preston strode forward, his long fingers clamping down firmly on the astrolabe.

"Everything has to follow a first-come, first-served rule."

Rhonda sneered at him. "Listen here, buddy. This is my merchandise, and I'll sell it to whoever I want."

Preston let out a low chuckle.

He addressed the clerk, but his pitch-black eyes were locked intensely onto Chloe.

"I'll pay double the price."

Chloe silently drew in a deep breath, steadying her emotions.