The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 235

"Preston, I'm on The Boundless."

There was a brief pause on the other end. Then, Preston's familiar voice drifted through the phone, filling the dark room.

"Chloe, if you're calling for help, haven't you dialed the wrong number?"

His tone was utterly detached, even carrying a hint of mockery.

Julian seemed incredibly dissatisfied with Chloe's reaction.

A cold, razor-sharp blade was suddenly pressed flush against her neck. A sharp sting followed as blood began to slowly trickle down her skin.

Chloe gasped, forcing the words through her gritted teeth.

"Preston, I'm not joking..."

Before she could finish, a bright, careless female voice chimed in from the background.

"Preston, who's calling? You promised you'd spend time with me! Why are you picking up the phone again? Hang up already!"

A second later, the call was abruptly cut off.

...

Chloe's heart sank into an abyss, drowning in the suffocating silence.

A wildly inappropriate memory forced its way into her mind—the image of Preston whispering fiercely in her ear, swearing that he would never let anyone hurt her ever again.

"Tsk."

Julian clicked his tongue in mock disappointment. He trailed the flat, freezing edge of the blade up to her cheek.

"I thought you were just being modest, but he genuinely couldn't care less whether you live or die. What a shame... such a stunning face going to waste."

"I seem to recall a time when Jenna called him. The mere sound of her voice drove him into a frenzy. You two were married for three years, and this is how he treats you. How pathetic."

He let out a dramatic sigh. "Since that's the case, you're of absolutely no use to me."

Chloe struggled to catch her breath. "If I'm completely useless to you, can you just let me go?"

"There's no need to bring unnecessary trouble upon yourself over someone who doesn't even matter."

Julian chuckled low in his throat, his tone dangerously light. "What makes you think I'm joking with you?"

"Just because I look friendly doesn't mean I have a good temper, and it certainly doesn't mean I'm a good person."

"Miss, are you all right?" Thea's frantic voice cut through the darkness.

She clumsily sawed at the thick ropes binding Chloe's wrists with a pocket knife, before holding a water bottle up to her lips.

"Please, you have to stay awake!"

"It seems like they just locked you in here without assigning any guards. I'll figure out a way to sneak you downstairs."

Between sharp, gasping breaths, Chloe finally managed to scrape together a bit of strength.

She pushed herself up, and with Thea supporting her, the two of them hurried toward the door.

The entire hallway was dead quiet.

Julian had evidently concluded that no one was ever coming to save her. As expected, there wasn't a single guard stationed outside.

They ducked through a discreet side door and navigated a labyrinth of backways down to the lower decks.

"Thea, thank you..." Chloe rasped, her voice hoarse.

Thea clung tightly to her arm, begging, "Miss, I'm begging you. Can you please take me with you? Can you?"