The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 244

"I'm hanging up."

"Hey, hey, hey. I'll stop talking, alright?"

Gabriel sighed in exasperation. "Why are you doing this to yourself? I could understand it before because she was married, but now? She's getting a divorce and you're still not making a move. What are you waiting for?"

"I'm telling you, you're going to regret this."

Quentin fell silent.

Assuming he had gotten through to him, Gabriel pressed on. "Listen to me. Go find her right now and tell her that all these years you..."

"Marriage might not be for her."

"What?" Gabriel was caught off guard.

Quentin continued, "She just went through a failed relationship. She needs time to think, to rebuild herself, not to be rushed into the next romance."

Gabriel groaned in frustration. "I'm looking out for you here, and this is what you're thinking about? Is that really the same thing?"

"I think you're just terrified. You're scared she doesn't like you back, and that if you confess, you won't even get to be friends anymore."

Quentin didn't say another word.

After hanging up, the chatter of passing pedestrians drifted into his ears.

"Did you guys hear? Vantage Corp's CEO and his wife are moving in."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Of course it's true. They bought the most expensive villa. I saw them holding hands while touring the new house this morning. They looked so in love, it was incredibly sweet."

As the group walked away, Quentin remained rooted to the spot.

Subconsciously, he opened his text thread with Chloe.

A second later, a message popped up on his screen.

[Quentin, are you free?]

Quentin: [Yeah.]

Chloe: [Have a drink with me.]

Chloe rarely drank, and she never drank over anything depressing.

The last time she drank was when Dr. Sharpe formally acknowledged her as her only protégé.

By the time Quentin arrived, Chloe was sitting at a table by the river. The evening breeze tossed her long hair and swept past her slightly unfocused eyes.

"You made it."

Chloe turned her head to look at him. "You thought I wasn't really serious about the divorce either, didn't you?"

She let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Everyone thinks that."

"It's like because I loved Preston once, I'm obligated to love him forever, without even the right to change my mind."

"To be honest, a few months ago, I thought I was going to love him forever too."

"But I never expected the shift from love to indifference to happen so quickly. It was unbelievably fast."

Quentin drained his glass as well.

"He doesn't deserve you."

Chloe laughed.

In a rare display of emotion, the corners of Quentin's lips lifted into a smile.

"Congratulations on your freedom, Chloe."

Just then, Chloe's phone rang.

She groggily picked it up and saw Eleonora's name on the caller ID.