The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 261

"Why are you here?" Chloe was caught off guard. "No, I should ask, how did you get here? How did you know I was here?"

Quentin answered her questions one by one.

"I came to visit Mr. Lynch."

"And I guessed. If you weren't at Oceanview Heights, you had to be at Verdant Peak."

He popped the trunk, grabbed his things, and walked into the yard.

The soft sunlight fell across his lowered lashes. His posture was tall and imposing, his features exuding a quiet nobility. The clean, sharp lines of his jaw gave off an aloof and distant vibe, yet it was impossible to look away from him.

"..."

Chloe's throat tightened. She couldn't force a single word out, only staring blankly as he walked past her.

Mr. Lynch squinted, then realization dawned on his face as he scratched his head. "You... you're that Mr. Shaw from last time."

He quickly extended a hand, his tone full of gratitude. "Mr. Shaw, thank you so much for last time."

Quentin gave a polite, courteous nod. "You're welcome, Mr. Lynch. I'm Chloe's friend."

Mr. Lynch looked over at Chloe.

Chloe cleared her throat. "Yes, Quentin and I are... friends of many years."

She had wanted to say 'partners,' but at the last second, she swapped it to 'friends.'

"Right," Quentin smiled faintly. "Good friends."

Chloe turned to pour some tea. When she came back, she had no idea what Quentin and Mr. Lynch had been talking about, but the older man was beaming. The heavy frown that had been resting on his face for days was completely gone.

"What are you two talking about, looking so happy?"

Mr. Lynch laughed and waved his hand. "Nothing, nothing."

Chloe shifted her gaze to Quentin.

He took the teacup, took a slow sip, and offered a faint smile without saying a word.

"Being all mysterious. Were you talking bad about me behind my back?" she joked.

Quentin thought about it for a second, then spoke with absolute sincerity. "You don't have anything to criticize."

Chloe froze for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "Is that a compliment?"

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what got into him. He just went psycho and ripped the leash right out of my hands..."

"Psycho?" Chloe shot him a scathing glare.

Yuri was the most gentle dog in the world. He would never lose control for no reason.

Mark stiffened under her gaze and scrambled to defend himself. "Yeah, you know how dogs are, totally unpredictable! He was perfectly fine one second, who could've guessed he'd just break loose..."

Chloe had no energy to argue. Finding Yuri was the only thing that mattered.

She hurried down the cobblestone path, calling Yuri's name over and over into the sprawling, empty night. The only response was her own echo.

A suffocating wave of despair crashed over her. The terror of losing him squeezed her heart, pushing her to walk faster and faster.

Suddenly, her foot caught on an uneven stone. Chloe stumbled forward, throwing her hands out to brace for the fall.

A warm, powerful hand caught her by the waist, steadying her effortlessly. Quentin's calm, grounding voice sounded right by her ear. "Don't rush. We'll definitely find him."

As Quentin helped her regain her balance, a sharp "woof" suddenly broke the silence behind them.

Chloe whipped her head around. The first thing she saw was Yuri's bright, eager eyes. The second thing she saw was the man holding him.