The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 281

Seeing that Quentin Shaw finally had a reaction, Gabriel White couldn't resist leaning in, his teasing relentless. "I'm single too, you know. If you really don't have feelings for her, how about I... Ah!" Gabriel let out a sharp yelp. "Quentin! I was just joking! Do you have to be so brutal to your best friend?"

Quentin's gaze turned frosty, radiating an untouchable, distant chill. "This is the last time," he warned, his voice low and dangerous. "Don't ever joke about her again."

Gabriel rubbed his arm, looking thoroughly wronged. "Got it. But I'm telling you the truth. You might not be in a rush now, but you'll regret it one day! I want to see how long you can hold back!"

On the other side of town, Chloe Reed had just backed out of her chat with Quentin when she saw the messages Preston Hayes had sent that morning.

[Are you awake?]

Scrolling up, she saw several retracted messages sent at midnight and again at seven in the morning.

Suppressing her rising irritation, Chloe typed back: [What do you want?]

The typing indicator flashed at the top of the screen for a long time before his reply finally came through: [You don't want the dog anymore?]

Chloe's annoyance instantly spiked.

[Are you ever going to stop? Do you really think you can manipulate me like this? You are completely pathetic!]

Just as her message delivered, another one from him popped up: [I'm coming to drop off Yuri.]

Chloe froze, immediately retracting her angry text.

Preston: [I already saw it.]

Chloe: [I'm coming downstairs now.]

There was no further reply.

She waited for five agonizing minutes before finally losing her patience and calling him. The line rang several times before he picked up.

"Preston?" Chloe demanded. "Are you here?"

Preston's tone was infuriatingly calm. "I'm at home."

Chloe flared up instantly. "Are you playing games with me?"

Preston scoffed. "I'm not that bored. I kindly saved your dog, and this is how you speak to me? Am I not allowed to be a little angry?"

Chloe rolled her eyes in sheer disbelief. But remembering that Yuri was still in his clutches, she forced herself to swallow her pride. "Fine. I apologize. Are we good now?"

Her important belongings were already sorted. When all was said and done, her entire life fit into just two suitcases. She had lived in Sterling Bay for three years, thinking she had built a home here. In the end, this was all she had to take with her.

The rest of her things had been sold off or donated to children in need.

Chloe made the drive to The Crestwood Estates. She didn't go inside right away. Standing at the wrought-iron gates, she called Preston.

No answer.

Frowning, she sent him a text: [I'm here.]

She waited a full ten minutes. The chat remained dead silent, without a single read receipt.

Losing her patience, she had no choice but to walk up to the grand villa. Her finger instinctively hovered over the biometric scanner to unlock the door, but she caught herself just in time. Instead, she pressed the doorbell.

The door swung open moments later. The moment Wendy Mason saw her, the older woman's eyes lit up with sheer joy.

"Mrs. Hayes! You've finally come back!"

Wendy lunged forward, grabbing Chloe's arm in a vice grip. Her eyes instantly reddened, and tears began to stream down her face as she completely broke down.