The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 35

Preston stood up, his voice flat. "Excuse me for a moment."

With that, he practically sprinted out of the room.

When he returned from the call, he looked at his grandparents.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, please go ahead without me. I need to pick up a friend."

Then, he turned to the butler with strict orders.

"Have the kitchen prepare another serving. No cilantro, no green onions, and heavy on the spice."

Eleonora had finally reached her breaking point. She slammed her bowl onto the table. "Preston Hayes, you get back here this instant!"

"Don't you think you owe us an explanation as to who 'she' is?"

Preston furrowed his brow, ready to argue, but Chloe's tranquil voice beat him to it.

Serving Eleonora a fresh bowl of soup, she spoke with an almost detached serenity. "Grandmother, she's just his female bestie. Sure, they might get a little physically intimate, but mentally, they're basically brothers."

The moment the words left her mouth, not only Eleonora, but even Percival surged to his feet in sheer outrage.

"A woman is a woman, and a brother is a brother. What on earth is a 'female bestie'? Preston, do you have absolutely zero sense of boundaries?"

Preston shot Chloe a deeply irritated scowl, clearly blaming her for deliberately stoking the flames.

Trying to swallow his impatience, he defended himself.

"Jenna is just a friend. She recently moved back to the country and isn't familiar with the area yet. It's only right that I look out for her."

"This friend Chloe is talking about... is it Jenna Cameron?"

At the mention of that name, Percival's thunderous expression instantly softened. He then turned a furious glare toward Chloe.

"Stop giving people ridiculous labels! If I didn't personally know Jenna's sterling character, I might have actually let you drive a wedge between us!"

He waved his hand dismissively, his tone practically jolly. "Now that you mention it, it has been far too long since I've seen Jenna. Preston, hurry up and go get her!"

Chloe was entirely caught off guard. She had no idea Percival even knew Jenna, let alone favored her so fiercely.

The supplements Jenna had brought were the exact same brand Chloe had gifted them earlier!

Yet, when Chloe had presented hers, Percival hadn't even given them a second glance. He had simply muttered, "This garbage only fools the simple-minded," before ordering a maid to toss it aside.

He had treated her gesture like absolute trash.

Percival actually paused when he saw the box of supplements, but quickly accepted it with a wide grin.

"Jenna always knows exactly what to buy."

In an instant, the eyes of every maid in the hall flicked toward Chloe. They exchanged knowing, pitying glances.

Nothing was said, yet the silence screamed volumes.

Eleonora was visibly repulsed by her husband's blatant double standard, but she gritted her teeth and held her tongue.

She squeezed Chloe's hand reassuringly. "The gifts Chloe brought are wonderful. I love them, and I'm going to have some the moment we finish dinner!"

Chloe offered a strained, brittle smile. "I'm just glad you like them, Grandmother."