Chapter 13 Beautiful Hands
“What’s wrong with that? I’m just trying to maximize the benefits, and it’s good for both the company and
our family!” Curtis argued.
Family? That word used to mean everything to Chloe. She’d married Curtis in hopes of building a family again, but in the end, she realized he could never give her that.
“If I hadn’t saved Brian today, would you still be begging me to return to Green Tech?” she asked.
“You’re my wife and the lady of the Green household, so you can come back whenever you want.”
Chloe arched a brow. “So, can I walk into the office tomorrow and announce to everyone that I’m your
wife and the lady of the Green household?”
Curtis fell silent for a moment before saying, “We agreed to keep the marriage a secret and make the official announcements when the timing is right.”
“If we issue a statement now, wouldn’t that be revealing the truth to everyone–to everyone in the office that you’re a man cheating on his wife? The whole company knows Sonya’s your first love, but no one
knows we’re married,” she bluntly stated.
“Do you have to make this so difficult for me?” he snapped.
“I’m not trying to make things difficult, and that’s why I’m not returning to Green Tech. Also, I told Brian at the horse ranch that if he insisted on repaying that favor, he should build a Hope School. So don’t expect
me to get him to invest in Green Tech.”
Furious and humiliated, Curtis didn’t speak to Chloe for the rest of the night.
The next day, Chloe went to Skyline Tech and agreed to officially start working after Jenna and Walter’s
ashes were laid to rest in Warlington.
At lunch, she saw Joanne’s Instagram story. It was a picture of a man’s hands, one holding a bowl of soup and the other holding a spoonful of it. The caption read, “Curtis made soup for his future wife! Smells
amazing!”
Looking at the picture of soup, Chloe finally realized what Curtis had been so busy with in the kitchen that
morning.
When she’d been sick with a 104–degree–Fahrenheit fever and could barely get out of bed, Curtis had excused himself, saying that he was too busy with work. He’d left her to fend for herself.
After her fever subsided slightly, he’d demanded that she return to the office for work. She’d gone, still hooked to an IV drip, and he’d taken it for granted. Him making soup for her sounded like an impossible task, and she’d even ordered her own takeout.
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But now, he was willing to get up early and carefully simmer soup for Sonya. The difference between love and indifference was painfully clear.
“What are you looking at?” Lena curiously leaned in to peek over her shoulder. When she saw the Instagram story, she paused before the realization hit her.
“Did Curtis make soup for Sonya? God, he’s unbelievable. You two haven’t even gotten a divorce yet!”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Chloe tucked her phone away and got up to leave.
“Where are you going? You’re not going to storm to the hospital, are you?” Lena curiously asked.
“I don’t have time for that. I’m going to the funeral home to visit my parents.”
Just as Chloe stepped outside, a sleek black sedan rolled to a stop in front of her. A man in a black
tailored suit stepped out.
He said respectfully, “I’m William Vaughn, Mr. Brian Steele’s secretary. He would like to invite you to a meal and thank you for saving his life.”
“No need. I told him that day that if he wants to thank me, he can fund Hope School.” With that, Chloe
walked to her car and drove off.
Half an hour later, she stood in front of Walter and Jenna’s urn at the funeral home. A bright national flag lay draped across it.
“Mom, Dad… I used to think Curtis owed you an apology and that he should come here to pay his respects and say sorry. But that’s not necessary anymore, is it?” she murmured.
All she received was silence. Closing her eyes, she lowered her head. “Just wait a little longer. I’ll take you home soon,” she whispered.
“Are you leaving?” Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind her.
Startled, Chloe turned around to see the sharp, striking Brian entering her view.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise.
“Since you turned William down, I thought I’d come and ask you in person,” Brian explained.
Chloe pressed her lips into a thin line. Since Brian had come himself, it seemed there was no refusing the meal today.
His gaze flicked past her, landing on the names below the urn–Walter Quall and Jenna Knight.
“Are these your parents‘ ashes?”
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“Yes,” Chloe replied quietly.
“The urn is draped with a flag. They weren’t ordinary people, were they?”
“They were ordinary people and also soldiers who died in service,” she said. Walter and Jenna had served for 30 years. They’d been prepared to sacrifice at any moment since the day they’d enlisted.
As a child, she’d been terrified that they might die and that she might lose them. She’d cried and begged them to quit being soldiers.
She could still remember Walter’s arms around her as he said, “Chloe, your mother and I serve in the military because of our beliefs and values. We’re not just protecting our family; we’re protecting the bigger nation.”
Years later, she finally understood his words and what it meant to have a belief. That was why she’d chosen the National Defense Academy and, after graduation, followed in their and Daniel’s footsteps by joining the military.
If not for her parents‘ death, she might still be serving.
“Since you came here in person, let’s go,” Chloe said, turning back to the urn. “Mom, Dad, I’ll visit again soon.”
But as she turned to leave, she noticed that Brian remained rooted to the spot.
“Aren’t you-” Her words broke off as she watched him step forward to stand before her parents‘ urn. Then, solemnly and respectfully, he saluted.
Chloe stared, stunned. His expression was serious, and his posture was rigid as he saluted Jenna and Walter.
It was only after some time that Brian returned to her side. “Let’s go,” he said.
“Why would you…”
“Salute? They’re heroes. That’s the right thing to do.”
Indescribable, unfamiliar feelings stirred in Chloe’s chest. People called Brian an unpredictable,
dangerous madman. She herself had seen him subdue a criminal who’d tried to kill him and press a gun to his forehead, ruthlessly ignoring the law.
Yet here he was, honoring Jenna and Walter with such genuine reverence. It should have been Curtis doing this, not Brian.
As they left the funeral home, they saw a black Maybach waiting outside. A bodyguard opened the rear door as they approached.
Soon, they arrived at a dining club.
“Have you been here before, Ms. Quall?” Brian asked.
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“No.”
“The food’s good. You should try it.”
Dishes arrived in quick succession, plated beautifully. Chloe said nothing and focused on eating, simply because she was hungry, and the faster she finished, the sooner she could leave.
Accustomed to efficient meals from her military days, she ate quickly. When she was about 80% full, she paused, her eyes drifting to Brian’s hands as he held his cutlery.
His hands were slender and almost artistically beautiful yet sharp. Even the fork and spoon seemed like potential weapons in his grasp.
“Is there something wrong with my hands, Ms. Quall? You’ve been staring,” Brian casually remarked.
“No. I just think they’re very beautiful,” she answered honestly. His hands almost looked like beautiful yet lethal weapons.
“Really? If I die before you, I’ll have them chopped off, preserved, and sent to you as a specimen,” he said, uttering shocking words.
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Chapter 14 Refusal
Chapter 14 Refusal
