Chapter 18 This Marriage is Definitely Over
Sonya’s face twisted with disdain, her lips curling into a sharp, mocking smirk.
“So now you’re defending her? Chloe can fly a plane? You’re not just insulting me, Curtis; you’re insulting every professional pilot out there!”
Curtis choked on his words. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe.
“I was just-”
“Enough, don’t say another word!” Sonya snapped, cutting him off.
Her expression darkened. She had no desire to hear Curtis speak up for Chloe.
Curtis pressed his lips together and didn’t continue the topic.
On the screen, the Zivko Edge 541 Chloe was flying executed one difficult aerial maneuver after another.
The commentators of the live broadcast couldn’t hold back their amazement, insisting that only a highly
experienced pilot could pull off such breathtaking stunts.
Sonya’s eyes flicked toward Curtis, who was still watching the screen intently, and a flash of displeasure crossed her face. If she hadn’t been injured, she would have been performing today, basking in the
audience’s admiration.
Especially since she was AeroQuest Airlines‘ first female captain, she would have stolen the spotlight.
Thinking of the horseback accident that had left her sidelined while Chloe tamed a stallion and stole the show made Sonya’s stomach twist with irritation. That day, it felt as if Chloe had used her as a stepping
stone.
But Chloe was unbearably arrogant. Just because she could ride a horse, she seemed to think flying a plane would be just as simple. To Sonya, the idea was laughable.
She would make Chloe understand the real difference between them someday.
After the flight demonstration ended, Lena still had business to attend to, so Chloe left first.
As she exited the exhibition hall, a black Maybach pulled up right in front of her. She recognized the car immediately–it was Brian’s.
Milton Mack, Brian’s driver, stepped out and opened the door for Chloe. “Mr. Steele asked me to give you a ride, Ms. Quall.”
“No need, I can take a cab,” Chloe replied.
“Are you saying you don’t want me to give you a ride, Ms. Quall?” A cool, even voice drifted from the back seat. Chloe bent down and met Brian’s striking face.
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She exhaled quietly. There was no point in clashing with someone like him, and if Brian insisted on giving her a ride, she might as well treat it as saving herself the cab fare.
“Alright, then. Thank you, Mr. Steele,” Chloe said, giving Milton her address.
As she stepped into the car, Curtis walked out of the exhibition hall, his eyes locking on the Maybach pulling away. Disbelief flickered across his face.
For a second, he almost thought he was seeing things, but there was no denying it–Chloe had gotten into
Brian’s car.
Inside the car, Brian said, “Ms. Quall, as a former team leader of the Shadow Hawks Special Forces, your
flight demonstration today was outstanding.”
Chloe immediately realized that Brian had probably looked into her past.
“You flatter me,” she said.
The car fell silent again. Brian held a book, idly flipping through the pages, while Chloe’s gaze drifted to
his fingers.
They were the kind of hands that could have belonged to an artist–elegant, clean, almost too perfect. Yet
at the same time, they carried a darker edge, the kind of hands that had clearly known violence.
She remembered the way he’d handled a gun at the restaurant before–his grip and precision when
handling. There was no doubt in her mind–Brian definitely knew how to shoot.
Just as Chloe was lost in thought, Brian’s cool voice broke the silence beside her.
“Ms. Quall, you’ve been staring at my hands for quite a while. If you like them that much, are you sure you
don’t want me to keep them for you someday?”
Chloe nearly choked on her own breath, breaking into a cough. “No–no, that’s not it. I was just curious
about the book you’re reading, Mr. Steele.”
“The Ornithological Manuscript of M,” Brian replied, tilting the cover so she could see.
”
Her eyes lit up. “That book is rare! Even the city library doesn’t have a copy–it’s been out of print for
years.
The book was filled with exquisite illustrations of birds. Because of her love for birds, she had once heard
about the book and hoped to borrow a copy. But when she learned that it had long been out of print, she had given up the idea.
Now, unexpectedly, she saw it in Brian’s hands.
“The content is decent. Would you like to read it?” he asked.
“No, thank you. We’re almost at my place anyway,” Chloe said.
A few minutes later, the car rolled to a stop in front of the villa where Chloe and Curtis lived.
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Chloe stepped out of the car and had only taken a few steps when Milton hurriedly got out and walked
toward her.
“Ms. Quall, Mr. Steele instructed me to give this book to you,” Milton said, handing her the rare book, “The Ornithological Manuscript of M“, that Brian had been reading earlier.
She froze, then quickly shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. Please thank Mr. Steele for me, but this
book is far too valuable. I shouldn’t accept it,” she said.
“Mr. Steele instructed me to leave it with you. If you don’t want it, just throw it away,” Milton replied
before turning and walking back to the car without waiting for her answer.
Chloe started forward to stop him, but Joanne suddenly stepped out of nowhere, blocking her path.
“Well, well, Chloe. I knew you weren’t as innocent as you pretend to be. First, you let some other man drop you off at your place, and now he’s giving you books? Don’t think I didn’t record every bit of it. Let’s see if
that book is something decent–or something scandalous!”
As Joanne spoke, she suddenly reached out to snatch the book.
Chloe slapped her hand away without hesitation, her expression cold. “Joanne, don’t push your luck.”
Joanne yelped, clutching her reddened hand. “You actually hit me? Fine! I recorded everything–how you
got out of some other man’s car. Just wait until Curtis gets home. I can’t wait to see how you explain this!”
She stormed off, her phone already in her hand as she called Curtis.
By the time Curtis returned, Joanne wasn’t the only one waiting in the living room. Helen was there too,
her expression dark.
The moment she saw him step through the door, Helen stormed forward, her face tight with anger. “Chloe
has been sneaking around with another man! If Joanne hadn’t caught her red–handed, we would’ve still
been in the dark.”
“I told you, Curtis. She’s not the respectable wife she pretends to be. Otherwise, why would the project the company worked so hard to secure suddenly fall apart just because she left?”
Joanne spoke as she pulled out her phone and showed Curtis the video she’d recorded.
On the screen, Curtis saw the license plate of the black Maybach–and his expression stiffened. It was
Brian’s car.
Then he saw Chloe stepping out of the car, followed by Milton approaching her and handing her a book.
So he hadn’t been mistaken earlier.
Chloe really had gotten into Brian’s car. For a moment, suspicion rose in Curtis‘ mind.
“What’s going on?” he asked coldly, his expression dark as he turned to Chloe.
“I happened to run into him on my way out of the aviation expo. He offered me a ride, that’s all,” Chloe
Chapter 18 This Marriage is Definitely Over
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Joanne sneered. “That sounds convenient. Chloe, you’re a married woman. What kind of intentions do you have that you got into another man’s car?”
Chloe shot back, “Then maybe you should ask Curtis the same question. He’s a married man too, yet that hasn’t stopped him from giving Sonya plenty of rides.”
Joanne’s expression froze, and before Chloe could react, Helen rushed forward, her hand raised, ready to slap her across the face.
“I’ll tell you this right now,” Helen spat, her voice dripping with fury. “Your marriage to my son is over!”
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