Chapter 27 A Show of Betrayal
Immediately, everyone’s attention fell on Curtis.
Curtis pressed his dry lips together. Naturally, he hoped for nothing more than to downplay the situation
and let it blow over on its own.
But when his gaze met Chloe’s again, he tried to reason with her. “Chloe, maybe we can just…”
“Maybe we can just let it go and treat it as a misunderstanding?” Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Curtis, do you expect me to go along with that?”
Her mocking gaze made him feel like his throat was constricted, and the words he wanted to say simply
wouldn’t come out.
Lena shouted angrily, “Curtis, you saw how your mother and sister treated Chloe. And yet, you still want to
call it a misunderstanding? Don’t you realize what could have happened to her if she wasn’t skilled
enough?”
Curtis‘ face burned with embarrassment from the scolding.
Soon, the police arrived at the scene.
Joanne shook with fear, her whole body trembling. “I don’t want to go to jail! I don’t want to! Curtis,
please, save me! I don’t… I don’t want to go to jail!”
Helen’s face only showed true fear now. She grabbed Curtis‘ arm and said, “Curtis, don’t let the police
take me and Joanne away!”
Curtis hesitated, glancing at Chloe. “Chloe, Mom is getting old, and Joanne is still young… maybe we could just let this go…”
Lena scoffed beside him. “Young? Your sister isn’t a kid anymore. And your mother? When she tried to hit Chloe just now, she didn’t exactly look like she was old!”
Ignoring Lena’s sarcasm, Curtis looked at Chloe and continued, “This is just a family matter, right? What do you think?”
“A family matter?” Chloe looked at Curtis standing in front of her and felt her heart sink deeper with every passing moment.
She’d hoped he would see what had happened in the room and stand by her, just for once, and seek justice for her.
But no. Once again, all that awaited her was disappointment.
Perhaps she’d been let down too many times, because this time, her heart didn’t even ache anymore. All she felt was a cold, bitter feeling as she realized things had played out exactly the way she’d expected.
She refused to back down. “You never treated me like family. So, how is this a family matter?”
Chapter 27 A Show of Betrayal
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“You’re my wife. How could we not treat you like family?” Curtis shot back.
“Wife?” Chloe heard the word and found it laughable. “Curtis, if Sonya had been treated like this today, would you still have said that?”
Curtis froze.
Sonya chimed in, “If it were me, I would never put Curtis in a difficult position. Chloe, you haven’t even
been physically harmed. Why are you being so aggressive?”
“Then I hope, if you ever find yourself in a situation like this, you can back up your words, Ms. Miller!”
Chloe retorted bluntly.
“You…” Sonya glared at her.
“Enough. Any further discussion can wait until we’re at the police station,” the officers said.
They dragged the two men, still wailing on the floor, out of the room, then turned toward Helen and
Joanne.
Joanne’s fear intensified when she saw the handcuffs being snapped onto her wrists. “I’m innocent! It’s
not me… It’s not me!” she screamed.
Seeing Curtis make no move to stop the police, she suddenly ran to Sonya, grabbing her arm. “Sonya, help me! Mom and I only did this for you! You knew about everything that happened today!”
Curtis froze at her words. “Sonya, you…”
Sonya’s face went pale with panic. “I… I have nothing to do with this! I didn’t know anything!”
“You knew! You said that money didn’t have to go to Chloe, didn’t you? Otherwise, why would Mom and I
have done all this?” Joanne argued desperately.
The two of them were now throwing blame at each other, each trying to smear the other.
“Sonya, didn’t you say earlier that you wouldn’t put Curtis in a difficult position? Just admit you knew, and your ‘boyfriend‘ wouldn’t have to struggle!” Lena mocked.
Sonya’s face flushed bright red with anger. The words hit her like a slap across the face.
“Curtis, believe me. I had nothing to do with this!” she pleaded, her eyes fixed on him.
“Sonya, how can you wash your hands of this? If we weren’t trying to make it possible for you to marry Curtis, we wouldn’t have done any of this!” Helen shouted angrily.
Watching the scene unfold, Curtis felt an unbearable headache coming on.
“Take them all away!” the officers ordered. This time, they even took Sonya with them and then turned to
Chloe.
“I’ll take a friend’s car to the police station to give my statement,” Chloe said.
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Hearing her words, the officers nodded.
After all, the police car they came in couldn’t have fit that many people. Curtis left with the police, but before leaving, he gave Chloe a long, meaningful look.
Once everyone was gone, Chloe and Lena took the elevator down, planning to head to the parking garage.
Chloe was still catching her breath, feeling warmth spreading through her body.
“You’re a little flushed. Are you really okay?” Lena asked, concerned.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s record the statement at the police station first,” Chloe replied, confident that her body could handle it.
“I’ll drive over. Wait for me at the hotel entrance,” Lena said..
Chloe nodded.
When the elevator reached the lobby, Lena wanted to accompany her to the hotel entrance, but Chloe said, “Just go to the parking garage on B1. It’s only a few steps to the hotel entrance. I can handle the walk myself.”
“Alright then,” Lena agreed.
Chloe reached the hotel entrance, feeling a wave of heat creeping through her body. The effects of the knockout smoke were stronger than she’d anticipated.
At that moment, a familiar, cool voice sounded behind her. “Ms. Quall, what a coincidence. We meet again.”
Chloe turned to see Brian’s handsome face.
It wasn’t really a coincidence–she’d come specifically to return the clothes to Brian. But now that she’d run into him, the clothes she needed to return were still in Lena’s car.
“Are you waiting for someone, Ms. Quall?” Brian asked.
“Yes, a friend is driving me to the police station,” Chloe explained. Since Brian had also attended the banquet, he naturally knew what had happened.
“Then let me give you a ride,” Brian offered.
Chloe was taken aback. Before she could respond, a silver–gray Maybach stopped in front of her, and Brian grabbed her wrist, guiding her into the car.
“Wait!” Chloe said, trying to open the door and get out.
But it was locked.
The car pulled away from the hotel, and her left hand remained firmly in Brian’s grasp, leaving her unable to break free.
Chapter 27 A Show of Betrayal
Not far away, Lena drove up to pick up Chloe. Her eyes widened in disbelief at the scene before her- Brian was pulling Chloe into his car, and Lena could only wonder where he was taking her.
Inside the car, Chloe glared at Brian. “Mr. Steele, what are you doing?”
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