Chapter 52 Till Death Do Us Part
Walter had once said that James was his hero.
But sadly, after James had died in an accident, Walter and Jenna moved to Corvessia. Yet no matter what, Yarfdale was where their roots lay.
As the car drove past the Quall Family Memorial Hall, Chloe’s fingers brushed gently against the urn in her
hands.
She would bring her parents‘ ashes back here–to the place where James had risked his life to protect, the very heart of the Quall family’s spirit.
Brian glanced at her, seemingly lost in thought.
When the car stopped at the restaurant, Chloe and Brian stepped out. They had barely entered when a
woman’s voice rang out.
“Brian? What brings you to Yarfdale?”
Chloe looked up and saw a woman with a perfectly proportioned face and gold–rimmed glasses
sashaying toward Brian. The woman was dressed head to toe in the latest designer collection, every piece of her jewelry screaming her wealth.
Yet, her pale complexion gave her a frail, almost sickly air. Several people her age trailed behind her.
“Just here for some business,” Brian replied evenly.
“Is it the island development project?” the woman asked.
He didn’t answer, and she didn’t push further.
“Since this is a lovely coincidence, why not join us for a meal?” she offered, smiling. “My friends here have all heard of you, and they’d love the chance to meet you.”
Her companions brightened at the thought. After all, dining with Brian Steele–the head of the Steele family and the most influential man in Corvessia–was an honor worth bragging about.
Brian gave them a quick glance. “I’m not interested in entertaining your guests. Let’s go, Ms. Quall.”
Chloe was just about to follow them when the woman blocked her path.
“What a coincidence. You’re a Quall too?” she asked with a polite smile. “I’m Willow Quall. Brian and I have known each other since we were kids. Do you mind me asking what your relationship to Brian is?”
Before Chloe could respond, Brian snapped, “My private affairs are none of your concern.”
“I was just checking in on you,” Willow explained. “If Ms. Quall is your friend, then-”
“She’s more than a friend.”
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With that, Brian took Chloe’s hand and led her away.
Willow watched as they disappeared into the distance, her lips pressed together in a tight line. The gentle expression on her face was long gone, leaving only gloom.
Her companions hurried to comfort her.
“That woman is just a passing fling.”
“Exactly. She might be a Quall, but she’s nothing compared to you.”
“That’s right. You’re from the main branch of the family. Some random woman with the same last name
could never measure up.”
Meanwhile, Chloe and Brian settled into a private room.
“Since you’re back in your hometown, I’ll leave the ordering to you,” Brian said.
Chloe accepted without hesitation. She’d longed for the flavors of home. Flipping through the menu, picked out local Yarfdale specialities–dishes her parents had always loved.
If they had still been alive and had returned here together, she knew they would’ve ordered the exact
same dishes as her.
Brian handed the menu back to the waiter. “That’s all.”
“Aren’t you going to order more?” Chloe asked, surprised.
“These should be enough,” he replied. “If they’re not, then we can order more later.”
She arched an eyebrow. Wasn’t he worried that the dishes she ordered might not suit his taste?
Once the waiter left, Brian turned toward Chloe and asked, “What did you tell Curtis at the airport today?”
He had seen her say something to Curtis before boarding the plane, something that had made Curtis‘ expression change drastically. But because of the distance, he hadn’t been able to hear.
Chloe was caught off guard, then realized Brian must have been nearby. Since he was also taking the
same flight, it made sense that he was at the airport at the time.
“It’s nothing.” She brushed it off. “Just something small.”
Saving Curtis back then wasn’t a big deal to her, so she never told anyone about it. She’d recognized him the moment she saw him, but she had stayed quiet, worried that he’d suspect her of using it as leverage against him.
She never saw the need to talk about the incident. If she hadn’t been so angry, she never would’ve said it
out loud.
Brian held her gaze for a while. “If Curtis regretted letting you go, would you go back to him?” he asked
Chapter 52 Till Death Do Us Part
nonchalantly.
“No,” Chloe answered quickly.
“Even if he desperately begged you to come back?”
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“What about you, Mr. Steele?” she shot back, her eyebrow raised. “If you divorced a woman and she later regretted it, begging you to take her back, would you?”
A smirk tugged at his lips. “If I actually got married, I would never divorce my wife.”
Scorn flashed in Chloe’s eyes. Curtis had once said the same thing when he proposed, vowing that she
would be his only love.
But after marriage, he never touched her–all because of his first love. And now, they were divorced.
Such empty claims of eternal love would only work on young women, who still fantasized about romance.
“What? You don’t believe me?” Brian asked.
Chloe looked at him and said, “I don’t believe in marriages that last for a lifetime, Mr. Steele. If you stopped loving your wife, or changed your mind and fell for someone else, wouldn’t you divorce her?”
“Since I’ve chosen to marry her, I would never change my mind,” he replied.
She was surprised, to say the least. She never expected him to be so loyal. After all, the impression she had on him was far from that.
When she first saw Brian, she thought a man like him wouldn’t even be capable of loving someone, let alone staying loyal to one woman for his entire life.
“But what if your wife doesn’t love you anymore?” she pressed. “What if she changed her mind and insisted on divorcing you?”
“To me, there’s only one way to get out of a marriage,” Brian said calmly. “Death. If she could kill me, then naturally, she’d be able to leave me.”
Chloe was stunned. She hadn’t expected him to say something so chilling in such a calm, indifferent tone.
“So if she doesn’t kill you, she’s stuck with you forever?” she muttered, almost talking to herself.
“Exactly.”
Brian smiled, the indifference fading as warmth touched his face. Yet, the stoicism beneath remained.
Chloe froze.
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Chapter 53 Don’t Leave Me Behind
