Chapter 20
Quinn’s eyes opened, and at such a close distance, I could see my own blurred reflection in the deep pools of his gaze. I’d grown used to the icy way he looked at me, but this time, there was something different–something smoldering beneath the surface. The frost in his eyes seemed to melt, replaced by analmost hypnotic heat, swirling into an intoxicating mist.
I couldn’t read him. I never could. What was he thinking?
His intense gaze unsettled me, so I called his name, as if to remind him that I was Natalia, not anyone else.
But before I could say inore, he leaned down abruptly and silenced me with his lips.
Kisses rained down relentlessly, his breath warm and heavy. I felt the shift beneath me, the unmistakable evidence that the alcohol had stirred something in him.
“Stop it” I shoved him away with all my strength, my voice trembling with anger. “Don’t pull this drunken crap with me. Do you even know who I am right now?”
I wasn’t Diana. And I’d be damned if I let myself become her stand–in.
“Mm.” Quinn murmured lowly, ignoring my resistance. His lips found mine again, rough and insistent, as he mumbled my name against my skin. “Natalia…
I fraze, caught off guard by the sound of my own name. What was he doing? Had he completely lost his mind, or was he trying to punish me some twisted way?
Before I could make sense of it, he tore at my clothes, his actions driven by something raw and untamed.
I knew there was no stopping him. Fighting back would only exhaust me further, so I gave up, letting him take what he wanted. When he was finally spent, he fell into a deep sleep beside me.
My emotions were a tangled mess. There were too many unanswered questions, but my body was drained, too tired to hold onto them. Despite everything, I eventually fell asleep next to him.
When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the empty space beside me. Quinn was gone. Only his discarded clothes remained, a silent reminder of what had happened.
I thought he’d left for good, but when I went downstairs, there he was–sitting casually at the dining table, as if nothing had happened.
“You’re still here?” The words slipped out before I could stop them, my surprise evident.
He looked up, his face clouded with something dark and unreadable. Instead of answering, he barked, I’m hungry. Make me breakfast”
Seriously? I wasn’t his maid.
That was what I thought, but somehow, my body moved before any brain could catch up. Instinctively, I headed to the kirchen
I made a quick toast, poured some milk from the fridge, and placed it in front of him.
“For your own good, maybe you should hire a housekeeper, I sad casually, fiddling with the utensils as if the suggestion wasit meant to provoke him.
We were practically on the brink of divorce–so why the hell was still doing this?
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Chapter 20
Quinn’s cold laugh cut through the air, sharp and bitter. He took a long swig of milk, his expression hardening. “Have you looked at the divorce agreement?
I nodded, caught off guard by how quickly he got to the point. “Yes, I have. But I can’t come up with 10 million dollars right now. Can I write you an IOU? I’ll pay it back–with interest–when I can.”
He snorted. his lips curling into a mocking smile. “Natalia, do you really think that highly of yourself?” His voice dripped with derision. “You wouldn’t earn 10 million dollars if you worked your entire life,”
He wasn’t wrong. Even with a dream job paying 30,000 dollars a month, it would take me ten years of living like a monk to save that kind of money.
I had no comeback. He was right, after all.
After a long pause, I muttered, “So this is just you making things impossible for me, isn’t it? Quinn, I really don’t understand why you won’t just let me go.”
I looked at him, unable to stop the bitter thought from crossing my mind: Could he actually not want to lose me?
I stared at him, waiting for something. I wasn’t even sure what,
Quinn’s knife and fork hit the plate with a sharp clang. His expression darkened, his voice low and commanding. “Let you go? Fine. If you can’t pay the 10 million, work at Madden Group for three more years. Then we’ll call it even
I hesitated. Id planned to leave and take Benedict far away, to start over somewhere new. But with Quinn’s resources, running wouldn’t solve anything. He’d find us, no matter where we went
If Quinn ever found out about Benedict, he’d take him away without a second thought.
Agreeing to stay at Madden Group for another three years was the only choice I had left.
I pressed my lips together and said quietly, “Fine. I agree.”
Quinn stood abruptly, his expression thunderous. “Well done, Natalia,” he spat before storming out of the villa without a backward glance.
That afternoon, his lawyer came to the house, divorce papers in hand. “Mrs. Madden, this is the revised agreement, drafted per Mr. Madden’s instructions.”
I signed my name without hesitation. The lawyer gathered the documents and asked for an address to send the finalized divorce certificate.
I didn’t even have to show up at the court–that’s rich–people eficiency for you.
Once the lawyer left, I headed back inside to pack. There was no reason for me to stay in his villa now that the divorce was finalized
I didn’t have much to take–just clothes, mostly.
Opening the wardrobe, I carefully folded each piece and placed it into my suitcase–tn the bottom drawer, untouched for years, was our wedding photo.
I’d wanted to fraine it and hang it up after the wedding, but Quinn had refused. I hadn’t dared to go against him, so it had stayed hidden away.
In the picture, I was smiling brightly in a white wedding dress, while Quinn stood beside me with his usual cold, detached expression.
Looking at it now, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. But before knew it, tears were streaming down my face.
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Chapter 20
After a moment, I wiped my cheeks, rolled up the photo, and tutked it into the suitcase.
I had nowhere else to go, so 1 dragged my luggage back to the Hinton family home, at least until I could find a new place. As I approached, I could hear laughter from inside–Skylar and my mother, chatting happily over lunch.
The moment I stepped through the door, my mother’s smile vanished. She frowned at me and snapped, “What are you doing here?” Her eyes darted to the suitcase behind me, and her expression darkened. “Did the Madden family kick you
Swallowing the bitterness rising in my chest, I forced a smile. No. Mom. I’m just tired and wanted to visit for a few days. I’ll be gone soon.”
My 1 her.
father, sensing the tension, quickly intervened. “Natalia, you must be hungry. Lucia, set another place at the table for
The dining room, warm and lively just moments ago, felt suffocatingly awkward with my arrival
Skylar, of course, couldn’t resist. Smirking, she leaned forward and said sweetly, “Sis, it’s okay if Quinn doesn’t want you anymore. You’re gorgeous–there are plenty of men who’d take you in.
“Actually, there’s a teacher at my studio. He’s in his fifties, super talented. Want me to introduce you? The best part is, he already has kids, so you’d get to be a mom right away!
I’d always tried to tolerate her, out of respect for my parents. After all, she was their biological daughter. But this? This was Too much.
I looked up, meeting her gaze with a cold smile. “Aren’t you single too, Skylar? Since your teacher is so talented, why don’t
Jou marry him yourself? You’re healthy–maybe you could give him a kid or two.”
Skylar’s face turned bright red. She wasn’t used to anyone standing up to her since our parents treated her like a princess. She quickly turned to our mother, feigning hurt. “Mom, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just trying to help her!”
“Oh, I know, sweetheart, my mother cooed, pulling her into a hug. Then her expression darkened as she turned to me. “Natalia, apologize to Skylar. Now!”
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