Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Yasin fell silent, utterly baffled. ‘What the hell could have happened to her in just a few minutes?’ he thought.
After observing Yasin for a moment, Logan took the initiative to extend an invitation. “Mr. James, you’re such a promising young talent, like a real rising star. I was wondering if you might be available soon.
“Our company is about to open an outdoor event to the public. We’re letting the younger generation in our company try it out first to gather some feedback. Since you’ve proven your leadership at such a young age, I’m sure you’ll bring unique insights.”
Quinlyn chimed in, “Well…” Then she fell silent.
Yasin maintained a remarkably composed demeanor in front of everyone. When Logan spoke, he nodded, neither humble nor arrogant. His bearing was so striking that any outsider might well assume he was the boss, with Logan merely reporting to him.
As a seasoned old fox, Logan naturally saw through it all. He didn’t seem too bothered, though. He merely cast a sidelong glance at his grandson Zachary, as if to say, “See? Now do you understand where you fall short?”
Upon receiving the hint, Zachary felt that his face grew several shades darker. He was so rigid that he didn’t even notice Yalena quietly squeezing his hand beside him, completely oblivious to her silent comfort.
People were funny like that. One might not care about something at all until someone else tried to snatch it away. Even if one never wanted it in the first place, their baseless possessiveness could flare up suddenly.
At that moment, Zachary might have started to feel that way, but he refused to acknowledge it. Instead, he just felt a surge of irritation, mentally branding Quinlyn as “that promiscuous woman.”
‘She’s supposed to be my fiancée, and already some random guy is hovering around her so soon?’ he thought angrily. This only made him more relieved that his true feelings were for Yalena.
At this point, Zachary hadn’t yet taken over the Fletcher Group. He was still just a naive kid who wore his feelings on his sleeve. Nearly everyone present could read him like an open book.
Quinlyn’s lips twitched with irony. With no more drama, the birthday party wrapped up smoothly. Everyone left, having had their fill of juicy gossip. As they departed, several guests cast meaningful glances at Quinlyn and Yalena, each already forming their own opinions.
Quinlyn maintained a flawless smile, while the others couldn’t keep their composure like she did.
Once everyone had left, Evelyn was the first to break the silence. She didn’t raise her voice, but she walked straight up to Quinlyn and demanded, “Care to explain exactly what you were doing today?”
Quinlyn met Evelyn’s gaze, her eyes betraying nothing but defiance and disgust. She curled her lips into a cold, mocking smile. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” she said dismissively.
Evelyn was about to press further when Quinlyn calmly reached into the bag beside her, pulled out her ID, and held it up. “Take a look. I’m of legal age now,” she said coolly.
A stunned silence fell over the room. Everyone wondered what exactly she meant by that.
Perhaps it was their intense disgust that made her suddenly unwilling to play along.
Quinlyn said coolly, “What I mean is I’m an adult now. Legally, I have no guardian. I can make my own decisions. So do me a favor. When you speak to me, don’t treat me as your appendage or personal property.”
Evelyn managed to maintain her composure, but Beatrice practically leaped to her feet. She’d been restrained earlier. Otherwise, she would have already gotten into a fight with Quinlyn. Now that everyone was gone, her fury erupted, and she
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shrieked, “Who do you think you
Beatrice raised her hand to strike Quinlyn, but the slap never landed. Yasin’s hand shot out and clamped down on Beatrice’s
wrist.
Only then did everyone realize there was still an outsider in the room.
Yasin, the outsider, stood before Quinlyn with an icy, humorless smile, his presence overwhelmingly dominant.
Beatrice had already had her eye on Yasin carlier. Now, with her wrist caught, her ample frame thrashed without restraint as she spat, “What did that little bitch give you to make you take her side like this?”
She roared and cursed, hurling insults without repeating herself. It was a testament to her prowess, which was not to be underestimated.
Graham and Evelyn still put on airs of refinement. Yancey and Chancey, undeniably scions of high society, couldn’t help but frown at such vulgar insults. Though seething inside, they mused whether Beatrice was going a bit too far.
Yet when it came to Quinlyn, her expression remained utterly calm, as if entirely immune to Beatrice’s tirade. At the very end, she even let a faint, almost mocking smile play on her lips.
“What’s got you so worked up?” Quinlyn asked coolly. “Worried I’ll snatch away your daughter’s man?”
Beatrice was on the verge of exploding. “He’s always been Yalena’s man. And you? You’re not even worthy!”
The Guzman family already had a sense of unease in the first place, and after Beatrice spoke, that feeling only grew stronger.
To be fair, while Yalena and Zachary might have been childhood sweethearts, Zachary’s engagement was actually with Quinlyn. Now that Beatrice had mentioned it, the sense of confusion grew even stronger, leaving everyone feeling distinctly unsettled.
“Oh, really?” Quinlyn chuckled softly, not bothering to argue.
Yalena quickly stepped in to explain, “Quinlyn, you know Mrs. Chappell didn’t mean it that way.”
“I get it. No need to explain yourselves. You and Zachary really are a perfect match. I wish you both the best,” Quinlyn said, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation. She pulled out her phone to check the lottery draw date.
“I have something to do, so I’ll be leaving first,” Quinlyn said coolly. With that, she walked off in her high heels, her red dress swaying behind her. Yasin shrugged and followed her out.
The night wind howled fiercely. Quinlyn tilted her head back, only to realize the stars and moon had vanished without warning. The sky was pitch black, threatening an imminent downpour.
After standing there for a moment, Quinlyn felt a black suit jacket being draped over her shoulders. Beside her stood Yasin, his athletic frame outlined in a deep blue shirt.
Quinlyn’s expression was unreadable. “Mr. James,” she said flatly, “I’m not in the mood for your cat-and-mouse games right
now.”
Yasin’s eyes lifted. One of his hands was casually tucked into his pocket. He drawled, “But I rather enjoy playing the white knight.”
Quinlyn opened her mouth as if to say something, but then she closed it again. She finally said coolly, “Got a ride? Take me somewhere. I’ll pay the standard base fare of 4 dollars, plus mileage.”
When Timothy pulled up in that Maybach, Quinlyn couldn’t help thinking, 4 dollars for two miles? That’s practically
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Chapter 20
insulting this luxury car.’
Thinking of the windfall coming her way, Quinlyn calmly settled into the car. ‘Guess I can afford to tip a little extra when I get out of the car,’ she thought.
Then she said, “Take me to the nearest lottery redemption center.”
Timothy hesitated, glancing in the rearview mirror.
Yasin arched a brow. “Didn’t you hear her?”
Then the Maybach’s engine roared to life, and the luxury car shot forward like a bullet.
After just two minutes of driving, the sky suddenly unleashed a downpour. Heavy raindrops pounded against the car windows, obscuring the view outside.
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Quinlyn’s deep, vacant gaze was fixed on the window. Since she left the hotel, her expression had been rapt until they arrived at the lottery redemption center.
Through the pouring rain, Quinlyn stared at the lottery redemption center with its neon lights flickering stubbornly in the
storm.
Timothy hesitated before finally speaking. “Ms. Guzman, you really shouldn’t put too much faith in lottery tickets. For ordinary people, the odds of winning are practically nonexistent.”
