The Divorced Military Queen Awakens (by Sadie Baxter) novel Chapter 201

Chapter 201 Subtle Schemes And Unspoken Confessions

The instant Quinn’s silhouette flashed across Julius’s sharp, amber eyes, all colors drained from his face.

Did she hear everything Harlan just said? Then what is she thinking now? Does she see me as utterly despicable?

Even if every other soul on earth branded him despicable, it would not shake him in the least–yet the thought of seeing disappointment in her gaze terrified him.

At this moment Quinn’s features remained perfectly composed, revealing no discernible shift in emotion.

She stepped forward and said to Harlan, “Let go of him first.”

Harlan’s thin lips moved. “I always listen to you, Quinnie!”

With that, he cheerfully released the fist that had been gripping Julius’s collar.

Quinn asked, “How are things going at your law firm?”

Julius’s body gave a faint shudder; he understood then that she truly had overheard their earlier exchange.

“Everything’s been handled–nothing serious,” Harlan replied, then added, “But Quinnie, some people are experts at laying traps. You’d better keep your guard up.”

Quinn offered a mild smile and, changing the subject, said, “The umbrella you lent me last time–I’m returning it to its rightful owner.”

She extended the umbrella toward Harlan.

Harlan stared at it in silence; back when he left Yarburn, he had lent it to her, telling her to bring it back to him in Jexburgh.

He knew this gesture meant farewell.

That farewell had felt like missing a once–in–a–lifetime chance.

If he had known then that it was Julius’s calculation–had known what he was destined to lose–he would never have left Yarburn, no matter the cost.

He would have stayed by Quinnie’s side, confessed first, and left Julius, not even a sliver of opportunity to

covet her.

Sadly, it was only after he saw the news confirming Quinn was dating Julius that understanding finally dawned.

So he launched a thorough investigation into why his law firm had, so “coincidentally,” run into trouble and why he alone had been summoned back to Jexburgh to resolve it.

Every clue pointed straight at the Whitethorn family.

Thus he realized it had been Julius’s deliberate ploy, executed solely to drive him out of Yarburn.

“Why aren’t you taking it?” Quinn urged.

Only then did Harlan give a wry smile, accept the umbrella, and say, “All right, I’ll head back to the hotel for now. I’ll come see you again tomorrow, Quinnie!”

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Chapter 201 Subtle Schemes And Unspoken Confessions

“Okay, travel safely,” Quinn replied.

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After Harlan had left, Quinn turned to Julius and asked, “Was it you who deliberately meddled with the law firm on Harlan’s mother’s side of the family?”

Julius’s eyelashes trembled; he slowly lowered his gaze, unable, for that moment, to meet her eyes.

“You once told me that whenever I asked, you would never hide anything from me,” she reminded him.

His body went rigid. Yes, he had said that–he had given her his word.

Julius pressed his slender lips together, the hands hanging at his sides bunching into tight knots of tension, and admitted in a voice that almost trembled, “…it was me.”

Quinn asked softly, “Why would you do something like that?”

“I was afraid that as long as Harlan was around, he would stand in the way of my pursuing you,” he answered in a low, muffled tone. “To you he’s different–he’s the comrade you could entrust with your life when things turn deadly, someone you can rely on without hesitation.”

“And so?” she prompted.

“And so I…” He looked up, and at that exact moment, his gaze collided with hers.

Her eyes were clear, upright, bright as the noonday sun; compared with that shimmering candor, he felt himself sunk in shadow, shabby and base.

“So–so compared to me, you’re bound to prefer Harlan,” he forced out painfully.

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