Chapter 179
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Chapter 180
Chapter 180
As soon as Chloe spoke, the atmosphere turned strangely silent again.
Chloe’s parents looked at her with aching concern, at a loss for what to do.
Carl clenched his jaw, feeling an urge to challenge lan to a fight right then and there.
Mia, still a Hamilton, sat awkwardly in her seat, not daring to speak up.
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Philip kept feeding his son with a calm expression, his gaze drifting over everyone without giving away his thoughts.
Julian traced the pattern on his glass, discreetly sizing up Philip without attracting any attention.
“Man, you really know how to say the one thing nobody wants to hear,” Patrick muttered.
Finally, Patrick got up and hung up on Arthur Logan, breaking the awkward silence.
Chloe nudged Carl to pour drinks for the two VIPs.
Her divorce from Ian was already public knowledge; she saw no reason to make a secret of it.
After dinner, everyone hung around to play a few rounds of mahjong.
The group only called it a night after Thomas Quinn arrived to pick up Julian and take him back to the Rowe
Estate.
Chloe walked everyone to the door, but Simon clung to her side, refusing to leave.
Philip scooped Simon up and said, “Dr. Irvine, I’m going on a business trip next week. Could you look after Simon for a couple of days p>
Chloe agreed without hesitation, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered p>
Julian gave Chloe a look like she was missing a few screws.
Not far away, Mia thought wistfully, ‘If only my brother hadn’t gotten tangled up with Andrea Sherman, and if Chloe hadn’t miscarried p>
Patrick elbowed Mia. “Quit daydreaming in the middle of the day p>
Mia’s face fell. “Patrick, you knew all along that Andrea’s baby wasn’t my brother’s–why didn’t you tell me
sooner p>
Patrick leaned casually against the car, his tall figure looking sharp in a light–colored suit, Mia’s bright pink chain purse slung carelessly over his shoulder.
Patrick told her, “Ever since your brother started hiding things–like not telling Chloe he was picking up Andrea from the airport and then not coming home for a whole month–it was obvious his heart had already
wandered away from Chloe p>
He added. “Back then, Chloe still hadn’t let go of your brother. If she’d found out Andrea’s baby had nothing to do with him, she’d probably have kept hoping for a miracle. That kind of wishful thinking would’ve only left her hurting even more. If those three kept dragging things out, the one who’d really suffer would be
Chloe p>
Mia grinned at Patrick. “Marriage is way too intense for me. Dating’s more my style–see someone cute, have fun, and if things blow up, just move on to the next hottie p>
Patrick sighed and, with a gentle nudge at the back of Mia’s neck, steered her into the car.
After seeing everyone off, Chloe came back and helped her family tidy up the place.
Jill pulled Chloe down to sit beside her and asked, “Chloe, you’ve grown up with Patrick and Mia, so I’m not worried about you guys at all. But those gifts from our guests tonight–aren’t they just a bit too much? What are you going to do about returning the favor p>
Carl just shrugged. “Mom, Dad, seriously, don’t worry. The people Chloe invited are all solid–they’re generous as hell p>
Frank’s face turned stern. “Generous or not, there are some things you can take and some things you shouldn’t. Just because someone’s handing stuff out doesn’t mean you have to accept everything. There are boundaries p>
Chloe reassured her parents, “Dad, Mom, even if Sir Julian and Mr. Foster are big shots, with all their power and money, they’ve still got their own soft spots p>
She added confidently, “They chose to be friends with me for a reason–I’ve got something they value. They’re impressive, sure, but your daughter can hold her own p>
When it comes to adult networking, it’s basically a game of value exchange–everyone’s here to trade what they’ve got.
Even if she and Ian got divorced one day and started moving in totally separate circles, that wouldn’t hold her
back.
She’d keep pushing forward in her career, relying on her own skills and achievements to connect with the kind of people who’d really help her grow.
At nine that night, Patrick and Mia bumped into Ian outside their building.
As soon as Mia spotted her brother, she instantly ducked behind Patrick.
Patrick teased Ian, “Hey, your father–in–law was moving today. Why didn’t you pitch in to help p>
Ian’s face grew colder by the second. “Moving p>
Mia piped up carefully, “Patrick and I just came over from Chloe’s new place. Sir Julian and Mr. Foster dropped by too p>
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Ian’s gaze flicked back and forth between Patrick and Mia for several seconds, then he turned and got into his
car.
He drove straight to the neighborhood where Chloe’s parents used to live and let himself in.
The spacious room was impeccable–every bit of furniture hidden under dust covers, everything painstakingly cleaned.
The place was so pristine, there was no trace of anyone ever calling it home.
Chloe had just quietly moved her parents out of the property under his name, without saying a word.
Ian stood in the middle of the living room, exhaustion washing over him as he closed his eyes.
Back when things were good, Chloe would ask him about every little thing–even picking out a tea set, she’d always want his input, making sure everything fit his taste.
But that was the past.
Now, she hadn’t even breathed a word to him about something as major as moving her parents out.
He had to learn about it from others, and he was the very last to hear.
A dull ache settled in Ian’s chest.
Late into the night, Ian followed the address Mitchell had sent him and found himself parked outside Chloe’s new place.
He let the window slide down, staying inside the car, just watching from a distance, a strange sense of emptiness settling in.
It wasn’t some fancy standalone villa, but at least it was a corner house–private enough, though nothing like the home they used to share.
The front yard looked immaculate, every flower and shrub carefully tended, bursting with vibrant life.
Ian lit up a cigarette, the smoke curling around him as he sat in silence, feeling lost.
Early the next morning, Chloe had just arrived at the hospital when her assistant, Joanna Miles, told her that Ian was already waiting for her in her office.
When Chloe walked in, Ian was standing by the window, talking on the phone.
He was dressed in a cold, almost intimidating black suit, and his mere presence made her office seem even smaller than usual.
Jan turned around, and their eyes met for a moment.
She shot a quick glance at the breakfast on her desk before turning to lan and asking, “So, what brings you here so early p>
Ian hung up and walked over to her.
He asked, “Moving out is a major thing–why didn’t you say anything to me about it p>
Chloe kept her expression cool, not giving anything away. “It’s my own affair. Why would I need to tell you p>
Ian reminded her, “We’re married p>
Chloe shot back, “But we’re living apart now, and I’m asking for a divorce p>
They both fell silent, stuck in a tense stalemate.
After a long pause, Ian finally spoke up, his tone gentler this time. “Chloe, I’m not here to pick a fight p>
As he was heading out, Ian turned back to remind her, “No matter how long we’re apart, we’re still husband and wife p>
At ten a.m., in the CEO Office of the Hamilton Group, Mitchell knocked on the door and stepped inside.
“Mr. Hamilton, we ran a sweep on both of Ms. Sherman’s phones–didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary,” Mitchell said.
Ian, looking impatient, unbuttoned his suit jacket and dropped into his chair. “Pick up the pace deeper p>
and dig
Mitchell continued, “We’ve tracked down the guy Andrea’s been seeing. Turns out he was her number–one donor back when she streamed, dropping more than $600,000 in her channel. Now he’s offered her a $4 million bride price, wants to take her overseas, get married, settle down, and insists she give him a son p>
Ian shot Mitchell a look. “No matter what, until we know the full story, Andrea isn’t going anywhere p>
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