Chapter 524
Chapter 524:
She didn’t believe him. Benny was only around twenty and had returned to the country not long ago — there was no way he had the connections to locate her this quickly. Someone else was backing him and leading him here.
Quentin didn’t bother defending himself. Instead, he said, “You asked me to come. There’s a reason for that, isn’t there p>
Kailey studied him closely. “You don’t look surprised at all p>
“Surprised about what p>
“You’re not curious why I’m here. You’re not asking what my connection is to the owner of this place p>
“If you want to tell me, you will. If you don’t, there’s no point in me asking p>
His answer made sense.
Kailey gave a small nod. “Let’s stop circling around it. Tell me everything you know p>
He went quiet. The directness seemed to catch him off guard, or perhaps he was weighing his response.
𝘋ow𝘯𝗅o𝘢𝘥a𝗯𝗅𝗲 𝖯𝖣F𝗌 on.с𝘰𝗺
Kailey had already reached her limit. Quentin was the only person she could think of — at the very least, he had to know something about the mountain her mother had left her. That place carried too many secrets, and those secrets were tied to more than just land or business. They involved her mother and Lionel.
Silence settled between them. The air felt tight and heavy. Half of Quentin’s face remained hidden in shadow, which only deepened the sense that he was holding something back.
After a long moment, he lifted his hand and pressed his fingers to his forehead — a simple movement that shielded his expression and kept his emotions out of sight. “I don’t know everything,” he said at last. “But you’re right about one thing. I knew your mother p>
Kailey’s fingers dug into the edge of the wooden barrel. She didn’t interrupt him. She waited.
He continued in an even voice. “I grew up in an orphanage. When I was in middle school, your mother came to our school. She was looking to sponsor a student, and somehow she chose me. Back then, my school wasn’t far from the mountain. Later on, I found out she wanted to turn that mountain into a resort. For different reasons, the plan never moved forward p>
A faint laugh escaped him. “In a way, I should thank that mountain. If it weren’t for a twist of fate, she wouldn’t have stepped into that small town school, and I wouldn’t have met her p>
Without that unexpected turn, Alissa might never have gone there at all.
Kailey held his gaze without blinking. Her throat felt tight when she spoke. “Then why did you go through so much trouble to take me to that mountain p>
If what he said was true, then he had known her mother well — which meant he should have recognized her long ago. Yet he had never revealed who he was. Instead, he had approached her in a roundabout way.
Unlike her guarded stance, Quentin appeared completely at ease. A soft smile rested on his face, as if nothing she said could unsettle him.