Divorce The Duke, Marry The King!
Chapter 53: But I missed you

Chapter 53: But I missed you

Over the following week, Quinn remained absent, neither seen at the castle nor within the bounds of his estates. Hezekiah, growing increasingly impatient, dispatched men in search of him, yet they returned with the same report: "He is nowhere to be found."

By the fifth day, Hezekiah, recognizing Quinn’s nature, unreachable even when seemingly near reluctantly abandoned the search.

...

At the dining table, the family gathered, though Aurora’s absence was palpable as she was away visiting her cousin. Maddie, despite her attempts to conceal her emotions, betrayed her distress. Aurora had never spent more than a day away from Maddie or the castle, making her absence a foreign and difficult adjustment.

Unable to watch his mother suffer in silence any longer, Hezekiah finally broke the quiet. "Mother," he addressed her, drawing Maddie’s attention.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" She replied, her tone formal yet weary.

"I need to see you in my study. I will be waiting," he said curtly, rising from his seat and leaving the room, his intentions unclear.

Maddie, who had little appetite and no desire to delay, quickly followed after him, leaving the others at the table to wonder.

Once Maddie was gone, Mia sighed dejectedly. "I miss Aurora so much."

"Me too," Belle murmured in agreement, her smile faint and bitter. The memory of how Aurora ended up in her current predicament stung. It was all thanks to him, the man who acted without regard for anyone else, as if his indifference shielded everyone from the repercussions of his actions.

"I could snap his head into two!" Mia blurted out absentmindedly, her fists tightening with imagined resolve, completely unaware of their surroundings.

"Mia!" Belle called sharply, signaling her to stop. Startled, Mia glanced around, realizing they weren’t alone and quickly composed herself.

"I will take my leave now," Mia muttered, rising to go. Belle soon followed suit, each retreating to their own duties.

---

Left with no one to confide in, Belle sought refuge in the garden within her quarters. The sun’s warmth there was inviting, and the serene setting offered a chance to escape her turmoil, even if only briefly.

Settling into a chair, she tilted her face toward the sun, letting its rays envelop her. It had been too long since she allowed herself a moment of quiet in this chaos, and the stillness felt like a pain relief for her weary soul.

The past few weeks had been tumultuous, leaving no room to a second of peace. It seemed to always be this way whenever he was in her life.

Even their first meeting had been a mix of joy and vitality, her world feeling brighter and more alive than ever. But after their marriage, everything came crashing down. The once-blissful connection turned sour, and she was left wondering how something so promising could unravel so completely.

Taking a deep breath, Belle smiled faintly, reassuring herself, "It’s all over now. You don’t have to worry about him anymore." She was determined to start anew with Hezekiah, especially now that Quinn seemed to have disappeared from her life.

Reflecting on it, she scoffed at the absurdity. For someone who begged for a second chance, his actions didn’t match his words. A second chance, indeed! She knew better, it had all been lies, and she was thankful she hadn’t fallen for them again, sparing herself yet another heartbreak.

"Is someone thinking about me?" A familiar, unexpected voice interrupted her thoughts. Startled, Belle whipped her head around, her eyes narrowing at the direction of the voice. She scoffed, shaking her head. Surely, she was imagining things.

But then, the voice spoke again, teasingly, "Ignoring me already?"

Her eyes widened as she turned to face him fully. Shock took hold of her as she saw him standing there, alive and very much present. How could this be? He was reported missing! Or could it have been one of his schemes to make her worry about him? It seemed as though Mia knew him too well and could predict every one of his games. Thankfully, she paid no heed to his absence and busied herself.

"You were supposed to be missing," she said sharply, her tone laced with disbelief. "How are you here?"

Quinn smiled, stepping closer but halting just two steps away. "I told you I would be back. I had some business to take care of. Did you miss me?" His tone was light, almost playful, irritating her further.

Belle rolled her eyes. "I would rather die than miss you. Besides, I am not the one looking for you. It’s the King who’s concerned, perhaps you should go see him," she said curtly, turning to walk away.

Before she could take another step, he grabbed her wrist gently, halting her escape. "But I missed you," he said softly, his gaze unwavering.

Belle yanked her hand free, meeting his eyes with a steady glare. "The more you try, the less chance you have. Quit it, Quinn Brooks. Don’t make things harder than they already are," she warned, turning again to leave.

She froze mid-step when his voice followed her. "What if making things hard is the only way to reach you?" He stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

Her patience snapped. Clenching her fists, she spat, "If you pursue me relentlessly, it will end badly for you. Hezekiah is the only man for me now. We are divorced, Quinn. Why do you keep forgetting that?"

His calm demeanor didn’t waver. "If the divorce papers meant anything to me, I would have rejected you as my mate. But they don’t, Belle. If you won’t give me a chance, fine, but I will never stop trying."

Belle let out a bitter laugh, her voice rising in frustration. "And what will that accomplish? There’s nothing you can do except stand by and watch me marry another man!"

His response, a maddeningly confident smile,

only infuriated her further. What was so amusing? Why did he never seem to take her seriously?

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.