Marriage Lies and a Dangerous Obsession novel Chapter 211

Chapter 211

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After Philip spoke his mind, Chloe couldn’t help feeling a little awkward.

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Even though she’d only spent a few months around Philip, she had absolute faith in his character.

Besides, she and Simon really hit it off.

Simon called her ‘godmother‘, but there she was addressing Philip as ‘Mr. Foster‘–yeah, that did feel a bit too formal, Chloe thought.

But Philip was always so calm and courteous, the model of a straight–laced, respectable guy.

She could joke around with Arthur, teasing him and calling him all sorts of nicknames–Arthur, even Old Six

-no sweat.

She could easily banter with Julian, slipping back and forth between calling him ‘Sir Julian‘ and ‘Uncle Julian‘ whenever she felt like it.

But with Philip, she really couldn’t bring herself to be that casual.

Chloe fidgeted, unsure what she should say, her mind circling but coming up empty.

Philip just passed the question to Chloe, then turned his attention to his steak, cutting it up gracefully and not uttering another word.

An awkward silence settled between them.

Chloe braced herself, feeling a bit awkward. “Maybe… should I call you Philip instead?”

Philip set his knife and fork aside, smiling warmly. “Really, I was just making a casual remark. No need to worry about it, Dr. Irvine.”

Chloe tightened her grip on her water glass.

Philip’s words were always deliberately vague–if you didn’t stay sharp, you could easily get lost trying to follow his train of thought.

Chloe gave a polite nod. “You’re right, Philip. I’ll seriously think it over.”

These big shots were all valuable connections, and she really needed to get along with them.

If things ever got awkward, Chloe could just round up Sir Julian, Arthur, and a few more, and start a sworn siblings club right then and there.

Simple as that: anyone older than her, just call ‘bro‘.

Anyone younger? ‘Little bro‘ it is.

Big bros and little bros would all have her back–she’d never have to worry about a thing.

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Chapter 211

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Philip suddenly piped up, his tone playful. “Dr. Irvine, don’t tell me you’re actually thinking of pulling me into your sworn sibling club?”

“Pfft-” Chloe almost did a spit–take.

She nearly choked to death on her water.

Philip stood up, grabbed a napkin, and handed it to her. “Just messing with you, Dr. Irvine. No need to take it

to heart.”

Chloe bent over, nearly hiding under the table as she reached for the napkin, choking and coughing for several long moments.

Other than with Ian, she’d never made such a spectacular fool of herself in front of any guy.

Chloe wished the ground would just swallow her up.

Philip sat back down and smoothly changed the subject. “I heard Sir Julian got back yesterday. If you’re free this weekend, Dr. Irvine, how about we set up a mahjong game? I’d love to partner up with you and see how we do.”

As soon as Chloe heard the word ‘mahjong, she perked right up—now that was something she couldn’t resist.

But then it hit her—something was off.

Julian’s already back from abroad, but why haven’t I gotten a call to come do a check–up at the Rowe Estate?‘ Chloe wondered.

That afternoon, Chloe gave Julian a call, but all he said was, “Don’t come to the Rowe Estate for now,” and then hung up before she could even ask any questions.

Chloe mulled it over again and again–there was definitely something fishy going on. Unable to shake off her curiosity, she finally made up her mind: she would go check things out at the Rowe Estate herself.

Upstairs in the Rowe Estate’s study, Julian relaxed in his wheelchair, dressed in dark loungewear, looking a little pale.

He glanced over at Chloe with a faint sigh. “Didn’t I ask you to stay away for now?”

Chloe put down her medical kit, flashing an uncertain smile. “If I hadn’t come, you’d probably say I was neglecting you. You promised to let me check up on you as soon as you got home, but you’ve already put it off for a whole week.”

Julian rolled the prayer beads slowly between his fingers. “I know you mean well, but let’s pause the treatment for a while. Go on, head back.”

Chloe’s keen senses picked up a faint metallic tang of blood in the room.

She didn’t dare press for answers–instead, she obediently slipped out of the study.

‘I know it. Something’s seriously wrong with Julian, Chloe thought, her instincts sounding alarms.

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Chapter 211

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As Chloe reached the door, Julian turned to his right–hand man, Quentin. “See Dr. Irvine home.”

Ten minutes later, Chloe was standing next to her car with Quentin nearby.

Quentin gave her a reassuring nod. “Ms. Irvine, I’ll be driving behind you to make sure you get home safely.”

Chloe couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Quentin, be straight with me–did something happen to Sir Julian?”

Quentin simply lowered his gaze, silent.

Chloe’s gut told her she was right.

She insisted, “Quentin, what happened to Sir Julian? Can you tell me, please?”

Quentin glanced around, keeping his voice low. “Ms. Irvine, you know how Sir Julian is–his word is law. Please don’t ask me anything else. I’m only here to see you home; that’s all I know, and I can’t say any more.”

Chloe locked eyes with Quentin for a moment before pulling out her phone. “Quentin, add my number. If anything comes up, call me anytime. If Sir Julian gets upset, just say it was on me.”

After exchanging contacts with Quentin, Chloe got in her car and left, feeling restless and uneasy the whole way home.

If Chloe’s gut feeling was right, Julian must’ve gotten hurt.

He wouldn’t let her treat him–he was clearly trying to keep those injuries a secret.

What kind of injury would he hide, even from me?‘ Chloe wondered, her mind buzzing.

A million scary possibilities flooded Chloe’s head all at once.

But no matter what, Julian had always had her back–if he ever needed her, there was no way she’d just stand by and do nothing.

On her way home, Chloe got a call from Mia, asking her to meet up at the Royal Court Club. Without hesitating, Chloe turned her car around and headed straight there–Mia was clearly waiting for her.

Chloe had barely reached the foot of the stairs when she saw Ian making his way down, flanked by his usual

entourage.

Towering above the crowd in a crisp suit, he had an icy, aristocratic vibe that drew every eye in the room.

Their gazes locked for a split second, and Chloe quickly stepped back to clear the path.

Ian waved his people off and came down the stairs alone.

He stopped right in front of Chloe, his voice cold and gruff. “What are you doing here this late?”

Chloe glanced at him, didn’t say a word, brushed past him, and headed straight upstairs.

Ian turned to watch Chloe walk away, her icy coldness almost unbearable. It felt like his chest was being

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Chapter 211

squeezed so tight, he could hardly breathe.

She saw him but didn’t spare him so much as a word.

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Several minutes later, Mitchell hurried over. “Don’t worry, Mr. Hamilton. Ms. Irvine is hanging out with Miss Hamilton–and Patrick is with them too.”

Once lan heard Chloe was safe with Patrick and Mia, he finally felt at ease and headed out.

It was late when Ian finally got home, walking through the door all by himself.

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