Back From Prison, Built For Revenge - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

In the Stone Villa, Chloe stood by the window, arms crossed, her gaze resting on the neatly trimmed tree in the courtyard. Demi cautiously entered the room, breaking the silence. "Miss Quinn, Miss Stone is here."
Chloe frowned, not responding immediately. She simply stared outside, seemingly weighing something in her mind.
Seeing her inaction, Demi added, "She said she wants to talk to you."
"Talk about what?" Chloe finally spoke, her voice low and indifferent. "Talk about how she plans to use me again?"
Demi was at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. She knew Chloe disliked Yolanda, but as a subordinate, she could only dutifully report.
After a moment, Chloe turned and coldly glanced at Demi. "Let her wait. I'm busy."
Demi nodded and was about to leave when she heard Chloe add, "Wait. Let her come in."
Surprised, Demi didn't question it and quickly headed downstairs to deliver the message.
A few minutes later, Yolanda walked into the living room, her heels clicking sharply on the floor. As usual, she was well-dressed, her light pink dress enhancing her charm.
Upon seeing Chloe slowly descending the stairs, she flashed a sweet smile. "Chloe, long time no see."
Chloe stopped midway down the stairs and didn't continue. Instead, she looked down at Yolanda with indifference. "What do you want?"
"Chloe, it's been so long since we last met. Can't you be a little kinder to me?" Yolanda feigned grievance, quickly stepping forward to try and link arms with Chloe.
But as soon as her hand reached out, Chloe gently avoided it. "Just say it. What do you want?" Chloe repeated, her tone even colder.
Yolanda's smile stiffened but quickly returned to its usual sweetness. "Chloe, I know you've been feeling down lately, so I came to keep you company.
"I was thinking we could go shopping together. It's been a while, and we could visit Citrus Grove Plaza to pick out a gown for the charity dinner."
"The charity dinner?" Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You mean the one Yael invited me to?"
"Yes!" Yolanda nodded enthusiastically. "Mr. Foster publicly declared that he's going to pursue you. I'm sure he has a surprise prepared for you at the dinner!"
At her words, a cold glint flickered in Chloe's eyes, but she quickly masked it, replying only with, "I'm not interested."
"Chloe, don't be like that!" Yolanda pouted, holding onto Chloe's wrist with an almost pleading tone.
"Grandmother hasn't been well lately. You can't let her worry, can you? Plus, this dinner is an important occasion for both the Foster family and the Stone family. If you don't go, what will people think of us?"
At the mention of Evelyn, Chloe paused. She looked down at Yolanda's eyes, which were full of deceit, then agreed, "Fine, I'll go."
"Great!" Yolanda's eyes immediately lit up. "Let's go now!"
They got into the car. The atmosphere inside was unusually quiet, with only the low hum of the engine filling the air.
The driver, sitting in the front seat, carefully observed Yolanda and Chloe's expressions through the rearview mirror, noticing one was colder than the other, with both faces unreadable.
"Chloe," Yolanda broke the silence first, speaking tentatively, "Actually, I've been wanting to find a chance to talk to you properly..."
"Talk about what?" Chloe glanced at her, her cold stare sharp, making Yolanda shiver.
Yolanda flinched slightly but quickly adjusted her expression, continuing in a soft voice, "Of course, it's about our relationship. I know I've made many mistakes in the past, which upset you and worried Mom. So, I hope we can start over, okay?"
"Start over?" Chloe scoffed, her smile full of mockery. "Let me trust you again, only to be betrayed once more? Is that what you mean?"
Her words hit Yolanda like a heavy blow. Her face turned pale, but she had to force a friendly expression. "Chloe, I really do know I was wrong... "
"No need," Chloe interrupted her mercilessly. "I don't need your apology, nor your false kindness. If you just called me out here for this nonsense, we can go back now."
Hearing this, the driver couldn't help but sneak a glance at the rearview mirror. He saw Yolanda's expression completely crumble, while Chloe sat unmoving beside her, cold and detached.
The car once again fell into a heavy silence, an oppressive and suffocating atmosphere that only began to ease when they arrived at Citrus Grove Plaza.
After getting out of the car, they ran into a few familiar faces at the mall entrance. These women were well-known in the high society of Dawnridge.
When they saw Chloe and Yolanda walking side by side, they all smiled knowingly, some even whispering under their breath, "Oh, isn't this Chloe Stone? Haven't seen her in years, but she still looks stunning."
These words, though seemingly compliments, were laced with sarcasm and mockery.
Standing by, Yolanda pretended not to notice their ridicule, flashing a sweet smile. "Thank you for the compliments. Chloe has always been so wonderful!"
Her words successfully drew even more attention, with some people even secretly pulling out their phones to take pictures, deliberately aiming their cameras at Chloe's cold yet still stunning face.
Chloe remained silent, scanning the surroundings with a warning gaze. This immediately caused those attempting to approach her to hesitate and retreat, not daring to push any further.
Just then, a familiar and harsh voice rang out from nearby. "Well, Chloe, it's been a while."