Billionaire's Regret: Losing Me And Our Son - Chapter 204: Chapter 204

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the dark circles under Quinn's eyes
Something told me he hadn't slept all night.
"Ms. Hinton," Robert reminded me, "we need to speak with your mother and you separately. Please wait in the living room."
I nodded and quickly walked over to Quinn. As I got closer, I leaned in and whispered so only he could hear, "I'm sorry."
He didn't respond. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist.
The moment the officer closed the door, Quinn yanked me into his arms.
It was as if he were afraid I might disappear. He held me so tightly I felt like he wanted to fuse me into his body.
His reaction caught me off guard. Startled, I gasped and asked, "Quinn, what's wrong?"
I could hear his heart pounding like a drum. He held me for a long time before he slowly loosened his grip, though he still wouldn't let go.
Quinn lowered his head and stared into my eyes. His voice was deep. "Why did you lie to me?"
I froze for a few seconds before it dawned on me that Quinn must still be furious about my disappearance.
I had promised him over the phone I'd be home in an hour, and he had even waited to have dinner with me.
Thinking about this, I felt a twinge of guilt.
I tried to explain to Quinn. "Everything happened so suddenly yesterday. Ben bugged my phone, and by the time I found out, it was too late to let you know. I'm really sorry. I never meant to make you worry... By the way, how's Benedict doing?" I asked worriedly.
"He is fine, but I'm not," Quinn said hoarsely, his voice trembling. "Natalia, do you know what it was like when I couldn't find you anywhere? I wanted to turn Enschester upside down looking for you!"
My heart lurched as soon as Quinn finished speaking. Suddenly, he locked me into his tight embrace again.
Quinn cupped the back of my head and lowered his head to kiss me, hard.
My eyes widened as I stared into Quinn's eyes, so close that I could see my own reflection mirrored in their depths. For a split second, I lost myself.
Without thinking, I parted my lips to return his kiss.
Quinn's kiss deepened, stealing my breath away. Yet even as I gasped for air, I couldn't bring myself to push him away.
In the midst of the overwhelming moment, I couldn't help but mumble, "Quinn, do you... love me?"
As the words left my lips, Quinn's kiss halted. The haze in his dark eyes cleared, replaced by sudden clarity.
My face was burning with embarrassment, the heat spreading all the way to my ears. Realizing what a foolish question I had just asked, I pushed him away in a fluster and stammered, "Sorry, I barely slept last night. I guess I'm just not thinking straight."
"Natalia," Quinn took a step forward and took hold of my hand again, pausing before saying earnestly, "I..."
"Hey, Natalia! Quinn! You're both here!" June's cheerful voice cut him off.
Quinn and I turned simultaneously to see June enter the suite, arm in arm with York.
York looked serious, while June was all smiles.
"Wow, Quinn, how romantic! Can't go anywhere without holding your wife's hand, huh?" June teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement. With a playful nudge to York, she added, "York, take notes. Stop making me initiate hand-holding all the time!"
York glanced at our hands and frowned slightly, saying nothing.
June didn't mind and just laughed it off.
Feeling a bit awkward, I tried to slip my hand out of Quinn's, but he only tightened his grip.
I had no choice but to change the subject, so I told them Robert was in the bedroom taking Shirley's statement.
"York, I'm sorry for what I said before." Even if I hadn't known the full truth, I had said some harsh words and owed him an apology.
He snorted coldly, suddenly raised an eyebrow at me, and with a smirk, his thin lips parted and said, "If you're really sorry, then tell me you think I'm amazing."
I couldn't believe he was that shameless.
June glanced at York and reproached him playfully, "You're so childish. Knock it off."
I shot York a glare, but since I was in a good mood, I decided to let it slide.
I teased, "June, if York ever bullies you, I'll get Mom to set him straight for you."
June laughed and joked, "Then I'll have to treat you real well! If you ever crush on any male celebrities, just tell me. I can arrange a dinner date for you!"
"Ahem!" Quinn coughed pointedly, his face darkening with displeasure as soon as June finished speaking.
Just then, the bedroom door opened and Robert stepped out.
After Shirley's statement was completed, it was finally my turn.
Robert and I went into a private room. Since we had worked together before, he was already familiar with my case and didn't ask too many questions.
After completing the statement routinely, Robert stood up and shook my hand. "Ms. Hinton, thank you for your cooperation. You're the bravest woman I've ever met. We truly appreciate your help," he said sincerely.
I smiled, then suddenly thought of something and asked, "Mr. Taylor, what kind of punishment is Ben facing?"
"We're gathering and organizing all the evidence. Once that's done, we'll officially press charges," he said, then added solemnly, "He'll likely spend the rest of his life in prison."
I followed up, "Has he pleaded guilty?"
Robert shook his head slightly and gave me a thoughtful look before saying, "However, during our interrogation, he asked a question that took everyone by surprise."
"What question?" I asked curiously.
Robert replied, "He asked if your mother had regained consciousness. When he got a definite answer, he let out a long sigh of relief and smiled. Also, according to Jenny, the night before she planned to kidnap your mother, she received an express mail containing her last paycheck from when she resigned years ago. It reminded her of how kind your mother was to her. That's what stopped her from going through with it."
Robert didn't spell it out, but in that moment, I suddenly understood everything.
I remembered the conversation I'd overheard in the study that day. Even Bernie had suspected that Ben never truly intended to kill Shirley.
With York by her side, I feel completely at ease.
After everything was settled, Quinn and I drove home right away because I missed Benedict.
Half an hour later, we pulled into the mansion's driveway. Quinn parked the car but didn't immediately unlock the doors.
I was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at him.
The next moment, our eyes locked. Quinn's deep gaze held mine as he broke the silence and asked, "Natalia, do you still want to hear what I didn't get to finish saying earlier?"