Chapter 48: Confrontation of the Two

Quintus did not notice the two little ones in the car. Realizing he had arrived late, he strode into the kindergarten. As soon as he entered, he saw the two standing next to the slide, and Grace practically nestled in Chloe's arms. "Hi, Mr. Ellington!" The teacher immediately greeted the newcomer respectfully as soon as she saw him. Quintus nodded slightly, walking up to the three. After glancing at his daughter, he then looked coldly at Chloe. "Why were you here?" Sensing the hostility emanating from the man, Chloe furrowed her brow in confusion. Beside them, the teacher looked at them in surprise, "Did you... know each other?" Just a moment ago, she thought Chloe didn't know Grace. However, considering Grace's dependence on Chloe, it was not difficult to imagine they might know each other. Chloe nodded noncommittally to the teacher and then met the man's gaze. "I was here to pick up my kids from school, but your daughter grabbed onto my clothes and wouldn't let go. So, I could only wait with her here." Hearing the words 'your daughter' from her, Quintus's face abruptly darkened. This woman, saying such harsh words in front of her own daughter, had a heart cold enough! Chloe didn't know what she said wrong, only seeing the man's face suddenly darken as he looked at Grace by her side. "Come here." Quintus extended his hand with a stern expression towards Grace. Grace glanced at the hand her Daddy was offering, then looked at Chloe beside her. Her eyes were filled with reluctance and a hint of grievance. She finally got to be with the beautiful lady, but why was Daddy being so stern. As seconds ticked away, Grace still hadn't let go, and Quintus's expression became even more unpleasant. Chloe finally lowered her gaze, bent down, and patted Grace's head, soothing her, "Your Daddy has come to pick you up. Go with him quickly; I am leaving too." After saying that, she straightened up, intending to leave as soon as Grace released her hand. However, Grace had yet to let go, ignoring Quintus's increasingly unpleasant expression, just staring at Chloe with hopeful eyes. She didn't know why, but she really liked this lady and even wanted to go home with her. The atmosphere became somewhat tense. The teacher was on the verge of saying something to ease the situation when she noticed Quintus, who had remained silent, making a sudden move. "Grace, let go and go with Daddy." Quintus walked up to Grace with long strides and spoke to her in a stern tone that he had never used before. Startled by his tone, Grace tightened her grip on Chloe's hand and instinctively leaned towards her. Standing on the edge of the slide, she almost tripped when she tried to move her feet without looking down. Chloe's heart tightened, and she quickly reached out to stabilize her little body. But Grace refused to let go of her, so she had to hug her to prevent her from falling again. After finally settling Grace, Chloe couldn't help but furrow her brow, "Quintus, if you have any grievances against me, you can address them with me. Why take it out on a child?" Quintus also witnessed the scene but hadn't had a chance to intervene. Now, hearing her words, he responded with an equally unfriendly tone, "How I treat my daughter has nothing to do with you. Just because my daughter is a bit closer to you, it doesn't give you the right to interfere, does it?" The tension between the two escalated. Hearing his sarcastic tone, Chloe's expression turned unpleasant, and she felt an inexplicable sense of anger.