Chapter 5 Back to the Villa

Quinn stared at Howard in shock, her voice trembling. "Did you just throw Mrs. Brook off the balcony?" "She'll live," Howard admitted with a nod. Behind them, Bianca suddenly started clapping and cheering. "You're amazing! Yay! Now mom won't be bullied anymore!" Howard's gaze shifted to the small, dilapidated apartment. He frowned as he looked at Quinn. "Quinnie, what happened to the villa in the Crystal Bay neighborhood?" The villa in the Crystal Bay neighborhood was the last inheritance from Howard's parents before they passed away. It had been his dowry when he married Quinn. Although he had married into her family, back then, she had been the most beautiful woman in Yorkhaven. Hearing this, Quinn's heart skipped a beat, and her voice wavered. "How do you know about the villa in the Crystal Bay neighborhood?" "I'm your husband, Howard," Howard responded firmly. Bianca's eyes widened as she stared at him, her expression as though she was searching for something. But Quinn's face remained stoic. Without saying a word, she turned and walked into a room. Two minutes later, she returned, holding a document in her hand. She handed it to Howard. Seeing the words on the document, Howard's pupils contracted. "A death certificate?" "My husband is dead. This is proof issued by the enforcement bureau. He was executed seven years ago," Quinn said calmly, her tone unnervingly cold. What she didn't say was that she had lost all hope for life after his death. After tidying up briefly, she picked up a cheap cloth bag, took Bianca's hand, and said, "Bianca, let's go. Grandpa invited us for dinner." As the mother and daughter headed out the door, Howard silently followed. Not long after they descended the stairs, Quinn suddenly turned around, her eyes red as she glared at Howard. She spoke slowly and firmly, "Who are you? Stop following us." "Mom, I like him," Bianca whispered. Howard grinned. "I'm just following Dragoness Bianca. Let's go." Quinn said nothing more, pulling Bianca along as she walked quickly ahead. The three of them boarded a bus. Half an hour later, Quinn and Bianca got off at Crystal Bay. Howard looked at the signage of the neighborhood, feeling as though he were in a dream. This used to be Yorkhaven's premier luxury neighborhood—and it was his house. Could it be that Quinn's parents had moved in? Ten minutes later, they arrived at the door of a villa. Quinn glanced at Howard, her expression complicated. She asked, "What do you want?" "This is my house. It's also yours and Bianca's," Howard said, pointing to the familiar villa with a hint of anger in his voice. Through the glass door, he had already spotted someone sitting on the living room sofa, legs crossed, smoking a cigarette. It was Anthony—his brother-in-law and the man responsible for framing him for murder seven years ago. Back then, the Harper family had been wealthy and influential. Why was Anthony living in Howard's house now? Before Quinn could process his words, Howard had already strode up the steps. "Hey, what are you doing? Don't cause trouble!" Quinn exclaimed, quickly pulling Bianca along as she followed. Dressed in a branded T-shirt, Anthony was sitting with his legs crossed, smoking. Hearing the commotion at the door, he turned his head and smiled. "Oh, my dear sister is—" His words cut off mid-sentence when he saw Howard walk in with an icy expression. "Anthony, seven years apart, and you don't recognize me?" Howard asked with a cold smile. "A ghost! A ghost!" Anthony's face twitched uncontrollably. Screaming, he leapt three feet into the air and bolted deeper into the house. After running a few steps, Anthony stopped, muttering to himself, "That useless Howard died years ago. This guy just looks a bit like him. There's no way it's him." Turning back around, Anthony ignored Quinn and Bianca entirely. He pointed at Howard and said coldly, "Who are you? Do you know whose house this is?" "Anthony, do I need your permission to enter my own house?" Howard's half-narrowed eyes gleamed as he stepped further into the villa. From upstairs, a shrill female voice called out, "What's with the noise down there? Is that widow and her brat here again? Coming into someone else's house and making such a racket—how uncivilized." A young woman in a pink camisole dress descended the stairs in slippers, her expression full of disdain. Her makeup was thick, and she was dressed provocatively. She glanced briefly at Howard before focusing her gaze on Quinn and Bianca. Suddenly, the woman let out a shriek. "Oh my god, you two came in without changing your shoes again?" "Darling, look at your sister and her kid. Every time they come into our house, they never take off their shoes. It's disgusting!" she exclaimed as she hurried over to Anthony and clung to his arm, pointing accusingly at Quinn and Bianca. Anthony quickly turned to her with a fawning smile. "Don't be mad, sweetheart. I'll make sure they change their shoes right away." "Quinn, there are slippers right there by the entryway. Can't you two bend down and put them on? You always make a mess of the house!" Anthony snapped at Quinn and Bianca, his tone changing instantly. Howard turned and saw Quinn pulling Bianca toward the entryway, apparently about to comply. "Wait," Howard called out, stopping her. He turned to Anthony and the woman clinging to him. His voice was cold as he asked, "Anthony, even if Howard is dead, this house belongs to Quinnie. How did it become yours?"