Time passed slowly, and soon Mr. Hoffman led a group of people into the room with an imposing presence.
The police had arrived!
“Mr. Hoffman, you finally made it!” Russell stepped forward to greet Mr. Hoffman and his team.
“Who is causing trouble here at the Pittman family?” Mr. Hoffman asked.
“It’s that guy.” Following Russell’s pointed direction, they saw a young man with sharp eyebrows and a commanding presence sitting leisurely.
Mr. Hoffman looked at him and felt a sense of familiarity, so he walked over.
“Hey, you…”
As Mr. Hoffman got a clear look at Quentin’s face, the words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.
“Mr. Holland! I apologize for my earlier offense. I didn’t recognize you. I hope you won’t hold it against me!”
Mr. Hoffman suddenly bowed ninety degrees to Quentin, his attitude making a complete turnaround, leaving everyone present stunned. What was going on?
Mr. Hoffman was already sweating profusely. He had met Quentin before, someone even the chief had to treat with utmost respect. Offending Quentin could cost him his position in an instant.
“Aren’t you here to arrest me?” Quentin’s calm words sent chills down Mr. Hoffman’s spine.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Holland. I didn’t know it was you at first. Someone must have wronged you.”
“I will immediately get to the bottom of this.”
“Mr. Hoffman, are you mistaken? Why are you afraid of this loser? He’s just a stray dog!”
“He trespassed on our Pittman family property, assaulted us, and robbed us. He should be taken back to jail.”
Russell couldn’t understand why Mr. Hoffman was so respectful to Quentin.
“Shut up!” Mr. Hoffman slapped Russell across the face, making him see stars. Everyone was dumbfounded.
“Mr. Holland, please tell me what happened.”
Mr. Hoffman stood humbly beside Quentin, pouring him tea.
Quentin took the tea and sipped it lightly.
“I spent thirty-two million dollars at an auction today to buy a necklace for my wife.”
“But the Pittman family used underhanded means to steal my wife’s necklace. I came here tonight to get it back.”
“Mr. Hoffman, do you think this counts as trespassing and robbery?”
Mr. Hoffman understood Quentin’s implication perfectly. Under no circumstances could he afford to offend someone like Quentin.
Moreover, Quentin had no reason to falsely accuse them.
“Russell, how dare you falsely accuse Mr. Holland!”
“Everyone from the Pittman family, arrest them all and take them back to the station for questioning!”
Mr. Hoffman was furious, pointing at Russell and his men and ordering his subordinates to handcuff them.
“Mr. Hoffman! We are innocent! Listen to me!” Russell was indignant; the Pittman family had never suffered such humiliation, especially because of Quentin.
“Shut up! If you have something to say, say it in jail!” Mr. Hoffman signaled his men to take Russell and the others away.
“Mr. Holland, I’m sorry for the trouble. Please forgive my incompetence.”
Mr. Hoffman feared Quentin’s wrath could cost him his job at any moment, so he tried his best to appease him.
“You handled this well enough today. Since I got the necklace back, let’s leave it at that.”
“As for how you deal with them, that’s up to you, but don’t go overboard. After all, they are my wife’s relatives, and I don’t want to embarrass her.”
“And keep my identity a secret from outsiders.”
Quentin’s stern words made Mr. Hoffman nod repeatedly.
“Understood, I’ll handle it properly. Rest assured, Mr. Holland.”
With that, Quentin left the Pittman family and drove away.
Seeing Quentin leave, Mr. Hoffman finally breathed a sigh of relief; the pressure Quentin exerted on him was suffocating.
Late at night, back at the Howard family home.
“Brother, you’re back?” Sylvia walked out of her room upon hearing Quentin return.
“It’s me. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Seeing Sylvia at home brought a bit of warmth to Quentin’s tired heart. This was what home felt like, though their parents were gone and his misunderstanding with Charlotte remained unresolved.
“I was waiting for you to come home. What’s wrong?” Seeing Quentin looking troubled, Sylvia walked up and massaged his shoulders.
“It’s nothing, just some minor issues. Don’t worry about it. Is everything okay with the company?”
Seeing Quentin unwilling to talk about it, Sylvia didn’t press further.
“The company is doing well now, so don’t worry about it. You should rest early; you don’t want to wear yourself out.”
Sylvia clung to Quentin’s arm and spoke sweetly; she knew how much Quentin had sacrificed for their family and felt both grateful and pained by it.
“Silly girl, I know you’ll manage just fine. Don’t worry; no matter what happens, I’ll protect you. Now go get some rest too.”
Quentin affectionately patted Sylvia’s head; she was his sister, and he would never let anything happen to her.
The two then went to their respective rooms to rest.
Meanwhile, Emma at Charlotte’s house dialed Nash’s number.
“Hello, Auntie? What do you need at this hour?” Nash asked while holding a seductive woman in his arms.
“Nash, I need to discuss something with you…”