In the desolate Howard family home, Quentin’s room was dimly lit.
He was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep on his bed.
Suddenly, the sound of a phone ringing jolted him awake.
He realized it was Charlotte’s phone ringing, and his heart skipped a beat, unsure of who was calling.
Upon checking, he found it was Dania, the children’s homeroom teacher. He answered the call.
“Hello, is this Ms. Charlotte?” Dania asked from the other end.
“No, this is Quentin,” he replied calmly.
“Hello Mr. Holland, I am Janessa and Theo’s homeroom teacher.”
Dania then detailed the incident where Nash picked up the children from school.
Upon hearing this, Quentin’s face darkened, and he struggled to suppress his anger.
“Thank you, I understand,” Quentin said before hanging up the phone.
Quentin was truly furious this time because of the children. Charlotte had entrusted their children to another man, which felt like a slap in his face. He could understand if she was too busy to pick them up herself, but letting someone else do it was unacceptable!
Quentin grabbed Charlotte’s phone and an envelope, then drove quickly to Charlotte’s home.
Radiating anger, his eyes cold as ice, Quentin stepped inside to find Emma’s family and the two children, along with Nash. Charlotte was nowhere to be seen.
“Daddy’s back!” Janessa and Theo ran to Quentin’s side. He picked up both children, relieved to see they were safe.
“Janessa and Theo, be good,” Quentin soothed them, his heart softening. His gaze met Nash’s, who smirked with disdain.
“Quentin, why are you so busy today? Too busy to pick up your own kids?” Nash sneered, as if he had seen through Quentin’s thoughts.
“But don’t worry, Quentin. With me around, I guarantee the kids will be well-behaved and safe.”
Nash’s tone and expression were provocative and contemptuous, aiming to unsettle Quentin.
Quentin put the children down and walked slowly towards Nash, exuding a menacing aura. His gaze was like a bottomless black abyss, causing Nash to shrink back in fear.
“You! What are you doing? Don’t do anything rash or I’ll…”
Nash’s body began to tremble with fear as Quentin’s presence was overwhelming.
Without a word, Quentin delivered a swift left hook to Nash’s right cheek. The punch was precise and powerful!
Nash fell to the ground, his face wracked with pain. He clutched his swollen cheek, screaming in agony as blood spurted from his mouth, several teeth knocked loose.
Had Quentin not held back, one punch could have sent Nash to his grave.
Everyone present was stunned by Quentin’s actions.
“Quentin, are you rebelling?” Emma screamed at him, rushing over to help Nash up.
“Nash, are you okay?” She wanted to laugh at his swollen face but also felt sorry for him.
Nash couldn’t speak due to the pain. He clutched his face, tears and snot streaming down uncontrollably.
“Quentin, don’t be impulsive!” Emery tried to calm him down.
“Yes, Quentin, there’s no need to stoop to his level,” Rashad added. Though he tried to reason with Quentin, he secretly enjoyed seeing Nash get beaten up since he never liked him either, considering him a hypocrite.
Quentin placed Charlotte’s phone and the envelope on the table.
“I advise you not to have any designs on my children; otherwise, you’ll regret it.”
His tone was cold but authoritative. His icy gaze silenced everyone.
“To avoid scaring the kids, I’ll give you a warning today. Watch your mouth in the future or you’ll face the consequences.”
Quentin turned back to his children with a gentle expression, stroking their heads tenderly.
“Janessa and Theo, be good. Daddy will come see you when he can. If anyone bullies you, tell me.”
“Daddy, you have to visit us more often; we’ll miss you.”
The children hugged Quentin tightly. Seeing how well-behaved they were made Quentin’s heart ache; he vowed to protect them from any harm.
“Daddy misses you too.” After a reluctant farewell with his children, Quentin turned and left in his car.
He had intended to confront Charlotte about everything but she hadn’t returned yet. He decided to find another time to discuss matters regarding the children.
Emma tended to Nash’s injuries, but his face remained swollen like a pig’s head and several teeth were missing. They had no choice but to take him to the hospital for proper treatment.
“Emma, I’m fine. Don’t blame Quentin; he just got too worked up. It’s my fault for provoking him,” Nash said with feigned remorse while feeling secretly pleased. He had successfully goaded Quentin into losing control but hadn’t expected such a severe beating as a result.
“Don’t mention him. All he knows is fighting. You’re the capable one here with good character and a decent job,” Emma praised Nash.
“I’m relieved knowing Charlotte is with you.”
Nash’s swollen face managed a smug smile at Emma’s compliments.
“Hah! Quentin, you’re no match for me. Just wait and see how I deal with you,” Nash thought disdainfully.
Emma picked up Charlotte’s phone from the table and discreetly deleted some messages before taking the envelope away to destroy it later.
Seeing Quentin’s reaction earlier had achieved her desired effect; everything was going according to plan.
“Mom, whose letter is that?” Rashad asked curiously.
“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t!” Emma snapped back irritably. Rashad didn’t dare ask further.
Soon after, Charlotte returned home from work.