Chapter 112 Compensation for You
Quinley never expected the package to contain the warranty deed for the apartment she'd just sold. Now the owner's name had been changed back to hers.
Her head buzzed. She immediately called the real estate agent.
"Hi, what's going on with my property?"
When she'd sold the place, she'd left everything to the agent—a woman—to avoid the hassle.
"Ms. Elikin, the couple who were buying your apartment backed out. But someone else swooped in last night! I was just about to call you!"
"What about the deposit?" When the couple had initially agreed to buy, Quinley had accepted their deposit. Since they'd backed out, she should return it to them.
"You don't need to worry about that. The new buyer actually paid an extra three hundred thousand dollars. Ms. Elikin, you made out like a bandit on this deal. Oh, and they paid in full—I'll transfer the remaining balance to your account right away."
"Who's the new buyer?" Quinley asked suspiciously.
She already knew the answer. She just needed confirmation.
"A Mr. Murphy."
That told her everything.
But she didn't understand why Zachary would do this.
Less than fifteen minutes after hanging up, Quinley's account showed an additional million dollars.
The warranty deed and that money felt like hot potatoes in her hands. She leaned against the headboard, her mind racing.
She dialed Lucas's number.
"Mr. Murphy, I need to see you. Now."
Quinley got straight to the point. Zachary was wealthy—this was nothing to him. She hadn't been greedy when they were together, and she certainly wouldn't start now that they were apart.
"Ms. Elikin, I'll call you back later. I'm swamped today." Lucas hung up immediately.
Quinley waited. By nine PM, Lucas still hadn't called back.
Lucas was handling all this for Zachary, so Quinley headed straight to Maple Estate.
At midnight, Zachary's Maybach pulled up to the gates of Maple Estate. He stepped out in a black suit, exhaustion written all over his face. Quinley noticed Lucas following behind him, arms loaded with a massive stack of documents.
He'd just returned to Apex Global Group. Weeks of neglected work meant he'd be pulling all-nighters to catch up.
"Mr. Jennings."
Quinley stood in the shadows beneath the trees. The dim lighting made her easy to miss.
Zachary turned at the sound of her voice and immediately spotted her. She wore a beige blouse tucked into a light blue denim skirt, her hair pulled into a casual low ponytail.
The air had turned chilly. She hugged her arms to her chest, shoulders hunched. She looked like she'd been waiting a while.
"Have you been here long?" Zachary asked.
He automatically slipped off his jacket to drape over her shoulders, but she waved him off.
"Let's go inside. I got held up at work—came back later than expected."
A spark of light flickered in Zachary's deep eyes. Seeing Quinley here inexplicably lifted his mood.
"No, thanks."
Quinley refused. She pulled the warranty deed and a bank card from her purse and held them out to Zachary.
"I can't accept the deed. And the money—I've deposited it back on this card. Here, take them back."
Zachary didn't reach for them. The light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
"You earned these. After all those years with me, you deserve some compensation. With everything that's happened, I haven't had a chance to settle things properly."
"You already compensated me. I can't take more."
Quinley insisted. Accepting these would make her feel guilty. She didn't want to torture herself that way.
A smile tugged at the corner of Zachary's mouth. He took a step back, putting distance between them.
"I probably won't make it to your wedding. Consider these an early gift. I wish you and Mr. Brown a lifetime of happiness. I've got work to do—excuse me."
With that, Zachary strode through the gate.
Quinley stood frozen. She'd come to return his gifts, but instead of accomplishing that, she felt even more conflicted.
The gate closed quickly. Zachary went straight to his study.
Lucas followed him inside. He'd barely set down the stack of files when Zachary said, "It's late. Go home."
"Mr. Jennings, I'm not tired."
"I am."
Zachary's ink-dark eyes were deep as pools. Lucas couldn't quite read his expression.
"Then... I..."
Lucas's brain worked slowly, struggling to catch up. Zachary clearly planned to work through the night, yet he didn't want Lucas to stay.
"Pick me up tomorrow at six AM."
Zachary's tone left no room for argument. His face darkened as he yanked off his tie and hurled it onto the desk.
He seemed furious.
"Yes, sir."
Lucas turned toward the door. Just as he was about to leave the study, a lightbulb went off in his head. He stopped. "Mr. Jennings, it's really late. It won't be safe for Ms. Elikin to get home alone. Should I give her a ride?"
The low pressure in the study was suffocating.
Lucas wouldn't presume to know exactly what Zachary was thinking, but he'd clearly picked up on one thing—Zachary was angry with Quinley.
But anger aside, he still cared about her.
This late at night, rideshares would be scarce around Maple Estate. Quinley was a single woman—if something happened to her on the way home, Zachary would blame himself.
As Zachary's most trusted subordinate, Lucas felt it was his duty to handle this situation.
"Do what you want."
Zachary's expression remained blank.
Quinley walked along the street leading away from Maple Estate. Not a single car passed by. She tried using three different rideshare apps simultaneously, but no one accepted her request.
Maple Estate was incredibly far from the Elikin family home. At this hour, the subway had stopped running, buses too. If she couldn't catch a ride, she'd have no choice but to walk.
Just as despair began to set in, Lucas appeared in his car. He rolled down the window and pulled up ahead of her. "Ms. Elikin, get in."
Quinley jumped, startled. Her eyes darted quickly to check the interior.
Zachary wasn't inside.
Still, she waved him off. "Thanks, but I already called a rideshare. It'll be here any second."
Lucas didn't argue. When Quinley stood still, he waited. When she started walking, he followed slowly behind her.
Eventually, she gave in and got in the car.
The night was thick and dark. Few vehicles traveled the streets, and not a single pedestrian was visible. The only thing breaking the darkness was the glow of streetlights.
Lucas glanced at Quinley in the rearview mirror. She'd curled up in her seat, her gaze fixed on the window.
He couldn't help but sigh.
They say those involved can't see clearly, while bystanders have perfect vision. Zachary and Quinley were playing some endless game of cat and mouse—one chasing, one retreating, one refusing to speak, the other refusing to ask. Two people who clearly loved each other, determined to spend their lives regretting what they'd missed.
Lucas had never been in love. He didn't understand why something so simple had to be so complicated.
"Ms. Elikin, have you really decided to marry Mr. Brown?"
Halfway through the drive, Lucas spoke up. Because Quinley had helped Zachary, his attitude toward her had changed significantly.
"Yes."
Quinley's response was flat.
She didn't want to discuss this topic. She and Lucas weren't strangers, but they were only colleagues. Personal matters weren't appropriate to discuss in such a casual relationship.
"Ms. Elikin, you're going to regret missing your chance with Mr. Jennings. He cares about you so much, treats you so well. If only you'd trusted him back then, been willing to wait for him, maybe..."
Quinley didn't let him finish.
"Mr. Murphy, am I really that bad?"
Her question stopped Lucas cold.
Matters of the heart aren't about right or wrong. Quinley was clear about her choices. She didn't care what other people thought.
Worth it or not? Should she or shouldn't she? If you weren't the one living it, you had no right to an opinion.
The car happened to be approaching the neighborhood where the Elikin family lived. Quinley asked Lucas to stop. "I'm going to grab some late-night snacks. Thanks for the ride."
She opened the door and got out.
After she'd walked away, Lucas suddenly noticed that Quinley had left the warranty deed and bank card in the car. He quickly called her. "Ms. Elikin, you forgot your things."
"Those things were never mine to begin with. Please return them to Mr. Jennings for me."
Quinley hung up immediately.
Lucas felt both angry and anxious. He was normally a man of few words, but lately, his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. He'd gotten carried away talking and accidentally hit a nerve with Quinley.
Zachary had given these things away, and Lucas had inadvertently brought them back. Now what the hell was he supposed to do?