CHAPTER 23: CHAPTER 23: MISS QUINN, ARE YOU INVITING ME?

The door opened, and Chloe Preston’s gaze met the eyes of the person before her, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Her best friend, Ivy Lane, rushed forward with open arms, pulling Chloe into a cheerful hug.

"My darling Chloe, I’m back! Did you miss me?"

Chloe was both surprised and thrilled. "Ivy, weren’t you traveling abroad? Why are you back all of a sudden!"

Ivy was about to speak when she noticed the large red marks on Chloe’s body and frowned. "Chloe, why do you have so many red marks on you?"

Hearing this, a flash of panic crossed Chloe’s eyes. She still hadn’t told her about running into Donovan Xavier again.

Seeing her silence, Ivy stepped inside, closed the door, and looked her up and down.

What is it about her that seems so off?

Her neck, collarbone, arms, and even her ankles were covered in bright red marks.

Ivy stared at her as if interrogating a suspect, and Chloe instinctively swallowed. "Ivy..."

As she started to speak, Ivy leaned in, sniffed her carefully, and exclaimed, "Chloe, why do you smell like a man!"

Wow, does she have the nose of a bloodhound? She can even smell that!

Chloe opened her mouth, but she couldn’t string a coherent sentence together. She was wearing a blue cloud-patterned slip dress that gave her a lazy yet alluring aura, her hair tucked behind her ears, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her chest.

Without warning, Ivy reached out, yanked down the strap on Chloe’s shoulder, and peeked inside.

Chloe’s eyes widened in alarm, her expression changing dramatically as she hurriedly stopped her. "Ivy, are you some kind of pervert?!"

Ivy only needed a single glance before her jaw dropped.

The skin underneath was also densely covered in red marks that looked just like hickeys.

"Oh my god, Chloe, you slept with a man!"

Chloe’s ears turned faintly red as she immediately denied it. "No, I didn’t!"

Ivy’s gaze remained scrutinizing as she pressed on, "Then how do you explain being covered in hickeys from head to toe!"

Chloe bit her red lip and said lamely, "That... that’s an allergic reaction!"

"Really?"

"Of course! More real than pure gold!"

Ivy folded her arms, giving her a low, knowing look. "Chloe Preston, are you taking me for an idiot?"

"You claim the hickeys are an allergic reaction, so what about the bite mark on your chest? Don’t tell me a dog bit you!"

Chloe bit her lip, momentarily at a loss for words.

Ivy walked to her side, her eyes narrowed playfully. "Come on, confess. Are you seeing someone?"

"No," Chloe replied.

Ivy frowned and sighed. "If you are, just say so. Why can’t you tell me?"

"With so many hickeys, it looks like you had an intense night!"

"So, is he especially wild?"

Chloe’s face flushed crimson. She bit her lip, unable to utter a single word.

Gazing at her, Ivy leaned closer, determined to get to the bottom of it. "Is he older or younger? The mature uncle type? Or the rugged, macho kind?"

"Don’t tell me he’s a young heartthrob?"

The more she asked, the more her curiosity grew.

Ivy glanced toward Chloe’s room, her eyes narrowing. "He probably hasn’t left yet, has he? I’m going to take a look!"

With that, she ran straight for the room.

Chloe hurried after her, crying out anxiously, "Ivy, don’t go in there!"

"I just want one peek!" Ivy exclaimed. "After four years, you’ve finally forgotten that scoundrel, Donovan!"

She was absolutely thrilled, desperate to know who this mystery man was that had finally managed to get Chloe into bed. After all, she had been so madly in love with Donovan Xavier that for four years, she had instinctively rejected all other men, living like a novice nun about to take her vows. Especially in the first year after breaking up with that dog of a man, she had stopped smiling completely, falling into a deep depression and becoming so thin she was like a shadow of her former self.

Ivy pushed open the bedroom door, poked her head in, and scanned the room.

Huh? Where is he?

Scratching her head, Ivy walked inside.

Chloe followed her in and glanced at the messy bed, but she saw no one either.

Ivy felt a pang of disappointment. She turned around, her face falling as she looked at her friend. "Chloe, where’s your new man?"

Chloe pursed her lips and gave a slight cough. "Him? He left a while ago."

"Sigh, what a shame you didn’t get to see him!" she added, feigning regret.

Just as she finished speaking, a noise suddenly came from the bathroom.

Chloe’s entire body went rigid, the hair on her arms standing on end.

"What’s that noise?" Ivy asked.

Forcing a smile, Chloe blurted out, "It’s a dog! I just bought one yesterday!"

Ivy was terrified of dogs. She spun around and sprinted out of the room.

The next moment, CLICK. The bathroom door opened.

"Babe, I accidentally broke a jar of your face cream. You aren’t mad, are you?"

Donovan Xavier stepped out, holding a shard of glass. He had just showered, and cool water vapor clung to his broad shoulders and narrow waist. A white towel was tied casually around his hips, highlighting his well-defined abs. He stood tall and imposing.

Chloe’s eyes shot open. She rushed forward to push him back into the bathroom. "You... Get back inside! Quickly!"

Donovan wrapped one arm around her waist, lowering his head to kiss her nonchalantly. "Why should I go back inside?"

Chloe didn’t argue, simply trying to shove him back in. "Hurry up and get in!"

Ivy is still right outside. She could come back in any second.

Donovan pressed against her soft lower back, his posture languid. His dark eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone was laced with intrigue. "Miss Quinn, are you inviting me?"

As he spoke, he raised a hand to pinch her chin, bent down, and captured her lips.

Chloe struggled ineffectively.

Just then, Ivy poked her head back through the doorway. "Chloe, what are you doing in there?"

The next second, her eyes widened at the scene before her, her mouth forming a perfect "O."

No way, they’re kissing that passionately! Tsk tsk, they really know how to have fun.

Ivy immediately spun around, covering her eyes with her hands.

Hearing the commotion, Donovan released the woman in his arms, his breathing slightly ragged. "Is that your friend?"

Chloe was panting, momentarily unable to speak.

Ivy heard the man’s voice and frowned.

Huh? Why does that voice sound so familiar?

She turned back around. When she got a clear look at the man’s face, she almost fainted.

No, no, no! It must be a mistake!

Ivy spun around again, rubbed her eyes vigorously, then turned back for another look.

That can’t be right. I must have eaten too many wild mushrooms yesterday and started hallucinating!

The next moment, she lunged forward, grabbed Chloe, and pulled her urgently out of the room.

"That man in there... is that Donovan Xavier? The ex-boyfriend who broke your heart?"

"Chloe Preston, you got back together with him!"