Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 1011

The air seemed to freeze in that instant.

Felix Quigley's expression immediately darkened. The heat in his eyes vanished, replaced by the humiliated fury of being exposed and a bone-chilling coldness.

He stared intently at Claire Chase as if trying to look right through her, his fingers gripping her chin so tightly they threatened to leave bruises on her luminous skin.

"Classless? Forcing you?"

He let out a dark, humorless laugh, his voice like ice.

"Claire, are you telling me that intimacy between a husband and wife is 'forcing' you?"

"Have I given you so much freedom that you've forgotten you are still Mrs. Quigley?"

"Is there even a difference? We only have twenty-four days left in our waiting period." Claire met his gaze without backing down, her eyes full of mockery.

"What, the woman you keep on the side couldn't satisfy you, so you had to come prey on me while I'm sick?"

Felix abruptly released her. He loomed over her, his chest heaving with heavy breaths.

Finally, he forced the words out through gritted teeth. "I have never slept with her."

Claire just scoffed.

She couldn't care less about his excuses.

What was the point of caring?

Their marriage had reached a breaking point where a word or two of explanation couldn't fix the shattered pieces.

Felix stared at her detached expression for a long time.

A suffocating weight pressed down on his chest.

This was the same woman whose eyes used to light up the moment she saw him, the one who would lovingly prepare extravagant dinners just to celebrate him coming home.

But now, staring into those clear, beautiful eyes, he found absolutely nothing.

She looked at him like he was a total stranger.

She truly didn't want him anymore.

Something he couldn't control—yet desperately cared about—was slipping right out of his grasp without warning, leaving an agonizing void in his heart.

"You're the only one I'm worried about," the old woman whispered, gently patting her back.

Just then, Attorney Summers arrived.

At Old Mrs. Quigley's instruction, the lawyer opened the will and read her final wishes.

She was leaving all her real estate to Claire.

This included two luxury villas, Hot Springs Manor, and a massive penthouse in downtown Northcrest.

On top of that, she transferred commercial properties worth hundreds of millions of dollars into Claire's name.

She also left behind her priceless collection of jewelry and antiques...

"I don't want any of this. I just want you to get better," Claire choked out through her tears.

Old Mrs. Quigley just smiled. "Silly girl. I have to go eventually."

She weakly raised her frail hand, gently stroking Claire's trembling head. Her tone held a final, profound tenderness. "I'm not giving you all this so you can just scrape by. It's to give you leverage. I'm terrified that once I'm gone, no one will protect you. I'm afraid you'll be bullied with nowhere to turn, that you won't even have a home. That's why I'm leaving you this nest egg."