Chapter 171-180

Chapter 171

As they reached the Quinns residence, Derek pulled the car to a stop without looking at her. He barely waited for her to unbuckle her seatbelt before unlocking the doors. His gaze remained fixed forward, expression unreadable.

“Thank you, Derek,” Sandra said, her voice low, hoping he would soften.

But Derek didn’t respond. Instead, he turned his face away from her and waited. She opened the door, pausing as though she expected him to say something, anything but he only stared straight ahead. With a frustrated sigh, Sandra climbed out of the car and closed the door. The moment it shut, Derek drove away, leaving Sandra staring after him in the dim light of the front porch.

As he pulled away from the house, Derek felt a wave of relief wash over him. She was finally out of the car, and he could breathe again.

He reached for his phone, dialing Evelyn’s number as he turned onto the empty street leading back toward Rayna’s bakery.

The phone rang twice before Evelyn picked up, her voice a little calm and warm. “D? Has she left?” Evelyn asked as she excused herself from the group of ladies she had been chatting with.