Part 132
“I don’t want to argue with you. You wouldn’t believe anything I say anyway, so why not go home and ask your parents? If they really feel guilty, they should tell you.” Quinn Foster said coldly, “The Vault is just too empathetic, that’s why all her good intentions ended up being seen as heartless. Think it over yourself. I’m not in the mood to counsel you.”
He turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he remembered he should show some respect to Henry Harris, so he called out abruptly, “Captain Harris, the questioning is over for today, right?”
In the whole room, only Henry Harris remained calm. She nodded without saying a word.
Quinn Foster didn’t say another word, slammed the door, and left.
Just a few seconds later, the sound of retreating footsteps returned. Quinn Foster pushed the door open and shouted, “Trident Heir, let’s go! Aren’t you going back to comfort your girlfriend? Or do you want to stay here for dinner?”
Julian Grant stood up. “I’ll take my leave for today.”
Chapter 85: Apology
Quinn Foster left with Julian Grant, leaving Quinn Shelby standing there in a daze, still unable to shake off the shock.
His brothers didn’t know how to start a conversation. They looked at each other, at a loss.
Henry Harris stood up, gathered the documents on the table, and said, “That’s all for now.”
The group of men hesitated, shuffling awkwardly around Quinn Shelby.
Henry Harris said sternly, “Still not leaving? Don’t you have work to do? Are you all so free today?”
“We’re going, we’re going, right away!” Seeing she was angry, everyone hurriedly responded and fled.
Henry Harris picked up the files, walked around, patted Quinn Shelby on the shoulder, said nothing, and left, closing the door behind her.
The complete silence made Quinn Shelby’s tinnitus feel even worse. That piercing whistle echoed in his ears, stabbing into his brain like a needle. The chill spread from his fingertips up his arm, even his pupils seemed to tremble.
He forced himself to clear his mind, stopped overthinking, moved his feet, and rushed out with his head down.
Quinn Shelby ran all the way to the parking lot, found his parking spot, and yanked the car door open. But as soon as he sat down, someone pressed the door shut from outside.
His mind seemed frozen, taking a while to process what was happening. Instinctively, he resisted, trying to close the door.
A brother outside glared and shouted, “Old Xie, what are you doing? Can’t you see a grown man like me standing out here?”
Only then did Quinn Shelby let go and retorted, “What do you want?”
“What do I want?” The tall man laughed, “Captain Harris told me to drive you home. She said your leave is approved, half a day, no next time, the team’s busy lately.”
“Get out!” he urged, “If you’re not in a good state, don’t drive. It’s being responsible to others too. What if you get into an accident?”
Quinn Shelby followed the order, dazedly got out, and got in from the other side.
The man took the driver’s seat and said, “Home, right?”
Quinn Shelby replied sullenly, “Yeah.”
The tall young man started the car. The scenery outside flashed by, and the two sat in silence the whole way.
As they neared the destination, the young man saw Quinn Shelby still looking dejected and tried to comfort him, “Old Xie, no matter what the truth is, it’s all years in the past. Don’t get stuck on one thing forever. We’re men—if we can face it, we face it. If we need to take responsibility, we do. It’s not a big deal, right? Besides, you were young back then, don’t put too much burden on yourself… Making mistakes is part of being human.”
Quinn Shelby said, “Stop up ahead. Thanks.”
The young man saw his expression and knew he hadn’t listened. But once someone gets stuck in a rut, no one can help. He let him out as asked, parked the car, and said he’d take the bus back.
Quinn Shelby didn’t wait for the elevator, but strode up the stairs. He didn’t even know why he was in such a hurry—he just felt a heavy depression trapped inside, and if he didn’t get it out, he’d suffocate.
At this hour, Mrs. Shelby should be home, since she had Wednesday off.
Sure enough, when Quinn Shelby opened the door, his mother was in the kitchen making soup.
“Why are you back?” Mrs. Shelby asked in surprise when she saw him. “Didn’t you say you’ve been busy lately and have to work overtime a lot? I was just about to bring some food to your office later.”
Quinn Shelby opened his mouth, looking at his mother’s gentle face, and the impulse that had been dominating his reason instantly faded. He stood there, countless words flashing through his mind, but couldn’t pick a single one to say.
Mrs. Shelby wiped her hands and called out worriedly, “Xiaomeng?”
Quinn Shelby shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
Mrs. Shelby approached him. “I’m asking why you’re back…”
Quinn Shelby shrank back in fear, and this movement made Mrs. Shelby freeze. He casually replied, “It’s nothing,” and walked past her to his room.
Mrs. Shelby felt something was wrong. She leaned against the door to listen for a while, but then the water in the kitchen boiled over, hissing as it spilled onto the stove, so she hurried to turn off the heat.
Five minutes later, Quinn Shelby came out again, having composed himself.
His expression was more resolute. He stopped at the kitchen door and said calmly, “Mom, The Vault is joining our team and will be working with us on the investigation.”
Mrs. Shelby’s back visibly stiffened, but she said nothing.
“What do you think I should do?” Quinn Shelby stepped forward and asked, “Should I tell Dad?”
Mrs. Shelby replied vaguely, “You decide.”
Quinn Shelby: “What should I say? That she killed my dog back then and then ran away, that she’s not someone to be trusted? Should I say that? That even as a child she had a tendency to abuse, and never got professional help, so she’s probably got issues, right?”
Mrs. Shelby’s face couldn’t be seen as she faced away, but the speed of her chopping clearly increased.
She said, “It was all a long time ago, Xiaomeng. She was just a child then.”
“Was that really something a child could do out of ignorance?” Quinn Shelby said. “That’s not just childishness. And she still hasn’t admitted her mistake to this day.”
Mrs. Shelby said, “She’s just a consultant at most, you don’t have much to do with her. Just ignore her.”
“No.” Quinn Shelby’s voice dropped, “I’m a police officer. I have to make sure to prevent danger and eliminate hidden threats. I can’t accept someone with abusive tendencies and no remorse being on my team.”
Mrs. Shelby stopped chopping and busied herself with something else.
Quinn Shelby stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and forced her to face him.
Mrs. Shelby looked up in shock.
Quinn Shelby took a deep breath and continued, “Mom, what do you think?”
Mrs. Shelby said emotionally, “What do you want me to think? You decide! It’s your job. You never used to ask me about these things!”
“Then does what happened with The Vault have anything to do with you?” Quinn Shelby shouted, “I’ve hated her for so many years, but today someone told me it wasn’t her! He said all of The Vault’s good intentions were seen as heartless by me! Said she’s not that kind of person and wouldn’t do such things, even Captain Harris tacitly agreed! Captain Harris kept reminding me it didn’t make sense, but I didn’t believe it! Who am I supposed to believe?”
Mrs. Shelby swayed, panic and hesitation flashing across her face. That instinctive reaction made Quinn Shelby realize that what Quinn Foster said was true.
Mrs. Shelby wanted to argue, but her trembling hands and uncontrollable expression left her no chance. She swallowed hard, still unable to suppress her nerves.
Quinn Shelby let go of her, staggered back, and leaned against the fridge. He gritted his teeth, his eyes shamefully red and brimming with tears.
He bent over, a low growl coming from his throat, then punched the stone countertop beside him.
Quinn Shelby’s reaction frightened Mrs. Shelby. She couldn’t accept that the son she loved most would one day hate her, even resent her. But wasn’t Quinn Shelby’s reaction now a strong rejection of her?
“Everyone has moments of impulse.” Mama Shelby struggled to find the words, explaining to him in confusion, “Xiaomeng, do you know how much pressure I was under back then? I took care of the dog, I took care of the kids, your dad was never home all year, you were always so energetic, and every time the dog ran out it got filthy and I had to clean it. I couldn’t sleep day or night, my hair was falling out, and then your dad brought home a The Vault. The Vault was a problem child. But I was pregnant! I was pregnant! He felt sorry for The Vault, but why didn’t he feel sorry for me?”
Her voice trembled and sharpened, as if she wanted to lay her heart bare for him.
“My mind was out of control back then. Later, I saw a doctor. Mom was sick, do you understand?”
Quinn Shelby looked up. “Did you ever feel regret?”
Mrs. Shelby nodded vigorously. “Of course I regretted it. But you were so young then, how could I tell you?”
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