2025-06-27 15:30:44“She didn’t bring you down.”
“What do you want from me? Just get it over with.” Her voice trembled beneath her defiance. “Don’t pretend you’re some gentleman.”Charles leaned in, voice low. “You’re right. I’m not a gentleman. But I thought you deserved to be treated like one. Clearly, I overestimated you.”He paused, letting his silence do half the talking.“Who are you working with? There’s no way you pulled this off alone.”“I did it alone!” she snapped. “So just tell me what you want. I’ll go online, I’ll confess everything. Isn’t that what you’re here for?”“No,” Charles cut in calmly. “There’s no use making you fake some teary online confession. The remorseful woman who 'didn't know what she was doing.’"That’s not going to happen.”The flicker of shock across Juliette’s face was brief, but Charles saw it. He knew the script well. Take Sadie down, build a ‘comeback narrative’ for Juliette. Classic.
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Charles didn’t answer.“I don’t know if it’s my head playing tricks, but I feel like you underestimate me. Hey—why wouldn’t you?” she said with a sly grin. “The fact we were once married doesn’t mean you know me, Charles.”“And that’s why you brought Hailey here? To spin fairy tales in her ear?”“Oh, you think they’re fairy tales?” Emmy’s smile sharpened. “Then let’s wait and see the result.”“I made it clear I’m done with you,” Charles said, voice flat.Emmy tilted her head, lips curling. “You’re free, Charles. For real. You don’t ever have to see me again if that’s what you want. But what you did to Roger today? You’ll be paying for it the rest of your life.”“Oh, this is about your boyfriend?” Charles chuckled but there was no humor in his time. “I should’ve guessed.”Her smile cracked. Emmy’s face darkened. “Mark this day, Charles. Mark it anywhere.” She spun on her heel and strode back inside, her voice trailing. “Haileyyy…”Charles shoved his hands into his pockets, jaw tighteni
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“Is that your girlfriend on the phone?” Sadie asked in a whisper. Davis gave her a lopsided grin, his voice also a whisper. “My mom. Obsessive as always.” He lowered his voice, as if confessing a great secret. “She calls like the FBI has me on surveillance.”He tilted the phone toward her ear. “Mom, Sadie’s saying hello.”Sadie immediately waved both hands. No way she was signing up for small talk with that woman and maybe get her hopes up. She wasn't ready to have anything special with Davis. “Love you, mom,” Davis said with mock sincerity before tapping his screen — the call had ended five minutes ago, but why ruin the performance?He looked back at Sadie, eyes glinting with mischief. “Now, I think we might have to fix your clothes first. Your taste in fashion is screaming for a paramedic.”If pawning her off was all it took to wipe away his debts, maybe that wasn’t such a terrible plan. The thought slid in like a cruel joke — one he almost laughed at, except the joke was on him.
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He slammed the brakes, wrenching the wheel like the car owed him money. The tires screamed, the whole beast of metal lurched, and finally it skidded nose-first into the covert, coming to a brutal stop.Two seconds. Three.Silence.No scream. No thud. Which meant the woman was still alive—or worse, playing games.Charles shoved the door open. He sprinted toward where she’d been. Nothing. Just empty asphalt and shadows.He turned in circles, scanning every corner. Nothing.“What the hell…?” His mind wasn’t the kind to play tricks.That was when his phone beeped.Emmy.Of course. Who else?Charles almost laughed. Was she drunk? Deranged? Or just stupid enough to think he’d forgotten the part where he told her to never call him again? Did she think she could reel him back in with another sad little sob story?He hung up.But her number flashed again.This time he went for
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Charles eyed the men. Where the hell did they crawl out from—kennel escapees? He was about to move when one of them collapsed like a sack of potatoes.A low whistle slipped past his lips.Sadie had planted her fist straight into the other guy’s face.The poor bastard wasn’t expecting it from her, which made him go down twice as fast.“Who the hell are you?” she snapped, her glare practically drilling holes through their skulls.Charles leaned back slightly, fascinated.Wow.Again—wow.“If you don’t start talking, I’ll make sure you never talk again,” Sadie barked, scooping up the knife one of them had dropped.She waved it like she’d been born with it. “Look around. If I decide to do anything, you’re all dead.”The men shook like leaves in a storm, clearly ready to sing—but for some reason, they just stood there swallowing their tongues.“I’ll give you two seconds, otherwise—”The screech of tires ripped her threat to shreds.Sadie instinctively moved closer to Charles, knuckles white
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The question caught Charles off guard. He blinked, clearly not expecting that from her. Did he think he was some fairytale prince sweeping her away? Did he think she’d just sit there like a grateful little damsel?“Pull over,” she ordered.Charles frowned. “Why? There’s nothing around here—”“I said stop the car.”Her tone left no room for argument.Confused but wary, Charles eased the car to the shoulder.“You’re not getting out, Sadie,” he warned as she reached for the door handle.“Why not? Because I’ll just screw something else up and you’ll have to swoop in again?” she shot back, voice dripping with venom.Charles’ jaw tightened. “What the hell is wrong with you?”“What the hell isn’t wrong?!” Her voice cracked, rising with every word. “You just ruined my career in front of everyone! You made me look like your pathetic little girlfriend on live broadcast—and you’re asking what’s wrong with me?!”Tears finally burst free, hot and furious.“Did I ask you to do that for me?”Charles
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Sadie clutched her head, the stabbing ache slicing through her skull. Three days without sleep and now this—her body buckled back onto the sofa.“I’m out of patience,” Roger snapped. “Say yes, or I drag you out by your damn veil.”And then—“All microphones working? Mic testing…”The voice echoed through the speakers outside.Roger froze.Hardin burst into the room, halting mid-step. He and Sadie locked eyes, both pale.“…Charles?” they whispered at the same time.“Hello, everyone,” Charles’ voice rolled across the compound like thunder. “Reporters, guests—get your cameras ready. Because I’m not repeating myself.”Sadie’s chest tightened. It was him.“You might recognize this voice, maybe not. My name is Charles Decker. And two weeks ago, some brain-dead bastard thought my fiancée was fair game. My fiancée. Of all the women on earth.”Roger’s fist clenched so hard the veins popped.“But since some people don’t listen, let me spell it out. Tonight, I’m teaching a very public lesson. So
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