2025-07-02 15:30:36By the time Charles ended the call with Sadie’s grandmother, Sadie was already on another call.
That night, for the first time, Charles realized just how many phones Sadie actually used. She was speaking on one, checking her socials on another, the third was ringing off the hook, and the fourth was… with him.He watched, fascinated, at the ease with which she juggled them all like she’d been born multitasking.For the rest of their time in the tent, Charles couldn’t get a full sentence in. Sadie was locked into full work mode, and eventually, he started quietly clearing up the setup—folding things and carrying items back into the house.“Let’s go inside,” he whispered when she paused between calls.She nodded, already answering another.Later that night, just as Charles was about to hit the bed, he picked up his phone and dialed August. With all the drama about the scandal paused for now, it felt like the right time to get back o
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Lauren’s grin returned. She reached for his hand——but Charles yanked away before she could touch him.He pulled out his phone and dialed.“Remove Lauren Wyatt from the candidate list. Effective immediately.”She blinked.He made a second call.“Terminate her contract. Right now.”And a third.“Make sure she’s banned from the building for the next two weeks.”Lauren stood frozen. She couldn’t process what was happening.What the hell was he doing?She tried to laugh it off. He was bluffing, right?Charles looked up from his phone with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.“Congratulations, Miss Lauren.” He stepped closer, voice cold.“You won’t be shopping in any luxury mall this summer—but don’t worry, Walmart still welcomes you.”He turned to walk off.“And yeah… you just made my day,” he added“I need to meet more pe
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“Last time, I almost sent out formal invites before she suddenly broke up with the guy.”Charles didn’t miss a beat. “How old is she turning today?” he asked, smoothly shifting the topic.“I saw her earlier. She’s sharp. A really intelligent girl,” he added to make sure no one changed the topic again.The birthday girl’s mother lit up.“I get that a lot, Charles. She’s just eight, but sometimes she asks me questions that completely throw me off.”That way, Charles managed to steer the conversation away.He gave Sadie’s hand a gentle squeeze under the table.Meanwhile, across from them, Lauren was trying her hardest to pull his attention—subtly tugging her gown higher over her thigh every few minutes.“We can leave if you want,” Charles whispered to Sadie.“The party just started. It’d be rude.”Just then, a huge man approached. Broad, commanding—a replica of Sadie.Charles didn’t need
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As Charles and Sadie stepped out of the car, a woman appeared at the door.She frowned.Who was this man with Sadie? He didn’t look like a driver. There was no way Sadie would let a driver hold her hand like that.The Sadie she knew had a face so serious it chased off half the good men who might’ve dared to ask her out.The woman—Lauren—plastered on a fake smile and walked eagerly toward them.“Oh my goodness, Sadie!” she exclaimed, her voice dripping with artificial excitement.“Lauren. When did you come back? I heard you were in Los Angeles two days ago.”“Anything for my kid sister,” Lauren replied sweetly. Then, with a too-casual glance at Charles, she added, “Is this your boyfriend? You two look cute in those matching outfits.”Charles stepped forward, bowing slightly before flashing her a warm smile.“I’m Charles. Sadie’s told me a lot about you, Miss Lauren.”The man even has a good voic
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“Oh… is that Holden?”“No. Andrew.”The man didn’t waste another second—he lunged. A flash of silver as he pulled a knife from his pocket and jabbed it toward Charles’ gut.But it never landed.Even Andrew didn’t know how it happened—one second he was attacking, the next, he was the one clutching his chest, sliding down the tiled wall, blood blooming through his shirt like ink in water.Charles stood over him, holding the bloodied knife for a second before casually rinsing his hands in the sink. No panic. Just routine.He hissed under his breath and walked out, leaving a slick red mess behind him.Outside, Charles pulled out his phone and dialed August.“I hate shit like this. Take care of Andrew in a way more painful than death.”August sounded mildly stunned. “Did he come at you again? Is he stupid or just suicidal?”“You think I stopped to ask?”“He’ll drop his resignation letter on
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The next day — 3:30 p.m.Charles was driving. Sadie was talking about some celebrity she once worked with, laughing as she recounted the story.He heard the words. But none of it was sinking in.He wasn’t listening—just tossing in a smile or a nod where it felt right.His mind was elsewhere.Why the hell would someone like Dario Salvatore want his brother dead?He’d dug into the Order all night. The more he found, the less it made sense. His brother didn’t fit into that world.None of it added up.Instinct kicked in—Charles glanced at the rearview mirror.A black-tinted car. Close. Too close.He pressed down on the accelerator, weaving slightly between lanes. The car mirrored his movement.Shit. They’ve got a tail.He threw a quick glance at Sadie. She’d noticed.“Something’s wrong, right?” she asked, eyes locked on the mirror.Charles shifted gears. “Yo
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“What do those words mean?” Charles asked, his eyes narrowing as he glanced back at August.“I wouldn’t want to dump too much on you at once, sir,” August replied carefully. “There are a lot of interpretations people give to ‘VII dies in silence.’ I can’t say which are accurate. But the most important thing right now is that there’s an organization calledThe Order.”“The Order?” Charles echoed. The name sounded like something out of a horror novel. What the hell did his brother’s death have to do with a group that sounded like a cult?“There are only ten members in that organization. Hence, the ten necklaces. That’s why if you’d asked around before, people would tell you there are only ten of these in existence.”Charles’ jaw tightened. “Tell me their names, then.”August gave a faint smile. “If anyone knew the names of those ten, they’d have told you right away. But no one does.”“So they’re ghosts,” Charles muttered. “Powe
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