2025-06-03 15:32:17
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By the time Charles got back to the house that night, Sadie was already asleep in her room.“She went straight in the moment we got home,” Hardin had informed him earlier, just before Charles dismissed him for the night.Charles quietly opened her bedroom door. She was curled up on her bed, fast asleep. He exhaled in relief, then slipped away to his own room to change and maybe hop on a quick call with August—they still had that Colombia trip coming up in two days.He had no idea how he was going to break it to Sadie. He hated lying to her, but dragging her into the mess he was dealing with? That was worse. She’d been through enough already.He was pulling off his shirt when a knock came at his door.Charles froze.No one else was supposed to be home. Unless the house was haunted—which honestly wouldn't surprise him at this point—there was no reason anyone should be knocking.Then the knock came again.He c
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Charles walked briskly toward the curb, raising a hand to flag down a cab. Just as one rolled up, a man came stumbling out of nowhere, collapsing to his knees in front of him, panting like he’d run for his life. “Sir, I’m really… really sorry,” the man gasped. It was Andrew. Charles arched a brow. “Sorry for what? You handed in your resignation all by yourself. Or was someone holding a gun to your head?” His tone was light, almost amused, like he was genuinely trying to piece together what Andrew was babbling about. “Please don’t do this, sir,” Andrew choked out. “If I lose this job, I’m as good as dead. My family—” “You should’ve thought about them before starting the fire,” Charles cut in, already opening the door to the waiting cab. “Holden must have passed on my warning the first time. I assume you thought I was joking.” “I was stupid, I admit it! I didn’t know what I was doing, I—”
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As if on cue, the rest of the family hissed in near-unison, like a choir of bitter serpents rehearsing their disdain. “Who does she think she is?” one of them spat, face twisted in disgust. “Even if she dropped dead right now, I wouldn’t blink.” “Stupid girl.” “So immature. I only pity that poor gentleman who’s seen this side of her—he’ll have no choice but to leave her again.” “No one ever stays with her.” Charles stood there, briefly stunned, watching the room slip back into idle chatter like they hadn’t just torn someone apart with words sharp enough to draw blood. Their cruelty was so casual, it almost looked rehearsed. He turned back to Sadie. She was completely out of it—slumped, wrecked, emotionally gutted. He didn’t hesitate. He crossed the room and scooped her into his arms. Just as he stepped outside, Lauren rushed toward him, arms slightly spread like sh
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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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