2025-06-08 15:34:05
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
53
But would that make her look desperate? Pitiful?She looked away. Damn it. Why was this man so hard to figure out?“I’ll think about it. You owe me one.”“I hate owing people anything. Just say what you want.”“I said I’ll think about it, Mr. Charles Decker. What’s the rush?”****The next morning, Charles clocked in at exactly 7:30.He walked up to his office door, reached into his pocket… and paused.No key.“Damn it.”He scanned the hallway. Empty. Quiet. Too early for most of the staff. He asked around for the janitor, but someone informed him that the man had rushed out—his wife had gone into labor just before dawn, and in the hurry, he’d forgotten his phone in his little back-office.A junior staff offered, “I can try calling someone who knows him, get him back—”“No,” Charles cut in. “Let him be. This isn’t a time to drag a man back for a key.”He drove ba
52
Charles sat back, puzzled. He thought he had women figured out. Clearly not. There should be a manual for this—an encyclopedia of every female emotion. He’d buy the first copy if someone ever wrote one.“Are you mad at me?” he called. “You don’t have to make it if you don’t feel like it.”“It’s what you asked for, isn’t it?”How was he supposed to eat in peace if she was throwing shade like this?“Sadie?”“I’m not mad,” she said, her voice flat. “It’s just unexpected. Noodles? At midnight? Most couples are asleep by now.”Charles chuckled. So she wasn’t mad. “We’re not a couple, if you think about it. You dragged me here with your contract, remember?”“Don’t act like you weren’t waiting for some woman to trap you in her house,” she fired back.Charles scoffed. “I must have.”While they waited for the noodles, he picked up a magazine from the scattered notepads on the sofa.“This the one yo
51
“Tomorrow, probably. I have a few candidates coming, but… anyway. Oh, shit.” Her brows furrowed.“What is it?”“You wouldn’t understand,” she muttered absentmindedly.But she had no idea—she just flipped a switch in Charles that couldn’t be turned off. You don’t understand? That’s the worst thing to say to him.He stood up and, in a moment, sat beside her.“You’re going to distract me with your breathing,” she said, not looking at him.Charles didn’t reply. He watched her work. A chuckle escaped his lips.“So this is what you mean by ‘you wouldn’t understand’?”“Have you ever seen anything like this before?” She finally glanced at him.“How many hours will it take to finish?” Charles asked.“At least five. If I’m lucky,” she said, moving the cursor across the screen.“If you get me a box of pizza and a bottle of soda, I’ll have this done in fifty-five minutes tops.”“That
50
Charles shook his head, wearing a confused expression that could fool anyone. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”Sadie sighed, frustration flickering across her face. “I thought you did. Damn. I don’t like things like this.”“Don’t worry. Everything will be okay,” Charles said quietly, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.It was late that night when they finally got home. The visit to Kade’s family had been the worst part. Charles felt sick watching Hattie space out during the whole thing.It must’ve been brutal for her—finding herself in Kade’s bed, knowing she’d gone to the golf course with her online boyfriend.But maybe it was for the best, Charles thought with a sigh. At least now, she wouldn’t have to marry someone she didn’t want.That night, as Charles was about to turn in, his phone buzzed with a call from a strange number.His gut told him it was Thomas—but the voice on the other end made him rethink tha
49
A few minutes later, he came out, showered and wearing the offered shirt. Not bad, actually. Much better than he’d expected from a guy like Thomas.“You have surprisingly decent taste in clothes, considering your entire personality,” Charles said.Thomas was crouched, fiddling with the TV cable. “My sister bought that shirt.”Figures. Leave it to Thomas to somehow turn a compliment into a sad documentary clip.“You didn’t have to give it to me,” Charles muttered. “I wasn’t giving it. Just an excuse to see you again.”Charles blinked. He was about to say something about how creepy that sounded coming from a grown man when his phone rang.He already knew who it was even before answering it. “Charles, we have to go,” Sadie’s voice said on the other end.“Already?”“Yeah. I just got some news. Meet me at the reception. I’m heading there now.”“Alright.” He hung up and looked at
48
“You could’ve booked a different hotel. This place isn’t the only one with pillows and a pool.”“My sister died two months ago,” Thomas said bluntly. “Grandma doesn’t know yet because of her health. We can't take her home, she'll figure it out. This hotel’s the only place that still feels like home to her.”For a second, Charles said nothing. That caught him off guard. The bastard actually had a heart?“I could’ve stepped in the other time,” Thomas added. “But there’s more at stake than you know. And that girl? Not the first victim.”Charles cleared his throat. “Where’s this soft drink, then? Been walking in circles and I still don’t see any stand.”Thomas chuckled. “I knew you weren’t a complete jerk.”“I haven’t agreed to be friends,” Charles muttered.A few minutes later, they stood by the railing, overlooking the pool where a few women were swimming.“Your grandmother would be really disappointed i
You may also like
Harvey York's Rise to Power
A Potato-Loving Wolf3.9M viewsThe Midnight Heir
South Ashan97.0K viewsThe Untouchable Son-in-law
Sandy63.6K viewsThe Billionaire's Revenge
Hare Ra79.2K viewsDragon's Vengeance: Rise Of The Secret Billionaire
Darkink19.5K viewsA Man Called Revenge
Nathan Emorey8.8K viewsTHE UNFORSEEN DOMINANCE OF ZACH MARLOW
Gem Lynne1.9K viewsSecretly The Nrillionaire Boss
Benita 391 views