2025-06-25 15:40:26Charles forwarded the message to himself before setting her phone back down.
“I’ll go wash up and come back,” he said.Once inside his room, he immediately called his subordinate.“I just sent you a message. It was sent to Sadie. I want you to track the IP address. Find out who the hell did this. There is no way to tell if it's just some empty threats or not but I want to do it as fast as possible.” Twenty four hours is just a few hours away.“Okay, sir.”He dialed Hardin next. “Hey, you. Anyone mad at Sadie recently?”“What’re you talking about, sir? Practically every woman in New York is mad at her.”“What?”“You didn’t know? Sir, don’t you watch the news? I tried asking a girl out a few hours ago, and she turned me down just because I work with Sadie. She’s practically every man’s dream in New York right now. While we’re at it—there’s this huge new billboard with her face at—”“Just shut up, okay?”
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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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“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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