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When Charlotte woke up again, it was already one in the attemoon. The other side of the bed was empty, Sean had already gotten up.
she nibbed her hair, tossed back the covers, and climbed out of bed to wash up. Last night, he had promised just to hold her and sleep, nothing else. But as he held her, things had quickly heated up again.
Stepping out of the bedroom, she found <b>Sean </b>sitting on
g on the living rooms
room <b>sofa</b>, one leg crossed over t the other, aptop resting on his knee. He looked utterly captivating when he was focused on his work, a quiet, maic charm radiating from him.
The snow had stopped. Gentle, warm winter sunlight filtered through the ss windows, casting <b>a </b>soft glow over him. It painted his sharp, chiseled features with a touch of warmth, making <b>his </b>usually cold and stem profile look a bit more tender.
The room was wann with the heater on, <b>so </b>Sean wore only a crisp ck dress shirt, buttoned neatly to the cor. His focused expression didn’t waver <b>as </b><b>his </b>long, elegant fingers danced across the keyboard with practiced <b>ease</b>. In this moment, he lookedposed, almost reserved–like someonepletely above Temptation
But Charlotte knew better.
She knew those same graceful hands had been the ones slowly unbuttoning her shirtst night, pulling her close, persistently asking for more, again and again. She knew how wild and intense he could be beneath that calm,posed exterior.
Watching him like this, the stark contrast left her momentarily entranced.
sensing her gaze, Sean looked <b>up</b>. His cold, distant expression Instantly melted into warmth, his lips curving into a gentle smile. “You’re awake, Lottle?” “Mm–hmm.” Charlotte nodded, wandering over and curling up beside him on the sofa, tucking her legs beneath her. She leaned in, l
, ncing ar hisptop screen.
“Grandpa asked me to officially take over thepany,” Sean exined, his tone soft but steady. “I’ve been busy these days.” Charlotte was a little surprised. As far as she knew, thepany’s leadership was still in <b>James’s </b>hands, but she didn’t <b>press </b>for details, <b>aware </b>it <b>was </b>an internal family matter
<b>To </b>her surprise, Sean continued on his own.
it’s rted to what happened with Judy Caleb. It’s connected to my father’s legitimate son.”
Sean kept his eyes fixed on theptop screen, bis expression <b>calm </b><b>and </bposed, as though he were discussing something entirely ordinary.
Bur Charlotte’s eyes widened in slick “An legitimate child?”
A flicker of emotion finally appeared in Sean’s gaze.<ol><li>e. His fingers paused on the keyboard, and for the first time, Charlotte saw <b>a </b><b>hint </b><b>of </b><b>pain </b>and regret in his eyes.</li></ol>
Sean’s voice wavered slightly and continued in a low, almost hesitant voice, “Over twenty years ago, when my mom was pregnant <b>with </b>me, my father cheated <b>on </b>her, While she was recovering after giving birth to me, that other woman showed up with a pregnancy report, trying to use the child to force her way into <b>the </b>family. My mom found our Her mental state copsed. She developed postpartum depression and even tried to jump from a window.
*My grandparents pressured my dad to get rid of that child<b>, </b>but he couldn’t bring himself to <b>do </b>it. He was genuinely in love with that woman. So<b>, </b>while he promised my grandparents he would end things, he secretly seat her abroad and kept the cald hidden from them.”
charlotte was lined, speechless, she had never heard of sucts a scandal in the Jasper family. Theyst have kept it tightly under wraps.
Sean continued, “in truth, linking father loved her more than my mother. But they were u
d destroy families. And my grandfather, a man of strict principles, would never allow such a woman to enter <b>the </b><b>Jasper </b>tarily and ruin its reputation.”
never meant to be. My grandmother despises women whock morals