The man had greeted her that day, <b>casually </b>and with a smile.
At the time, Charlotte assumed he was just a friend of a friend and didn’t give it much thought. She never imagined he would turn up here:
Het gaze swept the area quickly.
The two men who had kidnapped herst night w
were now standing respectfully in front of the stranger, heads lowered
<b>+25 </b><b>Ronut </b>
A small group of men stood behind him like guards. It <b>was </b>clear that he was in charge.
And someone had just called him “Mr. Ford That had to be him.
Joseph Ford.
Fear gripped her instantly. Charlotte instinctively took two steps back, her face paling
This was the man who had tried to kill her more than once the one responsible for nearly ending her father’s life
Facing a madman like this, there was no way she could stay calm.
“Scared of me?” Joseph asked, the corners of his fox–like eyes curling with a smile.
Joseph’s mother, Fiona Ford, had once been a stunning, famous actress. His father, James, was a dashing socialite in his youth.
Joseph, had inherited the best of both his features so sharply defined they bordered on unnaturally beautiful. He resembled his mother more, a striking almost androgynous allure that could only be described as dangerously pretty
Until now, Charlotte had always imagined Joseph to be some brutish thug with a cruel tace. She never expected him to look like this, almost gentle when he smiled<b>, </b>deceptively harmless.
She swallowed nervously. “There’s no point in taking me. <b>Sean </b>and I are over. You can’t use me to threaten him.”
Joseph chuckled. Swing her back away, he stopped forward, eyes fixed on hers
“You’ll find out soon enough whether it’s useful or not.
He looked at her like he could see right through her. A smirk yed on his lips
“You really are beautiful, Miss Riley. No wonder Sean and Zac are both still hung up on you.”
Charlotte <b>stiffened</b>, her eyes flickering with disbelief.
“<b>You </b>know Zac?”
Joseph shrugged, his tone mocking “Just a dog I keep around for fun Wall <b>him </b>when I’m bored. He’s good for a few tricks ”
Her brows furrowed<b>. </b><b>“</b><b>So </b>Zar had been working for Joseph all along?” she thought.
No wonder the struggling Gibson Corporation suddenly bounced back from the brink of cophe. Joseph was behind it
But how did they own know each other? Joseph had supposedly been overseas this whole time.
Charlone was still cing it together when Joseph’s cold voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
“I’m talking to you”
<b>She </b>looked up, startled. The line he’d said earlier-“you’ll find out soon enough“-achoed in her mind
“You already told Sean, didn’t you?” she asked, her voice tight with concern.
Joseph tilted his head, amissed. “Why? Worried about filen?
“Arma’t you two juregeri <b>i </b>
there to worry about?–
Marids in his pockets, Josephughed <b>softly</b>. “Afraid he’ll die trying <b>to </b><b>save </b>you?”
Charlotte tried to keep her voice steady. “I just don’t want someone risking their life because of me. Whether it’s in or anyone else”
sy that?” Joseph let out a low chuckle,
You may think I’d by
“You two really love purting on <b>a </b>show, don’t you<b>? </b>Since you’re so into acting, why <b>don’t </b>you give me a touching little performance right here? II <b>I’m </b>i a good mood, I might consider letting Sean die with a fulldy
Those curl words made her blood nun cold.
spread through bet, fear tightening around her heart.??
Sean had hurt her. She had already ade upcher mind to leave him behind and walk away from his world for good.
But she couldn’t ept the idea of him dying because of her.
All she wanted was for him to be safe. Even If Hey never saw each other.
But if he really died trying to see her, she knew she would live in that shadow for the rest
e rest of her life.
D