ã€ŠThe Betrayed Heiress Is Now the CEOéˆ¥æ¦® Obsessionã€‹


 His Heart 1

    When Charlotte Riley arrived at the bar to pick up Zac Gibson, she paused at the doorway when she overheard the conversation inside.

    ¡°Zac, Wendy Cooper is back. What about Charlotte?¡±

    Zac¡¯s voice was calm and indifferent. ¡°What about her?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been with Charlotte for three years. Now that Wendy is back, what will you do?¡±

    Through the narrow gap in the door, Charlotte saw Zac light a cigarette.

    Smoke curled around him as he remained silent for a moment. Then, in a low voice, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to hurt Charlotte, but I also can¡¯t let go of Wendy.¡±

    One of his friends sighed. ¡°Wendy was your first love¡ªthe one who always lingered in your heart. You two had such a fiery, passionate rtionship back then. It¡¯s no surprise you still can¡¯t forget her.¡±

    Another friend interjected, ¡°Come on, though. Charlotte has been with you for three years. She¡¯s beautiful. And you still can¡¯t move on from Wendy?¡±

    Zac rubbed his temples, his voice carrying a trace of exhaustion. ¡°Charlotte is gorgeous, no doubt. But the reason I pursued her? She reminded me of Wendy. For years, I was just searching for traces of Wendy in her.¡±

    ¡°So she¡¯s just a stand-in?¡± one of his friends sighed. ¡°Man, I actually feel bad for Charlotte.¡±

    Someone else asked, ¡°So when are you going to break up with her?¡±

    Zac flicked the ash off his cigarette. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Charlotte is obedient and understanding. Honestly, I¡¯m a little reluctant to end things.¡±

    A friend patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Zac, you can¡¯t have it both ways. You need to make a choice.¡±

    ¡°Why choose?¡± another friend saidzily. ¡°Just keep dating both. And if you feel guilty about Charlotte, buy her some gifts. Women are easy to please.¡±

    Zac let out a shortugh. ¡°Not everyone is like you, juggling three or four women at once. I¡¯m not that reckless.¡±

    Outside the door, Charlotte curled her lips in a self-deprecating smile and turned to leave.

    She walked along the riverside, reying the past three years with Zac in her mind.

    Three years. She had thought their love was mutual.

    But in the end, she was nothing more than a substitute for his first love.

    Standing by the river, she stared into the distance. The river flowed silently under the moon, forming a vivid contrast to the bustling city streets.

    A tear slid down her cheek.

    The fierce river wind lifted her hair.

    Charlotte made a decision.

    She took out her phone and dialed a number.

    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m ready. I¡¯lle home and go through with the engagement.¡±

    The dark night made the streetlights seem even dimmer. Moths fluttered around the glow.

    Standing beneath the light, Charlotte gazed up at the endless night sky. Her voice was soft, calm.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. I¡¯m just done ying around. I¡¯m ready to settle down.

    ¡°I was wrong before. I was reckless and immature. I shouldn¡¯t have fought with you and run away from home. But I¡¯ve figured things out now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll head back to Jersey City once I¡¯ve taken care of things here.¡±

    *

    Charlotte walked alone for a long time before finally returning to the Harmony Hill Vi. It was already past ten at night.

    Mrs. Zimmer, the housekeeper, saw here in and handed her a bowl of oatmeal.

    ¡°Miss Riley, you¡¯re back. This is the soothing oatmeal you made for Mr. Gibson, right? It got cold, so I reheated it. I was just about to bring it up to him when you walked in. Why don¡¯t you take it to him instead?¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t say anything. She simply took the bowl and headed upstairs to the bedroom.

    She pushed open the door. The desk was empty. Theputer screen was on, but Zac was nowhere in sight.

    The sound of running water came from the bathroom. The light was on.

    He was showering this early?

    She set the bowl down.

    The constant notification sound from hisputer drew her attention.

    She moved the mouse and clicked it open.

    It was Wendy.

    ¡°Zac, I¡¯m back. I¡¯ll arrive at Harbor City Airport at 11:30 tonight. Can you pick me up?¡±

    The message was sent ten minutes ago.

    So, that¡¯s why he was showering¡ªhe was getting ready to pick up his old crush.

    ¡°Zac, these past few years apart, I¡¯ve never stopped thinking about you. I couldn¡¯t forget you. I regret choosing my career and going abroad over staying with you.

    ¡°We were both too proud. Neither of us knew how to give in. But deep down, I know you still have feelings for me, don¡¯t you?

    ¡°I dated a few guys over the years, but none of themsted. No matter who I was with, something always felt missing. It took me a long time to realize that I¡¯ve only ever truly loved you.

    ¡°I was afraid toe back to Harbor City before. Afraid you¡¯d still hate me. Afraid to see you with someone else. Afraid you wouldn¡¯t love me anymore.

    ¡°I was wrong back then, Zac. Can you forgive me?¡±

    Charlotte stared at the screen in silence, her chest feeling tight.

    She was about to close the chat window and leave when she saw Zac¡¯s reply.

    ¡°Wendy, I just have one question¡ªdo you still love me?¡±

    Even while showering, he had to take the time to reply.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart clenched.

    Zac was always busy with work. He barely had time to text her back.

    She had gotten used to it. To avoid disturbing him, she rarely sent him messages anymore.

    But for Wendy, even in the middle of a shower, he made sure to reply.

    It couldn¡¯t be more obvious whether he loved her or not.

    Wendy¡¯s response came almost instantly.

    ¡°I do. I only love you.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle pick you up.¡±

    At that moment, Charlotte realized that her three-year rtionship had been nothing but a joke.

    She silently closed the chat window, ced the mouse back where it was, and pretended nothing had happened.

    Then, she walked downstairs to the kitchen anddled herself a bowl of oatmeal.

    Spoonful by spoonful, she ate.

    Zac had a sensitive stomach. She had learned to make him a warm,forting bowl of oatmeal¡ªsimmering oats with milk and honey, then adding soft, diced sweet potatoes for a bit of natural sweetness.

    It wasn¡¯t quick or easy to make, but because he once said, ¡®I like it,¡¯ she had been making it for him for two years.

    By the time she finished her bowl, Zac hade downstairs.

    His hair was dry, and he had changed into a fresh set of clothes.

    ¡°Where did you go? I didn¡¯t see you when I came down,¡± he asked.

    Charlotte replied calmly, ¡°Just went out for a walk.¡±

    Zac put on his shoes. ¡°I have to head out for a bit. If you¡¯re tired, go to bed. Don¡¯t wait up for me.¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze and softly responded, ¡°Mm.

    ¡°Are youing back tonight?¡± she asked.

    Zac paused while putting on his shoes. After a few seconds of silence, he said, ¡°There¡¯s an urgent matter at thepany. If it gets toote, I probably won¡¯te back.¡±

    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±

    No arguing. No questioning.

    Charlotte had always been understanding.

    Zac didn¡¯t think much of it. He finished putting on his shoes and walked out without looking back.

    Charlotte went upstairs and pushed open Zac¡¯s bedroom door. As expected, the bowl of oatmeal by hisputer remained untouched.

    On her phone, a message popped up from Sean Jasper, the fianc¨¦ her family had chosen for her.

    Sean: ¡°Lottie, when are youing back to Jersey City?¡±

    To Charlotte, Sean had always been like an older brother. He treated her well, and when he called her Lottie, it didn¡¯t feel like a nickname between an engaged couple¡ªmore like an affectionate term an older brother would use for his younger sister.

    Charlotte: ¡°After I take care of things here.¡±

    Sean: ¡°Alright. If you need any help, just let me know.¡±

    Charlotte: ¡°Mm, thanks, Sean.¡±

    Sean: ¡°Get some rest. Good night.¡±

    That night, Zac never came home.

    The next morning, Charlotte was woken up by the ringing of her phone.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Charlotte! My birthday is the day after tomorrow. Don¡¯t forget toe to my party!¡±

    She pulled her phone away slightly, blinking groggily at the contact name¡ªQuinn Spencer.

    A friend from Zac¡¯s social circle. They got along well enough.

    ¡°Alright, send me the location,¡± Charlotte replied.

    After hanging up, she got up, freshened up, and headed out to the mall to pick out a gift.

    She settled on a ne from a well-known brand, thetest design¡ªone that perfectly suited Quinn¡¯s style.

    *

    On the night of Quinn¡¯s birthday party, Charlotte arrived early at the venue.

    ¡°Quinn, happy birthday.¡± She handed over the gift.

    Quinn epted it with a polite thank-you.

    Just as they were exchanging pleasantries, Zac walked in, his arm linked with an unfamiliar woman.

    Their eyes met.

    Zac froze.

    ¡°Charlotte¡­ what are you doing here?¡±

 His Heart 2

    Zac instinctively brushed off the woman¡¯s hand from his arm. She stiffened, momentarily caught off guard.

    Charlotte met his gaze, a half-smile ying on her lips. ¡°Quinn and I are friends too. Is it so strange that I¡¯d be at her birthday party?¡±

    Zac hesitated. ¡°No, I just thought you didn¡¯t like these kinds of parties, so I didn¡¯t mention it to you.¡±

    Charlotte scoffed inwardly. ¡°Oh? Was it really because I don¡¯t like parties? Or did you just not tell me because you nned to bring someone else instead?¡±

    After offering his exnation, Zac scanned the room. His gaze was cold and piercing, as if saying ¡°Who invited her?¡±

    Quinn, avoiding eye contact, guiltily turned away and pretended she had nothing to do with it.

    Just then, the woman Zac had arrived with stepped forward, smiling. ¡°Hi, you must be Charlotte Riley. I¡¯m Wendy Cooper. I¡¯m sure Zac has mentioned me before?¡±

    Oh.

    So this was Wendy Cooper¡ªZac¡¯s first love, the one he could never forget.

    A dull ache settled in Charlotte¡¯s chest, making it hard to breathe.

    Three years of dating.

    No matter how much she tried to tell herself it didn¡¯t matter, feelings couldn¡¯t just disappear overnight.

    But she hid it well.

    With aposed smile, she nodded politely. ¡°Miss Cooper, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±

    Wendy¡¯s lips curled into a bright, seemingly innocent smile. ¡°Miss Riley, has anyone ever told you that we look alike?¡±

    The second those words left her mouth, Zac¡¯s expression darkened.

    Charlotte let out a smallugh and gave him a brief, amused nce before shifting her gaze to Wendy, whose eyes held a hint of provocation.

    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡±

    Her wide, almond-shaped eyes sparkled with feigned innocence as she tilted her head, her voice sweet and airy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see it.¡±

    Then she smiled¡ªsoft, yet merciless.

    ¡°You¡¯re not as pretty as me.¡±

    The room went dead silent.

    The onlookers, who had been quietly enjoying the drama, were stunned.

    Wasn¡¯t Charlotte always the gentle, well-mannered type?

    Since when did she start throwing shade?

    Sensing the tension in the air, Quinn quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. ¡°Come on, everyone, don¡¯t just stand around. Grab a seat!¡±

    Wendy forced a smile, clearly irritated but unwilling to show it. She turned to Quinn and handed her a beautifully wrapped gift. ¡°Happy birthday, Quinn. This is for you.¡±

    Quinn took the bag, and the moment she saw it, her brows lifted in surprise.

    ¡°Wait¡­ isn¡¯t this the same gift bag Charlotte just gave me?¡± she muttered to herself.

    Curious, she opened it and pulled out a jewelry box.

    Her eyes lit up. ¡°Wow! I¡¯ve had my eye on this ne for ages. Thank you, Wendy!¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze flickered.

    The same ne?

    Before she could react, Quinn grabbed the bag Charlotte had given her earlier and opened it too.

    ¡°Oh my God! Charlotte, you got me the exact same ne!¡±

    The excitement was short-lived.

    A voice from behind Quinn snorted.

    ¡°Fake, obviously.¡±

    Without even looking, she sneered, ¡°That ne costs over ten grand. Charlotte¡¯s just a small-timewyer. How much does she even make a month? Do you really think she could afford the real thing?¡±

    The moment those words fell, the room went dead silent.

    All at once, every gaze shifted to Charlotte¡ªcurious, skeptical, amused.

    It was obvious.

    They all believed it.

    After all, she was just an insignificant, no-namewyer. Why would she spend that kind of money on a real luxury ne for Quinn?

    Zac¡¯s expression darkened, clearly displeased. ¡°Charlotte, if you¡¯re short on money, just tell me. I could¡¯ve gotten the gift for you. There was no need to¡­¡±

    No need to buy a fake one.

    He didn¡¯t say the words out loud.

    But everyone in the room heard them anyway.

    Charlotte¡¯s expression remained calm, but her gaze turned cold. ¡°Zac, you think I gave her a fake ne too?¡±

    Zac didn¡¯t answer.

    His silence said everything.

    He didn¡¯t believe her.

    Quinn let out an awkwardugh, trying to smooth things over. ¡°Come on, guys, that¡¯s not possible. Charlotte and I are close. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d give me a fake ne. Don¡¯t say things like that, it¡¯s really hurtful.¡±

    Her words were meant to defend Charlotte, but the subtle look of disdain in her eyes didn¡¯t escape her notice.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart sank.

    She had spent over ten grand on this ne as a token of gratitude for the small kindness Quinn had once shown her.

    Three years ago, Charlotte had run away to Harbor City to escape her arranged marriage, cutting ties with her family.

    Her father, Desmond Riley, had retaliated by freezing her bank ounts, cutting off her financespletely.

    Determined to stand on her own, she refused to use her family¡¯s name or connections and managed tond a job at aw firm entirely on her own merit.

    In her first year as a junior associate, she barely made $800 a month. Even after passing the bar a yearter, her sry wasn¡¯t much¡ªat least, not in the eyes of the rich heirs and heiresses in Zac¡¯s social circle.

    To them, she was nothing but a nobody, an outsider.

    Every time they went out, they sidelined her, excluded her, sometimes outright mocking her.

    Zac never interfered. He simply turned a blind eye.

    But Quinn had stepped in. She had defended her a few times, chatted with her when no one else would.

    Charlotte had naively believed Quinn was different.

    But now? She could see it clearly.

    She had never truly belonged in their world.

    And she never would.

    How ridiculous.

    That very night, after Charlotte had agreed to the engagement, Desmond reactivated her bank ounts.

    Now, ten grand meant nothing to her¡ªno more than spare change.

    Zac finally spoke, his voice cool and authoritative. ¡°Give me the ne. I¡¯ll make sure Charlotte reces it with a proper gift.¡±

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she looked at him coldly. ¡°If he wants it, just give it to him.¡±

    Quinn hesitated, caught in the middle.

    If she refused, she would be going against Zac¡ªwhich would be a bad look.

    But if she handed over the ne, it would mean she believed it was fake¡ªpublicly humiliating Charlotte.

    And Charlotte was still Zac¡¯s girlfriend. If anyone looked bad here, it was ultimately Zac himself.

    Under his piercing gaze, Quinn had no choice but to hand over the ne.

    Just then, Wendy spoke up, her voice soft and gentle. ¡°Zac, don¡¯t me Miss Riley. I¡¯m sure she meant well.¡±

    Zac remained silent, his face clouded with irritation.

    Someone in the group quickly suggested a drinking game to break the tension. Wendy eagerly joined in, shing her usual charming smile.

    Charlotte, uninterested in the lively scene, quietly walked over to a sofa in the corner and sat down, scrolling through her phone.

    A few momentster, Zac followed and sat beside her, his expression still cold.

    Charlotte ignored him, keeping her eyes on her screen.

    After a long pause, he finally spoke in a low, firm voice. ¡°If you didn¡¯t have the money, you could¡¯ve just bought something cheaper. That would¡¯ve been better than gifting a fake.¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t even look up. Her tone was calm, indifferent. ¡°If you think it¡¯s fake, give it back.¡±

    Zac¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for me?¡±

    Charlotte shut her eyes, took a deep breath, then suddenly opened them.

    She turned to look at him directly.

    Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned with quiet fury.

    ¡°Embarrassing for you? Exactly how did I embarrass you? The receipt¡¯s in the bag. You couldn¡¯t be bothered to check? Or do you need me to take you to the store so you can verify it with a sales associate?¡±

    Zac stiffened.

    For a moment, he just sat there, speechless.

    Then, wordlessly, he reached for the gift bag and started searching for the receipt.

    Zac¡¯s expression finally eased as he looked at the receipt.

    The ne was real.

    His tone softened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say you had the receipt?¡±

    Charlotte let out a coldugh. ¡°Didn¡¯t feel like it.¡±

    With that, she returned to her game, fingers tapping the screen as if he weren¡¯t even there.

    Zac sat in silence for a while before finally lowering his voice.

    ¡°Sorry. I misunderstood you today.¡±

    Charlotte pretended not to hear him, fully focused on her game.

    Zac didn¡¯t say anything else, but he didn¡¯t leave either.

    His gaze, however, wasn¡¯t on her.

    It was on Wendy.

    Charlotte finished her game and nced up, only to catch him staring at Wendy.

    Across the room, Wendy had just lost a round of the drinking game. Her friends cheered as they pushed another drink into her hands.

    At first, Zac restrained himself.

    But the moment she tipped back her third ss and reached for a fourth, his expression darkened.

    Suddenly, he shot up from his seat, striding across the room.

    Before Wendy could take another sip, Zac snatched the ss from her hand.

    ¡°Your stomach¡¯s still weak, and you¡¯re drinking this much? Wendy, do you have a death wish?¡±

    The once lively room fell into a stunned silence.

    Everyone turned to look at them.

    Wendy, clearly irritated, met his angry gaze and sneered. ¡°Why do you care?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not drinking anymore.¡±

    Zac swept a sharp, warning nce across the room. His voice was ice-cold. ¡°I dare anyone to make her drink again.¡±

    Nobody dared to meet his gaze.

    Charlotte sat on the sofa, watching the ridiculous spectacle unfold before her, her lips curling into a mocking smirk.

    Wendy suddenly got up, reaching for the ss Zac had taken from her.

    Zac lifted it higher, keeping it out of her reach.

    Determined, Wendy stood on her toes, stretching toward the drink.

    She lost her bnce.

    With a startled gasp, she fell straight into Zac¡¯s arms.

    Zac instinctively caught her, his free hand tightening around her waist.

    ¡°Careful,¡± he murmured. ¡°It¡¯s been years, and you¡¯re still just as clumsy.¡±

    Wendy, her cheeks flushed from alcohol, leaned into his chest, tilting her head up at him with a yful pout.

    ¡°Zac, you¡¯re so annoying.¡±

    The crowd burst into cheers and teasingughter.

    Just as Zac was about to say something, he nced up and unexpectedly met Charlotte¡¯s ice-cold gaze.

 His Heart 3

    It was as if Zac had just remembered that his girlfriend was still here.

    Snapping back to reality, he quickly let go of Wendy¡¯s waist and took a step back, as if waking from a dream.

    His friends, realizing the awkwardness of the situation, immediately jumped in to smooth things over.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s keep ying! Wendy, your stomach isn¡¯t great¡ªskip the drinks. Just do truth or dare instead.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, truth or dare works!¡±

    Zac, nowposed again, returned to the couch.

    He thought Charlotte would be jealous, maybe throw a small tantrum.

    But she said nothing.

    Thatplete indifference unsettled him more than anger ever could.

    For some reason, he had this nagging feeling that Charlotte felt different tonight.

    A strange silence stretched between them.

    Zac hesitated, wanting to say something, to exin.

    But just then, the room burst intoughter and cheers again.

    ¡°Wendy lost again! Truth or dare?¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t even need to turn her head to know that Zac¡¯s attention had already shifted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do dare.¡± Wendy smirked, then turned to Zac, eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

    Someone handed her a stack of folded slips.

    ¡°Here, pick one.¡±

    She casually pulled a paper from the pile. The moment the guy next to her unfolded it, his eyes widened.

    His gaze flickered between Wendy, Zac, and Charlotte.

    A curious girl peeked over his shoulder.

    ¡°What did she get? Let me see!¡±

    The second she read it, she gasped sharply.

    The room buzzed with excitement.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Come on, what¡¯s the dare?¡±

    The guy cleared his throat, then announced¡ª

    ¡°Kiss a random guy in the room.¡±

    As soon as the words fell, Zac¡¯s entire expression darkened.

    The temperature in the room dropped instantly.

    Wendy, however, seemedpletely unfazed.

    With a yful grin, she turned toward a good-looking guy sitting nearby.

    ¡°Ethan, would you mind kissing me?¡±

    Ethan Lincoln snuck a nce at Zac, whose expression looked murderous.

    He didn¡¯t even dare to breathe.

    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t responding, Wendy stepped closer, reaching up to hook her arms around his neck, about to press her lips against his.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Zac¡¯s sharp voice rang through the room.

    Unable to control himself any longer, he grabbed Wendy¡¯s wrist and yanked her away.

    Without another word, he stormed out, dragging her with him.

    The room fell into stunned silence.

    Slowly, all eyes turned to Charlotte.

    She picked up a ss of juice, took a sip, and smiled lightly.

    ¡°Why are you all looking at me?¡±

    The group quickly looked away, some pretending to drink, others casually chatting¡ªacting as if nothing had happened.

    Charlotte took another sip, and with it, she felt thest bit of warmth drain from her heart.

    In all the years she had known Zac, he had always been calm,posed, and indifferent to everything.

    Tonight was the first time she had ever seen himpletely lose control.

    *

    After finishing her drink, Charlotte got up and went to the restroom.

    Just as she was about to step out of the stall, she heard voices by the sinks.

    ¡°Is Zac crazy? He just left his girlfriend behind and ran off with Wendy!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, isn¡¯t it obvious? Wendy¡¯s the one he actually cares about.¡±

    ¡°Right? Did you see his face when Wendy almost kissed Ethan? He looked like he was about to kill someone.¡±

    ¡°Poor Charlotte. She just had to sit there and watch her own boyfriend lose his mind over another woman.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, she¡¯s just a stand-in.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, at this rate, they¡¯ll break up soon. Anyone can see Zac is still in love with Wendy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡ª¡±

    The girl¡¯s words caught in her throat.

    Through the mirror, she saw Charlotte step out of the bathroom stall behind them.

    She shut her mouth immediately.

    The other two girls saw her too. Without another word, they lowered their heads and hurried out.

    Charlotte walked up to the sink, calmly washing her hands.

    Yes.

    She and Zac were indeed close to breaking up.

    But this time¡ª

    It wouldn¡¯t be because he left her.

    It wouldn¡¯t be because he didn¡¯t want her anymore.

    It would be because she no longer loved him.

    Because she didn¡¯t want him anymore.

    *

    By the time Charlotte returned to Zac¡¯s vi, it was already past eleven at night.

    She was exhausted. She showered quickly, crawled into bed, and fell asleep almost instantly.

    Zac didn¡¯te home until the following afternoon.

    Pushing open the bedroom door, he immediately noticed the open suitcase lying on the floor, clothes neatly stacked beside it. His brows furrowed in confusion.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡±

    Charlotte peeked out from behind the wardrobe. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back. I¡¯m heading home for a bit in a few days.¡±

    She had lived here for two years. There were plenty of clothes, shoes, and random things she wouldn¡¯t bother bringing back to Jersey City, but she still needed to sort through them and pack up what she wanted to take.

    When she left, she wouldn¡¯t leave a single trace of herself behind.

    Just as she finished speaking, her eyesnded on the faint red marks peeking out from Zac¡¯s cor.

    For a moment, she froze.

    Then, as if nothing had happened, she looked away.

    She no longer cared.

    Who he spent the night with had nothing to do with her anymore.

    Zac frowned at her response. ¡°Why are you suddenly going home? Are you still upset aboutst night? Are you trying to avoid me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she replied casually. ¡°I just miss my parents. Thought I¡¯d go see them.¡±

    Hearing this, Zac was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s been three years. You should go visit.¡±

    She had never gone home once in all this time.

    Even on holidays, she spent them alone.

    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t have apanied her. Leaving his family behind for her had never been an option.

    Bringing her home to meet his parents? Even more impossible.

    His mother would never ept a woman without status or background.

    After a brief pause, he added, ¡°I¡¯ve been busytely, so I won¡¯t be able to go with you. What day¡¯s your flight? I¡¯ll have my driver take you to the airport.¡±

    Charlotte carefully folded a dress and ced it inside the suitcase.

    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll get a car myself. Someone¡¯s picking me up.¡±

    At that, Zac exhaled subtly, though he wasn¡¯t even aware of it himself.

    He had been worried she might ask him to go back with her to meet her parents.

    After three years together, for an average couple, it would be time to talk about marriage.

    But he wasn¡¯t an average man.

    He was Zac Gibson, the only heir to the Gibson family fortune and the sole sessor to Gibson Corporation.

    And the gap between their worlds was one that could never be crossed.

    Deep down, he had always known they had no future.

    There was no point in meeting her parents, no point in discussing marriage.

    Thankfully, Charlotte seemed to understand this too. She never clung to him, never asked him to take her home.

    Thinking about it now, Zac once again felt a sense of appreciation for how obedient and understanding she was.

    Even afterst night, when he had recklessly left her behind to chase after Wendy, she didn¡¯t throw a fit, didn¡¯t cry, didn¡¯t even question him.

    She made things so easy.

    For the past three years, she had never checked up on him, never gotten jealous, never fought with him over his flings.

    Just then, his best friend¡¯s voice echoed in his mind¡ª

    ¡°Just keep dating both. And if you feel guilty about Charlotte, buy her some gifts. Women are easy to please.¡±

    Maybe he really could marry Wendy and keep Charlotte as his lover.

    After all, a woman like her would never find another man like him.

    She loved him too much to ever leave him.

    Yes, he would wait until she came back from Jersey City, and then he would talk to her properly.

    Zac nced at her packing and said casually, ¡°Take care on the way. Let me know when you get home. And when you¡¯re back in Harbor City, I¡¯lle pick you up.¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze and replied softly, ¡°Alright.¡±

    I won¡¯t being back.

    She said it only in her heart.

    Zac seemed like he had more to say, but just then, his phone rang.

    After answering the call, he turned back to her. ¡°I have to head out. Last night was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have left you there alone. I bought you a gift. My assistant will drop it off soon.¡±

    Charlotte responded with a simple, indifferent, ¡°Mm.¡±

    Zac didn¡¯t linger. He turned and walked out.

    Moments after he left, her phone lit up with a message from Sean.

    ¡°Lottie, the engagement ring I had custom-made for you at Chaumet Paris has arrived at their Harbor City boutique. Stop by whenever you have time.¡±

    Chaumet Paris was one of the world¡¯s most prestigious luxury jewelry brands.

    Charlotte had only agreed to the engagement a few days ago.

    Yet, the ring was already here?

    Had it been ordered in advance?

    She didn¡¯t ask. She simply replied with a short, ¡°Okay.¡±

    *

    At the Chaumet boutique, the sales associate greeted her warmly, presenting the ring with a bright smile.

    ¡°Miss Riley, this is the custom engagement ring Mr. Jasper designed for you.¡±

    Charlotte picked it up and examined it closely.

    A five-carat rare blue diamond, encircled by delicate pink and colorless diamonds, sparkling brilliantly under the lights. It was so breathtakingly beautiful it almost looked unreal.

    ¡°The inside of the band is also engraved with your initials alongside Mr. Jasper¡¯s,¡± the associate added.

    Charlotte turned the ring slightly, inspecting the engraving inside.

    SJ CR.

    Clearly, a great deal of thought had gone into this design.

    Slipping the ring onto her finger, she found the fit to be perfect.

    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous,¡± the associate remarked sincerely.

    Just as Charlotte was admiring the ring, a familiar voice suddenly cut through the boutique.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley, what are you doing here?¡±

    Charlotte frowned slightly and turned around.

    At that very moment, Zac subtly let go of Wendy¡¯s hand.

    Wendy¡¯s eyes darkened for a fleeting second, but she quickly regained herposure, as if nothing had happened.

    Charlotte, however, wasn¡¯t surprised in the least.

    Of course, Zac would be here with Wendy.

    She shed a sweet, carefree smile.

    ¡°Trying on rings.¡±

    Zac¡¯s expression darkened instantly.

    He took a few steps forward, his gaze fixing on the engagement ring on her finger.

    Charlotte held up her hand and tilted her fingers slightly, letting the massive diamond catch the light.

    ¡°So?¡± she asked with a bright smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡±

    A flicker of anger shed in Zac¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°No,¡± he said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s ugly.¡±

    They both knew exactly what that ring represented.

    Zac had always assumed Charlotte was obedient, sensible, and knew her ce.

    He never thought she would actually dare to reach for something that wasn¡¯t meant for her.

    Marriage?

    That was something he could never give her.

    And Charlotte was never worthy of it.

    He remained silent, his expression unreadable.

    Wendy, standing beside him, smiled pleasantly.

    ¡°What a coincidence, Miss Riley,¡± she said lightly. ¡°Zac and I are here to look at rings today too.¡±

    Charlotte let out a coldugh in her mind.

    So the phone call Zac had taken earlier¡ªthe one he had vaguely referred to as ¡°something urgent¡±¡ªwas nothing more than Wendy asking him to go shopping with her.

    She had called him to help pick out a ring, and he had dropped everything to apany her.

    Zac didn¡¯t offer an exnation.

    He didn¡¯t even bother to deny it.

    His silence was all the confirmation she needed.

    Wendy¡¯s gaze drifted toward the engagement ring on Charlotte¡¯s finger.

    Tsk. That blue diamond in the center had to be at least five carats.

    And the surrounding halo of rare pink diamonds?

    This ring had to be worth at least seven or eight million.

    She really had the nerve to try it on.

    Did she not feel embarrassed, knowing she couldn¡¯t afford it?

    But Charlotte barely reacted to Wendy¡¯s thinly veiled provocation. She simply let out a disinterested, ¡°Oh.¡±

    She then continued admiring the ring on her hand.

    She had to admit that Sean had excellent taste.

    She was very satisfied with this ring.

    ¡°Miss Riley, that ring is absolutely stunning,¡± Wendy said with a smile.

    Charlotte beamed.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I think so too.¡±

    Zac¡¯s expression turned even darker.

    ¡°Take it off,¡± he ordered.

    Charlotte tilted her head slightly, feigning confusion.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Zac clenched his jaw.

    ¡°Why are you even trying on rings? What, are you trying to pressure me into marriage?¡± His voice grew sharper. ¡°Let me make this clear. I will never marry you.¡±

    For a split second, Wendy¡¯s lips curved into a barely noticeable smirk.

    She hadn¡¯t needed to say anything at all.

    Zac had delivered the final blow himself.

    ¡°Miss Riley,¡± Wendy continued, her voice light and airy, ¡°Zac and I are here today at Mrs. Gibson¡¯s request to look at rings.¡±

    The ¡°Mrs. Gibson¡± she was referring to was none other than Monica Miller, Zac¡¯s mother.

    Wendy¡¯s meaning was clear¡ª¡°I¡¯m the one Zac¡¯s mother has chosen. The Gibson family has already epted me. So don¡¯t even think about marrying into their family, Charlotte.¡±

    Charlotte studied the pair standing in front of her and almostughed out loud.

    She had merely tried on her fianc¨¦¡¯s custom-made engagement ring.

    And yet here they were¡ª

    One, so self-absorbed, convinced she was desperately clinging to a man who didn¡¯t want her.

    And the other, so eager to unt that she had Monica¡¯s approval.

    But¡­ seriously?

    The Gibson family?

    That tiny Harbor City nouveau riche household?

    Her father wouldn¡¯t even consider them worthy.

    ¡°Oh, got it.¡± Charlotte¡¯s tone waspletely indifferent, as if none of this mattered.

    Both Wendy and Zac froze for a second.

    Why didn¡¯t she care?

    Wendy studied Charlotte¡¯s face carefully, searching for even the slightest trace of jealousy or resentment.

    But her expression was wless andpletely unreadable.

    For the first time, Wendy wasn¡¯t sure.

    Was Charlotte pretending not to care, or did she really not care at all?

    Zac¡¯s expression had already turned stormy.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley, do you think this is funny? Did you know Wendy and I wereing here to look at rings today, so you showed up on purpose to wait for me?

    ¡°Let me make this clear. You and I will never happen. If you¡¯re trying to pressure me into marriage, it¡¯s useless!

    ¡°Marriage is aboutpatibility. With your background, how could you ever be a match for me?¡±

    His words were sharp and relentless. ¡°Just look at yourself right now. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡±

    He was genuinely angry now, throwing out usations in one breath.

    But Charlotte wasn¡¯t angry at all.

    Instead, she smiled, her voice light.

    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m embarrassing?¡±

    She tilted her head slightly.

    ¡°As far as I remember, we haven¡¯t broken up yet. So, by that logic, Miss Cooper here is a mistress, and you, Zac Gibson, are nothing more than a cheating jerk. Now tell me¡ªwho¡¯s the embarrassing one?¡±

    Zac¡¯s entire face twisted in rage. His chest rose and fell sharply as he barked, ¡°Take it off!¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice remained calm, unbothered. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Fine! If you like it so much, then keep wearing it. But don¡¯t expect me to ever buy you a ring, and don¡¯t even think about marrying me!¡±

    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Charlotte nodded lightly,pletely unfazed.

    Zac was livid. No matter what he said, it was like throwing punches at air. Charlotte simply refused to react.

    Frustrated, he shot her a furious re before storming out of the store.

    ¡°Zac, wait for me!¡± Wendy quickly chased after him.

    *

    Once they were gone, the sales associate turned to Charlotte, lookingpletely confused.

    ¡°Miss Riley, those two are¡­?¡±

    Charlotte adjusted the ring on her finger and said calmly, ¡°Just irrelevant people. No need to mind them.¡±

    Three years of dating, and Zac never once considered marrying her.

    Little did he know that he wasn¡¯t even qualified to marry her.

    She had never once considered marrying him either.

    Charlotte took out her phone and snapped a few photos of the ring, sending them to Sean.

    ¡°Does it look good?¡±

    At that moment, in the CEO¡¯s office of Jasper Corporation, Sean nced at his phone.

    At the sight of a message from the contact saved as ¡°Lottie¡±, a small smile tugged at his lips.

    Setting aside the document he was reviewing, he typed back a reply.

    ¡°It looks beautiful. Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    Sean¡¯s smile deepened.

    ¡°As long as you like it.¡±

    ¡°Sean, this ring must have been really expensive, right?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. You deserve the best.¡±

    Sean¡¯s assistant, Harry Lowe, stood nearby, waiting for his signature.

    He had already sneaked a few nces at his boss.

    Was he seeing things?

    The cold, expressionless CEO was¡­ smiling?

    And not just any smile¡ªa soft, almost sweet one?

    It was like the air around him was filled with pink bubbles.

    Sean signed thest document and looked up.

    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± His tone was back to its usual coolness.

    Harry immediately straightened up and grabbed the papers. ¡°Nothing, Mr. Jasper. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    *

    Meanwhile, Charlotte picked up the ring and walked out of the boutique, heading next door to a high-end men¡¯s watch store.

    She wanted to buy Sean a watch as a gift for when she returned to Jersey City.

    Her father had sent her some recent photos of him.

    Sharp features, deep-set eyes, a refined yet distant aura. He looked almost exactly as she remembered.

    After carefully browsing, she selected a sleek ck wristwatch that suited Sean perfectly.

    Just as she finished paying, a familiar voice greeted her from the side.

    ¡°Charlotte, what are you doing here?¡±

 His Heart 5

    Eugene Jacobs, one of Zac¡¯s friends, approached.

    He was also the one who had casually mentioned that he almost felt bad for Charlotte that night at the bar.

    They had known each other for nearly three years, and Charlotte had always thought he wasn¡¯t too bad.

    ¡°I just came to pick up a few things,¡± she replied.

    Eugene nced at the shopping bag in her hand. ¡°Is this a gift for Zac?¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t feel like exining, so she simply nodded.

    ¡°That brand¡¯s watches aren¡¯t cheap. Even their most basic models start in the five-figure range. You really don¡¯t need to spend so much on a gift for him. He¡­¡± he hesitated, then stopped short.

    Because what he really wanted to say¡ª¡°he doesn¡¯t deserve it¡±¡ªwas better left unsaid.

    Zac had already admitted that he couldn¡¯t let go of Wendy, that Charlotte was nothing more than a stand-in.

    Last night, he had left Charlotte behind in front of everyone, openly taking Wendy¡¯s hand and walking away.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t know what had happened after that, but Eugene did.

    After they left the party, Zac and Wendy had spent the night at a hotel together.

    There was a private group chat with all their friends in it.

    Charlotte had never been invited to join, even after three years of dating Zac.

    Yet, the moment Wendy returned to the country, Zac had added her in.

    This afternoon, Wendy had unexpectedly posted a photo of herself and Zac in bed in their private group chat, along with a message:

    ¡°Make sure to save this as a keepsake, Zac.¡±

    Less than a minuteter, she quickly deleted it, iming she had sent it to the wrong chat.

    Eugene had seen the message pop up just in time.

    He had thought about saying something but in the end, he let it go. It wasn¡¯t his business. The less involvement, the better.

    He had wanted to tell Charlotte the truth, to warn her to let go.

    But as the words reached his lips, he changed his mind.

    ¡°Zac doesn¡¯t need things like this. You really don¡¯t have to spend months of your sry on such an expensive gift for him,¡± he said instead.

    After all, Zac was his friend of over ten years.

    Some things, he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to say.

    He also wanted to tell Charlotte that even if she spent months¡¯ worth of wages on a gift, Zac probably wouldn¡¯t even appreciate it.

    But that was too cruel. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that either.

    Of course, Charlotte already knew Zac wasn¡¯t worthy. The watch wasn¡¯t even for him.

    She simply nodded, smiling politely. ¡°Got it. I won¡¯t do it next time.¡±

    They chatted for a little while longer before parting ways.

    Eugene watched Charlotte¡¯s retreating figure and sighed.

    ¡°She¡¯s way too good for this. How did she end up getting caught up with Zac?¡±

    Unable to hold back, he sent Zac a message.

    ¡°Bro, your girlfriend is seriously a keeper. I just ran into her. She was buying you a watch. A watch worth tens of thousands, just like that. That¡¯s months of her sry, man. You should really appreciate her.¡±

    *

    Zac was having dinner with Wendy when he received the message.

    The frustration that had been brewing inside him all day instantly disappeared.

    His expression softened.

    So Charlotte had realized she was wrong and was trying to apologize with a gift.

    If that was the case, he would give her a way out.

    He would ept the watch, say a few gentle words to smooth things over, maybe even apologize for his tone earlier.

    Then he would throw in a few sweet lines to pacify her.

    Charlotte had always been easy to please.

    ¡°Zac, what¡¯s wrong? Who messaged you?¡± Wendy asked from across the table.

    Zac put away his phone, his expression unreadable.

    ¡°No one important.¡±

    Wendy didn¡¯t press further.

    *

    A few minutester, Zac excused himself to use the restroom.

    The moment he was out of sight, Wendy picked up his phone from the table.

    She had seen him enter his password before. It was his birthday so it was easy to remember.

    Quickly, she typed it in and unlocked the screen.

    The first thing she checked was his chat with Charlotte.

    Theirst conversation was from a week ago.

    Charlotte had asked if he wanted to take a trip during the October holiday, mentioning that she finally had some time off and wanted to go somewhere.

    She had even sent him a list of ces she had been wanting to visit.

    It took Zac five hours to reply. ¡°What¡¯s so great about traveling when the crowds are insane?¡±

    After that, Charlotte hadn¡¯t sent another message.

    Wendy casually nced through the destinations Charlotte had suggested, her lips curling into a faint smirk.

    So much for three years together.

    Zac couldn¡¯t even be bothered to go on a simple trip with her.

    Finding nothing else of interest in their chat, she backed out and continued scrolling until she came across Eugene¡¯s message.

    Reading it, she let out a coldugh.

    She thought Charlotte was finally ready to let go.

    But no.

    She was still trying to win Zac back, still hoping to make peace with him by buying a gift.

    How pathetic.

    Wendy locked the phone, cing it back exactly where it had been.

    Then, she pulled out her own phone and dialed Monica Miller, Zac¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Gibson? I just ran into Zac¡¯s girlfriend at the jewelry store,¡± she said sweetly. ¡°She was trying on rings, pushing for marriage¡­¡±

    *

    Meanwhile, Charlotte carried the gift back to the vi and continued packing her suitcase.

    She ced the gift for Sean carefully inside, but as she folded her clothes, her mind drifted to his face¡ªthat cool, strikingly handsome face.

    She had known Sean for a long time.

    Their family estates were in the same vimunity, only two or three hundred meters apart. As children, they often ran into each other.

    Sean was four years older than her. The first time she met him was at the Jasper family¡¯s estate.

    Her parents had taken her to visit, and at the time, she was only ten. She was just a small child who hadn¡¯t quite grown into her looks. Meanwhile, Sean was already tall and refined, looking like the lead in a high school romance drama.

    Charlotte could only remember her first thought upon seeing him.

    He was breathtaking.

    His features were sharp and striking, but his eyes were as cold as winter snow.

    Her mother nudged her to greet him, and she obediently said, ¡°Hi Sean.¡±

    Sean, as distant as ever, gave a curt and indifferent response.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    Back then, Charlotte had thought, he must be a difficult person to get along with.

    That misunderstandingsted for years.

    It wasn¡¯t until high school that things changed.

    Charlotte struggled with math, and somehow, Sean¡¯s mother had found out. With a bright smile, she had casually suggested to Desmond, ¡°Let Sean tutor Lottie! Math was always his best subject. He scored high on math tests.

    By then, Charlotte¡¯s mother had already passed away, and she was no longer the carefree little girl she used to be.

    In just five years, she had grown into a quiet, rebellious teenager who didn¡¯t care much for authority.

    When Sean arrived at her house for the first time, the first words out of her mouth were, ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡±

    Sean was twenty-one then, standing at over six feet tall. He was wearing a in white T-shirt and dark gray jeans, his casually tousled hair adding a boyish charm to his otherwise serious demeanor.

    He simply smirked and leaned against the doorframe.

    ¡°Well, too bad. I¡¯m going to teach you anyway.¡±

    Charlotte had assumed he would be strict and demanding.

    She was wrong.

    After ncing through her math test, Sean merely furrowed his brows before patiently walking her through every mistake.

    One question after another, he exined everything without the slightest hint of frustration.

    His voice was deep and smooth, carrying a hint of roughness, almost like a gentle rasp.

    As Charlotte listened, math didn¡¯t seem quite so unbearable anymore.

    For problems with multiple solutions, Sean would take the time to exin each one.

    At some point, the irritation in her eyes faded, reced by a newfound sense of admiration.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re amazing, dude. How do you still remember all of this after graduating high school?¡±

    Sean closed his notebook and replied casually, ¡°I don¡¯t remember everything. I reviewed a bit beforeing over.¡±

    Then, he paused and tapped her forehead lightly with his pen.

    ¡°Watch your manners. From now on, call me Sean.¡±

    That summer, during her second year of high school, Sean spent two months tutoring her.

    At the time, he was in his third year at Jersey University, yet he had spent nearly his entire break teaching her math instead of going out.

    When school started again, Sean still had vacation left. Every day, after ss, Charlotte woulde home to find him sitting in her family¡¯s living room, waiting to tutor her.

    Thanks to Sean, her math grades skyrocketed.

    With her other subjects already strong, her math improvement pushed her overall performance up, and she sessfully got into Jersey University.

    She became Sean¡¯s junior.

    Back then, Charlotte had thought of him as nothing more than a wonderful, reliable older brother.

    She respected him. She liked him. But there wasn¡¯t a trace of romantic feelings.

    So when her father brought up the idea of her marrying Sean, she couldn¡¯t ept it.

    He had always been her older brother figure.

    How could a sister marry her brother?

    As Charlotte lost herself in these memories, the bedroom door suddenly swung open.

    Zac stood at the doorway, leaning against the frame as he looked at her.

    ¡°Are you done packing?¡±

    Charlotte nced at her suitcase and nodded. ¡°Almost.¡±

    Zac didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he remained where he was, watching her.

    After a pause, he said, ¡°Charlotte, is there something you want to say to me?¡±

 His Heart 6

    <blockquote>

    Charlotte looked up at him, her expression puzzled. ¡°What?¡±

    Zac assumed she was still upset, deliberately holding onto the gift instead of giving it to him right away. That was fine. He could give her an out.

    Softening his tone, he said, ¡°I spoke too harshly at the store earlier. Don¡¯t be mad, okay?¡±

    That should do it.

    Charlotte sighed, meeting his gaze with an earnest expression. ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡±

    Zac scoffed. ¡°Sure you¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°Believe whatever you want.¡±

    The casual indifference in her voice instantly irritated him.

    ¡°Charlotte, I already apologized. What more do you want?¡±

    She continued packing, her movements unbothered. ¡°I don¡¯t need your apology.¡±

    Zac stared at her for a few seconds, his expression unreadable.

    After a moment, he asked, a little awkwardly, ¡°Where¡¯s the gift?¡±

    Charlotte turned to him. ¡°What gift?¡±

    ¡°Eugene said he saw you buying me a watch,¡± Zac said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get it to apologize and make up with me? I¡¯m back now. Aren¡¯t you going to give it to me?¡±

    Charlotte had been about to tell him the watch wasn¡¯t for him, but before she could, Zac continued as if the matter was already settled.

    ¡°Come on, enough already. Dragging this out is pointless.¡±

    At that, Charlotte suddenlyughed.

    Zac¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±

    ¡°You,¡± she said, looking at him with amused disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re hrious.¡±

    She met his gaze, her tone light but sharp. ¡°I did buy a watch, but it¡¯s not for you. And I don¡¯t think I did anything wrong, so why would I need to apologize?¡±

    Zac¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Not for me? Then who the hell is it for?¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°None of your business.¡±

    Zac clenched his fists, his temper ring. ¡°None of my business? I¡¯m your boyfriend! And you¡¯re out here buying gifts for another man? How the hell is that not my business?¡±

    Compared to his growing anger, Charlotte was entirely calm.

    She raised a brow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Wendy¡¯s boyfriend?¡±

    Zac tensed, immediately blurting out, ¡°It¡¯s not like that between us!¡±

    His voice was noticeably quieter than before,cking its usual confidence.

    Because he knew he was guilty.

    His rtionship with Wendy wasn¡¯t exactly that of boyfriend and girlfriend¡ªit was more like an affair.

    He had already crossed the line, already done things he shouldn¡¯t have.

    And yet, on paper, Charlotte was still his girlfriend.

    He liked Wendy¡¯s passionate, daring energy and the way she was flirtatious and unafraid to take the lead.

    But at the same time, he also liked Charlotte¡¯s beautiful face, her soft, gentle nature, and the way she always seemed to understand him.

    He wasn¡¯t ready to tell her about Wendy and him. Not yet.

    Trying to salvage the situation, he added, ¡°Today, when I went to the jewelry store with Wendy, it really was because of my mom. We weren¡¯t looking at rings for Wendy. We were picking out jewelry to match my mom¡¯s new dress.

    ¡°My mom said Wendy has good taste and knows how to match essories, so she asked her to go with me. It wasn¡¯t just about rings¡ªwe had to pick out nes, earrings, and bracelets too, all carefully matched to go with her new dress. I know you misunderstood, but I was upset at the time, so I didn¡¯t bother exining. I wanted to see if you¡¯d get jealous.¡±

    ¡°Jealous?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes turned icy. ¡°Oh? So now you care whether I¡¯d get jealous?¡±

    ¡°Charlotte, I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡± Zac tried to smooth things over.

    She cut him off. ¡°Your apology is noted. I don¡¯t ept it. And no, the gift isn¡¯t for you.¡±

    Zac¡¯s patience snapped. His voice rose sharply.

    ¡°Then who¡¯s it for?¡±

    ¡°My fianc¨¦.¡±

    Zac let out a sarcasticugh, his eyes filled with mockery.

    ¡°Wow, Charlotte Riley, you really will say anything to force me into marriage, huh?¡± He scoffed. ¡°So what, you¡¯re saying that unless I agree to marry you¡ªbe your fianc¨¦¡ªyou won¡¯t give me the gift? And then you¡¯ll forgive me? That¡¯s what this is about?¡±

    Charlotte frowned.

    Where did he get this level of delusion?

    Did he really think she couldn¡¯t live without him?

    Zac¡¯s eyes were filled with disappointment as he shook his head at Charlotte.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley, I thought you understood the impossible gap between us. I thought you were sensible. But you just keep pushing for marriage over and over again. You¡¯ve really let me down.¡±

    Charlotte was rendered speechless.

    With that, Zac turned and walked out.

    The bedroom door mmed shut with a loud bang.

    Charlotte let out a helpless sigh and shook her head.

    She had been nning to use this moment to have a serious talk with him¡ªto officially break up and tell him the truth that she was the heiress of the Riley family in Jersey City and was returning to get engaged to Sean Jasper.

    But Zac hadn¡¯t even given her a chance to speak.

    Charlotte thought to herself that maybe the reason he was so convinced she was desperate to marry him was because she had given him that confidence.

    For years, she had yed the role of the obedient, understanding girlfriend¡ªnever checking up on him, never getting jealous, never prying into his personal life.

    Except for physical intimacy, she had rarely ever denied him anything.

    Maybe that had led him to believe she couldn¡¯t live without him.

    But what he didn¡¯t know was that her so-called obedience wasn¡¯t because she was naive.

    It was because she had known all along that he never nned on making her his future.

    A year ago, she had thought about taking Zac back to Jersey City and telling him about her true identity.

    But then, she had identally overheard his phone call with his mother, Monica.

    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I know you¡¯d never approve of her marrying into our family. I¡¯m just dating her for fun. If I ever actually n to get married, obviously, you¡¯d have the final say.

    ¡°You raised me better than to let some random girl drag me into a marriage. I know the difference between dating and marrying.¡±

    Oh, so he knew the difference.

    That was when she finally realized that Zac had never intended to have a future with her.

    To put it inly, he didn¡¯t even love her that much.

    But Charlotte wasn¡¯t the kind of woman to lose herself over love.

    She had always been able to pick things up and let them go.

    Since Zac only wanted a rtionship with no endgame, fine¡ªshe went along with it.

    At the time, she neededpanionship, needed emotional warmth in a city where she had no one.

    That was all.

    She had protected herself well¡ªher first kiss and first time still untouched.

    So why hadn¡¯t she left earlier?

    Because at the time, she had still liked him.

    And she had gotten used to him being there.

    Emotions wereplicated. They weren¡¯t always ck and white, all or nothing.

    After overhearing that phone call, she had never mentioned her family background again.

    But after finding out she was nothing more than a substitute for Wendy, she suddenly found everything meaningless.

    She could ept that there was no future between them.

    She could ept that he didn¡¯t love her as much as she once thought.

    But she could not ept that he had been using her as Wendy¡¯s recement.

    She was Charlotte Riley.

    She was her own person.

    *

    However, Charlotte never expected Monica to show up at her door.

    The woman was dressed in a deep blue silk dress, her ears and neck adorned with sapphire jewelry, and on her finger sat an enormous pigeon-egg-sized diamond ring¡ªthe same shade of blue as her outfit.

    It seemed Zac was right. His mother was indeed the kind of person who would buy an entire set of jewelry just to match a dress.

    Monica looked at her with an expression as if she were examining something she found distasteful.

    Her eyes were filled with criticism.

    ¡°You must be Charlotte Riley?¡± Monica¡¯s voice was indifferent, her tone carrying an air of condescension.

    Charlotte remained polite. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Gibson.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    Monica stepped inside, her gaze sweeping over the room before finally settling on Charlotte.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about you and Zac.¡±

    She sat gracefully on the couch, her legs crossed at an elegant angle. Her posture was refined, but her words were rough.

    ¡°Do you really think a girl like you is good enough to marry into the Gibson family?¡±</blockquote>

 His Heart 7

    Charlotte sat down on the single¨Cseater sofa beside Monica.

    She showed no hint of nervousness, her gaze calm and steady as she met Monica¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have no intention of marrying into the Gibson family.¡±

    ¦§

    Monica, of course<b>, </b>didn¡¯t believe her.

    She

    e gave D

    Charlotte a slow, deliberate once¨Cover, sizing her up from head to toe.

    So this was the girl <b>her </b>son had been dating for three years?

    She had to admit that Charlotte was undeniably beautiful, with striking features and an air <b>of </b>quiet confidence.

    Even though she came from an ordinary family, she didn¡¯t carry the restraint or insecurity that many girls from less privileged backgrounds

    did.

    Earlier, Monica had deliberately thrown out a condescending remark at the door, expecting to see Charlotte flustered or embarrassed.

    But not only had she remainedposed, she had even greeted her politely, her tone poised and self¨Cassured

    But so what?

    <b>part</b>, she would never

    At the end of the day, she was nothing more than a gold digger chasing a fantasy. No matter how well she yed her part truly belong in their world.

    Monica¡¯s tone carried an unmistakable sense of superiority. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend in front of me. I¡¯m a woman too. I know exactly what¡¯s going on in your head. It¡¯s not surprising that you¡¯d be drawn to a rich heir like Zac. Someone like him doesn¡¯te around often, does he? I bet he¡¯s spent <b>quite </b><b>a </b>bit of money on you, hasn¡¯t he?¡±

    Charlotte replied evenly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in his money.

    H

    Monica let out <b>a </b>mockingugh<b>, </b>her eyes sharp and cold ¡°Oh, cut the act. I¡¯ve seen plenty of girls like you. ying innocent, pretending you¡¯re not after his money¨Cbut if you really weren¡¯t, would you have gone after Zac in the first ce?¡±

    At that, Charlotte actuallyughed

    ¡°Mrs. <b>Gibson</b>, are you saying your son has nothing to offer except money?¡±

    ¡°You-!¡±

    Monica¡¯s expression darkened with <b>rage</b><b>, </b>her breathing turning sharp and uneven. She red at Charlotte. ¡°Sharp tongued little thing! <b>And </b>to think Zac told me you were sweet and well¨Cmannered. He must¡¯ve been blind.¡±

    Charlotte took a slow sip of tea,pletely unfazed

    Monica scoffed, narrowing her eyes. ¡°No manners <b>at </b>all. A pri

    <b>A </b>proper youngdy would know to pour tea for her elders.¡±

    Charlotte shed her a fake smile, ¡°Oh, sorry, Mrs. Gibson. There aren¡¯t any extra cups, and I figured you¡¯d probably be too disgusted to drink from mine. So I thought, why bother? Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re <b>dying </b>of thirst, right?¡±

    Monica¡¯s chest rose and fell sharply.

    Where on earth did Zac find this shameless, ill¨Cmannered girl?

    Taking a slow breath to regain herposure, she continued, ¡°I came here <b>today </b>to make one thing clear our family isn¡¯t <b>a </b>ce for just anyone to marry into. If you¡¯re hoping to marry Zac, forget it. It¡¯s <b>never </b><b>going </b>to happen.¡±

    Charlotte nodded casually. ¡°Mhm, sure.¡±

    Monica narrowed her eyes. Wendy Couper is the daughter¨Cinw I¡¯ve chosen. Her family has been close with ours <b>for </b>years, and she¡¯s Zac¡¯s fest love. You¡¯d best give up and pack your things while you still have some dignity.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile.

    She <b>suddenly </b>remembered the conversation she had overheard a while <b>ago</b>.

    Zac had been on the phone, talking about how Gibson Corporation¡¯s financial situation had taken a hit. Several projects were stalled, and losses were piling up.

    At the time, she <b>had </b>actually considered helping him.

    Even though Zac assumed she came from a modest background and never considered marrying her, they had still been together for thre

    There had to be some feelings there, at least,

    <b>She </b>wasn¡¯t heartless. Helping him out wouldn¡¯t have beenpletely out of the question.

    That night, when she went to pick him up from the bar, she had nned to discuss investing in Gibson Corporation.

    She knew her father would never agree to invest since she had fallen out with her family.

    But her cousin, Steven Sullivan, was now in charge of the Sullivan Corporation¨Cone of the country¡¯s top ten corporations.

    And Steven had always spoiled her

    If she asked, securing funding for Gibson Corporation wouldn¡¯t have been an

 His Heart 8

    But then, she had overheard Zac¡¯s conversation that very same night.

    She was just Wendy¡¯s recement.

    Pulling herself from her thoughts, Charlotte refocused and looked at Monica. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. and won¡¯t being <b>back</b>.¡±

    I¡¯ll be

    leaving for my hometown in a couple of days

    Monica hadn¡¯t expected it to be this easy. For a moment, she was caught off guard.

    That¡¯s it?

    Charlotte was this easy to get rid of? Not even asking for a single cent?

    Something about it felt¡­ off.

    But she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it.

    Charlotte nced down at her watch ¡°<b>That¡¯s </b><b>all </b>I have to say. I have things to <b>do</b><b>, </b>so I¡¯ll be <b>heading </b>out.¡±

    ra

    Without waiting for a response, she stood up, grabbed her bag from the bedroom, and left.

    Monica sat there for a second, stunned.

    She just¡­ left?

    As the realization sank in, Monica¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Unbelievable! No manners at all!¡± she muttered angrily to herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say I was leaving, yet she walked off first. Does she even have any respect for her elders?¡±

    She had deliberately dressed in her most extravagant jewelry set today, hoping to intimidate Charlotte and make her feel the <b>vast </b>difference

    between their statuses.

    Beforeing here, she had imagined putting Charlotte in her ce¨Cmaking the girl cater to her<b>, </b><b>maybe </b>even seeing her break down and call Zac toin in rea

    But none of that happened.

    Instead, Charlotte had been calm, indifferent, and entirely unbothered.

    And she left before <b>Monica </b><b>even </b>had the chance to feel victorious

    Furious and unwilling to stay any longer, Monica stormed out of the vi, already thinking about how toin to Zac about Charlotte.

    She had never been this dissatisfied with a girl in her life!

    The driver was already waiting at the entrance.

    Monica had just gotten into the car when her phone rang.

    Seeing Wendy¡¯s name on the screen, she took a deep breath<b>, </b>calming <b>her </b>anger, before answering in a gentle tone.

    ¡°<b>Wendy</b>, my <b>dear</b>, I just met Zac¡¯s so¨Ccalled girlfriend, and let me tell you¨Cshe has absolutely no manners. It was truly an eye¨Copener. You <b>know </b>what they say: ¡®You can dress her up, but you can¡¯t teach her ss,¡°¡±

    A spark of delight shed through Wendy¡¯s eyes.

    Perfect

    Charlotte had managed to offend Monica.

    Even if Zac was reluctant to break up now, there was no way they wouldst.

    Speaking in a soft, soothing <b>tone</b>, Wendy said, ¡°Mrs. Gibson, don¡¯t let her get to <b>you</b>. She¡¯s <b>just </b>some ssless nobody¨Cnot worth your time.

    In Wendy¡¯s eyes, girls without wealth or status were all the <b>same</b>. They were unsophisticated and out of ce.

    Even if Charlotte wasn¡¯t technically <b>from </b>a small town<b>, </b>she might as well have been

    Monica huffed. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s truly likable, Wendy. That girl at least knows what¡¯s <b>good </b>for her. She said she¡¯ll be leaving in a few days and won¡¯t being back. At least she has some self¨Cawareness!¡±

    ¡°She really said that?¡± Wendy asked, eyebrows lifting<b>. </b>¡°So she¡¯s nning to break up with <b>Zac</b>?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Monica scoffed. ¡°And even if she doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll make sure she does. After the way she treated me today, there¡¯s no way to stay with Zac!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news.¡± Wendy said sweetly. ¡°Mrs. Gibson, are you heading back to the estate now? I¡¯lle keep youpany.¡±

    After leaving Harmony Hill Vi, Charlotte headed straight to herw firm to resign.

    She had worked here for over three years, starting as an inter and eventually bing a practicing attorney.

    This small firm had witnessed her growth from a fresh graduate to a capable professional

    Her assistant, Sophie Shaw, had just <b>graduated </b>college this year. At twenty¨Ctwo, she was three years younger than Charlotte.

    <b>When </b>she heard Charlotte was leaving, her eyes instantly tumed red.

    <b>¡°</b>Charlotte, why are you quitting all of a sudden?¡± Sophie asked, her voice trembling.

    ¡°I have some personal matters to take care of back home.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t thought much about resigning at first, but seeing Sophie on the verge of tears made her feel a little heavy¨Chearted.

    Their rtionship wasn¡¯t just that of ordinary coworkers,

    D

 His Heart 9

    A year ago, Sophie had gone through a rough breakup.

    Her ex had handed her an itemized bil, demanding repayment. ording to him, he had sent her over $10,000 over their two¨Cyear

    rtionship.

    When Sophie refused to pay, he sued her. Desperate, she came to thew firm for help.

    That day, all the otherwyers were out at court. The only one in the office was Charlotte.

    ¡°That¡¯s not how it happened at all.¡± Sophie <b>had </b>sobbed, barely able to get the words out. ¡°We lived together for two years. From the beginning, we agreed to split rent, utilities, and living expenses fifty¨Cfifty. He sent me $400 a month, which covered his half, <b>and </b><b>I </b>covered the other $400 for our shared expenses.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time, so I just went along with it<b>. </b>But now that we¡¯ve broken up, he¡¯s demanding I pay everything <b>back</b><b>, </b>iming that all those transfers were ¡®gifts given with marriage in mind¡®¨Cand since we didn¡¯t get married, I have to return the money.

    ¡°But that was just normal living expenses! How is <b>that </b>a ¡®gift¡®?! The total value of all the presents he ever gave me barely adds up to 100 bucks! How does <b>he </b><b>have </b>the audacity to sue me?!

    ¡°I¡¯m still

    a student. My parents give me an allowance to cover my expenses, I don¡¯t <b>have </b>$10,000 lying around to pay him <b>back</b>. And I can¡¯t tell my parents either, if my dad finds out I was living with a guy during college, he¡¯d kill me! Charlotte, please help me. I don¡¯t know what else to

    do

    The whole situation was beyond ridiculous.

    Of all people<b>, </b>aw student should have seen iting, yet she had walked right into a scumbag¡¯s trap

    When a hopeless romantic fell for a maniptive man, she never stood a chance. He took her for everything she had, down to thest cent.

    Charlotte let out a weary sigh, feeling nothing but sympathy for the girl sitting before her.

    Generally speaking, mostwyers wouldn¡¯t take on a case for a client who couldn¡¯t afford the legal fees.

    But Charlotte was different.

    Not only did she take the case, but she lent Sophie the money to cover the legal fees.

    At the time, Charlotte had just recently be <b>a </b>licensed attomey and was still on sry at the firm, making only <b>$</b>1,400 a month.

    But <b>without </b>hesitation, she transferred Sophie the money so she could formally retain legal services

    <b>Once </b>she took the case, Charlotte dug deep and managed to secure key evidence, leading to a solid victory in court.

    From that moment on, Sophie admired Charlotte immensely¨Cso much <b>so </b>that when the graduated, she immediately joined the firm to work <b>as </b>Charlotte¡¯s assistant.

    Now, standing in front of Charlotte with red¨Crimmed <b>eyes</b>, Sophie asked softly, ¡°Charlotte, I already registered <i>my </i>kan redentials here, so I

    can¡¯t leave yet. But <b>once </b>my internship <b>is </b>over<b>, </b>can Ie work for you?¡±

    Charlotte was caught off guard for a moment. She hadn¡¯t expected Sophie to ask that.

    Then she smiled wannly. Of <b>course </b>you can. I¡¯ll be in Jersey <b>City</b>. If you ever want toe, just reach out.¡±

    ¡°<b>Really</b>?! That¡¯s amazing!¡± Sophie¡¯s face lit up, her tears reced by <b>excitement</b>. <b>¡°</b>Charlotte, I¡¯m sticking with you for life! Wherever you go, I¡¯ll go! You can¡¯t get rid of me now!¡±

    Ciarlotte chuckled. ¡°Why would I want

    Qarlotte then entered thew firm director¡¯s office.

    The director<b>, </b><b>a </b>middle¨Caged man in sses, frowned slightly as he read her resignation letter.

    ¡°Charlotte, why are you leaving so suddenly? Did you run into trouble at work?¡±

    Charlotte shook her head, ¡°No. It¡¯s personal¨Csomething I have to take care of back home. I <b>know </b><b>I </b>should¡¯ve given a month¡¯s notice, but this came up unexpectedly. I didn¡¯t have a choke. I¡¯m really sorry<b>¡® </b>

    She added, ¡°I¡¯ve already transitioned most of my cases. There¡¯s just one left. Its second trial is in ten days. After that hearing, I¡¯ll be leaving I

    wanted to let you know in advance.¡±

    The director hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I won¡¯t stop you. I wish you all the best in your future.¡±

 His Heart `10

    +25 Bonus

    Charlotte wandered the streets almlessly after leaving thew firm.

    Night had fallen, and the city lights flickered on, illuminating the streets in a soft glow. The evening breeze rustled <b>through </b>the treetops, whispering against the quiet hum of the city.

    A wave of loneliness washed over her.

    She was really leaving.

    This ce had been her home for three years

    She thought back to when <b>she </b>had first arrived in Harbor City. Her father had frozen all her bank ounts, leaving her with nothing but a few thousand in her digital wallet. She spent three nights in a hotel, barely scraping by.

    the office.

    In those three days, she secured <b>a </b>job at aw firm and found a cheap rental near the

    The lease required a one¨Cmonth deposit and three months¡® rent upfront. After paying, she was nearly penniless. If it hadn¡¯t been for her best friend back in Jersey City <b>sending </b>her money, she wouldn¡¯t have even been able to afford food.

    The apartmentplex was a mess¨Ccrime¨Cridden, full of drunks and sketchy neighbors.

    Not long after moving in, a drunk man started banging on her doorte at night.

    Terrified, she would hide under the covers, heart pounding, afraid to even breathe.

    Sheined to thendlord, but he simply shrugged and said, ¡°Not my problem.¡±

    With no other choice<b>, </b>she <b>moved </b>out but the scumbagndlord refused to return her <b>deposit</b>.

    At first, she tried reasoning with him. But instead of returning the money, he cursed her out, hurling every insult he could think of.

    Charlotte had reached her limit.

    She called the tax authorities to report his <b>unpaid </b>property taxes

    Then she called the fire safety bureau to report the building¡¯s numerous safety vitions.

    And as if that weren¡¯t enough, she took him to court for breach of contract and harassment, leaving him scrambling to deal with the <b>legal </b>trouble.

    The case hadn¡¯t even been officially filed yet when thendlord caved and returned her deposit.

    Charlotte withdrew the breach of contractwsuit but refused to drop the harassment case.

    In the end, thendlord lost and had to pay her damages for defamation<b>. </b>

    Thinking <b>back </b>on it now, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    That was probably the lowest point in her life.

    Later, she heard from a former neighbor that not long after she moved out, the drunk who used to knock on her <b>door </b><b>got </b>beaten up probably for messing with the wrong person.

    As for thendlord? He disappeared without a trace.

    To Charlotte, it was nothing but karma.

    Sue met Zac during her internship at thew firm.

    That day<b>, </b>she had apanied a senior attorney to one of Gibson Corporation¡¯s subsidiaries to negotiate a <b>legal </b><b>advisory </b>contract.

    visit.

    Zac <b>had </b>happened to be there on a site vis

    ording to him, it was love at first sight.

    After that, he pursued her relentlessly.

    He was thoughtful, attentive, and emotionally supportive¨Calways showing up exactly when she needed him most.

    <b>Once </b>they got together, he treated her well.

    They had shared genuinely happy moments.

    But everything changed on their one¨Cyear anniversary.

    That night, they had both had a few drinks.

    Zac tried to take things to the next level.

    He pulled her into his arms, lowering his head to kiss her.

    But Charlotte panicked and shoved him away.

    He froze,

    his expression wounded. His voice was hoarse wher

    when he asked, ¡°<b>Why</b>?¡±

    Her heart pounded. She stammered, ¡°L¡­ I¡¯m not ready yet. Just¡­ give me some time.¡±

    From that night on, he <b>was </b>never the same.

    After that, Zac wasn¡¯t as sweet anymore.

    And as time passed, she never did feel ready.

    She refused to go all the way with him¨Chell, she didn¡¯t <b>even </b>like kissing him.

    She couldn¡¯t <b>quite </b>exin why

    Maybe it was because he had been with so many women before her.

    Maybe, deep down, she found him dirty.

    Her body simply rejected him.

    Whatever the reason, looking back now, she felt nothing but relief<b>. </b>

    <i>When </i>s

    she returned to the vi that night, Zac wasn¡¯t home.

    Charlotte took a shower and fell into a deep sleep.

    Ten more days.

    Then she would be gone.

    Finally.

 His Heart `11

    y ten in the moming.

    Charlotte woke up naturally on her own¨Cno rms, no rush. When she opened her eyes, it was already

    Stretchingzily, she let out a content sigh. ¡°Ah¨Cnothing beats a morning without work.¡±

    She climbed out of bed, freshened up, and headed downstairs for breakfast.

    Mrs. Zimmer had prepared <b>a </b>meal for two.

    Charlotte nced at the empty seat across from her but said nothing

    Seeing here down, Mrs. Zimmer hesitated before asking. ¡°Miss Riley, isn¡¯t Mr. Gibsoning down for breakfast today?¡±

    Charlotte took <b>a </b>sip of her oatmeal, her tone indifferent. ¡°He didn¡¯te homest night. I doubt he¡¯ll be eating here.¡±

    Oh.¡± Mrs. Zimmer quickly realized she had spoken out of turn and didn¡¯t press further, quietly retreating to the kitchen,

    Charlotte finished her breakfast and checked her phone. She just received a message from Seam.

    ¡°Lottie, do you want a custom¨C<b>made </b>engagement dress, or should we go with a designer¡¯s new <b>season </b>collection?¡±

    Custom¨C<b>made</b><b>? </b>Was there still time for that?

    <b>She </b>suddenly realized that she didn¡¯t even know the exact date of the engagement.

    ¡°When

    <b>¡®</b><b>s </b>the engagement?¡± she asked.

    Sean replied almost immediately. ¡°It¡¯s not set yet. We¡¯ll decide once you¡¯re back in Jersey City¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be done here in nine days.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Charlotte figured a custom¨Cmade dress might not be ready in time, so she messaged him again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with a designer¡¯s new season collection. I¡¯ll pick one out.

    ¡°Sounds <b>good</b>. Let me know when you decide.¡±

    <b>Just </b>as she was about to exit the chat, a notification badge popped up on Zac¡¯s chat.

    A new <b>message</b>.

    She clicked in.

    It was a <b>video</b>.

    <b>The </b>setting was a dimly lit private lounge.

    Zae<b>, </b>visibly drunk, slumped against Wendy, mumbling incoherently.

    ¡°Wendy you¡¯re finally back¡­¡± his voice was slurred, clinging to her like a lost child. ¡°I knew it. I knew you¡¯de back¡­ I¡¯ve been waiting for you for five years.¡±

    In the background,ughter and jeering filled the air.

    Charlotte could make out familiar voices¨CZac¡¯s friends, Quinn, and the others.

    <b>All </b>people she knew<b>. </b>

    In the video, Wendy smiled down at Zac, stroking his hair gently. ¡°<b>Zac</b>, you¡¯re drunk.¡±

    Zac nuzzled into her <b>shoulder</b>, <b>voice </b>soft and broken.

    Wendy¡­ you¡¯re the only one I love¡­ I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, did I? See? I know

    ¡°L.. I¡¯m not drunk¡­ I¡¯m perfectly clear¨Cheaded¡­ You¡¯re W exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    Someone in the <b>background </b>deliberately stirred the <b>pot </b>

    ¡°Zec<b>, </b>so Wendy¡¯s the love of your life but what about Charlotte?¡±

    Zac¡¯s drunken reply came without hesitation.

    ¡°Charlotte? Who¡¯s that? L¡­ I only love Wendy¡­¡±

    ¡°Wendy, Zac ispletely obsessed with you. You¡¯re definitely his girl! Quinn¡¯s voice rang out, dripping with amusement. ¡°See how clingy he gets when he¡¯s drunk? His heart and eyes are only for you.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s lips curled into <b>a </b>cold smirk.

    ¡°His girl.¡±

    That was what they were calling Wendy now.

    In the three <b>years </b>she had been with Zac, no one had ever called her that.

    Not that it was surprising.

    <b>To </b>them, she had never been Zac¡¯s <b>real </b>girlfriend.

    Another girl¡¯s voice chimed in¨Cit was Quinn¡¯s best friend. The same one who had called Charlotte¡¯s <b>birthday </b>gift ¡®fake¡® at the party

    ¡°Does Charlotte have no shame? Wendy¡¯s back, and she¡¯s still lingering. Can she not take a hint?¡±

    Quinn yed along effortlessly.

    ¡°Please, a regr girl like her scoring a rich guy like Zac? No way she¡¯s letting go that easily.¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze<b>, </b><b>a </b>cold, detached smile forming at her lips.

    So that <b>look </b>of disdain she had seen in Quinn¡¯s eyes at the party wasn¡¯t just in her <b>head</b>.

    It all made sense now.

    Quinn had always pretended to be friendly, but in reality, she was just like the rest of them.

    She <b>had </b>never once <b>truly </b>epted Charlotte.

    The other voices in the video only confirmed it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wendy. We¡¯re all on your side.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. We never liked Charlotte anyway. Does she even know her ce? She actually thought she could fit into our circle

    ¡°Charlotte must have read one too many ¡®CEO falls for a poor girl romance novels. She probably thinks she¡¯s living in one¨Cchasing her <b>fantasy </b>of marrying rich. It¡¯s hrious. I bet she has no idea we all see her as a joke.¡±

 His Heart `12

    ¡°Right? She¡¯s not even in the same league as us. Zac was just messing around. Now that Wendy¡¯s back, it¡¯s time for Charlotte to pack up and leave.¡±

    Charlotte felt nothing.

    <b>She </b>knew exactly why Wendy had sent that video¨Cpart of it was <b>to </b>stake her <b>im</b>, the other part was to humiliate her, to rub reality in her face, and push her to leave Zac.

    And Wendy fully expected it to work

    She probably imagined Charlotte crying her eyes out, heartbroken, humiliated, and finally dumping Zac before packing her bags and running

    <b>back </b>home.

    But what she never could have imagined was that none of it got to Charlotte.

    Zac, still slurring sweet nothings to Wendy in the video, only <b>made </b>her sick.

    Disgusted, she exited the chat without watching further.

    Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before she typed out a message.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯re not in the same league.¡±

    Wendy saw the message and smirked, <b>quickly </b>replying¨Cbut using <b>Zac¡¯s </b>phone.

    ¡°At least you have some self¨Cawareness

    Seeing the response, Charlotte let out a quiet scoff.

    Gibson Corporation¡¯s so¨Ccalled ¡®empire¡® wasn¡¯t even on the same level as a single subsidiary under her family¡¯s name.

    The profits Gibson <b>bragged </b>about every year<b>? </b>That barelypared to what her father casually threw into a side project.

    The Riley family had been in business <b>for </b>four generations, growing into one of the top ten wealthiest familles in the country.

    Compared to them, Zac was just another rich kid with nothing but hisst name to his credit.

    And the irony? Not a single one of them had a clue,

    None of those people <b>had </b><b>ever </b>realized that the ¡°<b>Riley</b>¡± in Charlotte Riley was the same ¡°Riley¡°¡± as Desmond Riley.

    The little exchange did nothing to ruin her mood.

    With the whole day free<b>, </b>she stayed in and rxed, scrolling through designer websites, picking out her engagement dress.

    After going through dozens of options, she finally narrowed it down to three but now she was stuck.

    Option 1:

    A champagne¨Ccolored modem gown. Light pink embroidery intertwined with delicate crystal embellishments, <b>and </b>across the shoulders, three strands of tiny pearls <b>draped </b>elegantly <b>from </b>the neckline to the back. <b>The </b>entire gown sparkled with a sweet, youthful charm.

    Option 2<b>: </b>

    A soft moon¨Cwhite strapless gown. The bodico featured a <b>delicate </b>ring of sculpted roses<b>, </b>cinching at the waist and hugging the curves before Dlowing into a floor¨Clength mermaid silhouette. It was mature, elegant, and <b>refined</b>.

    Option 3:

    Acreamy off¨Cwhite, off¨Cshoulder princess <b>gown</b>. A sheeryer of delicate tulle oveyed the dress, scattered with tiny crimson rose petals. The design was romantic and ethereal<b>. </b>

    Still undecided<b>, </b>she screenshotted <b>all </b>three and posted them on her Instagram:

    <b>Story </b>with the text:

    ¡°Can¡¯t choose between these three! Help me decide<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    Within minutes, the likes andments started rolling in.

    Sean: ¡°They¡¯re all beautiful. If you li

    like them, just get them all

    Her childhood best friend, Lena Zeller,mented as well:

    ¡°Wow, Lottle, <b>your </b>taste is Impable! All three would look amazing on you. Just have

    <b>Her </b>other best friend, Mia Carter, added:

    ¡°Buy, buy, buy! Our princess <b>Lottle </b><b>looks </b>stunning in everything!¡±

    Her assistant, Sophie, was quick toment as well

    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa¨Chold up. What¡¯s this for? Are you getting married or something?!¡±

    buy them all. He won¡¯t e

    even blink at the price.¡±

    Charlotte scrolled through the flood of likes,pliments, and excited congrattions, but a fewments stood out.

    Quinn:

    Eugene: ¡°Charlotte, what exactly is this?¡±

    Ethan: ¡°No way, you actually posted this? This is cracking me up!¡±

    Coworker A: ¡°These are all designer pieces. Before showing off, maybe check the price tag first. Forget buying, you couldn¡¯t even afford to rent

    Conworker B: ¡°Danti, must be nice. Your life is my dream.¡±

    And then, the most amusing one of all¡ª

    <b>Zac</b>:

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Looks like Zac finally sobered up.

    Right on cue, her phone buzzed with a message from him.

    ¡°Delete that post.¡±

    Charlotte: ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°So this is your grand n? A public stunt to force my hand? Did you not hear anything <b>I </b><b>said </b>to <b>you </b>before?¡±

    Charlotte: ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte Riley, enough already¡±

    She didn¡¯t bother responding

 His Heart `13

    Chapter <b>13 </b>

    Charlotte called Sean, and he picked up almost instantly, his voice gentle.

    ¡°Lottie, do you like the dresses?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°Which one do you think looks best<b>?</b>¡±

    On the other end, <b>Sean </b>chuckled, his tone Indulgent. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say you should just get them all? I had my assistant ce the orders already<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°That fast? I only just posted about them.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t want to risk them selling out. They¡¯re limited editions.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Thank you, <b>Sean</b><b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Lottie, you¡¯re my fianc¨¦e now. We¡¯re family. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±

    Logically, she knew he was right. But deep down, she still couldn¡¯t quite step into the role of his fianc¨¦e To her, Sean was still the same patient, dependable boy who had once tutored her in math¨Cthe caring older brother she had known for years.

    ¡°By the way, Lottie<b>, I </b>know getting around Harbor City isn¡¯t the easiest without a car, so I bought you one. The paperwork just went through. Send me your address, and I¡¯ll have someone deliver it to you.¡±

    Charlotte stiffened.

    Three years ago, she had run away to avoid marrying Sean. She knew he must have been aware of how her father had cut her off financially, leaving her stranded in a city where she had neither a <b>car </b>nor a home of her own.

    Her best friends had once joked about ¡°sponsoring¡± her, but she had turned them down.

    During those first two months, <b>when </b>she could barely make ends <b>meet</b>, she had reluctantly epted <b>a </b>small loan from them to get by. But as soon as she got her job<b>, </b>she <b>paid </b>back every penny.

    Now, here was Sean, the very person she had tried to escape, offering to buy her a car. And instead of holding <b>a </b>grudge, he was still looking

    after her.

    A <b>wave </b>of guilt washed over her. She gripped her phone tighter.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I usually just take <b>cabs</b>. It¡¯s really not a big deal.

    Sean was silent for a second before he spoke again, his voiceced with quiet burt

    ¡°Lottle, are <b>you </b>being this polite because you still don¡¯t want to marry me?¡±

    Qarlotte instinctively shook her head¨Conly to realize a beatter that they were on the phone, and he couldn¡¯t see her.

    She softened her tone. ¡°It¡¯s not that, Sean. I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to the engagement if I wasn¡¯t willing. I just¡­ I¡¯ll be back in Jersey City <b>soon</b>. There¡¯s no point in buying a car now.

    ___¡°That¡¯s fine<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Sean replied easily. ¡°When youe <b>back</b><b>, </b>I¡¯ll just have it sent over there.¡±

    ¡°I really¡± Charlotte started to protest.

    <b>¡°</b>You have a hearing in a neighboring city in a few days, don¡¯t you?¡± Sean said casually. ¡°A car would make things easier.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°How did you know about that?¡±

    ¡°<b>You </b>posted about it two months ago,¡±

    She blinked, stunned.

    He was right. The court date had been set months ago¨CSeptember <b>25th</b>, at a courthouse <b>one </b>city over.

    At the time, she had made a casual post <b>on </b>her Instagrau <b>story</b>, joking about how it was basically <b>a </b>¡°business¨Cfunded vacation¡± and that she would finally get to eat the spicy Cajun pasta she had been craving. She had even listed a few must¨Csee tourist spots.

    Sean¡¯s voice was warm, with a hint of amusement. ¡°Having <b>a </b>car <b>would </b>make it <b>more </b>convenient. After your hearing, <b>you </b>can <b>take </b><b>a </b>little detour and visit those ces.¡±

    .25 Bonus

    Right now<b>, </b>Sean stood by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows of his high¨Crise office, looking out over the city¡¯s shimmering skyline.

    Three years ago, when he learned how difficult Charlotte¡¯s life had been after she left home, he had wanted so badly to send her money, buy her a house, make sure she had everything she needed.

    But he hadcked the right identity to do so. Back then, if he had suddenly gifted her something, she <b>would </b><b>have </b>never epted it.

    ? ?

    But now?

    Now, things were different.

    She had agreed to the engagement.

    And finally, he had every reason to take care of her.

    Charlotte sat in silence, caught off guard by the thoughtfulness behind his words,

    For the first time, something shifted inside her¨Clike a tiny stone dropping into a still pond, sending ripples outward.

    Instagram Stories vanished after 24 hours. Sometimes, she even forgot what she had posted. But Sean always seemed to remember.

    Zac, on the other <b>hand</b>, never pa

    paid attention to her posts.

    There <b>had </b>been times when she had told Zac in advance about her business trips¨Conly for him to call her on the day of departure<b>, </b><b>demanding </b>to know why she wasn¡¯t in Harbor City.

 His Heart `14

    She had also mentioned countless times the ces she wanted to visit. Zac never <b>cared</b>.

    The trips she had dreamed of taking with him two years <b>ago</b><b>? </b>

    They were still just dreams.

    So this was what it felt like to be truly cared for.

    Charlotte no longer hesitated. She gave Sean the address to Zac¡¯s vi.

    Sean asked, ¡°You¡¯ll be home tomorrow morning, right? I¡¯ll have someone bring the car over then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I will,¡± Charlotte replied<b>. </b>

    +25 <b>Bonus </b>

    Not long after she hung up, Zac returned with Wendy by his side.

    As they walked in, Charlotte was lounging in the downstairs living room, watching TV.

    It didn¡¯t <b>react </b>

    She caught a glimpse of them from theer of her eye but

    Zac said nothing either.

    Instead, it was Wendy who broke the silence first.

    ¡°Miss Riley, we meet again¡±

    Charlotte remained sprawled on the couch, her posture rxed, her gaze fixed on the TV. She didn¡¯t even acknowledge her.

    Wendy didn¡¯t seem the least bit bothered. She strolled over with a smile, settling onto the couch. ¡°Miss Riley, is this the kind of thing you usually watch?¡±

    Zac tossed out a casual ¡°I¡¯m taking <b>a </b>shower¡± and headed <b>upstairs</b>, without specifying who he was talking to

    The moment he left, Wendy¡¯s smile vanished, She looked at Charlotte, her voiceced with contempt.

    saw the <b>video</b>, didn¡¯t you? Zac loves me.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t care less about who Zac loved<b>. </b>Without looking away from the TV, she noddedzily.

    ¡°Mm. Got it.¡±

    Herpletely indifferent attitude <b>made </b>Wendy¡¯s expression twist in irritation.

    <b>¡°</b>you¡¯re <b>good </b>at pretending to be calm,¡± Wendy sneered. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep up the act.¡±

    Charlotte finally nced at her<b>, </b>voice cold. ¡°Not as good as you

    Wendy let out a sharpugh, then got up and sauntered toward the stairs.

    ¡°Zac, let¡¯s shower together,¡± she called our

    Just before disappearing upstairs, she tumed and shed Charlotte a triumphant smile but Charlotte <b>never </b>even spared her a <b>nce</b>.

    During dinner<b>, </b>Zar and Wendy sal on one side of the table,

    Charlotte sat alone on the other

    The housekeeper, Mrs. Zimmer, ced thest dish on the table. ¡°That¡¯s all <b>for </b>tonight.¡±

    Charlotte nced at the food and frowned. ¡°Mrs. Zuer, why is it all vegetables today?¡±

    There wasn¡¯t a single meat dish.

    Everything on the table was green lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, broli

    Zac responded ndly, ¡°Wendy likes vegetables.¡®

    Charlotte let out a low chuckle. ¡°Vegetables, huh?¡± She stirred the greens with her utensils and <b>raised </b>an eyebrow, ¡°Or is this your way of telling me I¡¯ve been reced?¡±

    ¡°Loves her vegetables<b>, </b><b>huh</b>?¡± Charlotte let out a low chuckle. ¡°Or is this just your way of telling me I¡¯ve been made a fool of?¡±

    ¡°Charlotte Riley!¡± Zac snapped, his expression darkening, ¡°Watch your mouth! You can eat whatever you want, but <b>don¡¯t </b>go running your mouth like this.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze dropped to his neck where a ring red mark stood out against his skin.

    Wendy had put it there on purpose, just to make sure Charlotte saw it.

    Charlotte let out a slow, amusedugh, her eyes sparkling with mockery. ¡°Did I say anything untrue? You¡¯d know that better than I would.¡±

    Zac¡¯s face twisted in frustration. ¡°Eat it or don¡¯t. Whatever. Also, Wendy doesn¡¯t have a ce to stay, so she¡¯ll be living here for the next few days. You might as well get used to eating vegetarian¨Cbecause from now on, we¡¯ll be having a lot more of it. If you can¡¯t deal with <b>it</b>, cook <b>your </b>own damn <b>food</b>.¡±

    There was a housekeeper. It wouldn¡¯t have killed him to have her make a few extra dishes

    Charlotte knew that Zac wasn¡¯t even a fan of vegetarian food

    This wasn¡¯t about meals.

    This was about making <b>her </b>life miserable.

    How far was he willing to go just to get under her skin<b>? </b>

    Apparently, far enough to suffer alongside her

    How pathetic

    She knew he was still an

    angry

    She had done nothing wrong

    about the watch, but she had zero intention of exining herself or apologizing.

    Without another word, she set down her utensils and stood up.

    Fine. If there was nothing to <b>eat</b>, she would just order takeout.

    The next moming, Sean¡¯s team delivered her brand¨Cnew car.

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

    J

 His Heart `15

    he Bentley Continental GT in cier Blue was absolutely stunning. Its unique color caught Charlotte¡¯s eye instantly.

    She loved it.

    A sharply dressed man stepped out of the car, handing her the keys with a respectful nod. ¡°Miss Riley, this is a gift from Mr. Jasper.¡±

    Charlotte took the keys, feeling a slight stir in her chest.

    <b>Sean </b>was certainly generous. This car was worth well over half a million dors.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.

    ¡°You¡¯re very wee. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± The inan gave another slight bow, his posture impable.

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Alright¡±

    As soon as the man left, Charlotte¡¯s phone rang. It was Sean.

    ¡°Like <b>the </b>car?¡± Sean¡¯s voice was as casual as if he were asking whether she enjoyed her lunch.

    A luxury car worth over half a million dors, yet he spoke of it as if it were nothing more than a grocery¨Cstore purchase.

    Of course, in his world, extravagant gifts for a fianc¨¦e were just standard practice.

    Maybe it was just that she had spent the past three years living a far more ordinary life. <b>She </b>was out of touch with the world she had once belonged to.

    Receiving <b>a </b><b>car </b>like this actually felt unfamiliar.

    ¡°I love it. Thank you,

    Sean¡±

    ¡°Good, I remembered you like blue.¡± His deep voice carried an effortless warmth.

    Charlotte blinked. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    Had she ever told him her favorite color?

    Sean let out <b>a </b>quiet chuckle. ¡°Back when I was tutoring you, all your notebooks and stationery were light blue.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t expected him to remember something so trivial.

    And yet, he was right

    She had always loved blue, and the moment she saw this <b>car</b>, it had taken her breath away.

    ¡°The second i saw this one, I knew <b>you¡¯d </b>love it,¡± Sean said smoothly. ¡°Take it for a drive. It¡¯spact, perfect for you.¡±

    ¡°I will. I¡¯ll try it outter.¡±

    After they hung up, Charlotte slid into the driver¡¯s seat, her hands <b>resting </b>on the wheel. But instead of starting the engine, she sat there, lost in thought

    Charlotte had a driver¡¯s license. She had driven plenty over the past three years but it <b>was always </b>Zac¡¯s car. Her own <b>car </b><b>had </b>been sitting unused in her family¡¯s estate garage back in Jersey City, collecting dust.

    More often than not, driving Zac¡¯s car didn¡¯t feel <b>like </b><b>a </b>privilege¨CIt felt more like she was his personal <b>chauffeur </b>than his girlfriend.

    He loved <b>to </b>party, and whenever he drank too much to drive, she would get a <b>call</b>. No matter the hour, he expected her to pick him up from some bar or private club.

    She had also overheard his friends mention how, after breaking up with his ex, he <b>had </b>casually gifted her a BMW worth over a hundred grand.

    Yet, despite knowing that her job required frequent travel¨Cmeeting clients, appearing in court, working cases¨CZac had never once suggested getting her a car of her own.

    It wasn¡¯t that Charlotte cared about the car it sell

    But right now<b>, </b>sitting here<b>, </bparing Zac and Sean, the difference was ring.

    One saw her needs. The other had never even thought to ask.

    Zac¡¯s so¨Ccalled love paled Inparison.

    Just then, a voler snapped her out of her thoughts.

    ¡°Oh my God, this car is gorgeous!¡±

    Charlotte recognized Wendy¡¯s voler instantly.

    ¡°I wanted to buy this exact one, but I just couldn¡¯t justify the price,¡± Wendy gushed.

    Through the windshield, Charlotte saw Wendy and Zac approaching.

    <b>Wendy¡¯s </b>eyes were glued to the Bentley, her expression filled with open admiration.

    This <b>was </b>her dream car¨Cthe one she had always wanted but could never have.

    Wendy¡¯s family wasn¡¯t exactly struggling, but they weren¡¯t wealthy either. Her father¡¯s business had been losing money for years, and their Jonly real hope now was for her to marry into the Gibson family, securing a lifeline through Zac

 His Heart `16

    Wendy¡¯s eyes lit up the moment she saw the car. She didn¡¯t even try to hide her excitement, running her hands over the sleek exterior <b>like </b><b>a </b>kid in a candy store.

    ¡°Zac, take a picture of

    She positioned herself next to the car, using the tinted window as a mirror to fix her hair.

    Of course, she had no idea the car had one¨Cway ss. From the inside, Charlotte could see everything perfectly. But from the outside, Wendy waspletely oblivious.

    Charlotte tumed her head, watching Wendy like she was an exhibit at the zon.

    Just as Wendy finished primping, Charlotte casually lowered the window, bringing them face to face.

    ¡°Hey there,¡± she greeted with a sweet smile.

    Wendy froze.

    ¡°Charlotte?¡± Her expression twisted in shock, like she had just seen a ghost. ¡°What the hell are you doing in there?

    Just then, Zac walked up beside her.

    His brows knitted as he caught sight of Charlotte in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Why the hell did you rent a Bentley?¡±

    He didn¡¯t even <b>ask</b>. He just assumed.

    Wendy quickly recovered<b>, </b>schooling her expression into one of amusement.

    You rented a car for pictures, huh?¡± She let out a lightugh, her voice dripping <b>with </b>mockery. ¡°I mean, I heard luxury car rentals aren¡¯t cheap. A single photoshoot must¡¯ve cost you what¨Cyour entire paycheck?¡±

    <b>¡®</b>s frown deepened, his distaste evident. ¡°Charlotte, seriously? You rented this just to take pictures? Are you out of your mind?¡±

    Zac¡¯s

    Wendy smirked. ¡°Exactly. Everyone knows how much you make. Even if you post this on Instagram, people will just think you¡¯re superficial and trying too hard. What¡¯s the point?¡±

    Charlotte let out a shortugh, eyeing Wendy with amusement. ¡°You sound pretty knowledgeable. Let me guess¨Cyou¡¯ve rented one before?¡±

    Wendy¡¯s smirk faltered

    Because, in fact, she had.

    A while back, some of the socialites in her circle had been unting their expensive cars and designer bags, making her green with <b>envy</b>. She had begged her father to buy her a luxury car, but with their family¡¯s finances in bad shape, he had refused.

    Frustrated and unwilling to be outdone, she <b>had </b>secretly rented a Lamborghini for the sole purpose of posting it on social media.

    The embarrassment of being caught off guard faded as she quickly rationalized it.

    So what if she had rented <b>a </b>car before? It wasn¡¯t just any car. It was a Lamborghini, worth over a million. That was leagues above the Bentley Charlotte <b>was </b>sitting in now.

    Of course, there was no way she would admit <b>to </b><b>it</b>, not in front of Zac

    With her chin lifted, she said coolly, ¡°I don¡¯t need to rent cars. Back when I was overseas, I drove a Lamborghini¨Cway pricier than this one.¡±

    Charlotte tilted her head. ¡°Oh, really? Then why don¡¯t you drive it now?¡±

    Wendy didn¡¯t miss a beat. ¡°I got bored of it. Sure, supercars look shy, but they¡¯re not practical for women. I recently switched to a Panamera I¡¯ll bring it over sometime if you want a picture no charge<b>.</b>¡±

    Her one wasced with condescension

    What she didn¡¯t mention was that her so¨Ccalled Panamera <b>was </b>actually <b>a </b>secondhand car she had bought just to keep up appearances. With ber family¡¯s business struggling, <b>they </b>had even mortgaged their house She could barely afford the lifestyle she <b>was </b>pretending to have.

    Charlutte let out a slow, drawn¨Cout ¡°Ohhh,¡± then stalled. ¡°Got it. Weren¡¯t you just about to take a picture? <b>Go </b><b>ahead</b>, I don¡¯t inind lending you

    Wendy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°No thanks¡±

    Zac, who had been silent until now<b>, </b>suddenly spoke. ¡°Charlotte, how did I never realize you were this superficial<b>? </b>

 His Heart `17

    Charlotte let out an easyugh, unfazed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Because you never really know me.¡±

    Then, with a mischievous glint in her eye,

    eye, she turned to Wendy. ¡°Miss Cooper, are you sure you don¡¯t <b>want </b><b>a </b>picture? I¡¯m about to drive off.¡± Wendy¡¯s expression darkened. She wanted to badly. But with Charlotte sitting inside, there was no way she could bring herself to do it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need one,¡± Wendy huffed.

    ¡°Alright then. Bye¨Cbye!¡± Charlotte waved at them, stepped on the gas, and sped off, the blue Bentley vanishing from sight.

    Wendy¡¯s hands balled into fists. ¡°Zac, how did you ever end up with such a shallow woman?¡±

    Zac nabbed his temples. ¡°She wasn¡¯t always like this. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into hertely¨Cfirst trying to force marriage, now renting a car just <b>to </b>show off.¡±

    Wendy crossed her arms and let out a dramatic sigh. ¡°She probably feels threatened because you and I are closer now. Maybe she thinks pulling stunts like this will help her fit into our circle.¡±

    She shook her head, feigning pity. ¡°Too bad a rental is still just a rental. No matter how many pictures she takes, It¡¯s not really here. That¡¯s Just sad.¡±

    Zac exhaled in frustration ¡°Enough. This whole thing is embarrassing.¡± Without another word, he turned and walked back into the house.

    Charlotte, meanwhile, had taken the Bentley for a drive, finally pulling <b>into </b>a private paid parking lot near the estate. She had no intention parking it in Zac¡¯s garage¡ªat least, not yet. She wasn¡¯t ready to tip her hand.

    She had once thought about telling Zac the truth about her background. Now? She didn¡¯t see the point anymore.

    That evening, dinner was yet another table full of nd vegetarian dishes.

    Charlotte, unfazed, set down the takeout she had ordered from a well¨Cknown private kitchen and took her seat at the <b>table</b>. The moment <b>she </b>opened the containers, a rich, spicy aroma filled the room.

    Zac couldn¡¯t help but nce over.

    Cajun¨Cstyle crawfish. Spicy crab. The dishes looked incredible, the mouthwatering heat teasing his senses. Within seconds, his stomach tightened with hunger<b>, </b>saliva pooling in his mouth.

    Then he looked down at his own te¨Csteamed vegetables, tofu<b>, </b><b>a </b>cold cucumber sd. nd. Tasteless. Completely unappetizing !

    Qarlotte slid on a pair of disposable gloves and got to work <b>peeling </b>the crawfish, totally immersed.

    Zac swallowed hard. He loved Cajun crawfish. He and Charlotte used to go out for it all the time, and she would always peel them for him

    He waited, half¨Cexpecting¨Cmaybe even hoping¨Cthat she would drop a peeled piece into his te, just like before.

    But instead, she popped it straight into her mouth, savoring every bite.

    Sensing his gaze, she looked up. ¡°Something wrong?¡± she <b>asked </b>after swallowing

    Zat cleared his throat <b>and </b>yed it cool. ¡°Can you not <b>eat </b>something that smells so strong?¡±

    Before Charlotte could respond, Wendy jumped in ¡°Ugh, the poorer someone is, the more they love eating this <b>kind </b>of overly spicy <b>food</b>. Charlotte, the smell is unbearable. Maybe take it outside?¡±

    Zac¡¯sexpression darkrised.

    hist moments ago, he had been eyeing the food, practically craving it. But now Wendy had gone and <b>said</b>, ¡°Only <b>poor </b>people eat

    A stuff like

    Charlotte licked her lips, casually reaching for another plece of crawfish. Her tone was light, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. ¡°Miss Cooper, you don¡¯t seem to know Zac very well. Why don¡¯t you <b>ask </b>him if he likes this kind of food?¡±

    Wendy heated for a moment before turning to Zar. ¡°Zar, do you¡­/¡±

    Zac¡¯s jaw tightened. He forced himself to pick up a bite of steamed greens. ¡°Forget it. Just eat ¡±

    Charlotte hummed a tune as she leisurely worked through the rest of her Cajun crawfish and spley <b>crab</b>,pletely unbothered.

 His Heart `18

    After dinner<b>, </b>Wendy strolled around the living room, casually critiquing the <b>decor</b>. ¡°Zac, these curtains don¡¯t match the space at all. And this vase¨Cugh, it shes with everything.¡±

    Then she wrinkled her nose, pointing at the fresh flowers Inside. ¡°Also, I¡¯m allergic to pollen. Can we just get rid of these?¡±

    The curtains were ones Charlotte had picked. The vase was something she had bought. The flower arrangement? One she had put together herself. Wendy was clearly nitpicking on purpose.

    <b>Zac </b>barely looked up. ¡°If you don¡¯t like them, pick out whatever you want.¡± Then, as if to drive his point home, he added, ¡°Since you¡¯re <b>allergic</b>, just toss them<b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte watched them y their little game, silent and unbothered,

    Not her house. Not her problem,

    But Wendy mistook her sence for hurt, her eyes shing with smug satisfaction.

    ¡°Charlotte, you¡¯ve lost,¡± she silently remarked.

    rs out.¡±

    <b>Zac </b>called for Mrs. Zimmer, ¡°Throw the <b>vase </b>and flowers

    Mrs. Zimmer hesitated, stealing a <b>nce </b>at Charlotte before carefully saying, ¡°Mr. Gibson, but Miss Riley bought them¡­¡±

    Zac¡¯s expression darkened, his voice growing impatient. ¡°And? Do you not understand who owns this house? Who pays your sry?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s tone was calm<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b>fine, Mrs. Zammer. Just toss them.¡±

    With no other choice, Mrs. Zimmer picked up the vase and lett, muttering under her breath. ¡°Ridiculous. The man¡¯s lost his damn mind. And that Wendy girl tooes in, takes over, and suddenly we¡¯re all eating nothing but rabbit food. When is this nightmare going to <b>end</b><b>?</b>¡±

    Meanwhile, in the living room, Wendy clung to Zac¡¯s arm, her voice dripping with honey. ¡°Zac, will youe with me to pick out new curtains tomorrow?

    <b>Zac </b>nced at Charlotte, expecting to see jealousy flicker across her face.

    But she didn¡¯t react at all.

    No irritation. No sulking. No jealousy.

    Nothing

    A strange frustration churned in his chest.

    Why wasn¡¯t she jealous<b>? </b>

    He had just thrown out something she <b>had </b>carefully picked, and she didn¡¯t even flinch.

    <b>She </b>was always so obedient and easygoing. He had liked that about her. But now, <b>for </b>some reason, it was starting to annoy him.

    Maybe a little jealousy wouldn¡¯t be so bad.

    Wendy tugged on his ann, ¡°<b>Zac</b>, are you even listening?¡±

    Zac snapped <b>back </b>to the moment. His voice was dull, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The next day, Wendy made a grand <b>show </b>of redecorating.

    She ordered an entire shipment of home decor, directing the delivery workers to rece the curtains and swap out all the furnishings

    Charlotte had chosen.

    One by one, Charlotte¡¯s belongings were thrown into the trash

    <b>When </b>Charlotte returned home, she walked into a half¨Cfinished, chaotic mess. Wendy stood there, arms crossed, practically glowing with satisfaction as their eyes met

    Charlotte didn¡¯t react.

    She barely spared the mess a nce before heading upstairs to her room

    She had already packed up everything she nned to take with her. What she was throwing out was <b>already </b>set aside. Only a few daily essentials and a couple of outfits remained.

    She <b>had </b>assumed she and Wendy would stay

    by out of each other¡¯s way for thest few days.

    Clearly, Wendy was determined to push her out by any means necessary.

    The night before the trial, Charlotte was in the shower when she suddenly heard the sharp crash of something shattering in her bedroom. Her heart clenched. <b>She </b>quickly rinsed off, threw on her nightgown, and rushed out to check.

    The room was empty.

    r¨Cscattered In Jagged shards¨Cwas the ceramic figurine her mother had left her.

    But on <b>the </b>floor-

    Charlotte froze.

    It had been a birthday gift from when she was twelve, a pale blue puppy she and her mom had painted together at a pottery shop. Their names were even etched on the back

    ulse pounding

    A furious heat rushed to her head, her pulse

    ¡°Who did this?!¡± she shouted, storming out of the room.

    She marched straight to Zac¡¯s bedroom and pounded on the door,

    ]¡°Zac! Wendy! Which one of you was in my room?!

    The door swung open, revealing Zac¡¯s annoyed face. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? <b>It¡¯s </b>the middle of the night! Can¡¯t you let people sleep?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly with rage. Her voice was sharp. ¡°Did you go into my room just now?¡±

    going through

    Zac frowned. ¡°<b>Why </b>the hell would I go into your room?¡±

    ?¡± His irritation deepened. ¡°Stop making a scene. I¡¯ve been in here g

    contracts all night.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Then it <b>was </b>Wendy.¡±

    Without another word, she spun on her heel and stormed toward Wendy¡¯s room at the end of the <b>hall</b>.

    Zat, sensing trouble, followed quickly behind.

    Quarlotte mmed her fist against the door. ¡°Wendy! Open <b>up</b>!¡±

    When there was no immediate response, she raised her foot and kicked the <b>door</b>. Bang!

    Zar¡¯s brows shot up.

    This was not the sweet, mild¨Cmannered Charlotte he knew.

    Wendy <b>finally </b>cracked the door open, looking utterly unimpressed. ¡°<b>What¡¯s </b>your <b>problem</b>?¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she <b>grabbed </b>Wendy¡¯s wrist and <b>dragged </b>her toward her own room

    ¡°<b>What </b>the hell?! Let go ofine!¡± Wendy stumbled, trying to resist, but Charlotte was stronger than she looked.

    With a sharp tug<b>, </b>Charlotte pulled Wendy inside and flung her forward.

    Wendy lost her <b>bnce</b>, her knee mning into the dresser. ¡°Ow! Are <b>you </b>insane<b>?!</b>¡± she screeched.

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes were Ice. ¡°Did you break my figurine?¡±

    Wendy¡¯s gaze flickered, her lips parting. ¡°I¨CWhat are you even talking about? I wasn¡¯t in your room!¡±

    Charlotte stepped closer, her presence suffocating ¡°Really? Because when I stepped out of the shower, I saw a glimpse of a beige skirt at my door.¡±

    Wendy stiffened<b>. </b>¡°You¡¯re lying! 1¡ª¡ª I wasn¡¯t even wearing beige! I was wearing-¡°She stopped mild¨Csentence, her <b>eyes </b>widening in horror at

    her own slip¨Cup

    Charlotte arched a brow, her tone <b>lethal</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>You were wearing what, Wendy? Oh, let me guess that gray skirt you just changed out of?¡±

    Wendy swallowed <b>hard</b><b>, </b>her throat bobbing ¡°I was just¨Cjust looking around

    Charlotte¡¯s <b>gaze </b>humed even <b>colder</b>. ¡°Looking around? In my room? For what?¡±

    Wendy opened and closed her mouth, scrambling for an answer

    ¡°Enough!¡± Zac suddenly stepped in front of Wendy, his voice irritated. ¡°Charlotte, <b>stop </b>making a big <b>deal </b>out of nothing. It¡¯s just some cheap little figurine¨Cbuy another one and move on! Why are you harassing Wendy?¡±

    SMACK.

    A sharp, resounding p filled the air.

    Charlotte swing her hand with full force,nding a brutal p across Zac¡¯s <b>face</b>.

    Both Zac and Wendy stood frozen in shock

    ¡°Get out!¡± Charlotte roared at Zac, her eyes zing. ¡°This has nothing to do with you! Who the hell do you think you are to forgive her on my

    Wendy, who had been standing behind Zac, suddenly shoved him aside and stormed up to Charlotte. Her face was twisted with rage. ¡°Who do you think you are to hit him?!¡±

    SMACK

    Another sharp p rang through the room

    Charlotte¡¯s voice was cold and unwavering, ¡°<b>You </b>can get

    get out too.¡±

    A bright red handprint immediately bloomed across Wendy¡¯s cheek.

    She let out a shocked gasp<b>, </b>eyes wide with fury. There was no way she was letting this go.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Wendy lifted her <b>hand</b><b>, </b>ready to p Charlotte back.

    But before she could even make contact, Charlotte grabbed her wrist in a vice grip and yanked her off bnce. With a sharp shove, Wendy stumbled backward, her palmnding directly on the shattered ceramic shards.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Wendy¡¯s scream pierced the air as blood instantly welled from the deep cuts in her hand. ¡°My hand! My hand!¡±

    Zac finally snapped out of his daze and <b>rushed </b>to her side. ¡°Wendy! Are you okay?!¡±

    Charlotte looked down at her, her expression utterly devoid of sympathy, ¡°Serves you right. Maybe next time<b>, </b><b>don¡¯t </b>break things that don¡¯t belong to you.¡±

    Zac turned on her, his face dark with anger. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, Charlotte!¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°Apologize. Now¡±

    Charlotte met his re, unflinching ¡°She should be the one apologizing to me. She broke something irreceable.¡±

    Wendy clutched onto Zacytears spilling down her face as she whimpered, ¡°It hurts so much, Zac¡­ please, take me to the hospital.¡±

    Zac immediately scooped her up in his arms. As he carried her toward the door, he shot Charlotte a furious re. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see <b>you </b>ever again. Get out of my sigh.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Charlotte¡¯s reply was calm, almost indifferent.

    Zar hesitated for a split second. Something about her reaction unsettled him.

    But Wendy¡¯s injured hand was still dripping blood onto his shirt, so he turned and stormed out with her.

    the front <b>door </b>mmed shut, <b>silence </b>settled over the house.

    Charlotte slowly stepped toward the shattered remains of the ceramic <b>figurine </b>and knelt beside it. Her fingers trembled as she reached out to touch the broken pieces.

    Tears welled in her eyes <b>and </b>fell, one by one, onto the shards.

    ¡°Mom. I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t protect the gilt you left me. I¡¯m so sorry..

    The big house felt cold and empty as Charlotte crouched on the floor, tears streaming down her face.

    She was twelve when her mom gut really sick

    The kind, gentle woman who <b>always </b>smiled was slowlyding away, getting thinner and weaker with each passing day-

    Back then, Charlotte had just started middle school Every day after school, instead of going home, she went straight to the hospital.

    She would sit beside her mom, telling her about school, sharing funny stories, and singing the new <b>songs </b>she learned in ss.

    .35 Bonus

    ¡°Mom, when will you get better?¡± Charlotte sat by her mother¡¯s hospital bed, her bright eyes holding a quiet sadness.

    Her mom had been sick for over six months, and it seemed like she was only getting worse.

    Sue Sullivan gently stroked Charlotte¡¯s hair and gave her a tired but wann smile. ¡°The doctor says I¡¯ll be going home soon.

    ¡°Really?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes lit up with hope.

    ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± Sur¡¯s face was pale, her body weak, but her gaze was soft and steady. ¡°I¡¯ll be home in time for your birthday.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Yay!¡±

    And just like that, Charlotte believed her.

    She really thought her mom was getting better.

    Butter, she realized that when her mom said she was ¡°going home,¡± she didn¡¯t mean she was recovering.

    She meant the doctors had done all they could. They were sending her home to spend her final days with family and fulfill anyst wishes

 His Heart `19

    The day Sue was discharged, the sky was a clear, crisp blue after a night of snow. Trees on both sides of the road glistened under the morning, sun, their branches coated in for.

    Desmond drove to the hospital himself to pick her up. The car ride was silent, weighed down by an unspoken heaviness.

    In the backseat, little Charlotte pressed her face against the window, breathing onto the cold ss and tracing pictures with her fingertip. Her heart was full of joy.

    Mom was finallying home.

    She drew a picture of the three of them¨Cher, Mom, and Dad¨Chand in hand. Her eyes sparkled with happiness.

    Sue noticed and felt a sharp pang In her heart. Her eyes turned rod in an instant. She quickly turned her head away, wiping away the tears before forcing a smile.

    ¡°Charlotte, your birthday ising up. What do you want this year?¡±

    Charlotte, still busy doodling on the window, answered without hesitation. ¡°Mom, I want a Cinnamoroll¡±

    ¡°Cinnamoroll?¡± <b>Sur¡¯s </b><b>voler </b>was warm. ¡°Is that a dog breed? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve <b>heard </b>of it before<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°No, no,¡± Charlotte shook her head eagerly. ¡°It¡¯s a cartoon puppy. I want a ceramic Cinnamoroll. My friend, Lena, said there¡¯s a new craft shop on Chancery Road where you <b>can </b>paint your own ceramic figurines.¡±

    She turned to look at her mom, her little face full of excitement. ¡°Last week, Lena and Jordan went there and painted the cutest little figurines<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Sue </b>smiled gently, her gaze soft. ¡°Alright. If that¡¯s what you want, <b>we¡¯ll </b>go together.¡±

    On Charlotte¡¯s twelfth birthday, the city was nketed in snow.

    Hand in hand, <b>she </b>and her mother stepped into the craft shop. Since they had ced an order in advance, the shopkeeper handed them an unpainted ceramic Cinnamoroll as soon as they arrived.

    <b>Together</b>, mother and daughter carefully painted their little <b>figurine</b>.

    It was the first time they had ever created something together.

    When they were done, Charlotte beamed<b>, </b>admiring their work. It looked just like the one in the reference picture¨Cmaybe even cuter.

    Afterward<b>, </b>they stopped by a bakery nearby, Sue held the cake in one hand and Charlotte¡¯s hand in the other <b>as </b>they walked through the snow

    At one point<b>, </b><b>Sue </b>suddenly stopped. She turned to her daughter, looking at her with deep affection.

    ¡°Charlotte, <b>I </b>love you. <b>So, </b><b>so </b>much.¡±

    Her voice was light and soft, quickly carried away by the cold winter <b>wind</b>.

    Charlotte¡¯s nose was red from the chill

    Mom <b>always </b>told her she loved her, <b>so </b>she didn¡¯t think much of it. She smiled, answering in a bright, cheerful voice.

    ¡°I love you <b>too</b>, Mom.¡±

    Sue¡¯s nose stung. She fought back the tears

    Her jule Charlotte was still so young. Only twelve.

    She wouldn¡¯t be able to stay with her touch longer

    How would her daughter go on without her?

    Afraid Charlotte would see her crying, Sue <b>turned </b>away and kept walking, leading her across the bustling <b>Chancery </b>Road and into the outdoor parking lot

    Frogs a distance, Charlotte spotted her father standing by the car, unoking

    <b>-25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    He looked sad.

    She rarely saw that expression on him

    Just as she was about to ask, Desmond lifted his head and noticed them.

    The sorrow on his face disappeared in an instant, reced by his usual expression.

    For a monsent, Charlotte wondered if she had Imagined it.

    Desmond put out his cigarette, his voice hoarse as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±

    Sue gave him a soft ¡°Mm.¡±

    That night, Desmond cooked dinner himself.

    The three of them sat around the table, eating, talking,ughing. Charlotte wore a little birthday

    candles.

    For a moment, everything felt warm and perfect.

    Until it wasn¡¯t.

    Ir happened while they were eating cake.

    Sue had just li

    lifted a piece to her lips when she suddenly started coughing violently.

    <b>Then</b>, she began vomiting blood.

    Charlotte froze<b>. </b>

    Her <b>slice </b>of cake slipped from her fingers,nding on the floor, staining her brand¨Cnew shoes.

    she <b>made </b><b>a </b>wish and

    Panic took over Desmond¡¯s face as he rushed to her side, his voice choked with fear. ¡°Suel Sue, don¡¯t do this to me. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right now

    The housekeeper scrambled to <b>dial </b>911.

    Charlotte stood there, motionless<b>, </b>her mind nk.

    Why?

    Just moments ago, Mom had been fine.

    The doctor had said she was well enough to go home.

    Hadn¡¯t she already recovered?

    The ambnce arrived quickly.

    As the paramedics lifted <b>Sue </b>onto the stretcher<b>, </b>Charlotte caught a glimpse of her mother¡¯s tear¨Cfilled eyes.

    Sue opened her mouth like she wanted to say something

    But no words came out.

    She was in too much pain to speak.

    Instead, ber lips moved soundlessly.

    Charlotte recognized the words.

    Tears blurred her vision.

    She broke into a run, stumbling out into the endless snow.

    ¡°<b>Mom</b>! Mom, don¡¯t pol¡±

    The ambnce took off in a rush, not even waiting for Charlotte to catch <b>up </b>

    <b>425</b>

 His Heart ` 20

    She can after it as fast as she could, chasing it down the snowy road.

    But no matter how fast she ran, she couldn¡¯t catch up.

    She could only watch as the white ambnce carrying her mother disappeared from view.

    That night, Soe passed away.

    Desmond stayed by her <b>side</b>, grieving until he waspletely drained.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t know any of this.

    She hadn¡¯t been able to catch up with the ambnce. She had fallen in the snow, and it was the housekeeper who had run out after her and carried her back inside.

    That night, she came down with a high fever. In her sleep, she kept calling out for her mother, crying on and off until morning.

    She wept the entire night.

    By the time she woke up the next morning, the first thing she heard was the news

    Her mother was

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t bring herself to go to the hospital for a final goodbye. She was terrified of seeing her mother¡¯s

    For a long time, she lied to herself.

    If she never saw it, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be real.

    Maybe Mom was still alive.

    Maybe she had just gone on a trip, somewhere far away.

    Lifeless body.

    In Charlotte¡¯s heart, the warm, gentle woman who always smiled like the spring sunshine was still out there, somewhere, living.

    After Sue¡¯s passing, Charlotte clung to the ceramic Cinnamoroll, holding it day and night.

    She refused to <b>eat</b>, refused to drink.

    She would fall asleep clutching it, and when she woke up, she would just <b>cry </b>silently

    Desmond, on the other hand, seemed to age overnight

    Hic hair grayed

    His eyes dimmed.

    It was like all the life had drained out of him, leaving behind nothing but exhaustion and grief.

    He barely had the energy to take care of himself, let alone his daughter

    Later, he was diagnosed with depression.

    Charlotte truly believed he would never remarry.

    He had loved so much. How <b>could </b>he ever have room in his <b>heart </b>for another woman?

    But just two <b>years </bter, he did.

    And the woman lie chose <b>was </b>none other than Sur¡¯s best friend.

    Charlotte lost in

    She threw a fit that night and moved into her school dormitory

    Even during holidays, she locked herself in her room at home, refusing to talk to them.

    Excetually, things got better.

    By the time she graduated college, she and Desmond had finally started to mend their rtionship.

    And then, just when she thought things were Improving, he told her she had to marry into the Jasper family.

    Thelt fragile rtionship shattered all over again.

    This time, he was truly furlous

    He had always spoiled her, giving her whatever she wanted.

    But on this, he refused to back down.

    To force her hand, he even froze her bank ounts, cutting her offpletely.

    But for Charlotte, the arranged marriage wasn¡¯t the real breaking point.

    It was just the final straw.

    The real reason she left, was because he had remarried.

    It was a betrayal of her mother.

    And Charlotte was convinced that the only reason he wanted her to marry so quickly was to get <b>rid </b>of her.

    Everyone always said, ¡°A married daughter is as good as gone.

    She figured the Riley family no longer had a ce for her.

    So she left.

    And for three years, she never looked back.

    Through it <b>all</b>, she carried the ceramic Cinnamoroll with her.

    It was thest thing her mother had ever given her.

    The most precious thing she owned.

    But now, it was broker

    And so was she.

    When the tears finally stopped, Charlotte wiped her <b>face </b><b>and </b>forced herself to think.

    Maybe¡­maybe it could still be saved

    If she could find a top restoration expert, maybe there was still hope.

    She snapped <b>a </b><b>photo </b>of the broken pieces and posted it on her Instagram story.

    ¡°Anyone <b>know </b>a great restoration expert?¡±

    She had plenty <b>of </b>connections in Jersey City¨Cfamily, friends<b>, </b>and rtives who were powerful figures.

    Finding someone shouldn¡¯t be too hard.

    Her phone rang just minutes after she posted.

    It was Sean,

    She figured he was calling to rmend soquone, so she answered right <b>away</b>.

    But <b>his </b>voice came through the line, low and urgent ¡°Lottle, are you hurt?

    Charlotte froze.

    Then, she realized that there had been blood on the ceramic shards.

    She hadn¡¯t <b>even </b><b>cleaned </b>them yet

    ¡°<b>No</b><b>,</b>¡± <b>she </b>said quickly. ¡°It¡¯s not my <b>blood</b>.¡±

    +25 <b>Bonus </b>

    J

    Sean didn¡¯t sound convinced. <i>¡°</i>What happened? That¡¯s the figurine Aunt Sue gave you, isn¡¯t it? How did it break?¡±

    Charlotte went silent.

    She didn¡¯t even know where to begin.

    But what truly caught her off guard was that Sean had recognized in right away.

    Just from a photo of the broken pieces, he had known exactly what it was.

    A momentter, his voice came through again, firm and unwavering

    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the airport now. Walt for me. I¡¯ll see you in Harbor City soon.¡±

    ow gap in the door

 His Heart ` 2`1

    After hanging up, Charlotte carefully reyed the night¡¯s events in her mind.

    Why had Wendy snuck into her room while she was in the shower? It definitely wasn¡¯t just to look around like she <b>had </b>imed.

    She was up to something.

    Charlotte walked around the room, scanning every detall, but aside from the shattered ceramic figurine, everything else seemed untouched. Nothing appeared out of ce.

    Then<b>, </b>her gazended on the ss of milk sitting on her nightstand.

    <b>She </b>had a habit. She always drank a cup of warm milk before bed.

    Before heading to shower, she had asked Mrs. Zimmer to heat it up and bring it to her, nning to drink it afterward.

    The ceramic figurine had also been on the nightstand before it was smashed.

    If <b>Wendy </b>had broken it, then she had clearly lingered near the nightstand for a while.

    There was a very real chance Wendy had tampered with that ss of milk.

    Three hourster, Sean finally arrived in Harbor City.

    By the time Charlotte got his call, he was already on his way to her ce at Harmony Hill Vi.

    She was outside, tossing bags of unwanted stuff into the trash.

    ¡°Sean, I¡¯m not staying here tonight¡± She bnced her phone between her ear <b>and </b>shoulder as she made her <b>way </b>back to the house,

    There was still more to throw out, and Mrs. Zimmer had already gone to bed. Rather than bother her, Charlotte decided to take care of it berself

    Sean didn¡¯t ask any questions, just responded with <b>a </b>simple<b>, </b>¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°Did <b>you </b>book <b>a </b>hotel yet?¡± she asked.

    He named a high¨Cend hotel downtown.

    <b>¡°</b>Perfect. I¡¯ll book a room there too. Let¡¯s just meet at the hotel. You don¡¯t have toe all the way here.¡±

    She had already packed up everything she needed and nned to leave the house for good tonight.

    I was time to say <b>goodbye </b>to Zac once <b>and </b>for all.

    Charlotte loaded her suitcase into the trunk, then pulled out her phone to book a room. That was when she found out that the hotel was fully

    booked

    She <b>did </b><b>a </b>quick search <b>and </b>realized that a major exam was being held at a nearby school the next day. Nearly every hotel in the area was fully booked

    After searching for a while, she found onest avable room at a rundown motel Charlotte scrolled through the reviews and frowned at the photos andints.

    Onement stood out:

    <b>¡°</b><b>The </b>walls are paper¨Cthin. I could hear the couple next door going at it all night¨Cfelt like a live broadcast happening right in front of me. Let¡¯s just <b>say</b><b>, </b>I didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep¡±

    Charlotte understood exactly what that meant.

    She had a trial at 3pm. the next day, and the drive there would take about three hours. Factoring in time to get ready, eat, and get on the road, she would have to be up by 10 am at thetest.

    It <b>was </b>already past 11 pm. After meeting Sean, she wouldn¡¯t have much time to rest. If she ended up in a ce with noise disturbances all night, she would be a mess by morning-

    After thinking it over, she sent Sean a message.

    +35 Bonus

    ¡°That hotel¡¯s fully booked, and I can¡¯t find a room anywhere nearby. Can you help me <b>book </b>one, Sean?¡±

    While the regr rooms in high¨Cend hotels were often reserved quickly, luxury sultes were usually kept avable for VIP guests. And as the heir of the Jasper family and CEO of Jasper Corporation, getting a room would be effortless for him.

    His reply came quickly.

    ¡°I have a penthouse suite. It¡¯s a duplex with two bedrooms¨Cone upstairs, one downstairs. If you don¡¯t mind, you can stay here for the night.¡±

    Charlotte hesitated.

    She and Sean hadn¡¯t seen each other in over three years. Wouldn¡¯t it be weird to stay in the same suite the first time they met again?

    mup on the offer, where else could she go at this hour?

    But if she didn¡¯t take him up on

    A duplex sulte wasn¡¯t that bad. The two bedrooms were on separate floors, so it wasn¡¯t like they would be in each other¡¯s way.

    After a few minutes of debating, she agreed.

    Just as she was about to step on the gas and leave, a message popped up from Zac.

    D

 His Heart ` 22

    There were pictures attached.

    Wendy¡¯s hand was wrapped in thickyers of gauze, looking rmingly serious.

    ¡°Charlotte, you really went too far this time. Get to the hospital and apologize to Wendy now.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not forgiving you until you do. Be <b>good</b><b>, </b>say you¡¯re sorry, and you can keep staying at the house.¡±

    Charlotte let out a coldugh¡­

    She didn¡¯t bother replying.

    Instead, she blocked and deleted him on the messaging app without a second thought.

    At the hospital, Zac stared at his phone screen, his expression dark and stormy.

    A gray notification sat beneath hisst message:

    ¡°Message not delivered. This person is no longer avable on your contacts.¡±

    She actually blocked him on the messaging appl

    Zac¡¯s jaw clenched, his brows twitching with frustration.

    So, she <b>had </b>gots now? She even dared to block him?

    On the hospital bed, Wendy noticed his grim expression and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Zac, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Zac snapped out of his thoughts, forcing his imitation down as he replied coldly, ¡°Nothing¡±

    Wendy didn¡¯t press further. She gazed up at him with wide, teary eyes<b>, </b>looking utterly fragile. ¡°Zac<b>, </b>is my hand ruined? <b>Will </b>I never be able to y no again?¡±

    Before she went abroad, Wendy had studied piano, attending a prestigious music academy overseas. Since retuming, she had built a following on a popr short¨Cvideo tform, amassing over a million fans. She was practically an influencer now.

    Hearing her say that, Zac¡¯s expression softened slightly, a trace of sympathy flickering in his eyes. ¡°No, the doctor said it¡¯s just a surface wound. It didn¡¯t damage any muscles or tendons. You¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡±

    Wendy <b>looked </b>heartbroken, her voice trembling as if she were on the verge of tears ¡°Really? You¡¯re not just saying that to make me feel better?¡±

    Zac reached out, ruffling her hair. ¡°Of course <b>not</b>.¡±

    She lifted her gaze to meet his, looking pitiful. ¡°Zac, if¨Cjust if¨Cmy injury was worse and I could never y no again¡­ would you <b>still </b>forgive Charlotte?¡±

    Zac¡¯s dark eyes turned icy. ¡°<b>Even </b>with <b>your </b>injury now, if she doesn¡¯t apologize, I won¡¯t forgive her. And if you really couldn¡¯t y again, I¡¯d make her pay for it.¡±

    Tears shimmered in Wendy¡¯s eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder, murmuring softly, ¡°I knew you cared about me the most.

    Zac held her close, but his mind wandered elsewhere¨C<b>back </b>to Charlotte.

    Had he been too harsh when he told her he never

    ver wanted to see her again?

    But she was the one who hurt Wendy first. She was in the wrong!

    Blocking him was just her way of waiting for him toe and make things right.

    But this time, he wouldn¡¯t.

    Charlotte arrived at the hotel lobby, lifting her gaze to see Sean instantly,

    Dressed in a fitted ck shirt and tailored cks, he exuded effortless elegance. His broad shoulders, tapered waist, <b>and </b>long legs only emphasized his striking good looks.

    +25 Bonus

    His features were just as sharp and handsome as they had been

    on three y

    years ago. He was still ridiculously good¨Clooking¨Calmost unfairly so.

    Standing beside him was a man in a sult, slightly shorter than Soan, who looked every bit the professional assistant.

    The moment <b>Sean </b>spotted her, he quickly strode forward and took her suitcase from her hands. ¡°Lottle, are you okay?¡±

    Charlotte pressed her lips together, answering softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Sean¡¯s assistant spoke respectfully. ¡°Mr. Jasper, I¡¯ll take my leave now

    Scan nodded.

    The penthouse suite of the five¨Cstar hotel was nothing short of hourous. It was spacious and elegantly furnished, offering a breathtaking view of the city skyline through its floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows.

    ¡°Lottie, do you want the upstairs room or the one down here?¡±

    Sharing a suite with a man like him, so effortlessly handsome I felt unreal, made Charlotte a bit nervous.

    ¡°.. either is fine,¡± she stammered.

    She thought she heard a quiet chuckle. Avoiding his gaze, she kept her eyes locked on the plush carpet beneath her feet.

    His voice was low and smooth. ¡°Then take the upstairs room. If you need anything, just call me.¡±

    A faint, unmistakable flush crept onto her cheeks. ¡°Olcay.¡±

    2

 His Heart ` 23

    <b>Sean </b>must have noticed that Charlotte felt a little uneasy around him, because he said, me know. I¡¯m going upstairs to take a shower.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second.¡±

    Sean paused mid¨Cstep and turned back to her. ¡°What is It?¡±

    ke a look around and see if you need anything Let

    can you get

    get this tested? I think something might be

    Charlotte unzipped her backpack, pulled out a bottle of milk, and handed it to him. <b>¡°</b><b>Sean</b>, can y wrong with

    His eyes darkened. ¡°Someone tried to harm you?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression grew serious as she nodded. ¡°I think so. I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯d rather be careful.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Leave it to me<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean took out his phone and made a call ¡°Come to the hotel. I have something for you to handle.¡±

    Then he walked off, disappearing around the corner.

    Charlotte lot out a breath, her body finally rxing

    Just moments <b>ago</b>, when she handed him the milk, she had identally locked eyes with him. His gaze was deep and unreadable, and for a split second<b>, </b>she swore her heart stopped.

    His eyes were beautiful.

    No¨Cnot just his eyes. His entire face was a masterpiece, like something sculpted by the gods themselves. Staring at him too long made her heart race.

    After Sean left, Charlotte took in the suite.

    It was clear someone actually lived here. Personal belongings were <b>scattered </b>throughout the space, and it didn¡¯t feel like <b>a </b>temporary stay at

    <b>all </b>

    That was odd.

    This wasn¡¯t a standard hotel:

    1 room Sean <b>had </b>booked on a whim. It looked like he stayed here often.

    But wasn¡¯t he supposed to be living In Jersey City?

    Charlotte shook <b>off </b>the thought. It wasn¡¯t really her business.

    ??

    She took her suitcase to the <b>bedroom </b>and only then realized she had forgotten to pack slippers for the shower.

    Just as she debated whether to ask Sean, the doorbell rang

    When she <b>opened </b>the door, a hotel staff member stood there holding a tray in one hand and a shopping bag in the other<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Good </b>evening. Miss. I have a delivery for Mr. Jasper.¡±

    Charlotte <b>took </b>the items. Thank you.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re </b>wee.¡±

    After closing the <b>door</b><b>, </b>she <b>looked </b>down at the warm milk on the tray

    Sean drank wara milk before bed too? That was unexpected.

    She ced the <b>ss </b><b>on </b>the table and opened the bag. Inside were <b>a </b><b>brand</b>¨Cnew pair of women¡¯s slippers, two neatly wrapped towels, and a set of travel¨Csized toiletries.

    They were for her.

    Warmth spread in her chest. Sean was

    <b>as </b>more thoughtful than she remembered,

    ¡°<b>Did </b>everything arrive?¡± His voice came from the <b>stairs</b>.

    Charlotte turned to him. ¡°<b>Yeah</b>, it¡¯s all here. Thanks, Sean.¡±

    <b>Their </b>eyes met, and for <b>a </b>moment, something felt different.

    He wasn¡¯t just the older brother figure who used to tutor her anymore.

    Now, he was also her fanc

    ¡°The milk is for you,¡± Sean said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± She blinked ¡°I thought it was for <b>you</b>.¡±

    ¡°I <b>don¡¯t </b>have that habit. Drink <b>up</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    He walked to the door<b>, </b>where his assistant was already waiting.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Take </b>this for testing.¡± Sean instructed.

    ¡°Understood, Mr. Jasper.¡±

    When he turned back, he caught Charlotte watching him.

    Her eyes were round and bright, brimming with curiosity¨Clike a small, adorable animal.

    Something light as a feather brushed against Sean¡¯s heart, leaving behind a warmth he didn¡¯t quite understand.

    Without thinking<b>, </b><b>he </b>walked over and ruffled her hair. His touch was soft and affectionate, just like when they were kids.

    ¡°Get some rest,¡± he <b>said</b>. ¡°What time should I wake you up tomorrow?

    ¡°Ten in the morning.¡± Charlotte tilted her head up at him.

    A small trace of milk clung to her lips, stark <b>white </b>against the soft pink¨Ca sight that hit <b>him </b>harder than it should have.

    Sean¡¯s gaze darkened slightly. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, forcing himself to look away.

    ¡°Sleep early. Good night.¡±

    Before she <b>could </b>reply, he tumed and headed upstairs.

    Charlotte,pletely unaware of the shift in his mood, lowered her eyes and took another slow <b>sip </b>of milk

    The next moming, before the rm even had a chance to go off, Sean knocked on Charlotte¡¯s door.

    ¡°Lottie, time to wake up.¡±

    Charlotte blinked <b>awake </b><b>and </b>reached under her pillow for her phone.

    9:59 am

    Right on the dot.

    By the time she finished freshening up, breakfast was already on the table¨Cchicken <b>broth </b>with poached eggs and <b>a </b>side of <b>toast</b>.

    <b>She </b>sat down, unwrapped the disposable utensils<b>, </b>and took a sip of the broth. Her eyes lit up. <b>¡°</b>This tastes just like the ce near myw firm.¡±

    Sitting across from her, Sean didn¡¯t even look up. He gave a t, indifferent ¡°Mm.¡±

    Charlotte hesitated. What was that <b>supposed </b>to mean?

    <b>She </b>took another bite. The taste was identical to the one she always ate.

    <b>She </b>looked up at him.suspiciously. ¡°Did you get this from that shop behind my office?¡±

    Charlotte <b>was </b>baffled. ¡°How do you even know about that ce?¡±

    That restaurant was at least six miles from here. Why would Seam go that far just to buy breakfast?

    Seeing that there was no way around it, <b>Sean </b>finally admitted, ¡°I came to Harbor City to see you before.¡±

    Charlotte froze.

    He came to see me?

    273

    She had no idea

    She was so caught off guard that she choked on her food. ¡°Cough, cough¡ª<b>¡± </b>

    Sean immediately passed her a napkin. ¡°Slow down<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    She wiped her mouth and stared at him. ¡°When? I never knew,¡±

    ¡°The first year you left. The second year. And this year.¡± His voice was calm and matter¨Cof¨Cfact.

    Charlotte felt like all the blood in her body rushed to her head.

    Sean hade to see her every year? <b>And </b>never once told her?

    No wonder the suite fromst night didn¡¯t feel like a temporary stay. He must havee more often than she realized.

    Something stirred in her chest, making her heartbeat go wild.

    She forced herself to snap out of it and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Thanks, Sean. Breakfast is amazing.¡±

    Sean noticed the slight flush creeping up her ears but chose not to mention it.

    Instead, he smiled casually and said, ¡°By the way, I know a restoration expert. She¡¯s worked on museum artifacts before. She might be able to help.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ?Charlotte¡¯s head shot up, her eyes full of hope.

    He nodded. ¡°Once <b>we¡¯re </b>back in Jersey <b>City</b>, I¡¯ll take you to see her.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Charlotte had spent the whole night feeling awful, but Sean¡¯s words lifted a weight off her chest.

    For some reason, she just believed him.

    If he said this expert was the best<b>, </b>then she had no doubt her ceramic figurine could be restored.

    This moming had been an emotional rollercoaster for Charlotte

    Sean had surprised her too many times today.

    Now, <b>she </b>couldn¡¯t help but wonder¨Cwhat else was he hiding?

 His Heart ` 24

    GET IT

    <b>Chapter </b>24

    After breakfast, Sean and Charlotte took the elevator down to the underground parking garage.

    Charlotte walked over to the blue Bentley.

    Sean suddenly asked, ¡°How does it feel to drive?!!

    Charlotte pressed her lips together and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°I drove itst night. It¡¯s great! Thank you, Sean.¡±

    She twirled the keys between her fingers and was about to say goodbye when something came to mind. ¡°Oh, right! I have a gift for you. <b>I </b>meant to give it to youst night, but I forgot.¡±

    ¡°A gift?¡± 3

    Sean raised an eyebrow.

    <b>¡°</b>Yeah, it¡¯s in my suitcase at the hotel I¡¯ll grab it when I get back¡±

    Sean opened the driver¡¯s side door. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯ll drive.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Charlotte blinked<b>, </b>caught off guard. She quickly added, ¡°You cane, but I¡¯ll drive. You should rest¡±

    He had Down in from Jersey Citytest night, then driven twelve miles round trip this morning just to get her breakfast. He had to be exhausted. She didn¡¯t want to trouble him any further.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>lips curved in a faint smile. Was his little Lottie worried about him?

    Without protest, he walked around the car, opened the passenger <b>door</b>, and got in ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer, then.¡±

    On the highway, they chatted as Charlotte focused on driving.

    ¡°Is the trial you¡¯re handling today open to the public?¡± Sean asked.

    ¡°Yeah, <b>it¡¯s </b>a contract dispute case. No trade secrets involved. You want to sit in?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Is that okay?¡± His voice was casual, but there was a hint of carefulness in it. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you in court before.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Of course.¡± Charlotte thought about it for a second. Since they were engaged, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea for him to understand her work. ¡°Do you have your ID? You¡¯ll need it to apply for a courtroom pass¡®

    <b>¡°</b>Yeah, I brought it.¡± He had checked the requirements beforehand, knowing he would need identification.

    <b>¡°</b>Great, I¡¯ll take you there when we arrive.¡±

    ¡°Okay

    Sean¡¯s gaze softened as he watched her drive. His eyes held a warmth she didn¡¯t notice.

    Silence settled in for a while, the steady hum of the highway filling the space between them. Then Charlotte suddenly <b>spoke</b>.

    <b>¡°</b>Sean, why did you agree to our engagement?¡±

    She <b>had </b>wanted to ask this question three years <b>ago</b>.

    The Jasper family held immense power in Jersey City¨Cfar beyond the status of an ordinary wealthy family. Sean¡¯s grandfather was a high- ranking political figure, and his mother came <b>from </b>a prominent political family <b>as </b>well.

    By all logic, his future wife should havee from a simrly powerful background. So why had he agreed to marry her?

    The Riley family was certainly prestigious¨Ca household name in business. But at the end of the day, they were just businesspeople. Compared to the Jasper family¡¯s political influence, their status didn¡¯t quite measure up,

    For someone like Sean, this marriage was technically a step down.

    She had grown up in high society and understood the way <b>these </b>alliances worked. If marriage wasn¡¯t about strengthening the family¡¯s power, why would he ept?

    Sean¡¯s deep voice pulled her from her thoughts. ¡°By my generation, our family doesn¡¯t need marriage alliances to secure our position §Ñ§á§å§ê§à§Ô§Ö.¡±

    It was a vague answer, leaving Charlotte even more confused

    ¡°Then why not just marry someone you love?¡±

    Sean¡¯s tone was calm, unwavering. ¡°If I didn¡¯t want this, no one could force me.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    She forced herself not to overthink it. If she did, she knew she would start reading too much into things.

    She suddenly had the feeling that Sean was really good at saying things that made people¡¯s hearts race.

    Had he dated a lot of women before? Was that why he was so effortlessly smooth?

    Ever since she agreed to the engagement, he had been nothing but thoughtful, considerate in every little detail.

    If this kept up, she was afraid she might actually fall for him.

    The trial started soon after they arrived.

    Charlotte was sharp, articte, and quick on her feet. Her arguments were clear and logical, cutting straight to the heart of the case.

    She fired off questions without hesitation, putting the opposingwyer on the defensive again and <b>again</b>.

 His Heart ` 25

    Chapter <b>25 </b>

    <b>Sean </b>sat in the observation area, watching Charlotte in her element. A surge of pride filled his chest, admiration and affection brimming in his

    eyes.

    His Lottle was incredible.

    After the trial, he handed her a bottle of water. ¡°Here, drink some.

    ¡°Thanks¡± 5 She took a few sips before saying, ¡°The verdict will be announcedter, but we have a strong chance of winning

    Sean smiled. ¡°Your eyes lit up while you were debating. You¡¯re so sharp, so determined. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off you.¡±

    Charlotteughed, a little embarrassed, ¡°Really? I do feel like a different person in court.¡±

    ¡°You were amazing.¡± His praise <b>was </b>genuine. ¡°You¡¯re going to be one of the best in the field one day.

    She grinned. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.

    That was when <b>she </b>thought of Zac

    In their three years together, he had never once cared about her work, let alone attended one of her trials. All he ever did wasment on how little her sry was, barely enough to cover a fancy dinner or a night out with his friends.

    He never respected her ambition.

    Once, she won a major <b>case</b>¨Cover five million in ims¨Cand was thrilled about her sess. When she shared the news with Zac, he dismissed

    <b>it </b>with a smirk.

    ¡°<b>Our </bpany¡¯s contracts are worth tens of millions. You take on these tiny cases? Charlotte, why work so hard for pocket change? Just quit I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±

    That was thest time she ever talked to him about work.

    He might have had some real feelings for her, but they were only skin¨Cdeep. He only liked her face and her body. He never truly understood

    her<b>. </b>

    Their rtionship had always been about partying, eating, and having fun. There was never any real connection, nothing deeper than the

    surface.

    For the first time, Charlotte genuinely thought that maybe, just maybe, Sean

    can would make a great partner.

    As they left the courthouse, Sean¡¯s phone buzzed. After a brief call with his assistant, he tumed to Charlotte<b>, </b>his expression serious,

    ¡°That milk you gave me for testing¨Cit was drugged with a strongxative.¡±

    A cold glint shed in her eyes. ¡°I knew it.¡±

    *Do you want me to handle it?¡± <b>Sean </b>asked.

    Charlotte shook her head. No need. I¡¯ll deal with it myself.¡±

    There was no proof lining Wendy to the tampered milk, which made involving the police useless.

    Since this was a personal grudge, she would settle it personally.

    After the trial, Charlotte spent the next few <b>days </b>showing Sean around the area.

    They went to the restaurant Charlotte had been craving for months just to get a te of spicy Cajun pasta. Sean wasn¡¯t great with spicy food, but even as he broke into <b>a </b>sweat, he still finished everyst bite.

    They <b>also </b>visited scenic spots, <b>took </b>photos, and admired breathtakingndscapes. They then wandered through historic sites<b>, </b>soaking in the rich culture.

    Thor few days with Sean felt <b>more </b>fulfilling than all three years she had spent with Zac

    Meanwhile, Wendy spent five days in the hospital, with Zac by her side the entire time.

    During those five days, Zac found himself constantly checking his phone, hoping <b>for </b>a message from Charlotte.

    But there was nothing.

    No missed calls. No texts. Just messages from his usual crowd inviting him out, along with work notifications<b>. </b>

    Finally, he snapped.

    He unlocked his phone and fired off a text.

    ¡°Are you done acting out yet?¡±

    Sean was holding Charlotte¡¯s phone, taking pictures for her, when the message suddenly popped up on the screen.

    His gaze darkened instantly.

 His Heart ` 26

    After taking the photos, Sean handed the phone back to Charlotte, his expression calm and unreadable.

    His tone was casual, almost indifferent. ¡°You got a message from a friend.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Let me see.

    Charlotte nced at the screen, and her expression stiffened.

    She knew that texts automatically popped up as a banner not fleation, Sean must have seen it.

    Feeling a little guilty, she tumed to him, quickly exining, ¡°Ex¨Cboyfriend. It¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Sean¡¯s reaction was <b>neutral</b>,

    utral, his gaze giving nothing away.

    Charlotte took a deep breath, feeling oddly flustered. ¡°I already blocked him on the messaging app. I just forgot to block his number.¡±

    Why <b>was </b><b>she </b>even nervous? She was twenty¨Cfive. Having an ex waspletely normal.

    Besides, she had dated Zac before agreeing to the engagement. <b>She </b>hadn¡¯t done anything wrong¨Cso why

    why did it

    feel like she had?

    Realizing how ridiculous it was, she steadied herself, ¡°I¡¯ll block him now.¡±

    Right in front of Sean, she pulled up her contacts, tapped Zac¡¯s number, and added it to her ck list.

    Then, as if to reassure him, she said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since I agreed to this engagement, my ex is nothing but the past.¡±

    Sean gave a small <b>nod</b><b>, </b>his dark eyes revealing nothing. His expression remained unreadable.

    But the moment Charlotte turned away, a faint smile flickered across his lips.

    After spending a few days traveling with <b>Sean</b>, Charlotte finally flew back to Jersey City.

    She hadn¡¯t <b>told </b>her family she was returning today, so no one was there to pick her up. Instead<b>, </b>Sean¡¯s assistant was waiting at the airport.

    A sleek ck Rolls¨CRoyce Cullinan pulled up in front of the Riley estate.

    ¡°Want me to go in with <b>you</b>?¡± Sean asked.

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    She stood at the <b>gate</b>, hesitating for a moment.

    Sean seemed to notice but didn¡¯t linger.

    Once his car drove off, Charlotte took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. When she had left three years ago, she hadn¡¯t taken her house keys.

    Now, returning home like a guest, she feltplicated.

    The door swung open, revealing Mrs. Coleman, the housekeeper.

    The woman froze, staring at her in shock. ¡°M¨CMiss Charlotte, you¡¯re back?¡± Her voice trembled slightly, thick with emotion

    Charlotte¡¯s heart clenched. She <b>nodded </b>softly. ¡°Mm.¡±

    Mrs. Coleen¡¯s eyes welled up. ¡°You¡¯re finally home. This is wonderfull I¡¯ll call your father right away.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not home?¡±

    ¡°No, Mr. Riley is at the office. Mrs. Riley went to your sister¡¯s school for a parent event.¡±

    Neither of them was home. Charlotte let out a breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding

    She had just returned home and needed a moment to breathe. She wasn¡¯t <b>ready </b>to face them yet. <b>Just </b>the thought of her stepmother, half- sister, and the father she had been at odds with for years gave her a headache.

    She made her way upstairs to her bedroom.

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

    Everything was exactly as she had left it. The fumiture, the decorations¨CIt was all the same. 7h

    cleaning it regrly.

    She unpacked, put her things away, and took a long shower.

    room was spotless, as if someone had been

    When she stepped out, a gentle knock sounded on the door. ¡°Miss Charlotte, what would you like for dinner? I¡¯ll go buy the ingredients now.¡±

    Charlotte pulled the door open and smiled. ¡°Same as before<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Of course!¡± Mrs. Coleman beamed, her joy unmistakable.

    She had been with the Riley family for over a decade and had watched Charlotte grow up. To her, Charlotte was like a daughter.

    The night Sue passed away, she was the one who found little Charlotte copsed in the snow and carried her inside.

    After losing his wife, Desmond fell into despair, <b>too </b>overwhelmed with grief to care for his daughter.

    When Charlotte came down with a relentless fever, it was Mrs. Coleman who <b>stayed </b>by her side at the hospital, tending to her day and night.

    Charlotte had been devastated by her mother¡¯s passing. She barely ate and barely spoke.

    But Mrs. Coleman stayed with her through it all,forting her, patiently coaxing her to eat, no matter how many times it took.

 His Heart ` 27

    Chapter <b>27 </b>

    If it weren¡¯t for Mrs. Coleman, Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure she would have made it through.

    To her, Mrs. Coleman wasn¡¯t just a caretaker, she was family.

    Even though Charlotte had cut off contact with Desmond over the past three years, she still called Mrs. Coleman on holidays to check in¡­

    Remembering something, Charlotte pulled out a beautifully wrapped box and handed it over. ¡°This is raw honey from Harbor City. It¡¯s famous for its quality. You should try it.¡±

    Mrs. Coleman took it with a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯ll drizzle some over your breakfast tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°This is for you. I¡¯ve had plenty already. I just wanted you to have some.

    this¡ª¡±

    Mrs. Coleman¡¯s eyes widened, waving her hands. ¡°Oh, Miss Charlotte, <b>I </b>can¡¯t possibly ept this

    Charlotte pushed the box into her arms. ¡°Please, just take it. You¡¯ve done so much for me all these years. This is just a small token of my appreciation.

    Mrs. Coleman¡¯s eyes turned misty. ¡°Miss Charlotte¡­¡±

    Before she could say more, an excited, high¨Cpitched voice cut in. ¡°Charlotte! Charlotte, you¡¯re home!¡±

    A little girl came running up, throwing her arms around Charlotte¡¯s legs.

    ¡°I missed you so much!¡± She beamed up at her, eyes sparkling with joy.

    It was Jodie Riley, her eight¨Cyear¨Cold half¨Csister.

    Jodie had always adored her, but Charlotte had never warmed up to the child.

    It wasn¡¯t Jodie¡¯s fault. Charlotte just couldn¡¯t stand her mother.

    Still, Jodie was just a kid. She was sweet, innocent, and eager to be close to her big sister. So while Charlotte didn¡¯t particrly like her, she <b>didn¡¯t </b>hate her either.

    Looking down at her, she asked, ¡°Why are you home so early?¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Coleman said you were back, and I couldn¡¯t wait to see you, so we left school early!¡±

    A woman¡¯s voice followed. ¡°<b>That¡¯s </b>right.¡±

    Charlotte stiffened.

    Xena York, her stepmother, approached with a bright smile.

    <b>Before </b>Charlotte left home, she <b>had </b>made her dislike for Xena painfully obvious. She barely spoke to her then, and that hadn¡¯t changed now.

    Her resentment wasn¡¯t just because Xena had married her father. It was because Xena had been her mother¡¯s best friend.

    To Charlotte, she wasn¡¯t just a homewrecker, she <b>was </b>a backstabbing opportunist.

    And Desmond? He was just pathetic. A man who couldn¡¯t even keep his hands off histe wife¡¯s best friend:

    Her teenage years had been filled with dence and <b>rebellion</b>, all because of these two.

    But Kena acted as if nothing had happened<b>, </b>her voice warm <b>and </b>pleasant. ¡°You must be <b>tired</b><b>, </b>Charlotte. Get some rest. I¡¯ll <b>call </b>you when dinner¡¯s ready<b>.</b>¡±

    Jodie clung to Charlotte¡¯s ann. ¡°Come y in my <b>room</b>! I drew you a picture. You have to see it!¡±

    Oarlotte pulled away, her voice cool. ¡°No. I need to rest.¡±

    Jodie¡¯s excitement dimmed. She pouted, disappointment all over her little face. ¡°Oh¡­ okay.¡±

    Xena took her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t bother your sister.¡±

    Mrs. Coleman looked a little awkward on the side. ¡°Mrs. Juley, Miss Charlotte, I¡¯ll go buy groceries now.¡±

    After Mrs. Coleman lett, Kena and Jodie followed suit.

    Charlotte closed her bedroom door.

    Finally, prace.

    That evening, Desmond returned.

    The whole family sat down for dinner.

    Desmond nced at Charlotte and spoke first. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me you wereing home today.¡±

    Charlotte shrugged. ¡°Would it have made a difference?¡±

    The tension in her voice was obvious.

    Desmond frowned. ¡°It¡¯s been three years. Why do you still have such a sharp tongue?¡±

    Charlotte smiled faintly, her voiceced with sarcasm. ¡°It¡¯s been three years. Why haven¡¯t you i

    divorced Xena?

 His Heart ` 28

    Chapter <b>28 </b>

    Dinner was anything but pleasant.

    No one at the table enjoyed the meal.

    Charlotte had nothing to say to them, so she finished eating quickly and headed straight to her room

    Back in her room, she noticed the gift box on her desk and remembered that she still hadn¡¯t given Sean the watch.

    She picked up her phone and dialed his number.

    ¡°Hey, <b>Sean</b>. Remember the gift I mentioned? I forgot <b>to </b>give it to you earlier. Are you home now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll bring it over now.¡±

    ¦°

    .35 Bonus

    Meanwhile, <b>Zac </b>and Wendy walked through the front door of Harmony Hill Vi

    Mrs. Zimmer nced behind them and <b>asked</b>. ¡°Mr. Gibson, isn¡¯t Miss Riley with you?¡±

    Zac frowned. ¡°<b>She¡¯s </b>not home?¡±

    Mrs. Zimmer looked confused. ¡°Miss Riley hasn¡¯t been home for days. I thought she was

    with you.¡±

    Something in Zac¡¯s chest tightened. A bad feeling crept in. Without another word, he strode up the stairs to Charlotte¡¯s room.

    The vanity waspletely empty no makeup, no skincare, nothing.

    The little decorative items she used to keep on her shelves had all disappeared.

    He yanked open the closet. Not a single piece of clothing remained

    Everything. Every trace of her. Gone.

    The room looked exactly like it did before she moved in.

    His breathing turned heavy. He stormed to the railing and barked downstairs, ¡°When did she move her things out?¡±

    Mrs. Zimmer flinched at his tone, her voice small. ¡°I¨C<b>I </b>don¡¯t know, Mr. Gibson. When I went to clean her room the next day, it was already empty. I thought you knew¡­¡±

    Zac clenched his fists, frustration boiling in <b>his </b>chest.

    He pulled out his phone and called her.

    A busy signal

    He <b>tried </b><b>again</b>. This time, it went straight to voicemail.

    She blocked his number.

    His jaw tightened. He immediately dialed Quinn, one of the few people Charlotte was close to In Harbor City.

    The moment she picked up, she sounded surprised. ¡°Charlotte? She hasn¡¯t contacted me. I have no idea where she is ¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Find out,¡± <b>Zac </b>ordered.

    Quino frowned but pulled up lier messaging app and sent Charlotte a text.

    The moment she hit send, an error message popped up.

    She stared at the screen.

    Blocked

    Confused, she muttered, ¡°That¡¯s weird

    ¡°Well?¡± <b>Zar¡¯s </b><b>voice </b>was Impatient.

    Quinn sighed. ¡°She blocked me too.¡±

    Zac¡¯s expression darkened.

    Across the room, Wendy listened to the conversation, quickly putting the pieces together.

    Charlotte was gone.

    Her things were gone.

    And judging by Zac¡¯s reaction, he hadn¡¯t seen thising.

    Suppressing her excitement, she feigned innocence. ¡°Zac, does this mean you and Charlotte broke up?¡±

    Her words hit him like a p.

    Breakup?

    That wasn¡¯t what he wanted.

    That night, when he told her he never wanted to <b>see </b>her again, it was just anger talking. Even when Charlotte blocked him, he hadn¡¯t thought of it as a real breakup.

    He thought it <b>was </b>just her throwing a tantrum, waiting for him toe and smooth things over.

    But now, standing in an empty room, seeing that she had taken everything that belonged to her, a flicker of doubt crept in.

    <b>Was </b>this really just a tantrum?

    Zac¡¯s expression darkened.

    Beside him, Wendy clung to his arm, her voice sweet and coaxing Zac, since you two are over, just let it go. No need to dwell on the past. How about we take a little vacation and clear our heads?¡±

    Zac snapped out of his daze, his initial panic hardening into imitation.

    Fine. If Charlotte wanted to act out, he would y along

    How long could shest? A week? Two?

    She woulde crawling back<b>, </b>and when she did, he would make her realize just how little her little stunt had mattered to him.

    He smirked and shrugged, ¡°Sounds <b>good</b>. You pick the ce.¡±

    2

 His Heart ` 29

    <b>Really</b>?¡± Wendy asked eagerly. ¡°I want to go to Silverridge first. The scenery at Lake Kessler is breathtaking this t

    Something about that name sounded oddly familiar.

    Oh

    Charlotte had mentioned it before.

    She had talked about wanting to travel there during the October holiday.

    And what had he said back then?

    ¡°What¡¯s so great <b>about </b>traveling when the crowds are insane?¡±

    is time of year,¡±

    Now, during the same October holiday, Wendy suggested it, and his first instinct was to say no. his mind.

    the thought of Charlotte made him change

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to Silvertidge.¡±

    They sat and watched TV for a while, but Zac couldn¡¯t shake the irritation simmering inside him.

    ¡°You just got out of the hospital. Stay home and rest. I need to go out for <b>a </b>bit.<b>¡± </b>

    Wendy was smart enough not to ask where he was going

    Now that Charlotte had just broken up with him, it was only natural that Zac wasn¡¯t used to it yet. He needed to vent, and Wendy knew better than to push him too hard.

    She smiled graciously ¡°Alright, go ahead. I¡¯ll be here when you get back.¡±

    As soon as he stepped <b>outside</b>, Zac pulled out his phone and called Eugene,

    ¡°Eugene, let¡¯s grab a drink Call Ethan and the others too.¡±

    Zac <b>headed </b>straight to one of his usual upscale lounges.

    Pushing open the door <b>to </b>a private room, he found his friends already inside, waiting for him.

    ¡°Zad!¡± Ethan greeted him with a <b>grin</b>. ¡°What, you came alone? Where¡¯s Wendy?

    Zac shot him <b>a </b>confused look. ¡°Why would she be with me?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ethan was caughtpletely off guard by that response.

    He hadn¡¯t even figured out how to answer when Zac dropped another bombshell

    ¡°My girlfriend is Charlotte. Why are <b>you </b>asking about Wendy?¡±

    Ethan was stunned. ¡°Walt, what? Since Wendy came back, hasn¡¯t she been the one you always bring along? Charlotte? Didn¡¯t you say she was boring and no fun?¡±

    Zac¡¯s <b>expression </b>shifted<b>. </b>It was subtle, but noticeable.

    Because, for once, he had noeback.

    Sensing the awkwardness, Eugene quickly changed the subject.

    ¡°Dude, we haven¡¯t seen you out in days. What have you been up to?¡±

    are you suddenly bringing up

    Zar walked over, slumped onto the couch, and it a cigarette. ¡°Wendy got hurt. She was in the hospital for a few days<b>, </b><b>so </b>I stayed with her.¡±

    Eugene gave bilen a weird look. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just <b>say </b>Charlotte was your girlfriend? You spent all that time in the hospital with Wendy, <b>and </b>Charlotte didn¡¯t lose it on you?¡±

    Zac¡¯s expression darkened.

    <b>Lose </b>It? She did more the that<b>. </b>She dumped him.

    H

    <b>1/2 </b>

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    Taking a slow drag from his cigarette, he exhaled. ¡°Yeah. She wants to break up.¡±

    silence.

    The guys exchanged nces, like they had just stepped on andmine.

    Ethan was the first to recover. He scoffed. ¡°Charlotte? Break up with you? Please. You¡¯re probably the best guy she¡¯ll ever get. I¡¯ll bet shees crawling back in ten days.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! She¡¯s been obsessed with you for three years. There¡¯s no way she can live without you. I give it eight days.¡±

    ¡°No shot she actually wants to break up. She¡¯s just throwing a tantrum, waiting for you to coax her <b>back</b>. I say two weeks¨Cshe¡¯ll be begging to get back together<b>.</b>¡±

    Hearing their words, Zac finally rxed<b>, </b>his tightly furrowed brows casing.

    He took a slow sip of his drink, leaning backzily. ¡°Coax her? Not happening,¡®

    But then Eugene hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously, ¡°Uh but what if she doesn¡¯te back?¡±

    Zac froze

    What if Charlotte really didn¡¯te back?

    The thought had never even crossed his mind,

 His Heart ` 30

    +25 <b>ut </b>

    By the time Zac¡¯s driver dropped him off at the vi, it was already past 3 am,

    He stumbled <b>into </b>his bedroom, copsed onto the bed<b>, </b>and passed out Immediately.

    The next time he opened his eyes, it wasn¡¯t because he woke up naturally. It was because of the pain.

    ¡°Charlotte, my stomach hurts.¡± His voice was groggy. ¡°Grab my meds.¡±

    <b>Silence </b>

    He called out again. ¡°Charlotte? Charlotte-¡±

    Nothing.

    His eyes snapped open, and reality hit him

    She wasn¡¯t here anymore.

    like a brick.

    Zac sat up, pressing a hand to his stomach. It felt strangely empty¨Cnot just physically, but something deeper than that. Frustration flickered Jacross his face as he got up, searching through drawers and cabs.

    Nothing.

    The pain sharpened. With no other choice, he grabbed his phone and called the housekeeper,

    Mrs. Zimmer picked up, groggy and clearly half¨Casleep. ¡°Mr. Gibson?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the stomach medicine?¡± Zac¡¯s voice was low and strained.

    Mrs. Zimmer clenched her fists, inhaled deeply, and reminded herself why she tolerated this job.

    ¡°Good pay. Good pay. It¡¯s just sleep deprivation. I can deal with this,¡± she muttered to herself.

    Then, she nced at the clock¨C?am.

    <b>¡°</b>This man is insane,¡± she silently remarked.

    Suppressing the <b>urge </b>to quit on the spot, she took another deep breath and answered as patiently as she could. ¡°The medicine cab is in Miss Riley¡¯s room. First drawer.¡±

    Zachung up without another word.

    He made his way to Charlotte¡¯s room, gripping the wall for support. Once he reached the cab, he pulled open the drawer.

    Cure enough, there was a small medical dit inside, packed neatly with different battles and packets of pills.

    His stomach twisted with <b>pain </b>again, but as he stared at the variousbels, another problem arose.

    Which

    hone was the right

    hit one?

    For years, Charlotte had always been <b>the </b>one to give him his meds. <b>She </b>knew exactly what to <b>do</b>, how many pills he needed, even whether he should take them before or after eating.

    Now, without her, he had no idea.

    Cursing under his breath, Zac slimmed thebels as quickly as his aching head allowed, grabbed the one that looked closest, and downed <b>two </b>pills.

    ¡°It won¡¯t kill me,¡± he thought.

    That was hisst thought before exhaustion pulled him under <b>again</b>.

    When he woke up, it was already noon

    Still groggy, he called for the housekeeper. ¡°Make me some oatmeal.¡±

    Mrs, Zimmer <b>poked </b>her <b>head </b>in. ¡°Do you mean the special one Miss Riley used to make?¡±

    Zac rubbed his temples. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    <b>She </b>hesitated. ¡°Mr. Gibson¡­ Tcan¡¯t make that.¡±

    His brown furrowed. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°It takes time. The as need to be soaked overight, and we¡¯d need fresh sweet potatoes. If we start now, it won¡¯t be ready for hours.¡±

    She

    e added, ¡°Furthermore, I only know the Ingredients, but I don¡¯t know the exact recipe or how to season it, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to make it properly¡±

    Zac exhaled Impatiently. ¡°Fine. Just make in oatmeal¡±

    Mrs. Zimuser grinned. ¡°That, I can do.¡±

    His head was pounding. After giving the order, he leaned back against the bed, rubbing his temples.

    Just then, there was a knock at the door.

    Knock, knock, knock

    Zac¡¯s eyes snapped open, his heart stirring with anticipation.

    Was it Charlotte?

    Had shee back after all?

    He knew it. She wouldn¡¯t just leave him like that.

    ¡°Come in,¡±

    But as soon as he spoke, the door opened, and Wendy walked <b>in </b>instead.

    The faint smile on his lips froze instantly. His tone <b>was </bced with disappointinent. ¡°Why is it you?¡±

    Wendy caught the fleeting look of dismay in his eyes and clenched her fists slightly.

    She didn¡¯t ask who he had been expecting. She already knew.

    Putting on a gentle smile, she <b>said</b>, ¡°Mrs. Zimmer told me you weren¡¯t feeling well<b>, </b>so I came to check on you. Are you okay?¡±

    Zac shook his <b>head</b>. ¡°I¡¯m fine.!

 His Heart ` 31

    +25 Schus

    Wendy sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled out her phone.

    ¡°<b>Look</b>, Zac,¡± she <b>said </b>eagerly, showing him the screen. ¡°I found this great travel guide for our trip. We <b>can </b>do a road trip, hire two drivers, and explore at our own pace. Silverridge is huge, so driving will <b>be </b>way more convenient. After Lake Kessler, we can also visit¡ª¡±

    At that moment, Zac realized <b>that </b>Wendy was really annoying.

    His head was already pounding, and now she was talking his ear off, going on and on. It was grating.

    If it were Charlotte, she would be worried about him. She would have made him oatmeal, sat by his side, and fed him spoonful by spoontul.

    ¡°Enough.¡± Zac cut her off Impatiently. ¡°<b>We¡¯ll </b>talk about it tomorrow. I¡¯m tired.¡±

    Wendy rucked her phone away, lowering her head, looking hurt.

    Wendy¡¯s voice wasced with hurt<b>. </b>¡°Zac..nre you getting tired of me?¡±

    Zac let out a heavy sigh. No matter how annoyed he was, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to be too harsh with her.

    ¡°No, I just have a headache. The trip isn¡¯t <b>urgent</b>. Let¡¯s talk about it when I¡¯m feeling better.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wendy leaned into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist, her touch soft and affectionate.

    In a private lounge at an upscale club in Jersey <b>City</b>, a group of wealthy young men sat around <b>a </b>card table, <b>casually </b>ying.

    Jordan Zeller, always the observant one, caught sight of the watch on Sean¡¯s wrist. With a cigarette between his fingers, he smirked. <b>¡°</b>New

    Sean ced down a card, his grin stretching almost to his ears. ¡°Nice, right? Charlotte gave it to me.*

    Jordan frowned slightly, clearly puzzled ¡°<b>Wait</b>¨Chow did you end <b>up </b>engaged to the Riley family? Was it <b>your </b><b>parents</b>¡® <b>idea</b>? It <b>doesn¡¯t </b><b>add </b>up.¡±

    He and Charlotte ran in the same circles, but in their world, not all families were on equal footing.

    Sean¡¯s family, the Jaspers, held the most power and influence. As the family¡¯s heir, his marriage should have been a strategic move¨Cone

    aligned with another powerhouse.

    The Idleys, while prominent in business, were nowhere near that level.

    Sean chuckled, his gaze soft. ¡°It¡¯s not an arranged marriage.<b>! </b>

    <b>Sean </b>leaned back casually ncing at his cards<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Three </b>years ago, I went to Desmond Riley myself.

    <b>that </b>

    ¡°I waited for Charlotte to graduate. The moment she did, I made my move. I told him¨Cname your price. Whatever it <b>takes</b>, I <b>want </b>to <b>marry </b>her.¡±

    His eyes gleamed as he spoke, like a man finally iming something he had chased for years

    Jordan smirked. ¡°Man, I always thought you weren¡¯t into worsen. You could¡¯ve just said you were crushing on Charlotte instead of making us wonder.¡±

    Ian leaned in, intrigued. ¡°So, when did this all start? When did you flest fall for her?¡±

    is gaze from lils cards. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±

    Si?an barely lifted his p

    ¡°Oh<b>, </be on.¡±n groaned. ¡°You sure she even likes <b>you </b>back? She literally ran away <b>from </b>home to escape an arranged marriage. What if you¡¯re just a convenient choice? That watch could just be a polite thank¨Cyou gilt.¡±

    Jordan, always the blunt one, tossed our casually, ¡°By the way, did you know she had a boyfriend?¡±

 His Heart ` 32

    Chapter <b>32 </b>

    Sean¡¯s expression remained cold and unreadable. ¡°They broke up. He¡¯s her ex.¡±

    Jan raised an eyebrow. ¡°And that doesn¡¯t bother you?¡±

    Sean yed his card with a casual flick of his wrist, his tone Indifferent. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t have a past? Haven¡¯t you ever dated someone before?¡±

    Ian scratched his nose. ¡°Yeah, but you haven¡¯t. She¡¯s your first love, but you¡¯re not hers. Are you really okay with that?¡±

    Sean¡¯s dark eyes softened with a rare tendemess. ¡°As long as 1

    I get to be with her, <b>that¡¯s </b><b>all </b>that matters¡±

    Jordan whistled ¡°Damn. Hopeless romantic, huh<b>?</b>¡±

    The game wrapped up soon after. Sean checked his watch before rising to his feet. ¡°Time¡¯s up. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Tonight, he had nned a wee¨Cback dinner for Charlotte.

    <b>Under </b>the glow <b>of </b>dazzling city lights, a sleek blue Bentley pulled up to the grand entrance of Jersey City¡¯s most luxurious five¨Cstar hotel.

    The evening breeze carried <b>a </b>crisp chill <b>as </b><b>Charlotte </b>stepped out of the car.

    <b>¡°</b>Charlotte! Over here!¡±

    Lena stood at the hotel entrance, waving with a bright smile before quickly making her way over.

    Walking beside her was Mia, Charlotte¡¯s other close friend.

    Charlotte¡¯s heels clicked against the pavement as she approached, returning their smiles. ¡°Lena, Mia¨Cyou¡¯re both here.¡±

    Mia crossed her arms, pretending to pour. ¡°So you finally decided to show up? Thought <b>you¡¯d </b>forgotten about us.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s lips curved into a grin. ¡°Of course not! I missed you guys What, not happy <b>to </b>see me?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re just sweet¨Ctalking us.

    Lena yfully linked arms with Charlotte,ughing ¡°Please, Mia¡¯s been talking about you nonstop. If anything, she¡¯s the happiest one here.¡±

    The two of them <b>had </b>always been her closest friends¨CLena, calm and elegant, and Mis<b>, </b>lively and mischievous.

    Lena smiled. ¡°You¡¯re getting engaged to Sean soon. That¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Mia, however, nced at Charlotte with concern ¡°Charlotte are you okay with this? I mean, is it really what you want?!!

    <b>Charlotte </b>flicked her forehead yfully. ¡°What are you thinking? No one can force meinto anything.¡±

    Her two best friends knew she had been in a rtionship while living in Harbor <b>City</b>, though she <b>had </b>never introduced them to her ex

    Over the past three years, Charlotte had asionally shared bits and <b>pieces </b>of her rtionship with them. But this time, she <b>hadn¡¯t </b>mentioned the <b>breakup </b>at all.

    Lena nced at her. ¡°Sp¡­ you finally broke up with Zac?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°I blocked him everywhere. He should get the message.¡±

    Mia tilted her head. ¡°What made you change your mind all of a sudden?¡±

    A flicker of irony shed in Charlotte¡¯s <b>eyes</b><b>. </b><b>¡°He </b>was using me as <b>a </b>stand¨Cin.¡±

    Mia¡¯s eyes widened in outrage. ¡°That asshole! Does he even know who he¡¯s messing with? You¡¯re way out of his league!¡±

    Lena scoffed. ¡°Good. <b>You </b>should¡¯ve dumped him ages ago. He never deserved you¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression remained unreadable, her voice steady. ¡°It¡¯s in the past. No point dwelling on it. Let¡¯s go! Sean and the others are waiting upstairs.¡±

    The three of them entered the hotel, where the restaurant manager personally came forward to greet them.

    ¡°Miss Riley, Miss Zeller, Miss Carter, this way, please.¡±

    -25 <b>Bonus </b>

    Following his lead, they arrived at a private dining room on the fourth floor.

    The manager respectfully held the door open. ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±

    It was early October, and the air in Jersey City had tumed brisk.

    Charlotte was dressed in an elegant cream¨Ccolored trench coat,yered over a light blouse. A pair of mid¨Cheeled leather bootspleted her

    With her wavy hair cascading loosely over her shoulders<b>, </b>she carried a <b>cool</b>, sophisticated aura with a touch of mature elegance.

 His Heart ` 33

    ¡°Charlotte, you finally made it.¡± Ian was the first to greet her, shing a grin. ¡°Three

    Mia rolled her eyes. ¡°God, could <b>you </b>be any more cringe?¡±

    ster, and somehow, you¡¯re even prettier.¡±

    Tan clicked his tongue, felgning offense. ¡°Excuse you, this isn¡¯t cringe. It¡¯s called <b>having </b>social skills.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Mia looped her arm through Charlotte¡¯s and started pulling her away. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t waste your time on him.¡±

    Lena, ever the polite one, walked over to her brother, Jordan, and sat down beside him. ¡°Hey, Jordan,¡±

    Jordan barely looked up, offering a slight nod. ¡°Mm.¡±

    Charlotte took a seat next to Sean. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting ¡±

    His voice was warm. ¡°You¡¯re fine, we just got here too.<b>¡± </b>

    Then, his gaze shifted to the girl sitting quietly nearby. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say hello?¡± His tone carried a hint of reprimand.

    The girl pursed her lips, clearly reluctant, before mumbling, ¡°Hello.¡±

    ?Sean¡¯s expression turned cold, his brows knitting together.

    Charlotte tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her gaze. ¡°And you are?

    Sean¡¯s tone was indifferent. ¡°<b>She¡¯s </b>my sister, Vivian Xander.¡±

    Oh, so this was Vivian Xander¨Cthe Jasper family¡¯s adopted daughter.

    Charlotte <b>had </b>heard of her but had never actually met her until now. From what she knew, Vivian hadn¡¯t been raised in the main <b>Jasper </b>estate and had spent thest few years studying abroad. She must have retumed recently.

    Sean¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Vivian, Charlotte is my fianc¨¦e¨C<b>your </b>future sister¨Cinw. Is that really how you greet her?¡±

    His voice <b>dropped </b>a few degrees,ced with authority. ¡°Who taught you that?¡±

    Vivian stiffened. ¡°Sorry, Sean.¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression <b>didn¡¯t </b>ease. ¡°And who should you be apologizing to?¡±

    Vivian clenched her fists under the table. Tm sorry, Miss Riley.¡± This time, her apology sounded much more sincere.

    Charlotte waved it off, forcing a small smile. ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>fine<b>, </b>we¡¯re family. No need to be so formal

    The tension at the table was suffocating. She couldn¡¯t believe they were already at odds on their first meeting. This was her future sister¨Cin- Law?

    Charlotte turned to Sean, her gaze soft. ¡°Sean, don¡¯t be so harsh

    Almost Instantly, the coldness in his eyes faded, reced by warmth. He gave her a faint smile, ¡°Alright.¡±

    Vivian watched their exchange, her fingers curling into fists beneath the table.

    Across the room, Mia smirked. ¡°<b>Miss </b><b>Xander</b>, you¡¯re looking a little pale. Should I call someone to take you to the hospital?¡± Her voice was innocent, but the mockery was clear.

    Vivian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±

    Mia rolled her eyes. ¡°Tch. <b>What </b>an act.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know Vivian well, but her instincts told her this girl wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. The hostility toward Charlotte was obvious

    <b>lin</b>, sitting beside her, caught her whisper and tugged lightly on her sleeve under the table. ¡°Mia, <b>cool </b>it. She¡¯s <b>Sean¡¯s </b>sister. Give <b>her </b>some

    Mia narrowed her eyes at him. In the next <b>second</b>, she grabbed a chunk of his arm and pinched hard.

    ¡°Try that again, I dare you.¡± She bared her teeth, eyes shing with vengeance.

    wrong</b>! Let go, please! It hurts!<b>¡° </b>

    Just then, the door swing open.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte¨Ctraffic was a nightmare¡±

 His Heart ` 34

    mid¨Cthirties.

    A relined, elegant woman entered the room, looking to be In her mid¨Cthirties,

    Sean gestured toward her. ¡°Lottle, this is the restoration expert I <b>told </b>you about¨CLouisa Sinir.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes lit up with surprise. She had expected some elderly craftsman, not a stunning woman with an effortless air of sophistication.

    Charlotte quickly stood up and stepped forward, shaking Louisa¡¯s hand with excitement. ¡°Dr. Sinir, It¡¯s an honor! I¡¯m Charlotte Riley. My ceramic figurine is in your hands now.¡±

    Louisa blinked, then let out augh. ¡°Dr. Sinir? Am I performing surgery or fixing porcin?¡±

    Charlotte froze, cringing as the words registered.

    Oh god. Had she just made her sound like a brain surgeon?

    She cleared her throat, face warming. ¡°That¡­.e out wrong. My bad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Louisa was still li

    ¡°<b>You¡¯ve </b>always been reserved and ridiculously picky. Before I got here, I was dying to know what kind of women could actually win you over.¡±

    She turned back to Charlotte with a teasing grin. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve met you, I get it. If I were him, <b>I¡¯d </b>be smitten too<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°<b>Please</b>, have a seat.¡± Charlotte pulled out <b>a </b>chair for hor.

    Louisa sat down as Charlotte poured her a cup of tea

    ¡°Here you go.¡±

    Louisa took a sip and nodded approvingly. ¡°Not bad.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice was calm as he interjected. ¡°Lottie, you don¡¯t have to be so polite. I paid her a heftymission. You¡¯re the client¨Cyou can act

    like one

    Charlotte smiled and nodded, obediently returning to her seat next to him.

    Louisa rolled ber eyes. <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>really know how to kill the mood<b>, </b><b>Sean</b>.¡±

    Then she tumed back <b>to </b>Charlotte, her expression soft. ¡°Did you bring the pieces with you?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, Louisa¨Coh wait, can I call you that? Or should I say Miss Sinir?

    ¡°Louisa is fine.¡± She grinned.

    ¡°Great. The figurine is at my house. Would you minding over after dinner so I <b>can </b>give it to you?¡±

    ¡°Sure, no problem.¡°

    After dinner, Louisa followed Charlotte back to the Riley estate.

    Charlotte carefully unwrapped the bundle of porcin shards and handed them over. ¡°Louisa, do <b>you </b>think this can still be <b>saved</b>?¡±

    Louisa opened the package, her brows lifting slightly. ¡°Damn this thing¡¯s shattered.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s heart clenched.

    fixed.¡±

    ¡°Rx.¡± Louisa patted her shoulder like they were old friends. ¡°Since it¡¯s in my hands now, I¡¯ll make sure it gets fixe

    Charlotte finally let out a breath of relief ¡°Thank you. I <b>really </b>appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Piece of cake.¡±

    Louisa was internally celebrating

    A simple restoration Job, and Sean had paid her a million for it?

    <b>What </b>a deal

    ¡°Do you have any pictures of the original?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll send them over.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. I need any details, I¡¯ll check in with you. I should get going now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the driver take you home.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    <b>With </b>the restoration taken care of, it was time to deal with Wendy and Zac.

    Charlotte picked up her phone and called her cousin, Steven.

    ¡°Hey, Steven, I need a favor,¡±

    Later that night, fresh out of the shower, Charlottey in bed when her phone buzzed.

    She nced at the screen. It was an unknown number from Harbor <b>City</b>.

    Probably a potential client

    She answered. ¡°Hello?¡±

    Silence.

    She frowned. ¡°<b>Hello</b><b>? </b>Can you hear me?¡±

    <b>Still </b>no response.

    u¡¯re not going to talk, I¡¯m hanging up.

    ¡°If you¡±

    A low voice finally came through the receiver. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    Her grip tightened around the phone.

    ¡°Charlotte, unblock me¨Cmy number and on the app

 His Heart ` 35

    <b>Chapter </b>35

    Charlotte frowned. ¡°No.¡±

    Zac¡¯s voice turned oddly still. ¡°Let¡¯s not fight, okay? I¡¯ve been thinking about you these past few days. I was wrong that night. I shouldn¡¯t have said those things and upset you!

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Charlotte said, her tone indifferent. ¡°<b>It </b>doesn¡¯t matter anymore. We¡¯ve already broken up.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Broken up?¡± His voice went ice¨Ccold. ¡°I never agreed to that.¡±

    Charlotte remained unmoved. ¡°Breaking up isn¡¯t a divorce. I don¡¯t need your permission.¡± Her voice was firm, emotionless. ¡°Zac, don¡¯t contact me again<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    She hung up and immediately blocked his number.

    Charlotte shifted her focus back to work

    She wanted to build something for herself,

    She could start her own firm, but without a strong reputation, it would be difficult to attract high¨Cprofile cases.

    She decided to gain experience first. She nned to work at a top¨Ctierw firm, establish her name, and then branch out on her own.

    When she <b>told </b>Sean about her <b>n</b>, he fully supported her.

    <b>H </b>

    With how talented you are, you¡¯ll definitely make a name for yourself in Jersey City. You should try S&G¨Cthey¡¯re the best in <b>town</b>.¡±

    Charlotte thought for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send in my r¨¦sum¨¦

    Meanwhile, Zac stared nkly at his phone.

    Charlotte actually hung up on him.

    She really wanted nothing to do with him. No hesitation, no second thoughts.

    Hey back on her bed.

    Her scent still lingered on the sheets.

    Burying his face into her pillow, he inhaled deeply, his mind filling with images of her.

    ile exhaled <b>a </b>shaky breath. ¡°Charlotte. I miss you.¡±

    So damn much. |

    The door suddenly opened.

    ¡°Zac, dinner¡¯s ready.¡± Wendy¡¯s voice was soft,

    Without thinking, Zac grabbed her and pinned her beneath him.

    The tension Ignited instantly¨Clike a match to dry kindling.

    But just as things reached their peak, Zac, lost in the heat of the moment, murmured hoarsely, ¡°Charlotte¡­ my Charlotte¡­ I miss you so much

    Beneath him, Wendy froze.

    Her body went rigid<b>, </b>her <b>Jace </b><b>drained </b><b>of </b><b>color</b>.

    The next night, Mia organized <b>a </b><b>small </b><b>gathering </b>to celebrate Charlotte¡¯s return to <b>Jersey </b>City.

    At a sleek bar, the three women sat in a cozy <b>booth</b><b>, </b>sipping their drinks.

    ¡°<b>That </b>girl, Vivian?¡±  scoffed, swirling the wine in her ss. ¡°Something about her rubs me the wrong way. The way she looked at <b>you </bst night pissed me oli,¡±

    Lena <b>nodded</b>. <b>¡°</b>Yeah, she doesn¡¯t seem easy to <b>deal </b>with.¡±

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    Mia sneered. ¡°Easy to deal with? Please. Who does she think she is? She¡¯s just a housekeeper¡¯s daughter. They call her an ¡®adopted daughter¡± to sound polite, but let¡¯s be real¨Cshe¡¯s an orphan living under someone else¡¯s <b>roof </b>And she actually acts like she¡¯s a real member of the Jasper family?¡±

    Charlotte blinked in surprise. ¡°Wait¡­ the housekeeper¡¯s daughter? I had no idea. Why did the Jaspers take her in?¡±

    Lena leaned in slightly. ¡°My b brother told me that years ago, Mrs. Jasper was attacked during a robbery. Their housekeeper shielded her and took the stab wound instead, saving her Efe. Before she died, Mrs. Jasper promised to grant her one request.¡±

    Lena suddenly <b>paused</b>, her expression unreadable as she nced at Charlotte.

    Charlotte blinked, curiosity flickering in her eyes. ¡°Why¡¯d you stop<b>? </b>

    Lena hesitated, then continued, ¡°Do you know what that housekeeper asked Mrs. Jasper to promise before she died?¡±

 His Heart ` 36

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    Charlotte raised a brow. ¡°So she wanted the Jasper family to adopt Vivian?¡±

    Lena shook her head and leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. ¡°Not just that. She asked Mrs. Jasper to promise that Sean would marry Vivian one day.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°No way, Seriously?¡±

    Mia¡¯s voice shot ¡°She actually <b>had </b>the audacity to say that?¡±

    Lena nodded. ¡°No one knows exactly what Mrs. Jasper told her, but in the end, she settled for the family taking Vivian in as repayment.¡±

    Mia scoffed. ¡°Obviously. Mrs. Jasper only has one son. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d let him marry a housekeeper¡¯s daughter.¡±

    Lena agreed. ¡°Exactly, Sean¡¯s the <b>sole </b>heir of the <b>Jasper </b>family. No matter what, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d end up with her.¡±

    Charlotte took a slow sip of her cocktail, lost in thought.

    The three of them were deep in conversation, too caught up in their gossip to notice a woman standing a short distance away. Her gaze was dark with hostility as she stared at them.

    Charlotte had only had a few light cocktails. The alcohol content was low and nowhere near enough to get her drunk.

    After chatting a while longer, she stood up. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the restroom.¡±

    As she stepped out of the restroom, two men blocked her path.

    One was a bulky guy with a shaved head, wearing a <b>ck </b>tank top that showed off his tattooed arms. He let out a low whistle, grinning sleazily. ¡°Hey there, gorgeous. Why don¡¯t youe have some fun with us?¡±

    Charlotte had been replying to a message on her phone. Without looking up, she tapped her screen, switched to the recording app, and hir record before slipping her phone into her pocket.

    The other guy,nky with dyed blond hair, leaned in with a cigarette dangling from his <b>tips</b><b>. </b>¡°Damn, she¡¯s a looker. Bet she¡¯d be real fun <b>to </b>f¡ª¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice was ice¨Ccold. ¡°Did you eat something nasty in the restroom? Your breath stinks.¡±

    The blond let out augh,pletely unfazed. ¡°Name your price, sweetheart. How much for a night?¡±

    The narrow hallway left her with no way around them.

    Instead of backing away, she crossed her arms <b>and </b><b>stood </b>her ground,pletely unfazed,

    ¡°Five grand for a wake. Two grand extra if you want mourners wailing. Live funeral band? That¡¯ll be twenty¨Ceight hundred. Standard cremation runs four ny¨Cnine, but if you want an eco¨Cfriendly coffin, that¡¯s <b>an </b>extra five hundred. Want the ashes processed further? That¡¯ll run you twelve hundred<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>She </b>tilted her head, expression cool. ¡°So, who in your family just kicked the bucket? If it¡¯s more than one, we offer bulk discounts.¡±

    The blond¡¯s face twisted in rage. <b>¡°</b>You little bitch! You think you¡¯re funny?¡±

    The tattooed guy sneered, unbuckling his belt. ¡°quit acting all innocent. We both know you¡¯re not. Drop the act. I¡¯m taking you, right here and now.¡±

    He jerked his chin <b>toward </b>his buddy<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Take her to the men¡¯s restroom. Let¡¯s have some fun.¡±

    As the two men stepped forward, Charlotte¡¯s gaze turned icy,

    She struck.

    Her knee shot up,nding a brutal kick square between the tattooed <b>guy¡¯s </b>legs.

    ¡°MMMMARGH!F

    Ashriek tore through the hallway as

    hallway as he copsed onto the ground, clutching his groin in agony, body convulsing from the pain.

    The blond cursed and lunged at her with a raised fist.

    Charlotte caught his wrist midair and twisted.

    CRACK.

    A sharp pop echoed as his shoulder dislocated.

    The hallway filled with their bowls of pain.

    Charlotte tilted her head, a slow smirk curling on her lips. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s it? Not even one of

    if you can put up a fight?¡±

    With a disgusted sigh<b>, </b>she pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped her hands, her voice light and mocking, ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯ve been meaning to get some practice in. Thanks for volunteeringTM

 His Heart ` 37

    The blow wasn¡¯t lethal, but the humiliation was

    The blond thug raised his other hand, ready to charge again¨Conly for Charlotte to flip him over her shoulder and m him onto the ground. She pressed the bool of her stiletto against his face, as if crushing an insect. ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got? Go train some more before you try again.¡±

    ¡°Help! Help!¡±

    Help!¡± The tattooed man on the floor clutched his crotch, his volce raw from screaming.

    Charlotte nced down and norleed blood seeping through his pants.

    Hoh. Maybe she had gone a little overboard. Did she just rupture something?

    Themotion soon attracted the attention of the bar staff, who arrived only to freeze at the chaotic scene before them.

    The man on the floor was drenched in cold swear, barely able to <b>get </b>a word out. ¡°It. It hurts! <b>What </b>are you standing around for? Call an ambnce<b>! </b>I¡¯m gonna diel¡±

    By now, a full crowd had gathered.

    Lena and Mia, worried that Charlotte had taken too long in the restroom, hade looking for her¨Conly to be greeted with this sight.

    ¡°Holy crap!¡± Mia practically skidded to a stop. ¡°Charlotte, did your badass karate moves and killer punch just make <b>a </b>grandeback?

    Lena surveyed the two men writhing on the ground, her expression unreadable. Then she turned to Charlotte. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

    Charlotte flicked her hair back. ¡°Nah. These two losers couldn¡¯t even touch a strand of my hair.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a beast, Lottie!¡± Mia¡¯s admiration was practically shining. ¡°I should¡¯ve joined you in self¨Cdefense training back in the day.¡±

    The bar manager had already called the police and an ambnce.

    The two men were soon carried away, while Charlotte was brought to the police station along with the bar staff to file a report.

    Lena and Mia went with her

    As the crowd dispersed<b>, </b>Vivian slowly stepped out from behind a pir, her eyes dark with malice.

    Useless idiots.

    Two against one, yet Charlotte walked away without a scratch.

    She <b>had </b>underestimated her. Charlotte looked delicate, almost fragile but clearly, she wasn¡¯t. <b>She </b>knew how to fight.

    Ordinary thugs wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    Next time, she would need more people. Professionals.

    By the time Sean arrived at the police station, Charlotte <b>was </b>calmly giving her statement.

    The officers had reviewed the security footage, confirming that the two men had instigated the light. Charlotte had acted in self¨Cdefense.

    But then, the hospital report came in.

    The tattooed man had suffered severe trauma. Ruptured testicle<b>. </b>

    His injury was serious enough to require further evaluation, meaning Charlotte¡¯s self¨Cdefense might be considered excessive force<b>. </b>

    The officer sighed. ¡°For now, we can¡¯t release her.¡±

    Sean pulled out his phone, ready to make a call and pull some strings but Charlotte stopped him.

    She remained perfectlyposed as she turned to the officer ¡°A ruptured testicle qualifies as minor bodily harm. If both were ruptured, that would be ssified as severe bodily harm. And if he required a full orchiectomy¨Cmeaning the surgical removal of both then yes, I could potentially face charges for intentional assault.¡±

    This was Charlotte¡¯s area of expertise.

    ¡°However

    She calmly took out her phone and yed an audio recording

    The voices of the two men echoed through the room, their words captured in full.

    Charlotte ced the phone on the table and looked the officer dead in the eye,

    ¡°This is evidence proving attempted sexual assault. Given the nature of this violent crime, my constitute excessive force.¡±

    She leaned back slightly, voke firm.

    ¡°I would also like to officially press charges for attempted sexual assault.¡±

    were a justified defense and do not

 His Heart ` 38

    <b>The </b>officer spoke in a formal, procedural tone. ¡°We¡¯ve received your report. We¡¯ll be opening <b>a </b>case and investigating this as an attempted sexual assault. However<b>, </b>a case will also be filed for your alleged assault. Since this is a criminal matter, whether or not It qualifies as self- defense will ultimately be determined by the court.¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Understood<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    After posting ball, she walked out of the police station and got

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a call and have the case dropped<b>,</b>¡± Sean offered.

    into <b>Sean¡¯s </b>car.

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No need. I¡¯m confident I cane out of this clean.¡±

    Night had fallen. The world outside was hushed and still.

    Sean¡¯s <b>face </b>was cloaked in shadow.

    His voice was low. ¡°Lottie, you always carry everything alone. You know you can lean on me too.

    She fell silent.

    Then let <b>out </b>a quiet sigh.

    ¡°After Mom died, I was a mess for a long time,¡± she said softly. ¡°Then <b>Dad </b>d remarried. <b>Since </b>then, it felt like I didn¡¯t really have anyone left in this world.¡±

    still in the quiet night.

    The car remained still in the

    Charlotte¡¯s face <b>was </b>partially hidden in the dark, the sorrow in her eyes masked by shadows. She forced a <b>casual </b>tone. ¡°I guess I just got used to <b>handling </b>everything on my own.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t really know who I can count on anymore.

    <b>Sean </b>felt something twist in his chest.

    He looked at her, heart <b>aching </b>¡°You can count on me.¡®

    But Charlotte didn¡¯t answer.

    bt in Ch

    Charlotte¡¯s heart.

    Earlier that day, Lena¡¯s words had nted a seed of doubt

    Vivian Xander¨CSean¡¯s adoptive sister¨Cmight have feelings for him that crossed a line

    And as far as Charlotte knew, Sean had always treated Vivian with care, even affection

    Sure, Vivian <b>had </b>been rude to her the day before, and Sean <b>had </b>scolded her. But Charlotte could tell that his anger wasn¡¯t about defending her. He was upset because Vivian had embarrassed the Jasper family with herck of manners.

    It wasn¡¯t about standing up for Charlotte.

    She understood then¨Cwhen it came to Sean¡¯s priorities, she could neverpete with a girl who had grown up by his side.

    And if she and Vivian were ever at odds in the future, Sean would likely take Vivian¡¯s side.

    To save herself from future heartbreak, Charlotte quietly decided not to expect too much from him.

    Next to her, Sean noticed her silence and felt a wave of frustration wash over him.

    He sighed and gently ruffled her hair. ¡°Just remember this, Lottle. No matter what happens, I¡¯m always on <b>your </b>side.

    Charlotte lowered her head and gave a solt ¡°mm.

    Later that night, after dropping Charlotte off at home, <b>Sean </b>made a call.

    He spoke calmly but firmly.

    ¡°Cancel the assault case with the station.¡±

    Then he called his assistant. ¡°Find out which hospital these two bastards are in. Take care of it.¡±

    At the hospital, the tattooed man had juste out of surgery and was lying in <b>bed</b><b>, </b>still in pain. The skinny blond guy was in the next bed

    A man wearing a face mask walked into the room.

    They both recognized him.

    He was the one who had wired them fifty grand each at the bar. Their job had been to harass <b>that </b>woman.

    If it weren¡¯t for him, none of this would have happened.

    <b>Now</b>? One of them had a shattered arm.

    And the other? His testicles were destroyed. Permanently.

    He would never have kids again.

    All for fifty grand?

    The tattooed guy clenched his <b>jaw</b>, shaking with rage. for life!!!

    ¡°You s

    son of a bitch! You could¡¯ve told us she was trained! One kick and she wrecked me

    say it was your idea. Don¡¯t

    ¡°Shut up,¡± the man snapped. ¡°I¡¯ll transfer thirty grand more to each of you. But if the <b>cops </be asking, you say mention me. Got it?¡±

    The blond guy nodded quickly. ¡°Deal.¡±

    His arm would heal in a few weeks. Thirty grand on top of the original filty? Easy money.

    But the tattooed guy wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°Thirty? You think I¡¯m a beggar<b>? </b><b>I¡¯ve </b>been freaking castrated¨Chow the hell is <b>that </b>worth it?! I want a million!¡±

 His Heart ` 39

    The man in the mask finally exhaled in relief. Just a million?

    Thedy he worked for said she was willing to go up to five million, as long as the two thugs took the me and didn¡¯t say a word about who put them up to it.

    If they confessed they were hired, and the Riley or <b>Jasper </b>families got involved, it wouldn¡¯t take long for the trail to lead back to her.

    He had already decided that if the tattooed guy pushed back, he would offer two million.

    But who would have guessed? The guy folded at one.

    ¡°Fine,¡± the masked man <b>said </b>in a low volor. ¡°Give me your ount number. You¡¯ll get the inoney soon. But if either of you so much as leaks a word, not only will the money vanish, you¡¯ll be joining the dead. You understand?¡±

    His tone dropped, sharp and cold. ¡°Own up to it. Worst case, you serve a few years. But if you slip up¡­¡± He paused. ¡°You¡¯ll be going in upright anding out horizontal.¡±

    The two thugs went pale.

    Anyone who could casually toss around that

    at kind of money wasn¡¯t <b>someone </b>to mess with and they could tell this guy wasn¡¯t bluffing

    Not long after the masked man left, Sean¡¯s assistant, Sam Long, walked into the hospital roomL

    ¡°What now?¡± the tattooed guy muttered, thinking the man had returned, but he trailed off once he realized this wasn¡¯t the same person.

    His eyes darted. ¡°Who who are you?¡±

    Sam¡¯s <b>gaze </b>was key.¡±

    ley. ¡°Someone already <b>paid </b>you a visit 7¡±

    ¡°No.<b>¡± </b>The man snapped to attention. ¡°Who are you? You here for me?¡±

    ¡°Why <b>did </b>you target Miss Rileyst night?¡± Sam asked.

    The tattooed guy smirked. <b>¡°</b>Saw a pretty girl, got a little excited<b>. </b>She was hot, what can I say?¡±

    The blond guy nodded quickly, ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a total knockout.¡±

    Sam¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Watch your mouth. One more disgusting word<b>, </b>and I¡¯ll have your tongues cut out.¡±

    Two men in ck suits stepped forward from behind him.

    Both thugs went still. Now they really understood that they had crossed the wrong people.

    Sata continued, ¡°You¡¯d better think carefully before you answer again. I want the truth.¡±

    Thinking of the masked man¡¯s threats just moments ago, the tattooed guy and the blond one didn¡¯t dare let a single word slip.

    If they talked, not only would they lose the money¨Cthey might lose their lives.

    <b>So </b>they stuck to

    to their <b>story </b>that they were drunk and acted on impulse after seeing a pretty girl.

    Seeing he couldn¡¯t get anything useful out of them, Sam turned and left with his bodyguards.

    The next morning, Charlotte had barely gotten out of bed when her phone rang.

    It was the police, Informing her that the assault case against her had been officially dropped.

    he wasn¡¯t surprised.

    She knew this had Sean¡¯s fingerprints all over it.

    She had been <b>ready </b>to defend herself in court, fully confident she could <b>prove </b>it was self¨Cdefense and walk away clean.

    But since Sean had already handled it behind the scenes, she <b>saw </b>no reason to intervene further.

    Still, she politely called him<b>. </b>

    med firm. ¡°Lottle, you don¡¯t need to k

    Standing by the floor to

    window

    tean added, his woke low and continending

    Quarlotte liesitated. ¡°They¡¯ve already paid. And the

    i woler was low, each word led with que intensity Fan over the phone, the weight

    ¡°Anyone who hurts you I won¡¯t let a single one of them off the book

    ¨C

    word.

    Quarlotte listened in silence, not saying a v

    But in her heart, a question stirred<b>. </b>

    What if the one who hurt her was Vivian?

    Would he still say the same?

    the what thing ?i!!

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said softly.

    Sean¡¯s one turned firm. ¡°Lottie, you don¡¯t need to thank me. Not now, not ever.¡±

    a little tighter. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Standing by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window of her bedroom, Charlotte held the phone a little tighte

    Sean added, his voke low andmanding even over the line, ¡°t¨CI¡¯ll make sure those two men fromst night pay for what they did.¡±

    Charlotte hesitated. ¡°They¡¯ve already paid. And thew will take care of the rest. Please don¡¯t do anything more. Let the legal system handle

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>voice was low, each wordced with quiet intensity. Even over the phone, the weight of his presence was impossible to ignore.

    ¡°Anyone who hurts you I won¡¯t let a single one of them off the hook¡±

    Charlotte listened in silence, not saying a wond.

    But in her heart, a question stirred.

    <b>What </b>if the one who hurt her was Vivian?

    Would he still say the same?

 His Heart 40

    After returning to Jersey City, Charlotte¡¯s two <b>best </b>friends practically dragged her out every day for shopping, drinks, andte night fun

    For the time being, her n to apply to SAG Law Firm was on hold.

    This attemoon, the girls were gathered at a dessert cafe, spooning through their sweets as they chatted

    Mis looked half¨Calive, clearly suffering the consequences ofst night¡¯s bar crawl. She hadn¡¯t gotten home until around am

    um,¡± she groaned, slumping over the table. Then her ¡°I swear, if I have to go on one more shopping spree or clubbing night, I¡¯m gonna scream, <b>eyes </b>lit up as a new idea hit her. ¡°The weather¡¯s gorgeous today. How about we go riding at Lena¡¯s family¡¯s stables this attemoon?¡±

    Thergest riding <b>club </b>in Jersey City happened to be owned by Lena¡¯s family. Years ago, the three of them had taken horseback riding lessons together.

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow, teasing. ¡°You sure you¡¯re sober enough to ride? I don¡¯t want you drink¨Cdriving a horse.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡±

    ¡°Mia said with a mischievous grin. ¡°I puked all over poor tanst night. I think his whole face tumed green.¡±

    Lena chuckled <b>softly</b>, her tone as gentle as always. <b>¡°</b>He didn¡¯t get mad?¡±

    Mia sighed. ¡°Believe it or not, he¡¯s actually acting like a real brother these days. He cleaned up, showered, and even made me a hangover

    <b>fan </b><b>and </b>Mia were technically step¨Csiblings.

    Ian¡¯s mother had passed away when he was very young. When Mia was seven, her parents divorced. Later on,n¡¯s father remarried and his new wife <b>was </b>Mia¡¯s mother. <b>That </b>was how the blended family came to be

    The first time Mia met <bn</b>, she was nine. He was fourteen and going through a full¨Con rebellious phase. He hated his stepmom, and by extension, Mia,

    The very first thing he ever said to her was, ¡°Get out of my house,¡± ¡°Then he yanked her pigtails,

    Mia wasn¡¯t one to back down. She bit his wrist so hard he still has a faint <b>scar </b>

    Charlotte stirred her dessert, smirking as she looked at Mia. ¡°You were literally sent by the universe to torment him.¡±

    ¡°He <b>had </b><b>it </bing.¡±

    ¡°Mia sniffed. ¡°He used to bully me all the time¡±

    After some girl talk, Mia perked up again. ¡°<b>Anyway</b>, are we going or not? It¡¯s been ages since I rode. I¡¯m itching to get <b>back </b>in the saddle,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡±

    ¡°Charlotte said. ¡°I <b>haven¡¯t </b>been riding since I left for Harbor City. I kinda miss racing you guys.

    Lena smiled. <b>¡°</b><b>Count </b>me in, too.¡±

    Mia gave Charlotte a sly look, pulling out her phone. ¡°I¡¯m callingn Gonna tell him to bring Sean.

    At the stables, Charlotte had changed into her riding gear¨Ca rallored, light¨Cgray fitted jacket, white jodhpurs, and sleek ck riding boots that perfectly hugged her curves.

    With her <b>hair </b>neatly tied back, she looked powerful and effortlessly chic.

    When she walked out, the group waiting for her <b>all </b>paused¨C<b>visibly </b>stunned.

    ¡°Damn, Charlotte,¡± Ian whistled. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten even hotter these past few years.¡±

    Mia immediately elbowed him in the ribs. ¡°Shut up. Let Sean be the one topliment her, you clown.¡±

    ¡°Ow¨Cokay, okay! Chill, demon women!¡± Tan winced dramatically.

    Sean¡¯s eyesnded on Charlotte<b>, </b><b>a </b>small smile tugging at theers of his lips. <b>¡°</b>You look incredible today.¡±

    He was dressed in riding gear, too¨Calso in gray. Whether it was coincidence or fate, they <b>looked </b>like they had stepped out of a <b>couple¡¯s </b>Jashion shoot.

    His broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs made the perfectly cut outfit look even better. Just standing there, he was easily the most strik

 His Heart 41

    Standing beside Sean was Vivian.

    Charlotte blinked in surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected Vivian to be here.

    ¡°She said she wanted to tag along.<b>¡± </b>Sean

    exined<b>. </b>¡°So I brought her.¡±

    In his mind<b>, </b>they were going to be family sooner orter. It wouldn¡¯t hurt for Charlotte and Vivian to spend more time together.

    Charlotte nodded politely and offered a warm smile. ¡°Nice to meet you¡±

    Just then, one of the handlers led over Sean¡¯s horse.

    It was an absolutely stunning warmblood¨Ctall, strong, and majestic. Charlotte had never been to the stables with Sean before, so this was her first time seeing his horse.

    she

    felt a jolt of admiration. Judging from the horse¡¯s size and build, it looked like a purebred Hanoverian.

    Vivian, in her usual overly sweet voice, asked, ¡°Wow, Sean, what kind of horse is this? It¡¯s so beautiful!¡±

    J¡°Hanoverian,¡± Sean answered coolly

    Ian chimed in from the side, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate it, Vivian, That horse is seriously high¨Cend.¡±

    Vivian pouted yfully and clung to Sean¡¯s arm. ¡°<b>Sean</b>, I want to leam how to ride. Can you teach me?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze drifted to Vivian¡¯s hands wrapped around <b>Sean¡¯s </b>arm.

    Something in her chest tightened.

    She quickly looked away.

    Sean, unfazed, gently pulled his <b>arm </b>free. ¡°I can enroll you in a riding ss?

    Mia jumped in at just the right moment. ¡°If <b>you¡¯re </b>looking for a good instructor, Miss Kander, I can rmend mine.¡±

    ¡°But I want you to teach me, <b>Sean</b>,¡± Vivian whined, refusing to back downl

    A strange <b>emotion </b>stirred in Charlotte¡¯s chest¨Csomething she couldn¡¯t quite put into words

    She didn¡¯t want to stand there watching Vivian act cute any longer.

    Tuming <b>away</b>, she headed for the stables to fetch her horse.

    Her horse <b>was </b><b>a </b>pure white Akhal¨CTeke, gifted to her by Lena for her seventeenth birthday.

    Its coat shimmered under the sunlight, soft and luminous like satin. The horse looked <b>as </b>noble and refined as a creature out of a fairytale

    Charlotte named her Snowbell, a nod to her shimmering white <b>coat </b>and how precious she was to her.

    ¡°You <b>took </b>great care of her while I <b>was </b>gone,¡± Charlotte said, patting the horse¡¯s cheek affectionately.

    ¡°She¡¯s your girl, after all,¡± Lena sald v

    d with a grin. ¡°I made sure she was always in the best condition.¡±

    Snowbell lowered her head, nuzzling Charlotte¡¯s palm like she remembered her.

    ¡°She still recognizes me,¡± Charlotte <b>said</b><b>, </b>her voice filled with joy.

    ¡°Of course Horses are incredibly intuitive,¡± Lena replied.

    Charlotte led Snowbell <b>outside</b><b>. </b>

    She was itching to ride. Three years <b>away </b>from the saddle was far too long.

    She stepped into the stirrup, and Sean <b>moved </b>beside her, supporting her arm and gently steadying her by the waist as she swung <b>into </b><b>the </b>

    saddle.

    ¡°Thanks,¡±

    ¡± she said.

    With a light kick, Charlotte took off.

    She didn¡¯t see the story sh of jealousy in Vivian¡¯s eyes as she watched from behind.

    The riding arena was located out in the countryside, where the fields stretched endlessly across opennd. Wind rushed past Charlotte¡¯s a as she galloped through the open space, wild and free.

    She loved this feeling¨Cunrestrained, unburdened.

    It was the only time she truly felt free.

    Her posture was elegant, her movements fluid and agile. There was something maic about her as she rode, the wind lifting her hair an?t the sunlight kissing her skin.

    Everyone watched her, momentarily spellbound

    Even Vivian had to admit that Charlotte was dazzling.

    And when Sean spurred his horse to chase after Charlotte without taking his eyes off her t

    es off her for a second, Vivian felt her stomach twist with envy.

 His Heart 4 2

    GET IT

    After a couple ofps around the field<b>, </b>Charlotte and Sean slowed to a stop.

    by still off riding

    Mia,n, and Lena were nowhere to be seen. They were probably

    Only Vivian was left at the paddock

    ed up with a sweet smile<b>. </b>

    As they approached, Vivian walked up

    ¡°Wow, Charlotte, you looked so cool out there. Can I leam to ride from you?¡±

    Charlotte was caught off guard.

    ? ? ? ???? ? ?

    Didn¡¯t she just say earlier she only wanted Sean to teach her?

    ¡°There¡¯s a trainer over there,¡± Charlotte replied politely. ¡°I can go <b>ask </b>him to give you a lesson.¡±

    Vivian pouted, her tone soft and deliberately cutesy.

    ¡°But trainers are so intimidating and I don¡¯t even know him. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll yell at me. You¡¯re so nice, Charlotte. I bet you wouldn¡¯t yell at me, right?¡±

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t used to strangers acting sweet with her. She nced at Sean, hoping to gauge what he thought.

    He tumed to her at the same moment and asked gently,

    ¡°Lottle, would you mind teaching her?¡±

    He was clearly leaving the decision to her.

    Charlotte hesitated for a second.

    Vivian was, after all, Sean¡¯s sister¨Cand likely her future sister¨Cin¨Clow. Sure, their first meeting had been a bit awkward, but Vivian <b>had </b>apologized, and she seemed friendly enough now

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t the type to assume the worst of someone, especially another wom

    woman.

    ¡°<b>Sure</b><b>,</b>¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I can proper riding <b>ss</b>.¡±

    show

    you some b

    you basics today so you get a feel for it. After <b>that</b>, maybe your brother can enroll you in a

    ¡°Really?¡± Vivian beamed. ¡°Thank you so

    so much, Charlotte!¡±

    She sure wasying it on thick with the ¡°Charlotte¡± this and ¡°Charlotte¡± that

    a moment, Charlotte wondered if she had been overthinking things. Vivian didn¡¯t seem hostile after all

    For al

    ¡°<b>You¡¯re </b>wee,¡± Charlotte said with a polite smile.

    Vivian studied her quietly.

    Charlotte Riley. Her brother¡¯s fianc¨¦e.

    She was supposed to call her ¡°sister¨Cinw.¡±

    But those words stuck in her throat and she couldn¡¯t say them, not even as a formality.

    She didn¡¯t want to believe Sean would ever belong to another woman.

    Sean tumed to Charlotte, his voice warm.

    ¡°Thanks for doing this, Lottle.¡±

    Then he <b>faced </b>Vivian. The softness in his gaze vanished, reced by his <b>usual </b>cool Indifference.

    ¡°Listen to her,¡± he said with quiet authority. ¡°Whatever Lottie tells you to do, you <b>do </b>it. And be careful¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sean.¡± Vivian¡¯s voice was sweet, all innocence again.

    ¡°Come <b>on</b>,¡± Charlotte <b>said</b>, leading the horse forward.

    Vivian followed.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re going to mount from the left,¡± Charlotte exined patiently. ¡°Left foot in the

    She steadied Vivian by the waist, helping her onto the <b>saddle</b>.

    ¡°Careful¡±

    Vivian wasn¡¯t wearing riding gear, but her athletic outfit worked just fine for a beginner.

    Once Vivian was seated on the horse<b>, </b>Charlotte took the reins and began walking slowly alongside.

    was calm and steady, her steps slow and gentle.

    Snowbell, guided by her owner,

    ¡°Doing okay up there?¡± Charlotte looked up and asked.

    With her back to Sean, Vivian didn¡¯t bother pretending anymore.

    The smile from earlier had vanished, her expression now cool and distant

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied tly, her <b>voice </b>devoid of warmth..

    Charlotte didn¡¯t seem fazed by the shift in attitude. If anything, she let it roll right off her.

 His Heart 4 3

    Chapter <b>43 </b>

    <b>Charlotte </b>and <b>Vivian </b>weren¡¯t <b>close </b><b>to </b><b>begin </b><b>with</b><b>, </b><b>so </b>Vivian <b>dropping </b>the act and <b>ditching </b>the fake sweetness <b>somehow </b>felt <b>less </b><b>awkward </b>and

    more <b>honest </b>in <b>a </b><b>way</b><b>. </b>

    <b>Charlotte </b>began walking her through the <b>basics</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>When </b><b>you¡¯re first </b>learning <b>to </b>ride, posture <b>is </b>everything. <b>Once you¡¯re </b><b>in </b>the <b>saddle</b><b>, </b>sit up straight<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>She </b>handed Vivian the reins<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Here</b><b>, </b><b>try </b><b>holding </b><b>these</b><b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>We¡¯re </b><b>going </b><b>to </b>start <b>moving </b><b>now, </b><b>so </b><b>don¡¯t </b>pull <b>back </b><b>too </b>hard. Keep the tension <b>light</b><b>. </b>That <b>tells </b><b>the </b>horse it¡¯s safe <b>to </b>walk.¡±

    Vivian <b>followed </b><b>Charlotte¡¯s </b>instructions <b>and </b>held the <b>reins </b><b>gently</b><b>. </b>Snowbell began walking forward at an easy pace.

    <b>¡°</b><b>She¡¯s </b>called <b>Snowbell</b>. She¡¯s really gentle<b>, </b>so <b>you </b><b>don¡¯t </b>have <b>to </b><b>be </b><b>afraid</b>.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>that <b>so</b><b>?</b>¡± <b>Vivian¡¯s </b><b>tone </b>was t<b>, </b>her words oddly <b>pointed</b>. 1

    Charlotte didn¡¯t notice <b>anything </b>strange. ¡°Don¡¯t worry<b>, </b>I¡¯m right here. Nothing¡¯s going to happen<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Vivian smiled faintly<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>How reassuring<b>. </b>Thanks<b>¡­ </b>really<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Charlotte </b>continued patiently<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>If </b><b>you </b>want her <b>to </b>pick <b>up </b>speed<b>, </b><b>use </b><b>your </b>lower legs to gently <b>squeeze </b>her sides. That <b>creates </b>pressure<b>. </b>It¡¯s how she knows <b>to </b><b>go faster</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°The <b>more </b>pressure<b>, </b>the faster she¡¯ll go. And when she starts moving<b>, </b>ease <b>off </b><b>so </b>she knows <b>to </b><b>stay </b>steady<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    She nced up. <b>¡°</b><b>Got </b>all that?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Vivian replied.

    <b>By </b><b>now</b><b>, </b>the two <b>of </b>them had wandered far from the others.

    Vivian nced over her shoulder. Sean was nowhere <b>in </b><b>sight</b>.

    Charlotte was still focused<b>, </b>exining <b>riding </b>techniques<b>. </b>She waspletely unaware <b>that </b>Vivian¡¯s mind was elsewhere<b>. </b>

    Clutched tightly in Vivian¡¯s right hand<b>, </b>still holding the reins<b>, </b>was a brooch. One she had deliberately removed and hidden in her palm<b>. </b>

    Charlotte <b>hadn¡¯t </b><b>noticed </b><b>a </b>thing.

    <b>¡°</b><b>So</b><b>, </b><b>how </b><b>do </b><b>you </b><b>feel</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b><b>Charlotte </b><b>asked </b>casually<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Feels </b>kind of amazing<b>, </b>doesn¡¯t it?<b>¡± </b>

    Vivian responded half¨C<b>heartedly</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b><b>, </b><b>not </b>bad.¡±

    ¡°The weather¡¯s <b>beautiful </b><b>too</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>Charlotte <b>smiled</b>, gazing out toward <b>the </b>setting sun.

    It waste <b>afternoon </b><b>now</b>. The <b>sky was </b><b>streaked with </b>vivid oranges and <b>reds</b><b>, </b>and a <b>gentle </b><b>breeze </b><b>rolled </b><b>across </b>the fields.

    Charlotte walked alongside the <b>horse</b><b>, </b>taking in <b>the </b>peaceful scenery.

    <b>After </b><b>a </b>while<b>, </b>she said<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>We¡¯ve </b><b>gone </b>far <b>enough</b><b>. </b>Let¡¯s head <b>back</b>.<b>¡± </b>

    Vivian¡¯s <b>lips </b><b>curled </b>into <b>a </b>cryptic smile.

    <b>Charlotte </b>blinked<b>, </b>unsure what that smile <b>meant</b><b>. </b>

    And <b>then</b><b>, </b><b>everything </b><b>changed</b><b>. </b>

    <b>Out </b>of <b>nowhere</b>, Snowbell reared and bolted forward in a wild sprint,

    Vivian screamed <b>in </b>panic, <b>barely </b>holding onto the reins.

    <b>Help</b><b>! </b><b>Somebody </b>help me!<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte <b>froze</b><b>, </b>stunned<b>. </b>

    What <b>the </b><b>hell </b><b>just </b>happened<b>? </b>

    <b>Snowbell </b>was <b>usually </b>calm and obedient. This waspletely <b>out </b><b>of </b>character.

    <b>It </b>had <b>happened </b><b>so </b><b>fast</b><b>, </b>Charlotte <b>hadn¡¯t </b>had time to <b>grab </b><b>the </b>reins or <b>stop </b><b>the </b>horse<b>. </b>

    <b>1/2 </b>

    Chunter 43

    +25 Bonus

    Her <b>mind </b><b>nked </b>for <b>a </b><b>second</b><b>, </b><b>then </b>kicked into <b>gear</b>.

    She pulled out her phone and <b>called the </b><b>emergency </b>rescue team <b>for </b>the stables.

    <b>By </b>the <b>time </b><b>help </b>arrived, Vivian had <b>already </b>been thrown from the saddle. Her <b>body </b>rolled <b>across </b>the <b>grass </b>before <bing </b><b>to </b>a <b>stop</b>.

    Snowbell was <b>still </b>tearing <b>off </b>into the distance<b>, </b><bpletely </b>out of control.

    The <b>rescue </b>team rushed to Vivian¡¯s side and <b>carefully </b>lifted her <b>onto </b>a stretcher.

    <b>Sean </b>and <b>the </b><b>others </b>rushed over <b>behind </b>the rescue <b>team</b><b>, </b><b>hurrying </b><b>to </b>check on the situation.

    The <b>moment </b>he saw Vivian lying injured<b>, </b>Sean¡¯s brows furrowed sharply. His <b>expression </b>turned grim as he cast a heavy nce at Charlotte.

    Charlotte <b>stood </b>frozen<b>, </b>staring back at him in <b>a </b>daze<b>, </b>her eyes wide and confused.

 His Heart 44

    <b>Chapter </b>44

    <b>Charlotte </b><b>followed </b>the <b>rescue </b><b>team </b>out <b>of </b>the field<b>. </b>

    Lena and Mia <b>had </b>just arrived, <b>jogging </b>over with anxious expressions<b>. </b>

    Mia rushed <b>to </b>Charlotte¡¯s <b>side</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>What </b>happened?<b>¡± </b>

    <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b>mind was still spinning. Her expression was dazed <b>as </b>she muttered<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>I </b><b>don¡¯t </b><b>know</b><b>¡­ </b><b>Vivian </b><b>asked </b><b>me to </b><b>teach </b>her <b>how </b>to ride. <b>Everything </b>was fine and <b>then </b><b>suddenly</b><b>, </b>Snowbell just went <b>wild</b>. She <b>got </b>thrown off and it looked pretty bad.¡±

    Lena <b>frowned</b><b>, </b>deep <b>in </b><b>thought</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Snowbell <b>gets </b><b>a </b>full vet check <b>every </b><b>month</b><b>, </b>and we even ran a quick one before bringing <b>her </b><b>out </b>today<b>. </b>Everything came back <b>normal</b>. There¡¯s <b>no </b>reason <b>she </b>should¡¯ve freaked <b>out</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Mia clenched her <b>fists</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>You </b><b>don¡¯t </b>think Vivian did something, do you? I mean<b>, </b>didn¡¯t she insist on having Sean teach her in the first ce? She clearly didn¡¯t like <b>you</b>. Why the sudden change of heart?¡±

    Lena added<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>The </b>stable team¡¯s <b>sedated </b>Snowbell and brought her back <b>for </b>another checkup. Charlotte<b>, </b>don¡¯t me yourself. This wasn¡¯t your fault<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte nodded faintly, but her gaze drifted toward the direction the rescue team had disappeared.

    She kept thinking about that strange little smile on Vivian¡¯s <b>face </b>right <b>before </b><b>the </b>ident.

    Something about <b>it </b>didn¡¯t sit right.

    <b>Her </b>gut told her Vivian had something to <b>do </b>with what just happened.

    But why?

    <b>And </b>if that really was <b>the </b><b>case</b><b>, </b>wasn¡¯t she worried she could actually <b>get </b>seriously hurt?

    Then she thought of Sean¡¯s expression when he arrived and how he looked at her with suspicion.

    And suddenly, it made sense. Vivian wanted to drive a wedge between them.

    She was willing <b>to </b>risk her life just <b>to </b>make Charlotte look bad.

    They had <b>only </b><b>met </b>twice <b>and </b>she was already willing <b>to </b>pull a stunt this extreme?

    <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b>heart <b>sank</b>.

    Vivian <b>wasn¡¯t </b>just maniptive<b>¨C</b>she was dangerous.

    In the ambnce<b>, </b><b>Vivian </by pale and tearful<b>, </b>looking small and pitiful on <b>the </b>stretcher

    She clutched <b>Sean¡¯s </b>hand and whimpered<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>It </b><b>hurts</b><b>, </b>Sean. It <b>really </b>hurts<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Sean¡¯s voice </b><b>was </b>gentle as <b>he </b><b>tried </b><b>to </b>calm her<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>We¡¯re </b>almost at the hospital. The <b>doctors </b>will take <b>care </b><b>of it</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Tears streamed <b>down </b>her <b>face</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>I was </b><b>so </b>scared, When <b>I </b><b>fell</b><b>, </b><b>I </b>really thought I wouldn¡¯t <b>see </b><b>you </b>again<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Her grip on his hand <b>tightened</b><b>. </b><b>She </b>sobbed <b>softly</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b>I must¡¯ve ruined the whole day. Everyone was having <b>fun </b>and then I went and <b>I¡¯m </b><b>just </b>a <b>burden</b>, aren¡¯t <b>I</b>?<b>¡± </b>

    <b>got </b><b>hurt</b><b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>Don¡¯t </b>say <b>that</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b><b>Sean </b>said, his <b>eyes </b>full of concern<b>. </b><b>She </b><b>wasn¡¯t </b><b>his </b>blood sister, but he had <b>watched </b>her <b>grow </b>up. In many <b>ways</b><b>, </b>she <b>was </b>

    family.

    ¡°Alright<b>, </b><b>stop </b>crying<b>,</b><b>¡± </b><b>he </b>coaxed. ¡°We¡¯ll be <b>at </b><b>the </b>hospital <b>soon</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Vivian sniffled<b>, </b>still whimpering. <b>¡°It </b><b>doesn¡¯t </b>hurt <b>when you </bfort me¡­<b>¡± </b>

    <b>Sean </b>reached over and <b>gently </b>patted <b>her </b>head. ¡°<b>You¡¯re </b><b>just like </b>when <b>you </b>were <b>little</b><b>.</b>¡±

    After an <b>X</b>¨Cray and full evaluation at the hospital<b>, </b>the doctor confirmed <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>injuries weren¡¯t <b>life</b><b>¨C</b>threatening. <b>She </b>had <b>a </b><b>fractured </b>tailbone, same <b>soft </b><b>tissue </b>bruising, a mild <b>dislocation </b>in her elbow<b>, </b><b>and </b>several scrapes and bruises<b>. </b>Thankfully<b>, </b>there was no internal trauma<b>. </b>

    <b>They </b><b>cast </b>her arm<b>, </b><b>gave </b>her a painkiller, and said <b>she </b>would <b>recover </b>in about a <b>month </b><b>with </b><b>proper </b><b>care</b>.

    <b>1/2 </b>

    <b>Once </b>she was settled in her <b>hospital </b>bed, and the pain meds <b>kicked </b>in

    ,

    finally quieted down.

    <b>Charlotte </b>had followed <b>them </b><b>to </b><b>the </b>hospital and had just reached the <b>room </b>when she heard Vivian¡¯s syrupy voice <b>from </b><b>inside</b>.

    ¡°Sean<b>, </b><b>my arm¡¯s </b>in a cast. I <b>can¡¯t </b>eat <b>by </b>myself. Can you feed me<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte <b>stopped </b><b>in </b>her tracks.

    Was this really the <b>right </b>time <b>to </b>

    <b>in</b><b>? </b><b>go </b>

    Then Sean¡¯s voice came<b>, </b><b>calm </b>but distant. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll call a nurse.¡±

    Vivian pouted<b>, </b>still whining<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Nooo</b>, <b>I </b>want you to do <b>it</b><b>. </b>Why won¡¯t you,

    Sean?¡±

 His Heart 45

    <b>Chapter </b><b>45 </b>

    <b>Sean </b><b>gently </b><b>coaxed</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Be </b><b>good</b><b>. </b>You¡¯re <b>not </b>a child <b>anymore </b>and <b>I </b>have <b>a </b>girlfriend <b>now</b>. Charlotte and I are <b>getting </b>engaged <b>soon</b><b>. </b><b>It¡¯s </b>important to <b>keep </b>boundaries<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b>heart gave a subtle <b>jolt</b><b>. </b>

    She hadn¡¯t <b>expected </b>Sean <b>to </b>turn Vivian down for her<b>. </b>

    Vivian¡¯s demeanor instantly shifted. Gone was the sweetness and her voice rose sharply.

    <b>¡°</b>Boundaries<b>? </b>Between siblings? <b>Seriously</b><b>? </b><b>So </b>Charlotte¡¯s really that petty<b>? </b>She pushed me off that horse and now <b>you¡¯re </b>taking her side?¡±

    Charlotte turned <b>to </b><b>leave</b>.

    She wasn¡¯t shameless enough <b>to </b>stick around where <b>she </b>clearly wasn¡¯t wee.

    <b>If </b>Vivian <b>didn¡¯t </b>want her <b>there</b><b>, </b>then <b>she </b>had no reason to force herself in.

    But just then<b>, </b>Sean¡¯s voice rang out<b>, </b>tinged <b>with </b>frustration<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Vivian<b>, </b>I¡¯ve told you¨CCharlotte <b>is </b>your future sister¨Cinw. Don¡¯t be <b>disrespectful</b>.¡± 1

    At that <b>moment</b>, <b>a </b>nurse arrived with an IV drip. Spotting Charlotte by the doorway, she said, ¡°Excuse me,ing through.¡±

    Both Sean and Vivian turned to look.

    Charlotte sighed and followed the nurse inside.

    Vivian¡¯s eyes narrowed <b>with </b>undisguised hostility<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>What are you doing here<b>?</b>¡±

    Almost at <b>the </b>same time, Sean <b>spoke </b>more gently. <b>¡°</b>Lottie, you

    <b>came</b>.

    The nurse began preparing the IV. Vivian¡¯s re didn¡¯t waver. Her gaze was cold, sharp, and pointed directly at Charlotte.

    But Charlotte didn¡¯t flinch. She met Vivian¡¯s <b>stare </b>head¨Con, her <b>voice </b><b>cool </b>and even. ¡°You¡¯re saying <b>I </b>caused the horse <b>to bolt</b>?¡± Vivian hadn¡¯t <b>expected </b>Charlotte <b>to </b>stay <b>so </b>calm. It threw her off a little.

    Still, <b>she </b>quickly slipped back <b>into </b>character.

    She didn¡¯t <b>respond </b>right away. Instead, she turned toward Sean, her voice soft and trembling, eyes brimming with tears.

    <b>¡°</b>Sean, I know I didn¡¯t make the best impression when we first <b>met </b>but today, I really wanted to get along with Charlotte<b>. </b>She¡¯s <b>going </b><b>to </b>be my <b>sister</b><b>¨C</b><b>in</b>w<b>, </b><b>so </b>I thought maybe if she <b>taught </b>me how to ride, we¡¯d bond a little<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>

    She sniffled, voice quivering<b>. </b>¡°I didn¡¯t <b>expect </b>her <b>to </b>hate me <b>that </b>much. While I wasn¡¯t looking, she suddenly kicked the horse and it went <b>wild</b><b>. </b>I was terrified.¡±

    Her tearful usations <b>poured </b><b>out</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Charlotte<b>, </b><b>I </b><b>get </b><b>it </b><b>if </b><b>you </b><b>don¡¯t </b>like me. But <b>I¡¯ve </b>never done anything <b>to </b><b>you</b><b>. </b><b>Why </b>would <b>you </b>want <b>to </b>hurt me like that?<b>¡± </b>

    She paused<b>, </b>sneaking <b>a </b>nce <b>at </b>Sean<b>, </b><b>trying </b><b>to </b><b>gauge </b>his reaction.

    Sean¡¯s brows drew together slightly<b>, </b>but his tone <b>remained </b>calm.

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b>what exactly <b>happened </b><b>at </b>the stables this afternoon<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Under the nket<b>, </b><b>Vivian¡¯s </b>uninjured hand curled tightly into a <b>fist</b>.

    He <b>didn¡¯t </b>believe her.

    He actually <b>didn¡¯t </b>believe <b>her</b>.

    <b>Why </b>was he being so gentle with Charlotte?

    Back in middle school, <b>when </b><b>girls </b>bullied her<b>, </b>Sean had <b>them </b><b>expelled </b>without hesitation.

    <b>In </b>high <b>school</b><b>, </b>when some thugs harassed her, he sent <b>people </b><b>to </b>beat them so badly <b>they </b>ended <b>up </b><b>in </b>the <b>hospital </b>

    <b>In </b>college, when a stalker <b>tried </b><b>to </b>secretly film <b>her</b>, Sean had his <b>hand </b>shattered.

    But now after she had <b>been </b>thrown off a horse<b>, </b><b>covered </b><b>in </b>bruises and hooked <b>up </b>to an IV<b>¨C</b>he <b>didn¡¯t </b><b>scold </b>Charlotte at all<b>. </b>

    Chopter <b>#</b><b>45 </b>

    <b>He </b><b>didn¡¯t </b><b>even </b><b>seem </b><b>angry</b>.

    <b>He </b>was <b>just </b>calmly asking Charlotte what had happened.

    <b>Jealousy </b><b>surged </b><b>through </b>Vivian like wildfire.

    She wanted <b>nothing </b>more than <b>to </b>leap <b>out </b>of <b>bed </b>and p Charlotte across the <b>face</b>.

 His Heart 46

    Charlotte nced at Vivian, then turned <b>to </b>Sean<b>, </b>her voice <b>calm </b>and t.

    <b>¡°If </b>I told <b>you </b>she¡¯s lying<b>, </b>would you believe me?<b>¡± </b>

    Sean froze for a <b>second</b><b>, </b>caught off guard. He <b>didn¡¯t </b>answer right away.

    Charlotte let out a soft<b>, </b><b>self</b><b>¨C</b><b>deprecating </bugh.

    Why had she even asked <b>something </b><b>so </b>stupid?

    <b>Of </b>course he would choose Vivian¨Cthe girl who had grown up with <b>him</b><b>, </b>not the fianc¨¦e he hadn¡¯t seen in three years and barely had a rtionship with.

    Anyone would know <b>the </b>answer <b>to </b>that.

    But <b>then </b>Sean looked her in the eye and<b>, </b>without hesitation<b>, </b>said, ¡°I believe you.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s breath caught <b>in </b>her throat.

    She stared at him, unsure if she had heard right.

    He believed her?

    Then what about Vivian?

    Charlotte saw her face go ghost white in an instant.

    ¡°Sean! She¡¯s making things up! How could you believe her over me?¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes turned sharp, his voice cold as <b>ice</b>. ¡°From the moment you met Lottie, you¡¯ve had this strange hostility toward her. The second you imed she kicked the horse behind your back, I knew you were lying.¡±

    His expression darkened, frosted over with disapproval.

    ¡°Lottie¡¯s not that kind of person. I know her. And you said it yourself she¡¯s never done anything to you. So tell me, why would she want to hurt you?¡±

    Charlotte stood quietly, eyes fixed on Sean.

    Her heart felt like a tangled mess of emotions.

    Why was he standing up for her like this? Why was he choosing to believe her, <b>no </b>questions asked?

    She had been so sure¨Csq sure that when <b>it </b>came down to it, Sean would always pick Vivian.

    But now<b>, </b>her nose stung, and her eyes welled up with something she couldn¡¯t <b>name</b><b>. </b>

    Sean¡¯s gaze returned to Vivian, as cold as ice.

    ¡°Vivian, don¡¯t forget¨C<b>you¡¯re </b><b>a </b>Xander, not a Jasper. Don¡¯t <b>take </b><b>the </b>title <b>of </b>¡®adopted daughter¡® and think <b>it </b>gives you free rein<b>.</b>¡±

    Vivian¡¯s face turned even paler.

    Her lips parted, trembling<b>, </b>but she <b>couldn¡¯t </b><b>get </b>a word out.

    Tears streamed silently down her <b>face</b>.

    <b>Sean </b>didn¡¯t stay. ¡°Get some rest<b>. </b>I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    He turned <b>and </b>walked out without another word.

    Charlotte stood at the <b>foot </b>of the bed and looked at Vivian, who was sobbing uncontrobly.

    <b>With </b><b>a </b>sigh<b>, </b><b>she </b>said quietly<b>, </b>¡°Was all this really worth it?¡±

    Outside <b>the </b><b>hospital</b><b>, </b><b>in </b><b>the </b><b>open</b>¨Cair parking <b>lot</b><b>, </b>Sean walked beside Charlotte<b>, </b>his <b>voice </b>full of remorse.

    ¡°Lottie¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    +25 Bonus

    <b>She </b>nced at him. <b>¡°</b><b>Why </b>are you apologizing to me?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b>my family¡¯s fault we didn¡¯t raise her right,¡± he <b>said</b><b>, </b><b>letting </b>out a long sigh<b>. </b>¡°I still don¡¯t understand why she¡¯d do something like that. But don¡¯t <b>worry</b>¨CI¡¯ll <b>get </b><b>to </b>the bottom of it.¡±

    Charlotte gave <b>a </b><b>soft </bugh.

    <b>¡°</b><b>No </b><b>need</b>. I already know why<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean <b>frowned</b>. ¡°You do?¡±

    She looked at him, lips curling slightly.

    ¡°Sean<b>, </b><b>don¡¯t </b>tell me you really haven¡¯t noticed how Vivian feels about you?¡±

    He blinked. <b>¡°</b>What are <b>you </b>talking about?¡±

    ¡°She did this<b>¡­ </b><b>because </b><b>of </b>you,¡± Charlotte <b>said </b>slowly. ¡°She sees me <b>as </b>a threat. That¡¯s why she tried to turn you against me.¡±

    Sean fell silent<b>, </b><b>brows </b>furrowed in thought.

    Charlotte turned and walked ahead.

    He caught up. <b>¡°</b>Lottie, wait.¡±

    She pulled open the car door and slid into the driver¡¯s seat. Sean got into the passenger side.

    As he fastened his seatbelt, he said, ¡°I understand now. I¡¯ll keep my distance from her from now on<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte froze mid¨Cmotion. <b>¡°</b>Why?¡±

    ¡°Because you said she likes me,¡± Sean replied inly. ¡°I never realized it before. To me, she was always just a sister. But now that I know, it¡¯s only right to draw a clear line.¡±

    He looked over at her, his voice gentle but firm.

    ¡°Lottie, I want to make sure you feel safe with me.¡±

    Charlotte stared straight ahead.

    ¡°That¡¯s <b>not </b>what <b>I </b>meant. I meant¨Cwhy did you believe me? Vivian grew up with you. Shouldn¡¯t you have trusted her more than me? Why did <b>you </b>choose me<b>?</b>¡±

    Sean held her gaze<b>, </b>warmth in his <b>eyes</b>.

    ¡°Because I already said¡­ you¡¯re not someone who¡¯d do that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± she asked <b>quietly</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Just </b><b>because </b>of that?¡±

    The streetlight outside <b>cast </b>a <b>soft</b><b>, </b>golden glow into the <b>car</b>.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b><b>eyes </b>were full of <b>tenderness</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°And <b>because </b>I love <b>you</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>he said<b>, </b>each word steady and certain. ¡°And love means trusting without conditions.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s heart gave a sharp<b>, </b>uncontroble flutter<b>. </b>

    <b>She </b>turned away in a panic<b>, </b>cheeks flushed<b>, </bpletely <b>at </b>a loss for words.

 His Heart 47

    Was that<b>¡­ </b><b>a </b>confession?

    Watching her ears turn bright red, <b>a </b>smile tugged at theers of Sean¡¯s mouth.

    His Lottie was blushing.

    J

    The next day<b>, </b>Snowbell¡¯s medical report came back.

    Every health marker <b>was </b>normal<b>. </b>There were no signs of distress <b>or </b>illness.

    <b>However</b><b>, </b>they did find a scratch on the back of her neck. It was likely caused by a sharp object.

    Based on the <b>location</b>, only someone on her back could have made it.

    Once Sean learned that, he stopped visiting Vivian at the hospital altogether.

    The Jasper family assigned <b>top</b>¨Ctier nurses <b>to </b>her care, and a housekeeper delivered meals on schedule.

    But Sean? He <b>was </b>with Charlotte every single day¨Chelping her try on engagement gowns, pick out jewelry, and n everyst detail of the

    ceremony<b>. </b>

    No matter how much drama Vivian stirred up, he never set foot in that hospital again.

    When Vivian had fallen off the horse, Charlotte thought for sure their engagement would be put on hold.

    She hadn¡¯t expected Vivian¡¯s entire scheme to backfire <b>so </b>spectacrly<b>¨C</b>actually pushing Sean <b>to </b>confess his feelings sooner.

    That night changed things. Charlotte started to warm up to him.

    It wasn¡¯t love<b>¨C</b>not yet.

    After the heartbreak she had gone through with Zac, she couldn¡¯t fall again so easily.

    But having someone believe in <b>you</b><b>, </b>choose you without hesitation, and stand by you unconditionally, it was impossible not to be moved by

    that.

    The engagement was officially set for the 15th of next month.

    It was early October, with just over a month left until the engagement.

    That afternoon<b>, </b><b>Sean </b>brought Charlotte <b>to </b><b>a </b>high¨Cend fashion boutique.

    <b>They </b>sat together on a plush <b>couch </b>inside the VIP <b>suite</b><b>, </b>watching as several models, each with a simr build <b>to </b>Charlotte<b>, </b>walked by showcasing thetest seasonal designs.

    <b>¡°</b>That pale blue dress looks great<b>,</b>¡± Sean said, leaning in and speaking softly by her ear.

    ¡°I thought so too,¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°And I really like that cream¨Ccolored coat as well.¡±

    Just then, her phone buzzed.

    She nced at the screen and <b>opened </b>the message.

    Sean respectfully looked away, giving <b>her </b><b>space</b>.

    Charlotte scrolled through a set <b>of </b>pictures.

    They were pictures of Wendy and Zac together. From <b>the </b>background, <b>it </b>looked like they were in Silverridge.

    A momentter, a message followed.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t take you there<b>, </b><b>so </b>I went for you. Silverridge is beautiful. Too bad <b>you¡¯ll </b>never get to see it.¡±

    Charlotte rolled her eyes.

    She wasn¡¯t <b>dead</b>. What was that nonsense about never seeing it?

    <b>Back </b>when she was with Zac<b>, </b>she was working full¨Ctime, <b>just </b>like anyone else.

    <b>She </b>only <b>had </b>a few vacation <b>days </b>a year, and Silverridge had always been on her list.

    <b>She </b>didn¡¯t want to go alone, <b>so </b>she had asked Zac <b>to </be.

    Now? If she wanted to <b>go</b><b>, </b>all she had <b>to </b>do was say <b>the </b>word.

    <b>She </b>didn¡¯t bother replying.

    <b>For </b>a second<b>, </b>she considered blocking Wendy.

    Then she changed <b>her </b>mind.

    Wendy¡¯s antics were actually kind of

    <i>entering</i>.

    She might as well keep her around like a little digital pet.

    With a small smirk, she slipped her phone back into her bag.

    *

    Wendy sent those carefully chosen, heavily filtered photos while curled up in Zac¡¯s arms.

    Zac didn¡¯t stop her. In fact, he watched <b>the </b>whole thing.

    He was hoping Charlotte would react¨Cget mad, get jealous, maybe even call him in a rage.

    It had been days since he had heard from her.

    He missed her.

    So when Wendy sent those pictures, he didn¡¯t say a word.

    But then, Charlotte never replied.

    ¡°Do you think she blocked me?¡± Wendy asked, frowning. ¡°No way, right? If she did, the text wouldn¡¯t have gone through.¡±

    Zac tried to reassure himself. ¡°She probably just hasn¡¯t seen it yet.¡±

    Yeah, that had to be it.

    There was no way she could just ignore him.

    By <b>the </b><b>next </b>night, there was <b>still </b>no response.

    Zac <b>couldn¡¯t </b>sit still anymore.

    While Wendy was <b>out </b>of the <b>room</b><b>, </b><b>he </b>pulled out his phone <b>and</b>, with a dark expression,

    ¡°Find <b>out </b>Charlotte Riley¡¯s hometown address<b>. </b>Now.¡±

    called his assistant.

    +25 Bonus

 His Heart 48

    <b>Chapter </b><b>48 </b>

    Zac¡¯s assistant was efficient. By the <b>next </b>day<b>, </b>he had already sent over Charlotte¡¯s <b>home </b>address.

    It looked like a fairly ordinary residential neighborhood.

    Zac narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Jersey City, huh?<b>¡± </b>he thought.

    As it happened, he had ns to head there in a few <b>days </b>anyway¨Cfor a business meeting with the Sullivan Corporation about a potential investment partnership.

    ¡°Charlotte, if you¡¯re not going toe to me, then <b>I¡¯ll </be to you,¡± he muttered <b>to </b>himself.

    Charlotte submitted her resume to S&G Law Firm and got a reply almost immediately. They asked if she was avable for an interview the next <b>day</b><b>. </b>She confirmed the time and began preparing.

    S&G <b>was </b>the <b>top </bw firm in Jersey City, with a ster reputation across the industry. Spending a few years there would be a huge boost for her Jcareer.

    At that very moment, inside S<b>&</b>G Law Firm, department head Yvonne Yarnell spoke respectfully into the phone.

    moment,

    ¡°Miss Xander, Charlotte Riley has confirmed her interview for tomorrow.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Good,¡± Vivian replied. ¡°Offer her whatever sry she asks. Just make sure she takes the job. Once she starts, load her up with the toughest assignments you¡¯ve <b>got</b>. Run her into the ground. If you handle this well<b>, </b>I¡¯ll let your team handle several of the Jasper Corporation¡¯s multimillion<b>¨C</b>dor cases.<b>¡± </b>

    Yvonne was thrilled. <b>¡°</b>Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take special ¡®care¡® <b>of </b>our new hire.¡±

    In the hospital room, Vivian ended the call and smiled coldly.

    She had overheard Charlotte on the phone with Sean, saying she was ready to <b>get </b>back into the workforce<b>. </b>Vivian had been sitting right next

    to him.

    She clearly remembered Sean rmending S&G to Charlotte. Charlotte had insisted on going through the formal application process. She specifically asked Sean not <b>to </b><b>call </b>ahead or reveal her background¨Cnot the fact that she was a Riley heiress or Sean¡¯s fianc¨¦e.

    Vivian scoffed at her so¨Ccalled integrity. That self¨Crighteous pride would be her downfall.

    That same night, Vivian reached out to Yvonne.

    In Jersey City, everyone knew <b>the </b>Jasper Corporation pulled weight in every industry. Even though she was just a foster daughter, Vivian had been raised like a <b>true </b>heiress. Mrs. Jasper treated her like her <b>own</b><b>, </b>and Sean had always protected her like a real sister.

    Over the years<b>, </b>she had <b>frequently </b>attended high¨Cprofile business events under <b>the </b>title of ¡°Miss Xander of the <b>Jasper </b>family<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>and the public had epted it without question.

    She had done her homework<b>. </b>Though Charlotte was <b>the </b>Riley family¡¯s only daughter, <b>she </b>rarely appeared at social events and had no interest in unting her wealth online.

    She kept a low profile. Even the news of her engagement to Sean <b>hadn¡¯t </b>gone public <b>yet</b>. Only close friends and family in their circle <b>knew</b>.

    This made <b>it </b>easier for Vivian to <b>move </b>in the shadows.

    She narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°You forced my hand, Charlotte. You tried to take Sean from me. But he belongs to me. Only me.¡±

    The next morning, Charlotte got up early<b>, </b>put on <b>light </b>makeup<b>, </b>and changed into <b>a </b><b>crisp </b>white blouse <b>and </b><b>ck </b>zer¨C<b>the </b><b>ssic </b><b>look </b><b>for </b><b>a </b>professional attorney.

    S&G¡¯s <b>office </b>was near Jersey University, but it was far from the Riley estate. It was <b>over </b>ten kilometers away. <b>With </b>morning <b>traffic</b><b>, </b>the <b>drive </b>could take more than an hour.

    <b>Then </b><b>she </b>remembered something<b>. </b>Back in her freshman year<b>, </b>her cousin Steven Sullivan had given her a fully furnished apartment as a birthday gift. It was right across the street from <b>Jersey </b>University and only a few blocks away <b>from </b>S&<b>G</b>.

    1

 His Heart 49

    Chapter <b>49 </b>

    Charlotte figured that <b>if </b><b>the </b>job at S&<b>G </b>worked <b>out</b><b>, </b>she would move into that apartment. It would makemuting easier, and living alone would give her <b>peace </b>and <b>quiet</b>.

    There would be no more awkward run¨Cins <b>with </b>her dad and Xena. She <b>could </b>finally <b>enjoy </b>some independence.

    At S&G Law Firm, Charlotte <b>was </b>interviewed by HR and Yvonne, the head of the litigation department.

    With <b>a </b>top¨Ctier degree and three years of experience under her belt, Charlotte answered every one of Yvonne¡¯s technical questions with ease.

    It was clear Yvonne was impressed. The firm offered her exactly what she had hoped for: a base sry of fifteen thousand, plus a cut of her case

    fees.

    As <b>the </b>interview wrapped up, Yvonne smiled. ¡°Miss Riley, we¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    Charlotte returned the smile. ¡°Looking forward to it.¡±

    The whole process went smoother than she expected. She thought they might try to lowball her on the sry<b>, </b>but the offer came without resistance<b>. </b>

    After she left, Yvonne stood by the window with a small sigh.

    ¡°What a shame,¡± she murmured. ¡°I actually liked her.¡±

    On her first day, Charlotte was shown around by the HR assistant, Lucy rk, who helped her get acquainted with the team.

    S&G¡¯s main office was massive. The departments included Business Development, Litigation<b>, </b>Non¨Clitigation, Finance, and Human Resources.

    The Business Development team focused on bringing in clients.

    The Litigation department handled court cases.

    Non¨Clitigation took care of things like contract review<b>, </b>collections, and legal consulting.

    Finance and HR worked just like they would in any otherpany.

    Each department had a supervisor. Charlotte¡¯s interviewer, Yvonne<b>, </b>was the litigation department head. She was also a practicing attorney, probably <b>in </b>her mid¨Cthirties, with a sharp bob and an unmistakable <b>¡°</b>boss woman<b>¡± </b>vibe.

    There were <b>over </b>twenty practicing attorneys at <b>the main </b><b>office</b>. Aside from <b>the </b>department heads<b>, </b>every two attorneys shared an office.

    Charlotte was paired with a male attorney in his early <b>forties</b>.

    <b>Just </b>as she finished organizing her workspace<b>, </b>Yvonne walked in with a slightly apologetic look.

    ¡°Charlotte<b>, </b>normally each attorney has a paralegal or intern assigned to them,¡± she exined. ¡°But two <b>interns </b>just finished their programs, and we haven¡¯t hired recements <b>yet</b><b>. </b><b>So </b>for now<b>, </b><b>you¡¯ll </b><b>be </b>flying solo. Hope <b>that¡¯s </b>alright<b>.</b><b>¡® </b>

    Charlotte nodded with a calm smile<b>. </b>¡°No problem. <b>I </b>can handle <b>my </b>own cases<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Great<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Yvonne said before <b>heading </b>out.

    The man at the other desk finally looked up from hisputer. <b>¡°</b>Hey there. I¡¯m Max Zimmer. Looks <b>like </b><b>we¡¯ll </b><b>be </b>office buddies.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet <b>you</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Charlotte <b>replied </b>politely.

    At lunchtime, one of the male associates<b>, </b>clearly prompted by the supervisor, stirred up chatter <b>in </b>the group chat. <b>He </b>suggested that the new hires should treat everyone to dinner.

    There were two new hires.

    One was Charlotte<b>. </b>

    <b>The </b><b>other </b>was Jenny <b>Young</b>, a new intern who <b>had </b><b>joined </b>a few days earlier.

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure if this was actually <b>a </b>workce tradition or <b>just </b>someone messing with her<b>. </b>

    She quietly <b>asked </b><b>Max</b><b>, </b>her office¨Cmate, if <b>this </b>

    was something <b>the </b>firm usually did.

    Max shook <b>his </b>head. <b>¡°</b>Nope. This <b>isn¡¯t </b><b>a </b>thing here.¡±

    Charlotte stared at the message on her screen<b>, </b><b>deep </b>in thought.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    212

 His Heart 50

    hapter <b>50 </b>

    Sushi Kimura was a high¨Cend Japanese restaurant near S&G Law. All the private <b>dining </b>rooms at Sushi Kimura<b>, </b><b>except </b>for <b>the </b><b>top</b>¨Ctier VIP suite, were filled with <b>people </b>from S&G Law.

    Charlotte <b>was </b>seated in <b>one </b>of <b>the </b>private rooms.

    <b>¡°</b>Wow, Miss <b>Riley</b><b>, </b>you really went all out. Sushi Kimura, huh?<b>¡± </b>one <b>of </b><b>the </b>younger female associates teased. ¡°Thest time I was here was duringst year¡¯s firm g<b>, </b>and that <b>was </b>on the <b>boss¡¯s </b><b>tab</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Yvonne <b>smiled </b>and joked, <b>¡°</b>Looks like Miss Riley¡¯s had a sessful few years. With over a hundred employees <b>across </b>departments, it looks like tonight¡¯s going to cost her a small fortune.¡±

    Max chuckled and added<b>, </b>¡°Clearly, Miss Riley¡¯s doing well for herself.¡±

    Another woman<b>, </b>her toneced with sarcasm<b>, </b>chimed in, ¡°Miss Riley, are you sure about this? Sushi Kimura runs about two to three hundred per person¨Cplus drinks<b>, </b>you¡¯re looking at three months <b>of </b>your sry. Maybe we should go somewhere more reasonable. No need to go broke trying to impress everyone.¡±

    The woman was Yasmine Carter, a litigator. From <b>the </b>moment Charlotte <b>met </b>her that morning, she had a bad feeling about her and her first impression had clearly been right.

    Charlotte smiled calmly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can afford it.¡±

    Yasmine didn¡¯t <b>let </b>up. <b>¡°</b>Oh? Then I guess Miss Yarnell was right! You must¡¯ve made a fortune over the years. Got any tips for the rest of us?¡± Charlotte responded smoothly, ¡°There¡¯s no secret. We¡¯re allwyers here¨Cbig cases pay more, small ones pay less. Honestly, I doubt I¡¯ve made more than you. <b>I¡¯ve </b>been working for three years and still don¡¯t have a car. I heard you already bought a ce here in Jersey City?¡±

    She wasn¡¯t lying. The money she made from work,nough to buy a decent car.

    Not that she needed to. Her father, Desmond<b>, </b>had bought her a Porsche 911 and a Rolls¨C<b>Royce </b>Phantom, both of which were still sitting in the garage at the Riley estate. Her cousin, Steven<b>, </b>had gifted her a Maserati she hadn¡¯t touched in months. Lately, she had been driving the cier -blue <b>Bentley </b>Sean had given her.

    Of course, Yasmine knew none of this. All she heard was that Charlotte couldn¡¯t afford <b>a </b>car or a house. She gave Charlotte a condescending

    look<b>. </b>

    ¡°Trying to look rich when you¡¯re clearly not? How pathetic,<b>¡± </b>she <b>silently </b>remarked.

    The awkward moment passed.

    Charlotte smiled and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s order. Get whatever you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± Yasmine said sweetly. She picked up <b>the </b>menu, <b>then </b>paused and handed it <b>to </b>Yvonne. <b>¡°</b>Miss Yarnell, why don¡¯t you choose first?<b>¡± </b>

    <b>She </b>wasn¡¯t stupid<b>. </b><b>Everyone </b><b>in </b>this room was part of the litigation <b>team, </b>and Yvonne was <b>the </b>highest¨Cranking person here. It was smart to stay on her <b>good </b><b>side</b>.

    Yvonne took <b>the </b>menu. Remembering Vivian¡¯s instructions to <b>¡°</b><b>take </b>good <b>care</b>¡± of Charlotte, she didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°Let¡¯s <b>do </b>this one<b>, </b>this, and that.¡±

    She ordered the three most expensive signature dishes, each <b>one </b>costing <b>hundreds</b>. Then she handed the menu back to Yasmine<b>, </b>who picked two more pricey dishes.

    Sitting beside Charlotte was the new intern, Jenny<b>, </b>who looked incredibly anxious. She <b>tugged </b>at Charlotte¡¯s sleeve and whispered, <b>¡°</b>Miss Riley, I¡­ I can¡¯t afford this ce<b>. </b>If we¡¯re splitting the bill, I won¡¯t be able to pay my share.¡±

    She thought <b>the </b>dinner was being <b>co</b>¨Chosted by her and Charlotte. When she saw the prices, she nearly panicked. This one meal would wipe out her entire year¡¯s savings.

    Tears welled in her <b>eyes</b><b>. </b>

    Charlotte gently patted <b>Jenny¡¯s </b>hand and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry<b>. </b>I¡¯ve got <b>this</b>. <b>You </b>don¡¯t have to <b>chip </b>in<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Really</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Jenny whispered, face <b>red</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Thank </b>you so much<b>, </b>Miss Riley¡­¡±

    By the <b>time </b>they finished ordering, <b>the </b>ten¨Cperson table had racked <b>up </b>over five thousand for food alone<b>, </b><b>and </b>another three thousand for

    drinks.

    Chooter 50

    Charlotte nced at the receipt and smiled faintly.

    <b>They </b>hadn¡¯t just ordered like normal <b>people</b>. They were clearly picking the most expensive items just <b>to </b>take advantage of her.

 His Heart 51

    <b>Now </b>that Desmond had restored her bank <b>cards</b><b>, </b>this meal didn¡¯t feel like a <b>big </b>deal. Charlotte figured it was just money spent on <b>social </b>goodwill.

    Halfway through dinner<b>, </b>she <b>stood </b>up to use the restroom.

    Yasmine, once again using her fake¨Cfriendly tone, quipped, ¡°Where are you going, Miss Riley? Don¡¯t tell me the bill¡¯s too much and you¡¯re nning to make a run for it? Haha.¡±

    Charlotte kept a straight face and replied calmly<b>, </b>¡°<b>Just </b>going to the bathroom. What¡¯s wrong, Miss Carter? Worried I¡¯ll escape? Want toe with me?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Yasmine saidzily. <b>¡°</b><b>It </b>was just a joke. No need to get so serious.¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t <b>bother </b>responding. She pushed open the door and stepped out.

    As she passed the elevator on the way to the restroom<b>, </b>she suddenly met a pair of familiar eyes.

    Sean was standing there, slightly surprised. ¡°Lottie? What are you doing here?¡±

    He was surrounded by a few men in sharp suits. Judging from their direction, they had just finished a meal upstairs and were heading down.

    He walked up to her in a few strides.

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m here treating my coworkers to dinner.¡±

    Sean already knew she had joined S&G Law. <b>He </b><b>gave </b>her a gentle nod. ¡°How was your first day?¡±

    ¡°Pretty good, actually,¡± she said.

    She didn¡¯t mention how her coworkers were try

    to

    rip

    her off.

    ¡°Is dinner wrapping up?¡± Sean asked. ¡°I can drive you home.

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Not yet. You go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Sean said. Then, as if remembering something, he added<b>, </b>¡°It¡¯s a bit of a drive from here to your ce. Did you ask your driver toe <b>get </b><b>you</b>?¡±

    ¡°No<b>, </b><b>I¡¯m </b>heading to <b>the </b>apartment near the university tonight.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Just be careful<b>, </b>okay?¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Charlotte said goodbye and went back to the private room.

    Later<b>, </b>when <b>she </b>went to <b>the </b>front desk to pay<b>, </b><b>the </b>hostess told her the bill <b>had </b>already been settled.

    Who else could it <b>be </b><b>but </b>Sean?

    Charlotte pulled out her phone and sent him <b>a </b>message<b>. </b>

    ¡°Thank you<b>, </b>Sean.¡±

    His reply came quickly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me.

    ¡°Are you finished<b>? </b>I¡¯m waiting in the outdoor lot to <b>the </b>left <b>of the </b>entrance. I just don¡¯t feel <b>right </b>letting you go home alone thiste<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Warmth bloomed in Charlotte¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Almost done. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±

    <b>Just </b>as she <b>put </b>her phone away<b>, </b>the others began filing out of the room. A few male coworkers were stumbling drunk, so Charlotte helped arrange rides for them.

    Yasmine had driven herself and hadn¡¯t been <b>drinking</b><b>. </b>She rolled down <b>the </b>window <b>of </b>her Honda Civic, smirking smugly at Charlotte<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>I¡¯m heading <b>off </b>then, Miss Riley. Hope <b>you </b>can find a ride home. Bye¨Cbye.¡±

    Charlotte just smiled politely. <b>¡°</b>Take care.¡±

    +25 Bonus

    Most people had already <b>left</b><b>. </b>Only <b>Jenny </b>remained.

    Charlotte <b>asked</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Where <b>do </b>you <b>live</b>? Want me <b>to </b><b>call </b><b>a </b>car for you?¡±

    Jenny waved her hands quickly. <b>¡°</b><b>No</b><b>, </b>no, <b>it¡¯s </b>fine<b>! </b>I¡¯m renting nearby<b>¨C</b>just a short walk.¡±

    ¡°<b>You </b>sure? <b>It¡¯s </bte<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Totally. There are food stalls all along the road<b>, </b>and <b>it¡¯s </b>well lit. Only about <b>800 </b>meters. <b>I¡¯ll </b>be fine, really.¡±

    ¡°Okay. See you tomorrow<b>, </b>then.<b>¡± </b>

    Jenny started walking, but after a few steps, she suddenly turned around and jogged back.

    ¡°Miss Riley, thank you again <b>for </b>tonight.¡± Jenny looked a little shy. ¡°You¡¯re really kind. I heard you don¡¯t have an assistant yet, so if you need anything¨Cdocument drafting, organizing <b>case </b>files¡ªjust <b>say </b>the word.¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°<b>I¡¯ll </b>take you up on that.¡±

    Once Jenny had left, Charlotte made her way to the outdoor parking lot.

    She got in the car and gave Sean <b>the </b>address. It was only a few minutes away.

    At the entrance to the apartmentplex, she said, ¡°I¡¯m nning to stay here from now on. It¡¯s easier for work.¡±

    Sean nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle visit often.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m heading up. Goodnight.¡±

    Just as Charlotte reached for the door handle<b>, </b>her phone buzzed.

    She nced at the screen, frowning.

    ¡°Charlotte, I¡¯m in Jersey City. Can we meet?¡±

 His Heart 52

    The next day at work, Charlotte¡¯s supervisor<b>, </b>Yvonne<b>, </b><b>handed </b>her two new case <b>files</b>.

    Yvonne <b>spoke </b>quickly and <b>to </b>the point<b>. </b>¡°This one¡¯s <b>a </b>civil appeal. The original attorney left <b>the </b>firm, so it¡¯s been reassigned to you. The appeal deadline <b>is </bing up fast. <b>You¡¯ll </b><b>need </b><b>to </b>draft <b>the </b>appeal brief and get everything submitted to <b>the </b>court today.<b>¡± </b>

    She handed over the <b>second </b>file. <b>¡°</b>This one¡¯s a workce injury <b>case</b>. You¡¯ll need <b>to </b>take the client for an official injury assessment and a disability evaluation. Try to get it done today or tomorrow. Tomorrow¡¯s Friday<b>, </b>so don¡¯t push it to next week.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte took the folders and nodded. ¡°Got it. No problem<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    It was her second <b>day </b>on the job<b>, </b>and she already had cases to handle. This really was the topw firm in Jersey City.

    She didn¡¯t mind the workload. Having active cases meantmissions, and more importantly, hands¨Con experience.

    She reviewed <b>the </b><b>case </b>files and spoke with the clients<b>. </b>Both cases were fairlyplex. She scheduled the injury evaluation for the next day and focused on finishing the appeal today.

    By the time she wrapped up, the sky outside waspletely dark.

    The office was quiet. Everyone else had gone home. Charlotte hadn¡¯t even had time for dinner.

    She tidied her desk, turned off the lights, locked up, and stepped out into the night.

    Her apartment was only a ten¨Cminute walk from the office, so she walked to and from work every day.

    Her phone rang. It was Sean.

    ¡°Lottie, are you home <b>yet</b>?¡±

    ¡°I just left the office. Heading back now.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. I was nning to order something once I got

    home.¡±

    Sean chuckled. ¡°Miss Riley your food delivery is en route.¡±

    ¡°What? <b>You </b>ordered for me?¡±

    His voice was low and yful. ¡°Your delivery guy is Sean <b>Jasper</b>, on his way to your building now<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte let out augh. ¡°You¡¯re delivering it yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Sean¡¯s voice was soft and warm<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>I¡¯m almost there. Should reach your building in about fifteen minutes.

    Fifteen minutes perfect timing. It would take her ten minutes <b>to </b>walk back.

    Sean was nothing if not <b>precise</b>.

    In Charlotte¡¯s memory<b>, </b>he had never <b>been </b>the type <b>to </b>joke around. <b>Hearing </b>him <b>call </b>himself her delivery guy? That was miles away from the cold, aloof Sean Jasper she <b>used </b><b>to </b>know.

    But these past few days, something had shifted.

    He was<b>¡­ </b>different.

    The mood had lightened thanks <b>to </b>his teasing tone. Charlotte couldn¡¯t <b>help </b>but <b>smile </b>as <b>she </b>yfully quipped, ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t nt a tracker on me, Mr. Jasper? Because that would be a privacy vition.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice dropped, low and smooth. ¡°Then what¡¯s Attorney Riley going <b>to </b>do? Arrest me? I¡¯ll dly surrender<b>¡­ </b>at your mercy.¡±

    Especially thatst part-¡°at your mercy.¡± Sean deliberately slowed his voice, <b>the </b>deep, velvety tone <bced </b>with quiet seduction. The way he said it made Charlotte¡¯s cheeks burn<b>. </b>

    Charlotte cleared her throat quickly<b>, </b>trying to cover her fluster. <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>probably shouldn¡¯t talk and drive. Distracted driving is dangerous.<b>¡± </b>

    Sean chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not driving. My driver is<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte was rendered speechless.

    They <b>chatted </b><b>the </b>whole way as she walked, her voice light and full ofughter. She was so focused on <b>the </b><b>call</b>, <b>she </b>didn¡¯t notice the figure

    standing under the tree just outside her building.

    ¡°Charlotte.<b>¡± </b>

    The deep voice cut through <b>the </b>darkness<b>, </b>cold and sharp.

    She stopped in her tracks.

    It was <b>Zac</b><b>. </b>

    +25 Bonus

 His Heart 53

    Charlotte froze mid<b>¨C</b><b>step</b>.

    <b>She </b>turned toward <b>the </b>voice and saw Zac standing beneath a tree, watching her intently. His gaze was sharp, almost menacing.

    ¡°<b>I </b><b>have </b>to go,¡± she said quickly into <b>the </b>phone before ending <b>the </b><b>call</b>. Then she walked over, <b>stopping </b><b>a </b>few feet away from him, her expression dark with annoyance.

    ¡°How did you even find this ce?¡±

    Zac let out a low chuckle<b>, </b><b>eyes </b>narrowing. <b>¡°</b><b>So </b>you have been avoiding me.¡±

    Charlotte <b>frowned</b>. ¡°Why would I avoid you? I told you I was going home, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    He took a step forward<b>, </b>closing the distance.

    Charlotte instinctively stepped back.

    That simple movement made Zac¡¯s expression darken even more.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>said you were going home for a while<b>,</b>¡± he said, voice low. <b>¡°</b>You didn¡¯t say you weren¡¯ting back to Harbor City. How long are you going to keep this up?¡±

    Charlotte let out a sharp sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not keeping anything up. Zac, we¡¯re over. I¡¯ve made that clear. Please stop showing up like this.¡± ¡°Over?¡± He <b>let </b>out a bitterugh. <b>¡°</b>The hell it is. This ends when I say it ends.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°God, Zac, are you seriously insane?¡± Charlotte snapped. ¡°You¡¯ve got Wendy now. Go bother her. Why are you here bothering me?¡±

    Zac raised an eyebrow<b>, </b>his tone suddenly lighter. ¡°You¡¯re jealous?¡±

    Charlotte rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. ¡°God, could he be any more full of himself?¡± she thought.

    Zac <b>took </b>another step toward her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between me and Wendy. She¡¯s just a friend. You¡¯re blowing this out <b>of </b>proportion.¡±

    ¡°A friend <b>you </b>sleep with?<b>¡± </b>she shot back, voice cold.

    He flinched. A flicker of guilt crossed his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s smile was bitter. ¡°After Wendy came back, you slept with her more than once, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Her <b>tone </b>was icy with sarcasm. ¡°You think I didn¡¯t know? I just didn¡¯t bother saying anything. Because I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±

    I don¡¯t care anymore.

    Those four words hit <b>Zac </b>like a punch <b>to </b>the gut. His chest tightened, and his expression faltered with visible hurt. ¡°You don¡¯t care anymore? ¡°But I do.¡± His voice dropped, <b>quiet </b>and bleak. <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯ve </b>been all <b>I </b>can think about these past few days. I miss you. <b>Let¡¯s </b><b>get </b>back together, Charlotte<b>.</b>¡±

    She stared at him with open disdain.

    ¡°Is he bipr or what? One second he was yelling at her<b>, </b><b>the </b>next <b>he </b>was ying <b>the </b>heartbroken ex,¡± she wondered.

    ¡°Not a chance,¡± she said tly.

    ¡°Why not!¡± Zac exploded, his voice rising. A few people walking nearby nced their way.

    Charlotte found it embarrassing and winced. ¡°Can you not scream at the front gate of my building? If you don¡¯t care about your <b>dignity</b><b>, </b><b>I¡¯d </b>like to keep mine.¡±

    Zac suddenly grabbed Charlotte¡¯s wrist, his voice rising in a panicked shout. ¡°Charlotte,e back with me!¡±

    ¡°Let go of me<b>!</b>¡± She struggled to break free<b>, </b>but his <b>grip </b>was too strong.

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed. <b>Her </b>voice turned cold. <b>¡°</b>Let go<b>, </b>or I won¡¯t be so nice.<b>¡± </b>

    <b>She </b>was seconds away from showing him exactly what <b>she </b>could <b>do</b>.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not letting <b>go</b>!¡±

    With one hand <b>locked </b>around her wrist<b>, </b>Zac reached up with the other<b>, </b>grabbing <b>the </b>back of her <b>head</b><b>, </b>trying <b>to </b><b>force </b><b>a </b><b>kiss</b>.

    ¡°Charlotte, I miss you so damn much¡ª¡±

    She braced <b>herself</b><b>, </b><b>ready to </b>fight <b>back</b>.

    <b>¡°</b>Let. Her. <b>Go</b>!¡±

    A sharp <b>voice </b>cut through <b>the </b>air.

    Zac turned around and <b>froze </b>when <b>he </b>saw <b>the </b>tall<b>, </b>imposing man standing a few feet away, his aura cold andmanding.

    Zac blinked. ¡°Who <b>the </b>hell are you?¡±

 His Heart 54

    <b>Chapter </b><b>54 </b>

    <b>Sean </b>didn¡¯t waste <b>a </b>single word or even spare Zac a proper nce<b>. </b><b>His </b><b>fist </b>flew straight at Zac¡¯s face with full <b>force</b><b>, </b>powered by unrestrained

    fury<b>. </b>

    <b>Zac </b>staggered back from the blow<b>, </b>clutching his face. ¡°<b>What </b>the hell¡¯s your <b>problem</b>?!¡±

    Sean pulled Charlotte behind him, shielding her with his body. His voice was <b>icy</b><b>, </b>teeth clenched in rage. ¡°Stay the hell away from her.<b>¡± </b>

    Zac<b>, </b>already seething from the punch<b>, </b>exploded when he saw Sean guarding Charlotte like she was his.

    He shoved Sean hard. ¡°She¡¯s mine! Don¡¯t you f<b>*</b>cking touch her!¡±

    Sean handed <b>the </b>food container to Charlotte. ¡°Be good. Go wait over there.¡±

    Then he turned andnded a hard <b>kick </b>straigh

    into Zac¡¯s side<b>, </b>sending him sprawling to the ground.

    Zac scrambled up, battered and humiliated. <b>He </b>was a Gib

    heir-

    ¡ªpampered, admired, treated like royalty his whole life. When had he ever

    been humiliated like this<b>? </b>

    And this man? He clearly wasn¡¯t just some passerby. One look at the way he shielded Charlotte, and it was obvious that there was something between them.

    They hadn¡¯t even been broken up that long, and she already had someone <b>else</b><b>? </b>

    The thought stabbed at his pride, and jealousy twisted inside him like a de.

    Furious, <b>Zac </b>threw a wild punch at Sean¡¯s face.

    Sean dodged it cleanly, thennded a brutal blow to <b>Zac¡¯s </b>nose. Blood burst from his <b>face</b>.

    Charlotte tried to intervene, but <b>with </b>both men in a blind rage, there was no stopping them. She stepped aside<b>, </b>not wanting to make things

    worse.

    Blood streamed from Zac¡¯s nose, and he felt every ounce of rage surge straight to his head. Eyes wild, veins bulging, he let out a curse and threw a vicious kick at Sean.

    Sean grunted from the impact but retaliated instantly, shoving <b>Zac </b>to the ground. He pinned him down with a knee to the chest, one hand mped around his throat, the other smashing fist after fist into his <b>face</b>.

    Sean had always been the calm,posed heir, groomed to perfection. He hadn¡¯t thrown a punch since that one incident years ago.

    But <b>now</b><b>, </b><b>for </b>Charlotte, he had lost all restraint.

    Zac, taking hit after hit, finally broke free<b>. </b>His face was swollen, eyes bloodshot<b>, </b>veins pulsing with fury. He roared andunched himself back at Sean, fists flying<b>, </b>every punch thrown with reckless<b>, </b>murderous <b>force</b>.

    Sean didn¡¯t hold pack either. <b>He </b>fought like he meant <b>to </b><b>end </b><b>it</b>, <bnding </b>blow after blow<b>, </b><b>just </b><b>as </b><b>savage</b>.

    Charlotte stood frozen. She had never seen either of <b>them </b>like this¨Crelentless<b>, </b>brutal<b>, </b>totally unhinged<b>. </b>At first<b>, </b>she was <b>too </b>stunned to speak. But as the fight spiraled out <b>of </b><b>control</b><b>, </b>fear gripped her.

    Someone could get seriously hurt. Or worse.

    She tried shouting for them to stop, over and over, but neither man heard her. They were too far gone¨Ccaught in a blood¨Csoaked blur of fists and <b>fury</b>.

    Sean¡¯s driver rushed forward to break up the fight, but Zac shoved him to <b>the </b>ground.

    w the chaos and the driver lying

    The security guard at theplex entrance came running at the sound of themotion. But as soon as he on the ground<b>, </b><b>he </b>froze. Without a word, he pulled out his phone and called the police and <b>an </b>ambnce.

    Rassersby, rmed by how vicious the brawl looked<b>, </b>quickly veered off <b>course</b><b>, </b>skirting around the bushes to avoid getting caught in <b>the </b>

    crossfire.

    Even when the paramedics and police finally arrived, the two men were still locked in a brutal fistfight.

    <b>The </b>officers had <b>to </b>physically pull them apart.

    Neither <b>Zac </b>nor Sean had the upper hand. Both looked wrecked.

    Zac¡¯s face <b>was </b><b>swollen </b>beyond recognition, blood <b>smeared </b>across his face from <b>his </b>busted nose. His shirt <b>cor </b>was torn<b>, </b>and <b>his </b><b>entire </b>

    Chapter <b>54 </b>

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    appearance was a mess <b>of </b>dirt and blood<b>. </b><b>He </b>looked like he had just crawled <b>out </b><b>of </b>a war zone.

    Sean didn¡¯t look much better. A cut bled down the side of his <b>face</b><b>, </b>his lip <b>split</b><b>, </b><b>his </b>hand gashed from Zac¡¯s cufflink. He was <b>covered </b>in dirt, blood, and sweat<b>¨C</b>nothing like theposed<b>, </b>elegant man people usually saw.

    2

 His Heart 55

    As <b>soon </b>as the two men were pulled apart, Charlotte rushed <b>to </b>Sean¡¯s side. Her eyes were full <b>of </b><b>worry</b><b>, </b>shimmering <b>with </b>unshed <b>tears</b>.

    Her voice trembled, almost breaking<b>, </b>¡°Sean<b>, </b>you¡¯re <b>hurt</b>. You need <b>to </b><b>go </b><b>to </b>the hospital.¡±

    At the sight of her<b>, </b>the fury in Sean¡¯s eyes vanished. His expression softened. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Not far away<b>, </b>still restrained <b>by </b>the police, Zac watched the scene unfold. <b>His </b>heart shattered.

    His <b>face </b>was a mess <b>of </b>blood and bruises<b>, </b>and he lookedpletely wrecked¨Clike a stray dog abandoned by its owner.

    His voice <b>cracked </b>as he <b>asked</b><b>, </b>¡°Charlotte<b>¡­ </b>who is he?¡±

    The anger red in Charlotte¡¯s <b>eyes</b>. She turned her <b>head </b>sharply to face him<b>, </b>her gaze <b>icy </b>and unwavering.

    Her hatred was so raw, <b>so </b>visible<b>, </b><b>it </b>pierced Zac straight through.

    Then came her voice¨C<b>frosty </b>and sharp as a de.

    <b>¡°</b>Zac Gibson, I <b>don¡¯t </b>want <b>to </b>see you ever again. Do me <b>a </b>favor and disappear from my life¨Cfor good<b>.</b>¡±

    Each wordnded like a hammer. She was practically gritting her teeth as she said it.

    Zac felt like his chest had been cracked <b>open</b><b>, </b>a de slicing straight through his heart. The pain was raw, suffocating.

    His face was smeared with blood<b>, </b>battered and bruised but not once did she look at him with concern. There was not a flicker of care.

    All he saw in her eyes was coldness and hatred.

    Was <b>it </b>because he had hurt that man?

    He thought back to how she used to be. Back when he <b>got </b>injured in the street racing with his friends, she cried until her <b>eyes </b>were swollen, refusing to leave his side at the hospital. Even when he caught a cold, she would tear up and insist on feeding him medicine by hand.

    But now<b>? </b>He was a bloody mess, and she didn¡¯t so much as blink.

    Her heart and her eyes were entirely focused on someone else.

    Still unwilling to give up, Zac¡¯s voice trembled as he asked again, ¡°Who is he?¡±

    Charlotte looked him straight in the eye and answered<b>, </b>calm and clear, ¡°My fianc¨¦<b>.</b>¡±

    Zac <b>froze</b><b>, </b>stunned. His eyes widened, rimmed with red. His lips quivered. ¡°No¡­ <b>you¡¯re </b>lying. You¡¯re lying, right?¡±

    As the paramedics helped Sean into <b>the </b>ambnce<b>, </b>Charlotte didn¡¯t spare <b>Zac </b>another nce. She turned and followed Sean.

    Zac tried to run after them<b>, </b>but a medic held him back and loaded him into a different <b>ambnce</b>.

    Both <b>men </b>ended <b>up </b><b>in </b><b>the </b>same public hospital<b>. </b>No VIP suites. Once their wounds were treated<b>, </b>they were

    Zacy <b>on </b><b>the </b><b>bed </b>closest <b>to </b><b>the </b>door<b>, </b>his head wrapped in bandages, an IV in his arm.

    Charlotte walked in and spotted him right away but acted as if <b>he </b>wasn¡¯t even there.

    assigned to the same room.

    Without a <b>pause</b><b>, </b>she went straight <b>to </b>Sean¡¯s bedside. She sat down and gently asked about his injuries, pouring him water and helping him drink, her movements tender and attentive<b>. </b>

    To her, Zac might as well have <b>been </b>invisible.

    <b>Zac </b>turned his <b>head</b><b>, </b>gazending on Charlotte, watching her in silence. His entire <b>being </b>radiated a kind of wounded misery.

    But Charlotte acted like she didn¡¯t notice him at all. <b>She </b>just sat by Sean¡¯s bedside, speaking softly to him, not sparing Zac even a single nce.

    He called her name <b>a </b>few times, but she pretended not to hear.

    When the police arrived for a routine follow¨Cup, both <b>men </b>gave their statements and agreed to settle things privately. <b>The </b>officers <b>left </b>shortly after filing the <b>report</b>.

    Soon after<b>, </b>Sean¡¯s assistant, Sam<b>, </b>rushed in with two bodyguards, looking frantic.

    ¡°Mr. <b>Jasper</b><b>, </b><b>what </b><b>happened</b>?¡± Sam was pale<b>, </b><b>drenched </b>in cold sweat. Clearly panicked.

    He had only been gone for two hours. Two hours<b>¨C</b>and now <b>his </b>

    Jasper <b>Sr. </b>found out, he would be done for<b>. </b>

    Sean¡¯s <b>expression </b><b>was </b>stone <b>cold</b>. ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>nothing. Don¡¯t breathe a word <b>of </b><b>this</b><b>. </b>Especially not to my family. Understood?¡±

 His Heart 56

    <b>Chapter </b><b>56 </b>

    A few years <b>ago</b>, when Sean had <b>gotten </b>into a fight<b>, </b>Mr. Jasper Sr. at home had punished him harshly. Thankfully<b>, </b><b>no </b><b>one </b><b>ever </b>found out the reason behind it.

    This time, it <b>was </b><b>the </b>same. He couldn¡¯t let anyone in the family <b>know </b><b>he </b><b>had </b>gotten into a brawl because of Charlotte. <b>If </b>they found out, engagement might <b>get </b><b>postponed</b><b>, </b><b>or </b><b>worse</b><b>, </b>canceled<b>. </b>

    Sam wiped the sweat from his <b>brow</b><b>, </b>a chill running down <b>his </b>spine. <b>¡°</b>Understood<b>, </bpletely understood.¡±

    ¡°Go handle the paperwork,<b>¡± </b><b>Sean </b>said calmly.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Yes</b>, Mr. Jasper.<b>¡± </b>

    Zac<b>, </b>whose hospital bed wasn¡¯t far<b>, </b>heard every word of the exchange.

    He let out a mockingugh. <b>¡°</b>What <b>are </b><b>you</b><b>, </b>five? <b>Getting </b><b>into </b>fights and still scared your family might find out? What a man¨Cbaby.¡±

    Sean shot him a <b>cool </b>nce<b>, </b>full <b>of </b>challenge. ¡°My family doesn¡¯t need to know. My fianc¨¦e knowing is enough.¡±

    Fianc¨¦e<b>. </b>

    That word cut deep¨Csharp as a de<b>, </b>slicing straight through Zac¡¯s chest.

    <b>the </b>

    He copsed back onto the bed,pletely drained. His eyes stared nkly at the IV drip as each drop echoed the growing emptiness inside him. The physical pain was nothingpared to the agony wing at his heart.

    He still couldn¡¯t believe Charlotte actually had a fianc¨¦.

    Was it because <b>he </b>once told her he would never marry her? Was this <b>all </b>just a ploy to make him jealous?

    Yeah. That had to <b>be </b>it.

    Charlotte loved him. She couldn¡¯t possibly have moved on that fast. She couldn¡¯t be with someone else. She wouldn¡¯t.

    Clinging to that <b>belief</b>, Zac turned his head toward Sean again, his expression filled with smug <b>disbelief</b><b>. </b>¡°She hired you, didn¡¯t she? What¡¯s that trend going around now¨Crent¨Ca¨Cboyfriend? How much is she paying <b>you </b>an hour? I¡¯ll pay <b>you </b>ten times that. Just leave her<b>. </b>Now.¡±

    Sean actuallyughed<b>, </b>raising a brow. <b>¡°</b>If lying to yourself helps you sleep at night<b>, </b><b>go </b>for it. I <b>won¡¯t </b>stop you.¡±

    Charlotte <b>shot </b>Zac a look <b>of </b><bplete </b>disbelief. ¡°Are <b>you </b>seriously insane? You think I¡¯d <b>go </b><b>out </b>of my way to hire someone just to fool you?¡±

    Zac looked deranged<b>, </bpletely convinced Sean was some fake.

    Charlotte snorted<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Get </b>over yourself.¡±

    Sam returned with the paperwork. Sean sat up and got ready to transfer to a private room.

    Charlotte was already on her <b>feet</b>, naturally taking <b>on </b>the role <b>of </b>caregiver. She <b>held </b>the IV stand and walked beside Sean, staying close as they headed out <b>of </b><b>the </b>room.

    Zac couldn¡¯t stand watching her <b>be </b><b>so </b>gentle and attentive with another man. <b>He </b><b>couldn¡¯t </b>help himself. He reached <b>out </b><b>to </b>grab her wrist.

    A bodyguard moved fast, pping his hand away. <b>¡°</b><b>Sir</b>, please show some <b>respect</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze swept toward <b>Zac</b><b>, </b>his voice cold and sharp. <b>¡°</b>Touch her <b>again</b><b>, </b>and I¡¯ll break your hand.¡±

    Zac <b>snapped </b><b>back</b>, ¡°Come on! You think <b>I¡¯m </b>scared <b>of </b>you?¡±

    Seeing the tension spike again, Charlotte <b>quickly </b><b>stepped </b>in. ¡°Enough! Both <b>of </b>you, this is a hospital.¡±

    For once, Sean backed off without another word, following his assistant out of the room.

    Meanwhile, Wendy had also <be </b><b>to </b>Jersey City.

    She was having dinner with a few girlfriends <b>when </b><b>she </b><b>got </b><b>the </b>call that Zac <b>had </b><b>been </b>hospitalized<b>. </b>She rushed to <b>the </b>hospital in <b>a </b><b>panic</b>.

    ¡°Zac, what happened to you?¡± she cried when she saw his <b>swollen </b><b>face</b>.

    Zac didn¡¯t <b>respond</b><b>. </b>He <b>just </b>sat there, staring nkly out <b>the </b>window.

    Wendy wept beside <b>him</b>. <b>¡°</b>Who did this <b>to </b><b>you</b>? Did <b>you </b>call the police<b>?</b>¡±

    Still, there was no response.

    She kept talking<b>, </b><b>her </b>voice thick <b>with </b>tears.

    Finally<b>, </b>Zac snapped. <b>¡°</b>Can you please leave? I just want some peace<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Wendy sniffled. ¡°But¡­ I want to take <b>care </b><b>of </b>you.¡±

    She really was worried about him. His injuries looked awful.

    <b>¡°</b>There¡¯s no need,¡± Zac cut her <b>off</b>. ¡°<b>I¡¯ve </b>already <b>hired </b><b>a </b>nurse. Just go.¡±

    Right <b>now</b><b>, </b><b>he </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>want <b>to </b>see Wendy at <b>all</b>.

    If it weren¡¯t for her, he and Charlotte would <b>have </b>never ended up like this.

    Since she left<b>, </b><b>he </b>had thought about Charlotte every single day and night.

    What a joke.

    Only now that she was gone did he realize he had loved Charlotte all along.

 His Heart 57

    <b>Chapter </b><b>57 </b>

    Thinking back on how he had once ignored Charlotte for Wendy and said all those awful things to her, Zac¡¯s chest tightened again.

    He suddenly remembered Charlotte used to really want to marry him.

    But he had said all <b>those </b>cruel words.

    He had told her that he would never marry her.

    But what <b>if</b>¡­ he changed his mind now?

    What if he was willing to marry her?

    Would shee back?

    That thought lit up something in his eyes.

    If she could be <b>his </b>wife<b>, </b>the future Mrs. Gibson, then she would have to say yes to getting back together, right?

    +25 Bonus

    The next morning, Charlotte brought a client to <b>the </b>Social Security Bureau for a work injury evaluation. It was close to noon by the time she caught <b>a </b>cab back to the firm.

    As they approached the street where S&G was located<b>, </b>the driver frowned.

    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s going on up ahead? Why are there so many people?¡± he mumbled, then nced back at Charlotte. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it looks like the road¡¯s blocked. You¡¯re better off getting out here<b>. </b>It¡¯s not far. You can just walk the rest of the way.¡±

    Charlotte craned her neck, peering through the windshield. Sure enough, there was a huge crowd gathered <b>ahead</b><b>, </bpletely clogging up the

    <b>road</b>.

    That was strange. This street was usually <b>quiet</b><b>. </b>What on earth had happened?

    She paid the fare and stepped out of the cab.

    The closer she <b>got</b>, the more uneasy she felt.

    The crowd seemed to be gathering right <b>in </b>front of S&G.

    A sinking feeling hit her.

    She picked up her pace.

    Suddenly, a wave of high¨Cpitched screams erupted from the crowd. The <b>spectators </b>scattered like birds<b>, </b>total chaos breaking out.

    A woman sprinted straight toward her and collided into her chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry<b>,</b>¡± the woman said, panicked. She quickly apologized and tried to

    run <b>off </b><b>again</b>.

    Charlotte caught <b>her </b><b>by </b><b>the </b>arm. <b>¡°</b>What happened up <b>there</b><b>?</b>¡±

    The woman¡¯s eyes were wide with fear. ¡°Don¡¯t go! Someone¡¯s going crazy in there. <b>It¡¯s </b>bad¨C<b>people </b>could die. <b>Just </b><b>get </b>out <b>of </b>here<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    With that<b>, </b><b>she </b>turned <b>and </b>ran.

    Charlotte froze for half a second<b>, </b><b>then </b>her expression hardened. She turned and sprinted toward <b>the </b>firm.

    <b>She </b>was almost at <b>the </b>entrance when she heard <b>the </b>shouts¨Cscreaming<b>, </b>crying, yelling.

    Male and female voices ovepping, blending into <b>one </b>awful sound.

    Her heart <b>jumped </b>into her throat.

    The crowd had already dispersed.

    <b>She </b><b>had </b>no trouble reaching the front <b>door </b>and what she saw <b>stopped </b>her cold.

    It was horrifying.

    Max<b>, the </b>senior attorney she shared an office with, was lying in a pool <b>of </b>blood. A stab wound <b>at </b><b>his </b>waist was still gushing.

    Inside <b>the </b>firm<b>, </b>a man <b>with </b><b>a </b>knife wasshing out,pletely unhinged<b>, </b>stabbing wildly at anyone in sight.

    <b>He </b><b>was </b>screaming, voice hoarse and furious.

    ¡°You bloodsuckingwyers! Every single one <b>of </b>you wanted <b>to </b>screw me over! Come on! I¡¯m not afraid of <b>you</b><b>! </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>wanted to destroy me, right? Fine! Let¡¯s die together! <b>I¡¯m </b>taking some of you down with me!

    ¡°I¡¯ve <b>got </b>nothing left to lose! What¡¯s <b>a </b><b>few </b>more bodies<b>? </b>I¡¯ll kill every single <b>one </b><b>of </b><b>you</b>!

    ¡°You bastards better be ready to die with me!¡±

    His eyes locked onto a female attorney in heels. <b>He </b>raised the knife and charged at her.

    Yasmine shrieked and bolted, weaving through desks, sobbing.

    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t kill me! I wasn¡¯t <b>even </b>on your case¨Cit wasn¡¯t me! I swear! Please don¡¯t-!¡±

    But the man didn¡¯t care<b>. </b>

    Thewyer who was on his case had already been <b>stabbed</b>.

    Wow he had <b>blood </b>in his eyes. Everyone was a target.

    Yasmine sprinted toward the others<b>, </b>trying to scatter the attacker¡¯s focus.

    But after seeing Max copse in a bloody heap, no one dared fight back. The whole office was paralyzed with fear.

    Just as Yasmine was about to <b>get </b>caught, Charlotte <b>made </b><b>a </b>split¨Csecond decision.

    She kicked off her heels<b>, </b>tore off her zer, and flung it behind her.

    Then she sprinted straight at the attacker¨Cfierce and fearless<b>, </b>fast as lightning.

    She moved like the wind, sharp and unrelenting, a blur of motion cutting through chaos.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

 His Heart 58

    Chapter <b>58 </b>

    Just <b>as </b><b>the </b>knife <b>was </b>about <b>to </b>strike Yasmine<b>, </b>she yanked someone else in front of her as <b>a </b>human shield.

    <b>That </b><b>¡°</b>someone<b>¡± </b>was Jenny.

    <b>Jenny¡¯s </b>face wentpletely pale. She shook like a leaf<b>, </b><b>tears </b>streaming down her cheeks as she froze in fear. The man <b>lunged </b>at her <b>with </b>the knife<b>, </b>and she squeezed her eyes shut<b>, </b>bracing for pain.

    But it never came.

    Instead<b>, </b>gasps <b>of </b>disbelief rippled through <b>the </b>crowd.

    Jenny slowly opened her eyes and what she saw left her stunned.

    Charlotte had thrown herself into the fray<b>. </b>She was unarmed, yet now locked in a fight <b>with </b>the attacker.

    The man, wild¨Ceyed and frenzied, swung the knife wildly in all directions,pletely unhinged. Charlotte dodged each strike with sharp, quick movements<b>, </b><b>but </b>not without cost. The de shed across her arm, <b>and </b>blood instantly soaked through the sleeve of her white blouse. ¡°You wanna die <b>that </b>bad?!¡± <b>the </b>man roared, charging at her again.

    Gritting her <b>teeth</b>, Charlotte pivoted just in time<b>, </b>grabbing the wrist of his knife hand and twisting it hard.

    A loud snap followed by a blood¨Ccurdling scream rang out.

    The attacker dropped the knife.

    Without missing a beat<b>, </b>Charlotte kicked the de across <b>the </b>room. A male colleague scrambled to pick it up and remove it from reach.

    Now that the man was disarmed, he was <b>no </b>match for Charlotte. She struck him with a series of clean, rapid punches, forcing cries of pain from him. Then<b>, </b>without hesitation<b>, </b>shended a powerful kick to his head.

    The man stumbled, dazed and disoriented<b>, </b>barely able to find his footing. Before he could recover, Charlotte spun,nded a flurry of kicks<b>, </b>and mmed him to the ground with a wless over¨Cthe¨Cshoulder throw.

    Everyone stared, stunned.

    No one had <b>expected </b>the calm<b>, </b>soft¨Cspoken attorney to fight like a trained fighter.

    Just as the attackery defeated on the floor<b>, </b>the police and paramedics arrived. The man was quickly taken into custody. Paramedics lifted the blood¨Csoaked Max onto a stretcher and rushed him to the hospital.

    Only then did the rest <b>of </b><b>the </b>firm dare to <b>step </b>forward and speak.

    They <b>weren¡¯t </b>celebrating survival. Fear and shock hung thick in the air.

    Jenny, her face streaked with tears<b>, </b>could barely speak. <b>¡°</b>Miss Riley¡­ <b>I </b>thought I was going <b>to </b>die¡­ If it <b>weren¡¯t </b><b>for </b><b>you</b><b>, </b>I¨CI wouldn¡¯t be <b>here </b>right now. Thank <b>you</b>, thank <b>you </b>so much¡­¡±

    Yvonne¡¯s face was ashen<b>. </b>¡°In ten <b>years </b>of practicingw, I¡¯ve never <b>seen </b>anything like this¡­ Being awyer is bing a high¨Crisk job.¡±

    Yasmine was still shaking. ¡°Is<b>¡­ </b>is Max going to make it?¡±

    Yvonne answered sharply, ¡°He¡¯ll <b>be </b>okay.¡±

    A few of the male associates<b>, </b>finally snapping <b>out </b><b>of </b>their <b>daze</b>, turned to Charlotte in admiration.

    ¡°Miss Riley, that was insane. I didn¡¯t know you had that kind of skill. You were incredible.¡±

    ¡°Seriously<b>, </b>thank you for saving everyone.¡±

    Calling <b>you </b>quiet was the biggest misunderstanding of my life.¡±

    Charlotte <b>didn¡¯t </b>respond to the praise.

    She walked straight up to Yasmine<b>, </b>her expression hard.

    ¡°Miss Carter<b>,</b>¡± she said <b>coldly</b>, ¡°were you trying <b>to </b>use Jenny as a human shield just now?<b>¡± </b>

    Yasmine couldn¡¯t meet her eyes<b>. </b>She stammered<b>, </b>¡°I¨CI panicked. It was self<b>¨C</b><b>defense</b>¡­¡±

    <b>Everyone </b>had seen it. And <b>now</b><b>, </b>hearing her excuse<b>, </b><b>their </b>faces twisted with disgust.

    Chester Be

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    Yasmine <b>felt </b>the weight of their judgment. But in her mind, <b>it </b>made sense. If she hadn¡¯t <b>pushed </b>Jenny in front of her, she would be the one bleeding out right now. Wasn¡¯t that just survival human instinct<b>? </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Some <b>excuse </b>for self¨C<b>defense</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Charlotte said coldly<b>, </b>her <b>voice </b><b>devoid </b>of warmth<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>And </b><b>you </b><b>call </b>yourself awyer? You should know better than anyone that you can¡¯t use someone else¡¯s life to protect your own<b>.</b>¡±

    It was a basic point ofw. Anyone with <b>even </b>the slightest legal training should know.

    <b>2</b>

 His Heart 59

    Yasmine was clearly <b>trying </b>to defend herself.

    Charlotte <b>fixed </b><b>her </b>with a piercing stare<b>, </b>her eyes sharp as des<b>, </b>as <b>if </b>she could bore a hole straight through her.

    ¡°You should be thanking your lucky stars I was there today. If <b>I </b><b>hadn¡¯t </b>stepped <b>in</b>, and Jenny had been killed by that man, you would¡¯ve been looking at a murder charge<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Yasmine bit her <b>lip </b>and said nothing<b>, </b>her face drained of all color.

    Just then<b>, </b>Jenny tugged <b>gently </b>at Charlotte¡¯s <b>sleeve</b><b>, </b>her voice full of concern.

    ¡°Miss Riley, your arm¡­ <b>it¡¯s </b>still bleeding. You need to get to the hospital.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s arm had indeed been shed. While the wound wasn¡¯t life¨Cthreatening, it had bled a lot. Her entire left sleeve was stained red.

    Without another word to Yasmine, Charlotte turned and left the firm for the hospital.

    She had just picked up her prescription after getting her wound treated when she ran straight into Wendy.

    Wendy¡¯s expression was tight, her tone sharp.

    ¡°Charlotte? What are you doing here?¡±

    Charlotte was a little surprised to see her.

    So Wendy hade to Jersey City too.

    Then again, it made sense. Wherever Zac went, Wendy always followed. He probably couldn¡¯t bear to leave her behind in Harbor City. Charlotte didn¡¯t want to waste time arguing. She simply walked around Wendy and kept going.

    Wendy red after her, eyes full <b>of </b>spite.

    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Like a bad penny,<i>¡± </i>she thought. ¡°Always turning up.¡±

    Then she thought of Zac.

    They hadn¡¯t <b>even </b>finished their trip in Silverridge when Zac suddenly booked a flight to Jersey <b>City</b>. Was it because of Charlotte?

    And were the injuries he gotst night rted to her too?

    The more Wendy thought about it, the tighter she clenched her fists.

    As soon as Sean saw the breaking news about the attack

    <b>at </b>S&G<b>, </b><b>he </b>immediately <b>called </b>Charlotte.

    ¡°Lottie, <b>I </b><b>just </b>saw the news<b>¨C</b>someone <b>caused </b>a <b>scene </b><b>at </b>your firm, and <b>people </b>got stabbed. Are you okay? Where are you? <b>I¡¯ll </be get you<b>.</b>¡± Charlotte was holding a bag of medication and pressing <b>the </b>elevator <b>button </b>as she answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m actually at <b>the </b>same hospital you¡¯re in. I was nning to <b>stop </b>by <b>your </b>room.¡±

    Sean sounded visibly shaken.

    ¡°How bad is <b>the </b>injury?¡±

    ¡°Nothing serious. Just a cut on <b>my </b>arm. Surface wound. <b>I¡¯ll </b><b>be </b><b>fine </b>in a few days.<b>¡± </b>

    When Charlotte entered the hospital room<b>, </b>Sean saw the bandage <b>wrapped </b>around her arm. His expression darkened with concern.

    ¡°That looks serious,¡± <b>he </b>said quietly, his voice full <b>of </b>pain.

    Charlotte caught the look in his <b>eyes</b>.

    <b>If </b>he was this worried even after <b>the </b>wound had been cleaned and <b>wrapped</b><b>, </b>how would <b>he </b>have reacted if he had seen her earlier when her whole <b>sleeve </b>was soaked in blood<b>? </b>

    ¡°I¡¯m hiring a bodyguard for you,¡± <b>he </b>said, his tone firm. ¡°<b>Being </b>awyer is clearly <b>a </b><b>dangerous </b>job. I won¡¯t feel <b>at </b>ease unless <b>you </b>have <b>someone </b>with you. And don¡¯t even think about saying <b>no</b>. I <b>don¡¯t </b>ever want something like <b>this </b>to happen again<b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte pressed her lips <b>together </b>and nodded.

    <b>¡°</b>Okay<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean gently <b>took </b>her hand<b>, </b><b>his </b><b>voice </b>soft.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b>pick someone <b>good</b>¨Csomeone with real skills.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>One </b>is enough<b>,</b>¡± she said. <b>¡°</b>Today was an <b>exception</b>. Things aren¡¯t usually this dangerous<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean wasn¡¯t budging.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯m </b>still notfortable with just one.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Charlotte said, looking up at him<b>, </b><b>hesitating </b>slightly. ¡°But¡­ I have <b>to </b>go to work. Having a bodyguard with me all the time might get in the way.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Sean replied. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to the senior partners at S&G<b>. </b>Have them set up a private security office at the firm. He can be stationed <b>there</b><b>, </b>posing as a regr security guard.¡°.

    ¡°That actually sounds doable,¡± Charlotte admitted<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Especially after today<b>, </b>I¡¯m sure the firm will take security more seriously.¡±

    Her eyes drifted <b>to </b><b>the </b>small table beside his hospital bed, where hisptop was sitting.

    She frowned slightly.

    ¡°You¡¯re still working? <b>You¡¯re </b>supposed to be resting.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an important project going on at thepany,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t trust anyone <b>else </b>to handle it.¡±

    Charlotte <b>gave </b>him a look.

    <b>¡°</b>Just promise me you¡¯ll take care of yourself.¡±

    Sean¡¯s dark <b>eyes </b>softened, rippling with affection.

 His Heart 60

    <b>Chapter </b>60

    Soon enough<b>, </b>Charlotte learned the full story behind the knife attack.

    The assant, Hank <b>Wright</b><b>, </b>was the owner and legal representative of a privatepany. Due to a contract dispute, hispany was taken to court by another business. <b>Max </b>represented the <b>opposing </b>party and won the case.

    After <b>the </b>verdict, Hank was found liable for breach of contract and ordered to pay substantial damages. When the case moved into the enforcement phase, the court froze <b>his </bpany¡¯s ounts.

    Things only <b>got </b>worse<b>. </b><b>Max </b>soon uncovered evidence that Hank had been mixing personal andpany assets and had illegally withdrawn capital. A secondwsuit followed. This time, <b>the </b>court seized Hank¡¯s personal property and impounded valuable assets.

    Then came <b>the </b>final blow. Hank¡¯s wife cheated on him, cleaned out their savings, and ran off with another man.

    Everything copsed. Hank lost everything¨Chispany, his money, his reputation, and even his family. In his eyes, it was all because of Max and <b>the </bwyers <b>at </b>S&G. So <b>he </b>snapped, showed up with a knife, and tried to take revenge.

    Luckily, Max survived emergency surgery and was now <b>in </b>stable condition.

    After the attack<b>, </b>the firm quickly converted <b>a </b>spare room into a security office. Tworge<b>, </b>muscr guards moved in. They were clearly the bodyguards Sean had arranged for Charlotte.

    Meanwhile, Zac had been recovering at the hospital for half a month.

    During that time<b>, </b>he had called Charlotte over and over again using his assistant¡¯s phone. Not once did she answer. She never came to visit,

    not even once.

    Every time the door creaked open, he held his breath<b>, </b>hoping it would be <b>her</b><b>. </b>

    But it never was.

    He spent every day torturing himself with images of Charlotte and that other man together. The thought alone felt like knives to the chest.

    discharged. Finally, after two agonizing weeks, Zac was

    If Charlotte wouldn¡¯te <b>see </b>him, then he would go

    <b>see </b>her.

    He <b>couldn¡¯t </b>wait another second.

    On the day of his discharge, Zac walked ahead while Wendy and his assistant followed closely behind.

    ¡°is everything set up with the Sullivan Corporation?¡± Zac asked as they headed toward <b>the </b>parking garage.

    During his hospital stay, <b>the </b>board at Gibson Corporation had been hounding him for updates on <b>the </b>investment deal.

    His assistant replied, <b>¡°</b><b>Mr. </b>Gibson<b>, </b>next Friday at <b>8 p.m.</b><b>, </b>Mr. Sullivan is attending a formal dinner. <b>I¡¯ve </b>secured <b>you </b>an invitation<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Zac pulled open the car door and got in. <b>The </b>assistant climbed into <b>the </b><b>front </b>passenger <b>seat</b>.

    ¡°What kind of dinner is it?¡± Zac asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a wee reception<b>,</b>¡± <b>the </b>assistant exined. ¡°For Mr. Sullivan¡¯s cousin his maternal cousin, <b>I </b><b>believe</b><b>. </b><b>She </b>just returned to <b>Jersey </b>City. He¡¯s introducing her to the local business and <b>social </b><b>scene</b>. <b>The </b>guest list is <b>pretty </b>exclusive.¡±

    From <b>the </b>back seat, Wendy leaned in and clung to Zac¡¯s arm.

    Zac nced down<b>, </b><b>then </b>subtly pulled his arm away.

    Wendy¡¯s expression stiffened.

    <b>He </b>hadn¡¯t done that before.

    Ever <b>since </b><b>she </b>returned from overseas, Zac <b>had been </b><b>glued </b>to her side. <b>They </b>had hooked up more than <b>once</b>. He used to be <b>obsessed</b>.

    So why was he pushing her away now?

    Was <b>he </b>still thinking about Charlotte?

    ¡°Zac, what¡¯s going on with you-¡®

    ¡±

    Before she <b>could </b>finish<b>, </b>Zac cut her off. <b>¡°</b>How old is Mr. Sullivan¡¯s <b>cousin</b>?¡±

    ¡°Early <b>twenties</b><b>, </b><b>I </b><b>think</b><b>,</b>¡± the assistant answered. ¡°<b>Very young</b>.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Got <b>any </b>details on her?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Sorry, Mr. Gibson. I <b>haven¡¯t </b>been able <b>to </b><b>dig </b>up <b>anything specific</b>.¡±

    Zac didn¡¯t press further. If Steven Sullivan wanted <b>to </b>protect someone¡¯s identity<b>, </b>there was no way an assistant could find anything out. Besides<b>, </b>Steven¡¯s cousin had to be from a powerful family. People like that <b>didn¡¯t </b>have public profiles just floating around.

    ¡°But,¡± the assistant added, ¡°<b>I </b>did hear one thing¨Cshe¡¯s getting engaged in a couple of weeks. Apparently, Mr. Sullivan¡¯s very protective of her. If you bring a nice gift for the engagement<b>, </b>it could <b>score </b><b>you </b>some serious points. If she¡¯s happy, Mr. Sullivan might be more inclined to help with the investment<b>.</b>¡±

    PrevNext <i></i>

 His Heart 61

    Zac lowered his pare

    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± he thought to himself. A girl in her twenties would be a much easier target than Steven himself.

    ¡°Mr. Gibson, should we head back to the hotel?¡± the driver asked.

    After a moment of thought, Zac said, ¡°Pull over in front of the mall up ahead.¡±

    Wendy, assuming he wanted to shop for a gift for Steven¡¯s cousin, smiled and said, ¡°Zac, are you picking out a present for her? Let mee with you<b>. </b>She¡¯s probably around my age. I know what girls like.¡±

    The car came to a stop in front of the mall

    <b>Zac </b>spoke calmly, ¡°Get out,¡±

    <b>wendy </b>obediently opened the door and stepped out

    Then za tumed to his assistant in the front seat. <b>¡°</b>You <b>too</b><b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The assistant hesitated for a second, then scrambled to open the door. ¡°Oh, right. Of course, Mr. Gibson¡±

    Wendy stood by the <b>car</b>, expecting Zac to join them

    <b>But </b>the <b>doorclosed</b><b>. </b>

    And the ck Maybach pulled away without her

    Wendy¡¯s smile froze on her face. She stood there, stunned<b>, </b>as the wind blew through her hair.

    What the hell was that?

    He just left her?

    The assistant gave her an awkward look and scratched his head. ¡°Uh¡­ Miss Cooper, <b>I¡¯m </b>sure Mr. Gibson has his reasons. Well, I¡¯m off now. See you around.¡±

    He scurried away, leaving Wendy fuming. She stomped her foot in frustration and pulled out her phone <b>to </b>call Zac

    Back in the car, Zac¡¯s phone buzzed in his pocket. He didn¡¯t even nce at it. His temples throbbed, and he rubbed them <b>in </b>irritation, letting the phone ring and

    ring

    After <b>a </b>moment, he told the driver, ¡°Take me to Brightwood Residences. Across from Jersey University.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Yes, Mr. Gibson

    That was where Charlotte lived.

    The moment the car stopped near the entrance, Zac spotted Sean walking just behind Chadotte as the two entered theplex together.

    Zac jumped out of the car and rushed toward the gate, only to be stopped by the security guard.

    ¡°Sr <b>face </b>scan, please<b>.</b>¡±

    Zaclied without hesitation just moved in. Haven¡¯t had time to register. Let me through for now¨CI get it done tomorrow.

    The guard frowned. ¡°Then please show your ID and tell me your building and unst number so I can verify.¡±

    Realizing he couldn¡¯t talk his way through, Zac tried to push past him.

    But the guard wasn¡¯t backing down. He held Zac back firmly. ¡°Sir, If you keep this up, I¡¯ll call the police.¡±

    <b>¡®</b>Let me in!¡± zar¡¯s eyes were <b>bloodshot</b><b>, </b>his veins popping. That man <b>had </b>gone home with Charlotte.

    What were they going to do?

    Had they already slept together?

    <b>The </b>Image of Sean with Charlotte¨Chands all over her, bodies tangled together¨Cshed through <b>his </b>mind uncontrobly. Position after position Scene alter

    <b>Zat </b><b>was </b>on the brink of losing it. He felt like he was going insane,

    Just the thought of Charlotte in that man¡¯s bed, surrendering to him<b>, </b><b>was </b>enough to make Zarsee red<b>. </b>

    They had been together for three <b>years</b>, and he had never even touched her like that. And now some <b>other </b>guy <b>got </b>everything he had <b>wanted</b><b>? </b>(1

    <b>What </b>the hell gave that man <b>that </b>right?

    ¡°Let me in!¡± he toured and punched the guard in the face.

    The guard, sensing serious trouble, grabbed <b>his </b>radio and called for backup.

    While <b>Zac </b>was fighting at the <b>gate</b><b>, </b>Charlotte <b>and </b>Sean had already <b>walked </b>far enough ahead that they didn¡¯t notice themotion

    Zac got into a full¨Con brawl with the security <b>guard </b><b>at </b>the entrance.

    Another guard shed over to help, and soon it was two against one. Outnumbered<b>, </b><b>Zac </b>was quickly overpowered and pinned to the ground.

    In the end, the police arrived and took him away.

 His Heart 62

    Inside the apartment, Sean was in the kitchen wearing an apimo, making dinner for Charlotte.

    Charlotte leaned casually against the doorway, as crossed, watching him with amusement.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect the great Mr. Jasper to know his way around aldichen.¡±

    <b>Sean </b>rinsed the vegetables <b>at </b><b>a </b>rxed <b>pace</b>. ¡°Remember when you asked where the food I brought you came from?

    He <b>turned </b><b>and </b>gave her a <b>small </b>smile. ¡°I <b>made </b>it myself.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You made it? But how does it taste exactly like my mom¡¯s cooking?¡±

    Sean¡¯s lips curved into a soft smile. ¡°I picked it up when i used to sneak mealxat your ce,¡±

    Charlotte looked skeptical. ¡°You barely came over <b>a </b>handful of times. There¡¯s no way you picked it up that fast.¡±

    They had first met shortly after her tenth birthday, and her mom had passed away hist after she turned twelve. There

    <b>ere </b>was no way he could have learned that much in

    only a few visits.

    ¡°I don¡¯t buy it,¡± she said, eyeing him suspiciously

    Sean sliced the vegetables into thin strips, then began marinating the beet ¡°Remember how I said I wanted to take you somewhere, but we had to cancel because you got hurt?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to <b>do </b>with cooking?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rted.¡±

    ¡°Alright then.¡±

    Dinner was simple but perfect: Sean whipped up a simple homemade dinner: beef and vegetable stir¨Cfry, creamy tomato scrambled eggs, and chicken and zhin

    Charlotte normally didn¡¯t eat much for dinner¨Csometimes skipping it entirely¨Cbut tonight, with Sean¡¯s <b>coolding </b>and theforting <b>familiarity </b>of the vors, she polished off an entire bowl of rice. They cleared the <b>table </b>between the two of them.

    Afterward<b>, </b>when she got up to do the <b>dishes</b>, sean stopped her. ¡°sit. <b>I¡¯ll </b>do it¡±

    Charlotte grinned, teasing, ¡°Wow, Mr. Jasper, you¡¯re such a catch. Maybe I should marry you.¡±

    Seanughed and gently flicked her on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll marry you. ¡±

    Aftertidying the kitchen, Sean didn¡¯t linger or push his luck. He didn¡¯t ask to stay the night

    As they said goodbye, Charlotte leaned against the doorframe, watching that <b>ridiculously </b><b>handsome </b><b>face </b>of his<b>, </b>secretly wondering

    Why didn¡¯t he ask to stay over?

    <b>Was </b>she not attractive enough?

    She nced down at herself without thinking

    No, her figure was definitely <b>just </b>fine.

    Sean <b>caught </b>her looking, a smile ying in his eyes.

    ¡°<b>What </b>are you <b>thinking </b>about? You <b>look </b>like something¡¯s bothering you.¡±

    Carlotte coughed lightly to cover her embarrasunud. ¡°Nothing. Delve safe,

    ¡°See <b>you </b>tomorrow,¡± herald, tuming to leave with the trash infupl

    She watched his back as he walked away, thee other lips tugging into punde

    ¡°This guy¡­ br¡¯s almost too proper. <b>There¡¯s </b>not even a hint of ulterior motive insight,¡± she thought to hersel

    Meanwhile, <b>Zac </b>was being booked at the police station after the scudile at the apartment gate.

    <b>He </b><b>should </b>have been held in detention, but his assistant posted ball and got him out.

    By the time they walked out of the station, it was nearly dam

    The assistant looked absolutely miserable. He had just gotten back to the hotel, parts hallway off, when Zac suddenly called ¨C from the police s

    : station

    His girlfriend had flown all the way to resey City just in spend time with him. He had been mmed with work all day, barely had time to say twn words to her They were finally about in enjoy a little, well, private time when suddenly, ility called.

    This hoss of his, honestly, was like a walking disaster, Just out of the <b>hospital </b>and already fighting again.

    And now, cherry on top? His glitter was honous, yelling that she wanted to break up. Perfect. Just perfect,

    He let out a long sigh and slid into the diver¡¯s seat. Whereto now, Mr. Gibson?¡±

    Zac looked exhausted. ¡°Backtothe hotel.

    <b>When </b>Zac pot to the salte, he flipped on the lights. The spacious mom

    roll and riply.

    He walked to the window, I acigarette, and tookalong drag.

    ng hard against his chest.

    The smoke filled his lungs<b>, </b>buming all the way down, presing,

    He looked amund the empty, silent room.

    The ss dining table no longer held that vintage cenomic vase or a fresh bouquet of flowers.

    And the fridge? I wasn¡¯t stocked with homemade food anym

 His Heart 63

    The walls were bare, with none of the little touches Charlotte would have added. Even the curtains weren¡¯t in a color she liked.

    Zac closed his eyes, but the image in his mind only sharpened¨CCharlotte tangled up in bed with that man.

    Were they doing <b>it </b>right now!

    A sharp, unshakable pain gripped his chest,

    Before he came here, he had yed out a hundred different scenarios in his head. But not once had he considered the possibility that Charlotte had already moved

    on with someone else.

    People said heartbreak happened twice in a rtionship.

    Once at the breakup, and again when you saw the other person with someone new

    For Zac, that saying <b>proved </b>painfully true.

    <b>The </b>next <b>day</b>, the sky was high and clear, the kind of crisp, golden wat moming that felt too good to waste.

    |Charlotte had ns to go out with Sean, so she let herself sleep <b>in </b><b>and </b><b>had </b><b>a </b>light breakfast before getting ready.

    She <b>wore </b>a long¨Csleeyed ck velvet dress with soft vintage lines. Her long, dark waves draped elegantly over her shoulders, and the bold red lipstick she cho paired perfectly with the dress.

    She already had striking features¨Cstrong brows, high nose bridge, big almond eyes¡ªbut today, her look was next¨Clevel stunning. She was bold, confident and unforgettable.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b><b>ck </b>Cullinan SUV was parked outside when she came downstairs.

    She spotted him leaning against the car, finishing up a <b>phone </b>call.

    When he saw her, his eyes lit up <b>for </b><b>a </b>second before he hung up and smiled. ¡°This look really suits you,¡± he said, admiring the outfit <b>and </b>makeup.

    Charlotte smiled as she pulled open the passenger¨C<b>side </b>door <b>and </b>got in. ¡°So, where <b>are </b>we going?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± he replied.

    He was driving himself today¨Cno <b>assistant</b>, no chauffeur.

    They left the city behind, trading sleek skyscrapers for long stretches of open road and rolling countryside. The sky was a clear, endless blue, and golden fields of swayed gently in the breeze

    Fammers were scattered across thend, busy with the harvest<b>. </b>Every so often, they passed quiet farmhouses with hare apple trees out front, their branches stripped. |_ clean¨Csigns that fall was in full swing.

    Charlotte rolled the window down halfway. The cool breeze slipped in, carrying a <b>honeysuckle </b><b>or </b>just the scent <b>of </b>autumn in the air.

    She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. ¡°Mmm. this is so nice.¡±

    Sean kept <b>his </b>eyes on the <b>road</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>We¡¯re almost there.¡±

    a faint track of dried leaves and something sweet¨Cmaybete¨Cblooming

    After another twenty minutes on <b>a </b>narrow <b>rural </b>cement road, the car stopped in front of a modest three¨Cstory farmhouse

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he said, turning off the engine and ncing at her.

    Charlotte looked at the house, surprised. ¡°Where is this?¡±

    Sean sailed slightly, ¡°Come see

    As soon as they stepped out, a man caine walking toward them. He looked <b>a </b>bit puzzled at first, then surprised, and finally broke toto a wide grin. ¡°Mr. <b>Jasper</b>, what <b>a </b><b>surprise</b>!¡±

    He handed Seana cigarette.

    Charlotte noticed the <b>brand</b>¨CYellow Crane Tower. It was one of those cheap ones she had seen inconvenience stores, maybe ten or fifteen dors a <b>pack </b>

    She watched in fascination as Sean¨Cdressed in his <b>usual </b>high¨Cend, tailored <b>suit</b>¨Cepted it without a word. The man lit it for him with <b>a </b><b>kind </b>of revertice

    *<b>Sorry</b>, Mr. Jasper<b>,</b>¡±

    ¡°the man said with a sheeptal chuckle. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you were <bing </b><b>today</b>. Don¡¯t have any Laney smokes <b>in </b>the house.¡±

    Charlotte raised <b>a </b>bow, cleady amused. So this was the kind of cigarette Scan <b>smoked </b>sometimes<b>? </b>

    <b>Judging </b><b>by </b><b>bow </b>familiar the man was with him, Sean muste here often.

    The man turned to her. ¡°And this is?

    ¡°Miss Riley,¡°Sean said evenly.

    The man¡¯s face it up. ¡°Miss Riley! You¡¯re here!¡±

    Then he turned his head and shouted toward the house, Mom! Mem¨CMiss Riley¡¯s here!

    Charlotte nced <b>at </b>Sean, confused.

    ¡°Wait.. these people know me<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>she wondered.

 His Heart 64

    Not long after, an elderly woman with a soft, round figure came out of the house, her face lighting up with a joyful smile.

    ¡°Miss Riley, is that you, Lottle?¡±

    Charlotte paused<b>, </b>surprised. ¡°Do you know me?¡±

    The old <b>woman </b>walked up to her, eps clouded with age but glistening with tears. Emotion welled in her voice. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so much. Lean¡¯t believe how tall you

    Charlotte¡¯s lips parted, still confused.

    Sean stepped in ¡°She¡¯s the one who <b>taught </b>me to cook¡±

    Charlotte tumed to look at him.

    He exined gently, ¡°<b>This </b>is Mrs. Wilson. She <b>used </b>to work as a housekeeper for the Sullivans. Your mom learned to cook from her.¡±

    Mrs. Wilson looked at charlotte with tears. joy streaming down her face. ¡°You really are Lottie, You have your mother¡¯s eyes. I used to hold you when you were

    The mention of her mother made Charlotte¡¯s throat tighten, her eyes <b>suddenly </b>misty, ¡°<b>Yes</b><b>, </b>I¡¯m Lottle. I came <b>to </b>see you, Mrs. Wilson.¡±

    Toh,e in,e in.¡± Mrs. Wilson ushered them into the house warmly. <b>¡°</b>Hey, Joel Go into town <b>and </b>pick up some groceries. Get the good stuff. I¡¯m cooking <b>for </b>Mr. Jasper and Lottle today¡±

    ¡°On!¡± the man called back and climbed onto an old scooter.

    Mrs. Wilson led Charlotte tride, chatting as they walked. She spoke of old times, sharing stories about Charlotte¡¯s mother, Sar, from when she was young.

    Only then did Charlotte leam that Sue <b>hadn¡¯t </b>a always been <b>so </b>good in the kitchen. She had taught herself to cook just to win over Desmond

    Her mom, who had once lived a pampered life without ever lifting a finger<b>, </b><b>had </b>been willing to stand over a hut stove, all for love.

    The stories stimed something bittersweet in Charlotte¡¯s heart.

    She remembered <b>her </b>parents being deeply in love. Even after her mother passed, Desmond had sunk into depression for a long time.

    If he <b>had </b>loved her so much, then why had he remarried only two yearster? And to her mother¡¯s best <b>friend</b>, no less?

    She had met na York a few times as a child. Xena didn¡¯t live in Jersey City, so their visits were rare, but Charlotte had liked her <b>back </b>then. Xena always brought her pretty dresses and oven little?kes.

    But after Xena married her father, everything changed. Whatever affection Charlotte once had for her vanished overnight.

    To be <b>fair</b>, Xena <b>had </b>treated her well she gave Charlotte the best of everything¨Cfood, clothes, and education. But no matter what she did, Charlotte simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to like her

    She hesitated, then turned to <b>Mrs. </b>Wilson. ¡°Did <b>you </b><b>know </b>xena <b>York</b>?¡±

    Mrs. Wilson thought for a moment. ¡°You mean the one who was so close to your mother? Yes, I ber her. She used to <b>visit </b><b>a </b>lot before your mom got married. They were college friends -Very close.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°She¡¯s my stepmother now.

    <b>Mes</b>. Wilson went quiet, trowning slightly as she recalled something.

    Finally, she said, ¡°I remember, before your mom passed, Xenae to see her at the hospital more than once, I visited one <b>day </b>and <b>overheard </b>something, Your mom told your dad that if he ever remarried, she hoped it would be to Xena. She said she trusted her and didn¡¯t want you to grow <b>up </b>without a mother¡¯s love.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s face went <b>pale</b><b>, </b><b>a </b>glit ache blooming <b>in </b>her chest.

    So her father marrying Xena <b>had </b>been her mother¡¯s dying wish?

    Because she had wanted someone to Lalue care of Charlotte when she was gone? Someone to love her like she would have?

    Her <b>eyes </b>burned,shes fluttering as she blinked back tears. She said nothing more

    <b>Sean </b>tracked <b>out </b>and gently took her <b>hand</b>, <b>his </b><b>rough </b>thumb brushing softly <b>across </b>her palm

    That aftemoon, Mrs. Wilson cooked a full table <b>of </b>dishes.

    Every bite <b>tasted </b>exactly <b>like </b><b>Sue¡¯s </b><b>cooking</b>.

 His Heart 65

    Charlotte didn¡¯t want to ruin the mood. She pushed aside her lingering sadness and offered a bright smile, praising Mrs. Wilson¡¯s cooking

    Mrs. Wilson beamed. ¡°Sweetheart, I bet you don¡¯t know this, but Mr. Jasper¡¯s been here plenty of times. Every time he <b>came</b>, he¡¯d follow me into the kitchen to watch me cook¡±

    Charlotte rumed toward Sean, her eyes misty. Her voice was slightly masal, soft fromemorion ¡°Why did youe here to learn how to cook?¡±

    Sean¡¯s features softened, his tone light and even. ¡°So I could cook for you.¡±

    she blinked. ¡°Why?

    He bumed fully to Lace her, gazing into her beautiful eyes. ¡°Back when your mom passed away, <b>you </b>wouldn¡¯t eat properly. I was worried about you.¡±

    Mrs. Wilson let out a quiet sigh, her own grief vorfacing at the mention <b>of </b>Sue.

    After a pause, Mrs. Wilson <b>added</b>, ¡°A few years after your mom <b>got </b>married, I got sick. The doctor told me to take it easy, <b>so </b>I quit working and moved back here When your <b>mom </b>waster hospitalized, I visited a few times. That¡¯s when I met Mr. Jasper. He <b>was </b>just a teenager back then, still a boy

    She looked between them with warmth in her eyes ¡°That young mancared about you a lot. You weren¡¯t eating, so he came all the way here just to learn how to make fond you¡¯d like. He picked it up <b>fast</b>, <b>too</b>¨Csmart boy.

    After that, he¡¯d stille by now and then to check on me. It was Mr. Jasper who found the doctor who treated my illness, and he paid for all of it. Said it was the Tuition for cooking lessons¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened as a sudden <b>realization </b><b>hit </b>her. ¡°Wait¡­ the meals the housekeeper used to bring me after Moon passed¡­ that was you? You made them yourself?

    Sean nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Just one word. But it bit her like a tidal wave.

    The days passed <b>quietly</b>, carried along by the cool October

    That weekend, Zac suited up, dressed to impress for a high¨Cprofile auction. Due of the headlining pieces was a rare pink diamond ne rumored to have one belonged to the royal family. He nned to win the bid and present it as an engagement gift for Mr. Sullivan¡¯s cousin.

    Wendy, decked out in shy designer from head to toe, apanied him

    Just outside the venue, Zar spotted Charlotte.

    And the man walking beside her was the same man he had fought with before.

    <b>Itis </b>expression immediately darkened. He stoned over.

    ¡°Charlotte, What are you doing here?¡±

    She had just been chatting with someone who politely excused himself at Zac¡¯s approach.

    Charlotte, still holding onto Sean¡¯s a nced at him coolly. ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m here for the <b>auction</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Wendy scoffed <b>as </b>walked up. ¡°You? Atation? Please. What could you possibly afford to bid on?¡±

    Zar¡¯s eyes <b>shed </b><b>a </b>warning at her, his expressiondackening.

    Wendyed and fell stint, though she couldn¡¯t stop herself from rolling her eyes.

    Then her gazended on the man beside Charlotte, and slie froze

    The man was sinkingly handsome, his demeanos regal, his entire look clearly custom¨Ctailored. A luxury watch <b>gleamed </b>on his wrist. <b>By </b>the <b>look </b>of it, it was worth

    more than anything, it was <b>his </bmanding presence. He carried the kind <b>of </b>authority that made people instinctively step aside. Even Zac, who was known <b>tot </b>

    d¨Cchatiuna, <b>faded </b>into the <b>background </b>standing urat tolim.

    When had Charlotte managed to chan someone like that?

    Jealousy crept into Wendy¡¯s expression, washing away her earlier smugness.

    Sean, for his part, didn¡¯t eveti nce at Zac or Wendy. His gaze was solely on Charlotte

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lottle,¡± <b>he </b><b>said </b>gently, his voice full of wannth.

    Wendy was stated. The tenderness in his tour, the way Chuslotte responded without hesitation¨Cit was blous. These two were close. Very close

    Charlotte didn¡¯t spare another nce at Zac and walked off with Sean by her side.

    1.2

    Wendy watched them go, eyes narrowing in contemtion

    zac, furious, quickly stepped after them, leaving Wendy behind at the entrance.

    D

 His Heart 66

    At the auction, the auctioneer was dressed in a deep blue gown, her every word and movement exuding elegance and grace, the kind of sophistication that only came from loowledge and poise.

    <b>Sean </b>and Zac showed line interest in the early items, until the pink diamond ne was unveiled.

    The auctioneer gave a concise introduction before opening the bidding. The starting price was four million.

    Zac immediately raised his paddle,

    After a few rounds of bidding, the price quickly climbed to six million<b>, </b>and the number of bidders dwindled.

    Zac raised his paddle again¨C6.2 million.

    The auctioneer gestured smoothly. ¡°We¡¯re at 6.2 million. Shall we move to 6.5?¡±

    <b>Sean </b>calmly raised his paddle.

    The auctioneer smiled toward his direction ¡°6.5 million. Any higher<b>?</b>¡±

    Zac shot <b>Sean </b>a sharp re and raised his paddle again.

    |¡°6.5 million going once¨C<b>back </b>to bidder 20. Anyone (or <b>6.8</b><b>?</b>**

    Sean raised 1

    This paddle again

    ¡°6.8 million. Any more takers?¡®

    Zac was determined, <b>Getting </b>his teeth, he raised it to 7 million.

    Seven million wasn¡¯t beyond his means if this gift pleased. Sullivan¡¯s cousin and led <b>to </b><b>a </b>deal with the Sullivan Corporation, the retam on investment could be Tenfold.

    As the saying goes: no pain, no gain. He had to win that ne,

    million¨Cbidder. Do I hear <b>7.57 </b>

    Sean raised his paddle again,

    #2.5 million

    Za pushed it to a million.

    Just as Sean was about to raise his paddle again, Charlotte gently ced her hand over his.

    ¡°Let it go. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    The items that started at 4 million had already doubled. Charlotte had looked at the ne earlier. It was only worth two or three million at most. And truthfully, she didn¡¯t even like it that much. There was no point in outbidding Zac just to prove a point<b>, </b>

    He wanted it? Let him <bve </b>i

    She remembered there was a blue diamond neing up the actually liked that one better.

    Sean nced at her, then obediently lowered his paddle.

    In thread, Zac won the ne with a final bid of million.

    Wendy, sitting beside him, shot Charlotte a smug smile,

    So that¡¯s it? Her new man couldn¡¯t even go <b>past </b><b>a </b>million seemed like he wasn¡¯t that into her after all,¡± be silently leaked.

    Iraide the women¡¯s <b>restroom</b>, Charlotte <b>stood </b>at the tongue makeup when she noticed Wendy¡¯s reflection behind her

    Wendy walked up to the sink, but expression full of section as washed bind ¡°Well, well. You <b>sure </b>don¡¯t waste time. A few <b>days </b>apart and <b>you¡¯ve </b>alreadytched onto someone new?¡±

    Charlotte kept her focus <b>on </b>applying her lipstick, ignoring her.

    at terme. Your man? Couldn¡¯t even cough that up for <b>you</b><b>. </b>

    Wendy chuckled. ¡°All I had <b>to </b>do was say that ne was pretty, and Zac dropped eight million onit forme

    she dried her <b>hands </b>slowly, then added with a set, ¡°I mean, rich guys aren¡¯t dumb. They spend money on people who are actually worth it. And you you¡¯re just

    Charlotte capped her lipstick and looked at herself in the minion, calm and steady. Then she <b>spoke</b>, <b>clear </b>and sharp. ¡°Is that su? Then good luck with that,¡± With that<b>, </b>she tumed and walked out without giving Wendy another nce

    <b>Wendy¡¯s </b>words held zero weight for her because Charlotte¡¯s life was far better than Wendy could ever imagine.

    Wendy, in this moment, was nothing more than a jealous little dog, barking uselessly at some she couldn¡¯t touch

    Charlotte didn¡¯t need to waste her time arguing. It would only make things ugly.

    Varived.

    Soon, the day of the party a

    It was held at the Sullivan family¡¯s private estate

    Luxury cars lined the entrance¨Cevery single one worth mil

 His Heart 67

    Quests aived in a steady stream¨Cevery one of them wealthy or well¨Cconnected. Aside from people like Zac, who were there to curry favor, there were also top figures from various industries.

    These were the people Steven had personally invited, nning to introduce them to charlotte, in the legal world, connections were everything

    Charlotte arrived at the estate early with Sean.

    Steven was waiting at the front of the main vi, ¡°Lottie, there you are!¡± he called mot cheerfully.

    Dressed in a white suit with his hair slicked back, Steven looked every bit the chamber. The Sullivan genes were strong. He had striking features and had once been the camps heartthrob, with girls chasing after him nonstop. He was also known for being a bit of <b>a </b>yer, cycling through girlfriends faster than changing shirts.

    Charlotte greeted him with a smile. ¡°<b>Hey </b>Steven.¡±

    ¡°Lottie, you just keep getting prettler.¡± Steven turned to Sean and grinned. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought <b>I¡¯d </b>be calling you my brother¨Cin¨CLaw one day? C¡¯mon, call me brother¨Cinw just once.¡±

    Sean gave a nomittal grunt, <b>his </b>gaze frosty.

    Steven made a show of being offended. ¡°Geez, always with the ice¨Ccold attitude. My poor costa¡¯s gonna suffer being with you.¡±

    Charlotteughed<b>, </b>her almond¨Cshaped eyes curving with amusement. ¡°Cold? I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s actually very sweet to me.

    ally. ¡°You two aren¡¯t even officially engaged and you¡¯re already rubbing your lovey dovey sense in my <b>face</b>?¡± Steven groaned dramatically.

    After a bit of chatting at the door, Charlotte took <b>Sean¡¯s </b>arm and walled inside

    The main hall on the first floor was the heart of the party¨Cbright, bustling, and filled with anamiliar faces. As soon as Sean entered, he <b>was </b>swarmed by guests looking to shake hands and curry favo

    A foreign couple who <b>had </b>business to discuss with Sean and Steven needed to talkin private, so they invited them upstairs to the study,

    Charlotte didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Go ahead,¡± she said<b>. </b>¡°I¡¯ll wander around downstairs.¡±

    She had just taken <b>a </b>seat on one of the sofas when the <b>housekeeper </b>from the fulleys, Mrs. Coleman, came long for her.

    ¡°Mass Charlotte, you let in such a sh today <b>that </b>you forgot your earrings. Madam asked me to bring them to you.¡± In her hand was the pair of pearl earings cuadotte had picked <b>out </b>to match her <b>dress</b><b>. </b>

    Charlotte touched her ear lobes Instinctively. ¡°<b>Oh</b>, ri. Can¡¯t believe forgot those.¡±

    ¡°Miss Charlotte, the event hasn¡¯t officially started yet, basit?¡± Mrs. Coleman handed over a <b>pair </b>of earings. ¡°There¡¯s still time to put these en

    ¡°Chright,¡± Charlotte replied with a warm smile. ¡°There¡¯s no mircochere. Mrs. Calem, could you help me put them on?¡±

    Ms. Cole down beside her and gently helped her with the earrings

    ¡°There we go, much better,¡± she said with satisfied sale and a nod once they were imce.

    Just then<b>, </b><b>a </b>sharp, far liar volte tang out

    ¡°Chutte kaley? What are you doing here?

    etured, frowning.

    It was Zac¡¯s mother, Monica And standing beside her<b>, </b>dressed to the dues, was Wendy,

    Charlotte¡¯s Crownderpeurd.

    Just then, Monica walked <b>up </b>and stopped in front of Charlotte, She nced at Mes. Coleman, then at Charlotte, her expression.condescending, voiceced with

    ¡°So <b>your </b>mother¡¯s abousekeeper?¡±

    Mos Culeman was wearing her uniform. It <b>was </b>obvious what her cole was

    My Coleman quickly waved bet hands. ¡°Oh no, you¡¯ve <b>understood </b>I¡¯m her mother at the Hileys housekeeper.¡±

    Mobica let out a dry <bugh </b>¡°light, night I get it. You¡¯re just saying that <b>to </b>save face in public. Bute <b>on</b>, we allow <b>how </b><b>you </b>were putting on her earrings just bow¡ªso tender and motherly. Who would believe you¡¯re not rted?¡±

    Wendy chilised in with a deugh. ¡°<b>Italia</b>, yeah. I mean, being a housekeeper¡¯t exactly something to brag <b>about </b>I¡¯d be based <b>too</b>.¡±

 His Heart 68

    Mrs. Coleman¡¯s face flushed red, then pale with anger.

    Charlotte gently took her hand, silently offeringfort.

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

    She looked at Monica with a faint, mocking smile. ¡°What¡¯s so shameful about being <b>a </b>housekeeper? It¡¯s honest work¨Cno stealing, no cheating. Earning a living with your own hands? I think that¡¯s something to be proud of. On the other hand, women like you, who have no real skills and spend their days wasting <b>their </b>husband¡¯s money on spa <b>days</b>, shopping, and beauty supplements¨Cthat¡¯s what¡¯s really disgraceful.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>You-¡°Monica pointed at Charlotte, her hand trembling with rage

    Wendy quickly stepped in, patting <b>Monica¡¯s </b>back ¡°Mrs. Gibson, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. Don¡¯t let her get to <b>you</b>.¡±

    Then she turned to Charlotte with a sneer. ¡°Charlotte, you¡¯re just a housekeeper¡¯s daughter. At the end of the <b>day</b>, that makes you a servant too. This banquetis being held by Mr. Sullivan for <b>his </b>cousin, and everyone here is from high society. Someone like you doesn¡¯t belong¨Cstop embarrassing yourself.¡±

    Charlotte smiled brightly, ¡°oh High society guests<b>? </b>Then how did people like you sneak in?¡±

    Wendy¡¯s face twisted with anger.

    She wa

    Wayratlled.

    ¡°Who are you calling low¨Css? You, the daughter of a <b>maid</b>, think you¡¯re better than me?¡±

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Trying real hard to suck up to the Sullivans<b>, </b>aren¡¯t you? With your family¡¯s status, you¡¯re not even qualified to be their watchdog.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>

    it dGt ¡°Wendy jabbed a finger toward Charlotte¡¯s face, fuming. ¡°Are you crazy? Can¡¯t get <b>Za</b><b>, </b>so now you¡¯re taking it out on me? Haha Can¡¯t keep a man¡¯s heart, and now <b>you¡¯re </b>just running your mouth like it¡¯ll <b>make </b>a difference.¡±

    Charlotte smiled calmly. ¡°You didn¡¯t know Zac ended up in the hospital because he got into a fight for me?¡±

    Wendy froze, stunned. So that was why Zac had been injured a few days ago?

    Monica clearly didn¡¯t buy it. She let out a coldugh. ¡°<b>You</b>? As ff.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mrs. Gibson. She¡¯s not worth it,¡± <b>Wendy </b>said, linking arms with Monica

    Monica was so furious she felt lightheaded Afraid she might have a heart attack if she <b>stayed </b>any longer, she let Wendy lead her out.

    Wendy soon

    soon started chatting with some of the high<b>¨C</b>society men at the party, but her eyes kept drifting toward Charlotte.

    Ten minutester, she spotted her chance

    Charlotte left the <b>lounge </b>area to <b>go </b>to the restroom

    Wendy followed immediately.

    In the restroom, Wendly deliberately brushed against Charlotte, pretending there wasn¡¯t enough <b>space</b>, and <b>slipped </b>her bracelet into Charlotte¡¯s handbag.

    Charlotte<b>, </b>disgusted by the contact, shoved her away. ¡°It¡¯s a big space. You just had to squeeze past me?¡±

    Wendy smirked, satisfied. ¡°<b>You </b>own the ce now? I¡¯ll walk however I want¨Cnone of your business.¡±

    Charlotte sneered silently. Actually, the <b>ce </b>was technically hers.

    The whole estate belonged to the Sullivans. And as the granddaughter of the <b>Sullivan </b>family, it might as well have been built just for her.

    Wendy rolled her <b>eyes </b>and walked out

    A few minutester<b>, </b>back in the banquet hall, Wendy loudly announced that her bracelet was missing

    She strutted up to Charlotte, full of confidence. ¡°You stole my bracelet, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Charlotte looked at her, amused. ¡°Are <b>you </b><b>sure </b>it was me?¡±

    ¡°If <b>not </b><b>you</b>, then who?¡± Wendy <b>crossed </b>her arms, chin lifted<b>, </b>her expressions. <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re the only daughter <b>of </b>a mald here. The only one dirt poor. No one else would bother stealing a bracelet worth eighty grand.¡±

    <b>Carlotte </b>calmly <b>took </b>a sip of her champagne and set the <b>ss </b>down

    ¡°Do <b>you </b>have any proot?¡± she asked, lifting her eyes to meet Wendy¡¯s

    Wendy scoffed. ¡°Prout? Of course I do! It¡¯s in your bag. Just <b>open </b>it and we¡¯ll see.¡±

 His Heart 69

    Chapter do

    Asmall condbeganto gather, drawn by themotion

    Chalette had never attended these kinds of Hiresome panties before. Aside from a few close ends in the circle and some family friends of the Riley family, most

    This party had been organized by Neven specifically to introduce her lode Hie city¡¯s high¨Csociety social scene.

    Now, au ninge ande guests <b>callied </b>to watch, Wendy¡¯s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. ¡°Everyone,e judge for yourselves. This woman stole my bracelet

    H

    Monica tanned the Hames from the sidelines. ¡°Isk, didn¡¯t she just say something about being honest, not stealing or cheating? And now she¡¯s been caught red handed? It¡¯s just a bracelet. If you really wanted it, Wendy could¡¯ve been geneintes and gheen it to you. Why steal<b>? </b>How shameless can a girl be?¡±

    Fadin, Chulotte had lumiliated Monica by calling her useless and dependent on herbusband¡¯s money, Monica had taken thuit to heart, and now she didn¡¯t hold

    ,¡± she said with a dramatic sigh, ¡°you were so desperate to many my son before. Didn¡¯t you ever stop to think whether you were even worthy? Thank Chud |ve good judgment and kept you out of our fandly! Poor glisille you are all the saine. No matter how well you dressor how hard you try to sneak into high- society events, you¡¯ll always be the kind wiilisticky fingers.¡±

    The crowd murmured around them.

    ¡°Wow, she looks so elegant. I wouldn¡¯t have guessed she¡¯s a thief.¡±

    inglu? Just goes to show ¡ª looks can be deceiving.¡±

    ¡°What a shame. With a face like that, she could easily win over any rich guy. And she still came to a party to steal?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s pont falls for you. See anything valuable, and they past can¡¯t help themselves.¡±

    someone said she¡¯s the daughter of a mald, That exins it. Probably grew up desperate for money.

    The whispers and judgmental states grew louder, and the alle on Wendy¡¯s face widened. She was riding higli now, confidence swelling,

    ¡°If you¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t take it, then hand ine your bag, and let nie search it,¡± she said, sang. ¡°If you didn¡¯t steal amphing, what are you so aftald of?

    pan Importa justness convenation with a foreign couple,

    Meanwhile, Steven and Sean had just wrapped up.

    anexcused inimmelf to use the restroom. Steven was wal ding the couple out when they bumped into Zac,

    ¡°Mr. Sullivan, II¡¯s been a while,¡± Zac greeted ln with a friendlystadle.

    Steven didn¡¯t recognize him right away, Ste frowned slightly, ¡°And you are.

    Aflicker of awkwardness passed over Zac¡¯s face before he quickly introduced blinselt.

    Steven vaguely recalled the game and traponded with a few pollie words.

    Zac lunded over a gift box. ¡°Mi Sullivan, Irand your cousin is getting rugpoped¨Ccongrattions. This is a small engagement gift for bes.¡±

    The gift may have beenf¨¹r Steven¡¯s cousin, but Zar was really abining to rain Steven¡¯s favor. Obving the gift directly to hita eissued Steven <b>was </b>aware of the pesture. That way, when the thine came to talk business<b>, </b>thar duou would alirady Leopen.

    Steven had seen pleiaty of people try to cozy up to him bentore and hadn¡¯t thought much of the man tramt of him. He had originally nned to exchange a tew polite words and move ou

    In his surprise, Zac actually how to y the game going through to deliver <b>ag </b>

    mughtful of you. F¡¯ll thank her on your behalf. ¡±

    Then, his tone allied slightly, bing more condial. ¡°She¡¯s downstairs in the banquet hall. Why <b>don¡¯t </b><b>I </b>take you down so you can give it to her in prison? It is her engagement

    Zac noticed the subtle change in Slevett¡¯s attitude and finally let out the breathhed been holding

    ipoks like giving the gift to steven¡¯s cousin had been the right move after all.

    He sudded wannly. ¡°<b>I¡¯d </b>appreciate that Please lead the way, Mr. Sullivan ¡±

 His Heart 70

    Charlotte smiled sweetly and handed her bag to Wendy. ¡°Here you go. If you want to search it, be my guest.¡±

    Wendy hesitated for a split second<b>, </b>caught off guard by how calm and open Charlotte was being.

    Could <b>she </b>have discovered the bracelet <b>and </b>removed it?

    Wendy narrowed her eyes in suspicion, ncing up at Charlotte¨Conly to see that same serene, almost unreadable smile ying on her lips. Something about it

    felt off

    The bag was now right in front of her.

    Hot Wendy hesitated. Something told her Charlotte had set a trap and she was about to walk right into it.

    She was still debating what to do when Monica suddenly snatched the bag from Charlotte¡¯s hands. She unzipped it in one swift motion, turned it upside down, <b>and </b>dumped everything out onto the floor.

    A Van Cleef & Arpels <b>blue </b><b>agate </b>bracelet <b>tumbled </b><b>out </b><b>and </bnded at Monica¡¯s feet..

    She picked it up and snapped<b>, </b>¡°Still iming you didn¡¯t steal it<b>? </b>Then what¡¯s this? And this Chanel bag¨Cdon¡¯t tell me you stole that too!¡±

    Gasps rippled through the crowd.

    Wendy finally let out the breath she had been holding. The bracelet <b>had </b>fallen out. She had slipped it in earlier through the side opening of the <b>bag¡¯s </b><b>zipper</b>. Thank god Charlotte hadn¡¯t <b>noticed </b>

    Just as Wendy was about to pounce, the crowd suddenly parted on its own

    A tall figure strode through with a cold expression.

    Steven Sullivan

    He frowned ¡°stealing? What¡¯s <b>going </b>on here?¡±

    Someone actually had the nerve to steal in the Sullivan estate?

    They must have a death wiS?L

    Mr. Sullivan, it¡¯s her!¡± Wendy pointed at Charlotte, her voice rising in righteous anger. ¡°She stole my bracelet! You must do something about this!¡±

    Steven followed Wendy¡¯s pointing finger and locked eyes with Charlotte.

    She smiled and waved, her tone light and familiar. ¡°Hey, Cousin

    Silence

    Absolute silence.

    Every whisper, every breath in the room disappeared in an instant

    <b>Then</b>, <b>Charlotte </b>casually broke the <b>dead </b>alr

    She <b>pointed </b>at the bracelet Monica was holding and tilted her head in mock confusion. ¡°Steven, they¡¯re saying I stole that. They even searched my bag in front of everyone. Tell me, would I really bother with something so cheap and tacky?<b>¡± </b>

    Wendy¡¯s face went witte. Her body stiffened. She took two steps <b>back</b><b>, </b>stunned, staring at Charlotte like she was seeing <b>a </b>ghost.

    ¡°you. You¡¯re Mr. Sullivan¡¯s cousin?¡±

    Behind Steven<b>, </b>Zacfioze.

    The gift box in his hand slipped <b>to </b>the <b>floor</b>, the k <b>diamond </b><b>ne </b>spilling <b>out </b><b>as </b><b>it </b>hit the <b>ground </b>

    He had just heard Charlotte call Steven ¡°<b>cousin</b>¡± with his owners.

    In that moment, his mind went nk. It was like all the blood in his <b>body </b>had frezen. His vision darkened. He could barely <b>stay </b><b>on </b>his feet.

    Charlotte <b>said </b>something else to Steven, but Zac couldn¡¯t hear a word. Everything had gone silent. Even the sounds around him faded¨Chis <b>ears </b>singing with Madden deatness.

    Monica looked like she had seen a ghost. ¡°No <b>No </b>way! That¡¯s impossible! How could you be Mr. Sullivan¡¯s <b>cousin</b>? <b>You¡¯re </b><b>just </b>a housekeeper¡¯s daughter!¡±

    Culotte leaned back on the couch, <b>crossed </b>her legs, rested her chin in hernd, and unile at Monica ¡°sorry to disappoint <b>you</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Steven finally realized what was going on

    They were using Charlotte of stealing

    His expression darkened, his voice tuming ice cold. ¡°Who are you people? You came into my home and tried to frame by <b>cousin </b>for their? Are you tired of living?¡±

    ¡°N¨Cno, Mr. Sullivan, I¡ªI can exin. ¡°Wendy stammered, her

    voice shaking.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t <b>mean </b>I just¡­

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    Before she could finish, Steven other off <b>with </b>a sharp, impatient re. ¡°Get out.¡±

    He had only stepped away for a few minutes, and in that <b>short </b>time<b>, </b>somene dared to humiliate his cousin right in his own house?

    Just then, Sean finally arrived, fashionablyte

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked, frowning as he sensed the heavy tension in the room.

    Steven didn¡¯t miss a beat. Right in front of the crowd, he turned to Charlotte, made a weing gesture<b>, </b>and announced in a loud, clear voice.

    ¡°<b>This </b>is my cousin, Charlotte Riley. She¡¯s the heiress of the Riley Corporation. She just returned to Jersey City recently, and I threw this party tonight to officially wee her back.¡±

 His Heart 71

    Steven¡¯s ley pare swept over Monica and Wendy, his voice like <b>a </b>de

    <b>¡°</b>Filthy nobodies sneaking inte my home, and you <b>have </b>the audacity to amuse my cousin of steall

    He shot a look at the bodyguards, who immediately got the message. Without a wood, they stormed over, grabbed Monica and Wendy like rag dolls. The bodyguards dragged them to the door, tossing them out without the slightest litt of gentleness.

    It wasn¡¯t until the two women were physically thrown out that Zac finally snapped out of his daze. He turned to Curlotte, his voler shaky and conficted.

    ¡°.. You. You¡¯re Mr. Sullivan¡¯s cousin?¡±

    Charlotte looked at him with a hint of amusement. ¡°What else did you think?¡±

    Zac swallowed hand His eyes tumed red as a wave of blitemness rushed through him.

    ¡°<b>Why</b>?¡± he asked, lips trembling, ¡°Why <b>didn¡¯t </b>you tell me who you were? It¡¯s been three years.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s youre was calm, almost indifferent, ¡°I wanted to. Remember when I said I¡¯d take you home to meet my <b>family</b>? That was the day I nned to tell you, But <b>you </b>didn¡¯t want toe.

    There was no anger in her tone. There was no sorrow either, just distance,

    Zar closed his eyes in <b>pain</b>. ¡°If I¡¯d known you were the heiress of the Billey family in Jersey City, I never would¡¯ve walked away<b>,</b>¡±

    That was all Steven needed to put the pieces together.

    <b>So </b>this was Charlotte¡¯s ex

    And from the looks of it, Charlotte had kept her identity a secret when the dated him. And this man had looked down on her because he thought she had no background<b>, </b>and had ended up burting her again and again.

    Steven¡¯s eyes shifted to Sean.

 His Heart 72

    The storm brewing on Sean¡¯s face was unmistakable. The alt around him turned ice¨Ccold pressure building like aing thundersion.

    Zar was still stuck <b>in </b>the past, clinging <b>to </b>what¨Cits.

    ¡°Charlotte. if you¡¯d just told me the truth, we might already be married by now. We could¡¯ve been so happy.¡±

    Charlotte simply looked at l¨²m¡ªquiet<b>, </b>expressionless. Like a stranger.

    ¡°Did you forget, Zac? You once said you¡¯d never marry me. Your mother, Monica, humiliated me to my face. She said girls like me weren¡¯t good enough for the Gibson family ¡±

    Those words, slurp as knives, <bnded </b>squarely in <b>Zer¡¯s </b>chest.

    His eyes filled with tears. His woler cracked.

    ¡°The only thing that ever let us apart was status. That¡¯s gone now. There¡¯s nothing stopping us

    He took a step forward<b>, </b>reaching out to take her hand¨Cgroping at onest chance.

    But before he could touch her <b>seau </bnded a brutal kick to his chest, licking him t to the ground. Wither salg beat, Sean stepped forward, <b>his </b>polished leather shave pressing down hard on Zac¡¯s face, grinding it into the floor.

    The <b>crowd </b>gasped.

    The <b>room </b>darkened with the storm in Sear¡¯s eyes. His voice was low,ced with fury.

    *i wamed <b>you</b>. <b>Touch </b><b>her </b>again, and I¡¯ll ruin you.¡±

    Zac didn¡¯t <b>teis </b>

    Low his face.

    Hey there <b>like </b><b>a </b>dead fish, <b>lifeless </b>on the <b>floor</b>, Sean¡¯s <b>foot </b>still on

    He tumed his <b>head </b><b>slightly</b>, looking up at Charlotte with hollow, bloodshot eyes. <b>Despair </b><b>spread </b>through every part of him like poison in his veins.

    was in that moment be realized just how pathetic he had breit.

    i willi memodes<b>, </b>une all other like old film reels shing before his eyes Scenes from their time together, i Dow twisted into des clicing though his heart.

    , magents of intimacy andughter,

    Helud messed everything <b>up </b>

    He had refused to go home with her, let his mother humiliate her without saying a word, uded Wendy and like a trophy, and even told her right in front of Wendy¨Cthat he would never mury <b>her </b>

    He tooled around with Wendy, <b>ed </b>ecklessly, and <b>everance </b>stopped to think <b>about </b>how Charlotte felt.

 His Heart 73

    Zac was thrown out by the bodyguards

    Dutside <b>the </b>estate, <b>Monica </b>and Wendy were <b>andously </b>waiting.

    Monica was on the verge of tears. <b>¡°</b>Zac, what do we do now? Did we just offend the Sullivan <b>family</b><b>? </b>What about our investment <b>deal</b>?¡±

    Wendy was just as terrified. ¡°<b>The </b>Sullivans are seriously powerful. What if

    fat if theye

    But Zac didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t hear a word they said.

    e alter us?¡±

    He walked like a puppet with its strings <b>out</b>, lifeless and empty¨Ceyed, as it his soul had left his body.

    -25 Bonus

    The party came to an end. Sean drove Charlotte back to her apartiment.

    As they stood outside, Charlotte hesitated. ¡°About what happened today..¡±

    Sean stood in front of Charlotte<b>, </b>gently <b>tucking </b><b>a </b>loose strand of hair behind her ear. His voice was low,ced with unmistakable sorrow.

    ¡°He said today if you¡¯d told him who you really were<b>, </b><b>you </b>two might already be married and living happily ever after. 11 admit, for a moment, I was scared. If you

    ****There is no IT.¡±

    <b>Charlotte </b><b>cut </b>him off, lifting her gaze to meet his deep, steady eyes.

    ¡°sean, don¡¯t trouble yourself over things that never happened.¡±

    She paused, then added with rare seriousness, ¡°And besides.. I never really wanted to marry Zac in the first ce.<b>¡± </b>

    Sean¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡±

    Charlotte smiled and <b>nodded</b><b>. </b>¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    A breeze passed <b>by</b>, making her shiver, but her eyes sparkled brightly under the streetlight.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about marrying Zac <b>back </b>then¡­but now, I¡¯m <b>really </b>looking <b>forward </b><b>to </b><b>our </b>engagement <b>party</b>.¡±

    Sean took off his <b>coat </b><b>and </b>draped it over her shoulders, pulling her gently into his arms,

    ¡°So an L¡±

    Zac drove away alone <b>into </b>the night, vanishing without a trace.

    Wendy drove Munca back to the botel

    in the underground parking <b>garage</b>, just as they stepped out of the car, everything went ck. They were struck from behind, knocked out <b>cold</b><b>, </b>and shoved into

    duffel bags.

    When they finally came to, t they were in a dimly lit<b>, </b>y private lounge

    Both women were forced face¨Cdown onto a ss table, held there by men in ck.

    Across from them, lounging on a leather <b>couch </b>with one leg crossed over the other, sat <b>a </b>tattooed man <b>with </b><b>a </b><b>smug</b>, dangerous grin.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood tonight,¡± he saidzily. ¡°How about sharing a few drinks with <b>me</b>?¡±

    Monica<b>, </b>who <b>had </b>always carried herself like <b>a </b>rich socialite, had never been treated like this in her life. She immediately started buding <b>insults </b>at the tattooed man without thinking.

    He just <b>chuckled </b>and <b>nodded </b>toward <b>a </b>man in ck nearby.

    The man walked over, <b>grabbed </b>Monica by the hair<b>, </b><b>and </b>pped her twice Hard.

    <b>The </b>sound echoed <b>through </b>Monica¡¯s <b>fare </b>was on fire.

    She clutched hercheeks, eyes wide with fear. ¡°Who are you people? Why did you bring us here?!¡±

    The tattooed man dug a linger in his <b>ear</b><b>, </b>looking bored.

    *Tak. You pure talk <b>a </b>lot for an old woman Mahler sound, and let that tongue night out

    As he spoke, he pulled out a Swiss any life and <b>casually </b>flipped the de open, <b>ying </b>with it in his hands.

    Mordra¡¯s legs went weak with fear the mped her mouth <b>shut </b>and didn¡¯t dare make another sound.

    Wendy was still being pinned to the table.

    The tattooed <b>man </b>picked up a ss of liquor and threw it in herface.

    ¡°Finish every drop of booze on this table, and we let you go.¡±

    Monica shrieked ¡°I can¡¯t hold my liquor!¡±

    The man sneered. ¡°Too bad<b>.</b>¡±

    He waved his hand, and the men in ck started forcing them to drink¨Css after <b>ss</b>.

    No matter how much they struggled, it was useless.

    The entire table full <b>of </b>liquor was forced down their throats. By the end, both of their stomachs were swollen, their faces pale and drenched with alcohol.

    <b>The </b>tattooed man stood and walked over to Wendy. He pressed the cold <b>de </b>of the lite against her cheek, eyes narrowing.

    Remember this¨Cnext time, watch who you mess with.¡±

    Wendy trembled, Ups quivering, too scared to move. Her face had lost all color.

    *Do you understand?¡± he suddenly <b>barked</b>, <b>making </b>both women flinch violently,

    Their lives hanging by a thread, Monica and Wendy quickly <b>nodded </b>over and <b>over</b>.

    Yes yes, we understand!¡±

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

    Three dayster, Wendy stood outside the door of the hotel suite, knocking a few times.

    ¡°Zac? Are you in there?¡±

    <b>There </b>was <b>no </b>response.

    She frowned and pulled out her phone to call him. The line rang and cang until it disconnected on its own.

    Ever since <b>that </b>day at Steven¡¯s estate, she hadn¡¯t heard a single word from Zac. He didn¡¯t reply to texts, didn¡¯t answer calls, and even when she came to the hotell, he refused to open the done.

    The front desk confirmed he hadn¡¯t checked out.

    <b>Bang</b>, bang, banc-

    She started pounding on the door.

    ¡°Zac! Open the door! If you don¡¯t open it today, I¡¯ll keep knocking until you do!¡±

    Afterten minutes of relentless knocking, the door finally creaked ope

    A thick wave of cigarette smoke and alcohol hit her in the face, <b>malding </b>her gag.

    ¡°Ugh, what is that smell?¡± Wendy pinched her nose in disgust. Her expression twisted with contempt.

    Then she got a look at Zac

    to him like second

    His eyes were sunken and ringed with shadows. Stubble covered hischin. His skin was oily, and the mix of smoke, alcohol, and wear clung to skin. He looked like he hadn¡¯t showered in days.

    Holding back her nausea, Wendy <b>asked</b>, ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡±

    Zac¡¯s eyes were dull, liteless. His whole body slumped with defeat.

    ¡°What do you want

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to reach you for days. I was worried,¡± she said <b>as </b>she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

    The curtains were drawn tight, and not a single light was on. Even though it was broad daylight, the suite waspletely dark

    Wendy frowned and flipped on the lights.

    Empty liquor bottles were scattered across the living room. The ashtray on the table was overflowing, with ashes spilled everywhere.

    on the exhaust fan then walked <b>over </b>to the window <b>and </b>yanked open the curtains to air the ce out.

    She turned on

    * Zac, ate you really nning to keep spleating, like this? What about Gibson Corporation? You couldn¡¯t lock in the Sullivans¡® investment, and now your dad¡¯s been naming around for <b>days </b>trying <b>to </b>find backers. But not a singlepany is willing to pur money into Gibson Coperation. Do you know why?

    Wendy gave him a sharp look.

    ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>because of Charlotte¡¯s fianc¨¦. Do <b>you </b>even know who he is? He is Sean Jasper, the CEO of Jasper Corporation and the most powerful heir in Jersey City. His family background is even more powerful than the Sullivans¡°. They¡¯ve got aligh¨Cranking elder in the capital. The moment Scan made a low calls, not a singlepany her dared to Jovest in Gbion Corporation.¡±

    But Zac stood <b>there </b><b>like </b><b>a </b>broken puppet,

    umb and empty. He didn¡¯t tract to anything she <b>said</b>.

    Wendy ranted on for a while, and when she realized he wasn¡¯t even listening, she stomped her foot in frustration and stomped out

    Silence settled once again.

    Zac dragged his numb, <b>heavy </b><b>body </b>deeper into the coor

    He <b>had </b>been <b>in </b>the dark <b>so </b>long that when the sunlight poured in, it was blinding. His lead spam and his vision swam. He stumbled, barely able to stand He stood by the window, Maring nkly at the world outside.

    The sun was shining. It was right and warn

    Alter a long while<b>, </b>he finally reached for his phone

    Dozens of missed calls. Over 9g unread imessages. He <b>hadn¡¯t </b>replied to a single un

    kigle then, another call came in¡ªit was Eugene.

    Zac stared at the screen <b>for </b>a moment, then piesard ¡°Answer.¡±

    ¡°Zao? Where the bell have you been? Nope¡¯s been able to teach you,¡± <b>tugene¡¯s </b>voice came <b>through</b>, puzzled ¡°Did you see the messages i set you?¡±

    e¡¯s voice was hoarse when he finally spoke,

    ¡°Are you still in Frange?¡±

    <b>Eugene </b>paused, samprised by the question, ¡°Yeah, Why?¡±

    ¡°I need you to buy something for me.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Sure. Send it to me,¡± Eugene said, then hesitated, ¡°What¡¯s up with your voice? Why do you sound like that?¡±

    There was a long passe

    Then Zac said softly<b>, </b>¡°She¡¯s getting engaged.¡±

    ?

    ¡°What?¡± Eugene sounded confused. ¡°Who is?¡±

    BIG SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you

    D

 His Heart 74

    Zac stared into the sunlight streaming through the window, his eyes lowered. His voice was hoarse and low.

    ¡°Charlotte.¡±

    Eugene¡¯s voice jumped an octave <b>in </b>surprise.

    ¡°<b>What</b>?charlotte? She¡¯s getting engaged? To who?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who,¡± Zac said, his toneced with obsessive intensity. ¡°I won¡¯t let her many that man. She belongs to me. I¡¯ll win her back¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Eugene was momentarily speechless<b>, </b>stunned by what he was hearing

    After <b>a </b>long <b>pause</b>, he <b>cautiously </b><b>asked</b>, ¡°zac¡­ don¡¯t you think thus is kind of wrong?¡±

    Zac gave a <b>cold</b>, bitteugh.

    ¡°Mocality? I don¡¯t care about morality. I just want her back by my side,¡±

    Eugene waspletely <b>at </b>a loss.

    ¡°Seriously<b>, </b>dude?¡± he thought.

    ¡±

    When Charlotte was with Zac, he treated her like a <b>stand</b>¨Cin. The moment <b>his </b>first love came back, he tossed <b>Charlotte </b><b>aside </b><b>and </b>started messing <b>around</b>.

    Now she had finally moved on and was about to get engaged <b>and </b>suddenly, he wanted to y the heartbroken romantic?

    Saving he didn¡¯t care about morality and he just wanted her by his side?

    Unbelievable.

    Absolutely insane

    Eugene opened his mouth, speechless, then let out a long sigh.

    *Zac, stealing someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦e Isn¡¯t exactly something I¡¯ve done before, so I¡¯m not really qualified to give advice. Different field, different rules. Anyway¡­ good luck. I <b>guess</b>.¡±

    Over the weekend at Brightwood Residences, Sean cooked lunch for Charlotte.

    she said, ¡°I made ns with a few coworkers to visit <b>a </b>colleague in the hospital this afternoon.¡±

    After they ate, she

    <b>¡°</b>The one who was injured in that knife attack a while ago<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Charlotte </b>nodded. ¡°Yeah. A few of us from the <b>litigation </b>team are going. We¡¯re going to stop by and get some flowers, fruit, and supplements on the <b>way</b>.¡±

    Sean <b>said</b><b>, </b>¡°I have my assistant handle that¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t tom him down. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Sam arrived

    to <b>pick </b>her up.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper<b>, </b>here are the flower baskets, fruit, and supplements <b>you </b><b>asked </b>for,¡± he said, opening the trunk of the Cullinan SUV. Everything Charlotte needed was there<b>. </b>

    Sean <b>nodded</b>. ¡°Good.

    <b>¡°</b>Thank you, Sam,¡± <b>Charlotte </b>sald with a warm mile.

    Sam returned the smile. ¡°It¡¯s trouble <b>at </b>all.¡±

    Fultero minutester<b>, </b>the Cullinan pulled up in front <b>of </b>the hospital.

    Charlotte <b>stepped </b>out of the car <b>and </b>walled to the back to get the gift baskets.

    just as the Cullinan drove all, someone <b>called </b>out to wr

    ¡°Well, well, Misa Riley. Did see that right? You just stepped <b>out </b><b>of </b><b>a </b>Rolls¨C<b>Royce</b>?¡±

    Charlotte frowned, ¡°So what if I did?¡±

    Yasmine gave her <b>a </b>strange, sancastle senile.

    <b>¡°</b>Didn¡¯t think <b>you </b>had it in you, Missley.¡±

    Her male coworker, Willy Kennedy, leaned in with a gossipy edn.

    ¡®Wio was that guy just now?¡±

    <b>1/2 </b>

    Charlotte answered honestly. ¡°My boyfriend ¡±

    ¡°Boyfriend?¡±

    17* <b>Yasmine </bughed mockingly

    +25 Bonus

    Charlotte ignored her weird tone, picked up the baskets<b>, </b>and walked off.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see Mr. Zimmer.

    As Charlotte walked away, Tasmine stated after her, whispering to<b>, </b>¡°That guy in the Rolls? Definitely her sugar daddy. Who knew Charlotte was being kept<b>?</b>¡±

    <b>willy</b>, another <b>gossip</b><b>, </b>nodded quickly.

    ¡°Yeah, that exins it. I was wondering how she could afford to treat the entire firm to dinner at Sushi Kimura. That <b>meal </b>had to cost nearly $100,000, and she didn¡¯t even blink of course¨Cit¡¯s the man behind her footing the bill.¡±

    Yasmine¡¯s expression twisted with disdain,

    ¡°Total disgrace to the profession¡±

    It was Monday attemoon at S&G Law Firm. ?

    Just before the workday ended. Yvonne, the department superitur, walked over to Charlotte¡¯s desk and handed her a file.

    lette, nomnally these case negotiations fall under the business team, but as you know, being <b>a </b>goodwyer means bowing how to negotiate. It¡¯s a key sill, and sometimes <b>it¡¯s </b>best to handle things yourself. I¡¯ve <b>got </b>a case I need you to talkthrough with a client.¡°

    Pr row gap in the do

 His Heart 75

    Charlotte nced through the file

    Yvonne said, ¡°If you can close this case, I¡¯ll give you a 20%mission, same as what the business department gets. It can also be stacked with the Lawyer¡¯s feemission¡±

    charlotte wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the money.

    What she cared about was the opportunity to build her negotiation skills.

    <b>Back </b>when she worked at aw firm in Harbor City, it <b>was </b>always the business department that negotiated deals, then handed the cases off to thewyers. And since she had no connections in Harbor City, she hardly <b>ever </b>got the chance to handle client negotiations herself.

    she epted the assignment and looked up at Yvonne. ¡°Got it, Miss Yarnell.¡±

    Yvonne gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s at 7 o¡¯clock, Starfuge Club. 111 have Willy go with <b>you</b>. Thanks for stayingte.¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°No <b>problem</b>.¡±

    W 6:30p.m., charlotte went over to <b>Willy¡¯s </b><b>desk </b>

    ¡°Mr. Kennedy, how are we getting there?¡±

    Willy gave her a strange look, tinged with something like disdain.

    ¡°Why not take your boyfriend¡¯s Rolls¨CRoyce Cullinan and make a show of <b>it</b><b>?</b>¡±

    The day before, when they had gone to <b>visit </b><b>a </b>hospitalized colleague, both Yasmine and Willy had seen Charlotte step out of a Cullinan, Willy had even asked her about it at the time,

    Charlotte trowned slightly

    ¡°There¡¯s no time for him to bring the car <b>around </b>now. I¡¯ll just grab a cab.¡±

    She didown a car, but she had left it at the Riley <b>family¡¯s </b>vi the day before Sean had driven her back to her apartment, and she hadn¡¯t had a chance to bring her

    Get over yet.

    Besides, Yvonne had only told her about the case at the end of the workday. There just wasn¡¯t time to go get it now.

    Willy sneered.

    ¡°What, can¡¯t bear to? Well, it makes sense. People like us, just regr working folk don¡¯t exactly get to ride around in your sugar daddy¡¯s Cullinan, And now you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll take ad

    a cal? Whut, my Porsche Macan¡¯s not good enough for you? I got it. Can¡¯tpete with a Rolls, right?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s brows furrowed. Her tone tumed sharp:

    ¡°What are you even talking about? Do you <b>have </b>some kind of problem with me? All this ¡®sugar <b>daddy</b>¡® talk¨Cwhat exactly are you trying to say?¡±

    Willy gave a fake smile.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Oh</b>,e on, Miss Riley. Don¡¯t take in the wrong way. I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. <b>Just </b>saying you¡¯re lucky that younanaged tond a guy with a cullinan. I¡¯m honestly jealous.¡±

    Charlotte snapped back, <b>clearly </b>annoyed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever done anything to offend you, have 17 What¡¯s with the suddements? Did I ask your <b>to </b><b>pay </b>for the car?¡±

    Willy scoffed. ¡°Like I could <b>afford </b>one.

    Custoite didn¡¯t hold back

    ¡°Then <b>maybe </b>stop whainling and do something about it. You¡¯ve just batter. That¡¯s not my problem ¡°

    Thatst jab hat willy right where it hurt. His expression darkened.

    Then, with zero shame, he spar, ¡°Yeah, tambitter. I wish I were a woman then I could just <b>spread </b>my legs and bag a rich man <b>too</b>.

    Charlotte¡¯s face tumed pale with rage. She clenched het jaw.

    ¡°<b>¡®</b>you¡¯re awyer<b>, </b>aren¡¯t you? <b>You </b>should know nder and defamation arees. <b>You¡¯d </b>better watch your mouth because if you keep this up, don¡¯t me me for dragging you into court, coworker or not.¡±

    Willy seemed to realize he had gone too far. He rolled his <b>eyes</b>, grabbed his briefcase, and walked off without another word.

    dotte took a moment topose herself, then <b>called </b>a cab.

    StarEdge Club wasn¡¯t <b>far </b>from the office. It was just a ten¨Cminute drive

    When she pushed open the door to the private room, Willy was already inside, drinking with two dients.

    Both men were middle¨Caged CEOs in their forties. Each had a heavily made¨Cup hostess clinging to his arm.

    As soon as Charlotte entered<b>, </b>all eyes in the mom burned toward her.

    D

 His Heart 76

    The two middle¨Caged men<b>. </b>

    ed <b>men </b>lit up the moment they saw Charlotte walk in. She was young<b>, </b>beautiful, andpletely out of ce in a room like this,

    One of them, a slightly overweight executive, leered at her.

    ¡°And who might this be?¡±

    Willy nced sideways at Charlotte and rolled <b>his </b>eyes, full of contempt.

    Charlotte calmly ced the contract on the table, offering a polite smile.

    <b>+</b>25Monut

    ¡°Mr. Zink, Mr. Lawrence. I¡¯m Charlotte Riley from S80 Law Firm. I¡¯m here to discuss <b>your </b>potential legal advisory contract

    seatona

    <b>She </b>took a seat on a single chair next to the sofa.

    ¡°Mr. Zink, I believe yourpany¡¯s legal advisory contract with the previous firm is about to expire? You <b>might </b>consider working with us. So is the topw fi

    some of the best in the industry.¡± In Jersey City We¡¯re well known for ourmercial, criminal, 1P, and administrativew divisions

    She turned to the other man

    ¡°And Mr. Lawrence, I heard yourpany is currently involved in a trademark infringement dispute. Our IP attomeys have handled thousands of simr cases. You¡¯d be in excellent hands with us

    Mr. Zink casually flipped through the contract Charlotte handed him¨Cbarely ncing at two pages before tossing it aside.

    His eyes locked ontober, that creepy smile never leaving his face.

    ¡°A legal contract? Sure, sure. That first, how about you have <b>a </b><b>few </b>drinks with me, Miss Riley? Get me in a good mood<b>, </b><b>and </b>we can talk about anything.¡®

    Mr. Lawrence joined in, leering at her shainelessly.

    ¡°You¡¯re too young <b>and </b>pretty to just be awyer, you know. What a waste. Why don¡¯t you considering with me instead? No need to work so hard running around for cases. I¡¯ll give you $100,000 a month. How¡¯s that sound?

    Charlotte¡¯s smile was polite, but her eyes were cold.

    Sorry, Mr. Lawrence. I¡¯m here to discuss business, not to sell myself.¡±

    Mr. Lawrence chuckled<b>, </b>undeterred.

    ¡°I get it, I get it <b>Gids </b>these days all have a bit of temper. No <b>tush</b>. You don¡¯t have to decide now.

    He pulled <b>out </b>a business card <b>and </b>handed it to be.

    ¡°Here. That¡¯s my card. If you ever get tired of working hard and want an easier lite, give me <b>a </b><b>call</b>.¡±

    Charlotte nced at the drinkin front of her, Instincts ring. Something <b>about </b>it didn¡¯t feel right.

    <b>She </b>shook her <bd </b>

    ¡°Apologies<b>, </b>Mr. Zink I <b>don¡¯t </b><b>drink </b>¡±

    But Mr <b>Zink </b>wasn¡¯t faced. His sleazy grin widened <b>as </b>he slowly stood and walked toward her.

    ¡°Miss Riley sure likes <b>to </b>y high and mighty¡±

    Then suddenly, he <b>grabbed </b>her wil

    ¡°Such a fiery one. Looks like op one

    ever taught you the real rules of business. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll <b>teach </b>you tonight

    The stink of alcohol and cigarettes oled off him <b>as </b>he lunged at her.

    Charlotte sprang to her feet and twisted his

    sbel?nd his back in a swift takedown.

    The man let out <b>a </b>cry of pain, lus grim vanishing as he sailed, ¡°You bitch you darey a hand on me?¡±

    Mr. Lawrence¡°Lexpression darkened, He jumped to his feet, sweding a lie rushed over

    ¡°Let¡¯s leach ber a lesson together¡±

    Charlotte delivered a hand kick to both men,nding squarely where it out, in their blett of shock, she tumed and bolted for the door. ¡°Damn!¡± Mr. Zinkroared. ¡°She kicked me Get her! <b>i </b>wear ill teach that little bit a lesson she¡¯ll never forget!¡±

    Willy was the first to chase afterlier

    The two furious mendollowed close behind

    chadoste burst out of the private room and didn¡¯t even bother waiting for the elevator. She sprinted straight down the stairs<b>. </b>

    <b>1/2 </b>

    She <b>was </b>in heels<b>, </b><b>and </b>it <b>made </b>running difficult. As soon as she reached the ground floor and ran out of the stairwell, the collided head¨Con with anmront,

    Charlotte fell into <b>a </b>broad, warm embrace, surrounded by the crisp, woodsy scent of the man holding her.

 His Heart 77

    Charlotte jerked her <b>head </b>up and met Sean¡¯s sentted eyes.

    ¡°Lotte, what happened? Why were you needing, like

    ¡°Sean_¡± she had just managed to say his name when the sowels of footstepsand shouting came from behindber.

    Willy came out ini. Seeing the situation, he immediately adjusted

    ded his expression, pretended to be just.

    ¡°you dinle bitch! Let¡¯s see where you mu now Dawit ¡°Mi Zink stamedout, still

    a paseiby,

    | stepped ideal whenshe looked up.

    He saw Chadotte in the arms et a man, sistemdedire tous lowering bodyguards.

    This mouth snapped shut.

    That man was the Croot Jasper Corporation.

    shock and panic flickered across Mc. Fink¡¯s face, he was

    was too simmed to even finish his sen

    **pain, this gith really knows how to u

    ¡± Mr, Lastener tushed out next, still shasating, but lie, too, halted the moment he saw what was happening.

    a stepped forward, pulling Culotte protectively behind him. His eyes were cold as lee as they <b>swept </b>over the two men <b>in </b>front of him.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Mr. Jasper?¡± Mc. Lawrence stammered, pale¨Cfaced anal tented.

    Ms. Zink Dusally understood just how much trouble he was in,

    He couldn¡¯t believe II Charlotte actually lewe Seam Jasper.

    in Jersey City, every businessman dansed of crying favor with the Jasper Easily. Mr. Zinkaal Mr. Lawrence might bepany bosses, but they weren¡¯t even close to being in the same league. And they definitely tecognized Sean Jasper¨Cthe heir to the Jager family and CEO of Jasper Corporation.

    Sean¡¯s jaw was tense, bis expression sh and Lange cous,

    Ma. Zinli quickly loved attering studle.

    ¡°Ma, Jasper, <b>you </b>and Miss Riley know each other?¡±

    <b>Sean </b>didn¡¯t bother answering. After hearing the filth that hand pistone out of their mouths, there was nothing more he needed to <b>ask </b>

    He gave his bodyguards a silent noi.

    The four memmoved instantly, restraining Mr. Zink and Mr. Lawrence without a word.

    Charlotte exined everything; to <b>Sean</b>, leaving nothing out

    *1¡¯ll take you houw.¡±

    Shir sudded and quietly followed him out. After wallding a few steps, she nced back

    ¡°What are you going to do with those two?¡±

    Sean¡¯s voler was calm but chillingg

    *I¡¯ll make wave thery temender s. ¡±

    culette indeed in the car with Sean

    The driver, seeing Bran refining MDHOTI, soked surprised.

    ¡°Ma jasjert, die we heading back now?¡±

    ¡°To Brightwood Residences,¡±

    Thrithe fairdio Curlotte. ¡°Dubo¡¯?n i assign <b>you </b>a bodyguard? Why didn¡¯t you bring him?**

    ¡°How <b>was </b>supposed to know <b>I¡¯d </b>run into two disgusting creeps just from going to client meeting?¡±

    ¡°Meni Line, take one with you

    Cudotte nodded obediently,

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    +25 Boun

    Back at the club, the bodyguards dragged Mr. Zink and Mr. Lawrence into the private room and mmed the door behind them.

    Mr. Zink dropped to his knees

    *Please, sir, I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t k know Miss Riley was with Mr. Jasper. I <b>swear </b>I didn¡¯t know! I¡¯ll never do anything like that again, please spare nel

    Mc Lawrence was shaking <b>so </b>hard his legs could barely hold him up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry <b>too</b>! Please, I beg you! <b>Don¡¯t </b>hurt us!¡±

    The bodyguards didn¡¯t respond. They went straight to work

    ¡°Ahhh-¡±

    ¡°Help! Please, somebody help-|¡±

    The seams echoed from the room, <b>each </b>one louder than thest

    Until finally, they went silent.

 His Heart 78

    The next moming, as soon as Charlotte arrived at the firm, she could sense something was off

    Every lime dr wallod, e caught bits of hashed whispers. People were clearly talking but went quiet the moment she passed by.

    She made her way to her desk

    Her office wasmetly empty. Max was still recovering in the hospital <b>so </b>she had the whole space to herself.

    Not long after she sat down, Yvonne appeared at the door. She knocked wer

    <b>¡°</b>Come to my office for a minute.¡±

    Charlotte had a good idea what this was

    It had to be what happenedst night.

    <b>.25 </b>Bonus

    Inside the office Yvonne sat behind her desk, her expression sharp,ced with anger.

    * sent you and Willy to negotiate with the clientsst night. And what do I hear? That you got <b>to </b><b>a </b>conflict with them and ended up <b>physically </b>attacking them?¡±

    Charlotte replied calmly, ¡°I went there to negotiate. But those two men had no interest in business. All they were thinking about was disgusting, inappropriate stuff. They crossed a line. I defended myself.¡±

    Yvonne¡¯s expression darkened further, her voice turning harsh.

    ¡°Charlotte, I <b>know </b>you can handle yourself. In <b>fact</b>, you saved us during that incident a while back. But you need to understand that violence doesn¡¯t <b>solve </b>

    charlotte¡¯stone remained cool

    ¡°I was polite at first. But they clearly didn¡¯t understand decency. Miss Yarnell, I¡¯m awyer, <b>not </b><b>a </b>bar hostess. Clients like that? We¡¯re better off without them.¡± Thatment made Yvonne snap. She mmed <b>a </b>hand on the desk and shouted, ¡°What anego! <b>Do </b>you have any idea how much your impulsiveness cost the <b>firm</b>? Tui legal advisory contract alone was worth $150,000! Add in the contract dispute and trademarkcase¨Cthose would¡¯ve brought in at least $500,000 in fees! And you? You went off and hit them without hesitation. That¡¯s $650,000 gone. Are you going to make up for that loss?¡±

    Charlotte

    gave a faire, better smile

    Se. Il patch the hole today. But in the future, don¡¯t send me to meet clients whose brains are full of ith.¡±

    yvonne didn¡¯t believe she could <b>actually </b>do it. Her tone turned cold <b>and </b>firm.

    ¡°Fine. <b>By </b>the end of today, I want that contract signed and proof of payment. If <b>not</b>, don¡¯t bothering in tomorrow. ording to the firm¡¯s HR policies andborw, if you cause serious financial loss, we have the right to fire you withoutpensation.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s express didn¡¯t change.

    As the len one¡¯s office<b>, </b>she passed by Willy¡¯s

    <b>Right </b>on cue, he came out of his office and walked straight into <b>her</b><b>, </b>

    the unmirked.

    ¡°Well, well Miss Riley. After screwing up such a big c Finbarrassed to even show my face:

    Charlotte shot him <b>a </b>cold nce and didn¡¯t say a word. She brushed <b>past </b>him and tumed to be desk

    Momentster, slir received a message from Jenny

    ¡°Misa Hilley, did you see the posts that Miss Carter and Mr. Kennedy made? They¡¯re clearly throwing shade at you.¡± Altached were two scarenshots from their social nordia

    casest night and offending the clients, <b>you¡¯ve </b>still got the guts to show up? if it were me, I¡¯d be too

    Fun Yasmine * Some girls really have no shume. Young, healthy<b>, </b><b>and </b>lierselt awyer? Wut a disgrace is the profession

    willing <b>to </b>work hard ¨C pust relying on their books to L

    Linda sugar daddy. Aul she calls

    From Willy ¡°Absolutely disgusting. If you¡¯re not strapped for <b>cash</b>, why even bother workings stay line with <b>your </b>rich old man <b>in </b><b>his </b>Cullinan. You show up bere <b>¡°</b>ying Lawyer,¡± oflend a major diet on your first case, and diag mar down with you. <b>Don¡¯t </b>act all high and mighty when you¡¯re being <b>kept</b>. So Lake<b>, </b><b>It¡¯s </b>Lauglubile¡±

    Charlotte clicked <b>on </b>the poles¨Conly to find she had been <b>blocked </b>by both of them

    She saved the screenshots, then teplied to ferry

    helther of those posts mention by name. How do y¡¯re about ine?¡±

    Jenny responded, ¡°I heard them talking been saving <b>you </b>re being brand werd is, it stedth Mica Mendly

    »Ø

 His Heart 79

    They even made a separate group chat just to gossip about you. You¡¯re not In it, so I took screenshots, I¡¯ll send them to you.¡±

    A momentter, Jenny sent over more than thirty screenshots.

    Charlotte scrolled through them one by one, fury building with every messages

    ce she read.

    .25 <b>Bonus </b>

    She had thought that treating <b>everyone </b>to a nice meal at a high¨Cend restaurant would bring her closer to her coworkers.

    They had all smiled at <b>her</b>, acted polite, even friendly. However, behind her back, they had painted her as someone shameful and despicable.

    Yasmine and Willy had led the charge, smearing her name with rumors while the rest just joined in blindly, taking it all at face value without a shred of proof.

    That was when Charlotte realized that she had been far too naive about the workce.

    she had thought a nice meal might bring people closer, maintain good rtionships not clearly, that kind of thinking was just wishful.

    This ce? in chewed people up and spit out the bones.

    in that moment, she understood. In thisnd of emironment, only power and background mattered. No one <b>cared </b><b>if </b>you were kind or <b>easy </b>to get along with.

    Sometimes, being too nice only made you <b>an </b>easier target.

    Charlotte stared at the stream of screenshots, jaw tight

    ¡°Jenny, thank you for telling this. Can I <b>ask </b>you for favor?¡±

    Jenny replied almost immediately. ¡°Of course, Miss Riley. You saved my life, remember? Anything you need, just say the word.¡±

    ¡°Next time they start talking about me<b>, </b><b>can </b>you record it for me?¡±

    ¡°No problem¡±

    Charlotte took <b>a </b>deep breath, steadied her emotions, and made a phone call.

    ¡°Hey, Dad. Is ourpany <b>in </b>need of a legal advisor

    After hanging up,

    she went straight to the printer to run off <b>a </b>few contracts, then headed to her family¡¯spany without dy.

    She ward straight into the chairman¡¯s office.

    Desmond bad just wrapped up a meeting and was waiting for her.

    Charlotte tossed the contracts unto his desk

    <b>*</b>Tr a look, Dad. If everything checks out, go ahead and sign.¡±

    Desmond flipped through the pages carefully

    ¡°My <b>assistant </b>told me our current legal advisory contract runs out at the end of the year, I can sign a new five¨Cyear contract with your firm, but it¡¯ll start at the Leginning of next year.¡±

    Chudu nodded.

    ¡°No problem. But the payment needs to be <b>made </b>today<b>.</b>¡±

    <b>Desmond </b>looked <b>up</b><b>, </b>surprised<b>. </b>

    That <b>uige </b>

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Charlotte said casually. ¡°I went to meet some letsst night and ended <b>up </b>getting harassed by two sleazy executives. The deal fell through<b>, </b>and now my supervisor¡¯s berthing down my neck.¡±

    At that, Desmond¡¯s expression shifted immediately<b>, </bs voler <b>sharp </b>

    *Who had the nerve to you?¡±

    Carlo supped.

    <b>¡°</b>Don¡¯t worry. They didn¡¯t get the upper hand 1 gave them a lesson they won¡¯t <b>forget</b>.¡±

    Drunend¡¯s brows remained furrowed

    ¡°Charlotte, maybe <b>you </b><b>shouldn¡¯t </b>be practicingw anymore. <b>Your </b>first had that trident long ago, and now this? The risks are <b>too </b>high. What if someone testo retaliate<b>? </b>Come back and work at thepany. <b>I¡¯ll </b>give you a general manager position¡±

    Charlotte shook her head.

    *Not for now i still portes being a Lawyer hold shares in thepany, and dividends are <b>enough </b>form Besides, Iluve et experie You prally want me crashing yourpany Into the <b>ground</b>?¡±

    reto experience ruining a <b>business</b><b>. </b>

    Desmond chuckled

    ¡°I¡¯ll hire professionals to help you.¡±

    Charlotte smiled <b>but </b>declined.

    No need. Maybe someday¨Cif I get tired <b>of </b>being awyer.¡±

    Desmond <b>sighed</b>, clearly helpless.

    you_¡±

    Still, he signed the five¨Cyear legal advisory contract without a wood <b>and </b>called ounting to wire <b>$</b>150,000 <b>to </b>thew firm¡¯s ount immediately.

    Charlotte grinned.

    ¡°Any legal disputes going on <btely</b>?¡±

    Desmond picked up the internal phone and called for one <b>of </b><b>his </b><b>subordinates </b>

    ¡°Let Zion fill you in<b>. </b>I <b>don¡¯t </b>really keep track of the details.¡±

    ¡°sounds good.¡±

 His Heart 80

    Chapter ko

    Aboutter, Charlene walked into Yvonne¡¯s office.

    she ced the stack of signed contracts on Yvonne¡¯s <b>desk </b>

    ¡°Miss Yamell, the task you assigned isplete. One live¨Cyear legal advisory contract¨Cpayment of <b>$</b>150,000 has already been transferred. In addition, I signed theretracts for payment dispute cases and one for a patent infringement case. All four are standard representation, with legal fees paid upfront. In total, including the advisory contract, it <b>adds </b>up to $800,000. You can confirm it with ounting Lalso have the payment records here.¡±

    She pulled out berphone, opened her photo album, and showed Yvonne the payment screenshots.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made up for the firm¡¯s loss.¡±

    was stunned speechless. She stared at Charlotte, then picked up one of the contracts and flipped through it in disbelief. When she saw the <b>stamped </b>signature on the first page, her eyes widened in <b>shock </b>

    ¡°Riley Corporation Desmond Riley is your

    Ourlotte gave a <b>faint </b>smile.

    ¡°My father.¡±

    Thud¨Cthe contract slipped from Yvonne¡¯s hand and hit the floor.

    <b>Her </b>head <b>chorup</b>.

    ¡°You¡¯re the heiress of Riley Corporation?¡±

    After ything she had just endured, Charlotte <b>had </b>no interest in keeping a low profile anymore.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    yone was still reeling when her phone rang

    ¡°Miss Yamell, what¡¯s the background <b>of </b>this Miss Riley <b>at </b>your tim? How does she know Sean Jasper, CEO of <b>Jasper </b>Corporation? Our Mc. Lawrence was hospitalized <bst </b>right after being beaten up by Sean¡¯s bodyguards. And this moming, both the audit bureau and cax office showed <b>up </b>at ourpany. I¡¯ve been asking around¨Cums out it was all because of Sean Jasper.¡±

    Seant

    Yeo¡¯s face went pale cold sweat formed on her forehead.

    she hung up with tembling fingers, her heart pounding

    ¡°You you know the 50 of Jasper Corporation?¡±

    duratie crussed her arms, her gaze frosty

    ¡°Yes. <b>He¡¯s </b>my fianc¨¦, And apparently, in all the rumors <b>going </b>aroundtely, he¡¯s the sugar daddy with the Cullinan.¡±

    Yone broke into a cold war. Her voke tembled.

    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you were engaged to Mr. Jasper..¡±

    Only now did it dawn on her that she had been <b>yed </b>by Vivian

    She hadn¡¯t dared cross the Jasper family, so when the Jasper family¡¯s adopted daughter told her to <b>make </b>things difficult for charlotte, she had followed

    But Vivian had never mentioned that adott was <b>the </b><b>less </b>of illey Corporation that he was engaged to Sean Jasper

    Now that Sean had witnessed Curlotte bring harassed and handled it personally. <b>Was </b>she going to be the next target?

    The moment Charlotte left the office, <b>Yvonne </b>Irantically called Vivian

    *Miss Kander, is it true that Charlotte engaged to Mr. Sean Jasper

    Wn hated hearing <b>anyone </b>mention that. Her voice <b>snapped </b>with Irritation

    ¡°Can we please talk about something useful? I don¡¯t have time for <b>one</b>. ¡±

    Herck of dental only made Yeone pande further

    You told me to go after her, but you didn¡¯t tell me was engaged to Mr. <b>Jaspal </b>Now <b>I¡¯ve </b>offended him <b>because </b>of you. You have to help me!¡± Vivian let out a cold ligh

    ¡°Idiot. If she w¡® Sean¡¯s fianc¨¦e, do you think i¡¯d bother dealing with her at all? Help your I don¡¯t have time to clean up <b>your </b>mess.¡±

    Miss Xander, 1arted on your orders when set Chadotte to meet those two disgusting clients. If you don¡¯t help me now, I¡¯ll expose everything. I doubt you want Ma Jasper finding out what you¡¯ve beenup to behind his back.¡±

    <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>tone tumed dangerous.

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯us jost stating the facts, Miss Xander. Those two reps have already been taken care of by Sean Jasper. I¡¯m clearly next. And I go dow

    Atan hissed through gritted teeth.

    o down, you¡¯reing with

    #t¡¯s not that big a deal Juste up with a reason to resign. I¡¯ll refer you to another firm. If the Jasper family really doese after you, just say you didn¡¯t know what those men were like. If anything happens, 111 cover for you, but if you breathe <b>a </b>wond of this to anyone, I <b>swear </b>you¡¯ll regret it.¡±

    D

 His Heart 81

    Yome said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you didn¡¯t post stand by and let it happen, I won¡¯t say a word¡±

    <b>.25 </b>Bonus

    The next day,chalette drove to court for a hearing.

    past as she stepped outside after wrapping op the session, she ran into Zac.

    She looked at him warily.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Zac gazed at her with openaltection

    ¡°I knew you had a court appearance today. I heard you¡¯re working at 580 Law Firm, so I came to wait for you.¡±

    Charlotte narcowed her eyes, imitation shing in them.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been checking up on me?¡±

    Zac¡¯s eyes filled with wounded longing-

    ¡°Charlotte<b>, </b>I¡¯ve been a mess these past few days. I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking <b>about </b>you.<b>¡± </b>

    She scotted midly.

    ¡°And what¡¯s <b>that </b>pot to do with me?¡±

    Zar smiled, then pulled out a dazzling diamond ring from his pocket like he was presenting a treasure.

    <b>¡°</b>You once said you liked this ring. I bought it for you.¡±

    Charlotte recognized it instantly. It was the same ring she had pointed out <b>in </b><b>a </b>magazine months ago. She <b>had </b>simply admired the design, thinking it was unique and beautif, nd bad casually shown it to him.

    She emembered clearly <b>how </b>he had reacted back then. His expression had gone cold.

    what had <b>said</b>?

    ¡°I can get you other <b>things</b>, but not a ring. I¡¯m not thinking about marriage.¡±

    e had been so disappointed. <b>He </b>always acted like she was desperate to marry him, like she spent every day dreaming about bing <b>his </b>wife

    Herlipurled into a mocking smile.

    ¡°Sorry I don¡¯t like it anymore.¡±

    She <b>raised </b>her hand, showing out the brint diamond ring on her finger.

    only like the one my fianc¨¦ gave the.

    A flicker of pain passed through Zar¡¯s <b>eyes</b>.

    He already knew white <b>beside </b>Churlotte was now

    He <b>was </b>Sean Jasper¡ªCiclof Jasper Corporation, ludrio the GM

    family and the so¨Ccalled crown prince of jersey City Compared to the <b>Jaspers</b>, the Gibsons were

    Zuniled

    ¡°You¡¯re not engaged yet, <b>you</b>? You haven¡¯t made it offic

    official¡±

    Curlotte down, giving him a look like he waspletely out of <b>his </b>mind.

    zar¡¯s grin deepened<b>. </b>

    ¡°Engagements break. Marriages <b>end </b>in divorce. So what if you get engaged?

    His eyes darkened with obsession

    ¡°Even if you marry him, I¡¯m not letting go. Secret affairs are the <b>most </b>thrilling, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    Stuck

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t hold back anymore she al

    e pped him hard across the face.

    +25 <b>Bonus </b>

    Zac¡¯s head tilted from the impact, <b>a </b>red handprint blooming on his cheek

    ve a <bzy</b><b>, </b>shameless prin

    He touched his jaw, then gave a

    ¡°<b>Damn </b>

    that was band. Did it hurt your hand

    ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡± Charlotte shot him a ce and tumed to walk away.

    He stepped in front of her.

    ¡°Where are you going? Let me give you a ride.¡±

    ¡°Move.¡± She was really angry now and raised her foot to kick him

    He <b>dodged</b>.

    ¡°Such a temper? You didn¡¯t used to be like this. Where¡¯s <b>that </b>sweet, obedient girl I remember?¡±

    Charlotte rolled her eyes and marched toward the open<b>¨C</b><b>air </b>parking lot.

    Zac <b>trailed </b>after her like a piece <b>of </b>gum stuck to her shoe.

    ¡°Charlotte, I was wrong before, <b>I </b><b>was </b><b>a </b>jerk¨Cnow that now. But I want to start over. Please, give me a chance.

    J¡¯m not <b>asking </b>you to forgive me right away. Just give me the opportunity. I swear, from now on, I¡¯ll only have eyes for you. I¡¯ll be loyalpletely loyal!¡±

    Charlotte let out a <b>cold </bugh

    ¡°Who wants that?

    She reached the outdoor lot and stopped in front of a blue Bentley.

    Zac looked up and froze.

 His Heart 82

    Df course, <b>Zac </b>remembered it.

    ive this very eat.

    Back in Harbor City<b>, </b>Charlotte used to drive i

    At the time, Wendy had mocked her for being win, saying she must have rented it just to pose for photos.

    And he believed it.¡±

    Looking back now, he realized just how ridiculous he had been.

    Suddenly, a thought hit him<b>, </b><b>and </b>his face went pale.

    ¡°That ring on your hand. Is that the same one you tried on at Chaumet Paris that day?¡± zac¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°Back then, we hadn¡¯t even broken up. You were already trying on engagement <b>rings</b>?

    You betrayed our rtionship!¡± he shouted, eyes tinged red. ¡°How <b>could </b>you do this to me?¡±

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t take the nder anymore. She let out <b>a </b>short, coldugh.

    ¡°Rtionship?¡±

    She paused, her tone sharper

    ¡°Didn¡¯t <b>you </b><b>say</b>¡­you were always looking for traces of Wendy in me<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Za stiffenedpletely, <b>his </b>face going pale

    ¡°You You low?¡±

    Charlotte stared at him, her vier licy

    ¡°I didn¡¯t just know about that. I know everything. The night you said there was an emergency at work? You were at the airport picking up Wendy,

    ¡°And on Quinn¡¯s birthday, you left early with her and went straight <b>to </b><b>a </b>hotel. We hadn¡¯t even broken up yet<b>, </b>Zac. You were already rotting.

    ¡°So tell me what right do you <b>have </b>to talk to me about betrayal?

    Zac looked devastated. He shook his head, his voter breaking

    ¡°No_Curlotte, please, <b>it¡¯s </b>not what you think just let me exin.¡±

    Charlotte had no interest in his excuses. She pulled open the car door and got in

    Assim started the engine, Zackan to the front of the car, pping the hood, mouthing more desperate pleas.

    She scowled. He wasn¡¯t moving.

    Annoyed<b>, </b><b>she </b>stepped on the gas hard.

    Thud-

    He didn¡¯t dodge in time. The impact sent him flying, Landing in a bosh on <b>the </b>side of the lot.

    Charlotte¡¯s face was set, her eyes cold. She <b>didn¡¯t </b>space him a nce, Without hesitation, she spun the wheel and drove ott

    <b>Zented </b><b>his </b>teeth and got up. Its leg was injured, and he limped badly

    As the blue Bentley disappeared into the distance, his chest felt like it <b>was </b>caving i

    Anearby pedestrian who had witnessed the <b>scene </b>walked over, concerned.

    ¡°Hey man, are you alright? That woman just hit you and drove <b>off </b>shouldn¡¯t <b>you </b><b>call </b>the <b>police</b>?¡±

    Zar shook his head

    It¡¯s notlding Just a fight with

    hmy wife.¡±

    The man raised an eyeboom, then gave him a lowing look

    ¡°Ah_rtionship drama Dude, your wille¡¯s da violent. Were you at the courthouse filing for divorce?¡±

    Zac <b>clucked</b><b>, </b>rubbing his sore leg

    ¡°Divorce? <b>No </b>way. We¡¯re doing just fine, She¡¯s just mad right now lealm her down.¡±

    The pedestrian looked at <b>him </b>like he was insane but with a ¡°bless your heart kind of expression.

    12

    At S&G Law Firm, the break room was buzzing with gossip.

    ¡°Did you hear? Miss Yamell from litigation just resigned.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? That was so <b>sudden</b>. Why would she quit out of nowhere?¡±

    ¡°No idea word is she volunteered to step down.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte walked past the crowd, face expressionless, heading straight to her office. She wasn¡¯t in the mood for small talk.

    But barely minutes after sitting down, the office door <b>was </b>kicked open¨Chard.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley! What the hell is your problem? You¡¯re saing me?!¡± <b>Willy </b>stormed in, shouting

    Charlotte didn¡¯t even

    even look at him. Her eyes stayed on herputer as she calmly continued her work

    ¡°You ndered me<b>. </b>Of course I¡¯m suing you. Why are you so surprised?¡±

    Willy¡¯s face twisted with rage.

    ¡°Stander? What nder?! <b>It¡¯s </b><b>only </b><b>nder </b>if it¡¯s false. Everything I said was true!¡±

    Tell it to the judge,<b>¡± </b>Charlotte <b>said </b>coolly<b>. </b>

    ¡°<b>You¡¯d </b>better drop thewsill, or I¡¯ll make you pay,¡± he growled.

    Indefamation.caws,

    the intiff had to file the <b>case </b>themselves. It was a private prosecution.

    <b>But </b>once it was proven the defendant vited thew, <b>it </b>would be a criminal offense

    And <b>for </b>awyer like Willy, a criminal record meant his license would be revoked and his legal career would be over.

    He wouldn¡¯t even be allowed to take the bar again.

    25 Bonus

 His Heart 83

    ¡°No <b>rush</b><b>,</b>¡± Charlotte said with a faint smile. ¡°The best part¡¯s still toe.¡±

    ¡°What <b>do </b>you mean by that?¡±

    Just then, Yasmine burst into the office too, face flushed with anger

    ¡°Charlotte Riley! You really tiled <b>a </bwsuit against <b>me</b><b>? </b><b>I </b>just said a few things. Do you really have to go that far?¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t even blink ¡°Oh <b>look</b>, <b>here </bes the other one.¡±

    Yasmine had just received a court notice via text. She didn¡¯t believe <b>it </b>at first, but once she clicked the link <b>and </b>saw the official <bint </b><b>and </b>case number, she was stunned speechless

    Charlotte finally looked up at the two of them<b>, </b><b>calm </b>and collected sec

    ¡°You¡¯re bothwyers. You should know exactly what consequencese with ndering someone. If you want to ruin your own careers, I¡¯m happy to help speed. <b>things </b>along.¡±

    ¡°<b>You </b>

    ¡°Yasmine opened her mouth to snap back but stopped herself just in

    Ein time.

    The thought of a criminal <b>conviction </b>and the end of her legal career sank in fast. Her expression shifted<b>, </b>and her voice softened.

    Miss Riley, I was wrong. I really am sorry<b>, </b>I shouldn¡¯t have gossiped or spread those rumors. Please <b>drop </b>thewsuit. I¡¯m begging you. I swear I¡¯llneverd <b>again</b>.¡±

    charlotte gave a light, mocking smile.

    ¡°Toote.¡±

    Her <b>voice </b>turned cold.

    ¡°I gave you a chance. You two have been <b>spreading </b><b>lies </b>about me <b>for </b><b>days</b>. <b>Did </b><b>either </b>of you ever <b>think </b>to apologize? <b>Or </b><b>do </b>you only <b>take </b>it seriously now that I¡¯m pushing back? If that¡¯s the case, then go ahead¨Ctake the consequences like adults.¡±

    ¡°Please, just give me one more chance, ¡°Yasmine pleaded, her panic growing

    Willy, seeing that Charlotte wasn¡¯t backing down to kindness, suddenly lunged forward and swung at her.

    Charlotte reacted quicidy, leaning back and dodging the <b>p</b>.

    ¡°Getting desperate, are <b>we</b>?¡± she said as she rose <b>from </b>herchair<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Weren¡¯t you real tough back when you were trashing me behind my <b>back</b>?¡±

    Willy <b>cursed </b>and <b>charged </b>at her <b>again </b>

    But before he could get close<b>, </b>two uniformed police officers <b>walled </b>into the office.

    ¡°Willy Kennedy?¡± one of them <b>asked</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>You¡¯re under investigation for rape. You¡¯ll need toe with us.¡±

    willy froze, unable to process what he had just heard¨Cuntil the handcuffs clicked around his wrists.

    ¡°There must be a <b>mistake</b>,¡± he stammered. ¡°<b>You¡¯ve </b>got the wrong <b>person</b>!¡±

    <b>Charlotte </b>stood calmly with her anus crossed, smiling sweetly

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say? The best part was stilling¡±

    After Yvonne¡¯s resignation, a senior attomey named Lily <b>Cook </b>was promoted to department head.

    Lily was well¨Cliked, honest<b>, </bpetent, and fair. She treated everyone respectfully and never yed politics. The whole team was happy with the <b>change</b><b>. </b>

    And everyone knew about Willy getting taken away by the police.

    Colleagues started approaching Charlotte privately.

    ¡°What happened? What¡¯s this <b>about </b>Willy being <b>charged </b>with rape?¡±

    charlotte didn¡¯t bother hiding in. She believed in making it clear that messing with her had consequences.

    ¡°oh, that? saw <b>a </b>post online from a young girl asking for help. She said she was drunk at a bar and someone took <b>advantage </b>of her. She was too scared to go to the police. She was worried her <b>ssmates </b>or family would find <b>out </b>

    1 didn¡¯t think much of it at first, just wanted to help her but then she showed me a <b>photo </b>of the <b>man </b>who assaulted her <b>and </b>it <b>was </b><b>willy</b>.

    the moment i saw that picture, I was floored. Who would¡¯ve <b>thought </b>this <b>so</b><b>¨C</b><b>called </b><b>proper </b>attorney was out here preying on drank underage <b>gitis </b>in bars?

    ¡°I helped her report it and guided her through the evidence <b>collection</b><b>. </b>Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t showed after it happened, <b>and </b>theb found traces of his DNA. The

    evidence is solid and <b>Willy¡¯s </b>going down.

    <b>she¡¯s </b>still a student, you know. The guy¡¯s disgusting.¡±

    Charlotte counted the whole story clearly and calmly, then <b>added</b><b>, </b>¡°I¡¯m not sharing her name,

    <b>of </b>course.¡±

    The crowd around her was stunned. Everyone shook their heads, murmuring about how appearances can be deceiving

    Some called Willy a hypocrite. Others went further, saying he was worse than an animal.

 His Heart 84

    Vastnine spent the entire <b>day </b>on edge, hovering around Charlotte¡¯sollier,

    She tried everything apologizing, pleading, exining but charlotte didn¡¯t budge.

    No matter how patital she got, there wasn¡¯t even at that chalotte would drop the case,

    Yasmine was one step away from dropping to <b>her </b>knees.

    -Miss Riley, please! hist let use of the book. Pretend I¡¯m nothing just get convicted and lose myw license, my life is overl

    ¡°1¡¯ll do anything, I¡¯ll work for you, serve you. I¡¯ll be your assistant, <b>your </bter, whatever you want!¡±

    Charlotte stared at her coldly.

    ¡°No need

    She gave her a pat on the shoulder, tone casual.

    ¡°Miss Carter, there are hundreds of professions in the world. You don¡¯t have to be <b>a </bwyer to seed. If your license gets revoked, just switch careers. I believe in you. Good luck!¡±

    After work, Charlotte walked out of thew firm behind a group of coworkers.

    Suddenly, a female colleague tugged her sleeve and whispered excitedly, ¡°oh my God¨Clook over there. Total heartthrob alert!¡±

    The other women in the group were already murmuring among themselves<b>, </b>all staring In the same direction

    Charlotte followed their gaze <b>and </b>froze

    was Sean

    Tall, strikingly handsome, with broad shoulders and long legs, he looked like <b>a </b>walking Amant campaign. The simple ck coat he wore somehow looked even better on him than it did <b>on </b>the runway model in the ad.

    He <b>leaned </b>casually <b>against </b>the car, talking on the phone.

    It waste autumn<b>, </b>and the streetlights had alreadye on. The wann yellow light hit his sharp side profile¨Chigh¨Cbridged nose, clean jawline¨Csoftening the chill of his usual expression

    As il sensing her gaze, Sean turned and <b>looked </b>directly at her

    Their eyes met <b>across </b>the parking lot. He ended his call and began walking toward her.

    The women around Charlotte practically squealed.

    ¡°Oh my <b>God</b><b>, </b><b>le¡¯s </b><bing </b>this way!¡±

    *I¡¯m freaking out. If I¡¯d we¡¯d run into someone like this, I would¡¯ve at least done my maked, Now I <b>don¡¯t </b>even dare say hi.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Girl</b>, even with makrop, what¡¯s the point? That kind of guy way out of our league.¡±

    In just a few steps, Sean was standing in front of charlotte.

    She <b>could </b>hear her coworkers gasp behind her.

    ¡°Lan¡¯s hosting a get¨Ctogether, Sean sald in his low, maic voice. ¡°<b>Lena </b>and Mia will be there. I¡¯m here to take you. ¡±

    His voice was deep, smooth, and dangerously get. It was the kind of voler that could kill <b>softly</b>.

    All <b>eyes </b>were undurletlenow

    Mesniled and tumed to her colleagues.

    The group collectively widened their eyes, jaws practically on the floor.

    so this was the mysterious ¡°sugardaddy¡± everyone had been going about? The one driving a <b>Rolls</b>¨C<b>Royce </b>Cullinant

    Everyone had pictured some older, sleazy¨Clooking rich guy.

    But this man ¡ª tall, confident, ridiculously handsome looked like he had stepped straight off a movie set. Honestly, he was better looking than most actors.

    Int moment, everyone came to the same conclusion ¡°Dossip <b>is </b>just goup Yourally can¡¯t believe a word <b>of </b>it.¡±

    Que by our, her coworkers began offeringplim and congrattions, their faces full of awe and eury

    Inside the private dining room, Charlotte told Sean what had been going on at work.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    nyen kow why everyone looked so shocked when they saw you?¡± she said. ¡°Some coworkers saw or getting out of your car and started spreading rumors. They <b>said </b>I was some rich man¡¯s mistress, iming my sugar daddy was old, sleazy, and gross<b>.</b>¡±

    can¡¯s expression darkened immediately, his gaze fuming sharp.

    ¡°They what?¡±

    ¡°Mhm ¡°Charlotte¡¯s tone was calm. ¡°not it¡¯s handled. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    What the hell?¡± an eximed. ¡°Someone actually said that about you? That you were being kept by some sleazy old man?¡±

    He looked outraged.

    ¡°Charlotte, why didn¡¯t you tell us someone was messing with you?¡±

    O

 His Heart 85

    Sean shotn a cold 1 nce.

    she doesn¡¯t <b>have </b>to tell you anything.

    Mia gaven a pinch on the amL

    ¡°Lottle¡¯s his fianc¨¦e<b>, </b>and they¡¯re

    about to get engaged. Why are you making such a big scene? You trying to steal the spotlight or something?

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

    ¡°ow, alright, alright, stop pinching me, would you?¡± tanughed, rubbing his arm

    ¡°I just can¡¯t stand seeing our Lottie get bullied, that¡¯s all. Come on! We¡¯re all friends in the same circle, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    <b>Sean </b>turned to Charlotte, a trace of guilt flickering in his eyes.

    ¡°Lottle, you were harassed while handling a <b>case</b><b>, </b>and then ndered at the firm. As your fianc¨¦, I really feel like I failed you. I didn¡¯t protect you the way I should

    Charlotte shook her head gently,

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Sean. <b>You </b>can¡¯t be with me 24/7.¡±

    | Tan jumped in again, grinning.

    ¡°Let me tell you, Lottie you¡¯re his everything. He can¡¯t stand to see you get hurt.

    <b>¡°</b>You have no idea,¡± he added with a meaningful nce, ¡°back in the <b>day</b>, he nearly beat someone <b>half </b>to death for you.

    Before he could finish, Seant him off sharply.

    Seeing Sean¡¯s expression tur dark,n wisely changed the subject.

    ¡°Right, right. It¡¯s fine now. That¡¯s what matters.¡±

    But Charlotte wasn¡¯t about to let it go. She tilted her head, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

    ¡°Wait, what? Who¡¯d you beat hall to death, <b>Sean</b>?¡±

    Scan took a sip of his drink, his voice casual.

    ¡°No one. Lan¡¯s exaggerating.¡±

    tolle tuned berclear, brigh

    eyes on Sean and pretended to scold him,

    ¡°Sean, you brush I went to hear what tan has to say,¡±

    Sean obediently fell silent.

    Jan <b>nced </b>between the two of them and chuckled

    ||||__ ¡°Well, well_Looks like Sean¡¯s totally whipped.¡±

    Jordaughed

    -you kidding? A guy who li

    who listens to his wife isn¡¯t whipped¨Cbe just loves hier.¡±

    Lena <b>took </b>a soft sip of her drink, her voice sweet and teasing-

    <b>¡°</b>Totally. Sean¡¯s the ultimate wife guy

    Ian added. ¡°By the <b>way</b>, Lottir¨Cthose two creeps who liarassed you? Theirpaules gut investigated. <b>Turns </b>out they really were involved in shady business. Now they¡¯r being held on econom turime darges. <b>And </b>Sean partty much <b>destroyed </b>theirpanies, too. Feels good<b>, </b>right?¡±

    Charlotte looked over a bea

    His expression didn¡¯t change, but the <b>air </b>around him felt colder.

    ¡°I told you,¡± he said quietly. ¡°They¡¯d pay for what they did.¡±

    sa toothpick and took a bite.

    Charlotte picked up a plece of cantaloupe with a

    ¡°They deserved it Got what wasing.¡±

    An Charlotte trached for another piece of fruit, she suddenly realized how far they had drifted from the original topic

    Har <b>looked </b>up seriously.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    ¡°tan, you still haven¡¯t told me. Who exactly did Sean beat up back then<b>?</b>¡±

    Jan nced at Sean again, and when he didn¡¯t object, he finally spoke.

    ¡°I think the guy¡¯s name was Eric Lee?¡±

    Charlotte blinked.

    She remembered that name.

    Back in her first year of high school, her deskmate was <b>a </b>gid named Wi Hill. They were very close. But during second semester, Wi¡¯s family ran into some trouble, and she had to transfer from their elite academyta a regr public high school

    Charlotte had been really sad when her friend left. Since the public school¡¯s sses endedter, Charlotte would sometimes wait outside Wi¡¯s school so they could hang out after.

    That was where Erame in¨Che was the school bully.

    He came from money, had a bunch of goons following him around, and never studied. He spent his time dating girls and bullying ssmates.

    At first, his target was Wi. He wanted her to be his girlfriend.

    And one day, while chasing her to the school gate, he ran straight into Charlotte

 His Heart 86

    e was so scated she hid behind Charlotte,

    Wi had always been a quiet and gentle girl. That day, she was so i

    tric took one look at Charlotte and quickly lost interest in Wi Charlotte was way prettler. He started harassing her instead<b>, </b>refusing to let her leave, insisting she give him her number and date him. Then he started making disgusting, explicitments.

    Charlotte still remembered how terrified she had been. There were so many students walking past the school gates and not a single person stopped to help.

    At the time, she hadn¡¯t learned any self¨Cdefense and didn¡¯t dare fight back

    Desperate, she bluffed. Gritting her teeth, she told Eric that she <b>had </b><b>a </b>brother who <b>ran </b>with a rough crowd and if he touched her<b>, </b>her brother would break his legs

    if she remembered right, she actually did call Sean that day,

    ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you say once that if anyone messed with me<b>, </b>you¡¯d break their legs?

    #yeah,

    someone¡¯s bothering me. Can youe right now?

    ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of them<b>. </b>It¡¯s just me and my friend, we can¡¯t take them.

    ¡°Where? Outside Jersey City¡¯s Liberty High school.¡±

    After hanging up, she kept up the act, hyping up her so¨Ccalled gangster brother.

    ¡°My brother has over a hundred guys under him, all trained fighters. Way tougher than your littleckeys. They never lose a fight. Don¡¯t even think about touching me. If youy a finger on me, my brother will make you pay.¡±*

    Eric stepped closer with a smirk, clearly unimpressed.

    H

    ¡°Oh yeah? Then call your brother here. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯s the real deal or just talk¡±

    Charlotte putted out her cheeks, furious

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re the one who¡¯s all talk¡±

    en him too

    Sean was in college at the time<b>, </b>and his campus was over 30 kilometers away from Wi¡¯s school. Even if he left the second she called, it would have taken long to get there. Charlotte hadn¡¯t actually expected him to show up. She <b>had </b>just wanted to scare Eric.

    But just a few minutes <bter</b>, the school¡¯s vice principal and dean carne rushing out and dragged Eric and his gang <b>away</b><b>. </b>

    Later, Wi told her she never saw Eric on campus again<b>. </b>

    From that day on, Charlotte started leaming how to protect herself.

    As the mentiory surfaced<b>, </b>she took a sip of fruit wine and turned to Svan.

    ¡°Did you send the vice principal and dean that day?¡±

    Sean¡¯s dark eyes gave nothing away.

    darlotteluolund at him again.

    ¡°And did you beat up Trir alterward?¡±

    Jan lit up, <b>ready </b>to jump into the story

    ¡°Oh, you bet he did. Sassed that guy up <b>You </b>should¡¯ve seen it. El early got beaten <b>to </b><b>death</b>, nut honestly? He had iting. I was there too. He said some seriously nasty crap He deserved every punch.¡±

    Tan paused, <b>clearly </b>reliving the scene in his mind.

    The day ball <b>got </b>Charlotte¡¯s call, he <b>had </b>been ying basketball with fan

    As soon <b>as </b>he hung up, Beat¡¯s exportalon changed. Without <b>a </b><b>word</b>, dur dropped the ball <b>and </b>left chased <b>after </b>him, got the rundown<b>, </b><b>and </b>went with him to

    odave

    fair had an idea who bean was and acted like it. The guy was anegant as hell, <b>and </b>right in front of sean, be <b>sheeted</b>, ¡°That <b>chick¡¯s </b>just my type. That <b>soft </b>skin, that Tiny want? Bet the loves teal pice. Can¡¯t wait to get her in bed and watch her dance for me.

    He didn¡¯t pri to finish the senteuer.

    Our pecondter, all you could beat was his scram¨Ccutting himott mid¨Cslur

    Sean brat Lewat of those filthy words back i <b>lus </b>clupar

    He was like a finns undead¨Cevery strike brutal and precise,sting blow after blow to very <b>vital </b>spot,

    +25 Bonu

    Erie didn¡¯t stand <b>a </b><b>chance</b>. He tried to fight back at first but was quickly reduced to nothing more than a human punching bag

    No one knew how long the bearingsted Eventually, Eric¡¯s screams weakened and faded, by the end, he was motionless on the ground.

    Jan patted his chest, still shaken <b>by </b>the memory.

    ¡°I swear, I was scared out of my mind. I tried to stop him but I couldn¡¯t. He almost hit me by ident. His fists were covered in blood, his face to¡­ He looked <b>like </b>a walling horror movie. They nished Eric to the ER. I heard he was in the hospital for months before he could even stand again<b>.</b>¡±

    D

 His Heart 87

    ¡°Alter Eric was discharged from the hospital, he was expelled from school,¡± Ian sald,

    ¡°The Lee family¡¯spany also got caught up in the fallout. Not long after, they went bankrapt and the whole family packed up and Jersey City in disgrace.¡±

    He cleared his threat, lowering his voler. ¡°And Sean? He ended up <b>in </b>fall for a few days. Mr. Jasper Sr. was furious. He gave strict orders to keep him locked up for a

    while.

    ¡°But Mrs. Jasper St. couldn¡¯t bear it. She went to plead with him <b>every </b>day, exted until he caved. Eventually, Sean was released, but only after the pipers paid the Lees a sky¨Chigh settlement to settle the matter.

    ¡°Sean still got a beating from Mr. Jasper St. for it.¡±

    <b>tan </b>locked meaningfully at Charlotte.

    1,1 had no

    Ino clue back <b>then </b><b>that </b>Sean beat that guy sp because he liked you. I honestly thought he was just acting like an older brother, standing up for his little sister. It wasn¡¯t until recently I realized that Sean¡¯s feelings for you have been there for a long time.¡±

    Charlotte listened in silence, her expressioplicated. Her fingers tightened around the wine ss until her knuckles tumed white.

    She had never imagined Sean had gone that far for her. That he had nearly beaten someone to death.

    A wave of Tear washed over het.

    What if she had dragged him down<b>? </b>

    <b>Sean </b>had always been the golden boy. The perfect son in every parent¡¯s eyes, the top student every teacher praised, the kind of person their peers could only look up to from a distance.

    Has future had always been bright. If he had ended up carrying <b>a </b>manughterclurge because of her, she didn¡¯t think she would ever forgive herself. Charlotte blinked, hershes trembling Hernose started to sting

    They didn¡¯t get home <b>to </b>Bri

    to Brightwood Residences until the middle of the night.

    The wind was chilly, the moonlight pale and cold.

    Charlotte got out of the car without a word<b>, </b>head down, and walked <b>ahead</b>.

    Sean followed her into theplex.

    ¡°Lottie, <b>don¡¯t </b>be mad.¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond

    When they got to the apartment, <b>Charlotte </b>tried to close the door but sean slipped inside, his face full of hurt.

    ¡°<b>Are </b><b>you </b>afraid of me?¡±

    He scrambled to exin.

    ¡°Lottie, please don¡¯t be scared I¡¯m not violent. I¡¯d nevery a hand on you. That day¡ªI just lost it. The things he said about you¨Ci couldn¡¯t take it Charlotte looked up at him,r sigh soft and wra

    wraty.

    ¡°<b>l¡¯in </b>not afraid of you, Sean I¡¯mnot worried about being hun. l¡¯in worried about you.¡±

    Seanpressed his lips together, then gently pulled her into jas arms.

    *11¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all in the past.

    Curlotte frated against him, her eyes stinging <b>as </b>her voice wavered.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be that jackless again. If you¡¯d <b>really </b>killed someone, your whole future would¡¯ve been ruined¡­ And for what? For me? it¡¯s not worth it¡± Bran¡¯s worice wanquiel

    dutte snacked him in frustration

    |_|\_\¡°Don¡¯t jr about that!¡±

    Seanheld her close, his was bared soothingly stroking her back i

    <b>| </bforting avhild.

    ¡°okay, okay I get ii. I won¡¯t <b>do </b>anything like that again.¡±

    She grumbled into his chest, ¡°How many days wear you locked upi?¡±

    ¡°Not many.¡±

    Hervoir trembled<b>, </b>tinged with a nasally sob.

    ¡°<b>Was </b>it awful? I heard they serve nothing but in saimeal and dry toast in bolding. You¡¯re not used to food like that.¡±

    Sean chuckded.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t. But I figured it was a <b>good </b>excuse to lose a little well.

    Charlotte sniffled, then let out a smallugh through her tears.

    ¡°<b>you¡¯re </b>not even fat. What are you trying to lose? <b>You¡¯re </b>just trying to mess with <b>me</b>, aren¡¯t you?¡°.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s stop talking about it, yeah?¡±

    Charlotte looked up at him with red¨Crimmed eyes.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me any of this, Sean?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you carrying am guilt. Everything I did, I chose to. It had nothing <b>to </b>do with you¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s nose stung, and a tear welled up on hershes before slowly slipping down her cheek

    Asean gently capped her face in his hands, his thumb brushing the <b>tear </b><b>away</b>.

    ¡°Hey why are you crying<b>? </b>

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Lottie. When you cry, it breaks my heart too.¡±

    Then he leaned down <b>and </b>softly kissed the tears <b>from </b>her cheeks

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 His Heart 88

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    ¡°Sean ¡°Charlotte called him softly.

    Sean¡¯s lips brushed against hercheek ashe munnured, ¡°I¡¯m tight here.¡±

    she bit her lip and looked up at him. ¡°When you got into that fight with <b>Eric</b><b>, </b>and then again the other day with Zac¨Cwhat if your family finds out you lost control and nearly hurt someone because of me? Would they call off the engagement?

    Sean pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°<b>That </b>won¡¯t happen. I won¡¯t let them find out.¡±

    Her eyes dropped, and she spoke even more quietly, her chest tightening: ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go that far. Not for someone like me.¡±

    ¡°Lottie,¡± Seansaid gently, lifting her chin with his warm, steady hand until her eyes met his, ¡°you are worth it. You¡¯re more important to me than my own life.¡±

    His derkeves burned into hers, so intense she forgot how to breathe.

    She was stunned<b>. </b>

    Her heart tumbled over itself, a wave of emotion rising in her chest.

    <b>She </b>hadn¡¯t realized that she <b>meant </b>that much to him.

    Hershes trembled.

    And then the fear <b>hit </b>her all over again.

    The thought that he could have gone to prison because of her, made her stomach twist.

    Sean¡¯s voice pulled her back ¡°Lottie, weren¡¯t we done crying? What¡¯s this now?¡±

    Only then did Charlotte notice the tears trailing down <b>her </b>cheeks.

    Se pouted slightly. ¡°Then help me <b>wipe </b>my tears.¡±

    <b>Sean </b>gently brushed the tears from her cheeks with the pad of his thumb, his fingers a little rough but tender.

    Suddenly, Charlotte wrapped <b>her </b>arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest, nuzzling against him like a kitten seeking warmth.

    Sean¡¯s <b>heart </b>melted on the spot

    She inhaled softly, breathing in his scent, and let out a content little hunt. ¡°<b>You </b>smell so <b>good</b>¡­¡±

    Sean chucked. Then take in

    Still nestled in his arms, she murmured yfully, ¡°Sean¡­kiss me.¡±

    face. ¡°What did you just say?<b>¡± </b>

    He blinked<b>, </b>thinking he must have misheard, cently, he pulled her back past enough to see her

    Blushing from her cheeks to her ears, Charlotte bit her lip. Her voice was a mummur, barely there. ¡°I said¡­ kiss me¡­¡±

    The words had barely left her mouth before Sean lowered his head and kissed her.

    His lips were soft <b>and </b>warm.

    darlotte had never lussed anyone before. She stood there stiffly, lips sealed, unsure what to do. Her heart <b>thudded </b>wildly, pounding so loud it echoed in herears

    a kisard her slowly, sweetly, drawing her in wi

    n without rushing.

    His breathing quiclinand<b>, </b>and past before he lost control, be gently pulled away.

    Charlotte beard lux shallow beats <b>and </b>looked up His <b>face </b>was flushed, his <b>eyes </b><b>dark </b>and hazy with gat

    ¡°Why¡¯d <b>you </b>stop?¡± she asked<b>, </b>still dazed, eyes wide with ineend contusion

    ¡°Alright, get some test. I¡¯m heading out,¡± Seat said<b>, </b>steadying his birathi and trying to soundposed ¡°III keep kissing you, something¡¯s going to happen.¡±

    Charlotte instantly <b>understood </b>what ¡°something¡± meant.

    Het face tutted bright red, like she might actuallybust ¡°Okay ¨C drive sale.¡±

    beat gave her onest loof, ryca lingering, then quietly said, ¡°So sweet.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Curlotte tilted her head, be wide, dewy eyes full of confusion

    seanlifted l¨²s hand <b>and </b>gently pressed his finger to her son, kiss¨Cbruised lips. His gaze darkened, voice low and rough. ¡°Right here, so sweet.

    durortejolted <b>as </b>it struck by lightning, a sliver trauding thought her mobile body

    Without molber word, she spun around and bolted tur ber bedroom ¡°Goodnight!¡±

    Sean watched her flee, a helpless, doting smile spreading across his face

    -25 <b>Bonus </b>

    The next day, Charlotte headed to the Jasper family estate for

    The Jaspers and the Rileys lived in the same gatedmunity, so she made a quick stop at the Riley vi first.

    Desmond and Kena were both home. When he saw her walk in, Desmond asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t been staying heretely. Where have you been <b>living</b>?¡±

    Charlotte already knew the truth behind Desmond¡¯s remarriage that it was herte mother¡¯sst wish. Because of that, she no longer treated him with the coldness she once did

    Calmly, she replied, ¡°At the apartment my cousin gave me. It¡¯s close to the firm¨Cmakesmuting ea

 His Heart 89

    Desmond gave a slight nod. ¡°When you have time<b>, </b>1991 take you to meet a few contacts ¨C fileruds of mine, It could help you build up a client base,¡±

    Charlotte understood he was trying to offer her resources and connections. She didn¡¯t turn him down.

    ¡°Alright, How about next weekend?¡±

    Just then, little jodie came bounding down the stairs, her footsteps light and quick, she ran straight to Charlotte and hugged herleg.

    ¡°Charlotte! <b>You¡¯re </b>back!¡±

    Charlotte reached down and patted her head <b>¡°</b>reali, <b>l¡¯on </b>house.¡±

    Isnap back like she used to,

    standing off to the side, Xena smiled warmly and asked how she had been, if she was adjusting well to living on her own. Charlotte didn¡¯t s She simply gave a small nod.

    ¡°I¡¯m just heading upstairs to <b>grab </b>a few things.¡±

    Upstairs in her room<b>, </b>

    <b>pause</b>.

    Charlotte changed into a new outfit and made her way toward the vanity, just as she sat down, her eyesnded on something that made her

    sat on the vanity¨Cbright and colorful, showing a cheerful family of four.

    A crayon drawing sat on th

    It was Jodie¡¯s drawing<b>. </b><b>Two </b>adults on either side¨CDesmond and Xenia¨Cwith two girls in the center. The taller one was her. The shorter one was Jodie.

    Charlotte stared at it for a long time, a mess of <b>emotions </b>stonning quietly behind her eyes. After a while<b>, </b>she rolled up the <b>drawing </b>and carefully ced it into a storage box

    She did her makeup, then came downstairs to leave for the Jasper estate.

    <b>Today </b>she wore a cream¨Ccolored long¨Csleeve dress paired with white heels¨Celegant, polished, exactly the kind of outfit elders would approve of

    Judar was dressed in a bright red dress, with her <b>hair </b>in two yful buns and little strawberrylial clips.

    <b>Charlotte </b>and Jodie walked ahead while Desmond and Xena followed behind. The four of them entered the Jasper estate together..

    Seancame out personally to greet them.

    Inside, Mr. and Mrs <b>Jasper </b>weed them warmly.

    Standing beside them, Vivian offered the usual polite pleasantries.

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze brushed past her with a nk expression.

    Druier was Larish, clearly prepared <b>with </b><b>care</b>. The entire spread featured all of Charlotte¡¯s <b>favorite </b>dishes

    After dinner, both families <b>sat </b>together in the living room to go over final details for the uing engagement ceremony, which <b>was </b>only a few days <b>away</b>.

    but before Mis Joper couldaprak, <b>Sean </b>cut in

    #Salice everyone¡¯s here, there¡¯s something I <b>need </b>to address.¡±

    All eyes turned to ham

    ¨C ¡°Vivian,¡± Sean said coldly, e over and apologize todurlotte<b>.</b>¡±

    <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>eyes widened. Her lips trembled.

    Mrs. Jasper frowned. ¡°Bean!¡±

    But he ignored <b>het</b><b>, </b>gaze fixed en <b>Vivian </b>with sharp, unwavering intensity

    ¡± saide over and apologize. t?ida¡¯t you hear me?

    Mis: Jasper lookedpletely confused ¡°What is going on?¡±

    dean¡¯s voice was <b>icy</b>, radi word cutting like a de. ¡°<b>Why </b>don¡¯t you tell everyone what really happened at the stables that <b>y</b>?¡±

    Vivian paled She nced at the older woman beside lies with a pleading expression

    Mis Jasper ?i pave Vivian a sympathetic nce, then looked at bean with a

    (of disapproval.

    ¡°Sean<b>, </b><b>Vivianalgrady </b>exined the situation at the stables to me. It was just abundestanding There¡¯s no need to put her on the spot.¡± Cudatte brand this and gave a tatte, uneadable sinde, but said nothing.

    Desmond and Yvonne exchanged confused looks, clearly in the <b>dark </b>about what was going on.

    Desmond leaned closer to Charlotte and asked in a low veier, ¡°Why is Sean making Vivianapologize? What exactly did she do?

    Charlotte¡¯s tone was calm and even ¡°Let¡¯s see how she decides to exin it.¡±

    Sean¡¯s patience was weer

    wearing! thin. His expression <b>had </b>tumed sharp and cold,

    ¡°Vivian,¡± he said, voice clipped, ¡°hell everyone exactly what happened at the stables that day. Every detail. Either you tell the truth, or I will.¡±

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 His Heart 90

    getit

    Chapter go

    <b>25 </b>Bonus

    Vivian turned tear¨Cfilled eyes to Mrs. Jasper St. ¡°Orandma¡­

    Mrs. Haper St. nced between Sean and Vivian, then sighed. ¡°Alright, since this whole thing was just a misunderstanding, why don¡¯t you exin it to everyone again? I¡¯m sure Charlotte isn¡¯t the unreasonable type.¡±

    Now that even Mrs. Jasper St. <b>had </b>spoken, no one else stepped in to shield <b>Vivian</b>.

    She sniffled, looking pitiful and wronged. ¡°That day at the stables, I asked Charlotte to teach me how to ride. Everything was fine at first, but then the horse suddenly went wild, 1 fell and got hurt.¡±

    Everyone already knew about the ident, but from Sean¡¯s earlier tone, it was clear there was more to the story so no one interrupted her

    Vain nced nervously at Sean. His stare was cold and sharp, and she was clearly intimidated.

    She hesitated before continuing. ¡°It was all a misunderstanding I thought Charlotte didn¡¯t like me and assumed she¡¯d done something to scare the horse on purpose. Butter, they found a wound on the horse¡¯s neck. It must have already been injured before it was <b>brought </b>out, and I identally pressed on it. That¡¯s probably what caused it to panic.<b>¡± </b>

    She tumed to Charlotte, tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sony, Charlotte. I <b>shouldn¡¯t </b><b>have </b>assumed the worst of you. I really misjudged you. Can you forgive me?¡±

    Charlotte frowned slightly but said nothing.

    Mrs. Jasper gave Vivian a scolding look ¡°How could you even think something like that about Charlotte? She¡¯d never do something so awful.

    Sean¡¯s father, Mr. Jasper, who also happened to be <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>adoptive father, added disapprovingly, ¡°If you wanted to leam horseback riding, you should¡¯ve taken proper lessons. Not only did you get yourself hurt, now you¡¯ve caused drama with your future sister¨Cinw over something so ridiculous.¡±

    The moment he said ¡°sister¨Cinw,¡± jealousy red in Vivian¡¯s chest like a wildfice. She clenched her fists, <b>forcing </b>herself to keep her tone obedient. ¡°I know, I was wrong, Dad. Mom..

    Sean¡¯s tone was ice¨Ccold. ¡°That¡¯s not what you said that <b>day</b>. You told me Charlotte kicked the horse hard on purpose and made it lose control. Funny how you¡¯re leaving that part out now.

    He didn¡¯t wait for <b>Vivian </b>to respond before turning to his parents. ¡°Mom, Dad¨Cwho¡¯s responsible for raising her? How did she e end up like this? Lying. maniptive<b>, </b>full of schemes?¡±

    Mr. and Mrs Jasper exchanged a troubled look

    <b>Mes</b>. Jasper frowned deeply, her voice sharp<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Vivian</b>, is it true? Did you lie?¡±

    Tears <b>streamed </b>down <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>face. She cried as if her heart <b>had </b>shattered. <b>¡°</b>I I¡¯m sorry, Mom, I really <b>messed </b><b>up</b>¡­¡±

    years of education

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression turned stem. ¡°Vivian, you told me it was <b>a </b>misunderstanding¨Cbut you didn¡¯t <b>say </b>you lied. Is this what all those years of <b>Laught </b>you? To lie <b>and </b>frame someone else?

    By now, the Hulew <b>had </b><b>fully </b><b>grasped </b>what <b>was </b>going on.

    Desmond frowned. ¡°Charlotte would never do something like that. Your daughter <b>falsely </b>used her. We deserve an exnation¡±

    <b>Kena </b>added, ¡°That¡¯s right Charlotte is the heart of our family. We may <b>not </b>be as wealthy or powerful as the jaspers, but she¡¯s kind, thoughtful, and incapable <b>of </b>doing something vo vile.¡±

    Charlotte was deeply moved. Though her rtionship with her family had been rocky over the years<b>, </b>she couldn¡¯t deny their love for her. And as for Xena, Charlotte had seen her <b>quiet </b>kindness all these years, even if she hadn¡¯t been <b>ready </b><b>to </b>ept it <b>before </b>

    <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>crying became mure dramatic as she stood and bowed to Charlotte ¡°Tin sorry, Charlotte. I was wrong<b>. </b>I shouldn¡¯t have lied <b>and </b>tried to frame you. Please

    Mrs. Jasper Sr sighed. ¡°Charlotte, she really was in the wong, <b>but </b>she¡¯s <b>apologized </b>can¡¯t <b>you </b><b>forgive </b><b>her </b>now?¡±

    Chiatutte lowed slightly

    D

 His Heart 91

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but feel that Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s tone held a hint of impatience.

    Was she seriously implying that if charlotte didn¡¯t forgive Vivian, she would be the one in the wrong?

    Charlotte was just about to speak when Sean cut in fest.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma,¡± his voice was calm but cold, ¡°with all

    <b>hall </b>due respect, whether she forgives her or not is Cudotte¡¯s choice. No one has the right to pressure her.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper St.¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Sean, are you ming nw now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Sean said evenly, his face unreadable. ¡°I¡¯m just asking you not to put her on the spot.

    Seeing Sean stand up to his grandmother for her, Charlotte no longer hesitated. She gently squeezed his hand and said, ¡°Alright, I forgive her.¡±

    Sean caught the signal in her eyes and her soft touch<b>, </b><b>and </b>the sharpness in his expression <b>eased </b>slightly-

    Viviansaw it all, and her jaw clenched so <b>tight </b>it nearly cracked.

    Her nails dug into her <b>palms </b><b>as </b>she thought darkly, ¡°Charlotte Riley. One day, I¡¯ll make sure you disappear from this world,¡± she <b>silently </b><b>remarked</b>.

    Later that night, Charlotte was jolted awake by the shrill ring of her phone.

    Gruaning, she humbled under the pillow and squinted at the screen through heavy eyelids, without checking the number, she sleepily hit e

    Ast of lood<b>, </b>chaotic <b>bar </b>noise erupted from the speaker, making her wince and hold the phone way

    <b>¡°</b>What the hell¡­she muttered, already annoyed ¡°Who is this?¡±

    There was to response.

    Say something!

    There was still no answer. Just loud, chaotic <b>background </b>noise.

    Charlotte forced her heavy eyes open and nced <b>at </b>the caller ID.

    Unknown mumber

    ¡°Zar Gibson?¡± <b>she </b>stapped<b>, </b><b>her </b>voice sharp with initation.

    Fully, <b>there </b><b>was </b>a response,

    Zac¡¯s voice came through¨Craspy, slurred<b>, </b>diendied in alcohol ¡°<b>Charlotte</b>, it hurts so much. Why won¡¯t you even look at me? I really love <b>you</b><b>. </b>Please, just, just look at me<b>, </b>once. I¡¯m so much pain¡­¡±

    That did it

    Charlotte¡¯s patience snapped like <b>a </b>rubber <b>band </b>

    She already had trouble falling <b>asleep</b>. It had taken her <b>forever </b>to drift off<b>, </b>and she had finally been having a nice dream. Now, thanks to <b>Zac </b>and <b>his </b>drunk dialing, Ut

    <b>And </b>she had work in r inseming

    a fury bubbling inside her wouldn¡¯t let her.

    She nearly hung up then and that but the <b>i </b>

    If she didn¡¯t give him a piece of her mind toniglu, she would never get any <b>prace </b>

    *Zat, ate you out of your damu mand? If you¡¯re in so ulipain, go <b>die </b><b>already</b>. Don¡¯t drag me <b>juro </b><b>your </b>drama to jump ott a bridge <b>or </b>check into a <b>psych </b>ward- <b>just </b>stopcalling the T¡¯in sick of your crap t?t lou<b>!</b>¡±

    Zac didn¡¯t seem the least but fated intact, Jur even let out a dazedugh

    ¡°Maybe I trally ametary,¡± lie manured. ¡°<b>Because </b><b>all </b>i cangilink abusit <b>is </b><b>you</b><b>. </b>I can¡¯t even pletuse anything else. <b>And </b>yeah.. I wanna die. But it I die, I won¡¯t see

    ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Charlotte yelled and hung up. She nted herpbosetace down, hit the mute <b>switch</b>, and pulled the <b>covers </b>back over her head.

    At the ban, Zat waspletely wasted, slumped in a booth with two overly made¨Cup women pressing into bus from both sides.

    ¡°Bally, you¡¯re drunk,¡± one of them patred, stroking hitched ¡°Let me <b>take </b>care of you tonight¡­..¡±

    The other leaned in, her valce ayudy¨Caweed. ¡°Ward somepany, handsome? I¡¯ll make you feel so much better

    That was when Wendy stored in and saw the <b>per </b>

    ¡°Get the hell away from him!¡± she shouted, livid. ¡°All of you get lost! Don¡¯t you dare touch my man!¡±

    The two womenbolted like scared cats, scrambling to get out of her way

    Wendy red down at Zac, who waspletely out of it. She gutted her teeth, took a deep breath, and half¨Cdragged him out of the bar.

 His Heart 92

    The days slipped by in a stretch of gentle autumn rain..

    Then finally, on the <b>day </b>of the engagement ceremony, the sky clouded for days and cleared atst.

    Today was Charlotte¡¯s big day, and the entire by household had been <b>up </b>since dawnL

    Even little Jodie, who usually loved to sleep in, had gotten up early and changed into a cheerful red dress,

    Inside Charlotte¡¯s bedroom, a professional makeup team worked on her look

    she wore a soft blush pink gown with modem touches. Her hair was swept into a gracefull updo<b>, </b>adorned with delicate pearls.

    Jodie leaned on the vanity, tilting her head as she watched. Her little voice was sweet and sincere.

    ¡°Charlotte, you look so pretty today.¡±

    Charlotte smiled and gave h

    her cheek a yful pinch..

    But Jodie¡¯s chubby face tumed a little worried

    ¡°Will you stille home a lot after you get <b>married</b>?¡±

    Charlotte paused, caught off guard by the question<b>. </b>

    <b>She </b>smiled gently, warmth flickering in her eyes,

    ¡°Of course I will. The Jasper estate isn¡¯t far. I coulde by every <b>day</b><b>.</b>¡±

    jodie pouted, clearly not <b>buying </b>it.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. You don¡¯t evene home every day now. If you marry Mr. Jasper<b>, </b>how will you have time toe every <b>day</b>?¡±

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help butugh. Kids <b>really </b>weren¡¯t that easy to fool.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with work, that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t been back every day

    Jodie held out her pinky finger.

    ¡°Pinky promise. You¡¯lle home to see me every day.¡±

    Charlotte chuckled. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>might not be able <b>to </be back every day, but I promise I¡¯lle visit as often as I can, okay?¡±

    Jodie <b>nodded </b>sedously.

    Charlotte <b>hooked </b>her pinly <b>with </b>jodie¡¯s and <b>gave </b>her a sweet sindle.

    <b>.25 </b>Bonus

    (the Jasper family¡¯s private estate on the northern outskirts of the city

    me to the Riley estate to <b>pick </b>Charlotte up

    The engagement <b>celemony </b>was

    Early that <b>morning</b>, Savanma

    Desmond <b>and </b>ena stood in the <b>living </b>room, dressed formally for the asion.

    Desmond rear with a broad unile the moment Sean stepped though the dust

    Seal, good to <b>ser </b>you Juu <b>give </b>us a moment Charlotte will be <b>down </b>shortly.¡±

    <b>Xena </b>stood beside him, all armiles. Through udette wauch lies biological daughter, in her heart, there was no difference

    She couldn¡¯t help but thank silently, ¡°<b>r</b>, our little gid is all grown up she¡¯s getting engaged <b>today </b>You¡¯d be so proud it you could see her now Sean¡¯s a good <b>kid </b>

    ???

    steady and capable. He trally loves her. I think she¡¯ll be very happy with jam. So don¡¯t worry ¡°

    The small group <b>mede </b>small talk as they waited

    Momentster, Jodie came bounding down the stals with exciteiten

    suming! Charlotte¡¯sing!¡±

    Everyone lumed to <b>look </b>

    Charlotte descended the staircase slowly, cradling a bouquet of flowers.

    man¡¯s breath caught in his throat. He was momentarily stuurd

    <b>She </b>looked strming¨Cburathtakin

    The soft pink powa hugged her slender figine just right, her waist siesmall uld be encircled with one hand..

    Her makeup was elegant and refined, her features glowing. The sudo made her look poised, graceful, and timeless.

    Sean bad seen her face a thousand Umes,

    , it hit him all over again. He waspletely, hopelessly in love.

    A smile curved his lips as he stepped forward, pently taking hernd.

    <b>-25 </b>Manus

    In the backseat of the car, they sat side by side.

    Sean could barely hide the joy on his face.

    ¡°Cudolte,¡± he said quietly, ¡°this day. It¡¯s finally here.¡±

    A soft blush crept across her cheeks as she smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to ton

    Sean reached for her <b>hand</b>. ¡°Honestly, I wish we could <b>skip </b>the engagement and <b>go </b>straight to the wedding. I¡¯d marry you today If I could and make you Mrs. Jasper

    plu this second.¡±

    Chantal T

 His Heart 93

    Charlotte smiled with amusement. ¡°I¡¯m going to be yours sooner orter. What¡¯s the mish?¡±

    Sean held her hand, his fingertips tracingzy circles in her palm. ¡°I can¡¯t even walt a day¨Cno, not even a second.¡±

    He let out a low chuckle. ¡°I was worried you¡¯d think jumping straight into marriage was too fast, so I suggested to your dad that we start with <b>an </b>engagement and wait until our rtionship ¡®matured. But looking <b>back</b>, I basically set a trap formyself.¡±

    Charlottenched and shot him <b>a </b>look ¡°.. <b>has </b>the rtionship matured now?¡±

    a long time ago.

    Sean gently pinched her cheek, smiling. <b>¡°</b>That¡¯s your call. Mine was ready <b>a </b>l

    Charlotte <b>looked </b>down with a

    a <b>small</b>, yful smirk. Then she <b>teased</b><b>, </b>¡°Well, maybe you¡¯ll have to walt <b>a </b>little longer.¡±

    ean gave a helpless, indulgent smile. He yed along. ¡°Then tell me, Miss Riley¨Cwhen will you finally <b>say </b>yes and be Mrs. Jasper

    Charlotte tilted her head and made a yful face. ¡°It depends on my mood.¡±

    The mood in the car was light and joyful as the two of them chatted the whole ride to the estate.

    When they <b>arrived</b>, sean stepped out first and opened the door for Charlotte, offering her his <b>hand</b>. She ced her <b>hand </b>in his and stepped down carefully in her heels

    The estate was filled with fresh flowers and soft music. Thousands of pale pink roses lined the path from the gate to the grand hall, forming aantic trail.

    Charlotte walked along the rose-

    -petal path<b>, </b>her <b>heels </b>clicking gently against the <b>ground </b>as she entered the main hall. The d¨¦cor was elegant, the music soothing, and the air was filled with the warmth of well¨Cwishes and celebration.

    After greeting guests, the couple went backstage to go over the ceremony schedule with the emcee

    The entire Jasper family <b>had </b>already arrived. Even Mr. Jasper St.<b>, </b><b>who </b>rarely left the capital, had made the trip. Dressed in a deep burgundy suit and polished shoes, he looked sharp and full of energy

    Beside him, Mrs Jasper Sr. wore a ssic navy¨Cblue <b>sheath </b>dress with a strand of pearls and <b>matching </b>earrings, her presence graceful andmanding

    Sean¡¯s parents, James Jasper and Lillian Lincoln, were equally well put together, both dressed in formal wear <b>that </b>reflected quiet elegance <b>and </b><b>status</b><b>, </b>

    The Rileys showed up shortly after. Jodie greeted her mother with a quick hug before dashing off to y.

    onest time.

    The families stood together<b>, </b>chatting and confirming the ceremony timeline one

    As the ceremony drew near, Sean stepped <b>aside </b>to take a phone call. His expression darkened <b>instantly</b>.

    On the other end, a woman was crying.

    i with the engagement. I¡¯m begging you.¡±

    #scan, please don¡¯t go though w

    The warmth drained from his face. He walked out of the room, voice cold.

    ¡°<b>don¡¯t </b>remember me? I¡¯m judy I¡¯ve been in <b>love </b>with you for ten years. <b>Ten </b>whole <b>years</b>!¡±

    judy? The name finally registered: Judy Caleb his high <b>school ssmate</b>. Everyone used to call her the school¡¯s <b>queenbee</b>.

    Bean¡¯s voice

    tuted cold ¡°Judy, stop calling me The will never <b>be </b>anything between.¡±

    <b>was </b>about to hang up, her panicked voice cul in ¡°If you go though with the engagenwendt, I¡¯ll kill myself!¡±

    On the other end, wind <b>bowled </b>dough the <b>phone</b>, <b>a </b>

    sharp and urgent. His booms furrowed.

    Then came <b>Judy¡¯s </b>voice again<b>, </b><b>shaky </b>and mailed by the <b>gusts </b>

    ¡°I¡¯m <b>on </b>the rooftop of the estate white your engagement party¡¯s being held. If <b>you </b>don¡¯t call it off, I¡¯ll kaup. ¡°

    The estate <b>was </b><b>te </b>quien high<b>, </b>she wouldn¡¯t survive a fall tions that height.

    NO SALT 3500 <b>bonus </b>free fou <b>you </b>

 His Heart 94

    Share

    Sean let out ar

    Lout a coldugh

    #you¡¯re threatening, ine? Seriously?¡±

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

    muck <b>in </b><b>high </b>school, Judy had confessed to him, and he had politely tomed her down. But she clung to him like a hard habit. Everyone at school knew she was chasing him. I get so exhausting that he finally pulled strings to have her transferred in anther school. Prace atst ne mehe thought,

    Then college came around, and there she was again somehow, she bait found out he was attending Jersey Chilvensity and managed to get in too. She started bringing him breakfast every day, followed him to sses, and constantly flooded his with love notes and little gifts Once again, she became ¡°that gir¡± on campus¨Cfamous for obsessing over Sean

    ld go on as nned.

    on the phone, Judy sobbed ¡°you really don¡¯t care he or die? How could you be this heartless? Does your engagement mean more than my life?¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice was calm and t, almost mechanical, ¡°That kind of emotional ckwall night work on someone else. Not me,¡± Judy tried to speak again, but Sean didn¡¯t give her the chance. He hung up without hesitation. The engagement party would He immediately sent people to find her¨Cnot because he cared about Judy, but because she was unhinged enough to ruin the day. And if she actually jumped and died at the engagement venue, the trauma would scar Charlotte for life. It might even end their rtionship before it officially

    Meanwhile, in a room at the estate, July stood frozen atter the call disconnected. She then <b>suddenly </b>hurled her phone against the wall and started trashing the ce in a frenzy.

    <b>Vivian</b>, standing calmly nearby, watched the scene

    ene unfold with cold detachment. ¡°Miss Caleb<b>, </b>you¡¯re so impatient,¡± she sneered.

    Judy eventually copsed onto the <b>floor</b>, a broken mess. ¡°He really doesn¡¯t care. He doesn¡¯t care at all,¡± she whispered<b>, </b>over and over.

    Vivian let out a mocking,ugh and lit <b>a </b>cigarette, exhaling slowly, ¡°Pathetic<b>.</b>¡±

    Alock came at the door. <b>One </b>of Vivian¡¯s men opened it.

    ¡°Miss Kander,¡± he said<b>, </b>¡°we couldn¡¯t grab the older one. She¡¯s too well guarded. But we got the kid<b>.</b>¡±

    He stepped aside <b>and </b>revealed a tall, muscr guard holding little Jodie Like a ragdoll Herbands were tied behind her <b>back</b>, legs kicking wildly, a strip of ck tape covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide with terror.

    Vivian took another drag hember cigarette, then blew out a ring of smoke. ¡°Useless,¡± she muttered.

    The guard lowered his gaze,

    <b>Vivian </b>nced at her watch. ¡°We¡¯re on schedule. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Si use to her feet and <b>looked </b>down at judy with <b>a </b>sheet, her expression sharp and condescending

    Then the undled.

    It was the kind of smile that <b>didn¡¯t </b>teach the <b>eyes- </b>

    s¨Cchilling, predatory. The kind of smile you <b>would </b><b>expect </b>from the devil himself.

    tas smooth and cold as ice. ¡°It this whole thing blows up becaus

    *I suggest you pull yourself together and stick to the n, Miss Caleb,¡± she said slowly, her <b>voice </b><b>a </b>

    of you, <b>I </b>won¡¯t be paying <b>a </b>single cent of your father¡¯s medical bills. ¡±

    With that<b>, </b>Vivian turned on her heel and walked out, not waiting for a response.

    Judy wiped her face with the back of <b>her </b>tiembling hand, then stumbled <b>to </b>her feet. Is eyes were bellow, her expression <b>nk </b><b>as </b>she followed after <b>Vistan </b>like a

    Back at the <b>ebe</b>, twenty minutes before the engapriheit ceter

    Jodie was tha

    stry was set to begin, panda struck.

    Xenia paced Haulically, close to tears. She was just be in the lounge with She <b>said </b><b>she </b>wanted to go y for <b>a </b>bit<b>, </b><b>so </b>let her. I¡¯ve looked everywhere and can¡¯t.

 His Heart 95

    Chapter <b>95 </b>

    Lillian tried to calm everyone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everyone here is a guest for the engagement party. Jodie¡¯s probably just wandered off somewhere. Kids love to explore, and this estate is massive, it¡¯s normal if she¡¯s hard to find at first. Let¡¯s start by checking the security cameras.¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°My dad¡¯s already on it. Let¡¯s split up

    split up and search det more people romlved. The sooner we find her, the better.¡±

    Just then, <b>a </b>wave of gasps rippled through the crowd.

    <b>-35 </b>Agnus

    Everyone turned toward the main event screen and their faces went pale.

    Instead of the nned engagement montage, the massive LED screen was now showing footage of foille tied to a chair, sobbing and screaming in fear,

    ¡°Daddy! Mommy! Charlotte! Where are you? 1 want my mommy! Let me go! Please!

    Helpme¨Cplease!¡±

    Mommy! A bad man took me! Help me

    Jodie was thrashing against the ropes, her little face twisted in terror.

    Xena¡¯s knees buckled. Her vision blurred. She nearly fainted <b>on </b>the spot.

    Charlotte rushed forward to catch her. ¡°Aunt Xena¡ª!¡±

    Kena sobbed uncontrobly. ¡°Charlotte, do something. Do something! How did this happen? My baby¨Cmydie¨Chow could <b>anyone </b>do this? If she dies, I don¡¯t want to live either.¡±

    Charlotte held her tightly, heart pounding with panic.

    How is this even possible Lillian looked around in shock ¡°Everyone here was invited. Who could¡¯ve gotten in to do something like this?¡±

    suddenly<b>, </b>a distorted voice echoed from the speaker system. It was heavily processed through a voice charger.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley. If you want your sister to live,e to the rooftop.¡±

    Then, without hesitation, she bolted toward the elevators.

    ¡°Lottie, no!¡± Sean caught her ann. ¡°It¡¯s a trap. You can¡¯t go.¡±

    ¡°I have to!¡± she cried, trying to pull free. ¡°They took Joder because of me. If I don¡¯t go, she could die!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s call the police first,¡± Sean <b>said </b>fir

    i firmly<b>. </b>

    ¡°Do that, <b>but </b>don¡¯t try to stop me. Every second I waste could be the difference between life and death for her. <b>I </b><b>can¡¯t </b>gamble with her life! Charlotte¡¯s eyes were brimming with tears. ¡°They look her because of me. I can¡¯t just stand here and do nothing!¡±

    ¡°And what about your life?¡± Sean snapped, trying to keep still. ¡°You¡¯re willing to risk everything!

    one of <b>Sean¡¯s </b>ent

    The cops,¡± Sean ordered

    ¡°Already dour They¡¯re onthe way

    we found <b>Miss </b>Jodie. She¡¯s on the rooftop¡±

    Sean¡¯s suited raced. ¡°They¡¯re using her as ball to get to you. Don¡¯t y into their hands. I¡¯m sending <b>every </b>avable and <b>to </b>the top. Promise me you¡¯ll stay

    Charlotte¡¯s hands war Dembling: ¡°1¡±

    Suddenly, screams <b>erupted </b>from the crowd

    Churlelle¡¯s head shot up to the acteris

    A masked man <b>was </b>now holding a life to jodie¡¯s tuvat.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley,¡± the routerised, <b>¡°</b>you¡¯ve got live mutes. If you don¡¯t show up your sister dies in your ce.

    And in <b>that </b>split second of distraction, Seandelt les arm slip from ban grasp

    Chtie was gour

 His Heart 96

    Sean pushed forward, but a man appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path.

    The stranger collided with him head¨Con, spilling red wine all over Sean¡¯s su

    Sean barely flinched, His only thought was to get past him and reach Charlotte. He sidestepped to move around, but the man mirrored him, stepping the same way.

    #1¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Jasper. <b>I </b>didn¡¯t mean to. Mease, let me take care of the dry cleaning-

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sean said curtly<b>, </b>trying again to get by.

    But the man wouldn¡¯t i

    ¡°please don¡¯t be upset, Mr. Jasper-

    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Sean snapped.

    Finally, the min backed off.

    Sean rushed to the elevator bank just <b>in </b>time to see the floor number climbing¨C89. His heart sank,

    Even

    f he jumped into the next elevator now, he wouldn¡¯t make it in time.

    Then something struck him. He spun around and scanned the crowd.

    The <b>man </b>who had bumped into him was gone.

    Sean¡¯s expression hardened. That guy had done it on purpose.

    A few blocks away, parked discreetly <b>outside </b>a side gate of the estate<b>, </b>a <b>ck </b>Audi sat with its engine running.

    The man who had stalled Sean climbed into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°All set, Miss Kander.¡±

    In the back, Vivian leanedzily against the <b>seat</b>, eyes closed. ¡°Drive.¡±

    The man besitated. ¡°Aren¡¯t we waiting for <b>Judy</b>?¡±

    <b>Vivian </b>let <b>out </b>a coldugh. ¡°If we wait for <b>that </b><b>idiot</b><b>, </b>none of <b>us </b><b>are </b>getting out of here.¡±

    Meanwhile, Charlotte stepped out of the elevator and sprinted to the <b>rooftop</b>.

    She shoved open the beavy metal door, and the moment she stepped outside, hereyes locked on jodle..

    Her little sister was tied to a chair, positioned dangerously close to the edge of the roof. Her mouth was taped shut, anns and legs bound with rope. A masked figure stood <b>beside </b>her, holding <b>a </b>knife to her neck

    Jodie <b>couldn¡¯t </b>scream, but her eyes were wide with terror, tears pouring down her <b>face</b>,

    Charlotte¡¯s heart shattered.

    <b>Just </b>that moming, Jodie had been giggling <b>and </b>clinging to her, asking if she would stille home after getting married. And now

    Charlotte forced herself <b>to </b><b>stay </b>calm. She spoke to the figure<b>, </b><b>vole </b>steady. ¡°Let my sistergo. Whatever you want, I¡¯ll do <b>it</b>.¡±

    Come here,¡± the figure ordered, her voice no longer distorted. It was <b>a </b>woman, the charlotte didn¡¯t recognize

    Hry,¡±

    ¡°Charlotte didn¡¯t hesitate. She took a step forward.

    Just as she <b>got </b>within a few feet, Sean¡¯s voice <b>rang </b>out behind her..

    ¡°Lottie! <b>Don¡¯t</b>!¡±

    She froze, startled, and turned back

    ¡ª

    this. Herlite hanging by a

    Sean was running at full speed. He reached her and yanked her <b>nos </b>amis, holding her tightly, his voice sisaking with fear. ¡°Don¡¯t go near her. It¡¯s too

    Judy stood froze, watching the scene unfold before her eyes. Tears streamed <b>down </b><b>her </b>cheeks uncontrobly. Her chest ached so bailly it felt like she couldn¡¯t

    She let out a bitter, brokenugh, the <b>sound </b>cracked with pain ¡°What a love <b>story</b>,¡± she choked out. ¡°One anyone would envy

    she whispered, her valor trembling, ¡°<b>you </b><b>don¡¯t </b>care whether I live or die, but <b>you¡¯d </b>risk everything for her ¡±

    Slowly, she pulled off the mask, <b>revealing </b>her tear¨Cstreaked Lace. Her eyes wee bloodshot but filled with a hollow rage.

    Sheughed <b>again</b>¡ªthis time manic, almost unhinged<b>. </b>¡°Hahaha Fine Fuel How wonderful

    Why?¡±

    by?¡± she screamed, her face contorting with pain and tony. ¡°Wiry does she get your love?t

    Then her eyes zed with violent revolve.

    <b>Without </b>warning, Pady lunged forward, the knife in her hand shling as she charged straight at Charlotte.

    They were only a few feet apart. Charlotte had her backtoed,pletely aw

 His Heart 97

    Because the distance was so close and Judy moved fast, Sean had no time to react. He was still holding Charlotte in his arms. To defend them both, he would have to push her away and then move¨Cbut there simply wasn¡¯t enough tline.

    As the de came down, Sean¡¯s eyes widened.

    All he could do was twist his body, shielding Charlotte with his own.

    The knife sank into his side

    Sean grunted, the sound low and tight with pain.

    ¡°No!¡± Judy¡¯s shriek pierced the air.

    She stumbled back, staring in horror and disbelief at what she had done

    <b>¡°</b>Why?¡± she screamed hoarsely ¡°Sean Jasper, why her? Why would you throw your life away for her?¡±

    The sharp, metallic scent of blood filled the air.

    Charlotte, still in shock, stepped back from his arms and looked down.

    And there it was¨CJudy¡¯s kate buried deep in Sean¡¯s waist.

    The color <b>drained </b>from her f

    ¡°Sean!¡± she cried out, her voice breading as tears spilled uncontrobly down her cheek.

    Just then, the rooftop door burst open

    A team of security guards surged in, expertly trained and moving in syne. They reached them in seconds, wrestling <b>Judy </b>to the ground and restraining her.

    Charlotte fell to her knees beside Sean, sobbing uncontrobly as she held onto him.

    I¡¯m sorry¡­..

    I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± she choked out between gasps. ¡°It¡¯s my fault! I shouldn¡¯t havee up here alone.¡±

    She had intended to takepliance. She nned to trade ces with jodie, get her out of harm¡¯s way, and then <b>look </b>for a chance to overpower the attacker

    She hadn¡¯t acted on impulse. She had a n.

    But what she hadn¡¯t expected was for Sean to arrive so quickly. She hadn¡¯t counted on him refusing to let <b>her </b>put herself in dange

    And she definitely hadn¡¯t expected him to throw himself in front of a knite for her.

    How did ite

    this</b>?

    It was her <b>fault</b>. All of it. She had <b>been </b><b>too </b>stubborn, too sure of herself.

    Sean had told <b>her </b>he was already deploying every security guard in the estate. All she needed to do was crust him¨Cto wait, and let him handle rescuing Jodie.

    she never should have rushed to the rooftop on her own.

    The security team had been just minutes behind. If she had waited, none of <b>this </b>would have happened.

    Now Sean was the one lying on an operating <b>table</b>, bleeding because of her.

    And in that muisent, Charlotte wished she had taken the de instead.

    At the hospital, Sean was rushed into emergency Kiprty.

    Outside the operating room, the hallway was packed with people, <b>each </b>of them pacing, tous, wringing their hands.

    Charlotte had cried herself dry. Now she stood against the wall, pale and hollow¨C<b>eyed</b>, mamb with guilt,

    <b>Mrs. </b><b>Jasper </b>St. and Eilliamsal nearby, both red¨Ceyed and trembling

    Jodie had <b>been </b>rescued unhumed. Xena had taken her house for now.

    The engagement party, of course, had been canceled.

    The corridor was <b>filled </b>with tense silence.

    ¡°How the bell did this happen?¡± Desmond¡¯s volor <b>was </b>low <b>and </b>furious. ¡°Who <b>is </b>that woman? Why did she <b>kidnap </b>Jodle? Why demand a trade with Charlotte<b>? </b>is she some old army of <b>your </b>family?¡±

    James shook his <b>head</b>, stunned. ¡°No. I¡¯ve over her before.

    ¡°I know who she is.¡± The voice care from Jordan, one of <b>Sean¡¯s </b>closest friends.

    Everyone humed to look

    <b>-35 </b>Bonus

    she¡¯s one of Sean¡¯s old admirers, ondan said grimly. ¡°When the cops brought her down, I saw her face. Her name¡¯s Jody Caleb. We went in high school with her. She¡¯s been obsessed with Sean since then 11¡¯shren neatly ten years.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s dazed myrs finally blinked back into focus. Her lips parted slightly.

    ¡°Sean¡¯s admirer?¡± she whispered, stunned. ¡°Why¡­ why would she do something like this?¡± ||

 His Heart 98

    -25 Bonus

    Lillian¡¯s chest heaved with fury. ¡°She¡¯s Insane! If anything happens to my son, I <b>swear </b><b>I </b>won¡¯t let her get away with it

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. shot her a <b>sharp </b>look, ¡°Lillian, <b>Sean¡¯s </b>still in surgery. What do you mean if something happens? Are you trying to jinx your own son?¡±

    Lillian¡¯s eyes filled again. ¡°Mom that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±

    The moment she spoke, the <b>tears </b>started all over <b>again</b>.

    James red at her. ¡°That¡¯s enougherying, Sean¡¯s still fighting in there, and you¡¯re out here talking bad luck Knock it off.¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t hear any of it. Every second felt like a lifetime. Regret, fear, guilt, and panic wrapped around her like avke.

    She could barely breathe, her chest tight and aching like someone drowning just below the surface.

    Time dragged on.

    The sky outside was already starting to darken

    After what felt like emity,

    the doors to the o

    OR finally opened.

    Lillian mashed forward. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my son?!¡±

    Everyone crowded around, bolding their breath.

    Charlotte¡¯s hands were trembling so hard she had to clutch the wall to stay <b>steady</b><b>. </b>Her palms were slick with cold sweat. She didn¡¯t even know what she was more afraid to her

    The doctor removed his m

    removed his <b>mask </b>his tired face easing into a reassuring smile. <b>¡°</b>He¡¯s stable now. He¡¯s out of immediate danger<b>.</b>¡±

    A collective sigh of relief swept through the hallway.

    Charlotte finally felt the tension in her <b>body </b>loosen <b>just </b>a little, the pressure in her chest easing for the first time all day.

    Sean was transfered to the ICU for post¨Cop monitoring. The doctors wamed that he would need to stay under observation for <b>a </b><b>few </b><b>days </b>to preventplications.

    With the worst finally behind them, Mr. Jasper St. tumed to the next pressing matter.

    He looked toward James, <b>his </b>voice stern. ¡°How the hell did that <b>woman </b>get into the estate? With our level of security, no one should¡¯ve made it past the gate <b>without </b><b>an </b>invitation. <b>Have </b>we figured it out?¡±

    Only then did James remember the flood of missed calls from earlier that afternoon. Hebudheen too panicked to answer them at the time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make <b>a </b>call.

    A few minutester, be came back with an update. ¡°She got <b>in </b><b>as </b>Tom Gibson¡¯s guest. Security footage shows her wearing <b>a </b><b>mask</b>. She imed that she had a cold. Since Tom, the <b>third </b>Gibson son<b>, </b>personally escorted her in, the guards didn¡¯t question it.¡±

    ¡°Gibsonfamily?¡± Mr. Jasper 5p. narrowed his eyes.

    Jamesnodded. ¡°They say Tom¡¯s been abroad for <b>years</b>. just got back recently. He ims he didn¡¯t know she <b>was </b><b>obsessed </b>with Seat.

    Mr. <b>Jasper </b>Sr.¡¯s voice went licy. ¡°What a convenient excuse, but I don¡¯t buy it. Keep digging.¡±

    Desmond had been keeping his anger in check all <b>afternoon </b>while Sean was in surgery. But now that Sean was safe, he <b>wasn¡¯t </b>holding back

    He raised his voice ¡°What¡¯s with this lunatic stalker of Sean¡¯s our child never <b>provoked </b>her. She kidnapped my <b>daughter</b>, then stabbed Sean! What kind ofwless

    The room <b>del </b>quiet.

    Then Mr. Jasper Sr. tumed his alump puerto Chudutte.

    Frutting, ¡°what happened on that pooltop? Why was Sean the one who ended up hun?¡±

    ¡°Cutlotte,¡± he said, his torse en

 His Heart 99

    Charlotte lowered her head. ¡°It was all my fault.¡±

    Lillian tumed to her sharply. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Charlotte took a deep breath and exined everything from the rooftop¨Cevery detail, every decision.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°So Sean took that knife for you?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°yes¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s voice was sharp with disapproval. ¡°You acted recklessly. We had already called the police. There were security guards on the property, Couldn¡¯t you have waited a little longer? If you hadn¡¯t rushed in like that, Sean wouldn¡¯t be lying in there right <b>now</b><b>.</b>¡±

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Jasper St., Charlotte said quietly. Her voice was tight, almost <b>hoarse</b>, her head <b>bowed </b>even <b>lower</b>. ¡°<b>This </b>is all on me.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. didn¡¯t relent. ¡°And all this trouble¨Cbefore you¡¯re even married.¡±

    Desmond¡¯s expression tumed cold. ¡°What exactly are you implying, Mrs. Jasper5r.? My daughter was the one targeted. <b>Sean¡¯s </b>the one bring chased by <b>an </b>obsessive woman, and you¡¯re ming Charlotte?¡±

    He took a step forward, his voice rising, ¡°Wait a little longer? Are you <b>serious</b>? That woman <b>had </b><b>a </b><b>knife </b>to my younger daughter¡¯s throat. She threatened to kill her if charlotte didn¡¯t show up. You really think standing around and waiting <b>was </b>an option?¡±

    Desmond scoffed, his tone biting. ¡°You mentioned security? Where were your <b>guards </b>when a child got abducted in broad daylight? Were <b>they </b><b>on </b>break? <b>Dead </b>asleep? My younger daughter was kidnapped. Charlotte risked her life to save her. And now you¡¯re telling me she acted rashly? You should be grateful she had the

    He was lived now. ¡°Let me ask you something¨Cit it had been your son with <b>a </b>life to his <b>throat</b>, <b>would </b>you have <b>walted </b>for the guards to show up?

    ¡°And don¡¯t tell me Sean ¡®took the knife forher.¡± What¨Cso you¡¯re saying the de should have gone into my daughter instead?¡±

    He stared Mrs. Jasper Sr. down, his voice steely. ¡°The attacker was clearly the one at fault. But here you are, , ming the victim. Is that how things work in your family?!

    Mr. Jasper Sr.coughed twice, cutting through the tension. <b>¡°</b>Desmond, don¡¯t get so worked up. You¡¯re right. None of this was Charlotte¡¯s fault.¡± He turned to his wife, his tone sharp. ¡°What on earth are you saying? That wasn¡¯t fair.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sc. flushed with anger. Her chest heaved. ¡°Fine! Now <b>I¡¯m </b>the viin<b>? </b>I won¡¯t <b>argue </b>with you anymore.¡®

    She spun around <b>and </b>stormed <b>off</b>.

    Mr. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. tumed back <b>to </b>Desmond with a calmer voice. ¡°Desmond, I understand your frustration<b>. </b>This whole thing is on us.¡±

    Desmond exhaled slowly, reining in <b>his </b>emotions. ¡°Now that Sean¡¯s stable, I¡¯m going home. My youngest is still shaken. I need to be with her.¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr. nodded and turned to James ¡°Walk him out.¡±

    Charlotte took a step toward Sean¡¯s room, but Desmond stopped her.

    ¡°You¡¯reing home with ribe,¡± he said tly. ¡°If anything happens with Sean¡¯s condition, I don¡¯t <b>want </b>them ming <b>you </b><b>again</b><b>.</b>¡±

    The <b>room </b>fell ufortably quiet. The Jasper side new Desmond wasn¡¯t wrong. After everything Mrs. Jesper St. had <b>just </b>said, they <b>had </b>no ground <b>to </b>aggue.

    Charlotte turned toward her father, clearly tom. ¡°<b>Dad</b><b>..</b>¡±

    HIG SALE: 3500 bonus fra lou <b>you </b>

    Pre ow gap in the door

 His Heart 100

    <b>to </b>see him. Charlotte had been worried sick all afternoon. Now that Sean was finally out of danger, she just wanted to see

    After all, he <b>had </b>taken that knife for her

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. <b>You¡¯re </bing home with me,¡± Desmond said stemly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

    But Charlotte shook <b>her </b><b>head</b>, her eyes steady, ¡°Dad, 1 know you¡¯re angry right now, but I can¡¯t leave. Sean risked his life to protect me. The least I can do is be here when he wakes up. If he opens his eyes and doesn¡¯t see me, he¡¯ll be heartbroken.¡±

    Mr. Jasper St. looked moved and turned to Desmond. ¡°Desmond<b>, </b>my wife was out of ile earlier. I sincerely apologize. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    James added, ¡°Sean <b>would </b>definitely want her to be the first person he sees when he wakes up.¡±

    Lillian nodded with a soft sigh. ¡°They¡¯re clearly devoted to each other. That kind of love doesn¡¯te around often.¡±

    With Mr. Jasper St. being <b>so </b>sincere and reasonable, Desmond couldn¡¯t keep pushing. He tookca moment, then finally looked at Charlotte.

    ¡°Fine. Stay. I¡¯m going home to check on your sister¡±

    After Desmond left, Charlotte apologized once again for her impulsiveness.

    <b>Lillian </b>gave her hand a gentle squeeze. ¡°Sweetheart, stop ming yourself. None of this was your fault. We all know <b>you¡¯d </b>never want Sean to get hurt. If anyone¡¯s To me, it¡¯s us for not seeing thising. <b>Your </b><b>father </b>was <b>right</b>.¡±

    Tears welled up in Charlotte¡¯s eyes. ¡°I want to see

    Bean.¡±

    ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Lillian said, guiding her down the hallway.

    Sean slowly opened his eyes.

    The first thing he saw was charlotte, her face etched with worry.

    As soon as she realized he was awake,

    e<b>, </b>her nose crinkled and tears spilled over. <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re awake¡­¡±

    Sean gave a faint smile, his voice low and <b>hoarse</b>. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m not going anywhere

    Lillian, standing beside them, wiped her tears. ¡°You <b>scared </b>us half to death. It something had happened to you¡­ I swear, I couldn¡¯t have taken it.¡±

    James sighed and muttered, ¡°<b>Can </b>we stop saying things like that? It¡¯s bad luck.¡±

    Charlotte was openly crying now, tears falling faster than she could wipe them. Sean tried to lift his hand tofort her, but the movement sent pain shooting. through <b>his </b>side. He winced.

    She immediately caught his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t move just rest.

    Sean looked at lier, eyes soft with affection. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Lottle. As long as you¡¯re safe<b>, </b>none of this matters.<b>¡± </b>

    No. That¡¯s not true ¡°Charlotte shook her head, swiping at her tears. ¡°We both have to be okay. That¡¯s the only thing that matters. ¡°

    Lillian frowned<b>, </b>but her voice was gentle<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>You two are too much Can¡¯t we all just focus on getting better?¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s Jodie?¡± Sean <b>asked</b>, his eyes searching hers.

    <b>¡°</b><b>She¡¯s </b>for Sale and sound, Charlotte said, voice still trembling

    ¡°<b>Good</b><b>,</b>¡± Sean murmured, rxing against the pillow

    Lilian looked at her son, exasperated but emotional. ¡°You nearly died, and you¡¯re still worried about everyone else just test, okay? <b>We¡¯ll </b>take care of everything

    ¨C

    ¡°Mom, <b>Dad</b>,¡± Sean sald weakly, ¡°cant have a moment alone with <b>Lottle</b><b>?</b>¡°

    They both nudded and quietly stepped out of the room.

    Sean tumed his gaze <b>back </b>to Charlotte ¡°Did anyone give you a hard time?¡±

    the shook her head, billing her lip. The lung in her throat was unbearable. Even now, lying in a hospital bed after nearly dying, he was more worried about her than

    himself.

    she forced a smile, blinking away teas. ¡°You better get better soon. We still have an engagement party to reschedule¡±

 His Heart 101

    Sean¡¯s lips, still pale as paper, carved into a faint smile. ¡°Alright. I promise.¡±

    Not <b>long </b>after James and Lillian stepped out of the ICL, James¡¯s phone rang. The voice on the other end was sharp with urgency.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper¨Cbad news, something¡¯s happened!¡±

    At the detention center, Judy imed she was pregnant, so they followed protocol and took her to the hospital for a medical checkup. On the way there, a vehicle came barreling into their car, ramming it violently off the road.

    Several tall, muscr men jumped out. They were clearly trained. They moved with precision and quickly pulled Judy from the wreck and drove off with her.

    The guards in the car with her were badly injured. The vehicle was totaled, making immediate pursuit impossible.

    James¡¯s face twisted in disbellet. ¡°She was taken? Are you kidding mei

    ¡°What? Who was <b>taken</b>?¡± Lillian asked<b>, </b>her voice <b>rising </b>with rm.

    <b>James </b>took a few deep breaths, then slumped into a nearby chair, <b>as </b>if the weight of the <b>news </b>had knocked the wind out of him. ¡°It was Judy Caleb ¡°

    Lillian¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What? But she was already in custody!¡±

    James furrowed his brow, deep in thought. ¡°Dad was right! This whole thing with the Gibsons doesn¡¯t add up. Someone¡¯s pulling strings behind the scenes. We need to figure out who she¡¯s really working with¡ªand fast,¡±

    After a few days in the ICU, Sean was transfected to a regr hospital room.

    He had been in and out of a deep, dreamlike sleep. When he finally woke, he felt drained, like even breathing took effort.

    The harsh smell of antiseptic filled the air. Sunlight poured gently through the window, casting a warm glow across his face.

    He lifted a hand to block the light. The motion rugged at the IV in his am, sending a sharp sting up his <b>wrist</b>.

    re awake.

    ¡°You¡¯r

    Charlotte¡¯s voice came from the doorway. When she saw his eyes open, she rushed to the bedside, setting a small thermal food container down on the side <b>table</b>.

    *1 just stepped out to cool for you. You woke <b>up </b>at the perfect time.¡°¡±

    Seanturned his head, <b>his </b>gaze falling on the container, Surprise flickered in his eyes. ¡°You cooked<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    She gave a sheepish smile. ¡°I <b>did</b><b>. </b>Made it myself. Want to try some? It¡¯s my first attempt.¡±

    The light softened d the <b>edges </b><b>of </b>his <b>face</b>, and his eyes glowed with quiet warmth. A smile tugged at theers of his lips.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to ¡±

    Charlotte leaned in, the sweet scent of fruit and flowers on her skin drifting toward him.

    heart <b>pped</b>. He thought she was going to hug or kiss him

    His chest filled with something warm and giddy, <b>like </b><b>a </b>teenager caught up in his first crust. His eyes <b>sparklel</b>, lips parting slightly as he braced for her kiss

    But then¨Cclick¨Cthe hospital bed began to rise.

    ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b>adjusting the bed so <b>you </b>can sit up and eat,¡± she <b>said </b>casually.

    Sean blinked, then let <b>out </b>a quiet chuckle. He couldn¡¯t believe himself. ¡°<b>What </b><b>am </b>I, fourteen?¡± he thought

    Charlotte pulled over a tray <b>table</b><b>, </bid <b>down </b>a paper towel, and ced the container on top. Slip opened the thennal food <b>container </b>carefully, revealing ayer of saut¨¦ed <b>vegetables </b>and poached beet stop.

    ¡°The doctor said you need <b>to </b>stick to a light diet while you¡¯re recovering, so I <b>made </b>you some poached beet and greens¨Csomething easy on the stomach but still bnced.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t say a word. He just gazed at Charlotte with gulettes, eyes <b>soft </b>and full of emotion.

    The had so that face <b>over </b>and overalls dreams these <b>past </b>few days.

    And now, walding up to her¨Cright here<b>, </b>infront of him¨Cit almost felt too good to be <b>real </b>

 His Heart 102

    By the time Sean snapped out of his daze, he saw w that the tray table in front of him was already filled with a te of saut¨¦ed greens, tender poached beef, fluffy white rice<b>, </b><b>and </b>a bowl of homemade soup

    ¡°You made all this?¡± he asked with a soft smile. ¡°What kind of soup is it?¡±

    ¡°Chicken soup, ¡°Charlotte said, picking up the bowl and gently blowing on a <b>spoonful </b>before holding it to his lips. <b>¡°</b>Try it.¡±

    Sean lowered his eyes with a smile, but suddenly his expression Froze.

    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡±

    There was a small blister on Charlotte¡¯s index finger. She

    tried

    to hide it, <b>but </b>it was toote.

    um identally bumed <b>myself </b>while cooking. It¡¯s nothing, just a little bilster.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes <b>reddened</b>. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡±

    After sipping the soup, Sean gently took her wrist and lowered his head to blow softly on the burn.

    Then he <b>looked </b>up, his gaze full of concern. ¡°Don¡¯t lie. Burns always hurt.

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes stung ¡°It really doesn¡¯t. Compared to what you went through, this is nothing.¡±

    Sean gently pinched her cheek. ¡°Even the tiniest hurt on you makes <b>my </b>heart ache.¡±

    Charlotte bit her lip, blinking fast. Her voice turned soft and sweet. ¡°Seam

    Her <b>voice </b>was all breath <b>and </b>sugar, and Sean melted on the spot. He pulled her closer and dissed her forehead<b>, </b>then her flushed cheek, and finally her lips.

    Her ears burned. Her heart fluttered like it was dipped in honey

    After a moment, Charlotte pressed her <b>hands </b>against <b>his </b>chest <b>and </b>pulled back slightly. ¡°<b>You </b>should eat before it gets cold.¡±

    Sean <b>raised </b><b>a </b>brow, his voice trasing ¡°okay, <b>And </b>after eat, cant kiss you <b>again</b>?¡±

    Charlotte let out <b>a </b>soft huff and looked away, ignoring his yful tone.

    <b>Scan </b>took <b>a </b>bite of the vegetables.

    Nervously, Charlotte asked, ¡°How is it? Does it taste okay?¡±

    <b>With </b><b>a </b>glint of mischief in liye, Seam replied, ¡°It¡¯s delicious. <b>You </b>know they say the way to someone¡¯s heart is through their stomach. Are you trying to win me over one bite at a time?¡±

    Charlotte puffed her cheeks and feigned <b>a </b>re. ¡°So It I don¡¯t win over your stomach, I can¡¯t win your heart?

    Sean chucked and gave her cheek another pinch. ¡°Are you kidding<b>? </b><b>You </b>just have to stand there and smile. I¡¯m already yours.¡±

    Curlette let out a soft ¡°lungli,¡± but the joy in her eyes gave her away.

    Sean <b>finished </b>everything¨Cevery bite, even the <b>soup</b>.

    Afterwards, he leaned back to rest white Curlotte tidied up the table and began packing up the dishes.

    ¡°I can get a parse of the housekeeper to take care of that,¡°Sean offered.

    durlotte shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble

    Sean¡¯s voice dropped <b>a </b>bit, touched with emotion. ¡°When did you learn to cook?¡±

    Curette had always been the pampered type¨Craised with care, never needing to lift a finger for things like <b>cooking </b>or cleaning

    *Just in the pas<ul><li>past few days,¡± she replied.</li></ul>

    Before Sean could ask more, the hospital room door opened and a group of people walked in.

    Latian entered first, holding a food container ¡°Sean, Mom brought you some lunch

    Behind her weren, Mia, and a nurse.

    <b>When </b>her eyesnded on Charlotte, Willian smiled. ¡°Oh, durlotte, you¡¯re here <b>too</b>! Did <b>you </b><b>eat </b><b>already</b>? Couse jodijus ¨C we brought plenty **

    Charlotte smiled politely. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Jasper, but I jasi ate

    Seanched right away, ¡°1 Just are too

    Lillian blinked, then nced <b>down </b>and noticed the thermal <b>food </b>container in Charlotte¡¯s hand. ¡°You <b>brought </b>lunch for Sean?¡±

 His Heart 103

    per.¡°Charlotte replied.

    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Jasper,¡±

    Lillian turned to Sean. ¡°Did you eat enough? 1 hrought all your favorites. Do you wa

    Sean shook his head with a soft smile. ¡°No need. Lottle made bunch herself. It was perfect and I fished every bite.¡±

    Lillian¡¯s face lit up with a warm, motherly smile, ¡°Well then, if you¡¯ve already eaten, I won¡¯t pusha.¡±

    Hie sei downthe fruit basket and supplements he brought, <b>shooting </b>Sen a teasing look. ¡°You lucky dog.¡±

    Lan eyebrow in retum. ¡°What can I say? Some joys are reserved for the non¨Csingle.¡±

    Sean raised an

    Ian¡¯s simile froze. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go find a girlfriend, and we¡¯ll rub our love in your <b>face </b>every day. Let¡¯s see how you like It.¡±

    M¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Lottie, you cook now?¡±

    Charlotte smiled softly, ¡°just started leaming.¡±

    Mia circled her dramatically like she was seeing something unbelievable. ¡°Wow, I still rember that time in college when I came over and you made me a fried

    bit into it, and it crunched! You said the eggshell had calcium and I should be grateful.¡±

    Charlotteughed and scratched her nose. ¡°Technically, It does <b>have </b>calcium.¡±

    Mia burst intoughter. ¡°Okay, so I get <b>a </b>crunchy egg, and your med gets a full¨Con home¨Ccooked meal? I see how it is.¡±

    Curlotte grinned. ¡°Next time, 1¡¯ll make you a real meal ton,¡±

    Mis pped her hands. ¡°I¡¯m gonna hold you to that!¡±

    dan gave her a look. ¡°This is clearly a romantic couple moment. Why are you trying to crash it?¡±

    Mistlipped her hair. ¡°Why do you care<b>?</b>¡±

    The rooms <b>burst </b>intoughter, the <b>mood </b>light and cheerful.

    Lillian chuckled <b>along</b>, then noticed the thermal food container in Charlotte¡¯s hand. ¡°Lottie, are you about to clean that out?¡±

    Charlotte nodded ¡°Mm¨Chmin.¡±

    ¡°Let the nurse handle it.¡± She signaled to the attending<b>, </b>nurse nearby, who quickly <b>stepped </b><b>forward</b>.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take can

    ¡®care of <b>it</b><b>, </b><b>Miss </b>Riley,¡± the <b>nurse </b>offered.

    Chadotte handed <b>it </b><b>over</b>, and Lillian didn¡¯t stay long after She took a call and

    Charlotte sull had work to <b>finish </b></divter that day, <b>so </b>after spending a little more time with seyn, she quietly slipped away.

    just as the stepped out of the hospital, she ran into someone she didn¡¯t want to see.

    Zac walled toward her. ¡°Charlotte, finally. <b>I¡¯ve </b>been trying to see <b>you </b><b>for </b><b>days</b>. Why <b>haven¡¯t </b>you been home?

    By¡°home,¡± he cam Brightwood Residences. It was the only address below <b>for </b>her.

    Charlotte¡¯s expression turned wary. ¡°What air you doing brir?¡±

    Zac¡¯s eyes gliated with something unsettling, <b>like </b>anticipation. ¡°I <b>brand </b>your engagement party got canceled?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What¡¯s it to you? <b>Move </b>

    He <b>blocked </b>her path. ¡°Charlotte, don¡¯t you believe in signs? Your engagement belog ruined like that don¡¯t you think it meanste doesn¡¯t want you two

    Bir sculled. ¡°It¡¯s the qua century. I¡¯m amazed someone like <b>you </b>still thinks like that. ¡±

    Zac didn¡¯t seem offended. On the contrary, he looked thrilled

    stabbed. The engagement was called utt. Everything was going his way.

    Zar smiled semigly ¡°You know who the attacker was, nglu? she was one of Sean¡¯s crazed andres she had been chasing him for ten years. People saw her at the party. The while <b>city¡¯s </b>talking about it now!

    He leaned in slightly, voice lower, ¡°so tell me

    rally iguse a woman who¡¯s been obsessed with him for a decade?¡±

 His Heart 104

    Zac¡¯s words echoed in Charlotte¡¯s mind like a curse, refusing to let her rest. They kept swirling in her head, leaving her distracted and uneasy.

    So much so that when she visited Sean at the hospital the next day, she lookedpletely lost in thought.

    ¡°Lottic<b>, </b>what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Sean asked,

    Hershes flittered as she turned her face away, avoiding his eyes. ¡°Um¡­ what¡¯s the <b>deal </b><b>with </b>that judy o

    Se an gave her a look that was hard to read, then smiled faintly. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±

    Charlotte puffed out her cheels and tried to act indifferent. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. <b>You </b>just never mentioned her before, so I was curious.¡±

    But the <b>truth </b>was, she was more than just jealous. The fact that this woman had kidnapped Jodie and even tried to stab her had Charlotte simmering with anger on top of everything else.

    ¡°Where do you keep attracting these crazy women?¡± she grumbled ¡°She¡¯spletely unhinged.¡±

    Sean beckoned her over with a finger, ¡°Lottie,e here,¡±

    She obeyed and sat down at the edge of his <b>hospital </b>bed.

    Taking her hand in his, Sean grew serious. ¡°We were high school ssmates. She used <b>to </b>chase after me pretty Intensely. But I <b>made </b>it clear I wasn¡¯t interested. Later, we ended up at the same college<b>, </b>and she kept trying, but I never gave her any hope.¡±

    Charlotte lowered her eyes and pouted, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    Sean gave her cheeka light pinds. ¡°That¡¯s it. We barely talked. I didn¡¯t even add her on any socials.

    Charlotte was quiet for a moment before adding again,

    en why¡¯d she krep at it for so long?Ten years, Sean. That¡¯s <b>not </b>ten days or ten months.¡±

    Sean gave a helpless littleugh. ¡°I honestly have no idea. Everyone around me knew how old I was to her. We barely spoke a handful of times in all those years.¡±

    <b>Charlotte </b>leaned in closer and gave a little huff. ¡°A handful? How <b>many¡¯s </b><b>a </b>handful?+

    Seanchuckled ¡°rive, six, seven, maybe eight sentences.

    ¡°<b>And </b><b>that¡¯s </b>not <b>a </b>lot to you?¡± she said, feigning outrage.

    Sean looked at her,pletely taken with how adorable she was being. His eyes were filled with affection, and he couldn¡¯t stop smiling. <b>¡°</b><b>It </b><b>was </b>nothing, mally. <b>Just </b>the first few times she confessed, Thad to say <b>something </b>to tum her <b>down</b>. After that<b>, </b><b>we </b>hardly <b>spoke </b>at <b>all</b>.¡±

    Charlotte narrowed her eyes, still suspicious. ¡°You <b>didn¡¯t </b>feel even a little something for her? She¡¯s pretty, you know,¡±

    Not at all,¡± sean said, locking eyes with her. ¡°There¡¯s only ever been one person in my heart. <b>No </b>room for anyone else.

    Curiotte tilted her head, pretending not to get il ¡°Someone else? Who?¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes twinlded with amusement. ¡°Who <b>do </b>you think?¡±

    She roumbled under her breath, ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t say it, how would I know?¡±

    To Sean<b>, </b><b>she </b>was clearly just being yful. She looked so sweet and coy that his heart felt like it was melting on the <b>spot</b>.

    He couldn¡¯t resist her. With a smile in his voice, he said, ¡°It¡¯s you. It¡¯s always bern you.¡±

    Charlotte turned her face away, still avoiding <b>his </b>gaze. ¡°Shirconfesard to you in high school, but I <b>was </b><b>just </b><b>a </b>kid back then. You couldn¡¯t have liked me at that. point.¡±

    Sean answered without hesitation, ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about dating in high school.¡±

    That made Charlotte curious. She looked at him with wide alipond¨Cshaped eyes, hershes fluttering. ¡°Then when did you start liking me?¡±

    al

    Sean thought about it. ¡°At first, ally did see you as a little sister. I¡¯m not even when those feelings <b>changed</b>. It just kind of happene

 His Heart 105

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t ready to let it go. ¡°There¡¯s no rough timeline? Not even a guess?¡±

    *If I had to say,¡± Sean replied<b>, </b>¡°probably when you were in high school. That time Drie Lee was bothering you. I punched him, and that¡¯s when it hit me. I realized. there was something different about how I felt about you.¡±

    Charlotte used her lips. ¡°Wow. You <b>really </b>kept it hidden.¡±

    Sean reached out and gently ruffled her soft hair. ¡°thad to wait for you to grow up<b>.</b>¡±

    A hint of sadness flickered in his eyes. ¡°Right after you <b>graduated </b>college, I went to your <b>dad </b><b>to </b>propose an engagement. But you didn¡¯t want it. You even ran away! from <b>home</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte looked away, guilty, and muttered, ¡°I thought my dad was sacrificing me for thepany. I didn¡¯t low you¡¯d been nning this all along. You never told me! I was so wronged.¡±

    Sean suddenly put on a pitiful expression. ¡°Ow¡­ my wound hurts.¡±

    Charlotte panicked <b>and </b>immediately leaned in to check the injury on his waist. ¡°What happened? Did <b>you </b>bump it? should call the mutse?¡±

    But before she could react, Sean pulled her into <b>his </b>arms and rested his chin on the <b>top </b>of her head. His voice was low and soft. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt when I¡¯m holding

    Charlotte let out a softugh. ¡°y<b>, </b>now you¡¯re just messing with me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Sean said<b>, </b>gently stroking her smooth hair. ¡°It really hurts. But if you stay <b>right </b>here and let me hold you, 1l feel better. *

    Charlotte buried her face in his chest, breathing in his familiar scent

    Meanwhile<b>, </b>Zar had just returned from a dinner meeting. As he walked <b>through </b>the hotel lobby, someone suddenly called his name.

    ¡°Zac Gibson.¡±

    He turned toward the voice and saw a young woman he didn¡¯t recognize.

    She was dressed head to toe in designer brands.

    ¡°Do I know <b>you</b><b>?</b>¡± Zac asked, puzzled. He took a few steps closer. ¡°Have we met?

    The woman leaned back against the couch, tilting her head slightly to look at him. ¡°We¡¯re about to

    Zar sat down across from her. And you are?

    She smiled. ¡°Vivian Kander. The adopted daughter of the Jasper family.¡±

    ¡°The Jasper family?¡± Zac¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°You mean Sean <b>Jasper¡¯s </b>family?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s digle.¡± Vivian¡¯s smile <b>widened</b>. ¡°<b>Ever </b>thought about working with me?¡±

    Zac raised <b>an </b>eyebrow ¡°What kind of ¡®work<b>¡®</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    She leaned forward slightly, her voice calin and calcted. ¡°Breaking up Sean and Chadarte.¡±

    Zac narrowed his <b>eyes </b>at her. ¡°And why should I trust you?¡±

    <b>Vivian </b>let out a quietugh. Because I¡¯m in love with Seau. No one <b>wants </b>to tear them apart more than I do<b>. </b>

    she slida business card arrows the table ¡°I know yourpany¡¯s been looking for investors call this guy he¡¯ll invest in the Gibson Corporation

    She <b>added</b><b>, </b>¡°the conditionis, you work with me <b>to </b>split them up. ¡°

    Zac nced at the card, then sneered, ¡°Even without your money, I¡¯d do whatever it takes to break them apart. Charlotte belongs to me

    <b>Vivian </b>smirked ¡°Then Mr. Gibson, stull we call it a deal?

    Zac Lapped the <b>card </b>thoughtfully ¡°Let me verify your identity first. Then I¡¯ll get back to you

    are ¡°Vivian beld out her phone with a casual smile. ¡°Here¨Ccan my contact. Text me anytime.¡±

    <b>BIG </b>SALE: 3500 <b>bonus </b>free fou you

 His Heart 106

    <ul><li><b></b><b>25 </b>Bonus</li></ul>

    Lately, Zac had been running around nonstop trying to secure investors.

    Most of the businesses in Jersey City weren¡¯t even considering putting money into the Gibson Corporation, so he had no choice but to look elsewhere. He had been spending more time in hotels and on airnes than anywhere else.

    That day, he had just flown back into Jersey City when Eugene came to pick him <b>up</b>.

    It was early evening, and they were on their way to a dirmer meeting

    While waiting at a red light, Eugene nced sideways at Zac

    Zac was holding his phone, flipping through old <b>photos </b>of him and Charlotte, one by one.

    Eugene opened his mouth like he was about to say something but then hesitated.

    Before he could speak, Zac leaned over and held up the phone for him to see. His expression was soft, eyes full of emotion. ¡°Look how happy we were back then.¡±

    Eugene¡¯s expression grewplicated.

    Thest time za had asked him to buy ring in Frange, Zae mentioned that it was for winning Charlotte <b>back </b>

    Zac told him she was about to get engaged, and Eugene had even reminded him that going after someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦e wasn¡¯t exactly ethical.

    Ever since Zac came back, Eugene hadn¡¯t dared to bring up Charlotte. Not ancor

    Charlotte had left Harbor City long time ago. Eugene hadn¡¯t seen her since<b>, </b>and he still had no clue who her fianc¨¦ was.

    But over the past few weeks, spending time around Zac, Eugene could <b>tell </b>something had changed. Zac barely smiled anymore.

    Back in the day, Zac was always the Hfe of the party during theirhangouts Now? He just sat there drinking alone, getting drunk and muttering Charlotte¡¯s name <b>under </b>his breath, lost in heartbreak

    Now, as Zac stared at those <b>old </b>photos<b>, </b><b>a </b>rare smile tugged at his lips. It was like he was lost in memorles, using them to lie to himself

    Eugene felt like Zac hadpletely lost it.

    He wanted to ask if Zachad ever given her the ring, but the words caught in his threat.

    In the end, all he could do was let out a long<b>, </b>heavy sigh,

    The light tumed green.

    The driver hit the gas, and the car started moving again.

    But Eugene couldn¡¯t stay quiet anymore. ¡°Zac, as your friend, I¡¯ve got to say something. Yeah, you two used to have something special. But what¡¯s lost is lost. engaged now. Don¡¯t go down the path of doing something you¡¯ll regret. Don¡¯t make it worse.¡±

    ong. I just want her with me.¡±

    ¡°Something I¡¯ll ogret?¡± Zac scoffed, stone careless and sharp. ¡°I told you before¨C1 don¡¯t care about right or wrong.

    Lugene frowned. ¡°But she¡¯s bout to get married. You can¡¯t just-

    Zac <b>cut </b>him off with a smirk. ¡°Eugene, you know our circle. How many married couples are out there still fooling around? it¡¯s not exactly rare for husbands and wives to do their own thing on the <b>side</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Eugene was silent for a <b>beat</b>, then <b>sald </b>quietly. ¡°Just because something¡¯smon doesn¡¯t <b>mean </b><b>it¡¯s </b>right.¡±

    Zac <b>didn¡¯t </b>respond. His expression darkened<b>, </b>and the air between them <b>went </b>cold.

    Eugene didn¡¯t say anything more.

    ite realized that when someohe <b>had </b><b>no </b>sense of morality, <b>no </b>amount of <b>moral </b>reasoning could hold them <b>back</b>.

    To him, Zac was just pallietis.

    Zac never detished waathir head, and now that be had <b>lost </b>i

    The car reached <b>a </b>busy part of the city center.

    I was nashiboux, and trallic was backed <b>up </b>for blocks.

    all he could do was regret it.

    Zarpat slouched in the backseat, staring nkly out the window,pletely checked out.

    Then suddenly, he spotted a familiarliquer.

    ¡°stop the car!¡± shouted.

    Eugene blinked ¡°What?¡±

    Zar was staring out the window withser forus Confused<b>, </b>Fargear followed  tine of sight and froze,

    +25 <b>Bonu1 </b>

    instant, beminderstood why Zd yelled.

    There, on the sidewalk, Charlotte was walking side by side whha ma

    They were facing in their direction, close enough that he could clearly see dhrit fad

    The man was tall and handsome, with <b>an </b>air of sophistication. Everything from his tailored clothes to his polished demeanor, made it clear that this wasn¡¯t just anybody.

 His Heart 107

    Sean and Charlotte were walking close, chatting andughing like they didn¡¯t have <b>a </b>care in the world.

    Zac muttered under his breath, ¡°Out of the hospital already? Tough guy.¡±

    Eugene guessed the man beside Charlotte had to be her nce.

    Before he could say anything, Zac opened the car door and stepped out, heading straight toward them.

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

    It <b>had </b>been a week since Sean was <b>discharged</b>.

    574

    Over that week, Charlotte had been carefully watching <b>his </b>diet, making sure he only ate light, nd me.

    At <b>first</b>, he didn¡¯t mind. But after days <b>of </b>the same in soups and veggies, even he was getting sick of it

    After plenty of begging and bargaining, Charlotte had finally agreed to let him have something better <b>today </b>and even brought him <b>out </b>to eat.

    <b>nout </b>

    She chose a restaurant in the heart of the city, a well¨Cknown spot that had been around for decades. It was one they had both grown up eating at

    It was dinnertime<b>, </b><b>and </b>the ce was packed. Every table in the main dining <b>room </b><b>was </b>full, <b>and </b>a long line <b>of </b><b>people </b>waited outside for a table.

    <b>Luckily</b>, Charlotte had made a reservation in advance. She checked in by scanning the QR code <b>at </b>the entrance and <b>was </b><b>just </b>about to follow the hostess inside when someone called her name<b>. </b>

    ¡°Chadotte!¡±

    She tumed around and immediately saw Eugene.

    And right beside him was Zac.

    Chadorte¡¯s brows furrowed.

    ¡°Him again? Seriously, like a bad penny,¡± she muttered.

    Zac and Eugene walked up to them

    Eugene greeted her with a smile. ¡°Long time no see, Charlotte. So you¡¯re from Jersey City? You never mentioned that before.¡±

    A few days earlier, all Dagene had heard from Zac was that Charlotte was from Jersey Cily and was about to get engaged. That <b>was </b>it.

    He had no idea she was the daughter of the powerful Riley family or that the man standing next to her was the CEO of the Jasper <b>Corporation</b>.

    The <b>scandal </b>at <b>the </b>Sullivan <b>family¡¯s </b>party, where Wendy and <b>Monica </b>used <b>Charlotte </b>of stealing <b>and </b>ended up getting thrown out by security, <b>had </b>been so embarrassing that they never <b>breathed </b><b>a </b>word <b>about </b>it. They were trying to bury the story, <b>not </b>spread It.

    So, most of the people in Zac¡¯s social circle still had no clue <b>about </b>Charlotte¡¯s true background.

    Eugene, though, had always been one of the few in <b>that </b>group who actually had decent values. He never looked down on Charlotte, and he had even helped her <b>out </b>a

    Because of that, Charlotte had always had a good impression of him and greeted him politely now.

    She gave him a slight nod and replied, ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Eugene nced at the man beside <b>her</b>, even <b>though </b>he already <b>had </b>a hunch<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>And this <b>is</b><b>¡­</b>?¡±

    <b>Charlotte </b>undled and introduced him. ¡°This is my <b>fianc¨¦</b>, Sean Jasper.¡±

    ¡°Sean Jasper?¡± Eugene¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his head. ¡°You¡¯re you¡¯re that Sean Jasper?¡±

    He had never mat Sean in person, and there were no interviews or photos of him onlin

    But the name? Legendary.

    Everyone in the world knew it.

    This was the so¨Ccalled clown prince of Jersey Cly

    sean¡¯s face was expressionless, is jaw clenched tight, and his eyes were like sheathed des<b>, </b>fixed sharply on Zac as if he were ready to tear him apart

    His <b>voice </b>was cold and cutting. ¡°Do you need something?¡±

    Eugene felt a chill run down his spine.

    Sean¡¯s presence was overwhelming and undeniably powerful. He <b>really </b>did live up to his title as the heir to the Jasper empire.

    Thatmanding aura, the kind of pressure that came so naturally to him, wasn¡¯t something spoiled rich boys like them could ever hope to invitate

    Dagene scratched his head awlowardly and asked, ¡°Any chance I could join you two for dinner?

    Charlotte hadn¡¯t had time to eat all day. She had been mmed with week and only managed to grab a single piece of bread. Now she was starving, and all she wanted was to get <b>inside </b>and order something fast

    ¡°You can,

    she said, pointing at Zac, ¡°but he can¡¯t.¡±

    Zac¡¯s expression shifted slightly, something unreadable flickering in <b>his </b><b>eyes</b>.

 His Heart 108

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    <b>As </b>soon as Charlotte sat down at the restaurant, Zac followed and took the table right next to hers.

    That table had just been seated¡ªa young couple who had also just walked in <b>and </b><b>were </b>about to ce their onder.

    Zac walked up to the man <b>and </b><b>said</b>, ¡°Would you mind giving me your table? I can pay for it.¡±

    The couple exchanged a nce

    ¡°How much are you offering?¡± thedy asked

    <b>¡°</b>Five thousand. Is that enough?¡± za replied without hesitation.

    Her eyes widened. ¡°Are you serious?*

    <b>¡°</b>Of course.¡± Zac pulled out his phone. ¡°Just give me <b>your </b>ount. I¡¯ll transfer it now.

    Thedy¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, she pulled out her phone without <b>a </b>second thought.

    As soon as the money came through, she happily grabbed her boyfriend and left.

    Zac turned to Charlotte¡¯s table with <b>a </b>calm smile, pulled out the chair, and <b>sat </b>down. He casually poured himself a cup of tea

    Eugene sat there stunned.

    ¡°Is that even allowed<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>he thought.

    <b>He </b>looked at Charlotte, then at Zac.

    Eventually, he gave up and moved over to zac¡¯s table, sitting across from him.

    Charlotte had always loved a few signature dishes from this restaurant.

    Zac was clearly sitting nearby just to get under her skin. If this had been the past, when she still had feelings for him, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to eata single bite.

    But things were different <b>now</b>.

    She didn¡¯t care about him anymore.

    To her, Zacmight as well be invisible.

    she ordered a few of her favorite dishes, along with a ss of iced juice.

    Just as the drink was ced <b>in </b>front of her, or suddenly said, ¡°Your period should be starting soon. Don¡¯t drink anything cold.¡±

    Charlotte rolled her eyes inwardly, then lifted the ss, took two <b>long </b><b>sips</b>, and smiled sweetly.

    Tuming to Sean, she said, ¡°I haven¡¯t had this in so long. It tastes exactly the same. Want to try <b>it</b><b>, </b>Sean?¡±

    Her eyes sparded as she looked at him, her sinile <b>soft </b><b>and </b>sweet. Even the air around her felt lighte

    Sean <b>took </b>the cup from her hands and drank from the same straw without besitation<b>. </b>

    Tire was

    was to awlowandows between them <b>at </b>all. Everything belt natural¨CIntimate, even.

    Eugene watched the whole scepe <b>unfold </b><b>and </b>understood immediately.

    This wasn¡¯t an act.

    Charlotte and Sean truly cared about each other. They werefortable, <b>affectionate</b>, and clearly in sync.

    <b>Eugene </b>nced across the <b>table</b><b>, </b>stealing a look at Zac.

    Zac¡¯s jaw was clenched, and he was staring at Charlotte like he wanted <b>to </b>say something but couldn¡¯t. <b>His </b><b>eyes </b>were a mess of anger and <b>pain </b>

    durlotte, <b>on </b>the other <b>hand</b><b>, </b>didn¡¯t even nce hits way.

    Let¡¯s fingers tightened around his trap<b>, </b>bis knuckles using white. For a moment, Eugene was genuinely worried he might <b>caush </b><b>the </b><b>cup </b>in his <b>hand</b>.

    ¡°Why are you doing this to yourseli, man?¡± Eugene sighed to himself

    Trying to <b>defuse </b>the tension, he asked, ¡°save <b>you </b>ordered yet?¡±

    But Zac didn¡¯t respond. Its eyes were still fixed on Charlotte like he hadn¡¯t brand a word.

    Eugene shook his head and quietly pulled out his phone to scan the menu <b>and </b>order something.

    Meanwhile, Culotte¡¯s food <b>had </b>already started auriving.

 His Heart 109

    Chapter <b>109 </b>

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>It </b><b>was </b><b>a </b>defamation <b>case</b><b>. </b>We <b>were </b>representing the intiff,<b>¡± </b>Charlotte said, taking a sip of her drink. <b>¡°</b>You have no idea how hard it was to gather evidence for <b>that </b><b>one</b>, Sean. The client barely gave us anything to start with. I ended up spending over a month helping him <b>piece </b>everything together.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°A month?¡± Sean ced a peeled shrimp into her bowl. ¡°That was right before our engagement, wasn¡¯t it? Sounds exhausting.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b><b>, </b><b>it </b>was during that stretch.¡± Charlotte dipped the shrimp into sauce. ¡°It was tough<b>, </b>but totally worth it <b>once </b>we got the ruling in our favor.<b>¡± </b>

    As she spoke, Charlotte pulled out her phone with a bright smile. ¡°Oh<b>, </b>right! My client actually sent me a thank¨Cyou gift after the case. Look!¡±

    She opened her photo gallery and scrolled to a picture of a beautifully arranged gift basket<b>, </bplete with a handwritten card. Her eyes sparkled with pride. <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s the first time <b>a </b><b>client¡¯s </b>ever done something like this <b>for </b>me.¡±

    She looked just like a kid who¡¯d gotten a gold star in school¨Cgrinning with excitement, her whole face lighting up<b>, </b>clearly hoping for a little praise<b>. </b>

    Sean¡¯s expression softened, his voice warm and full of affection. <b>¡°</b>Our brilliant attorney. I¡¯m so proud <b>of </b><b>you</b>.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte blinked yfully and grinned. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal<b>. </b>Just doing my job<b>.</b>¡±

    Across the table<b>, </b>Zac felt his chest tighten. His back stiffened.

    He had always assumed that Charlotte and Sean were in a marriage <b>of </b>convenience, <b>a </b>cold business arrangement. He thought if he cleaned up his <b>act</b>, he still had a shot at winning her back

    But now<b>, </b>he realized <b>how </b>wrong he had been.

    They were acting like <b>a </b>couple <b>deep </b>in <b>love</b><b>. </b>

    Back when they <b>were </b>in Harbor City, Charlotte <b>would </b>sometimes talk <b>to </b>him about her work <b>too</b><b>. </b>But he had only found itughable at the time.

    He once told her she was wasting her time working <b>so </b>hard for a monthly sry that couldn¡¯t <b>even </b><b>cover </b><b>one </b>night <b>out </b>with his friends.

    What he never knew was that she <b>came </b>from wealth. She didn¡¯t need a job. She wanted to work <b>to </b>challenge herself and find her own value.

    <b>Now</b><b>, </b><b>as </b>she spoke about her <b>case </b><b>with </b>Sean, her <b>eyes </b>were lit with joy. She glowed from within<b>, </b>like a <b>wless </b>gem sparkling under the light.

    But that <b>gem </b>no longer belonged <b>to </b>him.

    Watching her sitting <b>so </b><b>close </b><b>to </b>Sean<b>, </bughing and chatting like nothing else in the world <b>mattered</b>, Zac felt <b>jealousy </b>eating him alive<b>. </b>

    These <b>were </b>the little moments she should have <b>been </b>sharing with him.

    <b>Her </b><b>joys</b><b>, </b>her thoughts and her smiles <b>used </b><b>to </b><b>be </b>his<b>. </b>

    And <b>now</b><b>? </b>

    Now she <b>didn¡¯t </b>even look in his <b>direction</b>.

    <b>He </b><b>suddenly </b><b>regretted </b>following her here<b>. </b>

    <b>At </b><b>first</b><b>, </b>he <b>just </b>wanted <b>to </b>stir the pot<b>, </b><b>mess </b><b>with </b><b>Sean¡¯s </b>mood<b>, </b><b>maybe </b><b>drive </b>a <b>wedge </b><b>between </b>them.

    <b>But </b><b>in </b>the <b>end</b><b>, </b>the only <b>person </b><b>left </b>shaken <b>was </b><b>himself</b>.

    He sat there<b>, </b>watching the woman he <b>loved </b>show <b>affection </b><b>to </b><b>another </b>man. His heart <b>twisted </b>with jealousy and bitterness. Each beat <b>felt </b>like a sharp<b>, </b><b>painful </b><b>tug </b>in

    his chest.

    <b>Just </b>then<b>, </b>the waiter brought <b>out </b>the food.

    <b>Eugene </b>picked <b>up </b>his utensils, ready <b>to </b><b>dig </b><b>in</b>.

    Suddenly<b>, </b>Zac across from hiro stood <b>up </b>with a loud <b>scrape </b><b>of </b>his <b>chair </b>against <b>the </b><b>tiled </b>floor.

    The harsh sound turned heads. Diners all around the restaurant nced <b>over</b>.

    <b>Zac </b>got to his feet and walked out without saying a word<b>, </b>not even looking back.

    Even from behind, it was clear just how furious he was.¡±

    <b>In </b><b>the </b>end<b>, </b><b>it </b><b>was </b>Zac <b>who </b>couldn¡¯t take <b>it </b>anymore.

    Eugene let out a sigh, picked <b>up </b>a <b>bite </b>of food<b>, </b>and mumbled<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>If he¡¯s not eating<b>, </b><b>I </b><b>will</b>. <b>Haven¡¯t </b>eaten <b>all </b><b>day</b>¡­¡±

    Zac returned to lus car and <b>lit </b>a <b>cigarette</b>.

    The <b>city </b>lights had juste on<b>, </b>and neon signs flickered outside <b>the </b>windows, <b>casting </b>a dizzying glow.

    Inside the <b>car</b>, smoke <b>curled </b>into the air.

    Zac <b>stared </b><b>out </b><b>the </b>window<b>, </b>his mind drifting back to all the times he <b>and </b>Charlotte <b>used </b>to eat together. She always sat across from <b>him</b>.

    Back then<b>, </b>he never thought anything of it.

    But tonight, he saw her sitting on the same side as another man.

    The table <b>wasn¡¯t </b>big. It looked a little cramped for two on one side but <b>still</b><b>, </b>she chose to sit close to Sean.

    <b>He </b>even saw her casually resting her leg across his<b>. </b>

    She had never shared that kind <b>of </b>closeness with Zac<b>. </b><b>Not </b>once<b>. </b>

    He kept reying the scene in his mind like some cruel punishment<b>, </b>over and over again.

    It <b>wasn¡¯t </b>until the cigarette burned down to his fingertips, stinging his skin<b>, </b>that he finally snapped out of it.

    <b>He </b>pulled out his phone and sent a <b>message</b><b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m in<b>. </b>I¡¯ll work with you.¡±

 His Heart 110

    Chapter <b>110 </b>

    Zac finished his cigarette<b>, </b>but the frustration burning in his chest only intensified.

    He drove straight back <b>to </b>the hotel.

    As he entered the room, he yanked off his tie with irritation and tossed his jacket onto the hook behind the door. But when he looked up, he froze.

    Lying <b>across </b>the bed in the center <b>of </b>the room was Wendy, wearing a ckce slip<b>, </b>her body <b>posed </b>seductively.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re </b>back,¡± she purred, her eyes sultry and voice thick with suggestion.

    <b>It </b>was a scene straight out of a fantasy<b>¨C</b>one that hit Zac like a punch to the gut. Blood rushed to his head. His body reacted before his brain could catch up, desire ring hot and fast<b>. </b>

    Still, he clenched his jaw and forced himself to hold back. His expression darkened. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>came to wait for you,¡± she said, her voice low and alluring.

    ¡°Get out,¡± Zac snapped, his tone <b>ice</b><b>¨C</b>cold.

    <b>¡°</b><b>No</b>,¡± she said softly, moving toward him.

    She stepped off the bed with <b>slow</b><b>, </b>graceful movements<b>, </b>sauntered over, and grabbed his tie, tugging him closer. She leaned in, her breath warm against his ear.<b>¡± </b>Let me take care of you tonight.¡±

    Zac tried to push her away, but she pulled him in and kissed him.

    He let out a low groan and didn¡¯t <b>stop </b>her.

    The room heated quickly<b>. </b>

    Desire took over.

    He lost control.

    Zac lifted her roughly and threw her onto the bed.

    They spent the night in <b>a </b>storm of <b>passion</b><b>, </b>tangled in sheets and silence<b>. </b>

    The next morning, Zac woke naturally to the sunlight streaming through <b>the </b>curtains. As he opened <b>his </b><b>eyes</b><b>, </b>the sight that greeted him <b>wiped </b>away any trace <b>of </b>drowsiness<b>. </b>

    <b>Wendy¡¯s </b><b>face </b><b>was </b>inches from his.

    <b>He </b>jolted upright like he had <b>been </b><b>electrocuted</b>. <b>¡°</b><b>What </b>the <b>hell </b>are you doing here?¡±

    Wendy blushed, her <b>voice </b><b>coy</b><b>. </b>¡°Zac, you were <b>all </b><b>over </b>me <bst </b>night. We <b>didn¡¯t </b>stop until almost morning. Did you forget already<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Zac </b>stared at her in <b>disbelief </b>

    His eyes dropped to the floor<b>, </b>where their clothes <by </b>scattered¨Cher torn ck stockings among them. The images from <b>the </b>night before came flooding back in <b>a </b>sickening wave<b>. </b>

    <b>He </b>cursed under his breath and got out of bed to find his <b>clothes</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°Where are <b>you </b>going?¡± Wendy asked<b>, </b>reaching for him.

    ¡°Let <b>go</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>He shoved her hand away<b>, </b><b>fury </b>creeping into his voice<b>. </b>¡°I told you. Don¡¯t <b>try </b>to seduce me again. The only person in my heart right now is Charlotte.¡±

    Wendy scoffed ¡°Charlotte? You were moaningst night, <b>Zac</b>. You didn¡¯t <b>seen </b>too heartbroken about her then. Stop pretending. You still want me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Zac let <b>out </b><b>a </b>coldugh. ¡°You really think men can¡¯t <b>separate </b>sex from love? You know who I was thinking about the entire time I was with you? Charlotte. <b>That¡¯s </b>why it happened again and again because I was imagining her, not you.¡±

    Her face went pale in an instant. <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re </b>a bastard, Zac Gibson<b>!</b>¡±

    He <b>pulled </b>a clean shirt from the closet and started getting dressed. <b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b><b>, </b>well, you¡¯ve always known <b>I </b>was one.¡°¡®

    He gave a bitter<b>, </b>self¨Cmockingugh<b>, </b>his voice quieter now. ¡°If <b>I </b>wasn¡¯t <b>a </b>bastard<b>, </b>I wouldn¡¯t have hooked up <b>with </b>you while <b>I </b>was still with Charlotte. If I wasn¡¯t <b>a </b>bastard<b>, </b>I wouldn¡¯t have lost her in the first ce.<b>¡± </b>

    Wendy looked <b>at </b>him for a long moment. Then, <b>suddenly</b><b>, </b>she let out <b>a </b>cold and sharpugh.

    ¡°So <b>you </b>do know<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she said<b>, </b><b>eyes </b>shing <b>with </b><b>contempt</b>. <b>¡°</b><b>At </b>least you¡¯re self¨Caware. You¡¯re rotten<b>, </b><b>and </b><b>you </b>know it.¡±

    Chapter TIO

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    In the CEO¡¯s office <b>at </b>Jasper Corporation, Sean sat at his desk, a slight furrow between his brows. ¡°Any updates? Were you able to find out who took Judy Caleb that day?¡±

    His assistant, Sam, gave a detailed report. ¡°Based on security footage, it appears the same group who abducted Jodie Riley at the engagement party was also responsible <b>for </b>taking Judy Caleb.

    <b>¡°</b><b>We¡¯ve </b>confirmed that Judy has already left the country through illegal channels. As for the people who helped her, their identities are still unknown. Both our private investigators and the police are hitting dead ends. Every time we get a lead<b>, </b>it goes cold before we can follow through.¡±

    P

    U

    Support

 His Heart 111

    hapter <b>111 </b>

    <b>Sean </b>leaned <b>back </b>slightly, <b>deep </b>in thought. <b>¡°</b><b>It </b>seems the person behind all this has more power than we expected.¡±

    His fingers tapped <b>absently </b>on the edge of the desk. ¡°Did <b>you </b>ask the Gibson family?¡±

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    Sam nodded. ¡°We did. Their <b>response </b>hasn¡¯t changed. They im that Mr. Gibson had no idea Judy was pursuing you. ording to them, it was just a casual fling.¡±

    On Friday morning around 10 <b>a.m.</b>, Lily <b>Cook</b>, head of the Litigation Department at S&G Law Firm<b>, </b>sent a message in thepany group chat.

    ¡°Team dinner tonight! All litigation team members are wee to join. I¡¯ll share the time and ceter in the group.¡±

    <b>Not </b>long <b>after</b><b>, </b>Jenny messaged Charlotte directly.

    ¡°Are you going to the dinner tonight, Miss Riley?¡±

    Jenny had always been close to Charlotte. Ever since Charlotte had saved her from a violent attacker, she had admired Charlotte deeply. She was practically bing her biggest fan. Later, Lily had even assigned Jenny to assist Charlotte full¨Ctime, and the two had since be <b>real </b>friends.

    Charlotte replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll <b>go</b>. I don¡¯t have any ns after work anyway<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Willy had already been formally arrested for criminal charges, and Yasmine who had spread false rumors<b>, </b>had been sued by Charlotte for defamation. After the court officially filed the <b>case</b>, Yasmine resigned voluntarily, <b>too </b>ashamed <b>to </b><b>stay </b><b>at </b>the firm.

    These days, the atmosphere at the office <b>was </b>pleasant, and Charlotte genuinely enjoyed working with her colleagues<b>. </b>Naturally<b>, </b>she was happy to join the dinner.

    Jenny quickly responded, <b>¡°</b>Yay<b>! </b><b>If </b><b>you¡¯re </b>going<b>, </b>then I¡¯m going too!¡±

    The dinner was held at <b>a </b>decent mid¨Crange steakhouse. Afterward, someone suggested moving the party to a nearby bar.

    Charlotte hesitated for a moment. Lately<b>, </b>life had been <b>so </b>overwhelming<b>¨C</b>one stressful situation after another. She realized it might be good to let <b>loose </b>for once<b>, </b>

    <b>so </b>she agreed to join them.

    They ended up at a quiet lounge bar<b>. </b>

    Several coworkers drank and chatted, some exaggerating their stories andughing loudly<b>. </b>Charlotte <b>was </b>in <b>good </b>spirits and had a <b>few </b>drinks herself.

    <b>Her </b>alcohol tolerance, however, had always been low. After a few <b>sses</b><b>, </b>her mind was already <b>fuzzy</b>.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m telling <b>you</b>¨CI¡¯m the <b>Queen </b>of the Universe<b>!</b>¡± she slurred, cheeks <b>flushed </b>as she swayed on her <b>feet</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Bow before me, mortals!<b>¡± </b>

    A few colleagues were already passed out<b>, </b>heads on the table.

    Others, <b>still </b><b>sober</b><b>, </b>took <b>out </b>their phones and started recording,ughing.

    Jenny was among them.

    To be fair<b>, </b>she wasn¡¯t sober because she had a strong tolerance<b>. </b>She simply didn¡¯t drink. She had <b>only </b><be </b><b>to </b><b>the </b>bar to <b>keep </b>an <b>eye </b>on Charlotte<b>, </b>just <b>in </b><b>case </b>

    something happened.

    Good thing she did.

    Charlotte waspletely out of <b>it </b>after only a few drinks.

    Amused by her antics<b>, </b>Jenny pulled out her phone and started filming. Sheughed and yed along, <b>¡°</b>All hail Her Royal Highness<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte giggled uncontrobly. <b>¡°</b>Let me tell you something. My husband¨C<b>he¡¯s </b>the best husband in the whole world. You guys <b>have </b>no <b>idea</b><b>, </b>He¡¯s liked me for so long<b>! </b>Hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?<b>¡± </b>Jenny grinned while recording. ¡°Sounds sweet.¡±

    Charlotte leaned in like she was about to reveal a juicy secret. ¡°You know, don¡¯t be fooled by how hot my husband is. <b>He </b>actually¡­¡±

    <b>Another </b>still¨Csober coworker leaned in,ughing, <b>¡°</b>He actually what?¡±

    Charlotte burst into another round of drunken <b>giggles</b>. ¡°Don¡¯tugh, okay? But I think.. my husband might have a little problem in the bedroom.¡±

    ¡°Pifi-!¡±

    At the bar <b>counter</b><b>, </b>a strikingly handsome<b>, </b>slightly mboyant <b>man </b>sitting nearby <b>nearly </b>spit out his drink when <b>he </b>heard Charlotte¡¯sst sentence,

    Afterughing hard for a good few seconds<b>, </b>he pulled out his phone and typed out a message.

    ¡°So.. I heard <b>you¡¯re </b>having some issues¡­ In the <b>bedroom</b>?¡±

 His Heart 112

    Chapter <b>112 </b>

    Meanwhile, Sean was ying cards with a <b>few </b>of his close friends.

    Ian casually drew <b>a </b><b>card</b>, <b>a </b>cigarette dangling from his <b>lips</b><b>, </b>and smirked. ¡°Well, well¡­ the sun must¡¯ve risen in the west. What¡¯s this? Sean actually has time to hang out with us? Shouldn¡¯t you be picking up your precious Charlotte from work right about now?¡±

    <b>Ever </b>since Charlotte started working again and moved into her own apartment, Sean had been showing up at her ce in Brightwood Residences almost every day. It had <b>been </b>a while since hest hung out with the guys.

    After his ident at <b>the </b>engagement party, he had <b>spent </b>some time in the hospital. After he was discharged, things between him and Charlotte only grew stronger. The two had been practically inseparable since. Sean made time almost every day to pick her up from work.

    <b>Sean </b>remained calm<b>, </b>tossing <b>a </b>card onto the table<b>. </b>¡°She¡¯s out with coworkers tonight.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Whoa<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Ianughed dramatically. ¡°So you got ditched?¡±

    The smug look on his face made it hard not <b>to </b>punch him.

    He leaned back, voice dripping with mockery. ¡°Can¡¯t believe it. The great Sean Jasper¨Cgetting ditched <b>by </b>a woman? What kind of work dinner could possibly matter more than you?¡±

    A subtle chill rolled through the room as Sean nced up, his gaze sharp. <b>¡°</b>Ditched?¡±

    He let out a faint smile. ¡°Hardly. She¡¯s <b>still </bing home <b>to </b>me when it¡¯s <b>over</b>. What about you? Picking up your girlfriendter too?¡±

    The burn was <b>low</b>¨Ckey but brutal.

    Everyone knew Ian was perpetually single<b>. </b><b>No </b>girlfriend in sight.

    Ian clenched his jaw<b>, </b>clearly wounded, and turned <b>to </b>Jordan for backup. ¡°You hear this? What kind of friend rubs <b>it </b>in like that<b>? </b>Jordan, you¡¯re single <b>too</b>. Aren¡¯t you offended?<b>¡± </b>

    Jordan cleared his throat. ¡°Actually<b>¡­ </b>I¡¯m seeing someone.¡±

    Ian¡¯s jaw dropped. His cigarette slipped from his <b>lips</b>. ¡°Wait¨Cwhat<b>? </b>You? Since when?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Been </b><b>a </b>while,¡± Jordan replied casually.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>never said anything! Who is she? Someone from the Ziegler family? The Lambert family?¡±

    The Zieglers <b>were </b>one of the top¨Ctier families in <b>Jersey</b><b>, </b>and the Lamberts had <b>deep </b><b>political </b><b>ties</b><b>¨C</b><b>second </b>only <b>to </b>the <b>Jaspers </b>and the Zellers<b>. </b>Given Jordan Zeller¡¯s background <b>as </b><b>a </b>third¨C<b>generation </b>political <b>elite</b><b>, </b>Ian naturally assumed he was dating someone from <b>a </b>family just <b>as </b>powerful.

    <b>Before </b>Jordan could answer<b>, </bn kept going<b>, </b>talking over him<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>I </b>actually ran into that girl from the Ziegler family not long ago<b>. </b>She <b>just </b><b>got </b><b>back </b>from studying abroad. She¡¯s seriously <b>gorgeous</b><b>. </b>Come on,

    <b>is </b><b>it </b>her?<b>¡± </b>

    <b>But </b>Jordan shook his head<b>. </b>¡°Just a regr college student.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±n blinked, stunned. ¡°A regr <b>college </b>girl?¡±

    ??????????? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ??

    Sean didn¡¯t seem fazed. <b>He </b>gave Jordan a nce and asked <b>casually</b>, ¡°Your family¡¯s okay with that?

    Jordan exhaled a smoke ring. ¡°We¡¯re just dating. <b>It¡¯s </b>not like <b>I¡¯m </b>marrying hier. What¡¯s there to be <b>¡®</b>okay¡® <b>with</b><b>?</b>¡±

    Jan clicked his tongue and shook his head. <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re really out here dating a college girl? You¡¯re not worried it¡¯ll get messyter?¡±

    Jordan gave <b>a </b>careless shrug andughed, lookingpletely unfazed. ¡°What¡¯s so hard about ending it? Buy her <b>a </b>couple of designer bags, transfer some money- if I don¡¯t want to see <b>her</b><b>, </b><b>it¡¯s </b>not like she <b>can </b>force it.¡±

    , </b>nodding. <b>¡°</b>Fair point.¡±

    <b>In </b>their world, unless they chose to let someone in, most ordinary people would never even get close to them.

    Sean drew <b>a </b>card, his <b>gaze </b>flicking briefly to Jordan. <b>His </b>tone was neutral but edged. <b>¡°</b>You don¡¯t think ying with someone¡¯s feelings like that mighte back to bite you<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Jordan gave azy smile. ¡°Come on, , <b>it¡¯s </b>not ying. We both <b>get </b>what we want.¡±

    Sean said calmly, ¡°Just make sure you know what you¡¯re doing. Don¡¯t end up falling for her and not knowing how to walk away.¡±

    <bn¡¯s </b>eyes <b>lit </b><b>up </b><b>with </b>curiosity<b>, </b><b>nosy </b>as ever. <b>¡°</b>So what does she look like? Bring her out <b>next </b>time. Let us see for ourselves.¡±

 His Heart 113

    Chapter <b>113 </b>

    Jordan¡¯s <b>expression </b>cooled slightly<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>What¡¯s there to see? She¡¯s not from our world. Doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Ian shrugged. ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t add anything, but while ying cards, he kept ncing at his phone every so often¨Cjust <b>in case </b>Charlotte messaged.

    A few roundster, he still hadn¡¯t heard from her but he did get a message from <b>his </b>friend, Chris Carter.

    <b>¡°</b><b>So</b>¡­ I heard you¡¯re having some issues<b>¡­ </b>in the bedroom?¡±

    Sean¡¯s brows knit together. His <b>lips </b>tightened ever so slightly.

    Just as the game wrapped up, Ian stood up to stretch and wandered <b>over</b>. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Sean¡¯s phone and promptly erupted intoughter.

    ¡°Haha! <b>No </b>way! Are you serious?<b>¡± </b>Ian practically cackled,ughing so hard <b>it </b>sounded like a <b>goose </b>honking. ¡°You? Having some issues in the bedroom? Oh man, that¡¯s rich<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean¡¯s expression turned icy. He shot Ian <b>a </b>cutting re<b>. </b>

    Ian immediately shut up<b>, </b>but couldn¡¯t help snickering as he tried to hold it in<b>. </b>¡°What¡¯s going on<b>, </b>man?¡±

    Sean stood up. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Ian quickly trailed after him with a grin<b>, </b>shooting Jordan a look that said: <b>¡°</b>Let¡¯s <b>go</b><b>¨C</b><b>this </b>is gonna be good.¡±

    At the bar, Charlotte was already two drinks deep and swaying on her feet when she took the mic. She belted out the chorus <b>of </b><b>a </b>pop song¨Cbadly <b>off</b>¨Ckey.

    By the time Sean arrived, she was mid¨Cperformance, howling her way through the high <b>notes</b>.

    The momentn stepped into the bar, he pped his hands over his ears<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Oh my God. Who¡¯s butchering this song?¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression was unreadable<b>, </b>but he <b>recognized </b>the <b>voice </b>immediately<b>. </b>It was Charlotte<b>. </b>

    As they got <b>closer</b><b>, </b>there she was¨Cfront and center on <b>the </b>bar¡¯s <b>tiny </b><b>stage</b><b>, </b>singing her heart out like it was karaoke night on national TV.

    , go </b><b>get </b><b>your </b>girl off that <b>stage</b>. <b>That¡¯s </b><b>not </b><b>music</b><b>, </b>it¡¯s <b>a </b>public <b>safety </b>hazard. Other <b>people </b>sing for tips but she should <b>be </b>fined for <b>this</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Sear<b>: </b>didn¡¯t move. ¡°Let her sing. She¡¯s having <b>fun</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Yeah. She can sing however she wants.<b>¡± </b>

    Jan sighed and found a high stool nearby. <b>¡°</b>Man, <b>you </b><b>spoil </b><b>her</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Sean </b>sat next to him<b>, </b><b>his </b>eyes¡® locked on the stage<b>, </b>watching her <b>every </b><b>move</b>. A small, indulgent smile <b>yed </b>at the corner <b>of </b><b>his </b>lips.

    Jordan raised an eyebrow, <b>amused</b>. <b>¡°</b><b>Didn¡¯t </b>know your girl had <b>this </b>kind of¡­ talent.¡±

    Ianughed. ¡°<b>You </b>know what<b>? </b>I¡¯ve heard worse. I think I¡¯m getting used <b>to </b><b>it</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte waspletely drunk. She barely got the lyrics right and her pitch was <b>all </b>over the ce<b>, </b>but she looked like she was having <b>the </b>time of her life<b>. </b>

    Sean waited until she finished the song before walking up to the stage<b>. </b>

    He reached out and gently took her by the wrist.

    The warmth of his touch made Charlotte nce over<b>, </b>her eyes hazy and unfocused. She giggled<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Whoa<b>¡­ </b>you¡¯re really good¨Clooking. I did the math in my head, and yep¨C<b>you¡¯re </b>definitely my fated husband.¡±

    That one word, ¡°husband¡°, sent a jolt through <b>Sean¡¯s </b>chest. His heartbeat skipped<b>, </b>and for <b>a </b>split second, everything around him blurred.

    He forgot how to breathe.

    Charlotte tilted her head back to look at him, still smiling, cheeks flushed, dimples showing. She looked so sweet and adorable he couldn¡¯t take <b>his </b><b>eyes </b>off her.

    They <b>stared at </b>each other for a few seconds<b>, </b>frozen in that moment

    Then, without warning, Charlotte leaned forward and buried her face <b>in </b>his chest.

    She nuzzled her head against him like a sleepy kitten and numbled<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Even </b>your smell is just like my husband¡¯s¡­¡±

    Sean always wore a clean, woodsy cologne¨Csomething crisp and warm, like cedar <b>in </b>the winter sun. It was subtle<b>, </bforting.

    Charlotte took a deep <b>breath</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Mmm¡­ smells so good. My husband¡±

 His Heart 114

    Chapter <b>114 </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s drunken voice was soft and sweet<b>, </b>each word curling at the end like a little wave¨Csyrupy, teasing, impossible to resist.

    Sean¡¯s body went rigid.

    It felt like a me shot through him.

    From down below, Jenny¡¯s eyes lit up. She held up her phone, filming like her life depended on it. Excitedly, she elbowed the colleague next to her. ¡°This is it. It¡¯s real. The ship is real. We¡¯re back in business<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    She was a total inte junkie and always loaded with meme¨Cworthy one¨Cliners<b>. </b>

    The coworker nodded vigorously. ¡°They¡¯re perfect. Seriously. A power couple. I¡¯ll die happy now if it¡¯s for them<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    At the back of the room, Ian smacked a hand to his forehead like he couldn¡¯t believe what he <b>was </b>witnessing. ¡°God, I¡¯m so dumb. I actually followed them here just to third¨Cwheel this public love fest. I must be starving for attention.¡±

    Sean<b>, </bpletely stunned by Charlotte calling him <b>¡°</b>husband¡± twice in a row, stood there frozen for a full ten seconds before he finally moved to get her off the

    stage<b>. </b>

    He scooped her up in a bridal carry and started walking off.

    Charlotte instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling into his chest <b>as </b>she tilted her head back to

    <b>look </b>

    at him. Her <b>eyes </b>sparkled in a dazed, lovestruck

    <b>way</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°How is he so good¨Clooking? Like he walked straight out of <b>a </bic <b>book</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she thought.

    She stared at him in awe, drunk andpletely smitten<b>, </b>then suddenly blurted, ¡°Come home with me tonight. I¡¯m rich. I¡¯ll pay <b>you </b>whatever <b>you </b>want¨Chehe.¡±

    Sean happened to <b>be </b>walking pastn when she said it.

    Ian immediately lost it.

    <b>¡°</b>OH MY GOD¨Cdid you just try to <b>pay </b>him like he¡¯s <b>a </b>gigolo?¡± he <b>roared </b>withughter.

    Sean shot him a deadly re, <b>eyes </b>sharp enough to slice ss.

    lips </b>and raised his hands innocently like, <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>said nothing, sir.¡±

    Before <b>Sean </b><b>could </b><b>say </b>a word, Charlotte looked up at him with <b>the </b>most adorable<b>, </b>clueless grin and <b>added</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Come on<b>¡­ </b>name your price.¡±

    <b>Even </b>Jordan, who rarely cracked a smile, couldn¡¯t hold back <b>a </bugh.

    Ian had to <b>cover </b>his mouth to keep from choking on hisughter. His shoulders were shaking as he <b>crept </b>behind Sean and pulled out his phone to <b>secretly </b>record. This was gold<b>, </b>absolutely <b>top</b>¨Ctier content. He was saving this for New Year¡¯s Eve<b>. </b>

    Sean¡¯s face was stormy as he looked down at the girl in his arms. His <b>voice </b><b>came </b><b>out </b>low and tight<b>, </b>like <b>it </b><b>was </b>being forced through clenched <b>teeth</b>. <b>¡°</b>Charlotte Riley. Who taught <b>you </b><b>to </b><b>say </b>stuff like that?¡±

    Charlotte blinked up at him, a little startled by his tone. Her lips puckered into <b>a </b><b>pout</b>. ¡°<b>If </b>you don¡¯t want to<b>, </b>then don¡¯t. No need to yell at me¡­¡±

    <b>Her </b><b>body </b><b>was </b>soft and warn in his arms<b>, </bpletely <b>rxed</b>, and her <b>voice </b>was sticky<b>¨C</b>sweet and <b>delicate</b><b>. </b>Sean had absolutely no defense against it. <b>Whatever </b>anger he had faded in seconds.

    <b>¡°</b>Gimme a kiss,¡± she whispered, still drunk, as she tightened her grip around his neck and tried to lift herself up closer.

    Sean froze.

    , </b>Jordan, and Jenny all stated wide<b>¨C</b>eyed<b>, </bpletely hooked on the scene unfolding in front of them.

    Charlotte, in her right mind, would never dare pull something like this in public.

    Even Sean looked stunned.

    Drunk Charlotte <b>was </b>so forward, so clingy. It felt like he <b>was </b>meeting a whole different version <b>of </b>her. And it stirred something unfamiliar but overwhelming in <b>hirp </b>

    ¡°Just one kiss¡­¡± she mumbled again, her flushed <b>face </b>leaning up toward his, her cheek brushing his.

    Her <b>breath </b>was warm against his skin, and it sent a jolt of heat surging through him. His heart pounded wildly, his body practically buzzing<b>, </b>and for a second, even his knees felt weak

    He clenched his jaw<b>, </b>struggling to hold himself together. He turned his <b>face </b>slightly to avoid looking at her. Iter pretty, wine¨Cflushed cheeks were far too dangerous.

    ¡°Lottie,<b>¡± </b>he muttered, volce rough<b>, </b>¡°stop messing around.¡±

 His Heart 115

    Chapter <b>115 </b>

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b><b>heart </b>softened <b>so </b>fast<b>, </b><b>it </b>was almost ridiculous<b>. </b>

    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. His voice came out rough, barely more than a whisper.

    <b>¡°</b>Fine. <b>Just </b>one kiss<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    The next second, something warm and soft brushed against <b>his </b>cheek.

    A red lipstick mark bloomed on his wless, pale face, adding an almost disheveled beauty that made him even more maic.

    Sean froze in his tracks. His pupils contracted, and his heart rate spiked like it might burst through his chest.

    Where her lips had touched, his skin tingled. It felt electric, like a jolt had shot straight through him. Every nerve in his body lit up all at once.

    She <b>was </b><b>so </b>close. The scent of wine mixed with her natural <b>sweetness </b>filled his <b>senses</b>, fogging up his brain. He could barely breathe.

    1

    His breaths came faster now. His chest rose and fell as heat rolled through him.

    <b>¡°</b>Lottie<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>he rasped, her name catching on the edge of his breath.

    Charlotte waspletely out of it, unaware of how devastatingly seductive she looked. Sean was a man with limits and she was testing <b>every </b>single one.

    And she wasn¡¯t done.

    Charlotte, emboldened by the alcohol<b>, </b><b>acted </b>on every impulse. One kiss wasn¡¯t enough. She tugged on the cor of his shirt and leaned in again, brushing her lips against <b>his </b>jaw<b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Sean¡­¡± she murmured, the end of her <b>voice </b>lilting like a sweet tease.

    More <b>kisses </b>followed, like gentle raindrops falling one by one.

    Sean held his breath. It felt like ants crawling over his skin and feathers brushing against his heart. It was a soft and <b>sweet </b>torture<b>. </b>

    Ian groaned dramatically from a few <b>feet </b>away<b>, </b>covering <b>his </b><b>eyes</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Nope</b><b>. </b>Can¡¯t watch this<b>. </b>Someone take me out.¡±

    <b>But </b><b>of </b><b>course</b>, he peeked through his fingers <b>anyway</b>.

    Jordan nced at him and smirked. <b>¡°</b><b>If </b><b>you¡¯re </b>that curious<b>, </b>just watch like a normal person. I¡¯ve never seen Sean like this <b>before</b>. This is rare stuff<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Ian shook his head in disbelief. <b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>that really our Sean? <b>For </b><b>years</b><b>, </b><b>women </b>threw <b>themselves </b><b>at </b>him and he never <b>even </b>blinked. I honestly thought he <b>wasn¡¯t </b>into girls <b>But </b>now? One little move from Charlotte and he¡¯s gone¨Cgame <b>over</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean was <b>dizzy </b>from the <b>kisses</b><b>, </b>drunk on her lips and her scent. His voice <b>was </b>low and hoarse as he gently coaxed her,

    <b>¡°</b>Lottie<b>, </b>sweetheart<b>, </b>that¡¯s enough. <b>Be </b><b>good</b><b>, </b>okay?¡±

    <b>But </b>even as he spoke, he didn¡¯t slow down. <b>He </b>quickened his <b>pace</b><b>, </b>long strides carrying <b>him </b>out of <b>the </b>bar in a hurry.

    He had to <b>get </b>her home betore hepletely lost control<b>. </b>

    The Rolls¨CRoyce Cullinan <b>sped </b>down the road.

    Charlotte was curled <b>up </b>in the passenger seat<b>, </b>humming and mumbling incoherently. One moment she was calling <b>his </b>name<b>, </b>the next she was sweetly begging for kisses and cuddles.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>heart <b>was </b><b>a </b>mess.

    His low voice filled the car<b>, </b>thick with restraint.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Baby</b><b>, </b>you have to stop. <b>If </b>you keep talking like <b>that</b>, I swear¨CI¡¯m gonna lose it.¡±

    The interior glowed dimly<b>, </b>the lights outside flickering through the windows like a moving kaleidoscope of color.

    Sean kept his eyes on the road. Charlotte leaned against the door, her messy hair falling across her flushed <b>face</b><b>, </b>shadowing her dazed, sleepy gaze.

    When they finally pulled <b>up </b>in front <b>of </b><b>her </b>apartment, <b>Sean </b>parked, got out, and opened her door. <b>He </b>leaned in to unbuckle <b>her </b>seatbelt and carefully scooped her into his arms.

    She must have worn herself out. <b>Now</b>, she was quiet in his embrace, her breathing soft and steady. She waspletely asleep.

    Sean stood tall<b>, </b>nearly six¨Cfoot¨Ctluer<b>, </b>and Charlotte was so small and light in his arms<b>, </b>curled <b>against </b>his chest like she belonged there.

    Seeing her <b>like </b>that, fast asleep and clinging to him<b>, </b>his steps slowed instinctively. He walked gently<b>, </b><b>careful </b>not to jostle het awake.

    At her door<b>, </b>he used her fingerprint to unlock it, then pushed it open and tumed on the lights.

    The apartment was neat and <b>cozy</b><b>, </b>clean lines and warm light.

 His Heart 116

    Chapter <b>116 </b>

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    Charloote who had <b>been </b>sound asleep just moments <b>ago</b><b>, </b>suddenly let out a soft whimper. Her lips pouted, and she clutched at the sleeve of Sean¡¯s shirt, refusing to

    <b>let </b>go.

    ¡°Are <b>you </b>awake?¡± Sean leaned in slightly. He ced both hands on either side of her body and looked down at her.

    Charlotte stirred in her <b>sleep</b>, lips barely parting as she mumbled, ¡°Zac¡­¡±

    Sean¡¯s <b>eyes </b>darkened. He froze.

    <b>Zac</b>?

    She <b>was </b>dreaming about Zac Gibson?

    Even drunk, she couldn¡¯t <b>stop </b>thinking about that guy?

    She had already blurted nonsense about his <b>so</b><b>¨C</b>called bedroom performance <b>issues </b>at the bar, and now she <b>was </b>mumbling another guy¡¯s name?

    He had almost forgotten what brought him to the bar in the first <b>ce</b><b>. </b>He had gone there <b>to </b>confront her.

    She had no right to say something like that. She hadn¡¯t even tried. How would she know he wasn¡¯t capable?

    Sean¡¯s brows drew tight. A chill settled in his chest<b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Unbelievable. What a heartless little thing,¡± he thought.

    He straightened up, looking down at her from above<b>, </b>jaw set.

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re still thinking about him?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t hear him, but he asked anyway<b>. </b>

    The air was thick with jealousy<b>. </b>

    It felt like someone had smashed a whole jar of <b>it </b>open in the room.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>His voice dropped, low and tense<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>you¡¯d </b>better think long and hard <b>before </b>you answer.¡®

    But <b>before </b>he could spiral any further, Charlotte shifted under the <b>covers</b><b>. </b>Hershes fluttered. She rolled <b>over</b><b>, </b>burying her face in the pillow and murmuring in <b>a </b><b>sweet</b><b>, </b><b>sleepy </b>voice<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Snac<b>¡­ </b>I want a snack¡­¡±

    Sean <b>was </b><b>at </b>a loss for words.

    A <b>snack</b>?

    Ol<b>:. </b>Snack. Not <b>Zac</b><b>, </b>

    <b>Sean </b>let <b>out </b>a breathless chuckle. All that tension vanished in an instant.

    He leaned down <b>again</b><b>, </b>the edges of his voice softening with affection.

    ¡°Lottie, let <b>me </b><b>get </b>you cleaned up <b>first</b><b>, </b>okay? <b>I¡¯ll </b>give you <b>a </b><b>snack </b>after your <b>bath</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>He </b>knew <b>she </b>liked to be clean. <b>If </b>she woke <b>up </b>in the morning still inst night¡¯s clothes<b>, </b>reeking of alcohol, she would definitely be annoyed with <b>herself</b>. The room was quiet enough that he could hear her gentle breathing.

    Charlotte <b>didn¡¯t </b>respond. She was <bpletely </b><b>out</b>.

    Sean waited a few seconds<b>, </b>then sighed and walked into the bathroom to <b>start </b>the bath. Once <b>the </b>tub was ready<b>, </b>he returned to the bed and carefully scooped her into his <b>arms</b>.

    ¡°Let¡¯s <b>get </b>you cleaned up,¡± he whispered. <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯ll </b>feel better after.¡±

    <b>He </b>gently undressed her and lowered her into the warm water.

    The moment she felt it<b>, </b>Charlotte stirred<b>, </b>eyes half¨Copen, still dazed.

    <b>¡°</b>Sean<b>¡­</b>¡± she murmured.

    Sean¡­

    <b>¡°</b>Be good,¡± Sean said softly.

    His movements were gentle and respectful. <b>He </b>wet her <b>hair</b><b>, </b>rubbed shampoo between his palms<b>, </b>then began massaging it into her <b>scalp</b>.

    She leaned against <b>the </b>tub, her body finally rxing into the warmth. Her breathing slowed<b>, </b><b>and </b>a content little sigh <b>escaped </b><b>her </b><b>lips</b>.

    <b>Once </b>she was washed and rinsed<b>, </b>Sean <b>dried </b>her off and <b>wrapped </b>her in a big fluffy <b>towel</b>. He carried her <b>back </b>to the bedroom, <b>sat </b>ber down, and began blow¨Cdrying

    her hair.

    <b>By </b>the time he was finished<b>, </b><b>Charlotte </b>had sobered <b>up </b>a little.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    She tugged on his shirt cor. <b>¡°</b>Stay with me<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she whispered.

    <b>Sean </b>lowered his eyes and spoke gently. ¡°Alright. <b>I¡¯ll </b>stay.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Tell </b>me a story,<b>¡± </b>she mumbled, curling up beside him.

    Sean gave in with a faint smile<b>. </b>¡°Okay.¡±

    He pulled out <b>his </b>phone and searched for a few short bedtime stories. <b>His </b><b>voice </b>was low and warm <b>as </b>he read to her.

    Little by little, Charlotte stopped fidgeting.

    Her hand, which had been gripping his shirt, slowly slipped away.

    Finally, she fell asleep.

    Sean had originally nned to leave<b>. </b>But with her like this¨Cdrunk<b>, </b>exhausted,pletely vulnerable¨Che didn¡¯t feel right walking away. He decided to stay the night.

    He had no toiletries or spare clothes here, so he called the Jasper estate and asked a housekeeper <b>to </b>bring over his essentials.

    After a quick shower in Charlotte¡¯s guest bathroom, he stepped out and nced at the bed.

    She <b>was </b>sound asleep.

    Sean smiled, unable to help himself. His <b>eyes </b>softened as theynded on her peaceful<b>, </b>flushed face.

    He stood there for a few quiet moments, just looking at her.

    Then he walked over and gently tucked the nket around her.

    Leaning down, he kissed her softly on the cheek.

    ¡°Good night,¡± he whispered.

 His Heart 117

    Chapter <b>117 </b>

    Once Charlotte was sound asleep and no longer clinging to him, Sean quietly stepped out to the living room.

    The apartment had <b>two </b>bedrooms and a living area, but the second bedroom didn¡¯t have a bed. He would have to make do with the couch tonight.

    Outside, the city had gone quiet. Under the cover of night, he finally got some rest.

    As dawn broke, the early morning light <b>slowly </b>crept into the room.

    Charlotte had always been an early riser. Even after a night of drinking, her body woke up like clockwork.

    Her head was pounding. The hangover hit hard.

    She sat still for a few minutes<b>, </b>waiting for her thoughts <b>to </b>catch up. Slowly<b>, </b>the fog began <b>to </b>clear.

    She remembered the dinner with her coworkers. After that<b>, </b>they had gone <b>to </b><b>a </b>bar and she had a few drinks. Probably more than she could handle.

    Everything after that was a blur.

    She vaguely recalled a man showing up. She might have clung to him. Maybe even said some embarrassing things.

    The memory hit her like a jolt. She was suddenly wide awake. Panic rushed through her like a wave<b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Oh no<b>, </b><b>oh </b>no<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she murmured.

    She had been all over some guy. <b>How </b>was she supposed to exin that if Sean found out?

    Would he be jealous?

    Not that she was afraid of him getting angry. What scared her more was the idea of him misunderstanding<b>, </b>of him getting hurt.

    She cared about Sean <b>deeply</b>. She didn¡¯t want <b>to </b><b>see </b>him upset <b>because </b>of her.

    Charlotte <b>threw </b>off the nket and sat up. Her gaze <b>fell </b>on what she <b>was </b>wearing.

    ¡°Wait. Pajamas?<b>¡± </b>she wondered.

    When did she change into these?

    <b>How </b><b>did </b>she even get home?

    She pushed <b>open </b>the bedroom door, nning <b>to </b>head <b>to </b>the bathroom <b>to </b>wash up. But the moment she stepped <b>out</b>, she <b>froze</b>.

    <b>There </b><b>was </b>someone on the couch.

    A tall man<b>, </b>wrapped in a nket<b>, </b><b>feet </b>hanging slightly off the <b>edge</b><b>, </b>head tilted back<b>, </b><b>eyes </b><b>closed</b>, and jawline sharp in the early morning light.

    Sean<b>. </b>

    <b>Her </b>heart practically <b>stopped</b>.

    He was here<b>? </b>

    He was the one who brought her home?

    Oh <b>God</b><b>. </b>

    Did he see what happened at the bar? Did he see her clinging to some random guy?

    She wracked her brain, but she couldn¡¯t remember what the man looked like. Her stomach <b>dropped</b>.

    She had no idea what Sean had seen. The thought made her want to bury herself in the floor.

    She nced at the couch again. He looked peaceful. Way too handsome to be crammed onto such a small piece of furniture.

    She felt a pang of gullt seeing someone like him curled up ufortably just to take care of her.

    Quietly, Charlotte walked over and stood in front of him. After <b>a </b>pause<b>, </b>she reached out <b>and </b>poked his cheek with one finger.

    No reaction.

    He was still fast <b>asleep</b><b>. </b>

    She got a little bolder and gave his cheek a light pinch.

    This time<b>, </b>Sean stirred. Hisshes <b>fluttered</b>, and he slowly opened his <b>eyes</b>, still half¨Casleep.

    <b>¡°</b>Lottle<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>he murmured, voice husky from sleep. <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re <b>up</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    Charlotte <b>pressed </b>her lips together and hesitated. <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>should¡¯ve slept in the bedroom.¡±

    Sean sat up and ran a hand through his <b>messy </b>hair. ¡°What time <b>is </b>it?¡±

    She nced at the clock on the wall. ¡°Seven thirty.¡±

    Without warning, Sean reached out and pulled her into <b>his </b>arms. His hands wrapped around her waist as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

    <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s Saturday<b>,</b>¡± he mumbled against her skin. ¡°Why are you up so early?¡±

    His voice was still scratchy from sleep, low and impossibly sexy.

    Warm breath brushed her ear, and she flinched from the sensation. Her body reacted before her brain could. A wave <b>of </b>heat rushed through her.

    <b>¡°</b>I couldn¡¯t sleep<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she said softly. <b>¡°</b><b>My </b>head¡¯s killing me. <b>Too </b>much to drinkst night.¡±

    Sean chuckled. ¡°<b>If </b>you <b>can¡¯t </b>handle your liquor, don¡¯t drink so much.

    <b>¡°</b>You have no idea how much trouble <b>you </b>caused.¡±

    He almost <b>lost </b>it in front of everyone.

    The memory of clinging to that manst night suddenly shed through Charlotte¡¯s mind. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She lowered her head,

    flustered and ashamed.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I</b><b>¡­ </b>I¡¯m sorry, Sean¡­¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice came out low and husky<b>, </b>with a rough edge that was dangerously seductive.

    ¡°Oh? <b>Just </b>¡®sorry¡® and that¡¯s it?¡±

    He let out a slow<b>, </b>teasing smile.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>never even tried me, and <b>yet </b>you told everyone I had performance issues?<b>¡± </b>

    His eyes glinted.

    <b>¡°</b>How about <b>we </b><b>test </b><b>it </b>out and see if <b>I </b>really live up <b>to </b>your im?¡±

 His Heart 118

    Chapter <b>118 </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s face turned bright red in an instant. She looked away<b>, </b>flustered, trying to deny it.

    ¡°What¨Cwhat are you even talking about? I would never <b>say </b>that¡­¡±

    Sean raised an eyebrow, <b>a </b><b>slow </b>smirk forming at the corner of <b>his </b>mouth.

    <b>¡°</b><b>No</b>?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Of </b>course not! I mean¡­ why would I say something like that in front of <b>so </b>many people¡­<b>¡± </b>Her voice got quieter with every word.

    Damn. Something was starting toe back to her. Last night <b>was </b><b>a </b>blur<b>, </b>but had she really said that?

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>was talking nonsense<b>!</b>¡± she blurted out.

    Soft morning light filtered through the window, casting a golden glow across her blushing face.

    Charlotte bit her lip<b>, </b>utterly embarrassed.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>know <b>I </b>was drunk. I didn¡¯t mean any of it. <b>You¡¯re </b>not seriously holding a drunk person ountable, are you?¡±

    Even she didn¡¯t sound fully convinced. She muttered under her breath<b>, </b>¡°Technically<b>, </b>under thew<b>, </b>people who are intoxicated have diminished capacity to be held responsible for their actions<b>¡­</b>¡±

    Sean let out a <b>low </bugh, his shoulders shaking.

    <b>¡°</b>Oh? Quoting thew at me now?¡±

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t true, and she knew it. She was just grasping <b>at </b>straws.

    Charlotte huffed and tried to wiggle out of his arms but Sean¡¯s arms stayed firmly around her waist.

    ¡°Trying to run?¡± he teased. ¡°Already forgetting how <b>you </b>were all over mest night? <b>You </b>think <b>you </b>can just tease me and walk away?¡±

    He smelled faintly of her body wash¨Cthe kind she always used.

    Before she could <b>say </b>anything, Sean kissed her.

    His fingers slid through her hair, and their <b>kiss </b>deepened fast¨C<b>urgent </b>and hungry<b>. </b>It was like a summer <b>storm</b><b>, </b>sudden and wild<b>, </b>or like a winter wind that <b>swept </b>through everything in <b>its </b>path. It was <b>fierce </b>and unstoppable.

    ¡°Lottie<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>His <b>voice </b>was hoarse, his <b>breath </b>brushing hot against her ear<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>it okay if <b>I </b><b>go </b>further?¡±

    The soft light of morning spilled <b>through </b>the windows<b>, </b>painting everything in warmth. <b>Even </b>the air felt hot.

    Charlotte trembled <b>slightly</b><b>. </b>She knew exactly what <b>was </b>about to happen<b>. </b>

    And <b>she </b>wanted it.

    She loved him. She wanted <b>to </b>get closer. She <b>wanted </b><b>all </b>of him.

    Outside<b>, </b>birds chirped from the <b>trees</b>. Everything <b>felt </b>like the beginning <b>of </b>something beautiful.

    <b>It </b>was the perfect moming.

    Just as things reached their most intimate moment<b>, </b><b>a </b>loud ringtone <b>shattered </b>the silence.

    It <b>rang </b><b>out </b>sharply in the quiet room.

    Sean¡¯s eyes darkened <b>with </b>frustration. He was ready to ignore it.

    But Charlotte<b>, </b>flustered, quickly wriggled out of <b>his </b>arms and backed away<b>, </b>cheeks burning.

    <b>¡°</b><b>U</b>¨C<b>um</b><b>¡­ </b><b>your </b>phone. It¡¯s ringing.¡±

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>voice was low and thick with desire. ¡°Why are you running like I¡¯m gonna <b>eat </b>you?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>You should answer that¡­¡± she mumbled<b>, </b>avoiding his gaze.

    Sean picked <b>up </b>the phone<b>. </b>The heat in his <b>expression </b>slowly faded<b>, </b><b>reced </b>by his usual calm<b>, </b>cool demeanor.

    The caller ID read: Vivian Xander.

    What was she doing calling this early<b>? </b>

    He was already annoyed. The timing couldn¡¯t have been worse<b>. </b>His voice was clipped when <b>he </b>answered.

    <b>¡°</b>What is it?¡±

    <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>excited voice care through the line.

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    ¡°Sean<b>! </b>I just saw the <b>forecast</b>. There¡¯s going to be a meteor shower tomorrow night! Want to <b>go </b>watch it together? The best view is from the summit of North Ridge. Let¡¯s hike up there tomorrow<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean held the phone to his ear<b>, </b>but his <b>eyes </b>had already drifted to Charlotte<b>, </b>who was standing quietly nearby. His gaze softened.

    A meteor shower?

    That sounded like something Charlotte would love. She had been working so hardtely, and tomorrow was the weekend. Maybe a little break would do her good.

    His voice stayed calm.

    ¡°Sure<b>.</b>¡±

    And just like that<b>, </b>the intimate moment from earlier vanished without a <b>trace</b><b>. </b>

    P

 His Heart 119

    Charlotte¡¯s heart finally began to settle, and the flush <b>on </b>her face slowly faded. She cleared her throat twice in a very tactical, deliberate way, then tried to act calm.

    ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m a little hungry. Want to order some breakfast?¡±

    Sean¡¯s <b>eyes </b>sparkled with mischief.

    ¡°What happened to testing whether I have performance issues or not?¡±

    Charlotte immediately shook her head like a bobblehead.

    ¡°I was wrong! I was so wrong! Sean, I swear¨C1 was talking nonsense<b>. </b>You¡¯re absolutely fine!¡±

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>voice was low and husky<b>, </bced with temptation.

    ¡°How would you know¡­ if you¡¯ve never tried?¡±

    Charlotte bit her lip and stared down at her toes, looking like a guilty little kid.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>just¡­ I know I was wrong, okay¡­¡±

    Sean couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    His Charlotte was shy to the bone. Alright, he would let <b>her </b>off this time.

    He didn¡¯t push her any further and obediently ordered breakfast<b>. </b>

    After eating, Sean brought up the n for tomorrow¨Cto hike up North Ridge and watch the <b>meteor </b>shower.

    Just as he had expected, Charlotte¡¯s <b>eyes </b><b>lit </b>up the second she heard <b>the </b>words ¡°meteor shower¡°.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve <b>never </b>seen one before<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>she eximed, clearly thrilled<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Of </b>course <b>I </b>want <b>to </b>go! I¡¯ll bring Mia and <b>Lena </b><b>too</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean smiled and nodded.

    <b>¡°</b>Of course she would want to bring her friends<b>,</b><b>¡± </b><b>he </b>silently remarked.

    He had originally imagined <b>it </b>as <b>a </b>quiet<b>, </b>romantic night for <b>just </b><b>the </b>two <b>of </b>them but he knew Charlotte <b>well</b><b>. </b>She loved being surrounded by <b>people</b><b>, </b>and when something exciting came up, her first thought was <b>always </b><b>to </b>include her <b>best </b>friends.

    Then he remembered the tension <b>between </b>Charlotte and Vivian <b>at </b>the stablesst time. He figured <b>he </b>should tell her now that Vivian would be joining them.

    <b>After </b>all, Vivian was his sister. And once Charlotte married into the family<b>, </b><b>she </b>would be Charlotte¡¯s sister too. One awkward moment in the past couldn¡¯t be a permanent wedge.

    ¡°Lottie,¡± he said gently, ¡°my sister¡¯sing on the hike tomorrow too. Is that okay <b>with </b><b>you</b>?¡±

    Charlotte paused. <b>¡°</b>You mean¡­ Vivian?<b>¡± </b>

    Sean <b>nodded</b>. <b>¡°</b>Yeah.¡±

    The <b>memory </b>of theirst run¨Cin flickered across Charlotte¡¯s mind. Her gaze dropped slightly<b>, </b>and <b>her </b>earlier excitement dimmed.

    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah. It¡¯s fine I don¡¯t mind,¡± she said quietly.

    Sean reached out and patted her head.

    <b>¡°</b>Good.¡±

    He had known all along that his girl wasn¡¯t the petty type.

    The rest of the morning, they curled up together on the couch.

    Charlotte was focused on her phone, reading travel tips and putting together a little n for the trip<b>. </b><b>Sean</b><b>, </b><b>on </b>the other hand, kept interrupting her asking for kisses<b>, </b>pulling her into his arms, blowing warm breathi against her ear just to <b>tease </b>her.

    Charlotte turned to <b>him </b>with mock irritation.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Sean </b>Jasper<b>, </b>can you please behave?¡±

    Sean lowered his head and pressed a warm kiss to her corbone, lingering there.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± she whispered, leaning away and cing a hand against his chest. ¡°I¡¯m trying to n everything out. If we miss the meteor shower because of you<b>, </b>I¡¯m not talking to you.¡±

    Sean let out a softugh, his shoulders shaking.

    Chapter ng

    +25 Bonus

    <b>¡°</b>Oh? That serious, huh?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s finally going to be a meteor shower. Of course I want to see it.¡±

    Sean gently moved Charlotte¡¯s hand away from his chest, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to the soft skin of her neck. His warm breath brushed and tickled the sensitive skin of her corbone.

    Charlotte flinched and let out a softugh, trying to push his face away with her hand.

    Charlotte flinched a little,ughing as she tried to push Sean¡¯s face away. But he caught her hand midair and kissed her palm.

    ¡°Leave the nning and shopping to my assistant,¡± he murmured. ¡°It¡¯s the weekend¨Ccan¡¯t you just stay with me?¡±

    His voice was nothing like his usual cool, detached tone. It was low, gentle, with a hint of spoiled charm that felt<b>¡­ </b>almost like he was being cute on purpose.

    Charlotte blinked at him<b>, </b>like she was seeing something brand new.

    <b>¡°</b>Wait¡­ were you trying to be cute with me just now?¡±

    <b>Sean </b>didn¡¯t answer.

    Instead, he leaned back in, his lips brushing down the side of her neck<b>¨C</b><b>soft</b>, slow, and tingling.

 His Heart 120

    Chapter <b>120 </b>

    Charlotte sighed in mock defeat and reached up to ruffle his hair, like she was soothing a moody child. Her tone was warm and teasing.

    ¡°Alright, alright. But nning and shopping¡¯s only fun if we do it together. Besides, it¡¯s Saturday. Don¡¯t you give your assistant weekends off?¡±

    Sean mumbled a vague ¡°mm¨Chmm,¡± still trailing kisses along her skin.

    This was going to get out of hand <b>fast</b><b>. </b>

    Charlotte quickly pushed him back.

    <b>¡°</b>Okay¨Cpause. I¡¯ve pretty much finished nning. Let¡¯s go out and get what we need.¡±

    Sean looked up at her then<b>, </b>eyes locking with hers¨Cwearing an unmistakably hurt expression.

    Charlotte blinked in surprise<b>. </b>

    Wait <b>a </b>second¡­ was she seeing things?

    Did she really just catch a flicker of hurt feelings in Sean Jasper¡¯s eyes?

    All she did was push him away a few times and now he looked genuinely upset?

    No way. She had to be imagining it.

    Someone like Sean Jasper didn¡¯t <b>do </b>hurt puppy <b>eyes</b>. Did he?

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    That aftemoon, the two of them hit an outdoor gear store <b>to </b>pick up hiking essentials<b>, </b>then swung by the grocery store to stock up on snacks and fruit.

    Charlotte was clearly in high spirits<b>, </b>wanting to grab a little of everything she liked.

    Sean didn¡¯t <b>stop </b>her.

    ¨C

    If the bag got heavier tomorrow, he would carry it. If he <b>got </b>tired, so be it <b>as </b>long <b>as </b>Charlotte was happy.

    She snapped a <b>quick </b>photo of their haul and sent it to her group chat with Lena and Mia.

    Charlotte<b>: </b><b>¡°</b><b>Babes</b><b>, </b>meteor shower tomorrow night! Let¡¯s hike up to North Ridge and watch it together. <b>I¡¯ve </b>already <b>got </b>everything prepped!¡±

    Mia<b>: </b>¡°OMG! A <b>meteor </b>shower? I¡¯m so in!¡±

    Lena: ¡°Count <b>me </b>in.¡±

    Mia: ¡°Draggingn to get me some hiking gearter! I want ck¨C<b>gotta </b><b>nail </b>that viral hiking <b>pose</b><b>. </b>Oh, and I¡¯m filming <b>a </b>glow¨Cup <b>reel</b>. Pajamas for the before<b>, </b>hiking gear for the after. You guys better help me <b>get </b>the shot!¡±

    Charlotte: ¡°On it. Pro¨C<b>level </b>photographer reporting in<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Lena: ¡°Let me check if my brother¡¯sing too.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte: ¡°Meet <b>at </b>1 p.m. tomorrow¨Cdownstairs at my <b>ce</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Lena: ¡°Got it.¡±

    Mia: ¡°Say less. I¡¯m ready<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    The next afternoon at one on the dot, Sean knocked on Charlotte¡¯s apartment door.

    She opened it with a bright smile, her bare face fresh and beautiful.

    ¡°<b>Hey</b><b>, </b><b>Sean</b><b>.</b>¡±

    She was already dressed in a light blue hiking outfit, a matching backpack slung over her shoulders.

    Sean wore a ck, high¨Ccor windbreaker. The color suited him perfectly<b>¨C</b>cool and understated. It made his sharp features seem even more chiseled and aloot.

    Without a word<b>, </b>he took her backpack off her shoulders and carried it himself.

    <b>¡°</b>Let¡¯s <b>go</b>. Everyone¡¯s downstairs.¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here already<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Jordan,n, Lena<b>, </b>and Mia are waiting,<b>¡± </b>Sean said, <b>¡°</b>Vivian said she left earlier with a few friends. <b>They¡¯re </b>already up at the campsite.¡±

    Charlotte followed him into the elevator and gave a soft ¡°oh¡± in response.

    Downstairs<b>, </b>three <b>cars </b>were lined up.

    Lena and Jordan <b>sat </b>in the backseat of a Maybach. Lena leaned out the window and gave Charlotte a sweet smile.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Hey</b>, Lottie!¡±

    Mia<b>, </b>sitting in the passenger seat of a ck Bentley, threw a fist into the air and shouted excitedly,

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here! Let¡¯s roll! Meteor shower, here wee!¡±

    Sean had brought the ck Cullinan today.

    The group drove north for <b>just </b>over an hour before finally arriving at the mountain base camp.

    The campsite was located halfway up North Ridge. When Charlotte and the others arrived, Vivian and her friends had just gotten there as well.

    Sean had booked the entire area in advance<b>, </b><b>so </b>they had the <b>ce </b>to themselves<b>¨C</b>no one else in sight.

    As <b>soon </b>as the cars pulled up, Vivian came running over with a bright smile and immediately reached for Sean¡¯s arm.

    P

 His Heart 121

    Chapter <b>121 </b>

    Sean subtly stepped aside, avoiding her reach without a word.

    Vivian paused mid¨Cmotion<b>, </b>then quickly recovered with a breezy smile.

    ¡°Hey, Sean! You¡¯re here.¡±

    Sean responded with a brief, indifferent, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    When she turned to Charlotte, however, <b>her </b>smile cooled slightly.

    ¡°Miss Riley,<b>¡± </b><b>she </b>greeted, polite but distant.

    Charlotte gave her a faint nod in return.

    Standing behind Vivian were two unfamiliar girls.

    ¡°These are my friends, Suzy Wilson and Mandy Yeager,¡± she said brightly.

    <b>¡°</b>Oh, and Mandy brought someone new along today. Let me introduce you.¡±

    Vivian turned and called out, ¡°Zac! They¡¯re all here.¡±

    \zac?

    Zac?

    Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat<b>. </b>

    <b>No </b><b>way</b><b>. </b><b>It </b>couldn¡¯t be¡­

    Before she could finish the thought, that all¨Ctoo¨Cfamiliar <b>face </b>came into view.

    Zac Gibson appeared, dressed in a <b>te</b><b>¨C</b><b>gray </b>hiking <b>jacket</b><b>, </b><b>a </b>trekking pole in one hand. He walked <b>over </b>casually, like he belonged there<b>. </b>

    Sean¡¯s <b>expression </b>darkened. He turned to Vivian<b>, </b><b>eyes </b>sharp with scrutiny and displeasure.

    <b>¡°</b>When did <b>you </b>meet Zac Gibson?¡± he asked, his voice low and clearly unhappy.

    Vivian blinked innocently<b>, </b><b>eyes </b>wide with faux confusion. She looked every bit the picture of naive charm.

    <b>¡°</b><b>He¡¯s </b>Mandy¡¯s friend. She asked if she could bring someone along, and I said sure<b>. </b><b>I </b>just met him today. Why? Is something wrong?¡±

    Charlotte remained silent, lips <b>pressed </b>tightly together, pretending not to know Zac.

    But Zac <b>gave </b>her a knowing smile and greeted her <b>anyway</b>.

    <b>¡°</b>Charlotte. Been a while<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Vivian </b>turned to her<b>, </b>eyes wide in <b>surprise</b>.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>two know each other?¡±

    Charlotte <b>replied </b>tly, ¡°No.¡±

    Zac, at the same time, said<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Yes</b><b>.</b>¡±

    They spoke <b>over </b>each other.

    Vivian <b>shot </b>Mandy a nce<b>, </b>and Mandy yed along instantly. Her voice turned syrupy sweet as she looked at Zac,

    ¡°Zac, what¡¯s your connection with Miss Riley? I¡¯ve never heard you mention knowing someone like her.¡±

    Zac chuckled, eyes lingering on Charlotte.

    ¡°She¡¯s my ex.¡±

    A loud, dramatic <b>gasp </b>came from Vivian.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Wait </b>¨C Miss Riley, you were Zac¡¯s <b>ex</b>? 1 had no idea<b>! </b>If I¡¯d known, I never would¡¯ve <b>let </b>him tag along.¡±

    Charlotte got the message loud and clear. So it really was intentional

    If the incident at the stables had been a misunderstanding, what about this?

    Mandy wasn¡¯t happy. She pouted and gave Zac a jealous little huff.

    ¡°Zac, don¡¯t tell me you came on this hike just to sneak in a date with your <b>ex</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Zac only smiled<b>, </b>saying nothing. But in everyone¡¯s eyes, that silence was as good as <b>a </b><b>yes</b><b>. </b>

    The atmosphere instantly <b>grew </b>awkward and tense.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    Mia quietly slipped over to Charlotte¡¯s side, gently tugging on her sleeve.

    <b>¡°</b>That¡¯s really your ex?<b>¡± </b><b>she </b>whispered.

    Charlotte <b>gave </b>a near¨Cimperceptible nod.

    Mia folded her arms, voice <b>low </b>and unimpressed.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    <b>¡°</b>Wow. Vivian definitely did this on purpose.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte watched the scene unfold with a cold, detached gaze<b>, </b>the whole performance feeling all too rehearsed.

    There was no way this was just a coincidence.

    Last time, her cousin, Steven Sullivan, had thrown a banquet for her at the Sullivan estate<b>, </b>and Zac had caused a major <b>scene </b>there. Vivian might not have attended, but as <b>the </b>Jasper family¡¯s adopted daughter, there was no <b>way </b>she hadn¡¯t heard about it. <b>Gossip </b>like that spread fast in high society.

    So bringing Zac here today?

    It was likely deliberate.

    But why?

    What exactly was Vivian trying to do?

    <b>Just </b>as Charlotte was piecing it all together<b>, </b>someone suddenly took her hand.

 His Heart 122

    Chapter <b>122 </b>

    Charlotte lowered her gaze<b>. </b>

    <b>Sean </b>was holding her hand, fingers tightly interlocked with hers<b>. </b><b>His </b>voice was cool andced with sarcasm.

    ¡°A date? You think Lottie would give a second look to trash like him after being with me?¡±

    It <b>was </b>crude but not wrong.

    Charlotte gave a soft smile and leaned into him sweetly<b>, </b>like the perfect doting girlfriend.

    ¡°Exactly. Now that I¡¯ve got Sean<b>, </b>there¡¯s no room left in my heart for trash from the past. I mean, we all had our dumb ¡®puppy love¡® phase with nobodies, right?¡±

    Zac¡¯s smile froze. His expression darkened.

    <b>¡°</b>Nobodies? That¡¯s how she <b>sees </b>me now?¡± <b>he </b>wondered.

    His hands clenched into fists at his sides, knuckles white. He fought hard to keep his anger and humiliation from spilling over.

    Across from them, a flicker of jealousy shed in Vivian¡¯s <b>eyes</b><b>. </b>She bit her lip and, inwardly<b>, </b>cursed Charlotte a hundred times over.

    Just then, Mia chimed in, tone <b>sweet </b>on the surface but full <b>of </b>venom underneath.

    ¡°<b>Miss </b>Yeager, this is why people say the Yeager familycks ss. I mean, Zac? Really? He¡¯s yesterday¡¯s trash. Lottie¡¯s already over it and you¡¯re still chasing it? That¡¯s just sad.¡±

    Zac finally lost it.

    <b>¡°</b>Who the hell are <b>you </b>calling trash?¡±

    Mandy¡¯s face flushed red. She looked like she was about <b>to </b>fight back, <b>but </b><b>caught </b>sight <b>of </b>Ian standing behind Mia and stopped cold. She wasn¡¯t about <b>to </b>pick a fight with the Quinton family.

    ¡°It¡¯s you I¡¯m talking about.¡± Mia <b>crossed </b>her arms, her tone biting <b>as </b>she <b>gave </b>Zac a long, withering look.

    <b>¡°</b><b>So </b><b>you¡¯re </b>Zac <b>Gibson</b>, huh? Dating you is like having a criminal <b>record</b>. You stick around like a stain. Thank God Charlotte woke up and dumped you when she did. <b>Honestly</b><b>, </b>if she hadn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve held a knife <b>to </b>her throat and made her.<b>¡± </b>

    <b>Her </b><b>voice </b>turned mocking.

    ¡°And <b>didn¡¯t </b>you run off with your little <b>¡®</b>first <b>love</b><b>¡® </b>or whatever? Weather¡¯s <b>great </b>today. Why didn¡¯t <b>you </b>bring her <b>out </b>for a walk <b>too</b><b>?</b>¡±

    <b>Zac </b>was practically fuming<b>, </b><b>his </b>lungs about to explode from the pressure<b>. </b>

    <b>Just </b><b>as </b>it looked like he was going to lose it and hurl insults back, Vivian quickly grabbed his arm.

    ¡°Alright<b>, </b>alright<b>, </b>let¡¯s not fight<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she <b>cut </b><b>in</b>, <b>all </b><b>flustered </b>innocence<b>. </b>¡°This whole thing¡¯s just a misunderstanding. me <b>me</b><b>, </b>okay? <b>I </b>didn¡¯t know Zac and <b>Miss </b><b>Riley </b>used to be <b>a </b>thing.¡±

    Vivian bit her lip delicately<b>, </b>her <b>eyes </b>ssy with tears <b>as </b>she looked up at Sean <b>with </b>a pitiful expression.

    ¡°<b>Sean</b><b>, </b>I really didn¡¯t know Zac <b>was </b>Charlotte¡¯s <b>ex</b><b>. </b>I thought¡­ <b>I </b>thought he was just Mandy¡¯s friend. You¡¯re not mad at me, are <b>you</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean opened his mouth, but Charlotte beat him <b>to </b>it. <b>Her </b><b>voice </b>was <b>syrupy </b><b>sweet</b><b>, </b>mimicking Vivian¡¯s tone to perfection..

    ¡°Oh, it was just an honest mistake, right? Why would I ever me you? And Sean <b>wouldn¡¯t </b>either.¡±

    Sean wasn¡¯t sure where Charlotte was going with this<b>, </b>but if she <b>said </b><b>it</b><b>, </b>he would <b>go </b>along.

    <b>¡°</b>If Lottie doesn¡¯t me you, then I don¡¯t either<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>he said coldly.

    <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>smile taltered. She blinked, trying to make sense of Charlotte¡¯s sudden switch <b>in </b>tone. But Charlotte only shed her a radiant smile¨Cso sweet it sent chills down Vivian¡¯s spine.

    <b>¡°</b>What the hell is she ying <b>at</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Vivian thought uneasily.

    ¡°Trying to gross the out with your little performance? Alright let¡¯s see who ends up regretting it more,¡± Charlotte smirked to herself.

    At that moment, Jordan, <b>who¡¯d </b>been silently watching from the sidelines, finally spoke.

    <b>¡°</b>Alright<b>, </b>enough drama. <b>Let¡¯s </b>eat something and take a <b>break </b>You¡¯ll need your strength for the bike.¡±

    With that, the <b>crowd </b>finally dispersed. Everyone got to work setting up the pic¨Cunfolding chairs <b>and </b>tables,ying out tablecloths, unpacking drinks and food, lining <b>up </b>the <b>cookware</b>.

    <b>Grills </b>were <b>lit</b>, pots were <b>prepped</b>, and soon the campsite was buzzing. Some started barbecuing, others prepped ingredients. It was busy, loud, and finally normal. Charlotte and Mia were both fans of grilled food, so they stuck together by the barbecue.

    Mia leaned in, whispering, ¡°So why don¡¯t you just tell him to leave?¡±

    The him was obviously Zac Gibson.

    Charlotte kept calmly brushing marinade onto <b>a </b>skewer.

    <b>¡°</b>Tried. He just keepsing back. I¡¯ve done it more than once. It¡¯s pointless<b>.</b>¡±

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

 His Heart 123

    ¡°Lottie, <b>I </b>told you,¡± Mia said, flipping a skewer. ¡°That Vivian girl is definitely not as innocent as she acts<b>. </b>You seriously believe she didn¡¯t know Zac was your ex? Might as <b>well </b>say I¡¯m freaking Santa us<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte gave a <b>slow </b>smile<b>, </b>brushing sauce over the beef.

    ¡°Oh, I know it was intentional. I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s been in contact with Zac behind the scenes. The two <b>of </b>them probably cooked this up to try and mess with me and Sean. But since they¡¯re so eager to y dirty, fine¨Clet¡¯s see who walks away dirtier<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Mia gave her a big thumbs up. ¡°urate<b>. </b>Valid. Brutally on point. I fully support <b>you</b><b><i>.</i></b><b>¡± </b>

    Ian strolled over, nosy as <b>ever</b>. <b>¡°</b>Wait, Lottie, that <b>clown </b>really was your ex<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Before Charlotte could answer, Ian yelped in pain and grabbed <b>his </b>head.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>cold <b>voice </b>came from behind him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stick your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong.¡±

    Ian looked wounded. <b>¡°</b>Ow! Why¡¯d you flick me? I was <b>just </b>looking out for her!<b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b><b>got </b>too much free time, huh?¡± Mia said, handing him a bunch <b>of </b>skewers. ¡°Here. Lamb and wings. Go be <b>useful </b>and grill <b>these</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Jan was rendered speechless<b>. </b>

    Meanwhile, Sean slipped his arms around Charlotte from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his arms snugly around her waist. <b>His </b>voice was low and syrupy.

    ¡°Lottie<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    She let him hug her while she kept grilling. ¡°Just <b>a </b>few more minutes. These¡¯ll be ready soon<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Mm.¡± His breath warmed the space between them.

    Sean kissed her neck, then lightly nipped her earlobe, his <b>breath </b>tickling against her skin and making Charlotte giggle.

    When he leaned in again<b>, </b>she yfully dodged. ¡°Stop it! Everyone¡¯s watching.¡±

    Sean¡¯s <b>voice </b>was low and <b>sexy</b>.

    ¡°So what? Let them <b>see </b>how <b>sweet </b>we are<b>.</b>¡±

    From the side<b>, </bn groaned. ¡°Ugh. Mia<b>, </b>do <b>you </b>smell something weird?¡±

    Mia sniffed dramatically. <b>¡°</b><b>Just </b>grilled meat.¡±

    <b>Ian </b>deadpanned, <b>¡°No. </b>That stench of sickening couple energy<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Still holding Charlotte close<b>, </b>Sean repliedzily, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Love smells amazing.¡®

    On the other side of the grill, Vivian stared daggers at the two, locked in their own world<b>, </b>flirting without a care. Her fingers clenched so tight her knuckles cracked, and she looked like she might literallybust from sheer frustration.

    Once the meat was done grilling<b>, </b>everyone gathered around the tables <b>to </b><b>eat</b>.

    There were two tables. Naturally, Charlotte, Sean, Ian, Jordan<b>, </b>Lena<b>, </b>and Mia sat at one. Vivian<b>, </b>her two friends, and Zac took the other.

    Just as Charlotte and <b>Sean </b><b>sat </b>down, Vivian walked over carrying a bowl of something.

    She set it down right in front of Sean, leaning in so close she was practically pressed <b>up </b>against him.

    ¡°Sean, I made this stew earlier,¡± Vivian said with a smile. ¡°You should try some.¡±

    Sean subtly shifted closer to Charlotte, putting some distance between tumself and Vivian. Then<b>, </b>as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he slid the bowl right in <b>front </b>of Charlotte

    ¡°Lottie, your favorite. Give it <b>a </b>taste.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s smile froze

    Charlotte calmly picked up a pair of disposable utensils, speated a piece of <b>sausage</b><b>, </b>and took a bite. <b>Then </b>she turned to <b>Vivian </b><b>with </b>a bright, wide¨Ceyed smile

    <b>¡°</b>Mmm. Not bad. Thanks, <b>Vivian</b>.¡±

    But Sean wasn¡¯t done.

    <b>He </b>picked up a fork, fished out a slice of tender brisket, and fed it to Charlotte himself.

    Try this <b>one</b><b>, </b>too.<b>¡± </b>

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    Everyone at the table watched the scene unfold, silently <b>in </b>awe of Sean¡¯s expert¨Clevel maneuvering.

    ¡°Smooth. Real smooth. He¡¯d managed to dodge his clingy <b>¡°</b>sister<b>,</b>¡± please his girlfriend, and shut down the drama¨Call in one move. Chef¡¯s kiss<b>,</b>¡± they thought.

    Mia chimed <b>in </b><b>at </b>the perfect moment.

    ¡°Wow<b>, </b>you two are seriously <b>too </b>cute. Vivian, look at your brother and your future sister¨Cinw. Just look how sweet they are!¡±

    D

 His Heart 124

    v

    Chapter <b>124 </b>

    Vivian forced a tight smile that didn¡¯t <b>even </b>try to reach her eyes. ¡°As long as Miss Riley likes it.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>What¡¯s with the ¡®Miss Riley¡®?¡± Mia chirped with a smirk. ¡°You should be calling her ¡°sister¨Cinw¡± by now.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s <b>jaw </b>tightened. ¡°Old habits die hard.¡±

    Meanwhile<b>, </b>Charlotte picked up a slice of grilled short rib with her fork and held <b>it </b>out to Sean.

    ¡°Here, try this one. <b>Just </b>made it.¡±

    She didn¡¯t even bother grabbing a clean fork. She just used the one she had been eating with. Sean didn¡¯t hesitate. He leaned forward and let her feed him, like it <b>was </b>the most natural thing in the world.

    Vivian¡¯s fists clenched so tightly her knuckles tumed white.

    Sean smiled, eyes curved gently. ¡°That¡¯s really <b>good</b>.¡±

    Charlotte beamed, clearly pleased.

    Vivian¡¯s smile vanishedpletely. Her voice dropped an <b>octave</b><b>, </b>cold and t. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll <b>go </b>eat with the others<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte acted like she didn¡¯t notice the stormy <b>look </b>on her face. She shed her brightest smile and asked sweetly<b>, </b>¡°<b>You </b><b>sure</b>, Vivian? I¡¯ve <b>got </b>more. Sean said it¡¯s delicious<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m good.¡±

    Vivian turned stiffly and walked away<b>, </b>her expression stormy.

    Across the table, Charlotte exchanged a knowing smile <b>with </b>Mia. Lena tried to hold <b>back </b>augh and gave Charlotte <b>a </b>subtle thumbs¨Cup.

    Sean knew full well that Charlotte had just put on a little performance for Vivian and he had yed along without missing a beat<b>. </b>

    <b>Now </b>that Vivian was gone, he wasn¡¯t ready to drop the <b>act </b>just yet.

    Still smiling, he leaned in. <b>¡°</b>Lottie, I want another one of those wings. Feed me?¡±

    Charlotte gave him a look. <b>¡°</b><b>Get </b><b>it </b>yourself.¡±

    Ian burst outughing. ¡°You serious, Sean? You¡¯re at the point where <b>you </b>need her to feed <b>you </b>now? Who <b>even </b>are <b>you</b>?¡±

    Sean lounged back in his chair, clearly in a good mood. His eyes sparkled with mischief<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>What¡¯s wrong? Jealous? Ask your girlfriend <b>to </b>feed you. Oh wait¨Cdon¡¯t <b>tell </b>me <b>you </b>still don¡¯t have one<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¨C</bugh. His grin vanished in an instant. He clutched his chest dramatically<b>, </b><b>eyes </b>wide <b>in </b>mock pain.

    <b>¡°</b>Dainn<b>, </b>man. That <b>was </b><b>a </b>low blow. Who <b>roasts </b><b>their </b>own friend like that?¡±

    He turned to Mia for support.¡°<b>Mia</b><b>, </b>c¡¯mon<b>. </b>Feed me. We <b>can¡¯t </b><b>lose </b>this <b>battle</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    Without missing a beat<b>, </b>Miastabbed a grilled bun with her fork and stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°<b>Eat </b>up. Choke on <b>it if </b>you want.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Mmmph-¡±n tried to protest, but she held firm, muffling his <b>words</b>.

    The table roared withughter.

    Meanwhile<b>, </b><b>on </b>the other side, Vivian was seething.

    Charlotte <b>and </b>Sean had just rubbed their rtionship right in her face and she could practically feel the steaming out of her ears,

    The disposable fork in her hand snapped<b>. </b>

    She narrowed her <b>eyes</b>.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Fine</b>, Charlotte. <b>Let¡¯s </b>see how long you can keep smiling,¡± she muttered to herself.

    After lunch and a short break, the <b>group </b><b>got </b>ready to start the hike

    Ian and Mia led the <b>way </b><b>up </b>the trail<b>, </b>followed closely by Jordan and Lena<b>. </b>Behind them were <b>Zac</b><b>, </b><b>Vivian</b><b>, </b>and her friends.

    Charlotte and <b>Sean </b>took up <b>the </b><b>rear</b>.

    Sean walked beside her the whole <b>way</b><b>, </b><b>their </b>hands intertwined<b>. </b>

    ¡°It¡¯s about a two¨Chour <b>hike </b>to the top lookout,¡± he said, ncing <b>at </b>her. <b>¡°</b>You up for it?¡±

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    ¡°<b>Of </b><b>course</b>. I <b>love </b>hiking. Being out in nature clears my head, and it¡¯s not too tiring either,¡± Charlotte said with a rxed smile.

    <b>Sean </b><b>knew </b>she had always been into the outdoors. Back in college<b>, </b>she used to go hiking and rock climbing with her club <b>all </b>the time. He just figured that since she had graduated, she hadn¡¯t had much chance to do that anymore and he wasn¡¯t sure if she would still be used to it.

 His Heart 125

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    Chapter <b>125 </b>

    Charlotte smiled. <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ve </b>climbed steeper and tougher mountains than this. I finished all the Five Great Peaks ages ago. North Ridge? Piece of cake.¡±

    <b>Sean </b>looked at her with a soft smile<b>, </b>his <b>eyes </b>full of pride and affection. ¡°My Lottie¡¯s amazing.¡±

    She tilted her chin with a yful little smirk. <b>¡°</b>Obviously.¡±

    Sean knew all this. Zac, on the other hand, didn¡¯t.

    Back when Charlotte was dating Zac, she had suggested hiking together more than once. But Zac either said he was <b>too </b>busy or that hiking was just too tiring. He never really took the time to understand what she liked or to do the things she loved <b>with </b>her.

    After walking <b>a </b>while, Zac suddenly stopped at the side <b>of </b>the trail to let others pass. When Sean and Charlotte came by, Zac stretched out a hand toward her.

    ¡°Lottie, tired?¡±

    Charlotte gave him a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Not </b>at all.¡±

    Sean gave their tightly sped hands a little swing. <b>¡°</b><b>No </b>need <b>to </b><b>trouble </b>yourself.<b>¡± </b>

    Zac¡¯s gaze dropped to their hands.

    Charlotte¡¯s tone turned sharp. ¡°Step aside<b>. </b>You¡¯re blocking the trail.¡±

    Zac nted himself right in the middle of the trail, clearly not nning to move.

    Sean raised an eyebrow and gave him <b>a </b>casual<b>, </b>mocking smile. <b>¡°</b>What, wanna get a closer look while we hold hands and flirt? Sure. We¡¯ll lead the way<b>, </b>and you can

    follow behind and enjoy the view<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    With that, he gave Zac a firm push aside and added with a grin, <b>¡°</b>Make <b>sure </b><b>you </b>get our <b>good </b>angles. Take a few pics while you¡¯re at it.¡±

    Zac just stood there,pletely stunned.

    A short whileter, Vivian who clearly wasn¡¯t used to hiking<b>, </b>started whining after just thirty minutes<b>. </b>She slipped off her barely¨Cfilled backpack and waited until Sean was near, then thrust it toward him.

    ¡°Sean, I¡¯m so tired. This bag¡¯s too heavy<b>. </b>Can you carry it for me<b>?</b>¡±

    Sean tapped the strap of his own pack, his <b>voice </b>t. ¡°Can¡¯t. I¡¯ve already <b>got </b>one.¡±

    Vivian pouted, dialing up the sweetness<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>But I¡¯m seriously exhausted. Just help me for a <b>little </b><b>bit</b>, okay?¡±

    ¡°Sure<b>,</b>¡± Sean replied.

    Vivian¡¯s face instantly brightened, her lips curling into <b>a </b><b>pleased </b>smile.

    Then he pulled out his phone.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll call someone to <be </b>take you back down. No point pushing <b>yourself </b>if you¡¯re that tired.¡®

    <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>smile froze mid¨Cbloom. ¡°<b>Wait</b><b>! </b>You¡¯re sending me back?¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t even look up. <b>¡°</b>You just said you couldn¡¯t keep going, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Panicked, Vivian rushed to stop him. <b>¡°</b>No<b>, </b><b>no</b>, it¡¯s fine! I rested a bit. I¡¯m good now.¡±

    She slung her bag back over her shoulders in a hurry. <b>¡°</b>Seriously<b>, </b>I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t call.¡±

    Sean calmly put his phone away. ¡°Then let¡¯s keep moving.¡±

    Beside him, Charlotte <b>raised </b><b>an </b>eyebrow and smirked.

    She slipped her hand through lus arm and said sweetly, <b>¡°</b>Let¡¯s go, Sean.¡±

    Vivian and Zac were rendered speechless.

    Sean was clearly loving it. The way Charlotte called his name sent a warm rush through him, and he couldn¡¯t stop the smile tugging at his lips.

    Soon after, they reached <b>a </b><b>small </b><b>stream </b>

    <b>Sean </b>held Charlotte¡¯s hand and helped her <b>step </b>across the stones. <b>¡°</b><b>Watch </b>your step.¡±

    The final gap between the rock and the <b>far </b>bank <b>was </b>wide enough to make most of the guls hesitate, so they had <b>been </b>helped across one by one.

    Charlotte <b>leaned </b>on Sean and made it across easily.

    Then suddenly, an unsteady cry from behind

    They turned to see <b>Vivian </b>wobbling in the middle of the stream, pale and stuck on a stone.

    <b>¡°</b>Sean,<b>¡± </b>she <b>called</b>, ¡°I can¡¯t make it across<b>. </b><b>Can </b>youe help me?¡±

 His Heart 127

    Chapter <b>127 </b>

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t stopughing.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Come </b>on<b>, </bn, <b>you¡¯re </b>such a scammer. Two million for one photo? Who even sets prices like that on the spot?¡±

    ¡°Deal<b>,</b>¡± Sean said without hesitation. ¡°Email it to me<b>¨C</b>sending it over the phone ruins the quality.¡±

    Ian¡¯s face lit up. He gave Sean a big thumbs¨Cup.

    <b>¡°</b>Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. I like your style!¡±

    Charlotte was stunned. Her mouth opened slightly, but she ended up saying nothing.

    Whatever. It wasn¡¯t her money. He could spend it however he wanted.

    She turned to take in the glowing sunset in front <b>of </b>her. The view was so beautiful it made her chest feel lighter, like she could finally breathe. She closed her eyes against the breeze, stretched out her arms, and let out a joyful shout.

    The exhaustion from the past few days melted away in that moment. She felt more rxed than she had in a long time.

    Mia joined in, shouting alongside her. Their cheerful voices echoed through the valley<b>, </b>startling a few birds into flight.

    Vivian dragged herself up the trail, breathless and worn out. She frowned in irritation when she heard Charlotte and Mia shouting like kids, her <b>face </b>full of disdain.

    Standing beside her, Mandy rolled her eyes and muttered, <b>¡°</b>Ugh<b>, </b>that idiot Mia called me low¨Css? And now she¡¯s up there yelling like that? She thinks that¡¯sdylike behavior?¡±

    Suzy chimed in, ¡°Mandy, don¡¯t stoop to her level. Anyone who hangs out with Charlotte can¡¯t be much better.<b>¡± </b>

    With that one line, Suzy managed to insult both Charlotte and Mia<b>, </b>earning chuckles from Vivian and Mandy.

    Not far off, Lena suggested, ¡°The <b>view¡¯s </b>amazing. Why don¡¯t we take a <b>group </b>photo?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Great idea!¡± Mia stood up from the rock. ¡°Ian<b>, </b>you take it <b>for </b><b>us</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Ian looked annoyed.

    ¡°What? And miss being in the photo? No way<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    He scanned the group, then turned <b>to </b>Vivian and handed her the DSLR.

    ¡°Vivian, how <b>about </b><b>you </b>take it for us?¡±

    totally </b>oblivious to Vivian¡¯s crush on Sean. He figured she had <b>been </b>clinging <b>to </b>him earlier out <b>of </b>sibling¨Clike <b>closeness</b><b>. </b>

    But <b>Mia </b>yanked the camera back <b>out </b><b>of </b>his hands.

    ¡°Nope,<b>¡± </b>

    There <b>were </b>still photos of Charlotte and Sean in <b>that </b><b>camera</b><b>. </b>Knowing Vivian<b>, </b>who knows what she might do? What if she <b>deleted </b>them or <b>¡°</b>identally<b>¡± </b>broke the camera? Then not only would the photo <b>be </b><b>gone</b><b>, </b>so would the two million.

    <b>Ian </b>frowned.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    Mia muttered under her breath, ¡°Brain¨Cdead,¡± then said aloud, ¡°Just trust me. Don¡¯t let them take it. I brought a selfie stick. We¡¯ll <b>just </b><b>use </b>my phone.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Phone shots? Not even close to DSLR quality<b>.</b>¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Not the same, but good enough,¡± Mia said as she pulled out the stick and mounted her phone.

    ¡°Lena, Charlottee stand next to me.¡±

    Lena and Charlotte came over<b>, </b>one on either side of Mia

    <b>Sean </b>moved to stand beside Charlotte Jordan stepped next to Lena. Ian shrugged and took his ce beside <b>Sean </b>

    Mia held the selfie stick lugh and grinned<b>. </b>

    ¡°Okay<b>, </b>one<b>, </b>two<b>, </b>three¨Ccheese<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>The </b>three girls beamed<b>, </b><b>all </b>shing peace signs. The guys just <b>gave </b>rxed smiles, barely hitting theers of their mouths. Still, it made for a pretty harmonious

    shot

    Mia snapped <b>several </b>more, changing up the girls¡® poses and expressions each time. The guys, meanwhile, kept the exact same look <b>and </b>stance in every pluoto

    Off to the side<b>, </b><b>Vivian </b>watched it all with jealousy burning in her eyes.

    ¡°Seriously? They didn¡¯t <b>even </b>ask me to join the group photo?¡± she muttered.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

 His Heart 126

    Chapter <b>126 </b>

    Sean stopped in his tracks and frowned, casting a nce at Vivian before his gaze shifted to Zac standing behind her. His voice was calm but carried a hint of

    <b>sarcas?n</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°Zac, what happened to being a gentleman?¡±

    Vivian froze. She stared at Sean in disbelief.

    <b>Zac¡¯s </b>expression darkened slightly. He lifted his eyes and met Charlotte¡¯s steady gaze.

    Maybe Charlotte hadn¡¯t really forgotten him after all. Maybe she had just been pretending to <b>move </b><b>on</b>. If she saw him helping another girl across the river, would she get jealous?

    That thought shed through Zac¡¯s mind as he reached out to steady Vivian. <b>His </b><b>voice </b>was gentle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Vivian. I¡¯ve got you.¡±

    Vivian lowered her eyes and muttered through gritted teeth, just loud enough for only him to hear, ¡°What are you doing? I wanted Sean to help me.¡±

    Zac replied under his breath, ¡°So if he won¡¯t help<b>, </b><b>you¡¯re </b>just going to stand in the middle of the river forever?<b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>still don¡¯t need you to help me.¡±

    ¡°You said it.¡± Zac let go of her hand without warning.

    ¡°Ah-!¡±

    Vivian suddenly screamed, nearly slipping into <b>the </b>water<b>. </b>She instinctively grabbed Zac¡¯s arm tightly.

    ¡°Okay<b>, </b>okay<b>, </b>help me across first!¡±

    Zac scoffed, silently rolling his <b>eyes</b>.

    Sean saw that Vivian was fine and didn¡¯t bother with her any longer. He turned and kept walking ahead.

    The group continued on their hike, stopping here and there. Soon<b>, </b>evening fell.

    The <b>red </b>sun sank into <b>the </b>horizon. Birds returned to their nests<b>, </b>and the <b>sky </b><b>lit </b>up with a stunning <b>ze </b><b>of </b><b>color</b><b>, </b>stretching for miles. The <b>sunset </b>was breathtaking.

    They reached a <b>spot </b><b>with </b><b>a </b>clear view of the sky<b>, </b>perfect for watching the sun <b>go </b><b>down</b>. Ian Quinton was the <b>first </b><b>to </b><b>stop </b>and take photos<b>. </b>

    Others soon followed and paused to snap pictures too.

    <b>Mia </b>finally made it up the trail, panting and leaning hard on her hiking stick¨Cjust <b>in </b>time for <bn </b>to snap a candid shot.

    Holding his DSLR<b>, </bn grinned like a total menace.

    ¡°Boom A 4K reaction meme, born right here,¡±

    Mia red <b>at </b>him and growled, <b>¡°</b>Ian, delete it. Now.¡±

    ¡°No <b>way</b>. This masterpiece deserves to be cherished.¡±

    Mia dropped onto arge rock, too tired to argue. She looked up at the glowing sky.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m too exhausted to deal with you right now. But once we¡¯re back, <b>you¡¯re </b>dead.¡±

    Just then, Charlotte and Sean arrived. The sunset¡¯s warm orange light fell gently across their faces, softening Sean¡¯s usual sharp features<b>. </b>

    Jan raised his camera <b>again </b>and clicked the shutter.

    ¡°<b>Damn</b><b>. </b><b>You </b>two look perfect in this light.¡±

    <b>In </b>the photo<b>, </b>Charlotte squinted slightly at the sunset while sean stood beside her,pletely absorbed, eyes full of quiet admiration for her.

    ¡°Look at your eyes in <b>this</b><b>! </b>I swear<b>, </b>even I¡¯m falling for you. What¡¯s that line again? ¡®You¡¯re lost in the <b>sunset</b>, and someone¡¯s getting lost in you.**

    Jaydan chuckled

    Since when do you quote poetry?¡±

    <b>Jan </b>shot him a look

    <b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b>a famous line<b>, </b>alright? I might¡¯ve gooted off in school, but I wasn¡¯tpletely hopeless.¡±

    Mia snorted. <b>¡°</b>People <b>with </b>empty beads are always the first to show off.¡±

    ¡°Tch.<b>¡± </bn frowned. ¡°<b>Watch </b><b>it</b><b>, </b>brat. Can you try not ta pinbarrass your brother in public?¡±

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    Sean took the DSLR and admired the photo. His eyes sparkled with genuine appreciation.

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯ve actually got some skill. It turned out great. Send it to meter.¡±

    Ian held up two fingers<b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>This much.¡±

    Mia scrunched up her face in disgust. ¡°You¡¯re actually charging for the photo? You look like a sleazy salesman. Seriously¨Cdon¡¯t tell people you¡¯re my brother. <b>It¡¯s </b>embarrassing.¡±

    Ian shot back, <b>¡°</b>Shut it, kid. What do you know anyway?¡±

    Sean <b>wasn¡¯t </b>offended. He looked amused.

    <b>¡°</b>Two hundred grand?¡±

    Ian shook his head.

    <b>¡°</b>Come on, this is your once<b>¨C</b>in¨Ca¨Clifetime shot with Charlotte<b>. </b>The lighting<b>, </b>the vibe¨Cit¡¯s wless. This one belongs on the big screen at your wedding<b>! </b>Final offer: <b>two </b>million.<b>¡± </b>

    P

 His Heart 128

    Chapter <b>128 </b>

    <b>¡°</b>I want <b>a </b>photo too, Sean!¡± Vivian called out, forcing her voice into <b>a </b>sugary tone <b>as </b>she walked over and wedged herself between Charlotte and Sean.

    <b>¡°</b>Whoa!¡± Mia suddenly yelped.

    Jan turned around in concern.

    ¡°Mia, what happened?¡±

    Mia put on a dramatic <b>face</b>.

    ¡°Massive photobomb alert. I think I just went blind.¡±

    Vivian clearly heard her, but she didn¡¯t move <b>an </b>inch. She stood her ground right between Charlotte and Sean like she didn¡¯t <b>even </b>care.

    When Mia saw she had no intention of leaving<b>, </b>she slowly retracted her selfie stick and gave Vivian a wide, fake smile.

    ¡°<b>Oops</b>, sorry, Miss Xander. We¡¯re done taking photos. <b>If </b>you want a group shot<b>, </b>maybe ask your dear Zac or your little clique.¡±

    Vivian clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to snap. She forced <b>a </b>smile and linked her arm <b>with </b>Sean¡¯s.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just take a few with my brother.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes dropped slightly,nding on Vivian¡¯s hand.

    But Sean pulled his arm away and looked <b>down </b>at her coldly.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too old to be clinging <b>to </b>your brother? Maybe it¡¯s time you <b>got </b>yourself a boyfriend.¡±

    Even Vivian<b>, </b>master of ying innocent, couldn¡¯t <b>keep </b>the cracks from showing. Her smile faltered. The hurt in her <b>eyes </b>slipped through her mask.

    ¡°But why can¡¯t I be close to you just because we¡¯re older now? You used to <b>dote </b><b>on </b>me all the time¡­¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice stayed distant.

    ¡°That was then. This is now. Vivian, you need <b>to </b>learn boundaries<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Her behavior just now had made Sean <b>see </b>through her clearly. He didn¡¯t call her out in front <b>of </b>everyone <b>as </b>she was family<b>, </b>after all. But he wasn¡¯t going <b>to </b>indulge her anymore<b>. </b>

    He had also noticed her clear jealousy and hostility toward Charlotte<b>. </b>Since Charlotte didn¡¯t like Vivian<b>, </b>then as her boyfriend, it was time he made his position clear. She needed <b>to </b><b>feel </b><b>secure</b><b>. </b>

    Vivian <b>froze</b>,

    ¡°Eoundaries? <b>We¡¯re </b>siblings. What kind of boundaries<b>?</b>¡±

    Mia scoffed.

    ¡°What<b>, </b><b>you </b><b>really </b>think you¡¯re <b>a </b>proper heiress now? You¡¯re not <b>even </b>blood¨C<b>rted</b>. A grown man and woman pretending <b>to </b><b>be </b>clingy siblings<b>¨C</b>how¡¯s <b>that </b>not suspicious?¡±

    Tears welled up in Vivian¡¯s eyes as she looked up at Sean with <b>a </b>pitiful <b>expression</b>.

    But Sean didn¡¯t waver<b>. </b>His voice was calm<b>, </b>even distant.

    ¡°Mia¡¯s right. We <b>may </b>call each other brother and sister, but there¡¯s no blood rtion. Let¡¯s not do things that <b>can </b>be easily misunderstood.¡±

    <b>Vivian </b>opened her mouth to say <b>more</b><b>, </b>but Sean had already stepped past her and reached for Charlotte¡¯s hand. His dark eyes were calm but full of focus.

    ¡°Charlotte<b>, </b><b>we¡¯re </b>done with photos. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Charlotte smiled<b>, </b>then nced at Vivian with a look that was all soft mockery.

    <b>¡°</b>You go ahead and take your photos. I¡¯ll be leaving with your brother.<b>¡± </b>

    Inwardly, Charlotte snorted, ¡°Wow You really mastered the art <b>of </b>ying sweet. A true green tea queen<b>. </b>Too bad your brother¡¯s <b>a </b><b>pro </b>at spotting fakes.¡±

    After sunset<b>, </b>the temperature dropped quickly. The breeze from the mountain stream made the <b>air </b>colder <b>and </b>more humid, and the chill began to seep into their

    bones.

    Sean pulled <b>a </b>thick jacket from his backpack.

    <b>¡°</b>Here. Put this on<b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte took the jacket and <b>slipped </b>it on. Meametule, Vivian stood nearby shivering in her <b>than </b>hiking <b>jacket</b>, clueless about the drastic temperature drop in the mountains.

    Seeing Sean giving his jacket to Charlotte only made the jealousy in Vivian¡¯s heart re even more.

    They had only walked a little farther when suddenly someone screamed behind them.

    Charlotte instinctively turned around, but the mountain path wound through trees and turns. It was hard to see what had happened.

    Momentster, Mandy came running up in a panic.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper! Vivian twisted her ankle!¡±

    D

 His Heart 129

    an frowned. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Is it serious<b>?</b>¡±

    Mandy looked genuinely flustered, not like she was faking it.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    <b>¡°</b><b>It </b>seems pretty bad. She says she can¡¯t walk<b>. </b>You should go check on her.¡±

    The mountain trail was rocky and uneven. It was easy to slip and twist an ankle if you weren¡¯t careful. Charlotte didn¡¯t immediately question it. After all, Vivian was <b>Sean¡¯s </b>sister. If she <b>was </b>hurt, it made sense to at least take a look.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see what happened,¡± Charlotte said to Sean.

    <b>¡°</b>Yeah.¡±

    They followed Mandy back down the path a short distance, <b>where </b>they found Vivian sitting on a <b>rock</b><b>, </b>softly moaning in pain as she bit her lip.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Sean asked.

    Tears welled up in Vivian¡¯s eyes.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>stepped on a loose rock and slipped. I fell and hurt my ankle<b>. </b>It really hurts<b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte looked down. Vivian¡¯s knee was scraped and dirty, and her ankle <b>was </b>scratched and bleeding. It was clear she really was injured.

    ¡°Can you walk?¡± Sean asked.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>can¡¯t,¡± she said, and tears immediately started falling. Her voice was <b>soft </b>and pitiful.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Sean. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. You¡¯re almost at the top. <b>Go </b>watch the meteor shower. I don¡¯t want <b>to </b>ruin the moment for you.¡±

    Sean gave <b>a </b>small nod.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find someone to help you back <b>down</b>.<b>¡± </b>

    Vivian froze. Her expression cracked for a split second, but she quickly covered it with more tears<b>. </b>

    ¡°1¡­ I really wanted to <b>see </b>the meteor shower too. <b>Can¡¯t </b>I just stay <b>a </b>little longer? I don¡¯t want <b>to </b>miss out.¡±

    Her earlier scream had <b>been </b>loud enough that Mia andn, who were ahead of them<b>, </b>had also heard it. Mia arrived just in time <b>to </b>hear Vivian¡¯s pleading.

    She nced at Vivian¡¯s injury<b>, </b>then tilted her head and smirked, ¡°Wow. Pulling the sympathy card already.<b>¡± </b>

    And right on cue, Vivian looked up with tearful <b>eyes </b>and said, ¡°Sean<b>, </b>could <b>you </b><b>carry </b><b>me </b><b>up </b><b>to </b><b>the </b><b>top</b><b>? </b><b>It¡¯s </b>not far now<b>. </b>I¡¯m really not that heavy.¡±

    Charlotte and Mia exchanged a look, then turned at the same time <b>to </b><b>see </b><b>what </b><b>Sean </b>would <b>say</b>.

    The scenic overlook was only about <b>200 </b><b>meters </b><b>away</b>. <b>It </b>was not far at all. On the surface, Vivian¡¯s <b>request </b><b>seemed </b>reasonable<b>. </b>

    But both Charlotte and Mia knew better. <b>Vivian </b><b>wasn¡¯t </b>nearly as innocent as she pretended to be.

    Charlotte said nothing, waiting silently for Sean¡¯s response.

    Sean nced around, then looked down at the ground.

    Vivian didn¡¯t understand what he <b>was </b>doing and looked confused.

    ¡°What is <b>it</b>?¡±

    His voice <b>was </b>calm <b>and </b>distant

    <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you really want to see the meteor shower, then stay here and watch it. The view¡¯s still decent- not as good as the overlook, but good enough.¡±

    ¡°What<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Vivian clearly hadn¡¯t expected that response.

    She <b>bit </b>her lip again<b>, </b>her face <b>even </b>paler under the faint light.

    ¡°<b>I </b>don¡¯t want to be here all alone while everyone else is at the top. <b>It¡¯s </b>scary by myself.¡±

    But Sean didn¡¯t budge. His tone remained cool and detached

    ¡°You¡¯ve still got two friends with you. Let them stay. I¡¯ll have someone bring you snacks in a bit, and after the meteor shower, <b>I¡¯ll </b>arrange for someone to take you down. Don¡¯t <b>spend </b>the night on the mountain<b>¡± </b>

    <b>Mia </b>gave Charlotte a sly look¨Cone that clearly said, ¡°Your man <b>handled </b>that perfectly.¡±

    Vivian, on the other hand, was <b>falling </b>apart.

    Tears rolled down her cheeks as she cried<b>, </b><b>*</b>ean, are you not carrying me because <b>you¡¯re </b>worded charlotte will be upset? Is she really that petty? I¡¯m your sister, and <b>she¡¯s </b>jealous of even that?¡±

 His Heart 130

    Chapter <b>130 </b>

    The mood shifted in an instant.

    Sean¡¯s eyes darkened, a sh of anger showing on his otherwiseposed face.

    <b>¡°</b>Vivian Xander,¡± he said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to carry you. This has nothing to do with Lottie. And if I ever hear you badmouth her again, don¡¯t expect me to be polite.¡±

    Vivian burst into tears, sobbing, ¡°But Sean¡­ I wasn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Mia leaned toward Charlotte and whispered, ¡°You believe her ankle¡¯s even hurt?¡±

    Charlotte gave her a sideways nce.

    <b>¡°</b><b>What </b>makes you say that?¡±

    Mia smirked.

    <b>¡°</b>Watch this.<b>¡± </b>

    She suddenly screamed and pointed.

    ¡°Snake! There¡¯s a snake!¡±

    Vivian instantly sprang up, bolting across the path and nearly sprinting behind Sean.

    <b>¡°</b>Ahh! A snake! Sean, <b>I¡¯m </b>scared!¡±

    Silence.

    The moment froze. No one said a word. Even the <b>trees </b>seemed to still.

    A breeze passed through, gently shaking the branches overhead.

    Then-

    <b>¡°</b>Pffft-¡°Mia <b>was </b>the first to break,ughing <b>out </b>loud.

    <b>¡°</b>Didn¡¯t you say you couldn¡¯t walk? <b>You </b>looked very mobile just now. What¡¯s the matter? Was this whole thing just an <b>act </b><b>to </b><b>get </b>sympathy?¡±

    Realizing she had been exposed, Vivian¡¯s face twisted for a second before she quickly pulled herself together again.

    Her <b>voice </b>cooled as she snapped, ¡°Miss Carter<b>, </b><b>are </b>you seriously unaware that fear can trigger bursts of adrenaline?¡±

    Mia <b>cracked </b>up.

    <b>¡°</b>Oh my god, Vivian, are <b>you </b><b>seriously </b>trying that <b>excuse</b><b>? </b><b>Do </b><b>you </b>think we¡¯re all idiots?¡±

    <b>Furious</b><b>, </b>Vivian raised her <b>voice</b><b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>lied! There wasn¡¯t <b>a </b>snake<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    Mia just shrugged.

    ¡°Sure there was. It ran off. But that¡¯s not the point. You faked being hurt just to get Sean¡¯s attention<b>, </b>didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Vivian flinched just for a moment but the panic <b>in </b><b>her </b><b>eyes </b>said it <b>all</b>. She reached <b>out </b>and tugged Sean¡¯s sleeve<b>, </b>her voice soft and pleading. <b>¡°</b>Sean<b>, </b>I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Charlotte watched silently. So that was it. The injury <b>had </b>been fake all along. Vivian <b>didn¡¯t </b>just want attention, she wanted his attention<b>. </b>The kind no sister should be seeking.

    She stayed quiet<b>, </b>waiting to see how <b>Sean </b>would respond.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>expression <b>was </b><b>unreadable</b><b>, </b>but his tone was icy.

    <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>your ankle¡¯s fine<b>, </b>then walk on your own. And <b>don¡¯t </b>pull stunts like this again. It¡¯s pathetic.¡±

    the didn¡¯t <b>wait </b>for a <b>reply</b>. <b>He </b>turned around and walked off.

    Vivian¡¯s face <b>twisted </b>with humiliation. She shot Mia <b>a </b>hateful re.

    Mia just stuck out her tongue and <b>pulled </b><b>a </b>mocking face<b>, </b><b>then </b>looped <b>her </b>arm through Charlotte¡¯s and walked off<b>, </b>smirking,

    Vivian <b>watched </b>their backs <b>with </b>burning eyes.

    Just then<b>, </b><b>Suzy </b>came strolling up behind her. She nced at Sean and Charlotte walking away<b>, </b>then sneered.

    <b>¡°</b><b>She¡¯s </b>not even part of the family <b>yet </b>and already acting like she owns <b>the </b><b>ce</b>. And her bestie? Please. She¡¯s just a stepdaughter trom the Quinton family. <b>What </b>

    <b>does </b><b>that </b><b>even </b>count for?¡±

    She leaned in <b>close </b>and whispered something in Vivian¡¯s ear.

    Vivian¡¯s expression <b>slowly </b>hardened, her eyes turning cold.

    ¡°That¡¯s a <b>great </b>idea. Let¡¯s do it. If she dares to mess with me, I¡¯ll make her regret it.¡±

    Night fell.

    The group finally reached the mountaintop viewing deck. They began setting up <b>tents </b>and cameras<b>, </b>getting ready to capture the meteor shower.

    One by one, streaks of light danced across the sky. It was absolutely breathtaking.

    Charlotte closed her eyes and made a silent wish beneath the stars.

    Sean stood quietly off to the side, watching her.

    Meteor showers didn¡¯t hold much appeal for Sean. To him, they were just small space rocks entering Earth¡¯s atmosphere at high speed, colliding with air molecules, generating friction and heat, and then burning up in a sh of light. It was just a simple astronomical phenomenon.

 His Heart 131

    Chapter <b>131 </b>

    <b>Sean </b>had never cared much about meteor showers.

    But <b>seeing </b>his Lottie so enchanted by them, watching her close her eyes and make a wish beneath the stars<b>¨C</b>suddenly, the sky full of falling stars felt breathtakingly beautiful.

    When Charlotte finished her wish and opened her eyes, she turned to look at him. Her gaze sparkled with joy, like a pair of bright, innocent doe eyes.

    ¡°Sean,¡± she asked with a yful smile<b>, </b>¡°why didn¡¯t you make <b>a </b>wish?¡±

    The nighttime chill had reddened the tip of her nose and her earlobes<b>, </b>making her look even more delicate.

    Sean couldn¡¯t resist. He reached out and gently pinched her ear, his voice light with amusement.

    <b>¡°</b>I didn¡¯t need to. My wish already came true.¡±

    He only ever had one wish¨Cto have her by his side <b>for </b>the <b>rest </b><b>of </b>their lives<b>. </b>

    Charlotte didn¡¯t quite understand. She blinked up <b>at </b>him, hershes fluttering.

    ¡°What wish?¡±

    Sean gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear<b>, </b><b>a </b>soft smile curving at his lips.

    ¡°My wish¡­ is to be with you.¡±

    His gaze <b>was </b>steady, dark and deep as he looked at her. Then he added<b>, </b>with quiet sincerity<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Forever.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s heart melted in an instant. His words wrapped around her like a warm <b>breeze</b><b>, </b><b>soft </b>and tender<b>, </b>stirring something sweet and shy inside her. She felt like a flower blooming in the spring wind.

    She ducked her head bashfully and mumbled, ¡°You usually seem <b>so </b>serious. Who knew you had such a way with words?<b>¡± </b>

    Sean¡¯s voice dropped, low and maic.

    ¡°It¡¯s <b>not </b>just talk,¡± he said. ¡°I meant every word.¡±

    Charlotte <b>pressed </b>her lips together<b>, </b>suddenly feeling flustered. She nudged a small pebble with the <b>toe </b>of her shoe, hershes lowered, <b>too </b>shy to meet his <b>eyes</b>.

    ¡°What did you wish for, Lottie?¡± Sean asked, softly pulling her into his arms.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not telling,¡± she said <b>coyly</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>If </b><b>I </b>say <b>it </b>out loud, it won¡¯te true<b>.</b>¡®

    ¡±

    That night, Charlotte and Sean shared a tent<b>. </b>

    The <b>space </b>inside was roomy<b>, </b>but the air felt warm and heavy with <b>tension</b>.

    Sean¡¯s lips moved to her neck

    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ve </b>waited years for this and now I finally have what I wished for.¡±

    His kisses fell gently on her bare skin, <b>slow </b>and lingering. His <b>breath </b><b>came </b>in soft, restrained gasps, warm against her neck

    Charlotte hade for the meteor shower. She <b>never </b>expected Sean to get this handsy out in the middle <b>of </b>nowhere.

    They definitely hadn¡¯t brought <b>any </b>protection<b>. </b>

    Could she <b>get </b><b>pregnant </b>without it?

    She wasn¡¯t ready for that yet.

    <b>Especially </b><b>now</b><b>, </b>with their engagement having been called off. They were just dating. The idea of getting pregnant before marriage didn¡¯t sit <b>right </b>with her, but how was she supposed <b>to </b>bring it up?

    She had never done this before. Talking about it out loud was embarrassing,

    Just as she was working <b>up </b>the courage to say something<b>, </b><b>Sean </b>suddenly <b>stopped</b>.

    In the <b>quiet </b>of the tent, <b>his </b>breathing was loud, <b>heavy </b><b>with </b>restraint. His voice<b>, </b>rough <b>with </b>desire<b>, </b>came in a low murmur.

    <b>¡°</b>Not here. <b>Not </b>your first <b>time</b><b>. </b>Let¡¯s <b>sleep</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte was rendered speechless.

    Okay<b>, </b>maybe <b>she </b>had overthought <b>it </b><b>a </b><b>little </b>

    She <b>really </b><b>thought </b>he wouldn¡¯t <b>be </b><b>able </b>to <b>stop </b>himself. But he did.

    <b>1/2 </b>

    Even <b>with </b>everything <b>so </b><b>close </b>to the edge, he still pulled back.

    Meanwhile<b>, </b>she was the one left flustered and her body still burning. And now<b>, </b>she wasn¡¯t even sure she could fall asleep.

    Sean wrapped his arms around her and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

    <b>¡°</b>Goodnight, Lottie.¡±

    Charlotte nestled closer, her voice soft like a clingy kitten¡¯s.

    ¡°Goodnight, Sean.¡±

    BIG SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you

 His Heart 132

    Chapter <b>132 </b>

    The next <b>day</b><b>, </b>right after returning from North Ridge, Vivian rushed straight to the Jasper family estate to pour her heart out to the Mrs. Jasper Sr.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma,¡± she sniffled, her voice trembling, ¡°I don¡¯t think Charlotte likes me. I really don¡¯t know why. That thing at the stables¨Cit was just a misunderstanding. I already apologized, <b>but </b>she still won¡¯t forgive me.¡±

    Vivian sat beside Mrs. Jasper Sr. on the living room couch, eyes red and watery, her tone thick with grievance.

    ¡°She¡¯s just¡­ always so cold to me. I don¡¯t know what I did, but it really feels like she¡¯s always against me.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr.¡¯s </b>heart ached seeing her granddaughter like this. She took Vivian¡¯s hand and gently patted it.

    ¡°Good girl, tell Grandma exactly how that Charlotte girl¡¯s been bullying you.¡±

    Vivian sniffled again, choking up as she spoke.

    <b>¡°</b>Maybe she thinks I¡¯m stealing my brother¡¯s attention. That¡¯s probably why she keeps trying to push me away. When we were resting at base camp, I made stew for him, and Charlotte grabbed the bowl right out of his hands. She told him not <b>to </b>eat it and even said it tasted awful.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s brows knit together.

    ¡°She really said that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± Vivian¡¯s tone turned more aggrieved.

    ¡°We were hiking and I got tired, so I asked Sean if he could carry my backpack. But Charlotte stopped him and said she¡¯s his girlfriend now<b>, </b>so he should only carry her bag. Grandma<b>, </b><b>you </b>tell me¨CSean and I grew up together. I¡¯m his sister. <b>I </b>can¡¯t even ask him <b>to </b>carry a bag for me?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s frown deepened, her <b>expression </b>darkening with displeasure.

    ¡°This Charlotte girl is way out of line. She¡¯s not even part of the family yet and already throwing her weight around like she owns the ce<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Exactly! I was so upset. And when we <b>were </b>crossing the river, she wouldn¡¯t let Sean help me. I nearly fell in!¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. gasped, clutching Vivian¡¯s hand even tighter.

    ¡°That Charlotte is <b>too </b>much! Are you hurt anywhere<b>, </b>sweetheart?¡±

    Vivian nodded, wiping <b>away </b><b>tears</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°I am¡­¡±

    She <b>lifted </b>the hem of her skirt to <b>reveal </b>her ankle.

    The scrape from the night before had already started to scab over, but this morning she had deliberately aggravated the wound¨Cdragging it against the floor just enough to tear <b>it </b><b>open </b>again. Now the skin was raw and bloody<b>. </b>She hadn¡¯t cleaned or bandaged it <b>either</b><b>, </b><b>just </b><b>to </b>make sure the sight would tug at her grandmother¡¯s heart.

    And it worked.

    Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr.¡¯s </b>face twisted in distress. She immediately <b>called </b>for a maid to <b>fetch </b><b>antiseptic </b>and bandages.

    ¡°<b>I </b>twisted my anklest night and <b>couldn¡¯t </b>walk,¡± Vivian added tearfully. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>asked Sean to <b>carry </b>me the <b>rest </b><b>of </b>the way <b>to </b>the lookout so <b>I </b>could <b>see </b>the <b>meteor </b>shower. <b>But </b>Charlotte refused, She <b>even </b>said¡­¡± her voice broke again<b>, </b>¡°she said¡­¡±

    She began sobbing before she could finish the <b>sentence</b><b>. </b>

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°What else <b>did </b>she say<b>?</b>¡±

    <b>¡°</b>She said I¡¯m an adult <b>now</b><b>, </b>and that I should keep <b>my </b>distance from Sean. <b>That </b>people might misunderstand us. And then she bragged to her friends that she¡¯s about to <b>marry </b>into the Jasper family<b>, </b><b>that </b>she¡¯ll be thedy of the house soon<b>, </b>and that only she has the right to be carried by Sean.¡±

    <b>Vivian </b>broke into loud sobs.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma<b>, </b>am I really supposed <b>to </b>stay away from Sean just because <b>I </b>got hurt? Am I not <b>even </b>allowed to ask him to help me?¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr. <b>was </b>fuming. ¡°She¡¯s <b>not </b><b>even </b>married int

    Chapter <b>132 </b>

    The next <b>day</b><b>, </b>right after returning from North Ridge, Vivian rushed straight to the Jasper family estate to pour her heart out to the Mrs. Jasper Sr.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma,¡± she sniffled, her voice trembling, ¡°I don¡¯t think Charlotte likes me. I really don¡¯t know why. That thing at the stables¨Cit was just a misunderstanding. I already apologized, <b>but </b>she still won¡¯t forgive me.¡±

    Vivian sat beside Mrs. Jasper Sr. on the living room couch, eyes red and watery, her tone thick with grievance.

    ¡°She¡¯s just¡­ always so cold to me. I don¡¯t know what I did, but it really feels like she¡¯s always against me.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr.¡¯s </b>heart ached seeing her granddaughter like this. She took Vivian¡¯s hand and gently patted it.

    ¡°Good girl, tell Grandma exactly how that Charlotte girl¡¯s been bullying you.¡±

    Vivian sniffled again, choking up as she spoke.

    <b>¡°</b>Maybe she thinks I¡¯m stealing my brother¡¯s attention. That¡¯s probably why she keeps trying to push me away. When we were resting at base camp, I made stew for him, and Charlotte grabbed the bowl right out of his hands. She told him not <b>to </b>eat it and even said it tasted awful.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s brows knit together.

    ¡°She really said that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± Vivian¡¯s tone turned more aggrieved.

    ¡°We were hiking and I got tired, so I asked Sean if he could carry my backpack. But Charlotte stopped him and said she¡¯s his girlfriend now<b>, </b>so he should only carry her bag. Grandma<b>, </b><b>you </b>tell me¨CSean and I grew up together. I¡¯m his sister. <b>I </b>can¡¯t even ask him <b>to </b>carry a bag for me?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s frown deepened, her <b>expression </b>darkening with displeasure.

    ¡°This Charlotte girl is way out of line. She¡¯s not even part of the family yet and already throwing her weight around like she owns the ce<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Exactly! I was so upset. And when we <b>were </b>crossing the river, she wouldn¡¯t let Sean help me. I nearly fell in!¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. gasped, clutching Vivian¡¯s hand even tighter.

    ¡°That Charlotte is <b>too </b>much! Are you hurt anywhere<b>, </b>sweetheart?¡±

    Vivian nodded, wiping <b>away </b><b>tears</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°I am¡­¡±

    She <b>lifted </b>the hem of her skirt to <b>reveal </b>her ankle.

    The scrape from the night before had already started to scab over, but this morning she had deliberately aggravated the wound¨Cdragging it against the floor just enough to tear <b>it </b><b>open </b>again. Now the skin was raw and bloody<b>. </b>She hadn¡¯t cleaned or bandaged it <b>either</b><b>, </b><b>just </b><b>to </b>make sure the sight would tug at her grandmother¡¯s heart.

    And it worked.

    Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr.¡¯s </b>face twisted in distress. She immediately <b>called </b>for a maid to <b>fetch </b><b>antiseptic </b>and bandages.

    ¡°<b>I </b>twisted my anklest night and <b>couldn¡¯t </b>walk,¡± Vivian added tearfully. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>asked Sean to <b>carry </b>me the <b>rest </b><b>of </b>the way <b>to </b>the lookout so <b>I </b>could <b>see </b>the <b>meteor </b>shower. <b>But </b>Charlotte refused, She <b>even </b>said¡­¡± her voice broke again<b>, </b>¡°she said¡­¡±

    She began sobbing before she could finish the <b>sentence</b><b>. </b>

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°What else <b>did </b>she say<b>?</b>¡±

    <b>¡°</b>She said I¡¯m an adult <b>now</b><b>, </b>and that I should keep <b>my </b>distance from Sean. <b>That </b>people might misunderstand us. And then she bragged to her friends that she¡¯s about to <b>marry </b>into the Jasper family<b>, </b><b>that </b>she¡¯ll be thedy of the house soon<b>, </b>and that only she has the right to be carried by Sean.¡±

    <b>Vivian </b>broke into loud sobs.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma<b>, </b>am I really supposed <b>to </b>stay away from Sean just because <b>I </b>got hurt? Am I not <b>even </b>allowed to ask him to help me?¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr. <b>was </b>fuming. ¡°She¡¯s <b>not </b><b>even </b>married into the family and already pulling rank? Acting like she runs the household?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma<b>, </b>please¡­ you have <b>to </b>stand <b>up </b>for me<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry<b>, </b>sweetheart<b>.</b>¡± <b>Mrs. </b>Jasper Sr. patted her hand firmly, <b>¡°</b>Grandma¡¯s on your side. <b>At </b><b>the </b><b>next </b>family gathering<b>, </b>I¡¯ll make sure that girl knows her ce.¡±

    <b>Soon, </b>the day <b>of </b>the Jasper family gathering arrived.

    <b>Sean </b>picked Charlotte up and brought her to the estate.

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    As soon as they arrived, Mrs. Jasper Sr. found an excuse to send Sean off on an errand, leaving Charlotte to sit in the living room with her and Sean¡¯s mother, Lilian.

    Vivian sat close beside Mrs. <b>Jasper</b>. She had clearly dressed to impress¨Clight makeup, perfectly polished, and a pale blue silk dress that gave her <b>a </b>soft, graceful <b>look</b>. Her whole vibe was sweet and refined, exactly the kind of traditional elegance Mrs. Jasper Sr. loved.

    o the family and already pulling rank? Acting like she runs the household?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma<b>, </b>please¡­ you have <b>to </b>stand <b>up </b>for me<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry<b>, </b>sweetheart<b>.</b>¡± <b>Mrs. </b>Jasper Sr. patted her hand firmly, <b>¡°</b>Grandma¡¯s on your side. <b>At </b><b>the </b><b>next </b>family gathering<b>, </b>I¡¯ll make sure that girl knows her ce.¡±

    <b>Soon, </b>the day <b>of </b>the Jasper family gathering arrived.

    <b>Sean </b>picked Charlotte up and brought her to the estate.

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    As soon as they arrived, Mrs. Jasper Sr. found an excuse to send Sean off on an errand, leaving Charlotte to sit in the living room with her and Sean¡¯s mother, Lilian.

    Vivian sat close beside Mrs. <b>Jasper</b>. She had clearly dressed to impress¨Clight makeup, perfectly polished, and a pale blue silk dress that gave her <b>a </b>soft, graceful <b>look</b>. Her whole vibe was sweet and refined, exactly the kind of traditional elegance Mrs. Jasper Sr. loved.

 His Heart 133

    Charlotte was dressed in an elegant ivory Chanel set that day. Her long hair was swept up into a neat bun at the back of her head, ented with a pair of pearl studs. She looked polished and graceful¨Cevery bit the refined daughter of a well¨Coff family.

    But Mrs. Jasper Sr. wasn¡¯t impressed.

    She gave Charlotte a slow once¨Cover, then wrinkled her brow slightly.

    ¡°All that high fashion is nice, but it doesn¡¯tpare to the grace of a ssic dress<b>. </b>Just look at Vivian<b>¨C</b>she looks so refined.¡±

    Charlotte lowered her eyes and replied softly, <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re right, Grandma.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. raised an eyebrow.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>haven¡¯t married into the family yet. No need to change how you address me. Just call me Mrs. Jasper Sr. like everyone <b>else</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Lilian, seated beside them, looked momentarily stunned. What was that supposed to mean? Something was definitely off about Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>Sr.¡¯s attitude toward

    Charlotte.

    <b>Wasn¡¯t </b>the engagement between Charlotte and Sean already set in stone? Calling her ¡°Grandma¡± didn¡¯t seem inappropriate <b>at </b>all. Why was she now insisting Charlotte address her like an outsider?

    A

    flicker of displeasure crossed Lilian¡¯s face. Charlotte was her soon¨Cto¨Cbe daughter¨Cinw, after all. She wasn¡¯t ¡°just anyone.¡±

    Charlotte<b>, </b><b>too</b><b>, </b>was momentarily caught off guard.

    <b>So</b>¡­ Mrs. Jasper Sr. had a problem with her.

    Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse <b>of </b>Vivian sitting smugly beside Mrs. Jasper, practically glowing with satisfaction.

    Charlotte instantly understood.

    Vivian must have said something nasty behind her back.

    Stili, Charlotte kept her expression calm and <bposed</b>. She lowered her eyes politely and replied, ¡°Of course, Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡±

    Lilian couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. She smiled and gently spoke up, ¡°Mom, Charlotte is <b>Sean¡¯s </b>fianc¨¦e<b>¨C</b>your future granddaughter¨Cinw. Calling you ¡®Grandma¡® is perfectly normal. Having her address <b>you </b>as Mrs. Jasper Sr. <b>feels </b>far too distant.¡±

    Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. took a slow sip of tea from her blue¨Cand¨Cwhite porcin cup<b>, </b>then shot Lilian <b>a </b>chilly look. Her tone was firm and deliberate<b>. </b>

    ¡°The engagement ceremony was canceled, remember<b>? </b>They¡¯re <b>just </b>dating now. It¡¯s <b>too </b>early for her to be calling me Grandma.¡±

    Lilian¡¯s brows furrowed. What on earth was her mother¨C<b>in</b><b>¨C</bw trying to pull?

    <b>Mis</b>. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. said her <b>piece </b>and immediately turned back to Vivian, chatting away while <bpletely </b>ignoring Charlotte as if she <b>weren¡¯t </b><b>even </b>there<b>. </b>

    Charlotte could <b>feel </b>the deliberate <b>cold </b>shoulder, but she didn¡¯t let <b>it </b>bother her.

    It was obvious <b>Mrs. </b>Jasper Sr<b>/</b><b>favored </b>Vivian. And since Vivian clearly didn¡¯t like her<b>, </b><b>of </b>course Mrs <b>Jasper </b>Sr. wouldn¡¯t <b>either</b>.

    But Charlotte wasn¡¯t bothered. She was marrying Sean<b>, </b>not his grandmother. Whether Mrs. Jasper Sr. liked her or not didn¡¯t really matter<b>. </b>

    Besides, her future mother¨Cinw<b>, </b>Lilian, adored her. While Mrs. Jasper Sr, pretended Charlotte didn¡¯t <b>exist</b>, Lilian siniled warmly and chatted <b>with </b>her as if nothing were wrong

    That only made Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr.¡¯s </b>expression grow darker.

    She nced at the clock on the wall, <b>then </b>said coolly<b>, </b>¡°It¡¯s almost dinner time. Charlotte, why don¡¯t you go set the table for us?¡±

    Charlotte frowned slightly, about to <b>respond</b><b>, </b>but Lilian <b>spoke </b>up <b>first</b>.

    <b>¡°</b>Mom, that¡¯s the house staff¡¯s job. Charlotte¡¯s a guest. You can¡¯t <b>expect </b>her to be setting the table. It¡¯s not appropriate.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s <b>gaze </b>turned sharp in an instant, her toneced with irritation.

    <b>¡°</b>You just said she¡¯s my granddaughter¨Cinw, didn¡¯t you? It <b>1</b><b>, </b>as her elder<b>, </b>ask her to set the table, what¡¯s so inappropriate about that?¡±

    Charlotte was rendered speechless.

    This was almostughable.

    Just <b>a </b>minute ago<b>, </b>she <b>had </b>been told. <b>was </b><b>¡°</b><b>too </b>soon<b>¡± </b><b>to </b><b>call </b>her Grandina that she should address her like <b>an </b>outsider.

    But now that chores were involved? Suddenly<b>, </b>she was the granddaughter¨Cinw?

    <b>And </b><b>of </b><b>course</b><b>, </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr. had no problem ying the elder card now.

    What a <b>power </b>y.

    <b>Last </b>time they <b>met</b>, Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. hadn¡¯t exactly been warm<b>, </b>but at least she had been polite. When had things turned so hostile?

    Whatever Vivian had been whispering in her ear<b>, </b>it clearly worked.

    Charlotte had just opened her mouth <b>to </b>speak when a cold,manding voice rang out from the direction of the elevator.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma, my Lottie is far too precious to be treated like the help.¡±

 His Heart 134

    Chapter <b>134 </b>

    When Sean returned home, his grandmother had immediately sent him to the study for a talk with his father.

    He had just stepped out <b>of </b>the elevator when he heard Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s sharp voice ordering Charlotte to go set the table.

    He walked over casually<b>, </b>his tone cool.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma, are we that tight on money now? Since when do guests have <b>to </b>help with the table?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr., seeing Sean walk in, couldn¡¯t keep pressing. She <b>set </b><b>down </b>her teacup and forced a smile.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>was <b>just </b>testing whether Charlotte¡¯s an obedient girl, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t buy it. His tone dropped slightly, firm and unamused.

    ¡°My Lottie doesn¡¯t need to be ¡®obedient.¡® She just needs to be happy.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression stiffened.

    ¡°Sean, are you ming your grandmother?¡±

    ¡°So Vivian was right after all. That Charlotte girl really had <b>cast </b>a spell on him. He was actually talking back to his own grandmother all because of her,¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. thought bitterly.

    Sean¡¯s lips <b>pressed </b>into a hard line. His sharp, chiseled features turned cold, and the air around him seemed to drop a few degrees.

    <b>¡°</b>me you<b>? </b>I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± His voice was t, emotionless.

    <b>¡°</b>But Grandma, I waited years for Lottie. Please don¡¯te between us. If she ends up unhappy and decides <b>not </b><b>to </b>marry me, I¡¯ll drop everything and disappear into the mountains<b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte blinked in surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected Sean to defend her like this <b>so </b>openly<b>, </b><b>so </b>clearly in front of his whole family. And then to admit he had been waiting for her all these years<b>, </b>even putting himself in such a vulnerable position.

    Her heart fluttered. The sting of being picked at earlierpletely vanished, reced by a warm rush of <b>sweetness</b><b>. </b><b>It </b>felt like her whole chest had been dipped in honey.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.<b>, </b>on the other hand, was furious.

    ¡°Enough with the nonsense<b>! </b>What kind of ridiculous talk <b>is </b>that?¡±

    The outburst made her chest tighten. She clutched <b>it </b>in difort.

    Vivian immediately rushed <b>to </b>her side<b>, </b>gently rubbing her back, <b>¡°</b>Don¡¯t <b>get </b>worked up, Grandma<b>.</b>¡±

    Hershes lowered<b>, </b><b>carefully </b>hiding the jealousy in her eyes<b>. </b>

    Sean¡¯s <b>gaze </b>darkened as he looked at her.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>said something to Grandma about Lottie, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Vivian stiffened<b>, </b>swallowing hard. Panic <b>flickered </b>across her <b>face</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>eyes narrowed<b>, </b>his voice like <b>a </b>cold snap in early spring¨Cicy and deliberate.

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯d better not have<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Vivian </b>broke into a cold sweat.

    Lilian quickly stepped <b>in </b>with a smile to break the tension.

    ¡°Alright<b>, </b>alright, let¡¯s <b>eat</b><b>.</b>¡±

    The first¨Cfloor dining room alone covered over a thousand square feet. It was elegant and understated<b>, </b>radiating old¨Cmoney sophistication<b>. </b><b>The </b>dining table and chairs were crafted from rare hardwood, and the floral centerpieces featured crystal orchids worth a fortune and collectible peonies valued in the <b>six </b>figures.

    Earlier, Mrs. Jasper Sr. had deliberately told the staff not <b>to </b><b>set </b>the table¨Cnning to make Charlotte do it herself.

    But now <b>that </b>Sean had intervened, <b>that </b>n was out the window, with no other choice<b>, </b>she reluctantly told the <b>staff </b><b>to </b>serve.

    <b>Mr. </b>Jasper Sr. was away in the <b>capital</b><b>, </b>so at the long rectangr table, Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr. </b>sat at the head<b>, </b>with Lilian and James seated across from <b>each </b>other just beside her. Sean sat with Charlotte on one side while Vivian took the seat directly across from Charlotte.

    Once <b>the </b>staff finished serving<b>, </b>everyone <b>had </b><b>a </b>bowl of <b>soup </b>ced in front of them¨C<b>everyone </b><b>except </b>Charlotte.

    Charlotte immediately noticed and frowned.

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    She didn¡¯t believe for <b>a </b>second that the staff had simply forgotten. The Jasper household ran like clockwork. This had to be deliberate. It was clearly done under <b>Mrs. </b>Jasper Sr.¡¯s <b>orders </b><b>as </b><b>yet </b>another <b>passive</b>¨Caggressive jab.

    No matter how much she respected elders<b>, </b>there was a limit. After being humiliated again and again, even Charlotte was running out of patience.

    She <b>was </b><b>just </b>about <b>to </b>speak up when Sean beat her to it. His voice cut through the air,ced with mockery.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma, has our family fallen on hard times? We can¡¯t afford one more bowl of soup?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression froze. She nced at Charlotte, her smile tight and forced.

    <b>¡°</b>Maybe the staff forgot. Bring her a bowl.¡±

 His Heart 135

    Chapter <b>135 </b>

    The nearby staff <b>froze </b>in awkward silence.

    <b>Sean </b>suddenly let out a low chuckle<b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Lottie<b>,</b>¡± he said, turning to her with a calm smile, ¡°clearly we¡¯re not wee here. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    He stood up abruptly. The legs of his chair scraped sharply against the floor, breaking the tension like a crack of thunder.

    Charlotte blinked, startled. Before she could react, Sean had already taken her hand.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b>take you out for dinner,¡± he said gently.

    Her heart stirred.

    Sean had just stood up to his entire family for her.

    Part of her felt deeply touched by his actions. The other part, however<b>, </b>she couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. She didn¡¯t want to be the reason Sean shed with his

    family<b>. </b>

    ¡°Sean!¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s voice rang out sharply as she saw him about to leave.

    Sean didn¡¯t stop. He nced over his shoulder politely.

    ¡°Enjoy dinner, Grandma. We¡¯re sitting this one out. I¡¯m not going to <b>let </b>my Lottie <b>be </b>treated like that.¡±

    Charlotte hesitated.

    ¡°Sean¡­¡± she murmured uncertainly.

    ¡°Mind your tone when you speak to your grandmother<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>James said sharply.

    Sean¡¯s <b>expression </b>hardened.

    <b>¡°</b>Then let me make myself clear. Lottie is the person I¡¯ve waited years for. She means everything to me<b>. </b>I won¡¯t let her be <b>disrespected</b><b>¨C</b>not even a little. If she¡¯s not happy here<b>, </b>we¡¯re not staying. And if this family can¡¯t <b>ept </b>her<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>

    He paused<b>, </b>then added firmly<b>, </b>¡°then I <b>won¡¯t </be back either.<b>¡± </b>

    <b>With </b>that, Sean turned, still holding Charlotte¡¯s hand, and walked <b>out</b><b>. </b>No matter how many times his family called after him, he never looked back.

    In the car<b>, </b>Charlotte sat quietly <b>in </b>the <b>passenger </b><b>seat</b>, a slight <b>crease </b><b>between </b>her brows.

    <b>¡°</b>Sean¡­ <b>you </b>argued with your family <b>because </b>of me. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going <b>to </b>make things <b>worse</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry<b>, </b>Lottie<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>He gave her hand a gentle <b>squeeze</b><b>, </b>

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m here<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°But what <b>if </b><b>your </b>grandma hates me <b>even </b>more now?<b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>She¡¯s already been treating you unfairly. I had <b>to </b>show her I won¡¯t stand for it. If <b>I </b>stay silent, <b>she¡¯ll </b>just keep pushing,¡±

    Charlotte lowered her <b>gaze</b><b>, </b>hershes trembling slightly.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Your </b>family¡­ they don¡¯t seem to like me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not <b>true</b><b>.</b>¡± Seanforted her.

    <b>¡°</b><b>My </b>parents really like <b>you</b>. So does my grandfather. As for Grandma<b>¨C</b><b>she¡¯s </b>just misunderstood you. I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±

    Charlotte gave a quiet <b>¡°</b>Mm<b>¡± </b>but didn¡¯t look convinced.

    Sean reached <b>over </b>and gently pinched her cheek.

    ¡°What are you in the mood for? I¡¯ll take you out for something good.¡±

    Atter what just happened, Charlotte wasn¡¯t really feeling up to <b>it</b>.

    ¡°I¡¯m not picky<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she said softly.

    Sean drove <b>her </b><b>to </b><b>an </b>exclusive<b>, </b>members¨Conly restaurant and ordered <b>a </b>full table <b>of </b><b>her </b><b>favorite </b>dishes.

    After Sean and Charlotte left the <b>Jasper </b><b>estate</b>, the dining room was cloaked in heavy silence.

    James sighed and rubbed his temples.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    ¡°Mom, why are you going after Charlotte like this? What did she ever do to upset you?¡±

    Lilian stayed quiet<b>, </b>lips pressed into a thin line.

    She remembered all too well. When she first married into this family, Mrs. Jasper Sr. had given her the exact same treatment.

    She had tormented her daughter¨Cinw back then, and now she was turning her attention to her future granddaughter¨Cinw.

    What was the point?

    <b>Wasn¡¯t </b>it easier to just live in peace?

    Lilian really couldn¡¯t understand it. Charlotte came from a good family, <b>was </b>perfectly matched with Sean, had looks, manners, and ss. She was polite, graceful, and warm with everyone. Yet somehow, that still wasn¡¯t enough.

    Even down to her outfit, Mrs. Jasper Sr. had found something <b>to </b>criticize.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. let out <b>a </b>coldugh.

    ¡°Did you <b>see </b>the way Sean spoke to me just now? In all these years, when has he ever talked back to me? Now he¡¯s raising his voice over some girl. Clearly that Charlotte has him wrapped around her finger.¡±

    Lilian gave a cold smile in her heart.

    ¡°No<b>, </b>you¡¯re just picking a fight. My son standing up for his girlfriend? Good for him,¡± she silently remarked.

    James sighed again.

    ¡°Mom, <b>you¡¯re </b>being unfair to her. Charlotte¡¯s a good girl. Please stop giving her such a hard time.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m giving her a hard time?¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. scoffed.

    <b>¡°</b>That¡¯s because none of you know what she did to Vivian the other day!¡±

 His Heart 136

    Chapter <b>136 </b>

    After the incident <b>at </b>the family dinner<b>, </b>Sean didn¡¯t return to the Jasper estate for several days.

    <b>Mrs. Jasper </b>Sr. called him multiple times. At first<b>, </b>he answered and asked her directly why she was targeting Charlotte.

    <b>Mrs. </b>Jasper <b>Sr. </b>said it was because Charlotte had been mean to her precious granddaughter, Vivian.

    Sean calmly exined that things weren¡¯t the way Vivian made them sound, but Mrs. Jasper Sr. refused to listen. She insisted Sean had been manipted by Charlotte and said there was no way her sweet, well¨Cbehaved Vivian would ever lie.

    The conversation went nowhere. Sean hung up and ignored every call from her after that.

    During that time<b>, </b>Lilian also called in hopes <b>of </b>calming things <b>down</b>. But after learning that Vivian had been stirring up trouble behind the scenes, her feelings toward her adoptive daughter started to shift.

    Vivian continued to fan the mes, feeding Mrs. Jasper Sr. one story after another, ming Charlotte <b>for </b>¡°sowing discord¡± and ¡°tearing the family apart.¡±

    At first, Mrs. Jasper Sr. had simply been lukewarm toward Charlotte. But after Vivian¡¯s repeated whispers in her ear, her dislike deepened into full¨Cblown hostility.

    On Monday morning, Charlotte was jolted awake by her rm. She forced her <b>eyes </b>open<b>, </b>groggy and disoriented, ready <b>to </b><b>get </b>up for work but something felt wrong.

    Her entire body ached with chills, her head throbbed like it might split open, and a dry, hacking cough wouldn¡¯t <b>stop</b>. When she took her temperature, the thermometer shed 102.2<b>¡ã</b><b>F </b>(39¡ãC<b>)</b>.

    She had caught the flu.

    Charlotte called in sick and checked herself into the hospital for treatment.

    Right after she finished the admission paperwork, she thought about messaging Sean. But she hesitated. He had <b>been </bpletely swamped with a major <b>project </btely<b>, </b>workingte nights every day<b>. </b>

    She didn¡¯t want to worry him over something as minor as the <b>flu</b><b>. </b>

    She was a grown wornan. She could handle this<b>. </b>

    She hired a private nurse and a part¨Ctime cook to take care of her during <b>recovery</b><b>. </b>Her voice had beenpletely <b>hoarse </b>for the first day or two, but after a couple <b>of </b>IV drips and doses of medication<b>, </b><b>it </b>returned to normal. It was just in time for a phone <b>call </b>from Sean, so he never <b>suspected </b>anything.

    ¡°Charlotte¡¯s really in the hospital?¡± Vivian¡¯s <b>voice </b>practically sparkled <b>as </b>she spoke <b>to </b>her friend, <b>Suzy</b><b>, </b>over the phone.

    <b>Suzy </b>replied, ¡°Absolutely<b>. </b>I went to visit a friend <b>at </b>the hospital yesterday and <b>just </b>happened <b>to </b><b>see </b>her checking in.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°She was alone? Sean wasn¡¯t with her?¡±

    ¡°Nope, <b>just </b>her. <b>I </b><b>even </b>asked a friend who works there<b>¨C</b>turns <b>out </b>a nurse has been caring for her the <b>past </b>couple of <b>days</b>. Looks like Sean <b>doesn¡¯t </b><b>even </b>know she¡¯s sick.¡±

    ¡°Gol it.¡±

    That evening, Sean finally got home from work<b>, </b>exhausted.

    As he switched on the lights<b>, </b><b>a </b>figure suddenly darted out from the shadows<b>. </b>His <b>reflexes </b>kicked in. He grabbed the person instantly, twisting their arm behind <b>their </b>back

    <b>¡°</b><b>Ow</b><b>! </b>It¡¯s <b>me</b><b>, </b><b>it¡¯s </b>me<b>!</b><b>¡± </b><b>Vivian </b><b>cried </b>out in pain, looking up with a distressed <b>expression</b>. ¡°Sean, <b>it¡¯s </b>me!¡±

    Sean frowned and released her.

    ¡°How did you <b>get </b>in here<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°<b>I </b>asked the housekeeper to let me in,¡± she said, rubbing her arun pitifully.

    Then she gestured toward the dining room.

    <b>¡°</b>You haven¡¯t eaten <b>yet</b><b>, </b>right? I made <b>dinner </b>for you.¡±

    <b>Vivian </b><b>had </b>grown up as <b>the </b>housekeeper¡¯s daughter <b>and </b>learned <b>to </b><b>cook </b>from <b>a </b><b>young </b>age. After she was adopted into <b>the </b><b>Jasper </b>family<b>, </b>she often cooked to win <b>favor</b><b>, </b><b>especially </b><b>from </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr.

    Sean walked <b>to </b>the <b>dining </b><b>area</b>.

    Two tes of steak <b>Two </b>sses of red wine. Candles. Roses.

    water

    A full romantic dinner setup.

    Vivian¡¯s intentions couldn¡¯t have been more obvious.

    His expression darkened.

    ¡°You came over without even telling me? There¡¯s already a cook here. I don¡¯t need you making dinner. And for the record, I¡¯ve already eaten.¡±

    His voice turned colder.

    ¡°And one more thing: don¡¯t waste your time having feelings for me.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s face went pale. Her lips parted, and tears welled up in her eyes.

    ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b>sorry,¡± she whispered. <b>¡°</b>I just¡­ I thought it would be a nice surprise.¡±

 His Heart 137

    Chapter <b>137 </b>

    Vivian bit her lip and said <b>softly</b><b>, </b>trying to sound pitiful, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already eaten, I¡¯ll go ahead and clean this up.¡±

    She walked over <b>to </b>the dining table and began gathering the tes.

    Before Sean came home, she had imagined the two of them sitting down together for a candlelit dinner¨Cflickering candlelight, the scent of fresh roses, a little wine <b>to </b>set the mood.

    Everything had been so romantic in her head.

    But now? All of it had gone up in smoke.

    Frustration simmered in her chest.

    She had to make something happen while Charlotte was still in the hospital.

    <b>Her </b>eyesnded on the ss of red wine still sitting on the table.

    Sean had already stepped into the living room and wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    Vivian quickly pulled out <b>a </b>small packet of powder she had prepared in advance and slipped it into the wine.

    In the living room<b>, </b>Sean shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the sofa. He leaned back, long legs stretched out, and rubbed his temples wearily. Then he pulled out his phone and sent Charlotte a text.

    <b>¡°</b>Just got home. Are you asleep, Lottie?¡±

    There was no reply.

    It was already past eleven. She was probably asleep.

    A twinge of disappointment passed through him.

    Just then<b>, </b>Vivian walked over gracefully, holding a ss <b>of </b>wine.

    ¡°Want some wine, Sean?¡± she asked sweetly.

    Sean had always enjoyed wine tasting. The entire first floor of his <b>private </b>vi featured a wall¨Clength wine cab filled with rare <b>bottles</b><b>. </b>Some <b>cost </b>tens or even hundreds of thousands, and many <b>were </b>impossible <b>to </b>find anywhere else<b>. </b>

    <b>He </b>had a habit of sipping wine <b>to </b>rx when he was exhausted and Vivian knew that.

    She <b>sat </b>beside him, leaning in <b>just </b>a little too <b>close</b><b>. </b>

    Sean¡¯s <b>expression </b>darkened. He ced a firm hand on her shoulder and pushed her back slightly.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>should go. <b>I¡¯ll </b>have <b>the </b>driver take you home<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>

    Tears <b>welled </b><b>up </b><b>in </b>Vivian¡¯s <b>eyes</b>.

    <b>¡°</b>Did I do something wrong? Why are you being so cold <b>to </b>me?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Don¡¯te over uninvited again<b>,</b>¡± <b>Sean </b>said, his tone icy.

    ¡°And stop <b>with </b>these little games<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Sean, I know <b>you¡¯ve </b>been <b>really </b>busy and stressedtely<b>, </b><b>I </b>just wanted <b>to </b>take care of <b>you</b><b>. </b>Do you <b>really </b><b>have </b>to be this heartless?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°I have <b>a </b>girlfriend. I don¡¯t need your concern.¡±

    <b>He </b>pulled out his phone and called the driver<b>, </b>telling him to <b>get </b>ready to take Vivian home.

    <b>Vivian </b>lowered her head, her voice trembling, ¡°<b>If </b>you don¡¯t want me here<b>, </b>I¡¯ll leave<b>. </b>But at least drink this. I bought it just for you <b>at </b>an auction.¡±

    She handed him the wine ss.

    Sean took <b>it </b><b>from </b>her.

    <b>Vivian </b>watched him <b>closely</b><b>, </b>nervous, barely blinking. She held her breath, waiting for him to drink <b>it</b>.

    <b>He </b>brought the ss to his lips <b>but </b>before he could take a <b>sip</b><b>, </b>his phone lit <b>up </b>again.

    <b>Sean </b>set the ss <b>down </b>and picked <b>up </b>his phone, and immediately, his entire demeanor changed. His eyes softened, and the corners of his lips curved <b>with </b>genuine

    warmth.

    <b>It </b>was a message from Charlotte<b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>I just woke <b>up</b><b>. </b><b>I </b>was trying to <b>sleep </b><b>earlier</b>, Got <b>up </b>for a bit to drink some water.¡±

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    As he read her message<b>, </b>all the tension in him melted away like snow in the sun.

    ¡°Alright. Drink up and get some <b>rest</b>. I¡¯lle <b>see </b>you tomorrow.¡± he typed back.

    <b>¡°</b><b>No </b>need. I¡¯ve <b>got </b>a packed schedule tomorrow¨Cprobably workingte. I want to sleep early once I¡¯m home.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Then I¡¯lle the day after.¡±

    Charlotte sighed. This flu had hit her hard, and she wasn¡¯t sure if she would be well enough by then.

    After a brief <b>pause</b><b>, </b>she messaged again.

    <b>¡°</b>I might still be busy the day after too. Let mee find you once I¡¯m better<b>. </b>You¡¯ve <b>got </b>a lot on your te. Don¡¯t forget to take care <b>of </b>yourself.¡±

    Vivian sat nearby<b>, </b>watching the way Sean¡¯s face lit up as he texted. His expression was soft, his brows rxed, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

    Everything about him radiated warmth.

    She didn¡¯t need to ask who he was texting.

    It <b>was </b>obvious.

    Her jealousy boiled over.

    <b>Crash</b>!

    The wine ss slipped from her hand and shattered on the <b>floor</b>, shards scattering everywhere.

    Sean looked up sharply, his eyes locking with hers. The warmth was <b>gone</b><b>, </b>reced by <b>a </b>frigid stare.

    BIG <b>SALE</b><b>: </b>3500 bonus free fou you

    P

 His Heart 138

    Chapter <b>138 </b>

    ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry, Sean. I wasn¡¯t paying attention <i>and </i>identally knocked over the ss<b>,</b>¡± Vivian stammered, her voice soft and pleading.

    She quickly crouched down to pick up the shattered ss pieces.

    Her <b>low</b>¨Ccut dress left her cleavage exposed as she bent forward, right in Sean¡¯s line of sight.

    Annoyance shed in Sean¡¯s eyes. He looked away, his voice growing cold.

    ¡°Get up. Go home. Now<b>.</b>¡±

    Vivian hesitated, then reached out to pick up the shards with her bare hands¨Conly to suddenly gasp in pain.

    A bright red line appeared on her fingertip, and blood began to drip steadily onto the floor.

    Weakly, she stood up, biting her lip. Her voice was pitiful.

    ¡°Sean¡­ I cut myself. Could you take me to the hospital?¡±

    Sean nced at the small wound,pletely unfazed.

    <b>¡°</b>There are bandages and antiseptic in the cab. Take care of it yourself.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ can¡¯t you take me to the hospital? It really hurts.<b>¡± </b>

    Sean¡¯s lips curled into <b>a </b>cold, mocking smile.

    ¡°Oh? So you think the wound will magically heal on the way there?¡±

    Vivian was rendered speechless.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    The next morning, Mrs. Jasper Sr. tried calling Sean several times<b>, </b>but he didn¡¯t answer. Frustrated, she eventually called his assistant, Sam.

    <b>¡°</b>Is Sean busy<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>she asked, trying to keep her tone polite.

    <b>Sam¡¯s </b>voice was respectful.

    <b>¡°</b>Mrs. Jasper Sr.<b>, </b>Mr. Jasper just finished a meeting.¡±

    ¡°Good. Hand him the phone<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sam nced <b>at </b><b>Sean</b><b>, </b>who raised <b>an </b>eyebrow.

    ¡°Grandma<b>?</b><b>¡± </b><b>he </b>muttered.

    Sam nodded and handed him <b>the </b>phone.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s voice softened.

    ¡°<b>Sean</b><b>, </b>Vivian¡¯s really sick. She¡¯s been hospitalized. <b>It¡¯s </b>pretty serious. I¡¯ll text you the hospital address and her <b>room </b>number<b>. </b>Could <b>you </b>find some time <b>to </b><b>go </b><b>see </b>her?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma.<b>¡± </b><b>Sean¡¯s </b><b>voice </b><b>was </b><b>cool</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°She¡¯s sick¡ªshe <b>should </b><b>see </b><b>a </b>doctor<b>. </b><b>What </b><b>do </b><b>you </b>need me for? I¡¯m not <b>a </b>doctor.<b>¡± </b>

    Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. <b>took </b><b>a </b>breath<b>, </b>trying <b>to </b><b>keep </b>herposure<b>. </b>

    ¡°Just this <b>once</b><b>, </b><b>please</b>. No matter <b>what</b><b>, </b>she¡¯s <b>your </b>sister. <b>Isn¡¯t </b>it normal <b>to </b><b>visit </b><b>a </b><b>family </b>member who¡¯s sick?

    <b>¡°</b><b>Sean</b>, <b>about </b>the dinner the other night¨CI was wrong. I¡¯m sorry<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>Her <b>voice </b>softened further<b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Vivian was in terrible <b>shape </b><b>yesterday</b><b>. </b>She was pale and <b>exhausted</b>. It broke my heart<b>. </b>She kept asking for <b>you</b>. Please<b>, </b><b>just </b><b>go </b>see her<b>. </b>For me<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    At this <b>point</b><b>, </b><b>even </b>someone as stubborn as Mrs. Jasper Sr. <b>had </b>set aside her pride to apologize. And despite his frustration<b>, </b>Sean wasn¡¯t heartless.

    He sighed and <b>agreed </b>to <b>stop </b>by when he had time<b>. </b>

    Sean walked into the hospital <b>ward </b>carrying <b>a </b>thermal <b>container </b><b>filled </b><b>with </b>nourishing soup, <b>specially </b>prepared <b>by </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s request.

    Inside, Vivian <by </b>on the <b>bed</b><b>, </b>an IV <b>drip </b>in her arm<b>, </b>her face pale and drawn. She looked genuinely sick.

    Her eyes lit <b>up </b>the moment she saw him.

    <b>¡°</b>Sean, you¡¯re here<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    <b>¡°</b>Yeah.¡± Sean <b>set </b>the container down on the table<b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>What¡¯s wrong? Is <b>it </b>serious<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°It¡¯s the flu. It¡¯s really bad. I don¡¯t even have an appetite. I tried eating a little, but I ended up throwing up.¡±

    ¡°This <b>is </b>some nourishing soup Grandma had made for you.¡± Sean nodded toward the container.

    Vivian nced at the container, then looked up at Sean with a hint of hesitation.

    <b>¡°</b>Sean¡­ my left hand has the IV, and my right hand got cut on ssst night. It¡¯s hard for me to move. Could you<b>¡­ </b>could you help feed me?¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression remained cold.

    <b>¡°</b>Where¡¯s the nurse?¡±

    ¡°She stepped out for a bit.¡±

    Vivian had intentionally sent the nurse away after learning Sean wasing.

    Sean simply nodded.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll call her back.¡±

    Not wanting to push him further, Vivian stayed quiet.

    Soon, the nurse returned, fed her the soup<b>, </b>and changed her IV. After the nurse finished, Sean stood up.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m heading out. Get some rest.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Wait-¡°Vivian quickly reached out.

    ¡°Sean, could <b>you</b>¡­ could you take me outside for some fresh air? <b>I¡¯ve </b>been stuck in here all day.<b>¡± </b>

    It wasn¡¯t an unreasonable request. After a brief pause<b>, </b>Sean nodded.

    <b>¡°</b>Fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s face brightened. She led the way out of the room, and as they walked, she nced back at him with a <b>soft </b>smile.

    ¡°I knew you still cared about me. Even with your busy schedule<b>, </b><b>you </b>still found time <b>to </b><b>visit </b>me and even brought me soup. That makes me really happy.<b>¡± </b>

 His Heart 139

    Chapter <b>139 </b>

    Sean followed behind Vivian as they walked down the hospital hallway.

    <b>But </b>something she had said bothered him. He had just <b>told </b>her the soup was from Grandma¨Cprepared by someone else and delivered to the hospital. So why did she make it sound like he had made it?

    He had just stepped out of the room, barely starting to think it over, when his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure <b>by </b>the door of the next room.

    Sean¡¯s footsteps stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in shock.

    ¡°Lottie?¡± <b>His </b>voice wavered.

    Charlotte turned at the sound of his voice, and their eyes met.

    Her pale face, framed by loose hair, was unmistakably weary. She was wearing a hospital gown.

    Beside her, the nurse adjusted her IV drip.

    Charlotte¡¯s brows knit together slightly when she noticed Vivian in her own hospital gown standing beside Sean.

    Sean crossed the distance between them in two quick strides, his voice urgent.

    ¡°Lottie, what are you doing here?¡±

    Her face was pale, and she was wearing a hospital gown.

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re sick?¡± Sean¡¯s hand shot out, gently but firmly grabbing hers.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were sick?¡±

    Hershes lowered, her voice soft.

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯ve been really busytely. I didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡±

    Pain shed across Sean¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Bother me? Lottie, nothing is more important than you.<b>¡± </b>

    Gently, she pulled her hand free<b>. </b>

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t you have something else to take care of? Go ahead.¡±

    She nced at Vivian, who stood <b>a </b><b>few </b>steps behind, looking stunned.

    Charlotte knew <b>all </b>too well that Vivian harbored feelings for Sean. That undercurrent of hostility from Vivian had always been obvious. And there she was<b>, </b>standing <b>in </b>a hospital gown<b>, </b>practically clinging to him.

    Sean couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of it.

    Charlotte <b>kept </b>reminding herself that Vivian was Sean¡¯s <b>sister</b><b>, </b>and it was perfectly reasonable for him <b>to </b>visit her when she was sick. She shouldn¡¯t be petty. She shouldn¡¯t feel jealous.

    But she did.

    She couldn¡¯t help it. Her chest tightened with a sour ache, and she couldn¡¯t stop the thought from circling in her mind that Sean had made time in his busy schedule <b>to </be see Vivian. He had even brought her soup.

    Sean¡¯s hands settled gently on Charlotte¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Lottie, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s sick <b>I¡¯m </b>not going anywhere<b>. </b>I¡¯m staying with you.¡±

    <b>He </b>turned back <b>toward </b>Vivian.

    ¡°The nurse is here. Let her take you outside for some fresh air.¡±

    And without waiting for her response, he took Charlotte¡¯s hand and led her back into her room.

    <b>The </b>door closed behind them, leaving only the two of them.

    Sean guided her to sit on the bed, his <b>gaze </b>never leaving her<b>. </b>

    ¡°When did you get sick<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Just <b>a </b>couple <b>of </b><b>days </b>ago.<b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>What <b>happened</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°It¡¯s just a inild case <b>of </b>the <b>flu</b>. Nothing serious.¡±

    <b>Sean </b>kept hold of her hand, his voice steady but firm.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    ¡°From now on, you tell me right away when you¡¯re sick. Promise me?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯sshes fluttered.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to distract you from work.¡±

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b>I¡¯ve told you before¨Cnothing you do is a distraction. You¡¯re always my top priority.¡±

    He paused, then a warm smile spread across his face.

    ¡°Besides, what¡¯s the point of working so hard to make money if I can¡¯t spend it on my wife? If I can¡¯t even take care of my wife, then what¡¯s the point?¡±

    Charlotte puffed her cheeks slightly.

    ¡°Wife? We¡¯re not even married yet. Who¡¯s your wife?¡±

    Sean¡¯s smile widened, his voice teasingly affectionate.

    ¡°Who else could it be? You¡¯re the only one I¡¯m going to marry. I¡¯m just calling it early<b>.</b>¡±

    Remembering what Vivian had said earlier, a knot of bitterness tightened in Charlotte¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Oh? <b>Is </b>that so? Then why didn¡¯t you make soup for your wife?¡±

    Sean blinked, then quickly realized. His tone was calm but clear.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying. Grandma called me this morning, asking me <b>to </be check on Vivian. I didn¡¯t even want toe<b>, </b>but Grandma apologized and admitted she was wrong at the family dinner. She asked me to do her a <b>favor </b>and visit Vivian.

    ¡°That soup? Grandma had someone else make it and deliver it to the hospital. I didn¡¯t even touch it.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t respond immediately.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Sean¡¯s smile shifted, and a hint of amusement filled his voice.

    ¡°Are you jealous? Is my Lottie jealous?¡±

 His Heart 140

    That afternoon, Sam showed up at the hospital with Sean¡¯sptop, a stack of contracts<b>, </b>reports, project proposals, and a portable desk and chair. They were all moved straight into Charlotte¡¯s hospital room.

    Although she had a private nurse, Sean insisted on personally taking care of her.

    To be honest, there wasn¡¯t much for him to do. Nurses handled the IVs, a cook brought her meals<b>, </b>and the nurse kept the room clean and tidy. But even though Sean¡¯s schedule was packed, he always seemed to find something to do for her.

    Charlotte had only made an offhandment about him making soup for Vivian. And even though the soup hadn¡¯t actually been made by him, her mood had clearly soured. So, to cheer her up, Sean promised to take time off the next morning to make her some homemade soup.

    When the cook delivered a fresh meal, Sean insisted on setting it up on the small table himself and feeding Charlotte bite <b>by </b>bite.

    Charlotteughed softly, shaking her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a little kid. I can eat by myself.¡±

    ¡°Nope. You¡¯ve got an IV in your hand. Don¡¯t move around too much.¡±

    Afterward, when it was time for her medicine, Sean poured her a ss <b>of </b>water, making sure she swallowed every pill.

    Even if she wanted fruit, he would personally peel it or cut it into neat pieces for her.

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but smile, her gaze drifting to the pile of documents stacked on his makeshift desk.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy?¡±

    ¡°No matter how busy I am<b>, </b>I¡¯m not going to neglect my wife.¡±

    The nurse standing by couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, a warm smile on her face.

    ¡°Miss Riley, your husband really dotes on you.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s cheeks warmed, a blush spreading to her ears<b>, </b>but she didn¡¯t deny it.

    When the nurse left, Sean leaned back in his chair, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve admitted I¡¯m your husband?¡±

    Charlotte gave him a yful wink.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I¡¯d end up as your wife sooner orter? I¡¯m not nning to run, and I probably couldn¡¯t even if I tried so <b>I </b><b>guess </b><b>I¡¯ll </b><b>just </b>ept it.<b>¡± </b>

    Sean¡¯s smile widened, his gaze gentle.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡±

    Thanks to Sean¡¯s attentive care, Charlotte recovered quickly and was soon discharged from the hospital.

    After a busy period, Sean finally wrapped <b>up </b>his toughest project. With some free time on his hands, he decided to take Charlotte on <b>a </b>trip<b>. </b>

    He still felt guilty. Their stargazing trip had been ruined by Vivian¡¯s drama<b>, </b>and then Charlotte had been put through the ringer at the family dinner, facing Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s cold attitude. He wanted to make it up to her, to spend quality time together and strengthen their bond.

    When he brought up the idea<b>, </b>Charlotte hesitated but eventually agreed. She had just wrapped up a few cases¡ªsome with verdicts announced, others awaiting trial ¨C so she had three or four free days.

    Since time was limited<b>, </b>they decided against traveling abroad.

    Instead, they <b>chose </b>a popr domestic destination a charming, old¨Cfashioned town nestled at the foot of snow¨Ccapped mountains in the northwest.

    Charlotte picked the spot. She had wanted to <b>visit </b>this ce for the past two years but had always been too busy to make it happen.

    Meanwhile, Zac had just finished a meeting when his phone rang. He nced at the screen and picked up.

    ¡°Ethan, what¡¯s <b>up</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Ethan¡¯s voice was practically buzzing with excitement.

    <b>*</b>Dude, you won¡¯t believe who I just <b>saw</b><b>!</b>¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Zac asked<b>, </b><b>already </b>feeling a touch of impatience as he stepped tuto his office.

    <b>¡°</b>Come <b>on</b><b>, </b>guess<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>Ethan teased<b>. </b>

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    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for guessing games. If you¡¯re just messing around, I¡¯m hanging up,¡± Zac warned.

    There was a time when Zac and Ethan were practically the same¨Cdrifting through life with no responsibilities, partying, burning through money without a second thought.

    But ever since his family¡¯s business hit a crisis<b>, </b>Zac had straightened out. He had be serious about managing thepany, doing everything he could to secure investments.

    And after learning that Charlotte was actually a wealthy heiress, Zac had been drowning in regret.

 His Heart 141

    Zac no longer looked like the carefree yboy he used to be. Gone were the days of aimless partying and reckless spending.

    Now, he had the demeanor of a true business executive¨Cserious, focused, and responsible. His connection with Ethan had grown distant, too.

    On the other end of the line, Ethan chuckled.

    ¡°Man, you won¡¯t believe who I just saw.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Zac asked, already at his office door but pausing before entering.

    ¡°Come on, take a guess,¡± Ethan teased, a hint of excitement in <b>his </b>voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for games. Spill it, or I¡¯m hanging up,¡± Zac warned, his patience thin.

    Ethanughed.

    ¡°Fine, fine. I just saw your ex¨CCharlotte Riley.¡±

    Zac¡¯s steps froze. He didn¡¯t move, his hand still resting on the doorknob.

    After a brief pause, Ethan continued, ¡°And she wasn¡¯t alone. She was with her boyfriend¨CSean Jasper, the heir to the Jasper family. They looked pretty cozy, walking around holding hands.<b>¡± </b>

    Silence stretched on Zac¡¯s end.

    His breathing grew heavier, his voice tightening<b>, </b>turning rough.

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°In Anne City<b>, </b>at Linton Springs, right at the base of Westpeak Mountain.¡±

    Charlotte had taken care of the amodations for this trip.

    The town was still rtively undeveloped¡ªsmall and charming, without any big¨Cname hotels. Instead, it was known <b>for </b><b>its </b><b>cozy</b>, family¨Crun bed¨Cand¨Cbreakfasts.

    Charlotte chose a B&B with a perfect location. The moment she opened the window, she was greeted by a breathtaking view <b>of </b>the snow¨Ccapped mountains.

    <b>It </b>was peak tourist season in Linton Springs, and the town was bustling with life.

    But on their first day, exhausted from the journey<b>, </b>Charlotte and Sean didn¡¯t explore<b>. </b>Instead<b>, </b>they curled up in their room and put on a movie.

    Charlotte picked a ssic-*Atonement*, starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley.

    Warm air filled the room, the lighting was soft and dim, and an intimate<b>, </b>cozy atmosphere <b>settled </b>around them.

    Leaning against Sean¡¯s shoulder<b>, </b>Charlotte watched intently. Even though she knew it was <b>a </b>tragedy, the ending still got to <b>her</b><b>, </b>and she couldn¡¯t stop her tears

    <b>sat </b>from spilling over.

    Her eyes reddened, and her voice trembled with emotion.

    ¡°It¡¯s so tragic¡­ Cecelia and Robbie loved each other so much, but because of Briony¡¯s lie, they were kept apart for years. And in the end, they never got to see each other again.¡±

    She let out a sigh, frustration mixing with her sadness.

    ¡°Atonement? How could she ever alone? Briony¡¯s guilt can never bring them back They¡¯re gone forever. They¡¯ll never meet again.¡±

    Sean gently rubbed her back,forting her

    ¡°But they did meet <b>in </b>another world.¡±

    Outside the window<b>, </b>snow began to fall

    Linton Springs, located further north at the foot of the mountains, weed winter earlier than the city. Snowkes drifted down in a gentle, endless dance.

    Snowkes drifted quietly down, covering the world in a gentle white hush

    Sean leaned closer<b>, </b>his lips brushing against Charlotte¡¯s forehead

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b>it¡¯s snowing<b>.</b>¡±

    But Charlotte was still caught up in the sadness of the movie, her mood heavy.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>arms wrapped around her<b>, </b><b>drawing </b>her closer<b>. </b>His face leaned in until his nose touched hers.

    His voice was <b>a </b>soft<b>, </b>velvety murmur<b>, </b>dripping with affection.

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b><b>stop </b>crying. <b>If </b>your <b>eyes </b>get all puffy<b>, </b>how are you going to take cute photos tomorrow?¡±

    A tearfulugh escaped her<b>, </b>and she looked up at him, amused despite herself.

    <b>¡°</b>Whoforts someone like that?¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± Sean chuckled, wiping away the lingering tears from her cheeks.

    <b>¡°</b>You love taking beautiful photos. Swollen eyes won¡¯t do.¡±

    Charlotte sniffled, the weight on her chest easing. His logic was ridiculous, but it worked.

    Sean¡¯s thumb gently wiped away thest of her tears.

    <b>¡°</b>Good girls who stop crying get a reward.¡±

    He held out his palm, revealing a piece of candy.

    Charlotte¡¯s voice was still a little thick from crying.

    ¡°Are you treating me like a child now?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>You are a child¨Cmy child,¡± Sean teased, his smile warm and indulgent.

    Charlotte took the candy from his hand, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth.

    It was her favorite¨Cpeach vor.

    With that tiny, sugaryfort, her mood lifted.

    ¡°Feeling better?¡± Sean¡¯s voice was low and slightly hoarse<b>. </b>

    Charlotte nodded.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b>.¡±

    Sean leaned closer<b>, </b>his lips brushing against her ear.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve cheered you up, don¡¯t you think I deserve a little reward too?¡±

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 His Heart 142

    Chapter <b>142 </b>

    Sean was so close that his warm breath brushed against the curve of her neck<b>, </b>carrying a faint, crisp scent of woodsy cologne that seemed to wrap around Charlotte, filling her senses.

    Her nerves tightened, her breathing quickened.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>gaze dropped to <b>her </b>lips, and without hesitation, he leaned in.

    A soft, warm touch brushed against her lips¨Cgentle, like the whisper of a feather.

    ¡°Sweet¡­¡± he murmured.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart pounded wildly in her chest, her breathsing faster, her entire body tensing beneath his touch. Shey perfectly still, tension radiating

    through her.

    Was this the ¡°reward¡± Sean mentioned?

    Her cheeks flushed at <b>the </b>thought. She had never experienced anything like this before, and the anticipation made her even more nervous.

    It <b>felt </b>like her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

    Sensing her tension, Sean pulled back slightly, his deep chuckle brushing against her skin.

    ¡°Rx, Lottie. I¡¯m not going to eat you.¡±

    But a momentter, his lips found hers again.

    This time, his kiss was soft and teasing, a gentle brush that barely lingered. Charlotte¡¯s nerves began to <b>ease</b>, and she wondered if she had been overthinking things.

    But that thought vanished when the kiss deepened.

    Sean¡¯s mouth imed hers, warm and sweet with a faint taste <b>of </b>peach¨Cthe lingering vor of the candy he had given her. Her breathing grew faint, her mind swirling as warmth bloomed through her body.

    Herfingers intertwined with his, and her entire body seemed to heat up<b>, </b>a slow, growing fire spreading through her veins.

    Everything felt <b>so </b>natural, one step leading to the next.

    And just as they were about to cross that final line, Sean paused, his voice <b>a </b>low, gentle whisper.

    ¡°Lottie¡­ are you okay with this?¡±

    <b>Her </b>cheeks burned <b>as </b>she nodded.

    On the nightstand, there was a box <b>of </b>protection. Sean made sure everything was safe<b>. </b>Only then did he lean down<b>, </b>and they truly <b>became </b>one.

    For Charlotte, it was an entirely new experience. She had thought about this beforeing here<b>, </b>knowing that it might be their first time together. <b>Given </b>that they had been together for several months, it didn¡¯t feel too soon.

    At first, Sean¡¯s movements were slow and gentle, careful not to hurt her. But gradually<b>, </b>his intensity grew.

    Charlotte found herself <b>swept </b>away in a tide of emotions and sensations, losing all sense of time and ce. She held onto him, feeling like she was drifting in a sea

    <b>of </b>warmth and desire.

    It wasn¡¯t untilte into the night that they finally stopped, both of them breathless, and Charlotte slipped into a deep<b>, </b>peaceful sleep.

    She didn¡¯t wake <b>up </b><b>until </b>the next afternoon.

    When Charlotte¡¯s eyes fluttered open, the room was filled with soft daylight. It was already three in the afternoon.

    The bed beside her was empty. Sean had already gotten up.

    Outside the window, snow nketed the world, a pure white covering as <b>far </b>as the eye could see. The entire town looked like a dreamy winter wondend.

    Beyond the ss<b>, </b>she could see touristsughing, building snowmen, and having snowball fights, their cheerful voices muffled but clear.

    Watching them<b>, </b><b>a </b>sudden thought struckher. She wanted to go outside and build a snowman too.

    <b>¡°</b>Awake? Hungry?<b>¡± </b>Sean¡¯s voice came from behind her

    Charlotte turned to see him holding a tray with a bowl of soup and some freshly made <b>pastries</b>.

    *I <b>went </b>out <b>to </b><b>get </b>you your favorite soup<b>, </b>along with some local treats from Linton Springs. Want to <b>try </b>them?¡± Sean asked<b>, </b><b>cing </b>the tray on the sanall round table.

    Charlotte nodded, siniling

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    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll just wash up first<b>.</b>¡±

    But as she swung her legs out of bed and stood, a sudden weakness washed over her. Her knees wobbled, and she nearly stumbled.

    Quick as ever, Sean¡¯s arms wrapped around her, pulling her securely into <b>his </b>embrace. His <b>voice </b>was teasing, his tone low and warm.

    ¡°Legs feeling <b>a </b>little <b>weak</b>?¡±

    A deep blush spread across Charlotte¡¯s cheeks. She hadn¡¯t noticed while lying down<b>, </b><b>but </b>now her whole body felt sore, her legs trembling with a dull, lingering

    ache.

    It seemed like he might have been a bit too roughst night.

    Seeing Charlotte¡¯s flushed cheeks and her silence, Sean¡¯s voice dropped <b>to </b><b>a </b><b>low</b><b>, </b>teasing tone.

    ¡°Sorry<b>, </b>sweetheart. Looks like I was a bit too enthusiasticst night. <b>Let </b>me carry <b>you </b>to the bathroom.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte pouted, cheeks puffing slightly.

    ¡°But I wanted to go out and y in the snow. How am I supposed to do that now?¡±

    <b>He </bughed, a soft, warm sound.

    ¡°It¡¯s just temporary. Walk around a bit in here, and you¡¯ll be fine soon enough.¡±

    Sweeping her up effortlessly, Sean carried her to the bathroom and gently <b>set </b>her down in front of the sink.

    But even standing there, Charlotte¡¯s legs were still wobbly. A sharp<b>, </b>tearing sensation lingered in her thighs, and even her calves ached.

 His Heart 143

    Chapter <b>143 </b>

    Sean stood close behind Charlotte, his arms wrapped securely around her waist.

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b>I¡¯ve got you,¡± he murmured.

    Charlotte hesitated for a second.

    This was the first time she had ever needed someone to help her just to brush her teeth.

    She picked up her toothbrush, filled her cup with water, and squeezed out some toothpaste. Whenever she traveled, she always brought her own toiletries and even <b>a </b><b>set </b>of disposable bedsheets<b>. </b>

    As she brushed her teeth, Sean stayed right behind her, his chest pressed gently against her back. Their reflections were perfectly clear in the mirror¨Ctwo figures pressed close together.

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze wandered to Sean¡¯s neck.

    Two faint red marks stood out against his skin¨Ckiss marks she had leftst night in the heat of the moment<b>. </b>

    Memories ofst night¡¯s passionate scenes shed through her mind, and warmth spread across her cheeks.

    It didn¡¯t escape Sean¡¯s notice. His lips curved into <b>a </b>slight smile as he met her <b>eyes </b>in the mirror.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Nothing,¡± she mumbled, her eyes darting away<b>, </b>clearly flustered.

    A few minutester, once she finished brushing her teeth, Sean turned her around to face him. He leaned in, inhaling lightly near her neck.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ baby<b>, </b>you smell so good.¡±

    Heat rose in Charlotte¡¯s cheeks<b>. </b>

    ¡°You change your terms of endearment so quickly¡­ one moment it¡¯s ¡®sweetheart,¡® now it¡¯s ¡®baby.¡°¡±

    Sean¡¯s smile widened, his voice a <b>deep</b>, teasing murmur.

    ¡°Don¡¯t like it?¡±

    Her blush deepened, and she stared down without answering.

    Sean¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly, his voice taking <b>on </b>a low<b>, </b>husky tone.

    ¡°Baby, you look so cute when you blush¡­ makes me want to kiss you.¡±

    He tapped his lips with his fingertip.

    ¡°Come on, kiss me.¡±

    Obediently, Charlotte leaned up and pressed a soft, quick kiss on his lips.

    <b>¡°</b>Good girl,¡± Sean said, clearly pleased.

    He was <b>more </b><b>than </b>satisfied. Afterst night, he wasn¡¯t nning to push her. Two rounds had already left her feeling a little sore today. He didn¡¯t want to overwhelm her<b>, </b>especially with it being her first time.

    They had plenty of <b>time</b>.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you walking around a bit. Then we can go out and build a snowman,¡± Sean said, guiding her gently out of the bathroom.

    Charlotte¡¯s cheeks were still warm as she quietly murmured, ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    Even though they had already been intimate, talking about it now left her feeling shy. Especially when she saw the knowing smile on Sean¡¯s face.

    Every time she looked <b>at </b>him, her mind shed back to the heat ofst night, the way his touch made her body melt, the dizzying waves of sensation that swept

    over her

    She shook off the thoughts<b>, </b>focusing on getting ready

    The local pastries were sweet but not overly so, soft and buttery<b>, </b>perfectly paired with <b>the </b>savory chicken soup<b>. </b><b>It </b><b>was </b>a warm<b>, </bforting breakfast

    Once they finished eating<b>, </b>Charlotte <b>got </b>excited about going out to y in the snow and take pictures.

    1

    She spent over an hour putting on light but wless makeup, her soft, slightly curled hair falling <b>over </b><b>her </b>shoulders<b>. </b><b>Then </b><b>she </b>put on a thick, cream¨Ccolored down jacket

    As she was adjusting the cor<b>, </b>Sean <b>wrapped </b><b>a </b>deep red scarf around her neck

    <b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b><b>cold </b><b>out</b>. <b>Keep </b>this on.¡±

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    Downstairs, the B&B had a cozy courtyard, where the crisp winter air carried the faint, sweet scent of blooming cherry blossoms, their pale pink petals standing out delicately against the snow.

    A young couple was building a snowman by the low garden wall. A row of tiny, miniature snowmen in various shapes lined the top of the wall, each one unique and adorable.

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°Oh wow, these little snowmen are so cute! Can I take a picture with them?¡± she asked<b>, </b>her voice full <b>of </b>excitement.

    Thedy building the snowman smiled.

    ¡°Of course!<b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Thank you!¡± Charlotte¡¯s smile was bright and cheerful, her <b>eyes </b>crinkling with joy.

    She turned to Sean<b>, </b>waving.

    ¡°Sean, can you take some pictures for me? Make sure to get the little snowmen in the shot too!¡±

    Sean had brought his professional camera. After adjusting the settings, he focused the lens on Charlotte.

    The snow had cleared, and soft sunlight bathed the courtyard in a warm glow. Through the lens, Charlotte¡¯s bright smile was like spring sunlight, and the row of tiny snowmen behind her looked like a group of cheerful little snow buddies.

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 His Heart 144

    Chapter <b>144 </b>

    After taking pictures, Sean and Charlotte decided to build a snowman in the courtyard.

    Charlotte carefully shaped a cute, chubby snowman that stood about half her height. She added a red scarf and a little red hat, then used a soft peach¨Ctoned lipstick to dab <b>rosy </b>blush on the snowman¡¯s cheeks.

    Sean chuckled.

    <b>¡°</b>That little rosy face is so cute¨Cjust like yours<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotteughed.

    ¡°Of course! This is my little snow baby.¡±

    Once they finished, Charlotte brushed the snow off her gloves and looked at the snowman with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a name.¡±

    ¡°Good idea.¡± Sean¡¯s lips curved into a warm smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it Candy¨Clike the sweet. It even kind <b>of </b>sounds like ¡®Lottie,¡® just like your name.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes lit up.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>love it! Candy it is.¡°¨C

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take a family photo,¡± Sean suggested, his voice warm.

    <b>¡°</b>Great idea.¡± Charlotte picked up the camera.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll ask someone to take it for us<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    She walked over to the young couple still building their own snowman and approached thedy with a friendly smile.

    <b>¡°</b>Hi, would you mind helping us take a picture?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Thedy <b>epted </b>the camera, then hesitated.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not very familiar with these settings<b>¡­</b>¡±

    Charlotte leaned in <b>to </b>show her.

    ¡°No worries<b>, </b>I¡¯ve already <b>set </b>the parameters. Just <b>press </b>this button<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Oh, got it!¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±

    ¡°No problem<b>.</b>¡± Thedy leaned in a bit, whispering with a grin.

    ¡°By the way<b>, </b>you and your boyfriend are so good¨Clooking! Are you guys influencers?¡±

    Charlotteughed, shaking her head.

    ¡°No<b>, </b><b>but </b>thank you<b>. </b>You¡¯re really pretty too.¡±

    After taking their photos, Charlotte and Sean decided to visit a popr local spot- -a charming, traditional inn known for its stunning view.

    The inn¡¯s third floor had a beautifully carved wooden window, and opening it revealed a breathtaking view of the distant snow¨Ccapped mountains. It was the perfect spot for photos, <b>a </b>must¨Cvisit location for anyone exploring the town.

    The ce had gone viral online a while back, and Charlotte had always wanted toe. She had even nned a trip back then,plete with a detailed itinerary that included this very <b>inn</b><b>. </b>

    But at the time<b>, </b>Zac had refused to go with her.

    Honestly<b>, </b>when it came to ruining the mood, Zac never failed to deliver.

    There¡¯s nothing special about standing by a window to look at some mountains. When <b>I </b><b>take </b>you to Swennd, you¡¯ll see real mountains worth photographing ¡±

    His dismissive attitude had crushed her excitement. After that, she had gotten busy with work, and the idea of visiting the town eventually slipped <b>away </b>

    <b>But </b>now<b>, </b>two yearster<b>, </b>she was finally here with Sean

    <b>A </b><b>cold </b>breeze swept by, and Charlotte shivered slightly<b>, </b>letting out a small sneeze.

    ¡°Are <b>you </b><b>cold</b>?<b>¡± </b>Sean immediately reached <b>over</b><b>, </b>lifting the hood of her puffer jacket and gently pulling it over her <b>head</b>.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Keep </b>your hood on. <b>It¡¯ll </b>block the wind.¡±

    ¡°But I want to take picturester, and the hood doesn¡¯t look good in photos<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Then you can take it off when we¡¯re taking pictures. But right now, <b>it¡¯s </b>windy. Be good.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Charlotte looked up at him.

    ¡°What about you? Are you cold?¡±

    Sean grinned.

    ¡°A kiss would warm me right up.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re not cold.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Not </b>cold, but I still want a kiss<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte rolled her eyes,ughing softly. Sean, who was usually soposed and aloof around others<b>, </b>was surprisingly clingy and yful with her.

    Like right now, from the look on his face<b>, </b>it was clear he wasn¡¯t moving until he got his <b>kiss</b><b>. </b>

    With a sigh and a smile, Charlotte stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss him.

    But with Sean standing nearly <b>six</b>¨Cfoot¨Cthree<b>, </b>she barely reached his chin. Even on her tiptoes, she couldn¡¯t quite reach <b>his </b>lips<b>. </b>

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 His Heart 145

    Chapter <b>145 </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Bend down,¡± Charlotte pouted, her lips pursed. ¡°I can¡¯t reach.¡±

    Obediently, Sean leaned down, bringing his lips close to hers, practically offering them to her.

    The usuallyposed, almost untouchable Sean who was always so confident and proud, had never bowed his head to anyone.

    But for Charlotte, he did so willingly.

    Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, giving him a light kiss.

    With people walking by, she felt too shy to make it more than a quick<b>, </b>gentle peck. She <b>was </b>about to pull away when Sean¡¯s hand gently cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss<b>. </b>

    Her eyes widened in surprise, and she struggled slightly before he finally let her go.

    Her cheeks burned bright red. Charlotte cleared her throat with an awkward little cough.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ There are people around. Save it forter.¡±

    Sean smiled, his eyes warm, his mood clearly lifted.

    <b>¡°</b>Sure.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte tumed her head, still blushing, but her smile suddenly froze and disappeared.

    A cold wind swept through, and soft snowkes began to fall once more.

    Standing by the inn¡¯s entrance, partially veiled by the swirling snow, was Zac.

    Sean noticed too. The warmth in his eyes disappeared, reced by a sharp, chilling coldness.

    Taking Charlotte¡¯s hand, he led her straight toward Zac<b>. </b>

    Zac stood motionless <b>by </b>the inn¡¯s doorway, watching them approach, hand in hand. Snowkes drifted <b>down</b><b>, </bnding on his tan overcoat<b>, </b>melting instantly. For a moment, the scene felt frozen in time, like a winter afternoon captured in a single<b>, </b>still photograph.

    Memories flooded Zac¡¯s mind. He remembered Charlotte¡¯s bright smile<b>, </b>her cheerful <b>voice</b><b>, </b>the <b>way </b>she used to cling to his arm<b>, </b>begging him to take her <b>to </b>this very town. She had always dreamed of seeing the snow¨Ccapped mountains and staying at the charming<b>, </b>old¨Cfashioned inn.

    But what had he said back <b>then</b><b>? </b>

    He couldn¡¯t quite remember<b>. </b>

    Ai! he knew was that he had brushed her off, making up some excuse. Her smile had faded, <b>reced </b>by quiet disappointment.

    He had known she was upset, but he hadn¡¯t bothered tofort her or change his mind. <b>To </b>him<b>, </b><b>it </b>had seemed like nothing more than <b>a </b>passing whim<b>¨C</b>something that didn¡¯t really matter.

    Back then, she <b>was </b>just someone he was casually seeing. Nothing more.

    But <b>now</b>, here he <b>was</b><b>, </b>and she <b>wasn¡¯t </b>by his side.

    Zac¡¯s jaw clenched, a dull ache spreading in his chest, a suffocating weight pressing down on him.

    Sean and Charlotte stopped right in front of him.

    A faint<b>, </b>mocking smile tugged at the corner of Sean¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Well, <b>isn¡¯t </b>this <b>a </b>coincidence<b>? </b>No <b>matter </b>where we go, we seem to run into you.¡±

    Zac¡¯s lips tightened<b>, </b><b>his </b>jaw tense. He didn¡¯t even spare Sean <b>a </b><b>nce</b>, his gaze locked on Charlotte. His <b>eyes </b>were filled with a desperate, pleading light.

    ¡°Lottie. I¡¯m here. I came like you wanted.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression remained cold.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know <b>what </b><b>you¡¯re </b>talking about. We never made any ns.¡±

    A flicker <b>of </b>pain crossed Zac¡¯s face.

    ¡°Two years ago, you told me you wanted toe here. I didn¡¯t have time then, but I¡¯m here now.¡±

    ¡°<b>Late </b>affection is cheaper than dirt,¡± Charlotte replied, her tone calm but cutting

    <b>¡°</b>And those who fake it are even cheaper.¡±

    ¡°Lottie¡­¡± Regret <b>and </b>anguish twisted in Zac¡¯s <b>eyes</b>.

    ¡°Please, just give me another chance. I can make it right.¡±

    Sean chuckled, the sound cold andced with

    ¡°Another chance? Do you even deserve one?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression grew even colder.

    ¡°Zac, the more you cling to me, the more I find you pathetic.¡±

    Zac¡¯s voice wavered, his pride shattered, his tone pleading.

    ¡°Then tell me¡­ what would it take for you to look back at me?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze met his<b>, </b>her voice steady and clear.

    <b>¡°</b>Never. Not in this lifetime.¡±

    BIG <b>SALE</b><b>: </b>3500 bonus free fou you

 His Heart 146

    Chapter <b>146 </b>

    The inn had a resident photographer who offered professional photos for tourists at a rate <b>of </b>20 dors per picture.

    Charlotte approached the photographer with a polite smile.

    ¡°Sir, could you help us take some photos? But please use our <b>camera</b>.<b>¡± </b>

    The man epted the camera she handed over and did a quick check. <b>His </b>eye

    widened <b>with </b><b>surprise</b><b>. </b>

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    <b>¡°</b>Wow<b>, </b>you two must be serious about photography. This <b>is </b><b>a </b>high¨Cend camera. <b>I¡¯ve </b>been wanting one for ages<b>, </b>but it¡¯s a bit <b>too </b>pricey for me.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte smiled politely.

    ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>just a hobby.¡±

    The photographer chuckled, clearly excited.

    <b>¡°</b>Man, this is my dream camera. Since <b>I </b>get to <b>use </b>it, I¡¯m definitely going to take <b>extra </b>photos for <b>you</b>.¡±

    ¡°Thank you<b>,</b>¡± Charlotte replied.

    ¡°Alright, stand here. This spot has the best angle for the mountains in the background.¡±

    He adjusted their positions, his tone enthusiastic but professional.

    <b>¡°</b>You, sir, just a bit <b>to </b>the left¨C<b>yes</b><b>, </b>perfect. Miss, lift your chin slightly<b>¨C</b>great, just like that.¡±

    As he snapped away, the photographer couldn¡¯t <b>stop </b>admiring the camera¡¯s quality.

    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s <b>so </b><b>expensive</b><b>. </b>Look at this resolution! Worth every penny. I really need <b>to </b>start saving up for one.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try a few more poses,¡± he suggested.

    Peeking around the camera, he gave them an <b>easy</b><b>, </b>friendly grin.

    <b>¡°</b>You two look like a celebrity couple<b>! </b>I swear<b>, </b><b>I </b>could put these photos on a magazine cover.<b>¡± </b>

    Sean<b>, </b>in an unusually good mood, responded with a rare hint of warmth.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    His gaze drifted just past the photographer, catching sight of Zac standing at a distance, his <b>face </b>dark with barely <b>concealed </b>frustration. Noticing this, Sean¡¯s smile grew a little wider, a faint air of victory in his <b>expression</b><b>. </b>His arm tightened around Charlotte, his mood getting <b>even </b>better. Zoc¡¯s face remained tense as he watched the coupleugh and lean into each other. <b>It </b>was like a knife twisting in his chest.

    Unable to stand the sight any longer, he turned and walked away.

    The photographer, still buzzing with excitement<b>, </b>continued snapping photos. Getting to use his dream camera was clearly the highlight <b>of </b>his day. He happily directed them through various poses, making sure to capture the perfect shots.

    After half an hour, the photographer reluctantly handed the camera back to Sean, clearly reluctant to part with it.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll just charge you for two photos. The rest are on me. Consider it a thank you for letting me use your amazing camera.<b>¡± </b>

    Sean <b>turned </b>on the camera, scrolling through the photos.

    ¡°You took quite <b>a </b>lot of shots.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>want to see<b>!</b>¡± Charlotte leaned closer, scrolling through the photos.

    <b>¡°</b>Wow, <b>sir</b><b>, </b>your photography skills are amazing! These turned out so good.¡±

    She looked up, <b>smiling </b>at the photographer.

    ¡°You should charge us properly. This is your business, and it¡¯s not easy making a living. We wouldn¡¯t feel right taking advantage of you.¡±

    Her words made the photographer teel abit guilty

    Twenty dors <b>per </b>photo was already a steep price for a tourist spot<b>, </b>and most people were careful not to overspend.

    But not only had these <b>two </b>used their own high¨Cend camera, he had gotten a bit carried <b>away</b><b>, </b>snapping around forty or fifty photos instead of the ten they initially requested.

    If he charged them the full rate, <b>that </b>would be eight <b>hundred </b>to a thousand dors. That seemed <b>unfair</b>, even if they looked like <b>they </b>could afford it. He didn¡¯t <b>want </b>to take advantage of them just because <b>they </b>appeared wealthy

    <b>The </b>photographer¡¯s conscience won <b>out</b>. <b>He </b>quickly waved his hands.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    ¡°No, no, that won¡¯t do. I took a lot¨Cforty or fifty shots. If I charge you twenty dors per photo, it would cost you a small fortune. Let¡¯s just stick with the original n. Ten photos for two hundred dors.¡±

    He pulled out his phone, disying his QR code for payment.

    Sean scanned it without a second thought.

    A notification immediately popped up on the photographer¡¯s phone, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the amount.

    ¡°Wait, sir¡­ you sent a thousand dors! Did you make a mistake? I can refund the extra.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>No </b>mistake,¡± Sean replied calmly, pocketing his phone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t take advantage of people.¡±

    The photographer¡¯s shock quickly turned to joy. He was practically beaming.

    ¡°This guy must be loaded. What a lucky day!¡± he thought.

 His Heart 147

    Chapter <b>147 </b>

    Charlotte smiled sweetly at the photographer.

    ¡°Thank you, sir. You¡¯ve worked hard. I hope you can save up for that dream camera.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me who should be thanking you two. You¡¯re such kind souls. Thank you, thank <b>you</b>!¡± The photographer bowed repeatedly<b>, </b>gratitude shining in his eyes.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>wish you two a lifetime of happiness<b>!</b>¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    After leaving the inn, Sean and Charlotte wandered through the nearby market, where Charlotte picked <b>out </b>several handmade trinkets <b>to </b>bring back as gifts for Mia<b>, </b>Lena, and Jenny.

    That night, snow fell steadily outside, nketing the world in silence.

    By the window, Sean¡¯s heated kisses trailed down Charlotte¡¯s neck, making her <b>dizzy </b>and breathless<b>. </b>

    Warm air fogged up the ss, and Charlotte¡¯s palms pressed against the misty window, leaving faint handprints.

    Afterward, Charlotte feltpletely drained, her body aching and weak.

    ¡°Thank you, Sean<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she whispered.

    Sean smiled softly. ¡°Thank me? What for<b>, </b>sweetheart?¡±

    Charlotte bit her lip lightly, her cheeks flushing.

    <b>¡°</b><b>For </b>always being there for me. For making me <b>feel </b>so loved and cherished. For always choosing me, no matter what.¡±

    Even when faced with Vivian or Mrs. Jasper Sr., he never hesitated. He always <b>stood </b>by her side.

    She leaned her head against his shoulder, her <b>voice </b><b>soft </b>but sincere.

    ¡°Sean<b>, </b>you¡¯re so different from Zac<b>.</b>¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t seem upset <b>at </b>the mention of Zac. Instead, he looked at her calmly.

    <b>¡°</b>Oh? How so?¡±

    As he spoke, Sean gently scooped Charlotte into his arms and carried her to the bathroom.

    The bathroom was warm and inviting<b>, </b>with the heater <b>on</b><b>, </b>making the space feel <b>cozy </b>despite the winter chill outside. The ceramic bathtub retained itsforting warmth.

    Sean gently set Charlotte into the tub, adjusting the water temperature <b>to </b>just the right level. As the soothing warmth surrounded her, she leanedzily against the edge<b>, </b><b>feeling </bpletely rxed

    ¡°To be precise<b>, </b>it¡¯s not that <b>you¡¯re </b>different from Zac, it¡¯s the way I feel about you. I dated Zac, but I never felt possessive of him. I didn¡¯t even like being physically close to him. But with you, <b>it¡¯s </b>different. I feel <b>this</b>¡­ strong sense of possessiveness. I want to keep you all to myself. Hide you away where only I can <b>have </b>you.¡±

    <b>Sean </b>finished adjusting the water, then stepped into the tub with her. He picked up a soft washcloth, dipped it in the warm water<b>, </b>and gently began to wash her smooth body, his touch light and tender.

    ¡°A strong sense of possessiveness, huh? Just how strong?¡±

    Charlotte pouted yfully.

    ¡°I already said it¡­ <b>I </b><b>want </b>to keep you all to myself.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± His gaze stayed on her, unreadable, though the slight curve of his lips betrayed his amusement

    ¡°Lottle¡± <b>Sean¡¯s </b>voice softened, full of affection.

    Hmm? What is <b>it</b>?¡±

    ¡°Do you love me?¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t hesitate.

    ¡°Of <b>course</b>. I love you. I love you so much.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>How much is ¡®so much<b>?</b><b>¡± </b><b>he </b>teased<b>, </b><b>eyes </b>locked on hers.

    Chadotte thought for a moment before meeting his gaze with unwavering sincerity.

    ¡°A lot. More than anything. Only you. No one could ever rece you in my heart.¡±

    Sean¡¯s deep, dark eyes shimmered with a gentle warmth, like ripples spreading across a calmke.

    Moved by her words, he leaned down, capturing Charlotte¡¯s lips in a tender, lingering kiss.

    One kiss led to another, and soon, there was no stopping the passion that sparked between them.

    Charlotte¡¯s lips parted beneath his, her eyes fluttering shut as she surrendered to the warmth of his embrace.

    The water rippled softly around them, waves gently ovepping, their warmth mingling in the quiet intimacy of the moment.

    +25 Bonus

    They didn¡¯t leave the bathroom for a long while.

    By the time they finally stepped out, Charlotte¡¯s body bore faint marks, warm shades of red scattered across her skin. Even her bathrobe couldn¡¯tpletely hide

    them.

    She pouted, cheeks puffing out in mock annoyance.

    ¡°Look at this. How am I supposed to face anyone tomorrow with these all over me??

    Sean chucked, unbothered.

    ¡°It¡¯s winter. Just weara turtleneck or a scarf. No one will notice.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Sean pulled her into his arms, carrying her toward the bedroom. But just as they stepped out of the bathroom, the doorbell rang<b>. </b>

    Once. Then again. And again. The rapid, insistent chime made it clear that whoever was outside was in a burry

    ¡°Who could that be at this hour?¡± Charlotte wondered, frowning.

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 His Heart 148

    Chapter <b>148 </b>

    Sean ced Charlotte gently on the bed, brushing a strand of hair from her flushed face. ¡°You¡¯re tired. Get some rest. I¡¯ll go check who it is.¡±

    He opened the door, and his expression instantly hardened. Zac was standing there.

    He had almost forgotten that Zac was also in town. ¡°This is getting interesting,<b>¡± </b>he thought.

    Fresh from a shower, Sean wore only a towel wrapped around his waist. Faint, fresh marks were visible on his neck and corbone¨Cevidence of his time with

    Charlotte<b>. </b>

    The sight seemed to detonate something inside Zac. His jaw tightened, and his <b>fists </b>clenched. His face went pale, and a storm brewed in his eyes.

    <b>¡°</b>What did you do to her?¡± Zac¡¯s voice was a low, furious growl, his entire body taut with anger.

    Sean chuckled, leaning casually against the doorframe. ¡°We¡¯re <b>a </b>couple. What do you think?¡±

    The wordsnded like a final blow. A crushing weight settled in Zac¡¯s chest, his blood felt like it had turned to <b>ice</b><b>, </b>and a splitting headache pierced his temples.

    He had always feared this might happen and had tortured himself with the thought. But seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.

    His vision blurred for a moment, his pulse pounding in his <b>ears</b><b>. </b>His mind raced with anger and regret, drowning in disbelief.

    A split secondter, Zac snapped. He lunged forward like a wild animal, eyes zing with fury.

    Sean stepped back, smoothly sidestepping the attack. Then, with lightning speed, his fist crashed into Zac¡¯s face<b>, </b>followed <b>by </b><b>a </b>swift<b>, </b>powerful kick.

    A sharp, searing pain exploded across Zac¡¯s cheek. His vision blurred, and a loud, relentless buzzing filled his head.

    He staggered backward, mming into the hallway wall with a heavy, dull thud.

    <b>¡°</b>Zac,¡± Sean¡¯s voice was sharp<b>, </b>cold. ¡°I gave you a chance<b>. </b>Three years ago, I told myself <b>if </b>she was happy with you<b>, </b>I¡¯d step back. I¡¯d let you have her. But you<b>¡­ </b>how did you treat her?¡±

    Zac felt like an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, crushing <b>it </b>over and over again<b>, </b>making it impossible <b>to </b>breathe.

    But Sean didn¡¯t <b>give </b>him a moment to recover. He leaned in, his voice cold and sharp. <b>¡°</b>Zac<b>, </b>what right do you have <b>to </b>question me<b>?</b>¡±

    The words <b>were </b>like a de, cutting <b>deep</b>.

    For a moment, Zac stood there, dazed.

    He couldn¡¯t answer. What right did he have?

    He was the one who had ruined his rtionship with Charlotte<b>. </b><b>He </b>was the one who had pushed her away.

    Sean¡¯s gaze was filled with cold contempt, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery<b>, </b>as <b>if </b>he <b>were </b>staring at something pathetic.

    There was nothing he despised more than a <b>man </b>who only realized the value of what he had after losing <b>it</b>. <b>Love </b>that came too <bte </b>was worthless. It was no better than weeds growing wild.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Zac trying to fool with this sudden disy of regret?¡± Sean thought.

    <b>But </b><b>just </b>as quickly<b>, </b>the daze in Zac¡¯s <b>eyes </b>vanished. <b>He </b>seemed to cling to a single desperate thought<b>, </b>one that felt like his only lifeline.

    A twisted smile stretched across his lips, the smear of blood making him look wild and unhinged.

    ¡°I do have the right because <b>I </b>love her!¡± Zac¡¯s voice was fierce, almost desperate. ¡°No one will ever love her more than I do!¡±

    Seanughed<b>, </b>a cold<b>, </b>mocking sound. ¡°Love? Your love is so worthless even a dog would turn away.¡±

    Zac¡¯s <b>lips </b>parted, but before he could speak, another voice cut through the tense air.

    ¡°<b>Zac</b>, what are you doing here?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice was sharp, her re so intense it was as if she were staring at a mortal enemy.

    Hearing her voice, Zac looked up.

    The first thing that caught Zac¡¯s eye was the unusual flush on Charlotte¡¯s face and the lingering warmth of passion in her eyes.

    Then his <b>gaze </b>traveled lower to the pale skin of her neck, where <b>a </b>ring<b>, </b>urunistakable mark stood out.

    In <b>that </b>instant, Zac finally understood what it meant to feel like his heart was being tom <b>apart </b>

    Just moments <b>ago</b>, when he had heard Sean¡¯s words, a small part of him had clung to the desperate hope that it was all a cruel lie <b>a </b>twisted <b>game </b>meant to hurt

    him

 His Heart 149

    But now, seeing the marks on Charlotte¡¯s skin and the alluring look in her eyes, Zac felt like he was losing his mind.

    There was a faint, unmistakable scent of intimacy lingering in the air¨Ca reminder <b>of </b>what had just happened between them. They had been together. They had made love.

    The realization crashed over him like a tidal wave, leaving him teetering on the edge of despair. It felt as though someone had reached into his chest<b>, </b>ripped out a piece of his heart, and left it bleeding and raw.

    ¡°Charlotte¡­¡± Zac¡¯s voice broke, choked with tears. ¡°Please¡­ please don¡¯t do this to me<b>. </b>How could <b>you</b><b>¡­</b>¡±

    The words, ¡°How could you be with another man?¡± caught in his throat. They were <b>too </b>painful to say. Even the thought of it stabbed at his heart, unbearable.

    It was at this moment that Zac finally understood just how deeply obsessed he was with Charlotte, how fierce his need to possess her truly was.

    In his entire life, never had he felt so desperate, so close to breaking.

    A single tear slid down his cheek. His heart was shattering.

    The winter wind swept through the hallway, biting and bone¨Cchilling.

    Zac stood there, his face a picture of grief, staring at Charlotte as if he might crumble <b>to </b>dust in the <b>next </b>moment.

    Charlotte¡¯s jaw tightened, her face cold, and a clear fury burned in her eyes.

    ¡°Zac Gibson, we broke up peacefully. I let you keep your dignity. But <b>if </b><b>you </b>keep harassing me like this, don¡¯t me me for not holding back.¡±

    Tears shimmered in Zac¡¯s eyes, and the spot where Sean had punched him was already swelling, a bright red mark spreading <b>across </b>his cheek.

    ¡°No.¡± Zac¡¯s voice was rough and desperate. ¡°Charlotte, I was wrong. Please<b>¡­ </b><b>please </be back to me<b>. </b>I¡¯m begging you, Charlotte¡­¡±

    All his pride was gone and reduced to dust. Zac had nothing left but a desperate, childlike plea.

    Seeing him like this, Charlotte sighed, rubbing her temples in exhaustion.

    <b>¡°</b>Zac, what¡¯s the point of this?¡± Her voice was weary<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>I¡¯m really tired. Just <b>let </b>me go.¡±

    Zac¡¯s eyes <b>were </b>red, his voice choked with tears. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m sorry, Charlotte, I can¡¯t.¡±

    Charlotte frowned slightly<b>, </b>choosing not to <b>say </b>anything <b>else</b><b>. </b>Her <b>gaze </b>turned cold <b>as </b>she moved <b>to </b><b>close </b>the door.

    Panicking, Zac lunged forward, trying to block the door with his hand.

    But his hand got caught in the closing door.

    the

    agony almost

    Charlotte hadn¡¯t expected that. She had used just a bit of force<b>, </b>and now Zac¡¯s hand was caught. <b>He </b>sucked in a sharp breath<b>, </b>pain twisting his expression.

    A flicker of <b>surprise </b>crossed Charlotte¡¯s eyes, but it quickly faded back to indifference.

    <b>¡°</b>Zac<b>, </b>just go.¡±

    She tned to shut the door again.

    <b>But </b>Sean stepped forward, pushing Zac away, keeping him from blocking the door a second time.

    The door clicked shut.

    Silence settled over the hallway

    <b>Outside</b>, Zac squeezed his <b>eyes </b>shut in agony

    Tears fell silently

    Tonight was a nightmare. A horrible, soul¨C<b>crushing </b>nightmare that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

    Zac stood there, motionless<b>, </b>for a long, long time.

    <b>Long </b><b>enough </b>for the lights in Charlotte¡¯s apartment to go out.

    Long enough for the noisy night to fallpletely silent

    Eventually, like a lifeless shell, Zac dragged himself to the elevator.

    1

    <b>He </b>pressed the button.

    The elevator descended.

    Outside<b>, </b>the world was freezing<b>, </b>a blizzard raging

    Because of the warm heating inside, Zac had only been wearing <b>a </b>thin shirt.

    Now<b>, </b>alone in the snow, he trudged forward, his head bowed, a ghost wandering aimlessly in the howling storm.

    There <b>was </b><b>a </b>gaping hole in his chest, the cold wind tearing through it.

    But even the icy wind was nothingpared to the coldness in his heart.

    Tonight, it felt like all the snow in the world had fallen straight onto his heart.

    P

 His Heart 150

    Early the next morning, Charlotte was woken up by a phone call.

    Half¨Casleep, she groggily tapped the answer button, her voice thick with drowsiness. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡±

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    ).

    ¡°Charlotte, you need toe to the hospital and see Zac,¡± Ethan¡¯s anxious voice came through the line. ¡°Did you know he almost died?¡±

    Hearing Zac¡¯s name made Charlotte¡¯s irritation re. After the exhausting messst night, she hadn¡¯t even slept enough, and now she was being woken up for this? For Zac?

    Annoyance surged in her, and her temper red. ¡°If he¡¯s dead, you can handle the body. Just let me know when the funeral is. I¡¯ll give his mom a big gift, for old times<b>¡® </b>sake.¡±

    Without waiting for Ethan¡¯s reaction, she hung up and immediately set her phone to silent.

    The noise woke Sean beside her. Still tangled in the warm nkets, his arm tightened around her, his voice low and maic. ¡°Sleep with me a little longer.¡±

    Charlotte snuggled closer<b>, </b>like a clingy little cat, pressing herself against his chest.

    Wrapped together in the cozy bed, the world seemed to shrink until it was just the two of them.

    No matter how fiercely the wind and snow raged outside, it didn¡¯t touch them.

    Meanwhile, Zac was already awake,

    Ethan had made the call of his own ord, but Zac knew exactly what he was hoping for.

    Zac was clinging to onest shred of unrealistic hope. He desperately wanted to know if Charlotte knew he almost died, would she worry? Would shee see him?

    So he had asked Ethan to put the call on speaker.

    But all he heard was Charlotte¡¯s voice¨Ccold, cutting, andpletely heartless.

    She didn¡¯t care. Not even a little.

    She hadn¡¯t even hesitated before saying those cruel words.

    Zac¡¯s hands clenched into fists<b>, </b>his knuckles turning white<b>, </b>veins bulging beneath his pale skin. His lips were colorless.

    Ethan quietly slipped his phone into his pocket<b>, </b>swallowing hard. He half¨Cexpected Zac to explode in a fit of rage. He didn¡¯t even dare to breathe.

    But Zac didn¡¯t scream, didn¡¯t tage like he usually did.

    He stayed silent for a long moment, then said in a hollow voice, ¡°Leave me alone for a bit.¡±

    Ethan stepped out of the hospital room<b>, </b>only to run into Wendy in the hallway. He was shocked that Wendy had actuallye all the way to Anne City.

    Surprised, he stared at her. ¡°Wendy? You came all the way to Anne City?¡±

    Wendy¡¯s face <b>was </b>full of worry. ¡°How is Zac?¡±

    Ethan sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Not good. <b>Not </b>at all<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°What happened? He went on a trip, and now <b>he¡¯s </b>in the hospital?¡±

    Ethan hesitated. ¡°<b>It </b>was freezingst night¨Csnowing hard, five or six degrees below zero. He was wandering around outside in just a thin shirt. He copsed in the snow<b>, </b>and some passerby brought him to the hospital.<b>¡± </b>

    Wendy¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Why would he do that?¡±

    Ethan besitated, words catching in his throat.

    Zac hadn¡¯t exined anything, but Ethan could easily guess the reason. It was all because of Charlotte.

    Last night, Za? had copsed at Linton Springs¨Cthe same <b>ce </b>where Charlotte and her boyfriend were staying.

    How was he supposed <b>to </b>exin that? It <b>was </b>a headache just thinking about it.

    Back when Wendy first returned to the country<b>, </b>Zac and Charlotte hadn¡¯t even broken up yet<b>. </b>

    But Zac spent all his time fooling around with Wendy<b>, </b><bpletely </b>ignoring Charlotte¡¯s feelings.

    Now the tables had turned<b>, </b>and he was finally getting a taste of his own medicine.

    They say men are born actors, and Ethan thought that saying was <b>spot </b>on.

 His Heart 151

    hapter 151

    Zac¡¯s cument state didn¡¯t necessarily mean he was madly in love with Charlotte. More likely, he was just putting on a show, trying to guilt her into feeling sorry for him. He was hoping she would soften ande back

    As <b>for </b>Wendy, Ethan had never thought mich of her

    Back then, Wendy knew perfectly well that Zac and Charlotte were together, but she shamelessly threw herself at him anyway. ying the other woman without a hint of shame¨Cwhat <b>kind </b>of decent person did that?

    Thinking about it, then suddenly didn¡¯t feel so hesitant to speakup..

    In a casually indifferent tone, he exined, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of Charlotte. You know she has a fianc¨¦ <b>now</b><b>, </b>right? And they¡¯re pretty much inseparable. Last night, Zac saw them together at Linton Springs<b>, </b>and it drove him over the edge. He wandered around outside in the freezing cold for hours before he finally copsed¡±

    Ethan let out a deep sigh, putting on a look of pained sympathy. ¡°Honestly, be almost died. If a passerby hadn¡¯t found him in time and brought him to the hospital, we probably wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation.¡±

    As he finished, Ethan subtly nced at Wendy¡¯s face, watching for her reaction.

    Herplexion went ghostly <b>pale </b>in an instant.

    ¡°For Charlotte?¡± the muttered<b>. </b>

    your voice down.¡±

    Ethan sighed. ¡°Exactly. I mean, <b>i </b><b>isn¡¯t </b>he just being pathetic? He only knows how to cherish something after <b>he¡¯s </b>lost it.¡± Wendy¡¯s whole body started to tremble with anger, her voice rising. ¡°<b>Are </b>you telling me he nearly died because of Charlotte A passing nurse frowned, giving her a disapproving look ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is <b>a </b><b>hospital</b><b>. </b><b>Please </b>keep

    te Riley?¡±

    Wendy¡¯s face went from pale to flushed with fury. Without another word<b>, </b>she shoved open the door to Zac¡¯s hospital room. ¡®Zar Gibson! What the hell is this supposed to mean?¡±

    Ethan couldn¡¯t help but smirk, leaning slightly to prek through the crack in the door, his gaze full of nosy curiosity,

    The door mmed shut with a loud bang-

    The next second, angry shouting erupted from the hospital room.

    ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about Charlotte Riley, aren¡¯t <b>you</b>? Zac, how could you do this to me?¡± Wendy¡¯s voice was sharp, filled with outrage.

    Zar let out a cold Lough ¡°Do owe you anything?

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Wendy <b>demanded</b><b>, </b>her voice <b>rising </b>

    ¡°it means i finally see things clearly. Everything I did with you was a betrayal to <b>Charlotte</b>. I can¡¯t keep doing this, Wendy. Don¡¯te looking <b>for </b>me again. I don¡¯t Want to upset Cadotte.¡±

    Wendy¡¯sughter was wild, ou hysterical, ¡°Are you serious, Zac? <b>Are </b>you still dreaming? You¡¯re <b>worried </b>about upsetting Charlotte? Does she even care about you? Have you ever meant anything to her? You¡¯re here, nearly dying for her, but has she even looked at you? <b>Itas </b>shee to see <b>you </b>once?¡±

    Her words were like a lite<b>, </b>stabbing straight into <b>Zat¡¯s </b>heart.

    Get out! Get the hell out! Zar¡¯s voice exploded in a furious roar<b>, </b><b>and </b>the sound of things crashing echoed through the room.

    Wendy watched din rage, her eyes red with anger and contempt. <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re </b>pathetic<b>, </b>Zac (ibson<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    with t, de tuned and stored out,

    The door warung spell, and Wendy <b>nearly </b>collided with Ellum, who was still lottering outside.

    Caught off guard, Ellian awkwardly rubbed his nose. ¡°Oh, ul. I think I left something inside just came back to grab it.¡±

    Wendy didn¡¯t even acknowledge lim, keeping biri head down as she walked away in a rush

    Bilun peeked through the open door.

    Wow. The room¡¯s a total <b>wreck</b>¨Cstult smashed everywhere. Zar¡¯s really losing it, he muttered.

    SALE: 3500 bonus free fou <b>you </b>

 His Heart 152

    Chapter <b>152 </b>

    -25 Bonus

    On the third day of their trip to Linton Springs, Sean received a call from his subordinate, Luke Steward, saying they had found Judy Caleb.

    Charlotte was already feeling tired from sightseeing and wanted to spend a few days rxing at home, so the two packed up and headed back to Jersey City

    Judy had faked a pregnancy, but after being released from the detention center, she was iddnapped by people sent by Vivian. They smuggled her all the way to

    <b>Vivian </b>had promised pady a sate escape with an arranged ce to stay and a job overseas but none of that ever happened

    Instead, Judy was sold into a tel scamspound in Cadasa, where she suffered daily abuse, living a life worse than a stray dog.

    When Sean¡¯s people tracked her down, thepound boss immediately handed her over as he was too afraid to cross the Jasper family¡¯s powerful connections.

    In a dimly lit basement, Judy was tied to <b>a </b>wooden <b>chalt</b>, her hair a tangled mess, her <b>body </b>covered in bruises. She lookedpletely defeated.

    Her injuries weren¡¯t from Sean¡¯s people. They were from the <b>guards </b><b>at </b>thepound who had beaten her.

    Sean <b>stepped </b>in through the basement doorway.

    Dressed in all ck, <b>his </b>imposing figure was sharp and severe. Shadows seemed to cling to his perfectly handsome face, his expression cold and ruthless.

    He sat down on the leather sofa, three or four feet away from Judy, his gaze sharp as a knife.

    ¡°Talk, Who ordered you to do it?¡±

    At the sight of him, Jody¡¯s emotions crumbled instantly.

    ¡°Sean, please don¡¯t look at me!¡± Her voice was now and horse, her eyes filled with despair. ¡°I look horrible right now.¡±

    Sean frowned in annoyance.

    Tolim, Judy was nothing more than a criminal. She <b>was </b><b>a </b>guilty woman who had crossed the line. He didn¡¯t care how she looked.

    When she didn¡¯t say anything useful, his patience wore thin His <b>voice </b>tumed cold and threatening

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡®

    Judy sobbed, shaking her head. ¡°I <b>can¡¯t </b>tell you¡­ I.. Thad no choice. Please, Sean, I¡¯ve loved you for so many <b>years</b>. Can¡¯t you just let me go?¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze was ice¨Ccold,pletely devoid of sympathy

    ¡°Talk, and I¡¯ll let you go.

    Judy broke down, begging through her teams. ¡°Please, Sean, I can¡¯t. I really can¡¯t tell you just let me go. I never meant to rain your engagement party.

    <b>As </b>she <b>spoke</b><b>, </b>her tone suddenly changed, her face filled with concern, ¡°Are you hurt? I¡¯m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. 1¡­¡±

    She never wanted <b>to </b>hunt Chadotte either

    Everything had been Vivian¡¯s doing Vivian <b>had </b>forced her into this

    <b>But </b>she couldn¡¯t say that.

    Her father was still in Vivian¡¯s hands.

    she had been trapped in thatpound, tortured for over a month. No one in the world hated Vivian more than she did. No one wanted Vivian dead more than the

    ???

    But she couldn¡¯t betray her.

    Her father was the <b>only </b>family she <b>had </b>left in this world.

    Seeing <b>that </b>Sean showed up sign of sympathy, Judy¡¯s hope drained away.

    #tean, ?past kill me. I can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    hill you? Why would I bother?¡± Sean¡¯s voice was cold and unyielding. ¡°Miss Caleb, if you refuse to talk, don¡¯t me me for being harsh.¡±

    e rose to hinteet, his expression freezing over

    ¡°Sean, what are you <b>going </b><b>to </b><b>du</b>?¡± judy¡¯s pale face <b>was </b>streaked with trous, her eres filled with despair

    <b>Seard¡¯s </b>gaze was like <b>frozen </b>steel, his entire presence radiating <b>a </b>chilling aura

    He didn¡¯t answer, Without another word<b>, </b>he turned to leave.

    ¡°Sr¨¢n! Don¡¯t go!¡± Judy caled out desperately. ¡°Just stay with the a little longer!¡±

    25 Naru

    Her voice was filled with pitiful, broken pleas

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been through hell In thatpound for over a month.

    jady¡¯s soba grew louder, her wordsing out in a choked, trembling nish

    ¡± was vited by those monster! They¡¯re not himan. They¡¯re wone than animals! Every day, they beat me, over and over. I They gave me moldy bread, and the patmeal was nothing but watered¨Cdown slop¨Cbarely a single oat in it. The food was worse thandog food.

    ¡°Sean, I almost didn¡¯t survive. Do you know that? For ever a month, you were the only thing keeping ene alive, post thinking about you gave me the strength to go

 His Heart 153

    Chapter <b>153 </b>

    Sean stood with his back to her, his tall figure sharp and rigid, a silhouette of cold indifference

    As Judy sobbed, pouring out the horror of her suffering, his expression remainedpletely unchanged,

    ¡°I told myself every <b>day </b>that I had to keep going.¡± body choked out between sobs. ¡°I had to stay alive, to escape that nightmare. Because if I died, I¡¯d never see you

    sean, please¡­ please stay with me. I¡¯m losing my mind. Every time I close my eyes, I see them viting me again. The pain in my heart is a thousand times worse

    than any bruise.¡±

    Her voice broke, gasping <b>for </b><b>air </b>between cries. <b>¡°</b>Just talk to me, please? Even if you just yell at me. Don¡¯t <b>go</b>, don¡¯t leave me. I just¡­ I just wanted to see you You¡¯re the only light in my life!TM

    Being someone¡¯s only hope, the single light in their world, would have moved almost any man.

    But Sean felt nothing

    Not even a ripple of sympathy.

    He didn¡¯t even care enough to spare her a nce.

    |Without another moment¡¯s pause, he tumed and walked away.

    Jody watched his cold, unwielding back <b>disappear</b>. Whatever faint hope she had in her eyes was gone, sauffed outpletely.

    Outside the basement, Sean tumed to his bodyguard. ¡°Get her <b>to </b>talk. Make her give us something useful.¡±

    Sympathy? Compassion?

    Maybe Sean had some.

    But he would never waste it on someone who tried to burt Charlotte.

    A little over a month ago<b>, </b><b>Judy </b><b>had </b>nearly kailed <b>her</b>.

    Anyone who dared harm Charlotte had to pay the price.

    Leaving the base, Sean nced at his watch. It was ten o¡¯clock

    His Lottle would be waking up soon, probably feeling hungry.

    After being thoroughly wom out by Seanst night, Charlotte slept soundly. By the time she woke up, it was already noon.

    The curtains were half¨Cdrawn, and sunlight streamed through the ss, casting a soft golden glow over the pale blueforter at the foot of the bed.

    Toy specks of dust floated <b>gently </b>in the light<b>, </b>malding the air seem almost magical,

    As soon as she opened her eyes, the warm, delicious aroma of freshly cooked food drifted into the room.

    Dressed in her cute beat¨Cprint pajamas, her hair tousled, Charlotte climbed out of bed, eyes half¨Cclosed, and followed the smell.

    In the <b>dining </b>room, the table <b>was </b>already set with three <b>tes </b>of <b>food </b>and two slices of buttered toast

    The sotan of the kitchen cange hood droned in the background.

    Charlotte rabbed her sleepy <b>eyes </b>and peeked <b>into </b>the kitchen

    can Jasper, wearing an apron, walked out <b>carrying </b>a bowl of creamy chicken soup.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± he smiled, cing the soup on the table.

    ¡°Hungry? Go wastrup Lunch is ready.¡±

    still wearing his apron, he <b>looked </b>like the perfect, caring partner.

    Curlotte, her voice still soft and drowsy from sleep, stared at him in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡±

    And not just liete, be lud even made a full meal.

    Sean <b>took </b>off the apron, his smile gentle. ¡°Figured you¡¯d wake up hungry, so I went out and <b>grabbed </b>some groceries to make you lunch.¡±

    Charlotte nabbed her eyes again, her sleepy voice sweet and a little raspy, making <b>her </b>sound even more adorable ¡°so domestic<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Goly for you.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes wete filled with a waste, onending tenderness.

 His Heart 154

    n gently guided Charlotte toward the bathroom. ¡°Lottle, be good. Go freshen up first.¡±

    After washing up, Charlotte sat down at the dining table.

    sean <b>had </b>prepared a hearty meal¨Cscrambled eggs with herbs, crispy garlic pork chops, spicy buffalo wings, and a creamy chicken soup. All were Charlotte¡¯s

    Having skipped breakdast, Charlotte¡¯s stomach growled with hunger. Now fully awake, she eagerly picked up her fork and dug in

    Across the table, Sean watched her with a warm, affectionate smile, his eyes sparkling with quiet amusement.

    ¡°<b>Is </b><b>it </b>good?¡± he asked, his voler soft and gentle.

    ¡°Mmmm!¡°Charlotte nodded, a bright smile on her face. ¡°Your cooling is always my favorite, Sean

    ¡°Eat up too, Sean,¡± she beamed. ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself go hungry.¡±

    ¡°Lottle,¡± Sean¡¯s voice held a yful warmth.

    ¡°Han? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Charlotte looked up, her cheeks puffed with food,

    | Sean leaned back, a teasing smile lighting up his handsome face. ¡°You satisfied me plentyst night. Now it¡¯s my turn to take care of you.¡±

    ¡°ft¨Ccough, cough? Charlotte <b>choked </b>on her snap, coughing and sputtering.

    ¡°You.]¡± Her cheeks tumed bright red, and she bit her lip, mortified. ¡°Why would you say <b>that</b>?¡±

    Sean chuckled, his tone full of doting affection. ¡°<b>Alright</b><b>, </b>alright, I won¡¯t say anything, Just focus on eating

    At <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>private <b>vi</b><b>, </b>a bodyguard in a ck uniform bowed respectfully.

    ¡°Miss, Judy Caleb has been taken by Mr. Jasper¡¯s men.

    <b>¡°</b>Why didn¡¯t those <b>useless </b>idiots just all her<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Vivian¡¯s eyes <b>shed </b>with cage, <b>ber </b>jaw clenched. ¡°Bunch of fools!¡±

    The bodyguard remained silent, his face expressionless like a machine,

    Vivian suddenly spun around, ring <b>at </b>him. ¡°You¡¯re just as useless! Aplete Idiot!¡±

    He didn¡¯t flinch, his expression unchanged.

    <b>¡°</b>Get out!<b>¡± </b><b>Vivian¡¯s </b><b>face </b>twisted with fury.

    The grabbed a nearby teacup and hurled it at the bodyguard,

    ¡°Understood.¡± He dodged and left without another word,

    As soon as he was gone, Vivian¡¯s cold, calcting gaze fell on the shattered teacup. Pulling out her <b>phone</b>, she typed a message.

    ¡°Judy Caleb <b>has </b>been <b>found </b><b>by </b>Sean. What should I do next?¡±

    A reply came almost instantly

    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to silence her.¡±

    ¡°Do I need to <b>do </b>anything?

    ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t trace it back to you.¡±

    After lunch, Charlotte blushed and started pushing Sean toward the door.

    ¡°Alright, Sean, you should go. I¡¯ve got ns with Mia and Lepaths afternoon. I don¡¯t have time to entertain you.¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression turned almost pitiful, standing his ground. ¡°You¡¯re already tired of me?¡±

    Standing there at nearly six foot three, Sean was practically a wall, Chatott couldn¡¯t even budge him.

    She posted, instinctively using a sweet, yful tone. ¡°No, of course not. How could I get tired of being with you? but I promised the girls I¡¯d meet them. It¡¯s a glits [day¡ªno boys allowed<b>, </b>sight?

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>eyebrows lifted slightly. ¡°Who says I could carry your slipping bags.<ol><li>es. You girls will definitely shop till you drop. n you <b>really </b>carry everything on your</li></ol>

    Charlotte stomped <b>her </b>foot. ¡°Oh,e on! <b>just </b>go. Lured time to do my makeup can¡¯t waste it bickering with you.¡±

    Sean¡¯s lips curved into <b>a </b>yful smile. ¡°I could help you with your makeup.¡±

    Charlotteughed, rolling her eyes. ¡°Yeah, like you know how,

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± the coaxed, softening her tone like she was soothing a child. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll meet you tonight, okay?

    <b>¡°</b>Promise?¡±

    ¡°<b>I </b>promise. <b>Why </b>would 1 lie to you?¡±

    Sean finally gave in. ¡°Alright, then <b>call </b>me when you¡¯re done shopping. I pick you up.¡±

    ¡°Got L¡±

    At Lena¡¯s private vi, the living room was filled with wachter

    Half an hour earlier, the three best friends had started chatting, and somehow the <b>topic </b>had spiraled into the night Charlotte got drunk. Once the topic came up, there was no stopping it.

    ¡°Hahaha! Come on, Lottie, don¡¯t be shy we¡¯re all <b>friends </b>here. Tell us¨Cdoes Sean really have.. you know a problem <b>in </b>that <b>area</b>?¡±

    The oneughing the hardest was Mia. She was clutching her stomach, tears streaming down her face

    ¡°Lena, you won¡¯t believe this! Last night, my brother came home and told me that Lottle got <b>drunk </b>at the bar and, in front of a huge crowd, started shouting that Sean has issues down there! I was dying! Lottie, you¡¯re amazing!¡±

 His Heart 155

    Mia primed and pulled out her phone. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot! My hinther sent me a video. You guys have to see this.¡±

    She Lapped the screen and held it up to Lena. ¡°Last night, Sean went to the bar to pick up Battle. And guess what? Lottle was all over him, wouldn¡¯t let go, and even demanded a <b>kiss </b>in front of everyone!¡±

    Mia¡¯s unischievous smile widened, her eyes gleaming with teasing delight. ¡°Lottle, I never knew you could be so bold when you¡¯re drunk, We¡¯ve known each other for years, but <b>I¡¯ve </b>never seen you like this!

    chithe screen, the video yed, showing <b>a </b>very dunk Charlotte clinging to Sean, her voice sweet and slightly slurred,

    ¡°gram¡­¡­. kiss mee on, kdo me¡­.¡±

    Charlotte blushed. Her face was so red it looked like she might start bleeding. She wanted to curl up and disappear. ¡°Oh my God!¡± she screamed, grabbing at her hair. ¡°This is so embarrassing! It¡¯s aplete disaster Delete it Delete it right now!¡±

    She lunged for Mia¡¯s phone.

    was quick, dodging easily. ¡°No way! Why delete it? It¡¯s adorable! Isn¡¯t it, Lena?¡±

    sitting on the couch, Lena chuckled softly, her gentle smule making her look like the picture of an innocent, well¨Cbehaved girl. ¡°It¡¯s actually really sweet, Lottie. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s embarrassing at <b>all</b>. It¡¯s my first time seeing you living, so affectionate.¡±

    -You

    guys are the

    are the worst!¡± Charlotte whined, stomping her feet, her face silll burning, ¡°Delete it already!¡±

    <b>Mia </b><b>danerd </b>amnund, keeping the phone just out of Charlotte¡¯s teach. Her grin grew even more mischievous, ¡°Oh, look at Sean¡¯s face in the video! He¡¯s clearly into it His eyes are practically dripping with desire. I didn¡¯t think an ice¨Ccold pay like him could be so easily flustered. Lottle, you¡¯ve got some serious skills!

    ¡°Come on, seriously, I didn¡¯t think you had it in you, Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be a total ice king? Did you really say he¡­ has problems?¡± Miaughed so hard she was nearly in tears.

    Charlotte¡¯s face tumed

    eventedder, and she stammered, ¡°That¡¯s not true! You¡¯re making it up!¡±

    Mia¡¯s grin widened, her voice dragging yfully, ¡°So you¡¯re saying lie¡¯s <b>totally </b>fine? Lottie,e on, be honest¨Cdid you two.. you know?

    Lena¡¯s eyes widened in surprise <b>¡°</b>Lottle, <b>you </b>two..

    Charlotte¡¯s checks burned, and she buried her face in her hands. ¡°<b>Mia</b><b>! </b>Step it Why do <b>you </b>keep asking <b>that</b>?

    Mia exchanged a knowing look with Lena, and both girls broke into pleles.

    Setting her phone aside, Mia leaned in closer<b>, </b>her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. ¡°So you did it? Come on<b>, </b>tellus¨Chow was <b>it</b>?¡±

    Lena didn¡¯t say a word, <b>but </b>her curious, sparkling eyes made it clear she was just as interested

    Charlotte looked like he was about to cry. ¡°What¡¯s there to tell..<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Wait, so you¡¯r admitting it?¡± Mia pped her thigh<b>, </b>her jaw dropping drammatically. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s fast!¡±

    Let chudded. ¡°Not really. Lottle¡¯s been back for a while now.¡±

    Before Charlotte <b>could </b>say anything, <b>Mia </b>blurted out, ¡°Was it that night? When you got drunk?¡±

    Then the paused, giving herself a light <b>p </b>on the cheek ¡°Listen to me, calling it a drunk hookup. No, no, that was just liquid courage! A little truth serum!¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s face somehow grew even bedder. ¡°No. It was <b>a </b>couple of days ago, during our trip to Linton Springs¡­¡±

    <b>Mia¡¯s </b>eyes sparkled with element. ¡°So it was totally sober, huh?¡±

    Thatst word was a bit toodlicet.

    Charlotte felt a lump in her throat and nodded awkwardly.

    ¡°Nice<b>, </b><b>sis</b>!¡± Mia leaned in, her smile downright wicked. ¡°Come on, tell us¨Cluw did it feel?¡±

    Charlotte hesitated, Amibling for words.

    post then, her phone rang

    charlotte felt like she had just been saved at thest second.

    Letting out a sigh of relief, she quickly grabbed her phone. ¡°I¡­ I need to take this.¡±

 His Heart 156

    Chapter <b>156 </b>

    Charlotte nced at the caller ID.

    It was Jenny.

    She answered immediately.

    ¡°Miss Riley, are you free toe over? I have something I really need your help with.¡±

    Charlotte adjusted her expression, pushing aside her embarrassment. ¡°What¡¯s going on

    Jenny quickly exined the situation in a few words.

    charlotte¡¯s brows furrowed, worry clooding her face. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±

    She ended the call, grabbed her bag, and stood up. ¡°Sorry, something came up. I have to go. Let¡¯s catch up another time.¡±

    Mia poured, crossing her arms. ¡°Really? You sure you¡¯re not just falding an emergency to escape our questions?¡±

    Charlotte sighed, ruby, pot

    her forehead before holding out her phone. ¡°See? Call history. I¡¯m <b>not </b>lying.¡±

    Mia nced at it, then sighed dramatically, ¡°rine, but next time, I¡¯m not letting you off the hook I¡¯ll get the full story <b>out </b>of <b>you</b>.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    with that, Charlotte hurried out the door.

    Mia shifted over on the couch to sit closer to Lena, a mischievous glint in her eyes. ¡°So, Lena¡­ what do you think <b>it¡¯s </b><b>like</b>?¡±

    Lena¡¯s cheels flushed bright red, and she stammered, ¡°H¨CHow would i know? I¡¯ve never even been in a rtionship¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh<b>, </b>right¡± Mia gave Lena <b>a </b>light, affectionate par on the shoulder, <b>pretending </b>to be wise. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the sweet, well¨Cbehaved one. No dating for you. None of those diamb boys deserve you.¡®

    But the thought brought a memory <b>to </b>Mia¡¯s mind. It <b>was </b><b>a </b>memory she didn¡¯t love to revisi

    Herone and only romance <b>had </b>been a <b>disaster </b>

    It was during her freshman year of college.

    Her boyfriend <b>was a </b>handsome supperssman, popr with plenty of admirers, Mia was beautiful <b>and </b>came from a wealthy family, with no shortage of guys. clusing after her. But for some reason, she¡¯d fallen for that senior.

    He had pursued her first, and for the first <b>couple </b>of months, they were inseparable, Mia would always be gushing about him to Lena and Charlotte.

    is the <b>q </b>

    Tut there¡¯s a <b>saying</b>: ¡°Showing off your rtionship is the quickest way to it.¡±

    And that curse hit Mia hard.

    Marely two mondo in, a girl showed up. She was <b>a </b>long¨Cdistance girlfriend of Mia¡¯s so¨Ccalled boyfriend. That was how Mia found out she had been the other woman all along

    But she didn¡¯t take it lying down. Teaming up with the girlfriend, they publicly exposed the cheating jerk, making him the talk of campus. He became an outcast luted by veryone.

    Mia¡¯s <b>brother</b>, tan, even showed up at school, gave the guy a <b>thorough </b>beating, and used his family¡¯s influence to force the scumbag to drop out

    Since then, Mia had a lingering fear of rtionships. She hadn¡¯t dated anyone else in all these years.

    The furthest she had ever gone in her disastrous rtionship was a <b>ldss</b>. Anything more had never even crossed bei

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Mia sighed, slumping back against the couch. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ll never get the chance to experience it.¡±

    by the time Charlotte arrived, Jenny was gently contorting a young chil who was sobbing uncontrobly.

    ¡°Miss Riley, you¡¯re finally bere!¡± Jenny¡¯s face it up when she saw Chadutte. ¡°Please help Luna. She¡¯s been through so much.¡±

    charlotte approached, her voice calm but warm. ¡°Jermy, tell me exactly what happened.¡±

    Jenny sighed, ber expression full of sympally. ¡°This is Lima <b>Leonard</b>. She¡¯s in neighbor at the apartment <b>Itent</b>.¡±

    She paused, then continued with a heavy sigh, her eyes missing. ¡°Luna¡¯s parents passed away, and she¡¯s <b>been </b>living with her older brother. He¡¯s been working nonstop to support her, trying to pay for bereducation. Bui.

    Jenny¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°But recently, Luna was diagnosed with leukemia. She had to drop out <b>of </b>school and <b>stay </b>in the hospital for treatment. Her brother, Matthew<b>, </b>started working long hours at the factory, sometimes more than ten hours <b>a </b><b>day</b>, trying to cover her medical expenses.¡±

    At this <b>point</b>, Lama, who had just stopped crying, broke down again.

    #<b>25 </b>Bonus

    ¡°My brother was exhausted from overwerking. He was so tired that he wasn¡¯t fully alert at work, and his hand got caught in the machine. Now he¡¯s lost his entire right hand.¡±

 His Heart 157

    Chapter <b>157 </b>

    Lama¡¯s sobs grew so intense that she couldn¡¯t even speak. ¡°LI¡­¡±

    Jenow gently patted Luna¡¯s back, trying to calm her.

    ¡°Miss Riley, Matthew is currently hospitalized. This is clearly a workce injury, but the factory refuses topensate <b>him</b>. The boss only gave him two months¡± sry and then let him go. No severance, no disability benefits, no medicalpensation¨Cnothing.¡±

    Luna¡¯s tears only flowed <b>harder</b>. ¡°I know I don¡¯t have much time lett.. but my brother¡¯s future is still ahead of him. He spent all <b>his </b>savings on my treatments, <b>and </b>now without the factory¡¯s help, he can barely afford his own hospital bills. Miss Riley, please help us..¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s chest tightened with <b>a </b>mix of sadness and anger. Taking aideep breath, she softened her voice

    you take me to see your brother now!!

    ¡°understand the situation. Don¡¯t cry, okay? Can you take me to se

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Luna nodded eagerly. ¡°<b>I¡¯ll </b>show you the way.¡±

    Meanwhile<b>, </b>at Brightwood Residences, a <b>real </b>estate agent in a sharp ck suit asked <b>with </b><b>a </b>polite smile.

    ¡°How do you like this unit, Mr. Gibson?¡±

    He had just shown Zac several apartments in the building, but judging by Zac¡¯s expression, this was the one he seemed most satisfied with.

    Zac¡¯s hands were casually tucked into his pockets as he nced around the space, nodding slightly. ¡°This one¡¯s good. I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    The agent¡¯s eyes <b>lit </b>up with excitement. He quickly pulled out the salle contract. ¡°Would you like to sign the contract now?¡±

    ¡°Perfect!¡± the agent beamed, handing over the paperwork

    Zac took a seat on the sofa, flipping through the contract briefly before picking up the pen and signing without hesitation.

    Ever since Vivian gave him <b>that </b>contact card, he had reached out to the person, who then invested a substantial amount in Gibson Corporation. With the funds in ce, thepany¡¯s projects resumed, and it didn¡¯t take long for Gibson Corporation to get back on track

    Money was no longer an issue for Zac.

    Wanting <b>to </b>be <b>close </b><b>to </b>Charlotte, he hade to her neighborhood to buy an apartment.

    Thisplex was built a few years ago, and thanks to its prime location, the units had sold out quickly. There were no new apartments avable now.

    The unit Zac bought was pre¨Cowned, but the previous owner rarely lived here, so the ce showed little sign of use. It was almost like new.

    After signing the contract, Zacpald the full amount on

    amount on the spot.

    Doce the agent left, Zac carefully looked around the apartment.

    A two¨Cbedroom, one¨Cliving room, fully furnished unit with a spacious balcony. The decor wasn¡¯t entirely to his taste<b>, </b>but he didn¡¯t n on changing anything. He wanted to move in as soon as possible.

    Leaning back <b>on </b>the sofa, Zacrossed one leg over the other, <b>a </b><b>faint</b>, unreadable smile tugging at his lips.

    ¡°Charlotte, we¡¯re going to be neighbors now,¡± he muttered.

    In Charlotte¡¯s Bentley, Luna sat nervously, her <b>hands </b>fidgeting in herp, unsure of where to put them.

    She leaned a little closer to jejuny, gently tugging on her sleeve. ¡°Jenny¡­um. is Miss Riley¡¯s <b>carteally </b>expensive?¡±

    Her gaze dropped to her wom sneakers, her face tuning red with embarassinent

    It was calming <b>outside</b>, and the streets were <b>muddy</b>.

    Her oor¨Cwhite canvas <b>shoes </b>were now <b>stained </b>with mud, the tips dark and dirty.

    Jey followed her <b>gaze </b>and noticed how Lana kept rubbling one foot <b>against </b>the other, <b>a </b><b>clear </b>sign other difort.

    <b>D </b>

 His Heart 158

    Apang of sadness twisted in Jenny¡¯s chest.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Luna,¡®

    ,¡± she whispered gently. ¡°Miss Riley is <b>really </b>kind. She won¡¯t mind any of this, so try to rx.¡±

    jenny reached out, wanting to give Luna aforting pat on the head.

    But because of her chemotherapy, Luns had lost all her hair. She always wore a flutty pinkhat whenever she went out. Jerry knew it was a gift from her brother and Luna treasured it like a precious keepsake,

    Jenny¡¯s emotions grew even moreplicated, her eyes stinging. Her outstretched hand besitated in midair before she gently patted the soft, fuzzy hat instead<b>. </b>

    ¡°Don¡¯t <b>worry</b><b>, </b>Lama<b>. </b>Miss Riley will definitely <b>help </b>your brother with his casel

    Luna¡¯s nervous expression softened, and s

    she managed a small, bright

    ight smile. ¡°Thank you, Jenny and thank you, Miss Riley.¡±

    Listening to the conversation from the driver¡¯s seat, Charlotte sighed silently.

    ¡°some people <b>just </b>seemed cursed by fate. Why <b>did </b>bad luck always target those who were already struggling?¡± she wondered.

    Charlotte¡¯s empathy was strong¨Csometimes too strong. Hearing their story, her chest felt tight, and her eyes <b>began </b>to mist over.

    She quickly pulled herself together and adjusted her tone before calling out, ¡°penny, please help Luna with her seatbelt.¡±

    Got it.¡±

    Luna and Matthew were both patients at the same public hospital.

    The narrow hospital room was crowded with four beds. It was early winter, and the cold wind howled <b>outside</b>. The windows were tightly <b>shut </b>to keep the chill out.

    The moment Charlotte stepped in, a sharp, sour <b>odor </b>hit her. It wasing from the patient on the bed near the door. The man clearly hadn¡¯t bathed in days, and Curlotte almost garged, barely <b>holding </b>back her difort.

    She frowned slightly but forced herself to stay calm, following Luna deeper <b>into </b>the room

    Matthew was lying in the bed furthest from the door, leaning against his pillow, staring nkly out the window at the falling leaves.

    ¡°Matthew!¡± Luna called out, her voice crisp and cheerful.

    Matthew¡¯s head immediately turned<b>, </b>and his dull eyes brightened slightly. ¡°Luna<b>, </b>you¡¯re here! <b>Did </b>you <b>eat</b><b>?</b>¡±

    <b>Luna </b>smiled, nodding quickly. ¡°<b>Yes</b>, <b>yes</b>! I <b>already </b><b>ate</b>.¡±

    It was alle

    She had spent the whole morning sneaking out of the hospital to ask Jenny for help. She hadn¡¯t had time to eat at all. But she didn¡¯t want her brother to worry

    Jenny, you¡¯re here <b>too</b>?¡± Matthew greeted her with <b>a </b>polite smile.

    ¡°Hi, Matthew ¡°Jenny returned the smile.

    Matthew¡¯s <b>gaze </b>shifted to Charlotte, his expression cautious. ¡°And this is..?¡±

    Jenny introduced her. ¡°This <b>is </b>Miss Riley, awyer from our firm.¡±

    Charlotte stepped forward, giving a polite nod. ¡°Hello, Jenny exined your situation to me. If you¡¯refortable, I¡¯d like to help you seekpensation from your former employer.¡±

    Matthew¡¯s expression tightened, and he hesitated, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Miss Riley. I can¡¯t afford awyer. You can see how things are. <b>I </b><b>can </b>barely pay for my <b>own </b>medical bills right now. Fins <b>sorry </b>for wasting your time.¡±

    Chadone¡¯s tone softened, yet yed firm. ¡°No need to worry about that, Mr. Leonard. You can pay me alter you receive yourpensation. I¡¯m offering you a contingency fee agreement.¡±

    Matthew¡¯s <b>eyes </b>showed confusion. ¡°A contingency fre?¡±

    ¡°That means if we lose the case, you won¡¯t have to pay me anything.¡±

    Matthew¡¯s eyes widened, his expression shitting from doubt to cautious hope. <b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>that really possible?¡±

    ¡°Of course<b>.</b>¡± <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b>voice was calm but confident

    Then okay. Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    ¦§

    ¡°Great¡± Charlotte smiled, pulling <b>out </b>her notepad. ¡°To get started, I¡¯ll need some details about the case.

    Jenny stood up, gently taking <b>Luna¡¯s </b>hand. ¡°Miss Riley, I¡¯ll take us back to her room while you <b>two </b>talk.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡± Charlotte nodded.

    After discussing the case with Matthew and noting down the important details, Matthew pulled out his phone.

    ¡°Miss Riley, that¡¯s everything I can think of for now. But please feel free to ask me anything else you need. Would you like to exchange numbers or connect on WhatsApp?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Charlotte agreed, taking out her phone and opening the app. ¡°Here, 17 add you¡®

    Forwyers<b>, </b>exchanging contact information <b>with </b>elleists was perfectly nomial¡­

 His Heart 159

    After exchanging contact information, Matthew awkwardly used his left hand to open a food delivery <b>app </b>on his phone.

    His entire right hand was gone, wrapped in white gauze at the wrist. Struggling with his left hand, he swiped through the options, trying to pick a <b>meal</b>.

    Churlotte nced over. ¡°Let me help you.¡±

    Matthew smiled, a little embarrassed. ¡°Thank you, Miss Biley. Sorry for the trouble.¡±

    Charlotte took the phone and looked at the screen. but the moment she saw the options, she froze.

    Every single meal listed was under two dors.

    She checked the app¡¯s name. ¡°Meal Saver,¡±

    she had never seen meals this cheap, Charlotte¡¯s brows furrowed. At those prices, the food couldn¡¯t possibly be made with decent ingredients.

    Noticing her hesitation, Matthew¡¯s expression tumed a bit confused. is something wrong, Miss Riley? Just pick anything under two dors. I¡¯m not picky.¡±

    Charlotte handed the phone back to him. ¡°Actually, 1just remembered that I <b>saw </b>someone selling fresh, hot boxed meals downstairs. They were two dors each How about 1 grab one for you? 11 be faster, and you can eat sooner.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Wouldn¡¯t that be too much trouble for you?

    ¡°Not at all 11¡¯s just downstairs. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    Charlotte stepped out of the hospital and headed to a small, roadside diner.

    While she waited for the meals to be packed, she texted Jenny,

    ¡°Has Luna eaten anything yet?

    Jenny¡¯s reply came quickly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. When she came to find me this moming, it was only around nine, Neither of us had time to eat,¡®

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Charlotte ordered three meals¨Clight, healthy options suitable for patients.

    An idea crossed her mind, and she made another call, arranging for two caregivers toe to the hospital.

    When she returned with the tobd, the two caregivers were already waiting One was a man, the other a woman.

    Charlotte handed a meal to the male caregiver. ¡°This one is for the patient in Room 503, Bed 4. His name is Matthew Leonard. He¡¯s one of the patients you¡¯ll be looking after.¡±

    The male caregiver nodded, taking the meal. ¡°Got it.¡±

    She gave the other two meals to the female caregiver. ¡°These are for the patient in Room 602, ed.¡±

    After malding sure everything was set, Charlotte went to the hospital¡¯s billing window and paid for both Matthew and <b>Luna¡¯s </b>medical bills,

    As Charlotte stepped out of the hospital, her phone buzzed with <b>a </b>notification, Matthew had sent her <b>a </b>payment transfer.

    ¡°Miss Riley<b>, </b>you¡¯re such a lind person Thank you for helping my sister and me.

    ¡°The nurse <b>just </b>told me that someone paid off the <b>outstanding </b>fees for both of us. Was it you? Thank you so much. I <b>promise </b>I¡¯ll pay you back once I get thepensation from the factory.¡±

    Curlotte¡¯s chest tighted with a <b>heavy </b>ache. She typed <b>a </b>simple reply, ¡°Alright.¡±

    But she <b>didn¡¯t </b>ept the papopat transfer..

    A sharp, ity wind swept <b>past</b><b>, </b>tugging at her hair

    She stood by the flowerbed at the hospital entrance, her heart chumming with emotions she couldn¡¯t shake.

    Dehind her, jenay wiped at her tears, her voice thick with emotion.

    ¡°Miss Riley, the hospital just issued another critical condition notice <b>for </b>Luna<b>. </b>The doctor said they still haven¡¯t found a matching bone marrow donor. If they can¡¯t find our soon, then Lama doesn¡¯t have much the left. Why is lite su cuel? She¡¯s such sweet, kitud little girl. She¡¯s only eleven years old, Why would the world be so heartless to her?¡±

    i tears streamed down her face, and she couldn¡¯t stop crying

    Curlotte¡¯s eyes glistened <b>too</b>, the <b>cold </b>what tuning the tip of her nose red. <b>Her </b>chest felt tight and heavy

    Lima was <b>just </b>cle

    eleven, and she didn¡¯t have much time left.

    Matthew had quit school early to work and support her, but now he had lost his hand and his ability to work. He was only neen.

    The silence stretched, heavy and painful.

    Charlotte pulled out her phone and made a call.

    ¡°Can you help me get in touch <b>with </b><b>a </b>leukemia specialist? Also, please send a team to Eastside General Hospital on Maplewood Avenue to handle the transfer of a pairof siblings to a better facility.¡±

 His Heart 160

    hapter 160

    As soon as Charlotte left the hospital, she went straight to thew firm and spent the afternoon working overtime, organizing the documents for Matthew¡¯s case.

    Her n was to take him to the Social Security office first thing Monday morning to get his workce injury certified.

    caught up in her work, shepletely forgot that she had promised Sean she would meet him that evening

    When Sean¡¯s call came in<b>, </b>she was still staring at the case documents.

    ¡°Lottie, where are you? I¡¯ming to pick you up.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Charlotte snapped out of her concentration. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you that I¡¯m working overtime at the office.¡±

    ¡°Overtime?¡± sean sounded surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you w were going shopping with Mia and Lena?¡±

    Charlotte bnced the phone between her shoulder and ear, her fingers still tapping on the keyboard. ¡°<b>No</b>, I got an urgent case, so I came back to the oftion

    ¡°Did you <b>eat </b>yet?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Not yet¡±

    I¡¯ming to get you for dinner. Work can

    in wait until tomorrow. It¡¯s alreadyte,¡±

    Charlotte nced at the clock in the bottom¨Cright corner of her screen<b>. </b>¡°Alright. I¡¯m at the firm, Juste <b>straight </b>here.¡±

    ¡°<b>Got </b>it. Give me twenty minutes.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°<b>y </b>

    After hanging up, Charlotte leaned back in her office chair, staring at the case files on the <b>screen</b><b>. </b>

    Matthew¡¯s case wasn¡¯tplicated, and his chances of winning were high. But given his employer¡¯s attitude, they <b>would </b>almost certainly refuse to pay anypensation without a fight<b>. </b>

    The case was abor dispute. The first step would be filing for <bbor </b>arbitration.

    If thepany refused to ept the arbitration result, they could escte it to awsuit.

    Butwsuits were <b>a </b>slow,plicated process. Even with <b>a </b>high chance of victory, Matthew didn¡¯t have the luxury of time.

    He needed that money for his treatment. And Luna needed it too.

    <b>Today</b>, she had <b>paid </b><b>for </b><b>their </b>immediate medical bills, but it was far from enough.

    Considering their situation, even basic necessities like food and <b>clothing </b>were <b>a </b>problem for them.

    Charlotte rubbed her temples, feeling the strain. She pulled out her <b>phone </b>and called the director of a charity foundation she supported.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to donate ten million <b>dors </b>to the foundation. Please make sure a portion of it is specifically used to help Matthew and Luna Leonard.¡±

    She also transfered another two hundred thousand dors to Jenny.

    ¡°Use <b>this </b>to hire a cook who <b>can </b>provide three meals a day for the Leonard siblings.

    <b>Jenny </b>called back almost immediately, her voice full of shock

    Two hundred thousand dors? Miss Riley, that¡¯s not two <b>hundred</b>, not <b>two </b><b>thousand</b>¨C<b>it¡¯s </b>two hundred thousand! A <b>cook </b><b>doesn¡¯t </b>cost that much!¡°

    Curlotte¡¯s tone remained calm. <b>¡°</b><b>The </b>money will cover the cost of their meals and the cook¡¯s sry. I¡¯ve also covered their medical expenses. Use the rest to buy them clothes, shoes<b>, </b>and daily necessities. Please make sure they¡¯re taken care of.¡±

    Jenny¡¯s voice trembled with emotion. ¡°Miss Riley, you¡¯re too kind! Thank you¨Cthank you so much. You¡¯re practically <b>a </b>saint. ¡±

    A heavy die settled in Charlotte¡¯s chest<b>, </b>and she let out a quiet sigh. ¡°This is all I can do for them.¡±

    You¡¯ve already done more than enough! Really, Miss Riley,¡±

    I just hope it helps them.¡±

    Meanwhile, Sean Jasper had barely driven five minutes toward thew firm when his phone <b>rang</b>.

    ¡°Sir,something¡¯s happened -Judy Caleb is in trouble!¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What happened

    Back at thew firm, Charlotte finished organizing the case documents, shut down herputer, and headed downstairs. It was already 8.10 p.m.

    She waited outside for a while until <b>Sean¡¯s </b>call came through.

    ¡°Hey, where are you?

    ¡°Sorry, Lottle. I can¡¯t pick you up tonight. Something urgent <b>came </b>up.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s brows funtowed. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯splicated, I can¡¯t exin right now. I¡¯ll tell you everything in person once I¡¯ve sorted it out.¡±

    Ending the call, Charlotte made her way to the underground parking lot and got in her car.

    Her stomach growled. She hadn¡¯t eaten dinner yet, and the hunger was hitting hard.

 His Heart 161

    Charlotte drove to a nearby restaurant, grabbed a quick, simple meal, and returned to her apartmentplex around ten at night.

    After parking her car, she stepped into the elevator and made her way to her front door, just as she unlocked it with her fingerprint, a familiar voice called out from

    behind her.

    ¡°Chadotre.¡±

    She turned to see Zac standing there<b>, </b>dressed in a charcoal gray overcoat, his clean¨Ccut features softened by a faint, polite smile

    He looked every bit the picture of a refined gentleman

    Charlotte¡¯s brows kitted together. ¡°Zac, what are you doing here?¡±

    Instead of answering, Zac <b>asked</b>, ¡°Where have you been? It¡¯s sote. You¡¯re just getting home now?

    ¡°That¡¯s pone of your business,¡± Charlotte replied coldly.

    Zac shrugged. ¡°Just concerned about you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your concern.¡±

    Not wanting to waste another word on him, Charlotte stepped inside and started to close the door.

    But Zac¡¯s voice followed her. ¡°charlotte, do you know where Sean is tonight?¡±

    Her steps hesitated.

    Zac¡¯s voice grew a touch sharper. ¡°He¡¯s with Judy Caleb right now.

    Charlotte¡¯s hand tightened on the door handle.

    Zae¡¯s smile widened slightly, a hint of satisfaction flickering in his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t he tell you? Well, of course<b>, </b>he wouldn¡¯t. Why

    by would be tell you he¡¯s seeing Judy?¡±

    Charlotte turned back, her gaze cold and wary. ¡°<b>Zac</b><b>, </b>did youe here just to stir up trouble? Do you really think I¡¯m going to believe anything you say?¡±

    A faint chudde escaped Zac. ¡°I <b>know </b>you won¡¯t believe me. At least, not right away.¡±

    He took out his phone, tapped the screen, and yed an audio recording

    ¡°I told myself every day that I had to keep going,¡± Judy choked out between sobs. ¡°I had to stay alive, to escape that nightmare. Because if I died, <b>I¡¯d </b>never see you

    ¡°Sean, please¡­<b>please </b>stay with me. I¡¯m losing my mind. Every time I close my eyes, 1 see them viting me again. The pain in my heart is a thousand times worse than any bruise.

    ¡°Just talk to me, please? Even if you just yell at me. Don¡¯t ge, don¡¯t leave me. I just..just wanted to see you<b>. </b>You¡¯re the only light in my

    It <b>was </b>judy¡¯s <b>voice</b><b>, </b>pleading desperate.

    1 longer Charlotte listened, the tighter her chest felt. Her fistsclenched so tightly that her knucides turned white, and a storm of emotions shed in her eyes.

    Zac stepped closer, leaning down slightly to meet her gaze. ¡°Sean didn¡¯t tell <b>you</b><b>, </b>did he? He never mentioned that judy was kidnapped over a month ago. You <b>probably </b>thought she was still in police custody, waiting for trial, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ what did <b>you </b>say?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in shock, her voice rising in disbelief.

    Zac was more than satisfied with Charlotte¡¯s reaction

    He <b>had </b><b>guessed </b>correctly. <b>Sean¡¯s </b>family had kept everything tightly underwraps. Charlotte had no idea that paly had been kidnapped.

    A sense of snug triumph washed over him.

    Straightening to his full height, his tall ume seened to tower <b>over </b><b>her</b>, exuding an imposing presence.

    ¡°Did you really think a woman who chased after Sean for ten year You really dop¡¯t understand men at all.¡±

    ten years meant bothing to him? Zac¡¯s tone was sha

    was sharp, almost inording ¡°Charlotte, you¡¯re still so naive.

    Quarlotte lowered her <b>gaze</b>, silent, her expression hard to read.

    Zat leaned In, pressing on ¡°<b>On </b>the day of your engagement party, Jody was <b>indeed </b>taken away by the <b>police</b><b>. </b>Butter, she imed to be pregnant. <b>On </b>the way to the hospital for a check up, she was kidnapped<b>.</b>¡±

    He paused, letting the weight of his words settle..

    ¡°Think about it. In Jersey City, who has ring power to snatch someone <b>from </b>the police in broad daylight?¡±

    <b>The </b>answer was obvious

    In Jersey City, The most powerful family was the Jasper family.

 His Heart 162

    Chapter <b>162 </b>

    Charlotte didn¡¯t dare think about that possibility.

    Herbal

    pounded in herchest, and her fingers began in tremble slightly

    ¡°No. Sean wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± she thought.

    He <b>had </b>told her that she was the only one in his heart<b>, </b>the only one he cared about.

    But <b>then</b>¡­ how was she supposed to exin the recording Zachad just yed?

    Hermind was a chaotic mess.

    Zac watched her in silence for a moment, letting her thoughts spiral..

    After a brief pause, he spoke again, his voice calm but calcted.

    ¡°Judy kidnapped your sister and tried to kill you. Sean <b>took </b><b>a </b>life for you and she nearly killed him. By all logic, the Jasper family should never have forgiven her for that. So why was she suddenly snatched away the moment she imed to be pregnant?

    Charlotte¡¯s brows knitted tightly, her lips pressing into a thin line.

    | Zac¡¯s voice dropped, each word sharp and deliberate.

    ¡°why don¡¯t you take a guess? Whose child is Judy supposedly carrying?¡±

    The words hit like <b>a </b>thunderp.

    Charlotte¡¯s whole body trembled.

    <b>¡°</b>shut up!¡± she snapped, her voice shaking with anger.

    Her eyes zed with fury as she red at Zac ¡°Stop spreading lies and trying to cause trouble! Sean isn¡¯t like you! He¡¯s not filthy and disgusting. Don¡¯t judge him by your own dirty <b>standards</b>!¡±

    A flicker of pain shed in Zae¡¯s dark eyes, a bitter ache twisting in his chest

    In her eyes, Sean could <b>do </b>no wrong.

    And he was just filthy.

    A taint, bitter smile touched his lips, but he <b>quiddy </b>masked his emotions, his expression tuming calm and <b>unreadable</b>.

    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you the truth, Charlotte. You trust Sean too much. If he <b>has </b>nothing to hide, then why didn¡¯t he tell you any o

    ¡°Get out!¡± Charlotte shouted<b>, </b><b>her </b>volor fierce.

    Zac shugged, a soft, mocking <bugh </b>escaping him. ¡°He¡¯s with pady right now. Why don¡¯t you give him a call and ask?¡±

    -Stop trying to mess with ing ¡°Charlotte growled<b>, </b>shoving Zac aside and trying to step inside.

    But Zac¡¯s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back. She stumbled, nearly falling.

    He caught her, his arm wrapping around her waist, and leaned inclose, breathing in the scent <b>of </b>her hair like a desperate man

    ¡°Charlotte,¡± he murmured<b>, </b>his voler thick with longing, ¡°leave him ande back to me.¡±

    A <b>surge </b>of tage exploded <b>in </b><b>Charlotte</b>.

    Her lower shot up<b>, </b>nining infolds stomach

    Zac let out a pained <b>gasp</b>, instinctively letting g

    But before he could recover, Charlotte¡¯s handshed out,

    Smackd

    The p rang out <b>loud </b><b>and </b>clear, echoing in the hallway

    Zac¡¯s head snapped to the side, a bright red handprint staining his cheek.

    Her eyes zed with fiery anger. ¡°Stay <b>away </b>from tar, Zarl You¡¯re not worthy!¡±

    <b>Zar </b>stood there, stunned. His face stung, and the corners of his eyes turned red.

    slowly, he tried to look at her, his <b>gaze </b>plering, hurt shhu?ng in <b>his </b>eyes.

    ¡°Charlotte, why are you so cruel to me?¡± he whispered, his voice soft and palted.

    Charlotte let out a <b>cold</b>, mockingugh. ¡°Cruel? Do you still need to ask why?¡±

    Her voice was sharp, cutting

    ¡°Because you¡¯re filthy. We can never go back to what we once had.¡±

    Her chin lifted<b>, </b>defiant<b>, </b>her re sharp <b>as </b><b>a </b><b>de</b>. ¡°A man without self¨Crespect is nothing but rotten trash. And I, Charlotte Riley, don¡¯t pickup garbage I¡¯ve already thrown away

    And with that, she didn¡¯t <b>give </b>him a chance to respond.

    She stepped inside and mmed the door in his face

    Zac stood there, staring at the closed door, his dark eyes clouded with pain.

    Her words <b>¡°</b>Because you¡¯re filthy. We can never go back to what we once <b>had</b>.¡°¨Cpierced his heart like a hundred sharp needles, leaving it shredded and bleeding

 His Heart 163

    Zac returned to his newly purchased apartment, feelingpletely shattered.

    It was right next door to Charlotte¡¯s

    The moment he stepped <b>inside</b>, he went straight to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and stood beneath the scalding spray.

    Over and over, he scrubbed his body, his skin turning red from the rough friction<b>. </b>

    ¡°Charlotte_Charlotte_,¡±

    Her name spilled from his lips like a desperate prayer, his voice breaking. Tears mingled with the shower¡¯s spray, streaming down his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m not dirty. I¡¯m clean now, I¡¯m clean. <b>Please</b><b>, </b>don¡¯t look <b>at </b>me with disgust.¡± |

    Charlotte returned to her room, but her mind couldn¡¯t calm down

    <b>The </b>recording Zac had yed was clearly Judy¡¯s voice.

    <b>Had </b>she really been snatched right out from under the police¡¯s watch? Why hadn¡¯t Sean told her <b>about </b>this?

    And tonight, he said he had something <b>urgent </b>to deal with. <b>Was </b><b>it </b>really about judy?

    Restless, Charlotte tossed and tumed in bed<b>, </b>unable to sleep.

    After agonizing for <b>what </b>felt like forever, she finally <b>gave </b>in and called Sean.

    The call rang for a long time with no answer

    Then it automatically disconnected.

    For the first time, <b>Sean </b><b>hadn¡¯t </b>answered her call,

    A fresh wave of andery gripped her.

    <b>Lying </b>there, she stared at the ceiling, scenes from over <b>a </b>month ago reying in her mind.

    Charlotte remembered the way Judy looked at Sean, her gaze burning <b>with </b><b>an </b>obsessive intensity.

    She could still <b>see </b>the moment <b>judy </b>charged <b>Lor </bfor

    with a knife, her expression twisted with rage. It happened right when she was in Sean¡¯s arms, bolding onto him

    How could a woman be so consumed by love that she would resort to murder?

    Even if she <b>had </b>loved Sean for ten years without getting anything in return, would <b>that </b><b>crally </b>drive her to such madness?

    Was there something more behind all of this?

    Her mind reyed the scene of <b>Sean </b>being stabbed, Judy¡¯s emotional breakdown <b>afterward </b><b>was </b>ended in her memory.

    Jady was crying <b>and </b><bughing </b>like someone who had lost her mind. She seemed genuinely terrified and regretful, not like someone pretending. It looked like she was truly afraid of losing Sear

    Charlotte¡¯s mind drifted to that day when Sean was stabbed.

    Even though he <b>was </b>injured, his own life hanging by a <b>thread</b>, he still wiped her tears away,forting her and gently telling her not to cry

    He was so close to death, yet his eyes were filled only with relief, thankful that he was the one who got lunt instead of her

    Her Sean loved her so much. How could be possibly betray her?

    <b>Zar </b>was just trying to drive a wedge between them.

    Sean had risked his life for her, towing <b>limself </b>in front of a knife without a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    How could his love be <b>fake</b>?

    for that recording, even if it was real, it was clearly edited, cut at the beginning and end, which meant it proved nothing.

    Only Judy¡¯s <b>voice </b>could be heard. Sean¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t there at all.

    entire purpose in ying that recording <b>was </b>to make her doubt <b>Sean</b>. She couldn¡¯t let herself tall for his tricks.

    Seanhad said he was dealing with something ingent and would exin everything to her in person afterward.

    All she needed to do was wait

    She couldn¡¯t let <b>Zac¡¯s </b><b>few </b>words shake

    He imed Judy was pregnant. But even if she was, how could he prove it was Sean¡¯s child?

    Zac was trying to <b>make </b>her overthink, trying to nt the idea in her mind that tady¡¯s child was <b>Sean¡¯s</b>.

    She wouldn¡¯t let him seed.

    with that thought, Chadotte gradually calmed down. Her racing thoughts settled, and her ansietyeased

    Taking a deep breath, Charlotte reached for her phone and typed a message in Sean.

    <b>¡°</b>Sean, I tried calling you, but you didn¡¯t pickup. Is everything okay? Are you dealing with something serious? When you¡¯re done, please call me tomorrow. I¡¯m going to bed now. Goodnight¡±

 His Heart 164

    At the base, chaos had already erupted.

    Judy was dead, her throat shed open with <b>a </b>single, <b>fatal </b>strike. The attack had been so swift that she died on the spot.

    The killer¨Caman assigned to guard her¨Cwas quickly restrained by other hase personnel.

    But before Sean Jasper even arrived, the killer began bleeding from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, Within minutes, he was dead.

    When Sean stepped into the basement, the scene <b>was </b>grim.

    Judy¡¯s lifeless bodyy covered by a white sheet, a massive pool of blood staining the cold floor beneathther.

    Beside her, the killer¡¯s bodyy in the same blood¨Csoaked mess, his <b>face </b>twisted in death.

    Sean recognized him immediately¨CGerald Adams, one of his trusted men at the base,

    Luke, the base¡¯s supervisor, stood next to Sean, trembling slightly<b>. </b>

    ¡°Sir.. Tonight, Gerald and Max were on duty. Gerald suddenly attacked judy, shing her throat without warming. He moved so fast¨Cstraight for the kill. Maxtried to stop him, but <b>it </b>was toote.¡±

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>expression was toe¨Ccold, his gaze fixed on the horrifying pool of blood. His voice remained calm, unreadable. ¡°The mastermind wanted to silence her ¡±

    Cold sweat dripped down Luke¡¯s forehead, and he suddenly dropped to his lees. ¡°ser, please punish me!¡±

    Sean¡¯s tone remained steady. ¡°It¡¯s toote for that now. Report it to the police.¡±

    Luke¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°But if we report it, we¡¯ll be charged with illegal detention-

    Sean¡¯s sharp gaze swept over him, silencing him immediately

    ¡°I..I was the one who detained her illegally, I will turn myself in, Luke stammered.

    Sean¡¯s cold eyes shitted to Gerald¡¯s lifeless body, his jawtightening. ¡°<b>What </b><b>about </b>Gerald¡¯s family?¡±

    Luke hesitated. ¡°He was forty, unmarried, no children just a sick, elderly mother in her sixties¡±

    ¡°Where is his mother now?¡± Sean¡¯s voice was tense.

    Lake¡¯s face tumed <b>pale</b>. ¡°I¡­Sir, I¡¯m sorry. It all happened so suddenly. I didn¡¯t think to check-

    Sean¡¯s expression darkened, frustration seeping into his voice. ¡°They threatened him. They must have taken his mother. Her life is probably already in danger. Luke, you¡¯ve disappointed me.¡±

    Luke¡¯s head dropped lower. ¡°Sir, I will ept any punishment you see fit.

    Sean¡¯s eyes hardened, a chilling calm settling over him. ¡°They knew Gerald¡¯s family situation and used his mother as leverage. That means the mastermind.¡±

    Luke¡¯s expression twisted with shock ¡°Sir, <b>are </b>you saying

    ¡°There¡¯s a traitor among <b>us</b>,¡± Sean stated, his voice like a de. ¡°As for turning yourself in, leave that to someone che,. Your priority is to find out who is behind

    Luke straightened, his face serious. ¡°Yes, sir¡±

    In a private vi, a man in a sleek ck suit bowed his head. ¡°Mr. Sampson, the target has been dealt with.¡±

    ¡°Good. Well done.¡±

    ¡°Shall I take care of Judy¡¯s father <b>and </b>Gerald¡¯s mother as well? We can¡¯t leave any loose ends.¡±

    After the bodyguard len, the <b>man </b>picked up his phone and made an international <b>call</b>.

    Leaving the base, Sean stepped into his car. The moment be checked his phone, he saw a sard call from Charlotte.

    He usedly called her back

    ¡°Lottle, are <b>you </b>still awake?¡±

    Her voice <b>was </b>soft, drowsy. ¡°Mann barely. I¡¯m so sleepy can¡¯t even keep my eyes open,¡±

    Sean leaned back in the rear seat, his tone turning gentle. ¡°If you¡¯re that tired, why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡±

    ¡°I was waiting for your call..¡± Her voice was warm and sleepy, like a soft,forting nket.

    Sean¡¯s cold, tense heart melted instantly. ¡°I just finished handling things here. Do you want me toe over and stay with you?

    Charlotte squinted at the clock, mumuring, ¡°Tomorrow.. I¡¯m really falling asleep.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Sean whispered, his voice soft. ¡°It¡¯s cold tonight. Make sure you¡¯re tucked in.¡±

    I know¡­you make me sound like a three¨Cyear¨Cold who doesn¡¯t know how to use a nket.¡±

    Her sleepy voice grew fainter with each word, finally fading into the steady, gentle sound of her breathing.

    Sean stayed on the call, holding the phone to his ear, listening to her soft, shythmic breaths, His arm grew tired, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to hang up.

    Still connected to her call, he retumed to his vi.

    As he stepped out of the car<b>, </b>his driver bowed respectfully. ¡°Sir, Luke tried to contact you earlier. He said it was urgent, but he couldn¡¯t get through.¡±

 His Heart 165

    Sean¡¯s gentle expression Laded as he ended the call with Charlotte.

    As soon as Sean hung up Charlotte¡¯s call, another call came in. Luke was calling.

    Sean¡¯s voice tamed cold as he answered,<ol><li>ed. ¡°What is it?¡±</li></ol>

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    Luke¡¯s voice was tense, trembling slightly. <b>¡°</b><b>Sir</b>, <b>bad </b>news, Our team just reported that judy¡¯s father jumped from the hospital roof andmitted suicide. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence. And the team searching for Gerald¡¯s mother just called to report. They said¡­¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes nanowed, his voice sharp as ice. ¡°What did they <b>say</b>?¡±

    ¡°<b>They </b>said Gerald¡¯s mother was found dead at home from caction monoxide poisoning. She had been burning charcoal for heat.¡±

    A dangerous gleam shed In Sean¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is there any chance of <b>saving </b>her?¡±

    Luke¡¯s voice shook ¡°Our team found her toote. She was already gone.¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze turned icy, his voler cold enough to freeze. ¡°Laike, you have <b>five </b><b>days </b>to figure <b>out </b>exactly what happened. You know the consequences if you fall.¡±

    Luke¡¯s voice was a panicked whisper. ¡°Understood.

    The next morning. Charlotte was woken by the sound of persistent knocking on her <b>door</b>.

    At first, the ¡°knock, knock, lock¡± was just part of her dream. But as her consciousness retumed, the sound became clearer. Someone was really at the door.

    Who could it be this early?

    She had stayed upte with her thoughts racing and had barely gotten my sleep, Normally wasn¡¯t the type to wake up grumpy, but being pulled out of her dreams like this left her in a foul mood.

    she dragged herself out of bed, slipped on her fuzzy slippers, and stumbled out of her bedroom.

    Yawning, she unlocked and pulled open the door. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    Rubbing her sleepy <b>eyes</b>, she saw a familiar<b>, </b>annoying face.

    Zac stood there, smiling brightly, holding a <b>bag </b>in his hand,

    ¡°Charlotte, I brought you brealdast. You have low blood sagar: You shouldn¡¯t skip breakfast.¡±

    ¡°<b>Are </b><b>you </b>out of your <b>mind</b>?¡± <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b>sleepiness vanished, reced by a surge of imitation,

    hut Zac wasn¡¯t bothered. He raised the bag, grinning. ¡°I got your favorites¨C<b>pancakes </b>and maple syrup, <b>plus </b><b>a </b>blueberry muffin.¡®

    dudotte mmed the door f his face without another word.

    Zac stood frozen for a moment, hip sinile stiffening

    <b>But </b>busad of leaving, he began pounding on the <b>door</b>. ¡°Charlottel <b>Please </b><b>open </b>the door! You <b>can </b>be mad <b>at </b>me, you can ignore me, but don¡¯t skip breakfast! just take the food<b>, </b>okay? Please?¡±

    Charlotte was furious.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t this guy just <b>go </b>away?¡± she futed.

    From behind the closed door, she shouted, ¡°Zac Gibson, get lost! If you keep bothering me<b>, </b><b>I¡¯m </b>calling the police!¡±

    The hole outside dinally stopped.

    After a ropiorad of silen ?Zac¡¯s voice came again, sutter tilostime. ¡°11l leave the breakfast by your dour. Please <b>eat </b>soihething ¡±

    Charlotte tulled her eyes and stomped back to bed, deteiiged to get more sleep.

    <b>But </b>sleep wouldn¡¯te. Her thoughts hept splming, her frustration bubbling.

    Aller tossing and turning for a while, she finally sighed, rubbing her thessy hair<b>, </b>and <b>got </b><b>up </b>to washber tace.

    the entrance of the

    ut the apactionedplex, a sleek ck Maybach pulled up

    -G¨¹venst night¡¯sevents, Seandhose a more discreet car, avoiding his usual high¨Cprofile vehicle.

    stepping out, he was followed by a bodyguard in a <b>ck </b>salt.

    Sean walked to the entrance of Charlotte¡¯s building.

    ¡°wait here,¡± he instructed, his voice calms but firm.

    The bodyguard nodded respectfully. ¡°Understood.¡±

    Sean teached Charlotte¡¯s door and knocked.

    No response.

    He knocked again, a little more firmly this time.

    #23 Gibson, are you done? I¡¯m seriously calling the cops this time!¡±

    The door flew open, and Charlotte shouted, her voice sharp with frustration.

    Sean <b>froze</b>.

    Their eyes met..

    Confusion flickered in his <b>dark</b>, deep eyes ¡°Zac Gibson?¡°,

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 His Heart 166

    Charlotte fence for a moment, her expression slitting instantly from annoyance to abright smile, the change so fast it was almostical ¡°tean, you¡¯re here!

    Bean¡¯s sharp eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°You post mentioned Zacobson/¡±

    Cadente didn¡¯t hide anything. The answered honestly, ¡®

    was here kancing on my door a little while ago. <b>¡° </b>

    Only then did eam notice the bag of breakfast by the wall. His gaze lowered slightly, his voice calms and unreadable. ¡°He bought you terakdantis

    ¡°Yeah. No idea what¡¯s gotten into him this early in the morning. I was sleeping just fine notil he showed up hanging on the door.¡±

    The imitation in Charlotte¡¯s eyes was obvious.

    How aliet her know your exact floor and apartment member?¡± sean asked, his tone slightly tense,

    The question caught Charlotte off guard.

    That was <b>a </b>good point. She had never told Zar where she lived, let alone her specific floor or apartinent

    I have no idea.!

    n¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lottie, il figure it out. But for now, cane in?*

    Charlotte stepped aside, taking room for him. ¡°Of course,¡±

    Once inside, Sean reinoved his gray cashmere coat and camally hung it on the wall look

    Charlotte bent down, pulling not a path of men¡¯s slippers and cing them at his feet.

    As <b>Sean </b>switched shors, Charlotte tried to act casual, but curiosity piwed at her. Pretending to be nonch suddenly mentioned faving something urgent to deal with. What <b>was </b>it? Did you get it sorted out

    Sean paused briefly, his voler steady and calm. ¡°It was about jaily Caleb,

    t, she asked, ¡°By the way, Sean,st night you

    Hearing bis straightforward answer, Charlotte¡¯s audety melted away. A subtle sigh of rellet escaped fier, and the tension left her shoulders,

    ¡°Thank goodness, he wasn¡¯t hiding anything,¡± she thought with relict.

    Sherwar hadn¡¯t misjudged him. Sean was nothing like Zac.

    ¡°judy Caleb?¡± Charlotteaded, following in to the living room. ¡°Isn¡¯t the supposed to be Incustody?¡±

    seantinished changings sludes and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling you sooner, Louie. I didn¡¯t want you to worry. About a month ago, Judy lied about. bring pigiai, Wille bring taken to the hospital for an examination, she was abulucted.¡±

    That matched what Zar had <b>told </b>?set <bst </b><b>night</b>, except for one cauctal difference. <b>Sen </b><b>used </b>the word ¡°Hed.¡±

    ¡°Liedz So she wasn¡¯t actually pregnant?!

    Sean nodded. ¡°No, she wasn<b>¡®</b><b>)</b>. After she was taken, weunched a search and finally <b>tracked </b>her down at a tel scam <bpound </b>near the Cadasa border. She admittedrtelf that she was never pregnant.¡±

    dadutte followed him into the living <b>room</b>, ¡°Who Look her? And why?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t v

    i¡¯l want to worry you.¡± Sean tumed to <b>face </b>her, his expression serous. ¡°The people who took her are not a small threat, i believe they¡¯reing

    His brows tightened slightly, his expression tense.

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes wideord anslinck. ¡°Killed?¡±

    night¡­.. while i was on my way to pick you up, I <b>got </b><b>a </b>call, judy was killed.¡±

    was trying to get information about who was bellod bez kadusapping, but before she could say anything useful, she was silenced,¡±

    Kyrapping and attended murder were seriouses. Even under the consentws, Jody wouldn¡¯t have been sentenced to immediate execution.

    case scenario where she did face the death penalty, dust pushiment should <b>have </b>been delivered by the legal system.

    being mundered like this was far too brutal

 His Heart 167

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    In truth, there were even more brutal details Sean hadn¡¯t mentioned.

    Jody died from a brutal throat shing, her death gruesome and violent, Her chronically Ill father didn¡¯t escape either. The mastermind behind it all had him killed as well

    Even Gerald, the <b>man </b>used as a tool for murder, and his innocent elderly mother were not <b>spared</b>.

    Sean, in his position, had seen enough darkness to ept such horrors without flinching-

    But Charlotte was different.

    She was kind<b>, </b>empathetic to a fault. If she learned the full extent of what had happened, it would crush her. She wouldn¡¯t even be able to eat. After all, Judy¡¯s father and Gerald¡¯s mother were innocent

    Drawing Charlotte into his amma, Sean rested his chin against the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath and letting the tension melt away

    ¡°Lottie, so much has been happeningtely, I feel like I¡¯m always on edge, but when I¡¯m with you, I can finally rx¡±

    Holding her close, he closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her <b>presence</b>.

    ?¡°Lottie, please be careful these days, I¡¯m worried those people might try to target you <b>too</b><b>. </b>I¡¯ll assign two more bodyguards to protect you. Promise me you won¡¯t to anywhere without them¡±

    With her head buried against his chest, Charlotte mumbled <b>a </b>soft ¡°Okay.¡±

    But a wave of <b>unease </b>rose within her. ¡°Sean, do you have any idea who¡¯s behind this? Who would be this ruthless?¡±

    Sean¡¯s jaw tightened slightly. After <b>a </b>brief pause<b>, </b>he spoke calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t have any solid <b>leads </b><b>yet</b>, but we should have answers soon. People <b>who </b><b>do </b>things like this always leave traces. I¡¯ve already reported it to the police. They¡¯re investigating.¡®

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze dropped, her mind troubled,

    After <b>a </b>moment, she spoke, her voice muffled. ¡°Zac came to see mest night

    can¡¯s arms instinctively tightened around her. ¡°What did he want?¡±

    ¡°He told me¡­ he said you were with Judyst night. He even imed that you were the one who had her taken from police custody, trying to make me think she was pregnant with your child.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice remained gentle. ¡°And how did that make yo

    make you feel?¡±

    ¡°Honestly? For a moment, I was so anxious I started shading. I was terrified you might¡¯ve done something to betray me¡­¡±

    Har voire grew quieter, tinged with a trace <b>of </b>sadness. ¡°But then I thought it through<b>. </b>He was clearly trying to cause trouble. I believe in you. I know you wouldn¡¯t betray me.¡±

    Afar sigh slipped fromer lips. ¡°But I never expected judy would end up dead..¡±

    Sean¡¯s hand gently rubbed her back, soothing her. ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b><b>okay</b>, Lottie. Even if you doubted me, it wouldn¡¯t matter. I would havee to you and exined everything. But I¡¯m d <b>you </b>chose to trust me.¡±

    He hesitated <b>for </b>a moment before adding, ¡°And as for Judy¡­ I didn¡¯t expect it to end this <b>way </b>either.¡±

    A touch of hesitation <b>lingered </b>in Charlotte¡¯s voice. <b>¡°</b><b>Judy</b><b>.. </b>was she being <b>forced</b>? I remember when she kidnapped <b>Jodie</b>, her hand holding the <b>kite </b><b>was </b>shaking Her expression was so tense and fearful. She didn¡¯t seem like <b>someone </b><b>who </b>was evil at heart.¡±

    Dean nodded. ¡°Yes, she was beingced.¡±

    chudotle¡¯s aDI<ul><li>tightened aquund him, her voice trembling slightly, ¡°Sean, the mastermind behind all this is <b>a </b><bplete </b>psychopath. You have to be careful,¡±</li></ul>

    ¡®s gaze sharpened, his jaw clenched with determination. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my 141 be catetul.¡±

 His Heart 168

    Stepping out of the apartment building, Sean casually <b>tossed </b>the bag of breakfast into the trash can by the entrance.

    Ils expression darkened as he tumed in his assistant, his voice cold, ¡°Look into Zar tillsann

    dn¡¯t take long for the investigation to uncover the truth.

    Ze had paid a hefty sum to the property managementpany to obtain Charlotte¡¯s exact address;

    Se an immediately ordered awsuit against the property managementpany and had thepany¡¯s Co summoned.

    The CEO, a man in his forties<b>, </b>arrived thinking, he was about to discuss a lucrative business partnership with the Jasper Corporation. He had no idea he was walking

    inte a disaster.

    Since this was a minor matter, Sean didn¡¯t meet with him personally, tostrad, liis assistant, Sa

    The CEO, all smiles and eager, greeted

    Sain, handled

    ted <b>Sam </b>with a ttering tone.¡°, and is Mr. Jasper Interested in a partnership with ourpany?

    sam raised an eyebrow, a trace of mockery shing in his eyes. ¡°A partnership? With apany that casually sells residents¡® personal information? Do you really think we would associate with you?¡±

    The CEO¡¯s face drained of enfor, his expression shifting <b>from </b>cagemess to shock ¡°W¨CWhat? Selling residents¡® Information? That¡¯s impossible! There must be some misunderstanding

    Sam tossed <b>a </b>thick stack of documents onto the table in front of him. ¡°Take a good look, Mr. Ziegler. These are the evidence proving yourpany has been selling residents¡± private information. Mr. Jasper wants you to understand exactly why this is the end for <b>you</b>.¡±

    With trembling hands, the CEO flipped through the documents. The more he <b>read</b>, the paler he became. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead,

    ¡°Th There must be amigale 1¡­ I¡¯ll immediately have my team investigate this. I swear-¡±

    ¡°No nerd, Mr. Ziegler. Our investigation is alreadyplete. You were the mastermind behind selling that information<b>, </b>and nearly all of the money Zac <b>paid </b>went straight list your pocket. We are in the process of suing you. <b>I¡¯m </b>here to let you know that <b>starting </b>today, you will encounter a series of problems. You might end up losing everything. You brought this upon yourself.¡±

    The CEO¡¯s legs buckled, his voice trembling<b>. </b>¡°Please please tell Mc. Jasper to give me a chance, 1 swear I¡¯ll change. I¡¯ll even give up half of my ass

    amends!

    assets to make

    Sam chuckled coldly. ¡°You think Mr. Jasper cares about your money? Let me tell you the truth¨Cthe resident information Zac <b>Gibson </b>bought from you belongs to Mr. Jasper¡¯s wife. Now, do <b>you </b>understand?¡±

    The CEO¡¯s facemed ashen, all traces of hope reced by utter despair.

    In the following <b>days</b>, Charlotte was overwhelmed with work. She was constantly in court and still made time to <b>help </b>Matthew with his workce injury im <b>and </b>disability assessment.

    The weather forecast warned of <b>an </b>approaching cold snap, with temperatures expected <b>to </b>drop to around ¨C¡°Cby the next <b>day</b>.

    Charlotte had already arranged for Matthew and Lama to be transferred to a single <b>room </b><b>at </b>a <b>top</b>¨Ctier hospital With Jenny¡¯s help, <b>she </b>bought them winter coats, thick nkets, and electric heating <b>pads</b>.

    When Jenny returned <b>from </b>delivering the items, lier ey

    <b>eyes </b>were

    sher staffled, her voice choked with emotion. ¡°Miss Hilley, I made sure they got everything.¡±

    Charlotte was typing at her desk, but hearing Jenny¡¯s shaky voice, she looked up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look like you¡¯re about to cry?¡±

    jenny¡¯s lips quivered, and her eyes glistened with tears. ¡°Lana¡¯s condition is getting <b>worse</b>. The doctors said if they can¡¯t find <b>a </b>suitable bone marrow match soon, sl?r might not survive the winter.

    Charlotte¡¯s fingers over the keyboard, and for a moment, her eyshes glistened with tears.

    ¡°Just wait a little longer¨CI¡¯ve already asked people to search for <b>a </b>matching bone marrow donor. There has to be one there just has to be. Her voice trembled

    slightly

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 His Heart 169

    Chapter <b>169 </b>

    Jenny couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. Her eyes were red as she looked at Charlotte. ¡°Miss Riley. It Laina really¡­¡±

    Before she could finish, Charlotte Interrupted her immediately. ¡°No! Luna will be fine!

    Jenny choked back a sob, pressing her lips together to stop herself from crying.

    The entire aftemnon, Charlotte couldn¡¯t focus. Her mind kept drifting.

    she found a moment to make <b>a </b>call.

    ¡°Still no suitable bone marrow match?

    The person on the other <b>end </b>responded, ¡°Miss Riley, we¡¯re doing everything we can. We¡¯ll notify you the moment we han

    e have any news!¡±

    That evening, Sean picked up Charlotte from work, and the two went out for dinner together.

    They chose an upscale restaurant, where soft <b>no </b>masie floated through the air. The table was set with fine red wine, perfectly cooked steaks, and romantic candlelight surrounded by tresh roses.

    But Charlotte seemed lost in thought. Her steaksat untouched, growing cold

    Sean¡¯s gaze softened with concern, ¡°Lottle, is something on your mind?¡±

    Charlotte blinked, snapping back to the present. She looked up at him, her voice soft- He lost his parents and has been raising his younger sister alone.

    few days ago, I took on <b>a </b>new case. My client is a neen¨Cyear¨Cold boy.

    She sighed, sadness clouding her eyes. ¡°He dropped out of school early to <b>worrand </b>support his sister. But then fate <b>yed </b><b>a </b>cruel joke on them. His little sister wak diagnosed with leukemia. She¡¯s only eleven. and the doctor said if they can¡¯t find a matching bone marrow donor soon<b>, </b>she might not <b>make </b>it through the winter.¡±

    pleaned forward slightly. ¡°Have you tried offering a high reward? In cases like this, a <b>substantial </b>reward can help find a matching donor quickly.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the table. She shook her head, frowning. I thought about it, but I¡¯m worried it might backfire. If we offer a high price, <b>it </b>could attract the wrong kind <b>of </b>people. You know how those in the ck market will do anything for money.¡±

    Sean reached out, gently covering her hand with his <b>own</b>. His <b>voice </b>suttened, ¡°Leave this to me. I promise 171 find a suitable bone marrow donor without putting anyone at risk.¡±

    Hope flickered in Charlotte¡¯s eyes. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    He gently rubbed the back of her <b>hand </b>with his thumb, his warmth seeping into her cold fingers. ¡°Trust me, Lottie. But for now, please try to eat,

    ????????

    His touch was crassuring, and Charlotte felt a sense of <b>calm </b>wash over <b>her </b>

    ¡°Okay.¡± She forced herself to mile, pushing her wordes aside for the moment.

    She knew Sean could help.

    Money wasn¡¯t a problem for her<b>, </b>but some things required more than just money. Sometimes, it took power<b>. </b>

    After dinner, Sean drow Curlotte backto Brightwood Residences,

    He stayed with her <b>for </b>a while<b>, </b>enjoying herpany before <b>leaving</b>. By the time he returned to his vi, it <b>was </b>already ten o¡¯clock

    No sooner had he parked and stepped into the grand entrance than his phone rang. It was Luke.

    ¡°Sur, we love a lead. I¡¯m right putside. Can Ie in and report?¡±

    Lake entered, bringing chill from the cold night air with him.

    Sean poured himmelt a ss of wann water, settled on the sofa, and fixed Lake with a sharp gaze ¡°Speak.¡±

    Lajar kept his head slightly owed, but be dated to ce at Sean¡¯s face nervously. ¡°The people who <b>kidnapped </b>July Caleb they¡¯re connected to Joseph Ford ¡±

    Heating that bast?r, Seair¡¯s eyes tumed iry ¡°Jusepli Ford?¡±

    Luke swallowed, l voker

 His Heart 170

    Chapter <b>170 </b>

    Joseph Ford was James jasper¡¯s illegitimate som

    Sean¡¯s dark eyes tumed cold. ¡°He¡¯s in Antis, but his influence stretches tat.¡±

    Luke stood beside him, shifting nervously, not daring to breathe too loudly.

    Sean¡¯s voice was fer¨Cenld. ¡°Since he has made his move, there¡¯s no need forine to show any routesy, I heard he recently secured a major project in Antis?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>yes,¡± Luke confinned. ¡°He recently finalized the deal. Over the past few years, Joseph has been expanding his influence, not just in Antis but also in severnal neighboring countries. He has even established his own bases.¡±

    A faint, chilling smile touched Sean¡¯s lips, ¡°Send him a gift, Make sure that project falls. He won¡¯t get toplete it.¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Was he also behind tady Caleb¡¯s minder?¡±

    Life¡¯s expression grew grave. ¡°Yes, it seems Jody had outlived her usefulness, so he silenced her,¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes narrowed<b>, </b>a nathless glini shing in them. ¡°That¡¯s just like him. No regard forws, lives, or basic humanity.¡±

    He leaned <b>back</b><b>, </b>his <b>voice </b>cold and decisive. ¡°Since he¡¯s so eager to <b>stir </b>up trouble, we¡¯ll <b>give </b>him plenty to deal with. Contact Noah Smith in Antis and have him help us shut down joseph¡¯s project. I don¡¯t want it going any further.¡±

    At Joseph¡¯s private vi in Antis, the phone on the bedside table had been ringing endlessly. It would go to voicemail, only to start ringing again immediately, almost like it was used.

    ¡°Josepl¡­ your phone¡¯s been ringing forever¡­ Aren¡¯t you going <b>to </b>answer it?¡± a <b>woman </b>asked breathlessly.

    Joseph didn¡¯t reply. His seductive eyes glinted with amusement, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. Even caught in the throes of passion, his handsome, wicked features seemed even more alluring-

    The woman¡¯s breath <b>caught </b>at the sight,pletely captivated by him.

    Elsewhere, Vivian anxiously redialed <b>over </b>and <b>over</b>, but no one answered. Her heart grew colder with each failed attempt

    and with every passing minute, her unease deepened

    Tase ticked by, and

    ¡°Miss, is Mr. Ford still not answering? her bodyguard asked quietly.

    Vivian¡¯s <b>face </b><b>was </b>as pale <b>as </b><b>a </b>sheet. <b>Her </b><b>voice </b>trembled. ¡°He¡¯s abandoning me¡­ I¡¯m just <b>a </b>disposable pawn to him now..¡±

    Two days before bean and Cl¨²rlotte¡¯s engagement ceremony, Joseph¡¯s subordinate, Chester Simpson, approached Vivian, asking for her help in causing chaos <b>at </b>

    event using Judy Caleb

    Vivian thought she could use judy to get rid of Charlotte, but things had gone wrong. Instead, it was Sean who got hurt.

    Fortunately, <b>Joseph¡¯s </b>power was vast<b>, </b>and Chester was smart enough to keep their involvement hidden. The Jasper family hadn¡¯t traced the incident back to them.

    She thought the whole affair was over, but then the Jasper family found judy.

    And then judy was silenced¨Cclearly on jose¡¯s orders.

    <b>Was </b>alle going int

    Would Joseph kill her dust, or would the jaspers expose her?

    Back in Angia, J¨®sepliy <b>against </b>the headboard, a satisfied look on his <b>face </b>as he enjoyed a <b>post</b>¨Ccultal cigarette.

    The woman braide him waspletely bare, ber slender fingers tracing the firm muscles of <b>his </b>chest.

    ¡°Josephi, was that one of your other girls calling just now? i thon you¡¯d forget about them oure you had me,¡± she teased, <b>feel </b><b>bold </b>after pleasing him so

    joseph <b>took </b>a slow <b>drag </b>fin

    from Ida cigarette, blowing out azy ring of smoke His abarp, seductive eyes were partially hidden beband the mist.

    <b>With </b>a yful sidde, be lifted the woman¡¯s cirit, his gaze locking onto ben. His voice was a blend of ansinement and contempt.

    ¡°What other girl could ever please one like you? That cur¡¯s <b>just </b>a pawn, she still has some use, so I might keeper and a little longer. But <b>once </b>she loses her value<b>, </b>she¡¯ll be even less than your little pet, bebe

    The woman, Nara <b>Jacobs</b>, one of Joseph¡¯s many lovers, niggled <b>at </b>his words, feeling a sweet wanthin her chest.

    Bebe washer white Samoyed, and the idea that a rival could be seen as less important than her dog filled her with pride.

    ING SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you

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    Chapter <b>171 </b>

    Xara yfully posted. ¡°Joseph, how can you talk about a phil

    de that?¡±

    Her teasing was <b>a </b>blend of charm and sediction, her gaze sultry, practically dripping with all

    Joseph chackled, lifting her chin and leaning down to <b>kiss </b>her. His desire red <b>again</b>, even though he had just been satisfied.

    Her teasing touch reignited the mes, and the two quickly became entangled once more, passion filling the room, the air thick with sensuality.

    ise of pellet.

    After speaking with Joseph, <b>Vivian </b>finally felt a scuse

    It seemed she still had some value to him.

    16 <b>Joseph </b>personally assured her that Judy¡¯s situation wouldn¡¯t affect her, he must be confident that the Jasper family wouldn¡¯t trace anything back to her.

    For the first time in days, she might actually get a good night¡¯s sleep,

    in the Jasper family study, Sean reported everything Joseph had done to both his father, James, and his grandfather, Mr. Jasper St.

    James¡¯s expression was grave, his face clouded with tension.

    On the desk, aptop disyed a video <b>call</b>, and on the screen was Mr. <b>Jasper </b>St.¡¯s stem,

    His voice carried an undeniable authority as he addressed James.

    ¡°James, I told you from the start that this bastard should never have been kept around you shouldn¡¯t have shown mercy. Our family only needs Sean as an heir.¡±

    James lowered his head, a mixture of guilt and regret clouding his face.

    ¡°Dad, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have been so soft¨Chearted 1jast. 1 just thought, he has Jasper blood in his veins,¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr. grew even angrier, his face flushing red. His voice boomed with authority. <b>¨C </b>

    ¡°And now look where yourpassion has led us! Murder after murder, Ilves treated like nothing! That¡¯s three lives lost because of him!¡±

    Sean remained silent, standing calmly by the side.

    James stood with his head bowed, listening to his father¡¯s scolding without <b>daring </b>to utter a single word in defense.

    Mr. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. was genuinely furious this time, unleashing a heated ticade in front of theptop screen.

    holding a high¨Ccanking position in the capital city, he couldn¡¯t leave without official approval, so returning wasn¡¯t an option for now, Instead, be resorted to reprimanding his disappointing son through <b>a </b><b>video </b>call

    After a lengthy scolding, he finally began to calm down.

    me speat to Sean,¡± he gidered.

    ¡°Yes, Dad ¡± Jaloes shifted theptop screen to face Sean<b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Grandpa ¡± Sean¡¯s Lobe was respectful, his demeanor steady.

    Mr. Jasper<b>. </b>gave him a sharp <b>look</b>. ¡°So, what <b>do </b>you n to do next?

    Scan tepliedly, ¡°Juseph reonly secured a major project. I n to make him sutter. He lovested a lot of <b>time </b>and effort into it, so if we destroy it, it will be a <b>heavy </b>blow.¡±

    God.¡± Mr. Jasper it¡¯s vulce was tim. ¡°Teach <b>him </b>a lesson show him that the Jasper family isar¡® to be titled with ¡±

    Alterabriel pause, his expression grew even more serious. ¡°But pemember this ¨C Joseph is aplete madanan. Stace you¡¯ve decided to go against him, you must be fully purpared.¡±

    Sean lowered his gaze slightly, his voice strady ¡°understand. We were caught off <b>guard </b>before, but that won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression sultrued digldly ¡°I¡¯ve always trusted your judgment<b>. </b>You¡¯ve <b>always </b>haulled things better than your father.¡±

    Decast a bird, disapproving nce at James, who stood by the side, head still lowered<b>, </b>ut daily to say a word,

    Alterameneni, Mr. Jasper St continued, this time his four mote measured. ¡°Seat, you¡¯re not young anymore. It¡¯s time for you to take hill control of the Jasper Jamily<b>. </b>I kasow you¡¯ve been somewhat limited by your curent position, which has made certam vestigations liticult. But with this situation, I believe it¡¯s best to pass the full family authority and business to you. This will give you the power you need to halle joseph. He¡¯s built quite an influence overseas, <b>so </b>don¡¯t underestimate him<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡®an¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He replied calmly<b>, </b>¡°Yes, Grandpa<b>. </b>Don¡¯t worry I know what to do.

    Mr. Jasper St. <b>nodded</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve always trusted your judgment¨Cexcept for that one time when you recklessly took a knife for Charlotte.¡±

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    Sean¡¯s lips tightened into a straight line, his gaze lowered, making it impossible to read his emotions. He remained silent, lost in thought.

    After a moment, Mr. <b>Jasper </b><b>Sr. </b>spoke with a heavy, serious tone. ¡°Sean, you must remember¨Csomething like that must never happen again. You are the only helrof the Jasper family. Do not throw your life away for a woman. Understand?¡±

    Sean¡¯s hands, resting at his sides, clenched slightly. His voice was steady but deep, ¡°I understand.¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr. then tumed to James. ¡°From now on, as long as Sean¡¯s actions don¡¯t vite our family¡¯s principles or break thew, do not interfere with him.¡±

    James felt a surge of frustration. The family¡¯s power and assets were being handed directly from Mr. Jasper Sr. to Sean, bypassing him entirely.

    But despite his resentment, James didn¡¯t dare voice any objections in front of his father. After all, this entire mess began because of his own mistake¨Chis illegitimate son, Joseph.

    If he had just kept himself in check all those years ago, none of this would be happening.

    still, he tried tofort himself. <b>sean </b><b>was </b>his son, not <b>an </b>outsider. It Sean held power, it would still be in the family,

    ¡°I understand,¡± James finally replied.

    The cold front arrived<b>, </b>and temperatures plummeted below freezing, Jersey City saw its first snowfall of the season.

    The sky had already darkened by the time Charlotte stepped <b>out </b>of thew firm. Snowkes drifted down in a gentle flurry<b>, </b>sparkling beneath the neon lights, creating <b>a </b>magical, almost romantic atmosphere.

    Standing by the street, Charlotte reached out, letting a few snowkesnd on her palm. The icy wind bit at her cheeks, and she adjusted her scart, her breath tuming into a misty white cloud in the cold air.

    A sleek ck Maybach pulled up <b>by </b>the curb.

    Charlotte saw Sean stepping out, striding quickly toward her.

    They had nned to visit Lama at the hospital together today

    Once the car door closed, sealing out the howling wind, Sean wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. He took her cold <b>hands </b>in his, rubbing them gently.

    ¡°your hands are freezing. Why didn¡¯t you wear glows?¡± His voice was filled with concer

    <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s <b>just </b>a short walk,¡± Charlotte replied, sniffling

    ¡°That¡¯s no excuse,<b>¡± </b>Sean muttered, continuing to warm her <b>hands</b><b>. </b>¡°Remember to wear them next time.¡±

    ¡°okay,¡°Charlotte agreed soldy<b>. </b>

    At the hospital, they found Luna sitting up in bed, staring nkly out the window at <b>the </b><b>fa </b>

    <b>falling </b>snow.

    Lost in her thoughts, she didn¡¯t <b>even </b><b>notice </b>then enter

    Lura, I¡¯m here to see you,¡± Charlotte called gently, <b>cing </b><b>a </b>small bag on the bedside table.

    Luna stapped out

    out of her da

    hr daze, turning toward them. When her gazended on Sean, a sh of <b>awe </b><b>and </b>curiosity crossed her eyes.

    Charlotte uniled, inmoduring them. ¡°Luna, this <b>is </b>my boyfriend, Sean <b>Jasper</b>.¡±

    Realization brightened Luna¡¯s face. ¡°Hello, Sean!¡±

    Demembering Charlotte¡¯s repeated feminders to be <b>warm </b>and <b>approachable</b>, Sean softened bija <b>toise</b>, offering a gentle smile. ¡°Hello,¡±

    Luna¡¯s checka flushed slightly,

    ¡°quickly looked away, y but happy.

    Chadatte moved <b>closes</b>, sitting by the bed. Luna looked even paler and thier than before. Her cheeks were sunken, and her small frame seemed swallowed by the

    Curlotte¡¯s heart twisted with pain, but she forced a bright

    bought you alle pili,¡± she amused, pulling a tly, cream¨C<b>colored </b>hat from the bag ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    juma¡¯s eyes lit up, and a sweet senile spread across her face. ¡°I love it! Thank you, Charlotte!¡±

    The two hadi

    d grown close over the past few <b>days</b>, with Luis now affectionately calling her ¡°charlotte¡± instead of ¡°Miss Riley ¡±

    Taking the hat, Luna immediately swapped it with the one she was wearing, wis looked at Charlotte with bright, eager eyes. ¡°Does it look <b>good</b>, Charlotte?¡±

 His Heart 173

    Chapter <b>173 </b>

    Charlotte reached out<b>, </b>gently nuttling tama¡¯s soft bair with a wann smile. ¡°Of course. You¡¯ll look absolutely adorable.¡±

    They continued chatting, andughter filled the mom.

    Just then, <b>Sean¡¯s </b>phone rang. He nced at the screen and raised in slightly, signaling, to Charlotte that he needed to step out to take the call. She nodded, watching

    him <b>leave</b>.

    As soon as the door closed, the cheerful atmosphere seemed in waves, Lana besitated, biting her lip, clearly wanting to say something but holding back

    Charlotte noticed right away. ¡°Luma, do you want to tell me something?¡± she asked gently.

    Lama fidgeted, her valer barely above a whisper. ¡°Charlotte<b>, </b>could you could you help me with makeup?¡±

    -Makeup?¡± Charlotte blinked, momentarily surprised.

    Luma nodded. ¡°Lately, I¡¯ve been feeling worse. I know you can tell¡­ My face looks so <b>pale</b>, and my brother always looks like he¡¯s about to cry whenever he sees me. I don¡¯t want him to work so <b>much</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    A wave of sadness washed over Charlotte, and she had to <b>blink </b>back the mist forming in her eyes. But she forced <b>a </b>bright smile. ¡°Of course! You¡¯re already adorable, but with a little makeup, you¡¯ll be even prettier.¡±

    | ¡°Really?¡± Luna¡¯s pale face brightened, a sweet smile appearing, dimples showing on her cheeks.

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Charlotte nodded enthusiastically. ¡°I¡¯ll bring my makeup lot tomorrow and give you a beautiful look.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Okay</b>.¡± Lana¡¯s smile widened<b>, </b>her eyes sparkling with joy.

    Out in the hallway, <b>Sean </b>was speaking with Luke over the phone.

    ¡°<b>Sir</b><b>, </b>we¡¯ve received confirmation from Antis. Our team has connected with Mr. Smith, and they will be strategizing to take over <b>Joseph¡¯s </b>project in theing

    ¡°Good,¡± sean replied.

    After a brief update on other matters, Sean hang up and re¨Centered the room.

    He saw Charlotte and Lunaughing together, their faces lit up with joy. But the moment he walked in, Luna shyly averted her gaze, whispering something to Charlotte, which <b>made </b>her smile even brighter.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? <b>What¡¯s </b><b>the </b>big secret?¡± Sean <b>asked</b><b>, </b>raising an eyebrow.

    <b>Charlotte </b>smiled mischievously ¡°It¡¯s a secret betweens gids.

    Before Sean could press further, his phone rang <b>again</b>. <b>This </b>time, he <b>didn¡¯t </b>leave the room <b>to </b>answer.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper, we¡¯ve located a suitable bone marrow match, as per your request, the voles on the other end reported.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>gaze shifted to Charlotte, who was still smiling at Luna. ¡°Bring the donor in for further tests tomorrow.¡±

    Lading the call, he walked over to Charlotte<b>, </b>lus expression softening. ¡°Lottle<b>, </b>we found <b>a </b>matching bone man for Luna¡±

    Charlotte stated at him, momentarily stunned. ¡°Wall.. what did you say?¡±

    a matching donor. Lima¡¯s illness can be treated.¡±

    His voice remained gentle. ¡°We found a mat

    Tears untantly filed Chuadotte¡¯s eyes Overwhelmed<b>, </b>sheughed and coled at the same time, clutching Luna¡¯s hund. ¡°Luna, did you hear that? They found a match!

    Luna¡¯s wide, red¨Cdimmed eyes shimmed with tears. ¡°Irally have a chance?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice was thick with emotion. ¡°Yes! I told you not to give <b>up</b>. Your Ulness can be cureill¡±

    hat¡¯s amazing¡­.¡± Lurza whispered, her tears spilling oyer. ¡°Now my brother won¡¯t have to worry so much.

    was a miracle, an ennenaus weight lifted off their shoulders.

    On the drive <b>badi</b>, Quilotte¡¯s joy was infectious<b>. </b>She held <b>Sean¡¯s </b>hand, cutting excitedly, <b>barely </b>pausing for <b>breath</b>, then by the time they returned to her apartment, her happiness hadn¡¯t faded.

    seau watched her, a gentle smile tugging at his lips seeing the worry and sadows she had <b>caned </b><b>for </b><b>days </b>finally reced by pure joy made his own heart teel

    Snuggled together on the plush sofa in Charlotte¡¯s cory apartment, an unspoken tension gradually thickened the air.

    Seart¡¯s arm tightened around her, his gaze lingering a little longer, the wanuth in his eyes <b>deepening </b>into something more intense.

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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¨Clike 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¨Chmm.¡± 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

 His Heart 175

    ¡°At first, my family <b>was </bpletely fooled by my father. They thought he had cut ties with that woman and gotten rid of the child. But when I was about five or six, my mother discovered the truth. She confronted him, and it turned into a huge fight. It got so bad that both familles had to get involved because my parents¡® mamage wasn¡¯t just between them. It was an alliance between the Jasper and Lincoln familles, tied to <b>family </b>interests

    ¡°The divorce never happened. Under pressure from both families, my father promised to cut ties with that woman. But my mother never got over it. She carried that hurt with her<b>, </b>and growing up, 1often heard them arguing¨Calways about that woman <b>and </b>her son.

    Sean paused, a trace of bitterness flickering in his expression. ¡°Eventually, we heard that woman passed away. My

    My father tried to bring the boy back, wanted to acknowledge him officially as his son. But my grandparents refused. He couldn¡¯t get their approval<b>, </b>so the whole matter just fizzled out. He was devastated for a while, but eventually, he went back to bring the devoted husband and father everyone thought he was.¡±

    Charlotte was stunned, struggling to <b>process </b>everything she had just heard.

    On the surface<b>, </b>Mr. Jasper seemed like a refined, polite, and responsible man¨Csomeone who <b>treated </b>everyone with warmth and respect. But beneath that polished exterior, he was theplete opposite. He was a <b>man </b>who betrayed his family, a man who couldn¡¯t keep his desires in check, <b>a </bplete scumbag

    Thinking about the gentle and kind Mrs. Jasper nearly jumping to her death because of him filled Charlotte with a mix of sympathy and fear. If she had gone through with it, Sean would have grown up without a mother. And if that other woman had managed to bring her illegitimate child into the family, <b>Sean¡¯s </b>life would have been a nightmare.

    But thankfully, that tragedy never happened.

    When Charlotte remained silent, Sean shifted his gaze from theptop screen to look at her. His deep, dark eyes held a subtle, almost imperceptible hint of pleading.

    Lottie, do you think my family is a mess? His voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed his fear. ¡°Please don¡¯t think I¡¯m like my father. I¡¯m not. I promised myself <b>a </b>long time ago that I would <b>only </b>love one person in my life. <b>I </b><b>would </b>be loyal. I would be faithful.¡±

    There was a hint of vulnerability in Sean¡¯s expression¨Carare, almost tragile look that she had never seen before. It <b>was </b>as if he was afraid <b>that </b>Charlotte would see the chaos of his family and mistake him for being just like his father, pushing her away.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart ached with a bittersweet mix of emotions. She felt a pang of sadness for the pain he had endured <b>as </b>a child and <b>for </b>the insecurity he felt now.

    But at the same time, there was a tender sweetness in knowing how <b>much </b>he cared about her opinion and how much he feared losing her.

    Unable to hold back, Charlotte leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him in a warm, tight embrace. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. ¡°Sean, I know. I¡¯ve always known.¡±

    She knew he wasn¡¯t like his father. Since being with him, she had never once doubted his sincerity.

    Sean hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder, breathing in <b>her </b>scent like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. In her gentle embrace, his restless heart finally calmed.

    Charlotte¡¯s voice was soft and soothing, her words like a gentle promise. ¡°<b>Sean</b>, as long as you don¡¯t leave first, I will never let you go<b>.</b>¡±

    Her words struck <b>a </b>deep chord within him. His heart tightened, and a faint sting of tears touched his eyes.

    His Lottie was so good <b>to </b>him. How could the ever even think of letting her go?

 His Heart 176

    Chapter <b>176 </b>

    -35 <b>Bonus </b>

    <b>Ten </b><b>days </bter, Desmond hosted <b>a </b>grand banquet for charlotte.

    The event was held at his newly acquired European¨Cstyle estate, with the festivities set to begin at 7:00 pm, Charlotte was up early at 8:00a.m., getting ready for the big night.

    Initially<b>, </b>she considered wearing a simple ssic dress with a touch of traditional elegance, remembering how Mrs. Jasper Sr. had once suggested she should choose something timeless over high fashion.

    nut when she remembered that the banquet hall was designed in a European Rococo style, she decided against it.

    Instead, Charlotte chose a light blue, off¨Cthe¨Cshoulder con gown inspired by the iconic dress worn by Marie Antote in the 1956 film ¡°<b>Marie </b>Antote

    The gown featured a voluminous skirt with multipleyers of petticoats and a structured corset <b>that </b>entuated her waist and figure. Made from luxurious silk, was adomed with intricatece, pearls, and gemstone embellishments, exuding a sense of grandeur <b>and </b>sophistication.

    Toplete the look, the stylist gave Charlotte a tinum blonde wig styled in a ssic European updo. The upper half was swept back into an elegant bun, while the lower half cascaded down in soft, curled waves.

    A matching blue hairpieceplemented the dress, and a <b>pair </b>of light blue contact lenses <b>gave </b>her an ethereal, almost angelic appearance. With her fair skin and soft makeup, which included past a touch of foundation and a pale pink lip color, she looked as though she had stepped straight out of a Rococo painting.

    The estate was located in the western suburbs, about an <b>hour¡¯s </b>drive from Charlotte¡¯s apartment.

    At 5:00p.m., Sean arrived at the stylist¡¯s shop to pick her up, and the sight of her left him momentarily stunned<b>. </b>

    Charlotte turned and sailed at him. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    Sean was dressed in an elegant European¨Cstyle suit, his hair lightly curled in a refined European style, adding <b>to </b>his noble appearance.

    As she sat at the vanity<b>, </b>adjusting her appearance in the mirror, Sean approached, leaned down, and performed <b>a </b>courtly bow<b>, </b>extending his hand. ¡°My princess, he said with a wless British ent, ¡°may i have the honor of escorting you?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s smile widened as she ced her hand lightly in his. ¡°Of course,

    he replied.

    An hourter, their Rolls¨CRoyce Cullinan pulled up to the estate in the westem suburbs.

    The long, paved driveway <b>was </b>lined with towering ne trees, their branches bare for the winter, stretching across the gray sky like a web of shadows. From distance<b>, </b>the imposing and majestic castle came into view, standing proudly as the centerpiece of the estate.

    This estate was evenrger than the Sullivan family¡¯s<b>, </b>spanning over 200 acres. The main building was <b>a </b>magnificent castle, surrounded by several smaller European<b>¨C</b>style vis scattered across the <b>grounds</b>. The gardens were lush <b>and </b>evergreen, even in winter<b>, </b>filled with rate flowers and exotic nts.

    The estate boasted a wealth of amenities: a helipad, an artificialke, <b>a </b>swimming <b>pool</b>, a cinema, a tennis court, a gym, and <b>a </b>riding stable¨Ceverything one could dream of in a luurious European¨Cstyle estate.

    Desmond had studied in Europe in his youth, traveling extensively across various European countries. Fluent in British English with a perfect London ent, his demeanor carried the grace and sophistication <b>of </b><b>an </b>English nobleman. He had <b>a </b>fondness for the architecture of Westem Europe¡¯s medieval and Renaissance <b>periods</b>, which inspired the design of this estate.

    He had recently purchased the <b>property </b>as a wedding gift for Charlotte, and today was the first time it would be opened to guests.

    Luxury can a

    arrived one after another<b>, </b>making their way up the wide, tree¨Clined driveway. At the entrance<b>, </b>uniformed security guards lined up on both sides, checking guests¡® invitations and verifying their identities.

 His Heart 177

    The Cullinan glided smoothly to a stop at the castle¡¯s grand entrance, bypassing the <b>standard </b>security checks. The guards recognized the license tes Immediately. Cars from the Riley and Jasper familles always <b>had </b>priority

    While most guests were directed to park in the underground garage, vehicles from these three prominent families were allowed to pull right up to the castle¡¯s front courtyard. The waiting butler bowed respectfully as the car stopped, his postine limpable.

    Sean stepped out first, then tumed to offer his hand to Charlotte. She epted gracefully, stepping out of the car with a poised smile. The grand doors of the castle stood wide open, a red carpet stretching from the entrance into the vast ballway beyond.

    ned along the red carpet were dozens of uniformed statt, each bowing slightly in greeting, ¡°Good evening, Miss Riley! Good evening, Mr. Jasper!¡±

    Charlotte gently looped her arm through Sean¡¯s, and together they walked down the red carpet, stepping into the <b>grand </b>hall. The banquet hall on the first floorwin a stunning replica of a European pce, with towering crystal chandeliers and intricate trescoes on the ceiling. The <b>air </b>was filled with the soft, elegant strains of a live orchestra, mingling with the gentle hum of conversation and the delicate clinking of sses.

    As Charlotte and Sean entered, the crowd instinctively parted for them. Their presence drew every eye in the room-

    1¡ª admiring, erminus, <b>and </b>curious. The two walked hand in hand, their presencemanding the room like a prince and princess <b>straight </b>out <b>of </b><b>a </b>fairytale. Their elegance and grace were undeniable.

    Watching from a distance, Vivian¡¯s expression soured. She had chosen a simple, conservative gown, one she thought would eam her favor <b>with </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr. But standing here, she feltpletely out of ce. Her outfit, which once seemed like <b>a </b>safe choice, now looked nd and awkward in thevish, European¨Cthemed banquet hall

    But there were no rules saying that the dress had to <b>match </b>the style of the banquet, She hadn¡¯t thought it was an issue.

    However, the moment she saw Charlotte and Sean stepping into the banquet hall, looking like a prince and princess straight out of a fairy tale, Vivian¡¯s jealousy red<b>. </b>

    From the instant they appeared, they became the center of attention. No matter how elegantly the other guests were dressed, they all seemed to fade into the background¨Cincluding Vivian herself.

    Clinging to Mrs. Jasper¡¯s arm, Vivian watched Charlotte <b>and </b>Sean chatting with other guests. Seizing the moment, her <b>voice </b>dripped with sarcasm <b>as </b>she muttered. ¡° Grandma, look at Charlotte. You mentioned she should dress more modestly, maybe something ssic <b>and </b>elegant. But instead<b>, </b>she¡¯s gone all out¨Cdyed her hair tinum and chose that extravagant gown. Isn¡¯t she just trying to show off?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper St.¡¯s frown: deepened. Her old¨Cfashioned values were strong, and while she enjoyed luxury, she had little patience for what she saw <b>as </b>excessive showiness. Watching Charlotte, who looked like a European princess, her displeasure only grew.

    ¡°She knows I don¡¯t like this kind of shy disy<b>,</b>¡± Mrs. Jasper Sc. muttered, her expression cold. ¡°And just look at Sean<b>, </b>ying along with her, dressed like that. It¡¯s so unnecessary. Honestly, I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s marrying into our family.¡±

    Wian¡¯s lips curled into a subtle, satisfied smile. ¡°Exactly, Grandma. <b>Sean </b>never dressed like this before. It must be Charlotte¡¯s influence.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°I should never have apologized to her before. I thought I was too <b>harsh </b>at the family dinner, <b>but </b>clearly, I wasn¡¯t harsh enough. A elr

 His Heart 178

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Vivian echoed, salsing her voice is delibestely sweet to ¡°the walked <b>in </b>and didn¡¯t even bother greeting you first, On modena. Instead, she¡¯s busy chatting with atlier people.

    dursic) even ser you

    for her elders. Pro mammers at allt ?r

    Anul do thank your mother always said she

    (Mrs. Jaspri 56¡¯s expression darkened with anger. ¡°That chatte really has no respect f was well¨Cediated and polite.¡±

    A satisfied smile touched Vivian¡¯s lips as she malitalined ber demane, understanding facade. ¡°Granbuss, please don¡¯t get upset. Your health is what

    Mis Jasper St gently patted Vivian¡¯s haust. ¡°You¡¯re always the sweetest, Vivlin Always.

    Vivian¡¯s simile brightened. ¡°Orandina, Ican stay with you forever it you want.¡±

    fog of ine. You truly are my precious granddagider.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper St. chuckled, bet expression softening ¡°silly girl, one day you¡¯ll have <b>to </b>get mantled, I would love for you to stay with me forever, but that¡¯s just not possible.¡±

    ¦§

    marry Sean, I can stay with you forever,¡± Vista thought, but she didn¡¯t say it out loud, Instead, she leaned in closer, her voice soft and sweet. ¡°If it¡¯s for you, odna, I wouldn¡¯t mind staying single forever.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.ughed, bermood instantly lightened, ¡°Oh, you sweet talker¡±

    |not their smiles didn¡¯tst long. Across the mom, Chadotte and Sean noticed them and, after aller word with the guests they were speaking with, began walking

    ¡°Grandma, they¡¯reing ¡°Vivian whispered.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. let out a cold spot. ¡°Finally decided toe <b>over</b>, did you

    Ciatlotte, ami lisarm with sean, walked up to Ms. Jasper Sr. and offered a pollte greeting, ¡°Good evening, Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t forgotten that thest time they met, Mrs. Jasper So. had specifically told her not to call her ¡°Grandma.¡± nut Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression immediately darkened. Her <b>gaze </b>was <b>sharp </b>and disapproving ¡°Calling me ¡°Mas, ja dinner incident, are you? I already apologized to Bean, yet you¡¯re still so unforgiving?

    ¨C Jasper¡® now? still holding a gridge over that family ??

    Why are you being

    Sean¡¯s bows Jurrowed. ¡°Grandina, weren¡¯t you the one who told Charlotte not to call you ¡®Grandma¡®? She¡¯s past respecting your wishes. M mueasonable?

    Charlotte remained calm, her polite sunile unwavering. Inside, though, she couldn¡¯t help but find this all a bitughable. ¡°Here we p

    we go again,¡± she silently

    But Mrs. Jasper Sr sanger red even more. ¡°Unreasonable? You dare call me untrasonable? I¡¯m your grandmother Ever since you¡¯ve been with this girl, you¡¯ve changed Look at how you¡¯re dressed so improper And your attitude toward newhere¡¯s your respect?¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression turned cold ¡°Grandma, why do you keep finding fault with everything? You used to be so understanding.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. sorted. ¡°That depends <b>on </b>who I¡¯m dealing will¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s lips curved in a spotle, silent modery-

    Suddenly, a little girl can over, grabbing at Charlotte¡¯s <b>gown</b>. ¡°Wow! Are you a princeAK?¡±

    Quarlotte¡¯s Imitation melted as the sled down at the gld, gently pinching her cheek. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±

    The little girl stated up at her, eyes wide with. Hut you look onel You¡¯re <b>even </b>prettier than the processes on TV, ¡±

    Just like that, thar cloud of frustration that Mrs. Jasper Sr. had stirred was blown away.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Pulncess</b>, cand y with you?¡± the ile girl asked, her voice full of hope.

    ¡°ut course,¡± Charlotte replied, her voice soft and wate

    soch disgraceful behavior¡± Max Jasper & suddenly snapped, her <b>voice </b>cutting through the room.

    Nearby guests Tiigued to look, their curious eyes drawn to the scene.

 His Heart 179

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. raised her voice, her expression thunderous. ¡°I¡¯in still talking to you, and you¡¯re already chatting with someone else? Do you even respect me as your elder?¡±

    Charlotte lowered her head, took a deep breath, then inoked up with a calm, steady gaze. ¡°Mrs. Jasper St., I¡¯m not sure what I did to offend you, but if my presence bothers you so <b>much</b>, perhaps it would be best if I just leave.¡±

    Without waiting <b>for </b>a reply, she gently took the little girl¡¯s hand and walked away.

    Sean¡¯s gaze shifted to Vivian, his expression turning icy. ¡°It 1 find out you¡¯ve been stirring things up with Grandma, you¡¯ll regret it.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened brimming with feigned innocence. ¡°Sean, I would never do that.¡±

    Mrs., Jasper Sr.¡¯s re shifted to Sean. ¡°This has nothing to do with <b>Vivian</b>, just look at how that Charlotte treats me. And you still expect me to be happy with her??

    A mockingugh escaped sean¡¯s lips. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to be happy with her. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s marrying you.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper was beingpletely unreasonable now, and Sean knew there <b>was </b><b>no </b>point in arguing with her. He decided not to waste any more words.

    ¡°How dare you?¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s voice rose, her face flushing with anger. ¡°Is that how you speak to your grandmother?¡±

    But Sean didn¡¯t bother to <b>argue</b>. He turned and walked <b>away</b>, leaving Mrs. Jasper Sr. fuming, her breathing bing <b>heavy </b>andbored.

    Vivian immediately stepped in, gently patting Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s back ¡°Please, Grandma, don¡¯t be <b>upset</b>. It¡¯s all Charlotte¡¯s fault. She¡¯s clouding Sean¡¯s judgment. A woman like her doesn¡¯t deserve him.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper ?r. slowly regained herposure, her expression darkening ¡°You¡¯re right. A woman like that is unworthy of <b>Sean.</b>¡±

    A Deeting, triumphant smile shed across <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>face.

    Charlotte spent some time ying with the little girl, herughter light and genuine. Eventually, the child¡¯s mother approached with an apologetic smile. ¡°Miss Riley, I¡¯m so sorry if my daughter bothered you.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Charlotte replied warmly. ¡°She¡¯s so sweet and well¨Cbehaved

    The little girl looked up at her mother. ¡°Mommy, can I take a picture with the princess?¡±

    Her mother looked at Charlotte, unsure. ¡°Would that be okay?¡±

    H

    ¡°Of course,¡± Charlotte agreed with a smile.

    After the picture, the little girl waved goodbye, and Charlotte wayed back.

    Sean approached just as they left. ¡°Charlotte, I¡¯m sorry,¡±

    Charlotte shrugged<b>, </b>brushing it off. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to apologize for. It¡¯s not your <b>fault</b>.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why <b>Grandma¡¯s </b>acting like this, sean murmured, his hand gently talding hers. ¡°She wasn¡¯t always this unreasonable. If things can¡¯t be resolved, we¡¯ll just avold her. There¡¯s no need for you to be treated like this.¡±

    Churinite met his gaze. ¡°And if she tries to stop our <b>marriage</b>?¡±

    ¡°My marriage is my decision,¡± Sean <b>said </b>finnly. ¡°Her opinion doesn¡¯t change that.¡±

    A soft sinile touched Charlotte¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear.¡±

    Spotting her friends <b>in </b>the crowd, Charlotte gave seau¡¯s hand <b>a </b>gentle squeeze<b>. </b>¡°I¡¯m going <b>to </b><b>catch </b>up with Lena and Mia. You <b>go </b><b>ahead</b>.¡±

    Inside, Sean felt a slight pang of disappointment. He was abandoned <b>so </b>quickly, that he kept his expression calm, his voice even. ¡°All right. Go on¡± Charlotte made her way <b>toward </b>her friends, but just <b>as </b>she was <b>about </b>to reach <b>them</b>, Vivian suddenly appeared <b>out </b>of nowhere<b>, </b><b>stumbling </b>into her. The ss in <b>Vivian¡¯s </bnd tipped, and red wine sshed across Charlotte¡¯s gown

    Vivian gasped, covering mouth with exaggerated shock ¡°chno, Charlotte! <b>Why </b>weren¡¯t you watching where you were going<b>?</b>¡±

 His Heart 180

    The summonding guests tumed their heads, whispering to each other.

    Charlette inoka deep breath, closed her eyes for a badet moment, and when she opened the gain, a sharp, ley re filled her gaze. ¡°Vivian, yourdid

    <b>??? </b>

    Vivian, ever the master of ying the victim, widened her eyes, her lips trembling with a pitiful pout, ¡°Charlotte, you bouged into me. How can you use me of doing it out purpose? We¡¯re at your family¡¯s estate. Why would I dare to cause trouble here?¡±

    At that moment, Lena and <b>Mia </b>noticed themotion and walked over

    ¡°stop pretending, Vivian.¡± Mis didn¡¯t hold back, giving Vivian a light shove ¡°Everyone knows you¡¯re jealous of Charlotte, You spilled that wine on heron purpose hoping to embarass her.¡±

    Tearswelled up in <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>eyes instantly. <b>¡°</b>How can you say that?¡±

    Macrossed her an

    anns, het voler filled with righteous an

    anger. ¡°The way you acted at the stables and at North Ridge? Do you really think we¡¯re all blind?¡±

    Vivian¡¯s voice trembled, her eyes glistening with tears. ¡°What did I do?¡±

    Mia¡¯s re intensified. ¡°Do you really want me to spell it out in front of everyone?¡±

    | ¡°what¡¯s going on here, Vivian?¡± Mrs. Jasper St. approached, her voice stem.

    Vivian immediately unshed to her side, clutching her arm, her <b>tears </b>falling freely. ¡°Grandma, they¡¯re ganging up on me.¡±

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but let out a <b>cold </bughs. ¡°Ganging up on you? With Ms. Jasper St. protecting you, who could possibly bully you?¡±

    ¡°Grandma, look at her! Vivian whimpered, tugging on Mrs. Jasper 5c.¡¯s sleeve, hier valce choked with sobs.

    Mrs. Jasper¡¯s <b>face </b>darkened. ¡°Charlotte, don¡¯t go too far!¡±

    ¡°Too far?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was <b>sharp</b>. ¡°Mrs. Jasper St., <b>is </b><b>this </b>how you teach your granddaughter? You use me of being rude and ill¨Cmannered¨Cwhy don¡¯t you take a good look at your own granddaughter¡¯s beluvior?¡±

    With that curlotte tumed to a nearby server. ¡°ou get the security footage<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>Lace tumed deathly pale.

    She was sure there were no security cameras here.

    But Charlotte¡¯s piercing <b>gaze </b>seemed to read her mind, <b>with </b>a cold smile, she continued, ¡°Did <b>you </b>think there were no cameras here? <b>How </b><b>halve</b>. In a grand estate like this, with so many guestsing <b>and </b>going, do you think there wouldn¡¯t be <b>any </b>surveince?¡±

    Charlotte gestured around. ¡°Sre those? And those? And those? They may look like decorative fixtures, but they¡¯re actually discreet, high¨Cdefinition cameras with <b>a </b>full 360¨Cdegree view. So <b>please</b>, keep up your lies.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. scoffed, ¡°Flor, Let¡¯s check the footage. My Vivian doesn¡¯t <b>lie</b>. I¡¯ll enjoy watching you embarrass yourself.¡±

    Sweat tricked <b>down </b><b>Vivian¡¯s </b>back, her heart pounding with pante. ¡°They can¡¯t check the footage,¡°she thought.

    She had deliberately bumped into Charlotte, hoping to stain her drugs

    ¡°Why does Charlotte get to look so stumming tool? Why does Sean¡¯s gaze never leave her? Why does she get to be the center of attention the moment she walks in** Jealousy twisted inside

    ¡°If the footage shows I did is on purpose, even Grandma won¡¯t defend me. No, I can¡¯t let them check it,¡± ¡°Vivian thought, <b>pane </b>tightening <b>in </b><b>her </b>chest.

    Just then, she caught sight of Sean walking over. She bit her lip, and her expression instantly shifted to one of temone. ¡°Charlotte, I¡¯m <b>so </b><b>sorry</b>. It¡¯s all my <b>fault</b>.. Please <b>don¡¯t </b>be mad at

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± sean¡¯s voice was calm, but lids sharp <b>eyes </b>took in the sorte.

    Charlotte¡¯s Upscaled into a moding salle ¡°Oh, I was wondering why she suddenly decided to apologize. Tums out you showed up.¡±

 His Heart 181

    Tears streamed down Vivian¡¯s face as she cried pitifully, her voice trembling. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Charlotte. It was an ident. I didn¡¯t mean to bump into you, I¡¯ll pay for the diess. Hease don¡¯t be mad at me.

    She yed her part perfectly. She lowered herself, acting utterly pitiful. But Charlotte saw right through her act. Vivian wasn¡¯t apologizing to her. She was performing for Sean and Mis. Jasper Sr., hoping in paint herself as the victim.

    With a cold smile, Charlotte replied, ¡°Wow, what a perfect little performance. If I don¡¯t forgive you, I¡¯ll look petty and unreasonable.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression darkened with anger. She pointed a trembling finger at Charlotte, turning to Sean ¡°Sean, look <b>at </b>her! Look how she¡¯s bullying poor Vivian right in front of our family!¡±

    Sean frowned and gently but firmly lowered his grandmother¡¯s hand ¡°<b>Grandina</b>, let¡¯s just walt for the security footage.¡±

    Panie red in <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>eyes. She doubled down on her performance, crying even harder, her sobs filled with heartbreak.

    Around them, the guests whispered among themselves. The num

    inmines were sott, but close enough for Charlotte to catch snippets:

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Charlotte supposed to be the future daughter¨Cinw of the Jasper family? Why is she arguing with Mrs. Jasper St.?¡±

    ¡°Looks like Mrs. Jasper St. doesn¡¯t like her one bit.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Mrs. Jasper <b>St. </b>dotes on her granddaughter. Sure, Vivian¡¯s just an adopted child, but she¡¯s been part of the family for over a decade. That¡¯s <b>a </b>lot closer than an outsider <b>who </b>hasn¡¯t even married in yet.

    ¡°Vivian might be adopted, but she¡¯s still considered a Jasper heiress in public. And if Charlotte <b>marries </b>in, Vivian will be her sister¨Cinw. offending both her and Mrs. Jasper? Not a great start for the future Mrs. Jasper.¡±

    *Exactly, Charlotte really should watch her temper, past because her family has money doesn¡¯t mean she can push people around. It¡¯s terrible. Does she look down on Vivian because she was just a housekeeper¡¯s daughter?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this past bullying? It was just an ident. Vivian bumped into her by mistake<b>, </b>and now Charlotte¡¯s making such a big deal out of it. All this drama overa dress? Her family is loaded¨Cwhat¡¯s one ruined dress to her?¡±

    ¡°Getting on Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s bad <b>side </b>over <b>a </b>dress<b>? </b>That¡¯s a temble trade off. Charlotte <b>really </b>doesn¡¯t know how to pick her battles ¡±

    what do you think? Who¡¯s Sean going to side with?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He¡¯ll stand with his grandmother and Vivian Mrs. Jasper is his actual <b>grandma</b>, and he¡¯s grown up with Vivian <b>as </b>his sister for years. As for Charlotte? She¡¯s just a fianc¨¦e¨Can arranged match for family Interests, not love.

    H

    ¡°Exactly. In our circle, marriages are all about alliances, not love. Sean will definitely side with his family.¡±

    ¡°Look at Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>St.¡ªshe¡¯s furious. Do <b>you </b>think this engagement will still happen?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bet on it.¡±

    These whispered judgments drifted into Charlotte¡¯s ears, and she wasn¡¯t the only one who heard them. <b>Vivian </b>and Sean <b>did </b>too.

    Vivian kept her head down, wiping away fake tears, pretending to cry. Only she knew she <b>was </b>hiding a triumphant smile.

    But suddenly, Sean¡¯s voice rang out, sharp andmanding, cutting through the murmurs like a de. ¡°Who said I would side with Vivian? Who said this marriage won¡¯t luppen?¨C

    The entire coom fell <b>silent</b>. The whispered <b>gossip </b>vanished in an instant, and even the orchestra stopped ying, & heavy, tense silence settled over the grand <b>hall</b>. Sean¡¯s icy gaze swept over the crowd before he stepped forward<b>, </b>took Charlotte¡¯s hand, and <b>spoke </b>with unwavering <b>resolve</b>, each word clear and powerful. ¡°Thais is ther wornan i love. Marrying her luas been my dream <b>for </b>years. It¡¯s a manage <b>I </b>asked Mr. Riley for¨Cngs for business, not for convenience, but because I want her in my life.¡±

 His Heart 182

    Vivian¡¯s head shot up, her tear¨Cstreaked face filled with shock and hurt. Sean had just confessed his love for Charlotte in front of everyone.

    Charlotte was stunned, Hearing the whispered doubts around her had left her anxious, frating

    ing that Sean might really take Vivian¡¯s side, just like they were saying

    But now, his wann, steady hand sping hers gave her a sense of security. Her heart settled, the ardety melting away.

    Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr.¡¯s </b>reaction was far less calm. Sean¡¯s public deration felt like a p to her face. Her voice trembled with anger. ¡°Sean, you can¡¯t just say things like

    ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve brought the security footage.¡± The server¡¯s voice interrupted Mrs. Jasper Sr. as hended Charlotte a sh drive.

    All eyes tumed to the sh drive in the server¡¯s hand, anticipation thick in the air.

    Curiotte took it with a calm expression, her voice steady. ¡°Everyone, please follow me to the screening room on the fifth floor. The truth will be clear in just a

    moment.

    Vivian¡¯s palms grew sweaty, panic surging through her. She bit her lip, trying to maintain her <bposure</b>. ¡°Charlotte, talready apologized. Why make such a big deal out of it?¡±

    ¡°Was that <b>a </b>sincere apology?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was cold, her gaze sharp. ¡°I don¡¯t ept it.

    Vivian tried another tactic ¡°Think of the guests, <b>please</b>. The banquet <b>hall </b>is so big, and the screening room can¡¯t possibly hold everyone.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s lips curled into <b>a </b>mocking smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Vivian. The screening room upstairs can hold over a thousand people. No need for you to worry.¡± <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>face stiffened, her mind racing for another excuse.

    Mia folded her ams, watching with amusement. ¡°Wow, someone¡¯s <b>really </b>desperate. <b>Afraid </b>the footage might show something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid! Vivian protested, her voice rising. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to waste everyone¡¯s time. It was just a misunderstanding. There¡¯s no need to make a scene.¡± Miaughed<b>. </b>¡°I didn¡¯t say anyone was a

    sscared, Miss Kander. You <b>said </b><b>that </b>yourself. Feeling guilty?¡±

    ¡°Everyone who¡¯s interested, please join me on the fifth floor.¡± Charlotte¡¯s tone <b>was </b>calm but resolute.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. Sr. tried again. ¡°This is hardly the behavior of a proper youngdy. All this fuss over <b>a </b>duty dress? I¡¯llpensate you for the <b>dress </b>on Vivian¡¯s behalt. Why make a scene? We¡¯re all family here.¡±

    Mia couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. In her mind, she thought, ¡°oh please, this olddy just loves bullying Charlotte. She wouldn¡¯t even let her call her <b>¡®</b>Grandma¡® at the family <b>dinner</b>, but now she¡¯s preaching <b>about </b>family,¡±

    Desmond wasn¡¯t present. He was outside in the garden, talking business with some important clients. Charlotte¡¯s stepmother and half¨Csister weren¡¯t here either. Jodie was down with the flu<b>, </b>and Xena was at the hospital with her<b>. </b>

    For a moment, Charlotte thought she would have to stand alone, but she <b>hadn¡¯t </b>expected Mia and Sean <b>to </b><b>step </b>up for her. Sean¡¯s voice was ley. ¡°Grandida, what exactly do you think a <b>proper </b>young <bdy </b>should do? Quietly endure being bullied?¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s face twisted in disbelief. ¡°Sean, what are you saying? Are <b>you </b>using me and Vivian of bullying her?¡± ¡°jan¡¯t that exactly what¡¯s happening?¡± Sean¡¯s gaze turned icy<b>, </b><b>a </b>cold sharpness in his eyes.

    ¡°A stained dress was nothing, <b>just </b><b>a </b>minor ident. But the moment it happened<b>, </b>Vivian med Charlotte, saying she wasn¡¯t watching where she was going Charlotte suggested checking the <b>footage</b>. It was a perfectly reasonable request. And yet you used her of being unreasonable, of making a scene.

    Well, we¡¯re going to watch that footage. <b>I </b>won¡¯t <b>stand </b>by and let you bully my wite.¡±

 His Heart 183

    Share

    Vivian¡¯s heart skipped <b>a </b>beat. The word ¡°wife¡± stabbed at her like <b>a </b>sharp knife.

    Sean was <b>actually </b>defending Charlotte that fiercely!

    They weren¡¯t even engaged yet, and he was already calling her his wife. How could he do this?

    an outsider?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s <b>chest </b>heaved with anger. ¡°Sean, you¡¯re a Jasper! Why are you siding with an

    Sean tightened his <b>grip </b>on Charlotte¡¯s hand, meeting his grandmother¡¯s <b>gaze </b><b>without </b>any <b>hesitation</b>. His <b>voice </b>was calm but serious. ¡°My loyalty is always with my wife. No one can change that.¡±

    ¡°you¡­.. you¡­ you¡­!¡± Mrs. Jasper St. clutched her chest, so furious she could barely spealt

    ¡°sean, please stop,¡± Vivian tried to intervene. <b>¡°</b>Grandma¡¯s heart isn¡¯t strong. Don¡¯t upset her.¡±

    seanlet out a dryugh, sharp and direct, ¡°Maybe if you stopped causing trouble, she wouldn¡¯t be this upset.¡±

    Vivian was stunned into silence, anger and humiliation twisting inside her.

    ¡°Enough, <b>that¡¯s </b>enough. Let¡¯s head to the screening room,¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was cold, cutting through the tension.

    At the far end of the banquet hall, there were six elevators, three on each side. Each <b>could </b>hold fifteen people, meaning a total of ny could go up at once.

    Charlotte raised her voice. ¡°I hate being falsely used. Anyone interested <b>can </b><b>take </b>the elevators with me to the screening room and watch the security footage.¡±

    Many guests immediately followed her toward the elevators, a <b>wave </b>of wil

    * seems Miss Riley mi

    srising among them.

    might really be innocent. She¡¯s the <b>daughter </b>of the Riley familly<b>. </b>She wouldn¡¯t have any reason to make a fuss over <b>a </b>single dress.¡±

    ¡°I thought so too. Honestly, there¡¯s something off about that Xander girl. If she has nothing to hide, why is she <b>so </b>against showing the footage<b>?</b>¡±

    ¡°When they were using Charlotte Riley just now, I wanted to speakup Vin Xander gives off that take sweet, two¨Cfaced vibe. Didn¡¯t you notice the way she

    actly! Her feelings for him don¡¯t seem like those of a sister.¡±

    Wow, a forbidden crush? This is getting interesting. The rich really do live <b>in </b><b>a </b>drama.

    I can spot a fake from a mile away. <b>Vivian </b>is definitely one of those maniptive types. Luckily, Sean isn¡¯t blind. He <b>can </b>see right through her.

    That¡¯s more than most men can do.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. Her tone just makes me sick. Acting all sweet and innocent while stirring up trouble.¡±

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go watch the footage. I can¡¯t wait to see her get exposed.¡±

    Even though the whispers were hushed, they still reached Sean¡¯s ears. He tightened his hold on Charlotte¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Lottie,¡± he whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve <b>only </b>ever seen Vivian <b>as </b>a sister. Nothing more.

    Aftera brief pause, be <b>added</b><b>, </b>¡°And from <b>now </b>on, not even that.¡±

    Charlotte gave a quiet ¡°un¡± without saying anything else.

    ing this <b>as </b>

    <b>Most </b>of the young socialites, <b>eager </b>for drama, followed them to the screening room <b>on </b>the fifth floor. Only a few of the older guests stayed behind, seeing just a childish argument among the younger generation. They continuedworking, making <b>deals</b><b>, </b>and discussing business in the main hall.

    Arge group of curious young guests crowded into the screening room on the fifth floor.

    *Wow, the Riley family is seriously next level. This screening room is massive, and <b>look </b>at that starry sky ceiling! So jealous.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t <b>you </b>ask your dad to build one for you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right. just this our must¡¯ve cost millions. Our family can¡¯tpete with the Hileys.¡±

    ¡°<b>I </b>heard Desinoud Taley bought this entire estate as wedding gift for Charlotte. No way we <b>can </bpare¨Cthat¡¯s real wealth.¡±

    ¡°My dadins when I spend a few thousands month. This just <b>makes </b>me feel poor.¡±

    ¡°xactly! I saw someone online saying the biggest difference in lifees down to the family you¡¯re bom into<b>.</b>¡±

    Onor the guests were all seated, Charlotte walked up to theputer at the front of the room.

    She inserted a USB drive, opened the folder, and selected the relevant surveince <b>footage</b>. A moment <bter</b><b>, </b>the projector came to life<b>, </b>and the screen lit up.

 His Heart 184

    -25 §±§à§á§å§Ý

    In the video, Vivian was seen ncing around nervously, as if searching for someone.

    The moment Charlotte appeared, Vivian quickly grabbed <b>a </b>ss of red wine from a <b>passing </b><b>server </b>and Inurried straight toward her. The closer she got, the faster she moved <b>until </b>she collided directly with Charlotte.

    ¨C

    The ss slipped from her hand, the red wine sshed everywhere, and the rest <b>was </b>history.

    The footage made everything clear <b>at </b>a nce. Vivian had deliberately bumped into Charlotte.

    The crowd <b>gasped</b><b>, </b>and the murmurs started <b>again</b>.

    Several guests had already began recording the footage on their phones as it yed. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the surveince clip made its way online.

    A fight between two rich heiresses? That was way more entertaining than anyedy special.

    to blow up online.

    Some would share the video for attention, others <b>for </b>a bit of drama. But one thing was certain. This video was going to

    After leaving the screening room, Sean called Mrs. Jasper St.

    | Neither she not Vivian had gone to watch the Footage. Now that the truth was <b>out</b>, they owed Charlotte an apology.

    The call was answered by Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s personal attendant.

    ¡°Sir, Mrs. Jasper St. isn¡¯t feeling well. We¡¯re taking her to the hospital

    ¡°What a coincidence<b>,</b>¡± Sean¡¯s voice was cold with disbelief.

    <b>Mrs. </b>Graham nced at Mrs. Jasper St.<b>, </b>who was sitting beside her in the car. Mrs. Jasper Sr. <b>made </b>a quick gesture, and Mrs. Graham¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she continued to lie smoothly.

    ¡°Yes. After your argument with her, she got so upset that her heart started acting <b>up</b><b>. </b><b>You </b>know how sensitive her heart condition is.¡±

    <b>Sean </b>was silent for a moment.

    ¡°<b>And </b>Vivan? Put her on the phone.¡±

    Mrs. Graham had the call on speaker, and Vivian, who had been listening<b>, </b>frantically shook <b>her </b>head.

    <b>¡°</b>Mus Xander isn¡¯t with us,¡± Mrs. Graham Lied without missing a beat, ¡°Thave no idea where she is now,¡±

    ¡°aha¡± Sean let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Fascinating. Since they won¡¯t take my call, they¡¯ll have to apologize to Charlotte in person at her house.¡±

    Charlotte had gone upstairs to change, leaving Sean alone in the <b>garden</b><b>, </b>making hispalle

    As be hung <b>up </b>and made his way back to the banquet hall, he <b>ran </b>into Desmond,

    Desmond had just <b>wrapped </b>up a business discussion when the estate¡¯s butler informed him of the gormotion in the ball.

    He had gone looking for Mrs Jasper Sr. to demand an exnation, only to learn <b>that </b>she and Vivian had <b>already </b>left.

    Now he was <b>loolding </b><b>for </b>Sean

    His expression was tense. ¡°Sean, what exactly happened in the banquet hall just now? Why were your grandmother and your sister picking on Charlotte?¡± Sean immediately adopted <b>a </b>respectful tone. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. On their behalf, 1 apologize.¡±

    Despond wonted. ¡°They should be the <b>ones </b>apologizing not you. I¡¯ve already heard the full story. You were protecting Charlotte the entire time. It was your grandmother and your sister who mistreated lier. They owe Charlotte an apology, not me.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll make sure they apologize to her in person.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s <b>better</b>¡± Desmond¡¯s expression softened slightly, but his voice regnated in ¡°Charlotte is the jewel of our family. No one gets <b>to </b>push her around¨Cnot even someone from the Jasper family,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right,¡± Sean replied politely, maintaining his respectful demeanor

    It didn¡¯t take long for in video of Vivian deliberately bumping into Charlotte to go viral ordine.

    Alongside the surveince footage, clips of Charlotte and Vivian arguing <b>at </b>the banquet also started circting

    The video titles were as dramatic as the footage itself, each one more sensational than thest

 His Heart 185

    scheming <b>Socialite </b>Stages ident to Embarrass Real Heiress ¨C Instant Karnal

    *Maniptive Heiress Exposed¨CRich Girl Strikes Back!¡±

    ¡°Heiresses sh at a Lavish Party ¨C The <b>Shocking </b>Reason Revealed!¡°¨C

    ¡°Two Wealthy Heiresses Fight Over a Man!¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Sisters Tumed Rivals ¨C All Becuase of Love!¡±

    Mia scrolled through the trending topics online, shaking her head. ¡°These video titles just keep getting crazier.¡±

    Lena frowned. ¡°Wait, <b>does </b>the Jasper family just allow videos like this to go pobile?

    Charlotte¡¯s voice was cold. The viewers don¡¯t know that Vivian <b>Xander </b>is an adopted daughter of the Jasper family. Haven¡¯t you noticed that neither Mrs. Jasper St. <b>not </b>Sean appeared in the footage?¡±

    Lena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh<b>, </b>you¡¯re right! No wonder the video got posted.¡±

    Mia scoffed, ¡°That old hag from the Jasper family is just ¡ª ¡±

    ¡°Mia!¡± Lena quickly cut her off. ¡°Charlotte, aren¡¯t you going to take down the trending posts? Won¡¯t they affect you negatively?¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, I won¡¯t take them down, and I won¡¯t let the Jasper family take them down either. <b>The </b>surveince footage is already out there- anyone can see who was in the wrong. Let Vivian embarrass herself. Serves her right for always trying to y tricks on me.

    Mia nodded. ¡°1 support you!¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Me too.¡± Lena agreed,

    H

    The next <b>day</b>, Sean¡¯s parents, James <b>and </b>

    he estab

    Lilian, arrived at the estate with Vivian to apologize.

    was true or not,

    Sean came with them, but Mrs. Jasper Sr. didn¡¯t <b>show </b>up. They imed she had <b>a </b>heart attack from the stress and was now in the ICU. Whether that was in no one could say¡­

    But James and Lilian were clearly sincere in their apology, so Desmond didn¡¯t press them about Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s condition

    Charlotte and Desmond had stayed at the estate overnight, which was why the Jasper Canly came here to apologize.

    Is the grand, elegantly decorated sitting room, Desmond <b>sat </b><b>at </b>the head of the room, with James and Lilian seated on either side. Charlotte and Sean sat together.

    Vivian was on her knees.

    The night before, Sean had barked up the surveince footage on his phone and sent it to his parents.

    The moment they saw it<b>, </b>they immediately scolded Vivian harshly.

    but in front of Mes. <b>Jasper </b>Sr., they didn¡¯t dare say much. Instead, Sean went straight to the hospitnd showed the footage to his grandmother.

    The truth was right their in the <b>video</b>. <b>No </b>matter how dissatisfied Mrs. Jasper St. was with Charlotte, she couldn¡¯t deny what she saw. Knowing it was <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>fault, r reluctantly agreed to let them bring Vivian to apologize in person.

    No matter how much <b>Vivian </b>whined, cried, or begged <b>to </b>see her, Mrs. Jasper Sr. refused to ope

    open the door.

    <b>With </b>her silent approval, James and Lilian prepared an expensive gift and brought Vivian to the Riley estate to apologize.

    Vivian had tried <b>to </b>sit down, but the moment alue stated to move, <b>Sean¡¯s </b>cold <b>voice </b>cut through the room before her parents <b>could </b>even speak

    ¡°Who said <b>you </b>could sit? Get on your kures. ¡±

    Itis tone was dry, <b>carrying </b>an undeniable authority.

    Vivian¡¯s lips quivered, Jim eyes filling with <b>tears </b><b>as </b>she looked pleadingly at James and Lin

    Jattura¡¯s face was stern. ¡°Kneel ¡±

    Din didn¡¯t even look at her ¡°He told you to keel. So kneel ¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze was cold and unyielding, lus enllie presence radiating a chilling <b>pressure</b>.

    With no courage to resist, Vivian reluctantly knelt down

    Desund looked satisfied.

    Janes and Lilian began with <b>a </b><b>long</b>¨Cwinded apology, expressing their regret and shame over the incident

    When it was Vivian¡¯s tum, Sean¡¯s voice was sharp and unyielding

    ¡°Tum around. Kneel facing Lottie, and apologize to her directly.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s jaw tightened <b>as </b>she struggled to contain her anger, but she didn¡¯t dare fight back. She shuffled around, facing Charlotte, still on her knees,

    -I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered, her voice shaking, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have tried to embarrass you in front of everyone. I was wrong.¡±

    Charlotte leaned back slightly, watching Vivian with interest.

    ¡°Why are you always targeting me?¡± she asked calmly.

 His Heart 186

    ¡°L¡± Vivian stuttered under the weight of everyone¡¯s gaze. The pressure was overwhelming.

    <b>I </b><b>was </b>jealous of how close you were with my brother,¡± she mumbled, her voice shaky. ¡°I just wanted <b>his </b>attention. I¡¯m sorry I was wrong

    charlotte¡¯s eyes stayed sharp, fixed on <b>Vivian</b>. ¡°That¡¯s all? Nothing else?¡±

    -25 Bonus

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    -old.¡±

    Lilian sighed. ¡°Honestly, Vivian, how can you be so childish? You¡¯re acting like a three¨Cyear¨Co

    Vivian¡¯s head hung low, and her voice broke into a sob. ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b>sorry, Moim. I won¡¯t do it again. I promise.¡± |

    James frowned. ¡°At least you know you were wrong. Don¡¯t ever

    tever let this happen again, You¡¯ve embarrassed our entire family,¡±

    Charlotte continued to watch Vivian intently, she knew Vivian wasn¡¯t telling the whole truth. But getting her to admit her feelings for Sean in front of James and Lilian was unlikely.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t press further. Instead, she gave a casual, almost dismissive smile. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s all it was, huh?¡±

    James turned to Desmond. ¡°I apologize on behalf of our family. It¡¯s our failure in raising Vivian properly. I hope you can <b>forgive </b>us. About those <b>videos </b>online¡­¡±

    Desmond pretended to be confused. ¡°What videos?¡±

    James exined, ¡°Someone posted <b>a </b><b>video </b>of what happened at the partyst <b>night</b><b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°ph?¡± Desmond took a sip of tea. ¡°Let me take a look¡±

    He pulled out his phone. ¡°Where are they?¡±

    Charlotte walked over and pulled up the videos <b>on </b>social media

    Desmond watched the clips, his lips twitching as he read the dramatic tities It was <b>almost </b>enough to make himugh.

    Thement section was even better. Everyone was roasting Vivian

    Desmond chuckled. ¡°Honestly, I think this is fine. When <b>you </b><b>do </b><b>something </b>wrong, you <b>should </b>be ready to face the consequences. If she¡¯s being criticized online, she brought it on herself.¡±

    <b>James </b>looked frustrated. ¡°I understand your point, but this doesn¡¯t just embarrass her. <b>It </b>drags down the reputation of both our families.¡±

    Desmond smiled calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t see it <b>that </b>way. My <b>daughter </b>wasn¡¯t the one who did anything wrong. Besides, no one online knows Vivian is connected to your family. They <b>didn¡¯t </b>see Mrs. Jasper Sr., and Sean didn¡¯t appear in the video either. So how is this damaging your family¡¯s reputation?<b>¡± </b>

    James hesitated, ¡°Hot everyone who attended the party knows <b>it </b>was Vivian<b>, </b>and they know she¡¯s part of the Jasper <b>family</b>.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Those who know already know. Those who <b>don¡¯t </b><b>never </b>will. Removing the videos or trying to take down the trending posts won¡¯t change that.¡±

    James wat momentarily speechless. Desmond¡¯s logic made too much sense.

    The conversation dragged on for another two hours.

    Vivian st

    i stayed kneeling the entire time<b>, </b>and by the end, she was limping when she got up, her knees clearly bruised.

    As she walked ahead of Bean, she tried her usual trick¨Cstumbling slightly, hoping he would feel sorry for her.

    But Seandidn¡¯t <b>even </b><b>look </b>at lur. Itis gaze was <b>cold </b>and indifferent.

    At the hospital, the tests showed that the bone <b>w </b>door was a perfect match, and the hospital scheduled the transnt for two dayster.

    Matthew¡¯s face lit up with a smile that <b>hadn¡¯t </b>been there in a long time. ¡°<b>This </b>is amazing! <b>I </b><b>can¡¯t </b>thank you enough, Miss Riley. <b>You </b>saved my sister¡¯s life. I don¡¯t even <b>loww </b>how to repay you. From now on, whatever you say gors¨CI¡¯ll do anything <b>you </b><b>ask</b>¡± <b>His </b>voice broke with emotion as he wiped away his team. Charlotte¡¯s smile <b>was </b>warm Knowing the transnt was confined and the surgery was scheduled <b>lifted </b>a huge weight at her heart

    ¡°I¡¯m just <b>d </b>I could help Luna,¡± she said gendly, slipping her arms around Sean¡¯s. ¡°But I can¡¯t take all the credit. It was my face who helped find the matching

    Matthew thanked Sean over and over, his gratitude overtlowing

    Jenny was just as overjoyed.

    Charlotte had promised Luna that she would help her with makeup today. After a few our words with Matthew, she left the roam and made her way to Luna¡¯s

 His Heart 187

    <b>Sean </b>still had work to take care of,

    stayed for a while before leaving

    Charlotte and Jenny went to Lama¡¯s hospital room, where they teamed up to give her a beautiful makeover.

    Lana heamed at betreflection in the judrror. ¡°Charlotte, Jenny, thisisthe t tline (¡®ve ever looked this pretty!¡±

    Chadotte gently patted her heal. ¡± show your brother now.

    ¡°okay¡± Lama nodded eagerly and skipped off.

    Back at Charlotte¡¯s apartment, <b>Sean </b>received an

    acall to No

    Nish

    They had won the bid for the project in Antis Thai had been matched by Josephi. As a result, Josepli had suffered a massive financial loss and was now scrambling to till the <b>pap </b>

    Noah warned Sean to be careful at Joseph seeking revenge.

    ¡°Eventhoughthe¡¯s in Antis, he has people working for him here in Jersey City,¡± Noah cautioned.

    After hanging up, Sean¡¯s expression tumed serious. ¡°Lottle, there¡¯s something need to tell you.¡±

    Seeing his grave expression, charlotte straightened up. ¡°What is 117¡±

    H

    ¡°My father¡¯s illegitimate son is Joseph Food. Years ago, when my grandparents refused to let him return <b>to </b>the Jasper family, he struggled for a while in Antis, Eventually, he was taken in by a powerful local gang leader. In recent years, he¡¯s bullt his own base there, with loyal followers and even armed forces.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make him really dangerous for you? Sean, you have to be careful dealing with him.¡±

    Seansed, feeling a wave of warmthat her concem. He pulled ber into fils anns

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about myself,¡± be mamured. ¡°Tin worried about you You¡¯ce the most Insportant person to me, and if he <b>wants </b>to hurt me, he mighte after

    Come after mir?

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not an easy target, but you¡­ you¡¯re my weakness. If he targets <b>you</b>, L

    Charlotte hugged ham tighter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry <b>about </b>me. I can take care of myself, Didn¡¯t you already assign two more bodyguards to me? I¡¯ll be fine. Besides, this is Jersey City, not Antis. <b>His </b>influence can¡¯t reach that far.¡±

    can frowned slightly. ¡°He has people here too<b>. </b>The ones who Iddnapped jodle at our engagement party¨Cthey were his ment.¡±

    Sean tightened his grip on her ¡°Promise me, no matter where you go, always take your bodyguards with you.¡±

    They caddled un thesota fork whille, wrapped in radiother¡¯s warmth, until the doorbell rang.

    Sean stood up. ¡°That¡¯s the food I ordered ¡±

    Charlotteughed. ¡°When did you order It? Perfect timing¨CI was just getting hungry.¡±

    ¡°Outlur way backtions the hospital,¡± Sean teplied with a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re always so thoughtful.¡±

    The food was from a nearby live¨Cstar <b>hotel </b>known for its signature dishes.

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened as she recognized the logo on the bag: ¡°Walt, don¡¯t they usually not offer <b>delivery </b>service?¡±

    <b>can </b>smiled and began unpacking the dishies, ananging them neatly on the table. ¡°They do if you want them to.

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him before quickly catching on Of course, the hotel didn¡¯t offer delivery for ordinary customers but Sean wasn¡¯t an ordinary

    She took a seat at the dining table, her eyes lighting sap as r picked up her utensils.

    She was genuinely starving she had overslept that morning, missing <b>breakfast</b>, and by the time <b>she </b>woke up, it was already past lunchtime.

    The table was dilled with a delicious sparad¨Call of her favorite dishes.

    The dishes were perfectly prepared, fragrant, colorful, and full of vor

    The hotel was famous for its food, known for its high prices and small portions, but the taste was always worth it.

 His Heart 188

    After returning from Linion Springs, Zar was diagnosed with severe depression and was admitted to the hospital for treatment.

    Many people came to <b>visit </b>him.

    But none of them were Charlotte.

    Every time the door in his hospital room opened, Zarwould hold his breath, his eyes lighting up with hope.

    But every time, his shoulders would slump, and his gaze would fall in disappointment.

    From sunrise to sunset, he waited, not the one person he longed in ser never appeared.

    A sharp, aching pain gripped Zac¡¯s heart. Despair settled in. He couldn¡¯t help but think Charlotte really wasn¡¯ting back.

    ¡°Chadat. Without you, what¡¯s the point of living?¡± he muttered.

    At dinnertime, Manicacame in with an orderly, bringing Zae his meal,

    But the moment she pushed the door open, she let out a piercing scream, dropping the insted container she was holding.

    bing hold of him. ¡°Zac, don¡¯t do this! Please don¡¯t <b>scare </b>me! Don¡¯t do this!¡±

    Monica rushed forward, grabbing

    She had walked in just in time to see Zac holding a fruit life, pressing it against <b>his </b>wrist, slicing it open.

    Tears streamed down Monica¡¯s face. ¡°<b>You </b>foolish child! Why would you do something so stupid? <b>What </b>could be so bad that you¡¯d do this? How could you leave me

    Blood soaked the bed sheets. A deep gash ran across Zae¡¯s wrist, and blood flowed out endlessly.

    1 Zac¡¯s ever

    eyes were empty, his expression nk. He didn¡¯t hear a word his mother said.

    All he could think about <b>was </b>that Charlotte didn¡¯t want him anymore. Charlotte was nevering back

    The pain in his chest was suffocating. It was so intense that it felt like his heart was being crushed.

    ¡°it hurts so muchi, Charlotte. It hurts so much,¡± he murmured.

    The caregiver was terrified and ran out into the hallway, shouting for help

    Doctors and nurses rushed in, <b>and </b>Zar was wheeled straight into the emergency room.

    Monica copsed in the corridor, sobbing hysterically.

    ¡°Oh God, why is this happening?! Zar, how could you do something so foolish?!¡±

    Curlotte had just stepped out of the hospital when her phone rang.

    The temperature outside was live degrees below freezing. She got into her car, tumed on the <b>heater</b>, and saw an unfamiliar number on her phone screen.

    ¡°Charlotte, pleasee to the hospital <b>to </b>see Zad He Ired to sell over you. They <b>barely </b>saved him, but the doctor says he has no will to live. Please, I was wrong in the past. I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m begging you please save my son! <b>He¡¯s </b>all I havel¡±

    ¡°What do <b>you </b>mean, fried <b>to </b><b>idli </b>hinselt?

    Z tried to lu!!

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t process the couldn¡¯te the words ¡°ukelde¡± and ¡°Zac¡± in her mind.

    mdsome like him? suicide? Impossible.

    Monica¡¯s solis corained over the phone, choked with rinution

    Uld Zace to <b>see </b>you <bst </b>ni?¡± Mur¨¢ra managed <b>to </b><b>ask</b>, trying to calin herself.

    Monica¡¯s sobs grew louder

    ¡°copsed in the snowst night. I came to see him today, and when I walked <b>into </b>his room, he was cutting his wrist! What did you do to him? What did you say

    to him that made him want to die?

    Charlotte¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What did I do to him? What could I have possibly done?¡±

    Monica¡¯s voice was a mix of panic and desperation. ¡°Charlotte, I admit it¨Cused to look down on you, I didn¡¯t know you were a Riley, and I was shallow and judgmental. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m begging you, pleasee to the hospital and see Zar. They managed to save him, but he has no will to live. He won¡¯t wake up. Please, can youe and talk to him?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, this has nothing to do with me.¡±

    Monica¡¯s grief instantly tumed to rage.

    Her voice rose, sharp and furious. ¡°Charlotte Riley, how can you be so heartless? Do you even have a soul?! <b>Zac </b>tried to kill himself because of you, and you won¡¯t evene see him?¡±

    Charlotte let out a coldugh. ¡°Heartless? if that¡¯s what you want to think, go ahead. I don¡¯t <b>care</b><b>.</b>¡±

 His Heart 189

    pter 189

    After finishing her words, Charlotte didn¡¯t waste another second arguing with Monica, she decisively ended the

    cal

    At the hospital, Zacy on the hospital bed, drifting in and out of consciousness. Somewhere in the haze, he thought he board Charlotte¡¯s voice

    ¡°Charlette¡­Chadotte¡­¡­¡± be murmurd.

    He feared his eyes open, blinking against the bright, stentle white ceiling. A slurp pain pedsed from his wrist, and the strong smell of antiseptic filled his nose

    He tried moving his fingers.

    ¡°Zac! You¡¯re finally awake! Why would you do something so foolishi?!¡± Monica¡¯s volce broke into soles, her swollen, red eyes making her look like a tearful, swollen

    Zac¡¯s voter was weak and raspy. ¡°Mon? Why are you here? Where¡¯s Charlotte?¡±

    He was certat he had post

    His eyes scanned the mom, taking in the faces of his parents, along with Erhan, Eugene, and a few other friends. Even Wendy, who had argued with him just that menning, stond by the dong.

    But the one person he desperately wanted to see was

    was nowhere to be a

    e found.

    Hracing that the first thing Zoe asked after waking up <b>was </b>about Charlotte, Wendy¡¯s face twisted with grief. She turned away, tears streaming down her cheeks.

    Zack tatlier, Mark tilhson, spoke up. His voice was sharp and full of disappointment. ¡°You tried to kill yo over a woman? How did I end up with such a useless

    yourself ove

    ¡°Would you shut up for once?¡± Monica snapped, ring at her husband. ¡°He just got out of emergency. Do you want to push him to the edge again!¡±

    Mark looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes<b>, </b>clear sign of sleepless nights.

    **This is your fault for spoiling him!¡± be shouted, his voice harsh. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done! <b>He¡¯s </b>obsessed with that woman¨Cso much <b>that </b>he¡¯d try to kill

    Monica¡¯s eyes ted with anger. ¡°My fault? be your son <b>too</b><b>? </b>Have you ever bothered to care about him? if anyone¡¯s a failure <b>as </b>a parent, it¡¯s you!¡±

    sahan quickly stepped in, trying to calm them down, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Gibson, please, this isn¡¯t the time to fight. Zac needs <b>peace </b>and rest.¡±

    Eugene nodded. ¡°Yeals, please don¡¯t argue right now.¡±

    Exper¡¯s phone suddenly yed a familiar voice. It was Charlotte¡¯s volce.

    Zac¡¯s breath caught, and his ghar locked onto Eugene¡¯s plione. ¡°Did Charlote just call?¡±

    For the first time in days, his full, lifeless eyes lit up with a spark of hope.

    Lupercalchard hi

    <b>rad</b>. ¡°Not exactly. The doctor <b>said </b>you had no will to live, so I had an idea.

    Lugene fumed the phone screen toward <b>Zar</b>, and a video of Charlotte began to y

    It was a clip from one of their parly days together, taken on her birthday.

    Back then, Wendy hadn¡¯t rmed from abroad, and zar hadn¡¯t started <b>messing </b>around with other women. He genuinely loved Charlotte, and she loved him just as much. Herl?art and eyes were always full of him.

    They wear hugpy¡ªjust like any ordinary couple. They went on dates, <b>took </b>photos, and recorded videos <b>to </b>capture their sweet moments together.

    In the video, Charlotte wone apretty linte dress, her makeup perfectly done. She held a birthday cake <b>in </b>her hands, smiling brightly at the <b>camera</b><b>. </b>¡°Zar, thank you for celeluating my birthday with me. I¡¯m so happy today

    I time celeloating my birlay with a boyfriend. It¡¯s so special

    Zat¡¯s voice came from the video ¡°Charlotte, I¡¯ll celebrate your binty with you every year from now on

    It fumed out the voice he heard just now was from the video.

    Jac¡¯s tears flowed uncontrobly.

    Thurse years <b>had </b>passed, but everything had changed. Watching the video now, his heart twisted painfully in his chest.

 His Heart 190

    Zac reached out towand Engene. ¡°Let ime nee (L.¡±

    Tangene handed his the phone.

    Zbatched the phone tightly, watching the birthday video of charlotte over and over, Histras flowed uncontrobly.

    <b>Mark¡¯s </b>expression darkened. ¡°Watching you like this just makes me fusions! rathetic!¡°.

    Monica grabbed <b>his </b><b>atm</b>: ¡°Seriously? Our son is in this state, and you¡¯ve past making it worse? How can you call Islim pathetic? Weren¡¯t you the one who relied on him to bring in those big investments for thepany? Witboni Zac, we¡¯d be bank?nq?!¡±

    Mark¡¯s saw tightened, but he didn¡¯t say another wood. He gave Zaconest, hand look befour funding and walking not.

    Wendy couldn¡¯t bear it either. Watching Zac cling to the phone, reying the vilen of Charlotte like he was possessed, she tumed away and lett

    Monica yelped her tears. ¡°<b>Zac</b>, forget about that woman, I can introduce you to someone better.¡±

    Ethan sighed. ¡°Zac, there¡¯s a saying there are plenty of fish in the <b>sea</b>. Why get being up on just one? Tell me what kind of woman you like, and I¡¯ll help you find.

    11 Zac stared at the s

    e viden, lost in it, not saying a wond

    gene sheek his head with a helpless sigh. ¡°Forget l. Let¡¯s ghee him some space.!!

    ¡°No way!¡± Monica insisted. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving him alone again. What If he tiles to let himself again?¡±

    Lana¡¯s bone mano transnt was a s ?ss. There were no sigms of rejection,

    He was saved.

    Tmally, Charlotte could rx and focus on her work

    For the past few days, she had been busy preparing case tiles and attending

    After beating that Zac had gone to such an extreme as attempting salcide, she didn¡¯t feel safe staying at her apartment in Brightwood Residences anymore.

    <b>Sean </b>had bought her a new vi about six or seven kilometers from <b>her </bw firm. It was close enough for an easymute.

    On Saturday, Charlotte lured a housekeeper to help pack her things and called a imovingpany.

    Just as the movers were carving out thest suitcase, the elevator doors opened, and Zac stepped out.

    He looked <b>pale</b>, his cheeks sunken, with dark circles under his eyes. He was visibly thinner and seemed almost fragile.

    Zar¡¯s steps slowed when he saw the movingpany staff canying her things. Its troubled gaze locked onto Charlotte.

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re moving out ?*

    Culotte simply <b>nodded </b>without saying anything. She stepped toward the elevator.

    But just as she brushed past him, he grabbed her wrist,

    ¡°Charlotte, please don¡¯t go.¡°His <b>voice </b><b>was </b>almost a whisper,ced with desperation. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you anymore. I promise. Just don¡¯t leave. I just want to be clour to you, to stay quietly by your side.¡±

    Curlotte¡¯s gaze dropped to lus hand gripping her wrist. Her voice was cold. ¡°Let go,¡®

    But Zac didn¡¯t let ga

    She tried to pull free, but his grip tightened.

    ¡ú zac, you¡¯ve hurting me!* chalotte¡¯s voice cose, her bows furrowing

    Zecinuediately released her, <b>like </b>he had shocked. Begiet dashurd in his eyes.

    | just¡­¡­ I just don¡¯t want you to leave!

    Charlotte ribbed her wihat, which was red from his grip. Her voice was calm, almost emotionless. ¡°I¡¯ve made myself clear. We <b>can </b>never

    never go back to what we were There¡¯s no chance of starting over. You don¡¯t need to keep doing these things just to make yourself feel better.¡±

    She took a few steps toward the elevator, then paused Tamming back<b>, </b>she met <b>Zac¡¯s </b>eyes, her expression actious

    I heard you tried to fill yourself a few days ago: zar, il you¡¯re the kind of person who handles things <b>so </b>extremely, I can dedy terlelieved that left you, it doesn¡¯t buke me think you loved toe so much you rouldn¡¯t live willewut me!

    Her voice remained steady ¡°Don¡¯t ever du something like that <b>again</b>. I don¡¯t want a failed rtionship to leave me with the burden of someone¡¯s life.¡±

    With that, she stepped into the elevator, following the movers

 His Heart 191

    Zar stood frozen, reying Charlotte¡¯s parting words to his mind.

    She had said, ¡°Don¡¯t ever do something like that again.¡±

    meanshe still cared about him?

    Did that m

    She cared about whether he lived <b>or </b>died, She didn¡¯t want him to throw his life away so easily.

    A spark of hope lit up in Zac¡¯s chest. His <b>eyes </b>turned red

    He knew it. Charlotte wasn¡¯t that heartless.

    There was still hope.

    The vi sean bought for Charlotte was a seaside mansion. It spanned <b>over </b>six hundred square meters,plete with arge swimming pool and <b>a </b>spacious backyard

    From the swing in the garden, she could see the vast, clear blue ocean

    The vi was fully furnished and equipped with all thetest appliances, all in the style she loved. It was clear Sean had put <b>a </b>lot of thought into it.

    Charlotte directed the movers on where to ce her belongings.

    She left all the fumiture and appliances from her old apartment behind, bringing only her personal items.

    Once everything was set, she took a warm shower, then copsed onto <b>the </b>soft,fortable bed and fell into <b>a </b>deep, <b>peaceful </b>sleep.

    ¨C Eugene was womed. He thought Zac was having <b>a </b>serious mental brealulown

    Zac kept lying to hamself, insisting that Charlotte still loved him.

    Whenever Eugene visited, he would hear Zac talking to himself. But when he listened closely, he realized Zac was having full conversations with an imaginary

    Charlotte<b>. </b>

    Eugene gently parted Zac¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re scaring me.¡®

    But acdidn¡¯t seem <b>to </b>hear him. He just kept chatting with his imaginary Charlotte, and he seemed genuinely happy doing it.

    Even at mealtime, Zac would insist on setting out an extra set of utensils, saying it was for Charlotte.

    Eger tried everything <b>to </b>convince Zac to see a therapist, but Zac stubbornly refused.

    ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b>not <b>crazy</b><b>,</b>¡± Zac insisted.

    n the end, Eugene and Ethat had no choice but to physically drag him to the hospital

    therapist they <b>found </b>was a woman in her thirties named Dr. <b>Anna </b>Hill.

    she had a <b>neat</b>, short haircut, calm, elegant demeanor, and <b>a </b>reputation <b>as </b>one of the most experienced therapists in Jersey City

    One workday attemoon, just after her lunch break, Anna amived at the hospital as usual.

    But she hadn¡¯t even settled into her office when Zac <b>was </b>brought in, practically against his will.

    Over the years, Auta had seen her share of troubled patients<b>, </b>but someone like Zac was <b>a </b>rare case.

    was young, handsome and ealthy. By conventional standards, people like him weren¡¯t supposed to <b>sutter </b>from heartbreak

    Il anything, society expected the rich to <b>treat </b>

    teat love <b>like </b><b>a </b>game. Their¡¯s even a saying: ¡°If you¡¯re young, sessful, and driving a Bentley, love is just another game.

    For somedor of Zat¡¯s status<b>, </b>love <b>was </b>supposed to be insigadicant¨Caminor part of thepared to money, power, and reputation. But this young man was the exception

    Lar was pesisting atters with everything he had.

    me gol l¡¯an not s?rk I want to leave!¡± Zac shouted, struggling against Eugene and Eit.

    rubbed bertemples, feeling a headacheing on the lontediately recognized how serious this case was.

    Not only was Zac suffering, but his condition serited severe

    Stepping into her <b>role</b><b>, </b>she quickly began a calm, professional conversation with Zac

    Gradually, Zac¡¯s aggression eased<b>, </b>and be started responding to her questions.

    Anna exined to him that his mental state was extremely dangerous

    ¡°Given your carent state<b>, </b>you¡¯re at high risk of doing something extreme.¡±

    Zac let out a bitterugh. ¡°To be honest with you, I already <b>have</b>.¡±

    Anna¡¯s brows turrowed slightly.

    ¡°I tried to all myself a few days ago,¡± zac murmured, his <b>voice </b>t. ¡°But Italled.¡±

    As he spoke, he pushed up his sleeve, revealing a jagged scar on his left wrist

    ¡°This scar.¡± he whispered, ¡°is proof of how mach loved her.¡±

 His Heart 192

    hapter 192

    Borus

    Anna sighed, rubbing her forehead. ¡°It you keep this up, she¡¯ll only hate you more. <b>No </b>one <b>is </b>attracted in so

    someone so extreme.

    fall back down, his expression dull, ¡°she told me so herself. She said I shouldn¡¯t do something like <b>that </b>again. Doesn¡¯t that mean

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Zaclet his <b>sleeve </b><b>tal </b>she still cares <b>about </b>me?¡±

    But Anna didn¡¯t follow his line of thinking. With just a few words, she skillfully shifted the conversation, gulding Zar¡¯s thoughts in another direction.

    Patiently:

    fly <b>and </b>gently, she led him through a therapy session.

    The sessionsted nearly four hours.

    At the end of the session, Annaottered her advice sincerely.

    She crested that Zac slowly start distancing himself from this rtionship¨Cfrom the person who upied his heart and mind,

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>need to shift your focus in life,¡± she told him. ¡°<b>Stop </b>centering everything around her.¡±

    Zac seemed to be listening. He even <b>nodded </b>slightly as he lett, as if he understood.

    But in reality, he hadn¡¯t heard a word she said.

    ¡°Distance myself from Charlotte? That¡¯s impossible,¡± he thought.

    That night, Zac couldn¡¯t sleep.

    He still lived in the apartment next to Charlotte¡¯s old ce, but she was gone now.

    Silence filled the night

    Zacy on his bed, the room shrouded in darkness.

    With his eyes closed, Charlotte¡¯s face shed through his mind again and again.

    But suddenly, another face forced its way into his thoughts a man¡¯s face.

    It was Sean Jasper<b>. </b>

    Zac¡¯s mind conjured an image of Sean smiling smugly, cupping Charlotte¡¯s face, and leaning in for a passionate kiss.

    ¡°No! stop it!¡± Zac shouted, his voice breaking the stillness. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her! Get away from her!¡±

    Alour in the pitch¨Cck room, he screamed like a madman.

    Over and <b>over</b>, be tortured himself with visions of Sean and Charlotte together, sweetlywrapped in each <b>other¡¯s </b>anns, even wildly lost in each other¡¯s passion ¡°No Charlotte..please, <b>no</b><b>.. </b>Zac curled up on the bed, <b>his </b>muffled sobs filling the dark silence.

    <b>Zac</b>, a grown man over six feet tall, was now curled up in a ball, sobbing uncontrobly.

    Curlotte woke up from her <b>nap</b>, feeling a bit hungry.

    Just as she stretched, the doorbell rang.

    She brushed her hair a few times, slipped into a cream¨Ccolored fur coat<b>, </b><b>and </b>shuffled to the door in her fluffy slippers.

    ¡°Hello, Miss Riley. I¡¯m the cook Mr. Sean Jasper hired <b>for </b>you.¡±

    Cutside <b>stood </b>a kind¨Clooking woman in her fifties, wearing a wann ck quilted jacket.

    Charlotte passed ¡°<b>Please </b>wait a moment. I¡¯ll need to click!

    After all<b>, </b>she couldn¡¯t past let a stranger into her home,

    ¡°Of coume! <b>No </b>problem to lead <b>and </b>an M¨CJasper I¡¯ll wait right here, the woman <b>said </b>cheerfully.

    Charlotte dialed Sean¡¯s number

    *Did you hire a cook for <b>me</b><b>?</b>¡±

    ¡°Yes She¡¯s Mrs. Wilson¡¯s <b>daughter</b>¨Cinw Mrs. Wilson is too old toe herself, but her daughter¨Cinw learned all her recipes. I specifically <b>asked </b>her to cook for you Higurd you¡¯d like holding ¡±

    Charlotte froze for a moment.

    Be pemembered Mis Wilson. She was Sullivan family¡¯s old housekeeper

    Her mother, Sue, had leamed how to cook from Mrs. Wilson

    <b>Sean </b>had even taken her to visit Mrs Wilson before. She had met Mrs. Wilson and her son, but his wife hadn¡¯t been home that <b>day</b>.

    Charlotte hadn¡¯t expected Sean to be so thoughtful¨Cactually hiring Mys. Wilson¡¯s daughter¨Cinw best to cook for her.

    Girls always notice the little things.

    Wannth spread through her chest, soft and sweet, like a cloud of cotton candy.

    ¡°<b>Got </b>it. Thanks, Sean

 His Heart 193

    Chapter <b>193 </b>

    Charlotte ended the call and formed to Mrs. Wilson¡¯s daughter¨Cinw with a polite smile. ¡°Pleasee in.¡±

    as 27 years old and had a daughter who was two years younger than Charlotte

    As they chatted, Charlotte leamed that the <b>woman¡¯s </b>name was Cora Sanders. She was

    and worked as an elementary school teacher<b>. </b>

    Miss Riley, Mr. Jasper told me you love these dishes, so Thought some fresh ingredients, What would you like me to cook tonight? Cora entered the house, caming tworge bags filled with fresh vegetables and meat from a membership¨Conly supermarket.

    charlotte smiled. ¡°I <b>Sean </b>said so, then I¡¯m sure I like them. I¡¯m fine with anything just cook whatever you think is best.¡±

    great! Mr. Jasper was very specific. He told me to go to the big supermarket in the west of the city, it¡¯s my first time going to a ce like that. You even need a membership to get in. The things there are so <b>expensive</b>, but everything is imported ¨C organic vegetables, top¨Cquality meat. It must be the best of the best, so it¡®

    safe <b>to </b>eat.¡±

    Cora was warm and friendly, with a naturally cheerful personality Chudette found herself liking her right away.

    ¡°Miss Riley, you¡¯re all grown up now. I don¡¯t know if <b>you </b>remember, but I actually held you when you were little.¡±

    Charlotte paused, surprised.

    Now <b>that </b>Cora mentioned it, something clicked in her memory.

    A smile spread across her <b>face</b>. ¡°Please don¡¯t be so formal. Just call me Lottle.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll call you Lottie from now on. Lottie, where¡¯s thechen?¡±

    Charlotte pointed. ¡°Right over there.¡±

    ¡°Got it. 1¡¯ll start cooling then Mr. Jasper mentioned he¡¯d be joining for dinner, so how about I make three dishes <b>and </b><b>a </b>soup?¡±

    Charlotte nodded<b>. </b>¡°Sounds perfect.¡±

    driver to take him to Seaside Garden¨Cthe vi he had bought for Charlotte.

    After finishing his work, Sean <b>asked </b><b>his </b>driw

    <b>To </b>avoid another awloward situation where he didn¡¯t have a clunge of clothes for an overnight stay, Sean had taken extra precautions this time.

    He arranged <b>for </b>his staff to buy a full set of essentials which included new toiletries, bathrobes, loungewear, and everyday clothes. They were all neatly packed into severalrge suitcases.

    When reached the vi, he pressed the doorbell

    Charlotte opened the door and was genuinely surprised.<ol><li>d. ¡°<b>why </b>did you bring so much stuff?¡±</li></ol>

    Seancaised an eyebrow, a yful smile tugging at his lips. ¡°Just making sure I won¡¯t nih out of clothes if 1 stay over,¡±

    Charlotte thoughts raced. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit much? Isn¡¯t this basically like moving in togethe?¡± she wondered.

    but then <b>again</b>, thinking it over, she realized that If Sean did suggest living together<b>, </b>she wouldn¡¯t actually mind.

    Watching him ring the doorbell instead of wallding in, she asked curiously, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a key? Why are you tinging the bell?¡±

    ¡°This is your house. <b>You¡¯re </b>the only owner here. I can only have a key it you agree.¡±

    Curlotte chudded. ¡°ane, I¡¯ll get you a <b>spat </b>key <bter</b>.¡±

    <b>Sean </b>stepped inside, following her, while the bodyguards carried the suitcases in

    <b>¡°</b><b>No </b>need to wait untilter, let¡¯s do it today. <b>I¡¯m </b>worried you might <b>forget</b>.¡± Charlotteughed. ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b>not that forgetful.¡±

    Meanwhile, Windy had been sullingtely, feeling luat and betrayed

    <b>Zac </b>had tried to loll himself over Charlotte, and the first thing he did after waking up was ask where she was.

    <b>Wendy¡¯s </b>heartfelt shattered.

    In the chans of the nightclubs, shing lights and ring <b>music </b>surmounded her

    Wendy sat in a booth with her best friend, quien, sipping her drink.

    er ss, watching the lights reflect off the liquid. ¡°I never would¡¯ve guessed that Charlotte Riley is actually the heiress of the Riley family from Jeney City. She never seemed like it before

    Wendy let out a bitteugh. ¡°Haha. Do you think I¡¯m just a joke, theinn?¡±

    Quinn¡¯s smile faltered awkwardly.

    To be honest, it did seem a bit like a joler,

 His Heart 194

    Ever since leaming Charlotte¡¯s true identity, Quinn had gossiped about Wendy behind her back with their other friends more times t

    Of course, she would never say any of the

    this to Wendy¡¯s face.

    than she could count

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

    Fake friends knew how to <b>keep </b><b>up </b>appearances.

    Quinn patted Wendy on the shoulder, trying to soundforting. ¡°Wendy, don¡¯t talk about yourself like that. Honestly, Charlotte¡¯s the real joke here. We all saw how Zar spoiled you when you first got back. How many times has Charlotte been cheated on? She¡¯s the one who¡¯s a joke,¡±

    Wendy¡¯s mood seemed to lift a little. She managed a slight smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. Chadotie¡¯s the <b>real </b>joke.¡±

    Quim <b>took </b>a sip of her tequ, still smiling. ¡°Wendy, I heard Charlotte¡¯s found herself a new boyfriend. Doesn¡¯t that mean you and Zac are <b>finally </b>getting

    in the dim<b>, </b>chaotic light of the nightclub, Wendy¡¯s gloomy expression was partly hidden in shadow, but her eyes shed with cold anger.

    ¡°Quinn is definitely doing this on purpose,¡± she thought, fuming.

    Everyone in their cinle knew that Zac had tried to kill himself over Charlotte, Quinn couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware.

    Asking that question was just Quinn¡¯s way of rubbing salt in her wounds.

    Wendy gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her expression neutral. It took her a moment to force a calm reply. ¡°Not really. Zac¡¯s been busy with work since hispany started operating again. He doesn¡¯t have time for dating,¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Quinn¡¯sugh was light and almost musical. ¡°Oh, right! I heard ze was in the hospital recently. He must <b>have </b>been overworked, I¡¯ve been so busy didn¡¯t get a chance to visit him in Jersey City. <b>I </b>heard from <b>Ethan </b>that he was in pretty bad shape. Stayed in the hospital for days. What happened?¡±

    Wendy¡¯s expression darkened<b>. </b>

    She tried to act casual, brushing her hair hack<b>. </b>¡°Nothing serious. Just overworking <b>and </b>staying upte. His immune system got <b>weak</b>, <b>and </b>when the temperature dropped, he caught cold.¡±

    Quinn¡¯s eyes widened dramatically, her <b>hand </b>covering her mouth. ¡°Oh just <b>a </b>cold, and he ended up hospitalized for so long? His immune system must be temble.

    Wendy tought to keep her smile steady, but her grip on her <b>ss </b>tightened.

    She quickly decided <b>to </b>switch topics. ¡°By the <b>way</b>, Quinn, how¡¯s it going with your boyfriend<b>?</b>¡±

    The senile on Quinn¡¯s <b>face </b>froze. Her expression soured as she squeezed out a few words. ¡°We broke up.

    Quinn had a <b>notorious </b>boyfriend named Eason Harris,

    #

    He was three years younger than her and used to work as a male model at a nightclub before they met. The first time Quinn saw him, he seemed over six feet tall with <b>a </b>charming, boyish face that made him <b>look </b>sweet and innocent. She was instantly smitten.

    Eason had a habit of calling her ¡°babe¡± in that yful<b>, </b><b>teasing </b>way, which made Quinn¡¯s heart flutter. After a few dates, she tell head over heels for him..

    Butter, Wendy heard from their mutual friends that Eason wasn¡¯t actually over six feet tall. In reality, he was barely 5¡¯8¡°. When he worked <b>as </b>a model, he wore thick tform shoes with nearly three clics of lift and even added extra insoles inside,

    Quinn¡¯s family ran a business, and she owned a mid¨Crange women¡¯s boutique, which made her a ¡°rich girl¡± by most people¡¯s standards

    After Eason moved in with her, he quit his modeling job. <b>Instead </b>of working, he spent his days lounging around her vi¨Csleeping, eating, and repeating the cycle, When Quinn wasn¡¯t around<b>, </b>he would fill with social <b>media </b>influencers, even setting up hookups behind her <b>back</b>. He lived off <b>Quinn¡¯s </b>money while shamelessly chasing other women.

    Wendy covered her mouth with augh. ¡°Oh my god, <b>you </b>finally broke <b>up </b>with him? He cheated on you so many this, I genuinely felt bad <b>for </b>you.

    ¡°I even heard he hinted that you should boy him a <b>Ducati</b>.¡±

    BIG SALE: 3500 bonus the lou you

 His Heart 195

    Quinn¡¯s expression darkened, and she stayed silent¡­

    Wendy kept talking, her tone casual but dripping with mockery. ¡°I heard those bikes are crazy expensive¨Chundreds of thousands for just one. I don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s just a fancy motorcycle. Is it really worth that much? And I heard he got flirty with that one influencer¨Cthe one who went viral recently. He pretended to be single and got exposed. Lucky you broke up with him. You dodged a bullet, girl!

    ¡°Come on, cheers!¡± Wendy raised her ss and clinked it against Quinn¡¯s, a faint, mocking smile in her eyes.

    ¡°Haha. Trying to mess with me? You¡¯re still too <b>naive</b>,¡± Wendy silently remarked.

    She sipped her drink, already plotting her next move. If Quinn was acting snarky, it meant the others in their circle were probablyughing at her behind her back

    Wendy was determined to win Zac over<b>, </b>and she would make those people eat their words.

    On Monday, Charlotte arrived at thew firm.

    She <b>had </b>already prepared the arbitration application and evidence for Matthew¡¯s case. Today, the needed to submit the documents to the Social Security Office.

    The Bentley Continental that Sean gave her was too shy for work, so she usually drove a low¨Ckey BMW when attending court or meeting clients

    The Social Security Office didn¡¯t have parking spaces directly outside<b>, </b>so she parked at an open <b>lot </b><b>a </b>short distance inway. From there, <b>she </b><b>had </b>to cross a busy street.

    Charlotte stood at the curb, waiting for the light to turn green.

    Suddenly, <b>a </b>strong force showed her <b>from </b>behind.

    Charlotte had no time to react. She stumbled forward,pletely losing her bnce

    Right in front of her was a busy main road, cars rushing by. The pedestrian light was ced.

    A speeding car couldn¡¯t stop in time. The driver¡¯s eyes widened in horror <b>as </b>his while hurtled straight toward Charlotte.

    In that split second<b>, </b>it felt like the saw death reaching out for her.

    But just before disaster struck, one of her bodyguards longed forward, his strong hands grabbing her and yanking her back

    It all happened in barely a second.

    Charlotte stood there, <b>gasping </b>for air, her heart pounding violently in her chest.

    It took her a moment to regain her senses

    She had almost died<b>. </b>

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay?¡± The bodyguard who saved her <b>asked</b>, his face pale with tear,

    For a moment, he had thought they might have to <b>report </b>a tragedy to Sean.

    Fortunately, the car had been far enough away, giving him just enough time to save her

    s¡¯am, this guy pushed you¡± The other bodyguard had ned down <b>a </b>thin, scruffy man, twisting <b>his </b>arms behind his <b>back </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s lieart was still racing, her body trembling slightly. She was in shock

    ¡°<b>You </b>who are you? Why did you push me? Hervelor quivered.

    The man¡¯s eyes darted around nervously. ¡°LI didn¡¯t mean to. It was an ident. <b>I¡¯m </b>sorry I¡¯m really <b>sorry</b>, I didn¡¯t mean to

    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± the bodyguard said <b>coldly</b>.

    <b>¡°</b><b>No</b>, no, I swear it was an anident! I didn¡¯t mean to

    The bodyguard twisted his arm, dislocating it.

    ¡°ahhh!<b>¡± </b>The man serated in agony.

    The traffic light turned green, and the <b>pedestrians </b>who had been watching the scene lost interest<b>, </b>crossing the street <b>and </b>leaving only the four of them standing

    there

    <b>Mm</b>, <b>I </b>saw it with my own eyes. He reached <b>out </b>and pushed you. He did it on purpose.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s brows batted together, anger ring Inler eyes ¡°Why did <b>you </b>push me?

    But the man was too overwhelmed by pain to speak, <b>his </b>face twisted in <b>agusy</b>.

    ¡°Fine. If you won¡¯t talk, I¡¯m calling the police.¡±

 His Heart 196

    Being awyer was a high¨Crisk profession. Cases of clients holding grudges and seeking revenge were not umon. Not long ago, attomey Max Zimmer was stabbed by a disgruntled client and ended up in the hospital, barely surviving.

    Now, Ryan was on his knees, his face battered and bruised<b>, </b>begging for mercy, ¡°Please, <b>ma¡¯am</b>, I¡¯m sorry! I won¡¯t do it again! I swear!¡±

    charlotte frowned. ¡°I¡¯m asking you¨Cwas it you who sent that man to push me at the crosswalk

    Ryan lookedpletely confused. ¡°Crosswalle Phish you? No! I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about! This is my first time seeing you

    ¡°Not him? Then who? Charlotte frowned<b>, </b>thinking it over.

    ¡°Could it <b>have </b>been Wendy?¡± the wondered.

    But she quickly dismissed the idea.

    Wendy was maniptive, sure, but she wasn¡¯t vicious enough to try and dil her.

    So who else could it be?

    A name suddenly shed in her mind.

    Joseph Ford.

    Sean had told her about Joseph¡¯s grudge against the Jasper family and had warned her that Joseph might target her for revenge

    Her gaze sharpened as she looked at Ryan¡¯s braised face. ¡°Are you one of Joseph Ford¡¯s ment

    Ryan shook his head frantically. ¡°I don¡¯t know him! Please, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m begging you! Let me go I¡¯ll <b>pay </b>Matthew back for everything! Just let me <b>go</b><b>!</b>¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°If you¡¯re not working for Joseph Ford, then why did you call me here and bring so many thugs<b>? </b><b>You¡¯re </b><b>just </b><b>a </b>small¨Ctime factory owner. Where <b>do </b>you get the guts to hire muscle <b>to </b>beat up an opposing attorney<b>? </b>Someone must be backing you. Tell me who it is, and I might let you go.¡±

    Ryan¡¯s entire <b>body </b>trembled.

    The mun backing him was a powerful figure, respected both in legal circled on the streets. Even the factory <b>wasn¡¯t </b><b>really </b>his. It <b>belonged </b>to that boss. He was just the frontman, the <b>legal </b>owner, a scapegoat with no real power.

    Ryan didn¡¯t dare expose his boss just thinking about that man¡¯s ruthless methods made a cold sweat break out on his back.

    Sweat beaded on Ryan¡¯s forehead. He swallowed hard. ¡°I, I <b>don¡¯t </b>have anyone backing me. I just thought <b>you </b>were <b>a </b>young woman, <b>so </b>I tried to scare <b>you </b>a bit.¡±

    Charlotte narrowed her eyes, studying him carefully, trying to gauge how much of his story was true.

    Under her sharp gaze, Ryan¡¯s nerves frayed even more. He was terrified she would order her bodyguards to beat him again.

    #Please, ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll even kneel and beg you. Just let me go!¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s smile was cold <b>and </b>humoress. ¡°I don¡¯t believe <b>a </b>small¨Ctime <b>factory </b>owner like you has the guts to hire thugs to assault awyer in broad daylight. If you won¡¯t talk, I¡¯ll just call <b>the </b>police<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Abrief look of relief shed in Ryan¡¯s eyes.

    The polke<b>? </b>That <b>didn¡¯t </b>scare bim. His boss had connections in the station

    In the president¡¯s office at Jasper Corporation, Sean¡¯s expression dakened as he answered a call from his bodyguard.

    In just one day, Charlotte had faced two dangerous incidents. Both of which <b>had </b>nearly ended in <b>disaster</b>.

    Fear wed at his heart. Without <b>a </b>second thought, far grabbed his coat and headed <b>for </b>the door.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper, where are you going?¡± Sen called after him, rusidng to keep up. ¡°You have a meeting interminates!¡±

    But Sean didn¡¯t stop..

    Al Seaside Garden Vi, Cora, the housekeeper, had prepared a full table of Charlotte¡¯s favorite dishes.

    ¡°Lottie, you¡¯ve had a long <b>day </b>at work. Come eat while <b>it¡¯s </b>hot,¡± Cora said with a warm sanile

    doste picked up her utensils but didn¡¯t have touch of an appetite.

    Her mind kept reying the terrifying moment at the crossmull

    That was the closest she had <b>ever </be to deat

    She had almost never seen the light of another day

    Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed the front door opening

    ¡°Lottiel

    Sean¡¯s voice was tense, filled with worry.

    He rushed ever, bending down to <b>grasp </b>her shoulders, his eyes scanning her for any sign of injury.

    <b>¡°</b>Are you okay? Are you hurt?*

    Palled back to reality, Charlotte looked up. ¡°sean, you already knew what happened?¡±

    Sean nodded, then pulled her into his anus, holding her tightly,

    He had almost lost her.

 His Heart 197

    Being awyer was a high¨Crisk profession. Cases of clients holding grudges and seeking revenge were not umon. Not long ago, attomey Max Zimmer was stabbed by a disgruntled client and ended up in the hospital, barely surviving.

    Now, Ryan was on his knees, his face battered and bruised<b>, </b>begging for mercy, ¡°Please, <b>ma¡¯am</b>, I¡¯m sorry! I won¡¯t do it again! I swear!¡±

    charlotte frowned. ¡°I¡¯m asking you¨Cwas it you who sent that man to push me at the crosswalk

    Ryan lookedpletely confused. ¡°Crosswalle Phish you? No! I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about! This is my first time seeing you

    ¡°Not him? Then who? Charlotte frowned<b>, </b>thinking it over.

    ¡°Could it <b>have </b>been Wendy?¡± the wondered.

    But she quickly dismissed the idea.

    Wendy was maniptive, sure, but she wasn¡¯t vicious enough to try and dil her.

    So who else could it be?

    A name suddenly shed in her mind.

    Joseph Ford.

    Sean had told her about Joseph¡¯s grudge against the Jasper family and had warned her that Joseph might target her for revenge

    Her gaze sharpened as she looked at Ryan¡¯s braised face. ¡°Are you one of Joseph Ford¡¯s ment

    Ryan shook his head frantically. ¡°I don¡¯t know him! Please, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m begging you! Let me go I¡¯ll <b>pay </b>Matthew back for everything! Just let me <b>go</b><b>!</b>¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°If you¡¯re not working for Joseph Ford, then why did you call me here and bring so many thugs<b>? </b><b>You¡¯re </b><b>just </b><b>a </b>small¨Ctime factory owner. Where <b>do </b>you get the guts to hire muscle <b>to </b>beat up an opposing attorney<b>? </b>Someone must be backing you. Tell me who it is, and I might let you go.¡±

    Ryan¡¯s entire <b>body </b>trembled.

    The mun backing him was a powerful figure, respected both in legal circled on the streets. Even the factory <b>wasn¡¯t </b><b>really </b>his. It <b>belonged </b>to that boss. He was just the frontman, the <b>legal </b>owner, a scapegoat with no real power.

    Ryan didn¡¯t dare expose his boss just thinking about that man¡¯s ruthless methods made a cold sweat break out on his back.

    Sweat beaded on Ryan¡¯s forehead. He swallowed hard. ¡°I, I <b>don¡¯t </b>have anyone backing me. I just thought <b>you </b>were <b>a </b>young woman, <b>so </b>I tried to scare <b>you </b>a bit.¡±

    Charlotte narrowed her eyes, studying him carefully, trying to gauge how much of his story was true.

    Under her sharp gaze, Ryan¡¯s nerves frayed even more. He was terrified she would order her bodyguards to beat him again.

    #Please, ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll even kneel and beg you. Just let me go!¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s smile was cold <b>and </b>humoress. ¡°I don¡¯t believe <b>a </b>small¨Ctime <b>factory </b>owner like you has the guts to hire thugs to assault awyer in broad daylight. If you won¡¯t talk, I¡¯ll just call <b>the </b>police<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Abrief look of relief shed in Ryan¡¯s eyes.

    The polke<b>? </b>That <b>didn¡¯t </b>scare bim. His boss had connections in the station

    In the president¡¯s office at Jasper Corporation, Sean¡¯s expression dakened as he answered a call from his bodyguard.

    In just one day, Charlotte had faced two dangerous incidents. Both of which <b>had </b>nearly ended in <b>disaster</b>.

    Fear wed at his heart. Without <b>a </b>second thought, far grabbed his coat and headed <b>for </b>the door.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper, where are you going?¡± Sen called after him, rusidng to keep up. ¡°You have a meeting interminates!¡±

    But Sean didn¡¯t stop..

    Al Seaside Garden Vi, Cora, the housekeeper, had prepared a full table of Charlotte¡¯s favorite dishes.

    ¡°Lottie, you¡¯ve had a long <b>day </b>at work. Come eat while <b>it¡¯s </b>hot,¡± Cora said with a warm sanile

    doste picked up her utensils but didn¡¯t have touch of an appetite.

    Her mind kept reying the terrifying moment at the crossmull

    That was the closest she had <b>ever </be to deat

    She had almost never seen the light of another day

    Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed the front door opening

    ¡°Lottiel

    Sean¡¯s voice was tense, filled with worry.

    He rushed ever, bending down to <b>grasp </b>her shoulders, his eyes scanning her for any sign of injury.

    <b>¡°</b>Are you okay? Are you hurt?*

    Palled back to reality, Charlotte looked up. ¡°sean, you already knew what happened?¡±

    Sean nodded, then pulled her into his anus, holding her tightly,

    He had almost lost her.

 His Heart 198

    sean, I have a feeling the guy who pushed me at the crosswalk today was sent by Joseph Food. I just can¡¯t think of anyone else who¡¯d go that far,¡± Charlotte said, frownine<b>. </b>

    ¡®s am rightened ar

    Bean¡¯s

    Charlotte stiffened.

    Laround her. His dark, intense eyes shed with cold light. ¡°I looked into it. Joseph¡¯s back in the country,¡±

    From now on, try not to go out unless you have to just work from home,¡± <b>sean </b>said quietly.

    ¡°is Joseph really that dangerous?¡± she <b>asked</b>, her voice low,

    sean gently let go of her, cing both hands on her shoulders. He looked straight into hereyes, his expression deadly serious. ¡°I won¡¯t take that risk, Lottle. Whe 1 think about what almost happened to you today, my heart practically stops. You have no idea how much you mean to me. You¡¯re more important to me than my

    His eyes reddened, ¡°I have absolute confidence <b>Tean </b>brat Joseph. He¡¯s ruthless¨C<b>1 </b><b>can </b>be even more ruthless. But he feels nothing. He has no weakness, no attachments, no humanity. I do. I have you,

    ¡°Lottle, I won¡¯t gamble with your life.¡°,

    The dining room was brightly lit, the aroma of freshly cooked food filling the alc. In the background, the evening news droned softly from the <b>living </b>room TV.

    Charlotte lowered hershes, her eyes stinging. She whispered, ¡°Am holding you back?¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes tumed red. Guilt washed over his face. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m the one who dragged <b>you </b>into this. If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t be dealing with <b>Vivian</b>, or have Joseph targeting you.¡±

    ¡±

    Charlotte slowly shook her head. ¡°<b>You </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>drag me into anything

    <b>never </b>once thought that.¡±

    ¡°But I <b>have</b>,¡± sean said with a sigh. ¡°Please, just stay in for the next few days. I¡¯lle by every day and keep youpany.¡±

    Charlotte nodded without hesitation ¡°y

    ? and Sean¡ªcan you help me look into someone?¡±

    Who?

    ¡°<b>Ryan </b>Lawrence.

    Sean¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°The guy who tried to cough you up today?

    She nodded. ¡°My gut tells me he¡¯s got someone backing him. A small¨Ctime factory owner wouldn¡¯t dare to pull something like that unless he <b>had </b>serious support. It felt like dealing with <b>a </b>gang.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to look into him,¡± Sean said calmly.

    #good¡±

    ¡°Nowe eat before the food gets cold,¡± he said, pulling out a chair and sitting beside her.

    ¡°Alright¡ªbut you <b>have </b>to eat with me,¡± she replied.

    In the back seat of a sleek ck <b>car</b>, Joseph lit a cigarette, eyes half¨Clidded with boredom.

    <b>Up </b>front, his driver and bodyguard, John York, nced into the rearviewminer ¡°Boss, should we head back to Miss Xara¡¯s vi tonight?¡±

    Xara was from a wealthy family in Jersey City. Though she <b>had </b>be an international private travel guide out of personal interest, she hadn¡¯t returned home in two years since ale started sering Josephi

    Star was his favorite mistress during his time abroad and the had followed him back to Jersey City.

    Joseph <b>exhaled </b>a plume of smoke and gave azy pod. <b>¡°</b>No. Take me to <b>that </b>other girl instead. The one who looked sweet and innocent. What¡¯s her name again?¡±

    Joseph loved to bulge with his dangerously handsome looks and soulful, deceptive eyes, women threw themselves at him. Back in Antis, he had countless lovers. Since arriving in Jersey City, even more bad lined up without hesitation

    If a woman was beautiful, he never s

    Joseph dealt in dangerous business¡ªthe kind where one wrong move could cost him his life. He lived like every day might be hisst Indulgence and pleasure weren¡¯t just habits. They wear how he lived.

    He craved extreme sensations. He used physical indulgence to pelleve pressite.

    To josepli, a woman¡¯s body was just a way to blow all stead He could sleep with as many as he wanted and give them anything they <b>asked </b>for except love

    Because he didn¡¯t feel love

    He didn¡¯t have a heart.

    To him<b>, </b>love was the most

    st useless thing in the world.

 His Heart 199

    125 Bonus.

    ¡°A sweet¨Clooking girl?¡± John thought for a moment before asking cautionsly, ¡°De your muran Miss Suzie?

    Joseph took <b>a </b><b>drag </b>from his cigarette, then exhaled slowly, smoke curling around his face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s her name. I¡¯m talking about the one Chester brought over the night wended in Jersey City, Petite, long straight ck hair, big eyes Sald she¡¯d post tumed eighteen. Still in school, I think ¡±

    John¡¯s memorcellcked.

    The night they arrived, Chester had <b>thrown </b>a wee party to impress joseph. He had brought in a few young gids¨Call beautiful, all virgins, or so they imed. The girl Joseph was describing was one of them.

    That night, Joseph picked two others and took them back to the hotel for a threesome. The ck halted glil had been left behind.

    still, Joseph seemed to take an interest in her. He didn¡¯t sleep with her that night, but be handed her $40,000 in cash, saying it was for college tuition.

    But everyone knew what that money was really for

    That kind of girl didn¡¯t show up at those parties for fun. That cash was payment for her virginity.

    Joseph even gave her an apartment near her university.

    John had worked for Joseph long enough to understand his boss well. Joseph was wild, indulgent, and utterly cold. He kept a cotation of women¨Csome stuck around for a while, like Kara, who had been with him for nearly two years, others he would sleep with once or twice, then never contact again.

    Thinking of her, John hesitated before <b>saying</b>, ¡°Boss, about an hour <b>ago</b><b>, </b>Miss Xara called. She said she cooked dinner and was waiting for you. You promised to have dinner with her tonight.¡±

    John felt Xara was different. She had been by <b>Joseph¡¯s </b>side longer than most, and she was the only woman he <b>brought </b>back to Jersey City with him. He thought it was worth reminding him.

    Joseph let out a faintugh, his tone indifferent. ¡°I changed my mind!

    ¡°Understood,¡± john replied quietly, starting the car without another word.

    Xara had spent the entire evening <b>preparing</b>. She had cooked the perfect steak, set the table with roses and red wine, and even done her fall makeup.

    In the elegantly <b>decorated </b>vi dining room, everything <b>looked </b>beautiful¨Cexcept it was empty and silent.

    Wearing <b>a </b>deep burgundy silk dress and sheer ck stockings, she sat at the table, swirling her wine ss, eyes full of longing and nervous excitement.

    The clock on the wall ticked away.

    Minute by minute, the silence grew heavier.

    Her excitement slowly turned into disappointment.

    Siebeld back for as long as she could until finally, she gave in and dialed his number

    It rang for a long time before he picked up.

    ¡°Hey, are you busy?¡± she asked softly, her voice full of hope.

    But in the background, she heard a woman¡¯s voter¨Csoft, breathless, unmistakably intimate.

    It stabbed her straight in thet

    She gripped the phone so tightly kickles turned wite<b>. </b><b>Tears </b>slid down her cheeks before she could stop them

    ¡°You hear that?¡± Josepli¡¯s voice was tough and low, like <b>gravel</b>. ¡°I¡¯m busy, baby. I <b>won¡¯t </b>be able <b>to </b><b>make </b>it tonight.¡±

    The call didn¡¯t disord

    Hetossed the phone onto the bed, and the sounds kepting¨Cmoans,ughter, <b>skin </b>against skin Every sound pierced her like <b>a </b>de.

    <b>Tata </b>listened, even though it luurt.

    She had thought she was different. That being the longest standing woman at his side meant something. <b>That </b>being the only one he brought back to jersey City mean she was special

    But now she realized how wrong she had been

    The woman¡¯s <b>voice </b>on the other end grew louder with every passing second ¨C starting uft shy and hesitant, then turning bold <b>and </b>unrestrained

    <b>Xara </b><b>couldn¡¯t </b>take it anymore.

    With a surge of pain and humiliation, she threw her phone across the

    room

 His Heart 200

    Charlotte had been following Sean¡¯s advice for the past few days, staying home and working remotely without stepping outside

    I didn¡¯t take long for Sean to track down the man behind Ryan.

    His name was cheater Simpson¨Clocal doppin in Jersey City with deep ties to both sides of thew. He can dozens ofpanies, all under different legal owners who acted as scapegoats. On the surface, the businesses looked legitimate. But behind the scenes, they were involved in all kinds of criminal activity.

    As Sean took off his coat and hung it on the rack, he said, ¡°My people found out that a few days ago, Joseph met with Chester after returning to the country. Looks like Chester¡¯s trying to cozy up to him, hoping tond a powerful backer.

    ¡°Joseph has serious power overseas and a lot <b>of </b>assets. Chester¡¯s looking to expand internationally, and Joseph needs a local partner now that he¡¯s back. The two of them are a perfect match¨Ccrooked and ambitious. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re already nning how to take me down¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s brows furrowed ¡°So what are you going to da<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean gave her a reassuring look ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve alreadye

    se up with <b>a </b>n. Joseph won¡¯t be able to stir up much trouble here.¡±

    Charlotte nodded, though she still looked uneasy. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±

    ¡°Has anyone suspiciouse to the housetely?¡± Sean asked.

    He had assigned several <b>bodyguards </b>to guard the vi around the clock. They were supposed to report anything unusual immediately, but Sean still felt uneasy. He needed to hear it from her himself.

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No. Everything¡¯s been quiet.¡±

    ¡°dood. Don¡¯t trust anyone you don¡¯trow.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    Inadim.

    m, overly romantic hotel suite, the air was thick with the scent of

    ¡°Charlotte¡­ Chadotte Zacmoaned, eyes shut tight; lost in the illusion.

    Smack!!

    ¡°Wendy <b>began</b>.

    Zac pped her across the fare

    ¡°I told you not to speak. Not a word when we¡¯re in bed,¡± he growled.

    As long <b>as </b>she stayed silent, he could pretend she was Charlotte.

    petals and regret

    Wendy bit her lip hard, fighting back tears. The sting on her cheek was nothingpared to the ache in her chest.

    The bed was covered in rose petals<b>. </b>The <b>deep </b>pink lighting gave the room <b>a </b><b>hazy</b>, seductive glow, Shadows blurred her face, making it easier for Zac to keep up the fantasy

    Lately<b>, </b>Wendy had begun imitating Charlotte in every possible way.

    They were simr in height, and their features weren¡¯t too far off. Zac had once admitted that when he first fell for Charlotte, it was because she reminded him of Wendy.

    The first time Wendy met Charlotte, she <b>had </b>also mentioned how much they looked alike.

    Back then, the only <b>said </b>it to get under her slin and remind her she was nothing more than a stand¨Cin

    But now? The tables had tumed

    trying </b>to be Charlotte. She copied her outfits, her makeup, ber <b>haitstyle</b>, even wore the sante pectume.

    Wendy was the one

    And it worked.

    Zac, who once imed he couldn¡¯t live without Charlotte, <b>now </b>slept with Wendy instead¨Ctailing deeper into temptation each time. Ben though he called out another woman¡¯s name while touching her, Wendy didn¡¯t care anymore.

    As long as she got to stay by <b>his </b>side, she could take the familiation.

    At Seaside Garden, Charlotte¡¯s phone rang

    ¡°Hey, Charlotte! Good news¨CLuna¡¯s getting discharged tomorrow! I¡¯m heading to the hospital to pick her up. Want ene with <b>me</b><b>?</b>¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but. Thaven¡¯t been going outtely.¡±

    Jenny¡¯s tone shifted. ¡°<b>is </b>something wrong<b>?</b>¡±

 His Heart 201

    Charlotte stood in the garden, idly tugging at the leaves of some evergreen shrub, ¡°Something happened at home. <b>I </b>can¡¯t really go out these next few days.¡±

    penny didn¡¯t press her. It was clearly a personal matter. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go pick up Luna myself then, is there anything you want me to tell her?¡±

    Charlotte replied <b>gently</b><b>, </b>¡°Wish her a happy discharge from me. Tell her to smile every day. And please buy her a small gift on my behalf, I¡¯ll transfer you some moneyter¡±

    Jenny <b>quickly </b>refused ¡°No need! I still have plenty left from 1 what you sent mest time.¡±

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Charlotte said with a nod

    That evening, Charlotte got a call from her tather.

    ¡°Charlotte, Saturday¡¯s Jodie¡¯s birthday. It falls on the weekend this <b>year</b>, <b>so </b>we¡¯ve booked a hotel and <b>nned </b>a little party. Try to make time and join us for

    Charlotte hesitated.

    she had promised Sean she wouldn¡¯t go out for a few days. And while she wanted to celebrate her sister¡¯s birthday, she couldn¡¯t riskit.

    with Joseph luriding, there was no telling what that lunatic might try. She couldn¡¯t gamble with her life.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, <b>Dad</b>. I¡¯ve got a work trip on Saturday. I¡¯ll be out of town.¡±

    Desand was caught off <b>guard</b>. ¡°Really? Is it that urgent? Can someone else take your ce? You know how attached jodie is to you. If you don¡¯t show up, <b>she¡¯s </b>going to cry again.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°After the kidnapping, she¡¯s had a tough time emotionally I had her seeing <b>a </b>psychologist for weeks. She¡¯s finally doing a bit better. The doctor said she needs love and attention <b>from </b>family right now. Her mom¡¯s been with her every day, but she still keeps asking <b>for </b>you. Can¡¯t youe home, just for her?¡±

    A quiet ache rose in Charlotte¡¯s chest.

    Jodie was her baby sister. After Jodle was kidnapped, Charlotte had been traumatized tog¨Chaunted by nightmares, barely able to eat or sleep.

    ¡°L¡± she hesitated:

    Jodie¡¯s trauma hadn¡¯t fully healed. If Charlotte went <b>to </b>see her, it would probably help her recovery

    But the moment she thought of Joseph, that <b>adman</b>, she hardened her heart and said no.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad. I really can¡¯t get away this weekend<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Alright. I understand.¡±

    Desmond hung <b>up</b>.

    Charlotte <b>stood </b>by the floor¨C<b>to</b><b>¨C</b>ceiling windows, her expression clouded and heavy.

    Why was Joseph targeting her?

    She had ever even met the man <b>before</b>. They had no history, no <b>conflict</b><b>, </b>

    Was it really like Seamaid¨Cbecause she <b>was </b>Sean¡¯s only weakness<b>? </b>

    She had no idea how much longer she would be stuck in this vi

    On Saturday, Charlotte <b>was </b>waken by the sound of her phone tinging

    i buzzed against the nightstand with relentless persistence. When the <b>call </b>disconnected, it immediately rang agalis. Without opening her eyes, she <b>groped </b>around for her phone, finally answering with a gory voice. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡±

    ¡°Miss Charlotte¡ª<b>it¡¯s </b>terrible. <b>Your </b>fallier¡¯s been in an ident!¡±

    was the Riley family¡¯s housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, on the line.

    Mrs. Wilson, what happened?¡±

    Awe BMW screeched to <b>a </b>stop in the open¨Cair lot outside the hospital.

    Charlotte flung the door open and an inside, panic tightening her chest.

    The housekeeper had told her that during Jodie¡¯s birthday party, Desmond <b>had </b>suddenly fallen <b>down </b>the stairs. He was now in critical condition and undergoing

    emergency Imralment

    The news had hit Charlotte like a truck. She had nearly passed out from shock

    Panic overwhelmed everything else.

    This was her father

    All fear of Joseph vanished.

    She grabbed her car keys and bolted out the door without a second thought.

    BIG SALE. 3500 bonus free fou you

    D

 His Heart 202

    In the hallway outside the hospital¡¯s emergency mom, Xena kept wiping at her tears, her eyes red and swollen.

    ¡°Aunt Kena<b>, </b>what happened to my dad?¡± Charlotte asked urgently, her face filled with worry.

    Xenachoked back a sob as she spoke. ¡°He said he was just going out to the stairwell for a smoke. I noticed he hadn¡¯te back for a while, so I went to check on him and her voice broke, ¡°Topened the emergency door and found him lying on the ground unconscious. There was a pool of blood under his head..¡±

    Charlotte stood frozen<b>, </b>her gaze hollow. ¡°How could this happen.¡± she whispered.

    dad just went to have acigarette, ¡°Xenaried. ¡°<b>How </b>could he have fallen like that? He¡¯s not <b>that </b>old, and he¡¯s always been steady on his feet¡­¡±

    Xena¡¯s words hit Charlotte like a p

    It was him.

    Joseph bord.

    It had to be him.

    He couldn¡¯t get to Sean. He couldn¡¯t find her. So now he was going after the people around her. He was trying to smoke her <b>out</b>.

    Charlotte¡¯s lips began to tremble with fury. Her chest bamed with rage.

    Why? Why <b>did </b><b>Joseph </b>Ford keep hurting her family?

    First Jodie, now her father.

    Her hands clenched into fists, fingemails digging into her palms. Her legal training, her self¨Ccontrol¨Ceverything was gone in that moment.

    All she could think about was evenge

    Joseph Ford<b>. </b>

    She wouldn¡¯t forget that nan

    rume

    Desmond was stabilized and transferred to a private r

    recovery room.

    Two bodyguards stood at the door<b>, </b>one on each side.

    Xene approached with a thennos <b>and </b>paused, confused. ¡°Who are you two?¡±

    Charlotte opened the door froin <b>inside</b>. ¡°Aunt Xena, I don¡¯t think what happened to my dad was an ident. These bodyguards were sent by Sean to protect him.¡± Xen frowned. ¡°What do you mean?

    ¡°Come in I¡¯ll exin everything. ¡±

    Ten minutester, <b>Xena¡¯s </b>face had gone <b>pale </b>with shock. Her voice was low and uneasy. ¡°So¡­ Joseph Ford, Sean¡¯s half¨Cbrother, is trying to lure you out by hurting your family?<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte <b>nodded</b><b>, </b>her expression grim.

    ¡°Everyone needs to be on <b>high </b>alert,¡± she said. ¡°Aunt Xena, you should start bringing bodyguards with <b>you </b><b>too</b>. And Jodie shouldn¡¯t go to school for now. The men who kidnapped herst time worked for Joseph¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Kena said, visibly shaken. ¡°I¡¯ll <b>hire </b><b>a </b>tutor toe to the <b>house</b><b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Make sure it¡¯s someone trustworthy, Vet their background carefully. I¡¯m wonded someone might try to <b>pose </b><b>as </b><b>a </b>tutor and get inside the house.¡±

    *I¡¯ll hire the ore we use

    cope we used before. She¡¯s reliable.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Xena ¡°Charlotte rubbed her temples, exhaustion creeping into her voice. ¡°How¡¯s Jodie doing? Did yesterday scare her?¡±

    Sena shook her head. ¡°No. She didn¡¯t see anything. Your dad copsed near the end of the <b>party</b>. I just told her he had to leave early for something

    ¡°Good. 1 ve Sean assign a few more highly trained bodyguards for you and Jodie.¡±

    ¡°Thank <b>you</b><b>.</b>¡±

    The next aftemoon, Sean finally arrived at the hospital after wrapping up his livestigation.

    Xena sat by the hospital bed, carefully helping Desmond take his medicine.

    Charlotte sat on the couch nearby, aptop and a case file spread out on the small round table in front of her. She worked quietly, staying by her father¡¯s side.

    Sean pushed open the door. Behind him, his <b>assistant </b>sam set severalrge gift bags and fruit baskets down on the table.

    ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯te earlier<b>,</b>¡± Sean sald, walking toward the

    e bed. ¡°After the incident, I was tied up investigating the attacker,¡±

    Desmond gave a quiet grunt of acknowledgment

    Charlotte looked up from her screen. ¡°Did you find him?¡±

    ¡°I did<b>.</b>¡±

    Her eyes red with Intensity. ¡°Where is he now?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in police custody. But Joseph made sure to cover his tracks. We¡¯ve only managed to arrest the man who carried out the attack. For now, there¡¯s not enough to bring charges against Joseph himself.¡±

    P

 His Heart 203

    Shore

    Chapter <b>203 </b>

    <b>-25 </b>Donut

    Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°He¡¯s not stupid enough to leave a trail back to himself.¡±

    Sean tumed to look at Desmond, whoy pale and weak in the hospital bed. Histene held a hint of guilt. ¡°Mr. Riley, I¡¯m sorry this happened to you. This mess started because of me.¡±

    family has power, influence. Don¡¯t tell me no one in the Jasper <b>family </b>can do anything

    Desmond¡¯s voice was frail ¡°Sean, Charlotte already told me everything. Your family! about Joseph Ford? You¡¯er just going to let him get away with this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Riley. <b>Right </b>now, I can only specte that Joseph <b>was </b>behind the attack. We don¡¯t have any concrete evidence, and without that, the police can¡¯t

    Desmond frowned. ¡°Sometimes, being a gentleman isn¡¯t enough. If the other side is ying dirty, you have to be diler. You¡¯re not a cop. <b>Why </b>are you so stuck on

    Sean lowered his eyes.

    Of course he understood that,

    It wasn¡¯t about insisting on legal justice. The real issue was that Joseph had only just returned to the country. He was hiding, never staying in one ce too long. Every time Seen got a lead and sent someone, Joseph was already gone

    He calmly exined the situation to Desmond.

    But Desmond wasn¡¯atisfied. With a sigh, he took the medicine Xena handed him and drank in silence.

    After updating the family on the man who had carried out the attack, Sean ced a bank card on the table. ¡°Mr. Riley, this is just a small gesture. Please ept it.¡± Desmond was clearly displeased. He wasn¡¯t short <b>on </b>money, and his eyesnded on the bankcard with a hint of imitation.

    <b>¡°</b>Don¡¯t bother with this useless stuff,¡± he said tly. ¡°Catching Joseph would mean a whole lot more.¡±

    <b>In </b>front of his future father¨Cinw, Sean kept hisposure for Charlotte¡¯s sake. He remained patient and respectful, his attitude impable ¡°Of course,¡± he said with a nod

    As Sean was getting ready to leave, Charlotte <b>closed </b>herptop and <b>said </b>quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Desmond gave her a sharp look displeasure clearly written on his face,

    Charlotte sighed. ¡°Dad, the reason they¡¯re targeting you is to get to me. As long as I stay hidden, you, Aunt Xena, and Jodie will always be in <b>danger </b>Xema was taken aback ¡°Charlotte, we have bodyguards now. I don¡¯t think anything else will happen. But you really need to be careful.¡± Desmond snorted, ¡°if being tied to the Jasper family means putting our lives at risk, then maybe this engagement shouldn¡¯t continue.¡±

    Charlotte froze<b>, </b><b>a </b>chill spreading through her body.

    She knew he wasn¡¯t <b>jolding- </b>

    And the worst part was¨Cshe had no grounds to argue

    Because the people getting hurt weren¡¯t her. They were her family. And she couldn¡¯t keep purting them at risk for the sake of her own happiness.

    ¡°<b>Dad</b>..¡± Her <b>voice </b>was hoarse ¡°Let me talk to Sean.¡±

    ¡°You should,¡± Desmond sald grimly.

    In the hospital¡¯s underground parking garage, the car wasfortably heated.

    Sean took off his coat, revealing a ck dress shirt and a nearly fed the. With his sharp, businesslike appearance, it was clear he hade straight from Jasper Lisperation

    ¡°Sean,¡± Charlotte said saltly, ¡°we ared to talk.¡®

    He looked <b>down</b>, ryes clouded. ¡°Why <b>do </b>you want to talk about?¡±

    Berheart ached.

    The words caught in lier thinat. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t say them

    But her family had been lurt again and agaliu.

    She couldn¡¯t be <b>selfish </b>and think only about her own love and happiness.

    Jodie had been kidnapped. Her father had fallen down the stairs.

    What about tomorrow?

    Would it be Aunt Xena next? Or her<b>? </b>

 His Heart 204

    A long<b>, </b>heavy silence filled the car. The heat made the alt inside feel stifling.

    Seam hugged at his tie and cracked the window. A burst of enid air rushed in, Instantly clearing the stuffiness.

    Charlotte hesitated before speaking. ¡°About what my <b>dad </b>said earlier, you ¨C

    Before she could finish, Sean suddenly mmed down on the gas. The car

    car shot forwand, Jerking her body toward the dashboard. Her words caught in her throat, she quickly buckled her seatbelt in silence.

    Sean was clearly driving with emotion, and the car was moving fast.

    Charlotte sat in the passenger seat, tense and nervous the whole time.

    In the car behind them, one of the bodyguards jolted upright. ¡°Crap! Where¡¯d Mr. Jasper¡¯s car go? I blinked and it disappeared¡±

    The other bodyguard in the passenger seat broke into a cold sweat. ¡°Seriously? You lost them?

    The driver mmed his fist against the steering wheel. ¡°Mr. Jasper drove way too fast. That¡¯s a Bugatti <b>La </b>Voiture Noire. This junkwe¡¯re driving doesn¡¯t stand <b>a </b>chance. What now?*

    The other bodyguard scrambled for his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll call <b>and </b><b>ask </b>where they went.¡±

    Meanwhile, the ck Bugatti tore down the road, city lights and buildings blurring past. The roar of the engine drowned out the faint vibration of Sean¡¯s phone. Charlotte clutched her seatbelt, pale and on edge. ¡°Sean, slow down<b>!</b>¡®

    Sean kept his eyes fixed on the road, his jaw clenched tight. The <b>sharp </b>lines of his profile were tense, making it <b>clear </b>he was in a foul mood

    He didn¡¯t respond, his <b>expression </b>still cold¨Cbut the car began to slow down.

    Charlotte gradually rxed<b>, </b>her body no longer as rigid. She nced our the window

    The buildings and scenery around them were unfamiliar. This wasn¡¯t the road back to Seaside Garden, nor was it the way to the Jasper estate. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice was low and clipped. ¡°Seaside Garden¡¯s no longer safe. You can¡¯t go back there for now. I¡¯m taking you to a private estate on the outskirts Stay there until I finish dealing with this.¡±

    ¡°Not <b>too </b>far. Someone will meet us <b>up </b>ahead. You¡¯ll switch cars and go with them. They¡¯re trained bodyguards. You¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Charlotte asked immediately,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    They drove on. The tall buildings faded into distant memory, reced by smaller homes and open bountryside, wild greenery lined both <b>sides </b>of the <b>road</b>, peaceful

    and lush.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. You¡¯ll get out soon, just follow their instructions.¡±

    Charlotte nced back. ¡°Where are the other bodyguards? 1 <b>thought </b>you said I should never <b>go </b>anywhere without protection.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice <b>deepened</b>. ¡°I noticed someone talling us after we left the hospital. i sped up to lose them. The bodyguards mist¡¯ve lost track of us then.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s chest tightened. ¡°Will you be in danger going back?¡±

    Just then, Sean¡¯s phone buzzed again. With the car now slowed, he answered.

    sit, where are you and Miss illey?¡± the bodyguard¡¯s voice came through, tight and urgent. ¡°We lost you.¡±

    A loud bang out himott.

    Andet struck the side of the car.

    Charlotte pasped <b>as </b>a ck Aston Martin appeared in the rearviewminuc

    fran yanked the wheel hard, <b>nainly </b>dodging another slot ained at the thes<b>. </b>The bullet hit the body of the car instead. <b>Luckily</b>, the tibe wasn¡¯t hit.

    Charlotte let out a startled cry as the Bugatti¡¯s tires <b>squealed </b>across the pavement

    Sean Drached

    across and shoved her down into the seat. ¡°Get down, Lottle)¡±

    Just sale ducked, another bullet whitzzed past, smashing into the windshield.

    If Sean had been a second slower, it would have gone through her head.

    It sliced past the passenger seat and punched through the windshield. A neat hole appeared, spider¨Cweb cracks radiating around it.

    Cold air howled through the opening, filling the car with a sharp, biting wind.

 His Heart 205

    Charlotte coded up tightly in the seat, her whole body trembling in fear.

    She had just brushed past death again. At that moment, she could feel that Joseph 11

    Joseph truly wanted her dead.

    He had opened fire in broad daylight, right in the middle of Jersey City. He really was out of his mind.

    Sean stayed calm under pressure.

    ¡°They came prepared,¡± he said quickly, voice low and steady, ¡°Lottle, stay down and don¡¯t move.¡±

    He had underestimated them. <b>Sean </b>thought they had shaken off the tall, but they were still caught, Lottle had nearly been shot,

    <b>His </b>jaw clenched<b>, </b>and the cold rage in his eyes deepened.

    He mmed the <b>gas </b>pedal. The wheel spam under his grip as the car swerved betweennes<b>, </b><b>fast </b>and flulil, narrowly dodging a bullet aimed straight at the driver¡¯s

    Bang!

    The shot hit the rearview <b>mirror</b>, ss shattered instantly, shards flying through the cabin.

    The impact sent Charlotte lurching side to side, her body mming against the car <b>door </b>and seat.

    Two cars chased closely behind the Bugatti. One was a ck Aston Martin, the other a silver Porsche 918. Both were gaining fast, clearly trying to box them in

    In the passenger seat of the Porsche, a man held a high¨Cpowered sniper rifle. It was the same weapon that had just fired those deadly rounds.

    Sean slowed down slightly. With one hand on the wheel, he reached to the side and pulled out a handgun, <b>loading </b>it in one smooth motion. He neverpt guns in <b>his </b>car but this one was for Joseph specifically

    As the Aston Martin pulled up to match the Bugatti¡¯s speed, Sean suddenly dropped his speed just enough to line up next to it.

    In the split second they were side by side, <b>Sean </b>raised his gun and fired. The bullet shot cleanly through the window gap.

    A hole appeared in the Aston Martin¡¯s ss. The passenger seat was empty and the bullet hit the driver.

    The car immediately veered off course, mming into the guardrail on the right.

    Its front end crumpled on impact. The metal barrier twisted from the force, and ck smoke started pouring from under the hood.

    The Porsche, now trailing behind, slowed down¨Crattled by the <b>chaos</b>. The driver had clearly lost focus

    Sean didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. One hand still on the wheel, he turned and fired several shots toward the rear.

    The bullets pierced the Porsche¡¯s windshield. Panicked, the driver jerked the wheel,

    He wasn¡¯t nearly asposed as <b>Sean</b>. The Porsche fishtailed violently before smashing through the left guardrail and plunging off the edge of a cliff. Charlotte, still pressed t against the seat, didn¡¯t see any of it.

    She had felt the car slow down for a moment, then heard loud crashes outside¨Cone car must have hit something.

    But she didn¡¯t lift her head.

    The chaos outside was terrifying, but the stayed still like she had been told, not daring to move an inch.

    The Bugatti finally pulled abrad, leaving the attackers <b>far </b>behind.

    Once they were

    were safely out of range and the <b>road </b>stretched empty ahead of them, Sean finally <b>eased </b>off the <b>gas </b>

    ¡°We¡¯re <b>good</b>,¡± he said. ¡°Lottle, you can sit up now.¡±

    Charlotte slowly pushed herself upright.

    Sean Inwered the speed even more and nced sideways at lies

    Her face had gonepletely <b>pale</b>, <b>eyes </b>wide with lingering fear. She was clearly shaken<b>. </b>

    Her voice trembled as she asked, ¡°Was that Josephi Ford himself?=

    Sean shook his head. ¡°Not yet. He¡¯s probably not ready to show up in person. The guy with the title¨Che¡¯s likely one of Joseph¡¯s mercenaries from Antis. You need special training to use a weapon like that.¡±

    Charlotte was still rattled, cold sweat soaking herback.

    ¡°He¡¯s Insane,¡± she whispered.

    Sean¡¯s voice softened with guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lottic. I dragged you into this again.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, maybe it¡¯s time to start taking Mr. Riley¡¯s advice seriously,¡± sean thought.

 His Heart 206

    On the first floor of the Jasper estate, the television in the Jasper estate¡¯s living room was ying the news.

    ¡°Earlier this attemoon, a serious traffic ident urred in Cloud County, We¡¯re now going live to our reporter at the scene.

    <b>¡°</b>Good aftemoon, everyone. It¡¯s 4:15 p.m., and I¡¯m standing on the state highway here in Cloud County. At approximately 1:40 pm, local residents reported a major traffic ident. As you can see behind me<b>, </b>a sedan crashed into the guardrail on the right side of the road. The vehicle <b>is </b>heavily damaged, and the driver was found unconscious and seriously injured. He has been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.

    <b>¡°</b>Also, if you look further down the road, you¡¯ll see that the left¨Cside guardrail was also broken. Based on the tire marks, it appears another vehicle went off the edge and down the cliff. Rescue teams are currently carrying out emergency operations¡­¡±

    Ma, Jasper Sr. sat with a deep frown, his eyes fixed on the TV screen, not blinking once.

    Just then<b>, </b>Sean walked through the door, tossing his car keys casually onto the table.

    ¡°Grandpa<b>? </b>I didn¡¯t expect you back.¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s sharp paze snapped to him.

    ¡°This ident¨Cthere¡¯s more to it, isn¡¯t there? Was it Joseph Ford?¡±

    rubbed his temples, visibly exhausted, and sank down onto the couch.

    ¡°<b>Yeah</b>¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression darkened further. ¡°<b>I </b>heard Desmond fell from a building?¡±

    Sean gave a quiet, steady ¡°Mm

    Mr. Jasper St. stared at the television again, lost in thought. The room fell into a tense silence.

    A housekeeper came in with a steaming cup of tea. Sean picked it up and took a small sip

    Mr. Jasper Sr. said suddenly, ¡°<b>you </b>need to break things oft with Charlotte.¡±

    Sean set his cup down slowly. His dark <b>eyes </b>clouded over with a shadowy look. He didn¡¯t respond.

    Mr. Jasper St. sighed. His tone was firm but low.

    ¡°This fight between you and Joseph shouldn¡¯t drag the Riley family into it. He can¡¯t get to you directly, so Charlotte is the next best target.¡±

    Sean replied with a vague, indifferent ¡°Mm.¡±

    Mr. Jasper St. continued, <b>voice </b>bavier now.

    ¡°There¡¯s only a verbal engagement between you and Charlotte¨Cnothing official yet. It not toote to cut ties offer the Rileys <b>a </b>generous settlement. Make a furial apology. I believe they¡¯ll understand.¡±

    ¡°Gut ties? Like it¡¯s that easy?¡± Sean thought.

    Sean let out a quietugh, <b>but </b>there was no warmth in it. His voice was soft, almost broken.

    *How am I supposed to let her go?¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr. blinked, caught off <b>guard</b>. He studied his <b>grandson </b>closely.

    ¡°You really have feelings for

    Mr. Jasper Sr. hadn¡¯t realized the depth of Sean¡¯s attachment. He had assumed it was <b>just </b>a typical alliance between political and business tamilles.

    Sean sat still,shes low, his chest tight with emotion. He didn¡¯t say a word.

    Mr. Jasper 5, saw right through <b>h </b>1let cut anatlite ap;hs

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re the sentimengal typer. You¡¯re nothing like your father. In that way you remind me of myself when I was <b>young</b>.

    Then his toner shifted again.

    ¡°But even if you can¡¯t let go, you love to. You know what Joseph <b>is </b>capable of. <b>He¡¯s </b>been building his power in Antis for years, backed by one of the most brutal syndicate bosses in Calinia. He¡¯s armed, ruthless, andpletely unpredictable. If Charlotte stays by your side, <b>to </b>put it bluntly, she might not survive. And you don¡¯t want that, do <b>you</b>?

    Desmond got lucky this time. He survived. But if he hadn¡¯t woken up, do you really think Charlotte <b>would¡¯ve </b>forgiven you or the Jasper family?

    ¡°That car <b>crash </b>this attemoon was <b>Joseph¡¯s </b>message to you. Sean, if you love her, then you need to protect her You can¡¯t let your love be the reason she ends up

    Sear¡¯s eyes turned <b>red </b>at the corners, his chest tight with bittemess

    He opened <b>his </b>mouth, wanting to argue

    But the moment reyed in his mind¨Cthe terrifying seconds on that mad, the bullet grazing the top of Charlotte¡¯s head.

    She had nearly been shot right in front of him.

    And just like that<b>, </b>the words caught in his throat. He couldn¡¯t say a single thing

 His Heart 207

    Chapter <b>207 </b>

    Sean sat in silence for a long time.

    Mr. Jasper Sr. spoke patiently.

    <b>¡°</b>Desmond is a businessman. <b>He¡¯s </b>never dealt with this kind of violence. Even if you assign bodyguards, you can¡¯t protect them every second of the day. You saw it yourself this war between you and Joseph is already hurting the Riley family first.¡±

    Sean¡¯s deep eyes were as still and bottomless as a darkke. His <b>throat </b>bobbed slightly, theers of his eyes tinged red.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandpa,¡± he said quietly, ¡°do you really think joseph will belleve I¡¯m done with Lottie just because I say so?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t fake it,¡± Mr. <b>Jasper </b>Str. said firmly. ¡°You need to really break it oft. Charlotte¡¯s too pure¨Chearted. She can¡¯t pretend. If you tell her it¡¯s just an act, she¡¯ll give <b>it </b>away. Sean<b>, </b>you have to make it clean<b>. </b>Make it hurt.¡±

    A flicker of pain shed through Sean¡¯s eyes.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>promised her I would never do anything to hurt her.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t hosting her,¡± Mr. Jasper Sr. said softly. ¡°It¡¯s protecting her.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice lowered.

    ¡°Joseph targeted the Riley family because he knows Lottie is my wealmness. I don¡¯t believe for a second that breaking up with her will convince him I¡¯ve really let her <b>go</b>.¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr. shook his head.

    ¡°No, he¡¯ll believe it. You¡¯re the heir to the Jasper Corporation. Ite¡¯ll assume you¡¯re not the type to stay loyal to just one woman. Men born into families like ours are expected to be charming, not devoted ¡±

    Sean let out a bitterugh.

    ¡°Grandpa, give me a little time. Let me think it over,¡±

    Mr. Jasper St. patted his shoulder, his tone <b>heavy </b>with meaning

    ¡°I can wait, but the Riley family can¡¯t.¡±

    Seanclosed his eyes for a moment. His chest rose and fell, like he was trying hard to hold something back

    Mr. Jasper5r.¡¯s voice softened.

    Sean¡­ if you really care about charlotte, then deal with Joseph first. Once <b>he¡¯s </b>no longer a threat, you can win her <b>back</b>¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice was hoarse, his eyes lost and unfocused. He looked so shaken, it startled Mr. Jasper Sr. He had never seen him like this before.

    ¡°And what if, by them, she doesn¡¯t want me back?¡±

    Mr. Jasper St had no answer.

    He understood bow Sean <b>felt</b>, but there <b>was </b>nothing he could promise. People¡¯s hearts changed in an instant. Who could <b>say </b>what would happen?

    And this time, it was Sean who <b>would </b>be the one ending things. Charlotte had <b>no </b>reason to stand still and wait for him

    Worse still, he would have to break it off so convincingly¨Cso cruelly¨Cthat she would truly give up on him. Only then would Joseph be fooled.

    But if Sean went that for<b>, </b>what reason would she ever have <b>to </b>forgive him?

    it was a dilemma with no right answer.

    Mr. Jasper Sr. was quiet for a <b>rooment </b>before speaking again.

    ¡°Unless¡­ you¡¯re <b>not </b>ready to let her go. If that¡¯s the case, be honest with her. Let her in on the n, not only if you¡¯re absolutely sure she can pull it off. It she slips up and someone gets the truthiout of her, she or her family could pay the pike.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work,¡± he thought,

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t someone who could hide her feelings. If she wasn¡¯tpletely over him, one look in her eyes would give her away. Anyone would see it instantly. Mr. Jasper Sr. stood up.

    Think it over,¡± he said. ¡°I came back to Jersey City for one <b>reason </b>to <b>officially </b>end the engagement with the Rileys. I need your answer by tomorrow. Tomorrow night, we¡¯ll go to the hospital together and offer Desmond a formal apology¡±

    Sean said nothing, <b>eyes </b>downcast, a heavy sadness hung around him like <b>a </b>shadow.

    Seeing that he needed time alone, Mr. Jasper Sr. said no more and went upstairs.

    The grand hall was quiet and still. The windows were shut tight, not even a breeze slipping through. The air felt heavy, stifling.

    Sean tugged at his cor. A sharp, persistent ache throbbed in his chest.

    Pale winter sunlight spilled through the ss, stretching his shadow across the polished floor

    The silence felt hollow. So did he<b>. </b>

 His Heart 208

    The house waspletely still. Not a sound,

    So when the phone buzzed on the table, the vibration seemed unusually loud.

    Sean nced at the screen. It was Charlotte calling.

    His eyes darkened. He answered<b>, </b>his volce hoarse.

    ¡°Hey, Lottie.¡±

    On the other <b>end</b>, Charlotte immediately picked up on the rasp in his voice

    Hyon y, Sean? Did something happen on your way back?¡±

    Charlotte <b>paused</b><b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>¡®</b>ve made it here safely. No trouble on the road. The ce is really hidden, and thedy taking care of me is kind and thoughtful. Everything¡¯s fine.¡± She wanted to say <b>that </b>she missed him terribly, that not seeing him was breading her heart, that she worried about <b>him </b>every second, But she said none of it.

    Now wasn¡¯t the time for sweet words. Sean had more important things to deal with. She just needed to be good and stay hidden like he asked. Sean gave a vague *Mm.¡±

    Charlotte noticed how cold and distant he sounded today. Maybe the earlier attack had left him shaken.

    ¡°Then..¡± she hesitated, unsure if he wanted to keep talking. ¡°Then I¡¯ll let you go. Take care, okay?¡±

    Sean leaned his head back, eyes nk as he stared at the bright winter sunlight outside the window. His voice came out tight and raw

    ¡°Lottle. let¡¯s break up.¡±

    No more waiting.

    His

    grandfather was right. The Riley family were legitimate businesspeople. They didn¡¯t stand <b>a </b>chance against someone as vicious and <b>ruthless </b><b>as </b>joseph. Every day he dragged this out, the more danger they were in.

    Charlotte traze, stunned silent with the phone still pressed to her <b>ear</b>. Her lips pacted, but she couldn¡¯t get a single word out.

    Tears slipped down her face before she even realized it,

    Fully she whispered, voice trembling, ¡°<b>Is </b><b>it </b>because.. <b>you¡¯re </b>afraid I¡¯ll get hurt?¡±

    Sean paused, then forced <b>a </b>breath in to keep the <b>pain </b>from cracking his voice.

    ¡°It just let me this whole thing isn¡¯t worth it. You..¡±

    He swallowed hard, the lie catching in his throat

    ¡°I used to think you¡¯d make a good wife. You¡¯re smart, beautiful, from the rightnd of family¡­ the perfect choice for the future Mrs. <b>Jasper</b>. But now..¡± He closed his eyes, pressing down the ache in his chest<b>, </b>and finished with effort

    ¡°But now I¡¯ve changed my mind<b>. </b>I¡¯m not done ying around, I don¡¯t s one who let you down.¡±

    want to spend the rest <b>of </b>my life with just one woman<b>. </b>So let¡¯s break up. Forget me<b>. </b>I¡¯m the

    Charlotte was ying in a two¨Cstory vi just outside the city, with <b>a </b>small garden below her window.

    This time of year, the garden looked withered and lifeless, like it <b>was </b>grieving <b>along </b>with her.

    Shipy curled up on the bed, clutching <b>a </b>nket, crying silently.

    It had been over an hour since the call ended, and the tears hadn¡¯t <b>stopped</b><b>. </b>

    How could one person have so many <b>tears</b><b>?</b>¡± she thought.

    <b>No </b>matter how much she cried, it felt endless

    She didn¡¯t believe Sean meant what he said

    He wasn¡¯t like that.

    It had to be because of Joseph.

    Sean didn¡¯t ware her getting buit, so he was pushing her away,

    But the <b>things </b>he said, they really cut deep.

    She couldn¡¯t just brush them off like they didn¡¯t matter.

    She didn¡¯t <b>want </b>to cry, but the tears came anyway.

    They wouldn¡¯t s

    <b>I </b>stop.

    The winter sky darkened <b>early</b>. By six¨Cthirty, the world outside was already cloaked in dusk

    Knock, lock knock

    Mrs. Sanders, the housekeeper<b>, </b>called gently from outside the door.

    Charlotte sniffled<b>, </b>her voice soft and hoarse.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, Mrs. Sanders.¡±

    Maybe Mrs. Sanders didn¡¯t hear her, because she knocked again.

    Miss Liley? Are you asleep?¡±

 His Heart 209

    Charlotte wiped her tears, climbed out of bed, and smoothed her hair and clothes before walking over in the door.

    ¡°Max Sanders, I¡¯m not feeling well tonight. I don¡¯t have much of an appetite. Please go ahead and eat without me.¡±

    Mrs. Sanders immediately noticed her swollen, tear¨Cstained eyes. Her expression shifted with concer<ol><li>s. Riley, did something happen?¡±</li></ol>

    charlotte shook her head gently, her voice thick from crying.

    Mrs, Sanders hesitated, clearly worried.

    ¡°Would you like me to contact Mr. Jasper for you?¡°.

    of all the things she could have said, that one hit the hardest,

    Charlotte krw it wasn¡¯t intentional, but I still stung.

    She forced a smile that looked more like she was about to cry <b>again</b>, Trying to soundposed, she said, ¡°Really, <b>I¡¯m </b>okay. I guess I¡¯m just not used to being here yet. And I¡¯ve been worried about my dad¡¯s condition it pot to me for a minote. That¡¯s all. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    Mrs. Sanders hadn¡¯t heard about Desmond being hospitalized, so she didn¡¯t press further. She just nodded.

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re alright. You scared me for a second. I thought something serous had happened. Mr. Jasper gave me strict Instructions to look after you. He said If there¡¯s anything wrong¨Ceven if it¡¯s just trouble sleeping or not liking the food¨C1should let jm know right away.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eves flickered.

    ¡°He really said that?¡±

    Ms. Sanders smiled kindly.

    ¡°He did. It¡¯s obvious how much he cares about youL

    Charlotte went quiet.

    Mrs. Sanders continued, ¡°Alright then, you get some rest. If you feel hungryter, just call me. I¡¯ll fix something for you.

    ¡°That¡¯s really not necessary. I¡¯m not eating tonight. Go <b>ahead </b>and rest after you¡¯re done.

    Mrs. Saluters looked slightly uneasy-

    ¡°Mr. Jasper insisted you be well taken care of. I¡¯m just across the hall. If you need anything, <b>just </b>knock.¡±

    Sourwhere in a secluded vi, Joseph reclined on the sofa<b>, </b>one at resting along the backrest, legs casually crossed.

    He looked rxed, but there was something cold and dangerous flickering in his eyes.

    Though clenched teeth, he said, ¡°You¡¯re telling me the three of you couldn¡¯t handle sean when he was with a woman?¡±

    Kneeling on the flour was the man who had driven the Aston Martin in the afternoon¡¯s ambush. His aun and head were wrapped in bandages, Sean had shot him in the arm, and after crashing into the guardrail, he had been locked unconscious from a serious head injury.

    He had been nailed to the boypital by ambnce, but as soon as he regained consciousness, he ripped out the IV and shad straight to Joseph¡¯s vi to report The man¡¯s face was ghostly pale, whether from blood loss or fear. He trembled alignly as replied, ¡°yes_sir.¡±

    Jose¡¯s eyes narrowed, his expression tuning <b>deadly </b>

    ¡°And the other two idiots? still missing?¡±

    Just then, his personal bodyguard, Jolun, leaned down and whispered in his ca

    <b>Boss</b><b>, </b>we just got word. The police found the bodies of Jack and Carl

    Jack was the mercenary from Antis who had opened lite with the high¨Cpowered title. Car washom Jersey City one of Jobar¡¯s <b>own </b>ment Both had been in the silver Fouche gas that few of the ditt. No one had expected them to survive. The policeding their bodies wasn¡¯t a surprise. But Jack had still been holding the gun when the car went over the cliff. Now that weapon was in the hands of the police, and thatplicated everything. josejili¡¯s eyes went cold¨Csharp as a de. With <b>a </b>snail, he suddenly <b>kicked </b>the man in <b>front </b>of him hard in the chest<b>, </b>seiling him sprawling across the floor.

    Charter 209

 His Heart 210

    That evening, Charlotte received a call from her best friend, Mia.

    away. Got any ns?¡±

    ¡°Babe, New Year¡¯s is just a few days away. i

    Charlotte nced at her phone¡¯s calendar. December 28.

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    py from all the crying earlier.

    +25 Bonus

    Her voice was raspy

    Mia immediately picked up on it..

    ¡°Whoa, babe, what¡¯s wrong<b>? </b>You sound <b>awful</b>!¡±

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m fine, post caught a little cold.¡±

    ¡°Oh, y,¡± Mia said, not pressing further. ¡°So what¡¯s the n for New <b>Year¡¯s</b>? Are you spending it with your sweet sean<b>, </b>or are you hanging with me and Lena?

    At the mention of sean, Charlotte felt tears prick her eyes again.

    ¡°Sean and L.,¡± she started<b>. </b>

    ¡°what about you two<b>?</b>¡± Mia asked.

    The room was brightly lit, but outside, snow had begun to fall¨C<b>soft </b>and silent, nketing the <b>world </b>in stillness.

    Charlotte sat on her <b>bed</b>, holding the phone to her ear, eyes lowered to her toes

    ¡°We¡­we had a fight,¡®

    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say they broke up

    In her heart, it wasn¡¯t over. They had just <b>hit </b>a rough patch

    Mialet out a breath of relief.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Oh</b>, that¡¯s it? You scared me for a second, Couples fight, babe¨CIt¡¯s normal. We¡¯ll get Sean to join us on New Year¡¯s. I¡¯ll ask my brother to invite him out. We¡¯ll set the mood, give you two some space. Nothing a good hug or kiss can¡¯t fix.

    She <b>paused</b>, then giggled.

    ¡°And if that <b>doesn¡¯t </b>work¨Cgo big. Go really big. I¡¯m telling you, a night in bed can fix anything.¡±

    Charlotte turned bright red. She knew Mia had no filter and was always this bold, but it still made her blush.

    Charlotte was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, Lottle. I¡¯m serious <b>men </b>don¡¯t respond to logic. They want simple, direct solutions¡±

    Charlotte enoured nearly fifteen minutes of ¡¯s <b>¡°</b>rtionship advice¡± before finally hanging upter head was filled with images she wished she <b>could </b>un¨Chear.

    She really shouldn¡¯t leave brought Sean up to Min.

    That night, diarlotte couldn¡¯t sleep,

    She tossed and tumed in bed, wide awake.

    Finally, she gave up and started reviewing everything that had happenedtely, walldog through every detail in her mind.

    And the conclusion she reached<b>? </b>

    Sean mint have broken up with her to protect the Riley family from joseph,

    rahved things with Joseph, they would get back together

    she could pretend not to know what was going on.

    In public, she would act lile thiry weren¡¯t close. but in private, they could still talk and still <b>stay </b>connected.

    She thought about calling him, just to hear his voice

    Hedhim so much.

    But when she checked the time, it was already 2-10 in the moming

    She hesitated Sean had been soy and exhaustedtely. She didn¡¯t want to disturb him.

    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± she thought. ¡°191 call him tomorrow.¡±

    with that, she sent Mia amIPALADE.

    -Mia, don¡¯t ask Sean toe to the New Year¡¯s thing. Things are a bitplicated right now. I¡¯ll exin next time we meet. It¡¯s not the right time for us to see

    next moming, Sean Informed Mr. Jasper St. that he had officially ended his rtionship with Charlotte

    Without hesitation, Mr. Jasper Sr arranged for a generous apology gilt. He then gathered Sean and Sean¡¯s parents, and together they made their way to the hospital to formally apologize to Desmond.

    Inside the hospital room, the Jasper family¡¯s attendants quietly ced an array of luxury gifts, nutritional supplements, and fresh trust on the side table. Once everything was neatly arranged, they stepped out of the room without a word.

    The space around Desmond¡¯s hospital bed was soon filled with people.

    Everyone from the Jasper

    r family hade, except for Mrs. Jasper St., who was recovering at home from a cold.

    Mr. Jasper Sr. was the first to step forward.

    to reham to Jersey City so I could visit you in

    ¡°Dramond, ¡°<b>he </b>said in a calm, steady voler<b>, </b>¡°when I heard you were injured, I personally requested permission to retum to person I hope you make a full and speedy recovery.¡±

    As one of the most powerful figures in the capital, Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s presence alone carried significant weight. Even Jersey City¡¯s top officials would treat him with the utmost respect.

    D

 His Heart 211

    Mr. Jasper Sr. was not only a senior figure in the family but also a powerful and highly respected <b>leader</b>. Yet here he was, speaking to Desmond with such humility and courtesy, without a trace of arrogance.

    Desmond was caught off guard by the gesture and quickly sat up in bed, leaning against the headboard. His expression showed a hint of mease.

    ¡°Mc. Jasper St.,¡± he said, a little flustered, ¡°you¡¯re too kind. I¡¯m really fine. You didn¡¯t have toe all this way.¡±

    James stepped forward.

    <b>¡°</b>Desmond, this is just a small gesture from our family. We hope you¡¯ll ept it.¡±

    As he spoke, he handed Desmond a bank card.

    With Mr. Jasper St. setting the tone, Desmond had no choice but to go along. Even if he had been displeased with the Jasper family, now was not the time to show it. He forced a smile and took the card.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ept it. Thank you.

    James replied politely, ¡°No need to thank us.¡±

    Mr. Jasper St.¡¯s expression tumed serious again.

    ¡°Desmond, there¡¯s another reason I retumed to Jersey i

    Dily

    vthis time.¡±

    Desmond had already guessed what wasing. His expression shitted slightly, but he stayed quiet and listened.

    ¡°This injury of yours wasn¡¯t an ident. I¡¯m sure by now you¡¯ve heard from Sean about James¡¯s other son.¡±

    Mr. <b>Jasper </b>St. paused. He had nearly said ¡°illegitimate son,¡± <b>but </b>stopped himself in time. That phrasing felt too harsh

    After <b>a </b>short pause, he continued.

    ? I¡¯m sure he mentioned Joseph to you.

    Desmond¡¯s expression darkened <b>slightly</b>. He <b>gave </b><b>a </b>silent <b>nod</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°Joseph¡¯s real target is our family,¡± Mr. Jasper Sc. said ¡°You were dragged into this because of Charlotte¡¯s engagement to Sean. After careful consideration, we¡¯ve decided it¡¯s best to call off the engagement.¡±

    Xena, who had been standing quietly nearby, looked over in surprise. Desmond had brought up ending the engagement with her the night before, but they both knew better than to initiate it themselves, given Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s Influence.

    Now, with the Jasper family taking the initiative <b>and </b>showing up in full to end the engagement, <b>it </b>was the best possible oue for <b>them</b>.

    Desmond had <b>mentally </b>prepared himself the moment the Jaspers walked in. So when Mr. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. said the words, he wasn¡¯t surprised.

    He no

    <b>nodded </b>slightly.

    ____¡°Since you brought it up, I¡¯ll be honest. I¡¯ve been thinking about this too. No offense<b>, </b>but our <b>family </b>has already paid a high price because of this engagementTM

    Mr. <b>Jasper </b><b>5¡¯s </b>voice was heavy with guilt,

    *1 understand.¡±

    James echoed the sentiment

    ¡°We¡¯re truly sorry, Desmood. This is entirely on us. We¡¯ll let your family announce the breakup publicly. Our team will handle the PH statement, and we¡¯ll take full responsibility.¡±

    Lilian stepped forward with <b>a </b>document and handed it to Desmond.

    ¡°Here¡¯s a draft of the official announcement. <b>Please </b>take <b>a </b><b>look</b>. If you want to make any changes, feel free to let us know.¡±

    Desmond flipped <b>though </b>the pages<b>, </b>theenclosed the folder.

    ¡°No need. This will <b>do</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Lin nodded

    ¡°Great. The sooner it goes out, the better. The longer this drags us, the more danger your family is in.¡±

    Desmond agreed and then looked meaningfully at Sean

    have you told Charlotte yet?¡±

    ¡°There,¡°Seanreplied, his throat tightening. ¡°Mr. Riley, I told her fell out of love so she¡¯d give up on me. Please, don¡¯t tell her the truth. I <b>don¡¯t </b><b>want </b>her getting

    ..

    Desmond gave a solemn nod

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Mr. Jasper Br. said. ¡°We¡¯ll leave you to rest.

    ¡°Take care,¡± Desmond replied, then turned to Xena. ¡°<b>Xena</b>, walk them out.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said.

    Charlotte <b>hadn¡¯t </b>slept <b>well </b>the night before<b>, </b>and she had dozed off again in the after

    She hadn¡¯t been asleep long when her phone started ringing repeatedly.

    She opened her eyes wearily and picked it up.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    Mia¡¯s wore exploded through the speaker.

    ¡°Lottie, have you seen Twitter? Sean is trending¨Che¡¯s <b>in </b><b>a </b><b>scandal </b>with an actress!¡±

 His Heart 212

    Chapter <b>212 </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s heart sank

    Mia¡¯s words hit her like a bucket of cold water, Instantly snapping her back to reality<b>. </b>

    She opened Twitter. Sitting at the top of the trending list was <b>a </b>headline that made her stomach drop:

    ¡°Jasper Corporation CEO and Actress Lucinda Lambert Spotted Together.¡±

    Charlotte stared at the headline, frozen. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to tap it.

    <b>Lucinda </b>was a top¨Ctier actress¨Cone of the biggest names in entertainment Charlotte had even watched some of her dramas in the past.

    Why would Sean be involved in a scandal with her? He <b>had </b>never once mentioned knowing Lucinda.

    ¡°Hello? Lottie, are you listening?¡± <b>Mia¡¯s </b>voice crackled through the phone, sharp and furious. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this! I thought Sean was one of the good ones. You told me yesterday you two were just having a light, and now he¡¯s caught going into a hotel with some actress? What a total scumbag! I can¡¯t believe this!¡±

    ¡°Going into <b>a </b><b>hotel</b>¡­ together?¡± Charlotte murmured. She felt her entire body go cold, as if she had fallen into an icyke.

    Herhand <b>trembled </b><b>as </b>she finally clicked into the trending topic,

    Her screen filled with tabloid <b>gossip</b>.

    ¡°Recently, top actress¨CLucinda was spotted entering a hotel with <b>a </b>mysterious man. The two appeared close<b>, </b>sparking rumors <b>of </b><b>a </b><b>rtionship</b>. Sources im the man is none other than Sean Jasper, CTO of Jasper Corporation and the heir to one of Jersey City¡¯s most powerful families. So far, Lucinda¡¯s studio has not issued a

    Below the post was a series of candid photos. In one of them, Lucinda had med <b>back </b>just in time for a perfect shot, her face fully visible. <b>The </b>man beside her only

    showed part of his face.

    Anyone else might not have recognized that partial profile but Charlotte knew instantly. It was Sean.

    He wore a ck <b>coat</b>, walking beside Lucinda. The two looked like a picture¨Cperfect couple. Onlinements were flooded with <b>praise</b>, calling them ¡°a stunning

    <b>match</b>¡±

    Another post read, ¡°Icinda about to <b>marry </b>into wealth? Insiders im the man seen entering the hotel with her is <b>Jasper </b>Corporation CEO Sean Jasper, and the <b>Two </b>are currently <b>daring</b>. Sources say wedding bells may not be far off.¡±

    The attached photos were nearly identical to the first.

    As Curlolle scrolled down, she found more posts saying the same thing

    By the time she reached the end, her <b>hands </b>were shaking. Herchest felt tight. It was getting hard to breathe.

    Tears sshed down onto her phone screen, blurring the images.

    She ended the call with <b>Mia </b>and Immediately dialed Sean.

    It rang for a long time. No one picked up.

    She called again. Still no answer.

    With each try<b>, </b>her heart grew colder and heavier.

    On the fifth attempt, the line finally connected.

    Her voice was choked with tears, shaling

    ¡°Tell me it¡¯s not true. The trending posts, the pictizes¡­. that¡¯s not you, right? Sean, please¡­. If you tell rgie¡¯ske<b>, </b><b>1¡¯il </b>believe <b>you</b>¡±

    There was a

    Then a woman¡¯s valor,

    and unmistakable, came through the receiver

    ¡°Um¡­who is this? (uricinda. <b>Sean¡¯s </b>in the shower and can¡¯t <b>take </b>the call right now. <b>Do </b>you want me to pass along a message?*

    Chadotte felt her heart stop. Her breath caught in her throat.

    Silence

    ¡°Hello? Can you hear me?¡± <b>Lucinda </b>asked again.

    ¡°Sheinung up,¡± Lacinda sald with <b>a shrug</b>, tossing the phone back toward sean, she looked him in the eye.

    ¡°Tinjast saying ¨C you really went too <b>far </b>this time. If I were her, <b>I¡¯d </b>hate you forver¡±

 His Heart 213

    Lucinda hadn¡¯t even been able to attend Sean and Charlotte¡¯s engagement party. At the time, she had been overseas attending a major international film festival <b>and </b>simply couldn¡¯t get away

    This time, when Sean decided he had to make Charlotte give up on himpletely, he went straight to his distant cousin and asked her to help him put on a show

    When Lucinda first heard that her <b>cousin </b>wanted her to ¡°act,¡± she assumed he was producing some blockbuster and haile to her for casting. She lit up with a

    contide smile.

    *Sean, if you¡¯re investing. It¡¯s gotta be something big<b>. </b>You¡¯vee to the right person. I¡¯m an award¨Cwinning actress, remember? If I star in your mode, it¡¯s guaranteed to brahit!¡±

    But Sean¡¯s expression was cold, and his tone was t

    ¡°It¡¯s not a mode. I need you to act¨Cforreal¡±

    Lucinda¡¯s smile froze.

    Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to y my numored girlfriend<b>.</b>¡±

    Lucinda stared <b>at </b>him.

    You dealing with a clingy ex or something? Want me to be your decoy?¡±

    She sniffed out gossip immediately, eyes lighting up with interest

    <b>¡°</b>That can¡¯t be right. You¡¯re sean Jasper. What kind of woman would dare cling to you? Besides, don¡¯t you already have a fianc¨¦e?¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression darkened

    She¡¯s not clingy. She¡¯s the only woman I¡¯ve ever loved.¡±

    Lucinda blinked. It took her a moment to process that.

    Uncharacteristically patient, Sean exined the whole situation to her.

    When he finished, Lucinda let out a long sigh.

    <b>Wow</b>. Poor girl. Do I get a say in this? I haven¡¯t even met her, and now I¡¯m supposed to y the other woman in her love story? How am I supposed to look herin the eye after this

    *This is your payment.¡± Sean held out <b>a </b>ck card.

    Lucinda scoffed and tumed away

    ¡°Please. <b>You </b>can¡¯t just buy me oft. I don¡¯t do gigs that hurt beautiful, innocent women.

    Lucinda paused.

    Well when you put it like that, we are doing this to protect her. Once the truthes out, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand. She seems like the reasonable type,¡± she slowly reached over and plucked the card from his hand with a gdn.

    ¡°Don¡¯t me me,<b>¡± </b>she thought silently. ¡°He offered way too

    y taxes. But now? A few staged photos, a little acting,

    She could spend months filming a <b>drama </b>and barely make that kind of money. In addition, she still had to pay t and she would walk away with the same paycheck. It was the easiest job she would ever tak

    Sean¡¯s ex

    Sean¡¯s exprsstoemained cool <b>and </b>unreadable.

    ¡°Male in convincing. She can¡¯t suspect anything.

    patted her st¡°,¡±

    ¡°Rx. <b>You¡¯ve </b>got the best the business. I didn¡¯t win that Best Actress trophy for nothing¡±

    After lunging up the phone, Charlotte sat by the window, her eyes <b>vacant </b>and tears streaming uncontrobly.

    A few minutester, her phone rang. It was Seancalling her back

    She picked <b>up </b>right away, heart pounding. Some <b>part </b>of her still hoped he was calling <b>to </b>exin everything to tell her it was all a misunderstanding. Seam¡¯s voice <b>was </b>calm, almost ton calm.

    Lulu said you called earlier. <b>What </b>did you want?¡±

    -25 Bonus

    Such <b>an </b>intimate way to address her<b>. </b>

    Just like how he used to call her ¡°Lottie.¡±

    Any hope that had flickered in Charlotte¡¯s chest was instantly extinguished

    Her voice trembled as she spoke, trying to keep herself together.

    ¡°You and her¡­.

    She wanted to ask if the rumors were true, if Sean was really with Lucinda now, but the words just wouldn¡¯te.

    Her chest tightened, and it was hard to breathe

    Sean¡¯s tone remained detached.

    ¡°We broke up. <b>Who </b>I¡¯m with now has nothing to do with you.¡±

    Charlotte felt like she had been pped.

    Her voice cracked.

    Just tell me the truth¨Cis this because of Joseph? You still love me, right?

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you? Sean, I don¡¯t believe it. There¡¯s no way you moved on that fast. Just tell You¡¯re doing this to protect me¡­ aren¡¯t you?¡°.

    There was silence.

    On the other end of the line, Sean could <b>hear </b>her sobbing. His heart twisted painfully in his chest.

    He closed his eyes<b>, </b>took a deep breath, and forced his voice to <b>stay </b>cold

    ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself

    As <b>soon </b><b>as </b>he finished spealing, he couldn¡¯t keep up the act any longer. In a <b>panic</b><b>, </b>he hung up the phone,

    If he had stayed on the line even one second longer, he would have caved.

    BIG SALF: 3500 <b>bonus </b>free <b>fou </b>you

 His Heart 214

    The call ended abruptly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself.

    Those words echoed in Charlotte¡¯s mind like <b>a </b><b>curse</b><b>, </b><b>repeating </b>over and over.

    Her heart felt hollow. All the <b>warmth </b><b>and </b>tendemess Sean had once shown her, everything he had made her belleve in¨Cwas now s

    Outside the window, the snow was falling harder. The cold northem wind howled, shaking the bare branches of the trees.

    Charlotte stared ndy at the swirling snow

    was now slipping away, plece by piece.

    Her phone, quiet for a while, suddenly started ringing again¨Clood and persistent<b>, </b>as if it had no regard for her state of mind.

    Her face was still streaked with tears, and the shrill ringtone made her feel unbearably tired.

    It was a <b>call </b>from Desmond

    ¡°Lottle, the Jasper family came today to officially call off the engagement.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart was already numb. She gave a soft reply,

    Desmond paused, his voice hesitant, <b>as </b><b>if </b>he didn¡¯t want <b>to </b>say what cam

    came <b>next</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°I saw the rumors about Sean and that actress, did you see them too?

    Charlotte didn¡¯t <b>answer</b>.

    He continued, <b>¡°</b>Tomurcow, I¡¯m holding <b>a </b>press conference to announce that we¡¯ve ended the engagement. We¡¯ll make it clear to the media that this was entirely the Jasper family¡¯s decision Lottie, you don¡¯t need to feel ashamed. This isn¡¯t your fault. Breading off an engagement doesn¡¯t make <b>you </b>any less worthy. You¡¯re beautiful<b>, </b>sman, and kind. The right <b>man </b>wille along. You¡¯ll have better options*

    Still, Charlotte remained silent.

    She didn¡¯t know how to respond<b>. </b>

    She hadn¡¯t expected the Jaspers to move so quickly, Sean had broken up with her justst night, and today they had alreadye to end the engagement.

    ¡°Are they really in <b>such </b><b>a </b>rush to be done with me?¡± <b>she </b>wondered.

    She thought of the voice she had heard over the phone¨Cseductive, soft, and fartoo familiar with Sean

    ¦³

    really that eager to cut ties with me, <b>just </b>so he can make things official with Lucinda?¡± she wondered again.

    ¡°Lottle, just rest for now. Once the press conference ends tomorrow, I¡¯ll send someone to bring <b>you </b>home.¡±

    Once the announcement was <b>made</b><b>, </b>the Rileys and Jaspers would officially have no more ties. Desmond hoped that would mean Joseph would no longer have a reason to target them.

    He <b>added </b>a few more words offon<b>, </b>telling Charlotte not to cry too <b>much </b>or wear herself out.

    She gave vague, half¨Chearted responses, not really taking anything in.

    Inadimly lit VIP lounge at a private club, Zac sat slouched on the sofa, his face hidden in the shadows.

    <b>Laughter</b>, dinking sses, and flirtatious banter filled the <b>room</b><b>, </b>but none of it had anything to do with him. He wasn¡¯t <b>in </b>the mood. All he wanted <b>was </b>to sit alone In the corner and lose himself in thought.

    11 <b>had </b>been <b>days </b><b>siner </b>best saw Charlotte.

    After he was discharged from the hospital, he found out she had moved. Her old apartment next door was empty.

    He had no idea where she had gone. Her phone wasn¡¯t reachable either

    It was as if Charlotte had disappeared from his world overnight.

    the spiraled <b>for </b>a while, numbing blused with alcohol day after day

    One night, after drinking too much, he thought he saw her agai

    She was wearing the dress he had once given her when they were still dating. She smiled softly at him.

    He burst into tears and pulled her into his arms,ughing and crying at the same time.

    Charlotte reached <b>up </b>and gently cupped his tare, her eyes full of concem.

    ¡°Stopdrinking, Zar. It¡¯s not good for you. Come 11 take you in bed

    He coverd her hand with his, leaning his cherkinto her palm like <b>a </b>child. Tears rolled down his face.

    <b>¡°</b>Lottle, I really get it now. I was wrong. Pleasee back<b>,</b>¡±

    Charlotte smiled gently, her voice like a whisper.

    ¡°I¡¯m already back, aren¡¯t

    His eyes were red <b>as </b>he looked at her.

    * swear<b>, </b>I¡¯ll only love you from now on. <b>Just </b>you, Let¡¯s start over, okay?

    Hergabe was follo

    Lot tendemess,

    ¡°okay, I won¡¯t leave again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s <b>perfect</b>,¡± he murmured. ¡°I thought. I thought I¡¯d lost you for good..¡±

    He couldn¡¯t hold back <b>his </b>tears anymore. He broke down, sobbing, overwhelmed by the feeling of getting back what he thought was gone forever. It was part oeliet, part <b>gulls</b>.

    It felt like a miracle.

    Charlotte hade back to him.

    She was as gentle as ever the softly wiped away his tears and leaned in to kiss him.

    Desire stirred between them, and the atmosphere quickly grew heated.

    That night, made love to her again and a

    dagain.

 His Heart 215

    Zachad given into indulgence, losing himselfpletely in the moment,

    But when he opened b

    d his eyes the next morning, the woman lying naked beside him wasn¡¯t Charlotte.

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    Fora split second, it felt like the sky had copsed./

    ¡°How can it be Wendy? Last night¡­ It¡¯s Charlotte,¡± he thought.

    He wassume of it.

    Fury and shame surged through him. He snapped, shouting at Wendy in anger.

    But instead of getting upset, Wendy just looked at him with teary eyes, her lips trembling as she cried with that pitiful, delicate beauty that made her look like she¡¯d stepped out of a tragic romance.

    ¡°Zac,¡± she choked out, ¡°If you like Charlotte<b>, </b>I¡¯ll be her. Didn¡¯t you once say I looked a little like her? <b>I </b><b>can </b>dress like her, <b>do </b>my <b>makeup </b>like hers<b>, </b>wear her perfume and style my hair the same way, I¡¯ll do anything you want¡­ Just please don¡¯t push me away.¡±

    Zac froze.

    Because the truth was she had looked a lot like Charlottest night.

    Seeing his hesitation, Wendy took his <b>hand </b>and gave it a gentle tug, speaking in <b>a </b>soft, sweet <b>voice</b>.

    Zac¡­ you can¡¯t deny it felt good fast night, can you?

    ¡°Let me stay,¡± she whispered. ¡°<b>I¡¯ll </b>be Charlotte¡¯s stand¨Cin, if that¡¯s what it takes.¡±

    No man could easily resist a beautiful woman begging so humbly¨Cespecially not one who imed to love him sopletely.

    ce of his nose and let out along, heavy sigh

    Zac rubbed the bridge of

    He missed Charlotte so much. Not seeing her these past few days had been driving him insane

    When Wendy pressed herself against him and kissed him, he gave in.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t have Charlotte,¡± he thought bitterly, ¡°then having someone who looks like her is better than nothing.

    From that day forward, Wendy <b>stayed </b>by his side.

    And to her credit, she yed her part well. Just like she promised, she mimicked Charlotte¡¯s clothing, hair<b>, </b>and even her perfume.

    Zat loved wrapping his arms around Wendy from behind, breathing in her scent. From behind<b>, </b>she looked almost exactly like Charlotte. The scent was identical. It thailed him

    So he let himself fall deeper into the illusion.

    Pretending. Escaping. Deceiving himself

    But a recement was still just a recement.

    No matter how much she resembled Charlotte, Wendy would never be her.

    Not ever.

    Now, Zac sat on the s, pumpunded by dim lights and <b>an </b><b>air </b>of hazy Intimacy. But the longing for Charlotte was overwhelming, growing like wild vines in his

    It hurt <b>to </b>breathe.

    To dull the pain, he keptdrinking¨Css after ss, letting the alcohol amb everything inside him.

    Suddenly<b>, </b>someone shouted, ¡°Duys, check Twitter There¡¯s a huge scandal trending right now!¡±

    Z didn¡¯t react at first. He never cared about celebrity gossip.

    Unheard one nathe

    Sean Jasper.

    His eyes sharpened, and he turned his head.

    ¡°What did you just say about Sean Jasper?¡±

    A glil across the table looked up, phone in hand

    -25 Berun

    ¡°<b>He¡¯s </b>caught up in a dating <b>scandal </b>with actress Lucinda Lambert! It¡¯s all over the top trending list Paparazzi sight them entering a hotel together. Rumor has it they¡¯re in a rtionship, Lucinda¡¯s a total A¨Clister¨Cthis is major¡±

    Quinn, sitting nearby, chimed in

    ¡°Wall¡­.. ?sn¡¯t Sean ngaged to Charlotte? How could he¡­¡®

    She called off, then tumed to look meaningfully at Zac

    ¡°zac, you¡¯re close with Charlotte. Do you know if they¡¯ve broken up?¡±

    Wendy stiffened. In the dim light, no one noticed how pale her face had turned

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± she blurted out, her voice rising. ¡°They were doing great! They¡¯re practically about to get married. You must¡¯ve seen it wrong!

    She was so close to getting everything she wanted.

    Zac was already addicted to her. If she got pregnant with his child, she could use the <b>baby </b>to secure her ce in the Gibson family.

    At a time like <b>this</b>, she couldn¡¯t afford any surprises.

    Charlotte and Sean had to stay together. She couldn¡¯t let Zac have another shot at getting charlotte back.

    ¡°Here, see for yourself,¡± Quinn said<b>, </b>handing her phone over. ¡°It¡¯s right!

    ht here on the

    on the trending list. <b>We¡¯re </b>not making it <b>up</b>.<b>¡± </b>

    Before Wendy could even teach for it, Zac snatched the phone from Quinn¡¯s hand

 His Heart 216

    A faint pale light spread across the horizon. Moming broke slowly, and the soft glow of dawn filtered through the ss window, gently falling across Charlotte¡¯s face, illuminating her pale and exhausted features.

    She had spent the entire night sitting by the window, unmoving. It wasn¡¯t until sunrise that she finally drifted off, resting lightly a

    lott, resting lightly against the ss.

    Even then, her sleep was shallow and restless. She kept walding from fragments of dreams¨Call of them about Sean

    In thest dream, she saw Sean standing hand in hand with Lucinda. There was a soft simile in his eyes, his expression glowing with happiness. He told her he was getting married and asked her toe to the wedding.

    In the dream, Charlotte cried.

    When she woke up, her face was streaked with real tears.

    There was a knock at <b>the </b>door.

    ¡°Miss Riley? Are you awake?¡± Mrs. Sanders called gently from outside. ¡°Lunch is <b>ready.</b>¡±

    Charlotte wiped her tears and walked over to the door<b>, </b>pulling it open.

    ¡°You go ahead and eat, Mrs. Sanders. I need to take <b>a </b>shower and get changed. I¡¯lle down after.¡±

    Mrs. Sanders noticed how pale and worn out she looked. There were dark circles under her eyes. She hesitated, then asked carefully<b>, </b>¡°<b>Did </b>you not sleep wellst might, Miss Riley?¡±

    Mrs. Sanders didn¡¯t use Twitter. She had no idea about the scandal, or that Charlotte and Sean had once been engaged¨Cor that the engagement had now been

    broken off.

    She simply assumed the two were dating, and that Sean genuinely cared. He had instructed her clearly to take good care of Charlotte, and seeing her in this state, Mrs Sanders couldn¡¯t help but be concerned<b>. </b>

    Charlotte was beyond exhausted.

    She had barely slept five hours and even

    even that had been broken, shallow cest

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± she replied, voire low and weary.

    Mrs. Sanders didn¡¯t prese further.

    ¡°All right, then. <b>You </b>go take your shower. I¡¯ll keep the food warm in the pot, otherwise it¡¯ll get cold.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Chadotte murmured<b>. </b>

    ¡°No need <b>to </b>thank me. It¡¯s my job,¡± Mrs. Sanders <b>said </b>kindly before heading downstairs.

    Charlotte <b>quietly </b>dosed the <b>door</b>, leaned <b>back </b>against it, then <b>slowly </b>slid to the floor, her <b>back </b>pressed against the wood.

    These were dozens of missed calls and messages on her phone.

    Suscrolled through them one by one.

    None were from Sean.

    She hadn¡¯t eaten anything since <b>the </b><b>day </b>before. On top of that, she had gone the entire night without sleep. Her body was at its limitpletely drained, limp and shaky, her face as pale as if she <b>would </be <b>down </b>with a serious illness.

    sitting against the <b>door</b>, her fingers gripped her phone so tightly they had gone numb.

    suddenly, her phone rang.

    It was Desmond<b>. </b>

    She remembered he <b>had </b>said he would send someone to pick her up today. She answered the <b>call</b>.

    ¡°Lottie,¡± his voice came through, low and gentle, filled with the warmth and worry of a father. ¡°How are you feeling? Have you been eating? Getting enough rest?¡±

    <b>Chadoite¡¯s </b>throat tightened. Her eyes welled again the forced her voice out, hoarse and faint.

    ¡°Ho okay. Nothing serious¡±

    Drand paused

    He could hear it. She was lying.

    Het voler sounded weak, barely there. It was obvious she hadn¡¯t slept or eaten properly. She sounded utterly drained

    He sighed quietly, trying topose Insell

    ¡°Lottle, the press conference was held this moming 11¡¯s official ¡ª <b>we¡¯ve </b>announced the end of the engagement. I¡¯ve already sent the car to pick you up. Eat something, thene home.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s lips parted as if she wanted to say something. But in the end, she only gave a weak nod and matured, ¡°Okay¡±

    ¡°Good. Then go have <b>your </b>lunch. I¡¯ll hang up now,

    Desmond knew she was hurting. She needed space. After exining everything, he gently ended the call.

    Charlotte stayed sitting on the floor for a long while before finally dragging herself up, her body numb and aching Moving like a ghost, she made her way into the bathroom

 His Heart 217

    ds Banus

    Downstairs, Mrs. Sanders picked up the phone and dialed Sean¡¯s number.

    He <b>had </b>given her his private line specifically so she could update him immediately it anything happened with Charlotte.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Jasper? This is Cora Sanders, the housekeeper taking care of Miss Riley,¡± she said gently. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been herself since yesterday. I¡¯m not sure what happened, but she didn¡¯t eat dinnerst night or breakfast this moming, I just went up to check on her. She looks very pale and has dark circles under her eyes. It¡¯s like she didn¡¯t <b>sleep </b>at all.¡±

    Sean fell silent for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was strained

    ¡°Try to get her to eat something.¡±

    ¡°made all her favorite dishes,¡± Mrs. Sanders replied. ¡°Just now she said she¡¯de down to eat after her shower.¡± She hesitated, then added, ¡°Honestly, Mr. Jasper, she really doesn¡¯t look well. Would <b>you </b>like <b>to </be see her?¡±

    Another pause.

    Sean¡¯s jaw tightened. His voice was low and tired.

    ¡°No Someone will being to take her home today.¡±

    |¡°Oh_alright then.¡±

    After her shower, Charlotte slowly came <b>downstairs</b>.

    Mrs. Sanders brought the food to the table.

    ¡°Miss Riley, these are all your favorites. You didn¡¯t eat anythingst night or this morning. You must be starving by now. Please try to eat a little more.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was faint. She looked drained, her eyelids heavy. The pain in her <b>head </b>throbbed dully from theck of rest.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to <b>eat</b>,¡± Mrs. Sanders said softly. ¡°I¡¯ll go clean up the <b>kitchen</b>.¡±

    Charlotte stared at the table full of steaming, fragrant dishes but had no appetite at all.

    She took a few sips of soup and checked her phone. Still nothing from Sean. No calls. No messages.

    Mrs. Sanders had said Sean asked her to report any issues right away.

    ¡°He probably knows exactly how I¡¯m doing. So why hasn¡¯t he peached out? Has he truly stopped caring?¡± Charlotte wondered.

    She lowered her gaze, the ache in her chest sinking deeper.

    As soon as Charlotte stepped through the front door of the Riley estate, Jodie came running and threw herself <b>into </b>her arms.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally bome! I missed you so much!¡±

    Charlotte gave her a weak smile <b>and </b>peached out to pat her head<b>. </b>

    ¡°I¡¯in home now. I¡¯ll keep <b>you </bpany.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± Jodle beamed with delight.

    Standing nearby, Xena watched with concern in her eyes.

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b>are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said quietly.

    Xem didn¡¯t press further

    ¡°We¡¯ve beencleaning your <b>room </b>every day while you were gone. You should <b>go </b><b>up </b>and take a <b>look</b>.¡±

    Tokay¡±

    ¡°Jodie,¡± Xena gently pulled her back, ¡°<b>your </b>sister¡¯s very tired. Let her rest fast, alright? Stay downstairs with me for a bit.¡±

    Jodie pouted<b>, </b>her baby¨Cround che full of protest

    Bat she just got home! I want her to y with me!¡±

    Xen crouched down and spr patently.

    ¡°Be a good girl, sweetheart. Your sister is back now, so you¡¯ll see her every day. Let her test fit. She¡¯ll have more energy to y with you after

    Jodie looked up at Charlotte and suddenly paused.

    ¡°Why do you have dark circles under your eyes?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice was hoarse, het ansv

    Hearing that<b>, </b>Jodie stopped insisting and nodded obediently.

    ¡°Okay. You go nap first, then y with meter.¡±

    ¡°Good girl.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s head throbbed with pain. Her eyes burned from exhaustion, and her whole body felt on the verge <b>of </b>copse.

    She forced herself up the stairs, each step unsteady and weightless, as if she were moving through tog

 His Heart 218

    On the second floor of a private vi, clothesy scattered across the floor¨Cmen¡¯s and women¡¯s alike. A <b>pair </b>of tom ck stockings dingled from the edge of the couch

    Joseph lounged against the headboard, a cigarette resting between his fingers, his face filled with quiet satisfaction.

    The woman beside him still wore a hazy, sultry expression, clearly lost in the afterglow,

    His phone buzzed. Joseph took a slow drag from his cigarette before calmly answering

    John¡¯s respectful voice came through the line.

    ¡°Boss, the Rileys just held a press conference. They¡¯ve officially announced the cancetion of the engagement with the Jasper family. Also, there¡¯s a rumor spreading online that Sean was spotted entering a hotel with a top actress¨Clooks like he¡¯s cheating.¡±

    Josephlet <b>out </b>a short, mockingugh.

    ¡°So much for being the <b>great </b>romantic. Tums out he¡¯s no different than his father. A shameless womanizer.¡±

    John paused

    ¡°So.. what do we <b>do </b>about the Rileys<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Joseph¡¯s eyes narrowed in thought.

    ¡°Keep watching them. This might <b>be </b><b>a </b>staged breakup just to throw me off.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>And pay special attention to Charlotte Riley. Track her movements. Report back the moment anything changes.¡±

    After resting at home for a full day, Charlotte finally pulled herself together and returned to work at thew firm.

    Things had been calm the past <b>couple </b><b>of </b>days. No idents. No strange disturbances. She and her family were safe and sound.

    So breaking off the engagement really was for the best. At least that lunatic Joseph won¡¯t bother us anymore,¡± Charlotte smiled bitterly to herself.

    As she stepped into the firm, her coworkers greeted her warmly.

    She returned their greetings with a polite smile, walking <b>into </b>her office in ck leather mid¨Cheeled shoes,

    The firm <b>had </b>a strict dress code¨Cprofessional attire and ck shoes were <b>mandatory</b>. <b>Today</b>, Charlotte <b>wore </b><b>a </b><b>ck </b>pantsult. Her long <b>hair </b>was neatly pinned up, concealing the dark circles under her eyes with <b>concealer</b>. A swipe of vintage red lipstick brought some color back to her face.

    Compared <b>to </b>just a few <b>days </b>ago, she looked like a different person. No one could tell she had just been through a painful breakup.

    Her supervisor handed her three new cases, and Charlotte quickly threw herself into work, analyzing each one with focus

    Ever <b>since </b>Yvonne resigned, their new supervisor, Lily<b>, </b><b>had </b><b>taken </b>over.

    Lily had no personal vendetta against Charlotte and wasn¡¯t under anyone¡¯s influence. With her <b>arrival</b>, work had been much smoother

    That evening, Chudlotte stayedte <b>to </b>finish her tasks. Once she wrapped everything up and tumed off the office lights, she heard the faint sound of someone

    Sher frowned slightly and stepped outside to check

    The sound wasing from the assistant work area.

    Unlike the attorneys, the <b>legal </b>assistants didn¡¯t have private offices. They <b>all </b>worked in a shared space with partitioned desks.

    Carlotte followed the sound and quickly spotted who it was¡ªJenny,

    ¡°Jen?¡± she said gently, walking over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong! Are <b>you </b><b>okay</b>?¡±

    pony hurriedly grabbed some tissues and wiped her eyes.

    Miss Miley. Really.

    Culotte pulled out the duine to her <b>and </b>sat down.

    ¡°Come on. You don¡¯t need to put on a brave face with me. Talk to me. <b>Maybe </b><b>I </b><b>can </b>help

    Jenny¡¯s eyes were red, and she stayed quiet for a moment. Then, her voice trembling, she said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, I just¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Just then, two coworkers walked by. Jenny quickly fell silent, not wanting anyone else to overhear

    Charlotte immediately understood.

    ¡°Is it something you can¡¯t talk about here? Do <b>you </b>have any ns tonight? If not, how about we grab dinner?

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything nned.¡± Jenny said, her voice soft

    ¡°Perfect. Go freshen up<b>. </b>Let¡¯s go eat<b>.</b>¡±

    +25 Bonus

    Charlotte picked a Korean ce she knew Jenny liked.

    The restaurant <b>had </b><b>a </b>ssy vibe, dim lighting, and a cozy atmosphere.

    Jenny <b>had </b>heard of the ce. It was known to be upscale, with meals costing several hundred dors per person

    <b>She </b>looked a bit flustered.

    ¡°Miss Riley¡­isn¡¯t this a little too fancy<b>?</b>¡°¡±

    Charlotte gave <b>her </b>a warm smile,

    ¡°Let me take care of it. You don¡¯t <b>have </b>to feel awkward. We¡¯re friends¡±

    After everything they¡¯d been through with the Leonard siblings, Charlotte and Jenny had grown <b>closer</b>. They weren¡¯t just coworkers anymore. They were friends.

    Jenny still hesitated.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel kind of bad.¡±

    Charlotte waved her off.

    ¡°You¡¯re feeling down, and I¡¯m your friend. Of course I¡¯m going to treat you to a good meal to cheer you up There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡±

 His Heart 219

    Jenny gently pressed her lips together, quietly epting Charlotte¡¯s kindness

    ¡°Then thank <b>you</b>, Miss Riley.¡±

    charlotte smiled.

    ¡°We¡¯re off the <b>clock </b>now. Don¡¯t call me ¡°Miss Riley, it¡¯s too formal, post <b>call </b>me Lottle or Charlotte, if you¡¯d like.¡±

    Jennyughed softly.

    ¡°Alright, Charlotte.¡±

    charlotte picked a window seat and gestured <b>for </b>Jenny to sit.

    ¡°This pet has a great view¨Cyou can see the city lights.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jenny sat across from her, still a little reserved.

    ¡°Onder whatever you like,¡± Charlotte said<b>, </b>handing her the menu.

    Jenny <b>waved </b>her hands quickly.

    ¡°Yongo ahead, Charlotte. I¡¯m good with amthing<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sensing her hesitation, Charlotte nodded and took the menu back. She ordered a few signature BBQ dishes and some vegetables.

    The raw meat was served quickly, and the staff handled all the grilling. When the meat was <b>cooked </b>and ced on their tes, Charlotte gave a polite thank¨Cyou. <b>and </b><b>asked </b>the server <b>to </b>leave them alone.

    <b>¡°</b>Alright,¡± she said gently, ¡°so what happened?¡±

    Now that they were in private and the mood had settled, Jenny finally opened up.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I just got <b>scolded </b>by Miss Garcia today.¡±

    ¡°Gemma Garcia?¡± Charlotte asked.

    Gemma was Jenny¡¯s supervising attorney. Charlotte <b>didn¡¯t </b>losow her well, but she had heard colleagues gossip about her. Apparently, Gemma¡¯s moods were unpredictable¨Ckind and gentle one moment, sharp and irritable the next. When she was upset, she often took it out on her assistants.

    There had once been a guy who joined the firm on the same day as Jenny. After being scolded twice by Gemma, he had simply quit without warning. Since he hadn¡¯t passed the bar yet and wasn¡¯t officially inteming under the firm¡¯s license, he could leave whenever he wanted.

    But Jenny was different. She had passed the bar and was officially registered. She <b>had </b>toplete a full year of supervised practice before she could transferor leave. Which meant she couldn¡¯t go anywhere until next April

    Charlotte asked gently, ¡°What did she scold you for?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s this difficult client <b>in </b><b>a </b>divorce case. She¡¯s almost impossible to talk <b>to</b>.<b>¡± </b>Jenny sighed, frustration all over her face.

    ¡°I <b>asked </b>her <b>to </b>provide some evidence, but she ignored me. I called her, and she was really uncooperative. Then Miss Garcia red me, saying I didn¡¯t know how tomunicate. The dient didn¡¯t like the draftint I wrote¨Cshe kept demanding I Include a im for emotional damages. She wanted thirty thousand dors

    ¡°But the thing is, her case doesn¡¯t even qualify for that kind <b>of </bpensation. There¡¯s no basis for it. On top of that, thirty thousand is a high im amount, which <b>would </b>increase her court fees. I exined it to her<b>, </b>but she wouldn¡¯t listen. She insisted <b>I </b><b>add </b><b>it </b><b>in. </b>I wasn¡¯t sure what to <b>do</b><b>, </b>so I asked Miss Garcia

    ¡°And she just snapped at me.ald I had no brain, <b>that </b>I <b>called </b><b>too </b>much, and didn¡¯t know how tomunicate.

    ¡°Then she called the client herself and exined everything¨Cthe exact same way I did earlier. After that, she rewrote theint herself. But the client still. wasn¡¯t happy and made even more <b>ridiculous </b>demands.

    ¡°I told her from the start that the ellent was difficult, but she didn¡¯t believe me. And when she got <b>annoyed </b>herself<b>, </b>she turned around and took it out on me. She called me into her office and yelled <b>at </b>me for ages. I was upset, so I tried to exin. But she said I was talking <b>back </b>and <b>then </b>yelled at me again.¡±

    Jenny¡¯s voice cracked, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

    Charlotte grabbed <b>a </b>few napkins and handed them to lier.

    ¡°Hey, <b>It¡¯s </b>alright. Don¡¯t cry. If you want, you can transfer to work underme. I¡¯ll talk to the supervisor.¡±

    Jerry <b>looked </b>up at her<b>, </b>eyes wide

    ¡°Can I really <b>do </b>that?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re registered under the firm, not specifically under her. You can be assigned to any supervising attorney.¡±

    Hearing that, Jenny gave a relieved, genuine smile.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Charlotte¡±

    ¡°Alright now¡ªno more tears, okay? Cheer up<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    After dinner<b>, </b><b>chadotte </b><b>got </b><b>up </b>to pay the bill.

    She had just taken a few steps when a couple came walking in from the other side.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley?¡± the man called, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He greeted her with a familiar smile.

    charlotte nced ever, frowning slightly.

    ¡°Dollmow you?¡±

 His Heart 230

    enines

    Joseph <b>had </b>the kind of looks and presence that turned heads wherever he went¡ªtall, lean, broad¨Cshouldered, with long legs and a trim waist Dressed to the r In designer brands and wearing a smile that seemed almost innocent, he could easily pass for a polished man of high society.

    As long <b>as </b>he wanted to y the part, no one would ever suspect he was the kind of man who hadmitted half the crimes listed in the criminal code.

    charlotte had never met Joseph before. When the man <b>called </b>her name and she saw him dressed so impably, her first thought was that he might be <b>a </b>friend of a

    But Joseph didn¡¯t introduce himself. He just looked at her, his expression loaded with hidden meaning

    ¡°You really are a beauty.¡±

    ¦§

    Beside him, Kara¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. A flicker of jealousy shed across her face, but it vanished quickly.

    She didn¡¯t know much about Joseph¡¯s grudges with the Jasper and Riley familles¨Cand she didn¡¯t ask A proper mistress knew when to keep quiet and never questioned him about other women.

    She simply stood at his side, calm andposed, sizing Charlotte up from head to tor

    <b>She </b>had to admit that Charlotte was stunning. Her beauty was clearly natural: fair skin, delicate features, and not a trace of cosmetic work. Her figure was just as elegant¨Cslim waist, long legs, and curves in all the right <b>ces</b>.

    Charlotte, meanwhile, didn¡¯t even notice <b>Xara¡¯s </b>gaze.

    What she did notice was the man¡¯s unsettling tone. His flippantpliment made her frown

    something about him made her <b>deeply </b>ufortable.

    The way he looked at her wasn¡¯t appreciation. It was predatory, like he was eyeing prey. There was something cold and calcted in his amusement

    Charlotte¡¯s voice sharpened slightly<b>, </bced with offense.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Joseph smiled faintly, ignoring her question..

    ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯ll find out soon enough, Miss Riley. We¡¯ll be seeing eachother again.¡±

    ¡°what on earth?¡± Charlotte thought

    She didn¡¯t respond. She brushed past him and walked to the counter to pay the bill

    Jenny followed<b>, </b>ncing back as they reached the door.

    ¡°Charlotte,¡± she whispered, ¡°do you know that guy? He was really good¨Clooking. I <b>mean</b>, guys like that barely exist in real life!¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t reply immediately. Her nerves were still slightly on edge.

    There was something off about that man. Eerie, even. But she couldn¡¯t put her finger on what exactly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know him,¡± she said tly. ¡°He was acting weird. Forget about him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, y. I thought muybe you two were friends or something.¡±

    On December 31st, New Year¡¯s Eve, <b>Mia </b>hud organized a big celebration.

    The A¨Cstory Skylight River Tower was andmark in <b>downtown </b>Jersey City

    The outh floor offered the best views in the building¨Cperfect for talding in the city¡¯s glittering skyline

    streamers. The New Year¡¯s vibe was in full swing.

    Inside the presidential <b>suite</b><b>, </b>the <b>room </b>was decked out with fresh flowers, balloons, and festive stre

    Mia tossed her mink <b>coat </b><b>onto </b>the couch and arrunted <b>in</b>, wearing nothing <b>but </b><b>a </b>champagne<b>¨C</b><b>colored </b><b>body</b>¨Chugging gown. She had gone all out with her makeup tonight, looking bold, radiant, <b>and </b>utterly dazzling.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to admit,¡± she said<b>, </b>tossing a nce toward Jan, ¡°tuming this ce into a hotel was actually one of your smarter <b>inoves</b>¡±

    Lan let out <b>a </b>cold coff

    Did <b>1 </b><b>ask </b>for your opinion?¡±

    <b>Mia </b><b>smirked </b>and shut him a teasing

    <b>look </b>

    ¡°Well, look at you, actually using your brain for once. Impressive.¡±

    The <b>50th </b>to 69th floors of the building were all part ofn¡¯s <b>hotel </b>chain. Tonight¡¯s party was held in the presidential suite, going for six <b>figures </b><b>a </b>night<b>. </b>

    ¡°Oh really? Who are you calling beamless?¡±

    Ma stock out her tongue yfulbe

    ¡°Oh<b>, </be on. You know exactly who I¡¯m talking about ¡±

    The room was warm and cory. Lena took off hereal and walked over to the sofa, picking up Mia¡¯s discanded fur coat along with her own she carried them both to the coat rack and hang them up neatly before turning back with a bright smile

    * This ce in perfect for a New Year¡¯s party ¨CTireworks, a killer view, great vibes. I love it.¡±

 His Heart 221

    Chapter <b>221 </b>

    ¡°night? Purity awesome ce to spend New Year¡¯s, in¡¯t (1 7 1 picked it¡± Mia sall with a proud smile.

    Lena nodded with a smile.

    ¡°Totally!¡±

    Mia nced toward the door.

    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s Lottie? She¡¯s usually neverte. <b>She </b>pulled out her phone.

    ¡°Let me give her <b>a </b><b>call </b>

    Before she could finish dialing, the door opened.

    Mia looked up with <b>a </b>grin.

    ¡°Speak of the devil, I was just about to call¨Cwhat the hell?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t Charlotte who walked in

    I was sea

    And Linda

    Mia¡¯s smile freze <b>instantly</b>, then gave way to a flicker <b>of </b><b>anger</b>.

    ¡°Who the hell imited them?¡±

    Lena shook her head<b>, </b><b>clearly </b>distancing herself

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me.¡±

    Jordan raised his hands.

    Lan awlowardly cleared his <b>throat </b>

    <b>¡°</b>You said you were nning a big New Year¡¯s <b>bash</b>, right? What¡¯s a party without my best buddy?¡±

    Mia exploded<b>. </b>

    ¡°Are you serious right now? Are you actually that brain¨Cdead?¡±

    She stormed towardn, fuming.

    ¡°Did you forget he cheated on Lottle? He literally booked a hotel room with a celebrity! Do you have any <b>ideal </b>nned this whole night to cheer her up? What part of conduct Charlotte¡® <b>made </b>you think invite Sean and his side chick¡¯?!¡±

    wanlooked genuinely confused.

    ¡°you <b>never </b>caldi couldn¡¯t It Sean! He¡¯s been my best friend for over ten years. What was I supposed to do, cut him off?¡±

    He rubbed the back of his neck <b>and </b>sighed.

    <b>¡°</b>Come on, Mia. 11¡¯s just a berakup. We all <b>run </b>in the same circles¨Cwhat, are we supposed to picksides now and go no¨Ccontact forever?¡±

    Ma gave him a sarcastic smile.

    ¡°Why not? The Jesper heir is way out of my league anyway. It we¡¯re cutting ties, then so be it!¡±

    Seeing that Mia wasn¡¯t jolding, Jastarted to <b>panic</b>.

    ¡°y<b>, </b>y,e on

    e on. Let¡¯s <b>not </b>go full scorched¨Cearth over this just let me exin-

    up!¡± she snapped before he could finishe

    Either they leave<b>, </b>ori du.¡±

    <b>Leba </b>opened her mouth to calm Mia down, but her gaze ditted to Sean and Lucinda standing side by side. The second she saw them together, her <b>sympathy </b>troporated. Curlotte was her best friend of course she was on her side.

    bear was her friend too, and he as also her brother¡¯s childhood friend, but cheating scumbags didn¡¯t <b>get </b>a free pass.

    Without saying a word, Lena crossed her arms and joined Mia¡¯s side in silent protest

    Lucinda, still undling politely<b>, </b>tried to ease the tension

    <b>¡°</b>Hey, let¡¯snul fight, Sean and i didn¡¯t get together will after he and Miss Hileyke up. There¡¯s no cheating here,¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Shut your mouth,¡± Mia snapped, not bothering to be polite.

    Tangmaned and grabbed her arm, pulling her aside<b>. </b>

    ¡°Please, Mia<b>, </b>can you not stir this up right now? It¡¯s all a misunderstanding ¡±

    Mahad no idea what the real rtionship was between Lucinda a

    and Seam¨Cbut ian knew perfectly well.

    As soon as the scandal broke, Sean had told both him and Jordan everything. After all, in a city like this, no tablold would dare in that story without Sean¡¯s quiet

    I warned him back then, ¡°If you beat Charlotte too badly, she might nevere back

    Jordan hads

    And now, watching Mia¡¯s fury and Lena¡¯s silent disapproval,n nearly spilled the truth just to calm things down¨Cuntil <b>Sean </b>shot him a quick look that said.¡±

    Mia was loud and straightforward, the kind of person who could not keep <b>a </b>secret to save her life. It she found out, Charlotte would know in no time. And everything they had worked so hard to protect would go to waste.

    In the middle of the trosion, the door opened again.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte. Something came up <bst </b>minute.¡±

    |Charlotte stepped inside.

    And the moment het ees met Sean¡¯s, her heart skipped a beat.

    D

 His Heart 222

    with a flirtatious flick of her halt, <b>Lucinda </b>stepped forward and <b>linked </b>her arm through Sean¡¯s, <b>dering </b>with a smile full of meaning ¡°So, you must be Miss Hiley? I¡¯m Lucinda Bean¡¯s girlfriend.¡±

    Sean¡¯s girlfriend.

    Charlotte¡¯sshes lowered as her gaze locked onto Lucinda¡¯s hand curled around his arm. Her chest tightened like something had just pierced straight through it,

    Sea stood frozen. His eyes dropped to Lucinda¡¯s hand but be said nothing. Itis Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. He looked like he wanted to exin, but the words wouldn¡¯t

    Mia had seen enough. She stoned over and yanked Lucinda¡¯s hand away.

    ¡°Get your hands off him!

    ¡°If you <b>wanna </b>show off your <b>new </b>love, take it outside,¡± she snapped, her face thushed with fury. ¡°This isn¡¯t the ce for your PDA. What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t the Jasper heir afford a hotel room?!¡±

    The words were harsh, and everyone felt the sting.

    Tan winced and quickly stepped in to calm her down.

    ¡°Okay, okay, Mia¨Cbreathe Let¡¯s not turn this into a scene. We¡¯re all <b>triends </b><b>here</b>.¡±

    ¡°Let go <b>of </b><b>me</b>!¡± she <b>snipped</b><b>, </b>trying to shake him off.

    Tan held on and fram

    frantically shot her a look-¡°Not now!

    Lucinda, stillposed, smiled sweetly and leaned closer to Sean..

    ¡°Sean,¡± she purred, ¡°looks like your friends aren¡¯t exactly thrilled to see us. Why don¡¯t we go get a room and have our little celebration somewhere more private?¡±

    She yed the innocent card so well, it was almost an art. Every nce, every word, perfectly measured. She was the queen of sweet, maniptive charm,

    Charlotte¡¯s chest clenched. Her wide, doe¨Clike eyes shimmered as tears welled up. Her nose bumed, and it hurt just to breathe. But she refused to cry¨Cnot in front

    of them

    She stared at Sean, voice trembling, barely holding herself together.

    <b>¡°</b>You had a reason for this, right? Please tell me this isn¡¯t what it looks like, post talk to me. I can take it¨C1 just need to hear it from you¡±

    Her <b>voice </b>cracked.

    ¡°You promised me¡­as long as <b>I </b>didn¡¯t bring up breaking up, <b>you¡¯d </b>never leave.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes were like the deep end of a frozen sea¨Cdark, unreadable. He gave her a cold smile, lips curving in a bitter

    ¡°Miss kiley<b>, </be on. We¡¯re not <b>kids</b>. <b>You </b>really believed a line like that?¡±

    Her face went ghost¨Cwhite

    Her lips moved<b>, </b>but no sound came out.

    Sean couldn¡¯t take the look on her face. It gutted him. He <b>looked </b><b>away</b>, forcing himself to keep his tone t.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made myself clear. Don¡¯t make this harder than it <b>has </b><b>to </b>be. Let¡¯s <b>all </b><b>keep </b>some dignity.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s strength drained out of her. Her <b>shoulders </b>slumped as she staggered to the side, quietly stepping out of the way of the door.

    Lena ind <b>over </b>and pulled her into a lu

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lottie, We¡¯relieve. You¡¯re not alone. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡±

    Mia was trembling with rage.

    ¡°bean jasper, you¡¯ve seriously <b>crossed </b>the line!¡±<ul><li>lunged <b>toward </b>him, ready to hit<b>, </b>but <b>fan </b>grabbed her just in tinse</li></ul>

    no¨Cdon¡¯t do something stupid,¡± he pleaded, holding her back.

    still <b>hugging </b>Chiarlotte, nced at her brother and gave him a sharp look.

    <b>Jordan </b>stepped forward and whispered something to Sean under his breathe.

    Whatever he said, it worked. Seantumed, nodded stiffly, and walked <b>out </b>with Lucinda beside him.

    Mia was seething

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe them I cannot believe them. The audacity!¡±

    sxrifi holding onto her, looking like he had aged ten years in five minutes.

    Mia whipped around and red at him.

    Tan¡¯s heartunk ¡°oh no. Here ites,<b>¡± </b>he thought.

    Sure enough, she socked him hard in the arm.

    You can leave too!¡±

    tan winced<b>. </b>

    ¡°Come on, Matt didn¡¯t even do anything!¡±

    In that moment, tan really did feel more wronged than anyone

 His Heart 223

    Mia was Therming.

    ¡°<b>This </b>whole mess wouldn¡¯t have happened it you hadn¡¯t Invited Sean! I brought everyone here tonight to cheer Lottie up¨Cand before we could even start, she got hit with a second round of heartbreak Get out. Seriously, get out!¡±

    she shovedn toward the door.

    Lena turned to <b>her </b>brother.

    ¡°Jordan, why don¡¯t you andn head out? Mis and I will stay with Lettie. It¡¯s better if it¡¯s just us girls¡±

    Jondan didn¡¯t argue. He nodded and pulled <bn </b>out of the room.

    Outside the sulte, Sean <b>and </b>Lucinda had just closed the <b>door </b>behind them when sean yanked his arm out of her grip.

    Lucinda merely shrugged, clearly unfazed.

    As they waited for the elevator, she asked in a breezy tone, so, what now? judging by the look on her face, I¡¯d say you really shattered her tonight. What¡¯s your n from here?

    sean didn¡¯t answer

    His lips were drawn in a tight line. His hands clenched at his sides, ackles pale. His mind kept clcling back to Charlotte¡¯s pale face and those heartbroken eyes

    The words he had said had hurt her deeply but they hadn¡¯t hurt him any less.

    As long as she never asked to break up, he had vowed he would <b>never </b>leave her.

    Back when he made that promise<b>, </b>he never imagined the day woulde when he would thenw it back at her with a sneer-¡°You really believed a line like <b>that</b><b>?</b>¡±

    Back in the suite, the air finally quieted after the men left,

    Mia headed straight for the <b>bar</b>, grabbing two bottles of expensive red wine.

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b>forget that asshole. He¡¯s not worth your tears Tonight, we drink until we forget his name. You¡¯re gorgeous, smart, and rich. You think you won¡¯t find someone better?¡±

    As she popped open <b>a </b>bottle, she added with a wink, ¡°Honestly, men are the most receable resource on this. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll book you a lineup of male <b>models</b>¨Cten of them!¡±

    Charlotte sat on the sofa, her eyes still dazed with hurt. She <b>didn¡¯t </b>respond.

    The wine went down <b>fast</b>. After just a few <b>sses</b>, Charlotte felt lightheaded. It was her first time drinking.

    Mia, ss in one hand, phone in the other, opened her social feed.

    ¡°Okay, babe. I¡¯ve got a whole list of hot guys in my contacts. Look at this one¨Csix¨Cfoot¨Ctwo, eight¨Cpack <b>abs</b><b>, </b>still in college.¡±

    Sheld the phone out to Charlotte.

    ¡°Not <b>bad</b>, right?¡±

    She almost added, ¡°Sure, he¡¯s not as good¨Clooking as Sean, but he¡¯s definitely top¨Ctier at his school. Plus, he¡¯s young and full of energy¨Cnot like that old man

    <b>Scan </b>

    ¡±

    But she bit her tongue. No one was allowed to say his naine tonight.

    ca faint, <b>tipsy </b>smile,

    Charlotte nced at the photo, her lips curling <b>into </b><b>a </b>f

    ¡°He¡¯s cute.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± Mia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ve got <b>more</b>. Look at this one¨Che¡¯s six¨Cfoot¨Cthree, a track¨Cand¨Cfield major, great body. Okay, his skin¡¯s <b>a </b>bit darker, <b>but </b>hepratly? That bronzetan makes him look even butter. Want me to set it up?¡±

    Charlotte was already <b>a </b>little drunk she plepled and nodded.

    The three girls kept drinking, chatting, andughing <b>as </b>time flew by.

    At midnight, the countdown began

    ¡°Neen, eighteen seven, <b>siz</b><b>..</b>¡±

    sses <b>raised</b><b>, </b>they chanted together, ¡°Three, two, one¨CHappy New Year!¡±

    Fireworks exploded across the night sky, bright and beautiful against the city skyline

    Below, the streets teemed with crowds, cheers, and celebration.

    Charlotte sat barefoot on the soft cashmere nag by the floor¨Cto¨Ccelling window, <b>legs </b>curled under her, eyes hazy as she watched the fireworks.

    A new year had begun.

    ¡°Sean.. I guess it¡¯s time for me to say goodbye.

    ¡°Happy New Year. I hope you¡¯re happy.

    ¡°Goodbye, Sean,¡± she silently remarked

 His Heart 225

    ¡°Mrs. Sanders, I actually do need someone to cook at my new ce,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the address. Come by whenever it¡¯s convenient. Just let me know before youe.¡±

    Max Sanden chuckded wannly.

    ¡°I¡¯m free right now. Are you home? I can head over.¡±

    dualette smiled.

    Sure<b>. </b>Come on over.¡±

    <b>After </b>hanging up, Mis. <b>Sanders </b>turned to Sean.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper, Miss Riley said yes.¡±

    Sean nodded slowly.

    ¡°She gets so busy she forgets to eat. Her new ce is close to thew firm. During the week, bring her lunch at work I¡¯ll cover the extra sry. Don¡¯t refuse her if she offers to pay, but don¡¯t tell her sent you.¡±

    The moment she heard she would be getting paid by both sides<b>, </b>Mrs. Sanders lit up.

    No problem at all, Mr. Jasper. You can count on me. I¡¯ll take good care

    After the New Year, Sean threw himself into workat thepany.

    He didn¡¯t let himself slow down. The moment he passed, Charlotte¡¯s face came rushing back¨Cpale, hurt, etched into his memory.

    In the CEO¡¯s office, Sean sat at his desk, typing furiously,

    On the couch nearby,n watched him, aplicated look on his face

    ¡°Hey, Sean. I¡¯ve got something to say, but I¡¯m not sure if I should.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t even lookup. His voice was that.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t¡±

    Ian¡¯s mouth opened and closed once.

    ¡°It¡¯s about Charlotte. You sure you don¡¯t want to hear it?¡±

    Sean¡¯s fingers paused above the keyboard. He looked up

    Tan though to himself, ¡°I knew it. if it has anything to do with Charlotte, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t care. But still¡­ this one¡¯s tricky. If I tell him, he¡¯s definitely not going to be happy.¡±

    He cleared his throat

    ¡°So¡­ Mia¡¯s been talking no

    nonstop the past couple <b>days </b>about setting Charlotte up with a college guy.¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression immediately darkened.

    ¡°A college guy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± Lan scratched the back of his neck, trying to soften the blow.

    <b>¡°</b>She¡¯s got this list. Some guy who¡¯s 6¡¯2<b>¡± </b>with an eight¨Cpack, another <b>who¡¯s </b><b>a </b>6¡¯3¡± athlete, then there¡¯s the sweet puppy type, the tough bad¨Cboy type¨Chonestly, it¡¯s just a whole mess of chaos.¡±

    Sean¡¯s <bw </b>clenched tighter with every word<b>, </bn <b>shut </b>up.

    Silence.

    thfortable, suffocating silence.

    Ian shifted in his seat, took a long drink of water, and mumbled<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>You </b>know how Mia is¨Cshe loves all that shy, over¨Cthe¨Ctop nonsense. I already gave her <b>a </b><b>piece </b>of my mind on your behalf.¡±

    Of course, that part was a total li

    What really happened was when Mia started showing him photos <b>of </b>all those <b>¡°</b>cute college boys,¡± something about it annoyed the hell out <b>of </b>him. He ended up snapping at her with a few passive¨Caggressive jabs, and Mia, pissed off, gave him a vicious pinch that still hadn¡¯t stopped hurting.

    Sean¡¯s voice cut through his thoughts.

    ¡°What did she say?

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Your sister¡¯s trying to set her <b>up</b>. What did bottle say about it?¡±

    Ian¡¯s expressiontwisted. He hesitated.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>sure you want to know?¡°\\\\

    Sean¡¯s gaze was cold.

    ¡°okay, but don¡¯t get mad.¡±

    dan braced himself.

    ¡°From what Mia said, Charlotte agreed on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡±

    ¡°Agreed to <b>what</b><b>?</b>¡±

    tan¡¯s mouth moved faster than his brain.

    ¡°She agreed to let Mia set her up with someone.¡±

    The words had barely lett his lips when-

    Aceramic teacup on Sean¡¯s desktumbled to the floor with a loud thud. Thankfully, the thick carpet softened the blow, The cup didn¡¯t shatter

 His Heart 224

    His Heart 22

    Chapter <b>224 </b>

    they estate. On New Year¡¯s <b>Day</b>, Charlotte made a quick trip back to the Riley

    Both <b>Xena </b>and Desmond were home.

    +35 Bonus

    As soon as Charlotte walked through the doot, Xena greeted her with a warm senile.

    ¡°Lottle, you¡¯re back! Lunch is almost ready, Go wash your hands first,¡±

    She <b>had </b>woken upte that moming, still feeling the effects of a hangover. It was already close to noon by the time she showered, got dressed, and drove home, arriving just in time for lunch.

    Jodie came running over, bet patent¨Cleather shoes clicking loudly against the floor as she threw her <b>arms </b>around Charlotte¡¯s leg

    Charlotte beamed and pulled a present out of her bag.

    ¡°Happy New Year<b>, </b>Jodie.¡±

    Jodie lit up with joy and nted a loud kiss on Charlotte¡¯s cheek <b>as </b>she took the present.

    Desmond walled over and handed Charlotte <b>a </b>shopping bag.

    ¡°Your New <b>Year¡¯s </b>gift, do alwad<b>, </b>open it.¡±

    Curious, Charlotte peeked inside, only to find a set of house keys and a property deed<b>. </b>

    Desmond spoke in <b>his </b><b>usual </b>calm tone.

    ¡°This <b>ce </b>is close to yourw firm. It¡¯ll be easier for you to get to work Young people like celebrating the new year, right? So think of it as a gift from your dad. The car¡¯s in the garage¨CXena picked it out. Go take a look after lunch¡±

    Awave of warmth rushed through her chest. Her eyes stung slightly

    ¡°Thank you, Dad. Thank you, A Xena H

    She epted their gesture with <b>gratitude</b>.

    After lunch, Charlotte opened her phone and scrolled through her notifications, just dlling time.

    Anew friend request popped up on Instagram

    Herbrant skipped <b>a </b>beat.

    Steheld her breath and tapped it open, only to feel a wave of disappointment crash down

    It wasn¡¯t Sean

    Zac had been blocked and deleted ages ago. Since he couldn¡¯t contact her directly, he had clearly made a new ount just to get through<b>. </b>

    Artiest<b>, </b>she didn¡¯t recognize the profile. But the message gave it away.

    ¡°You and Sean broke up?

    ¡°<b>Told </b>you guys are all the same. You just wouldn¡¯t listen Charlotte,e <b>back </b>to <b>me</b>.¡±

    Her stomach turned it felt like swallowing something rotten

    She didn¡¯t hesitate. She rejected the request and blocked the new ount <b>too</b>.

    The car Dood gave hier was a white Holls¨CRoyce Phantom.

    Starlett Sear¡¯s gifta pale blue Bentley¨Cto collect dust in the underground garage, and drove the new one <b>instead</b><b>. </b>

    The apartment was in a luxuryplex near herw firm, where every <b>square </b><b>foot </b><b>cost </b>a fortune. Over 1,000 square <b>feet</b>, fully furnished in a soft cream palette,

    ¨C menplete with high¨Cend appliances and everything styled exactly how she liked it

    Charlotte made a call to Mrs. Sanders, the housekeeper at the vi in seaside Garden. She asked her to throw out all of her belongings from the house.

    <b>Mrs. </b>Sanders agreed over the phone<b>, </b>but her eyes nervously <b>dated </b>toward the man sitting <b>silently </b>on the living <b>room </b>couch.

    After hanging <b>up</b>, she spoke carefully.

    Mrijasper Miss Riley said she wants me to throw <b>out </b>all

    things..!

    Se¡¯s voor was soft and hourse.

    ¡°Don¡¯t throw anything away. Packit all up neatly. And keep her room clean. She¡¯ll be back.¡±

    MIL

    Mix Sanders hesitated.

    Han¡­¡­what about me? i mean, should I still keep cooking?

    She had been hired specifically to cook for Charlotte. Now that Charlotte had moved out, she wondered if she was about to love her job.

    Sean paused for a long moment.

    <b>¡°</b>she has a new ce now, I don¡¯t know if her new housekeeper can cook the way the likes.¡±

    Tifteen minutester, Charlotte¡¯s phone rang again

    ¡°Miss Riley,¡± Mrs. Sanders said gently, ¡°Mr. Jasper let me go, I don¡¯t have a job anymore. Do you need <b>a </b>cook at your new ce!¡±

    durlotte Troo

    She quickly understood. Sean had only hired Mas, Sanders to make sure she ate properly. When she had struggled with her appetite, he went so far as to track down The Sullivan family¡¯s old housekeeper to leam the recipes she grew up with. He had personally chosen Mrs. Sanders to recreate the meals she <b>liked</b><b>. </b>

    He used to rate so much.

    Charlotte wanted to say no.

    But as she imagised Mis. Sanders losing her only source of ie, the words caught in her throat. She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to reject her.

 His Heart 226

    Tea <b>had </b>spilled from <b>the </b>cup<b>, </b>soalding Into the carpet and leaving a dark stain.

    Tan nced <b>at </b>it and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Hey man, don¡¯t stress Charlotte¡¯s not the kind of girl who jumps into things.

    Sean stared nkly at the wet spot on the flone. His voice came out

    hoarse.

    ¡°She really said yes?

    Jan hesitated, then nodded.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b>¡­ I mean, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. She saw you with your little cousin¡ªwho said;

    said you two were going to get a room. If it were me, I¡¯d have snapped too, Maybe she said it tast to piss you off, or maybe she was drunk and talking nonsense. I wouldn¡¯t <b>take </b>It too seriously ¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ Sean¡¯s throat tightened. ¡°I never said I was getting a room.¡±

    ¡°she did Same difference.¡±

    There was a beat of silence.

    Sean¡¯s expression shifted, pulling himself back under control

    ¡°Do something for me,¡± he said quietly.

    After work, Charlotte <b>had </b>just stepped out of the office when she spotted <b>a </b><b>white </b>Metaren parked not far away.

    car</b>, scrolling through his phone like he was waiting <b>for </b>someone.

    It was the end <b>of </b>the day, and he was standing by the entrance of the film, <b>clearly </b>waiting for her.

    Charlotte wallond over just then,n looked up and spotted her

    <b>With </b>a cheerful smile, he <b>headed </b>her way and called out, ¡°There <b>you </b>are Lottie Finally off work¡±

    ¡°Hi, Jan. You looking for me?¡± She nced behind him. ¡°Where¡¯s Mia? Didn¡¯t shee with you?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m solo <b>today</b><b>. </b>I needed to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°What about?¡±

    ¨C

    ¡°wanted to say sorry for New <b>Year¡¯s </b>Eve. I wasn¡¯t thinking straight when I invited Sean Totally my fault for ruining the night. I booked <b>a </b>dinner to make it up to <b>you</b>. Would <b>you </b>let me take you out?¡±

    Chadotte frowned slightly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Tan 1nderstand. It¡¯s over and done with. No need for dinner. I have ns tonight anyway.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>ot? What ns?¡± he asked without thinking.

    She had just made that <b>up </b><b>to </b>tom him down and hadn¡¯t expected him to press.

    ¡°I¡¯m meting up with some friends.¡±

    ¡°Guys or girls?¡±

    Curlotte blinked ¡°<b>Was </b><b>br </b>seriously asking that? It¡¯s <b>not </b>like it was any of his business,¡± she thought.

    They had known each other for years, <b>so </b>Charlotte couldn¡¯t exactly snap at him. Instead, she kept a straight face and lied without missing <b>a </b>beat. ¡°A mix of guys and

    The momentncard there were guys involved, his mind shed with an image <b>of </b>Sean¡¯s <b>boooding</b>, miserable face.

    Helud to gel ione indo for his <b>buddy</b>.

    ¡°Wait ¡ª you¡¯ve got other guy friends besides me and Jordan? Howe I¡¯ve <b>never </b>heard of them? What¡¯s <b>his </b>name? What does he do? How old is he? Height? Wright<b>? </b><b>Is </b>he good¨Clooking: Got <b>a </b>ploto!¡±

    Charlotte stared at him.

    n, what¡¯s going on with you? You¡¯r acting weird today.¡±

    Tanughed awlowardly.

    ¡°¡®in just looking out for you, <b>that¡¯s </b><b>all</b>, we¡¯re friends, right?¡±

    ???

    She narrowed her eyes<b>, </b>calm and direct

    ¡°Did he send you?¡±

    They both knew who ¡°he¡± w

    The momentn met Charlotte¡¯s clear, piercing gate, he felt all his little schemes

    Guiltly, he looked away.

    ¡°God,wyers are terrifying, he thought. Those eyes see right through everything.¡°he silently remarked.

    ¡°No¡­ of course not. I just came to apologize. Nothing to do with anyone <b>else</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    charlotte didn¡¯t press.

    Tan pulled out a key and handed it over.

    ¡°Here my apology gill A small gesture. Please take it.¡±

    She nced at the key, then at the white McLaren nearby.

    Her voice was steady and cool.

    *If I¡¯m not mistaken, a McLaren P1 starts at over $1 million. That¡¯s a bit much for a New Year¡¯s apology, Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Jandidn¡¯t even blink

    andidn¡®

    ¡°Nah Mia¡¯s been going on and on about that night like she¡¯s some kind of human rm clock Trust me, it¡¯s worth it just to get her to stop. I know you don¡¯t need it, but do mra favor and take it anyway Save me the headache.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Her <b>eyes </b>remained calm, clear, and bright as she lo

    looked at him.

    ¡°Lan, just be honest. Did Sean buy this car? It he did, tell him I don¡¯t want it. We¡¯ve broken up. It¡¯s time to let go for real. No more back and forth, no more <b>mixed </b>

 His Heart 227

    -25 Bonus

    Jan felt a chill crawl up the back of his neck. ¡°You really can¡¯t bluff your way through with awyer,¡± he muttered to himself.

    Good thing he had looped Mia in ahead of time.

    she¡¯d been ranting about Sean nonstoptely, so the moment Sean askedn to deliver the car, he went straight home and told Mia everything. He exined that Sean felt guilty about the breakup and had bought the car as a kind of parting gift.

    Mia had rolled her eyes and scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s it? One lousy cat? Sean¡¯s being cheap.¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not just the car,<b>¡± </b>Jan had replied, ¡°There are a few limited edition Hermes bags in there too. Sean said one¡¯s for you, one for Lena, and the rest are for Lottie. But you¡¯ll have to lie a little¨Csay you two picked them out to cheer her up. Don¡¯t let her know Sean paid for them.¡±

    The second she heard ¡°limited¨Cedition Herm¨¨s,¡± Mia¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Wait, bags? Show me!¡±

    When an opened the trunk, she nearly drooled on the spot. ¡°oh my <b>god</b>, this white one? I tried to buy itst year and couldn¡¯t even get on the waitlist. Sean¡¯s basically the prince <b>of </b>Jersey City¨Che got three! Excellent taste. Lottle and Lena are gonna love these.¡±

    Then <bn </b>handed her a ck <b>card</b>. ¡°And this too. When Charlotte¡¯s tim goes on winter break, take her on a trip. Sean will cover all expenses.¡±

    Mia plucked the card from his fingers like it <b>was </b><b>a </b>delicate flower, snorted, and <b>said</b>, ¡°Now we¡¯re talking. <b>But </b>don¡¯t think just because I took his stuff I¡¯m on his side. In my book, Sean is still the ultimate heartless jerk.¡±

    Langroaned <b>and </b>rubbed his temples. Sure, sure. Say what you want, just¡­help lep an eye on Lottic, okay?¡±

    There was no way he could tell Mia the truth behind the breakup. It Sean wanted to be the bad guy, so be it. A few insults were nothing in the grand scheme of things.

    Meanwhile, back in Sean¡¯s office-

    ¡°Achool¡±

    Sean frowned, grabbed a tissue, and blew his nose. Then he headed to the restroom to wash his hands.

    Weird. He wasn¡¯t even sick Why the padden sneeze?

    Back in the parking lot, Mia picked up Charlotte¡¯s call.

    ¡°Yeah, Lottle, the car was my <b>idea</b><b>,</b>¡± she said casually, ¡°I made my brother buy it to apologize. It¡¯s <b>not </b>a big deal. What¡¯s a million bucks, really? Just take it¡ª otherwise, I¡¯ll have to listen to him whine all over again<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte didn¡¯t believe Lan, but she did trust Mia<b>. </b>

    ¡°Alright then,¡± she said atst. ¡°It really <b>wasn¡¯t </b>a big <b>deal</b><b>, </b>so don¡¯t give your brother such <b>a </b>hard time. I <b>know </b>he didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±

    <bn</b>, listening nearby, felt <b>a </b>mix of guilt and admiration.

    ¡°Lottle, I¡¯m sorry. <b>I </b>didn¡¯t mean to lie to you. It was a white lie. I just hope you won¡¯t hate me when you find out the truth one <b>day</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>he thought. Curlotte handed an his phone. ¡°Olury, I¡¯ll ept the car. Thanks, Jan,¡±

    He let out a breath of pellet. ¡°<b>No </b>need to thank me.¡±

    She took the keys<b>, </b>walked over, and opened the car door¨Conly to find the passenger seat piled high with Hermes bags

    She blinked, tuming back ¡°What¡¯s all this<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Jan </b>cepiled snoothly, ¡°Oh, thique? Mia and Lena picked them out for you<b>. </b>Said you deserved something nice,¡±

    Curlotte took a photo <b>and </b>sent it to her two files. They had already coordinated withn, and their replies matched his story perfectly.

    Her heart softened. She thanked them both, exchanging a few sentimental messages<b>. </b>

    <b>Jan </b>watched quietly, then <b>said</b>, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve <b>got </b><b>ns </b>tonight, so I won¡¯t hold you up. Drive safe.¡±

    Charlotte frowned. ¡°You drove this car over. If I take it, how are you getting home? I can give <b>you </b>a litt.¡±

    He waved her off. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll call my driver. I¡¯m heading <b>to </b>grab <b>a </b>berry¨Ccheese ta for Mia anyway¨Cyou know how she <b>loves </b>that ce down the block.¡±

    He didn¡¯t mention <b>Sean </b>was waiting in the mall parking parage nearby,

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Alright then I¡¯m off. See you.¡±

    H

    ¡°Sen <b>you</b>.<b>¡± </b>

 His Heart 228

    <b>In </b>the underground parking garage, an opened the passenger door of the line and slid in, still trailing the winter chill on his coat

    ¡°Sean, mission aplished. She took the bags. And the cat

    Sean¡¯s fingers rested on the steering wheel. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly. ¡°Did she suspect anything?¡±

    Tam answered honestly, ¡°Yeah, she asked if it was from you. I had Mia help cover it. Charlotte trusts her, so I think we¡¯re in the clear,¡±

    Sean let out a quiet<b>, </b>heavy ham.

    Neither of them spoke for a moment. Sean stated nkly into the darkness beyond the windshield, and the only sound in the car was the soft whoosh of the beater Tan knew what was happening. <b>Sean </b>was thinking about charlotte <b>again</b>. So he stayed quiet, letting the moment breathe.

    After a long pause, Sean murmured, ¡°I really want to see her.¡±

    He dialed Mia.

    ¡°Hey, Mia. So, when <b>I </b>dropped the car off, Charlotte didn¡¯t look too good. She waspletely deted¨C<b>like </b>a wilted flower. I think she¡¯s still hurting pretty bad. She¡¯s off tomorrow<b>, </b>right? Maybe take her out tonight, get her to let some of it <b>out</b>?¡±

    On the other end, Mig sighed dramatically. ¡°Ugh, of course she¡¯s <b>not </b>okay. She was crazy about Sean. Meanwhile, he¡¯s out here partying with some actress like nothing ever happened. Men are cold, heartless creatures.¡±

    Jan nced sideways at Sean

    Sean looked like a mess. He looked noticeably thinner than ever. Faint <b>dark </b>circles shadowed his eyes. He clearly hadn¡¯t slept for days.

    Most people had no idea how much Sean loved Charlotte. But tan knew, After all these years as his closest <b>friend</b>, this was the first time he¡¯d seen him care about a woman this much.

    Sean had always been calm and in control, but after the breakup, it was like he was falling apart.

    He was a hopeless romantic stuck with thebel <b>of </b><b>a </b>heartless jerk Even as a bystander,n could barely <b>stand </b>to watch it anymore.

    He chatted a bit more with Mia, she was already making ns to take Charlotte out for drinks<b>. </b>

    He nudged M gently. If <b>you </b><b>do </b>go out, which bar are you thinking? I¡¯lle pick you upter.<b>¡± </b>

    Mia didn¡¯t suspect anything and arowered easily.

    ¡°Perfect, just spend some time with her tonight, okay? And take it easy on the drinks. I don¡¯t want to hear you whining about a migraine tomorrow. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it. You¡¯re such a nag.¡±

    Ian hung up and stugged ¡°All set. We leave in twenty. ¡°Noir¡± bar<b>,</b>¡®

    Charlotte hadn¡¯t nned on going out that night. She <b>was </b>just going to finish dinner<b>, </b>curl up on the couch, <b>and </b><b>watch </b>a drama before bed.

    Biot long after eating. Macalled.

    During the day, Charlotte buried

    self in work. Keeping herself busy <b>was </b>the only way to stop her mind from wandering. But at night, the loneliness took over The ache in her cast returned with vengeace, like weeds growing wild.

    Heartbreak was like catding an incurable and relentless disease. All she could do was up herself with alcohol.

    She needed to let it pull,

    The white Mtrecut (rough the winter fog like a ghost

    Cutside <b>Noir</b>, the valeon was packed with mury cars.

    Charlottefosseder keys to the valet and headed toward the entrance in softmbskin heels.

    It was just past 11. The niglu was only beginning

    <b>Inside</b>, the bar was loud and packed Lights pulsed in sync with the bass. The dance <b>floor </b>was <b>a </b>chaotic blur of <b>bodies </b>grinding and swaying under the neon glow.

 His Heart 229

    Chapter <b>229 </b>

    This ce was built for flirtation and Indulgence,

    As Charlotte <b>stepped </b>into the bar, the ring music and loud chatter made her Instinctively frown. This wasn¡¯t really her scene.

    ¡°Lottie, over here!¡± Mia waved her over, Lena was standing next to her.

    Charlotte walked up, and Mia, already at home, led her to the bar and slid onto a tall stool. ¡°Leul Three Mojitos¡±

    The bartender gave a wink and started <b>mixing </b>drinks with practiced ir.

    Mia leaned in close and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s Leo. Twenty¨Csix. Total bathrob. He¡¯s basically the <b>star </b>of this ce, Cute, right?¡±

    Charlotte gave the guy a quick once¨Cover. He wasn¡¯t particrly tall¡ªmaybe around five¨Cnine¨Cbut he had pretty boy features, smooth skin, and tousled waves He had that soft, brooding charm, like a poster boyfium a Netflixteen drama.

    she looked away. ¡°He¡¯s alright,¡±

    Mia grinned. ¡°Not your type? He¡¯s the baby¨Cfaced kind told you al

    about. Girls are practically lining up to film with him.¡±

    Right on rue, a girl slid over and started chatting Leo up, shing a fat stack of cash.

    | Charlotte shook her head.

    ? ¡°He¡¯s surrounded by too many girls. Not my type,¡±

    Mis raised an eyebrow: ¡°So what? It¡¯s just for fun. You¡¯re not marrying the guy.¡±

    She leaned in closer. ¡°Why is it that men get to mess around, but we¡¯re supposed to y it safe? Sear¡¯s already out there parading around with some actress, and you¡¯re still saving yourself for what? Come on. Let loose a little. Have some fun!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really not in the mood¡­.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t discovered the joys of not giving a dam.¡±

    Les slid their drinks over. ¡°Three Mojitos, Ladies.¡±

    Mia shed him a flirty smile. <b>¡°</b>Thanks<b>, </b>cutle.¡°

    Les met her eyes, smiling just as teasingly. ¡°<b>No </b>need for thanks, gorgenIEL¡±

    The vibe between the turned hot in stand¨Callent, electri

    Charlotte and Lena exchanged nces, both wide¨Ceyed, ¡°Walt. did they justlt it off in two lines?¡± they wondered.

    After one drink, Charlotte only felt worse. Whoever <b>tal </b>alcohol could drown your sorrows clearly lied. If anything, it just made them looder.

    The mose she drank, the mueller thoughtsdrified to Seat

    Mia tried again, ¡°Okay, if your type, find someone who is, I told you I¡¯d call in a few male escorts, right? This ce is full of them. I¡¯m getting the

    Charlottelud already had per drinks and was feeling lightheaded, der voice waszy. ¡°No, I dont want

    Mia, tipay hereti, misheard over the noise. ¡°What? You want?¡±

    dudotiesboor? La

    Muttering, ¡°

    *Trout into all that romany drama¡­

    ¡°What?¡± Mia leaned in ¡°You¡¯re Into muscle dra You mean you?¡± raised a brow

    Curlotte¡¯a direks were flushed, her eyes ssy from the alcohol.

    Ten polnutester, five sldatless male escorts eachversistent, with perfectly sculpted abs¨Clined up li front of her and struck a pose.

    ¡°itello, Entgeous!¡± they caused.

    Drunk and pleging, dulotte waved at them. ¡°Ill there,¡±

    the blinked, biting back a grin ¡°okay, not gonna lie. Hury¡¯or kinda hot.¡±

    Mramellle, in a dimly lit <b>booth </b>arrots the bar, Beanted at a politication on his phone. A charge from the bat had <b>just </b>gone through. His jaw clenched.

    eshe used my card to file mule out for Loulle?¡±

 His Heart 231

    Cold sweat beaded on the manager¡¯s forehead. He answered cautiously, ¡°These are just hosts. Legitimate staff. They only serve drinks¨Cnothing more.¡±

    fan wasn¡¯t buying it ¡°Oh really? Then why didn¡¯t that guy even flinch when my sister threw herself <b>at </b>him? He looked like he was enjoying it.¡± No, no, you misunderstood!¡± the manager <b>said </b>quickly, ¡°Our host just saw that the <bdy </b>was drunk and stepped in to help. That¡¯s all. Really, ¡±

    Mia didn¡¯t want to blow things up. She backed the manager up. ¡°I just had a little <b>too </b>much and nearly lost my bnce. The guy was just helping me. Ian, don¡¯t make <b>a </b>scene over nothing¡±

    Ian looked like he was about to explode. ¡°I¡¯m making <b>a </b><b>scene</b>?¡±

    Mia nubbed her temple. ¡°rine, I¡¯ll go home with you. Just stop acting like some entitled brat.¡±

    scene. Gaeat, Mia. Real ssy.¡±

    That pushed an over the edge. His face flushed red with anger, ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯m the spoiled brat now. I¡¯m the one causing a scene. Great, i With that, he yanked his hand from hers and stormed off.

    Mis <b>gave </b>the manager an awkward smile. ¡°Sorry about that. My brother can be unreasonable sometimes. Let me settle the bul¡±

    A staffer in a vest and dress shim handed over the bill ¡°Your total tonight is sixty¨Cfive thousand.¡±

    <b>Mia </b>nced at it, pulled out a ck card, and handed it over, ¡°Charge seventy. The extra five¡¯s for the guy¡¯s trouble.¡±

    The manager gave <b>a </b>nervousugh ¡°You¡¯re very generous<b>.</b>¡±

    Mis could actually hold her liquor well. She wasn¡¯t really drunk at all. She was just pretending to be tipsy to flirt with the hot escort. She never expected tan to show upout of nowhere, ruin everything, <b>and </b>embarrass her in front of everyone. She was mortified,

    Turning around, she spotted Charlotte with flushed cheeks, <b>dazed </b>eyes, and still clinging to her bottle.

    Mia snatched the bottle away. ¡°Babe, no more. You¡¯re <b>totally </b>gone. I¡¯ll call someone to take you home.

    Charlotte was actually drink Her cheeks were <b>rosy</b><b>, </b>and two wet streaks ran <b>down </b>her face.

    ¡°He¡¯s such an asshole. Sean¡¯s the worst¡­¡± she sobbed without restraint<b>. </b>

    Across the bar, seated inadier booth, Sean beard her cries¨Ceven through the pulsing music. His heart clenched. He took two steps forward before abruptly stopping himself.

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t do it.¡± He repeated it silently over and

    Over

    <b>Suddenly</b>, Charlotte locked up and for the briefest moment, their eyes met.

    Scan quickly turned away and slipped back into the shadows of the booth.

    <b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b>okay, sweetie, don¡¯t cry, Lena sald gently, wrapping her arms around Charlotte like a protective sist

    sister.

    Lena rarely drank and <b>wasn¡¯t </b>a fan of clubs or bars<b>, </b>but tonight she made an exception <b>for </b>Charlotte.

    ¡°Mia, your brother looks pissed. You <b>should </b>go home with him. I¡¯ll stay with Lottle and call a drive to take us back.¡±

    She had a Mojito ratller, so diving wasn¡¯t an option.

    *Alright, I¡¯ll head out then I¡¯m <b>leaving </b>Lottle in your hands.¡±

    Churlotte¡¯s direks were flushed, her eyes dazed. Through the <b>haze</b>, she suddenly thought she saw a familiar figure.

    ¡°Sear?¡± dhe mumbled.

    Lena gently wrapped an arm around her, soothing her like a child. ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetheart. I¡¯ll take you home.

    ¡°I saw him, Len¡­¡­¡­ I saw Bean just now.¡± Charlotte staggered a step forward.

    Lena gently pulled her back. ¡°You¡¯re drunk, Lottle.=

    *<b>No</b><b>, </b>I swear! pawfilm <b>He¡¯s </b>here. He¡¯s here, <b>lun¡¯t </b>he?¡± Chaplotte¡¯s voice cracked <b>as </b>she scared the bar, her eyes full of <b>heartbreak </b>¡°Sean, Ilmow you¡¯re here! Juste out!¡±

 His Heart 232

    hapter 232

    In the shadoweder of the <b>bar</b><b>, </b>Sean sat ins silence, his lips pressed into a fight line. His darkeyes were as deep and unreadable as an endless abyss

    Charlotte¡¯s voice trembled with heartbreak. ¡°Sean Jasper, you enwand. If you¡¯re really here, why don¡¯t you have the guts to face me?

    No one noticed the figure in the emer holding up a phone, quietly recording the scene.

    Lena¡¯s heartached seeing Charlotte like this.

    ¡°<b>You¡¯re </b>drunk, sweetheart. Let¡¯s get you home,¡± she said gently, guiding Charlotte through the crowd. Two bodyguards from the zeller family followed closely

    behind

    When John received the video<b>, </b>Joseph was busy flirting with a new woman he had just picked <b>up</b>.

    The private suite was thick with flirtation, the airced with alcohol, cigarettes, and a hint of something more Indulgent.

    Joseph had one am wrapped around the woman¡¯s waist as he kissed her deeply<b>, </b>her breath growing more ragged by the second.

    John, trying to disappear into the background, stood in theer pretending to be <b>deaf</b><b>, </b>blind, and mute.

    When Joseph yed, he yed hand.

    Two hourster, the womany breathless and disheveled on the couch. Joseph, in contrast, was already dressed and lighting <b>a </b>cigarette, his sharp features softened by the drifting smoke. He looked like <b>a </b>man made of indulgence and danger.

    John waited until the woman left before stepping g forward. ¡°Mr. Ford, we¡¯ve secured that shipment from Callia, Antis.¡±

    <b>Joseph </b>gave a distracted hum. ¡°And what <b>about </b>Cadasa?¡±

    ¡°There was a problem with Fasha¡¯s handoff. The cops showed up mid¨Cdeal. They had to ball. The goods were seized, but no one was anested<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Joseph¡¯s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint shing in them. <b>¡°</b>Useless. They lost the goods and had the nerve toe back?¡±

    John said nothing

    Joseph leaned back, voice cold. ¡°What¡¯s the update on the Merxa project over in Antic?

    john swallowed hard. ¡°After the project fell through, both we and Merxa suffered <b>major </b>losses. Jasper Corporation <b>took </b>advantage of the situation and moved in to acquire Media Corporation. The paperwork¡¯s already in progress.¡±

    <b>With </b>a loud crash<b>, </b>Joseph kicked over the

    e table in front of him.

    ¡°Sean Jasper. One day, I¡¯ll make you pay¨Ctwice over!!

    John stood motionless, waiting until Joseph¡¯s fury ebbed be

    before speaking again.

    ¡°We¡¯ve put new footage of Charlotte.¡±

    John handed over his phone. She went to a bar. One of our guys followed and caught this. Looks like she and Jasper really broke <b>up</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Joseph watched the video, then scoffed. His eyes glinted with disdain.

    ¡°A <b>fool </b>who still believes in love.¡±

    ¡°What do we <b>do </b>with her?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. She¡¯s nothing now¡ªjust <b>a </b>cast¨Coff Jasper got bored of I¡¯ve got better things to focus on.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Zac (abson called. He waINIAI

    Joseph¡¯s lips curled into a stret. ¡°Nevend of

    John exined, ¡°Back then, Vivian Xander traded intelion Sean¡¯s whereabouts and side <b>info </b>on the Jasper family for <b>our </b>investiment. That money eventually went

    is the Gibson Corporation They¡¯ve been growing fast and are now a major yer in the country <b>The </b>Gibsons could still be <b>useful </b><b>to </b>us

    A flicker of contempt crossed Joseph¡¯s <b>dare</b>.

    ¡°A duent dog picked by an even dumber woman What use could be possibly be?¡±

    ¡°Should I set up a meeting?¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s that desperate to kiss up, maybe <b>I¡¯ll </b>throw him a bone¨CIf I¡¯m in the mood.¡±

 His Heart 233

    -25 <b>Canus </b>

    Lena made sure Charlotte got home safely and even gave a few instructions to the housekeeper before leaving

    Charlottey on the bed, marmuring incoherently just as Mrs. Sanders headed into the kitchen to make her some ginger tea, the doorbell rang

    When she opened the door, she <b>was </b>startled. ¡°Mr. Jasper? What brings you here?

    ¡°How is she?¡±

    ¡°Miss Riley had a bit too much to <b>drink</b>. I was just about to make her some ginger tea to settle her stomach.¡±

    Sean pulled a few bills from his wallet. ¡°You can take the night off. I¡¯ll stay and <b>look </b>after her.¡±

    Mrs, Sanders epted the cash. ¡°Alright then, Mr. Jasper, kust give me a moment to pack a few things.¡±

    She stepped aside to let him in. Sean walked in with the scent of alcohol and a chill clinging to him. His eyes wandered over the ce, scanning it with a calm, unreadable expression.

    ¡°At least Mr. Riley treats Lottie decently. This ce is still eptable,¡± he thought.

    Mrs. Sanders set <b>a </b><b>cup </b>of hot tea on the living room table, Mr. Jasper, please have <b>a </b>seat. I¡¯ll <b>be </b>out in just a moment,¡®

    <b>¡°</b>Where¡¯s her room ?¡±

    She pointed down the hall. ¡°First door <b>on </b>the left.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t bother sitting. He walked straight to her room. The door was unlocked.

    As he opened it, he heard her soft voice mumbling in her sleep.

    Sean Sean Jasper¡­

    -Why don¡¯t you want

    The sound shattered something <b>in </b>him.

    want me.. she whimpered, tears sealing her flushed cheeks.

    He rushed to the bed. Charlotte was st

    was still mi

    murmuring in her sleep.

    *Sean Jasper, you jerk.. I don¡¯t want you anymore¡­ go <b>away</b>.

    He stared <b>at </b>her, Lashes trembling, and reached out to gently wipe away her <b>tears</b>. His voice was soft, like spring water melting in sunlight. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m the worst,

    Even in her sleep, she seemed to sense his presence. Instinctively, she scooted closer. ¡°Sean..¡±

    One moment she was angry, spouting curses <b>in </b><b>a </b>buff. The next, she was like a clingy little kitten, brushing her cheek against <b>his </b>hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go don¡¯t leave <b>me</b>. I¡¯ll be good¡­¡±

    Sean¡¯s heart melted. ¡°I¡¯m right here. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

    His gaze softened. The love in <b>his </b>eyes was almost overwhelming. She kept brushing her warm, son cheek against his palm, making it hard for him to breathe.

    His features softened, eyes brimming with tender affection<b>. </b>Wannth bloomed in his palm as her cheek gently nuzzled against it, again and again.

    A feeling he <b>hadn¡¯t </b>known in so long surged in his chest¨Cke happiness stolen <b>from </b>a dream, sweet but tinged with bitterness.

    He sat by the bed, unable to look away <b>from </b>her face. He could have watched her forever and still not have had enough

    <b>Mrs. </b>Sanders had finialed packing and came to say goodbye. But when she peeked though the slightly open door and saw the scene inside, she quietly left without

    Sean couldn¡¯t

    He leaned down and kissed Charlotte gently on the cheek

    was reverent. Tender. Void of any desir

    She let out a soft hus, they suddenly reached up and wrapped her anus around his neck, murmuring, ¡°Sean.¡­.¡±

    Her <b>vujen </b>was light<b>, </b>yful, like she was teasing him in her sleep.

    Sean¡¯s body teised. A wann tingle shot through him.

    He pressed soft kisses <b>to </b>her brow, her cheek, her lips, her corbone.

    He stayed the night.

    Charlotte waspletely out of it, drunk and barely conscious. He carried <b>her </b>into the <b>battuou </b>and gently washed her<b>, </b><b>all </b>the while careful not to wake her. She didn¡¯t str

    After drying her off, be fucked her into bed and pulled the covers over her. Then he sat <b>down </b>beside her, quietly watching her sleep, his gaze full of warmth and

    At dawn, he finally stood. Before leaving, he allowed himself onest look at her peaceful sleeping face

    Then he turned, and quietly walked away.

 His Heart 234

    That day, Charlotte got <b>a </b>call from herw firm¡¯s managing partner, Tim Long.

    ¡°Charlotte,¡± Tim said cheerfully, ¡°I heard you y golf?¡±

    Charlotte paused, trying to remember who might have said that. Then it hit her that it was on the onboarding for she had filled out herself. Under hobbies and Interests, she had written golf.

    ¡°Yes<b>, </b>I do,¡± she replied. ¡°Why?¡±

    Tim chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ve got a big client¨CMr. Lloyd from TH Corporation. He¡¯s <b>a </b>golf enthusiast. I¡¯ve scheduled a game with him on the eighteenth at Royal Golf Club in South City, I want you toe with me.¡±

    Charlotte figured that <b>as </b>long as she was going with her boss, nothing too unexpected would happen. She agreed. ¡°Sure thing, Mr. Long.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lloyd has a few cases he¡¯s looking to sign out, and if wend the <b>deal</b>, you¡¯ll get a <b>20</b>%mission Charlotte, I know your family¡¯s well¨Coff and you probably don¡¯t care about the money, but aswyers, we need experience¨Cespecially in negotiation. You can¡¯t practice that just sitting behind a desk¡±

    It was no secret at the firm that Charlotte came from the wealthy Riley family. Tim had obviously heard the rumors too.

    ¡°I understand, Mr. Long.¡±

    ¡°Great, Get ready. I¡¯ll have my assistant book your flight¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Thank <b>you</b><b>¡± </b>

    After hanging up, Charlotte nced at the calendar on her desk

    January <b>13</b><b>. </b>

    Thirteen days bad passed since New <b>Year¡¯s </b>Eve.

    <b>She </b>hadn¡¯t seen Sean since then¨Cnot even once.

    She had buried herself in work ever since, trying <b>to </b>stay as busy as possible. Because the moment she slowed down, the memories would hit her. And missing him hurt too much

    Everywhere she turned, entertainment news was filled with Sean and <b>Lucinda¡¯s </b>rumored rtionship.

    darlotte hadn¡¯t gone out <b>of </b>her way to follow the gossip, but it was hard to avoid. Colleagues in the office were always chatting about them in passing. ¡°Did you guys see the Lending tople? Lucinda Lambert <b>and </b>the paper heir went on vacation together. They look <b>so </b>good together¨Ctotal eye candy!¡± ¡°My queen Lucinda? <b>Of </b>course she¡¯s stunning! She¡¯s the top <b>female </b>star in the whole industry! No one else could possibly match Sean Jasper like she does.<b>¡± </b>¡°Hey, Lon¡¯t Charlotte from the Riley family? Theard she almost gut engaged to him once

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true! They used to date. I even saw him picking her up outside the firm once. He¡¯s even better looking in person!¡±

    ¡°What? Seriously? Charlotte and Sean Jasper were <b>a </b><b>thing</b>?¡±

    ¡°shhli¨Ckep your voice down! Don¡¯t let her hear you¡­¡­..¡±

    Charlotte stood frozen in the doorway of the break room<b>, </b><b>a </b>cup in <b>her </b>hand. She had heard every word, but said nothing with a quiet sigh, she tumed and walked

    Sometimes, whe

    walked past a nt LED <b>billboard </b>in the city and saw Lucinda¡¯s tare smiling down at her, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but stop So this is the kind of woman be likes,¡± she thought. ¡°The kind of beauty that¡¯s bold and unapologetic. A woman who smiles with effortless charm, full of confidence and flirtation Sirking, seductive and Impossible to ignore.¡±

    pand state.

    Soon, it was time <b>for </b>the business trip

    Charlotte Boarded a light to South City with Tim.

    As they passed through first ss, she <b>caught </b><b>a </b>sudden glimpse of the <b>face </b>she had been trying so hard <b>to </b>forget.

    Hir feet came to a halt. The mask she wore cracked ever so slightly,

    Sean was seated in a ck coat, elegant andposed<b>, </b>his eyes tiard on theptop in front of him.

    de him, Lucinda was all sales, bright and radiant.

    Sending someone¡¯s gaze<b>, </b>Sean looked up from his screen and locked eyes with Charlotte.

    Mia bit her lip. ¡°But I¡­ I¡¯m not ready.¡±

    ¡°Baby, do you like me? I <b>mean</b><b>, </b>like me as a man¨Cnot a brother.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± she denied it instantly.

    Ian chuckled, leaned in, and kissed her again.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve got time for that to grow.¡±

    He put deliberate emphasis on the words ¡°<b>time </b>for that to <b>grow</b>.<b>¡± </b>

    Mia¡¯s face turned bright red, all the way to her ears.

    And once <b>again</b>, they gave in to indulgence.

    A few days passed as winter snow continued to nket Jersey City.

    Before they knew it, it was already mid¨CJanuary.

 His Heart 235

    Chapter <b>235 </b>

    That day, Charlotte got a call from herw firm¡¯s managing partner, Tin Long

    ¡°Charlotte,¡± Tim sald cheerfully, ¡°I heard you <b>y </b>golt?¡±

    Charlotte paused, trying to remember who might have said that. Then it hit her that it was on the onboarding form she had filled out herself. Under bobbies and Interests, she had written gol

    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± she replied. ¡°Why?¡±

    Tumchocded. ¡°We¡¯ve got a big client¨CMr. Lloyd from T Corporation. He¡¯s <b>a </b>golf enthusiast. I¡¯ve scheduled a game with him on the eighteenth at Royal Golf Club in South City, Iwant you toe with me,¡±

    Charlotte figured that as long as she was going with her boss, nothing ion inexpected would happen. She agreed. ¡°Sure thing, Mr. Long.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lloyd has a few cases he¡¯s looking to sign out, and it wend the deal, you¡¯ll get a 20%mission Charlotte, I know your family¡¯s well¨Coff and you probably don¡¯t care about the money, but aswyers, we need experience¨Cespecially in negotiation. You can¡¯t practice that just sitting behind a deskTM

    It was no secret at the firm that Charlotte came from the wealthy Riley family, Tim had obviously heard the rumors too,

    understand<b>, </b>Mr. Long,

    ¡°Great. Get prady. I¡¯ll have my assistant book your flight.¡±

    After hanging up<b>, </b>Charlotte nced at the calendar on her desk

    January <b>13</b>,

    Thirteen <b>days </b>had passed since b

    New Year¡¯s <b>Eve</b>.

    She hadn¡¯t seen Sean since then¨Cnot even once

    She had buried herself in work ever since, trying to stay as busy as possible. Because the moment she slowed down, the memories would hit her. And missing him hurt too much.

    with Sean and Lucinda¡¯s namored rtionship,

    Everywhere she tumed, entertainment news was filled w

    Charlotte <b>hadn¡¯t </b>gone out of her way to follow

    the gossip, but it was hard to avoid colleagues in the office were always chatting about them in passing

    ¡°Did you guys see the trending topic? Latinda Lambert and the Jasper heir went on vacation together. They look so good together¨Ctotal eye candy!¡±

    ¦§

    ¡°My queen Lucinda? Of course she¡¯s stumming! She¡¯s the top female <b>star </b>in the <b>whole </b>industry! No one else could possibly match <b>Sean </b>Jasper like she does.¡±

    ¡°hey, isn¡¯t Curlotte from the illey family? I heard she almost got engaged to him once.¡±

    that¡¯s true! They used to date. I even saw him picking her up outside the firm once. He¡¯s even better loolding in person!¡±

    ¡®Wat? Seriously? Charlotte and Sean Jasper were a thing 79

    ¡°Shih¨Ckeep your vator down! Don¡¯t let her hear you¡­¡±

    Charlotte alood frozen <b>in </b>the doorway of the breakroom, a cupinderhand. She had heard every word, but said nothing. With <b>a </b>quiet sigh, she tuned and walked

    alled <b>past </b>a <b>giant </b>LED billboard in the city and saw Lucinda¡¯s face smiling down at her, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but stop <b>and </b><b>stare</b>..

    ¡°So this is the kind of woman he likes,¡± she thought. ¡°The kind of beauty that¡¯s bold and unapologetic<b>. </b><b>A </b>woman who smiles with effortless charm, tull of cond¨Cdence and flirtation griking. ductive and impossible to igi?se.¡±

    ¦§

    bonus, it was time for theusirast

    Charlotte boarded a light to ouy with Tin

    As they passed through hint ss, she caught a sudden glimpse of the face she <b>had </b>been trying so hard to forget.

    Her feet came tu alult. The mask she wore cracked ever so slightly

    Sean was seated in a ck coat,gant <b>and </bposed, his eyes fixed on theptop in front of him.

    Beside him, Lucinda was all saniles, bright and radiant.

    Sensing somed

    someone¡¯s gaze, Sean looked up from his screen and locked eyes with Charlotte

    The air shifted.

    There was a bitter tension lingering between them, faint but unmistakable, like jealousy that couldn¡¯t quite hide.

    zzling smile a and greeted her brightly.

    Lucinda gave Charlotte <b>a </b>dazzling

    ¡°Miss Riley, Fancy running into you again.¡±

 His Heart 236

    Chapter <b>236 </b>

    Charlotte walked past them with <b>a </b>cold expression, not even sparing then a nce.

    us.¡±

    After she was gone, Lucinda <b>nudged </b>Sean¡¯s arm. ¡°Hey, talk about coincidence. Your ex just happens to be on the same flight <b>as </b>us.

    Sean lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Tskisk, look at your face. So dark and broody,¡± she teased. ¡°Man, you¡¯re hard to <b>deal </b>with.¡±

    -25 Bonus

    The next morning, Charlotte anived at the golf course with Tim.

    She was dressed in an all¨Cwhite athletic outfit, her hair tied up in a high ponytail. Fresh¨Cfaced, energetic, and youthful, she immediately caught the attention of Gales <b>Lloyd</b><b>, </b>the president of TH Corporation, whose eyes lit up the moment he saw her.

    <b>Tim </b>introduced them. ¡°Mr. Lloyd, this is Charlotte Riley from our finn.¡±

    Charlotte offered a polite smile. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Lloyd,¡±

    That smile practically made Galus¡¯s heart flutter.

    *Well, I didn¡¯t expect your firm to have such a young and beautiful attomey,¡± he said with a chuckle.

    Charlotte smiled politely but said nothing. Timughed along, ying the social game.

    ¡°Do you y <b>golf </b>often, Miss Riley?¡± cuius asked.

    Charlotte <b>shook </b>her <b>head</b><b>. </b>¡°just a little. I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m a regr.¡±

    Hearing that, Galus saw <b>his </b>opening and smiled wider. ¡°No worries- I can teach you.¡±

    Just <b>then</b>, a man¡¯s voice cut in ¡°What¡¯s all the fun <b>about </b>over here?¡±

    Charlotte froze in ce.

    Sean was walking toward them, with someone following close behind

    Galus immediately straightened up, all the <b>previous </b>smugness gone from <b>his </b>voice. His tone tumed respectful.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper, you¡¯re here to golf <b>too</b>? I was just chatting with Miss Riley about her <b>hobbies </b><b>and </b>get a little carried away. Hope we didn¡¯t disturb you.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s fingers tightened slightly around the hem of her skin. She lifted her eyes, met Sean¡¯s <b>gaze</b>, and greeted him with cool politeness. ¡°Hi, Mr. Jasper.¡±

    Tim didn¡¯t recognize Sean personally as he didn¡¯t pay much attention to entertainment gossip. He vaguely knew who <b>Lucinda </b>was, but hadn¡¯t heard <b>the </b>rumors about her and Sean. He had no idea that the CEO of Jasper Corporation standing in front of him was Charlotte¡¯s ex¨Cfianc¨¦

    Tim <b>rarely </b>dealt with people of Sean¡¯s social rank, but he was sharp enough to read the room. Seeing how respectfully Galus treated this young man, he instantly understood that Sean¡¯s status was not to be taken lightly.

    He quickly followed suit <b>and </b>gave a respectful nod. ¡°Hi, Mr. Jasper.¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze <bnded </b>on Curlotte

    She was wearing makeup <b>today</b>. Her high ponytail and sporty outfit made her <b>look </b>like a college student¨Cfresh¨C<b>faced </b>and full of life. No wonder that sleazy <b>old </b>man couldn¡¯t stop staring

    His eyes drifted lower, catching a glimpse of her long, slender legs under the <b>golf </b><b>sidet</b>. His brows furrowed slightly

    She looked stunning<b>. </b>But she was standing there, smiling and chatting with two older men. A wave of init¨Cion rose in his chest

    He had bull a mind <b>to </b><b>shrug </b>off his <b>coat</b>, tie it around her <b>waist</b>, and chase those two men away.

    Forcing himself to tamp down the jealousy and frustration, Sean kept his expression nk and his vole cool ¡°Yeah, you were kind of disturbing.¡±

    Galus bowed his <b>head </b>slightly, full of apologies<b>. </b>¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Jasper. I¡¯ll keep it down.¡±

    Sean gave a faint pod ¡°Canyon.¡±

    With that, he turned <b>and </b>walked away.

    He wasn¡¯t here for business today. He hade to galt with <b>a </b>friend who had just retumed from Antis.

    His friend was Noah Sanith. Thanks to his help, the <b>Joseph </b><b>red </b>project overseas had progressed <b>so </b>quickly.

    Once they were out of earshot, Noah nced at Sean with wide eyes and whispered, ¡°Wait a second wasn¡¯t that your fianobe? Wh Hangers?¡±

    Why were you two acting like

    Noah had Immigrated to Antis more than ten years ago. He had never met Charlotte in person, but years <b>ago</b>, he had seen her photo at Sean¡¯s vi. Backthen,

    <b>Sean </b>had told him <b>she </b>was the girl he had secretly been in love with for years.

    Later, Noah had even flown back to attend their <b>engagement </b>party, When he realized the woman Sean was marrying was the same girl he had pined over for so long he had genuinely congratted him.

    Afterall, Sean had finally gotten the girl he had waited for.

    ¡°We broke up,¡± Sean said tly.

    ¡°What?¡± Noah looked shocked, ¡°<b>Why</b>? You waited over a decade for her. Everything finally worked out. Why would you break up just like that?¡±

    A nearby caddy handed Sean a golf club. He took it, stepped up, and sent the ball flying across the green with a powerful swing

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want her getting hurt. Bring with me almost cost her her life.¡±

    Noah¡¯s expression sobered. He finally understood.

    Back during their engagement, Charlotte¡¯s younger sister had been kidnapped. Sean had been seriously injured trying to save her. The engagement was called ott

    Eventually, it came out that the kidnapping had been orchestrated by Sean¡¯s adopted sister¨Cwith support from none other than Joseph Ford.

 His Heart 237

    Joseph had been preparing to get revenge on the Jasper family ever s

    Noah asked, ¡°Did josephe after her again?¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze turned cold as he recounted the time Joseph had sent people to beant him and Charlotte down and how Desmond had been pushed down the stairs.

    Noah¡¯s expression changed. ¡°He actually used heavy weapons? This is Jersey City! That unstic¨Chow the hell did he dare?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>He </b>kept himselfpletely out of it. The police couldn¡¯t trace anything back to him.¡±

    *Then you need to be careful. A rabid dog like Joseph, onceered, will do anything.¡±

    Noah let out a long sigh and gave Sean a pat on the shoulder. ¡°Breaking up was probably the right choice. Still, it¡¯s hard for <b>both </b>of you. You love each other, but you can¡¯t be together.¡±

    Sean lowered his eyes. A ripple stirred in his heart.

    ¡°Love each other, but can¡¯t be together? No. This is <b>just </b>temporary,¡± Sean thought.

    Once Joseph was taken care of, he was going to win Charlotte back¨Cno matter what.

    Back at the <b>golf </b>course<b>, </b>Galus edged closer to Charlotte.

    Miss Riley, do you usually y golf?¡±

    Charlotte took a <b>small </b><b>step </b>away, putting distance between them, and replied politely, ¡°A little, but I don¡¯t y otten.¡±

    Galus didn¡¯t know her background. He assumed she was just an ordinary junior attorney scraping by on a <b>modest </b>monthly sry

    To him, a few grand a month was pocket change<b>, </b>barely enough to cover a fancy meal.

    He chuckled, a smug look on his face. ¡°Makes sense. Even a basic set of golf <b>gear </b>probably costs you a month¡¯s sry. Not to mention the greens tees and private coaching This club¡¯s yearly membership alone runs over three million. Forwyers working this <b>hard</b>, it¡¯s really not worth spending your eamings on a luxury like this.¡±

    Charlotte pretended not to hear the condescension buried in his words and responded with a bright, easy smile. ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡±

    That radiant smilepletely disarmed <b>Gatus</b>. He was <b>already </b>feeling light¨Cheaded from how pretty she looked.

    He was used to unting his wealth. There was never a shortage of women around him¨Chis wife at home, mistresses outside, and a long list of young women be had kept over the years.

    Feeling full of himself, calus grinned. ¡°Miss Hiley, how about 1 gitt you a membership? You can join me for a game whenever you¡¯re free.¡±

    Charlotte gave an inward eucer.

    She knew exactly what kind of man lie was ¡°Join me for a game¡± was <b>just </b>the polite version. If she really said yes, she would be expected to <b>do </b>a lot more than y <b>Cou </b>

    He actually thought lue could buy <b>a </b>woman¡¯s <b>body </b>with a three¨Cmillion¨Cdor membership. Judging by his age, ba definitely had a wife at home. ¡°Shameless,¡± Charlotte silently remarked.

    Cadotte didn¡¯t show any of the contempt or as she felt side. She just smiled lightly and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr, <b>Lloyd</b>, but I¡¯m happy to y with you today. I really don¡¯t have time <b>outside </b>of work!

    Tiin, standing off to the side, <b>was </b>frantically signaling at her with his eyes.

    He clearly thought she was crazy to turn down such a ¡°generous¡± offer.

    Curlotte pertended not to see him.

    Galus didn¡¯t seem bothered by her rejection. He assumed she was just ying hard to get¨Cke a lot of girls he had met. He figured she was the type to act reserved

    Hirst, pretending not to care <b>about </b>his money, only to wait for the right moment to reel him in.

    The kind people call a <b>¡°</b>gold digger<b>.</b>¡±

    But in his eyes, whatever those women were after was d

    i chump change anyway-

    However, Charlotte was in another league. She was <b>a </b>rare beauty, far more string than the influencers and minor celebrities he had slept with <b>in </b>the <b>past</b>.

    If he could get her into bed, he wouldn¡¯t mind spending whatever it took

    Galus was determined. With a warm smile, he said, ¡°No worries. I knowwyers are busy. Let¡¯s just enjoy today. Maybe we can y again sometime.¡±

    Charlotte gave him another sweet, polite smile. ¡°<b>Of </b>course, Mr. Lloyd.¡±

    +25 Bonu

    That smile nearly made him dizzy. On Impulse, he blurted out, ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s make a bet. If you can get a <b>ball </b>onto the green within ten strokes, I¡¯ll give you a hundred grand. One less stroke, 1¡¯ll double it *

    Charlotte tilted her head, still smiling. ¡°And what if I lose? What happens if I don¡¯t make it inten?¡±

    <b>Gatus¡¯s </b>eyes gleamed. ¡°Then how about this¨Cyou join me for dinner tonight, just the two of us.¡±

 His Heart 238

    aims figured that Charlotte might know how to y golf, but women usually didn¡¯t have much power in their swing. Whether she could actuallynd the ball on the green was still questionable

    Even if she did, it would probably take right or nine strokes Losing <b>a </b>bit of money for a smile from a pretty face? Totally worth it.

    Charlotte smiled politely. ¡°Dinner¡¯s fine. But betting cash isn¡¯t all that exciting. How about we bet on something else?¡±

    <b>Gaius </b><b>raised </b>an eyebrow<b>, </b>amused. ¡°And what would you like to bet no, Miss Riley?

    ¡°I cannd the ball on the green within ten strokes, Mr. Lloyd, yourpany signs a one¨Cyear contract with our firm¨Clegal counsel plus case representation. <b>For </b>every stroke underten, you add another year to the contract. And itnd it in a single stroke, we <b>go </b>straight to a ten¨Cyear deal, and yourpany agrees to let un handle all legal matters for the next decade. How does that sound?

    Gaiuschuckled, impressed. She wasn¡¯t interested in a hundred thousand here or there. She <b>was </b>after the real prize.

    H

    *Smart,¡± Gaius thought.

    TH Corporation was huge. Just one year¡¯s worth of legal cases would be enough to feed her entice firm.

    He <b>had </b>underestimated her

    Tuming to the managing partner, he joked, ¡°Mr. Long, where did you find someone like Miss Riley? She¡¯s sharp¨Calways thinking about your firm¡¯s bottom line. 1 almost want to poach her to head my in¨Chouse legal team.

    Timughed good¨Cnaturedly. ¡°You tterus, Mr. Lloyd, ¡±

    calus, now thoroughly entertained, smiled and agreed, ¡°Alright. If that¡¯s what Miss Riley wants to wager, then let¡¯s do it. As long as she¡¯s <b>having </b>fun, I¡¯m happy.¡± Charlotte gave <b>a </b>sweet smile. ¡°<b>Great</b>.<b>¡± </b>

    The caddy handed her a club, and she gave it

    gave it <b>a </b>smooth test swing-

    cujus, clearlyying it on thick, said with a <b>grin</b>, ¡°<b>Not </b>bad at all! can tell you¡¯ve got a natural talent.¡±

    Charlotte smiled faintly, said nothing, then calmly positioned herself and adjusted her stance.

    ¡°Apologies in advance, Mr. Lloyd,¡± she said gently.

    Before calus could process what she meant, Charlotte had already swing

    Her movement was smooth, controlled, and practiced. The small white ball cut through the air in a clean, perfect are then dropped squarely onto <b>the </b>green. Galus stared<b>, </b>stunned.

    She had done it in one shot.

    Tim <b>couldn¡¯t </b>help pping ¡°Beautiful shot!¡±

    Charlotte walked to the green, sank the ball in with elegant precision, then <b>looked </b>up with a bright, confident smile.

    ¡°Mi <b>Lloyd</b>, one shot on the green. As <b>per </b>our agreement, yourpany will be signing a ten¨Cyear legal counsel and litigation services contract with our firm.¡± Calus ficully snapped <b>out </b>of his shock and started dapping too.

    ¡°Incredible! I never would¡¯ve guessed, Miss Riley. That form¨Chonestly, better than mine. And you said <b>you </b>only <b>yed </b>a little? You¡¯re way too modest.¡± Charlotte offered a polite sulle, lips barely curved. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Lloyd.¡±

    Tim stood off to the side, practically grinding from ear to ear.

    Ten Wars.

    He had only intended to bring Charlotte along as <b>a </b>pretty face to lighten the mood¨Cmaybe help smooth the path to a contract. He never expected her to walk in and seal a ten¨Cyear <b>deal </b>on the spot.

    His years in the business, he had never closed something is bly hone gu

    For the first time, he felt a little outssed:

    Not far off, Noah nudged Sean withhiselbow<b>, </b>gesturing toward the green.

    *Your ex is seriously impressive. One shot onto the green¨Cand that swing didn¡¯t look any worse than a pro¡¯s.¡±

    Sean turned to look

    His eyes softened as a trace of <b>pride </b>flickered <b>across </b>his face.

    ¡°Back in high school, Lottle won the national <b>youth </b>gold championship<b>.</b>¡±

 His Heart 239

    -25 Bonus

    face¨Cyou¡¯re plowing

    ¡°<b>oh</b>?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed teasingly<b>. </b>¡°Someone¡¯s feeling proud. Look at that fa

    Sean¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Well, she is my girl.¡±

    -you¡¯re glowing like <b>a </b>dad whose kid just won a spelling bee.¡±

    Noah replied casually, ¡°Wonder what those two old guys are chatting about. They look like they¡¯re having a great time

    The soft affection in Sean¡¯s face disappeared the moment the words left Noah¡¯s mouth.

    He handed his golf club to the <b>caddy </b>and started walking in their direction

    ¡°Hey¨Cwhere are you going?¡± Noah asked, quickly following after him.

    Sean¡¯s tone was t, his expression cool. ¡°To talk business.¡±

    ¡°<b>Business</b>?¡± Noah looked puzzled, ¡°With who?¡±

    He looked ahead and spotted the three peopleughing happily. It clicked immediately.

    Sean was jealous. He couldn¡¯t stand watching those two old men hovering around Charlotte. Now he was heading over to give them something else to focus on. No way he was letting that slide.

    <b>Noah </b>Laughed to himself. After holding back for so long, Sean was finally losing his cool

    Sean came to a stop right in front of Charlotte. The sunlight cast a faint shadow around him.

    Standing in that shadow, Charlotte looked <b>up</b>. He <b>was </b>wearing a dark gray yathletic outfit today¨Cclean, understated, and cool <b>as </b>ever.

    ¡°Why is he here again?¡± she wondered with a frown

    <b>Galus </b>was confused too. The CEO of ja

    Jasper Corporation was notoriously hard to approach. Even when they met <b>face</b>¨Cto¨Cface, <b>Sean </b>was <b>usually </b>cold and dismissive,

    So why had be over twice now? Had he hit his head or something?¡± Gaius wondered.

    Hands in his pockets, Sean lookedpletely casual, his tone light and indifferent.

    ¡°Mr. Lloyd, if I remember right, didn¡¯t you mention wanting to partner with our Starlight Hotely?¡±

    Starlight Hotels was one of Jasper Corporation¡¯s luxury hotel brands.

    The moment Galus heard Sean bring it up<b>, </b>he straightened<b>, </b><b>all </b>smiles.

    ¡°Yes, absolutely, Mr. Jasper T1 Corporation¡¯s been hoping to coborate with Starlight Hotels for a while now. We talked about it briefly at that g <b>a </b>while back. You said you were busy at the time and suggested we talkter Well¨Cno time like the present.¡±

    He nced at his watch and beamed.

    ¡°it¡¯s nearly lunchtime. How about this¨CI book a <b>restaurant</b>, and we can talk more over a meal<b>? </b>

    Sean¡¯s gaze flicked briefly to Charlotte, then back again<b>, </b>unreadable. His voice was cold and clipped. ¡°Fine¡±

    Calus was

    thrilled.

    Sensing the shift, Tim quickly <b>stepped </b><b>in</b>.

    ¡°Well then, <b>Mr. </b><b>Jasper</b>, Mr. Lloyd, we¡¯ll leave <b>you </b>to it. Charlotte and I will <b>head </b><b>out </b>first. Mr. Lloyd, we can finalize the contract details another time.¡± Charlotte had been silently staring <b>at </b>Sean¡¯s shadow on the ground, lost in thought. When she heard they were <b>about </b>to leave, she blinked and came back to her <b>senses</b>, getting ready to walk a away with Tim.

    Galus nodded.

    sgood. Mr. Long, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow alternoon to finalize everything. Since I lost the bet to Miss Riley, I intend to honor my word. I¡¯m a man <b>of </b>Integrity.¡±

    In truth, dalus had said that deliberately for Sean¡¯s <b>bene</b>. If he wanted a shot at partnering with Starlight Hotels<b>, </b>he needed to leave a good impression.

    Scandidu¡¯t care about any of that

    The only thing beltered was that Charlotte was about to leave.

    Histone was casual<b>, </b>entotionless on the surface¨Clike he really didn¡¯t care at all.

    ¡°Slore you came together,¡± he wild casually, ¡°why <b>not </b>stay <b>for </b>lunch?¡±

 His Heart 240

    At the restaurant, Galus had arranged <b>for </b><b>a </b>private dining room¨Cspacious and over the top

    There were only five of them, yet the round table could easily seat ten.

    <b>Gals</b>, eager to <b>please</b><b>, </b>pulled out a chair and bowed slightly as he gestured toward Sean

    ¡°<b>Mr. </b>Jasper, please.<b>¡± </b>

    Sean, used to being fawned over, <b>took </b>the seat

    at without <b>a </b>second thought.

    But for Charlotte, it was her first time witnessing how others treated the CEO of Jasper Corporation.

    The man in front of her epted all the ttery and deference with cool detachment. His expression was <b>unreadable</b>, his features sharp and cold, radiating an unapproachable air that seemed to push everyone away.

    He felt undamir.

    It was hard to reconcile this aloof, powerful figure with the man she once saw in an apron cooking dinner just for her.

    After Sean sat down, Noah took the seat to his right.

    Gaius deliberately chose a spot to <b>Sean¡¯s </b>left, but left a <b>seat </b>between them.

    Close enough for conversation, but not so close as to be disrespectful.

    Tim <b>sal </b>in Gaius¡¯s left.

    charlotte purposely chose the seat farthest from Sean, directly across <b>from </b>him.

    Sean leaned <b>back </b>in his chair, casually scanning the table. When his eyesnded on Charlotte and saw how far she had seated herself, a flicker of disappointment passed through his gaze.

    It was quick and subtle, but not lost on Noal. He sighed quietly to himself, <b>¡°</b><b>What </b><b>a </b><b>pair </b>of star¨Ccrossed lovers.¡±

    Duce everyone was seated, Galus pushed the menu toward Sean

    ¡°Mr. Jasper

    Sean flipped through it with little interest<b>, </b>named a few dishes, then slid it back to Gaius

    Galus added a few heavier, more <b>indulgent </b>dishes of his own.

    She avoided looking at him entirely, keeping her <b>gaze </b>fixed on the sszy Susan in the middle of the table.

    Every dish Sean had just ordered was something she liked.

    A sliver of <b>frustration </b>stirred in her chest. ¡°Why was he doing this?¡± she wondered.

    They had already broken up.

    So what was the point of all this?

    <b>First</b>, he asked her to stay for lunch. Now, he was ordering her favorite food in front of everyone

    Was he trying to y the role of a heartbroken ex?

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t just get up and leave in front of Tim <b>and </b>calus, but sitting in the same private <b>coom </b>with Sean made her feel like she was suffocating.

    She didn¡¯t understand bite anymore.

    Sean made small talk with the others, but als gaze kept drifting toward Charlotte, seated directly across from him.

    She sat with her head lowered, silent and <b>still</b>, not even touching her <b>phone</b>. She looked <b>like </b><b>a </b>quiet little quali, curled in on herself.

    Something about her made him want to reach out, nuttle her hair, and pull her into his anas.

    The food arrived<b>. </b>

    Charlotte said nothing. She simply lowered her head and started rating.

    She really was tungry.

    After runding Into Sean and Lucinda on the nest night, she had felt awful. She hadn¡¯t eaten, <b>couldn¡¯t </b>sleep.

    And <b>this </b>moming<b>, </b>she had rushed to the <b>golf </b>course without even having breakfast.

    Now her stomach was painfully empty and she was starving

    The inen around the <b>table </b>were deep in conversation, but she had no intention of joining in. She focused entirely <b>on </b>her te.

    Sean eventually agreed to move forward with the partnership with TH Corporation and told Gaius his assistant would handle the paperwork the next day.

    Galus was overjoyed. He threw back a few sses of wine, his face flushed with excitement.

    As the alcohol kicked in, he loosened up. The once¨Ccareful businessman began to ramble, going on and <b>on </b>about how he built his fortune from nothing.

    Sean tuned <b>him </b>outpletely.

    His attention never really left Charlotte sitting across from him. His gaze kept drifting toward her, and his fingers toyed with the edge of thezy Susan, quietly tuming it so her favorite dishes would end up in front of her.

    ?ius and Tim were too busy drinking and chatting to notice.

    But Noah saw everything. It was <b>clear </b>as <b>day</b>.

 His Heart 241

    Chapter <b>241 </b>

    -25 Bonum

    Noah shook his head helplessly. He had finally figured it out that his friend waspletely lovesick. Hopelessly so

    Sean, always calm andposed, had been surrounded by admirers since they were young. Women like pady had chased him relentlessly. <b>But </b>Sean, cold as ice<b>, </b>had never once shown interest.

    For a long time, Noah thought Sean was simply indifferent to women altogether until he saw a photo of Charlotte at Sean¡¯s house.

    That was when he realized that Sean wasn¡¯t uninterested in women. He had just been carrying one <b>in </b>his heart all along.

    He had turned down everyone else because of her.

    After dinner, Gaius waspletely drunk. <b>The </b>restaurant manager had already called <b>a </b>designated driver to take him home early.

    Outside the restaurant, Tim turned to Sean and Noah

    ¡°Mr. Jasper<b>, </b>Mr. Smith, we¡¯ll head out first¡±

    Sean said nothing.

    There were some things he couldn¡¯t say himself, but Noah understood <i>and </i>spoke on <b>his </b>behalf,

    ¡°Are you taking a cab back<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Tim replied, ¡°Yes, Miss Riley and I are in town for work. We¡¯re staying <b>at </b><b>a </b>hotel nearby.¡±

    <b>n¡¯s </b>brows furrowed slightly at that

    Noth knew exactly what he was thinking. Sean didn¡¯t like the idea of Charlotte heading back to a hotel with a middle¨Caged man who <b>had </b>been drinking.

    So Noah jumped in quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give Miss Riley a ride. I didn¡¯t drink tonight. I can <b>drive</b>.

    Tim nced at his ride¨Chailing app and muttered to himself, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?

    But the car was already <b>on </b>its way. It felt awkward <b>to </b>cancel it just to ask for a <b>ride</b>, so he nodded.

    -in that case, thanks, Mr. Smith.¡±

    But Curlotte spoke up, politely dedining,

    -There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll just order a car myself¡±

    She <b>lookout </b>her phone and started pulling up the app.

    Noah smiled<b>, </b>half¨Cjolding and half¨Cserious.

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t trust me, Miss Riley?¡±

    Charlotte nced quiddy at Sean, then met Noah¡¯s gaze. Her voice was polite andposed.

    ¡°Of course not, Mr. Smith. You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    Noah chudded.

    ¡°Then let me <b>give </b>you a ride. I¡¯m heading in that direction anyway<b>.</b>¡±

    Tan, listening nearby, <b>couldn¡¯t </b>help raising an eyebrow. ¡°In that direction?¡± he thought.

    He hadn¡¯t even said which hotel they were staying at. How would Noah know if it was on the way?

    ¡°Could this guy be into charlotte? Was this his excuse to cozy up <b>to </b>her?¡± he wondered.

    His eyes flicked between <b>Noal </b>and Charlotte, full of curiosity <b>and </b>suspicion

    Just <b>as </b>Charlotte was about to refuse <b>again</b>, Sean suddenly spoke.

    ¡°do alead and take her,¡± he said lightly. I have to stop by Lacinda¡¯s <b>ce</b>. She¡¯s been calling¡±

    wake <b>a </b>bucket of ice water poured over her head.

    Curfotte froze, her body going cold all over

    Noah gave Sean a long, knowing look

    ¡°Then you¡¯d better not keep her w

    twalling.¡±

    Sean responded with a quiet ¡°Mm¡± and walked away without another nce at Charlotte, heading straight to the ck Maybach waiting nearby<b>. </b>

    Charlotte stared at his retreating back, a <b>heaviness </b>swelling in her chest.

    So much for staying calm.

    ¡°Sean Jasper, what do yourven mean by all <b>this</b>?¡± she thought.

    She had spent all this time trying to forget him, forcing herself not to think about him.

    And yet, he kept showing up. He invited her to stay for lunch. He ordered her favorite dishes, His gaze keptnding on her.

    And now, right in front of her, he casually mentioned going to see <b>Luclida </b>

    ¡°what am I to him? some kind of pet? A toy he ys with when he¡¯s bored?¡°,

    Noahinted again. ¡°Miss Riley, I can give

    ¡°I said no!¡± she snapped<b>, </b>catting him off before he could finish.

    Her voice was sharp,ced with fire like someone who had just been shot.

    Noah paused, blinking, then awkwardly rabbed the bridge of his nose.

    *Alright then¡­sult yourself.¡±

    17¡± she thin

    thought

    ¡°Wow,¡± he thought she looks all quiet and elegant, but she¡¯s got a spine. Sean, <b>you¡¯ve </b>pissed off your <b>girl</b>. <b>Good </b>luck fixing this one.¡±

 His Heart 242

    Chapter <b>242 </b>

    After closing the TH Corporation deal, Tim drank a bit more than usual at lunch. As soon as they got back to the hotel, he copsed into bed and fell fast asleep.

    With nothing scheduled for the afternoon, Charlotte had the rest of the day to herself.

    South <b>City </b>was a coastal destination<b>. </b><b>It </b>was one of <b>the </b>country¡¯s most famous tourist hotspots.

    Her hotel was right by the ocean, offering sweeping views of the sea and pale golden sand.

    By mid¨Cafternoon, the temperature had soared to nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Charlotte spent most of the <b>day </b>lounging in her room<b>, </b>finally changing into a breezy camisole and shorts just before sunset. She applied sunscreen, threw on her sunsses, and headed to the beach.

    The stretch of beach near the hotel was private, reserved for guests only. It was quiet and uncrowded.

    She settled into a lounge chair under <b>a </brge beach umbre<b>, </b>took off her sunsses, and gazed out at the endless ocean, letting her thoughts drift.

    The <b>sun </b>hung low where the sea met <b>the </b>sky. The clouds were painted <b>in </b>shades <b>of </b>orange and red, their edges glowing like molten gold. The water shimmered with broken light, like someone had poured sparkling orange soda across the waves and scattered diamonds on top. It was surreal and dreamlike.

    A salty breeze rolled in from the ocean, cooling the <b>heat </b>of the day<b>. </b>

    Charlotte leaned back in her chair, letting the seaside sunset wash over her. For the first time in days, she felt truly at peace<b>. </b>

    The past week had <b>been </b>nonstop<b>¨C</b>work, travel<b>, </b><b>meetings</b>. She hadn¡¯t had a chance <b>to slow </b>down in ages.

    Just as she was starting to rx, a man strolled up and interrupted.

    ¡°Hey there, prettydy. Here by yourself?¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t even look at him. Her face stayed nk as she replied, ¡°Married. Two kids. My husband¡¯s in the hotel watching them.<b>¡± </b>

    Instead of leaving<b>, </b>the man got more excited.

    He stepped closer, <b>eyes </b>sweeping over her from head to toe, his voice thick with sleaze<b>. </b>

    ¡°Ooh, a young mom, huh? You¡¯ve had two kids and still look this good?¡±

    Charlotte ignored him.

    He moved in again<b>, </b><b>now </b>practically hovering over her lounge chair.

    ¡°If your husband¡¯s not around, how about we have a little fun?¡±

    Her gaze turned sharp and disgusted.

    ¡°Get lost.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, <b>fiesty</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>The man smirked, clearly entertained. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>like women with attitude.¡±

    Just as Charlotte was about to stand up and deal with him<b>, </b><b>the </b>man was suddenly kicked <b>to </b><b>the </b>ground.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?<b>¡± </b><b>a </b><b>cold </b><b>voice </b>snapped.

    Charlotte turned and frowned.

    ¡°Zac Gibson? What is he doing here?¡± she wondered.

    The man scrambled back <b>up</b>, swearing loudly as he <b>lunged </b>forward, ready to fight.

    But he was barely five¨Cfoot¨C<b>seven</b><b>, </b>wiry and weak. Standing in front <b>of </b><b>Zac</b>¨Cwell over <b>six </b><b>feet </b>tall and built from years of training¨Che had no chance.

    Within seconds, the creep realized it and took off running.

    Zac dusted off his clothes and looked at Charlotte.

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s <b>face </b>was cold.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Zac sat down <b>in </b>the lounge chair next to hers.

    The truth was, he had bribed one of <b>her </b>coworkers <b>at </b>thew firm to find out where she was staying.

    But <b>he </b>didn¡¯t say that.

    ¡°It¡¯s been freezing in <b>Jersey </b>Citytely, so I <b>came </b>to South <b>City </b>for a <b>vacation</b><b>. </b><b>Total </b>coincidence<b>¨C</b><b>we¡¯re at </b>the same hotel. Are <b>you </b>here <b>on </b>vacation too?¡±

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    Charlotte didn¡¯t bother figuring out how much of that was true. Whether he was really vacationing or had followed her here didn¡¯t matter. Either way, it had nothing to do with her.

    She said coolly, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Zac leaned back and added, ¡°You know Sean¡¯s in South <b>City </b><b>too</b><b>, </b>right? Came here with that actress<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte curled her lips into a cold smirk.

    ¡°And what exactly are you trying <b>to </b>say?¡±

    <b>BIG </b>SALE<b>: </b>3500 bonus free <b>fou </b><b>you</b>

 His Heart 243

    Chapter <b>243 </b>

    ¡°Lottie,<b>¡± </b>Zac said, his toneced with bitterness<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>I told you¨Cmen are all the same. Don¡¯t go thinking Sean Jasper is any better than me. Do you believe me now?¡±

    Charlotte responded tly, <b>¡°</b>Oh.¡±

    ¡°I saw the news about your broken engagement. So it¡¯s over between you and him, right? That means you¡¯re single now. Can I pursue you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Charlotte stood up. She had no intention of staying to listen to Zac¡¯s nonsense.

    As she turned to leave, Zac reached out and grabbed her wrist. But before he could get a word out, Charlotte twisted his arm with <b>a </b>swift move, his wrist cracking audibly under the pressure<b>. </b>

    ¡°Ah-!¡± Zac cried out, instinctively recoiling in pain.

    She <b>flung </b>his hand away, eyes cold with unmistakable disgust.

    <b>¡°</b>Zac Gibson<b>, </b><b>I </b>thought I made myself clearst time. Stop bothering me. Don¡¯t you understand English?¡±

    <b>Zac </b>looked genuinely hurt<b>, </b><b>yet </b>his <b>eyes </b>stayed locked on her with infatuation.

    ¡°Lottie, I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t let you go.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°You make me sick,<b>¡± </b>she snapped.

    With <b>that</b><b>, </b>she turned and walked away without looking back.

    Zac <b>chased </b>after <b>her</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°Sean was probably sleeping with that actress while he was still with you! The moment you broke off the engagement, their rumors blew up all over the inte. Is <b>that </b>why <b>you </b>left him¨C<b>because </b>you found out he cheated?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s <b>lips </b>pressed into <b>a </b>thin line<b>. </b>Her face <b>was </b>cold as ice. She didn¡¯t respond. She just walked faster.

    <i>Zac </i>followed relentlessly.

    ¡°Did you see tonight¡¯s entertainment <b>g</b>? Sean and that actress walked the red carpet together. It¡¯s official, Lottie. They¡¯re public now. You need to give up on

    him<b>.</b>¡±

    At the word <b>¡°</b>official<b>,</b>¡± <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b><b>steps </b><b>faltered</b>.

    <b>Zac </b>saw her <b>pause </b>and smirked.

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b>I¨C¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Leave<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b><b>don¡¯t </b>shut me <b>out</b>. I know <b>you¡¯re </b>hur-¡±

    <b>¡°</b>! said <b>leave</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    At the <b>hotel </b><b>lobby</b><b>, </b><b>Charlotte </b>strode <b>toward </b>the <b>security </b><b>desk</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°Excuse <b>me</b><b>. </b><b>I¡¯m </b><b>a </b><b>guest </b><b>here</b><b>. </b>This man is harassing me. Can <b>you </b><b>please </b>help<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Lottie<b>, </b>please<b>, </b><b>just </b><b>let </b>me <b>expl-</b><b>¡± </b><b><i>Zac </i></b><b>started </b><b>to </b><b>follow</b><b>, </b><b>but </b><b>one </b><b>of </b>the security guards <b>quickly </b><b>stepped </b>in and held him back

    ¡°Sir<b>, </b>I need <b>you </b><b>to </b><b>stop </b>harassing <b>this </b><b>woman</b><b>.</b>¡®

    <b>Zac¡¯s </b>face turned red <b>with </b><b>anger</b>.

    ??

    <b>¡°</b>Harassing? She¡¯s my girlfriend<b>! </b><b>We¡¯re </b>just having <b>a </b><b>fight</b>. <b>Let </b><b>go </b><b>of </b>me<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    The <b>guard </b>turned to <b>Charlotte</b><b>, </b>seeking <b>confirmation</b>.

    Her face <b>was </b><b>cold </b>andposed<b>. </b>

    Tm not his girlfriend.¡±

    Without another <b>word</b>, she turned and walked <b>away</b>.

    Behind her<b>, </b>Zac kept <b>calling </b><b>out</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Lottie! <b>Don¡¯t </b><b>go</b>, Lottle<b>¨C</b>please<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    The <b>security </b><b>guard </b>held firm.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Sir</b><b>, </b><b>I¡¯m </b>going to have <b>to </b>ask you to <b>stop</b><b>. </b><b>You¡¯re </b>disturbing our guests.¡± ¡°Let <b>go </b><b>of </b>me! What the hell-¡±

    ¡°Sir<b>, </b><b>if </b><b>you </b>continue<b>, </b><b>we¡¯ll </b><b>have to </b>call the police<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not harassing her! I told <b>you</b>, she¡¯s my girlfriend!¡±

    Back in her hotel room<b>, </b>Charlotte closed the door behind her and leaned against it, staring nkly at the floor. After a long pause<b>, </b>she numbly pulled out her phone and opened the trending <b>topics </b>on Twitter.

    Right at the top was a photo of Sean and Lucinda together.

    ck Her phone hit the floor.

    The evening breeze <b>swept </b>in through the open window<b>, </b>rustling the sheer white curtains.

    Charlotte stood frozen under the warm glow <b>of </b>the lights, as <b>if </b>struck by lightning.

    In an instant, her blood turned to <b>ice</b><b>. </b>All color drained from her <b>face</b>.

 His Heart 244

    Chapter <b>244 </b>

    <b>By </b>the time Charlotte returned from South <b>City</b><b>, </b><b>it </b>was <b>already </bte January<b>. </b>

    <b>With </b>the <b>holiday </b><b>season </b><b>approaching</b><b>, </b><b>the </bw firm had already shut down for the break.

    The <b>day </b>she flew back, she caught the flu at the airport and <b>came </b><b>down </b>hard with a fever. After getting an IV drip at the hospital, she spent <b>most </b>of her time in <b>bed</b>. Her meals were <b>delivered </b>to her room <b>by </b><b>their </b>housekeeper<b>, </b><b>Mrs. </b>Sanders<b>. </b>

    The day <b>before </b>the holiday<b>, </b>Mrs. Sanders brought <b>in </b>her usual lunch.

    Charlotte <b>gave </b><b>a </b><b>soft </b>cough and <b>dabbed </b>at her nose with a tissue.

    <b>¡°</b>Mrs. <b>Sanders</b><b>, </b><b>tomorrow¡¯s </b>a family holiday. <b>You </b>should <b>go </b>home after you¡¯re done and spend it with your loved ones<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Mrs. Sanders </b><b>hesitated</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>But <b>you¡¯re </b><b>still </b><b>sick</b>. Who¡¯s going to look after you if I leave?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b><b>just </b>the <b>flu</b><b>, </b>

    <b>¡± </b>

    te said lightly. ¡°No <b>big </b>deal.¡±

    <b>Mrs. </b>Sanders still looked uneasy<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Why <b>don¡¯t </b>I take you back to the Riley estate? At <b>least </b>there¡¯ll be family around to care for you.<b>¡± </b>

    Desmond had already called earlier that week to ask when she would being home<b>. </b>

    Charlotte had originally nned to return as soon as the firm went on break. <b>But </b>the flu had hit her hard, and with a young child at home and her father <b>just </b>out of the hospital, she didn¡¯t want to risk passing the virus <b>to </b>them.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b>wait until I¡¯m better,¡± she said gently<b>. </b>

    .

    <b>Mrs. </b>Sanders was still worried. ¡°So <b>you¡¯re </b>going to be here all by yourself tomorrow<b>? </b>Why don¡¯t <b>you </be to my ce instead?¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. <b>¡°</b><b>Mrs. </b>Sanders, <b>don¡¯t </b>forget¨CMrs. Wilson still lives with <b>you</b><b>. </b><b>If </b><b>I </b>identally passed this flu to her, <b>it </b>could <b>be </b>serious<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    you w

    That finally made Mrs. Sanders reconsider. Mrs. Wilson was frail and <b>constantly </b>ill. A flu could be life<b>¨C</b>threatening. She scratched her head, unsure<b>. </b>

    ¡°Alright <b>then</b><b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b>be fine. I can take care <b>of </b>myself.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Okay<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>After </b>lunch<b>, </b><b>Mrs. </b>Sanders did <b>a </b><b>deep </b>clean of the apartment<b>, </b><b>wiping </b>down every and bought <b>groceries </b>and snacks.

    <b>room </b>and the living room until everything sparkled. Then she headed to the store

    Once <b>she </b>had everything in ce<b>, </b><b>she </b>opened Charlotte¡¯s door.¡±

    <b>¡°I </b>stocked the fridge and left fruit <b>and </b><b>your </b>favorite imported snacks <b>on </b>the table in the living

    Charlotte was <b>curled </b>up in bed, her head <b>barely </b>poking <b>out </b>from theforter.

    room.

    <b>¡°</b>Thanks<b>, </b><b>Mrs. </b>Sanders. <b>You¡¯ve </b>done so much.<b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>If anythinges <b>up</b>, just <b>give </b>me <b>a </b><b>call</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Got it. <b>Happy </b><b>holidays</b>, <b>Mrs. </b><b>Sanders</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°<b>Happy </b>holidays<b>, </b>sweetheart.¡±

    Mrs. Sanders <b>stepped </b><b>out </b><b>of </b>the apartment <bplex</b><b>, </b>still feeling uneasy.

    She pulled <b>out </b>her phone and called <b>Sean</b>.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper<b>, </b>Miss Riley¡¯s sick. She caught <b>the </b><b>flu </bing back <b>from </b><b>her </b><b>trip </b>and has been in bed <b>for </b>two days. She <b>insisted </b><b>I </b><b>go </b>home for the holidays<b>, </b><b>but </b>I really don¡¯t <b>feel </b>good leaving her alone<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean¡¯s heart tightened. <b>¡°</b><b>She¡¯s </b>sick?¡±

    ¡°She probably picked it up at the airport. Came back and copsed right away.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡±

    As soon as he hung <b>up</b><b>, </b>Sean called Jordan <b>and </b>asked <b>if </b>his sister<b>, </b><b>Lena</b><b>, </b>could check on Charlotte.

    The moment Lena heard Charlotte was sick<b>, </b>she picked up <b>her </b>phone and called.

    1

    <b>¡°</b><b>Lottie</b><b>! </b><b>You¡¯re </b><b>sick</b>? Why didn¡¯t you <b>tell </b>me? Are you home alone right now?¡±

    <b>Charlotte </b>answered in a hoarse voice<b>, </b>still <b>wrapped </b>in nkets.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b><b>. </b><b>It¡¯s </b>just <b>a </b>cold. I¡¯m already feeling better<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ming <b>over </b>with our family <b>doctor </b>to check on <b>you</b><b>, </b><b>okay?</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>really <b>don¡¯t </b><b>have </b><b>to</b><b>, </b>Lena. I already went <b>to </b><b>the </b><b>hospital </b>for an IV. The doctor gave me meds, and I¡¯ve been taking them. I just had lunch and was about to nap. I¡¯ll probably be back <b>to </b>normal after a good <b>sleep</b>.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b><b>don¡¯t </b>sound anywhere <b>close </b>to normal,¡± Lena said, worried. ¡°Your <b>voice </b>is raspy<b>. </b>I¡¯ll be there soon, just to be safe<b>.</b>¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Really<b>, </b>it¡¯s fine-¡±

    ¡°Lottie,e on. Since when do we worry about what¡¯s a hassle between us?<b>¡± </b>

    An hourter<b>, </b>the doorbell rang.

    From inside, came the faint sound of soft, sluggish footsteps.

    Charlotte moved slowly, unsteady on her feet, and opened the door.

    <b>BIG </b><b>SALE</b><b>: </b>3500 bonus free fou you

 His Heart 245

    Chapter <b>245 </b>

    Lena¡¯s <b>eyes </b><b>widened </b>in shock <b>at </b><b>the </b>pale, <b>sickly </b><b>face </b>behind <b>the </b><b>door</b><b>. </b>¡°Lottie<b>, </b><b>what </b>happened to <b>you</b>? You look awful<b>!</b>¡±

    Charlotte <b>gave </b><b>a </b>weak <b>smile</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b>nothing <b>serious</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Lena <b>quickly </b><b>stepped </b>in and helped <b>steady </b>her. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>brought our <b>family </b>doctor. Let him take a look<b>, </b>just to be safe.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Okay<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>After </b><b>the </b>check¨Cup<b>, </b>the doctor <b>gave </b>Charlotte <b>an </b><b>injection </b>and prescribed more medication. He assured Lena she would be feeling better by tomorrow.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± <b>Lena </b>sighed with relief<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯ll </b>be well enough to <b>enjoy </b>the holiday<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    That <b>night</b><b>, </b><b>the </b>city sparkled with lights andughter. Homes glowed with warmth<b>, </b>and the air buzzed with the sounds of celebration.

    Charlotte slept <b>in</b><b>, </b>finally waking <b>on </b><b>her </b>own.

    When she checked her phone<b>, </b>she saw several missed calls from Desmond, Xena, and her close friends Mia and Lena.

    They were likely calling to ask if she was feeling any better, <b>or </b>just <b>to </b>send their well wishes.

    Charlotte <b>called </b>her father back.

    <b>¡°</b>Lottie, are <b>you </bing for lunch? We¡¯ll wait for <b>you</b><b>.</b>¡±

    She nced at the time. It was <b>eleven</b>. There was still plenty of time to make it.

    <b>¡°</b>Yeah. I¡¯ll head over soon.

    As the car entered the gated neighborhood and headed toward the Riley estate, a familiar Cullinan appeared in the distance<b>. </b>One nce at the license te confirmed it. <b>It </b><b>was </b>Sean¡¯s<b>. </b>

    The Jasper <b>estate </b>was right next <b>to </b>the Riley estate, <b>so </b>passing <b>by </b>it was unavoidable.

    Charlotte¡¯s grip on the steering wheel tightened. A wave of <b>bitterness </b>welled up in her chest.

    Though dinner was traditionally <b>the </b>highlight of the day<b>, </b>the lunch at her family¡¯s home was already <b>a </bvish <b>spread</b>.

    Alongside some of Charlotte¡¯s favorite homemade dishes<b>, </b><b>the </b>table was covered with imported seafood¨Clobster, king crab<b>, </b>even coral trout.

    Charlotte <b>pulled </b>out a small gift and handed it <b>to </b>Jodie with <b>a </b>smile<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Happy holidays! This is a little something <b>from </b><b>me</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Desmond chuckled and handed <b>both </b>Charlotte <b>and </b>Jodie their <b>gifts</b>. <b>¡°</b>One for the little <b>one </b>and one for the <b>grown</b><b>¨C</b>up. <b>Everyone </b>gets a holiday treat<b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte raised an <b>eyebrow </b><b>yfully</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>I <b>still </b>count as a kid?¡±

    Desmond <bughed</b>. <b>¡°</b>In my <b>eyes</b><b>, </b><b>you¡¯ll </b><b>always </b>be my <b>little </b><b>girl</b>. As <b>long </b>as I¡¯m around<b>, </b><b>you¡¯re </b><b>never </b><b>too </b>old for a holiday gift.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes welled <b>with </b>emotion.

    ¡°Since when did <b>you </b>get so sentimental<b>, </b><b>Dad</b>?¡±

    Xena smiled from the <b>side</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>He¡¯s </b>right, <b>Lottie.</b><b>¡± </b>

    The meal carried <b>on </b><b>with </b><b>warmth </b>andughter<b>. </b>

    After lunch, Charlotte took <b>Jodie </b><b>out </b>to <b>the </b><b>garden </b>for a walk. They chatted and strolled until Charlotte suddenly <b>stopped </b>in her tracks.

    Across the hedge<b>, </b><b>standing </b>in the yard next door, was <b>a </b>woman.

    It was Lucinda<b>. </b>

    Charlotte froze.

    Jodie looked up, her big <b>round </b>eyes blinking in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sis?<b>¡± </b>

    <b>Charlotte </b><b>didn¡¯t </b><b>respond</b>. Her entire body tensed, <b>her </b><b>eyes </b><b>fixed </b>on Lucinda, who had just noticed her and was now waving <b>with </b>a bright<b>, </b><b>sunny </b>smile.

    That smile felt like a de.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t move<b>. </b>She didn¡¯t <b>wave </b>back

    Then Sean <b>stepped </b>out of the house. Lucinda turned <b>to </b><b>say </b>something to him, <b>then </b><b>suddenly </b>pointed in <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b>direction,

    <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b><b>breath </b>hitched.

    Sure <b>enough</b><b>, </b>Sean looked over<b>. </b>

    +25 Bonus

    <b>For </b>a <b>moment</b><b>, </b><b>their </b><b>eyes </b><b>met</b><b>. </b>

    The <b>cold </b>January wind <b>sliced </b><b>through </b>her <b>like </b>ss<b>, </b><b>slipping </b><b>into </b><b>her </b>cor and <b>sleeves</b>. <b>It </b>chilled her <b>to </b><b>the </b>bone<b>. </b>

    <b>But </b>Sean only nced <b>at </b>her briefly before looking away like it meant nothing. He turned back to Lucinda, said something quietly, and the two <b>of </b><b>them </b><b>went </b>inside <b>together</b>.

    <b>He </b>had brought Lucinda <b>home </b>for the holidays <b>to </b><b>meet </b><b>his </b>parents.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>this <b>their </b>way of announcing an engagement?<b>¡± </b>she wondered.

    Charlotte stood there<b>, </b>her chest tightening<b>, </b>pain blooming <b>across </b>her heart like hundreds of tiny needles<b>. </b>

    It <b>had </b><b>been </b>almost <b>a </b>month <b>since </b>she and Sean broke up. She thought she had moved on.

    But the moment she saw Lucinda standing in that yard, she realized that she hadn¡¯t let go at all.

    Chopte 346

 His Heart 246

    <b>Chapter </b><b>246 </b>

    +25 Bonus

    On <b>the </b>couch in <b>the </b>Jasper <b>estate¡¯s </b>living room<b>, </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr. sat flipping through <b>a </b>stack of glossy photos, murmuring to herself as she <b>went</b>.

    ¡°The Ziegler girl has such <b>grace</b><b>. </b>The Wrights¡® second daughter has a sweet face too. And the Wilson girl¨Cjust finished her master¡¯s at Stanton University<b>. </b>I like that academic <b>air </b>about her<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    She <b>looked </b><b>up </b><b>at </b>her grandson <b>with </b><b>a </b>warm smile.

    <b>¡°</b>Sean<b>, </b>take <b>a </b><b>look </b><b>at </b><b>these</b>. <b>See </b>if anyone catches your eye.¡±

    But Sean¡¯s <b>gaze </b>had drifted elsewhere<b>, </b>dark and distant.

    He was still <b>caught </b>on that brief moment in <b>the </b>garden¨CCharlotte¡¯s pale face, the way she looked like she hadn¡¯t recovered from being sick. Her lips werepletely drained of <b>color</b>.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>she still unwell?¡± he wondered.

    ¡°Sean!¡± his <b>grandmother </b>raised her voice<b>, </b>her smile vanishing. ¡°I¡¯m talking <b>to </b>you. What are you staring off at?¡±

    He blinked<b>, </b>snapping back to the present.

    <b>¡°</b>Sorry¨Cwhat?¡±

    Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. <b>let </b><b>out </b>a breath and <b>set </b><b>the </b>photos aside<b>, </b>clearly displeased. She <b>adjusted </b>her silk shawl and spoke in <b>a </b>calm but pointed tone.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b><b>just </b>saw that <b>Wilson </b>girl <b>the </b>other day. She¡¯s sweet<b>, </b>well¨Cmannered, very pretty. You and your mother should stop by their <b>ce </b>in two days. Make an <b>appearance</b><b>, </b><b>get </b>to know her a little.¡±

    Sean leaned back into the sofa<b>, </b>his expression unreadable.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not <b>interested</b>.¡±

    Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>Sr.¡¯s brows pinched in irritation.

    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re <b>not </b><b>free </b>during the holidays<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ve </b>worked <b>nonstop </b>all year<b>. </b><b>I¡¯d </b>like a few days <b>to </b>myself.<b>¡± </b>

    Vivian<b>, </b><b>seated </b><b>nearby</b><b>, </b><b>couldn¡¯t help </b><b>the </b><b>sour </b>feeling rising in her chest<b>. </b>She had just managed <b>to </b>get Charlotte <b>out </b><b>of </b><b>the </b>picture<b>, </b>and now <b>Mrs. </b>Jasper Sr. <b>was </b>already lining up someone new. It had only been a few days <b>since </b>the engagement was called <b>off</b>.

    She <b>looped </b>her arm <b>through </b>Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>Sr.¡¯s and said <b>sweetly</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Grandina, wouldn¡¯t it look a little rushed? People might talk<b>, </b>considering the breakup <b>was </b><b>so </b>

    <b>recent</b>.¡±

    Lucinda chimed in as <b>well</b><b>, </b>her <b>voice </b>light.

    <b>¡°</b>Exactly! <b>Sean¡¯s </b>one <b>of </b><b>the </b>most <b>eligible men </b>in the city. There are plenty <b>of </b><b>wornen </b><b>dying </b><b>to </b>marry him. <b>You </b>really <b>don¡¯t </b><b>have </b><b>to </b><b>worry</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>But </b><b>Mrs. </b><b>Jasper </b>Sr. gave Sean <b>a </b><b>sideways </b><b>nce </b><b>full </b><b>of </b><b>suspicion</b>.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not worried <b>about </b>if <b>soineone </b><b>wants </b>him<b>. </b>I¡¯m worried <b>about </b>who he <b>still </b>wants<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Lucinda¡¯s lips twitched<b>. </b>Her <b>eyes </b>flicked between <b>Mrs. </b><b>Jasper </b><b>Sr. </b>and <b>Sean</b>.

    ¡°So Grandma <b>Jasper </b>doesn¡¯t <b>approve </b>of <b>Charlotte </b>after <b>all</b>? <b>That¡¯s </b>surprising<b>. </b>Charlottees from an <b>excellent </b><b>family</b><b>, </b><b>looks </b>the part, and has <b>a </b><b>spotless </b><b>reputation</b>. What¡¯s there <b>not </b>to like?<b>¡± </b>Lucinda wondered.

    Sean¡¯s mouth tightened.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m going <b>to </b>the study <b>to </b>check on Grandpa<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>He </b>stood <b>up </b>to leave<b>, </b><b>but </b>his grandmother wasn¡¯t done.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Don¡¯t </b><b>ignore </b>what I said. <b>You¡¯ve </b>broken things off <b>with </b>that <b>girl</b>¨C<b>stop </b>hanging onto the past<b>. </b>Any of <b>these </b>women I¡¯ve picked <b>out </b><b>would </b><b>be </b><b>better </b>for you than her.¡±

    Sean paused, then slowly turned his head<b>, </b><b>a </b>crooked smile tugging at his lips.

    <b>If </b><b>you </b>like them <b>so </b><b>much</b>, <b>why </b><b>don¡¯t </b>you marry them yourself<b>? </b><b>I¡¯m </b>not interested<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Lucinda </b><b>nearly </b><b>gave </b>him a standing ovation, shing <b>a </b>proud thumbs<b>¨C</b><b>up </b>behind her <b>grandmother¡¯s </b>back<b>. </b>

    Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr.¡¯s </b>face froze<b>, </b>her expression <b>growing </b>sharp.

    <b>Listen </b><b>to </b><b>yourself</b>! You never spoke <b>to </b>your elders like this before. What¡¯s <b>gotten </b>into <b>you</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean¡¯s tone was light, but there was steel beneath <b>it</b>.

    ¡°Grandina<b>, </b>maybe <b>spend </b>less time worrying about my love life and more on your own <b>health</b><b>. </b><b>You¡¯ve </b><b>got </b>a weak heart<b>, </b><b>remember</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b><ul><li><b>25 </b>Bonus</li></ul>

    <b>Mrs. </b><b>Jasper </b>Sr.¡¯s chest rose and <b>fell </b><b>in </b><b>anger</b>. <b>Her </b><b>voice </b>trembled.

    ¡°<b>Sean</b><b>, </b>you never used to talk back to me like this<b>. </b>Has that Charlotte girl <b>been </b>putting things in your head again?¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. snapped. ¡°Every time her name <bes </b><b>up</b><b>, </b>you turn into <b>someone </b><b>I </b><b>barely </b>recognize.<b>¡± </b>

 His Heart 247

    Chapter <b>247 </b>

    <b>Sean </b>let <b>out </b><b>a </b><b>low</b><b>, </b><b>humorless </bugh. A flicker <b>of </b><b>loneliness </b><b>passed </b>through <b>his </b><b>eyes</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Putting things in my head? You¡¯re overthinking it. <b>I </b>haven¡¯t <b>spoken to </b><b>her </b>in <b>a </b>long <b>time</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Mrs. <b>Jasper </b><b>Sr.¡¯s </b>tone turnedmanding. <b>¡°</b>Then <b>stop </b><b>being </b>difficult and go <b>on </b>the date.¡±

    <b>Sean </b>turned toward <b>the </b><b>stairs</b><b>. </b>As he walked <b>away</b><b>, </b>he tossed back <b>two </b>t words without looking: ¡°Not happening.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re </b><bpletely </b>out of <b>line</b><b>!</b>¡± <b>she </b><b>yelled </b>at <b>his </b>retreating back.

    Vivian moved <b>to </b>calm her. She gently patted Mrs. <b>Jasper </b><b>Sr.¡¯s </b>back<b>. </b>¡°Grandma, don¡¯t get worked up.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. steadied her breath<b>, </b>clearly upset<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Vivian, <b>just </b>look <b>at </b>your brother. That attitude<b>! </b>He used <b>to </b>be <b>so </b>respectful. He never spoke to me like this<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Vivian lowered her <b>voice</b>, all sweet and sugary<b>. </b>¡°Exactly, <b>ever </b>since Charlotte <b>came </b>into his life, he hasn¡¯t been the same. He¡¯s never talked back <b>to </b>you like this before, She must¡¯ve turned him against <b>you</b>.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b><b>really </b>think Charlotte¡¯s <b>to </b>me?¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. asked.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Of </b>course<b>, </b>Grandma<b>. </b>Every time her namees up, he acts like a different person. What <b>else </b>could it be <b>if </b>not her manipting him?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Well</b>, <b>I </b>wouldn¡¯t <b>go </b>that far, Vivian<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Lucinda chimed in from <b>the </b>couch, cracking <b>open </b>a sunflower seed, her <b>tone </b>light but unmistakably sharp. <b>¡°</b>Did you hide under their bed and overhear her saying something maniptive<b>?</b>¡±

    Vivian¡¯s expression soured. She turned <b>to </b>re<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Of </b>course not<b>, </b>but¡ª

    Lucinda cut <b>her </b>off <b>smoothly</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Did she whisper <b>poison </b>in your ear? <b>Confess </b>some grand scheme to turn Sean against the family<b>?</b>¡±

    Vivian clenched her jaw<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>No.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>Well </b>then<b>.</b>¡± Lucinda smiled <b>sweetly</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Isn¡¯t </b>it funny <b>how </b>you didn¡¯t see it, didn¡¯t hear it<b>, </b>but <b>you¡¯re </b><b>so </b>sure it happened? Sounds to me like <b>you¡¯re </b>the one trying <b>to </b>stir the pot.¡±

    Lucinda was no pushover<b>. </b>Born into <b>the </b>prestigious Lambert family and now one of the <b>country¡¯s </b>biggest A¨Clist <b>actresses</b><b>, </b>she carried <b>herself </b>with the confidence of someone who never had to <b>y </b><b>nice </b>with anyone¨Cleast of all the Jaspers¡® <b>adopted </b>daughter.

    Lucinda had <b>never </b>taken Vivian <b>seriously</b>.

    She had <b>seen </b><b>through </b>her from the start. <b>Even </b>back in their teens<b>, </b><b>Vivian </b><b>had </b><b>that </b>polished<b>, </b><b>sweet</b>¨C<b>as</b><b>¨C</b><b>l </b>

    s¨Choney <b>act </b>but Lucinda could <b>spot </b>a two<b>¨C</b><b>faced </b>girl <b>from </b>a mile away. Always pulling <b>little </b>stunts <b>to </b><b>get </b>Sean¡¯s <b>attention, </b>acting <b>innocent </b>while clearly scheming.

    Sean might <b>have </b><b>been </b><b>too </b>dense <b>to </b><b>notice</b>, <b>but </b><b>Lucinda </b>

    <b>saw </b>

    through it from <b>day </b>

    <b>words </b>and wide <b>eyes </b><b>years </b><b>ago</b>.

    And now<b>, </b><b>everything </b><b>was </b><b>proving </b>her right.

    Vivian <b>really </b>was a master <b>at </b>ying <b>sweet while </b>stirring

    <b>the </b>

    pot.

    <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>act <b>finally </b>cracked. She <b>red </b>at Lucinda. <b>¡°</b>What¡¯s

    ¡®<b>s </b><b>your </b>problem <b>with </b><b>me</b>?¡±

    Lucinda grinned like she had <b>all </b>the time in <b>the </b><b>world</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Exactly </b><b>what </b><b>I </b>said<b>, </b><b>sweetheart</b>.¡±

    Vivian was <b>just about </b><b>to </b><b>snap </b>when she <b>suddenly remembered </b>softening her voice.

    ¡°Lucinda, <b>do </b><b>you </b>have something <b>against </b><b>me</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Jasper </b>Sr. <b>was </b><b>still </b>sitting right there. She <b>quickly </b>switched <b>gears</b><b>, </b>putting on <b>a </b>pitiful face and

    Lucinda rolled her eyes<b>. </b>¡°Obviously. <b>You </b>blind <b>or </b><b>just </b>pretending? I can¡¯t stand two- <b>faced </b><b>people</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Vivian¡¯s expression stiffened. <b>¡°</b>What did I ever do <b>to </b><b>you</b>? Why <b>are </b>you being <b>so </b><b>hostile</b>?<b>¡± </b>

    Lucinda smiled sweetly, her <b>tone </b><b>dripping </b>with condescension. ¡°Oh honey<b>, </b><b>not </b>only are <b>you </b>blind<b>, </b>you¡¯re deaf too<b>.</b>¡®

    She leaned forward and deliberately enunciated each word, her volume rising

    ¡°1. Can¡¯t. Stand Two¨Cfaced, People<b>.</b>¡±

    Beaming like <b>the </b><b>sun</b>, she <b>tilted </b>her head and <b>added </b>in a syrupy voice<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Did you catch <b>that</b>, sweetheart?¡±

    ¡±

 His Heart 248

    Chapter <b>248 </b>

    Rtives <b>were </b><b>over </b>at <b>the </b>house for a <b>visit </b>during <b>the </b>holidays. Charlotte sat in the living room<b>, politely </b>entertaining the guests and making small talk with the

    <b>older </b>folks<b>. </b>

    Everything <b>was </b><b>going </b><b>smoothly </b>until one aunt with a head <b>full </b><b>of </b>tight curls suddenly turned <b>to </b>Desmond and asked<b>, </b>¡°Hey, what happened with Charlotte and the <b>Jaspers</b><b>? </b><b>I </b>heard the <b>engagement </b><b>was </b>called <b>off</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b><bshes </b><b>lowered</b>. She sighed inwardly. There it <b>was</b>. There was no avoiding it.

    <b>Desmond </b>remained calm. ¡°The kids just weren¡¯t <b>a </b>good match. So <b>we </b>called <b>it </b>off.¡±

    Another uncle chimed in, <b>¡°</b>I heard the Jasper boy¡¯s been fooling around <b>with </b>some actress. Is that true?¡±

    Charlotte <b>resisted </b><b>the </b>urge <b>to </b>roll her eyes. ¡°Seriously? Since when are men this gossipy?<b>¡± </b>she wondered.

    Desmond <b>shrugged</b>. <b>¡°</b><b>No </b>idea. He and Lottie broke up. What he does now is none <b>of </b>our business<b>.</b>¡±

    But the curly¨Chaired aunt wasn¡¯t done. <b>¡°</b><b>Don¡¯t </b>tell me he was already cheating while he was still with Charlotte<b>. </b>Those high¨Csociety types, especially the rich and powerful <b>ones</b><b>¨C</b>they y around a lot. Models, actresses<b>, </b><b>you </b>name it.¡±

    <b>Xena </b>quickly stepped in<b>, </b>trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. <b>¡°</b>That bag <b>of </b><b>yours </b><b>is </b>gorgeous. I think I saw it in a holiday issue. Wasn¡¯t it a limited edition?¡±

    The aunt brightened instantly and turned to admire her handbag. ¡°It is! The moment <b>I </b>saw it, I had to have it. Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Very. <b>I </b>wanted to get one myself,¡± Xena replied with a smile.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>think it¡¯s sold out everywhere here<b>. </b><b>I </b>just got mine yesterday. But <b>if </b>you really want it, I can ask around for you.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Would <b>you</b><b>? </b>That¡¯d be great. Thank you.¡±

    The topic had finally shifted until the aunt abruptly circled back like a dog with a bone.

    <b><i>dit</i></b>, what were we saying earlier?¡± she asked with renewed interest. <b>¡°</b>Oh right, <b>was </b>it true Charlotte dumped him because she caught him messing around<b>?</b>¡±

    Xena <b>opened </b>her mouth <b>to </b><b>reply</b><b>, </b><b>but </b>Charlotte beat her <b>to </b>it.

    ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t like that. We ended things <b>because </b>the rtionship had run <b>its </b>course<b>. </b>He only started seeing someone <b>else </b>afterward. It wasn¡¯t cheating<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    That clearly <b>wasn¡¯t </b>the answer her aunt wanted.

    A clean breakup after a failed engagement? Nowhere near <b>as </b>juicy <b>as </b><b>a </b>scandal.

    1

    <b>¡°</b>So what do you mean<b>, </b><b>it </b><b>just </b>ran <b>its </b>course?¡± <b>the </b>aunt <b>pressed</b>. ¡°Didn¡¯t <b>you </b>two <b>just </b>throw an engagement party? Well, almost<b>¨C</b>wasn¡¯t <b>it </b>postponedst minute? 1 swear your <b>dad </b><b>told </b>me <b>not </b>long <b>ago </b>that things <b>were </b>going <b>great </b>and <b>you </b>were nning <b>to </b>reschedule soon. What happened?¡±

    Another uncle jumped in. ¡°It¡¯s a shame<b>, </b><b>really</b>. Marrying <b>into </b><b>the </b><b>Jaspers</b>? <b>Most </b><b>people </b>would kill for that kind of <b>match</b>. <b>If </b><b>you </b>ask <b>me</b><b>, </b><b>you </b><b>shouldn¡¯t </b>have broken <b>it </b><b>off</b>. Guys like him¡­ <b>well</b><b>, </b>they fool around, <b>sure</b><b>, </b>but <b>it </b><b>doesn¡¯t </b><b>mean </b>anything. That <b>actress</b>? Probably <b>just </b><b>a </b><b>phase</b><b>. </b>Families like <b>theirs </b>would <b>never </b>let <b>a </b>celebrity into the picture for real. Once he <b>gets </b><b>it </b><b>out </b><b>of </b>his <b>system</b><b>, </b>he¡¯de <b>back </b>and marry <b>you</b><b>. </b><b>You </b><b>just </b>have <b>to </b><b>ride </b><b>it </b><b>out</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte frowned, her patience wearing thin. That entirement <b>was </b><b>a </b><b>mess. </b><b>It </b>was <bpletely </b>male<b>¨C</b>centric<b>, </b>full of calctions<b>, </b>and <b>not </b><b>one </b><b>bit </b><b>of </b><b>it </b><b>was </b><b>about </b>how she might <b>feel</b>.

    <b>¡°</b><b>II</b>¡±

    She had just opened her <b>mouth </b><b>to </b><b>speak </b>when Desmond <b>cut </b><b>in</b><b>, </b><b>clearly </b>fed <b>up</b>.

    ¡°Okay<b>, </b>I¡¯ve heard enough<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>he said sharply<b>, </b>his <b>tone </b>darkening<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Just </b><b>because </b>the <b>Jaspers </b>are <b>powerful </b>doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re desperate <b>to </btch on. Lottie is my daughter¨Cshe¡¯s the light of my <b>life</b>. <b>I¡¯d </b>never let her <b>settle </b>for a man who doesn¡¯t treat her right.<b>¡± </b>

    <b>Xena </b>followed <b>up </b>smoothly<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Exactly</b><b>. </b>She doesn¡¯t need to marry into some fancy family to <b>prove </b>her worth.¡±

    <b>But </b>the curly¨Chaired aunt wouldn¡¯t let it drop. ¡°Still, Charlotte<b>, </b>I was <b>at </b>that garden partyst time<b>. </b><b>You </b>two looked <b>so </b><b>in </b>love. And I remember when <b>you </b>got into <b>that </b>argument <b>with </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr. and the adopted daughter but <b>Sean </b><b>actually </b><b>stood </b><b>up </b>for you. He told his grandma t¨Cout <b>that </b>he <b>only </b>ever takes his <b>wife¡¯s </b><b>side</b>. That boy seemed <b>crazy </b>about you. How did things <b>go </b>downhill so fast?¡±

 His Heart 249

    Chapter <b>249 </b>

    ¡°Oh, you know how rtionships <b>go </b>nothing¡¯s ever set in stone,¡± Xena said with an easyugh, then turned and waved toward the little boy ying blocks with Jodie across the room.

    ¡°Hey<b>, </b>Caleb,e here,¡±

    The boy set down his blocks and trotted over,

    Nena reached into the fruit tray and grabbed a handful of candy, cing it in Caleb¡¯s hands with a smile, ¡°How¡¯d your finals go, huh? What¡¯s your rank in ss?¡±

    Caleb was the youngest son of the curly¨Chaired aunt and wasnown to be a bit of a rascal. He was in sixth grade and regrly in trouble at school. His grades were usually near the bottom of the ss, and parent¨Cteacher meetings were a frequent urrence.

    As soon as Xena asked about his grades<b>, </b>the chatty aunt¡¯s nonstop talking came to an abrupt halt. Her face froze in an awkward smile.

    Caleb didn¡¯t care in the least. He answered honestly, ¡°Aunt Xena, I got forty¨Cfive in math, thirty¨Csix innguage arts, and fifty¨Cone in English. My ss rankis¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough! You might not be embarrassed, but I am,¡± the aunt cut in sharply.

    ¡°Why be embarrassed? I¡¯ve improved!¡± Caleb defended himself, ¡°Last semester I was third from the bottom. This time I moved up to fifth from the bottom.¡±

    A burst ofughter rippled through the room.

    ¡°Kids really do say the funniest things.¡±

    The curly¨Chaired aunt pulled Caleb back toward her and red at him. ¡°I told you to stay and y with Jodie. Why¡¯d youe over here and humiliate yourself?¡±

    Xena said nothing more, but the smile on her face said it all¨Cmission aplished.

    Desmond shot a worried look at Charlotte. She gave him a sinall smile and a slight shake of her head to say she was fine.

    After lunch, Chariotte stepped out for a walk in the nearby garden and, out of nowhere, ran into Sean.

    The wind whipped through the trees, cold enough to sting. They stood facing each other in silence, frozen <b>in </b>ce by more than just the chill in the air.

    Charlotte was the first to break the stillness. <b>¡°</b>What are the odds.¡±

    ¡°Happy holidays<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Sean said softly. It was <b>the </b>first <b>thing </b>he had said to her in a long time.

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes immediately welled <b>with </b>tears.

    She lowered her gaze<b>, </b>blinking quickly. Her eyesnded on the watch on Sean¡¯s <b>wrist</b>, and her breath caught,

    ¡°You¡­.¡± She wanted to ask <b>why </b>he was still wearing the watch she gave him. The words hovered at the edge of her tongue, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself <b>to </b><b>say </b>then. Even <b>her </b>voice wavered

    Sean followed her gaze and looked down at the <b>watch</b>. A dull <b>ache </b><b>bloomed </b><b>in </b><b>his </b>chest.

    <b>It </b><b>was </b><b>the </b><b>very </b>first gift she ever <b>gave </b><b>him</b>. It hadn¡¯t been particrly extravagant¨C<b>around </b><b>sixty </b>gind¡ªbut he had worn it ever since. Even after the breakup, he never look it off.

    Whenever he knew she would <b>be </b>around, <b>he </b>would make sure to keep the watch out of sigh. He had done so on New Year¡¯s Eve and again at the golf course in South City

    But today, he hade out for <b>a </b>quiet walk <b>on </b>his own. He <b>hadn¡¯t </b>expected to run into her like this.

    And now the watch <b>was </b>right there in in view,

    He knew exactly what she wanted to ask

    He wanted to tell her he missed her. That he couldn¡¯t bring himself to take it off. That he still cared.

    <b>But </b>after a long pause<b>, </b><b>all </b>he could manage was a strained, ¡°Oh.. 1 forgot to take <b>it </b>off.¡±

 His Heart 250

    Chapter <b>250 </b>

    The <b>winter </b><b>garden </b>was <b>quiet</b><b>, </b>the airced <b>with </b>the faint <b>scent </b><b>of </b>cherry blossoms<b>. </b>Snow drifted down in soft flurries, melting the moment it touched <b>Charlotte¡¯s </b><b>hair</b><b>. </b>

    <b>She </b><b>stood </b>in the cold wind, barely steady on her feet<b>. </b>

    Her flu <b>hadn¡¯t </b>fully <b>passed</b><b>, </b>and the chill <b>was </b>starting to bring back a dull<b>, </b>throbbing ache in her head.

    When Sean <b>gave his </b><b>excuse</b><b>, </b>Charlotte lifted her <b>eyes </b><b>to </b>meet his<b>, </b>the sorrow in her gaze quickly tucked away.

    ¡°<b>Got </b>it<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she said <b>calmly</b><b>. </b>¡°Just<b>¡­ </b>remember to take it off next time.¡±

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b><b>throat </b>tightened.

    Her voice <b>was </b><b>soft, </b>carried <b>by </b><b>the </b>wind, and underneath the calm was <b>a </b>fragile edge that cracked like ss.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>know<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she said, voice trembling. <b>¡°</b>When you love someone<b>, </b>it¡¯s real. And when <b>you stop </b>loving them<b>, </b>that¡¯s real too.¡±

    A shiver ran down Sean¡¯s spine and spread like ice through his whole body.

    There was a heartbreaking calm in her <b>eyes</b><b>, </b>like someone who had finally <b>epted </b>something too heavy <b>to </b>fight.

    ¡°At first, <b>I </b><b>couldn¡¯t </b>understand,¡± she continued quietly<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>You </b>said you¡¯d always stay by <b>my </b>side. Then one day<b>, </b><b>it </b>was like all <b>of </b>that meant nothing<b>. </b>I tried toe up with <b>excuses </b>for <b>you</b>. I tried to understand. But you just told me I was imagining things.<b>¡± </b>

    She smiled faintly<b>, </b><b>a </b>soft curve with no warmth. <b>¡°</b><b>Now </b><b>I </b>get it. There¡¯s no logic to love.¡±

    Sean¡¯s chest ached. He flinched at her words.

    <b>¡°</b>Promises only matter when <b>you¡¯re </b>still in love<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she said, her voice barely above a whisper. It was so soft it was almost lost in the wind.

    Watching her speak, watching the pain on her face<b>, </b>a wave of fear crept through him.

    Suddenly<b>, </b>he was scared.

    Scared that <b>even </b>after he dealt with Joseph<b>, </b>there would be no going back.

    <b>Scared </b><b>of </b>a <b>future </b><b>without </b>Charlotte in it.

    Across the drifting <b>snow</b><b>, </b>Charlotte looked <b>quietly </b>into his eyes.

    After a <b>long </b><b>pause</b><b>, </b>she <b>gave </b>him a soft smile<b>, </b>her tone deliberately light.

    ¡°Sean Jasper<b>, </b><b>I </b>hope you find happiness.<b>¡± </b>

    His pupils shrank. Instinctively<b>, </b>he <b>reached </b><b>out </b><b>as if </b>trying <b>to </b><b>catch </b>something slipping away<b>, </b><b>but </b>Charlotte had <b>already </b>turned <b>to </b><b>leave </b><b>without </b><b>the </b><b>slightest </b>hesitation<b>. </b>

    The <b>fringe </b><b>of </b>her wine¨C<b>red </b>scarf brushed against the back of his hand<b>¨C</b>light<b>, </b><b>barely </b>there<b>, </b>but it lingered.

    A pained expression crossed his <b>face</b><b>. </b>Without thinking<b>, </b>his body moved forward. <b>He </b>took <b>two steps </b><b>after </b><b>her</b><b>. </b>

    And in the end<b>, </b>he couldn¡¯t hold back.

    ¡°Charlotte<b>¡­</b>¡±

    She froze for a moment but didn¡¯t turn around.

    She just kept walking, steady and unhurried.

    Not once <b>did </b>she look back.

    Sean stopped <b>dead </b>in his tracks,

    He told himself he <b>couldn¡¯t </b>follow her.

    Not now.

    the chased her <b>down</b><b>, </b>all the effort would be for nothing.

    All the <b>pain </b>she had endured would be wasted.

    He had to get rid <b>of </b>Joseph first.

    Only then could he earn his <b>way </b>back to her side.

    Sean returned to his private vi.

    The <b>house </b><b>was </b>cold. Too <b>quiet</b>. <b>Too </b>empty<b>. </b>

    <b>He </b><b>sat </b>on the edge <b>of </b>the couch<b>, </b><b>unmoving</b><b>, </b><b>as </b><b>if </b><b>the </b>air <b>had </b>been knocked from his lungs<b>. </b>

    <b>Outside</b><b>, </b>the sun <b>dipped </b><b>low</b>. Thest <b>streaks </b><b>of </b>sunset cast long shadows across <b>his </b>face.

    He <b>didn¡¯t </b><b>move</b><b>. </b>

    He <b>just </b>sat there like a statue<b>, </b><b>staring </b>at <b>nothing</b>.

    Night <b>fell </b><b>slowly</b><b>. </b>Darkness <b>crept </b>in<b>. </b>

    <b>Eventually</b><b>, </b>Sean¡¯s gaze dropped <b>to </b>the watch on his wrist<b>. </b>

    The <b>one </b>she <b>gave </b>

    him.

    After a long silence, he gently unfastened it and ced it into its original box. He shut the lid with care.

    And then, as if a dam had broken<b>, </b>his <b>eyes </b>burned.

    The feeling was sharp<b>, </b>unfamiliar.

    It hit hard, without warning, and he didn¡¯t know what to do with it.

    Drip<b>. </b>

    A single tearnded on the metal box<b>. </b>

    The darkness hid the redness <b>in </b>his <b>eyes</b><b>, </b>but the moonlight outlined the lonely figure he had be.

    A few dayster<b>, </b>the Jaspers had visitors<b>. </b>

 His Heart 251

    Chapter <b>251 </b>

    The Wilsons were one of Jersey City¡¯s most prominent and well respectedndlies, known for their academie

    Mr. Wilson St. was a

    digree and cultural influence,

    was a professor at Jersey University¡¯s College of

    st Arts, and Mrs. Wilson He was a nationally acimed essayist,

    They had only one son, a <b>civil </b>servant, whose wife was a popr novelist and a member of the National Writers¡® Association.

    Their granddaughter, Simone Weilson<b>, </b><b>had </b>earned both her undergraduate and master¡¯s degrees from Stanton University, the country¡¯s top¨Cranked

    inversity.

    Mrs. Wilson Sr. and Mrs. Jasper Sr. had long known each other, and due to the nature of their children¡¯s work, the two familles had kept in asional contact over the years.

    Right before the New Year, Mrs. Wilson Sr. ad insist Mrs. Jasper Sr. to a cherry blossom viewing party. During the gathering, her granddaughter Simone <b>made </b><b>a </b>good impression. Her marmer, <b>education</b>, and elegance deeply plowed Mrs. Jasper Sr.

    MUFT

    returning home, Mrs. Jasper Sr. started thinking seriously about setting Sean up with Simone

    The Jasper Lamily was never short on wealth. Compared to the Riley family, who came from old money, Mrs. Jasper Sr. actually preferred the Wilsons for their retmed background and intellectual standing

    When she brought up the idest to Mrs. Wilson St., the two women were perfectly aligned

    Mrs. Wilson Sr. had only one son, and he worked within the government. If their families were united by marriage, the connection to the powerlid Jasper family could only help her son¡¯s career. It was a win¨Cwin.

    <b>When </b>Sea refused to visit the Wilson home, Mrs. Jasper Sr. invited the Wilsons in her ce instead,

    She didn¡¯t tell Soun the Wilsons wereing¨Conly that he needed to be home for a family diimer.

    Since Jasper Corporation¡¯s subsidiaries weren¡¯t reopening mill the following week and Mr. Jasper Sr. had already returned to Jersey City, it made sense for the family to hold a gathering. So when Mrs. Jasper Sr. told him toe home that day, Sean didn¡¯t think twice.

    But the moment be walked through the door, he heard Laughter and conversation echoing from the main taff,

    He handed his <b>coat </b>to a housekeeper and casually aslord, ¡°Is someone visiting tinday<b>?</b>¡±

    The housekeeper smiled ¡°Yes, sir. The Wilsons are here visiting

    Sean¡¯s brows, furrowed slightly. ¡°Which Wilson family?¡±

    ¡°The same one Mrs. Jas

    Jasper Sr. asked you and Mrs. Jasper to visit a while back. Their granddaughter came ton

    That was all the conted Sean needed.

    So this dinner was just a cover. His grandmother¡¯s <b>real </b>intention was to set him up on <b>a </b>blind date,

    Just then, <b>Vivian </b>spotted him from across the hall.

    She rushed over with <b>quick </b>steps, looking, as if something urgent hade up. ¡°Sean! The Wilson girl¡¯s here. This is a setup. If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯lle up with an excuse and get out of here,¡±

    ¡°Sean, you¡¯re home!¡± came Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s voice behind them.

    Vivian Iroza

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. walked over, smiling brightly, her arin lightly supported by Simone,

    ¡°There you are,¡± she said warmly ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting on you.¡±

    in pace Simone a passing nce, his tone calm and alood. ¡°Grandina, bad timing. There¡¯s an urgent project at work I need to check on. I¡¯ll skip dinner. jinst came back to grab a file from Dad¡¯s study ¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it still the holiday break<b>? </b>Thepany hain¡¯t even reopened yet,¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. said smoothly, her eyes sharp as theynded on him.

    ¡°And Last I cher ked, I¡¯m still a board member and a shareholder. If there really is an emergency project, it would need board approval Funny I don¡¯t recall bearing about one.¡±

 His Heart 252

    Chapter <b>252 </b>

    #1 didn¡¯t even

    n get the chance to tell you yet,¡± Sean said as he checked his watch. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ve got the files. I need to go.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s brows furrowed with displeasure. Her tone carried a hint of <b>reproach</b><b>. </b>¡°Have dinner first. If anything happens, I¡¯ll take the me.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t work,¡± <b>Scan </b>repliedzily, keeping his usualid¨Cback tone. ¡°You can¡¯t represent thepany on your own, Just wait¨Cyou¡¯ll probably get a call any minute now about an emergency board meeting.¡±

    With that, Sean ignored everyone in the <b>hall </b>and headed upstales as if he were the only one there.

    Downstairs, the Wilson family exchanged awkward nces.

    Mr.Wilson Sr. was the first <b>to </b><b>speak</b>. ¡°Mrs. Jasper <b>5r</b>., does Sean not know that tonight¡¯s dinner <b>was </b><b>arranged </b>for him and Simone to officially meet?¡±

    Though he was two years older than Mrs. Jasper Sr., he still addressed her respectfully due to her status.

    His tone remained measured <b>and </b>polite, but Mrs. <b>Wilson </b>Sr. wasn¡¯t nearly asposed. Her discontent was written all over her face.

    ¡°Mrs. Jasper, Sr.,¡± she said bluntly<b>, </b>¡°what was that about? Simone was standing right in front of him, and he didn¡¯t even say hello. Is he pretending nat to know, or does he truly have no idea what this dinner was supposed to be about?¡°!

    Vivian lowered her head, hiding the <b>mockery </b>in her eyes. ¡°Seriously? <b>What </b><b>makes </b><b>your </b>granddaughter so special that my brother should greet her? She¡¯s basically throwing herself at him¨Cdesperate much?¡± she silently remarked.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. was clearly embarrassed by her grandson¡¯s behavior, but she still forced a smile to maintain the peace. ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding. Sean probably rushed upstairs to grab something from the study and didn¡¯t have time to greet anyone. He¡¯ll be back down shortly. I¡¯ll formally introduce Simone then.¡±

    Mrs, Wilson Sr. looked like she wanted to argue, but her husband gave her a subtle nce, signaling her to hold back

    Vivian, seated <b>beside </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr., unintentionally locked eyes with Simone.

    Simone gave her a polite smile.

    Vivian, seething with jealousy, didn¡¯t even bother to return tr. <b>She </b>coldly turned her gaze away.

    Simone¡¯s smille faltered. She couldn¡¯t understand why the Jaspers¡® adopted daughter seemed to harbor such unprovoked hostility toward her.

    In the study, Sean made a call.

    <b>Ten </b>minutester, both Mrs. Jasper Sr. and James received phone calls Informing them that thepany had <b>an </b>urgent matter and an emergency board meeting had to be held.

    James knew right away that this was Sean¡¯s doing.

    Mr. Jasper Sr. had <b>already </b>officially handed over control of the household to Sean, and under his orders, James had also transferred management of thepany to him.

    Right now<b>, </b>Sean held the most authority within the entire corporation.

    After ending the call, Mrs. Jasper Sr. sat in stony slience. Her expression darkened. Clearly, she no longer had the power to keep her grandson In check.

    Mrs. Wilson Sr. noticed her expression and asked, ¡°Is something wrong, Mrs. Jasper Sr.7

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. took <b>a </b>steady breath, her face slightly cold.

    She couldn¡¯t care less about the board meeting or thepany¡¯s projects. What she did <b>care </b>about was Sean¡¯s marriage.

    But now that she had answered the call, Sean had a legitimate excuse to ditch tonight¡¯s arranged date,

    She replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Thepany issue Sean mentioned earlier is real. I just got the call¡±

    The Wilsons exchanged nces.

    Simone¡¯s smile grew a little atlit.

    ¡°Is that it? Is the meeting she¡¯d been looking forward to just.. canceled?¡± she wondered.

    Just then, Sean came back downstairs with the documents in hand, heading straight for the door like no one else was in the room.

    *Sean, stop right there,¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr.

 His Heart 253

    Chapter <b>253 </b>

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. snapped, her tone sharp and furious. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that call was something you orchestrated. <b>Don¡¯t </b>y dumb with me. You will stay and have this dinner!¡±

    Sean stopped and looked at her calmly, his expression unreadable. ¡°Alright then, I won¡¯t y dumb,¡±

    He turned to Simone and <b>said </b>coolly, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Swan Jasper. Sorry, but I¡¯m not interested in blind dates. I wasn¡¯t even told about this one in advance. I have no intention of dating or getting married right now, so please don¡¯t waste your time on me.¡±

    Simone¡¯s face w

    went pale.

    Without waiting for anyone¡¯s reaction, Sean turned around and walked out. He didn¡¯t care what anyone thought.

    <b>¡°</b>You¨Cyou get back here! Sean Jasper!¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. shouted after him, furious

    But Sean didn¡¯t stop. In seconds, he had disappeared from sight.

    The Wilson family was livid.

    Mr. Wilson Sr.¡¯s chest heaved with anger. ¡°I don¡¯t care how powerful the Jasper family is this <b>is </b>no way to treat people. Our granddaughter isn¡¯t desperate for a husband! It was your family that invited us here and suggested this matchmaking And now it looks like we came begging for a connection!¡±

    Mrs. Jasper St. was losing herposure. She was visibly irritated, no <b>longer </b>pretending to be gracious.

    Her daughter¨Cinw, <b>Lin</b><b>, </b><b>quickly </b>stepped in to apologize. ¡°It was wrong of Sean to act that way. We¡¯re truly sorry. Please don¡¯t be angry.¡±

    But the Wilsons wouldn¡¯t let it go, each of them chiming in, making the room a mess of voices andints. In the end, Mrs. Jasper Sr. had to offer a hefty sum aspensation just to calm them down

    It wasn¡¯t that the Jaspers particrly cared about the Wilsons¡± feelings. But Mrs. Jasper Sr. was concerned about saving face. And clearly<b>, </b>this incident was the Jasper family¡¯s <b>fault</b>.

    To preserve her reputation<b>, </b><b>she </b>had no choice but to offer an apology andpensation. Otherwise, the gossip would spread like wildfire, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold her head high in social circles.

    <b>She </b>had thought that springing the matchmaking on Sean at thest minute woulder him into going along with it. That even if he <b>wasn¡¯t </b>happy, he would at least go through the motions,

    But to her surprise, he didn¡¯t even bother to y along.

    After finally getting the <b>Wilsons </b>out the door, Mrs. Jasper Sr. stormed off toin to the Mr. Jasper Sr.

    ¡°Do you see what your grandson did today?¡± she fumed. ¡°Right in front of the whole Wilson family, he didn¡¯t even try to save my dignity!¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr. was seated at his desk, reading the paper. He didn¡¯t even lift his eyes. ¡°I told you not to rush into matchmaking right after calling off the engagement with the Riley family. But you didn¡¯t listen.¡±

    *How can I not be anxious<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>she retorted. ¡°Sean¡¯s almost twenty¨Cnine! His peers already have kids old enough to toddle around and run errands<b>.</b>¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr. calmly turned the page of his newspaper. ¡°Is that so? From what I know, his close friends Jordan and <bn </b><b>are </b>still single too

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. huffed and shot him a re. ¡°Stopparing him to the worst examples! Look at the Lewis family and the Zieglers¨Ctheir great- grandkids are already calling them ¡®Great¨CGrandma!TM*

    Mr. Jasper Sr. chucked and shook his head<b>. </b>¡°You worry

    I worry too much. Sean knows what he¡¯s doing. I still think that girl from the Riley family is a good match. Once he handles that business with Joseph, I hope they can reconnect¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. shook her head in disapproval. ¡°Absolutely not. I don¡¯t like that Riley girl. She¡¯s awyer¨Csharp¨Ctongued and argumentative. She¡¯s talked back to me more than once, and it¡¯s clear she doesn¡¯t have any respect for me as her elder.¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr. cast her a sideways nce. ¡°I¡¯m <b>not </b>trying to criticize you, but as an elder<b>, </b>shouldn¡¯t you be the one setting an example instead of picking Ights with someone younger?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper St kept going, ready to argue her point, refusing to let it go.

    Mr. Jasper, thoroughly annoyed<b>, </b>stood up and walked out of the room himself to escape the nagging

 His Heart 254

    <b>.25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    On Charlotte returned to work at thew firm after the long holiday break.

    But on her very first day back, <b>the </b>firm weed <b>an </b>uninvited guest.

    Vivian strutted into S&Gw firm in a head¨Cto¨Ctoe designer outfit, carrying a limited¨Cedition Hermes bag and clicking across the floor in high heels Without hesitation, she headed straight <b>for </b>Charlotte¡¯s office.

    The door was unlocked. Vivian didn¡¯t bother to knock

    Charlotte was on a call<b>. </b>The moment she looked up and saw Vivian barging in unannounced, her brows creased slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave it there. Something just came up on my end,¡± she said, ending the call

    Vivian plopped down on the couch like she owned the ce, casually tossing her bag aside and ncing around Charlotte¡¯s office with <b>a </b>sneer. ¡°This ce <b>is </b>tiny. <b>You </b>actually call this an office?

    <b>Charlotte </b>hung up the phone and locked at her, expression calm and unreadable. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    <b>Vivian </b>smirked. ¡°Guess I forgot to mention¨C1 Invested in your firm. That makes me one of the new silent partners. Technically, I¡¯m your boss now.

    Charlotte¡¯s ga

    ¡®s gaze <b>remained </b>steady,pletely unshaken. ¡°And?¡±

    Vivian smiled as she leaned in slightly. ¡°Since no one else is around today, I¡¯m just <b>going </b>to drop the act. Charlotte, I really can¡¯t stand <b>you</b>. Did you know that?¡±

    Charlotte calmly lifted her mug and took a sip of water. ¡°Is that so? Well, I don¡¯t like you either.¡±

    ¡±

    Vivian gave a shortugh, unbothered, ¡°Grandma was right. Youwyers really are sharp¨C<b>tongued</b>. But you¡¯re only brave enough <b>to </b>run your mouth in front of me. The only reason I ever treated you politely was because you were engaged to my brother. Did you seriously think that meant you mattered?¡±

    There <b>was </b><b>a </b>glint of pride in her eyes <b>as </b>she went on mockingly, ¡°Oh, I bet you haven¡¯t heard. Grandma¡¯s setting my brother up with someone new. You and Sean? That ship has sailed.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s hand froze for <b>a </b>second, like something had pricked her heart.

    <b>But </b><b>she </b>didn¡¯t let it show.

    Finto

    She <b>looked </b>up with a perfect, almost cheerful smile. ¡°That¡¯s great. Shows that even without me around, <b>you </b>still don¡¯t stand a chance of marrying the Jasper family. Your grandma¡¯s out there arranging blind dates for Sean, and you¡¯re stillughing? If I were you, I¡¯d be crying under my covers.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s smug expression instantly froze.

    Her mociding gaze turned into visible panic. <b>¡°</b>You¨Chow <b>do </b><b>you </b>know <b>about </b>that?¡±

    Charlotte let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Even a blind person could see how you feel about your brother. You just don¡¯t dare act on it in front of the Jasper family. Otherwise<b>, </b>Mrs. Jasper Sr. would¡¯ve kicked you out long ago.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s face went <b>pale</b>. ¡°So <b>what </b>if you know? Even if you tell the family now, no one would believe you!¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m like you? Stirring up drama and running your mouth to pit people against each other?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes darkened, her tone dripping with

    disdain.

    ¡°Whatever feelings you have for Sean, that¡¯s your problem. But let¡¯s not forget¨Cyou¡¯re the daughter of the housekeeper. Just an adopted charity case. There¡¯s no way Mrs. Jasper Sr. would ever tolerate you having thosends of thoughts about Soan.¡±

    Vivian sprang to her feet in a rage. Her voice trembled with humiliation and fury<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>So </b>what I <b>love </b>him? I¡¯d stay single forever for his sake! You<b>, </b>on the other hand¨Cyou¡¯ll never have anything to do with him <b>again</b>!¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s heart gave a sudden pang. A flicker of sorrow passed through her eyes,

    ¡°Well then, I hope you get exactly what you wish for<b>,</b>¡± she said softly, lowering her gaze to hide her emotions. She began gathering papers from her desk.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Vivian asked suspiciously.

    Charlotte ignored her.

    Without another word<b>, </b>she stood up, walked over, and pulled open the <b>office </b><b>door</b>.

    Outside<b>, </b>she gently knocked on the door of the managing partner¡¯s office.

 His Heart 255

    Chapter <b>255 </b>

    Charlotte walked in and got straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯d like to resign.¡±

    +25 <b>Bonus </b>

    Tim looked up, stunned. ¡°What? <b>Why</b>? It¡¯s the first day back after the holidays, and you¡¯re already quitting?¡±

    During theirst business trip to South City, Chatte had casually made a bet and ended upnding a ten¨Cyear legal counsel and representation contract with TH Corporation, the firm¡¯s biggest client to date. In his eyes, she was a walking goldmine. There was no way he would let her go without a fight

    Charlotte didn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°Vivian Xander and I have personal issues. I¡¯m not willing to work under her.¡±

    Lawyers who weren¡¯t partners might have looked morous from the outside, but at the end <b>of </b>the day, they were still employees. They were working. for the firm, not for themselves<b>. </b>For every case they handled, the firm took a cur, <b>and </b>that cut was split among the partners and investors.

    So no matter how many high¨Cprofile cases Charlotte had taken on, she was still <b>just </b>another sried attorney.

    She used to be fine with that. She had joined this firm to sharpen her skills and build experience. But things were different now.

    Vivian had be one of the firm¡¯s major investors. From now on, every case Charlotte worked would be lining her pockets. And mowing <b>Vivian</b>, it wouldn¡¯t stop there. She would find ways to make <b>her </b>life miserable.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t want to keep putting herself through that,

    Tim winced the moment he realized this had to do with Vivian, Just thinking about it gave him a headache

    Vivian had dropped a cool eighty million into the firm the moment <b>she </b>joined <b>as </b>an investor. With that kind of capital behind her<b>, </b>she was the dream partner¨Cwealthy, generous, and well¨Cconnected.

    On top of that, she was the adopted daughter of the Jasper family. If they could leverage that connection, the firm wouldn¡¯t just hold on to its status as the topw office in Jersey City. It could go national,

    But Charlotte had just secured the biggest deal in the firm¡¯s history. Letting her go now would be a huge loss.

    ¡°Charlotte, think this over. Don¡¯t rush your decision<b>. </b><b>You¡¯re </b>one of our top attorneys. We¡¯re the number¨Cone firm in the city. Our benefits and career path are better than anywhere else. You won¡¯t find another opportunity like this easily.

    Charlotte gently shook her head<b>. </b>¡°I¡¯ve already <b>made </b>up my mind.¡±

    She had already made up her mind. Once she left S&C, she would open her own firm. After more than six months <b>of </b>experience out in the field, she felt

    Once her firm was up and running<b>, </b>she would use herwork and resources to becruit top¨Ctierwyers and fresh graduates from prestigiousw school. She was confident she could surpass SBG and build her firm into the leading practice in <b>Jersey </b>City.

    She used to be proud<b>, </b>even a little arropant¨Cconvinced that she didn¡¯t need her family¡¯s background or connections to seed. But reality had hit her hund.

    In today¡¯s world, trying to make it on your own without family ties, connections, or influence was nearly impossible¨Cespecially when your biggest rival was someone like Vivian, the adopted daughter of the powerful Jasper family.

    Charlotte had finally figured it out that building her career came first.

    The dayster, after wrapping up her responsibilities, Charlotte officially left the firm.

    Jentry was heartbroken. Her eyes were red.

    ¡°Miss Riley, are you really ?raving?¡±

    Charlotte smiled and pulled her into a log Whispering in her ear, she <b>said</b>, ¡°I¡¯m starting my own firm. Once you pass the bar, I¡¯d love to have you on my

    Jenny¡¯s eyes lit up, and the tears vanished in an instant. ¡°Really? I¡¯ll definitelye!¡±

    waiting.¡±

    ¡°Charlotte said with a warm smile, patting her on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re going to be awyer soon too.

 His Heart 256

    Chapter <b>256 </b>

    Lately, Charlotte had been incredibly busy.

    <b>She </b>was scouting locations and recruiting staff for her new firm.

    After visiting numerous sites, she finally settled on an entire floor in a high¨Crise office building in the heart of Jersey City¡¯s most vibrant downtown district. That would be the home of her Law firm.

    She decided on the name Ascend Law Firm.

    ording to legal regtions, all founding partners must have at least three years of experience as licensed attorneys.

    Charlotte had already met that requirement. She had practiced for three years in Harbor City and spent another six months at S&G after returning to Jersey City. Still, finding additional qualified partners wasn¡¯t easy.

    Her cousin, Steven, had introduced her to several well¨Cknown attorneys in the area, but most of them <b>already </b><b>ran </b>their own firms. Thew prohibited attorneys from practicing at or being partners in more than one firm at a time,

    And <b>so</b>, Finding co¨Cpartners had be her biggest challenges

    One altemoon, Charlotte was having high tea at Bulgari with her two best friends.

    Lersa, hearing that Charlotte was in the middle of setting up her own firm, decided to introduce someone to her.

    ¡°Do you remember Scort Lucas?¡± Lena asked. ¡°He was in our year¨C<b>graduated </b>from thew and politics university next <b>to </b>ours.¡±

    Charlotte, Lena, and Mia had all studied at Jersey University, one of the country¡¯s top¨Ctier schools. The neighboring Jersey University of Law and Politics was also a prestigious national institution¡ªsecond only to Stanton Law School.

    ¡°Scott Lures?¡± Charlotte ochood. ¡°The name rings a bell, but I can¡¯t quite ce him,¡±

    Mia pped the table. ¡°You don¡¯t remember Scott Lucas? He was the heartthrob at thew school next door. People used topare him to <b>Sean </b>Jasper all the time. I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t know who he was!¡±

    Charlotte thought for a anoment, then shrugged. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t remember. You know I <b>wasn¡¯t </b>into that kind of stuff. I didn¡¯t go out much, and I definitely <b>didn¡¯t care </b>about <b>school </b><b>crushes</b>. What did that have to <b>do </b>with me?¡±

    Mia shook her head with a sigh, ¡°<b>Yeah</b>, well, you were such a bookworm <b>back </b>then, While everyone else was out dating on weekends, you were buried in the library. Every guy who confessed to you got turned down. Four years <b>of </b>college and not <b>a </b>single rtionship.¡±

    She nced at Charlotte and added teasingly, ¡°Seriously though, what were you working <b>so </b>hard for? <b>You¡¯ve </b>got enough family money tost three lifetimes.¡±

    Lena gave a small smile. ¡°Lottie had her own goals. She never cared about business or money. She always dreamed of bing a topwyer.¡±

    Mia let out a dramatic sigh. ¡°Still, I have to say, Scott really was good¨Clooking. I had a crush on him for a while, but he never gave me the time of <b>day</b>. I was so down after he turned me down. I moped around for the

    ¡°You confessed to him?¡± Charlotte raised a teasing brow. ¡°When was this? Howe I never knew?¡±

    itled, okay?¡± Miasmuttered ¡°Do you think I¡¯d tell anyone after getting rejected? But seriously, the line of girls who confessed to him stretched from campers all the way to Antis. Getting turned down by lilin wasn¡¯t exactly <b>rare</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotteughed. ¡°You¡¯re contradicting yourself. One minute you say it was humiliating, the next you say it wasn¡¯t a big deal,

    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re the worst,¡± Mia said with a yful p to Charlotte¡¯s arm. ¡°Stop being so literal!¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you a ploto,¡± she added, pulling out her phone. ¡°He¡¯s really good¨Clooking, okay? I¡¯m not crazy for crushing on him. And honestly, he¡¯s tur only guy I¡¯ve ever sten who could hold a candle to <b>Sea</b>. The girls weren¡¯t wrong topare the two.

    COIN BUNDLE get more free <b>bonus </b>

 His Heart 257

    +25 Bonus

    ¡°Ahem, Mia Lena gave Charlotte a subtle nce <b>and </b>cleared her throat, signaling M

    Mia to drop the subject

    But Mia didn¡¯t care. She waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Oh,e on. It¡¯s been ages since the breakup. Lottie¡¯s way past that. Right, Lottie?¡±

    Charlotte gave <b>a </b><b>small</b>, resigned smile. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve moved on. These days, I¡¯m all about my career. Zero interest in men

    No worries. Let me show you his photo. Who knows¨Cyou might <b>change </b>your mind.¡±

    ¡°You still have a picture of him?¡± Lena asked, surprised.

    Mia scrolled through her phone as she replied, ¡°Not exactly. <b>I </b>saved it back in college and it auto¨Cuploaded to my Google Photos, I never cleaned it out, so it¡¯s still there.¡±

    Charlotteughed. That actually works?¡±

    A few minutester, Mia found the <b>photo </b><b>and </b>handed her phone to Charlotte. ¡°Here. That¡¯s Scott Lucas, Pretty handsome, right?¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze to the screen.

    The photo looked like it had been taken in a library. The young man set by a window, head down in a book, with shelves of books stacked behind him. Warm orange sunlight spilled across his shoulders, tracing the contours of his strong features¨Cstrilding brows, defined eyes, a straight nose. He really was stunning

    Charlotte stared at the photo<b>, </b>briefly lost in thought. She could <b>have </b>sworn she <b>had </b>seen him somewhere before.

    There was something strangely familiar about him.

    Lena leaned in for a look too. ¡°Where did you <b>even </b>get this photo? Isn¡¯t that the library at <b>his </bw school? You went there?

    Nope,¡± Mia replied. ¡°A girl posted it on the <b>campus </b>confessions page when we were in college. <b>She </b>took the picture <b>and </b>uploaded it while trying <b>to </b><b>find </b>him.¡±

    ¡°So<b>, </b>Lottle,¡± Mia teated, ¡°are you interested now

    w that <b>you </b>un

    you¡¯ve seen <b>him</b>? I mean, look at that face. What a waste to be awyer. He should¡¯ve gone into acting, That face looks like it was built by a 3D modeling program¨Cliterally.¡±

    Charlotte chuckled. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m not interested in men right <b>now</b>.¡±

    Just as she said that, a warm, pleasant male <b>voice </b>chirmed in behind her.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡±

    Charlotte turned toward the sound, startled.

    <b>So </b>did Lena and Mia

    ¡°No freakin¡± way! Speak of the devil¨Che actually showed up!¡± Mia gasped, eyes <b>wide </b>

    Lena gave a polite smile. ¡°What <b>a </b>coincidence¡±

    The man wore a sharp charcoal gray suit and wire¨Crimmed sses. As he walked over, he smiled gently. ¡°I just finished a meeting with a client nearby and spotted you three. Thought I¡¯d stop by <b>and </b>say hello.¡±

    ¡°Fate¡± Mia whispered dramatically, shooting Charlotte a look.

    Charlotte gave him a polite smile <b>and </b>extended her hand ¡°I, I¡¯m Charlotte Riley,¡±

    He shook her hand. ¡°Scott Lucas. Nice to meet you¡±

    Lene smiled: ¡°I was just about to introduce you <b>two</b><b>, </b>and here <b>you </b>are,

    Scott smiled and asked, ¡°Mind if I join you?¡±

    She was sitting between Charlotte and Lena, so

    pulled out the chair beside Charlotte and sat down.

    The asked, ncing at them, ¡°what were you talking about?¡±

    Lema added, ¡°Lottie¡¯s opening her ownw fimm. I figured I¡¯d introduce you two. If I remember right, you¡¯ve been practicing for over <b>three </b>years now? Any interest ining on board as <b>a </b>partner?¡±

    Scott turned to Charlotte, his eyes curving into a soft smile. His voice was warm <b>and </b>even

    ¡°Would I be wee?<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte looked at his face, and that feeling of familiarity only grew stronger.

    +25 Bonus

 His Heart 258

    Charlotte replied with a smile, ¡°<b>Of </b>course. If Lena rmended you, I have nothing to worry about.¡±

    Scott felt a twinge of disappointment

    ¡°So¡­ she really doesn¡¯t remember me,¡± he <b>silently </b><b>remarked </b>

    Still smiling, he took out his phone and said, ¡°Let¡¯s exchange contact info. We can set up a time to talk moreter.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Charlotte pulled out her phone and exchanged contact.

    Lena gently stirred her coffee, her tone light and trusing ¡°Lottie, don¡¯t let Scott¡¯s three years of experience fool you. My brother says he¡¯s already made quite a name for himself in intellectual propertyw. His firm handled several of my brother¡¯s IP cases and he¡¯s never lost a single one.

    §¯

    Charlotte looked slightly surprised, her gaze returning to Scott. ¡°You¡¯ve already aplished that much? I¡¯m genuinely impressed.¡±

    Typically, an attomey with just over three years of practice was only beginning to move past the cookie phase and was still in the process <b>of </b>building experience. Mostwyers who earned industry¨Cwide recognition had at least seven or eight years under their belts, sometimes <b>even </b><b>a </b>decade or more.

    Scott <b>had </b>graduated the same year she did. For him to have already made a name for himself in the field of intellectual propertyw was undeniably impressive.

    Charlotte had always been ambitious. She truly loved her profession and <b>had </b>long set her sights on bing <b>a </b>top¨Ctier attorney¨Cone of the best in the industry. So when <b>she </b>encountered someone like Scott, it was only natural for her to feel a genuine sense of admiration.

    If she <b>had </b>no interest in him at <b>first</b><b>, </b>she could now <b>admit </b><b>that </b><b>she </b>was beginning to respect and appreciate him,

    She smiled<b>, </b>her <b>praise </b>sincere, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be this aplished at such <b>a </b><b>young </b>age. It <b>would </b>be <b>an </b>honor to partner with you.¡¯

    Scott¡¯s reply was gracious, his tone gentle. ¡°You¡¯re too modest, Miss Riley ¡±

    Mia, sitting nearby, mumbled under her breath, <b>¡°</b>They¡¯re a perfect match. Seriously.¡±

    Lena let out a quietugh and nudged her. ¡°Stop saying stuff like <b>that</b>.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯m </b>just being honest,¡± Mia whispered back. ¡°Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re perfect together? Bothwyers, tons inmon, and let¡¯s be real¡ªthey look amazing side by side. I¡¯m kind of shipping them already.¡±

    Charlotte looked slightly embarrassed. She turned to Scort and said apologetically, ¡°Ignore her. My friend has a habit of joking around.¡±

    smiled <b>easily</b>,pletely unbothered. ¡°No offense taken.¡±

    They continued chatting for a while longer.

    Mostly, <b>Mia </b>took the lead, firing off questions to Scott. They covered everything from college days to post¨Cgrad work. Mia <b>was </bpletely engrossed

    Then, suddenly, she asked with mock seriousness, ¡°<b>Okay</b>, real talk¨Cwhy did you reject my deniession back in college?¡±

    Scott Instinctively <b>nced </b>at Charlotte, who was off to the side chatting with Lena about a recent fashion show and hadn¡¯t heard the question.

    Mia, as usual, was too carefree to notice the way

    y <b>his </b>gaze

    had lingered on Charlotte.

    Scott quickly looked away <b>and </b>offered <b>a </b>polite<b>, </b>detached smile. ¡°I liked someone else at the time.¡±

    Mia blinked in surprise ¡°Wait, you did? Who?¡±

    Scott just loweredds gaze<b>, </b>smiled quietly<b>, </b>and didn¡¯t answer.

    Mia tilted her head, still suspicious. When Scott didn¡¯t answer, a sudden thought struck her. Her eyes widened, and she pped a hand over her mouth in

    ¡°Wait¡­ don¡¯t sell ine¨Cyou¡¯re pay?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t seen thating. The coffer he had just sipped caught in his throat, and he coughed twice, startled.

    Charlotte turned sharply at the word gay, looking surprised.

    ie trailed off, unsure whether to finish the sentence.

    ¡°No, no.¡± Scott waved his hand, still coughing slightly. ¡°Definitely not. I¡¯m straight.¡±

    Mia gave him a suspicious side¨Ceye. ¡°Then why won¡¯t you say who you liked?¡±

    Just as Scott opened his mouth to answer, <b>a </b>cold male voice cut through the air behind them.

    ¡°What are you allughing about?¡±

 His Heart 259

    -25 Bonul

    Mia froze. The smile on her face disappeared in an instant.

    Lan walked over and casually pulled out a chair, dropping into it with the kind of ease that was anything but casual. His gaze locked onto Mia, <b>smile </b>cool and sharp

    ¡°Mia,¡± he said slowly, ¡°when did you and Scott Lucas get so close?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Mia stuttered.

    ¡°Crep. What was Mr. Jealousy <b>doing </b>here?¡± she wondered.

    <b>She </b>then gave a sheepish littleugh. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I was just helping Lottie find <b>a </bw firm partner.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Tan¡¯s gaze flicked coldly toward Scott.

    Scott offered a polite smile.

    Jan leaned back in his chair, <b>tone </b>dripping with sarcasm, ¡°Funny. I could¡¯ve sworn I heard you <b>asking </b>him why he turned down your confession back in college.¡±

    Mia looked like she had just swallowed a lemon. *1. I was just joking around.¡±

    Charlotte and Lens exchanged <b>nces</b>. Something aboutn seemed off today. But they couldn¡¯t quite put their finger on it.

    Mia chuckled nervously, ¡°You must¡¯ve misheard.¡±

    Then she quickly <b>fiddled </b>with her <b>phone</b><b>, </b>and <b>a </b>momentter<b>, </b><b>her </b>ringtone <b>suddenly </b>red.

    She pretended to answer the call, putting the phone to her ear. ¡°Hello? Yeah, it¡¯s me. What? Right now<b>? </b>Okay, okay¨CI¡¯m on my

    She ended theke call with exaggerated seriousness, grabbed her bag, and stood up ¡°Uh, something just came up<b>. </b><b>I¡¯ve </b>gotta run. You guys keep chatting -bye, Lena, bye, Lottie!

    She rushed off like she was being chased.

    Charlotte watched her retreating figure. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that¡­ her rm <b>tone</b>?¡±

    Lene nodded. ¡°Yep. That was definitely an rm.¡±

    Ian nced meaningfully at Scott, ¡°So that¡¯s her type, huh?

    Scott was rendered speechless.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you guys to it,¡± fan said, getting up and walking away.

    Once he was gone, Charlotte leaned over to Lena and whispered, ¡°Is it just me, or is something weird going on betweenn and Mia?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not imagining it,¡± Lena whispered back. ¡°I feel it too.¡±

    Ian caught up to Mia in the parking lot a few minutester.

    ¡°Running off like that what, feeling pailty?¡± he said, pulling her into his arms without warning.

    Mia tried to push him away, flustered. ¡°Not here! What If Lottle or someone else <b>sees</b><b>. </b>

    Lan¡¯s mouth curled into a smirk, and he let out a low scalf, ¡°What, you worried Lottie might see? Or are you afraid he might?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡±  snapped. ¡°I like you.¡±

    ¡°Oh yedi?¡± This grip tightened around her waist as be tilted her chin up. ¡°Because I heard every word you said back there. You liked Scott Lucas in college, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Mix bit her lip, flustered ¡°I meane on, everyone¡¯s had a crush at some point. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t like someone else in college

    Ian snorted ¡°Actually, no I didn¡¯t¡±

    Mia¡¯s eyes shot up to his in shock

    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever liked one person,¡± he <b>said </b>seriously, locking eyes with her. ¡°You¡±

    She froze

    ¡°.. I¡¯m your first love?¡±

    Then he kissed her deeply, slowly, full of heat and tenderness,

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>little heartbreaker,¡± he marmured when they pulled apart, both of them breathless

    A flush crept up <b>Mia¡¯s </b>cheeks, her eyes slightly dazed.

    ¡°Come home with me?¡± Tan¡¯s thumb brushed lightly over her lips.

    She nodded with a soft ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    Atn¡¯s private vi, things quickly spiraled out of control. Passion took over.

    <b>In </b>the heat of it,n cupped her chin <b>and </b><b>asked</b>, voice low and possessive, ¡°Tell me¡ªdo you like me, <b>or </b>Scott Lucas?¡±

    Mia¡¯s eyes were hazy, her voice breathless as she whispered<b>, </b>¡°<b>I </b>like you. Only you.¡±

    Satisfied with her answer, he leaned down once more.

 His Heart 260

    February 14th was Valentine¡¯s Day,

    Charlotte was currently single <b>and </bpletely focused <b>on </bunching herw firm. She had zero interest in celebrating

    The office space she had leased downtown <b>was </b>still under renovation. Somehow, Zac found out the location of her new firm and, <b>in </b>a grand gesture, had sixty¨Csix congrattory flower baskets delivered to the site.

    Just as Charlotte was discussing a partnership with Scott at a cafe, her phone rang, It was <b>one </b>of the construction workers.

    ¡°Miss Riley, someone just sent <b>y </b>

    you sixty¨Csix flower baskets. The <b>hallway </b>can¡¯t fit them, so they¡¯re all piled inside. You¡¯ll need toe <b>deal </b>with it. It¡¯s blocking everything, and we can¡¯t get any work done.¡±

    ¡°Flower baskets? Was there a name on them?¡±

    Yeah. From a Mr. Zac Gibson.

    Charlotte¡¯s <b>head </b>immediately started throbbing

    She let out a long breath, massaging her remples with visible frustration. ¡°Got it. I¡¯lle by shortly and arrange to have them cleared out. Just <b>take </b>a break in the meantime.¡±

    After ending the <b>call</b>, Charlotte turned to Scott. ¡°Something came up at the office. I need to head over<b>. </b>Sorry, but we¡¯ll have to sign the contract another time.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize.¡±

    Scott stood up with her, his tone calm <b>and </b>understanding. ¡°It it¡¯s rted to the firm, mind if Ie <b>along</b>? It¡¯d be good to see the space, since

    e we¡¯ll be

    Charlotte paused, then nodded. ¡°Sure You¡¯re going to be a partner anyway¨Cmight as well give you <b>a </b>tour.¡±

    ¡°GTML¡±

    When they arrived at the office, Charlotte toolt one look at the room packed wall to wall with flower baskets and frowned, thoroughly annoyed.

    She walked over and <b>picked </b>one at random, eyeing the red ribbon attached

    ¡°Wishing you great sess on the grand opening of your <bw </b>firm -Zac Gibson¡±

    Charlotte stared at the ribbon, <b>visibly </b>unimpressed

    <b>¡°</b>Grand opening? What is this¨Ca bakery?¡± she thought.

    Scott caught sight of the message on the ribbon <b>too</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°Zac Gibson?¡±

    Charlotte rubbed her temples again, clearly exasperated. ¡°Yeah. Sorry you had to see this.¡±

    Scott nced at her, his tone even. ¡°Mind if I ask who he <b>is</b>?¡±

    Since they were going to be partners, Charlotte felt he had a right to know. It <b>was </b>better to be upfront than risk misunderstanding or jeopardizing the

    coboration

    ¡°He¡¯s my ex boyfriend. We broke up over six months ago.¡±

    ¡°Ex¨Cboyfriend¡­.¡± Scott repeated softly.

    Sorry about the scene.¡± Charlotte said again, a little embarrassed,

    Scott looked at her. ¡°Wasn¡¯t your ex Sean Jasper?¡±

    Charlotte blinked. ¡°You knew about that?¡±

    Scott adjusted his sses. ¡°Mia mentioned it once¡±

    The truth was, he had known about her engagement to Sean for a long time. But that wasn¡¯t something he could bring up

    Curlotte offered a sheepish exnation ¡°Zar was actually my first boyfriend. I met him right after graduation when I was working in Harbor City. After we broke up, I moved back to Jersey City to prepare for the arranged marriage with Sean. That didn¡¯t work out either for a number of reasons.¡±

    simply gave a quiet

    | didn¡¯t press further.

    Charlotte added, ¡°I¡¯ll get these baskets cleared out right away. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let Zac interfere with the firm¡¯s operations.¡±

    25 Bonus

    Charlotte called a housekeeping servi to remove the flower baskets. They arrived quickly, and within half an hour, all sixty¨Csix baskets were gone.

    renovation crew resumed work, and Charlotte gare Scott a tour of the office floor, the two of them discussing design ns andyout ideas for the

    During a break, one of the workers grinned and said, ¡°Miss Riley, is this your boyfriend? Starting a firm together, huh?

    Charlotta habit of blushing when she was caught off guard. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she quickly waved her hands. ¡°Oh no, no. You¡¯ve got it.

    He¡¯s just my business partner, not my boyfriend.¡±

 His Heart 261

    One of the construction workers scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed

    <b>¡°</b><b>Sorry </b>about <b>that </b>my mistake. I thought he <b>was </b>your boyfriend. You two just look like such a good match.¡±

    Charlotte quickly waved her hands. ¡°No, no, not at

    Scott stood quietly beside her, his expression noticeably cool.

    Charlotte nced at him, feeling a little awkward. She noticed the subtle shift in his face and said with some embarrassment, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect the guy to assume that. I¡¯m sorry if it made things weird for <b>you</b>.¡±

    Scott let out a smallugh, his tone yful.

    ¡°What, are you really that eager to deny any y connection to me?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Charlotte blinked, a little caught <b>off </b>guard.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I just didn¡¯t want to make things ufortable. Or give you the wrong idea.¡±

    Scott gave her a half¨Csmile, his eyes unreadable

    ¡°And what idea would that be?!!

    Charlotte looked away, lips pressed together, unsure what to say.

    scott seemed to read her mind. His voice held a hint of amusement as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re afraid I¡¯d think you have a thing for me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah

    Charlotte¡¯s cheeks flushed an even deeper <b>shade </b>of red. After <b>a </b>pause, she gave a tiny, reluctant, ¡°¡®

    Scott let out a softugh

    ¡°Do I really seem that full of myself?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not <b>what </b>I meant!¡± Charlotte rushed to <b>exin</b>.

    ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>just Mia and Lena mentioned that a lot of girls have liked you, and that you turned them all down. I figured maybe you¡¯re tired of the attention or just not into people having feelings for you, so I was worried you¡¯d get the wrong idea about me and back out of the partnership. That¡¯s all. I hope that makes sense.

    Scott watched her as she rattled off her exnation, and suddenly burst intoughter.

    Charlotte asked, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?

    Hisughter was warm <b>and </b>easy, like spring sunlight breaking through the clouds.

    He was handsome, but in a very different way from Sean<b>. </b>

    Sean had always felt like the untouchable type¨Csharp, distant, a man you could admire from afar but never really get close to

    Scot, on the other hand, was like <b>a </b>soft beam of spring sunshine. Courteous, warm, effortlessly charming

    Scott said, ¡°I just think it¡¯s cute how seriously you¡¯re trying to convince me that you don¡¯t like me.

    Charlotte was rendered speechless.

    -Really, you didn¡¯t need to exin. <b>I </b>already know you¡¯re not into me.

    Charlotte blinked ¡°You do?¡±

    He had known for a while

    He didn¡¯t say it out loud, but the words echoed in his mind. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember me at all, do you?¡±

    He almost asked Almost.

    But in the end, he held back

    seid too much, he might lose the opportunity to work with her altogether.

    After giving Scott a four of the renovation site, it happened to be around dinnertime

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    Scott smiled gently. ¡°Would it be okay if I treated you to a meal? To celebrate our partnership.¡°.

    Charlotte responded easily, ¡°Sure.¡±

    Her mind wasn¡¯t on Valentine¡¯s Day at all. She was still focused on work. She was nning to go over partnership terms with Scott over dinner and hopefully get the contract signed

    Since it was their first official meal as future <b>business </b>partners, she didn¡¯t want it to feel too casual. She picked a nearby upscale restaurant.

    As Charlotte and Scott walked into the restaurant, she looked op and unexpectedly locked eyes with someone she know

    It was Sean

    He was dressed in a perfectly tailored ck suit. Even in standard business wear, hismanding <b>presence </b>and striking features stood out effortlessly,

    His eyes paused on Charlotte¡¯s face for a moment, unreadable.

    Then, without a word, his gaze shifted coldly to Scott, who was just a few steps behind her.

 His Heart 262

    Jersey City really was a small world.

    Charlotte never imagined she would run into Sean here.

    Still a little dazed, she <b>heard </b>Scort speak up behind her. ¡°Mr. <b>Jasper</b>. <b>What </b>a coincidence¨Care you dining here too?¡±

    Sean¡¯s tone was cool, his Expression <b>unreadable</b>. ¡°Yeah¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t say <b>a </b>word. <b>She </b>walked right past him and into the restaurant without looking back

    A server approached them, ¡°Good evening. Table for two? Do you have a reservation?¡±

    Charlotte responded calmly, ¡°Yes, under the number ending in 0775.¡±

    ¡°Right this way, please.¡±

    As she followed the server inside, Scott offered Sean a polite smile. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±

    Sean stood frozen in ce, eyes lowered

    It was Valentine¡¯s Day.

    ¡°On a day like this, why would Lottie he having

    ng dinner alone with Scott? Was it a date? he wondered.

    His chest tightened. An overwhelming bitterness swept through him, wave after wave.

    He stood <b>frozen</b>, throat tight, limbs numb, as if he had turned to stone.

    Scort nced at him onest time before walking on. The dim, romantle lighting of the restaurant couldn¡¯t quite hide the loneliness etched across <b>Sean¡¯s </b>face.

    Scott¡¯s lips curved into a barely there smile.

    He knew what Sean was thinking

    A man and a woman having dinner alone on Valentine¡¯s Day¨Cit did look a lot like a date<b>. </b>

    And Scott had no intention of correcting the misunderstanding.

    With calm steps, he passed Sean and caught up with Charlotte.

    In the private dining room<b>, </b>Charlotte sat quietly, eyes unfocused, lost in thought.

    When Scott walked in, she didn¡¯t even look up.

    ¡°Miss Riley.¡± He pulled out a chair and sat down.

    Charlotte blinked, snapping out of it. ¡°The menu¡¯s over there. You can order.¡±

    Scott smiled gently. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He didn¡¯t ask unnecessary questions. He didn¡¯t mention anyone he shouldn¡¯t.

    Charlotte quickly gathered herself and set the awloward run¨Cin aside.

    While they waited for the food<b>, </b>they picked up their discussion about the partnership.

    ¡°I have a friend who specializes in criminal defense, Scott said. ¡°He¡¯s been practicing for three years, same as me. If you¡¯re open to it, I can bring him

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes lit up ¡°sounds good. Let¡¯s set up a meeting sometime and go over the details,¡±

    Scott nodded. ¡°Of course. We went

    We went tow school together. You won¡¯t need to worry about his credentials.¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°If hees rmended by you, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s solid¡±

    Of course, that was just polite talk. In truth, she was still cautious. After all, once they became partners, they would be in it together¨Csharing profits, risks, and responsibility She would need to do her due diligence

    Scott¡¯s tone stayed gentle. ¡°I nt

    n to invest thurry million and register <b>as </b><b>a </b>practicing attorney under the firm. We can sign the contract anytime.¡±

    Charlotte smiled and reached out her hand. ¡°I like how straightforward you are, Mr. Lucas. Looking forward to working with you

    Scott shook her hand ¡°Likewise.¡±

    After dinner, he asked with a smile, ¡°Today feels like a memorable day. Mind if we take a photo together, parmer?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t unusual for business partners to take photos after closing a deal, so Charlotte didn¡¯t think much of it. She smiled and <b>said</b>, ¡°Sure.¡±

    Scott asked a server to take the picture.

    In the photo, the two of them stood side by side, Charlotte looked into the camera, a soft smile at her lips.

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

 His Heart 263

    smile in this eyes.

    Scott had <b>a </b>subtle smile in

    The original photo was a full¨Cbody shot, showing the appropriate distance between two colleagues¨Cprofessional, nothing ambiguous,

    However, Scott cropped the lower half, leaving only their upper bodies in the frame. Without context, the image looked oddly intimate, almost like a wedding photo

    That same afternoon, Scon posted the picture to his social media with <b>a </b>short caption:

    ¡°A very special <b>day.</b>¡±

    It <b>was </b>calcted, just a little.

    He didn¡¯t write ¡°Happy Valentine¡¯s Day¡± or anything overt that would trigger Charlotte¡¯s defenses. But he <b>also </b>didn¡¯t go with the safe and <b>boring </b>¡°Great to work with you¡± either.

    The vague caption, ¡°A very special day¡°, was just the right touch. Not so obvious that Charlotte would be put off, but suggestive enough to make Sean Jasper <b>draw </b>the wrong conclusion

    Scott had recently added Jordan <b>on </b>his social media. He handled several legal cases for Jordan¡¯s firm, so it wasn¡¯t unusual. But he knew jordan would definitely see the post.

    And given Jordan¡¯s close ties with <b>Sean</b>, there <b>was </b><b>no </b>doubt that Sean would see the post.

    Satisfied, he put <b>his </b>phone away and leaned back on the couch. He swirled <b>a </b>ss of red wine in hand, savoring the moment. His mood couldn¡¯t have been better.

    When Charlotte came across Scott¡¯s <b>post</b>, <b>she </b>gave it a casual like and moved on without a second thought

    But when Jordan sew it, he screenshot the post¨Calong with Charlotte¡¯s like¡ªand sent it straight to <b>Sean</b>.

    ¡°You just got reced? No jaloe, this pic kinda looks like a wedding photo. <b>And </b>they actually look¡­ good together.¡±

    Sean stared at the <b>screen</b>. His eyes darkened.

    That bright smile on her face stung more than it should have.

    He stared at the photo in silence for a long time.

    Then he <b>made </b>a call.

    -Any

    ¡°Any update on Joseph Ford?¡±

    Later that evening, Charlotte had just finished her shower and was settling in to catch up on a drama when her <b>phone </b>rang

    ¡°Hi, delivery here. Are you home right now?¡±

    ¡°I am, but I didn¡¯t order anything. Can you tell me what it is?¡±

    ¡°Looks like someone sent it to you. It¡¯s from a jewelry store -same¨Cday express delivery.¡±

    ¡°Oh Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Alright, you can just leave it at the door. I¡¯ll grab it.¡±

    -Sure thing

    Ten minutester, the courier knocked.

    I¡¯ve left your package right outside

    Charlotte slipped on her slippers and opened the door.

    There was a in cardboard box sitting quietly at the threshold.

    She picked it up, puzzled, and che led the sender. It was from an upscale jewelry boutique in Jersey City.

    Still confused, she stepped inside and dialed the number listed on the shippingbel

    Even though it was already past eight, the store was still open. A store clerk quickly answered with a cheerful greeting

    ¡°Hi,¡± Charlotte said politely. ¡°I just received a package from your store, but I <b>didn¡¯t </b>order <b>anything </b>Can you tell me what it is and who sent it?¡±

    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am. Could you please provide your phone number so I can look it up for you?

    Charlotte gave her number.

    One moment please.

    A pause, then the store clerk returned.

    -Miss Riley

    Yes, speaking¡±

    ¡°The package you received is a ne. A gentleman came in this afternoon to pick it our specifically for you. He left your address and phone number, and asked us to make sure it arrived today without fall,¡±

 His Heart 264

    Charlotte frowned. ¡°Did the gentleman leave his name?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry<b>, </b>no,¡±

    ¡°the store clerk replied politely.

    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± She hung up.

    Inside the box was a beautifully wrapped pink heart¨Cshaped gift box.

    Her brows furrowed deeper as she opened it. Nestled inside was a stunning diamond ne¨Cclearly worth a fortune. Tucked alongside it was a small card that read: ¡°Happy Valentine¡¯s Day.¡±

    Only then <b>did </b>it hit her that today was Valentine¡¯s Day.

    But who sent it?

    A familiar face suddenly shed through her mind.

    They had just run into <b>each </b>other at the restaurant earlier today. ¡°Could it have been Sean?¡± she wondered.

    The thought made her go momentarily nk. Her fingers tingled slightly.

    But she quickly shook the idea off

    When they crossed paths today, Sean had looked <b>indifferent</b>, distant, like none of it mattered to him.

    ¡°Could it be Zac then?¡± she thought

    Just as she was wondering, her phone rang again.

    She <b>set </b>the ne box aside and answered.

    ¡°Hi, your delivery is here.¡±

    ¡°<b>Delivery</b>?¡± (

    * Charlotte was confused ¡°I didn¡¯t order anything¡±

    The delivery pay chuckled. ¡°Maybe your boyfriend did. It¡¯s a bouquet of flowers.¡±

    ¡°Seriously<b>?</b>¡± she thought.

    She opened the door and took the bouquet from him. It was a massive bundle of pink roses.

    A <b>card </b>was tucked in the middle.

    ¡°Lottie, no boyfriend? No problem. Your bestie¡¯s got your back¨CHappy Valentine¡¯s! Love, Mia.¡±

    Another delivery arrived soon after. This time, it was a soft pink bouquet of ranunculus.

    ¡°To evesting friendship -Lena¡±

    A wave of warmth spread through Charlotte¡¯s chest.

    She took a photo of the flowers and sent it to their group chat,

    ¡°Thanks, girls. Got the flowers! They¡¯re gorgeous¡±

    Mix: ¡°Which one do you like more?¡±

    ¦§

    Charlotte ¡°This is a trap. I¡¯m not answering ¡±

    Lena ¡°I¡¯d like to know too.

    pang up on me!¡°.

    Charlotte ¡°Lena, don¡¯t gang

    : ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll let you off¡ªbut only if we¡¯re tied for first ce.¡°||

    Charlotte ¡°Obviously. You always are

    Charlotte: ¡°Today¡¯s been chans. I owe you both a gift¨Cralii rck?<b>¡± </b>

    Mia: ¡°No rain checks. I¡¯ve got my eye on that new Chanel bag.¡±

    Charlotte replied with a bunny emoji holding up an <b>¡°</b>OK¡± sign

    La fe for a

    Charlotte: ¡°What about you, Lena?¡±

    Lena: ¡°No rush. I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡±

    Charlotte: ¡°Let me know when you do.<b>¡± </b>

    She <b>arranged </b>the flowers in vases, but her eyes drifted <b>back </b>to the ne box on the table.

    Out of curiosity, she looked up the ne on the brand¡¯s website. It was part of a Valentine¡¯s

    ine¡¯s Day limited edition collection¨Cpriced just under <b>$</b><b>1 </b>million, designed to represent eternal love

    Who could have sent in?

    Unlikely. He didn¡¯t know her current address.

    This condo had only recently been purchased for her by Desmond. Other than her family<b>, </b>only Mia and Lena knew where she lived.

    And the clerk had said it was a man who bought it.

    Charlotte was stamped.

    A few momentster<b>, </b><b>she </b><b>called </b>the jewelry store again to ask if it could be returned <b>and </b>refunded. She didn¡¯t want the ne and preferred the money be sent back to the <b>buyer¡¯s </b>ount.

    The clerk said that was possible but only if the original buyer came to the store in person

    Charlotte sighed in frustration

    ¡°If I knew who bought it, would I even be calling you?¡± she silently remarked.

    <b>Still</b>, she knew it wasn¡¯t the clerk¡¯s fault and didn¡¯t want to make things difficult. After a few polite words, she hung up

    »Ø

 His Heart 265

    The ne box was

    x was casually tossed into a storage cab.

    -25 Bonus

    Meanwhile, Mia was holding her brand¨Cnew handbag like it was a treasure at Lena¡¯s vi

    Lena looked a little uneasy. ¡°Mix¡­ are we really doing the right thing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re her best friends. Doesn¡¯t this feel like betraying Lottle?

    ¡°Oh,e on. We only gave him her address. Sean lonows his limits. He¡¯s not going <b>to </b>do anything crazy. Don¡¯t worry <b>so </b>much.¡±

    Lena still frowned. ¡°What if Lottie finds out we sent her flowers just because we felt guilty? What if she gets mad?¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡± Mia let out an awkward cough. ¡°<b>What </b>are you saying? That wasn¡¯t guilt. Those flowers were a symbol of friendship!¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Mia nodded solemnly<b>, </b><b>clearly </b>trying to convince herself. ¡°<b>A </b>symbol of friendship!¡±

    Lena gave her a look. ¡°<b>Mia</b><b>, </b>weren¡¯t you just saying a few days ago that Lottle and Scott made a great match? Why are you suddenly Team <b>Sean </b>on Valentine¡¯s Day?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Well</b>, Sean¡¯s being generous. And ording to Tan, there was more to their breakup than meets the eye. He said <b>Sean¡¯s </b>nning to win her back once everything on his end is sorted. I figured why not give him a chance? <b>We¡¯ve </b>known him for years anyway. Helping him out isn¡¯t <b>the </b><b>worst </b>thing in the world, right?¡±

    ¡°I guess that kind of makes sense.¡±

    Back in Sean¡¯s office, his assistant, Luke, came in with a report.

    ¡°Sir, do you remember that case Miss Riley took <b>on </b>involving Matthew Leonard?¡±

    Sean nodded. ¡°I do. What about it?<b>¡± </b>

    Luke continued, ¡°Matthew¡¯s <b>factory </b>is owned by a man named Ryan Lawrence. He¡¯s connected to a bigger boss¨CChester Simpson. I sent <b>you </b>his file before<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>H </b>

    ag remember.

    Chester <b>had </b>connections on both sides of thew. He controlled dozens ofpanies, but all the legal paperwork was under the names of various scapegoats. On the surface, they looked legitimate, but in reality, they wereundering money and doing all sorts of illegal business.

    Sean¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    100

    <b>¡°</b>We recently confirmed that Chester is one of Joseph¡¯s men. He¡¯s beenundering money for him.¡±

    ? gaze sharpened. ¡°Do we <b>have </b>proof?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got partial evidence on Chester¡¯s crimes. Afterundering the money, he transferred it to an overseas ount under someone else¡¯s name front set up by Joseph Right now, we¡¯ve only got enough to tako Chester down, not Joseph. Tur Joseph¡¯s influence here is weal Chester and his team <b>are </b>his biggest asset. If <b>we </b>take him out, Joseph loses his foothold ¡±

    ¡°Do it,¡± <b>Sean </b><b>said </b>coldly. ¡°Submit the evidence to the police and work with them to <b>make </b><b>the </b>arrest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    In early March, Charlotte¡¯sw firm renovations werepleted.

    They brought in professionals to test for toxins like formaldehyde, and once everything was certified sate, Charlotte and Scott began buying office essentials in bulk¨Cdesks, chairs<b>, </bputers, stationery, file folders, and more

    A new partner also joined the firm in addition to Scott. He was Asher Ziegler, Scott¡¯s college friend and a criminal defense attorney.

    After bringing Asher on board, Scott also took charge of recrating other attorneys, including both recent graduates and seasoned legal professionals.

 His Heart 266

    Once everything was ready, Charlotte¡¯s new firm, Ascend Law, officially opened for business.

    That day, she received a long overdue phone call.

    ¡°Charlotte, do you still remember me? It¡¯s Sophie Shaw.¡±

    Charlotte was pleasantly surprised. It had been a while since theyst spoke.

    ¡°Of course I do,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I still have your number saved.

    Sophie had been a legal intern and Charlotte¡¯s assistant when they worked at a firm in Harbor City. Before leaving, Charlotte had told her to reach out if she ever needed <b>help</b>.

    Sophie said excitedly, ¡°I¡¯ve just finished my internship, <b>and </b>I passed the bar interview with the legal association. I wanted to ask if your offer still stands. Can Ie work with you?¡±

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Charlotte said warmly. ¡°And yes, of course it stands. My firm <b>just </b>opened. You¡¯re wee anytime.¡±

    Really? Sophie was thrilled. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind having me!¡±

    ¡°Why would I mind? I practically trained you myself. I¡¯m in Jersey City now. I¡¯ll send you the address.¡±

    *Awesome! I¡¯ll book my ticket right away!¡±

    When Charlotte¡¯s cousin, Steven, heard about theunch of Ascend Law firm, he immediately helped her recruit two talented and well¨Cknownwyers.

    They met over dinner in a private room at a restaurant, where Steven introduced them.

    ¡°This is Cynthia <b>Coleman</b>. We went to high school together.¡±

    Cynthia was dressed like the perfect corporate attorney. Her sharp bob haircut and light brown pantsuit gave off a polished, no¨Cnonsense impression.

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes paused on her for a beat. ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Coleman, ¡±

    Cynthia smiled: ¡°.

    Nice

    to meet you too, Miss Riley. <b>Looks </b>like we¡¯ll be colleagues now.

    Steven turned to the next person<b>. </b>¡°<b>And </b><b>this </b>is David Wood. I specifically poached him from another finn. He¡¯s an expert in corporatew.¡±

    David looked to be in his forties. He was slim

    was slim, <b>wore </b><b>sses</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>had </b>a calm, reserved demeanor.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Wood. I¡¯ve heard great things. I¡¯m looking forward to working with you.¡±

    ¡°Likewise, Miss Riley. I look forward to growing together.¡±

    The dinner went smoothly. Since everyone at the table worked in the same field, <b>conversation </b>flowed easily and the atmosphere was rxed and lively

    After dinner, Charlotte said goodbye to Steven and the others and got into her white <b>Rolls</b>¨CRoyce. With a light pross on the gas, the car eased out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

    ording to the time, Sophie¡¯s flight would bending soon. Charlotte was <b>on </b>her way to pick her up

    hat afternoon, Sophie had sent her the flight details, seying Charlotte didn¡¯t need to go o through the trouble: She could just take a cab to her hotel.

    Bur Charlone isted <b>Sophie </b>didn¡¯t know <b>anyone </b>in the city, had no family or <b>friends </b>nearby, and Charlotte didn¡¯t want her to arrive all alone

    The airport was located on the outskirts of the city, about a 40¨Cminute drive from downtown.

    The cat felt a little studly, so Charlotte rolled the window hallway down, letting the breeze flow <b>in </b><b>to </b>freshen the air.

    Byte March, Jersey City was starting to warm up. The wind had lost its winter bite and now carried a hint of cool freshness.

    trip breeze cleared

    air, Charlotte thought back over everything that <b>had </b>happened recently and felt a wave of

    of contentment.

    The firm hadunched smoothly. Her partners and new team members all seemned easy to work with Within just days of opening, they had already brought in severd respected and capable attorneys. And now, Sophie was on hier way.

    Everything was falling into ce

    Har career was rising like the morning sun¨Cbright and full of promise

    ce step closer to the life she had always dreamed of

 His Heart 267

    It was past 10 pm, and this remote stretch <b>of </b>road was nearly deserted

    Charlotte had been driving for over ten minutes when she suddenly noticed a ck car in her rearview mirror. It had been trailing her for some time.

    The road ahead branched off in several directions. It wasn¡¯t a straight shot to the airport, so other cars on the same route weren¡¯t unusual. For all she knew, that car might have just beep heading to the airport too.

    But something felt off.

    She vaguely remembered seeing that <b>same </b>ck car earlier, stopped just behind her at a red light in the city.

    Which meant it had been following her the entire way from downtown to the outskirts.

    Achill crept over Charlotte¡¯s back. Her fingers tightened around the wheel.

    She slowed down. The ck car slowed down <b>too</b><b>. </b>It didn¡¯t attempt to pass.

    She picked up speed. So did the car behind her.

    That confirmed it. She was being followed

    She grabbed her phone, ready to call for help

    At the same time, in the ck car behind her, the driver frowned.

    ¡°Boss, I think she¡¯s onto us,¡± he muttered, <b>eyes </b>flicking to the rearview mirror.

    ¡°Then do it.¡±

    ¡°<b>Got </b>it.¡±

    BANG.

    Charlotte had just unlocked her phone when the ck car mmed into <b>her </b>from behind at full speed

    The <b>force </b>of the crash sent her white Rolls¨CRoyce skidding <b>out </b>of control, <b>mming </b>into <b>a </b><b>roadside </b>guardrail. The front of the car crumpled, and the airbags deployed with a deadening pop.

    Her phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.

    Dazed and dizzy, Charlotte struggled to lean down and grab it

    She needed to call

    thep

    he police now.

    But just as her fingers brushed the phone, the car window shattered with a sharp crash

    A man was smashing through the ss from outside, using a window breaker. He was clearly prepared.

    Once the window was broken, he reached in, unlocked the door, and yanked her out with brute force.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Charlotte shouted as she stumbled out of the car, her instincts kicking In

    The man didn¡¯t. swer. He tried to drag her toward the roadside

    Inside the car, she hadn¡¯t been able to move much. But now that they were out in the open, Charlotte lought back hard. She twisted free andnded several punches squarely on the man

    so delicate could fight.

    He hadn¡¯t expected that a woman who <b>looked </b>so

    Caught off guard, he took a few solid hits and cursed under his breath, face contorting in fury. He banged at her <b>again</b>, trying to take her down.

    But he wasn¡¯t her match.

    temmed a fist straight into his rose, Blood gushed down his face.

    With sharp movements and swift strikes, the knocked him to the ground.

    The road had <b>no </b>

    <b>no </b>streetlights, no surveince. Only the harsh beams of car headlights it the scene, casting his disheveled figure in stark reliet.

    The many on the ground, blood smeared across his chin, still spewing profanities

    From the ck car, another man stepped out.

    He looked down coldly. ¡°You can¡¯t even handle one woman?¡±

    <b>¡®</b>She¡¯s trained,¡±

    ,¡± the man on the ground snarled through gritted teeth.

    As the two men exchanged words, Charlotte slowly edged back toward her car, trying to retrieve her phone.

    Just as her fingers closed around it, the second man charged and snatched it from her hands

    He ripped on the SIM card and smashed the plone to the ground. The screen shattered on Impact

    Then, with a snap, he broke the SIM card in run and tossed it into the weeds.

    ¡°Come with us,¡± he said coldly.

 His Heart 268

    Meanwhile, Sophie waited outside the airport terminal for Charlotte to pick her up

    She had been standing in the cold wind for half an hour and still hadn¡¯t seen any sign of her. Worried, <b>she </b>pulled out her phone and gave Charlotte a call

    But all she heard was a cold, mechanical voice: ¡°The number you¡¯ve dialed is not in service.¡±

    ¡°What? How could it suddenly be out <b>of </b>service? We¡¯d spoken less than an hour <b>ago</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>

    she thought.

    A strange feeling crept over Sophie. ¡°Could something have happened to Charlotte?¡± she wondered.

    She quickly tried video¨Ccalling her.

    No one picked up. It rang until it automatically disconnected

    She tried five more times, but still, no answer. Her anxiety grew.

    Just earlier, Charlotte had said she would be at the airport in about twenty minutes. Now, nearly forty minutes <b>had </b>passed and she was still nowhere in sight. Calls wouldn¡¯t go through, and video calls were unanswered.

    Sophie didn¡¯t know anyone else in Jersey City besides Charlotte.

    In her growing panic, she suddenly remembered that Charlotte had mentioned the name of her neww firm. She even had the address saved in a text:

    Ascend Law Firm.

    sophie quickly searched for it online<b>. </b>The website popped up, and there was andline number listed.

    She dialed it right away, but it rang for a long time without anyone picking up.

    In her desperation, she had forgotten it was already after business hours. The firm was likely closed, and no one was there to answer.

    Feeling helpless and extremely worried, Sophie had no choice but to call the police.

    The police immediately contacted Charlotte¡¯s family to confirm if she was missing

    When Desmond <b>and </b>Xena heard she had lost contact, they called Her <b>friends </b>to ask if anyone had seen her

    Mis was drinking when she got the call. ¡°No, she¡¯s not with mi

    Desmond¡¯s voice was urgent. ¡°Can you try to reach her? We can¡¯t get through at all¡±

    Don¡¯t <b>worry</b>, Mr. Riley. I¡¯ll try calling her right now.¡±

    But just like he <b>said</b>, Charlotte¡¯s phone wouldn¡¯t connect, and <b>she </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>respond to any messages either.

    Mia felt a pit in her stomach. Something was definitely wrong. She Immediately <b>told </b>Sean.

    Back on the rural road, the ck car that had crashed into Charlotte¡¯s Rolls¨CRoyce had only sustained minor external damage. It was still drivable.

    The second man who got out was far <b>more </b>skilled than the first, Charlotte fought back, but she was no match for him. After a struggle, she was overpowered and tied <b>up</b>, her wrists and ankles bound, then thrown into the back of the ck car.

    ¡°Why are you doing this? Is it for money?¡± she asked.

    The driver burst outughing, as if she¡¯d just told a joke ¡°Money? Our <b>boss </b>doesn¡¯t need your money

    ¡°Bou?¡± Curione caught the key word.

    Suddenly, the memory of that terrifying moment on the street when she was nearly shot came rushing back. Her face paled. ¡°You¡¯re with Joseph Ford,

    The driver suddenly snapped, ¡°You dare say our boss¡¯s name out loud? Are you tired of living<b>?</b>¡±

    From the back seat, Joseph¡¯s top enforcer and personal bodyguard, John, spoke up in a low voice, ¡°<b>You </b>know Mr. Food?¡±

    A mocking look shed in Charlotte¡¯s eyes. ¡°How could I not? He nearly killed me.¡±

    John was silent for a beat ¡°Since you already know, I might as well be honest. Your man took out one of ours. Cost us big. We¡¯re just returning the

    My man Charlotte let out a coldugh. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re talking about Sean <b>Jasper</b>? Sorry to disappoint, but we broke up ages ago. If you¡¯re looking for his woman to take revenge, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. I¡¯ve got nothing to do with him anymore ¡±

 His Heart 269

    Chapter <b>269 </b>

    John let out a cold <bugh</b>. ¡°And who else could his woman be If not you?¡±

    Charlotte snapped, <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>seriously don¡¯t see all the tabloid headlines? He¡¯s been unting his rtionship with some actress all over the media. Are you blind? Why are youing after me?

    There was a pause before <b>John¡¯s </b><b>voice </b>turned <b>even </b>colder. ¡°<b>You </b>really don¡¯t know? Sean only broke off the engagement to keep you out of this mess.

    Charlotte scoffed. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s generous of him. He¡¯s already gone <b>public </b>with that actress, and you¡¯re still here wasting your time on me?¡±

    A smirk tugged at John¡¯s lips, and he let out a soft chuckle, ¡°Miss Wiley, are you really that clueless, or are you just pretending?

    <b>COUSI </b>

    Charlotte froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°<b>What </b>did you just say?¡±

    That actress? She¡¯s his

    John¡¯s voice wasced with mocking disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether topliment your acting skills or apud : Sean Jasper for shielding you so well.¡±

    Contusion clouded Charlotte¡¯s <b>face</b>. ¡°<b>What </b>are <b>you </b>talking about?¡±

    As Joseph¡¯s personal bodyguard, John rarely acted on his own. But ever since Chester¡¯s arrest, their operation had taken a major hit. The assassins sent after Sean had either been killed or crippled. Now, in all of Jersey City, Joseph barely had anyone left to rely on

    John hade on Joseph¡¯s orders to absct Charlotte With her tied up, injured, andpletely cut off from the outside world, escape was impossible. And once she <bnded </b><b>in </b>Joseph¡¯s <b>hands</b><b>, </b>she wasn¡¯t likely to make it out alive.

    Since <b>she </b>was as good as dead, John figured there <b>was </b>no harm in <b>telling </b>her the truth.

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t know, huh?¡± he <b>said</b>. ¡°Alter you almost got yourself killed just by being with Sean, and your dad nearly died because of it too<b>, </b>Sen decided to end things. He figured if you stayed with him, you¡¯d be next. So, be staged a falte scandal with that actress and broke up with you.¡±

    John wasn¡¯t lying. In fact, even <b>he </b><b>and </b>Joseph had fallen for it at first. They genuinely <b>believed </b>Sen had moved on. After all, a spoiled heir dating a starlet was nothing unusual.

    The Jasper family yed it smart. They didn¡¯t even tell Vivian, their adopted daughter.

    Even she had no idea why Sean and Charlotte had broken up

    Not long ago, Chester slipped up while running an errand for Joseph <b>and </b>got caught by Sean¡¯s men. The police stepped <b>in </b><b>and </b>arrested him, and with the Jasper family¡¯s backing, they also raided the dozens ofpanies under Chester¡¯s <b>control</b>.

    Thosepanies, though under Chester¡¯s name, were all part of Joseph¡¯s moneyunderingwork,

    Chester <b>now </b>faced multiple charges and had been formally arrested. It was only a quatter of time before he received a heavy sentence¨Cpossibly life, maybe even the death penalty.

    The damage was done. Joseph had lost nearly everything and couldn¡¯t survive much longer in Jersey City.

    y were already preparing to flee back to Antis.

    They

    But before leaving, Joseph needed revenge.

    He had already sent people after Sean several times, but all attempts had failed.

    Cut of options, he turned his attention to Charlotte,

    noid by nature, had started to think over everything again. The breakup between Sean and Charlotte didn¡¯t sit right with him. Something

 His Heart 270

    It all started with a coincidence

    Not long ago, Joseph brought one of his sugar babies to a houry jewelry store, intending to spoil her with a new ne. But while he was there, he happened to lock eyes with a sales associate

    Joseph had been with countless women. He was a habitual fliri, always chasing after anyone who caught his eye. That day, he dropped over $200,000 on a ne for his sugar baby just to impress her and maybe to unt his wealth in front of the sales associate.

    When his sugar baby went to the restroom, Joseph took the opportunity <b>to </b>ask the sales associate for her number,

    The very night, the two of them ended up in bed.

    On Valentine¡¯s Day, Joseph booked a romantic suite and invited her over again. After they were done, he casually tossed a credit card onto the bed and said, ¡°Happy Valentine¡¯s Day, baby. Go buy yourself something nice.¡±

    The woman smiled sweetly as she took the card, then leaned in with a yful tone <b>¡°</b>You know, <b>Joseph</b>, you never put any thought into gifts. It¡¯s <b>always </b>just money. Earlier today, this guy bought a Valentine¡¯s limited¨Cedition ne for his girlfriend¨Ccost him a million dors. I was so jealous. He most really love her.¡±

    didn¡¯t even get mad as the word

    Joseph snorted, lounging against the headboard with a cigarette between his fingers, looking pleased and rxed. He didn¡¯t even

    Instead, he smiled faintly and said, ¡°There¡¯s over a million on that card. Buy whatever you want. When you¡¯ve <b>got </b>money, who needs love?¡±

    Sheid her head on his chest and purred, ¡°I was just saying ¡±

    Joseph tapped the <b>ash </b>from <b>his </b>cigarette, his expression turning cold. ¡°Don¡¯t ever mention that word¨C<b>love</b>¨C<b>again</b>.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± she murmured obediently.

    At the time, Joseph didn¡¯t give the conversation a second thought

    <b>woman¡¯s </b>

    But not long after Valentine¡¯s Day, something strange

    nge happened. Out

    Out of nowhere, Sean began investigating him withser focus

    One of Joseph¡¯s men, Chester, made a small mistake and was immediately exposed by Sean¡¯s team.

    Chester was quickly arrested, <b>and </b>the shellpanies <b>under </b>his name were seized.

    Enraged, Josephunched multiple assassination attempts against Sean. All of them failed. He lost men, money, and leverage.

    Desperate, he decided to revert to an old strategy¨Ctargeting the <b>people </b>around Sean.

    Originally, his next move was to go after the actress linked to Sean in the tabloids. But Vivian wamed him that the woman <b>was </b>actually Sean¡¯s distant cousin. The rumors were just a publicity stunt.

    That was when Joseph remembered something.

    Back when Charlotte and Sean first broke up, he had someone tailing her. He had seen her drinking alone, crying, muttering that Sean was a heartless jerk who used and abandoned her. She didn¡¯t seem like she was pretending, She genuinely had no idea the actress was Sean¡¯s cousin.

    He recalled their breakup happened right after Charlotte¡¯s father was nearly killed,

    He had been yed

    Then it clicked On Valentine¡¯s night, the woman in his bed had mentioned a man who bought a million¨Cdor ne for his girlfriend. In Jersey City,

    nly a handful of people had that kind of money.

    mediately called the

    he woman back to <b>ask </b>for details.

    The event had lett a strong impression on her, and she had even looked into the buyer out of curiosity. So when Josephi asked, she replied without hesitation, ¡°He looked like he was in his thirties, maybe around five¨Cfoot¨Cten, skinny bald. Hisst name was Long ¡°

    ¡°And the delivery address? The recipiend ?*

    ¨C It was <b>a </b><bnuary </b>vi in Jersey City. The recipient¡¯s name was Miss Iley =

    Joseph¡¯s expression darkened.

    He was almost certain that Miss Riley was Charlotte Riley

 His Heart 271

    Chapter <b>271 </b>

    Furious, Joseph let out a coldugh and told the woman to send him the surveince footage from Valentine¡¯s Day,

    Momentster, she sent the video over.

    In the footage, the man buying the ne was clearly visible. Joseph recognized him instantly. It was Sam Long, Sean¡¯s personal <b>assistant </b>

    He had been yed.

    The breakup with Charlotte was all an act to keep her out of harm¡¯s way

    Joseph sat on the couch, eyes gleaming with icy rage. The wine ss in his hand shattered.

    ¡°How interesting,¡± he murmured, ss shards cutting deep into his hand as blood dripped freely. But instead of flinching, he wore a twisted, amused smile that made him look downright terrifying

    ¡°Sean Jasper¡­ you love her that much. I wonder¨Cwould you trade your life for hers?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>What </b>did you say? They kidnapped Charlotte? Zac¡¯s veins popped in fury, his <b>face </b>contorted with ripr

    In sharp contrast to his outburst, Vivian set calmly on the couch, a faint smile on her lips as if she were in a great mood.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡± She looked up, smiling sweetly at Zac. ¡°When I first found out my <b>brother </b>broke up with her to protect her, I was furious. I wanted her dead. And now, my wish ising true. Once Joseph gets his hands on her, there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll survive.¡±

    Zac¡¯s face turned red with fury. He grabbed Vivian by the cor and shouted, ¡°You <b>told </b>me our deal was only to break <b>up </b>Charlotte and Sean! You promised you wouldn¡¯t hurt her!¡±

    Before <b>Vivian </b>could respond, the bodyguard nearby rushed <b>over</b>, yanked her away, and threw <b>a </b>punch at Zac.

    Zac fought back, but he was no match. The bodyguards from the Jasper family were professionally trained. Within a few moves, he was knocked to the ground

    Vivian calmly straightened her clothes, brushing off where he had grabbed her. Her eyes were filled with contempt and Irritation<b>. </b>¡°I did say I wouldn¡¯t hurt her. And I haven¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t the one who kidnapped her. So why are you yelling at me?¡±

    Zac struggled to get up, battered and bruised, but his only concem was Charlotte.

    ¡°What did they do to her?¡± be rasped. ¡°Where is she now?¡±

    would I know?¡± Vivian replied coldly. ¡°If you care so much, go find her yourself

    Zac¡¯s eyes were dark with rage. He red at her, his voice low and seething.

    ¡°If anything happens to her, I swear I won¡¯t let any of you get away with it

    <b>Vivian </b>couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°Zac, don¡¯t forget who saved your precious Gibson Corporation. And who thergest shareholder is now. You want to threaten me? You¡¯re in no position¡±

    Zar¡¯s fists clenched tightly, <b>veins </b>bulging across his knuckles.

    Back when the Gibson Corporation was on the verge of bankruptcy, he had exhausted every contact, begging for investments. But with both the Rileys and Jaspers turning their backs on him, no one was willing to help

    Then Vivian came to him with a business card

    he epted her older and made a call to Chester for help

    Later, he learned that both Chester and Vivian were just prins, taking orders from someone much more dangerous.

    Zaver saw that man¡¯s face and didn¡¯t even know his full name

    They all just called him ¡°Joseph¡±

    Now, the Gibson Corporation was no longer truly his. Thergest shareholder was someone under Joseph¡¯smand. The name was reality, the one pulling the strings behind it all was Joseph himseti.

 His Heart 272

    Meanwhile, as soon as S

    as Sean received Mia¡¯s call <b>and </b>learned that Charlotte was missing, his mind immediately jumped to Joseph.

    -25 <b>Bonus </b>

    Since returning to Jersey City, Joseph had beenying low, using a fake identity with someone else¡¯s information registered to his phone. Sean had no way of contacting him. He could only wait for Joseph to make the first move

    But he couldn¡¯t wait. Not even a second

    Just the thought that Charlotte might be <b>in </b>danger made his vision blur and his <b>chest </b>tighten with a dull, suffocating i

    He forced himself to stay calm and pulled out his phone.

    ¡°I need <b>to </b>see Chester,¡± he said into the line.

    No sooner had he hung up than a call came in from an unknown number.

    His instincts told him that it was Joseph.

    Sean picked up immediately.

    ¡°Well, good evening,¡± came azy, yful voice. ¡°Miss me, brother?¡±

    Sean¡¯s heart clenched.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who <b>took </b>Lottle?¡±

    Josepliughed softly. ¡°Lottle.¡±

    He paused just long enough for the name to hang in the air before continuing, tone light and mocking ¡°Looks like I picked the right girl. You still love her after L.¡±

    ¡úCome after me if you¡¯ve

    you¡¯ve got a problem with me. Just don¡¯t hurt <b>her</b>!¡± Sean snapped,

    A soft chuckle came through the phone,

    ¡°No rush. Grabbing he

    her was about you¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Sean demanded.

    Joseph gave him an address, then added casually, ¡°Eight aan tomorrow. <b>You </be alone. If you call the cops, she disappears Permanently.¡±

    from this world.

    The next morning, an abandoned construction site stood on the outskirts of a remote border province.

    It was originally intended to be a lury entertainmentplex, but the project was hated halfway through when the developer ran out of funds.

    Now it <b>was </b>just a decaying shell of a building, best known as a filming location for low¨Cbudget action dramas,

    Charlotte had been thrown into the car the night before. After about thirty minutes of driving, they stopped in an open lot. Her mouth was gagged, her head covered with a ck hood.

    She was drapped up a few steps.

    The loud whit of a helicopter¡¯s rotors suddenly filled her ears. That was when she realized where she was

    A helicopter

    She didn¡¯t know how long the flightsted, but eventually the <b>rotors </b><b>stopped </b>and she was shoved into another vehicle.

    rar sjad down winding <b>roads</b>, jolting violently with every turn. If not for the seatbelt, she might have been thrown across the cabin.

    chicle screeched to a halt.

    The door flung open, and she was yanked roughly out of the car. Still hooded, Charlotte couldn¡¯t see a thing. She stumbled, nearly falling

    ¡°Star¡¯s here, Boss,¡± <b>said </b>a man whose voice she recognized. He was the one from the night before the second man to get out of the car. The more

    TH

    The moment she heard ¡°Boss<b>¡°</b>, her blood ran cold

    That ma

    The one who had nearly killed her.

    Sean had called him a madman¨Cruthless and Inhuman

    Before Joseph even <b>spoke</b><b>, </b>Charlotte¡¯s chest tightened. Panic spread like wildfire.

    Was today the day she was going to die?

    Suddenly, the hood was yanked off.

    After spending the entire night in total darkness, the sudden sunlight hit her <b>hard</b>. She swayed on <b>her </b><b>feet</b>, dizzy and disoriented.

    She stumbled but caught herself just before falling

    ¡°Well, Miss Riley, We meet <b>again</b>.¡± Joseph looked at her with azy smirk, amusement flickering in his eyes.

    Charlotte steadied herself and lifted her gaze then froze,

    She had seen this man before.

    It was the day Jenny was in a bad mood. They <b>had </b>gone out to <b>eat </b>together, and after paying the bill, she ran into a couple <b>she </b>didn¡¯t recognize.

    COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus

 His Heart 273

    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¨Clike 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?¨C

    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

 His Heart 274

    Chapter 27%

    The night before, Desmond called the Jasper estate.

    ¡°Lottie¡¯s <b>disappearance </b>somehow connected to your illegitimate sam?¡± he asked, barely holding back his an

    James¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What? Charlotte¡¯s missing? Did you call the <b>police</b>?¡±

    ¡°It was the police who called me to confirm <b>she¡¯s </b>missing.¡± Desmond said through gritted teeth. ¡°We¡¯ve tried <b>calling </b>her over <b>and </b>over again, but her phone keeps going straight to voicemail. Kena and I have <b>already </b>searched her apartment and herw firm. <b>She¡¯s </b>nowhere to be found.

    His voice trembled with fury. ¡°And where¡¯s <b>Sean </b>right now? Lottie¡¯s missing

    <b>g </b>and he¡¯s not out there looking for

    ¡°We just found out she¡¯s missing,¡± James replied. ¡°Sean¡¯s still at the office working. He probably doesn¡¯t know yet. I¡¯ll notify him right away. Try not to panic. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be okay. Maybe her phone died. She might contact you once she gets it charged ¡±

    ¡°Phone died? We¡¯ve been searching all night and haven¡¯t seen a trace of her. That¡¯s easy for you to say when it¡¯s not your kid. You people don¡¯t seem to care at all!¡±

    ¡°Desmond, calm down-¡±

    ¡°Calm down? How do you expect me to <b>stay </b>calm? Desmond¡¯s voice rose to a furious shout. ¡°If your Sean <b>suddenly </b>vanished, could you stay calm?

    James rubbed his temple, clearly distressed ¡°Let¡¯s wait and hear what the police <b>have </b>to <b>say </b>

    Lilian, <b>who </b>had been sitting beside him, had heard most of the heated conversation. Her expression grew anxious as she pieced together what was happening

    She had always liked Charlotte, practically treating her like <b>a </b>daughter. Now, learning that Charlotte was missing, worry flooded her chest *What¡¯s going on? Lottie¡¯s missing?¡± she asked urgently.

    James ended the call with Desmond and nodded. ¡°Yes. Desmond said they¡¯ve been trying to reach her all night, but there¡¯s no sign of her

    ¡°Did they call the police?¡±

    ¡°They did. That¡¯s how they found out she was unreachable!

    <b>¡°</b>Does Sean know? Call him right away. He needs to help with the search,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dialing him now.¡±

    But before he could, Sean¡¯s name appeared on the caller ID. He was already calling in..

    Sean got straight to the point. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve <b>heard</b>, Lottie¡¯s missing. She¡¯s been kidnapped¡±

    James¡¯s face went pale, Kidnapped? What happened?¡±

    anywhere.¡±

    Soun¡¯s voice <b>was </b>low and <b>strained </b>with exhaustion. ¡°It¡¯s Joseph Ford. I¡¯m heading home right now. Don¡¯t panic, and whatever <b>you </b><b>do</b>¨C<b>don¡¯t </b>call the

    ¡°Joseph Food?¡±

    ¡°James¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°But Desmond said they already reported it

    ¡°What?¡± Sean¡¯s grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white, iis voice sharpened with urgency. ¡°You can¡¯t call the police! Joseph contacted me earlier. I was on my way home to discuss <b>a </b>n with you. If the police get Involved, he¡¯ll kill her, Lorrie¡¯s life is in danger!¡±

    ¡°What do we do now? The police already know she¡¯s missing.¡±

    ¡°Just stay home <b>and </b>wall for me. I¡¯m almost there.¡±

    Sen hung up before James could respond

    Litian, riestly shaken, turned to him. ¡°<b>Any </b>news? Did they find her?

    ¡°That was Sear<b>,</b>¡± James said heavily. He paused, then continued, ¡°Charlotte¡¯s been kidnappes. The one who took her was Joseph Ford.¡±

    ¡°Joseph Furd¡°¡± Lilian¡¯s face instantly drained of color Him again? Why her? What does he even want with Loute? If this is about revenge against Sean because of their engagement, Hut makes no sense. They broke up long ago!¡±

 His Heart 275

    Lilian¡¯s brows furrowed deeply. ¡°The gossip about Sean and Lucinda is everywheretely, and barely anyone knows anything about Lucinda¡¯s background, let alone Joseph. The Riley family has been quiet for a while now¨Cso why would Joseph suddenly kidnap Lottie?¡±

    She let out the whole string of thoughts in one breath, leaving James with a pounding headache. He rubbed his temples wearily.

    ¡°How should I know? Sean said he¡¯s on <b>his </b>way back. Let¡¯s wait for him and figure out a n. Oh¨Cright, I should call Desmond and ask him toe

    Lilian was genuinely worried about Charlotte¡¯s safety. The fact that Joseph was the one behind the kidnapping made her even more anxious. She turned her re on James, muttering under her breath,

    ¡°Joseph again! It¡¯s always him! James, this <b>is </b>all your fault. If you hadn¡¯t¡ª¡®

    James¡¯s patience snapped the second <b>she </b>started bringing up the past <b>again </b>

    ¡°Oh, here we go. Drop it, will you?¡± he <b>snapped</b>. ¡°That was <b>years </b><b>ago</b>! What¡¯s the point in dredging it up now? We need to stay calm and figure out how to get Charlotte back¡±

    Lilian¡¯s temper red the moment James snapped at her. Her <b>voice </b>rose sharply, full of fury

    ¡°Bringing up the past? That¡¯s what you think I¡¯m doing? James, <b>ask </b>yourself¨Chave ever done anything wrong in this marriage? Since the day I married into this family, I¡¯ve given <b>my </b>all to the Jaspers-

    <b>¡°</b>That¡¯s enough!¡± James shouted, cutting her off. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for a fight<b>!</b>¡±

    With that, he stood up in a fury, brushed past her, and stormed upstairs.

    Left alone in the living room, Lilian sat stiffly on the sofa, her eyes brimming with angry tears. James always used her of clinging to the past but how could she let it go when it had never been resolved? It was <b>a </b><b>wound </b>that never healed, a knot in her heart she couldn¡¯t untangle.

    After the storm of anger passed, only sorrow remained. She sat there quietly, <b>eyes </b>red and glistening, tears slowly slipping down her face.

    Their shouting hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. One of the maids, who had been tidying up nearby, overheard everything. She had served Mrs. Jasper Sr. for over twenty <b>years </b>and reported all important matters in the house to her without fall

    Naturally, within minutes of the argument, <b>Mrs. </b>Jasper St. had heard about it.

    The maid recounted everything she <b>had </b>beard in detail.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. was stunned. ¡°<b>Are </b><b>you </b>saying Joseph kidnapped Charlotte?¡±

    The maid nodded. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper 5r. ¡®s expression turned grim, her eyes hardening with restrained fury. ¡°He¡¯s out of control!¡±

    She had never been fond of Charlotte but this was no minor matter. A kidnapping was a uneptable.

    g was a serions <b>crime</b>, a matter of life and death. Like her or not, this was

    And Joseph¨Cthough he had never been officially acknowledged by the family¨C<b>was </b>still her grandson. He carried the Jasper bloodline, She couldn¡¯t tolerate a Jaspermitting such a crime.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. imunediately called Seen, telling him toe bome at once.

    Se answered and said he was already on his v

    way.

    After hanging up, Mrs. Jasper St. turned to the maid. ¡°Where¡¯s Vivian?¡±

    D

 His Heart 276

    Just as Sean stepped into the house, Vivian¡¯s car pulled into the underground garage of thesper estate

    The two entered the house one after the other.

    In t

    the living room, Mrs. Jasper <b>St.</b>, James, and Lilian were seated on the sofa, waiting

    Sean¡¯s expression was <b>tense </b>as he walked in briskdy. ¡°It was one of Lottie¡¯s friends who called the police. They couldn¡¯t reach her <b>and </b>were worried something had happened. The police only contacted the Riley family to confirm she was missing. Right now<b>, </b>they don¡¯t know she was kidnapped by Joseph Ford. And since it¡¯s only been a few hours, they won¡¯t open a case just yet<b>.</b>¡±

    His voice was calm but cold, and his dark eyes were filled with sharp resolve

    ¡°Joseph called. He wants me to go meet <b>him</b>¡ªalone¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t! Sean, you can¡¯t go alone!¡± Vivian cut in before he could finish.

    H

    She had been in a surprisingly good mood ever since learning that Charlotte had been kidnapped by Joseph¨Ceven humming on the way home. But the second she heard Sean say he nned to go rescue her by himself, her <b>good </b>mood vanished

    Vivian¡¯s face paled as she stepped forward anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s way too dangerous! Joseph isn¡¯t going to let you walk away. Please, just call the police and have them go with you!¡±

    Sean frowned. ¡°We can¡¯t. If Joseph finds <b>out </b>we¡¯ve involved the <b>police</b>, he¡¯ll kill her on the <b>spot</b>.¡±

    ¡°But her friend already reported her missing! The police already know!¡± Vivian argued.

    ¡°I said this already.¡± Sean snapped, his tone hardening. They only know she¡¯s <b>missing</b>. As long as we coordinate with the Riley family and cell the police she¡¯s been found, it¡¯ll be fine. Then we cane up with a real n to get her back.¡±

    James leaned forward. ¡°And what¡¯s your n¡±

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>voice was like ice. ¡°Joseph¡¯s targeting me, I¡¯ll trade myself for her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind!¡± James shot up from the couch.

    *No way!¡±

    Vivian shouted

    ¡°I absolutely forbid in!¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. added sharply.

    The three of them objected at once.

    Lilian, stillposed, looked at <b>Sean </b>and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t there mother way?

    ¡°I have to go,¡± Sean said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument

    Vivian¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°But trading your life for hers? That¡¯s insane! How can her life possibly be worth more than yours?¡± Sean¡¯s gaze turned ice¨Ccold. He looked at her with such <b>force </b>that she froze, the warning in his eyes unmistakable.

    Vivian opened her mouth but no sound caene

    A secondter, Sewn said quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t say that again.¡±

    Tears welled in Vivian¡¯s eyes. She bit her lip, visibly shak, ¡°Sean¡­ are you saying Charlotte really means more to you

    than your own life?

    He didn¡¯t hesitate.

    That single word silenced the room.

    <b>For </b>a long moment, no one spoke.

    Mex Jasper Sr. was the first to rear. She stared her had on the table. This is

    is outrageous!¡±

    Innes¡¯s face was grim. Have you already forgotten what your grandfather told you?¡±

    ¡°Thaven¡¯t.¡± Sean¡¯s voice was calm again ¡°But you don¡¯t need to worry Yes, the matt

    e for hers. If I go in adone, we¡¯ll both die ¡°

    His exnation eased the trusion slightly

    Lilian asked carefully, ¡°So you already

    y lumea

    more <b>to </b>me than myte, but I¡¯m not stupid enough to trade my

 His Heart 277

    After listening to the n, Mrs. Jasper Sr. frowned. ¡°It¡¯s still too risky. You¡¯re the only heir of the Jasper family. I won¡¯t allow you to throw yourself into danger <b>like </b>this.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right, Sean! You can¡¯t go,¡± Vivian added quickly. ¡°We should just call the police and let them handle it. If you go, <b>Joseph </b>Ford won¡¯t let you walk

    out alive!¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression darkened. His eyes turned sharp, filled with warning ¡°1 said -no police.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you, Sean¡­¡± Vivian¡¯s voice trembled, her eyes starting to tear up. She sounded hurt, part acting, but not entirely. <b>The </b>worry on her face was real. She genuinely feared he wouldn¡¯t make it back.

    Sean didn¡¯t respond to her. Instead, he turned to his parents and grandinother. ¡°Dad, Mom, Grandma¨Cthis is the best n we have. But I¡¯ll need your cooperation.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. shook her head firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t agree. You are not going.¡±

    Sean clenched his jaw. His tone turned colder. ¡°Grandina, I¡¯ve made my decision.¡±

    The implication was clear that her disapproval didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°You¨Cyou.¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. was so furious her hands began to tremble, ¡°You¡¯d really risk your life over a woman? Fine. I can¡¯t stop you anymore. I¡¯ll Fall your grandfather and let him deal with you!¡±

    James quickly stepped in, worried by how upset <b>she </b>was. He rubbed her back to help her breathe ¡°Mom, please calm down. You¡¯ll tripper your hear condition again.¡±

    He was overwhelmed. Thest time she had a heart <b>attack</b>, they had barely saved her. If this went on much longer, he feared they might lose her before they even got Charlotte back.

    ¡°Sean, you can¡¯t do this Grandma¡¯s heart is weak. She can¡¯t take this kind of stress. If something happens to you, she¡­¡±

    Vivian¡¯s voice softened, but her words wereced with pressure and guilt. On the surface, she was pleading, but her tone made it clear she was using Mrs. Jasper St. to emotionally manipte him.

    Sean had already made up his mind the moment Joseph called

    He had returned home only because Joseph had threatened to kill Charlotte if anyone alerted the authorities. Sean feared that in their penic, his family- or the Rileys¨Cmight do something reckless and ruin his n.

    Just as tension thickened, Desmond and Xena arrived in a rush.

    ¡°Any news? Have you found Lorrie?¡± Desmond demanded the moment he stepped into the room.

    Sean answered <b>calmly</b>, ¡°She¡¯s been kidnapped by Joseph Ford.¡±

    Desmond¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He lunged toward Sean, furious, but <b>a </b><b>nearby </b>hodyguard stepped in to block him

    ¡°Desmond, please calm down,¡± <b>James </b>urged.

    ¡°Calm <b>down</b>? You want me <b>to </b>calm down?!¡± Desmond¡¯s face turned red, chest heaving ¡°You people told us that calling off the engagement would keep my family out of this mess. But it¡¯s been months since the breakup<b>! </b>Why the hell is Joseph stilling after my daughter? You owe me an exnation!¡± Compared to Desmond¡¯s outburst, Sean remainedposed. His voice was steady but apologetic. ¡°Mr. Riley<b>, </b>right now Lottie¡¯s life is hanging by a thread. This isn¡¯t the time for me. I need your help to get her back. Once <b>she¡¯s </b>safe, I promise I¡¯ll give you the exnation you want.¡±

    He thenid out his n in detail.

    When Desmond heard that Sean was willing to risk his life to save Charlotte, some of his anger began to subside. His expression softened slightly, and the tension in his shodders eased.

    Fine We¡¯ll do in your way

 His Heart 278

    Chapter <b>278 </b>

    Charlotte was forced up the unfinished high¨Crise.

    She was terrified of heights. The higher they climbed, the weaker her legs felt.

    The building was nothing but exposed concrete and steel. There were no railings <b>on </b>the staircases, no <b>safety </b>barriers in sight, Step by step, she was dragged upward by Joseph¡¯s men, with nothing but at <b>on </b>either side.

    Silently, Charlotte counted the floors in her <b>head</b>.

    When they reached the 26th floor, the men ahead of her came to a halt.

    The one escorting her stopped too.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Joseph askedzily.

    ¡°7:40 pm, Boss,¡± said one of the men- -the same one who had abducted Charlotte the night before. She didn¡¯t know his name.

    Joseph raised an eyebrow and turned to her. ¡°So do you think Sean Jasper would really show up alone to die for you?¡±

    Charlotte said nothing. Her eyes lowered, lips pressed tight.

    ¡°Scared?¡± Joseph let out a softugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you love him that much, I¡¯ll help <b>you </b>two die together. A tragic little love story. ¡°I

    She stayed quiet, still staring at the floor.

    Joseph sneered. Her silence clearly irritated him. The amusement in his eyes gave way to annoyance.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± he snapped.

    Suddenly<b>, </b>he grabbed her by the arm and yanked <b>hard</b>, then shoved her forward without warning

    Caught off guard, Charlotte stumbled. She lost her bnce, legs buckling under <b>her</b>, body swaying uncontrobly before <b>she </b>finally crashed to the ground.

    Her hands were still tied, so she couldn¡¯t <b>even </b>break her fall

    Thud.

    She hit the concrete floor hard. Her knees mmed down first, sending a searing jolt of pain through her legs. Her face twisted in agony as her upper body copsed forward. <b>She </b>couldn¡¯t even brace herself

    She didn¡¯t scream. She just clenched her teeth, face pale, silently enduring the pain.

    The fall left her dangerously close to the edge. When <b>she </b>opened her eyes and saw just how high up she was, the fear hit her like a tidal wave. Her whole body trembled uncontrobly.

    Twenty¨Csix floors <b>above </b>the ground, she was sprawled at the building¡¯s <b>edge</b>, peering down into the dizzying abyss. Her vision <b>blurred </b>with panic. Her fear of heights kicked in <b>so </b>fiercely that her world started spinning. She shut her eyes tightly.

    ¡°Cat pot

    ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± Joseph chuckled.

    He kicked over a nearby metal barrel. It crashed loudly across the concrete, the sharp tter echoing around them.

    All his men froze. None of them dared to move or breathe too loudly

    Quarlotte furrowed her brows. She couldn¡¯t understand how this man could shift so suddenly from smiling to unhinged. Moments ago, downstairs, he had been grinning, looking calin, even friendly. But now he was erratic and explosive¨Clike a rabid dog

    ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± Joseph muttered<b>, </b>eyes narrowing with a twisted smile. ¡°If you won¡¯t talk, I¡¯ll just have to make you.¡±

    His voice turned cold. He stepped toward her slowly.

    He looked at her like a predator circling prey. His lips curled into a cruel grin, and his eyes burned with sick armusement.

    ¡°Tell me ¡°le drawded, ¡°how do you think Sean Jasper would feel watching you get raped<b>?</b>¡±

    Charkatte¡¯s mitire body jolted.

    Het res flew opam Horror and digast spread across her face, her skin <b>going </b>even paler.

    <b>Joseph </b>saw the fear in her expression and smiled even wider<b>, </b>clearly pleased.

 His Heart 279

    <b>¡°</b>You mute or something? Fine, I¡¯ll make you <b>scream</b>,¡± Joseph said with a twisted smile.

    Charlotte¡¯s body trembled. Her voice was right and strained. ¡°<b>No</b>¡­ please¡­¡±

    ¡°Please?¡± His smile turned colder<b>, </b>sending a chill down her spine. ¡°<b>Too </bte.

    ¡°I told Sean toe alone and exchange himself for you. But I never promised I wouldn¡¯t touch you first.¡±

    Joseph came to a stop in front of her, towering over her with sig arrogance¨Clike a predator toying with prey.

    ¡°You are pretty,¡± he sneered, <b>¡°</b>but you¡¯re just a worn¨Cout toy Sean used up and tossed aside. And I hate used goods. ¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze, hiding the hatred burning in her eyes.

    Joseph chuckled. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll let my boys <b>have </b>some fun, then.¡±

    The moment Joseph gave the order, the eyes of his men lit up with excitement. Thrilled, they could barely hold themselves back.

    Charlotte¡¯s beauty was undeniable. Even earlier, some of them had already been stealing nces, but they hadn¡¯t dared to show it. Now, with their boss Eiving the green light, they were practically chomping at the bit, their stares brazen and full of crude desire.

    John stood quietly ofL to the side, head lowered. He hadn¡¯t looked at her once. He had no interest in this kind of thing

    Still, as he thought about what was about to happen to the woman, a faint flicker of sympathy crossed his otherwise indifferent expression.

    Joseph was usually indulgent with women. His mistresses <b>were </b>always pampered. But this time, it was different. Because Charlotte belonged to Sean, <b>all </b>the rage Joseph felt toward his rival had been redirected at her.

    John had been with Joseph for years and had never seen him treat any woman this cruelly. He hadn¡¯t expected Joseph to actually let his men vite her. ¡°Joseph Ford!¡± Charlotte suddenly roared his full name, her voiceced with fury and pure hatred.

    Her eyes locked on him like knives. If looks could kill, Joseph would <b>have </b>been ripped to shreds.

    ¡°Oh<b>? </b><b>So </b>you¡¯re not mute after all?¡±

    Her outburst didn¡¯t faze him. If anything, it pleased him. He smiled wider, his eyes narrowing in amusement.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter<b>? </b>Not into it? Don¡¯t like the idea of all of them taking turns with

    <b>¡°</b>You arummal! You sick bastard!¡± Charlotte screamed, her voice hoarse with rage.

    The more she fought back, the more entertained Joseph seemed.

    you?

    ¡°What are you all standing around for? Go on!¡± <b>Joseph </b>jerked his chin toward his men, signaling them to move in and <b>rape </b>her.

    <i>John </i>

    froze. His body stiffened, and his eyes flicked up instinctively.

    That tiny movement didn¡¯t escape Joseph¡¯s notice.

    He smirked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? <b>You </b>want a turn too?¡±

    Before John could answer, Joseph added casually, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll <b>be </b>used up <b>soon</b>. I¡¯ll find you someone <b>clean</b>¡±

    *I didn¡¯t mean it like that, Boss,¡± John murmured, lowering his <b>eyes </b><b>agale </b>

    Josephughed like he didn¡¯t care ¡°Whatever. Just make sure you film it. I¡¯d love to see the look on Sean¡¯s face when he watches his woman being violded Hahah

    D

 His Heart 280

    <ol><li>er. What¡¯s the fun if</li></ol>

    ¡°Go untie her.

    fun if <b>she¡¯s </b>still bond?¡± Joseph said casually, his eyes not leaving Charlotte.

    ¡°Yes, Boss,¡± John replied, stepping toward Charlotte

    Their exchange was loud enough for everyone to hear. Joseph had just given the order to let the men have their way with her.

    Like starving wolves, they had already surged forward.

    Charlotte was still lying near the edge of the unfinished building, some distance away from the group. As soon as Joseph spoke again, the men abruptly stopped in unison. They swallowed hard, eyes burning with hunger as they stared at her, eagerly waiting for John to remove the ropes..

    Charlotte red at Joseph with eyes full of fury <b>and </b>loathing, as if she could cut him into pieces with that look alone.

    <b>Joseph</b>, the sadist he was, seemed to revel in her hatred. He smiled, his tone sickeningly cheerful. ¡°You hate me?

    ¡°Too bad. Crushing you would be no harder than stepping on an ant. You can loathe me all you want, but there¡¯s nothing you can do. And power rage?¡± He chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s what fuels me.¡±

    John reached her and roughly dragged her away from the ledge, then bent down and began to untie the rope <b>from </b>her wrists.

    The second her hands were free, Charlotte <bunched </b>herself toward Joseph without a second thought.

    He had been standing right nearby ever since she was pulled away, and no one had expected her to react so quicldy¨Cnot even John

    Joseph¡¯s <b>men </b>were still stuck in their depraved <b>fantasies</b>, assuming she <b>was </b>just a fragile girl with no fight in her. So when she sprang up to attack, no one moved in time to stop her.

    She actually made it to <b>Joseph</b>.

    He dodged her initial strike at thest second, reacting with lightning speed. Then, with a cold grin, he spen to counterattack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± he barlord at his men. ¡°Stay back.¡±

    Joseph¡¯s eyes gleamed with twisted axeltement, his expression borderline manic. He waved off his men, determined to handle her himself.

    Back when he had her watched, all the videos his men sent showed Charlotte drinking alone, crying over James. To Joseph, she seemed like nothing more than a pretty airheadpletely ruled by her emotions, Like a hopeless romantic who couldn¡¯t survive without a man.

    ??

    He knew she worked as awyer<b>, </b>but that hadn¡¯t earned her any respect in his eyes. In Joseph¡¯s mind, Charlotte was just another spoiled, Jovesick girl with no backbone, the kind who only knew how to fall in love and fall apart.

    He never understood what someone like Sean could possibly see in her. Sure, she was sturning¨Cbut beautiful women were everywhere. <b>What </b>made this one so special that Sean would <b>lose </b>his mind over her?

    When his toen captured her and brought her in, no one mentioned that she could fight

    And when they dragged her up the building, her pale face and trembling eyes only reinforced what he thought. She was just another pampered princess, terrified and useless, probably the kind who cried the moment something <b>went </b>wrong

    He never expected her to actually fight back.

    And not just with wild desperation¨Cbut with real skill. She h had puts. And she knew how to use them.

    Joseph had grown up in Antis under the wing of a <b>mafia </b>godfather. The training he endured was brutal. It was far beyond what any ordinary person could survive

    At just twelve years old, his godfather threw him onto an uninhabited Ind and left him to fend for himself in the wild. It was his way of ¡°toughening

    CON BUNDU get mo free bonus

 His Heart 281

    When he was sixteen, Joseph was thrown into the diator per and forced to

    d to fight w

    <b>t </b>wild beasts to the death,

    -35 Bonus

    The day he walked out of that arena alive, he was no <b>longer </b>just a survivor. He gained his first armed <b>unit</b>. With that, he began working in the shadows for his godfather, handling dirty deals, waging bloody turf wars against rival gangs, killing, Inoting, all while enduring mercenary¨Cstyle military training.

    By the time he turned eighteen, Joseph¡¯s power had grown strong enough to rival the local military in Antis

    At twenty¨C<b>four</b>, he killed his godfather with his own hands and took over as the most feared boss in the country.

    Someone like him¨CInhuman, ruthless¨Cwas far beyond what Charlotte could handle

    But sometimes, when someone is pushed past their breaking point, when they were consumed by fury and have nothing left to lose, they unlock a terrifying kind of power

    That was Charlotte in this very moment.

    Shenew she wasn¡¯t walking out of this building <b>alive </b>today.

    But rather than let a gang of filthy, perverted men vite her, she chose to fight Joseph to the death.

    Alf she was going to die either way, she would go down swinging

    It was better to die fighting than to die in share,

    She would use her final moments to release everything she had been bottling up¨Cher fear, her rage, and all the hatred she had buried deep inside. All of <b>it</b><b>, </b><b>almed </b>squarely at Joseph.

    ¡°Well, this is interesting,¡± Joseph said, his expression shifting from condescending to genuinely surprised. His eyes sharpened with a trace of curiosity.

    <b>He </b>had never met a woman Like her.

    Any other woman, once untied, would have either waited in shame to be vited or thrown herself off the building to end it all.

    He <b>had </b>anticipated one of those two oues. But he never imagined she would charge straight at him and tight like hell.

    Right now, Charlotte was like a boness gone mad,

    ad, bursting n with raw,

    reckless strength

    Even Joseph¡¯s men were frozen in ce, stunned by the sight. Wide¨Ceyed, ck¨Cjawed, they watched the brutal scene unfold.

    In all these years, <b>no </b>one <b>had </b>dared to fight their boss head¨Con like this.

    This woman was truly fearless.

    <b>They </b>knew their boss wasn¡¯t just some thug. He had wed his way up from <b>an </b>ind hell and survived the diator pits. He had been trained like a mercenary, a walking weapon

    Even the hardened men who followed him, who lived by the de, didn¡¯t have the guts to take him on in a bare¨Cknuckle brawl.

    Everyone knew the oue was a foregone conclusion.

    <b>And </b>yet, they couldn¡¯t look away. The fight was <b>savage</b>, gripping an all¨Cout spectacle they hadn¡¯t seen in years.

    Charlotte lunged at him again<b>, </b>wild and unrelenting, Joseph kicked her hard, sending her sprawling to the ground. <b>But </b>she didn¡¯t stay down. Grabbing a steel rod beside her, she swung it straight at his head with everything she had.

    Joseph ducked and yanked the rod toward himself, dragging her forward with it.

    Charlotte lost her bnce and stumbled toward him, but she let go of the rod just in time, <b>regained </b>her footing, and without hesitation, swung her leg up

    aiming right between his legs.

    Joseph froze

    -trying to kill him or make sure

    he never had kids again?

    He had <b>never </b>seen anyone fight like this. It was bizarre and <b>oddly </b>impressive.

    He opened his mouth, about to say something, but Charlotte suddenly jerked her head up. Their eyes locked.

    And in that instant, Joseph was stunned

    Her eyes were wild¨Cbloodthirsty, frenzied.

    The smirk faded from his face. His careless arrogance disappeared.

    Because he recognized <b>that </b>look.

    Through Charlotte¡¯s eyes, he saw the ghost of his younger self¨Cthe boy who had once fought wild beasts to survive

 His Heart 282

    Chapter <b>282 </b>

    Gunshots rang through the <b>sky</b>.

    The nearby residents barely reacted. They had gotten used to it by now, assuming some film crew was shooting a scene again in the abandoned high¨Crise,

    What they didn¡¯t know was that the scene unfolding inside that building <b>was </b>far more intense than any movie.

    Ten minutes earlier, <b>Sean </b>had arrived on time and made his way to the 26th floor.

    What <b>he </b>saw made <b>his </b>vision go red with rage.

    Charlotte was covered in blood, her face bruised and swollen. Joseph had her by the neck, lifting her off the ground. Her feet dangled in the air, her face turning crimson fromck of daypen.

    Beneath her was the crumbling, unpurded i

    ed edge of the unfinished building

    If Joseph let go, she would plummet from twenty¨Csix stories up.

    Even with all of Sean¡¯s usual calm, there was no way he could stay yposed after seeing this. His heart seized<b>, </b><b>and </b>he felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe.

    Joseph¡¯s grip <b>only </b>tightened around Charlotte¡¯s throat as he turned to look at Sean, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You <b>made </b><b>it</b>.¡±

    Sean¡¯s throat was dry, his mouth filled with the taste of blood.

    He forced his voice to stay <b>steady</b>. ¡°Let her po.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Touched a nerve?¡± Joseph¡¯s smile curled with amusement, but he didn¡¯t ease up

    Charlotte¡¯s breathing was growing more strained by the second, her face turning an rming shade of purple. It looked like she could pass out or die <b>any </b>

    moment

    Watching her suffer like that was worse than being stabbed a thousand times. It tore Sean apart

    His voice came out hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m here, just like you asked. Let her go.¡±

    Joseph let out a lightugh, ncing at the woman he still held in the air.

    She was soaked in blood and clearly

    y on the brink of <b>copse</b>.

    With a casual flick of his arm<b>, </b>Joseph turned his grip, dragged her back into the building, and tossed her to the ground like trash.

    ¡°You¡± Sean¡¯s jaw clenched, veins bulging on his forehead<b>. </b>He instinctively took two steps toward ber.

    A pushot rang out

    ¡°Not so fast,¡± Jourph said coolly, now toying with a gun in his hand. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.

    The bullet struck the ground right in front of Sean¡¯s feet¨Ca clear warning not to move any c

    ¡°Let my men check if you really came alone,¡± Joseph said with a smirk. ¡°If you¡¯re ying games, neither of you is leaving here alive.¡± Sean stood still, his entire frame wrapped in icy tension. The air around him tumed razor sharp.

    He didn¡¯t respond. He just stood there, cold and silent.

    A momentter, one of Joseph¡¯s men came back and reported, ¡°He¡¯s alone.¡±

    Joseph gave a low hum and shot Sean a mocking nce. ¡°Such a romantic.¡±

    m¡¯s voice was colder than steel ¡°Can I take her now!

    Joseph smiled and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Of course

    sady passed out

    her side and kelt down to check her condition.

    Why drager into this?¡±

    trembled with anger. ¡°This is between you and

    She¡¯s innocent. Why hurt her?¡±

    twisted grin. ¡°because she¡¯s your worluan

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing i

    (matching you andler,

    nae dregged 10s fists elmnd tight, eyes burning with fury

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    But he swallowed the rage <b>for </b>now and began performing CPR, desperate to bring her back

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Charlotte stirred.

    Sean. Her voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and broken.

    His heart felt like it was being torn in half.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, !

    Lottle.¡±

    She opened her eyes and saw him. For a split second, there was joy in her gaze but it was quickly reced by <b>fear</b>.

    What are you doing here?¡± Her voice cracked with <b>panic</b>. ¡°You have to go. Leave me. Don¡¯t worry about me¨Cjust go!¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes were filled with pain.

    Before he could say anything more, <b>Joseph </b>pped his hands slowly<b>, </b>mockingly. His voice dripped with <b>sarcasm</b>. ¡°Wow. What a touching love story.¡±

 His Heart 283

    <b>Chapter </b>283

    <b>+25 </b>BaruN

    <b>Sean </b>lifted his gaze <b>and </b>met Joseph¡¯s eyes. ¡°Take me instead. Let her go. Have your men escort her out of here.¡±

    <b>Joseph </b>smiled, <b>slow </b><b>and </b>wicked, ¡°Tsk, tsk. I thought lovers were supposed to stick together through thick and thin. Looks like when the real danger hits, it¡¯s every man for himself, huh?¡±

    Seam didn¡¯t respond to the mockery. He simply bent down and carefully scooped Charlotte into his arms, holding her lile she was the most fragile thing in the world, terrified of causing her more pain.

    Her body was covered in cuts. None were too deep, but they were?ull bleeding. Her clothes were soaked in blood. Every stain on her shirt felt like another shard driven into Sean¡¯s heart.

    His voice was cold andmanding ¡°Pm taking her downstairs. You send someone to get her out of here. Now.¡±

    Even as he spoke<b>, </b><b>Sean </b>darted to the side with Charlotte <b>in </b>his amis.

    At that exact moment, a red dot appeared between <b>Joseph¡¯s </b>eyebrows.

    And not just him, every one of his men <b>had </b>aser dot on their foreheads or chests.

    ¡°You brought a sniper team?¡± Joseph shouted furiously when he noticed the red sights on his men. Rage twisted his <b>face</b>.

    Sean¡¯s lips curled into a

    a contemptuous sinirk.

    Joseph¡¯s men all looked at each other in shock. <b>Clearly</b>, none of them expected Sean to have a backup n.

    ¡°What the hell? Didn¡¯t we check him? Wasn¡¯t he alone?¡± one of them muttered, swearing under his breath.

    ¡°He was alone!¡± someone else replied, panicked.

    ¡°Then where the hell did the sniperse from?!¡°¡±

    ¡°L. I don¡¯t know

    Joseph had been through situations like this more times than he could count. After his Initial surprise, he quickly regained his cool, shrugging like it was nothing. ¡°Now that¡¯s more like the Sean Jasper I know. If you¡¯d reallye here alone to die for <b>a </b>woman, you wouldn¡¯t be worthy of being my rival.¡±

    But clearly, Joseph had been expecting a trap too.

    Still, he was exposed out in the open, while Sean¡¯s team was hidden in the shadows. And Joseph had no idea how many more people were watching. ready to strike<b>. </b>

    In the blink of an eye, the entire power dynamic <b>flipped </b>and not in Joseph¡¯s favor,

    Yet he remained calm,pletely unshaken.

    Then suddenly, a helicopter appeared in the sky, hovering right outside the 26th floor.

    It came from the direction of the rising sun. The morning light was bright and sharp Charlotte instinctively squinted toward it.

    ¡°Sis¡± A trembling, familiar voice reached her

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes flew open

    being held up like a rag doll by a hulking man¨Cone of Josephi¡¯s mercenaries. He dangled her effortlessly, gripping her like a sack of meat.

    They were close enough for Charlotte to see the raw fear written all over Jodie¡¯s face.

    Charlotte¡¯s expressionchanged instantly. All the color drained from her face. Her blood felt like it had frozen solid.

    After Charlotte had gone missing Demond and Xena had been running around trying to find her. In the chaus<b>, </b>no one had been left to protect the <b>family </b>

    Xhad put Jodie to sleep before leaving the house, not knowing that shortly after, Josepit¡¯s men had stormed in and taken her.

    Josepti had brought inerrenaries from Antis to Jersey City¨Cprofessionals who had been through years of specialized military training. The guards at

    Jephtured to Charlotte and Sean, smiling as le gestited to Jodie..

    lust do you think would happen if I tossed her off this floor? How

    +25 Bonus

    ¡°No!¡± Charlotte screamed, her voice hoarse <b>and </b>cracked. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡±

    Joseph burst outughing.

    ¡°Then <b>maybe </b>talk to your man over there,¡± he said, voice dripping with mockery. ¡°Tell him <b>to </b>let all of us go. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get to watch your baby sister hit the ground and turn into pulp.¡±

 His Heart 284

    Sean had been waiting for for a long time.

    Joseph had finally fallen into his hands. He was this close to taking down Joseph and wiping out his entire crew in one clean sweep

    Outside, Sean had stationed an entire tactical unit¨Cdozens of men lying <b>in </b>wait. <b>Beyond </b>the snipers, he had even flown in <b>a </b><b>squad </b>of mercenaries from overseas overnight.

    When he first arrived, Sean had taken a moment to scout the area. Just as he had predicted, Joseph no longer had many men left in Jersey City. The ones gathered here were essentially all he <b>had </b>left in the country.

    ording to the <b>rescue </b>n <b>Sean </b>had drafted the night before, If everything went smoothly, he could not only rescue Charlotte but also destroy Joseph¡¯s <b>entire </b>operation in one move.

    The only catch? The n required him to put his own life on the line. If it failed, neither he nor Charlotte would make it out alive.

    <b>And </b><b>now</b>, they were so close to pulling it off.

    Until something unexpected happened.

    | Sean hadn¡¯t ounted for Joseph sending someo

    someone to <b>kidnap </b><b>Jodie</b>.

    ¡°Save her. Sean, please save Jodie¡­¡± Charlotte was still in his <b>arms</b>, clutching the front of his shirt with trembling fingers. Her eyes pleaded with him, desperate and raw

    Sean¡¯s eyes darkened,

    This <b>was </b>the moment he had been waiting for. This <b>was </b>everything he had prepared <b>for</b><b>. </b>

    They were in Cloud City, right at the border of Jersey City and Antis. Just across the line, and Joseph would be back in his stronghold. If Sean let him get away now, taking him down in the future would be near impossible.

    But Joseph was using Jodie as a hostage. Sean couldn¡¯t make a careless decision.

    He looked down and met Charlotte¡¯s tear¨Cfilled eyes. Something <b>in </b><b>his </b>chest twisted sharply.

    Up in the helicopter, Jodie was still crying and struggling.

    ¡°Sis.. please help me! Sis, help me!¡± Her sobs echoed in the morning light.

    Joseph, unbothered, stood nearby with a rxed smile, just watching

    He knew Sean¡¯s snipers were using red dot scopes¨Cprecision targeting. Even iba target moved suddenly or tried to dodge, they could stillnd a kill shot right between the eyes.

    Under these conditions, escape <b>was </b>nearly impossible. Joseph and his men wouldn¡¯t survive if they tried to run. The snipers were too <b>fast</b>, too well- trained

    But Joseph didn¡¯t care. He stared calmly at Sean, waiting,

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of death.

    He was eager to see what Sean would choose.

    In his eyes, sacrificing one little girl to wipe out a deadly enemy and his entire crow in one sweep was a trade worth making No more threats, no more

    he believed any rational man would make without hesitation.

    After <b>all</b>, to him, life had never been something precious or worth protecting

    Finally, Spoke ¡°Let Jodie go. I¡¯ll let you leave. But your men stay behind.¡±

    Dut

    ver coight Joseph off guard. It was unexpected yet not entirely surprising

    slow smirk tugged at Joseph¡¯s lips as he pointed toward a man behind him. ¡°I¡¯m taking John with me ¡±

    for years. He was his right hand man, second only to Joseph himself. <b>As </b>long <b>as </b>John was around, Joseph barely needed

    to lift a finger He wondd take rare of the rest

    turally, Joseph wain¡¯t about to leave someone that valudde behind.

    Sean¡¯s voire mam sharp and cold ¡°No¡±

    ??

    Joseph let out a low snort. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll just drop the girl¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s grip on S

    Sean¡¯s shirt tightened instinctively. His jaw clenched.

    A few seconds passed before Sean finally gave in. ¡°<b>Fine</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°To the rooftop,¡± Joseph said tly, tossing out the words before striding upstairs with long, confident steps.

    Five more stories. Then they would reach the rooftop.

    The helicopter hovered up alongside them, rising toward the top of the building.

    Sean followed, still carrying Charlotte in his arms.

    She hadn¡¯t let go of his shirt once. Her fingers were trembling, her eyes filled with fear and worry

 His Heart 285

    Chapter <b>285 </b>

    Sean¡¯s eyes softened as be gentlyforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Lorrie, Your sister¡¯s going to be okay.¡±

    Charlotte clung to his shirt, trembling slightly.

    It was pure reflex. When fear reached its peak, the body reacted on instinct,pletely beyond control.

    Back when she was

    was fighting Joseph Ford to the death, Charlotte had felt no fear at all¨Cnot even of dying

    But the moment she saw Jodie, her blood ran cold.

    <b>She </b>could face death herself, but she couldn¡¯t watch her little sister be murdered right in front of her.

    Don¡¯t be scared, Lottie, Sean repeated softly.

    .25 Bonus

    The helicopter had alreadynded on the rooftop.

    Jodie was still being held by the same towering man, trapped in his grip like a rag doll,

    As Joseph¡¯s group moved<b>, </b>the snipers stationed in the neighboring building shifted positions as well, adjusting their sights..

    Luckily, the building the snipers were on was the tallest in the area. Even after Joseph¡¯s group had moved up five more floors, the snipers still had the geographical advantage, finding ideal angles for clear shots.

    Redser dots once again appeared on the foreheads of Joseph¡¯s men.

    But Joseph remained calm, unhurried.

    He moved toward the helicopter.

    Sean followed to retrieve <b>the </b>hostage.

    Just as Joseph was about to board <b>and </b>Sean was inches <b>from </b>reaching Jodie

    Bang!

    A shot split through the air.

    The bullet mmed into the helicopter¡¯s fusge.

    The sudden shot threw the entire exchange into chaos. Sean and the man holding Jodle both instinctively recoiled, putting distance between them.

    ¡°Police! Nobody move!¡±

    At that moment, several officers rushed onto the rooftop, guns drawn.

    Joseph¡¯s face instantly darkened.

    ¡°You called the cops?¡± he shapped, whipping his head around to re <b>at </b><b>Sean</b>.

    Sean was just as stunned.

    ¡°No ¨C I didn¡¯t¡±

    This was exactly wh

    Chad feared. And it was happening anyway.

    ¡úSince you broke our deal, don¡¯t me me for what happens next<b>,</b>¡± Joseph snarled, mming the helicopter door shut.

    It all happened too fast. Sean couldn¡¯t stop him in time.

    The officers fired a few rounds at the aircraft, but Joseph¡¯s helicopter had been specially outfitted with bulletproof armor. Ordinary police handguns

    The ballets Bounced off harmlessly

    The chopper lifted into the sky while the officers continued firing shot after shot¨Cnone of them effective.

    ¡°No! He didn¡¯t let her go! He still has Jodie Charlotte¡¯s voice rose in panic as she saw the helicopter rising with her sister still inside.

    n hadn¡¯t expected the police to show up either.

    Home dich this happen<b>? </b>

    +35 Bonus

    Last night, he had taken every precaution to avoid this. He had gone back to the Jasper estate to carefully coordinate with both <b>his </b>family and the Rileys. He had even reported to the police that Charlotte had been found, just to keep them from interfering

    Before leaving, he had repeated his warning: ¡°Don¡¯t call the police. Trust me. I will get her out.¡±

    And yet, this happened.

    Now, as the helicopter rose into the sky with Jodie still <b>inside</b>, the snipers held their fire. They could see Jodie clearly<b>, </b>and without Sean¡¯smand, none dared take the shot.

    Charlotte, overwhelmed with panic, broke

    roke from from

    But it was toote..

    from Sean¡¯s arms and rushed forward, chasing the aircraft

    She could only watch helplessly as Joseph flew away with her sister.

    ¡°How did this happen?¡± Charlotte cried out, her valce cracking. ¡°Why did he change the deal at thest second?¡±

    <b>-25 </b>Bonu

 His Heart 286

    her statement.

    Charlotte followed Sean in a daze to the local police station to give h

    Once they arrived, the officers¡± attitude shifted noticeably after learning who Sean was. With more respect in their tone, they quickly moved things along

    From the officers, Sea learned that the person who had called the <b>police </b>was a man and through technical means, they had already identified him.

    It was

    One officer exined, ¡°The caller sand his girlfriend had been kidnapped and taken to Cloud City. The also imed the suspect might be armed. After receiving the report, weunched a search and tracked the location, and by the time <b>we </b><b>arrived</b>¡­¡±

    This <b>conversation </b>happened privately between Sean and the officer Charlotte wasn¡¯t aware of any of it

    Soon, both of their statements werepleted.

    Charlotte stepped out of the interview room.

    ¡°You¡¯re free to go,¡± said one of the officers.

    But Charlotte stepped forward, her voice shalding. ¡°Officer, my sister has been kidnapped. Please. you have to help her. The man who took her he¡¯s a <b>monster</b>. She¡¯s only eight years old. If she stays in his hands¡­¡±

    Her voice broke. She couldn¡¯t finish. Her emotions overwhelmed her, and she <b>could </b>barely get the <b>words </b>out.

    Jodie might have been her stepmother¡¯s daughter<b>, </b>but after all these years together, Charlotte truly loved her. She had never <b>said </b>it out loud, but deep down, she had already epted Jodie and Xena as family.

    II Jodie didn¡¯t make it back, she didn¡¯t even want <b>to </b>imagine it.

    ¡°The suspect crossed the national border by helicopter,¡± <b>said </b><b>the </b>officer. <b>¡°</b><b>We¡¯re </b>currently trying to contact authorities in Antis <b>to </b>request their cooperation. We¡¯ll update <b>you </b>as soon as we receive any news.¡±

    Cloud City was already close to the border. The abandoned building Joseph had chosen was only <b>a </b>short flight away. The moment that helicopter lifted off, it didn¡¯t <b>take </b>long before it passed into foreign territory. Once they were over the line, the local police lost jurisdiction.

    All they could do now was reach out to Antis for help in capturing Joseph Ford.

    Joseph and John had escaped in the helicopter. The rest of his men had been arrested.

    As Charlotte stood there sobbing, Sean knew that no words couldfort her now. Instead, he stayed silently by her side, gently holding her hand.

    At that moment<b>, </b><b>Sean¡¯s </b>phone rang-

    He nced down. The caller ID showed; Desmond Riley

    Sean instinctively looked at Charlotte

    She was still talking to an officer about Jodie, too

    too distressed to no

    notice his phone ringing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take das outside,¡± he said softly, giving her hand a gentle <b>squeeze</b>,

    He stepped a few feet <b>away </b>and answered

    Sean ¡ª¡ªJodie¡¯s missing too! Where are you? Are you in Cloud City? Did you find Joseph Ford? Are both Charlotte and Jodie with him? <b>What¡¯s </b>happening? Can you get them out ¡ª do you lume a n ¡ª ?¡±

    second the call connected, Desmond fired off a barrage of panicked questions.

    a pave him a full rundown of the situation.

    ment Denton heard that Jodie had been taken across the border into Antis, his hand trembled<b>, </b>and the phone ttering to the floor.

    There was static for a few second

    Then, Xena¡¯s voice came through the line¨Chysterical, breaking down in the background.

    e shipped <b>from </b>his grasp,

    After leaving the police station, Charlotte Blew back to Jersey City with Sean on a private jet

    On the flight, Sean exined everything¨CJoseph¡¯s terms,

    rescue n he had originally put in ce

    led the police,¡± Charlotte asked her voice husking with anger, ¡°even if Joseph had taken Tode, you could¡¯ve saved her too, right?¡±

    in her eyes

 His Heart 287

    ¡°Yes,¡± <b>Sean </b>said quietly, lowering his gaze. ¡°Back at the station, I asked the police. The one <b>who </b>made the call¡­ was <b>Zac </b>Gibson.¡±

    ¡°Zar Gibson?¡± Charlotte frowned deeply. ¡°<b>I¡¯ve </b>only been missing sincest night. We barely even keep in touch <b>anymore</b>. How would he <b>know </b>I was kidnapped?

    hat¡¯s what I¡¯ve been wondering too,¡± Span replied

    ¡°Initially, it was one of your friends who reported you missing because they couldn¡¯t reach you and were worried something had happened. After that, I went home specifically to speak with both your <b>family </b><b>and </b>mine told them to inform the police you had been found and that no one <b>was </b>to report anything else. By that logic, Zac shouldn¡¯t <b>have </b>even known you were missing¨Clet alone that you were kidnapped,¡±

    The private jet ride back had taken over three hours, and by now Charlotte¡¯s emotions had settled somewhat. The <b>worst </b>had already <b>happened</b>. Jodie <b>had </b>been taken to Antis by Joseph. After her initial breakdown<b>, </b><b>she </b>had began to regain herposure.

    ¡°And he knew I¡¯d been taken to Cloud City,¡± she said calmly, analyzing the situation. ¡°That means someone had to tell him what happened. Either that, or he has a connection to Joseph¡¯s people. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way he could¡¯ve known that much.¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression turned sharp. ¡°The only people who knew you were taken to Cloud City were-

    At the Jasper estate, Desmond sat stiffly on the couch, face dark with anxiety and anger, waiting for <b>Sean </b>to return with Charlotte.

    Three hours earlier, when Xena found out that Jodie had been taken to Antis, she had copsed on the spot from the shock. She was now in the hospital, leaving Desmond alone at the Jasper estate to walt for news.

    When the Jasper family learned that <b>Sean </b>had returned safely, everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.

    As for Jodie, once the Jasper family learned she had been kidnapped, they were indeed concerned, especially Lilian

    But at the end of the day, Jodie wasn¡¯t a Jasper by <b>blood</b>. No matter how worried they were, it was <b>nothing </bpared to the panic of Desmond and Xena.

    The moment Sean arrived with Charlotte, everyone stood up

    Desmond was the first to rush over, urgently asking what had happened.

    Seem reassured him with a few brief words, then narrowed his eyes as he swept his gaze <b>over </b>everyone in the room. His expressi was a chill in the air around him.

    ¡°Who told anyone that Lottie had been Iddnapped by Joseph?¡±

    The room fell silent.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. was the first to speak ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    was cold<b>, </b>and there

    Acold aura radiated from Sean. His jaw was <b>tight</b>, his expression steely. ¡°Only the <b>people </b><b>in </b>has house know my n. Only you knew Lottie had been taken <b>to </b>Yuncheng Before I left, I warned you again and again not to call the police, So why did someone still report it?¡±

    ¡°What? Someone called the police? Vivian <b>starod </b>wide¨Ceyed in shock. ¡°Couldn¡¯t it have been one of Charlotte¡¯s friends?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Sean said tly. ¡°I already spoke <b>to </b>fall and Jordanst night. I asked them to help notify the rest of Lottie¡¯s friends, including the one who made the initial report. They all knew what was happening. <b>None </b>of them would¡¯ve called the <b>police </b>again.¡±

    His eyes scanned each person in the room¨Csharp<b>, </b>searching.

    -Sun, you don¡¯t trust us? Vivian looked hurt. ¡°Do you really think one of us called the police? You warned us over and over before you left not to say a word Why would we go behind your back like that?

    Liliar added, ¡°That¡¯s right, Sean. I was worried about your safety, of course, but in the end, I agreed to your n. I¡¯d never report anything to the police

    Stand unmoved. His expression stayed cold

    my of you who made the call. It was Zar Gibson. But someone in this house leaked the information to him.¡±

    ¦§

    +31 Borut

 His Heart 288

    As soon as those words were spoken, everyone in the room froze

    James¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Everyone here <b>is </b><b>family</b>, Sean. <b>What </b>exactly are you implying? Are you saying <b>one </b>of us would leak information to outsiders and put you in danger?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. spoke up as well. ¡°That¡¯s right, <b>Sean</b><b>. </b>You specifically reminded us not to call the police before you left. I may be old, but I¡¯m not senile enough to forget something like that. None of us called <b>the </b>police. And when your life is on the line, we would never risk leaking anything to outsiders<b>.</b>¡±

    Desmond added, ¡°I can vouch for myself and Xena. We absolutely didn¡¯t leak anything. Lottie is still in their hands. If anything got out, both you and Lottle might not make it out alive. We¡¯d never take that kind of risk. Even when Jodie disappeared shortly after you left, we kept your instructions firmly in mind and didn¡¯t call the police.¡±

    Lilian shook her head. ¡°There must be some misunderstanding here.¡±

    Vivian chimed <b>in</b>. ¡°Exactly. <b>Sean</b>, <b>this </b><b>has </b>to be <b>a </b>misunderstanding. Could it <b>have </b>been one of Miss Riley¡¯s <b>friends </b>or coworkers who identally let something slip? Maybe someone with bad intentions overheard and called the police on purpose to harm you.¡±

    Before Sean could respond, Charlotte suddenly let out <b>a </b>coldugh.

    Her lips curled slightly, her gaze sharp as loe. <b>Vivian </b>Xander, the one who called the police <b>was </b>Zac Gibson. <b>You </b>were the one who leaked the information to him, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Vivian¡¯s face turned pale ¡°Charlome, what <b>are </b>

    e you saying? How could I possibly¡­

    Smack!

    A lood, crisp si

    p rang out before she could finish her sentence.

    Charlotte struck fast and hard, leaving everyone stunned. No one <b>had </b>seen iting

    Vivian clutched her cheek, tears welling in her eyes. She said in a trembling, aggrieved voice, ¡°Charlotte, <b>I </b>know you¡¯ve never liked me, but you can¡¯t just hit me and use me without any proof¡­¡±

    Tears falling, she turned to Mrs. Jasper Sr. for support. ¡°Grandma, please stand up for me

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Charlotte Riley, how dare you p Vivian in front of us! You have no manners <b>at </b>all! Is this how your parents raised you? You go around hitting people the moment you disagree? And you call yourself a well¨Cbred youngdy? You¡¯re nothing but a shrew!¡±

    James didn¡¯t look any happier. No matter <b>what</b>, Vivian was his adopted daughter, part of their family. For Charlotte to p her in front of them was like pping the entire Jasper family.

    James¡¯s expression grew even darker. His voice was tight with displeasure. ¡°Charlotte, this is too much. If you have something to say, say it properly. There¡¯s no need to resort to violence.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Lottie, calm <b>down</b>¡­¡± Lilian tried to intervene.

    Unlike the rest of the Jasper family, Sean¡¯s first instinct was to step forward and shield Charlotte, positioning himself protectively in <b>front </b>of her in case Vivian retaliated

    Of course, Vivian wasn¡¯t capable of fighting back against Charlotte. But a

    Sean didn¡¯t hesitate to put himself between them

    His action felt like <b>a </b>knife to <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>heart. Her face went even paler, the pain evident in her eyes.

    At first, Desmond was too stunned to react. But the moment Mrs. Jasper Sr. insulted his daughter, ho could not hold back any longer. He cast aside all pretense of respect and etiquette. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and confronted her directly.

    ¡°Mrs <b>Jasper </b>Sr, I have always treated you with courtesy because you are the matriarch of this family. But now you stand here in front of everyone and all my daughter a shrew? You should be ashamed. And what about your precious Vivian? Ar the banquet, she standered my daughter in public, and you

    ver even bothered to learn the truth. You <b>sided </b>with her and humiliated Lottle. When Lottie checked the surveince footage, none of you dared to look in Have your vendently forgotten that? Is this the example you are setting for your granddaughter? Judging by her behavior, I would say Lorrie hadd mvery temon to p ber

    Desmond¡¯s fury only grew, his voice rising ¡°And this time, it was your Jasper family that caused Lattie to be kidnapped in the first ce. Now Jodie has be taken to Antis try your bastard <b>son</b>, and we do not even know if she is alive. If your adopted daughter really did leak that information, pping her would be letting her off nay I would have hall a mind to kill her myself.¡±

 His Heart 289

    Chapter <b>289 </b>

    ___¡°You___Desimond Riley, you¡­¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. <b>was </b>shalding with rage, her chest heaving violently

    She pointed a trembling finger at Desmond, ¡°<b>You </b>arepletely out of control. In broad daylight, you dare say you would kill Vivim? Do you regard for thew? Do you believe I will not call the police right now and have you arrested?¡±

    Desmond let out a coldugh. ¡°Call them. Let the pollene and investigate exactly what happened with Lottle¡¯s kidnapping,¡±

    *You.¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s face tumed ghostly pale. Her breathing, grewbored, as <b>if </b><b>she </b>could not catch her <b>breathe </b>

    squick, get her medicine!¡± James shouted to the servants.

    The servants rushed to get it

    At that moment, Sean finally spoke

    ¡°If Grandina wants to call the police, then go ahead. I would flue to know exactly who leaked the Information. I want to know how Joseph learned Lottie¡¯s whereabouts, I want to know how he knew the real reason behind my breakups and broken engagement.¡±

    His page turned ice cold as he locked eyes with Vivian. ¡°You stay right where you are and wait for the police.¡±

    Vivian looked as if she was about to burst into tears. Her big eyes shimmered with tears, her expression <b>innocent </b>and pitiful.

    ¡°Sean, how could you not believe me? This is about your life. How could I possibly lyk anything <b>to </b><b>outsiders</b>?¡±

    H

    ¡°Desmond Raley, get out! Get out of here! You <b>are </b>not wee in this house! Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr. </b><b>was </b>shaking with fury, her eyes zing as she red at Desmond

    Sean spoke again in a cold voice, ¡°Grandma, that is mought.

    Though he called her Grandma, his tone was <b>one </b>of puremand, leaving no room for argument,

    <b>Mrs. </b>Jasper Sr. felt her heart turn cold. Her beloved grandson was standing there protecting Charlotte and speaking to her in this tone. The blow hit her

    ¡°I am not leaving.¡± Desmond shot her <b>a </b><b>scornful </b><b>book</b>, ¡°Call the police. I will stay right here and wait for them to investigate.¡±

    James stepped in to try and calm things down. ¡°Enough, enough. We are all family. Let¡¯s all just <b>calm </b>down.¡±

    Desmond replied sharply. ¡°Family? Do not include me with your <b>family</b>. A family like yours only brings death. I want nothing to do with it.¡±

    James let out a long sigh. He turned to Mrs. Jasper Sr. with a helpless expression. ¡°<b>Morn</b>, please, try not to get so upset. You will give yourself a heart attack. Why don¡¯t you go upstairs and rest? Sean and I can handle things here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mom, please go rest,¡± Lilian added.

    I am not going anywhere!¡± Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. shouted. ¡°I will stay right here until the policee, I want Charlotte to apologize to Vivian.¡±

    Charlotte pare a coldugh ¡°Apologion?That will never happen.¡±

    <b>¦§ </b>

    Tears streamed silently down Vivian¡¯s face. She sobbed helplessly, ber vuke trembling ¡°Grandma, I do not even know what I did wrong, Charlotte hates me so much but I really did not leak anything, Please, Mom, Dul, you believe me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    James looked at his daughter, crying with a bright red handprint on her chook. His heart softened. He spoke gently. ¡°Stop crying. You have been

    but Lilien froward Her gaze lingered on Vivim, her expression thoughtful.

    Charlotte stepped out from behind Sean and stared coldly at Vivian ¡°Stop pretending. You fake little snake, It is disgusting¡±

    oder wave of anger through Mrs. Jasper Sr., who looked as though she might pass out. The servants hurried to give her the medicine.

    Jates frowned and looked at Charlotte ¡°That is enough from you¡±

    Charlotte gave a cold snort. ¡°I am no longer a daughter inw of this family Why should I listen <b>to </b>you?¡±

    Jettes was left speechless

    *50, tan one is calling tiar p Dettond polled out his phone. ¡°Than I will ¡±

 His Heart 290

    +25 <b>Bonus </b>

    Desmond called the police, and the officers arrived quickly.

    After gathering the details, the police exined that since Jodie had been kidnapped in Jersey City, they had jurisdiction to open an investigation. They would coordinate with both the Cloud City police andw enforcement in Antis to track down Joseph <b>Ford</b>.

    However, regarding the matter of who had leaked the information to Zac, the police made it clear that it was not within their scope. They advised the family to resolve that issue themselves.

    Once the <b>officers </b>left, Mrs. Jasper Sr., having taken her medication, still had no <b>intention </b>of letting Charlotte off the hook. She kept pressing for Charlotte to apologize to Vivian.

    Charlotte let out a coldugh. ¡°Apologize? She <b>is </b>not even worthy of one.

    <b>Yo </b>

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. red at her. ¡°Thank goodness you never married into this family.¡±

    Both Lilian and Sean frowned at her words

    Lin spoke first. ¡°Mom, please do not say that Lottie just went through a kidnapping. She nearly lost her li family. Her sister¡¯s life is still in jeopardy. Yes, she did hit <b>Vivian</b>, but it was an impulsive reaction

    life<b>, </b>and it only happened because of our

    Sean frowned as well. His voice <b>was </b>cold. ¡°I was the one who asked Mr. Riley for her hand. She never sought to marry into this family. Do not say such things again.¡±

    Desmond looked at them with undisguised disdain. ¡°We want nothing from your family. Lottle,e with me. We are going home.¡±

    Charlotte replied firmly. ¡°Alright.¡±

    She met Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s gaze, her eyes icy cold. ¡°I will get to the bottom of this leak. If I find <b>proof </b>that it was Vivian, I will make sure she pays.¡±

    <b>With </b>that, Charlotte turned to leave. Sean reached out and grabbed her wrist.

    She lowered her gaze to his hand, her voice sharp. ¡°Let go.¡±

    Sean pressed his lips together but <b>did </b>not move.

    Charlotte pulled her wrist tree, her eyes filled with steely determination. ¡°II Vivian really leaked that information, I will go against you. I will go against your entire family. I will make her pay. ¡±

    <b>Soan </b>froze. A sharp, aching pain filled his chest.

    <b>Why </b>did she not believe he would stand by her? If it truly had been Vivian who leaked the information, he would be the first to make her pay<b>. </b>Why did Charlotte assume he would protect Vivian and turn against her?

    Sean swallowed hard but could not find the words to <b>say</b>.

    Charlotte gave him no more time. Without hesitation, she walked away.

    Stop right there!¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. shouted angrily. ¡°Since when do you think you <b>can </b>throw your weight around in this house? You think you can hit someone and just leave? What do you think this ce is?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Grandma,¡± Sean interrupted. His patience had reached its limit. His voice <b>was </b>cold and filled with authority.

    He did <b>not </b>shout, but the weight of his <b>tone </b>silenced the entire roQIL

    Mrs. Jasper went quiet at once.

    Vivian stood with tears streaming down her face. She hit her lip and reached out to hug at <b>Sean¡¯s </b>sleeve, ¡°Seat, I really¡­

    Before she could finish, Sean shoved her hand away and turned to walk upstairs, pulling out his phone to make a call as he went.

    Vivian was penhed so hard she nearly stumbled. As <b>she </b>caught her bnce, she nced at Charlotte¡¯s retreating figure, her <b>eyes </b>now burning with

    After Desmond and Charlotte leti, Mrs. Jasper Sr. continued to mutter angrily to herself.

    Liban nced coolly at Vivian but said nothing. She turned and went <b>upstairs </b>as well

    mes sat there, listening to Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s endless grunting, his head beginning to throb. He pressed his fingers to his temples<b>, </b>clearly <b>exhaunted</b><b>. </b>¡°Mom, you really are being unreasonable,¡± he said. ¡°The Rileys have already suffered so much because of its How can you still hold such a grudge

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    against Charlotte?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. bristled with indignation

    <b>¡°</b><b>What </b><b>do </b>you mean I am being unreasonable? She pped Vivian right in front of us without a shred of proof. She just walked in here and pped her. And you<b>, </b>as her father, are not even standing up for your daughter. Instead, you say I am the one being unreasonable. Who is really being unreasonable here?¡±

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 His Heart 291

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    Chapter <b>201 </b>

    James let out a long sigh. ¡°It was wrong of her to p Vivian without cause. But your words were far too harsh. Enough. Things have already gotten out of hand. Talking about it now will not help anything.¡±

    With that, James walked <b>away </b>

    Vivian sat tearfully beside Mrs. Jasper Sr., her voice salt and pitiful ¡°Grandma, this <b>is </b>all my fault. I have always known that Charlotte does not like me, 1 do not mind getting pped, but seeing you so upset over it really worries me. I do not want you to get sick because of me. Please calm down.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper St. looked at her with <b>deep </b>affection. She reached out and gently stroked Vivian¡¯s cheele <b>¡°</b>Good girl. You have been wronged. Does it still

    Tears shimmered in Vivian¡¯s eyes <b>as </b>she shook her head. ¡°It does not hurt anymore, Grandma.¡±

    Seeing the red swelling on Vivian¡¯s face, Mrs. Jasper Sr. felt a fresh wave of heartache. She quickly instructed the servants to bring an ice pack for Vivian¡¯s <b>face</b>.

    Meanwhile, upstairs, Sean was on the phone with Luke<b>, </b>asking him to investigate <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>recent movements and any contact she might have had with

    Over on the other side, after leaving the Jasper estate, Charlotte and Desmond first went to the hospital to visit Xena

    Xena had regained consciousness, but her emotions were still fragile. The moment she saw Charlotte, her eyes filled with tears.

    ¡°Lottie your sister¡­ <b>your </b>sister¡­¡± Xena could not stop sabbing

    Seeing her like this made Charlotte¡¯s heart ache. She quickly spoke a few words offort.

    ¡°Aunt Xena, Joseph Ford is using Jodie as a hostage to negotiate with Sean, so for now, her life should not be in danger. Please try not to worry too much. You <b>need </b>to take care of <b>your </b>health.¡±

    There was logic to this. As ruthless and deranged as Joseph <b>was</b>, he was calcting above all else. Killing Jodie would serve him no purpose. Keeping her alive to use as leverage against Sean was the sinartest move.

    Charlotte forced herself to stay calm. She kept telling herself that as long as Jodie had value <b>as </b><b>a </b>bargaining <b>chip</b>, Joseph would not harm her.

    After leaving the hospital, Charlotte stopped at a nearby phone store to buy <b>a </b>new phone and rece her SIM card,

    As soon <b>as </b>she turned it on, a flood of missed calls and unread messages poured in,

    A quick nce showed that more than half were from Sean, while the rest were from Desmond, Xena, and <b>a </b>low friends and coworkers.

    After the harrowing night she had endured, this was the first moment she finally felt safe.

    Now that she had <b>a </b>new phone, Charlotte immediately contacted Sophile.

    ¡°Charlotte?¡± Sophie¡¯s voice trembled with disbelief and rellet,

    She sounded like she had been crying. ¡°Are you okay? I could not reach youst night. I was so worried. I was afraid something had happened to you. I panicked and called the <b>police</b>. Are you alright? Where are you now?¡±

    want to involve anyone further or make her friends worry even more, <b>so </b>she chose not to mention the kidnapping-

    She replied greatly. ¡°I am fine now. I am sorry. Something came upst night, and I could not answer.

    Late safe.

    <b>Sophile </b>let out a relieved breath. ¡°I am just d you a

    Charlotte asked, ¡°Where are you now?

    the hotel ¡±

    Send me the address. I wille to you now.¡±

    After they left the Jasper estate, the Riley family¡¯s driver took them to the hospital. When Charlotte left the hospital, she simply drove the cat herself. Shecked the GPS. The hotel was not far<b>, </b>only about a ten minute drive.

 His Heart 292

    On the way to the hospital, Charlotte called Mia and Lena to let them know <b>she </b>was <b>safe </b>and told them not to worry

    By the time she arrived at the hotel and met up with Sophie, it was already dinnertime.

    Charlotte nced at her watch. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab something to eat.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Sophie replied.

    ¡°What are you in the mood for?

    Sophie gave a small smile. ¡°I am fine with anything.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s check what is nearby<b>.</b>¡±

    After dinner, Charlotte said, ¡°You can go ahead and submit your resume through the normal process at the firm. They will arrange the interview.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Have you found a ce to stay yet?¡± Charlotte asked, referring to whether Sophie had secured an apartment.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Sophie replied.

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°I will ask someone to help you look¡±

    Sophie quickly waved her <b>hands</b>. ¡°Charlotte, you really do not have to trouble anyone. I can handle it myself.¡±

    ¡°Why are you being polite with me? You barely know your way around Jersey City. I do not want you getting scammed.

    Sophie hesitated, then said softly, ¡°Then¡­ thank you.¡±

    ¡°It is no trouble,¡± Charlotte said, ncing at the time, ¡°I will take you back to the hotel first. I have something else to take care ofter.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡±

    After dropping Sophie off at the hotel, Charlotte Immediately drove to Gibson Corporation.

    It was five thirty in the afternoon. The employees had not finished work yet, so Zan should still be in the office.

    As

    soon <b>as </b>she parked outside the building, her phone rang with a <b>call </b>from an unfamiliar number

    In fact, when she had first turned on her new phone<b>, </b><b>she </b>had noticed several missed calls from unknown numbers. Since she had <b>not </b>known who they were from<b>, </b>she <b>had </b>ignored them.

    Now, after a few rings, she answered. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Lottie! You finally answered. Where are you? Are you okay? Did Joseph Ford do anything to you?¡± It was Zac¡¯s voice.

    Charlotte¡¯s fingers tightened around the phone. A wave of anger <b>shot </b>through her.

    She forced herself to stay calm and replied <b>coldly</b>, ¡°Me? Thanks to you, <b>I </b>almost lost my life. As it happens, I am right outside your office building Why don¡¯t youe down and talk?¡®¡®

    You are outside my building?<b>¡± </b>Zac sounded surprised and asked again to confirm.

    Charlotte <b>spoke </b>impatiently. ¡°Stop wasting

    e tine. Come down now.¡±

    Zar hurried to agree. ¡°Alright, wait for me in the lobby. I will be right there

    ng up, Charlotte went into the lobby and sat on one of the sodas.

    Zhad not yete down, but Charlotte soon ran into someone else she knew

    Wendy appeared, dressed in an ivory Chanel suit, carrying a white <b>Louis </b>Vuitton bag Charlotte¡¯s own style, and even her hairstyle was exactly the same,

    In with Bi

    light blue floral ents. Her outfit looked strikingly simr to

    At first, Charlotte did not recognize her. She just noticed that the woman¡¯s outfit looked oddly familiar and gave her a second nce.

    That second nce made things Interesting it was Wendy

    What¡¯s the trying to do<b>? </b>Copy my style? Charlotte wondered.

    a ja jou b

    +25 BonuE

    She frowned. The thought of Wendy mimicking her <b>gave </b>her an unsettling feeling, like something dirty hadtched onto her.

    Noticing Charlotte¡¯s gaze, <b>Wendy </b>tumed and caught sight of her. She hesitated mid¨Cstep, her brow furrowing

    ¡°Charlotte Riley?¡± Wendy¡¯s heart skipped a beat, her expression darkening. She strode over. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Seated on the sofa, Charlotte <b>looked </b>up at her, her time <b>casual </b>andced with sarcasm. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. For a second there, I thought you were one of my sisters. When did you start copying my style? Trying to pull off that whole imitation act?¡±

    Wendy¡¯s face paled. ¡°Had she noticed?¡± she thought nervously,

    She <b>quickly </b>regained herposure and forced <b>a </b><b>smile</b>. ¡°Copy you? Please. You think too highly of yourself. <b>Why </b>

 His Heart 293

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze swept over Wendy from head to toe, raking in every detail.

    Then she suddenly let out <b>a </b>sharp, amusedugh.

    ¡°What are you l

    are youughing at?¡± Wendy asked, visibly annoyed.

    ¡°I just thought of something.¡± Charlotte saidzily, casting her a sidelong nce ¡°You k someone else? It only makes them look worse.¡±

    Wendy¡¯s expression darkened.

    know what happens when someone tries too hard to imitate

    ¡°Charlotte Riley<b>, </b>I have seen narcissists before, but none quite like you. <b>What</b>, do you think this style is your personal trademark? You think you are the only one allowed <b>to </b>dress this way?¡± Wendy stood in front of her with her arms crossed.

    Charlotte looked at her with a faint smile.

    ¡°Of course fashion is not my personal trademark. Tunderstand. Miss Cooper, it is just a coincidence that your outfit happens to look like mine, your hairstyle happens to match mine, <b>your </b>makeup happens to be the <b>same</b><b>, </b>and even your perfume happens to be identical. Of course, you are not copying me at all. It is just one big coincidence.¡±

    Wendy¡¯s expression turned even uglier. She opened her mouth to argue, but was abruptly interrupted by a male voice

    ¡°Lorrie!¡± Zac called out happily.

    Wendy froze.

    Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened instantly as <b>she </b>locked coldly at Zac.

    Wendy red at Charlotte. ¡°You came here to see Zac? You two broke up ages ago. Why are you still clinging to him? <b>Are </b>you that desperate for a man?¡±

    Charlotte gave <b>a </b>coldugh. ¡°Do you really think everyone is like you, picking up trash and pretending it is treasure?¡±

    Zac had just walked over in time to hear every word.

    Hearing her call him trash left a sting in his heart, but he had expected no less. He had long since epted that after everything he had done to her,¡± trash¡± was putting it kindly. He had no <b>illusions </b>about himself.

    ¡°Lottle, I am just d you <b>are </b>safe.¡± Zac stopped in front of her, his voice gentle, his eyes filled with lingering affection.

    Charlotte¡¯s anger red at his words. She shot up from the <b>sofa </b>and pped him across the face without hesitation.

    The loud p echoed through the lobby, drawing nces from several passersby. Even the receptionist behind the front desk looked over curiously.

    Zac was well¨Cdressed and handsome, the kind of man <b>who </b>always caught attention. Many of the female employees in the building harbored small. crushes on him. Seeing him get pped so hard left the receptionist stunned.

    If it were not for fear of losing her job, she <b>would </b>have loved to record <b>this </b>scene and send it to the other employees upstairs. Their esteemed president had just been pped by a woman in the middle of the lobby. <b>What </b>a sight

    ¡°Charlotte Riley, are you crazy? Wendy <b>shouted</b>, heart aching at the sight of Zac getting pped.

    She rushed over, grabbing Zac¡¯s arm. ¡°Zac, are you okay? Let me see yource.¡±

    rad had snapped <b>to </b>the side from the force of the blow. For a moment, he was dazed. When he finally came to<b>, </b>he brushed Wendy¡¯s <b>hand </b>away and

    yes with Charlotte

    His woke was full of hurt. ¡°Why, Lottie?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice was cold as ice, her entire presence radiating hostility. ¡°Did you call the police?¡±

    Zar replied, ¡°Yes. I heard visalia

    een kidnapped. I was worried about you. I was afraid something would happen.¡±

    sharp. ¡°And how exactly did you know I was kidnapped by Joseph Ford? Was it Vivian Xander who told

    vuke was s

 His Heart 294

    Zac¡¯s expression shifted,

    Vivian had already contacted him earlier, repeatedly warning him not to let Charlotte <b>or </b><b>Sean </b>find out about their connection.

    In any case<b>, </b>

    Chester had already been arrested. Even if Charlotte found out Zac was <b>involved </b>with him, it was not the end of the world.

    Zac shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze hardened. Her voice was sharp. ¡°Then how did you know? How did you know Joseph took me to Cloud City? How did you know about Sean¡¯s n? Did you call the police on purpose, hoping neither of <b>us </b>would make it out alive?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it!¡± Zac¡¯s <b>eyes </b>widened with panic. ¡°That¡¯s not it, Lottie I didn¡¯t know about Sean¡¯s <b>n</b>. All I knew was that you had been kidnapped by <b>Joseph</b>. I called the police to save you. How could I just sit back and do nothing while something happened to you?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s patience was wearing thin. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time, How did you know Joseph took me to Cloud City?

    ¡°Lone of his men <b>told </b>me.¡± Zac shifted his gaze nervously, unable to meet her eyes.

    Charlotte locked her gaze on him. ¡°And why would one of Joseph¡¯s men tell you?¡±

    Zac replied, ¡°Mypany was on the brink of bankruptcy. I was desperate for investors. But because I had offended the <b>Jasper </b>family, the Sullivan family, and your family, no one <b>dared </b>to invest. Then a man named Chester Simpson approached me. He <b>said </b>he was willing to invest and save Gibson Corporation, but only if they became the majority shareholders.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t the whole truth. The one who had first approached him was Vivian.

    But that, he could not say.

    ¡°Chester Simpson?¡± Charlotte frowned.

    The name rang a bell The boss at Matthew¡¯s formerpany had worked under Chester. If she remembered correctly<b>, </b>Chester held quite <b>a </b>bit of power In Jersey City. He had connections on both sides of thew, was ruthless, and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

    He controlled dozens <b>of </bpanies. Financially, he was no small yer, Investing in Gibson Corporation would have been easy for him.

    Recently, after Chester <b>had </b>been arrested for various crimes, Charlotte learned that he <b>was </b>actually working for Joseph. Thepanies under his control In Jersey City were all fronts for Joseph¡¯s operations.

    Logically, there was no reason for Chester to invest in apany as close to copse as Gibson Corporation. He could easily get a far better return elsewhere.

    Realizing <b>this</b>, Charlotte looked at Zac with growing suspicion.

    Her voice turned <b>cold</b>. ¡°Why would Chester Simpson Invest in Gibson Corporation? Yourpany was on the verge of bankruptcy. What would he gain? I¡¯ve looked into him before. He¡¯s ruthless and driven purely by profit. This doesn¡¯t fit his <b>usual </b>pattern.¡±

    ito work for Joseph, Zac said quietly, his eyes lowered. ¡°<b>And</b>..¡±

    ¡°Because I agreed to

    He paused for a few seconds, then lifted his paze to meet Charlotte¡¯s. ¡°He looked into my background. He <b>knew </b>I used to date you. He knew I had a grudge against the Jasper family. That was exactly what he wanted. He nned to use me against Sean.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s brows drew tight. Her dark <b>eyes </b>grew even colder. ¡°Use you against Sean? You?¡±

    Her words clearly hit a surve

    Zar¡¯s eyes dimmed. A flicker of <b>pain </b>shed across his face

    His voice grew horse ¡°ording to Chester, Joseph¡¯s exact words were, ¡®The more Sean Jasper wants something, the more I want to take it away. Hemaking him and Charlotte apert is the easiest way to make him suffer¡®

    COIN BUNDLE mora

 His Heart 295

    ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b>sorry, Lottie¡­¡± Zac took a step forward, reaching out

    ching put to touch Charlotte¡¯s arm, but she pped his hand away

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± she <b>snapped</b>, ring at him with fury in her eyes.

    Zac¡¯s <b>gaze </b>darkened, his face <b>twisted </b>in pain. ¡°It¡¯s my Lault. <b>Ladidn¡¯t </b>meet Joseph¡¯s expectations, I failed to break you two aquart. If I had seeded in separating you <b>and </b>Sean back then, Joseph work¡¯ve gotten what he wanted. He wouldn¡¯t havee after your gone after your dad and Jodio, ¡±

    Charlotte stared at him in disbelief, ¡°What is this guy even bring himself?¡± she wondered.

    She let out a disbelievingugh. ¡°So now <b>you¡¯re </b>apologizing became you didn¡¯t manage to break up me and Sean?¡±

    ¡°¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant, Lottie Zac stammered, his eyes flickering

    Charlotte¡¯s emotions were surging. Her eyes were red at the corners, her voice rising with anger. ¡°My sister was kidnapped by Joseph¡¯s ment We had a chance to get her back, but thanks to you reporting it to <b>the </b>police, they showed up and blew everything. Now she¡¯s been taken to Antis<b>!</b>¡±

    Zac¡¯s eyes flow open in shock. <b>¡°</b><b>What</b>? <b>Jodie </b>was kidnapped too?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice trembled with rage. ¡°You¡¯re seriously telling me Vivian didn¡¯t tell you to call the cops? Do you even know what Josephi sald to <b>Sean </b>on the phone? He said if the police showed up, he¡¯d kill the hostage on the spot!

    ¡°She knew. Vivian knew. She told you to call the police because she wanted Joseph <b>to </b>kill me. She used you, <b>Zact </b>Don¡¯t you get it?¡±

    Zac stood <b>there</b>, stunned. His face drained of color as the weight of what he had almost done hit him. His eyes filled with pain and pande.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lottie. I didn¡¯t know. If I¡¯d loown, I never would¡¯ve gone <b>to </b>the police

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Charlotte shouted, cutting him off sharply. <b>¡°</b>Tell me the math¨Cdid Vivian really have nothing to do with your call?¡±

    Zac¡¯s jaw tightened.<ol><li>ed. His hands curled into fists at his sides.</li></ol>

    He was on the verge of telling her the truth, but too much was weighing on his mind.

    Even though Chester had been arrested, the person listed as the majority shareholder of Gibson Corporation had not been touched

    Thepany was, for all practical purposes, already Joseph¡¯s ything. He might be bacle in Antis, but a single word from him could bring Gibson <b>Corporation </b>crashing down again.

    Right now, thepany still bore the Gibson name<b>, </b>but in truth, it already belonged to Joseph

    weighed the risks. Gibson Corporation <b>was </b>his father¡¯s life¡¯s work it was better to keep it barely alive than see it destroyedpletely.

    He couldn¡¯t afford to expose Vivian. Not yet.

    ¡°It had nothing to do with her,¡± Zac said, his voice hoarse.

    Charlotte just looked at hin

    After a few seconds<b>, </b>she gave a soft, bitterugh. She said nothing else and turned <b>to </b>leave.

    Werdy, who had been standing off in the side listening, rund over. ¡°Zac, are you okay? I¡¯ll go get <b>you </b>an lee park

    Zar shoved her away roughly, his face full of irritation. ¡°Get out of my way.¡±

    Furious, Zac turned on his heed and pulled out his phone, dialing as he walked.

    He needed to find out whether Vivian had known what Joseph Tuld Sean !

    If she had known, then she had used him<ul><li>had used him to indirectly kill the woman he loved most</li></ul>

    se, he would never forgive her.

    D

 His Heart 296

    Charlotte slid into the driver¡¯s seat, buckled her seatbelt, and pulled out her phone to make a call

    ¡°Pull the corporate records for Gibson Corporation.¡±

    Her <b>gaze </b>was cold and clear as her slender fingers topped rhythmically against the steering wheel,

    ¡°And find me a reliable private investigator. I want someone to look into Zac Gibson.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss Riley¡±

    After ending the call, Charlotte tossed her phone onto the passenger <b>seat </b>and stepped on the gas. The car eased out onto the road.

    Evening had fallen. The city lights began to flicker on

    Rush hour traffic was suffocating. The ck Rolls Royce Phantom crawled forward amid an endless line of gridlocked cars.

    The jam was enough to drive anyone restless

    Just then, her phone rang again. Charlotte nced at the screen.

    was Sear

    Since their breakup, she had never deleted his number, though it had been a long time since it had shown up on her call log

    At first, she had no intention of answering, but then she thought it might be about Jodie. After a brief hesitation, she picked up.

    Her tone was distant and cold ¡°Yes? <b>What </b>is it?¡±

    #1 just got <b>a </b>call from the police. They¡¯re coordinating with the Antis authorities to n a rescue operation for Jodie ¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s heart clenched. Her breath quickened. ¡°Do they think they can pull it off?¨C

    Sean paused before answering. His cool voice <b>came </b>through the phone. ¡°They can¡¯t guarantee anything.<b>¡± </b>

    Of course Charlotte knew that

    But when it involved her sister¡¯s life, she <b>could </b>not help but ask.

    After a moment of silence<b>, </b>she spoke again. ¡°Is there anything else?

    Sean hesitated. His voice was low and slightly hoarse. ¡°Lottie, L

    Charlotte instinctively felt that what he was about to say had nothing to do with Jadie. She cut in sharply. ¡°If it¡¯s not about <b>Jodie</b>, <b>I¡¯m </b>hanging <b>up </b>¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Sean <b>said </b>quickly. ¡°Lorrie, I¡¯m sorry. About what my grandmother said to you earlier, 1 want to apologize for her.¡±

    Charlotte said nothing

    She stared through the windshield at the endless line <b>of </b>cars ahead, her eyes unfocused,

    She would be lying if she said those words from Mrs. Jasper Sr. had meant nothing to her.

    On the other end of the Line, Sean remained silent too, <b>as </b>if waiting for her response.

    The air <b>inside </b>the car felt stifling.

    Charlotte cracked the

    e <b>window </b>slightly, letting the cool night breeze sweep in and clear the heaviness from her chest.

    A momentter, she heard her own voice, light and almost casual.

    ¡°No need. It¡¯s not like I was ever nning to marry you.

    Before Sean could say another word, she ended the call

    by the time Charlotte arrived at the Riley estate, it was already nine o¡¯clock in the evening. Desmond was still at the hospital with Xena, and Jodie was gone Therge house felt empty and cold. The Rolls¨CRoyce Phantom padled into the underground garape

    Charlotte parked<b>, </b>grabbed the keys, and took the elevator up to the first floor.

    <b>-25 </b>conu

    The housekeeper was mopping the living room floor. When she saw Charlotte retum, she smiled and greeted her. ¡°Miss Riley, you¡¯re back. Have you had dinner yet?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. Remembering Xena at the hospital, she asked, ¡°Has Aunt Xena eaten? Did someone bring her food?¡±

    The housekeeper replied, ¡°Yes. Mr. Riley arranged for a cook to prepare ber meals at the hospital<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Good Charlotte turned to head upstairs. ¡°You should get some rest too.

    Back in her room, Charlotte stood in front of the floor in ceiling window, staring nkly outside.

    Thinking about her sister¡¯s situation, her heart felt tight and heavy.

    Sean <b>had </b><b>said </b>the police were working on a rescue n, but she was still tempted to call and ask for an ute. After checking the time, though, she stopped herself. The police were probably off duty by now,

    She stood there for a while, lost in thought. Then suddenly something came to mind. A sharp pang hit her heart. She opened a storage box.

    Inside was a painting

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze dimmed as she reached out with trembling fingers.

    It was one of Jodie¡¯s drawings.

    It showed theirggy family of four.

    Desmond and Xena stood on either <b>side</b>, with Charlotte and Jodle in the middle. The four of them were holding hands, smiling together.

 His Heart 297

    Charlotte¡¯s fingers gently traced the surface of the painting. Her fingertips hovered over the figure of Jodle.

    In that instant, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Jodie¡­ my sweet sister¡­!

    <b>A </b>single tear fell

    Plop.

    Itnded on the painting.

    Jodie had given her this drawing when Charlotte first came back from Harbor City.

    Back then, she had treated her clingy little sister with cold indifference.

    But Jodie had never pulled away because of it. Instead, she <b>had </b>only grown more attached to her, more thoughtful and more understanding

    as the sweetest, kindest, and most thoughtful child in the world.

    Her sister was

    Charlotte¡¯s vision blurred, her eyes reddening

    She had held herself together all day at the Jasper estate, forcing down her emotions. But now that she was home<b>, </b><b>she </b>no longer needed to Her heart ached violently. Tears streamed down her face like a string of broken pearls.

    She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling with grief. ¡°Jodhe..¡±

    Meanwhile, Zac had already called Vivian.

    The truth hit him hard. He had <b>been </b>used, nearly bing the indirect cause of Charlotte¡¯s death. The guilt was unbearable.

    <b>He </b>called Charlotte several times, but she did not answer a single one.

    Seeing how dejected he was, Wendy tried tofort him. But Zac hoved her away.

    In his office, Wendy stumbled to the floor. Lowering her gaze, her eyes shed coldly.

    ¡°Charlotte, you brought this on yourself,¡± she muttered.

    +25 Garut

    The night, Wendy logged into her social media ount <b>and </b>started a livestream.

    <b>She </b>had already gained a sizable following by posting short videos of herself ying no, slowly building a fan base

    By the time she returned to Jersey City, her ount already had over a million followers,

    Recently, she had attracted even more attention with her series ¡°My Sweet Life with My CEO Boyfriend.¡±

    an expensive designer suit, a glimpse of a well¨Cdefined

    Hertest videos frequently featured glimpses of Zac¡¯s luxury cars, his mansion, the corner of an exp hand<b>, </b>or the silhouette of his tall, lean figure.

    As for herself, Wendy always appeared on camera with wless makeup, dressed head¨Cto¨Ctoe in luxury brands, carrying designer handbags. She fully embodied the image of a wealthy heiress.

    ate it up

    ach new video was instantly flooded withments:

    Ceramatic entrance nounic. The queen has arrived!¡±

    this on my fred again<b>? </b>Back to my broke farm life I got

    by viins want to destroy the world.¡± (with a crying meme attached)

    and money seem to go to th

    seena to go to the people who already have ju ¡°<ul><li>the circle<b>, </b><b>don¡¯t </b>force it. Sincerely, my plione ¡±</li></ul>

    like this kind of story too¡±

    425 Bonus

    ¡°This is what <b>real </b>cyberbullying looks like!¡±

    ¡°Miss, do you need a loyal dog<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Oh my <b>god</b><b>, </b><b>she¡¯s </b>stunning. <b>What </b>a goddess! I need to have a word with the creator.¡±

    ¡°Beb, taking out a loan to sue my own <b>face</b><b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°<b>Even </b>though we¡¯ve never seen pour CEO boyfriend¡¯s fa?e, just those glimpses of his back and hands are driving me wild. You¡¯re so lucky!<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°So sweet and happy. Wishing you forever happiness!¡±

    ¡°Maybe your boyfriend still needs another girlfriend?¡±

    Thements kepting, day and night. Every video that unted <b>her </b>morous love life and luxury lifestyle earned hundreds of thousands of likes <b>and </bments, sometimes even reaching millions.

    Wendy thrived on this attention. Every time she scrolled through thements, her vanity waspletely satisfied

    By riding Zac¡¯s fame, showing off their supposed rtionship and Lavish life, her follower count had now surpassed five million.

    Tonight, she had barely been <b>live </b>for five minutes when over ten thousand viewers had already joined her stream.

    On screen, Wendy appeared with h perfect makeup, her face <b>tear</b>¨Cstreaked and pitiful.

    The chat quickly filled with questions, asking what had happened.

    Wendy bit her l

    lower lip gently, her innocent, sorrowful gaze fixed on the camera. ¡°<b>Good </b>evening, everyone. I¡¯ve been strugglingtely because¡­. things between me and Mr. Gibson haven¡¯t been going well.

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ been another woman.¡±

 His Heart 298

    Wendy wiped her tears and spoke through her sobs. ¡°Those of you who have been following me for a while know <b>that </b>I was living abroad. I only came back to Jersey Cityst year.

    my first love.¡±

    ¡°After 1 came back, <b>I </b>got back together with my

    The chat lit up:

    ¡°Wait, is your first love Mr. Gibson?¡±

    ¡°Wow, no wonder you two are so sweet. They say men never forget their first love.¡±

    Wendy nced at the chat and nodded. ¡°Yes. My first love is Mr. Gibson. The day I returned, he picked me up at the airport. We got back together that night¡±

    ¡°So who¡¯s this third party you¡¯re talking about?¡±

    Wendy lowered her gaze and stayed silent, tears sliding down her cheeks.

    The chat went wild with sympathy and outrage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, girl! Who is this homewrecker? <b>Name </b>her! We¡¯ll go after her for you!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s see how many moms she¡¯s got. I¡¯ll fame her into next week!¡±

    ¡°Girl, you¡¯re gorgeous, No way Mr. Gibson would actually leave you. That other woman¡¯s probably just throwing herself at him. He¡¯s just ying around. You¡¯re the one he truly loves.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, disgusting. She knows she¡¯s a third party and still does it? Trash,¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re breaking my heart¡±

    ¡°Men are all the same. Out with the old, in with the new. Don¡¯t get too caught up in him!¡±

    ¡°Come on, tell us who <b>she </b><b>is</b>! I¡¯m dying to roast her!

    Wendy waited until the chat had built enough momentum. Then she bit her lip and said softly, ¡°The third party is Mr. Gibson¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend.¡±

    The chat exploded again.

    ¡°His ex? I thought you two were each other¡¯s <b>first </b>love?<b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b>! Didn¡¯t you post that you were each other¡¯s first love? Am I remembering wrong?¡±

    Tears streamed down Wendy¡¯s face as she choked out, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Mr. Gibson and I are each other¡¯s first love. But years ago, we broke up because of some misunderstandings. While I was abroad, he started <b>dating </b>someone else. And now that woman is trying to ruin our rtionsisip

    ¡°Ever since we got back together, his ex has been showing up constantly. Mr. Gibson <b>barely </b>responds to her, but she keeps trying to get his attention. She even copies my makeup and outfits, trying to act like me and take my ce.

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d meet someone like that in real life¡­¡± Wendy wiped her red eyes and kept crying,

    *The first time I met her, I <b>even </b>smiled and said hello. I¡¯m not unreasonable. I get that everyone has a past. But if you break up, shouldn¡¯t you act like you¡¯re dead to each other? Why is she still forcing herself into our lives?

    She keeps bothering Mr. Gibson, even waiting for him outside his office, I argued with him about it today and now I¡¯m really struggling

    Shameless! What a disgusting homewrecker!¡±

    Do you live her social media? We¡¯ll help you drag her!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so mad You¡¯re so beautiful and he¡¯s still letting his ex hang around? Trash couple!¡±

    Wendy sobbed, ¡°I don¡¯t have her social media. But I do know she¡¯s <b>a </bwyer. She runs her ownw firm.¡±

    MG,wyer who¡¯s also a homewrecker? No morals at all¡°¡±

    ¡°Lawyer or not, <b>don¡¯t </b>romanticize that profession. They¡¯re just paid to do a job like anyone else.¡±

 His Heart 299

    Chapter <b>299 </b>

    +25 Bonus

    ¡°What¡¯s the name of herw firm? I want to go stalk her in person.¡±

    Wendy blinked innocently. ¡°I think it¡¯s called Ascend Law Firm. It¡¯s in Jersey City. Herst name is Riley. I¡¯m notfortable saying her full name.¡±

    Charlotte was jolted awake by the sound of her

    She used <b>to </b>sleep with her phone on sile ringing

    she slept,

    But now, to make sure she would not miss <b>any </b>news about her sister, she kept the volume on max even while

    The ringtone startled her. She reached under her <b>pillow </b>and grabbed her <b>phone</b>.

    It was Jenny.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart sank..

    If it was Jenny calling, it probably had nothing to do with Jodie.

    ¡°Hello, Jermy. What¡¯s <b>going </b>on?¡± she answered, ncing at the <b>time</b>. It was seven thirty in the morning.

    It was Saturday. ¡°Why is Jenny up so early<b>?</b>¡± she wondered.

    Before she could wonder further, Jenny¡¯s frantic voice burst through the phone. ¡°Miss Riley, there¡¯s trouble! Someone¡¯s spreading rumors about you online!¡±

    Charlone blinked. <b>¡°</b><b>What</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Rumors! Someone¡¯s using you of being a homewrecker! You¡¯re trending on Twitter! You need to check it right now.

    Charlotte frowned and opened Twitter.

    She skimmed through the trending toples. Only the sixth one seemed rted.

    #Influencer Wendy Cooper ims a Third Party Destroyed Her Rtionship#t

    Charlotte tapped on it

    A promo post from a gossip ount read:

    ¡°Explosive! Five¨Cmillion¨Cfollower influencer Wendy Cooper goes live, iming a third party wrecked her rtionship. The third party is allegedly awyer!¡±

    Beneath, it was a video clip.

    Charlotte clicked y. The moment she saw Wendy¡¯s <b>face</b><b>, </b>she understood everything

    It was a screen recording of Wendy¡¯s livestream. Charlotte watched for a few minutes before she could not take any more

    No one twisted the truth better than Wendy.

    The real third party was Wendy herself. But with a few carefully chosen words, she had pinned all the me on someone else.

    ¡°Miss Riley? Are you there?¡± Jenny¡¯s worried voice came through the phone. ¡°Did you see it?¡±

    ?1 sunt. It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry <b>about </b>me.¡±

    Charlotte hung up and immediately made <b>another </b><b>call</b><b>. </b><b>She </b>gave a few brief instructions <b>and </b>ended the call:

    Less than half an hourter, the trending topic disappeared.

    Startly dent, Aund Law Firm issued a legal statement, announcing they would be suing Wendy for <b>defamation</b>.

    i did not stop there. Two hourster, Zac posted on his own social media ount:

    *1 anu rast in a rtionship with Wendy Cooper Attorney tiley was not involved in this matter.¡±

    The inte exploded.

    ¡°What Mr. Gibson himself is clearing things up? Am I seeing this right?¡±

    ¡°Wait, Wendy isn¡¯t Mr. Gibson¡¯s girlfriend? Then what were all those lovey dovey videos about?

    +25 Banus

    ¡°Lheard Wendy was actually the homewrecker. She¡¯s the reason Mr. Gibson and Attorney Riley broke up. Unbelievable. The nerve of this girl, trying to flip the story like that.¡±

    ¡°Is this for real? The pot calling the kettle ck?¡±

    to attack

    ¡°This is insane. First time I¡¯ve seen someone act this shameless, She¡¯s the one who caused all this and still had the nerve to get her fans to someone else.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Wendy finally exposed! I¡¯ve been waiting for this, justice!

    ¡°Totally unsed here, but she¡¯s giving major take nice girl vibes.¡±

    Meanwhile, Sean listened to his assistant¡¯s report, his expression darkening

    ¡°Contact the tform. I want her ount taken down permanently

 His Heart 300

    er to seeizens attacking Charlotte.

    Wendy woke up feeling giddy with anticipation. She grabbed her phone and opened Twitter, eager to see

    But after scrolling for a long time, she could not find any <b>trending </b>hashtags with her loyal <b>fans </b>dragging Charlotte.

    Confused, Wendy opened her app¨Conly to widen her eyes in shock.

    Her ount had been permanently banned

    ¡°What how can this be happening?¡± she wondered

    Panicked, she opened her contacts to call Zac for help, only to see several missed calls from him<b>. </b>

    She hurriedly called him back.

    +25 Bonus

    She barely got a word out before Zac¡¯s furious voice cut her off

    ¡°Wendy! Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done?¡± He shouted, ¡°You actually dared to spread lies online, calling Charlotte a homewrecker? You know <b>damn </b>well who the real homewrecker is. Don¡¯t you?¡°!

    Wendy¡¯s throat tightened. ¡°L¡­ I didn¡¯t-

    Zac¡¯s voice was ice¨Ccold. ¡°Charlotte¡¯sw firm has already sent you a legal notice. I won¡¯t be helping you with this. You¡¯re on your ownL

    With that, he hung up without hesitation.

    Wendy sat frozen

    -Wait¨Clegal notice?¡± she muttered.

    She scrambled to open Twitter again and finally saw the official post from Ascend Law Firm: a formal legal statement announcing they would be suing her for defamation

    Her hands trembling, Wendy immediately searched online for the <b>legal </b>consequences of defamation.

    <b>The </b>more she read, the paler her face became

    Defamation was a crime. It could <b>lead </b>to <b>prison </b>time.

    If thewsuit seeded, she <b>could </b>actually go to <b>jail</b>.

    ¡°No. I can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing,¡± she thought

    Later that morning, once business hours began, Charlotte called the <b>police </b><b>again </b><b>to </b>check on adie¡¯s rescue progress.

    The officer on duty exined that the case was extremelyplicated. The rescue <b>n </b>was not so easy to finalize, and they urged her to be patient <b>and </b>cooperate. Any new updates would be shared with her immediately.

    After hanging up, Charlotte slumped forward, her shoulders sagging like a deted balloon.

    Soon Monday arrived, and she had to head to thew firm to deal with work

    The firm was still in its early stages. As both manager and owner, Charlotte did not dare ck off for a moment.

    Two hours into the workday, the receptionist knocked on her office door.

    The receptionist opened the door. ¡°Mixs Ril

    lis Riley, someone is here to see

    * see you. #00

    ¡® be right there

    Charlotte walked into the conference room, only to be caught off guard by a familiar figure,

    The math wore a

    one a perfectly tailored charcoal gray sun that highlighted Isis strong frame. His broad shoulders and narrow waist created a striking tte He stood tall and poisest. Even from a distance, his persence was enough to make people stop and stare.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened ¡°Mr. Jasper, please <b>stop </b>disrupting my work.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°Lottie, I saw everything about the trending tople Are you alright

    Charlotte turned away sharply.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± <b>she </b>said coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    Sean hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted the tform. Wendy¡¯s ount has been permanently banned.¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks for that,¡± Charlotte replied tly.

    Sean fell silent

    ¡°if there¡¯s nothing else, you can leave. I have work to do. I <b>don¡¯t </b>have time to waste on you. Goodbye.¡± Without another word<b>, </b>Charlotte turned <b>on </b>her heel and walked away.

    ¡°Lottie, please, just listen-¡± Sean quickly got up to follow her.

    As they exited the conference room, the receptionist hurried over again.

    ¡°Who?¡± Charlotte <b>asked</b><b>. </b>

    gain. ¡°Miss Riley

    Riley, someone else is here to see you.¡±

    A bespectacled man stepped forward. Are you Miss Riley?¡±

    ¡°I am. What <b>do </b>you need?¡± Charlotte replied

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Sean¡¯s voice <b>shouted </b>from behind her.

    In an instant, Sean pulled Charlotte into his arms.

    The man threw a ssh of clear liquid straight at her face.

 His Heart 301

    Sean had pulled Charlotte into his arms just in time. The liquid sshed onto the potted nt behind her.

    The nt began to wither and dissolve almost <b>instantly</b>,

    It was sulfuric acid.

    Charlotte¡¯s face turned deathly <b>pale</b>. Il Sean had not pulled her aside, the acid would have hit her face. In that <b>case</b>, her entire <b>face </b>would likely have been destroyed

    The bespectacled man red at her with pure hatred, as

    atred, as if she were his mortal enemy.<ol><li>y. His eyes burned with murderous <b>rage</b>.</li></ol>

    <b>¡°</b>You bitch! Homewrecking slut! You ruined Wendy¡¯s rtionship and got her ount banned. Go to hell!¡± he screamed.

    So that was it. A crazed fanboy of Wendy¡¯s.

    The man <b>was </b>already being subdued by two of Sean¡¯s bodyguards. They had pinned his arms behind his back, though he continued to spew curses.

    Sean¡¯s expression darkened. He stepped forward and delivered a brutal kick to the man¡¯s stomach. ¡°Shut your mouth.¡±

    The blownded hard. The man went pale, his features twisting <b>in </b>pain <b>as </b>he clutched his <b>stomach </b><b>and </b>let out a <b>pained </b><b>wail </b>

    Sean turned anxiously to Charlotte ¡°Lottie, are <b>you </b>alright?

    Charlotte finally snapped out of her shock, her heart still racing with

    The police arrived quickly.

    The man was taken into custody.

    h fear. Her <b>face </b>was ashen. ¡°Call the police,¡±

    Sean remained at thew firm, hovering protectively around Charlotte and repeatedly asking if she was okay.

    Fortunately, concentrated sulfuric acid was thick and heavy, so it had <b>not </b>sshed everywhere. The entire stream had hit the potted nt. Sean had already checked several times to <b>make </b><b>sure </b>Charlotte <b>had </b>not been sshed, but he still could not rest easy.

    ¡°Lottle, why don¡¯t I take you to the hospital, just to be safe??!

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Charlotte <b>said </b>coldly. <b>¡°</b>And if there¡¯s nothing else, you should leave. I have work to do.¡±

    She rummed and headed toward her office. Sean followed.

    ¡°Lucinda Lambert is my cousin,¡± he said quietly.

    Charlotte kept walking. ¡°I know. So!

    Sean¡¯s throat tightened. ¡°The reason I I broke up with you was to keep Joseph from hurting you.¡±

    Carlotte let out a cold Lough. ¡°How funny. We broke up, we called off the engagement, and yet Joseph still <b>kidnapped </b>me. And Jodie, too. So tell me, what exactly did your breakup aplish?¡±

    Sean had no ANAWAT

    Charlotte stopped in front of her office door and turned, her icy gazending on his face. ¡°<b>Sean </b>Jasper, you are so full of yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lortie,¡± Sean said, his voice dark with regret. ¡°Will you give me <b>another </b>chance? I¡¯ll make it up to you. I¡¯ll treat you right.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you. That won¡¯t be nec

    Without looking at hire, Churlotte called out toward the front desk. ¡°Ruby, please <b>show </b>our guest out,¡±

    cort entered thew firm just in time to see this scene unfold.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper,¡± Scott said with a small, amused smile. He raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at Sean. ¡°Are you here to hire us for a case?

    but are you doing here?¡±

    at this firm ¡±

    Scent amaled. ¡°I¡¯m a partner at

    to Charlotte in shock ¡°Lottle, you partnered with halen<b>?</b>¡±

    He turned inwardly ¡°How can the partner with Scott Lucas? He had been after her for ages!¡±

    Churkate¡¯s

    Laced with irritation: ¡°Mr. <b>Jasper</b><b>, </b>who I partner with is none of your business ¡±

    ¡°Lottie¡­¡± Sean¡¯sshes trembled.

    -25 Bonus

    Charlotte pushed open her office <b>door </b>and walked in, closing the door firmly behind her.

    <b>ee </b>you.¡±

    Scott chuckled. ¡°Mr. Jasper, if you¡¯d like to hire our firm, you¡¯re wee to speak with me. Miss Riley is very busy and may not have time to see

    Sean¡¯s expression turned cold. He red at Scott, nearly gritting his teeth. ¡°Scott Lucas, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know exactly what you¡¯re trying to do.¡±

    Scott adjusted his sses and smiled. ¡°Oh? Then by all means, Mr. Jasper, enlighten me. What exactly am I trying to do?

 His Heart 302

    Gupter 302

    Charlotte might have truly forgotten about Scott, but for Sean, he was impossible to forget.

    had been in the same university ss as Charlotte. When Scott was a Inestuman, Sean was already a graduate student.

    Technically, Scott was a few years behind Sean and attended a different undversity. Under normal circumstances, the two of them would never have crossed paths.

    But both were the most handsome students in their respective school ¨C <b>Seats </b>at Jersey University, Scott at the nearby Jersey University of Law and Politics. Their looks had often drawn publicparisons, with gussip blogs and campus forms fregantly pitting them against each other.

    Sen had never cared about that sort of thing. He had no interest in trivial poprity contests.

    The only reason be remembered Scott so clearly was becmise of one particr hieldent; the confession,

    Scott had publicly confessed to Charlotte

    <b>Sean </b>remembered it vividly. It had been December af Charlotte¡¯s freshman year¨CChristmas, the perfect time for a confession. Scott had gone all out, arranging a heart shape made of roses on the university¡¯s sports field.

    He had dressed like a peacock in full disy<b>, </b>strmining a hattered guitar and staging love sompi,

    At the time, Sean was pursuing, his master¡¯s at Jersey City University. He had a nightly noming habit. That evening, he went to the <b>track </b>as usual, only to find the renter of the field buzzing with noise.

    ¡°Hey, did youter? The campus prince from the low school is here to confess!¡± A girl¡¯s possipy <b>voice </b>drifted into Sean¡¯s ears. He Ignored it.

    Public confessions like this weremon in college. He had no interest.

    Sean started jegging

    The chatter around him continued.

    man Scott Lucas?

    *From thew school? You mean

    ¡°Yeah! I just saw him out there with a guitar and a nt <b>heart </b>made of roses. Gotta say, he really is handsome.¡±

    * 1 have to see this for myself!¡±

    ¡°Walt for me, I¡¯ming too!¡±

    ¡°Oh my God, Scott has a crush? I bet a lot of girls will be heartbroken tonight:¡±

    ¡°I just saw him¡® He¡¯s even better looking in person. No wonder he¡¯s their campus prince.¡±

    Some girls were already crying at the sight of Scott preparing to confess.

    The stadium lights were dim that night. Hardly anyone noticed that the famously aloof Seam Jasper was also rumningps on the track.

    Of course, a few of Sean¡¯s admirers knew he ran at this time. It <b>wasn¡¯t </b>unusual for one or two girls to follow him or try to give him water, though Ise

    At first, Sean paid no attention to themotion on the field.

    It was during his secondp Amid the crowd, he caught someone calling out Charlotte¡¯s name.

    Slowed his pare, ears sharpening

    ¡°So that¡¯s who Scott takes? Our campus queen, Charlotte Riley. We

    te Hiley. Well, I can¡¯t me him. Loving out to the queen is no shape.¡±

    i couple!

    Charlotte really do look perfect together. Campus prince and campus quoen? Thay¡¯d make such a gorgeous e

    but I really like Scott,¡± someone sniffled ¡°I hope she turns him down.¡±

    Sean stopped pegging and headed toward the center of the field.

    the catter of the crowd. He wore a light khald cost over a white turtleneck sweater. He looked polished and elegant. His eyes held a soft sedle, so greatle it was almost impossible to look away

    its fingers moved lightly across the guitar strings as he yed his own apaniment.

    ging a popr love song of the time. His voice was rich and smooth, every note perfectly controlled The warm, low tone carried the right

 His Heart 303

    Chapter <b>303 </b>

    Eended, someone brought Charlotte forward to where Scott stood.

    When the song

    Sean watched coldly from the crowd, his expression hard. To him, this whole confession was nothing but a spectacle.

    Scott held out a bouquet of ro

    roses, <b>his </b><b>voice </b>gentle and warm. ¡°Charlotte Riley, I like you Will you go out with me?¡±

    After a round of excited cheers, the crowd fell silent, waiting for her answer

    It was a crisp winter night. Fine snowkes floated down from the sky, delicate and beautiful, casting a romantic glow over the scene. It felt as though even <b>the </b>heavens were conspiring to help Scott.

    He stood tall in the middle of the <b>crowd</b>, roses in hand. With his handsome features and elegant presence, all eyes were <b>on </b>him.

    Scott wasn¡¯t just attractive. He was an academic star with an impable family background, the sole heir of the powerful Lucas family.

    A perfect match. Everyone thought so

    Sean, on the other hand, was holding his breath without realizing it. His fingers slowly curled into fists, and a dull ache spread through his chest

    But then, Charlotte¡¯s reply shocked everyone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said calmly. ¡°I can¡¯t ept¡±

    The smile on Scott¡¯s lips faltered.

    The wind tousled his dark hair. Under the dim lights, the disappointment in his eyes was unmistakable.

    ¡°Can I ask why?¡± His voice wavered, the slightest tremor betraying his <b>mood</b>.

    Charlotte pressed her lips together. Her tone was cool and even. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in dating right now. I don¡¯t have the time for it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The crowd burst into whispers

    Sean arched an eyebrow, <b>a </b>small smile ying at the corner of his lips.

    He was very satisfied with her answer.

    Without another <b>word</b>, Charlotte turned and walked away. She n

    never <b>once </b>reached for the bouquet.

    Sean knew that Charlotte had always had plenty of admirers in college. Confessions like this were almost routine for her. She probably turned down a dozen every year. It was no wonder she wouldn¡¯t remember every guy who had confessed.

    But Sean remembered all of them. He could recall every name, every face.

    That was why, when he had seen Scott sitting with Charlotte at the restaurant on Valtine¡¯s Day, a real sense of danger had gripped him for the first

    <b>Now</b>, as he recalled it all, Sean¡¯s gaze darkened.

    -All these years, and you still haven¡¯t given up,¡± he muttered.

    me another chance,

    Scott smiled, unruffled. ¡°I should thank you for giving me

    Sean arrowed his eyes. ¡°Stay away from her ¡±

    Scott raised an eyebrow. ¡°And what right do you have to tell me that?¡±

    let out a foldugh. ¡°You won¡¯t get the chance. Lottie only <b>has </b>me in her heart.¡±

    Scott didn¡¯t lose his temper. He remained as calm andposed as ever. ¡°Then let¡¯s see about

    That night, Charlotte had a nightmare

    was funding across a vast, empty wastnd

    behind her, ruthless nu were chasing her down.

    She ran with everything she had Then, in an instant, the scene shifted Someone¡¯s hands closed around her throat Joseph¡¯s face listedrge before ver, his cold smile as terrifying as a demone to ims her soul.

    Her breath grew ragged Just as she thought she was about to suffocate, the scene changed again. Now she saw her sister, Jodie, tied to a chair Joseph

    stood over her, grinning as he poured gasoline over her trembling body.

    ¡°No! Don¡¯t! Please don¡¯t touch her!¡± Charlotte screamed. ¡°Stop!¡±

    Suddenly, Joseph¡¯s face twisted and morphed into that of the man in sses.

    ¡°Die!¡± he shouted, his face contorted with hate, as he hurled sulfuric

    ic acid toward her.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Charlotte jolted awake with a scream, sitting upright in bed, drenched in cold sweat

    The night was still <b>and </b>silent.

    In the darkness<b>, </b>her ragged breathing filled the room.

    It took a long moment for her to calm down.

    Then her phone screen lit up.

    Charlotte picked it up and nced at

    It was 3.30 am.

    She had received a text from an unknown number.

    ¡°If <b>you </b>want your sister to live, you¡¯ll do exactly as I say ¡±

    1

    Support

    Share

 His Heart 304

    +25 <b>Bonus </b>

    Charlotte frowned <b>and </b>stared at the text message, deep in thought,

    It could havee from <b>Joseph¡¯s </b>people. But it was just as likely that someone else was impersonating them. She could not afford to act recklessly. She needed to find out where the message hade from first and decide her next move carefully. She had no intention of walking into a trap.

    When shey back down again<b>, </b>any trace of <b>sleep </b><b>hal </b>vanished.

    Thir

    thought of her sister still missing, her fate unknown, weighed heavily on her heart. The worry was allocating

    And now there was mother threat the obsessive fans of Werdy. That crazed man¡¯s face, twisted with hatred as he had tried to throw sulfuric acid et het, was bummed <b>into </b>her mind. It had be a nightmare she could not shake,

    Charlotte had never experienced anything like this before.

    She had been lucky to escape thest attack. But what about next time?

    Wendy had more than five million followers. It was easy enough to guard apalost open attacks, but the hidden threats were harder to predict Charlotte had no idea when another obsessed fan might try toe after her.

    No She had to take action. She could not let what happened yesterday happen again.

    Her mind spots w

    with thoughts.

    Eventually<b>, </b>exhaustion caught up with her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted off into an sy sleep.

    That night, she slept fitfully, waking several times. Thest time she woke was at eight in the morning, wisen daylight had finally broken,

    The first thing she did upon opening her eyes was call a friend who was an expert inmunications technology.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Can </b>you trace this number for me?*

    The number from the text was not a standard eleven¨Cdigit phone number. It looked more like a long string of numbers used in spam messages,

    She could not trace it herself, so she had to ask her friend for help.

    ¡°No problem,¡± her friend replied. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you soon.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    *Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    A short whileter, her friend called back

    ¡°The message was sent from somewhere inside the country. The location is right here in Jersey City,¡±

    ¡°Jersey City? Could Joseph still have people stationed here?¡± Charlotte wondered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you the exact address,¡± her friend said.

    ¡°Cury.¡±

    After they hung up, Charlotte quickly received a message with the address.

    She forwarded it to another contact and asked them to look into it.

    As the heiress of the Hailey family in Jersey City, she had plenty of resources and connections. If she wanted to, she could mobilize them in an instant. Tracking something like this was nothing

    Before long, her contart replied.

    ¡°it¡¯s an apartment. The owner is Wendy Cooper¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened. Wendy again.

    That woman really had nothing better to do?

    Her court had already been permanently banned. A legal notice had been sent. And she was still at it?

    Charlzte trendered that when she had confronted Zar, Wendy had been there too. She had overheard everything they said

    desperate

    erprise that Wendy knee Jode had been kidnapped Clearly, getting her ount banned had poshed Wendy over the edge. Now she was

    ¡°Stupid and malicious. It¡¯s time to teach her a lesson,¡± Charlotte muttered.

    Charlotte dug deeper and soon found information about Wendy¡¯s father¡¯spany. It was a small clothing business with a registered capital of only five million, and the funds had not even been fully paid in.

    Apany like that? <b>She </b>could bankrupt it with <b>a </b>single move.

    In the past, Charlotte had always dismissed Wendy as an annoying little pest. She had never bothered to waste her time on her.

    But things were different now.

    Her sister had been kidnapped, Charlotte was mentally and <b>physically </b>exhausted, constantly on edge. And now <b>Wendy</b>, <b>of </b>all people, had chosen this moment to spread lies, incite online attacks, and encourage her fans to harm her in real life. <b>And </b>to top it off, she was now using Jodie to try to manipte her.

    Charlotte had had enough.

 His Heart 305

    Taking down the Cooper¡±pany was not something Charlotte needed to handle personally.

    All she had to do was pass along her instructions. There were plenty of people more than willing to do the job and some favor wi

    That afternoon, Chrome went to the hospital.

    Xena was still in very low spirits. She looked pale and gaunt, dark circles under her eyes. The entire weight of her grief showed in ber b?re

    Desmond had gone back to thepany to deal with work, so only a caregiver remained in the hospital room

    *Lottle, is there any news about Jode?¡± At the mention of Jodie, Xena¡¯s eyes instantly filled with tears.

    Charlotte shook her head silently.

    The tearse streaming down Xena¡¯s face. She sobbed quietly, unable to stop.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart ached for her sister, and seeing Xena like this only made it worse<b>, </b>

    She tried tofort her, but her words had little effect.

    *Aunt Xena, please try to rest. Don¡¯t make yourself sick with worry. I¡¯lle see you again tomorrow.¡±

    With that, Charlotte turned and left.

    After leaving the hospital, she made her way to the police station.

    It was the same story. Jodie¡¯s kidnapping case involved multiple parties and international crime. The operation to catch the exprits was extremely difficult, but the police assured her they were doing everything they could. They would contact her immediately if there was any progress.

    Charlotte left the station feeling drained and disheartened, wandering the streets in a dete,

    The nightmare from the night before shed through her mind.

    Jodie tied to a chair while Joseph was pouring gasoline over her.

    It was exactly the kind of thing that madman would do.

    Just thinking about what her sister might be going through sent a cold shiver down Charlotte¡¯s spine. Her Lace went pale. She forced herself not to dwell

    <b>on </b>It

    Just then<b>, </b>a woman came charging at her from the sidewalk, screaming

    ¡°You shameless slut! How desperate do you have to be to steal someone¡¯s boyfriend? Didn¡¯t your parents teach you any

    ¡°You look like nothing but a cheep whore, seducting men left and right?¡±

    morals?

    Charlotte¡¯s fury ignited in an instant. Her gaze turned nor sharp. ¡°Another one of Wendy¡¯s brainless fans? You believe everything that woman says? I¡¯m honestly curious how someone this dumb even survives.¡±

    The woman grew even more agitated at Charlotte¡¯s retort. ¡°You filthy bitch! Bastard with no mother¨Cscrew your

    Smack

    Before she could finish the words, Charlotte swung and pped her hard act

    The woman was stunned.

    across the face.

    She had not expected this slender<b>, </b>delicate¨Clooking girl to actually hit her and with such force. She, who weighed a solid 160 pounds, had just been

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes burned crimson with rage, her yoke cold as ice. ¡°Say one more word about my mother, and I¡¯ll break you.¡±

    The look in her eyes was terrifying The woman, who had been spewing insults a moment ago, instantly wilted. In those eyes, these not just anger, but The

    threat of viole

    the handout that if she said one more word about Charlotte¡¯s mother, this woman would make good on her threat

    Terrified, the fat turned to flee, only to be blocked by two men in ck

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes gleamed coldly, her expression dark as a storm. It felt as though the very air around her had turned to i

    Our of the bodyguards kicked the

    serply behind the knees the crumpled to the ground with a leaney that

    ¡°Apologize.¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was low and steady, her eyes gleaming with menace.

    D

 His Heart 306

    Sean hurried over to Charlotte, his face full of concern. ¡°Lottie, are you alright?¡±

    He had also gone to the police station earlier to check on the progress of fodie¡¯s case. From the officers, he had learned that Charlotte had just been there.

    He had rushed out immediately, searching for her on the street.

    It hadn¡¯t taken long before he spotted her.

    As he approached, he overheard a woman spewing vulgar insults at Charlotte.

    Sean gave his bodyguard a sharp look. The man immediately stepped forward and restrained the woman.

    <b>Hearing </b>the stream of <b>curses</b>, Sean instantly recognized the type another one of Wendy Cooper¡¯s crazed fans, just like the man with the sulfuric acid.

    Sean¡¯s eyes darkened, a cold gloam shing in his gaze as he swept it over the trembling woman on her knees.

    His presence <b>alone </b>was enough to terrify her. One look from him, and the fan¡¯s back stiffened, Sweat beaded <b>on </b>her forehead.

    ¡°Who exactly is thiswyer? Why did she have bodyguards protecting her?¡± she wondered.

    Gone was the arrogance from moments ago. Now she lonelt on the ground, shaking and begging for mercy.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong. Please, I beg you, forgive me. I¡¯ll never do <b>it </b>again.¡±

    Charlotte narrowed her eyes, clearly unimpressed with the apology.

    The woman snuck a nce up at her. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s expression, cold as ice, her heart skipped a beat. She began trembling uncontrobly.

    know I was wrong. I

    She dropped to her knees and lowered her head to the ground, trembling as she begged for forgiveness. ¡°Please, please forgive me. I know I swear I¡¯ll never do it again. Please¡­¡±

    After a long pause, Charlotte finally spoke coldly. ¡°Call the police¡±

    This was the second crazed fan who had attacked her.

    She had no intention of letting it slide.

    Both of them were adults. They knew exactly what they were doing, <b>and </b>they needed to be held ountable.

    The <b>woman¡¯s </b>face went white.

    ¡°No, please, don¡¯t call the police! I swear, I¡¯ll never do it again. Please have mercy!

    Charlotte ignored her

    One of the bodyguards pulled out his phone and called the police

    ¡°You,¡± Charlotte said, pointing to another bodyguard. ¡°When the <b>police </b>get here, record everything.¡±

    The bodyguard looked momentarily confused and nced at <b>Sean</b><b>. </b>

    <b>Sean </b><b>gave </b><b>a </b>slight nod

    ¡°Understood, Miss Riley,¡± the bodyguard replied respectfully.

    The police arrived quickly.

    As they <b>took </b>the fan into custody, Charlotte¡¯s bodyguard filmed the entire process as instructed.

    ¡°Lottle, you should keep your bodyguards with you when you go out,¡± Sean said, his voice filled with worry. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous right now.

    Charlotte¡¯s lips curved into a cold smile. ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern.

    Without another word<b>, </b>she started walking toward an open¨Cair parking lot nearby.

    Sean followed close behind

    Charlotte ignored him and walked straight to her car. She had parked it there when she had gone to the police <b>station</b>.

    She opened the door, got in, and shut it in ope

    e Huid motion.

    Sean was left standing outside.

    Charlotte started the engine <b>and </b>drove off without a nce back.

    Back home, Charlotte pulled out her phone and watched the video her bodyguard had recorded,

    ¡°So,¡± she murmured, a cold smile tugging at her lips. ¡°You like twisting the truth and seeing your fans on me, <b>do </b>you?¡±

    Her smile sharpened.

    ¡°Wendy Cooper, did you ever think this woulde back to bite you?¡± she muttered,

    The next <b>day</b>, Wendy was back on the trending

    Not one, not two¨Cthree trending hashtags this time.

    And none of them were in her favor

    #Plot twist! Wendy Cooper was the other womuni

    JaWendy Cooper incited fans to harass and attack#

    #Wendy Cooper¡¯s fake heiress persona exposed

    Each of the three trending posts came with evidence,

    The first post exposing Wendy as the other woman <b>included </b>chat logs from when she <b>had </b>first returned to the country¡­

    <b>It </b>showed her private messages with Zac, along with screenshots of her taunting Charlotte<b>, </b><b>his </b>actual <b>girlfriend</b><b>. </b>

 His Heart 307

    to know her in real life:

    Under the first post exposing Wendy as the other woman, the topment was from someone iming to

    *She was the other woman. When she first came back to the country, Zac and his girlfriend were still together. Everyone in our circle knew.¡±

    The gossip¨Cloving crowd quickdy jumped into thements, unleashing a storm of insults.

    Of course, some of Wendy¡¯s die¨Chard fans tried to defend her, insisting the chat logs were fake.

    The second trending post used Wendy of inciting her fans tomit real¨Clife harassment. It included video clips, one showing the man in sses being arrested for the <b>sulfuric </b>acid attack, and another showing the crazed fan who had publicly harassed Charlotte on the street,

    The police had also released an official report on the incidents.

    The report clearly stated that the man, Castillo [name redacted), <b>had </b>acted out of anger after Wendy¡¯s ount was permanently banned. Driven by revenge, he had intentionally attacked Charlotte and was now under criminal investigation for assault.

    The report also noted that the woman, Watson [name redacted], had been influenced by Wendy¡¯s online rhetoric <b>and </b><b>had </b>incited public disorder by verbally attacking Charlotte on the street. She had been sentenced to fifteen <b>days </b>of detention.

    There were videos, photos, and the official police report. The evidence against <b>Wendy </b>was overwhelming

    Thements section was filled with outrage.

    The third trending post exposed Wendy¡¯s true identity.

    She was never some wealthy heiress. Her family was just middle ss. The only reason she got involved with Zac Gibson and tried toe between <b>him </b>and Attorney Riley <b>was </b><b>for </b>money. All those designer handbags she unted were gifts she had coaxed out of Zac

    In thements<b>, </b>someone pointed out that Charlotte was the real heiress.

    Another user posted photos of Charlotte attending an event at the Riley family¡¯s estate, along with shots of her driving a luxury car and having Te at a five¨Cstar hotel

    afternoon.

    ¡°I¡¯m dying. Just so everyone knows<b>, </b>Charlotte is the real heiress here. Shees from old money¨Cher family <b>has </b>estates, cars, and more designer goods than you can count. Wendy is just a gold digger trying to leech off her name.¡±

    ¡°<b>A </b><b>wannabe </b>influencer <b>trying </b>to ride on the fame of a real Riley heiress. Seriously, how stupid <b>and </b>shameless can <b>you </b>be?¡±

    ¡°To Wendy¡¯s little <b>brain</b>¨C<b>dead </b>fans¨C your queen <b>?sn¡¯t </b>even lit to shine Charlotte¡¯s <b>shoes</b>.

    ¡°Wow, Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing this with people actually know, Sinearing a Riley heiress as a homewrecker? Unreal. I went to college with Charlotte. She¡¯s rejected more handsome men than you¡¯ve had hot dinners. The rumors are absolute garbage.¡±

    In an instant, the tide of <b>public </b>opinion flipped.

    Wendy scrolled through post after post, her expression twisted with rage.

    With a furious shriek, she hurled her phone to the floor.

    ¡°Blich!¡± she screamed.

    Deep inside <b>a </b>sealed underground chamber at the Jasper family¡¯s privatepound, the man in sses was bound to an iron pir

    Sean¡¯s right¨Chand man, Luke, stood nearby, wearing protective gloves and holding a ss bottle. He eyed the man with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.

    ¡°You seem to really like sulfuric acid,¡± Luke said casually.

    The man¡¯s face was drained of all color. His voice trembled. <b>¡°</b><b>No</b><b>¡­ </b>no, <b>I </b><b>don¡¯t</b>! Please.. please don¡¯t..

    Luko¡¯s simile turned cold, his paze sharp. ¡°Why don¡¯t we see how you like the feeling of being burned by it?¡±

    No! No! Please

    Luke only seemed more amused. ¡°Tsk. Compared to the pure sulfuric <b>acid </b>you threw at Miss Riley, this diluted stuff is nothing¡±

    Even diluted, it was still corrosive.

    As the acid burned small holes into the man¡¯s sidn, his face became grotesque, the damage horrifying to <b>look </b>at

    ¡°Ahhh! Just kill me! <b>Please</b>! Just kill me and get it over with!¡± the man howled in agony.

    Luke gave a lowugh. ¡°<b>You </b>want mercy? You think you deserve it?¡±

    With that, he used a dropper to extract more acid and slowly dripped it onto the man¡¯s <b>hand</b>.

    ¡°It¡¯s much more fun this way

    +25 <b>Banus </b>

 His Heart 308

    Chapter on

    hier Trending scandals broke,

    my of her fans flooded Zar¡¯s sol que page. Some begged him to help her, while others leshed not

    Thisperate, slur tad gone to fillson Corporation in person,

    In the aftermathi, Wendy had called Zac dupes only to be stopped at the front deski

    de never mmaped to pri zac¡¯s help Instead, she was greeted with a lengthy apology pour le had just released

    When that called, Wesly was at the front desk arguling with the receptionist

    vbenit appearances nearthing like a properdy. ¡°Per his girlfriend! Let que inte

    (povestrict anders. You are find allowed upstairs.¡±

    <b>she </b>yelled.

    The receptionist remalised unfazed ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Cooper, Jait Mr. Call

    ¡°Vom¡¯er lylong!¡± Wendy se <b>trouver</b><b>. </b>¡°Zac would never say Hit, Call him. Right new!!

    The receptionist¡¯s face stayed nk. ¡°Mr. Gillis

    Wendy ipared the first call Whing Chilimi callest again, Wendy pickest siji, sommeling Irritatis. ¡°What do you want?¡°.

    **<b>Wendy</b>, did yom now Zac¡¯s post? I can¡¯t believe he would do that to you Da¡¯t be fun get. Men are

    Wernly saltered. ¡°Post? What post?<ol><li>al. ¡°You haven¡¯t checked Twitter?</li></ol>

    Wendly anajal

    Qudan¡¯s voice delpped with glee, ¡°Oh, you really should tale a link.¡±

    Hanging ips. Weraly opened Twitter. Zac¡¯s post was freonlions

    Asinliling feeling fit fam. She alle kod

    Ten milimitester, Westly waspletely satirmi

    said, clearly enjoying herself.

    Zac had paddicly confinned that the locked chat logs were graine Worse, he had written a surt belt apology to Charlotte, adalting his mistakes and pleading for her forgiveness

    Now, Wendy¡¯s humiliation was all over the social circles

    She stumbled out of Gibson Corporation in a daze,

    At the Jasper family¡¯s privatepomil, Sean sat in the noda, his eyes

    s draga and unreadable. His vol

    Volce was cold. ¡°When¡¯s the situation in Antis?

    Luke salid, ¡°Our people have tracked down where Josephi is holding: Miss Juille, The illcli¡¯i talue her back to his main base. Instead, she¡¯s beling held at inilitary facility in Ante City. The local police there have lies in lives lili posegli for at least two years.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes grew colder, a nocking sandle tugging at the corner of his mouth. ¡°|

    Esike continuni, ¡°Jack Lee¡¯s team is moving in tonight

    ver expected them to rescue her.¡±

    est morising, a light rain fell

    It was early March. The spring breeze was like a brush, and the fine rain was its luk, sketching

    Rainy days were perfect for sleeping in

    Buttely, Charlotte had been sleeping poorly She woke naturally a little alter seven.

    It <b>was </b>a chilly morning Dressed in a jare white silk nightgown and <b>drapes </b>in a shawl, Charlotte lead by the floor¨Cto<b>¨C</b>ceiling window, staring at

    Bed the

    Suddenly, she felt the urge to take a walk in the rain.

    Without overthinking it<b>, </b>she <b>changed </b>into a light

    gray sweater and a pair of light blue straight¨Cleg jeans.

    As soon as she came downstairs, she sported a familiar car.

    A sleek ck Bentley with the license te of five eights.

    Sean looked up just in time to see Charlotte stepping into the rain with an umbre. He was momentarily caught off guard.

    He had not expected her toe down at this hour

    Quickly, Sean grabbed an umbre and got out of the car, hurrying toward her,

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 His Heart 309

    Charlotte stood motionless, watching the familiar figure draw closer. Through the rain, his sharply defined features gradually came into focus.

    With each step, the cold edges of his handsome face seemed to soften, as if the mist itself had gentled his expression.

    Sean stopped in front of her. His dark eyes shimmered with warmth and joy. His voice was low and hoarse. ¡°Lottle¡­¡±

    Charlotte looked up at him, her gaze cool and steady. ¡°What is it?¡±

    H

    .35 Bonus

    Sean swallowed hard ¡°Jodie has been rescued.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes flow wide open. Her voice rose instinctively. She took <b>a </b>step forward, her expression suddenly alight with hope ¡°Really? Where is she? Is she back in the country? Take me to her!

    Sean¡¯s voice remained gentle. ¡°Yes. She just arrived <b>in </b>Jersey City. That¡¯s why I came to find you<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°I¡¯ming with you,¡± Charlotte said, her eyes brimming. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>throat tightened. His voice came out rough. ¡°You don¡¯t need <b>to </b>thank me¡±

    They walked to the car together. Sean opened the door for her, instinctively bracing his hand over the doorframe so she wouldn¡¯t bump her head.

    Charlotte noticed. Hershes quivered, but <b>she </b><b>said </b>nothing as she got in

    Sean closed the door and quickly moved to the driver¡¯s side.

    As they drove, they stopped at a red light. ncing at the rearview mirror, Sean asked softly, ¡°Do you want to grab some breakfast first?¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No. I just want to see <b>Jodie </b>as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Sean did not press further.

    He picked up his phone and sent <b>a </b>message to Luke.

    ¡°Have breakfast ready. Get crab quiche, croissants, oatmeal, and a smoothie ¡±

    These were all Charlotte¡¯s favorites.

    Luke replied quickly. ¡°Got it, Mr. Jesper.¡±

    Inside the <b>car</b>, it was just the two of them.

    Silence settled between them

    When the light turned green, and the car began to move, Charlotte suddenly asked, ¡°Was it the police who rescued her, or your men?¡±

    Sean¡¯s tone remained even. ¡°The local police were already bought off by Joseph.¡±

    In other words, it had been his tearn.

    Charlotte pressed her lips together.

    Sean paused for a moment.

    <b>¡°</b>Are t

    they alright? <b>Was </b>anyone hurt?¡±

    ¡°Was she worried about my men¡­ or was she indirectly worrying

    ing about me?¡± he wondered.

    A trace of warmth flickered in his eyes, almost too faint to notice.

    He replied, ¡°Joseph was holding Jodie in a military facility in Anne City. His <b>people </b>were armed. Some of my men were seriously injured.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s breath caught.

    As Sean spoke, he watched Charlotte¡¯s expression in the rearview mirror.

    <b>Just </b>as he expected, her face grew tense the moment she heard someone had been injured

    Not wanting her to worry too much, he quickly added, ¡°But they¡¯ll be fine. No Life¨Cthreatening injuries. They¡¯ll recover with some rest.

    Charlotte finally let out a breath<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>That¡¯s good.¡±

    A brief silence followed. Then she asked quietly, ¡°Did you notify my father and Aunt Xena?¡±

    Sean answered, ¡°I did. They¡¯re already on their way¡±

    Charlotte murmured an acknowledgment, lowering her) gaze in thought.

    Sean found it hard not to nce at her through the rearview mirror.

    Seeing her so weighed down, he searched for <b>a </b>way to ease the mood. ¡°Why were you up so early <b>today</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Without much thought, Charlotte replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t been sleeping well these past few days<b>.</b>¡±

    Sean said gently, ¡°Now th

    that Jodie is safe, you can finally rest easy.¡±

    Charlotte looked up at that, meeting his eyes in the mirror.

    ¡°Are you sure Joseph won¡¯t retaliate?¡±

 His Heart 310

    +25 Renu

    Sean¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°This time, I brought in two teams of mercenaries from overseas. They¡¯re even more highly trained than the ones Joseph had at his base. With them protecting you and your family, his men won¡¯t be able to harm you again ¡±

    ¡°Mercenaries?¡±

    Charlotte blinked.¡°)

    Sean pressed his lips together. Guils flickered in his eyes, ¡°It was my mistake. I didn¡¯t protect you or your family properly before. Lottie, I promise you nothing like that will happen again. I¡¯ll keep you sade.¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze, her feelingsplicated

    She had been ready to throw a few cold words his way, but the memory of him risking his life to save her stopped her. The words <b>caught </b>in her throat. In the end, she said nothing

    Sean, seeing her silence, thought she didn¡¯t believe him. His throat tightened, <b>a </b>wave of bitterness rising inside.

    dat

    Soon <b>they </b>arrived at Sean¡¯s privatepound.

    Jodie had been rescued by one of Sean¡¯s top men, Jack Lee.

    Tack was the headmander of Sean¡¯s overseas base. It was rare for someone at his level to take part in field missions. Most of the time, he delegated to his team. Only the most critical, sensitive operations warranted his personal involvement.

    hell his years working for Sean, Jack had never been sent on a mission to rescue a child.

    When he first got the order, he was stunned. He had even double¨Cchecked it. But when Seen confirmed it personally, Jack epted without question

    In Antis, Joseph¡¯s influence was overwhelming. But it was a <b>country </b>where firearms were legal, and Sean¡¯s men were not constrained there.

    Rescuing one person wasn¡¯t difficult. Jack could have sent a trusted field leader with a few teams of mercenaries and been done with it. It shouldn¡¯t have required his direct involvement.

    <b>Still</b>, Jack had always followed Sean¡¯s orders without hesitation. If Sean wanted him to lead this mission personally, there had to be a reason.

    Joseph¡¯s men weren¡¯t as skilled as those <b>from </b>Sean¡¯s overseas base, but they were no pushovers

    Five of Jack¡¯s operatives were <b>injured </b>during the mission, three of them seriously. Thankfully, they hart brought a top¨Ctier medical team along. The injured were treated immediately on the belicopter, and all of their lives were saved.

    The flight from Anne City back to the base in Jersey City had taken nearly seven <b>hours</b>.

    When th

    they first rescued Jodie, she e had been unconscious.

    A quick medical exam confirmed that <b>she </b>had tainted from exhaustion and hunger. After a glucose injection, she came to on the helicopter.

    The little girl had been terrified.

    She curled up in her seat, hugging her knees, her small face deathly pale. Her wide, tearful eyes were full of fear

    One of Jack¡¯s younger men nced over at her, curiosity in his voice. ¡°Boss, who is this girl? Why did you have toe in person to save her?¡±

    Jack shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mr. Jasper didn¡¯t <b>say</b>.¡±

    The young man¡¯s name was Enzo Yates. He was one of the elite mercenaries on the mission

    Though only seventeen, he had been in training for nine years <b>and </b>had never failed a mission. His skills surpassed many seasoned <b>veterans</b><b>. </b>Among Jack¡¯s men, be ranked in the top three.

    Enza had taken a bullerto the ann. His <b>handages </b>were soaked through with blood, but he didn¡¯tin. He simply smiled and said, ¡°Then she must be very important to Mr. Jasper.¡±

    #

    When he smiled, the sharp angles of his face softened.

    Jodie looked up at him. The fear in her eyes eased a little

    dup

    She recognized him. He <b>was </b>the one who had carried her out of that dark dungeon. He had been shot while protecting her.

    Enzo, seeing her so timid, felt a pang of sympathy. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a brightly wrapped candy. ¡°Want some candy, little one?¡±

    It was a habit <b>of </b>his. Whenever he wa

    er he was tense or needed to stay focused, he would eat candy to calm his nerves. He had done it since childhood.

    That habit had never changed.

    -25 Bonus

    Jodie hesitated in her corner. Her lips were <b>pale</b>, and her gaze flickered between the candy and his bloodied hand

    After a moment, <b>she </b>reached out cautiously and took the candy. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered.

    Enzo grinned. ¡°Such good marmers<b>.¡± </b>

    Another mercenary teased, ¡°Didn¡¯t know you had such a soft side.¡±

    Enzo nced at Jodie, a flicker of

    ter of emotion in his eyes. ¡°She reminds me

    e of my sister. Fonce

    once promised to bring her some candy when I caine back¡­¡±

    The other man fell silent. Itis gaze dimmed with guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry

    Enzo shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    When Charlotte and Sean arrived at the base, the helicopter had justnded

    Jodie had already been taken inside for a meal

    Charlotte rushed <b>inside</b>. The moment she saw her sister, her knees nearly gave BUL

    Sean quickly caught her.

    <b>Tears </b>streamed down Charlotte¡¯s face. Her voice broke. ¡°Jodie¡­¡±

    At the sound of her sister¡¯s voice, Jodie turned around. Her own eyes filled with tears. ¡°Sis!¡±

    Charlotte hurried to her and pulled her into a tight embrace, sobbing ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re back. Thank goodness¡­ You¡¯re sale. You¡¯re safe¡­¡±

    Jodie cling to her, her soft <b>sobs </b>quickly turning into walling cries

    Sean stood nearby for <b>a </b>moment, watching. Then he caught Jack¡¯s eye, gave him a subtle signal, and quietly

    y left the room

    Jack followed, along with Enzo and the others, giving the two sisters same privacy.

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 His Heart 311

    Not long after, Desmond and Xena arrived at the base.

    The moment Xena saw Jodie, she broke down, clutching her daughter as she sobbed uncontrobly.

    ¡°Baby¡­ I thought I¡¯d never see you again. I¡¯ve thought about you every single day. dreamed of you every night. I was so scared, sweetheart. I was

    Charlotte stood to the side, her own tears falling silently.

    These past few days<b>, </b>every time she closed her <b>eyes</b><b>, </b>she saw that tunatic Joseph torturing her sister. The nightmares never stopped seeing Joseph dousing Jodie with gasoline<b>, </b>hearing his chilling voice as he demanded that Charlotte trade her own life for her sister¡¯s.

    Now, faced with this moment, even Desmond¡¯s eyes were red

    He had so much he wanted to say, but in the end, all that came out <b>was </b>a simple, hoarse, ¡°Jodie, Daddy missed you so much.¡±

    After they <b>had </b>all cried themselves out, Xena wiped her tears and noticed something <b>wrong </b>

    Her eyes still swollen, she <b>said </b>softly, ¡°Jodie was already traumatized after the first kidnapping. Now she¡¯s been through this again¡­ taken all the way to Antis. She nearly lost her life. I¡¯m worried about her mental state.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t go on

    Jodie was not even <b>nine </b>years old. No child should have to endure this kind of trauma twice.

    There was <b>no </b>w

    was no way her mind coulde out of this unscathed

    Desmond looked exhausted. In the days since Jodie had been taken, he hadn¡¯t slept a full night

    Now his face was gaunt, his eyes shadowed. Guilt and worry filled his gaze as he looked at his daughter. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the best child psychologist I <b>can </b>find.¡±

    Charlotte quickly <b>added</b>, ¡°I¡¯ll reach out to my contacts too. I¡¯ll ask around and find the top expert. Aunt Xena, Jodie will get through this.¡±

    Kena let out a long, heavy sigh. ¡°I hope so..¡±

    Outside<b>, </b><b>Sean </b>and Jack were speaking quietly.

    <b>When </b>the Riley family came out, the two groups crossed paths

    Sean¡¯s gaze immediately found Charlotte¡¯s. Their eyes met. Hers were red<b>, </b>her face still streaked with tears.

    A faint ache rippled <b>through </b><b>Sean¡¯s </b>chest.

    Charlotte pressed her lips together and looked away

    Xena had intended to say ¡°thank you,¡± but the words stuck in her throat. If it hadn¡¯t been for the connection to Sean, her daughter wouldn¡¯t have been kidnapped in <b>the </b><b>first </b>ce. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to <b>thank </b><b>him </b>

    Desmond shot <b>Sean </b>a cold look.

    Sean remained calm. ¡°Mr. Riley ¡±

    Desmond¡¯s voice was <b>icy</b><b>. </b>¡°Save it. Don¡¯t pretend we¡¯re on good terms.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t take offense. He simply inclined his head and <b>said</b>, ¡°How is Jodle doing?¡±

    That question only made Desmond angrier..

    He snorted. ¡°Thanks to you, she nearly died.¡±

    Sean lowered his gaze, guilt clouding his features. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.

    Beside him, Jack opened his mouth as if to speak, but without Sean¡¯s signal, be said nothing.

    Sean¡¯s sincere apology did nothing to case Desmond¡¯s anger

    He was burning inside, his face <b>dark </b>with fury. ¡°Do you think ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡® is enough? Do you think a simple apology can undo what my daughters <b>have </b><b>been </b>throughTMTMTM

    Sean remained silent.

    With another cold snort, Desmond turned and stalked away with Jodie in his arms.

    Xena followed without a word

    Charlotte trailed behind.

    As she passed Sean, he <b>suddenly </b>reached out and grabbed her wrist. ¡°Lotte¡­¡±

    She stopped and looked up at him. <b>¡°</b><b>What </b>is it?¡±

    Sean¡¯s dark

    keyes shimmered with pain, his voice <b>soft </b>and pleading. ¡°<b>Can </b><b>we </b>start over?¡±

    Charlotte froze.

    Her eyes widened in disbelie

    It took her a long moment to find her voice<b>. </b>She frowned, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    <b>She </b>was stunned. ¡°Start over? After everything that had happened, how could we possibly start over?¡± she thought.

    Never mind the fact that his grandmother despised her and had fought tooth and nall to keep them apart. Even it, by some miracle, Mrs. Jasper Sr. changed her mind, there was no way Charlotte could go back.

    <b>Not </b>after everything

    Between them now stood what had happened to Jodie and to herself. They had both nearly lost their lives. Desmond¡¯s hatred toward the Jasper family <b>ran </b>bone deep.

    Even if some small part of her still harbored feelings for Sean, there was no way they could ever go back

 His Heart 312

    Even though Charlotte had learned the truth from <b>Joseph¡¯s </b>men that Sean had broken up with her to protect her, that the actress in the tabloid manors was actually his cousin, and that she still meant everything to him¡ªshe never once brought up getting back together, even knowing he had risked his

    Life to save her.

    Because she knew they could not go back

    Too much had happened.

    i loved Sem, shrcould not

    Jodie¡¯s kidnapping. The scars left on both of them. Her father¡¯s hatred for the Jasper family. Even if some small part of her still indo what had already been done.

    Charlotte had assumed Sean understood this.

    But now, looking at him, it was clear he still clung <b>to </b>some foolish hope.

    Her chest tightened painfully.

    The truth was, she could barely ept this ending herself. It was tearing her apart. But this was a dead end, and she was trapped inside it. No matter how much it broke her, there was no way out,

    ?fodle would never have been kidnapped. If it weren¡¯t for him, Charlotte herself

    Yes, Sean bad rescued Jodie. But the fact remained. If it weren¡¯t for him, fr wouldn¡¯t have been dragged into Joseph¡¯s revenge.

    She lowered her paze <b>and </b>said nothing

    Sean¡¯s throat burned. Watching her in silence was unbearable. His heart felt like it might shatter.

    Atst, Charlotte¡¯s voice,

    e, rough and hoarse, broke the stillness.

    ¡°We can¡¯t go back, Sean. There¡¯s no way.¡±

    Sean¡¯s grip on her wrist tightened for a moment, then sl

    slowly released.

    His dark eyes were like a deep, bottomless sex, turmoil rising beneath the surface,

    Charlotte refused to meet his ?. The moment be let go, she turned and fled,

    Cold wind swept past. Sean stood frozen in ce, as if carved from stone. His head bowed, a single tear slipped silently down his cheek.

    No one saw.

    Outside, the early spring world was bursting to life, New buds sprouted on the branches, flowers bloomed, soft rain nourished the earth. Everything

    thrived.

    But in Sean¡¯s world, everything had gone cold and gray, drained of color. There was nothing left but emptiness.

    The moment Se heard that Jodie was suffering from trauma, he contacted the world¡¯s top child psychologist and personally flew out to bring her to Jersey City.

    When Desmond found out, he merely gave <b>a </b><b>cold</b>, mocking smile.

    The doctor arrived in Jersey City and, barely adjusted to the time differerice, immediately began treatment.

    When Sean brought the doctor to the Riley <b>home</b>, Xena greeted him politely, though still guarded. Desmond barely looked at him.

    The doctor, a blonde woman with kind blue eyes, spoke gently

    *For children, a familiar environment and tamiliar faces help with recovery. I wouldn¡¯t rmend moving her to a hospital or facility. It¡¯s best to tra her here at hoche. If you¡¯re open to it, I ran stay and provide care

    pave a small nod. ¡°Of course. Please stay. And thank you.¡±

    The doctor smiled. ¡°You¡¯re very wee. I want her to get better

    Seen, seeing that everything was arranged, said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    Desmond didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t even look at him.

    Xena, however<b>, </b>said, ¡°Thank you. Drive safe¡±

    Sean nced at Charlotte

    His eyes were full of longing, of things left unsaid.

    Charlotte kept her gaze lowered

    Paintwisted in Sean¡¯s chest. He looked away and turned to leave.

    Only after he had turned did Charlotte lift her eyes.

    His retreating figure looked <b>so </b>at¨®ne<b>, </b>so <b>deste</b>.

    Her breath caught painfully in her throat.

    And her eyes burned with unshed tears.

 His Heart 313

    In the grand living room on the first floor of the Jasper family estate, Lilian finally broke into a long¨Coverdue smile upon hearing that Jodie had returned horne safely.

    ¡°It¡¯s good she¡¯s back. That¡¯s all that matters,¡± she said, her voice filled with relief.

    James¡¯s tense expression eased a little as be asked, ¡°What did the Rileys say dinut (t?¡±

    Sean¡¯s <b>expression </b>remained calm, his tone even. ¡°Not much.¡±

    Lilian blinked, then said, <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b>visit the Riley family tomorrow to <b>check </b>on Jodie. I¡¯ll bring a proper gift and offer a formal apology to Mr. and Mrs. Riley. After all, Jodie was kidnapped because of us¡±

    Mrs. <b>Jasper </b>Sr. let out a cold snort. Her lips <b>curled </b>in disapproval.

    ¡°There¡¯s

    ¡®s no need<b>. </b>The girl¡¯s back in one piece, isn¡¯t she? Nothing actually happened to her. <b>Why </b><b>stoop </b><b>so </b>low? Lilian, you¡¯re thedy of the Jasper family. You represent us in everything you do. Don¡¯t lower yourself like that.¡±

    Lilian frowned. ¡°Mom, how is that lowering myself? A

    After something like <b>this</b>, if we just ignore it, that would be truly disgraceful¡±

    Sean cut in, his tone <b>still </bposed. ¡°Grandma, the kidnapping left fodio deeply traumatized. Her mental state isn¡¯t good right now.

    The implication was clear that Jodie wasn¡¯t exactly ¡°fine¡± The Jaspers bore responsibility for what happened.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. narrowed her eyes in displeasure.

    ¡°Oh please,¡± she scoffed. ¡°So she got a little scared. Kids are sevisitive, it¡¯s normal<b>. </b>She¡¯ll be fine <b>in </b>a few days. No need to make a fuss.¡±

    <b>Lilian </b>nced between Mrs. Jasper Sr. and Sean, looking like she had more to say but held it in.

    Sean acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s biting words. He turned to Lillian and said, ¡°If you want to visit Jodie, you¡¯ll need to call ahead and check with Mr. and Mrs. Riley, Jodle¡¯s in therapy ar home right now. She might not be up for visitors.¡±

    Lilian nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Seeing <b>herself </b>ignored, Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Sean, are you deliberately trying to go against me?¡±

    Sean¡¯s lips curved slightly, but his <b>tone </b>remained <b>cool </b>

    ¡°Of course not, Grandma. If you don¡¯t want to visit the Rileys because of your <b>status</b>, that¡¯s your decision. I can¡¯t tell you what to do, can 1?¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. narrowed her <b>eyes</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Are </b>you really that dense, or just pretending?

    She Usen turned to her daughter¨Cinw. ¡°<b>And </b><b>you¡¯re </b>not allowed to go either!¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Lilian looked troubled

    telling you¨Cnot to go to the Riley house.¡±

    ¡°Sean, please don¡¯t argue with Grandma¡­¡± Vivian said softly, trying to smooth things over.

    Sean didn¡¯t even nce in her direction. He stood up and said, ¡°I have soothing to do. I¡¯ll be heading out.

    With that, he turned and walked away.

    ¡°Sean!¡± Vivian called after him, watching his back as he left.

    ¡°Just look at him! Is that any way to behave?¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. fumed.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go too.¡± Lilian nced at her mother¨Cinw, then softened her voice.¡°Please try to calm down.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. shot her a cold look.

    <b>¡°</b>Calm down? If you <b>didn¡¯t </b>keep making me angry, would I even <b>need </b>to?¡±

    Lilian fell silent, letting out a quiet sigh.

    + Grandma, I made you a cup of your favorite green tea. ¡°Vivian pontly handed her the mug. *See if I¡¯ve improved my brewing skills ¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. took <b>a </b><b>sip</b>. Her expression finally softened. ¡°At least you¡¯re thoughtful.¡±

    Lilian nced at Vivian but didn¡¯t say anything. She turned and quietly left <b>the </b>room.

    James had never had much say in this household to begin with. Now that the trouble involved his legitimate son, he had even less ground to speak.

    Caught between the tension of Mrs. Jasper Stand Sean, Jarnes chose to y dead, pretending he hadn¡¯t heard a thing.

 His Heart 314

    After the

    ended, Charlotte returned to her office to organize some cate

    Not long after, there was a knock on

    A samond Later, it opened and soon appeared in the doorway

    ¡°Miss Riley, do you have a monofor?

    Boom stepped inside

    one¡¯s turning into a real tough case, and I

    ¡°Are you here to talk about the IT Corporation case Charlotte asked. ¡°I was just about to find you. That one¡¯s tur

    anted to hear your thoughts.¡±

    IY Corporation wen bionechpany. The CEO had once been close friends with Desmond. As soon as her firm opened, HY Corporation entrusted them with several legal matter.

    was particrly.

    implicated. The legal rtionships were tangled, and the evidence was iplete. Taking it to court would be a

    | serious persibile.

    But Scott shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not here about the IT Corporation case,

    Charlotte looked up, a trace of confusion in her eyes. ¡°Then what is it?¡±

    is something on your mind Barely

    ¡°I did,¡± Stort said with a soft smile. ¡°<b>You¡¯ve </b>seed out of ittely. Honestly, it¡¯s like you¡¯ve got something¡¯s bothering me written all over your face.¡± Charlotte pressed her lips together. ¡°Is it really that obvion?

    ¡°Very¡±

    the sighed and lowered her gaze. ¡°There¡¯s been some stuff going on at home.¡±

    Scont¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Can I ask what happened?¡°.

    Charlone thought for a moment, then said, ¡°It¡¯s my sister. Something happened, and her mental state is¡­not great. I¡¯ve been really worried about her.¡± ¡°I know one of the top psychologists in the

    rcountry,¡± Scott offered gently ¡°Maybe they can help.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay for now.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ve already hired someone to do in¨Chome therapy. We¡¯re going to give it some time and see how it goes. But if it doesn¡¯t help, I¡¯ll definitely much out. Thanks, Mr. Lucas,¡±

    Scott¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me,

    ¡°I¡¯m one of the partners here, remember? Technically that makes me one of the bosses too.¡± Scott chuckled and joked, ¡°If you¡¯re not in the right headspace and it ends og hurting the case, we might lose and not recover our legal fees. I¡¯d be the one taking the hit.¡±

    Charlotte knew he was joking and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss. I might be stressed, but my work doesn¡¯t suffer. I¡¯ve still got it.¡±

    She picked up a court decision and waved it at him. ¡°See? Just got another win. The court approved all of cor ims. The remaining $150,000 in legal fees

    Scott¡¯s eyes curved with a stalle. ¡°That¡¯s our Miss Riley.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s mood lifted a bit too. Teasing, she said, ¡°Stick with me and you won¡¯t be starving anytime soon.¡±

    harkled, Fils tone warm. ¡°Ded.¡±

    Soon, the workday came to an end. The other employees trickled out of the

    After organizing her case files, Charlotte turned off the lights in her office, closed the door, and headed for the exit.

    *Miss Riley,¡± Scott called out.

    He walked over, a slight smile in his eyes behind <b>his </b>gold ritmed sses. ¡°Weren¡¯t we going to discuss the HY Corporation case? There¡¯s a new bistro nearby. A friend told me it¡¯s pretty good. Want to talk it over there?¡±

    Charlotte hesitated for a second, then nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±

    mw fi

    Even though it was after hours, she didn¡¯t mind discussing work with Scott. After all, this wasn¡¯t just a job. This was her own

    The HY Corporation case was her client, and she appreciated that Scott was willing to give up his personal time to help her analyze it.

    Smiling, Charlotte said, ¡°This one¡¯s on me, Scott. Call it a thank¨Cyou for your help<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Scott </b>didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Sounds good.

    Charlotte pressed the elevator button. Scott stood quietly beside her, waiting

    COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus

    Commente

 His Heart 315

    At the restaurant, Scott cut into his steak with practiced ease.

    Charlotte had ordered a bottle of Roman¨¦e¨CConti Grand Cru red wine. A server in uniform stood by to decent it.

    Scott nced at the wine with a faint smile. ¡°Even if the judge sides with uspletely in the HY Corporation case, the <b>legal </b>fees would only be around $ 200,000. This bottle <b>alone </b>cost $180,000. Miss Riley, that¡¯s not exactly a smart deal.¡±

    Charlotte swirled her <b>ss</b>, a soft smile ying in her eyes. ¡°never make losing deals.¡±

    Scott raised an eyebrow, waiting for more.

    ¡°Mr. Lucas brings in at least ten times that for Ascend Law Firm every year. This wine is <b>a </b>bargain.¡±

    Scott let out a lowugh. ¡°Here I thought Miss Riley was just generously spending her money. Turns out you¡¯re quite the businesswoman

    <b>¡°</b>Well, of course. <b>You </b>know <b>who </b>my father is.¡±

    When it came to business, no one in Jersey City could outmatch Desmond, the top entrepreneur in town

    The dinner was an enjoyable one.

    Scott offered a number of practical suggestions and debate strategies for the case.

    Charlotte took notes diligently as they spoke.

    After the meal<b>, </b>Charlotte called <b>over </b><b>a </b>server to settle the check

    But the server smiled politely and said, ¡°<b>Ma¡¯am</b>, this gentleman has already taken care of the bill.¡±

    Charlotte froze mid¨Cmotion, her <b>hand </b>still holding her card. She looked <b>across </b>the table.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree this one was on me?¡±

    Scott¡¯s lips <b>curved </b>slightly. ¡°Letting ady pick <b>up </b>the check just <b>isn¡¯t </b>my style¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± She puffed her cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s $<b>180,000 </b>for wine and $5,000 for food. You haven¡¯t even <b>made </b>a dime at Ascend yet, and you¡¯ve already spent $185,000. That¡¯s the real bad deal.<b>¡± </b>

    Scott¡¯s gaze held a smile. ¡°past like you, I don¡¯t make losing deals. Awyer like you, with those connections? I¡¯m not worried about running out of cases. I¡¯m just waiting for you to bring me the big ones.

    Charlotte chuckled and tucked her <b>card </b>back into her purse. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll stop being polite.¡±

    She had just zipped up her bag and was about to get up when a woman started walking toward their table.

    The woman¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Scott?¡±

    She reached their table quickly. ¡°It really is you!¡±

    H

    Scort blinked. ¡°Aunt Mandy?

    Her <b>name </b>was Mandy Lowe. <b>She </b>had a sharp¨Clooking chestnut bob and wore perfectly done makeup. <b>Even </b>though she was well into her forties, she was so well put together that she looked barely thirty

    ¡°And who is this? Mandy smiled brightly at Charlotte.

    ¡°This is my partner I mentioned to you before¨CCharlotte Riley,¡± Scott said, then turned to Charlotte and added, ¡°Charlotte, this is my <b>aunt </b>

    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Charlotte said with a polite smile.

    ¡°Lovely to meet you too,¡± Mandy replied, her grin impossible to hide. ¡°Scott¡¯s mentioned you before.

    Charlotte smiled politely

    ¡°You little rascal,¡± Mandy nudged Scott with her elbow. ¡°You told me Miss Riley <b>was </b>an incredibly talented attorney. You forgot to mention <b>she¡¯s </b>also

    A flicker of awkwardness passed over

    er Scott¡¯s face ¡°Aunt Mandy..¡±

    ¡°Miss Riley, <b>do </b>you have a boyfriend?¡± Mandy asked,pletely unfazed.

    Charlotte froze for a second. ¡°Wow, that was forward,¡± she thought

    ¡°Aunt Maraly!¡± Seon quickly cut her off, lds ears turning noticeably red

    Sorry, Miss Biley,¡±e said furriedly. ¡°My and can be a bit socially intente. Please don¡¯t take it personally ¡±

    Mandy shot te oft a look and whispered, ¡°She¡¯s perfect for you. It¡¯s rare to see you out with a woman Come on, don¡¯t waste this chares

    Awkwardly, she averted her power

    anel pretended nei lo

    Scott pressed his fingers to bis temple in exasperation. ¡°Aunt Mandy, can you please stop?¡±

    ¡°How can I not worry? Youlouw, for years, your man and I. tionghat you might be into prays. You avoided women like pande king bad didn¡¯t dare ask ¡±

 His Heart 316

    Mandy hadn¡¯t even finished her sentence when Scott quickly reached over and covered her mouth ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re just getting ridiculous¡±

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t hold back. She burst outughing

    our Scott is very straight. I¡¯ve <b>got </b>something else to take care of, so I¡¯ll leave you two to your

    Mandy quickly backed off. ¡°Well, anyway<b>, </b>Miss Riley, ou meal.¡±

    <b>Charlotte </b>responded politely, ¡°Alright, take care

    ¡°Bye, future niece¨Cinw Mandy beamed as she walked away.

    Charlotte was rendered speechless.

    <b>After </b>Mandy left, Scort looked deeply apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, <b>Miss </b>Riley. My aunt loves to talk nonsense. Please don¡¯t take it seriously.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Charlotte said with a smile. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect someone like you to be getting pressured to settle down. I figured a guy like you would¡¯ve had a girlfriend or even a fianc¨¦e by now.¡±

    ¡±

    Ar that, Scott nced at her with a strangely meaningful look, but quickly looked away again ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Charlotte was caught off guard

    guard. The words slipped <b>our </b>before she processed them then it hit her. ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let me take you home, <b>Scott </b><b>said </b>as he stood up and reached for his coat.

    ¡°No need,¡± Charlotte stood too. ¡°I drove here¡±

    ¡°You did have some wine, though,¡± be reminded her gently.

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll call my driver toe pet me.¡±

    She had actually nned to head back to the Riley estate tonight to check on her sister.

    ¡°Alright then<b>,</b>¡± Scott said, not pressing further

    Meanwhile, in a remote vi on the outskirts of town, Zar was absolutely livit. ¡°You tried to use me to get rid of Charlotte? You low damn well that it we called the cops, Joseph would kill her, and <b>you </b>still pushed me to report it?!¡±

    gave a cold, dismissiveugh. ¡°So what if I did? I¡¯ve wanted Charlotte Riley dead for <b>a </b><b>long </b>time.¡±

    ¡°Vivian Xander!¡± Zac roared, the veins in his forehead bulging <b>¡°</b>You told me you just wanted to break her and Sean up. You never said you wanted her dead!¡±

    ¡°That was then.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes were sharp with scorn as she curled her lips into a cruel smile. ¡°Now, I want her gone. Once she¡¯s dead, my <b>brother </b>will finally notice me.¡®

    ¡°re insane!¡± Zac¡¯s chest heaved with fury. He lunged toward <b>her</b>, but her bodyguards quickly stepped in and held him back.

    ¡°Look at <b>you</b><b>,</b>¡± Vivian sneered ¡°Pathetic. No wonder Charlotte dumped you. Even after the breakup, she never gave you a second nce. You¡¯re useless to me now. Our deal is over

    Zac¡¯s eyes zed. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid I¡¯ll tell Sean everything you¡¯ve done?

    Vivian burst outughing, lood and mocking ¡°Did I hear that right? <b>Are </b>you threatening me?

    She took <b>a </b>step closer, her voice low and vicious. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s backding me.¡±

    Her tone turned smog, oozing arrogance, ¡°To Joseph, I¡¯m worth far more <b>than </b>you Think about it. If I lose value, if the Jaspers kick me our for what I¡¯ve dorur, do you really think Joseph will let you walk away?¡±

    Ar the mention of Joseph, a flicker of fear shed in Zac¡¯s eyes.

    life.

    That man was a monster. He once chased Sean Jasper through the streets in broad daylight with a sniper rifle. Sean had barely escaped with his li Zac knew he wouldn¡¯t be so lucky

    He was just an ordinary rich boy, a spoiled second¨Cgen who had only recently started trying to run a business. He wasn¡¯t some trained killer. He didn¡¯t have private soldiers at hismand or a personal mili.

    The bodyguards he had hired would be wiped <b>out </b>in seconds if they ever crossed Joseph¡¯s mUPIL.

    II Joseph really decided toe after him, ac <b>wouldn¡¯t </b>survive the night.

 His Heart 317

    Sophie had officially passed her interview and joined Ascend Low Firm as a full¨Ctime associate.

    Coincidentally, Jenny had just resigned from S&G Law Firm and joined Charlotte¡¯s firm as well, so Charlotte assigned her to assist Sophie.

    Both young women were bright, outgoing, and quickly hit it off.

    For the H Corporation case, Charlotte had organized the evidence and drafted theint based on Scott¡¯s suggestions.

    That afternoon, just before the end of the workday, Charlotte received a call from her private investigator

    ¡°Miss Riley, I¡¯ve got new information on Zac Gibson and Vivian Xander. Do you have time to meet today? I have something to give you.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Charlotte replied. ¡°I¡¯m about to finish up for the day. Meet me at the cafe near my office?¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    She gave him the address and said, ¡°Let¡¯s moet at six¨Cthirty.¡±

    ¡°See you then, Miss Riley.¡±

    Right after hanging up, Scott knocked and walked into her office

    ¡°Miss Riley, I was thinking about <b>what </b>my aunt said to you yesterday, and I feel I owe you an apology.

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know she was just jolding. I didn¡¯t take it personally.

    ¡°How <b>about </b>this,¡± <b>Scott </b>adjusted his sses with a <b>small </b>smile, ¡°let me take you to dinner. Consider it my aunt¡¯s formal apology.¡±

    Charlotte chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s really not necessary. No need to be so formal.¡±

    looked at her for a moment, hesitated, then rubbed the bridge of <b>his </b>nose. ¡°Alright then¡±

    ¡°Oh, by the way.¡± Charlotte pulled out <b>two </b>thick legal case folders from her drawer. ¡°We¡¯ve taken on a few more cases. These two are in your area of expertise. I¡¯m assigning them to <b>you</b>.¡±

    Scott epted the folders and smiled. ¡°New cases already? I should¡¯ve known¨Cwhen you say <b>business </b>wille, it does. I knew following you wouldn¡¯t leave me starving

    ¦°

    Charlotteughed. ¡°Is that all you¡¯re aiming for? Just not going hungry?

    ¡°Open them and take a look.

    Scott

    flipped open one of the folders. It was a trademark dispute,

    He skimmed the documents <b>quickly </b>and smiled. ¡°Looks like <b>I¡¯ve </b>already made back the money I spent on that winest night.¡±

    Charlotteughed too. ¡°Told you¨Cyou won¡¯t lose out working with me

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Scott said as he packed up the materials.

    After work, Charlotte packed up her desk and headed down to the nearby <b>cafe</b>.

    She pushed open the ss door and walked in. In a quieter, she spotted a man dressed in ck with a baseball cap pulled low.

    She walked over and sat down across from him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Collins.¡±

    The private investigator, Marcus Collins<b>, </b>nodded. ¡°Good evening, Miss Riley.¡±

    After exchanging greetings, <b>Marcus </b>opened <b>his </b>backpack and began rummaging <b>inside</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°These are photos I¡¯ve taken recently of Zac Gibson and Vln Kander together,¡± he said, handing her a <b>brown </b>envelope.

    Charlotte opened it and pulled out the photos. As <b>she </b>flipped through them, her lips curled into a cold smile.

    So it¡¯s true,¡±

    ¡°she murmured

    ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± Marcus <b>added</b><b>. </b>¡°I recorded their conversation fromst night. I¡¯ll send you the audio,¡±

    Charlotte acted the file, put on her headphones, and pressed y.

    Zac¡¯s voice came through first.

    ¡°You tried to use me to get rid of Charlotte? You knew damn well <b>that </b>if we called the cops, Joseph would kill her, and you still pushed me to report it?!

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    Vivian responded coldly.

    ¡°So what if I <b>did</b>? I¡¯ve wanted Charlotte Riley dead for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Vivian Xander! <b>You </b>told me you just wanted to break her and Sean up. You never said you wanted her dead!¡±

    ¡°That was

    was then. Now, I want her gone. Once she¡¯s dead, my brother will finally notice me.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened as she heard that. ¡°Seriously? She wants me dead over a man? How pathetic,¡± she thought

    Zac¡¯s voice grew angrier.

    ¡°You¡¯re insanel

    Vivian¡¯s voice snapped back.

    ¡°Look at you. Pathetic. No wonder Charlotte dumped you. Even after the breakup, she never gave you a second nce. You¡¯re useless to me now. Our deal

    is over.

    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid I¡¯ll tell Sean everything you¡¯ve done?¡± Zac threatened.

    Vivian burst outughing, loud and mocking. ¡°Did I <b>hear </b>that right? Are you threatening me? Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s backing me. To Joseph, <b>I¡¯m </b>worth for more than you. Think about it. If I lose value, if the Jaspers kick me out for what I¡¯ve done, do you really think Joseph will let you walk away?¡±

    The audio cut off.

    Charlotte furrowed her brows.

    She had already suspected Vivian had feelings for Sean and had some kind of secret dealings with Zac, so none of this surprised her.

    But the fact that Vivian was working with Joseph? That changed everything

    Charlotte leaned back, deep in thought

    ¡°Should I tell Sean about this<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>she wondered.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she <b>said</b>. ¡°I¡¯ll transfer the payment to your ounts

    ¡°Got it,¡± Marcus nodded.

    Meanwhile, in the study at Sean¡¯s privatepound, he sat at his desk while his assistant Luke briefed him.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper, here are the results from the investipation you ordered on Miss Xander.¡± Luke turned theptop screen toward Sean and ced it on the desk

    Sean scrolled through the documents, his expression growing darker by the second.

    ¡°Our people found that she¡¯s been in frequent contact with Zac Gibsontely,¡± Luke reported. ¡°And from what we¡¯ve gathered, it was Miss Xander who urged Zac to call the police during <b>Miss </b>Riley¡¯s kidnapping ¡±

    Luke hesitated before continuing. ¡°A few months ago, the Gibson Corporation was on the verge of bankruptcy. But then they suddenly received a huge Investment. We traced it back to an overseas firm. Its legal representative is linked to Chester, one of Joseph¡¯s top men

    Sean¡¯s eyes shed with cold light at the name

    ¡°So Zac¡¯s working for Joseph now too,¡± he said with a grim smile.

    ¡°There¡¯s more Luke hesitated again.

    ¡°Spit it out,¡±

    ¡°Sean said<b>, </b><b>eyes </b>sharp.

    ¡°There¡¯s a recording about Miss Xander.¡± Luke handed over his phone. ¡°You¡¯ll want to hear this yourself

    Sean frowned and pressed y.

 His Heart 318

    That night, Charlotte couldn¡¯t sleep.

    The audio kept echoing in die

    Vivian was working for Joseph.

    Charlotte had no way of knowing, just how mus Vi

    Vivian, as ilue Jasper family¡¯s adopted daughter, was privy ti

    She had never asked Sean whether Vivian held any off

    <b>Jasper </b>Corporation.

    It Vivian alid work there and if she had ess to confidential business information and leaked it to Josephs, that could pose a serious threat to the

    And Joseph hated the Jaspers

    Everything he had done so far had been driven by revenge against Sean

    But I Visioni i rully loved Sea, Harn whay would she side with the men who wanted <b>to </b>destroy him? Charlotte couldn¡¯t <b>make </b>sense of it.

    Hat Josephi promhed her something?

    That question haunted her as <b>she </b>tossed and turned in ber

    Only when the faint light of dawn crept arrows the sky did sleep finally begin to pull her under.

    When she opened her eyes apain, it was already afternoon.

    lotte sat up and nced at her phone 2:30 pm,

    She let out a frustrated sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. There was no use dwelling <b>on </b>it

    Yesterday at the cafe, after handing her the physical photos, the private investigator had also sent her digital coples.

    After washing ogy Clu

    forwarded all the digital evidence to Sear¡¯s einall.

    She told herself she was only doing what was right. After all, he had risked his Ile to save Jodie. And during the engagement ceremony, he had talien a knife for her without hesitation. No matter what happened between thein, she couldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing.

    Viviar alone might not pose a real threat to Seand Joseph was another story

    Charlotte know all too well how powerful Jose?di¡¯swork was in Antis.

    Sean considered him a top enemy. If Vivian had been feeding him information from within the Jasper family all this time, the consequences could be devastating¡ªnot just for thepany, but for <b>Sean </b>personally.

    Just as she i

    as she finished sending the email, another message popped up in her inbox.

    It was from the contact she had asked <b>to </b>investigate the corporate filings of the Gilson Corporations.

    The subject line was ¡°Gilson Corporation Corporate Records,¡±

    Charlotte opened it indiately and began scrolling through the doctaments,

    When she reached the section on equity <b>changes</b><b>, </b>her eyes narrowed,

    She read through the controlling shareholder¡¯s information again and apalu. ording to the documents, thepany was now controlled by an overseas investment firm¡ªnot by Chester, Joseph¡¯s right¨Chand man.

    I hadn¡¯t Zar

    n¡¯t Zac said the lovestor behind the Gibson Corporation was Chester?

    Charlotte¡¯s brows furrowed. Could it be that this offshorepany was actually controlled by him?

    Cluster had already been arrested, and the domesticpanies under his e

    name were now under investigation

    But this overseas entity? Outside of the country¡¯s jurisdiction. For now, Zac was beretiring from that loophole.

    Just then, a new email alert popped up her screen.

    Charlotte clicked on it, and her eyes proned.

    In the message, Sean wrote that they had <b>already </b>confirmed Vivian¡¯s close ties with Zac Gibson and that she was, indeed, working for Joseph

    Charlotte let out a slow breath.

    ¡°Good. At least now he knew,¡± she thought.

    She began typing a long reply, fingers flying across the keyboard. <b>But </b>just before she hit send, she stopped.

    What Sean chose to do about Vivian was up to him.

    After all, Vivian wasn¡¯t just anyone she was the Jaspers adopted daughter. She had been Sean¡¯s sister for over ten years.

    And more importantly, she had feelings for him that went far beyond sibling affection

    If Sean knew Vivian was working for Joseph, he had to know how she felt about him, too

    Would he hesitate?

    Would he let her off the book if she cried and begged?

    After more than a decade <b>of </b>calling her his sister, would he really be able to turn his back on her?

    COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus

 His Heart 319

    A sudden wave of frustration welled up inside Charlotte

    She stared at the long reply she had written in the email, then slowly deleted the words

    Forget it. She had already done everything she could. What Sean chose to do with Vivian was his business now. It had nothing to do with her anymore.

    It was the weekend, so Charlotte didn¡¯t need to go into the firm.

    She had a ss of milk and a simple sandwich, barely managing to call it breakfast.

    But the restlessness in her chest still wouldn¡¯t go away.

    The weather outside was beautiful¨Cwars sunlight streaming through the windows. She quickly freshened up and decided to go out for <b>a </b>walk,

    There was arge public park near the vi where she lived. Charlotte walked there at a leisurely pace.

    It was the weekend, and the park was bustling Families filled the <b>paths</b>, parents chasing after toddlers, childrenughing and shouting. <b>The </b>evergreen trees shimmered in rich green under the sun, lush and full. Tulips and roses bloomed in vibrant colors,peting with each other in beauty.

    On the grass, people picked while kids ran around flying kites.

    As Charlotte strolled across thewn, soaking in the life and warmth around her, the anxiety that had weighed down her chest slowly <b>began </b>to lift. After wandering aimlessly for over ten minutes, <b>she </b>sat down on a wooden bench beneath a call tree <b>to </b>rest

    Suddenly, she heard a faint, broken sob

    A child was crying

    Following the sound, she walked past a sculpture and found a little girl sitting behind it, quietly weeping.

    She wore a pink dress over a white knit sweater, her hair tied into two high pigtails

    On each side, her fluffy bunny hair ties bounced with every sniffle

    Charlotte recognized the outfit as luxury children¡¯s wear from a well¨Cknown designer brand. Even the bunny hair ties alone¨CJodie had the same pair- cost over ten thousand dors.

    She walked over and crouched down gently. ¡°Hey, sweetheart. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The little girl¡¯s teary eyes looked up at her, cheeks streaked with tears. ¡°L¡­ I lost my mommy.. I can¡¯t find her¡­¡±

    Just as Charlotte had suspected.

    ¡°Do you remember your mom¡¯s phone number?¡± she asked gently

    The girl poured and shook her head

    ¡°Okay¡­ what about your dad¡¯s number? <b>Or </b>someone else from your family?¡±

    Another small shake <b>of </b>the head.

    Charlotte let out a small sigh. <b>¡°</b>Doy you remember your parents¡® names?¡±

    The girl sniffled, then nodded. ¡°My mommy¡¯s name <b>is </b>Mandy Lowe ¡±

    Charlotte exhaled in relief. At least <b>she </b>remembered that

    After thinking for <b>a </b>moment, she decided to take the little girl to the park¡¯s administrative center. The staff there could help broadcast <b>an </b>announcement

    to locate <b>her </b>mother.

    ¡°Don¡¯t <b>cry</b>, okay? I¡¯ll help you find <b>your </b>mom, alright Charlotte said, ge

    gently brushing the girl¡¯s soft hair.

    The girl wiped her face with her sleeve, looked up at Charlotte with watery eyes, then gave <b>a </b>soft little ¡°Okay.¡±

    Charlotte smiled and reached out her hand. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go find your mom¡±

    The little girl obediently took her hand and followed her without protest.

    At the park management center, Charlotte exined the situation to i

    to the stall.

    One of the staff members crouched down and asked, ¡°Sweetheart, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    -25 Bonu

    ¡°I¡¯m Tiana Gibson,¡± the little girl replied sweetly.

    The staff immediately switched on the loudspeaker system.

    ¡°Attention: Miss Mandy Lowe, your daughter Tiana Gibson has been found near the northwn. Pleasee to the north gate management center as soon as possible<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    The park wasrge, but speakers were set up at regr¨Cintervals. Within <b>minutes</b><b>, </b><b>Mandy </b>arrived.

    And the moment Charlotteid eyes on her, she froze.

    ¡°<b>Wait </b>a second¡­ Wasn¡¯t <b>that </b>Scott¡¯s <b>aunt</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>she muttered.

 His Heart 320

    Mandy spotted Charlotte at the same time. Surprise flickered in her eyes.

    ¡°Miss Riley? What a coincidence!¡±

    Charlotte smiled, ¡°I was just taking a walk in the park and heard a child crying. I went over to check, and it turns out the little girl¡¯s mom is <b>you </b>

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who brought Tiana here?¡± Mandy¡¯s eyes filled with gratitude. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±

    Charlotte smiled politely. ¡°It was nothing, really. Just lending a hand.¡±

    ¡°<b>Tiana</b>, sweetheart,e thank Miss Riley,¡± Mandy said with a <b>wren </b>smile.

    The little girl looked up at Charlotte with big, bright eyes and sal

    I said in her sweet voice, ¡°Thank you, Miss Riley.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a good girl,¡± Charlotte said, hending down to gently pat her head, her eyes curving <b>into </b><b>a </b>smile.

    Holding her daughter¡¯s hand, <b>Mandy </b>said, ¡°Miss <b>Riley</b>, <b>I </b>really appreciate your help today, Let me treat you to dinner tonight. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s n

    I not necessary,¡± Charlotte replied with a soft smile.

    Easy tonight?¡± Mandy was persistent <b>and </b>cheerful, ¡°Tomorrow then? Or whenever you¡¯re free.¡±

    Charlotte waved a hand lightly. Really, you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    But Mandy wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. After several polite refusals, Charlotte finally gave in ¡°Alright then. I <b>have </b>something tonight. How about next Saturday evening?¡±

    ¡°Perfect¡± Mandy beamed. ¡°It¡¯s a date.¡±

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    In Antis<b>, </b>Vivian hurried down the street, a growing sense of unease twisting in her gut.

    She kept ncing behind her.

    Everyone looked suspicious.

    And yet, none of them stood out.

    Her palms were slick with cold sweat.

    te vi, a bodyguard found a bug nted beneath the potted nt in the living

    Three nights <b>ago</b>, after meeting Zac at a remote

    The moment she realized her identity had beenpromised, Vivian contacted Joseph and fled the country under cover of night.

    Now that she was abroad, her ties with the Jasper family werepletely severed.

    She was officially on the opposite <b>side </b>and could no longer rely on their protection The bodyguards once assigned to her by

    y the family were gone.

    man named Patrick Lopez, had always harbored a crush on her.

    Fortunately, one of her former personal guards, a brawny and somewhat dim¨Cwitted m Vivian had long noticed it. On the night she escaped, she took him with her.

    ¡°Patrick, I think we¡¯re being followed,¡± she whispered nervously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Xander,¡± Patrick said solemnly. ¡°No matter what happens, I¡¯ll protect you with <b>my </b>life.¡±

    Patrick:

    k was well over six feet tall and built like a tank.

    Back home, Vivian had felt safe with him by her side.

    Fartn

    now?Things were different.

    <b>She </b>was in a foreign country

    Bean was surely hunting her down.

    And Joseph ¨C who was currently overwhelmed with his own alfairs¨Cwas too busy to care about her safety

    *Patrick, i de Jaspers really sent someone, you may not be able to protect me,¡± Vivian said anxiously as <b>she </b>climbed into the car.

    <b>-25 </b>Bonus

    She turned to the bodyguard in the front seat. ¡°<b>Drive</b>¨Ctake us back to the vi. We shouldn¡¯t be out right now. There¡¯s a good chance they¡¯ve already

    tracked <b>me</b>.¡±

    The white sedan had <b>barely </b>driven a few blocks before a ck pickup truck rammed them from the side, forcing them <b>to </b><b>a </b>halt

    Patrick immediately <b>drew </b>his gun<b>. </b>¡°Get down, Miss Xander!¡±

    Before the words had fully left his mouth, bullets were already flying.

    <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>legs buckled beneath her as she docked down in the back seat, her whole body shaking

    ¡°Am I going to die here today?¡± she wondered.

    Gunshots rang out in rapid bursts.

    The car windows were riddled with holes,

    les, and the

    air filled with the sharp scent of blood.

    Vivian cried out in panic, ¡°Patrick, are you hurt?!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s too many of them,¡± Patrick gritted through clenched teeth, <b>clutching </b>his bleeding arm ¡°We might not make it out of <b>this</b>.¡±

 His Heart 321

    Chapter <b>321 </b>

    Vivian¡¯s face went pale in an instant,

    ¡°Is in the Jaspers ?¡± she cried ¡°Are they here to kill me?

    Before <b>she </b>could get another word out, one of the men outside smashed through the windshield with brute force.

    ¡°Miss Xander, I¡¯ll hold them off¨Crun!¡± Patrick shouted, then charged out of the car and threw himself into the <b>f </b>

    Tight

    Vin yanked the door open, kicked off her heels, and took off running asst in she could,

    But the men Sean had sent this time were no ordinary thugs. They were professional mercenaries, seasoned and Jethal, trained overseas and kept on standby for years.

    Patrick, despite being a highly skilled bodyguard, didn¡¯t stand a chance.

    He was quickly taken down,

    Two bullets hit him¨Cone in the thigh, the other in the upper an. Wood soaked the ground around him.

    The leader gave a coldmand. ¡°Patch him up. There¡¯s no <b>need </b>to kill him.¡±

    Momentster, a blond mercenary from Antis dragos <b>Vivian </b>over. ¡°Got ler.¡±

    <b>She </b>kicked and failed wildly, screaming in fury: ¡°Let me go! You bastards¨Clet me go!¡±

    Smack<b>! </b>

    The leader pped her hard across the fare. Mood welled at the corner of her mouth as her cheek turned a burning red.

    ¡°Shut up. Make another sound <b>and </b>I¡¯ll rip your tongue out.

    His voice wasn¡¯t lood, but it carried weight and cruelty.

    Stunned by the blow and shaken by the threat, Vivian wentpletely still.

    She mped her mouth slut, too terrified to keep fighting

    They hadn¡¯t killed her yet which meant Sean probably hadn¡¯t ordered her death.

    At least, not for now. Their goal was likely to capture her, not extente her

    Without another word, the men bound her hands and feet, taped her mouth shut, and shoved a ck canvas bag over her head before throwing her into the back of the pickup truck.

    The ride was long and bumpy. She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before the truck flitally came to a stop.

    Rough hands lifted her again. After a short walk, she was tossed to the ground like a sack of trash

    The floor beneath her was cold, hard metal. Pain shot through her body the moment shended, and it felt like her bones were about to shatter,

    Her hip mmed down with a dull thud, drawing cold sweat <b>from </b>her forehead.

    Mouth still taped shut, <b>Vivian </b>couldn¡¯t scream.

    Terror gripped her chest, and her whole body trembled uncontrobly,

    Footsteps approached

    A zipper <b>rasped </b>open above her head.

    The bag was yanked off. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were wide with panic. All she could <b>do </b>was let out muffled whimpers through the tape- Mmmph! Mmmph!¡°¨Cpure terror etched across her face.

    A man crouched in front of her with a twisted grin. ¡°The boss told me to let you breathe,¡± he <b>said</b>. ¡°The didn¡¯t want you suffocating<b>. </b>Said it¡¯d be too much

    His eyes roamed over her with undispusedst.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a nice face, I¡¯ll give you that. Shame I can¡¯t touch you yet. If I could, I¡¯d ruin you right here.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s face turned ghostly white. She shrank back, trembling from head to tor

    The <b>man </b>finally left. In the silence that followed<b>, </b>she could hear the sound of waves.

    Through a tiny, grated window, she caught a glimpse of the ocean.

    That was when she realized that <b>she </b>was on a ship

    The vessel rocked and swayed, making her dizzy and nauseous.

    She had never been on a ship like this before, and the motion sickness hit her hard<b>. </b>She threw up messily on the metal floor.

    No one came to clean it.

    The stench of vomit filled the sealed room, and soon she was sold in it. The smell clung to her hair, her clothes, her skin.

    ¡°Sean¡­ do you really hate <b>me </b><b>that </b>much?

    ¡°You actually <b>had </b>them throw me onto a ship like this to drag me back.

    ¡°Do I really mean nothing <b>to </b>you anymore?¡± she wondered

    Curled in a corner, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, Vivian began <b>to </b>cry¨Csilently at first, then uncontrobly.

    Later that night, the door creaked open, and someone tossed something inside.

    ¡°Here Cover up. Don¡¯t freeze to death.¡±

    The man threw the <b>item </b>in <b>and </b>shut the door behind him.

    D

 His Heart 322

    Vivian crawled toward the bundle tossed into the room, using the faint moonlight seeping through the vent to get a better look.

    It was a nket¨Cif it could still be called that

    It was coated inyers of filth, so dark and grimy that its original color was impossible to tell. A foul srench clung to it, thick and nauseating. Who knew how long had <b>gone </b>unwashed?

    ¡°Ugh-

    She gagged reflexively.

    Her seasickness from earlier hadn¡¯t eased. She had already thrown up several times during the day. With nothing in her stomach but bile, even dry heaving gave her no relief.

    Disgusted, Vivian kicked the nket away as far as she could.

    She had once lived in <b>moury </b>at the Jasper estate¨Cfine clothes<b>, </b>gourmet meals, servants at her beck <b>and </b>call. When had she ever suffered like this?

    Even back when her mother was still alive, and she was just the housekeeper¡¯s daughter, she hadn¡¯t been treated this poorly.

    curling

    Curling into herself, Vivian buried her face in her knees and began to sob, quiet whimpers swallowed by the sound of <b>crashing </b>waves.

    It was winter, and <b>the </b>temperature had already dipped low. Out on the open sea, the cold at night was bone¨Cdeep.

    She trembled violently, her lips turning a bluish¨Cpurple, her entire body on the verge of freezing

    In the end, survival instinct won out

    Shivering, she dragged the filthy, stinking nket back toward her and wrapped herself in it.

    After a long and punishing journey, the ship finally docked

    he hadn¡¯t bathed in days. A rank odor clung to her so

    <b>Vivian </b>had spent several days at sea barely eating, barely sleeping She was thinner, weaker, and she <b>b </b>strongly that even the men sent to drag her off the boat recoiled

    ¡°Fuck¨Cshe <b>reeks</b><b>!</b>¡±

    ¡°Ugh-¡°one of them gagged, covering his nose.

    Without any patience, the <b>man </b>grabbed Vivian by the arm, his face twisted with disgust. He ripped the tape from her mouth, untied the ropes around her wrists<b>, </b>and without hesitation, shoved her straight into the sea.

    ¡°Go wash off¨Cyou stirk like hell¡±

    The ship had docked at the pier. While there were no sharks in these waters, Vivian couldn¡¯t swim. Being thrown into the ocean still put her life at serious <b>risk</b><b>. </b>

    <b>But </b>clearly, the man who pushed her had no idea

    Vivian sshed wildly, thrashing in the icy water, screaming for help.

    At first, the man stage

    man stayed on the <b>dock</b><b>, </b>watching with amusement, assuming she was taking it

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Keep iling¨Cscrub yourself clean while you¡¯re at it. Don¡¯t go stinking up the boss¡¯s ce.¡±

    The ¡°boss¡± he referred to was none other than <b>Sean¡¯s </b>right¨Chand man¨CLuke.

    The ship had docked in <b>Lincoln </b>City, a northern coastal town where early spring temperatures hovered around freezing

    The seawater was icy, sharp as needles against the skin. Vivian trembled violently as soon as she hit the water, her lips turning blue, her body going numb. Her <b>hands </b>and feet <b>began </b>to seize uncontrobly from the cold.

    She swallowed mouthfuls of seawater, her breathing growingbored

    The more she struggled, the weaker she became

    Her cries grew faint, her movements sluggish

    Then, her head began to sink beneath the surface.

    The man watching from the dock¨Cwho¡¯d been treating the whole thing like a jolos¨Cstarted to parle.

    ¡°Shir,¡± the man cursed. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me the really <b>can¡¯t </b>swim? Damn it, now I¡¯ve gotta go in after her?¡±

    No way he was diving into freezing water unless absolutely necessary.

    hurled it into the s

    His eyes darted around andnded on an <b>orange </b>life ring hanging nearby. He grabbed it and hurled it into

    ¡°Grab it, you dumb bitch! You wanna die? I¡¯m not dragging your sorry ass out!

    +25 Bonus

    Vivian reached toward it, but her limbs wouldn¡¯t obey. <b>She </b>couldn¡¯t swim the few feet to reach

    The man swore under his breath, then finally jumped in with a ssh.

    He managed <b>to </b>pull her out, bot by then, she had swallowed too much seawater and passed out cold from exhaustion <b>and </b>hypothermia

    ¡°Shir,¡± he muttered, out of breath ¡°<b>She¡¯s </b>not dead, is she?

    Another man nearby frowned. ¡°Seriously? This is how you ¡®cleaned her up? The boss said to clean <b>her </b>up, not drown her.¡±

    The one who jumped in was still dripping and shaking from the cold.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>don¡¯t know how bad <b>she </b>smelled, man. I couldn¡¯t take it. I figured tossing her in the sea would help How the hell was I supposed to know she couldn¡¯t swim? Fucking unlucky, Now I¡¯ve potta risk my life for her.¡±

    He shoved Vivian toward the other guy. ¡°<b>Take </b>her. Find a doctor. Just make sure she <b>doesn¡¯t </b>die. I¡¯m freezing. I need to change clothes.¡±

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 His Heart 323

    Chapter <b>323 </b>

    ¡°Fine, just hurry up. If the boss gets here and you¡¯re missing, he¡¯s not going to be happy.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know.¡±

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    By the time Vivian opened her eyes <b>again</b>, three hours had passed.

    Her thoughts were foggy at first, but slowly began to clear.

    She moved her eyes, scanning her surroundings.

    It was pitch dark, cramped, and <b>the </b>air was stale. This ce felt eerily simr to the room on the ship.

    The subtle rumbling beneath her told her she was in motion.

    Vivian quickly realized that she was in the back of arge truck

    Her clothes were still soaked through, clinging <b>to </b>her cold skin. But someone had thrown a <b>thick </b>nket over her¨Cprobably afraid she would freeze to death before they could hand her over.

    She curled up tightly, arms hugging herself beneath the mp fabric, her shoulders trembling with silent sobs.

    This entire journey had been hell.

    There was nothing left of the pampered socialite the used to be.

    She didn¡¯t need a mirror to know she probably looked like a beggar¨Csoaked, filthy, and broken

    wien cried until she couldn¡¯t anymore.

    When the tears dried up, she leaned against the cold metal wall of the truck, trying to <b>rest</b>.

    Even wrapped in the nket, the soaked clothes underneath <b>made </b>it feel like <b>she </b>was trapped in an icebox. Her body trembled uncontrobly.

    She guessed they were taking <b>her </b>to Jersey City.

    <b>If she </b>was right, it would only <b>be </b>a few more hours before she saw Sean again.

    Eventually, the truck came to <b>a </b>stop.

    Rough hands yanked her out of the vehicle.

    Vivian looked up through watery eyes. She recognized this ce.

    It was Sean¡¯s privatepound.

    She had been here once before, but never allowed inside.

    Not without Sean¡¯s permission. Not even Mr. Jasper Sr. himself could bypass those rules.

    ¡°If I¡¯m here¡­ does that mean I¡¯ll finally see him?¡± she wondered.

    This day was bound toe.

    Vivian was dragged into <b>a </b>basement.

    It was cold, damp, and windowless. No sunlight. No heat. Only shadows.

    Not long after, Luke walked in

    ¡°Miss Xander,¡± <b>he </b>said coolly, eyes narrowing, ¡°What <b>a </b>long game of hide¨Cand¨Cseok you¡¯ve yed.¡±

    Vivian trembled, her voice shaking ¡°W¨CWhat do you <b>want</b>?¡±

    Luke let out a crooked grin. ¡°Me? My job was just to haul you back here, <b>and </b>it¡¯s done. What happens next is up <b>to </b>Mr. Jasper.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°He is he here?¡± Vivian¡¯s lips quivered. A trace of hope flickered across her pale face.

    Seeing her like this, Luke chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you did all this for him. Let me press¨Cyou¡¯ve been harboring feelings you shouldn¡¯t have?¡±

    Vivian nd weakly. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. ¡±

    ¡°True, It Isn¡¯t.¡± Lake shrugged. ¡°But you¡¯d better start worrying about yourself because he isn¡¯t going to let this slide.¡±

    -26 Bonus

    ¡°The won¡¯t be that cruel!¡± she shot back. ¡°Sean always spoiled me. You¡¯re just trying to scare me. He cares about me. He¡¯d never hurt me,¡±

    Luke¡¯s sanile turned almost pitying ¡°Is that love talking, or in stupidity? He was good to you because you were the Jasper family¡¯s adopted daughter his sister in name. But now? You sold out to Joseph Chuinn, You¡¯ve got blood on your hands. You chose to stand against the Jaspers. Do you really think he¡¯ll go easy on you now?¡±

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    +25 Bonus

 His Heart 324

    After wrapping ssiness at the Jasper Corporation, Sean headed straight to the basement of his privatepound,

    He stood three or four meters from Vivian, tall andposed, the air armunud him sharp and suffocating.

    ¡°Seanie! You finally came in see mel¡± the moment Vivian saw him, she snapped screaming his natne like someone possessed, tears pouring down her

    Her voler was hoarse and <b>brokers</b>, and her shrieks had an almost unhinged qudity,

    but she couldn¡¯t move fat. Her wrists and anides were bound, the tope secured tightly to the <b>in </b>gate beside her. She was tethered like an animal- humiliated, stripped of any dignity,

    Sean¡¯s brows furrowed. His expression darkened further.

    ¡°Who gave you permission to call me that?¡±

    Vivian frous for a second. Then, suddenly, a bitter smile spread across her face,

    Why

    ?¡± she said softly. ¡°Would you rather I call you ¡®brother¡°?¡°.

    <b>all </b>call you that. I¡¯ve always loved calling you brother.¡±

    ter voice was thin and errie. She let out a bath the Laugh, then added, ¡°Sure, I can call you

    Sean¡¯s expression stillened. ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do!¡± Vorian shunted, her voice ragged. ¡°I¡¯m saying I like you I love you, Sisan! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never noticed how deeply I love you?

    ¡°You¡¯re wondering why I did those things?¡± Sheughed anderled all at once, her eyes brimming with madness. ¡°It was all for you! <b>Sean</b>, all these years

    In the dimm basement, the harsh yellow light cast long shadows across the Boor.

    And in Vivian¡¯s eyes madness and obsessions wereid bare,

    The dark desires she had hiddden for over a decade were now exposed, sygly and raw.

    After that burst, the room fell into <b>dead </b><b>silence</b>.

    Sean stood tall, looking down at her, his paze lile lor.

    A faint metallic scent of blood hang in the air.

    After a long pause, he chuckled.

    ¡°Love me?¡± he said slowly, his deep eyes <b>cold </b>and bottomless, like a frozen abyss.

    Vivian looked up, watching as the corner of his mouth lifted into a mocking sneer.

    Itis voice was t and cutting. ¡°You? <b>Do </b>you even deserve to?¡±

    Every word Landed like a ji

    Color drained from Vivian¡¯s face. She bit her lip hard<b>, </b>eyes filling with tears.

    ¡°Brother. Sean, how can you be so cruel to me¡­<b>¡± </b>she sobbed, <b>her </b>voice cracking.

    Sean <b>didn¡¯t </b>move. He stared at her with growing impatience.

    *Vivian Xander, from this moment on, you are no longer connected to the jasper <b>family</b>.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s eyes went nk. Her paze lost focus as she inuttered, ¡°I never wanted to be your sister anyway<b>¡­</b>¡±

    Sean gave a faint nod. ¡°Good. Then it¡¯s time you took responsibility for what you¡¯ve done,¡±

    <b>He </b>turned slightly ¡°Luke¡±

    ¡°Take her outside.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Jasper.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t answer.

    Without another <b>word</b>, he walked away, his pace <b>o </b>

    calm and unhurried.

    Outside<b>, </b><b>a </brge open yard stretched beneath the <b>sky</b>.

    A helicopter sat quietly on the tarmac<b>, </b>its des motionless.

    Luke gave the signal. Two men dragged Vivian out and dumped her onto the ground.

    Another man came

    man came forward and tied her hands with a thick rope¨Cthe other and secured to the base of the helicopter.

    Minutester, the engine roared to life. The rotors began to <b>spin </b>

    The aircraft lifted into the sky

    Vivian was pulled up with it, suspended in the air by nothing but that rope

    The <b>early </b>spring wind still carried a biting chill.

    The higher the helicopter flow, the colder the wind became.

    The gusts bowled against her thin, soaked clothing

    Her body shivered violently, beaten by the freezing air.

    If it continued for much longer, she wouldn¡¯t just be humiliated.

    She would freeze to death before they ever touched back down.

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 His Heart 325

    Half an hourter, Luke thought

    it about re

    reminding Sean that time was running out -Vivian wouldn¡¯tst much longer.

    +25 BonuL

    He wondered if Sean was really nning to let her die out here tonight.

    He nced at Sean, hesitating.

    It wasn¡¯t that he felt sorry for Vivian. <b>She </b>was vicious and ruthless, with blood on her hands. Compared to <b>the </b>things she had done to innocent people, what she was endring now hardly counted as punishment

    But it she died at Sean¡¯s hands, it would be hand to <b>exin </b>to Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Sr.

    Still, <b>Sean¡¯s </b>expression remained nk, showing no intention of stapping

    Lake couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. He knew just how much Charlotte meant to Sean. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Sean was ready to kill <b>Vivian </b>himself, just to avenge her¡­

    But what about Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Sr.?

    Vivian was still their adopted daughter, and Mrs. Jasper Sr. had always doted on her. No doubt, in their eyes, no matter what crimes she hadmitted, she should be handed over to the legal system¡ªnot dealt with like this.

    For a moment, Luke thought Sean really was poing to let Vivian freeze to death in the cold snowy night

    Then suddenly, Sean gave him a hand signal.

    Luke understood instantly and spoke into the walkie¨Ctalkie. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Bring it down

    The helicopter began its descent.

    <b>Vivian </b>was now pale with cold, her lips bluish¨Cck. Ice clung to her eyshes and hair.

    Shey motionless on the ground,pletely still like a corpsie.

    Sean said coldly, ¡°Get a medic. Don¡¯t let her die that easily.¡±

    <b>yes</b><b>, </b><b>s </b>

    <b>Vivian </b>was stabilized after emergency

    cy treatment.

    She nowy in thepound¡¯s infirmary¨Cbarely alive, but alive nheless.

    The next day<b>, </b>Sean <b>made </b>a trip to the Jasper family estate.

    Lillian was having tea in the living room. Seeing Sean, she looked up in surprise. ¡°Sean, what brings you back?¡°¡±

    Sean sat down on the <b>sofa</b>, crossing his legs casually. ¡°Has Dad not returned yet?¡±

    She eyed him. ¡°Is something wrong? Do you need to speak to him?

    ¡°Yes.¡± Sean¡¯s voice was calm and <b>even</b>. ¡°I just <b>called </b>him. He should be arriving soon.¡±

    ¡°What is <b>it </b>about<b>?</b>¡±

    He replied without emotion, ¡°It¡¯s about expelling Vivian from the Jasper family.¡±

    Lillian¡¯s eyes widened ¡°You caught her?¡±

    ¡°When?¡±

    a few <b>days </b><b>ago</b>, Lillian had been livid upon learning Vivian <b>had </b>been working with Joseph.

    She had nned to beat some sense into her before handing her over to Mr. Jasper Sr.¨Cbut the men she had sent returned empty¨C<b>handed</b>, saying Vivian had escaped

    uld betray the family

    And as for Mrs. Jasper Sr., she had refused to believe her beloved adopted granddaughter would

    When the truth came out, she had been so distraught that her health red up again,nding her in the hospital. She had only just been discharged yesterday

    ¡°She was brought back from Antis yesterday

    Lillian looked shaken. ¡°Have you told Grandpa and Grandma?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Grandpa said he won¡¯t be able toe <b>back </b>and has left the matter entirely to me. Grandma¡¯s been informed roo.¡°.

    Lillian let out <b>a </b>sigh. ¡°Your grandmother just got out of the hospital<b>. </b>You shouldn¡¯t have¡±

    She paused, frowning. ¡°<b>You </b>know how much she spoils Vivian. She¡¯ll do whatever she can to protect her.¡±

    Sean <b>gave </b><b>a </b>cold smile, ¡°So what if she does? Not even Grandma can overturn my decision.¡±

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    D

 His Heart 326

    Most of what Vivian had done in the past had been aimed at Charlotte.

    So today<b>, </b>Sean had deliberately called Charlotte over.

    At the Jasper estate, the family had gathered in the main hall.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. had rushed over from the rehabilitation center the moment she heard Sean had an important announcement

    Even James had dropped everything ande straight home

    Everyone was seated on the sofas, the atmosphere heavy with tension,

    Seeing Charlotte among them, Mrs. Jasper Sr. frowned with visible displeasure. Pretending not to understand, she asked, ¡°Sean, what¡¯s going on?

    All eyes named to Sean. He stood calmly, expression unreadable<b>, </b>and pulled out his phone.

    In a cold voice, he gave a brief order.

    ¡°Bring her in ¡±

    He hung up, then said tly<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>You¡¯ll see in a minute<b>, </b><b>C </b>Grandina¡±

    Mrs. Jasper 5

    Sr.¡¯s expression grew anxious.

    Five minutester, Luke entered, escorting Vivian inside.

    Mrs. Jasper St. froze at the sight of her, then slowly made her <b>way </b>over, her steps unsteady.

    With a look od bimer disappointment, she cried out, ¡°Vivian, <b>how </b>could you be so foolish?¡±

    <b>Vivian </b>looked pale, her lips cracked and dry, eyes sunken and rimmed with dark circles. <b>She </b>was so gaunt she looked half¨Cdead

    ¦§

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s heart softened at the sight. She hesitated, then asked gently<b>, </b>¡°What happened to you, Vivian? <b>What </b>have you been through to end up like <b>this</b>?¡±

    ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Vivian choked out, her voice trembling with tears. The word made Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr.¡¯s </b>heart ache

    Vivian had been raised by their side. No matter what she had done, Mrs. Jasper Sr. couldn¡¯t help but feel protective.

    What she didn¡¯t know was the full extent of <b>Vivian¡¯s </b>crimes.

    She didn¡¯t know that Vivian had manipted Zac into calling <b>the </b>police, hoping it would provoke Joseph Into killing Charlotte

    She didn¡¯t know it was Vivian who had ckmailed Judy into kidnapping Jodie on the day of the engagement party.

    And she certainly didn¡¯t know that the stab wound Sean had suffered that day was also red to Vivian

    Il be forgiven

    In her eyes, Vivian had simply been manipted by Joseph <b>and </b>led astray¨Ca mistake that could still

    But the truth was, Judy was already dead. Her <b>father</b>, their bodyguard Gerald, and even Gerald¡¯s elderly mother had all been silenced by Joseph¡¯s man.

    Each of those lives was tied to Vivian in one way or another.

    There was no malding up for any of it.

    Sean¡¯s voice cut through the silence, cold and decisive.

    ¡°Vivian <b>Xander</b>,¡± Sean said, his voice cold. ¡°In <b>front </b>of everyone here today, I¡¯m officially expelling, you from this family. From now on, <b>you </b>have no ties to the Jaspers.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened. Her lips trembled

    Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s face tightened. ¡°Sean!¡±

    But he ignored her, his gaze locked on Vivian¨Csharp, unwavering

    ¡°And one more thing¨Cget on your knees and apologize to Lottle.¡±

    A chill crept through the room. His eyes shed with cold fury, and the air seemed to shift around them

    Vivian turned ghostly white<b>. </b>She looked toward Mrs. Jasper Sr., crying, ¡°<b>Grandina</b>¡­¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sc¡¯s heart ached. She looked at Sean with quiet reproach.

    ¡°Sean, I know what Vivian did was wrong. She was manipted. I¡¯ll handle it with the family rules. But expelling li

    ¡°That¡¯s too harsh¡±

    Charlotte said nothing, but a trace of mockery flickered in her eyes..

    James, who knew the whole truth, gently took Mrs. Jasper <b>Sr.¡¯s </b>arm,

    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s enough.¡±

    They had hidden the murder details from her, afraid it would trigger another attack as her heart wasn¡¯t in the best shape.

    Sean¡¯s patience was wearing thin. His gaze sharpened.

    ¡°Vivian, I sald¨Ckneel and apologize. Didn¡¯t <b>you </b><b>hear </b>me?¡±

    <b>Mrs. </b><b>Jasper </b>Sr.¡¯s breath quickened with rage. ¡°She¡¯s still part of this family! How can <b>you </b>humiliate her like that? I said I¡¯d take care of

    Sean sneered. ¡°Part of this family? Not anymore.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. trembled with fury. ¡°How can you be so heartless? You used <b>to </b>dote on her! Why are you suddenly so cruel, trying to cast her out like

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b><b>s </b>eyes narrowed, a dangerous chill radiating from him.

    <b>¡°</b>Grandma, Vivian crossed the line. She was lusting after me- her own brother. She broke the low and has blood on <b>her </b>hands. How can you still feel sorry for someone like that?¡±

    Comman

    U

    Support

 His Heart 327

    Mrs. Jasper Store, her face tuning pale as a sheet. Her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What did you just say?

    James and Lin looked rmed, terrified that she might suffer another host <b>episode</b>.

    Tames quickly stepped in ¡°Sean, that¡¯s enough.¡± He turns to the stall. ¡°Someone help Mrs. Jasper Sr. upstairs to rest,¡±

    Lilian was stunned speechless. She had only heard bits and pieces about Vivian¡¯s wrongdoings¨Cher involvement with Sean¡¯s half¨Cbrother, Joseph ¨C but sting after her brother¡± and ¡°having blood on her hands¡±? this was the first she had heard of it.

    Het Lace went pale with:

    Vas Vivian actually in love with Sean?

    The maid moved to help Mrs. Lasper Sr. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please let me help you upstairs to rest

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I¡¯m fine!¡± Mrs. Lasper Sr. snapped, brushing her off. She turned sharply to <b>Sen. </b>¡°Exin yourself! Vivian lusted after you? She¡¯s responsible for people dying? What are you saying?¡±

    Lilian turned to Vivian<b>, </b><b>bet </b><b>voice </b>tight. ¡°Vivian, is this true?¡±

    Vivian stood trembling, het tace ghostly, lips pale, mable to speak. ¡°L. L¡­¡±

    like loe. ¡°Exactly <b>what </b>it sounds ¡±

    Charlotte hadn¡¯t expected Sean to expose <b>Vician </b>like <b>this </b>in front of the entire family.

    Mrs. Jasper St. looked like she might faint, Clutching her chest, she stared at Vivian, heartbreak and fury in her eyes. ¡°Is it true? You really had feelings for your brother? You really have blood on your hands? You¡­ you¡­.¡±

    <b>Vivian </b>couldn¡¯t deny it. She <b>could¡¯t </b>say she didn¡¯t love Sem and she couldn¡¯t erase the fact that she was involved in covering up those deaths,

    Lillian stared at her, speechless and trembling with rage,

    James gave a <b>hova </b>

    a <b>heavy </b>sigh. ¡°Sean<b>, </b>enough. Your grandmother¡¯s not well. Don¡¯t push her any further.¡±

    were cold, his patience thinning. ¡°Apologize to Lottie.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s vole cracked as she screamed, tears streaking down her face, ¡°No! I won¡¯t! Why should I apologize to her? talida¡¯t <b>do </b>anything wrong!¡± Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her voice rose to a desperate wail ¡°Why?! Why can¡¯t I love you? We grew together, we¡¯re not even blood¨Crted! ¡°Why won¡¯t you ever look at me? What¡¯s so wrong about loving you?¡±

    The sound rang through the room.

    Liftun had stood and pped <b>Vivian </b>hard across the face. ¡°Enough!¡±

    sad snapped to the side. A red handprint bloomed <b>on </b>her cheek.

    Lillian¡¯s face was ashen with fury. ¡°<b>Don¡¯t </b>you dare say another word. Sean is your brother. He will only ever be your brother. You were adopted by this family. Even if you weren¡¯t anymore, there would never be anything between you.¡±

    Valet out a cold, butterugh.

    ¡°Oh, so I was supposed to the grateful? For being forced into a role I never wanted?¡± Her eyes locked onto Lillian¡¯s. ¡°You <b>think </b>I ever wanted to be his sister? Did you even ask me before adopting me? I never wanted to be part of this family!

    Mrs. Jasper St. looked ready to copse ¡°This This is madness¡­¡­

    Latin panicked ¡°Get her heart medication! Now!

    aid rushed oft as Mrs. Jasper Sr clutched her chest, gasping for alr<ul><li>Luke a cold ner.</li></ul>

    inderstood immediately. He stepped forward and delivered a swift kick to the back of Vivian¡¯s wes

    prevand his foot against her back, forcing her down until her face was nearly to the ground.

    sch, cold and unflinching

    them hit the floor Let Lottle <b>see </b>just how sorry you really are.

    Luke grabbed Vin by the hair, yankesdber healing, then mmed it down hand

    That Teal Thoal.

    Her forehead struck the ground again and again, en hy blow echoing

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. watched the absurd scene unfold, nearly gasping herst breath musbation

    spot, ¡®Thonkbally, the mald returned in time with her heart

    After catching her breath, Mrs. Jasper Sr. sluok her head westly, ¡°Forget it. Piu too old for

    And with that, she patted her chest and followed the maid out, leaking the rest of the fondly to stumped atteico

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    D

 His Heart 328

    Charlotte frowned, her eyes <b>cold </b>as she nced at Virian, who had been forced to kneel. Then she turned to Sean and asked, ¡°What did you mean by <b>having </b>blood on her hands?¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t want to <b>tell </b>her the truth¨Cthat Vivian had helped Joseph silence witnesses and even taken part in covering up a murder.

    Charlotte had been so worried about Matthew <b>and </b>Lans Leonard, two people she barely even knew, that she lost sleep and couldn¡¯t eat properly. If she found out that more innocent lives had been brutally taken by Joseph, she would definitely carry that pain for a long time

    So he kept it vague and said calmly, ¡°I meant what happened with Judy Caleb.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Charlotte lowered hershes, but a trace of <b>doubt </b>lingered in her heart. She could sense this wasn¡¯t the whole story.

    That same day, Vivian was expelled from the Jasper family.

    Sean <b>handed </b>her over to the police.

    Vivian was

    was formally arrested

    In Antis, John¡¯s expression grew tense after ending the call

    ¡°Boss,¡± he said seriously, ¡°<b>Vivian¡¯s </b>been turned over to the police by Sean. She sent someone with a message, asking if you could save her.¡±

    Joseph let out a dismissive lough and shot back, ¡°Would you waste time saving someone useless?¡±

    John lowered his head. ¡°Understood, Bass,¡±

    Joseph shifted topics. ¡°What about Tom Gibson?¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ve already passed <b>along </b>the items Vivian gave us

    ¡°Good.¡± Joseph swirled the red wine in his ss and smirked, ¡°Then the real show¡¯s <b>about </b>to begin

    On Saturday moming<b>, </b>Mandy called Charlotte with a cheerful reminder.

    ¡°Miss Riley, I got your number from Scott. You remember our dinner ns for tonight, right?¡± she asked warmly

    <b>¡°</b><b>Of </b>course,¡± Charlotte replied.

    Mandy sounded relieved. ¡°Great! I booked a private room at Endo Bistro. Seven oock. I¡¯ll have Scott pick you up <b>¡± </b>¡°That¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll drive myself.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll see you tonight. Bye, Miss Riley.¡±

    ¡°Bye¡±

    Ar six in the evening, Charlotte changed and got ready to head out

    She hadn¡¯t dressed upon purpose¨Cjust a touch of light makeup

    She wore a cream¨Ccolored midi dress under a beige coat. Her soft, wavy hair rested loosely on her shoulders<b>, </b>giving her a gentle and When she arrived at the restaurant, she parked in the open lot downstairs. Just as she reached the entrance, she saw Mandying out with a little girl

    Igraceful appearance.

    in tow

    Manity was holding Tina¡¯s hand. As soon as she saw Charlotte, her face lit up with a wide smile, ¡°Miss Riley! I figured you¡¯d be here soon, so I came down to meet your Whut a perfect coincidence¨Cyour timing¡¯s <b>spot </b>on!¡±

    ¡°Tiana, say hello to Miss Rury,¡± she said to her daughter.

    Tuna looked up and smiled sweetly. Her eyes curved into bright crescents as she greeted, ¡°Good evening, Miss Riley!

    Charlotte

    umilled warmly and handed her a small pink gift bag tied with a ribbon. ¡°Good evening, sweetheart. This is a little gift from me,¡±

    Maraly looked slightly surprised and waved hernd. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t need to do that. I Invited you tonight to thank you. Your presence is more than mough. There¡¯s no need for gilt.¡±<ol start="4"><li>it¡¯s like seeing my</li></ol>

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just something small for the kid. Tiana¡¯s so adorable. My little sister¡¯s around her age, so when I look at Tana, soati sister. A small gift¡¯s really no trouble ¡±

    Mandy nced at the bag in Thana¡¯s hands. The PRADA logo p

    printed on it stood out.

    Curious, Tiana eagerly opened it and pulled out the contents.

    <b>Inside was </b><b>a </b>pair of beautiful pink hair clips, each trimmed with sparkling ri

    rhinestones.

    Her eyes lit up the moment she saw them. She pped her hands and beamed. ¡°Wow! Thank you, Miss Riley! They¡¯re so pretty¨CI love them!¡±

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    D

 His Heart 329

    Cupter 329

    Marshy smiled warmly and said, ¡°Yes really didn¡¯t have to, Miss Riley. I feel bad that you went out of your way.

    ¡°As long as she likes it, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    Even though Mandy had invited her to dinner as a thank you, Charlotte still felt it would be made to show up empty¨Chanded. So she bought a pair of hair clips ¨C pink and sparkly, the kind tube girls love.

    *I¡¯ll take you upstairs, Miss Riley, Mandy said with a simile.

    The private room was on the third floor. Charlotte followed Mandy to the elevator

    As the doors closed, Tuna looked up at her mom, holding the clips in both hands. ¡°Mommy, can you help me put these on?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>You little rascal.¡±

    Mandy chuckled helplessly, then took the clips and carefully pinned them into her daughter¡¯s hair, one on each side.

    ¡°They look beautiful,¡± Charlotteplimented.

    ¡°Thank you again, Miss. Riley.¡± Mandy said sincerely.

    ?? ¡°No need to thank me,¡± Charlotte replied with a smile.

    he elevator arrived on the third floor.

    In just a few seconds, the elev

    Mandy led Charlotte down the hallway and into a private dining room.

    door opened, Charlotte <b>paused </b>for a moment, slightly taken aback by the group already inside

    There were four people seated at the table.

    Scott stood up and greeted her with a friendly smile ¡°Good evening, partner.¡±

    Mandyughed and teased, ¡°Why so formal? You two know each other well enough. ¡®Lottie¡± sounds much nicer, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Then she turned to Charlotte and added, ¡°Scott happened to be nearby for work and hadn¡¯t <b>had </b>dinner yet<b>, </b><b>so </b>I asked him to join us. I hope <b>you </b>don¡¯t

    Charlotte sald

    shake of her head

    kind expressions and a refined looking middle¨Caged man in <b>a </b>suit.

    Aside from Scott, there was an elderly couple with ki

    The man stood up and introduced himself. ¡°Miss Riley, I¡¯m Tim Cabison¨CTiana¡¯s father. Thank you so much for helping us find her when she got lost.¡±

    Curlotte quirky contected the dors. So this <b>was </b>Mandy¡¯s husband, Tiara¡¯s dad and Scott¡¯uncle by marriage.

    *Nice to meet you, Mr Gibson,¡± she responded politely.

    After he sat back down, the elderly woman chimed in with heartfelt gratitude ¡°Miss Riley, we¡¯re truly thankful. If it weren¡¯t for you, our little Tiana

    repr. Curlotte passed she must be Scott¡¯s grandmother, Mrs. Lowe <b>5</b>.

    Charlene replied gently. ¡°I was just doing what anyone would do ¡±

    *Please, Miss Riry, l?st, Str. Lower said wfully

    including These, there wer¨¦ LEVE

    mere seven people in the room, leaving those empty seats. Charlotte happened to be seated with an

    sidely penturing for l¨¤m to five text in Charlotte

    sighand lightly, this with a helpless artile

    lightly ¡°bomuthing wrong. Mr

    ovredent fon us to all together to discuss work

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°With a responsible partner like you, why would I mind? Actually, there are a few things about the HY Corporation case I¡¯ve been meaning to discuss with you.¡±

    Scott stood up and moved to sit beside her. ¡°Perfect. We¡¯ll talk over dirmer.¡±

    Off to the side, Mandy wore a satisfied smile as she watched the two sit together.

    Her eyes sparkled with joy as she murmured softly. ¡°They really do look perfect together.¡±

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    them. She pped her hands and beamed. ¡°Wow! Thank you, Miss Riley! They¡¯re so pretty¨CI love them!¡±

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    D

 His Heart 330

    From the side, Mrs. Lowe Sr. was watching the young pair across the table with growing fondness. The more she looked, the more she liked what she

    She leaned toward Mandy and whispered, ¡°Miss Riley a

    and Scott make such a lovely couple. Do you know if she has a boyfriend?¡±

    Mandy smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Morn¨Calready chocloid¨Cshe¡¯s single.¡±

    Mrs. Lowe Sr.¡¯s face lit up instantly, her smile so wide it almost couldn¡¯t be contained. <b>¡°</b><b>That¡¯s </b>wonderful. Just wonderful.¡±

    Mr. <b>Low </b><b>Sr.</b>, now eighty¨Cthree, was still remarkably healthy and sharp Cheerful and full of energy, he slid the menu across to Charlotte with a warm grin. ¡°Miss Riley, please¨Corder whatever you like.¡±

    As the guest, Charlotte didn¡¯t decline. She took the menu with ease and smiled. ¡°Then I won¡¯t hold back.¡±

    The restaurant specialized in Japanese cuisine. Charlotte scanned the menu and chose a few dishes¨Clight, fresh<b>, </b>and reasonably priced¨Cones that both elders and children <b>could </b>enjoy

    After cing her order, Charlotte handed the menu back to the elderly gentleman with a warm smile ¡°Mr. Lowe Sr., I¡¯m done. Please take a look.¡± Her warm sme made him light up. He looked at Charlotte as if she were already his granddaughter¨Cinw.

    ¡°Wright, alright,¡± he said cheerfully, taking the menu with a <b>broad </b>smile.

    Across the table, Tim observed everything with a calm and unreadable expression. Aside from thanking Charlotte earlier, he hadn¡¯t said another word He knew Sean Jasper.

    Hispany had an ongoing partnership with the Jasper Corporation: He <b>had </b>even attended Sean¡¯s engagement party the year before. The invitation had been addressed to both him and Mandy, but she had been overseas on a business trip at the time and wasn¡¯t able to attend

    Which meant Mandy still didn¡¯t know that Charlotte had once been engaged to Sean.

    When Tim first saw Charlotte that evening, he had been genuinely caught off guard. But he was good at keeping his emotions in check. Even if something surprised him, it never showed on his face.

    He could see that the Lowe family¨Cespecially his wife¨Cwas clearly hoping to set Scott up <b>with </b>Charlotte

    But Charlotte and Sean that wasn¡¯t something he could ignore

    Timm made <b>a </b>mental note to speak with Mandy after dinner and exin Charlotte¡¯s past with Sean.

    The meal itself was pleasant enough. Scott and Charlotte talked about some of the moreplex cases the firm had recently taken on.

    After dinner, the group left the private room chatting and <bughing</b>.

    Mandy gave Scott a knowing look again.

    Scott picked up on it immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out, Miss Riley,¡± he offered.

    Charlotte gently declined. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mr. Luces. I drove here myself, and I didn¡¯t drink I¡¯ll be fine to drive

    Scon nodded. ¡°Alright then<b>.</b>¡±

    When the elevator reached the first floor, the doors opened¨Cand Charlotte came face¨Cto¨Cface withn and Mia

    Outside the elevator, the two were practically tangled together. The moment they saw her, they sprang apart like they had been electrocuted, Mia¡¯s face flushed bright red. She stammered, ¡°Lottle, w¨Cwhat are you doing here?¡±

    Charlotte stepped out of the elevator with a nod, her expression unreadable.

    Tin pave Scort a long, meaningful nce.

    Charlotte took Mia by y the arm and pulled her aside. <b>She </b>turned to Scott and said, ¡°Mr. Lucas, you go ahead. I¡¯ll talk with my friends for a bit.¡± Scon nodded. ¡°Alright.

    Mandy smiled sweetly. ¡°We¡¯ll bead off, then, Miss Riley Let¡¯s have dinner again sometime soon. Tiana, say goodbye to your big sister.¡± Tiana obediently waved and said in her soft little voice, ¡°Goodbye, Miss Riley, ¡±

    Tim <b>gave </b>Charlotte a polite nod in farewell

    Mr. and Mrs. Lowe St. offered their goodbyes as well.

    Mrs. Lowe Sr. beamed ¡°Lottie, you muste visit us sometime.¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t want to

    to disappoint her, so she replied warmly, ¡°Of course. I¡¯d love to

    Mrs. Lowe Sr. lit up with joy. ¡°It¡¯s settled, then! See you next time. Take care now!¡±

    D

 His Heart 331

    Chapter <b>331 </b>

    Charlotte waved with a smile. ¡°Bye.¡±

    <b>H </b>

    ¦§

    <b>.25 </b>Bonus

    She didn¡¯t turn back until Scott and the others had walked off into the distance. Then she shifted her gaze to her best friend, Mia.

    Crossing her arms, Charlotte narrowed her eyes. ¡°Alright, talk. What¡¯s going on between you two?¡±

    Mia swallowed nervously. Her face was flushed as she bit her lip ¡°Lotrie, 1..¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t say it?¡± <b>Charlotte </b>cut her off, then turned her sharp gaze to Lan. ¡°Ian, why don¡¯t you exin.¡±

    ¡°Luttie, don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Lan said, rubbing the bridge <b>of </b>his nose. ¡°That look¡¯s kind of seary,

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the ce to talk, Charlotte said firmly ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡±

    Jan <b>gave </b>an awkward smile. ¡°Mia and I were just about to grab dinner. We booked a private room <b>upstairs</b>¨Cwant to join us?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Charlotte followed Mia and tan back into the elevator, her mind a whirlwind of emotions

    She had knownn for years. He had always been like an older brother to her. Thenn¡¯s father married Mia¡¯s mother, and Mia became his stepsister. Charlotte had watched them go from awkward acquaintances to being practically glued to each other. But to her, they were just incredibly close siblings. She never imagined they <b>had </b>actually end up like this<b>. </b>

    When they entered the private room, Charlotte¡¯s brows furrowed.

    It was clearly <b>a </b>couple¡¯s suite.

    The room was beautifully decorated. Roses stood in a vase

    in a vase on the table, and petals were scattered across the ss surface. Soft candlelight flickered warmly, giving the whole space a romantic glow.

    Charlotte sighed and pulled out a <b>chair </b>without hesitation. ¡°Alright¨Cwhen did this start?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that she was trying to be harsh

    She and Mia were closer than sisters.

    <b>And </bn? She had always treated him like family. Now he had <b>gone </b>and fallen for <b>her </b>best friend?

    rlotte felt <b>like </b>her world had tilted. It was like someone had snatched her best friend, and the culprit was thest person she ever expected. Sure, Ian was handsome, had <b>a </b>good family background, and wasn¡¯t exactly a terrible catch. But something about this just felt.. wrong. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling,

    Mia avoided Charlotte¡¯s eyes. Her gaze darted to the floor, her voice <b>barely </b>above <b>a </b>whisper. ¡°¡­ it hasn¡¯t been long

    ¡°How long exactly?¡± Charlotte pressed.

    Mia bit her lip. ¡°That night at the bar¡­ when I said I wanted to h

    to hire a male escort for you,n gor jealous. After we got home, things just kind of¡­¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s anger red. She whipped her head towardn, her eyes starp ¡°so you forced it? Is this some twisted enemics¨Cto¨Clovers fantasy?¡±

    len scratched his head, looking embarrassed. ¡°Something like that¡­ but Mia has feelings for me too! I didn¡¯t force her.¡±

    Charlotte tumed to M. ¡°Is that true?¡±

    Mia nodded faintly. ¡°Yeah¡­.. it is ¡±

    Charlotte sighed and rubbed her temples. ¡°How did it even get to this point? Aren¡¯t y

    you two worried what your parents will think?¡±

    Lan¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°They don¡¯t know yet. But if anything happens, I¡¯ll take responsibility¡±

    ¡°Take responsibility?¡± Charlotte snapped. ¡°Do you have any idea how brutal people can be? Do you think you <b>can </b><b>just </b>take the me and everything will be fine? What happens when the <b>gossip </b>starts¨Cwhen people say Mia seduced her own brother?¡±

    Her voice trailed off. She couldn¡¯t bear to say the rest out loud

    The things people said blind closed doors would be far worse than what she had just voked

    She didn¡¯t want to see her best friend dragged through the mud, humiliated and judged by everyone around her.

 His Heart 332

    Jan let out a sigh. ¡°Mia, the truth wille out eventually. Secrets never stay buried forever.¡±

    Mia¡¯sshes trembled. <b>Her </b><b>usual </b>spark was gone, her voice tinged with sadness. ¡°Ian¡­ I¡¯m scared. Maybe we should just forget about this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not happening.¡± His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. ¡°Mia, triest me. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    She looked even more heartbroken, her voice quiet. ¡°And how exactly do you n to fix this? Are you going to ask <b>our </b>parents to get a divorce so we can be together?¡±

    Charlotte rubbed her temples. Just listening to them was giving her a headache.

    She sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll keep your secret. But the son

    sooner you two deal with this, the better. It¡¯s lucky I found our first. <b>What </b>if <b>someone </b>else had seen you? <b>Someone </b>who loves gossip and had a camera on them? One photo, and by tomorrow morning, you two would be trending on the front page.¡±

    She looked at Mia, her tone serious. ¡°Mia,n¡¯s right¨Cthis isn¡¯t something you can hide forever. Sooner orter, your parents are going to find out. Better to tell them yourselves than have them hear it from someone else.¡±

    Mia stared at the floor, saying nothing

    len reached over and pulled her into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m here, Mia. You don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±

    After dinner, Charlotte drove home to the Riley family estate.

    Sunday

    was her day off, and she nned to spend time with Jodie

    While waiting at a red light, her phone lit up.

    to the screen.

    A message popped onto

    It was from Scott

    Scort. ¡°Home yet?¡±

    Charlotte replied: ¡°Still on the road. What¡¯s up?

    He texted back almost instantly: ¡°Drive safe. We¡¯ll talk when you¡¯re home.¡±

    Charlotte: ¡°Got it¡±

    At the same time, <b>Sean¡¯s </b>phone rang

    It was Chris Carter¨CSean¡¯s friend <b>and </b><b>a </b><b>shareholder </b>at Jasper Corporation¨Csounding unusually gossipy on the other end.

    ¡°Seven, what¡¯s going on with you and Charlotte? Haven¡¯t patched <b>things </b>up yet?¡±

    Sean¡¯s tone was cold and clipped. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    Chris chuckled. ¡°Guess who I ran into tonight?¡±

    Sean wasn¡¯t in the mood. ¡°If this <b>isn¡¯t </b>important, I¡¯m hanging up.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, whoa¨Cdon¡¯t hang up!¡± Chris <b>said </b>quickly. ¡°I saw Charlotte.

    Seven¡¯s knuckles tensed. ¡°When? Where?¡±

    Chrisughed. ¡°A second ago you were all <b>cold </b>and disinterested, but now you¡¯re all ears, Know it. The second someone mentions Charlotte, you¡¯re a

    ¨C

    Sean¡¯s <b>voice </b>dropped. ¡°Cut the crap.¡±

    ¡°Alright<b>, </b>alright,¡± Chris relented, switching to a more serious toor. ¡°But you might want to <b>brace </b>yourself. This one¡¯s gonna sting.¡±

    Sean stayed silent

    Chris finally said, ¡°I was out to dinner with a client tonight. When I walled out of the private room, <b>I </b>saw your Charlotte walking out of another one¡ª

    with Scott Lucas ¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression darkened.

    Chris paused, then <b>said</b>, ¡°And get this¨CI also saw Tim Gibson, his wife, their <b>load</b><b>, </b><b>and </b>her parents. You know who they are, right? Scott¡¯s grandparents. Mandy ¨C Tim¡¯s wife¨Cis Scott¡¯s aunt.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    Chris added, ¡°Scott¡¯s parents have been living in Nend these past few

    years, so his closest family here is his grandparents and his <b>aunt</b>, Mandy.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice was sharp. ¡°You sure know a lot about Scott¡¯s family.¡±

    Chris gave a sheepishugh. ¡°Only because of you, man Back in college, that guy chased Charlotte <b>so </b>hard he even showed up at our school to confess to her<b>¨C</b>right under your nose. You think I wasn¡¯t gonna keep <b>tabs </b>on him?

 His Heart 333

    <b>.25 </b>Bonus

    After Chris finished speaking, Sean asked coolly, ¡°So what are you trying to say?¡±

    Chris hesitated, then said with <b>a </b>hint of sympathy, ¡°Sean, <b>I¡¯m </b>just saying¡­ from the way it looked tonight, it kind of seemed like a meet¨Cthe¨Cparents situation. That¡¯s moving fast, don¡¯t you think? Didn¡¯t you and Charlotte break up in January? It¡¯s only been three months, and she¡¯s already that close

    with Scott

    Chris didn¡¯t even get to f

    finish the sentence before Seam hung up

    He stood motionless in front of the floor¨Cto¨Ccelling windows of the vi. His brow <b>was </b>nightly furrowed, and <b>the </b>sharp lines of his face were weighed down by quiet despair.

    ¡°This couldn¡¯t go <b>on</b>,¡± he muttered.

    He had to win Charlotte back.

    When Charlotte got home, the lights in the living room were still on.

    Desmond was sitting on the couch watching a financial news program. When he saw her walk in, his gaze softened.

    ¡°<b>You¡¯re </b>back.¡±

    ¡°<b>Yeah</b>.¡± Charlotte walked over and sat on another sofa. ¡°I came to check on Jodie. <b>Is </b>she asleep?¡±

    ¡°She just fell asleep,¡± he said. ¡°Have you had <b>dinner</b>?¡±

    ¡°I have,¡± she nodded

    ¡°Has she been doing bettertely?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°Much better.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m free tomorrow, so I¡¯ll stay home with her.¡±

    Desmond¡¯s expression grew wann with relief. ¡°That¡¯s great.

    Then, with concern in his eyes, <b>he </b>said gently, ¡°Lottie, you¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±

    He hesitated for a moment, as if the next words were hard to <b>say</b>.

    ¡°When you were taken to Antis¡­ did they hurt you?¡°.

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°They didn¡¯t do much. Just roughed me up a bit. I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s over now.¡±

    But the pain in her father¡¯s eyes deepened

    ¡°Lottie, this is my fault. I failed to protect you. I¡¯ve hired a new team of bodyguards, top¨Ctier. Some paperwork¡¯s still being finalized, but once it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll send <b>a </b>few of them to Jersey City.¡±

    Charlotte said, ¡°A bodyguard can¡¯t be with me every second of the day.¡±

    ¡°They can<b>,</b>¡± her father insisted. ¡°There¡¯s a female bodyguard in the new team. She used to be a personal guard for a princess in Catinia¡¯s royal family. I¡¯ll feel better if she¡¯s with you. Put her on staff at yourw firm, and if possible, have her live with you¡°.

    Charlotte no longer wanted to be used as leverage against Sean.

    Hearing that a highly trained female bodyguard could stay close <b>and </b>protect her, she nodded. ¡°y, Dad. You should assign more bodyguards for yourself, Aimit Xena, and Jodie, too.¡±

    ¡°I already have. <b>Don¡¯t </b>worry about us.¡±

    ¡±

    ¡®Wright.¡±

    With that settled, the room fell quiet for <b>a </b>monti-

    Then Desmond asked in a warm tone, ¡°How¡¯s everything going at the firm? Still running smoothly?¡±

    It had been a long time sincether <b>and </b>daughter had sat down and talked like <b>this</b>. After everything that had happened<b>, </b>the tension between them had finally eased. The sharp, confrontational tone that used to fill every conversation had disappeared.

    ¡°It¡¯s going well,¡± Charlotte said simply.

    -25 Bonus

    Desmond smiled with quiet pride. ¡°My daughter¡¯s grown up¡±

    Charlotte pressed her lips together, saying nothing

    ¡°Do you still have reservations about being involved with mypany?¡± he asked gently. ¡°Your aunt and I were thinking of transferring some shares to you. You wouldn¡¯t live to worry about management or risk. If anything goes wrong, you won¡¯t be held responsible. You¡¯d just collect dividends.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± she <b>said </b>without <b>hesitation</b>.

    Desmond blinked, surprised by her <b>sudden </b>agreement.

    ¡°Dad¡± Charlotte looked up at him, ¡°I was immature before. Now, all I want is <b>for </b>our family to be happy and at <b>prace</b>.¡±

    ¡°Goodgood,¡± he murmured, his voice thick with emotion as his eyes welled with tears. ¡°All I¡¯ve ever wanted is for this family to stay close <b>and </b>whole.

 His Heart 334

    Back in her room, Charlotte finally noticed a message Scott had sent nearly thirty minutes ago:

    Scott: ¡°Home yet, Miss Riley?¡±

    Charlotte ¡°Yeah, just got in. Did you need something?¡±

    Scott: ¡°Mind if I call?!

    Charlotte: ¡°Sure.¡±

    A secondter, her phone lit up with an iing voice call.

    She picked up

    ¡°What is it, Mr. Lucas?¡±

    -35 Bonus

    Scott¡¯s voice came through, tinged with apology.

    ¡°Sorry, Miss Riley, I didn¡¯t know my aunt had invited that many <b>people </b><b>tonight</b>. She just <b>told </b><b>me </b>you were the one who <b>found </b>Tiana in the park <b>and </b>that she wanted to treat you to dinner as athank¨Cyou. She also said that since we¡¯re partners and know each other well, she didn¡¯t want you to feel awkward. If I <b>wasn¡¯t </b>there so she asked me toe along. I had no idea my grandparents would be there too. I really didn¡¯t.¡±

    arlotte let out a suftugh

    ¡°<b>That¡¯s </b>all? <b>Don¡¯t </b>worry about it. I¡¯m not exactly socially awkward ¡±

    Scott sounded sheepish

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want you to be caught off guard. My aunt¡­ she can be a lot. Since my parents have been overseas for years, <b>she¡¯s </b>taken it upon herself to stress over my future. She¡¯s tried setting me up a few times. And after meeting you, she totally misunderstood. I tried to exin, but I don¡¯t think she bought it¡±

    Charlotte blinked in surprise

    She hadn¡¯t realized Mandy was thinking along those lines.

    <b>As </b>she digested what Scott had just said, she hesitated, then asked, ¡°So¡­ your aunt is trying to set us up?¡±

    There was a brief silence on the other end.

    She could hear his quiet breathing.

    Then, after a few seconds<b>, </b>he responded with a <b>vague</b>,

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but find it a little absurd. She let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Looks ke she¡¯s going to be disappointed. I¡¯m not nning to date anyone right now. The firm just opened, and there¡¯s so much to deal with. Honestly, I¡¯m focused on building my career.¡±

    Hearing that, a flicker of disappointment crossed Scott¡¯s face. He let out a quiet sigh.

    To <b>test </b>how she felt.

    Everything he had said earlier had been a way to t

    Her answer didn¡¯t surprise him¨Cbut it still stung

    After spending so much time with her these past few weeks<b>, </b><b>one </b>thing had be clear that Charlotte didn¡¯t remember him at all

    Back in college, after she rejected his confession, he had stopped getting close to my other women his age

    Yearster, at their graduation party, a ssmate who had been pursuing him for four straight years confessed to him again. She was drunk, crying uncontrobly

    He remembered thinking maybe it was time to move on, to try letting someone else in. So he agreed to give it a shot.

    If first love meant the first person you ever truly fell for¨Cthen Charlotte was, without a doubt, his first love.

    if it meant your first real rtionship, then that girl was in

    He had <b>really </b>tried

    They dated for three months. But in the end, he realized he just couldn¡¯t do it.

    When he broke things off, he offered her a generous parting gift but she refused <b>to </b>take any of it.

    ¡°Scott Lucas, <b>you </b>don¡¯t have a beaTT ¡±

    That was thest thing she ever said to him.

    He didn¡¯t argue

    She left

    She didn¡¯t take the $50,000 breakuppensation.

    <b>She </b>didn¡¯t take the luxury handbags he had bought her.

    <b>She </b>just walked away.

    Now, over the phone, Charlotte said, ¡°Mr. Lucas, we¡¯re colleagues. And friends.¡±

    She paused, then finished¨Csoftly, but firmly, ¡°But we¡¯ll never be anything more than that.¡±

    COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus

 His Heart 335

    Chapter <b>335 </b>

    ¡°Not even the slightest chance?

    Scott lowered his voice, the words rough in his throat.

    Charlotte almost thought she had misheard him. She never imagined Scott would say something like that. It was hard to believe those words came from

    Scott.

    She had never gotten the impression he had feelings for her. In all their time working together, he <b>had </b>always been polite,posed, and professional.

    Maybe he was just sick of being pressured into blind dates and save her as a convenient way out. And she just happened to show up in his life at the wrong time, in the right ce.

    That had to be it<b>, </b><b>she </b>told herself.

    Faced with his question, Charlotte didn¡¯t know what to say. After a long pause, all she could manage was two words:

    IN

    Scott felt his heart sink.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Pretend I was drunk and talking nonsense,¡± he said hoarsely.

    ¡°Get some rest. Goodnight, Miss Riley.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    Charlotte ended the call

    Scott stared down at the screen as the <b>voice </b>call disconnected, his chest tightening with <b>a </b>slow, aching pressure,

    He was rejected again

    How could anyone say he didn¡¯t have a heart?

    It was just that his heart <b>only </b>had room for one person and that person would never see him.

    The next morning, after breakfast, Charlotte headed upstairs to spend time with her little sister Jodie

    She pulled out a pink hair clip she¡¯d bought as a gift. ¡°Jodie, this is for you Do you like it?¡±

    It was the same design as the one she had given Tiana the other night¨Cpink, sparkly, and sweet.

    She had known the moment she saw them in the store that her sister would love ther

    Sure enough, Jodie¡¯s eyes it up like stars. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so pretty! Thank you!

    ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll put it on for you.¡± Charlotte gently clipped it into her sister¡¯s hair and smiled. ¡°You look beautiful.¡±

    Xena had told her <b>Jodie¡¯s </b>mental state had improved a lottely. The most noticeable change <b>was </b>that she no longer talked in her sleep or woke up crying from nightmares.

    That knowledge eased some of the guilt weighing on Charlotte¡¯s heart

    They had lunch at home. Xena had personally cooked a full spread of Charlotte and Jodia¡¯s favorite <b>dishes</b>.

    Charlotte spent the entire Sunday with her sister, ying and chatting like old times,

    That night<b>, </b>she stayed over at the Riley estate,

    Early the next morning<b>, </b><b>she </b>drove back to thew firm.

    When she ran into Scott, <b>she </b>greeted him with her usual ease. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Lucas

    Scott smiled. ¡°Morning¡±

    The atmosphere between them was exactly as it <b>had </b>always been calm, professional.

    As if that conversation the other night had never happened at all.

    Charlotte headed into her office and quickly got back to work

    <b>She </b>had

    I just finished <b>drafting </b>awsuit when the receptionist knocked on her door

    ¡°Miss Riley, there¡¯s a client asking to see you.¡±

    Charlotte looked up, puzzled. She didn¡¯t remember scheduling a meeting today,

    She stood and walked toward the client room.

    But the moment she opened the door, she froze at the sight of the familiar face inside.

    Her brows furrowed slightly.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper? Can help you?¡±

    Sean was seated on the sofa, dressed in a sleek blue¨Cgray suit. Ils expression was cold, his eyes sharp, and everything about him reciated a cool,manding presence.

    But the moment he save Charlotte, something in his gaze softened, His lips moved slightly as he greeted her.

    ¡°Good morning. Miss Riley.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s frown deepened.

    Sean looked directly at her, a trace of a smirk tugging at his lips. ¡°I¡¯m here to retain your firm for a few cases

    Charlotte stared at him, speechless.

    ¡®If I¡¯m not mistaken, doesn¡¯t yourpany already have a highly capable legal team<b>?</b>¡± she asked, not bothering to hide her irritation.

    ¡°Of course<b>,</b>¡± <b>Sean </b>replied with a light smile. ¡°But I want to work with you, Miss Riley. Is that not allowed?¡±

 His Heart 336

    ¡°s no reason to turn down a paying client.¡±

    ¡°Of course. <b>Why </b>wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Charlotte pave him ake <b>smile</b>. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to tom

    She sat down in the single seat armchair across from Sea. Their assistant brought in tea for the two of them, then quietly exited the room, closing the door behind her.

    a small sip, then asked coolly, ¡°So, Mr. Jasper<b>, </b>what exactly are you looking to work on with Ks ?

    Charlotte raised her cup, took a small

    Sean pulled out two document folders. ¡°These are the current es I¡¯d like your firms to harulle.¡±

    He handed them over, and Charlotte epted them with a raised brow

    ¡°Jasper Corporation¡¯s such a massive operation. As CEO, aren¡¯t youte too busy to be personally involved in something as small as litigation?¡± Her tone <b>was </bced with sarcasm

    Bat Sean didn¡¯t seem offended. He simply smiled, good natured as always, ¡°Working with you, Miss Riley, is anything but smallTM

    Charlotte ignored the remark and <b>began </b>flipping through the documents, her expression unreadable.

    Apany like Jasper Corporation <b>typically </b>handled cont

    | contracts worth ters¨Csometimes even hundreds of millions. The supporting documents alone could fill boxes, with thousands of pages of evidence Naturally, Sean body¡¯t brought all of that with him.

    Instead, the folders held a clean, well¨Corganized summary of the pending cases, Each one was clearly nutlined, listing the type of dispute, the ims involved<b>, </b>and the key supporting materials,

    Jasper Corporation¡¯s business empire speed high¨Ctech industries, isospitality, fashion, and houry goods. The cases covered all of it, neatly categorized and presented

    The tiles were remarkably thorough contracts,pany bank transfer records, internal chat logs, correspondence with opposing parties, receipts everything was neatlypiled and ready to go.

    Cases like these, where the evidence was solid and the risks minimal, were everywyer¡¯s ideal. High win probability. Low mess

    Charlotte finished skimming through the documents, then nced up with a faint smile¨Cone that didn¡¯t quite reveal what she was thinking ¡°Thanks, Mr. Jasper.¡±

    Sean¡¯s are lingered on her, the corner of <b>his </b>mouth litting ever so slightly.

    ¡°My pleasure, Miss Riley.¡±

    Charlotte gave a small nod. ¡°I¡¯ll have my assistant print the representation agreement. Give me a moment.¡±

    ¡°Take your time.¡±

    She stood, walked to the door, and stepped into the hallway.

    Just as she exited the conference room, she saw a crowd gathered around the break table in the main lobby

    <b>Sophie </b>spotted her and called out excitedly, ¡°Miss Riley! Mr. Lucas just treated the entire office to coffee¨CStarbucks, no less!¡±

    Charlotte chuckled, half¨Ceasing. ¡°Now that¡¯s a partner who knows how to win hearts.¡±

    Jenny leaned in beside her and whispered, ¡°Charlotte, I thought I just saw Mr. Jasper walk in. I wasn¡¯t song things, right? Was that him in the meeting

    The first time <b>Jenny </b>saw Sean, she was blown away by his looks. After witnessing a sweet moment between him and Charlotte at a har, she instantly became a dichand tan of their ¡°ship¡± Later, when Sen helped find apatible bone marrow donor and saves Lama¡¯s life, her admiration turned into

    In short, she was all in on Sean and Charlotte.

    harlotte gave a brief ¡°Mm¨Cbinam¡± in response

    Jenny craned her neck, trying to peek toward the meeting room.

    ¡°So is he here to win you back?¡±

    Charlotte shot her a look and gave her a light <b>flick </b>on the forehead

    ¡°Cut it out. He¡¯s here for business.¡±

    Jetiny grinned, eyes gleaning

    ¡°What kind of business requires the CEO to show up in person? Our little firm must be a big deal now,¡±

    <b>She </b>winked

    ¡°Come on. We both know what this really is.¡±

 His Heart 337

    Chapter <b>357 </b>

    ¡°Drink <b>your </b>coffee,¡± Charlotte said, pretending to scold her as she walked past.

    When she returned to the meeting room with the printed contract, she noticed <b>a </b>Starbucks cup sitting in front of Sean

    It looked like one of the drinks Scott had bought for everyone.

    Sean followed her gaze, and with a half¨Csmile, <b>said</b>, ¡°One of the girls from your firm dropped it off. Said it was from Mr. Lucas,¡±

    He looked at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. ¡°Even brought one for me. Your partner really is generous.¡±

    Charlotte replied casually, ¡°You probably don¡¯t drink this kind of coffee, do you, Mr. Jasper? if it¡¯s not to your taste, leave it for someone who actually wants it. No point wasting it.¡±

    Sean chuckled but said nothing.

    ¡°The contract¡¯s ready,¡± Charlotte said, handing over a thick stack of printed pages.

    ¡°Take <b>a </b>look¡ªIf everything looks fine, we can <b>go </b>ahead and <b>sign</b>. ¡±

    Sean took the documents and made a quick call

    ¡°Come <b>on </b>up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Jasper.¡±

    <b>Five </b>minutes <bter</b><b>, </b>a well¨Cdressed middle¨Caged man in a suit and sses walked into the firm.

    ¡°This is Miles Cruz, ourpany¡¯s legal representative, Sean introduced.

    Charlotte nodded politely<b>. </b>¡°Nice to meet <b>you</b><b>, </b><b>Mr. </b>Cruz.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Pleasure, Miss Riley¡±

    Miles sat down, pulled a pen from his briefcase, and started signing the contracts with practiced ease.

    At Charlotte¡¯s firm, clients were required to sign two copies of every agreement¨Cone for each party. And with the number of cases Sean was handing over, the paperwork alone was practically <b>a </b>full¨Cbody workout

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but smile to herself. Of course he brought someone just to do the signing

    Miles didn¡¯t even nce at the pages, flipping <b>through </b>them and scribbling his signature at lightning speed¨Clike a human signature machine.

    ¡°Mr. Cruz<ol><li>ir. Cruz,¡± Charlotte asked, amused, ¡°aren¡¯t <b>you </b>going to read them first?¡±</li></ol>

    ¡°1 Mr. Jasper¡¯s approved them, there won¡¯t be a problem.¡± He didn¡¯t even look up as he conthed scribbling away.

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t read them either.¡± Charlotte muttered

    Miles froze, finally ncing over at Sean in mild <b>panic</b><b>. </b>

    ¡°Mr. Jasper ?¡±

    Sean smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s our own firm¨Cjust sign.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Who¡¯s part of your firm? Charlotte thought to herself.

    Miles, immediately rxed and nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Of course, of course.¡±

    Once all the documents were signed and stamped, Miles handed the stack to Sean.

    ¡°Here you go, sir. All done. Please review,¡±

    ¡°Give them to Miss Riley,¡± Sean said casually.

    ¡°Right¡±

    Charlotte skimmed through them. ¡°Everything looks good. I¡¯ll sign and keep <b>a </b>copy for us.¡±

    Sen picked up the Starbucks cup and handed it to Miles with a grin.

    ¡°You¡¯ve earned it. Have some coffee¡±

    Miles was visibly ttered, epting it with both hands.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Jasper. <b>Thank </b>you so much.¡±

    Sean raised an eyebrow, clearly in a good mood.

    No need to thank me.¡±

    Wow. Generous with someone else¡¯s collee, aren¡¯t we?¡± Charlotte thought.

    She signed the contracts, slid one set into a kraft folder, and handed it to Miles.

    Just as Miles reached for <b>it</b>, Sean smoothly snatched it out of her hand.

    ¡°Pleasure doing business, Miss Riley,¡± he <b>said </b>with a <b>faint </b>smile,

    Charlotte¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    ¡°Likewise<b>.</b>¡±

    Out in the elevator, Miles leaned in and whispered, ¡°Mr. Jasper, I <b>can </b>carry the contract for you.¡±

    Sean lifted hisshes slightly, his tone light and amused.

    ¡°It has my wife¡¯s signature on it. Why would I let you carry it?¡°.

    <b>¡°</b>The clown? Yeah, it¡¯s me. Always <b>has </b>been,¡± Miles thought to himself.

 His Heart 338

    Chapter <b>338 </b>

    Less than half an hour after the contracts were signed, the firm¡¯s corporate <b>ount </b>suddenly received a massive wire transfer.

    Lara, the finance assistant, burst into Charlotte¡¯s office, eyes wide.

    ¡°Miss Riley! Our firm just got a deposit of eighty million!¡± she eximed, practically shaking. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Jasper Corporation,¡± Charlotte replied calmly, flipping through some papers. ¡°We just signed a major <b>contract</b>. That¡¯s the retainer. There¡¯ll be a final payment after the cases are closed¡±

    ¡°What?* Lara gasped. ¡°That¡¯s just the first payment? There¡¯s moreing?¡±

    Mahmurn.¡± Charlotte smiled, her eyes sparkling, ¡°We¡¯re having a firm dinner on Friday. It¡¯s on me.

    ¡°Woohoo!¡± Lara beamed and ran off clearly thrilled

    Not long after<b>, </b>Scott arrived.

    ¡°Heard wended a big case,¡± he said ¡°Jasper Corporation, right?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll assign a few of the cases to your teamter.¡±

    Scott looked slightly awkward. ¡°Mr. Jasper really goes all out. Eighty million just for the upfront fee? What¡¯s the total?¡±

    Charlotte held up two fingers in <b>a </b>¡°V¡±

    Two hundred million

    Scott let out a low whistle. ¡°After this, can

    scan we just retire?¡±

    ¡°And your ambition, Mr. Lucas?¡± Charlotte teased. ¡°My goal is to make Ascend Law the number¨Cone firm in Jersey City,¡±

    ¡°Even 5&G doesn¡¯t bill two hundred million a year. Scottughed. ¡°In terms of revenue, we¡¯re way ahead just need to catch up in headcount and brand

    awareness.¡±

    <b>there</b>. Once we wrap up these major cases for Jasper Corporation, our name will be out there. Let¡¯s keep it up.¡± She parted his shoulder. ¡± believe in you.¡±

    I need to expand,¡±  <b>sald</b>.

    ¡°Definitely. I¡¯ve already told HR <b>to </b>start hiring more associates and assistants. We¡¯ll also need to tighten up our internal processes.¡±

    Charlotte assigned the newly signed Jasper Corporation cases to the legal teams, then tagged averyone in the firm¡¯s group chat.

    ¡°Firm dinner after work on Friday¨Cmy treat. Let¡¯s all <b>give </b>it our best. Once the Jasper cases wrap and the final paymentes in, there¡¯ll be bonuses <b>for </b>everyone.¡±

    The announcement caused a stir and cheers filled the chat.

    Everyone was thrilled, and the entire office buzzed with energy and excitement

    A little after 4 pm, delivery drivers started arriving at the firm one after another.

    Bubble tea, mini cales, fruit tters, buckets of fried chicken and fries from <b>KFC </b><b>and </b>McDonald¡¯s¨Ceverything piled high.

    The receptionist stood frozen, wide¨Ceyed. After a moment, she walked over to

    to Charlotte¡¯s office.

    ¡°Miss Riley, do we have an afternoon tea scheduled today? Didn¡¯t we just have onest Tursday?¡± Afternoon tea was usually her responsibility, and she was sure there wasn¡¯t one nned today. Charlotte looked up, puzzled ¡°Afternoon tea? I didn¡¯t order anything.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t the receptionist drowned. ¡°That¡¯s odd. ¡±

    Charlotte followed her out to the main lounge, where the long table was now covered in takeout bags and boxes. She stared at the spread in confusion. ¡°Maybe in was Mr. Ziegler or one of the other partners? the receptionist offered.

    Mr. Ziegler -Asher Ziegler was the firm¡¯s other managing partner. Given the huge new retainer that had juste in, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising it one of the Lawyers decided to celebrate with a round of afternoon treats.

    Charlotte snapped a photo and sent it to the firm¡¯s group <b>chat</b><b>. </b>

    Charlotte. ¡°Okay, who¡¯s the mystery stack sponsor?

    Cynthia ¡°Whoa! Afternoon tea again? I¡¯m in court¨Csave me something!¡±

    ¡®ve got court too. ¡±

    Scott: ¡°I just bought coffee this moming Wasn¡¯t me

    Asher: ¡°Not me either.

    Cynthia ¡°So who¡¯s the fairy godmother this time?¡±

    Charlotte stared at the table, still unsure until a familiar face popped into her mind.

    ¡°Could it be¡­ him?¡± the wondered.

    Just then, her phone rang

    She stared at the number for a moment.

    Even though she had deleted his contact, the number was etched into her memory.

    After a few seconds of hesitation, she picked up.

    od the attemoon tea gen delivered¨¦s

    Sean¡¯s voice was unmistakably pleased¨Cdeep, smooth, and just a little too charming

    -25 Bonus

 His Heart 339

    <b>So </b>it was you, Charlotte said, hershes lowering. Her tone gave nothing away.

    ¡°So you figured it out?¡± Sean let out a low chuckle, ¡°Scott bought me a coffee, so I figured I¡¯d return the favor with afternoon tea. I¡¯ve never liked owing people ¡±

    When he visited the firm earlier, Span had noticed just how young the staff was. Receptionists, assistants, Junior attorneys¨Cmost of them looked under thirty. He had turned to his assistant, Sam, and asked, ¡°What do young people in offices like to eat and drink these days?¡±

    Sam rattled off a long list.

    Sean nodded, ¡°Order afternoon tea for Charlotte¡¯s firm. Handle it yourself,¡± he in

    he instructed.

    ¡°Scott <b>wants </b>to score points with coffee? Fine¨CI¡¯ll raise the stakes with afternoon tea,¡± he thought.

    Sam, ever meticulous, knew exactly

    ly what the gesture moat. As his assistant, he understood Sean¡¯s feelings for Charlotte better than anyone.

    And since this was a gift for Mrs. Jasper¡¯s firm, he didn¡¯t hold back. The milk teas were made with <b>real </b>milk, no cremers. The fruit was all premium Imports. The cakes? Straight from ck Swan Patisserie.

    When Charlotte heard what Sean said, the corner of her mouth twitched.

    ¡°Is he really doing all this just to avoid owing anyone a favor?¡± she wondered.

    staff this morning and now he was clearly trying to one¨Cup

    She didn¡¯t even bother calling him out. He had Introduced her firm as his own in front of his staff this

    The food had already been delivered. The team had been working hard, and it would be a shame to let it go to waste.

    So she said calmly, ¡°How much did all this cost? I¡¯ll transfer it to you.¡±

    She was more than capable of treating her team hersell. There was no resison to owe

    arrything.

    Sean chuckled. ¡°Come on, Miss Illey. It wasn¡¯t for you. Why would you pay me? You¡¯re going to assign anypany¡¯s cases to your team anyway, right? Gotta win them over first, so they don¡¯t drag their feet on the Jolx¡±

    Charlotte was momentarily speechless.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± she asked with a frown. ¡°Are you implying that my staff resents working here?¡±

    Sean Laughed lightly. ¡°You clearly don¡¯t understand the worlding ss, No one s their job. There¡¯s always some level of resentment.¡±

    Of course, Sean didn¡¯t actually know that firsthand. That was something Sans had told him.

    Charlotte fell silent, at a bit of a loss.

    To be fair<b>, </b>when she had worked for others in the past¨Cespecially during those three <b>years </b>in Harbor City after cutting ties with her family¨Cshe had definitely experienced her share of bitterness.

    Back then, she lived paycheck to paycheck under a micromanaging boss. It was a difficult period in her lile, and she had more than a few frustrations

    about it.

    ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t transfer me anything,¡± Sean sald again. ¡°This was for the sale of our cases.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d do a good job with or without the food.¡±

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m counting o

    on you, Miss Hiley¡± His tone was light and cheerful.

    Charlotte extuled and hung up

    Turning to the receptionist, she sa

    ¡°Got it!¡± The receptionist practically bounned with excitement.

    Within minutes<b>, </b>the breakroom was packed.

    (said, ¡°Let everyone know the food¡¯s here. Courtesy of Mr. Jasper, our client.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god! Are these from ck Swan? And there are so

    e are so many! This has to

    has to be worth thousands!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, this is the best job ever.¡±

    ¡°I love working! Nothing brings me joy lilur a paycheck and free calu!=

    ¡°Everything¡¯s my favorite. Guess I¡¯m skipping dinner.¡± \_||

    ¡°Mr. Jasper, I love you! Ms. Riley, I love you!¡± Jenny was practically glowing. ¡°Mr. Jasper is GOAT!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Mr. Jasper? Sophie asked, confused.

    Jenny gasped. ¡°The <b>insanely </b>handsome guy who was here this morning. You didn¡¯t see him?¡±

    Sophie shook her head. ¡°Nope.

    Jenny leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°He¡¯s Miss Riley¡¯s ex. I swear, hope they get back together. They¡¯d make such a power couple.¡±

    Standing just outside the crowd, Scott said nothing. His gaze rested <b>on </b>the scene before him, unreadable.

    COIN <b>BUNDLE</b>: get more free bonus

 His Heart 340

    As Ascend Law Firm look on more and more cases, the firm had recently hired another round of attorneys <b>and </b>legal assistants. The HR, finance, and administrative departments also brought in several new team members.

    <b>With </b>the firm expanding, its internal structure and regtions were bing increasingly well¨Corganized.

    Thanks to Sean, the staff now enjoyed alternoon tea every couple of days. The entire atmosphere had noticeably lightened, and Charlotte could clearly see that everyone was more motivated. Work efflelency had improved significantly.

    She had to admit that Sean¡¯s ctic¡± was actually working.

    The only downside was that Sean had started showing up at the finu two or even three times a week.

    He called it ¡°inspecting the work,¡± but Charlotte had no idea what his real intentions were. Every time he appeared, the young women in the office would act like they had just been injected with adrenaline. They would sneak nces at him constantly, visibly distracted from their work.

    This afternoon, Sean came again.

    He walked into Charlotte¡¯s office like he owned the ce, sat <b>down </b>on the couch with practiced ease, and casually brewed himself a cup of tea¡ªas if the entirew firm belonged to him.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t even nce at him. She kept her eyes on the screen<b>, </b>typing op legal documents without pause, treating the elegant man in her office as if he were invisible.

    Sean sat quietly on the couch, sipping his tea without interrupting.

    After a low sips<b>, </b>he set the cup gently on the table, crossed his legs, and let his gaze settle on Charlotte.

    From where be sat, he had a perfect <b>view </b>of her profile.

    She wore light makeup for work. Her long hair was clipped back<b>, </b>and the soft brown pantsuit she wore made <b>her </b>look both elegant and sharp¨Ca beautiful blend of poise and quiet <b>strength</b>.

    Her skin was radiant <b>and </b><b>fair</b>, with a warm, peach¨Clike glow. Her nose was perfectly shaped, and her longshes trembled like butterfly wings.

    Sean stared at her, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing unconsciously.

    She was beautiful.

    He wanted to kiss her.

    Maybe she sensed his intense gaze, because Charlotte suddenly turned to look at him.

    Their eyes met in the air.

    Sean held her gaze,pletely unabashed.

    Charlotte¡¯s fingers paused over the keyboard<b>. </b><b>She </b>frowned <b>slightly</b>.

    Eventually, she couldn¡¯t help herself and spoke, her tone tinged with annoyance. ¡°Mr. Jasper, don¡¯t you have work to do?

    ¡°<b>I </b><b>do</b>,¡± Sean replied, amused. ¡°Just sneaking in a break.¡±

    <b>easy</b>? You drop <b>by </b><b>so </b><b>often </b><b>to </b>¡®check on things.

    Charlotte scoffed. ¡°Is there something about our firm that makes you so uneasy?

    Sean looked at her and said with a half¨Csmile, ¡°I¡¯m uneasy, but not about the firm¨Cjust about a certain someone.¡±

    ¡°A certain someone?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow

    <b>¡°</b>Mr. Lucas,

    Charlotte was speechless. ¡°Did Mr. Lucas do something to you?¡±

    Bean gave azy smile ¡°Trying to steal what¡¯s mine¨Cwouldn¡¯t you say that counts?¡±

    Charlotte was silent for a moment.

    Sean leaned back<b>, </b>clearly pleased with himself. ¡°But I don¡¯t give up so easily. Judging by his sour expressiontely, I¡¯d say he got rejected.¡±

    Charlotte shot him a look, then pointed at the pile of paper stacked on her desk. ¡°If you¡¯re really that free, take these <b>and </b>run them through the

    ¡°Sure¡± Sean agreed madily.

    He stood up, walked over with long strides, and picked up the stack of paper but didn¡¯t leave right away

    Instead, he leaped down toward her, his voice low <b>and </b>teasing ¡°One question, Miss Riley. Where¡¯s the shredder?¡±

    He was standing far too close. The subtle scent of his woodsy cologne drifted toward her, filling her senses.

    COIN BUNDLE get more free bonus

    Commenta

 His Heart 341

    Chapter <b>341 </b>

    Sean¡¯s voice dropped low, rich and husky, with just the faintest rasp, Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat,

    He had to be doing that on purpose.

    She flushed¨Cout of irritation, of course,

    ¡°The shredder is right there. It¡¯s huge. You really didn¡¯t

    ¡°Where?¡± Sean asked, leaning in

    di? she snapped.

    ¡°It¡¯s just over ¡ª ¡± She turned her head to point and her lips brushed right <b>against </b>his,

    <b>had </b>been shocked. ¡°<b>Soun </b>Jasper!¡±

    Charlotte jolted upright like she hai

    He had inched closer just before she turned. That was the only reason their lips had touched.

    She was furious now. ¡°Can you not cause chaos every time <b>you </b>show up? I¡¯m busy, and I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense ¡±

    Seeing that she was gencinely angry, Sean eased up. He picked up the stack of papers on her deck, his tone soft <b>and </b>almost coaxing )¡°Don¡¯t be mail, Miss Riley, I really didn¡¯t see it,¡±

    ¡°Yeah right,¡± Charlotte snapped, her cheeks burning. <b>¡°</b>You expect me to believe that?¡±

    Sean strolled over to the shredder and began feeding in the papers, a few sheets at a time.

    *Don¡¯t be mad, Lottie,¡± <b>he </b><b>said </b>with a grin. ¡°Let me make it up to you¨Cdinner tonight? That barbecue ce you <b>love</b>¡±

    <b>25 </b>Bonus

    Just then, someone knocked on the door.

    Charlotte took a deep breath to calm herself, then said, ¡°Come in.<b>¡± </b>

    It was Scott

    Sharp in a tailored <b>suit </b>and gold¨Crimmed sses, he stepped in with a friendly smile. ¡°Since when <b>does </b>Mr. Jasper do assistant work?¡±

    Then he turned to Charlotte and joked, ¡°Miss Riley, when did our firm get so impressive we can hire the CEO of Jasper Corporation to run errands<b>?</b>¡±

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t in the mood

    Her expression darkened slightly. ¡°Some people <b>just </b>have <b>too </b>much time on their hands,¡±

    Noticing the tension, Scott¡¯s smile faded a little. ¡°Is everything okay<b>? </b><b>Did </b>something happen?

    before Charlotte could answer, Sean cut in smoothly, ¡°She¡¯s just busy. You showing up and interrupting her flow¨Chow could she possibly be happy?¡±

    Charlotte was

    was rendered speechless.

    Scott blinked. ¡°Then maybe I should go?¡±

    ¡°Yes, go ahead,¡± Sear

    Sean <b>said</b>, waving a hand like he was dismissing a <b>guest</b>.

    Charlotte shot him a re ¡°Can you stop casing, trouble for two minutes <b>?</b>¡±

    Sean finally shut up and quietly went back to shredding.

    icked between Charlotte and Sea, lingering just long enough to make the tension noticeable.

    mari mat his eyes with a ra posed smile.

    But then Scott¡¯s expression changed. His eyes narrowed slightly, and <b>its </b>attention dropped to Sean¡¯s <bcr </b>

    red, barely noticeable, curving from the corner of Sean¡¯s lower lip down toward his jaw. tightened, and his expression darkened

    He already lifted his eyes to ma

    here was something song in his expression. A flicker of challenge. Maybe even triumpli

    adable. ¡°I¡¯ll let you get back to work, Miss Hiley¡±

    Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the noons.

    Seaty watched him go, then let out a quiet hoe of serment. He <b>med </b>ak to the paper staredder, show, satisfied legging at Kiln Hipon.

    Charlotte remained frozen at her desk, trying to make sense of the brief, tenne exchange

    <b>¡°</b>What was that look Scott just gave film ?¡± she wondered.

    She tumed and stared at Sean, saspicion creeping into her expression.

    He was still shredding paper, humming to himself. Every part of Jilin radiated snug, undered satisfaction | |

    Charlotte narrowed her eyes and studied him more closely, trying to piece things together

    Sensing her stare, Sean looked up and smirked. ¡°You loop saying you don¡¯t like mur, but yourrly¡¯s telling ? dillerat story.¡±

    Het checks shed ¡°What are you even talking about

    ¡°I said your eyes are honest,¡± he said lightly. ¡°They keep wandering in any dire Dun. ¡±

    She red at him. No, they <b>don¡¯t</b>! Don¡¯t twist things!

    |But as she snapped at him, her pazended on his mouth and she fine-

    There, on the edge of his lip, was the same strean red Scott had noticed,

    Her mind neeled as the realization sank in.

    Her lipstick.

    It had transferred when they identally brued lips.

    Scuft definitely saw it just

 His Heart 342

    ¡°Did you do that on purpose?¡± Charlotte¡¯s cheeks turned bright red¨Cthis time from embarrassment.

    ¡°That had been an ident. A total ident! Did Scott seriously think we had been sneaking kisses in the office?¡± she wondered.

    It wasn¡¯t that she cared if Scott felt weird about it. What she really didn¡¯t want was for anyone to get the wrong idea about her and Sean

    Anyone at all.

    Sean tilted his head slightly. ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°You definitely did it on purpose,¡± she said through gritted teeth. You leaned in on purpose so I¡¯d kiss you, then you knew the lipstick was there and let

    Sean shrugged, a slow <b>grin </b>spreading across his face. ¡°I did want the kiss. But I honestly <b>didn¡¯t </b>know about the lipstick.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please.¡± Charlotte scoffed. ¡°Then why did you smile at him like that?*

    Sean gave her a wide¨Ceyed, innocent look. ¡°Did 1? That <b>wasn¡¯t </b>on purpose. <b>I </b><b>mean</b>.. I kissed my baby¨CI was happy. <b>Couldn¡¯t </b>help it.¡±

    Sean Jasper! Charlotte snapped, grabbing a box of tissues from her desk and hurling <b>it </b><b>at </b>him::

    Sean caught it with ease and just smiled even wider, clearly enjoying every second.

    His eyes sparkled with mischied.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Who </b>are you calling ¡°baby¡°? Stop being gross. I can¡¯t stand flirty guys like you!¡± Charlotte red at him, then pointed sharply toward the door. ¡°Out Now¡±

    He nced at the shredded stack of papers like he was finishing an assignment. ¡°Let me know if you need help with anything else.¡±

    Sean strolled out, just as Jerry came around the corner.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper,¡± she greeted politely, <b>shing </b>a smile¨Conly to pause mid¨Cstep when she caught sight of the faint red smudge on the corner of his mouth

    ¡°Hi there,¡± Sean replied, clearly in a <b>great </b>mood.

    ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Jasper, you.. uh¡­..¡± Jenny hesitated, eyes flickering toward <b>the </b>lipstick <b>mark</b><b>. </b>

    Sean new exactly what she saw. But he acted like he didn¡¯t, gave a slight nod, and walked on

    Behind him, Jerry¡¯s eyes lit up like she had just witnessed the juiciest gossip of the <b>year</b>.

    ¡°They kissed Charlotte and Mr. Jasper kissed! My ship is sailing again!¡± she silently eximed.

    <b>While </b>Sean waited for the elevator, Scott approached, briefcase in hand. He was apparently heading out as well.

    Scott gave him a tight¨Clipped smile. ¡°Mr. Jasper, you seem to be enjoying yourself. ying office <b>assistant </b>now?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± <b>Sean¡¯s </b><b>simile </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>waver. ¡°The fact that she asks me means we¡¯re close. She feelsfortable bossing me around<b>. </b>But she never asks you, does she? That probably means you two aren¡¯t all that close. She doesn¡¯t feelfortable making you run errands. Wouldn¡¯t you agree<b>?</b>¡±

    Scott stared at him ¡®Seriously, no <b>one </b>gaslights himself better than this pay,¡± he thought,

    His lips curved into a thin, unreadable smile. ¡°<b>You¡¯ve </b>got quite the sense of humor.¡±

    The elevator dinged. The doors slid open. The two men stepped inside.

    ¡°Ever heard the saying, ¡®proximity breeds opportunity?¡± Scott asked, his reflection sharp in the mirrored <b>elevator </b>walls.

    Sean¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver ¡°Sure. But how about, ¡°don¡¯t fish in your own pond¡± <b>?</b><b>? </b>

    barely but recovered quickly

    ¡°Well,¡± he said coolly, ¡°between an old me and an office fling, I¡¯d say the old me¡¯s a <b>harder </b>sell. Leftovers don¡¯t taste as good the second time. No

    In the right elevator space, the air grew fast with tension.

    Neither man backed down.

 His Heart 343

    mais smiled ¡°Ol? Is that <b>so</b>? I don¡¯t see it that way. If someone¡¯s tomed you down once, chances are they¡¯ll do it again. If there¡¯s no spark, there¡¯s no spark that somet who¡¯s truly loved your once¨Cthing can fall in love with your again. Love is just that shingle. You either do, or your <b>don¡¯t</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Scott¡¯s lips pressed into a hard line, his eyes dark and unfathomable, like a buttonless alyss

    ¡°So confident,

    His voice turned cold. ¡°And how exactly does a linent heal after being birken? When you give someone your whole heart and they

    shutter it <b>who¡¯d </b>be foolish enough to offer them a second chance to freak it again ?¡°:

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>smile faded. He didn¡¯t respond

    The elevator dinged and the dones slid open onto the basement parking lot.

    Sean stepped out first.

    Scott followed slowly. His expression was cold and unyielding

    Sem Jasper¡­we¡¯ll see who wins in the end,¡± he muttered.

    After work on Friday, Charlotte packed u

    Lup and stepped out of her nttice¨Conly

    He looked calm as usual. ¡°Miss Hiley, there¡¯s someiling, I think I should clear up. It¡¯s been weighling on tun.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± she <b>asked </b>

    The ce,¡± Scott said. ¡°There¡¯s a park nearby. Want to walk and talk?¡±

    Charlotte hesitated. He looked like he groinely sad something important to say. Arera ismert, sie padded. ¡°Alright

    It was April, and the sum hadn¡¯t quite set yet. Around six thirty, the golden luase of dusk was just beginning to fade, and the warm evening air hinted at the approach of summer

    Charlotte wore a light gray suit. Her long hair was fed buck, but a few loose strands danced around her face in the breese, adding a touch of effortless besty

    They walked side by side, Charlotte kept her eyes on the path ahead, unaware of the allection in Scott¡¯s paze,

    ¡°So,¡± she asked evenly, ¡°what did you want to talk about?¡±

    ¡°About what I mentionedst time¨Cmy and trying to set us up.¡±

    Charlotte paused slightly

    ¡°I amver agreed with it,¡± Scott said with an apologetic smile. ¡°She jumped to conclusions. I didn¡¯t want to make things awkward between us, I value you as a business partner, and as a friend. I thought it was best to close the air,!!

    Charlotte let out a

    a barely noticeable breath of relief. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that, I was worried..

    ¡°Worried about wlur?¡±

    she said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m just d we¡¯re on the same page¨Cbusiness partners and friends.¡±

    to reach out to you again, feel free to tum her down,¡± Scott added. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be polite about it.¡±

    ¡°Hey don¡¯t you have a younger sister! Around Tiana¡¯s ape?¡±

    kle ¡°Want to introduce theen sometime? Kids need more yinates. We¡¯re adults. It¡¯s hard to rte to them the

    nodded. That made sense. Her sister Jodie was still in therapy. Maybe having a new friend would help her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask her,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°She¡¯s farm through a lottely. I want to <b>make </b>sure she¡¯s ready to meet someone time.

    .25 Bonus

 His Heart 344

    On Saturday, Charlotte made a trip back to the Ri recovery if she <b>had </b>a friend to y with.

    the Riley family estate <b>and </b>spoke with Jodie¡¯s therapist. The doctor agreed that it would be good for Jodie¡¯s

    Charlotte walked over

    over <b>and </b>crouched beside Jodie, softening her voice.

    ¡°Jodie, how would you feel about meeting <b>a </b>new friend to <b>y </b>with?¡±

    Jodie pressed her lips together. <b>¡°</b><b>What </b>new friend?¡±

    ¡°Her name¡¯s Tiana. She¡¯s just about your age. She¡¯s <b>a </b>girl too really sweet.¡±

    Jodie hesitated, then asked quietly, ¡°Do you like her?¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°I <b>do</b><b>. </b>Tiana¡¯s a very well¨Cbehaved little girl, just like you. I like her, and I love you¡±

    Jodie finally smiled and said in her soft<b>, </b>crisp voice, ¡°Then I want to be friends with her. If you like Tiana, I¡¯ll like her too.¡°¡±

    Charlotte chuckled and gently patted her head. ¡°You¡¯re such a good girl.¡±

    Back in her room, she sent Scott a message.

    ¡°Jodie said yes. She can¡¯t go out right now

    ht now. Would it be possible for Miss Lowe to bring

    ine <b>Tiana </b>over to y sometime soon?¡±

    Scott replied, ¡°Sounds great. How about this afternoon?¡±

    ¡°That works. What snacks does Tiana like? I¡¯ll get some for them, maybe some fruit too ¡±

    Scott listed <b>a </b>few of Tiana¡¯s favorite treats.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check with my aunt to see what time works for her and let you know,¡±

    ¡°Perfect¡±

    Around 3:30 that afternoon, Scott pulled up at the Riley estate with Tiana in tow

    ¡°My aunt¡¯s tied up with something, so she asked me to drop Tiana off,¡± he exined, holding the little girl¡¯s hand.

    ¡°No problem.¡± Charlone <b>greeted </b>them with a warm smile. ¡°Make yourselvesfortable. Jodie¡¯s upstairs. I¡¯ll go get her.¡±

    The housekeeper served tea while Scott took a seat on the <b>couch</b>.

    Tiana wore a light pink spring dress and had carefully clipped in the pink barrettes Charlotte <b>had </b>given herst time. She looked especially sweet <b>today</b>.

    Soon, Charlotte came downstairs, holding Jodie¡¯s hand

    At the sight of a new face, Jodie hesitated and ducked behind Charlotte, clinging to the hem of her pants and peolding out with wide eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, Jodie,¡± Charlotte said gently. ¡°This is your new friend¨CTiana.¡±

    Thana lived up to her name. Her smile was warm and sugary, her <b>voice </b>just as sweet. ¡°Hi, Jodie! <b>I¡¯m </b>Tiana<b>.</b>¡±

    held up a white gift bag with both hands. ¡°My mom and I picked this our for you.¡±

    Jodie looked up at Charlotte, eyes big and questioning.

    ¡°t¡¯s okay, sweetie, Charlotte said softly, guiding hernd. ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b><b>a </b>wee glit from Tana. What do we say?¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jodie said in a quiet voice, epting the hap

    ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± Tiana beamed. ¡°We¡¯re friends now, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okury¡± Jodie smiled toona,e upstairs! I have lots of fun stuff¨Ccoloring books, blocks, board games, Barbies.¡±

    ¡°Yay¡°Let¡¯s go

    Jodie held out her hand. Tina took it without hesitation, and the two little girls skipped off hand¨Cin¨Chand. The sight was almost too adorable to beat.

    #tary seem to be getting along really well,¡± Scott said with a chuckle.

    Charlotte watched their tiny barks disappearing up the stairs, her smile gentle, ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect

    to go this snoothly. You really thought this

    Scott¡¯s eyes sparkled, his lips curving into a smile.

    Of course at Getting Tiana and Jodie to spend time together wasn¡¯t just about the kids¨Cit was about finding an excuse to see Charlotte again, to talk to her a little longer

    But every time Sean¡¯s words ochord in his mind- ¡°If someone¡¯s tumed you down once, chances are they¡¯ll do it

    <b>do </b>it again a dull weight settled in his

    +25 Bonus

 His Heart 345

    Charlotte sat <b>down </b>on the couch. ¡°Mr. Lucas, have some tea<b>. </b>Make yourself at home.¡±

    Then she turned to Mrs. Coleman, the housekeeper. ¡°Could you please bring up some fruit and snacks for the girls?¡±

    ¡°Of course<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Scott casually brought up work. ¡°Miss Riley, has the court <b>date </b>been set for the Hy Corporation <b>case</b>?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Yeah</b>. It¡¯s scheduled for the fifteenth of next month.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s prep going?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Charlotte replied. ¡°There are still a few minor issues, but since you¡¯re here today, we can go over them together.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Scott said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡±

    Charlotte had always been career¨Cdriven, and once <b>she </b>started talking work, it was hard for her to stop Scott had clearly <b>picked </b>the right topic.

    Their conversation went on all afternoon<b>. </b>

    As the sun began to dip, dusk quietly fell over the city

    Mrs. Coleman had dinner ready by the time they wrapped up

    Desmond and <b>Xena </b>were out for a banquet that evening, so they wouldn¡¯t be joining.

    Mrs. Coleman had prepared dinner for Scott and <b>Tiana</b>.

    Jodie and Thana were getting along great. Jodie tugged her new friend downstairs, ¡°Stay for <b>dinner</b>, Tiana? <b>You </b>can sit next to me!¡±

    Tina hesitated. ¡°I have <b>to </b>ask <b>my </b>mom first. She¡¯s waiting for me at home

    Scott jumped in smoothly, ¡°Your mum called earlier. She said <b>if </b>you¡¯d like to stay for dinner, it¡¯s totally fine.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Tiana¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Then I want to stay and eat with Jodie!¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± Jodie pped her hands.

    At the dinner table, the two little girls sat side by side, giggling and chatting. Scott sat across from them, beside Charlotte,

    Sorry about this, Miss <b>Riley</b>,<b>¡± </b><b>he </b>said with a chuckle. ¡°Once I get talking about a case, I totally lose track of time. And now I¡¯m even crashing your dinner!!!

    Only he knew just how not <b>sorry </b>he actually was. This was exactly what he had <b>wanted</b>.

    Charlotte smiled lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite. It¡¯s just dinner. If anything, I should thank you! It¡¯s been a long time since Jodie¡¯s been this happy

    ¡°Watching those two y together makes me happy too,¡± Scott replied.

    Mrs. Coleman brought out thest disli

    Scot nced at Then across the table and gave her a subtle signal.

    Thana looked up at Charlotte, eyes curved in a sweet smile. ¡°Miss Riley<b>, </b><b>can </b>Jodie and I take a picture together?¡±

    Then turned to Scott, ¡°Can you take it for us?¡±

    Scott pulled out his phone and took a photo of the girls together.

    Then he added casually, ¡°Dinner looks great tonight. I¡¯m gonna snap one of this spread too.¡±

    He angled his

    carefully, capturing the dishes on the table¨Calong with a ¡°coincidentally¡± perfect:

    tshot of Charlotte¡¯s profile.

    He was very pleased T¨¹rking ha

    away, be unided faintly

    Aher dinner, Scott drowe Timahore

    On the way, he asked<b>, </b>¡°Did you <b>have </b>fun today?¡±

    ¡°<b>Yep</b>! I really like Jodel¡±

    <b>¡°</b>You did great today. I¡¯ll have that doll I promised sent to your house tomorrow.¡±

    He was referring <b>to </b>their little n Tiana had agreed in advance to ask for a phora at dinner.

    Her reward? A limited¨Cedition del she had been dreaming about.

    That night, Scott posted on social media.

    Caption: ¡°Tiana made a new friend today and I scored a free dinner

    First photo: Tiana and Jodie smiling sweetly <b>for </b><b>the </b>camera.

    Second photo A shot of the dinner table¨CCharlotte¡¯s elegant profile just barely visible in the background, perfectly framed.

    Charlotte saw the post and even gave it a <b>like </b>

    It didn¡¯t take long before Jordan screenshotted the whole thing¨Ce and <b>all</b>¨Cand <b>sent </b>it straight to Sean

    ¡°What¡¯s going on <b>here</b><b>?</b>¡±

 His Heart 346

    <b>Chapter </b><b>346 </b>

    Sean stepped out of the bathroom, the belt of his robe hanging loosely around his waist. The robe gaped open just enough to reveal his firm, muscr chest<b>, </b>still glistening with water. Droplets clung to the ends of his damp hair.

    The moment his eyesnded on the message and photos on his phone, his expression darkened.

    ¡°Well yed, Scott Lucas. I underestimated you. Using a kid to get close to Lottie? Didn¡¯t

    think

    you

    had it in you,¡± he muttered.

    A sharp glint shed in Sean¡¯s dark eyes.

    ¡°He really doesn¡¯t know when to quit,¡± he thought.

    Sean pressed his lips into a tight line. Instead of replying to Jordan¡¯s message, he made

    a call

    to

    Jodie¡¯s doctor.

    He had personally brought the doctor over from abroad and was the one paying his sry, so whatever he asked, the doctor answered without hesitation.

    After checking in on Jodie¡¯s condition<b>, </b>Sean asked about her preferences¨Cwhat she liked, what made her happy.

    The moment he hung up, he immediately called his assistant.

    The next day, Sean arrived at the house with his arms full of gifts.

    ¡°<b>I </b>came to visit Jodie,¡± he said simply.

    His staff carried box after box into the living room.

    ¡°These are gifts I brought for her,¡± Sean added. ¡°After all<b>, </b>she ended up in this situation because of our family-

    <b>¡°</b>Thanks<b>,</b>¡± Charlotte cut him off coldly.

    Sean wasn¡¯t fazed. ¡°How is Jodie doingtely?¡±

    He had already spoken to the doctorst night and knew the answer. He only asked because he wanted to keep talking <b>to </b>Charlotte.

    ¡°She¡¯s much better<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Sean nced around. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s upstairs ying.¡±

    Just then, Scott walked out from the direction of the bathroom. At the sight of Sean, he paused.

    5

    ¡°Mr. <b>Jasper</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b><b>Scott </b>greeted with <b>a </b>calm smile. ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    Sean¡¯s <b>voice </b>turned <b>frosty</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Why shouldn¡¯t I be <b>here</b><b>? </b><b>I </b>came <b>to </b><b>see </b>Jodie.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯ve </b>got it wrong<b>,</b><b>¡± </b><b>Scott </b>said lightly. <b>¡°</b><b>No </b>one said <b>you </b>couldn¡¯t <be</b><b>. </b>I¡¯m just a little surprised, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Sean¡¯s tone sharpened. ¡°Jodie <b>grew </b><b>up </b>under <b>my </b>care<b>. </b><b>She¡¯s </b>like a little sister to me. I brought her some gifts.¡±

    Scott nced at the pile <b>of </b><b>stuff </b>filling the living room¨Cbrightly wrapped <b>boxes</b>, dolls, blocks<b>, </b>crayons- an explosion of toys and art supplies.

    He offered a polite smile<b>. </b>¡°Thanks, Mr. Jasper. That was really thoughtful <b>of </b><b>you</b>.¡±

    The way he said it made him sound like he was the <b>man </b><b>of </b>the house.

    Sean arched a brow. <b>¡°</b>Pretty sure <b>I </b><b>don¡¯t </b>need Mr. Lucas¡¯s thanks for bringing gifts to Jodie,¡±

    <b>The </b>tension was unmistakable.

    ¡ª

    Charlotte rubbed her temple, clearly annoyed. <b>¡°</b><b>Alright</b>, that¡¯s enough. Why do you two sound like you¡¯re about to start a fight every time you <b>talk</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Scott smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not me. Mr. Jasper just doesn¡¯t like <b>me</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Sean didn¡¯t bother hiding his disdain. <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re right. I <b>don¡¯t</b>.¡±

    Thankfully, <b>just </b>then<b>, </b><b>Xena </b>came downstairs holding Jodie¡¯s hand, with Tiana tagging along beside them.

    Sears gave a polite nod. <b>¡°</b>Hi, Mrs. Riley <b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re </b>here<b>, </b>Sean<b>¡± </b><b>Xena¡¯s </b>voice was polite butcked the warmth it once had. Her tone had clearly changed

    Jodie¡¯s eyes it up when she saw the mountain of toys in the living room. With a joyful squeal, she ran down the stairs.

    ¡°Wow! My favorite dolls! And blocks!¡±

    A few mille tugged el been¡¯s lips. He crouched slightly and said warmly, ¡°Jodie, all these are gifts from me. Do you like them?¡±

    *I love <b>the</b>!¡± she beamed

 His Heart 347

    Scott wore a faint, unreadable smile, but his eyes were cold.

    He looked at Sean, his gaze saying clearly, ¡°So now you¡¯re using a kid to make your move too? What¨Cdecided to copy me?¡±

    Sean, meanwhile, met his look with a subtle smile in his eyes- ¡°What? You got a problem with that?¡±

    Seeing how much Jodie adored the gifts, Xena finally epted them. Her attitude toward Sean softened a little too.

    Sean chatted with her briefly, making no move to leave.

    Xena asked the housekeeper to move all the gifts upstairs so Jodie could y with them easily.

    Jodie, still bubbling with excitement, pulled Tiana along and dashed back upstairs.

    Down in the living room, Sean and Scott sat stiffly on the couch like two stone statues ¨C neither saying a word, and the tension between them thick as tog

    After a few polite words, Xena excused herself and went upstairs to keep Jodiepany.

    1

    Charlotte didn¡¯t want to get stuck between them, but they were both guests. Scott had brought Tiana over to y with Jodie, and Sean had just delivered <b>a </b>mountain of gifts. If she walked away now, it woulde off as rude.

    So she sat on the couch, half¨Cheartedly watching TV, bored out of her mind.

    Sean clearly wanted to strike up a conversation with her, but Charlotte wasn¡¯t interested. No matter what he said, she brushed it off with a few vague

    responses.

    It wasn¡¯t until Scott brought up some work¨Crted topics that she perked up.

    They started with a recent case at the firm, then moved on to cutting¨Cedge issues in legal theory.

    The more they talked, the more engaged she became. Scott wasn¡¯t just well¨Cversed in practical matters his grasp of academic theory was just as strong. He had clearly kept up with thetest developments in the field.

    Watching them get deeper <b>into </b>the conversation, Sean¡¯s expression grew colder by the minute.

    Finally, lunchtime rolled around.

    Neither of the two men had the shame to leave. Both shamelessly stuck around for a meal.

    After lunch, Scott noticed that Sean was still lingering. Realizing Charlotte was feeling awkward, he stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll head out now. I¡¯lle backter to pick up <b>Tiana</b>¡±

    Once Scott left, Sean turned to Charlotte. <b>She </b><b>was </b>still being distant, barely looking at him.

    He said quietly, ¡°Lottie, things are changing in Antis. The people backing Joseph are abour to fall from power.¡±

    Charlotte froze

    <b>She </b>understood exactly what <b>Sean </b>meant

    Once the corrupt officials protecting <b>Joseph </b>were out of the picture, taking him down would be much easier. Without that support, the whole option would copse

    She understand what Sean was implying,

    Chce je was dealt with, there would be nothing standing in their way. They could be together <b>again</b>.

    sudin everything that had happened, how candid they just go back to the way things were?

    foto sign. Me tag was still alive and the would never approve

    Chariots <b>Lowered </b>the pose, loties resting shadows over her eyes. She gave a quiet, heavy ¡°Mm.¡±

    El band<b>¡® </b><b>sanderassed </b>bun and derided to spell it and

    *akhen I take care of one, you and your family won¡¯t have to worry anymore. You¡¯ll be safe¡±

    But Chariunte sol dude kook of him. Her eyes yed dinucant, and her voice gave nothing away

    ¡°My <b>dad </b>bed a team of <b>taghly </b>skilled trayguards. He even found in a very captde fale bodyguard to stay by my side. Even if Josephes after pa

    , sand bea

    She paused, a dull ache pressing against her chest.

    ¡°Even if Joseph disappears, we can¡¯t go back.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart twisted. It took everything in her to get the words out.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t love you anymore.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes darkened, and his face went pale in an instant.

    The pain hit him like a punch to the gut.

    <b>He </b><b>stood </b>there<b>, </b>stunned.

    Charlotte whispered, ¡°I¡¯m <b>sorry</b><b>,</b>¡± then turned and walked away without looking back.

 His Heart 348

    <b>Chapter </b><b>348 </b>

    Lately<b>, </b>things hadn¡¯t been going well for Zac<b>. </b>

    Several of the Gibson Corporation¡¯s <b>major </b>projects had run into trouble<b>, </b>one after another.

    Even the ventures he had invested in through friends were bleeding money, and several key partners had already pulled out.

    Zac <b>was </bpletely swamped, running around nonstop every day trying to put out fires.

    That afternoon, Wendy showed up at his office.

    Oddly enough, she <b>wasn¡¯t </b>wearing makeup today. No perfume, either.

    ¡°Zac, <b>I¡¯ve </b>got a surprise for you,¡± she said cheerfully, smiling from ear to ear.

    But <b>Zac </b>wasn¡¯t in the mood. He sat behind his desk, flipping through documents with a <b>scowl</b>.

    ¡°Just get to the point,¡± he said impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±

    Still smiling sweetly<b>, </b>Wendy lifted herself onto the edge of his desk.

    ¡°Zac<b>, </b><b>you¡¯re </b>going to be thrilled.¡±

    She pulled a sheet of paper out of her purse and handed it to him, her eyes gleaming.

    ¡°Zac<b>, </b><b>you¡¯re </b>going to be a dad.¡±

    Zac¡¯s expression froze. His head snapped up as he snatched the report from her.

    <b>¡°</b>What did <b>you </b>just say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant!¡± she said, glowing with excitement. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a father!¡±

    But Zac¡¯s expression darkened instantly. His eyes locked onto the paper like it had personally offended him.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Get </b>rid of it,¡± he said sharply. ¡°You can¡¯t keep this baby.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>What?!¡± Wendy¡¯s smile vanished. Her expression was stunned.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯ve </b>got to be kidding! This is our baby! Why would you even say that?!¡±

    <b>Zac </b>let out <b>a </b>coldugh. ¡°Because <b>I </b>don¡¯t want it. Simple as that.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Zac </b><b>Gibson</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    She jumped off the desk, stood in front of him, and pointed at him furiously.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯re </b><b>a </b>damn <b>bastard</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it again,<b>¡± </b>he said coldly<b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Get </b>rid <b>of </b>it.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Well, <b>I </b>won¡¯t<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>she <b>snapped</b>. ¡°This <b>is </b>my child. If I want to have it, I will. You don¡¯t get a say! I¡¯ll raise him on my own if I have <b>to</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>How much do <b>you </b>want?¡± <b>Zac¡¯s </b><b>voice </b>was <b>icy</b>. <b>¡°</b>Name <b>your </b>price<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Price?<b>¡± </b>Wendy <b>was </b>shaking with <b>rage</b>.

    ¡°This is your own flesh and blood, and you¡¯re trying to buy <b>it </b>off like a business <b>deal</b>? Are <b>you </b>even human? Even wild animals don¡¯t turn on their young!<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Easy for you to say<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Zac sneered<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Once <b>you </b>have the kid<b>, </b><b>you¡¯ll </b><b>still </b><b>expect </b>me <b>to </b>take responsibility. Well<b>, </b>I¡¯m not interested in ying daddy.¡± Wendy didn¡¯t back down. Her eyes burned with <b>fury</b>.

    ¡°Oh, really? And what about that night when you didn¡¯t want to use protection? You looked me in the eye and promised¨Csaid <b>if </b><b>I </b><b>got </b>pregnant, you¡¯d keep the baby. Now that it¡¯s actually happened, you want to run<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Zac scoffed,pletely unbothered. ¡°You believed what I said when <b>I </b>was drunk?¡±

    ¡°<b>You¡¯re </b><b>a </bplete piece <b>of </b>garbage!¡±

    Furming, Wendy grabbed her purse and stormed out of the office.

    Chogter 346

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    That afternoon<b>, </b>an unexpected guest arrived at Ascend Law Firm.

    The young receptionist didn¡¯t <b>recognize </b>Wendy or know anything about her history with their boss<b>, </b><b>so </b>she politely brought her to the lounge and even poured her a <b>cup </b><b>of </b>tea.

    ¡°Miss Riley¡¯s in court this afternoon,¡± the receptionist nced at her watch. ¡°It should be over by now. She¡¯s probably on her way back. Please wait a

    moment.¡±

    Wendy nodded with a polite smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Once the receptionist <b>left</b>, Wendy sat down and calmly took out her phone.

    She snapped a photo <b>of </b>the pregnancy report and sent it straight to Zac¡¯s mother, Monica.

    ¡°Mrs. Gibson, I¡¯m pregnant. Zac says he doesn¡¯t want the baby¡­¡±

    The phone rang almost immediately.

    Wendy let it ring for a few moments before slowly answering.

    ¡°Wendy, are you really pregnant?¡± Monica¡¯s voice was full of joy and excitement.

    Wendy casually tucked her hair behind her ear, lips curling into a silent smirk.

    Then, with perfect timing<b>, </b>she burst into tears over the phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s true, Mrs. Gibson. I¡¯ve had this weird craving for all things sour¨Cold wives¡® tales say that means I¡¯m having a boy. But Zac doesn¡¯t even want the: baby<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>

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 His Heart 349

    Chapter <b>349 </b>

    The moment Monica heard that Wendy was really pregnant and that it might be a boy, her eyes lit up with excitement. Her voice even trembled with joy.

    ¡°Wendy, sweetheart, don¡¯t cry, okay? Don¡¯t worry about a thing. I¡¯ll take care of this for you. Just focus on resting and taking care of the baby. I¡¯lle by tonight to check on you.¡±

    Wendy sniffled dramatically. ¡°But¡­ Zac¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Zac,¡± Monica said gently. ¡°I¡¯m his mother. He listens to me. His father and I have been hoping for a grandchild for years. If we say you¡¯re keeping the baby, then you¡¯re keeping the baby.¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Gibson, I¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have everything you need,¡± Monica assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll take you in for a proper check¨Cup soon, and then we can talk about getting the families together. Don¡¯t worry¨Cnow that you¡¯re carrying a Gibson baby, I won¡¯t let you be mistreated.¡±

    The implication couldn¡¯t have been clearer that Monica was ready to wee her into the family.

    Wendy held the phone to her ear, a triumphant smile curling on her lips. But she kept up the act.

    ¡°You¡¯re so good to me, Mrs. Gibson,¡± she said tearfully.

    Back at thew firm, Charlotte returned to hear that a client had been waiting for her. She headed straight for the lounge.

    When she opened the door and saw Wendy sitting on the sofa, she froze mid¨Cstep, frowning.

    ¡°Wendy? What are you doing here?¡±

    Wendy tilted her chin slightly, her gaze defiant as it met Charlotte¡¯s.

    ¡°I came to share some good news,¡± she said coolly.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t respond, just stared at her, waiting.

    ¡°Well, good news for me anyway,¡± Wendy added with a smug smile. ¡°Not sure you¡¯ll feel the same.¡±

    She held out a piece of paper¨Ca pregnancy report.

    Charlotte took it, nced at it, and a flicker of sarcasm passed through her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all? You¡¯re pregnant.¡±

    ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>Zac¡¯s baby,¡± Wendy said proudly. ¡°He¡¯s thrilled. Mrs. Gibson and Mr. Gibson know too. We¡¯re already talking about meeting each other¡¯s families and getting engaged. Sorry, Charlotte¨Clooks like I¡¯m the one marrying Zac after all. Kinda sad, huh? You dated him for three years and ended up with nothing.¡±

    Charlotte took one look at Wendy¡¯s smug expression and instantly understood that she hade to show off.

    <b>¡°</b>You seem to be forgetting something,¡± Charlotte said, amused. ¡°You ndered me online, encouraged your fans to attack me, and the court has officially filed charges. Trial¡¯s in two weeks.¡±

    Wendy smirked. ¡°So what? I¡¯ve done my homework. Pregnant women get leniency. Lighter sentences. Besides, you really think Zac will let me <b>go </b><b>to </b>jail with his baby in my beily? He¡¯ll find a way to <b>get </b>me out.¡±

    Charlotteughed coldly. <b>¡°</b>Zac Gibson can barely save himself right now. You think he has time to worry about you?¡±

    Wendy¡¯s expression faltered. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Charlotte shrugged. ¡°Ask him yourself.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous I¡¯m pregnant with Zac¡¯s baby and about to marry into <b>the </b>Gibson family. Admit it, Charlotte. You just can¡¯t stand <b>to </b>see me happy.¡±

    Wendy lifted her chin again, smiling with triumph.

    ¡°Well, too bad. You¡¯ll just have <b>to </b>deal with it. I¡¯m marrying into the Gibsons.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Me? Jealous of you?¡± Charlotte looked like she had just heard the biggest joke <b>of </b>the year.

    She couldn¡¯t hold back and burst outughing.

    ¡°You¡¯re seriously delusional.¡±

    COURRAY JED

    $25 Bonus

    Ever since Charlotte discovered Zac had been secretly working <b>with </b>Vivian and had even called the police to sabotage her rescue from Joseph, she had already started mobilizing her own contacts to strike back.

    Chester and Vivian were both already behind bars. Joseph¡¯s powerful allies in Antis were on the verge of copse.

    Now that Charlotte wasing after the Gibson Corporation, not even God could save Zac<i>. </i>

 His Heart 350

    Chapter <b>350 </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s words had nted a seed of doubt in Wendy¡¯s heart.

    After leaving thew firm, Wendy discreetly asked around and quickly learned that the Gibson Corporation was indeed in trouble,

    Rumor had it that thepany¡¯srgest shareholder had already sold off all their shares and cashed out. The Gibson Corporation was now back in Zac¡¯s hands but it was already aplete mess.

    Wendy frowned.

    No wonder Zac had been so busytely. Every time she saw him, he lookedpletely drained like he hadn¡¯t slept in days.

    Could the Gibson Corporation survive this?

    If the family really went bankrupt, marrying Zac would be like jumping straight into a fire pit.

    She needed to wait and see. If it looked like thepany truly couldn¡¯t stay afloat, then there was no point in having this baby.

    On Wednesday evening, Charlotte attended a private auction.

    To her surprise, Sean was there too.

    This kind of event wasn¡¯t something he usually attended in person. If there was something he wanted, he could just have an assistant handle it.

    Charlotte hadn¡¯t expected to run into him here.

    Sean stood in a crisp ck dress shirt and cks, exuding his usual cool elegance. A small crowd had gathered around him, each person eager to make conversation.

    The Jasper heir always attracted attention. Wherever he went, he was the center of it all.

    Charlotte only nced in his direction before looking away.

    But the moment Sean caught sight of her, he stepped through the crowd without hesitation.

    ¡°Lottie,¡± he called, quickly making his way to her side. ¡°You¡¯re here for the auction too?¡±

    In truth, he hade tonight because a few of the jewelry pieces up for auction had caught his eye¨Citems he wanted to bid on personally as a Charlotte.

    Unbeknownst to him, Scott had the same idea.

    Scott approached them and greeted them with a calm smile.

    Sean¡¯s expression immediately darkened. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    <b>Scott </b>smiled politely<b>, </b>his tone light. ¡°What a small world.¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°You two go ahead and chat. I¡¯m heading in.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b><be </b>with you,¡± <b>Scott </b>said quickly.

    Sean let out <b>a </b><b>cold </b>snort and followed them both into the main auction hall.

    The auction began shortly after.

    Charlotte set her eyes on a pair of sapphire earrings with a starting bid of $500,000.

    She raised her paddle without hesitation. <b>¡°</b>Six hundred thousand.¡±

    Noticing her interest, Scott raised his own paddle, hoping to win the earrings for her. ¡°So

    Sean followed immediately<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>One million.¡±

    <b>He </b>skipped right past by three hundred thousand¨Cclearly determined to win.

    Charlotte shot him <b>a </b>nce<b>, </b>frowning slightly.

    Then other bidders jumped in.

    <b>¡°</b>One point two million.¡±

    hundred thousand.¡±

    gift for

    (133) ||¡ª

    ¡°One point three<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°One point four.¡±

    Scott: <b>¡°</b>One point six.¡±

    Sean: ¡°Two million.¡±

    Charlotte had already stopped bidding.

    Scott and Sean were locked in now.

    After Sean¡¯s two million bid, Scott didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°Two¨Cpoint¨Ctwo.¡±

    Sean gave <b>a </b>cold smirk. ¡°Two¨Cpoint¨Cfive. You still in, or was that your ceiling?¡±

    Scott was rendered speechless. ¡°Is he bidding or trying to pick a fight?¡± he thought.

    Charlotte saw the way the two men werepeting and immediately lost interest in the earrings.

    Scott raised again. ¡°Two¨Cpoint¨Csix.¡±

    Sean: ¡°Two¨Cpoint¨Ceight.¡±

    Scott nced over

    at Charlotte.

    She lookedpletely uninterested now, her face unreadable. It was clear the earrings no longer held any appeal for her<b>, </b>so he gave up.

    In the end, Sean won the sapphire earrings¨Coriginally listed at $500,000¨Cfor 2.8 million dors.

    The next item was a rare emerald cuff bracelet, polished to a brilliant shine.

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes lit up. She genuinely liked this one.

    The starting bid was 5 million.

    Charlotte raised her paddle. ¡°Five¨Cpoint¨Ctwo.¡±

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

 His Heart 351

    Chapter <b>351 </b>

    Others in the room began raising their paddles one after another.

    ¡°Five¨Cpoint¨Cthree million.¡±

    ¡°Five¨Cpoint¨Cfour.¡±

    ¡°Five¨Cpoint¨Cfive.¡±

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    The bracelet¡¯s price quickly rose to six million.

    Charlotte figured she would wait. There was no point tiring herself out with constant bidding. She could just jump in once things calmed down.

    But right then, Scott raised his paddle. ¡°Seven million.¡±

    He had noticed that Charlotte seemed to really like the emerald bracelet. Since Sean had snagged the sapphire earrings, this was his chance to win something for her.

    The moment he spoke, Sean¡¯s cold voice cut through the air. ¡°Eight million.¡±

    The auctioneer blinked in surprise. Someone had just raised the bid by a full million.

    Trying not to grin, the auctioneer announced, ¡°We¡¯re now at eight million. Any higher offers?¡±

    Scott¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Nine million.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Ten.¡±

    Heads turned. People began whispering.

    But Sean¡¯s expression remained unchanged¨Ccalm and cool, just like always.

    Scott stayedposed. ¡°Eleven million.¡±

    Sean curled his lips into <b>a </b>cold smirk. ¡°Fifteen million.¡±

    Charlotte, watching from her seat, was getting annoyed.

    ¡°Are they seriously doing this again?

    ¡°Why is it that whatever I show interest in, these two immediately start trying to outbid each other?

    <b>¡°</b>Sure<b>, </b>they¡¯re rich¨Cbut this is ridiculous,¡± she thought.

    Scott pushed back once more. ¡°Sixteen million.¡±

    <b>Sean </b>calmly lifted his paddle. ¡°Twenty million.¡±

    <b>Scott </b>blinked. ¡°Seriously? Fine. Be my guest. Waste your money. That color¡¯s too old¨Cfashioned for Charlotte anyway,¡± he silently remarked.

    And just like that<b>, </b>the bracelet¨Coriginally priced at five million¨Cwas taken by Sean for a staggering twenty million.

    Charlotte was on the verge <b>of </b>snapping.

    She barely nced at the next few auction items<b>, </b>uninterested.

    <b>But </b>when the ne she had her eye on for weeks finally came up, she pulled out her phone and called Sean.

    The second Sean saw her name on the screen, his heart skipped.

    ¡°She <b>hasn¡¯t </b>called <b>me </b>in <b>forever</b>¡­¡± he murmured.

    A smile tugged at his lips. Even his usually cold eyes were <b>visibly </b>softer.

    <b>He </b>picked up the phone, ready to hear her <b>voice</b>.

    But the moment the <b>call </b>connected, a storm hit him.

    ¡°Are you out <b>of </b>your mind?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was sharp and furious.

    Sean¡¯s smile froze in an instant.

    ¡°Shit. Backfired,¡± he thought.

    All those bids, all that effort¨Che had meant to make her happy, but clearly, she was anything but.

    A strange pang of frustration rose in him. He actually felt a little wronged.

    Lowering his voice, he tried to soothe her. ¡°Okay, okay¡­ I messed up. I won¡¯t do it again, baby.¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± she snapped. ¡°Who the hell is your ¡®baby¡®?¡±

    ¡°You,¡± he said without missing a beat.

    Before the word even finished echoing, the line went dead.

    Charlotte had hung up on him.

    This time, Sean actually behaved. He didn¡¯t raise his paddle again.

    Scott noticed the sudden change in Sean¡¯s behavior and turned to nce at Charlotte.

    He was seated diagonally in front of her, not far away. Her expression was crystal clear from where he sat.

    She looked furious.

    ¡°Was she mad about the way we disrupted the auction earlier? To be fair, Sean¡¯s bidding really was over the top,¡± he thought.

    Realizing this, Scott quietly set his paddle down. He didn¡¯t bid again

    either.

    Eventually, Charlotte got the ne she wanted without interruption.

    Once the auction ended, she stood up and walked straight out of the hall.

    Sean quickly followed.

    ¡°Lottie¨Cwait up!¡±

    She didn¡¯t stop. She strode across the venue and out to the open¨Cair parking lot.

    <b>Scott </b>caught up just in time to see Charlotte arguing with Sean.

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    ¡°When did you get so childish?¡± she snapped, clearly angry. He already made it clear¨Che¡¯s not interested in me!¡±

    ¡°Do

    You have to turn everything into some stupidpetition with Scott?

    Hearing that<b>, </b>Scott slowed his steps and quietly stopped a few feet

    tamil away.

 His Heart 352

    Chapter <b>352 </b>

    Sean¡¯s eyes were deep and unreadable. His <b>voice </b>was low and tense.

    ¡°Lottie, you really don¡¯t understand men. The way Scott looks at you¨Che¡¯s not even trying to hide it. You seriously can¡¯t see how he feels about you?¡±

    Charlotte suddenly let out a shortugh.

    She turned to him, her expression filled with disbelief¨Clike she couldn¡¯t understand where this was evening from.

    With biting sarcasm, she shot back, ¡°Yeah, I guess I don¡¯t understand men. That¡¯s why I believed my ex when he told me, ¡®As long as you don¡¯t bring up breaking up, I¡¯ll never leave you.¡®

    ¡°Funny. Because when we finally broke up, heughed in my face and said, ¡®You actually believed that? That¡¯s the kind of line you feed a kid.¡°¡±

    Sean froze.

    ¡°Wait¡­ weren¡¯t we talking about Scott? How did this suddenly turn into <b>a </b>conversation about me?¡± he thought.

    But he knew.

    Those were his words.

    He had said that to her during the breakup.

    He knew how much it had hurt her.

    And honestly, it hadn¡¯t been any easier for him. Saying those cruel things had felt like a knife to his own chest.

    His eyes darkened as guilt and regret flooded in. The jealousy that had been burning inside him just seconds ago vanishedpletely, reced by a heavy, aching helplessness.

    Sean lowered his gaze, grief written all over his face. His voice was low and heavy.

    ¡°Lottie, I had my reasons when I said those things. None of it was what I truly meant.¡±

    Charlotte let out <b>a </b>coldugh.

    ¡°Oh? Which part? The part where you said, ¡®As long as you don¡¯t bring up breaking up, I¡¯ll never leave you¡®? That wasn¡¯t from the heart either? Don¡¯t bother repeating it. I already know.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Sean stepped forward, suddenly agitated. He ced both hands on her shoulders.

    <b>¡°</b>You know that¡¯s not the part I meant. Lottie, you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve ever loved. My feelings for you¨Cthey¡¯ve never changed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Charlotte said sharply, her eyes cold.

    ¡°Saying all this now doesn¡¯t change anything. I have things to do. Excuse me.¡±

    With that<b>, </b>she turned and opened her car door.

    ¡°Lottie, please¨Cjust listen-¡± Sean reached out to stop her.

    She shoved him back and mmed the door shut.

    The engine started. Momentster, her car pulled out of the lot.

    Scott walked over just then, having seen everything from a distance.

    Clicking his tongue in mock sympathy, <b>he </b>smirked.

    ¡°Told you, didn¡¯t I? People who¡¯ve been hurt once won¡¯t give you the chance to hurt them again.¡±

    Sean shot him <b>a </b>re<b>, </b>sharp <b>as </b><b>ice</b>.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fight for my own chance. Didn¡¯t you hear what she said? Lottie¡¯s not interested in you¨Cat all. Take my advice and drop it while you still can.¡±

    Scott¡¯s smile didn¡¯t budge. His eyes narrowed slightly<b>, </b>still yful.

    ¡°She¡¯s not interested right now. But who knows what the future holds?¡±

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    The next day, Charlotte received a delivery: two jewelry pieces from the auction¨Cthe sapphire earrings and the emerald bracelet.

    They were hand¨Cdelivered by Sean¡¯s assistant, Sam.

    Sam stood politely at the door, all business.

    ¡°Miss Riley, Mr. Jasper flew to Antis early this morning. Before he left, he told me multiple times to make sure you received these.¡±

    ¡°Sean went to Antis? Was he finally going to deal with Joseph?¡± she wondered.

    Charlotte nced at the jewelry boxes and said tly, ¡°Take them back. I don¡¯t want them.¡±

    Sam hesitated, clearly troubled.

    ¡°Miss Riley, please¡­ Mr. Jasper said if Ie back with the jewelry, I might as well head straight to HR and turn in my resignation.¡± Charlotte was speechless. ¡°Typical Sean¨Calways finding ways to guilt¨Ctrip people,¡± she thought.

    Sam looked genuinely distressed, his expression pitiful.

    ¡°Please, Miss Riley. Just take them. I have a family to support. I really can¡¯t afford to lose this job.¡±

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 His Heart 353

    Chapter <b>353 </b>

    ¡°Just leave it there,¡± Charlotte said with a sigh.

    She didn¡¯t want to make things hard for someone just doing his job.

    ¡°Got it!¡± Sam lit up instantly. <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b>leave you to it then. Take care, Miss Riley.¡±

    Charlotte gave a small nod. ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡±

    After he left, Charlotte looked at the two exquisite pieces of jewelry and let out a long, helpless sigh.

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    In Antis, current leader Saithorn had been in cahoots with Joseph Ford long before bing Prime Minister. They used each other for mutual gain, and Saithorn¡¯s election win relied heavily on Ford¡¯s behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes influence.

    Now, Saithorn¡¯s term was finallying to an end.

    ording to Antisw, the next Prime Minister must be a current member of Parliament, nominated by the Speaker of the House and confirmed by both chambers before being officially appointed by the King.

    Because of his identity and international position, Sean couldn¡¯t directly interfere in the political process.

    But he could back the right candidate¨Cquietly, from the shadows.

    Before Saithorn¡¯s rise, his strongest rival had been Enza Mahan, a formidable candidate with both an elite family background and real political skill. She had nearly won in thest election.

    But then, Saithorn¡¯s momentum exploded out of nowhere. His approval ratings and votes suddenly surged past Enza¡¯s.

    After Saithorn was elected, he immediately pushed through a bill legalizing marijuana.

    The biggest beneficiary? Joseph Ford¨Cthe most powerful crime boss in Antis.

    That was when Enza finally realized the truth. Saithorn had struck a deal with Joseph long ago.

    Joseph had poured massive financial support into Saithorn¡¯s campaign. Once elected, Saithorn repaid the favor by bing his puppet, helping Joseph expand his criminal empire even further.

    It was this political backing that gave Joseph the confidence to openly challenge the Jasper family in Jersey City and even repeatedly send assassins after Sean.

    Sean¡¯s trip to Antis this time was for one purpose: to help Enza win the Prime Minister seat and take Saithorn down for good. Unlike Saithorn, Enza was known for her integrity and public service. She had ambition¨Cbut the kind rooted in responsibility and justice<b>. </b>She was the kind of leader who fought for the people.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>associate, Noah Smith, had already arrived weeks ago toy the groundwork on Sean¡¯s behalf.

    The election was tomorrow.

    Sean had brought his team to Antis, not just to support Enza¡¯s campaign but to bring Joseph down once and for all.

    Joseph¡¯s stronghold was alreadypletely surrounded. His base was sealed tight¨Cnot even a fly could get out.

    As soon <b>as </b><b>the </b>results confirmed Enza¡¯s victory<b>, </b>Sean¡¯s team would move in.

    That evening, Charlotte returned home to have dinner at <b>the </b>Riley estate.

    In the living room<b>, </b><b>the </b>TV was ying the international news.

    Mrs. Coleman, the housekeeper, was setting out the dishes one by one<b>. </b>

    Xena came downstairs holding Jodie¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re back, Lottie.<b>¡± </b><b>¡°</b>Yeah.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte ced her bag on <b>the </b>couch and headed to the bathroom to wash her hands.

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    When she came out, the news on TV caught her attention

    ¡°Today, Antis Parliament confirmed Enza Mahan as the new Prime Minister after securing majority support in the lower house¡­¡±

    Charlotte stepped closer to the screen, watching intently,

    ¡°Was this what Sean went to Antis for?¡± she wondered.

    She recalled him saying that Joseph¡¯s political backer was about to fall.

    ¡°Could that backer have been Salthorn, the outgoing Prime Minister? And now that he¡¯s out of power¡­¡± she thought

    Just then, her phone rang

    Her heart skipped a beat.

    She pulled it out and saw the familiar number sh on the screen.

    ¡°Hello?¡± she answered, her voice a little unsteady,

 His Heart 354

    Chapter <b>354 </b>

    ¡°Lottie, it¡¯s over,¡± Sean¡¯s <b>voice </b>was low and a little hoarse. ¡°Joseph Ford is dead. It¡¯s all over now.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    ¡°You¡­ are you okay?¡±

    There was a brief pause on the other end.

    Then Sean replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Thank God,¡± Charlotte murmured.

    Charlotte finally let out a breath she didn¡¯t realize she was holding. Her heart, which had been hanging high in her chest, finally settled.

    She had been terrified that Sean might get hurt while dealing with Joseph in Antis.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go eat. Talkter,¡± she said quickly.

    ¡°Lottie¡­ wait for me,¡± Sean said softly.

    But Charlotte didn¡¯t respond. She hung up the phone.

    Her mind was a tangled mess.

    Joseph might be out of the picture now¨Cbut what about Mrs. Jasper Sr.?

    Her father had also made it very clear how he felt about the Jasper family.

    And she couldn¡¯t pretend those old wounds never happened. It wasn¡¯t that easy to start over.

    ¡°Lottie, dinner¡¯s ready,¡± Xena called out, snapping her back to reality.

    ¡°Coming.¡± Charlotte shook off her thoughts and walked toward the dining room.

    Ever since finding out Wendy was pregnant, Monica had been beaming with joy every single day.

    Zac, however, hadn¡¯t told his mother anything about the Gibson Corporation¡¯s current financial mess. He was still trying to salvage what he could and didn¡¯t want to break the news until it was absolutely unavoidable.

    So Monica was stillpletely in the dark while the fire was practically at the door, she was still living her high¨Csociety life in blissful ignorance.

    Dripping in jewelry, glowing with happiness.

    That afternoon, she went out shopping with the housekeeper to pick up nutritional supplements for expectant mothers. She also sent the housekeeper to an exclusive members¨Conly grocery store to get organic vegetables and a free¨Crange hen to make nourishing chicken <b>soup </b>for Wendy.

    When they arrived at Wendy¡¯s apartment, Monica took her hand and asked about everything¨Cfull of smiles and warmth.

    Wendy, however<b>, </b><b>seemed </b>distant and unenthusiastic, responding half¨Cheartedly.

    Monica assumed it was just pregnancy hormones and didn¡¯t take it personally.

    She instructed the housekeeper, ¡°Put the supplements away, and go get started on the chicken soup for Zac¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,<b>¡± </b>the housekeeper replied cheerfully.

    That title-¡°Zac¡¯s fianc¨¦e<b>¡°</b>-was something Wendy used to dream about.

    But now, hearing <b>it </b>just made her feel uneasy.

    She didn¡¯t know much about business, but she had heard rumors<b>¨C</b>serious ones¨Cthat <b>the </b>Gibson Corporation was drowning in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy.

    <b>If </b>she married into the family now<b>, </b>she would be tied to that sinking ship. Her entire future would go up in mes.

    <b>+25 </b>Bonus

    ¡°Wendy, are you feeling unwell?¡± Monica asked gently, sensing something was off.

    Wendy answered tly, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Pregnancy can do that,¡± Monica said soothingly, taking Wendy¡¯s hand again like a doting mother¨Cinw.

    ¡°Back when I was pregnant with Zac, I¡¯d get moody too. Some days, nothing felt right. Why don¡¯t you move into the Gibson estate for a while? With the staff around, I¡¯ll feel better knowing you¡¯re being looked after.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you, Mrs. Gibson,¡± Wendy said, pulling her hand back without making a fuss.

    ¡°I¡¯m used to staying here. I¡¯m worried I wouldn¡¯t befortable adjusting to a new ce.¡±

    Monica didn¡¯t suspect a thing. She nodded with a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. If you¡¯refortable here, stay here. I¡¯ll have the housekeepere check on you every day. Or, if there¡¯s space, maybe she can stay with you. I just want to make sure you¡¯re taken care of. Zac¡¯s been swamped at thepany. He barely has time for anything else.¡±

    Wendy¡¯s eyes flickered. Sensing an opening, she smoothly redirected the conversation.

    ¡°Mrs. Gibson¡­ how¡¯s thepany doingtely?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± Monica blinked, not understanding why Wendy would suddenly bring that up.

    Wendy pressed gently, fishing for information.

    <b>¡°</b>I just haven¡¯t seen Zac around much the past few days.<ol><li>I even went to the office a few times, but he wasn¡¯t there. Is something going</li></ol>

    on at work?¡±

    Monica was a full¨Ctime socialite. She had no clue what was happening at thepany. Her days were filled with shopping sprees, spa appointments, mahjong games, and afternoon tea.

    Business affairs? Not even on her radar.

    COIN BUNDLE: get more <b>free </b>bonus

 His Heart 355

    When Wendy asked the question, Monica didn¡¯t suspect a thing.

    She simply assumed Wendy was genuinely concerned about Zac and replied with a smile, ¡°Oh, same as usual. Zac and his father haven¡¯t said much to me. I guess he¡¯s just been busytely, I¡¯ll remind him¨Cno matter how busy he is, he can¡¯t forget about his wife and baby. I¡¯ll tell him to make more time for you.¡±

    Seeing that Monica clearly didn¡¯t know anything, Wendy didn¡¯t press further.

    ¡°Mrs. Gibson, you don¡¯t need to have the housekeeper move in. It¡¯s a little inconvenient here,¡± she said politely.

    Monica looked a little hesitant. ¡°I just worry about you living alone. It¡¯s better for a pregnant woman to have someone around in case anything happens.¡±

    ¡°What could possibly happen?¡± Wendy rolled her eyes inwardly.

    She had already made up her mind to get an abortion. If Monica moved someone in to watch her around the clock, how would she ever sneak away to do it?

    The Gibson family was practically bankrupt. There was no way she was going to bring this baby into the world. She was still early enough to terminate the pregnancy. If she waited any longer, it would be toote.

    And if she actually gave birth? Even if she didn¡¯t marry Zac and avoided being tied to the family¡¯s debt, she would be stuck raising a child alone. What man would want to take that on? Being a single mom was hard. She wasn¡¯t about to ruin her future like that. Wendy kept all these thoughts to herself, her expression calm.

    She smiled gently and lied, ¡°My mom¡¯s actually flying in to help. She just booked her ticket. With her here, you really don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Monica brightened instantly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s wonderful! When she gets in, let me know. I¡¯ll host a wee dinner to show our appreciation.¡±

    The Gibson Corporation had already moved its headquarters to Jersey City back when Chester first invested in thepany.

    At the time, Zac had even bought a vi there and settled down¨Cjust so he could win Charlotte back.

    Now, the entire Gibson family was living in Jersey City.

    Back when Wendy was still pretending to be Charlotte¡¯s willing standin, she pestered Zac until he finally bought her a fully furnished apartment. That was where she was living now.

    Her mom hadn¡¯t actually booked any tickets and even if she had, there was no way Wendy would let Monica meet her.

    The Gibson family was a sinking ship. Wendy was already doing everything she could to stay clear of it. There was no chance she would drag her own family into the mess.

    Still smiling sweetly, she kept up the act.

    ¡°There¡¯s no rush, Mrs. Gibson. We¡¯ll talk about it when the timees.¡±

    Monica paused<b>, </b>frowning slightly.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Wendy? Is it because <b>Zac¡¯s </b>been neglecting you? Is that why you don¡¯t want the families to meet yet?¡±

    Wendy had been searching for a good excuse and Monica had just handed her the perfect one.

    She pouted, lowering her gaze with a hurt expression.

    Yeah¡­ I feel like Zac¡¯s been more and more distanttely. Honestly, I don¡¯t think he even wanted this baby.¡±

    She had only meant to act sad, but saying it out loud actually hit a nerve.

    After all, she had been in love with Zac. She had looked forward to the baby.

    The <b>memory </b>of that day¨Cwhen she showed him the positive test and he told her without blinking to <b>get </b>rid of it¨Cstill stung.

    So this time, her sadness wasn¡¯t entirely <b>an </b><b>act</b>.

    <b>+25 </b><b>Bonus </b>

    But she was no naive girl anymore.

    Yes, she loved Zac. But love doesn¡¯t pay the bills.

    And marrying him now would be the end of her life.

    Monica gently patted her shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sweetheart. I¡¯ll talk to him. I¡¯ll make sure hees by tonight to be with you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of himing now?¡± Wendy thought bitterly.

    She quickly covered it with a soft reply, ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, Mrs. Gibson. He¡¯s busy. I don¡¯t want to cause trouble. Once things settle down, I¡¯m sure he¡¯lle see me.¡±

    Monica looked at her with admiration.

    ¡°You really are so thoughtful. That¡¯s why I know you¡¯re the right one to be my daughter¨Cinw.¡±

    D

    Support

    Share

 His Heart 356

    Sean didn¡¯t return to Jersey City until a weekter.

    The breeze inte April carried a hint of warmth.

    Dressed in a ck shirt and tailored cks, Sean cut a tall, striking figure. Broad-shouldered and trim at the waist, he exuded sharp elegance. His handsome features were cool and reserved, and his eyes-dark and unreadable-held the stillness of a

    midnight sea.

    But the moment he saw Charlotte, that coldnesspletely melted away. In its ce was a tenderness so soft, it felt like spring sunlight breaking through clouds.

    Charlotte looked up and greeted him casually, assuming he was just stopping by thew firm to ¡°check in¡± as usual.

    ¡°Morning, Mr. Jasper.¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze briefly swept across the office, pausing for a beat on an unfamiliar face before returning to her as if nothing had happened. He handed her a box.

    ¡°Lottie, open it.¡±

    The unfamiliar woman was Petra, a foreign bodyguard Desmond had recently hired to protect Charlotte.

    Petra had a sharp bob cut, sun-kissed skin, and a lean, athletic build. She stood nearly six feet tall, all muscle and zero body fat.

    She gave off a strong, grounded sense of safety-someone you instinctively trusted to handle danger.

    Charlotte had ced her at the firm as a personal assistant, mostly to help with non-legal tasks. But she was paid like a full- fledged bodyguard-two million dors a month, directly out of Desmond¡¯s ount.

    Petra had been at the firm for five days now. Not only that, she had moved in with Charlotte. Wherever Charlotte went, Petra went

    too. They were living together, eating together, sticking close day and night.

    Charlotte nced at the box Sean was holding.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°A gift.¡±

    Without looking up from herputer, Charlotte replied coolly, ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not even going to look at it before turning it down?¡±

    Sean stepped closer and opened the box himself, pulling out a silk scarf.

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but nce over. It really was beautiful. She had to admit that he had good taste.

    Sean caught that brief flicker of appreciation in her eyes. The corners of his lips lifted slightly.

    SUMMALE 1/4

    ¡°These scarves are really popr with women. It¡¯s a local brand from Antis-only sold in the capital. Most girls who visit make

    sure to bring one home. The moment I saw this one, I thought of you.

    Charlotte shot him a sharp look.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper sure knows a lot about what women like.¡±

    Sean, not thinking, replied, ¡°Lucinda rmended it.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Charlotte¡¯s tone cooled instantly. ¡°It is a beautiful scarf. But you should give it to Lucinda then. Wouldn¡¯t that be more

    appropriate?¡±

    At that, Sean suddenlyughed. The frost in his eyes melted in an instant, reced by a tare, dazzling warmth.

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±

    His teasing voice made Charlotte immediately annoyed at herself for slipping up

    Her brows drew together, and she lowered her voice.

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes stayed on her, warm and unhurried.

    ¡°Lucinda¡¯s grandfather and my grandmother were siblings Technically, she¡¯s my cousin. I¡¯ll introduce you two someday.

    Charlotte gave a snort. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m not interested and it has nothing to do with me.¡±

    Sean¡¯s smile deepened, gentle and a little amused.

    ¡°All right, all right. No introductions. I¡¯ll leave you to work¡±

    He gently ced the scarf back in the box, then set it down on her desk

    ¡°But keep the scarf. It¡¯s yours.¡±

    Then he left.

    The delicate white gift box remained on Charlotte¡¯s desk.

    After finishing the work in front of her, Charlotte¡¯s gaze drifted toward the box. She paused for a few seconds, then let out a silent

    sigh.

    After work, Charlotte went out to dinner with Jenny, Sophie, and Petra.

    Every time Sophie saw Petra, she couldn¡¯t help but gush.

    ¡°She¡¯s so cool. Seriously-so hot. She¡¯s totally the dream butch in the lesbian world. Like, top-tier!¡±

    Jenny shot Sophie a fake-terrified look.

    ¡°Okay, Sophie, if you keep going, I¡¯m really gonna start questioning your orientation.¡±

 His Heart 357

    Despite being foreign, Petra understood everything Sophie said perfectly. Naturally reserved and rarely smiling, she usually wore

    a cool, indifferent expression.

    But when Sophieplimented her, she replied tly, ¡°I¡¯m not into women. And even less into men.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ so you¡¯re asexual?¡± Sophie blurted out.

    Charlotte gave an awkwardugh and nced at her, lips twitching. ¡°You really say whateveres to mind, huh? Aren¡¯t you

    afraid she¡¯ll beat you up?¡±

    ¡°She said it first!¡± Sophie pouted in protest.

    Petra, still expressionless, added, ¡°I only beat people who are a threat to my employer.¡±

    Jenny chimed in thoughtfully, ¡°Well, to be fair, Petra really is more handsome than most guys.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Charlotte said with a smile.

    Petra¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    Sophie sighed. ¡°Ever since I started working at our firm, my standards have gone through the roof. Charlotte¡¯s stunning, then

    there¡¯s Mr. Lucas and Mr. Jasper-both total heartthrobs-and now Petra? No wonder I can¡¯t find a boyfriend.¡±

    Jennyughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Sophie. We¡¯re still young. No rush.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say,¡± Sophie teased, shooting her a look. ¡°Something¡¯s going on with you and Matthew, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve seen

    that guy waiting outside to pick you up after work.¡±

    Jenny¡¯s cheeks turned pink, and she looked down shyly.

    ¡°You¡¯re seeing Matthew?¡± Charlotte turned to her, surprised. ¡°When did that happen? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    Jenny mumbled, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­ He¡¯s just been pursuing metely. I haven¡¯t said yes yet.¡±

    Charlotte smiled knowingly. ¡°By the looks of it, I think you like him too. Saying yes is just a matter of time, right?¡±

    Jenny blushed and nodded.

    ¡°Oh right-how¡¯s Luna doing these days?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been swamped with work and haven¡¯t had time to visit.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s doing much better,¡± Jenny replied. ¡°She was discharged a couple of days ago and has already gone back to school.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear,¡± Charlotte said with relief. ¡°Have you used up the money I gave you? School can get expensive. Can

    Matthew really afford everything on his own?¡±

    After Luna¡¯s sessful surgery, Charlotte had given the siblings a bank card with half a million dors. She told them she would cover Luna¡¯s education all the way through university, and if Matthew wanted to go back to school, she would support him too.

    At first, the siblings had refused.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already done so much for us, Miss Riley,¡± Matthew said. ¡°My sister wouldn¡¯t even be alive without your help. We really

    can¡¯t take any more from you.¡±

    Luna added, ¡°That¡¯s right, Charlotte. I can¡¯t keep epting your money.¡±

    Charlotte looked at Matthew seriously. ¡°There will be ongoing checkups and treatments, not to mention tuition and living expenses. As the saying goes, ¡®if you¡¯re going to help someone, help them all the way.¡¯ I have the ability to support you, so of course I will. This is my way of showing I care. Please ept it. You¡¯re still young. If you keep pushing yourself with part-time jobs day and night, your health will copse eventually. And when that happens, who will take care of your sister? Do you want her to drop out of school and work just to pay your medical bills? That¡¯s not the future either of you deserve.¡±

    Her words got through to him. Matthew epted the card and said sincerely, ¡°Miss Riley, I¡¯ll never forget your kindness. I¡¯ll pay

    you back someday.¡±

    Luna chimed in, ¡°And I¡¯ll study hard, get into a good university, and find a great job so I can pay you back too.¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°Good. I¡¯m counting on both of you to live well.¡±

    ¡°We will!¡± they said together.

    The girls walked side by side down the sidewalk, chatting andughing. The evening breeze yed with their hair, theirughter

    ringing through the street.

    The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the bustling crowds. Soft light fell across their shoulders, stretching their

    shadows long behind them.

 His Heart 358

    No one expected danger toe so suddenly.

    Just as the group was about to reach the restaurant, two men suddenly charged out of the crowd. Both wore ck masks and

    baseball caps.

    One was tall, in a white T-shirt with muscr arms covered in tattoos. The other was shorter and not as physically imposing.

    Charlotte and Petra reacted quickly, dodging to the side.

    ¡°Miss Riley, stay back! I can handle this. Take them and go!¡± Petra shouted, narrowly avoiding the knife shing at her before

    mming her fist into the man¡¯s face.

    Jenny and Sophie were terrified. Their faces went pale.

    Back when they worked at S&G Law Firm, there had been an incident with an armed attacker. Jenny had been shoved in front of the knife by a colleague to shield him, and the traumatic memory now came flooding back. Her eyes widened in fear. She stood

    frozen, trembling uncontrobly.

    Charlotte¡¯s expression changed. She grabbed Jenny with one hand and Sophie with the other. ¡°Run!¡±

    Jenny snapped out of it and followed her.

    Sophie, unused to such danger, was shaking. Her high heels didn¡¯t help. After just a few steps, she twisted her ankle and fell hard

    to the ground.

    Petra realized the two men weren¡¯t just ordinary thugs. They were clearly trained mercenaries.

    But she had experience with their kind. Even two of them together weren¡¯t enough to beat her.

    One of the men noticed Sophie fall and broke free from Petra, charging toward Charlotte and Sophie.

    ¡°Can you stand?¡± Charlotte asked urgently.

    ¡°It hurts,¡± Sophie said, clinging to her as she struggled up. But her injury was serious. She could barely put weight on one foot.

    The shorter man was nearly on them.

    Knife in hand, his eyes glinted with malice as he lunged at Sophie.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t have time to think. She shoved Sophie aside and jumped in to fight the attacker.

    Sophiended hard on the patch of grass nearby, stunned as she watched Charlotte go head-to-head with the man. Her heart

    raced. She had never imagined that Charlotte could fight like this.

    But there was no time to be impressed. Her face was pale, her ankle throbbed with searing pain, and cold sweat beaded across her

    forehead.

    Jenny rushed over to help. ¡°Sophie, we need to move. Now.¡±

    Sophie¡¯s face was drained of color. She winced and said, ¡°I can¡¯t. My foot won¡¯t hold me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    Jenny pulled her up and immediately took out her phone to call the police.

    Others on the street had already started dialing for help.

    Meanwhile, Petra was locked in a brutal fight with the muscr man. When she saw another attacker charging at Charlotte, she

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t bad in a fight, but the man she was facing was a cut above the usual bodyguard. He was professionally trained.

    Within a few moves, she could already tell she was losing ground.

    The glint of the knife shed cold in the dim light as he drove it toward her heart.

    Just then, Petra grabbed his wrist mid-strike. Her grip tightened, making the man grimace in pain.

    She had arrived just in time. Charlotte had managed to avoid a fatal strike, but the knife still stabbed into her body. The pain hit a

    secondter, searing and debilitating.

    If Petra hadn¡¯t intervened, the next stab would have gone straight into her heart.

    After a few more exchanges, Petra overpowered the attacker, disarming him and pressing the de against his throat.

    If they hadn¡¯t been in Jersey City, in the middle of a public street, she would have already slit his throat.

    The muscled mercenary, realizing his partner had been taken down, turned and fled.

    Petra sneered. ¡°Idiot.¡±

    She calmly took a small vial from her pocket, snapped it open, and coated the de with its contents.

    Then she hurled the knife.

    It flew with deadly precision and embedded itself in the runner¡¯s calf.

    The man didn¡¯t make a sound. He was clearly trained to withstand pain but within moments, he copsed mid-stride.

    Petra muttered, ¡°It¡¯s a powerful tranquilizer. Even a trained fighter can¡¯tst a minute once it hits the bloodstream.¡±

    The man in her hold tried to escape but Petra yanked him back in a chokehold until he passed out.

    ¡°Miss Riley! Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± Petra turned back, her usual stoic face showing rare panic and concern.

    Charlotte let out a shaky breath and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    But a strange chill crept up her spine, making every hair on her body stand on end. Something was wrong. Her instincts screamed

    at her, but she couldn¡¯t exin why.

    Before she could react, she saw a ck handgun emerge from behind a statue in the distance.

    Bang!

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Charlotte shouted, pushing Jenny aside.

    The bullet hit her.

    At first, she felt only numbness. Then a blinding pain surged from the wound, tearing through her entire body. Her knees buckled.

    ¡°Miss Riley!¡± Petra cried out, rushing forward to catch her.

 His Heart 359

    The police and ambnce arrived quickly.

    The two assants were taken away by the officers, and Charlotte was rushed to the hospital.

    Outside the emergency room, Petra and Jenny waited in tense silence.

    Jenny paced back and forth in the hallway, murmuring over and over, ¡°Miss Riley will be okay. She has to be okay¡­¡±

    Petra leaned silently against the wall, arms crossed, her expression grim. Her lips were pressed into a tight line, eyes lowered,

    saying nothing.

    Not long after, Desmond and Xena rushed in, clearly shaken after receiving the news.

    ¡°How is Lottie?!¡± Desmond asked, his voice trembling as he turned to Petra.

    Petra lowered her eyes, guilt etched across her face. Her voice was hoarse as she replied, ¡°She was shot in the chest. We don¡¯t know yet if it hit the heart.¡±

    Desmond staggered, nearly losing his bnce.

    ¡°How could this happen¡­¡± he muttered, eyes wide in disbelief, pain flooding his features.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± Jenny¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears.

    Her voice cracked as she choked out, ¡°The shooter wasn¡¯t even aiming at Miss Riley. It should¡¯ve been me. She pushed me out of

    the way¡­ If she hadn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve been the one hit. I¡¯m so sorry¡­ It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Riley,¡± Petra said firmly, ¡°those men weren¡¯t ordinary criminals. I fought both of them. They were professionally trained

    mercenaries. I also saw a mark on one of their necks. It¡¯s the signature tattoo of thergest gang in Antis.¡±

    She pulled out her phone and showed him a photo she had taken before the police arrived.

    In the image, the man who had copsed from the drugged knife Petra threw was lying unconscious. On the back of his neck was a

    ck gun-shaped tattoo.

    Desmond stared at the photo in shock. ¡°Thergest gang in Antis¡­ Isn¡¯t that¡­¡±

    ¡°They work for Joseph Ford,¡± a cold voice interrupted him.

    They all turned to see Sean striding down the hallway, his face grim and stormy.

    ¡°This was my mistake,¡± Sean said tightly, his brows furrowed. ¡°Joseph isn¡¯t dead. The body we found in the wreckage was a decoy -a double he had nted long ago.¡±

    ¡°Joseph again?!¡± Desmond¡¯s voice shook with rage. ¡°This has nothing to do with my family! If he has a score to settle, he should take it up with your side. Lottie broke things off with you long ago. Why is he still targeting her?¡±

    Sean¡¯s dark eyes were filled with guilt and sorrow. ¡°Because of me.

    ¡°}

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Riley,¡± he said, his voice low and heavy. ¡°Before the election in Antis, I had everything nned. I flew there myself to handle Joseph. Everything was airtight-until one of my men betrayed me and tipped him off. Joseph left a body double behind to die in his ce and escaped through an underground tunnel, fully disguised.

    ¡°Our people, in coordination with the Antis government, wiped out his entire operation there. We were certain he was dead,

    that Lottie would never be in danger again. That¡¯s why¡­ I allowed myself to get close to her again.

    ¡°Joseph has nothing left. His private forces are either dead or surrendered. He has no way to rebuild. This time, he¡¯s cornered. He came back to Jersey City for revenge-to drag me down with him. The two men who attacked Lottie were loyalists who escaped

    with him. He sent them to kill her¡­ while he came after me himself.¡±

    bar2/3

 His Heart 360

    After Sean finished speaking, Desmond finally noticed that he was injured too.

    He was wearing a ck shirt, and the blood had soaked through, but the dark fabric made it hard to see. Bright red streaks of blood ran down his hand, stark and vivid against his pale, almost porcin-like skin. The contrast was striking.

    Jenny noticed it too.

    She didn¡¯t fully understand who Joseph Ford was or what the so-called ¡°Antis forces¡± meant, but she understood one thing clearly. The two men who attacked them tonight weren¡¯t ordinary criminals. No wonder one of them had a gun, even though firearms were strictly banned in Jersey City.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper, you¡¯re bleeding! You should see a doctor right away,¡± Jenny said, startled by the sight of blood dripping from his hand.

    But Sean shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m staying here. With Lottie.¡±

    ¡°Sean Jasper.¡± Desmond¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he red at him, every word dripping with hatred, forced out from between clenched teeth. ¡°If something happens to my Lottie¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the words, ¡°if she doesn¡¯t make it¡±.

    After a pause, his voice grew harsher. ¡°Even if it costs me everything I own, I¡¯ll make the Jasper family pay.¡±

    ¡°Joseph Ford has already been taken into custody,¡± Sean said quietly, lowering his eyes. ¡°This time, he¡¯s not getting away.¡±

    Mr. Riley.¡± Sean lifted his gaze to meet Desmond¡¯s furious eyes. His voice was soft but steady. ¡°If something happens to Lottie ¡­ I¡¯ll give my life in return.¡¯

    Everyone froze at his words.

    Desmond, Xena, and Jenny were all stunned. None of them had expected Sean to say something like that.

    Even Petra, who usually showed no emotion at all, was visibly shocked.

    ¡°The heir of the Jasper family-someone with his status-willing to die for her?¡± she thought. <ul><li>?????????? ???? ?????? ?? </li></ul>

    Desmond quickly pulled himself together. He let out a cold scoff and snapped, ¡°Your life? And what good would that do? If something really happens to Lottie, will that bring her back?¡±

    Sean¡¯s brows drew together. He didn¡¯t say a word, his lips pressed into a tight line.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Jenny hesitated, then stammered, ¡°Mr. Riley, Miss Riley is still in surgery. It¡¯s not over yet. She¡¯s so kind¡­ Heaven wouldn¡¯t be so cruel. I¡­ I believe she¡¯ll pull through¡­¡±

    Her voice trembled near the end, choked by emotion. She couldn¡¯t go on.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be okay,¡± Xena murmured, trying to console Desmond as she gently patted his back. ¡°Don¡¯t think the worst just yet¡­¡±

    Even so, her eyes were already red.

    Charlotte might not be her biological daughter, but she had always treated her like her own. Over the years, Charlotte had slowly gone from being cold and resistant to epting her.

    And now, just when Charlotte¡¯s career was starting to take off, when everything was finally looking up¡­

    Why did this have to happen?

    She was still so young.

    Not long after, the other two partners from thew firm, Scott and Asher, arrived along with severalwyers.

    Jordan, Lena,n, Mia, Matthew, and Luna also rushed over.

    The hospital corridor quickly filled with people, but no one spoke a word. The crowded hallway was eerily silent, like the calm

    before a storm.

    Everyone¡¯s mood was somber, weighed down by fear and worry.

    Silently, they all prayed the same thing in their hearts: that Charlotte would make it through this alive.

 His Heart 361

    Zac first saw the news of the incident through a media report. Then, online, he came across a few videos recorded by bystanders.

    When he saw footage of Charlotte fighting off the attackers, his heart clenched.

    Before he could even recover from the shock, he saw another clip-Charlotte being lifted onto a stretcher and carried into an

    ambnce.

    His chest tightened sharply.

    Using his assistant¡¯s phone, he called her several times, but no one picked up.

    Frantic, Zac dropped everything and rushed to the hospital without hesitation.

    He didn¡¯t know which hospital Charlotte had been taken to.

    There were three hospitals near the scene of the attack. He went to them one by one, asking around, until he finally saw a few familiar faces outside the emergency room of thest hospital.

    Losing allposure, Zac ran over and grabbed Sean Jasper by the arm. ¡°Sean, how¡¯s Lottie?¡±

    The moment he made contact, he felt something sticky. Looking down, he saw Sean¡¯s hand was covered in blood. Zac¡¯s face

    went pale.

    Sean yanked his arm back and shot him a cold re. His voice was t. ¡°She¡¯s still in surgery.¡±

    What the hell happened?¡± Zac demanded. ¡°I saw a witness online saying someone was shot. How did the attacker even have a gun? Isn¡¯t that illegal here?¡±

    Then it hit him, and his eyes widened. ¡°Was it Joseph Ford? Did hee back for revenge?¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze turned icy. Irritated, he snapped, ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re being loud.¡±

    Zac¡¯s temper red. ¡°Sean Jasper, if you can¡¯t protect her, why keep dragging her into your mess? If it weren¡¯t for you, she wouldn¡¯t have been in danger again and again!¡±

    His voice rang out loud in the corridor. A passing nurse frowned and called out, ¡°This is a hospital. Please keep your voice down.¡±

    Zac lowered his voice but red at Sean with burning resentment.

    ¡°She¡¯s already suffered enough because of you. Why can¡¯t you just leave her alone? What kind of man are you if you can¡¯t even protect the woman you love? What¡¯s the point of all your status and power then? You once said I wasn¡¯t good enough for Lottie- that I didn¡¯t deserve her. But what about you? What makes you any more qualified?¡±

    Sean¡¯s jaw tightened. He didn¡¯t respond. His fists clenched at his sides.

    Because Zac was right.

    He hadn¡¯t protected the woman he loved.

    What right did he have to say he loved her?

    Charlotte had been hurt again and again because of him. His love had be a burden.

    A dull, suffocating pain filled his chest, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

    ¡°Enough, Zac. Now¡¯s not the time for this.¡± Mia pulled Zac away forcefully. ¡°You think you¡¯re any better? Don¡¯t forget the pain Lottie went through when she was with you. You and Sean-neither of you have any right to point fingers.¡±

    Zac lowered his head and fell silent.

    The hallway sank back into stillness.

    As night fell and the sky grew darker, the tension in everyone¡¯s chest only grew heavier.

    When James and Lilian heard that Charlotte was in critical condition, they rushed over as well.

    Lilian truly liked Charlotte and had always hoped she would be her daughter-inw. Seeing her seriously injured and hanging between life and death, Lilian was deeply shaken.

    When she spotted the blood on Sean¡¯s hands, her heart twisted even more.

    ¡°Sean, you¡¯re hurt too. You need to get treated,¡± she said gently.

    Then her gaze dropped to the floor and her face went pale.

    The tiles were sttered with blood.

    ¡°Sean, your hand is seriously injured. You have to get it looked at!¡± she cried, panic rising in her voice.

    Sean had already been at the hospital for over an hour. His wound had been bleeding the entire time, and he hadn¡¯t paid it any

    attention.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. I¡¯m fine,¡± Sean replied hoarsely.

    ¡®How is that fine? Look how much blood you¡¯ve lost!¡± Lilian turned and hurried down the hall. ¡°Nurse! Nurse!¡±

    Momentster, a nurse followed her back to tend to his injury.

 His Heart 362

    Lilian turned to the nurse. ¡°Please take him to get his wound treated.¡±

    But Sean stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the red-lit sign above the doors: Surgery in Progress. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to move.

    Lilian wiped her tears, then gave him a gentle push. ¡°Go get your hand bandaged. You don¡¯t want Lottie waking up and seeing you like this, do you?¡±

    Those words seemed to get through to him.

    He gave a small nod, then slowly moved his feet and followed the nurse down the hall.

    Mia watched Sean¡¯s retreating figure and let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Those two¡­ what a tragic pair,¡± she murmured.

    B

    As soon as Sean left, Lilian turned and yanked James by the arm. ¡°Come with me!¡±

    Her tone was forceful, and she dragged James all the way outside the hospital. Her lips were tightly pressed together, her eyes practically burning with fury.

    Several doctors and nurses along the way shot them curious, gossiping nces.

    Once they reached outside, James shook her off. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me!¡±

    Smack!

    p p echoed in the air.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind!¡± James roared, stunned.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lost my mind?¡± Lilian was seething. ¡°You¡¯re the one who messed around and got that woman pregnant! You let her keep the baby, and now look what¡¯s happened! Joseph Ford nearly killed Sean today. Do you even realize that?¡±

    James¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d turn out like this! ming me won¡¯t help anything now!¡±

    ¡°James!¡± Lilian pointed a trembling finger at his face. ¡°You¡¯re the one who caused all of this! How can you act like it¡¯s not your

    fault?¡±

    ?????? ??????? ??

    James¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He snapped, ¡°Back then, Fiona told me she¡¯d had a miscarriage! She went abroad and gave birth in secret. I didn¡¯t even know! What was I supposed to do? I only found outter that she never had the abortion. By then, Joseph was already born. Even a monster wouldn¡¯t turn on his own child. What did you expect me to do-kill my own son with my bare

    hands?¡±

    Lilian was shaking with anger, tears streaming down her face. ¡°So now you¡¯re just going to stand by and let your illegitimate son try to kill Sean? Isn¡¯t Sean your real son? This entire mess is your fault!¡±

    James let out a coldugh. ¡°My fault? I begged all of you to let Josephe home and be acknowledged. But none of you agreed. You threatened me, Lilian. You said you¡¯d rather die than let it happen. And Dad-he threatened to cut ties with mepletely. If Joseph had grown up in this family, do you really think he¡¯d have ended up running with the underworld in Antis? Do you think he¡¯d hate Sean enough to want revenge?¡±

    ¡°Oh, perfect,¡± Lilian said with a bitter, mockingugh. ¡°So now this is all our fault? I must¡¯ve been blind to marry a heartless man like you. James Jasper, I want a divorce!¡±

    ¡°Have you gone mad?¡± James snapped. ¡°Joseph¡¯s been arrested, and Sean is fine. Why are you bringing up divorce now?¡±

    ¡°Because beneath it all, you¡¯re nothing but a cold, unfeeling man.¡± ¡±

    Lilian¡¯s tone shifted. She didn¡¯t yell anymore. Her voice dropped to a quiet, measured calm.

    ¡°You caused this disaster, yet you act like you¡¯re innocent. Because of your mistake, Sean nearly lost his life. The Riley family was nearly destroyed. And now you have the nerve to use me of threatening you? To me your parents for not epting Joseph?¡±

    She looked him dead in the eyes, her voice icy.

    ¡°James, if there¡¯s anyone Joseph should¡¯ve taken revenge on-it¡¯s you.¡±

    With that, Lilian turned and walked away without looking back.

    ¡°1¡­¡± James opened his mouth, trying to speak, but before he could get a word out, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. His vision blurred.

    And then he copsed.

    213

 His Heart 363

    ¡°Poisoned?¡± Lilian was stunned, unable to believe what she was hearing.

    The doctor rattled off a string of medical jargon that wentpletely over her head.

    Seeing her confusion, he switched to simpler terms. This time, Lilian understood.

    James had been poisoned. It was a case of chronic poisoning. The toxin was water soluble, colorless, and tasteless. When consumed in small amounts, it caused no obvious symptoms. But with prolonged exposure, it gradually seeped into the body¡¯s organs and became fatal.

    While Charlotte was still fighting for her life in one emergency room, James had just been taken into another.

    The hospital issued a critical condition notice. After signing it, Lilian felt dazed, as if the entire world had started spinning

    around her.

    Suddenly, all the little things she had ignored began reying in her mind with startling rity.

    She remembered how James¡¯s hair had been thinning more than usual. She had noticed it but never thought much of it. Most men his age struggled with hair loss anyway. Some even wentpletely bald.

    His appetite had been fading. The shadows under his eyes had grown darker. He had looked paler and more exhausted with each passing day.

    Lilian had seen all of this.

    But she had not cared.

    Not truly.

    She and James had drifted apart over twenty years ago, ever since his first affair. Whatever love they had once shared had already withered. What remained between them now was only the appearance of civility.

    James himself had been feeling worse and worse these days. Business at thepany had been hectic. Although his father had already handed most of the power over to Sean, James still held the title of chairman at the Jasper Corporation.

    It was, after all, the family business. As chairman, he couldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing.

    Like Lilian, he chalked up the hair loss, insomnia, poor appetite, and random body aches to age and stress.

    He had nned to go in for a full-body checkup after finishing a few urgent tasks.

    But he hadn¡¯t made it that far.

    The poisoning was serious. Lilian immediately called Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Sr. to inform them. After James was diagnosed, she also scheduled her own medical tests.

    Some of the basic test results came back quickly. But for the blood panel, she would have to fast overnight and return the next morning.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. also came to the hospital and scheduled a physical.

    Mr. Jasper Sr. was far away in the capital and couldn¡¯t get back immediately, so Lilian updated him over the phone.

    ¡°Poisoned? How could that be?¡± Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s voice was low and grave.

    Lilian frowned, gripping the phone tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. He usually eats at home. The meals Mom and I eat are fine, but somehow only James was poisoned. I suspect it¡¯s connected to Joseph. Vivian was working for him before. If you ask me, she¡¯s the most likely suspect.¡±

    There was a brief silence on the other end.

    Then Mr. Jasper Sr. said, his voice full of authority, ¡°Report it to the police.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll request permission to return to Jersey City immediately. I want to confront Joseph and Vivian face-to-face.¡±

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. had been sitting beside Lilian the whole time. The moment she heard Lilian mention Vivian as a suspect, her expression darkened.

    After Lilian hung up, Mrs. Jasper Sr. red at her, her voiceced with anger. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that! Vivian was just misled by Joseph. She got caught up in the wrong crowd. But she¡¯s not a bad person at heart. She would never poison James. No matter what, James is still her adoptive father. Why would she hurt him?¡±

    Lilian was speechless. She let out an impatient sigh. ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve always been too soft on Vivian. She¡¯s alreadymitted serious crimes, and you¡¯re still defending her character? She helped Joseph cover up a murder. If she¡¯s capable of that, what makes you think she wouldn¡¯t poison a man who¡¯s not even her biological father?¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. shook her head repeatedly, clearly refusing to ept it. ¡°Vivian would never do that. She wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Even though a sliver of doubt had started creeping into her heart, she simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to face it.

 His Heart 364

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. shook her head as she muttered to herself. It was hard to tell whether she was trying to convince Lilian or herself.

    The granddaughter she had raised with her own hands had poisoned her son. How was she supposed to ept something like that?

    Lilian let out a weary sigh and gave Mrs. Jasper a cold, expressionless nce. She didn¡¯t say another word and simply turned and

    walked away.

    She made another call to the prison to schedule a visit.

    If her suspicion was correct, then Vivian had just added another charge to her name-attempted murder.

    Lilian felt it was time to face this ungrateful, cold-blooded girl herself.

    After what felt like an eternity, the doors to the operating room finally opened.

    Sean, Scott and Desmond rushed forward almost at the same time.

    Sean asked, ¡°Doctor, how is Lottie?¡±

    Scott followed, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s she doing?¡±

    Desmond¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my daughter?¡±

    Everyone else held their breath, watching with tense, worried expressions. Their hearts pounded in unison. They were hoping for good news, but terrified they might hear the worst.

    The lead surgeon removed his mask. Though his face looked tired, a faint smile appeared.

    ¡°She¡¯s out of immediate danger. We¡¯re transferring her to the ICU now. You¡¯ll be able to visit in three days.¡±

    Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

    For the first time in hours, light returned to Sean¡¯s vacant eyes. The heavy weight pressing on his chest finally began to lift.

    He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and said solemnly, ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±

    The rest followed, unable to hold back tears of joy as they repeatedly thanked the medical team.

    Desmond, a man nearing fifty, was crying so hard his eyes were bloodshot. His voice shook as he choked out, ¡°Thank you, doctor. Thank you¡­ thank you¡­¡±

    The doctor gave a small nod and left.

    A few nurses wheeled Charlotte out on a stretcher. Sean¡¯s heart twisted at the sight of her pale, unconscious face.

    It was a stabbing, wrenching kind of pain. One wave after another, sharp enough to tear him apart.

    Everyone instinctively moved toward her.

    ¡°Please step aside,¡± one of the nurses said. ¡°She¡¯s being transferred to the ICU. No visitors allowed yet.¡±

    The crowd parted, making way as the nurses pushed the stretcher down the hallway.

    The suffocating atmosphere that had lingered in the corridor finally began to lift.

    The girls had all cried themselves red-eyed.

    Jenny wiped her tears and said with a trembling voice, ¡°I knew the universe wouldn¡¯t be so cruel. Miss Riley is too kind. There¡¯s no way anything would happen to her.¡±

    Lena sniffled and dabbed her eyes. ¡°Thank goodness she¡¯s okay. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    Mia let out a long breath and wiped her tears away. ¡°I¡¯m just d she made it. If she hadn¡¯t¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, too shaken to finish the thought.

    Jenny¡¯s nose was red as she cried softly. ¡°If anything had happened to her, I would¡¯ve med myself for the rest of my life. She got hurt protecting me.¡±

    Sophie sat on a bench with her foot still bandaged. Her eyes were red as well. ¡°Thank God¡­ Thank God Miss Riley is okay.¡±

    Petra didn¡¯t cry. But she let out a long breath and finally rxed, the tension in her brows easing for the first time.

    Zac looked at Sean and scoffed coldly. ¡°Sean Jasper, Lottie almost died because of you. Stop dragging her into your mess.

    Sean said nothing.

    The hours she had spent in surgery had been the most painful, suffocating, and guilt-ridden of his entire life.

    He couldn¡¯t argue with Zac.

    Because deep down, he felt the same way.

    If it weren¡¯t for him, Joseph wouldn¡¯t have gone after her in the first ce.

    The guilt was overwhelming.

    It felt as if someone had gripped his heart in their fist and was twisting it tighter and tighter, until the pain was almost

    unbearable.

    Desmond lifted his head and red at Sean, his voice like ice. ¡°He¡¯s right. From now on, stay away from Lottie. Don¡¯t bring any more disaster into her life.¡±

    Sean¡¯s breath caught in his throat. His heart clenched in agony.

 His Heart 365

    Charlotte had narrowly escaped death. She had pulled through, and her life was no longer in danger. But things didn¡¯t look nearly as optimistic on James¡¯s side.

    The doctor exined that James had been poisoned for a long time. The toxin had already spread through all of his vital organs. At this point, no treatment could save him.

    When Mrs. Jasper Sr. heard the news, her vision went dark. She copsed on the spot.

    The next day, Lilian visited the prison.

    Across the ss divider, Vivian sat inside, dressed in her prison uniform. Lilian sat on the other side, holding the phone to her ear as they spoke through the inte.

    A mocking smile appeared on Vivian¡¯s face. ¡°Mrs. Jasper? Now that¡¯s a surprise. I never thought I¡¯d see you here.¡±

    Ever since her feelings for Sean had been exposed, and Lilian had pped her in the face, their rtionship hadpletely fallen apart. The pretense of warmth between them was gone. Not long after, Vivian was kicked out of the Jasper household.

    From that moment on, she had stopped calling Lilian ¡°Mom.¡± Instead, she addressed her coldly as ¡°Mrs. Jasper.¡±

    Throughout Vivian¡¯s arrest, trial, and eventual sentencing, Lilian had never visited her once. It was only Mrs. Jasper Sr. who had gone to see her twice.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. had always been blinded by her favoritism. Even now, with James at death¡¯s door from poisoning, she still refused to believe that Vivian could be responsible.

    Lilian¡¯s gaze was cold. She didn¡¯t waste any time. ¡°Did you poison James?¡±

    ¡°Poisoned?¡± Vivian raised her brows in feigned surprise, but there was amusement in her eyes. ¡°James was poisoned?¡±

    ¡°Drop the act,¡± Lilian said, her voice t. ¡°You¡¯re the only one with a motive. You did it under Joseph¡¯s orders.¡±

    Vivian chuckled. ¡°Mrs. Jasper, you can say whatever you want, but do you have any proof?¡±

    ¡°If you did it, there will be evidence. No matter how careful you were, you¡¯ll have left something behind.¡±

    Vivian smirked, eyes glinting with arrogance and provocation. ¡°So you haven¡¯t found any yet.¡±

    Lilian¡¯s gaze turned colder. ¡°Vivian, if you really poisoned James, the Jasper family will never let you walk free. And if you¡¯re still hoping Joseph wille rescue you, you clearly haven¡¯t heard-he¡¯s been arrested.¡±

    The smile instantly vanished from Vivian¡¯s face. Her voice rose sharply. ¡°What did you say? Joseph¡¯s been arrested?¡±

    Lilian¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. ¡°You really thought Joseph Ford was untouchable in Antis? His political backer lost the election. The moment the new prime minister took office, sheunched a joint task force with multiple agencies to take him down. He barely escaped and fled back to Jersey City, trying to drag Sean down with him. Fortunately, Sean¡¯s bodyguards stepped in. Joseph failed. He¡¯s in police custody now. He can¡¯t even save himself-do you honestly think he¡¯sing for you?¡±

    Vivian¡¯s heart lurched. When she heard that Joseph had tried to kill Sean, she blurted out without thinking, ¡°Is Sean okay? Was he hurt?¡±

    Lilian let out a coldugh. ¡°That has nothing to do with you. Right now, no one can save you. If you confess and admit you poisoned James, thew may see it as voluntary disclosure, and your sentence might be reduced. But if you wait until the police find hard evidence, you¡¯ll lose that chance.¡±

    ¡°Reduced sentence?¡± Vivian sneered. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? If I really poisoned James, do you honestly think the Jasper family would let me go? A lighter sentence? That¡¯s a joke.¡±

    Lilian¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°So you¡¯re not nning to confess.¡±

    Vivian¡¯s words were airtight. ¡°Why should I confess to something I didn¡¯t do?¡±

 His Heart 366

    ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± the prison guard announced.

    Vivian hung up the phone. The guard escorted her away.

    Just before leaving, she turned back and gave Lilian a long, meaningful smile.

    Yesterday, after Charlotte had pulled through and was out of danger, Lilian finally told Sean about James¡¯s poisoning.

    The doctors had said the poison had spread too far. James didn¡¯t have much time left. There was no point keeping him in the ICU, so they moved him to a regr room so he could spend his final days with family.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. had suffered a heart attack from the shock and copsed. She had been admitted to the hospital as well.

    Sincest night, Sean had been staying at the hospital. Aside from checking on his grandmother, he had remained by his father¡¯s bedside the entire time.

    Lilian arrived at the hospital in the afternoon, after visiting the prison and grabbing a quick lunch.

    Inside James¡¯s hospital room, she nced at Sean.

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    Sean shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡±

    ¡°You need to eat, even if you don¡¯t feel like it. You¡¯re injured too. You can¡¯t go without food.¡±

    She pulled out her phone and called Sean¡¯s assistant, Sam. ¡°Bring him lunch.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Sam had followed Sean to the hospital yesterday when Charlotte was rushed in. Later, when James was hospitalized for poisoning, Sam heard about that too. So Lilian didn¡¯t even have to tell him where to deliver the food. He already knew.

    ¡°Your grandfather will be back in Jersey City tomorrow afternoon,¡± Lilian said to Sean.

    Sean gave a quiet nod.

    James was awake. He looked gaunt and hollow, his eyes sunken, and his lips faintly tinged with gray.

    Lilian looked at him and sighed silently.

    The man who had been arguing with her justst night was now lying here on the brink of death. Life was so unpredictable.

    As the thought crossed her mind, a wave of sorrow swept through her.

    Even if there had never been love between them, they had still spent nearly thirty years together as husband and wife. That

    alone was a kind of bond.

    James didn¡¯t know that after hearing the doctor¡¯s prognosis, Lilian had stayed up the entire night. She hadin awake in bed, wiping away silent tears in the dark.

    Emotions had always beenplicated. There might not have been any love left, but when someone you had lived with for thirty years was about to die, pretending it didn¡¯t hurt would have been a lie.

    Lilian looked at James. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    James already knew how bad things were. The doctors told him he had less than a month to live.

    He replied weakly, ¡°What¡¯s the point? I¡¯m already like this. Whether I eat or not won¡¯t change anything. Either way, I¡¯m dying.

    Lilian fell silent.

    Sean added, ¡°I had someone bring lunch, but he hasn¡¯t touched a bite.¡±

    ¡°You should try to eat something,¡± Lilian said. It was all she could think to say.

    James looked at her for a moment. Then he gave a bitter, tired smile. ¡°I¡¯m dying. Are you happy now?¡±

    The words broke something inside her.

    ¡°James!¡± she suddenly shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. ¡°I¡¯m not as heartless as you think!¡±

    James stared at her for a moment and said nothing.

    Watching his parents like this, Sean felt a dull ache in his chest.

    He let out a long sigh, then turned and quietly left the room, giving them some space to be alone.

    Meanwhile, the police began investigating both the Jasper family vi and Vivian¡¯s private residence.

    They discovered several suspicious items.

 His Heart 367

    After returning to Jersey City and visiting his son in the hospital, Mr. Jasper Sr. invited two senior officers from the Jersey City Police Department, along with the lead detective on James¡¯s poisoning case, to his home that evening.

    They met in the Jasper family¡¯s formal sitting room-a quiet, elegant space reserved for serious discussions.

    The moment the three officials saw Mr. Jasper Sr., they greeted him in unison with respectful nods. ¡°Mr. Jasper Sr.¡±

    Despite his considerable influence, Mr. Jasper Sr. had never been the type to throw his weight around. He gave a small nod and gestured to the chairs. ¡°Please, have a seat.

    ¡°>

    The room was spacious, centered around a long rectangr table made of polished hardwood. A ssic porcin tea set was arranged neatly on top.

    Mr. Jasper Sr. took the seat at the head of the table, with Sean seated to his right.

    Before sitting down, the three officers turned to Sean one by one and greeted him politely. ¡°Mr. Jasper.¡±

    Sean acknowledged them politely. Only then did the three men take their seats across from Mr. Jasper Sr. and briefly introduced themselves before moving on to report thetest developments in the case.

    Mr. Jasper Sr. had already made inquiries into James¡¯s poisoning as soon as he got back to the city.

    The police had uncovered several promising leads.

    The lead officer, Joshua Taylor, a stern-faced man in his forties, spoke first. ¡°ording to Mrs. Jasper, the primary suspect is Vivian Xander. She told us that back when Vivian was still considered the Jasper family¡¯s foster daughter, she regrly prepared soup for Mr. James Jasper every few days. Mr. James also had a strict morning routine. He never skipped his ck coffee. So, weunched our investigation focusing on both the soup and the coffee. And we did find some clues.¡±

    Joshua handed two reports to Mr. Jasper Sr.

    ¡°These are theb reports for Mr. James¡¯s usual coffee mug and the ceramic pot used for the soup.¡±

    Mr. Jasper Sr. furrowed his brows as he flipped through the documents.

    Sensing that the technicalnguage might be difficult to follow, Joshua exined in simpler terms. ¡°The toxic substance found in the ceramic pot matches the one found in Mr. James¡¯s system. So we can preliminarily conclude that the soup had been

    poisoned.

    ¡°The ceramic material is porous, so when the soup is boiled at high temperatures, the toxins can seep into the pot and remain even after washing. In contrast, the coffee is served cold, and the mug is made of ss, which doesn¡¯t retain toxins the same way. After cleaning, no residue remained in the mug, so the coffee cup tested clean.

    ¡°Additionally, ording to the house staff, it was always Vivian who made Mr. James¡¯s morning coffee by hand.¡±

    The more Mr. Jasper Sr. heard, the deeper his frown became. ¡°What does Vivian have to say for herself?¡±

    Joshua replied, ¡°The suspect is currently in prison. We¡¯ve questioned her, but she¡¯s remainedpletely silent.¡±

    He continued, ¡°Mrs. Jasper also mentioned that another detainee, Joseph Ford, might be directly connected to this case. We questioned him as well, but he didn¡¯t say a word either.¡±

    ¡°Have you reviewed the surveince footage at the house?¡± Mr. Jasper Sr. asked.

    ¡°We have. Nothing unusual turned up. The kitchen footage shows Vivian making soup, but she had her back to the camera, so we can¡¯t confirm if she tampered with it. As for the coffee machine area, there¡¯s no suspicious activity. If she really did poison the coffee, it likely happened after it was made. She could have moved into a blind spot and added the toxin there.

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡­¡± Joshua hesitated, ncing cautiously at Mr. Jasper Sr.

    Mr. Jasper Sr. lifted his eyes. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Joshua hesitated, then said, ¡°When we asked Mrs. Jasper about Vivian and Joseph¡¯s motives for murder, she t ask you. She said it wasn¡¯t her ce to say.¡±

 His Heart 368

    hapter <b>368 </b>

    Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s gaze was heavy with emotion.

    After a long silence, he finally began to speak. He gave <b>the </b>three officers a concise but pointed ount of the long¨CsCtanding feud between James and Joseph, as well as Joseph¡¯s mother.

    The officers were seasoned professionals. They had heard their share of scandals involving wealthy families. Still<b>, </b>hearing Mr. Jasper Sr. speak so openly about such personal family matters caught them slightly off guard.

    The surprise didn¡¯tst long. They quicklyposed themselves, stened attentively, and took notes as needed.

    When he finished, Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s voice turned grave. ¡°I agree with Lilian. We both believe Vivian is the prime suspect.¡±

    The officers nodded.

    Joshua responded respectfully, ¡°We¡¯ll do everything we can to get to the bottom of this.¡±

    Thinking of his son<b>, </b>now lying in a hospital bed with only days left to live, Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s eyes dimmed. His voice<b>, </b>usually firm andmanding, was filled with exhaustion and sorrow. ¡°Thank you. Please¡­ find the truth as soon as possible.¡±

    At the very least, his son deserved to know who was behind it all before he died. He couldn¡¯t leave this world with unanswered questions.

    The men nodded solemnly and replied in unison, ¡°Understood.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice cut in, cold and unwavering. ¡°I¡¯ll assign people to assist with the investigation.¡±

    Charlotte remained in the ICU for three days.

    On the fourth day, the doctor finally gave the go¨Cahead for visitors. Visiting hours were limited to 2:30 to 3:00 p.m., just thirty minutes a day.

    Sean had nned to be the first to visit her. But Desmond stood firmly in his

    way.

    Sean didn¡¯t argue.

    After all, Charlotte had nearly died again. If he were in her father¡¯s position, he wouldn¡¯t let the man who had hurt here anywhere near her either.

    Sean understood. But that didn¡¯t stop the ache in his chest.

    These past few days hadpletely drained him.

    Right after rescuing Charlotte from the brink of death<b>, </b>his father ended up in the hospital too.

    It was all because of Joseph. He had thrown their lives into chaos and turned the entire Jasper family upside down.

    After a few brief words with Desmond, Sean turned and walked away.

    He hadn¡¯t even reached James¡¯s hospital room when he heard shouting from down the hallway.

    It was Lilian¡¯s voice<b>. </b>She was arguing with someone.

    Sean quickened his pace, rounded the corner, and arrived at the door.

    <b>From </b>afar, he had only heard Lilian. But now, up close, he could hear both voices clearly. Even James¡¯s weak and broken tone reached his ears.

    James rasped, ¡°Why are you stopping me? What¡¯s the point of living like this? I might as well just die and <b>get </b>it over with. I¡¯m going to die anyway.¡±

    Lilian¡¯s voice cracked as <b>she </b>cried, ¡°Have you thought about your parents? About Sean? How are they supposed to handle losing you like this?¡±

    James¡¯s voice rose, hoarse and sharp, ¡°What difference does it make? The doctor already said I¡¯ve got, what¨Ca month left at most? Whether I die now <b>or </bter, it doesn¡¯t matter!¡±

    ¡°A month is still time!¡± Lilian sobbed. ¡°Even one more day is worth living!¡±

    James broke down<b>, </b>his voice choked with tears. ¡°You think I want to live like this? Waking up in agony every night<b>, </b>pumped full of painkillers just to get through the day. My hair¡¯s falling out in clumps, I can¡¯t eat anything, and every time I open my eyes, I¡¯m just counting down the days. <b>I </b>can¡¯t do this anymore. I¡¯d rather die than keep living like this.¡±

 His Heart 369

    Sean stood outside the hospital room, listening quietly for a while in the end, he didn¡¯t go in. The sky was heavy with clouds. A light rain had begun to fall¨Csoft, steady, and unrelenting.

    He walked to the hospital entrance and looked up at the dull, oppressive sky, his thoughts drifting.

    Maybe there really was no future left for him and Charlotte.

    His father, James, was only fifty¨Ctwo and already at death¡¯s door.

    Sean had been five when the scandal about James¡¯s illegitimate child broke. His mother had tried to divorce James, but under pressure from both families, the marriage was never dissolved.

    By then, Sean was old enough to remember everything.

    Those painful memories had taken root deep inside him.

    He could still recall the way his mother wept alone behind closed doors, every bitter fight between his parents, and the cold disdain in James¡¯s eyes.

    He had always known James didn¡¯t love his mother. He didn¡¯t love him either.

    Sean had grown up without knowing what a father¡¯s love felt like.

    Their rtionship had always been distant.

    He used to think that when James died, he wouldn¡¯t feel a thing.

    But now that the moment hade, he realized he couldn¡¯t feel nothing.

    Not far away, a middle¨Caged man hurried toward the hospital entrance, holding a small boy in one arm and a ck umbre in

    the other.

    He passed right by Sean.

    As they reached the door, the man closed the umbre and gently murmured to the boy in his arms, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, baby. Daddy¡¯s taking you to the doctor. It¡¯ll stop hurting soon.¡±

    Sean¡¯s chest tightened.

    His eyes stayed glued to the scene.

    The little boy looked no more than one or two years old.

    The man wore a navy¨Cblue work uniform from a local factory. Its name was stitched above his chest.

    Sean noticed the man¡¯s hands¨Crough and calloused, dark from years ofbor.

    Yet when he held the boy, his movements were careful, his embrace tender. The quiet, raw affection in his eyes was unmistakable.

    Worry lined the man¡¯s weathered face.

    Sean had almost never seen that kind of expression on James¡¯s face.

    No, he had seen it once.

    It was the day James brought Joseph back to the Antisnd begged their grandparents to let Joseph take the family name.

    Their grandparents refused. They wouldn¡¯t even let them in the door.

    James had knelt outside the gates with Joseph in his arms and refused to leave.

    The weather had been exactly like today..

    Overcast. Suffocating.

    And then it started to rain.

    James had taken off his coat and ced it over Joseph¡¯s head, trying to shield him from the wind and rain.

    But Joseph still caught a chill and came down with a fever.

    The frantic look on James¡¯s face that day was exactly the same as the one Sean had just seen in that father¡¯s eyes.

    Sean watched silently, a dull ache spreading through his chest.

    The man disappeared into the building, still holding his child.

    Sean turned back to the rain, his gazending on the hazy curtain falling before him.

    A group of young women stood nearby, sneaking nces his way, cheeks flushed, whispering to one another.

    Sean ignored them all.

    He stepped forward and walked straight into the downpour.

    Late at night, Sean arrived at his privatepound.

    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve found Joseph¡¯s mother¡¯s gravesite,¡± Luke said quietly as he stood before Sean. ¡°It¡¯s in a remote vige near Leo City, in Antis. Joseph had a private memorial garden built there just for her.¡±

    He handed over a thick folder. ¡°That vige was where Joseph and his mother first settled when they arrived in Antis. They lived there for five years, and she passed away during that time.¡±

    Sean opened the folder.

    Inside were several photos of a small wooden cabin they had lived <b>in</b><b>, </b>along with old pictures of Joseph and his mother together.

    ¡°That cabin was their home,¡± Luke went on. ¡°Joseph has been paying someone to maintain it ever since. ording to the caretaker, the local custom there is cremation rather than burial. After she died, the vigers cremated her body. Joseph collected some of her ashes and created a small shrine in her memory. At the time, he couldn¡¯t afford a proper burial site, so he set up a symbolic graveter on. It holds only her clothing and a few personal items.¡±

    Luke paused, then added, ¡°He¡¯s been to many ces over the years, but he always kept her ashes in that cabin. He even assigned someone to guard the ce. Every year, on her birthday and the anniversary of her death, he returns to pay his respects.¡±

    ¡°Did you dig up the grave?¡± Sean asked, his tone as casual as if he were asking what someone had for lunch. But a closer look revealed the cold, steely glint in his eyes.

    Luke replied, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s definitely just a symbolic grave. There were no remains buried there.¡±

    ¡°What about the ashes?¡± Sean asked, his expression unreadable.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already retrieved them.¡±

    He gave a signal. One of his men left the room and came back momentster<b>, </b>carrying a ck ceramic urn in both hands.

    Luke took the urn from him carefully and ced it on the table in front of Sean. ¡°Sir, these are her ashes.¡±

    Sean stared at the urn, his gaze deep and bottomless.

    Twenty years ago, this woman had arrived at the Jasper estate carrying an illegitimate child, trying to force his mother out of the house. Even though his mother had just given birth and was still recovering.

    The emotional strain had driven his mother to the bunk, nearly causing her to jump from the balcony in a bout of postpartum depression.

    The entire household had been thrown into chaos because of her.

    Now, two decadester, her son had turned the Jasper family upside down all over again.

    Everything Joseph had done to the Rileys and the Jaspers was driven by revenge¨Ca twisted attempt to get justice for his mother.

    But if he was so devoted to her memory, what would happen if someone desecrated her grave? What would he do if he had to watch her ashes scattered right in front of him?

    He had nearly killed Charlotte, and orchestrated the poisoning that left James on his deathbed.

    So what would be so wrong about returning the favor?

    A cold, sharp smile tugged at Sean¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I want to see Joseph Ford.¡±

    After checking in and getting the necessary clearances, Sean was led to the detention facility.

    Joseph was currently in custody, awaiting trial. His case wasplicated. Besides attempted murder, it involved several major criminal charges.

    The Jaspers had applied heavy pressure, demanding a full investigation and harsh sentencing.

    Inside a dimly lit interrogation room, a single bulb flickered overhead.

    Joseph sat across from Sean, shackled at the wrists and ankles.

 His Heart 370

    The overhead light cast a harsh glow on the room.

    Across the table, Joseph stared coldly at Sean. ¡°What a surprise. What¡¯s someone like you doing in a ce like this?¡±

    His head and arm were still wrapped in gauze. The day he tried to kill Sean, determined to drag him down in a mutual death, Joseph had been seriously injured.

    From the moment a traitor on Sean¡¯s side tipped him off, he already knew his downfall was inevitable.

    Saithorn¡¯s term was ending, and public resentment had been building for years. Politically, there was almost no chance he would be reelected. Once Enza took over, she would no doubt join forces with others to crush himpletely.

    So Joseph began nning his escape. He faked his death and slipped into Jersey City, hoping to take Sean down with him in one final act.

    John had tried to talk him out of it, telling him to stay alive, change his name, and quietly live out the rest of his life.

    Joseph only sneered in response. ¡°Me? Hide out like a coward? Please.¡±

    He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing with a cold gleam. ¡°If Sean wants me dead, then I¡¯ll make sure he goes down with me.¡±

    The truth was, Joseph¡¯s empire had grown at lightning speed thanks to the powerful support of Saithorn.

    With that kind of backing, he had been able to operate freely in the shadows, running all sorts of illegal businesses. Crime had be a part of his daily routine. As they used to say, the most profitable ventures were the ones written right into the criminal code and Joseph made the most of it.

    Before Saithorn¡¯s fall, Sean¡¯s every move against Joseph had been blocked. No matter how much influence Sean had back in Jersey City, he couldn¡¯t afford to go head¨Cto¨Chead with the Prime Minister of Antis. Assassinating Saithorn had been

    unthinkable.

    But Sean had already startedying the groundwork the year Joseph returned to Jersey City. Quietly, behind the scenes, he had

    helped Enza rise to power.

    When Joseph found out, he lost control and ordered a public assassination attempt on Sean right in Antis.

    Joseph sneered, his eyes gleaming. ¡°Let me guess. James is sick, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t flinch. His eyes locked on Joseph¡¯s<b>, </b>cold and razor sharp. ¡°You were the one who told Vivian to poison him.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a question. It was a statement.

    Joseph raised an eyebrow and gave azy smirk. ¡°Was I? I don¡¯t really remember.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t react. Calmly, he pulled a photo from a folder and slid it across the table. ¡°Do you remember this ce?¡±

    Joseph¡¯s smile disappeared the moment he saw the image. His expression darkened, fury rising in his throat. ¡°Sean Jasper.¡±

    Sean leaned back, unmoved. ¡°Right here,¡±

    Joseph¡¯s voice cracked with rage. ¡°What did you do to my mother¡¯s grave?¡±

    Sean¡¯s lips curled into a faint smirk. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have a heart. Turns out you actually care about something.¡±

    ¡°Answer me! What did you do to her grave?¡± Joseph was already shaking with fury, his eyes bloodshot, veins bulging at his temples.

    Sean¡¯s voice stayed t<b>, </b>almost detached. ¡°Nothing much. The weather was nice, so I brought your mother out to enjoy the

    sun.<b>¡± </b>

    He looked him straight in the eye. ¡°That big memorial garden? I really thought she was buried there. Turns out it was all for

    show.¡±

    His tone was light and casual, like he was just talking about dinner,

    Joseph exploded in a fit of rage.

    He lunged at Sean, but the guards on either side grabbed him just in time, holding him back.

    ¡°Sean Jasper! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± he roared, eyes bloodshot and wild.

    Sean pped his handszily. A momentter, Luke walked in, carrying a familiar ck urn.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Luke said quietly, handing it over.

    Sean gave a slight nod.

    The moment Joseph saw the urn, hepletely lost control.

    He screamed, voice cracking, eyes burning with hate as he thrashed against the guards, like he wanted to tear Sean apart with his bare hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance,¡± Sean said calmly, lounging in his chair across from Joseph. One leg crossed over the other, his tone casual but cold.

    ¡°Tell me the truth about what happened to James, and I¡¯ll let your mother¡¯s ashes stay in one piece.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Joseph howled, still struggling violently.

    Sean stood slowly, brushing off his jacket, then suddenly kicked Joseph hard in the stomach.

    Even with strong abs, Joseph staggered from the blow. Sean had used nearly all his strength. He didn¡¯t cry out, but his face twisted in pain, and his brow tightened.

    ¡°Ready to talk now?¡± Sean¡¯s voice was low and sharp, the patience draining from his expression.

    After a long silence, Joseph finally looked up and spoke through clenched teeth. ¡°Yes. I ordered Vivian to poison James.

    ¡°Vivian didn¡¯t want to do it at first,¡± he added with a sneer. ¡°She said she¡¯d only go through with it if I helped her get rid of Charlotte.¡±

    Sean froze. His face went pale.

    So it wasn¡¯t just revenge. It had been a deal. Vivian had tried to kill Charlotte as part of a bargain with Joseph.

    Joseph noticed the shift in Sean¡¯s expression and let out <b>a </b>cold and bitterugh.

    ¡°Hurts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he sneered. ¡°That precious little sister you¡¯ve protected since childhood? She had disgusting thoughts about you, and she wanted your woman dead. Pathetic.¡±

    Sean lowered his eyes, shadows flickering behind hisshes.

    Then, after a long pause, he looked up again and met Joseph¡¯s gaze. His voice turned ice cold.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    He gave Luke a subtle signal.

    Luke nodded and hurled the urn to the floor.

    ¡°No!¡± Joseph screamed, his voice hoarse and raw as the ceramic shattered on the ground.

    face twisted in agony.

    ifold below him. For the first time, he felt a sliver of

    ot into a trash bin.

 His Heart 371

    The two prison guards heard Joseph confess with their own ears that he had ordered Vivian to poison James.

    And the entire conversation between Sean and Joseph had taken ce under police surveince. As a detainee, Joseph¡¯s admission was considered a formal confession under criminalw. With that in hand<b>, </b>the investigation became significantly

    easier.

    Sean also assigned people to assist the authorities. Soon, the police uncovered that a maid at the Jasper estate had once witnessed Vivian putting something into James¡¯s soup. At the time the maid didn¡¯t say anything. She figured it was best not to get involved.

    Now that everything hade to light, and with Vivian already cut off from the Jasper family, she didn¡¯t bother hiding anything when questioned. She told the police everything, down to thest detail.

    When the news reached Mrs. Jasper Sr., she was devastated. She pounded her chest and cried out in grief.

    ¡°This is sin! Pure sin! I thought she was just misled and just confused for a moment. I thought she still had a good heart. I never imagined she¡¯d poison her own foster father!¡±

    Tears ran down her wrinkled cheeks.

    ¡°How could she do something so vicious?¡± she wailed.

    Lilian, seated beside the hospital bed, looked unimpressed. ¡°I told you long ago Vivian wasn¡¯t as innocent as she seemed. But you never listened.¡±

    Back when Vivian used to whisper nasty things about Charlotte into Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s ear every chance she got, Lilian had warned her that Vivian was up to no good. But Mrs. Jasper Sr. refused to hear a word against her beloved granddaughter.

    The truth was, Mrs. Jasper Sr. had never liked Lilian as a daughter¨Cinw.

    Mother¨Cinw drama wasn¡¯t exclusive to ordinary families. Wealthy ones had it too.

    Years ago, when James cheated, Mrs. Jasper Sr. despised the mistress, but that didn¡¯t stop her from ming Lilian for not being able to ¡°manage her husband.¡±

    In her eyes, Joseph¡¯s mother was morally corrupt and a homewrecker. But Lilian was just as useless for letting it happen. As far as she was concerned, men would always stray. James had simply done what all men do.

    When Fiona showed up pregnant and tried to force her way into the family, Lilian nearly jumped off a balcony. To Mrs. Jasper Sr., that wasn¡¯t strength. It was pathetic. A real Jasper woman should have handled it with dignity and strategy, not tears and

    suicide threats.

    She looked down on Lilian and she loathed Fiona even more.

    Lilian had always sensed her mother¨Cinw¡¯s contempt. For years, they had kept up appearances<b>, </b>maintaining a polite distance, nothing more.

    Now that Mrs. Jasper Sr. hadnded in the hospital again with another heart attack, Lilian came by every few days to keep up the act. On the surface, she was dutiful. In truth, she couldn¡¯t care less

    She would only get to enjoy a quiet<b>, </b>easy life once Mrs. Jasper Sr. was dead.

    It wasn¡¯t cruelty. It was just human nature.

    So when it came time to break the news about Vivian poisoning James, Lilian was the one who told her.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. burst into tears, shouting every curse she knew. Once she had cried herself out, she turned her anger back on Lilian.

    ¡°Look at what your daughter turned out to be!¡± she snapped, face contorted in rage. ¡°Is this how you raised her?¡±

    Lilianughed. ¡°Wow. You really are good at shiftin Wasn¡¯t she your precious little granddaughter?¡±

    ame. Didn Vivian spend more time with you than she ever did with me?

    At this point, Lilian wasn¡¯t about to pretend anymore. She met her mother¨Cinw¡¯s re head¨Con.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m the one who raised her to be like this?¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. was furious.

    ¡°Oh please,¡± Lilian said with a cold smile. ¡°You¡¯re so good at raising kids. First James, then Vivian¨Ceach one more impressive

    than thest.¡±

    ¤Þ

    X

 His Heart 372

    Chapter <b>372 </b>

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. nearly choked on her anger.

    Just then<b>, </b>there was a knock at the door.

    It was mealtime. Most likely the housekeeper hade to deliver bod.

    Lilian smoothed her expression. ¡°Come in.¡°.

    The housekeeper walked in with a thermal container<b>, </b>set up the tray table, and began unpacking the food. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I made homemade chicken soup¨Cslow¨Csimmered for five hours. Please give it a try¡­¡±

    ¡°Take it away! I¡¯m not eating that!¡± Mrs. Jasper Sr. snapped.

    The words were aimed at the housekeeper, but her furious re was fixed entirely on Lilian.

    Lilian smirked, picked up her purse, and walked out.

    Meanwhile, Scott arrived at the hospital with Tiana to visit Charlotte<b>. </b>

    As they pushed open the door to her room<b>, </b>they found the ce buzzing withughter.

    Lena and Mia had just arrived minutes earlier.

    Mia was yfully holding up a Herm¨¨s handbag. ¡°Babe, I flew all the way to Frangelia for this. You can¡¯t even buy it here yet. A designer bag cures everything. Take it, and you¡¯ll be back on your feet in no time.¡±

    Lena stood nearby, holding a Cartier box. ¡°Lottie, I got you a bracelet.¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°You girls really didn¡¯t have to. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a holiday.¡±

    ¡°We just want you back on your feet so you cane party with us<b>, </b>Mia grinned. ¡°Without you, even the male escorts I book feel boring.¡±

    At that, Ian¡¯s face darkened. He gave Mia a light tap on the back of her head. ¡°You¡¯re still booking male escorts?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Ow, ow, ow!¡± Mia rubbed the back of her head and shot him a mock re. ¡°I was joking! Just trying to lighten the mood. Why are you so serious?¡±

    ¡°And why do your jokes always push my buttons?¡±

    Charlotteughed softly, then caught sight of Scott and Tiana at the door. Her voice softened. ¡°Hi, Mr. Lucas. Hi Tiana.¡±

    Scott led Tiana over.

    Tiana held out a bouquet of fresh flowers. ¡°Miss Riley, I hope you get better soon.¡±

    Charlotte smiled warmly, took the flowers, and gently patted her head. ¡°Thank you<b>, </b>Tiana.¡±

    ¡°This is <b>for </b>you,¡± Scott said, holding something out to Charlotte.

    In his palm was a small yellow item¨Ctriangr and neatly folded

    It looked like a good luck charm.

    ¡°I picked it up at Sunrise Chapel,¡± Scott said casually.

    ¡°Sunrise Chapel?¡± Lena nced at it, looking surprised. ¡°My mom went therest month and got the exact same one.¡±

    Scott¡¯s lips pressed into <b>a </b>faint line. He didn¡¯t reply.

    Lena raised an eyebrow. ¡°Those aren¡¯t easy to get. My mom said you have to climb a long stairway at night, kneel along the way, and wait in silence at the altar until sunrise. Only then will the priest hand one out.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t believe Scott would go that far just to get a charm for Charlotte.

    Even as the president of the Sean¨Cand¨CCharlotte fan club, Lena couldn¡¯t help feeling a little shaken.

    Charlotte heard her words and looked up at Scott.

    He still looked as calm and refined as ever. Behind those gold¨Crimmed sses, his eyes held an emotion she couldn¡¯t quite read.

    He said he only saw her as a friend.

    If that were true, would he have gone this far?

    Scott didn¡¯t say a word. He simply met Charlotte¡¯s gaze in silence.

 His Heart 373

    Just then, Xena walked in carrying a thermal container.

    Her eyesnded on the charm in Scott¡¯s hand, and she froze.

    She recognized it instantly.

    It was the kind of charm you could only get by kneeling step by step all the way up Sunrise Chapel.

    Years ago, when Charlotte¡¯s mother Sue had fallen seriously ill, Desmond had made that exact pilgrimage to pray for her and brought back the same kind of charm.

    But in the end, Sue hadn¡¯t made it.

    The memory made Xena¡¯sshes tremble. Her chest tightened with a wave of sadness.

    ¡°Scott,¡± she called softly, her expression uncertain. ¡°Did you get that charm yourself?¡±

    She stared at it, dazed, as if she could see the past through it.

    Scott kept his eyes on Charlotte and simply said, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Xena was clearly surprised.

    It took her a moment to collect herself. When she looked at Scott again, her gaze had noticeably deepened.

    He had visited the Riley estate a few times with Tiana, so she was familiar with him.

    Even back then, Xena had sensed something unusual.

    There was always something different in the way Scott looked at Charlotte.

    But Charlotte had told her they were just friends, so she hadn¡¯t pried.

    Now, looking at that charm, there was no doubt left in her mind.

    Scott¡¯s feelings for Charlotte went far beyond friendship. It was love¡ªdeep and sincere.

    And no matter how you looked at it, it was a heartfelt gesture.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t turn him down.

    She epted the charm, then quickly looked away to avoid his eyes. In a soft voice, she said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lena and Mia exchanged nces.

    Their expressions were hard to read.

    Even Mia, who usually loved to joke around, stayed silent.

    She had often said Scott and Charlotte made a great match.

    But now wasn¡¯t the time for jokes.

    Charlotte had juste back from the brink of death.

    Things between her and Sean really did seem over this time.

    As Charlotte¡¯s best friend for years, Mia could tell that Charlotte hadn¡¯t fully let go of Sean.

    Now that things hade to this, it must be tearing her up inside.

    Life really knew how to mess with people.

    Mia and tena both let out quiet sighs in their hearts.

    About ten days passed.

    James¡¯s condition was visibly deteriorating. He looked worse by the day. Ills hair had nearly all fallen out, and he was so thin he looked like nothing but skin and bones.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr., already elderly, had taken the blow hard. The grief weighed heavily on her, and coupled with her existing heart condition, she seemed to have aged years in just a couple of weeks.

    She was barely holding on. The day James died would likely be the day she went too.

    The whole Jasper household felt suffocating, like a storm cloud had settled over it. The air was heavy with dread.

    The housekeepers and staff moved quietly, terrified that one wrong word or step might cost them their jobs.

    Mr. Jasper Sr. had returned from the capital and stayed in Jersey City for just three days before heading back.

    The very next day, he flew overseas for a scheduled diplomatic visil

    The trip had been arranged months in advance. It wasn¡¯t something that could be canceled or reassigned. In his position, he had

    no choice.

    Even though his wife and son were both on the brink of death, Mr. Jasper Sr. couldn¡¯t afford to stay by their side.

    At the hospital, the housekeeperid out lunch¡ªa nd, light meal meant to be easy on the stomach.

    But James didn¡¯t touch it. He knew his body best. He was beyond saving.

    Across the room<b>, </b>Sean stood by the window with his back to them, on the phone.

    It was another call from the police.

    Joseph gave a full confession. He admitted that he had ordered Vivian to poison James.

    With Sean¡¯s help during the investigation<b>, </b>the case progressed quickly.

    The evidence was solid, and the police have now handed everything over to the prosecutor¡¯s office to press charges.

 His Heart 374

    The facts of the poisoning case were clear, and the evidence was solid and overwhelming. Joseph was charged as the instigator, while Vivian was named the direct perpetrator. The prosecutor¡¯s office officially filed murder charges against both of them.

    At the same time, Sean submitted additional evidence of Joseph¡¯s other crimes. The charges included kidnapping<b>, </b>illegal firearm possession, and running a criminal organization. These offenses, allmitted in Jersey City, would be prosecuted together.

    When the prosecution filed charges, their sentencing rmendation was immediate execution.

    Sean ended the call and turned around.

    The lunch tray in front of James remained untouched.

    ¡°Was that about the charges against Joseph and Vivian?¡± James asked weakly.

    Sean gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable.

    ¡°What did the police say?¡±

    ¡°The poisoning was ssified as attempted murder,¡± Sean replied evenly. ¡°On top of that, Joseph is also being charged with kidnapping, operating a criminal syndicate, and several weapons vtions. The prosecutor has rmended the death penalty. As for Vivian, she¡¯ll face life in prison, since her attempted murder charge will be added to her previous sentence.¡±

    James lowered his gaze and said nothing.

    Sean nced at him briefly, his expression cold, but didn¡¯t speak.

    After a long silence, James finally said, hesitantly, ¡°I want to see Joseph.¡±

    Sean¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His eyes darkened instantly.

    Even after everything Joseph had done to him, James still wanted to see him? Was that how deep his feelings ran for ar illegitimate son?

    Sean¡¯s expression stayed cold. A flicker of bitterness shed in his eyes.

    In that moment, he wanted to ask, ¡°All these years, have you ever once cared about me? Have you ever loved me at all?¡±

    But he didn¡¯t say any of it.

    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± he said tly. Then he turned to leave.

    Behind him, James called out suddenly, ¡°Sean, I¡¯m begging you. Let me see him. Just once!¡±

    Sean froze in ce.

    His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched tightly into fists.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± James choked out. ¡°I failed you and your mother. I know that now.¡±

    His voice broke, thick with tears. Sean could feel the pressure building in his chest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left,¡± James said hoarsely. ¡°Maybe this is my punishment but before I die, there are things I need to say to Joseph. Please¡ªjust once.¡±

    Sean stood at the door, his back still turned. His eyes were cold as ice, burning with silent fury.

    ¡°In your next life,¡± he said quietly. His voice was deadly calm.

    That afternoon, Charlotte had just finished lunch and was chatting in her hospital room with Lena and Mia.

    Suddenly, there was amotion outside.

    Screams rang out in the hallway.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on out there?¡± Mia frowned.

    Charlotte looked toward the door. ¡°Sounds serious. Something must¡¯ve happened.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check,¡± Mia said as she stood up. ¡°Lena, stay here with Charlotte.¡±

    Lena nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±

    Mia left the room, but Charlotte felt a growing sense of uncase. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something terrible had just happened.

    A momentter, the door burst open with a loud bang.

    Mia rushed back inside, panting hard. Her face was ghostly pale, eyes wide with panic. Her lips trembled, but no words came out.

    Seeing how shaken she was, Charlotte and Lena exchanged a worried nce. Both their faces went tense.

    Charlotte spoke first. ¡°What happened?¡±

 His Heart 375

    ¡°pined. ¡°Mia¡¯s lip trenira uncontrobly

    s? stammered, unable to get out a full sentence. ¡°There was strechy blood¡­ someone amped suleids

    Someone had jumped?

    Charlotte was stunned.

    ¡°Mia!¡± Just then,n burst into the room and scooped her up in his arms,

    His face was full of worry as he gentlyforted her, voice low and soothing. ¡°Mia, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here. You¡¯re safe¡­ don¡¯t be scared¡­¡±

    Mia was shaking all over. Her hands clung tightly ton¡¯s cor, her pale face streaked with tears. She had clearly been frightened to the point of sobbing.

    Charlotte felt a rush of guilt. If she had known this would happen, she never would have let Mia go out and see for herself.

    Judging by her reaction, she must have witnessed the aftermath with her own eyes. It would be a traumatic image burned into her mind.

    Jan held Mia and continued to calm her down before finally turning to Charlotte.

    What surprised Charlotte was that Ian looked just as shaken.

    He took a deep breath, then slowly said, ¡°James jumped¡­ he killed himself. And Mrs. Jasper Sr¡­. she went into cardiac arrest and passed away on the spot.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes flew wide open.

    Sean had just returned to the Jasper estate when he received the news of James¡¯s suicide.

    It happened not long after Sean had denied his request to see Joseph.

    James jumped from the hospital building.

    Mrs. Jasper Sr. had been staying in the same hospital. There was no way to keep the news from her. The shock hit her hard, and her already fragile heart gave out. The doctors couldn¡¯t save her.

    Everything had happened so suddenly. And yet, somehow, it didn¡¯t feel surprising at all.

    After hanging up, Sean stood alone in the courtyard. The night was still. He didn¡¯t move for a long time.

    In just one day, two members of the Jasper family were gone. The news left many speechless.

    Sean immediately ordered the news of James¡¯s suicide to be suppressed.

    By the time James jumped, he had wasted away to skin and bones. His hair had nearly all fallen out. He looked nothing like his former self. Even the few people who did catch a glimpse didn¡¯t recognize him.

    As for Mrs. Jasper Sr., her death from cardiac arrest wasn¡¯t made public either.

    That was Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s decision.

    Someone had just jumped at the hospital. If they immediately announced Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s death too, it would only draw suspicion.

    When Mr. Jasper Sr. received the news of his wife and son¡¯s passing, he was still overseas. There was no way for him to return

    quickly.

    After the call with Sean, he sat motionless on the couch all night,pletely shattered, his eyes never closing.

    Per his instructions, the funerals for James and Mrs. Jasper St. wold be held once he returned. For now, their bodies would remain in the hospital morgue.

    Late that night, long after the hospital quieted down, Charlottey in bed wide awake.

    Everything that had happened today was too much to process.

    She had known Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s heart was fragile. At her age and in poor health<b>, </b>a sudden cardiac event wasn¡¯t unexpected.

    But James?

    Why would he suddenly take his own life?

    Did it have something to do with Joseph?

    In recent days, Desmond had barred Sean from seeing her. And the friends who came to visit never brought up anything about Sean or the Jasper family.

    Charlotte had no idea James had been poisoned.

    Sean, for his part, had been busy helping the police with the investigation and gathering more evidence on Joseph. It had been a long time since hest reached out.

 His Heart 376

    Charlotte tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. After wrestling with herself for a long time, she finally picked up her phone and sent a message to Sean.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±

    A long time passed without a reply.

    She didn¡¯t know if he had fallen asleep or was still busy dealing with everything at home.

    Charlotte sighed, her chest tight with unease.

    She didn¡¯t want to admit it out loud, but deep down, she knew that she still hadn¡¯t truly let <b>go </b>of Sean.

    And now, with everything that had happened to the Jasper family, she couldn¡¯t help but worry about him.

    He must be heartbroken.

    It wasn¡¯t until the sky began to brighten that Charlotte finally felt sleepy. Just as she was drifting off, her phone screen lit up.

    It was a reply from Sean.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Get some rest.¡±

    Charlotte stared at the message. The words didn¡¯t ease her worry.

    How could he be fine?

    He had just lost both his father and his grandmother.

    She wanted to say something tofort him. She rubbed her eyes and forced herself to stay awake. She started typing. Then deleted it. Typed again. Deleted again, one word at a time.

    In the end, she said nothing at all.

    Because no words could make any of this better.

    Sleep finally overtook her. Phone still in hand, she fell into a deep sleep.

    And she dreamed.

    In the dream, a little boy stood in the distance, watching as his father held another child in his arms. His eyes were filled with sadness and longing.

    Charlotte walked closer and was stunned to see that the boy¡¯s eyes looked exactly like Sean¡¯s.

    ¡°Sean¡­<b>¡± </b>she murmured.

    The boy lowered his head, lookingpletely heartbroken. In a soft voice, he said, ¡°I¡¯m his son too¡­¡±

    A sharp ache spread through her chest.

    She reached out and gently patted the boy¡¯s head. Her voice was warm and soothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. One day<b>, </b>you¡¯ll meet someone who will love you deeply someone who¡¯ll be

    your salvation.¡±

    The boy looked up at her. <b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>that person you?¡± he asked.

    Charlotte felt a dull, crushing pain in her chest. It was hard to breathe.

    Suddenly, the scene shifted.

    There was thunder and rain, the storm raging all around.

    A man stood in the downpour, alone and deste.

    <b>11 </b>was Sean. He was an adult now.

    Charlotte walked closer and saw that his eyes were red. His face was filled with sorrow.

    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± she heard him whisper.

    Then he said something else, a quiet sentence that carried a heavy sense of regret.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be another chance in this lifetime.¡±

    Charlotte immediately understood what he meant.

    He would never again have the chance to feel his father¡¯s love.

    She wanted to say something, but no words came out.

    Sean stood there in the rain,pletely still. He looked like a statue, cold and unmoving.

    ¡°Sean¡­<i>¡± </i>Charlotte murmured, and suddenly woke with a start.

    The pain in her chest lingered, raw and real.

    Sunlight filtered through the crack in the curtains. A new day had begun.

    $

    Three days after James¡¯s suicide, Charlotte finally saw Sean.

    It was a stormy night

    Lightning lit up the sky. Thunder crashed. The wind howled, and rain came pouring down in sheets.

    Outside, tree shadows twisted and swayed, wing at the windows like ghostly monsters.

    Charlotte slipped out of bed and walked to the window in her slippers, nning to close the curtains.

    But just then, she saw someone standing outside in the rain.

    She recognized the figure instantly.

    <b>It </b>was Sean.

    The scene looked exactly like the one from her dream<b>. </b>

    Her hand paused in mid¨Cair.

    She stood there for a moment, quietly watching the man in the storm.

    <b>At </bst, she let out a soft sigh, turned around, opened the door to her hospital room, and made her way dow.airs.

 His Heart 377

    Sean,¡± Charlotte called out softly, her voice barely louder than a whisper. The sound was instantly swallowed by the roar of the

    rain.

    But somehow, as if he could feel it, he heard her.

    He turned around, and through the sheets of rain, their eyes met.

    She stood under the covered walkway. He stood out in the storm.

    The rain was so heavy that she couldn¡¯t see his face clearly.

    Charlotte opened her umbre and stepped forward.

    But before she could take more than a few steps, Sean was already striding toward her. He moved fast, quickly closing the distance between them.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t healed yet. Don¡¯t stand in the rain,¡± he said, his voice hoarse.

    He gently took her free hand¨Cthe one not holding the umbre and guided her back under the shelter.

    His hand was ice cold.

    Charlotte shivered slightly at the touch.

    Sean felt it and immediately let go. ¡°It¡¯s chilly tonight, and it¡¯s raining hard. You should go back inside.¡±

    Charlotte felt her breath catch.

    They said it was hard to hide a cold, and just as hard to hide genuine affection. Even in the midst of his grief, he had still instinctively worried about her.

    Her emotions tangled inside her, bittersweet and heavy.

    Only one dim light glowed along the walkway. The shadows were soft. The air was still.

    Charlotte closed her umbre and gently leaned it against the stone pir.

    ¡°You¡­¡± she paused. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stay out in the rain.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Sean replied softly. He gazed at her without blinking<b>, </b>his eyes filled with sorrow and deep, lingering tenderness.

    The rain kept falling, steady and loud.

    They stood there in silence, facing each other.

    After a long pause, Charlotte finally spoke.

    ¡°Life and death are part of this world. I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±

    Emotion rippled in Sean¡¯s eyes. He took a step forward and slowly raised his hand, as if wanting to pull

    to his arms.

    But when he noticed how soaked he was, he stopped. His hand froze in midair.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart clenched.

    He was always like this. Every little gesture of his carried so much care. It was impossible to ignore.

    Sean quietly lowered his hand. His voice came out rough.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±

    ¡°Still pretending to be strong. Just like in my dream,¡± Charlotte thought.

    She looked up at him, her voice tight with frustration.

    <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you¡¯re really fine<b>, </b>then why are you standing in the rain in the middle of the night?¡±

    Something in his eyes softened.

    He was just about to speak when he suddenly froze.

    Charlotte had stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around his waist.

    Her familiar scent enveloped him.

    Sean went rigid.

    She rested her head on his chest, holding him just a little tighter. Her voice was barely audible.

    ¡°Sean, does it hurt a little less when someone holds you?¡±

    His eyes darkened. Warmth crept into the cold corners of his heart

    Her body felt like a small furnace, quietly driving out the chill and soaking into his skin likefort.

    Slowly, Sean brought his arms around her, holding her gently, as if afraid she might slip away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not good with words,¡± Charlotte whispered against his chest. ¡°I know grief doesn¡¯t disappear just because someone tells you to cheer up. But please don¡¯t punish your body.¡±

    ¡°Who said she wasn¡¯t good atforting people?¡± Sean thought.

    That one embrace said more than a thousand words.

    His heart softened. The pain inside him rippled like spring water.

    After a moment, Charlotte stepped back.

    ¡°Alright,¡± she said, lowering her eyes to avoid his. ¡°Go change into dry clothes. Don¡¯t stay out here.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Sean replied softly. He was unusually obedient.

    ¡°Eat well. Sleep properly,¡± she added, like she was scolding a child ¡°Don¡¯t make me worry.¡±

    Her words made his heart ache in the best way.

    She said she was worried about him.

    It was the first time since their breakup that she had openly said how she <b>felt</b>.

    ¡°I will,¡± Sean said quietly.

    Charlotte turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m heading back. Drink some ginger tea and take a hot shower

    He stood there, watching her until her figure disappeared from view.

    By the time he got home, it was already past two in the morning.

    The house was silent. Everyone was asleep.

    Sean took a long, hot shower, then made himself a cup of ginger tea.

    After he drank it, hey down in bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

    It was the first real rest he¡¯d had in days.

    <b>¡± </b>

 His Heart 378

    In mid¨CMay, Mr. Jasper Sr. returned from his overseas trip to attend the funerals of Mrs. Jasper Sr. and James.

    The service was held on May 17.

    That day, the sky was overcast, heavy with leaden clouds. The air was thick and stifling.

    About fifteen kilometers north of the Jasper estatey a private family cemetery. Generations of the Jasper family had been buried there. Rows of gravestones stood silently, like sentinels guarding the passage of time, bearing witness to lives long gone.

    Two new headstones had just been ced<b>, </b>each etched with the name<b>, </b>birth date, and date of passing of the deceased.

    Mourners dressed in ck moved quietly through the stillness, their faces solemn with grief.

    The headstones were arranged one above the other, a reflection of their generational order. Around them were wreaths and bouquets of fresh flowers.

    The service began. The minister¡¯s voice was calm and solemn, leading everyone in prayer and remembrance.

    Heads bowed. Silence fell.

    Time seemed to slow, heavy with sorrow.

    Finally, it was time to say goodbye.

    One by one, the mourners stepped forward toy white lilies at the foot of the graves.

    Despite the past tensions between their families, Desmond and Xena came to pay their respects. They each ced their flowers down and quietly offered condolences to the three members of the Jasper family standing nearby,

    After the service ended<b>, </b>a young woman in a ck dress, with a white flower pinned in her hair<b>, </b>slowly approached.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for your loss<b>, </b>Mr. Jasper Sr. and Mrs. Gibson.<b>¡± </b>

    Mr. Jasper Sr. gave a small nod in response.

    Lilian offered a faint smile. ¡°Thank you foring, Megan.¡±

    After greeting the elders, the woman turned her gaze toward the man standing off to the side. His face was expressionless, cold.

    Her eyes softened as she looked at him. ¡°Sean.¡±

    Sean gave a slight nod, his voice polite but distant. ¡°Thank you foring back for my father and grandmother¡¯s funeral.¡±

    Megan Stone looked at him quietly, a flicker of emotion in her eyes. ¡°My condolences.¡±

    Sean gave a short reply and turned his gaze away. It was clear he didn¡¯t intend to continue the conversation.

    Seeing this, Megan lowered her eyes. Hershes trembled slightly and she pressed her lips together without saying another word. She turned and walked away.

    The mourners began to <b>leave</b><b>, </b>one after another.

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b><b>eyes </b>swept the crowd<b>, </b>but the one face he had hoped to see was nowhere in sight. A flicker of disappointment <b>passed </b>through his <b>eyes</b>.

    <b>That </b>embrace in the rain that night now <b>felt </b>like a dream- -so beautiful it seemed unreal.

    Days had <b>passed </b>since then<b>, </b>but <b>he </b>could still feel the warmth of Charlotte in his armis.

    Charlotte was <b>still </b>recovering from <b>her </b>injuries<b>. </b><b>The </b><b>doctor </b><b>had adused </b><b>her </b><b>to </b><b>avoid </b><b>walking </b><b>too </b><b>much</b><b>. </b>

    ???? o

    She had wanted to attend the funeral<b>, </b>but Desmond wouldn¡¯t allow it. So she stayed in the hospital as told.

    During the day, she sent a message to Lena.

    Mia hadn¡¯t attended the funeral either. On the day James jumped, she had been so traumatized that she had nightmares every night and often woke up screaming. For now, she was staying home and undergoing therapy.

    Every few days, Charlotte would call to check on her. Each time, it was Ian who answered the phone. He would say Mia¡¯s mental state still wasn¡¯t great.

    After the funeral, Lena called Charlotte back.

    ¡°Hey, Lottie, the funeral¡¯s over,¡± Lena said quietly as she walked toward the <b>car</b>, keeping her voice low.

    She knew Charlotte had called because she was concerned about Sean. In a softer <b>voice</b><b>, </b>Lena added, ¡°From what <b>I </b>could tell, Sean seemedposed. Nothing unusual. You don¡¯t need to worry

    Charlotte let out a small breath of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    Lena chatted with her for a few more moments, but as she looked up<b>, </b>her steps suddenly slowed.

    Her voice cut off mid¨Csentence. The words stuck in her throat.

    Just ahead of her, a familiar face had appeared.

    Megan was already standing in front of her, smiling politely. ¡°Lena<b>. </b>It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°Lena? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Charlotte asked on the other end, confused by the sudden silence.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got something to take care of. I¡¯ll call you backter,¡± Lena replied quickly.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    She ended the call and met Megan¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

 His Heart 379

    Chapter <b>379 </b>

    ¡®Do you have time? I¡¯d like to treat you to a meal,¡± Megan said.

    Lena hesitated for a moment.

    She had been nning to say no. But then she remembered Megan¡¯s old feelings for Sean. That made her reconsider.

    Megan had returned to the country specifically to attend the funerals of James and Mrs. Jasper Sr. She had clearly already seen

    Sean.

    There was no way this lunch was just about catching up.

    Lena figured Megan probably wanted to fish for information about Sean. At the same time, she was curious too<b>¨C</b>curious <b>to </b><b>see </b>whether Megan still had feelings for him.

    ¡°All right,¡± Lena replied. ¡°Let me go home and change first. You pick the ce.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Megan said. ¡°I¡¯ll message you.¡±

    Lena gave a t<b>, </b>indifferent ¡°Mm,¡± and Megan turned to leave.

    Watching her walk away, Lena let out a quiet sigh.

    ¡°Should I tell Lottie that Megan was back?¡± she wondered.

    Charlotte and Sean might have already broken up, but it was obvious they still had feelings for each other. With Joseph arrested and Mrs. Jasper Sr. gone, there might actually be a chance for them to reconcile.

    At 7:30 p.m., Megan and Lena sat across from each other in a private dining room at one of the Stone Corporation¡¯s upscale, members¨Conly restaurants.

    After some small talk and polite catching up, Megan took a sip of her tea and finally asked, ¡°Is it true that Sean and Charlotte broke up?¡±

    Although she had been living abroad these past few years, she had always kept tabs on Sean.

    Last year, when she learned about his engagement to Charlotte<b>, </b>she had been heartbroken for a long time.

    The Stones and the Jaspers had been close since Mr. Jasper Sr.¡¯s generation. When they were kids, the two families had even joked about arranging a marriage between her and Sean.

    The first person Megan ever had feelings for was Sean.

    She was beautiful, from an elite family, and had no shortage of admirers. But Sean had always stood out, <b>He </b>was so brilliant<b>, </b>so untouchable, that no one else ever measured up in her eyes.

    Before she went abroad, she had confessed to him once<b>. </b>

    She was neen at the time, about to leave the country for school

    She didn¡¯t want to <b>leave </b>with regrets. Deep down<b>, </b>she had hoped Sean might ask her to <b>stay</b>.

    <b>So </b>she took <b>a </b><b>leap </b><b>of </b><b>courage</b>.

    But Sean turned her down firmly and <bpletely</b>.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Sorry</b>. I <b>already </b>like someone <b>else</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°<b>Can </b><b>I </b><b>ask </b>who<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Without </b><b>hesitation</b><b>, </b><b>he </b><b>replied</b><b>, </b>¡°<b>Charlotte </b>Riley.¡±

    Megan knew who Charlotte was.

    The heiress of the Riley family, same age as her. They had crossed paths at a few social events, but never really talked¨Cjust acquaintances, the asional polite nod.

    When she found out Sean liked Charlotte, she felt a stab of jealousy

    But even she had to admi that Charlotte was stunning.

    She had been voted most beautiful at school from middle school through college. On top of that, she excelled in both academics and extracurricrs. Everything she picked up as a hobby, she won awards for.

    In high school, she won the national youth golf championship. She had taken top honors in a national pianopetition. And her calligraphy? Too many awards to count. Some said she had started winning prizes as early as elementary school.

    Among wealthy daughters like them, having a few elegant hobbies wasmon¨Cmusic, painting<b>, </b>calligraphy<b>, </b>that sort of thing. But someone as consistently excellent as Charlotte? That was rare.

    Megan had her pride. After being rejected, she didn¡¯t cling or beg. Instead, she responded coolly, ¡°If I lost to her, I have noints. But Sean¡­ I¡¯m not giving up.¡±

    What she didn¡¯t say out loud was this, ¡°I¡¯ll work harder. I¡¯ll be someone truly exceptional¨Csomeone you won¡¯t be able to ignore¡±

    Now, sitting across from Lena, her thoughts returned to the present. Even though she asked the question casually, she felt a quiet tension in her chest.

    Sean and Charlotte had reportedly broken up back in January. It had been more than four months.

    But Megan still wasn¡¯t sure if they had truly ended things or if they had quietly gotten back together.

    She was afraid the answer wouldn¡¯t be the one she wanted to hear

 His Heart 380

    Chapter <b>380 </b>

    Lena, seeing right through Megan, thought to herself. ¡°So that¡¯s what this is about.¡±

    She gave a small nod and replied calmly, ¡°Yes, they broke up.¡±

    A subtle breath of relief escaped from Megan.

    Lena watched her closely, noting every shift in her expression. Then she asked directly, ¡°Do you still have feelings for Sean?¡±

    Megan was caught off guard for a second, clearly not expecting such a blunt question.

    ¡°I do,¡± she admitted openly. ¡°That hasn¡¯t changed over the years.¡±

    Lena raised her brows in mild surprise. ¡°You¡¯re really something. If I remember right, it¡¯s been¡­ what<b>, </b>seven years now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Megan lowered her gaze and responded softly.

    Lena couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit moved.

    To love someone so persistently for so long was rare.

    But feelings alone didn¡¯t guarantee a future.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Lena gave her a gentle smile. ¡°Sean still really loves Lottie. I think there¡¯s a chance they might get back together.¡±

    Megan¡¯s smile faded. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t break up because they stopped loving each other,¡± Lena exined. ¡°There were¡­ other reasons. Joseph Ford, Sean¡¯s illegitimate half¨Cbrother, found out Lottie was Sean¡¯s weakness. He kidnapped her more than once and she nearly died. Not long ago, she was shot by one of his men. She¡¯s still recovering in the hospital.¡±

    Megan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That actually happened?¡±

    Lena sighed. ¡°Thankfully, Joseph¡¯s finally been brought to justice<b>. </b>

    Megan frowned, clearly shaken. She fell into a quiet daze, deep in thought.

    Lena looked at her seriously. ¡°Megan, love isn¡¯t something you can force.¡±

    Megan gave a bitter smile. ¡°I know. But¡­¡®¡±

    ¡°}

    She paused for a long moment before continuing. <b>¡°</b>I really can¡¯t let go. That¡¯s why <b>I </b>came back this time. I want to fight for him. They¡¯ve already broken up, so if I go after Sean now, I¡¯m not interfering in their rtionship.¡±

    Lena looked at Megan, as if she wanted to say something but held back.

    Megan understood <b>exactly </b>what was on her mind.

    She was trying to convince her to let go<b>. </b>

    She had tried letting go once<b>, </b>seven years ago. But it never worked. She never stopped thinking about him.

    After graduating from one of the world¡¯s top universities, she had turned down her family¡¯s offer to take over the business. Instead, she chose to start her own fashion brand.

    In the past few years, herpany had done remarkably well overseas and had recently <b>gone </b>public on NASDAQ.

    Now<b>, </b><b>she </b>was confident. She was aplished. She was someone who could stand beside Sean as his equal.

    The moment she returned to the country, she had asked around about Charlotte. When she found out that Charlotte was now just a low¨Cprofile attorney <b>with </b>no real faine<b>, </b>Megan finally felt a little relieved

    At least in terms of <b>career </b>and ability<b>, </b>she had the upper hand.

    Realizing that Megan couldn¡¯t be persuaded, Lena didn¡¯t say anything more.

    Later that evening, after returning home, Lena looked visibly preupied.

    Jordan nced at her and asked, ¡°Something on your mind?¡±

    ¡°Hey, did you know Megan Stone¡¯s in love with Sean?¡±

    ¡°Megan?¡± Jordan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really? That¡¯s news to me. Since when?¡±

    There were too many women who had liked Sean over the years.

    But Sean had never been the type to brag about who had confessed to him.

    And Megan had chosen a private moment to tell him her feelings back then.

    So it made perfect sense that Jordan had never heard about it.

 His Heart 381

    Chapter <b>381 </b>

    Lena knew about it because one of her girlfriends happened to be close with Megan¡¯s best friend back then. The secret had slipped out during an afternoon tea when that friend identally let something slip.

    The moment it happened, the friend had begged them not to tell anyone. Otherwise, Megan would cut her offpletely.

    Megan had always been proud. As the heiress of the Stone family and the woman countless men admired but couldn¡¯t win over, she definitely didn¡¯t want anyone knowing she had confessed her feelings only to be rejected.

    Lena wasn¡¯t the gossipy type to begin with, and she had promised Megan¡¯s friend not to breathe a word. So even though she knew, she had never told anyone.

    Not even Mia or Charlotte.

    Back then, all Lena knew was that Megan had been rejected. What she didn¡¯t know was the reason Sean had turned her down. She had no idea that the person Sean liked was actually her best friend, Charlotte.

    Later, when Charlotte and Sean got together, Megan had already been abroad for several years. Lena figured Megan had probably moved on, so there was no reason to bring it up.

    Now that Megan was back and openly saying she wanted to pursue Sean, Lena figured that sharing the truth no longer counted as breaking a promise.

    So she answered honestly.

    ¡°She confessed to him before she left the country, but Sean turned her down.¡±

    Jordan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Seriously? Sean never mentioned that.

    ¡°Why would he?¡± Lena scoffed. ¡°She met with me today and said she still hasn¡¯t moved on. She¡¯s nning to go after him openly.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jordan looked genuinely surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t she leave the country ages ago? After all this time, she¡¯s still holding on?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lena looked troubled. ¡°And Lottie hasn¡¯t really moved on either. What do you think Sean¡¯s going to do?¡±

    Jordan chuckled. ¡°Come on. When ites to Sean, as long as Charlotte¡¯s still around, there¡¯s never a question to be asked.¡±

    Lena¡¯s worried expression eased into a smile. ¡°Hearing you say that actually makes me feel better. You¡¯re his best friend. If anyone knows him best, it¡¯s you<b>.</b>¡±

    Jordan nodded. ¡°Sean¡¯s had a thing for Charlotte for years way before they got together. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d let her go that easily.¡±

    Then he paused and added, ¡°But what about Charlotte? What¡¯s the story with Scott Lucas?¡±

    Lena hesitated. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure. When Lottie was in the hospital, Scott went all the way to Sunrise Chapel. He climbed the long staircase at night<b>, </b>knelt on each step, and waited in silence at the altar until sunrise¨Cjust to get her a good luck charm. His feelings seem really sincere too. If I had to choose¡­¡±

    She thought for a moment<b>, </b>then sighed. ¡°They both really love Lottie. And honestly, whether it¡¯s looks or background, they¡¯re both a good match for her. It¡¯s hard to say.¡±

    Jordan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Back then, Sean and Charlotte got together because of the engagement. It just happened naturally- neither of them really pursued the other. But if he wants to be with her now, he¡¯ll have to actually chase her. To be honest, I¡¯m kind of looking forward to seeing that. It¡¯d be <b>a </b>rare sight. In over twenty years, I¡¯ve never seen Sean go after anyone.¡±

    Lenaughed. ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m kind of looking forward to it too.¡±

 His Heart 382

    It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and the weather couldn¡¯t have been better.

    Charlotte¡¯s doctor said her wound was healing well, and if everything stayed on track, she could be discharged if about a week.

    That afternoon, with the sun streaming through the windows, Charlotte decided to get some fresh air in the garden downstairs.

    This hospital was a private facility under the Riley Corporation. When she was first shot, she had been taken to the nearest public hospital.

    On the day of James¡¯s suicide, Desmond had wanted to transfer her immediately. But since she had just been moved out of the ICU at the time, the doctors advised against it. For her health, Desmond followed their rmendation and kept her there.

    After the Jasper family funeral, Charlotte was finally moved to her family¡¯s private hospital to recover.

    It had been raining for days, gloomy and cold, and everyone¡¯s spirits had been low. So when the sun finally came out, Charlotte pushed open her hospital room door and headed downstairs, with Petra following closely behind.

    As soon as she stepped out of the elevator and exited the inpatient wing, she spotted a familiar figure across the courtyard.

    It was Wendy.

    ¡°What¡¯s she doing here?¡± Charlotte wondered.

    Not long ago, Wendy had been convicted for defamation and inciting online harassment against Charlotte. She had been sentenced to a year in prison, with a one¨Cyear probation. Unwilling to ept the verdict, Wendy had filed an appeal. The case was now in its second round of hearings.

    Charlotte was the intiff. Wendy, the defendant. The two were sworn enemies. What was Wendy doing at her family¡¯s hospital?

    She probably had no idea this hospital was owned by the Riley family.

    The garden Charlotte wanted to visit was in the same direction Wendy was sitting. She started walking toward her.

    As she got closer, she noticed Wendy looked pale, her eyes red and swollen. She had clearly been crying hard.

    It was rare to see Wendy like this. Thest time they saw each other, she was gloating about being pregnant with Zac¡¯s child, boasting that it might be a boy and that she would soon marry into the Gibson family.

    But now, here she was¨Calone, crying her eyes out.

    As Charlotte walked past, she nced at her a little longer than necessary.

    That was when Wendy noticed her too. Her expression froze. ¡°Charlotte Riley? What are you doing here?¡±

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking you that? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be busy nning your wedding with Zac? What brings you to the hospital?¡±

    She nced at Wendy, then thought about the state of the Gibson Corporation. It didn¡¯t take long to piece things together.

    Wendy was probably here for an abortion.

    Charlotte knew all too well what had happened to the Gibsons. Thepany¡¯s bankruptcy was the result of a trap she had deliberately set to get back at Zac. He had walked straight into it, pouring money into a project that ended up bleeding losses. Not only did he lose everything, he was now deep in debt. Thepany had entered bankruptcy proceedings.

    The Gibson family was a sinking ship. There was no way Wendy was still desperate to jump aboard.

    As soon as Wendy saw Charlotte, she quickly stuffed the document in her hands into her bag, looking flustered.

    That one move confirmed Charlotte¡¯s suspicion.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were about to many Zac and be the grang Mrs. Gibson?¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°Funny, I haven¡¯t heard a word about a wedding or even an engagement. Did something change?¡±

    She was deliberately twisting the knife.

    Sure enough, Wendy¡¯s face turned even paler.

    She let out a cold snort. ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±

    ¡°Well, we do know each other,¡± Charlotte said with a smile. ¡°I was even thinking of giving you and Zac a wedding gift when the time came. Looks like that won¡¯t be happening now. What a shame¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± Wendy snapped.

    ¡°I am.¡± Charlotte smiled sweetly, not the least bit apologetic. ¡°Let me guess¡­ You¡¯re here for an abortion?¡±

    ¡°You-¡°Wendy¡¯s eyes widened. She opened her mouth to retort but froze after just one word.

    ¡°How did she know?¡± she thought.

    That was close. She nearly said it out loud.

    She had no intention of letting Charlotte mock her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Wendy huffed. ¡°I¡¯m here for a prenatal checkup.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Charlotte replied lightly, seeing through the lie but choosing not to call it out.

    Her expression was unreadable as her gaze dropped briefly to Wendy¡¯s abdomen. She said nothing more, just turned and walked away y with a faint smile.

    Wendy clenched her fists as she watched her leave, her eyes burning with a mix of anger and frustration.

    Later that afternoon, Charlotte was sitting by the window reading when a nurse knocked and stepped into the room.

    ¡°Miss Riley, there¡¯s ady outside asking to see you.¡± The nurse spoke with extra respect, knowing Charlotte was the daughter of the hospital¡¯s owner.

    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Charlotte looked up, a little puzzled.

    The first person who came to mind was Mrs. Jasper¨CLilian.

    The nurse replied, ¡°She said herst name is Miller.¡±

    ¡°Miller?¡± Charlotte murmured.

    She only knew one woman by that name: Monica Miller, Zac¡¯s mother.

    If Monica was here, it could only be about the copse of the Gibson Corporation.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t want to see her.

    ¡°Tell her I¡¯m still recovering and not taking visitors.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    But how did Monica even know Charlotte was staying at this hospital?

    Only her family and a few close friends were aware of her transfer here.

    A few hourster, Jenny came to visit.

    The moment she stepped into the room, her expression was full of urgency.

    ¡°Charlotte, I just saw a really suspicious woman downstairs near e inpatient wing,¡± Jenny whispered. ¡°She kept ncing at me and looked like she was tollowing me.¡±

    The first person who came to Charlotte¡¯s mind was Monica.

    ¡°She¡¯s still here?¡± she wondered.

    Charlotte asked, ¡°Was she in her forties, all dressed up with shy jewelry and makeup?¡±

    Monica was never one to leave the house without a full face on.

    But Jenny shook her head. ¡°She did look like she was in her forties or fifties, but she was dressed really simply. No makeup either.¡±

    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t Monica? Then who could it be?¡± Charlotte wondered.

    She then said, ¡°Take me to her.¡±

    From how Jenny described it, the woman really did sound suspicious. Charlotte wanted to find out what she was up to.

    ¡°Petra,e with us,¡± she added.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    The three of them headed downstairs.

    Jenny whispered, ¡°Charlotte, that¡¯s where I saw the sneaky¨Clooking woman earlier¡­¡±

    She led them behind arge pir and pointed discreetly.

    Charlotte followed the direction of her finger and froze in surprise.

    Æß

 His Heart 383

    Chapter <b>383 </b>

    It was Monica.

    But she looked nothing like the woman Charlotte remembered.

    Every time Charlotte saw her in the past, Monica was impably dressed whether in luxury designer suits or custom gowns, her jewelry always perfectly matched, her hair styled to perfection She carried herself with the poised elegance of a high- society matron.

    But today?

    Just as Jenny had described, she looked in.

    She wore no makeup. Her face was sallow and worn, with dark circles under her eyes. She wore a simple, loose¨Cfitting light gray tracksuit¨Cnothing fancy, just something you might find on any tired housewife in her forties. There wasn¡¯t a trace left of the elegance or superiority she used to carry as thedy of the Gibson family.

    It looked like the Gibsons were truly in dire straits.

    Even someone as vain and status¨Cconscious as Monica had fallen this far.

    Charlotte curled her lips slightly. ¡°Serves her right,¡± she scoffed silently.

    She stepped forward slowly.

    Monica spotted her and immediately rushed over, her movements frantic. She reached for Charlotte¡¯s arm¨Conly for Petra to step in and shove her back.

    Monica stumbled, but quickly regained her footing, her tone pleading and desperate¨Cworlds away from her usual haughty

    manner.

    ¡°Charlotte, please. I¡¯m begging you, help the Gibson Corporation. Help us. The Riley family is the richest in Jasper City. If you¡¯re willing to invest, to help us through this, I¡¯ll do anything you ask. Anything!¡±

    Charlotte let out a soft, disbelievingugh.

    ¡°Anything I ask?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Monica nodded repeatedly. ¡°As long as it¡¯s within my power, I¡¯ll do it. Please, just help us. We¡¯ve lost everything. My husband copsed from overwork and was hospitalized. Zac drinks all day now. Our family¡¯s falling apart. We won¡¯tst much longer.¡±

    Charlotte looked at her, half¨Csmiling.

    ¡°And what exactly can you do for me?¡±

    Monica froze.

    She didn¡¯t have an answer. She had spoken in panic and desperation, throwing out promises she couldn¡¯t even define.

    ¡°I¡­ could you at least consider helping us for Zac¡¯s sake?¡± she tried again. ¡°You were together for three years. Didn¡¯t you love him? Can you really just stand by and watch him drink himself into ruin?¡±

    Charlotte actuallyughed.

    At that point, the name Zac just amused her.

    ¡°Mrs. Gibson,¡± she said with a cool smile.

    Monica flinched.

    That title, once a point of pride, now felt like a cruel jab.

    And Charlotte meant it to be.

    Her smile sharpened. ¡°Have you forgotten what you said to me the first time we met?¡±

    Monica¡¯s face went pale.

    Of course she remembered.

    It was right after Wendy returned from abroad. Monica had been hoping to pair Wendy with Zac¡ªespecially since they had a long¨Cstanding family friendship. But then she found out Zac already had a girlfriend: an ordinary girl, with <b>no </b>status or background.

    She couldn¡¯t allow that.

    So she paid Charlotte a visit and humiliated her.

    She still remembered the venom in Monica¡¯s voice.

    ¡°A girl like you, dreaming of marrying into the Gibson family? Please.¡±

    Back then, Monica had been convinced that Charlotte was only with Zac for money. She called her a social climber, a gold digger with no ss, no future, no right to be at Zac¡¯s side.

    She had always spoken to Charlotte with an air of superiority.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to pretend in front of me. I know exactly what kind of girl you are. My son attracts plenty of women. Meeting someone like him must¡¯ve felt like hitting the jackpot, right? I¡¯m sure he¡¯s spent plenty on you already.

    ¡°Cut the act. ying innocent while clinging on? I¡¯ve seen your type before. You say you don¡¯t care about money, but if that¡¯s true, why go after someone like Zac?

    ¡°I¡¯m here today to make one thing clear: the Gibson family isn¡¯t some ce just anyone can walk into. Marrying Zac? That¡¯s never going to happen.

    ¡°Wendy is the daughter¨Cinw I¡¯ve always wanted. Her family and ours go way back, and on top of that, she was Zac¡¯s first love. You¡¯d better let go of your little fantasy and step aside while you still can.¡±

    And that was just the beginning. She had said much more, all with one goal¨Cto humiliate Charlotte, to make her understand her ¡°ce,¡± and to crush any hope she might have had of marrying into the Gibson family.

 His Heart 384

    Just thinking about it now made Montes sick with regret.

    She scrambled to exin,¡± wasn¡¯t like that. I didn¡¯t mean to treat you that way. Charlotte, let me exin. I thought you were just¡­¡±

    She stopped herself mid sentence.

    Just what? A poor girl with no background? A gold digger?

    She knew better than to say it out loud.

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Just what, Mrs. Gibson?¡±

    Monica stammered, unable to get the words out.

    Charlotte gave a soft, mocking smile. ¡°You thought I was just some broke nobody who got with Zac for his money, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Monica lowered her head, avoiding her gaze.

    ¡°I actually considered taking Zac home to meet my family,¡± Charlotte said quietly. ¡°I even thought about investing in the Gibson Corporation.¡±

    Monica¡¯s head snapped up in shock. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you?¡±

    If she had known from the start that Charlotte was the daughter of Jersey City¡¯s wealthiest family, Wendy wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.

    If Zac had married Charlotte back then, he would be the son¨Cinw of the city¡¯s richest man. There would be no bankruptcy, no crushing debt, no copse.

    Monica could hardly breathe from the weight of her regret.

    Hearing her question, Charlotte gave a faint smile. ¡°Because your son thought the same thing you did. He didn¡¯t think I was good enough for him.¡±

    Monica froze, stunned into silence. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.

    ¡°People who take love for granted don¡¯t get happy endings,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°You can leave now. I¡¯m not helping you.¡±

    ¡°I was wrong, I admit it! I¡¯m sorry, truly!¡± Monica¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything. I¡¯ll cook, I¡¯ll clean¨CI¡¯ll do whatever you want. If you want revenge, take it. Just please, help our family.¡±

    The truth was, all their assets had been frozen or seized. Their cars their home¨Ceverything was gone. She had sold her designer bags and jewelry just to pay for her husband Mark¡¯s hospital bills. Now, they could barely afford food.

    They had moved into a run¨Cdown apartment in one of the city¡¯s poorest neighborhoods. No elevator, roaches in the corners, rats at night. She had never lived like this in her life. With the maids long gone, she now cooked for the family herself¨Cmeals even she couldn¡¯t bring herself to eat. She had lost weight quickly

    They had reached out to every friend they had left, and no one wanted to help.

    Out of options, she hade to Charlotte.

    Her voice shook as it rose, desperate and raw, attracting the attention of everyone nearby.

    Charlotte remained calm. ¡°We don¡¯t need a maid,¡± she said coldly. ¡°And begging won¡¯t change anything. In fact, watching your family fall apart? That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to see.

    ¡°Sorry, Mrs. Gibson,¡± she added, eyes sharp as ice. ¡°I don¡¯t go around ruining people for fun. But I never forget who¡¯s hurt me. And it¡¯s time I settled that score.¡±

    T

    Monica¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°Wait¡­ are you saying you¡¯re the reason we went bankrupt?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Charlotte stood calm andposed, a faint smile her lips as she looked at Monica. ¡°You humiliating me back then was just one of the reasons I went after your family. Your pro ous son teamed up with the Jasper family¡¯s adopted daughter to do the dirty work for their illegitimate son. They nearly destroyed my family. So yes¨Ctaking down the Gibson Corporation was my payback.¡±

    ¡°It was you?!¡± Monica¡¯s face twisted with fury. ¡°Charlotte Riley, you bitch!¡±

    The moment she realized begging was pointless, Monicapletely lost it. She started hurling insults at Charlotte, shouting at the top of her lungs.

    A crowd had already begun to gather, all turning to watch the scene unfold.

 His Heart 385

    Chapter <b>385 </b>

    Monica lunged forward, trying to grab Charlotte.

    But Petra stepped in, caught her wrist, and pressed hard on a pressure point.

    ¡°Agh!¡± Monica yelped and stumbled back two steps, her face contorting in pain. She clutched her arm, rubbing it frantically.¡± What did you do to me? It¡¯s numb¨Cso numb!¡±

    The crowd that had gathered couldn¡¯t help but snicker at the sight

    ¡°Get lost,¡± Petra said coldly, her eyes glinting with warning.

    Monica flinched. Something about this woman was terrifying. With just a few quick moves, her entire arm had gone numb.

    Just then, the hospital security team arrived.

    ¡°Move along, folks. Nothing to see here,¡± one of the guards called out, dispersing the onlookers.

    ¡°Miss Riley, are you alright? Do you need us to call the police?¡± one of the guards asked respectfully.

    They all recognized Charlotte. The head of security had personally shown them her photo the day she was transferred in, telling them she was the boss¡¯s daughter. If Miss Riley needed anything, they were to respond immediately and treat her with the utmost respect.

    Monica¡¯s face twisted in shock when she heard the guard address Charlotte as ¡°Miss Riley¡± and saw how deferential they were,

    ¡°This hospital belongs to your family?¡± she blurted out.

    Charlotte gave a tight¨Clipped smile but didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she turned to the security guard. ¡°No need to call the police. Just escort this woman off the premises.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    As the guards dragged Monica away, she kicked and screamed, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! Let go of me!¡±

    Only after Monica had been forced out did Jenny snap out of her daze. She turned to Charlotte, wide¨Ceyed. ¡°Charlotte¡­ this is your family¡¯s hospital?¡±

    Charlotte gave a quiet nod.

    Jenny wanted to ask about everything they had overheard¨CZac Gibson, the bankruptcy¨Cbut after ncing at Charlotte¡¯s expression, she decided against it. Some memories were better left untouched.

    The next morning, Charlotte stepped out of her room, hoping for a breath of fresh air.

    But just as she opened the door, she froze.

    Outside her hospital room, a bouquet of Floyd rosesy quietly on the floor, their petals in full bloom.

    Charlotte picked them up gently.

    There was no card tucked inside. No note. Nothing.

    Who left these?

    A familiar figure shed across her mind.

    Her breath hitched slightly.

    Was it him?

    Had hee to the hospital?

    When?

    Cradling the bouquet in her arms, Charlotte stood there in a daze.

    Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe the flowers were meant for someone else. Without a card, there was no way to be sure.

    Should she ask?

    But things between them were so awkward now. If it wasn¡¯t from Sean, asking would only make things worse and make her look toolish.

    She made her way to the nurse¡¯s station on her floor, bouquet in hand.

    One of the nurses saw her and quickly greeted her with a bright smile. ¡°Good morning, Miss Riley.¡±

    ¡°Morning.¡± Charlotte returned the smile. ¡°Did you happen to see who left this bouquet at my door?¡±

    The nurse nodded. ¡°A man.¡±

    ¡°A man?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°What did he look like?¡±

    The nurse¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°He was tall. Really handsome. Honestly, better¨Clooking than most celebrities.¡±

    ¡°Was he wearing sses?¡±

    Only two men came to mind¨CSean and Scott. Scott wore sses. Sean didn¡¯t.

    The nurse shook her head. ¡°No sses. He was in a ck shirt. Kinda had that cool, distant vibe.¡±

    That confirmed it. It had to be Sean.

    But if he hade all the way to her room, why didn¡¯t he knock?

    Why didn¡¯t hee in?

    ¡°When exactly did hee by?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°Maybe half an hour ago.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    She thanked the nurse and walked back to her room, the bouquet still in hand.

    Her VIP suite already had fresh¨Ccut flowers as decoration. Charlotte quietly removed the old, wilting arrangement and reced. it with the Floyd roses.

 His Heart 386

    &

    Floyd roses were known for their vivid colors. They were bold, passionate, and full of life.

    They also carry a romantic meaning: ¡°You drift casually through my dreams, turning my heart into a garden of fragrance.<i>¡± </i>

    After cing the bouquet in a vase, Charlotte remembered what the nurse had told her. Sean hade by just half an hour ago.

    Her heart skipped a beat.

    Was he still here?

    The moment the thought crossed her mind, she couldn¡¯t stop herself. She had to find out.

    She pushed open the door and quickly walked toward the elevators.

    It was seven in the morning. The sun was already warm against the pavement.

    Charlotte wore a simplevender short¨Csleeved dress. The moment the elevator doors opened, she hurried across the hospital grounds toward the outdoor parking lot.

    And then¨Cshe saw him.

    Her steps slowed.

    Sean was still here.

    He stood leaning against a Cullinan, head slightly bowed, a cigarette held loosely between his fingers. Thin wisps of smoke curled up into the air before slowly drifting away.

    He didn¡¯t notice her standing there, watching him from a short distance.

    He lookedpletely lost in thought, quiet and far away from the chaos of the world.

    Morning sunlight fell across his figure, softening the sharp lines of his face.

    She hadn¡¯t seen him in days.

    Charlotte¡¯s breath caught. She took a few slow steps forward.

    As if sensing her gaze, Sean looked up. Their eyes met.

    He froze.

    The next second, he put out the cigarette and flicked it into the trash can nearby.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t like the smell of smoke.

    He used to never smoke.

    Lately, everything had been difficult. Between his family and thepany, Sean had been going nonstop without a break.

    Their rtionship weighed heavily on him too. He missed her terribly, but there was no way to return to the way things used to <ol><li>be. </li></ol>

    Every time he thought about her, it felt like the air was being squeezed from his lungs. Smoking and drinking were the only things that helped dull the ache in his chest.

    But drinking made him reckless. He hated that. So he smoked instead.

    Charlotte walked up to him.

    Sean instinctively took a step back. ¡°Don¡¯te too close. I still smell like smoke.¡±

    Thai scend that she didn¡¯t like.

    The lowered his eyes and said quietly, ¡°Sorry, I just needed something to ease the pressure.¡±

    He was afraid she would be repulsed.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Charlotte said softly, ¡°Thank you for the flowers. They¡¯re beautiful.¡±

    His voice was low and steady. ¡°I¡¯m d you liked them.¡±

    She opened her mouth, wanting to ask why he hadn¡¯t knocked. Why he didn¡¯te in to see her.

    But the words caught in her throat.

    Sean seemed to know what she was thinking. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wake you,¡± he said. ¡°So I left the flowers and left¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Mm.¡±

    Silence settled between them, heavy and unspoken.

    After a moment, she said, ¡°I should head back. Drive safe.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± His gaze was warm as he watched her go.

    26

    That evening, Charlotte received a call from Lena.

    ¡°Lottie, do you have a minute? There¡¯s something I want to tell you.¡±

    Her tone was unusually serious, which surprised Charlotte.

    They were close so what could possibly require this much buildup?

    ¡°Sure. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    There was a pause. Then Lena asked, ¡°Do you remember Megan Stone?¡±

    Megan Stone?

    Why was Lena bringing her up?

    ¡°Yeah, I remember her. We¡¯ve met, but we weren¡¯t close. Didn¡¯t she go overseas?¡±

    ¡°She did. But she¡¯s back now.¡±

    ¡°I see. So why are you bringing her up?¡±

    There was another brief silence.

    ¡°She¡¯s back for Sean.¡±

    Charlotte paused. She didn¡¯t respond and just waited for Lena to continue.

    And Lena did, all at once.

    ¡°She confessed to him before she left seven years ago. We met the other day, and she told me directly that she came back this time to win him over.¡±

    The room was brightly lit. On the small table by her hospital bed, the bouquet of roses released a quiet, fragrant sweetness.

    As Lena¡¯s words echoed in her ears, Charlotte sat still, staring nkly at the flowers.

 His Heart 387

    The next afternoon, Charlotte received a phone call.

    The person on the other end reported thetest updates on the Gibson Corporation.

    ¡°Several creditors have filed ims in court. As of now, thepany¡¯s total debt has reached 1.3 billion dors.

    ¡°As the majority shareholder, Zac Gibson is being used of abusing the legal distinction between corporate and personal liability to evade debts. Multiple creditors have jointly submitted evidence, requesting that he be held personally ountable for thepany¡¯s liabilities.

    ¡°All real estate under Zac¡¯s name has already been seized by the court, along with any high¨Cvalue personal assets. His bank ounts have also been frozen.

    ¡°Earlier this morning, Monica Miller met with awyer to draft a divorce agreement.¡®

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t surprised.

    Monica had spent her entire life as a pampered society wife. There was no way she could endure the kind of hardship they were facing now.

    ¡°Whichwyer did she hire?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°Attorney Gemma Garcia from S&G Law Firm.¡±

    S&G Law Firm.

    She knew it well. Charlotte had resigned from the firm herself after Vivian became an investor.

    After Vivian was cast out of the Jasper family, Sean investigated her finances. The Jasper family¡¯s elite legal team recovered the investment she had made into the firm.

    As for Gemma<b>, </b>Charlotte remembered her clearly.

    Gemma had a terrible temper. She was notorious for being a toxic boss whoshed out at her assistants whenever she was even slightly dissatisfied at work. The smallest inconvenience could sether off<b>, </b>and she would unleash a verbal tirade on whoever was closest.

    Jenny had been on the receiving end of her wrath more times than Charlotte could count. She had cried in the breakroom more than once.

    ording to other coworkers, Gemma had driven away multiple assistants. Most couldn¡¯tst more than a month. One particrly bold assistant even quit after the first day, walking out without taking a cent of her paycheck.

    Jenny, unfortunately, had no choice but to stick around for a year after she registered as a legal intern. She had nowhere else to go.

    That entire year, she was basically a punching bag, constantly bullied and berated.

    Thankfully, those days were behind her. At Ascend Law Firm, Jenny had found her footing. These days, she came into work with a smile and left full of energy.

    Hearing Gemma¡¯s name, Charlotte narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°Has Mark agreed to the divorce yet? Have theye to an agreement?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the caller replied. ¡°Last night, Monica and Mark got into a huge fight at the hospital. They argued so loudly the entire floor heard it. This morning, she went straight to thewyer to draft the paperwork.¡±

    Charlotte said calmly, ¡°Mark probably won¡¯t sign it. Monica will likely go the litigation route. Keep a close eye on her side. I want to be informed the moment there¡¯s any movement.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    After hanging up, Charlotte fell into thought.

    II Mark tlused to sign and Monica filed for divorce, he would almost certainly hire awyer to fight it

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t let Monica walk away with a win.

    In most domestic courts, a first livorce petition was typically denied if the husband opposed it, though there were rare cases where the judge still granted the divorce.

    To make sure nothing slipped through the cracks, Charlotte had decided to represent Mark herself.

    By the end of May, Charlotte had fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

    Desmond and Xena came in person to take her home. So did Lena and Mia.

    Mia had spent thest month in therapy after being deeply affected by James¡¯s suicide. She was finally doing much better.

    It was a Wednesday¨Ca workday¨Cso Jenny and Sophie, both full¨Ctimewyers now, couldn¡¯t make it.

 His Heart 388

    <b>Chapter </b><b>388 </b>

    <b>But </b>Scoft <b>had </be,

    As <b>a </b>partner at the firm and one of the bosses, he didn¡¯t need to follow a fixed work schedule.

    This time, he came alone, without Tiana.

    In <b>his </b>hands was a beautiful bouquet of pale blue flowers, artfully ranged with a mix of rare blooms.

    ¡°To celebrate your discharge from the hospital,¡± he said, offering the bouquet to Charlotte,

    She took the flowers with a soft smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Desmond looked at her with fatherly concern. ¡°You¡¯ve lost some weight these past few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Tonight, I¡¯ll cook for you myself,¡± said Xena warmly. ¡°Come home for dinner?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Xena. That sounds lovely.¡±

    ¡°She even prepared a gift,¡± Desmond added with a grin.

    Xena shot him a yful re. ¡°Why¡¯d you t

    tell her? You ruined the surprise.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what the gift <b>is</b><b>, </b>so

    it¡¯s

    still a surprise.¡±

    Charlotte smiled and said to Xena, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Aunt Xena. He¡¯s right¨Cas long as I don¡¯t know what it is<b>, </b>it¡¯s still a surprise.¡±

    ¡°Lottie, I got you something too,¡± Lena said, handing over a small gift bag. ¡°Picked it up in Switzendst week. Go on, open it.¡±

    Charlotte recognized the logo on the bag right away. It was from a well¨Cknown luxury Swiss watch brand.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a smile.

    Inside the bag was a whitedies¡® watch. She opened the box and smiled brighter. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, Lena. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Lena said. ¡°Here, let me help you put it on.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    After helping her fasten the watch, Lena nodded with satisfaction. It suits you perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Lottie, I didn¡¯t prepare a gift,¡± Mia chimed in with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ve been recovering at home. But when you¡¯re feeling up to it, I¡¯ll take you shopping. Whatever you like, it¡¯s on me. Fair enough?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes curved with a smile. ¡°Deal. I won¡¯t hold back.¡±

    As the group stepped out of the hospital into the open¨Cair parking lot, Charlotte said her goodbyes.

    ¡°Thank you all foring to see me out.¡±

    ¡®Come on, we¡¯re family. Don¡¯t be so formal,¡± Miaughed.

    Lena agreed, ¡°Exactly. Don¡¯t make it sound like we¡¯re strangers.¡±

    Scott smiled gently. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me either.¡±

    They chatted for a few more minutes before parting ways.

    Charlotte turned and headed toward her family¡¯s car¨Cwhen something caught her eye.

    A familiar ck Cullinan.

    She <b>stopped </b>in her tracks.

    Curious<b>, </b>she circled a few steps and walked over to the car. The license te confirmed her hunch. It was Sean¡¯s car.

    She stepped closer and gently knocked on the window.

    It rolled down slowly, revealing Sean¡¯s handsome face.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked softly.

    Sean met her gaze, his eyes unreadable. ¡°You¡¯re being discharged today. I wanted to see you.¡±

    Her heart fluttered like a feather brushing against it.

    ¡°Is your wound fully healed?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    His eyes flicked to the bouquet in her arms.

    ¡°The flowers¨CScott gave them to you?¡± he asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

    X

 His Heart 389

    <b>Chapter </b><b>389 </b>

    <b>Charlotte </b>paused, clearly not expecting that question.

    She gave a quiet <b>¡°</b>Yeah.¡±

    Sean¡¯s lips curled into something like a smile, but his voice had a harp edge. ¡°He even knows you like blue. Impressive.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze flicked toward the bouquet <b>of </b>pale blue flowers resting on the passenger seat. His taste bad always been impable, and this arrangement was no exception. It was exactly her style.

    Sean noticed her staring and said, his voice unreadable, ¡°I was going to give them to you, but you already have a bouquet. <b>I </b>figured this one would just be extra.¡±

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. After a moment, she said, ¡°Well¡­I should get going then.¡±

    She turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait.¡± His voice was quicker this time, a little more urgent. ¡°You could take this one too. It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t carry both. And it¡¯s just taking up space here.¡±

    With her back still to him, Charlotte let a small smile tug at her lips

    She turned around and met his eyes. ¡°Taking up space?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, his tone low. <b>¡°</b>If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll toss it.¡±

    That made herugh softly. ¡°That would be a waste. It¡¯s beautiful. I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    Sean stepped out of the car, circled around, and handed her the bouquet.

    Charlotte epted the flowers with a quiet, ¡°Thanks.¡±

    But when he heard that, Sean¡¯s expression darkened just a little more.

    She noticed but didn¡¯t say anything. Given where they stood now, polite distance was probably all they had left.

    Charlotte returned to her family¡¯s car, holding both bouquets.

    Xena looked surprised. ¡°Another bouquet? Who gave you that one?

    From where their car was parked, they couldn¡¯t see Sean¡¯s Cullinan, so neither Xena nor Desmond had any idea Sean had been there.

    Desmond nced over from the front seat but said nothing.

    Charlotte knew exactly how her father felt about the Jasper family, especially Sean, so she kept it simple. ¡°Just a friend.¡±

    Xena nodded. ¡°Oh, I see.¡±

    Since Charlotte clearly didn¡¯t want to borate, Xena didn¡¯t press.

    Desmond remained quiet<b>, </b>simply telling the driver, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Back at the Riley family estate, Jodie was sitting on the living room couch watching cartoons. As soon as she saw her sister walk in, her face lit up. She ran over in her shoes and threw her arms around Charlotte.

    ¡°Sis!<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte smiled and gently patted her head. ¡°Did you miss me while I was gone?¡±

    ¡°I did!¡± Jodie chirped.

    Standing nearby, the family¡¯s live¨Cin psychologist smiled and spoke to Charlotte. ¡°Jodie has fully recovered. She¡¯s ready to

    <b>return </b>to <b>a </b>normal routine and school.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s <b>eyes </b>lit up<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>That¡¯s wonderful. Thank you so much.¡±

    The female doctor smiled. ¡°No need to thank me. Mr. Jasper already settled the payment. I¡¯ll be flying out tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°<b>I </b>have another patient appointment lined up.¡±

    ¡°What time is your flight? I¡¯ll have a driver take you,¡± Charlotte offered.

    ¡°Three in the afternoon.¡±

    Desmond chimed in. ¡°Thank you, doctor. We couldn¡¯t have done is without you.¡±

    ¡°It was my pleasure, Mr. Riley.¡±

    He exchanged a look with Xena.

    Catching his cue, Xena turned to the doctor with a smile. ¡°Dr. Alice I have something for you. Would youe with me upstairs?¡±

    She led Dr. Alice upstairs and handed her a carefully prepared gift and a sealed envelope.

 His Heart 390

    +25 <b>BONUS </b>

    ¡°Dr. Alice, thank you for treating Jodie these past few weeks,¡± Xen sald warmly. ¡°I know Mr. Jasper has already paid you, and that¡¯s his part. But this is a small token of appreciation from our family. I hope you won¡¯t turn it down.¡±

    Alice epted, touched by the sincerity.

    That evening, Xena personally prepared a table full of Charlotte¡¯s Cavorite dishes.

    With Jodie fully recovered and Charlotte finally discharged, it felt like a good day for the Riley family.

    The whole family sat around the table, warm and cheerful, enjoying a rare moment of peace and togetherness.

    The next afternoon, after Dr. Alice had left, Charlotte stayed home to watch cartoons with her little sister.

    Suddenly, a video call request popped up from Scott.

    Charlotte blinked in surprise. Why was he calling her like this?

    If it were something important, he would usually call. If it wasn¡¯t urgent, he would just send a message. A direct video call was a

    first.

    Curious, she tapped ¡°ept.¡±

    To her surprise, it wasn¡¯t Scott¡¯s face on the screen. It was his little cousin, Tiana.

    The adorable girl was wearing the pink Prada hair clip Charlotte had given her. Her hair was tied into pigtails, and the moment she saw Charlotte, her eyes curved into little crescent moons, with dimples blooming on her cheeks.

    ¡°Hi, Charlotte!¡± Tiana¡¯s voice was soft and sweet, like cotton candy.

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°Hey, Tiana!¡±

    So that was what happened¨CTiana must have been ying with Scott¡¯s phone and identally video¨Ccalled her.

    Jodie, sitting beside Charlotte, perked up at the sound. She leaned her fuzzy little head toward the screen and waved. ¡°Tiana!¡±

    ¡°Hi, Jodie!¡± Tiana giggled back.

    Jodie leaned in even closer, her chubby cheeks filling the screen. She looked absolutely adorable.

    ¡°When are youing over to y?¡± Jodie asked in her soft little voice.

    Tiana answered right away, ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s Saturday! I¡¯ll ask Scott to bring me to your house, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll ask Mommy to make yummy food for you!¡±

    ¡°I want the teddy bear cookies your mommy madest time!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell Mommy to make them tomorrow.¡±

    The two little girls kept chatting, going back and forth happily. Charlotte handed the phone to Jodie so they could talk more freely.

    About ten minutester, the screen changed. Scott had taken the phone back.

    Jodie handed it to Charlotte and said sweetly, ¡°Sis, I finished talking with Tiana. Scott wants to talk to you now.¡±

    Charlotte took the phone, and Scott¡¯s face came into view.

    There was a warm smile in his eyes. ¡°Sorry about that, Miss Riley. I let Tiana watch cartoons on my phone and didn¡¯t realize she tapped your contact and started a video call. Hope she didn¡¯t bother you?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Not </b>at all,¡± Charlotte replied with a smile.

    ¡°Good to hear.

    ¡°She¡¯s adorable,¡± Charlotte added. ¡°Jodie loves ying with her do too.¡±

    Scott smiled, his expression gentle. ¡°Jodie¡¯s really sweet too. Tian told me they made ns to y tomorrow. I¡¯ll bring her over. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°You¡¯re always wee.¡±

    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll bring her by in the morning. And while I¡¯m there, I have a few case files I¡¯d like to go over with you!

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

 His Heart 391

    <b>Chapter </b><b>391 </b>

    The <b>next </b><b>morning</b>, <b>Scott </b>dropped Tiana off at the Riley estate.

    His car and Sean¡¯s pulled up one after the other at the entrance to <b>the </b>private neighborhood.

    Sean had been to Ascend Law Firm several times and had seen Scol¡¯s ck Maybach pull out of the underground garage on twe asions. He remembered the car and the license te.

    As they entered the neighborhood, Sean deliberately sped up, cutting in front of Scott¡¯s car. Then, he slowed down.

    In the Maybach<b>, </b>Scott watched the ck Cullinan slip ahead of him in the rearview mirror. The corners of his lips lifted slightly.

    So much for a peaceful morning. Talk about a run¨Cin.

    But Scott didn¡¯t take the bait. Instead, he eased off the gas<b>, </b>calmly keeping pace behind Sean.

    A few minutester, they both pulled up in front of the Riley estate

    Sean stopped first. Scott parked just behind.

    Without meaning to, both men stepped out of their cars at the same time.

    A light morning breeze stirred the trees, carrying with it the fresh scent of dew, grass, and blooming flowers. The rising sun cast a gentle warmth over the street.

    But the tension between the two men was anything but gentle.

    The air practically crackled with hostility.

    Sean dark eyes were like bottomless wells<b>, </b>cold and unreadable. His gaze swept over Scott like a de, and a cold smile tugged at his lips.

    ¡°What brings you to the Riley estate this early, Mr. Lucas?¡±

    Scott¡¯s tone was polite, but his eyes were icy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t trouble yourself over it.¡±

    Sean¡¯s stare sharpened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t covet what isn¡¯t yours.¡±

    Scott met his eyes head¨Con.

    ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s yours?¡±

    Sean gave a short<b>, </b>humorlessugh.

    ¡°She belongs to me.¡±

    Scott smiled faintly, but his gaze didn¡¯t soften.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression turned colder.

    ¡°People think you¡¯re devoted, but I heard you had a girlfriend in college.¡±

    Scott¡¯s face remained calm, still wearing his trademarkposed smile.

    ¡°I did. Itsted three months. Nothing serious.¡±

    ¡°So what are you saying you¡¯re still ¡®pure¡®?¡± Sean chuckled, but there was no warmth.

    Chapter <b>391 </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>you </b>confessed <b>to </b><b>her</b>, then dated someone else. Now you¡¯re back here chasing her again. What does that make her <b>in </b><b>your </b><b>eyes</b><b>? </b>

    He took two slow steps forward, closing the distance.

    The tension thickened.

    Sean¡¯s voice dropped, cold and sharp.

    ¡°She¡¯s not some emotional recycling bin.¡±

    Scott¡¯s smile vanished. Just as lie opened his mouth to respond, a voice called out from behind him.

    ¡°Mr. Lucas, you¡¯re here! Why didn¡¯t youe in?¡°.

    Charlotte had seen him from the window upstairs. She noticed he had been standing by the gate for a while and came down to check.

    From where she stood, she could see Scott by the gate, but Sean was hidden behind a <b>tree </b>in the yard and out of view.

    Scott¡¯s expression softened instantly at the sound of her voice.

    He turned and called back, ¡°Coming!¡±

    Then he nced at Sean and said with a polite smile, ¡°Well then<b>, </b>Mr. Jasper. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    He walked over to the backseat and opened the door.

    ¡°Come on, Tiana. Let¡¯s go find Charlotte.¡±

    ¡°Yay Tiana beamed and hopped out of the car.

    Sean stood there, staring at Scott¡¯s back, his fingers slowly curling into a tight fist.

    Xena had a good impression of Scott.

    Back at the hospital, when she learned he had made a trip to Sunrise Chapel to get a good luck charm for Charlotte, she told Desmond about it as soon as they got home.

    X

 His Heart 392

    Chapter <b>392 </b>

    Desmond¡¯s reaction was mild. He only responded with a nomittal ¡°Mm¡± and said nothing else.

    Xena couldn¡¯t figure out what that ¡°Mm¡± meant.

    Was he displeased with Scott?

    Or had he already started to ept him?

    This time, both Desmond and Xena happened to be home when Scott stopped by the Riley estate.

    Scott had been raised well. He never showed up empty¨Chanded. Every visit, he brought a thoughtful gift. But until now, Desmond and Xena had never been home at the same time to receive him.

    Scott greeted Desmond politely and handed over what he had prepared: two bottles <b>of </b>vintage wine and a round of premium aged tea.

    He had done his homework. Desmond didn¡¯t smoke, but he enjoyed <b>tea </b>and asionally liked a drink.

    A housekeeper epted the gifts. Desmond gave them a quick nce<b>, </b>and <b>a </b>faint look of approval flickered in his eyes. But just faintly.

    He wasn¡¯t going to hand over his precious daughter just because of a few nice gifts.

    ¡°You¡¯re very thoughtful,¡± Desmond said politely.

    Xena, however, was warmer and more weing. She smiled and said, ¡°Scott, you really didn¡¯t have to bring anything. We¡¯re just happy to see you.¡±

    Scott returned her smile, calm and gracious. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m happy to.¡±

    Jodie spotted Tiana and ran over eagerly to grab her hand. ¡°Tiana,e y in my

    Tiana smiled brightly. ¡°Okay, Jodie!¡±

    room!<b>¡± </b>

    The two little girls headed upstairs while Charlotte and Scott sat down on the living room couch.

    A housekeeper brought over tea and a te of sliced fruit. ¡°Mr. Lucas<b>, </b>please enjoy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

    Charlotte turned to him. ¡°You mentioned you had a case you wanted to discuss. Let¡¯s go over it now.¡±

    Scott nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±

    As the two of them began reviewing the case, their attention turned focused and professional.

    Desmond didn¡¯t interrupt. He nced at them once, then quietly headed to the tea room. Xena also left the room, ncing back onest time.

    In her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°They really do look good together. If only Lottie could let go of Sean and give Scott a real chance.¡±

    Back at thew firm, Charlotte finally felt like herself again.

    After more than a month recovering in the hospital, she could finally return to work. During that time, several of her cases had gone to trial, and otherwyers had to cover them.

    Even when she asked friends to bring her files from the office, no one agreed. No matter how much she insisted, they all told her the same thing: rest, recover, and stop worrying about work.

    <b>Chapter </b>392

    ¡ú <b>+25 </b>BONUS

    <b>When </b><b>Scott </b><b>visited </b>her <b>in </b><b>the </b>hospital<b>, </b>he even joked<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Rx. Therm hasn¡¯t <b>copsed </b>just because you¡¯ve been out for a month. Everyone has <b>cases</b>¨Cwe¡¯re not starving<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Now that she <b>was </b>finally discharged, Charlotte felt like she had been given a new lease on life.

    Back in her familiar <b>office </b>chair, she let out <b>a </b>slow breath<b>. </b><b>The </b>went on her shoulders eased.

    Jenny knocked and walked in with a grin<b>, </b>setting a stack of brown file folders on Charlotte¡¯s desk. ¡°Wee back<b>, </b>Miss Riley!<b>¡± </b>

    Sophie followed behind her. ¡°Wee back!¡±

    Jenny pointed at the pile. ¡°See? That¡¯s what you get for refusing to take a break. You finally get some rest and still couldn¡¯t <b>stop </b>worrying about work. Now you¡¯ve got plenty waiting for you.¡±

    Charlotteughed. ¡°This is good.¡±

    She turned to Sophie. ¡°How did the trials go for those cases you handled?¡±

    Sophie gave her a brief rundown of the hearings. In the end, she reported, ¡°We won all of them.¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes lit with approval. ¡°You¡¯vee a long way, Sophie.¡±

    Sophie smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve had the best mentor anyone could ask for.¡±

 His Heart 393

    Since being discharged from the hospital, Charlotte had been busy reviewing the Jasper Corporation¡¯s pendingwsuits

    <b>They </b>were all major cases¨Chigh¨Cvalue, evidence¨Cheavy, andplex. Even though the files had already been sorted once, she insisted on going through everything again herself.

    Charlotte was fiercely dedicated to her work. Ever since she got back<b>, </b>she had practically been living at the office, workingte every night.

    That evening, she received a phone call.

    ¡°Miss Riley, Mark Gibson is refusing to sign the divorce papers. He even fore them up. He and Monica had another huge argument this afternoon. She¡¯s now hired Gemma Garcia to represent her in the divorce.¡±

    Standing by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window on the 22nd floor, Charlotte looked out over the glittering city skyline. The neon lights flickered below, and her reflection shimmered faintly in the ss, her features sharp andposed.

    ¡°Got it,¡± she replied calmly and ended the call.

    She immediately printed a set of civil case authorization forms and a retainer agreement, then grabbed her car keys, locked up the office, and entered the elevator. Petra followed closely behind.

    Inside, Charlotte took out her phone and made a call.

    ¡°Hello?¡± came Mark¡¯s gruff voice.

    ¡°Mr. Gibson, this is Charlotte Riley.¡±

    ¡°What you want?¡± His tone was annoyed. ¡°Haven¡¯t you done enough damage to my son already?¡±

    Mark had held a grudge ever since Zac¡¯s suicide attempt, ming it on Charlotte. Lately, Monica kept repeating that Charlotte was the one who drove theirpany into bankruptcy, which only turned his dislike into full¨Cblown resentment.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who ruined the Gibson Corporation, right?¡± he snapped. ¡°What¡¯s this¨Ccalling me to rub it in?¡±

    Charlotte let out a quietugh, her tone calm and even. ¡°Mr. Gibson, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m calling to help. I heard Mrs. Gibson is filing for divorce. I¡¯d like to represent you in thewsuit.¡±

    Mark scoffed. ¡°Why would you do that? You destroyed ourpany. Why the hell should I trust you?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gibson,¡± Charlotte said coolly, ¡°there¡¯s something I need to make absolutely clear.¡±

    Her voice was steady. ¡°The Gibson Corporation didn¡¯t copse because of me. Zac made a reckless investment in a major project. It failed<b>, </b>the losses were huge, and thepany ran out of cash. On top of that, they had to pay hefty penalties to their partners. At first, all of that debt was on thepany¨Cnot him personally.¡±

    She paused. ¡°But then Zac crossed the line. He used his position to mixpany and personal finances. Under corporatew, that¡¯s enough to ¡®pierce the corporate veil.¡® The court ruled he had to take on the debt himself, along with thepany.

    ¡°You run a business, Mr. Gibson. I doubt I need to exin what that means.¡±

    There was silence on the other end.

    Ding.

    The elevator doors slid open at the basement level.

    Charlotte stepped out and headed toward her white Rolls¨CRoyce. When she reached the car, she tossed the keys to Petra.

    ¡°Mr. Gibson, <b>I </b>suggest you put personal grudges aside for now. My record speaks for itself. I¡¯ve been practicingw for three years and have won nearly every case I¡¯ve taken. Hiring me for your divorce wouldn¡¯t be a mistake.¡±

    <b>Chapter </b>393

    <b>Mark¡¯s </b>tone finally softened a little. <b>¡°</b>Why would you want to take my divorce case?¡±

    Petra opened the back door for Charlotte.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want Monica to get what she wants,¡± Charlotte replied, slipping into the car, her voice tinged with amusement. ¡°<b>If </b><b>she¡¯s </b>miserable, that works just fine for me.<b>¡± </b>

 His Heart 394

    <b>Chapter </b><b>394 </b>

    ¡°<b>Mark </b>fell silent.

    Monica had once lived like a queen¨Cdesigner bags, diamond jewelry, limited¨Cedition everything. Whatever she wanted<b>, </b>he gave <b>her </b>without question.

    But now that thepany had gone bankrupt, she wanted to jump ship. Divorce him, leave the family behind, and chase a new life with someone else?

    There was no way he could ept that. She had enjoyed the good times, but couldn¡¯t stay through the hard ones. That was uneptable.

    So as far as Mark was concerned, this divorce wasn¡¯t happening.

    And when Charlotte said what she did, Mark believed her. He knew Monica had always looked down on Charlotte and had insulted her more than once.

    Meanwhile, the white Rolls¨CRoyce glided out of the underground parking lot.

    ¡°Mr. Gibson, I¡¯m heading to the hospital to meet you. Will that work?¡± Charlotte asked.

    Mark hesitated for a moment, then finally replied, ¡°Come.¡±

    ¡°One more thing,¡± Charlotte added. ¡°Please make sure no one else is around.¡±

    By ¡°no one else,¡± she meant Monica and Zac.

    She had no intention of being interrupted while discussing legal strategy.

    Mark¡¯s tone dropped. ¡°I understand.¡±

    Twenty minutester, Charlotte entered the hospital room with Petra trailing behind her.

    ¡°Mr. Gibson.¡± She greeted him with a pleasant smile.

    But Mark couldn¡¯t bring himself to return it.

    Hispany was gone. His family was a mess. His health had taken a turn for the worse. Monica came to the hospital every day just to argue. His temples had gone gray, and the wrinkles on his face seemed deeper than ever.

    His tone was clipped. ¡°There are hundreds ofwyers in Jersey City Why should I pick you?¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°There are indeed manywyers. But not all of them are the daughter of Desmond Riley.¡±

    She let that sink in for a beat before continuing. ¡°Your family¡¯s bankrupt. From what I¡¯ve heard, Monica only managed to hire Gemma Garcia at S&G for eight thousand. That¡¯s all she could afford. You¡¯re probably in the same boat. Am I wrong?¡±

    Mark said nothing, his expression dark.

    Attorney fees were based on the size of the marital assets. And now that their property had been seized by the court, there was barely anything left to divide. Naturally, the legal fees weren¡¯t high either.

    But for them<b>, </b>even eight thousand dors was a lot¨Cenough to cover a month of rent and groceries.

    They were broke. He had no real options.

    Charlotte leaned back slightly, still smiling. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, Mr. Gibson. No firm is jumping to take a case like yours. Even if you don¡¯t hire me, the moment I make a call, not a single firm in Jersey City will touch it.¡±

    Mark knew she wasn¡¯t bluffing.

    Chapter <b>394 </b>

    <b>Charlotte </b>wasn¡¯t just <b>any </bwyer. She was also the daughter <b>of </b><b>theity¡¯s </b>wealthiest man. If a firm turned her down, they would <b>be </b>giving <b>up </b>any future connections with the Riley family. That wasn¡¯t a trade¨Coff most firms were willing to make.

    Only a fool would pass that up in exchange for

    After a long pause, Mark finally said, ¡°Alrigh¨Ctime divorce case.

    Charlotte smirked. ¡°You have my word.¡±

    retain

    you. Just make sure the court denies the divorce<b>.</b>¡±

    After her abortion, Wendy spent some time at home recovering.

    The case using her of defaming Charlotte and encouraging online harassment was still <b>in </b>the appeals process. The Court of Appeals in Jersey City had not yet scheduled a hearing.

    In the meantime, with Gibson Corporation officially bankrupt, Wendy had made a decision.

    of the country.

    She reached out to an old admirer from her social circle-

    <i>a </i>

    pampered trust¨Cfund heir¨Cand asked him to help smuggle her out

 His Heart 395

    <b>Chapter </b><b>395 </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Mr. Jasper<b>, </b>these documents need your signature<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>said Sam, his assistant, as he walked into the CEO¡¯s office at Jasper Corporation and handed over a few files.

    ¡°Just leave them there,¡± Sean replied without even ncing up from his phone.

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Jasper.¡±

    Sam ced the documents on the desk and quietly stepped out.

    Sean was scrolling through his calendar when he suddenly noticed the date National Couples Day was just around the corner. He needed to get Charlotte a gift.

    They weren¡¯t officially together. He was still chasing her but moments like this were opportunities. And he wasn¡¯t about to

    waste one.

    He grabbed his phone and called the son of a luxury CEO to ask if they had any uing limited¨Cedition handbags. The young man chuckled and teased in Frangelian, ¡°Trying

    win girl¡¯s heart?¡±

    Sean answered smoothly in wless Frangelian, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s for my future wife.¡±

    ¡°Lottie, I assume? Did you two get back together?¡±

    Everyone close to Sean knew exactly who that ¡°future wife¡± was Charlotte Riley.

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡® neck with thepany GM and get back to you.¡±

    The CEO¡¯s son didn¡¯t usually concern himself with product details, but he knew Sean well.

    ¡°Appreciate it,¡± Sean replied coolly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    A few minutester, the call came back. Thepany was indeed about tounch a globally limited handbag in three colors. He forwarded Sean the product photos.

    Sean flipped through them one by one. The design was elegant, and the bags came in matte crocodile leather¨Cck, white, and chestnut brown¨Ceach priced at 1.5 million dors.

    All three were ssic and versatile. Charlotte would definitely like them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take one of each,¡± Sean said.

    The other manughed. ¡°Got it. No need to pay¨Cconsider them a gift from me. Hope you and Lottie get back together soon.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do. If it¡¯s for her, I¡¯ll pay for it myself.¡±

    After ending the call, Sean immediately transferred 4.5 million.

    Meanwhile, Wendy had struck <i>a </i>deal with the rich yboy she had contacted.

    He agreed to help her leave the country but only if she slept with him first.

    Her expression stiffened. It had only been a little over a month since her abortion, and her doctor had warned her against intercourse for at least three months. Getting pregnant again within six months could cause serious, permanent damage to her body.

    <b>Chapter </b>305

    <b>But </b><b>if </b>she waited three months, her court case would already be deded. By then, escape would be impossible. After struggling with the decision, Wendy gritted her teeth and agreed.

    That night was a mess. The next morning, lying in the man¡¯s arms she tried to y sweet. ¡°When are you taking me out of the country, honey?¡±

    Her body was covered in hickeys, and she was still sore from everything he had done to her the night before.

    The man mumbled sleepily, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I said I¡¯d help, so I will.¡±

    Wendy rolled her eyes.

    Of course she was in a rush. If she didn¡¯t act quickly and Charlotte caught wind of her n<b>, </b>she wouldn¡¯t be able to get away. Once the court issued a final ruling, she would be facingmunity corrections. And if she failed to meet the requirements<b>, </b>prison <b>was </b>next.

    Lowering her voice, Wendy coaxed, ¡°You know I¡¯ve got that legal mess with Charlotte. I need to leave the country soon. If <b>I </b>don¡¯t, I¡¯ll end up behind bars.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it,¡± the man muttered, rolling over. ¡°Let me sleep.¡±

    Fury burned in Wendy¡¯s eyes.

 His Heart 396

    Chapter <b>396 </b>

    ?

    ¡°What a lousy excuse for a man,¡± Wendy thought.

    Before they slept together, he had been so attentive, acted like he didn¡¯t mind.

    80

    gentle even though he knew she still loved Zac. He waited patiently,

    But the moment he got what he wanted, all that warmth disappeared.

    Was that tenderness just an act? Another carefully crafted personal

    Wendy sat there, simmering with resentment, waiting and waiting until finally, at 1:30 p.m., Quinton Jackson woke up.

    ¡°Quinton,¡± she asked carefully, ¡°you promised to book a private jet. Can I leave today?¡±

    Still half¨Casleep, he pulled her under him without warning. ¡°What¡¯s the rush, baby? Let me have my fun first.¡±

    ¡°Have fun? Fun, your ass,¡± Wendy silently remarked.

    She clenched her teeth and endured it. Ten minutester, Quinton rolled off her, fully satisfied. ¡°That hit the spot<i>.</i>¡±

    Wendy was fuming. Maybe it hit the spot for him, but she was in pain. Her whole body ached¨Cespecially down there.

    She tried to stay sweet. ¡°Quinton¡­¡±

    Before she could finish, he waved her off. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll make the call now.¡±

    Wendy shut up. She knew when to back off.

    Quinton might have the money for shy cars and designer gifts, but he didn¡¯t actually own a private jet. What he had done was puvor from a richer friend¨Csomeone who happened to be flying to Elbonia soon.

    International private flights had to be filed with the authorities at least three days in advance. Luckily, his friend¡¯s <i>jet </i>had plenty of space, and tagging Wendy along wouldn¡¯t be a big deal.

    When the call went through, Quinton said, ¡°Hey, Mason¨CI need a favor.¡±

    After a brief exnation, Mason Henderson agreed without hesitation. ¡°No problem. Just have her bring her passport and check in with my assistant to get the paperwork sorted.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Quinton said gratefully.

    After hanging up, Wendy immediately wrapped her arms around his waist and cooed, ¡°I knew you¡¯de through for me.¡±

    Quinton grinned smugly. ¡°Told you. You should¡¯ve picked me from the start. Now look at Zac¨Chis family¡¯s broke. He can¡¯t do a damn thing for you.¡±

    That stung.

    Wendy¡¯s expression darkened. She had sacrificed everything for Zac: endured thebel of homewrecker, lost millions of followers, made enemies out of powerful people like the Rileys¨Cand now she was tangled up in awsuit. Worst of all, 7 abandoned her without hesitation. He didn¡¯t even want their baby.

    And here she was, selling herself just to get out of the country with this sleazy jerk.

    Later that afternoon, with all her documents in hand, Wendy followed Quinton to a private club where they were scheduled to

    meet Mason.

    Wendy had taken great care with her appearance: full m makeup<b>, </b>a body¨Chugging dress¨C<b>sexy</b><b>, </b>tasteful, designed to impress.

    Part of it was for Quinton¡¯s ego. The rest? She was aiming higher. Mason came from serious money. If she could charm him, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have to depend on Quinton for long.

    Men were visual creatures. And Wendy was confident in her looks

    But the moment she stepped into the private lounge, her dreams came crashing down.

    Her face turned ghostly pale. She froze in ce, unable to move like someone had cast a spell on her.

 His Heart 397

    Inside the private lounge, seated squarely in the center of the sofa was none other than Sean himself.

    At first, Sean didn¡¯t bother looking toward the door.

    It was Quinton who noticed Wendy¡¯s sudden hesitation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why¡¯d you stop?¡± he asked, puzzled.

    Wendy tried to back away, but Quinton grabbed her arm. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Don¡¯t you want to get out of the country?¡±

    Their scuffle drew attention.

    Someone across the room turned to look. Th233

    a voice, surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Wendy Cooper? Why did you bring her here?¡±

    The incident where Wendy ndered Charlotte online and led her followers in a cyberbullying campaign had made headlines. Even among the rich kids of Jersey City who had never heard of her before, her name had be infamous.

    As soon as he heard ¡°Wendy Cooper,¡± Sean finally looked up.

    His eyes were sharp as knives, gleaming with a bone¨Cchilling intensity.

    Wendy felt her chest tighten. Her legs went cold.

    She was done for.

    Mason<b>, </b>the heir Quinton had called for help, clearly recognized her too. It didn¡¯t take him long to realize the ¡°friend¡± Quinton had asked him to help smuggle abroad was her.

    His expression darkened. ¡°You¡¯re talking about her?¡± he snapped at Quinton.

    Quinton hadn¡¯t realized Mason knew Sean.

    He did know all about Wendy¡¯s grudge with Charlotte, though. Their entire circle did.

    ¡°Bring her here,¡± Sean said coldly.

    Quinton didn¡¯t dare defy him. He clenched his jaw and dragged Wendy forward.

    She resisted, but she wasn¡¯t strong enough. It was no use.

    When she was finally standing in front of Sean, he didn¡¯t even spare her a nce.

    Instead, he turned to Mason. His voice was calm but icy. ¡°Exin.

    Just two words, but they made Mason break out in a cold <b>sweat</b>.

    Damn it. He hadn¡¯t meant to offend this guy. This was the one man no one in the city wanted to cross.

    Everyone knew Charlotte was the only person Sean cared about.

    Mason silently cursed himself for being so careless. What kind of idiot agrees to something without asking for details?

    a friend

    He cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°Sean, this was a misunderstanding. Quinton called earlier and asked for a favor needed help getting out of the country. I just happened to have a flight nned, so I agreed. I had no idea that ¡®friend¡® was Wendy Cooper. If I¡¯d known, there¡¯s no way I would¡¯ve said yes.¡±

    Sean shot him a cool nce.

    <b>It </b>looked like he believed him.

    Even so, Mason was panicking. If Sean got the wrong idea, it could ruin the business deal he had just spent <b>weeks </b>securing.

    Sean turned to him again. ¡°Handle it,¡± he said quietly. ¡°She¡¯s still under investigation. She¡¯s not leaving the country<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    13

    apter 397

    ¡°Yes, absolutely,¡± Mason nodded rapidly<b>, </b>smiling apologetically. <b>I¡¯ll </b>take care of it, Sean. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got it handled.¡±

    The entire time, Sean didn¡¯t say a single word to Wendy.

    Later that <b>day</b>, he called Charlotte.

    He told her about Wendy¡¯s attempt to flee.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t say much¨Cjust a quiet ¡°Thank you.¡®

    After the call ended, Sean raised an eyebrow, lips curving slightly.

    Wendy might be useless for most things, but at least this time she gave him a perfect excuse to call Charlotte.

    It had been days since they had spoken.

    And he missed her terribly.

 His Heart 398

    Chapter <b>398 </b>

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Wendy¡¯s stupid stunt<b>, </b>Sean wouldn¡¯t have gotten to hear Charlotte¡¯s voice that day.

    Mason¡¯s solution was simple. He assigned someone to watch Wendy around the clock, making sure she didn¡¯t <b>try </b>to run again. She wasn¡¯t banned from going out, but everywhere she went, someone was keeping an eye on her.

    Coincidentally or not, it was the same approach Charlotte had taken. The moment she found out Wendy was nning to flee, she had arranged for someone to keep tabs on her too.

    Ever since Mrs. Jasper Sr.¡¯s funeral, where Megan had seen Sean for the first and only time in over a month, she hadn¡¯t run into him once.

    She never missed a single gathering in their friend group, always going with the hope of running into Sean<b>. </b>But every time, she left disappointed. He never showed up.

    It made sense, she told herself. After all, both his grandmother and father had passed away recently. He probably wasn¡¯t in the mood to socialize.

    Still, knowing that didn¡¯t make the longing go away. Her feelings for him only grew stronger by the day. She tried texting him every couple of days at first, but he never replied¨Cnot once. Eventually, she stopped messaging altogether and started asking mutual friends about his whereabouts instead.

    To her frustration, she kept hearing the same thing. Aside from going to the office, Sean spent most of his time at a private hospital owned by the Riley Corporation.

    Word was, that was where Charlotte was recovering.

    So Megan began staking out the hospital, hoping to bump into him. But every time she went, he wasn¡¯t there.

    She had no way of knowing his schedule, so all she could do was show up and hope. Maybe it was just bad luck or maybe Sean knew she was waiting and deliberately avoided her. Either way, an entire month went by, and she didn¡¯t get so much as a glimpse of him.

    Unable to hold back anymore, Megan finally decided to make a direct move and showed up at the Jasper estate to visit him:

    At Ascend Law Firm, it was almost 6 p.m., and the office was steadily emptying out as people clocked off for the day.

    Charlotte, as usual, stayed behind to workte. She was reviewing a few active cases, head down<b>, </b>flipping through a contract marked as evidence when a knock sounded at her door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± she said without looking up.

    Scott walked in. ¡°Miss Riley, you¡¯ve been workingte every day. You just got out of the hospital. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit much?¡±

    Still focused on the contract, Charlotte said casually, ¡°Working until ten¡¯s not so bad. I go home, take a shower, and head to bed. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m pulling all¨Cnighters.¡±

    Scott shook his head, half amused, half exasperated. ¡°You never change.¡±

    ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Lucas?¡± she asked.

    ¡®Not me,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s Tiana. She wants to have dinner with you and Jodie. I figured I¡¯d check if you¡¯re free, but judging by this

    >>

    <b>He </b>motioned toward her desk, ¡°I¡¯m guessing not.¡±

    Charlotte paused.

    Dr. Alice had mentioned that Tiana¡¯s frequent ydates with Jodie were a big help to Jodie¡¯s recovery. Without Tiana¡¯s friendship, her therapy wouldn¡¯t have progressed so quickly.

    Charlotte made up her mind. She looked up at Scott. ¡°I¡¯m free. Just let me know when you¡¯re bringing her.¡±

    Scott smiled, a warm, easy curve to his lips. ¡°How about tomorrow afternoon?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Sounds good.¡±

 His Heart 399

    Scott had chosen a warm, atmospheric restaurant.

    Inside, the d¨¦cor leaned into soft earth tones. Gentle light filtered through ornate chandeliers<b>, </b>casting a dreamy glow across the space. A few colorful, vintage¨Cstyle oil paintings hung on the walls adding a yful artistic ir to the otherwise tranquil

    ambiance.

    Scott held Tiana¡¯s hand, while Charlotte walked in with Jodie.

    A server led them to a table by the window with a perfect view. At the center of the ss round table sat a petite bouquet of fresh flowers, delicate and fragrant.

    The two little girls sat close together. Scott and Charlotte took the seats beside them¨Cclose enough that their shoulders nearly touched.

    ssical piano music flowed softly through the air, warm and smooth.

    After ordering food for the girls, Scott passed the menu to Charlotte. She looked up and met a pair of deep<b>, </b>unreadable eyes.

    The moment caught her off guard. Her smile faltered and slowly disappeared.

    Not far away, Sean was standing still, his gaze fixed on her. There was something unreadable in his expression<b>, </b>his eyes deep and intense.

    Beside him stood a tall woman with a curvy figure and long, wavy hair.

    Even after all these years, Charlotte recognized her instantly. She was Megan Stone.

    Charlotte remembered what Lena had told her. Megan had returned to the country for Sean. Her chest tightened, but she quickly looked away, keeping her expression calm.

    Scott had noticed the couple too.

    He nced at Sean, a subtle smile ying on his lips. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Jasper. Is this your girlfriend?¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression darkened. His voice was cool as ice. ¡°No.¡±

    Megan stepped in smoothly, shing a bright smile. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Megan Stone. I¡¯m Sean¡¯s¡­¡®¡±

    She paused, eyes flicking subtly toward Charlotte.

    ¡°¡­friend.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression remained unreadable, but inside, a ripple passed through her.

    She called him Sean.

    Charlotte lowered her gaze to hide the flicker of emotion in her eyes.

    ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Charlotte. Do you remember me? We met once years ago,¡± Megan said, smile bright.

    Charlotte nodded politely. ¡°I remember. It has been a while. Hope you¡¯ve been well.¡±

    Sean walked over and dragged a chair from the next table, seating himself right beside Charlotte without asking.

    Megan followed.

    ¡°Miss Riley,¡± he said coolly, ¡°how¡¯s the progress on the Jasper Corporation¡¯s cases?¡±

    Charlotte kept her tone neutral. ¡°Everything¡¯s in order. I¡¯ve been reviewing the files yourpany sent. All supporting materials have been organized and reviewed twice.¡±

    The table wasn¡¯t that big to begin with. Now with five people crowded around it<b>, </b>things felt a little cramped.

    +25 <b>BONUS </b>

    Still standing, Megan gave a lightugh. ¡°Sean, it¡¯s after hours. Can¡¯t business wait? Let¡¯s grab another table. Charlotte¡¯s on a date. We shouldn¡¯t interrupt.¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze darkened further. He nced at Charlotte, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly. ¡°A date?¡±

    Charlotte frowned. ¡°It¡¯s just dinner.¡±

    Her reflexive denial softened the look in his eyes, but the jealousy didn¡¯t fade.

    He had only looked away for a second, and Scott had already whisked her off to dinner.

    He nced at the two little girls sitting across the table and instantly understood that Scott had used the kids as a pretext to see

    her.

    ¡°Alright, Charlotte, I know you¡¯re shy.¡± Megan reached for Sean¡¯s sleeve and said sweetly, <b>¡°</b>Come on<b>, </b>let¡¯s not bother them anymore.¡±

 His Heart 400

    <b>Chapter </b>400

    Sean smoothly sidestepped Megan¡¯s hand, keeping his distance.

    His voice <b>was </b>cold. ¡°Since Miss Riley and Mr. Lucas aren¡¯t on a date, I assume you won¡¯t mind if I join you. We¡¯re all familiar faces, after all. And it¡¯s been a while since Ist saw Miss Riley¨Cthis seems like a good chance to catch up on the <b>cases </b>mypany handed over to your firm.¡±

    Megan¡¯s expression froze for a second.

    Scott let out a softugh. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this might not be the best time, Mr. Jasper. We¡¯ve got kids with us today.¡±

    Sean turned to Jodie and offered a warm smile. ¡°Jodie, do you mind if I sit with you and have dinner together?¡±

    Jodie recognized him instantly. She used to light up whenever she saw him. He had been nothing but kind, always bringing her toys. Of course she didn¡¯t mind.

    She replied crisply, ¡°I don¡¯t mind!¡±

    Sean smirked as he turned to Scott. ¡°Jodie¡¯s fine with it. Are you really going to be the stingy one here, Mr. Lucas?¡±

    Scott met his gaze with a calm, easy smile. ¡°You dide here with a lovelydy, Mr. Jasper. If you squeeze in with us, happens to Miss Stone?¡±

    what

    Sean¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He looked at Megan and said, ¡°Sorry, something came up. You should head home first. We¡¯ll discuss the project another day.¡±

    The mention of a ¡°project¡± wasn¡¯t for Megan¡¯s benefit¨Cit was for Charlotte. He wanted her to know this wasn¡¯t a date. Whatever it looked like, Megan was just a business partner.

    As he spoke, he didn¡¯t take his eyes off Charlotte.

    But she didn¡¯t look back at him. Her expression didn¡¯t change, as if none of this mattered.

    A quiet pang of disappointment settled in Sean¡¯s chest.

    Scott chuckled. ¡°Not very gentlemanly of you, Mr. Jasper. Leaving Miss Stone like that?¡±

    Sean¡¯s tone was cool. ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡±

    With that, he calmly picked up the menu and added two dishes, as if he had always been part of their dinner.

    Charlotte pressed her lips together, casting a nce at Megan. A wave of jealousy rose in her chest.

    <b>¡°</b>If Mr. Jasper came here with Miss Stone, then leaving her behind like this doesn¡¯t seem right. Let¡¯s discuss the cases another day. It¡¯s after hours. I don¡¯t want to talk about work right now.¡±

    Sean arched an eyebrow. ¡°Not in the mood to talk about work? That¡¯s not like you, Miss Riley. Funny I seem to remember the two of you chatting quite enthusiastically about work in your living room.¡±

    His eyes narrowed, voice tinged with jealousy. ¡°But with me, suddenly it¡¯s ¡®off the clock¡°?¡±

    Charlotte shot him a frosty look, the kind that said, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±

    Then<b>, </b>seeing the awkward expression on Megan¡¯s face<b>, </b>she let out a sigh and stood up.

    ¡°If Mr. Jasper insists on joining us, we¡¯ll just move to arger table<b>¡± </b>

    <b>Sean </b>raised a brow but followed.

    After Charlotte sat down, Jodie and Tiana obediently joined her at the new table. Sean smiled and took the seat <b>beside </b><b>Charlotte- </b>

    <b>Megan</b><b>, </b>seeing an open seat, followed and sat beside Sean.

    Scott had no choice but to join them as well.

    The date had been going perfectly¨Cuntil Sean barged in and ruined the moodpletely.

    <b>Scott </b>shot him a sharp look, clearly annoyed.

    Sean, unfazed, curled his lips into a triumphant smirk, as if everything was going exactly as he nned.

    Sitting beside him, Megan noticed the tension crackling between the two men<b>. </b>Her fingers tightened slightly around her coffee

    <b>cup</b>.

 His Heart 401

    Dinner ended in a haze of silent tension.

    Scott and Sean were locked in a quiet battle of wits.

    Charlotte pretended not to notice.

    Megan did her best to ignore it too.

    After the meal, Sean offered to drive Charlotte and Jodie liome.

    ¡°I drove myself,¡± Charlotte replied.

    ¡°Then give me a lift,¡± Sean said casually. ¡°We¡¯re headed the same way.¡±

    Charlotte stared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to take Miss Stone home?¡±

    ¡°She drove herself.¡± Sean didn¡¯t even nce at Megan. His voice turned warm as he looked at Charlotte.

    She shot him an annoyed re. ¡°Didn¡¯t you also drive here? Why do I need to take you?¡±

    ¡°Just got a message from Ian that his car broke down halfway home. Tow truck won¡¯t arrive for another hour and he¡¯s got something urgent, so I sent my driver to pick him up. He¡¯s nearby anyway, and I happened to bring the driver out today.¡±

    Scott let out a short, mockingugh, his toneced with sarcasm. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that convenient.¡±

    Sean smiled, unbothered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just?¡±

    Scott fell silent, clearly unimpressed.

    Charlotte, meanwhile, didn¡¯t believe a word of it.

    To sell the story, Sean called Ian on speaker.

    ¡°Ian, your car broke down, right? I¡¯m having my driver pick you up I¡¯m eating nearby.¡±

    Ian immediately caught on and yed along. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you that? Why are you calling again? Hurry up¨CI¡¯ve got something urgent to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, driver¡¯s on the way,¡± Sean said, then hung up and turned to Charlotte with a raised brow as if to say, see? I wasn¡¯t lying.¡±

    He waved off the car and handed the keys to his driver.

    Before Charlotte could say anything, Megan spoke first. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride, Sean.¡±

    But Sean brushed her off coolly. ¡°You¡¯re not on my way. I live right next to Miss Riley. We¡¯re practically neighbors. It couldn¡¯t be more convenient.¡±

    Of course, Charlotte could see right through the little act Sean andn had just put on.

    But she didn¡¯t call them out on it.

    Since Sean had already sent his driver away, if she refused, he would have no choice but to get a ride from Megan.

    And selfishly, Charlotte didn¡¯t want the two of them alone together

    With a calm expression<b>, </b>she shot him a nce and said, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s <i>go</i><i>.</i>¡±

    Then she opened the door and got in.

    Sean¡¯s eyes lit up. He looked pleased.

    Before getting in, he turned to Scott and shed him a smug, triumphant smile.

    Petra was driving. Charlotte and Jodie sat in the back while Sean took the passenger seat.

    As the car pulled away, Megan and Scott exchanged a silent, exasperated look.

    When they arrived outside the Riley estate, the car slowed to a stop

    ¡°You can get out here,¡± Charlotte said tly.

    She didn¡¯t want her father to see Sean dropping her off. It would raise too many questions.

    Sean seemed to understand. His gaze dimmed slightly

    as he opened the door but didn¡¯t step out right away.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing between me and Megan,¡± he said, turning to look directly at Charlotte. ¡°She only asked to meet today because of a business proposal.¡±

    The light from the car¡¯s overheadmp cast a soft glow on Charlotte¡¯s face. She looked stunning¨Ccalm and elegant, like a painting.

    Her expression didn¡¯t change. She simply replied, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Nothing more.

    Sean stared at her for a moment, then got out.

    ¡°Goodnight, Lottie.¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond.

    As soon as he stepped out, Petra drove the car into the underground garage. Charlotte got out and walked toward the elevator, her thoughts miles away.

 His Heart 402

    While they were having dinner, Petra waited in the car, unaware of what was going on inside.

    She was a little curious, of course, but chose not to ask. After all, it was her boss¡¯s personal business¨Cnot something she should pry into.

    In the elevator, Charlotte turned to her sister. ¡°Jodie, don¡¯t tell Mom and Dad about dinner with Sean today, okay?¡±

    Jodie nodded. ¡°Got it, sis.¡±

    ¡°Good girl,¡± Charlotte said gently.

    Back in her room, Charlotte pulled out her phone and checked her messages.

    Scott: ¡°Home yet?¡±

    Charlotte: ¡°Just got in.¡±

    Scott: ¡°Get some rest. Good night.¡±

    Charlotte: ¡°Okay.¡±

    The next day, an unexpected guest arrived at Charlotte¡¯sw firm.

    Megan swept in wearing a light beige business suit and carrying a Herm¨¨s handbag. Her confident stride and sharp aura instantly drew attention.

    ¡°Wow, who is that? She¡¯s stunning and so ssy.¡±

    ¡°Is she a client? Or maybe someone applying for a job?¡±

    ¡°Probably a client. She looks just like one of those fierce CEO types<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Totally agree. She¡¯s giving off serious boss energy. No way she¡¯s working for someone else.¡±

    ¡°That figure, that face¨Cshe¡¯s incredible.¡±

    Megan overheard the whispers of admiration and let a subtle smile curve her lips.

    She stopped in front of a young woman¡¯s desk and asked with a warm smile, ¡°Hi, I didn¡¯t see anyone at the front desk, so I just walked in. Could you tell me where Miss Riley¡¯s office is?¡±

    Jenny<b>, </b>caught off guard, was ttered to be spoken to by someone so morous.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there,¡± she said quickly, standing up.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Megan replied, her smile growing even more radiant. Jenny found herself a little dazed by it.

    When they reached Charlotte¡¯s office<b>, </b>Jenny smiled and said, ¡°This is Miss Riley¡¯s office.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯ll get back to work now.¡±

    Megan knocked on the door.

    Charlotte¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡±

    Megan opened the door and stepped in. ¡°Miss Riley.¡±

    Charlotte looked up and paused for a split second before quickly regaining herposure. <b>¡°</b>Miss Stone<b>, </b><b>please </b>have a seat,¡±

    Megan smiled and sat down on the couch near the coffee table.

    Charlotte stood up from behind her desk and walked over to the small table she used for guests. She filled the electric kettle and set out two ceramic mugs.

    ¡°What brings you by today, Miss Stone?¡± she asked, rinsing the mugs quickly and setting one in front of Megan before pouring her a cup of hot tea.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Megan said. ¡°I heard you opened your ownw firm so I wanted to drop by and have a look. I also happen to have a case I¡¯d like you to handle.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°What kind of case?¡±

    She had already received Megan¡¯s background information from Lena. Charlotte knew Megan was now the CEO of a publicly listedpany.

    Herpany surely had its own legal team. So what kind of case would require outside help?

    Megan pulled out her phone. ¡°Mind if we exchange numbers? I¡¯ll text you the case files my assistant just sent over.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Charlotte said, taking out her own phone. They swapped numbers, and Megan sent the documents over.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave this case in your hands, Miss Riley,¡± Megan said with a pleasant smile.

    Charlotte took a sip of her tea. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with the basics of the case, Miss Stone?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Megan said, taking a sip as well. ¡°This tea¡¯s really nice.¡±

    Àà

 His Heart 403

    Megan¡¯s case involved aplicated equity dispute.

    It was a tough one¨Cmessy details, iplete evidence, and a high risk of losing in court. For someone like Charlotte, who had only been practicing for just over three years, this case was no doubt a hard nut <b>to </b>crack.

    On the surface, Megan came to her to delegate the case. But in reality<b>, </b>she was here to stir the pot.

    If Charlotte turned the case down<b>, </b>Megan could openly question her professional capabilities. But if Charlotte took it and lost? That would only further prove she wasn¡¯t good enough and couldn¡¯t measure up.

    At least for now, Megan was undeniably more sessful in her career.

    After they finished going over the basics, Charlotte had a general sense of the case. She reviewed the materials Megan had sent over and formed a rough strategy in her mind.

    With a calm expression, she asked, ¡°So you¡¯re specifically requesting that I handle the case myself?¡±

    Megan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. I trust you, Miss Riley.¡±

    ¡°All our attorneys here are excellent,¡± Charlotte replied evenly. ¡°Their skills speak for themselves. But since you asked for me by name, I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    Megan was a little surprised Charlotte agreed so quickly.

    ¡°Does she even realize howplicated this case is or how high the risk of losing might be?¡± she wondered.

    ¨C

    ¡°Miss Biley, that was fast. Don¡¯t you want to think about it a little more?¡±

    Charlotte gave a small smile. ¡°The evidence is iplete, and the case isplex. Miss Stone, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware this case has a high risk of failure, right?¡±

    ¡°I know.<i>¡± </i>

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a guaranteed win in court,¡± Charlotte said calmly. ¡°Every casees with some risk. This one might be a tough one, but I haven¡¯t handled something this challenging in a long time. I want to take it on.¡±

    A spark lit up in Charlotte¡¯s eyes. Her tone was steady and confident. <b>¡°</b>I like cases that push me. If I can pull this off, it¡¯ll help build my name. So for me, it¡¯s both a challenge and an opportunity I¡¯m willing to give it a shot.¡±

    Megan was momentarily stunned.

    In Charlotte¡¯s eyes, she saw courage<b>, </b>confidence, and a quiet, determined strength.

    Beforeing here, she had assumed Charlotte was just a pretty face who relied entirely on her family¡¯s connections.

    But now she realized Charlotte had grit and wasn¡¯t someone who shied away from a challenge.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Megan said, her impression of Charlotte shifting. ¡°Let¡¯s sign the agreement

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    After taking Megan¡¯s case, Charlotte pushed herself even harder, even working through weekends withoutint.

    Once she left the firm<b>, </b>Megan headed straight to Sean¡¯s private vi.

    She rang the doorbell at the gate, and a man in his fifties came to answer.

    ¡°Miss Stone.¡± The man had a lean build and a kind face. ¡°How can help you?¡±

    Megan smiled politely. ¡°Mr. Long, I¡¯m here to see Sean. We scheduled a meeting to talk about a potential coboration.¡±

    ~~¡®s attitude was warm and respectful. ¡°Please wait a moment<b>. </b>I¡¯ll let him know<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Megan nodded with a smile. ¡°Thank you, I appreciate it.¡±

    A few minutester, Mr. Long returned.

    ¡°Miss Stone, the madam said to let you in,¡± he said<b>, </b>opening the gate and gesturing for her toe inside.

    ¡°Madam?¡± Megan frowned slightly.

    Once inside, as she stepped into the living room on the first floor, she spotted Lilian and realized, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s who he meant.¡±

    For a moment<b>, </b>she had been startled, thinking he was referring to Sean¡¯s wife.

    Megan walked over with a warm smile. ¡°Hi, Mrs. Jasper.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here, Megan. Have a seat,¡± Lilian said politely. Her tone wasn¡¯t particrly warm, but it was civil.

    Megan sat down next to her, and a housekeeper brought over tea.

    She nced around the room but didn¡¯t see Sean.

    Lilian took a sip of her tea, then said mildly, ¡°Sean¡¯s upstairs in the study, having a meeting. He¡¯ll be down soon.¡±

 His Heart 404

    Megan gave a polite nod. ¡°Oh, sure. I¡¯ll wait for him here. It¡¯s no problem at all.¡±

    Lilian responded with a nomittal ¡°Mm,¡± and made small talk with Megan<b>, </b>but her tonecked warmth.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to tell that Megan had feelings for Sean.

    But Lilian wasn¡¯t pleased about the idea of her son being with Megan.

    In her heart, Charlotte was the only one she saw as her daughter¨Cinw.

    Just thinking about Sean and Charlotte¡¯s rtionship made Lilian feel uneasy.

    Now that Joseph and Vivian had been arrested, and Mrs. Jasper Sr. had passed away, there was no one left in the family to oppose them being together.

    The only hurdle left was Desmond and Charlotte¡¯s own emotional walls.

    ¡°If only those two could get back together,¡± she thought wistfully.

    Come to think of it, she hadn¡¯t seen Charlotte in a while.

    The thought made Lilian sigh.

    Megan noticed and nced over with concern. ¡°Is something on your mind, Mrs. Jasper?¡±

    Lilian gave a faint smile, followed by another sigh. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve just been worrying about Sean¡¯s future. He and Lottie broke up and haven¡¯t made up yet. I keep hoping they¡¯ll find their way back to each other. Honestly, I wish Lottie would just marry into the family already and give me a grandchild or two. Sean¡¯s already thirty and still not married. It¡¯s driving me crazy.¡±

    The smile on Megan¡¯s lips froze.

    Lilian pretended not to notice and took a sip of tea before smiling again. ¡°So, Megan, are you seeing anyone?¡±

    Megan shook her head. ¡°No, not yet, Mrs. Jasper.¡±

    ¡°How old are you now?¡±

    ¡°Almost twenty¨Cseven.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow<b>, </b>you¡¯re not that young anymore. Why aren¡¯t you dating?¡± Lilian put on the role <b>of </b>a nosy elder with ticed ease. Want me to introduce you to someone? One of my friends has a son. He¡¯s a year older than you, just got back think you two might get along.¡±

    Megan¡¯s heart sank.

    verseas. I

    The message was crystal clear. No matter how aplished she was, Lilian only saw Charlotte as a suitable match for Sean. She would never approve of Megan.

    She kept her smile up. ¡°No need, Mrs. Jasper. There¡¯s already someone I like. I¡¯m not interested in anyone else.¡±

    Lilian pretended not to get the hint. ¡°Oh? Whose son is he? Do I know him?¡±

    Megan yed along. She smiled<b>. </b>¡°You know him very well.¡±

    Lilian said, ¡°Then bring him by sometime. I¡¯ll help you vet him.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    About ten minutester<b>, </b>Sean finally came downstairs.

    Two men followed behind him. One was his assistant, <b>Sam</b>. <b>The </b>other was <b>a </b>stranger Megan <b>didn¡¯t </b><b>recognize</b>.

    Once the unfamiliar man left, Megan asked, ¡°Sean, who was that just now?¡±

    Sean sat down on the couch and didn¡¯t answer her question. Instead, he asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Megan hesitated. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say yesterday we¡¯d talk about the coboration another day? I¡¯m here to talk business<b>.</b>¡±

    Sean replied coldly, ¡°Did you bring the proposal?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡± Megan handed over a USB drive. ¡°Everything¡¯s on here.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t even move. He didn¡¯t lift a hand to take it.

    Sam stepped forward and took the drive from Megan. He plugged it into hisptop and pulled up the documents for Sean to review.

    Sean read quickly, skimming with practiced ease.

    When he finished, he shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    Megan froz?.

    ¡°If you want to work with me, bring something better,¡± Sean said coolly. ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time with stuff like this.¡±

    With that, he stood up and walked away without so much as a nce back, leaving Megan stunned in silence.

 His Heart 405

    Megan stormed back into her office, yanked out her chair, and dropped into it. With a flick of her wrist, she flung the USB drive onto the desk.

    Her re swept across the room. ¡°What kind of garbage did you people put together? If you can¡¯t do the job right, then pack up and get out!¡±

    The deputy project manager stood silently in front of her desk, head lowered, voice trembling. ¡°Miss Stone, please¡­ calm down.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the new deputy project manager?¡± Megan leaned back in her chair, narrowing her eyes as she looked him over. ¡°You signed off on this proposal?¡±

    ¡°Y¨Cyes¡­¡± The deputy, Daryl Seth, was drenched in sweat, visibly shaking..

    As CEO, Megan didn¡¯t normally need to personally review every proposal. That was the job of her managers.

    Project manager Patrick York, standing beside him with his head lowered, tried to step in.

    ¡°Miss Stone, Daryl¡¯s new to the team. He might not be fully familiar with your expectations yet<b>, </b>so-¡±

    Before he could finish, Megan cut him off sharply. ¡°Is it that he doesn¡¯t know my standards, or that he got in through connections and isn¡¯t qualified in the first ce? You both know the answer.¡±

    Both men stiffened at her words.

    ¡°You-¡± Megan pointed at Daryl. ¡°You¡¯re fired. Get out. I don¡¯t want to see your face again.¡±

    ¡°Miss Stone, please! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Daryl dropped to his knees with a loud thud.

    ¡°Get out!¡± Megan snapped.

    Tears streamed down Daryl¡¯s face. ¡°Miss Stone, I have a family to support¨Cmy parents, my kids. I can¡¯t lose this job. Please<b>, </b>just give me one more chance. I¡¯ll fix the proposal, I swear. Don¡¯t fire me¡­¡±

    Megan¡¯s expression remained cold. She didn¡¯t waste another word Picking up her desk phone, she said tly, ¡°Send security to my office. Escort Daryl out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss Stone,¡± her assistant replied.

    Daryl stayed on his knees, still pleading.

    Megan ignored him entirely. She turned to Patrick. ¡°How long have you been at the domestic ba?¡±

    Patrick¡¯s forehead glistened with sweat. ¡°Four years,¡± he replied quietly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done decent work,¡± Megan began, her tone momentarily neutral before it turned sharp again. ¡°But you crossed the line.¡±

    She grabbed a stack of printed pages and threw them in Patrick¡¯s face. ¡°You used your position to pull strings for your brother- inw¨Cbringing in someone clearly unqualified and handing him a deputy role. Impressive. Really impressive<b>. </b>You <b>can </b>leave with him.¡±

    After Sean rejected her proposal, Megan had sat down and gone through the documents herself every page, every <b>line</b>.

    She had always been impressed with Patrick¡¯s past work and hade to trust his judgment. Eventually, she had <b>stopped </b>reviewing anything he signed off on.

    She never <b>expected </b>that trust to be abused or that he would sneak Daryl into thepany and <b>help </b><b>him </b><b>climb </b><b>to a </b>leadership role he didn¡¯t earn<b>. </b>

    Normally, Megan wouldn¡¯t waste her time on low¨Clevel personnel matters like deputy managers.

    But that one ¡°low¨Clevel¡± employee had just cost her a major coboration with Sean.

    She was furious.

    Patrick didn¡¯t move. The documents fell from his face and scattered on the floor.

    ¡°Miss Stone,¡± he said, voice low, ¡°this was my oversight. I was tied up managing the YS project at the time and didn¡¯t give this one enough attention. I didn¡¯t realize you were nning to use it in negotiations with the Jasper Corporation.¡±

    ¡°Oh<b>, </b>so that¡¯s your excuse?¡± Megan snapped. ¡°You didn¡¯t know, so it¡¯s okay to lower the standard? Okay to be careless<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>She wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°Not only did you fail at your own job, you dragged someone ipetent into thepany and handed him a title he didn¡¯t earn. You have no excuse. You¡¯re fired. Get out¡±

 His Heart 406

    Patrick fell silent. His fists clenched tightly, and behind the lenses of his gold¨Crimmed sses, a sh of cold light flickered.

    The next second, a knock sounded at the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Megan said.

    Her executive assistant, Zion Spencer, entered with two security guards and hauled Daryl up from the floor.

    Zion nced at Patrick, standing nearby.

    Patrick¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°I can walk out on my own.¡±

    With that, he turned and strode toward the door.

    The two guards dragged Daryl out, his voice rising in desperation as he struggled. ¡°Miss Stone, please! Just give me one more chance! I swear I¡¯ll do better!¡±

    Megan¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. Her expression was cold and unmoved.

    Only after Daryl had been dragged away did Megan speak again, her voice t. ¡°Zion<b>, </b>call a meeting in ten minutes. I¡¯ll be appointing a new project manager and deputy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss Stone.¡±

    Under the leadership of the newly appointed project manager, the entire project team worked overtime for a full week, pushing hard to revise the proposal. Atst, they produced a version that met Megan¡¯s standards.

    She took the updated proposal to Jasper Corporation to meet with Sean.

    Since returning to the country, Megan had been to Jasper Corporation¡¯s headquarters several times.

    The new front desk receptionist downstairs, a young woman named Mandy, already recognized her.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Stone,¡± Mandy greeted her cheerfully.

    Megan stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 27th floor.

    The 27th floor was just below the executive office. Only Sean¡¯s private elevator gave direct ess to the top floor, so Megan always had to wait in the guest lounge on 27 until he was avable.

    As Megan entered the elevator, Charlotte walked through the lobby doors of Jasper Corporation.

    She was here to get some official documents signed. Jasper Corporation had entrusted already prepared theints. Now she just needed the legal representative¡¯s signature.

    with severalwsuits, and she had

    Since the building wasn¡¯t far from her office, she figured she might as well deliver the documents in person.

    She remembered that when Sean hade to her firm to sign contractsst time, he had brought Jasper Corporation¡¯s legal rep along but she hadn¡¯t caught the person¡¯s name.

    Before heading over, she had tried calling Sean¡¯s assistant, Sam, but he hadn¡¯t answered. He was probably stuck in a meeting.

    When she reached the front desk, the receptionist, Mandy, stopped her. ¡°Hi, miss. Who are you here to see?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m here for Sean Jasper.¡±

    Mandy gave her a quick once¨Cover, slightly raising her eyebrows.

    ¡°Another one of the CEO¡¯s admirers?¡± she thought.

    In the three months since she had started working the front desk, Mandy had stopped more women than she could count from trying to see the boss. She was numb to it by now.

    Assuming Charlotte was just another flirt chasing Sean, Mandy¡¯s attitude turned curt.

    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, but I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I can call him directly,¡± she was about to say.

    ?But before the words left her mouth, Mandy cut her off. ¡°If you don¡¯t have an appointment, <b>you </b>can¡¯t see our CEO. Please leave.¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t get angry. She remained calm. ¡°I know him personally.¡±

    Mandy scoffed. ¡°Sure you do. Every other woman who walks in here says that. I¡¯ve heard it so many times my ears are going numb. Let me give you some advice¨Cdon¡¯t waste your time. Our CEO isn¡¯t someone you can just walk in and meet whenever you feel like it.¡±

 His Heart 407

    Charlotte held up the file folder in her hand. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m actually here on real business. It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    Mandy let out a scoffingugh, her expression dripping with skepticism. ¡°If it¡¯s legit, why didn¡¯t you book an appointment? Don¡¯t try that with me. I¡¯ve seen this move before¨Cshowing up with a folder to make it look like you¡¯ve got official business, hoping I¡¯ll wave you through. That trick¡¯s ancient. Everyone tries it¡±

    That was when it clicked for Charlotte.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why,¡± she thought.

    Apparently, women showing up under the pretense of ¡°business¡± to get close to Sean was a regr urrence. No wonder the receptionist was so defensive.

    But Charlotte wasn¡¯t offended. Honestly, she found the whole thing kind of entertaining. The girl was clearly just doing her job ¨Cand doing it with a bit of ir.

    With a half¨Csmile, Charlotte decided to y along. ¡°Outdated, huh?<b>¡± </b>

    Mandy huffed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Obviously. I once fell for that exact move. Let someone through and almost got fired for it. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that my cousin is Mr. Jasper¡¯s personal assistant, I¡¯d be out of a job. I still got docked half a month¡¯s pay over it, though. So don¡¯t even think about sneaking past me this time. I¡¯m not falling for it again.¡±

    ¡°Pfft-¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help it. She burst outughing.

    She studied the girl in front of her, now even more amused. ¡°So, your cousin works directly for Mr. Jasper?¡±

    ¡°Yup¡±

    Mandy kept going, still trying to talk her out of it. ¡°Look, I get it¨C<b>Mr</b>. Jasper¡¯s ridiculously handsome and has that whole mysterious vibe. Girls fall for him all the time. And honestly, you¡¯re really pretty too. But he¡¯s just not into your type. The guy¡¯s dream girl list is a mile long. You and me? We don¡¯t stand a chance¡±

    Charlotte almostughed.

    She never imagined she would be mistaken for one of Sean¡¯s fangirls.

    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is¡­ you¡¯re one of them too?¡± she asked with a teasing smile.

    Mandy, totally sincere, nodded without hesitation. ¡°Absolutely. But I¡¯m not crazy¨Cnow I¡¯m way out of his league.¡± She gave Charlotte a once¨Cover. ¡°But you? You¡¯re stunning. You could have your pick of men. t waste your time here. Our CEO¡¯s already taken. He¡¯s with Miss Stone.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s smile faded slightly. ¡°Miss Stone?¡±

    Mandy nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yeah, Megan Stone¨Cthe daughter of the Stone family. She¡¯s the CEO of a listedpany, super young, sessful, beautiful¡­ She and our CEO are a perfect match. Like, seriously, they¡¯re made for each other.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Charlotte¡¯s tone cooled.

    Mandy noticed the change in her expression and assumed her words had hit home.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you should just let it go.¡±

    Just then, Charlotte¡¯s phone vibrated.

    She nced at the caller ID.

    It was Sean¡¯s assistant, Sam. The very same <b>¡°</b>cousin¡± Mandy had been name¨Cdropping.

    Charlotte¡¯s <b>lips </b>curved into a teasing smile. She held out her phone so Mandy could see the screen. ¡°It¡¯s your cousin Want to answer it?¡±

    Mandy¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You¡­ you know my cousin?¡±

    Charlotte answered the call, then handed the phone to the stunned receptionist.

    Mandy took it, still eyeing Charlotte suspiciously.

    On the other end, Sam¡¯s voice came through clearly. ¡°Miss Riley? You called me¡ªwhat¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Mandy¡¯s expression was full of confusion. She kept her eyes on Charlotte. ¡°Hi Sam¡­ it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Mandy?¡± Sam soundedpletely thrown. ¡°Why are you answering Miss Riley¡¯s phone?¡±

    Mandy blinked. ¡°So¡­ she actually does know the CEO?¡± she muttered.

    There was a pause on the other end before Sam spoke again, his voice tight. ¡°Mandy¡­ please don¡¯t tell me you stopped her at the front desk.<i>¡± </i>

 His Heart 408

    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mandy said, confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to stop any strange women without an appointment? She didn¡¯t have one and asked to <b>see </b>the CEO by name<b>, </b>so I stopped her¨Clike I was told.¡±

    Sam smacked his thigh with a loud p. ¡°Oh my god! Are you serious? You actually blocked her? Let her up¨Cno, wait! I¡¯ming down myself to get her!¡±

    Mandy was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s going on<b>, </b>Sam? She really knows the CEO?¡±

    ¡°Knows him?¡± Sam was already halfway out of his office, hurrying toward the elevator. <b>¡°</b>She¡¯s not just anyone¡ªshe¡¯s the CEO¡¯s wife!¡±

    Just as he rounded the corner, he collided with someone.

    The first thing he saw was a pair of polished, custom¨Cmade ck dress shoes and the matching tailored cks.

    Oh no<b>. </b>

    Sam slowly looked up and locked eyes with Sean.

    ¡°Sir¡­ Mr. Jasper¡­¡±

    Sean looked down at him<b>, </b>narrowing his eyes. The air around him turned cold and tense. ¡°CEO¡¯s wife? Who?¡±

    ¡°Miss Riley, sir.¡±

    The icy tension in Sean¡¯s gaze melted instantly. His expression rxed, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°She¡¯s here?¡± he asked.

    Sam quickly hung up the call and nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. She¡¯s downstairs. The new receptionist didn¡¯t recognize her, and since she didn¡¯t have an appointment, she blocked her¡­¡±

    The farther Sam got into the exnation<b>, </b>the softer his voice became.

    Because the receptionist¨Chis cousin Mandy¨Chad already messed up once. She had let some random woman through weeks ago, and Sean nearly had her fired. Sam had begged and pleaded just to keep her job safe.

    Sam and Sean had been friends since college. They were close back then<b>, </b>and after Sam returned from studying overseas, he had joined Jasper Corporation through the proper channels.

    Now, standing there<b>, </b>Sam felt a wave of dread wash over him.

    Was his career about to go down the drain because of his clueless cousin?

    ¡°Please, please<b>, </b>someone save me,¡± he muttered.

    But the fury he expected never came.

    Instead, Sean¡¯s smile widened. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>like that. ¡®CEO¡¯s wife.¡® Let¡¯s call her that from now on.¡±

    <b>He </b>turned toward the elevator. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go get her.¡±

    Sam froze for a second.

    ¡°<b>Wait</b><b>¡­ </b><b>so </b>I¡¯m not getting fired?¡± <b>he </b>thought.

    Realizing <b>he </b>was off the hook, he nearly shouted with <b>joy </b>and hurried <b>after </b>Sean with <b>a </b><b>grin</b>.

    <b>Downstairs</b><b>, </b><b>Mandy </b><b>stood </b><b>stiffly </b><b>in </b><b>front </b><b>of </b>Charlotte, her <b>expression </b><b>a </b><b>tangled </b><b>mix </b><b>of </b><b>shock </b><b>and </b><b>regret </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Wait¨Cshe¡¯s the CEO¡¯s wife?!¡± she thought.

    Mandy lowered her head, wringing her fingers anxiously. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I <b>really </b>didn¡¯t know you were Mrs. Jasper. I thought you were just¡­¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Jasper?¡± Charlotte frowned. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not.¡±

    Mandy panicked. ¡°Please, don¡¯t tease me. My cousin already told me everything. You are the CEO¡¯s wife. I¡¯m the one who was blind¨CI didn¡¯t recognize you! Please, forgive me!¡°.

    Charlotte frowned deeper. ¡°I told you¨CI¡¯m not his wife.¡±

    Mandy, flustered, thought Charlotte was angry because of what she said earlier¨Cabout Miss Stone being the CEO¡¯s match. She figured Charlotte was holding a grudge and refusing to admit it out of spite.

    ¡°I¡¯m screwed. I¡¯m so dead.

    ¡°I offended the CEO¡¯s wife. If she wants me gone, not even my cousin can save me.

    ¡°Why is my life like this?¡± Mandy muttered to herself.

 His Heart 409

    Mandy pressed her palms together and bowed slightly toward Charlotte, biting her lip and putting on her most pitiful expression. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I was wrong, I really was! I totally get it now please don¡¯t be mad, okay? You¡¯re so pretty, kind, and understanding. There¡¯s no way someone like you would hold a grudge, right?¡±

    She batted her big, sparkly mascara¨Clined eyes at Charlotte,ying it on thick. ¡°I really need this job. Please don¡¯t get me fired. You¡¯re gorgeous and amazing and the best¨Cplease, prettydy, have mercy!¡±

    Just then, *ding* -the CEO¡¯s private elevator opened.

    Sean stepped out, with Sam following closely behind.

    Sam immediately started shooting dagger eyes at his cousin.

    ¡°Seriously? The one person you were supposed to let through, you block? But every other random you let stroll right in?!¡±

    Mandy widened her eyes and silently shot a look back.

    ¡°How was I supposed to know she was the CEO¡¯s wife?! You never told me anything!¡±

    In just a few strides, Sean had already reached Charlotte.

    ¡°Hey, Lottie. You¡¯re here,¡± he said warmly, a rare smile tugging at his lips. ¡°What brings you by?¡±

    Mandy stood there,pletely stunned.

    Was this really the same CEO who always looked so cold and expressionless?

    She had been working here for three months and had never seen him this gentle with anyone.

    With the way he was acting now¨Cwho would believe she wasn¡¯t the CEO¡¯s wife?

    Charlotte handed over the folder in her hand. ¡°I need thepany¡¯s legal rep to sign and stamp these.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Sean took the folder and passed it straight to Sam.

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± he asked, looking back at her.

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°I have. Just get the documents signed¨CI need to take them back today.¡±

    ¡°No rush,¡± Sean said, his eyes fixed on her with such softness they practically glowed. ¡°Come upstairs. I¡¯ll make you some tea.¡±

    Charlotte nced at her watch. ¡°Can¡¯t. I¡¯ve got other things to doter.¡±

    Mandy, still watching from the sidelines, caught the brief flicker of disappointment in Sean¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Well, well¡­ so Mr. Cold and Stoic has a soft side? Is it just me, or did he look a little vulnerable just now?¡± she thought.

    Her eyes darted back and forth between Sean and Charlotte, tongue pressing against the inside of her cheek as she watched the scene unfoldpletely absorbed in the drama like it was her favorite drama.

    Sam<b>, </b>catching her look, shot her another sharp re.

    ¡°What are you gawking at? Keep it up and you really will get fired.

    Mandy pursed her lips and silently responded with a look of her own.

    ¡°Come <b>on</b>, how often do you get front¨Crow seats to this kind of drama?!¡±

    ¡°<b>Sam</b><b>, </b>take <b>this </b><b>to </b>Miles and have him sign and stamp it,¡± Sean ordered.

    ¡°<b>Yes</b><b>, </b><b>sir</b>.¡±

    Since Charlotte didn¡¯t want to <b>go </b>upstairs<b>, </b>she waited in the downstairs lounge.

    Naturally, Sean waited with her.

    The lobby had a quiet seating area¨Cone long couch and two single armchairs arranged around a coffee table.

    Charlotte headed over and took a seat in one of the armchairs to wait.

    Sean sat on the couch, right next to her¨Cnot technically on the same seat, but close enough that there was barely any space between them.

    Mandy, determined to redeem herself<b>, </b>rushed to make Charlotte a cup of tea and practically skipped over to deliver it<b>, </b>grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Tea for you, Mrs. Jasper!¡±

    Sean looked quite pleased by her initiative, a rare glint of approval flickering in his eyes.

    Charlotte, however, furrowed her brows and gave a helpless little smile. ¡°I told you<b>, </b>I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°You will be,¡± Sean said softly. ¡°That title belongs to you¡ªand only you.¡±

    Charlotte knew there was no point in arguing with him again. She shifted the conversation instead and turned to Mandy.¡± What¡¯s your name?¡±

    Mandy¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    ¡®Oh no. She¡¯s asking my name¡­ is this it? Am I about to get fired?¡± she wondered.

    She bit her lip and looked up nervously. ¡°Mandy Hall,¡± she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

    Charlotte gave a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re kind of funny.¡±

    Mandy¡¯s nerves instantly melted away.

    ¡°Not only did the CEO¡¯s wife not yell at me¨Cshe actuallyplimented me!¡± she thought gleefully.

 His Heart 410

    Charlotte let out augh. ¡°Why would I fire you? You don¡¯t even work for mypany.¡±

    Mandy nced nervously at Sean.

    Sean said casually, ¡°Lottie, she stopped you at the front desk earlier<b>. </b>If you want her gone<b>, </b>I¡¯ll let her go.¡±

    Mandy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait¨Cwhat?! Am I getting fired anyway?¡± she thought.

    ¡°I never said I wanted her fired,¡± Charlotte shot him a look. ¡°I didn¡¯t make an appointment, and she was just doing her job. It¡¯s rare to find employees who actually take their responsibilities seriously. Don¡¯t go firing people over something like that.¡±

    Sean smiled, eyes soft. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Mandy exhaled, finally letting go of the breath she had been holding. Her heart, which had been lodged somewhere in her throat, finally returned to her chest.

    Sean stayed seated beside Charlotte, casually trying to keep the conversation going.

    ¡°There¡¯s a new sushi spot in West District. Want to check it out sometime?¡±

    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ve been really busy.¡±

    ¡°You still have to eat, no matter how busy you are.¡±

    ¡°West District¡¯s too far. The round trip would waste too much time¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Sean said after a pause. Then he added, ¡°What about this weekend? A friend of mine just opened a hot spring resort in Clearwater Springs. Want to go check it out?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s tone was t. ¡°I¡¯m going to Harbor City this weekend to meet with a client.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Twenty minutes passed.

    There was still no sign of Sam.

    Charlotte checked her watch. ¡°What¡¯s

    taking SO

    long?¡±

    Sean finally pulled out his phone and made

    a call

    follow up.

    Sam came down shortly after<b>, </b>carrying the signed and stamped documents<b>. </b>He handed them to Charlotte with an apologetic smile. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Riley. Mr. Cruz had somethinge up and it took a little longer.¡±

    Upstairs, Miles sneezed.

    In reality, Miles had signed and stamped the documents almost immediately.

    Sam, on the other hand, had intentionally dragged his feet¨Ckilling time sipping tea and scrolling through his phone in the office upstairs.

    After years of working by Sean¡¯s side, Sam knew exactly what was going on.

    Every extra minute <b>he </b>dyed was one more minute the boss got to spend alone with Miss Riley.

    No way was he going to interrupt that voluntarily. He <b>wasn¡¯t </b>stupid

    It <b>wasn¡¯t </b>until Sean called to check in that he finally picked up <b>the </b>le and casually made his way downstairs.

    Charlotte took the documents and flipped through them. Everything looked good. She gave a small nod. ¡°Looks <b>fine</b><b>. </b><b>I¡¯ll </b><b>head </b>

    out now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out,¡± Sean offered.

    ¡°No need. Petra¡¯s still waiting in the car,¡± Charlotte said firmly.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Charlotte turned and left.

    Sean stood there, watching her until she disappeared from sight.

    Mandy, who had quietly taken in the whole exchange, shook her head and let out a soft tsk¨Ctsk.

    ¡°From the way the CEO was acting, he was clearly trying to win her back. No wonder Miss Riley said she wasn¡¯t his wife. He hadn¡¯t won her over yet,¡± she figured.

    Meanwhile, upstairs on the 27th floor, Megan was still sitting in the guest lounge¨Cwaiting.

    It had been nearly forty minutes.

    She had called Sean twice, and both times he hadn¡¯t picked up.

    She was starting to lose her patience.

    Finally, she stood up and walked out of the lounge, heading straight to the executive secretaries¡® office.

    There were four desks inside, each one manned by a sharply dressed male secretary in matching gray suits. One was typing away

    at lightning speed, another was on the phone. The whole room buzzed with quiet<b>, </b>professional energy.

    Megan approached one of them and tapped lightly on his desk.

    ¡°Is Mr. Jasper still in a meeting?¡± she asked.

    The secretary paused and looked up at her. ¡°No, the meeting ended about half an hour ago.¡±

    Megan frowned. ¡°Then where is he? I¡¯ve been waiting

    The secretary replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure either, ma¡¯am.¡±

 His Heart 411

    Over the weekend, Charlotte took Petra with her on a trip to Harbor City to meet with a client.

    While she was there, she ran into an old acquaintance from Zac¡¯s social circle¨CQuinn Spencer.

    Quinn tried to catch up and invited her to dinner, but Charlotte turned her down.

    She used to think of Quinn as a friend. Once, she even bought her a bracelet worth tens of thousands for her birthday. But when others mocked the bracelet as fake, Quinn didn¡¯t defend her. She just stayed silent.

    That was the moment Charlotte saw Quinn for who she really was.

    Quinn, like the rest of Zac¡¯s friends, had always looked down on her deep down. They didn¡¯t think she belonged in their circle and never truly saw her as one of them.

    Charlotte spent three days in Harbor City and didn¡¯t return to Jersey City until Wednesday, May <b>20</b>.

    As she stepped out of the VIP lounge from business ss, the first person she saw waiting outside was Sean.

    She slowed her steps.

    ¡°Why is he here?¡± she wondered.

    Sean stood tall in a charcoal gray suit, shoulders squared, his casual posture still exuding a natural sense of elegance and quiet authority.

    Charlotte walked over and looked up at him. Her voice was t. ¡°How did you know I was flying back today?¡±

    ¡°I checked your flight info,¡± Sean replied.

    Her tone remained cold. ¡°My family¡¯s driver ising to pick me up. There was no need for you toe

    With that, she didn¡¯t stop to chat. She turned and headed toward the parking garage.

    Petra followed closely behind, dragging the suitcase.

    the way here.¡±

    Sean reached out and took the luggage handle from Petra. ¡°Lottie,e with me. I¡¯ve got two new cases I want to assign to

    you.¡±

    Charlotte stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.

    Sean¡¯s expression was serious. ¡°I brought all the evidence and materials. They¡¯re in the car. Come take a look.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    If it was work¨Crted, she couldn¡¯t exactly say no.

    Sean¡¯s hand gripped the suitcase handle with <b>ease</b><b>. </b>His tall, striking appearance turned heads as they walked through the airport.

    When they reached the underground parking lot, Sean led them to his ck Cullinan. He personally loaded the luggage into the

    trunk.

    In the car, Sean drove while Petra and Charlotte sat in the back seat.

    ¡°Hungry? Want to grab something to eat first?¡± Sean nced at her through the rearview mirror.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m fine. Not hungry yet. Where are the case files? <b>I¡¯ll </b>take a look

    ¡°They¡¯re in the front seat.¡±

    Charlotte leaned forward to reach for the file folder in the passenger seat.

    As she moved closer<b>, </b><b>the </b><b>soft </b>floral¨Cfruity scent of her perfume drifted over to Sean, <b>slipping </b><b>into </b><b>his </b>senses.

    <b>It </b>made his heart itch.

    It had been a long time since they had been this close.

    But the moment was gone in a sh.

    Charlotte took the folder and sat back in her seat, flipping it open and focusing intently on the documents inside.

    Sean felt a wave of disappointment wash over him.

    For the next twenty minutes, Charlotte quietly studied the materials, her gaze focused,shes casting faint shadows on her cheeks.

    Then she looked up and began asking Sean a few questions about the case.

    He answered each one carefully.

    A few minutester, Charlotte suddenly frowned. ¡°Wait a second this isn¡¯t the way to thew firm.<b>¡± </b>

    Sean¡¯s lips parted slightly. ¡°We¡¯re heading to my office first.¡±

    Charlotte assumed it was still about the case<b>, </b>so she didn¡¯t press <b>the </b>issue.

    They arrived at the Jasper Corporation headquarters and pulled into the underground parking lot.

    Sean turned to Petra. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll take Lottie upstairs with me.¡®

    Petra didn¡¯t say anything. She turned to Charlotte, silently seeking confirmation.

 His Heart 412

    Chapter <b>412 </b>

    Charlotte turned to Petra. ¡°Wait here for me. I won¡¯t be long.¡±

    Petra finally responded with a quiet, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Sean led Charlotte to the private executive elevator and pressed the button for the top floor¨C28th.

    Inside the elevator, it was just the two of them.

    In the small, enclosed space, it was so quiet that even their breathing could be heard clearly.

    Sean stood close to her, so close that Charlotte could pick up the subtle scent of his cologne¨Csomething woody and cool, just like him.

    The distance was far too close..

    So close their clothes were nearly touching.

    Charlotte subtly shifted a step to the side, putting space between them.

    Sean lowered his gaze. Her tiny movement didn¡¯t escape his notice

    He arched a brow, then leaned down, his lips near her ear as he whispered with a teasing lilt, ¡°Afraid I might bite?¡±

    His voice was low and maic,ced with amusement.

    Charlotte¡¯s ears turned a faint shade of red. She pressed her lips together and said nothing.

    Sean¡¯s smile deepened, clearly in a good mood.

    The elevator opened directly into the top¨Cfloor CEO office.

    Charlotte followed him out.

    The entire 28th floor belonged to Sean.

    The first thing she noticed was the striking contrast of silver and charcoal tones, casting a cool, restrained atmosphere¨Clike the stillness of winter before dawn. The palette stretched across every inch of the space, subtle and cold.

    The matte dark marble walls were ented with a few carefully selected modern artworks¨Cclean lines and muted colors that perfectly matched the room¡¯s quiet, powerful aesthetic.

    It was minimalist and refined, echoing the personality of its owner

    In the center of the office was arge silver¨Cgrey partition that divided the space in two.

    The outer area was a lounge with sofas and a coffee table.

    The inner section was the workspace.

    The furniture¨Cdeep ck couches and matching tables¨Cblended seamlessly with the room¡¯s overall palette.

    Charlotte nced around. ¡°Should I wait over by the couch?¡±

    ¡°Come with me,¡± Sean said in his usual calm voice.

    She followed him past the partition. In the far corner, she noticed a door.

    Sean walked over and opened it.

    The room wasrge¨Ceasily over a thousand square feet¨Cand looked more like a high¨Cend bedroom than anything else.

    There was a king¨Csized bed, a massive t¨Cscreen TV mounted on the opposite wall, a full wardrobe, vanity mirror, couch,

    7/3.

    Chapter 412-

    dining table, and even a private bathroom and shower.

    The decor was consistent with the rest of the office¨Csleek, silver¨Cgrey and charcoal tones, cool and understated.

    ¡°This is my private lounge,¡± Sean exined. ¡°You can go through the case files here. The documents are out on my desk. I¡¯ll grab them.¡±

    Chatte nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    She walked over and sat down on the couch..

    Sean brought in tworge storage boxes and set them down on the table in front of her. ¡°All the evidence and materials for the two cases are here.¡±

    Charlotte looked at the boxes, then checked her watch. It was already 7 p.m.

    She frowned slightly. ¡°That¡¯s a lot. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get through it all tonight. It¡¯s alreadyte. I¡¯ll take a look tomorrow instead.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone deliver the files to your firm in the morning?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°That works. I¡¯ll head out now, then.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Sean said. ¡°Don¡¯t leave yet. I have something for you.¡±

    Charlotte looked up. ¡°What is it?¡±

 His Heart 413

    Sean brought over three more boxes and set them down on the table in front of Charlotte.

    Charlotte stared in disbelief. ¡°Seriously? There¡¯s more? I thought you said it was just two cases. We¡¯re up to five boxes now.¡± Sean¡¯s lips curved into a small smile, amusement flickering in his eyes. His voice was soft. ¡°These three aren¡¯t case files. <i>Go </i>ahe take a look.¡±

    Charlotte gave him a suspicious nce, then leaned forward and began opening, one of the boxes.

    It was sealed with packing tape and had shippingbels on it¨Cclearly a delivery.

    Sean handed her a box cutter with casual ease.

    ¡°Deliveries?¡± Charlotte asked, puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s in them?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

    She sliced the tape and opened the box. Inside was a sleek, high¨Cend packaging box with a luxury brand¡¯s logo printed on it.

    Charlotte instantly knew what it was.

    She lifted the lid and inside was a white designer handbag.

    ¡°What is this supposed to mean?¡± she asked, turning to Sean.

    ¡°A gift,¡± he said with a smile in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s National Couples Day. Everyone¡¯s celebrating. You should have something too.¡± Charlotte blinked. ¡°We¡¯re not a couple. You don¡¯t need to give me anything.¡±

    Sean stood in front of her, hands in his pockets, a faint smile still ying on his lips. ¡°Exactly. Which is why I have to. You give gifts when you¡¯re chasing someone. I¡¯m not trying to get something for nothing.¡±

    Charlotte fell quiet for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.

    ¡°Sean,¡± she said seriously, meeting his gaze, ¡°we can¡¯t go back to how things were.¡±

    Her voice was calm but firm. ¡°Too much has happened. We¡¯ve bothe too far. There¡¯s no going back.¡±

    The windows were open, and a warm evening breeze stirred the orchid by the ledge, carrying its soft fragrance into the room.

    The overhead lights shone brightly, casting a daylight glow across the space.

    Sean stood in front of her, his tall frame casting a shadow. His voice was hoarse, low. ¡°I never went too far. I¡¯ve been here the whole time¡ªjust waiting for you to look back.¡±

    Charlotte looked down, avoiding his eyes. She didn¡¯t say a word.

    Sean watched her quietly for a moment. Then he stepped forward, slowly, deliberately.

    He bent down in front of her, nting both hands on either side of her on the couch, leaning in just enough to trap her in ce.

    His gaze locked onto hers, deep and unwavering.

    ¡°Lottie,¡± he said, voice rich and maic, ¡°let¡¯s get back together okay?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes darted away, and her voice was barely audible. ¡°Sean¡­ don¡¯t do this.¡±

    The breeze lifted the sheer curtains, which fluttered gently before settling again.

    The scent of orchids lingered in the air. The atmosphere was thick with tension.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡± His voice was low and teasing,ced with heat.

    Charlotte¡¯s breath caught. Her heartbeat sped up. She turned her had to the side and said stiffly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you with Megan Stone now? Why are you trying to get back with me?¡±

    ¡°Megan?¡± Sean¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°What does she have to do with this? She¡¯s just an outsider.¡±

    His arms still caged her in, but his voice turned impossibly soft, coaxing, almost a whisper.

    ¡°Loc¡­e back to me.¡±

    Her heart pounded harder. Her thoughts were starting to blur.

    Then¨Cher phone rang.

    The sudden ringtone snapped her drifting thoughts back to reality

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Charlotte said quickly, pushing Sean away and grabbing her phone:

    It was a call from Desmond.

    Charlotte held a finger to her lips, signaling Sean to be quiet.

    After she pushed him away, his expression shifted¨Csubtle, unreadable.

    He straightened up, gaze lowered, silently watching her as she sat on the couch, speaking into her phone.

 His Heart 414

    There was something undeniably sneaky about the whole situation

    While on the phone, Charlotte kept stealing nces at Sean, worried he might suddenly say something. Her eyes warned him to stay quiet.

    Sear gerely raised an eyebrow and gave her a half¨Csmile, lounging against the table with a teasing glint in his eyes.

    From the phone, Desmond¡¯s voice came through loud and clear.

    ¡°Lottie, didn¡¯t yound at six thirty? Why aren¡¯t you home yet? Me rk said you didn¡¯t get in his car. Said you left with a friend. Are you stilling home for dinner?¡±

    ¡°I had a friend ask me to take on a couple of cases,¡± Charlotte replied calmly. ¡°We were discussing the details. I just finished- heading home now.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Xena and I will wait for you.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    The moment she hung up, Charlotte let out a breath of relief. That was close. She had nearly lost herposure.

    ¡°Why is he always so good at messing with my heart?¡± she thought.

    He leanedzily against the desk, watching her with a smirk. ¡°Didn¡¯t know little Lottie was still under such tight supervision. It¡¯s barely seven, and you¡¯ve already got a call to head home for dinner?¡±

    Charlotte ignored his teasing, keeping a straight face. ¡°I¡¯m heading out. Have someone deliver the case files to the firm tomorrow.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t respond. He simply stared at her quietly for a few seconds, unreadable.

    Charlotte stood up and walked out.

    Sean stayed where he was, watching her retreating figure.

    The room around him felt cold and empty again.

    The next morning at the firm, Charlotte walked into her office and immediately noticed fiverge boxes sitting neatly on the floor.

    Two of them were the case files Sean had given her yesterday.

    The other three? Very familiar.

    They were the gifts he had tried to give her. One of them had already been opened¨Ca gorgeous matte white crocodile leather handbag, unmistakably from a luxurybel.

    Charlotte frowned.

    She had told Sean to send only the case files. She had definitely not agreed to receive the gifts.

    Without hesitation, she picked up her phone and called him.

    He answered almost instantly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lottie?¡±

    She didn¡¯t waste time. ¡°Take your gifts back. I really don¡¯t need them.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice turned cool. ¡°I don¡¯t take back gifts I¡¯ve given. If you don¡¯t want them, toss them.¡±

    Charlotte was speechless.

    She knew how much that bag cost. It was at least a hundred grand <b>Toss </b>it?

    Even if he had money to burn, this was ridiculous.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone return them to you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± he saidzily. ¡°It¡¯s not like <b>I </b>can use them. <b>If </b>you send them back, I¡¯ll just have to throw them away.¡±

    Charlotte almost said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give one to Megan<b>, </b>one to Lucinda, and thest one to whichever girl you¡¯re chasing next?¡±

    But she stopped herself.

    It sounded way too jealous. And thest thing she wanted was to let him see she still cared.

    She didn¡¯t want to give him that satisfaction. The words caught at the back of her throat, but she swallowed them down.

    Instead, she simply said, ¡°Don¡¯t send me anything again. It¡¯s wasteful.¡±

    ¡°How is it a waste if it¡¯s something for you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, calm as ever. ¡°Then tell me what you do want, and I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±

    Charlotte sighed. ¡°Sean, cut it out. You know exactly what I mean, I don¡¯t want anything from you.¡±

    There was silence on the other end.

    ¡°That¡¯s all. Bye.¡± She ended the call.

    In the end, she didn¡¯t send the bags back.

    Throwing out handbags worth over a hundred grand each? That would be criminal.

    So she quietly tucked them away in the firm¡¯s storage cab.

 His Heart 415

    After that day, Charlotte didn¡¯t see Sean for nearly two weeks.

    She only found out he had gone overseas to handle affairs at one of the international branches when Megan stopped by the firm to discuss <b>a </b>case and casually mentioned it.

    During those two weeks, Charlotte waspletely swamped with work.

    Several of the Jasper Corporation cases had already been filed in court, with hearings scheduled to begin in about a month.

    Mark Gibson and Monica Miller¡¯s divorce case was first up¨Cset for next Thursday.

    That evening after work, Charlotte went out for hot pot with Petra Jenny, and Sophie at a ce near their office. Once the dishes arrived, the girls chatted and cooked their food together, dipping ingredients into the bubbling broth.

    Jenny mentioned that her lease was about to expire. She had been renting a ce near their oldw firm and was currently hunting for a new apartment.

    ¡°I¡¯ve actually been thinking of moving too,¡± Sophie said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we find a two¨Cbedroom and split the rent?¡±

    Jenny hesitated, looking a little awkward.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sophie asked suspiciously. ¡°You don¡¯t want to room with me?¡±

    Jenny took a sip of her drink and finally confessed, her tone a little shy. ¡°It¡¯s not that, Sophie. I do want to live with you, it¡¯s just

    ¡­ well¡­ I¡¯m actually thinking of moving in with my boyfriend.¡±

    Sophie¡¯s eyes widened. The piece of beef she¡¯d just picked up slipped off her fork and dropped back into the pot. ¡°Wait¨Cwhat? You¡¯re moving in with your boyfriend?¡±

    Charlotte looked just as stunned. ¡°You¡¯re dating Matthew?¡±

    Jenny blushed and nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been almost three months.

    Sophie frowned, her voice full of concern. ¡°Jenny, three months is still pretty early to be moving in together. You should take more time to get to know him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m with Sophie on this,¡± Charlotte said, her tone serious. ¡°Look, I know Matthew¡¯s a good guy. He¡¯s got a solid reputation. But moving in together so soon after getting together¡­ I just don¡¯t want to see you get hurt.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, trust me¨CI¡¯ve been down that road,¡± Sophie chimed in, her voice grim. ¡°Ask Charlotte how we met. I was still in college back in Harbor City when I got yed by my scumbag ex. We moved in together for two years. At first, we agreed to split rent, utilities, and groceries fifty¨Cfifty. He¡¯d Venmo me four hundred bucks every month, and I¡¯d chip in my share.¡±

    She was getting more fired up with every word. Finally, she pped her hand on the table. ¡°And after we broke up? That jerk actually demanded I pay him back. Said the money he sent was a ¡®gift in anticipation of marriage.¡® Seriously? The stuff he gave me over two years barely added up to a hundred dors. I once bought him sneakers that cost more than everything he ever gave mebined. Not to mention all the game skins I paid for. Jenny, please think this through.¡±

    Jenny looked a little flustered, but her voice was calm. ¡°Sophie, I know you mean well, and I really do appreciate it. But Matthew¡¯s not like that. He offered to cover rent and utilities, and we agreed I¡¯d cover 30% of the groceries and extras. I even introduced him to my parents already. We¡¯re serious about this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve already introduced him to your parents?¡± Charlotte was surprised. She hadn¡¯t known Jenny had taken such a big step. Jenny nodded. ¡°Yeah, just a few days ago during the holiday weekend. My parents really like him. We¡¯re just a regr family. Matthew¡¯s got a steady job, he¡¯s hardworking, and he treats me well. They gave us their blessing.¡±

 His Heart 416

    Chapter <b>416 </b>

    Sophie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do your parents know you two are moving in together?¡±

    Jenny hesitated for a moment, then gave a small shake of her head

    Sophie gave her a ¡°Called it¡± look.

    Charlotte asked, ¡°If Matthew¡¯s moving in with you, what about Luna? She¡¯s still in elementary school, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jenny nodded. ¡°She¡¯ll be living with us too. We¡¯re thinking of renting a two¨Cbedroom for now. Once we¡¯ve saved up enough for a down payment, we n to settle down here in Jersey City.¡®

    ¡°¡±

    Charlotte added a quick reminder, ¡°Make sure to test for formaldehyde in the new ce, okay? You don¡¯t want to end up in a toxic apartment again.¡±

    She turned to Sophie. ¡°Same goes for you. Remember, Matthew¡¯s sister got leukemia from living in one of those poorly ventted ces. Thank goodness Matthew was okay.¡±

    Sophie nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    Still looking skeptical, Sophie leaned back with a sigh. ¡°Look, I still don¡¯t think it¡¯s a great idea to move in together this early.¡±

    ¡°Sophie, I really appreciate your concern,¡± Jenny said gently. ¡°But Matthew¡¯s not like that. Charlotte¡¯s met him. He¡¯s a good guy, really dependable.¡±

    Sophie turned to Charlotte. ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve met her boyfriend?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yeah. When his sister got sick, I helped them find a bone marrow donor. He really is a good guy¨Cdriven, responsible, and genuinely kind.¡±

    Sophie let out a long sigh. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ve said my piece. Whether you take my advice or not is up to you. Still, I hope everything works out between you two. I really do.¡±

    Jenny smiled, raising her ss. ¡°I know you¡¯re looking out for me. Come on, cheers to that.¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°When you two get married, don¡¯t forget to invite us to the wedding.¡±

    Jennyughed. ¡°Of course! You¡¯ll all be there.¡±

    Sophie added, ¡°And bring your boyfriend out to meet us sometime will you?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jenny nodded. ¡°Next time for sure.¡±

    They ended up staying at the hot pot ce for over an hour, and by the end, both Jenny and Sophie were stuffed.

    Sophie had had a few beers and was tipsy by the time they left. She leaned on Jenny and asked with a smirk, ¡°Where¡¯s your boyfriend now? Why isn¡¯t he picking you up?¡±

    Jenny chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s working overtime¨Cearning that rent money.¡®

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Sophie said, pulling out her phone to order a ride.

    Charlotte stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯ll drive you both home. You¡¯ve been drinking. I¡¯d rather not risk it.¡±

    Jenny still lived near her old firm, about ten miles away. Sophie¡¯s ce was closer¨Caround three miles from the restaurant.

    Charlotte helped Sophie into the car and turned to Jenny. ¡°Hop in,¡®ll drop you off too.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Charlotte,¡± Jenny said as she opened the <b>car </b>door and climbed in. ¡°Riding in your fancy car again¡ªlucky me.¡±

    Petra was driving. Jenny took the front seat while Charlotte helped Sophie into the back.

    After dropping both girls off safely, Charlotte finally asked Petra to head toward her private vi.

    She had bought a two¨Cstory house in a gatedmunity near her office¨Cconvenient for work and with tight security<b>. </b>Petra lived with her, acting as both a housemate and a full¨Ctime bodyguard.

    They stopped at a red light. As the white Rolls¨CRoyce idled quietly by the curb, Charlotte nced casually out the window.

    Suddenly, she froze. A familiar figure caught her eye.

    She rolled the window down, leaning closer to get a better look at the man standing outside a bar just across the street.

    ¡°Petra, pull over. Find a spot¨Cquick!¡± she said, urgency rising in her voice.

 His Heart 417

    Petra pulled over and parked the car.

    Charlotte called the police, then pushed open the car door. ¡°Petra,e with me!¡±

    Outside the bar, the night was deep and dark. Neon lights flickered, casting a hazy, surreal glow.

    Two men were propping up a woman who was clearly unconscious from drinking. Behind them, four more men loitered nearby ¨Csix in total. Every one of them looked sleazy<b>, </b>their eyes gleaming with a twisted hunger, like wild animals in the dark, waiting

    to pounce.

    Charlotte rushed toward them, shouting, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Let her go!¡±

    The air reeked of alcohol.

    Megan¡¯s cheeks were flushed, her eyes ssy. Her expression was zed and helpless as she murmured, ¡°Hot¡­ I feel so hot¡­ it¡¯s ufortable¡­¡±

    Charlotte narrowed her eyes at Megan, who was slumped between the two creeps. Something wasn¡¯t right. Megan didn¡¯t look just drunk.

    ¡°You drugged her, didn¡¯t you?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice rose in fury, ring at the group of men.

    Under the red neon lights, their faces looked twisted and grotesque.

    One of them, a man in a ck tank top with tattoos up and down his arms, gave Charlotte a sleazy grin and said in a mocking tone, ¡°Well, well, another hottie shows up. What, you wanna party with us too? We don¡¯t mind adding you to the fun.¡±

    He let out a disgustingugh.

    The other men chuckled along with him, theirughter lewd and filthy.

    A few pedestrians passed by. Some nced over curiously, while others hurried away, clearly not wanting to get involved.

    Charlotte let out a coldugh and snapped, ¡°You¡¯re

    e a toad pretending to be a prince. Ugly and gross.¡±

    The tattooed man¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± he barked, spitting as heunched into a string <b>of </b>filthy

    curses.

    Charlotte casually rolled her wrists, cracking her knuckles, her expression cool and taunting. <b>¡°</b>What¡¯s that smell? Did you just finish licking a toilet?¡±

    A dangerous glint shed in her eyes. ¡°Oh, you want to y?¡± she scoffed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll y with you. Just don¡¯te crying and begging for mercyter.¡±

    The tattooed manughed arrogantly. ¡°What a loudmouth little tramp!¡±

    The air went still.

    Then the man shouted, ¡°Boys, get her! Rip that mouthy bitch¡¯s clothes off!¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t flinch. She turned slightly and ordered Petra in a cold voice, ¡°Don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    ¡°Got it, Miss Riley,¡± Petra replied coolly.

    The men sneered, clearly underestimating the two women.

    One guy with bleached yellow hair raised a beer bottle and swung it toward Charlotte¡¯s head.

    Before it couldnd<b>, </b>Petra grabbed his wrist. With a sharp crack, she dislocated his arm. <b>The </b>guy screamed in agony as the bottle slipped from his hand <b>and </b>shattered on the ground.

    Without hesitation, Petra mmed his hand straight down onto the shards of ss.

    Aaaah-!¡± His scream tore through the air.

    Blood poured from his hand, a gruesome mess.

    Another man charged forward with a fist raised, but Petra met him with a fierce kick to the chest.

    The man was on the thinner side. Petra¡¯s kick sent him flying through the air, and he mmed hard into a nearby trash can.

    ¡°Ahh-!¡± he screamed, clutching his side. ¡°That freaking hurt, damn it!¡±

    ¡°Take her down!¡± the tattooed man, clearly the leader<b>, </b>shouted.

    At hismand, the remaining men surged forward, all rushing at Petra in an attempt to overpower her with numbers.

    2

 His Heart 418

    All the men had gone after Petra, leaving no one to watch Megan.

    Charlotte quickly rushed over and caught her before she could fall Miss Stone, wake up. I¡¯m Charlotte Riley,¡± she said, supporting her firmly.

    With the men distracted, Charlotte helped Megan toward the car.

    ¡°Hang in there, Miss Stone. I¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡±

    Meanwhile, the men charged Petra with full force, but they had no idea who they were dealing with.

    Dressed in all ck, Petra moved like a panther in the night¨Csharp¨Ceyed, agile, and deadly. She darted through the crowd like

    a predator. One attacker? Taken down. Two? She dropped them both. Every strike was fast, precise, and brutal.

    With a sharp elbow, she knocked a buzz¨Ccut guy to the ground. Then a clean spinning back kick smashed into a burly man¡¯s face, breaking his nose and sending blood pouring.

    The tattooed leader, eyes zing with fury, charged at her with everything he had. But Petra used his momentum against him. With a fluid motion, she flipped him over her shoulder and mmed him onto the concrete.

    In less than ten minutes, the entire gang was on the ground.

    Theyy scattered across the pavement, groaning in pain, not one of them able to stand.

    Petra gave them a cold, emotionless nce. There wasn¡¯t the slightest trace of pity in her eyes.

    She didn¡¯t say much, but her actions spoke volumes. Not a single one of those men had even touched a strand of Charlotte¡¯s hair before they were all taken down.

    One against six, and Petra didn¡¯t have a scratch on her. Her strength was terrifying.

    Charlotte had already called the police before she arrived.

    By now, officers were on the scene.

    Two policemen looked over the groaning men on the ground, their expressions unreadable.

    One of them stared at Petra in disbelief. ¡°Are you telling me you took all of them down by yourself?¡±

    Petra gave a short, emotionless reply. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Charlotte stepped in quickly. ¡°Officers, they made the first move. This was self¨Cdefense. There were six of them, and only two of us. If my friend didn¡¯t know how to fight, we wouldn¡¯t have made it out of here.¡±

    She pointed toward Megan, who was barely conscious. ¡°Look at my friend¨Cshe¡¯s not just drunk. They drugged her. I strongly suspect they were nning to assault her. I need to take her to the hospital right now. You¡¯re wee to send someone with me. Once the test resultse back, you¡¯ll have your proof.¡±

    The officers exchanged a nce.

    One of them nodded. ¡°Alright, ma¡¯am. You take your friend to the hospital. My partner will go with you. Thee with me to the station to give a statement.¡±

    He turned and gently helped the semi¨Cconscious woman up, speaking softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay now. Let¡¯s get you out of here.¡±

    Charlotte brought Megan to the hospital.

    Petra followed the other officer to the station to give her statement

    The test results came back the next day.

    Megan still hadn¡¯t woken up. Shey quietly in the hospital bed, unmoving.

    The doctor arrived with the report in hand and stood by the bed, addressing both Charlotte and the officer.

    The report was filled with denise medical jargon, so the doctor exined it in innguage. ¡°The drug in her system numbs the nervous system and triggers heightened physical arousal. It¡¯smonly used in assault cases.<b>¡± </b>

    That was all Charlotte and the officer needed to hear.

    There was no doubt¨CMegan had been drugged.

 His Heart 419

    Charlotte also went to the police station to give her statement.

    Megan didn¡¯t wake up until around eleven the next morning.

    By then<b>, </b>Charlotte had finished at the station and returned to the hospital room.

    When Megan opened her eyes, a wave of dizziness hit her. Her face was pale, and there were still visible traces of exhaustion in

    her expression<i>. </i>As her eyes adjusted to the light, her gaze settled on the figure moving in the room.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley?¡± she croaked, her voice hoarse.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Charlotte turned around.

    Megan frowned. ¡°Am I¡­ in the hospital?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Charlotte replied, handing her a ss of water. ¡°Here, have some water.¡±

    Megan slowly pushed herself up with one arm, took the ss, and sipped a few mouthfuls. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Charlotte sat by the bed, her tone gentle and concerned. ¡°How are you feeling? Any better?¡±

    Megan parted her lips slightly. ¡°My head¡¯s spinning, and I feel really weak. What happened? Why am I in the hospital?¡±

    Charlotte exined, ¡°Last night, I saw a few shady guys holding you up outside the bar. Something felt off, so I went to check Turns out they drugged you. I called the police, and Petra took them all down and got you out safely.¡±

    Megan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°They drugged me? What kind of drug?¡±

    Charlotte pressed her lips together. ¡°A stimnt¡­ the kind that triggers physical arousal. Basically, an aphrodisiac.¡±

    Megan¡¯s brows knitted together, and she fell silent.

    A few minutes passed. Once Charlotte saw that she had time to process the news, she spoke again. ¡°Miss Stone, the men who drugged you are currently being held at the police station. If you¡¯re up to it, you can go identify them.¡±

    Megan looked up at Charlotte, her expressionplicated. ¡°Charlotte Riley, why did you help me? Aren¡¯t we supposed to be love rivals? Shouldn¡¯t you be happy seeing me drugged and harassed like that?¡±

    Charlotte frowned at the words.

    ¡°Miss Stone, do you have some kind of prejudice against me?¡± she asked, a hint of irritation flickering in her eyes. ¡°You and I have no bad blood. Why would I stand by and watch you get hurt? We¡¯re both women. Of course we should look out for each other.<b>¡± </b>

    She gave a smallugh and looked at Megan as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°You really thought I¡¯d be happy to see you assaulted just because we¡¯re supposedly love rivals? Seriously, Miss Stone<b>, </b>that¡¯s twisted.¡±

    Megan looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, Miss Riley. I misjudged you. Thank you for saving me yesterday.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just doing what anyone should,¡± Charlotte replied casually.

    Megan finished the rest of the water in her cup.

    Charlotte asked, ¡°Hungry? I can order something. What do you feel like eating?¡±

    Megan didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Then I won¡¯t hold back. I¡¯d love some lobster bisque and ck truffle risotto from Delmar¡¯s.¡±

    Delmar¡¯s was a well¨Cknown, upscale French restaurant. Even a simple side dish there could run over <i>$</i>30. Their lobster bisque and truffle risotto were signature items¨Ceach priced well over a hundred. And to top it off, only members were allowed to ce phone orders for delivery.

    When Megan said she <b>¡°</b>wouldn¡¯t be polite<b>,</b>¡± she really meant it.

    Charlotte just smiled. ¡°Sure.¡±

    With that, whatever tension had lingered between them quietly dissolved.

    Charlotte made the call and ced the order.

    While they waited for the food<b>, </b>Megan started a new topic.

    ¡°Miss Riley, did you say Petra took all those guys down by herselfst night?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yep. She may look like just my assistant, but <b>my </b>dad actually hired her as my personal bodyguard. She¡¯s seriously skilled.¡±

 His Heart 420

    Petra stood off to <b>the </b>side, her expression nk and unreadable.

    Megan nced over at her, eyes lighting up with awe and disbelie ¡°Wow! Petra is seriously impressive. Where do you even find a bodyguard that badass? I want one too!¡±

    Charlotteughed. ¡°My dad brought her in from overseas.¡±

    Megan sighed. ¡°All our bodyguards are men. It¡¯s always so inconvenient going ces with them.¡±

    That reminded Charlotte of something. Her to Where was your bodyguard?¡±

    hed serious. ¡°By the way, what were you doing at that bar alonest night?

    Megan¡¯s expression shifted slightly. She looked uneasy, liesitating ¡°Promise you won¡¯t get mad if I tell you?¡±

    Charlotte raised a brow, amused. ¡°Why would I be mad?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Megan lowered her gaze, a little embarrassed. ¡°A friend called me yesterday and said she saw Sean at that bar. It¡¯s been really hard to see himtely, and I just wanted to run into him. As for the bodyguard, I don¡¯t usually bring one when I go out.¡±

    After speaking, she sneaked a nce at Charlotte, watching her reaction.

    ¡°Look¡­ I really am grateful you saved me, but I want you to know m serious about Sean. All these years, I¡¯ve only ever loved him. I won¡¯t give up on him easily.¡±

    Charlotte gave a softugh. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me about your feelings for him.<b>¡± </b>

    Megan bit her lip and murmured, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe it¡¯s because you saved me, but now I feel kind of guilty liking him. Like I¡¯m betraying you or something.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice remained calm and even. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to feel guilty about.¡±

    Megan nodded slightly, then said, ¡°Actually, Sean wasn¡¯t at the barst night. I didn¡¯t see him at all. My friend convinced me to sit down for a drink, and we chatted for a bit. I had a few drinks, then everything just¡­ went fuzzy. I don¡¯t remember anything after that.¡±

    Charlotte frowned. ¡°Who was that friend? Could she be connected to the guys who drugged you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Megan¡¯s face shifted uneasily. ¡°She¡¯s my college bestie. I¡¯ve always treated her well. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d do something like that to me.¡±

    Charlotte shook her head, her tone serious. ¡°Miss Stone, it¡¯s important not to be naive. Come with me to the police station this afternoon. You need to tell the officers about your friend. She may be involved. Whether or not she had anything to do with the drugging, the police need to investigate. They¡¯ve already opened a formal case for attempted rape. Those men didn¡¯t seed, but based on the current evidence, it¡¯s likely they¡¯ll be charged.¡±

    Megan¡¯s expression hardened as she listened. She nodded. ¡°Okay.

    After lunch, Megan felt much better. She freshened

    and changed clothes before heading to the station with Charlotte.

    There, the officers took her official statement and then brought her to identify the men who had drugged her the night before.

    Megan didn¡¯t recognize any of them.

    One of the officers said, ¡°When we asked about their motive, they all gave the same answer. They acted on impulse after seeing a pretty woman.¡±

    a

    Megan exined everything she remembered about the night to the <b>officers</b>, who recorded her statement and said they would investigate her friend as part of the case.

    Just then, one of the detained men¡¯s phones rang.

    Though their phones had been confiscated, none had been turned off.

    The screen lit up with a contact name, Daryl.

    An officer answered the call.

    Before he could even speak, a man¡¯s anxious voice barked from the other end, ¡°Where¡¯s the video? <b>It¡¯s </b>been forever. Why haven¡¯t you sent it yet?¡±

 His Heart 421

    Chapter <b>421 </b>

    The officer pretended to be an old friend of the caller and yed along smoothly. ¡°Daryl, hey, sorry about that. We had such a wild nightst night that Ipletely forgot to send you the video

    As expected, the man walked right into the trap. ¡°Hurry up! I want that bitch Megan Stonepletely destroyed! Did you get six guys like I asked to take care of her?¡±

    The officer stayed in character. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll send the video now

    ¡°Make it fast!¡± the man snapped before hanging up.

    Charlotte and Megan exchanged a look.

    It was clear the caller wasn¡¯t personally close to the phone¡¯s owner He was probably just a temporary aplice, which exined why he didn¡¯t recognize that the voice on the line was someone else entirely. He really wasn¡¯t very smart.

    The police quickly ran the number through their system and identified the owner.

    One of the officers turned to Megan. ¡°The phone belongs to a man named Daryl Seth. Do you know him?¡±

    Megan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Daryl Seth? He was the deputy manager of mypany¡¯s project division. I fired him just a few days ago.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°That exins it. Those men were probably hired by Daryl to go after you. And your so called best friend was likely involved too.¡±

    Megan¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°No way. Kimberly would never do that to me. I¡¯ve always treated her so well. How could she¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, at home, Daryl was still sitting on his couch, waiting impatiently for the video of Megan to arrive. Instead, there was a knock at the door. It was the police.

    Once the mastermind was arrested, the rest of the case quickly came together.

    Daryl and Patrick were identified as the principal offenders in the case.

    Both of them had held a grudge against Megan for being fired and had plotted revenge.

    Daryl reached out to Kimberly Cook, Megan¡¯s so¨Ccalled best friend, and offered her sixty thousand dors to lure Megan out for drinks.

    Patrick, a long¨Ctime project manager at thepany with an annual sry of over one hundred sixty thousand dors<b>, </b>provided forty thousand of the money. Daryl covered the remaining twenty thousand.

    At the police station, Megan<b>, </b>usuallyposed and strong, could no longer hold back her tears.

    ¡°Kimberly, why would you help them hurt me?¡± she choked, her voice cracking. ¡°Haven¡¯t always treated you well?¡°.

    Kimberly broke down, sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°Megan, I made a terrible mistake. I know I did. Please<b>, </b>I¡¯m begging you to -forgive me. I needed the money so badly. My son needed surgery.¡±

    Tears streamed down Megan¡¯s cheeks. Her voice was filled with pain and disbelief. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends for years. If you needed help, why didn¡¯t you just tell me? Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t be there for you?¡±

    Kimberly¡¯s emotions unraveledpletely. Her voice was hoarse with desperation as she cried out, ¡°I know I was wrong. I should¡¯ve gone to you. Please, Megan, don¡¯t press charges<b>. </b>I¡¯m begging you. My son is only five years old. He just had surgery and is still in the hospital. He needs his mother. Please, I¡¯m begging you. Let me go.¡±

    Megan¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°What good does it do to say all of this now?¡±

    With a heavy thud, Kimberly dropped to her knees in front of her.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m begging you,<b>¡± </b>she cried. ¡°Please drop the charges. <b>I¡¯m </b>kneeling in front of you. I know I was wrong. I¡¯ll do anything to make <b>it </b>right.¡±

    She lowered her head and began mming it against the floor.

    Bang. Bang. Bang.

    Megan stood still, looking down at her without a trace of emotion.

    ¡°Kimberly, rape is a criminal offense. It¡¯s not something <b>I </b>can just choose to walk away from. The police have already handed the case over to the prosecution. The evidence is clear. There¡¯s nothing more I can do.¡±

    She paused for a moment, then looked down at the woman kneeling before her. Her voice was as cold as ice in the dead of winter. ¡°Even if I had the power to drop the case, I wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m not a saint. After everything you did to me, you want mercy<i>? </i>Keep dreaming.¡±

 His Heart 422

    They had drugged her.

    Then they nned to have six men assault her, humiliate her, and record the entire thing on video.

    It was beyond vile.

    Megan was shaking with rage. She never could have imagined that the woman she had once considered her closest friend would be part of something so horrific.

    When Kimberly realized that the charges couldn¡¯t be dropped and that Megan had no intention of letting it go, she suddenly stopped begging.

    She lifted her head abruptly. The pitiful woman who had just been pleading for mercy hadpletely vanished. Now her eyes were filled with bitterness and hate.

    ¡°So the charges can¡¯t be dropped?¡± she said with a sneer. Her voice had turned low and cold, and the shift in her demeanor was jarring.

    ¡°Megan Stone, stop pretending,¡± she snapped. ¡°Do you really think you were ever a good friend to me? All these years<b>, </b>you gave me your leftovers. Food you didn¡¯t finish. Clothes you didn¡¯t want. Old bags and makeup. What did you think I was? A trash can? Or maybe just some pet you tossed scraps to?¡±

    Megan stood frozen. Her brows pulled together in disbelief as she stared at Kimberly.

    ¡°How could you see it like that?¡± Megan said quietly. ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t grow up with much, so I tried to look out for you. I used to buy extra snacks just to share them with you. Those clothes weren¡¯t leftovers. I bought them in your size and pretended they didn¡¯t fit me so you wouldn¡¯t feel awkward. The bags and makeup were brand new. I only said I didn¡¯t want them so you wouldn¡¯t feel like you had to return the favor.¡±

    Her voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°I always thought of you as a real friend. I never imagined everything I did for you would be twisted into something so cruel.¡±

    Kimberly let out a coldugh. ¡°Save it, Megan. You¡¯re the rich girl, and I was always the poor one. We were never equals. You thought you were being generous, but do you have any idea what people used to say about me in school?

    ¡°They said I was your maid. Your littlepdog. Just some pathetic sidekick to make you look even better. And don¡¯t tell me you never heard it. You knew exactly what they were saying. You just pretended not to. You loved it<b>, </b>didn¡¯t you? Having someone like me next to you made you look even more perfect. You¡¯re not some angel. You¡¯re a fake, maniptive little princess who ys nice to feed her own ego.¡±

    Megan stumbled back a few steps, her face pale and nk. Her chest ached<b>, </b>as if something inside her had cracked wide open. A wave of dizziness swept over her, and she nearly lost her bnce

    Charlotte caught her just in time. ¡°Miss Stone, are you alright?¡±

    Megan stared nkly ahead and slowly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine,

    When they left the station<b>, </b>Megan¡¯s eyes were empty and lifeless. Her face showed no emotion<b>, </b>as if she had be a puppet with its strings cut.

    Charlotte gently helped her into the backseat of the car, then turned to Petra in the driver¡¯s seat and said, ¡°Petra, please take Miss Stone home.¡±

    Charlotte sat beside Megan in the back.

    The ride waspletely silent.

    Megan didn¡¯t say a single word the entire way.

    Charlotte nced at her now and then, her eyes filled with quiet concern.

    Whether it was because she sensed Charlotte¡¯s worry or because the weight in her heart had finally be too much to bear, Megan eventually broke the silence.

    <b>¡°</b>It wasn¡¯t like that,<b>¡± </b>she said softly. Her voice was low and fragile, as if something inside her had finally begun to break.

    A

 His Heart 423

    ¡°There was this one time I overheard some ssmates talking badly about Kimberly behind her back. I got into a huge <b>argument </b>with them because I was genulitely trying to be a good friend to her. It wasn¡¯t like what she said, that I only treated her well to make myself look better.¡±

    Megan buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders trembled as she cried.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t know how tofort her. She could only gently pat Megan¡¯s back.

    ¡°Maybe I really did do something wrong,¡± Megan choked out between sobs. ¡°Kimberly was so sensitive and insecure. I should have been more mindful of her pride.¡±

    Charlotte let out a quiet sigh. ¡°It¡¯s important to be careful about who you let into your life.¡±

    By the time they reached Megan¡¯s house, her eyes were red from crying.

    The car came to a stop.

    Megan wiped her tears and said, ¡°Thank you, Charlotte. I¡¯ll never be able to repay you for what you did. <b>If </b>you ever need anything, just say the word.¡±

    Charlotte nodded with a faint smile. ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t hold back.¡±

    <b>* </b>

    As soon as Charlotte left Megan¡¯s house and returned to herw firm, the receptionist at the front desk told her that Sean hade by.

    The moment Charlotte pushed open the door to her office, Sean stood up abruptly and took a few quick steps toward her. He looked her up and down, visibly worried.

    ¡°Lottie, are you okay? I heard you got into a fightst night. Were you hurt?¡± he asked, scanning her carefully.

    Charlotte gave him a puzzled look. ¡°Who told you that?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a friend of mine at the station. That¡¯s how I found out,¡± Sean replied, his concern evident.

    Charlotte¡¯s expression was unreadable. ¡°Then you probably know that the one who was drugged was Megan. They were targeting her, not me. I just happened to step in and help.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Sean said, finally rxing a little. ¡°I heard Megan¡¯s safe now and the suspects have all been arrested.¡±

    Charlotte gave a small nod. ¡°I¡¯m fine too. With Petra around, those guys never stood a chance<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡±

    Just as Sean finished speaking, his phone rang.

    He picked up the call. ¡°I¡¯m on my way back.¡±

    After ending the call, Sean turned to Charlotte. ¡°I picked up some vitamins and wellness stuff for you. Make sure you actually take them, okay? I need to get back to the office. There¡¯s something urgent waiting.¡±

    Charlotte nced at the gift boxes stacked on her desk.

    The table was covered with neatly wrapped, colorful packages.

    She blinked in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m not even hurt. Why did you buy so much of this?<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be injured to take care of yourself,¡± Sean said. He reached out and gently rested his hand on her head.¡± Lottie, next time something like this happens, please don¡¯t put yourself at risk.¡±

    Chapter <b>423 </b>

    <b>Charlotte </b><b>pressed </b>her <b>lips </b><b>together</b><b>, </b>quietly taking in his <b>words</b>.

    <b>Sean </b>turned and <b>walked </b>out.

    She <b>stood </b>there for a while, staring at the door, her thoughts drifting.

    <b>The </b>moment his warm hand touched her head<b>, </b>her heart skipped a beat.

    <b>It </b>had been a long time since anyone had treated her with that kind <b>of </b>tenderness.

    Later that afternoon, Charlotte received a call from Mark. He wanted to meet and discuss his uing divorce trial. The hearing for Mark and Monica was just a few days away, and Charlotte had already prepared everything thoroughly. Mark had been discharged from the hospital. He and Monica were now officially separated, and he had moved into <b>a </b>small apartment on his own<b>. </b>

    Charlotte drove to the apartmentplex, and as soon as she stepped out of her car, she saw a man walking straight toward her.

    It wasn¡¯t until he got closer that Charlotte realized it was Zac.

    He was wearing clothes and shoes that looked like they cost barely twenty bucks. The expensive watch he always <b>wore </b>was gone. His hair was a mess, no longer slicked back with gel like before, and his <b>face </b>was covered in stubble as if he hadn¡¯t shaved in days.

    He lookedpletely unkempt and worn out.

    When Zac saw Charlotte, his eyes lit up for a second, but his expression quickly changed. He frowned.

    Petra immediately stepped in front of Charlotte<b>, </b>shielding her.

    Zac¡¯s face was full of irritation. ¡°Charlotte, are you seriously representing my parents in their divorce case?¡±

 His Heart 424

    Charlotte looked Zac straight in the eye<b>, </bpletely unfazed. ¡°Yes I am.¡±

    Zac¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You can¡¯t represent them. You need

    transfer the case to someone else, right now.

    Charlotte let out a quiet, mockingugh. ¡°And why exactly should¡±

    Zac¡¯s eyes widened in frustration as he clenched his jaw. ¡°My family is already bankrupt, and now you¡¯re trying to make my parents get divorced? Is that what you want? Would watching my family fall apart finally satisfy you?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s gaze remained cold and steady. ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong. I¡¯m not the one pushing for the divorce. Your mother wants it. Your father doesn¡¯t. I was hired to stop the divorce from happening.¡±

    Zac paused, caught off guard. ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°I said exactly what you heard.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Are you lying to me? My mom told me you were the one who talked her into filing for divorce.¡± Charlotte folded her arms and gave him a look of amusement, a sarcastic smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°So your mom said that,¡± she replied, her tone sharp. ¡°Do you believe everything your mother says? Honestly, Zac, how old are you? Are you still a mama¡¯s boy?¡±

    Zac¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Can we stay on topic? There¡¯s no reason <b>to </b>start insulting me.¡±

    Charlotte let out a cold snort and walked past him toward the apartment building. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for pointless arguments.¡± Zac called after her, raising his voice. ¡± ¡°Charlotte, are you seriously trying to stop the divorce?¡±

    She didn¡¯t answer and continued walking into the building.

    Zac followed quickly behind. ¡°Please. Don¡¯t let them go through with it.¡±

    Charlotte nced back at him with a look that suggested she thought he was being ridiculous. ¡°Rx. If Monica wants a divorce, I¡¯ll make sure she doesn¡¯t get her way.¡±

    Zac stared at her, confused. Something about her tone felt strange, but he couldn¡¯t quite figure out what it was.

    Just then, the elevator arrived.

    Charlotte and Petra stepped inside. Zac followed them in without hesitation.

    ¡°I¡¯m going up too. My dad¡¯s living alone now. I just want to check on him.¡®

    Charlotte remained silent.

    When they arrived at Mark¡¯s apartment, the door opened, and Mark frowned the moment he saw his son.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked, his tone clearly displeased.

    ¡°Dad, you haven¡¯t been home in a while,¡± Zac said quickly. ¡°I just wanted to check in on you. If you really don¡¯t want a divorce, then why haven¡¯t you gone back home?¡±

    Mark let out a sigh. ¡°Your mother is impossible to talk to. I would rather stay away than argue with her every day. If I don¡¯t see her, I don¡¯t have to deal with the drama.¡±

    Zac pushed back. ¡°She may act tough, but she has a soft heart. You¡¯ve been married for so many years. Don¡¯t you know her better than that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I know she means it this time,¡± Mark replied. She wants to leave. She wants to walk away from both you and me so she can live morefortably on her own.¡±

    <b>Zac¡¯s </b><b>face </b>tightened in frustration. ¡°How can you even say that? My mom isn¡¯t like that. She told me she¡¯s filing for divorce <b>because </b>you had an affair.¡±

    He turned to Charlotte. ¡°You¡¯re my dad¡¯swyer, right? Then why did you send the evidence of his affair to my mom<b>? </b>She told me you were the one who gave her those photos. That¡¯s what made her decide to leave. And now you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not the one pushing them apart?¡±

    Mark¡¯s gaze snapped to Charlotte, sharp and suspicious. ¡°You gave her proof of the affair<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte gave a cold<b>, </b>dismissiveugh.

    ¡°Zac, try thinking for once. If I was hired to stop the divorce<b>, </b>why would I send the other side evidence that could be used against my own client?¡± Her eyes narrowed, and her tone turned icy.

    ¡°Those photos came from your mother¡¯s own investigation. She med it on me to make you hate me and to make my client stop trusting me. That¡¯s all it was.¡±

    Zac paused, <i>hin </i>

    brow furrowed. ¡°That¡­ actually makes a little sense.

    ¡±

    Charlotte smirked. ¡°Seriously? If you hang on your mom¡¯s every word, why haven¡¯t you gone ahead and married Wendy like she wanted?¡±

 His Heart 425

    Zac¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Charlotte, you know I¡¯ve always loved you.¡±

    Charlotte let out a coldugh. ¡°You mean the same way you loved sheaking around behind my back with Wendy? The same Wendy your mom adored and couldn¡¯t wait to have as a daughterw? Now she¡¯s pregnant with your child, and you¡¯re just going to walk away from her?¡±

    <b>Zac¡¯s </b>face turned pale, and he took a shaky step back. A flicker of panic shed in his eyes. ¡°You know about that? Charlotte, please don¡¯t be mad. Let me exin. That night I was drunk. I thought she was you, and that¡¯s the only reason it happened ¡±

    ¡°Save it,¡± Charlotte said, her face filled with disgust. ¡°Zac, don¡¯t matter yourself. I only brought it up because I¡¯m enjoying watching you suffer. After everything you and your mother put me through, it¡¯s about time the tables turned. I¡¯m honestly enjoying every second of it.¡±

    Mark stepped in with a firm voice. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Zac. Leave. Charlotte and I have real business to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Dad,e on-

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>said leave. Now.¡±

    Once Charlotte finished the meeting and came downstairs, she saw Zac still waiting outside.

    ¡°Charlotte, please. I need to talk to you,¡± he said, stepping forward with a hopeful look in his eyes.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left to say,<i>¡± </i>Charlotte replied, her voice t and cold.

    ¡°I know I¡¯ve lost the right to say this, but I still-

    ¡°Move,¡± Charlotte cut him off sharply. ¡°If you keep pushing, don¡¯t me me for what happens next.¡±

    ¡°Just listen to me for one second-

    Charlotte nced toward Petra.

    Without a word, Petra stepped forward and shoved Zac aside. The force of it nearly sent him stumbling to the ground.

    Zac looked like he still wanted to say something, but one look at Petra¡¯s cold, hard stare was enough to shut him up.

    Charlotte climbed into the car.

    Petra started the engine and turned her head slightly. ¡°Miss Riley, where to now?¡±

    ¡°Back to the firm.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The day of the divorce hearing arrived.

    Inside the courtroom<b>, </b>Charlotte was relentless. Her arguments were clear, confident, and precise. She dismantled the opposing attorney¡¯s case point by point, leaving them with little to respond to.

    In the end, the judge ruled to dy the divorce, citing a need for further reconciliation efforts.

    Outside the courthouse, Mark was smiling. ¡°No matter what, thank you for everything today.¡±

    Charlotte returned a polite smile. ¡°Of course. Mr. Gibson, just a reminder¡ªif you and Mrs. Gibson live separately for an entire year and she files again, the court is very likely to grant the divorce. So I strongly advise that you don¡¯t move out permanently.¡±

    Mark nodded. ¡°I just need a little time to clear my head. I¡¯ll go back home after a few days.<b>¡± </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>That¡¯s </b>fine. Just be careful not to stay away too long.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>understand.¡±

    Suddenly<b>, </b><b>a </b>furious voice cut through the crowd.

    ¡°Charlotte Riley, you bitch!¡± Monica stormed over, her face twisted in rage. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare walk away. We are not done here<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte turned and frowned as Monica caine charging toward her with her hand raised.

    Without hesitation, Charlotte caught Monica¡¯s wrist with her left hand and blocked the strike. In the same motion<b>, </b>she raised her right hand and pped Monica hard across the face.

    The sound echoed, sharp and loud.

    A red mark instantly bloomed on Monica¡¯s check.

    ¡°You hit me?¡± Monica shrieked.

    Charlotte said nothing. She pped her again, this time with her left hand across the other side of her face.

    ¡°You-¡± Monica tried to speak, but Charlottended two more blows before she could get another word out.

    With one hit from the right and one from the left, Monica was left stunned and speechless.

    She stood frozen,pletely caught off guard, unable to react.

    ¡°Mrs. Gibson,¡± Charlotte said coldly. Her eyes were like ice. ¡°You really need to stop overestimating yourself.¡±

    Monica¡¯s face was red and swollen on both sides.

    Even Mark was stunned into silence.

    He had never imagined Charlotte could be so fierce<b>. </b>Until now, he had always thought of her as just a delicate young woman.

    By the time he snapped out of it, Charlotte had already turned and walked away.

    Still seething, Monica tried to rush after her again. Mark stepped in quickly and grabbed her arm.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t cause a scene. This is a courthouse,¡± he said firmly.

    Monica burst into angry tears. ¡°Mark Gibson, you heartless bastard<b>! </b>Your wife just got pped across the face, and you just stood there watching? Get away from me! Don¡¯t you dare touch me¡±

 His Heart 426

    <b>Mark </b>looked visibly annoyed. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop causing a scent ande home with me.¡±

    <b>Just </b>then, <b>Zac </b>stepped out of the restroom, looking confused. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Mom¨Cwhat happened to your face?¡± Monica pointed furiously, ¡°That woman Charlotte hit me!¡±

    Mark¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Zac, take your mother out of here<b>. </b>This is embarrassing.¡±

    Zac frowned and looked between them. ¡°Dad, what happened?¡±

    Mark¡¯s voice was calm but cold. ¡°Your mother started it. She ran <b>up </b>and tried to p Charlotte, missed, and ended up getting pped herself. Charlotte was just defending herself. Let¡¯s drop it and leave.¡±

    Zac turned to Monica, his expression tightening. ¡°Mom, I get that you¡¯re upset about how the hearing went<b>, </b>but you can¡¯t go around hitting people. Charlotte is Dad¡¯s attorney. She¡¯s just doing her job. You can¡¯t take it out on her.¡±

    Monica¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she shouted, ¡°So now you¡¯re defending her? I¡¯m your mother, and you¡¯re siding with that woman?¡±

    Zac¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Siding with her? Maybe if I hadn¡¯t listened to you so much back then, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with Wendy I wouldn¡¯t have ended up hurting Charlotte.¡±

    Monica raised her voice. ¡°So this is all my fault now?¡±

    Zac let out a low, bitterugh. ¡°me you? I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    Mark exhaled, clearly done with the drama. ¡°That¡¯s enough. The car¡¯s here. Let¡¯s just go.<i>¡± </i>He turned and walked toward the curb without looking back.

    Back at thew firm, the front desk assistant greeted her cheerfully. ¡°Wee back, Miss Riley. Miss Stone has been waiting in your office.¡±

    Charlotte paused for a moment. ¡°Miss Stone¡¯s here?¡±

    The assistant nodded. ¡°She¡¯s been here for almost an hour. I told her you were in court, and she said she didn¡¯t mind waiting.¡± Charlotte gave a quiet response. ¡°Alright,¡± and made her way inside.

    Megan was lounging on the office couch, casually flipping through a legal journal. When she saw Charlotte walk in, she smiled and set the magazine aside. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re back.¡±

    Charlotte ced her bag down and sat beside her. <b>¡°</b>Is there something you needed, Miss Stone?¡±

    As they spoke, Charlotte took out a tin of fine tea leaves, began boiling water, and started preparing tea.

    Megan smiled warmly. ¡°I brought you a gift.¡±

    She picked up a box from beside her and held it out. ¡°Miss Riley, to thank you for saving my life, I had this pink diamond ne custom¨Cmade for you. It took a while because of the production time, but it¡¯s finally ready. Take a look and see if you like it.¡±

    She opened the box to show her.

    Charlotte gave it a casual nce at first, then froze.

    At the center was a stunning teardrop¨Cshaped pink diamond, easily <b>25 </b>carats. It sparkled brilliantly under the light. The chain was made entirely of wless colorless diamonds, all perfectly matched. The entire piece wasvish, elegant, and breathtakingly beautiful.

    <b>Chapter </b>426

    <b>¡°</b><b>Miss </b><b>Stone</b>, this is far too expensive. I <b>can¡¯t </b><b>ept </b>it.¡±

    Charlotte had already noticed the logo <b>on </b>the box. She knew the band¡¯s custom pieces started in the millions. This one was clearly one of the most luxurious.

    That 25¨Ccarat pink diamond alone was worth over a hundred million.

    The entire ne had to be worth at least that¨Cif not more..

    Charlotte <b>wasn¡¯t </b>short on jewelry. She already owned nes <b>and </b>bracelets worth tens of millions, some even in the hundred- million range.

    But something she bought for herself was different.

    No matter the price, if she liked it<b>, </b>she could afford it.

    But a gift this expensive from someone else? That was too much.

    She couldn¡¯t ept it.

    Megan smiled again. ¡°You should take it. You saved my life<b>, </b>and nothing is more valuable than that. This is the least I can do to thank you.¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I really can¡¯t ept it.¡±

    Megan pouted. ¡°Miss Riley, are you saying my life isn¡¯t even worth a ne?¡±

    Charlotte let out a small, helplessugh. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    Megan grinned. ¡°Then take it.¡±

    Chapter <b>427 </b>

 His Heart 427

    Megan insisted with such sincerity that Charlotte eventually epted the gift.

    <b>¡°</b>Thank you, Miss Stone.

    A warm smile spread across Megan¡¯s face, lighting up her features she looked absolutely stunning. ¡°Calling me Miss Stone feels way too formal. We¡¯ve been through life and death together just call me Megan.¡±

    Charlotte gave a smallugh.

    It felt a little abrupt.

    Noticing her hesitation, Megan gave a yful little huff and teased ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you avoiding calling me Megan because we¡¯re love rivals?¡±

    She seemed like apletely different person.

    That huff had a hint of yfulness to it, almost like a pout. contrast was unexpectedly charming.

    Charlotte looked into her eyes and saw something sincere.

    She hesitated for just a moment, then softly said, ¡°Megan.¡±

    It was a far cry from her usual cool,manding presence. The

    ¡±

    Megan¡¯s smile grew brighter. She lifted her chin slightly and replied warmly, ¡°Charlotte.¡±

    It felt a little surreal.

    Who would have thought that two women who had once seen each other as romantic rivals could sit together like this?

    And strangely enough, the feeling was refreshing.

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°Thank you again for the gift. I really do like it.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m so d,¡± Megan said with a grin. ¡°I was a little worried it might not be your style.¡±

    ¡°I actually thought you came by to talk about the case,¡± Charlotte said.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left to talk about. I¡¯ve already said everything I needed to say. I trust your abilities. Just do your best.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    The truth was, ever since the incident with Kimberly, Charlotte had started to see a new side of Megan. Beneath all that bold confidence, Megan was honest, straightforward, and surprisingly kind.

    She had opened her heartpletely to the people she cared about, and in return, had been deeply hurt.

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sympathy for her.

    Still, knowing how proud Megan was, she kept those feelings to herself.

    Someone like Megan would never want to see pity in anyone¡¯s eyes.

    What Charlotte hadn¡¯t expected was that Megan would be the one to reach out first.

    ¡°Can we be friends?¡± Megan asked, her tone unusually sincere.

    Charlotte was caughtpletely off guard.

    When she didn¡¯t respond right away<b>, </b>Megan lowered her head, looking a little disappointed. ¡°<b>You </b>don¡¯t want to?¡±

    Charlotte quickly reached out and took her hand. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I was just surprised. I didn¡¯t expect it, so I froze for a second.¡±

    Chapter <b>427 </b>

    +26 BONUS

    <b>25 </b>

    <b>Megan¡¯s </b><b>eyes </b><b>lit </b><b>up</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>So </b>that means yes?<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte nodded.

    A bright<b>, </b>genuine smile spread across Megan¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s great

    <b>Seeing </b>her smile, Charlotte felt her own mood lift as well.

    Megan¡¯s tone suddenly turned more serious. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing I have to make clear. Even if we¡¯re friends now<b>, </b><b>I¡¯m </b>still not giving up on Sean. We¡¯ll justpete fairly.¡±

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t helpughing at the way she said it. ¡°I never even nned onpeting with you.¡±

    Megan narrowed her eyes at her. ¡°Oh please. What¡¯s that saying? The one who¡¯s loved the most always feels the most secure. You¡¯re only saying that because you know he¡¯s still in love with you.¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze, and the smile slowly faded from her lips.

    Her voice softened. There was a trace of exhaustion in it. ¡°It¡¯s not that I feel secure. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s no going back for us.<b>¡± </b>

    Megan looked at her, and to her surprise, she felt a flicker of regret

    The thought startled her.

    She must have been losing her mind.

    Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be happy?

    Why did she feel a little sorry instead?

    She gave her head a little shake, as if trying to clear the thought away.

    Charlotte watched her andughed. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I must be crazy,¡± Megan said with a sheepish grin. ¡°Just now, I actually thought it was kind of a shame. That <b>you </b>and Sean didn¡¯t work out.¡±

    Charlotte looked at her and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re definitely crazy.¡±

 His Heart 428

    On thest day of May, Charlotte flew to Harbor City.

    Back when she had fallen out with her family, she hade to Harbor City for work and rented an apartment. That was when she met a girl named Manon Yeager.

    They were neighbors. Manon worked in sales and had a bright, outgoing personality. She was warm, friendly, and easy to talk to.

    Charlotte still remembered the day she identally locked herself out of her apartment. She had called herndy, who said she was picking up her daughter from school and wouldn¡¯t be back for at least thirty minutes. With no other option, Charlotte waited by the door.

    Manon lived right across the hall. When she saw Charlotte standing outside, she came over and asked kindly, ¡°Did you forget your keys?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yeah. Thendy has a spare. I just called her but she¡¯s not free yet. I¡¯ll have to wait about half an hour.¡± ¡°Do you want toe over and sit for a bit?¡± Manon offered.

    At that point, they weren¡¯t close. Their work schedules happened to align, so they often ran into each other. After exchanging greetings a few times, they had be acquaintances, but nothing more.

    That day, Charlotte epted her offer and went into Manon¡¯s apartment. Manon washed some fruit for her and made small talk while they waited.

    After that, the two grew closer. On weekends, they would grab meals or go shopping together. Manon became the first real friend Charlotte made in Harbor City.

    Eventually, Manon moved back to her hometown, got married, and had a child. They hadn¡¯t seen each other since, but they still stayed in touch by texting now and then.

    This time, Charlotte came to Harbor City specifically to visit her.

    A few days earlier, Manon had reached out and asked if Charlotte could help her with a legal matter.

    When Charlotte asked for the details, she found out that Manon¡¯s husband had gone into business with two childhood friends from his vige. Together, they had invested over forty thousand dors¨Cevery bit of savings the couple had managed to put aside over the years.

    But then, one of the partners disappeared with the money. When they finally located him and reported him to the police, they discovered that he had already spent it all.

    Now Manon and her husband wanted to file awsuit, hoping they could recover the money.

    On paper, the case seemed straightforward. The three of them had signed a contract<b>, </b></divplete with fingerprints and a full record of the bank transfers documenting the investment. The evidence was solid.

    But in reality, things were far moreplicated. The man had no job and no assets. Even if the court ruled in their favor, enforcing the judgment would be difficult. With nothing to seize<b>, </b>it was unlikely they would get any of the money back, even after a formal verdict.

    Over the phone, Manon broke down in tears. She pleaded with Charlotte to help.

    She lived in a vige on the outskirts of a small county town near Harbor City. She had no resources and no connections. Of all the people she knew, Charlotte was the only one who might be able to help. She hadn¡¯t wanted to ask, but she had run out of options.

    Charlotte had always believed in repaying kindness many times over.

    That simple gesture from years ago¨Cinviting her in when she was locked out¨Chad stayed with her ever since.

    <b>So </b>she brought Petra with her and made the trip to the vige where Manon now lived.

    The vige <b>was </b>more than twenty kilometers from Harbor City¡¯s center, hidden away in a remote area. Manon¡¯s home was a three¨Cstory rural house that her family had built themselves.

    When Charlotte and Petra arrived, Manon¡¯s family weed them with warmth and hospitality.

    But just as Charlotte was getting ready to leave, a torrential downpour began.

 His Heart 429

    It felt like the sky had torn open. Torrents of rain poured down without stopping.

    Beneath the porch roof, the water dripped in thick, steady lines<b>, </b>creating <b>a </b>curtain that blurred everything outside.

    The vige didn¡¯t have paved roads, only narrow dirt paths. The ran had turned them into thick, sticky mud. Every step sank deep, and pulling your foot out felt like a full¨Cbody workout. Just moving forward was a struggle.

    That morning, Manon¡¯s husband had gone to the next town for groceries. By the time he came back, he was soaked through, his bootspletely covered in yellow mud.

    He handed Manon a couple of grocery bags filled with fresh ground beef and a rack of pork ribs, set his umbre down and walked over to change out of his muddy shoes.

    Manon carried the groceries into the kitchen, then returned to where Charlotte was standing.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys stay a few more days?¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s really not safe to be out in this weather. The roads are a mess.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte stood at the edge of the porch, frowning at the heavy downpour. <b>¡°</b>I just got a message. My flight¡¯s been canceled because of the storm.¡±

    ¡°This is our rainy season,¡± Manon said. ¡°Every year around this time, we get storms like this that canst for days.¡±

    Charlotte looked out at the sheets of rain with a worried expression.

    Manon gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t stress. Our ce isn¡¯t fancy, but we¡¯ll take good care of you. I¡¯ll go whip up some barbecue ribs and maybe a spicy beef stir¨Cfry <b>or </b>chili. You just rx.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Charlotte said with a small smile. ¡°That means a lot?¡®

    ¡°Of course. You came all this way, and I¡¯ve been worried we wouldn¡¯t be able to give you a proper wee.¡±

    The rain just kepting, harder and louder. Soon<b>, </b>the local weather service issued a red alert for extreme storms.

    It rained nonstop for three full days and nights.

    On the third night, thunder cracked across the sky, lightning lit up the windows, and the wind howled like it was trying to tear the house apart. The noise woke Charlotte. She could hear voices downstairs. Something was going on.

    She and Petra were staying in a guest room on the second floor. The first floor had the living room, kitchen, and a small utility

    room.

    Charlotte threw on a jacket and stepped into the hallway. From the top of the stairs, she could hear Manon and her husband talking frantically.

    ¡°Hurry, the water¡¯sing in. Stack some more stuff against that wall!¡±

    ¡°Did you cut the main power? We can¡¯t risk getting electrocuted.¡®

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s off. Come help me clear the kitchen floor. Get everything up onto the counters before it gets ruined.¡±

    Charlotte made her way downstairs and saw that the entire first floor was flooded. Manon and her husband were rushing around, trying to move things out of the water¡¯s path.

    When Manon spotted her, she paused. ¡°Charlotte, what are you doing down here?¡±

    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Charlotte asked.

    Manon shook her head. ¡°No, no. You should head back upstairs and get some rest. It¡¯s just a little flooding¨Cnothing too serious.<b>¡± </b>

    The power had already been shut off to prevent any electrical idents, so the only light came from shlights. Charlotte stood

    halfway down the stairs, watching <b>the </b>scene unfold in the soft glow of one of the beams.

    Manon carried a box through the muddy water, which was already up to her calves.

    Charlotte frowned. ¡°Has this happened before?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. About five years ago, we had a simr flood,¡± Manon said. I really didn¡¯t think it would happen again. I¡¯m <b>so </b>sorry, Charlotte. I never imagined you¡¯d get caught in something like this¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Charlotte said, her voice steady. ¡°Let me help.¡±

    Manon handed her the box. ¡°Can you bring this upstairs to the living room?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Charlotte bent down to take it.

    Just as she did, her phone slipped out of her jacket pocket and fell straight into the water with a ssh.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Manon eximed, quickly crouching down to grab it.

    She handed it back, dripping wet. Charlotte pressed the power button. Nothing happened. She tried holding it down longer, but the screen stayed ck.

    ¡°Is it still working?¡± Manon asked, clearly worried.

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s dead.¡±

    Manon looked distressed. ¡°What are we going to do? The roads are flooded. Deliveries are shut down. Flights and trains are canceled. We¡¯repletely cut off, and there¡¯s no way to buy a new phone. You won¡¯t be able to reach anyone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll borrow Petra¡¯s phone and make a quick call to let my family know I¡¯m safe.¡±

    Manon let out a breath of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. I still feel awful. I never expected this to happen.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Rescue teams should get here by tomorrow.¡®

    The next morning, as soon as Petra woke up, Charlotte asked if she could borrow her phone.

    Petra reached for it, but when she checked the screen, it only had one percent battery left. ¡°What? I swear I charged itst night,¡± she said, frowning.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It still works,¡± Charlotte said quickly. ¡°I just need to call home.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Petra said, handing it over.

    Charlotte scrolled through the contacts and dialed her dad¡¯s number.

    Thankfully, he answered.

    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s me, Charlotte. My phone fell in the water and it¡¯spletely dead. I¡¯m using Petra¡¯s phone to let you know I¡¯m alright. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Lottie, you-¡±

    Desmond¡¯s voice cut off mid¨Csentence.

    Charlotte looked at the screen. It had gone ck. The phone had died.

    ¡°What happened? I thought it was charging,¡± Petra said, confused

    ¡°It¡¯s the flood,¡± Charlotte exined. ¡°Water got into the housest night, and Manon shut off the power to avoid any electrical

    issues.¡±

    Petra said, ¡°Well<b>, </b>can¡¯t we just flip the breaker back on and charge it<b>?</b>¡±

    Charlotte walked over to the window, frowning. The yard was flooded. Fallen branches and debris were scattered everywhere. From the looks of it, the damage was serious. She wasn¡¯t sure if the power lines were even still standing.

    Her guess turned out to be right.

    Manon soon knocked on the door to let them know the vige¡¯s power lines had been damaged. The entire area was without

    electricity.

    ¡°Thankfully, we usually cook with firewood,¡± she said. ¡°Last night I brought some upstairs, so at least we can still make hot meals.¡±

    That morning, she boiled a simple pot of noodles and brought a bowl up to Charlotte.

    After eating, Charlotte asked, ¡°Still no sign of the rescue team?¡±

    Manon shook her head and sighed. ¡°There are a few other viges ahead of us on the route. We¡¯re pretty far out here, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll reach us until tomorrow.¡±

 His Heart 430

    Charlotte never made a habit of memorizing phone numbers. All er family and friends¡® contacts were saved in her phone<b>, </b><b>so </b>whenever she needed to call someone, she simply scrolled through her contacts and dialed.

    She never imagined she would find herself in a situation like this.

    Now her phone was ruined from water damage, Petra¡¯s phone waspletely out of battery<b>, </b>and since Charlotte didn¡¯t know any numbers by heart, she wouldn¡¯t be able to call anyone even if she borrowed Manon¡¯s phone.

    Manon looked distressed. ¡°If I had known there was going to be a food, <b>I </b>never would have asked you toe. My husband and I should have just gone to the city to visit you instead.¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. If both of you had gone to Harbor City, who would have taken care of your son?¡±

    Manon¡¯s son was only two years old and needed constant attention. Her inws had already passed away, and her mother was in poor health, barely able to care for herself, let alone help with a toddler.

    It was because of the child that Manon had asked Charlotte to make the trip in the first ce.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault,¡± Charlotte said gently. ¡°No one could have predicted a natural disaster like this. The rescue teams should be here soon. I was only out of contact for a day, and I already managed to let my dad know I¡¯m safe.¡±

    The day Charlotte arrived, the weather had been sunny. The forecast had even said the next three days would be clear. But on the day she was supposed to leave, the rain suddenly came pouring down.

    No one had expected the rain tost so long or turn into a flood.

    Without electricity, Manon started preparing dinner early, around five in the evening.

    By then, the rain had finally stopped, and the water inside the house had begun to recede.

    The night before, it had risen past their calves. Now it only reached slightly above the ankles.

    Manon brought out a spare pair of rain boots for Charlotte. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I only have two pairs in women¡¯s sizes,¡± she said, ncing apologetically at Petra.

    Petra stood barefoot in the water without saying much.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said calmly.

    Charlotte was worried she might catch a cold. ¡°Petra, why don¡¯t you rest upstairs? I¡¯ll bring dinner up when it¡¯s ready. Try not to stay in the water too long.¡±

    ¡°This is nothing,¡± Petra replied. ¡°During training, I once ran five miles barefoot in the snow.¡±

    Manon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What kind of training is that?¡±

    Petra didn¡¯t answer.

    She had almost said too much.

    Charlotte let out a smallugh to smooth things over. ¡°Petra used to take part in extreme survival challenges.¡±

    Manon¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s incredible. You¡¯re seriously impressive.¡±

    Just like that, the moment passed.

    Later, in the kitchen, Charlotte helped Manon rinse vegetables to pass the time.

    ¡°How have things been for you these past couple of years?¡± Manon asked as she sliced some carrots.

    Charlotte carefully peeled off lettuce leaves one by one. ¡°They¡¯ve been good,¡± she said.

    Manon didn¡¯t know much about Charlotte¡¯s family or background. As far as she knew, Charlotte was just <b>a </b>regr <b>young </bwyer. ¡°How¡¯s work in your hometown?¡± she asked. ¡°Did you settle in <b>okay </b>at the neww firm? <b>Do </b>they pay as well as the ones <b>in </b><b>Harbor </b>City?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about the same,¡± Charlotte replied. ¡°There¡¯s not much of a difference.¡±

    Manon hesitated, then asked, ¡°Did you ever start seeing anyone after you and¡­ what was his name again? Zac something?<b>¡± </b>

    Back when Manon was still living in the city, she had met Zac once she and Charlotte were out shopping when it suddenly started to rain. Zac had shown up to pick Charlotte up.

    Manon had been impressed by him. He was good¨Clooking and clearly sessful. In her eyes, he and Charlotte made the perfect couple¨Clike something out of a magazine.

    After moving back home, she lost touch with Charlotte for a while. During one of their catch¨Cups, she had casually asked when the two of them were getting married. That was when Charlotte told her they had broken up. Manor hadn¡¯t brought it up again until now.

    Hearing the question, Charlotte¡¯s hands paused in the water. She lowered her gaze.

    ¡°I was in a rtionship for a while,¡± she said quietly. ¡°But that ended too.¡±

    Manon could hear the sadness in her voice and didn¡¯t ask any more questions.

    Instead, she offered a warm smile and changed the subject. ¡°How about this for dinner? I¡¯ll roast some chicken with carrots and make a pot of slow¨Cbraised pork. For sides, we¡¯ll have garlic saut¨¦ed lettuce and a crisp cucumber sd. Sound good?¡±

 His Heart 431

    Charlotte nodded. <b>¡°</b>Sounds good.¡±

    Manon¡¯s husband sat behind the stove, tending the fire.

    Meanwhile, Petra was off to the side, ying with Manon¡¯s two-year¨Cold son, Kal.

    After rinsing the vegetables, Charlotte turned around and saw the two of them having a surprisingly good time. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. ¡°Petra, I never would¡¯ve guessed you liked kids.¡±

    Petra usually had a poker face and carried herself with a sharp, no nonsense attitude. Nothing about her screamed ¡°kid- friendly.¡±

    She held up an Ultraman toy, waving it at the toddler without much expression. ¡°The little guy¡¯s kind of entertaining,¡± she said tly.

    Charlotte blinked.

    Manon and her husband froze.

    The room fell into silence.

    It was the kind of silence that felt both awkward and strangely funny.

    After a moment, Charlotte gave an embarrassedugh and quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°Sorry about that. My friend isn¡¯t the most tactful person. She didn¡¯t mean it the way it sounded. She was trying to say Kai¡¯s adorable.¡±

    Manon¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Your friend is<b>¡­ </b>something else.¡±

    Charlotte offered a sheepish smile. ¡°She¡¯s just not used to being around little kids. This is new for her.¡±

    Later, once the food was ready, everyone gathered around a round table for dinner.

    Just as they were about to start eating, Manon¡¯s phone rang.

    She nced at the screen, then looked over at Charlotte. ¡°It¡¯s a number from Jersey City. Maybe someone¡¯s trying to reach you?¡±

    Charlotte shrugged. ¡°Could be. Go ahead and answer it.¡±

    Manon picked up the call. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡±

    After a brief exchange, she looked at Charlotte. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s here with me.¡± Then she handed over the phone. ¡°It¡¯s for you. Says he¡¯s a friend.¡±

    Charlotte took the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±

    As soon as she spoke, the person on the other end seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. A momentter, a deep, familiar voice came through the line.

    ¡°Lottie, are you okay? I¡¯ve been trying to reach you.¡±

    Before she could respond, Sean continued, his words spilling out in a rush. ¡°I¡¯ve called you more than a hundred times today. None of them went through. You didn¡¯t answer a single message. I was going crazy.

    ¡°I contacted Mia, Lena, everyone I could think of, but no one knew where you were. I even went to your firm, and they said you had gone to Harbor City to visit someone named Manon.

    ¡°Then I saw the flood reports on the news, and I got even more worried. Why wasn¡¯t your phone working? Did something happen to you?¡±

    13 <ul><li></li></ul>

    Charlotte blinked, momentarily stunned. She pressed her lips together before answering in a quiet voice. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m fine. My phone fell in the water and stopped working.¡±

    There was a pause. When Sean finally spoke again, his voice was low and tense. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have borrowed someone¡¯s phone to send me a message? I¡¯ve been out of my mind with worry.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s first instinct was to push back. ¡°My phone only stopped workingst night. It hasn¡¯t even been a full twenty¨Cfour hours. How was I supposed to know you¡¯d be trying so hard to reach me? And anyway¡­¡±

    She hesitated for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t actually have your number memorized.¡±

    There was silence on the line.

    Sean didn¡¯t say anything for several seconds. Then he took a deep breath. This wasn¡¯t the time to argue.

    When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse. ¡°All flights to Harbor City have been dyed. The trains aren¡¯t running either. I left the office this afternoon and started driving. I just got to Lincoln City. If all goes well, I should reach Harbor City around one in the morning.¡±

    Charlotte stared at the phone, stunned. ¡°You¡¯re driving here?¡±

    He gave a quiet confirmation. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Her voice shot up. ¡°Jersey City is over nine hundred kilometers away. You¡¯re driving all that way by yourself? It¡¯s been pouring for days. The roads are flooded everywhere. What are you doinging to Harbor City? Go back!¡±

 His Heart 432

    <b>Chapter </b><b>432 </b>

    Sean¡¯s <b>voice </b>was low and hoarse. ¡°I didn¡¯te alone. Sam¡¯s witline. We¡¯ve been taking turns driving. Lottie, I won¡¯t be at ease until I see you with my own eyes.¡±

    The drive from Jersey City was over nine hundred kilometers. Under normal conditions, it would take at least ten hours. But <b>with </b>the flooding in Harbor City, the journey would only take longer.

    Charlotte¡¯s grip on her phone tightened. Her heart trembled, and her eyes began to sting.

    She was deeply moved, but the words that came out were sharp. ¡°Who asked you toe looking for me? The flooding here is dangerous. Can you stop trying to turn this into some noble act? If something happens to the Jasper family¡¯s golden boy, I¡¯m not taking the me. I¡¯m fine. Go home. There¡¯s no need toe here¡±

    Sean let out a quiet, self¨Cdeprecatingugh. ¡°No one asked me toe. I came because I wanted to. Lottie, if anything happens to me, that¡¯s on me. It has nothing to do with you.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s throat tightened. Her eyes filled with tears.

    ¡°Sean Jasper, I¡¯m telling you not toe. Turn around and go home.¡±

    The vige was isted, surrounded by water. Some nearby areas were still at risk forndslides.

    It was too dangerous

    She couldn¡¯t let him walk into that.

    But Sean didn¡¯t listen.

    His voice caught. ¡°Lottie, if something happened to you, I wouldn¡¯t see the point in staying alive.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s heart gave a sharp, painful jolt.

    Then came wave after wave of ache that she couldn¡¯t stop.

    Sean¡¯s voice was raw. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of danger. I¡¯m only afraid of never seeing you again.¡±

    After the storm, the sky turned clear. The setting sun pushed through the clouds, casting a warm orange light across the horizon. The clouds looked like they had caught fire, painting the sky in brilliant, dreamlike hues.

    Charlotte let out a long, trembling breath as tears blurred her vision.

    That night, Charlotte couldn¡¯t sleep.

    She kept thinking about Sean, and her heart wouldn¡¯t settle.

    Even though the rain had stopped, the vige was still cut off, and the floodwaters hadn¡¯t fully receded.

    She couldn¡¯t shake the worry that something might happen to him

    Just as she was tossing and turning, a knock came at the door.

    She got up and opened it.

    Manon was standing outside.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Charlotte asked.

    Manon handed her a phone. ¡°The man who called earlier just sent you a text.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s breath caught.

    <b>1/3 </b>

    She looked down <b>at </b>the screen.

    <b>¡°</b>Don¡¯t worry about me. Get some sleep. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    <b>Her </b>heart, which had been drifting restlessly, finally settled.

    Her whole body rxed. She pressed her lips together and handed the phone back.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry to trouble you thiste.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really no trouble,¡± Manon said gently. ¡°Try to get some rest

    Charlotte gave a small nod.

    Back in bed, the unease that had been gnawing at her finally faded

    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    Just three simple words, yet they carried so much warmth.

    She closed her eyes and drifted into a deep and peaceful sleep.

    The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, Charlotte was awakened by the sound of voicesing from downstairs.

    Her eyes flew open, and a sudden thought jolted her upright.

    Sean.

    He had said he would arrive around midnight.

    She quickly got dressed, ran a brush through her hair, and rushed downstairs.

    The floodwaters had receded, but the cement floor still showed patches of lingering dampness.

    As she stepped outside, the first thing she saw was a familiar figure standing quietly under the roof.

    He was facing away from her, his posture still and solitary.

    Sean had always been meticulous about cleanliness, but now his shoes were caked with mud. His pant legs were soaked and streaked with dirt, and even his clothes were speckled with dried mud.

 His Heart 433

    Chapter <b>433 </b>

    Charlotte had never seen Sean look so disheveled.

    Something tightened in her chest<b>, </b>and her eyes burned unexpectedly. She didn¡¯t even know what she was feeling¨Cjust that it was overwhelming.

    Without thinking, she ran up and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The words came out soft and unsteady.

    Sean froze.

    It had been so long since they¡¯d hugged.

    Only God knew how many times he had imagined this moment.

    The sky had turned a soft shade of orange, like a ssh of color brushed lightly across the morning clouds,

    In the early light, thin trails of smoke rose from the kitchens nearby, blending into the lingering mist¨Cquiet and tender, like lovers finally reunited.

    The outlines of the trees were slowly bing clear.

    Drops of dew fell without a sound, rippling across the stillness between them like a stone tossed into a quietke.

    Everything about this moment felt dreamlike.

    Charlotte¡¯s arms stayed around him. Time seemed to stop.

    Sean didn¡¯t move. He was afraid that if he did, the dream might vanish.

    Neither of them spoke.

    It felt like forever.

    Finally, Sean turned to face her.

    Charlotte noticed the small twitch of his throat as he swallowed.

    Then she looked into his eyes¨Cdeep and dark, filled with emotions she couldn¡¯t quite face. She quickly looked away.

    ¡°I told you not toe,¡± she mumbled, ncing to the side.

    Sean gently held her face in his hands and turned her back toward him.

    ¡°I wanted to see you. So I came.¡±

    His features were sharp and beautiful, his voice low and warm¨Clike a breeze in spring.

    Her eyes were still hazy from sleep, filled with a soft shimmer as she stared at him without blinking.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, gently tapping the tip of her nose. His eyes held a yful glint. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already forgotten what I look like.¡±

    She blinked slowly. Her voice was soft and a little hoarse. ¡°It just doesn¡¯t feel real. It¡¯s like I¡¯m still dreaming.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a dream,¡± he said with a warm smile. <b>¡°</b>If you don¡¯t believe me, go ahead and pinch me.¡±

    She let out a small sound of protest. ¡°Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t know if it hurt or not.¡±

    Sean gave a lowugh. ¡°Then what should we do? If you pinch yourself, I¡¯ll feel bad.¡±

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but smile. She gave him a light nudge in the chest, her tone half teasing. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡±

    <b>1/3 </b>

    He caught her hand and held it gently. ¡°I mean it.¡±

    Her clear, doe¨Clike eyes reflected his face.

    She <b>pressed </b>her lips together and asked softly, ¡°Did you eat anything yet?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± <b>he </b>said. ¡°The road conditions were worse than I expected. didn¡¯t reach the city until around three thirty this morning<b>. </b>Things were better there since the floodwater had mostly drained, but the closer I got to this area, the harder it became. The road to the county was still flooded. Once I got about five kilometers from the vige, I had to leave the car and walk.¡±

    Her brows furrowed. ¡°You walked five kilometers?¡±

    Sean nodded.

    A faint ache tightened in her chest.

    Five kilometers on foot, through muddy, slippery roads. One wrong step and he could have fallen. The vige was remote, the roads were rough, and the surrounding mountains made things even riskier. If the rain had started again, there could have been andslide.

    The thought alone was terrifying.

    Another question suddenly came to mind.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep at allst night?¡± she asked quietly.

 His Heart 434

    There was visible exhaustion in Sean¡¯s eyes as he gave a small shake of his head.

    ¡°You should go upstairs and get some rest,¡± Charlotte said gently

    ¡°Alright,¡± he replied in a soft voice.

    In the distance, a burst of voices echoed through the morning air. Charlotte turned toward the sound and saw that the rescue team had finally arrived.

    Manon<b>, </b>still half¨Casleep, came downstairs rubbing her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s all that noise?¡±

    Charlotte looked over her shoulder. ¡°The rescue team just got here¡±

    Manon walked over, but stopped in her tracks when she saw the man standing in front of Charlotte. ¡°Who¡¯s this?<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte hesitated before replying, ¡°This is Sean Jasper. He¡¯s the one who calledst night.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so this is him,¡± Manon said with a slightly yful tone. Her eyes moved between the two of them with a hint of curiosity. Just then, Sam returned from a distance, having stepped away earlier to give them space. He greeted politely, ¡°Good morning, Miss Riley.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Sam. Thank you for everything,¡± Charlotte said with a smile.

    Turning back to Manon<b>, </b>she added, ¡°This is Sean¡¯s friend, Sam Long.¡±

    Manon offered them both a warm wee. ¡°Mr. Jasper, Mr. Long, pleasee inside. No need to stay out here. Make yourselvesfortable.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve been on the road all night and haven¡¯t gotten any sleep,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Would it be okay for them to rest upstairs for a bit?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Manon said right away. ¡°There¡¯s a spare room upstairs. It has a bed. I¡¯ll go tidy it up. Just give me a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Charlotte said sincerely.

    ¡°No trouble at all.¡±

    Sam stepped forward and handed her a box. ¡°Miss Riley, this is a new phone we picked up for you.¡±

    Charlotte looked up at Sean, who remained quiet.

    Sam quickly added, ¡°Our CE¡­ Mr. Jasper got it for you when we passed through Harbor City.¡®

    ¡±

    That was close. He had nearly said ¡°the CEO,¡± but judging by how Charlotte had introduced Sean earlier, it was clear she didn¡¯t want her friend to know who they really were. She was probably trying to keep things low¨Ckey and avoid unnecessary attention. Luckily, Sam caught himself just in time.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Charlotte said as she epted the phone.

    One phone

    Sean and Sam had arrived in the city around three thirty that morning. By that time<b>, </b>most stores would have already been closed. But for someone like Sean, getting a new phone delivered in the middle of the night was hardly a chal

    call was all it took.

    He had remembered that her phone was water¨Cdamaged. Even though he hadn¡¯t slept, the first thing he did after arriving was make sure she had a recement. A quiet warmth spread through her chest. Her eyes began to sting.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet,¡± she said gently. ¡°Let me make something for you both. You can sleep afterward.

    Sean looked at her with a soft expression. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Manon spoke up immediately. ¡°Charlotte<b>, </b><b>you </b>shouldn¡¯t have to cook. Let me do it.¡°.

    Charlotte gave her a small smile. Her almond¨Cshaped eyes sparkle. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I want to.¡±

    Manon instantly understood what that look meant. She smiled knowingly, as <b>if </b>to say, ¡°I get it.¡±

    She added, <b>¡°</b><b>In </b>that case<b>, </b>you cook and I¡¯ll handle the fire. You¡¯re probably not used to the old wood¨Cburning stove.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Charlotte said.

    She prepared two bowls of pasta with scrambled eggs and tomato, hen ced them <b>on </b>the table. ¡°Come eat before you rest.¡±

    Sam nced at Sean, clearly unsure.

    The CEO¡¯s wife had personally cooked this meal. Was he really allowed to eat it? What if he did, and ended up getting firedter? The thought made him nervous.

    He was touched, but also a little terrified.

    Sean gave him a side nce, almost as if he could hear his thoughts. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Only then did Sam sit down. He picked up his fork and smiled. ¡°Thanks for the meal<b>, </b>Miss Riley.¡±

    Sean sat down too, but instead of eating, he handed his fork to Charlotte. ¡°You haven¡¯t had breakfast either. You should eat first.¡±

    Manon stood nearby, watching the two of them with a satisfied look, as if she couldn¡¯t be happier with what she was seeing.

    to

    31 430

 His Heart 435

    Chapter <b>435 </b>

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet. You go ahead and at. I¡¯ll have someter.¡± Across the table, Sam was already digging into his pasta, slurping appily. ¡°This is amazing!¡± Sean nced at Charlotte again.

    She gave a helpless smile. ¡°I just woke up. I don¡¯t have much of an appetite right now. Go ahead.¡± Only then did Sean pick up his fork and start eating.

    It had been a long time since he hadst tasted Charlotte¡¯s cooking He had missed it.

    The vor hadn¡¯t changed at all. It

    ¡± he remembered.

    When Sean and Sam arrived, they had brought along a suitcase and a backpack. Once the car hit the muddy backroads outside the county, it couldn¡¯t go any farther. So Sam grabbed a few changes of clothes, packed them in the backpack, and carried it the rest of the way on foot.

    After the meal, they took a quick shower, changed into clean clothes, and finally got some rest.

    Later, the rescue team began distributing supplies to the vigers and clearing out the roads that had been blocked by mud, debris, and trash. The power in the vige was restored as well.

    Sean woke up around four in the afternoon.

    The weather was perfect. The sun was

    ght and warm.

    From the second¨Cfloor window, he spotted Charlotte lounging in the courtyard, her eyes closed as she soaked in the sun with a peaceful expression.

    His lips curved into a soft smile before he even realized it.

    For some reason<b>, </b>seeing Charlotte basking in the sunlight reminded him of a little turtle sunning itself on a rock¨Cquiet, content, and oddly adorable.

    Ever since they got back from Harbor City, something between them had shifted.

    Mostly, it was Charlotte¡¯s attitude that had changed.

    She wasn¡¯t cold or sarcastic like before. Even though they hadn¡¯t officially made up, there was now a quiet closeness between them¨Csomething soft and unmistakably affectionate.

    Even Megan had picked up on it.

    That afternoon<b>, </b>Megan came by thew firm to see Charlotte.

    In the office<b>, </b>Lena was brewing herself a cup of tea and eyeing Charlotte with yful suspicion. ¡°Spill it. What¡¯s going on between you and Sean? You used to be all frosty with him<b>, </b>but now I¡¯m seeing sparks fly every time you two lock eyes.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte let out a helplessugh and shot her a yful re. ¡°What sparks? Don¡¯t make things up.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes more than once,¡± Megan grumbled. ¡°You used to look at him like he was a stranger. Now your eyes light up like stars when you see him. Don¡¯t tell me you two are getting back together?¡±

    Charlotte deflected with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment about my pretty eyes.¡±

    ¡°Stop changing the subject. Be honest¨Cdid something happen between you two?¡± Megan suddenly gasped and pped a hand

    over her mouth. ¡°Wait¡­ did you two do it?¡±

    Charlotte was speechless. ¡°Megan Stone, did you forget that we¡¯re supposed to be love rivals? What kind of interrogation is this? Do it? Do what? What exactly is going on in that brain of your<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Megan mumbled under her breath<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Obviously thinking about Sea. What else?<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow, amused. ¡°So what are we, then? Enemies or friends? Because you¡¯re grilling me like we¡¯re besties.<b>¡± </b>

    Megan tilted her head thoughtfully. ¡°What¡¯s that word¡­ frenemy Yeah, that¡¯s it. We¡¯re frenemies. Part rival, part BFF.¡±

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°That¡¯s not what frenemy means, Megan.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Megan huffed. ¡°I want to be with Sean and be his number one. But I also want to be friends with you and be your number two.¡±

    Charlotte gave her a teasing grin. ¡°You do realize you can¡¯t have your cake and eat it too, right?¡±

    Megan tilted her head and said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly, ¡°Sure I can. I¡¯m a rich girl. If I want both, why not?¡±

 His Heart 436

    Chapter <b>436 </b>

    Charlotte and Megan were stillughing and chatting when someone knocked on the office door.

    It was Scott.

    ¡°Charlotte, are you free tonight?¡± he asked.

    She looked up from her desk. ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Scott smiled. ¡°Tiana hasn¡¯t seen you in a while. She says she misses you and asked if you¡¯d like to have dinner with us tonight.¡± Charlotte paused for a moment.

    She could tell that Scott had feelings for her. When he brought Tiana over to help Jodie during her illness, it had made sense. But now that Jodie was recovering, he had already gone above and beyond. The dinner invitations, the thoughtful gifts¨Che had done plenty.

    She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was using Tiana as a reason to spend time with her. Maybe she was overthinking it, buttely, he had been finding more and more reasons to see her outside of work.

    Sometimes he showed up at her ce. Other times, he asked to meet somewhere else. If this continued, they would cross the line from casual friends to something more.

    For some reason, what shed through her mind in that moment was a quiet figure standing beneath the roof that early morning. She remembered the embrace that followed¨Cwarm, steady, and far moreforting than she wanted to admit.

    She lowered her eyes. ¡°I have something on tonight. Could you let Tiana know I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    Scott looked surprised by the refusal. He studied her for a brief moment before replying softly, ¡°Alright.¡±

    After he left, Megan gave Charlotte a pointed smile and narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°You turned him down because of Sean, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Charlotte kept her head down and focused on her work. She didn¡¯t answer, but she didn¡¯t deny it either.

    That was enough of a response.

    Megan¡¯s smile slowly faded. A tight feeling settled in her chest, leaving her frustrated and unsure.

    Seven years. But Charlotte was the one who had saved her life.

    She had been in love with Sean fors

    What was she supposed to do now?

    She couldn¡¯t let go of Sean. Not after all this time.

    But she also couldn¡¯t bring herself to fight the woman who had once saved her. That wasn¡¯t who she was. She wasn¡¯t the type to repay kindness with betrayal.

    There was no good choice.

    Megan sighed deeply and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m heading out.¡±

    Charlotte looked

    up

    at her with a quiet, thoughtful gaze, ¡°Take care.<b>¡± </b>

    Later that night, Charlotte was on a video call with Mia and Lena in their small group chat.

    Usually, Mia was the liveliest of the three, always talking andughing. But tonight, she was unusually quiet.

    Charlotte noticed it first. ¡°Mia, are you okay? You¡¯ve barely said a word all night.¡±

    Lena chimed in<b>, </b>her expression concerned. ¡°Yeah, something¡¯s up You seem off.¡±

    ? ? ? ?? ? ? ?

    Mia let out a dramatic sigh and pouted. ¡°You both know Yvette Ziegler, right?¡±

    Lena nodded right away. ¡°The youngest from the Ziegler family? actually ran into her at the mall a few days ago. Why do you ask?¡±

    Mia dropped the bomb. ¡°She has a crush onn.¡±

    Charlotte and Lena blurted it out at the same time. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I just found out yesterday,¡± Mia said quietly. ¡°She came out of nowhere and started asking me if fan was home and what he¡¯s been up totely. After I did some digging, I found out she¡¯s been secretly into him for over a year.¡±

    Lena looked surprised. ¡°Seriously? She never seemed like the type to have a low¨Ckey crush. Didn¡¯t she date a bunch of guys already?¡±

    Mia frowned. ¡°ording to her, she only dated them to maken Jealous.¡±

    Charlotte and Lena exchanged looks through the screen.

    It almost sounded like Yvette thought Ian had feelings for her.

    It was as if she actually believed Ian cared enough to get jealous. Why else would she think dating other guys would get to him? Mia must have felt awful hearing that.

 His Heart 437

    Sure enough, a momentter, Mia spoke up.

    ¡°I went straight ton and asked if he had feelings for Yvette. He denied it, but I was still furious. We ended up having a huge fight.¡±

    She let out a snott. ¡°And guess what? Yvette actually tried to get to fan through me. She gave me an LV bag, like she was trying to bribe me or something. Please. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t afford my own. As if I¡¯d care about some trashy little bag from her<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>

    Lena tried tofort her. ¡°I really don¡¯t thinkn is into Yvette. If he were, they¡¯d already be together. And from what I¡¯ve seen, he¡¯s serious about you. You two should talk things out. Don¡¯t let someone elsee between you.¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°I agree. You know better than anyone hown treats you. Can¡¯t you feel it?¡±

    Mia let out a bitterugh. ¡°Men are good at sweet talk. How can I tell if he¡¯s being real or just pretending? Look at Jordan and that college girl he¡¯s dating. He treats her well too, but didn¡¯t he say it was all just for fun?¡±

    Lena pressed her lips together. That was true. Her brother had been seeing that girl for over six months but had never introduced her to their family or friends. It was clear he had no intention of making her part of his life. In other words, he was just ying around.

    After hearing Mia¡¯s words, Lena didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Charlotte was the one who spoke up. ¡°Ian isn¡¯t like Jordan. And you¡¯re not like that girl either. You and Ian are from the same world. You¡¯re not just some random college student without any background. It¡¯s not the same situation at all.¡±

    Mia let out a long sigh. ¡°After our fight, I felt like he wasn¡¯t being honest. And he felt like I didn¡¯t trust him. We haven¡¯t spoken since. It¡¯s been almost twenty¨Cfour hours.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should find a chance to talk things through,¡± Lena suggested.

    Mia mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not going to be the one to reach out first.¡±

    Lena suddenly lit up. ¡°Our family¡¯s amusement park project just openedst weekend. Why don¡¯t we all go together? I¡¯ll invite Ian too. That way it won¡¯t look like you¡¯re the one making the first move.¡±

    Mia thought it over for a moment, then gave a small nod.

    Lena turned to Charlotte. ¡°You shoulde too. You¡¯ve been buried in worktely. It¡¯s time to rx a little.¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°Sure.¡±

    That weekend, Charlotte arrived at the entrance of the amusement park. She slowed down as soon as she spotted a familiar figure in the distance.

    It was Sean.

    He was dressed in a light gray casual outfit¨Ca short¨Csleeved shirt paired with long pants. At nearly six foot three, with sharp features and a tousled, clean¨Ccut hairstyle, he stood out without even trying. Several passersby nced his way, and Charlotte even saw someone quietly take out their phone to snap a photo.

    She walked over and gave Lena a pointed look.

    Lena smiled brightly. ¡°Sean happened to be free today, so I invited him to join us.¡±

    Charlotte turned to Sean, her expression a mix of amusement and curiosity. ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for someone who likes amusement parks.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± he replied, his eyes lit with warmth. ¡°I only came because I heard you¡¯d be here.¡±

 His Heart 438

    Tan arrived alone.

    He had just gotten there when Mia showed up a few minutester,

    The momentn saw her, his eyes darkened as if he wanted to say something. But Miapletely ignored him and turned to Lena instead. ¡°Lena, isn¡¯t your brothering today?¡±

    ¡°He said he¡¯s on his way,¡± Lena replied.

    Just then, Mia caught sight of a couple walking toward them from distance. She nudged Lena and pointed. ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t that guy look like your brother?¡±

    Lena nced over. ¡°That is my brother.¡±

    Mia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait¨Cwho¡¯s the girl with him? Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s the college student he¡¯s been dating?¡±

    Charlotte, Lena, and Mia exchanged looks.

    A momentter, Jordan approached them with the girl in tow.

    Ian smiled. ¡°Jordan, aren¡¯t you going to introduce us? Who¡¯s this?¡±

    Jordan chuckled. ¡°This is my girlfriend, Liz Stewart.¡±

    Liz was undeniably pretty. She had long, straight hair, big eyes, and fair skin. She was petite¨Cmaybe around five¨Cfoot¨Cthree- with a slim frame and a soft, demure presence. Her light blue dress made her look even more like a sweet, well¨Cmannered girl.

    ¡°Hi,¡± she said, her voice soft and slightly nervous.

    She was the definition of a picture¨Cperfect soft girl.

    Everyone greeted her with warm, polite smiles.

    None of them had expected Jordan¡¯s new girlfriend to be this sweet and gentle. His past girlfriends¨Cwhether actresses or models¨Chad all been bold, sexy, and strikingly mature.

    But this time, it seemed like he hadpletely changed his taste.

    ¡°Looks like everyone¡¯s here. Let¡¯s head in,¡± Lena said cheerfully.

    Since they had VIP tickets, they skipped the line and went straight through the express entrance.

    Mia took the lead, walking quickly as if she were still mad at Ian and deliberately trying to keep her distance from him.

    Charlotte and Sean followed closely behind, walking side by side.

    Ian picked up his pace to try to catch up to Mia.

    Lena walked behind him.

    Jordan and Liz brought up the rear, walking hand in hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous,¡± Jordan said softly. ¡°They¡¯re all really easy to get along with.¡±

    Liz gave a small nod. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Up ahead, Lena froze in surprise.

    ¡°Was that really my brother? Since when has he ever been this gentle?¡± she wondered.

    She had never seen him treat anyone like this before. Most of his past rtionships didn¡¯t evenst three months. Once the novelty wore off, he would turn cold and distant. One girl even showed up saying she was pregnant, and he had dismissed her

    with a cold check.

    Lena still remembered when her brother dated a B¨Clist actress two years ago. That woman was absolutely stunning, but even with someone that beautiful, Jordan had never shown much warm. He was as cold and distant as ever.

    But now? This college girl?

    They had been dating for over six months. Lena clearly remembered how casual her brother had been about it in the <b>beginning </b>He had brushed it off like it was just a fling, saying he wasn¡¯t nning on getting married anytime soon.

    And yet here they were. Not only had they not broken up, he had actually brought her to meet the group.

    ¡°Wait¡­ is he actually serious this time? Did my brother fall in love for real? Tsk. Guess this one¡¯s the real deal,¡± Lena thought. Mia, always the thrill¨Cseeker, tugged on Lena and Charlotte¡¯s arms. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s ride the roller coaster!¡±

    Lena, who couldn¡¯t handle scary rides, waved her off with a nervousugh. ¡°You guys go ahead. I really can¡¯t. I might be able to handle the jungle train, but if I get on that coaster, I¡¯ll probably faint.¡±

 His Heart 439

    Chapter <b>439 </b>

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Charlotte said with a grin. ¡°I like thrill rides too

    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Sean added, following after her.

    ¡°Wait for me! I¡¯ming too,¡± tan chimed in quickly.

    A tiny smirk tugged at Mia¡¯s lips.

    Jan had always been a scaredy¨Ccat when it came to thrill rides. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t go near them no matter what. But here he was<b>, </b>chasing after them like his life depended on it.

    Mia headed straight for the front row¨Cthe most intense spot on the ride.

    Charlotte took the second row, leaving the seat beside Mia open forn.

    Sean sat down next to Charlotte. ¡°Nervous?¡± he asked.

    ¡°A little.¡±

    He reached over and held her hand, his touch warm and steady. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m right here.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s heart fluttered. She didn¡¯t pull her hand away.

    As the roller coaster began its slow climb, Ian was already screaming.

    Mia turned and rolled her eyes. ¡°Whye on if you¡¯re scared? No one forced you.¡±

    Ian shot back, ¡°I only came because you¨CAHHH!¡±

    Before he could finish, the coaster picked up speed and he let out a full¨Cthroated scream.

    Mia started yelling too but hers was out of excitement, not fear.

    Sean stayed calm, gripping Charlotte¡¯s hand tightly. It was his first time on a ride like this, but he wasn¡¯t scared.

    Charlotte screamed beside him, her voice blending with the roar of the wind.

    He squeezed her hand a little harder, quietly staying by her side the whole way.

    After the ride, Ian staggered off and ran straight to the trash can, throwing up.

    Mia patted his back and handed him a water bottle. ¡°You¡¯re such a lightweight. Can¡¯t handle it but still insist on going.¡±

    Ian¡¯s face waspletely pale.

    Lena stood nearby, trying not tough.

    ¡°Looks like they¡¯re back on good terms,¡± she muttered.

    She had to admit that her idea actually worked.

    Sean opened a water bottle and handed it to Charlotte. ¡°Here. Drink some.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Charlotte said, taking a few sips.

    ¡°Still dizzy?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. Just a little lightheaded.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a short break before we go on another ride.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    While they were on the roller coaster, Jordan had taken Liz to the carousel and snapped a bunch of photos for her.

    ¡°Baby, you look adorable in these,¡± he said as he scrolled through his gallery, smiling at her.

    Charlotte and Lena exchanged nces.

    ¡°Okay, that was new. Did Jordan seriously just call someone ¡®baby?¡± they thought.

    Sean didn¡¯t react. His expression stayedpletely neutral, like he hadn¡¯t been surprised at all.

    After the roller coaster<b>, </b>Mia was already excited to try something else. She eagerly suggested going to the haunted maze.

    Ian¡¯s face was still ghostly pale, and the moment he heard the word ¡°haunted,¡± he turned even whiter.

    But he clenched his jaw and followed anyway.

    Charlotte and Sean joined them too, while Lena stayed behind and found a cafe to rest in. She still couldn¡¯t handle scary stuff.

    This time, Jordan and Liz came along as well.

    The moment they stepped into the haunted house, Ian reached out and grabbed Mia¡¯s hand. ¡°Mia, I¡¯m scared

    Mia stared at him. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    He moved closer to her. ¡°Don¡¯t walk so fast. What if the ghosts take me?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re just actors in costumes. What are you so afraid of?¡± she shot back, exasperated.

 His Heart 440

    Chapter <b>440 </b>

    The maze was dimly lit, with eerie red lights and creepy music that sent chills down everyone¡¯s spine.

    Charlotte and Sean walked side by side.

    At first, Charlotte was only a little nervous but definitely not as dramatic as Ian. However, as they moved deeper into the maze, something suddenly dropped from above.

    A ghostly figure in a red wedding dress, with long messy hair and pale face streaked with bloody tears, came swinging down from the ceiling¨Clocking eyes with Charlotte.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± she screamed and instinctively spun around, throwing herself into Sean¡¯s arms.

    Sean immediately smacked the fake ghost away and wrapped his arms around her, gently reassuring her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lottie. It¡¯s not real. Just a prop.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t even an actor, just a mechanical setup.

    Charlotte trembled in his arms.

    Sean held her close and began softly patting her back<b>, </bforting her like a frightened child. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. You¡¯re okay now.¡±

    It took her a moment to recover.

    She finally pulled back from his arms and mumbled, ¡°Sorry¡­ That really scared <ol><li>me. It was just a reflex.¡± </li></ol>

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Sean replied in a low, reassuring voice. ¡°Are you okay? We can leave if you want.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It just¡­ happened too fast,¡± Charlotte said, her voice growing smaller.

    Sean could tell she was still scared.

    He didn¡¯t say much. He just gave a quiet ¡°mm¡± and gently took her hand.

    The warmth of his palm made her stiffen slightly

    She didn¡¯t pull away.

    <b><i>at </i></b>

    first, but she quickly rxed.

    Instead, she let him hold her hand as they continued walking deeper into the maze.

    The scare had clearly shaken her. Now, she walked slowly, nervously looking around as if expecting something else to jump out

    at any second.

    Sean noticed her unease. He stayed alert<b>, </b>scanning the surroundings in case anything else came out of nowhere.

    A momentter, a pale hand suddenly shot out from the side, reaching for Charlotte¡¯s arm. Sean reacted instantly, pulling her tightly into his arms just before another ghost appeared.

    This time, it was a long¨Chaired woman in white, slowly gliding around them in circles,

    Sean could tell right away it was an actress on roller shoes.

    ¡°Lottie, don¡¯t look,¡± he said gently. He reached up and pressed her head to his chest, shielding her from the ghostly figure.

    Charlotte obeyed, burying her face against him, her heart pounding.

    ¡°Excuse me, could you let us through?¡± Sean asked the actress politely.

    <b>The </b>ghost in white froze for a second.

    In her three years working the haunted maze<b>, </b>no one had ever spoken to her that politely.

    She <b>was </b>supposed to circle guests three times while chanting<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Give me back my life¡­ Give me back my life¡­¡±

    But before she could even get started, this man was already asking nicely for her to move.

    ¡°Sorry¨Cjust trying to get through,¡± Sean added, holding out an an protectively and guiding Charlotte through the narrow space beside her.

    The ghost stepped aside, startled, and gave them room.

    Once they were past, Sean gently said, ¡°It¡¯s okay now, Lottie.¡±

    Charlotte whispered, ¡°Maybe we should leave, I don¡¯t think I can go any further. I overestimated how brave I am.¡±

    She could handle the thrill of roller coasters, but haunted houses genuinely scared her.

 His Heart 441

    ¡°Okay,¡± Sean replied gently, his voice deep and warm.

    They stopped, and Sean pulled out his phone to take scatt hidden door nearly, leading them out of the haunted hote

    renttey, a staff member appeared and pastly opened a

    Stepping from the dim maze into bright night, Charlotte felt stly dizzy for a cert

    sean immediately reached out to steady her. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    They waited near the exit for about ten minutes before Mix, Tan, dan and Liz finally came out.

    Jan¡¯s face was ghost¨Cwhite.

    Mia, on the other hand, lookedpletely energized. <i>¡°</i>That haunted house was amazing! Se intenseli

    Jan looked like he might copse. ¡°As long as you had fun.¡±

    Mia nced over at Charlotte standing off to the side. ¡°Wait¨Cwhy¡¯d youe out so early?¡±

    Charlotte gave an awkward smile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling great, so I came out through the staff exit.¡±

    Are you okay? What happened? Is it serious?¡± Mia asked, concerned.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling okay? Is it serious?¡± Mia asked, clearly concerned.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I just got a little dizzy<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>

    Probably from being scared out of her mind.

    Mia rxed and nodded. ¡°Well, as long as it¡¯s nothing major.<i>¡± </i>She turned ton and said to Charlotte, ¡°Look at him. He¡¯s still shaking. I told him not to go in if he was that scared, but he wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±

    Ian looked truly rattled. ¡°I¡¯m never doing that again. I¡¯m done with haunted houses. That wasn¡¯t entertainment. It felt like psychological torture.¡±

    Mia burst outughing. ¡°I thought it was amazing. Just admit it you¡¯re a total scaredy¨Ccat.¡±

    Ian sighed and shook his head, but he gave her a helpless smile. ¡°Alright, alright, Miss Daredevil. How about we try something a little calmer next?¡±

    ¡°Alright then. Since you went on two thrill rides with me, I¡¯ll cut you some ck,¡± Mia said excitedly. She pointed toward the log flume in the distance. ¡°Let¡¯s go on that one next!¡±

    Ian followed her gaze just in time to see one of the log boats plunge down from the top, sending a massive spray of water high

    into the air.

    ¡°You call that calm?¡± Ian asked, eyebrows twitching. ¡°How is that even close to calm?¡±

    Mia crossed her arms, mock¨Coffended. ¡°That is calm for my standards. If you¡¯re too scared, why even bothering to an amusement park? Never mind. I¡¯ll go on my own.¡±

    With that, she turned and marched off.

    ¡°I never said I wouldn¡¯t go!¡± Ian called after her. ¡°Mia, wait up!¡±

    Meanwhile, Jordan and Liz had just exited the haunted maze. Liz didn¡¯t look too great either. Clearly, she had gotten spooked pretty badly.

    Jordan wrapped an arm around her and gentlyforted her as they walked toward Charlotte.

    ¡°Where aren and Mia?¡± Jordan asked.

    ¡°They went to ride the log flume,¡± Charlotte replied.

    Jordan nodded and turned to Liz. ¡°Baby, what do you want to do next?¡±

    Liz pressed her lips together. ¡°I want to see the beluga whales.¡±

    This amusement park didn¡¯t just have rides. It also had plenty of animals for visitors to enjoy.

    Jordan looked at Sean. ¡°You two want toe?¡±

    Sean replied, ¡°You guys go ahead.¡±

    He figured Jordan and Liz could use a little alone time. And honestly<b>, </b><b>so </b>could he and Charlotte.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Jordan said, and walked off with Liz.

    As they watched the couple disappear into the crowd, Charlotte said softly, ¡°Jordan really seems different this time.¡±

    Sean gave a quiet ¡°mm.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do next?¡± he asked.

    Charlotte pointed toward a nearby attraction. ¡°That one looks fun.

    Sean smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

 His Heart 442

    That evening,n invited everyone to a private dinner at an exclusive chef¡¯s table restaurant.

    The venue was nestled on a quiet estate just outside the city, surrounded by manicured hedges and winding stone paths. Elegant wooden gazebos with copper roofs dotted the grounds, and a ssy pond sat at the center, reflecting the soft light of the setting sun. Water lilies floated on the surface, and a few goldfish weaved slowly through the ripples,

    A charming arched footbridge crossed the pond, connecting one side of the garden to the other.

    By the time they arrived, dusk had begun to settle. The golden hour glow painted everything in warm tones, making the whole ce feel like a scene from a magazine spread.

    ¡°This ce is gorgeous. Ian, you really know how to pick a spot,¡± Lena said, smiling as she took it all in.

    Ian shrugged, looking pleased. ¡°It¡¯s owned by a friend of mine. Totally off the radar¨Cinvitation only.¡±

    Mia narrowed her eyes. ¡°A friend, huh? What kind of friend are we talking about?¡±

    Ian smirked and rified quickly, ¡°A guy. His name¡¯s Tyler Ziegler¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s back in town?¡± Jordan asked.

    ¡°Yeah. He just moved back and opened this ce not long ago. The menu focuses on seasonal cuisine with a farm¨Cto¨Ctable twist. It¡¯s seriously good.¡±

    They crossed the bridge and wandered along the garden path, chatting as they walked. The entire property had a refined, almost rustic elegance. Natural wood ents, soft ambient lighting, and a peaceful atmosphere gave the space a quiet charm that made you want to slow down and savor every moment.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before? With who?¡± Mia shot him a sharp look, the jealousy in her tone hard to miss.

    Ian couldn¡¯t help smiling. He loved seeing her jealous like this¨Cso cute and feisty, it made his heart ache in the best way.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only been here once, just me and Tyler. No girls involved. Even the servers were all guys.¡±

    Mia looked satisfied with that answer.

    ¡°You know him too, Jordan?¡± she asked. ¡°Howe I¡¯ve never heard of this guy?¡±

    ¡°I know of him, but we¡¯re not close,¡± Jordan replied. ¡°He was in the same ss as Ian in college. After graduation, he went

    overseas for further studies.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>I see.¡±

    They arrived at a covered patio where dinner had already been set on a long wooden table.

    ¡°<b>I </b>called ahead and pre¨Cordered everything,¡± Ian said. ¡°These are all the house specialties. I figured after a full day out, you¡¯d be tired and hungry. This way, we can dig in right away.¡±

    ¡°Finally, a smart move from you,¡± Mia said as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

    ¡°You¡¯re really thoughtful, Ian,¡± Lena added with a smile.

    Jordan pulled out a chair for Liz, who sat next to Lena, He took the seat on Liz¡¯s other side. William sat beside Charlotte, while Han remained standing.

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Ian said, scanning the table. ¡°The food¡¯s all here, but where¡¯s Tyler? Let me give him a quick call.¡±

    Just as he hung up, a man they hadn¡¯t seen before strolled over and called Ian¡¯s name.

    ¡°Everyone, this is Tyler Ziegler, my college ssmate and the owner of this ce,¡± Ian said, introducing him.

    Tyler was tall, probably around <b>six </b>foot one. He wore a simple white T¨Cshirt and dark gray jeans. His hair was neatly trimmed,

    definitely the ssic heartthrob type. and his features were sharp and handsome.

    Mia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Well, hello, handsome,

    Before anyone could say more,n jumped in. ¡°Tyler, this is my girlfriend, Mia.¡±

    Tylerughed. ¡°Man, that quick to mark your territory? She gave the onepliment and you¡¯re already getting jealous?¡±

    Ian shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t help it. She¡¯s got mepletely wrapped around her finger.¡±

    After that,n went around introducing William, Charlotte, Jordan Lena, and Liz before finally taking his seat.

    <b>+25 </b>BONU

 His Heart 443

    After dinner, as everyone chatted andughed, Mia suggested heading to a bar for drinks.

    Jordan spoke up first. ¡°Liz doesn¡¯t drink, and her dorm has a curfew. <b>It¡¯s </b>gettingte. I should take her back to campus ¡±

    Mia waved her hand. ¡°Alright, you two go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Bye, Jordan. Bye, Miss Stewart,¡± Lena said with a wave.

    Jordan nced back and said, ¡°Miss Stewart? <i>77 </i>

    Lena paused for a second, a bit caught off guard.

    So did everyone else.

    ¡°Liz<b>,</b>¡± she echoed, still a little unsure.

    way too formal. Just call her Liz¨Cshe¡¯s basically your sister¨Cinw<i>.</i>¡±

    Liz¡¯s face turned bright red. She looked down, flustered, and mumbled, <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s okay¡­ You can call me whatever you want.¡±

    Jordan pulled her into his arms. ¡°No way. Let¡¯s go, babe. I¡¯ll take you home.¡±

    She nodded, still blushing.

    After they left, Mia gave a teasing little tsk. ¡°Lena, looks like your brother¡¯s really serious this time.¡±

    Lena agreed. ¡°He¡¯s definitely different with Lizpared to how he was with other women.¡±

    Mia then grabbed Charlotte¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s hit the bar! My friend owns a great spot. Let¡¯s go have some fun!¡±

    Lena shook her head. ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯m heading home.¡±

    Lena had always been the responsible one. She didn¡¯t drink, and Mia didn¡¯t push her. ¡°Alright then. Get home safe.¡±

    Mia turned to Charlotte and Sean. ¡°How about

    you two?¡±

    Sean looked at Charlotte, silently waiting for her decision.

    If she wanted to go, he would go too. If she didn¡¯t<b>, </b>neither would he.

    Charlotte understood exactly what that look meant.

    She actually wanted to go. She wanted to spend

    more time with him.

    But she wasn¡¯t a good drinker. Thest time she had gone to a bar, she got so drunk she cked out, said all kinds of nonsense, andpletely embarrassed herself¨Cespecially in front of Sean.

    Back then, they were dating, so it hadn¡¯t been a big deal. If he carried her home or she clung to him, it was still within bounds.

    But things were different now.

    She couldn¡¯t let herself copse into his arms like that again,

    With that in mind, Charlotte declined. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. I think I¡¯ll pass.¡®

    ¡±

    Mia let out a disappointed sigh. ¡°Ugh, if none of you are going, it won¡¯t be any fun. I¡¯ll just go home too.¡±

    The next day, Charlotte went back to the Riley estate for dinner.

    At the table, Desmond casually asked, ¡°Lottie, how are things going between you and thatwyer, Mr. Lucas?¡±

    Charlotte paused mid¨Cbite. ¡°What do you mean ¡®how are things¡®? We¡¯re just friends.

    Chapter <b>443 </b>

    Xena smiled and said, <b>¡°</b>Just friends? Come on, Lottle. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t noticed how into you he <b>is</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Desmond <b>added </b>calmly, ¡°He made a good impression on me.¡±

    ¡°Dad, Aunt Xena,¡± Charlotte said<b>, </b>halfughing. <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re way off There¡¯s nothing going on between us. If he has feelings<b>, </b><b>I¡¯m </b>not aware of them. Either way, I definitely don¡¯t see him that way.

    Desmond sipped his soup and said mildly, ¡°You¡¯re twenty¨Cseven now<b>, </b>Lottle. It¡¯s time to start thinking seriously about your future.¡±

    Ah<b>, </b>there it was¨Cthe marriage talk.

    Charlotte gave a wry smile. ¡°Dad, right now I just want to

    grow myw firm. I¡¯m really not in the mood for romance.¡±

    Xena hesitated, clearly wanting to say more but holding back. As her stepmother<b>, </b>she knew it wasn¡¯t her ce to push too hard on things like marriage.

    Desmond spoke again<b>, </b>his tone still gentle. ¡°Career and marriage aren¡¯t mutually exclusive. You could get married now and think about kidster.¡±

    ¤¤

    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Charlotte replied coolly. ¡°I have my own n, and dating isn¡¯t part of it right now.¡±

    Desmond gave her a look, then nodded, his voice calm. ¡°As long as you¡¯ve got a n. I¡¯m just offering my two cents. Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡±

 His Heart 444

    The <b>days </b>slipped by under Jersey City¡¯s sweltering June sum.

    Byte June, one of the cases that Jasper Corporation had entrusted to Charlotte was heading to trial. Both Sean and Scott came to observe the hearing.

    Inside the solemn courtroom, Charlotte sat confidently at the intiff¡¯s table. She wore a sharply tailored charcoal gray suit. Her expression was calm but focused, and her clear, piercing eyes seemed to see right through people.

    When she met the opposing counsel¡¯s gaze, there was no hesitation¨Conly unwavering resolve and sharp intensity.

    When it was her turn to speak, Charlotte¡¯s voice rang out steady and clear. Her arguments were logical, her structure airtight. Like a master strategist, she guided the other side into the trap she had carefully set.

    Throughout the trial, Charlotte disyed remarkableposure and adaptability. Whenever the defensewyer tried to throw her off with sudden objections or rebuttals, she stayed calm and quickly found the weak points in their argument. Her responses were precise, her tone measured but biting, leaving her opponent scrambling to keep up.

    Her pacing was deliberate, speeding up and slowing down in all the right ces. The rise and fall of her voice kept the courtroom engaged, pulling everyone into her rhythm.

    By the end of this smoke¨Cfree battle, Charlotte had imed a decisive victory.

    Outside the courtroom, Charlotte walked out alongside Sean and Scott.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper,¡± she said, ¡°we should receive the official judgment in a few days.¡±

    Sean nodded. ¡°I¡¯m confident we¡¯ll win.¡± He turned to look at her, the admiration in his eyes impossible to miss. ¡°Lottie, you were incredible in there.¡±

    She blinked with a smile. ¡°Thank you<b>, </b>Mr. Jasper. I appreciate thepliment.¡±

    ¡°You really were amazing, Charlotte,¡± Scott added with a grin. ¡°<b>I </b>got to witness the full power of a top¨Ctier attorney today.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said again, though this time her tone cooler. She didn¡¯t blink yfully like before, and Scott noticed the

    difference. The light in his eyes dimmed.

    ¡°Charlotte, want to grab lunch?¡± he asked hopefully.

    Before she could answer, Sean cut in smoothly, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Lucas. <b>I </b>still have a few questions about the case. I already asked Lottie to have lunch with me.¡±

    Scott raised an eyebrow, amusementced with sarcasm. ¡°The trial¡¯s over. All that¡¯s left is waiting for the ruling/What¡¯s left to ask?¡±

    Sean remained unfazed. ¡°I¡¯m the client. If I have questions for my attorney, that really isn¡¯t your concern, is it? You weren¡¯t involved in this case. Seems like you¡¯re meddling a bit too much.¡®

    Scott let out a shortugh<b>, </b>but there was a trace of scorn in it. ¡°Sounds more like you¡¯re using the case as an excuse to ask her out.¡±

    ¡°And what if I am?¡± Sean¡¯s tone was cool, his gaze dismissive.

    Scott¡¯s smile faltered. His expression darkened.

    Charlotte, watching the two men about to go at it in public, felt a headacheing on.

    By now, they had reached the parking lot outside the courthouse.

    Charlotte turned to Scott and said politely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lucas. Since Mr. Jasper is my client and he wants to discuss the case, I can¡¯t exactly turn him down.¡±

    Chopter 444

    Sean curled his lips into a slight smile and shot Scott a look of open provocation.

    <b>Scott </b>took a deep breath, pushing, aside his irritation. When he turned back to Charlotte, his expression softened, and he erke gently. <b>¡°</b>Alright then. I¡¯ll head out first.¡±

 His Heart 445

    <b>Chapter </b><b>445 </b>

    After Scott left, Charlotte turned to Sean with a mock re. ¡°Why do you two always start bickering the minute you see each other?¡±

    Sean smiled, lips curving into azy grin. ¡°You should ask him. He¡¯s the one who started getting snarky.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Charlotte sighed. ¡°You didn¡¯t actually have any questions about the case, did you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too smart, Lottie.¡± His deep eyes sparkled with amusement, and his voice had that familiar, low charm. ¡°I just wanted to have lunch with you.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>I knew it.¡± Charlotte turned and headed toward her white McLaren <b>P1</b>.

    Sean¡¯s expression softened when he saw the car. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

    That was the car he had given herst year.

    Back when they broke up, he had said a lot of hurtful things. He knew she wouldn¡¯t ept anything directly from him, so he had Ian deliver it instead. To this day, Charlotte still had no idea it was from him.

    Ever since Petra joined her team, Charlotte rarely went anywhere without her. Petra was not only her bodyguard now but also her personal driver.

    When they reached the car, Sean noticed Petra sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. His smile faded.

    The McLaren only had two seats. With Petra driving and Charlotte in the passenger seat, where did that leave him?

    Charlotte turned back with a sweet smile. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Jasper. No room in the car. I¡¯ll head out first.¡±

    Just as she reached for the door, Sean stopped her, pressing a hand lightly against it. ¡°I¡¯ll drive,¡± he said. ¡°Today, I¡¯m your chauffeur and bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°How much do you charge per day, Mr. Jasper?¡±

    ¡°No charge.¡±

    Charlotteughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a saying? Free things are usually the most expensive. I better not risk it.¡±

    Sean leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them until their breath mingled.

    His gaze was warm and indulgent. In that low, maic voice, he said, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you decide what I¡¯m worth?¡±

    Charlotte was clearly in a good mood and yed along. ¡°Fifty cents. Not a penny more.¡±

    ¡°Deal.¡±

    Sean was all smiles now, a rare lightness in his expression.

    He circled to the other side of the car and tossed the keys to his Maybach to Petra. ¡°You take mine.¡±

    Petra looked to Charlotte, who gave her a slight nod before she stepped out.

    Sean slid into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°What are you in the mood for?¡±

    Charlotte fastened her seatbelt. ¡°I¡¯m good with anything.¡±

    The white McLaren pulled up to a sleek, high¨Cend restaurant called ¡°Cloud Nine¡°.

    Inside, soft lighting and elegant decor created a refined, tranquil atmosphere. The air wasced with the delicate scent of fine spices.

    Charlotte had been here a few times before. The ingredients were flown in fresh from abroad, and the head chef was Frangelian. Every dish was a feast for the eyes and the pte.

    <b>She </b><b>ordered </b><b>two </b>of her favorites.

    The first was bluefin tuna with ck truffle and a red wine ze¨Cmelt¨Cin¨Cyour¨Cmouth perfection.

    The second was a medium¨Crare Angus steak, pan¨Cseared with trufle foie gras sauce. The meat was tender and juicy, paired with a rich, velvety foie gras reduction made using traditional French methods. Every bite was indulgent and deeply satisfying

    Although she had said she didn¡¯t mind where they went, it was clear that Sean had chosen a ce she truly liked.

    The atmosphere was romantic. A soft stream, of piano music yed in the background, adding to the quiet elegance of the evening.

    Chapter <b>446 </b>

 His Heart 446

    Chapter <b>446 </b>

    Although the dinner invitation was just a pretense for Sean to see Charlotte, they did end up discussing work. Several of Jasper Corporation¡¯s other cases hadn¡¯t gone to trial yet, and Charlotte brought them up over the meal.

    Sean gave a quiet chuckle. ¡°Lottie, are you really bringing up legal strategy in a setting like this? The lighting, the music¡­ feels a bit too romantic for court talk, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze, her tone even. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go over the cases?¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±

    It was better that than sitting in silence.

    As soon as she began, her eyes grew sharp with focus. Sean simply watched her, listening intently. His gaze softened,pletely absorbed, as if this dinner had really been about work from the start.

    Charlotte paused and gave him a teasing look. ¡°I didn¡¯t think this stuff would interest you.¡±

    It was, after all, a minorwsuit¨Chardly the kind of thing a CEO would personally care about.

    Sean¡¯s smile faded slightly. He met her eyes and replied with unexpected sincerity. ¡°Because it¡¯s your work. Something you care about. I know how much it means to you, so I wanted to understand. Lottie, I respect what you do and I support you.¡±

    Charlotte was taken aback for a moment. She hadn¡¯t expected that answer.

    His wordsnded like a small pebble tossed into the still surface of her heart<b>, </b>sending quiet ripples outward.

    Her expression softened slightly.

    After dinner, Charlotte had to head back to the firm to catch up on work, and Sean needed to return to the office. He dropped her off outside thew firm before driving off.

    In early July, Charlotte traveled to a small county court in Green <b>City </b>for a trial.

    She had only nned to stay one night and return the next afternoon after court. Though the county was remote, it was surrounded by beautiful natural scenery and had be a popr tourist spot.

    With the summer rush in full swing, hotel prices had skyrocketed. Rooms that usually cost two or three hundred dors a night were now over a thousand, and even then, vacancies were hard toe by.

    Thankfully, Charlotte had connections and was able to reserve a twin room at one of the best hotels in town. It wasn¡¯t five¨Cstar luxury, but it was clean, reasonablyfortable, and had all the basics covered.

    Just to be safe, Charlotte had brought Petra along. Even though the threats from Joseph and Vivian had been dealt with, the remote location and unfamiliar surroundings made it unwise for a woman to travel alone.

    The trial was scheduled for 3:00 p.m. the next day.

    It was aplicated case, and by the time the hearing wrapped up, it was already 6:30.

    As Charlotte exited the courthouse, the first thing she saw was a man leaning casually against a car, talking on the phone.

    Sean stood there in a simple ck shirt and dark cks that emphasized his long legs and lean frame.

    The setting sun painted the sky in soft shades of orange and gold, and the fading light cast a warm glow ove making him look like he had stepped out of a photograph.

    Silhouette,

    Everything else around him seemed to blur. He was the kind of man who could steal the entire frame just by standing still.

    The scene was almost too perfect. Even passersby couldn¡¯t help but stop and look.

    As fate would have it<b>, </b><b>a </b>woman in a low¨Ccut sundress walked up to

    And that was exactly the moment Charlotte arrived.

    She stopped just a few steps away, eyes fixed on the scene.

    GET

 His Heart 447

    <b>Chapter </b>447

    Sean had his back to Charlotte and hadn¡¯t noticed her arrival.

    The woman approaching him had wless makeup, a tall figure, and striking features. She was objectively attractive.

    ¡°Hey, handsome,¡± she said with a flirtatious smile, shing her phone. ¡°Want to exchange numbers?¡±

    Sean was still on the phone. Without looking at her, he waved her off.

    ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t be so cold,¡± she pouted, her voice trailing off a sweet, teasing lift.

    Sean stepped to the side, putting more distance between them, still focused on his call.

    She stood there, a bit annoyed, but waited anyway.

    When he finally hung up, he nced back and saw she was still there.

    ¡°You¡¯re honestly too good¨Clooking,¡± she said boldly, lips curving into a grin. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a guy like you in real life. You¡¯re not from around here, right? Visiting? I could show you around¨Ctotally free, of course.¡±

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t see Sean¡¯s expression from where she stood behind him<b>, </b>but she was close enough to hear his response- cool and indifferent.

    ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m here to pick up my girlfriend.¡±

    The woman¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°Oh. Already taken.¡±

    She followed his gaze and spotted Charlotte standing a few steps away. Tilting her chin, she asked, ¡°Is that her?¡±

    At that, Sean turned around. The moment he saw Charlotte, the chill in his eyes melted away, reced by warmth.

    ¡°Hey, Lottie.¡±

    He walked toward her.

    Charlotte¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a little free time. Thought I¡¯de keep youpany,¡± Sean said gently, a stark contrast to how he¡¯d just spoken to the woman earlier.

    ¡°I stopped by your firm yesterday afternoon. That¡¯s when I found out you were out here for work.¡±

    He naturally took the stack of case files from her arms.

    ¡°This ce is known for its scenery. July¡¯s the perfect time to visit. Since I had some time off<b>, </b>I figured I¡¯de and spend a few days with you.¡±

    Green City was a popr tourist city in the northwest, and the small county they were in sat right below the snowcapped mountains. Not far away was a famouske, known for its beauty year¨Cround. Every year, travelers came from all over to see it.

    Charlotte had only nned to stay for one night and return after court the next day. But now that the case was over and her schedule was flexible, she had time to extend her trip.

    It hadn¡¯t been part of her n but seeing Sean here made her hesitate.

    He hade all this way. She didn¡¯t want to ruin the mood.

    And truthfully, the ce was breathtaking, peaceful and healing.

    She couldn¡¯t work nonstop forever. Maybe it really was time to slow down and take a break.

    She looked up at him and said softly, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s stay a few more days.¡®

    A smile tugged at his lips. ¡°Alright. Which hotel are you staying at? I¡¯ll take you back.¡±

    She gave him the name.

    ¡°I¡¯m staying there too. Let¡¯s go together.¡±

    Charlotte nodded.

    It was the best hotel in town. She had already guessed he had booked the same one.

 His Heart 448

    Chapter <b>448 </b>

    The next morning<b>, </b>Charlotte got up early.

    After breakfast at the hotel, she nned to head out to theke just outside town.

    In the parking lot, Sean turned to Petra, who stood expressionless beside him. ¡°You can head back. Nothing¡¯s going to happen with me here.¡±

    Petra¡¯s voice was calm and t. ¡°I only take orders from Miss Riley¡±

    Sean fell silent.

    He had finally gotten the chance to take Charlotte on a proper vacation, just the two of them. And now someone insisted on tagging along?

    Petra was great at her job¨Cskilled, loyal, reliable¨Cbut she could be stubborn. No flexibility, no emotional nuance.

    Charlotte nced at Petra. She knew Petra had been working nonstop, following her around every day on this work trip. The job was repetitive, boring, and far from morous. A change of scenery might be nice for her.

    And besides, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to have an extra pair of hands in the wilderness, just <b>in </b>case something happened.

    As for Sean, Charlotte knew exactly what he was thinking.

    He wanted alone time with her. A little couple¡¯s getaway.

    That could be arranged. Once they got there, she would have Petra hang back and give them some space.

    ¡°Come with us, Petra,¡± Charlotte said.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    They didn¡¯t have to worry about transport. Sean had already made arrangements. A callter, and an off¨Croad vehicle rolled up

    to meet them.

    They drove out of town. Twenty minutester, they arrived at theke.

    Normally, this spot would be packed with tourists snapping photos and soaking in the view. But today, the entire area was quiet. Not a single soul in sight.

    Maybe Sean had called in a favor. Maybe someone up top had cleared the ce ahead of time.

    The driver stayed in the car while the three of them got out.

    The scene before them was breathtaking.

    Charlotte stood still, momentarily stunned.

    The sky was a brilliant, cloud¨Cbrushed blue, so clear it looked almost unreal. Cottony clouds driftedzily across it like nature¡¯s afterthought, soft and weightless.

    Theke mirrored the sky perfectly, its surface shimmering under the sun like a bed of diamonds. It sparkled like something out of a dream¨Csomething not quite real, not quite tangible.

    Set against the vibrant green meadow, the deep¨Cblueke looked like a sapphire nestled in velvet. It was peaceful, untouched, and endlessly soothing.

    Wildflowers bloomed along thekeside¨Cyellow, purple, white¨Cnames unknown<b>, </b>but scent sweet and vivid. Butterflies danced in the air while bees buzzed from petal to petal. The whole scene pulsed with life.

    Sean hade prepared.

    Chapter <b>448 </b>

    He pulled out a DSLR camera and began snapping shots of the <bndscape</b>, capturing the dreamy beauty of the ce. After a few frames, he looked over the lens at Charlotte. ¡°Go stand over there. I¡¯ll take some of you.<b>¡± </b>

    She was wearing a light blue and white id sundress with arge white bow at the chest and delicate daisy embroidery along the skirt. It was youthful and breezy¨Cperfect for the setting.

    She hadn¡¯t packed casual clothes for this trip<b>, </b>only business attire Sean had taken her shopping the night before and picked out this dress himself.

    It suited her.

    When she stood by theke, she looked like a fairy who had wandered into the mortal world. The breeze lifted the hem of her dress like butterfly wings about to take flight.

    She struck a few poses, and Sean snapped away, patient and focused.

    Her skin was porcin smooth, her features delicate and elegant, the kind of beauty that didn¡¯t need makeup to stun

    Sean took shot after shot¨Cfrom every angle, close¨Cups and wide frames, front and back. He had dabbled in photography before, and it showed. Every photo looked like a magazine cover.

    Once he finished, he handed the camera to Petra. ¡°Take one of us.

    It had been a long time since theyst took a photo together.

    He gave Petra a quick rundown on how to use the camera, then walked over to stand beside Charlotte.

    Thest time they posed like this was during a trip to Linton Springs¨Cback when they were still caught up in a sweet, messy, passionate rtionship.

    They hadn¡¯t reconciled yet, so Sean didn¡¯t try anything bold. He kept a respectful distance.

    In the photo, he looked at Charlotte with gentle, lingering affection, eyes full of unspoken love.

    She looked at the camera.

    He looked only at her.

    After the pictures were taken, Petra took the hint and stepped aside<b>, </b>giving them privacy.

    Sean and Charlotte strolled side by side through the postcard¨Cperfect scenery. In the distance<b>, </b>cows and sheep called outzily. Birds circled in the sky. A breeze stirred the air, carrying with it the scent of flowers.

    Everything felt peaceful. Timeless.

    As they walked, their shoulders inched closer without meaning to. The air between them grew warmer, softer<b>, </b>sweet with anticipation.

    Suddenly<b>, </b>Charlotte caught her foot on a small stone and stumbled forward.

    Sean moved without thinking, reaching out to steady her and pulling her into his arms.

    For a moment, she waspletely surrounded by him. His cool, woody cologne<b>, </b>the calm strength in the way he held her¡ªit wrapped around her like a quiet spell.

    They were close. So close.

    Sean looked down at her, their noses nearly touching, their breaths brushing softly in the space between them.

    Time seemed to stand still.

    Their eyes locked.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart pounded faster, thudding lotider with every beat until it drowned out everything else. The wind, the birds, the world around her seemed to fall away.

    Something in Sean¡¯s eyes shifted. His gaze grew more intense. Slowly, he leaned in, every movement unhurried and deliberate.

    Their breathing turned uneven.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t look away. She watched his face draw nearer, and instead of pulling back, she let her eyes close.

    That was her answer.

    She was saying yes.

    Sean¡¯s heart skipped a beat. A rare flicker of nervousness stirred in his chest.

    He held his breath and gently pressed his lips to hers.

    The kiss was soft, like the brush of a cloud. Light. Careful. Full of feeling.

    It all felt so natural, like it had been meant to happen.

    When they broke up, it had been at the peak of their love. That only made it hurt more.

    They had both been in pain.

    But neither of them had ever stopped loving the other.

    Not Sean.

    Not Charlotte.

    She had buried those feelings deep, overwhelmed by pressure and reality.

    But no matter how much time passed, her love for him had never faded.

    She had missed him.

    She wanted him close.

    And she couldn¡¯t push him away anymore.

 His Heart 449

    <b>Chapter </b><b>449 </b>

    Out on the grasnds, Charlotte and Scan kissed for a long time.

    <b>It </b>had been so long since they¡¯d shared anything this intimate. In their everyday interactions, both had been trying hard to suppress their feelings, keeping everything just beneath the surface.

    But after days of restraint, their longing and desire had built up until it overflowed. Once the dam broke, there was no stopping it.

    By the time they pulled apart, Charlotte¡¯s lips were slightly swollen

    Their breathing was quick and unsteady, hearts pounding with everything left unsaid.

    The rest of the day passed in a haze for Charlotte. Everything felt surreal, like she was walking through a dream.

    Even that night, after they returned to the hotel, she was still dazed

    They sat together on a long wooden bench in the quiet garden outside.

    Sean held her close, his voice low and hoarse. ¡°Lottie, let¡¯s get back together. Okay?¡±

    The summer night breeze was warm and soft, carrying the faint heat of the day. The garden lights glowed dimly.

    Sean¡¯s dark eyes were filled with a quiet intensity, and his voice was gentle, almost cautious,ced with nervous hope. He didn¡¯t even dare to breathe as he waited for her reply.

    Leaning against his chest, Charlotte gave the smallest nod. ¡°Okay

    Just one word, but it lifted a weight from both their hearts.

    The thunder in Sean¡¯s chest finally began to quiet. His lips curled into a soft smile.

    He opened his palm, revealing a single fruit candy.

    Charlotte nced at it, puzzled. ¡°Why are you carrying candy around?¡±

    He chuckled, clearly in a good mood. ¡°The hotel owner¡¯s daughter gave it to me earlier. I saved it for you.¡±

    She picked it up and studied the wrapper. ¡°Peach vor. My favorite.¡±

    Unwrapping it, she popped the candy into her mouth. The sweetness spread across her tongue.

    They sat together, leaning into each other, the night breeze brushing past them gently. It was peaceful, almost perfect. Time seemed to slow down just for them.

    ¡°Is it sweet?¡± Sean asked suddenly.

    Charlotte still had the candy in her mouth, so she answered slowly, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really sweet.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice dropped, low and maic. ¡°Sweeter than you?¡±

    The night was so quiet, she could hear the breeze whispering through the leaves.

    Maybe it was the lingering heat in the air, but Charlotte¡¯s face started to flush.

    Just as she was about to change the subject<b>, </b>Sean spoke again.

    <b>¡°</b>Kiss me?¡±

    Charlotte blinked. ¡°What? Why now?¡±

    He gave azy grin. ¡°I want to know just how sweet that candy is.

    He really knew how to flirt.

    <b>It </b><b>felt </b>like <b>even </b>the air had grown warmer. Charlotte gave him a <b>small</b>, flustered re<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>We already kissed earlier. For a <b>long </b><b>time</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡®<b>Not </b>enough.¡± Sean turned to her and gently lifted her chin, his dark eyes locked onto hers. ¡°Can I, Lottie?¡±

    She gave the tiniest nod, barely a whisper. ¡°Mm.¡±

    Sean heard it.

    His lips curved into a tender smile, his gaze melting with

    The next moment, he leaned in, his face suddenly close. He tilted his head just slightly and pressed his lips to hers.

    Charlotte¡¯s nerves went taut. Staring at his impossibly handsome face so close, she forgot to close her eyes.

    This time, Sean closed his first.

    His lips brushed against hers, warm and featherlight, as soft as a whisper.

    Charlotte¡¯s breath caught.

    At first, his kiss was light and tentative, almost shy. Just when she thought it would end there, his tongue brushed against her lips, gently parting them.

    In an instant, the kiss deepened.

    What started as a gentle touch turned into something far more intense.

    Their lips moved together, soft and lingering, full of everything they hadn¡¯t said.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped wildly out of rhythm.

    The peach vor of the candy filled her mouth.

    Her heart was racing, and she was starting to feel breathless.

    Sean cradled her chin in one hand, keeping her close<b>, </b>not letting her pull away.

    His rough fingertips traced along her jaw, sending a shiver down her spine.

    He kissed with such ease, such purpose, that Charlotte didn¡¯t stand a chance¨Cand truthfully, she didn¡¯t want one.

    She didn¡¯t want to resist him.

    No idea how much time passed before they broke apart.

    Her face was flushed, her skin burning like the warmth had seeped in from the inside out. It felt like her entire body was humming with the aftermath, wrapped in a heat that had nothing to do with the summer air.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>450 </b>

 His Heart 450

    Sean slowly opened his eyes and released Charlotte from the kiss.

    She was still catching her breath, her dazed eyes meeting his. His dark, bottoinless gaze felt like it could swallow her whole.

    His voice was low andzy<b>, </b>tinged with satisfaction. ¡°Yeah¡­ definitely sweet. But you¡¯re sweeter.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s face turned an even deeper shade of red,

    That night, after showering, shey on the bed, too wound up to sleep. Her mind kept reying everything that had happened- like a film reel spinning on loop.

    In just one day, they had kissed twice.

    It felt unreal. Like a dream she hadn¡¯t quite woken

    It had been six months since their breakup.

    And in those six months, a lot had changed.

    She had always sensed Sean¡¯s feelings for her. He never hid them. But she had tried so hard to suppress her own.

    Maybe it was the freedom of being in Green City, a ce where no one knew her and the weight of her father¡¯s expectations didn¡¯t follow her. Or maybe it was the scenery¨Cso breathtaking <b>it </b>felt like it could mend everything that had once been broken. The pain and fear of the past were finally beginning to fade.

    And just like that, she didn¡¯t want to hold back anymore.

    Something inside her had shifted, like a floodgate swinging open. The feelings she had buried deep for so long came rushing to the surface, unstoppable and overwhelming.

    She kept reying the way he held her. The way he kissed her. The way the warm evening breeze wrapped around them. The heat of his touch. The way her heartbeat spun wildly control

    Every moment stayed with her. Every detail was intoxicating.

    Even though they were officially back together

    she still hadn¡¯t figured out how to tell her father.

    The truth was, all three of them¨Cher, Desmond, and Jodie¨Chad nearly lost their lives because of the Jasper family. They had been caught in the middle of that terrible incident with Joseph. Desmond had never been able to let it go. He remainedpletely opposed to her getting back with Sean.

    i

    Just thinking about it was enough to dim the joy she had been feeling. The lightness in her heart faded, reced by a heavy, unshakable weight.

    For now, she had no choice. Her father couldn¡¯t know they were back together.

    At the same time, Sean felt like he was drifting in a pool of honey.

    The sweet taste of the peach candy still lingered in his mouth. He could practically feel it all the way down to his heart.

    After his shower, <b>he </b>couldn¡¯t resist calling Charlotte on video.

    She picked up.

    She had already showered, wearing a white silk pajama top and lying on her side in bed. ¡°Why are you video calling me?¡± she

    asked with a soft smile.

    1.3

    Sean was sitting on the sofa in his hotel room: His hair was still damp<b>, </b>water dripping from the <b>ends</b><b>. </b>¡°<b>I </b>missed <b>you</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>he <b>said</b>. Just wanted <b>to </b>hear <b>your </b>voles.¡±

    Charlotte let out a quietugh. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just see each other?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>That was almost an hour ago.¡±

    ¡°Only an hour? When did he get so clingy?¡± Charlotte thought.

    Their rooms were only one floor apart. Sean was in an executive site upstairs, while Charlotte and Petra shared a double room

    below.

    Even though their feelings were out in the open now, they weren¡¯t quite at the point of sharing a bed, Charlotte needed time, and she didn¡¯t want to rush things.

    Sean respected that. He went back to his room like a gentleman.

    ¡°You should sleep. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± Charlotte said softly.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Sean looked at her, eyes gentle. ¡°Goodnight, Lottie.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    Over the next three days, they explored the natural wonders of Green City together.

    They climbed snow¨Ccapped mountains and watched the sunset from over 4,000 meters up, wrapped in each other¡¯s arms.

    They rode horses across the vast, endless grasnds, galloping freely under the sky.

    They ran andughed through fields of wildflowers in July.

    They kissed under the soft glow of moonlight.

    In a small vige, they dressed in traditional ethnic clothes and danced hand¨Cin¨Chand around a bonfire.

    Those few days in Green City were some of the happiest and most carefree days Charlotte had experienced in a long time.

    After returning to Jasper City, Charlotte dove back into work.

    Sean began showing up at herw firm even more often than before.

    One day, as Megan came to visit Charlotte, she ran into Sean in the parking lot of their office building.

 His Heart 451

    Megan called out to Sean.

    ¡°Sean, what a coincidence. Are you here to see Charlotte too? Is it about thepany¡¯swsult?<b>¡± </b>

    Megan and Charlotte had be friends. Ever since Charlotte saved her during that incident, Megan had been deeply grateful. As they got to know each other better, Megan found herself genuinely impressed by Charlotte¡¯s personality and integrity. She even felt that rare sense of ¡°I wish we had met sooner.¡±

    Still, even though she and Charlotte had grown close, her feelings for Sean hadn¡¯t changed one bit.

    So when she saw Sean at the firm, clearly there to see Charlotte, slip couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed.

    Sean stopped and looked over. ¡°It¡¯s not about thewsuit. I just wanted to see her.¡±

    His answer was blunt and straightforward.

    For a moment, the smile on Megan¡¯s face froze. But she quickly recovered and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to see her too. Let¡¯s head up together.¡±

    Meanwhile, Charlotte stepped out of her office and man and woman walking toward her.

    Her gaze paused. <ol start="7"><li>7. </li></ol>

    was

    giving instructions to Jenny at her desk when she caught a glimpse of a

    ¡°Sean and Megan? Why were they arriving together?¡± she thought

    Their appearance instantly sparked murmurs among the staff nearby.

    <b>To </b>be fair, they looked like a picture¨Cperfect couple¨Ctall, attractive, and well¨Cdressed. It was no wonder people were gossiping.

    ¡°Charlotte, I ran into Sean downstairs, so we came,

    up together,¡± Megan said brightly as she walked over to greet her.

    It was clearly meant as a rification. As if she was afraid Charlotte might get the wrong idea.

    Charlotte looked away and simply responded with a calm, ¡°Okay.

    ¡°I didn¡¯te here with her,¡± Sean added. ¡°We just happened to meet downstairs.¡±

    ¡°She already said that,¡± Charlotte replied lightly, not sounding the least bit interested.

    She turned her attention back to Jenny and continued discussing work.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait in your office then,¡± Megan offered.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Charlotte replied.

    Megan turned and walked off toward her office.

    Sean said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the lounge. Let me know when you¡¯re free.

    He was clearly trying to avoid any awkward assumptions. He didn¡¯t want to be alone with Megan.

    ¡°At least he¡¯s aware of that,<i>¡± </i>Charlotte quietly noted.

    There was a flicker of amusement in her eyes.

    Sean had always been good at picking up on these things. He knew how to handle situations like this witho

    She gave a subtle nod and didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Once he left, Jenny leaned over and whispered, ¡°Charlotte, are you and Mr. Jasper back together?¡±

    king a fuss.

    <b>Charlotte </b>paused<b>, </b>surprised. Instead <b>of </b>answering directly, she asked<b>, </b>¡°What makes <b>you </b>say that?<b>¡± </b>

    Jenny lowered her <b>voice </b>and said with mock seriousness<b>, </b>¡°Women¡¯s intuition.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Intuition? Not bad<b>,</b>¡± Charlotte thought.

    Jenny grinned. ¡°Come on<b>, </b>are you two really back together? We¡¯ve known each other forever<b>, </b>you can tell me. You know <b>I¡¯ve </b>been shipping you two from the beginning.¡±

    Charlotte chuckled and gave the back of Jenny¡¯s head a light tap. Focus on your work. Gossiping with the boss during office hours? You trying <b>to </b>get fired?¡±

    Jenny zipped her lips dramatically. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll ask you after work.¡±

    After giving Jenny a few more instructions<b>, </b>Charlotte returned to her office <b>to </b>meet Megan.

    Megan had been dropping by thew firm so oftentely, it was starting to feel like her second home.

    Charlotte loved tea, and her office was always stocked with a variety of fine blends. Whenever Megan came by, Charlotte would brew her a pot.

    But Megan had lived abroad for years and never really developed a taste for tea<b>. </b>She much preferred coffee.

 His Heart 452

    <b>Chapter </b><b>452 </b>

    Megan was extremely particr when it came to coffee. She cared about everything from the beans she used to the <b>exact </b>brewing technique. Average coffee simply wasn¡¯t good enough for her.

    Just a couple of days ago, she had even brought a new coffee machine and her fa make her own cup whenever she dropped by.

    favorite beans to Charlotte¡¯s office so she could

    As Charlotte stepped into the room, the rich aroma of fresh coffee lled the air. Megan was already at home behind the machine, expertly brewing herself a cup.

    ¡°Want one?¡± Megan looked over and smiled.

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I still prefer tea.¡±

    N

    ¡°Your loss,¡± Megan teased as she walked over to the couch, coffee in hand. ¡°Missing out on a cup personally made by me¨Chow tragic.¡±

    Charlotte set down a folder beside her desk and replied dryly, ¡°Truly a shame.¡±

    ¡°So, what brings you here today?¡± she asked, moving toward the couch and beginning to prepare her tea.

    ¡°Can¡¯t just drop by to see you?¡± Megan said with a grin.

    She suddenly thought of what Sean had said downstairs-¡°I just wanted to see her¡°¡ªand mimicked his voice with exaggerated sweetness. <b>¡°</b>I just wanted to see you.¡±

    Charlotte pulled a face. ¡°Gross. What¡¯s gotten into you? That was so cheesy. I¡¯ve got goosebumps.¡±

    ¡°I learned it from Sean,¡± Megan said, the sarcasm obvious. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what he said just now.¡±

    Charlotte gave her a knowing look. ¡°You¡¯re something else. The guy you like says that to another woman, and you¡¯re still able to joke about it to my face?¡±

    Megan pouted. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve got to find the humor in my misery somehow. What else can I do¨Chold a knife to his throat and force him to love me?¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t have a response to that.

    She quietly continued making tea.

    Megan took a sip of her <b>coffee</b><b>, </b>then looked up, her tone more serious. ¡°Are you and Sean back together?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Charlotte said without hesitation.

    <b>¡°</b>I figured,¡± Megan sighed. ¡°I always knew you two would end up back together.¡±

    She gave a half¨Csmile, though there was something wistful in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been back in the country for months, and it¡¯s been nearly impossible to see him. Aside from a few words exchange the pretense of work, I¡¯ve probably said fewer than five sentences to him.

    ¡°In our rtionship, I¡¯ve always been the outsider. I was the one chasing him. But with you, it¡¯s different. You¡¯re the one in control. He¡¯s always the oneing to you.¡±

    Charlotte let out a quiet sigh. ¡°Alright, enough. Are you really here just to chat<b>, </b>or is there something else?¡±

    Megan set down her cup and straightened up<b>. </b>¡°Actually, I wanted to ask if you¡¯re free this Saturday?¡±

    ler

    Charlotte picked up her phone and checked her calendar. ¡°Saturday¡­ yeah, I¡¯m free. Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my birthday. I¡¯m throwing a party on a yacht, and I¡¯d really like you toe.¡±

    1/30

    Charlotte paused for a second, then nodded. ¡°Sure<b>, </b><b>I¡¯ll </b>be there.¡±

    Megan hesitated.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Charlotte asked, sensing something else wasing

    Megan looked conflicted. After a brief silence, she finally said, ¡°Look, we¡¯re friends now, right? So I¡¯ll just be honest. I want <b>to </b>invite Sean too.¡±

    She looked down at her cup<b>, </b>then back at Charlotte. ¡°It¡¯s just once year. He¡¯s nevere to any of my birthday parties before. <b>I </b>know it¡¯s selfish, but¡­ could you bring him with you? Just this once? Think of it as a birthday wish.¡±

 His Heart 453

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help butugh at what she just heard.

    She looked at Megan with an expression of disbelief. ¡°Are you serious right now? You really don¡¯t see me as an outsider, do you? I¡¯m Sean¡¯s girlfriend, and you¡¯re asking me to bring my boyfriend to his admirer¡¯s birthday party?¡±

    She wasn¡¯t angry. It just felt a little absurd.

    Megan raised a hand and made a mock pledge to the sky. ¡°I swear, it¡¯s not like that. I just want to make up for all those years he never came. I¡¯m not asking for anything else. Just bring him. You two can be all lovey¨Cdovey, post it online, whatever. I can handle it. I just want him to show up to one of my birthday parties. Just this once.

    ¡°Please, Charlotte? You¡¯re the best. Say yes?¡± Megan even grabbed Charlotte¡¯s arm and started shaking it yfully, her tone pleading. ¡°I really don¡¯t have any bad intentions. Just this once, okay?¡±

    Charlotte frowned, thinking it over.

    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t do anything. Let this party be the closure to my years of unrequited love,¡± Megan added, her voice unusually sincere.

    After a long pause, Charlotte finally let out a sigh. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Megan¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Thank you, Charlotte! Lunch is on me.¡±

    At the restaurant¡¯s private dining room, the three of them¨CCharlotte, Megan, and Sean¨Csat around a round table.

    Megan passed the menu to Charlotte and let her order.

    Charlotte ordered a few of her favorite dishes, including a te of steamed shrimp. She had loved shrimp since she was a kid, and growing up, the housekeepers always peeled them for her. But today, it was just the three of them.

    When the food arrived, she picked up a shrimp with her fork and dropped it onto her te. She wiped her hands, ready to peel it

    herself.

    Before she could, a hand reached over and took the shrimp right off her te.

    She looked up in surprise.

    Sean had already started peeling it for her.

    He looked perfectly at ease, his pale, slender fingers moving smoothly and gracefully as he worked.

    Charlotte blinked, a little stunned. Then she nced at Megan.

    Megan looked frozen in ce, her expression slightly strained.

    Sean finished peeling the shrimp, dipped it in the sauce, and dropped it back into Charlotte¡¯s bowl.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she murmured, picking it up and taking a bite.

    Before she had even finished, Sean was already peeling the next one<b>. </b>

    Megan forced a smile. ¡°Wow, Sean. I didn¡¯t know you were the type to peel shrimp for someone.¡±

    He was the golden boy of Jersey City¨Cthe kind of man who had grown up with servants taking care of everything. Peeling shrimp should have been far beneath him. And yet, from the way he handled it, it was obvious this wasn¡¯t his first time.

    Sean kept his head down, calmly focused on the shrimp. ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend. Of course I¡¯m going to take care of her. I can¡¯t expect her to do everything on her own.¡±

    her chest, as if the wind had been knocked out of her<b>. </b>

    tn¡¯t say a word. Instead, she reached for a random dish and shoved a bite into her mouth just to keep herself quiet. She had no one to me but herself. She should have known better than to keep talking. Every word out of his mouth cut like <b>a </b>

    Megen had always seen Charlotte as a rival.

    She used to imagine that if Sean ever got back together with Charlotte, Charlotte would gloat and brag about how easily she had won the man Megan had chased for seven years without sess.

    She¡¯d even rehearsed how she would respond with grace and dignity when the moment came.

    But she never imagined the one rubbing <b>it </b>in her face would be Sean himself.

    In contrast, Charlotte actually looked a little embarrassed, even awkward.

    Before long, a little pile of peeled shrimp had formed in Charlotte¡¯s bow!.

    Sean, satisfied, picked up a warm towel and slowly wiped his hands. ¡°Is that enough?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Charlotte kept her head down as the ate

    Sean then picked out a piece of fish, fully removed all the bones, and ced the clean fillet into her bowl.

 His Heart 454

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that someone across the table was staring at her with a frosty, resentful gaze.

    Sean, noticing Megan¡¯s eyes fixed on him, spoke calmly, his expression unreadable. ¡°Lottle loves fish, but the bones <b>often </b>get stuck in her throat. I always make sure to remove them for her.¡±

    Megan stared at him in stunned silence.

    ¡°Seriously? Who asked?¡± she thought.

    She was pretty sure she hadn¡¯t asked anything this time.

    Charlotte tugged at the corner of her mouth, a little embarrassed.

    She hadn¡¯t meant to show off in front of Megan. But even a blind person could see Sean was doing it on purpose.

    And the worst part? Megan was the one paying for this meal.

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was going to be murdered in the parking lot afterward.

    Her conscience kicked in hard. The whole lunch felt like she was walking on a tightrope in heels.

    But what could she do? She brought this on herself by considering Megan a friend.

    After the meal, Sean drove Charlotte back to herw firm. Megan left on her own.

    When they arrived downstairs, Sean leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead. ¡°I won¡¯t go up. I¡¯ve still got work to take care of at the office.¡±

    Charlotte looked up at him. ¡°Were you doing that on

    purpose back there?¡±

    ¡°Doing what?¡±

    ¡°Showing off in front of Megan. The shrimp, the fish¡­ all that.¡±

    Sean replied evenly, ¡°Not really. I would¡¯ve peeled Shrimp and picked out the bones even if she wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    Now that he said it, Charlotte suddenly remembered¨Cback when they were dating before, every time they went out to eat and there was shrimp, Sean would always peel them for her. He had picked out fish bones for her too. This wasn¡¯t new.

    She was about to say something when Sean added, ¡°But I did want her to see where I stand. I wanted to make it crystal clear that you¡¯re the only one <b>I </b>care about. Hopefully, she¡¯ll give up sooner rather thanter.¡±

    Charlotte thought about what Megan had asked her that morning and hesitated before saying, ¡°Did you know M¨¦gan¡¯s birthday is next Saturday?¡±

    Sean¡¯s tone cooled. ¡°No.¡±

    Every year, Megan used to invite him to her birthday parties. He never went. He didn¡¯t even bother remembering the date. So when he said he didn¡¯t know, he really meant it.

    His answer made Charlotte hesitate even more. She looked down at her shoes, unsure how to begin.

    Sean caught the look on her face. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°She invited me to her birthday party,¡± Charlotte said quietly.

    <b>He </b>nodded. ¡°Do you want to go?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind going,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°Just what?¡±

    ¡°She wants me to bring you.¡±

    Sean asked gently, ¡°And what do you think?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>I</b><b>¡­ </b>I already said yes.

    ¡°>

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Charlotte looked up at him in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡±

    ¡°What would I be mad about?¡± His voice was full of warmth.

    ¡°I knew how she felt about you, and I still agreed to take you to her birthday. Aren¡¯t you worried I don¡¯t care enough?¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, he asked, ¡°Do you care?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do,¡± Charlotte replied without hesitation.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I need,¡± he said softly. ¡°If you care about me, that¡¯s enough. If you want me to go, I¡¯ll go. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said. ¡°I already promised her.¡±

    Sean smiled softly. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go. Let everyone see just how in love we are.¡±

    Charlotte blinked.

    That wasn¡¯t exactly the point, but she didn¡¯t bother arguing.

    **

 His Heart 455

    Chapter <b>455 </b>

    The next afternoon, Charlotte received a call from Desmond.

    The moment she saw his name on the screen, her heart skipped a brat.

    Desmond had always strongly opposed her rtionship with Sean and ever since she got back together with him, she had kept

    it a secret from her father.

    Seeing his call now made her nervous. What if he had found out and was calling to confront her?

    Her heart raced, and her mind scrambled toe up with all sorts of possible exnations.

    But when she answered the phone, Desmond¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°Lettie, there¡¯s a cocktail party the night after tomorrow. I¡¯d like you toe. I want to introduce you to a few business partners. It could be a good opportunity for yourw firm.¡±

    Charlotte let out a quiet sigh of relief. So he just wanted to help herwork.

    ¡°Alright, Dad. What time is it? Can you send me the address?¡±

    On the night of the cocktail party, Charlotte wore a long, strapless ck gown. The dress was elegant and understated, revealing only her shoulders and arms. The rest was modest and refined.

    Desmond introduced her to several executives frompanies that had long¨Cstanding partnerships with the Riley Corporation. Most were older¨Cseasoned professionals and longtime family acquaintances.

    After a few rounds of drinks and light conversation, Charlotte had already secured several major cases worth millions in legal fees.

    Once they finished the introductions, Desmond led her over to meet someone closer to her age.

    Charlotte paused when she saw him.

    ¡°This is Tyler Ziegler, the younger son of the Ziegler family,¡± Desmond said. ¡°He just returned from overseas and is now serving as general manager at the familypany.¡±

    Tyler wore a deep navy suit and had his hair neatly styled. He looked every bit the polished young executive.

    He lifted his ss of champagne and smiled. ¡°Nice to see you again, Miss Riley.¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± Charlotte replied, her tone noticeably cooler.

    What was her father doing?

    Was this¡­ a setup?

    Desmond grinned. ¡°You¡¯ve met before?¡±

    ¡°Just once<b>,</b>¡± Tyler replied. ¡°At a dinner Ian hosted.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll leave you two to chat. I need to speak with someone,¡± Desmond said before walking off.

    Charlotte sighed inwardly. She had assumed tonight was just aboutworking and picking up cases. Clearly, there had been another agenda all along.

    Tyler was one of Ian¡¯s college friends. Technically, he was in the same social circle, but back then, Charlotte rarely hung out with them. Most of her time in college was spent studying in the library. During breaks, she preferred outings with Mia or Lena and rarely went torge gatherings.

    Tyler hadn¡¯t met her until after he returned from overseas. Their first encounter had been at the private garden restaurant he

    <b>ran</b><b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>Don¡¯t </b>feel pressured, Miss Riley,¡± Tyler said with a friendly smile <b>¡°</b>Tan mentioned you and Sean are together<b>. </b>I¡¯ll <b>keep </b><b>that </b>from your father.¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t expect him to say that. She paused before replying <b>¡°</b>Thank you.<b>¡± </b>

    Tyler looked rxed as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve figured it out. Your father just wants us to meet and spend some <b>time </b>together. It¡¯s basically a matchmaking setup.¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°I figured.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>My family has the same idea,¡± Tyler added with a sheepishugh ¡°But don¡¯t worry<b>, </b><b>I¡¯m </b>not the type toe between a couple. I¡¯m just here to y along.¡±

 His Heart 456

    ¡°That works out nicely,¡± Tyler said with a smile. ¡°I heard you recently opened your ownw firm. It¡¯d be great <b>to </b>connect and maybe stay in touch. Last time we met, it was a bit rushed. I didn¡¯t get the chance to get your number.¡±

    It was a reasonable request, and Charlotte had no reason to refuse. They moved in the same social circles, and it wasn¡¯t unusual to exchange contact information.

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said.

    After they exchanged contacts and Charlotte slipped her phone back into her purse, Tyler suddenly asked, ¡°Miss Riley, <b>if </b>you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ is your friend Lena Zeller single?¡±

    Charlotte blinked, caught off guard.

    That was a pretty abrupt change of topic.

    ¡°She is,¡± she replied.

    Tyler visibly rxed, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

    Charlotte gave him a suspicious look. ¡°Do you like her or something?¡±

    ¡°I actually met her years ago, back when I was still in college,¡± Tyler said, his tone softening. ¡°I was over at Ian¡¯s ce, and she had juste home from school. Honestly, I liked her from the moment I saw her. But she was still in high school back then, SO I kept it to myself.¡±

    Charlotte was a little stunned. ¡°Love at first sight?¡±

    S

    ¡°You could call it that,¡± Tyler replied. ¡°But I never told her how I felt. She was too young, and I didn¡¯t think it would be appropriate. I left the country not long after. Now that I¡¯m back and she¡¯s still single, I¡¯d like to try pursuing her.¡±

    Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you liked her at all during that dinner.¡±

    Tyler gave a smallugh. ¡°It¡¯s been years since Ist saw her. I might¡¯ve looked calm on the outside, but I was actually really nervous.<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Does she know you¡¯re interested?¡±

    ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t sure if she was seeing anyone. And judging by ourst meeting, I don¡¯t think she remembers me at all. I didn¡¯t want toe on too strong, so I figured I¡¯d get to know her first and see where things go.¡±

    Charlotte looked down thoughtfully.

    Tyler noticed her hesitation. <b>¡°</b><b>Is </b>something wrong?¡±

    She looked up at him. <b>¡°</b>This might sound intrusive, but since I¡¯m one of her closest friends, I need to ask, Tyler, h rtionships have you had? And how many of them got¡­ physical

    Tyler froze.

    It was an incredibly personal question, and honestly a bit out of line.

    any

    Charlotte exined calmly, ¡°Lena has never dated anyone before she¡¯spletely new to rtionships. If you¡¯ve had a long history or aplicated past<b>, </b><b>I </b>just don¡¯t think you¡¯re <b>the </b>right person for her.¡±

    Tyler frowned slightly but answered, ¡°I understand. But I¡¯in not the kind of guy who ys around. Over the years<b>, </b>I¡¯ve only had <b>one </b>serious rtionship.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°So you had feelings for Lena but still dated someone else?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding me,¡± Tyler said seriously. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>did like her at <b>first</b><b>, </b><b>but </b>she was still a kid <b>then</b><b>, </b><b>and </b>we <b>didn¡¯t </b>stay <b>in </b>touch. Eventually<b>, </b>that <b>feeling </b><b>faded</b>. Later on<b>, </b><b>I </b>met someone else and we had a serious rtionship<b>. </b><b>I </b>wasn¡¯t <b>thinking </b><b>about </b>

    Lena while I was with her.¡±

    He looked her straight in the eye. ¡°Miss Riley, I don¡¯t jump from one person to another. I take rtionships seriously<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte¡¯s voice <b>was </b>calm. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m just asking. Whether she epts you or not<b>, </b>that¡¯s entirely up to her.¡±

 His Heart 457

    The cocktail party ended.

    On the way home, Desmond nced at Charlotte and asked<b>, </b>¡°So, what did you think of Tyler Ziegler?¡±

    Charlotte gave a vague reply. ¡°It was fine. We even exchanged contact info.¡±

    Hearing that, Desmond looked pleased. ¡°That¡¯s great. The Zieglers are a good match for us. Tyler¡¯s got a solid background, good looks, and a promising future. You two should really give it a try.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. She replied calmly, ¡°These things should happen naturally. You can¡¯t force feelings.¡± Desmond tried again. ¡°Feelings grow with time. The more you spend together, the more likely something will develop.¡±

    But Charlotte¡¯s tone turned firmer, though still polite. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve told you before¨CI¡¯m focusing on <b>my </b>career right now.¡±

    Desmond heard the shift in her voice and knew she wasn¡¯t happy. He sighed and let the subject drop.

    When they got back to the Riley estate, Charlotte went upstairs with a cold expression.

    She passed Xena in the hallway and gave her a brief, emotionless nod.

    Xena smiled politely in return. Once Charlotte disappeared upstairs, she turned to Desmond. ¡°What¡¯s with Lottie? She didn¡¯t look too happy.¡±

    Desmond sat down on the sofa in the living room. A housekeeper brought over a cup of hot tea. He let out a sigh. ¡°I introduced her to the Ziegler boy at the event. I asked her a few questions on the way home, and she got upset.¡±

    $

    Xena frowned and sat beside him. ¡°You know she was already annoyed thest time we brought this up over dinner. Why would you push it again tonight?¡±

    ¡°Tyler¡¯s a good kid,¡± Desmond said. ¡°I like him. He and Lottie are a good match. I¡¯m just thinking of her future. The Zieglers are close family friends. I had lunch with Tyler¡¯s parents the other day, and they¡¯re interested too. Our families are well- matched. If she married into that family, she¡¯d be treated well.¡±

    Xena spoke gently. ¡°I know you mean well. But if she¡¯s not open to it, then it¡¯s better not to push. Lottie has a strong drive, and it¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s focused on her work. We should support that. She¡¯s an amazing young woman. When the time¡¯s right, she¡¯ll find someone.¡±

    Desmond was quiet for a moment before sighing. ¡°You¡¯re right. No need to bring it up again. She can make her own choices.¡±

    Two days earlier, Charlotte had ordered a designer handbag from a luxury brand as a birthday gift for Megan. Normally, a purchase like this required customers to spend over half a million dors to even qualify, but Charlotte was a ck Card member.

    On top of that, Riley Corporation was a stakeholder in the brand, so she could reserve anything with a si phone call.

    That morning, a store associate called to let her know the bag had arrived and asked whether she preferred home delivery <b>or </b>would pick it up herself.

    Charlotte had already made ns to go shopping that afternoon with Lena, so she said she would pick it up in person.

    She arrived at the mall early, before Lena, and decided to head to the store first.

    On the way, a dress in a window disy caught her eye.

    It was a light blue halter dress made of sheer chiffon, with a breezy coastal vacation vibe.

    Charlotte immediately liked it and thought it would be perfect for Megan¡¯s yacht party on Saturday,

    She stepped into the boutique.

    The sales associate instantly recognized the custom designer outf

    ¡°Wee. How can I help you today?¡±

    Charlotte pointed to the blue dress. ¡°Could you wrap that one up f

    She stepped into the boutique.

    The sales associate instantly recognized the custom designer outfit Charlotte was wearing and greeted her warmly.

    ¡°Wee. How can I help you today?¡±

    Charlotte pointed to the blue dress<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Could you wrap

    that

    one up for me?¡±

 His Heart 458

    The sales associate lit up. She loved straightforward customers like this.

    ¡°Of course. Please give me a moment and I¡¯ll get it wrapped for you

    ¡°You¡¯ve got great taste, by the way. That dress is one of our newest arrivals and also our best¨Cseller. This is actually thest one we have in stock,¡± she added with a smile.

    Just as she was about to remove the dress from the mannequin, a couple walked into the boutique.

    The woman was heavily made up and dressed to turn heads¨Cspaghetti strap crop top, ultra¨Cshort denim skirt, curves on full disy.

    ¡°Honey, I love that dress. Will you buy it for me?¡± she said sweetly pointing right at the same blue dress Charlotte had just picked out.

    The man chuckled. ¡°Sure. If you like it, it¡¯s yours.¡±

    Without missing a beat, he barked at the sales associate, ¡°Hey! Wrap that one up for us.¡±

    The saleswoman¡¯s smile faltered for a split second, clearly annoyed at being addressed like a waitress.

    But she quicklyposed herself, replying politely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry<b>, </b>sir, but this customer already picked that dress<b>. </b>It¡¯s thest one we have. But we do have other new arrivals that are just as lovely if you¡¯d like to take a look.¡±

    ¡°I want that one,¡± the woman snapped, her tone turning cold.

    The man turned to look at Charlotte and his eyes lit up.

    ¡°What a stunning woman!¡± he thought.

    Her figure was incredible, and her face lookedpletely natural no surgery, no filters. Compared to the heavily made¨Cup gir beside him, she was on a whole different level.

    Still, he wasn¡¯t about to lose face in front of his own girlfriend. Even if he was tempted, he couldn¡¯t show it now.

    Straightening up, he said to Charlotte, ¡°We want that dress. You should pick something else.¡±

    He pulled out his wallet and handed her a thick wad of cash. ¡°Here. Take this.¡®

    Charlotte let out a coldugh. ¡°I saw it first. I¡¯m not giving it up.¡±

    The man frowned, then noticed the handbag hanging from her arm. Until now, he had been too distracted by her face and figure to notice. But now that he got a closer look, he recognized the logo.

    That bag wasn¡¯t cheap.

    A woman carrying something like that clearly wasn¡¯t going to be swayed by a few bills.

    He chuckled and withdrew the cash, switching tactics.

    ¡°My girlfriend really likes that dress. Would you consider selling it to us? Name your price¨CI¡¯m willing to pay.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes turned icy. ¡°No.¡±

    Beside him, the woman scoffed loudly. ¡°You¡¯ve got the nerve to walk around with a fake bag? That¡¯s just embarrassing.¡±

    She sneered at Charlotte¡¯s handbag. ¡°That model doesn¡¯t even exist on the brand¡¯s official site. If you¡¯re going to buy counterfeits, at least do your homework. Save yourself the humiliation.¡±

    ¡°A fake?¡± The man took another look at the bag Charlotte was carrying.

    He hadn¡¯t paid much attention earlier. He was too busy staring at her face and figure but now that he looked closer<b>, </b>he couldn¡¯t

    see anything off about it. The texture looked high¨Cend, almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

    ¡°Yeah, honey,¡± the woman said with a sneer. ¡°I check the brand¡¯s website all the time. That style doesn¡¯t even exist. No clue where she got that knockoff. It¡¯s honestlyughable.¡±

    She shot Charlotte a look full of disdain and added with a mocking smile, ¡°You¡¯ve clearly never owned anything authentic in your life. Let me guess¨Cyou bought some random bag and don¡¯t even know what brand it is? Like those people who buy minmin¡® thinking it¡¯s the same as Miu Miu. Pathetic.¡±

    C

 His Heart 459

    hapter 459

    Charlotte was carrying a handbag that day¡ªa globally limited edition from the very brand she was about to visit. It was avable exclusively to ck Gold members.

    Of course, it was never listed on the official website.

    Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t even get the chance toy eyes on it.

    The woman across from her gave a contemptuous nce, her tone dripping with mockery. ¡°Oh, stop pretending to be all high and mighty. My boyfriend is offering you six hundred dors¨Cjust give up that dress already.¡±

    Charlotte let out a coldugh. ¡°I already said no.¡±

    She turned to the sales associate. ¡°Could you wrap it up for me, please?¡±

    ¡°Yes, miss.¡± The associate promptly took the dress down to package it.

    The couple¡¯s faces turned sour.

    Charlotte swiped her card and paid for the dress. Meanwhile, the woman kept taunting her from the side.

    ¡°Fake bag girl, you do realize that dress costs over ten thousand dors, right? Honestly, you should¡¯ve just let me have it. Go home and order a knockoff online. Wouldn¡¯t that go better with your counterfeit handbag anyway?¡±

    At first, the man had actually found Charlotte attractive.

    But after she refused to acknowledge him and embarrassed him in front of his girlfriend and the sales staff, any goodwill vanished.

    And when he heard she was carrying a fake bag, he immediately joined in with the insults.

    ¡°A girl like you¨Cbroke but still acting all fancy. Carrying a fake bag and trying to fight us over a dress? You seriously think you deserve it?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Even if that dress is real, people will just assume it¡¯s a knockoff too. Do you know why? Because everyone knows your financial level. You think bleeding money on one designer dress is going to impress anyone? Please. All they¡¯ll say behind your back is how desperate you are to look rich.¡±

    Their words were so nasty that even the sales associate looked ufortable.

    But no matter how rude they were, they were still customers. The clothes they wore were from luxury brands too. If they couldn¡¯t get that dress, they might still buy something else.

    So the sales associate could only try to smooth things over with a polite smile, gently suggesting they take a look at other items.

    Just then, Charlotte got a message from Lena.

    ¡°Lottie, I¡¯m at the store. Weren¡¯t youing to pick up your bag? Where are you?¡±

    Charlotte looked down and typed back.

    ¡°I¡¯m shopping for clothes. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m in the lounge waiting for you<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Since Lena had already arrived, Charlotte didn¡¯t bother entertaining the couple¡¯s nonsense any longer. She took the neatly packaged dress from the associate and turned to leave.

    Beingpletely ignored sent the man into a rage.

    The Turner family was a well¨Cknown name in Sterling City. In his social circle, Thomas Turner had always been the one people tried to please. He was used to ttery and couldn¡¯t handle even the smallest slight.

    Seeing Charlotte turn her back on him, he stormed after her.

    ¡®Quit acting like you¡¯re better than everyone,¡± he sneered. ¡°Just say the number¨Chow much for a night with you?¡±

    Charlotte suddenly stopped in her tracks.

    Without hesitation<b>, </b>she turned around and pped him hard <b>across </b>the face.

    She didn¡¯t hold back. A vivid red handprint bloomed on Thomas¡¯s cheek, and the corner of his mouth split, blood trickling down.

    Caughtpletely off guard, he froze in ce, stunned by the p

    ¡°Watch your mouth,¡± Charlotte said coldly, her eyes sharp and deadly. She spoke each word slowly and clearly.

    Carmen Long, who had followed behind, came to a sudden stop when she saw Thomas get pped. She stared in disbelief, speechless.

    Once Thomas snapped out of his daze, his face twisted in fury. Cursing under his breath, he lunged at Charlotte, ready to strike.

    <b>X </b>

 His Heart 460

    As Thomas raised his fist, cursing under his breath, Petra arrived Just in time to grab his wrist.

    Her face was cold as she snapped, ¡°You¡¯ve got a death wish,¡± and twisted his arm sharply.

    Crack.

    Thomas let out a scream. His face instantly turned pale.

    Without hesitation, Petra kicked him hard, sending him crashing to the floor.

    The ground was slick, and he ended up sliding forward, mming his forehead onto the floor right in front of Charlotte with a loud thud.

    Petra looked down at him with icy disdain, like he was beneath her

    She had only stepped away to use the restroom for a few minutes. How had some idiot already managed to stir up trouble for her boss?

    ¡°You want me to cripple him or finish him off?¡± she asked coolly, turning to Charlotte with a deadly gleam in her eyes.

    Charlotte sighed. ¡°Calm down. Deep breaths. We live in a society governed byws. It¡¯s broad daylight. Let¡¯s keep <b>it </b>civilized and call the police.¡±

    After all, that p she gave was more than justified.

    Back in the store, the couple had already been provoking her nonstop. She had ignored them because she was in a hurry<b>, </b>but they had the nerve to follow her out and escte things.

    The man had even hurled a disgusting insult at her.

    Legally speaking, that counted as harassment and public provocation.

    Her p waspletely warranted.

    And when he tried to retaliate, Petra¡¯s response clearly self¨Cdefense.

    Even if the police got involved, Charlotte was confident she woulde out clean.

    The entire mall was covered in security cameras, and the sales associate had witnessed the whole thing. She wasn¡¯t afraid to report it.

    Thomas staggered to his feet<b>, </b>still cursing foully.

    Hisnguage was vile.

    A small crowd began to gather.

    Petra remained stone¨Cfaced and, following Charlotte¡¯s instructions<b>, </b>called the police.

    They arrived quickly¨Cwithin ten minutes.

    With the sales associate¡¯s testimony and the mall¡¯s surveince footage, Thomas was confirmed to have been the instigator. The police detained him on charges of public disturbance.

    Carmen, while she hadn¡¯tid a hand on anyone, had clearly been stirring things up and verbally harassing Charlotte. She was taken in <b>as </b>well.

    By the time everything was settled, over thirty minutes had passed

    Charlotte finally arrived at the boutique. In the VIP lounge, Lena was already waiting<b>, </b>practically wilting from the wait.

    Lena gave her a <b>wry </b>smile. ¡°There you are, Lottie. What kind of dress takes that long to pick?¡±

    Charlotte walked over, dropped onto the couch<b>, </b>and handed her the shopping bag. ¡°Here. This is the one.¡±

    Lena pulled the dress out and gave it a look. ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>gorgeous. Did you try on a bunch before settling on this one?¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Nope. I picked it the moment I saw it.¡±

    ¡°Then why did it take you so long? Didn¡¯t you get to the mall before me?¡±

    ¡°Ran into some trouble. Someone tried to start something.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Handled.¡±

    Lena frowned. ¡°Who was it?¡±

    ¡°No idea. Judging by their ent, they¡¯re probably from Sterling City.¡±

    Lena¡¯s eyes filled with concern. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Petra was with me. They didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡®

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The staff, knowing Charlotte loved tea, brought out a pot of premium tea.

    They also served a tter of fresh fruit and delicate desserts.

    Then they brought over the handbag. Charlotte gave it a quick check, and once she was satisfied, asked them to wrap it up and set it aside.

    In thefort of the VIP lounge, Charlotte and Lena rxed and chatted over tea.

 His Heart 461

    Lena was two years younger than Charlotte. She was twenty¨Cfive this year and still single. She had never <b>been </b>in a rtionship. But never having dated didn¡¯t mean she had never liked someone,

    The reason she had stayed single all these years was because she had someone in her heart¨Csomeone she could never have.

    Charlotte knew exactly who that person was.

    His name was Joshua Jenson, the son of Lena¡¯s childhood nanny.

    Joshua came from an ordinary family. There was a huge gap between him and the Zellers in terms of social ss<b>. </b>There was no way Lena¡¯s family would ever approve.

    Gentle and well¨Cmannered as she was, even Lena had once mustered up the courage to chase after love.

    The summer after high school, on the day she turned eighteen, she finally confessed her feelings to Joshua.

    But he turned her down.

    Aside from the two of them, only Charlotte and Mia

    When Charlotte ran into Tyler at thest cocktail party, she hadn¡¯t told him that Lena was already holding a torch for someone else.

    what had happened. Not even Lena¡¯s brother, Jordan<b>, </b>was aware of it.

    ¡°Lena, are you still hung up on Joshua?¡± Charlotte asked her. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years. Have you never thought about moving on?¡±

    A faint, bitter smile tugged at Lena¡¯s lips. Her expression dimmed as she replied softly, ¡°He¡¯s be an obsession. I don¡¯t think I have the strength to fall for anyone else.¡®

    Over the years, Lena had never dated.

    And neither had Joshua.

    Both Charlotte and Mia could tell Joshua had feelings for Lena too.

    But he was painfully aware he wasn¡¯t good enough for her. All these years, he had never let her get close, probably because he didn¡¯t want her to lower herself or suffer with him.

    Inparison, Tyler was objectively a better match for Lena.

    ¡°Do you remember Tyler?¡± Charlotte asked suddenly.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Lena said. ¡°Isn¡¯t he a friend of Ian¡¯s? We had dinner with himst time, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that time,¡± Charlotte said, watching her closely. ¡°You actually met him way before that. Do you remember?¡±

    Lena frowned, thinking for a few seconds. ¡°11

    him before? I don¡¯t remember at all.¡±

    ¡°I ran into him at a cocktail party recently,¡± Charlotte exined. ¡°He told me that years ago, he went to your. brother and happened to meet you. You were in your first year of high school.¡±

    Lena¡¯s brow creased. ¡°First year? I was only sixteen. That was nine years ago. No wonder I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Have you seen himtely?¡±

    Lena nodded lightly. ¡°Yesterday at the office. I think he came to discuss something with my brother.¡±

    ¡®He didn¡¯t ask for your number?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Lena looked confused. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about him?¡±

    se to <b>see </b>your

    Charlotte took <b>a </b><b>sip </b>of <b>tea</b><b>, </b>debating whether to <b>tell </b>her that Tyler was interested in her.

    After a moment¡¯s thought<b>, </b>she decided against it.

    Feelings weren¡¯t something outsiders should interfere with.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just ran into him at that party. He mentioned seeing you before, and I thought it was kind of funny, <b>so </b>I brought it up.¡±

    Lena didn¡¯t think much of it and soon changed the subject.

    After spending the afternoon shopping with Lena, Charlotte returned to her private vi.

    As the car pulled up to the garden near the entrance of the neighborhood, Charlotte nced out the window and froze.

    Sitting on a park bench and talking on the phone was a man she knew all too well.

    ¡°What¡¯s Sean doing here?¡± she thought.

    Desmond and Xena asionally came by this area to check in on <b>her</b>. If they ran into him<b>, </b>things could get messy.

    Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Petra, stop the car.¡°.

    As soon as the car stopped, she opened the door and made a beeline for the garden.

    Sean was deep in conversation<b>, </b>so focused on his call that he didn¡¯t notice Charlotte approaching.

    She came to a halt right in front of him. ¡°What are you doing here?

    Sean sat with his head down, focused on his call. The first thing he noticed were her shoes¨Cck Saint Laurent heeled sandals. His gaze slowly moved up, taking in a pair of long, fair legs.

    Then he looked up, tilting his head slightly, and his eyes met Charlotte¡¯s.

 His Heart 462

    Charlotte had dressed up today. The ck fitted dress hugged her curves perfectly, highlighting her figure in all the right ces. Her red lips stood out against the ck, making her fair skin glow even more. There was something dangerously beautiful about

    her.

    Sean¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he swallowed. He ended the call, reached out, and gently tugged Charlotte by the wrist, pulling her into his arms.

    Shended lightly on hisp without resistance.

    Sean wrapped his arms around Charlotte, his deep, maic voice vibrating near her ear. ¡°I missed you.¡±

    A soft smile tugged at Charlotte¡¯s lips. ¡°I missed you too.¡±

    ¡°If you missed me, why didn¡¯t you call? Why didn¡¯t youe find me, hmm?¡±

    ¡°I had ns today.¡±

    ¡°What kind of ns?¡±

    ¡°I went shopping with Lena.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. So your best friend¡¯s more important than me,¡± he said, feigning jealousy.

    ¡°You¡¯re seriously jealous of Lena?¡± Charlotteughed.

    Sean¡¯s lips grazed her earlobe as he whispered in a low, seductive voice, ¡°I could go shopping with you too.¡±

    ¡°No way.¡®

    That would be way too obvious.

    Especially with her father watching her so closely. If anyone saw them and reported back<b>, </b>it would definitely lead to another argument¨Cmaybe even force them to break up.

    Sean¡¯s breath tickled the side of her neck.

    His voice was hoarse and low. ¡°Am I really that shameful to be seen with? Huh?¡±

    It was dangerously tempting.

    Charlotte felt a wave of electricity shoot through her, warm and tingling.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s not do this here.¡±

    She stood up, trying to leave, but Sean pulled her back into his arms.

    ¡°When are you going to make us official?¡± he murmured, wrapping his arms around her from behind, his warm lips brushing against her neck.

    Charlotte softened her tone<b>, </b>coaxing gently, ¡°Be good. We¡¯ll talk about it at home.

    Hearing those two words, ¡°at home,¡± made Sean¡¯s eyes light up.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He let go. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    Charlotte brought him back to her vi.

    It was <b>a </b>private property she had bought a few months ago. This was Sean¡¯s first time visiting.

    She opened the door and invited him in.

    Sean stepped inside<b>, </b>casually looking around <b>as </b>he explored. He even used Charlotte¡¯s cup to pour <b>himself </b><b>a </b>ss of <b>water</b>,

    moving <b>so </bfortably it was as if he were right at home.

    The vi had been a gift from Desmond after she and Sean broke up. Charlotte had chosen the interior design herself, reflecting

    her exact taste.

    After exploring the ce, Sean returned with her cup in hand and looked at her expectantly. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re home now. So<b>? </b>When are you going to make it official?¡±

    ¡°In such a rush?¡± Charlotte chuckled.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m in a rush,¡± Sean said, dead serious. ¡°Zac keeps pestering you. Scott¡¯s been eyeing you for years. And now there¡¯s this new guy, Tyler¨Chow could I not be in a rush?¡±

    ¡°You know about that?¡± Charlotte looked surprised. ¡°How did you find out about Tyler?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t even been at the cocktail party.

    ¡°Your dad and the Ziegler family are trying to match you and Tyler. A few people I know were at that event<b>.</b>¡±

    Charlotte exined, ¡°My dad wants me to give Tyler a chance, but neither <b>of </b>us is interested. He actually knows I¡¯m with you<b>. </b>He even told me he has feelings for someone else¨CLena.¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression softened. ¡°He likes Lena?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yep. Who would¡¯ve guessed? I sure didn¡¯t. I was shocked.¡±

    Sean gave a slight nod. ¡°Well, that rules him out. But there are still two other guys who are clearly after you.¡±

    Charlotte gave him a yful look. ¡°You¡¯re not threatened by them, are you?¡±

    His expression turned serious. For a second, something vulnerable flickered in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m insecure. I¡¯m just scared of losing you. I already lost you once. I don¡¯t want to lose you again.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s heart ached a little.

    She stepped closer, rose onto her toes, and gently cupped his face.

    ¡°Sean,¡± she whispered, ¡°you¡¯re the only one in my heart. Don¡¯t

    Before she could finish, Sean suddenly lowered his head and kissed her.

    The rest of her words melted into silence.

 His Heart 463

    Chapter <b>463 </b>

    Sean¡¯s hand slid downward,ing to rest gently on Charlotte¡¯s slender, fair neck.

    He lowered his head to look at her. They were so close<b>, </b>their breaths mingled. His voice was low and husky. ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡±

    ¡°You know exactly what,¡± she murmured.

    He gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his deep, intense gaze.

    ¡°I want to hear you say it.¡±

    His eyes were dark and endless, like the sea, as if they could pull her under.

    Charlotte bit her lip, then finally said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I won¡¯t fall for anyone else.¡±

    Sean let out a softugh, the sharp lines of his usually cool expression softened with warmth.

    ¡°Then¡­ are you afraid I might fall for someone else?¡± he asked.

    She had been¡ªespecially during the time when Megan had just returned from overseas.

    But Charlotte shook her head and lied, ¡°No.¡±

    Sean pinched both sides of her cheeks gently<b>, </b>making two little dimples.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like that answer. Try again.¡±

    Charlotte was speechless.

    She turned her face away, only for Sean to guide it right back.

    With no other choice, she sighed, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ve worried. I even get jealous sometimes. Happy now?¡±

    Sean smiled, clearly very happy.

    Then his lips came down again.

    The kiss was deep and demanding. His tongue slid past her lips, iming her breath and pulling her into him. Charlotte felt like all the oxygen had been stolen from her lungs¨Cher breathing started to falter.

    This time, Sean kissed her hard, full of heat and longing.

    Their breaths grew heavier.

    Desire built quickly between them<b>, </b>ignited by the intensity of the kiss.

    Charlotte felt like her blood was boiling. That deep ache inside her red to life, making her body melt.

    She tried to push him away, her forearm pressed lightly against his chest. But it was no use. She couldn¡¯t stop him, and part of her didn¡¯t want to.

    Things were spiraling out of control.

    Out of breath and barely holding on<b>, </b>she gasped his name, trying to pull him back.

    ¡°Sean¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t stop. He knew exactly why she said his name<b>, </b>but he just murmured in a rough, teasing voice, <b>¡°</b>What is it<b>, </b>hmm?¡±

    Still kissing her<b>, </b>still refusing to let go.

    Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

    ? ???<b>??? </b>

    <b>LU </b><b>DUNES </b>

    They both froze.

    It was hard to say whether the timing was perfect orpletely unfortunate.

    Charlotte exhaled, quickly smoothing her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡±

    Sean¡¯s dark eyes still burned with desire. Charlotte didn¡¯t dare look at him again. Flustered<b>, </b>she hurried to the door.

    The inte screen lit up with a familiar face¨CXena.

    ¡°Lottie, are you home?¡±

    Charlotte spun around and looked at Sean<b>, </b>signaling urgently for him to hide.

    He didn¡¯t move. He just stood therezily, watching her with amusement as a faint smile tugged at his lips.

    Charlotte turned back to the inte. ¡°Hi, Aunt Xena. One second please.¡±

    She rushed over to Sean and started pushing him toward the bedroom in a panic.

    ¡°Xena¡¯s here. Go, hide in the bedroom,¡± she whispered quickly<b>, </b>shoving him along.

    It honestly felt like a scene out of a cheesy si¨Clike she was sneaking around with a lover and had just been caught by her husbanding home early.

    Sean let her push him without protest. Unlike her frantic panic, he looked rxed and even a little entertained. With unhurried strides, he walked into the bedroom.

    Charlotte stood outside the door, one hand on the knob, holding it half open. She poked her head in and said in a rapid whisper, ¡°Sorry, just hide for a bit. Don¡¯t make a sound.¡±

    Sean didn¡¯t say a word. He just stared at Charlotte, eyes fixed on her, not even blinking.

    The look on his face¨Che honestly looked so pitiful.

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t bring herself to look at him again. She quickly shut the door.

    At the entryway, she took two deep breaths to calm herself, smoothed her expression, and then went to open the front door.

    Xena stood outside with a thermal container in hand, smiling warmly. ¡°Lottie, I called you earlier but you didn¡¯t answer. Have you eaten? I made your favorite chicken and vegetable soup, and I also brought those crispy garlic shrimp you love.¡±

    Charlotte stepped aside to let her in. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet. I was busy just now and my phone was on silent, so I didn¡¯t see the

    call.¡±

    Technically, not a lie¨Cshe had been busy.

    Xena came in and set the thermal container on the dining table.

    She opened it and beganying out the dishes. ¡°No matter how busy you are, you still need to eat properly.¡±

    ¡°Thank you<i>, </i>Aunt Xena,¡± Charlotte replied softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. I had nothing going on today, so I thought I¡¯de check on you.¡±

    She finished setting the table and handed Charlotte a set of utensils. ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Charlotte pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

    She began eating slowly, taking small bites.

    Then Xena suddenly asked, ¡°Why is your face so red?¡±

    Charlotte happened to be sipping soup and nearly choked.

    ¡°Slow down,¡± Xena said gently, walking over with concern. She reached out to touch Charlotte¡¯s forehead. ¡°You feel a little warm. Are you running a fever? Should I take you to the hospital?¡±

    Charlotte looked a little awkward and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not running <b>a </b>fever.¡±

    Xena gave her a puzzled look. ¡°Then why is your face so flushed and hot? Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    Instinctively, Charlotte touched her own cheek. It really did feel warm.

    ¡°Is my face that red?¡± she thought.

    She cursed Sean silently in her mind¨Cthat kiss was way too intense.

    ¡°I¡¯m really fine,¡± she said quickly, lowering her head to sip more soup.

    But Xena still looked worried. ¡°Do you have a thermometer at home? Let me check your temperature. You live here alone. What if something happens? Who¡¯s going to take care of you? I should find someone to help out around the house.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Aunt Xena. Petra lives here with me.¡±

    Still, Xena didn¡¯t look convinced.

    ¡°Petra¡¯s great with security, and your dad and I both feel reassured knowing she¡¯s around. But when ites to daily life¡ª meals, housekeeping¨Cshe¡¯s not exactly the domestic type. You still need someone to look after you.¡±

    Charlotte exined, ¡°I actually already hired a housekeeper. Shees over every day to make meals. She¡¯s out buying groceries now and should be back any minute.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t lying.

    Unless she had ns to eat elsewhere, Cora came over every day to cook. And since it was only 11 a.m., it made perfect sense for her to be out shopping.

    Just as she finished speaking, the front door opened. Cora walked in with a bag of fresh produce. She paused for a moment when she saw Xena.

    Charlotte quickly introduced them. ¡°This is my stepmom.¡±

    Cora greeted her politely. ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Xena gave her a courteous nod. ¡°Hello.¡±

 His Heart 464

    Sean wandered around the bedroom, taking his time as he looked around Charlotte¡¯s space.

    <b>Her </b>room was simple yet warm and inviting. The bedding was a sol, muted shade of blue, and there was a walk¨Cin closet tucked inside. A faint, floral scent lingered in the air. It was the same perfone Charlotte always wore. Light and delicate, it carried a soft<b>, </b>gentle charm.

    Sean strolled through the room, looking around with quiet curiosity and interest. A white tablecloth was neatly spread across the desk, spotless and tidy. A vase of freshly bloomed baby blue hydrangeas sat in the center.

    Next to it was a pale blue porcin Cinnamoroll figurine. Sean remembered¨Cit was one Charlotte had painted with her mom at a DIY pottery studio. That same figurine had once been shattered. He had secretly found a restoration artist to have it carefully repaired for her.

    Sean picked it up gently, inspecting it from every angle. The porcin had been restored so wlessly, it looked just like new.

    Satisfied, he carefully ced it back in its spot.

    On the wooden shelf nearby were a few photo frames. Each one held a picture of Charlotte and her mother.

    In one, a five or six¨Cyear¨Cold Charlotte wore a pink princess dress with a bow in her hair. She sat on her mother¡¯sp, grinning sweetly at the camera. Her big, bright eyes sparkled like gems, and two small dimples appeared on her cheeks.

    Another photo showed Charlotte on her eighth birthday, eyes closed as she made a wish in front of her cake. A delicate diamond tiara rested on her head. Her mother, Sue, sat beside her with a gentle, loving smile.

    In the third photo, Charlotte was ten<b>, </b>proudly holding a trophy after winning a pianopetition. Her parents stood on either side of her. Her mother¡¯s expression was warm and proud, while Charlotte beamed with joy, her eyes shining with light.

    These were all cherished moments from Charlotte¡¯s childhood. And they were moments Sean had missed.

    He reached out and brushed his fingers over the photos one by one eyes filled with quiet tenderness.

    From now on, he would no longer be absent from her life.

    An hourter, Xena finally left.

    After preparing a quick meal for Petra<b>, </b>Cora also headed out.

    Charlotte let out a long sigh of relief.

    She opened the bedroom door. ¡°You cane out now.¡±

    There was no one inside.

    She frowned slightly and stepped in farther. Therge room was still and quiet. No sign of Sean anywhere.

    She walked to the closet and pushed open the door. ¡°Sean, are youn here?¡±

    There was still no response.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Where could he have gone? He couldn¡¯t have just vanished into thin air,¡± Charlotte thought.

    ¡°Sean? Are you in here?¡± she called again<b>, </b>puzzled.

    Suddenly, she felt a warm hand wrap around her wrist, and before she could react, she was pulled into a familiar embrace.

    Her backnded firmly against his chest. Even through his thin shirt<b>, </b>she could clearly feel the heat of his body.

    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m here,¡± Sean said, his voice low and maic.

    <b>He </b>hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. As he spoke, his warm breath brushed against the curve of her neck.

    A shiver ran through Charlotte¡¯s entire body like a current. Her knees nearly buckled.

    Sean felt her soften in his arms and chuckled, his voice even lower rich with teasing warmth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t handle it already?¡±

    Charlotte let out a faint, breathless sigh..

    She turned around to face him.

    Now face to face, Sean straightened slightly, locking his dark eyes onto hers. His gaze was deep and intense, like a tide drawing

    her in.

    After a few seconds of eye contact, Charlotte suddenly rose on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

    She wasn¡¯t exactly skilled at kissing. Her lips brushed his a few times, messy and uncoordinated,pletely different from the way Sean usually kissed her.

    RAVIN

 His Heart 465

    Sean stood still, letting her kiss him however she wanted, but made no move to kiss her back.

    A small wave of defeat rose in her chest.

    She let go of his neck and stepped back onto her heels.

    Sean still had a faint smile on his lips. His deep, maic voice driftedzily from above her. ¡°Why¡¯d you stop?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to kiss me,¡± Charlotte said tly.

    She had asked him to hide earlier. It really had been unfair to him. So she had taken the initiative, hoping to make it up to him, to cheer him up. But after a few kisses, he hadn¡¯t responded at all.

    ¡°If he wasn¡¯t interested, then what was the point in continuing?¡± she thought.

    Sean raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did I say I didn¡¯t want to kiss you?¡±

    Charlotte puffed out her cheeks in frustration. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you react at all? You didn¡¯t even kiss me back.¡±

    Sean let out a low chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s not every day my baby kisses me first. I was savoring the moment.¡±

    Charlotte huffed and turned her head away, refusing to look at him

    Are you mad now?¡± he asked, still smiling.

    She kept her face turned to the side, saying nothing. Her silence said everything.

    Sean didn¡¯t get annoyed. His eyes were full of affection as he softened his tone and coaxed her. ¡°What should I do? I haven¡¯t had enough. How about you kiss me again? I promise I¡¯ll kiss you back this time.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    He let out another lowugh, then gently scooped her up into his arms and walked a few steps before setting her down on the edge of the bed.

    In the next moment, Sean knelt before her.

    The gesture caught Charlotte off guard. Before she could react, he leaned in and kissed her.

    For a split second, her mind went nk.

    He was kneeling.

    This was the first time she had seen him kiss her from such a vulnerable position¨Ckneeling like someone humbled, begging for

    her affection.

    For a man like Sean¨Csomeone so powerful, always in control¨Cto kneel and ask for a kiss with such tenderness, it was something no woman could resist.

    The contrast hit her like a jolt to the heart.

    And then came theplete surrender.

    ¡°Where did he even learn to kiss like this? How is he so good at it? Charlotte wondered.

    His kiss was deep, slow, and full of desire. Though he knelt beneath her, he still led the rhythm with quiet control, guiding her every breath<b>, </b>every movement.

    The kiss went on for a long time.

    By the time it ended, Charlotte was breathless, her lips swollen and flushed a vivid red.

    Sean didn¡¯t stop there. His lips moved from hers to her eyes, then to the curve of her ear, now bright red, and then trailed slowly down to her neck.

    The room¡¯s temperature rose rapidly.

    His kisses grew softer, more delicate, and his warm breath against her skin made her shiver.

    A flush crept up her fair skin. She felt like her blood was on fire.

    And just when her emotions peaked, Sean asked in a husky whisper, ¡°Do you want to?¡±

    Just a few words but Charlotte understood exactly what he meant.

    Her breathing was hot and uneven. She bit her lip and gave a soft ¡°m¡± in response.

    With her consent, Sean finally moved forward.

    It had been more than half a year since theyst made love, and their bodies had been craving each other.

    Once it began, there was no stopping.

    Charlotte was swept into a sea of breathless longing,pletely consumed.

    Outside, dusk had fallen.

    The window was half open, and the warm summer breeze drifted in, lifting the light blue curtain and carrying with it the scent of flowers.

    When it was all over,

    Charlottey still, utterly spent.

    Sweat clung to her skin and dampened her hair at the temples. Her entire body was soft and overheated.

    Sean brushed her damp hair away from her forehead, pressing a kiss there with a satisfied smile.

    He let her rest for a while, holding her close. Then, when she had caught her breath, he carried her into the bathroom to take a

    shower.

 His Heart 466

    Sean filled the tub with warm water, then gently ced Charlotte side. He picked up a towel and carefully began washing her fair, delicate skin.

    Maybe it was the steam rising from the hot water, but the blush or Charlotte¡¯s face wouldn¡¯t fade.

    The bathtub wasrge enough for two, so sharing it didn¡¯t feel crowded at all.

    Charlotte leaned against the edge of the tub, letting, Sean bathe her without saying a word.

    Looking at her flushed cheeks, Sean felt a surge of affection. He leaned in and nted a soft kiss on her face. Then another. quick and gentle, like a yful peck.

    But it wasn¡¯t enough.

    He brushed his lips against hers in a light, fleeting kiss.

    Charlotte was too sore and drained to resist. She let him kiss her as he pleased.

    ¡°So sweet,¡± Sean murmured, kissing her lips, her cheeks, and the corners of her eyes with gentle affection.

    After the bath, he carried her to the bedroom, helped her change the sheets, and sat her down in a chair to dry her hair.

    Standing behind her, he ran his fingers through her damp strands while holding the hairdryer.

    ¡°Can I stay over tonight?¡± he asked.

    Charlotte, still exhausted, replied weakly, ¡°I¡¯m seriously worn out. I have no energy left.¡±

    He chuckled under his breath. The dryer shifted slightly as his fingersbed through her hair. ¡°I promise. I¡¯ll just hold you. Nothing else.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    ¡°Really, I mean it.¡±

    He had already gone three rounds¨Cfromte afternoon until nightfall..

    His stamina was terrifying.

    After so long without intimacy, she wasn¡¯t about to tempt fate again.

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I still don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    ¡°When have <b>I </b>ever lied to you?¡±

    He really shouldn¡¯t have brought that up.

    Her expression darkened, and her tone turned cold. ¡°Oh? Really? Then what about when you broke up with me? What did you say then?¡±

    Sean fell silent.

    He realized he had walked right into that one. ¡°That was my fault. But the situation back then wasplicated. You know why I did it now, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Charlotte let out a coldugh. ¡°¡°Complicated or not, you still said everything you told me before was all a lie. And what about the scandal with Lucinda? Was that not lying too?¡±

    Sean scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°It was¡­ a well¨Cintentioned lie.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°Still a lie.¡±

    AC1 406

    ¡°Okay<b>, </b>okay,¡± he gave in, raising his hands in defeat.

    Once her hair was dry, Sean asked softly, ¡°You must be starving. What do you feel like eating? I¡¯ll make something ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡±

    Sean stepped into the kitchen and smelled something freshly made. The pasta was still warm, and several covered dishes sat on the counter, steam still rising.

    He pulled off the lids¨Cfour side dishes and a pot of soup, all hot and ready to eat.

    Clearly, the housekeeper, Cora, hade by and prepared dinner earlier.

    Maybe she had knocked, but neither of them had noticed¨Ctoo caught up in each other to hear anything at all.

    Sean brought the food to the table and called Charlotte toe eat

    When she saw the spread, Charlotte blinked in confusion. ¡°That was fast. There¡¯s no way this is takeout. It couldn¡¯t have arrived that quickly.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make it,¡± Sean replied.

    Charlotte froze. It must have been Cora.

    At dinnertime, she and Sean had beenpletely caught up in each other. There was no way they would have heard anyone knocking.

    She had been so lost in him that shepletely forgot Cora usually stopped by around then <b>to </b>cook.

    ¡°God, how embarrassing,¡± she thought.

    She had even cried out twice.

    Could Cora have heard?

    Had she knocked and gotten no response? Or, worse, had she heard everything and decided not to knock?

    Charlotte¡¯s face burned.

    Sean, of course, knew exactly what she was thinking. He gave a slight smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lottie. She won¡¯t say a word.¡±

    Seeing her still frozen in ce, he walked over and gently nudged her toward the dining table. He pulled out a chair for her. ¡° Come on. You¡¯re exhausted. You need to eat.¡±

    Still not seeing Petra anywhere, Charlotte found it odd. She picked up her phone and called her.

    ¡°Petra, have you eaten yet?¡±

 His Heart 467

    There was a brief pause on Petra¡¯s end, and when she spoke again her tone sounded a little off. It was unlike her son cam to was hesitant and awkward.

    ¡°I¡­ I already ate.¡±

    Charlotte fell silent.

    ¡°So Petra had heard it too? Oh God,¡± she thought.

    Her face flushed even redder.

    It was all Sean¡¯s fault. That kneeling kiss hadpletely melted her brain.

    She had forgotten that she almost always ate dinner with Petra.

    And around that time, Petra had probablye to call her.

    ¡°R¨Cright¡­ okay then,¡± Charlotte stammered before quickly hanging up.

    After dinner, Sean pestered her again, trying to convince her to let him stay the night.

    He promised over and over that he wouldn¡¯t try anything¨Cthat he just wanted to hold her and sleep.

    Thinking about how she had made him hide from Xena earlier, like some shameful secret, Charlotte felt a pang of guilt. And because of that guilt, she eventually agreed.

    That night, Sean really did keep his promise.

    He simply held her and didn¡¯t try anything.

    Sometime in the middle of the night, half¨Casleep, Charlotte vaguely felt someone touching her.

    A soft hand stroked her cheek, gently pinched her nose, and then brushed a kiss <b>across </b>her lips.

    It tickled.

    ¡°I knew it,¡± she thought sleepily. ¡°He can¡¯t behave.¡±

    But she was just too tired to care.

    She let it go and drifted into deep sleep.

    It was the best rest she had in a long time. No dreams, no waking up in the middle of the night¨Cjust pure, uninterrupted sleep.

    It was the weekend, so she didn¡¯t have to go to the firm, and no cases were rattling around in her head.

    When she finally opened her eyes again, the clock on the wall showed it was ten.

    Her entire body felt sore and weak.

    Charlotte shifted slightly and caught sight of an arm wrapped around her from behind, stretching out from beneath her neck.

    She had been sleeping on her side with her back to Sean. One of his arms was tucked under her head, the other resting on her waist, holding her close.

    He was curled around her, their bodies perfectly aligned.

    It was surprisinglyfortable.

    Since she had been lying on her side, her shoulder had naturally created a small gap. His arm fit perfectly in the her shoulder and neck, so it wasn¡¯t pinned or numb.

    They were pressed close¨Cher back nestled snugly against his chest.

    He was still asleep.

    Not that she med him. After three roundsst night, he had every right to be exhausted.

    Charlotte gently lifted the arm around her waist, trying to slip out of his hold.

    Just as she started to sit up, Sean¡¯s arm tightened and pulled her right back into his chest.

    ¡°Stay a little longer,¡± he murmured, his voice husky and thick with sleep.

    ¡°It¡¯s already ten,¡± Charlotte replied softly.

    ¡°Just a little more. We¡¯ve got nothing to do today.¡±

    She let out a helpless sigh and rxed back into his arms, letting herself drift off again.

    <b>space </b>between

    When she opened her eyes the second time, it was already 11:30.

    Almost lunchtime.

    She sat up and nudged Sean. ¡°It¡¯s eleven¨Cthirty. Get up and wash up already.¡±

    Sunlight filled the room<b>, </b>casting a soft glow over his strikingly handsome features.

    As Sean slowly opened his eyes, still half¨Casleep, that drowsy look somehow made him even more irresistible. Charlotte felt her breath catch in her throat.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± she thought.

    He was tempting her again in broad daylight.

    She quickly looked away.

    If she kept staring, they would end up going at it again, and lunch would bepletely forgotten.

    Forcing her tone to sound serious, she said, ¡°Come on. Get up.¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice was still low and raspy. ¡°Why¡¯d you turn away from me?¡±

    Charlotte slipped on the sleepwear beside her and said, ¡°I¡¯m getting up to wash up.¡±

    But the moment her feet touched the floor, the soreness in her legs hit her all over again. Her body wobbled slightly, and she nearly lost her bnce.

    Sean let out a low chuckle. ¡°Careful, Lottie.¡±

    She shot him a re. ¡°This is your fault.¡±

    He had gone <b>way </b>too hardst night. It was long, intense, and it didn¡¯t happen just once. It happened three times.

    How was she supposed to walk properly after that?

 His Heart 468

    Chapter <b>468 </b>

    The day before Megan¡¯s birthday, Charlotte got a call from her just after lunch.

    ¡°Hey, Lottie, make sure youe early tomorrow.¡®

    Charlotte asked, <b>¡°</b>Isn¡¯t the party in the evening?¡±

    ¡°The party¡¯s at night, but the cruise sets off in the afternoon. We¡¯ll be sailing for two days.¡±

    ¡°Got it. What time are we setting sail?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll head out once most of the guests arrive, but I want to see you early. Come as soon as you can.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The next day, the weather was perfect.

    Charlotte slipped on the long blue halter dress she had bought at the mall, did some light makeup, and casually clipped her hair back. She didn¡¯t go all out with a full m look or a styled updo. <b>It </b>was Megan¡¯s birthday, and she didn¡¯t want to steal the spotlight.

    Sean was already waiting nearby.

    She packed a small suitcase with a few changes of clothes and toiletries. Once she was ready, Sean draped an arm around her and walked her out of the vi.

    A sleek ck Cullinan was waiting at the front gate. Sean¡¯s assistant, Sam, was in the driver¡¯s seat and took them straight to the harbor.

    The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, so clear it instantly lifted the mood. A salty breeze swept in from the water, cool and refreshing.

    Rows of white sailboats and yachts lined the harbor. But standing tall among them was a massive white cruise ship¨Csleek, elegant, and impossibly grand, like a floating pce.

    This was where Megan was throwing her birthday bash.

    A red carpet stretched from the dock all the way to the ship¡¯s entrance. On either side, uniformed hostesses stood smiling, and white¨Cgloved crew members helped carry guests¡® luggage aboard.

    Charlotte walked up the gangway and soon ran into Megan.

    She looked stunning today, dressed to impress. Her long mermaid gown shimmered in shades of blue and violet, the hem swaying like ripples on ake. She looked graceful and regal all at once.

    A dazzling blue diamond ne hung around her neck, paired with matching earrings and a bracelet.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally here!¡± Megan greeted her with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    <b>>> </b>

    Her eyes brieflynded on Sean beside Charlotte. That smile of hers softened, turning fair

    So, Sean really came.

    ug

    This was the first time he had shown up at one of her birthday parties.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t miss the subtle shift in her expression.

    With a teasing grin<b>, </b>she asked, ¡°Were you waiting for me-

    -or for him?¡±

    Megan yfully gave her a look. ¡°Can¡¯t I wait for both?¡±

    ¡°Happy birthday,¡± Charlotte said, handing over her gift. ¡°This is for you.¡±

    <b>1/3 </b>

    Megan took the box with a smile. ¡°Aw, you got me a gift? You¡¯re the sweetest ¡±

    Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte noticed arge table neartry arved with gift tags and bayesi woman sat beside it, recording each guest¡¯s name and what they bought

    Everyone else¡¯s gifts were ced on that table after being logged piled up like a mini mont¨¦n

    Only Charlotte¡¯s gift was epted personally by Megan

    4

    ¡°I invited a lot of people today,¡± Megan said as she led Charlotte into the cabin. ¡°Some are friends, some are friends of friends. Hope you don¡¯t mind a big crowd,¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Birthdays are more fun with people around,¡±

    The two of them walked side by side, with Sean following behind crew member rolled Charlotte¡¯s suitcase dine behind them.

 His Heart 469

    <b>Chapter </b><b>469 </b>

    Megan linked arms with Charlotte as she led her down the hallway to the room they would be staying in that night.

    ¡°Here you go, this one¡¯s yours,¡± Megan said softly, almost sounding a little guilty.

    <b>Charlotte </b>nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Then Megan nced at Sean and pointed to a room diagonally across the hall. ¡°Sean, yours is over there.¡±

    Charlotte paused for a moment.

    Megan had deliberately arranged for them to stay in separate rooms.

    Her eyes dropped slightly, but she said nothing.

    Sean¡¯s gaze turned cold. He gave Megan a sidelong nce and said ¡°No need to go through the trouble. I¡¯ll stay in the same room with Lottie.¡±

    Megan¡¯sshes fluttered. She rushed to exin, ¡°But Lottie¡¯s room is a single. It¡¯ll be <b>too </b>cramped for two.¡±

    This cruise ship had over a hundred guest rooms, each fully equipped and luxuriously furnished. There was even a helipad on the deck. Inside, the ship had everything¨Cprivate cinemas, bars, dance halls, card rooms, billiards, and a massive pool at the stern.

    There was no way they were short on space. Megan¡¯s little scheme couldn¡¯t have been more obvious.

    Charlotte didn¡¯tment, but Sean wasn¡¯t about to y along.

    He walked straight into the room, looked around, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not cramped at all. A smaller space feels cozier, right, Lottie?

    ¡°Put the luggage there,¡± he added, motioning to the crew.

    Along with Charlotte¡¯s suitcase, Sean had his own bags ced inside too¨Cclearly nning to stay for the night.

    Truthfully, the room was far from small. It was a luxurious king¨Csize suite, more thanfortable for two. But Sean intentionally called it ¡°cozy,¡± just to make it clear he had no intention of being separated from her.

    Charlotte nced up at him, amused. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Megan. He can stay with me.¡±

    A flicker of disappointment crossed Megan¡¯s face, but she pressed her lips together and nodded. ¡°Alright, then.¡±

    ¡°Miss Stone, thanks for walking us to our room,¡± Sean said with a smile.

    And with that, he shut the door right in Megan¡¯s face.

    ¡°Was that polite?¡± Charlotte let out a softugh.

    ¡°I mean, who does that to the host?¡± she thought.

    Sean¡¯s lips curved into a smirk. ¡°I said thank you. Isn¡¯t that polite enough?¡±

    ¡°Oh, incredibly polite,¡± she teased.

    ¡°Forget her,¡± Sean said as he pulled Charlotte into kiss you.¡±

    <b>arms</b><b>. </b>

    His voice dropped to a low, maic tone. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to

    Before Charlotte could respond, his lips were already

    on hers.

    The kiss was slow and deep, their tongues entwined in a lingering breathless tangle.

    Outside the door<b>, </b>Megan stood frozen in ce.

    <b>Petra </b>remained expressionless. In a t voice, she asked, ¡°Miss Signe<b>, </b>where¡¯s my <b>room</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Megan finally snapped out of it and answered politely, ¡°It¡¯s over there. I¡¯ll take you.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Megan wasn¡¯t one to torget kindness.

    Thest time she had been drugged, it was Charlotte and Petra who had saved her. ording to Charlotte, Petra had single- handedly taken down all the men involved. Megan had been shocked and grateful.

    That was why she had invited Petra to her birthday cruise and even arranged a luxurious private suite just for her.

    When the kiss finally ended, Charlotte was breathless.

    She nced at the mirror and frowned. ¡°You smudged my lipstick

    Sean chuckled. ¡°Just touch it up.¡±

 His Heart 470

    <b>Chapter </b><b>470 </b>

    After spending a quiet moment together in the room, Megan¡¯s call came through.

    Sean nced at Charlotte¡¯s phone and said coldly, ¡°Ignore it.¡±

    Charlotte reminded him, ¡°We¡¯re here for her birthday party.¡±

    Then she answered the call.

    Megan¡¯s voice soundedpletely cheerful, with no hint of displeasure. ¡°Lottie, don¡¯t stay cooped up in the room! Come out and have some fun. I invited Lena and Mia too. I just saw them board the cruise.¡±

    ¡°Got it. We¡¯re on our way.¡±

    After hanging up, Charlotte looked at Sean. ¡°Let¡¯s head out. Lena and Mia are liere too.<i>¡± </i>

    Sean¡¯s mood was clearly dampened. His eyes were cool,

    his expression nk as he gave a t ¡°Okay.¡±

    The main hall on the first floor was spacious and grand, with a massive crystal chandelier glearning overhead, casting brilliant light.

    Under the lights, guests were gathered, chatting andughing over drinks. Everyone had arrived, and the cruise was slowly leaving the harbor.

    Sean¡¯s phone buzzed as they walked. He checked the screen and turned to Charlotte. ¡°Lottie, I need to take this call. Go ahead and find them. I¡¯ll catch up in a bit.¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Sean walked off to find a quieter spot as he answered the phone.

    Charlotte made her way toward the hall.

    Scanning the crowd, she didn¡¯t spot Megan. As the host<b>, </b>she was probably off greeting guests. Mia and Lena were nowhere to be seen either.

    Charlotte pulled out her phone, about to call Lena, when someone suddenly shoved her hard from behind.

    Caught off guard and wearing heels, she lost her bnce and nearly fell forward.

    Just then, a pair of steady hands reached out and caught her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, a little breathless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± came a warm, gentle voice.

    It sounded familiar.

    Charlotte froze for a moment, then turned her head.

    It was Scott.

    ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Charlotte wondered.

    Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Scott smiled and exined, ¡°Miss Stone invited me.¡±

    Charlotte gave a small nod.

    It made sense. Megan had mentioned she had invited a lot of people¡ªsome friends, some friends of friends.

    Megan had hired theirw firm for <b>a </b>case before. Scott was one <b>of </b><b>the </b>partners. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if the two had gotten to know each other.

    <b>Whether </b><b>Scott </b>came as Megan¡¯s friend or hers<b>, </b>it wasn¡¯t unreason ble.

    Charlotte nodded again and used his arin for bnce as slie straightened i

    <b>tip</b>.

    ¡°Thanks again.¡±

    Scott <b>let </b>go and stepped back slightly, keeping a polite distance. He smiled with practiced elegance. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me for something like that.¡±

    Just then, a mocking voice cut through the air behind them.

    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t my knockoff queen. I gotta say, I¡¯m impressed. Didn¡¯t think someone like you could actually make it onto this cruise. Guess I really underestimated you.¡±

    Charlotte turned around and saw that sharp, bitter face she knew all too well.

    Carmen stood there with her arms crossed, giving Scott a quick nce before turning her scornful gaze back to Charlotte.

    ¡°I was wondering how a broke girl like you got on this cruise. Turns out younded yourself a man. Figures.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened. Her voice was cold. ¡°Looks like that time in detention wasn¡¯t enough to teach you a lesson.¡± Just the mention of it brought a surge of irritation. She was still angry about what happenedst time at the mall. Carmen had been humiliated and never let it go. If Thomas hadn¡¯t used his connections to pull them out<b>, </b>they would still be stuck in holding Carmen red at her, eyes shing with rage. ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve bringing that up. I¡¯ve been waiting to settle that score and now you¡¯ve walked right into it.¡±

 His Heart 471

    Scott¡¯s gaze turned icy as he looked directly at Carmen. ¡°Miss, as adult, you should be ountable for your words. If <b>you </b>continue to insult and nder my friend, I won¡¯t hesitate to pursue legal action.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, I¡¯m so scared,¡± Carmen sneered, rolling her eyes dramatically. Her tone dripped with sarcasm. ¡°Go ahead then. Sue me. What are you waiting for?¡±

    Carmen felt emboldened today because several of her friends were also on this cruise. They were all from the upper circles of Sterling City, the kind of people who looked down on women like Charlotte¨Cpoor, vain, and always carrying knockoff designer bags.

    Besides, Charlotte had crossed Thomas before. The first thing <b>he </b>said after getting out of detention was that he would ruin her.

    Carmen had also noticed that the woman with the impressive fighting skills wasn¡¯t around, which gave her the confidence to provoke her now.

    A small crowd had already gathered to watch the drama unfold.

    Carmen raised her voice even louder, determined to stir the pot. ¡°Everyone, look over here! This shameless<b>, </b>broke wannabe actually dared to show her face on this cruise after offending Thomas Turner. She¡¯s got a death wish!¡±

    Among the onlookers were Megan¡¯s ssmates and several of her wealthy acquaintances from overseas. Megan¡¯s mother was originally from Sterling City, so Megan had plenty of connections there too.

    Charlotte, however, didn¡¯t know a single person from that circle.

    Thomas was notoriously vile¨Ca spoiled, arrogant yboy from Sterling City who spent his days drinking, partying, and abusing his power. Carmen had wormed her way into the elite circle by clinging to him<b>, </b>unting her surgically enhanced looks. Now she acted like she was better than everyone<b>, </b>constantly putting others down and throwing her weight around.

    Quite a few people in the crowd were also from Sterling City. When they heard Carmen mention Thomas, many of them looked at Charlotte with a mix of pity and dread.

    People started whispering.

    ¡°What a shame. She¡¯s gorgeous, but she messed with the wrong guy. Her life¡¯s basically over.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Thomas is notorious. No one who¡¯s crossed him has evere out unscathed.¡±

    ¡°Remember that influencer Thomas was chasing? She rejected him, and the next thing you know, her nudes were all over the inte. Poor girl ended up with depression and took her own life.

    ¡°I heard about that too. It was all over the news until the Turner family silenced it. Her agency told the public she was just stressed out from work. Her fans were ming thepany when the real monster was Thomas.¡±

    ¡°Judging by how Carmen¡¯s acting, Thomas must really hate this girl. And knowing him<b>, </b>he won¡¯t let it go.¡±

    ¡°Such a pity. She¡¯s stunning, but she¡¯s going to end up ruined.¡±

    *

    Just then, Thomas swaggered over in a loud floral shirt and sunsses, with two women wrapped around his arms.

    The moment Carmen saw them clinging to him, her smile froze and her expression turned icy.

    When Thomas spotted Charlotte, his carefree smirk disappeared on the spot. His face went cold.

    He slowly took off <b>his </b>sunsses, eyes narrowing with a venomous glint.

    Gone was the cocky, mboyant yboy. In his ce stood a man radiating pure malice.

    He locked eyes with Charlotte, his voice low and seething.

    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>must really have a death wish.¡±

 His Heart 472

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes turned icy. ¡°You¡¯re the one with a death wish.¡±

    Sensing the tension on Thomas¡¯s face, Scott instinctively stepped front of her, shielding her with his body.

    But Charlotte brushed his arm aside. ¡°Step aside. I want to see exactly how he ns to die today.¡±

    She walked forward and gave Thomas a cold, taunting smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Eager to get thrown in jail again?¡±

    ¡°F*** your¡± Thomas barked and lunged at her.

    Charlotte quickly dodged the attack and was just about to fight back when a foot came out of nowhere and mmed into Thomas¡¯s stomach, sending him flying across the deck.

    The crowd gasped.

    People¨Cespecially those from Sterling City¨Cstared in disbelief, many with their hands covering their mouths.

    Who would dare kick Thomas in front of so many people?

    All eyes turned toward the man who had just stepped in.

    And then everything fell silent.

    He was striking.

    Tall and lean, with sharp features and piercing eyes, he radiated a cold,manding presence. The air around him seemed to chill. There was something dangerous in the way he stood, like a predator sizing up its prey.

    Someone in the crowd finally broke the silence.

    ¡°Wait¡­ isn¡¯t that the heir to the Jasper family? And the woman with him¨Cisn¡¯t she the Riley family¡¯s daughter? What¡¯s going

    on?¡±

    That single sentence ignited the crowd.

    ¡°No way. Are you serious? That guy in the ck shirt¨Cthat¡¯s Sean Jasper? The heir to Jasper Corporation?¡±

    ¡°It is! He¡¯s the only sessor to the Jasper family. And the stunning woman beside him? That¡¯s Charlotte Riley¨Cheiress of the Riley family. They were engaged, remember?¡±

    ¡°No wonder he¡¯s so good¨Clooking. Wow¡­ the rumors didn¡¯t evene close.¡±

    ¡°So Thomas actually tried to hit her? The Riley family heiress? He¡¯s done for. The Rileys are the richest family in Jersey City, and she used to be engaged to the Jasper heir. Of all the people he could have messed with, he chose the worst.¡±

    ¡°He had iting. Guys like him think they¡¯re untouchable until they finally pick the wrong target. He was the one talking about death wishes, but he just signed his own.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve hated Thomas for ages. Thank God the Jasper heir finally put him in his ce.¡±

    ¡°Right? I was seriously worried for that girl just now, but turns out she¡¯s Riley royalty. Now it¡¯s Thomas who should be scared.¡±

    ¡°And that Carmen chick? She tried to shame her for wearing knockoffs, but I knew something was off. That woman doesn¡¯t look cheap at all. She carries herself like the real deal.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. That kind of elegance can¡¯t be faked. Carmen, though? Please. She¡¯s clinging to Thomas with a face full of fillers and acting like she belongs.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like her either? Same here. This is so satisfying. It finally feels like karma caught up to them.¡±

    Meanwhile, Thomas was still trying to stand. His face had gone pale, and he clutched his stomach, swearing under his breath.

    ¡°You son of a-

    But the moment he got a clear look at the man who kicked him, the rest of the sentence caught in his throat.

    His expression shifted instantly.

    The scowl vanished, reced by a forced smile and darting eyes.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper¡­ what a surprise. I didn¡¯t know you were here.¡±

    He had seen Sean Jasper twice before.

    The first time was five years ago, at the birthday banquet of the most powerful official in Sterling City.

    D

 His Heart 473

    The first time Sean appeared at an event, he was apanying MJasper Sr. to a high¨Cprofile birthday banquet for the most powerful official in Sterling City. Even that official treated Mr. Jasir Sr. with deference and respect.

    The second time Thomas saw him was three years ago, at a business g. His father had brought him along to build connections and gain experience. Sean stood at the center of attention, surrounded by a crowd of powerful elites. So many people tried to approach him, but most never got the chance.

    Thomas¡¯s father had warned him back then, ¡°You can mess around however you want outside, but there¡¯s one person you must never cross. If you ever offend the Jasper heir, don¡¯t bothering home<b>. </b>The family will cut ties with you immediately to avoid getting dragged into trouble.¡±

    Thomas knew his dad wasn¡¯t joking or trying to scare him.

    He was the third son in the family, and not even the favored one. His two older brothers were far more capable, and his father had three mistresses. Two of them had already given birth to children¨Ca son and a daughter.

    Both his legitimate brothers and the illegitimate children were smarter, more aplished, and more loved by their father

    than he ever was.

    Thomas was the useless one. The kind they could toss aside without a second thought.

    Within seconds, cold sweat broke out on his back as those memories came rushing in.

    And then, the pit in his stomach sank even deeper.

    Thomas noticed Sean turn to the woman who had once gotten him thrown into holding.

    There was concern written all over his face as he asked, ¡°Lottie, are you okay?¡±

    Thomas froze. ¡°What? She knows Sean Jasper?¡± he thought.

    And judging by the way he looked at her, they were clearly close.

    A tremor ran through Thomas. His legs began to give out beneath him.

    Charlotte shook her head and replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Meanwhile, Carmen, sensing the shift in power, hadpletely lost her earlier arrogance. She tried to slip away quietly through

    the crowd.

    Someone in the crowd stuck out a foot and tripped her. Carmen went sprawling on the ground, looking pathetic.

    Mocking voices followed quickly.

    ¡°Well, well. Where do you think you¡¯re going, Carmen?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say the Riley heiress was cheap and vain, wearing knockoffs and fake bags? Why so quiet now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we all heard you humiliate her just now. Don¡¯t you think you owe her a public apology?¡±

    ¡°Guess it¡¯s karma. Bet you never imagined that ¡®cheap girl¡® was actually Charlotte Riley, the heiress of Jersey City¡¯s richest family. What happened, Carmen? All out of insults now?¡±

    Carmen got up, humiliated beyond belief.

    Not far away, Sean shot her a piercing, bone¨Cchilling re.

    She shivered and walked over to Charlotte with her head bowed, voice trembling.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Riley. I shouldn¡¯t have said those things about you.¡±

    ¡°Said¡°?<b>¡± </b>Charlotte raised an eyebrow. She had no intention of letting her off easy. ¡°You publicly insulted and defarned me in front of a crowd<b>, </b>and now you want to call it just ¡®saying something<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>

    Carmen¡¯s lips trembled. Tears welled in her eyes as she turned to an, hoping to win his sympathy.

    Softening her voice, she pleaded, ¡°Mr. Jasper, it was just a misunderstanding. I already apologized to Miss Riley. Could you please let this go?¡±

    She was sure of herself. Men always fell for her teary<b>, </b>fragile act, and she took great pride in her looks.

    But Sean only gave her a look of pure disgust.

    ¡°No,¡± he said coldly.

 His Heart 474

    Sean tilted his head slightly, his gaze as sharp as a de. ¡°That didn¡¯t sound like a sincere apology.¡±

    Tears instantly welled up in Carmen¡¯s eyes. Crying<b>, </b>she turned to Charlotte. ¡°I was wrong, Miss Riley. I¡¯m truly sorry. Please, I¡¯m begging you. Let me make things right. I never should¡¯ve ndered you or humiliated you in public. Please give me a chance to <b>fix </b>this.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes stayed cold. ¡°Post a three¨Cthousand¨Cword publicpology on all your social media ounts. Pin it for one month. And pay me one hundred thousand dors for emotional damages.<b>¡± </b>

    Carmen¡¯s face went pale, and her expression turned reluctant. ¡°Miss Riley<b>, </b>I¡¯ve got hundreds of thousands of followers. My entire iees from sponsorships and brand deals. If I post something like that, it¡¯ll destroy everything I¡¯ve built.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying no?¡± Charlotte asked, her tone icy.

    Carmen bit her lip, trying to look pitiful. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to. <b>It¡¯s </b>just¡­ an apology like that would ruin me<b>. </b><b>You¡¯re </b>basically asking me to throw away my career.¡±

    Someone in the crowd spoke up. ¡°Miss Riley, her whole image online is that of a rich, educated woman who studied overseas.¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t even flinch. <b>¡°</b>If you don¡¯t want to apologize that way, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    A flicker of hope shed in Carmen¡¯s eyes. ¡°Thank you, Miss Riley, I knew you¡¯d-¡±

    Before she could finish, Charlotte cut her off. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go through the legal system<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Carmen froze on the spot.

    Whispers broke out in the crowd.

    ¡°Miss Riley is actually being kind. If it were me, I¡¯d humiliate her just like she did.¡±

    ¡°Kind?¡± someone else scoffed. ¡°That was savage. She¡¯s not just demanding an apology. She¡¯s taking her entire career down with it.¡±

    ¡°Come on, that¡¯s not permanent. You clearly don¡¯t know how the inte works. People forget everything in a few days. And Carmen? She¡¯s shameless. Once the drama dies down<b>, </b>she¡¯ll be back online like nothing ever happened.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. The inte has no memory.¡±

    Carmen¡¯s eyes darted around nervously as she weighed her options. If this really went to court, and both the Jasper and Riley families got involved, it wouldn¡¯t end with just an apology or some money. She might actually face jail time.

    She had heard of <b>a </b>case where an influencer named Wendy Cooper ended up behind bars for defamation.

    Compared to that, losing her online reputation didn¡¯t seem so bad.

    After a brief pause, she gritted her teeth. ¡°Fine, Miss Riley. I¡¯ll do it your way.¡±

    Seeing that Charlotte seemed more reasonable than Sean, Thomas quickly stepped forward to apologize. ¡°Miss Riley, I was wrong too. I¡¯ll post a public apology on all my social media ounts and pay you two hundred thousand dors for emotional damages.¡±

    Charlotte gave him a cold nce. ¡°You?¡±

    She hadn¡¯t forgotten the outrageous things he said at the mall that day.

    Just then, someone from Thomas¡¯s own circle spoke up, clearly trying to win favor with Sean and Charlotte. ¡°Miss Riley, Mr. Yasper, you really shouldn¡¯t let Thomas off so easily. Just a few days ago, he was trying to track Miss Riley down. He even said

    he¡¯d ruin her once he found her.¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression darkened immediately.

    Two bodyguards stepped forward without hesitation and pinned Tomas to the ground.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t! This is all a misunderstanding!¡± Thomas shouted, his face pressed to the floor. ¡°Miss Riley, Mr. Jasper, I swear¨C1 didn¡¯t know who you were. If I¡¯d known you were from the Riley family, I never would¡¯ve said anything like that!¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, it¡¯s fine to insult people as long as they¡¯re not from a powerful family?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡±

    Someone in the crowd called out, ¡°Yes, it is! Everyone in Sterling City knows Thomas is a spoiled brat who bullies people. Plenty of girls have suffered because of him.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. He only goes after people who can¡¯t fight back. Don¡¯t let him off easy.¡±

    Charlotte looked down at him, her tone icy cold. ¡°Is that true?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not! They¡¯re lying! They¡¯re just trying to throw me under the bus!¡± Thomas shouted,pletely panicked.

    Charlotte gave a faint smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone look into it.¡±

    At that moment, Sean¡¯s phone rang. He nced at the screen and picked up the call.

    ¡°Sir,¡± said the voice on the other end, low and tense. ¡°We just confirmed that Thomas Turner has been investigating Miss Riley. He even reached out to some very dangerous people. He gave them her photo and offered arge sum of money to have them¡® take care of her.¡® One of the gang leaders recognized her and immediately contacted us to warn you.¡±

    There was a long pause. The man on the line seemed hesitant to continue.

    Sean¡¯s voice grew sharper. ¡°Speak.¡±

    The voice dropped to barely a whisper. ¡°The gang leader said¡­ Thomas asked for ten men topletely destroy her¡­ then dump her into the sea¡­ to feed the sharks.¡±

    He only dared to mention a few key words, his tone shaking with fear. He knew if he repeated the full message, Sean might lose

    all control.

    Sean¡¯s knuckles turned white as he gripped the phone tighter. His eyes locked onto Thomas, his stare cold and lethal like he was already looking at a dead man.

    Thomas could feel the murderous intent radiating from Sean. A cold sweat broke out across his back, and his face turned even

    paler.

    Sean ended the call and barked an order to the bodyguards. ¡°Throw him in.¡±

    Those three words were enough to make Thomas¡¯s legs buckle. His body went limp, drenched in sweat.

    ¡°Please, Mr. Jasper! I¡¯m begging you!¡± he cried out.

    A wave of gasps swept through the crowd.

    The bodyguards didn¡¯t hesitate. They grabbed Thomas and dragged him toward the deck.

    Charlotte frowned and turned to Sean. ¡°Who was on the phone just now?¡±

    Sean gently pulled her into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re safe now. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡±

    Meanwhile, out on the deck, the bodyguards reached the railing and tossed Thomas overboard like a piece of garbage.

    His scream echoed across the open sea.

    The noise was so loud that Megan heard it from upstairs. She rushed down in a panic.

    Outside, a crowd had gathered by the railing, watching as Thomas iled in the water.

    Megan pushed through the bystanders, her voice filled with concem. ¡°What happened?¡±

 His Heart 475

    Chapter <b>475 </b>

    Someone quickly exined what had happened to Megan.

    Her face went pale with shock.

    ¡°Lottie! Lottie, are you okay?¡± Megan rushed over and grabbed her hand, checking her up and down with obvious worry. ¡°<b>Are </b>you hurt anywhere?¡±

    Charlotte shook her head.

    Standing nearby, Sean¡¯s eyes were cold and sharp, filled with suspicion.

    ¡°You were the one who invited them?¡± His voice was low, but the anger behind it was unmistakable.

    Megan quickly shook her head. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me. I barely know him.

    Sean¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°If you didn¡¯t invite them, how did they get on board?¡±

    Megan¡¯s tone turned anxious. ¡°I swear it wasn¡¯t me, Sean. I did invite a few friends from Sterling City, but none of them included Thomas. One of them must have brought him along.¡±

    ¡°Even if your friend brought him, wouldn¡¯t the guest list have gone through you? Are you saying you had no idea he¡¯d be on this cruise?¡± Sean¡¯s voice grew colder, and the chill in his eyes made everyone nervous.

    Megan froze. Her confidence faltered a little. ¡°I did see the guest list, and I noticed Thomas¡¯s name, but I didn¡¯t think anything of it. I didn¡¯t know he had a grudge against Lottie. If I had known, I would never have let him on board!¡±

    Sean remained stone¨Cfaced.

    Megan¡¯s eyes filled with hurt. ¡°Sean, you really don¡¯t believe me?

    His expression stayed dark as he coldly replied, ¡°No.¡±

    Her face went ghostly pale, eyes welling with tears.

    She turned to Charlotte. ¡°Lottie, do you not believe me either?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s lips pressed into a tight line. She lowered her eyes, clearly deep in thought.

    When Charlotte didn¡¯t respond, Megan¡¯s heart sankpletely.

    Her face was filled with sorrow, and her voice trembled with frustration. ¡°How can you both not believe me? Lottie saved my life. If I had known Thomas had a problem with her, I would never have let hime. I would never do anything to hurt her¡­¡±

    At that moment, Lena, Mia<b>, </b>Ian, Jordan, and his girlfriend Liz all came over.

    ¡°What happened, Lottie?¡± Mia asked, looking concerned.

    Charlotte briefly exined the situation.

    Mia¡¯s <b>face </b>darkened. ¡°He got what he deserved! Is he insane, trying something like that with you?¡±

    Lena listened quietly, her eyes drifting toward Megan, who looked devastated and wronged.

    Even Lena was beginning to wonder if Megan had done it on purpose.

    Out at sea<b>, </b>Thomas was still thrashing and screaming for help.

    But no one moved.

    Then<b>, </b>someone pointed at the water and shouted in rm. ¡°Sharks<b>!</b>¡±

    Everyone turned to look.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>475 </b>

    <b>In </b><b>the </b>distance, fins cut through the water as several sharks swan toward them.

    In an instant<b>, </b>the crowd erupted.

    ¡°There are sharks! Sharks<b>!</b><b>¡°</b><b>. </b>

    <b>¡°</b>Three of them! One, two, three!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to get eaten!¡±

    The people on deck shouted excitedly.

    Thomas heard them too.

    Terror seized his entire body, freezing the blood in his veins..

    ¤¤

    He kicked harder, thrashing wildly as he sshed up foamy waves in a desperate attempt to stay afloat.

    Sean stood by the railing, watching coldly.

    Charlotte looked at him and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let him back up.

    ex

    She wasn¡¯t feeling sorry for Thomas. She just didn¡¯t want anyone to actually die.

    She knew Sean only tossed him into the water to scare him. He never truly meant to feed him to sharks.

    Besides, most sharks don¡¯t even attack humans. Species like whale sharks are generally gentle and won¡¯t harm people.

    While tiger sharks and great whites can be aggressive, they rarely eat humans.

    But the crowd didn¡¯t know that. They assumed all sharks were <b>deadly</b>, man¨Ceating monsters.

    So when the fins appeared, the onlookers lost their minds¨Cscreaming, shouting, and creating total chaos.

 His Heart 476

    The closet the sharks swam, the louder the crowd screamed and the more terrified Thomas became

    Seeing that Charlotte had spoken up and that Thomas had been thoroughly pimished, Sean finally gave a small und ¡°Alright¡±

    He instructed the crew to drop a small intable boat and a life vest, then ordered two bodyguards to bring Thomas back aboard

    From the moment he was thrown into the sea to the moment he was rescued, it had only been a few minutes. But for Thomas, it felt like a lifetime in hell. Like he had brushed shoulders with death

    Even after being pulled back onto the cruise, he was trembling uncontrobly. His nerves were stretched to the limit. He kept crying out, ¡°Help me! Please don¡¯t feed me to the sharks! I swear, I¡¯ve learned my lesson!¡±

    He looked like he had lost his mind.

    Meanwhile, Carmen was frozen with fear.

    Her legs had gone weak, and she was trembling all over. She was terrified, thinking that if she hadn¡¯t epted Charlotte¡¯s offer to apologize earlier, she might have ended up in the water too¨Cjust like Thomas.

    Plenty of people on board had never liked Thomas or Carmen. Now they eagerly whipped out their phones to take pictures and record videos.

    It was a spectacle. A rare and thrilling sight. One worth documenting.

    But Megan wasn¡¯t in the mood for excitement.

    She looked at Charlotte, her eyes rimmed with red. ¡°Lottie, I really didn¡¯t know about the history between you, Thomas, and Carmen. I swear I didn¡¯t invite them on board with bad intentions.¡±

    Charlotte gently patted the back of Megan¡¯s hand. ¡°I believe you.¡±

    Megan froze, eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°You really do?¡±

    Even the man she had loved for over seven years didn¡¯t believe her. But her so¨Ccalled rival did?

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°You¡¯re not that kind of person.¡±

    She didn¡¯t say it lightly. She had thought it through.

    Megan may have arranged separate rooms out of jealousy<b>, </b>but she wasn¡¯t malicious enough to knowingly invite someone like Thomas onto the boat to provoke her.

    And if Megan had done it on purpose, she wouldn¡¯t have allowed Thomas and Carmen to publicly insult her in front of so many people. That would have been asking for trouble.

    If she had truly wanted to hurt her, it would have been done behind the scenes¡ªnot like this.

    Over the past few days, Charlotte had gotten to know Megan better In business, Megan was a sharp, no¨Cnonsense executive. But in private, she was surprisingly easy to get along with.

    ¡°Thank you, Lottie,¡± Megan said, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Thank you for believing me.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re the birthday girl today. If your makeup runs, it¡¯ll ruin your pictures.¡±

    Megan sniffled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Sean gave a look to the head of security, who immediately dragged Thomas away.

    A senior crew member came over and whispered something into Sean¡¯s ear. Sean nodded.

    Then the man turned and announced loudly, ¡°Alright, show¡¯s over Everyone go back to eating and drinking.¡±

    <b>The </b><b>crowd </b><b>slowly </b>dispersed.

    Only Sean<b>, </b>Charlotte, Megan, and a few of Charlotte¡¯s friends remained on the deck.

    Megan turned to Charlotte with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Lottle. <b>I </b>never meant for any <b>of </b>this to happen.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Charlotte replied. ¡°You didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Dort me yourself.¡±

    ¡°But I was careless<b>,</b>¡± Megan said with a choked voice. ¡°Someone like Thomas never should¡¯ve been allowed on board in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s already paid for what he said and did,¡± Charlotte said gently ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it. Go wash your face and touch up your makeup. There¡¯s still a party tonight. Don¡¯t let this ruin your birthday. Cheer up.¡±

    Megan gave a teary nod. ¡°Okay.¡±

 His Heart 477

    Sean stepped aside and made a call to Luke. He spoke in a low voice giving him a few quiet instructions.

    Soon after, Thomas was taken below deck to a hidden, dimly lit roon..

    The man leading the way was a member of the Stone family¡ªone of the ship¡¯s management staff. He escorted Luke to the most secluded chamber on the cruise.

    The room was soundproof.

    It was far from the entertainment areas and guest cabins. Unless someone familiar with the ship gave directions, there was <b>no </b>way anyone would ever find it.

    In this ce, no matter how loudly Thomas screamed, no one outside that room would hear a thing.

    Sean had given clear orders to give Thomas a proper ¡°lesson.¡±

    Thomas had only just been dragged out of the ocean. His clothes were soaked, and he was still shaking with fear.

    The bodyguards tied him up and pulled out a set of knives.

    At the mere sight of them, Thomas panicked and started shrieking like a trapped animal¨Ceven before a single de touched him.

    He didn¡¯t know exactly what they nned to do, but just looking at those gleaming knives, he knew it wouldn¡¯t end well.

    Luke clicked his tongue impatiently as op?

    the des caught the light and shed coldly in his hand.

    <i>of </i>

    ¡°What the hell are you screaming for?

    you

    don¡¯t shut up, I¡¯ll cut your tongue out.¡±

    Thomas froze in terror and immediately shut his mouth.

    Luke gave him a chilling look. ¡°You like to mess around, huh? Then tonight, I¡¯ll mess around with you.¡±

    Meanwhile, Carmen was scared out of her mind.

    She quickly transferred $100,000 to Charlotte and promised to write and post a public apology by the end of the day.

    Charlotte donated the money straight to charity.

    Back in the lounge, Sean, Charlotte, and the others had regrouped.

    Mia nced around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Thomas? Sean, where did you take him?¡±

    Sean replied coolly, ¡°Somewhere nice.¡±

    Charlotte nced at him but said nothing. She trusted he knew what he was doing.

    Mia clenched her fist. ¡°He needs to be taught a serious lesson. Don¡¯t let him off easy. That guy¡¯s hurt a lot <b>of </b>girls back in Sterling City.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sean said, his voice calm and low.

    Sean swirled the half ss of red wine in his hand and said coldly,¡± He won¡¯t.¡±

    At the Turner estate in Sterling City, Charles Turner received two video clips and several photos.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>477 </b>

    <b>The </b><b>first </b>video showed someone struggling in the ocean. The footage was distant and grainy, but it was obvious the person was <b>in </b>trouble.

    The second video was much clearer. On the deck of a luxury cruise ship, his son Thomasy sprawled on the ground, soaked to the bone andpletely disheveled.

    The photos all showed Thomas in the same pathetic state¡ªdripping wet and looking like a drowned rat.

    Charles immediately made some calls.

    After finding out Thomas had offended both the Jasper and Riley families, he didn¡¯t hesitate. He ordered someone to draft an official statement severing all ties with Thomas.

    Thomas¡¯s mother, Evelyn Lyon, exploded in rage. She screamed, cried, and even threatened to hurt herself.

    Charles, already fed up, shoved her away. ¡°Look at the mess your precious son has made! I told him¨Che could fool around all he wanted, just never mess with Sean Jasper. But did he listen? No. And if we don¡¯t cut him off now, the entire Turner family will go down because of him!¡±

    ¡°This is karma¡­ this is all karma¡­¡± Evelyn sat on the floor where she fell, sobbing and mumbling through her tears.

    Two hours remained until Megan¡¯s birthday party.

    In the lounge, Ian suggested they y a game to kill time.

    Mia pulled out a deck of cards. ¡°Let¡¯s y the King¡¯s Game¨Cyou draw cards, and whoever draws the king gets to give amand.¡±

 His Heart 478

    <b>It </b><b>was </b>a simple party game.

    One Joker and a few numbered cards were drawn. Whoever got the joker became the King and could order anyone holding <b>a </b>numbered card to do something¨Canything.

    Most of the group were couples.

    Sean and Charlotte.

    <b>Ian </b>and Mia.

    Jordan and Liz.

    The only single ones were Lena, Scott, Megan, and Tyler.

    Which made things interesting.

    Everyone could tell Scott had a thing for Charlotte.

    And Megan? She didn¡¯t bother hiding her crush on Sean.

    As for Lena and Tyler, others might not have picked up on it, but Charlotte knew that Tyler had onlye because Lena would be here.

    The game was simple but intense.

    The thrill came from the fact that whatever the King ordered, the chosen yer had to do..

    Mia drew the first Joker.

    She scanned the group with a mischievous grin. ¡°Ten of Spades¡ªdrop and give me a hundred push¨Cups.¡±

    ¡°What the hell!¡± Ian groaned. ¡°Of course you¡¯d pick me.¡±

    Mia gave him a cheeky smile. ¡°This is what they call perfect chemistry.¡±

    Grumbling, Ian got to his feet. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Great. Next round, you¡¯re banned from drawing.¡±

    He dropped to the floor and started doing push¨Cups in the center of the lounge.

    Fifty in, and he wasn¡¯t even winded.

    Jordanughed. ¡°Not bad. Got some stamina on you.¡±

    Ian smirked mid¨Crep. ¡°Of course. Gotta keep up, or someone here would startining.¡±

    Mia¡¯s <b>face </b>turned bright red. ¡°What are you even talking about?! Shut up already!¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Lena giggled quietly from the side.

    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Mia turned to her, suspicious. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you got that joke. Oh no, Lena, you¡¯re not innocent anymore.¡±

    Lena smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t get it. You¡¯re imagining things.<b>¡± </b>

    Ian finished all one hundred push¨Cups and only looked slightly out of breath.

    He grabbed a water bottle, took a sip, and smirked. ¡°Please, I¡¯ve got an eight¨Cpack. A hundred push¨Cups? That¡¯s just a warm- up.¡±

    Chapter <b>478 </b>

    <b>Mia </b><b>shot </b><b>him </b>a warning re.

    <b>Tan </b>raised an eyebrow. ¡°What? Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know exactly how many abs. I¡¯ve got.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Shut up!¡± she snapped, her cheeks zing even redder.

    The yful chaos made Charlotte rx. She sat back, quietly enjoying the show.

    Next round. Jordan drew the Joker.

    He grinned and raised a brow. ¡°Six of Hearts¨Cpick someone of the opposite sex and kiss them.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Ian hooted. ¡°This party¡¯s finally getting interesting.¡±

    Jordan shrugged, all swagger. ¡°It¡¯s a party game. You gotta keep things spicy.¡±

    Ianughed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see who the unlucky Six of Hearts is.¡±

    Charlotte peeked at her card¨CFour of Spades.

    Not her. Thank God.

    Everyone checked their own cards and let out small sighs of relief.

    Then Sean calmly turned his card over for all to see.

    Six <b>of </b>Hearts.

    Ian wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°Well, well, would you look at that. Now who¡¯s our luckydy? Gotta be Charlotte, right?¡±

    The answer was obvious. Who else would it be?

    Charlotte¡¯s cheeks flushed pink. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was the attention.

    Sean turned to her, voice smooth and low. ¡°Lottie. Kiss me?¡±

    Ianughed. ¡°Ohe on, asking so politely? What a gentleman!¡±

 His Heart 479

    <b>Megan </b>and Scott were sitting nearby, and from where they were, ey could clearly see the blush rising on Charlotte¡¯s cheeks.

    <b>They </b>also saw the way Sean looked at her.

    His gaze was filled with warmth and anticipation.

    Megan¡¯s chest tightened.

    She had never seen Sean look at anyone like that. The cold, indifferent man she knew now had eyes brimming with tenderness.

    ¡°Lottic,e on,¡± Ian teased, grinning. ¡°Look at that face¨Che¡¯s practically begging. You¡¯re really gonna leave him hanging?¡±

    Mia chimed in, pping. ¡°Kiss him! Kiss him!¡±

    Even Lena nudged Charlotte with her elbow and joined in. ¡°Lottic, Sean just asked for a kiss. What are you waiting for?¡±

    Everyone joined the yful chant¨Ceveryone except Scott and Megan.

    Sean was sitting right next to Charlotte.

    Surrounded by the lighthearted teasing, Charlotte gave a shy smile Her cheeks burned as she reached out, looped her arms around Sean¡¯s neck, closed her eyes, and kissed him.

    At that moment, Megan dropped her gaze to the floor.

    It felt like someone had driven a knife straight into her chest.

    She never imagined she would live to see the cool and emotionally distant Sean kiss another woman in front of everyone.

    And the worst part was, he was the one who had asked for it.

    Megan stared at the floor, dazed and lightheaded.

    It felt like the entire cruise ship was rocking beneath her.

    But it wasn¡¯t. The sea was calm, and the ship was steady. The spinning was all in her head.

    Scott quietly looked away as well, avoiding the sight of the kissing couple. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes had dimmed. He took a long sip of his drink without saying a word.

    Charlotte had only meant to give Sean a quick peck¨Cjust enough to appease everyone.

    But the moment her lips touched his, Sean suddenly cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss.

    That was when the whole group really started to cheer.

    Charlotte¡¯s face turned crimson.

    Sean didn¡¯t hold back. His kiss was deep, slow, and intimate. Their lips and tongues entwined, and the world around them

    seemed to fade.

    At first, Charlotte was flustered. They had never kissed like this in front of people before.

    But Sean was so focused, so sure, so skilled that she got pulled into his rhythm without realizing it.

    Soon<b>, </b>the noise faded from her ears.

    She forgot they were even ying a game.

    In that moment, it was just the two of them¨Ccaught in a kiss they couldn¡¯t seem to end.

    No one interrupted them.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>479 </b>

    <b>By </b><b>the </b>time <b>they </b>finally pulled apart, they were both slightly breathless.

    Charlotte¡¯s lips were red and slightly swollen<b>, </b>glistening and impossibly soft.

    Mia winked at her with a wide grin. ¡°Okay, tonight was totally worthing for. That was the hottest thing I¡¯ve seen in a while.¡±

    Charlotte shot her a yful re. ¡°Oh, cut it out.¡±

    Scott¡¯s voice suddenly broke the moment. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the next round.¡±

    Right then<b>, </b><b>the </b>door to the lounge swung open.

    Megan¡¯s friend Summer York stepped inside. ¡°Megan! There you are. I¡¯ve been looking all over for you.¡±

    Megan forced a smile and waved. ¡°I¡¯ve been here ying games with everyone. Wanna join?¡±

    Summer nced around the room, her eyes quicklynding on Scan.

    She let out a pointed ¡°Ohhh,¡± dragging it out with a teasing grin. Now I see why you didn¡¯t want toe hang with us. You¡¯ve got Mr. Jasper in here.¡±

    Megan shot her a look, clearly embarrassed. ¡°Cut it out.¡±

    ¡°What game are you guys ying?¡± Summer asked as she plopped down beside Megan. ¡°Mind if I join?¡±

 His Heart 480

    <b>Chapter </b><b>480 </b>

    <b>Megan </b><b>gave </b><b>a </b><b>quick </b>answer. <b>¡°</b>We¡¯re ying King¡¯s Game.¡±

    Summer stretched out her hand. ¡°Deal me in. I want to y too<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    ¡°Sure,¡± Megan said with a smile. ¡°Everyone, this is Ster

    York We met while studying abroad. She¡¯s a friend of mine.¡±

    ?

    Since a new yer had joined, everyone reshuffled and drew fresh cards.

    The next round began.

    This time, Tyler drew the King card.

    He nced around the room and said, ¡°Spade Three¨Cpick someone of the opposite sex and confess your love.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Spade Three?¡±n called out loudly.

    Everyone looked at their cards. Lena hesitated, then shyly raised her hand me,¡± she said softly.

    student answering a question in ss. ¡°That¡¯s

    Tyler was taken aback.

    He hadn¡¯t expected that.

    It was a random pick.

    Lena was quiet and reserved, not the type who would enjoy this kind of dare.

    Not wanting to put her on the spot, Tyler offered quickly, ¡°If it¡¯s too awkward, I can change it. I¡¯ll pick a new task.¡±

    ¡°No need. I can handle it,¡± Lena said I calmly. ¡°If everyone else can y, so can I.¡±

    She swept her gaze slowly around the room.

    Sean and Ian were both out of the question¨Ctaken by her closest friends. Even in a game, it would be inapp

    iate.

    Her best bet was probably her brother, Jordan. A confession to her own brother wouldn¡¯t be taken seriously by anyone.

    But then her eyes drifted toward Liz, who was sitting right next to Jordan.

    Even if she was his sister, the dare involved confessing love. That would be ufortable for Liz, and Lena wasn¡¯t the type to make her sister¨Cinw feel awkward.

    She knew where to draw the line.

    That left only two options: Scott and Tyler.

    Lena¡¯s gaze moved slowly between the two.

    Tyler felt a flicker of hope rise in his chest.

    Lena hesitated only for a moment before making her choice<b>. </b>

    She looked up and met Tyler¡¯s eyes. Nervous and stumbling over her words, she said, ¡°I¡­ I like you. Will you go out with me?¡±

    Tyler couldn¡¯t help the smile tugging at his lips. He knew it was just a game, but he still felt a surge of happiness.

    He replied with a warm voice and a gentle smile. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lena gave a small nod. ¡°Thanks.<b>¡± </b>

    Everyone took it <b>as </b>just another round of fun.

    <b>Chapter </b><b>480 </b>

    <b>They </b>assumed <b>Tyler </b>was just ying along.

    <b>Only </b><b>Tyler </b>and Charlotte knew that he meant it.

    The game moved on to the next round.

    This time, Summer drew the King card.

    She gave Megan a meaningful look and said sweetly, ¡°Ace of Hearts¨Cgive Sean a French kiss. Ten minutes.¡±

    The lively room instantly went quiet.

    Was this woman out of her mind?

    She really dared to call out Sean by name?

    ++<b>25 </b><b>BONUS </b>

    Everyone had just seen what happened earlier on the deck between Sean and Thomas. How could she be this desperate to get herself in trouble?

    And there was no way she didn¡¯t know Sean and Charlotte were a couple.

    For a moment, everyone exchanged awkward nces.

    The mood in the lounge turned tense.

    You could hear a pin drop.

    ???

    ¡°Who has the Ace <b>of </b>Hearts? Come on, show yourself!¡± Summer said brightly, as ifpletely oblivious to the strange

    atmosphere.

    Megan suddenly remembered the way Summer had looked at her earlier that weird, knowing smile.

    A thought struck her.

    She flipped her card over and felt the back.

    There was a slight bump. A tiny crease.

    This card had been marked.

    And Summer had been the one to shuffle and deal.

 His Heart 481

    <b>Chapter </b><b>481 </b>

    Summer smiled and asked, ¡°So who¡¯s the Ace <b>of </b>Hearts?¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression turned icy.

    Megan hesitated, then pressed her lips together and slowly revealed her card.

    <b>The </b>room grew even quieter.

    <b>Sean </b>stared at her with a cold, steely gaze.

    Everyone could feel his anger. No one dared say a word.

    Suddenly, Charlotte gave a dryugh.

    She turned to Summer, her eyes icy. ¡°Miss York, you¡¯ve got a real talent for picking your targets.¡±

    Summer made a yful face and met Charlotte¡¯s gaze with a grin. Total coincidence, I swear.¡±

    Megan looked embarrassed. She turned toward Charlotte, clearly distressed. ¡°Lottie, I¡¯m so sorry. My friend didn¡¯t know you and Sean had gotten back together. I apologize on her behalf.¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t bother hiding the chill in her voice, ¡°I don¡¯t think Miss York looks the least bit sorry<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Summer scoffed. ¡°Megan, why are you apologizing to her? We didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s just a game. Everyone else is fine with it. Why can¡¯t she handle it?¡±

    Megan¡¯s expression darkened. At that moment, she felt humiliated.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Summer. Just stop talking,¡± she said sharply, her voice tense.

    Seeing Megan this upset, Summer finally dropped the fake smile and her face grew cold.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean, Megan? I¡¯m doing this for you! Everyone knows you¡¯ve had a thing for Sean for years. This is the perfect chance. Why wouldn¡¯t you take it?¡±

    Megan snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help! Can you please stop causing trouble?¡±

    ¡°Causing trouble?¡± Summerughed in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re seriously telling me you didn¡¯t want this?¡±

    Megan¡¯s eyes red with anger. Being called out like that in front of everyone made her feel even worse.

    Because it was true.

    She did want it.

    But she couldn¡¯t say it out loud. She wouldn¡¯t.

    She knew Sean would never agree.

    And she didn¡¯t want Charlotte to resent her because of

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for ruining the mood. You guys go ahead and keep ying,¡± Megan said, forcing a smile as she turned to the <b>group</b>. Then she grabbed Summer¡¯s arm and pulled her toward the door.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Summer snapped, yanking her arm back. ¡°Megan, I¡¯m sick of this fake sweet¨Cgirl act <b>of </b>yours. Being <b>all </b>budu, buddy with your love rival? Do you even realize how pathetic that looks?

    ¡°I was trying to help you, and now you¡¯re saying I¡¯m just causing drama? Seriously?¡±

    The two of them argued all the way to the door, Summer still shouting as they went.

    ¡°Oh please. You act like you¡¯re above it all, but if you didn¡¯t still like Sean, why¡¯d you invite his girlfriend?¡±

    <b>Megan </b>suddenly stopped walking.

    She turned and stared at Summer with a <b>cold</b>, sharp gaze<b>. </b>¡°You¡¯re wrong, Summer. <b>I¡¯m </b>not hiding some dark <b>little </b><b>secret</b>. <b>Yes</b><b>, </b><b>I </b>like <b>Sean</b>. But <b>I </b>would never throw myself at a taken man. I only asked Charlotte to bring him here because I wanted to put the past to rest.¡±

    Her voice was calm but firm. Every word came from the heart.

    ¡°Starting today, <b>I</b><b>, </b>Megan Stone, no longer have feelings for Sean <b>Jasper</b><b>. </b>I¡¯m done.¡±

    With that, she pulled the door open and walked out.

    Summer scoffed and followed behind, her face full of disdain.

    Once the two of them had left, the lounge fell quiet again.

    Ian was the first to break the silence. ¡°It¡¯s dinner time. Let¡¯s go eat¡±

    Mia chimed in, ¡°Yes, please! My stomach¡¯s been growling for ages Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡±

    Lena gently squeezed Charlotte¡¯s hand and offered aforting smile. ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, Lottie<b>. </b>That girl was clearly trying to stir up trouble. Sean only has eyes for you. He¡¯d never go along with something like that.¡±

    Mia added, ¡°Exactly. Don¡¯t let someone irrelevant ruin your

    mood

    Charlotte smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Sean looked at her seriously. ¡°If you¡¯re not having fun, we¡¯ll get off the cruise ship. I¡¯ll have someonee pick us up.¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I know you¡¯d never agree to y along with her. Really, I¡¯m okay.¡±

    Sean pulled her into his arms and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. ¡°I would

    do anything that might cost me you.<b>¡± </b>

    Mia subtly nudged Ian and Lena with her elbow<b>, </b>signaling it was time to give the couple some space.

 His Heart 482

    <b>Chapter </b><b>482 </b>

    A few people quietly slipped out of the lounge.

    Tyler followed. Jordan also left with his girlfriend.

    Scott cast a silent nce at the couple cuddled together on the sofa <b>His </b>eyes dimmed slightly before he, too, walked <b>out</b>.

    That evening, the birthday party officially kicked off.

    The bar on the first floor pulsed with shing lights and upbeat music.

    The DJ was moving along with the rhythm on stage atmosphere.

    After a round of excitement, the music faded. Megan

    the

    crowd below danced and sang<b>, </bpletely immersed in the lively

    med onto the stage and picked up the microphone.

    ¡°Thank you all so much foring to my birthday party tonight.¡±

    She had changed out of the mermaid¨Cstyle gown she wore earlier and now sported a ck spaghetti strap dress that matched the bar¡¯s party vibe. Her hair was styled in big waves, paired with a smokey eye look¨Cbold and sexy.

    Standing under the stage lights, she delivered her opening remarks before shifting to something more emotional.

    ¡°Tonight, I want to thank someone very special. Her name is Charlotte Riley.¡®

    <i>¡± </i>

    Standing in the front row, Charlotte met Megan¡¯s gaze.

    Megan looked straight at her, her voice sincere and full of emotion. <b>¡°</b>If it weren¡¯t for her, I might not even be here today. She saved my life, and I¡¯ll always be grateful for that.¡±

    She paused<b>, </b>then continued, her tone more somber, ¡°There¡¯s something I want to officially rify tonight. I¡¯m just friends with Mr. Sean Jasper. Mr. Jasper and Charlotte are together, so please stop teasing me about him from now on.¡±

    Her words were firm and deliberate.

    ¡°I admit it¨CI used to have strong feelings for Mr. Jasper. But that¡¯s in the past now. It¡¯s over. I¡¯ve moved on. I hope everyone else can too. I don¡¯t want anyone using ¡®concern for me¡® as an excuse to put me in ufortable situations. And I certainly don¡¯t want anyoneing between Mr. Jasper and Miss Riley.¡±

    A wave of whispers spread through the crowd.

    ¡°No way¡­ is that true? Megan used to be in love with Sean Jasper?¡®ve never heard that before.¡±

    ¡°She must¡¯ve only told people close to her. I¡¯ve known her for three years and didn¡¯t have a clue.¡±

    ¡°This is wild. She really just got up there and publicly dered she¡¯s over him? What happened?¡±

    ¡°I heard she had a huge fight with Summer earlier today. They argued like crazy. Might¡¯ve even cut ties.¡±

    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t they longtime best friends? Why would they suddenly fall out? Think it¡¯s because of Sean?¡±

    ¡°Could be.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Sean and Charlotte got back together? When did that happen? I remember her family released a public statement months ago canceling the engagement.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I remember that too. And didn¡¯t Sean have some rumored fling with that actress, Lucinda Lambert?¡±

    ¡°Right! The media said she was about to marry into a rich family.

    ¡°Probably just a PR stunt. Families like Sean¡¯s aren¡¯t gonna let a celebrity marry in.¡®

    <b>¡°</b><b>Who</b><b>? </b><b>Lucinda </b>Lambert? Don¡¯t tell me you mean the one I know?

    You know Lucinda Lambert?¡±

    ¡°You mean <b>the </b>one signed under Sunbeam Entertainment? The Alister?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that one. You know her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know her. Lucinda Lambert¡¯s just her stage name¨Cher real name¡¯s Jane Lambert. She¡¯s actually <b>a </b>socialite from <b>the </b>

    Lambert family in Trinity City, and she¡¯s Sean¡¯s distant cousin. That whole scandal was probably just a mix¨Cup. I even saw her at the Jaspers¡® New Year party.¡±

    ¡°For real?¡±

    ¡°Dead serious.¡±

    Àä

    Mia looked stunned. She gave a big thumbs¨Cup. ¡°Megan¡¯s got guts I respect that.¡®

    <b>¡°</b><b>1 </b>

    Lena added, ¡°I used to doubt her after what happened with Thomas but I guess I was wrong.¡±

 His Heart 483

    At the <b>edge </b><b>of </b>the deck, Charlotte and Megan leaned against the raling, letting the sea breeze tangle their hair,

    Megan lifted her wine ss toward Charlotte. The <b>crisp </b>clink of ss on ss rang out against the sound of crashing waves. She took a sip. Her cheeks were already flushed from the alcohol. She had quite a bit tonight.

    Megan, a little tipsy, patted Charlotte¡¯s shoulder and said softly, ¡°Lottie, I really am sorry about what happened earlier. <b>That </b>card I picked¡ªSummer had marked it ahead of time. She nned the whole thing. I had no idea. I swear it wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    Charlotte took a sip of wine and let out a smallugh. ¡°Honestly, there was a moment when I did wonder about you. But after what you said tonight, I believe you.¡±

    Megan smiled. ¡°I figured you¡¯d understand.¡±

    The party was over, and the other guests had already turned in for the night. Only the wind and the waves remained.

    ¡°I hope you and Seanst forever,¡± Megan said, brushing a strand of hair from her face and smiling gently. ¡°I mean that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Charlotte replied, holding her gaze. ¡°But I¡¯ve been wondering¨Cearlier you separated our rooms and didn¡¯t want us staying together. What changed your mind tonight?¡±

    Megan let out a quiet, self¨Cdeprecatingugh<b>, </b>her smile tinged with bitterness. ¡°Because I finally saw things clearly and gave <ol><li>up. </li></ol>

    She turned to face the ocean. The wind swept her hair back as her voice blended with the sound of the sea.

    ¡°I split you two up because I was jealous. I didn¡¯t want you staying in the same room. Back then, <b>I </b>still had unrealistic hopes.

    ¡°But after what happened with Thomas, I realized just how much Sean cares about you. You probably don¡¯t know this, but after they pulled Thomas out of the water, Sean didn¡¯t just let him go. He had him taken to a private room and¡­ let¡¯s just say he didn¡¯t go easy on him. Thomas was begging for death by the end of it.¡±

    Charlotte frowned slightly. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Well, he deserved it,¡± she added.

    Megan continued, ¡°The other thing that made me give up¡­ was that game this afternoon.¡±

    She stared out into the waves. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve seen Sean y games like that before. He¡¯s always had girls crushing on him. At one friend¡¯s birthday party, someone confessed to him during Truth or Dare.¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡± Charlotte asked, curious.

    ¡°He just gave her a cold ¡®oh¡® and ignored herpletely,¡± Megan said with a wry smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t even spare her another nce.¡±

    Charlotteughed. ¡°That¡¯s so harsh.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Megan added. ¡°Another time, someone dared a girl to kiss a guy of her choice. She picked Sean and asked him for a kiss. He shot her this deadly re. Seriously, it looked like he could kill someone. She immediately backed off and picked someone else.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s that scary?¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely. No exaggeration,¡± Megan said with a faint smile. But I know he¡¯d never look at you that way.¡®

    Her smile slowly faded, and her voice dropped. ¡°Do you know what it felt like, watching him kiss you in front of everyone today?¡±

    She let out a dry, bitterugh. ¡°It felt like getting stabbed in the heart over and over again. I mean it. I really envy you. You have all of him. Every single part.¡°.

    <b>She </b><b>paused</b><b>, </b><b>her </b><b>tone </b><b>growing </b>even softer, <b>¡°</b>That moment made <b>everything </b>crystal clear. I never stood a <b>chance</b>. <b>Maybe </b><b>I </b><b>never </b><b>did</b><b>. </b><b>I </b><b>was </b><b>just </b><b>too </b>blind to see it.¡±

    When Charlotte returned to her room<b>, </b>the lights were still on.

 His Heart 484

    Chapter <b>484 </b>

    Sean <b>was </b>standing by the window<b>, </b>his back to her, talking on the phone.

    Charlotte walked over quietly and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek against his back.

    He froze for a second.

    Then he said into the phone, ¡°That¡¯s it for now. I¡¯ll call youter,¡± and hung up. He turned around and pulled her into his arms. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±

    Charlotte gave a soft hum in response.

    Leaning against his chest, she whispered, ¡°Sean, you¡¯re really good to me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just figuring that out now?¡± His voice was low and maic.

    ¡°Will you always treat me this well?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Charlotte looked up at him. Her eyes sparkled like stars, locked onto his face without blinking.

    Emotion surged in him. He lowered his head and kissed her.

    The kiss was deep, intense, full of desire.

    Outside, the sky was studded with stars, and the ocean stretched into the night.

    The ss muffled the sound of the waves, sealing them inside their own private world.

    Moonlight streamed in, soft and silver<b>, </b>casting a gentle glow across the room.

    Charlotte leaned forward against the cool ss, her cheek resting against it as she stared at the night beyond.

    Sean slid into her effortlessly.

    A shaky, breathless moan slipped from her lips.

    He kissed the back of her neck, desperate, unrelenting.

    Charlotte felt herself swept into a sea of confusion and desire, lost in the moment, moving only with his rhythm.

    After two days at sea, Charlotte returned to work and quickly dove back into her cases.

    That morning, after reading through a thick stack of documents, she made herself a cup of tea.

    Just then, Scott walked in.

    ¡°Charlotte, are you busy?¡±

    She looked up. ¡°What is it?¡±

    He dropped his gaze. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about.¡±

    Charlotte immediately picked up on the slight disappointment in his expression. <b>¡°</b>Is it work¨Crted?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    She grew distant. ¡°Then I¡¯d rather not talk about it during work hours.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ even catching you after work is nearly impossible now,

    Scott said<b>, </b>his voice tightening. ¡°What¡¯s going on between

    you <b>and </b><b>Sean</b>? You two suddenly got back together?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s tone <b>was </b>calm and cool. ¡°Mr. Lucas, we¡¯re just coworkers. That question <b>is </b>out of line.¡±

    His eyes dimmed. ¡°Charlotte, you know how I feel about you, don you?¡±

    She frowned slightly.

    ¡°I had a feeling before,¡± she said, meeting his eyes with a serious expression. ¡°But since you never said anything<b>, </b>I didn¡¯t overthink it. Now that you¡¯ve made it clear, let me respond properly. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lucas. I have a boyfriend, and I love him very much. He¡¯s the only one I love. I won¡¯t have feelings for anyone else.¡±

    Her rejection was firm and final.

    The light in Scott¡¯s eyes faded.

    <b>¡°</b>You really don¡¯t remember me?¡± Scott gave a wry, self¨Cdeprecating smile. ¡°Sean was right. If someone turns you down once, they¡¯ll just turn you down again.¡±

    Charlotte looked at him, puzzled. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I confessed to you back in freshman year.¡±

    Her eyebrows knit together as she tried to remember. Something faint stirred in the back of her mind.

    Scott continued, ¡°One night, out on the track¡­ a guy ying guitar<b>¡± </b>

    Recognition dawned in her eyes. ¡°That was you?¡±

    He let out a bitterugh. ¡°Yeah. I lost back then and I¡¯ve lost again Completely.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lucas, you¡¯re a good man. Talented, too. One day, you¡¯ll meet someone who loves you back just as much.¡±

    Sadness flickered in Scott¡¯s eyes as he said quietly, ¡°But that someone isn¡¯t you.¡®

    Chapter <b>485 </b>

 His Heart 485

    Chapter <b>485 </b>

    That evening, Sean came over to Charlotte¡¯s vi to have dinner with her.

    Petra was already used to this and quietly made herself scarce right after the meal.

    After showering, the two of themy together in bed.

    Surprisingly, Sean was unusually restrained that night.

    Charlotte teased, ¡°Wow, holding back tonight?¡±

    ?ean smiled. ¡°I have an important meeting early tomorrow. Can¡¯t overindulge.¡±

    Charlotte let out a softugh. ¡°Then maybe we just end things early and go to sleep.¡±

    Sean pulled her into his arms. ¡°End early? You¡¯re underestimating me. Once we start, we won¡¯t be done until after midnight.¡±

    Charlotte wriggled under the covers. ¡°Let¡¯s just sleep. Good night.

    Sean propped himself up on one elbow and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m not really tired yet. Can¡¯t fall asleep.¡±

    From under the covers, Charlotte peeked up at him with wide, doe¨Clike eyes. ¡°Huh? Then what do you want to do?¡±

    Smiling, Sean said, ¡°How about you put me to sleep?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Charlotte blinked. ¡°You want me to put you to sleep?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You always made me do it. You¡¯ve never returned the favor

    Charlotte let out a soft snort. ¡°How old are you? Still need someone to lull you to sleep like a baby?¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice waszy and teasing. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I can¡¯t sleep. So either you help me fall asleep¡­ or¡­¡±

    His dark eyes gleamed with mischief as he added, ¡°We could always work out a little. Tire ourselves out until after midnight. I don¡¯t mind running on less sleep tomorrow.¡±

    Charlotte nearly choked. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll help you sleep.¡±

    Definitely the easier option.

    Especially since she had a court hearing at nine the next morning. Staying up half the night messing around was not ideal.

    With a sigh of surrender, she asked, ¡°How exactly do you want me to help?¡±

    Sean¡¯s voice was smooth and rxed. ¡°Tell me a story.¡±

    Charlotte gave him a look. ¡°Seriously? A bedtime story? You¡¯re a grown man.¡±

    Still, she pulled out her phone and started searching for one.

    Sean settled in and closed his eyes, his voice low and warm in her ear. ¡°Your voice is nice. I don¡¯t really care about the story. I just want to fall asleep listening to you.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Charlotte said, and began to read.

    Charlotte cleared her throat dramatically. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s one. Why did the scarecrow win an award?¡±

    Sean raised a brow. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because he was outstanding in his field!¡± she giggled uncontrobly. ¡°Get it? Outstanding? In his field?¡±

    Sean opened his eyes and gave her a side nce. ¡°You¡¯re seriouslyughing at your own joke?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>Why aren¡¯t youughing<b>? </b>That was clever! Ugh, tough crowd. Let me try another one.¡±

    She <b>scrolled </b>through her phone. ¡°Alright, what do you call a cow with no legs?¡±

    Sean sighed but yed along. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Ground beef!¡± Charlotte burst into another fit ofughter. ¡°Come on, that one¡¯s gold!¡±

    Sean gave her a look. ¡°I asked for a bedtime story, not a dad¨Cjoke marathon.¡±

    ¡°I think they¡¯re hrious! You just have a terrible sense of humor, she teased, nudging him.

    ¡°Still not impressed? One more. Ready?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t skeletons fight each other?¡±

    Sean murmured, ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because they don¡¯t have the guts!¡± Charlotte copsed into giggles again.

    Sean groaned but couldn¡¯t hide the faint smile tugging at his lips.

    +

    Charlotte beamed. ¡°There it is! Finally got a smile out of you.¡®

    ¡°}

 His Heart 486

    Sean let out a low, muffledugh.

    Charlotteughed too. Then, in a soft voice, she began to sing:

    ¡°You are my sunshine, my only sumshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You¡¯ll never know dear, how much I love you, please don¡¯t take my sunshine away¡­¡±

    Her voice was light and gentle, barely more than a hum.

    The room was dimly lit by a small bedsidemp.

    In the soft golden glow, Charlotte¡¯s features looked especially tender. She faced Sean, her almond eyes curved in a sleepy smile, a warm spark glowing in their depths.

    Thest time she sang was when she got drunk at a bar and snatched the micpletely off¨Ckey<b>, </b><b>a </b>hrious disaster.

    But tonight, her quiet singing was warm and on pitch. Sweet, even

    As her voice drifted through the room, Sean¡¯s breathing gradually slowed.

    He fell asleep to the sound of her.

    Charlotte noticed he had drifted off. The air conditioning felt a little cold, so she tiptoed over and adjusted it to afortable temperature. Then she gently tucked the nket around him.

    Under the cozy glow of themp, she gazed at him quietly for a moment. Then she leaned down and kissed his cheek. ¡°Goodnight, Sean,¡± she whispered.

    The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains.

    Sean hadn¡¯t set an rm as he didn¡¯t want to wake Charlotte. But when something was important, his body clock never failed.

    As soon as Sean opened his eyes and started to get up quietly, Charlotte stirred with a sleepy mumble.

    A momentter, she blinked her eyes open, still groggy with sleep

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Sean¡¯s voice was low and husky, his breath warm against her ear.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± Charlotte murmured, rubbing her eyes. Her just¨Cwoken up voice was soft and gentle as she asked, ¡°What time is it?¡±

    He checked his phone. ¡°Seven thirty. Want to sleep a bit more?¡±

    Charlotte closed her eyes again. ¡°Still early¡­ wake me at eight.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Sean got ready as quietly as possible and slipped out the door.

    At exactly 7:58 a.m., the Jasper Corporation conference room was already full. Senior executives sat in neat rows, straight- backed and alert, ready for the 8:00 a.m. call.

    Normally, work didn¡¯t start until nine, and meetings weren¡¯t until after that. But today was different.

    They had a video conference scheduled with an important overseas partner¨Ceight hours behind thein. It was 4 p.m. on the other side, right before the partner¡¯s office closed.

    The screen lit up. Daniel, the CEO from the other side, grinned and waved.

    Sean smiled back. ¡°Hey, Daniel. Give me just a sec¨CI need to call my girlfriend to wake her up.¡±

    Daniel let out a loudugh. ¡°Sure thing! Go ahead.¡±

    400

    On the dot at 8:00 a.m., Sean dialed Charlotte.

    The entire boardroom sat quietly while their usually stern CEO call

    Daniel<b>, </b>sipping his water, waited patiently on¨Cscreen.

    Charlotte picked up groggily. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Morning, Lottie. It¡¯s eight. Time to wake up,¡± Sean said gently, h

    On the dot at 8:00 a.m.<b>, </b>Sean dialed Charlotte.

    The entire boardroom sat quietly while their usually stern CEO called to wake his girlfriend.

    Daniel<b>, </b>sipping his water, waited patiently on¨Cscreen.

    Charlotte picked up groggily. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Morning, Lottie. It¡¯s eight. Time to wake up,¡± Sean said gently, his voice unexpectedly tender.

    GU <b>DUINUS </b>

    Chapter <b>487 </b>

 His Heart 487

    Chapter <b>487 </b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b>too <b>early</b>¡­¡± Charlotte mumbled softly, her voice still thick with sleep.

    No one in the conference room could hear what was being said on the other end of the call, but they could all see the change <b>in </b>Sean¡¯s expression. The usually cold andposed CEO now wore a look of unmistakable warmth and tenderness.

    The sleepy employees sat up a little straighter.

    None of them had expected to witness live gossip during a morning meeting.

    So this was how their famously unattached and emotionally distant boss acted with his girlfriend? Gentle, caring,pletely unguarded? It was almost surreal.

    Everyone reacted differently. Some exchanged knowing nces. Others struggled to hide their amusement. But one person was clearly not enjoying the show.

    Zoe Gibson<b>, </b>the newly appointed Director of Strategy, stared at Sean with a look that could have frozen the room.

    The man on the phone didn¡¯t resemble the Sean she knew. He sounded calm. Gentle. Even affectionate.

    In her experience, Sean was the opposite¨Ccold, demanding, and utterly unreachable. He never let anyone close, not personally and certainly not emotionally.

    She had been with thepany for over two weeks now, and aside from brief work¨Crted conversations, Sean had barely spoken to her. She didn¡¯t even have his direct contact information. Everything had to go through his assistant, Sam.

    And now, right in front of everyone, he was openly calling his girlfriend, speaking to her with such tenderness it made Zoe¡¯s stomach turn. Her hands curled into fists beneath the table as a wave of frustration and envy swept through her.

    Still on the call, Sean asked gently, ¡°Do you have time for lunch today?¡±

    The response must have been no, because a sh of disappointment passed over his face. He tried again. ¡°What about dinner?¡±

    There was a pause.

    ¡°I have to go home tonight,¡± Charlotte replied, meaning back to the Riley estate.

    Sean let out a soft sigh. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Everyone in the room had clearly heard it. Their boss had just been turned down. Twice.

    Zoe¡¯s face darkened.

    When had Sean started dating someone?

    She had asked around before joining thepany, and everything she heard said he was single.

    So who was this woman who had gotten to him first?

    Meanwhile, in a VIP private dining room, Desmond was having dinner with a few business associates.

    After they wrapped up negotiations, the middle¨Caged men started chatting casually.

    ¡°Desmond, congrats!¡± said one balding man in his fifties, grinning.

    Desmond looked confused. ¡°Congrats for what?¡±

    The man chuckled. ¡°Come on now, don¡¯t y dumb. I heard your family has good newsing.¡®

    ¡±

    ¡°What good news?¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Seriously</b><b>? </b>You¡¯re still pretending? I¡¯m talking about the marriage alliance with the <b>Jasper </b>family. That¡¯s a big win. <b>Why </b><b>keep </b><b>it </b><b>a </b>secret?<b>¡± </b>

    Desmond froze<b>, </b>his expression instantly darkening. ¡°Who told you we¡¯re forming an alliance with the Jaspers?¡±

    The man paused, thrown off by his reaction.

    ¡°Well¡­ isn¡¯t your daughter dating Sean Jasper? You didn¡¯t know? <b>My </b>kid went to Megan Stone¡¯s birthday party the other night. <b>He </b><b>saw </b>them together. Your daughter and Sean were glued at the hip. Everyone saw it. You really didn¡¯t know?¡±

    Desmond¡¯s face remained cold and unreadable.

    Sensing the tension<b>, </b>the man quickly changed the subject.

    That evening, Charlotte returned to the Riley estate after a long day.

    As soon as her car pulled up, Xena came out to meet her.

    Xena didn¡¯t look happy. She pulled Charlotte aside and lowered her voice. ¡°Sweetie, your dad found out you¡¯re back with Sean. He¡¯s furious. He¡¯s been sulking in the living room with a face like thunder. <b>If </b>you don¡¯t want to deal with him tonight, <b>you </b>should probably head back to your ce. Wait until he cools off.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°He already knew?¡± she thought.

    She lowered her gaze, thinking it over for a moment, then quietly said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Aunt Xena. I¡¯ll go in. I¡¯ll have to face him eventually. Avoiding it won¡¯t change anything.¡±

 His Heart 488

    Chapter <b>488 </b>

    <b>Xena </b>sighed and said gently, ¡°Alright then. Just talk to your father calmly. He really cares about you. If you speak <b>to </b>him nicely, he¡¯lle around.¡±

    ¡°Okay<b>.</b>¡± Charlotte exhaled, then headed for the house. ¡°Thanks, Aunt Xena.¡±

    Inside the house, the tension hit her immediately.

    Just like Xena had warned, Desmond was sitting stiffly on the living room sofa, his face dark with anger.

    As soon as Charlotte walked in, she greeted him. ¡°Dad.¡±

    Desmond turned to look at her, his expression stern. ¡°You still think of me as your father?¡±

    Charlotte didn¡¯t react much. ¡°Of course I do. Why

    She walked over and sat on the single¨Cseater armchair across from him.

    Desmond¡¯s voice was low and cold. ¡°When did you get back together with Sean? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    Charlotte calmly picked up a cup of tea and took a sip. ¡°I¡¯m telling you now,

    aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Desmond let out a bitterugh. ¡°So if I hadn¡¯t asked, would you have told me?¡±

    Charlotte smiled faintly. ¡°If you didn¡¯t ask, what was I supposed to <b>say</b>?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y word games with me.¡± Desmond shot her a re, clearly losing patience. ¡°I¡¯m your father, and yet I had to hear from someone else that you¡¯re dating him again. Do you have any idea how humiliating that is?¡±

    Charlotte was unfazed. ¡°That¡¯s pretty normal, isn¡¯t it? There are a lot of people outside. If they saw something<b>, </b>it¡¯s not like <b>I </b>could stop them from talking, right?¡±

    Desmond let out a cold snort, his face getting darker. ¡°Are you trying to provoke me on purpose?¡±

    Charlotte grinned with mock innocence. ¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯d never try to make you angry. I just didn¡¯t know how to bring it up.¡±

    ¡°Break up with him,¡± Desmond snapped.

    Charlotte¡¯s smile vanished. Her voice turned cold. ¡°No.¡±

    That single word made Desmond shoot to his feet. His voice rose, sharp with fury. ¡°Have you forgotten how much har?n the Jasper family caused us? You almost lost your life! And now you¡¯re thinking about love?¡±

    Charlotte kept her gaze steady. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the Jaspers as a whole. It was Sean¡¯s half¨Cbrother and their adopted daughter- They¡¯ve already been held ountable. There¡¯s no longer any threat. Why shouldn¡¯t we move on? Whatever those two did has nothing to do with Sean.¡±

    ¡°If you won¡¯t me Sean, fine, but you can at least hold the family responsible. I¡¯ll never agree to any kind <b>of </b>connection with the Jaspers.¡±

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Sean stepping in at our engagement party and shielding me from that knife, I¡¯d be dead.¡±

    Desmond mmed a hand on the table. ¡°And if it weren¡¯t for him, would you have been stabbed in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t his fault,¡± Charlotte shot back. ¡°He can¡¯t control what other people think or do. Vivian was obsessed with him, and when she couldn¡¯t have him, she took it out on me. That¡¯s not on Sean.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your excuses,¡± Desmond said through gritted teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your reasons are. You¡¯re not allowed to be with him. Anyone else is fine. Just not him.¡±

    Charlotte let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°If it¡¯s not him, then I don¡¯t want anyone.¡±

    <b>1/3 </b>

    <b>Desmond¡¯s </b>anger boiled over. <b>¡°</b>You think he¡¯s the only good manth the world? You can¡¯t live without him? Why <b>are </b><b>you </b><b>so </b>dead <b>set </b>on clinging to one tree?¡±

    ¡°When you already have someone you love,¡± Charlotte said quietly ¡°there¡¯s no foom left for anyone else.¡±

    ¡°You can get over him,¡± Desmond barked. ¡°With enough time, you¡¯ll forget. There¡¯s no one in this world you can¡¯t move on

    from.¡±

    The words had barely left his mouth when Charlotte fell silent.

    She looked at him, her eyes filled with quiet sorrow.

    Desmond froze. He realized what he had just said, and his expression shifted.

    The living room fell into a heavy silence.

    After a long moment, Charlotte finally spoke, her voice soft but piercing.

    ¡°Just like how you forgot Mom, right?¡±

 His Heart 489

    <b>Chapter </b><b>489 </b>

    Even after all these years, Desmond still couldn¡¯t hide his sadness whenever Sue¡¯s name came up.

    He lowered his eyes, and the anger on his face slowly gave way to grief.

    Charlotte said nothing more. She simply turned and walked away

    Desmond stood there in silence for a moment before heading upstairs.

    Earlier that evening, Charlotte had nned toe home for dinner. Xena had personally prepared a full spread of all her favorite dishes.

    But after the argument between father and daughter, neither of them touched the food.

    Xena walked out from the kitchen, looked

    at

    the untouched dishes on the table, and let out a long sigh.

    After leaving the Riley estate, Charlotte

    She picked up her phone and called Mia.

    ¡°Mia, where are you? Come drink with

    still feeling frustrated, so she went straight to a bar.

    in a really bad mood tonight.¡±

    On the other end of the line, Mia sounded slightly breathless.

    Charlotte instantly understood what was going <ol><li><b>on</b>. </li></ol>

    Mia was busy.

    Charlotte was about to hang up, not wanting to interrupt, but as soon as Mia heard that she was upset, she immediately steadied her breathing and asked with concern, ¡°Lottie, what happened?¡±

    ¡°I had a fight with my dad,¡± Charlotte said, pressing her lips together. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You go ahead and do your thing. <b>I </b>just need to be alone for a while.¡±

    Mia smacked Ian¡¯s wandering hand away and said, ¡°Do you want me toe keep youpany? Where are you? I¡¯ll head over right now.¡±

    Charlotte knew Mia was having a moment with Ian and didn¡¯t want to intrude, so she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just need time to <b>sort </b>through it myself.¡±

    ¡°Alright, just stay safe, okay? Is Petra with you?¡± Mia asked.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Mia was still on the phone when Ian reached out again. She gave him a re and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m hanging up now,

    Lottie.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    After ending the call, Mia shot Ian another look and scolded him, ¡°What are you doing? I was on the phone with

    Ian leaned in and whispered hoarsely against her lips, ¡°I want you

    lotte.¡±

    Lena couldn¡¯t drink, and Mia was clearly busy.

    So Charlotte called Jenny and Sophie.

    As soon as Jenny heard Charlotte was upset, she immediately offered toe over.

    <b>Sophie </b>had just finished dinner and was lying around bored, watching a show. She loved <b>drinking</b><b>, </b>so when Charlotte called<b>, </b><b>she </b>didn¡¯t <b>hesitate</b>.

    It was Friday night anyway, and there was no work tomorrow. Both women were close <b>to </b>Charlotte and wanted to be there for

    her<b>. </b>

    At the <b>bar</b>, the three girls sat in a booth with six different bottles <b>of </b>alcoholid out in front of them.

    Charlotte casually opened one and took a swig straight from the battle.

    She downed half of it in one go.

    Jenny stared at her, stunned, and quickly reached out to grab the bottle from her hands. ¡°Charlotte, you can¡¯t drink like this. Take it easy. We¡¯ve got time. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡±

    Jenny knew Charlotte couldn¡¯t handle much alcohol.

    She still remembered what happened at thest firm gathering when Charlotte got drunk.

    Sophie chimed in too. ¡°Yeah, Charlotte, what happened? Why are you so upset?¡±

    Charlotte lowered her eyes, her expression tinged with sorrow. <b>¡°</b><b>My </b>dad told me to break up with Sean, but I just can¡¯t.¡±

    Jenny and Sophie exchanged a quick nce.

    Jenny asked, ¡°Is it because of that illegitimate son from the Jasper family?¡±

    They had all been there that day when Joseph¡¯s men came after Charlotte. It had been terrifying. They nearly lost their lives. Thankfully, Petra had been there.

    Even now, thinking back on it sent chills down their spines.

 His Heart 490

    Chapter <b>490 </b>

    Later<b>, </b>when the police investigation concluded<b>, </b>Charlotte gave Jenny and Sophie a general rundown of what had happened.

    So while they didn¡¯t know every detail, they were aware <b>of </b>the situation involving the illegitimate son from the Jasper family.

    When Jenny brought it up, Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yes. That illegitimate <b>son </b>used to have the Prime Minister of Antis backing him. His influence was huge. Back when I was dating Sean, both my family and I were dragged into the mess. My dad was

    furious.<b>¡± </b>

    Jenny nodded. ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡±

    Charlotte took a couple more swigs of alcohol, her cheeks already starting to flush.

    ¡°But that guy has already been detained. Once the legal process is done, he¡¯ll be executed. And that adopted daughter was sentenced to life in prison. The people who stood in the way of Sean and me are gone. I also have a bodyguard with me at all times now. No one can hurt me because of Sean anymore. So why can¡¯t I be with him again?¡±

    Sophie took a sip of her drink and said, ¡°Objectively, you¡¯re right. But from your dad¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s still hard to ept. After everything that happened, it¡¯s only human.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s eyes turned ssy as she murmured, ¡°My dad said I could be with anyone¡­ anyone except Sean<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>Her voice trembled. ¡°But I don¡¯t want anyone else. I only want him.¡±

    Jenny let out a long, heavy sigh. ¡°Yeah¡­ feelings don¡¯t just turn off because you want them to.¡±

    Sophie added, ¡°Actually, thatwyer Scott Lucas seems like a great guy. Maybe give him a shot<b>, </b>Charlotte? Who knows<b>, </b>it might help you move on from Sean.¡±

    But Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. My heart is already filled with Sean. There¡¯s no room for anyone else.¡±

    By the time Sean arrived at the bar, it was already past ten at night.

    The nightlife was just getting started. Music thumped through the air, and crowds of men and women danced wildly under the colorful lights. The whole ce reeked of alcohol.

    His bodyguards in ck cleared the way as Sean entered the bar.

    The loud music suddenly cut off.

    The noisy crowd fell silent.

    The bar manager quickly led him to Charlotte.

    She and Jenny and Sophie were alreadypletely drunk.

    Charlotte was slumped on the couch, her eyes still wet with tears, mascara streaked down her face. She kept mumbling something incoherent.

    Jenny was sitting on the floor, hugging a bottle while crying and muttering to herself.

    Sophiey beside Charlotte, fast asleep and snoring softly.

    Petra stood off to the side like <b>a </b>statue¨Ctall, still, and utterly expressionless.

    The bar manager pointed at Petra and respectfully exined to Sean<b>, </b>¡°Mr. Jasper, with thatdy here, Miss Riley and her friends have <b>been </bpletely safe. No one darede near them.

    The entire bar had been cleared.

    What had just moments ago been a rowdy, chaotic <b>space </b>was now eerily quiet<b>. </b>

    The silence seemed to confuse Charlotte, She blinked through her drunken haze and turned toward the sudden stillness.

    Her bleary eyes met Sean¡¯s across the room.

    When her gazended on his tall, lean figure, it paused.

    And then, as if on instinct, she reached out toward him with open arms and mumbled in a soft, sweet voice, ¡°Sean Jasper¡­. hug

    me.¡±

    Just like that, it was as if the ice around Sean¡¯s entire body melted

    Without hesitation, he walked over and gently pulled her into his arms.

 His Heart 491

    Charlotte <b>was </bpletely drunk, barely conscious, but she still instinctively nestled closer into Sean¡¯s arms and mumbled softly, ¡°Mmm¡­ feels nice.¡±

    Sean held her carefully. As her head came to rest against his chest, the quiet sobs and murmurs faded away. She grewpletely

    still.

    His gaze softened like a ripple across still water, and his voice dropped into a low<b>, </b>soothing murmur. ¡°Good girl.<b>¡± </b>

    Holding her as gently as if she were a child<b>, </b>Sean carried her out of the bar in one arm<b>, </b>steady and protective.

    A few bodyguards followed silently behind.

    Sam walked over to Petra and asked, ¡°Do you happen to know where Miss Riley¡¯s friends live?¡±

    Petra gave a small shake of her head.

    ¡°In that case,¡± Sam said, ¡°we¡¯ll have to send them to one of the Jasper Corporation¡¯s hotels for the night. Miss Petra, I could use your help.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t have been appropriate for him to check two unconscious women into a hotel alone.

    Petra nced toward the direction Charlotte and Sean had gone<b>, </b>her brow furrowed with concern.

    Sensing her hesitation, Sam reassured her. ¡°Miss Riley is safe with Mr. Jasper. And there are plenty of security personnel with him.¡±

    Petra still wanted to follow. Her instinct was to protect Charlotte. But one look at Sophie and Jenny, both passed out andpletely vulnerable, made the decision for her.

    Petra usually worked as Charlotte¡¯s assistant at thew firm, which made it easier for her to stay close and protect her. Over time, she had also grown familiar with Sophie and Jenny.

    By now, the two of them could be considered her friends as well.

    In the end, Petra chose to help Sam take Jenny and Sophie to one of the hotels owned by the Jasper Corporation and get them safely checked in for the night.

    10

    Charlotte was soft and limp in Sean¡¯s arms, her body melting against him as if all her bones had disappeared.

    As soon as they stepped outside, a wave of heat rolled over them. Without the chill of the bar¡¯s air conditioning, the warm night air felt heavy and thick. Charlotte pressed her face into the curve of Sean¡¯s neck, mumbling sleepily. Her breath, warm and tinged with alcohol, brushed across his skin.

    The driver quickly stepped forward and opened the door.

    Sean climbed into the back seat, still holding Charlotte close. He settled into the seat with her curled sideways in hisp, her head resting against his shoulder.

    The ck Cullinan pulled away from the curb and slipped quietly into the warm summer night of Jersey City.

    Charlotte sat still<b>, </b>staring nkly ahead with ssy eyes. She wasn¡¯t crying or speaking anymore. It was hard to tell whether she was deep in thought orpletely lost.

    Sean reached over and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His thumb, slightly rough from work, brushed softly across her warm cheek.

    Her face was flushed from the alcohol, her lips slightly parted. She looked adorably tipsy, like a sleepy peach, effortlessly pulling

    at his heart.

    ¡°Sean Jasper,¡± she murmured suddenly.

    T42t 4??

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he answered in a low, tender voice.

    ¡®Sean¡­ can we not break up?¡±

    Her voice wavered as if she was holding back tears. Her brows drew together, and she burrowed deeper into the curve <b>of </b>his neck.

    Her lips brushed gently against his skin, warm and featherlight.

    That soft, pleading tone in her voice wrapped around his nerves like a thread, pulling tight.

    Something stirred deep in his chest. A wave of longing rose, slow and steady.

    He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°We won¡¯t. Not ever again.¡±

    She let out a quiet hum<b>, </b>delicate and sweet.

    Sean¡¯s eyes darkened, and his voice dropped lower. ¡°Lottie.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Charlotte tilted her head up, looking at him with dazed, glistening eyes. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Her bare face, untouched by makeup, was flushed a gentle pink. She looked so soft, so tempting, that he could hardly stop himself from leaning in to kiss her.

    MA

 His Heart 492

    Chapter <b>492 </b>

    Sean lowered his gaze and asked in a soft, maic voice, ¡°Do you want a kiss?¡±

    Charlotte turned her head slightly to nce at the driver, then pressed her lips together. ¡°No.¡±

    Sean reached out and gently tapped the tip of her nose. ¡°Say you do. Be good.¡±

    She lifted her eyes to meet his. Those almond¨Cshaped eyes sparkled with light as she stared straight at him,pletely still.

    4

    Suddenly, she broke into a giggle and grinned. ¡°Sean, you¡¯re really good¨Clooking.¡±

    Sean smiled at her. ¡°Then do you want a kiss?¡±

    His dark eyes locked onto hers, drawing her in with a quiet kind of pull.

    Still tipsy and a little childish, Charlotte let out a softugh and nodded. ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Thene kiss me,¡± Sean murmured. His voice was low and rough.

    He leaned back in the seat, tilting his head just a little, watching her patiently.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t hesitate. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

    Their mouths met.

    Her kisses were messy and awkward,pletelycking technique.

    She clearly hadn¡¯t improved at all.

    Sean kissed her back slowly, savoring the moment. A small smile tugged at his lips as a wave of warmth filled his chest.

    Charlotte kept kissing him. Her kisses were soft and innocent, light little pecks without any hint <b>of </b>seduction.

    But that wasn¡¯t enough for Sean. He reached up, gently cupped the back of her head, and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss.

    His tongue slipped between her parted lips and found hers.

    Their tongues brushed and tangled as the heat between them steadily built.

    As the kiss deepened, Charlotte¡¯s hands began to roam.

    Her smooth<b>, </b>pale fingers drifted down toward his abs.

    Sean let out a low grunt and grabbed her hand. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°I want to feel your abs,¡± she muttered, wriggling her hand free and cing it on him again.

    The driver, sensing the change in atmosphere, quietly raised the privacy partition.

    Sean let out a breathlessugh. ¡°So you¡¯re taking advantage of me while you¡¯re drunk, huh?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s cheeks were flushed and dewy, her skin glowing in the low light. She looked at him with soft, hazy eyes and murmured sweetly, her voice low and husky, ¡°I want you,..¡±

    Sean¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple shifted as he swallowed, his gaze growing darker. ¡°Want what?¡±

    He already knew, but he asked anyway.

    Charlotte let out a tiny, frustrated huff and didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she reached forward and boldly pressed her hand against the bulge in his pants.

    Sean sucked in a sharp breath<b>, </b>quickly grabbing her wrist and pulling her hand away. His voice had gone rough. ¡°Lottie<b>, </b>are you drunk or did someone drug you?¡±

    <b>173 </b>

    She mumbled in a sleepy voice, ¡°Not druggeds.¡±

    So she really was just drink. And bold.

    ¡°Are you really drunk, or are you faking it?¡± Sean asked, chuckling low in his throat as he held her hand in ce. ¡°Why do you always try to get handsy when you drink?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the first time.

    Thest time she got tipsy, her hands had wandered too.

    But this time was even worse.

    She had gone straight for it.

    How was he supposed to hold back?

    ¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± Charlotte muttered, puffing up her cheeks in frustration.

    Sean looked at her, his expression softening. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m yours.¡±

    Her eyes began to fill with tears. They shimmered, big and ssy, like she might cry at any moment.

    Sean was struggling to keep hisposure.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if she was truly upset because he hadn¡¯t given her what she wanted, or if she had figured out that he couldn¡¯t stand to see her cry and was using that to push him.

    Either way, the tears kept rising in her eyes.

    Until finally, they spilled over.

    Round droplets rolled down her cheeks, one after another.

    She looked like a fragile flower caught in the rain.

    And every tearnded straight in Sean¡¯s chest, burning like fire.

 His Heart 493

    ¡°Fine, she won,¡± Sean thought.

    In that moment, every principle he held crumbled. He waspletely and utterly defeated,

    Sean reached up and tapped on the privacy divider.

    The driver understood immediately. He turned off the main road, guiding the car down a quiet, secludedne. A few minutester, the Cullinan pulled over onto an empty grassy shoulder.

    The moment the car stopped, the driver opened the door and stepped out without a word, closing it behind him. He disappeared into the night, smooth and efficient.

    The cabin fell silent, leaving only the two of them behind.

    This time, Sean was the one who made the first move.

    He kissed her hard, a deep, hungry kiss that left no room for doubt. The temperature inside the car began to climb fast. Their breath grew heavier, and the heat between them burned hotter with every second.

    Charlotte spread her legs and straddled Sean¡¯sp. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, both burning with heat.

    Sean held her firmly by the waist with one hand. The other hand slid up the side of her thigh, gliding over soft, bare skin.

    His palm was warm against her, sending shivers up her spine. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and soft, breathless whimpers escaped from her lips.

    Charlotte tilted her head back, exposing her delicate neck. Sean leaned in and kissed it, his mouth trailing along the curve of her throat, teeth grazing gently across her sensitive skin.

    She let out a soft whimper and clutched at his shirt with trembling fingers.

    Only when she had fully weed him¨Cbody and soul¨Cdid that aching uncertainty in her heart finally fade away.

    Charlotte buried her face into the crook of his neck, still straddling him. Her lips brushed softly against his skin as she whispered his name, fragile and warm in the still air.

    ¡°Sean Jasper.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he murmured, his voice low and thick with emotion.

    She whispered again, ¡°Sean¡­¡±

    He kissed her cheek, then her brow, answering patiently, ¡°I¡¯m here, sweetheart.¡±

    By the time everything ended, it was already past midnight.

    Sean was the one who drove them back to his private vi.

    Charlotte was exhausted. She had fallen asleep in the back seat,pletely worn out.

    When they arrived, Sean pulled over and carried her inside. She never stirred.

    He had draped his dark gray suit jacket over her. The white blouse she had worn earlier had been ruined in the heat of the moment¨Cbuttons ripped off, the fabric torn,pletely unwearable now.

    Sean brought her into his bedroom and gentlyid her down on the bed.

    She didn¡¯t wake<b>, </b>sleeping soundly, worn out from the mix of alcohol and physical exhaustion.

    He smiled to himself, then quietly adjusted the air conditioning and pulled the nket over her.

    That night, Charlotte slept deeply and peacefully, without dreams

    When she finally opened her eyes the next morning, the clock read eleven.

    Her head throbbed painfully

    Bits and pieces ofst night came back to her in a blur¡ªwhat had happened in the car, how he had taken her home. The marks on her body reminded her just how intense it had all been.

    A strange,plicated feeling stirred in her chest.

    The spot next to her was empty. Sean was no longer there.

    She didn¡¯t ask where he had gone.

    Shey still for a while longer, then slowly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

    She was familiar with his vi. She had been here before.

    Inside the bathroom, someone had already set out clean towels and a brand new summer outfit.

    It was a silk champagne¨Ccolored dress in her size, the tag still attached. There was also a fresh set of sterile underwear, all neatly folded, all exactly her size.

    It must have been delivered that morning, arranged by Sean.

    He had always been meticulous about the details.

    When she came out of the shower, Sean was sitting by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, working on hisptop.

    The moment he saw her, he closed theptop and walked over.

    Without saying a word, he took her hand and led her to the couch.

    Then, as naturally as breathing, he picked up the hairdryer and began drying her hair.

    Sunlight streamed through the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows, filling the spacious room with light. Sean¡¯s room was on the second floor, overlooking a garden bursting with colorful blooms.

 His Heart 494

    It was the height of summer. Flowers were in full bloom, vibrant andpeting for attention. Butterflies danced among the petals, the whole scene as beautiful as a painting.

    After drying her hair, Sean brought Charlotte downstairs for lunch

    The dining table was already set. The dishes were still steaming, freshly made not long ago. They were all Charlotte¡¯s favorites.

    After the meal, Sean finally asked, ¡°Lottie, what happenedst night? Why did you go drinking at a bar?¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze, hershes trembling slightly. She stayed quiet for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.

    ¡°My dad found out we got back together,¡± she said. ¡°I went home yesterday, and he told me to break up with you.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes froze, a flicker of tension passing through them.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked gently. His voice held a trace of nervousness he tried to hide.

    ¡°I told him I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Charlotte said firmly.

    She looked up at him, her eyes clear and steady. ¡°Sean, I don¡¯t want to break up. You¡¯re the only one I want. I don¡¯t care about anyone else.¡±

    Just like that, the tight knot of anxiety that had formed in Sean¡¯s chest began to unravel.

    His expression softened. He reached over and took her hand in his ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re not breaking up.¡±

    The warmth and strength of his palm gave her an odd sense offort.

    She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Sean said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯ll talk to your dad myself.¡±

    Charlotte looked hesitant. ¡°But¡­ he really doesn¡¯t like your family. I¡¯m worried it¡¯ll make things worse.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Sean said in a calm, reassuring voice. ¡°But it¡¯ll be fine. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Just then, Charlotte¡¯s phone rang.

    She nced at the screen. It was Jenny calling.

    She picked up. ¡°Hey, Jenny. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Charlotte, where are you? Are you home?¡± Jenny asked, sounding concerned.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m home. Where are you and Sophie?¡± Charlotte suddenly remembered that the two of them had been drinking with herst night.

    She hadn¡¯t even asked how they got back or whether anything had happened. It had been sote, and the two of them had been totally wasted. She couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    ¡°We woke up at a hotel with all our clothes on, thank God,¡± Jenny said. ¡°We asked the front desk and found out the ce belongs to the Jasper Corporation. Charlotte, oh my God, I¡¯ve never stayed anywhere this fancy in my life. It¡¯s a five¨Cstar hotel, and we¡¯re in an executive suite with a river view!¡±

    ¡°When we woke up, Sophie and I were just stunned. The bed is huge<b>, </b>so soft andfy. I swear I¡¯ve never slept in anything that luxurious before. Five¨Cstar hotels really are on another level. I guess we owe this to you. Sean must¡¯ve sent someone to bring us here.¡±

    Charlotte finally rxed. As long as they were safe.

    Jenny kept gushing on the other end of the line about how amazing the sulfe was.

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°Well then, enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a bubble bath in that massive tub. With rose petals. Just like in the movies!¡± Jenny was practically bouncing with excitement.

    Then her voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. ¡°Wait¡­ do you think they¡¯ll charge extra for that?¡±

    Charlotteughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Enjoy yourself. And if you haven¡¯t eaten yet, order room service. Get the full five¨Cstar experience. It¡¯s on me! Consider it a thank¨Cyou for keeping mepanyst night.¡±

    Jenny squealed. ¡°Omg Charlotte, you¡¯re the best! I adore you! kiss kiss kiss!¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Charlotte said,ughing. ¡°That¡¯s enough of that. Go enjoy your bubble bath and your fancy lunch.¡±

    ¡°Will do! Talk soon, love you!¡± Jenny cheered before hanging up.

 His Heart 495

    After Charlotte hung up, Sean said casually, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your friends¡® hotel bill¨CI¡¯veped everything for them.¡±

    Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Oh no, I can¡¯t let you do that. They were out with mest night to keep mepany, I should be the one thanking them. It¡¯s only right they get treated.¡±

    Sean smiled. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Not long after, Mia called to check in, asking.how Charlotte was feeling and if her mood had improved.

    Charlotte reassured her, ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better now. Don¡¯t worry¡±

    Only then did Mia rx.

    The entire afternoon, Charlotte stayed with Sean. His vi had a private home theater with a starry sky ceiling. It was fully equipped with massage chairs, sofas, and even a bed.

    6

    They picked a ssic romance movie to watch together, lounging on the massage chairs while a cart beside them overflowed with pastries, snacks, and drinks.

    As Charlotte sank into the chair, enjoying the massage and the movie, she let out a blissful sigh. ¡°This is heaven.¡®

    ¡°Lottie,¡± Sean said suddenly.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± She turned to him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Come work out with meter in the gym.¡±

    Charlotte rejected the idea immediately. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m in full couch potato mode.¡±

    His voice carried a hint of amusement. ¡°Better keep that stamina up, or you won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±

    She instantly got his meaning, and a flush crept up her cheeks. ¡°Sean Jasper!¡±

    He chuckled lowly, clearly pleased with himself.

    To be fair, Charlotte was in great shape. She had trained before and had solid endurance. But Sean was something else. Once things started between them, his desire always surged far beyond normal. His stamina was unmatched.

    He never stopped at just once. Three rounds were the minimum. And each time, hested forever.

    Even when Charlotte begged him to stop¨Cwhimpering things like ¡°No more¡± or ¡°That¡¯s enough¡°-he never let up,

    Sean was always gentle and patient with her¡­ except in bed.

    Charlotte turned away, ignoring him, and refocused on the movie.

    Sean just smiled silently to himself.

    Teasing her was bing one of his favorite pastimes.

    Meanwhile, at the Quinton estate, Mia was pressed up against the bedroom door as Ian kissed her fiercely.

    She struggled to push him away, but he held her tightly, leaving her no room to escape.

    Eventually, she gave in and melted into the heat of the kiss.

    Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

    They both froze.

    Mia¡¯s mother, Sharon Wood, called from outside, ¡°Mia Carter? Ja Quinton? Are you two in there?<b>¡± </b>

    Mia immediately sensed something was off. Her mom¡¯s tone was quite right. It was like she was trying hard to stay calm.

    And she never used their full names. Usually, it was just ¡°Mia¡± and ¡°Ian.¡±

    That was definitely not normal.

    Mia¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    She steadied herself and tried to calm her breathing before replying, ¡°We¡¯re here, Mom. Just a minute.¡±

    Sharon didn¡¯t respond again. She just stood outside the door quietly, waiting.

    Mia shoved Ian off her and quickly grabbed a wipe to clean the lipstick smudge from his mouth. Then she hurried to the mirror and reapplied her lipstick.

    ¡°I think she suspects something. Follow my lead when we open the door,¡± she whispered rapidly as she touched up her lips.

    Ian gave her a serious look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mia. If anything happens, I¡¯ll take the heat.¡±

 His Heart 496

    <b>Chapter </b><b>496 </b>

    <b>Mia </b><b>was </b>still nervous.

    She had always known the truth wouldn¡¯t stay hidden forever. Sooner orter, this day was bound toe,

    She just hadn¡¯t expected it toe so soon.

    When she opened the door, Sharon stood outside, her expression stormy..

    ¡°M¨CMom¡­¡± Mia barely got the

    s word out before Sharon pped her hard across the face.

    Smack<b>! </b>

    +25 <b>BONUS </b>

    The sharp sound echoed down the hallway.

    Sharon hadn¡¯t held back. She was beyond furious and made no effort to control her strength.

    Mia¡¯s cheek flushed red almost instantly.

    Ian stepped forward, heart aching. ¡°Mia, are you okay?¡± he asked gently, checking her face.

    Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched her cheek.

    Sharon red at them coldly. ¡°How long has this been going on?¡±

    Ian immediately pulled Mia behind him<b>, </b>shielding her. His gaze locked with Sharon¡¯s<b>, </b>calm but firm.

    ¡°Aunt Sharon, I was the one who made the first move. This isn¡¯t her fault. If you¡¯re angry, take it out on me.¡±

    Her voice was icy. ¡°You¡¯re not mine to discipline. But she is. You can exin all this to your father yourself. He¡¯s on his way

    home.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Ian didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°You can be angry at Mia. But you don¡¯t get to hit her.¡±

    Sharon let out a sharp, mockingugh, her eyes zing.

    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. Who do you think you are, telling me what I can and can¡¯t do? Move.¡±

    Ian stood his ground.

    ¡°She¡¯s my woman. I¡¯ll protect her,<i>¡± </i>he said coolly, his voice like ice<b>. </b>¡°As long as I¡¯m here, no oneys a hand on her.¡±

    Sharon¡¯s voice rose with outrage. ¡°Ian Quinton, you¡¯re her brother<b>. </b>This is incest!¡±

    Ian replied coldly, ¡°We¡¯re not rted by blood.¡±

    That made Sharonugh in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m married to your father. That makes you two step¨Csiblings. Step¨Csiblings are still siblings!¡±

    Ian¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Then we won¡¯t be siblings anymore I never wanted to be her brother in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Sharon snapped.

    ¡°You-¡± Sharon¡¯s chest heaved with fury. Her voice shook. ¡°You¨CYou-¡±

    She stammered for several seconds, too angry to form a full sentence.

    Jan¡¯s voice stayed cold. ¡°Aunt Sharon, your marriage to my dad died a long time ago. You two act civil in public, but behind closed doors? You livepletely separate lives. I¡¯m not wrong, am I?¡±

    Sharon¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    Chapter 496.

    <b>Ian </b><b>let </b><b>out </b>a low chuckle. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve known for a while. I started digging the moment I decided I wanted to be with Mia.¡±

    <b>His </b>voice was calm, even. ¡°You¡¯re having an affair with Mr. Zimmer from <b>ST </b>Corporation. My dad? He¡¯s got a college girl <b>on </b><b>the </b><b>side</b>¨Cand <b>a </b>streamer too.¡±

    Sharon¡¯s pupils dted in disbelief. ¡°When did you find all this out!¡±

    ¡°The second I made up my mind about Mia,¡± Ian said.

    ¡°You investigated your own father and stepmother?¡± Sharon shoed, her face flushed. ¡°We¡¯re your elders!<b>¡± </b>

    ¡°So what if you are?¡± Ian¡¯s eyes turned razor¨Csharp.

    ¡°You-¡± Sharon was left gasping, too furious to speak.

    Just then, the front door opened, and Ian¡¯s father, Lester Quinton, stepped inside.

 His Heart 497

    <b>Lester¡¯s </b>face was dark with tory<b>. </b>

    He said in a low voice ton, <b>¡°</b>Come with me to the sturdy.¡±

    Without sparing him another nce, Lester turned and headed up airs.

    Tan ced both hands on Mia¡¯s shoulders and said gently, ¡°Wait for me.¡±

    Sharon stood off to the side, arms crossed and eyes full of scor.

    Before leaving,n turned to her with a cold, serious gaze. ¡°Aunt Sharon, this started because of me. Don¡¯t take it out on Mia. I¡¯ll take full responsibility.¡±

    Sharon¡¯s face was tight with restrained rage, but she said nothing

    Ian turned back to Mia, his eyes filled with concern as he studied the swelling on her cheek.

    ¡°It¡¯s starting to bruise.¡±

    Tears welled in Mia¡¯s eyes. Seeing her like this maden¡¯s heart clench.

    He quickly called for a housekeeper and asked for ointment. When it arrived, he pressed it gently into Mia¡¯s hand.

    *Put some on, okay?¡±

    She gave a small nod.

    Still worried,n called over Mrs. Collins, the longtime housekeeper who had helped raise him and always treated him kindly. He quietly instructed her to stay with Mia and take good care of her

    Of course, what he really meant was to keep watch¨Cjust in case Sharon tried toy a hand on her again.

    Only then did Ian head to the study.

    Meanwhile, Mia returned to her room with the ointment. Sharon followed her inside and so did Mrs. Collins.

    As Mia began applying the cream to her cheek, Sharon stood nearby, her voice dripping with venom.

    ¡°Mia Carter, have all the men in the world died? You really had to seduce your own brother? Are you that desperate?¡±

    Mia¡¯s tears spilled over again, her heart aching with injustice.

    It had been Ian who confessed his feelings and insisted on being with her. But her own mother hadn¡¯t even bothered to ask what happened.

    She just jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

    ¡°I seduced my brother?¡± Mia let out a bitterugh. ¡°Is that really who you think I am?¡±

    Sharon didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she pulled out a thick envelope from her purse and mmed it onto the table.

    ¡°Take a good look at what these are!¡±

    Mia looked down. Her brows furrowed <b>as </b>she saw a pile of photos.

    They were clearly taken in secret¨Cphotos of her andn at the movies, the amusement park, art museums, restaurants. All the ces they had gone together.

    She picked up the stack and flipped through them. The earliest timestamp went back over a month ago. It was around the time Yvette had asked her <b>to </b>help pursue Ian, and she had turned her down.

    Mia¡¯s expression darkened. The first person who came to mind was Yvette,

    <b>¡°</b>Who gave <b>you </b>these?¡± she asked.

    <b>¡°</b>Don¡¯t worry about who gave them to me!¡± Sharon snapped. ¡°Isi lonk at these disgraceful things you¡¯ve been doing! Still want to pretend you didn¡¯t seduce him?¡±

    There were photos of them hugging, holding hands even kissin

    Mia wiped away her tears, calmly gathered the photos, and gave Staron a long, cold stare

    ¡°If what Ian and I have is seduction, then what would you call your rtionship with Mr. Zinimer from ST Corporation? Did you seduce him too? At least I¡¯m single. What about you? You¡¯re a mathed woman.

    Sharon exploded.

    She raised her hand to p Mia again, but Mrs. Collins rushed over and caught her wrist just in time

    ¡°I¡¯m your mother!¡± Sharon shouted, her voice trembling with rage ¡°How dare you speak to me like that? Do you even respect me as your elder?¡±

    A bitter smile crept across Mia¡¯s lips. Her eyes were full of cold light.

    ¡°Now you remember you¡¯re my mother? You didn¡¯t seem to remember that earlier when you pped me and hurled insults without even bothering to learn the truth. Some ¡®mother¡® you are.

    Meanwhile, Ian spent thirty minutes in the study with Lester.

    Their argument was loud and heated.

    Several loud crashes rang out from behind the door. Lester had smashed more than one object in anger.

    When Ian finally emerged, there was a bleeding cut on his forehead where a porcin teacup had hit him.

    Still, he didn¡¯t stop. He went straight to Mia¡¯s room.

    Sharon was already gone. Mrs. Collins was still there, keeping watch.

    When she saw Ian enter, she gave him a quiet nod and slipped out, closing the door behind her.

    Mia¡¯s eyes widened in rm. ¡°What happened to your head?¡±

    She hurried over, reaching out to touch the wound.

    Ian gently ced his hand over the cheek Sharon had pped. His touch was soft<b>, </b>his eyes filled with pain.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just a scratch. Does your cheek still hurt?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Mia murmured, lowering her gaze. ¡°Not anymore.¡±

    ¡°Did you use the ointment?¡±

    She nodded again. ¡°Yeah, I did.¡±

    on¡¯t want to stay at my ce, I¡¯ll buy you a

    Ian brushed a strand of hair from her face<b>. </b>¡°Mia, let¡¯s move you out of here. If you don¡¯t separate vi. Wherever you¡¯ll feel safe.¡±

    Mia¡¯s eyshes trembled. ¡°What did your dad say?¡±

    ¡°He told me to break up with you. I refused. He was so furious he said he¡¯d cut me off.¡±

    Mia was stunned. She hadn¡¯t expected things to escte that far.

    For his father to threaten to disown him, it must have been a brutal fight. She could only imagine the things Ian had said to push

    274

    BONUS

    <b>him </b><b>that </b>fai

    After a pause, she said dathy. ¡°I¡¯ll me at tong

    Im pave a soft had

    Then is added, 131 etay with won

    tan froze for a second, then smiled ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll get everyong rang

    Mia¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. ¡°Do you think they really get dette? They¡¯ve been married for long, and the finess ana so tangled. Even if they want a divorce, it won¡¯t happen

    Tan gently patted her head. ¡°My dad already agreed¡±

    Mia looked up in shock. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    icky¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±n nodded. ¡°I¡¯m his only son. He doesn¡¯t have much choice<b>. </b>But he did make some conditions.

    ¡°What conditions?¡±

    ¡°First, he wants me to repay the portion of the assets that would go to Aunt Sharon in the divorce

    ¡°Second, I can¡¯t expose either of their affairs.

    Third, you and I can¡¯t go public for at least a year after the divorce<b>¡± </b>

    Mia thought it over. ¡°The second and third are easy enough. Did you agree?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    Her brows furrowed in concern. ¡°But how are you going to handle the first one? Half of your dad¡¯s assets going to my mom is a huge amount. Are you sure you can manage it?¡±

    Ian wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

    ¡°I can handle it,¡± he said softly. ¡°Trust me, Mia. I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡±

 His Heart 498

    <b>Chapter </b><b>498 </b>

    The next day, Megan invited Charlotte out for afternoon tea.

    <b>They </b>agreed to meet at a five¨Cstar hotel.

    When Charlotte arrived<b>, </b>Megan was in the middle of a conversation with Summer. As soon as she saw Charlotte, Megan stood up with a smile. ¡°Lottie, you¡¯re here.¡±

    Charlotte gave a small hum in acknowledgment and nced at Summer beside her.

    Summer pressed her lips together, then stood and extended her hand. ¡°Miss Riley, it¡¯s nice to officially meet you. My name is Summer York. I¡¯m from Stanley City. About what happened on the cruisest time, it was my fault. I want to apologize. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Her voice carried genuine sincerity.

    Stanley City, with the surname York? Charlotte considered the connection for a moment.

    She looked up at her. ¡°Are you the York family¡¯s daughter from Stanley City?¡±

    The Yorks were one of the city¡¯s most prominent families: They had one son and one daughter. The elder son was the president of York Corporation, and Charlotte had seen him at a g not long ago.

    She had always heard of the York family¡¯s daughter, but the girl had spent most of her life overseas and rarely returned. Charlotte had never met her until now.

    Summer nodded. ¡°That¡¯s me. What happenedst time was my fault. I acted too impulsively. After talking things over with Megan, I truly realized my mistake. Miss Riley, will you forgive me?<b>¡± </b>

    Herrge, clear eyes looked straight at Charlotte, filled with anticipation.

    Charlotte took her hand and nodded. ¡°Hello, Miss York. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. You¡¯ve forgiven me!¡± Summer said with a bright smile. ¡°Megan was right. You really are an understanding and easygoing person.¡±

    York Corporation was a Fortune 500pany, and just a few days ago at the g, Summer¡¯s brother<b>, </b>Nichs York, had been in talks with Desmond about a possible partnership. Since the twopanies might work together in the future, Charlotte saw no reason to make an enemy of the York family¡¯s daughter.

    Besides, Summer¡¯s apology felt genuine. She seemed to truly understand her mistake, and with Megan mediating between them, Charlotte decided to give her a chance.

    Charlotte pulled out a chair and sat down.

    The three of them enjoyed afternoon tea with desserts and light conversation.

    At one point, Summer said, ¡°Charlotte, do you know what happened to Thomas? It¡¯s tragic. I heard that right after he got off the cruise ship, he was sent straight to the hospital. He¡¯s been there ever since and hasn¡¯t left. I have a friend who knows him and went to the hospital¨Cthough more to gawk than to offer any realfort. She told me his hand tendons were severed, and the injury damaged both the nerves and the bones. Both of his hands are useless now. He can¡¯t even hold a spoon and has to be fed.¡±

    Charlotte was taken aback. ¡°That bad?¡±

    She genuinely had no idea what had happened to him afterward.

    Megan had mentioned that Sean had him taken away for some ¡°special treatment,¡± but she had never been told exactly what that meant, and she had not asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Summer went on, nodding vigorously. ¡°A friend from the hospital said he <b>was </b>also injured down there. He¡¯ll never be able to perform again. It¡¯s basically chemical castration.

    <b>Chapter </b>498

    As she <b>spoke</b><b>, </b>she gestured toward her lower body.

    Charlotte understood immediately. She gave a smallugh, finding it oddly fascinating<b>. </b>This was <b>the </b>first time she had <b>ever </b>heard of chemical castration. She wondered how Sean¡¯s men had managed it.

    Megan gave her an incredulous look. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sean¡¯s methods are ruthless. He made sure Thomas would never be a man again.¡®

    Summer said coldly, ¡°He had iting. You have no idea how many girls he assaulted in Sterling City. Some were so traumatized they fell into depression and evenmitted suicide

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard bits and pieces,¡± Megan replied. ¡°But never the details¨Conly that his reputation was terrible.¡±

    ¡°Reputation?¡± Summer scoffed. ¡°He didn¡¯t even deserve that word. If it weren¡¯t for his family¡¯s influence, with his father being the third most powerful man in Sterling City, he would have been in prison years ago. The only reason he got away with so much was because his father¡¯s position protected him.¡±

    After she finished, Megan said, ¡°I heard from my dad that just a few days ago, Thomas¡¯s father<b>, </b>Charles, was taken away by the disciplinarymission.¡±

    ¡°That fast?¡± Charlotte asked in surprise.

    ¡°No way, seriously?¡± Summer¡¯s face lit up with delight.

 His Heart 499

    Megan nodded. ¡°If my dad said it, then it¡¯s probably true.¡±

    Summer nced at Charlotte. ¡°It must have been your man who made the move.¡±

    Megan agreed. ¡°<b>I </b>think so too. Thomas picked the wrong person to mess with, especially you. He even made threats. Knowing Sean, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d let that slide. This time, he went all out for you andpletely wiped out the Turner family.¡±

    She didn¡¯t repeat Thomas¡¯s exact words, botte and Summer both remembered. On the cruise, Thomas had said he

    would find someone to destroy her.

    Later, Summer heard from contacts in Sterling City that Thomas ad originally nned to have several men take turns assaulting Charlotte,pletely destroying her, and then post videos and photos online.

    When Summer first heard the n, she was furious. Even though she had had her share of disagreements with Charlotte, she

    and ended up cursing Thomas for hours.

    still couldn¡¯t help feeling a sh of sympathy for hv

    ¡°That is so satisfying!¡± Summer pped her hands in excitement ¡®Sean is amazing. Well done!¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s feelings, however, were far moreplicated.

    After leaving the cruise, she had looked into the Turner family and learned about Charles Turner¡¯s influence in Sterling City, as well as Thomas¡¯s history. Thomas deserved whatever came to him, and Charles had done nothing but shield his son and enable him. It was long overdue for both of them to fall.

    Still, the Turner family¡¯s reach was not to be underestimated. Charlotte worried about Sean bing a target for retaliation.

    Charles might have been taken into custody, but in Sterling City he had plenty of ¡°loyal followers.<b>¡± </b>Corrupt officials and business leaders who had benefitted from him would not take kindly to losing their share, and Sean could very well be their next target.

    Seeing the worry on her face, Megan asked, ¡°You¡¯re worried about Sean? Afraid someone will go after him?¡±

    Charlotte nodded.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to be,¡± Megan said. ¡°Honestly, I think Sean has protected you so well that you don¡¯t fully understand him yet.¡±

    She paused for a moment, then added, ¡°Charlotte, I¡¯m not saying this to criticize you. I¡¯m saying you have no idea how ruthless Sean can be with his enemies. Once he decides to take someone down, he won¡¯t stop until every single person connected to them is dealt with. And his power reaches far beyond what you¡¯ve seen. You really don¡¯t need to worry about him.¡±

    Even so, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy.

    Megan turned to her again. ¡°She¡¯s right, Charlotte. You shouldn¡¯t waste your energy worrying about him. The Turner family isn¡¯t even in his league. If anything, you should be more concerned about yourself. If those people find out Sean went after the Turners because of you<b>, </b>they might go for the easier target. And that would be you.¡±

    The same tactic Joseph Ford had used. If they couldn¡¯t touch Sean, they woulde after her instead?

    Charlotte gave a cold smile. ¡°Let them try. I¡¯m not afraid.¡®

    Petra stood silently at her side, motionless like a statue.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Summer finally noticed her.

    ¡°My personal bodyguard, Petra,¡± Charlotte replied calmly.

    Summer¡¯s lips curved in appreciation. ¡°She looks fierce<b>.</b>¡±

    Megan added, ¡°Petra¡¯s got skills. Last time I was drugged, she took on six

    men at once and knocked every one of them out.¡±

    <b>¡°</b>That¡¯s impressive.¡± Summer¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so fearless. You¡¯ve got a pro watching your back.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°Still<b>, </b>thanks for the warning. I¡¯ll bring more bodyguards with me from now on.¡±

    ¡°Good. You <b>can </b>never be too careful.¡±

    Summer then asked, ¡°By the way, do you know what happened to carmen Long<b>, </b>that woman who was hanging around Thomas? Her ending was pretty satisfying too.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t kept track,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°She posted an apology, p mepensation for emotional distress, and that was thest time I heard anything about her.¡±

 His Heart 500

    Summer said, ¡°After Carmen posted her apology, her followers dropped from eight hundred thousand to just over a hundred thousand. I¡¯m pretty sure arge chunk of those left are fake ounts she bought.

    ¡°Not long after, more and more people starteding forward to expose her. They imed her entire image was fabricated- that she wasn¡¯t actually a wealthy, foreign¨Ceducated socialite at all She was just a gold digger with a surgically enhanced face whotched on to rich men. People also came out with stories of how she used her connections to bully others. I don¡¯t know if

    Sean¡¯s team paid to push the trending topics, but he

    stayed on the hot search list for three days straight.¡±

    She took a sip of her ck tea and added casually, ¡°This morning, saw her ount had been banned. There¡¯s no way she can make a living online anymore.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡°She brought this on herself.¡±

    Summer nodded. ¡°Exactly. She was so used to throwing her weigh around that she never thought she¡¯d meet someone she couldn¡¯t push.¡±

    In the middle of their conversation, Charlotte¡¯s phone rang. It

    was Mia.

    ¡°Mia, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Charlotte asked as she answered.

    Mia¡¯s voice sounded low and subdued. ¡°Lottie, are you busy right now?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Something happened. Can youe and keep mepany?¡±

    ¡°What happened? Where are you? I¡¯lle right away,¡± Charlotte said with concern.

    Mia gave her an address.

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±

    After hanging up, Charlotte turned to Megan and Summer. ¡°My best friend needs me. I¡¯ll have to <b>go</b>. Let¡¯s meet up again next time.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Bye,¡± Megan said.

    ¡°See you next time,¡± Summer added with a wave.

    When Charlotte left, Summer nced at Megan. ¡°Have you really gotten over Sean?¡±

    Megan let out a quiet sigh, a trace of sadness flickering in her eyes. ¡°Notpletely. After all<b>, </b>I loved him for more than seven

    ¡°But I have given up on him. Time will heal years. It takes time to move on.¡± She took a sip of her coffee and went on, everything.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve really thought it through,¡± Summer said. ¡°That¡¯s good. Holding on to someone who will never be yours isn¡¯t healthy. By the way, I have a really good¨Clooking friend. Great background, great looks. Want me to introduce you?¡±

    Megan shook her head with a small, helpless smile. ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about dating right now. If I jump into another rtionship before my heart is ready, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to me or to the other person.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Summer agreed. ¡°Take your time. You¡¯ll move on eventually.¡±

    Megan lowered her gaze and smiled faintly, saying nothing more

    Charlotte soon arrived atn¡¯s private vi. Mia¡¯s eyes were red, like she had just been crying. She told Charlotte everything that had happened the night before.

    Charlotte¡¯s brows drew together, her expression turning serious. ¡°What are you nning to do now?¡±

    <b>Chapter </b><b>500 </b>

    Mia¡¯s shoulders slumped in defeat. n said his father agreed to marriage has been dead for years. The only reason they never divo financial ties to imtangle.¡®

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expectn to be so dependable when it really mattered,¡± father¡¯s losses after the divorce, especially considering the Quinto says a lot about how much he cares about you.¡±

    Mia lowered her gaze and pressed her lips together: ¡°I can feel just

    Mia¡¯s shoulders slumped in defeat. ¡°Ian said his father agreed to the divorce. All I can do now is wait for it to happen. Their marriage has been dead for years. The only reason they never divorced was because there was too much at stake and <b>too </b>many financial ties to untangle.

    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>didn¡¯t expect Ian to be so dependable when it really mattered,<b>¡± </b>Charlotte said. ¡°For him to agree so quickly to cover his father¡¯s losses after the divorce, especially considering the Quinton family¡¯s wealth and that half of the assets is no <b>small </b>sum, says a lot about how much he cares about you.¡±

    Mia lowered her gaze and pressed her lips together: ¡°I can feel just how much he truly cares for me<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>

 His Heart 501

    ¡°Mia<b>, </b>Ian has made it clear he wants <b>to </b>spend his life with you. What about you? How do you feel?¡°.

    ¡°I thought about it all night,¡± Mia said seriously, her eyes full of determination. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. I¡¯m going to <b>stay </b><b>by </b>his side no matter what.¡±

    Just then<b>, </b>Ian returned and happened to hear her words.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear,¡± Ian said, his voice warm with emotion. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve done has been worth it.¡±

    A little whileter, Lena arrived. Charlotte and Lena stayed atn¡¯s ce for the rest of the afternoon<b>, </b>and it was evening by the time they headed home after dinner.

    The next day, Sean took Charlotte to visit the Riley family.

    When Desmond first saw Sean, his expression was dark and unweing. But when Sean asked if they could speak privately, Desmond agreed.

    They went into the tea room and closed the door. Charlotte had no idea what they discussed. All she knew was that it took a long time. From a little after two in the afternoon until dinner, the door remained shut.

    Waiting was agonizing for Charlotte, every minute stretching into what felt like hours.

    When Sean finally came out, his expression was the same as when he went in. Desmond, however, looked noticeably more rxed. That was a good sign.

    It seemed their conversation had gone well.

    ¡°What did you say to my dad?¡± Charlotte asked quietly, pulling Sean aside.

    ¡°A lot,¡± Sean replied. ¡°We talked about Joseph and Vivian, about cooperation between our families, and about some major project approvals for the Riley Corporation. I¡¯ll tell you moreter.

    ¡°So, my dad is fine with us getting back together?¡±

    ¡°More or less,¡± Sean said quietly.

    Charlotte grinned and gave him a thumbs¨Cup. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m heading out now, sweetheart. See you tomorrow.¡± Sean gave her cheek a gentle squeeze.

    ¡°See you tomorrow,<i>¡± </i>she replied with a smile.

    His words eased the nervous flutter in her heart.

    Charlotte walked over to Desmond and called softly, ¡°Dad.¡±

    He looked up at her, his tone unusually warm. ¡°Not angry with me anymore?¡±

    Charlotte pressed her lips together. ¡°No, Dad. I should be the one asking you that. Are you still angry with me? What I said the other day was out of line. You¡¯re my father, and I shouldn¡¯t have spoken to you like that. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Desmond¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°I spoke too harshly too. I owe you an apology for that day as well.¡±

    They reconciled, and Charlotte stayed for dinner that evening.

    After the meal, Desmond spoke to her in a heartfelt tone. ¡°Today, I finally got to know Sean a little better. He truly is a man worth spending your life with. I will not stand in your way anymore. I only opposed him before because <b>you </b>had suffered so much in his family. You were right¨Cnow that Joseph and Vivian have both been brought to justice, no one on the Jasper side can stop you from being together. I have no reason to object.

    ¡°Lottie, all I want is for you to be happy. If you have chosen Sean,

    Her eyes grew misty at his words, emotion rising in her chest. ¡°Da

    ¡°That young man truly cares for you. I saw his determination toda will not interfere again.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Dad,¡± she said through tear¨Cfilled eyes.

    He smiled. ¡°There is no need for thanks between us.¡±

    ¡°Lottie, all I want is for you to be happy. If you have chosen Sean, then you have my blessing.¡±

    Her eyes grew misty at his words, emotion rising in her chest. ¡°Dad,¡± she said, her voice trembling.

    ¡°That young man truly cares for you. I saw his determination today. From now on, the road you two walk will be yours alone. I will not interfere again.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Dad,¡± she said through tear¨Cfilled eyes.

    He smiled. ¡°There is no need for thanks between us.¡¯

 His Heart 502

    With Desmond¡¯s approval, Charlotte and Sean could finally be together openly.

    On Friday afternoon<b>, </b>Sean took Charlotte out for lunch. They went to <b>a </b>Thai restaurant near herw firm, one Jenny had rmended<b>, </b>saying the food was excellent. Charlotte suggested they give it a try.

    The <b>ce </b>was beautifully decorated and located in a busy shopping district. It was Friday, so the restaurant was packed.

    As soon as they stepped inside, a server camo over. ¡°Wee. <b>Table </b>for two?¡±

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Right this way, please,¡± the server said, gesturing for them to follow.

    ¡°Do you have any private rooms?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am, we don¡¯t,¡± the server replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    The server led them toward a table by the window. ¡°How about this spot?¡±

    ¡°This works,¡± Charlotte said.

    ¡°You can scan the QR code on the table to order,¡± the server exined.

    Charlotte pulled out her phone to scan the menu. The prices were surprisingly reasonable, with nothing over $<b>20</b><b>, </b>even for the most expensive dishes.

    Since there were no private rooms, they had to sit in the main dining area. It was crowded and noisy at this hour. Charlotte nced across the table. ¡°It¡¯s a little loud. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes crinkled in a warm smile. ¡°Even if you took me to a food stall on the street, I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Charlotte smiled back. ¡°You said it. Next time, I¡¯m taking you to one.¡±

    Sean¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡°Deal.¡±

    ¡°See anything you want?¡± Charlotte slid the phone across the table to him.

    ¡°Order whatever you like. I¡¯m fine with anything,¡± Sean said.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll choose then.¡±

    She lowered her head and began scrolling through the dishes.

    Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice came from above. ¡°Mr. Jasper, is that really you?¡±

    Charlotte looked up.

    A woman in a white blouse and ck pencil skirt smiled brightly at Sean. She was attractive, with her hair clipped back in a shark clip, looking professional and polished, as if she had juste from work.

    Sean gave her only a brief nod, his expression cool, without saying a word.

    Zoe kept smiling. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Jasper. I¡¯m here with some colleagues.¡±

    Sean let out a short hum of acknowledgment without even ncing at her. His eyes stayed on Charlotte as he said, ¡°Lottie, this is Zoe Gibson, ourpany¡¯s marketing director.¡±

    Charlotte gave a polite nod. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    Sean then introduced her in return. ¡°This is my girlfriend, Charlotte Riley.¡±

    <b>Chapter </b><b>502 </b>

    <b>The </b>smile <b>on </b>Zoe¡¯s face faltered, and her tone dropped slightly. ¡°Hello, Ms. Riley.¡± She gave a quick greeting while openly sizing Charlotte up, a flicker of disdain in her eyes.

    ¡°So this is Mr. Jasper¡¯s girlfriend. Pretty enough, sure, but she has all the makings of a trophy. The type who can reel a man <b>in </b><b>with </b>her looks alone. Men always fall for women like that¨Cnice to show off, but not much substance. What a waste for a trian like Sean to end up with her,¡± she scoffed inwardly.

    Charlotte caught the trace of contempt in Zoe¡¯s gaze, and her own eyes cooled. ¡°Ms. Gibson, is there something you need?¡±

    Annoyance red in Zoe¡¯s chest.

    <b>¡°</b>Who does she think she is? I¡¯m only greeting Mr. Jasper. What business is it of hers? She¡¯s just a pretty face. Once he gets bored, she¡¯ll be out the door. And she actually thinks she can marty into a wealthy family and be some high¨Csociety wife?¡± she thought.

    Still, with Sean sitting right there, Zoe kept her thoughts to herself she put on a fake sinile. ¡°Mr. Jasper, I won¡¯t keep you. Goodbye.¡±

    Sean¡¯s face remained impassive. ¡°Mm.¡±

    Zoe turned away with a polite smile, but the moment her back was to them<b>, </b>it disappeared. In her head, she was already tearing Charlotte apart.

 His Heart 503

    ¡°What¡¯s she so smug about? Sooner orter, Mr. Jasper will dumper,¡± Zoe thought bitterly,

    After Zoe left, Sean immediately noticed that Charlotte¡¯s mood had shifted.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lottie?¡±

    ¡°That woman just now¡­ she seemed to have some kind of strange hostility toward me.¡±

    Sean frowned slightly. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t really looked at Zoe earlier, so he missed the sh of disdain and mockery in her eyes. But Charlotte had caught it.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t exactly look at me in a friendly way,¡± Charlotte said evenly. Then she nced at the man across from her with a faint, teasing smile. ¡°Another one of your admirers?¡±

    Sean looked genuinely confused. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The way she looked at you made it obvious she¡¯s interested.¡±

    Sean¡¯s brows drew together. ¡°She just transferred over from the branch office. We¡¯ve only ever talked about work¨Cnothing more.¡±

    Charlotte gave no clear reaction. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±

    A few dayster, the second trial for Wendy¡¯s case was held.

    As expected, the appeal was rejected. The sentence remained the same¨Cone year in prison.

    Wendy was officially taken into custody and sent to the women¡¯s prison.

    That night, Charlotte went out to a club with a few colleagues to unwind. To her surprise, she ran into Zac.

    They were walking down the hallway, passing a private room. Just then, the door opened and a waiter stepped out.

    Charlotte happened to nce inside and what she saw stopped her in her tracks.

    Zac was wearing the club¡¯s uniform: a crisp white shirt<b>, </b>ck vest, and ck dress pants. He was sitting with a woman in her forties, drinking.

    Ever since the divorce case between Mark and Monica had wrapped up, Charlotte hadn¡¯t seen Zac again.

    By her count, it had been nearly two months. During that time, he had finally kept his distance and stopped bothering her.

    Their eyes met.

    Zac¡¯s face went pale.

    Charlotte¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. She quietly looked away and kept walking with her colleagues toward their reserved suite, chatting as if she hadn¡¯t seen anything at all.

    The suite they had booked wasrge, with separate rooms for karaoke, a game room<b>, </b>a billiards table, and a dining area.

    Jenny and Sophie were belting out songs in the karaoke room. Charlotte, not much of a singer, sat on the sofa with a fruit te, listening.

    Petra sat nearby, absorbed in her phone game.

    In the game room, Scott, Asher, Cynthia, and a newly hired attorney were gathered around a poker table,

    As they yed, Asher¡ªScott¡¯s close friend from college and one of the firm¡¯s partners¨Casked with a knowing look, ¡°So, did

    <b>you </b><b>win </b><b>her </b><b>over </b>yet?¡±

    <b>Asher </b><b>had </b><b>been </b>friends with Scott for years, so of course he knew about his feelings for Charlotte.

    <b>Scott¡¯s </b><b>face </b>stayed impassive as he calmly tossed in a chip. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb,¡± Asher said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯ve managed to win over Ms. Riley yet.¡±

    Asher hadn¡¯t attended Megan¡¯s cruise party and wasn¡¯t part of the same social circle as Megan or Sean Jasper. He had no idea that Charlotte and Sean had already reconciled.

    It wasn¡¯t really his fault. Charlotte never discussed her personal life at the firm, only work

    Since their reconciliation, Sean had visited the firm a few times to see Charlotte. Once the office door closed, no one knew what they talked about. Asher had simply assumed it was work¨Crted

    Cynthia tilted her head, listening intently. She had long suspected Scott¡¯s interest in Charlotte, but it wasn¡¯t her ce to pry. Now that someone else had asked, she was all ears.

    Scott studied his cards without even lifting his eyes. ¡°Why are you asking so many questions?¡±

 His Heart 504

    Asher <b>gave </b><b>a </b>smallugh. ¡°Judging by that reaction, I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t won her over.¡±

    <b>Scott¡¯s </b><b>face </b>stayed unreadable as heid down his card. ¡°When are you and Ali nning to patch things up?¡±

    The smile froze instantly on Asher¡¯s face.

    ¡°Of all the things to bring up, you had to pick that one,¡± he inuttered, his tone suddenly t.

    Scott¡¯s smile was wless. ¡°I learned from the best.

    ¡±

    Alicia had once been an intern under Asher and was also lis

    -girlfriend.

    d dated for a little over six months.

    After earning herw license, Alicia joined another firm. Both of them were always busy, rarely finding time for dates. The less time they spent together, the more the rtionship faded.

    It was Alicia who had ended things, while Asher was the

    who couldn

    He had been trying to win her back ever since, but it had all been in vain

    Scott¡¯s question was enough to shut him up.

    Jenny and Sophie were karaoke fanatics, and both of them could actually sing. From the moment they sat down<b>, </b>they hadn¡¯t

    stopped.

    Charlotte stayed for a while, then got up to use the restroom inside the suite.

    The suite had separate men¡¯s and women¡¯s restrooms, but the women¡¯s

    Was

    upied.

    She had no choice but to step out into the hallway to use thedies room outside.

    After finishing, Charlotte rounded a corner¨Conly to be yanked aside without warning.

    A wave of alcohol hit her.

    She frowned in disgust and looked up to see Zac, his face flushed, eyes ssy and unfocused.

    Charlotte pulled her hand free and red coldly at him. ¡°Move<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Charlotte, have you been doing okaytely?¡± His gaze on her was almost obsessive.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing just fine without you bothering me,¡± she said, her voice sharp.

    At that, his lips curved into a bitter smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re doing great without me.¡±

    He was standing in her way<b>, </b>blocking the hall. Charlotte¡¯s face hardened, and she shoved him aside, ready to leave.

    But Zac suddenly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Lottie, don¡¯t go. Can¡¯t you just talk to me for a minute? I¡¯ve missed you so much these past

    weeks.¡±

    Charlotte lowered her gaze to where his hand gripped her. ¡°Let go.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Not only did Zac refuse, but his grip tightened. He even leaned in, trying to kiss her.

    Charlotte turned her head away and, without hesitation, pped him hard across the face.

    The sharp crack echoed, leaving a red mark blooming on his cheek

    <b>¡°</b>Zac Gibson, don¡¯t disgust me.¡±

    ?

    <b>The </b><b>p </b><b>seemed </b><b>to </b><b>sober </b>him slightly, but he still wouldn¡¯t let go of her wrist.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t waste another word. She angled her other hand into a sharp strike to the bone of his forearm<b>. </b>

    She didn¡¯t hold back. Pain shot through him, draining the color from his face, and his reflex was to let go.

    Charlotte shoved him aside.

    20

    He <b>was </b>already unsteady from the alcohol, and her push made him stumble, nearly falling to the floor.

    Without a nce back, she walked past him.

    ¡°Lottie¡­¡± Zac¡¯s voice was pained as he called after her.

    Her pace never slowed. She didn¡¯t turn around once.

    Back in the suite, Jenny leaned over. ¡°Charlotte, why do you look so upset?¡±

    ¡°Just ran into a creep.¡±

    Jenny¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What creep? What happened?¡±

 His Heart 505

    <b>Chapter </b><b>505 </b>

    <b>Charlotte </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>want <b>to </b>say more. <b>¡°</b>Let¡¯s not talk about him. <b>It¡¯ll </b>in <b>my </b><b>mood</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>Sophie </b>nced over. <b>¡°</b>Charlotte, are you okay?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression was slightly tense<b>, </b>but she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.

    Sophie and Jenny exchanged a look and, with unspoken agreement didn¡¯t press further.

    Jenny looped her arm through Charlotte¡¯s and gave it a yful shake. <b>¡°</b>Charlotte, I just sang a song and Sophie said I was <b>off- </b>key. I don¡¯t believe her. I¡¯m going to sing it again¨Cyou be the judge<b>. </b>Tell me if I was really off<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    She was clearly trying to change the subject, hoping to take Charlotte¡¯s mind off what had just happened.

    Charlotte¡¯s expression softened, and she gave a faint smile. ¡°All right, let¡¯s hear it.¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡±

    To make Charlotteugh, Jenny deliberately sang off¨Ckey<b>, </b>even changing her tone so the song sounded nothing like before. What should have been a perfectly fine tune ended up sounding more like a grade school poetry recital.

    Charlotte caught on to Jenny¡¯s intention. Warmth spread through her chest, and she yed along,ughing heartily

    Before long, her bad mood hadpletely lifted. With Jenny coaxing her, she even had two drinks.

    When the night came to an end, they all walked out together.

    In the open¨Cair parking lot in front of the club, Scott walked over, His

    full of concern.

    ¡°Lottie, you¡¯ve been drinking. You shouldn¡¯t drive. Let me take you home.¡®

    <b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte had only had fruit wine with a very low alcohol content. Two sses were nowhere near enough to get her drunk.

    Her gaze was clear as she politely declined. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Lucas, but I¡¯m going back with Petra. She hasn¡¯t been drinking, so she can drive.¡±

    Next to her, Petra jingled her car keys with a smile.

    Scott¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He gave a small nod. ¡°All right. Just be careful on the road.¡®

    ¡°Mm,¡± Charlotte replied.

    ¡°Call me when you get home,¡± Scott suddenly added.

    Charlotte looked at him, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. ¡°Call you? Do you have something you need to tell me? If <b>so</b>, you can just say it now.¡±

    His gaze softened. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. I just want to know you got home safe.¡±

    Charlotte was silent for a moment.

    ¡°Mr. Lucas, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary,<i>¡± </i>she said seriously. ¡°<b>I </b>have a boyfriend. When I get home, I¡¯ll call him to let him know I¡¯m safe. I¡¯m sorry, but he¡¯s the jealous type, and I don¡¯t want to do anything that might upset him. So¡­ let¡¯s skip the call,

    okay?¡±

    Her voice was gentle, but the wordsnded like a knife in Scott¡¯s chest.

    He lowered his gaze, his eyes dimmer than the yellow glow of the streemp beside them.

    <b>¡°</b>I understand,¡± he said quietly, his voice so soft the breeze almost carried it away.

    Charlotte nodded. ¡°Goodnight, Mr. Lucas.¡±

    <b>Goodnight</b>.¡±

    <b>She </b>

    turned <b>and </b>walked away.

    <b>Scott stood </b><b>there </b>watching her walk away, the

    sadness in

    his eyes

    ngering long

    <b>after </b>

    <b>she </b>was gone.

    The white McLaren pulled out of the lot and disappeared down the street.

    Beside him, someone let out a quiet sigh.

    Asher patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s

    ¡®s time to find someone ? else.

    chasing after her like this isn¡¯t doing you any favors.¡±

    Scott stayed silent and walked straight toward his Maybach.

    ¡°What a

    stubborn yet somehow he¡¯s

    Ms. Riley

    clearly doesn¡¯t

    feel the same

    way<b>, </b>and

    guy,¡± Asher muttered

    a

    under his breath.

    true. hopeless romantic. I

    guess it¡¯s

    of that ¡°Such a waste

    perfect face.

    -what

    have always seems the you can¡¯t

    He

    was born be a

    to

    heartbreaker,

    most

    tempting.¡±

 Gold 506

    A few dayster, another case involving Jasper Corporation went to trial.

    That morning, Sean had flown to Stanley City to attend an important international business summit. The earliest he return to Jersey City would be the following afternoon, so he had no way of sitting in on Charlotte¡¯s trial.

    Charlotte was highly capable and had prepared thoroughly. By the time she walked out of the courthouse, she carrie with quiet confidence, her mood clear and buoyant.

    She checked the time¨Chalf past eleven. Sean was probably busy right now.

    She missed him. She wanted to call, to hear his voice. But she resisted the urge. She didn¡¯t want to disturb his work.

    Today she had taken the Porsche Panamera, the most low¨Ckey and inexpensive car in the garage. It was still a luxury car, but at least it didn¡¯t look so over the top.

    As usual, Petra was driving.

    The stretch of road leading to theirw firm was notorious for heavy traffic, and at midday rush hour it was even worse. Cars were crawling along at a snail¡¯s pace.

    Suddenly, out of nowhere, an elderly man copsed right in front of Charlotte¡¯s car.

    Running him over had been impossible, but she had no choice except to get out and check.

    Just as she reached for the door handle, a thought crossed her mind. She looked up at Petra. ¡°Is the dashcam on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on.¡±

    Charlotte considered for a moment. ¡°Petra,e with me. Bring your phone and record everything.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Charlotte got out to see what had happened.

    The man¡¯s hair was white, and he looked to be in his seventies or eighties. His body was thin to the point of frailty, his face sallow and drawn.

    His eyes were closed, his face contorted in pain, and low groans escaped his lips. He looked genuinely unwell, not like someone faking an ident.

    Charlotte didn¡¯t dare move him for fear of causing further harm. Instead, she called 911<b>. </b>

    The ambnce arrived quickly and rushed him to the hospital. Charlotte and Petra went along.

    After emergency treatment, the man pulled through. The doctor exined that he had suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. Luckily, they had gotten him to the hospital in time. A dy of even a few minutes could have been fatal.

    Soon, the man¡¯s family arrived¨Ca middle¨Caged couple, both around fifty, and a man in his twenties. The middle¨Caged man was clearly the patient¡¯s son.

    At first, the son seemed polite enough. ¡°Thank you for bringing my father to the hospital. Miss, could we talk somewhere <b>else</b><b>? </b>It¡¯s crowded and noisy here.¡±

    Curious about his true intentions, Charlotte agreed. ¡°All right.¡±

    The man¡¯s wife and son followed silently <b>as </b>the group walked out of the hospital <b>to </b>a more open area.

    Charlotte nced around discreetly. There were no security cameras. She switched on <b>her </b>phone¡¯s recording function.

    Once <b>they </b>were <b>outside</b><b>, </b>the man¡¯s polite <b>mask </b><b>slipped</b>. <b>Faced </b><b>with </b>the woman who <b>had </b>just helped save his <b>father¡¯s </b><b>life</b><b>, </b><b>he </b><b>didn¡¯t </b><b>offer </b>thanks. Instead<b>, </b><b>he </b><b>gave </b>her a strange <b>look</b>, <b>his </b>tone <b>equally </b>strange.

    He lifted his chin slightly, his expression cold, arrogant, and edged with disdain. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who brought my father to the hospital?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Charlotte replied.

    Her brows furrowed. From his attitude, she could already guess where this was going.

    And she was right. His next words were, ¡°You¡¯re the one who pushed him, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s expression turned subtly wry, as if to say, I knew it.

    A glint of mockery shed in her eyes. She gave a cool smile and shook her head. ¡°No. Your father fell on his own. No one pushed him.¡±

 Gold 507

    ¡°Still denying it? My father is in great shape. He is in his seventies and still does chores around the house. If you had not pushed him, how could he suddenly fall while walking down the street?¡±

    Then he hit her with what he clearly thought was a ssic line.

    <b>¡°</b>If you did not push him, why would you help him up?¡± His expression twisted into something downright vicious.

    Charlotte let out a short, incredulousugh.

    ¡°The doctor said your father had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. He is still lying in the ICU, and you have not sho nash concern for him. All you can think about is staging a fake ident. You really are a wonderful son.¡±

    ¡°Spare me the nonsense,¡± the man snapped, holding up three fingers. ¡°Three million for medical bills, plus nutrition

    Charlotte¡¯s lips curved into a cold smile. Her reply was just two words. ¡°Keep dreaming.¡±

    ¡°You hurt someone and still have the nerve to act righteous? Three million is already a bargain,¡± the woman beside him out in.¡± You should¨Cbe grateful my father¨Cinw pulled through. If he had not, three million would not evene close. You would be facing prison time.¡±

    ¡°Prison? Fine. Go ahead and call the police. Hurry up. Let them handle it.¡± Charlotte sat down on a nearby bench<b>, </bpletely

    calm.

    The man¡¯s eyes shifted. ¡°If you cannot manage three million, we can do two.¡±

    Charlotte looked at him with amusement. ¡°Oh, so you just knocked off a million like that. How generous. Why not make it one ny¨Cnine? You know, like those cheap store prices that match your ss.<b>¡± </b>

    The man¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡±

    Charlotte smiled. ¡°It means you are cheap. Obviously. Could you really not figure that out?¡±

    ¡°You bitch. How dare you insult me.¡± The man lunged at her, ready to swing.

    Petra¡¯s foot shot out, mming into his midsection and sending him sprawling.

    He had not expected a woman to hit that hard. Clutching his stomach, he groaned as he tried to get up.

    ¡°Honey, are you okay?¡± the woman rushed over to help him.

    ¡°You dare hit my dad? I will kill you!¡± the young man in his twenties shouted, charging forward.

    Petra¡¯s eyes flickered with boredom.

    Her look seemed to say, ¡°Seriously? Any lowlife thinks they can take me on?¡±

    Back when she was an assassin, her targets had been formidable, skilled fighters who were worth the challenge. Later, when she switched to working as a bodyguard for royalty and dignitaries, she regrly faced assassins in gunfights and hand¨Cto- handbat, each encounter intense and exhrating. She thrived on it.

    But ever since she had started working for Charlotte, she had been dealing with nothing but idiots. Not a single worthy opponent in sight. It had been far too long since she had a proper fight.

    The young man charged at her, and within seconds Petra had him on the ground, groaning in pain.

    Seeing both her husband and son down, the woman was furious. She pointed at them and barked, ¡°You dare attack people in broad daylight? Do you have any respect for thew? I am calling the police to have you arrested. If you are smart, you will pay our medical expenses and I will drop it. If not, get ready to spend time in jail.¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s smile was bright and unbothered. ¡°Call them. Go ahead.¡±

    The woman gritted her teeth and pulled out her phone. ¡°Do not regret it.¡±

    Charlotte just smiled without answering.

    Momentster, the woman dialed 911.

    ¡°What are you doing? Why are you calling the police?¡± the man baked, panic creeping into his voice.

    Now he was nervous.

    Charlotte stood off to the side, watching the show.

 Gold 508

    The woman called the police, and they arrived quickly..

    After hearing both sides of the story, the officer turned to the family of three. ¡°This is a civil dispute involving alleged personal injury. It is outside our jurisdiction. If you wantpensation, you will need to file a civilwsuit.¡±

    Realizing she was not going to get any money this way, the woman shot Charlotte a re. ¡°If you do not pay, we will take you to court.¡±

    ¡°Go right ahead,¡± Charlotte said with a faint smile. ¡°But before that, I have something to report.¡±

    She took out her phone and tapped to y an audio recording. ¡°Officer, I would like to file a criminalnt The attempting extortion. That falls under your jurisdiction, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it does,¡± the officer said, taking the phone to listen.

    The recording captured the entire exchange of the family demanding three million from her.

    ¡°I also have video,¡± Charlotte added, ncing at Petra. ¡°Petra, show them the video you took earlier.¡±

    Petra opened the file and handed the phone to the officer.

    The footage showed Charlotte getting out of her car to check on the elderly man lying in the road. It had been recording from the moment she stepped out, through the trip to the hospital, and even captured the doctor stating that the patient had suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage.

    ¡°I have proof that I was just a bystander who happened to help an elderly man to the hospital,¡± Charlotte told the officer. ¡°I did not push him as they im. The first thing they did was demand three million in medical fees. Even if I had pushed him, which I did not, the amount they are asking for is outrageous. This is extortion.¡±

    In the end, Charlotte, Petra, and the family of three were all taken to the station to give statements.

    With the evidence in hand, the police officially opened a criminal investigation for extortion.

    At six¨Cthirty, just as dinner time arrived, Charlotte received a message from Sean.

    He told her he had just finished work and described in detail everything he had done at the summit that day.

    At the end, he added three simple words: ¡°I miss you.¡±

    Seeing them, Charlotte smiled, her eyes softening. Those three words instantly swept away the bad mood left by her unpleasant

    encounter earlier.

    She typed back, ¡°I miss you too<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    Almost immediately, Sean started a video call.

    His impossibly handsome face appeared on the screen, his gaze warm and intense, filled with fond tenderness. ¡°Lottie, have you eaten yet?¡±

    <b>¡°</b>I just did. You?¡±

    ¡°I just finished up and was about to eat.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡± Charlotte smiled gently into the camera. ¡°I missed you a lot today.¡±

    ¡°So did I.<b>¡± </b>

    Charlotte began telling him about what had happened earlier. ¡°You know what? On my way back to the office after court today,

    someone tried to run a scam on me.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It was¡­¡±

    She had just started to exin when a woman¡¯s voice came from Sean¡¯s side of the line.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper, the restaurant is ready. Everyone is waiting for you.¡±

    The voice sounded familiar.

    Charlotte swallowed back the rest of what she had been about to <i>say </i>and smiled lightly. ¡°Go have dinner first. We can tonight.¡±

    ¡°All right. I have a few more things to take care of after dinner, so will call you around ten.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    After hanging up, Charlotte reyed the moment in her mind. The voice sounded like the woman they had run into at the

    restaurant the other day when she and Sean had gone out to eat.

 Gold 509

    <b>Chapter </b>509

    It was Zoe Gibson. She was the same woman who had looked at her with barely concealed hostility.

    The realization made Charlotte¡¯s expression turn cold.

    By ten o¡¯clock that night, Charlotte picked up her phone right on time.

    Sean still had not called.

    There was no message either.

    Theirst exchange was still from dinner time, when she had replied, ¡°I miss you too.¡±

    Fresh out of the shower, her hair blow¨Cdried, she sat on the sofa in a whitece nightdress, her expression shadowed as she stared at the phone screen.

    Ten minutester, she opened her contacts and dialed Sean¡¯s number.

    The call did not go through right away. It rang until it was almost about to disconnect automatically before someone finally picked up.

    ¡°Are you done with work?¡± Charlotte asked.

    ¡°Is this Miss Riley?¡± A woman¡¯s voice answered instead.

    Charlotte¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line, her brows drawing together.

    That voice was the same one she had heard earlier that afternoon.

    It was Zoe.

    ¡°Why do you have his phone?¡± Charlotte¡¯s tone turned cold. ¡°Where is Sean? Put him on.¡±

    Zoe let out a slow, almostzyugh. ¡°Miss Riley, Mr. Jasper is a little busy right now. He¡¯s in the shower.¡±

    Before Charlotte could respond, Zoe hung up.

    In that instant, heat surged through Charlotte, blinding in its fury. Her hands trembled so badly she could barely hold the phone.

    Thest time she had run into Zoe at the restaurant, she had already told Sean that the woman seemed to have an inexplicable hostility toward her.

    Now Sean had gone to Stanley City and taken Zoe with him.

    And he had not even mentioned it.

    Charlotte tried to reason with herself. Staff assignments and transfers within Jasper Corporation were not something Sean needed to report to her. Perhaps he had not thought much of it.

    But how was she supposed to exin Zoe answering his phone?

    In that moment, Charlotte could no longer control her emotions.

    <b>She </b>trusted Seanpletely. She trusted his feelings for her and his character, and she knew he would never betray her. However, the simple fact that Zoe could answer his phone, whether it was a misunderstanding or not, was something she could

    not <b>ept</b>.

    It was not even about betrayal. She simply could not stand the idea of Zoe answering Sean¡¯s phone and speaking to her in that smug<b>, </b>taunting tone.

    Charlotte immediately called back.

    Chapter 509.

    The call was rejected.

    She called again, only to find the line was now busy.

    The call was cut off.

    ¡°Had he blocked me?¡± Charlotte wondered.

    She forced herself to hold back the overwhelming surge of anger. She made a video call to Sean.

    To her surprise, the call went through.

    But before she could say a word, she heard a man¡¯s rough, heavy breathing on the other end.

    Her mind went nk for a split second, the sound exploding in her ears.

    She knew Sean¡¯s breathless, desireced breathing all too well.

    Listening to that low, ragged sound, Charlotte¡¯s face went white. A cold wave crashed through her as her blood seemed to surge straight to her skull.

    Then, a woman¡¯s voice broke through, breathy and drawn out.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ Mr. Jasper, slow down¡­ ah, it hurts¡­ ah¡­ Mr. Jasper, please, take it easy¡­¡±

    Zoe¡¯s voice was both coy and sultry,ced with little gasps.

    Charlotte couldn¡¯t stand to listen any longer.

    With trembling fingers, she pressed the button to hang up.

 Gold 510

    In the presidential suite on the top floor of a luxury hotel in Stanley City, Zoe was dressed in a ckce slip dress and ck stockings.

    <b>Her </b>hair was twisted into a low bun over her left shoulder, with one loose strand falling across her chest. She looked sultry, alluring, and deliberately seductive.

    Despite her morous appearance, she was bound hand and foot, a gag stuffed in her mouth. Her tear¨Cfilled eyes and muffled whimpers painted a picture of disheveled humiliation.

    Only about ten minutes earlier, Zoe had used a room card she had stolen from Sam to slip into Sean¡¯s penthouse suite without permission.

    The bathroom light was on, and the sound of running water drifted out.

    Sean was in the shower, his phone sitting on the counter outside.

    When Zoe walked over, she saw an iing call sh across the screen. The contact name was saved as the affectionate¡± Lottie.¡±

    She remembered thest time she had run into Sean at a restaurant, when he had introduced the woman with him as his girlfriend, Charlotte Riley.

    It was obvious that the ¡°Lottie¡± calling now was Charlotte.

    Driven by jealousy, Zoe answered the call, deliberately using her words to provoke Charlotte and make her believe she and Sean were in a hotel room together.

    Afterward, Charlotte called several more times. Zoe ignored them all, eventually blocking her number entirely.

    She dared to pull such a stunt because she had already drugged Sean. The effects should have kicked in by now. She calcted that when he came out of the shower and saw her dressed like this, his desire would only intensify. Alone together, she expected sparks to fly.

    Once she slept with him, the damage would be done, and Sean would have no choice but to take responsibility. If she was lucky enough to get pregnant, she would secure her ce as the future Mrs. Jasper. Charlotte would be out of the picture entirely.

    Zoe was not worried about Sean firing her in anger afterward.

    She was the only daughter of the influential Gibson family in Stanley City. Her father¡¯s business empire was worth more than she could spend in several lifetimes. She did not need a paycheck.

    She had joined Jasper Corporation for one reason: to pursue Sean.

    Through her father¡¯s connections, shended a job at the Stanley City branch. After working there for two months, she bribed a senior executive at headquarters to have her transferred.

    Jasper Corporation was massive, and as its president, Sean was far too busy to concern himself with staffing changes.

    Even though they had crossed paths briefly at a cocktail party months ago, he had forgotten her face almost immed had no idea she had joined thepany with ulterior motives.

    <b>He </b>

    After blocking Charlotte¡¯s number, Zoe was giddy with satisfaction, already imagining the scene that would unfold when Sean stepped out of the bathroom and took her to bed.

    A few minutester, Sean emerged.

    He was wearing a gray bathrobe, the front slightly open to reveal the skin of his chest.

    As she had predicted, the drug seemed to be taking effect. His skin was tinged with an unnatural flush<b>, </b>his eyes heavy with lust.

    His breathing was quick and uneven,ced with heat that made Zo¡¯s knees weaken.

    ¡°What are you doing here? Get out!¡± Sean¡¯s expression turned to fee the moment he saw her, his voice sharp with anger,

    Zoe forced herself to walk toward him, trying to wrap her arins around him, but he shoved her hard to the floor.

    She was still holding his phone, although Sean had not noticed it in that moment.

    Lying on the floor, Zoe looked up at him. He did not spare her another nce. His tone was cold andmanding as he ordered

    her to get out.

 Gold 511

    Chapter <b>511 </b>

    Just then, Charlotte¡¯s video call came through.

    Zoe nced down at the screen, and a n instantly took shape inner mind..

    She epted the call, turned off her camera, and lunged toward Sean, trying to wrap her arms around him.

    With the phone angled away, Sean couldn¡¯t see the video interface and he was in no state to notice what she was holding. As she pressed herself against him, the microphone caught the sound of his heavy, uneven breathing.

    Just as Zoe was about to fall into his arms, Sean shoved her away.

    She let out a breathy moan, mixing it with pained gasps. ¡°Mmm¡­Mr. Jasper, slow down¡­ ah, it hurts¡­ ah¡­ Mr. Jasper, please, take it easy¡­¡±

    The pain was real, but she masked it with sultry, suggestive tones. It was all for Charlotte¡¯s benefit¨Cto make her think Sean was with another woman, to make her jealous, furious, and lose herposure.

    Charlotte hung up almost immediately.

    At that moment, Sean noticed the phone in Zoe¡¯s hand and realized it was his. He snatched it away and saw the recently ended video call. His gaze turned ice¨Ccold, almost murderous.

    He called back, but a pop¨Cup appeared: ¡°This user isn¡¯t in your <b>contacts</b>. Video call unavable.¡±

    Charlotte had blocked him.

    Sean¡¯s eyes darkened, burning with violent fury.

    ww

    Zoe still refused to leave. Disgusted, Sean wouldn¡¯t even touch her. He called Sam and told him toe up immediately and throw her out.

    The drug was hitting Sean hard now, heat surging through his veins and threatening to burn away what little control he had left.

    Beside him, Zoe kept up her act, moaning and trying to tempt him. In the minutes before Sam arrived, she stripped down to her underwear, doing everything she could to entice him.

    Sean didn¡¯t spare her a nce. Instead, he grabbed a fruit knife from the table and, without hesitation<b>, </b>sliced into his own palm.

    The sharp pain cut through the haze, giving him a shred of rity.

    When Sam rushed in, he froze at the sight of Zoe in nothing but her bra and panties. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Jasper. This was a serious failure on my part,¡± Sam stammered.

    Inside, he was panicking. ¡°Heaven help me. She actually drugged the boss and tried to crawl into his bed. This is it¨CI¡¯m dead,¡± he thought nervously.

    Sean¡¯s skin was flushed, his eyes zed with both heat and rage.

    ¡°Get her out of here. Now,¡± he barked.

    Sam¡¯s gaze flicked to Sean¡¯s left hand, and his pulse spiked.

    Blood dripped steadily from Sean¡¯s fingertips, staining a patch of the cream¨Ccolored carpet. In his right hand, he still held the fruit knife, its de smeared with fresh red. The sight was chilling

    Sam realized instantly what had happened. Sean had been drugged and had deliberately cut himself to fight off the effects, using pain to keep control.

    In that moment<b>, </b>Sam was already mentally picking out his own burial plot.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Yes</b><b>, </b><b>sir</b><b>,</b>¡± <b>he </b>said quickly. Without another word, he grabbed a clean bath towel from the bathroom, threw it over Zoe¡¯s shoulders, and hoisted her up.

    He didn¡¯t dare speak again as he carried her quickly out of the room

    Sean leaned back against the sofa, tilting his head toward the ceiling. The fire burning in his body was close to consuming what <b>was </b>left of <b>his </b>reason.

    Under his breath, almost without realizing it, he murmured, ¡°Lott¡­ Lottie¡­¡±

 Gold 512

    Sean¡¯s personal doctor was staying in a guest room downstairs, and Sam had already called him over.

    The doctor hurried in with his medical kit. One look at Sean¡¯s condition drained the color from his face. His hands shook <b>as </b>he gave Sean an injection.

    Meanwhile, Sam dragged Zoe out and told a female hotel staff member to find her some clothes. Once she was dressed, he had her escorted straight to the police station.

    When that was done, Sam rushed back upstairs to check on Sean.

    ¡°How is he, Doctor?¡± Sam asked nervously.

    Wiping the sweat from his brow, the doctor took a moment to steady his breathing before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what drug was used, so I can¡¯t prescribe the precise antidote yet. I¡¯ve given him something to relieve the symptoms for now. His condition is stable for the moment, but he needs to get to a hospital immediately. We can¡¯t dy.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll take him there now,¡± Sam said.

    An hourter, Sean finally woke up. Lying in the hospital bed, his face was pale.

    Sam stood at his side, head lowered, giving his report. ¡°Mr. Jasper, this was my mistake. Whatever punishment you decide, I¡¯ll ept. Just please¡­ don¡¯t fire me. I can¡¯t lose this job.¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze was cold. ¡°How did she get into my room?¡±

    Sam lowered his head even further, his voice dropping. ¡°About twenty minutes before it happened, I ran into Zoe in the lobby. She was in a rush and bumped into me. Your room key was in the pocket of my jacket, and I think she stole it then.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice the card was missing right away?¡± Sean¡¯s tone was dangerously low.

    A chill ran down Sam¡¯s spine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. That was my oversight.¡±

    ¡°Where is she now?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s already been taken to the police station.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°Cut off all cooperation with ZH Corporation<b>. </b>Begin preparations to acquire them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°As for you¡­¡± Sean¡¯s gaze sharpened.

    Sam didn¡¯t dare breathe, his stomach twisting with unease.

    ¡°Pay cut. Demotion. You¡¯ll handle the termination with ZH Corporation personally, and I don¡¯t want to see you again until it¡¯s done,¡± Sean said coldly.

    Relief washed over Sam. At least it was only a pay cut and a demotion<b>, </b>not a termination.

    Bowing his head, he answered respectfully, ¡°Understood, sir.¡±

    Sean¡¯s expression remained like ice. ¡°Cancel tomorrow¡¯s entire schedule. Take me to the airport now. I¡¯m City.¡±

    back to Jersey

    Charlotte had blocked him. He had no way to reach her.

    He couldn¡¯t wait until tomorrow. He had to exin now. He couldn¡¯t let her go to bed angry. If he waited until his business was

    done the next <b>day</b>, she might break up with him.

    This wasn¡¯t a small matter. He was afraid of losing her again.

    <b>¡°</b>Yes, sir. I¡¯ll arrange it right away,¡± Sam replied.

    After Charlotte ended the video call, her whole body shook uncontrobly. She blocked every way Sean could contact her.

    Rage churned in her chest, her frustration hitting a breaking point

    She tried to distract herself¨Creading, watching a drama, ying games, even tackling work¨Cbut no matter what she did, unwanted images kept shing through her mind.

    <b>X </b>

 Gold 513

    <b>The </b>sounds of a man¡¯s ragged breathing and a woman¡¯s breathy moans kept echoing in Charlotte¡¯s ears. She was going <b>crazy</b>.

    She tried everything <b>she </b>could think of to distract herself but the fire inside her refused <b>to </b>die down. If anything<b>, </b><b>it </b>burned hotter.

    The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She took Sean¡¯s number off her block list, ready to call and start a fight. She had even prepared exactly what she was going to say to him.

    To her surprise, his phone was turned off. The audacity of it made her blood boil.

    Zoe had just deliberately provoked her, and she had blocked him in a fit of rage after hearing those sounds.

    And now, of all times, he had the nerve to turn his phone off.

    ¡°Fine, Sean Jasper. You had better not regret it,¡± she fumed inwardly.

    Seething, Charlotte climbed into bed and forced herself to try to sleep. But no matter how she tossed and turned, she couldn¡¯t.

    Three hourster, a ck Cullinan stopped outside the vi.

    Sean stepped out and strode up to the door, covering the distance in a few long steps before ringing the bell.

    It was Petra who answered. Her expression froze in surprise when she saw him standing there.

    From that reaction alone, Sean could tell she had no idea what had happened between him and Charlotte tonight. Which meant Charlotte hadn¡¯t told her.

    ¡°Good. That would make things easier,¡± Sean thought.

    ¡°Mr. Jasper? What brings you here?¡± Petra asked.

    ¡°I came back to surprise Lottie,¡± he replied smoothly.

    Petra didn¡¯t think much of it and let him in.

    ¡°Is she asleep?¡± Sean asked as they walked inside.

    ¡°She should be.¡±

    They stopped outside Charlotte¡¯s bedroom door.

    ¡°That¡¯s all for now. You can go rest,¡± Sean said quietly.

    Petra nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll turn in.¡±

    Sean knocked on Charlotte¡¯s bedroom door.

    Charlotte, who had been lying awake, immediately sat up. Thinking Petra needed something, she slid on her slippers and opened the door.

    The sight of that strikingly handsome face froze her in ce.

    Then the anger she had just managed to suppress red up again.

    ¡°Lottie, it¡¯s me,¡± Sean said quickly, his tone urgent. ¡°I came to apologize and exin.¡±

    She gave a coldugh and started to close the door. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear it.¡±

    Sean caught the door with his hand, speaking faster. ¡°Lottie, listen to me. Nothing happened between me and Zoe.¡±

    <b>Her </b>eyes were icy, her voice colder still. ¡°Leave. I don¡¯t want to hear your excuses<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>

    <b>He </b>stepped sideways into the room, shutting the door behind him in one swift motion, he wrapped an arm around her waist, turned her<b>, </b>and pressed her back against the door.

    ¡°Lottie, don¡¯t send me away.¡± His deep, husky voice carried a note of pleading. ¡°I flew back just to apologize. You should at least hear me out before passing judgment. You can¡¯t just sentence me to death right away.¡±

    She let out another coldugh. ¡°Then talk.¡±

    Sean got straight to the point, telling her everything from start to finish.

    By the time he was done, her fury had cooled¨Cthough notpletely.

    ¡°I came back just to apologize and exin,¡± he said.

    Her lips curved into a frosty smile. ¡°You may be spared the death sentence, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re walking away unpunished.¡±

    His voice softened, his gaze warm with affection. ¡°Alright. Tell me what you want me to do.¡±

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!