AUTHOR’S POVIt only took the briefest moment, as everyone remained still with visible shock at what Charlotte had done to herself, before chaos ensued.“Charlotte!” Noah called out in a yell as he watched his sister fall the ground again.Unsheathed panic streamed through his blood vessels as he tried to writhe out from the guards holding him to get to her, but every struggle turned useless as they held him in place and he could only wail.Liam, however, had frozen with a bolt of shock.He hadn’t expected that.That she could ever pull off self-harm to protect someone she loved.Yes, he’d known things about Charlotte in the years they were married, and he wouldn’t deny that she was kind and selfless but hurting herself because of a loved one.Willingly embracing death to save her kin…it was new to him. And for the first time, he felt totally discombobulated, and afraid.“Let me go!” Noah’s determination to get to his sister was still unfettering as the bodyguards resilience in lettin
NATHANIt took me a few seconds to regain my self after the bombshell dropped.“Tony really confessed.” I said more to myself than Dan but I heard him hum.“Who is she?” I asked, my brows furrowing with attentiveness and briefly one name stood at the back of my mind.Charlotte.“Do you remember Wendy Chandler?” Dan asked in reply and my brows furrowed even more.The Chandler name wasn’t a strange one, as they were one of the influential families in the country.Third only to the Windsors and Hamiltons.So, of course, I knew who that woman was and I face palmed myself, groaning loudly.As if sensing my dread, Dan spelt out who she was clearly. “She was the girl that mistakenly entered your room that night, five years ago…and to further repeat Tony’s confession, the woman you slept with.”“Fucking hell.” I cussed, gritting my jaw so hard it hurt. “This must be a joke.”While I didn’t remember that night in clear details, there was no way I could forget my encounter with Wendy.Daughter
NATHAN‘…Marry my daughter, and your apology will be accepted.’That was a laughable request, and as it repeated in my head, I couldn’t help snorting at it.Felix Chandler grimaced as if offended.“You think it’s stupid?” he frowned deeper.“I can’t be made to marry your daughter over some mistake of the past, Mr. Felix,” I stated matter-of-factly. “but I can recompense.”His anger grew evident on his face.“You can recompense?”“Yes. I can compensate Wendy or you for—““Are you trying to buy our apology?” he interrupted harshly, his lips curled up in a sneer. “Do you think we’re cheap enough to—”“First, Mr. Felix,” It was my turn to interrupt him. “I don’t intend to ‘buy’ apologies. I want a situation where both parties are happy, and marriage doesn’t do it for me.”“I don’t—"“I’ll give her anything else she wants except marriage,” I stated. “A healthy space? A good phycologist? A dating partner? Even money, millions? Name it.”“Mr. Nathan—”“I won’t offer your daughter marriage,”
CHARLOTTEI saw him again.The monster.His evil laughter echoed through the cold silence like a rumble of thunder, and I could barely hold a breath as I ran from his hot pursuit, my body slipping into weakness as I tumbled against something on the ground.He was terrifyingly close, and even in the frenzy of my heart and the horror that befell me as I stared at him, all I could think about was my son. Charles.I had tucked him away from the danger, but who was to tell he hadn’t befallen another?I let out a shocked gasp as he approached and suddenly lifted his hand so I could see what he was holding.Charles.My little boy.Blood oozed from a gash on the side of his head, soaking his hair and clothes. He was staring at me wide-eyed, and I returned the stare with a horrifying one.How? How did he get to Charles? How?“No. No, no, please. Let my son go.” I begged, but he ignored my pleas—the vile man.“Mommy,” Charles whimpered, a tear falling from his eyes. “Mommy, save me,”“Please, l
NATHANA DAY EARLIER (Flashback)I changed my mind.I’d considered going home before visiting Charlotte but decided against it.Facing my father wasn’t at the top of my list right now.So I told my driver to drive straight to the hospital.When I arrived, I went straight to the receptionist's desk, signed off on Charlotte’s card, and was swiftly directed to her room.When I arrived, I met Dan, Charles, and Noah sitting beside a still-unconscious Charlotte.Noah’s face looked pale, and his eyes were puffy, indicating he was crying. Dan had his hands around him and squeezed every once in a while.Charles also looked miserable and kept looking up anxiously. The little kid was the first to spot me.“Uncle Nathan!” His squeaky voice called out, drawing everyone in the room's attention.He jumped up from his chair and ran over to me.“Uncle Nathan!” He repeated as he wrapped his tiny arms around my leg. “Thank God you came. I thought you wouldn’t come.” He sniffed loudly, then began sobbing
NATHAN(Flashback continued)Sanity was far from reach, and maintaining patience was excruciating. I could barely count how many times my heart thumped in a second or put an end to the nerve-wracking turmoil inside me.Charlotte wasn’t fine.Her heart had stopped.That was the only information they left us with, and almost an hour passed, and still nothing.My hands were cold and shaking, and with shallow breathing and impatiently tapping feet, I muttered. “You should leave now,” I said to my assistant.“Now?”“Yes. Go get the evidence before it is tampered with.”“Alright then,” Dan muttered, and with a hesitant nod, he left.I sank my gaze to the ground.God knows that if Liam were to come within my line of sight now or any moment from now, I’d choke him with my bare hands.Strangle the bastard and make him almost taste death so he can experience what Charlotte was going through.He—The emergency room door opening caught my attention, and a relieved breath escaped my lips as my gaz
CHARLOTTE(PRESENT DAY)The initial numbness that had held me in its grasp earlier vanished the moment my eyes blinked open for the second time.As the harsh sunlight rays made me squint my eyes, my consciousness spiked from bleakness to awareness, and I was suddenly aware of everything.The smell of antiseptics reminded me that I was in the hospital.And Nathan.My heart caught in my chest at the thought that he might have left, but when I snapped my head to the side, my worry melted, and my heart bubbled.His head leaned sideways against the bed just by my side, his eyes were shut, and his soft snores floated through the monitor’s recurring beep to my ears.Watching him this close-up did something inside me. I almost didn't want to sit on the bed, but I did. I noticed he'd removed his suit jacket and draped it over the headrest of the chair he was sitting on.And his tie hung loosely from his neck.He was a worn-out mess.A handsome mess who'd kept to his word and stayed beside me f
CHARLOTTEAs I stepped out of the prison gates, blinking against the bright sun and warm breeze caressing my neck, a single word echoed in my head.Freedom. I was free.It had been three years since my arrest—three years since my whole life fell apart at the seams.I wasn’t exactly sure when or how it happened, but one minute, I was the beautiful heiress of the Windsor’s, and the next, I was a prisoner with no name, my freedom lost to me as surely as if it never existed.It all started when the Nanny’s daughter, Sophia Smith, came forward with claims that I wasn’t the biological daughter of the Windsor but was instead switched at birth by her mother.Sophia continued with her story, claiming she was the real heiress and that there was even a paternity test to confirm it. The story seemed crazy initially, but it was proven true after rigorous checks, and Nanny Anna came forward to confess her involvement.I, Charlotte, was not the biological child of the Windsor’s, and my whole existen
CHARLOTTE(PRESENT DAY)The initial numbness that had held me in its grasp earlier vanished the moment my eyes blinked open for the second time.As the harsh sunlight rays made me squint my eyes, my consciousness spiked from bleakness to awareness, and I was suddenly aware of everything.The smell of antiseptics reminded me that I was in the hospital.And Nathan.My heart caught in my chest at the thought that he might have left, but when I snapped my head to the side, my worry melted, and my heart bubbled.His head leaned sideways against the bed just by my side, his eyes were shut, and his soft snores floated through the monitor’s recurring beep to my ears.Watching him this close-up did something inside me. I almost didn't want to sit on the bed, but I did. I noticed he'd removed his suit jacket and draped it over the headrest of the chair he was sitting on.And his tie hung loosely from his neck.He was a worn-out mess.A handsome mess who'd kept to his word and stayed beside me f
NATHAN(Flashback continued)Sanity was far from reach, and maintaining patience was excruciating. I could barely count how many times my heart thumped in a second or put an end to the nerve-wracking turmoil inside me.Charlotte wasn’t fine.Her heart had stopped.That was the only information they left us with, and almost an hour passed, and still nothing.My hands were cold and shaking, and with shallow breathing and impatiently tapping feet, I muttered. “You should leave now,” I said to my assistant.“Now?”“Yes. Go get the evidence before it is tampered with.”“Alright then,” Dan muttered, and with a hesitant nod, he left.I sank my gaze to the ground.God knows that if Liam were to come within my line of sight now or any moment from now, I’d choke him with my bare hands.Strangle the bastard and make him almost taste death so he can experience what Charlotte was going through.He—The emergency room door opening caught my attention, and a relieved breath escaped my lips as my gaz
NATHANA DAY EARLIER (Flashback)I changed my mind.I’d considered going home before visiting Charlotte but decided against it.Facing my father wasn’t at the top of my list right now.So I told my driver to drive straight to the hospital.When I arrived, I went straight to the receptionist's desk, signed off on Charlotte’s card, and was swiftly directed to her room.When I arrived, I met Dan, Charles, and Noah sitting beside a still-unconscious Charlotte.Noah’s face looked pale, and his eyes were puffy, indicating he was crying. Dan had his hands around him and squeezed every once in a while.Charles also looked miserable and kept looking up anxiously. The little kid was the first to spot me.“Uncle Nathan!” His squeaky voice called out, drawing everyone in the room's attention.He jumped up from his chair and ran over to me.“Uncle Nathan!” He repeated as he wrapped his tiny arms around my leg. “Thank God you came. I thought you wouldn’t come.” He sniffed loudly, then began sobbing
CHARLOTTEI saw him again.The monster.His evil laughter echoed through the cold silence like a rumble of thunder, and I could barely hold a breath as I ran from his hot pursuit, my body slipping into weakness as I tumbled against something on the ground.He was terrifyingly close, and even in the frenzy of my heart and the horror that befell me as I stared at him, all I could think about was my son. Charles.I had tucked him away from the danger, but who was to tell he hadn’t befallen another?I let out a shocked gasp as he approached and suddenly lifted his hand so I could see what he was holding.Charles.My little boy.Blood oozed from a gash on the side of his head, soaking his hair and clothes. He was staring at me wide-eyed, and I returned the stare with a horrifying one.How? How did he get to Charles? How?“No. No, no, please. Let my son go.” I begged, but he ignored my pleas—the vile man.“Mommy,” Charles whimpered, a tear falling from his eyes. “Mommy, save me,”“Please, l
NATHAN‘…Marry my daughter, and your apology will be accepted.’That was a laughable request, and as it repeated in my head, I couldn’t help snorting at it.Felix Chandler grimaced as if offended.“You think it’s stupid?” he frowned deeper.“I can’t be made to marry your daughter over some mistake of the past, Mr. Felix,” I stated matter-of-factly. “but I can recompense.”His anger grew evident on his face.“You can recompense?”“Yes. I can compensate Wendy or you for—““Are you trying to buy our apology?” he interrupted harshly, his lips curled up in a sneer. “Do you think we’re cheap enough to—”“First, Mr. Felix,” It was my turn to interrupt him. “I don’t intend to ‘buy’ apologies. I want a situation where both parties are happy, and marriage doesn’t do it for me.”“I don’t—"“I’ll give her anything else she wants except marriage,” I stated. “A healthy space? A good phycologist? A dating partner? Even money, millions? Name it.”“Mr. Nathan—”“I won’t offer your daughter marriage,”
NATHANIt took me a few seconds to regain my self after the bombshell dropped.“Tony really confessed.” I said more to myself than Dan but I heard him hum.“Who is she?” I asked, my brows furrowing with attentiveness and briefly one name stood at the back of my mind.Charlotte.“Do you remember Wendy Chandler?” Dan asked in reply and my brows furrowed even more.The Chandler name wasn’t a strange one, as they were one of the influential families in the country.Third only to the Windsors and Hamiltons.So, of course, I knew who that woman was and I face palmed myself, groaning loudly.As if sensing my dread, Dan spelt out who she was clearly. “She was the girl that mistakenly entered your room that night, five years ago…and to further repeat Tony’s confession, the woman you slept with.”“Fucking hell.” I cussed, gritting my jaw so hard it hurt. “This must be a joke.”While I didn’t remember that night in clear details, there was no way I could forget my encounter with Wendy.Daughter
AUTHOR’S POVIt only took the briefest moment, as everyone remained still with visible shock at what Charlotte had done to herself, before chaos ensued.“Charlotte!” Noah called out in a yell as he watched his sister fall the ground again.Unsheathed panic streamed through his blood vessels as he tried to writhe out from the guards holding him to get to her, but every struggle turned useless as they held him in place and he could only wail.Liam, however, had frozen with a bolt of shock.He hadn’t expected that.That she could ever pull off self-harm to protect someone she loved.Yes, he’d known things about Charlotte in the years they were married, and he wouldn’t deny that she was kind and selfless but hurting herself because of a loved one.Willingly embracing death to save her kin…it was new to him. And for the first time, he felt totally discombobulated, and afraid.“Let me go!” Noah’s determination to get to his sister was still unfettering as the bodyguards resilience in lettin
CHARLOTTEThe distant call of my name was the first sound to grace my ears, and then a panging headache.My sight was mildly distorted, but everything was starting to come back to me.The fact that I’d passed out.The fact that Noah was above me, and his lips came into clearer view as he called my name.He looked worried, with panic flickering in his eyes.“Charlotte!” He called again, his voice sounding harsh and loud and that was the only thing I needed to get up.Slowly, and with a groan I pushed myself up.Everything was in clear lights now, and I realized that the landlord, as well as the other men that had been in here wrecking havoc, were no longer present.Amid the relief that flooded my chest seeing Charles beside me and unhurt unlike Noah, I felt dissatisfied.“How are you feeling?” Noah bombarded me. “Are you having a headache? Do you need a hospital?”“Did they leave?” I grunted out as Charles hooked his arm in mine, his gaze lacing with worry at me.I brushed a hand throu
CHARLOTTEAs the cab pulled to a stop, I tightened my grip on Charles's hand, pulled him close, and exited the vehicle.I quickly paid the driver, and after grabbing Charles's bag, we began walking down the street toward our new home.My heart still raced from the upsetting events earlier at the school, but I tried to push aside the thoughts and instead focus on my boy.I glanced at him.His face was still gloomy as he stared straight ahead. He had been quiet since leaving the school, and I knew why.With a sigh, I gently squeezed his hand and asked, “So, what do you think of the new house?”“It’s cool.”“Is it? Were you able to look around?”He shrugged, giving me a ‘no’ in response.A smile appeared on my face, and I began describing the house.“The house is spacious and cozy. I have a big kitchen, living room, and balcony. I also have plans to decorate your room with your favorite toys and get a TV for you.”“A TV? For me?” His eyes suddenly sparked with excitement, and I laughed.