CHAPTER 6

JAMESON'S POV

     “I'm not sure what to do mom. I have to keep their father's support". I rubbed my head, staring at my uninteresting breakfast on the kitchen table. I was getting antsy, for every moment Charlotte was not in the house, I anticipated her father storming my house, or serving an official letter that will destroy my years' hard work. 

     “I have to peel my oranges myself. That Tatiana girl is even more useless than her elder sister" My mother said morosely, gingerly peeling an orange.

     I restrained the urge to roll my eyes. “Help me here, mother". I stepped forward to collect the orange and the knife from her. I needed something to focus my nervous energy on.

     “What can I help you with? What was your plan, when you decided that the woman you wanted was your wife's sister?" She sniffed. “Just like your father. Thinking with your other head. Did you forget their father's company is a big part of the foundation of yours?"

     I did not want to hear judgements. “All that's done now". I cut the orange into four the way she likes it, and handed it to her. “What should I do?"

My mother opened her mouth to speak, but was cut short by Tatiana singing a song off key at the top of her voice. Her face contorted in disgust and fury. I pressed my lips together to hide my humour.

“Useless girls, the both of them." She tossed the orange parts into the sink. “There's no nice or just way to go about this now, is there? You've done the deed already, now you have to follow it up with strategies that will ensure that it does not backfire". She fingered the sharp point of the knife. “You cannot eat your cake and have it by being a gentle man".

My mother was fond of speaking in very unclear terms. “You're saying that I should do whatever it takes to keep their father in the company?"

“I'm saying you should find a way to eat your cake and have it". She reaches for another orange. 

I sighed. My mom was not in the mood for advice this morning. “I'm off to work." I turned to leave. 

“Take that thing with you" my mother barked.

I chuckled. “Go easy on Tati, mom".

Charlotte's POV

I paced the hotel room, nervous. I could not bring myself to go home to my father's house the previous night, and I was definitely not sleeping in Bran's house or my messed up room, so I'd opted for a hotel room. Jameson and I arranged a meeting for that morning, and I was awaiting his arrival. To be honest, I had no idea how I wanted to make Brandon pay, but I liked Jameson's idea, and I wanted to hear it again, in detail. There was a knock on the door. I flew to open it. “Hi Jameson, I-" I cut myself off at the sight of a startled worker.

“Uh, you ordered breakfast". She pointed at the table of covered dishes.

“Right". I'd forgotten. I cleared my throat and opened the door wider to let her pass. I watched her arrange the food impatiently. Where was Jameson? 

“Hello Charlotte" Jameson said behind me. 

I turned around. “Hi. Come in" I waved him in quickly. He stepped aside instead, and the hotel worker rolled her table out, smiling sweetly at Jameson as she passed. I felt the weird urge to scratch her eyes out.

“You didn't go home?" Jameson asked, heading straight for the table with food on it. He uncovered each dish, examining it's contents.

“You're still a foodie". I observed with a little smile.

He straightened, smiling sheepishly. “You noticed?"

I rolled my eyes. “It was general knowledge". 

He looked away. “So, you didn't go home?"

“I will. I have to. But first, how can we make Brandon pay?"

He gave me a considering look. “Are you sure you want to do this?"

I frowned. “Weren't you the one trying to convince me yesterday?" 

He sighed. “Yes...but it was selfish of me. I did not consider your...condition. I just wanted to make the bastard suffer. You said you wanted it to go away". He looked at me inquiringly. 

I nodded rapidly. “Yes. And it won't go away unless I end it. I cannot just let him...get away". I sounded mad. “A dog I've never seen in my life destroyed my copy of Renae". I clenched my hands at the memory.

“Copy...of Renae?" He asked.

“It's my favourite novel. And that was a limited edition, gifted to me by my dad on my twentieth birthday. It costs thousands of dollars. She brought a dog to piss on it." I glared.

“Okay. That must have been very devastating." He raised his hands when I glared at him. “Okay, okay. Have you eaten?" He gestured at the covered dishes again.

I walked reluctantly to the table, plopping on the couch. He opened a dish, and I plucked a French fry, nibbling absent mindedly. “So?"

“Okay for starters, you have to be detached from this".

I raised a brow. “Detatched?"

He gestured at me. “None of this anger. You'll make mistakes. You have to be focused to make the best decisions. Let go of the pain and everything".

“Well, that'll be hard". I cleared my throat. “He did a lot". I cleared my throat again. 

He nodded. “That's why I'll be here." He flashes a grin at me.

I thought of our night together that I couldn't even remember. I smiled akwardly and looked way.

“We're going to see your father first." He said.

I look back at him. “What does he have to do with this. I'll go to see him". I was almost pleading.

“He has everything to do. He understands all of this better than you do. And from my findings, he holds a large stake in Star Trusts"

“Well, my dad did invest a lot. Fuck Brandon. He never really loved me" My eyes burn.

Jameson nods. “That fucker is so screwed". He had a small smile on his face. It was unervingly familiar. 

“You look like you've got an evil plan" I said.

His smile widened into a grin. “I've got big plans. Very big plans."

     As expected, my dad nearly blew the roof.

   “How could this have been going on without my knowledge?" He growled, gripping the edges of the table in his study room, his face red with anger. I stood some distance away, beside Jameson, my head down and my hands behind me.

     “I'm sorry dad'. I whispered.

     “Sorry?" His voice softened. “I'm disappointed in you, Charlotte. You went through all that at the hands of your husband and that witch, and you have a father that can get you world, and you did not say a word. Have I not raised you better?" 

     He did not understand. I loved Brandon. Maybe I still loved him. I said nothing.

     “Answer me, Charlotte. Where did I go wrong?"

     “It's my fault dad. I'm sorry."

     “And your sister. She's supposed to be in college. What is the meaning of all this?" He raised his voice. “Why are you girls fighting over a man like a toy? Aren't there enough men in the world?" He roared.

     I shuddered. My dad angry is not an experience I loved to see. He reared up and swiped at the table. Something crashed to the ground. He swiped again and something cracked loudly. I whimpered. He looked at me, breathing heavily. A vein in his neck buldged, and he struggled to contain himself. I looked down again.

     “And who is this?" He said.I looked up.

     “Jameson Longue, sir" Jameson's voice was calm and collected. “Solicitor at Madison's and Madison's".

     My dad looked him over. “Why are you here?" 

 “Sir, I am here to help in any way I can to make sure that Brandon does not go unpunished for the disgrace he has brought to your family".

   My father regarded him for a moment, and walked to a window. I noticed that his hand was red. “I've tried to do all I can for my girls. They are all I have. Ever since I lost their mother-" he cleared his throat. “There's nothing I would not give for them, nothing. I sent them to the best school, hired the best nannies, dedicated all my free time and extra for them. Yet it never seemed like it was enough". He sighed. “That's why when Charlotte said she wanted to marry that fucking gold digger with a witch for a mother I let her, despite my reservations. I gave him all he needed to be established, so he couldn't least take care of her. And he has the audacity, the audacity to make my daughter suffer after all I did for him. He even throws her out and picks the second one". He walked to Jameson. Jameson met his eyes bead on, not looking away. “Do you know what I do to those who hurt my girls, barrister?" Jameson said nothing. “I make them pay. And when I'm done. There'll be nothing left."

     Jameson nodded. “I have an idea sir". 

     “Do you now?" My father chuckled. He turned to me. “Is that why you're here?" 

     “Yes". I nodded.

     “I see". He grinned. He looked scary. “All right. Let's hear it."